A/N: So today's headline is 'I hate editing!' This nasty little chapter was such an annoyance. First it started off with the fact that I had to rewrite one of the main sections because I didn't like it. Then I had to go back and do the normal edits, which in the middle of gave me a minor heart attack. I couldn't remember if I'd actually already established a plot element or not. I've worked on this story since November so many things about it run together in my mind. Anyways, I'm good now and while I'm still not one hundred percent happy about this chapter I think it works better. On the upside, there's about a thousand words that was added to this chapter in the edit.
Also, in this chapter we delve into so really AU-y stuff. Particularly about the fire at the convention center and who set it. I want to preface that by saying that in the movie Callaghan never actually confirms or denies Hiro's accusation of starting the fire. We, as an audience though, I think are meant to believe it though. However, I changed it so that it would fit with the AU I'm working in. I hope nobody minds too terribly much.
"The doctors at the hospital tell me that Abigail Callaghan is in stable condition. It's kind of a miracle when you consider just how tore up her apartment was. I got the photos Chiune took on his cell phone before he left the place. " Coulson informed them over the phone. "She'll be alright but Vera, I have to ask… do you think Callaghan will go after her again?"
Vera's eyes grew sharp. He winced. It was a good thing Coulson wasn't physically there with them. Vera would've roasted him on the spot with the glare she was conjuring up. "If you plan on molding a protection detail for her based on what I have to say, then I'm gonna have to tell you that's a lot to stake on my word Coulson." she told him in a clipped tone. Chiune couldn't help but agree.
"I know your work Vera." Coulson told her simply.
Vera sighed. She dropped her head into her hands momentarily before saying, "Based on what I knew before this all happened, the most I would've said Callaghan would try was kidnapping her. Now… I don't know. Something spooked him. Maybe it was the fact that Chiune was there? I don't know but he went off script."
Vera paused again. She bit her lip, deep in thought. "I don't think he'll go after her again. He'll feel too guilty to even look her in the eyes. Callaghan will focus on whatever his main goals are now."
"What do you think those main goals are?"
"Fixing the laws of the world? He could be going after Krei again?" suggest Chiune.
"If only it were so easy." grumbled Vera. "Coulson, H… Hydra is involved which means nothing is what it seems."
Her hands curled into fists against the armrest of the couch. "What are you thinking of Vera?" Chiune prompted her as he sat down next to her.
"Callaghan knew Big Hero 6 personally. Or at least one of the members. There's no other possible way that he could've gotten his hands on that research he stole from other students." she paused, "I knew there was a connection there. I could sense it when I talked to Krei but if Big Hero 6 did indeed know Callaghan personally and vice versa then, well… it takes something to create a Superhero just as much as it takes something to create a Supervillain. Something about Callaghan made Big Hero 6 into a Superhero team. I don't know what it is but I'd bet double the money I'm paying to go to law school that there's bad blood between them. Whether it's old fashioned betrayal or something darker, it's there."
"Okay…" he said, in confusion. He wasn't entirely sure where Vera was going with this. Coulson was silent on the other end of the phone.
Vera sensed his confusion because she turned to look square at him. "Callaghan's escape from prison and return to San Fransokyo isn't something they'd overlook. You've already found a blog that seems to prove that. Big Hero 6 is looking for him… and, well, Coulson. You said it once. Who would have a keen interest in finding Big Hero 6?"
"You think Callaghan's escape is a ploy?" Coulson clarified, "To draw out Big Hero 6 for Hydra?"
His mouth fell open. Vera was brilliant. There was just one thing though. "If Callaghan knows who Big Hero 6 is then shouldn't we assume that he's probably shared that information with Hydra?" he asked nervously.
"Of course. Hydra probably knows the identity of every single member." Vera shrugged.
"Then why go through all the subterfuge?" he asked.
"Because you can't just kidnap five kids and a robot without people noticing. If Hydra wants Big Hero 6, then it would be safer to go after them as heroes rather than when they're civilians. People will ask less questions if something happens to a team of Superheroes in the line of duty." explained Coulson.
