A/N: In this chapter, I've coincided a little joke from How-Not-To-Do-Something's story, Lost In Transition. For those of you that haven't read it and need explaining: HNTDS referenced Tobias' name in Chapter 7 of Lost In Transition. This was written at the time of that chapter's upload, as a sort of homage/response from my end. Then, in Chapter 8, added in Tobias - and Tabitha - directly into a bonus scene. Side note to HNTDS: You messed up a few details about them, but I'll let it slide... this time. ;)
The scratching of Serenity's pencil as she sat near the now non-existent campfire was the only sound except for the birds and the rustling of the leaves overhead.
The moment she'd woken up, she'd gotten an excellent view of the sunrise from across the lake, so she grabbed her sketchbook from her car and started drawing... at 6:30 AM.
Quick and skilled as she was, by the time that the others were beginning to wake up, she hadn't finished the landscape sketch.
"Going for a realism piece, I see."
Serenity glanced up to see Kaneki holding a fishing rod in one hand, the other holding a book under his arm.
"Kaneki, right?" Serenity asked and he nodded. "Yeah, decided to just go with what I literally see, instead of figuratively."
"I see." Kaneki smirked, then kept walking to the dock, sitting on the edge and casting his line with a small splash.
Kaneki inwardly reflected on the tranquility of fishing at a glass smooth lake. There wasn't any swimmers, no boats... Nothing.
Suddenly something whizzed past his head and splashed into the water, and after a moment, it resurfaced...
It was an icicle.
"I asked Alice about the best place to cast, you're to far to the left." Tobias spoke up, passing Serenity with a smile and a wave. "Point of reference is the fallen tree."
Kaneki's eyes lost their red glow as he reeled his line in, then recast it in the direction of the tree, like Tobias had said. Tobias himself - having a taller frame - sent his brightly coloured lure a substantial distance and sat beside Kaneki.
"I have a question, Tobias." Kaneki spoke up a few moments later, and Tobias hummed in reply to show he was listening. "Why don't you have a shirt on?"
"I'm taking a leaf out of Alice's book." Tobias replied cryptically, since Kaneki hadn't realized he was wearing black swim trunks instead of his cargo pants.
Kaneki didn't understand his reference, so the pair said nothing for several minutes until Tobias reeled his line in and recast it slightly closer, resting the rod in a sudden cradle made of ice, frozen to the dock.
Without warning Tobias dove straight into the water, which was accompanied by a loud "DAMN IT!" from behind them. Kaneki turned to see Alice in her own swimsuit standing behind them, and by logical deduction, assumed she'd failed to sneak up on Toby's dog-like sense of hearing.
"Alice?" Tobias resurfaced a moment later, regarding his mother with mild surprise.
"I was gonna shove you in, but you clearly remembered my comment, didn't you?"
"Fishing with a rod is too slow... I saw a fish." Tobias raised one arm, which was gripping a short ice spear that had a fish impaled on the end. "Coincidental timing, it seems."
"Well then, next chance we get, I'm taking you spear fishing in the Caribbean." Alice laughed, then untied the pareo around her waist, diving in alongside her son, just as a little blonde rocket launched over both of their heads and splashed into the water in a spectacular cannonball.
With only one fish on his spear, Tobias quickly disappeared underwater, dropping all the way to the bottom encased in his Ice Skin. He'd modified the helmet to just cover his mouth and nose, giving him at least some sort of air to breath for a couple minutes as he readied another spear in his free hand. He wandered off along the bottom in search of more fish to catch.
Rize stretched her arms luxuriously over her head as she woke up. She fumbled for her glasses, putting them on to find that she was alone in the room she'd shared with Tobias. He must already be awake, she thought to herself as she pulled on a pair of shorts and her tank top.
A quick check of her T-Virus sonar revealed that she could only sense Alice, Kaneki and Tabitha... Where was Tobias?
Rize quickly went to the dock, finding everyone else near the water or in it. But Tobias was still unaccounted for.
"Morning Sleeping Beauty." Alice teased from the water. "Care to join us?"
"Where's Toby?" Rize rubbed one eye with her knuckle, looking around for her boyfriend.
"Fishing."
"Where is he fishing?" Rize couldn't see any boats, and Tobias wasn't on the bank either.
"Underwater." Alice replied with a smirk. "He should be back up for air momentarily."
No sooner had she said the words did a fast moving projectile launch out of the water and arch through the air to impale itself into the dock, vibrating like it was fired from a bow and arrow.
