"Ok, Tadashi, climb up five yards and you'll find the latch to the air vents."

"How the hell do I know how much five yards is?" Tadashi hissed into his earpiece, warily looking around the corner to see if he had been caught. There were three men guarding a vault door, sunglasses over their faces despite being indoors. Their spotless suit stretched over their heavily muscled bodies, laughable when compared to Tadashi's own lanky form. Luckily, he had somehow avoided detection.

His friend on the other side of the earpiece sighed and said, "Dude, can't you just go with my spy talk for one night?"

"We're not spies, Fred," he growled back, pulling out some equipment to climb up the wall he was hiding behind. "We're thieves."

Fred gasped dramatically. "I prefer the term 'treasure hunters,' thank you very much," he scoffed, slightly insulted.

"Listen, I'd love to hear you two argue all day," another sarcastic voice joined into their conversation. "But Honey is still distracting the guys up top, and I'm getting tired of waiting in this stupid van. Tadashi, how you doing?"

"Peachy," he groaned, straining to climb up the metal plated wall. The magnetic gloves and kneepads helped a little, but they didn't make it any easier. "Entering vents now," he grunted, pulling himself into said vents.

"Great," Fred cheered. "Ok, Wasabi, get ready. Tadashi, you have at most ten minutes to get this done."

"Got it," Tadashi mumbled, carefully crawling towards the other end. One wrong move and the guards stationed under him would start shooting, most likely at him. The downsides of enhanced technology: bullets that could easily tear him to pieces, even behind the metal plates of the air chutes.

"Right," Fred muttered. Tadashi heard him typing something, then he said, "Gogo, you ready?"

"I've been ready," another female voice growled. "Just hurry up before these muscle freaks find me."

"Alright, alright…" Fred muttered. "Wasabi, ready to start?"

"Ready."

"Tadashi?"

"Just hurry," Tadashi hissed, perched over the grate and ready to leap down. A bead of sweat rolled down his face and fell through the openings. He just prayed to whatever god out there that there was no one in the vault to shoot him.

Fred said it should be empty.

Then again, it's Fred…

"Alright, in three, two… Gogo, light 'em up!"

She grunted as she pushed off the wall, charging forward on her custom made skates. The electromagnetically suspended wheels made her faster than any car could ever go. Through the vent, Tadashi heard the guards shout in surprise and cock their pistols. He smirked when he heard them fire, then cry out in surprise when the bullets did nothing to stop his friend's approach. Of course it wouldn't. There was nothing that would penetrate through the suit he made her.

Speaking of which, it was time for him to act. Fred told him he had at most ten minutes, so if that was right he had nine and a half minutes left. Swiftly pulling out the grate to make an entrance into the vault, he dropped a cord of rope. It was more for going back up than it was dropping down. He didn't need a rope to do that. Smirking, he positioned himself and dove straight down, preparing himself for the floor.

He turned in midair and landed lightly on the ground, kneeling in hope that if anyone were in the room, they wouldn't notice him. Well, if they did they would've shot at him already, so seeing as he wasn't riddled with bullets, it was safe to think that he was alone.

He stood, looking at the hologram that popped up out of the watch on his wrist. According to the records Fred sent him, the "treasure" they were stealing this time was… more complicated than usual. They were, after all, infiltrating the very heart of Alistair Krei's home. Honey Lemon was set up as a distraction at the large party he had going on upstairs. Meanwhile, Tadashi and Gogo had snuck past the security at the party and found the vault Krei had the "treasure" hidden in. Wasabi was positioned outside, waiting for his team to regroup so they could take whatever they were stealing and get out without alerting officials, while Fred was located in their super top secret base and sending them directions from the scans they got from a satellite they had positioned over Krei's mansion.

Tadashi really didn't know what type of thing he was looking for. Fred said he didn't know the specifics, but he just knew that this "treasure" was supposed to be some kind of super weapon that Krei planned to make billions on. He walked to the center of the room and saw a pod of some sort. Was the weapon inside the pod? And if this was such a super weapon, why weren't there any guards inside the room?

