A/N: Welcome back. Um, thank you for staying. I guess I should say that first and foremost. This chapter is probably the shortest in the story and I apologize for that. Originally this was the beginning of the next chapter (aka the last chapter) but I split it for structure reasons. That and the last chapter is incredibly long. Just one more chapter and an epilogue after this chapter. I had to rewrite this chapter a couple of times too. Mainly because when I wrote the first draft I made myself incredibly sad. Like I cried a few times. The writing just wasn't there so I had to wait a couple of weeks until my feels subsided enough for me to write cohesively.
Thank you again for all your support! I can't believe there's only one more chapter and an epilogue after this. Where did the time go?
We don't have a choice to stay
We'd rather die than do it your way
With our backs to the wall, the darkness would fall
We never quite thought we could loose it all
— Ready! Aim! Fire by Imagine Dragons
Crackling heat burned around Tadashi. Everywhere he looked, fire rose up around him. Flames twisted like vines up the walls, around the pillars, and across the demonstration stage. He felt the heat of the fire on his skin, savage and unmerciful. His arm itched then burned as he felt the flames dancing up them and on to his face. They tore and seared his skin as they went. He nearly screamed in pain but choked it down as he fought his way through.
Smoke choked out the air and made it hard to breathe. Made it hard to see. He took a gulping breath and immediately coughed hard enough to make him bend over double. His eyes stung and watered from the constant irritation of the smoke. However, if he looked hard enough through the impenetrable dark black curtain of smoke and roiling flames he could just make out the figure of Dr. Callaghan. He was close enough to call out to him if he tried hard enough and fought through the suffocating smoke. Callaghan was sure to hear him and look over at him. He raised his arm, reaching for Callaghan, to do just that before another body wracking coughing fit grabbed hold of him.
Something over the top of his head gave a horrible crack. He glanced up and saw a ceiling beam groaning and protesting under the force of the fire. The showcase hall was coming down around him. Coming down on top of him!
No! Wait! That wasn't really happening. He wasn't standing in the middle of a fire. The flames weren't licking at his arms and face. The smoke wasn't strangling him. It was only a nightmare.
Tadashi shook his head. No, not a nightmare. A memory. Yes, that was it. It was a memory. If he just closed his eyes, everything would disappear. None of this would be happening. It was in the past. There was no fire.
However, when he opened his eyes again, there was still fire. It was just much, much farther away.
The horrid crack he'd heard above his head hadn't been the showcase hall collapsing down him. It was the sound of Alistair Krei's private jet exploding. The sound crashed around he, his friends, Williams, and his men. Though it was miles away, Tadashi could feel the explosion in his chest. He whipped around and ran towards it. Not very far, only a few feet down the tar mat. It wasn't like he could go very far.
Horror flushed through him. A strangled cry rose in his throat as froze in his spot and stared up at the sky over the ocean. Tendrils of orange, red, and yellow flames snaked into the air, twisting in some sort of macabre dance. For a brief moment the fire hung suspended in the air and roared around the silver glints of what was left of the plane.
It was though time slowed down, just enough, for Tadashi to register what was happening. Then he blinked and time sped back up again. The flame covered plane fell into the ocean at a sharp arc far, far in the distance. The collision into the water snuffed out much of the fire though some jet fuel still burned on top. Tadashi could see a huge wave rising up around the spot the plane had fallen. Vera, Hiro, and Baymax were no where to be seen. "No," whispered Tadashi as the weight of realization hit him like a sucker punch. He felt his knees, hands, and head shaking but could control it. "No!" he screamed.
Tadashi sank to his knees, gripping his head in his quaking hands. No. Tadashi bowed his head into his lap. This wasn't happening. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to listen to the hollow sound of his breathing. When he opened his eyes he would be somewhere else. Anywhere else. Vera and Hiro would be at his side asking him what was wrong. Unfortunately, when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.
In the past three years, the years he could actually remember, he'd felt like he'd been trying to live up to an expectation. He was supposed to be a protector and a brother. After talking with his friends, brother, and aunt, it seemed that had always been the case. He'd always been a protector. That was always his expectation. He had failed. He had failed to protect both Hiro and Vera.
Tadashi felt Vera's bracelet around his wrist. It felt like an iron chain binding him to the ground. He brushed Vera's bracelet, her obvious goodbye memento, and cradled it to his chest. A sob clawed at his throat and made it impossible to speak. Damn it! It was almost impossible to even breathe! What was he going to tell Aunt Cass? Travis? Director Coulson? He had failed.
