Chapter 15: His Eyes...
(I am so sorry that this took so long! My last laptop broke and it took nearly a week to replace which just threw my writing schedule out of whack. The worse part is its not completely over as I still need to make another Alt Four story for March. Hopefully, I can make a new chapter for this story and Lisa Simpson: Animal Avenger before then. Well. I guess if you're reading this, I've already succeeded with this story...)
The Sun was barely peeking over from the horizon when Pamela arrived at the White Road Gate. Its gatekeeper, Jidanbo, was quick to notice her presence. "Are you going out on business?" He asked.
Pamela, once again bandaged up, nodded. "I've been assigned by Captain Kurotsuchi to make one final sweep of the Western Rukongai for victims of Jason Voorhees."
Jidanbo gave her a look. "Captain Kurotsuchi you say? That means you are from Squad 12. I was under the impression that Squad 12 was to release the victims already in their custody. It seems rather late to do a final sweep, don't you think?"
"Oh I couldn't agree more!" Pamela chirped without missing a beat. "But you know Captain Kurotsuchi. Its never wise to question that man, no matter what he might say. We at Squad 12 know that better than anyone."
Jidanbo shuddered as he recalled the few times he had met the Captain of Squad 12 in person. They were so few in number they could be counted on one hand but each encounter left him deathly afraid of the madman. Sometimes, he wondered why anybody would willingly join that squad. In a way, he felt quite sorry for them. "Very well." Jindabo grabbed the bottom of the giant gate and with a great grunt of effort, picked it up, allowing Pamela through.
"Thank you so much Jindanbo." She called back. "Listen, Captain Kurotsuichi also said that this sweep was to be in secret so don't say anything to the others when they release the subjects, ok?"
"Ok." Jindanbo couldn't help but feel suspicious once again and once again, he thought of Mayuri Kurotsuchi and decided to focus on his work, bringing the gate back down.
Pamela hummed happily to herself as she made her way into the first district of the Western Rukongai. Once she was out of earshot from Jindanbo, however, her humming stopped abruptly and her bright eyes lost their luster. "My poor Jason. The whole world just can't help but gang up on you, can it? First our world and now this one."
A young boy playing with a ball happened across Pamela's path. He failed to notice the Shinigami's presence until he had kicked the ball in her direction where it bounced off her shoulder. Pamela stopped her in tracks and looked down at the boy as his mother rushed frantically to his side and picked him up. "Lee! Watch where you're playing!"
"But Mamma, my ball!" Lee said sadly as he reached out for the ball now resting near Pamela's feet.
"Forget the ball! That's a Shinigami! You need to apologize!" The woman did as such, bowing her head to Pamela. "I'm so sorry, Ms Shinigami! My son just got carried away in his game! Please forgive us!"
Pamela studied the woman closely. It was clear she had had rather bad experiences with Shinigami in the past. This did not surprise Pamela. Much like the police force of the Human World, most of the Shinigami body was comprised of bastards who got drunk off the power their position gave them. It's no wonder this woman was so afraid.
"The Human World and Soul Society. I honestly can't tell which is worse." Pamela thought as she bent down to pick up the ball. She took a few steps toward the woman who held her child close, fear reflected in her watery eyes. "Please don't hurt my baby!" They pleaded. "Kill me if you must but please don't hurt my baby!"
Pamela thought back to her own son. Her own baby who they hurt badly. She forced those feelings back down inside of her for the time being and handed the ball to the boy with a smile. "Here you go. I believe this is yours." She said happily.
The woman was taken aback by Pamela's gesture but the boy, innocent of the tension boiling around him, grabbed the ball in earnest. "Thanks lady!"
"Lee! Don't be so informal!" The woman scolded. "At least say Ms. Shinigami!"
"Oh its quite alright." Pamela reassured her. "He's still a young child after all. He needs time to learn proper manners."
"I'm so sorry." The woman bowed again. "I-I'll pay for a new uniform! I mean, I don't have any money on me right now but..."
"What? For this?" Pamela looked at the small smudge on her uniform created by the boy's ball. "It's just a smudge! Nothing some soap and water won't get out." She laughed.
The woman was shocked to see Pamela laughing so causally and even more surprised at the fact that she found herself giggling as well. Of course, Lee was also taken up by the laughter and soon all three of them were laughing in unison.
"So," Pamela continued once she had stopped laughing. "It take it Lee is his name?" She placed a hand on the young boy's head as she said this.
"Y-Yes! His name is Lee. It was actually his father's name." The woman beamed, only for her face to darken once again. "He was...devoured by a Hollow."
"Oh. I'm so sorry to hear that." Pamela said. "It must be tough to fill the role of both parents."
"I suppose it is a bit of a challenge." The woman admitted as she turned toward her son who greeted her with a warm smile and a laugh. "But every time I look into Lee's face, I see his father and I know that it's all worth it."
"I couldn't agree more." Pamela chirped "There's no role in this world that's more important than that of a mother. Even the role of us Shinigami pale in comparison." She removed her hand from Lee's head. "A true mother must be willing to do everything in her power to protect her child." Her face darkened. "Even kill."
The woman was once again taken aback. "I'm sorry?"
"Would you be willing to do that if it came down to it?" Pamela asked in complete seriousness. "Would you kill for your child?"
The woman's lips trembled and her throat felt dry. The Shinigami's inquiry had come out of nowhere and yet from her glare, she knew she needed to answer immediately. "Y-Yes. Yes I would."
Pamela face softened again. "Of course you would. A true mother would do anything for her child." She patted Lee's head again. "I've got to get back to work. You folks take care now, you hear?"
"Yes of course." The woman answered shakily as she watched Pamela walk past her, that intimidating darkness reappearing in her eyes.
