Stolen Brother Chapter 20

I do not own Big Hero 6 or any of its characters

Callaghan felt his grip on his pen and clipboard loosen as soon as the name escaped the young man's lips. The room felt like it was moving and yet the world seemed to have stopped turning, and his heart started to beat erratically. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as his blood turned into ice.

Despite hoping that this was nothing but a mere dream, a nightmare of sorts. And that at any second Hiro or Winston would be waking him up, he knew better. He didn't live in a dream, he operated based on reality. After all, that's how he got into his current predicament.

But he still couldn't believe what he had just heard. It had been so long since he had last heard that name. The very same name that belonged to those who lost their lives all those years ago.

Hamada.

Tadashi Hamada.

This young man's name was Tadashi Hamada. And it was in that moment that Tomeo Hamada's last words repeated in his head.

"I wish… that I… could've introduced you… to my sons… properly… I wish that… that… Tadashi got… the chance… to meet you… "

He remembered. The Hamada couple, Tomeo and Maemi, had another son. His name was Tadashi Hamada. And this young man's name was Tadashi Hamada!

It couldn't be! But it had to! All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. This couldn't have been a coincidence! This young man looked too much like his late friend and his name was perfectly aligned with the elder son's. He finally realized why this student looked so familiar. When he looked at him, he saw Tomeo Hamada.

He couldn't believe it, the elder Hamada son was a student in his classroom. What were the odds? Why did fate feel the need to taunt him in such a way? Hadn't he finally put the past behind him? Wasn't that the point of coming back here to this city?

In that moment, Callaghan looked like he had been frozen. Frozen in cage of past memories, and this didn't go unnoticed by the students around him. Particularly Tadashi, the young college student looked at his new professor with a hint of confusion.

"Uh, professor?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

That brought Callaghan back into reality, he suddenly remembered where he was and who he was with. He couldn't afford to look bad now, he had worked too hard to create this life for himself. He couldn't lose it all now, he wouldn't.

He cleared his throat and regained his composure, a small smile graced his face as he did so. He had to put on a show, like he had been doing for the past few years. And it was during this time that he learned one very important skills. Particularly how to lie to those around him… and sometimes to himself as well.

"Oh no need to worry, for a second I thought I didn't see your name on the list. But here it is," he said as he marked the last name. "The last thing I wanted was for a student of mine to be misplaced on their first day."

Thankfully the young man seemed to accept this answer as he let out a small chuckle in response. Even his voice sounded like Tomeo's.

"I see, well then that's good to hear. I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to be a student in the famous Robert Callaghan's class," he responded.

Callaghan continued to smile as he gave him a nod. He seemed to possess Maemi's charisma as well. This young man was the embodiment of the late Hamada couple… much like Hiro. And speaking of the young boy, he couldn't help but feel guilty in this moment. It was one thing to take Hiro away from this city, away from the remaining family he had here, but it was another thing to actually meet with them. And now that he had the chance to meet Hiro's unknown older brother, he would have to ensure that his son would never meet with him. He was now willingly keeping Hiro away from his remaining family.

And strangely enough, Callaghan no longer felt the guilt he had before. Rather, he felt a newfound sense of determination. The kind he had only felt once in his life, when he set out to destroy Krei all those years ago. Only this time, his determination related to keeping Hiro away from this world. He wouldn't allow all of his hard work and peace to be destroyed yet again.

With that in mind, Callaghan gestured to the seats.

"Well then, now that that's settled, please take your seat Mr. Hamada," Callaghan stated.

Tadashi nodded in response and he headed to the area where his friends were sitting. They were more than happy to see the last of their team joined them. That's when Callaghan made his way back to his desk.

"Now that everyone is accounted for," he said. "We can begin class."

That's when he decided to write his name on the whiteboard before turning his attention back to his new students.

"Greetings everyone," he started. "My name is Robert Callaghan and I will be your professor for this course."

Surprisingly, despite the little bump earlier this morning, everything went smoothly. Callaghan managed to keep his composure as he lectured through the basics of his course. It took a lot for Callaghan not to break down whenever he faced Tadashi, but the constant reminder of what was at stake helped him keep his focus. That was a survival technique Callaghan had honed thanks to his tragedies.

However, despite his inner turmoil, Callaghan couldn't deny that he took joy in watching the young geniuses. The students were receptive and listened to his every word. Their expressions became filled with wonder as he presented a new idea to them. And they were more than quick to voice their opinions and questions. He didn't hesitate to answer every single one of them.

Today actually reminded him of the joys he used to take in teaching. Back before everything went to ruin, Callaghan always looked forward to the start of the new day. He would recall the times where he would spend nights prepping for lectures, the moments where he had to come up with class assignments that fit the criteria of the school and the grades he would have to issue to the students. It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding to see how far a student went in his courses. He couldn't recall how many times he had watched a student of his walk the stage of their graduation. The pride he felt whenever that happened was undeniable.

