Chapter 37, everybody! In which Hiro and Obake plot against bio-tech girls….

No seriously I hated the thermometer scene in this episode I've never been a fan of secondhand embarrassment so Obake gets to save Hiro's bacon in this case.

For those who wonder, the Bible verses being quoted are Romans 12:20 and Proverbs 25:22 for the heap coals of fire upon their heads bit and Proverbs 17:12 for the fools in their folly one. Basically, two verses you need to know if you're navigating the internet: be nice to mean people because it drives them crazy and you can't fix stupid. There's reasons we say to read the Bible, friends.

In other news…Obake with the ramen is me, I ate it every Sunday for like two years when I went to my first college, took ten years to bring myself to eat it again because good grief I got sick of it. Also references to Scooby-Doo, Monkey Island, The Road to El Dorado, and Airplane! ARGs are something I learned about at Westwood College for my game art degree and they definitely sound cool. And since Obake quotes Shakespeare in the show as well, I figure he's a fan of the Bard as well.

Moving on—had fun with the phone conversation and in another fic of mine it's Obake and Honey Lemon who make Fred and Wasabi's discovery so from my standpoint it's a little funny. Wasabi doesn't think so, of course.

Juxshoa, thanks for the review! Both? Both. Both is good.

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

So in other news Obake was really going to have to work with Hiro on what proper revenge strategies looked like.

"No," he said, taking the paper Hiro had been sketching his idea out on and crumpling it up. "No we're not doing a presentation that just advertises that Karmi got to you and defeats the purpose of revenge."

"Hey!" Hiro protested. "That was a good idea!"

"Hiro, your idea was an oversized thermometer," Obake said, tossing the ball of paper into the trash. "You want to flaunt your superiority, not make yourself a public fool."

Hiro slouched in his seat, arms crossed and still obviously steaming. "Maybe you just let me sulk for a while," he grumbled.

"No—sulking is for lesser folk. Scheming is better."

"So I didn't see you at lunch," Tadashi said, bringing in a couple of cups of ramen. "What are you guys even doing?"

"Nothing," Obake said. "Just continuing Hiro's lesson."

"Lesson what lesson Hiro what are you two doing."

"We're going to show Karmi and Dr. Amara up," Hiro said. Looked at Obake. "What lesson?"

"On how to be a proper nemesis," Obake told him. "Ideally for the most part she shouldn't even realize it's you—it's more entertaining to watch her chase her own tail while you pull the strings in the shadows." As he could attest to from personal experience.

"Guys, no," Tadashi said, putting the ramen cups down. "No swearing vengeance against other people, you're better than that."

"How dare you speak such slander."

"Okay fine you're not better than that but we're working on it." Shove Hiro's head a little. "Hiro, listen—you want advice on how to best mess with Karmi? Be nice to her."

"How does that help?" Hiro demanded.

"Because it'll drive her nuts."

"Does it work?"

"It's Biblical," Obake said, reaching around for one of the ramen cups. "It works."

"It's the heap coals of fire upon their head verse," Tadashi said. "It's tied with the fools in their folly one as my favorite."

"That's the bear-fighting one, right?"

"These do not sound like healthy activities," Baymax said. "Heaping burning coals on people or fighting bears can: negatively, impact one's health."

"They're metaphors, Baymax," Tadashi said. "You know metaphors—God isn't actually telling people to throw burning coals at each other."

"Although that works too," Obake muttered, taking a moment of silence before following it with a bite of ramen—had to take a long beat of arguing with himself before his stomach told him that spitting it out was better than what the alternative was about to be. "Ugh I can't eat that."

"Aunt Cass's cooking spoiled you," Tadashi teased.

Yeah let's go with that one—definitely going to gloss over the fact that after twenty-plus years of subsisting on ramen, going back to a simple ramen cup after having several months of quote-unquote 'real food' made his entire body rebel at the notion, from the taste right down the line to you will see this again if you swallow it. Oi what an aggravation like he didn't have enough reasons to stop that second Great Catastrophe.

So I've put off asking this long enough, but I'd really like to know if I'm being punished, Obake asked, head resting on the desk.

