DC: Fading Away

Tobi's empty eyes hung low due to drunkenness. The alcohol was coursing through his system…making him feel numb. He couldn't believe it. He was alone. Just like that. What a cursed life. 

"...Alright. Spill it. Who did it?"

"Remember those real estate fuckers I told you about yesterday?"

"Yeah. So it was them…" 

"They aren't actually real estate. It was a cover. A front. Janus Real Estate and Janus Cosmetics belong to Black Mask. It's a crime syndicate."

"..........."

"Honestly, we know that we can't win. But it doesn't matter. They fucked with us, so we gotta return the favor. Even if we die in the process." Tyler admitted. 

"..........."

"Don't hate us, kid. The most we'll be able to do is kill a few of their grunts and die in the process. Reaching Black Mask? We won't be able to. Won't be alive long enough."

"...Hey."

"Don't worry about us. Just live a good life. We'll try to get revenge for you."

"...Tyler."

The old viper finally turned to him. Tobi could see the defeat in the man's eyes. He understood. Still, that meant nothing. He didn't need them to fight. 

"I only need information from you. Find their bases. I'll do it myself. Also, is your tattoo artist still alive?"

"Huh?"

"Is your tattoo artist still alive?" Tobi asked again. Tyler smirked. 

"You finally joining the Vipers?" He asked. Tobi shook his head.

"No…but I want to remember my roots. No matter where I go."

"Hmph. Renzo! Grab your tools and get the fuck over here!"

Tobi took off his shirt. Grabbing a chair, he sat on it backwards with his chest facing the backrest. Renzo walked in with ink and needles. Tyler glanced at Renzo and pointed to Tobi.

"He's gang related."

"My last customer huh? Be greatful, brat. I'm off to hell after this. I got beef with those fuckers." Renzo said. Tobi smiled slightly. 

"Once you finish, I need you to do something special."

As the man set up his station and got to work, Tobi grabbed the bottle of alcohol and took another swig. The needles hurt…but his pain was deeper than that. His eyes glowed red as he thought of Black Mask. 

Tyler passed him a cig. Tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol. A nasty combo. Only for those who didn't give a damn anymore. Drinks and drugs. Tobi wouldn't say no to them anymore. He wasn't going to stay in Gotham for much longer. 

'Mother didn't want to work ever again. Father wanted to be rich. Gummy wanted to travel the world. I'll do it in your stead…I'll achieve these for each of you.' He thought sadly.

Hours later, Tobi was tatted the fuck up. A snake tattoo started at his left wrist, winding around his arm until it reached his neck. The snake's maw was wide open. The fangs were sharp. 

Right in front of the snake's mouth was a symbol. A logo. The letter D and G placed together in a single shape. Superimposed on each other. The snake was trying to eat it. The logo was below his ear. Denny, Derrick, and Gummy. D for both parents, G for his sister, Gabby.

"You probably shouldn't wear a shirt for a while." Renzo said.

"I'll be fine. Thanks Renzo." Tobi patted the man on the back with a genuine smile. 

This was probably the last smile he would give that was real. Everything from here on would be fake. He didn't plan to follow anybody's rules but his own. If that made him a villain…so be it. He would become rich. He would travel the world. He would kill for it. Starting with Black Mask. He didn't care anymore. 

"...Tyler, can you text me once you find their base? I'll be looking on my own as well."

"Alright, kid. It's not smart to stay in this neighborhood anymore. I'll send you the address to our old trap."

"......."

Tobi didn't say anything but he didn't plan on living at a new traphouse or staying at his old home. He wouldn't be able to stomach the empty home. It would consume him. He'd find something else. 

After washing off in the bathroom and switching into some of Tyler's spare clothes, he stepped out of the room. He now wore black slacks and dress shoes, a white button up, and a black suit. He draped an overcoat on his shoulders. 

The sun had risen by this point. It was a new day. A new morning. One marked by a lack of sleep. Something that Tobi didn't plan on doing for a long time. He wasn't ready to be haunted in his dreams quite yet. 

"One more thing. I need a gun."

"Hmph. We got plenty, kid. Lot's of dead members and spare guns."

"I don't really care what type it is. Just a pistol."

"How about this one?" Tyler grabbed a bloody pistol off the ground. 

It was a Ruger American black pistol. A 9mm Ruger. Built for competition. More than enough. After wiping off the blood, the old viper handed it over. Tobi tucked it in the back of his waistband. 

"Thanks…if you survive till the end of this…perhaps we can share another drink."

"Hahaha!" Tyler laughed happily. The drugs had curbed the raging anger inside. "I won't survive. We'll have to share a drink in hell together."

"Then…I'll see you in hell, brother." Tobi mumbled before leaving the house. 

