Check 18 - There are always consequences to every decision

When HEUSC had contacted Katou, he wasn't sure what to expect, but it definitely was not this. He stared in almost horrified fascination at the glass-walled cell in the basement. He wasn't entirely sure what its original purpose was, but they'd used it to hold Inspector Takei after discovering his involvement in the cover-up of Sayuri Kambe's murder. Later, they'd kept Hattori there after he'd officially arrested the man for the Kambe murder, as well as for the murders of Takei and Cho, one of his coworkers.

The room was actually pretty decent in size, allowing ample room for multiple people inside, a double bed to one side, a standalone toilet and sink, a table and a few chairs, with a few hanging storage areas that didn't hold much but basic toiletries. A digital scanner pad opened the door. And, unless there was some kind of feature that allowed one to tap the glass to darken it, the whole area was open to whoever was standing in the larger room that contained it. There was truly nowhere to hide, and no privacy inside.

And there was Daisuke Kambe, out cold on the bed, an IV plugged into his arm, along with an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. The saline bag was not unexpected, given what he'd been told. Someone had attempted to either poison or incapacitate his partner. A smaller bag of medication hung next to the larger saline-filled one. Seeing the other tubing, he did not envy the man lying there.

Standing close by, Baymax seemed to be acting as the standard EKG machine, monitoring pulse and respirations in real time via a projection on his massive belly. An on-staff medic was also there, keeping an eye on things. Suzue was, understandably, pacing in the open area between the bed and the table. And Cass and Hiro were sitting at the table, though someone had brought a more ergonomic chair for the teen to sit in. Well, Hiro was technically reclining, the chair designed for such things.

The door into the glass room was wide open so Katou didn't bother with any formalities. The staff had let him in the mansion without any issues, having a standing invitation. "I came back as soon as I heard," he announced, causing several faces to look his way. Not Hiro's, he noted. The teen didn't so much as turn to look his direction, his chair facing more towards the bed, with Cass near him.

At his announcement, Suzue stopped pacing and hurried over. "Mr. Katou! I'm so glad you're here. I'm sure you've noticed, but we had to sedate Master Daisuke."

It was definitely weird seeing his sometime friend lying in bed, unconscious, covered only with a sheet. He was wearing what appeared to be a t-shirt on top, hair disheveled, and looking more on the pale side than usual. "What exactly happened? HEUSC wasn't very forthcoming with the details."

"Someone put a belladonna cocktail in his sports drink," Hiro supplied. "We were in the gym, working out some kinks. Daisuke was boxing while Baymax and I were trying to stretch out my muscles. I guess he drank the stuff without realizing it was laced with something. Pretty sure he'd gotten through at least one, almost two full bottles before it took effect so it couldn't have been too concentrated, unless he has the constitution of a mule."

That comment earned him a look from his aunt but the teen ignored it. "I realized something was wrong when the hallucinations probably started and I made the not so smart decision to try and snap him out of it. After getting knocked about a few times, instinct kicked in and I somehow got him into a choke hold when my back seized up. If it hadn't been for HEUSC calling for Suzue, and Baymax for Aunt Cass, I might have accidentally killed him."

Katou wasn't sure which was more shocking, that a stick-thin teenage boy had somehow gotten the drop on Daisuke, or that said teenager had potentially almost killed him in the process of trying to subdue him. It was something he wasn't sure he wanted to see but would probably take a look at anyway; just to verify everything he'd been told. But it explained the additional bruises he noticed on Hiro's face and arms.

"When HEUSC told me Hiro had attacked Master Daisuke, I found it hard to believe too," Suzue spoke up. "I probably wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. It might have helped that he wasn't himself though." She didn't look certain about this, however, prompting him to wonder just how bizarre the whole situation had really been.

Baymax turned his head at that. "I did not detective life-threatening levels of the toxins," he reported. "With continued fluids, they should flush out of his system soon."

Katou wasn't sure if he should move further into the room or stand in place as he looked around. "Why didn't you have him taken to the hospital? Belladonna isn't something you should mess around with."

This time the medic looked over. "His reaction wasn't as severe as I'd anticipated," he reported. "And Lady Suzue asked that I keep him here. I have the necessary equipment on hand to treat him."

