We're sorry for the long wait- a year hiatus that wasn't planned- but, here it is! Finally!

If asked where Wasabi thought he would be spending the majority of his Friday night, he definitely wouldn't have said in some dirty alley in downtown San Fransokyo. No. Never in his right mind would he have guessed that he would be lurking around an even dirtier run-down building in the hopes of spotting a missing friend- said friend having just woken from a coma weeks before no less. The world was descending into chaos if Wasabi, Gogo acclaimed 'stick in the mud extraordinaire,' found himself in such a situation.

Not to mention he was probably suffering from a minor concussion to boot.

"This is the place," Hiro announced, sealing their fates.

Taking one look at the place where the boy pointed, he could feel all his hopes of a normal evening dying in a pitiful whimper. As it was, if it wouldn't have given him the biggest headache in all of existence, Wasabi would've groaned.

A warehouse. Everything bad started at a warehouse, one just as dingy-looking and unkept, only Wasabi hoped there wasn't a masked man lurking behind these old doors. Hiro had already proved adventuring in one only led to deadly experiences, so why do it again? Wasabi wished they'd go to some nice, clean hospital, one with freshly-washed sheets and disinfectant within an arm's reach, because, good lord, this place looked like it was housing at least thirteen health code violations.

He was already planning a checkup with his doctor, not wanting to add 'disease ridden' to his already long list of afflictions. Seriously, he was going to plan it the moment he got home, schedule it as soon as possible, and hope that no lasting damage lingered. And if it did, oh, he dearly hoped he wouldn't have to kiss his degree goodbye.

"Should we go through the front door?" Honey asked, looking around for anyone else. The street was abandoned, which was strange because San Fransokyo was many things, but quiet was not one of them. If there wasn't anyone here, then that meant something.

"My current size will not permit me to enter through the main entrance," Baymax said, "It would be more efficient if I used the loading dock."

Hiro frowned, as did the rest, and, if Wasabi's mind were not spinning as it was, he would have, too. But, presently, he did not have the brainpower to focus his thoughts of such trivial things and why they should unnerve him.

Good thing Hiro spoke up, so that Wasabi wasn't out of the loop for long. "How do you know there's a loading dock?"

But the robot did not find the curious-almost-suspicious inquiry any more concerning than the crickets playing their tune in the darkening evening, which was not at all. Instead, Baymax took the necessary steps away from them and toward the back right of the building where the ground glowed from the shine of industrial lights stationed somewhere beyond Wasabi's line of vision.

"Hey, no, forget about the loading dock." Hiro flapped a hand in front of the robot's helmet, attempting to halt the bulky feet from taking another step and only succeeding in making Wasabi's headache increase in size when the movement caught his eye. "Just karate chop the door open. No one will care if some rundown roller rink gets smashed- it's probably being run illegally anyway."

"I must disagree," was the ever polite response, reflective in tone. "Someone else might become distressed over the destruction of this establishment. Continuing with that fact would go against my health care code."

Hiro huffed, apparently in no mood to deal with such things with Tadashi so close. "Ugh, fine, whatever. You can go that way or stay out here- I don't care which, but I'm going in." He made to step off the robot's back, grunting in surprise when he nearly smacked his jaw against metal as his upper body jerked forward. "H-hey! What's going on?"

There was an attempt at dissecting his feet from magnetize metal, only to end in failure when his limbs resolutely remained in their footholds. Knobby knees bent and jiggled in obvious effort, but the soles of his feet wouldn't budge.

Wasabi took the time to brace himself on his knees. He needed to take some aspirin, ASAP.

Hiro growled, "Baymax, I know what you're doing- so let me go!"

The robot seemed not to hear. "Entering through the side passage appears to be the safest route, with the only disadvantage being that it takes approximately six minutes and twenty seven seconds longer to arrive at the building's center." The red helmet swiveled on its axis, calmly taking in the other three even as Hiro continued to struggle. "I suggest we regroup inside. Hiro and I will take the loading dock entrance, while you three enter through this door here; this way, on the chance that one of us comes in contact of… suspicious activity, the second group may proceed with caution."

And with that, they were gone.

"Oh," Honey said in the silence after.

Fred raised his eyebrows and puckered his lips. "That was…"

"Weird," Honey finished.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Wasabi asked from his spot on the curb, twisting his hands nervously, the precise pressure enacted on his knuckles soothing. "We are in a pretty dangerous neighborhood, and splitting up is never a good idea. I mean, come on, we still have to find-"

"Tadashi!" Honey and Fred interrupted, both pointing at the space just over Wasabi's left shoulder. The burly man jerked around at their outburst, astounded to see the topic of his worry standing there, as if summoned.

Well, that was slightly unsettling, if not convenient.

But, sure enough, that was their friend standing just beyond the streetlamp, staring at them. The smile Tadashi sent them was brittle, but honest. The wave following it was even more sheepish. "Hey, guys."

"You're here… and we just lost Baymax and Hiro. Great…" Wasabi moaned, sucking it up and standing upright again. A quick look to the way their youngest member had disappeared found nothing, just another empty alleyway. "We're never going home, are we?"

Tadashi didn't seem to hear him. "You alright, Wasabi?"

Gogo, now at their friend's elbow, gave him an unimpressed look. "He took a small tumble and now he thinks he's going to die."

"Hey, that was not a small tumble- I fell, like, fifteen feet! No warning or anything! And concussions are serious-"

"Yeah, but you're really pushing it. Baymax checked you out and said you'd live. Stop being such a baby."

"That does not mean I'm-"

"Where have you been, dude?" Fred asked as he and Honey jumped Tadashi with eager hugs. "We've been mega worried about you. I was starting to think you went AWOL."

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Tadashi pried himself away from the crushing hug and took a step back. It's then that he seemed to notice something (or, more correctly, the lack of someone), head snapping this way and that. "Where's Hiro?"

Gogo watched him, eyeing the way his finger twitched, and answered, "Baymax took off with him somewhere… he's been acting up, so you might want to give him a checkup."

"That's… good."

Wasabi didn't think that was at all good. Baymax, the robot emboldened with thick armor and rocket hands, and Hiro, genius and main commander of their less-than-professional team, being separated from the main group did not spell "good" for them. They were in criminal (not to mention germ infested) territory and having their main force- the big guns, so to speak- of the team split off from the rest was not, as Tadashi had so gracelessly put it, "good."

Honey stepped forward, hands clasped together. "Tadashi, we were so worried about you- you just disappeared and, with Yokai on the move, we thought…"

The girl's worry brought to light the reason for their impromptu adventure into the slums of San Fransokyo: Tadashi's blatant run into danger without any regard for their own peace of mind.

"Yeah, I, uh…" Tadashi seemed to get the hint of where the mood of the conversation was heading and shifted uncomfortably at the silence that followed, taking off his hat and tapping his fingers along the rim while he cast them a nervous look.

It was a quirk their friend had, fiddling with his hat; a well-known act he'd do right before an intense exam or after he had shown Professor Callaghan his first prototype of Baymax. That they were seeing it now meant one thing.

He was nervous.

"Look, this isn't really something we can talk about in the open." The robotics engineer cleared his throat and made to scratch his neck, only to stop and motion behind him. "How about we go inside and… clear things up."

The burly man squinted at the building behind him, knowing exactly where he didn't want to go. Of course, there were many logical reasons why he didn't want to step foot through the door before them: many of them concerning safety violations and late night horror movies Fred had forced him to watch the week before. Though, knowing his friends and their lack of respect for his sanity, they would go inside no matter what he said. Still, it didn't hurt to try.

"You want us," Wasabi made a general swirling motion, "to go in there?" He stabbed his finger in the direction of the building that looked to be brimming with an infestation of termites and other creepy crawlers that surfaced only in his nightmares. "You cannot be serious."

