A/N: I didn't realize that it's been over a month since I updated this story! WAH! What is wrong with me? I am so, so sorry for this. You see, I've been working on a few one-shots (well, they're more like long shots since they're over 5,000 words or so) and when I do that, I lose focus. Plus, it doesn't help that I don't really like writing chapter stories; I prefer one-shots. But, I'm going to stick with this and my other Hidashi story. Again, I am so sorry for the lack of update. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, though. R&R.

~…~

Date Night

~…~

"I'm so excited for you!" Aunt Cass gushed as Tadashi grabbed his keys and helmet.

He was technically all ready for his date with Hiro tonight. Wearing his usual combination of a plain shirt, sweater, and his jacket, jeans and mint green shoes, Tadashi was ready. However, he was nervous, extremely nervous. Tadashi was more nervous now than he had been at the SFIT Show Case when he had first applied, and that was saying something because he had been beyond nervous.

But this was different. This was a date, his first date as a matter of fact and it was with Hiro, someone that Tadashi liked very much. So, naturally, he was nervous. He had been sitting on dins and needles all day as he waited for Hiro to arrive. Time had gone by so very slowly and when he had tried to get some school work done, he found that he just couldn't. All of his thoughts were on his date with Hiro. What to do was his first priority. He figured going to a movie would be the best way to go, and then dinner afterwards.

The way Tadashi figured it, it would be a pretty standard first date and it would be comfortable enough for both of them. Yes, he had first thought about something more romantic and serious, but he figured he would save that for later, depending on how things went tonight. Besides, he had a feeling that Hiro would like something far more casual than a private, candle-lit dinner in some fancy restaurant. Not that Tadashi wouldn't try that later on if their date went well tonight, but he would save it for a special occasion, like Valentine's Day or something like that.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm…kind of nervous," Tadashi admitted to his aunt. He was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for Hiro to arrive, watching the clock at the seconds ticked by.

"Don't worry, Tadashi," Aunt Cass said as she carried the last tray of diry dishes up from the cafe area of their home to the sink. She ruffled his hair affectionately and gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure that it'll be a wonderful date. What could possibly go wrong?"

~...~

"This is...not what I had in mind," Tadashi said softly as he and Hiro snuck around one of the warehouses in downtown San Fransokyo.

Just as they were heading towards the movies, Hiro, as sharp and observant as ever, caught sight of the strange, masked man they had seen before. Naturally, his curiosity was piqued. Tadashi wouldn't admit it, but so was his own. After a few minutes of debating, Tadashi turned his moped around and tried to pick up his trail again. He had argued that they should just ignore it; they were on a date after all and they still didn't know if the Kabuki man was a good guy or a bad guy. But, Hiro had told him that he had a bad feeling in his stomach about this, and when Hiro told him he had seen him, Tadashi had gotten one too. So, the debate was ended and they began searching the streets of their city, hoping to find the man, all thoughts of their date temporarily pushed aside.

This had led them to the downtown are and, of course, the warehouses near the docks. Because there was absolutely nothing shady about that. Nope. Nothing. Not at all. Tadashi wanted to smack his head against the wall. It was too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. This was, after all, the same area Hiro and Tadashi had bumped into each other while pursuing the masked man and it was also the same area where they had fallen through the roof of one of those warehouses and into a well placed net. And now, after having nothing but glimpses of the man and the shish of his trench coat to go by while on the chase, they ended up here.

What was one of Gibbs' rules? There's no such thing as coincidence? Yeah, Tadashi completely sided along side the guy in this situation.

"Which one do you think he's in?" Tadashi asked Hiro, his voice a mere whisper so as not to draw too much attention. Hiro stared intently at the buildings, his mouth open slightly revealing the gap in his front teeth.

"Definitely not the one we were in the last time. That would be too obvious, and too easy," Hiro replied.

"You're right. And I doubt he'd leave the lights on and the doors unlocked," Tadashi agreed with him. His racing pulse had started to calm down as they sat there on his moped, which was still running. He would turn it off as soon as they had a plan, but for now, he wanted to ensure that they'd be able to make a hasty retreat if need be, just in case.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Hiro said. "We're going to have to go window shopping."

"Window shopping?" Tadashi asked as he watched Hiro unwrap his arms from around him, a sensation he immediately missed, and carefully slide off the bike and onto the ground, being as quiet as a cat while doing so.

"I figured that we may not be able to get inside through a door, so it would be difficult to tell which warehouse, if any, the Kabuki man is using or hiding out at," Hiro explained. "Since we don't have our suits, it'd be too risky to try anything dangerous, but if we were able to peer through the windows, maybe we could find something, a clue, as to which building he might be inhabiting. Once we do that, we can go from there as far as what to do."

"It's not much, but it's a good enough plan for me," Tadashi replied. He turned off his moped, pocketed his keys, and quietly followed after Hiro. They were lucky that the sun was beginning to set: darkness would be able to shield them better even if it meant that the masked man would also be protected as well.

