Heroes in the Dark chapter 33

Tokoyami shuffled his feet nervously as he came to stand next to Overhaul. It was a strange feeling to be standing so close to this dangerous individual, yet not having his attention be placed squarely on him. The yakuza boss seemed satisfied just… having Tokoyami follow his orders, as uncomfortable as they made him feel. It wasn't that it was some great demand, either. Overhaul probably just wanted to see him squirm. And although he fought to keep a cool exterior, there was no escape from the feeling of dread that came over him by standing in the shadow of this man. He came to stand just outside of arm's reach, something that he was certain Overhaul would take notice of. And sure, Tokoyami figured that if he wanted something to happen, then nothing would stop him from making it a reality, but the student had to make the most of his caution where he could, as insignificant as it was.

Tokoyami didn't have to look to know that Overhaul was keeping him in his sights, probably marveling at the new recruits that he'd successfully taken under his wing. He didn't want to grant him the satisfaction of acknowledgement, and yet he knew he couldn't afford to ignore the yakuza outright. Remembering what he was capable of, Dark Shadow fidgeted in his mind. Their negativity reflected off each other, and in the moment there was no exchange between the user and his quirk that would settle the nerves of either one of them. And truth be told, there was nothing in this room that would be capable of giving them peace of mind. Be that as it may, it was certainly a mixed bag…

Twice was glancing over at his in a not-so-subtle way, looking visibly torn between staying put and wanting to come to his side if it meant that Tokoyami wouldn't have to stand by such a person by himself. Toga had her knife out and was playing with it, looking between the people in the room as though trying to decide who she wanted to target – or rather, "practice her quirk on" – first. That was why they were brought here, after all, right?

Rappa, as big as he loomed over them all, wasted no time in expressing his excitement. "Hey, you didn't bring me here for no reason, right? So who do I get to fight this time?" He brought his fists together, a resounding thud filling the room. "Do I finally get my rematch?!"

Tokoyami tensed, eying him warily. This… couldn't have been the reason why he was here. No, Overhaul wouldn't involve him in something so pointless.

"You'll be fighting yourself," Overhaul said simply, making everyone perk up. "That's how your quirk works, isn't that correct, Bubaigawara? Your duplication, that is. I'm curious about the process of it, and figured we could get a head start on that before anything too exciting happens. Similarly, Toga–" Overhaul's eyes narrowed to displeased slits. "Is she listening?"

Toga had her gaze fixed stubbornly elsewhere. Whether or not she was making it a point to ignore him or if she was just that wrapped up in her own sadistic thoughts, he couldn't be certain. But it was unsettling nonetheless. Twice tugged at her sleeve and jabbed a thumb in their direction. He whispered something to her that couldn't be made out, and Toga clicked her tongue in annoyance as she focused on the situation at hand. It occurred to Tokoyami that bringing her here was probably a horrible mistake given the context of their summoning. Not that he'd ever voice his concerns aloud.

Overhaul was picking at the edge of his glove in agitation, a small motion that didn't go unnoticed by Tokoyami and Chrono. The rain-coat wearing assistant decided it might be best to take over the explanation from there. "Toga, if you would," he said sternly, earning her attention. "We wish to see the extent of your quirk. Things like the accuracy of detail in the transformation, how much time it can be retained given the smallest of resources, and the use of multiple forms being used concurrently are all points of interest that we wish to see personally before they're utilized in action. As for Twice, we'd like for you to take measurements of Rappa so that we can see what one of your duplicates is like."

"Hey, hey, who do I get to take blood from?" Toga asked, her eyes gleaming. "I need some volunteers, here!"

"Yeah, is this really okay? Whoever I measure will need to be patient. This might take some time, and if even one measurement is off the results will be…" Twice fumbled to a stop, and his hesitation turned to optimism. "Sounds like a challenge. I'll take it! Get over here, you big-fisted bastard, I'm gonna make you a fighting partner!"

Twice pulled out the sharp measuring tape that he kept in the bracelets around his wrists and began to take note of the measurements of a very intrigued yet fidgety yakuza. "You're gonna have to stay more still than that! Otherwise it won't turn out right and I'll have to do it all over again," Twice huffed, instructing the large, intimidating man further from there.