Someone was screaming behind him. People were crying and sobbing. "We'll kill you for that you son of a…" someone spat before the rest of the sentiment was lost to a gut wrenching sob. He couldn't tell who it was. His own chest felt as though someone had stuck a knife through it.
Tadashi felt someone at his arm. A gentle touch urging him to stand. It wasn't demanding or angry, just gentle. "Come on son," a quiet voice said in his ear. Tadashi had heard that voice so many times. He could almost remember the words of encouragement that voice had spoken to him. Numbly, he registered Dr. Robert Callaghan beside him guiding him to his feet. "There you go. Just like that."
He stared, unseeingly, for a moment at Callaghan. His former mentor's face was sympathetic and understanding. A savage feeling tore through Tadashi. He was only just barely beginning to understand it. "Don't touch me." He hissed angrily as he wrenched his arm from Callaghan's grasp.
Callaghan stepped back quickly, raising his hands into the air placatingly. The look on his face was reminiscent of the one he'd given Abigail. Fatherly. It only made Tadashi angrier. "Tadashi," Callaghan started sympathetically.
"Don't!" Tadashi snapped as he stabbed his finger in Callaghan's direction violently. "Don't you even talk to me!"
Callaghan took a step towards him but Tadashi stepped away from him. He raised his hands in an obvious threat. Callaghan froze in his tracks. "This is your idea of fixing the world then? Helping a group of murderers and watching people die? If you hadn't been so Hell bent on revenge, maybe this world wouldn't have needed your 'fixing.'" he screamed.
Callaghan stared back at him. His face was blank. Perhaps he was in shock. Tadashi had the overwhelming urge to hit something. He had an even stronger feeling that "something" should be Dr. Callaghan's face. Tadashi grit his teeth together. He shifted his weight towards Callaghan.
"What a waste of talent." mused Williams. "Shame about the Hamada boy. That girl outlived her usefulness ages ago."
"What… did… you say?" hissed Tadashi. His entire body went rigid as he slowly turned to face Williams. There was a frigid coldness surging through his body that chilled him to the core. Tadashi examined Williams, trying to find a shred of human decency in him. Anything at all that would prove Williams was a man and not a monster.
There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not one damn thing! Williams used people for his own gain and then threw them away like they were trash. He always had and always would.
Hate was not a feeling that Tadashi felt. However, as he looked at Williams, that was the only word he could think of to describe the pure and unadulterated fury that was rushing through his veins. Even in the depths of the underground compound, Tadashi had never felt this way. Never! Not even when Williams was forcing him to continue work on the hive drones. Not even when Williams had made half veiled threats against family and friends he couldn't remember. Not even when he realized that it was Williams who had given the go ahead to torture Vera. There had been several words he'd used to describe his feelings towards Williams then: fear, loathing, disgust but never hate. Then again, Tadashi couldn't ever remember this churning feeling in his stomach, or the pounding in his ears, or the frigid chill creeping through his limbs during his two years in the underground compound. Tadashi hated Agent Williams of Hydra with every strand and fiber of his being.
"That girl's name was Vera." he spat as he stalked towards Williams. Vaguely, he was aware that Callaghan made a move to grab his arm and hold him back. Tadashi, however, merely stepped away and jerked his arm out of Callaghan's reach. "Her name was Vera and she was top of her class at NYU law. That boy, Hiro Hamada, was a survivor. He overcame depression and was going on to build one of the greatest things to ever help mankind. That wasted talent and that girl were both so young and bright… and promising! They wanted to make this world a better place. They wanted to help lots of people. What have you ever done Williams? Maim and mutilate? Tear apart and dissect? Torture and murder? They didn't deserve to die!"
Williams didn't say anything. He was as cold and silent as the grave and unfeeling as a statue. The longer he stood there staring at Tadashi, the more Tadashi felt his blood boil. Williams rolled his eyes at him. That was the only visible reaction he gave to Tadashi's words. Nothing else. Dismissive and apathetic. Completely uncaring. It was infuriating. Tadashi highly doubted though that there was anything in the world that Williams actually cared about.
Williams faced his men and barked an order. "Load them up."