"Bye-bye funny lady!" Lee giggled as he waved his hand frantically. "She was really funny, right Mommy?"
"R-Right." The woman thought as she forced herself out of her shocked stupor and walked back to her home. For the rest of the day she would continue to agonize over why the Shinigami would ask such a strange question and, even more concerning to her, why did the answer come so...easily.
"A true mother must be willing to do everything in her power to protect her child." Pamela repeated to herself as she removed a small phone-like device out of her robes. After processing all of the data gathered so far on her son in The World of the Living, she had come across a few rather interesting articles, ones concerning a lunatic who adopted her child's M.O during the brief period of time he was considered dead. She quickly figured that if she had managed to find herself in Soul Society, so would he and she sent out four identical dragonfly-like creatures in all four directions of the Rukongai. These experimental creatures, crafted by none other than Mayuri himself, were known as Soul Searchers and were still in the prototype stage of their development. Despite this, the insects were still able to preform their intended function which was to identify a person within the vast Rukongai, take a picture, and then send that picture and their coordinates to the person who sent them out. An hour before she left for the Rukongai, one of the Soul Searchers sent her what she was looking for.
The man on her screen was weary-looking with shaggy black hair and bright green eyes. Pamela felt anger well within her at the mere sight of him but forced herself to calm down. A true mother will do anything to protect her child and you will help me." She hissed at the screen. "You owe my son at least that much, Roy Burns."
"Oh come on Pops!" The young man in the blue robes complained. "If we don't make it to the bakery soon, their gonna throw out all the leftovers from yesterday! It'd be such a waste!"
"I already told you." The man towering over him said, wearing a light blue kimono with yellow flowers on it. "We can't leave this place until we're sure the Shinigami have stopped searching for you."
"I still don't see what's the big deal." A young woman laying on the futon nearby butted in. She was reading an old comic book and was clad in a black kimono. "From what I hear, all they want to do is ask us about Jason Voorhees."
The older man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've said it once and I suppose I'll have to say it again. The Shinigami are not to be trusted. They told us that this world would be better than the one left behind right? Yet look at us! Living in a glorified mudhut and sleeping on the floor."
"No to mention the music around here sucks." The girl added quietly, not believing she was agreeing with her new guardian for once.
"We don't even know what it is that they do in that gated city of theirs." The man continued. "For all we know, they intend to kill you all again so word of Jason doesn't spread."
"Come on Pops!" The young man pleaded. "I wasn't even killed by that Jason guy! They won't be after me! I could go to the shop and come back here with enough leftover sweetbreads for everyone!"
"Oh joy." The girl remarked sarcastically.
"I'm sorry Joey but we can't take any chances." The man said. "Now I want you and Eddie to-" Realization suddenly donned on the man and with a sick feeling in his throat, he turned to the girl. "Violet, where are Eddie and Tina?"
Violet shrugged. "I don't know but wherever they are, I'm sure they're naked and sweaty." She remarked.
"Goddammit!" The man shouted as he fit his fist against that wall. "I gotta go find them." He turned to his son. "Stay here and don't let anyone else leave! I mean that!"
"A-Alright Pops." Joey nodded with a shaky voice. His father was always a little scary when he was angry and right now, he looked just about ready to blow a fuse. That was just the kind of man Roy Burns was and had their been a door to the entrance he stormed out of to leave his hut, he probably would have slammed it shut.
"Eddie! Tina! Where are you!?" He called out as he rushed through the streets, his eyes peeled for any sign of the missing lovers. They always did this. Ever since they were reunited in the Soul Society, they would always sneak off for a little hankey-pankey. You'd think that the fact that they were brutally murdered shortly before such a session would have turned them off on the idea of making love but much to Roy's chagrin, they remained as intimate as a pair of wild rabbits and just as insatiable.
What was wrong with teens these days?
Roy made his way to the river a couple of houses from his hut. That's where they'd usually do it as it was peaceful and rarely thread upon by the locals. (For some reason, there were hardly any fish in that part of the river.) Once he made it to the river bank, he called out for them again, caught between trying to be a loud as he could and muffling his voice so as not to attract the unwanted attention of any Shinigami. "Eddie! Tina! Answer me!" He continued his search along the river bank, his eyes peeled for any sign of either's teens discarded robe or even their naked backs in the grass. "Dammit!" He cursed under his breath. "If I don't find them soon, those Shinigami will. They might even get those two horny idiots to rat the rest of us out." Roy forced his racing mind to a halt and took a deep breath. "Calm down, Roy old boy. You just need to find them and get them back to the hut. Just find them and-
And that's when Roy became acutely aware of a presence behind him. He had already felt this kind of presence many times before, none of which were pleasant.
The presence of a Shinigami.
Forcing himself to turn around, he found himself staring at three faces, two of which were familiar to him. The disgruntled and somewhat ashamed faces of Eddie and Tina, their robes hastily and haphazardly put on. He could even see Tina's shoulder. The stranger between them, the Shinigami, appeared to be a blonde woman covered in bandages, her brown eyes glaring at Roy through the gauze. Her sword was sheathed and both of her hands were firmly gripped around the teen's shoulders. "Are these your children?" She asked with a unnerving grimness in her voice.
"Um..Y-Yes." Roy chocked out. "I-I-I mean th-they're not mine biologically but I take care of them." Roy had learned long ago not to trust the Shinigami. They may present themselves as the peacekeepers of the afterlife but in reality were more concerned with withholding the status quo than anything else. More often than not, any pleas for better food, water or resources from the residents of the Rukongai were met with indifference at best and death by sword at the worse. Roy didn't trust them and right now, what he wanted more than anything was to get his kids away from this one as fast as possible. "I-I'm their guardian."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Then I think you should know that these two were fornicating behind a tree a few yards up the river." She gestured her head toward that direction before turning her fierce gaze at Eddie. "Just a few feet from where people raise their children!"
