hello friends! here is part four!

into the west is halfway done, you guys! we're getting closer to the end!

thanks to everyone who's offered feedback! please please please my friends review i'd love to hear how i'm doing!

warning this part is a bit sad but no death yet...

that's next chapter...

*wink*

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I really liked writing it and having all the characters do poetic reconciliations. hopefully i've built up internal conflict enough...I wanted to give all the characters their own struggles and challenges to overcome. Some of them have serious issues, some of them are just trying to figure out their path in life, and some of them have to make huge decisions that will potentially change the world. I promise they'll all achieve some kind of peace in the end :)

thanks everyone for reading! please seriously review everyone i wanna hear how you like resistance

peace out!

—RIKU—

—Obake—

Riku twisted the last bolt onto the robot and studied it, admiring the sleek, black carbon fiber surface. With so many bots, there was no way Big Hero 6 would be able to stand against him.

The robots were modeled after Baymax, but smaller and lighter, able to move more quickly. Every one of them was equipped with spinning saws, a small switchblade, and laser eyes, ready to do as much damage as possible.

"I will be there soon," Riku whispered to the portrait of his family, hung on the wall. "I promise, I will avenge you."

He clasped his hand around the pendant he kept tucked under his shirt, the dark purple stone that glowed from the inside with a brilliant light. Rinah had given it to him years ago, soon after Riku had received the glowing mark on the side of his face. He, Rinah, and Ryshiro had worn matching pendants ever since then, although Rinah's was green and Ryshi's was yellow. They held no value except sentimentality—there were no weapons concealed inside or anything like that. They were simply a way to preserve the bond between the siblings while they were away from each other.

Riku crossed the room, walking over to his desk, and pressed a button on the keyboard. The map of San Fransokyo popped up on the screen, with all the notes relating to Big Hero 6 in dark, bold print. Riku hadn't discovered their base yet, but he was certain he was close. They'd based at the Lucky Cat Café, Muirahara Woods, and the two colleges in San Fransokyo. There had to be some other place the vigilantes would go for refuge—Riku just needed to find out where.

"I will find you, Big Hero 6," Riku whispered. "Soon. I just need to keep looking."

He zoomed in on the ruins of the Lucky Cat, the wheels of his brain whirring. Could the resistance still be based there, perhaps hiding in the basement? It was unlikely—they wouldn't have adequate sleeping arrangements, and besides, Riku's guards would have seen them. The vigilantes couldn't stay in a basement forever.

Riku struggled to recall what Rinah had said—that Big Hero 6 had approached from the northeast during the last battle. That would point to their base being somewhere in the Oka Heights, near the bridge. But it could be anywhere, in any of the buildings. Whichever one it was could have some kind of connection to Hiro—as the leader of Big Hero 6 and second in command of the resistance, he definitely had some say in where the bases were. After all, they had first based at his house, and one base had been at his school. Of course, there could be no connection at all, given that Karmi Chen's school had also been SFIT.

Zooming in on the heights, Riku scanned the buildings, most of which were decrepit and crumbling. There were new buildings being constructed farther down the hills, but perhaps an old base would have seemed less conspicuous. After all, Riku had chosen the subway tunnels, where no one would think to look, especially Big Hero 6.

Perhaps he could simply send a message to the vigilantes when everything was ready. Yes, they had handed over the city to Rinah, but surely they were planning to take it back now that she was gone. Besides, Big Hero 6 would forever be a threat to Riku until they were terminated. When the robots were finished, Riku would challenge them to a final battle, and then he'd destroy them once and for all. He and Rinah had already managed to take out five of them, and it wouldn't be long before the rest were gone too.

He felt a pang of grief for Professor Granville, who'd helped him so much as a teenager. Riku hadn't wanted to kill her, but it needed to be done—she knew about the bombs, and he'd had to terminate her before she could tell the rest of Big Hero 6 about them.

Riku hadn't felt good about killing anyone. All he'd wanted was to make a better world—he hadn't realized it would involve this much bloodshed and warfare. The path he had wanted the future to take was clean and bright and involved America simply surrendering to him when they saw his powerful army. Now Riku had shot two people and caused the deaths of several more.

What was he becoming?

Stronger, he told himself. But Riku wasn't sure if that was it.

A monster, whispered a tiny voice in his head. You're a monster, Riku, and that's what Rinah was afraid of both of you becoming. She was right.

But this is the right thing to do, Riku argued. I know it.

Is it really?

