When Stars Collide, a BH6 x Dr Who crossover

Chapter Nineteen: Alive

"What the hell was that?" Thomas stormed as he threw his headset down.

The man next to him cowered "I don't know, sir," he stammered. "We weren't anticipating any interference."

Thomas picked up a random article and chucked it. They'd ruined his test. Of all the things that could go wrong, he hadn't planned on having anyone actually try to stop them. He'd planned things out too carefully for that.

Looking at the screen he'd been watching, he paused. The image showed a still from the battle, captured by one of the exoskeletons. It showed half a dozen or more men on the ground, probably dead. And among them, some colorful characters in what appeared to be flimsy armor.

"Maybe this wasn't such a waste, after all," he amended. Calming down, he sat back in his seat. Initial reports said the machines hadn't taken any real damage, which was good. He just didn't like the unexpected. And with whatever forced pretty much cut down, he doubted they'd see much resistance when the real deal came. After all, they'd cut off the head of the snake when that last man went down.

Thomas scrolled through the images, pausing at one where someone riding a red robot swooped into action. Were those thrusters? He'd have to talk to Kim about adding them to the next batch.

..................................

The moment Baymax touched down at the manor, Hiro slid from his back. He felt a slight sense of relief that the robot had thought to aim for the backyard instead of inside, and slumped to the grass.

Realizing Hiro needed some time to decompress, Baymax simply stood nearby, ready should he be needed. His sensors indicated a plethora of activity coming from within the boy's system. Once he was ready, the robot felt more than willing to envelop him in a hug.

It took the rest of the team a decent amount of time to return to base. By that time, Hiro had calmed some, now lying listlessly on the grass, his helmet off as he pinched off the tops of the grass.

"Hiro?" Honey Lemon approached a bit uncertainly while the rest hung back. "Are you okay?" She knelt to his level.

Without warning, Hiro rolled towards her, sitting up as he went. Tears flowed from his eyes as he grabbed her in a tight hug. "They just shot him." His voice came out tight. "Right there in front of me. Just mowed him down like trash."

Honey tried to smooth his hair with little result. Deep down, she understood that his grief wasn't just for Jack. She wrapped her arms around him.

While they sat there, the others helped Baymax out of his armor. All of their gear showed marks from the battle. Wasabi sported a bruised cheek and several minor abrasions. GoGo also had some new injuries.

Fred was, perhaps, the least injured of the group. His suit had taken most of the damage, though his ears rung from being too close to the action.

Honey Lemon's purse had cracked in several places from her using it as a shield. Several bullets speckled the exterior with fragmented metal. And Honey had several bruises and cuts as well.

"Your injuries require my attention," Baymax stated once free from his armor. "I suggest moving indoors where there is more light."

Reminded that the sun was setting, Hiro pulled away from Honey's embrace. Standing, he picked up his helmet, shoulders sagging. "Come on," he said without enthusiasm. "Baymax is right." He headed to the back entrance, the others following after him.

.................................

Ashes continued to smolder as the fires slowly died down. With the blaze contained from the outside, the fire department had opted to just let them burn out. Too much damaged had occurred to warrant saving them. And with the nearby buildings out of danger, they decided waiting was the best option.