“Broken Innocence” Chapter 10
Fortunately, for them, Uryu Ishida arrived on the scene. Hideo shook his head with disappointment.
"I felt you coming here," he said. "I was going slowly with them so that you'd have enough time to get here."
Uryu had his spiritual bow aimed at the boy. "You've killed enough. Leave these people alone."
"Have you any idea who 'these people' are? They are Yakuza scum. They killed my parents." Hideo said. "They don't deserve to live."
"They are human beings, just the same." Uryu replied. "It's not your place, or mine, to judge them."
"What do you know?! Have you ever lost a loved one?! At the hands of someone else?!" shrieked Hideo, who now had tears in his eyes.
Uryu then remembered how his grandfather had died because Soul Reapers were slow to respond to Hollows attacking him. He personally held them responsible for that and still had hatred in his heart for them. In a way, he knew how the boy felt. Uryu's bow began to quiver a bit. His urge to attack slowly decreased with each passing second. Uryu saw the tears rolling down Hideo's cheeks.
“He may be powerful, but he is still just a child,” he thought. “Maybe I can reason with him. As a Quincy, I kill Hollows… not humans... I do not want this boy's death on my head.”
"Killing them won't make you feel any better... the pain will still be there..." Uryu spoke softly. "Believe me when I say that I know what you're going through."
"Really...?" sniffled Hideo in disbelief.
"Yes... now let them go..."
"O... okay..."
BOOM!
Amano and Koroshiya were blown away by another one of Hideo's blasts. Following that was another thin energy beam that went into Uryu's abdomen. The Quincy fell to the floor, writhing in agony. Hideo laughed and stood over him. Did you really think you could stop me from completing my mission? I have been dreaming of this day since my parents were taken from me.”
“Save that soft-hearted nonsense for someone who cares, because I don’t." Hideo declared almost maniacally. "I could... and probably should... kill you right now, but I won't. Instead, I will let you live. If you care so much to defend dirt bags like them... heh heh... imagine how much you'll care after I get done with the regular, law-abiding citizens of Karakura Town," said Hideo cruelly.
"N-NO! What have they done to you?!" asked Uryu in frustration.
"Absolutely nothing," answered Hideo. "Not personally, but they get to enjoy life. I used to enjoy life too, until my parents were STOLEN from me and now, if I cannot enjoy living, NO ONE ELSE WILL! I will see to that personally."
"Do you think I'll let you do something like that...?!" Uryu snapped.
"This is coming from a guy with a gaping wound in his stomach," jested Hideo. "It will take some time for me to gather what I need... an army that will eclipse the sun."
Uryu did not understand what he meant by that. Before he could ask, the emotionally disturbed boy jumped out of the hole he created in the wall when he destroyed Amano and Koroshiya. Uryu steadily lost consciousness until he had eventually passed out. Just before he was completely unconscious he saw a small figure approaching him.
Hideo was elated. He had, after many weeks of searching, finally killed those who had caused him so much grief and anger over the years. He sat in near darkness in the dining area of the run down Nakamura residence. The only light in the house was a single candle resting in the middle of the dinner table where Hideo sat. The glass he held in his hand was filled with his father's best sake. He held the glass aloft.
"Here's to you, Mom and Dad," he said as he downed half the glass of sake in one gulp. "Your deaths might have been in vain, but the deaths of those who took you from me have brought you justice."
It might have been the sake, but at that moment Hideo felt a wave of peace rush over him; causing him to forget the troubles of the next step of his scheme. It was as if his purpose in life had finally been fulfilled. This feeling of peace did not last long.
"What are you doing?" spoke a deep voice from the darkness behind Hideo, "This is no cause for celebration."
“I have the right to celebrate my parents' final justice, don't I?" Hideo responded with contempt, "what I celebrate is none of your business."
"None of my business!?" bellowed the voice, and with two colossal steps the Grand Fisher walked into the dim candlelight and stood towering over the small boy, "I am the one who has given you the ability to fight! Before I stumbled upon your pathetic little body lying there on the floor, you had no idea what kind of power you had stored within you. Do not talk to me about what is or is not my business. I own you, boy. Your life is my business! Don’t you forget it boy."
With one swift stroke, the Grand Fisher knocked the glass of sake form Hideo's hand causing it to fly across the room and shatter on a picture frame hanging from the wall. The impact caused the frame to fall and break on the hard wood floor.
In that moment, his happiness was shattered. The hatred that the celebration and sake had run from his mind quickly returned. It was not the same hatred though. The hatred he now felt was not for those who had harmed his family, but for the one who he could now see was harming him. He was finally able to see right through the Grand Fisher, the monster, who liberated him from his grief, empowering him with the knowledge of his strength, but at what cost?
He chased these thoughts from his mind for the time being. Right now, there was something more pressing standing right in front of him, the Grand Fisher. What was he to do to free himself from the control of such a monster? His newfound powers meant nothing against a spiritual entity such as that. Even though his own powers had increased, so had the Grand Fisher’s. Therefore, for now anyway, Hideo chose resignation.
"You're right. My celebration was not called for. There are other things requiring our attention. So, my teacher, what is our plan?"
"I have a friend high in the ranks of Soul Society who has some information for me. I have arranged a meeting with him tonight. So get your shoes on, we have a long walk.” With those words, the monster turned and left the room.
Hideo again sat in silence with the candle burning the last of its wick at the center of the table. He got up and walked across the room to where his shoes lay resting by the door. As he approached his shoes, he was shocked by a pain that shot through his foot. He had stepped on the glass of the broken picture frame. After picking the pieces of glass from his foot and brushing the remaining shards under the sofa, he picked up the sake-stained picture frame to hang it back on its tack in the wall. Sadness engulfed him. It was a picture of a young boy posed gallantly in his brand new baseball uniform with a bat swung over his shoulder. The eyes of the young boy held such optimism and hope. It was his mother's favorite picture.
"Boy!" called the Grand Fisher, "I'm getting impatient! Get your shoes on and let's go!”
Hideo hung the picture back in its rightful place on the wall, as he bent to put on his shoes the last of the candlewick burnt out. He was left to tie his shoes in the darkness.
Broken Innocence Chapter 11