"I'm not like them," Riku said out loud. "I am never going to be like the Americans. I am never going to be like the people who killed my parents. I am never going to be a monster."

The small voice seemed to laugh.

Aren't you?

Riku winced at the memory of the words he'd said to Hiro, almost a year ago now. He'd thought the boy was like him—and he was. Hiro was almost a younger version of Riku, with pure intentions and the same desire for peace.

But they were also different, because they had chosen separate paths. Hiro set limits, tried to restrain himself from destruction and warfare. But Riku had always believed that he didn't need limits, that you couldn't hold back genius—or justice. It was all for the greater good—surely that outweighed the sacrifices he'd had to make.

Riku sighed, collapsing into his chair and burying his head in his hands. He didn't know what was right anymore—he may not have had brain damage, but he'd destroyed his moral compass in this war.

Still, he had to keep going. He'd promised Rinah he'd save their people, whatever it took.

"For the greater good,"Riku whispered, and then his eyes filled with tears and he broke down, wondering if, somehow, Rinah had been wrong.

If he'd been wrong.

If he really was a monster.

Must the greater good come at so high a cost?

—HIRO—

I pull up my welding visor and examine the portal, three-quarters of the way done now. I can't believe it's almost done—soon we'll be able to get the bombs out of KreiTech. The portal has to be unstable enough to pull the bombs apart—otherwise, they might not fit, especially the thermonuclear bombs—but stable enough to not rip itself apart. If an explosion goes off in the bomb room, we may as well throw ourselves off a cliff.

To solve this problem, I've decided to cover the whole portal with graphene, then perforate it. It should make the magnetic containment unstable enough that the bombs will go into the portal in pieces, but strong enough that nothing will explode. The perforation will be hard—I'm gonna have to use a blade to stab the graphene.

Everyone else is kind of just doing nothing, having trained to the max for three days and still reeling from the deaths of Granville and Abigail. We had a funeral for them, but it was small and short, and I was kinda numb during the whole thing, as was everyone else. It terrifies me that we might be getting used to the war, used to all the death and pain. What if, when the war is done, I can't feel anything anymore?

I pull my mind away from these thoughts, shove my visor back down, and solder two wires together, careful not to burn my fingers. I still do it sometimes—I'm not as hopelessly clumsy as Tadashi, but I wouldn't call myself very coordinated.

The tip of the soldering iron brushes against my finger and I hiss in pain, putting my hand to my mouth and sucking at the burn. That was one thing we forgot to grab from the Lucky Cat—my work gloves. I'm gonna have to find a new pair as soon as possible.

I fish a Band-Aid out of my pocket and wrap it around my fingertip, where it joins two others. Soldering without gloves is hard.

Finally, I finish the wiring and move on to the graphene perforation. There's no scientific procedure—I just stab it with my graphene blade, since that's pretty much the only material that can break it.

There are a few near-catastrophes, where I come this close to stabbing myself and somehow manage to slice a chunk off the side of the portal (don't worry, I fix it), but eventually I get all the graphene perforated. I really hope this works. If the portal fails, the whole state will essentially explode, and if it just doesn't work, we'll have to call in a bunch of stealth helicopters or something.

I wonder if I could finish the portal today—I might be able to if I rushed it, but I probably shouldn't do that. If something terrible happened because I rushed the printing, I don't think I could ever forgive myself. I'll just have to wait until it's ready, which should only be in about one or two more days.

To be honest, I'm sick of 3D printing Silent Sparrow. I can't wait to get to the weaponry—I'm seriously thinking about adding plasma blades to my armor, and it would be stupid not to use the heat ray from Granville's suit. I'll probably give it to Megan—she doesn't really have her own powers, just an extension of mine. Then there's Momokase's throwing stars, more tranquilizer darts, a graphene blade or two, and a giant FlexiRex. I bet I could make another neural transmitter to control that last one. It'll be an interesting experiment, if nothing else.

But I can't do anything before I finish the portal. I sigh and start printing another segment, trying to go as fast as possible without rushing it.

