Chapter 5: Dark Moves In Dark Games

"Aunt Cass!"

"Oh, there you boys are," she exclaimed as she swept Hiro and Tadashi into a hug. Then she gave Tadashi a worried look and asked, "Are you okay? They told me what happened at the jail."

"I'm fine," Tadashi insisted. "I should be asking you that. They said you found a bomb at the café?"

"Yori did. I asked him to take out the trash because it was getting full and when he came back in, he asked what you two had added to the gas line. Considering I've expressly forbidden you from touching that, I knew it wasn't good and evacuated everyone."

"And it's a good thing you did," Mazda stated as she looked up from the report she was reading involving the incident. "It was set to go off at eight sharp."

Everyone inhaled sharply and Hiro murmured, "That's when we would have been out on patrol."

"Yes," Mazda stated grimly before adding, "That's not all. Preliminary reports suggest whoever made it also made the ones that started that apartment fire you all got involved in. It's a small pack of homemade Astrolite and a digital watch attached someplace where it would cause the most damage. Considering how close the houses are packed in that area and the fact putting it on a gas line would've caused one hell of a fireball... a lot of people would have died had this gone off. Although it looks like they planned for it to be found."

"What do you mean?" Hiro demanded.

"Aside from the fact it's unlikely no one would have stepped out the back at least once before eight pm? There was a note." Mazda pulled a baggie out of the case file and held it up so they could all see.

'Come and find me, Big Heroes' the note read in block letters on the back of a business card.

"So it is a message to us. I knew it," Fred stated, slamming his fist into his open palm.

"But how are we supposed to find him? Or her," Wasabi quickly added on the last when Gogo narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, if they're making homemade Astrolite, they're probably buying a lot of ammonia and bleach," Honey Lemon stated. "Either that, or a lot of acetone and hydrogen peroxide, but bleach is a lot easier to get in bulk so they're probably using the Olin Raschig process and not the ketazine process, which means there's probably traces of salt byproduct. They'll have to get rid of that too. Although I'm impressed they haven't killed themselves making these yet. They might have access to some proper chemistry equipment. ...what?"

"You know how to make homemade bombs?" Gogo asked, eyebrow rising.

"So cool," Fred breathed in awe.

"I'm pretty certain every industrial chemistry major at SFIT knows how," Honey Lemon offered a bit sheepishly.

"You said it could kill you?" Tadashi asked with a frown.

"Well, yeah. If you do it wrong, you've got chlorine gas and everyone knows how deadly that it. But even if you do it right, one of the byproducts is a hydrogen chloride compound and if you breath that in so it mixes with the water in your body..."

Everyone winced at the idea of that because hydrochloric acid in the lungs was not a pretty picture.

"Honestly, the ketazine process is safer but harder to do outside a proper lab," Honey Lemon finished a bit shyly, clutching her phone in front of her like a fig leaf.

"That will certainly help. They also found the numbers four, eight, six, and two etched onto the back of the watch, whatever that means."

Fred, who had been staring open mouthed at the business card once it made its way to him, suddenly whipped out his wallet and started going through it before pulling out a matching business card with a loud, "Aha!"

"Fred, what are you-?"

"Shh!" Fred replied as he put his cell on speak and dialed the number on the card. After three rings, it turned into a disconnect notice.

"Fred-"

"SHH!"

Tadashi subsided with a roll of his eyes. Then the voice changed.

"Please enter code," it cheerfully suggested.

"You said four eight six two?" Fred asked even as he punched them in.

"Wait!" Mazda called out.

There were cries of alarm from further in the building and the whole group ran towards it. It had died down by the time they reached the CSI's part of the building.

"What happened?" Mazda asked with a bark.

"The watch from the bomb suddenly lit up and sparked, even though it's not eight just yet. Thank God we'd already separated it from the rest of the bomb.

"Timer to control when the fluids combine and remote-controlled sparks to allow fine-tuned detonation," Honey Lemon murmured. "Brilliant."

"Dangerous," Wasabi declared with a frown.

"Where did you get that card?" Mazda demanded as she rounded on Fred.

"My friend, Harry. You know, Harry Baltz? He gave it to me the other day. Said this girl had gone through his line with a lot of bleach and told him she was opening her own cleaning business. One of the maid's is off on maternity leave, so he suggested she could act as a temp replacement, except the number didn't work. Then you started talking about bleach and codes and the note's on the exact same card and... well, the Mad Bomber from the Marvelous Max comics always used a cell phone to set off his bombs, so why couldn't this guy?"