Vera nodded in agreement, "Exactly, hence breaking their biggest nemesis out of prison. Hydra's ploy is probably to stage some sort confrontation between Big Hero 6 and Callaghan and use it as a smokescreen."
"That makes sense," he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Then he remembered the blog he'd found. The one asking for whereabouts on Yokai. His heart fell into his stomach. "A ploy that's working. If Big Hero 6 goes after Callaghan, they'll end up offering themselves to Hydra on a silver platter."
"Just like I did." murmured Vera. His attention snapped over to Vera. She had her arms wrapped around her middle and was rocking subtly on the couch. He grasped her hand and squeezed it with every bit of strength he had.
"I'll find them." he told both Coulson and Vera with determination that surprised him. He jumped off the couch and went to the table. Thank God he'd moved his laptop and the manila folder of stolen research into Abigail's kitchen before Callaghan showed up. It probably wouldn't have survived had he not. "I have their research. That's just as unique as a person's fingerprint. I just need time."
"Chiune," Coulson said slowly, "you might not have time. Hydra works quick. Word is already getting out the Yokai is back in San Fransokyo."
"We have to try." Vera said quietly. Her voice was still shaking yet she sounded so adamant. He looked over at her. She was still curled in on herself but she was no longer giving herself bruises from holding on too tightly to her arms. Then, the moment passed and she was sitting straight again with a fire burning in her eyes. "I have a few leads on some students who used to work with Dr. Callaghan at SFIT. I was planning on talking to them anyways. One of them could be a part of Big Hero 6."
"SFIT has a quarterly science journal they put out. I'll compare the research I found to the journals. I'm sure someone has published something there. These people are way too promising to not be noticed in academia." he added.
"Alright, I'll give you two clearance to stay in San Fransokyo for another couple days. As soon as the field agents get there though, you're both coming back to New York. Agreed?" Coulson told them seriously.
"Agreed," both he and Vera said at the same time.
"I'll talk to you soon." Coulson said before the line clicked off.
For a few minutes he and Vera stood in silence. "Are you alright?" he asked her.
"Coulson sent three field agents to Pelican Bay. They all pursued Callaghan and now they're all dead. Killed by Hydra. So, no, I'm not really alright." she told him. She reached over and grabbed the bracelet she was wearing and twisted it around on her wrist. He was really starting to regret buying her that bracelet at the boardwalk. She'd already managed to bruise her wrist from twisting it so much in anxiety. However, before he had a chance to go over and stop her from chafing at her wrist, Vera stopped on her own. "But there are a group of people out there that are in danger and don't even know it yet. I will take my anti-anxiety meds. I will cope. I will find a way to keep these people from sharing the same travesty that happened to me."
Vera crossed the room and sat down at the table. She pulled out a chair as she grabbed one of the notebooks from his hand. He looked at her warily. She was still shaking a little. Vera seemed determined not to look him in the eye as she opened the notebook and began reading. It only lasted roughly thirty seconds, much longer than he expected. She looked up at him with an upraised eyebrow. "How do you even understand any of this?" Vera asked him incredulously.
He laughed a little under his breath and sat down beside her. "It's really quite simple when you get down to it."
"I must look like an idiot to you," she snorted as she passed him back the file.
"You? Never." he promised her. He stared at the chemistry equations in the notebook before sighing. Did the person even realize the danger she was in? If Callaghan had indeed shared the identities of Big Hero 6 then they were literally sitting ducks with sharks swimming in circles around them. "I'm just surprised you haven't made some sort of 'I told you so' remark about Callaghan."
"You mean about the fact that he stole a lot more than just one student's work?" commented Vera as she quirked an eyebrow. He gave a small nod. Vera gave a long sigh before answering, "I could say I told you so. I could say a lot of things about Callaghan's level of deceit and spell out exactly what it means but what would it prove? The only thing it would do is hurt your feelings which is the very last thing you need after this afternoon. I am sorry, though, for you. Contrary to how I act sometimes, I know just how much you admired Dr. Callaghan."
