DC: Fading Away

An arrest warrant had been put out for Tobi. Every police officer in Gotham had been briefed about the kid turned killer. If they saw his face, they would immediately call for backup before moving in. 

Batman was also on the prowl. Not to mention his sidekicks. Everyone had a stake in this hunt. They all had their own reasons to find him. Chris' father had thrown money at the GCPD, demanding that they find the killer immediately. Even the most corrupt cop had a fire lit under their ass. 

A normal criminal wouldn't be able to hide for long. The city cameras were being watched at all times. His previous home had already been raided. Upon seeing the dried blood around the house, the police realized that this may be a larger situation than expected. 

His record showed two parents and a sister, but they were nowhere to be found. It was the safest bet to assume Tobi was the culprit, but those who knew more remained silent. Each crime lord had at least one cop on their payroll. 

The young esper had been searching the city for a new place to sleep. He didn't bother hiding. If the cameras saw his face…so what? Could they appear at that very second? Definitely not. He straightened his tie while entering a fast food restaurant. After ordering a burger, fries, and a drink, he left. 

Someone in the back had called the cops. They'd hoped to delay the order until the police arrived, but Tobi knew when his order was ready. There was no choice but to risk their safety if they delayed any longer. 

By the time GCPD had stormed the building, the young man was long gone. Tobi walked across the roof of a motel before stepping off. He started to fall. Right before he hit the ground, he teleported in front of a construction site. The same one where his father used to work. 

He walked all the way to the highest floor. Sitting down on the steel beams, he finally stopped to eat. He wasn't even halfway done before a voice spoke out from nearby. 

"Killing them was too much."

Tobi already knew who it was. Without any surprise in his expression, his dim gaze landed on the dark knight. Batman. He'd found him already. 

"How did you find me? I've been moving constantly. Nobody should be able to keep up."

"You could've just beat them up. Resorting to murder…taking lives…that's a step too far." Bruce continued. 

Bruce Wayne had read the boy's file. A boy from the slums that had barely been able to afford living. Adding Barbara's words from earlier, his family had been slaughtered…and he'd tried to commit suicide right after.

He was an orphan just like Bruce. The bat believed he could handle him. Possibly take him in if the boy was open to change. 

"Too far? It wasn't too far when they took the money I needed to eat for lunch? It wasn't too far when I starved everyday? It's not like there was always food at home. This is why I can't stand people like you."

".........." Bruce remained silent.

"...So caught up in your own privilege that you can't see the world from a different perspective."

"Even so. Killing is wrong. Either come with me, or I'm taking you to jail." Batman spoke coldly. Toby smiled slightly. 

"I know how you found me." He pulled out his phone. "Tracking my gps? Smart. I still don't know how you reached me so quickly, though. I just got here."

Batman's scowl grew deeper. If Tobi threw his phone away…finding him again would be almost impossible. The young esper shook his head. 

"I can already tell what you're thinking…don't worry, I won't be trashing my phone. Not now. There's too many memories on it."

Tobi's expression dimmed even further. He scrolled through the photo album, looking at pictures of his family. He couldn't bear to part with it. Batman's expression softened. At the end of the day, he was talking to someone who hadn't gotten that far through high school. Or so he thought.

"You're grieving. There's better ways to do this. You need to come with me."

"Isn't it enough that you know where I am at all times? I don't kill randomly."

"You shouldn't kill at all."

"...Black Mask was behind my family's murder. Don't tell me to turn the other cheek." Tobi's eyes glowed a deep red. 

"........."

Batman clenched his fist. Of course there was a villain involved. The young esper patted the shaky ground beside him. 

"Hungry? I have some food here." He offered some fries. The dark knight wasn't moved.

"We'll catch Black Mask. Lock him away for good."

"I don't want to CATCH the bastard. I want to kill him…and I will. Now, are you going help me find him, or are you going to help Black Mask stay danger free?" Tobi finally brought the conversation to its climax.

"I won't be an accomplice to murder. Looks like I'll have to take you in."

A batarang flew toward him. Upon hitting his shoulder, it bounced off and clattered to the ground. Tobi shook his head. 

"You're wasting your time. Just because I avoid people doesn't mean I'm weak. How about this? Once I kill Black Mask, I'll let you turn me in. I won't fight back." He lied.

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

Batman threw a different device. It split into three parts, landing at his feet. A weird frequency was emitted into Tobi's mind. Annoying. Pushing out energy from his hand, the devices disintegrated. 

"We don't need to be enemies, Batman. I don't see a point in it. You, Batgirl, and Nightwing helped me out last time. Saved my life." He lied again.

"That was before you became a killer."

Realizing that Tobi didn't plan on fighting him, the boy's threat level lowered slightly in Bruce's mind. The young man pulled out a bottle of alcohol. Completely ignoring the bat, he started to down it. 

"...Whatever. I'm done talking to you." His eyes started to lower. The edge was starting to soften. Sweet release.

Tobi continued to eat. By the time he was done, the dark knight was already gone. The esper would spend the rest of the night gazing at the stars. He was too scared to sleep. Scared of his dreams. 

His phone eventually buzzed, breaking the silence. He took a look. There were a few messages. 

'I need to see you.' ~ Tatsu

'Found a hideout. It's the same fuckers that sweeped our neighborhood. Here's the address. Happy hunting, bro.' ~ Tyler

Ignoring Tatsu, he clicked on the address. It was around 3am at this point. The hideout wouldn't be expecting him. This would be quick but definitely not clean.

Casually tossing his food wrappers aside, he started walking…then he vanished. He arrived across the street from his target. With his hands in his pockets, he scanned the compound. 

Enemies, enemies…and more enemies. Alright. Get information first, kill after. The head of this hideout seemed to be on the phone and standing at the window. He was tucked away in his high security office. Tobi appeared on the soft couch. Crossing his leg and leaning back, he listened to the man who didn't even realize someone else was in the room. 

"Yeah. Of course. Damn straight. The boss wants to add more personnel to his place. Expecting retaliation from those slum rats? Hell yeah. I'll email the roster now. Pick who you want."

Once the man hung up, he turned to his desk. That was when he saw Tobi lazing on the couch. The gruff man jumped in shock. 

"Fu-" His words were cut off as a hand covered his mouth. 

"Shhhhh."

Tobi squeezed until his head popped. Blood and brain matter splattered throughout the room. Any gook that landed on him fell right off due to the energy skin barrier. His clothing remained impeccably clean.

After searching through the man's computer, he found what he needed. Another address…this one leading to the place Black Mask would be temporarily staying at in the near future. All that was left to do was wait. 

Next on the pecking order? Money. Tobi went and found every stash in the compound. Unseen by anyone, he teleported each and every bit of cash. Crates, briefcases, duffel bags, all of it. Now, he just needed a way to clean the money and open an account. Problems for later. 

With everything he needed in his possession, he teleported above the compound. He raised his palm and pushed down in the air. His invisible mental energy flared out of his hand, cratering the entire structure. 

CRUNCH

Whether it was the material, the people, or the dirt below…everything was pressed with an overwhelming force. Almost as if a god had pushed the hideout beneath the soil. An almighty push. 

There was no joy. No satisfaction. For what? This wouldn't bring his family back. Killing the bastards that swept the neighborhood was too easy. It hadn't even taken effort. None of this was difficult. Not for him. 

He disappeared as if he was never there. Batman would know, though. How would he react? Tobi was curious.