The Rubber Band Theory

Chapter 3: Running

     Only to find an empty room. He hit rewind in his brain- oh shit.

     Hiro burst out of the lab door, looking around frantically. Heads turned towards him, alarmed and curious. "Has anyone seen Baymax?" he asked quickly.

     Multiple sets of eyes widened and pointed in the same direction. Hiro took off, running down the halls and asking everyone he saw where the walking marshmallow had gone. He wasn't on the chase for two minutes before Hiro heard Tadashi in his head.

     'Hiro? Why did someone just tell me you've been running in the halls?'

     Hiro sent over the condensed memory and he could almost feel Tadashi stumble in shock.

     'We have to find him!'

     'What do you think I'm trying to do, play hall-bowling?'

     'I'll grab the moped; we'll make better time.'

     'Hurry!'

     Tadashi had just finished running errands on campus when he was stopped in the hall.

     "What's up?"

     "Tadashi, your brother was just running through the halls like a bat out of hell. Is everything okay?"

     Tadashi blinked at them in surprise. "This is the first I've heard of it. Thanks for letting me know; I'll figure it out and make sure this doesn't happen again."

     Mostly satisfied, the professor kept walking, leaving Tadashi alone with his thoughts. Well, not entirely alone.

     'Hiro? Why did someone just tell me you've been running in the halls?'

     Tadashi received a condensed memory in response. He sputtered, stumbling a step. Panic attack, microbot, Baymax!

     'We have to find him!'

     'What do you think I'm trying to do, play hall-bowling?'

     'I'll grab the moped; we'll make better time.'

     'Hurry!'

     Hiro raced across the quad, asking anyone and everyone where the big white robot went. It wasn't long before he spotted him getting on a trolley.

     'I've got the moped; where are you?'

     'Baymax just got on a trolley outside the north entrance!'

     'Try to keep up as best as you can. I'm coming!'

     Across campus, Tadashi sped off towards the north entrance. He tried to remember the trolley's route, hoping that Baymax would at least wait until the next stop to get off. He quickly spotted a familiar kid with fluffy hair and a blue jacket running on the sidewalk.

     'I'm right behind you, Hiro!'

     Tadashi slowed down enough to let his brother on before they were back to full speed. Hiro was still breathing heavily, so Tadashi decided to continue the conversation telepathically to give his brother time to recover.

     'Did you see where he was going?'

     Hiro nodded, although that was kind of a moot point while he was sitting behind him. He told Tadashi which trolley he'd gotten on and where it was headed next. They spent the next ten minutes anxiously following Baymax's trail, catching glimpses of him at corners and in crowds. At one point they had to ditch the moped so they could keep going. They finally caught up to him outside of a warehouse by the bay.