Pushing the questions out of his mind, he focused back on the pod. Grab the weapon, get out, he chanted in his head. He still had a little time before his limit ran out, but the sooner he was out of this creepy chamber, the better. He reached for the pod.

Only to withdraw his hand back immediately when the pod spun around to face him.

A little boy with a dirty brown beanie over his hair and half a slice of pizza in his mouth stared at him in surprise. His large brown eyes were opened wide, looking like a deer caught in front of headlights. "Ummm… 'an I 'elp you?" the boy mumbled through his pizza.

Tadashi gawked at the boy in the pod (he now realized, much to his embarrassment, that the "pod" was actually just a really large and intricately designed swivel chair). Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "You're not supposed to be here."

The boy immediately looked angry. "Wow," he scoffed, throwing his pizza back on the paper plate that rested on the armrest of his chair. "You barge into somebody else's room, totally uninvited, and the first thing you say is that I'm not supposed to be in my own room?" The boy crossed his arms indignantly. "Real classy, bro."

Tadashi just dumbly looked at the boy. He was wearing a plain red shirt and brown shorts, legs crossed as he lounged in his extremely large chair (this thing was big enough to cover the giant computer screen set up in front of him). The oversized beanie on his head was ragged and looked like he had picked it off the streets. Tadashi even saw a small tooth gap in his front teeth while the kid was ranting.

Now, Tadashi really didn't like kids. No matter the age, he really, really, really hated kids. They just somehow always found a way to annoy him. Either with all the stupid questions they asked, or just being annoying overall, Tadashi really didn't want anything to do with the part of the population below eighteen.

The scrawny kid sitting in front of him (still sitting crossed legged with crossed arms) couldn't be any older than twelve. He frowned at Tadashi and waved his hands in front of his face and called, "Hello? Anybody in there?"

"Huh?" Tadashi blinked out of his daze, staring down at the kid. "Sorry, I got distracted," he sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "What are you doing behind that giant vault door?"

"None of your business," the boy huffed, still looking at Tadashi angrily. "Now, answer my question first. Why are you in my room?"

Despite the dilemma he was in, Tadashi couldn't help snorting and looking around. "This is your room?" he scorned. "It looks like a dungeon."

"Just tell me why you're here!" the boy replied angrily, cheeks tinted red. "Tell me or I'm calling security."

"Fine," Tadashi huffed. "Do you know where Krei's keeping his new invention, kid?"

The boy raised a brow at the mention of Krei. "No idea," he stated bluntly. Tadashi didn't need a polygraph to tell that this kid was lying, if not then he was for sure hiding something.

Just then, his earpiece spiked and Fred's voice urgently called, "Tadashi! Tadashi!"

Turning away from the angry kid before him, Tadashi lowly murmured, "Yeah, Fred, I'm here."

"Did you get the weapon?"

"It was a dud," Tadashi growled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "All I got is a kid."

"A kid?" Fred sounded genuinely surprised. "I didn't- the satellites didn't-"

"Hey, guys?" Gogo grumbled. "As much as I love listening to you guys and your stupid discussions, we have a problem." Gunshots sounded through the earpiece; he heard it through the thick vault door, too. "I've got company, Hamada," she huffed. "Now hurry up and get out of there so we can grab Honey and go."

"Got it," Tadashi replied. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

"Hurry," she groaned. She sounded tired, probably from skating around and dodging all those bullets. "Grab Honey ad I'll meet you in the van."

Tadashi sighed and grabbed the kitsune mask hanging from his waist. He didn't usually put it on unless he was the one dealing with security. Gogo had a helmet that had a reflective surface that covered her face, and Wasabi usually covered his face with a bandana. Honey rarely worked with disabling security, but if she did, she had goggles that had the same reflective material as Gogo's helmet. Tadashi picked out a mask from a festival a few years before they made their "treasure hunting" group. He didn't need people seeing his face, after all.

As he slipped on the mask, a small hand grabbed his arm and the kid screamed out, "Wait!"

Tadashi glanced down at the kid who was looking up at him curiously. "Was that your gang?" he gasped. "Who are you guys?"