"I didn't want to split us up," Suzue admitted, now sitting on the corner of the bed nearest the end with Daisuke's feet. "Before lunch, we talked about recent events and came to some startling conclusions. That and I think we've all been a bit jumpy. None of us wanted to be too far from the others until we get down to the bottom of what's going on." Her unspoken reminder of the lock down Daisuke had ordered hung in the air between them.

A heavy sigh escaped Katou's lips. In a way, he could understand it. But it was also like putting fish in a barrel at this point. There were pros and cons to each approach, keeping them grouped together, and splitting them all up. But if Daisuke was a target, he knew he'd prefer to keep him somewhere he knew he'd be safe. And the Kambe manor was probably one of the safest places he knew. Except when it wasn't. Someone had still somehow gotten in long enough to shoot at either Daisuke or Cass, as well as to set multiple bombs, and who knew what else. What if this was just the latest in a long line of planned attacks?

"We should let Hoshino know," Katou declared. "He'll want to double any security. But if this is at all related, he needs to be informed."

Suzue nodded, though she didn't exactly look happy about it. Daisuke was the master planner, the man in charge, but he was incapacitated. And with that knowledge surely at the forefront of her mind, he didn't blame any hesitation on her part.

Katou pulled out his phone. "I'll just be in the hall," he stated. "Send someone for me if anything changes."

Wincing, Hiro tried to adjust his position a little. "This is so not how I expected to spend my time in Japan," he admitted. The medic had approved the use of medicated patches to help his muscles relax, and they'd helped, but the pain still persisted. But at least movement was returning.

This prompted a slight snort from Cass, who looked like she might be close to losing it. "Part of me wasn't sure about coming," she admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I love Japan, but it had been so long. And now everything's just so messed up." She put her head between her hands, elbows resting on her knees. "Why is it every time I let you leave home, something happens?"

It was Hiro's turn to chuckle. "I guess I'm just a magnet for trouble." He noticed Suzue looking curious, remembering she hadn't been privy to his conversation with Daisuke and Haru earlier that day. "It's an almost running joke," he explained. "I tend to draw the wrong kind of attention without meaning to."

Katou returned as he spoke, pocketing his cell phone. He gave Hiro an odd look before turning to report to Suzue. "Hoshino wants to come over for a full report and statements. He also wants the bottles in question for evidence and testing. I had to tell him you'd chosen to have Daisuke treated at home to keep this out of the lime light. Given that reasoning, he found it difficult to disagree with the decision."

Not that Hoshino really had a say in the matter, Katou added to himself. Not while there were competent adults able and more suited to make that decision. He didn't blame Suzue for making it. "He did sound pretty surprised Hiro was able to subdue someone like Kambe, though. I'd think long and hard about how you might want to phrase anything you say to him, especially if anything happened you don't want others to know about."

Cass sat up quickly at that. "Are you implying Hiro was lying?"

Haru put out his hands to ward off any potential repercussions. "Bad choice of words. All I meant was if there's any kind of unusual stuff that can't be explained by normal logic, it might be best to kind of skip over it. Hoshino's a pretty practical guy. He might not understand."

The café owner seemed to scrutinize him, as if trying to figure out just how much he knew about everything. Considering he wasn't sure how much even she knew, it was a somewhat ludicrous situation. And, truth be told, part of the reason he'd gone back to the precinct was to give himself room to think it all through. It would stand to reason Hiro's aunt would know at least something in regards to it all, but he'd also been a teenage boy once upon a time and knew they didn't always divulge everything they went through to their caregiver.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean by unusual stuff," Cass stated, sounding more feisty, like someone used to answering repeated questions she was tired of hearing.

Haru ran a hand through his hair. How could he put this?" We all know Hiro has… unusual abilities. He shared some of the reasons behind that with me and Daisuke this morning. If that has anything to do with accidentally drawing the wrong kind of attention, it makes sense. Anyone who is beyond ordinary will attract similar to them."

Cass gave Hiro a look Katou couldn't quite fathom. Apparently she did know more than she let on, which meant there was indeed a lot more to Hiro than he let on. Just what all had that teen been through? And did he even want to know? If trauma was the catalyst, just how much did one have to go through to get to where he was?

The teen seemed to shrug, at least as much as his battered body would allow. "I might have mentioned some of the basics," he said, sounding chagrined. His expression changed as he weakly showed his teeth in a forced smile. "I had to say something to explain things, didn't I?"

