@bigdamnhiro

[pushtheboundaries]

[The potential here was impressive; had things gone differently, he would have enjoyed watching what Hiro developed over time. Perhaps he'd have had the opportunity to be here legitimately, as opposed to breaking and entering.

To be fair, he was trying his best to not make a mess. To be fair, the moment there was even a slight lapse in concentration, the microbots tried to swarm over everything and explore; it was a constant battle between investigation and restraint, but at least he'd a little bit of practice in controlling them at this point.

Still, as Callaghan flipped up some of the notes, he wondered just Hiro would have done with these, given a longer window to research and develop their usage. He'd no doubt have found and took steps to prevent a problem like this, before it had even become one; clearly, this was Robert's own mistake, one of many perhaps less-than-wise decisions he'd made.

They can't be taken back now. And he's at a complete loss as to how to deal with them, now, when there's no longer a band or mask involved in controlling the microbots, where they seem to respond to thought alone and things that he's relatively certain he didn't even think of in the first place.

He hopes he can convince Hiro to at least hear him out, but he also hopes he won't have to see Hiro at all, and that the answer is somewhere in his notes.]

Comments

[pushtheboundaries]

I just said all I did was copy-!

[my, there are abruptly a lot of points within the mass, spikes and sharp bits and whether or not they happen to scratch Hiro is only so much in Callaghan's control.

to his credit, he does make efforts to /regain/ control, clenching his fists as he turns to face Hiro, forcing the microbots to draw back to him, around him, keep away from the boy. hold that thought in the head, for now, and everything should be fine. this- this he can do, as much as part of him wants to grab him and shake him and he just told them to stay away

the microbots that had started to creep back towards Hiro snap back as though chastened]

There is clearly a flaw in the design, if this is what they've become. Now, are you just going to pretend this isn't a problem, or are you going to give me the notes so I can fix this?!

[are you another Krei in the making, Hiro? because that is an /ugly/ look starting to form on the once-professor's face, tight as it is]

[bigdamnhiro]

[Hiro recoils with a gasp, and this time he does drop the soldering iron. It melts through a cluster of microbots by his feet as if they were made of butter. For a long moment he's silent, clutching a hand close to his chest that's bleeding from half a dozen nicks and scratches and staring at Callaghan now with undisguised fear.

He sucks in a couple of breaths to steady himself and nods toward the desk.]

Fine, okay? Bottom left drawer, there's some notes and a data drive with all the programming work. And the blue notebook on the top shelf over there. It's...not all that organized, some stuff is missing and a lot of it I just pieced together in my head -

[He's a goddamn fourteen year old and a messy one at that, okay. Which means Callaghan can take a crack at it, but Hiro may very well be the only one with all the information needed to really fix this.

Another second, and he ventures with a frown:]

Maybe if you hadn't stolen them in the prototype phase and I'd had time to work on them more, this wouldn't be a problem.

[pushtheboundaries]

[the microbots don't feel pain; there's no recoil from nonexistent sensors, but there is a sudden clearing around the area, Callaghan noting both the weapon and the fact that it's...effective.

note to self; avoid extreme heat, or look in to making these things heat-resistant. perhaps a coating...

as Hiro speaks, there's another reaction from his creation, the machines quickly building structures towards the indicated locations without even a gesture from Callaghan. rather; his gesture of reaching up and rubbing his temple as though in pain has nothing to do with it. that, and the brief wince, is related only to how hard it can be to /think/ lately.]

I've made mistakes.

[his voice is tight, but at least it's an admission. he won't specify on what those mistakes are, though he will continue-]

I'm trying to fix them.