While this was happening, Toga was practically bouncing on her feet in anticipation. "Sooo, who do I get? I should probably have, like, three people to really show off my stuff, huh?"

Overhaul tapped on his plague doctor mask in consideration. "Any of the Expendables will be just fine. And I suppose you could also use the blood of your two companions, if you'd prefer that."

Toga and Tokoyami locked sights, with Tokoyami fearing what she might decide. He shook his head slightly to show that he wasn't on board with that idea. And Toga winked in response, something that truthfully gave him little reassurance that she wasn't going to take advantage of this situation. "M'kay, I've made up my mind. I want some samples from you, you, and you–" She pointed to Setsuno, Sakaki, and Kurono in quick succession, each one of them becoming alert the moment she called attention to her next victims. Tokoyami breathed the smallest sigh of relief. "That's okay, right?"

"The hell it is!" Setsuno sputtered, becoming defensive within good reason.

Sakaki stumbled forward with a harsh laugh. "Okay, okay, but jus' know that I have enough alcohol in my blood to poison a rat," he sneered, words slurring together. It almost seemed like he had just been waiting for something interesting to happen, and now that it was he didn't care what the conditions were. That was something that couldn't be shared amongst the other two targets, who were significantly less willing.

While Setsuno was whispering amongst his two Expendable buddies, Chronostasis sidled up nervously to Overhaul. He kept his voice low, but Tokoyami was close enough that he could hear their exchange easily, something that Overhaul didn't appear to care too much about.

"Hey, Boss, is this really okay? I didn't think she'd want to choose me for this demonstration…" he muttered sheepishly.

Overhaul turned to him sharply. "And why wouldn't it be?" he demanded. "It won't last very long, so just get it over with."

Chrono shrank away. "I-I understand that, but I worry she might try to tarnish my image."

"This is a contained environment, so it's not like they'll be able to do much damage. Wouldn't you agree, Tokoyami?" Overhaul said, addressing the bird-headed student.

Tokoyami jumped at that, confused as to why he would speak to him so readily. It didn't seem necessary to ask someone like him for advice, but now that the attention was on him he felt obligated to provide an answer. "W-well, if you don't allow yourself to be bothered by such things, then it shouldn't be an issue," he muttered, remembering the fateful occasion when she had impersonated him. "That being said, I wouldn't call her transformations very flattering. After all, this is Toga, so she's not going to treat your image with any sort of respect. If you're prepared for that, then there's nothing else to lose…"

Chrono looked warily between the boss and the captive. "So you say…" And with an exasperated breath, he produced three syringes from his raincoat pocket. "I apologize in advance if it gets messy around here, Overhaul."

He turned away from the two of them and gave a needle to each of Toga's other selected targets. "Now, we only need to provide a very small drop in order for your quirk to work. Isn't that right?"

Toga nodded happily, a smile on her face. "I make the most of what I have~"

Tokoyami figured he wouldn't have to wait long to see what travesty might befall this room. If it was those two, then he could certainly expect that all would not go well. Regardless of how good their quirks were, or how useful their abilities could potentially be in Overhaul's plans… it was still these two that had power over their own quirks.

He was paying attention to their progress when Overhaul's voice cut through the silence that had accrued between them, and he was once more made aware of how close he was to this dangerous man. "Now then, Tokoyami, with those two preoccupied by other means, I figure I should ask: how is your transition into this facility coming along? I wouldn't want to make you feel unwelcome."

Tokoyami's feathers ruffled with unease. After everything that had happened between them, this felt like a cruel joke to be asking such a thing of him. "This… is only temporary, so I don't see why that would matter to you."

"I'm sorry you think that," Overhaul said, bitter disappointment on his tongue. "Perhaps I didn't make the best impression yesterday. Is that it? But at the very least, it seems as though you fit in much nicer down here than before. At least, compared to the other two."

