Steadfast Soldier

Truth Be Told

Hiro was sitting on the ground, elbows on his knees, chin propped in his hands. It had been a lot to take in, but now that it was all out in the open, Hiro grasped the concept a little more clearly. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, the wall of the gums sore. Callaghan was silent, letting the moment settle and the news mull over. His brows scrunched together as he let his mind wander, tracing over each detail Callaghan had given, recalling it from memory and applying it to their past fights.
"And you're not lying to me," Hiro asked, glancing up.

Callaghan stared back at him, a sad expression on his face. "You have no reason to trust me, Hiro. But, you know I wouldn't lie- it wouldn't do me any favors in here."
Hiro sighed.
"So, let me get this straight. Hydra approached you about Project Silent Sparrow after Krei's failure, but Hydra was involved before it?" Hiro rubbed a hand down his face, groaning in annoyance. It was all so much to go over, a whole past opinion to change.
"Hydra was interested in Silent Sparrow before the..."
"Accident," Hiro said, his jaw tight. Callaghan glanced at him, looking hesitant. In the end, he let out a sigh and relented.
"Accident, yes. But, Krei wasn't interested in working with them at the time. When the project went wrong and Krei failed to secure Abigail's return, Hydra turned to me. I was desperate, Hiro."

So, Hydra had chosen Callaghan because of his vulnerability? Thinking from the point of view as Hydra, what little he knew about them, Hiro figured it was the best choice. Krei would be unwilling to continue the project, having failed so miserably. He was a lost cause. But, Callaghan? Callaghan would want to enact revenge and who better to supply his hunger than Hydra themselves?
"You said you would finish the project," Hiro asked, glancing up again, fingers twisting in the pull-strings of his sweatshirt. "That's why they told you where the portal was."
"Yes. And I, in return, promised to help them complete the project. Hiro, you don't understand what Hydra could do with that portal. You don't know who these people are."
"Yes, I do," Hiro said, suddenly sitting up straight, "I know what kind of people they are, and I know what they're capable of. The only person I didn't know, it seems, was you." He moved to stand, stretching his limbs to loosen them from their cramped positions.

He could see Callaghan's expression shift between hurt and understanding. Hiro turned away from him, choosing to ignore any silent attempts at sympathy.
"It made more sense when it was just you behind the curtain, Professor," Hiro mumbled, glancing over his shoulder once he steeled his nerves, "Now that I know the truth, well... I guess you have a lot to think about, don't you?" He moved to begin walking down the hall.
"Hiro, wait!"
Callaghan's voice caught him off guard and he turned, brows pressed in a hard line, an annoyed expression on his face. Callaghan was leaning against the bars, trying to see him.
"What?"
"For what it's worth," Callaghan said, voice echoing quietly in the hall, "I'm sorry about Tadashi. If I could go back and fix it-."
"You can't," Hiro said, his voice shaking, "What's done is done. Things are in a new angle. Maybe you should work on finding yours." He crossed his arms over his chest and made his way out, asking the guard to let him back into the lobby. He didn't hear Callaghan speak after that, nor did he expect him to.

Scott was waiting in the lobby, slouched in a chair and scrolling on his phone. He seemed so focused, expression serious as he tapped a few spots on the screen. Such a drastic change in company had Hiro feeling whiplash. He scrubbed his hand down his face, huffing loudly. He walked over, arms still crossed, looking tense. The man immediately lowered his phone and blinked in mild surprise.
"You're done already? That didn't take too long."
"Wasn't much to talk about," Hiro grumbled, nudging the tip of his shoe against Scott's worn sneaker, "Anyway, I got what I needed. Let's get out of here." Scott stood up, stretching his arms and tucking his phone back into his pocket.
"You satisfied?"