Location: Unknown
Sansweet may have had the skeleton chip, but she knew grabbing the chip was only the easy part. Not that it was easy, breaking into Robinson Industries more secure sections did require some skills. But thanks to the few supers she had and the technology she had turned months of planning into only a few hours to execute. William may not have been able to handle her headset, due to not being super. Several supers she had tested it on had passed on too, meaning she needed to make improvements. But now the device worked, placing supers under her control. With the help of a young super with the ability of activation and deactivation. The kid was able to turn anything on and off. She just needed him to turn off all the power at the company and then she could send it another super with the power of intangibility to steal the chip.
Now, her only problem was that the chip only worked on one specific computer and that was back at RI. It was Cornelius Robinson's fail safe. She knew not to underestimate that man. He thought of every possibility to make the world a better place. If he really wanted to make the world a better place, he could start by getting rid of all those supers.
"How long do you think she'll take?" Sansweet asked as she entered a room were a bunch of broken machinery laid near the feet of a catatonic girl.
"Robinson is known for his complicated inventions. As quick as technopaths are at creating technology out of anything, this could take the girl days, maybe even weeks to construct. But if we remove the device, we might be able to get the task done more quickly." her scientist pointed out.
"Won't sending the message through the device be enough?"
"From what my studies on supers tell me, their powers are linked by emotion. In her state, she lacks the emotion and so therefore her powers won't be as cooperative. We might not even be able to get the machine done."
It was a risk, but the sooner she got the job done the better and she wanted a guaranteed success.
"Alright, remove the device and let the girl rest. We start her again tomorrow without the device." Sansweet instructed.
"What makes you think she'll comply?"
"We give her something to work for. Everyone has a weakness that can be used as leverage." she turned to the girl and smiled darkly.
Location: Todayland, Unused RI Warehouse
Sleeping on sleeping bags on a tile floor wasn't the best way to guarantee a good night's sleep. If anything, all four of them were groaning when they woke up, stretching out their limbs and rubbing their necks.
"You know? When I pictured our first sleepover, this wasn't what I had in mind." Wilbur commented.
"Why are you even picturing that?" Violet questioned.
"It's just an expression. No need to be so literal with everything I say."
"But it's much more fun that way." Violet grinned.
"Okay. Now that we're all here, what exactly is the plan?" Penny asked.
The two bickering teens turned to her and then all three faced Hiro. But he didn't really have the slightest idea where to start. All they had discussed was that they had to stop Sansweet before anyone else could get hurt by her hands.
Hiro went over to his bag and took out his laptop, placing it on an empty table. "You said the security was off when the robbery happened?" he asked Wilbur.
"Yeah. No one has a clue on who done it or how. It was like the system shut down completely."
"Like your electrokinesis?" Penny wondered.
"Uh ah." Wilbur shook his head. "According to the witness reports, everything shut down like someone turned it off. I cause things to short circuit when I try turning them on and off. It'd have to be an inside job or Sansweet found a way to somehow turn the power off."
"It was just RI's power out. So that means, we could break into nearby buildings security systems and we could use that to identify the thief." Hiro then began typing away, getting a view of the location.
"How long do you think it will take for you to get in?" Violet leaned over his shoulder and watched the screen.
"It could take a while. It might be quicker if we knew which camera could have filmed it."
"I guess we're gonna have a bit of field work." Violet said.
"That's too risky." Hiro interjected. "We're not even suppose to be here. I'm sure the NSA will recognise us if we step foot out."
That was when Penny came in. "I think you guys forgot you not only have an illusionist on your team, but also a former actress. I know a thing or two about staying off the radar when out in public. All we need is a disguise and I can throw in a few illusions to get people off our trail."
That was true and it would really speed things up.
"Guess you get to go on your first mission." Violet said.
"You're not coming?" Hiro turned to her.