Then there were the activities that occurred after course hours such as teacher meetings, get-togethers, celebrations of sorts and showcases. He recalled how he used to mingle with his fellow professors and discuss the current technological events of the world. It was always entertaining to be in a group of intellectuals. In fact, Callaghan actually had time to meet up with some other old colleagues today, including Granville once again. They each shared their stories of their lives and what they had being going during his absence. His life may have not turned out the way he wanted to, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be happy for others.

When it came time for him to explain his side of the story, he left out the details involving his child and his other business affairs of course. Overall, it seemed like the students weren't the only ones accepting of him. The staff also seemed to be more than pleased with his decision to return to the campus. It seemed like everything had changed, and yet nothing was different at all.

He couldn't believe he had allowed himself to forget about moments like these. It was just another reminder of how life back then maybe wasn't as horrible as he sometimes made it seem. But still, it wasn't enough to cause him to lower his guard. Especially when he had a child to think of, a child he was looking forward to going home to at the moment.

Callaghan packed up his belongings in his car and quickly got into the driver's seat. As he started the engine, he couldn't help but notice the students surrounding the campus grounds. A widespread of variety was made apparent as each student didn't look similar to any other. Some were just talking to their peers, some were eating their meals, others were on their laptops and other electronic devices and the rest were just walking around, trying to find their way out or to the campus.

But the one group that caught his attention was one that was located underneath a tree. Why? Because at the center of the group was none other than Tadashi Hamada himself. A kind smile was on his face as he conversed with the friends he had sat next to in his class. Before long he started to laugh, the sounds were so pure to listen to. His body was relaxed as he leaned closer to his friends and made friendly gestures with the wave of his hands. There was without a doubt that this boy possessed an aura of positivity and purity. The young man seemed to be so at peace with the world, despite everything that had happened to him.

And for the life of him, Callaghan couldn't figure out why or how that was possible.

When he lost his wife, it felt like the world had stopped turning. If it wasn't for Abigail he was sure he wouldn't have survived that first year. And then all too soon she was gone as well. That's when it felt like the world had just came crashing down. He would never forget those feelings. Even today, they still haunted him. But he had found a way to ease the storm that dwelled within him.

But what about this young man? What about Tadashi Hamada? What had he done to achieve such tranquility? He could only imagine how difficult it was compared to his own. A loss was a loss, but sometimes it all depended on who said losses were and when they were lost to begin with. He was an adult when he lost both his wife and child, an age where he fully comprehended death and mortality. But Tadashi had only been a small child, barely starting elementary school, when he lost both his parents and his younger brother. He practically lost his entire family in one night.

He could only imagine the turmoil the young child went through during that time. At such a young age he had to grow up quickly, in order to ensure his safety and survival. He wondered if he actually had time to grieve, did he even truly understand what that was. Did he fully comprehend that his parents and brother were never come home?

That must have been so traumatizing. And yet, here he was, smiling and laughing without a care in the world. And the worst part was that the young man was completely unaware of the entire truth. The truth that led to Tomeo and Maemi's deaths… and the disappearance of their youngest child.

In that moment Callaghan wondered how he would've felt if he were in the college student's place. What if he had a loved one out there that he thought had died, but instead was alive and well? But then again, how would he know? He would've lived his life in the same way Tadashi did, in ignorance.

Ignorance is bliss, he supposed.

But still, a part of him couldn't help but feel sympathetic to the boy's unknown plight. During these last few years, sometimes he pondered what would've happened if he gave Hiro back to the Hamada family. What if he just left him there and disappeared? He could walk right out of Hiro's life in the same way he had walked in.

He let out bitter chuckle at the thought of that. He knew he couldn't do that even if he wanted to. He was in too deep to turn back now, and even back then that was the truth. Besides, he had left a mark on Hiro in a similar way Hiro had left a mark on him. He was sure that the young boy wouldn't be able to handle the sudden change, especially at this point.

And so, with that in mind, Callaghan steered the wheel in the right direction and drove off the campus grounds. The reflections of the students and school shined in his mirrors as he did so. But out of everything, Tadashi's figure continued to stand out from the rest, until he was no longer in sight. That's when Callaghan let out a small sigh.

He couldn't wait to get home. He needed to see Hiro, he needed to be with him and hold him to remind him that everything was okay. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he contemplated the unexpected visitor he had today, the young man that would be a part of his class and work space.

Tadashi Hamada, he would need to keep an extra eye out for him. He would have to ensure that he, in no way, found out his secret. He had made his decision long before this unplanned meeting, but not it was final.

"Under no circumstances must Hiro step on these school grounds," he stated.

Hiro was his son… nobody would take him away from him. He would hunt them down before that happened.

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