Fred barreled in. "My dudes, another monster sighting!"

Debated on adding thanks for the quick response before deciding against it, it wasn't like the thought wasn't already known—apologize before lifting his head up. "Excuse me?"

"The monster that attacked me attacked Krei too!" Fred said, holding up his phone to show them.

Tadashi blinked at Krei giving roughly the exact same description as Fred did of the monster. "Uh…okay so there's some dude in a monster costume attacking people."

"Or a real monster."

"Let's start with a more likely scenario."

"My dude come on work with me."

"Fred, I know you've watched enough Scooby-Doo to know better."

"Ooh hey that's what we'll do!"

"Fred, if you're proposing getting a van and a dog I'm throwing you out that window," Obake said flatly.

Fred considered this, looked at Baymax. "I mean I guess Baymax could count."

"I am not a dog," Baymax pointed out. "I am a robot."

"I know, but you could still fill Scooby's role so that's cool. Also I know I'm Fred but like, Tadashi would make a better show-Fred, just saying."

"All I need is an ascot," Tadashi agreed. "Now it's the question of if Honey Lemon would be a better Daphne or Velma."

"We've lost them both, back to work," Obake said, dropping the ramen cup in the trash before sorting through a stack of papers.

"What are you looking for?" Hiro asked.

"There's a couple of designs here that could be tweaked to be more…what's the word…percussive."

"No," Tadashi said, stalking back over. "No, we're not doing that remember what I said you have better uses for your time. Like figuring out your midterm project you still haven't figured out that biometric sucker."

"Yeah, that sucks," Hiro sighed.

"Speaking of, the Fredilus's tentacles," Fred said.

"Still working on that too, still stuck."

"Ooh, I heard Wasabi talk about this—it's like, inventor's block."

"Fred, go find your monster," Obake snapped. "Preferably so you can feed yourself to it."

"Dude, harsh," Fred said.

"Obake, be nice," Tadashi said. "Hiro, take a break, eat your ramen, Fred, tell us about the monster."

"Don't do this to me," Obake said.

"Okay, for you it's a punishment, for Hiro it's a distraction so we can head off him banging his head on his desk and complaining about having no ideas."

"I have no ideas," Hiro moaned.

"Don't make me flip you over."

"Wait ack NO Tadashiiii—"

"I don't see how this is helpful," Obake said, watching Tadashi bounce around the room, dangling Hiro off his back by his ankles.

"It's worked before!" Tadashi chimed.

"So…my dudes, the monster said something else while it was at Krei, maybe this is like, a clue we're supposed to unravel—maybe Tadashi's right and this is like, an ARG stunt," Fred said, rewinding the video.

"A what?" Obake asked.

"ARG—alternate reality game. Some bands and companies use them to drum up publicity," Fred explained. "Ah, here."

Obake tipped his head at what Krei reported. "'This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine'?"

"Sounds freaky—so maybe it's like, a setup for a Halloween show."

Oi hearing Halloween was coming up was worse than the midterms his plot had come to fruition shortly after that holiday. "And it said 'what's past is prologue' at your house," he said, mostly to distract himself.

"Yeah—not sure how the two are connected, or if they even are—"

"They are—it's Shakespeare."

"What is?" Tadashi asked, slowing to a halt between them.

"The quotes Fred's monster is spouting—both lines are from The Tempest."

"I'd like to get down now," Hiro announced—Tadashi obliged, flipping him onto the couch. "Ow—thanks, Tadashi—no Baymax I'm fine see pain is zero," he said quickly, scrambling upright as Baymax waddled over.

Fred, meanwhile, was looking this up. "Huh, you're right—maybe they're doing Shakespeare in the park?"

"What's Shakespeare?" Hiro asked, coming up between Fred and Tadashi.

"Oh he's a guy who wrote a lot of plays," Tadashi said.

"Tadashi."

"Okay great catching the Airplane! reference but the quotes the monster is saying—Obake says it's from a Shakespeare play," Fred said.

Hiro squinted at Obake. "How do you know Shakespeare?"

