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

[microbrobotics]

[ There's so much shouting going on here. Apparently the Six know this guy - recognize him as an old enemy, given how aggressive the smallest one is towards them. From the way the others fan out around him, he must be their leader. Somehow it's not the ridiculously huge guy in back, who is also the one being the most compassionate about this whole thing. The others seem torn, but not as obviously agitated as the one in indigo. He seems furious - furious - that it was Callaghan. Of course it would be Callaghan behind all the tech giving them trouble. Who else would it be. He has to stalk off away from the rest of the group to keep from hitting the professor in the face. Two years later and his rage threatens to consume him if he lets it burrow too deeply into his psyche.

So when he turns back towards the safehouse, it's as much to get his head clear as it is to check it for extra evidence. He doesn't expect anyone to be here. Doesn't even see Tadashi until he's nearly on top of him, when the wave finally catches his eye. Between the armor and his own growth spurts, he cuts a taller figure than Tadashi would recognize. Fully-powered armor, just like everyone else's, except he doesn't have a weapon to call his own. Instead, he has limited flight; enough to push off from Baymax if necessary to let the bot fight. It's all kinds of battle-scarred as well, with scoring all along his helmet and up one side in particular. A nasty fall not too long ago. Scorch marks from emps and blast weaponry. All things that Tadashi should recognize as projects that he and Callaghan were working on. Surely by now it was obvious who these weapons were being used on, but in case Tadashi hadn't realized...

The armored figure stops cold when he sees Tadashi. He's still a little shorter than the older Hamada, even in armor, so he has to look up just a little to get a good look. He must be dreaming. Or hallucinating, or - or maybe this is some cruel trick of Callghan's. Why else would he see his brother standing here in the ruins of Callghan's safehouse? When he finally speaks, the words come out through a voice distortion box, making them lower and more gravely than they really should have been. So instead of the stunned, tearful wonder that they ought to have, his words sound borderline aggressive. Accusatory. ]

Tadashi Hamada?

[tadeadshi]

[Tadashi knows they'd be furious at Callaghan - he'd told the brother that they were the ones to stop him before. It makes sense. What he doesn't expect is to see the results of his work splattered across the entire group. He can see the battle scars and wear and tear across everyone even at this distance, and as the leader gets closer, he can visualize every weapon used against every mark of his armor and each one is its own punch to the heart.

He never wanted to hurt anyone with his work. And the last two years of making weapons is staring him in the face confirming his name.

Tadashi stands there, dumbfounded and skinnier than he should be from malnutrition and covered in scars from the neck down, his shirt thankfully hiding the worst from his collar and looking like he's about to cry. He wipes at his eye - clearly just dust in the air irritating his eyes - before nodding. Of course they'd know his name. Even he'd heard the news coverage of his own death two years ago, who wouldn't recognize him at this point? His voice is choked, though if it's from the debris or emotion, it's hard to tell.]

Y-yeah. Yeah, and you're - the. The Big Hero Six, right?

[microbrobotics]

[ So skinny. And the scars, and ... Something goes rigid in the armored figure's shoulders as its occupant stares up at his brother's injuries in mixed joy and agony. His brother is alive, but hurt in so many more ways than he can bear to see right now. It's a damn good thing his faceplate is one way; it hides the sudden well of tears springing to his eyes. He reaches up an arm instinctively to wipe them away and clunks himself in the helmet instead. Right. Armored. Stupid armor.

He wanted so badly for his brother to see the good they'd been doing as the Six; he never dreamed it would happen like this. ]

That's what the media calls us.

[ Again, the distortion hides the emotion in his voice. Inside the helmet, his voice is wobbling, close to tears; outside, it just comes out as a dry, garbled kind of sarcasm. God. He wants so badly to take his faceplate down right here and now - but if he does that, he and all of his friends are dead. And Tadashi too. But even that isn't enough to keep him from lunging forward abruptly and throwing his arms around his brother. ]

[tadeadshi]

What-

[Something in him stirs, overriding whatever natural actions he might have taken for something as simple as a hug. Instead, Tadashi stiffens completely, his breath hitching. He doesn't know this person, they moved too fast, the armor is hard oh god oh god-

After a long suffering second, he carefully gets a hand on the hero's elbow, trying to ease him away as casually and inoffensively as possible.]