Most awkward conversation ever, Haru thought as he looked between the nephew and his aunt. Cass did not look happy, but apparently decided there wasn't much she could do about it as she deflated her lungs and sagged into the chair. "I suppose so."

For her part, Suzue seemed content to watch events unfold. There was no way of knowing what she knew about the teen, probably just about as much as Daisuke did. She pushed her hair back behind her ear. "About the bottles in question, I asked HEUSC to run a sample. Its findings concurred with Baymax's. "

Katou gave a bemused smile. Well played, he thought, diverting the conversation away from what was becoming an almost unbearable stretching of… well, pretty much everything.

"Unfortunately," Suzue continued, "when I had the bottles scanned for prints, the only ones found belonged to Master Daisuke. Whoever handled the bottles must have worn gloves."

At that moment, Daisuke mumbled in his sleep. Baymax tilted his head as he contemplated the man in the bed. "Daisuke's vitals have stabilized. I am detecting a significant decrease of the toxin in his blood."

The medic made a show of checking the unconscious man's vitals the old-fashioned way, stethoscope in hand. He even shone a light into the man's eyes. "He does appear to be making remarkable progress," he agreed. "However, I think it's still too soon for him to wake up." He took out a syringe and injected something into the IV line.

Perhaps reacting to the confused look on Katou's face, Hiro chose to speak up. "We learned from experience that someone poisoned with belladonna has a tendency to get violent when they come down off the toxins. Back when I was kidnapped in New York, they tried to incapacitate my friend, Kally, in a similar way. We didn't have the same resources, kinda being on the run from these guys, and it got interesting."

Haru definitely wasn't sure how to take that. But here was another bit of information he felt sure Daisuke would have loved to hear. Was this Kally the other student they'd tried to kidnap? And why had they run if they had Stark on their side? He shook his head, trying to make sense of it all, checking his watch.

It was barely four in the afternoon. If the medic had just given Daisuke a sedative, he'd probably be out for hours. In the meantime, Hoshino was likely on his way, which he mentioned. Dinner would occur sometime in the next few hours, but that left a lot of time between and the detective wasn't entirely sure what to do with that time, or with the others staring at him.

A sigh escaped Hiro's lips. "I know I should move around, especially now that I can feel my back loosening up, but I really don't want to move." He'd closed his eyes, prompting Cass to lean in closer to check on him.

"Hoshino will probably want to talk to him," Katou stated, looking at the teen. "But, as a minor, he can't make him talk if you're not okay with it." He turned his gaze to Cass.

Face scrunched up, Cass seemed to consider this, possibly debating on if it was a loop hole or not. "I think Hiro needs to rest," she decided. "I'm willing to pass on whatever information I can in the meantime."

Suzue stood from her spot on the bed. "I'm not willing to have your detective friend back down here right now," she added. "Not until Master Daisuke's recovered. It might be best for just Cass and I to give statements for now. Hiro and Baymax can probably stay here with Daisuke. We can work everything else out after that."

Deciding that was probably the best course of action, Katou headed towards the nearby elevator that would lead them back to the main floors. If Hoshino was indeed already on his way over, it was best they be ready to greet him away from the others.

….

"I wish you'd reconsider," Hoshino protested. "After three consecutive attacks on property, shouldn't it be time to consider this as an inside job?"

Cass glanced over at Suzue, who hadn't moved much from her current perch on one of the three sofas in the sitting room. The detective made a good point, but, as a guest, it wasn't her call. She knew what Hiro would say; though she wasn't sure she'd entirely agree.

Suzue smoothed her clothes. "I'm aware." She was all business, something Cass wasn't used to seeing. "But I have no intention of going against Master Daisuke's wishes."

Hoshino looked understandably upset. "But you both admitted he's currently in no condition to do much of anything, let alone make decisions," he protested. "Surely you can understand the risk you're taking. Can't you talk some sense into her?" He turned his gaze to Katou, who was sitting to Suzue's left.

Giving the other detective an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders, Katou kept his expression neutral. "I can no more get her to change her mind than I can Kambe. You should know that by now. Besides, I'm inclined to agree."

