Chapter 56, everybody! Hiro's going to get himself into trouble before this is all over with, I guarantee it.

So in other news, Obake is being a bad influence; fortunately for Hiro, Tadashi is being a good influence so the end result is a sort of chaotic-neutral gremlin. And yes, apparently deer will strut if they know they're being watched with the intent to bluff their predators. Found that bit on Tumblr, which is where the "swag defense" also comes in. Also, the return of Felony Carl and Dibs (AKA Globby)!

Robot version of him to sham as an adult is kind of the main plot point for another fanfic I'm working on, Tekko Obake—really need to knuckle down and finish some of these. And oh, Trina! Oh wait—

The I knew this day would come exchange comes from Kim Possible—gotta make the references because the same guys who worked on Kim Possible worked on BH6: the Series, Trina is voiced by Kim Possible it has to be done.

Juxshoa, thanks for the review! True, Obake has to fess up eventually….

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

Hiro wasn't really sure how to fix Obake, but yesterday had given him some ideas on what was going on. Firstly, he was getting into something he shouldn't. Secondly, he was in trouble. Thirdly, he needed someone watching his back and maybe he was being so standoffish because he didn't want to put them in danger.

The problem was, in doing so he was miring himself thickly into whatever this was, and he needed someone to pull him back out.

So. Step one was getting information, preferably from someone else who would be running the same circles. His first instinct would have been Stan if it weren't for the man getting arrested; out of all Hiro's bot-fighting contacts, Stan was the one Tadashi would have approved of if he ever bothered. Granted, he could still see Stan…but that came with the unfortunate addition of Chief Cruz hovering annoyingly over his shoulders and listening in on a private conversation. So that was out.

That didn't mean Hiro didn't have other contacts though.

So, after making excuses that he was going to the library to see if they had any cool books don't wait up love you byeeee…he was instead heading for Good Luck Alley.

Deep breath, tug his hood up and zip his jacket up as he went, putting all of Obake's tutoring to good use—no Megabot, he wasn't coming to bot-fight and if he was caught with Megabot that would be incriminating, but he had made a tiny taser just in case he needed to defend himself, hid in a tiny toy fish that would be totally un-incriminating if the police (or certain relatives) frisked him.

Took another moment to steel himself before going into Good Luck Alley, scanning everywhere carefully, waffling between trying for unassuming and the bold I belong here you peons attitude Obake used to have. What had that one animal fact Honey Lemon shared said? Deer would strut when they sensed predators to make it seem like they weren't worth it. Fred had called it swag defense, him and Tadashi strutting around for the rest of the day and joking that they were practicing.

But Obake had also said something about blending into the background, so people wouldn't remember you and place you somewhere incriminating, and right now that was probably more important.

Although maybe he should have swaggered up to the two outside a known bot-fighting locale, since they didn't seem impressed by a teenager in a hoodie.

"What happened to Brian and Rob?" Hiro asked.

"Arrested," the big guy said, shrugging. "I'd ask if you're on the list, but I feel like you should be back home."

"I'm totally on the list," Hiro insisted.

Big guy arched an eyebrow at skinny guy, who looked at his phone. "So what's the name?"

"Hiro," Hiro said. "You know Rob knew me on sight."

"Well guess what my name isn't?" skinny guy shot back, scanning his phone. "Uhhh no. Sorry kid, not on the list."

Oh come on. "Since when was there a list anyway?"

"Since the police started cracking down," the big guy said. "Go home, kid."

"No." No wait—"I'm a bot-fighter, you have to let me in."

"Do we have to?" skinny guy asked big guy, pointing at Hiro.

"Theoretically, if he has a robot," big guy said—blinked at the fish Hiro held up. "That is not a robot."

Hiro's response was to point the fish at a nearby trash can and tase it.

"To be a robot, it needs to have at least one moving part," Hiro said, reeling the taser lines back in. "So yes, I have a robot."

Skinny guy frowned at him before looking at big guy. "Carl I'm not sure if bouncer is a better job than purse thief at this point."

"It looks better on your resume," big guy insisted.

"I'm going in now," Hiro announced—deadpan look for skinny guy trying to block the door. Okay, time to channel Obake. "The juice in the fish is strong enough to take down a three-hundred-pound monster, you really want to try that?"

Skinny guy dithered…finally opened the door. "I am so FIRED, Carl."

"Probably," big guy said—looked at Hiro. "You understand that we are not responsible for any trouble you get into."

"Yes," Hiro said. "I read the disclaimer and understand the risks, all that stuff."

Big guy shrugged at skinny guy. "Let him in, Dibs."

Skinny guy groaned, but Hiro was in and past him a few seconds later. Down the hall, pause on the edge of the crowded room, deep breath—

"Ah, I've missed this," Hiro said, grinning.

Now to get to the bottom of some things.

Asking around and talking to his old contacts had an awful lot of missed seeing you arounds to season the absolute confusion Hiro was hearing whenever he brought up Obake. Yes they had heard the name, what's a kid like you doing crossing paths with a guy like him, he was dangerous. That sounded about right. Things they listed him doing? Okay he could totally see Obake tormenting Yama for kicks.

And yet the rest of their description didn't line up with his description. Obake was a kid his age, not an adult. Did he just—totally fudge an entire secret identity? Then why use his own handle? Did he make a robot version of himself to sham as an older him? What? No one had ever seemed to see him, just knew him by reputation and talked about him in hushed tones like he was a ghost—okay yeah that'd be right up Obake's alley, to be honest.