I-i'm sorry, I- uh. I'm not really good at, I mean I don't know what's happening right now.

[microbrobotics]

[ That shouldn't cut him straight to the core as badly as it does, especially when he's in armor and his brother is clearly traumatized - but it hurts anyway. All of a sudden he just wants to be done with this stupid thing. Just wants to be home, safe, with his brother there ... He'd thought he was over this, but somehow seeing your dead brother alive and not-so-well is enough to shatter pretty much all the neat little barriers he'd had built up.

Right. First priority: get his brother home. He frankly doesn't care what happens to Callaghan at this point - they can always track the guy down again if they have to. Reluctantly, he tears his eyes away from Tadashi and back towards the rest of the six. An order over the radio (inaudible to Tadashi) before he turns back. ]

You're coming with me.

[tadeadshi]

[The words go right through him. He'd going to prison. Of course he would, he was working with Yama's mafia, however unwillingly, and made so many weapons. He hindered these heroes and hurt who knows how many innocent people with his tech.]

I... I--

[that's right. He has to apologize.]

I'm sorry. I made a lot of the, the weapons that hurt you, I didn't--

[His eyes are definitely wet now, all the adrenaline drained out of him, his slides to his knees.]

I didn't want to, just. I have family, a little brother at home and my aunt. Before I go, could I just get a message to them?

[microbrobotics]

[ No no no no. He's not sure what makes his heart plummet faster - the confirmation that his brother built the tech that's been such an enormous thorn in their sides recently, or the sight of his own brother kneeling in front of him, pleading for forgiveness. He doesn't know the whole story; frankly, he doesn't care. His brother could be a mass murderer and he'd still bring him home safe to Aunt Cass.

A shaky huff ripples through him, echoing strangely inside his helmet. His hand flinches towards the button to turn off the voice modulator. Only the thought of I have family stops him. If they threatened Tadashi by hurting his family, then no way they'd let him go easily. Everything depends on his ability to sneak Tadashi home without making the connection obvious.

He takes a deep breath. When he speaks again, his voice is soft, even through the modulator. ]

I'm listening.

[tadeadshi]

[No way they'd let him or Callaghan go so easily, why they've spent months running from safe house to safe house trying to clean up the mess they made. He reached to scratch nervously at the collar looking back up to the armored figure again.]

Just. Please tell them I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of this to happen.

[How exactly is he supposed to tell a city hero he wants to go home and not prison? He can't figure it out, so he doesn't try. A far cry from the "find a new angle" engineer Hiro saw last.]

[microbrobotics]

[ His brother has given up, hasn't he. What did they do to him? What godawful things would they have had to do to break his brother this badly? He swallows, hard, around the lump in his throat. ]

I know you didn't, Tadashi.

[ If he says anything more than that, he's going to break down. No, get Tadashi home first. Then cry. His gaze drifts to Tadashi's motion, then to the collar. Ah. That has to come off, doesn't it. Not only does it look painful, who knows what tech could be hiding in there. A bomb, maybe. Or some kind of GPS. Neither of which he wants coming into their aunt's home. He reaches out carefully to feel for a catch or something to get it off. ]

[tadeadshi]

[He's aware of the hero reaching for him; Tadashi's hyperaware of any movement around him now, like how the others are staring at their general direction and how Callaghan has strangely fallen silent instead of protesting their capture.]

I-- I just, I had to. I knew--

[Knew no one would come looking for him. Knew no one would know to come looking for him. What else could he have done after two, three failed attempts to escape before they dragged Robert into things? His gaze snaps back up when he realizes what the guy is doing, trying to do, and his voice comes out shaky, anxious.]

