Check 26 - Technology alone is not enough

After the meal, which included a few antacids for several members of their party, Daisuke called a meeting in the holding room. Suzue had to excuse herself for a bit prior to the meeting, but looked better when she rejoined them. Cass and Katou had taken that opportunity to finish cleaning up the kitchen, washing the dishes and putting them away.

By the time everyone met back up, it was getting dark outside, not that they could tell from the basement. But it was hard to deny the natural rhythm, even if recent events had messed things up a bit. Cass sat on the mattress next to the sleeping Hiro. Daisuke had taken up the chair nearest her, while Suzue and Katou were at the table. Baymax continued to stand guard at the foot of the bed.

Daisuke had given the staff inside the manor the night off. He'd even gone so far as to make sure all the doors were locked before joining everyone. That way no one should be able to disturb them. The only other way into the manor was through the massive garage that eventually led to the super computer housing HEUSC, but they'd have a hard time going that route with the security grid activated. For all intents and purposes, they were as secure as they could get.

"So," Katou spoke up when no one else seemed inclined to do so. He was leaning back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. "I guess we need to figure out what we're doing next."

Suzue made a small sound in her throat as she glanced over at Daisuke, her lips pressed together. Her stomach was still feeling a bit funny after their dinner. Chances were good it would continue to do so until her body had flushed not only the spices but the alcohol she'd consumed in an attempt to tame the fire burning its way through her digestive tract.

Daisuke looked up from contemplating his folded hands, which rested in his lap. "Our situation hasn't improved," he stated. "While we have many theories, there's still not enough information to make any solid conclusions as to motive or culprit."

"I'm more worried about tonight," Cass confessed. She glanced over at Hiro, who was curled up on one side, back facing the nearest glass wall. She'd pulled a sheet up and over most of his body upon entering the room because he was shivering, but had hesitated to go for the heavier blanket when Baymax had reported the teen's internal temperature.

Her reaction was understandable. Daisuke felt sure Cass would want to stay as near Hiro as possible. "Due to security changes, we should be able to sleep in our own rooms," he observed. "One of us can carry Hiro to his, allowing you to keep a close eye on him with a little more privacy." He gave a pointed look around the room, wondering how they'd managed the night before when he'd been the one in the bed, minus when he'd been on guard duty and fallen asleep in the chair. Some things were best left without someone watching.

Judging by the way his stomach felt, he didn't think he'd want an audience if he had to make an unscheduled visit to the bathroom during the night. He was certain Suzue shared his pain. How Katou and Cass didn't was beyond him. But, then again, Cass was probably used to that kind of punishment. Katou had confessed to hearing Cass mention how it was a tradition between her and Hiro to eat the extra spicy wings, either as celebration or a mood booster. How that would enliven the mood, he wasn't sure, but he supposed it was each to his own.

The medic had checked in earlier, more satisfied with Hiro's progress than he had been previously. He'd decided it was fine to remove the IV line, for now, but had left the catheter in, just in case something changed. He'd taped the medical tube against the teen's arm to prevent any dislodgement, having made sure to cap it beforehand. The change certainly made moving the teen easier, no longer having to necessarily deal with the stand and tubing. Out of all the staff, only the medic had been allowed to remain inside the mansion, just in case he might be needed.

"What about the investigation?" Katou spoke up, more than okay with Daisuke's suggestion. Even if he did end up being the one to carry the teen, something he doubted would happen, he looked forward to not having to worry about who was where for the night. And while he'd not been one of those who'd stayed in the holding cell overnight, he felt certain Cass would appreciate sleeping on an actual bed as well.

Daisuke rubbed at his hair, feeling the individual strands. He'd probably need a shower after sweating over Cass's cooking. "There's not much else we can do right now. HEUSC will continue to look for any anomalies while we sleep. And unless Hoshino saw fit to share anything new from his end, I doubt we'll get much further tonight."

It was fair. Katou had already related whatever information he'd gotten from his former partner. Outside of the dart being a tranquilizing one, there really hadn't been any new developments. They were no closer to understanding how the bombs had been placed, or by whom. Nor did they have any more clue as to who the shooter was than those at the mansion did.

