Tokoyami followed the white-haired woman into the recovery room while Sir Nighteye hung back, acting as a guard that was within earshot of them all. Three sets of eyes settled on the first to enter, unsurprised, but when he came in after her he couldn't help noticing a bit of nervous tension. One sweep of the room was all he needed to see that this was a family affair. There was Endeavor, the apparent top hero and head of this turbulent household. That was easy. And Shoto Todoroki was here, just as he'd been lead to believe. He wore hospital garb that matched Tokoyami's own, down to the surplus of bandages covering his arms and face. Maybe even more so than himself, since Dabi had made it a point to single him out for a fight.

The other two attendants didn't require much deduction. A young man and woman, probably both in their early 20s and each with familiar white hair sometimes streaked with red. These were the other two siblings, the ones he knew the least about. And if that was the identity of these people, then that just left the person who'd welcomed him. The mom.

"Rei!" Endeavor exclaimed, sitting up a bit straighter in his reclined bed as if he could retain some dignity from it. "You're here! Are you… really okay?"

The air around the older lady – Rei, a name that seemed fitting – turned chill and evoked a shudder from Tokoyami. Her voice rang out, clear and icy and demanding a level of respect that even she might not be familiar with but deserved nonetheless. "Okay? No. I am not. That's why I'm here."

She swept into the room, head held high as if she were entering a fight of her own. Halfway through, she slowed down to look back at him, and showed Tokoyami a much kinder expression than what she must've held for her husband. "It's alright, you're welcome here," she said, her voice kind. "I'm afraid there's so much I'd like to say at times such as these, but that's no reason to be rude. I'm Rei Todoroki. You surely already know Enji and Shoto… and Toya."

Tokoyami hesitated. He knew them, yes, but all those names were different from what he'd normally call them. Nevertheless, he nodded along to indicate that he was paying attention.

The girl with shoulder-length white and red hair raised her hand. "Hello there, I'm Fuyumi, only daughter of the Todoroki family." Her smile was kind but her eyes seemed sad. Tokoyami spoke the name in his head. It wasn't one that Dabi had ever mentioned, but he recognized it.

The guy next to her looked between the two of them, almost with an air of suspicion, and Tokoyami couldn't help thinking that he looked a fair bit more openly distraught than the others. "I'm Natsuo… second son."

Natsuo… Natsu?

They mentioned him in the middle of their fight.

Rei set her flower down on Endeavor's nightstand before turning to address him. "I'm sure you know why we're all here…" she began slowly, the task set ahead of them no doubt wearisome.

Tokoyami crept to the edge of the ring the family had inadvertently formed around the bedridden man. Shoto sidled away to give him space, encouraging him to join them. "Glad… you could be here," he rasped in a harsh whisper.

Tokoyami gave him a nod of appreciation, wondering if he could say the same for himself. Somehow, he didn't feel so unfamiliar in this space, despite how little he knew of the people here.

Shoto shuffled nervously beside him, and he realized that he'd been staring a bit too intently at his old classmate. Despite his best intentions, Tokoyami had been caught looking at Todoroki's bandaged face as though he were seeing someone else entirely – a person he knew far more than anyone else here. The dark scarring on the left side of his face only seemed to accentuate his one blue eye, which glinted like a chip of ice from under his bangs. There was a well of knowledge and determination set within them… and beneath that, a pool of sadness that he could never ignore. You look so much like him.

Dark Shadow, a quiet participant up till now, looked at Tokoyami quizzically, then back to Todoroki before opening his beak. "He says you remind him of Dabi!"

Shoto's eyes went wide in surprise while Tokoyami turned to his quirk, horrified.

Dark Shadow!

Huh?

I didn't want you to say that out loud…!

The quirk ducked his head in embarrassment. Ah! S-sorry, Fumikage!

But it'd already been said, and now the whole of the Todoroki family had set their sights on him. Who was he, anyway, to barge in on their family assembly? Perhaps Dabi was right. This is a family matter. I s-shouldn't…

The reassuring hand of a strong mother came to rest on his shoulder, careful to avoid his burns and scars. Tokoyami resisted the urge to flinch away, looking up into her stormy gaze. "Is that so?" she mused. "Growing up, Shoto and Toya were kept apart for… complicated reasons. What makes you think that they're alike?"

