Check 5 - You can always make money, but you can't always make memories.

It had been a hot minute since Hiro had last worn a suit. Unless one meant his super suit. The black slacks and button down shirt didn't seem to have changed much in that amount of time. That or he hadn't exactly grown much. Okay, technically he hadn't. They'd been a bit large on him anyway. And, in deference to Aunt Cass, he'd added the pencil tie she'd insisted he pack. But there was no way he was going to slide the knot all the way up to his neck.

Hiro wasn't exactly sure on the details of the day's events, just that it was expected various things would happen through the course of the day. Since the memorial planned was supposedly some modification of the Obon Festival, something he'd never celebrated, and a sort of Wake, he wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Apparently things were done differently in Japan than they were in the States.

When Tadashi had died, they'd had a sort of memorial/candle light vigil for both the older Hamada and his presumed deceased professor. The vigil had taken place at the university campus, with pictures of both people set on the steps among flowers and candles provided by the mourners. Later, on a day Hiro couldn't forget even if he tried, they'd had a small graveside service, burying a casket that was basically empty. The fire had burned hot and not much had remained.

Rain had fallen all that day, dark clouds hanging low, as if the whole sky was crying for his loss. And though Hiro was better with darker weather days, they still gave him more than enough reason to sniffle. Thankfully, there were no clouds visible outside, as far as he could tell. He still wasn't sure why Daisuke had suggested they include Tadashi, but he supposed he had his reasons. They were technically family, after all.

The teen had to sniffle a little, looking for a tissue his robotic companion had ready for him. He blew his nose, cleared his throat, and glanced at himself in the mirror. He probably should try to smooth his wild mop of hair, slick it back or something, but decided against it. The effort would probably be wasted in the long run. And, while he was technically there to support Aunt Cass as they commemorated the death of her sister, his real justification was that Tadashi was being included. If that weren't the case, he'd probably have put less effort into his appearance, which still made him look a bit too much like a lost little kid.

Feeling about as ready as he was going to for the events ahead, Hiro exited his room, Baymax trailing behind him. He stopped in the hallway as the door to Aunt Cass's room opened and she emerged, wearing a black dress. It was more Asian in influence than the one she'd worn to Tadashi's funeral, which probably wasn't a bad thing. Had she bought it specifically for this visit? Or was it something she'd had hidden in her closet? Hiro wasn't sure.

"You ready for this?" Cass asked, her voice a bit strained. She looked a bit anxious as she smoothed the front of her clothes.

Hiro nodded. "About as ready as I'm going to be."

Together, the two made their way to the elevator, taking it down to the main floor. Breakfast was the first thing on the agenda. But, immediately after that, they were expected to make their way across the grounds to the more traditional villa, where the family shrine was. There, they would offer up whatever prayers and offerings they had prepared for the event. Or would just sit there while others did. Hiro wasn't sure if there was going to be a priest there or not. He'd kind of lost interest in the details.

All he cared about was making it through until lunch, when he thought he recalled they were expected to reminisce on the departed, share stories, and whatever else came to mind. Again, the details were foggy in his recollection, but that's what he thought he recalled of the planned agenda. Chances were good things would change, as they usually did, but he'd just try to go with the flow and see where that got him.

Daisuke released a sigh, his elbow leaning against the verandah railing. Thanks to various tidbits of information falling into his lap, almost quite literally, the night before, he hadn't exactly gotten a lot of sleep. Despite that, he was dressed in his usual more formal attire, minus the jacket. He'd left that hanging over the rail so as not to get it dirty prematurely.

Hiro Hamada had dropped a lot of information that he found interesting. But what was more interesting was what he hadn't said. There was the decided bit where he'd cut things off when talking about Cass and when she'd slugged Tony Stark. The question was why. A bit of digging indicated there was more with that month of time than action reports said. He'd have to find a way to read between the lines of lines that were never written. And that was only one of several things he had to look into.

Further investigation did reveal that the Hamadas were at least a bit versed in martial arts, Hiro more so than his aunt. Her official training seemed to have been more when she was a teen, and was short-lived. There were generally several reasons for such, including lack of interest, lack of funds, lack of continued access, or something insidious happening to warrant ending the venture. Since the event, he assumed it was an event, was so long ago, there probably was no way of knowing without outright asking.

As for the nephew, Hiro and his brother had both taken martial arts classes at a young age. Tadashi had been more faithful in keeping up his skills than the other had been. Going off of what he'd observed of the now teen, he couldn't say he was surprised. Physical activities such as sports didn't seem to be his cup of tea. After all, when he'd said he wanted to go on walk to get his wiggles out the day before, he'd simply walked far enough away that he could lie under the trees and take a nap.

