#38 Salvage

"Okay. One, two, three," Hiro counted just before he jumped into the San Fransokyo Bay with Baymax and Go Go. The rush of bubbles and a cold sensation greeted the three heroes as they entered the water, taking a moment to get their bearings. Once they could see each other again, Hiro announced, "Switching on suit warmers," followed by pressing a button on his gauntlet. Almost instantly, their suits felt like a nice warm blanket had covered every part of their bodies, keeping them from shivering and allowing them to focus on finding their target: Wasabi's car.

Sadly, the physicist's upgraded car had been knocked into the bay again during the fight on the cargo ship against the Buddy Guardians, meaning it was even further away from the shore than before. Since Wasabi along with Go Go and Honey Lemon were actively looking for new careers that likely would take them away from the city, getting their friend's wheels back would save him a lot of money and trouble. The task of retrieving the car had been simple enough when it was just Hiro and Baymax, but now that Go Go had an underwater suit too, it just made sense to have the extra help.

"Doing okay Go Go?" Hiro asked as he surveyed the greenish-blue water, thankful it was still daylight out and that he wasn't doing this alone as he remembered what happened the first time.

"I'm fine," the engineer answered, checking over her suit before swimming closer to the other heroes.

"I am fine as well," Baymax remarked, giving his two friends a thumbs up.

"Alright, let's do this," the teen prodigy declared as he flapped his flippers through the water, leading the way as they dove deeper down. Hiro held his gauntlet up to his face, projecting an underwater map of where they were relative to the car, which had a tracking feature installed when they upgraded it. "Okay, it says we've got about 1900ft to go. Man, this is going to take a while. We better only use Baymax's jets in small, steady amounts or we won't have enough to haul the car back, even with the extra battery I added," Hiro informed with a touch of worry.

Go Go swiftly pulled up along beside him and offered a simple shrug. "Eh, whatever. If we don't get it done today, we can always come back. Maybe next time we though we can talk to Fred about lending us one of the family yachts to conserve energy. But for now though…" The young woman trailed off so she could swim briefly into a horizontal spin and cheekily finished with, "…you won't hear me complain."

The robotics major nodded begrudgingly before returning his gaze briefly to the map. All around them, various schools of fishes wove in and around the tall stalks of kelp, skittishly avoiding the heroes. They mostly appeared silver and shiny, but some bigger ones were darker or even bore black stripes as they glided through the water; even the bay floor held its own beauty by being scattered with multi-colored seashells, rocks and shifting sand, blending shades of white, tan, black, and brown as its main color palette.

Baymax's propulsion system became a constant whirring sound for the other two as they paddled onward with Go Go refraining from using her high-speed function since she didn't know their final destination anyway. When a dark shadow fell upon them, Hiro quickly looked up on instinct to find they had swum under a drifting boat.

"Hey Baymax, you're scanning for sharks and other big animals, right?" the teen prodigy asked, a touch of uneasiness in his voice.

Looking to Hiro, the inflatable robot answered, "Yes. The largest animal in the vicinity I have detected is the great white sturgeon, which is currently residing on the bay floor, 72ft away from us.

Hiro let out a sigh of relief, only for his speedster friend to swim over and give him a playful punch in the arm. "Hey, quit worrying so much. You're wearing an advance suit remember," Go Go bluntly told him before appearing to smile in amusement (although it was hard to be sure with the mask on). She then casually added, "Besides, for a genius you seem to be forgetting the odds when it comes to animal attacks."

"Well, you've never had a shark come at you before," the young man retorted with a huff.

Go Go quirked an eyebrow and mischievously replied, "You sure about that?" followed by propelling herself a little bit ahead of him, leaving Hiro to ponder is she was telling the truth or not.

The three then continued through the cool water, periodically checking their location as they inched closer to their submerged target. Time seemed to pass slowly as they went even though there was always something to see, from the swaying kelp stretching towards the sun to the sea creatures poking out of the rocks to the rippling waves above making the bay floor appear to move along with it; Baymax was of course cataloging all that he saw in case any relative information was needed from it later. The further they went though, the more they noticed the water starting to get deeper and the darker hue it took on as a result.

