It took some convincing, but Picard and Data were finally able to rejoin the others only moments after Hiro and Baymax did. The cops had not been too happy about their impromptu sketch in front of the café. But no harm had been done. And once they'd realized the two men had no idea what was going on inside, and the captain had vouched for them, nor were they in any way associated with the hostage situation, they'd let them go with a stiff warning.
"Your planetary security seems to be chasing their own tales," Picard remarked as the Big Heroes huddled together, waiting for Wasabi to bring the car around. He'd had a bit of a harder time getting out of the crowd than the others due to the traffic. The backup was unreal, encompassing several blocks.
Honey Lemon glanced towards the others in her group, biting her lip. It wasn't that the police were incompetent, but the situation was decidedly far from normal. "They mean well," she said with a sigh. "It's not their fault the person holding the café hostage disappeared." And, if she was being honest, she still couldn't help but wonder what had gone on in there. It defied all logic.
"I'm willing to bet it had something to do with that strange bubble we saw," GoGo spoke up as she played with her skates. "Maybe it's like Fred said and Q's powers got taken away, only to randomly float around the city. It is possible."
Wasabi had parked his van by this point and glanced at Picard and his crew. He'd managed to get his van away from the crowd with only a little difficulty. Q and Deanna exited the car moments after he did, just in time to hear GoGo's remarks. "Is that really possible? I mean, it sounds too much like something from one of Fred's comic books," he reasoned.
Fred put his hands on his hips, his kaiju hood thrown back. Thankfully, they were in a side alley where no one could see them. "Comic books are based on reality," he huffed. "If you read them, you'd know that."
Hiro listened to the banter, his head still feeling heavy. He had yet to find something to eat and that left him feeling rather weak. He settled on sitting just inside the car in the back, legs dangling out on the street. Sometimes Wasabi kept snacks in there. He just hoped he could find one.
"As fascinating as this discussion is, I believe it would be advisable to return to the manor before discussing matters further," Data noted. He pulled out his tricorder, which he'd hidden in one of his pockets, and scanned the area. "While we are indeed alone at this moment, I do not believe it will remain that way for long."
Baymax looked around, also scanning the area. "What Data said is correct. I detect several individuals heading in this direction." There were also several cars as well. Chances were good the police were still searching for the man who'd held the cafe hostage, not realizing he was gone and probably wasn't coming back.
Wasabi moved past Hiro's legs, which were sticking out from the open doorway of the van, and back around to the driver's seat. He was followed by Fred, who took shotgun. But before Wasabi could comment that Hiro should actually get into the vehicle, the boy stepped back onto the pavement, munching on something he'd found inside.
"Baymax and I'll meet you back at Fred's place," Hiro announced. The granola bar he'd found had helped a little, but it decidedly wasn't enough. That and there was no way Baymax would fit through the car's door in full armor. Nor would there be enough room even if he did. Flying back would be far more feasible, he decided. Just like how they'd gotten there in the first place. Maybe it was time to call Heathcliff, especially if he could get his way. He didn't want the others to know about his current condition, which meant Honey Lemon and GoGo had to find another way home.
Deanna exchanged a somewhat worried glance with Picard. "I sense there might be something wrong," she told the captain in a hushed voice. "Hiro's hiding something he doesn't want the others to find out."
Worf eyed the rest of his crew. They had yet to get back into the van. He didn't like the idea of them splitting up again, but he could see the wisdom in it. "Perhaps it would be wise to have someone else go with you," he said, looking directly at Hiro. "There is strength in numbers." It helped that at least two people would have to if they were all to make it back without problems. Unless another vehicle showed up.
Honey Lemon glanced at Hiro. "Worf's right," she agreed. There was decidedly something off about Hiro. She just couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was his complexion. "I volunteer to go with you." It would save them the trouble of calling Heathcliff to come get someone.
Hiro made a show of rolling his eyes, though part of him felt the precaution a good idea. Despite the granola, he knew he was far from fine and Baymax might bring that up at any moment, regardless of his desire to keep that tidbit a secret. "Fine," he said in resignation after several seconds of silence.
"Me too," GoGo spoke up. "We came in together. Might as well go back together."
Honey moved so the others could get in the car while GoGo attached her skates to the special magnet on her back. "We'll see you back at the house," she said. Making sure the others were all in, she closed the van door. She then stepped back as Wasabi drove off.
Baymax watched the van depart, at least until it turned the corner to rejoin traffic. He then turned his attention back to his patient. "Your blood sugar levels are still low," he warned, ignoring the fact that Honey Lemon and GoGo were still there. At least it wasn't in front of the others, Hiro reasoned, though he was still a bit upset by the comment.
