Action
Hiro stared dumbstruck where his brother had just dashed into the burning building. What was he supposed to do? Hiro started towards the building, maybe he could get in there in time…
“Hey kid, Get back!” a hand grasped Hiro by the arm, “I’ll blow any minute now!”
“My brother is in there!” Hiro struggled, “I have to help him!”
“You won’t help anyone charging in there kid. I’ll be right back with him okay? Just stay here.”
Hiro watched the figure, that’s all he was through the tears in Hiro’s eyes, streak into the building.
“Please.” He whispered to himself, “Please.”
That’s when the building exploded and there were hands everywhere holding Hiro back from diving into the blaze.
“Tadashi!” he cried, “Tadashi!”
“There’s someone coming out!”
A figure strode calmly through the remains of the building, unbothered by the debris and flames. Cradled in his arms was a form Hiro could spot anywhere, his brother was the most important thing in his life, and he broke free from the people holding him back.
“Whoa, whoa. Back up kid, EMTs are going to need room to work.”
Hiro blinked, watching as the man’s helmet unfolded from goggles and a mask to a simple pair glasses. The man, despite the soot in his green hair, smiled at Hiro as he set Tadashi down.
“Here, look at this.”
Hiro took the offered screen, holographic he noted, and stared at the data scrolling across the screen. He knew the heart rate one but everything else was a mystery to him, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. A green armored hand reached over his shoulder and began to explain what each graph meant, and how the bit of red on the body display only meant that he had hit his head, the red in the chest meant he had breathed in some smoke. Hiro never noticed the EMTs rushing in to look over Tadashi, checking him over.
“See kid? He is fine.”
Hiro nodded, keeping his eyes glued on the screen. Tadashi was okay, he was okay. He heart was beating, he was breathing. Tadashi was okay.
“C’mon kid.” Hiro was vaguely aware of being lifted into the air, “They’re taking him to the hospital.
“Wait, the hospital?” that snapped Hiro out of it as he squirmed, “Why? He’s okay. Why are we going to the hospital?”
“They need to treat him there, just to be sure there’s nothing permanent.”
Hiro blinked as he was set down on his feet, observing the durable weave and plating of the man’s armor. He couldn’t place the metal, but he was fascinated watching the material shift and ripple. Hiro yelped as the gauntlet folded in on itself and revealed a regular hand underneath it all.
“Go with your brother kid. Make sure he’s okay.”
With that the man turned around with a wave and jogged off into the crowd. Once he was out of sight, Hiro was forced to sit down as the EMTs slammed the doors to the ambulance shut. As he sat in an out of the way corner, he had to leave the EMTs room to work, Hiro focused on the holographic screen with Tadashi’s readout.
He’d be okay.
Hiro blinked in confusion at the dark green haired man sitting in Aunt Cass’ shop, there was no way that…
“Hiro, what’s the matter?”
Tadashi had been forced to stop walking when Hiro did, his hand trapped in the iron vice that was known as his little brother’s grip. It had been a week since the explosion, and his rescue, and Hiro refused to let him out of sight, often holding his hand or his sleeve.
He was lucky that Hiro and he had long since lost the idea of personal privacy with each other, otherwise going to the bathroom would be way more awkward than it already was.
“That guy over there, with the green hair. I think he’s the guy who pulled you out.”
Tadashi couldn’t remember much after he had fallen while going in after Callaghan, the smoke did that he was told, but he did remember a lot of green as he was being pulled out. The readout, which Hiro had only shown him once, was green and Hiro clearly remembered green hair. So maybe it was him after all.
As if he knew they were talking about him, the man looked up from his coffee and waved at them with a smile before returning to the pile of pastries in front of him.
“Are you sure Hiro?” Tadashi didn’t want to go accost some stranger because he might be the man who saved his life.
“I’m certain.” Hiro tore his eyes away and stared at Tadashi, “He waved at us and I recognize those glasses.”
“Okay, lets….” Tadashi turned to look back at the man but the table was empty save a few bills tossed on the table.
They heard the door open and close, and turned fast enough to catch a glimpse of green hair strolling along the sidewalk outside. When Hiro dragged him out the door, the smaller boy was stronger than he let on, Tadashi didn’t see the man anywhere.
“I think we lost him Hiro.”
Tadashi whipped around and glared as Hiro swore violently, the younger boy climbing up a lamp post to get a better vantage point. After a few minutes, taking the time to rub the feeling back into hand, Tadashi hefted Hiro over his shoulder and carried him back into the shop.
They never noticed, on the roof of the building right next to the shop, the green haired man sat there watching them. With a curious noise and one last bite of his breakfast pastry, he rose to his feet and took off running across the rooftops.
“I’ve got it!”
Tadashi blinked blearily at his brother’s exclamation. Of course Hiro would make some discovery on the same night Tadashi had managed to get tired enough to pass out, his life would be too easy otherwise.
“What Hiro?”
“I can find the man with green hair!” Hiro spun around in his chair, “You know, the man who saved your life and we haven’t had a chance to thank for it yet? Yeah, I can find him.”