Daisuke's eyes narrowed as he thought about that incident again. There were too many variables to really come to any formal conclusion. His best option was to continue to observe, investigating behind the scenes, and see what happened. Unless something drastic changed, he amended. There was always the possibility something would happen. After all, Hiro appeared to have a bit of a temper. If he were pressed hard enough in the right areas, something might come out.

"Master Daisuke," Suzue called from the door, looking from one side to the other before she spotted him. "Master Daisuke, the others are waiting in the dining room."

The man put his jacket back on, straightening it as he headed to join Suzue. "Let's get this over with," he said under his breath. Part of him couldn't help but wonder why he'd agreed to go along with this in the first place.

After what could only be called a simple breakfast, probably so as not to weigh anyone down, Daisuke took the lead as the small party of family and staff headed out and away from the main mansion. From what Aunt Cass could recall from prior conversations, the walk to the more traditional areas of the grounds would take between ten and twenty minutes, pending on the paths they took and the speed of the party in general.

Someone had put out a trail of paper lanterns, outlining the path they were to take. Tea lights sat inside the paper rectangles, waiting to be lit later. The path itself was well-groomed, obviously meant for walking and not driving. The width was enough to accommodate up to three people, if they wanted to squeeze together.

As things stood, Daisuke took the lead, Cass and Hiro followed behind him, Baymax going after them, who was then followed by Suzue and any others of the staff who were going with them. And that was it. There was no other family or friends. Whether this was intentional or not, Cass didn't know. She knew the invite had said the memorial would be small, private. She just hadn't thought it would be this small. Didn't Daisuke have any friends he wanted to join them if for nothing more than moral support?

The trees changed slightly as they neared the family shrine, which was more of an outdoor building off to the side of everything, in a little copse of trees. It reminded Cass of the grave plots she was used to seeing in movies, having only seen a few in real life.

Someone had already cleaned the site. Incense sticks waited to be lit, sitting in holders in front two pictures, one of Tadashi, the other of Sayuri as she remembered her, young and full of life. Off to one side of the stone pillar, a man in monks robes stood respectfully waiting. A second man stood under the partial shade of a tree, but he approached the party as they reached the small clearing.

"Katou," Daisuke greeted. His voice was toneless but he gave a nod to the man wearing a tan, hooded jacket over a somewhat messy button-down shirt and tie. It was obvious the two men knew each other. "I wasn't sure if you would make it."

The man called Katou gave Daisuke a crooked smile, hands stuffed in his pockets. His almost taupe-colored hair seemed ridiculously light in comparison to the darker browns and blacks of the rest of the party. "I managed to pawn off a case on Yumoto. It helped that it was at the race track."

Daisuke's brows rose at that, but he took it in stride, Cass noticed. But the man's expression did change a bit when Katou leaned in and whispered something in his ear. This, or possibly the early morning light, prompted him to take out a pair of sunglasses and put them on.

While this was happening, the others settled around the site, the servants a respectful distance. Thankfully, there were low chairs to sit on, though they were distant enough from the actual shrine that those who wanted to kneel could. Someone had thoughtfully placed rugs out for that exact purpose. She supposed it was a perfect blend of Japanese and more Western traditions, a touch she appreciated.

Once all were seated, Daisuke looking a bit distracted but content off to one side, the monk began reciting prayers in a language the aunt didn't understand. It might have been because she had never learned Buddhist prayers, but was more likely because her mind was wandering. Part of her couldn't help but think it nice her older nephew had at least one friend who could be there for him.

Off to her right, she noticed Hiro wiggling in his seat. He occasionally tugged at his collar. Outside of studying, or sitting in front of his computer, sitting for such a long period was likely galling him. But he was putting up with it admirably. Suzue, who sat behind Hiro, looked more attentive.

Faint rustling sounded off to one side in the trees, near some low shrubs, calling Cass's attention. She tried to not move any more than necessary as she looked that direction. For all she knew, it might be some kind of wild animal. The presence of a much larger dark shape negated that, though whoever, whatever it was, remained in the shadows.

The back of her neck prickled a bit, like someone was watching her, someone with such intensity it was beyond normal. She'd felt it a few times in her life, though not usually directed at her. Such attention was typically directed at Hiro, or even Tadashi. This felt more intense than the majority of those times. And it somehow felt familiar, but not in a good way.

At the altar, the monk had finished his prayers and was bowing respectfully towards Daisuke. It took a nudge from Katou to remind the man of where he was. He'd briefly put one hand up to his ear, mumbling a few quiet words, before removing his sunglasses. With deliberate steps, he approached the altar and lit the incense sticks before taking a kneeling position on one of the rugs directly in front of the stonework.