He felt the nausea rising up in his chest. He didn't understand how he could feel so utterly repulsed by and yet still harbor respect for Callaghan. It seemed so wrong. God help him.
"What about you?" Vera asked suddenly. He looked over at her. "Are you going to be alright? Y'know, between discovering that your idol committed one of the most heinous crimes in academia and, uh well… Those hive drones that Callaghan was using were your's robot boy."
His hand clenched around the complex chemistry notes he was holding. All the horror of seeing those monstrosities again came rushing back to him with a vengeance. Unlike the first time seeing the hive drones, though, there was another feeling mixed in. Fury. Pure and unadulterated fury. He designed them and they had every capacity to kill someone. Abigail could have been killed. She'd been extremely lucky that she hadn't. That fact made his blood boil more than anything else, not the fact that his work had been stolen. His creation being used to hurt, maim, and destroy was unacceptable. That was why he'd set the damned things on fire in the Hydra compound. He'd wanted to wipe them from existence. He hated them and never would have created them had Hydra not forced him too. Science was supposed to be used to help people, not hurt. Now, though, Hydra had resurrected them and given them to Callaghan to use and abuse. How dare they. How dare they! It was absolutely incredible. The lengths that some people would go to just to hurt innocent people! How far Hydra would go. "I'll see every last one of those hive drones in pieces before this is said and done." he told her darkly.
"Save a couple for me. I'll gladly help."
They fell silent again. Vera flipped through the contents of the manila folder. His rage had begun to cool again by the time Vera spoke again.
"I wish we had some way to warn them." whispered Vera. "To tell them not to rush headlong into anything."
"I know, but…" he started to agree but then suddenly froze. "We do!"
His eyes were wide as he looked at Vera. She returned it with a confused look. "Chiune, what are you talking about?" she asked him.
He grabbed his laptop and pulled it open. In a matter of moments, he had his web browser opened up and his favorites tab open. "The blog, the one they set up for tips on Callaghan! That's how we warn them!"
"It's a public forum. If we announce that Hydra is after them, Hydra might just go after them without using subterfuge. We could put them in even more danger."
"So we put it in code."
"They probably don't even know who Hydra is!"
"I'm sure they'll figure out something's wrong if I post something about a trap hanging over their heads."
He looked over at Vera. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him in disbelief. "Vera, we have to protect them. If we can't find them before Hydra does then we have to warn them. This is the only way we can do it. This could save their lives. It may buy us some more time to find them and, who knows, maybe they'll reach out to us."
Vera's shoulders sagged. "I sure hope you know what you're doing Chiune." she said with a sigh.
He shot her a grin before clicking on the 'submit' button. "Don't worry about this one. I've got it. Worry about your own plan. Which, by the way, do you have one yet?"
"I finished up early with Callaghan's neighbors today so I went to SFIT. I think I'll start there tomorrow. I'll interview some of the robotics students, maybe some of the graduate students who might have worked with Callaghan that are still there. I'll see if any of them knew who the student was that created the healthcare companion robot. It will save me some time and eliminate a few names on the list."
"Find that robot and its creator and we'll probably have the first member of Big Hero 6. Have I mentioned how cool that healthcare companion robot is yet?"
"Not in the last few hours. Maybe you'd like to tell me about it again?" mumbled Vera.
He ignored the obvious sarcasm in her voice. "Well while you're at SFIT tomorrow, I'm going to see if I can find our brilliant pioneers in the school's academic journals."
"Will you be coming to SFIT with me then tomorrow?" she asked. "I know how much you've been dying to get into their labs and libraries."
Nerves made his stomach flip. He shook his head, "Nah, not tomorrow. I plan on hitting up the public library. They have the complete SFIT journal database as well as a few other scientific journal databases there."
"Why not just come to SFIT? Why do you need all the other databases?"
