Chapter 23, everybody! In which everyone learns that Fred is rich and oh yeah, Baron Von Steamer!

I'd like to thank Baymaksu over on Tumblr for letting me know that Nob Hill is Nobu Hill in the series, I hope they're doing okay out there in the real world. In other news…that painting. D: Also why are prom outfits always powder-blue?

In other news, French words give me grief they go on forever with all the vowels in them and they're never pronounced how they look—yes I'm eyeballing you, 'hors d'oeuvres.' As I understand it this is because some French king paid by the letter instead of the word which is why French spelling is basically a shrug emoji—meantime Latin has no excess letters because it was generally carved in stone and American English dropped the extra letters that go in British-English words because newspaper columns only had so much space.

Also yes there's an adult version of you're not invited to my birthday parties anymore, if someone is a jerk to you you are not obligated to give them your time. Furthermore, someone who is rude to the wait staff is not someone you want to be around anyway.

Once again, if you've been following me on Tumblr you've already seen a bit of this, and I still think the exchange between Obake and Steamer is funny. XD Also considering Millennials were born in the 80s and 90s…yes Obake is a Millennial. Yes we're mostly in our thirties now. No we're not happy with the inevitable passage of time it hurts realizing that most of the places we went to are closed now because progress. :\

Mrs. Hasegawa is from Lilo and Stitch which is another peril of getting older you see remakes and have to cry at seeing something done well done just for the money (there are good remakes out there, they just don't come from Disney). And of course the Wrecking Crew are friends with Mr. Fredrickson, they're from Marvel and he's Stan Lee. Also the boys are quoting Spy Kids 2, really a fan of that exchange and the "how long have we been falling?" scene. XD

Juxshoa, thanks for the review! Everyone's reactions are definitely interesting. XD

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

Obake had elected to ride with the greater nerd herd in Wasabi's car, mostly because most of them were riding in that vehicle and he wanted to see the maximum amount of confusion and consternation for this.

"So apparently we're heading for Nobu Hill," Wasabi observed, following Cass's truck as it made the turning. "Why are we heading for Nobu Hill is this like a shortcut?"

"Maybe Fred's mom rented a place," Honey Lemon posed.

"In Nobu Hill?" Gogo asked.

"Well we are turning into someone's garage so…maybe?"

It was taking all of Obake's willpower to keep his expression neutral and his comments to himself—followed the others as they followed Fred inside, busy explaining to Cass that the party would most likely take place here in the foyer he wasn't totally sure—

"Uh, Fred?" Wasabi asked finally. "Not to sound…why are we here?"

"Well Aunt C needed to actually see the place—oh wait you gotta see the kitchen," Fred said, heading for a different room. "C'mon."

"Yeah that wasn't the question."

"Fredrick, what—"

"Madre!" Fred exclaimed—pointed at Cass. "This is Aunt Cass, she agreed to cater."

Mrs. Fredrickson immediately zeroed in on Cass, tackled her in a hug. "Oh thank you finally something is going right." Looped an arm in hers and steered her to the kitchen. "The kitchen is right over here—I have a list but we can discuss details and what you'll be needing—"

"Okay," Cass noised, still firmly at bemused.

"So you were explaining things a bit more clearly," Tadashi offered once the two older women were gone.

"Starting with where are we?" Gogo said.

"Oh right totally forgot my dudes—welcome to mi casa! That's French for foyer," Fred said, gesturing broadly.

"It's…actually…not," Honey Lemon offered gingerly, like she wanted to call him an idiot but was too nice to actually do so.

Gogo was not. "You live here? I thought you lived under a bridge."

"I mean not that that doesn't sound cool," Fred said. "Like I could string a hammock underneath, but then traffic might keep me up odd hours so that kind of sucks."

"Okay so Fred my question is why have I been paying for churros all this time," Tadashi said.

"Because you're a good friend, my dude."

"Thanks but you're definitely paying next time."

"I mean fair but you got mad wallet-whipping game like you got an FBI badge so like—you whip and I pay for the churros."

"Uh-huh and what do you have to say about this why are you filming?" Hiro demanded.

"For the precise reason why I usually film you lot: blackmail," Obake offered, grinning—

Had to sober up quickly when Gogo snatched his phone away. "You knew?"

"Your point?"

"My dudes chill," Fred said, one hand in his pocket and the other waving them off. "It's not like this is a big deal."