That was it then. They were just going to be loaded up and hauled away like cattle to some unknown place where no one would ever see them again. Tadashi grit his teeth as he watched the footsoldiers shove and manhandle his friends. He had sworn a long time ago that he would never do Hydra's bidding again. Williams might have recaptured him, but that didn't mean he was going to go quietly. He would fight Williams and all of Hydra tooth and nail. Tadashi would spend the rest of his life fighting against them… no mater how long, or short, that was!
A scream tore across the tar mat. He didn't realize that it came from his own mouth. "Tadashi!" everyone cried out in terror as he flung himself forward at Williams.
He really didn't know what he was doing. He definitely wasn't thinking clearly enough to be of any sort of threat to Williams. He just leapt blindly and paid the price for it.
Pain shot through his middle as Williams caught him with a sucker punch. It didn't put Tadashi on the ground. No, the brutal elbow and forearm strike to the back of his neck was what sent him to the ground. He collapsed on to his hands and knees, dizzy and dazed, but the pain didn't end there. Agony poured through him as blow after blow fell on him. Williams's hands and feet connected with any part of him that was exposed. He could hear his friends screaming for Williams to stop from somewhere off in the distance. Well, it looked like the rest of his life was going to be a short one.
"That's enough!" snapped Callaghan as the hive drones buzzed in the air. The blows stopped raining on him.
Tadashi looked up through the blood that was starting to drip into his eye from a cut above his brow. Callaghan was standing over him with his hand gripping Williams's still raised arm. The hive drones continued to bob up and down erratically despite the fact that Callaghan had his mask on top of his head. Whatever was going through his mind must have been potent enough to cause some of the residual energy to be transferred to the drones. "Do you plan on beating him to death?" Callaghan growled.
Callaghan and Williams stared each other down for what seemed like a long time before Williams sneered. Callaghan's face remained dark and stone still even after Williams ripped his arm from Callaghan's grasp. "Get him up." snapped Williams.
Callaghan stepped back and grabbed Tadashi under his arms before hauling him to his feet. He let out a pained hiss. He was going to be bruised all over. Tadashi could already feel it. It was evident that Callaghan was trying to be gentle about it all. Callaghan had most likely used the personal connection he'd had with him to gain access to his friends' notes. Yet that was when Tadashi got the unshakable feeling that this man, the one he'd idolized despite the whole Supervillain thing, had once cared about him in a personal way. Like that of a father. What was even worse was the unshakable feeling that, without his father in a large portion of his life, Callaghan had probably been the closest thing he had to a dad. A dry, humorless, brittle smile tugged on his lips. Perhaps that was Callaghan's views were starting to make a little more sense in his head. "You were on the right track you know." mumbled Tadashi to Callaghan as Callaghan slung his arm over his shoulder.
Callaghan leaned Tadashi's weight against his side and looked at him in confusion. Bile rose in Tadashi's throat but he swallowed it down again. "What you said to Abigail in her apartment a few days ago… about the world being broken. How there should be rules, laws, that keep it from destroying itself. But they aren't broken. No… those rules, those laws, they're gone if they ever truly existed at all to begin with. If there really existed then that man would be dead." he said nodding in Williams's direction.
"So damn sentimental Scientist." Williams told him unaffectedly before shaking his head, "Never did like you much. Maybe that's the reason why."
"I won't ever work for you. As long as I'm breathing you won't have anything from me. I'm done." Tadashi infused every bit of his hatred into his glare and words.
Williams walked up to him and bent his head closer to him. Callaghan's grip tightened on him. A sickening smile spread across Williams's face. "We'll see, won't we?" he sneered as his glance fell on Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and GoGo.
Tadashi clenched his teeth together and lunged for Williams face once more. Williams quickly stepped back though, the smile never leaving his face. Callaghan's hand closed around his arm like a vice and he placed a hand on Tadashi's chest. "Easy Tadashi," Callaghan warned him, voice dripping with concern.
"After everything that's happened…" hissed Tadashi to Callaghan, "are you satisfied with the way it all came out?"
Callaghan was silent.
"Two dead, five of us abducted, all our families being lead to believe we're dead."
Callaghan didn't say anything.
"But hey, at least you'll have your revenge right. With those hive drones you'll be able to pay back Alistair Krei for all those years you thought your daughter was gone."
A muscle twitched in Callaghan's hand. He could feel it against his arm. The hive drones jumped a few feet higher.
"I'll never see Vera and Hiro again… and I just got back to him. You were right. The world is broken." Tadashi murmured more to himself than to Callaghan. His throat tightened up. The anger that had been fueling his words fizzled into despair.
