As expected, the presentation of his microbots went well. Once Hiro had managed to breath. Thanks to Tadashi's encouragement, he regained his confidence, swallowing down any vomit that wanted to come up. It was unfortunate that one person had walked away at the get-go, but he recovered. If nothing else, he was good at moving on. He had to. Every conversation he'd ever had about this came to mind, along with the realization that if he didn't go on, his life would be over.
The looks of surprise and awe on the audience's faces were fuel enough to keep him going through the planned presentation. He was in his element now and he knew it. And the best part was the high five he got from Tadashi while hanging upside down from the ceiling as the microbots traveled across one of the light tracks. And then it was over. Without thinking, Hiro threw the transmitter to the stage one last time, his excitement more than enough to keep him following the natural course of events as his friends came to congratulate him.
He was still riding the wave of euphoria when Alistair Krei came along to offer his own congrats, requesting to see his microbots. Hiro threw him one without too much hesitation, though just enough as he realized how close he was to the end. the euphoria had pushed the trepidation aside, but it was coming back.
Then Callaghan came, once Krei announced he wanted Hiro and his bots at Krei Tech. It was a moment Hiro understandably didn't want to relive, but he managed to hold his tongue and just watch in growing fear as the whole event unfolded once more. He even momentarily forgot Krei had his microbot until Tadashi called out to the departing businessman.
"That belongs to my brother," Tadashi said, a look of hesitation and incredulity on his face. But Krei returned the microbot, with only some amount of a huff, and things were back to normal.
And when Callaghan gave Hiro his letter of acceptance, no one could have been prouder. Until they met up with Aunt Cass on the other side of the stage and showed her the letter.
Aunt Cass led them towards the doors, though she slowed to allow Hiro and Tadashi's friends to go ahead of her as both Tadashi and Hiro hung to the back. "All right, let's feed those hungry brains! Back to the café! Dinner is one me!"
Fred jumped in excitement, and the others looked suitably impressed with the offer, already heading towards the parking lot.
"Aunt Cass, we'll uh, we'll catch up, okay?"
Before Hiro could even think about protesting, Cass Hamada was hugging them and telling them both how proud of them she was. Then she was off to let the others into the café, prepared to serve them whatever they wanted.
Hiro watched them leave with some trepidation, swallowing hard. Part of him really wanted to join them, to forget the whole thing. He was so tempted, but when Tadashi nudged him, he knew he couldn't risk it. Not if he was going to fix things. So he turned to follow his brother as he led him to the bridge overlooking the Ito Ishioka building.
Tadashi leaned against the bridge, staring happily into the sky, probably imagining how he would soon be going to classes with his brother. And Hiro didn't have the heart to tear that happiness away from him.
"I know what you're going to say," Hiro boasted as he joined him, trying to lighten the darkness he felt inside. "I should be proud of myself cuz I'm finally using my gift for something important." He couldn't help but say the last part in a tone that was meant to sound like Tadashi but didn't. He'd forgotten what exactly came next in the dialogue and wasn't prepared for what his brother said in reply.
"No. No," Tadashi smiled, looking away. "I was just going to tell you your fly was down for the whole show."
"Hah. Hah. Hilarious" Hiro said, not believing him, until he looked down and realized his brother was right. "What!" He zipped up his pants and gave his brother a jab and a glare, but Tadashi seemed more amused than anything.
"Welcome to nerd school, nerd," Tadashi said, obviously proud of his brother's accomplishments.
Hiro couldn't help but smile, ducking his head a bit. This was his last change to convey everything he wanted his brother to know. He didn't want to mess things up, so he did his best to infuse his words with everything he wanted to tell his brother. "Hey, I uh, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." In more ways than one, he thought. "So y-yah know, thanks for not giving up on me." He ended his words with a bit of a smile, though, inside he felt like dying all over again.
And his words meant so much more than he could ever tell him. Not only had his brother not given up on him the first time around, but each time thereafter. And especially not the last time. He'd tried to save him, to keep him from flying into the portal. His brother's attempts had failed in the end, but the fact remained. Tadashi had tried to save him, and that meant the world to Hiro.