"I'm guessing from not sleeping through Literature class," Obake told him. "Moving on."

"Moving on, we have a lead! Come on, we'll interview Krei and see if he has any other dirt he can give us," Fred announced, pointing towards the door.

"Sorry, pass," Tadashi said. "Gotta get these two home before they start something they shouldn't."

"Also we might actually be banned from Krei Tech, not entirely sure," Hiro said.

"My dudes how did you get banned from Krei Tech?" Fred asked.

"We tied Krei up with his own drones," Obake said. "Which was as entertaining as I had hoped."

"Yeah so Krei would probably throw us out now," Tadashi said. "You could take Gogo instead."

"Unfortunately, Gogo has informed me after the Sparkle show incident that I am no longer allowed to take her places," Fred said. "I'll ask Honey Lemon and Wasabi, pretty sure they're not banned from anywhere yet."

"They're still young, give them time," Obake offered.

Wasabi was the one who ended up losing the coin toss, but Tadashi decided to be nice enough to call in a favor.

"San Fransokyo Police Department."

"Hi can I speak to a Diego Cruz please?" Tadashi asked, flapping the address book in his other hand. "It's Tadashi Hamada calling with a question."

"Please hold," the woman said. Tadashi nodded, leaned against the wall while he waited.

"Chief Cruz."

"Hi, Chief Cruz?" Tadashi said. "This is Tadashi Hamada, I was wondering if I could call you with a question."

"Ah, right, Tadashi. If this is about that Obake kid, I already ran a background check and there is literally nothing on him. No birth certificate, no social security, nothing. The kid is a ghost."

Tadashi blinked, blinked again. "That was…not why I called."

"Ah," Cruz noised. "Then what was the question? Megan has to study for her midterms if that was the question."

"Maybe you let me ask the question first," Tadashi said, trying to keep the irritation smothered.

"Go ahead then."

Deep breath. "There's been this ah, 'monster' running around—you know the one that was at Krei Tech—"

"For the record, I don't think it's an actual monster."

"Me neither, let me finish—my friend Fred thinks it's like a publicity stunt, like a…he calls it an 'alternate reality game,' so I was wondering if there was any other sightings of this monster like…if it's a publicity stunt advertising something then that's how—"

"The only reports of this so-called monster have been from the Fredricksons and from Krei Tech. And even if there were more sightings, seeing as how you're not police you can't actually be informed—"

Tadashi started at his pocket buzzing. "Uh, hold on I have another call." Tug out his cell phone, answer it. "Hey Fred, what's up?"

"My dude I have excellent news," Fred said, sounding totally jazzed. "So I told you about Professor Knox and how he's a Shakespeare fan—we tried his office at SFU and then we heard that he hadn't been to work in a while so we went to his house and—"

"FRED'S MONSTER IS REAL!" Wasabi shrieked into the phone.

Tadashi winced as he put the phone back to his ear. "Wait, what?"

"The monster is REAL we totes saw it I have an EYEwitness this time," Fred said, sounding like he was practically vibrating apart in excitement. "I mean Wasabi's not handling this well but I think it just startled him."

"It's a REAL monster it had spit," Wasabi said, sounding like his whole worldview was falling apart.

"Also it said—hold on—it quoted The Tempest again it said—"

The landline squawked again—Tadashi winced, put the other receiver to his ear, holding the cell a little away from his mouth. "Yeah I'm still here."

"Mr. Hamada, if you're done," Cruz said, sounding testy.

"Actually I'm not—my friend Fred just called, said the monster showed up at a Professor Orso Knox's house."

"My dude who are you talking to?" Fred asked.

"So I really think maybe the police should get over there? Because apparently Professor Knox is missing?"

"Oh dude yeah we should probably have called them the place looks trashed."

"'Looks trashed' he says THERE'S A BIG MONSTER-SHAPED HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE NOW," Wasabi squawked.

"So if anyone's interested we did make drones that could scan the city," Tadashi offered to both conversations.

"My dude YES we need to step up our monster-hunting game," Fred said.

"No," Cruz said. "You leave police work to the police, I'll send a cruiser over to check on this Professor Knox."