"Lay off us lady!" Eddie complained. "We weren't doing anything wrong!"
"Yeah!" Tina butted in. "We were just just fooling around is all!"
"Fooling around? Fooling around!?" Her grip tightened and both teens cried out in agony, causing Roy to wince. "Oh yes! It's so nice and harmless to fool around with your boyfriends and girlfriends. It never harms anyone! Least of all the children!" She squeezed their shoulder even tighter and Tina broke into tears. "Let us go!" She cried.
"You psycho bitch!" Eddie screamed as Tina continued to sob.
"Enough!" Roy finally shouted. To who exactly, even he wasn't sure. Maybe it was all three. Realizing that all eyes were now on him, he coughed into his hand and recomposed himself. "I mean..P-Please let them go." He asked. "I'll have a talk with them when we get home."
The Shinigami did not release the teens but did loosen her grip on their shoulders. "If you don't mind, I'd like to escort you to your home. I need to make sure these two don't sneak off for more...sinful pastimes." She turned her glare toward Tina who looked down in shame and sniffled.
Roy sighed as an lump of ice formed in his chest. He didn't want the Shinigami to know where they lived but what other choice did he have? "A-Alright. Let's go together."
The Shinigami nodded and finally released her grip on the young couple, who wasted no time running to Roy's side, their expressions afraid and humbled. Roy morbidly thought to himself that maybe, just maybe this would finally put an end to Eddie and Tina's promiscuous shenanigans and allowed himself to finally feel better for the first time in this long stressful day.
It would not last long.
As the four made their way back to the hut, Eddie and Tina took the lead, the former draping his arms over his lover as her still-flowing tears stained the fabric of his kimono. Roy walked between them and the Shinigami, all sort of frightening possibilities of what would come next running through his mind. Would she take them all in to the Seireitei for questioning? Would they be experimented upon? What would become of his dear son Joey? He was so caught up in his frightened fantasies that he failed to noticed the woman coming closer to him until she whispered in his ear. "Are these the only teenagers under your care?"
Roy nearly jumped out of his skin and had to cover his mouth in order to stifle what would have been a flat-out embarrassing scream. Once again, he recomposed himself and turned toward the Shinigami. There was no point in lying, he figured. "No. I have at least a few others with me."
"I see. You must be quiet the busy man." She commented. "It must be rather difficult to keep tabs on the little troublemakers all the time."
"Its no picnic. That's for sure." Roy agreed with a bit more ease in his voice.
"Well I'm sure you can handle it. After all, if anyone knows how to punish rowdy misbehaving teenagers, it would be you...Roy Burns." She whispered those last two words with venom in her voice.
The lump in Roy's chest expanded and spread through his entire body. He felt like he was frozen in a block of ice yet forced himself to continue walking. He made sure that both Eddie and Tina were still facing away from them before whispering back to the Shinigami. "So you know."
"Of course I do. Did you really think that you'd be able to hide from us forever?" The Shinigami asked.
"What do you want from me? Are you gonna take me in?" Roy inquired.
The Shinigami shook her head. "No. Frankly, there isn't that much interest in your sins as far as Squad 12's concerned. In fact, at most you're regarded as a mild annoyance to D.A.C.U, a copycat killer of their real target, Jason Voorhees." The Shinigami moved the bandages from her mouth so that the next words she spoke were more clear. "I, on the other hand, need to talk to you in private."
"Very well." Roy agreed, knowing he had no real choice. "I'll do what you ask. Just please don't hurt the kids."
"Good boy." The Shinigami purred as they neared the hut. Violet and Joey were waiting at the entrance.
"There you guys are!" Joey shouted at the approaching couple. "Don't you guys realize how worried you made Pops!? You shouldn't have snuck out like that!"
"Bite me, Fatass!" Eddie barked as he led Tina inside. She was still quietly crying.
"What's with her?" Violet asked herself, only to noticed the Shinigami standing besides Roy. Her eyes widened and her body stiffened. "Oh shit." She thought.
Joey was quick to take notice of the newcomer as well. "H-Hey! You're one of those Shinigami guys from the Seireitei right?" He asked.
Roy walked up to Joey and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Joey, I want you to get in the hut and make sure everyone stays put. I need to speak with the Shinigami."
"About what?" Joey suddenly became very frightened. "Y-You're not in trouble, are you Pops?"
Roy shook his head. "No. Its nothing like that. We just need to talk. I'll be back as soon as possible. Just stay put!" Roy made this last command as sternly as he could. Joey continued to stare at him for a few moments before slowly nodding with a "Alright Pops." He turned to Violet and ushered her inside, the blonde girl with a dark streak in her hair never taking her eyes off the Shinigami. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Roy swallowed and turned to the woman.
"Alright, where should we speak?"
The Shingami led Roy to a decrepit building on the outskirts of the settlement. At first, Roy thought it was abandoned from the broken windows and gaping hole in the roof. It looked to be a former dojo. Once he and the Shinigami made it to the doorway, however, several eyes from inside fell on them. The interior of the building itself was black as night but thanks to the Sun's light infiltrating through the hole in the ceiling, he was able to see the rugged and annoyed faces that the eyes belonged to.
"Hey!" One of the men asked. "What's a stinking Shinigami doing here on our turf!?"
"Yeah! Beat it woman!" Another man snapped. "This is the hideout of the Lareicho Clan, the most vicious gang this side of the Rukongai!"
"We've already killed two other Shinigami like yourself!" A third man laughed as he licked his lips, his perverse gaze studying the woman closely. "And we made sure to have some fun with the female first!"