Tokoyami looked down at the outfit he had selected for himself, one that was taken straight from the wardrobe that had been provided for him. It was certainly the proper attire for a yakuza working in the shadows of society. "It was just convenient, is all. I didn't have much else," Tokoyami muttered lamely.

"I don't expect those League of Villain types would've been very good at taking care of someone of your caliber," Overhaul continued, prodding him for a reaction.

"…Most of them, you'd be right about. But I give credit where it's due. Some of them made decent efforts to make me feel welcome, I suppose. Even that didn't last very long, though," Tokoyami said, looking pointedly at Overhaul.

The yakuza boss adjusted his tie. "Is that how you see it? I find that interesting. Or was it perhaps that you were enjoying your time with the villains? Surely you realize that being here, nothing has changed. As long as you're within the grasps of people like me, or Shigaraki, or whomever, you will always be a pawn. So don't make this any harder than it has to be."

Tokoyami swallowed hard. "I know." Of course he did. He couldn't allow himself to forget it. He was never even let on about whatever plans Shigaraki had in mind for him, what use he served, and being here he was just as clueless about his fate. It was frustrating, but he couldn't do anything about it. That was perhaps the thing he hated most about this whole thing, the fact that he could be so carelessly used without direction. "So then what would you have me do?"

Overhaul's gaze swept the room, looking out over all the people that served under him and the individuals he could control with a single command. "Play a game of Shouji, I suppose," he mused quietly to himself. "Ah, I suppose that doesn't answer your question, now does it? But perhaps I can explain just a bit, if it'll allow you to better understand my reasoning. All the people in this room, and all the heroes and villains running amuck. They all have something very wrong with them. But you? Taking into account the extent of your abilities, everything you've done and the damage you've caused, the answer seems simple." And then he turned, burning his amber eyes into him. Tokoyami has shocked by this feeling of hate that emanated from him. It was something that had been absent yesterday, when his conversation had been one of mere interest, and he couldn't even be certain of what had happened to change his dispositions. "Now that I've seen it for myself, it's clear to me that you're the sickest of them all."

Tokoyami was on guard in a second, and he hastily took a step away from the dangerous individual. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by that–"

Fumikage, this person is crazy! You shouldn't even be trying to understand him…!

Overhaul sighed, lamenting the fact that nobody could truly see how progressive his ideals were. "No. I suppose you wouldn't." And just as quickly the feeling of hate came to pass, and he was back to looking out over the room. Tokoyami watched his even expression change, his eyebrows knitting together in annoyed confusion. "Oh, what the hell is this?"

"Hm?" Tokoyami realized that enough time had passed that certainly something unprecedented had already occurred within the limitations of this room. And sure enough, the two interns had already made the most of their situation. Or rather, they had followed the directions given to them, but even that couldn't be so easily done without something happening.

The sound of Sakaki boisterously laughing got his attention. He was sitting on the ground watching the spectacle that was taking place before him, and it was evidently something worth beholding.

"Overhaul, make her stop!" Chrono whined. He was following in the wake of what could only have been Toga impersonating him. It was obvious which one was which, too, because Toga had wasted no time in abusing her transformation to flaunt the appearances of the Precepts. Only, Tokoyami didn't immediately recognize the person she was masquerading as, due to the fact that she had very quickly ripped off the mask that was customary within this group.

"Hey, hey, does someone have a mirror? I wanna see what I look like!" said Toga. Only it wasn't her voice, but that of Chronostasis, and she was very clearly making no attempt to present herself in the same way that he would despite sharing the same image. "I've got, like, this weird arrow hair? But I don't know why. It's kinda getting in the way – you should get a haircut, Chrono!"

Chronostasis was fumbling with the extra mask that Toga had so quickly discarded. "N-no, I can't do that. But you should really consider–"

"Hey, Fumikage, can you tell me what my face is like?" Toga/Chrono bounced up to him, paying no mind to the leering face of Overhaul watching the ensuing shenanigans with contempt. The impersonator flipped back her raincoat hood and flashed a smile that did not belong on this person's face. "Weeell? Am I playing the part right?"

