DC: Fading Away

It smelled good. A mouth watering aroma was spreading through the home. Tatsu woke up again to an empty bed. Her training didn't help her from noticing Tobi's movement this time. He'd gotten better at being sneaky. 

"........"

The Japanese beauty slowly sat up from the bed. The covers slid down slightly, revealing her slender frame. She took a moment to process that Tobi wasn't next to her. Only then did she focus on the smell. 

This was the moment when he entered the bedroom with a warm plate of breakfast food. While fixing the bed hair that covered her face, he placed the meal in her lap. No words needed to be said. He then went out to the balcony. 

Pulling out a pack of cigs covered in dried blood, he picked one and lit it. Tatsu wrapped the covers around her body and followed him out. Sitting on the chair next to him, she casually munched on the delicious breakfast. 

"You're a good cook too? That's rare." She hummed after taking a few bites. 

"Not bad huh?" He asked. 

"I could get used to it."

"......" Tobi gave a fake smile. 

The young esper had plans for the future. He didn't want to stay in Gotham. This place was horrible to a person's well-being. Even the wealthy turned into beasts here. It was like a curse had been laid on this rotting sewer of a city. He had to get out. 

"...What are you thinking about now?" Tatsu could always tell when his mind wandered. He puffed a load of smoke before answering. 

"Do you plan on staying in Gotham forever?"

"Hell no. Once I've reached my limit, I'm settling back in Japan." She announced. Tobi nodded in understanding. There was a moment of silence. 

"...Would you…like to come with me?" She quietly asked. It was a question she was nervous to hear the answer to. Tobi flicked her forehead to keep it lighthearted. 

"We'll see."

"Hmph." She could only grunt. 

"So...I have a lot of money and nowhere to put it. Do you have any channels for me to open up an account?" 

Hearing his request for assistance, the Japanese beauty put down her devoured plate and placed her dainty foot on his lap. Her nail polish was white. Hot. 

"I can help you…if you satisfy me enough." She trailed off. Her foot rubbed his crotch. 

Tobi shook his head before putting out the cig. Looks like he would have to exercise his back and waist a lot these next few days. Not a problem. Not a problem. 

"Then I should get to satisfying you." He commented. Right before he grabbed her, she spoke.

"Great, then let's jam."

"...Eh?" Tobi tilted his head. 

"What? Did you think I meant something else?" She giggled at his eagerness. The young esper facepalmed. 

Time passed as they spent every minute together. They had several jam sessions, replaced the bed sheets everyday, and ate out together. Tatsu did eventually use her off the grid connection to open up an offshore account for him. Eight million usd entered his account like nothing. 

Using this back channel, he could bring any future stacks of money to a shady man and put it in his account. The guy skimmed off the top and charged a percentage, but it was worth it to stay under the radar. 

Gotham City High School was closed for about a week. Once it opened back up, Tatsu had to get back into the student routine. That meant more free time for Tobi without being rude. After dumping his soul inside of her, she was sent off to class with messy hair and trembling legs. 

His phone buzzed as he sipped a glass of alcohol. It was Tyler. Another address, but with a note. Tobi's expression went back to its dim and empty state. 

'We buried them somewhere nice. Come take a look.' It read. 

The young esper put on a new suit and tie with the overcoat hanging from his shoulders. Then he disappeared from the room. One teleport into the sky above the address, a second teleport to the ground beside Tyler. 

"You rang?"

"Argh!" The old viper jumped in shock. What the fuck?

"Ah…my bad."

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" 

"...This is it?" Tobi ignored his words and asked. 

Before them was an abandoned church. They were currently on the hillside, further away from the city. Grass, flowers, and overgrown vines ran through the structure of the building. Surrounding the area was only trees and dirt. 

"That's right. You might not like it, but wait till you see the actual spot."

"......."

The two walked inside the church. Everything was broken down. Grass had grown past the floorboards. It quite literally resembled ruins in the middle of a forest. Once they got to the backyard and entered the rectory, Tobi's eyes widened. 

It was a garden. Naturally grown flowers of different types were all around. Almost like a meadow hidden away from the rest of the world. It was a beautiful but small space. Tyler patted him on the back. 

"...It's beautiful." Tobi admitted. 

"I know it is, kid."

An African-American man could be seen in the middle of the area. He was wiping his dusty hands on his work pants. Beside him was the gravestone. Tyler waved the guy over. 

"Tobi, this is Dano. He'll be engraving the stone with the words you want to say."

"Hey Tobi. Sorry for your loss bro." Dano shook his hand. 

"...Thanks for being here."

Tobi didn't mind getting his hand dirty. This man was doing the most important job today. What Dano did mattered to people. He did honest good work.

The young esper sat down beside the gravestone. His hand trailed the material. It was smooth but rough on the edges. Tyler handed him a bottle, already understanding the young man's personality. The old viper was a good man. 

"Dano, are you ready?" Tobi asked. 

The man grabbed his laser cutter, sandblaster, and chisel before kneeling in front of the stone. He turned to Tobi and nodded. The tools were checked over just to make sure….then it was time. 

"Let's do it." Dano said. 

"...Here's what I want it to say…"

Dano got to work on the gravestone. His movements were calm and precise. He listened to the kid's words and acted accordingly. About an hour later, a drunk Tobi looked at the finished product. Dano and Tyler stood behind him. 

[Denny Adams and Derrick Adams: With cherished memories, we remember the two pillars of a happy family. Two hard workers and even better parents.]