That question took Tadashi by surprise. He didn't really know what they were. Thieves? Heroes? Vigilantes? They didn't exactly do much good. Sure, they stole from mostly upper class pricks, but the stuff they took was only valuable in the science world.

Even after three years of forming their group, Tadashi still didn't know what they were supposed to be.

"None of your business, kid," Tadashi replied coldly, jerking his arm out of the boy's grasp. "It's been fun and all, but I gotta go." He turned and headed towards his exit.

"Stop!" the boy screamed, scrambling after him. He bravely jumped in front f Tadashi, arms out to block him (not that it would really hinder Tadashi, but it was a nuisance). "You broke into my room, so that makes it my business to know why," the boy huffed insistently. Tadashi could tell that this kid wouldn't stop bothering him if he didn't give him an answer.

After a second of thinking, he reached for the sidearm he had hidden by his side. It was the only thing he could do. After all, he and his friends always had one set rule. Nobody could see their faces. And if they did, they knew what to do. He lifted it and pointed it at the boy's face. The boy didn't even blink. "We're killers," Tadashi finally said coolly. "If you like living, you'll let me go. Now." Pity… he would have to shoot the kid even if he did let go. It was their rule, after all…

The boy only looked at him. He blinked, then did something completely unexpected.

He moved closer, grabbed the gun head and held it directly to his forehead. "Then shoot me," he deadpanned. "Pull the trigger."

To say Tadashi was surprised was an understatement. He never had to threaten people in his line of work (seeing as he usually knocked them all unconscious beforehand), but when he did, this was never their reaction. To this day, he only ever had to shoot three people. Only one was to hide his identity. "Are you stupid?" Tadashi growled. "Do you want to die?"

The boy only stared at Tadashi with fire in his eyes, daring him to shoot. "If you're really a killer, you wouldn't be stalling," he said with a determined face.

Time stood still. The boy was having a fierce stare down with a man literally holding a gun to his head.

Finally, Tadashi sighed and put his gun back in the holster. "You win," he chuckled. "I lose." The boy smiled in satisfaction. He crossed his arm triumphantly.

Tadashi's earphone sounded again. "HAMADA, WHERE ARE YOU!" came Gogo's angry screech. He winced at her loud voice. She was not going to be happy when he eventually made his way back to the van. "Honey and Wasabi have been waiting forever! Hurry before those guards I knocked out wake up, you idiot!"

"Sorry, I got distracted," he sighed. "I'm on my way now."

"Well, hurry up, pea brain!"

"Are you leaving?" the boy asked quietly after Gogo hung up.

"Yea, sorry kid," Tadashi sighed, turning his earpiece off. "Didn't find what we were supposed to steal, so now we gotta leave before the cops come."

"Wait," the boy breathed. Tadashi looked at him in disbelief. He was already spending too much time in a place he wasn't supposed to be in, and this kid still wanted him to wait. "Take me."

"What?" Tadashi gawked. "Sorry, kid," he snorted as he tested the rope from the vent. "We're not babysitters."

"You came to steal something right?" the boy urged. "Steal me."

Tadashi looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding," he snorted. "Don't degrade me into a kidnapper."

"If you're a killer, then kidnapping shouldn't be a problem," the kid practically begged. "And you're not kidnapping, you're stealing, right? Just think of it as taking another treasure."

Tadashi winced. "Please," he huffed. "I'm not that kind of criminal."

A loud banging sounded on the vault door. Both occupants looked up, one in horror and one in surprised. The surprised one said, "Well, that's my cue." He yanked on the rope one more time. "See you around, kid."

"Please," the kid was actually begging now. "Please, take me with you."

"I'm sure you're safer in this room than coming with me, kid."

"No, you don't understand!" the boy was actually panicking now. "They'll kill me for locking that door, please, I need to go with you!"

Tadashi squinted at the boy suspiciously. "Why should I believe you?" he finally asked. "What if you just take me to the security yourself?"

"Oh, please," the boy replied sarcastically, throwing him an incredulous look. "Do you really think I would take you to the people I'm trying to get away from?"

Tadashi wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if he was willing to trust some kid he had just met. Besides. He hated kids.