"Honestly," Suzue spoke up, "I think it might be best to take this opportunity to rest up while we can." It was unspoken, but still there. No one really knew what the morning might bring, be it more waiting and researching, or something more dire. Either way, her advice was more than warranted.

Cass stood from her perch. "Works for me." She looked around the room, debating. Daisuke had already told her he didn't want her or Hiro to wander around without someone who could help keep an eye on things. She knew that's part of why he'd asked Katou to help in the kitchen, but it did make things more difficult in some ways. At least Katou had a room basically across the hall, instead of adjoining hers.

Something niggled at the back of her mind as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled out the device, activating it. It was a text message from Honey Lemon, acknowledging her request for a longer duration of cat feeding duties. She'd already contacted her employees to confirm they were okay fending for themselves for hopefully only another week without her.

For several long moments, she stared at the phone, even after the screen had blanked out, trying to remember what it was about her phone that was somehow off.

"Everything okay?" Suzue asked, watching the café owner. Daisuke seemed preoccupied with some thought, but he also looked over at her question.

Cass blinked a few times in rapid succession, almost as if trying to clear the cache on a computer program. And then it came to her. "A few days ago, I thought someone tried to send me a text or something. The screen lit up but there was no notification. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I figured I should mention it while I remembered."

Daisuke walked over, holding his hand out for her phone. "May I?"

With only a bit of reluctance, Cass surrendered the phone into his custody, biting her lip as he turned it this way and that. "I don't know why I didn't remember it earlier. I know I thought it odd at the time."

"HEUSC," Daisuke called out as he slipped on his glasses, "scan Cass Hamada's phone for any malware or other items that may have been installed that shouldn't be there."

"Scanning now." A few seconds passed as Daisuke held the phone in view of the scanner built into the frames. "There appear to be several applications that do not match those consistent with Cass Hamada's purchase history," he reported.

Seeing Daisuke tense was not a good sign. Katou also stood, walking over to where Daisuke now stood. "What's up?"

"Show me the apps in question," Daisuke ordered.

The screen lit up as the AI unlocked the device and pulled up a menu page independent of the typical ones Cass used. It displayed three different apps. He was unfamiliar with the icons for any of them and so decided to see what Cass had to say. Turning the phone her direction, he gave her an inquisitive look.

Correctly guessing what he wanted, Cass had to push up a bit onto her toes to see, until Daisuke realized he needed to adjust more for her height. "I recognize that one." She pointed to one with what looked like an old-school handheld radio on it. "Hiro created it so we can keep in contact when he's away from home. I have no idea what those other two are."

Daisuke stared intently at the screen once more, scrutinizing the icons. "HEUSC, isolate and analyze the apps in question. I want a full rundown on their functionality."

"Right away, sir."

Data scrolled behind the tinted glasses, causing the man's lips to turn downward in a scowl. He'd purposefully not excluded the app Cass had identified, but that definitely didn't explain the other two. The one she'd pointed out appeared to work like a two-way radio, possibly connecting with the same frequency Hiro and his team used to communicate with each other. It made sense.

As for the other two apps, they appeared to be more malware in type, though he had no idea how she'd managed to get them on her phone. Usually these types of apps required authorization from the user. Someone had to have accessed her phone, downloading a root kit, and installing what was essentially a bugging app, with a backup one in case of issues. The question was where was the data transmitted to, and did this explain how the perpetrators knew their plans in real time?

Chances were good Cass hadn't noticed the additional programs due to their not showing the typical access icons on the main screen. If he hadn't had HEUSC scan the device, they probably wouldn't have found them. But that still left the how. Whoever had installed them had to have had access, or been relatively close enough to bypass the usual bio-metric logins. That meant they were dealing with someone well-versed in programming and hacking. That didn't bode well.

"Can you quarantine the applications in question without alerting the creators?"

"I will do so now."

Daisuke released a sigh. He supposed he should have thought something like that possible and taken precautions. He'd thought of having HEUSC scan both Hamadas phones earlier, but had refrained. It hadn't seemed necessary. "I highly recommend purchasing a new phone," he said, now looking back at Cass. "Yours has been compromised with a bugging program."

Eyes wide, Cass almost took a step back. "How?"

