(Quick note, I added more content to the previous chapter. If you haven't read the updated version, please do so now so as not to miss anything.)
"Hiro? Hiro, you here?" Fred called out as he peeked into the movie room back at the manor. Sometimes their leader liked to chill out there when he wasn't doing something in the command center.
Upon arriving back at the manor, Wasabi had headed straight to the room he shared with Hiro, hoping he'd come back. But he hadn't. The teen's continued absence started a manor-wide search for him, just in case. He wasn't answering his phone, which was a bit worrisome.
The group of Heroes was about to head out on a massive manhunt when the front door opened and Hiro walked in, Baymax behind him.
"Where have you been?!" Wasabi demanded, getting in Hiro's face before anyone else could so much as react. "I had to cover for you when the others got up," he added between his teeth, speaking in a much quieter tone.
Baymax moved past the irate student, still carrying the unconscious man they'd found. "Please excuse me," he said as GoGo and Fred just stared.
Honey Lemon looked on in surprise. "Hiro? Who is that man Baymax is carrying?"
At that moment, Picard and his group entered the foyer. Seeing the person in the robot's arms, Picard almost had a mild heart attack. "Where on earth did you find that man?" he demanded, covering himself as best he could.
Hiro glanced at the captain, not sure how to take that tone. It was less than friendly. "We found him in an alley near my aunt's café," he answered. "I take it you know him?"
"He calls himself Q," Worf spoke up before Picard could answer. He also looked less than pleased with the man's presence. "He is the reason we are stuck here."
The Big Heroes exchanged confused looks with each other, all except for Baymax who continued on towards a little room off to one side. It was the same room Ms. Smith and the Doctor had used when they'd first come visiting some months ago. Still in a bit of shock, the others followed after the healthcare robot.
Hiro stood to one side as the robot placed the man on a sofa. He folded his arms and looked from Picard to Trio to Worf and then to Data. "Okay," he said, his voice taking on the tone of a leader. "It looks like we have a bit of a problem here. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to know what is really going on." He focused his attention on Picard. "So why don't you tell us just what is going on and cut out all the bull."
Even Wasabi looked a little shocked when he glanced at Hiro's far too serious face. This was not a side of his friend he saw often, nor did he want to. The last time he'd seen it had resulted in the teen almost getting himself killed.
Picard had chosen to stand, despite the rest of his officers following the example of the rest of the people in the room, minus Hiro and Baymax. While he saw the logic in Hiro's request, part of him felt less than willing, given not only the boy's age but the Prime Directive. But that also seemed to be thrown out the window, in a way, since the people of this planet already appeared to know about life on other planets, and had apparently also encountered it.
Hiro's words had shocked Picard and he couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise. The boy held a larger sense of authority than many men three times his age. It deserved a certain sort of respect, as well as a sense of caution. It would be easy to forget that this child was not yet a man and still swayed by the whimsy of childhood. "Very well," he sighed, making his body relax.
"Captain, are you sure this is wise?" Worf spoke up from his seat. He'd chosen a hard-backed chair that made him sit up straight.
Picard looked over to his security chief. He felt certain he knew what was going on in his mind. "Sure? No. But we are at their mercy if we ever want to return home. I somehow doubt Q," and he looked a bit disdainfully at the unconscious man, "will be as accommodating."
"You really don't like him, do you?" Honey Lemon asked, a frown on her face. "What did he do that made you dislike him so much? Isn't he a part of your team?"
Deanna reached a hand over to Honey Lemon, who she happened to be sitting next to. "No," she confirmed. "He's not. He's an alien entity from a vastly powerful species."
Baymax perked up at that. "I did not detect any indication of this," he said. "My scans indicate he is human."
The Captain shook his head. "Not possible. While Q sometimes masquerades as human, he's as far from it as anyone can get." Realizing he needed to give them a bit of background, he found a vacant chair and sat down, trying to figure out the best way to explain things. "Q is part of a society that calls itself the Continuum. We first encountered him many years ago when my ship, the Enterprise, took on its first voyage."
"You mean like a star ship, right?" Fred spoke up, his expression showing rapt attention and excitement.
