[video; age plot]

[microbrobotics]

[ Having fun with that age plot, everyone? Hiro admittedly hasn't been working quite as crazy hard on a cure this time around, but gosh darnit this is still mostly his fault and he's still got to do something. So here's another video post of him in his lab/garage (with the usual assortment of tech junk everywhere), moving back and forth between his computer and something juuuuust out of frame to the left. He keeps adjusting his new nerd glasses too, not quite used to the feeling of having them on his face just yet.

After a moment, he takes a deep breath and faces the camera. Hoo boy, how to phrase this. ]

So - uh - I know a lot of people kind of got their ages messed up? Like on Wednesday or so? About 6 PM?

[ Ughhh, he runs a hand through his hair. ]

The good news is, I know what happened. Because that was my experiment, and I'm really, really sorry to everyone who got messed up. The other good news is that it was supposed to wear off. Nanites and resilience and blah blah, you probably don't want details.

... It was also supposed to wear off in a couple hours. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that it should wear off, I just don't know when.

But if it doesn't, I'm working on something. Just - everyone hold tight? Don't play in traffic? What other responsible things are adults supposed to say at a time like this?

Comments

video | id reads "power girl"

[boobwindow]

[ He's met with a slightly disenchanted expression. ]

That explosion was your doing?

video until noted otherwise

[microbrobotics]

[ ... Aww man. He likes her, so seeing her wearing that face makes him wince guiltily ]

Yeah, that was me ... I ran through much power through it and it blew up.

aw hiro :(

[boobwindow]

What on earth were you trying to do? You're lucky you didn't get hurt and that no one did.

:( :(

[microbrobotics]

[ Heeeeee doesn't want to answer that either, because the truth is both a) deeply petty and b) potentially illegal at the same time. He rubs at the back of his head. ]

Just - an experiment. New piece of tech. It was supposed to broadcast something harmless, and just for about five feet max.

[boobwindow]

I'm guessing your calculations were off the mark then?

[ Accidents happen when it comes to experiments, though that's why you're supposed to conduct them in a safe environment. ]

Whatever you were doing, it sounds dangerous to be generating that much power... but I think you've learned your lesson.

[microbrobotics]

Little bit.

[ He just sighs and puts his head in his hands for a moment, pushing his glasses up over his fingers. ]

Well, this experiment's done anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.

[boobwindow]

[ She can see this isn't easy for him to admit, but the fact he's making an effort is something.

Her tone softens just enough that it doesn't lose its firmness either. ]

I know you're passionate about science, so it must be disappointing it didn't turn out the way you wanted.

[microbrobotics]

Yeah ... I mostly just feel stupid.

[boobwindow]

This was kind of a weird situation, but thankfully it didn't spiral out of control.

And you realize your mistake and owned up to it. That's good.

[microbrobotics]

[ He falls silent at that. Suddenly unable to meet her gaze. ]

It did for a couple people, at least.

encrypted

[boobwindow]

[ She'll spare him the public embarrassment. His post is punishment enough. ]

What happened?

encrypted video until noted otherwise

[microbrobotics]

[ Ah. Yeah. Good idea. If he'd been thinking, he would have put it on himself. ]

Three people badly hurt, including my brother. One person dead.

[ He declines to mention that one of those "badly hurt" people is actually "almost dead because I sort of tried to kill them." ]

aKLAWGK HIRO WHAT DID YOU DO

[boobwindow]

[ Sharply: ]

What?

ONE OF THOSE IS A MISUNDERSTANDING OKAY

[microbrobotics]

[ He closes in on himself, guilt twisting his features badly. When he speaks again, he sounds way more like a scared teenager than the adult body he's in. ]

My - my brother tried to protect me from a mugger and got hurt badly. And I talked to someone on the network who had scars but ... the person he was with got ...

[ Well, there's only one way that sentence ends. ]

SUPERHEROIC FRETTING

[boobwindow]

[ Perhaps surprisingly, she doesn't sound angry with him yet. Right now, she's more concerned with the details before she potentially starts pointing a finger at anyone. Hiro's expression warns her not to grill him harshly, otherwise she'll never get an answer out of him. ]

Hiro. [ Firm, but leveled. ] Walk me through it. What happened exactly?

[microbrobotics]

[ That's good. It helps. If she sounds more like his brother than someone about to throw him into jail, then she might get an answer out of him. As it is, he's resistant. ]

What's it matter? It happened and it's my fault.

[boobwindow]

Because you say someone is dead. You can't pretend this didn't happen, Hiro.

[ That makes it all the worse. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ Way to get at him straight through the guilt. Even if he wanted to argue with that, he really, really can't. ]

I ... I don't know any details past that. There was a guy on the network who looked like he'd been through a window. And the person he was with ... there's nothing a healer can do for him.

[boobwindow]

Can you tell me what happened during the attempted mugging? Like where you were, a description of the mugger... anything to help this make sense.

[ Self-defense is a legitimate defense to use in a court, but she has to make certain that is what happened. So far, it doesn't sound like it and that has her tensed. ]

[microbrobotics]

[ Oh. That he knows more about. ]

Mitchell's got these cameras up that my brother and I helped build. Well, since so many of us are kids, I thought I'd keep an eye on them. Someone was getting mugged in an alleyway so I tried to go help ... My brother followed too.

[boobwindow]

Okay.

[ She nods; good, that's a start. ]

What happened when you arrived?

[microbrobotics]

I confronted her. The guy who was getting mugged ran away, but she came after my brother and me instead. Grabbed him. And when I fought back, she stabbed his arm down to the bone.

[ Or something like that; certainly on that level of severity. He takes a deep breath. ]

I got ... I got really angry, after that ...

[boobwindow]

[ Oh, definitely not good. She maintains her composure, however. ]

Did you try to stop her yourself?

[microbrobotics]

I did stop her myself.

[ A pause. That sounded a little more ominous than he meant. ]

-- I didn't kill her. I banged her head kind of hard, but that was it. Tadashi stopped me from doing anything else.

[boobwindow]

[ It's never easy or fun to ask kids for graphic detail, but she has a job to do. ]

Was there blood?