When they were finally only about 400ft away, the robotics expert decided to ask, "Hey Baymax, what's your battery status?"

The white robot in black armor paused for a moment, then flatly answered, "I am still at 62% power and have the extra battery reserve at our disposal."

"Okay, good. When we get there, divert 17% to your internal battery and we'll use the remaining charge of the reserve for the hauling portion for as long as possible. Go Go, we may need you to help some with dragging the car by the end of it just in case," Hiro instructed his fellow heroes.

"No problem. Got to get some use out of these things today," the speedster remarked as she lifted her arms up in demonstration.

"Thanks. We should have a visual soon," Hiro informed them, checking his gauntlet again, followed by scanning through the tealish water for the car; while it was still another 10minutes or so of swimming, the young teen was right as like a curtain of fog being lifted when the sun comes out, something squarish and grey-green slowly materialized into existence.

"There it is," Hiro couldn't help but exclaim as he and Go Go paddled a little faster and downward while Baymax maintained the same pace. Wasabi's vehicle had found itself resting on the bottom of the bay floor about 60ft below the surface; it had apparently been spared from sinking into further depths due to some algae and barnacle encrusted rocks creating a barrier for it.

"Phew. Looks like it's still pretty intact," the robotist remarked as he got in for a closer look.

"We built that thing like an armored tank, so I think it can handle a small tumble into the water," Go Go told the other with a smirk.

Hiro rolled his eyes, then stopped swimming and turned to Baymax in order to ask, "Wait. Can you see if there's anything inside it this time Baymax?"

The healthcare companion obeyed as his sensors moved up and down the sunken machine, soon proceeding to answer with, "There are no major predators in the vehicle currently, but I do detect some scavenging crabs and small snails if that is of concern to you."

"Nah, that's all-good buddy. Just glad it's not a shark or something, but still keep an eye out for them please," Hiro responded as he moved toward the car now.

"I can do that," Baymax informed with a thumbs up. The engineer merely shook her head as she followed behind the shorter one.

Baymax, in addition to following through with Hiro's earlier instruction for his battery, also proceeded to turn on a light from his armor to better illuminate the wreck despite the slight amount of sunlight already provided. His actions then caused a few fish that were hanging around it to scatter as the remaining swimmers inspected the algae and particulate-covered car.

"Well, considering it's been down here for a couple months, it doesn't look too bad. It sucks though all the hardware is going to have to be replaced, but luckily, we have the tools and the talent to do so," the teen prodigy noted with a sly tone at the end.

"Yeah, yeah. Now let's get the harness and get this thing back to shore before we run out of oxygen or have an incoherent Baymax on our hands," Go Go reminded him before gesturing up towards the aforementioned robot.

The healthcare companion proceeded to maneuver himself above the submerged car and lowered his large frame a couple feet. A panel then disengaged from the back of his suit with a hiss and a small release of bubbles, revealing a spool of high strength carbon fiber cable. Hiro began pulling on the clamp at the end, gathering about 25ft of line and swimming down to Wasabi's ride. He secured the rope by attaching it to the chasey near the bumper end, followed by giving it a little tug to make sure it was locked.

"Okay Baymax, Go Go and I will try to give it an initial push, then that'll be your cue to fire up those jets," Hiro communicated to his fellow hero.

"Understood. Please be advised though that you should refrain from being below it as a loss of connection could result in the vehicle falling on you, potentially breaking bones or preventing you from receiving oxygen from your tanks," Baymax informed his friends, which was met with a pair of thumbs up.

Go Go proceeded to activate her hydrogliders, causing the forearm pieces to protrude out as she placed her hands on the back door. Hiro came prepared too as he made some modifications to his underwater suit since last time. The side of the plates that surrounded his ribcage lifted with a hiss and turned slightly, revealing a collapsed propulsion system like Baymax's, but was meant for short evasive bursts rather than continuous use.