The Shinigami turned to Roy. "Be a dear and wait outside for a moment. Don't run off now, alright?"
"S-Sure!" Roy gulped again as he watched the woman vanish into the building, closing the almost broken door behind her. From outside, Roy could here some of the men chuckling and sighed. "What is see thinking?" He thought. "Even if she's a Shinigami, she's still just a single person and a woman at that! Maybe I should-
The ear-piercing scream of the men inside silenced Roy's train of thought. The sound of flesh tearing and blood splattering followed at well and as the terrified Roy forced himself to look back to the door, he spotted a puddle of blood oozing from underneath the door. Its rusty scent filled his nostrils and he found himself falling into some sort of trance.
"This smell...the blood...just like..."
Mental images filled his brain. Images of blood, gore and death. Images of screaming faces and lifeless corpses. All of these Roy saw from behind the inky blackness of a hockey mask. "No! No!" Roy gripped his head and squeezed, trying desperately not to let the images in. To let the darkness in. In retaliation, the images flashed even more violently, dragging him back to the dark period before his life ended. It was as if the darkness was talking to him, trying to take him back.
"All done!"
The images stopped, silenced by the somewhat reassuring voice of the Shinigami. Still shaking, Roy forced himself to look up and saw the woman standing in the entrance way. She was covered head to toe in blood and her weapon, a curved sword with a golden-brown handle, dripped with crimson. The puddle that trigger Roy's mental attack now looked more like a pond as its edge brushed against the tips of his sandals. "D-Did you..."
"There's no time to worry about some vagabonds no one will miss." The woman said sternly as she snapped her wrist, throwing the blood off her sword in the process. "Now that there are no more interruptions, we can have our little talk." She gestured for Roy to follow her inside and despite every cell in his body screaming at him to run away and take his chances trying to escape her, he followed.
Once he stepped inside the building, Roy quickly spotted the woman standing at the edge of the huge circle of light leaking from the hole in the roof. He approached her, stopping at the other edge of this circle and waited for her to speak. He wasn't sure how long it actually took her to begin. It could have been a few seconds, a couple of minutes or even several hours but when she did finally break the silence, the venom in her voice chilled him to the core.
"So, you are Roy Burns. Copycat killer of Jason Voorhees."
"That's..That's what they call me yes." Roy confirmed.
"And those teens back there, they are your past victims aren't they?"
Roy felt another lump in his throat. "Y-Yes they a-are."
The woman uttered a dry laugh. "How ironic! The same psychopath that gutted those useless louts is now playing nanny to them!"
"I-I owe it to them!" Roy shouted. He realized at once that he raised his voice and cleared his throat and he got himself together. "I-I wasn't in my right mind back then."
"Oh spare me you melodrama." The woman spat. "Frankly, I don't really care about you or those teens." He turned her head, glaring at him with her hazel eye. "What I want to know is why you copied Jason to do your dirty work!"
"Like I said, I wasn't in my right mind!" Roy defended as he put his hands up. "Things had been bad for me the past couple of years. I-I lost the love of my life after she had given birth to our son Joey and I...I just couldn't be the father he needed. I left him in foster care and kept tabs on him, you know? I guess I hoped one day, when I had my shit together, I'd apologize to him and tell him everything...but then...that day..."
"He was murdered by a idiot with an big axe and a short temper." The woman stated flatly. "Your son Joey."
Roy nodded gravely. "I just snapped. All I wanted to do was find the madman...no...the animal that did that to my boy and rip him limb from limb!" Roy suddenly shouted. His arms were shaking and his teeth were bared. "But it was too late. He was incarcerated. I couldn't...I couldn't get to him."
"So you went after the others." The woman pressed. "The ones who failed to save your son."
I guess I did." Roy took a few breaths to try and calm himself down. "To be honest, I don't really know why I picked Jason as a front. Maybe it was because something about his backstory resonated with me at the time, how everything started because his mother started killing to avenge him."
The woman's eyes softened and she faced him directly. "I suppose that makes sense. I could understand the plight of a parent wishing to avenge their child more than anyone." Her eyes darkened again. "Still, that doesn't give you the right to play monkey see, monkey do with my boy's legacy."
"Yo-Your boy?" Roy's mouth fell agape and his eyes widened as realization hit him like a freight train. "Y-You're not-
"Pamela Voorhees." The woman introduced herself at last. "The mother of the man you copied." As Roy struggled to regain his train of thought, Pamela casually undid the bandages covering her face and neck.
"T-This is insane!" Roy finally snapped. "Y-You can't be here...you..you're"
"Dead?" Pamela offered another dry laugh. "We're all dead, Mr. Burns. Some of us just deserved it more."
"What do you want from me?" Roy asked. "Are you going to kill me for copying your son?"
Pamela shook her head and Roy felt that should have relieved him but for some reason it didn't. "I'm not pleased that you would impersonate my special little boy but I'm not that petty. On the contrary, I sought you out because I need your help."
"M-My help?" Roy asked. "With what?"
"As I'm sure you already know, the 12th squadron of the Gotei 13 have been gathering my son's victims and gathering intel." Pamela explained. "Our Captain has even gone out to seek someone who may have had a hand in my boy's first resurrection. But once he comes back, they plan to travel to Crystal Lake and kidnap Jason. Then those monsters are gonna experiment on him and destroy him!" Pamela broke into a sob and buried her face in her hands. Roy felt torn between wanting to comfort the grieving mother and keeping his distance from the psycho bitch that made even him look tame in comparison. Pamela forced her cries to a halt and wiped her face with a sniffle. "I need you to help me save Jason before that happens!"
"Save Jason? Jason Voorhees? W-Why me?"
"Because I need another set of hands to enact my plan to save my boy." Pamela explained as her face darkened. "Besides, you owe him for stealing his likeness in the World of the Living."