"You and your leaps of logic..."

"Why put it on a business card, though?" Tadashi wondered.

"So they wouldn't forget it?" Honey Lemon suggested, "And it gives them an excuse to have the number on them without programming it into a phone. They can just claim they tried calling the business and didn't get an answer."

"And if they give it out to anyone who wants to know why they're buying so many chemicals - and a cleaning company is a pretty damn legitimate excuse - or even just to random people, then there's more than just them calling the number," Mazda finished, "Which makes our job harder because suddenly there's more than one number who tried calling the line. On the plus side, no one but Fred here's probably tried calling more than once."

"Wait. They would've only called once, too, wouldn't they?" Hiro pointed out. "The apartment building fire. They didn't set off the one at our home. Which means they probably won't stand out from the list until they bomb something else."

"So... we have to let them bomb something else before this is of any use to us? Why does that sound like a bad idea?" Wasabi asked rhetorically.

"Because it is," Gogo replied darkly.

"So now what? How are we supposed to find this person?" Hiro asked.

"We keep an eye out. Just like we keep an eye out for whoever the hell nabbed Callaghan. That's about all we can do right now."

It was a dark room, oddly lit, and Callaghan had no clue where it was in location to the city. His hands had been bound behind him and two burly men had hold of his upper arms as they dragged him into the room. A man sat in a high-backed chair, his form thrown into shadow, not that Callaghan knew who he was anyway. All he knew was that, a few days earlier, several of the inmates had approached him saying their boss was interested in him. Callaghan had told them in no uncertain terms that he wasn't interested in their boss nor in what he had to offer. He'd done his crime and now he was going to do his time. Apparently someone couldn't take no for answer.

"Hello, Robert Callaghan. Do you prefer Robert or Callaghan?"

"It's Mr. Callaghan to you," Callaghan growled as he straightened up against the hold on his arms. The man in front of him gave him an amused smile, his teeth startlingly visible in the dim light. 'Black light,' Callaghan thought. Of all the overly dramatic things...

"Mr. Callaghan, then," the man replied, his voice dripping with a sort of amused disdain as he stated the title, as if he thought Callaghan's insistence on it was both silly and charming, like a dog doing a trick. "You may call me Mr. Sparkles."

Callaghan paused, an incredulous look forming.

"Yes, I know, but the name has a rather... infamous legacy attached to it and names have power. And when you're trying to take over San Fransokyo from the bottom up, you need all the power you can get."

"I take it that's why I'm here," Callaghan inquired with a scowl.

"Ah, smart man. Yokai is a name with power behind it as well."

"And one I'm not interested in using any longer. As soon as I can, I'm getting out of here and turning myself back in so I can do my time."

"And hoping your time will be short enough you won't die before getting to see your daughter again?"

Callaghan snarled.

"Calm down, Robert. Sorry. Mr. Callaghan. And I'm willing to let you do that. The advantage of a mask is the person behind it doesn't have to be the same. There's just one... tiny little drawback," Mr. Sparkles stated as he reached for a box sitting on the table beside him and pulled out a frighteningly familiar mask that glowed in the black light. Callaghan drew back at the sight of it even as he narrowed his eyes.

"Legends require more than just the look. They require the skills. And everyone knows Yokai had his microbots. The same ones the Big Hero called White Knight is using now. I also have to keep in mind that the Big Heroes took out my predecessor, Yama. And the best way to fight fire is with fire." The mask was set down on the table with a click.

"You want the microbots," Callaghan stated.

"Very good, Mr. Callaghan. I want any and all information you have on them. How they work, how you make them, everything."

"I didn't create them."

"No, but you made more of them; everyone agrees on that. All you have to do is show me how you did that and you're free to go back to your lovely little prison cell," Mr. Sparkles stated, tone of voice sarcastic as he described the cell. Callaghan licked his lips and hated what he was about to do.

"The Hamadas-"

"Are under heavy guard, as evidenced by my people's failed attempt at grabbing one when given the chance."

"But they're the only ones who know how to make the transmitter. Making the microbots? Is easy. It's the control that makes them so brilliant - and so very difficult to replicate. I make the microbots and they'll disappear as fast as I make them because they'll respond to White Knight, not whoever you plan on playing Yokai. How do you think I lost? White Knight had control of the microbots at the same time as I did. The only reason they were responding to me better was because I had more experience, more practice. Even then, I had to struggle to maintain control and, while I was distracted, the others took me out.

"Without a new transmitter, a different one, I'm useless to you. Looks like you wasted a lot of time and effort, Mr. Sparkles."