"You need to be smart and use your head. Think of your friends." Callaghan said quietly and fiercely as he gave a subtle pointed nod towards everyone else. A reminder.
The comment made him look up. All of his friends were staring at him with fear in their eyes. Fear for what was going to happen to them. Fear for how Williams was planning on controlling them. Fear for what they were definitely going to be forced to do. Tadashi didn't blame them. He knew first hand what they could expect. A drip of blood ran off his nose and on to his lip. It suddenly occurred to him that a large part of his friends' fear might also be for him. He must have really been a sight he realized as he wiped the blood away with his free hand. "They're going to need you Tadashi. You've got to keep your head." Callaghan continued to whisper in his ear.
Tadashi fought back the surge of disgust and anger at both Callaghan's concern and support as well as for Williams's coldness. Tadashi's eyes fell on Vera's mother of pearl bracelet around his wrist. He took a deep breath and tried to remember the feel of Hiro's hand under his from the night before. Vera's bracelet grounded him physically, helping him remember exactly where he was and what the reality of his predicament was. The memory of Hiro's hand helped him to clear his mind and think logically.
There was a slight itching sensation in his arm, right above the crook of his elbow where Callaghan was supporting him. That's when he realized that there really wasn't an itch there. It was just a subconscious reminder to what was actually just below his skin in that particular area. The subdermal S.H.I.E.L.D. GPS tracker they'd put on him. He nearly gasped at the sudden recollection but stopped himself just in time.
He looked at Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and GoGo. Callaghan was right. He needed to keep his head for his friends' sake. That was first and foremost. He couldn't let himself do anything stupid that would cause Williams to separate him from them. Tadashi had to keep them all together for another couple of hours someway, somehow. Just until Director Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. came looking for him.
A grim sort of determination settled over him as he pressed his lips into a thin line. Vera had always liked her plans. Once she had her plan memorized like the back of her hand she could act and react accordingly. Her plans had given her comfort when she was scared. They had been one of her coping mechanisms. He just had to bide his time with everyone else and wait for Coulson.
Hang on and wait for Coulson. Hang on and wait for Coulson.
Tadashi repeated the thought over and over in his head like a calming mantra. He'd been a scientist long enough though to know that the best laid plans sometimes went awry. Tadashi just had to make sure that it was Williams's plan that went awry. He hadn't been able to save either Vera or Hiro, but he could still save his friends. He would save his friends.
Tadashi smiled at them, hoping they would take it as a reassuring gesture. He was met with a confused blink from Wasabi and Fred, a pained and sympathetic smile for Honey Lemon, and an angry promising look from GoGo that read 'we'll get these guys!'
Williams waved his hand and they were all pushed towards the van. Tadashi swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to school his face into something neutral as he passed by Williams. He couldn't tip him off to anything. He couldn't risk jeopardizing the plan. Besides, he might need to save mouthing off for later. Tadashi was already working out how he could possibly distract Williams later on if he needed to buy time just to keep them all together for a little while longer if needed. "Not bad for a day's work." Williams commented offhandedly, "I love it when things all work out in the end."
"Uh…" Fred started. His eyes were trained up on the sky above them and his mouth was hanging open in shock. The hive drones shook in the air. "You might not want to say that just yet dude."
Next Week the Epic Conclusion to Scientist!
"One Mistake"
If he didn't do something, though, Hydra would win.
X X X
"Hey Williams." growled Tadashi. "You really should have left these things in the scrap bin."
Thanks again to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed.
ColorQuill: As Superhero and leader, Hiro definitely has become more calculating in how he goes after bad guys. I think a lot of it stems from the fact that he was so much smaller than the villains in the beginning. He knew that he really couldn't win by playing fair so he used his other advantages such as his big brain and the element of surprise. As far as other stories go, I'm planning on uploading stuff (mainly one shots) about once a week. I've decided I love this fandom too much to leave it. Any longer stuff I will post only after it is completely written though. The writing process is sometimes crummy and full of pits of self-loathing which isn't the greatest for regular updates online.
FireandIce128: Thank you for all your wonderful compliments! My writing style is mainly just lots and lots of practice. Developing Tadashi's character, and everyone else for that matter, was so much fun. I wanted to make as many of the characters as well rounded as I possibly could. Tadashi was especially fun for me.