Roy fumed. "Now look here! I'm sorry about your son but I already told you I wasn't right in the head when I donned that hockey mask! I don't owe him or you anything!" Roy turned his back to leave. "Besides, while I may be out of line here, your son is a killer. Like it or not, he deserves what's coming to him."
Pamela had to use every ounce of self-control she had not to decapitate Roy on the spot for that remark. But it worked and she was able to condense her anger as a dejected sigh. "You of all people have no room to talk about what my boy deserves. Let's not forget that aside from your son, you murdered all those children living with you yourself!"
Roy struggled to reply for he knew she was right. Hell, he was already painfully aware of his hypocrisy as soon as the words left his mouth. But he did have some semblance of an excuse. "I...I'm trying to make amends. I'm trying to make things better for them."
"Better for them!?" Pamela scoffed. "You've already taken away much more from them than you could ever hope to give back! You could try to convince yourself that you're atoning for your sins all you want but if there's one thing I've learned since arriving in this hellish place, its that there is no God. There's only us." Pamela looked down at her blade. "You can only atone for yourself and only you will see it as atonement. Nobody you hurt is obligated to forgive you, not ever!" She looked back at Roy with a smirk on her face. "I could only imagine the look of hate in those kid's eyes if they were to discover who their caretaker really is."
Roy stopped in his tracks, his foot sticking out of the doorway. "What are you saying?" He asked without turning around.
"We both know what I'm saying." Pamela replied. "And it would be really easy for me to prove it to them too. The articles are still in the computer after all. Squad 12 is a lot like a spoiled child when it comes to information honestly. Even if they can't use it, they'll cling desperately to it for as long as they can."
"Stop it!" Roy turned around, his eyes pleading. "You can't do that!"
"I can and I will!" Pamela snapped. "Unless you help me save my son."
Roy felt himself freeze in place. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. He could only process the horrible situation he had found himself in in his mind. He kept mentally praying for it to just be a nightmare, for him to wake up back in the hut and realize that everything was ok and back to normal. But he didn't wake up. He remained in front of the mother of one of the most ruthless serial killers in history, one he took after in his damaged state back in the World of the Living. (She's right. There is no God) Roy gulped and sighed heavily. "Alright. What do you need me to do?"
"First, you're going to have to come with me to the 80th District in the Northern Rukongai. That's where my squad's captain is currently heading."
Northern Rukongai!?" Roy shouted. "That's so far away! We'd never make it to your captain in time!"
"We don't need to." Pamela said. "We just need to tie up a loose end there once he's finished, Then I'll give you the finer details of my plan." Pamela looked down at her sword again. "It's not perfect. I'll admit that much. But if it works, Jason will never have to worry about these damned Shinigami again!" She sheathed her sword and walked toward Roy. "You may say goodbye to the kids but don't take too long and do not allow any of them to tag along. I'll meet you by the Orange Gate within the hour. Do not be late." She stormed past him, her spiritual pressure nearly choking him. Within the throughs of a coughing fit, Roy fell to his knees and tried to empty his lungs. He spent several minutes there before he finally forced himself back up and made his way toward the hut, all the while questions of what the future had in store for him.
"Will I get to see my son again? Will I even be allowed to live after this?" Roy thought bitterly. "I thought I was already atoning for my sins in the past but I guess its not true atonement if you pick it out yourself."
Of course, it was his son Joey who waited for him at the doorway. "Hey Pops! Are you alright!? Is everything ok!?"
"Yes, yes. Everything's fine Joey." Roy patted his son on the shoulder. "Where is everyone?"
"Inside the hut!" Joey beamed. "Violet and Tina just finished with dinner too! Come inside! You must be hungry!"
"No, no, I'm fine." Roy said. With all the stress of what was unfolding all around him, he didn't have much of an appetite. "But listen, I need to go somewhere for awhile. I don't know when I'll be back but in the meantime, you're in charge." Roy partly expected his son to become excited at the prospect of leading the household in his absence and even smiled at the thought. But his smile as well as his spirit faltered when Joey's expression became one of fear rather than excitement.
"What's wrong pops? Are you in trouble? Is that Shinigami woman gonna arrest you?" He became panicked and gripped the folds of Roy's robes tightly. "I'm right, aren't I Pops?" He began to tear up. "This is all my fault! I shouldn't have let Eddie and Tina leave!"
"Joey!" Roy grabbed his son's arms again. "Calm down! Its not like that alright? Now look, the lady wanted to bring the others back with her to the Seireitei for questioning but I made a deal with her. I'm going instead. Just for questioning. That's it. I'll be back in a few days at the latest but until then, I want you all to stay in the hut as much as possible ok? Only leave when absolutely necessary and make those trips as short as possible, got it?"
Joey wiped the tears from his face. "O-Ok. But you'll be back soon, right Pops?"
"I will."
"Promise!?" He pleaded.
Roy pulled his son close and embraced him. "I promise son. Now go back in and remember what I said."
"R-Right!" Joey headed back inside and after a few minutes of fighting off the urge to scream in the frustration of this hopeless situation he now found himself in, Roy headed for the Orange Gate where sure enough, Pamela was waiting. "Said your good-byes?" She inquired.
"Yeah. Let's just get this over with." Roy muttered as the two walked out of the gate. By now, the Sun was beginning to sink into the sky, leaving behind hues of red, orange and yellow in its descent. Roy looked up at the sunset and asked Pamela if she intended to walk through the dark.
"We'll cover more ground this way." She answered. "Besides, I can light our way." She held up her hand and a small orb of light formed in her palm. She continued to walk off toward the woods as Roy looked back on the town behind the Orange Gate. The town where his son lived. the town that he might never see again.