"I just want to cover my bases. These people may have graduated already and might have published something more recent outside of SFIT's quarterly journal. As for library instead of SFIT, they're knee deep in midterm prep. Their library is going to be busy. I want some peace." he explained. He left the sentiment of not wanting to be stared at by a bunch of college kids unsaid. It must have shown on his face though because Vera reached over and rubbed his back supportively. She didn't need to say or do anything more than that. He hit the enter key one last time. "There! Finished. What do you think?"
He waved his hand towards the computer screen, inviting Vera to look. Instantly she let out a groan and smacked her head into her palm. "You are a giant nerd. Has anyone ever told you that?" she muttered as she stole another glance at his expertly crafted, coded warning.
"King of the nerds I believe and don't you ever forget it imouto." he smirked.
Vera rolled her eyes, "How could I ever forget?"
X X X
"All recent scans for Dr. Callaghan have not yielded any data. The patient does not appear to be within scanning range." Baymax told the group.
GoGo groaned in frustration and flopped back on the couch in Fred's bedroom. "How can a masked Supervillain just… just disappear without a trace?" she growled.
Hiro understood her frustration. He didn't understand it either. He also didn't understand how a man who had once been so bent on avenging the apparent death of his daughter had attacked said daughter. It didn't make any sense whatsoever and the mere thought of it made him want to be physically sick! He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "He's got to be in San Fransokyo somewhere." Honey Lemon insisted. "Maybe he's underground or something?"
"Maybe I should take Baymax out for another scan…" Hiro suggested as he moved to stand up.
"That would be unwise Hiro." Baymax replied simply.
"How so?" demanded Hiro.
"Because I feel that more repeated attempts to scan for Dr. Callaghan would be detrimental to your mental health."
Hiro ground his teeth. "Dude, Baymax is right. You've already gone out and scanned the city for Callaghan three times since we came back. You haven't even changed out of your suit yet." Wasabi pointed out.
He looked down at himself and then back up at his friends. He blinked for a moment until he realized that he was, indeed, the only one still suited up for hero business. Someone, he was betting Honey Lemon, had even removed Baymax's armor. "I feel the best possible treatment for the current situation is rest and some mentally calming activities." Baymax said, raising his hand in the air.
Hiro sent him a dark look but it was of course lost on Baymax seeing as how he was a robot. "Fresh eyes are always better. Besides, tomorrow morning we might go out looking and find something we missed because we were too wound up on adrenaline or something." Fred added with a shoulder roll.
Obviously they were right. Repeated search attempts had resulted with absolutely nil! It was like Callaghan had completely dropped off the radar after leaving Abigail's apartment. With a groan, Hiro sunk back on to the floor where he'd laid out a map. There were markers all over it indicating places that he and the team were monitoring. He pulled off his gloves and grabbed a marker, uncapping it with his teeth. Very deliberately he drew a wide circle around the marker that was on Abigail Callaghan's apartment. "We searched a five mile radius this evening." he sighed, "Maybe tomorrow we should try something else?"
"What do you have in mind?" asked GoGo as she sat up.
"I have no clue." he admitted. Hiro shook his head. Again he raked his hand through his hair. There had to be some other way of finding Callaghan. Callaghan had found some way of hiding from them and was doing a fantastic job of it for the time being. Very methodically, Hiro began to bang his head into the heel of his palm. Find a new angle. Find a new angle. He chanted his brother's mantra over and over in his head. That was the thing though. He'd been searching for a new angle ever since he and the rest of the team had come back from searching around Abigail's apartment. It was really too bad that Vanellope Delle hadn't repeated what had happened after Callaghan had fled the scene to the other person on the phone like she had with everything else.
"Vanellope Delle…" Hiro gasped suddenly at the realization. He looked up abruptly and met every one of his friends surprised glances. "That's it! She's our different angle!"
"What are you talking about Hiro?" Honey Lemon shook her head in confusion.
"She knows something that we don't know about Callaghan. I'm sure of it!" he explained in a rapid rush. It was probably a good thing that they'd been friends for awhile otherwise there was no way they would've been able to understand him with how fast he talked. His friends all shot him a worried look. He shook his head and continued. "When I overheard her at the Institute, whoever was on the other end of the phone called to tell her about what had happened at Abigail's apartment. She has to know something. We find Delle, and we may find Callaghan."