Their friend heaved a deep breath. "Yeah, I know what it looks like, but you have to trust me- I know what I'm talking about when I say that our best chance is inside."

"What do you mean, 'our best chance'?"

"I'll explain everything inside." He waved them forward, already heading for the building.

No one commented on Wasabi's sputtering choosing to follow their friend. Honey touched a manicured hand to just above his elbow, gently pushing him forward. Wasabi let himself be guided, reminding himself that he was a good friend and good friends didn't let each other enter spooky buildings by themselves.

Concussed friends, on the other hand… they deserved definite leeway.

The door creaked when Tadashi opened it and closed with a loud slam behind them, sealing their fate in a premonition that caused chills to travel down Wasabi's spine. The hallway was an ugly green color and looked as if it hadn't been washed for years.

"The germ count's probably atrocious."

There was a couch, not in as bad of condition as the building, big enough to fit a sleeping body. Wasabi almost felt he could look past the millions of microbes no doubt crawling on its surface and let himself fall into its embrace. Almost.

Tadashi made as to continue deeper into the building, following the small hallway to the door at the end, but Gogo's foot became dead weight against it, effectively stopping their hesitant procession.

"I said I would go inside, Hamada," she deadpanned, "and now I'm inside. Time to uphold your side of the bargain. Spill. What's really going on here?"

Their friend looked startled, gaze sweeping across them all as if seeing them for the first time. They watched as he took a deep breath, expression hardening into one of steeled determination.

"Okay, uh, so I know what you're all thinking, and no, no one kidnapped me or anything. I came here of my own free will. Honest." He paused, scrunching up his face and tilting his head to each side. "Well, I didn't exactly walk in- I was kinda carried in on the fact that I was unconscious, but don't worry about that!" He raised his hands and shook them quickly, seeing their expressions flicker into something more suspicious. "They helped me! I swear!"

"They?"

"The women in kimonos, they… well, not them specifically, but their… group?"

"… the Fujitas." GoGo deadpanned. "You're talking about the mafia, Hamada."

"I, uh, yes, the mafia…"

Honey chewed her lower lip. "They… helped you? But, aren't they the ones that attacked you earlier, when you were in the hospital?"

"Yeah, and they got Gogo thrown in jail. I remember that." Fred supplied, pausing in his inspection of the room to glance back at them. His voice echoed when he leaned over to peek inside the vacant ticket booth. "Though, this is a classic case of enemies turned friends- like, every good story has one."

Tadashi gave a short laugh. "Yeah, that was them, but, uh, it's fine now. We've, I don't know, made peace. I don't really know what else to call it."

GoGo crossed her arms. "What's the catch?"

"Oh, no, there isn't a catch- not really. You could say that they- how do I put this?- have been on our side the whole time?" His palms were splayed out as he talked, tone almost questioning despite the fact that he was trying to convince them of his words; it was like he was testing the waters, waiting for a sign to tell of their level of acceptance and wondering whether it'd be enough for them to believe.

Which Wasabi didn't. He couldn't believe that he expected him to accept that- expect him to believe the insane assassin women were helping them while simultaneously trying to maim them. He didn't want to believe.

GoGo, surprisingly, was on the same page. "Could've fooled me."

"Okay, look, I know we've had our… differences," Wasabi made an incredulous scoff at the choice of words, of which was purposefully ignored, "but you guys have got to trust me on this. It's different now."

"How is it different? Cause it looks all the same to me. We're still in way over our heads." He could see the logical sway of Honey's head and Wasabi grasped at it, pushing forward. "We still don't know what is going on, and we don't have any kind of authority to manage what we do figure out- like, honestly, we're just a bunch of headless chickens running around the streets." Okay, maybe not headless chickens, but definitely concussed.

"Look, I know this seems improbable-"

"More like impossible."

"-but it's true and I wouldn't lie to you guys about something this serious."

That gave them pause. It was true, Tadashi would never joke about anything this serious, especially when it concerned Hiro. He was a golden boy: caring and honest and true to a fault- Wasabi had never even heard the boy curse. If he said he was telling the truth, then, by the stars above, he was and, well, they should be inclined to believe him.

"'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,'" Fred quoted.

Wasabi crossed his arms and huffed. "I still think we have different opinions on what counts as a friend."

Tadashi nudged his shoulder to the burly man's.

"Yeah, I guess I believe you."

The relieved smile that spread across Tadashi's face was almost enough for him to forget where they were. "Thank you. Now, you're going to have to stay with me here, because there's one more thing you should know."

Of course there was. But, no, he would see this through- that's what friends were for. "And what's this other thing?"

"It'd be better if I just show you."

Wasabi tried to keep his face clear of anything as their friend made to open the door, Gogo hesitating for all of a second before acquiescing and moving out of the way. With quick steps he was leading them through a massive room that doubled as a rink and bar area, though Wasabi made sure not to touch any of the furniture and walls, still adamant in his belief that it rented space to every disease known to man.

It was otherwise unoccupied, so that was a relief.

"Just… keep yourself open, okay?" After they nodded, Tadashi made a come-hither motion to the tables by the bar.

A figure stepped out of the artificial shadows and into the fluorescent lighting, quick steps taking them to a place just outside their little circle. Their face was angled away, as if they couldn't bare to look at the group of amateur heroes. Wasabi frowned at the small prick of insecurity it created: Was it their costumes? They were a bit flashy, to be sure, but nothing too outlandish to warrant an act so rude.

"Hey, come on," Tadashi said, offering a small smile. "What ever happened to 'I'm ready for anything?' Don't tell me that was all talk."

The teasing tone their friend took on, something of which was reserved for only those the robotics engineer deemed close, seemed to shoot a shock of indignant confidence in the mysterious individual. With a huff that sounded all too familiar they were snapping their head forward and into sight, giving the group a perfect view of the impossible.

Fred gasped. "No. Way."

Now, Wasabi had never labeled himself as crazy. Different? Maybe. Eccentric? At times. Fretful? Probably. But crazy? No, definitely not.

Though sometimes, when his vigilance for order was broken, crazy visited him. Crazy was the next door neighbor that constantly threw house parties. Crazy was wearing two different colored socks. Crazy was letting your friends convince you to join their ragtag group of vigilantes. Crazy was getting on a flying robot and scouring the city for a masked villain. Crazy was letting everything become disorganized and not putting things back where they belong- back to normalcy.

But, when he saw the person- that face, he knew crazy had just reached a whole new level and proceeded to do the only thing he could do when confronted with such entropy.

He screamed.

It wasn't the most manly of screams, but it did justice to the feeling of panicked incredulity that had set his lungs ablaze and head pounding. The shrill sound was the only thing getting through, his ears blocked to his own hysteria and the nonsensical turn of events. He couldn't see his friends, eyes fixed forward and stapled to the face- oh my god, oh my god, oh my god- of crazy, but he could feel their cringes and instantly imagined the way they cupped their ears in useless protection. Still, he kept on, because this wasn't happening, couldn't be happening. It went against everything- every system, every order, every rule.

Salvation came in the form of a hand speeding through the air and slapping over his mouth.

He blinked back the white spots that flittered across his eyes, dazed to find a peeved looking Gogo in front of him. Though as soon as he caught sight of her he immediately quieted, experience dictating that carrying on screaming would only end with wads of chewed gum sticking to the underside of his desk.

"What is going on?" an angry voice sounded behind him and there went his heart, bursting in an explosion of fear and muscle tissue.

GoGo practically growled at him. "Don't you dare."