"Well, I guess you're not going to see your daughter again after all," Mr. Sparkles stated simply.

"What?" Callaghan demanded.

"I play the long game, you see, and while you still have a use to me, you're not leaving. I'll figure a way around our little problem with the transmitter eventually. Hopefully by then you'll be a bit more willing to work on the microbots. Until then, I'm fairly certain I can find some for you. Boys, take Mr. Callaghan here to his room."

Callaghan roared wordlessly and tried forcing his way out of the grip on his arms. The men were strong, however, and dragged him out without a word even as he cursed them. Then they left him alone in a tiny room, barely a cell, with no windows and left him there.

Back in the room they'd met in, Mr. Sparkles folding his hands together except for the pointer fingers, which he pressed together and tapped against his lips in a rather thoughtful manner.

"Looks like we may have to deal with the Hamadas and their guards a bit soon than later. Pity."

General Schneider was persistent. Tadashi narrowed his eyes and glanced around for a way to avoid the man who apparently couldn't take no for an answer but it was already too late. The man had spotted him.

"Lovely day, isn't it, Mr. Hamada?" the man politely stated even as he fell in step with Tadashi.

"It was. Look, I've already given you my answer. Even if I did agree, it wouldn't do you any good. My programming doesn't work that way. The AI is built around the rules of robotics. You know, the ones that state they can't hurt humans?"

"But I'm sure with a little tweaking there'd be a way around that."

"I'm not tweaking it that way! And I'm not giving you the code so someone else can try tweaking it that way, either! For the last time, my answer is no! Now leave me alone."

"Well, General Schneider?"

"Hamada's still refusing to be reasonable. He's turned me down several times, won't listen to reason, and has started to try and avoid me."

"Troublesome."

"If you don't mine me asking, why Hamada? I know his robotics programming is damn impressive but why the push?"

"Agent Zero has been growing... concerned. Apparently Krei has some sort of plan involving the older Hamada. There's also the connection to Robert Callaghan aka Yokai. Callaghan was purposely hiding what Hamada is capable of, something that alarms us. Then there was that incident at the jail breakout. By all accounts, he was nearly kidnapped, not to mention the bomb threat at his home. At this point... We were hoping to have Hamada willingly relocate but we might have to use force for his own good."

"Oh? Why not just tell him the truth?"

"We have no proof, General. And it is true, what we'd like to use his abilities for. At this point, taking a different approach is looking increasingly necessary."

"Do you really think you can remove him from his environment without people noticing?"

"We're the government, General. You of all people should know this isn't the first time we've made someone disappear."

"Hey, Mary. Uh, sorry about that yesterday. I was just trying to explain why Tadashi doesn't date, not why you're crazy. Wait, that's not right. Dang it, why is this so hard?" Hiro rhetorically asked his bedroom, not that Baymax understood that.

"Methods for apologizing to a loved one include giving them flowers or candy, although an allergy test is recommended first."

"Unbelievable. Tadashi! Your robot is giving me love advice!" Hiro complained as Tadashi stepped out of their shared bathroom, still rubbing a towel through his wet hair. Tadashi paused and asked, "Is it any good?"

Hiro gave him a withering look and debated on stealing the towel his brother had wrapped around his hips before deciding he didn't want to see that or give Baymax any ideas. Besides, Tadashi was out of reach of his bed as he went past into his own space, pulling the sliding screen so he could get dressed with a modicum of privacy.

"So, what were you doing that Baymax thought you needed love advice?" Tadashi asked over the sounds of him opening and closing drawers.

"Nothing," Hiro quickly insisted.

"Oh, really?" Tadashi asked, the sarcasm palpable. Hiro stuck his tongue out at the screen.

"Hey, you guys decent?" Yori suddenly called, coming up the stairs. "You better be up here. I have an astronomy lab and your aunt wanted me to get one of you to take my place and help her out for the rest of the evening. Honestly, I think she's crazy for opening the place the day after a bomb threat but, hey, it's her business."

Baymax, to Hiro's surprise, blocked Yori from getting much past the stairs.

"I am sorry, but according to the information I have recently downloaded, young women are not permitted in the rooms of young men unless they are family or... attached." Hiro saw Yori stiffen and his face go blank.

"Excuse me? What the hell are you implying?" Yori asked coolly even as Hiro sputtered, "What the heck have you been reading?!" Tadashi was already throwing open the sliding door to his half of the room and leaping for Baymax, still only about half-dressed.