"I promise to come back Joey. I have to." Roy thought. "I left you alone for far too long last time. I won't leave you again. Not if I can help it."
Roy fought back tears as he reluctantly followed Pamela through the trees.
"Hurry up you dolts! Can't you see we're running out of precious sunlight?" Mayuri cursed.
"Well maybe we'd catch up a little better if you pulled some of your own weight here!" Ichigo shouted back. He, Rukia and Nemu were all trailing behind the Squad 12 Captain, bags filled with all sorts of gizmos and gadgets on their backs. Why Mayuri needed all these things was a mystery Ichigo and Rukia were too frightened to even ponder. Nemu, of course, had no complaints as she lugged the giant bags around.
"My my. I invite you to partake in the beginning in what will surely be a new chapter in Soul Society's history and this is the thanks I get? You should really learn how to show proper gratitude." Mayuri wagged his finger like a teacher scolding a disobedient child.
This, of course, only served to enrage Ichigo even more. "Gratitude my butt! You people roped me into this stupid plan of yours without so much as a please! Maybe I should start charging you guys for my services! All of you!"
"Ichigo!" Rukia turned to him while pointing at herself, her face displaying its best impression of a kicked puppy. "Surely you don't mean me too?"
"Especially you!" Ichigo shouted without mercy. "As a matter of fact, I'd outta demand rent for all the times you slept in my closet!"
"Ichigo..." Rukia's hurt expression twisted into one of fury as she rushed up to the Substitute Shinigami and delivered as hard a kick as she could to his kneecap. "You fool!"
"Gaggh!" Ichigo felt the pain spread throughout his entire body, locking him in place. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked up to the sky, a fake smile of agony donned on his face. At last, Ichigo slipped down and nursed his bruised knee. "Rukia..." He growled. "Just wait till I-"
"Will you two shut up!" Mayuri interrupted. "Because in case you idiots haven't noticed, we've arrived at our destination."
Ichigo and Rukia ceased their fighting and slowly turned their heads back to the front. Sure enough, the settlement known as District 80 of the Northern Rukongai sat before them although it did not show much. The "town" if it could be called such was mostly comprised of tents and mudhuts. A group of children chased each other around these settlements, clad in little more than rags and string. A single old man sat before one of these huts, smoking a pipe. What exactly was in this pipe, neither Ichigo nor Rukia could tell but it smelled absolutely awful.
"Man, I knew this place would be a dump but I never realized it would be this bad." Ichigo commented.
"The quality of life decreases as you walk through the districts of the Rukongai." Rukia explained. "Its not ideal but its how things are."
"But why?" Ichigo thought. "Surely, the Soul Society can do something about this! Can't they?" Before Ichigo could become too consumed with his thoughts, he was brought back to reality by the frightened cry of the old man. Mayuri had made his way to him while Ichigo was lost in thought and was now gripping his arm.
"Alright old man! I need answers and I need them now. It will be in your best interest to comply." He sneered.
"You're hurting me! Please let me go!" The old man pleaded. "Let me go!"
"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo rushed at the two and separated them with his hands. Mayuri let out a growl of disapproval which Ichigo met with a unafraid glare before turning to the old man. "I'm sorry about that. Are you hurt old man?"
"I'm sorry!" The old man blurted, still in a panicked fit over Mayuri's sudden harassment. "I don't have any money on me! I swear! Please just let me go!"
"We don't want money." Ichigo explained calmly. "We're looking for a woman named Akane Watanbe. Do you know where we can find her?"
The old man's eyes, already wide with fear, practically jumped out of his sockets. "No! No! I don't know where that witch lives! I know nothing at all! Let me go!" The old man broke into tears and Ichigo backed away in frustration.
"Well crap. That didn't work." Ichigo turned to the others. "Something tells me that these folks won't be to keen to talk to us."
"Of course not you imbecile!" Mayuri cursed. "Rukongai souls are some of the most disagreeable people out there. If you want an answer out of them, you have to take it by force! If you had just let me handle it, we might have gotten some answers."
"The only thing we would have gotten is that old man killed from fright!" Ichigo snapped. Captain of the Gotei 13 be dammed, Ichigo had just about had it with Mayuri's approach on the matter and the two stared daggers at each other.
"Stop it Ichigo!" Rukia commanded. "We need to focus on the mission at hand."
"E-Excuse me." A young boy's voice spoke from behind Rukia and Nemu. Both women turned around to face the dirty, spiky-haired child speaking to them. Rukia recognized him as one of the children playing from earlier. "Did you guys say your looking for the Witch?"
"Witch?" The image of a cackling green-haired hag riding through the night on a jagged old broomstick filled Rukia's head. She had learned about them from Orihime. She shook her head and smiled at the boy. "Not exactly."
"We are looking for the former Shinigami known as Akane Watanbe." Nemu explained in her usual almost robotic voice.
"Yeah! Akane the Witch! I know where she lives!" The boy beamed.
"Really?" Rukia lit up as well. "Will you show us?"
The boy's expression suddenly changed into a rather serious look and he coughed into one hand while holding out the other to Rukia. "First, I'll need a down payment, some candy outta do."
If this were an anime, Rukia would have turned to cracked stone with a gasp frozen on her face.
"T-That's extortion!" Rukia complained. "Why you little!" She growled with steam emerging from her head as the boy laughed his own off. Ichigo, having overheard the conversation, walked up to the boy, reached into his robes and took out a box of Human World candy. It was already half empty but their still was plenty of it left.
"Tell you what kid. You show us where Akane Watanbe is and not only will I give you this, I'll come back and bring you a bunch more candy like this." Ichigo offered. "Well what do you say?"
