[If Hiro Hamada looks just like another kid who overworks himself, then that means he's playing his part perfectly. He doesn't need the world to know what he's really doing, how he patrols the city at night and takes precaution to keep everyone safe, how sometimes he suddenly remembers at 3am that he has an essay due and has to rush through it and that's where some of his sleepless nights come from. Yeah. Hiro Hamada's a hard-working, brilliant prodigy, but there are more levels to it than that. To know people are telling kids to be like him is almost a little bit of an insult.
Still, he seems pretty impressed with the fact that the kid's on a scholarship, but he can't help but reward him with a similar look right back.] Yeah, okay, fair enough. Never really had to worry about scholarships until I got into SFIT but sounds about right.
[Growing up, he just had to worry about Cass keeping the cafe busy and the occasional hospital bill whenever he and Tadashi did something stupid. Bot fighting profits sometimes found their way into Cass's wallet, but usually he stored it for himself to take care of himself so she wouldn't have to. Looking back at it now it was a dumb way to think, but it got them by.]
You're the only one, but you kinda forced them to dump the project on me after they learned exactly what you did to mess with their system. [He rolls his eyes.] Krei's a little overboard sometimes...but I guess I can't really blame him that much. [Considering what went down four years ago.] Probably for the better though. Cop cars aren't that comfortable.
[ There were a lot of hoops to jump through, a lot of recommendations and contests, a little bit of cheating, but here he is anyways. Their beginnings aren't too different, at least as far as Kon knows, but he's not about to compare himself to Hiro when he only knows the basics, the superficial stuff that the professors feed them from the media and his academic highlights. He's honestly learned more about him in the past hour than he has from what anyone else might say, seeing how he acts now in Kon's space but also when he was defending his work from a hacker.
He shrugs again, not really that bothered by this particular conversation. There's more to it but he's not sharing the rest. ] I couldn't afford the academy without it, so it was either that or be another statistic. Juvie would've definitely happened then.
[ And despite all the trouble he'd gotten in, the old man would've had an ulcer if he didn't make something of himself. Or at least, if he didn't stay the hell out of juvie or just straight up jail. Even now, he's trying to make that something to strive for, which... could go very ass up if Hiro Hamada decides to actually turn him in for what he's done. ]
I was mostly worried about the zip ties, 'cause my wrists are too small for handcuffs. [ He rotates them where they dangle over the armrests as if emphasizing it. ] But there was a lot of complaints out of the staff when I was around, something about needing bonuses for all the stuff they'd been dealing with since Krei Tech was established. [ He was six when Big Hero 6 first showed up and saved the day - an easy thing to remember. ]
[Hiro Hamada likes to be a private person when he can, but that's a lot harder when you're constantly in the news both as yourself and your persona. Still, he finds something weirdly relaxing about talking to Kon and making mental comparisons. It's nice to just be sort of brainless and without filters up.] Being thrown into academics to save you from the system. Yeah, I think I get it.
[Through it all, he can't get the fact that Kon's work is good out of his head. He's proven himself and he's definitely not something to ignore, and Hiro's already wondering what else there is to him. He's hiding things. Is it possible Kon is, too? He's not about to outright ask it but it's also a large part of why he's still sitting here trying to get to know this boy and figure out his game. It's both brainless and stimulating and it's enough to keep him hooked.]
You're like what, nine? [He's teasing here. He knows Kon's older, but he's genuinely not sure by how much.] Don't worry, your wrists will be big enough for handcuffs someday. [He has to bite back a grin at the remark about bonuses for Krei Tech though.] The company's gone through some pretty big things in the last couple of years. Alistair told me about it when I started signing over some of my products to him. [A beat.] I've known the guy since I was fourteen when he wanted to buy one of my first bots. I turned him down the first time but turns out he's not that bad to work with.
But that's not something you want when you grow up, is it?
[ It's interesting to have the log of their exchange open in the corner of his eye, while sitting there looking at and talking to Hiro like everything is completely normal. Whoever he is, Kon's not really going to complain too much, given this is the most engaging interaction he's had with just about anyone recently. ] Something like that.