"That's enough, Baymax," he ordered as he tried man-handling the robot back. Baymax, however, was already responding to Yori.

"My scans of you indicated you are female-bodied, although your... testosterone levels indicate you are taking supplements," Baymax calmly stated.

"You've been scanning me? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty certain you need my permission to do something like that. You definitely need it to disclose it in public. Privacy laws. Look them up," Yori said, smiling that furious smile that showed far too many teeth.

Tadashi winced even as Hiro hissed at him, "I thought you were updating his legal knowledge!"

"It's a work in progress," Tadashi admitted.

"Well, maybe you should work on it a bit more. Because this? Is not cool," Yori stated icily before poking Baymax's chest with a finger and adding, "And for your information, female-bodied doesn't always equal female. Got it?" Baymax tilted his head.

"I do not understand. If you have female parts-"

"Seriously, not helping!" Hiro yelped even as Yori's expression definitely took a dive from sort of smile to outright snarl.

"Stop, Baymax!" Tadashi ordered, "and look up transgendered. Now." Baymax straightened up and blinked.

"Ah. I see. My apologies."

"I am so, so sorry about this, Yori," Tadashi added.

"How about you try apologizing when you're not about to fall out of your pants?" Yori suggested. Tadashi yelped when he realized he hadn't buttoned or zipped his jeans and his boxer briefs were pretty much exposed. While he corrected that, Yori said, "Again, your aunt wants one of you downstairs and I'm out of here."

"Well, that could've gone better," Tadashi sighed as Yori thundered down the stairs.

"Yeah. You know, Aunt Cass is going to kill you if Yori quits over this." Tadashi winced and then looked determined.

"Okay, that's it. Baymax, I need your chip. I was going to let you learn this at your own pace, but it looks like we're going to have to do a full upgrade."

"So I guess that leaves me to help Aunt Cass," Hiro noted as Baymax obeyed, freezing as his port opened and Tadashi took out first the red and then the green chips.

"Yeah. And I'm sorry, but we're not going to be able to patrol tonight with the others. I can't exactly stop in the middle or it will cause problems, like him pointing out vigilantism is illegal."

"Yeah, okay. I'll let the others know."

"Hey, it's okay," Honey Lemon assured Hiro once he got a break from helping Aunt Cass long enough to call them.

"Yeah. We're all probably going to need time to other things at some point or another," Wasabi agreed, "And if anyone could use a night off, it's you two."

"Three. Baymax is off too," Fred pointed out.

"Right. Crap, how are we supposed to get your slow butts around town?" Gogo wondered.

"You'll think of something. In the meantime, I think I'll work on those rocket shoes Mary and I designed."

"Did Tadashi really agree to let you wear those?"

"Oh, yeah, totally."

"Hiro!"

Hiro froze as his brother's voice rang out.

"Got to go!" And then Hiro's connection was gone, leaving the others to snort and exchange looks.

"Little dude will totally talk Tadashi around," Fred insisted.

"Yeah, but only after Tadashi has a heart attack."

"Come on, patrol. We'll need to change up our formation with our main modes of transport gone."

"Right. I might have some ideas on that," Honey Lemon agreed as the headed out.

How very interesting. For the first time since they'd started watching, the Hamada brothers were actually home for the evening while the street cameras they'd hacked showed the Big Heroes changing things up because three of their members were missing. While it was possible this was a response to their bomb threat and the attempted kidnapping they'd heard about after the fact, they couldn't see all three missing heroes. Only White Knight seemed to be in the Hamada's vicinity, although they'd only seen the microbots and not the man himself.

They congratulated themselves privately on installing the cameras in addition to the hack job. It made their observation much less obtrusive. Still, it couldn't be a coincidence that the Big Heroes had switched things up on the the very night the Hamadas had stayed home. This bore further watching, especially if they wanted their next bomb to go off with a proper bang.

With that thought, they glanced away from the computer screen they were watching to look at their work-in-progress. They'd been inspired by the Hamada's work and it was going well. The metal fingers of a hand clenched and then relaxed as they looked at it and they smiled. Perfect.

Notes: Yes, Honey Lemon's chemistry lesson is accurate which means, yes, you can make a bomb out of those substances... and it really is that easy to kill yourself doing so. This is all information easily found by looking through Wikipedia, btw, so I don't feel too guilty sharing it here, but I don't plan on going any more in depth than that, either in the story or in my research. If you absolutely have to know how to make your own homemade bombs, you can do the research (and get yourself put on a government watch list) all by yourself. Not that I recommend it.