The overcoat flapped in the breeze, hanging off his shoulders like a cape. He resembled a mafia gang leader. With his tattoo showing on his neck, it was safe to say that he wasn't somebody to be messed with. As soon as Tobi turned the corner…he vanished. 

Tyler heaved a sigh of relief once the kid was gone. He turned to Renzo, who was doing the same thing. Tobi's presence was scary. Much more overwhelming than it had ever been. The old viper didn't miss the red color flare in the boy's eyes.

"That kid…Black Mask is fucked."

"Definitely. One of the Tyrants is about to fall off his throne." Renzo agreed.

There were many things Tobi needed to do. First, he needed to find a new home. He also needed to kill Black Mask. He needed to attain money. He needed to travel the world. There was one other thing though…

'School should be in right now…right?' He thought. His expression didn't change at all. 

It was time to repay the favor. Chris had taken great 'care' of Tobi. He would return this 'care' ten times over. Morals be damned. He needed to vent. The boy who wanted to make his family proud was no more. All that was left…was a shell of itself. 

…

…

…

GOTHAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL

Dick Grayson looked at the empty seat in class. Tobi was absent. Even Tatsu glanced at his desk. Barbara had told her about the recent events. Even though she disliked Katana, something like this couldn't be withheld. Not between heroes. 

Upon reaching third period, Barbara watched Chris and his gang relax in the back of the classroom. Completely ignoring the teacher. They were loud too, making it hard for those that actually wanted to learn. 

"Awwww man. I want some snacks. Where's that bastard? He owes me money." Chris complained. 

"You must've scared him off. Slum rats are hard to find once they go into hiding." Jon, one of the goons, commented. 

He looked at his other groupie friend, Eric, and they bumped fists. Life was great when you had the backing of a board member. Nobody opposed you. Even with the looks on their faces, even when it looked like they'd eaten shit…they still didn't do anything. 

Barbara couldn't help but bite her lip. She wanted to beat them up and drag them to jail. The only way to alleviate evil in Gotham was with stronger force than the other. Bruce had constantly cemented this point. 

ZMMM

While everyone was thinking about their own problems, they failed to notice a silent arrival. Tobi appeared in the classroom as if he'd always been there. His arm wrapped around Eric's neck as if they'd been friends for a while. 

"What's going on over here?" He asked in a casual manner. His eyes were dim. 

Everyone in the class turned to the new voice. Upon seeing Tobi, they frowned. When the hell did he get here? The door hadn't even opened. Barbara felt alarm bells ringing in her head. The eerie boy was dressed in a black suit and tie. He looked as if he'd just left a corporate meeting…until she saw the tattoo on his neck. 

'Did he join the gang?' She thought. 

"Eh? Why are you wearing a suit? Getting a job flipping burgers? Haha." Chris smiled darkly.

"...I'm in mourning." Tobi answered with a fake smile.

Chris walked up to him while cracking his neck. The jock couldn't wait to get his money. Jon placed a hand on Tobi's shoulder. He then leaned into the ominous boy's ear. 

"Don't you have something for us?" Jon mocked. Without even looking at him, Tobi nodded. 

"...You're right. I owe you a lot, don't I?"

Unseen by Jon, the barrel of Tobi's pistol was below his chin. Barbara's eyes grew wide. He pulled the trigger. 

BANG 

Jon's brain matter splattered against the wall and ceiling. His corpse dropped to the ground. Tobi finally turned his gaze to Eric. 

"Don't I owe you something too?"

Everyone screamed. The students sitting at the desk scrambled to get away from him. The entire school building heard that gunshot. Chris' face had turned pale. His legs were growing weak. 

"You don't owe me anything, Tobi. I swear to god! I won't talk to you ever again! Please spare me!" Eric cried out. 

"...Isn't it…a little late to say that?" 

Tobi grabbed Eric and slammed his head against the desk. Blood spilled. The kid fell to the ground. Only then did he put two bullets in the coward's chest. Dead. Ahh…sweet release. The young esper licked his lips. 

"Last but not least. Chris…the golden boy."

"Tobi, stop!" Barbara yelled. "This isn't the way!"

By this point, the school was evacuating the students. The hallways were filled with people running to escape campus. Tobi's dim gaze landed on the girl who'd protected him from these fiends. Seeing the desolate emptiness in his eyes…she faltered. 

"Be a good citizen and stay far away. Call the cops or something. This is probably the last time we'll ever see each other anyways." He said. She shook her head. 

"Don't dirty your hands anymore! If you do this, you're no better than them." Barbara answered. 

Tobi looked at Chris who was ready to bolt, then back at the headstrong girl. It was at this point that Dick Grayson sprinted into the room. Before he could speak up, Tobi responded. 

"Then…I guess that makes me scum. That's how it works in your eyes, right? Oh well." 

"Tobi-"

Not listening to her anymore, he gestured for Chris to start walking. His other arm wrapped around his shoulder. Almost like they were best friends. 