When I can't take it anymore and there's nothing else to do, I leave Basemax and go down to the beach, taking off my shoes and wading out into the water a little, so the waves brush gently against my ankles. Sometimes when I was little, Tadashi, Aunt Cass, and I would go to the beach, and I was always too scared to go in the water. I would do exactly what I'm doing now, not daring to venture out any farther. Then Tadashi would pick me up and run with me through the waves, careful not to let me fall in. I remember how Aunt Cass would laugh, snapping pictures and splashing water at us. We'd stay on the beach until sunset, then watch the sun sink into the water while I played with the little sand crabs I found. Then we'd walk home, dripping wet and eating ice cream, and we didn't have a care in the world…

I realize that I'm crying, silent tears starting to drip down my face as I stare out at the overcast sky and the perfectly still water. It's a misty morning, so I can't even make out where the sky meets the sea. I love days like this, but I wish with all my heart that we could all be here on this beach together, watching the sea, letting the water lap at our feet.

But those days are gone, and Aunt Cass is gone, and the innocent little kid I used to be is gone. This war took almost everything from me—everything but Tadashi. And it's my job to make sure it doesn't take everything away from other people, too.

I stand there for several minutes, my toes sinking into the wet sand, staring out at the ocean. I don't really need to go back up to Basemax until the printer is finished, so I can stay out here for about an hour if I want.

After wiping my eyes, I step out of the water and start to walk along the shoreline, taking in the scenery and trying not to think about the war. Then I go back to stand in the water for a little longer, making sure my face doesn't look like I've been crying, and then traipse back up to Basemax. Hopefully the portal segment is almost done.

"Hey, Hiro!" Tadashi greets me as I step inside, shutting the door behind me. "How's the portal coming?"

"I've got another segment in the printer," I tell him. "It should be done in a little while. What are you guys doing?"

"Trying to make something worth eating," Tadashi says. "Momo and I wanted to make cupcakes."

"He wanted to make cupcakes," Momokase corrects as she pours sugar into a bowl. "I simply agreed to help him."

"I'm sure they'll turn out great," I assure them, smiling. "Let me know when they're done—I'm starving."

"They're gonna be triple chocolate," Tadashi tells me, a big smile spreading over his face. "Your favorite! I know I'll never be able to make them as good as Aunt Cass could, but we're gonna try."

He turns back to the bowl, measuring out a tiny amount of vanilla, and I retreat to the bedroom, where the printer lets out a little ding, signaling that it's finished the piece of the portal.

I climb up to my bed and pull out the segment, looking over the black carbon fiber and dark blue veins—I thought I'd make it a bit more eye-catching. Everything looks great, so I perforate the graphene and weld it to the rest of the portal, being as careful with the welding torch and soldering iron as physically possible. I really don't wanna use up Tadashi's whole supply of Band-Aids.

Stepping back, I survey Silent Sparrow, examining my work. It's almost all the way done now, and I need to use a ladder to get all the way up to the top—it's about fifteen feet high. By the time I'm done, it'll be twenty—we're gonna have to move it outside, because the ceiling isn't high enough to house it.

Bored out of my mind by the portal printing, I decide to start work on the weaponry—maybe I can print small things between portal segments. On the printer, I calibrate a design for a shuriken, feeding a sheet of graphene into the port and setting the color to blue. At the last minute, I decide to add glowing edges, to make it look even more epic. Hopefully Momokase likes these.

When the throwing star comes out, I don't even want to touch it, it looks so dang sharp. Instead, I grab a screwdriver and carefully slide it out of the printer, letting it drop onto the blanket. I peer closely at the weapon, wondering how much damage it would do if thrown at someone, then decide I don't really want to know.

I very, very carefully pick the shuriken up and deposit it into a petri dish (yes, I have those, I took biochemistry in high school), where it sits looking absolutely harmless. Still, I would not want to have one of these thrown at me.

Knowing I have to get back to my work, I start printing segment number thirty-something of Silent Sparrow. When this portal is done, I'll never print anything like it again. Not just because it's almost killed me multiple times, but because I'm absolutely sick of it.

Soon, the smell of triple chocolate cupcakes starts to drift through Basemax, and my mouth starts to water. I haven't had anything sweet in weeks—I've almost forgotten what junk food tastes like.

Tadashi announces to the whole base that the cupcakes are ready, and we all traipse into the kitchen, where he and Momokase hand the pastries out.

As soon as the first bite hits my tongue, I'm in heaven. These taste just like how Aunt Cass used to make them, with ample frosting and just the right amount of cocoa powder. I'm impressed—Tadashi has never been a great baker. I know Momokase is an incredible chef, though, so maybe she was able to help him.

"These are positively delicious," Krei tells Tadashi and Momokase. "We should really make these more often."

"Thanks!" Tadashi beams, looking so happy that I can almost forget there's a war going on. Life almost feels normal, with cupcakes and printing and friends here at Basemax, just like it used to be.