The chemist moved to Hiro's side with mild alarm. "Hiro," she said, searching his face, "what's going on?"
Hiro seemed to stumble a bit, blinking rapidly. For another brief moment, he felt as though he'd somehow returned to the Rift and it left him feeling disoriented. "It's nothing," he said, trying to brush the incident aside. "I'm fine." He put one hand to his head as the pressure in his sinus cavity increased and he wobbled to one side. Finally, he slid to the ground, his head between his knees.
"You don't look fine," GoGo observed. "What gives?" She placed both hands on her hips as she stared at their leader.
Baymax moved to assess his patient once more. "Hiro appears to be sensitive to the energy appearing at random," he informed. "It seems to affect him in a similar manner as the alien entity from the Portal."
Honey bit her lip. "That doesn't sound good," she admitted. "I wish we had the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to help with that. You don't think it's trying to form some kind of psychic link with him, do you?"
GoGo looked grim. "While we're at it, does anyone know how to contact the Doctor? Maybe he could help get those guys back home while he's at it."
The robot shook his head. "I do not believe so. It would appear that the energy is similar enough in structure to that of the entity that it has caused a sort of relapse in Hiro's system. However, I do not believe it is the same. I regret to inform you that I am also unable to contact the Doctor."
Hiro reached up a hand to steady himself. "I'm fine," he assured as both his friends bent closer to him. "Sorry about that. I should be good to go in a minute."
"You should eat something to increase your blood sugar levels," Baymax reminded as he helped the teen stand. "While you sustained a momentary burst of energy from the granola I saw you eating, this recent occurrence seemed to have negated its effectiveness."
The robotics genius couldn't help but lean heavily against Baymax's armor. He was too worn out to pretend anymore. "You're probably right. I still feel kinda dizzy," he admitted. "It's like one side of my head weighs more than the other."
Honey couldn't hide the worry from her eyes. "Maybe you should just carry him," she told the robot. "I doubt he's able to safely fly on your back. Something bad might happen." GoGo nodded in agreement.
Baymax bent to scoop Hiro up in his arms before he could protest. "I believe you are correct," he told Honey. "Please secure yourself to my back and we will depart." He extended his wings as he spoke.
Carefully, Honey Lemon climbed up onto Baymax's back and held on to the base of his wings with both hands. GoGo was not far behind. In so many ways, this reminded her of that one time back with the asteroids and earthquakes. "We're ready," both girls announced.
With a nod, Baymax activated his thrusters and they flew up into the air. With a quick adjustment, they were headed back to Fred's place at record speed.
......................................
By the time Wasabi drove the rest of the group up to Fred's place, Hiro, Honey Lemon, and GoGo were eating dinner. And, thanks to Baymax's attentions, Hiro felt much better than he had earlier. The initial sugar he'd consumed hadn't been nearly enough and the robot had consulted with Heathcliff on making a more nutritionally balanced meal.
"I see you've started without us," Wasabi complained as he entered the smaller breakfast nook. Since they hadn't anticipating having everyone sit around a table, they'd opted to keep using the smaller room. But the burly student didn't stand on ceremony and found a plate to pile high with meat and veggies.
The Enterprise crew, along with Q, came in behind Fred. They all looked more than ready to call it a day. It had been a rather exciting one at that. Shopping trips, arcade games, and a rescue kind of did that to a person. That and there seemed to be a good share of secrets being kept all around.
"Well, this looks fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered," Picard commented as he subconsciously straightened his shirt. He went for a healthy serving of vegetables and noodles.
Honey offered to help Deanna with her plate, since she still had her arm firmly in the printed brace. Aside from which, they were eating buffet style and lounging around in chairs pushed away from the central table where the food was situated.
GoGo waved a lazy hand towards the arriving group. "Took you long enough," she admonished. Her plate was already half empty, though she was working on a second helping and had therefor slowed down a bit.
While Worf served himself, Q stared at the assortment on the table with a rather ugly expression. "What in the universe is this?"
Hiro glanced up from his place near the far window. "Lemon chicken, spicy noodles, and an assortment of green vegetables," he answered with a rather straight face. Casting a quick look towards Baymax, who basically hovered over him, he took another bite of the green beans on his plate. They were decidedly not his favorite but the robotic nurse insisted he eat something other than just meat and noodles. And, knowing the robot would start spouting out about his condition if he didn't eat the veggies, he was more willing to do so.
