Chapter 6, everybody! It's the day of the expo, time to figure out the answer to that one burning question! *bricked*
Also Obake is a mood I can do late-night hauls but asking me to roll out of bed early and be immediately functional to boot is asking a bit much. Obake's referencing Calvin and Hobbes and The Lion King, by the way. In other news…not sure what age Obake actually is but considering Granville felt comfortable comparing him to Hiro I'm guessing he was in his teens while at SFIT so twenty years later probably puts him somewhere in his late thirties.
Moving on…Tadashi's quoting Jim Carrey in The Mask, there, and Obake's one line is in reference to Ctrl-Z, the fanfic that inspired this one. Definitely a recommended read over on AO3, even if it is unfinished and will probably remain as such.
James the apple, thanks for the review! 1) that's how I answer all questions that have spoilers as answers; 2) probably; 3) that doesn't sound advisable please at least get a fresh EpiPen; 5) you missed number 4; 6) it would be a shame, wouldn't it.
Kazikamikaze24, thanks for the review! Glad you're enjoying it, and welcome to BH6 fanfiction! Remember to always bring tissues because this franchise brings the angst. D:
Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney
The sun was shining and the morning was glorious.
Now, strictly speaking, Obake wasn't a morning person. He was barely a noon person. Obake was a night owl in every sense of the word, and if he was awake in the morning without complaint it was because he had stayed up late the night before and just didn't go to bed.
But seeing as how today was the day, the day of the expo, when he was finally free of the annoying goody-goody brother, he was in a fantastic mood. Yes the crazy was still going on, no he wasn't addressing it, he had better things to do today.
Granted someone of his intelligence shouldn't skip, that was unbecoming, but he couldn't help it he was soon to be free of that annoying golden-boy older brother so he might as well get it out of his system. Also important to get out of his system before he got there: the singing of oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, oh what a beautiful morning, Tadashi Hamada is dying today! That would probably get him nowhere except out on his ear.
Although he couldn't help but cackle at Tadashi's consternated expression when he breezed in and asked "Wonderful day today, isn't it?" Ah, but he'd miss needling him when he was gone.
"Yeah you're weird," Tadashi said. "Help me out here Aunt Cass is stress-eating and I think Hiro's thinking about helping her."
"You don't want to unsettle your stomach," Obake told Hiro, busy staring at his porridge like it had come to life and threatened him. "Today is the big day, after all."
"Tell me something I don't know," Hiro said, sounding ill. "What if I screw up? What if nothing works I'm not ready to be a total hack."
"Wow," Tadashi said, rolling his eyes as he went to stop the aunt from taking another one of the donuts she was trying to sell. "Washed up at fourteen."
"You shut up you're not helping."
"Hey no getting snippy unless you want to pay the swear jar again."
"Swear jar?" Obake repeated.
"Yeah, it's a thing."
"How does this work?" Obake asked Cass as she went by.
"A quarter per curse, a dollar for the big ones," Cass explained, pointing at a large jar labeled swear jar. "Started off with me trying to keep from swearing in front of the kids, now there's the problem of two…three teenage boys in the house," she mused, looking Obake up and down.
Cute. But fair enough, as far as she knew he was precisely what he presented himself as. And really, trying to tell anyone he was pushing forty was going to get him laughed straight out of the state right now—and that would be a trick, considering how California was as a whole. But good news! Pretty soon she wouldn't be having to deal with any teenage boys, so we could consider this a win, he was sure. Well, a win for anyone who wasn't named Tadashi Hamada.
"Why do you look so happy?" Hiro demanded.
"Oh, just thinking of the roaring success tonight is going to be," Obake said, trying to smother his glee. He wasn't exactly in the mood to be explaining half his face lighting up in a skeletal pattern, that would derail everything and he'd rather not.
"Glad one of us thinks so."
Oh good grief. "Tell you what," he said, tugging Hiro away from the porridge and to the garage. "Why don't we go over everything one more time? Just for posterity's sake."
"Yes—yes go do that," Tadashi said, waving them off. "Maybe if you hear it from someone else you'll actually believe it."
Hiro stuck his tongue out at Tadashi, looked at Obake as they headed for the garage. "Are you sure this will wow enough?"
Obake couldn't help the glance back at Tadashi before turning his attention back to Hiro. "Hiro, I guarantee you it is to die for."
Hiro's presentation was the smash success that everyone assured him it would be.
They had gathered in front of the podium when it was Hiro's turn, Tadashi tugging Obake over before he could slink off somewhere else—motioned for Hiro to breathe so he didn't faint completely right there on the stage.
But once he started it was clear he was going to get in—wowed everybody in the hall, Callaghan immediately giving him his acceptance letter once he stepped off the podium, looking a lot happier than he had in the past several months. Even Krei tried to get in on the action, trying to buy Hiro's microbots right then and there—honestly Tadashi was surprised Hiro decided to not sell to Krei, he figured Hiro would be way too tempted by the idea of more money than he had ever seen in his life.
Less surprising was Krei trying to walk away with one of Hiro's microbots, though, making him glad he had caught that little slip.
But then it was them, making a triumphant exit, Fred cheering when Aunt Cass announced food at their place—exchanged glances and nods, her leading Obake away while he led Hiro off to one of the little bridges that crisscrossed the stream meandering through the carefully-manicured campus.
"So…is this the part where you tell me that I should be REALLY proud of myself," Hiro said, affecting a pompous air as he leaned against the railing. "I'm finally using my brains for something worthwhile!"