Tadashi smiled with pride at that, nodding a bit. But before he could say anything, the sound of a fire alarm broke the silence and he looked up with alarm. He briefly scanned the area, bouncing on the balls of his feet as if anxious, then took off towards the showcase when he realized that was where the sound was coming from.
Hiro took a moment before he followed him, not sure he could do this again. Anything but this. Not the part he'd been dreading the entire time. But he had to. So he ran after his brother, going against the press of the people trying to escape the burning building.
"Are you okay?" Tadashi asked, stopping one of the professors who had judged Hiro's presentation.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied, a bit breathless. "But Professor Callaghan's still in there!" She continued on moments after delivering her damning words.
Tadashi looked up like he was about to have a heart attack, or maybe a mild panic attack. It was the same look he'd given Hiro when he knew he was going to be sucked into the portal. He ran towards the building, his fate more than sealed.
Hiro ran after him. A few paces short of the stairs, he couldn't help but grab his brother, every line on his body disapproving and pleading all at the same time. He couldn't do this! "Tadashi! No!" He added a silent please as his brother turned to look at him, fear written all over his face.
Then Tadashi looked back at the building, debating with himself. Stay there with Hiro or go after Callaghan? Hiro could see the debate in his eyes. And he already knew what choice his brother would make.
"Callaghan's in there," Tadashi said with urgency. "Someone has to help."
With those words, Hiro let his brother go, the horror and fear etched deeply into his face as he watched his brother finish running up the stairs and towards the building. Those four simple words contained the core of who Tadashi was, and what Hiro would become. But it still hurt and he almost went after him again, his heart pounding, his breath coming in short spurts as his brother's hat flew from his head towards him. Tadashi had made his choice and there was nothing he could do to change it, no matter how many times he tried. His brother had to die. He still couldn't do it.
Hiro looked around, as if there might be someone there to help, someone who could stop his brother from going inside the fire, even though he knew it had to happen. He saw the hat on the ground and ran for it, picking it up. By the time he'd done that, his brother had already gone inside.
In a moment of determination, Hiro decided he didn't care anymore. Even if it messed things up... even if it changed the timeline... he had to try. He had to do something. So he started for the doors. But at that exact moment, a series of explosions ripped through the building.
The sheer force of the explosions threw Hiro backwards and he landed on the sidewalk, hard. His vision swam from the impact, the flames dancing before his eyes. And in those flames flew a multitude of images.
They were at the funeral; umbrellas lifting into the air as the rain came pouring down.
Aunt Cass was trying to convince him to come down from his room, a place he hadn't left for weeks after Tadashi's death.
Baymax pulling him from the cramped space between his bed and wall, telling him it was okay to cry.
Baymax standing in front of the warehouse where Callaghan was mass-producing Hiro's stolen microbots.
The car chase with his friends. "There are NO red lights in a CAR CHASE!"
Creating the Big Heroes. "Can you feel it? You guys, you feel this? Our origin story begins. We're going to be superheroes!"
Infiltrating the secret base on Akuma Island. "Six intrepid friends led by Fred, their leader, Fred..."
Confronting Yokai. "P-professor Callaghan? The explosion. You died."
Baymax showing him the video recordings of his creation. "Tadashi is here."
Hiro realizing why Callaghan was taking the Portal. Why he was doing this. "The Pilot was Callaghan's daughter!"
Hiro confronting Callaghan about his plans. "This won't change anything. Trust me. I know."
Baymax hovering over Callaghan after they'd defeated him. "Our programming prevents us from injuring a human being, but we'll take that."
Hiro realizing Abigail was still inside the Portal. "She's alive in there. Someone has to help."
Hiro telling Baymax goodbye. "I am satisfied with my care."
The rebuilt Baymax as he activated for the first time. "Hello Hiro."
Christmas with his friends, and the gift from Fred.
The man with the blue box. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."