[ Both systems, really, but that's definitely his secret to keep and not to share. Maybe they're getting along now, but who knows how long that'll last and if there will be any payout of sharing secrets right now. He's already stuck his grubby hands in something that Hiro doesn't want the world to see, anyways. Interested as he is, he knows that he's toeing a line and he's just waiting to see what side of it he winds up on.
Although, Hiro keeps teetering on his. Kon waves his sucker at him again, riled. ] Eleven, thanks. [ He's pretty small, he knows it. But unlike Hiro, he hasn't actually gone through puberty yet, so he's just waiting for that day to come. In the meantime, he'll make do with what he has and what he can successfully do.
The backstory and question, though - they take his attention away from his ire, and he sticks the lollipop into his mouth and crunches it between his back teeth to consider his answer. Then: ] Hackers don't have anywhere to go in this industry, unless you're a white hat on a leash.
[Hiro's good at toeing lines even when he doesn't known what those lines are. At the boy's indignant response about his age, Hiro ends up laughing because he totally gets it. He used to argue with people about his age pre-puberty, too. ...and post...and okay, he kinda looks his age now but whatever. He listens to Kon's explanation before he hums under his breath, leaning back on his hands then still on Baymax's case.]
Lemme ask you something, kid. Why a hacker? Why do you want to be one?
Kon crunches on the hard candy quietly, until he's chewing on the stick itself, just sort of regarding Hiro before he gives him much of an answer. Why a hacker? Why not just a progammer? Why not devote himself to legal coding, because he obviously knows his way around it? His program's stop running now, the rest of the queue having failed, and he itches to just... fix it. Get it up to snuff. It's the proof of what he can do, but only the beginning of it. ]
I can write code, and it's always evolving, so it's not totally boring. But there's a real challenge in figuring out how to get through the defenses other people put up, to find what they're hiding. [ He looks at the sucker stick's remains, twisting it back and forth between thumb and forefinger. ] And there's some secrets that people're keeping that're dangerous to the rest of the world.
[ Some secrets that get people killed. Death is easy, except for the people who are left behind. ]
[He stops breathing then, staring at Kon for a long, hard minute. Secrets that're dangerous to the rest of the world, huh? He doesn't know what to say to that and he's not sure how to hide that Kon's getting a little too close for comfort to his own secrets.]
And if those secrets aren't meant to be found out by the rest of the world for that reason? What makes you think it's okay to break through those defenses?
[ Watching him with a far too keen of a gaze, Kon flicks the stick off into a nearby wastebin and sits up properly in his chair. It leaves his feet a lot higher off the ground now, putting further emphasis on his size, but it doesn't do a lot to change the fact that he's locked onto something now. It reminds him immediately of what led to this exchange, but he doesn't look at his monitors. ]
If it's not a risk to people, or it's something that's helping them, then I just lock it back up so nobody else can get to it. [ He moves to put his chin on his fist. ] But what makes it okay for people to hurt others while hiding behind those defenses?
[He's so small...it's sort of baffling that he's so young and so little and yet he's doing big things. It's sort of reminiscent of something else that Hiro doesn't quite put a finger on. Still, those words needle at him and he scowls suddenly.]
Yeah, okay, but you're missing the point that they shouldn't be seen by people no matter what even if you're just going to lock it back up and keep that secret. And I never said it was okay for people to hurt people while hiding behind defenses of any kind, are you crazy? Is that really what you think all of this is about? [Hiro, he's a kid. Calm down.] This isn't a game. You get that, don't you?
[ The reaction doesn't necessarily surprise him, because it's something that is just... typical, he thinks. Kon knows that his thoughts and methods don't really jive with a lot of people, and it's an awareness that not many kids his age have, but his intelligence and circumstances forced him along even if his maturity hasn't caught up with it. ]
It's a challenge, but it's never a game. [ That gets snapped out, but it's not animated agitation. Boredom is what he says his main motivator is, and it's a little true, just not completely. ] Not everything can be done by superheroes - sometimes they come too late, and sometimes they never even know.
[ For a second, he looks like he's going to say more, but then he snaps his mouth shut and reins it back in. ]
What did you say? [It's the tone tied in with the words that suddenly makes Hiro sound a little more dangerous, face clouding over almost instantly. It's childish, and he knows it's childish, to think that everything can be fixed by superheroes but it comes from being one himself. He does his best to fix everything but Kon's right. Sometimes they come too late. Sometimes they never even know.
