Three months had gone by since you had seen the Kabuki man. Hiro had officially made a superhero team out of the seven of you, although he didn't refer to it in that term (he called it the "Rescue Squad," but everyone agreed with Fred that you all were more of a Superhero team). Baymax was scanning the entire of San Fransokyo now and then to find the Kabuki man's location, and occasionally the masked villain would be too far away to show. Fred's parents were still not home, which gave Hiro full access to their garage and therefore allowing him to build 'super suits' for everyone, based on their favorite science category. You weren't particularly fond of science (you only enjoyed viewing what Hiro had created, but you never understood the chemical names or wiring crap), so you had yet to figure out what sort of 'powers' you would have incorporated into your suit.

Paired with the anticipation of that, you also several panic attacks from recurring nightmares of the SFIT fire. They were mainly the same: Tadashi, standing amidst the flames, calling out your name and pleading for you to wake up and end the torture; the blood that choked you every time you screamed; the searing, ripping, biting pain of fire crawling up your arm and along your face; the Kabuki man, suffocating you and tearing your neck from your spine until you woke up from the lifelike pain, sweaty and whisper-screaming.

Not only did this diagnose you with insomnia, it also made the gang extremely cautious around you. They wouldn't mention Tadashi at all, not even the happy memories everyone had with him. No one had bothered to question the microbot-patterned burn on your arm, though it was obvious to anyone. Hiro never left your side; of course, you didn't have any problem with that, but you knew he wanted to be doing something else, such as upgrading Baymax, making super suits, or playing video games, even if it was with you. So you mostly hung out in Fred's garage, which let him kill two birds with one stone. He could do whatever he wanted as he kept an eye on you, watching for any sudden panic attacks.

It was on this particular Thursday afternoon, you were having fun with Honey and Fred as she tested her new suit. You would push random buttons on her purse, creating some haphazard chemical reaction in sphere form, and then she would toss it as Fred to see what sort of reaction it would result in. Fred was currently covered in fluffy goo that wouldn't stop growing (you didn't bother to think that this might grow to the point of suffocating him).

You felt a tap on your shoulder, and turned to find a beaming Hiro. You smiled, curious as to where this happy mood came from, when he squeezed you into a tight hug. You tensed; he hadn't hugged you like this in months.

"It's finished!" he exclaimed, setting you down. "I finally finished it!" He kept his hands gently on your shoulders. The small gap between his teeth was showing, and his eyes bulged with excitement. You could see grease marks across his cheeks, and his hair was an explosion of fur. You were happy to see this optimism, to see him smiling from his own accomplishment, an not from making you comfortable.

"C'mon, lemme show you!" he said, and suddenly began to drag you by the arm to the other side of the backyard. Your heart raced a bit at this unexpected burst of joy from Hiro, and it rubbed off on you, causing you to run at full pace alongside him. You just then realized that he was wearing a combination of red and purple armor, which confused you even more; but as long as he was happy for his own reasons, and not because of you, it was all you needed.

Hiro skidded to a stop, releasing his crushing metal-gloved grip on your hand. "Wait here." he said, and disappeared behind a hedge. You took the time to catch up with your breath, and to shake off the feeling of your heart pulsing inside your ears. Everyone else had gathered behind you (Fred now released of his chemical trap), also waiting to see Hiro's finished project.

At first, seeing everyone in their own personally-designed suits, you felt out of place; slowly, that feeling eventually made you realize that you were a bit- no, you were quite a big burden. You were a liability, you would only get in the way. You couldn't help them in any way, quest, fight, or even the smallest task they may take on. You wouldn't be able to communicate with them. You couldn't be a part of the team, because if something were to happen to you, no one would be able to tell if you weren't in sight - and that wouldn't help Hiro's anxiety anymore that it was now. You were simply just a single, silent audience.

After a few minutes of anticipation, Hiro returned around the corner, looking exasperated and gleeful at the same time.

"May I present to you-" he gestured behind the hedge "- the new and improved: Baymax!"

The next moments captivated your mind, as well as your breath: Baymax appeared around the bushes, dressed in full armor that matched similarly to Hiro's getup. He looked stern, almost as a general would before marching his army into Hell. Different from the carbon-fiber, baby blue armor he was wearing before, this new suit held his form that protected him better, and also portrayed him menacingly. You couldn't find the kind, robotic nurse with lollipops up his sleeve in the narrow eyes that now looked above you. Emotions of all sort colored your mind at this change of character.

"Sweet!" Fred shouted, causing you to resume your breathing and jump. "He looks like he's about to take down Sauron's army!"

The fierce, blood-thirsty machine relaxed back into his robotic-nurse self. "Hello." He waved in your general direction, and this new, welcoming sight made you relax as well. You were relieved to know that Hiro hadn't completely discarded Baymax's nurturing personality.