He nearly did scream again, because who was that? Two unfamiliar faces strayed in the path of his wide eyes, turning absolutely monstrous in his tunnel vision of fear. It was only quick thinking and the slapping of his palms over his mouth that stopped the mood from reaching scream fest once again; still, a muffled sound slipped through his fingers, high enough that his ears rang.

The world was a centrifuge and he the poor aqueous solution stuck in a glass tube spinning it is unmerciful grasp. Or maybe it was the concussion currently making his head feel like a beehive. Maybe he should sit down; the couch was looking more favorable with every second.

His scream seemed to nudge his friends out of their initial surprise and now they closed in with a level headedness that put Wasabi to shame. He was concussed, so who was to say he was in his right mind anyway?

"This is awesome!" Fred cried, ignoring the strangers.

Honey Lemon shuffled forward, bending over to peer cautiously at the face that had gotten them a one way ticket to a mental hospital. She licked her lips before forming the treacherous word, "...Hiro?"

She got a wide smile as an answer.

The tall girl squeaked alongside Wasabi, eyes wide as she flapped an excited hand at Gogo's shoulder. The shorter girl accepted the treatment and news with a curt nod, cementing her aloof resolve with an imprint of a small smirk.

"Oh, man, I did not see this coming! This is- your real!" Without hesitation, Fred practically jumped across the no-man's land and threw himself at… the person. "This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me- well, technically you, but still! Better than being a fire-breathing lizard!" The comic nerd's weight was held surprisingly well, the other individual having apparently seen this reaction coming as he took a step away from the girls and half cradled the short boy in his arms. "Man, I gotta say- you're the real MVP for saving me back at the comic book store. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't crashed through the window like you did- though, as an expert in all things super, I gotta say that your grand entrances need some work."

The boy with the unruly hair laughed. "I'll try to remember that next time."

Okay, now Wasabi was surely hearing things because that voice couldn't possibly be right. It spoke of improbabilities that went beyond everything Wasabi knew to be true and cursed the order that had been perfectly set in stone until just recently. But, yet, there it was- there he was.

It was all just too much.

Wasabi really needed to sit down.

"Mmmnnnnope." His sore arms found the strength to raise themselves and form an 'X' in front of his face, shielding him from the blatant crazy in the room. "That's it. I quit."

Fred was set down and the not-stranger stepped forward. "Wasabi-"

"Oh, no. I literally cannot- will not. I refuse to be a part of this- superheroes was one thing, but this- this is another!" Someone pushed his hands down and he didn't have the power to fight them and gravity at the same time so he clamped his eyes shut in retaliation, willing himself to be blind to the situation and what it meant. He stumbled back, voice getting higher. "Go away! I don't care what Fred says, you aren't real. Heck, I don't think any of us are!"

A scoff from one of the strangers that Wasabi had no intention of looking at. The less he saw, the better.

"Wasabi," the voice in front of him said, sounding both exasperated and amused, "c'mon, don't do this. Open your eyes."

"I'm sorry, but I don't listen to imaginary voices. That would make me crazy and I'm not crazy. I refuse to be crazy." His frown deepened and he leaned back when a pressure appeared on his shoulder, along with another plead to open to his eyes. "I'm not crazy."

"You aren't crazy and I'm not imaginary, I promise." Behind them, a person chuckled and was immediately shushed by another. "Now, can you open your eyes and just look at me?"

He could feel his resolve dissolving, chipped down with the soothing tone of the words.

"Please?"

Ah, and there it went.

One eye cracked open, cautious in the new light that replaces the dark backside of his eyelids. It took a moment for his surroundings to separate and become definite shapes, framing the individual set dead center in front of him.

"See?" Hiro said in a voice deeper than he remembered. "That wasn't so hard."

It was at that moment- with those words, so easily said- that Wasabi realized a fundamental truth of his being. That somewhere, deep in the archive of feelings and philosophies and nervous ticks within him, he believed this unholy impossibility. That, despite the evidence- and known law of nature- condoning the existence of the person in front of him, Wasabi might actually believe it all. That itself had him itching to leave and catalogue his CD collection twice over.

Obviously, since he couldn't do that, there was only one thing that could possibly calm him and his frayed nerves.

He took a deep breath. "Three point one, four, one, five, nine, two, six-"

For a long second, no one in the room seemed to know what to do. It wasn't until his gaze unfocused to a point off the far wall that his friends processed that something was wrong.

Someone snapped a finger in his face, but he remained solid in his mindset and unfaltering in his words.

"What is he doing?" Gogo asked and he could just see her eyebrows furrowing over Hiro's- nope, nope, nope, he was not going to finish that thought. Stay focused, Wasabi, stay focused.

Tadashi cocked his head, listening. "Sounds like he's listing off digits of pi."

"-five, zero, two, eight, eight, four-"

"Whoa, you broke him," Fred said in awe, watching him like an animal at the zoo. "Is he gonna do this forever?"

Wasabi recited faster and louder. He needed to reestablish order in his life and he needed to do it now, not listen to Fred and his comic book heroes. Numbers could be trusted, could be relied on.

"Wasabi, look- okay, please stop freaking out and just-"

"-two, zero, nine, seven-"

"Can you-"

"-four, four, five-"

"-for a minute and I promise-"

"-three, zero, seven, nine-"

Wasabi jerked back when something splattered on his face. He spluttered, losing his train of thought (now he'd have to start all over again).

"-seven-" he sputtered, grimacing at the taste that attacked his mouth. Smacking his lips and running his tongue across his upper teeth did nothing to rid him of the bitter flavor and probably only made him look ridiculous. "What is- oh, gross! So gross!"

His nose twitched and he could feel his limbs turn into lead, moving through the air like glue inching out of a bottle. An itch on the ridge of his brow made itself known to him and he tried to quell the feeling, but accidently whacked himself in the face. He blinked, both upset and confused- though, suddenly, he couldn't particularly remember why.

What was he doing?

"What did you do to him?

"Fluothane," someone said and Wasabi tried to pinpoint the origin only to have his mind start spinning in a slow merry-go-round. "Also called Halothane vapor- it's a volatile anesthetic."

There was a grunt. "In English, please."

"Sleeping gas."

"Sl… eep ga-as?" Wasabi asked the room aloud, suddenly finding it difficult to voice coherent thoughts. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, the tension in his muscles dwindled and his eyelids drooped of their own accord. And he was tired, so very tired.

"He was freaking out and I didn't want him hurting himself." A smudge of pink drifted into his vision and he thought of cotton candy and lip gloss. The images fluttered out of his head a second later, replaced by the thought of cavities and dentist appointments. He shook the image out of his head. "Should I have not done that? Do you think it will make him worse? Oh, gosh, I hope not. Maybe I should have waited for Baymax to-"

"Honey," a voice beyond his recognition spoke, words blurring together, "it's fine."

Wasabi felt his body lurch sideways; he stumbled, the ground rising up and tilting with the suspended axis of the Earth, and bumped into something hard. There was a clatter as something reasonably big fell over, loud and reverberating through his ears, and a curse. Somehow he had remained upright, but only just.

He was really tired.

"Hey, watch him! If he breaks anything-"

Garbled words spilled from his mouth and he didn't know what he said. Was it about the blobs bobbing in front of him? They danced in his fisheye vision, swaying with the world and the consonance of jargon it sung.

"Look at him, he's totally out of it- woah, hey, somebody catch him!"

Something gripped his shoulder, but the hold fumbled as he clumsily attempted to lean toward it. Eventually it disappeared entirely when Wasabi's balance dipped to an all time low and he stumbled to the right. A explosion of pain rushed to a point at his hip, clearing his head enough for him to distinguish a chair laying haphazardly on the ground. It took a little longer for him to realize that he was also on the floor.

But that didn't matter. What did matter was…

"Ew," he said, drawing out the syllable with as much fervor his sluggish mouth could procure with his face half smooched against the dirty ground. "Wh… last… time… clean?"