"On three. One…two…three!"

With dual grunts of effort and the rising whirring sounds coming from their machinery, the two humans could feel the force they were giving the submerged vehicle. There came a groaning noise as it shifted on the rock, releasing a small cascading wave of sand off the boulder as it moved. The young heroes maintained their position and kept pushing for another 15seconds or so as they worked to build the heavy car's momentum, which resulted in it starting to roll on its back tires.

"Now Baymax!" Hiro ordered as he and Go Go exerted themselves some more in their final act.

Above them, the lights on the scuba armor's engines whirred and glowed as they receiving increased power, making the whooshing water leaving them stir the surrounding liquid into turbulent eddies. The cable groaned now from the strain and became taut as the vehicle soon was able to disconnect from the bay floor, sprinkling debris that once was attached to it.

Once Hiro and Go Go felt the heavy presence of the car lift, they soon moved to opposite sides of it and inspected it for any issues.

"Looks good."

"Same over here."

The two heroes proceeded to quickly swam up to be alongside the inflatable robot, peeking down below and behind them to check the status of the car again.

"How are your systems Baymax?" the teen prodigy inquired, causing the other to turn his head towards him.

"Everything is operational with 79% to my primary battery and I am down to 68% on the extra one. Maintaining this speed should get us back to shore in an estimated 24.7 minutes," the healthcare companion answered before looking forward again.

"Great," Hiro simply remarked. He then turned back to the suspended vehicle and couldn't help but give a short laugh at the sight. Due to the car hitting the counterflow of the water, it was being pushed upwards slightly like a kite against the wind, making it bob and rock slightly.

"Hey," the young robotist called out to Go Go over the comms, causing the speedster to look at him curiously. He pointed to Wasabi's car and joked, "Baymax-drawn carriage," earning him a smirk from the other before she focused back on swimming.

The trio was met with relative silence once again as they journeyed back, save for the high-tech jets constantly working that it. Despite the skittish nature of most of the surrounding fish, the gliding vehicle attracted a few of them, possibly mistaking it for a shark or another large fish they could get scraps from; some even went to take a nibble off the algae that was still attached to it.

As they traveled through the water, Hiro periodically checked their bearings on his gauntlet and making sure everything was alright with Baymax. Currently, the heroes were about only 20ft below the surface with their package still 25ft or so from the bay floor, so they had some leeway for the most part. When they came to a large jagged rock that protruded above that though, the inflatable robot took the initiative and ramped his propellers even more, resulting in the car getting an extra lift before sinking back down when Baymax lowered the throttle.

"Hmmm," the teen prodigy thoughtfully hummed at what happened before commenting, "Water's getting shallower. We'll have to keep an eye out when we get closer to shore, but nice job Baymax."

"Thank you," the mechanical man simply replied.

Go Go merely shrugged, telling the two, "Still beats taking it back via the deeper route. I do not want to go fishing for this thing down there."

Nodding in agreement, Hiro did some typing with his navigation system, producing an optimal exit location. "Okay, it'll be easier if we can get this to a boat loading ramp since it should have a lower number of debris and plant life."

"Isn't that what you did last time?" the speedster inquired.

Shaking his head, Hiro replied, "Baymax and I had the cargo docks to work with remember, which were still fairly deep and mostly just sand beds."

His friend gave him a nod now in understanding before the 15yr old instructed, "Okay buddy, I'll need you to reel the lines in about 7ft, take us about 30° to the right and lower your depth by 2ft.

The marshmallow bot dutifully obeyed as a metallic grinding sound came as the cable was wound onto its spool. He then veered right, causing a momentary bend in the line and further adding to the "Drawn carriage" comparison made by Hiro. Go Go was about to ask why they needed to be closer to the ocean floor when a low rattling thumping came from above and to her left; 10seconds later, a speed boat came rushing by, scaring away the remaining fish that had grown fond of Wasabi's car. Right. At least this means we must be getting near, she deduced as she looked over to Hiro.

