Big Hero 6: Spills and Chills

Chapter 8: Memory

A SMOKE alarm blared in his ears, a bright light bleeding into his eyes that he shut, shielding his face with his forearm. Taking in his surroundings, he gasped as he turned to see where he was. The lush flora of SFIT's courtyard came to view, confusion stitching his brow as he shifted his gaze to see Tadashi.

Disbelief and confusion reigned in his mind as he looked at him, words silent as he failed to speak with eyes wide in shock. His older brother's face was determined, yet afraid, resolved to accomplish a task which he did not know. Looking down, Hiro saw his hand holding his arm, the realization hitting him with horror.

"Callaghan is in there, someone has to help." Tadashi panted.

Gripped with terror, he released his brother, seeing him run into the inferno that engulfed the auditorium, disappearing into the flames. Why did he let go? Did life give him a second chance to rescue him yet he allowed him to die anyway? Like a man possessed, his body moved forward, lifting Tadashi's cap off the ground. What was happening?

Fear filled him tremulously, his eyes darting around as he wondered what to do. Frowning deeply, he ran toward the building when he suddenly heard gunshots emanating from it, halting his progression. The world around him froze as the sound echoed; the crackling of the fire, the screams of people around him and the alarm drowning underneath it. The silence broke as the building exploded, the light of flames blinding him as they flung him back.

"HIRO? HIRO Hamada?" A gentle feminine voice came to him.

The harsh morning light stung his eyes as he came to, prying them open as he saw an Asian woman in a dustcoat standing beside him as he lay. GoGo, Wasabi, Dash, Fred, Honey Lemon, Maxwell, Dr Cello, Baymax and Aunt Cass stood around him, looking closely at him as he lay on the gurney in a medical room in Stark Industries. The scientist walked up to him, her smile meeting him warmly as she checked his vitals on a tablet fixed near the IV to the left.

"Ah, good, you survived." Dr Helen Cho sighed.

"Survived what? What happened?" Hiro raised his brow.

"Oh, Hiro!" Aunt Cass rushed to his side and hugged him. "I thought you were gonna die!" She pressed her cheek against his as she embraced him tightly. "Ooh, you're a strong boy, aren't you?"

"Strong? What happened?" Hiro looked at the others.

"You were injected with a poison called Black Pit, a corrosive agent that slowly eats away at your cells till you're a hollow corpse. It's a miracle that you're still alive; even with the Cradle, we wouldn't have been able to save you." Dr Cho smiled at him.

"Who did it?" Hiro tried to sit up.

"Mmm, I was right." Dr Cho frowned. "In order to prevent the poison from spreading, your heart rate reduced to a beat per minute. Apparently, your brain function must have been affected as well, though I do not know why because you did not suffer any brain damage."

"Who injected me?" Hiro furrowed his brow.

"That doesn't matter now, Hiro." GoGo walked up to him. "All that matters is that you're alright."

"Welcome back, Hiro." Baymax turned to him. "Forgive me, I failed you as a healthcare companion."

"No, it's not your fault, Baymax; you did what you could." Hiro smiled at him.

"We're glad you're alright, Hiro." Honey hugged him.

"Yeah, didn't think you'd make it, little man." Wasabi ruffled his hair.

"What, you thought that could take me down?" Hiro chuckled. "Still wanna know who injected me though." He frowned slightly.

"Ooh, ooh, did you get any powers?" Fred tapped his fingers together anxiously.