"We can't all go. It'll attract too much attention. Like Penny stated, we'll need her illusions and Wilbur knows this city better than us and I think he has in own ways of avoiding his adoring fans that could help. Besides, I think I'll be more use here." Violet gave a quick wink to Penny.
Both boys eyed each other and just shrugged with a confused look. It was clear they didn't quite understand what the girls were going on about. But they understood the plan, though.
Hiro stood up and headed over to his bag. "Here." he said as he pulled something out and handed each of them something. They were earpieces. "So we can keep contact."
"Any other nifty gadgets in that bag of yours?" Wilbur asked, trying to see if he could see anything inside.
"Just tools." Hiro merely replied. "And maybe a super suit."
All three suddenly looked up at him. Had they heard him right? For Hiro it seemed the cat was out of the bag.
"You bothered to make yourself a suit and not the rest of us?" Wilbur raised an eyebrow.
"Actually..." Hiro bit his lip. "I've been using it for the past two years. You know of San Fransokyo's local heroes?"
"You mean Big Hero 6?" Penny said. "That's you? I mean one of them members."
Hiro nodded.
"I thought you didn't know about your powers until the NSA came?" Wilbur recalled.
"That was true. I never knew about my powers back then. It wasn't until our last mission that I used my powers for the first time in the suit. At least that I've been aware." For all he knew, he probably had used his powers. For sure his super intellect was at play.
Hiro turned to Violet and saw her looking unsurely at him. He really wanted to know how she felt about this. To be honest, he valued her opinion over the others on the subject. Truth was, the invisible powered super wasn't sure what to say. She knew how dangerous field work was in the superhero business. Her whole life she had known of the dangers and not long after her first mission had she been told of the risks she didn't know about. Hiro never had that and she both worried and envied him for that. Envied because he didn't have her worries of what would happen if people discovered her identity or the fact that this mission could be her last. But overall worried because of the same reason. Her train of thought was broken when Wilbur spoke.
"Now there's a true hero." Wilbur commented. "How about we get to work now?"
"Wilbur Robinson eager to go to work? That's a first." Penny raised an eyebrow.
"Most work I do doesn't involve going undercover with a pretty girl." the comment made Penny blush. "But you're not going to make up on me, are you?" he asked worriedly.
"I was thinking a cap and sunglasses. But if you want, I can add in some foundation." she teased.
Location: Todayland, Robinson Industries
With everything set up and half the team out on the field, while the other half remained back at the warehouse watching on laptop screens. Hiro really knew his technology and already accessed one of the cameras in the area. But it wouldn't exactly help in locating the thief. It was just a traffic camera that was at the corner of Robinson Industries.
"You guys might as well see if there are any clues there. Most people tend to miss clues." Violet said, watching them on the screen.
Wilbur had sported the cap and sunglasses like Penny had suggested, throwing a jumper in the mix. It had been one of Hiro's since they figured Wilbur's style might be recognisable. All Penny did was put on a pair of fake reading glasses and borrowed one of Violet's headbands. Their disguises probably wouldn't earn them a second glance from passerbys.
"If we manage to get inside without getting caught, I'll make sure to keep my eyes open." Wilbur said into his earpiece. Violet just gave an eye roll at him. Not that he'd see it.
"Just do what you were tasked to do."
"Okay, mom."
At RI, Wilbur and Penny tried looking as casual as best they could. People walked by as if normal, but they did get a little uncomfortable when passing the security guards. Probably thought they were going to get jumped on and accused or something.
"Which would be the best way in?" Penny asked.
"Front entrance." he replied. "Anyone can enter, but to get to the rest of the building you'd need DNA recognition. You'd only qualify for a Visitor's Pass. And those are only for the areas open to the public. Everything else is restricted and different workers have access to different areas."
"Could you get in being family of the owner?"
"Usually, but most times I'm locked out of most labs. Dad doesn't trust me after a few incidents. But we might be able to get further than a Regular Visitor Pass."