And yet… there was something about this kid…

"Fine!" he growled, throwing his hands up in frustration. "But if you slow me down for even a second, I'm leaving your ass behind, got it?"

"Y-yes, sir!" the boy stuttered happily, then flinched when he saw sparks flying from the door. Evidently, they were trying to drill through the thick metal.

"We should hurry," Tadashi urged. The boy nodded happily and grabbed the bundle that was an old hoodie, slipping his thin arms through the overly large sleeve. He bounced over to Tadashi's side, excitedly looking up at the older man. Tadashi rolled his eyes and stepped aside, gesturing at the rope. The boy just looked at the rope blankly. Lifting an eyebrow, Tadashi said, "You know how to climb a rope, don't you?"

"Uhh… o-of course!" he scoffed, moving over to the rope. He looked at it unsurely, tugging at it nervously. "I-is this thing stable," he mumbled.

"Oh, hurry up!" Tadashi snapped. The shouting from outside was getting a lot louder, too loud for his liking.

The boy stuck his tongue out at him, then stretched his arm as high as he could. He grasped the rope and bit his lip, straining to pull himself up. Tadashi looked behind them, freaking out a little when a hole started appearing through the vault door. "Come on, hurry up!" he hissed, ushering the boy up. He turned to look up and see the boy's progress when he realized he was just hanging a few inches off the ground. Despite how little he had climbed, the kid was panting, beads of sweat dotting his face.

"Are you kidding me?" Tadashi growled, pulling the kid off the rope by the hood. The boy fell back with a yelp, sheepishly looking at him.

"I've never climbed before," he admitted.

"You don't say," Tadashi replied dryly. Looking at the boy's thin arms, he was sure the kid had never even lifted up a ball.

"There he is!"

Tadashi whipped around and saw, to his terror, a large hole through the door. It wasn't big enough for any of the muscle men to squeeze through, but it was enough for them to peer inside. Panicking, he picked the boy up and slung him over his shoulder. The boy squawked in protest, his dirty beanie slipping off his head. He gasped, scrambling forward to try and reach it, and nearly kicking Tadashi in the process (thankfully, his defensive training taught him to dodge in time). "Stop moving!" he growled. "We have to leave it, there's no time!"

"Bu-but, my hat!" the boy cried, still struggling.

"Keep moving and I'm leaving you behind," Tadashi snapped back as he started climbing up the rope. The boy immediately stopped moving, allowing Tadashi to climb swiftly up to the vent.

As soon as Tadashi's head poked into the vent, he pushed the boy up and into the chute. The kid scrambled forward awkwardly as Tadashi climbed in after him. "Keep moving," he hissed, undoing the rope to the vent. He covered the hole again with the grate, hoping the security guards were more brawns then brains. Just as he started following the boy down the metal chute, he heard the sound of people running into the room. A lot of shouts and angry screams told him, with a satisfied smirk, that they didn't realize they had climbed up the chute.

"Turn left up ahead," he murmured to the boy. It was supposed to be a shortcut to a deserted part of Krei's underground chambers. Then, they would just have to get back up to the main mansion through the elevator, run outside and get away in the van.

"By the way," the boy suddenly said. He was crawling forward (in Tadashi's opinion) with a painfully slow pace. "I never got your name."

"Tadashi," he grunted back. He didn't feel the need to tell him his surname.

"Pleasure," the boy said cheerfully. "My name's Hiro."

Tadashi didn't reply.

"You don't talk much, do you," Hiro asked casually.

"Kid," Tadashi sighed. "In my line of work, I'm not supposed to say much."

"Hmm," Hiro mused. "So what exactly are you? Were you serious about being killers?"

"Don't worry about it, kid," Tadashi snorted. "It's better if you don't know too much."

Well, he wasn't exactly lying. He and his friends had all done things they weren't proud of, including taking a life. Although none of them knew the specifics of what each of them had done, they knew enough.

Of course, those were all things on the tip of the iceberg. They had all done so much more before banding together. All together they had done enough to get on the FBI's most wanted list. Good thing they were all good at covering their tracks.

"Tadashi?"