Face to the ground, Daisuke bowed deeply, almost bent over double. His mouth visibly moved, though Cass couldn't read his lips enough to even guess at what he might be saying. She supposed it must be some kind of personal prayer or message to his departed mother. Perhaps he'd needed this more than she'd realized.

Once he'd finished whatever prayers or personal discussions with his mother, Daisuke moved so the others could have their turns. By that time, the feeling of being watched had subsided, though Cass couldn't' help but still feel a bit on edge. Thankfully, it came across more as nervousness, or so she hoped. There was no need to alert the others, especially when she wasn't even sure what that had been all about. For all she knew, it could have been some paparazzi trying to figure out who the heck she was. It wouldn't have been the first time.

The next thing Cass knew, they were headed back to the mansion, going back the same way they'd come. Only, this time, Katou joined them. He and Daisuke seemed deep in conversation, though Haru Katou was doing most of the talking, she noted. Since the two of them were ahead of the rest of the party, she couldn't really catch anything they were saying. Their strides had pushed them a good dozen or so feet ahead of the rest of the party, though that might have just been due to their length of leg as opposed to a desire for privacy.

….

Hiro was more than ready to head inside by the time they reached the back of the mansion. He'd noticed his aunt's preoccupation. Or, rather, her lack of attention at the graveside service. It wasn't his cup of tea either, but he felt there was more to it than that. And then, on the way back, he couldn't help but notice how chummy his new-to-him cousin was with the man named Katou. It reminded him a bit of his occasional hushed meetings in public with the rest of the Big Hero 6. Something was going down, though it likely had nothing to do with them. Daisuke was a detective after all, and that Katou guy was likely his partner.

Despite it not being summer yet, the morning had been decently warm. And, wearing a jacket, Hiro had felt more than a little uncomfortable. His usual style included free-flowing garments, a t-shirt and some kind of cargo shorts. Wearing an extra layer, he felt warmer than usual. Alas, the day's events probably wouldn't allow him to shed the entire outfit, though he did notice Daisuke remove his jacket upon entering the mansion and so followed his example, feeling immediately much cooler.

"Something has come up that requires my immediate attention," Daisuke announced as soon as the whole party had entered the building. "I will rejoin you shortly. In the meantime, please partake of the refreshments provided."

The butler had appeared some time during this speech, standing next to the door of a sitting room Hiro hadn't seen before. But he followed his aunt and Suzue inside, noticing that Daisuke and Katou appeared to head to the nearest elevator in a bit more hurried a walk than was normal. Whatever it was, it definitely looked more serious than just someone trying to sneak onto the grounds, though he was sure that happened often.

All that was forgotten as the butler served glasses of lemonade to the remaining guests. Since there were technically only three, the other servants having dispersed, it didn't take long. Hiro found a seat next to his aunt, Baymax waddling behind him. "I thought we were supposed to stay around that other house," he whispered to his aunt. At least that's what he'd thought the plan was.

Overhearing him, Suzue walked over, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "We were," she stated. "But the preparations for our meal there weren't quite complete. I think the services were expected to take longer than they did."

It made sense, Hiro supposed. But if that were the case, then why had they all returned to the mansion instead of going elsewhere? For that matter, why hadn't they gotten a car or something to get them there faster? Maybe it was a matter of availability. He shrugged the thought aside, deciding to focus on the cool beverage in hand.

"What about Daisuke?" Cass asked.

For the briefest of seconds, Suzue looked guilty, or at least like she was hiding something, though it was fleeting. "Master Daisuke got a call from the precinct. They needed him to look into something for them. I'm sure he'll only be a few minutes."

Famous last words, Hiro thought to himself. How many times had he told that lie when heading out on a mission? While it might not be quite the same, Daisuke was definitely doing something for the police, or some other legal entity. Baymax had given him the general gist of the conversation between Katou and Daisuke, since he'd been able to overhear most of it. Though he wasn't sure what about that conversation required immediate attention. If research was all that was needed, perhaps it would be a quick event. But, if it required more, chances were good the timeline of that day's events might be stretched more than a little.

Deciding it best to not to worry about it anymore than necessary, mostly because it was none of his business, Hiro pushed it out of his mind.

"So, who exactly is that Katou person?" Cass inquired. There hadn't really been a formal introduction. The occasion hadn't allowed one.

Suzue took a seat near the two Hamadas. "Mr. Katou is Master Daisuke's partner at the precinct," she supplied. "They work in the Modern Crimes Prevention Taskforce." And that was apparently all she was going to say on the matter as she took a sip of her lemonade, staring off into the distance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiro thought he saw her earring light up a few times, as if responding to a voice speaking through it. It didn't take a genius to realize she was listening into some conversation they weren't privy to. He quickly finished his lemonade and excused himself, under the pretense of needing a restroom break.

...