Not 20seconds after that, the young Hamada announced, "Okay, just about 650ft from there to the loading area, but we should have avoided the patch of rocks we saw coming in." He then gave an exhaustive sigh before remarking, "Man, am I going to be sore tomorrow. I've never had to swim this long in my life."

"Yeah, me too," Go Go commented only to slyly add, "I mean, I didn't have to. I could have left at any time thanks to this suit and leave you two all alone…but that wouldn't have been very nice."

Hiro let out a short snort in response, knowing it was actually true. "Well, thank you Go Go for suffering on our behalf," he joked and was greeted with a smirk.

Baymax, who had been quiet, finally spoke up as he moved his head from one to the other. "I can provide you two with water and electrolytes when we reach land to help with exhaustion, dehydration and potential lactic acid that may be causing muscle soreness. I recommend a nap to alleviate your tiredness as well," he helpfully informed the humans.

"Thanks, Baymax," was all Hiro said as he moved next to the armored robot and patted him in appreciation.

"You are welcome."

Engrossed in their exchange, they almost failed to notice they were coming up on a tall, swaying batch of kelp, no doubt containing some wildlife and other possible hazards. Grumbling to himself, the robotics expert quickly ordered to Baymax, "Looks like we'll briefly change plans. Turn your jets to get as much lift as possible until we clear this, then reel the line in another 5ft."

Processing everything at lightning speed, the turbines on the mechanical bot's back tilted and buzzed louder first, prompting the other two to follow him closer to the surface as the metal groaning came again from the wench taking in the cable. The young teen looked back and saw the car tilted upward toward them, making him hold his breath as the vehicle managed to just graze the top of the seaweed.

"Phew," he quietly said, although he did feel a jolt of surprise when a octopus launched itself out of the green growth, disturbed by their presence. In addition, a few shimmering silverly fish hiding in the same patch also came out as they found the car as appealing as their fellow brethren earlier had. Admittedly, Hiro wanted to keep watching the giant kelp both for its mesmerizing effect and for fear something else may come out despite Baymax being told to warn them, but the healthcare companion had a different message to convey a moment later.

"We are approaching an active sail boat. I will make the directional changes now or a collision is imminent at this level," he announced a second before he started to move to the left.

Hiro and Go Go quickly mimicked his actions and sure enough, 70ft ahead of them was an incoming sail boat. It wasn't moving incredibly fast, but it was on a direct path with them if they continued going forward the estimated distance; the resulting countercurrent could also potentially hit them, causing them to lose momentum and disorient them. The arcing car managed to avoid being in the line of fire, but still wobbled uneasily as it was brought closer to the surface. The whirring of metal came once they straightened out as Baymax proceeded to go ahead and reel the cable in some more.

"Well, it figures all the trouble is at the end, but looking on the bright side, we're almost there," Hiro remarked shortly before the slicing sound of the boat cutting through the water could be heard; this disruption caused the remaining fish to disperse, fleeing to the relative safety of the kelp.

They weren't here long this time, Hiro joked internally. He saw down below that the greenery was disappearing and being replaced by grooved, sandy stretches littered with small rocks and some trash left by less environmentally conscientious citizens. The teen genius checked his monitor, showing they had only about 350ft left to go. "I'm going to check up topside," he informed the other two, only for Go Go to follow after him.

The duo quickly broke the surface of the water with a pop, still swimming forward as they surveyed the remaining distance. Aside from the long stretch of road that hugged the area and several trees growing from the adjacent hill, there was a whitish-grey slab of concrete that led from the water to land. There were also about seven or eight wooden docks jutting out to the left of the ramp, where a handful of people were milling about either on their vessels or swimming in the shallows.

With one look at each other, Hiro nodded for Go Go to venture on ahead to get the space cleared for them, which the speedster willing obliged. Extending her arms out now, the yellow fins on her armor emerged and she zipped through the water like a mako after its prey.