I-i wouldn't-- Please don't--

[He cuts off with a yelp, a hum of electricity starting from the center band of the collar before expanding out and through him. The yelp dissolves into a cry, back arching before he falls back to the ground. It'd been so long since it'd gone off. Callaghan had done something to jam the trackers and the remote signal that could've been used to set it off, but neither could do much else to tamper with it physically. He's left shaking, gasping for short breaths as the current stops. Not enough to kill him, but almost enough to make him wish it had. He can faintly hear Callaghan shouting at them, about backing off, catch something about implanted.]

[microbrobotics]

[ He freezes too late; the jolt is already going through his brother's body before he manages to unclasp his fingers. Oh god. Oh god he's hurt his brother - he can't bear the thought of losing him now, not when he's only just now realized that his brother is alive. His head jolts back even as his hand jerks away. Baymax, he needs to have Baymax scan his brother and tell him that he'll be okay. ]

B - Six - tell me what's wrong with him. Route it directly to my HUD. [ And then, without waiting: ]We're taking him now.

[ Because screw listening to Callaghan. He's going to make his bot pick up his brother right the hell now so that they can get out of here. Leave the cleanup to the rest of the team. Hell, let Callaghan go, for all he cares. ]

[tadeadshi]

[The Robot steps up, giving Tadashi a quick scan, sends over a series of readings - from bruises neck to ankles to improperly healed bone fractures to the state of shock his body and mind are in from the electrical shock, to a long string of mental problems. Once the information is neatly gathered and sent to Hiro's HUD, Baymax carefully picks Tadashi up, taking care not to jostle the Patient.

He keeps his voice to Hiro's comm.]

Will we be taking him to the hospital? I believe he would get the best form of treatment there. I am not fully equipped for some procedures he needs.

[microbrobotics]

[ Each item on that long lists makes Hiro's heart sink a little more. But other than the shock, nothing seems to be life threatening. Besides, he doesn't want to risk taking his brother somewhere that public without making absolutely sure there's no way for the mafia to find out. And ... and he just wants his brother home so badly that he's willing to pretend a whole lot to convince himself this is purely the right decision. He shakes his head lightly, comm still routed to Baymax only. ]

No, Baymax. It's not safe at a hospital. We'll have to do what we can for him back home. Get a doctor to come in and help.

... Keep an eye on his vitals and get us out of here.

[tadeadshi]

I understand. I will continue to monitor him.

[ True to his word, Baymax keeps periodically checking Tadashi's vitals and sending the readings to his brother as they fly home, taking a more round-a-bout route to the cafe. Hiro did say 'home' and not 'base', so no stop at Fred's mansion then.

It feels like days when Tadashi opens his eyes again, expecting to be in that room again, or the safehouse still. The Six finding them and taking him to jail is just a dream, had to be. He couldn't possibly be staring at his own ceiling that he'd memorized for ten years. Not sure if he's dreaming, he keeps laying there, scared to move.

When the scene doesn't change after a good twenty minutes, his eyes blur and he closes them to squeeze the tears out, finally moving to at least rub at his face. The first movement he's made since the shock. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ It's morning, in fact. The most perfect morning imaginable, with warm, gorgeous sunlight pouring in through the open window. A cool breeze catches at the curtains, so that they drift in and out of the corner of Tadashi's vision. And ... there's his brother. Hiro is fast asleep in a chair pulled up next to his brother's bed, head and arms leaning against the coverlet. Surely a dream. Or maybe Tadashi's finally died and gone somewhere a lot nicer than where he was before.

... And yet his brother is visibly older than the one that Tadashi left in front of the exposition hall. Taller but still gangly, hair messy but cropped shorter.

Surely a dream couldn't have given him those details. ]

[tadeadshi]

[Not the dreams he's had the last two years. The nightmares he has over and over, the ones that he wakes up screaming from and clinging for anything to ground him.