"There are any number of ways," Suzue spoke up, saving Daisuke from having to explain. "Anyone with a moderate level of hacking abilities could do it. They wouldn't even have to be in the same room so long as there's nothing blocking the signal. All they'd have to do is use the phone's ability to beam information from one device to another, commonly used when transferring data to a new phone."

Katou stared at the phone like it might be a ticking time bomb. "If they could do that to her phone, they might have tried to do the same with everyone else's as well."

Deciding to take care of that concern, Daisuke ordered HEUSC to scan the phones of everyone else in their party. Unsurprising, his and Suzue's were fine. Katou's didn't seem to be tampered with either. Perhaps whoever was responsible hadn't thought it necessary to bug the detective's phone. But when it came to Hiro's phone, the older man was surprised to learn the teen had some high grade security that had blocked any attempts to install the spyware. Considering he knew the amount in the Hamada bank account, he wasn't sure how the teen had managed to afford that. But, then again, it could have been thanks to his friends.

"We're good here," Daisuke announced. "Nothing further to worry about." Except the whole apps on Cass's phone were decidedly concerning. He'd have to ask HEUSC to look into them. And Suzue.

Katou and Suzue seemed to exchange glances behind Daisuke's back.

Daisuke closed his fingers around Cass's phone, which he still held. "Do you mind if I hold onto this?" he asked.

"Uh, sure." Cass looked more uncertain than anything, but she didn't reach for her phone. Thankfully, she'd already taken care of messaging anyone she'd needed to for the time being. "Whatever you need." Luckily, she wasn't as attached to her phone as Hiro was to his, though it was certainly nice to have when he had to go out on any missions, not that it should be a thing while they were there.

Taking her at her word, Daisuke pocketed the phone, making a mental note to give it to Suzue later for her to take apart. Perhaps she could make something of the apps as well. He was mildly curious about the communication app, guessing it had to do with his hero work.

Katou cleared his throat. "If there's nothing else, I think we should all turn in for the night."

Reminded of the hour, Cass glanced over at Hiro, who hadn't moved the entire time they'd been talking. Baymax also hadn't moved, keeping a constant eye on the teen. She couldn't help but wonder how long he'd be out.

"I will move Hiro now," the robot announced as he waddled over and scooped the teen up into his arms. "Please lead the way."

With Baymax taking the initiative, and nothing else to discuss, Katou unlocked the door, letting Cass and her small group out. He followed behind them, partly because they were all headed in the same direction, and partly to continue keeping an eye on his assigned principle.

….

As soon as the others had left, Daisuke handed Cass's phone over to Suzue. "I'd appreciate it if you'd give this a thorough examination. It doesn't have to be tonight."

Suzue took the phone, her face scrunching up a bit as her stomach complained. She hadn't eaten anywhere near as many of the hot wings as Daisuke had. And, to her knowledge, he had yet to make a mad dash for the facilities like she'd had to. Either he was just that stubborn or he was a bit more used to such spices than she was.

Not bothering to wait and see if Suzue would heed his last words or not, Daisuke exited the room and headed for the elevator, having to wait for it to come back down before he could use it. Safely inside the enclosed car, he leaned against the wall, wincing.

Keeping an even expression was normally child's play, but he'd struggled with it during the last half hour. But now that he was alone, he felt no inhibitions pushing for him to hide it. As much as he'd like to blame it on still recovering from the belladonna, there was no denying the fact that Cass's insane levels of heat had bested him. A grimace crossed his face as his intestines protested and he hoped he'd make it to his room in time.

The car stopped at the appropriate floor and he straightened, schooling his features as he exited, lest Katou or Cass still be in the corridor. Realizing he was alone, he didn't necessarily sprint but sort of dashed down the hallway, barely making it in time. Perhaps he should rethink letting Cass do the cooking.

He quickly shook that thought aside. It was only that he wasn't used to that level of heat. In all the time Cass had owned her café, he had not once found any complaints against her filed at the local health department. It was unlikely she'd inadvertently food poisoned him. But if she could handle that kind of heat, there was definitely more to her than met the eye.

