Disclaimer: Big Hero 6 is owned by Disney Animation. I also have nothing witty to add here except to artificially lengthen this disclaimer.

Chapter 1 – Zero In

The train car careened around the track, gaining speed after every turn. It was just a matter of time before the inevitable would happen.

Before anyone could react, the inertia carried it off of the track, causing it to crash down to the ground below. The entire structure started to burst into flames, ensuing destruction and chaos…

"Well, that wasn't suppose to happen."

Great way to ruin the immersion, Go Go.

The Korean made a few notes on her computer, rubbing her chin in thought. "The magnetic pull is just not strong enough. I wonder if it has to do with the speed..."

"May I inquire as to why there's a fire in the middle of your station?"

"Sorry," Go Go said to the new arrival. "I'm fine tuning some stuff about my project."

"I can see that," Granville replied, her clipboard to her chest. "Does it involve me pulling the fire alarm?"

"Hopefully not." The fire had since died down, allowing Go Go to pick up the disheveled model from the floor. "It might be the centrifugal force that's causing it to fly off. Maybe I should make the track longer..."

"Do you have any additional models to test that theory?"

"Not until Hiro gets back from his lab with another one."

"Mr. Hamada?" Granville asked. "Is he helping you out with this?"

"Yup, he's my unofficial lab assistant today. You know...because he doesn't have a final project anymore."

No response.

"You know...because his final project almost blew up the entire city."

"I am very aware of that fact, thank you."

Just then, Hiro burst through the door. Walking up to the two, he held up a brand new train car model to Go Go. "This is the last one. I don't have enough materials for another."

"Ahh, Mr. Hamada! I'm glad that you're lending your assistance out. I do need to speak to you about one particular thing."

"Which is?"

"I wanted to see if you had given any thought about adapting an alternate project to continue on."

"I have a bunch of ideas in my head," Hiro said, "But I'm going to need some more time to come up with something."

Suddenly, a mass whizzed past both of their bodies, slamming into the far wall. Both Granville and Hiro turned to Go Go, who was still looking at her computer.

"Yup, definitely the centrifugal force."

"Well, at least the horrendous crashes are happening in the test phase, and not the real life stage," Granville deadpanned. She made a check mark on her paper. "Let's see what improvements you can make down the road in a week...providing there's still a lab to return to." She glanced down at Hiro. "Same for you, Mr. Hamada. Even though we aren't in session, I still want you to think up some ideas for next week."

The dean turned to Wasabi's station, but found it empty. Unperturbed, she went over to the next station, and was met with a giant pile of books.

"Ms. Rodriguez, are you in there?"

One of the towers on the ground got pushed aside, and Honey Lemon emerged from the makeshift mountain, her hair a mess. "Hello, Professor. How are you doing?"

"Besides nearly being gutted by your colleague's bullet train, splendid. Have you been able to make any additional progress with Ms. Shimamoto?

"There's not really a lot of information other than what's publicly available. Trust me, I'm going through all of San Fransokyo's history here (she waved to the monument behind her). I even have Wasabi and Fred helping me out."

"Yeah, and some of this writing is way too fancy for my tastes!" Fred shouted from around the corner. "It has too many loops in it!"

"It's called 'cursive', Fred." Wasabi sighed.

"Yes, Mr. Frederickson. Perhaps it would be in your best interest to learn it?"

Granville turned her attention back to Honey Lemon, who continued on. "I even took another trip down to her secret lab to try to get some inspiration, but I didn't have much luck."

"I assume you got permission from SFAT to go there?"

"Umm...definitely," she grimaced.

Granville narrowed her eyes at her student. "In any case, hopefully you will be able to make some progress in the upcoming weeks. I've heard the City Board is interesting in your findings. I'm sure something will turn up."

"Let's hope so." She made a motion to dive back into her pile, but Granville tugged on her sleeve.

"Before you go back to your work, Ms. Rodriguez, may I ask you an unrelated question?"

"Uh...sure."

"As much as I rather enjoy the work ethic of all of you," Granville said, glancing again at Fred in his chair, "Have you had any opportunity to partake in something a little less...strenuous?"

"What do you mean, Professor?"

"Well, ever since the end of the semester, I've seen the lot of you here every single day. Again, I never mind working hard, but perhaps it would be good to relax for a little bit." Granville smiled at her. "Just give it some thought. I'm not even here every single moment of the day, and I would be remiss if I made my students adhere to a stricter work schedule than myself." She made her exit out the side door, heading back to her office.

"You know what? Professor Granville's right."

"She is!" Fred came around the corner, holding another book upside down. "Maybe I should learn cursive!"

"No, not...that." Honey Lemon wrestled her stool out from the pile and sat down. "When was the last time we all just went out and enjoyed ourselves? We haven't done anything since Tad-"

She stopped herself short. "I mean...since Hiro got to school. All we're doing is either cooping ourselves up here or going out on patrol. And even patrol's gotten boring. We haven't had any disturbances since that random robber from a week and a half ago."

"And even that was uneventful." Wasabi joined the two. "I never saw someone give up that fast."

"Clearly you're forgetting the time we asked you to drive to get our food during that thunderstorm."

"We both know that wasn't going to happen, Go Go!" he replied to his lab neighbor. "Do you have any idea how many bad drivers are out there? Literally hundreds."

"Yes, I do. I drive a cycle, remember?" she retorted. "And I agree with Honey Lemon. We've been here way too much. And I've run out of names to call my minion."

"I am not a minion!" Hiro yelled behind her.

Go Go smirked before lowering her voice. "Besides, ever since we beat Obake, it's like Hiro's been even more of a workaholic. He 'volunteered' to be my assistant? C'mon. No one volunteers to be my assistant."

The four students lowered their heads, trying to think of something.