It was a five foot long ice spear, laden with nine fish of varying sizes.
Moments later, Tobias broke the surface of the water, shaking water from his eyes as he surveyed his catch.
"How are the fish biting, Kaneki?" His smartass tone made Kaneki scoff and admit defeat, reeling in his line without a word.
"You caught a Pike... with a pike?!" Alice was surveying Tobias' catches with a keen eye. "That's impressive."
"I seem to possess some signifigant semblance of power while under the water, so I just followed the fish and threw an icicle when I had a clean shot, every single time." Tobias shrugged. "I've noticed my icicles travel faster underwater compared to through air."
"Sounds like Toby caught lunch... But what's for breakfast?" Rize asked jokingly, holding a G-Serum between two fingers, staring at the pill over her glasses.
"You feeling alright, Rize?" Alice grew suspicious. Rize usually had her independant side when it came to food, even if it's human food while under the effects of the G-Serum.
"Well, I'm hungry, if that counts." Rize smiled slightly. "I'm fine otherwise."
"Oh yeah, that reminds me... Groceries." Alice had long since changed into a set of casual clothes instead of her bikini. "Any particular requests, Serenity?"
"I can just come with you, leave the kids here. I don't want to be a bother." Serenity watched as Rize snapped her fingers to reignite the firepit, which was just loaded with fresh wood. The logs instantly ignited, giving off a bright cheery glow.
"Suit yourself. Who's driving?" Alice asked as the two women went off towards the vehicles.
Tobias watched them go with a smirk. Serenity had a valid point, it'd be easier to go with Alice instead of making a request. He suddenly felt like having some coffee, but recalled that there wasn't any in the cottage.
"Alice, mind if I take the SUV to do a coffee run?" He called to his mother, who nodded and used her Telekinesis to give him the keys. "Spasibo."
Tobias watched as Serenity and Alice left in the Civic, then went inside to grab his wallet. He already knew everyone's orders from the Tim Hortons visit on the way here, so as he was getting into the driver's seat of the SUV, he heard the passenger door open, revealing Tabitha and Hinami.
"Coffee run." He explained as he closed the door and inserted the key into the ignition.
"Sweet!" Tabitha climbed in, as did Hinami, and she was rather taken aback by Tobias handing over his phone. "What's that for?"
"I looked into Canadian driving law. I can't use it at all while driving. I need you to answer it in case Mom or someone calls me."
"Isn't it in Russian?" Tabitha took his phone and put it on her lap.
"The words are, but not the icons." Tobias replied as he turned the engine over and put the SUV in gear.
On the drive to the local Tim Hortons, almost as if Tobias was actually expecting a call, it rang, and Tabitha immediately pressed the accept button and held it to her ear. "Hello?"
After several seconds she glanced at Tobias and said. "He's currently driving, I can..."
"Speakerphone." Tobias said suddenly, and she lowered the phone and pressed the button. "This is Tobias Darkwood, who may I ask is calling?"
"Wesker." Came the voice from the phone. "I'm aware it's your weekend away, but a rather opportune business deal has come to my attention that befits your skills. Interested, Captain?"
"Alright, I'll bite... What's the deal?" Tobias was rather intrigued by Wesker's nerve to call him on his break.
"New technology developed by Darpa and a private military company called Atlas, it's a mobility enhancing armoured exo-skeleton, called XOS-3, and we've arranged for a... distribution company to handle the actual sales, we just need you to convince them that it's a sound product."
"Your hesitation implies censorship. Cut the crap Wesker." Tobias frowned.
"HCLI... They're an organization specializing in the arms trade. We've arranged for the XOS-3 exo-skeleton's to be presented during a meeting on Tuesday in London, where we've agreed with HCLI to hold our official meeting."
"And you want me in England to do what exactly?" Tobias was beginning to scowl. Wesker clearly meant well, but this wasn't something he liked.
"Supervising the delivery of the units, conduct the meeting with HCLI's representative. That's all." Wesker explained. "I'm sure you understand it's not that much compared to the Q-Bullet demonstration you did last time."
"I'll speak to Alice about it tomorrow, and drop by in person with the decision. Until then, I'm not giving my answer." Tobias made a slicing motion with his hand, signalling for Tabitha to end the call.
She did, cutting the line as she lowered his phone. "So you're going on a trip?"
"Business calls... But Alice won't be pleased. This is just Wesker being a prick."
"Is this Wesker person... always like this?" Hinami asked, glancing at the phone.
"He's mine and Alice's boss... and I don't like him... at all."
