man your battle stations, we'll have you dead pretty soon

[tadeadshi]

[Panic had run straight through his core when he knew someone had found their safe house. It'd been the best one yet, they had managed to stay there for months now, but it really was too good to last. They still had so much to find and clean up, he wasn't ready. He grabs his bag, the one he kept packed for if they had to run fast, and made for the door but stopped just outside.

It was them. It was the Six, they'd found him and Callaghan. He's not sure how, Callaghan's mods to his collar had jammed their trackers so... It must be something else they used. But if they're here then they could help. They could take over this mess, and he could go home.

Maybe.

Tadashi's throat's gone dry with the dirt and dust kicked up from their landing and scuffle with Callaghan off to the side and he stands watching, swallowing the lump in his throat. Callaghan, that's right, he-- He'd done so much to get them out, he couldn't let the guy just be taken back to prison, he'd be killed from the inside --

He makes a run towards the group, waving and trying to call out but any sound he makes drowned by the shouting.]

Comments

[tadeadshi]

[It takes a minute for him to process that Hey Hiro is trying to show you something, look up. When it does, he carefully lifts his head looking Hiro over before he finds where he's supposed to look and -- Oh. Oh, Hiro, little brother. He holds his hand out, wordlessly asking to see it closer.]

Jeez... Probably took out half the lab with you if it was bad enough to leave a mark.

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro approaches, angling his shoulder to let Tadashi see more clearly. And simultaneously make sure his brother can't see the other scars lurking just out of sight ... it's definitely from an electrical shock. Single point of entry. ]

Pretty much, yeah. But Baymax was right there, at least.

[tadeadshi]

[He lets his fingertips hover just over his arm, but never touching. But jeez that's- God, that's horrible looking.]

I'm-- I'm glad he was. Might've... Your arm, I mean, if he hadn't been.

[microbrobotics]

[ A hard one to get by accident, as Tadashi knows intimately. Hiro rolls his shoulder a bit and smiles faintly. ]

Would've been a good excuse to build myself a robot arm.

[tadeadshi]

[The longer he looks at it, the more confused he's getting about it and the confusion's obvious the way his brows scrunch together. But then Hiro shrugs his arm and his attention's pulled away.]

Let's... not? Let's not. Think you're better with this arm.

[microbrobotics]

Aww, come on. I'd build myself something sick.

[ He tugs his shirt back up and leans away lightly. If Tadashi's making those faces, it's only a matter of time before he realizes that the scar is from one of his knockout weapons... ]

[tadeadshi]

Feel better if you kept the real arm. No chance of it gaining sentience.

[microbrobotics]

[ That gets an actual laugh. ]

Oh ye of little faith.

... Anyway, it's fine now. Just a cool scar for me. But I know it hurts.

[tadeadshi]

[Ah.

And now they're back to him.]

Shouldn't've let it stop me.

[microbrobotics]

Tadashi, I don't think you had much of a choice.

[tadeadshi]

[Tadashi opens his mouth to protest that but --

No choice.

That's what he'd thought at the time when it happened too. Then Callaghan came along and fought tooth and nail to give Tadashi hope, then tore it down again when he donned the Yokai persona again, then got them out.

But there hadn't been any choice, had there? What else was he supposed to do. What is is he supposed to do.]

[microbrobotics]

[ Even without his brother saying anything, Hiro can guess what his brother's thinking. The trick is to say the right thing without saying too much ... ]

I know you'd have come home sooner if you could have.

[tadeadshi]

[He swallows the lump in his throat, gripping at his sleeve.]

I still should've found a different way. It's--

[It doesn't matter now. He is home, even if he's a broken up mess. He takes a slow steady inhale and holds it a few seconds. Home means family. Home means friends, and the thought that he's keeping his being alive secret from them is enough to hurt.]

...Dunno if I'm ready to see the others yet.

[microbrobotics]

[ A different way? When they were doing that to him? Hiro just falls silent for a moment, letting his brother talk past the topic. Ah, that's a little safer. He can respond to that. ]

They can wait, Tadashi. Trust me. They'll understand.