Sweat beaded his forehead when he left the bathroom, drying his hands on a towel. Something told him his digestive system wasn't done with him just yet so he made his way to the wardrobe, quickly changing into his pajamas. This was definitely not something he was used to dealing with. He hadn't felt like this since his early university days.

Prepared for the long haul, he decided to continue some of his earlier research, hoping his stomach would settle without having to get additional aide from the first aide box or some other means.

...

Hiro woke to the feel of a down comforter weighing him down. He knew he'd sweated, feeling the stickiness that tended to leave on the skin. His hair was a mess. And he felt parched.

Something had pulled him from floating in the ether, though he didn't know what. What he did know was that it was dark, which meant either he was in a room without windows, or it was night. He hadn't really moved from the position someone had placed him in earlier, the weight of the bedding keeping him from moving too much. It was hot.

The sound of vinyl rubbing filled the silence and Hiro looked towards the direction it came from. A faint halo outlined Baymax from a light source inside the robot. He let himself relax as the healthcare companion shuffled towards him and the bed. "Hey," he said, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. "What time is it?"

Baymax stopped at the edge of the bed, which still put him several feet away from the teen. "It is three in the morning," he reported. "Are you thirsty?"

A slight cough escaped Hiro's lips, though he wasn't sure if his throat felt rough from lack of moisture or because it was irritated. "Yeah." He winced as he forced himself to move, having to place one hand on his head. A headache he hadn't realized he had had blossomed into full-out throbbing behind his temples. "My head hurts."

The robot turned, picking up something from the nightstand. When he turned back, it became obvious what it was, a sealed water bottle. "Aunt Cass left this for you," Baymax stated.

Groaning, Hiro pushed the bedding aside and attempted to roll towards his companion. Every muscle in his body seemed to have forgotten how to work once more. Yeah, he'd definitely overdone it this time. The effort made him pant, which led to coughing. Again. He curled up on his side, trying to bring it under control. Thankfully, it wasn't anything crazy, more like the beginnings of a cold and not the worst part of one.

As soon as he regained control of himself, the teen pushed his body into a sitting position, a bit shaky but more or less stable. With a bit of help, he managed to open the bottle and take a careful sip. Experience had taught him it was never wise to overdo things when he was in recovery mode, as he clearly was. In so doing, he noticed the catheter still taped to his arm. "Ugh. Why's that there?" He was tempted to pull it out but didn't.

"Due to your low blood sugar levels, and low blood pressure, you passed out downstairs," Baymax reported. "The medic decided you needed fluids to help remedy this situation."

It made sense. He'd probably have done the same in the medic's position. He was glad he'd been unconscious for that though. "I feel like I hit my head again," he admitted, now rubbing at the side of his head. The throbbing had subsided a little with the water. He took another careful sip.

Baymax contemplated him, probably scanning him. "It is possible," he admitted. "I was unable to catch you in time when you collapsed. However, I did not detect any indication of further head trauma."

Hiro sigh. "Well, at least there's that. I'm already broken in about fifty million ways as is." He contemplated the amount of energy he had in him, and whether or not he could convince Baymax to get him some of the prescription painkillers the medic had given him the day before. He couldn't immediately remember what had happened to them though, then recalled they were probably still down in that holding room from before.

Now that his stomach, more or less, had something in it, it decided it was the perfect time to rebel. Painful cramping filled the teen and he gasped. "Oh crap!" More on autopilot than anything, he somehow managed to flail his way off the bed and stumble to the bathroom in time to throw up what little he'd consumed. The water bottle, thankfully, didn't spill, thanks to his screwing the top back on before his stomach decided to be naughty. It did, however, roll under the bed after he'd dropped it.

Body spasming, the teen dry-heaved more than anything, his body trying to expel something not there. The bile, unfortunately, caused him to choke and he ended up coughing again, flopping onto the floor next the toilet, thankfully in a sitting position. Man, he hated throwing up. Why did he always have to throw up?

Spent, Hiro leaned against the nearest support he could find, which ended up being Baymax, who had followed him into the room. His body shook from the effort, lungs working overtime until he could pull himself together. He pressed palms against the tiled floor, holding himself up. This was so not cool. He hadn't felt this drained since New York. Not even Los Angeles had been this bad.

"Do you feel up to a lollipop?" Baymax asked in a soft voice.