[lowering his hand, it's promptly 'handed' the notebook. and even with a glance down at it, he's realizing that Hiro would have been...challenging...as a student. the microbots even opened it to the first page, and the scribbling there is haphazard at best. Tadashi ever kept cleaner work, but he has the presence of mind to realize touching on that would just end up in this escalating rather quickly.

still. this and the other papers and the data drive are more than he had. it's a place for him to start, short of going for Hiro's mind itself and that was not an order.

if it wasn't /him/, he might find the constant ripple-motions of the microbots fascinating, especially with the aborted motions and reaches they make. they move almost organically, as much as they conform to mathematically precise angles and structures. but here and now they're wearisome at best, and disturbing most of the other time. at worst...]

[anewangle]

[WELP, things are about to get a lot more wearisome.

Tadashi doesn't think much of the garage door already being open when he gets home, immediately swapping out his helmet for his baseball cap and moving to put his scooter away. Hiro must be inside, hopefully getting some homework done.

And he's half right about that.

Tadashi's helmet hits the ground first and the scooter follows soon after, the handlebars slipping unheeded from his hands as he takes a few quick steps into the garage. He'll fuss over any scratches he's managed to inflict later, but the scene before him takes precedence. Callaghan inside their garage, microbots everywhere, and the way Hiro's standing... He doesn't have to be in front of his brother to recognize fear when he sees it, and why is he holding his hand like that?]

What is going on here?

[Hear that? That's the sound of an older brother just shy of turning into a mama bear. That optimistic smile he wore the last time he and Callaghan spoke spoke? It's nowhere to be found, replaced with a cautious intensity as he surveys the scene and pieces together just what's happening.]

[bigdamnhiro]

[If Hiro was frightened before, it's nothing compared to the panic that jolts through him when Tadashi appears at the garage door. What had been an expression of bottled worry turns into open terror, and he glances back and forth between Callaghan and Tadashi, trying to gauge the professor's reaction. He's afraid of where this is going; this is exactly the kind of thing he was scared of happening.

He doesn't think for a minute that Callaghan wouldn't hurt his brother if it came down to a fight, even if the microbots were in his total control.]

Tadashi. Don't move. Please. [It comes off a little more shaky and nervous than he'd intended, and his voice cracks embarrassingly, but he ignores that. Never mind if he is bleeding, never mind that until a second ago the microbots had been pointing daggers at his skull. He flashes a look at Callaghan.] He doesn't have anything to do with this. Leave him alone. You got what you came for.

[pushtheboundaries]

[the microbots then go very, very still, and Callaghan raises his head without turning it as he comes to the realization that he really should have planned for this. there's a brief sort of undulation from them, radiating from the edges towards him, as he notices the look Hiro gives him.

it's one he'd only ever wanted from one person - and that person was not a teenager, terrified for his brother.

he blinks once, twice, a vaguely sort of disgusted-confused look on his face before there's a shift from the microbots and they draw closer towards him, over him, shrouding him in their mass as though to cloak him against it all. and while there's a thousand sneering things that are coming to mind to bark at Hiro, what kind of person do you think I am? the least of them all, there are precious few if any responses coming to mind for Tadashi.

he swallows once, another ripple coming from the microbots, and then finally manages to say something;]

I apologize for the mess.

[NOW ADDING TO THE SCORE OF WRONG THINGS TO SAY AT THE WRONG TIME?]

[anewangle]

[The terror in Hiro's voice stops Tadashi dead in his tracks, but as he gets a better look at the situation it takes every bit of will he has not to run to his brother's side. He looks so scared and- is that blood? Is Hiro bleeding?]

Hiro, are you hurt?

[His eyes flick back and forth between the other two people in the room while he waits for an answer. Nothing to do with what? What did Callaghan come here for? The last time Tadashi saw the man, he was headed back into the dark on the bad side of town...]

Why are you here?

[bigdamnhiro]

[Okay. Hiro closes his eyes for a second and takes a deep breath, trying to put his thoughts back together. There's still microbots crawling around his ankles, Callaghan is still in the garage, and Tadashi is blocking the exit. He can only hope Tadashi doesn't do anything stupid that'll trigger the microbots to go after him. He casts a sidelong glance at Tadashi, and then Callaghan.]