“Why now though?” Tadashi rubbed his eyes as he sat up, “It’s almost midnight.”
“Because he’s close! Just a few blocks away, look!”
Hiro scrambled across the room and shoved the holographic screen in his brother’s face. Rather than the usual readout, which Tadashi was certain had something to do with his health, it showed a map of the city with two blinking green dots. When he looked closely, one was on their house and the other was moving rapidly towards the shipping yard.
“Hiro…” Tadashi warned.
He knew what Hiro was thinking about doing and it was a terrible idea, right up there with sneaking out to hustle bot fighters. It was yet another thing that Hiro was going to try that could get him killed.
“I’m going Tadashi. I have to chase this while I can.” Hiro pulled the screen away and made for the door, “I can’t let him leave without thanking him.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed!” Tadashi hissed as he scrambled to stop him.
Hiro danced out of reach as Tadashi lunged to grab him, his eyes narrowed as he glared at his brother.
“Just like running into a burning building.”
Tadashi froze, the words hitting him like a physical blow. Hiro was right, how could he stop Hiro when he had gone headfirst into a burning building. With that in mind, Tadashi pulled on a jacket and sweatpants before quietly chasing Hiro out the door. If Hiro was going to do something stupid, the least Tadashi could do is be there to make sure it didn’t get too bad.
Recalling the map Hiro had shown him, Tadashi bolted down the street as soon as he managed to sneak out the house. Hiro didn’t get more than a block ahead of him before Tadashi caught up to him. Hiro blinked up from the screen as Tadashi pulled up in step next to him before grabbing his hand.
“Lead the way. We do this together.”
“Right.”
“Are you sure he’s here?” Tadashi asked, glancing around at the various shipping containers.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Hiro was biting his nail as he stared down at the map, “It says he’s right here.”
“The real question boys,” a hollow mechanical voice echoed from above them, “what in the world are you two doing here?”
The brothers’ eyes widened as they looked up towards the source. Crouched on top of a stack of containers was a familiar figure dressed in high-tech green armor, his helmet tilted slightly to the left as he studied the two boys in front of him. With a leap, he landed in a crouch on the ground.
“Seriously, what are you doing here?” The single visor band on the helmet, a light blue that shifted shades as light moved around it, managed to accurately express his annoyance.
Tadashi bit his lip at the tone, it was eerily similar to the one Aunt Cass took on very rare occasions when she was upset with them.
“We came to tell you thank you.”
Hiro, of course, was completely unaffected.
“I’ve been in this city for weeks.” the heavy armor made no sound as he drew closer, “And you pick now, midnight and at the shipping yard, to figure out the homing feature on that screen. And then come after me. You could have come and found me tomorrow when I was eating your aunt’s great breakfast pastries.”
“You’re…mad?” Tadashi ventured.
The man shook his head, “I’m wearing power armor. At the shipping yard. At midnight. Do you know what that means in superhero terms?”
“No?” Hiro’s voice was shaking just a bit. He didn’t know the specifics but he did have a pretty good guess.
“That.”
The boys followed the pointed finger, paling as the water bubbled and boiled as something began to rise up.
“You two need to hide. Now.”
Before they could respond, they were shoved behind a shipping container with a strong warning to stay there before the man strode off. What broke the water first was a sea of black carrying a piece of mechanical equipment, Hiro could vaguely make out a white circle with a red bird design on it, followed by a figure wearing a red and white mask.
“Hiro!” Tadashi tugged Hiro back into hiding, “out of sight.”
Hiro wrenched his arm free, “I have to look! Those look like my micro-bots.”
“Hiro!” Tadashi hissed.
“Just shut up and let me watch!” Hiro finally hissed, glaring at Tadashi.
Tadashi frowned, ignoring how much that stung, before nodding but keeping a firm grip on Hiro’s sweatshirt. He was going to pull him out if it got too bad.
He was also definitely ignoring how he had to blink away tears. Hiro didn’t mean it.
The two figures stared each other down, white mask and green helmet. In an instant a wave of black crashed down where the green armored man had been an instant ago.
“Fine.” the man crouched a few feet away, “Agent V, online.”
The armor, formerly fluid and shifting, locked down into solid plates as Agent V dived avoid another wave of micro-bots. Landing on his feet, he launched himself forward with a kick at the man in the mask but was knocked away by another wave. Other attempts resulted the same.
“Okay.” Agent V muttered to himself as he flipped up onto a container to avoid another attack, “Let’s try this then.”
The sound of groaning metal filled the air as V’s fingers dug into the container. With a grunt of effort, he flipped himself forward and tossed the container right at the masked man.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
The container was knocked aside with relative ease, leaving him open to a counter attack that slammed him into another container. Agent V leapt clear before the next wave slammed into where he had just been.
“A different approach then. Speed.”
With a flick of his wrists two prongs ejected out of each of his gauntlets, crackling with electricity, as his armor clamped down a little tighter. With a light whirring sound, he took off fast enough to kick up dust and a light zapping noise could be heard. With each zap, handfuls of micro-bots dropped to the ground and the man in the mask found himself being pressed back towards the water.