After some urging on Fred's part, Q speared a few pieces of chicken and a few tongs' full of noodles. He opted to ignore the vegetables as they didn't look that appetizing. "This is all utterly repulsive," he complained as he took the only vacant seat left, which happened to be a hard-bottomed chair made of wood. The others had sat down while he was busy complaining.
"Since things didn't go exactly to plan," Picard spoke up, "Would you prefer we wait until after dinner to discuss what our respective groups came up with? Or would you rather we discuss it while we eat?" He looked directly at Hiro, thinking Troi had been right about him hiding something. The boy seemed rather pensive for some reason, though it might only be from worrying about his aunt.
Before Hiro could answer, however, his cell phone rang. He set his plate aside and looked at the caller ID. "It's Aunt Cass," he announced as he stood and headed towards the hallway. "I'll be right back." With that, he activated the phone, answering it. He shut the door behind him as he left the room.
"I hope she's alright," Honey Lemon worried as she stared at the closed door. They hadn't exactly stuck around to check, though Baymax had assured them she was receiving the care she needed. She put in a silent wish that Hiro would be as well. Despite eating a bit, he did still seem out of sorts. Of course, with everything that had gone on, she couldn't really blame him. It was a lot to handle in one day.
With nothing to do but wait for their leader to come back, the Big Heroes focused on eating. Their guests followed suit, stealing occasional glances around the room.
"You know, guys," Fred spoke up, breaking the silence, "maybe we should start talking about all that's happened. Some pretty good theories were put out there, if you know what I mean."
Data observed his companions with an air of fascination. But when Fred spoke up, he had to agree. "Fred is correct, Captain," he said. "Despite Hiro's absence, perhaps it would not be a bad idea to discuss everyone's theories."
GoGo nodded as she chewed. Hiro could always be brought back up to speed. That and she didn't feel bad about going on without him. After all, he had lied to them about his condition. She gave Wasabi a slightly pointed look, though the man seemed to miss it. She knew he'd covered for Hiro the night before. She just wasn't sure why.
"The most likely theory put out there is about that guy's powers," Fred continued as he pointed his fork at Q. "Remember what was said back at the Café? Maybe what we're dealing with here is his powers running rampant around the city. I heard a few more reports of strange things happening when I went to my room to change."
That caught everyone's attention. Wasabi couldn't help but straighten up, his food meticulously separated on his plate as he put his fork down. "What kind of things?"
The mascot waved a lazy hand in the air. "Oh, like a few objects moving around, mostly those little historical markers or bike racks. Some people think it's just a childish prank. But there's more. I heard a few people randomly disappeared, only to reappear somewhere else. That and there's been some random bouts of rain only in very specific areas, almost as if someone had created a cloud just for that one area."
Deanna glanced over at Baymax, wondering if Fred had found out about the jogger Hiro had told them about earlier. By the sound of things, that poor jogger wasn't the only one. "It sounds likely we're dealing with something like what you said. But I still don't understand how Q's powers could randomly affect different individuals and objects like that. It doesn't make sense."
GoGo shrugged as she put her plate aside and popped a piece of gum into her mouth. "What's there to understand? When Honey and I were in the café and tried to apprehend that guy, we saw some kind of bubble float towards him. When it touched him, he disappeared." She didn't add in the fact that the guy had screamed as if in agony. She could no more explain that than she could everything else that had happened so far.
Picard glanced over to Data who had declined a plate of food when offered earlier. "Your observations, Mr. Data? Is it possible?"
The android tilted his head to one side as he thought about it. "As we do not know the exact properties of this alternate universe, it is theoretically possible. I have discovered nothing that would prove or disprove this theory."
"Those are my powers you're talking about!" Q spoke up, clearly pouting. "And even if they are out there, floating at random as you say, it doesn't excuse all these mortals from using them."
Deanna rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt they're trying to," she retorted. "They can no more control it than a person sent into a sudden rainstorm can control getting wet."
Q folded his arms in a huff, his plate threatening to slide off his lap. "They could try."
"It's not as easy as all that," Wasabi argued. "How can you avoid something you can't see?"
Honey patted her lips with a napkin, then put her plate on a small cart ready for such a purpose. "Almost can't see," she corrected. "Remember? GoGo and I saw that bubble in the café. It almost looked like a heat haze or something similar, except round."
But before they could get any further on this line of conversation, Hiro rejoined the group. "Sorry about that. Aunt Cass says hi and, other than feeling a bit shaken, seems to be doing okay. I offered to go over but she told me to just stay put for now. I think she wants some time alone."
"Speaking of time," Picard said as he stood, taking his empty plate to the cart Honey had used, "perhaps it would be best to sleep on today's events and look on them with fresh eyes in the morning."