Tokoyami's thoughts churned, memories of his time with Dabi tumbling over each other, and it was difficult to propose one single idea for his quirk to relay that could ever hope to convey what he felt.

Natsuo spoke up just then, his own words sullen in comparison. "Admit it, you don't actually know anything about big bro Toya, do you? He wouldn't open up to just anyone." Beside him, Fuyumi spoke his name in a chiding manner, to which he rolled his eyes. Natsuo… I can tell just from your face. You were close with him, weren't you? Perhaps more than anyone else growing up.

Was it truly alright to discuss all he'd been through in this undisclosed room? He'd only just awoken. So here, in this room, would be his first true account of his experiences on the villains' side. And then he realized that he'd do anything to defend Dabi. If Dabi wasn't going to defend himself – if he insisted on having the world against him while he plotted his own destruction – then maybe Tokoyami could at least be the one person to give his honest impression of the young man.

Tokoyami gave the words he wanted to say to Dark Shadow. "We don't know anything about Toya…" Natsuo turned to his sister as if he'd just proven a point, only for Dark Shadow to continue. "But we do know Dabi. He's ambitious. Earnest. He's always working hard to get something done, but then he'll turn around and play it off like he did nothing at all."

Tokoyami laughed hoarsely. "Some days… I thought he was… the only villain with any work ethic."

His quirk nodded. "He was our mentor. The only one during all that time. In comparison Hawks… we interned under him for only a week, long ago, and learned nothing. Even the teachers of UA… they didn't do as much for us as he did."

Endeavor's view of him shifted, and Tokoyami saw pity there. "That must've been very hard for you."

A bolt of anger surged through Tokoyami, making his quirk spasm and swell for a split moment. Nobody around them flinched away.

"He was a fair teacher!" Tokoyami insisted before bursting out into a fit of coughs, prompting his quirk to take over from there.

"What we mean is that Dabi never put us through anything he thought we couldn't handle…" His amber eyes flicked to the rugged scars on Tokoyami's arms. "Only once. And he didn't like it. Dabi's quirk was dangerous and volatile, but, uh… so was I. He wanted us to learn control. And we think he learned more about control himself. He almost never burned us during training – and that's more than we can say for him!"

Endeavor winced, and Shoto shot him a scathing look that wasn't missed by the rest of the family, who stood by awkwardly.

Natsuo shouldered his way to stand in front of Tokoyami. He looked down at Dark Shadow, desperate for answers. "But what was he like? How has he changed? Everyone looks at him and sees a monster, a-a villain, but—!"

"Natsu." His sister's voice had an unexpected edge to it. "He's not the brother we remember. Or… maybe he is, and that's why we should've seen this coming."

"He was dead, though," Endeavor croaked miserably. "We couldn't have known he was still out there."

Dabi… he's been suffering all these years, hasn't he? Tokoyami thought. But then he thought back to his time with the League. The times where his mentor… had almost seemed happy. "The League of Villains accepted him as a valued member," Dark Shadow explained. "He had friends and rivals. He… he protected us, time after time. He watched us get stronger. At the very end of it, he even said that he'd been proud to have us as his student. He always cared more about the other League members than he let on, too. Everybody knew that… we think."

Tokoyami didn't even have time to think if these were the right things to say, but he could hardly stop them now. Even as his throat cried out and unexpected tears stung his eyes. When was the last time somebody had cried for that man? Had anyone ever cried for Dabi – or just Toya? He wasn't sure. "I watched him laugh," Tokoyami wheezed, straining his voice. Maybe it wasn't necessary, but he had to say it. "I watched him have fun. We would race each other. There were few times… where he was ever actually mad at me."

"He didn't like being vulnerable, but we would see that side of him sometimes, too," Dark Shadow said, giving Tokoyami a much-needed break. "He always made sure we had the medical supplies we needed to recover… from other villain's attacks! He even got us apples…"

I don't think that means much to them…

But it meant something to us, Fumikage!

The vocal quirk continued. "He always cared more than he let on. To him, it was reaaally important that we knew how to handle ourselves! He… never said it himself, but the other villains would mention how worried he got whenever something happened to us."

Should Tokoyami have felt bad? Natsuo looked caught between amazement and envy. Had Dabi shown a version of himself that his own siblings had never seen? Was it fair, then, that he could even think of the villain with such a strange mixture of fondness and regret, when he was describing a person that might've never existed to them?