"And no, Fred, I'm not taking everyone to go bird watching."

Fred lowered his hand, slightly disappointed.

"Oh, I know," Honey Lemon chimed in. "Remember when we used to go bowling after all of the final exams with the other students? We can go do that!"

"Man, I almost forgot about that place." Go Go replied. "I think it's still there; let me check." She pulled out her phone and started scrolling. "Yeah, here we go. I'm surprised it's still in business. It's one of the oldest places in San Fransokyo."

"Fun doesn't have an expiration date, Go Go."

"Wow, that was surprisingly wise coming from you, Fred."

"Well, my parents used to take me there all the time," he added. "Mom was able to get it designated at a state landmark in the last City Council meeting."

"It's settled, then." Honey Lemon clasped her hands together in excitement. "Let's shoot for Friday. I don't think any of us are doing anything that day, and the way things are going, we shouldn't be disturbed by anything going on in the city."

"You think Regina would want to come with us?" Wasabi asked.

"Nah, she's still not taking to me. I heard she got a new roommate. Either way, I don't want to bother her."

"But we need a sixth person! We'll have uneven teams then. We always go with six."

Wasabi sat down next to Honey Lemon, thinking. "Well, with Hiro, we have five. We could take Baymax, but I have a feeling he wouldn't fit in that much. We'd also have to teach him how to-"

He stopped as Go Go's contorted to a menacing look. "Oh no. I know what that face is. You have an evil plan or something."

"Me? No. I just know who we can invite instead." Go Go waved the other three together and huddled.

A few moments later, Hiro came around the corner, holding Go Go's laptop. "Have you checked the centrifugal clutch on your train? It might be causing the engine to combust-"

Hiro paused as he looked up at the faces of his friends. "Did...I miss something?"

"We're planning a trip out on Friday. We're going to the bowling alley on Nakamura Avenue."

"Pierre's?" Hiro asked. "I used to go to that place all the time with Aunt Cass and Tadashi. Haven't really been since high school. Sounds like fun."

"We were also thinking about bringing a sixth along for a team game or two."

"Have any ideas?"

Go Go smirked as she continued to stare at him. "Oh, I have the perfect idea."

Hiro looked around at them, confused. "I don't. Someone want to-"

Oh. Now he got it. He held up his finger in a standoff. "No. No. Absolutely not."

"You don't even know who I'm going to say."

"I know exactly who you're going to say, and the answer is no," the teen genius retorted, heading back around the corner.

Honey Lemon followed him over to Go Go's track. "Hiro, why not? What's the worst thing that's going to happen?"

"...She locks me in her office and exposes me to some virus that will cause my eyes to turn into goo and pour out of my sockets?"

Honey Lemon looked up, lost in thought. "Yes. That...is definitely something she could do. But I was thinking more along the lines of her just saying no. Besides, you two are friends, right?"

"Friends? Absolutely. Heck, I learned that they sometimes have lunch together," Go Go added with a smirk.

"First of all," Hiro said as he turned his attention to her, "It was dessert. Secondly, how do you even know about that?"

She said nothing, still grinning.

"You know what? Not important." He waved his arms in front of him. "Besides, I don't even think she exists outside of school and her work."

"Didn't you take her up on a blimp and-"

"Go Go, let's leave aside the fact that all of my friends apparently know everything I do when I'm not here for a second," Hiro interrupted. "I thought you didn't like her."

"I never said that."

"This doesn't sound familiar?" Hiro raised his voice in a mocking tone. "Karmi doesn't have friends. The only thing she had going for her? Being the youngest genius at the school. Now, that's your thing. You took her thing."

"Nowhere in there did I say I hated her. We just don't talk to each other."

"Guys, back me up here," Hiro craned his neck around Go Go's body to his other three friends only to find their heads buried in more history books at Honey Lemon's desk. "Gee, thanks for your support, guys."

"Look." Go Go put his hand on his shoulder. "In all honesty, I really don't care. But you know as well as I do that Karmi has been staying at school just as often as we have. Don't you think she deserves a fun night out as well?"

"I guess."

"Good." She looked at her phone. "Because you have about fifteen minutes before we leave. Go and ask her now."

"Waitwaitwaitwait." Hiro shook his head violently. "No one said anything about me asking her. This was your idea."

"Yeah, and she's your friend. And do you really want me asking her? We might get to talking about her fabled Captain Cutie and-"

"Stop." Hiro sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. But not because you asked me to." He headed off toward the side door. "I'll meet you guys at the car."

Once he left, Go Go turned back to gather her things...to find Fred laying down on her magnetic track, slowly sliding around it.

"Look, Go Go! I'm a train now!"

The Korean turned to Wasabi, who held his hands up to her. "Don't look at me; I didn't do anything."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Honey Lemon walked up to her. "I'm all for trying to include her in things, but this could end badly on so many levels."

"You agreed to this, remember?"

"I just don't want anybody's feelings getting hurt."

"Neither do I."

The two girls sat there for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.

"...If we leave now, we might still be able to watch him ask her."

"I'll grab my stuff!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: (Still not going to talk about the "real" name I gave Honey Lemon, but if you look between the lines, you'll find out why I gave it to her. Trust me, it's not that hidden.)

This is the next step in Operation "Try To Establish Karmi As A Member Of The Group".

Note to self. Think of a better title.

This story will be six or seven chapters long (haven't really decided yet), with an update hopefully every week. All chapter titles and even the story title will be bowling terms, so if you look between the lines, you might be able to see what's coming up in the chapters. And the best part is that a lot of this story is already written, so I probably won't have to rush at the last minute to write stuff.

Probably.

Maybe.

Next chapter will pick up in a familiar place: Hiro in an awkward position with Karmi. Not literally, or course.

...Maybe.

Read and review, if you like. Until next time, everyone.