Picking up on what the Captain meant, Deanna nodded. "I think you may be right about that. This has been a rather traumatic afternoon for several of us and it might not be a bad idea to give them some time to come to terms with things. That being said, if anyone needs someone to talk to, I'm more than willing to listen."
The majority of those in the room hemmed and hawed at the idea. Worf remained silently observant as he finished off his chicken. Once more, he thought it not bad, though it could have used more sauce. But when the rest of his crew got up to leave for their respective rooms, he was more than willing to follow.
With their visitors gone, GoGo stared pointedly at Hiro. "You have some things to tell the others," she reminded, not about to let him weasel out of it.
Hiro sighed, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Fine," he agreed. "Just not in here." Deciding he wasn't hungry anymore, he chose to discard his half-finished plate and headed towards their base of operations on the upper floor. He didn't want the others knowing about this just yet. That and the command room was more secure from outside influences.
..................................
With Baymax in his charger, just to be safe, Hiro slumped against the back of his swivel chair. He really didn't want to do this. But with GoGo glaring at him and Honey Lemon looking worried, he didn't think he had much of a choice.
"So, are you going to tell us what's going on or are you going to keep us in suspense?" Wasabi asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. He opted to sit near Honey Lemon's work area, using a stationary stool for a perch. He had no idea what was going on but the sooner they got to the bottom of it, the sooner they could plan things to deal with whatever it was.
Fred lounged in a reclining chair he'd insisted be included in the command center's furniture arrangements. He could just chill in his room, but sometimes it was nice to just sit with everyone's gear and remember all they'd accomplished so far. "Yeah, what's up, little dude?"
Hiro let out a sigh as his face fell. "Actually, Wasabi, you already sort of know," he said as he looked at the blade-wielding hero. "It's kind of a continuation of what happened last night when everyone had that reaction to the random energy." He shuddered just thinking about it, hoping that wouldn't bring about another attack.
Tired of waiting, GoGo pushed away from the work bench she'd been leaning against as she popped a bubble. "Let's just get on with it!" she huffed. "Hiro had a relapse," she then announced before he could protest. "It seems like the energy running around San Fransokyo is similar to that entity that kept going after Hiro when we first met the Doctor."
Fred sat up at that announcement, his expression filled with worry and shock. "Is that true?" His body was unusually tense as he stared at their leader. That last encounter had nearly killed him. And if the energy was the same, or at least similar, he didn't even want to entertain the idea that something similar might happen again.
Hiro hung his head. "Yeah, it's true," he confirmed. "Last night Wasabi was there when it hit me. I guess you could say it was more like I had the same symptoms most of you did but like five times stronger?" He glanced up from under his messy hair, almost as if he hoped they'd let him stop there, though he knew that wish was futile.
GoGo glared at Wasabi. "And when were you going to tell us about this? Because we all know Hiro wasn't."
Looking more than a little upset, Wasabi let his hands drop to his sides before using them to animate his point. "Look, I made a promise. Hiro assured me it was a one time deal. So I covered for him. So sue me."
Honey Lemon pushed up her glasses as she moved to stand in front of the irate hero. "Getting mad at each other isn't going to fix the problem," she reminded. That said, she turned back to Hiro. "Go ahead, Hiro. Tell the others about today."
Totally dejected now, Hiro related how the energy had affected him on the rooftop of his neighbor's house. "Believe me when I say it sucks more for me than it does for any of you guys. At least you don't seem to be bombarded by it like I am."
"Hiro has made an excellent point," Baymax inserted as he held one hand up to emphasize his point. "The only time any others seem to have been affected in a similar manner appears to be last night. Your reactions were also of a decidedly lesser intensity than what seems to affect Hiro."
Fred nodded as he allowed himself to flop back against his seat. "I have a theory about that," he offered. "What if what everyone's thinking is true? What if this energy really is from that Q guy?"
Wasabi almost stood from his seat but the mascot put out a hand to sway him. "Hear me out, guys," he requested. "Just think about it. Those guys from an alternate universe showed up yesterday evening. Only a couple of hours later, we all get hit with that energy wave. Then, earlier today, that Q guy shows up. That and he was near where everything went down earlier, which is where Hiro had a second attack. Coincidence? I think not."
GoGo had to nod. "He has a point. For all we know, Q was held in some kind of limbo while the others were transported here. If our universe didn't like his powers, chances are good they were stripped away during that time, then scattered at random. Of course, it's also entirely possible it's all just a coincidence."