"Okay then," Tadashi said, answering both.

"I mean it, Tadashi, stay out of it."

"Yep, sure thing, bye."

"Okay should we come over then?" Fred asked as Tadashi hung the landline up.

"That was at the new police chief—yeah come over I'll get the drones running," Tadashi said, heading upstairs. "You'll like them—we've been calling them Buzzmaxes and they're basically flying Baymaxes."

"Dude that DOES sound awesome—Wasabi come on—we'll be right over okay?"

"NO it's NOT OKAY I just had an experience I did NOT appreciate," Wasabi squawked.

"I'll see you then," Tadashi said, hanging up as he turned into the bedroom—had to take a moment at it looking like a library exploded in it. "Hey, nerds, we're using the Buzzmaxes."

"We're not calling them that," Obake said.

"Oh yes we are—also Fred is calling them that too, I told him about it and we're helping him find his monster."

"What is this we you speak of?"

"You're the one with the program on the computer, remember? Besides, this is part of the reason we made them, and at least this time we can actually tell people about it."

"You're letting Fred use it to hunt a monster."

"Apparently Wasabi saw it too this time. Also I offered the cops the use of them but they said no so…."

"How dare you."

"So you're willing to help Fred against the express wishes of the police department?"

Obake grumbled at that, like he sensed he had been outsmarted and didn't want to admit to it—finally pushed himself up and stalked over to Tadashi's side of the room. Tadashi watched as he tugged a purple chip out of his hoodie pocket, plugged it into his laptop, and started working—went over to Hiro as he banged his head against the desk.

"So," he noised. "How's the project coming?"

Hiro lifted his head. "Hold on, I think I'm getting something." Bang his head again. "Nope. Nothing. No ideas. Stupid. Useless. Brain." Each time punctuated with another bang on the desk.

"Wow, washed up at fourteen," Tadashi teased.

"You're not helping."

"Tadashi, you were wanting this," Obake groused. Tadashi ruffled Hiro's hair, went over to his bed and accepted the laptop Obake handed to him. "I got them out of the warehouse and dispersing over the city, do not make them obvious or lose them."

"Nice," Tadashi observed, looking the screen over. "Hey, can you get them to scan for Professor Knox too?"

Obake took the laptop back, clattered along on it for a minute before handing it back. "There."

"Thanks," Tadashi noised, looking it over. "Did you hack his medical records for this?"

"I'm open to how I was supposed to put his information in otherwise," Obake said drily, giving him a bless your little pea brain look before going back over to the exploded library. Consider him, recalling what Cruz had said. The kid is a ghost. Well, to be fair, he doubted that Obake was his actual name. Still made him wonder just what on earth he got up to before ending up with them.

Later—took the laptop downstairs, was set up in a corner familiarizing himself with the program when Fred and Wasabi came in.

"My dude!" Fred greeted, coming over. "So where are the mini-Maxes?"

"Already up in the air," Tadashi said, indicating they sit down; Wasabi sort of collapsed in his. "Got anything on the monster for me to send to these guys?"

"Spit," Wasabi said flatly.

"Okay so Baymax can you scan that and send it to the Buzzmaxes?"

"Scanning," Baymax said, wiping some of the monster-slobber off of Wasabi's shirt. "The DNA matches: no known animals."

"That's not really what I wanted to hear, Baymax," Wasabi said.

"Ooh yes we can call it Monstrous Fredius," Fred said, bouncing in his seat. "Also, I got a picture if that helps."

"That does—gimme." Took the SD card from the phone and plugged it into the laptop, scrolled down to the bottom of the card's folder to see a couple of toothy images. "Okay so if that's a costume it's a really good one."

"It's not a costume," Wasabi said flatly.

"Wasabi's still processing the awesomeness of this," Fred said as Baymax added his data to the laptop.

"I'll be honest, if I was there I'd probably be in Wasabi's corner," Tadashi said, looking at the pictures again as he uploaded them to the program. Unless Fred was taking these pictures from the floor, this thing was basically just a massive land shark.

Hopefully they could resolve this without getting close.