Chapter 2 (Hiro's POV)

They say that change is the only constant. I don't know if I'd be that dramatic, but change is the thing that stands out above the rest. The way one moment in our lives can lead to another that we would have never guessed. Then we have to find a way to catch up. To accept what might feel unbelievable at first.

I knew that feeling…

But not all change was bad, in fact, sometimes it could be wonderful…

Outside my classroom window was a typical day like any other. The lazy feeling of Monday at 2:45 was so real you could almost taste it. Most of the students were busy finalizing a report, which meant I didn't have much to do for the next 15 minutes. Which gave me plenty of time for my mind to wander. Besides the typical freak and "ambitious" convenience store robber, things had been pretty quiet around the city. I didn't mind, it gave me time to think about other things for once.

Things like my own life, which was a nice change of pace. A life that mostly involved random virology discussions and Petri dishes scattered across the breakfast table each morning. I kinda hated it, but I mostly loved it.

I felt a smile slip to my face.

It was just as horrible and just as wonderful as I thought it would be. If I'd ever taken the time to imagine it that is. Honestly, I hadn't let myself imagine what it would be like. Even if I'd wanted to… Because for me, being a hero meant a life of self-sacrifice, without anything in return. Maybe it was stupid, but the thought resonated so strongly inside my head.

But everything went so crazy so quickly, and before I knew it…we were here.

Along the way, I felt like Karmi had tried to teach me the biggest lesson. It wasn't wrong to think about yourself a little. Maybe it wasn't wrong to be a hero and to be happy. That I shouldn't let a fear of loss be the excuse I used to push people I loved away. I wanted to say I'd already aced the class on those particular lessons, but I had a feeling, I still had a ways to go…

The sound of the clock chiming at 3:00 almost made me jump.

Fumbling a sip from my lukewarm coffee I waited for the students to file out one after the other. Once the last student hit the door I kicked off my desk, spinning in my chair as I stretched.

"Glad that's over…" I mumbled to myself.

"Is that so, Mr. Hamada?"

The spinning room came back into focus as Professor Granville appeared in the doorway.

I ran an awkward hand through my hair. "Eh, just today, usually it's great, really."

Stepping into the room she shook her head. "Being an instructor isn't always an easy assignment, but it is always a rewarding one."

"You're not wrong about that," I agreed crossing my arms. "But sometimes I still feel like I should be one of the faces in the crowd instead."

"You focus too much on your youth, Hiro. It has nothing to do with your qualifications."

I smiled. "Scientifically speaking, sure, I just hope none of them ask me for any life advice, that I don't think I'd be very good at."

"I'd have to disagree, I'd say your wisdom is beyond your years in that area as well."

I scoffed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but you're gonna make it go to my head."

She folded her arms, what she really wanted to say finally out in the open. "Hiro, about your lecture last weekend, I wanted to commend you, it was very nuanced and insightful."

"Yeah," I teased. "I can feel my head swelling in real-time."

She chuckled slightly. "Quite. Which brings me to my current request: the educational board has expressed interest in you delivering it again to a few other select venues."

My heart dropped. "You're kidding, they really liked it that much?"

"It's not often that someone can successfully bridge the gap between scientific and more emotional topics. I thought your decision to attempt such a lecture was a bold, but commendable one, Hiro."

I tugged at my tie, loosening it a little. "Let's just say it was something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Maybe it's one thing my age gives me an advantage in. I understand how my students feel. They're all lost, they just don't want to admit it. The past is the only touchstone to the future they have, but at the same time, it can be a rock weighing them down if they aren't careful."

Granville nodded, seeming to mull over what I'd said carefully.

"You can't help but wonder," I went on. "How many more inventions and innovations the world would have if some scientists had the courage to believe in their own work." My voice softened. "I'd never be where I am today if I didn't have so many people willing to believe in me…"

She turned slowly toward the window, her hands clasped thoughtfully behind her back. We didn't need words to fill the silence, we both knew just what the other was thinking.

Bob Aken.

Tadashi Hamada.

And a thousand more memories in between…

What hold did the past still have on our present, our future?

That was the single greatest question I felt burning against my skin. Because now I was so close to that future. A future I wanted so desperately to protect…

"Hiro…" she whispered, turning back to me. "In truth, we are all students, no matter our age. And life continues to teach us many, many things we simply were too foolish to know sooner. But it is our ability to hear that message now, no matter what it entails, that ensures we will reach our future. It is a painful process, indeed, but an equally necessary one."

Without saying anything else, I watched her leave.

Maybe the difference now, wasn't how far I'd come… No, instead it was in finally realizing how far I had left to go.

"I'm starved, Baymax…" I mumbled as we shuffled our way down the sidewalk toward home.

"Hiro, scans indicate you are hungry, but not to a fatal extent."

I grinned. "It's just an expression, Baymax. But I'm not kidding, a few more lunches out of the hallway vending machine and I might die."

"It's important to take time to eat a proper meal, Hiro."

I sighed. "I know, but that's easier said than done when you have a stack of reports that need to be graded. To tell you the truth I'm a little burnt out." I smiled. "I know, here's the part where you say: as opposed to when?"

"Sarcasm is not a skill I've mastered. But I am worried you work in excess, Karmi is worried too."

I raised a curious eyebrow. "So you two do talk behind my back? Besides, she's not one to talk." I held up my phone as proof of the point. "See this text, she's gonna be working late again tonight. If I didn't know better I'd say she was hanging around just to spend time with the janitor."

Baymax blinked, clearly missing the joke. "To what end?"

I laughed. "It's just a joke, Baymax. I know she's close to some major breakthrough or whatever. I get it, I don't mind." I tucked my hands in my jacket pockets. "Besides, I'm the one running off to save the day all the time..."