Honey looked around at her friends' faces. It made sense, even if there wasn't any real way to prove it at the moment. "I think the most pressing issue is how this all effects Hiro," she reminded. "If, as you say, this energy is running around the city, what will happen when Hiro comes in contact with more of it? And what can we do to keep it from hurting him?"
"That is a practical question," Baymax observed as he stepped free of his charger. "I would also like to know how to contain the effects this energy has on Hiro."
Hiro couldn't help but give a wry roll of the eyes. "You and me both," he quipped. "I'm not exactly keen on the idea of this continuing. I've had more than enough to last a lifetime, if you know what I mean."
Wasabi shook his head. "I doubt there's a way we can keep it from doing whatever it wants to Hiro. His body's gotten used to the idea of it causing him pain." He held up a hand as his friends protested. "I'm not saying nothing can be done, but it probably won't be easy. It's not like we can see every particle of energy running rampant in the atmosphere. And even if we could, there's no way we could accurately predict how it will affect Hiro without further information."
Hiro threw his hands up in the air. "Oh great! Now I'm a science experiment!" He let himself slouch back against his chair, the furniture spinning enough from the force that he had to straighten it to continue facing his friends, though part of him just wanted to hide from their concerned expressions.
"That's not what I meant and you know it," Wasabi countered. "The point is we don't really know how to predict what's going to happen, or when. If we could find a way to accurately trace each particle of energy that has the potential of affecting you that would be one thing. But short of making some kind of super sensor that can do that, I don't see how we can get around this problem."
Baymax leaned forward. "I can already detect the presence of this energy when it is present," he declared. "However, as it seems unpredictable in its manifestation, I cannot accurately predict its pattern or the size of any given energy pocket prior to materialization."
GoGo pursed her lips. "Back to square one," she mused. "We can't predict it. We can sort of track it, but we can't control it. Heaven forbid we actually find a way to contain it."
The idea seemed to make Hiro's energy levels increase a little as he sat up in his chair. "Containing it is something we should seriously consider," he said. "Maybe if we can find a way to collect it, we can somehow make it return to Q so he can take Picard and his people back home. If it really does belong to him that is."
"But how do we do that without you getting hurt again?" Honey asked as she adjusted her glasses. "There are ways of collecting and storing energy, but we don't know what will work just yet. And while we're trying to figure that out, what's going to keep you out of harm's way?"
Fred idly tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "But if we could do that, it would help, right? I mean, if we had to, we could try building a chamber that would repel this energy and keep Hiro inside until we figure this all out."
"I'm not going to be stuck in some safe place while the rest of you are out there risking your lives," Hiro protested as he went to his feet. "So don't even think about it."
Honey Lemon moved to put a comforting arm around Hiro's shoulders. "No one's going to lock you up in a box," she said, giving Fred a look. "But maybe there are some things we can do as a precaution. For example, the metal from the asteroid seemed to be tuned to a specific type of frequency. Maybe wearing armor laced with it doesn't help. Wouldn't it be a good idea to go back to your original armor? At least until we get this all figured out?"
Baymax watched as his patient considered the idea. "What Honey Lemon suggests seems sound," he reasoned. "Perhaps the energy will affect you less if you are not wearing material previously tainted by the Rift."
Hiro just shook his head. "That means I'll have to make a new set," he informed them. "All my other suits were either destroyed or are coated with the stuff. Guess that means I'll have another late night."
"We can help," Wasabi offered as he stood from his stool. He stopped halfway across the floor as Hiro shook his head once more.
"That's okay. I got it," Hiro replied. There really wasn't much they could do, besides keep him company. The majority of the time would be spent waiting for the 3D printer to do its thing. "But I would like to request everyone keep this from our new friends. They really don't need to know about this right now."
GoGo gave him a look, one brow raised. "You sure that's wise? They're from the future, albeit a different one. Maybe they can help."
Hiro shook his head. "Not yet," he declined. "One thing at a time. I'm sure this won't be a constant thing so there's no need to worry them any more than we have to." He didn't need more people treating him like a ticking time bomb, after all. It was bad enough that his friends were bond to, even if it was out of a sense of responsibility and friendship. He didn't want to be in the lime light any more than was absolutely necessary.
Wasabi folded his arms once more, every line of his body mirroring his disapproval. "Don't say we didn't tell you this was a bad idea," he warned. "But I can see your point. I'll keep my mouth shut. For now."
The others nodded in agreement, though Baymax remained silent. And with that taken care of, they headed to their respective rooms. Except for Hiro. He called up the plans for his suit and began the long process of creating a new set, minus the asteroid metal coating.