The boy studied the box closely before taking it out of Ichigo's hand and removing a piece of candy from it. It was a small red line coated in sugar. He took a bite, allowing himself a little time to savor the taste and gulped it down with a huge grin. "Alright!" He shouted happily. "Just follow me!" The boy began marching past the Shinigami and deeper into the district. They followed him closely with Ichigo and Rukia once again at each other's side.
"Where'd you get that candy?" Rukia asked him.
"I got it at Urahara Shop." Ichigo explained. "To be perfectly honest, I had actually forgotten all about it until that kid asked for candy and I don't really care for that kind anyway so I figured why not just give him what he wants."
"Do you really plan on coming all the way back to this district to give him more?" Rukia pressed.
"I'm hoping I can get Kisuke to do it." Ichigo muttered. "After all, that bastard owes me for tricking me into this mess."
Rukia snickered. Typical Ichigo.
After about 30 minutes, with the Sun already on its way down, the group made it to what appeared to be the edge of the settlement. Standing before a ocean of trees far from the other buildings was a small hut. It was slightly better build than the rest of them with a open doorway and a window on the left side.
"This is where the witch lives." The boy whispered. "She's most likely inside."
"Why do you call her a witch?" Rukia asked in a hushed voice.
"Because that's what she is!" The boy replied. "She's always keeping to herself and hanging out in the forest. Not to mention her face! Its...Its..." The boy began to shiver, his teeth chattering and his hair standing on end. It was clear he was terrified just being in close proximity to the witch's hut.
"You don't have to stay." Ichigo whispered. "Thanks for all your help but we'll take it from here."
"T-That's the plan! Later!" The boy rushed back toward the settlement.
"Did you see that?" Rukia asked. "That poor kid was scared to death."
"Yeah." Ichigo agreed. "I'm beginning to think this Akane person really is a witch."
"Tsk! Enough of this annoying dribble!" Mayuri butted in. "Now that we've found our target, its time to extract some answers for her." He was already making his way toward the hut.
"Now wait a minute!" Ichigo blurted out. "What are you planning to do? You're not gonna try to hurt her are you?"
Mayuri stopped and glared at Ichigo. "Tsk. I'll do whatever it takes to extract the necessary information out of her. That's why we came all the out here in the first place!" The Squad 12 Captain tried to continue his march toward the hut only for Ichigo to grab his haori and try to pull him back. This action shocked not only Mayuri but Rukia and Nemu as well.
"Ichigo!" Rukia called out. "What do you think you're doing, you fool!?"
"We...came...here...to...stop...Jason...not to...harass innocent people!" Ichigo uttered in-between strains as he struggled to pull Mayuri back.
"Unhand me at once or else I'll-" But what Mayuri intended to threaten Ichigo with would forever remain lost to time because at that moment, a soft and tired voice spoke to the Shinigami from inside the hut.
"Hello? Who's there?"
Mayuri and Ichigo ceased their fighting with the Squad 12 Captain ripping himself away from the Substitute Shinigami's grasp. A woman's face peered out from the inky blackness of the hut. Despite one eyelid closed with a large scar running through it and stands of sliver intermingled with her chestnut hair, it was clear to the Shinigami that she was the one they've been looking for.
"Akane Watanbe, I presume." Mayuri sneered.
"T-That would be me." Akane confirmed. "Its been a long time since I've seen you, Captain Kurotsuchi." She turned her weary gaze toward the other three Shinigami at his side. "I see you still have Lieutenant Kurotsuchi on active duty as well as some new blood in Squad 12."
Rukia and Ichigo both panicked and quickly waved their hands defensibly. "N-No! I'm not in Squad 12! M-My name is Rukia Kuchiki and I'm the lieutenant of Squad 13." Rukia flashed her lieutenant badge to Akane as proof.
"Oh my!" Akane blushed bright red. "Kuchiki? As in the noble Kuchiki family? I should have known from that beautiful black hair of yours." Akane bowed her head, nearly falling over in the process. "Please forgive me."
Now it was Rukia who turned pink in the face. "N-No! It's fine! It's really not a big deal."
Akane lifted up her gaze back to the group, more specifically, toward Ichigo. "And what Squad do you belong to, young man?"
"None." Ichigo answered. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki and I'm a Substitute Shinigami."
"A Substitute?" Akane gasped. "I heard that things like that could happen but I never thought I'd see one for myself. T-That means you're human right? You reside in the World of the Living?"
Ichigo nodded with a smile. "That's right."
"Ahem!" Mayuri interrupted. "If we're done with all the useless small talk, I'd would like to steer this conversation toward more pressing matters." He turned toward Akane. "You seem like a smart girl so I'll go ahead and assume that you already know what we're here for."
Akane's smile faded but her weary eyes remained the same. "You're here for Jason Voorhees right? I heard you speak his name while I was inside the hut."
"Ah. You really are a clever girl." Mayuri chuckled. "We want all the details you can provide about Jason, including your final mission as a Shinigami."
Akane's eyes widened for a moment before falling back into their tired expression. "I had a feeling this day would come." She uttered gravely.
Rukia felt a pang of guilt in her chest. "We're sorry. I understand that this might not be something you wish to speak about.."
"Ah believe me. It is." Akane cut in. "I could spend the rest of my life happily ignoring the existence of the monster that I helped to create through my own hubris." The wooden end of a stick suddenly shot out from the darkness of the hut and into the ground in front of Akane. "But with everything that's happened since then. All the blood shed. All the lives lost. The fact is I have no right to refuse your request. I could never even begin to seek true atonement for my sins." Akane stepped out of the hut, allowing everyone to see the full extent of her deformities. Her left arm was gone, leaving the left sleeve of her ash-grey kimono to flap uselessly in the air. Her left foot was bent at an odd angle and she dragged it through the ground. Akane used her other foot and the cane in her hand to approach the group, wincing every now and then from the pain it caused. Perhaps most disturbing of all was the way her torso seemed to lean to the left as is she didn't enough of the right half to support her fully. "What I've done is so terrible," Akane continued. "That these injures are nothing more than a down payment for my penance."