We both fell silent for a few seconds, just the sound of Baymax's thoughtful mechanical blinks filling the space between us. "Hiro," he finally said. "What is it like being married?"

I glanced at him, a little surprised by the question. "What are you studying psychology now too?" I teased.

"I have observed that emotions play a large role in human health and well-being. But I am also asking as…a friend."

I never took Baymax for the type to think about that sort of thing, but something in his voice…felt so sincere.

I smiled. "I think it's supposed to get harder afterward. You're supposed to fight and annoy each other more than when you were just dating. But that's one great thing about Karmi and me. Judging by how bad our relationship started, it could only get better. And it has… So...if you're asking if I'm happy then… Yeah, you bet, buddy."

He just looked at me for a little while. Somehow Baymax's expression could say so much without changing. Finally, he looked forward again, our steps falling into place.

"I am glad, Hiro."

I smiled to myself, that same warm sappy feeling filling my chest. Some days I didn't want to admit just how happy I was, at least not to her. Even as silly as that seemed, we were both too stubborn. But I thought we didn't really need to say it, it was obvious in so many little ways…

With the sun hanging low on the horizon, I was more than content to focus on grabbing a Yaki Taco for later and going home to crash. Maybe sink into the couch and binge some mindless TV even… I'd probably fall asleep before Karmi ever made it back. But that was fine, she'd just burst through the front door filled with all the excitement a new viral mutation deserved.

It wouldn't matter that it was close to one in the morning, she'd bend my ear about it for at least an hour. And I'd listen because, of course, I would.

All in all, I was ready to savor the absolute monotony of it all. But like it often does, life had other plans…

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and saw the text from Gogo. It all happened in real-time with the wail of police sirens flying past us on the road. That same sinking feeling I'd felt a million times. Some mixture of excitement and fear at the gravity of what might be waiting for us. But all of those feelings fell away in the face of duty.

"Trouble at the art museum, Baymax. Let's go!"

Ducking into an alleyway, we suited up and flew off in the direction of all the commotion. And boy was there commotion… A handful of police cars were skidding to a stop in front of the museum by the time we got there. Smoke was billowing out while citizens raced from the scene as fast as they could manage.

"Is it on fire?!" I shouted to Gogo, who was the first to meet me there.

"Let's find out," she said resolutely before diving into the smoke.

I felt a part of me hesitant as I stared into the black smoke. A thousand bad memories were playing in the back of my mind, but I couldn't let it stop me.

"Let's go!" I shouted as we followed Gogo inside. Switching my visor to thermal I tried to find the source of the smoke. The only good news was there seemed to be more smoke than fire at this point. But I knew that could change quickly.

"It's coming from in here, let's go!"

My hunch was right because Gogo flew through the wall right next to the room I was headed for.

"Are you alright?!" I shouted as I tried to help her up from the pile of rubble.

"Yeah, but now I'm annoyed," she said with a scowl as she found her feet again. Brushing off the sheetrock dust she raced back the way she'd come. Baymax and I followed her just in time to see a tall figure torch one of the paintings.

"Wow," I quipped to get their attention. "I'm not big on art myself, but this is next level."

The figure turned, a smile on their lips. That smile was attached to the face of what appeared to be a fairly young woman, probably not much older than Gogo was. Her eyes were obscured behind an opaque blue visor; long locks of black hair spilling down her shoulders.

"The greatest art," she retorted. "Is often created from the ashes of destruction."

"Well, that's a dark take!" I shot back before jumping into action. I wanted to avoid damaging the other paints to the extent that I could, but that was a tall order given how agile she was. The only weapon she'd used thus far was two wrist-mounted flamethrowers, but I doubted it was all she had on her. Something in my gut told me she wasn't an amateur.

Gogo and I held our own against her, but she tried to keep her distance. It almost felt like she was toying with us. Or was she leading us somewhere? We chased her down another wing of the museum, but she refused to relent the safe distance she was holding. I could feel Gogo's patience wearing thin, so as expected she lunged at her, finally closing the distance.

But she caught the disc Gogo flung with one hand.

"I'm bored of this game…" she muttered before turning to face the wall of paintings in this wing. For half a second she seemed to be searching for one in particular, and then she raised her arm ready to torch another one.

"This ends now!" I shouted as Baymax and I dove toward her. She tried to dodge left but I was ready for her. I could hear the blood rushing inside my ears as I jumped off Baymax and pulled back my fist. I really didn't believe in hitting women, but I was ready to make an exception for apparently very ambitious wannabe supervillains.

In one fluent motion, she met my armored fist with the palm of her own. I felt pain race like lightning as the impact was directed back at me. I didn't know what kind of tech her armor was hiding, but her strength wasn't human.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand through the pain. But she just smiled. Smiled at me in some way that felt strangely… familiar?

Throwing me aside she flipped backward and made her escape.

"Hiro!?" Gogo shouted as I finally crumpled to my knees.

"D-Don't worry about me! We have to put out the fires!"

Right about then Fred, Wasabi, and Honey Lemon burst into the room we were in. I wasn't sure if they were late or right on time. Either way, I was glad for their help in dealing with the rest of the fires.

When all was said and done, only three paintings had been destroyed and no lives were lost. But at the same time, the crime made no sense; nothing had been stolen. What did she possibly gain by destroying three paintings? And why had she seemed so deliberate in choosing which ones?

I had a really bad feeling about it. But at the moment, the pain in my hand was far worse. So I landed in the ER under the guise of being an injured bystander caught in the museum fray. All in all, it wasn't far from the truth… I felt like I'd done about as much good as a bystander.

Now everything told me something bigger was coming.

Something bigger than any of us could have imagined…