UntitledJoy: *Internet hugs you back* Thank you so much! I've just had so much fun sharing this story with everyone. Everything about this story was an adventure for me, from the writing, to the editing, to the publishing. Scientist isn't perfect by any means but I'm so happy with how it came out. It makes me even happier that readers like you enjoy it so much. I was so scared to share it for so many different reasons but I'm glad I did. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. I look forward to reading some of your writing too whether it be original or fanfiction.
Tony18: The Tadashi and Callaghan dynamic was interesting to explore because the movie left me wondering just what would Tadashi have said or felt had he known that his mentor had turned into a Supervillain. Tadashi looked up to him enough to risk and lose his life. I have a feeling that Callaghan could have been someone Tadashi saw as a father-esque figure. Callaghan wasn't evil for the sake of being evil and I wanted to keep it that way. He still has a sense of right and wrong as I think I showed in this chapter but I think it's been so far skewed that he might have actually avoided learning what Hydra has planned for Big Hero 6 in order to keep from letting his conscious get the better of him. I might have to explore Tadashi and Callaghan's relationship a little more at some point...
jaymzNshed: The last few chapters were intense. Even for me as I was writing them. Like I said, my emotions were running high and they got the better part of me while writing. Everything in the last three or four chapters or so happened so quickly for me. I almost worry that it happened too quickly.
Butterscotch 12: I absolutely refuse to calm down about Superheroes. I don't know why but the older I get, the more I feel like I'm drawn to writing about Superheroes especially Superheroines. Maybe it's my own desire to see a wider variety of young adult ladies who take charge of the situation and change the world. I know there are already a lot of Super ladies out there but for some reason none of them really resonate with me.
ZebraFinch (anon reviewer): Both Hiro and Tadashi with retrograde amnesia... I don't think Aunt Cass or anyone could handle two amnesic Hamadas. I couldn't handle it... That's too cruel to think about! Lol.
Masking What Remains: Beautiful chapter preview. All those questions and more will be answered. Well all except the one about the theme song. I can't speak for you but I know that song gets stuck in my head all the time lol. Thank you for your awesome compliments.
Espe Kuroba: I'm hoping that this chapter satisfied your need to see Callaghan put in his place. I'll be honest, a lot of what Tadashi said to Callaghan was stuff that I added in during the rewrite. I absolutely loved the way it all turned out too. I felt as though at this point Tadashi would have a lot to say to his former mentor. Thank you for your amazing compliments!
CrazyFeralVigilanteDragonLady: Thanks for not noping out. I got to the point a few weeks ago where I realized that some people might not be very happy with what I did. I was felt like hiding under a rock after the last chapter. I hope you didn't throw your book too hard.
Daniella Violet Moon: I hate it when villains monologue because it's kinda cliched and predictable. However, in this instance I couldn't get away from it unfortunately otherwise a lot of Williams's motive wouldn't have seen the light of day. And you're right it does give the heroes time to get away. The Nerd Crew was in the middle of coming up with an escape plan and would've implemented it had the plane not blown up.
Shoyzz: *pokes you with a stick lightly from far away* Wake up. Please... there's still hope for the team.
DaydreamDepartment: Someone else pointed out the similarity between the last scene and that scene in How to Train Your Dragon too. I hadn't thought about it until you guys said something. I suppose that the scenes are very similar to one another, albeit unintentionally. That is one of my favorite movies though.
SanctuaryInMusic: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how traumatic that last chapter would be until a few weeks ago. Yes, Williams had his sights set on Hiro in the beginning. Fourteen years old and already a prodigy. That would look like a very tempting asset to have. I have my own set of headcanons about what would have happened had Hydra succeeded in kidnapping Hiro. Thank you, as always, for your wonderful compliments!
Ember Neutron: You have my permission to beat the snot out of Williams. Tadashi would like to inform you though that he has dibs on Callaghan.
lilnightmare17: I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations even though it was short. The next chapter will be longer.
PerrythePlatypusGirl: Don't die yet! We're not to the end of the story! Pretty soon the story will be over and there won't be anymore cliffhangers. I promise.
Forever Me: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Merwholocked628: So happy that you're enjoying the story. I promise that this is the last cliffhanger. There is a definite conclusion coming up that will tie off all the loose ends.
WhiteWinterStar: Someone else pointed out the similarities between the last scene and How to Train Your Dragon as well. It wasn't an intentional parallel but it is one of my favorite movies. I'm going to remain quiet about the fate of Hiro, Baymax, and Vera though and let the story do my talking. It's probably easier that way. Thank you so much for your wonderful comments!