DC: Fading Away

Another day without sleep. Bags were starting to show under Tobi's eyes. Still, he didn't feel tired. His mental energy shielded him from human limitations. If he stopped pulling on it then yeah, he'd fall asleep…so all he had to do was pull on it forever. 

Today was uneventful. He'd been monitoring the place Black Mask was supposed to show up at…but he wasn't there. Even with his senses he couldn't find the bastard. He must be underground. Sigh…Maybe Tobi had acted too hastily. Was the destruction of the last hideout the reason? Hindsight was a bitch. 

Everything was starting to feel the same. Whether it was day or night, he was feeling numb. His phone was ringing. He checked to see who it was. His expression didn't change. It was Tatsu…he didn't answer. 

What was the point in answering? They would never see each other again. He didn't think she liked him that much either. They jammed together, he would check her out, they'd go home. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Earlier she'd tried to catch him with Barbara and Dick. Did that mean she was a hero too? Tobi wasn't an idiot. Two plus two did indeed equal 4. It didn't seem like he would be able to hang with heroes. Only villains would probably understand how he felt. Or so he believed. 

Now. Where could he go to drink without being hounded by Batman? Hmm. With his senses covering the city, he searched until he found something villain related. He didn't want to go see Tyler. That would expose the old viper's location. It had to be somewhere that the dark knight knew about but wouldn't dare go. 

It took a while, but he eventually noticed a man with half his face burnt off. Half of his suit was white, the other half being black. He was sitting at a bar and drinking. More evil looking fellas were also hanging around. The place was called Sirens. Perfect. 

Like a blink. One moment he was standing on a building and the next moment, he was sitting on a stool at the bar. Completely skipped the line to get in. Teleportation was too convenient. Too awesome. Unfortunately, it didn't make him happy. There was nobody in his life to brag about it to. Gummy would've loved it. 

Turning toward the bartender, Tobi tapped his finger on the table. A large man covered in clay turned around. He approached with heavy steps. 

"What can I getcha?" He asked. 

"You're the bartender?" Tobi questioned. 

"Only during the day. At night I'm a bouncer."

"Hmm…well get me something I can keep drinking."

"Clean or dirty?"

"...What?"

"Clear drink or brown drink? That's what it means."

"Mmm. Brown drink."

The bar itself wasn't too large, but that was only a part of this place. It was a Nightclub. A jacuzzi was off to the side next to a dance floor. Gambling tables were everywhere. This was definitely a place where villains could relax. 

"You got money?" Clayface asked. Tobi pulled out a band and tossed it on the table. 

"Keep the tab open. I'm not leaving anytime soon."

And so…he drank. The young esper fell into his thoughts. Drink after drink. After a good while, he couldn't tell if his body was made of blood or alcohol. He soon thought of the good times. 

One day, Tobi had taken Gummy to a bookstore. The elementary school had given them a book assignment. Unfortunately, the staff didn't provide the books. Denny was slaving away at work…and Derrick couldn't stand up. 

As he held her hand on the sidewalk, he smiled at the gleaming expression in her eyes. Little Gummy Bear loved reading. She used it as a way to reach her happy place. A wonderland full of candy, rainbows, and waterfalls. 

Even when searching through the store, she was bouncing around with energy. He couldn't help but pat her head whenever she was like this. They did eventually find the book needed for her assignment, but at that moment, she sneezed. 

Boogers flew everywhere. Snot landed on a much larger book, dirtying the edges of the pages. Tobi had scolded her in irritation that day. Always cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. It's a polite habit to not be seen as disgusting by other people. 

Now that the book was soiled he had to buy it as well. Gummy was pouting the whole way back home because she knew she would have to read it to make use of the money. It was a language dictionary. Something she would hate to read. 

Thinking back on it, this could've been what jumpstarted her genius. Learning bigger words and phrases. It elevated her to a new level much earlier in life. Hmm. Good times. 

The young esper downed another glass of whatever the fuck it was. It didn't taste that bad either. Went down smoothly. 

As time went on, the sun fell and the moon rose. Tobi hadn't stopped drinking. Whenever he felt the edge coming back, he downed another glass. He hadn't checked his phone once. Whether it buzzed or not he couldn't feel it. He was numb. 

