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

Entry tags:

!mafia au

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

[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.]

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[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.

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... ]

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

[ 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.

[Ah.

And now they're back to him.]

Shouldn't've let it stop me.

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

[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.]

[ 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.

[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.

[ 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.

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?

[ 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.

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/

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

[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.

[ 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.

[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.

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

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

Hiro, I...

[His eyes cloud for a brief moment before he sits back again, nods quietly. Don't have to, so don't do it. Understood, then. He sits patiently as though waiting another order before he remembers where he is, who he's with.

... What were they talking about? It got away from him.]

I uh. I did talk to Aunt Cass a little while you were gone.

[ Even with Callaghan's warning, it hurts to see his brother so cowed even by the most mild of implied commands. Stupid. Don't make suggestions like that unless you mean it.

He nods, bowing his head a bit. ]

Yeah? She's happy to see you, isn't she?

She is. Talked about a mile a minute.

[Even he smiles a little at that - Aunt Cass still needs him to be his old self too, but at least the conversation with her is a bit more one-sided. As long as he nods and looks like he's paying attention, he can get through that easy enough. He listens to the faint chatter two floors down, the chime of the door flittering up occasionally.]

... Things're really going well aren't they.

[ Hiro can't hide his genuine smile at that. ]

Yeah. Word of Baymax got around - we get a lot of people wanting to see him. But he has better things to do, so ... I built some smaller versions to entertain people.

[ Hence the "Baymediums" and "Bayminis" meandering around down there. ]

Better like look after you huh?

[He smiles a bit more. It's what he initially built Baymax for. To look after his little brother. And if it went well, he was going to do a slight reprogrammed version for mass production if he could find a buyer...

But it's probably not possible to do now. Not unless he did the work and sold it through Hiro's name. If facts got about about the things he's done, he could never sell anything with his name on it.

Something to consider a different day.]

Smaller versions? ... Can I see?

Right, exactly.

[ And also help with superheroing work. He can't risk having someone off the street recognize Baymax in his non-armored form, so ... Smaller robots were safer. And plus it was just nice to not have to leave Baymax in the cafe when he needs him in the lab or elsewhere.

That question gets a legitimate grin. He whistles and says a codeword - and a couple of bitty prototypes about a foot tall come waddling out from under his desk. Silicone instead of vinyl, but equally squishy. ]

They're still a work in progress, but ...

[He watches them come out, eyes wide with awe. His design, miniaturized and adorable. Of course Hiro would think up something like this? It makes sense. And it gets a real (if small) smile from him.]

They're amazing.

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