Barbara Gordon wasn't happy that Tobi was close to that asian girl. Even after walking him out of the school campus, she was irritated. She knew who Tatsu was. Knew what she did behind closed doors. An assassin turned hero. Katana. Why did Tobi get close to her?
She was pissed. So…she decided to spy on him. Immediately returning to the batcave, she donned her gear. Batgirl was on the move.
It didn't take long to reach his neighborhood. The surroundings were quiet…and it smelled like blood. Using an x-ray scanning device, she was able to temporarily see within the homes. That's when she felt sick to her stomach. No matter which house she looked at, there were only dead bodies.
If it was like this…then what about Tobi? She rushed toward the boy's place. The door was already open. Damnit. Batgirl dashed into the rundown home. The first thing she saw was Tobi himself.
He looked as if he was sleeping. Dried tears covered his face. Gently holding the corpse of his little sister. Sitting with his back against the broken table. His father was dead beside him. His mother's corpse was on the stairs. That sick feeling in her stomach grew worse. Barbara shook Tobi's shoulder.
"Tobi. Tobi? Tobi…"
Only then did she see the deep cut on his wrist. A self inflicted wound. The knife was still sitting beside him. He'd decided to end it all. The girl started to panic.
"Tobi, stay with me. You idiot!" She screamed while checking his pulse.
Good. He was still alive! Barely. Removing Gummy from his arms, she gently picked him up. Alfred was already on speed dial. Tobi needed medical attention fast.
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BATCAVE
Tobi's senses woke up before he did. He was lying in a medical bay. An IV drip needle was attached to his arm. Batman and Batgirl were arguing. Nightwing was trying to be the voice of reason.
"You brought him to the Batcave. Naive. Take him to the hospital. Now." Bruce spoke coldly.
"He needed help quickly! I know him, and I know he wouldn't reveal his knowledge of this place!"
"Minds change. People are fickle. You've exposed us."
"I haven't exposed anything."
"Once he recovers, then what? What happens next?" Batman growled.
"Guys, guys. How about once we get him stable, away from death's door, we send him to the hospital?" Dick mediated between the two of them.
Barbara and Bruce were glaring at each other. Nightwing was panicking. Alfred was watching in the background. Tobi opened his eyes and turned to the old butler. They locked eyes.
The old man's expression fell upon seeing the emptiness in Tobi's gaze. The boy nodded in gratitude. Before Alfred could speak, Tobi vanished from his medical bed. The IV tube and needle hit the ground with a clattering sound.
Everyone turned toward the noise. Tobi was gone. Batman immediately grew alert and initiated lockdown in the entire mansion. Barbara approached the bed. Nightwing stared in shock.
"W-what the hell? Tobi, are you here? Where are you?! Toby!" She called out.
"My lady…" Alfred spoke. Everyone turned to him. "I noticed the moment he woke up. He didn't even spare the place a glance. He looked at me…then disappeared."
"He looked at you. Explain." Bruce growled. His voice was cold.
"He bowed his head to me. He thanked me. It's like he knew I was the one who put him on the IV drip, Sir."
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Tobi appeared in a large forest outside New Jersey. He'd gone here once as a child. His family had brought him here. He only needed to think about it, and he'd arrive there. It didn't matter how far it was.
'Time to figure out exactly what I can do.' He thought.
Picking up a rock, he poured his mental energy into it. Ever since he became one with the concept of sorrow…everything felt simple. Figuring out his abilities didn't seem hard at all.
The rock exploded from the power held within. Hmmm. He picked up another rock and tried to levitate it with his mind. It fell to the ground. So…he didn't have telekinesis? What kind of esper didn't have telekinesis?!
Next, he tossed the rock into the air and tried to control it. That was when something happened. The falling rock accelerated in velocity. It hit the ground faster than it should've. A pebbled sized hole was left in the ground.
"Hmmm. Velocity control?" He muttered.
This time, he threw another rock forward. Then he accelerated it. The rock lit up with a spectrum of colors as it rocketed forward. Rings of air appeared behind it as the rock broke the sound barrier.