Someone laughed and it distorted into a thick fog over his head, like a curtain closing over a stage. "You know what? I think he's gonna be fine."

The spectrum of colors and shapes he could see was rapidly diminishing, taken over by a tsunami of haziness. Darkness, gentle and tempting, took his hand and lead him down, down, down into the depths of his mind; he bedded there, feeling at home amongst systematic planes and constant figures that fly and roam the caves of thought.

Wasabi sighed, content in the silence and order that precipitated, and fell into a deep slumber.

When Hiro finally managed to meet up with the rest of his team he had expected them to be in the midst of a legendary battle. He expected to be pulled into chaos, where quick thinking and even quicker punches were the only thing that kept one from falling behind. He expected them to be the winners of a long fight (or a somewhat decent fight at least), heroically fighting criminals and solidifying their stand on the superhero pedestal he had set them upon. He expected a lot of things.

He didn't expect them to be relaxing with said criminals.

"What," he started, catching the attention of the room and watching their eyes automatically focus first on Baymax's hulking form before sliding down to his own, "are you doing?"

A large television was flickering through the late night news, offering muted background noise to the quiet murmur of chatter that rolled across the air in waves. Tables, some still littered with used napkins and empty shot glasses, and chairs were organized in casual disarray, occupying the space around the entrance to a miniature dome in the middle of the gigantic room. Brown eyes widened in disbelief when he spotted bright kimonos, the women wearing them laying about around a bar a couple of feet away, some shaking up toxic concoctions while others reapplied makeup. On the other side of the room, a man in a pink blazer and a battle axe strapped to his back appeared from a hallway that was labeled as the men's room.

"Hiro!" Said boy was thankful to see Tadashi, unharmed and exactly how he had left him. His brother split from the group seated around a grand table. It was only a matter of seconds before Hiro was issued a Big-Brother hug, one that lessened the worry twisting his gut; Tadashi did always give the best hugs (well, second only to Baymax).

"Tadashi," he said into his brother's armpit, "what… what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, Knucklehead." A semblance of distance was put between them so that a hand could brush hair out of his face. The touch soothed his nerves and he allowed himself to melt between Tadashi's warm body and Baymax's solid presence behind him, basking in the attention that made him feel safe. "You're okay, right? No bruises or broken bones? How's your head? Do you need to lie down?"

"I'm fine. Baymax took care of me."

Tadashi looked over Hiro's head and to his invention. "Baymax. Status report."

He sighed and let his brother push him about with only minimal complaining, inspecting him for any injuries Hiro might not be telling him about. Baymax prattled on about his health, listing off small details that probably wouldn't mature beyond anything that a good night's rest couldn't cure; it was kind of dull to hear, but Tadashi listened to every word with an intensity that couldn't be rivaled.

Hiro tried to sneak a look around his brother's frame to get a better look at the people they'd been against for the past month. He barely caught the vibrant colors of his friend's suits before he was pulled back to face brown eyes.

"You're not dizzy or anything? Don't feel like throwing up, do you?"

"No. I told you, I'm fine." Baymax had evaded the guns and bullets, too high to get caught in the car crashes. Hiro had been the farthest from the danger.

"And your head? It doesn't feel like it's gonna burst in an explosion of brains?"

"Ew, gross, no."

Tadashi smiled at that. "Hey, I'm just trying to hit all the bases here. Concussions are a very real thing and, though they don't normally end with brain fireworks, you can never be too careful."

He shoved the older boy in the stomach. "I don't have a concussion and brain fireworks aren't a thing, you dork."

But speaking of concussions...

"Where's Wasabi?"

"Honey knocked him out with sleeping gas," Fred said oh-so-casually and Tadashi let Hiro push him out of the way so he could see their friends. "We left him in the waiting room to ride it out."

"What?"

"Dude couldn't handle it," Fred continued on, still not helping, but speaking with a knowledgeable air. "Which is, statistically speaking, pretty natural. The switch from one character trope to another, whether it's from civilian to hero or enemy to ally, is always a little emotionally exhausting- what with all that character development and complex arcs to ensure those personal changes. Though most forms of literature and media tend not to dwell on those details in favor of the plot and what needs to be done in order to keep it going, most believe this is a major part of defining a character's personality and the interpersonal relationships they form." Here, Fred shrugged. "Basic storytelling, man."

"What are you even saying?" GoGo asked.

The blond boy leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back legs- which, in itself, was a pretty impressive feat to do in the bulky lizard costume. Even with Fred's laid back personality, he was far too comfortable with criminals barely five feet away. "I'm just saying- I totally saw this coming."

"You did not."

"I did so," Fred argued, still balancing. "I said, and I quote, 'oh man, this is turning out to be something out of Kurt Vonnegut's kooky mind,' because, let's be real here, what's more sci-fi than time travel? The answer: nothing."

That caught Hiro's attention. "What?"

Tadashi seemed to process something and he tensed. "You don't know…"

But Hiro was no longer listening, for something had caught his eye. It was person, somehow hiding in the back of the group while also being the radial point of the conversation. He looked past his brother's broad shoulders at the person who was causing such a turbulence in their lives.

His face stared back.

Well, okay, it wasn't exactly his face. But enough of the foundation- the set of the cheekbones, shape of the eyes, and stubby nose- were similar enough that Hiro had to remind himself that cloning was never anything he had been genuinely interested in or had ever looked into. No, he was staring into a distorted mirror that had abruptly crystallized before him, cracks of time blinking along its once smooth surface.

"That's me," Hiro said.

His words broke the nonsensical chatter. More than one individual spun and made him the center of their attention, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen.

"That's me," Hiro said again, pointing.

Tadashi, ever the mediator, stepped forward to shed some well-needed light on the situation. "Yes, it is- well, sort of. Okay, see, it is you, but not?" He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose while muttering, "Ugh, this is not how I planned this going."

The Hiro copy laughed and there was something off putting about it, the sound familiar even in that lower pitch; it bore more resemblance to Tadashi than it did anything else and Hiro wasn't sure how he felt about that. "Welcome to my world."

"This is going to blow your mind, little man!" Fred laughed, hopping from his seat and lumbering about in costume, "I mean, this is some crazy stuff- but totally awesome!"

"What Fred means is that-"

Fred cut in again. "You're a time-traveler!"

"What." Hiro said again just as the stranger replied, "No, I am, Fred, not him. The time portal hasn't been invented yet, so he can't even-"

"Technically, since he's you and you're him, you both are. Time-travelers, that is, with all that time-travel science and voodoo." Fred wiggled his fingers at his head, trying to physically interpret what he thought said 'voodoo' looked like. "Oh! You guys should try to communicate telepathically! With your minds!"

"That's not- nevermind." Hiro's doppelganger sighed good-naturedly before catching sight of something behind him. He smiled. "Baymax!"

A sound of heavy footsteps preceded the healthcare robot, who looked too much at ease in such surroundings- among such company. A brush of metal plating and the robot in question was padding past Hiro without so much as a glance.

The stranger-yet-not walked forward past everyone. Hiro stepped back.

"Hiro, it is good to see you again," Baymax greeted, bending a few inches forward at the waist to properly look down at the other him. "I hope you are feeling better."

The young man shrugged, stuffing his hands inside his pockets and looking like the epitome of casual. "I'm as good as I can be." Eyes flashed toward Tadashi and his group of friends, sharp in how they took in their drawn attention. "How've you been holding up? I didn't get you in too much trouble, did I?"

"There have some problems, but I have worked through them as well as I am able." The robot rotated his head to look at Hiro followed by Tadashi. "I must express my apologies for misleading you, but I could not allow for a break in patient confidentially."