On the other hand, he wasn't surprised to hear that Yama had blacklisted Hiro—fine by him, he wasn't here for that. Didn't like the news that Yama was out again though.

Other than that, most of the conversation was focused on Stan getting arrested and the increasing crackdowns on bot-fighting; Hiro wasn't the only one who agreed that thievery was outside of Stan's wheelhouse, he had joined because he liked bot-fighting, same as Hiro.

Duck under the stands after this latest round, tugging on his hood and thinking, one hand still wrapped around the fish—how could he dig further for information without seeming suspect? Everyone was convinced that if Obake were truly real, then he was not one to be messed with.

Except something had spooked him, enough to put him on Chief Cruz's radar and irritate Aunt Cass—

Or maybe he was translating this the wrong way. Maybe it was someone after Obake—it would explain Aunt Cass taking notes during her murder shows. Not that he could ask around after this—if someone was after someone with a reputation like Obake's, they'd be dead-set against anyone learning about it. Huff, trying to untangle this—

Blinked, did a double-take when he spotted someone sitting across from Gus at the ring—someone he wasn't familiar with, but was worth noting because people his age didn't usually get this far.

Not that she was doing too hot for getting here, considering her robot got popped less than five minutes in.

"Free advice, Trina: quit," Gus said, taking the money and getting up. "You're no good at this."

"Rude," the girl muttered, collecting her ruined robot and skulking off—probably to sulk. Hiro considered this…slipped after her. Someone his age might be more willing to talk about someone else their age, maybe. Even if his first words could be taken as needling.

"Could have wired it better."

She looked up sharply at that, glaring suspiciously at him. "Excuse me?"

Hiro pointed at her snakelike robot. "Articulated, right? But the problem is flexibility, I bet, because you have the wires running through the center. Now if you had each section independent and communicating with each other, then you'd have a much more flexible robot that wouldn't be as easily defeated." Cross his arms, smugly remembering how well Megabot had worked in the ring. "It doesn't matter if they slice you to ribbons, because then you can put it back together and send it back into the fray."

She huffed at that. "Some sort of expert, are you?"

"I've won a few in my day," he said, examining his nails—stuck his head out. "Hiro."

She squinted at him…finally accepted the handshake. "Trina. Think I heard of you—you made Yama's short list, you know."

"Everyone who beats Yama makes his short list," Hiro said, shrugging. "I was actually here trying to figure out what happened to Stan."

"Didn't his robot rob some store?"

"Joe's Diner. And his robot might have done it, but I don't think Stan did."

She perked at that. "So what, you think the machines have finally rebelled? I knew this day would come."

"You knew this day would come? What, watch a lot of Terminator?"

"Let's just say I'm pretty sure I could rock the robotic uprising."

"So hi Sarah Conner," Hiro teased. "But I was actually thinking someone reprogrammed his robot."

"Lame—I vote robot uprising."

"Then should we really be bot-fighting?"

"What do you think?" she asked her incapacitated robot. "Think he's on to something?" Had her robot nod. "Traitor—the other robots will dismantle you for that."

Hiro coughed a laugh at that. "Now see, he likes me because I was nice and told you how to fix him."

"Hmm…guess I can't ask you to show me then, he'd betray me at the eleventh hour and help you instead."

"Maybe," Hiro said, sidling up to the table. "But I'd put in a good word for you. And hey, asking for help and getting him repaired are the marks of a responsible owner."

"You know what? Fair."

They worked for a while, her nodding and handing him tools as he explained his work—kind of felt like what he did with Obake, only in reverse, and he found himself trying to figure out a sales pitch to get her to attend SFIT too—she was certainly smart enough.

"Okay," she said, activating her robot—it sat up, swaying a little as it turned to face them both. "Hey, he's back! So how long do you estimate it'll take to wire all the sections separately?"

"Uh," he noised, calculating—felt ice when he realized how long he had probably taken. "Ohcrud what time is it?" he asked, checking his phone. "Oh man I gotta go."

"Seriously?" she asked. "You can't leave me hanging like this!"

"Sorry, but if my family finds out I was here instead of at the library like I said, your robot's laser won't be the only thing that overheats."

Huff. "Lame—my dad's totally fine with me bot-fighting."

"Seriously?" Hiro demanded, pausing to stare at her—when she nodded: "Lucky. If my aunt doesn't blow the gasket my brother totally will."

"Sounds like I lucked out being the only child."

"Eh," Hiro noised, shrugging. "Hey, we should meet up sometime, hang. Preferably someplace legal," he added when she gestured to their surroundings.

"Fine, be boring—Joe's? That's pretty legal."

"I don't know, his fries are pretty criminal," Hiro teased. "But sure—four tomorrow? Bring your robot."

"Think he's planning something?" she asked her robot—manipulated it so it nodded. "I think so too. Fine, I'll be waiting."

"See you then."

She was bouncing on her heels on her way back, more than eager to report something positive to her father.

"Well?"

"Still no sign of the kid you mentioned, but it's still early," she said. "Did run into a different kid, though, he might be worth looking into."

Her father arched an eyebrow, asked her to show him—was stonily quiet as he listened to the conversation.

"Well?" she asked when it was all finished and he was still stonily quiet.

"I can't deny he doesn't have potential…but he's not the major threat currently."

She shrugged, debating on telling him about her little 'date'—mmm, maybe keep it to herself for the moment. Not being aware of it meant he couldn't say no. Besides, Hiro was interesting.

And once she collected enough data, she had the feeling her father would feel the same way.