I'm fine, I'm okay, just...don't make any sudden movements, okay? The microbots are acting up. He came to get my notes. That's it. So now he's going to leave quietly.

[pushtheboundaries]

[his lip curls at that 'warning', but he can't deny it. it's the last Hiro sees of his visage, though, before the microbots swarm to cover his face and then lock themselves in place.

he doesn't want to be seen like this.

he doesn't want to be here.

Tadashi is between him and the exit.

gathering himself in full, he holds up some of the aforementioned notes - the microbots have pulled the rest back in - in affirmation of Hiro's claim, and begins sending the machines out- the ones not gathered upon him directly begin making their path out of the garage, sticking to the sides of the exit to stay as far away from Tadashi as possible.

unfortunately, he can't do the same; when he turns around to leave, though, the mask and the mantle do an exceedingly well job of hiding any sort of expression or feeling that could give him away.]

[anewangle]

[Tadashi eyes the microbots as they skirt around him and trickle out of the room, taking a few slow steps toward Hiro. God, he is bleeding. It's not serious from what can be seen, but if sets Tadashi even more on edge.

Tadashi can forgive a lot of things. Messing with his little brother is not one of them.]

What do you mean by "acting up"?

[Frowning over at Callaghan now. He's far enough from the door now that the older man could pass by without touching him, but it'll still be close, and now Tadashi's attention is on him. On the even more organic movement of the tiny robots and they way they've almost made themselves into a second skin. How-]

... How are they doing that?

[pushtheboundaries]

[he could remain silent, and let Hiro try and explain it; Hiro doesn't know what's going on, at least not fully. and rather than have him share incorrect information and have to be corrected- the microbots still for a moment, locking themselves in place, and then 'relax'.

which really just means that it's a somewhat looser structure upon him, but still as though he's wearing a suit of mail.

but where to begin, without giving more information than need be...?]

It started a few days ago. I woke up, and they were covering me like a blanket- they moved back as soon as I realized it, but the fact remains that they're responding without the neurotransmitter, and to...noncommands.

[his voice remains steady, but as before, the microbots 'speak' for him- tiny agitated ripples that are only so much in his control.]

[anewangle]

[Tadashi shifts closer to Hiro as Callaghan talks, wanting himself between his brother and whatever danger the other man might or might not present to him.]

Without the transmitter... Are they responding to your emotions?

[Because that would explain a lot of their strange behavior, the ripples and spikes and all that. It's also the worst sort of thing that could occur to a tool like the microbots. They're small, but so powerful in large numbers, already so dangerous in the wrong hands. To have them responding to emotions or subconscious thoughts...]

Did something happen to the neurotransmitter while you were wearing it? A short or any other kind of damage?

[pushtheboundaries]

[Callaghan makes no move to stop him. if anything, he seems to - step? - glide back a foot or so, giving Tadashi a clearer path to his brother. the invitation seems clear enough, but at the same time, it's a convenient way to move closer to the exit.

as for the question? he /does/ give a brief glance towards Hiro, tilting his head as though asking his input, even as he responds with what little he can offer-]

It's...possible.

[to everything, really. all told, it's...more than possible that they're responding to /something/ from him, because his temper had risen and he hadn't /told/ them to hurt Hiro like that, but even so he cannot help but feel childishly satisfied with the results.

that doesn't really help with the sinking feeling regarding the whole fear thing, but if this is what it takes, this is what it takes.

...right?

even he knows that isn't the best thought he's ever had. Hiro's a /kid/, for godssake. the scowl on the 'mask' seems to deepen, and irritable flicker running through the microbots at the base of his form. there has to be a first aid kit in here somewhere, isn't-

it's impossible to miss the microbots creating an exploratory tendril upon the floor, as though searching for /something/ - and equally impossible to miss him looking down at it before it aborts the construct. heel.]