Picard couldn't help but smile at that. He remembered what Troi had told him about this young man and his enthusiasm for the unknown. "Yes, a star ship," he confirmed. "We ran into Q as we went to pick up the other members of our crew on our maiden voyage. He stopped us halfway there and tried to condemn humanity as a whole, using us as his example for our society's many crimes."
Wasabi looked a bit taken aback by that. "Say what now? Humanity's many crimes?"
"That is to say our history of violence and bloodshed, wars and the way we've treated different cultures and species since the dawn of time," Picard tried to explain. "It was up to us to prove that humanity had evolved beyond the arcane and base nature we once shared. Thankfully, we were able to pass his little test."
GoGo popped her gum as she listened, a bored expression on her face. "So he judged you for humanity. How does that make him such a tough guy?"
"Q is from a race of great power," Data inserted. "His abilities seem far reaching and limitless. He is able to transport individuals from one place to another in the blink of an eye. He is also able to create realities out of nothing, transport people through time and space on a whim."
Fred's expression turned a bit more serious as he looked towards Hiro. "Sounds a bit like the Doctor if you ask me. I mean time and space? Isn't that the Doctor's calling card?"
But Hiro waved him aside, realizing there were some decided fundamental differences. "So what's the problem?"
Picard inhaled, then let out his breath in a rush. "Q has taken a fancy to my crew and continually interferes with our missions. We are toys to him, in a grand game only he can understand. When he is near, we are completely at his mercy. Should he choose, he could wipe out all existence on this planet with a wave of his hand."
"I don't like the sound of that," Honey Lemon confessed, looking more than a little worriedly at the man in question. He looked so innocent lying there, asleep and helpless.
The captain adjusted his position to try and sit more comfortably. "Several days ago, I went down to a deserted plan with my three crew members here to investigate some ruins. Archeology is a hobby of mine and I was in need of some relaxation. While we were there, we encountered significant seismic activity that required us to seek shelter. Unfortunately, we were trapped inside a system of caves. Our ship was unable to rescue us. Then Q came along. With little choice, we accepted his help. And the rest, as they say, is history."
It was Wasabi's turn to glare at Q. He didn't like the sound of him at all. "What are we waiting for? We should tie him up or something. Someone that powerful shouldn't be allowed to run free."
"That wouldn't work," Deanna spoke up, feeling in complete agreement with the emotions washing over her from the others. "He could free himself in an instant." There was only one person she was having a hard time reading and she couldn't help but wonder at that.
Feeling the intensity of the counselor's stare, Hiro looked up. "We're not tying anyone up," he stated. "We're not the police."
Wasabi got to his feet, arms waving with the intensity of his emotions. "We have to do something to keep him in check! If what these guys have said is true, we could be in some serious danger here."
Deanna sensed an argument brewing and moved to sway it. "There is some hope that we might not see Q in all his power." She turned towards the captain. "Remember when he showed up on the bridge that one time, naked?" She glanced around the room, taking in the Big Hero's reactions. "He was being punished by those in the Continuum and had his powers stripped from him. Perhaps that is the case now. It would certainly explain why he's unconscious."
Before Picard or any of the other Enterprise crew could answer, the man on the sofa groaned. All eyes turned towards the new visitor as he stirred.
With some effort, Q moved to a sitting position and looked around. "Mon Capitaine!" he exclaimed upon seeing Picard. "You survived! And the rest of your crew as well! I was hoping you would!"
Worf gave a low growl. "No thanks to you."
"No thanks to-!" Q put a hand to his heart, his expression one of confusion and mock pain. "That hurts. You know I was only trying to help. It's not my fault if the anomaly got in the way." He looked over the group again, his expression lightening. "And it looks like you've managed to make some new friends! Excellent!"
Fred couldn't help but stare. This man was unlike any he'd ever met, and he'd met some odd ones before. "Is this guy bipolar or something?" he asked as he indicated Q with a pointed thumb.
Q stood at that comment, looking Fred up and down. "And who, sir, would you be?"
But before Fred could answer, Picard stood to intercept him. "Q, now that you're here, why don't you focus on returning us to our ship?"