There's something about that reminder that's like a swift kick to the gut and Hiro's trying not to explode on the kid. First of all, Kon's younger and doesn't deserve that. Secondly, blowing their cover's a bad idea.]
Maybe you should look for a new challenge. [Not a suggestion. It's definitely a warning.]
[ Luckily for Hiro, Kon's just pegging him as a big fan of the six - the familiar red, armored fist had initially just made him think that the guy was uncreative, but now that he knows it's Hiro Hamada he figured it was just someone admiring another person's work. But he doesn't answer his question, mostly because it feels rhetorical, considering the way he reacts to him. There's that feeling that maybe he's in danger once more, and his entire body tenses up, poised all over again.
Instead of backing down, though, he swivels his chair with a nudge against the desk and goes back to his program, the files he's got queued up and the ones that he managed to get into alike, and the code that he'd modified to kill the power in Hiro's lab. ]
If you're gonna try and intimidate me, you'd be better off reporting me now. [ But he goes through a series of keystrokes, until he can return full power to the lab so that he won't be relying on the generator when he gets back. It also means he can send the files back, and restore the ones trapped in limbo with the outage. ]
[Hiro's young age is enough to let most people think he's just a fan of the six and it works to his advantage. He knows if anybody tried to turn him in for copyright issues or anything he could work his way around it but he does his best to try and keep himself as distanced from the six as possible.
He doesn't stop him from coding out his program and he remains silent even when Kon fixes everything. He's not sure what that means.]
...I'm not gonna report you. [There's a slightly narrowed gaze.] I've got something else in mind to deal with you.
[ Pausing for a moment as Hiro tells him there's no report in his future, Kon doesn't look away from his primary monitor but does take a moment before he goes back to typing. He saves and minimizes his program to assess later, removing Hiro's files from his systems and sending them back over as he chews his bottom lip.
It probably isn't much as an olive branch, but it's something at least. He doesn't beef up the defenses behind him, though. Just locks the door rather than arming the alarm system, basically. ]
Deal with me. [ Kon gives him a bit of a sideeye. ] What's that?
I don't think telling you right away is gonna help. [Give him a taste of his own medicine, basically. The moment he sees what Kon's done though he sits up taller, stretching his arms over his head and preparing himself to stand so he can leave.]
But you don't know when to quit even when being threatened with punishment. That right?
[ Letting out a soft tch, annoyance laced with disapproval not fit for an eleven year old, Kon pushes his chair back from his desk so that he can slide out of it and to his feet. He figures it'd be a good idea to start gathering his things up, since he's got so much spread out across his workspace, before Hiro departs.
Who knows if he set off alarms coming in, or if security will be doing any patrols. It'll take him a while to get to the hotel he's been camping in, anyways. ]
[Even if Kon's standing and gathering his stuff, Hiro's not quite moving yet. It's funny how he's almost as tall as the boy even when he's sitting and he watches him tidy up the computer lab. He's pondering on that, not entirely surprised by the answer but also alert for anybody who else might sneak up on them.]
Right. Then you'll see soon enough. [A beat.] What's your name, kid? [Another beat.] Your real one.
[ Tapping out a stack of papers to straighten them up, he slides them into his bag before he's deftly taking far bigger papers to roll up. Except then he realizes that his tube has rolled off under the desk, so he smacks Hiro lightly with them to get him to hold them and ducks down to retrieve it. If he's just going to sit there, he's going to be useful.
But an answer does come eventually, with obvious tones of having been distracted when he asked. ]
[He sits up, blinking in surprise that he's being smacked but obediently taking the papers and actually being somewhat nosy and looking them over. Useful and investigative. He can do both.]
Okay. Kon. [Awkward pause…] You already know my name, but…Hiro Hamada. I always feel really weird when people know my name before I can even introduce myself. [Awkward, more like, but that comes from a couple of things. He's watching the boy crawl around on the floor for a moment.] You know, I'm surprised you're out here this late. Most kids wouldn't be.