"...Move."

"Tobi…bro…I'm sorry man. I'll make it up to you. Don't kill me."

"Keep. Walking."

They left the classroom. As they walked down the hall, several evacuating students noticed Tobi. Tatsu was one of these few. Just like Dick, she had followed the sound of gunshots. Her eyes widened upon seeing Tobi. 

The two made eye contact for a few seconds. Tobi looked away without saying a word. The young esper and captive continued through campus. It was going to end only one way. Nobody could change that. 

Barbara, Dick, and Tatsu glanced at each other. The commissioner's daughter made hand signals to both of them. They nodded in response. 

'Don't let him kill Chris. We need to stop him.'

The trio immediately dashed after Tobi. Their goal was to snatch his gun and pin him down. To stop this madness. It was frightening…Tobi's change. It was like he didn't care about anything anymore. 

As Tobi and Chris went down the stairs, the jock took a chance. He leapt over the railing and landed hard on the other side. Right before he could turn the corner, he felt pain. 

BANG

A bullet had ripped through his leg. He immediately fell to the ground, the momentum causing him to slide. His back hit the wall. Only then did the pain reach his brain. 

"Aaaaaaagh!" Chris screamed. 

"...Where are you going? We have so much to talk about. Trying to get out of it already?" Tobi muttered. 

He didn't even bother to speed up. With a hand in his pocket and the other holding the pistol, he casually went down the stairs. The young esper reached Chris a few seconds later. 

"My good friend…" Tobi grabbed the jock by the hair and pulled him to his feet. "Get up."

"Fuck…are you going to kill me? Hurry up and do it then, bastard!" Chris growled. 

"It wouldn't be fun to kill you so quickly. Be patient. I'll kill you soon."

As soon as Barbara and co reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw the blood trail. Then they saw Tobi dragging a limping Chris. The trio shot toward him. Barbara went for Tobi's waist. Tatsu went for the gun. Dick went for Chris.

A useless endeavour. The young esper could see it all. They were slow. Too slow. Right before they caught him, he vanished. Hands swept through where he used to be.

ZMMM

The trio fell onto the floor in a heap. It was like trying to grab a ghost. As if the whole scene was an illusion. Where did he go?

"Shit!" Barbara screamed. 

Tobi appeared in a junkyard at the edge of the city. Looking at an abandoned car, he slammed Chris' face through the window. The glass shattered. They vanished again, appearing in the alley from before. The same alley where the jock had beaten him like a dog. Now it was Chris' turn. 

"Recognize where we are?" 

"...W-What…what are you?" Chris croaked. His bleeding face was swollen. 

"You threw my bag in the trash last time. The one my mom bought me. She worked hard to get me that bag." Tobi spoke in a calm voice. Almost as if the topic wasn't about him.

"Wait-"

Tobi grabbed him by the back of his head and slammed him into the trash container. Once the bastard was inside like a piece of garbage, he kicked the container. 

BAM

Chris and the trash flew down the alley and smashed into the wall. The jock's ribs broke immediately. His arm snapped at the elbow as well. 

"Let's make a deal." Tobi's voice was eerie. Like a gang leader educating his followers.

"Agh! N-No more. I'm…sorry"

"...Tch." The esper clicked his tongue. "Stop begging. If you slide me a few thousand bucks…I'll leave you alone. Does that sound good? Do we have a deal?"

While fighting tears and constant grunts of pain, the bloodied jock struggled to pull out his wallet. Tobi swiped it from his hand and rifled through the money. It was actually a sizable amount. More than $3,000 cash was sitting there. 

"...You had all this money and still wanted mine?" 

"That's…that's all I have on me right now. Erk-are we cool now?" Chris spat out blood.

"Yeah, yeah we're cool." Tobi commented while counting all the money. He stuffed it in his pocket. 

Chris heaved a sigh of relief and sat against the wall. His body was constantly shaking from pain. Everything hurt. There was a moment of silence as Tobi scrolled his phone. Eventually, he held out his hand. 

"Alright. Let me take you back to school. The cops are probably here by now. They'll get you patched up." He said. Chris hesitated but soon grabbed his hand. 

"Thanks man. I know we got off on the wrong foot. My bad. I'm sorry…for real. I'll do better."

"......" Tobi didn't care.

ZMMM

They appeared in the sky above the campus gates. He looked into Chris' eyes before letting go. The golden boy started to fall. 

"...I forgive you." 

…

…

Dick Grayson finished recounting to the police what he knew. He explained what he saw. Barbara was shuddering to herself further away. Tatsu was different. There was a gleam in her eyes as she thought of Tobi. It was unknown what the Japanese girl was thinking. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" A scream came from above. 

The students looked up to see a body falling from the sky. Chris landed on the school gate, the sharp ends piercing through his torso. The jock was speared all the way through. Like a kabab. Death came immediately.