"Since we don't have our suits, we probably shouldn't split up. Just in case," Tadashi whispered, his heart starting to beat faster again.

"My thoughts exactly," Hiro said.

Cautiously, carefully, they made their way to the first warehouse, the one nearest to the moped. Tadashi trailed behind Hiro, knowing that if someone were to come up to them, the younger probably wouldn't be able to physically hold them off, not for very long. Perhaps, in the near future, Tadashi would give Hiro a lesson in self-defense. That would be both interesting and fun. A smile spread across his face as he thought about it and it was one Hiro did not miss.

"What are you smiling about?" Hiro asked him as he stood on his tip toes and peeked into the first window he came upon. "I don't see anything, so I guess this one's clear."

"Oh, I was just thinking about giving you a self-defense lesson," Tadashi said as they made their way to the next one.

"Why? I don't need them," Hiro replied. He peered into the second warehouse and Tadashi did so as well. It was dark and seemed cold and lifeless. It was apparent that it was empty and from the debris that was scattered on the floor along with the dust, it hadn't been used for years.

"Everyone needs self-defense lessons. You never know when you'll find yourself in a pickle and need to defend yourseld using only for arms and legs," Tadashi told him as they walked to the third one. Hopefully, the third time would be the charm, as they say. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Hiro stopped and looked at him. His eyes narrowed slightly and he scrutinized Tadashi carefully for a minute. Then, when he seemed satisfied with what he found, he gave Tadashi a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head. Okay, was this kid doing this on purpose or did he seriously not realize just how adorable he was? Was it possible that it could be a mixture of both? Tadashi was willing to be a both.

"Heh, you're right. I may be able to think my way out of a problem, but that doesn't mean the obstacles will wait patiently for me to do that," Hiro replied. "As long as I have a hot sensei to teach me. That's my only request." Tadashi felt his ears starting to burn and he knew he was blushing.

"I'm...sure I can help you out with that one," Tadashi said. Hiro's expression brightened and his smile turned radiant.

"Great! And then afterwards, we can fool around and make-out and stuff," he said and winked at Tadashi when he started to sputter embarrassingly. He didn't think he would ever get used to Hiro and his way with words. It was just...unbelievable...in a good way.

"S-sure. I guess," was all Tadashi could think of to say. What else could he say? His brain was still trying to process the words that tumbled so easily out of Hiro's mouth. No sixteen year old he knew, not that he knew many granted, spoke in the way Hiro did. It was one of his many charms, though.

The third warehouse proved to be just as empty and lifeless as the first two. That was the case for the forth and fifth as well. Tadashi wondered if they were just on a wild goose chase or if they were just being played like characters in a video game and the masked man was the player. He was half tempted to say that they should leave and proceed with their date as planned. However, Tadashi didn't do things half way through and quit; he followed through until the end, no matter what.

"I don't see anything in here, either," Hiro mumbled as he peeked through a window. They were gazing into the sixth warehouse in the area and, as usual it seemed, it too was empty. "On to the next one, I guess."

Just as Tadashi turned to follow Hiro, he heard something. The sound, barely audible hum of a machine at work. Curiosu, he turned back and peered through the window again. It was dark, just like the rest, but then, he noticed something. There was no dust on the floor. No dirt, no debris. It seemed as though the warehouse had been cleaned and recently too. Tadashi straightened up and looked up, wondering if perhaps, if maybe...there could be someway to get in...

There! Just above a few large storage containers, the ones often found on boats and ships, was a window that had been broken. There was glass, sharp and pointed, still sticking in the top half, but the bottom portion of it looked safe enough to squeeze through. If he got up there, he could do just that.

"Hiro! Hiro!" Tadashi called out in a loud whisper. He wanted to be quiet, but he also wanted Hiro's attention. Thankfully, he was heard and Hiro's head soon poked around the corner. It would have been comical had the situation been altered.

"What is it? Did you find something?" Hiro asked as he came over to him. Tadashi pointed a thumb up at the window.

"I've got a hunch that this one just might be it," Tadashi told him. "Want to climb up on there and check it out?" Hiro nodded and his face lit up.

"Sure! I hope your hunch is right!" he said as he and Tadashi made their way over to the two trash cans that were sitting just beside the container.

"Here. I'll help you get up first," Tadashi offered as Hiro climbed onto one of the cans.

"I know I'm short, but I don't need your help," Hiro said as he reached for the edge of the container. Frowning, he jumped ever so slightly and barely missed.

After a few more tries, he finally managed to grip it and he hung there for a moment as he tried to pull himself up. All the while, Tadashi was standing back, watching him, and trying his best not to laugh. He knew that he was failing because of few chuckles managed to escape him. He couldn't help it! It was funny!

"Um, a little help here?" Hiro asked, sounding slightly annoyed and eexasperated. Still trying to suppress his laughter, Tadashi grabbed Hiro's hips as gently as he could and hoisted him up until he was able to crawl onto the roof.