"Slow down Hiro." Wasabi urged him.
"Do you even know how to find her?" GoGo asked him skeptically. She had the dubious look on her face that reeked of 'this will never work.'
Hiro smirked. "She's supposed to be coming back to SFIT to finish her 'tour'. When she does come back, I'll find her and make her tell me what she knows."
"Hiro, are you sure about this?" Honey Lemon asked as she chewed on her lip a little.
"We have no other choice." he insisted, "Not with Callaghan dropping off the map and no other leads available. Vanellope Delle could be our only chance."
"Isn't this investigator girl from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" pointed out GoGo. Her dubious look still hadn't faded off her face. "If she works for some government agency, she isn't just going to tell us."
"Leave it to me." he told her with a broad grin. "I'll figure it out somehow."
Again there was a collective groan from the group. He was fairly certain that they were considering just how he was planning on convincing Vanellope Delle to share information with him. Hiro shrugged it off. He became deadly serious. "In the meantime while we're waiting for Delle to resurface, I need you guys to keep an eye on Krei while you're at work. Any sign of Callaghan moving against him, we mobilize. I'm going to keep monitoring the scan sweeps. If Callaghan pops up again, we're dropping everything to go after him. Honey, Fred, keep an eye on the social media. If Callaghan resurfaces somewhere and the tip seems legitimate I want to follow up on it. Callaghan needs to be brought in as soon as possible!"
He looked at them expectantly. He knew he sounded borderline desperate but he didn't care. However, as he was waiting for them to respond, Fred broke the silence.
"Hey, uh, not to interrupt or anything but…" Fred started as he frowned at the computer screen before him, "you guys might want to take a look at this."
"What is it Freddie?" Honey Lemon asked as she bent down to look. Hiro and the others quickly crowded around Fred.
"We got a hit on the blog I set up." explained Fred.
"Your blog has gotten hundreds of hits?" GoGo replied, rolling her eyes.
"Is it viable?" Hiro asked as he moved closer.
"Just look at this you guys." Fred told them. He clicked on the file that had been uploaded to the blog.
Immediately sound started blaring through the computer speakers, chanting 'it's a trap, it's a trap' as a gif of a Yokai kabuki mask danced superimposed on the monster from Disney's Hercules, the one that grew, like, three heads for every one that was cut off over a picture of someone's living room. "What the…" snorted GoGo as she looked at the crazy image.
"That's the voice of that squid headed dude from the first Star Wars! Isn't it?" Hiro pointed out as he looked at the image on the computer in absolute confusion.
"General Ackbar." both Fred and Wasabi supplied at the same time.
"I don't get it…" Honey Lemon said, scratching the back of her head.
"I too am confused at the meaning of this particular web based post. How is this supposed to make us more efficient heroes?" Baymax agreed.
"There's nothing to get." GoGo replied waving her hand dismissively. "Someone is obviously trying to troll us."
"I am confused…" Baymax started to repeat.
"It's alright buddy," Hiro assured him, "It's just an expression. She means that someone is just giving us a hard time online."
"I shall add 'troll' to my expression database." replied Baymax as the hum off his computer brain started to file away the information.
"I'm not so certain it's someone trolling us." Fred said rather skeptically. Hiro caught his tone of voice and moved past the others to stand beside Fred. He raised an eyebrow at the computer screen as he studied the image right along with Fred.
"What makes you say that dude?" asked Wasabi.
"You ever get one of those tingly feelings? You know the one that runs down your spine and makes the teeny tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand up? I don't know man… I just…" Fred shook his head as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
The more Hiro stared at it, the more he was certain he felt the same thing. He couldn't explain it, not logically anyways, but for some reason he found himself agreeing with Fred. He wasn't so certain that this wasn't just someone trying to irritate them on the internet. It was posted anonymously which wasn't entirely strange. It had also been custom made, he was sure of it, but that didn't mean much either. What was it about this image that bothered him so much?