[Is he impressed? Concerned? Both? The world may never know.]
[ Under no grand illusion that Hiro isn't going to be nosy, Kon just stretches so that he can reach his tube and pops back up from under the desk with it, shuffling to his feet again. The papers are assignments more than anything, engineering blueprints for hypothetical tech. But in the midst of them are more complicated blueprints labeled with the name SENSAI CORP.
He holds his hand out for the papers after popping the lid off the tube. ]
Hiro. [ Sort of a nice to meet you, I guess with his tone, but he's not rude about it. Just a little wary, still. ] It's the only time I can work on personal projects without anybody bugging me. Everybody else is asleep in the dorms, and the security guard only patrols between reruns of Steel Samurai until his shift is over.
["The fuck is sensai corp?" He can't help but wonder, not so subtly shuffling some of the papers to really get a better look. Beyond that the blueprints are decent work and when he sees Kon's hand in his peripheral vision again he hands over all papers rather reluctantly.
He can't blame the kid for being wary after what Hiro just did.] Don't you have your own computer you can be using to work on stuff instead of sneaking around here? [He's pretty sure he knows the answer, but he's fishing. He's curious how often this occurs, where Kon's staying, more about his MO. Anything he can get.]
[ Rolling up the papers snugly, he deftly inserts them into the tube before capping it again and throwing the strap over his shoulder, unconcerned about whatever it is that Hiro saw. Sensai Corporation has only recently reared its head, and considering the sea of tech it's emerged in, he knows a lot of people aren't exactly aware of what they do - especially since they dabble in the entertainment industry as much as they help with medical advancements, things that a lot of businesses do in San Fransokyo. ]
'course I do. But this way, I have a whole system at my disposal and multiple screens for me to work with. [ He hefts up his messenger bag to throw over his other shoulder, looking up at him. Kon knows he's probably fishing. ] Not all of us have our own labs.
[He'll have to ask the others later. They might know more than he does thanks to being older and more aware of the happenings of the city. Fred especially might know based on how often he actually (surprisingly) watches the news.]
You also have a higher risk of being caught doing something you shouldn't and not being able to save your work fast enough. [Just a thought. Kid looks like he's ready though and so Hiro stands and picks up Baymax's case, waiting for Kon to move first.] And I earned that lab so don't even go there.
[More like inherited...but still.] How far's your dorm?
[ Admittedly, Hiro does bring up good points. Not exactly a surprise, but he just shrugs about them. Whatever he finds out when he leaves this place isn't something he's going to worry himself over, since he doubts he got that good a look. ] Most of my personal stuff can masquerade as schoolwork if someone doesn't look close enough. People get caught all the time doing late night homework.
[ Shit, Kon doesn't want to take him to the dorms - but he has a feeling that Hiro will walk him there, or tail him if he doesn't. With a sigh, he makes sure that the history on his computer is wiped before shutting it down. ] Only a couple minutes, and I don't have to leave the building.
[He's not wrong; that's exactly what Hiro's intentions are. It's not only so that he can tail the kid and make sure he's actually going home but also just to make sure he gets back safe. No wayward security guards or whatever. There's only a hum under his breath, no real words following but just enough to indicate a fair point.
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Still, he seems pretty impressed with the fact that the kid's on a scholarship, but he can't help but reward him with a similar look right back.] Yeah, okay, fair enough. Never really had to worry about scholarships until I got into SFIT but sounds about right.
[Growing up, he just had to worry about Cass keeping the cafe busy and the occasional hospital bill whenever he and Tadashi did something stupid. Bot fighting profits sometimes found their way into Cass's wallet, but usually he stored it for himself to take care of himself so she wouldn't have to. Looking back at it now it was a dumb way to think, but it got them by.]
You're the only one, but you kinda forced them to dump the project on me after they learned exactly what you did to mess with their system. [He rolls his eyes.] Krei's a little overboard sometimes...but I guess I can't really blame him that much. [Considering what went down four years ago.] Probably for the better though. Cop cars aren't that comfortable.
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He shrugs again, not really that bothered by this particular conversation. There's more to it but he's not sharing the rest. ] I couldn't afford the academy without it, so it was either that or be another statistic. Juvie would've definitely happened then.