And being shot before everything went dark.
Hiro!
Hiro!
Was that someone calling his name? Why was someone calling his name? Where was he? He couldn't remember. What had happened?
Oh yeah. He'd been thrown back after the explosion at the showcase. But no. that wasn't right. He'd seen his life flash before his eyes. Maybe that was why he felt so confused. Or was it? Just where was he?
That's right. The madman at the hospital. Something had told him it would be a good idea to go in more prepared than usual. Without the others knowing, he'd somehow managed to fortify his armor. He'd used the liquid metal Honey had created from the asteroid they'd discovered when they'd first met the Doctor. And he'd coated a bullet-proof vest he'd smuggled in. Thankfully, it covered more than just his chest and back.
"Come on, Hiro. Answer me!"
Was that GoGo calling him? But shouldn't she be taking out the bad guy? Hadn't that been the plan? If Hiro's attempts at reasoning failed, GoGo was supposed to take out the guy before he could blow the place up while Wasabi went in search of the bomb. But why wasn't she doing that? Had they failed?
It felt so nice to just lie there, minus the shaking, of course. It hurt less when he wasn't moving. Things hurt more than enough without that. He felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to his body, though not strictly true, he imagined it was about the same.
Hiro's chest felt like it was on fire, the pain puncturing through his brain like a lightning bolt. Had it really hurt this much the first time around? He couldn't remember. Then again, he'd had worse pain before. He was just having a hard time remembering from where.
"Breath, already, will you!"
Oh yeah, that's why someone was pounding on his chest. It reminded him of drowning on the beach. Only he hadn't drowned on the beach. He'd been shot by Callaghan. No, that wasn't right. He'd died from anaphylaxis after taking a beating from Yama's men. No, getting beaned on the head. Okay, that wasn't right either. Had he really died? Or had that all just been an incredibly awesome, albeit terrifying dream?
Hiro felt someone's mouth pressing against his, air being forced into his lungs. His eyes flew open and he gasped as the person over him pulled back. Why did he have to wake up to that? And why was it GoGo he saw bending over him? His chest heaved as it tried to catch up with the need for oxygen. His heart raced, almost in defiance of what had happened.
GoGo stared down at him with a mix of worry, fear, and outrage. This was his fault, after all. If he hadn't decided to try at diplomacy, he wouldn't have ended up getting shot. It was all his fault and he didn't blame her for glaring at him.
"The police are infiltrating the building," Baymax announced as Hiro tried to sit up. "I suggest we move Hiro from this location for medical treatment. I have already managed to contact Dr. Jones."
Hearing those words, and trying to sit up too quickly, Hiro couldn't help but drop back to the hard floor. He winced as his ribs constricted. He knew this feeling. He'd felt it before. At least one of his ribs had to be broken. And that sucked.
"Come on," Fred urged, his costume-covered hands making an urgent motion as Baymax, with Wasabi's help, got Hiro into his arms. "We gotta go!" He flipped his mask back into place, recreating the illusion that he was some kind of fire-breathing lizard from a comic book. It's what he'd wanted.
Had Wasabi been there a moment ago? And where was Honey Lemon?
Hiro had a moment of clarity as the pain momentarily subsided. "What about the madman?" he gasped, the pain shooting up again.
"GoGo knocked him out no more than a second after you got shot. You gave her the distraction she needed," Honey announced from somewhere he couldn't see. She made a running vault onto Baymax's back. "While that was happening, Wasabi managed to find and deactivate the bomb. We did it. "
"Glad to be of use," Hiro tried to joke.
GoGo joined Honey on Baymax's back. "It would have been easier to just go with my plan instead of getting yourself shot," she retorted. "You know you don't always have to play the hero."
Hiro had to laugh weakly at that, resisting the urge to cough once more. At least it wasn't blood gurgling up in his throat. Or salt water. Why was he thinking about weird things like that?
But they were moving, Baymax parallel to the ground as he activated his thrusters, heading for the same window they'd come through when it all started. Fred jumped out right after him, Wasabi following not far behind. It wouldn't do to be there when the cops stormed the place. This was one case they'd been asked to stay out of, after all.
