Robert's Reflection

STORY

'Tadashi woud've, um, wanted me to forgive you.' Hiro said to him. 

He looked up, hopefully. Then he just saw the kid sigh. 

Then he said, 'Someday, I hope I can.' Robert watched Hiro leave, and then, the doors shut behind him. 

He was alone.

Like he was after the portal incident. 

And it's what he was right now.

Trapped like a rat in a solitary confinement cell in a maximum security prison.

Time seemed to have stopped.

Robert sat on the bed in despair.

"I just want to be forgiven for my past misdeed." he muttered sadly, his eyes welling up in tears.

Then suddenly, something in his heart hit him. It hit him like a freight train.

Failure.

For the first time in his life since he'd been put in the solitary confinement cell, he felt... hopeless. 

He felt like he was useless, no one to be bothered with.  

"I bet those guards don't want anything to do with me." he muttered bitterly. "I'm a monster. I killed his brother... and I didn't even know I had. I don't deserve forgiveness. He's never gonna forgive me." A sob caught in his throat. "I don't even think Abigail will forgive me. She'd never want a criminal father."

He thought about the fire that killed Tadashi. "I'm the one who should have died in that fire."

He sobbed bitterly. Tears flowed down his cheeks and splashed into his bright orange prison uniform. However, because of this, he didn't seem to notice someone enter the cell and sit alongside him. Then, he spoke, in a voice that was familiar to him... in a long time.

"There, there, Professor. It's okay. You don't have to cry. Hiro said he will forgive you, when he can, but it's still too much for him to bear right now."

Robert turned to his side and when he saw the voice's speaker, his eyes widened. "T-Tadashi?!" he said in shock. Then he quickly broke eye contact and turned himself away. "Leave me alone."

"No." The spirit said firmly. "I do not want you to give up on yourself. You don't wanna live a life of solitude in here, do you?"

Robert sighed, and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and looked up at the spirit of the student that was killed. "Tadashi, why are you here? I... I killed you."

"I know." Tadashi said. "Okay, so you made a mistake. You were just trying to get your daughter back, but look: beating yourself up over this won't make you feel better. You were just corrupted by your own grief and anger, and you didn't see the consequences." He sighed. "You know, I'd have done the same thing if Hiro was in that portal, and I know he sacrificed my robot for your daughter."

"Wait, how do you-" Robert began to speak, but Tadashi stopped him.

"I know Hiro and his friends are doing their best for the city, even if it makes things harder for themselves, and others. I know you helped Hiro today, especially when he found out about Granville's past, after the incident with Yama and Dr Trengrove."

"I did?" Robert said, his grief suddenly subsiding.

"Yes, yes you did." Tadashi said. "It shows that you can still make amends for what you did. And once Hiro trusts you again, he will help you begin a new life from scratch."

Robert's eyes wideneded, but then he shook his head sorrowfully. "But... why? Why would Hiro help me... after what I did to him; to you, to everyone?

Instead of answering the question, Tadashi nodded. "Hiro will help you redeem yourself for your crimes, when the time is right." He paused impressively. "But you do know it will take you a while to earn his trust back, right?" Robert was silent. "You will try, right, professor?"

Robert was hesitant. He wanted forgiveness for what he had done. It was not too late for him to change his ways, and make amends for his misdeeds. "I... I... I'll try." he said quietly. "I know that it will not be easy, but I will do my best."

He turned back to Tadashi. "Thank you, Tadashi." he said, but then gasped. Tadashi had gone, just as quickly as he had appeared.

He glanced up at the picture of his daughter on the wall of his cell. "Don't worry about me, Abigail." he whispered. "I'll do all I can to redeem myself. I'll soon be seeing you in person again, just like I used to do."