That's when he noticed the gif's background. It wasn't a still from the movie or just some random color. It was a picture of someone's living room in a high rise. However, what was downright chilling about it was the fact that every single window in the background appeared to be busted out. Every floor to ceiling window he could make out in the background was destroyed and the glass that had once been in them was strewn on the ground behind the animated monster. The view behind the broken window seemed familiar too, as if Hiro knew that skyline. But why? Then he saw the golden plaque lying on the ground in the corner of the image. His heart clenched and his stomach rolled over itself. "That's Abigail Callaghan's apartment." he whispered in horror.
"What?" gasped Honey Lemon.
"Fred, blow that corner of the image up if you can." Hiro told him, while pointing to the corner with the gold plaque. Fred gave him a look but did it anyways. There was a collective gasp from the others in the room. Fred wasn't able to blow the image up huge but they were able to make out what Hiro had. The Krei Tech symbol on the plaque. They'd all been in that apartment at one time, helping Abigail Callaghan move in. That was why the skyline in the background was familiar. This was why Hiro got bad vibes from the image.
"That's Abigail Callaghan's place." Wasabi breathed in shock as he shook his head.
"After Dr. Callaghan trashed it." pointed out GoGo in a surprisingly quiet and awestruck voice.
"The police haven't released any photos to the media and they've got the crime scene guarded as well as Fort Knox. Which means that…" Honey Lemon started.
Hiro swallowed the lump in his throat. "That the only possible way that someone could have gotten a picture of Abigail Callaghan's destroyed apartment was if he or she had been in there."
"Perhaps it is possible that the person who uploaded this image to the weblog's page was in the apartment before the police arrived and took the image. If this is so then it may be logical to suppose that he or she was there when Dr. Callaghan was present." suggested Baymax.
"Any idea who posted this?" Hiro asked Fred.
"No, the original poster kept him or herself anonymous." Fred answered.
"Change in plans then guys… we're not going to go chasing straight after Callaghan. Someone went out of their way to give us this warning about Callaghan and… whatever the rest of that is. I'd rather play it safe than sorry."
"Agreed!" Wasabi chimed in quickly. Honey Lemon gave a serious nod while GoGo just continued to stare at screen.
Fred tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We should see about cracking the code behind this secret message to see if we can get any more information."
"We'll leave that to you then Fred." Hiro told him before turning to face the rest of the group. "The rest of us will stick to the plan except…"
"Yeah, no one goes after Callaghan if they see him." GoGo supplied. "We got that."
"At least not until we know why someone is obviously trying to warn us not to." added Honey Lemon.
"I for one would like to know who is sending us warnings." Wasabi pointed out as he rubbed his jaw tiredly. "Who and why?"
X X X
His hands were wrapped, white knuckled, around the work table. Even that wasn't enough to stop the shaking. The table was moving back and forth underneath his grip. He suddenly realized this and pulled his hands away from the table abruptly. He didn't want to risk damaging any of the delicate parts that sat on the surface.
No matter what he did, Callaghan couldn't banish the last image he had of Abigail from his mind. He saw her with her eyes wide with fear and pulling away from him. She'd never pulled away from him before and she'd definitely hadn't ever looked at him that way before either. He'd lost his temper. Callaghan had come close to kidnapping his own daughter. He hadn't even realized taking her against her will had been his intention until he'd returned back to the underground Hydra base. The revelation was threatening to drown him. Callaghan clutched the sides of his head, trying desperately to shake his shame and anger with himself. Abigail was his little girl. His only child. How could he even come so close to hurting her? He would have taken her had Tadashi not been there…
Tadashi had been there! In Abigail's apartment. How could that even be possible? Callaghan pressed his eyes shut but the livid, warning look on Tadashi Hamada's face didn't fade. He hadn't even seemed to recognize Callaghan. No. His former student definitely didn't seem to remember him otherwise Callaghan was certain that he would've had a lot more to say in Abigail's apartment.