[Gabby Adams: Forever in our hearts, Gummy Bear, our shining star. Daughter of the Adams family succeeded by Tobi Adams. May they all live on in our hearts. Gone but not forgotten.]

Tobi stared at the stone for a long while. Time passed. He only remembered feeling hands on his shoulders before the two men left the place. The sound of nature was all that remained. The birds chirping and the leaves blowing in the breeze. 

To think that his family was buried in the very ground beneath him. To think that the order of a single man had resulted in something like this. To think that someone had the capacity and heartlessness needed to make such an order. Killing a whole neighborhood.

"Hahahahahahaha…" Tobi chuckled to himself. A deep red appeared in his eyes. 

The surrounding nature grew erratic as his laughter grew more deep and heavy. The trees screamed. The birds chirped even louder. The ground pulsed. 

He wanted to kill Black Mask so bad. It wasn't a want anymore. It was a NEED. Looking at the gravestone, the young esper knew he had to send the family off with ease of mind. 

Tobi tried his fucking hardest to hold in the tears. Fuck. It was so damn hard. The man had never been one to cry so much. It made him feel like less of a man…but for his family…who cared? If anyone mocked him for crying he'd put a bullet in their skull.

"I want to kill him so bad…I want to kill him so bad…" He sobbed. His limbs were trembling with bloodlust. Like a demon waiting in the dark.

The alcohol went down his throat. Day turned to night. Tobi didn't know how long he'd been here anymore. His phone had buzzed a few times. Most likely Tatsu. She could track him just as easily as Batman…so the phone could wait. 

Black Mask. Black fucking Mask. That gopher needed to show his fucking head. Just for a second. Just for a split moment. Come up for air just once. Let Tobi sense him. Please…just show yourself once. He'd tear into the bastard until there was nothing left.

…

…

…

BATCAVE

Barbara and Dick were staring at the red dot blinking on the wall-sized screen. It was Tobi's location. The codename they'd given him was Crosscut. A deadly man who could cross any distance as if cutting through space. The satellite zoomed in until they saw exactly what he was doing. 

Dick Grayson took off his eye mask and rubbed his temples. Walking away from the screen, he sat down. Barbara continued to stare. She chewed on the corner of her lip, an unconscious tick she did when under intense mental pressure.

"Hunting this guy makes me feel like shit." Dick finally admitted. 

"He's killing people. We're the good guys. Even if we're hated…we always end up being the good guys." She answered.

"That doesn't change how it makes me feel."

As they spoke with each other, another figure stepped into the cave. He was younger than both of them. Seemingly still in middle school. A short midget that actually seemed the most deadly. His expression was a constant scowl. Just like Bruce. 

"Damien. Did you just get back?" Dick called out. 

"Mnn." The boy grunted. 

He then looked at the blinking screen and the man sitting in front of a gravestone. It caused him to remember his own past. His own family. His own teachings. 

"Who's that?"

"Someone Barbara had a crush on at school." Dick answered with a mischievous smile.

"I do NOT have a crush on him." She growled. Damien raised an eyebrow. 

"Using the Batcave to spy on your crush is next level." The next Robin couldn't help but comment.

"He's a killer. He's on a warpath until Black Mask is dead."

"Black Mask? The crime lord?"

"Yes." Batgirl nodded. 

Damien turned to Dick with a look of disbelief. It was almost as if he was asking if this was real life or not. Were they seriously trying to stop him from killing Black Mask? Dick shook his head with a shrug. He knew how Damien viewed the world.

'And why is that a bad thing? Wouldn't it be good if Black Mask died?' Edgelord Robin thought.

"The same Black Mask that's making a deal with Carmine Falcone in an hour? The one Batman is catching tonight?" He continued.

"The very same." Dick said.

"Hmmm…that's quite tragic." He commented before walking out. 

As the boy stepped out of the Batcave, he tapped the communicator on his wrist. The signal locator that tracked Tobi had been hijacked. Too easy. Only Batman would've noticed something. Not those two amateurs. 

Arguing with Barbara and Dick about how killing should be allowed depending on the situation? A waste of time. Especially when they only saw him as a child. The boy sent a message to Tobi's phone that would delete itself after being read. It was the least he could do for a comrade with the same view.

…

…

…

Tobi had finished the entire bottle of alcohol. He felt empty. He felt numb. He felt like a bomb that was waiting to explode. Poised and ready. Waiting for a whiff of his prey. 

His senses were constantly scanning each and every part of the city. Ignoring the Joker. Ignoring the Penguin. Ignoring any other random fuck that didn't matter. This was revenge. Plain and simple. If it made the world a better place…that just made it a win-win situation.

Once again, his phone buzzed…but it was different. What made it weird…was that it buzzed like a statewide alert. Not like a normal message, but one that was sent by the government when predicting a flood or earthquake. 

He took out his phone and checked the screen…then he froze. His deep red eyes glowed brighter, and his mental energy manifested across his body. A high-pitched whistle sounded in the air as his pressure grew stronger and stronger. 

'Black Mask is making a deal with Carmine Falcone in a few minutes. Here's the location, but you have to find a way underground on your own. Take him off the map.' ~ A Friend

'Take him off the map? Are you ordering me?' He thought. Someone giving him demands? Tobi licked his lips…then a demonic smile rose up. 

"Yes sir."

ZMMM

He vanished.