Breakthrough

Hiro's Journal

Hiro Hamada – Captivity: Day 23

I'm finally allowed 8 hours of sleep for each 16 I put into the project. My captors decided to be, oh so generous, right after I passed out on them from lack of it. I don't know how long I was out for but I don't think it helped all that much. Ironic, considering I liked pulling 'all nighters' when I was home. I miss home. I miss Aunt Cass and Mochi and the smell of fresh baked goods in the morning… I don't think I'll ever see it again…

My captor's unexpected generosity doesn't come without a price though. Sleep was supposed to be a reward for a job well done but since they've realized I can't exactly function without it they've decided to switch to a punishment system instead.

Hiro paused, reaching up to wipe blood off his aching face. His hand came away streaked in red and a fresh stream of blood quickly replaced the one he'd just wiped away. He tilted his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose with a resigned sigh thinking back on the encounter he'd just lived through.

- BH6 - BH6 - BH6 –

"Good News." Inquisitor exclaimed marching into the lab his usual two goons in tow. Hiro tensed, dread lying heavy in the pit of his stomach. "I've spoken to the investors and informed them of the recent developments." He gave Hiro a pointed look.

"It's not my fault I passed out. It wouldn't have happened if you'd just let me sleep!" The words slipped past Hiro's lips before he could even think to stop them. Why did he have to be such a smart ass? Did his mouth not know the meaning of self-preservation?

Inquisitor narrowed his eyes, clicking the knuckles of his hands far too casually for Hiro's liking. "Oh course it's your fault. You would have been granted the sleep had you actually made any notable progress but that is neither here nor there. Seeing as you can't function without it the investors have agreed to let you get some regular sleep. The usual recommended daily allowance should suffice."

Hiro waited in silence, keeping his mouth shut before it got him into even more trouble. There had to be a catch. There was always a catch. "Which means that instead of being rewarded for performing, you will be punished for not performing." There it was, the catch. Inquisitor finished cracking his knuckles, dropped his hands and nodded at the goons that had followed him in. The goons stepped past Inquisitor, calmly heading towards Hiro.

Hiro was not stupid. He knew exactly where this was headed. He launched himself out of the chair and ran desperately towards the door. Logically he knew he couldn't escape but he'd be damned if he went down without a fight. If they were going to hurt him, he'd make damned sure they worked for it.

As expected, he didn't get very far. The dormant micro-bots surged forward to block the door and the guards grabbed hold of his arms three steps into the attempt. Ignoring the restraint, Hiro used his forward momentum to swing himself up, and kicked. His right foot connected solidly with a satisfying thud and Inquisitor went down momentarily stunned.

Hiro didn't even pause. He continued the motion and twisted to sink his teeth into the goon on his left's bicep, simultaneously swinging his right leg back to connect with the right one's stomach and then he was free once more, heading back towards the door. Sucking in a breath he prepared himself for the shock he would get and launched himself at the micro-bots.

Fire coursed through his veins, sharp clear and cold overwhelming him even as he fought to resist. Darkness rushed forward but he pushed it away. He refused to submit to it. Not this time. Not again, pain and torment be damned. He flailed about as he ran, swatting away individual bots but the attempt was futile. There were too many for him to beat. Unarmed, Unprotected and alone. And then it was over. His muscles gave in and he collapsed to the ground, his body physically unable to obey the commands his mind continued to send.

"Are you done now?" Inquisitor calmly walked up to where he lay, unable to fight any longer. He crouched down and Hiro got his first glimpse of Inquisitors face. His captors jaw was starting to swell. A thread of satisfaction coursed through Hiro when Inquisitor was forced to spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground beside him. "You're only making it worse for yourself." Inquisitor whispered, spraying Hiro's face with stray drops of blood before standing to head towards the door. "Let's go play." He called back. The goons lifted Hiro off the ground and dragged him after.

He was brought back an hour later.

- BH6 - BH6 - BH6 –

Nosebleed once again under control, Hiro picked up his custom pen once more and continued the entry.

In hindsight, I really shouldn't have provoked him.

He lifted his hand and wiped it off on his clothing when he accidentally left a red smear on the page.

I'm probably not going to live much longer. My lack of performance, despite what anyone may think, hasn't been due to lack of trying. I know what's at stake here and contrary to my captors beliefs I am not unmotivated. I'll do anything to protect them… even throw the world and everything in it into chaos. Aunt Cass and my team are all I have left and the world will mean nothing to me without them. I'm running out of time. It's only a matter of time before they make good on their threats to start hurting them and I'll be damned if I let that happen. I need to keep their focus here, on me.

Now if I could only figure out how to limit the wave spread, contain it in order to more accurately predict…

Hiro dropped the pen as a sudden realization hit him. He'd been looking at the problem completely wrong. It wasn't possible to predict or control exactly where the waves went to but it might be possible to somehow contain them. He pushed his still open journal aside in order to give the pink ink time to dry. Grabbing one of the other notepads he began to write frantically, covering the blank pages in new algorithms.

- BH6 - BH6 - BH6 –

A/N: I so did not expect Hiro to fight back when I started writing this. This chapter is both heartbreaking and uplifting. I don't like the fact that Hiro got hurt but I love the fact that he fought back. By the way, there is a reason I'm posting this a little early this time round ;). There might be a surprised around the corner XD.

Ern Estine 13624: XD

RazzlePazzleDooDot: I'm glad I was able to give you a good birthday surprise! I also am glad you like Tadashi. I've always been a bigger Hiro fan but writing this story has certainly changed that for me. Writing Tadashi has made me explore his character in greater depth and I find I'm really enjoying him.

shooting2stars: Thanks for the compliment. It really means a lot to me. I really try. I put a lot of heart into my stories. The situation with Hiro's captivity is a rather complex scenario. I'm still trying to untangle the web I seem to have gotten myself into by letting the story do what it wanted. I figured Hiro wouldn't remain captive for long if the bad guys weren't at least a little smart about it.

Rosycat: Oh wow! Thank you for all the reviews! Now to reply to some of them :P. Your donation is appreciated. Glad you loved the mashup and thanks for pointing out my typo. Unfortunately Hiro hasn't found out Tadashi is back yet but Tadashi does finally knows Hiro's secret so at least there's been some progress. Glad you liked Hiro's project.

Dreamer: You never offended me in the first place XD. I'm not that easy to offend. The initial surface I was referring to is not the fluff... LOL. Its just the things you assume if you don't think too deeply on the things that are implied but not explicitly stated. "Bonehead" was always affectionate to me. My first real exposure to the term was Tadashi using it in the movie and to me it was a term of endearment meant to express both his frustration and his love for his brother. As for the reference? I missed it completely. I'm not sure what the room description has to do with it? I also missed the dark secret you think you've revealed so I wouldn't worry too much. Unless it's the implication that you're an anime fan?

Rizard13: I figured it would be easier to skip Fred's update to Tadashi seeing as the majority of the people reading this story have already seen the movie and don't need me to rehash its plot :P. I have included references to the movie in this story by way of using direct quotes from various characters in the various conversations the characters have with one another. Tadashi always came across as a quiet character with a lot of inner strength and that is how I wanted to portray him despite all the grief he is going through. Facing his past at SFIT was just one of the thing I felt Tadashi would do if placed in such a situation. I'll PM you the explanation of Tadashi's project if that's ok? Oh and I'd like to answer what the rest of the gang does but haven't found a way to work it into the story yet...