"Well done Doc," snarled Agent Williams of Hydra. Callaghan snapped his head up and out of his hands to meet Williams's icy glare. Williams was standing just outside the door to the borrowed lab Callaghan was working out of. Williams stared him down. "I tell you to lay low for a day and what do you do? You go out and you try to kidnap your daughter. You could have ruined everything!"
Callaghan chose not to react. He was still too stunned to have much of a reaction. However, Williams didn't need a reason to continue. "After everything that Hydra has done for you... this is how you repay us? Nearly compromising the mission." Williams said coldly.
Callaghan choked back a wince. "You don't understand Williams." he muttered under his breath.
"You're right, I don't. Also, I really don't care." snorted Williams.
Callaghan's eyes narrowed as he shot the most withering glare he could manage at Williams. Unfortunately, the look was lost on Williams. Cold and detached from the world around him was Williams's typical modus operandi or so Callaghan was coming to understand. He wondered if there was really anything at all that Williams actually cared about. Callaghan grit his teeth and shook his head. "It wasn't just my daughter in her apartment..."
"You shouldn't have been there in the first place. I told you to stay put and to work on your half of the project." Williams cut him off, his voice reverting back to nonchalant and unaffected.
"There was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in her apartment." Callaghan pressed insistently.
"Of course S.H.I.E.L.D. is poking around. What did you expect?"
"The agent... I knew him... he's supposed to be dead." he murmured. Pain gripped him and his hands began shaking once more. Callaghan clutched the desk again so hard that the color bled out of his knuckles. He could feel Williams's eyes on him. "He was one of my students."
"Ahh... you saw the Scientist. Didn't you?" Williams said.
Callaghan shoved back the twist of pain that his mind sent shooting through his body. It might have been his imagination but he could've sworn that the wooden desk groaned in protest. "I saw a ghost." he growled.
Williams let out a short amused laugh. "No, no. He's no ghost. That's for certain. Hydra made sure of that."
Callaghan tore his eyes from his hands and stared in shock at Williams. "Hydra?" repeated Callaghan, nearly breathless.
"He was our last asset." shrugged Williams. Then a dark look came over his face. "Until he grew a back bone and a pair. Burned nearly a million dollars worth of research and equipment to cover an escape. Stupid and ungrateful."
"His name is Tadashi Hamada." Callaghan told him tersely.
"Was it? The poor sap didn't even remember his own name when he came to. We just called him the Scientist. The idiot Scientist. Still, he wasn't a complete waste of time and effort though. Those hive drones of his, they are quite remarkable."
"What exactly are you saying?" demanded Callaghan. "Did you... were you..."
"He didn't survive that fire by miraculous conventions if that's what you're wondering."
Callaghan narrowed his eyes. Pieces began to fit together in his mind like a puzzle. He'd always thought that night at the showcase had been too convient but he didn't think that he would ever have another chance. He hadn't even questioned it then. Now though... Williams and Hydra were way too organized and way too prepared. Williams had been too ready with his plan already set when he'd broken Callaghan out of jail. It was as though Callaghan had just been fitted into a place that had been cut out for him beforehand. No, maybe not for him. Just for a well educated roboticist. "Well planned is what I would call it."
"There was a bit of a hitch in that plan you see. We made due with what we could." Williams answered in a tone reminiscent of a handwave.
A cold weight settled into his stomach as the cryptic words registered in his mind. He looked down at the parts on the table. Bits and pieces of a larger device that was waiting to be assembled. He was waiting on just one more crucial thing before he finished putting it together. Callaghan had told Williams at the very beginning, after hearing the plan, that the entire idea lacked any finesse whatsoever. Williams had only snorted and reminded him of where all his "finesse" had gotten him last time. At the time Callaghan had let it go. Now, realizing just what exactly Hydra's connection to Tadashi Hamada was, unease was starting to roll through his nerves.
"Williams," Callaghan called without looking up. "What does Hydra get from all of this again? From me helping you?"