Penny stepped forward and looked at the building across from RI. "Hiro, do you think you can get into the building across the street? Maybe one of their cameras look into Robinson Industries."
"On it."
"Do you know what time the tours are?" Penny faced back to Wilbur.
"They're usually 9-5. But it might be different with the extra security and investigation going."
"You two better get your tickets now. Next one is in ten minutes and the one after that won't be for a while." Violet informed them, having open up the company's website on her own screen. "Looks like the lower basement is sealed off. Might be a good place to start looking for clues."
The two headed towards the building and purchased themselves Visitor passes, joining the scheduled tour.
Wilbur had already practically seen the tour worthy places and the tour guide didn't give the entire story. But he figured it was best since most were personal family things. As the woman went on about The Bird. Saying how the invention not only helped astronomers, but assisted young children in understanding space better.
"Dad actually invented it for his and mom's tenth wedding anniversary. He wanted to bring her the stars and mom even prepared a song for him." Wilbur told her.
"That's so romantic." Penny gushed over the story. She wondered if her own father had been romantic with her mother like that or best he could do. Not everyone was world famous inventor or frog musician. But mom rarely talked about dad after he left their lives.
"Is there something you two like to share?" Wilbur and Penny looked up to see everyone staring at them.
"Just admiring the invention." Wilbur grinned.
It seemed to get everybody to look away for them and continue with the tour.
"You're heading towards an elevator that leads to the basement. You can break off from the tour here." Violet said.
While Wilbur knew the exterior, Violet had view of where the guards were and so her navigating was helpful. And also, he knew of the security measures. Getting there without getting caught would be a challenge and they needed their friends word on when the coast was clear. Having the power of invisibility would be useful right now.
"And I managed to put the security camera on a loop, so that should keep you covered for now." Hiro added.
"The elevator seems to need security clearance." Penny moaned, seeing a handprint scanner, instead of the usual button.
"You forgot who you came with." Wilbur stepped in front of her and ready to place is hand on the scanner.
"You sure you won't be locked out?" Hiro questioned.
"It's worth a shot."
"But they'll know its you. They'll know you've been here." Violet mentioned.
"We'll be in and out before they catch us and what other choice do we have?"
"He's got a point. Anyway, we're just trying to find out as much as we can." Hiro said.
Going for that option, the four just decided to risk it. Wilbur placed his hand on the scanner and luckily it did recognise him and provide clearance.
"I don't think that would've worked if I was thirteen." He sighed with relief as both he and Penny entered.
"You must've been a handful when you were that age." Penny teased.
"Dad actually didn't trust me in the time lab. I had to go through extreme measures to get through."
"Do I even want to know why you tried to break into your dad's time lab?"
"Let's just say it all started when I forgot to lock the garage door..."
Location: Todayland, Unused RI Warehouse
While Wilbur and Penny were talking about Wilbur's time travel adventure, back at the warehouse, Hiro and Violet had some tension in the room. Since Hiro told them about his activities back home, she hadn't spoken directly to him.
"Is something bugging you?" Hiro asked, turning around.
Violet looked up at him, not sure what he was talking about. "What?"
"You haven't said anything to me all morning."
"Oh." she figured he noticed that and bit her lip. "What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know. Just something." Hiro ran his hand through his hair.
"When you mentioned you did hero work I didn't know how to process that information. I mean, why would a seemingly normal person take up that kind of work?"
His whole origin story didn't start off well, but he figured Violet deserved the right to know. He had to be open with her and his friends as well. A team wasn't good if there were secrets between them and he'd been doing that with both his teams lately. As soon as he got back to San Fransokyo he was going to tell the other's about him. But first, he had to let out his story to his friends here.
"It started with my brother." he began. "The fire that killed him wasn't an accident. Someone started it. I made it my mission to apprehend his killer and our friends were willing to help. We caught the guy and we continued because my brother wanted to help people and so that's what we did."
When Hiro finished, Violet was looking at him with sympathy. She then threw herself at him and hugged him. "You really are a hero." she said.