The elevator doors opened and Daisuke, followed by Katou, made their way to the giant bank of monitors that housed HEUSC. "Update me," the billionaire ordered.

"The suspected black market dealers have transitioned to a new location," HEUSC stated. "I am tracking them now."

Images appeared on the screen, indicating a map of an area outside of Japan. It might have been somewhere in Eastern Europe.

"The isotopic signature of Adollium has been confirmed," HEUSC announced.

Katou's hands balled into fists. "There's no way our people in place will get there in time," he said.

Daisuke rapidly typed a sequence of characters into the keypad, calculating everything his trained mind took in. A section of floor opened, a case popping from inside its cavity. "Put that on," he said, pointing at the case.

"Oh great," Katou complained with a roll of his eye, but quickly went to open the case and don the equipment inside, an ASV suit not unlike the one Daisuke had worn on the ship they'd inadvertently sunk some odd months ago in the pursuit of who they'd thought was Shigemaru Kambe. "I hate you so much right now. Aren't you supposed to upstairs with your guests?"

But Daisuke didn't as much as look away from the screen he was rapidly typing calculations into. "It'll be fine. The sooner you get ready to launch, the sooner I can get back to them."

Katou placed a helmet of some unusual design over his head. "And just how am I supposed to get back?" he wondered out loud as he made his way to what looked like some kind of launch tube. It was a new edition to their arsenal of crime-fighting tools. And, as far as he knew, he was the first one to actually test it.

"Don't be such a baby," Daisuke said with a roll of his eyes. "Now get in. They're getting ready to make the deal."

The older detective stepped into the capsule inside the tube, securing himself in like a fighter jet pilot. "Did I mention how much I hate you right now?"

With a touch of a button, the capsule sealed. "Twice now," Daisuke retorted as he typed in the launch sequence. "Launch."

"Launching," HEUSC announced. "Mr. Katou will arrive in five minutes and thirty seconds."

A whoosh of ultra-compressed air announced the departure of the capsule, along with the faint hint of screaming that quickly dropped off as the miniature vehicle disappeared.

"Track the payload," Daisuke ordered. Apparently there were still some kinks to work out, as their communications were momentarily cut off from Haru. He'd have to let Suzue know.

On the screen, a radar circle appeared, with a red blip streaking across it, indicating the capsule's flight. "Maximum altitude reached. Engaging breaking thrusters."

The sound of screaming came over the link again as communications were re-established with Katou. "Kambe! I'm going to kill you!"

Daisuke smirked. "Tell me something I don't know."

The screen flashed again as the radar section showed a more enlarged map. "Approaching target," HEUSC announced in his ever cheerful voice. "Ejecting."

More screams sounded over the air waves before they stabilized, followed by a sound reminiscent of flames. "You could have warned me you added a jet pack!"

Lip corners turning up more, Daisuke added a few more keystrokes. "Better prepare for landing," he warned. "Suzue's still working out the kinks."

Whatever answer Katou had in mind was cut short with the sound of a pronounced thud, followed by some groaning. This was followed by some muttering best left unsaid.

Up in one corner of the massive screen, a small warning flashed, something Daisuke was too busy to pay attention to. It was unfortunate they'd been unable to make the same kind of preparations they usually did, but it was inevitable. As such, he had to focus more attention to the task at hand.

Fingers flew across the desktop as Daisuke deployed drones after his partner. "Place the Adollium in the canisters as soon as you've secured it," he instructed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Katou said, sounding more than a little cross. "Couldn't you have Suzue do this so you can entertain your guests?"

It was a valid point, but Daisuke had needed the distraction. He didn't do well showing emotion in front of people, and this kept his mind off of other things. In the privacy of his own bedroom, well after the others had likely gone to sleep, he might let his emotions hold sway. But, in the meantime, he needed to keep busy and find a way to re-center himself before participating in the rest of the day's activities.

Sounds of a scuffle came over the radio, along with grunts from both Katou and two unknown males, recalling his attention to the task at hand. Probably the dealers. A few explicatives followed, and then some more loud thumps.

Daisuke waited in almost anxious anticipation. This was the part of the operation that could always go wrong. Even with the ASV, it was possible Haru could be overpowered if there were enough opponents. Even though the inspector knew judo, it wasn't always enough. The Kambe leader's finger hovered over a key that would launch rockets, should they be necessary.

Heavy breathing sounded over the link, followed by a few quick gasps for breath, and a grunt. "Package secure," Katou announced. A loud click announced the retrieval canisters sealing.

"HEUSC, please secure passage back for Katou," Daisuke ordered. "And make sure to pay out double for any damages incurred."

"Consider it done. Balance unlimited."

Sure everything on his end was taken care of, Daisuke headed back upstairs to his guests. With luck, no one would even suspect what had just happened.