The sound of crashing waves. A peaceful view. Blue as far as the eye could see. Children were playing in the shallow parts of the water. Some were building sand castles.
This little escape from reality was called Bora Bora. A natural resort within the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia. Located in the South Pacific Ocean. There was actually a collection of little islands. All under a general name.
Tobi sat on the edge of the wooden walkway and watched the clouds. There were several mini homes sitting on top of the water. Commonly known as Overwater Bungalows. He was sitting right outside of his own bungalow. His bare feet were submerged in water.
His button up shirt had long since been unbuttoned and the tie removed. Extra layers were gone. The calm breeze ruffled his hair, flapped his clothes, caressed his skin. Not to mention that he was numb. The alcohol had done its job once again.
Seeing all of the people here enjoying themselves…he couldn't help but wonder. What had they done to step away from their responsibilities? How had they managed to make it here? Even though Tobi was now incredibly wealthy, his mind hadn't left the trenches.
'I don't think my family has ever left Gotham.' He thought.
There was no chance for them to take vacations. They hadn't been able to afford it. What would happen if Denny or Derrick had stepped away from their responsibilities? Homelessness. That would be the result.
Tobi couldn't help it. Even though he was sitting there with these people…he felt disgusted. As if he was watching entitlement in its purest form. Siiiigh. More alcohol. He needed to wash away his thoughts.
A group of privileged young adults were playing around nearby. Similar to Tobi's age. As such, they couldn't help but glance at the young esper more often. It didn't take long before a beach ball was thrown at him.
Without looking, he caught the ball in his hand. Only then did he turn to the group. Three men, two women. A pair of brother and sister, two brothers, and one standalone girl. Most likely trust-fund kids. Nepotism children.
The girls were attractive. The men were fit and healthy. A type of upkeeping you could only do with too much free time. They've probably never worked a day in their life.
"Aren't you a little young to be drinking so much?" One of the girls spoke up.
Tobi's dim gaze stopped on her. Black hair, energetic and curious. Earrings that probably cost more than he could make during his entire life. If he did things legally of course. If he followed the corrupt system.
"......"
Without saying a word, he tossed the ball back to the girl. He then returned to his boring act of cloud gazing. One of the jocks who saw the girl get ignored, clicked his tongue.
"Yo man, she's talking to you. Don't be a drama queen."
SPLASH
The boy splashed Tobi with ocean water. His clothes became drenched, and the glass of alcohol mixed with salt water. Alright…just as he thought. The young esper wasn't surprised. He poured out his drink without a change in expression.
"......" He didn't say a word.
"Conrad, don't be a jerk!" The girl playfully slapped his shoulder.
"What? He was being an ass. Nobody ignores my little Belly Elly." The jock nuzzled her hair.
"Stop messing up my hair. Ugh!" Belly complained.
"Sorry about Conrad. My bro acts up sometimes. The name's Jeremiah. Hope we didn't offend." A different jock spoke up. Apologizing for his small-minded sibling.
"........" Instead of responding, Tobi poured another glass for himself. Then he drank.
The group in front of him continued frolicking around. Time went by slowly. Even though Tobi didn't speak, it was a comfortable silence to the group. His looks were enough for them to consider him a member of their group. His calm and unfazed demeanor left them curious. The sun wasn't too hot. A perfect balance of weather.
"You don't talk much, do you?" A feminine voice reached his ear.
It was the other girl. She hadn't spoken earlier. Only watching and taking mental notes. She was definitely the smartest of the group.
An African American beauty with perfectly smooth skin and a slim figure. Lighter skinned, with afro curls that were wet from the water. Shining under the sun's rays. Her mannerisms were more subtle. More subdued. Raised with manners.
"......" He didn't respond once again, but she didn't seem bothered by it.
"They might seem like jerks on the first glance, but I swear it's not what you're probably thinking."
".....Mnn." He finally grunted before downing another glass.
Raising his bottle, he offered it silently. She thought for a moment before nodding. Another glass was added. Jeremiah, Conrad, Belly, and her brother Steven, all glanced at the two who seemed to be getting along.
They didn't do anything about it…but glances kept shooting over. Tobi filled Nicole's glass. The girl swirled the liquid in her cup before having a taste. Only then did her eyebrows rise. It was delicious.
An aftertaste of strawberries. The flavor balance wasn't overwhelmed by the alcohol. Everything was weighed just right. It went down smoothly. Now she understood why the young man was drinking so much.
"What the heck is this?" She exclaimed in surprise. Tobi swirled his cup.
"...Rosé Sainte Marie. They aren't in production anymore. Only a few left." He finally spoke.
"It's good! Where did you get this?"
"Somewhere. I don't remember anymore."
"You just don't want to tell me."
"...Nope."
After shared silence, Nicole was called over by the group. They conversed about something unimportant, but maybe it mattered to them. Who knows what the upper echelon talk about behind closed doors. Tobi didn't know and didn't want to know.
So he left. When the group of young adults turned back to the edge of the Bungalow…they froze. The spot where Tobi used to sit was empty. Belly looked everywhere until she spotted him in the distance.