Tokoyami covered his beak with a hand to suppress the snicker that sought to escape him. Seeing what was under that carefully placed mask, he was amused by what he saw. "You look like a bishounen," he answered simply. And that was honestly the best description he had to explain the appearance before him. Under Chrono's disguise was the appearance of a young handsome man with a slender – almost feminine – face and dark, brooding eyes. His silver hair curled around him, ending in perfect arrows. Compared to the rougher looking people that were common within the underground, he looked just a bit out of place. If he had to guess, he was probably pretty close in age to Overhaul.

Toga pouted, an expression that somehow seemed appropriate on the young gangster's face. "Aww, I thought he might've been hiding some dark secret under his mask. But he's just a pretty boy?" Toga turned away from him and raised a gloved hand dramatically above her silver, arrow-shaped hair. "Why would someone want to hide something like this from the world? That just isn't right!"

The real Chrono approached her with a huff, extending the mask to her once more. He was quivering with barely-contained anger. Or perhaps desperation. "This isn't an accurate portrayal of me! Isn't the purpose of your quirk to impersonate others so that people will be none the wiser?! You should be trying to demonstrate what makes you so valuable!"

Toga shoved the mask back towards him. "Don't wanna." And then she sauntered over to where the expendable trio were watching her mischief ensue. Without hesitation, she came uncomfortably close to Setsuno. Twirling one of the arrows around her finger, she gave him a winning smile. "Heeey, you wanna come back to my place? You got some pretty tasty blood~"

Setsuno flinched away as though he'd just gotten too close to a hotly burning fire, a look of bewilderment clear to see on the visible half of his face. "W-w-what? Don't be absurd, Kurono! I-I mean, Toga. This is incredibly unprofessional of you, using your quirk like this!" But there was laughter in his voice, and as confused as he was from the performance, he was still getting a kick out of seeing Chrono's image being slandered in this playful way. And then Toga transformed into him, switching rather quickly from one form to the next so that she was staring down a mirror image of himself. Startled by the sudden change, Setsuno retreated back quickly. In his unexpected haste, he lost his balance and ended up falling square on the ground.

Hojo looked between the two Setsunos in concern while Toga burst out into a fit of laughter. Chrono reached them, but the mask he'd been trying to give away had already turned into a pile of sludge in his hands. He tried to flick it off, but it only served to make a mess, and his shoulders slumped miserably as he gave up.

"What a disgusting display," Overhaul seethed.

On the other side of the room, a loud crash shook the walls, causing the lights to flicker. "Hey, this is bullshit! I know I'm stronger than that!" It was Rappa, complaining loudly over the results of their progress.

A large crater had been made in the wall from where the muscular gangster had punched a haphazard, unfinished clone of himself. One hit and it was already dissolving into a sad-looking pile of muck.

"You didn't let me take all the measurements I needed! That's what happens when you get too impatient. This is a form of art, I tell you, so you should be trying to appreciate my hard work, dammit!" Twice was waving around his measuring tape in frustration. "This is what happens when you rush perfection!"

Tengai was dogging the heels of the riled-up Rappa. "Rappa, please, your patience will be rewarded if you merely give it a bit more time. Won't it be fun once you have an exact clone of yourself to fight with?"

"Ah! Well, actually, even when it's an exact replica of the original, it won't ever be as strong as whatever I'm copying!" Twice corrected.

"Then what's the point?" Rappa protested. "Make another one, I need to punch something!"

"Not until I got the proper chest size!"

Overhaul sighed in exasperation and massaged his temples as the room began to fill with the sound of pointless bickering. "So noisy. Why do I even bother with these ill-mannered participants? Come, Tokoyami, let's maintain some order."

Overhaul strode over to where Tengai was trying in vain to mediate between Rappa and Twice. Tokoyami followed dutifully behind him, figuring that that would be expected of him. "What's taking so long?" he demanded.

"This guy's trying to cheat me out of a fight!" Rappa growled.

Twice was busily wrapping his measuring tape around his chest, trying to figure out a better approximation of his dimensions. "It's because you keep squirming! Besides, you'll have to find better things to fight. My clones aren't exactly cut out for one-on-one brawling, since a certain amount of damage causes them to fall apart."