"Mmm, no," Tadashi noised, leaning on the railing as well—he did not hold it in all this time to crack right before delivery. "I was just going to tell you that your fly was down for the whole thing."
"Ha ha," Hiro snarked—swore when he checked and saw that Tadashi was right.
"Ooh, someone's going to have to pay the swear jar."
"Shut up, you jerk," Hiro muttered, shoving at his shoulder—slouched against the railing, staring out at the campus. Tadashi savored the moment, the quiet triumph…wondered how Aunt Cass was doing on her end.
"I'm really going to go here," Hiro said finally, the enormity of his success finally sinking in.
"Welcome to nerd school, little brother," he said, teasing.
"Yeah…guess we're going to have to find something else for you to do, seeing as how you don't have to bug me about going to college now."
"Oh don't worry about me, I've already got a new project lined up. You might like it, some annoying kid with a fake name that you met while bot-fighting."
"Seriously?"
"What, sore that you got replaced?"
"I thought you two couldn't stand each other."
"Now see I disagree—I'm pretty sure I'm wearing him down. Converting him with the annoying power of goody-goodiness, as he puts it."
"Yeah he's weird," Hiro said, smiling at him. "So you're serious? No more trying to chase him off? We both figured you being nice was trying some reverse psychology on him."
"That depends—did it work?"
"Not if we figured it out, no."
"Eh, whatever," Tadashi noised. "Can't say he won't be an interesting challenge—or maybe I can, considering I have experience converting nerds who don't know that college is fun."
"You're the nerd."
"And now you're the nerd-in-training. Funny how that works."
Hiro looked like he was winding up for a rebuff—
Expression shifted when he glanced behind Tadashi, convincing enough that he had to look too.
It took a minute to figure out what the problem was—how the night was starting to get tinged orange, how the serene quiet was being shattered by sirens—ran back to the expo hall, Hiro hot on his heels—
Stopped dead at the sight of the raging inferno in front of them.
"What?" Hiro gasped—Tadashi spotted someone running out of the building, stopped her.
"Is anyone else still in there?"
"I-I think—I think I saw Professor Callaghan still in there," the woman managed.
Oh no.
"Tadashi wait! NO!" Hiro barked, catching his arm and tugging him back. "No you can't go in there!"
Tadashi looked at him, back at the building…back at him.
"Someone has to help."
So in other news this had to be the best day of his current insanity yes we were still ignoring the big issues but back to brass tacks the brother would soon be gone and he now knew the secret to the microbots so that loss wouldn't sting so badly—this time next week, he'd have Hiro talked into his corner and life would be good again. At least for super-geniuses who didn't bother themselves with pesky little things like limits.
"You seem happy," Cass observed.
"Well I was invested in the outcome," Obake told her—which wasn't a lie.
"We all were, but some of us smile more."
Some of us didn't scare small children when they smiled, but that was neither here nor there, he decided. "I like to save those for special occasions."
"Really?" she asked, seeming amused. "Tonight counts?"
"Tonight definitely counts."
She sat down on a bench, patted the spot next to her. He sat, recognizing the invite and understanding that to refuse would be rude. She only had a few more minutes of undiluted happiness anyway, no reason to sully it.
"So," she noised. "In the interest of continuing this good run…well firstly I'm wondering what you plan on doing now that you're done helping Hiro get into SFIT."
Wait for your one nephew to get burnt to a crisp and then con the other into helping me destroy the city, he thought. You know, little things. Out loud, however, he said "I suppose I'll think of something."
"Sure. But I was wondering…if you'd like to stay. With us. Full time."
He blinked at her, pretty sure his brain had just done a record scratch. has stopped working, press any key to continue. "What?"
"Yes I am aware that the guest room got converted into a junk collector but I think we can work something out—"
"No wait stop that." Stop with this nicety foolishness. "What, exactly, are you saying?"
He wasn't sure how to translate that expression. "I ah, thought I said it plainly enough…Obake we know you've been staying in that old restaurant. We don't know why, but…listen a couch is way better than that place you know that place has rats, right? You deserve better than that."
Why…."Why are you offering me this?"
She shrugged a little. "Tadashi noticed it first, said something—I kind of agree—if it's too forward or anything, just say something and we'll work something else out—"
He couldn't—couldn't say anything, ringing in his ears drowning her out—she was offering him this—a place in the family, for a person they had known for perhaps a month—a perfect shot at Hiro, because Tadashi had suggested it—Tadashi, the hyper-vigilant, suspicious, hovering older brother, annoying in the way he could ferret out schemes, head them off, the way he played up being so perfect—that Tadashi. Tadashi. The brother who—
Oh, no—
"I have to go," he blurted, taking off like a shot—no no no no no why did she have to spring that on him now why tonight of all nights—
The night of the SFIT fire.
The night Tadashi Hamada died.
The night that idiot Hamada boy ran into a burning building to save someone who didn't need saving.
Sides were burning, everything was burning, body protesting—couldn't let up, couldn't—
This was against the plan. The plan was to let him die.
The plan had not accounted for this.
There—the building—
There—the Hamada brothers, Tadashi slipping out of Hiro's grasp—
No more thinking, every last ounce of energy he had went into forward momentum—into intercepting Tadashi Hamada before he reached those stairs—
Tadashi's foot hit the first step right as Obake hit him around the middle at full force, knocking them both down, arms wrapped around his sides as they hit the ground hard, hard enough to rattle Obake's skull—hands patting him, blood swirling in his ears preventing him from hearing—
And then the explosion.