The blue and black-armored teen promptly dove back down about 10ft to meet back with his beloved bot. "Okay Baymax, follow where Go Go went and there should be enough length on the line to gain traction on the ramp so you can pull it to shore." The healthcare companion gave a thumbs up, then proceeded to increase speed again and adjust his angle until he was only 3ft below the surface.

The engineer meanwhile had made it to her destination in no time, although she almost leapt out of the water with how fast she was going. Shortly after, she shouted, "Clear the way everyone! We've got major cargo being hauled and you don't want to be in its way."

At first the swimmers just stared at Go Go, obviously still in shock from her arrival, so she gave a short huff and yelled, "Superhero business people! Move!" This got them out of their paralysis as the civilians swam left and right of the loading ramp, filling the air briefly with splashing and excited yammering.

"That's better," the engineer smirked as she peered out over the bay, searching for her friends; after about 30seconds or so, she could finally make out something moving beneath the water about 90ft out past the docks. Go Go next saw Hiro break the surface of the water and waved at her, prompting her to give the same response.

With the various onlookers observing from the sidelines, the teen genius made it to the concrete slab a couple minutes later, his fins hitting against the ground with a wet slap as salt water dripped off him. Hiro let himself slump a little as he was tired from the journey, but he couldn't dwell on it for long as Baymax appeared behind him. His heavy, armored body thudded with each step and the wire attached to his suit gave a metallic rattle as the strain of the car caused it to vibrate.

Like a monster emerging from the sea, the olive-green vehicle rose from the bay and creaked as its weight returned upon being on dry land once again. Go Go and Hiro merely waited and followed their friend with their eyes as he slowly made his way to the flattened street and hauled Wasabi's soaked car all the way up.

When the healthcare companion stopped moving, Hiro was quick to get under the car and disconnect the carbon fiber tether, taking Baymax a moment to wind the cable back up once the other was done. Afterward, the three heroes turned and stared at the fruits of their labor, both humans sighing with satisfaction as several of the bystanders still gazed at them.

"Well, we did it," Hiro said as he gave the car a light pat, causing his inflatable friend to look at his own metal hand and repeat the action; unfortunately, his pat was significantly heavier, jostling the closed front door of the vehicle open and causing a small torrent of sea water to come out. They all took a couple steps back as the large pool formed, thankfully not having any fish or crustaceans in need of rescuing.

After it was mostly drained, Hiro gave a tired laugh before finally letting his exhaustion hit him as he sat down on the ground, leaning against the wet, slightly slimy surface of the car. He then went ahead and activated his comm in his helmet and radioed Fred, simply saying, "Fred, we're back. Can you please pick us and the car up?"

10seconds later, his comic book friend answered with, "On it! Heathcliff and I are inbound. See you guys soon."

"Thanks Fred."

"No problem, buddy!"

Hiro rested the back of his head against the vehicle and closed his eyes, only to open them again when he heard Go Go sitting next to him.

She gave him a tired smile, to which the teen mirrored and said to him, "Hey, I know you're wiped out, but at least Wasabi is going to love the surprise."

"I know, but we are going to be sore tomorrow. Speaking of…hey Baymax," Hiro called out, prompting the large robot to look over at them.

"Yes?"

"Can we get that water please?"

"Of course." With that, Baymax performed his healthcare duties and tended to his friends' needs until their ride arrived, giving them time to rest before they had to begin the even more arduous task of cleaning and replacing so much of the car; it wasn't really an issue though since some people are worth that kind of effort.

NOTES

While admittedly Hiro, Baymax and Go Go could have just disembarked from a boat (or yacht if they got Fred), I imagine loading the car onboard without a crane would be very tricky, so hence the scuba excursion; plus, it wouldn't have been nearly as long if I did it too. ;) Also, I know that Baymax didn't need the initial push for the car in the "Steamer's Revenge" episode, but every little bit helps, especially when you're on the clock and it's in a different location; in addition, it gave them more to do than just swim and show the little armor tweak with Hiro. ;)

Poor Wasabi though on having his car wind up in the bay. :/

The next "Cutscenes" story will have Trina be activated. O_O