But of course, the final battle still looms on the horizon, impending, ever-present. Sooner or later, we're going to have to fight for San Fransokyo, and only then can things be truly right again.

But only if we win.

Because if we lose, San Fransokyo is lost. America is lost.

And it'll be our fault.

The next day, I weld the second-to-last segment of Silent Sparrow onto the portal, now moved out into the backyard, and I realize how close we are to ending this. As soon as the bombs are gone, North Korea will have next to no firepower. Sure, they'll have the infantry, and the guns, but that's nothing Big Hero 6, combined with our military, can't defeat.

I go inside and start work on the final piece of the portal, the one that would normally have the Silent Sparrow symbol on it. But instead of a sparrow, I decide to emblazon a phoenix on the portal, using the design from our bioink tattoos and armor. Hopefully it'll look really cool when I'm done—the phoenix makes it ours. It shows that we are Big Hero 6, and we are not backing down.

A few hours later, the final piece is complete. I take it gently out of the printer, admiring the phoenix symbol, and then carry it outside to be welded to the portal. After climbing the ladder, I pull out my welding torch, yank down my visor, and start up the flame, fusing the carbon fiber together. The soldering iron goes into the small gap I leave, and the wiring finally comes together. I finish the last few inches of welding, and then Silent Sparrow is done.

It's done.

Adrenaline rushing through me, I climb down the ladder, take a deep breath, and press the button on the side of the portal.

The rush of blue fire nearly blinds me as the portal springs to life, thankfully not sucking sand or water into it. It should only suck things that are magnetic in—I guess I'd better test it.

I run back inside and grab a piece of scrap metal, then place it on the sand a couple hundred feet away from the portal and hold my breath.

Sure enough, Silent Sparrow sucks the metal right in, and it disappears into oblivion.

"Yes!" I crow, thrusting my fist in the air. "It works! It actually works!"

I go over to Silent Sparrow and examine it, making sure the metal hasn't just been sucked through the fire and is sitting on the other side. Thankfully, I can find no trace of it, so it's definitely gone. Since I've only made one portal, all the bombs should go straight to the alternate dimension. I don't really know how teleportation works, but I'll take it.

After verifying that the portal works, I go back inside and look around for Professor Callaghan, wanting to tell him that he can leave for KreiTech whenever he's ready.

I find Callaghan not in Basemax, but on the beach, sitting on the shoreline and staring out at the sea, several hundred feet to the north of Basemax. Knowing he probably doesn't want to be disturbed, but needing to tell him it's time for the mission, I debate for a few minutes and then make up my mind to go talk to him.

"Um—Professor?" I mumble, walking across the sand and then stopping about ten feet away from him. "Can—can I talk to you for a second?"

"Hiro," he whispers, still staring out at the sunset as the glowing ball of fire sinks beneath the waves. "Come. Sit."

I'm slightly put off by this request, but I sit down next to the professor, looking out at the ocean.

"Hiro, I—" Callaghan cuts himself off, sighing and dropping his gaze. "I just—I wanted to tell you I'm sorry. For everything. For the fire, the attack, the pain I caused you. I shouldn't have inflicted that on you just because you were in the way."

"Thanks," I mumble, rubbing the back of my neck. "I mean—apology accepted. But you know I forgave you a while ago, right, Professor?"

Callaghan sighs again. "I hoped you would. But I know not everyone has."

"Who didn't?" I whisper.

Professor Callaghan looks over at me, sorrow written in every line of his face. "Abigail."

All I can do is stare at him with wide eyes, dying to know more but also not wanting to pry into his personal life. Thankfully for me, though, Callaghan begins to speak.

"My daughter didn't approve of what I'd done to avenge her. She believed I should have honored her memory and accepted my grief, not attempted to take it out on an innocent child. When I discovered she was alive…" Callaghan bows his head. "I was overcome with joy. But my Abigail didn't want to see me. She believed I was an attempted murderer and arsonist, and I knew in my heart she was right. I tried to reconcile with her, and by the time the war started, we had established a fragile peace. But I know she never truly forgave me. Her allegiance always would have been to you."

"I'm—I'm sorry," I whisper. "This is my fault. I'm the one that needs forgiveness, Professor. I sent her on that mission, and now…" I take a deep, shuddering breath, trying not to let tears slip out of my eyes. "Now she can't forgive you. This is all my fault—my fault you'll never see her again. I took her away from you."

