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

[pushtheboundaries]

...because Tadashi didn't deserve any of what happened to him.

[he didn't deserve to go after someone who hadn't thought anyone would try and save him, he didn't deserve to nearly die in the process, he didn't deserve to be picked up by the mob and forced to make weapons, he didn't deserve...anything...that happened in there, and he deserved far better choices than Callaghan made in the name of getting them out of there...

Callaghan swallows, reaches up, and rubs his forehead]

And...I suppose I was hoping that I could bring back your brother like you did my daughter, just...not in this condition.

[microbrobotics]

[ He searches for any evidence that Callaghan's lying to him, that this is all some kind of trick - but he can't see anything. And he's not sure if it's because he's not looking in the right place or if Cal is, in fact, telling the truth. Maybe ... Maybe he could be. The professor had done plenty of terrible things, but he just didn't seem the type to play his daughter as a sympathy card.

Slowly, the tension in his shoulders begin to ease. ]

... He's hurt real bad, isn't he. Not just physically.

[pushtheboundaries]

[that's progress. Callaghan lets out a breath as he lowers his hand, nodding in reluctant agreement]

If Baymax is with him, then he'll pick up on some of it, and he's far more equipped to diagnose it than I am, but...I've seen PTSD in others, mostly when I was still the army. And believe me, even career soldiers would buckle under what he's gone through.

[even Callaghan buckled, in his own way. absentmindedly, he reaches to rub at his inner elbow, by the vein. there's no scar there, but that hurt isn't physical, either.]

The most I can say is don't crowd him, don't back him in to a corner, and if he gives you a negative reaction...give him space. He wasn't...Yama's men didn't like 'no' as an answer.

[from either of them. at least, until Callaghan made them think he was a peer.]

[microbrobotics]

[ "PTSD." "What he's gone through." It doesn't surprise Hiro to hear that, given what he's seen already, but it's still confirmation of his worst fears. That his brother was tortured, or at least put through conditions extreme enough to resemble them. And being forced to make weapons ... That was the antithesis of everything his brother had stood for. ]

I can do that much.

[ He's doing that now, in fact. Baymax can be a silent, non-humanoid presence, and Aunt Cass, while certainly more emotive than her nephews, has a great sense for when to intrude into her charges' life and when to leave them alone. She dealt with Hiro well enough while he was depressed, after all. Who knew going through that would serve Hiro well now.

His gaze flicks to Callaghan's arm, briefly. ]

What did they do to you?

[pushtheboundaries]

[at that, Callaghan nods. they're simple things, but they'll go far. he's glad Hiro didn't at least snap at him regarding how it's obvious - it means they've made progress - but the follow up question has him pause.

...he doesn't want to talk about himself. but he knows that he's not been unaffected through this either, just in...different ways.]

...most of it was what I did to gain their trust.

[and he leans back, figuring that it's best to keep it out in the open- if Hiro thinks he's lying by omission, it won't help him at all.]

Most of the weapons were my design.

[microbrobotics]

[ It helps that they're talking about Tadashi. Hiro's willing to put up with a whoooole lot if it means finding out things that could help his brother.

But that response ... Suddenly he's rigid again, fists clenched against his sides. ]

You designed them. Why? I get why Tadashi had to, but you - why didn't you stand up to them?

[pushtheboundaries]

I did, at first.

[perhaps he hadn't held out long enough, perhaps he'd been to quick to think of something else, perhaps, perhaps...

he gets to his feet, but not to move towards Hiro. this is a restless discomfort, moving to try and keep from fidgeting ]

Have you ever heard the term, 'silver or lead'?

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro frowns a little. Clearly he's not familiar with the phrase. ]

No idea.

[pushtheboundaries]

Semi-historical. It applies more to the drug cartels down south, but one of them- they started offering influential figures a choice. They could either accept the silver as a bribe, or they'd be given lead in the form of bullets. And...I'm not saying these are identical circumstances, but...

[he's not looking at Hiro. he's- not quite pacing, but close. this is not an easy subject for him, and it's hard enough explaining what went on, but he did promise to talk. some of it is talking with his hands, but...]

At first, they figured an opportunity for 'revenge' would be enough. [that 'hnh' explains what he thinks of that] I declined. Then they assumed that I needed convincing regarding my 'place'- I endured. Then a couple of them thought I was obsessed with the 'kid'-

[and he swallows, because that led to other things he really, really hopes Hiro doesn't press him about]

-and before they could really start looking for lead, I convinced them it was a matter of that whole 'place' nonsense, and that what I required was a decent position.

[really, it was only a matter of time before they found they could use Abigail to have him do anything.]

[microbrobotics]

[ That concept he understands immediately. And he even gets what Callaghan didn't say about Abigail. Better to accept something long before that point, than to risk someone really important ...

He stays silent for a long moment, trying to think through all this. He understands, now, but that's not the same as forgiveness. Not by a longshot. ]

Obsessed with the kid who took you down, huh? ... Good thing they didn't know about Abigail or they would've known better.

