[Even if the outcome was different, Barnaby understands all too well how something like that can destroy a person's equilibrium. It's been a couple of decades since he's lost his parents, and scenes resembling what he witnessed that night can still send him into a panic that leaves him tired afterward.
Still, he's not about to assume that's the only thing weighing on Hiro, so he can't help but ask--]
Not really. My lungs still hurt, and the doctor said I have to keep my hands wrapped up for a week or so, but we came out okay. I don't think Tadashi was hurt at all.
[ And he swears he had more burns during the encounter himself, but a significant number of them have mysteriously vanished? He's not sure what to make of that. ]
[That would count as an injury in Barnaby's book, but if he's not currently hospitalized, and his brother isn't hovering over him, then it's probably not as bad as it could have been.]
He wasn't? Did you run in after him?
[There's more concern than judgement in his tone. He's trying to imagine a scenario where a man could run into a burning building without any protective layers and come out totally unscathed, and yet his younger brother has to keep his hands wrapped for a week.]
[ Tadashi's probably hovering somewhat anyway, but given that Hiro doesn't want to move or eat or do anything except lie in bed, it's easy enough to get a little space. All he has to do is pretend to sleep.
Strange how those injuries don't add up, though. ]
Yeah. He pushed me back and went in alone. I helped someone down from the second floor, but he wasn't out yet, so ... I went in.
[Tadashi probably doesn't know what happened back home, then, he realizes. Either that, or the man is just that much of an asshole to his little brother. Good intentions or not, he shouldn't have left Hiro by himself like that.
When Barnaby responds, his voice is a little quieter.]
Seeing that happen again must have been very hard for you.
[ Hiro would agree with that, though the reality isn't so simple. Besides, Hiro probably hurt his brother just as much by entering the building himself. He fiddles with his bandages idly. ]
[He patiently sits through the silence and lets Hiro take his time to sort through his thoughts. The question he asks isn't entirely unexpected, but Barnaby still pauses a moment before he answers.]
...Yes. That's not to say it completely went away, or that I don't have difficult moments, or that certain scenarios don't upset me. But I eventually reached a point where I could focus on saving people from a fire without panicking.
Years. When I was around your age, I started looking into studying at a school that would prepare me for this kind of life. Like I mentioned before, I spent a long time training my mind and body before I made my debut as a hero. That was one of many things I needed to control in order to achieve my goals, and so that's what I did.
[Maybe it isn't the easiest thing to hear, but Barnaby doesn't want to sugarcoat reality.]
[ Probably for the best. And honestly kind of a relief to know that other people don't just get over something like this. He still sighs quietly though. ]
Well, there's no school here. And I need to be able to still do things now.
[It's true, there's no Hero Academy for people to learn the finer points of things like martial arts, bomb disposal methods, criminal psychology, and so on. Although Xavier's is a school for imPort children, he's almost certain Hiro would just grow bored in that kind of environment.]
Doing things now is admirable, but since you know what might happen the next time you rush into a burning house, you'll have to ask yourself: is that a risk you're willing to take before you've learned to manage what caused you to seize up in the first place?
[ If Magicman hadn't been there to help them, both he and his brother would be injured, if not dead. At minimum Tadashi would have had to make that jump with no soft landing; at worst, his brother would have searched the upper floor and been unable to find Hiro before either or both of them had been overwhelmed. It was a near thing. But at the same time... ]
I can't just stand by either. I can't watch him go into another building like that.
That's understandable. [There are some people in this world you just want to protect, no matter the cost. Barnaby gets that, he truly does. But, as far as he's concerned, repeating the same mistakes isn't the way to go about it.]
Have you told him how much that bothers you? Maybe he'd reconsider his actions if he understood your feelings on the matter -- perhaps he'd even find other ways to help that don't involve putting himself in immediate danger. He's basically raised you up until now, after all. [Barnaby can't imagine Tadashi would want to hurt Hiro. As his only family, surely he realizes just how much his little brother needs him, especially in such a strange, unfamiliar world.]
[Barnaby pauses a moment at that. Honestly, he thinks Hiro should just go ahead and tell Tadashi what happened. Enough people know by this point that it's bound to get back to him sooner or later, and Tadashi ought to hear the story from Hiro himself.
Still, it's not his place to tell Hiro how to handle his brother (it barely involves him, and he hardly knows the man), so instead he says:]
Do you really need to justify why you're worried about it, though? He's the only family you have here, and you'd already spent a month without anyone from home by the time he appeared.
I might be wrong, but doesn't the reason boil down to the fact you don't want to lose your only brother?
[Look, he's not advocating that he lie to Tadashi, but if Hiro doesn't want to tell him he's dead, then they may as well dig deeper and focus on the heart of the matter.]
If you've decided withholding certain details is for the best, then that's your choice. What I'm trying to understand is why you believe saying you worry about his safety isn't enough to deter him from putting himself in dangerous situations. It sounds like you're concerned you'll wind up in an awkward position if he starts prying for reasons, and that may be true, but is the core reason -- namely, that you don't want to lose him -- not sufficient enough for both of you?
