A Complicated Web

Chapter Six: Don't Go Wandering Off

The conference center where the Student Science and Tech Expo was to be held was huge, just like the rest of the campus. Hiro couldn't help but stare as they drove past. Thanks to one of Stark's drivers, they didn't actually have to use Wasabi's van to get there. Not only did it save on gas but it saved them on parking and traffic. Let someone else drive. And the van Mr. Stark provided was more than large enough to transport them and their equipment, not that they'd brought it with them. They'd also left Baymax back at Stark Tower, just to be safe.

The fact that even Fred seemed impressed was a sign in of itself. NYU took up several city blocks. It was a veritable maze of buildings, quads and streets. The fact that several other schools were sandwiched into the same area didn't help. But at least their driver was knowledgeable and knew where to go, which helped. It was even better that all they had to do was call when they were ready to go back and someone would be there to pick them up.

"Let's do this," GoGo said as she readjusted her leather jacket, staring at the tall conference hall in front of them. It made the SFIT Auditorium look small. She marched right up to the front entrance, Fred following right behind her. The others moved at a somewhat slower pace, trying to take it all in.

Hiro couldn't help but feel a sense of dread fill him as he entered the front foyer. If the main entrance was this big, just how large was the main exhibit hall? Not to mention the stage where he'd be presenting his project. It no longer mattered that he'd done this before. Even the improvements he'd added didn't seem enough to compensate for his rising anxiety.

GoGo looked around to see where their youngest member had gone. Everyone else was already standing in line at the registration desk. "Hey, doofus! Over here!" she called out to him and he meekly went to join them. "You could just as easily get lost here as anywhere so don't go wandering off. You're aunt will kill us if we lose you."

Despite all his years of college, and his experience as a super hero, Hiro couldn't help but feel small and just as insecure as he had the day he'd entered that showcase back in California. This school was on a whole other level. And this block just housed the technology stuff! He knew, from looking at a map earlier, that each different 'school' had its own buildings, housing, and whatnot. And each was at least a city block in size. No wonder he'd seen massive public transit vehicles everywhere outside, with stops almost every hundred feet. It would take forever to get anywhere by foot.

It took him a moment to realize he was the next in line to pick up his registration packet. But when he did, he all but scuttled forward like a scared mouse to register his name. If the woman at the desk seemed to look at him with an odd expression, he didn't notice it. After all, most people still seemed weirded out by the idea of someone so young having such an advanced education under his belt, even if he wasn't quite ready for graduation. He could well have a job in the industry long before he was eighteen and he knew it.

With a bit of a nudge, Honey led the way into the actual auditorium. She pulled out the map they'd given her at the front desk, trying to figure out the maze of booths and partitioned areas they'd marked out. Looking a little more energetic, she pointed towards one section of the hall. "Looks like we're mostly over in the Northwest corner," she announced. "Our designated areas should be pretty close together since we're the only representatives from our school."

Her guess was right on the money and they soon found their respective spaces. Since Hiro didn't have one, he took the opportunity to just wander around the area, getting familiar with it in the off chance he might need to know it for later. That and it was fun to see the more local students setting up their stuff. The others joined him after making sure they knew exactly where to go for tomorrow.