As they got further away Hiro poked his head further and further out from behind the container to watch the fight.
“Whoa. Tadashi, you have to watch this. I wonder how he moves so fast…”
Tadashi tugged him back a bit, “Hiro, it’s not safe. If you’re seen….”
“He’s getting his butt kicked, he’s not going to see me.” Hiro brushed Tadashi aside.
“He can still see you.”
“No, he can’t.” Hiro stepped out from their hiding spot, “See?”
Tadashi tackled him out the way as a wave of micro-bots crashed down near them. They looked in horror as it redirected to strike at them again.
ZZT-ZZT-ZZT
Tadashi looked up from where he had curled around Hiro to protect him to see Agent V standing in front of them. His armor was smoking just a bit and scratched up in a few places.
“I told you two to stay hidden.” The hollow mechanical tone still managed to sound disapproving.
“S-sorry.” Tadashi stuttered, still wrapped around Hiro.
Hiro just whimpered from his place under Tadashi, his eyes firmly shut.
“Just stay together and stay close.”
With another whirring noise he was a blur, the crackling noise filling the air as he zoomed around and knocking the waves away. Tadashi wasn’t an expert in combat, he had only done a couple of years of martial arts with Hiro, but even he could tell that the battle was deadlocked. Agent V was stuck defending them and couldn’t press any advantage he could get while the masked man had an endless swarm of micro-bots. Agent V could shut them down, but they would reboot in a few minutes.
Tadashi was forced to roll as Agent V pushed them out of the way of another attack. It happened a few more times before the realization of what was happening sunk in.
“We’re being herded.” He whispered in horror.
He was right, they were now mere feet away from the water and slowly getting closer with each passing minute. Agent V knew it as well, his armor was producing even more smoke as he moved faster and faster trying to keep the boys safe.
It was all for naught as one final wave blasted them into the water. Tadashi braced for impact, holding Hiro close and turning so the smaller brother wouldn’t feel as much of it. Right before he hit the water he felt something attach and crawl across his face.
“Hey, wake up.”
Tadashi blinked as he came to, eyes focusing on a very familiar sight of green hair.
“W-where…” Tadashi groaned as he sat up.
“We’re on the beach a mile or so away from the shipping yard. Close enough to walk you two home, but far enough that the masked fool can’t chase you two down.”
Tadashi’s breath seized as he thought about the man in the mask and waves of black, but he still managed to squeak out a “Hiro?”
“Your brother is right there.” Tadashi looked to see Hiro seated in the fetal position, “I had to make sure you were going to wake up first.
Tadashi scrambled over to his brother and wrapped him up in a hug, holding onto him tight.
“He tried to kill us.”
Agent V approached slowly, his hands were empty and fully visible, “Yes, he did. But you two are completely safe now.”
“Tried to kill us.” Tadashi whispered, rocking slightly, “Tried to kill Hiro.”
“He’s gone and you’re safe.” His voice was low and soothing, “Anything else I can handle. You are safe.”
When he was close enough, Agent V crouched down and placed hands on their shoulders. The gauntlets lightly generated some heat, just enough to replicate a warm human touch. Both boys leaned into the touch until they were being hugged. Keeping his voice low, he continued to reassure the two boys that they were safe and okay and had nothing to worry about right now.
“Okay, I need to get you two home.” Agent V said, gently guiding them to their feet.
Tadashi nodded as Hiro grabbed the man’s hand tightly, his other hand planted in his mouth. Tadashi noted the fingers because he hadn’t seen Hiro do that in a very long time. The odd trio, because what else would you call a man in high-tech armor holding hands with a small teenager while another older teen pressed himself close, made their way through the mostly empty streets. It was a long walk, with Hiro dragging his feet and whining and Tadashi pouting and picking at his wet clothes. They were just distracted enough that they didn’t notice V’s upper armor breaking down to reveal the black bodysuit underneath.
Both boys winced when they saw the lights on in their house, pressing closer to their perceived guardian.
“Aunt Cass is gonna be mad.” Tadashi mumbled, Hiro nodding in agreement.
“More worried than mad, I’m sure.” V assured them, leading them into the unlocked shop.
“Where have you two been!” the greeting was immediate as she wiped the crumbs off her face, “I’ve been worried sick! I was this close to calling the police and do you have any idea the number of doughnuts I’ve eaten! Oh…who are you?”
“Hi miss Hamada.” V smiled as he pushed the two boys forward, “I’m Virginia Knight. Pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” She blinked, “What are you doing with my boys? Are they in trouble? Are you with the Police? Did they get arrested again?”
“No, they haven’t been arrested. But it is an interesting story you might want to sit down for. Though I think they need some dry clothes, there was some unintended swimming involved.”
“Oh boy, it couldn’t just be another bot fight could it.” Cass sighed as she pushed the boys up towards the stairs, pulling Hiro’s fingers out his mouth as an afterthought, “Go put some dry clothes on while I talk with Mr. Knight here.”
“Please, call me Virginia.”
She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, “Well then, Virginia, what happened to them?”
“Well, it all started when I pulled Tadashi out of the building all those weeks ago…..”