Tokoyami looked past Natsuo, past Rei and the others, to set his accusative sights on Endeavor. "I never knew why he was like that, but I always… had my suspicions."

Rei kept her gaze trained on him while the father of the household turned away. "He never told you anything about where he came from, did he?"

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow shook their heads in unison. They'd been given plenty of hints, many of which always came back to Endeavor and a difficult upbringing, but never anything concrete. Dabi had done everything in his power to keep his secrets tucked away, and the only reason Tokoyami knew anything at all was because he'd somehow become the one closest to him in the League.

"From a very young age, I had Toya train under me," Endeavor confessed, his large hands balled into fists. "I pushed him very hard, I'll admit. He showed great potential; it seemed as though his flames could become even greater than my own someday, and I was right." He finally looked up, revealing the extent of the burden he had to share and the fault he had to take responsibility for. When, if ever, had this man shared such controversial family secrets with someone outside of the Todoroki household?

"It was my intent to set Toya up to be the next greatest hero. If my own shortcomings were destined to keep me from surpassing All Might as the Number One Hero, then I was determined to create an heir that would fill that position in my stead." The logistics of Endeavor's ambition wasn't lost on Tokoyami – everyone in the class had figured out from the Sports Festival how Shoto had felt about his father, as well as the expectations riding on him. In the first place, he'd been one of only two students who'd gotten into the most prestigious class through recommendation. To learn that Shoto and Toya both had endured hard training was hardly a surprise. Even still… those flames hurt, and he shuddered to think what it'd be like to be so small, training with someone who might've had even a shred less patience than what Dabi had shown him. Maybe that's why Dabi had managed to show so much restraint despite having such a destructive quirk – he couldn't stand resembling his father. In hindsight, Tokoyami could've come out of his time with the villains with far worse injuries.

"But the flames hurt his body more than we could've imagined," Endeavor continued glumly. "It was discovered that he possessed a constitution closer to his mother, inheriting her resistance to ice rather than fire."

"He did always prefer the cold…" Dark Shadow mumbled. "And we could see it too – the way his body held up when using his quirk too much."

"That's why I… I had to stop it," Endeavor said.

"We had to stop it," Rei interrupted pointedly. "You promised that boy the world – told him every day you trained him that he was destined to be a great hero. You gave him that hope, and thought you could take it back so quickly when we realized it couldn't work that way." Rei turned to Tokoyami, as if she owed him an explanation. "Once Shoto was born, Enji knew there was no reason to train Toya anymore. All the training ever did was make his flames hotter, burning him faster than before. But Toya still wanted to train… to be better than his father ever could be. I understand his resentment. I am… also to blame, though. I was put in charge of Toya, to make sure he didn't do anything reckless. We hired help to care for Fuyumi and Natsuo, as well. All I had to do was look after Toya, but I couldn't even do that." She swiftly looked back to her failed husband. "Because he didn't want me to see him – he only wanted you, Enji. He just wanted you to acknowledge him – to treat him as his son."

"I couldn't continue training somebody who was set up for failure," Endeavor rasped, burying his head in his hands.

A scratchy growl rose in Tokoyami's throat, and the shadows along Dark Shadow's spine began to bristle. "He was… never a failure. H-he needed help!" he choked out. He wanted to scream. There was no way his own family could've been so blind to the needs of one of their own, right? But then again, the members of the League had all come together for their own reasons.

Shoto ducked his head close to his own, whispered words leaving him. "Don't you think we knew that?"

"I can't blame Rei," Endeavor went on. "I… neglected a lot of what was supposed to keep a family together, because those relationships hadn't meant anything to me. I was too forward in my thinking. So when Toya went into the mountains one last time and never came back, I was devastated." Somehow, Tokoyami wasn't certain he believed that. Rather, it seemed that the man's largest regret was that the past had come back to haunt him. "…And yet it only proved to my past self that I shouldn't get involved in family matters. That I should only focus on my goal, or else anyone who got caught up in it would get hurt. It was the price I paid for working with a son that couldn't live up to my idealistic standards."