"Better things, huh?" Rappa contemplated. He stood up from where he had seated himself for measuring, earning a disgruntled curse from Twice. "Okay, then I wanna fight the beak-faced bastard."

Tengai adjusted his mask, ready to lecture his partner. "Rappa, please consider restraining yourself. You just lost to Overhaul not too long ago, so why would you want to lose to him again? It's just so asinine."

Overhaul glared at the monk-like figure, who didn't realize his mistake until Rappa laughed in his face. "Pfft, you actually thought I was talking about Overhole? I was referring to the bird kid! The little shit still owes me a fight!"

Tokoyami backed away from the large, hulking figure that was already brandishing his metal-clasped fists until he reached a point where the one thing standing between them was Overhaul. Judging by the conversation, that was likely enough to keep the brute away from him for now. Although he didn't enjoy the idea of hiding behind the yakuza boss, it seemed like the option that would get him in the least amount of trouble. He had to take his victories where he could, small and measly as they were.

"Rappa, if you don't behave yourself I'll have no choice but to splatter you over the walls again. And I'm already starting to get real sick of the mess that's being made in here," Overhaul said matter-of-factly. His fingers were twitching dangerously.

"Is that a challenge?!" Rappa asked excitedly.

Overhaul narrowed his eyes to angered slits. "It wouldn't be a fight. And this time I might not be so merciful as to bring you back, either." Rappa seemed to contemplate that as the boss shifted his attention to regard Twice instead. "I hope you got what you needed from this?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a god damn second. Don't worry, I'll have it ready in just a moment!" Twice used his quirk again, and out from nothing came a mirror image of Rappa, one that stood at the same height, with the same muscles and everything else, down to the aggressive personality.

The clone raised its fists. "Who's ready for a fight?!" it declared.

The real Rappa wasted no time in pulverizing the clone, knocking it into the wall in much the same way that he had the first one. It created a second crater and caused the room to shake once more, but this time the clone was able to hold itself together for a few fleeting moments longer before it gave up on itself. "Well, I guess that was better than the last one. But still, what a let-down."

"The clone wasn't supposed to be for you," Overhaul explained in annoyance. "Even something with half your strength is a useful tool. A clone of that caliber will prove vital in plenty of situations. But it was never meant to be your equal. So consider your part here done for the day. It would be better if I dismissed you now, since I've already gotten what I wanted."

Rappa began to sulk, looking like he was ready to protest, but one look from Overhaul and he was already being guided away by a very insistent Tengai. Apparently there was nothing left for them here, now that it was evident that Twice could make a proper clone of the heavy hitter to be used in the future.

Twice watched as the clone he had made turned back to nothing. "I was proud of that one, too," he complained. "That damn brute, messing up my creations like that."

"That's one problem taken care of, in any case. This will surely be of use when the time comes," Overhaul said. He began to cross to the other side of the room where Toga was having her own brand of fun. Tokoyami kept up with him, and after a moment Twice joined them as well.

It looked as though Toga had settled down a bit from her previous excitement. She was seated next to Sakaki, while just so happening to be transformed into him. Only Sakaki didn't seem to mind very much. Instead, they were locked in pleasant conversation as though nothing were amiss. Toga was easily distinguishable from the real Sakaki due to her speech patterns and the fact that her voice wasn't slurred, but that aside she wasn't as concerned with taking off the mask as she had been when transformed as Chrono. "You know, if I wasn't so overcome with the urge to stab all the bastards down here, I might actually enjoy my company more. You get what I'm saying?"

"You jus' do what makes you… hic…happy, consequences be damned. Now, that'sh a philosophy I can drink to, lil' miss. Yer better off livin' each day like it's yer las'," the gangster drawled, barely capable of functioning speech. He produced a flask of liquor from him coat and began to unashamedly drink from it, even offering some to the imposter sitting next to him like it was nothing to be concerned about.

It was at this time that Overhaul reached them. "Himiko Toga, I didn't ask you here just so that you could play games with my followers. But at least from what I've gathered you're quirk is just as useful as I envisioned it might be."