The young esper held his shoes in one hand and his drink in the other. Calmly walking across the shallow water. Leaving the populated area. He kept moving until his silhouette disappeared across the horizon.
As soon as he was gone, the group immediately turned to Nicole. They pressed her for answers. Extremely curious about the boy with the tattoo on his neck. Slightly jealous that he talked to her and nobody else.
…
…
…
Tobi walked and walked. He traveled the perimeter of the island, taking in the different sights. Lagoons deeper within the island, hiking trails, and more. He was looking for a spot to settle down. Somewhere he could watch the stars once night fell.
The sun met the horizon. Bonfires started to light up. Vacationers were everywhere. Tobi still hadn't found a spot. Unfortunate. Things couldn't work out perfectly every time. That was just life.
Eventually, he came across a group of men sitting on a bunch of cut down logs. Smoothed over by the erosion of time. They were gambling. Playing with a deck of cards. Throwing out money and growling at each other.
"You up for a few rounds of Blackjack?" A gruff man called out.
Upon making eye contact, the man's eyebrows rose slightly as if he recognized something. Tobi glanced at the cards before shrugging. Why not? Stargazing wouldn't be so peaceful tonight anyways.
"...Sure."
"Awesome. Take a seat. Gonna take all your money in just a second." The man joked.
"We'll see."
"Heh. Good luck. I'm Ted. Nice to meet you, kid."
"Tobi."
The dealer passed out a deck of cards, only giving two to each player. Small but sizable amounts of money was set down for the bet. Tobi participated as well. Ted Grant had played it cool upon seeing Tobi…and that was due to his martial skills.
A retired hero who didn't have any abilities. Wildcat. He'd quit the hero world a long time ago…but that didn't mean he wasn't in the loop. Everyone related to the Justice League had received a mass alert with Tobi's face. He typed a message on his phone without giving anything away.
The young esper hadn't even noticed. He was too relaxed…not bothering to check everything with his senses. Not to mention the alcohol running through his system. In Tobi's mind, all threats had been taken care of…and he wasn't a priority to heroes.
To play Blackjack, you had to reach the number 21. Whoever was closest to reaching that number would win. If you go over 21, you bust. Only if you stand do you stop collecting cards.
"Hit." Everyone called out.
Another card was dealt. Ted checked his cards. He glanced at Tobi and smirked. An ace was worth 11 points. Not to mention his King card(10). That meant he won.
'Tough luck, kid, I'll be making some money this round.' He thought.
"Stand." Tobi said. His turn ended. He didn't try to reach 21.
"Blackjack." Ted said.
He revealed his cards. All of the surrounding players cursed him under their breaths. It never felt good to lose a chunk of money so fast. Tobi only shook his head. He'd already lost some cash.
The night went on. Sometimes Tobi would win. Sometimes he lost. Sometimes he watched without playing. He couldn't help but think about the times he played around at school or watched TV shows with Gummy.
Whenever he stopped focusing on the present, memories always popped up in his head. It happened too frequently to keep track. The young man had zoned out. He'd fallen into a daze.
Ted watched the boy with a glint in his eyes. This kid didn't really seem that evil. Why were the heroes looking for him? Even though he'd already pinged the League, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on.
With a lit cig in his mouth, Tobi had been quietly watching the stars. The gamblers kept gambling beside him, throwing their life savings away. As he looked for the Ursa Major and Cygnus constellations…something weird caught his attention.
The young esper immediately rose to his feet. His senses went across the entire island. Far on the other side of the land, civilians were being quietly evacuated. The boats were quick and silent. Ted Grant eyed the boy silently.
That was when Tobi felt it. Something moving at a speed so fast he barely caught it in time. A red and yellow bolt had crossed the ocean and stepped foot on the island before he even sensed it. Not to mention the second figure zooming through the sky.
Tobi glanced at Ted with a disappointed expression. Only now had he connected the dots. That subtle recognition from the beginning…It was him.
ZMMM
He vanished from the area like a ghost. Not even a second after he was gone, a figure appeared where Tobi used to be. His body was vibrating with golden arcs of electricity. Wearing a red hero costume. It was The Flash.
"Awwww…Damn!" Barry Allen groaned.
Just a millisecond late. Anti-space handcuffs were in his hands. If he'd been just a little bit faster, Crosscut would be in chains. Unable to flee. So close!
CRACKLE
The air shuddered as a figure cut through the sky. A blonde haired woman floated down from the clouds. Blue suit and red skirt. A red cape flapped behind her. It was Supergirl.
"Any luck?" She called out from above.
"We were too late. He noticed us."
"What? How could he possibly notice in time?"
"Don't know for sure. Possibly evacuating the citizens? He won't get away next time."
Finally, the duo glanced at Ted before nodding quietly. They didn't blow his cover. While the other men were surprised to see heroes arrive so abruptly, they were more interested in Supergirl's midriff. What a nice stomach.
The kryptonian frowned before taking off into the sky. She was used to the looks but it was still annoying. Only the crackle of air was left in her wake. Flash zoomed away just as quickly. They'd catch Tobi soon.