"What's up," he grunted. With an extra body in the vents, it was starting to get stuffy.

"There's a grate up ahead," the boy said nervously. "What do I do?"

"Move back." Tadashi pushed his way up front. With one hard tug, the grate came off. Time to leave.

"Alright, listen up," Tadashi said lowly. "As soon as you're out, get up and run for the elevator." Hiro stared at him intently, nodding along with every order. "Don't stop, don't even check to see if I'm behind you. Just get into the elevator. Once you're in, press the lobby button, got it?" Hiro opened his mouth to protest, but Tadashi quickly reassured him and said, "I'll be right behind you the whole time, I promise."

Hiro seemed reluctant, but ultimately nodded hesitantly.

"Ok, eyes forward." Hiro turned and faced the opening of the chute. After Hiro turned, Tadashi quickly pulled off a taped up bag stuck at the top of the vent. Gogo had left it for him earlier, before they broke into the vault. After getting the pack, Tadashi silently reached for his belt and pulled out his duel pistols. Taking the safety off both, he murmured, "Ready… set… GO!"

The boy clumsily clambered out of the vent, tripping on the grate as he did. Luckily, he recovered quickly and ran to the elevator.

That was about as lucky as the two got. As Tadashi predicted, there were guards stationed around the elevator. As soon as Hiro turned the corner, security saw him and roared in fury. Several drew their weapons, aiming at the running boy. It wasn't hard to see the confusion on their faces when he didn't stop running. Usually people froze when a gun was aimed at them, right?

Tadashi heard the click as they all cocked their guns. Before the first bullet could be fired, Tadashi leapt out of the vent and fired at all the weapons. Each of his shots met their target. All the muscly security guards dropped their weapons in surprise. Hiro managed to slip through and get into the elevator. He scrambled for the buttons, throwing Tadashi a shocked look when he realized the older boy was still across the room.

Tadashi quickly got to his feet and charged for the elevator. Several of the guards recovered from what had just happened and reached for their fallen weapons. Before they could fire a shot, all they saw was a fox mask before the lights went out. Tadashi made sure to give them an extra hard kick to their pressure points. The two standing closest to the elevator collapsed, unconscious, in a mere seconds. As the rest of their comrades recovered, Tadashi slid into the elevator as the doors closed. Hiro pressed his face against the glass and watched as they moved up. They could see all the guards swarming around angrily. Several grabbed their guns and aimed at the glass elevator. Fortunately, Tadashi and his tag along were out of range. Even if they weren't, there was no way paranoid Alistair would make his elevator non-bulletproof.

"Now what?" Hiro asked excitedly.

"Don't look so happy, kid," Tadashi puffed. He was still breathing hard from the run over. He glanced at the screen at the top of the elevator. Two more floors to go. "Ok, here's what we do," Tadashi ordered, immediately going into action. He tore open the pack from the vents and pulled out the suit jacket from inside. Slipping his arms into the sleeves, he said, "You, hood up."

Hiro wrinkled his nose. "Why?"

"Because, bonehead," Tadashi snapped, adjusting the bowtie he had just laced around his neck. "Krei is in that party upstairs and if he recognizes you, we're busted. Now stop asking dumb questions and do what I say!"

Hiro huffed and stuck his tongue out. Tadashi could feel his blood boil. Barely fifteen minutes had passed since he met the kid and he was already regretting his decision to take him along.

"Fine," the kid snapped, yanking the hood over his wild mop of hair. Now that the beanie was gone, Tadashi could see just how messy this kid's hair was. It looked like a bird had decided to nest in it.

"Ok," Tadashi breathed, stretching his arms out and adjusting his tie one last time in the reflection of the glass. Slicking his hair back, he muttered to Hiro, "Keep your head down and follow my lead, got it?"

The kid nodded, sticking his hands into his pockets and tilting his head down, just like Tadashi said. The elevator door slowly slid open.

Soft laughter sounded through the large room. Every patron in the banquet hall wore either a suit or some fancy dress. They were all chatting in small groups, each holding a glass of champagne. Someone was playing a soft tune on the grand piano somewhere in the mansion.