"Dear God..." Ichigo whispered under his breath. "Did...Did Jason do this to her?"
"Well, well, I glad to see that you'll be cooperating with us." Mayuri smiled.
"Well, come on in. I have a lamp inside and a table to sit around." Akane retreated back into her hut and the Shinigami followed, Ichigo making it a point to be up front.
Once all four Shinigami were inside the hut, Akane turned on the oil lamp she had on her and placed it on a small table. There were no chairs so everyone sat on the floor, including Mayuri who did so without complaint. He was far too excited about unraveling the mystery of Akane's last mission to care about getting his haori dirty. As Ichigo took his seat, he noticed a sheathed Zanpakuto hung up on the wall above the table. "Is that yours?" Ichigo asked.
Akane faced the Zanpakuto and turned back to Ichigo with a weak smile. "Yes it is. His name is Sento no Kotei. I haven't used him in years. At this point, I don't think he'd even answer if I did call him." Akane took her seat and took a deep breath. "With what I've done, I know I have no right to make a request of you, but will you tell me just one thing before I begin my tale?"
"Sure." Ichigo answered without hesitation. Despite what Akane had said, he personally felt like she at least deserved to have her request granted.
"Why exactly do you wish to know about Jason Voorhees. What do you hope to accomplish with what I tell you here tonight?"
Ichigo looked at Rukia who could tell what he was thinking and nodded with a small smile. She apparently had the same thought as he did. Ichigo turned back to Akane and answered her bluntly. "We want to destroy Jason once and for all and put an end to his killing spree. We've collecting as much data on him as possible and now all we need is your side of the story."
The room remained silent, save for the tiny flicker of fire within the oil lamp. After a few moments, Akane smiled and relaxed her shoulders. "Then I wish you best of luck." She sighed heavily. "To think such a small, fragile child would bring such ruin to the world."
"So...is it true then?" Rukia asked. "Did you really bring Jason back to life with a forbidden Kido?"
Akane nodded. "My old friend Sanji taught it to me. Said it was only to be used if absolutely necessary and around that time I...well I had become disillusioned by the Soul Society you see. No matter how many souls we saved or Hollows we purified, it just seemed like we weren't making a real difference. Not to mention how hellish the Rukongai is." Akane's voice became filled with anger. "Even before I had to call this place home, I could still just feel the misery in the air radiate from the poor souls living here! The souls we sent here!"
"Whine, whine, whine!" Mayuri interrupted. "That's all you've been doing since we started this conversation! I demand you tell us what we came here to hear Tell us about your final mission!"
"Easy will ya!" Ichigo barked. "There's no need to explode on her like that!"
"No its fine!" Akane suddenly snapped, silencing the both of them. "Captain Kurotsuichi is right. You didn't come here to here an old woman rambling about atonement and my whining won't help you to stop Jason." She sighed, clearly dreading what was to come next. "So I will tell you now," Her eye darkened. "The story of my final mission to a place in America. I think you've heard of it by now."
The image of a placid blue lake filled her mind, bathed in the light of a setting Sun. It would have been a pleasant image for anyone else but for Akane, it brought with it memories of terror and fear, of blood and death, of hopelessness and despair all under the light of an uncaring moon.
"Crystal Lake."
Ki ki ki, Ma ma ma
(Well there we go. We're about to get Akane's side of the story and just to let you guys know, most of the next chapter will be a flashback. But, you'll finally get to see the man himself.
Now to answer the inquires of my good friend NoHorrorYesAnime. I'm sorry it took so long to make this but my other stories needed attention. Hopefully, we can get back on track in the near future but for now, your answers.
For starters, I can confirm that a certain Kill Count channel helped to inspire this fic. I would recommend looking for the videos in Incognito Mode if you don't want them to show up in you algorithm. As for the guesses you made..
Child's Play: Will have an arc at some point in the story.
Ringu: No plans yet but it would be fun to work with.
It: I might make a chapter or two concerning Pennywise. All I can say is that it'll most likely be the 2017 version that shows up.
Poltergeist: No current plans for this one and honestly, if it does get added, it'll be a chapter or two at the most.
Scream: Once I have enough arcs written, I plan to do a sidestory with this. I won't give too much away but let's just say it'll involve the Espada.
As for your sister's guesses, (She sounds cool by the way)
Paranormal Activity: No plans as of yet.
Evil Dead: Will have an arc and a very important one at that.
Texas Chainsaw Massarce: Will have an arc
Halloween: Will have an arc
Predator: Will share an arc with the Alien franchise
Final Destination: Not sure if it can be a full-fledged arc but I do have a story in mind for this.
And I'd hate to do this but please tell me the other two suggestions. I'm very curious :3
As for the Ichiruki, I can't make any promises but rest assured you'll get a lot of it before I make any shifts. And don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to Ichigo and Rukia...that will kill them anyway.
I'm glad to see that you noticed my trend in protagonist for the arcs! I mainly wanna stick with my personal favorite characters and had a lot of fun making Soifon the main protag for the Freddy arc. That being said, I'm afraid I have someone else in mind when it comes to the main protag of this arc. Hint: He's a Captain too. That being said, Ichigo will still play a large role in the story and honestly, I must thank you for bringing up the connection of dead mothers between him and Jason. I can't wait to use that!
Also Pamela's a major villain in this story but you already knew that.
I hope you all enjoy this story and let's hope the next chapter doesn't take as long! BSC Out!)