[bigdamnhiro]

I...I don't know, I'd have to run some tests to see if they could even bug out like that -

[He runs a hand, the one that's less scratched up, through his hair, trying to think - which is when he notices the microbots reaching out. Until a moment ago they'd been clustered around Callaghan like armor, a motion that Hiro would describe as defensive if he had to pick one.

Even while he's watching the microbots, Hiro creeps up behind Tadashi and pulls him by the collar of his blazer, backing him up so they're both out of the microbots' path.

Until Callaghan glances and they stop. Hiro studies the microbots, and then Callaghan. Maybe he could pry an answer out of the professor.]

...What were you thinking, right then?

[pushtheboundaries]

[WELL THAT SOLVES THAT BARRIER, DOESN'T IT. Callaghan half-turns to follow what microbots have already made their way out, then ends up pausing at the question.]

Other than 'heel'?

[his tone is dry, but he at least doesn't wait long before continuing]

I was trying to remember if I saw a first aid kit. As I said - I'm sorry for the mess.

[anewangle]

[Geez, professah, it's like you don't want to hang around or something. Rude.

Tadashi doesn't fight the pull, taking those few steps back while crowding Hiro a little to try and keep himself positioned in front of his brother (deal with it, bro). He knows exactly where the first aid kit is (he should, being the one who stocks it and all) and he'd very much like to go get it, but hell if he's leaving Hiro's side just yet. Not that he's expecting much of anything to happen now that things seem relatively calm, but he's not taking any chances.]

... You said it started a few days ago. Has their level of responsiveness changed at all since then?

[pushtheboundaries]

[actually he really doesn't. he got what he came for, and he was fully intending on doing the whole leave quietly thing. please stop asking him questions he feels obliged to answer.

though he doesn't for a few moments, the microbots slowing.

tk. tk. tk. someone's in thought.

finally, quietly;]

Exponentially.

[and with that word of admission, there's another rustle, as those feelings of not wanting to be here surge- and are acted upon.

he doesn't fight them any further. in a few short moments, he's gone]

[bigdamnhiro]

[There's a few seconds, after Callaghan leaves and the microbots empty from the garage, where Hiro doesn't move or breathe or say anything. And then he sucks in a shaky breath, untangling stiff fingers from the back of Tadashi's jacket, and says quietly:]

Oh god.

[And then he takes a few more breaths, looks around the room, and it occurs to him that this is maybe, a little, his fault. That he needs to do something about it right now, before somebody gets seriously hurt. He pushes his way out from behind Tadashi and scrambles for a pen, forgetting about Tadashi and the white hot soldering iron lying on the floor and all the little myriad scratches on his hands and every other bit of exposed skin the microbots had been able to reach.

He grabs the nearest rumpled piece of notebook paper he can find and starts frantically scribbling notes onto it, while fumbling for the power button to the computer.]

That's not right. They weren't designed to - ow - to do that, to, to do stuff by themselves. What did I do wrong, where'd the bug come from, why'd they end up like this -

[anewangle]

[Exponentially? Well... shit.

Tadashi lets Hiro scramble around him, glancing around the garage to be sure that all the microbots are gone, breathing a sigh of relief a few moments later. No more microbots, but that sure is a dangerous tool just lying in the middle of the floor. Hiro frowns down at the soldering iron before bending to carefully pick it up and put it away. Had Hiro grabbed it to defend himself with, only to provoke the bots into attacking him instead? That would explain the scratches on his hands. Speaking of which...]

Slow down, slow down. [He grabs the first aid kit from its home on a low shelf with one hand and snags Hiro by the shoulder with the other, intending to try and steer his little brother toward the nearest seat.]

You're going to bleed all over the keyboard.

[bigdamnhiro]

[Hiro resists at first, fixated on trying to get the confused jumble of information in his head down on paper so he can try to make sense of what just happened. It's not until he grabs for his notes while Tadashi's tugging him away from the table and they stick to his hand that he snaps back to reality.

He shakes his hand frantically to get rid of it, wincing as he realizes that every little movement hurts; the paper drifts to the floor, little red smears left behind where he touched it.]