Tokoyami felt his frustration increase as the pitiful old man kept going, and he was almost relieved to find that he wasn't the only one. While Endeavor took the time to be sorry for himself, Natsuo regarded him with unmatched contempt. Hearing the way he talked about his oldest and youngest son, without anything noteworthy to say about the middle children, was damning evidence of what their normal family dynamic was like.

"Caring for the children had become a monumental task for me," Rei said. "I couldn't stand the sight of you, to the point where…" She cast an apologetic glance at Shoto, who shrugged it off mildly. Tokoyami made the connections in his head. He'd gotten used to understanding the dysfunction of the Todoroki family, and each piece learned only ever made the larger picture clearer. "I was put in isolation at the facility. And then… when I heard how Toya met his end… my heart shattered. My mind snapped." Her eyes hardened. "And you never went after him."

"I thought I'd only be throwing fuel on his fire. No, that's not it… The truth is, I had no idea what to say to him," Endeavor admitted lamely.

Rei's shoulders slumped, showing her tire. "Neither… did I."

Endeavor buried his face in his hands, and Tokoyami watched with a cold intensity as he kept going. This felt like the kind of explanation… that would never see the outside world. Not in such excruciating detail, anyway. "But having killed Toya, I felt there was no going back, so I poured all my energy into Shoto… at the expense of everything else."

Fuyumi stepped forward, her voice quiet but strong. "I knew our family was broken, but I was too scared to interfere. All I could do was try to keep up appearances."

Natsuo glared daggers at his father. Tokoyami got the impression that, if he was ever going to find out anything more about Dabi once this consequential family reunion was over, that he would be the sibling to approach. "It was you who started all of this. You're the root cause, but…maybe, if I'd just slugged you in the face and made you have a few serious talks with him… "Dabi" never would've come about, and I could've been enjoying some good soba with him and Shoto all these years.

"He likes udon, actually," Dark Shadow cawed timidly. Fuyumi shot him an amused look, as though the mental image of having all her brothers with her at the dinner table was a dream too good to be true.

Rei smiled sadly, clutching at the folds of her dress before releasing it with a steady breath. "Even if you're Toya's greatest target, you're not the only one who's responsible. Your heart may be broken, but we're here to get you back on your feet. We have no choice but to face Dabi."

Tokoyami wasn't sure how he could possibly face Dabi now. Not after that last, wretched encounter. He'd been so certain that the flame-wielder wouldn't be able to go through with hurting him. And to a certain extent, that fact remained, but only because Shoto had taken all that damage in his stead. And yet… and yet, even if Dabi truly wanted nothing more to do with him, he still had to find him again. He had to face him, too – no matter what.

Endeavor had muttered something while Tokoyami had drifted off into thought, but it was drowned out by Rei's stronger sense of resolve. "One of our children… one who's suffered much more than us… well, despite having every right to resent me, he's started calling me "mom" again," Rei said, a hint of motherly pride in her voice. "He's been making friends at UA. And he's willing to make things right where you weren't able to."

Tokoyami stepped aside so that his old classmate had more room to speak directly with his father, only for Shoto to give him an almost pleading expression. "It's only a matter of time before we find him again. I can't… do it alone, though," Shoto coughed. "Toya doesn't like me any more than you. He'd never listen. But we can learn… from Tokoyami. And maybe then…"

Tokoyami shook his head sadly, and Dark Shadow communicated their thoughts. "I don't think we'll be as much help as you think. Dabi isn't gonna wanna listen to us anymore. We made a choice, and it cut all ties with him. There's… no way we can go back now. Dabi hates us."

Fuyumi looked at him curiously, as if he'd said something truly strange. "Tokoyami… you haven't actually seen Toya's video, have you?"

Tokoyami shook his head again, and Dark Shadow answered. "We, er, heard part of it on the radio on the way to the final fight. It was hard to listen to. We… we didn't know he'd be televising that. Then again, everything all kinda happened in a blur. When we lost our fr – when the League lost its teammate, even though we didn't want anyone to die, Dabi was… really upset. But we already knew that when he let us go."

"Let you go?" Shoto echoed back hoarsely. "You… you saved Hawks, didn't you? And that's when you escaped from him."

