AN: ...hey ya'll.

*Cough*

Sorry for the extremely late update. Break was over and before I knew it, midterms were upon me and I was a busy girl.

But no matter.

The 7th chapter is here!

I really hope you guys enjoy it!

"This place just screams deathtrap…"

Gogo raised an eyebrow at the sudden voice, turning and giving Fred a look. "Way to be optimistic," she muttered, turning back around and proceeding into the ransacked warehouse.

Just looking around the place gave the group goosebumps.

Chains swayed around them.

Mice scampered across the floor.

Wind that didn't belong in a building brushed past them.

It was very unsettling.

"So, are you sure they're here?" Honey whispered to Gogo after a little while, looking around the place with a nervous expression as she followed close behind the shorter female. Gogo nodded and turned to Baymax, who was wobbling after them and struggling to catch up.

"Baymax. Scan the area." The robot perked up immediately and proceeded to follow the woman's command, turning his head from side-to-side as he searched for any traces of human life.

"My scanner indicates that there are three persons within the building. Two adult males and one male child," Baymax informed them. Honey let out an awkward laugh, unsure of how to react.

"So they are here…" she said. "Well, that's good…"

"We got lucky," Gogo told her. She then twisted her body and smiled at her larger friend. "Way to go with the good guess, Wasabi…"

"It wasn't really me, though. Baymax scanned for them the first time. I just pointed out the warehouse itself," the laser-handed man said with a casual shrug, still a bit tense due to the dense atmosphere.

Gogo waved his comment away. "Nonetheless, they're here. Now all we have to do is find them, grab the boys, preferably knock them out for easy transport, and get the hell out of here before Callaghan can do anything to stop us, since there's no way in hell we can just grab Hiro and leave with Tadashi around…"

"I still can't believe he's alive…" Fred piped up from the back. "And that he's a supervillain…!"

"He's still our best friend," Honey murmured in response, scratching the back of her neck. "Tadashi's still in there somewhere. We just have to figure out how to get him back."

"Well, we'll save that discussion for later," Gogo muttered. "For now, we grab 'em and go-"

"Shhh!"

Everyone paused.

Wasabi turned and frowned. "Fred-?"

"Quiet!" The lizard-man hissed. "I think I hear someone…"

Upon hearing this, the whole pack stilled completely, straining to listen for what their friend was talking about.

Out from the quiet, still air, an angry voice reached their ears.

"One last chance," it hissed. "Give me Hiro or I tear you limb from limb."

"Tadashi…" Honey breathed. Gogo shushed her and continued eavesdropping with the others.

"I told you," another voice growled out. Callaghan, Gogo observed. "Without me, Hiro is practically gone!"

"We'll see about that, you poor excuse for a human being," Tadashi sneered through gritted teeth.

A sudden shout of pain flew through the air.

Wasabi looked at their temporary leader with slight worry. "Gogo," he breathed. "We can't let Tadashi kill Callaghan!"

"I-I know-"

"What should we do?!"

Gogo bit her lip, mentally contemplating their options before determinedly looking back at the group.

"We're just going to have to go in and stop him."

Tadashi marveled in the pain-filled screams that left his former professor's mouth, laughing maniacally as he twisted the heel of his foot deeper and deeper into the other's shoulder. "Music to my ears~" he purred, lifting his foot up and bringing it down hard onto the already shattered bone. Callaghan screamed some more, his voice already becoming hoarse from all of the agonizing yelling he was doing.

Tadashi loved it.

"You brought this on yourself," Tadashi hummed, pressing deeper deeper deeper into the skin that was already breaking open from the abuse. "If you would've just left Hiro and I alone, you would be safe and sound at home."

"You'll regret this," Callaghan growled through clenched teeth, his neck straining from the anger and hatred he felt towards the other. "You will. I'll make sure of it!"

Tadashi laughed, insanity taking over his mind.

This fucker thinks he can get to me.

He's wrong.

Dead wrong.

"Oh, Robert," Tadashi addressed informally, lifting up his bloodied foot and smashing the heel into Callaghan's remaining good shoulder. The other cried out yet again, sending shivers of sick pleasure down Tadashi's spine. "It's cute how you so passionately believe that…"

"TADASHI!"

The abuser froze, his good eye widening in pure shock. No…

Looking up, his worst fears were confirmed as the familiar sight of the heroic team Hiro had been tagging along with came running in his direction.

His blood boiled with frustration.

God DAMMIT!

"I thought I told you shits to stay the hell out of my way!" he snarled, clenching his fists and glowering at the approaching group. He dug his foot further into his victim to ensure that the other couldn't escape.

"Tadashi, don't do this!" Honey exclaimed. "You're better than this!"

"This isn't cool, man," Wasabi chimed in. "Let the dude go and we can find Hiro together."

"Weren't you listening before?!" Tadashi snapped, cutting him off. "I'm not letting Hiro anywhere near you! He's coming with me and only me. He's not returning with you."

"We were friends once," Gogo cut in, deciding to use the cheesy 'we-know-you're-better-than-this' tactic. "You built Baymax," she pointed at said robot, who was standing a ways back, observing the entire thing, "to help those in need. You were kind; understanding. You couldn't hurt a fly even if your life depended on it."

Tadashi went to respond, but she continued, effectively cutting the other off.

"What Callaghan turned you into…" Gogo licked her lips. "Whatever you became in the fire at the showcase isn't the Tadashi we know and love. You're not a monster, Tadashi. You're our friend. You're Hiro's brother; his best friend and role model. You're not a murderer…"

Tadashi's scowl slowly softened into a conflicted expression.

The group smiled in unison. They were getting through to him!

"Let Callaghan go," Wasabi said, stepping in. "And we'll find Hiro. We'll find him and get you both the medical attention you need…"

"Callaghan will be in prison," Honey promised. "You will have your life with Hiro back. Everything will be okay."

Tadashi's guard dropped significantly as their words bounced around inside his mind.

Are they telling the truth…?

Is Hiro actually my brother…?

Was I a kind person before this life?

Was I human?

Tadashi looked at the others, his eyes flashing with faint remorse. "I-I…"

He let his guard completely drop, sending relief tumbling through the others.

And that's when disaster struck.

With a swift and unexpected kick, Callaghan sent Tadashi sprawling onto the floor a ways away. With his 'good' shoulder, Callaghan hauled himself up off of the ground with surprising speed and glared daggers at the group of college students. His chest rose and fell with difficulty breathing.

"This is what you get for playing the hero!" his voice boomed.

Before the others could react, Callaghan reached out, grabbing the mask with the neurotransmitter off of a nearby crate and slipping it on. Gogo's eyes widened.

"Shit- I-I thought that thing was gone-!" she hissed.

So did I, Tadashi thought briefly.

Tadashi's good eye then grew with newfound fear as microbots began piling up onto each other, lifting up above him and molding into a crushing block.

Oh no.

With a sick grin, Callaghan threw his hand down, signalling for the block to come crushing down on Tadashi.

The block fell.

Tadashi closed his eye and tensed with dread-filled anticipation.

Hands-claws-pushed him out of the way.

The block slammed onto the place where Tadashi used to be.

Horrified screams filled the air.

"FRED!"

AN2: See ya next week~! ;)