A humorless half laugh escaped the teen's lips. "That bad, eh?" He reached up for the confectionery the robot held out for him. "Guess I'd better. Don't need a repeat." He unwrapped the candy and stuck it between his lips. At least the cherry flavor was good for getting the bad taste out of his mouth. Now if only he had that bottle of water.

Hiro ran a hand through his hair, which was now damp with sweat. At least he was sweating. "How mad was Aunt Cass this time?"

Without the light on, Hiro didn't see the shadow of Baymax as he tilted his head to one side, or as he somehow settled down to sit on the floor so he could act more as a chair back. "Aunt Cass was not mad," he contradicted. "However, she was concerned. I believe the others were also concerned."

The teen inhaled as deeply as he dared. He didn't want to trigger another coughing fit. And then he exhaled. If he were in their shoes, he'd probably be worried too. "I need to think things through better," he announced. "I can't keep rushing in."

"I agree," Baymax said. His internal heater came on as Hiro shivered. "Your body will need time to recover."

Rolling his eyes, Hiro leaned back as much as he could against the vinyl belly. "Understatement of the century. Why do I keep doing this to myself?"

Apparently Baymax decided this was more rhetorical than it was anything else and so did not answer. "Aunt Cass has prepared food for you," he said instead. "However, it is currently located in the kitchen. Do you want to eat something now?"

While his body was more responsive than it had been the day before, Hiro wasn't sure everyone would like him just wandering around. That and he wasn't sure what the current state of things was. Were they still under lock down? Probably. But where were the others? Was someone keeping an eye on them? Both suspects and potential victims?

"I feel gross," Hiro stated. And it was true. After everything that had happened, he was probably due for a good wash all around. The question was should he go with just a shower or should he add in a nice soak after the fact? It had taken a bit to remember that, at least in Japan, one showered first, and then bathed. Tubs were for relaxation, not necessarily scrubbing off all the dirt and grime of the day.

The robot's internal heater turned off, the red glow dissipating, leaving them more in the dark, outside of a small light near the counter. "This is understandable," he allowed. "Would you like me to bring you some clean clothes?"

Hiro rubbed his arms, again feeling the catheter still stuck there. If he didn't take that out, he'd have to be extra careful with it. And, now that he was awake, not likely to go comatose again for a good long while, he wasn't sure he saw a need for it. "How about some gauze and some tape and you can help me take this thing out." He pointed at the medical device.

"Are you sure this would be wise?" Baymax inquired in a curious tone. Even he knew that Hiro wasn't a fan of such things. The medic had thought it might be necessary again. Well, there was always the other arm, or other veins. For the sake of his patient's sanity, he supposed it would be wise to comply. "I will obtain the necessary equipment," he said before the teen could answer as he carefully moved back and got to his feet, leaving Hiro to support himself.

On his way back into the bedroom, the robot triggered the light switch, which made Hiro wince a bit at the sudden light. He still had a decent enough headache, not migraine level, but not having been in any normal light for a while, his eyes were a bit sensitive.

The room now visible, Hiro noticed the hamper where Suzue had put Baymax's armor appeared to have moved. Knowing he hadn't touched it since he'd discovered it; the teen scooted across the floor, tilting it towards himself. He blinked a few times, realizing not all the pieces were there. Someone had removed the magnets from the back plate, possibly not having the ability to actually do worse. But not having the magnets would be a problem down the road.

Baymax returned to find him sitting around the collection of his armor, taking inventory. "You seem troubled," he observed. "What seems to be the problem?"

Hiro looked up. The lollipop had helped a lot, but he knew he'd need something more substantial soon. "Someone messed with your armor," he stated. "Unless we find those electromagnets, I'm going to have a hard time staying on your back if we need to suit up."

The robot zeroed in on the scattered parts, scanning them. "Unfortunately, I do not detect any DNA that does not belong to you or Miss Suzue. Whoever may have tampered with my armor may have worn some kind of protective gear."

Hiro cussed. Not only did he feel like crap, have next to no energy, and was in serious need of a bath, but now someone was pilfering parts from his robot's gear. And they had no idea who. "This is not good," he said to no one in particular, just hoping it wouldn't be an issue down the road.