Tadashi stopped Wasabi before he could say something. "Wasabi, did you ever tell us where you live? Dorm living doesn't count."

Wasabi looked like he was getting ready to respond, paused—finally waved him off. "Okay fine, fair. Still feels like something to mention before we all decide you lived in a surfboard shack on the beach though."

"Dude that would be awesome," Fred said brightly. "Oh wait my dudes while we're here I can show you those comics I was talking about—come on."

"So I wasn't really expecting Fred to be rich," Hiro said to Obake in an undertone.

"That's what you get," Obake told him. "People can be more convoluted than you first think."

"Yeah but it's Fred. And by the way, how did you know about all this?"

"I make it my business to know things. By the way, I need my phone back," he told Gogo.

She held it up and away from his attempt to get the device. "First you tell me how you knew about Fred beforehand."

"I'm observant. Phone."

"That wasn't an answer."

"And you didn't ask a question."

Gogo's response was cut off by them reaching Fred's room. "Oh yeah," Tadashi said, taking it in. "This definitely screams Fred."

"Doesn't it though?" Fred asked, bouncing up and down. "Hold on a sec let me grab those comics real quick—"

"Fred," Wasabi said, staring at the offending painting. "What is that?"

"Nice huh? Really brings out my eyes."

"Eye-gouging is how I would describe it, yes," Obake said, snatching his phone back from Gogo so he could snap pictures of their expressions.

"Oh good Fred you're in here," Mrs. Fredrickson said, a death-grip on her cordless phone. "You need to try on your tuxedo—do the rest of you have formal wear?"

"I…have my prom outfit," Tadashi said, thinking.

"The powder-blue one?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah I think the last formal thing I wore was my prom suit too," Wasabi said.

"So we'll need to add that to the list," Mrs. Fredrickson sighed. "All of you follow Heathcliff, we need measurements. At least Ms. Cass is willing to cater on short notice, although I wish she had some references."

"References? Pff," Hiro said, waving that off. "You don't need references—you want cutting edge."

"That would get me ahead of Binky," she mused, missing Tadashi push on Hiro's head. "Fair enough."

"So good news," Fred announced, glancing back at Mrs. Fredrickson to make sure she was busy with the call. "You guys being around means this is totally going to suck less. And for real, I am totally looking forward to this being over parties are supposed to be fun, you get me?"

"Unfortunately," Gogo said. "But usually when you get something it has a return policy."

"That's Gogo's way of saying we're here to support you, Freddie," Honey Lemon said.

"No it isn't."

Obake huffed at that, more preoccupied with how to handle the upcoming issue. He really didn't need this whole shindig getting attacked and prompting the forming of Big Hero Six after everything he did to make sure it didn't happen (okay fine one thing, maybe two if we counted Callaghan, but hush he needed his wins where he could get them).

But…since Hiro had such an easy time convincing her to go with Cass, maybe he could talk his way out of the annoying Steamer encounter. And he did have some rapport with Mrs. Fredrickson, considering the number of times he had come over already (unfortunately).

"So," he said, sidling up to her once she was done with her phone call. "As I understand it this party is presenting him to the moneyed elite?"

"Basically," she told him, squeezing the phone slightly and betraying her stress. "It's presenting Fredrick as an adult in high society."

"Ah, so I was right, it's an object lesson."

"I beg pardon?"

"Well the gist I'm getting is that presentation is more important than personal desire. Fred is panicking himself sick over this because he's afraid of embarrassing you, and you're fretting over this…what is her name again?"

"Beverly Samantha Mole—also known as Binky," Mrs. Fredrickson said, narrowing her eyes at nothing. "I can't stand her."

"And yet you're inviting her because?"

"Because not inviting her would be an unforgivable affront—how can I prove I'm better than her if I do something so petty?"

"So the opinion of someone you can't even stand is more important than your family's happiness."

That seemed to floor her. "What?"

"Fred is stressed out because of this woman. You are stressed out because of this woman. You're trying to wow someone who won't care out of sheer spite instead of presenting your son honestly to his peers. I can tell you right now that this—" And here he gestured at the foyer, which was already heavily decorated for the event. "Is not Fred. You'll be presenting someone who doesn't exist and then every time Fred goes out in the upper circles he'll be killing himself trying to be something he's not. You're rich, you're allowed to be eccentric. Forget that woman and ask yourself honestly: what do you want? What would make your son happy?"