Tadashi patted the robot on the elbow. "You don't have to apologize, Baymax. You were just following your programming." He smiled up at the robot, the act so understanding that it wasn't hard to see how such a creation came into being in the first place. "The rest of us were just a little slow on the intake."

"Wait, wait, wait. You've been coming here?" Hiro didn't know how to feel. Betrayed was a possible emotion, but that still didn't cut it, not with Baymax. Baymax, who did everything in his power to care for his patients. Baymax, who didn't have a dishonest wire in his body. Baymax, who gave out lollipops and hugs with the simplest intent of relieving pain. Baymax, who had become his best friend over the course of a few short weeks.

It still stung.

"I have many patients here."

Of course, Baymax saw it like that. To the robot, returning here would have been nothing of consequence and certainly not the act of betrayal Hiro foolishly felt it was. He was not privatized to Hiro and his needs, instead a public service for all to enjoy, and to continue to think of him that way would be selfish.

"Yeah, well… fine, whatever."

A pause. "Hiro, is something the matter? My sensors indicate you are not happy. Is my care inadequate?"

Before Hiro could even open his mouth to say- well, something, Mr. Time Travel was already talking and with the most insufferable smile, too. "Don't worry about it, buddy. He's just a bit put off that he can't have you all to himself now. We were never good at sharing."

"That isn't it at all!"

"Oh, really," he said, unimpressed.

"Yes, really." Hiro continued to lie, getting worked up. "And don't act like you know, because you don't."

"Well, I am you, so…"

"Prove it," he said, crossing his arms. Duplicating someone's looks wasn't farfetched (though why someone would want to copy his was a mystery even he couldn't solve). Visible proof wasn't enough, not when there were other characteristics that made a person who they said they were. "Prove you're me."

Tadashi raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Hiro, we already-"

"Fine." The copycat mirrored his own stance, looking properly formidable. "Ask me anything."

He was momentarily stunned by the instant answer to his challenge, but shook it off just as quickly. He rose to his full height, trying to make his five foot stature more imposing that it actually was- he wasn't fooling anyone if that resulting, sly grin was anything to go by. "Young's Modulus of polyethylene terephthalate?"

"Two to two-point-seven gigapascal." The answer was immediate and, worst of all, correct.

He wasn't undeterred.

Thermodynamics. Quantum physics. Fluid mechanics. Microbiology. He pulled out all the stops, from encyclopedias and lectures, questions and theories he was more than positive even Tadashi wouldn't know on the top of his head. He was vaguely aware of everyone in the room looking between them like a tennis match, following a conversation that was probably better left done in private- especially when his questions started bleeding into more personal topics.

"My locker combination in ei-"

"-seven, twenty, fourteen."

"My favorite sport-"

"-soccer, but we like to watch baseball. Also, can't stand basketball, because of that one time Mikey Gordon shoved us into the spare hoop and the school had to call the fire department because the rim got caught on our belt. Which was really embarrassing, by the way, and I'm kinda mad you made me relive it just now."

Hiro looked around the room, finding that, suddenly, there are too many people privy to this moment. Maybe he should have…

But the copycat, who was turning out to have more credibility than previously thought, seemed to take his discomfort for passage to continue. "If you want more proof, I can tell you about the physics test we cheated on and how we used Tadashi's old pair of glasses to do it- as easy as installing a mini projector with all the inscripted equations on file and using the lenses as a transparent screen- and all just because we could." The stranger started tallying on his fingers. "Or how about the time we blew a hole in the wall of the side door when we were testing out our pocket laser cannon. Aunt Cass was so angry." Hiro could feel his fists uncurling at each word, leveling with the disbelief slowly taking over his face. "I also can tell you about that movie we cried over- you know the one, with the boxing robot."

Hiro did know the movie. And he had not cried. There had been one or two sniffles, yes, and maybe a quick blinking of eyes, but that had been it. Still, even the idea that someone knew of such a detail was somewhat discomfiting and, for once, he was speechless. He was boxed in: every argument he could think of foiled by... himself.

The man that looked like him leaned back, head tilted and smile curled in a familiar expression. Victory. "Face it, I'm the real deal."

Tadashi's face scrunch up when Hiro looked to him. But it wasn't the new development of Hiro's supposed future counterpart that caused this expression, but, "You used my glasses to cheat on a test?"

"No," Hiro immediately denied just as his look-alike said, "Yes."

He glared at the doppelgänger. Whether or not what he was saying was true, Hiro had planned on not letting Tadashi in on his little cheating spree. Now he was going to a get a boring lecture, all for a stupid physics test that had happened two years ago.

"We'll talk about academic morals later. Right now," Tadashi motioned to Hiro and his sorta-twin, "what's important is that you believe what we're trying to tell you."

Hiro blew some hair out of his eyes, rolling them in the process. "Oh, yeah, totally."

He could see both Tadashi and the look-alike narrow their eyes at his words, drenched as they were in sarcasm. It was a bit unsettling, seeing that look on two faces and both directed pointedly at him, but Hiro stood his ground. When his resolve wavered at the stares, he tried to replace the confidence with anger instead; tried to look into Tadashi's open face and get angry over the fact that he believed this crazy story over him.

"Hiro," Tadashi started.

"Tadashi," Hiro countered.

His older brother threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "Unbelievable."

"Man, was I always this stubborn?"

Hiro shot a scorching look to the doppelgänger, not liking to be talked about as if he wasn't there. It increased tenfold when he heard Tadashi's response.

"All the time."

Hiro squashed down the impulse to stomp his foot.

"What part of this is unbelievable?" Tadashi asked abruptly, sweeping his arm out in a grand gesture.

Hiro gave him a flat look, then tilted his head at the imposter. It went without saying.

"Out of everything that's happened, you draw the line at time travel?" It sounded ridiculous, even from Tadashi's mouth.

He'd played around at the possibility of time travel, worked around the concepts and theoretical problems that went with it. At the age of ten, he'd disproved the science of most sci-fi movies on a whim. Except there wasn't any other explanation to how this copy knew as much as he did. And Tadashi and his friends were supporting it and, as much as he argued it, they couldn't all be suffering from head trauma.

Still, it was the concept of the matter- he didn't like to be wrong. He would hold out as long as he could. "I'm not saying it."

"Do you want Baymax to scan the both of you? Will that convince you?"

The doppelgänger cut in, waving his hands frantically. "Uh, no. Baymax and I have an agreement. I'm not having people see a physical diagram of my puberty or whatever. Never again."

Hiro blinked rapidly. "Diagram of my what?"

"Not important. Baymax, keep it short and simple."

It was silent when the robot switched his gaze between Hiro and the stranger. Baymax blinked. He rotated his head to Tadashi, and then Hiro. "His biology matches that of Hiro Hamada."

Hiro gaped. That was it? Just like that? "So you believe this? Really?"

"The data is conclusive."

He was the only one left who didn't believe this far-fetched tale, which was absurd in retrospect, seeing as he was never above getting out of trouble with his own number of lies. But it couldn't be as far-fetched as that, could it? Not when Baymax- a robot who was designed to learn and adapt on his own, who's scanner couldn't possibly be at fault because Hiro had been the one to fix it- believed it true. On top of that, how could he keep arguing when evidence was on their side?

As if sensing his weakening resolve, the doppelgänger stepped closer and, to Hiro's embarrassment, bent to be more at his level. "The theory of relativity does permit travel through space and time."

"But to travel at a high enough velocity to bypass the speed of light to reverse time is impossible, not mention unattainable." Hiro did not whine, but his voice did rise to a somewhat embarrassing degree. "The mass in question would reach infinity-"

"That's not the only way."