[ And despite all the trouble he'd gotten in, the old man would've had an ulcer if he didn't make something of himself. Or at least, if he didn't stay the hell out of juvie or just straight up jail. Even now, he's trying to make that something to strive for, which... could go very ass up if Hiro Hamada decides to actually turn him in for what he's done. ]
I was mostly worried about the zip ties, 'cause my wrists are too small for handcuffs. [ He rotates them where they dangle over the armrests as if emphasizing it. ] But there was a lot of complaints out of the staff when I was around, something about needing bonuses for all the stuff they'd been dealing with since Krei Tech was established. [ He was six when Big Hero 6 first showed up and saved the day - an easy thing to remember. ]
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[Through it all, he can't get the fact that Kon's work is good out of his head. He's proven himself and he's definitely not something to ignore, and Hiro's already wondering what else there is to him. He's hiding things. Is it possible Kon is, too? He's not about to outright ask it but it's also a large part of why he's still sitting here trying to get to know this boy and figure out his game. It's both brainless and stimulating and it's enough to keep him hooked.]
You're like what, nine? [He's teasing here. He knows Kon's older, but he's genuinely not sure by how much.] Don't worry, your wrists will be big enough for handcuffs someday. [He has to bite back a grin at the remark about bonuses for Krei Tech though.] The company's gone through some pretty big things in the last couple of years. Alistair told me about it when I started signing over some of my products to him. [A beat.] I've known the guy since I was fourteen when he wanted to buy one of my first bots. I turned him down the first time but turns out he's not that bad to work with.
But that's not something you want when you grow up, is it?
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[ Both systems, really, but that's definitely his secret to keep and not to share. Maybe they're getting along now, but who knows how long that'll last and if there will be any payout of sharing secrets right now. He's already stuck his grubby hands in something that Hiro doesn't want the world to see, anyways. Interested as he is, he knows that he's toeing a line and he's just waiting to see what side of it he winds up on.
Although, Hiro keeps teetering on his. Kon waves his sucker at him again, riled. ] Eleven, thanks. [ He's pretty small, he knows it. But unlike Hiro, he hasn't actually gone through puberty yet, so he's just waiting for that day to come. In the meantime, he'll make do with what he has and what he can successfully do.
The backstory and question, though - they take his attention away from his ire, and he sticks the lollipop into his mouth and crunches it between his back teeth to consider his answer. Then: ] Hackers don't have anywhere to go in this industry, unless you're a white hat on a leash.
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Lemme ask you something, kid. Why a hacker? Why do you want to be one?
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Kon crunches on the hard candy quietly, until he's chewing on the stick itself, just sort of regarding Hiro before he gives him much of an answer. Why a hacker? Why not just a progammer? Why not devote himself to legal coding, because he obviously knows his way around it? His program's stop running now, the rest of the queue having failed, and he itches to just... fix it. Get it up to snuff. It's the proof of what he can do, but only the beginning of it. ]
I can write code, and it's always evolving, so it's not totally boring. But there's a real challenge in figuring out how to get through the defenses other people put up, to find what they're hiding. [ He looks at the sucker stick's remains, twisting it back and forth between thumb and forefinger. ] And there's some secrets that people're keeping that're dangerous to the rest of the world.
[ Some secrets that get people killed. Death is easy, except for the people who are left behind. ]
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And if those secrets aren't meant to be found out by the rest of the world for that reason? What makes you think it's okay to break through those defenses?
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If it's not a risk to people, or it's something that's helping them, then I just lock it back up so nobody else can get to it. [ He moves to put his chin on his fist. ] But what makes it okay for people to hurt others while hiding behind those defenses?
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Yeah, okay, but you're missing the point that they shouldn't be seen by people no matter what even if you're just going to lock it back up and keep that secret. And I never said it was okay for people to hurt people while hiding behind defenses of any kind, are you crazy? Is that really what you think all of this is about? [Hiro, he's a kid. Calm down.] This isn't a game. You get that, don't you?
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It's a challenge, but it's never a game. [ That gets snapped out, but it's not animated agitation. Boredom is what he says his main motivator is, and it's a little true, just not completely. ] Not everything can be done by superheroes - sometimes they come too late, and sometimes they never even know.