BOOM
It exploded like a bomb, leaving a massive blast zone in the forest. Hmmm. Powerful. Just a rock was enough to blow a hole through the forest. Alright…he could work with that. Teleportation and velocity control. Was that all?
Tobi reached deep and flared his…psychic energy? Spirit power? Mental energy? Esper energy? ESP? Hmmm. He'd have to figure out what to refer to it as. Whenever he used it, his eyes glowed a deep red. He flared his energy.
BOOM
The ground beneath him cratered. Placing his hand on the ground, he flared it again. The ground cratered even further, causing a small earthquake. Hmmm. That could be quite strong if used with a punch. Or just a push.
He then teleported around the forest multiple times. He moved as fast as he could, trying to determine his reaction time. He was able to dodge trees, animals, and falling leaves. All while teleporting at incredible speeds. Extrasensory perception and movement prediction. Check.
Whenever he flashed from place to place, his body was coated in a film of energy. It was defensive in nature. Could he do it at will? Test time.
Tobi gently pulled on his energy. This time, he wasn't violent. The answer was yes, He could cover himself in it. He then swung his fist at a tree without hesitation. There was no damage to his hand. He didn't feel it at all.
Alright. Last thing to test. He couldn't use basic telekinesis on other things, but could he control himself? He gave it a try…and yes. He could. He threw another punch at the same tree and it was blown out of the ground. Increased strength. Check.
Good. Testing done. Now. What was he supposed to do about this overwhelming feeling of sadness? It was crushing him. Devouring him. It was like an ocean, drowning him in its depths.
His grief over his dead family…it had been multiplied several times. To the point where it was unbearable. His expression didn't change…but tears fell. He would never feel happiness again. There was no space for it. Only sorrow. Anger was there…but it would fizzle out under the overwhelming pressure of sorrow.
Instead, anger had been replaced by killing intent. The desire to kill and murder. To cause harm. It filled every inch of his being. The problem was that he didn't know where to direct this feeling…he needed an outlet. So he teleported.
Appearing in his neighborhood, he noticed the Vipers. Only a few members were outside. When they saw him, still covered in blood, they immediately placed hands on his shoulders.
"My condolences, man."
"Damnit! It's so fucked up."
"Tyler's moving the bodies. He's at your crib right now. Condolences, brother. Let's get revenge. They killed my uncle."
"They killed my brother. It's war. I'm gonna kill every last fucker involved."
Everyone was feeling some type of way. Everyone wanted to retaliate. Tobi made his way home. He didn't say a word to them. Tyler was there. Two of his grunts were carrying the bagged bodies of his family into the back of a van.
His heart shattered further as he saw it all. When he saw the tiny bag covering his little Gummy Bear…the tears fell again. The wind flowed through his hair. He didn't know, but his features had grown more angelic.
"...Tyler."
The older man turned to see the grieving Tobi. Without hesitation, he grabbed the back of Tobi's head. Their foreheads pressed against each other.
"Listen to me, kid. We're going to fucking slaughter them. Okay? I'm going to piss on their corpses."
"...Who did it?" Tobi finally asked.
"Let's go to the traphouse. I'll tell you everything there."
They made their way over to the house that the Vipers used as a semi-base. As soon as they stepped inside, the stench of death wafted through the air. Tobi finally understood why they weren't able to protect the residents in time. They'd been attacked as well.
Dead members of the gang were lying on the floor. Those who survived the sweep were leaning against the wall and barely breathing. It wasn't looking good for the Vipers. Tobi didn't believe that they would be able to retaliate now. If they did…it was suicide.
Anger could be seen on Tyler's face as he picked up a glass of alcohol and threw it against the wall. It shattered before falling to the ground. After he vented, he turned to Tobi.
"Feel free to take the edge off. Drinks, drugs, you name it, we got it." He said.
The young esper sat on the counter and grabbed a bottle of alcohol. Not even bothering to pour it into a glass, he took a swig. It went down his throat like fire. It burned his chest. It tasted like shit but the feeling after…It eased the torture within. Tobi drank more until the burn hurt his throat.
Tobi had discovered alcohol…and he realized that his relationship with it would only grow deeper over time. It would become his new best friend. The only thing to keep him company. One bottle had turned him into an alcoholic. All because it numbed the pain.