"Wormholes." Now Hiro did whine, exasperated by the simplicity of the solution. "You can't be serious. The chance of having two black holes-"

"Spare me the probabilities." There was a uninterested expulsion of air and a dismissive flapping of a hand. Hiro was used to throwing other's intellect to the side, but to have it done to himself… "The universe is full of them, so stop being so skeptical. A natural tear in space-time could be possible."

"Quantum mechanics is a thing. It doesn't permit enough time for wormholes to stay open, much less big enough for someone to go through. It would collapse on itself." He crossed his arms, skeptical. Science was his backup, the only thing that stood in the way of his total commitment to this story. "Unless you've somehow fixed that problem. Figured out to have limitless energy and antimatter at your disposal."

"I didn't say I was the one who made the portal. I'm just the guy who got pulled through." The young man paused, scratching his chin. "I took a lot of Krei Tech's data when I first got here, but it was all on the mechanics of the portal. There was nothing in its database about how it was powered- and if there was, it was under a different name, so I must have missed it when I was searching."

"You hacked Krei Tech?"

There was smugness in the grin he was given. "First day here."

Krei Tech was one of the top competitors in robotic engineering. Krei himself was at the SFIT science fair, scouting for high-end tech and possible investments when Hiro had first met the man. Hiro already knew he was at the center of this mess, but now, with this new information, he was sure he was the one behind it all.

The other had already moved on. "After that, I've mostly been getting intel on underground dealings, tracking the money flow-"

Someone coughed.

"-hmph, yeah, okay, with Ren's help. She owns the place," he told Hiro as means of explanation, waving a flippant hand. Hiro saw a frowning woman and… Tadashi's nurse? "And you know Connor. Yes, he is who you think he is, and, no, we're not going to explain it."

"Wait. Hold on-"

"We've already gone through it once, I'm not doing it again. Deal."

The nurse leaned into his line of vision, hand raised with a cheery smile. "Hello there. Lovely to see you again. And not to worry- we've been on each other's side for a while, so I suggest you just go with the flow here."

Hiro didn't know what to say.

In the end, he didn't have to. The woman, Ren, stepped forward and eyed him critically, eyebrow arching high over her single eye, before moving past to the hulking robot beside him. An almost smile pulled at the corners of her thin lips.

"So this is really Baymax, huh?" she asked.

The other him grinned. "Told you not to sell him short."

"Flying makes me a better healthcare companion," was the robot's explanation and Hiro couldn't help but nod in agreement, feeling good at that impressed look Ren was trying to smother.

"I hear you have a good punch," she said. "Nearly took one of my girls' head off."

Hiro frowned, focusing on the my girls part. Her girls, did she mean…?

But Baymax was already past it, turning his sights to the eyepatch woman. "I must apologize for any injuries I may have indirectly caused during our earlier engagement. Would you like me to schedule check-ups for anyone involved?"

The woman flapped a hand. "My girls are tougher than you think. Don't worry about it, they're fine."

"Speak for yourself!"

The voice, annoyed and high pitched, came from behind. Hiro turned and immediately wanted to scowl because, there, followed by a posse of kids, was the girl from earlier, one of the three Fujitas who they had fought with at Krei Tech. She was still dressed in a kimono and skates, though weapon-free, and had her eyes narrowed distastefully as she looked upon the group.

Hiro wanted nothing more than to throw his helmet at her.

Eyepatch Lady did not seem pleased with the sudden appearance either. She crossed her arms with the promise of a sharp scolding. "Momo, I'm sure I told you and the kids to stay upstairs and mind your own business."

The girl shifted uncomfortably, but still didn't back down. "We couldn't sleep with all the noise and-"

"We wanted to see the cool robot," interrupted the only other girl in the group, arm looped around the waist of a boy who looked to be her twin. The statement was seconded by unabashed nods of enthusiasm from the three boys, eyes already glued onto the hulking form of Baymax.

The other him laughed at that, poking at the robot good-naturedly. "Looks like you've got quite a fanbase."

Baymax swiveled his head to properly look at the small group, body following in a slow turn, careful not to knock anything or anyone over. A large hand was raised and rotated in a clockwise circle. "Hello children. It is good to see you are all still healthy since our last meeting."

Five pairs of eyes blinked back in unison.

"Baymax?" A larger boy in the back called, uncertainty leaking in his eyes. "Is that you?"

"Affirmative." Thick knees bent so that the robot's form was more efficient to talking to the younger (and shorter) audience. "I understand that my armor can appear threatening, especially compared to my original, more huggable design, but please do not be afraid. I will not harm any of you and wish to continue our relationship of healthcare companion and patient. So, you must-"

"Wow!"

As one unit, the children rushed forward. They circled the robot, jumping and tripping over one another in their haste to get close. Baymax lifted his hands up when one of them smacked their forehead against the back of his palm, voicing a sincere apology and warning to execute caution. The warning was acknowledged with chaste nods and a casual 'yeah, sure,' their priority being to inspect every inch of the upgraded bot before the night was over. They went on about his armor, grabbing hold of his arms and demanding he lift them up.

"So cool, Baymax!" The girl twin spun on her heel, hair bobbing as she lost balance and caught herself on a large, metal hand. "Red is totally your color."

"Yeah, you look like a complete bada-"

Ren plopped a hand over the boy twin's mouth, eyebrows raised. "Okay, we get it."

Hiro edged away from the kids crowding Baymax, strangely uncomfortable. Unfortunately, his shifting drew some unwanted attention his way. He spotted a familiar head of spiky hair the exact moment Taka's bright eyes did him. The boy let out an exuberant yell, bypassing the the other rink occupants and practically tackling Hiro to the ground.

Taka grabbed his face, uncaring that he was crossing personal boundaries. His head was turned this way and that, neck protesting at the awkward bends it was forced to endure; in the moments where Hiro still reeled in shock of the abrupt manhandling of his person, it left open the option of comparing him to his older likeness a few feet away. "You're the coolest person I've ever met! Why didn't you tell me I already knew you!"

"Because you didn't-" Hiro tried to push the other away, but only succeeded in having his own face looking at the ground as the other dodged his hands and bequeathed him a noogie. "Hey!"

"I mean, I don't really get what's going on… but, there's two of you! How cool is that?" A small laugh floated between them, guileless in its incredibility as the boy went along and answered his own question. "Pretty cool!"

Finally, Hiro was free. He attempted to smooth down his hair, huffing self righteously. "I-"

"What's with the costume, anyway? Is it, you know, for the time travel thing?" The last few words were whispered behind his hand as if the entire room didn't already know about it.

"No, it's not." He made a show of wiping imaginary dust from his shirt so he didn't have to make eye contact, his chest plate clicking against the buckle at his wrist. Then a thought occurred to him, and he paused. "Hold on. How do you know? How long have you known?"

The thought of being the last to know about this secret- technically, his secret- was just a little upsetting. These strangers (criminals, no less) knew more than him, and his pride, one that swelled in the glow of being right and smarter than the rest of the world, took a hit because of it. He had the most right- if not the only right, to know what his future held and finding out that he was the last to be check marked off this metaphorical list made him feel… unimportant.

"I overheard Ren talking to Connor an hour ago." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Eyepatch Lady and the redhead standing next to her, scowling and waving respectively. "Then, when I was telling Momo, Aiko and Zuko walked by and heard, and then Oka asked what we were whispering about and I couldn't just not tell him."

"Oh," he said lamely, rubbing at the back of his head.

The other boy pushed past the potential awkward lull with a quick laugh. Without warning, as Hiro was starting to understand was his way, he grabbed at Hiro's glove. "Oh, sweet, look at your hands. They're all huge and, wow, are those magnets?"

He yanked his hand back, only for his foot to be grabbed. His arms pinwheeled as he tried his hardest to stay standing with only one leg. "Could you not."