[tadeadshi]

They'll want to know.

[Gogo especially. He knows she hates being left in the dark. And Tadashi's not sure she'd just let him slide with vague answers.]

Have you told them yet?

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro shakes his head. Technically, that's true; they saw Tadashi before Hiro ever had to say anything, after all. ]

No. I haven't told anyone except Aunt Cass.

[tadeadshi]

Good.

[Whew. Shaky breath, brushes some hair from his eyes. He... really should look into a haircut somehow.]

Might be mad at you for not telling them. That's okay with you/

[microbrobotics]

It's fine, Tadashi. They'll understand. You're my brother, dummy.

[microbrobotics]

[ The Six don't let Callaghan sit idle. Not only because he's obviously bored - and they are, in fact, nice enough to try and keep him from hating his life in that capacity - but because there's work to be done. HIro in particular has been relentless in driving the team to burn them out once base at a time, but the rest don't argue. They've seen Tadashi. Most of them have seen the tapes, too. They know what drives him to do this.

... They aren't with him when he shows up quietly at Cal's door in the dead of the night, though. Not even Baymax is there; the bot has been carefully placed on marshmallow babysitting duty. Just Hiro, already armored in a design that Callaghan's never seen before. A dark mesh instead of his usual indigo, shot through with circuitry that indicates some kind of technological trick, if not some kind of outright weapon. One has always been an intimidating figure in his armor - purposely so, after they started fighting and realized the value in it - but this is something else entirely. He knocks, politely, but it's clear from his rigid shoulders and loosely combative stance that he's not taking no for an answer tonight. They're going out. Whether Callaghan agrees or not.

Even accounting for the modulation, his voice is especially hoarse tonight. ]

You awake?

[tadeadshi]

[He leans back against Baymax, glad to have his own personal body pillow support and watches Hiro. I'm not your good brother though. All in all, Tadashi just looks... tired. Tired and worn and lost. He thought talking with One would help clear his head, but the longer he talks to Hiro, the more he regresses back into himself.]

I'll-- I'll do something to make up for it. For them.

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro can see that too; it's obvious, even to someone as socially awkward as he is. The conversation he had as One was so much smoother, so much more natural ... If only there were a way to stay that way forever. Maybe if he makes a point of talking to his brother more often, and minimizing his contact as Hiro ... Maybe his brother can heal.

He swallows, slowly. ]

Sure. I know you will.

[pushtheboundaries]

[either the hint worked, or they already had things for him to do - either way, he's not complaining. he focuses on the tasks and projects given to him with a professional diligence, giving just about all anyone could ask for.

but there's something missing. he's restless, subtly distracted; this is not enough. and yet what can he do?

he may be fully cooperative, but part of him feels like a prisoner again. that part of him that had come to savor the freedom that came with being on the run... it was stressful, it was horrid at times, but at least he was free.

he's trying to sleep when the knock comes, but months of an erratic sleep schedule combined with the necessity of sleeping lIghtly has him wake quickly. ]

Just- just a minute -

[and in short order he's grabbed a robe and is opening the door, only to start a bit at the visage. that's...different. ]

...One?

[tadeadshi]

[He can sense something. Something that just changed in the conversation and he can't put a finger on it; he's too removed from his element for too long to instinctively know what to do or say to fix things. But he sits forward, leaning to his brother almost worried.]

I'll make this up to you too. I promise.

[microbrobotics]

[ If not for the glint of his faceplate, he would be nearly invisible in the darkness; even that is muted, coated in a matte finish that doesn't reflect much light. And the fact that One's here alone, with none of his other friends ... If he wanted to dispose of Callaghan, this certainly would be the opportune time.

But that's not what he's here for. ]

Suit up. I'll route the details to your HUD once you're ready.

[ No "please," no pleasantries. One's persona has always been terse compared to Hiro himself, but this is especially bare bones. Something else on his mind. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ Slowly, hesitantly, he leans back. Just a little bit. ]

You don't have to. Being here is all I want.