"Follow me," Tadashi hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Hiro nodded, tugging the sides of his hoodie lower to completely obscure his face.

Letting out a deep breath to calm himself, he let an easy smile slide across his face. "The lady killer," as Gogo called it. Fred liked to call it "The Charmer." Tadashi just called it a smile.

Grabbing a glass of champagne from one of the waitresses, he flashed her a crooked smile and slipped a five-dollar bill onto her tray. He already knew what was going to happen. She would smile back, unable to resist.

She smiled back shyly.

Taking a long drink from the glass (after the shit we went through, he deserved it), he slowly made his way towards the large front door. Laughing along with a few guests of the party, he felt his heart rate speed up when he saw he was almost to the door. Just a few more steps then-"

"Excuse me, sir!"

Shit.

Turning around abruptly, Tadashi grabbed Hiro and shoved him behind his body. It was safe to guess that if anyone in that house recognized the kid, he was screwed.

A security guard with slicked back blond hair and a suit ran over to him. He brought up his hand and said, "You can't leave with that glass, sir."

"Oh, my," Tadashi laughed. "I'm sorry, I must've forgotten." Handing the champagne glass to the man, he smiled and bid farewell. As he turned to leave, lady luck decided to stop smiling at him.

His mask slipped out from under his jacket.

The guard looked at the mask. Tadashi would've face palmed if he weren't so majorly screwed. He roughly pushed Hiro towards the door, earning a yelp of surprise from the shocked teen. "Go!" he growled, diving for the mask. He pressed a button from his watch and all the lights in the mansion instantly went out. All the guests gasped in unison, yet they stayed where they were. Obviously, they thought it was part of the plans for the night.

Slipping out of the door, he almost tripped over Hiro's still body. He was just standing there, stupidly staring out to the gate. Growling in frustration, Tadashi grabbed the boy from the back of his hoodie and lifted him up. Holding him under his arm (it wasn't hard, this kid was puny), he charged towards the gate. He almost tripped when he heard shots being fired from behind. Snipers, just what I need…

Lady luck was feeling bipolar, because by some lucky miracle, all the bullets missed. Jumping over the hedge, he ran like there was no yesterday and almost cried when he saw the van. Reaching the van, he threw open the door and shoved Hiro in before climbing in right after.

"Tadashi?" came Gogo's shocked cry. "Who's the kid?"

"No time," he panted back, closing the door quickly. "Gotta go. NOW!"

"What are you- whoa!" Bullets rained down on the vehicle, ricocheting off the hood and metal. Needless to say, everyone screamed at Wasabi to start the car.

Seconds later, the gang was speeding out of the driveway. Gogo whooped at their success, giving everyone a high five. Then they all turned their attention to Hiro.

"So, who's the kid?" Gogo demanded, scrutinizing the boy's every movement. Hiro flinched back, moving closer to (and to his greatest chagrin) Tadashi's side. They were crammed in the back with Gogo and all the equipment. Honey and Wasabi had the front.

"I'm Hiro?" he offered weakly. She only glared at him harder.

"He's what I found at the other end of the vault," Tadashi sighed as he shrugged out of his suit jacket. "Asked me if he could tag along, and I said yes."

"Why?" Gogo demanded. She turned her attention to Tadashi angrily jabbing her finger to his chest. "You know the rule, Hamada, no witnesses. Why would you bring a kid with you?"

"He kinda gave me no choice," Tadashi retorted, pushing Gogo's hand back. "Don't look at me like that, Gogo," he growled when she glared at him. "He was put in that vault for a reason. Maybe if we can find out why, we can get more-"

"That's not our job, Tadashi!" Gogo interrupted angrily. "We aren't heroes, okay? Our only job is to take the stuff and kill anyone that gets in our way! Assassins and thieves for hire, remember?"

"I-I know that!" Tadashi cursed at his stutter. "But if Krei was so hell-bent on hiding this kid, maybe he's actually worth more looking into, didn't you think of that?"

"Hamada, you're a real piece of-"

"Language, we have a kid in the car!" Wasabi protested from the front seat. "We're almost back at HQ," he announced after his two arguing companions split apart and looked away from each other, grumbling under their breaths.