[The anger isn't lost on him. As far as Barnaby is concerned, Hiro has every right to feel angry. No matter how one tries to explain it, he's still the one who bears the burden of his brother's death.
Barnaby's tentative assessment of Tadashi is that he's someone who needs to feel needed, someone who's quick to put others before himself at the expense of loved ones -- and also possibly the type who needs certain things spelled out for him in no uncertain terms before they sink in. If all of that is true, he could see how Tadashi might walk right into an untimely demise without fully comprehending what that means for Hiro.
At the end of the day, though, Barnaby doesn't know Tadashi nearly as well as Hiro, and he's not about to contradict the boy over something he himself might not fully understand. Instead, his voice is quiet and somber when he answers.]
...I see. It makes sense to assume he'll get swept up in the moment and put himself into danger again, then. [A pause.] Since you've decided the best course is to follow him into the thick of things, have you thought about what you'll do in order to avoid a repeat of what happened Friday?
[ That's the crux of the problem right there, isn't it? He can't tell Tadashi, but he is woefully unequipped for preventing another incident like that in the future. If only he had his suit ... if only his microbots were in better shape ... He can fix those things, but it will take time. And it's hard to work when all he can think about is Tadashi running back into that burning building. ]
I ... I don't know. Make better tech, maybe, so he doesn't have to do it.
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microbrobotics) wrote2025-01-08 05:19 pm
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Still, he's not about to assume that's the only thing weighing on Hiro, so he can't help but ask--]
Were either of you injured?
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[ And he swears he had more burns during the encounter himself, but a significant number of them have mysteriously vanished? He's not sure what to make of that. ]
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He wasn't? Did you run in after him?
[There's more concern than judgement in his tone. He's trying to imagine a scenario where a man could run into a burning building without any protective layers and come out totally unscathed, and yet his younger brother has to keep his hands wrapped for a week.]
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Strange how those injuries don't add up, though. ]
Yeah. He pushed me back and went in alone. I helped someone down from the second floor, but he wasn't out yet, so ... I went in.
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When Barnaby responds, his voice is a little quieter.]
Seeing that happen again must have been very hard for you.
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It ... it didn't go well. No.
[ Softer, more shamefully: ]
I froze up in there.
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It makes sense. You're still grappling with what happened to you.
[Although he's not prying for details, his soft tone suggests he's willing to listen if Hiro needs to continue.]
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Did it ever get better? For you
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...Yes. That's not to say it completely went away, or that I don't have difficult moments, or that certain scenarios don't upset me. But I eventually reached a point where I could focus on saving people from a fire without panicking.
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[Maybe it isn't the easiest thing to hear, but Barnaby doesn't want to sugarcoat reality.]
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Well, there's no school here. And I need to be able to still do things now.
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Doing things now is admirable, but since you know what might happen the next time you rush into a burning house, you'll have to ask yourself: is that a risk you're willing to take before you've learned to manage what caused you to seize up in the first place?
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[ If Magicman hadn't been there to help them, both he and his brother would be injured, if not dead. At minimum Tadashi would have had to make that jump with no soft landing; at worst, his brother would have searched the upper floor and been unable to find Hiro before either or both of them had been overwhelmed. It was a near thing. But at the same time... ]
I can't just stand by either. I can't watch him go into another building like that.
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Have you told him how much that bothers you? Maybe he'd reconsider his actions if he understood your feelings on the matter -- perhaps he'd even find other ways to help that don't involve putting himself in immediate danger. He's basically raised you up until now, after all. [Barnaby can't imagine Tadashi would want to hurt Hiro. As his only family, surely he realizes just how much his little brother needs him, especially in such a strange, unfamiliar world.]
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I can't. He'd ask why I'm so worried about it and... He - he doesn't know that he's dead and I can't tell him.
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Still, it's not his place to tell Hiro how to handle his brother (it barely involves him, and he hardly knows the man), so instead he says:]
Do you really need to justify why you're worried about it, though? He's the only family you have here, and you'd already spent a month without anyone from home by the time he appeared.
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[ He's already lying by omission, but somehow that feels like crossing a line. ]
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[Look, he's not advocating that he lie to Tadashi, but if Hiro doesn't want to tell him he's dead, then they may as well dig deeper and focus on the heart of the matter.]
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[ Is that ... a little anger in his tone? Just a hint of it under everything else. ]
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Barnaby's tentative assessment of Tadashi is that he's someone who needs to feel needed, someone who's quick to put others before himself at the expense of loved ones -- and also possibly the type who needs certain things spelled out for him in no uncertain terms before they sink in. If all of that is true, he could see how Tadashi might walk right into an untimely demise without fully comprehending what that means for Hiro.
At the end of the day, though, Barnaby doesn't know Tadashi nearly as well as Hiro, and he's not about to contradict the boy over something he himself might not fully understand. Instead, his voice is quiet and somber when he answers.]
...I see. It makes sense to assume he'll get swept up in the moment and put himself into danger again, then. [A pause.] Since you've decided the best course is to follow him into the thick of things, have you thought about what you'll do in order to avoid a repeat of what happened Friday?
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I ... I don't know. Make better tech, maybe, so he doesn't have to do it.
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