"Katou!" Hoshino had stood with the heat of emotion. "Do you understand the kind of risk you're putting everyone in? And not just Kambe, but the Hamadas as well? You've already told me Hiro isn't up to talking due to his injuries. And I'm still not sure I can believe he somehow disarmed a man like Kambe."

Cass could feel the steam building in her and she had to clench her fists.

"Having seen him myself," Hoshino continued, "there's absolutely no way that's even possible. I can understand him being injured in the attempt, but his being able to disable a full-grown man? I can't see it."

A snort of anger escaped Cass's lips. "Why would we lie? It's not like my nephew is helpless! He's also trained in martial arts." Perhaps it hadn't been wise to disclose that the teen had been the one to finally subdue the larger, older man, but there was no point in lying. "Besides, people can do incredible things when they're running high on adrenaline. Don't forget, Daisuke was drugged."

The detective let out a sigh as he closed his notebook and slid it into his pocket. "I can see there's no reasoning on this," he said, changing the subject back to the original argument. Maybe he realized it was better not to press the issue. "I can't force you, but I don't agree with this. There are plenty of safe houses we could put you all up in until we figure things out."

But Suzue remained firm. "I'm sure we'll be fine," she assured, though Cass wasn't sure just how she could be so confident. Maybe it had to do with home court advantage. But Detective Hoshino wasn't necessarily wrong either. Suzue stood, indicating they were done.

It wasn't hard to see the disappointment in Hoshino's eyes as he passed Katou on his way to pick up the bag of bottles they'd gathered for him. Technically speaking, they weren't all they'd found in the gym. Suzue had insisted on holding some back for testing, just to see if some theory she had would pan out. But the collection did include the mostly empty bottle, and the completely empty one Daisuke had drunk from. They'd already gotten what they needed from those.

"I'll show him out," Katou volunteered, saving either woman from having to walk the division one detective to the door.

As soon as the two men left the room, the proprietress sagged into her seat. "He does make a good point, though," she said, now looking at Suzue. "After so many attacks, it has to be from someone on the inside."

Suzue's shoulders fell, her expression worried. "I know. But I don't know what else to do until Master Daisuke wakes. I'm sure he'll know what to do. But I really don't know that I trust any safe house they might have to offer either."

Cass had to concede the point. Even with the Avengers, the safe houses they'd used during that New York incident hadn't been the most secure. No security was perfect. But if Baymax remained near Daisuke, he, at least, should be fine. And wherever Baymax went, Hiro would go as well, which kept him safe. That just left Suzue and herself. She had no idea how capable Suzue was, but she'd beaten a few bad guys in her time so it would hopefully turn out for the best. Granted, she'd either gotten the jump on them or hadn't realized who they were at the time. If worse came to worse, she still knew a few moves.

"We should probably get back to Master Daisuke," Suzue observed. "At the very least, we need to check in on him and Hiro."

Not able to argue with that logic, Cass followed Suzue back to the elevator. On the way, they met up with Haru. "I know it might be a bit of an inconvenience," the man began as they all entered the descending car, "but we might want to set up some kind of rotation to stay with Kambe later tonight. This is twice now he's been in the line of fire."

No one really needed the reminder, but it made sense. "We can have HEUSC keep an eye on the security feed," Suzue suggested. "And then you and I can take turns standing guard." She turned to give Cass an apologetic smile. "It's not that I don't think you're capable, but you're a guest and you shouldn't be asked to do this."

"Cass shouldn't be left alone, either," Haru reminded. "She's a potential target too."

That seemed to stump Suzue for a bit as the elevator doors slid open on the basement level. "That's true. And we can't let Hiro be alone either. I don't think his healthcare robot would be able to fight off anyone if he's also in danger."

The trio moved down the short hall leading to the room with the holding cell. "Hiro won't go anywhere without Baymax," Cass reminded, "and I'm sure Baymax won't leave Daisuke's side until he's back on his feet."

Katou paused to press his hand against the digital scanner at the door of the cell. They'd thought it best to close it, as a precaution, when heading upstairs. "That's probably for the best. Do you think we could find a futon or something for him to sleep on? Maybe two?"

"I'd feel better staying close to both of my nephews," Cass admitted as the door opened. "Even if I'm not on guard duty." She glanced over at Hiro, who had dozed off in his chair. She'd have to wake him in an hour or two to make sure he ate something.

Suzue seemed to perk up at that idea. "I'll get right on it," she decided.