"Hey, buddy. I gotta go manage the line outside now…so someone else will be taking over. Just wait, alright?" Clayface slid one more glass over as he spoke. 

Tobi nodded, but he could see the concern on the man's face. This was the first time Clayface had ever seen someone drink for hours on end. More than 5 hours had passed. That wasn't all. The young man had only stared at his empty cups the entire time. He didn't move at all. 

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

"Brother, if you ever need to talk…I'll be here."

"........." Tobi only nodded again. With so much reminiscing and alcohol, he'd closed himself off. He hadn't talked in hours. 

The other people in the nightclub had noticed him by now. Catwoman leaned over to a woman covered in fur. She couldn't help but whisper. 

"Cheetah, you know who that guy is?" She asked. The animal girl shook her head. 

"Not that I know of. Must be a newcomer. Or a grunt."

"A handsome temptation like that? Definitely not a grunt." Catwoman purred. 

"Aren't you and Batman a thing? Don't snatch someone else's meal."

"Tch. I'm just having fun. Never said I wanted him."

"Yeah right. Brooding types are your go to."

"You can shut up now. Wanna make a bet?"

"What's the bet?"

"One of these thirsty bitches will approach him before the night is over."

"Stupid bet. Why would I bet against the obvious? You think I'm stupid."

"Um…no I don't."

"So you really do think I'm stupid! Fuck you." Cheetah walked off. 

Catwoman sighed. Chasing after the irritated demihuman, she thought of a way to apologize. Looks like she'd be on friendship duty tonight. 

As they left, the two villainesses failed to notice a newcomer enter the club. A woman fitted in a tight bodysuit and a katana strapped to her back. There was a white mask on her upper face that stopped after the nose. Her pretty pink lips were visible to all. A big red dot was on the forehead of the mask. Resembling Japan.

The woman walked with purpose. It was as if she'd been in places like this before. Just another day. Immediately, she sat on the stool beside Tobi. The bartender swap hadn't happened yet, so there wasn't anybody to take her order. She instead turned to look at the young man. 

He reached for the last glass, but a slim and dainty hand snatched it first. He was still reeling from the alcohol. It took him a minute to process what just happened. He slowly turned to the woman. 

"...Eh?" He tilted his head. 

'Who…is this? Did she…just…take my drink?' He thought. 

"You've had enough for today." She finally said. That voice sounded familiar, but her words made him frown. 

"...What…what would you know?"

"I know that you've been sitting here all day. That's the only reason I came here. Normally it would be impossible to catch you. You move too fast."

"Ah…you…you want to catch me. Another hero then." He didn't care and reached for the glass. The woman slapped his hand away. 

"You're drunk. No more, Tobi."

"You think…you can take me on?"

"Anybody could take you on in your current state."

"No…even now…I could flatten this city." He growled darkly. 

"I'd like to respectfully ask you not to do that." She commented nonchalantly.

"...What do you want?" His voice was low. He didn't like when his brooding was interrupted. 

"Why didn't you answer my calls?" She finally asked. 

Tobi raised an eyebrow. Reaching out toward her mask, he slowly lifted it. When he saw the two angry eyes glaring at him…he knew he was in trouble. Tatsu Yamashiro was here. He lowered the mask back. 

"You're…a hero. Why do you THINK I didn't answer? Heroes go on…and on…about how killing…is bad. It's something that I'll be doing for a while. What did you expect?" He finally said. 

"Tobi. I was an assassin before I was a hero. Sometimes I still take a job if the target is evil enough. That type of stuff…you're an idiot to think that about me. I thought we were cool?"

She placed her hand on his. Then she squeezed. Tobi's empty gaze didn't change. He thought about their past encounters and jam sessions. Hmmm. Were they really that close?

"........." He didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. Katana spoke again. 

"Come with me."

"...Where?"

"To my place. Your old place is gone right? Stay with me instead."

"...I just realized. You tracked my phone, didn't you? Batman did the same. If I go to your place, your home will be exposed. That doesn't bother you?"

"Not in the slightest." She declared. 

Taking his hesitation as a yes, she pulled him away from the table. Katana dragged him out of the bar by hand. Almost like a wife dragging her husband home from a boys night out.