notgivinguponyou | AU Premise

Someone has to help!

And it had to be soon. A rescue team wouldn't be able to make it in time, and someone had to help Professor Callaghan.

He was about to try to go in again, but Hiro's tug on his arm stopped him again.

"Hiro…" He was getting impatient. Callaghan could be hurt.

"The nanobots…" Hiro breathed, still trying to pull him back.

He frowned, only half paying attention otherwise he would have recognized the look of an idea in Hiro's eyes. "What…?" There wasn't any time for this!

"The nanobots…! If I can get to them, I can use them to help Professor Callaghan!"

"What?" No, he had heard this time. But there was no way he was going to let Hiro in there. "Hiro, no, you can't – "

"Give me a chance!" his brother pleaded. "Let me show you what they can do…what I can do! I'll make you proud this time, I promise!"

Those words shook him to the core, stunning him just enough for Hiro to slip past him and into the burning building.

"Hiro…!" He moved after the teenager, he had to stop him. And he is proud of you, you idiot, what are you – ?

And suddenly he was thrown back to the ground, as heat and fire and metal and debris suddenly exploded. The wind knocked out of him, he could only lay on the ground for a moment, the ringing in his ears muting everything else around him.

It took a bit before he's able to roll onto his side and push himself up. Dazed as he was, seeing the destroyed building in front of him became all too clear, filling him with absolute horror.

No…No!

"Hiro!"