[ For a second, he looks like he's going to say more, but then he snaps his mouth shut and reins it back in. ]
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What did you say? [It's the tone tied in with the words that suddenly makes Hiro sound a little more dangerous, face clouding over almost instantly. It's childish, and he knows it's childish, to think that everything can be fixed by superheroes but it comes from being one himself. He does his best to fix everything but Kon's right. Sometimes they come too late. Sometimes they never even know.
There's something about that reminder that's like a swift kick to the gut and Hiro's trying not to explode on the kid. First of all, Kon's younger and doesn't deserve that. Secondly, blowing their cover's a bad idea.]
Maybe you should look for a new challenge. [Not a suggestion. It's definitely a warning.]
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Instead of backing down, though, he swivels his chair with a nudge against the desk and goes back to his program, the files he's got queued up and the ones that he managed to get into alike, and the code that he'd modified to kill the power in Hiro's lab. ]
If you're gonna try and intimidate me, you'd be better off reporting me now. [ But he goes through a series of keystrokes, until he can return full power to the lab so that he won't be relying on the generator when he gets back. It also means he can send the files back, and restore the ones trapped in limbo with the outage. ]
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He doesn't stop him from coding out his program and he remains silent even when Kon fixes everything. He's not sure what that means.]
...I'm not gonna report you. [There's a slightly narrowed gaze.] I've got something else in mind to deal with you.
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It probably isn't much as an olive branch, but it's something at least. He doesn't beef up the defenses behind him, though. Just locks the door rather than arming the alarm system, basically. ]
Deal with me. [ Kon gives him a bit of a sideeye. ] What's that?
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I don't think telling you right away is gonna help. [Give him a taste of his own medicine, basically. The moment he sees what Kon's done though he sits up taller, stretching his arms over his head and preparing himself to stand so he can leave.]
But you don't know when to quit even when being threatened with punishment. That right?
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Who knows if he set off alarms coming in, or if security will be doing any patrols. It'll take him a while to get to the hotel he's been camping in, anyways. ]
S'one way of putting it, at least.
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Right. Then you'll see soon enough. [A beat.] What's your name, kid? [Another beat.] Your real one.
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But an answer does come eventually, with obvious tones of having been distracted when he asked. ]
Kon Shinonome.
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Okay. Kon. [Awkward pause…] You already know my name, but…Hiro Hamada. I always feel really weird when people know my name before I can even introduce myself. [Awkward, more like, but that comes from a couple of things. He's watching the boy crawl around on the floor for a moment.] You know, I'm surprised you're out here this late. Most kids wouldn't be.
[Is he impressed? Concerned? Both? The world may never know.]
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He holds his hand out for the papers after popping the lid off the tube. ]
Hiro. [ Sort of a nice to meet you, I guess with his tone, but he's not rude about it. Just a little wary, still. ] It's the only time I can work on personal projects without anybody bugging me. Everybody else is asleep in the dorms, and the security guard only patrols between reruns of Steel Samurai until his shift is over.
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He can't blame the kid for being wary after what Hiro just did.] Don't you have your own computer you can be using to work on stuff instead of sneaking around here? [He's pretty sure he knows the answer, but he's fishing. He's curious how often this occurs, where Kon's staying, more about his MO. Anything he can get.]
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'course I do. But this way, I have a whole system at my disposal and multiple screens for me to work with. [ He hefts up his messenger bag to throw over his other shoulder, looking up at him. Kon knows he's probably fishing. ] Not all of us have our own labs.
[ Or homes. ]
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You also have a higher risk of being caught doing something you shouldn't and not being able to save your work fast enough. [Just a thought. Kid looks like he's ready though and so Hiro stands and picks up Baymax's case, waiting for Kon to move first.] And I earned that lab so don't even go there.
[More like inherited...but still.] How far's your dorm?
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[ Shit, Kon doesn't want to take him to the dorms - but he has a feeling that Hiro will walk him there, or tail him if he doesn't. With a sigh, he makes sure that the history on his computer is wiped before shutting it down. ] Only a couple minutes, and I don't have to leave the building.
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"Show me."]
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