Chapter Text
This part of the story happens before the events in the movie.
TADASHI
"What do you think he wants?" Gogo asked no one in particular as the nerd herd was heading towards Callaghan's office.
Tadashi shrugged. "I have no clue. But I don't think we have anything to worry about. We haven't done anything wrong."
Honey Lemon clasped her hands together and pursed her lips. "Oh, I hope so... Well, maybe I'm overreacting a bit." She laughed nervously as she adjusted her glasses. "I mean, it's not like we're gonna get kicked out... right?"
Wasabi shook his head. "No! Of course not! If you think about it, the only one who's gonna be the reason we get kicked out someday is..." As if they practiced it, all their heads turned towards the comic book geek, who was a few steps ahead of them.
Fred was dancing and singing ahead of them as they go on their way to Callaghan's office. What was he singing? ... His own version of the Powerpuff Girls' theme song.
"'Dashi, commander and the leader,
Honey, she is the joy and the laughter,
Gogogo! She is the toughest fighter,
PowerFreds save the day!' "
Wasabi sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't even know if I should be offended I'm not in his little theme song."
Honey Lemon also looked at Fred weird. "Just Honey? I think you forgot a bit there, Fred."
Fred stopped singing and turned back to look at her. "No no, you see, if I sing 'Honey Lemon' for that line, it'll be too long. So I cut it like Tadashi's. It's only 'Dashi' and 'Honey' when it comes to the song. My brilliant brain came up with that." He turned back and hummed the rest of the song after explaining.
"Let me guess, since 'Buttercup' has three syllables you added another 'go' to my name? Did your brilliant brain," She said sarcastically, "-come up with that too?"
Fred looked at her and grinned. "Yeah! It did! It's great to see that you're finally seeing the potential of my brain, Gogo!"
"No problem." Gogo replied, again with sarcasm.
Soon enough after that, they finally reached Callaghan's office.
"Ah! You kids, come in and take a seat." He greeted the group as they entered.
His office was in the highest floor of the institute. It not only had a view of the campus, but it also had one of the best views of the city. He sat behind his desk and the nerd herd sat on the couch facing him.
"Is there something wrong, professor?" Tadashi asked.
Callaghan laughed. "Did I worry you kids when I had you come up here? I'm sorry for that. But no, everything's fine. No one's getting kicked out."
Everyone's tense shoulders collapsed as they all sighed in relief. Well, except for Fred, of course. He was too busy sticking his nose up the window, gawking at the view.
"Then why are we here, professor?" Wasabi asked.
The older man nodded and stood up from his seat. "Right. Let's get to that." He walked to the window and pointed at a building not too far-but not too near, either-from the institute. It had only been there since a few weeks ago, so only a few students knew what it was.
"Do you kids know what that new building is?" He asked them.
"Is SFIT expanding?" Honey Lemon asked.
"No, dear." Callaghan shook his head. "That," He pointed outside, "-is the new SFAA building."
"SFAA?" Gogo asked. "I thought that the SFAA building was at the edge of San Fransokyo. You know, the famous 'college by the beach'? What's it doing here?"
"You are correct." Callaghan confirmed with a nod. "But that was then. The distance has proven to be an inconvenience for the students and staff there. Especially if they're going home for the holidays. And with all the typhoon warnings they're getting- since they're by the beach -they decided to relocate." He added.
Before he could continue, Tadashi asked. "What's SFAA?"
"Super Fred Amazing Awesome?" Fred guessed.
Callaghan chuckled and answered, "San Fransokyo Association for the Arts." He reached to his desk and pulled out a flyer. It was for a musical theater production.
"Into The Woods?" The gang read aloud as they looked at the poster.
"Please don't tell me we're going to perform or something." Wasabi begged.
"Relax, my students. You are merely going to watch the play." Callaghan announced.
"Why? What for?" Tadashi asked.
"Well, the four of you are my top students, and Fred represents the institute- being the mascot and all. Each of the colleges are required to send five representatives to watch the first full-length musical production of the finest students of SFAA. Us- the technology college, the agricultural and the medical colleges, you name it. Every. Single. One. Of course, this will be free of charge, and you will state your opinion of the performance after when they conduct a survey. That alone will be the payment."
Tadashi was supposed to speak up, to say that he'd rather give his ticket to Aunt Cass, knowing that she'd enjoy it more, but the professor cut him off.
"To those chosen, you will be excused for all the activities you will be doing that day and will have the whole day off after the play. See it as a gift for all the hard work you've all been doing for us."
Callaghan handed all of them a ticket and joked when they were getting up to leave his office, "If I see you kids here in your labs on the day of the play, I'll drag you there myself."
And this is where everything started to change.