Taka paid him no heed, poking at the magnet embedded in his sneakers. "Whoa! What do these do?"

"What do you thi- they're shoes and they belong on the ground." Hiro finally tugged his foot free, bumping into the hard planes of Baymax's stomach. The other boy followed, tailgated by kids he didn't recognize; their faces were sketched with lines of curiosity and eagerness, discerning the child genius in the way it reminded him of first days at schools. Even the blonde Fujita was looking at him, lips pursed in consideration.

Hiro patted his pockets before finding the right one. Before the other boy could go on another talking spree, Hiro pulled out the knife he had been hiding for the last couple of days. "Here."

"Hey! You remembered!" Taka said in his excessively cheerful way. "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it." Hiro ignored Tadashi's inquiring look, complete with raise eyebrows. "I, uh…"

"Hi! I'm Aiko!" The words nudged the moment aside, coming from the girl with curly hair, leaning over Taka's shoulder and grinning when her brother peered over the boy's other side, chirping a complementary, "And I'm Zuko!"

Another boy shifted to Hiro's left, heftier than the rest with a buzzed haircut. He smiled shyly, showing a snaggletooth. "Oka."

"Er, okay…?"

As if sensing his rising apprehension, the other him stepped forward. Putting a hand on Hiro's shoulder (Hiro nearly jumped out of his skin), he shooed the kids away. "How about you give us some space, yeah?"

The eye-patch woman was far more blunt. "Get out," she commanded the kids.

"But-" Taka started.

"Now."

They obeyed, but with much grumbling and heavy feet, drawing out the moment until the rink owner threatened to call their parents and tape them to their beds. After that, they quickly disappeared, calling goodbyes to Hiro like it was natural. Hiro flushed and tried his hand at a wave, dropping it immediately when he heard Honey and Fred coo behind him.

Once they were gone, his older brother stepped forward to stand next to him, messing up his hair. "They seem nice."

"Yeah, well, you could've pulled me out of that anytime," Hiro muttered.

Tadashi merely smiled. "And have you skip out on socializing with kids your age? Not a chance."

Hiro socked him on his good arm.

Like he was going to start hanging with a bunch of criminals' kids just because they'd been introduced into his life. He'd had plenty of chances to connect with his age group before advancing up the academic ladder, but his intelligence always set him apart and that was fine. Taka was cool and all, but Tadashi's friends- his friends from the lab could actually keep up with him.

"How sweet," Ren said dryly from Hiro's other side. "Not that I'm just absolutely thrilled at your social skills, but can we steer this friend fest back to more important matters? We are in the middle of a turf war, not to mention the whole Yokai business."

Honey spoke up for the first time in a long while, a bright pink splotch in the muted background. "Turf war? You're talking about the conflict between you and Yama, right?" She was given a few incredulous looks, brushing them off with a shrug. "It's all over the news. There's been a few reported shootings, no casualties yet, and gang graffiti has been popping up everywhere, regardless of land ownership. If you add that to the fact that the number of missing persons have increased dramatically over the last few days, all of whom had vague ties to the mob and, more specifically, Yama, then it's pretty easy to make a connection. It's all happening on a large enough scale for the public to notice and no amount of bribery can hide that."

Gogo stepped up to the girl's side. "Yama's slipping."

Ren nodded. "It isn't helping that there was an incident at his own, private base. It's not just me and my girls- a lot of people are beginning to pull at their leashes and he's got only so many hands. If he doesn't do something, and soon, we're going to be caught in the biggest storm San Fransokyo has ever seen."

Hiro bit his lip at the brief recollection of his time at Kobe Hill. If Taka was here that meant that these people- these criminals, were the reason he'd gotten out alive. He wondered if he should thank them.

Another time, he decided.

Honey tapped a finger to her chin, lips pursed. "But I heard that this is a long time coming thing- that Yama's been having discourse in his inner circle for months now. Even his people in the government are slipping- the mayor's old secretary was one of his informants and it was an anonymous leak that did her in, which means that someone had it out for her or her employer." Upon seeing the Hamadas' raised eyebrows in question, she grinned sheepishly. "My tio Miguel is a cop and, well, gossip is gossip."

If Ren cared that one of their group had direct relations to a member of the police force, she didn't show it. "She's right. It all came to head a month or so ago at one of his weekly street fights."

Hiro snapped to attention. Uh oh. He knew where this was going. Hopefully no one would bring it up…

"So, you're the kid Ren told me about earlier this year. The one that humiliated Yama during one of his own bot fights." Connor said casually despite the constipated expression slapped on Hiro's face, and laughed. "What was it that you said again? 'No more little Yama,' was it? Classic."

The boy shuffled nervously, casting a quick glance at Tadashi and his clenched jaw. No one seemed to have gotten the memo that he didn't do that anymore, let alone talk about it. "I, ah, yeah, that was me, but I don't see how that has anything to do with this…"

"Oh, it has everything to do with this." The red haired man tapped the side of his nose, leveling Hiro with a sympathetic look before continuing. "Because of that bust you and your brother caused, the authorities had leading evidence to Yama's counterfeiting scheme. Almost got him locked up for good- too bad he's got connections."

One of the girls laughed from her seat at the bar, calling out a playful, "Yeah, he sprouted out of there like a rose bud in spring."

Hiro had nearly forgotten about the other Fujitas up until now, the only two girls who hadn't introduced themselves, speaking not a word. They lounged at the tables nearby, reapplying makeup even as they listened intently.

Ren ignored them. "The point is you two started something. Yama lost a lot more than he let on on that bust."

"How much?"

"About three quarters of his real estate, all of his stock exchanges, and seven international deals that fell through."

Hiro felt multiple sets of eyes on him and the uncomfortable prickle of heat at his neck. He hadn't purposely tried to take down the mob boss (the man hadn't looked like he could handle a 3D printer, much less rule over most of the crime lords). It had been a bot fight and Hiro had had every intention of leaving with his winnings, Yama or no Yama.

Besides, it wasn't as if he'd called the cops. He and Tadashi had gotten arrested with the rest of them.

"He's been trying to get it back for a while now, but it's been slow. He has to make sure no one gets a whiff that he's weak. He'd get ripped to shreds if word got out. Probably why he made a deal with that Yokai fellow in the first place."

"And you know this… how?"

Ren jerked a thumb at the two men at her side. Tadashi's nurse smiled, while the other, a lanky boy with piercings, muttered something about 'remaining anonymous.' "We've got eyes and ears everywhere."

"So, Yama and Yokai. What connects them?"

"They're in cahoots. Obviously. Yama's been letting Mr. Masked-Man run free in his territory while he gets new intel on tech to steal."

Hiro's head spun. The man in the mask was working with Yama? Yama, the head of the mafia, a crime lord- fat, stupid Yama. This was getting more and more ridiculous, his past teaming up against him in a wacky tag team. Though, that did explain where Ren and her Fujitas came in.

"So what do we do?" As much as he hated to admit it, he was dealing with people who were more informed than he was. If he was going to take down Krei, then he needed their help.

Hiro's older self snorted, as if the answer was right in front of them. "Simplify the equation- take out Yama."

Ren nodded. "If we take him down, we can cut Yokai's resources. The less he has on his side, the easier he'll be to catch."

"Aren't you, technically speaking, on Yama's side?" Tadashi asked.

"You're still breathing, so I'd say no, I'm not. My girls aren't out for your head anymore either." Ren glanced at his other self. "We've come to a sort of agreement."

Hiro eyed his doppelgänger, who gave him a smug grin.

Connor patted Tadashi's good shoulder. "I think we talked with most of the hitmen. You're not on anyone's hotlist anymore."

Honey clapped while Fred cheered. "That's a relief!"