She bit her lip, fiddled with the antennae of the phone…finally sighed. "You have a point," she admitted. "It's just that—"

"No. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. Fred would be happier and more natural at a block party at the Lucky Cat than dressed up like a peacock for someone you can't stand. You want to be the better person? Then stop making her matter."

Sigh, close her eyes…nod finally, smile and put a hand to his shoulder when she looked at him. "You're a good friend to Fred, you know that right?"

Someone stick a fork in him, he was done. "Don't let that get around." Please, for the love of all that was good, don't.

"And that is a good idea…it's just the question of safety—"

"I'll handle security, if that's your concern."

"You?"

"Hiro Hamada isn't the only genius in this building," he insisted. "Wherever you decide to have it, I can make sure it goes off without a hitch."

It was really a lovely bright sunny day, annoyingly so.

But it made having an outdoor party tolerable, he supposed.

"Heeey, my dude," Fred cheered, tackling Obake in a sideways hug and nearly making him drop his tray of hors d'oeuvres. "Mom says you were the one to talk her into this."

"She said that the point of this whole shindig was to brace the high society for your arrival," he explained. "I merely told her that this more accurately said Fred."

"And it does it totally does I love you man."

"Fred, the hugging."

"Right right right—now that I've been officially introduced to society I can waltz with Mom and then defend my title of cornhole king seriously I cannot thank you enough."

Huff at Fred being ridiculous—this had been entirely self-serving in an endeavor to avoid the Steamer incident and keep from having to rescue Wasabi, none of this had been strictly for Fred.

"Did I hear him right?" Tadashi asked, cruising by in what he was going to guess was his prom suit. "This was your idea?"

"Don't start," Obake started—grimaced at being elbowed.

"Careful, you might start convincing people you have a heart," Tadashi teased. "What with this, talking Gogo into having Honey Lemon for a roommate, saving me from a crispy grave—"

"Oh go bother someone else," he snapped, stalking off—eventually parked himself next to some people chatting about the presentation, the setup, the games…yes this was more Fred. The block partitioned off, homeowners and businesses compensated (and participating in many cases), games and tables set up in the flat part of the street, Heathcliff standing by the door of the Lucky Cat and presenting Fred when he came out in his suit, friends assisting…yes, this was a more honest representation.

"So this is fun," Hiro said when Obake retreated back to the kitchen for a refill, picking up a tray as well. "And weird—I was honestly with Tadashi I thought Fred was like a beach bum."

"He does give that impression," Obake agreed.

"And you enjoying the weirder parts."

That being Binky Mole showing up anyway because, as Mrs. Fredrickson explained to both himself and to Fred, "Not inviting her just singles her out and lets her know she's being needling, there's no point in giving her that leverage." Obake was fine with it, if only because it put her on Fredrickson turf and on the back foot; it had been fun watching her try to be the dour one only to be told flat-out by Gogo "You know if you're not having fun you can just leave."

Mostly because it had the added bonus of Binky trying to report this to Mrs. Fredrickson in an attempt to drive a knife in, only for Mrs. Fredrickson to draw herself up, fill herself with indignation, and let her have it with both barrels in front of everyone.

"The wait staff, as you call them, are my son's friends who so graciously volunteered their time to help," she said, tone carrying. "If you can't show them some decorum then you aren't invited to my parties anymore."

Obake was very glad he was recording everything, because he went down laughing so hard that he missed Binky stalking off in a huff. Still had to snicker at that though.

"Like that, exactly like that," Hiro said as they went back out. "I mean it's weird thinking that a version of you're not invited to my birthday party anymore exists in the adult world, but okay."

"You'll notice she didn't have a comeback for that," Obake pointed out.

"True…also I still have questions about your drone army."

Obake looked up as well to see one cruise by. "Mrs. Fredrickson wanted assurances as far as security was concerned, I wanted to make sure she had that." Plus now he actually had a drone army for monitoring the city, that had been on the to-do list, this just gave him a valid excuse to work where people saw instead of sneaking off to do it.

"Yeah, stayed up all night working on it and everything. You share Gogo's opinion on Fred what's with all the extra miles? I thought you didn't like Fred."

"I'm ambivalent to Fred's existence usually. But this needed to be done."

"Why though?"

Unfortunately, the answer to that question tunneled out of the upwards slope.

"Ah," he groaned, sagging as people scampered away. "So that was always doomed to happen."