You now turned your gaze to Hiro as the electric marshmallow chased a butterfly; Hiro, this is amazing! you signed. He looks so- ferocious, it's hard to believe that's still Baymax!

Hiro nodded. "And that's not all- watch this..." He stopped Baymax in his tracks, and you faintly heard Fred asking Gogo what you had just said.

A twinge of anger pricked you in the head; Fred didn't want to ask what you had said out loud, because he thought you would either be insulted by his constant unknowledgeable understanding of the art of sign language, or he thought that asking you might remind you more of how you're a "handicap" to everyone. Whichever reason he had, you had to fight hard to not let the anger show on your now tense face.

Distracting you from your thoughts, Baymax demonstrated a few more tricks and upgrades; he could shoot his fist at any object, read over ten thousand profile characters at once, and he could fly (not professionally). You watched every moment in awe, partially at his fighting skills, but more at the powerful mind encased in the gleaming sixteen-year-old you could claim to be yours. You never paid attention to what he did in Fred's garage; it had all looked like a college course of mechanics (which it probably was), but you couldn't imagine that he would make such improvements to the robotic nurse after dancing on the brink of death with the Kabuki Man.

Hiro landed Baymax back onto the ground and hopped off clumsily. Gogo gave a small round of applause, and Wasabi smacked him on the back.

"That was epic!" Wasabi said. "LOVE the fist!"

Baymax pointed his fist loosely at Wasabi. "Badladladla. This is a fist bump."

You now noticed Hiro excitedly walking towards you. You began to sign: Hiro, this is amazing. I've never seen-

You were cut off as he gently grabbed your wrist - failing in such under the crushing grip of his glove - and began to quickly tow you back to Fred's garage. You clobbered after him, signing against his arm: What is it?

"You'll see, c'mon!" Hiro now broke into a swift jog, with you dragging behind. Baymax did a fantastic job of keeping everyone else occupied with his new features.

When you reached the garage with him, you just realized the debris and clutter he had left behind from his effort and imagination put together; blueprints were strewn about the concrete floor, wads of wide-print paper, pencil shavings, and broken remains of chalk littered a desk, and you saw multiple, empty bags of gummy bears in the trash bin. You noticed where you had sat the whole time; a small blue stool, next to Hiro's work space, and next to it your stack of books. The paint on the wall had worn off from where you rested your head when he had slept on the couch.

You jumped when a loud clang ripped you back to the present. Hiro was standing amidst a fallen trash bin, it's contents of shredded metal, nails, and plastic pouring onto the floor.

"Sorry," he said, a cringe hanging briefly on his face. "Tripped."

You smiled at him as he resumed his actions. Clumsy, tired, goofy, loving... he was yours, and he was always frickin' adorable, no matter what situation he was in.

"Ok!" he exclaimed. "Here it is."

Immediately, he pulled out a mannequin dressed in sleek, black, modern armor. You were confused at first, but then it hit you.

Hiro, you motioned slowly, is this my suit?

He nodded, a proud, toothy grin on his face. "Took almost a month to plan, put together, and design. Fred helped a lot, and Honey Lemon gave some advice on the fitting. Do you like it?"

You couldn't answer him; you were too absorbed in the gleam of the metal. You could instantly see yourself in the suit, it was a given that it was custom made for your curves and size. The glove was intricately designed with rounded bumps on each of the fingers. Underneath the metal was a stretchy, flexible fabric that gave you easy access to movement. The helmet was gleaming and smooth, and you could hardly tell the difference between the metal and the visor.

This was what Hiro had been working on day and night. Your suit - it was more than a suit. It was the object with which you would return the favor off all the troubles and burdens the gang had brushed off.

Hiro watched you with uneasy anticipation. "Well?" he asked warily, "What do you think? Pretty neat, huh?"

You turned back to him with a beaming grin on your face. I've never seen anything so... epic. You couldn't think of any words to describe the amazing contraption that would soon give you purpose.

"Great!" He exclaimed, his face glowing with joy. "I need you to try it out, just to make sure it's comfortable. It should be short enough for you," he added with a smirk.

You playfully sneered at him, before heading to the bathroom to change. The suit hugged your body, stretching and moving wherever you moved, despite the modern-style metal armor. You displayed it to Hiro, turning in place like a Runway model.

He wolf whistled at you. "Wow, that looks better than I expected." he circled around you, fixing your helmet and checking the gloves (which were also quite big, like his). "Ok, now I wanted to show you a few cool extras I put into it - check this out!"

He pressed a small button on the side of your helmet. You heard the sound of a device powering on, and a few clicks followed after. Hiro stood back in front of you. "Say something; say your name."

You began to sign your name, before Hero's padded hand stopped yours.

"I didn't mean that, try to actually speak it. Like, there're these things in your throat called vocal cords, and when you breathe over them and move your tongue around at the same time, it makes noises that form words, if you do it right, that is."