The alien was all smiles as he turned to Picard. "But of course, Mon Capitaine! I would be happy to oblige!" He raised one hand into the air and snapped his fingers. Nothing happened.
Q's expression changed to a frown that was almost a pout. He tried snapping again with the same result. "I don't understand. Why isn't it working?" He snapped his fingers with growing rapidity and frustration.
"Perhaps the Continuum has taken away your power yet again," Worf answered dryly.
That comment earned him a disapproving look from Q. "They wouldn't dare take the power of the Q away from me a second time. If they did, I would cease to be Q and therefore be..." He slowly returned to a sitting position, looking a little pale. "No! It can't be. You didn't!" he yelled up at the ceiling as he shook a fist. "You can't leave me as a human again! You know I can't live like this! It's not fair!"
Data and Deanna exchanged glances while the Big Heroes looked on with confusion. The situation had decidedly taken a rather odd turn and they weren't sure what to make of it.
"Q!" Picard barked. "Calm down! This childish behavior won't help anyone."
At the captain's words, Q turned to Picard with an incredulous look on his face. "Childish behavior? Oh that's rich, coming from an underdeveloped society of non-powerful entities like yourself! You know I can't survive as a human!"
"Enough!" Hiro yelled so loud even GoGo jumped. "That. Is. Enough! Both of you!"
Both the captain and Q looked at Hiro like he'd somehow grown a set of horns, or maybe a third eye. Either way, it was obvious that he now had their undivided attention.
"Fighting isn't going to solve the problem," Hiro continued in a more normal, yet authoritative voice. "It's clear from listening to both sides that without Q's powers you won't be getting home any time soon, either of you. We have to find a way to fix that or go around it. But arguing isn't going to make that happen. So let's all just calm down and be the rational adults I know we're all capable of being."
Q put a hand to his chest in a mocking manner. "Are you insinuating that I'm acting like a child when you're still one yourself? Now that is entertaining. Please do go on with your ideas on how to resolve this situation."
Hiro counted to ten in his head. He felt for sure his ears were turning red under his mop of hair, though he didn't want to find a mirror to check on that. "I didn't say I had an answer," he responded evenly. "What I said is that we need to sit down and discuss this in a civilized manner."
Picard gave Q a disapproving look. "Though boy he may appear, it would seem there is much more to him than meets the eye. That and he is the leader of this crew. At the very least, let us hear what he has to say."
"This sad excuse for a child is their leader?" Q looked at Hiro with incredulous disbelief.
"Girls, girls," GoGo spoke up for the first time since the conversation had really started. She had her arms folded across her chest as she popped her gum, a look of disapproval on her face. "You're both pretty so just chill."
Fred shook his head, going for a more neutral approach. "I never thought I'd see the day when Hiro actually told off a couple of adults for being just as childish as he usually is. What?" he shrugged when Hiro gave him a rather scathing look. "It's the truth. I mean, I knew you had it in you, but to actually see it? It boggles the mind!"
"I am detecting elevated blood pressure in all individuals present," Baymax announced, reminding them all of the healthcare robot's presence.
Data glanced at Baymax with a hint of appreciation. "I believe your robot is trying to tell us that we all need to calm down and discuss matters in a more appropriate manner."
Hiro slowly inhaled once more, and then let his breath out. "Baymax is merely stating the facts," he answered. "But the point remains. We need more information before anything can be decided. So let's go over what we already know."
Wasabi pointed at Q. "This guy is supposed to be some all-powerful being but isn't. He's the reason Picard and his crew are here."
Q was about to protest but Hiro gave him a rather glaring look that silenced him. The man folded his arms in imitation of a surly schoolboy.
"Don't forget he said there was some kind of anomaly that interfered," Honey Lemon spoke up.
GoGo nodded at that point. "And there was that weird wave of energy last night."
Fred glanced at all the people in the room. "I know it may not have seemed like I was paying attention last night, but I did hear these guys say something about a possible alternate universe or something. What if, and hear me out on this, what if these guys really are from an alternate universe. And what if this Q guy didn't actually get his powers taken away? What if being in an alternate universe somehow messed with them instead?"