"Do what?" Hiro asked blankly, more floored than anything by the giant drill opening in front of them and a ton of steam billowing down the hill.

"Tremble in fear, San Fransokyo!" the old cyborg bellowed, posing dramatically as he stomped down the ramp. "Tis I, Baron Von Steamer, detested nemesis of Boss Awesome!"

"I wonder if he has that on the business cards," Obake snarked at Hiro—blinked when the man held out the item in question.

"I do," he confirmed, handing the card to Obake before going back to the dramatic posing. "I've come for Boss Awesome's little baby child!"

"Get behind me, Fred," Mrs. Fredrickson told Fred, shooing him bodily behind her as Heathcliff suddenly appeared, looking ready to take Steamer down with a tray.

Was prevented from doing so when a bunch of bolos hit Steamer, cutting him off mid-monologue and sending him crashing down.

"And that's done," Obake said, smiling as he pocketed his phone, several of his drones staying hovering around Steamer as a couple more dove into his vehicle, just in case.

"Curse you, Millennial!" Steamer yelled at him. Which, under the severest of technicalities, was an accurate label.

"DUDE, a supervillain crashed my bro-tillion this is AWESOME!" Fred cheered, scampering over and dancing in place. "Oh wait dude before you get like, carted off to jail, can I get an autograph and a photo? For like posterity's sake?"

Steamer grumbled, obviously irritated at having been bested before he even started…huffed. "Fine."

"Yes."

Cass, who had run out with everyone else at the noise, was busy staring at the mess the upwards street now was. "How is Mrs. Hasegawa supposed to come for her afternoon tea?"

"Don't worry dear, we can fix it," Mrs. Fredrickson said, patting her arm.

For those wondering, Mrs. Fredrickson's fix for the Steamer issue was to call in a group of contractors that called themselves the Wrecking Crew who were there first thing that morning. Apparently, they were friends with Mr. Fredrickson, which didn't clear up anything.

Especially considering they had the entire thing taken care of that day. Hole filled in and paved, sidewalks scrubbed, all debris cleared…and new siding, windows and shingles for the house.

"That actually wasn't damaged," Cass pointed out.

"They were starting to show signs of wear, can't let that get too far along," one of the guys said, taking the stacks of pastries they had ordered. "Thank you by the way these are so good."

"Thanks!" Cass called—turned to face the rest of them once he was gone. "So that was weird."

"Well Fred has always set a high standard," Tadashi admitted.

"In the meantime—huh? Huh?" Hiro asked, stepping back and gesturing at the machine they had finalized that was now filling a large chunk of wall space. "New and improved coffee machine!"

"That actually looks really good," Cass said, looking it over. "Where'd you guys get the parts?"

"Purloined them from Steamer's machines," Obake said. "Seemed fair after he crashed the party."

"Okay on the one hand, stealing is wrong," Cass said.

"On the other you have new windows and siding."

"And a coffee machine," Hiro added, sliding over a bit to gesture some more. "It does everything except tell you what time it is."

"It doesn't tell time?" Cass asked blankly.

"There was no more room for the clock," Tadashi said, grins on both his and Hiro's faces suggesting they were quoting something and having a grand time with it.

"There's a clock right there," Obake said, indicating it. "And a few dozen other bells and whistles for you to familiarize yourself with."

"And we made a portable version," Hiro said, pointing at the device Baymax wheeled in.

"For all your catering needs," Baymax said, blinking at them.

"Great because I have a lot of catering jobs after that party," Cass said—startled Obake by hugging them all. "Oh my boys are so smart thank you!"

Obake had to take a few beats at that, at being included with absolutely no hesitation. This was not right, he was an interloper in this family…his whole plan had basically been to spirit Hiro out of it before….

Before he fell for a clever trap that he hadn't even recognized as a trap. He was attached now, actively fighting against himself (yes that was still weird) in order to preserve it. He had tried his way, had been suckered into this because….

Because honestly it was better.

Sigh, shake his head—he was still waiting on the reveal of the painting, but that didn't mean he couldn't be proactive about the rest of it. He'd try for the journal, get it out of play before it ever became a thing, and that would just leave Krei's amplifier as the last moving part. But with no journal and no painting, the star machine would never become a thing.

He could do this. It was only three moving parts, he could do this.

And watching this happy little family chatting about their future plans, he realized he had no choice.

Failure was not an option.