Fred radioed Heathcliff, asking him to come around and meet them. It would be easier to transport at least half the team that way. The others could go ahead and get Hiro back to the mansion. After all, the robot had already called one of their secret keepers, a necessary addition to the invisible team behind Big Hero Six. They all knew Baymax wasn't a medical doctor, just a healthcare companion, albeit a good one.
"Back to base!" GoGo commanded, taking charge. And Baymax was more than willing to listen as he activated his boosters, shooting them up into the air before changing course to head to their destination.
...............................
Sometime during mid-flight, Hiro lost consciousness again. He woke to the unpleasant sensation of someone prodding his sore ribs. His eyes flew open and he almost flew off the table, but didn't thanks to the restraining hands of Baymax.
"Please be still while your injuries are treated," the robot implored, indicating Doctor Jones. A friend of the Doctor's, she'd more than come in handy after their encounter with the alien. And she'd been more than willing to help out when needed, provided she had access to some of the same tools Jack Harkness employed, allowing her to travel thousands of miles in the blink of an eye.
"It's a good thing you thought to reinforce this," Dr. Jones said, holding up Hiro's bullet-proof vest. "If you hadn't, that bullet would have torn right through you and you wouldn't be here to tell the tale."
Honey Lemon and GoGo exchanged looks. "You could have told us you'd done that," GoGo complained, moving closer so Hiro could see her.
Hiro looked up as the doctor slathered something soothing across his bare chest. Despite the added layer of protection, he still had some massive bruises, and the cooling gel Dr. Jones applied helped numb the pain. "I wasn't thinking," he admitted. "I'm sorry."
Dr. Jones nodded to Baymax, who helped Hiro sit up. "I've done about all I can for now," she admitted. "You've got a few cracked ribs and a lot of heavy bruising, but you should recover in a few weeks' time, provided you take things easy. I'm going to prescribe some painkillers and antibiotics, just in case, and I want you to practice deep breathing to keep off the potential of pneumonia."
"Just don't give me anything with sulfa in it," Hiro requested. "I may be allergic to that."
Baymax blinked at that announcement. "Are you certain of this? My previous scans only indicated a mild allergy to peanuts."
Hiro thought about the crazy dreams he'd had while unconscious. A small part of him whispered that those weren't really dreams, though he wasn't sure if he believed that. They were too fantastical to be otherwise. After all, who repeated the same timeline over and over again, unless they were a character in a movie? "Either way, I'd rather be safe than sorry," he admitted.
"I will perform a basic allergy test," Baymax announced before scanning the boy. He gave an almost puzzled-looking tilt of the head once finished. "You are correct. Not only do you have a mild allergy to peanuts, but you also appear to have an allergy to sulfa-based drugs. I do not understand how I did not detect this before."
Hiro gave the robot a pat on the arm. "It's okay, buddy," he assured. "I didn't know either."
That comment earned him an incredulous look from just about everyone in the room but he wasn't about to explain himself. After all, the memories of his incredible dream were beginning to fade. He wasn't sure he could tell them all even if he'd wanted to.
"So..." GoGo said slowly, popping her gum, "I guess this means Hiro's out of commission for a while."
Dr. Jones confirmed this with a nod. "Until his ribs have fully healed, I really don't suggest he go about doing any hero work. Doctor's orders."
And with that, Hiro knew Baymax wouldn't allow him to do anything either. "Doctor's orders" had become a code of sorts for "don't let Hiro get away with doing anything he'll regret later." This could also be translated into, "Hiro's been grounded," but he hated to think of it like that. Either way, he knew Baymax would follow any instructions given for his patient's care, including restraining him if necessary.
Hiro let out a sigh, then winced as he put one hand around his chest. This was going to suck. But at least he wasn't doing it alone. And, with luck, it would be over quickly, leaving him feeling like it had all just been a dream, like the strange memories fading into the background.