I - ow - I don't get it. [He lets himself be seated on the ratty old garage couch, staring at the geometric criss-cross of cuts and small scratches on his shaking hands.] He shouldn't even be able to control them without a transmitter, but he is, and not even that but he's doing it well because they respond to the least little thing - and they're crazy, they're all over the place, like one minute they're gonna kill me or something and then they change their minds -

[He can't quit talking. The thoughts and words spill over one another in a jumble, and he has to suck in breaths between sentences because he feels like he can't get enough air.]

[anewangle]

[Hiro's lucky Baymax isn't in the vicinity. All those 'ow's would make for a lot of extra fussing... though the kid could use a little fussing over at the moment. That's a lot of information to take in at once, and Tadashi knows his little brother well enough to realize what's probably going through his head at the moment.

He perches next to Hiro on the couch, setting the first aid kit down and making a gentle grab for his brother's chin with two fingers. Look at your brother, Hiro. Time to focus up.]

Hey, we'll deal with this, but one thing at a time. [Letting go and taking a deep breath, motioning for Hiro to do the same.] Stop for a minute. Take a deep breath.

[bigdamnhiro]

[Still resisting, at first, but eventually Hiro lets himself focus on his brother. Deep breath, and then a couple more. He reminds himself that he's okay, that Tadashi's okay, that all of that could have turned out a whole lot worse than it actually did.

He can still feel the microbots clamping down around him, impossibly powerful for something made of so many small parts. He can still remember what it was like to be trapped. That's not what he made them for, and yet, he made them capable of that.

So maybe he needs a couple more seconds to practice his deep breathing exercises.]

It has to be something I did wrong. [Because admitting that is apparently easier than admitting oh my god, that was terrifying, let's never do that again. He fixes his eyes on the floor instead of on Tadashi.] He's right. He only copied my program.

[anewangle]

[While Hiro's pulling himself together, Tadashi's going to go ahead and open up that first aid kit so he can get to work on those cuts and scrapes. His own hands are far steadier than Hiro's, but his mouth settles in a thin line that betrays some of his own anxiety.

Tadashi doesn't have the same concerns that Hiro does when it comes to his own safety. He probably should, but his worries have always been directed outward. First and foremost toward his brother, but also toward the mentally unstable man he used to call his mentor, as well as all the people Callaghan could hurt.]

He stole a prototype. Prototypes are supposed to have problems, problems you would have discovered and fixed if you'd had the chance.

[But he didn't. That chance was stolen (along with so many other things), and yet Hiro would probably still have to be the one to fix things.]

This is not your fault.

[bigdamnhiro]

[Hiro shakes his head, a heavy numbness settling in, coiling in the pit of his stomach. Yeah, it was a prototype. But a rushed one. Maybe he would've fixed it, if Callaghan hadn't stolen them. Or maybe he missed something. Maybe if he'd taken more time, maybe if he hadn't been so focused on the scholarship...

Or maybe, if Callaghan hadn't taken them, it'd be him struggling to control a rampaging pile of glitched out microbots.

There's too many maybes.]

That's a big problem to miss, even for a prototype. Look. [He thrusts his hands into Tadashi's full view, fervently trying to make him understand; as terrified as he might've been for himself, it didn't hold a candle to how terrified he was for his brother. If anything had happened to him again, because of Hiro's invention...] What if somebody else gets hurt? What if you got hurt?

[anewangle]

[Jeez, Hiro, you're making this first aid thing really difficult. Tadashi halts his attempts for the moment, looking over Hiro's hands with a frown before reaching up to gently clasp them between his own larger ones.]

Then that wouldn't be your fault either. [Look at that conviction. Would Tadashi lie to you?]

When people get hit by a cars, no one blames Karl Benz or Henry Ford. Whatever happened to start this, the microbots were never meant to be used the way he's using them. If he was really serious about fixing the problem rather than just getting them under control, he'd stick around and let us help.