[ Fortunately for Callaghan, Tadashi was never ever a "kid" in Hiro's eyes, so he doesn't make the connection. ]

[pushtheboundaries]

[Callaghan considers correcting Hiro.

he things better of it, and does, at least, glance back since it seems like Hiro's not about to press]

If they knew about Abigail, then I'd have been theirs completely.

I...hope you can understand why I couldn't let it get to that point.

[microbrobotics]

I understand.

[ But he doesn't offer anything more than that. There's still residual resentment in his eyes. A glance down at his left arm. He knows all too well how bad their tech arms race got on his side of thing, especially once Cal came into the picture.

After a long moment of silence, though, he relents a little. Just a fraction. ]

Abigail's doing well. We catch up sometimes.

[pushtheboundaries]

[and even that tiny allowance has a noticeable effect on Callaghan's mood. he actually smiles, some of the tension dropping out of his shoulders as he rests a hand on the couch]

Can you tell me about her?

[microbrobotics]

[ He's not sure if that makes him feel good or not. Callaghan smiling about anything. ]

She's fine? She's still employed at Krei Tech, but I think it's mostly Krei paying her and then not really using her. That's boring, so ... Mostly she comes over to SFIT to help out with student projects. We've worked together a lot on my prosthetic project.

[ There's a hint of ... something in his tone. Not a promise, but possibility. If Abigail is close with Hiro's group, then arranging a visit isn't out of the question. He's not quite cold enough to offer it as a bribe, but he knows the effect it might have. A tactical suggestion - for a more willing prisoner. ]

[pushtheboundaries]

[it's not all the things he wanted to hear - hearing she's working at Krei Tech, for example, has him swallowing down a bit of bile that threatens to come up - but he does nod. ironically, the thought of a visit isn't what first comes to mind.]

I...appreciate you keeping an eye on her.

[Callaghan's considered himself unable to look his daughter in the eye for some time, however desperately he misses her.]

She's clever; I'm sure be able to offer some insight, if she hasn't already.

[microbrobotics]

[ That's ... not quite the reaction he expected. Not that he knew what to expect, but surely it wasn't that. He ha to pause for a moment and recalculate. ]

'course. I guess we're friends, by now. We wouldn't let her get hurt anyway.

[ A very faint smile at that. ]

Sure did. Not a bad at building stuff herself.

[pushtheboundaries]

She's my daughter, I hope you weren't expecting someone sloppy as Fred. We spoke, a couple times, before...

[and he trails off. before the mob. he only lets the silence linger for a moment before rushing to fill it;]

How much does she know?

[microbrobotics]

[ He makes a face. His own Aunt doesn't even know what her nephew does after hours; of course Abigail's been told nothing. ]

Nothing. Other than you apparently escaping from jail, but that was all over the news. We don't involve anyone in our secret identities who didn't know already.

[pushtheboundaries]

[that's not quite what he meant. it was part of it, but by the sideways look he gives Hiro, there's more to it.]

I'd expect that much is public knowledge. I suppose I should have asked...how much is still...on the news.

[he tried to keep things relatively quiet, with himself and Tadashi- the more attention they got, the more likely one of their perceived threats would home in on them. for the most part they were able to stick to the shadows, with Callaghan wearing the 'Yokai' mask in those circumstances attention was unavoidable-

-hell, in some cases he did it on purpose. to bring the police's attention to something they needed to see, and if they assumed it was his, well, it wasn't like he was trying to improve his reputation.]

[microbrobotics]

[ That he's less sure about. He'd scanned news site, of course, but not really gone into much depth. It hardly seemed necessary. ]

Still not much. I mean, not out in the open. We attract way more attention than the mob does, so there's not much point in me watching the news.

... You showed up a couple times though. Not enough to help us track you down. You kept your trail pretty cold.

[pushtheboundaries]

[that's something, at least. he tries to think of how diligent Abigail is in terms of keeping up on current events...and all he can think about is her when she was younger, alternating between cartoons and the Discovery channel.

he looks away again, smiling humorlessly]

I had to keep us safe.

[microbrobotics]

While you ... dismantled your work, right? That's what you were doing when we found you.

[ Another twitch of that left arm. He can't help it. ]

Give us the list and we'll finish it.

[pushtheboundaries]

[he nods at that...and then goes quiet. it would be easy to collaborate with them; more than that, it would be easy to simply wash his hands of it all. let them take care of everything, let them take over, while he...while he...]

...and then what?

[microbrobotics]

[ And then we burn the rest of Yama's operation to the ground, but he senses that isn't Callaghan's actual question. His expression hardens again as he looks Cal up and down. ]

I don't know. Depends, I guess.

[pushtheboundaries]

[he's quiet. still. not looking at Hiro. in the end, his first motion is to move his hand towards his face, swallowing as he tries to get his voice steady enough to speak...]

Most of my notes were back at the safehouse. I imagine they're still there, unless you brought them out. But I...have to admit, the idea of just...running from this...

[...he doesn't like it. he hates it, in fact. he's done too much, caused to much, to get off nearly that easily- he has a duty, here to himself and the world, to clean up this mess with his own hands. to do everything he can, to spend the rest of his life trying to find some sort of atonement...

and how would he even put that in to words? how can he admit that he all but sold his soul, in there, and can do no less than an endless and, perhaps, vain trial to earn it back?]