"Freedom from oppression and the understanding of the incredible." Williams answered. His voice was the same deflective and dismissive tone he'd used to describe the "Scientist's" arrival at Hydra.
"How precisely?" insisted Callaghan. He raised his head to look at Williams. There was an icy glint in Williams's eyes.
"Don't tell me you're losing your nerve over this." he sneered.
"Of course not." Callaghan snapped back.
The malevolent expression didn't leave Williams's face. "Good, because just remember... I will take those hive drones back and you'll just have to find some other way to fix the world like you want to do so badly, if you fail to hold up your end of the bargain. We got you out of prison, but don't think for a minute that we won't send you back. "
"I said I would." he said through clenched teeth.
"Then we're on the same page then still." Williams nodded. He turned back towards the door. "I'll leave you to your work. I've got to go prep my team for tomorrow evening. Goodnight Doc."
The door clicked shut. Callaghan released the desk again. His hands weren't shaking as badly as they had been as he let them fall to his sides. He watched the place where Williams had disappeared through while his mind jumped down many different avenues at once.
Sneak Peak at Next Week's Chapter:
Tadashi Hamada
"Has an analysis of the image that was posted on the weblog revealed any useful data?"
"The monster that the mask is on top of the hydra. It's from Greek mythology."
XXX
Hiro looked up from the notes. It wasn't his robotics professor at the door. Vanellope Delle, S.H.I.E.L.D. investigator, stood at the threshold with her hand still raised to knock.
XXX
"Tadashi Hamada…"
Special thanks to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed the last chapter!
Tony18: Callaghan is a bit of an interesting character in the movie in the sense that he's a well developed villain. He's not evil for the sake of evil. He's very much a broken man who, at the very end, realizes that he only perpetuated a problem and realizes exactly what he lost in his bid for revenge. His role in my story I think is very much to "fix" what is broken in a very skewed way. As far as Vera giving Chiune/Tadashi a tongue lashing over putting himself in serious danger, she really doesn't have a lot of room to talk herself. She was a Superhero at one point so she completely understands why he did it. She's been in his place many times...and will be again.
akizaki114: Yeah, seeing Tadashi alive was pretty much a slap to Callaghan. I think that knowing that one of his brightest students died in that fire trying to save him affected him a lot more than he actually indicated. In the movie, during the scene where he screams 'that was his mistake,' I think there were just a lot of high emotions and no one was really thinking clearly.
Shoyzz: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! Hiro and Tadashi will meet again soon. Like really soon. I know I keep saying that but it seriously coming up and QUICKLY!
Ember Neutron: Suspense is good sometimes though right? Everything is rolling towards an end. I swear it. By the time this story is finished I think all suspense will be relieved.
UntitledJoy: Thanks for your encouragement! Yes, Hiro's dedication to some things is pretty admirable. So admirable in fact that his friends seriously worry about him at times. They know that Hiro won't go off the deep end and try to annihilate Callaghan again. However, they do know that Hiro will run himself ragged until he drops from complete and utter exhaustion in this matter. He very much resembles Tadashi in that manner.
APTX4869-Kaito: Don't die yet! Hiro and Tadashi haven't been reunited yet!
Sabeloid: Yep, Callaghan has realized that Tadashi is alive. And yes, crappy is one of the ways he feels. There's a lot of confusion as well as shock and anger. Lots of anger. And shame. And angst...Lord have mercy. I think I made his point of view to angsty.
bukalay: Yes, Callaghan has indeed recognized Chiune as Tadashi. Chiune/Tadashi does have significant scarring but I left a lot of it up to the imagination of the readers. His scarring covers one side of his body on his hands, arms, neck, and face. I think in the prologue somewhere I mentioned that he had a "good" eyebrow which probably means that he has one that's scarred. However, since he has a lot of insecurity about his scars the severity of his "bad" eyebrow could be relative. Though I definitely wanted Chiune/Tadashi to be significantly scarred, I wanted him to still be recognizable as Tadashi. A lot of this is because I couldn't bear to give beautiful, sweet Tadashi the Phantom of the Opera scar treatment.