Baymax waddled down the street as he followed his young charge. Strictly speaking, he probably should have informed the others of their plans, but he figured Hiro couldn't get into too much trouble by going about on his own, especially since he planned on heading directly to the Lucky Cat Café. It was home, and that usually meant staying out of trouble.
Okay, who was he fooling? Despite knowing things had happened in the past, both at the café and other places, Baymax had no real way of determining what would and would not be constituted as a "good idea" when it came to the unknown. After all, he had encouraged Hiro to do things that most adults wouldn't allow more than once. Maybe that's part of why Hiro liked him so much.
"If I can get more information from Aunt Cass and anyone else who saw this phenomenon, I might be able to form a better idea of what happened," Hiro explained as they walked. He wasn't sure if Baymax was really listening or not, but it helped him to think by talking out loud. After all, he wasn't sure yet what was going on, if anything.
The incident might have just been someone pulling a prank. It wasn't unheard of, especially not with the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology nearby. But he couldn't recall hearing anything about any of his fellow classmates working on anything like that. Though it was possible there was some kind of holographic projection involved, he couldn't entirely dismiss the sinking feeling that alien tech was somehow to blame.
Hiro was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't paying attention to where he was going and totally ignored the lack of a crossing signal. Thankfully, Baymax pulled him back in time to avoid his getting hit by a car. The driver was not so pleased and honked, making a rather rude gesture, but Hiro was too absorbed in his own thoughts to pay it any mind.
"I highly recommend paying closer attention to your surroundings," Baymax said as Hiro narrowly avoided running into a fire hydrant. "Your air of distraction may lead to unintentional bodily harm."
That comment seemed to pull Hiro out of the clouds and back down to earth. He slowed his pace, coming to a stop as they came upon another crosswalk. "Sorry, Baymax," he apologized. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I mean, it could just be nothing. It could be a lot of things. I just don't know."
Baymax lifted a finger in the air as the walk signal flashed green. "May I suggest postponing further contemplation until all of the facts have been gathered? I would prefer we arrive at the café with all of your functions intact."
Hiro laughed at that. "You've been talking to that Data guy, haven't you?" He shook his head in amusement as they crossed the street. "He's an interesting individual. Honestly, I wouldn't mind learning more about him. The possibilities associated with the technology he represents are endless! Not that I'd want to take him apart or anything," he added almost contritely. "That would be like taking you apart and that's somehow just wrong."
"I would also prefer not to be dismantled," Baymax agreed. "I am sure Data shares those sentiments."
Their conversation came to an abrupt end as they rounded the corner across the street from the café. Nothing seemed wrong, no matter how much Hiro scanned the area. "Baymax, do you detect anything out of the ordinary? Any unusual energy readings or activity?"
Baymax stationed himself in a spot that would allow the largest view of the street. He slowly scanned the area, including the individuals walking, driving, and simply residing in the prescribed area. "I do not detect anything that would cause concern," he reported when finished.
Hiro sighed as he patted one vinyl arm. "I was afraid of that," he admitted. "Come on. Let's go talk to my aunt. Maybe she can tell us more about what's going on."
..............................
By the time the others had woken, Fred had Deanna Troi in stitches. The mascot was standing on one end of the table, totally at ease as he reenacted a prank he'd pulled on some freshmen just the other day. It was a harmless thing, mostly consisting of Fred hiding in his mascot costume and pretending to be a real lizard.
"You should have seen them jump!" Fred exclaimed as he leapt off the table, only to land on the floor in a crouch. It was an almost perfect reenactment of the incident. "It was epic!"
Deanna stifled a laugh as Picard, Worf, and Data entered the room, followed by Honey Lemon, GoGo, and Wasabi. She straightened up as she realized the captain was there. "We were just sharing stories," she explained at his incredulous look. "I find his antics to be quite entertaining."
Picard cleared his throat, resisting the urge to tug at his uniform collar. He didn't usually wear the same uniform twice in a row and he felt more than a little in need of a shower. "Yes, well be that as it may, Counselor," he paused, remembering their hosts were in attendance, "ahem, we can save that for another time, perhaps."
"Really, Fred?" Wasabi shook his head at the other man's antics. "What were you thinking?" He almost jumped back as he realized Fred had left shoe marks on the table. "That is disgusting! I am so not eating from the same table you were standing on!"
Honey Lemon hid a smile at her colleague's declaration. It was decidedly nothing new. She moved into the room and took a seat near the plate of muffins. "Looks like Heathcliff delivered as usual," she commented as she took a muffin.
"I wish to share in whatever it is that has caused a moment of mirth," Data declared.
Deanna smiled at that. "Another time, perhaps," she assured, leading him to the table. "But for now, I would like to find a place to clean up, and perhaps find a clean set of clothes."
GoGo popped a gum bubble as she leaned against the doorframe. "That would be a good idea," she stated, arms folded, then glanced at Fred. "Hey, Fred, think you can cough up some change so we can take these space guys shopping?"
For a moment, it seemed as if Worf was going to take offense to the term but was silenced by his superior. "A change of clothes would be nice," he admitted.
Fred moved towards the adrenaline junky, a slow smile on his face. "Yeah, I can totally swing for that. Might be better to get them into some appropriate threads, though I'm not so sure about that one." He pointed at the Klingon. "Might be kind of hard to hide those funny ridges on his head."
Worf straightened at that comment, looking affronted. "My appearance is of little concern to you," he said in a gruff voice.
Picard shook his head as he looked for a teapot. "Be that as it may, Worf, Fred has a point. Your unique features do make you stand out when among a group of humans. It's best to try and find some way to least take away the visual pull they present."
"I could totally lend you one of my beanies," Fred offered, indicating the knitted hat on his head. "I have way more than just this one. I don't usually wear them though."
The Klingon looked towards the mascot with a guarded expression, turning a momentary look towards the Captain as if imploring him to be more serious. "No thank you," he said politely. "I do not wish to hide my proud heritage."
Deanna could feel the tension begin to mount. "No one is asking you to hide your heritage," she tried to sooth. "But it is quite possible your distinct features will bring unwanted attention from others. They won't understand. The captain's right. We need to find a way of at least diverting their attention so we don't get into trouble. I'm sure you'd rather not be taken away by force simply because of some misunderstanding."
"They can try," Worf declared, squaring his shoulders, more than ready to take down any challenge.
GoGo looked mildly impressed by his declaration, nodding in appreciation. "I like you," she declared. "You don't care what society thinks. You do your own thing. But they're still right."
Wasabi looked from one face to the other. "Why not just give him a baseball cap? It's not quite as noticeable as a beanie and would totally fit in." He shrugged when Honey Lemon looked at him with a strange expression. "What? It's more plausible a disguise than anything else, and if anyone asks, we can just say he's an actor."
GoGo nodded in approval. "That could work. We just need a hat big enough to fit his head."
Data watched the exchange with fascination. "A baseball cap would probably prove the least intrusive," he added. "Perhaps it need not be used at all if the locals can be convinced you are some form of performer."
"I will not be anyone's entertainment," Worf protested. "It would be unseemly."
Picard accepted a cup of tea from Heathcliff, sipping at it in appreciation. Now that was a good cup of Earl Grey. "I'm sure we'll all find the customs here are quite different from our own. It's best to try and adapt as we can."
Data listened with strict attention. "I am eager to learn about these customs and try to adapt to them, Captain."
Fred jumped up and down in excitement. "It's settled then! We're going shopping!"