Tokoyami found that he would only grow tired of hearing that fact reminded to him. His decisions sat like a rock in his stomach, and he didn't have the strength to break it down just yet. If nobody else ever believed him about who Dabi was to him, then maybe his own family might. "He willingly let us go. He was… so angry. So upset." Tokoyami held his hand to his throat. Dabi had never burned him as much as he had that day. "I c-couldn't…" His breath stuttered, making it hard to breathe.

"We couldn't let him kill Hawks, in spite of it all," Dark Shadow explained, voice heavy. He had to borrow from Tokoyami's memories to finish the account, since the quirk itself had been too devastated over Twice's death to process what was happening between Dabi and Hawks. "We couldn't sit by and watch Dabi sink deeper into the dark. He… had warned us long ago that heroes would only ever disappoint us, and there was truth to that. But he'd also told us about his old dreams of being a hero himself. And we could see that if he continued down this path… that he was risking his own life."

Tokoyami took a deep breath. "So no. I haven't seen the video. I don't know all of what he said."

Shoto stepped up to his father's bedside, looking between the fallen hero and Tokoyami. "The end of Toya's message to the world was strange…"

"Everything he had to say up to that point was really cynical," Fuyumi said. "Understandably so, talking about what made him a criminal – how he became a criminal… the worst parts of hero society and how it created him. But it hadn't stopped there. He said that heroes would always steal that which he cherished and leave him worse off because of it. He used his platform to tell the world that heroes had failed somebody name Tokoyami, and that he would never forgive them for that. A bizarre thing to say for someone who'd already condemned them all." Her eyes clouded over like a rainy day. "I thought his sense of vengeance was fueled by anger and hate, but there was something else there, too. Regret… I think."

Tokoyami buried his beak in his hand to keep it from trembling. It was all too much. He never thought disappointing Dabi would hurt so much, but it was even worse than that. Dabi couldn't even blame him the same way he blamed the rest of the world for making him the menace to society that he presented himself as. Because Tokoyami was part of a time in his life that had meant something more to him. Even someone like Dabi, who held the capacity to kill and steal and cause problems on purpose, could demonstrate a strong sense of morality in the right setting – to an almost heroic degree. And that's what Tokoyami had seen in him.

While Tokoyami did his damnedest to keep his composure, Endeavor was fighting a losing battle already. His body shook like a leaf, and large, ugly tears fell from his red-brimmed eyes. He looked like a broken man, and yet he'd never had to suffer the same way Dabi had.

Shoto beckoned Tokoyami over and he fell into place at Endeavor's bedside. "The way Toya sees it, his vengeance is against Dad." He turned to address the disappointing number one hero. "I talked with Mom before we came here to see you. I thought… this couldn't be your battle to fight, and that I was the only one who could do it. But I was wrong." He held his bandaged hand to his Dad. "Once you're done grieving, stand back up. Cuz we all have to go stop Toya."

"That's not enough," Dark Shadow croaked. "It isn't enough just to stop him. He deserves better."

Tokoyami held Shoto's gaze, communicating his determination. There had to be justice for Dabi – for Toya. Anything less would be agonizing to him. "I don't want to stop him," Tokoyami rasped hoarsely. "I want to save him."

Shoto's eyes went wide. Was he surprised? Or amazed that he cared so much? It shouldn't have been a controversial opinion, and yet if Dabi the villain was all that most of the world knew, then it'd make sense that hearing something as unprecedented as wanting to save a person like him would turn a few heads. Then again, this was Toya's family – maybe not Dabi's family, but it still meant something. And if they could agree on this one thing, then maybe, against all odds, they'd be able to pull Dabi out of this without him meeting the same fate that had befallen Twice.

A commotion at the doorway cut his sentiment short, and as Endeavor struggled to wipe the tears from his eyes, the rest of the Todorokis turned to address the new arrival. A tall, lanky man clad in stylish full denim attire slipped past Sir Nighteye after the briefest of exchanges. Tokoyami noted the flash of irritation in Sir's eyes as his position as the door guard was swiftly disregarded.

"Pardon the intrusion!" Best Jeanist sincerely announced. "But if it's not too much trouble, may I also be involved in the matter? I'm really not all too keen on eavesdropping."