With little to no effort at all, Tadashi climbed onto the trash can and then up onto the roof. Standing up, he rolled his shoulders and turned to Hiro, who was glaring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"I hate you tall people," Hiro grumbled and turned towards the window. Tadashi laughed and followed.

"No, you don't. Besides, you're not done growing yet. You still have a shot," Tadashi said. Hiro's expression deepened. It wasn't meant to be funny, but Tadashi felt it extremely hard to not grin and laugh at it.

"You are so not making me feel better. Jerk," Hiro said. "So...who's going first?" Tadashi examined the window. As he thought, the bottom was pretty spotless while the top still had sharp glass jutting down.

"I will," Tadashi said.

"Why you?" Hiro asked.

"Because I have the know-how to treat minor injuries, so if I get cut or stabbed by the remaining glass, it won't be a major issue," Tadashi explained. "Plus, I'm taller, which means I can see farther and will be able to spot any danger that may lurk inside."

"Danger lurking inside? I think you've read too many comic books," Hiro snorted.

"They're graphic novels. And you wouldn't be wrong about that," Tadashi replied.

He crouched down and slowly, carefully, wormed his way inside. The window was wide enough to leave extra space for him and the lower portion was tall enough to prevent him from getting poked in the back by sharp glass, but one could never be too careful.

Once he was inside, he paused and listened. He could hear the soft hum of the machine he had heard minutes prior, only it was louder. And now, it was accompanied by another sound, a soft clink of metal hitting metal. Curious, but still aware that there might be danger, Tadashi quickly scanned what he could see of the warehouse. While it was dark, his eyes quickly adjusted and he realized that it was completely dark. To the right, barely even noticeable, was a soft light. It was so dull that he didn't even realize it was there until just now. Something was going on in this warehouse.

"The coast is clear," Tadashi called in a whisper. He vaguely heard Hiro entering through the window; his gaze was focused on the light he had found, which was also where the noise seemed to be coming from.

"Did you find something?" Hiro asked as he moved to stand beside Tadashi.

"Yeah. Look," he pointed towards the light. Hiro squinted his eyes for a second before they widened.

"Holy crap, Batman," he mumbled. Tadashi arched an eyebrow and a tiny smirk formed on his face.

"Batman? So, who is it that's been reading graphic novels?" he pondered out loud. Hiro flushed slightly and jabbed him with his elbow.

"Shut it. Let's go," Hiro said and before Tadashi could stop him, he was walking down the metal catwalk towards the stairwell that led to the bottom floor.

Sighing softly to himself, Tadashi followed him. They made their way down the stairs and started towards the light source, keeping to the shadows and trying as best they could to be quiet. As they drew closer, Tadashi saw that the light and sound were coming from what must have at some point been an office of some sort. There was a wall with two windows and a doorway that had once held a door towards the left back corner of the room; perhaps a supervisors office or something? Regardless, a plastic curtain was drawn across the windows from the inside, making it hard to see what was going on.

"Hear that?" Tadashi asked Hiro. The younger teen listened for a minute and then nodded, confusion evident on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear it. But what is it?" Hiro replied.

"I don't know, but I guess we're about to find out," Tadashi said and they crept closer to the office.

Making sure no one was around, Tadashi stepped away from Hiro and crossed the open space to the doorway and peered inside. The soft light he had seen was coming from a night light, the only source of light in the room and the machine he saw was...not something he was familiar with. Whatever it was and whatever it was making was being deposited into a large metal barrel as the end of the conveyor belt.

"Hiro, come over here," he said and gestured with his hand. He felt Hiro step up beside him a moment later, their bodies practically pressed together. "Do you recognize that machine?"

"Not really. But...it looks like it's...making something. Or replicating it," Hiro said. They stepped into the office and took a closer look at what the machine was producing. Tadashi was watching Hiro and he saw the instant that Hiro's body stiffened and froze on the spot.

Hiro looked astounded, flabbergasted, and shocked to say the least. His face turned paled and Tadashi would bet that his hands were clammy and sweaty. He took a hesitant step towards the barrel and dipped both hands into. When he brought them up, Tadashi saw what looked like little, metal...beads, or something akin to that.

"What are they? Are you familiar with them?" Tadashi asked. Hiro nodded and swallowed before he spread his fingers and allowed the beads to funnel through them.

"They're microbots. I invented them," Hiro answered him, his voice sounding so small and even a bit terrified.

"Microbots?" Tadashi said.

"Miniature robots that are able to do many things just by responding to a person's thoughts," Hiro said and he stepped back, as though he were seeing a ghost from the past.

"If you invented them, why are you acting so shocked?" Tadashi asked as gently as he could. He didn't want to upset Hiro, but he wanted to know what they were and how in the world the masked man, or whoever it just so happened to be, got their hands on them.

"Because they were all destroyed along with all of my research on Project Silent Sparrow two years ago," Hiro told him and everything went silent and dark.