Control Alt Delete (A BH6 crossover)

Chapter Four: A Kaleidoscope of Images

"I will scan you now," Baymax announced as he stopped in front of the boy, his head moving fractionally up and down. "Scan complete. You appear to have suffered a recent concussion. I detect minor contusions to both your knees. Also, your heart rate and respirations are higher than normal. This indicates that you are distressed."

Oh gosh. How was he supposed to explain that one? It was obvious, really, his distress, but he could no more explain it than he could the additional set of memories that kept creeping up in his mind.

Hearing that, Tadashi seemed to give Hiro a second look-over, realizing something was indeed amiss. "Hiro, everything okay?"

Still sitting on the floor where he'd landed, Hiro wanted to shake his head vigorously and yell that no, no everything was not okay. But part of him knew that wasn't a good idea. One, his already aching head would hurt worse. Two, Tadashi might want an explanation as to why, and it was one he was decidedly not prepared to give. And three... what was three again? Oh yeah, everything just felt wrong. That and he didn't want his brother to think he was crazy.

Hiro looked up into Baymax's hyper-spectral camera eyes, almost feeling like there might be more behind them than either he or Tadashi realized. But he dismissed the idea. It was just his mind playing tricks on him after all. But just in case, he didn't want anything else to come out of the woodwork. That might complicate matters more than they already were. He was still trying to figure out just what was going on anyway. "I'm fine. I am satisfied with my care," he said, not thinking of what repercussions that would have.

Almost immediately, Baymax turned around and headed towards his charging station. He stepped inside and decompressed as Tadashi stared at Hiro with an incredulous look on his face, but Hiro didn't have time to notice as he climbed painfully to his feet as the lab door opened. He didn't even look over to see who was there, not registering the sound as he tried to suppress the pain he felt inside.

"Burning the midnight oil, Mr. Hamada?"

"Oh, hey professor."

Almost as if witnessing the first collision of known matter, Hiro's brain seemed to explode all over again at the sound of that voice. He hesitantly turned to see the one man he knew he shouldn't know but did. Subconsciously, he felt his chest tighten, making it suddenly really hard to breathe. He knew that man. And with that realization came a kaleidoscope of images that threatened to engulf him.

Professor Callaghan putting on the hustle to get him to enroll into SFIT.

Professor Callaghan confronting Krei in front of him at the showcase.

The showcase fire.

Professor Callaghan dressed as Yokai as he used Hiro's own invention against him.

Professor Callaghan confessing tat he didn't care two cents about Tadashi's death...

Something squeezed painfully around Hiro's heart. He was so caught up in these images that he didn't realize the professor had addressed him by name, telling him he'd heard a lot about him. Bot fighter, wasn't he?

When Hiro didn't respond, both Tadashi and the professor seemed to do a double-take, their eyes filling with concern.

"Hiro?" Tadashi called out, a bit hesitantly. "Hey, you okay? You look really pale."

To his credit, Hiro tried to rally. He really did. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but couldn't. It had grown too large. He tried to calm his racing heart, the blood draining from his face at the realization of who this man was and what he planned on doing. And he really tried to control his breathing, but he couldn't.