This is too good. This is too good and too sweet and too perfect to be real or a dream.

He trembles, shifting to move and roll onto his side facing Hiro and every motion is agony against his sore muscles and bones. But he faces his little brother, reaches a shaking hand to his to just touch. To touch and confirm he's awake and this is real and the smallest noise breaks free from his throat when he feels skin under his fingers. He still feels the weight of the collar against his neck, still sees the scars (burns and others) along his arms, he aches all over, but he's home. The one place he's wanted to be since he can remember waking up after the fire.

This is it. He made it. He can't hold it back anymore; he curls into himself on his side, knuckles just barely touching Hiro's hand and he tries to hide his face in the blankets so he can cry in peace.]

[microbrobotics]

[ Too late - Hiro stirs when Tadashi first touches his hand. So by the time he turns away to cry, Hiro's wide awake. And - oh god. He's not even sure what to do with that, even having seen Baymax's list and knowing that his brother has to have a host of mental issues in the wake of his imprisonment and torture. Would it even be comforting for him to say anything? He doesn't know. So instead, he turns his hand very slowly so that he can take his brother's hand and squeeze gently. ]

Tadashi?

[tadeadshi]

[Every muscle tenses when Hiro takes his hand. But his breath hitches and he forces himself to relax when he hears the voice calling him. Once he can get himself together, he turns his head to look at him. His voice is like a ghost shell of the brotherly warmth he used to have.]

H-hey... Little brother.

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro's breath hitches at that. How can he be so happy and yet so pained at the same time? He thought he'd never see his brother again - but he also never thought he'd see his brother broken like this. An ugly part of him wants his real brother back, not this pathetic little shell sitting in front of him. But he drowns it out with the sheer gratitude he feels for the chance to see his brother again. They'll get through this. He'll help, dammit.

Being very, very careful not to jostle anything, especially that collar, Hiro wordlessly leans in for a hug. No armor this time, just skinny awkward teenager elbows. ]

[tadeadshi]

Ah--

[Incoming incomingincoming he can't help his reactions, eyes wide and scared until his brain processes there's no pain forthcoming and it's okay. This is his brother. This is his tiny baby brother who isn't so tiny anymore, here with him now. Maybe that guy had gotten his message to Hiro - that he was sorry. Sorry for everything, for not being the brother he should've been while captured, for leaving, for running into that damn building in the first place.

He carefully scoots closer to wrap his arms back around him, all the nervousness in the world making him question if this is okay.]

I'm sorry. I- [His voice cracks, god] - I'm sorry.

[microbrobotics]

[ That wince is still there, even with Hiro unarmored and both of them safe in their room. He fights back the urge to let out a little sob of his own right then and there.

But for now, they're here. And Hiro's just glad to be able to put his arms around his brother even if his brother is too scared to hug back much. ]

For - for what? Knucklehead.

[tadeadshi]

[He opens his mouth to speak, but what would he say? That he's sorry for things Hiro doesn't know about. Shouldn't ever know about, if given the choice. That he's not the big brother he's supposed to be, who he was before the fire. That's what gets him the most: he knows he isn't himself.

He shakes his head, moves to hold his brother tighter now that he knows it's safe.]

Taking so long t'get home.

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro leans in closer. ]

That's - that's right. You're late, bro.

[tadeadshi]

... Make it up to you?

[His voice comes out small and quiet and so afraid that Hiro won't accept that. That maybe two years thinking he was dead only to find him like this - nothing like the brother he loved - might be enough to make him say no. Callaghan was trying to help with that some, trying to help Tadashi get some of his old self back before the Six found them.

So much for that. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ Every time his brother opens his mouth, it hurts. This isn't at all like the brother he remembers. Certainly not like the image he built up in his mind either, the standard he's been trying to live his life by. But ... it's still Tadashi in the end. And he's desperately glad to have his brother back. ]

'course. ... You can start by having some breakfast with me.