Toga/Sakaki shrugged. "If I felt like it, I could impersonate these people better. I've been pretty successful at infiltration missions in the past," she snickered.

Overhaul nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Although I'd like to warn you from messing with those who serve under me more than what is necessary. If it's not furthering my plans, then there's no use for it down here."

Toga trained her gaze towards Tokoyami, fixing the masked face that didn't belong to her onto him. "Is that so? I'll have to remember that one. You just have everything figured out, huh? Well, isn't that special!"

Overhaul made no physical response to that. Instead, he continued in a steady, authoritative voice. "That will do for now. Collect your clothes – Chrono will escort you and Bubaigawara back to your rooms. I think I'm done with you two for now."

Toga rose to her feet. In the form she'd taken, she stood taller than Overhaul, looking down at him with a masked expression. "Just us two, huh? You plan on keeping Tokoyami here a bit longer for a special lesson or something? Because I can't help but think that Tomura wouldn't like that very much."

Twice popped in at Tokoyami's side after watching the departure of the other two precepts. "What's going on now? Is there something I should know about?"

"Nothing important," Overhaul said, his eyes never leaving Toga. "I'm just making a few things abundantly clear. You, at least, know where your position is. Right, Bubaigawara?"

"Well, yeah, of course! I don't know what you're talking about." He fiddled with his measuring tape. "But you want us to leave, huh? Is that what I'm gathering?"

Overhaul nodded. "I just wanted to continue a discussion we had yesterday, is all. It's really nothing to concern yourself with."

But Twice tensed at those words, not liking the implications behind them. "Yesterday…? You better not be pulling any tricks behind the League's back!"

The yakuza boss blinked at him slowly, not very amused by his behavior. "Please, I wouldn't dream on such a thing."

Tokoyami cut in from there. "It's fine, Twice. You and Toga should head back for now and we'll catch up later."

The two villains exchanged a dubious glance. Toga rubbed the back of her head, tussling the oily black hair that wasn't hers. "I'll hold you up on that one, Fumikage. You better hope I don't catch you holding things back from me, m'kay?" She started to transform back into herself, dark sludge pooling on the ground. Overhaul stepped back readily with a deep-set scowl, visibly sickened by the mess being made. Hojo rushed over and began cleaning up without another thought, and Setsuno hastily threw a blanket that had been waiting off to the side over her exposed body. "Although I must say, Overhaul, it's an absolute pleasure to be working for you another day. Wouldn't you agree, Twice?"

Twice jabbed a finger at him. "You better not harm a feather on this kid's head! If you even think about breaking our contract, then there'll be hell to pay! So make sure you take care of yourself and others."

"…You two should seriously consider following my orders. Get out of here. Chrono, deal with them in the meantime."

Overhaul's assistant shooed them away from the increasingly agitated man, aware that it would do them no good to dawdle any longer. Toga casually picked up her clothes next to the door, but made no attempt to put them on just yet, sticking to the towel wrapped securely around her body. But her cat-like gaze never left Tokoyami.

"One last thing before I have you leave me. Bubaigawara. I need you to put what you just learned to the test and make a Rappa clone for me. Surely you can agree to that, right?"

Twice looked suspiciously between the yakuza and Tokoyami, who was still standing in his shadow. "I don't think I'm comfortable leaving something like that behind with you while Tokoyami's still here," he began uncertainly. "One muscle-head, coming right up!" And of course he didn't hesitate this time. Within moments, a clone of Rappa was standing in the center of the room, looking around eagerly for an opponent. "There. Happy now? Or are you ever happy, you sick bastard?"

Tokoyami picked up the faintest of growls coming from Overhaul, although his composure never once showed any visible sign of breaking, even a little. But it was clear that his patience was being tested, and not for the first time did he wish that Twice would be quiet and just leave already. He shot the League villain a glare, hoping he'd get the message and move on. Whatever it was he had to face, those two didn't need to be around to witness it, lest they inexplicably make it worse for him.

Twice stumbled over his words and cast his face downwards. "I-I'm getting out of here now, okay? Just don't do anything regrettable!"