You laughed quietly and elbowed his chest. Then, focusing on the helmet, you pronouncedly whispered your name.

Except this time, you didn't whisper it - you spoke it.

You froze, mouth gaping and eyes wide, stuck in the moment. You said your name another time, hearing it with tune and volume. Goosebumps traveled all over your arms and legs; you had just... spoken.

You whipped your head to look at Hiro, making sure you weren't hallucinating. He smiled at your reaction, glad to have pleased you - no, stunned you - with his extra tweak on your suit.

"So..." he inquired. "I'm taking it that you either love this feature, or you're extremely appalled by it."

You shook your head frantically. No, Hiro, I love it! you signed. I would wear this all day just to be able to speak, it would be so amazing, I wouldn't have to use my hands anymore-

"Well, you don't have to use them now." Hiro stated, with a bit of humor in his voice.

You nodded sheepishly. "Sorry!" you said, so intricately, that it came out as a shout. It was just then that you realized: you weren't speaking, it was a translation of your silent words through what sounded like a teenage girl's voice. "How did you do this?" you asked.

Hiro grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask that." he walked directly in front of you and slipped his hands around your waist. You had to look up to meet his eyes (although he had always been taller than you, he had definitely grown in the past few months). "The helmet has an X-ray scanner, and it interprets what you say by comparing your jaw and tongue movements to some basic reader I downloaded to it. It can also measure the sound of your voice, even the mood, to make it sound more realistic. Plus..." he leaned over to press a button hidden to you, "...the group can also communicate with you, as long as we all keep our headgear on."

You listened intently as a sudden warbling filled your helmet. A few jumbled words, and then you could hear the group's conversation. You were a little shocked at first, figuring out that they were debating whether or not you would be able to take all the burdens of being a superhero.

Instinctively, you signed the words you spoke. "Guys! Shut up!"

"Woah!" you heard through the intercom. A small picture of Wasabi appeared on your screen, indicating that the voice you heard was his. "Wait, is that..."

"What?!" Fred interrupted him. "That's your voice? Epic! You sound a bit intimidating, though... Hiro, is there anything you can do 'bout that?"

Hiro laughed, happy with all the surprised responses he was getting from his hard work. "Nah, I think it's fine the way it is. It's just to make communication easier when we're..." he paused, not sure if you guys would actually have to do any dirty work, like the superheros you read about in Marvel comics. "...when we're experiencing difficulties."

"Sweet." you recognized Gogo's voice a millisecond before her picture popped up. "So will she have to use her hands anymore? Or is this ONLY for battle."

Hiro sighed, his face twisted with the same frustration you were feeling; they think that signing is such a tedious action, and you must be tired of doing it for years and years of being mute. "It's whatever she wants. She could do that, if she's willing to wear the headgear all the time." He adjusted your helmet to straighten it. "Look, guys, there's more than just a voice to this suit; she's not going to come on scouts with us just to talk. Come to the garage and I'll show you what else I've put in."

He pressed the same button on the back of your helmet, and sighed with relief. "Ugh, they just don't know how to stop yapping, do they?" he asked, while signing the word 'chatter' with his hand. You giggled, immediately jumping at the sound that erupted from the earpiece.

"We heard that."

The team was standing before the garage, faces expressive with impatience and indignant scowls.

"And by the way," Honey Lemon added, "I suggest that you remove the laughing detector. It's just scary."

Hiro smirked. "I'll work on it. But I want to show you something else..."

He slowly (reluctantly?) removed his arms from your waist, now holding your left, gloved hand with care. You couldn't help but notice how shaggy his hair was, and how much he had matured in the past month. You adored him, but you wish you lived with him in a paradise similar to Neverland.

"Ok," he began, tracing the patterns on your glove. "I've placed neutron magnets in your fingertips of the glove, which makes you able to attract neutrons to you; you could tear up a building, an animal, whatever - but what gives you control on how much you want, and keeps them from piling up on your hand, is a thin layer of proton magnets. They don't actually touch the glove, because I don't want you to fall apart, atom by atom. What you do is you move the neutrons towards any source of light. Sunlight is better, but anything will work. And this - " he tapped your helmet, " - links to your cranial opt, and it can read the motions of your eyes to see what your target object is; the neutrons will just move towards a light source on their own."

You stared at his eyes, trying to understand most of what he said. You failed, though, quite miserably.

"So," Gogo spoke for your confusion, "basically, she can tear the microbots apart? Just by looking at them, she can break their atomic make up?"

Hiro nodded. "Something like that, yeah."

You understood enough to know that you could pay back the debt of being a mute. You could help, not be helpless. You could fight, not have someone be your shield. And it felt damn good to you. You quickly wrapped your arms around Hiro, resting your face in the crook of his neck. He laughed silently and returned the embrace, not sure why you were so thankful. You just held onto him tightly, overcome with a new skin of purpose and determination.

You could now protect what was yours.