It was a relief. The problem of protecting Tadashi had been plaguing Hiro for days and now that it was fixed, no help from him, it was startling. He'd dived head first into this mess to keep his brother safe, taking on the mantel of the protector, only to discover the job was being done for him. He felt useless.

"Now all we have to focus on is Yama and Yokai- whoever he is," GoGo said, brushing her bangs out of her face. "You don't happen to know, do you? We've got… ideas, but that's it."

Ren snorted. "It's a well-kept secret. The only person who knows is Portal Boy and he's keeping his trap shut."

Everyone snapped to look at Hiro's double.

"You know who the man in the mask is?" Hiro felt stupid the moment the question left his mouth. Of course his older self would know, he'd already gone through this. He'd uncovered the man in the mask.

Something flashed on the other him's face, flitting away in an instant. "Yes. I know who he is."

A moment of silence.

"Well," Hiro said, "tell us and let's get this over with."

"No."

"What? Why?"

"I'll help you as best I can to make sure everything goes smoothly, but other than that I'm not fighting your battles for you. You want to know who he is, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"So you're completely fine with saving us from mafia thugs, but you can't-"

"Won't," older him corrected.

"-tell us who the masked-man is?"

"Nope. I'd like to keep the space-time continuum intact, if that's fine by you." One side of his mouth quirked up. "Let's not push our luck."

"But you're here!" Hiro said, waving him up and down. "That must automatically change things. You're interacting with people- with me!"

A shake of a head made it seem as if Hiro just wasn't getting it. "As long as the overall timeline follows the same path, we'll be fine. You're still following the general path I did. If I told you major spoilers, you'd act accordingly and go way off course."

"I would not."

"Yes, you would. Trust me; I've been through it. You totally would." He sighed. "Look, think of this as a major plot point in one of Fred's comics. While I can meddle in most instances of the timeline, there are events that I shouldn't interfere with. This is one of them. It's best if I let it run it's course like it did with me."

"You're just picking and choosing whatever point in time you think is OK?"

He shrugged. "It's worked so far." Something must've shown on Hiro's face because his older self continued. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get to where you need to be."

The words were meant to be reassuring, but Hiro found they did the opposite. Hearing them struck a chord in his head, reminding him just who he was talking to and what he was actually saying- that his future was someone else's past. The thought that his actions were set in stone, albeit with some leeway, was unsettling. He'd never cared to evaluated his existence and now he was being told that no matter what he would do, it had already happened. What he chose to do was predicted, his whole life predicted- he was predictable.

"And where do I need to be?"

"Nice try- like I'm going to spoil everything for you."

"Oh c'mon! Just say it! We already know it's Krei- it doesn't take a genius to figure out he's as guilty as they come!"

His older self's face remained passive.

"You think it's Krei?" Ren asked dubiously. "Alistair Krei? Of Krei Tech? You think he's Yokai?"

"Uh, he was at the Exhibition the night of the fire, he wanted little Hiro's microbots, and he and Callaghan had previous history. He's got the making of a real supervillain," Fred said, high-fiving a Fujitas when she said, "Definitely."

"Who else could it be?" Honey asked.

When his older self didn't so much as make a peep, Hiro sniffed loudly and looked away sharply. "It won't matter who he is or isn't once we catch him. And we will catch him- there's nowhere for him to run, not anymore."

That piqued of few people's interest, namely Ren and her two informants. Distrust still lingered and made him twitch at their faces. "You know where he is?"

"No-"

"-yes," other him said.

Fred had no qualms about revealing such information. "He's on Akuma Island. That must be his evil lair."

Hiro wanted to palm his forehead. Didn't his friends know not to give away all they knew to a bunch of criminals?

Ren was giving them an incredulous stare like she couldn't believe she heard them right. It sparked Hiro's anger: never one to let adults think they knew better than him when, in fact, they didn't. "And you were planning on doing what exactly?" she asked. "Just waltzing in like you owned the place? Like a bunch of tech-savvy vigilantes?"

"No," Hiro defended as his other self said, "Yes."

Hiro rounded on the figure. "Will you stop doing that?"

"I'll stop when you stop being difficult. She's trying to help."

"I'm sorry if I'm suspicious of criminals!"

"Technically, you were a criminal a couple of months ago."

He was so not doing this. "Bot fighting is not illegal."

"You're right. Betting on bot fighting- now that's illegal. You did it, so, ergo, you were a criminal."

Again, Hiro felt the desire to throw his helmet, only this time his target was himself- older him, not him him. "Says the guy working with actual criminals- the ones who tried to kill us!"

"Hey, I've been here for weeks and I'm not dead yet." Behind him, Ren grudgingly nodded, waving a hand as if to say, he's right. "They've only double-crossed me once and that turned out… somewhat okay. That aside, they've been clean for- what, two weeks? Given the circumstances, I think that counts as enough time to prove they're not complete trash."

A few of their companions made offended noises. Honey, the closest of his friends to his older self, frowned and wacked the teenager on the arm. "Don't be rude," she scolded.

Hiro squints. "I can't tell if that was supposed to help me agree with you or not. Ugh. Can't you just answer my questions?"

"Will you question my answers?"

Hiro growled, his temper rising. How could someone that was supposed to be him be so frustrating? He already had one brother; he didn't need another.

Older him crossed his hand and jutted out a hip, appearing annoyed. Heavy boots tapped a steady rhythm onto the floor, doubling the idea. "Look, we both know it'll be easier if you team up, so what's the problem?"

What was his problem? Did he even know?

"I agree with them," GoGo said, breaking the ice like it was nothing and ignoring the astonished look Hiro sent her. "And as much as I don't like them, their plan is solid. If we weaken Yama, Yokai won't have anymore aces up his sleeve. Less surprises and less problems."

Honey nodded. "And all of us working together would make catching him easier."

"Yes!" Fred cheered. "A superhero team up!" He offered a fist to one of the fujitas and, after a moment of surprise, the girl bumped her fist with his. He went a little overboard with the explosion sounds, but it was followed by giggles.

Hiro couldn't refuse now, not when everyone seemed to want to wait and take the chance with these strangers. His hands were tied.

Maybe it was a good idea- or, at least, an idea worth trying. Maybe all this waiting and planning would pay off. They were one step closer to the man in the mask. One step closer to finding out the man responsible for shattering Hiro's perfect world.

"Guys…?"

Hiro, along with every other person in the room, swiveled his head towards the breathy voice. And there was Wasabi, leaning heavily against the door leading towards the entrance, pushing his glass goggles up to wipe blearily at his eyes. There was a pattern pressed into his cheek and his clothes look rumpled from sleep.

"Wasabi! How you feeling, dude?"

"I'm- ugh, my head hurts like crazy." The dark skinned man groaned, stepping into the room. "But, man, did I have the craziest dream. You guys aren't gonna believe this, but we were superheroes and there were two Hiro's and- oh."

It was then that he looked up, face freezing into an expression of comedic surprise. Hiro could relate, imagining what they looked like- a mismatched band of nerds and criminals in colorful costumes- and sent his friend a sympathetic grimace. From off to the side, a Fujita blew a kiss, winking.

"Okay, not a dream- that wasn't a dream. I'm not dreaming and oh boy, yeaup, there's two of you." Hiro gave his doppelgänger a bewildered look, only to have it mirrored back at him. Wasabi watched them for a moment and swayed on his feet, gripping the door frame to keep himself balanced. "I'm OK, I'm OK- I can-" Wasabi paused in his heavy breathing, gaze towards the ceiling and distant, thinking. "Nope."

He fainted.

There was a moment of silence and then, Honey made a little, awkward laugh. "Well," she said, "at least he didn't scream."

This story is in its last stretch and we are determined to finish it! So, please, stick with us!