"I just couldn't have people go through what I did. To have someone they cared about taken away like that."
Violet pulled back and gave a sad smile. "And that's what makes a hero. Being selfless. You started of just trying to avenge your brother and then it ended up being more than that."
"I guess I needed a little reminder." he looked over at Baymax's case.
"I'm sure your robot friend helped out." she then went in thought for a moment. "Would this happen to be when you lost control and sent Baymax after the guy?"
Hiro chocked and laughed nervously. "Ahh..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "If it wasn't for my friends...you know?"
"You really should work on your anger." Violet gave a nod.
"I second that." Wilbur interrupted through the earpiece.
"How long have you been listening?" Hiro asked wide eyed and turned back to the computer screen, seeing them on the camera.
"We only just heard that last part about you sending a robot to kill a guy." Penny answered. "Which we heard right after Wilbur told me he was erased from existence."
"Say what now?" Violet raised an eyebrow.
"It's not something I'm not happy to share and talk about." Wilbur shuddered.
"Do we live weird lives or what?" Hiro wondered.
"Life of a super." Wilbur said and they all laughed.
Location: Todayland, Robinson Industries
Once the elevator stuffed, Wilbur and Penny carefully examined the area to make sure no one was around. When no one was around, they waited for Hiro's okay on the camera and then stepped out.
"Any idea which room we're looking for?" Violet asked Wilbur.
"Honestly, no." Wilbur admitted. "The Skeleton Chip was one of dad's more top secret projects. All I knew was how it worked and such. It's location was never on the records."
Guess Cornelius figured the less who knew, the better. They didn't need to figure out how Sansweet knew. When you've been working undercover in the Government, of course you'd learn of such things.
"My best bet is we follow the trail of police." Wilbur informed.
Violet studied the screen showing the RI interior. She had to smile at seeing the symbols Hiro used as their locators. Wilbur's favourite t-shirt logo and the lightning bolt from Penny's old show.
"The basements are huge." she commented. It looked like a maze. The room where they kept the Skeleton Chip could be anywhere.
"You have no idea." Wilbur said.
"I did find this guys. One of the cameras in the building across the street caught two people leaving just as the power went back on." Hiro informed. "It's blurry, but if I render it enough, we could get a clear picture."
"I think I found something too." Penny had caught something in the corner of her eye, by the corner she saw a hint of red. Leaning down, she closely examined it and that was either red ink or blood. Pulling out a cotton tip she wiped it off the floor and placed it in a plastic bag.
"Think that belongs to thief, Sherlock?" Wilbur questioned as he watched her put it away.
"Seems like our thief came in with some kind of wound or something." Violet said. "But it could easily be from a workers."
"Only one way to find out." Penny said.
"We don't exactly have a DNA scanner here." Hiro pointed out.
"Excuse me." Wilbur interjected. "If you check my bag, I did manage to take some of my dad's inventions. One being a scanner. It scans people, objects and even buildings. I'm sure it could scan someone's DNA."
At least they had that covered. Suddenly a red alert went over the floor.
"I think that's our queue." Wilbur announced and both he and started making their way to the elevator, but Violet quickly stopped them.
"Guards are entering through that elevator."
"And they're coming in from the other one." Hiro added, seeing it on the cameras.
"Now seems time to pull an illusion." Violet told Penny.
They could hear the guards approaching. Penny and Wilbur began running down the corridor. It wasn't long until they froze dead in their tracks and someone spotted them.
AN: I will leave you here. We weren't going to have any power tomorrow and so I decided to finish this chapter today and post it. You're welcome!
I just got the urge to right this and of course I'll start the next chapter.
And more MTR game references. I love that game. It does give you more information about the future in the film and more on Wilbur.
And I read that Hiro is a hacker and so I brought that in. Seemed necessary for this situation. And I don't know how hacking works exactly and I just winged it. So don't judge me if it's wrong. Just enjoy the story.