"You guys have an HQ?" Hiro said a little shakily. "That's so cool!"

"You okay, kid?" Gogo asked, lifting a brow. Despite all the harsh words she had been spitting she couldn't fight the maternal side of herself. "You don't sound so hot."

"I'm fine," he coughed. "Just a little tired."

"You don't sound so good, sweetie," Honey Lemon chipped in from the front. She turned on the light in the back in concern and gasped. "Hiro, you're bleeding!"

"What?" he stared at her blankly before looking down. There, clear as day, was a large, spreading pool of blood, right on his abdomen.

"Shit!" Tadashi grabbed his suit jacket and pressed it against the wound. "He must've been hit when we were running!"

"Crap, this isn't good," Gogo panicked. "Hang on, I'll tell Fred to have Baymax ready when we get back-"

"There's no time!" Tadashi snapped. "Hand me the bandages in the glove-"

"Guys," Hiro laughed breathily. "I'm fine."

"No, you're bloody not," Gogo growled, grabbing the bandages from Honey's outstretched hands. "You got shot in the freaking stomach and if we don't-"

"No, see?" He pushed Tadashi's hand away and lifted his shirt. "I'm fine."

Tadashi and Gogo balked at Hiro's exposed flesh. He was right. Apart from the drying blood, there was absolutely no wound to be seen. His skin looked as clear as a baby's.

"B-but," Gogo stammered. "Th-that's impossible!" She stared at Hiro's skin as though it had just grown wings and flown around. "There- there was so much blood!"

Hiro shrugged. "I heal fast."

Tadashi looked at Gogo with an expression that clearly read, "I told you so." "Now do you think we should look into what Krei was doing?"

"Y-yeah." Gogo was still staring at Hiro's stomach in shock. "We definitely need to look into this."

"Mr. Krei!"

"Yes, I'm aware," Alistair Krei snapped at yet another security guard that ran up to him, probably trying to spout more excuses on why his vault was empty. "What. Happened."

"I-I' not sure, sir," one of his guards said unsurely. "We were guarding the vault door, then this yellow blur came out of nowhere… a-and we tried shooting it! Then we heard a noise in the vault, but the door wouldn't open, and-"

"Yes, yes, I get it," Krei snapped. "Now get out of my sight!"

Turning to look back at the mess in the room, he growled to his scientist, "What of the experiment?"

"He disconnected the tracking device," the scientist said in awe. "And I'm assuming he overwrote the locks for the door." He looked through the boy's computer, then murmured, "This is amazing…"

"Surfing through the experiment's computer aside," Krei said dryly, "what else can you tell me?"

"Well," the scientist adjusted his glasses, "the nanobots in his body might have done more than we thought." He laughed in amazement. "All we can do at this moment is hope that he comes back by his own will!"

Krei sighed in frustration. This was getting nowhere. The scientist was still digging through the experiment's computer, and the guards were bumbling around outside like a swarm of flies. Folding his arms behind his back, he walked around the room, pacing in anger. This isn't so bad, he tried to convince himself. It's not like those filthy thieves just took your life's work away in one bloody night! Who was he kidding. This was bad. Really bad.

His foot hit on something soft. Looking down, he realized, with a shock, that maybe… just maybe… he had a way to fix everything.

"I might," he chuckled, stooping down to pick up the dirty brown beanie with the tip of his index finger, "have a way to bring back our little lost experiment."

"Oh, really?" the scientist guffawed. "And how do you plan to do that, oh great and powerful Mr. Alistair Krei?"

"Well," the business man smirked. "I do have something that he could never live without," he said smugly, tossing the dirty beanie in the air.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Oh, don't worry." Krei caught the beanie and smirked deviously. "He'll come."

Another AU! ^^ I've read a couple fanfics with this type of idea, but here's my spin on it haha

I won't be updating during spring break (since I'll be in a wifi-less area...) but look forward to more ideas after!

The next few chapters after this will probably be the second chapters for a lot of my other AU's, so look forward to that~

Favorite, follow, review~