The front door creaked loudly as it opened. It threatened to fall off the hinges…and that was with Tobi being gentle. A replacement was needed for sure. Unfortunately, there was no money for that.
Stepping into the home, the surroundings were revealed. Cracked wood, worn out paint, old plaster peeling off the walls. Sketchy floorboards, barely working outlets, limited warm water…the usual stuff that poor people lived with.
Regardless, it didn't matter as soon as Tobi laid eyes on a young girl reading a picture book. Turning toward the door, her eyes lit up when seeing him. Ignoring the obvious dirt and dried blood, she ran up to him for a hug.
"Brother! Up!" She exclaimed while raising her arms.
He couldn't help but follow along. She was brought into his arms and lifted into a twirl. Only then did he hold her close.
"Hey, Gummy! How was school?" He kissed her on the cheek.
His little sister. Her name was Gabby, but everyone called her Gummy. Short for Gummy Bear. The shining star of the family. She learned things quickly, and there was no doubt that she would have a bright future…As long she made it out of Gotham.
"They gave us this book! It shows every place in the world!" She exclaimed with big eyes.
"Oh? Are you sure it's every place? Shouldn't the book be larger then?"
"Ptui! It's every place that matters. The beautiful ones."
"Mmm. You've always wanted to see places like that."
"One day I'll go see the Statue of Liberty with my own eyes! Then, I'll go to Iceland and see all the waterfalls. And then…and then-"
Gummy went on and on about the places she would visit once she was older. From a desert oasis, to the architect ruins of the Mayans, she wanted to see it all. Tobi wouldn't be surprised if she became an archaeologist in the future. Eventually, the little angel scrunched her nose.
"Tobi…"
"Mmm?" He hummed, rubbing his cheek against hers.
"You stink! Bleh!" She exclaimed before running off.
Tobi chuckled before heading toward the stairs. He peered into the living room while going up. His father, Derrick, was sitting on his favorite chair and watching the news. His entire leg was wrapped in a cast.
"Pops, I'll cook some food in a second." He called out. Derrick didn't turn away from the old TV.
"...Mmm." Dad only grunted.
Derrick was a military vet turned construction worker. Getting a job wasn't easy, especially when the country doesn't give a damn about its retired soldiers. The company policy didn't cover injuries on the job. It was just his luck that he got injured. He couldn't work anymore, but still had to pay off the enormous hospital bill.
Why was the bill so expensive? Because the reconstructive surgery failed. Not to mention the abysmal healthcare system. Everything was stacked against the average citizen. Since he couldn't work, Denny, Tobi's mother, had to increase her workload.
That meant having two full time jobs. One during the day and one during the night. It was only fair for Tobi to cook for the family. Nobody would eat otherwise. He quickly went on to wash up and change clothes.
Time passed and a lovely aroma started to drift through the house. Tobi wore an apron, flipping ingredients in the pan and searing meat to perfection. If there was one redeeming quality about him, it was his cooking skills. Skills that were forged through blood, sweat, and tears to please his family.
Gummy ran into the kitchen several times, trying to sneak a taste of what was cooking. He had to shoo her away. Right as he was setting the plates, the front door opened. In came his mother, slowly dragging her tired body to the table.
"It…smells good." Denny hummed softly.
Her eyes were drooping. Tobi felt his heart ache at her appearance. While relatively young in her early forties, her hair was already turning grey. There were wrinkles on her face already. She was aging quickly.
"Eat this mom, get some rest before you go back to work."
Tobi set a few plates in front of her. Taking her coat off her shoulders and hanging it up, he immediately got to massaging her shoulders. She ate quietly and happily. Eventually, she leaned back on the chair and looked up into Tobi's eyes.
"Your cooking is delicious as always."
"It better be, or all my work would've been for nothing." He joked.
"Hmph. One day, I'll quit these jobs and cook for you."
"I look forward to that day."
"Son?"
"Yes?"
Denny's expression sharpened. Her eyes narrowed on the bandages on his face. He looked much cleaner than earlier…but bandages could only hide so much. She knew what she saw.
"There's three more patches on your face compared to yesterday."
"Weird. It's the same amount as last time." Tobi lied.
"Are you getting into fights?"
"No! I'm telling you that I fell."
"Alright. I won't pry further than this. If I see any more marks on you tomorrow, I'm meeting the principal."
"Don't worry about it, Mom. I can take care of myself."
After reassuring his mother, he finally called out that dinner was ready. It was rare to see everyone at home at the same time. Denny would have the next day off, so she would be able to get some serious rest. It was paid leave too. Working as a receptionist during the day, and backroom staff at night.
As the rest of the family dug into their meals, the doorbell rang. Denny got up, but Tobi pushed her back down. She deserved to not move for the rest of the day. Therefore, he was the one who answered the door.
On the other side were two men in suits. They held a stack of pamphlets. Despite wearing clean clothes…they didn't look clean. More like thugs pretending to be legal. Whatever crap they were spewing, Tobi didn't want any parts. Tyler's warning was still fresh.
"Hello, we're with Janus Real Estate. We've been working on a new housing project and finally reached our implementation stage. This neighborhood has been recently purchased, and we're informing residents-"
"Not interested."
BAM
Tobi shut the door on their faces. Walking back to the table, he sat down. Both Derrick and Denny glanced at him.
"Who was it?" Both Mother and Father asked.
"Just a pyramid scheme."
"Ugh. I'm so sick of them. Somehow these scammers got everyone's number too. Always talking about toll roads and failed deliveries. Expecting us to give out our info. Sigh. Why is everything so predatory?" Denny complained.
"........"
On the other side of the door, the two figures clicked their tongues. This wasn't the only house that had ignored them. Still, their patience had reached its limit.
"Mark this house as well. The boss will handle it."
"Is he sending a team?" The other figure asked while writing down the address.
"One team per street. These slum rats gotta go."
…
…
…
The next morning, Tobi woke up with a tired yawn. The alarm was blaring…so annoying! His hand smacked it away. Huddling back under the covers, he went back to sleep.
"Bro! You're gonna be late!" Gummy called out from downstairs.
He could picture his sister's puffed up expression as she looked up from the front door. She even clicked her tongue before leaving…wait. Huh? Did Tobi imagine that or was that mental image real?
Whatever. Anyways, Tobi was tired. He didn't want to go to school. Tch. Damn. Mom wouldn't like that unless he had a valid reason.
'But I don't want to get up.' He thought lazily.
Thinking about his bathroom routine and the upcoming cold shower…he suddenly found himself standing in front of the sink with a toothbrush in his hand. Uh…Alright. Now Tobi was actually suspicious. Was he sleepwalking? He didn't even remember leaving the bed.
Something was weird. A fly was buzzing around downstairs and he could hear it. The kitchen tap water was dripping and he could tell where it landed. His senses felt enhanced. Was he dreaming?
Trying hard not to flip out, Tobi washed up and got ready for school. He immediately grabbed the fly swatter once he jumped down the stairs. That fly was dead meat. Only then did he cook a quick breakfast of eggs, sausage, and toast for his mother.
Being as quiet as he could, he entered her room and set the plate on the drawer. If the smell didn't wake her up…well she'd notice eventually. He even left a note for her.