My voice cracks on the last word, and suddenly I'm crying again, for the second time in as many days. First I don't feel anything, now I'm feeling everything. I don't know what's wrong with me.

"Hiro," Callaghan says quietly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I wanted to thank you."

I glance up at him, my eyes filled with tears. "W-why?"

"Because now she knows," Callaghan murmurs. "Abigail experienced what it's like to want to do anything for the people you love. I just…I hope one day, it will help her forgive me. You don't need to apologize, Hiro. Even though she's gone, I know she'll be waiting for me in heaven—her and her mother. I'm ready for anything you and Megan need me to do, and I'm prepared to leave this world defending my country and the people I love."

"That's—that's what I came to tell you," I mumble, wiping my eyes. "The portal's done. Everything's ready."

Callaghan smiles faintly. "Thank you, Hiro. I'll go as soon as I can."

I take that as my cue to leave, and I stand up, walking silently back towards Basemax and brushing the remaining moisture off my face. I don't want anyone to think I've been crying—I don't normally do that kind of thing. I'm not sure why I've had so many mood swings lately. Baymax would say it's puberty.

As I walk through the back door, Megan appears out of nowhere and stops me, putting her hands on my shoulders.

"Hiro," she whispers. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," I mumble. "Just—talking. With Callaghan. The portal's done."

"It is?" Meg exclaims. "Oh my gosh, Hiro! I can't believe it! It's finally done—I've gotta go tell everyone else!"

And she dashes off, beaming. I smile after her, reminded again of how awesome my girlfriend is. That's typical Meg for you—a million miles an hour, excited about everything. I love her.

As I'm printing the rest of the throwing stars, wanting to get started on more weaponry, Callaghan comes back in, going into the bathroom to change into his armor. I climb out of my bed, grab the largest piece of flexible display cloth I possess—to cover the portal, so it's harder to see—and head into the main room.

"It's time," Meg announces, putting her hands palms down on the table. "This is when the tables turn, you guys. By this time tomorrow, the war could be over. We'll be heroes."

"I was under the impression that we were already heroes," Wasabi adds, "but whatever."

Meg laughs. "Yeah, some of us are. You and Hiro and Honey have already done a lot for San Fransokyo, and we need you guys to do it again. As soon as the bombs are gone, we can attack, and we'll take the city back from Obake once and for all."

"And if we fail?" Chief Cruz asks, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Then we'll go down fighting," Meg declares. "This will work, guys. I promise."

"I will do everything in my power to complete this mission," Callaghan promises. "I hope I'll be able to see this war through to the end, but in case I don't come back, I'd like to say a few words—if that's okay with you, Megan."

"Go ahead," Meg tells him, and then Professor Callaghan turns to address us.

"I've made some bad decisions," he begins, clasping the neural transmitter in his hands. "I tried to kill Alistair Krei, and I nearly took the lives of Big Hero 6. That was the worst mistake I've ever made, and for that, I'm sorry. But I hope that by going on this mission, by helping to save my country, I can atone for everything I've done. I will do everything I can to get the bombs out, and if I fail, you must not give up the fight. I don't expect to survive this mission, but it is my hope that, if I don't make it back, I will meet you all in a better world one day."

"You will," Tadashi whispers. "We'll all be there, Professor. I know it."

Callaghan smiles, and I realize his eyes are filled with tears. "It's been an honor, my friends. I wouldn't want to fight with anyone else during this war, and I've been blessed to work with the very best. So I leave you with my apology and my prayer that good will always triumph over evil—and my certainty that peace will come one day."

Of course, Tadashi bursts into tears, and so do Honey and Wasabi. I think even Krei is moved, staring at Callaghan with misty eyes and the expression of someone who's just had an epiphany. He goes over to Callaghan and whispers a few words to him, words I can't hear but which I know strike a chord in the souls of both men, because they embrace like brothers and then part with a smile.

Everyone is bidding farewell to Professor Callaghan, thanking him for his teaching and everything he's done for the resistance. When my turn comes, I give him a big hug, not wanting to let anyone else go without saying a proper goodbye to them.

Tadashi is crying, Honey is crying, even Momokase seems to shed a few tears. We're saying goodbye to our mentor and our friend, our previous adversary.

It's amazing how a war can change you. Callaghan has come so far. We all have.

As Callaghan pulls the flexible display cloth over Silent Sparrow and flies away, we all watch him go, disappearing into the starry heavens.

I don't think he'll come back, but at least he'll be at peace now.

And soon the rest of us will be, too.