Picard glanced at Data, who contemplated the suggestion. "Theoretically, that is possible," the android stated. "If Q's abilities defy the logic of this alternate universe, it is possible some force has removed those powers to balance out the universal equation."
Deanna cradled her arm as she thought about it. "While that may be true, it doesn't help us figure out how to solve our immediate problem. How do we return to the Enterprise, our Enterprise, without them?"
Q cleared his throat. "Aren't you forgetting something of monumental importance? Me!" He frowned as all eyes turned to him with varying degrees of disdain. "Think of it this way. Without me, we're all stuck here."
"But you currently lack the ability to remedy that," Worf reminded.
Q gave him a rather displeased look. "And believe me when I say I want that changed more than any of you present. Why, without my powers, I'm just as helpless and pathetic as you lot. And believe you me, I want to change that as quickly as possible. You all remember how things went last time."
The Klingon almost launched himself at Q but stopped at a look from Picard. The captain glanced at all of his officers in order. "Our hosts are right," he admonished. "This is getting us nowhere. The unfortunate truth has already been established. Hiro is right. We need more information before we can decide on any course of action. So we should look into gathering what information we can."
Honey Lemon pushed her glasses up her nose. She was suddenly reminded of a somewhat similar situation back when they'd first formed their group.
We want to help, but we're just us.
No, you can be so much more.
Creating the Big Heroes had seemed like a daunting, and rather impossible task, but they'd done it. Under Hiro's guidance, they'd created all their gadgets and faced off with various villains. They just needed to treat this situation in the same manner.
"Maybe we just need to find a new angle," Honey suggested. "It's what Tadashi would suggest." She flashed Hiro a somewhat apologetic smile.
Hiro knew Honey was right as he nodded. "The best thing to do right now is join forces to figure out what's going on. If we split into teams, someone from each group pared up with each other, we might be able to gain some better insights into this whole matter."
Wasabi moved to stand near Q. "I volunteer to pair up with this guy so I can keep an eye on him." He glared at the man. If anyone was going to do anything to hurt any member of his team, this was the one most likely to do it.
"I request to join your team," Worf stated. "For the same reason." He gave Q a stern look.
Troi glanced around, her gaze stopping at Hiro, remembering what the captain had requested of her the night before. "With your permission, I'd like to team up with you," she said.
Hiro glanced at Baymax. "You okay with that, buddy?"
Baymax blinked, and then turned his head to look at the counselor. "I find this arrangement to be satisfactory," he replied. "I would prefer to keep Deanna Troi in my care until she has fully recovered from her injuries."
Picard looked questioningly at Hiro. "You make it sound as though you're an inseparable pair."
"Where I go, Baymax goes," Hiro confirmed.
Data stood and moved towards GoGo and Honey Lemon. "Captain, I believe I may be of most use if partnered with Honey Lemon and GoGo, though I would like to learn more about this healthcare robot at some later date."
The captain waved a hand. "That's fine by me, Mr. Data. Perhaps young Hiro will allow you and his robot to trade information later on."
"I would like that," Data confirmed.
Hiro looked pointedly at the school mascot. "Fred, why don't you join Wasabi's group? That way you can keep each other out of trouble." He thought the tense looking group needed someone to help soothe things over, a skill Fred excelled at.
Fred bounced over to his assigned team. "Roger that!" he called out with a mock salute.
Q pouted. "Why do I get stuck with an all male group? That's no fun."
"You do not get a choice," Worf informed him with a scowl.
Deanna moved to stand by Hiro, though her attention focused on Picard. "Which group will you join, Captain?"
Picard looked from group to group. Two of the teams only had three people, but he felt inserting himself in Hiro's team wouldn't be wise. Two leaders often had conflicting views and that was the last thing they needed. That and this was Hiro's planet, not his. "I'll join Mr. Data and his group," he decided.
Hiro glanced at his watch. "It's three in the afternoon now so there's still some time left today. I suggest we separate into our respective teams and discuss our options, then come back together before dinner to share them. Everyone okay with that?"
The teen looked around to see several nods, getting more verbal agreement than gestural. "Good. Then let's break up into our groups and go from there."