Tokoyami hurriedly stepped away from Endeavor's bed; if this was between pro heroes, then far be it him to get caught in the middle. But he couldn't believe his own thoughts without also feeling a stab of contempt. He couldn't bring himself to muster the kind of respect that pro heroes would normally receive. He was grateful that Best Jeanist was alive – of course he was! – since he was a great hero that'd nearly sacrificed himself fighting All for One and then again in this most recent battle. If anything, he deserved his position within the top three heroes – more than his contenders, incidentally. But he'd still been part of Hawks' ploy, and even if it was for some greater good, it still served as a betrayal.

All the same, he had every right to be here. Though admittedly, Tokoyami felt much better falling into place behind Shoto's siblings while the heroes discussed their next course of action. "I'm here to inquire about Dabi, as I'm sure you might've already guessed. I'd already approached Hawks, but he's… still recovering at the moment." Tokoyami didn't miss the faultiness of his words, and picked up that there was something more behind Hawks' current condition. "The root cause of your son's grudge could provide a lead in this investigation. Perhaps we could ask him directly about how he survived the blaze and transformed completely into Dabi."

A cold sensation wormed its way up Tokoyami's spine. How… did Dabi survive the incident that had presumably cut his life short? Had he gotten out of it himself – or was he saved by a third party? Surely, if he had been saved, it wouldn't have been by a hero. Was it possible, then, that some other entity had cultivated him into the villain he was now?

Tokoyami took a raspy breath and stepped back to conceal his horror-stricken face behind Natsuo, who only looked back at him in confusion for a split moment before thinking better of it and leaving him alone, for which he was grateful.

Dark Shadow, do you think, perhaps… his familiarity with the Doctor wasn't just a coincidence? From the very beginning, he always seemed to know something I didn't about Dr. Ujiko…

Hmm… it would explain why he was always so against you seeing him, the quirk mused. He probably knew that the guy was bad news from experience. That's what you're thinking, yeah?

While Tokoyami kept these thoughts ultimately to himself, lest he bring more upsetting possibilities upon Dabi's family, Best Jeanist was still making his case to the number one hero.

"Endeavor, the current state of things looks awfully unfavorable. As it stands, Shigaraki, Dabi, Himiko Toga, Spinner, Skeptic, plus 132 of the Liberation Front members who escaped, and eight near high-end nomu – they're all on the loose. The amount of damage being wrecked right now is a grand-scale catastrophe that the current force of heroes are struggling to reign in. Not to mention—!"

Tokoyami peered out from behind Natsuo with wide eyes. So those five… they'll be the ones to lead this new era of villain activity.

He didn't mention Dr. Ujiko or any other lieutenants, so they must be captured.

And yet… they should most certainly be concerned about the regiment supervisors that got away, Tokoyami considered, remembering his last encounter with the ones that had preyed upon Midnight.

Best Jeanist had cut himself short, gaze flicking nervously to Tokoyami as he soaked in the useful information. Surely he hadn't missed the fact that he was here? No, more likely, he'd become more conscious of what he was speaking. "I'm afraid I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say much more in young Tokoyami's presence," Best Jeanist said apologetically. "Perhaps you could escort him back to his room now, Sir Nighteye? He should rest up for the next day."

Sir nodded stiffly while Tokoyami simmered quietly at the slight against him. A glint of resentment in Sir's otherwise even stare alerted Tokoyami to his true feelings, and a seed of worry planted itself in the pit of his stomach. What was it that was being kept from him this time?

The hero gestured for Tokoyami to exit with him, to which he reluctantly complied. With one last remorseful look back, he waved good-bye to Shoto. Hopefully they'd be able to discuss potential plans more in the future, if their goal was going to be saving Dabi. It'd be no easy feat, and without their compliance he couldn't be sure what the future would bring to the troubled villain. But already Best Jeanist was back to talking of different strategies with the current Number One and how they would settle the current problems afflicting hero society. Because at the end of the day, that was their main objective.

If Dabi stands between Endeavor and the protection of this current system, then will there be any room for reasoning or mercy? Tokoyami thought to himself as the door closed behind him.

Dabi won't go down without a fight, Dark Shadow warned. You'd know that more than anyone.

That's exactly why I don't want to fight him.

Sir Nighteye remained quiet as he led him back through the hallways of the hospital. This time around, they didn't pause or run into anyone noteworthy. All the same, he felt the chill of watchful eyes follow him the whole way, making sure he went back to the isolated depths from whence he came.

Only when they were back in the elevator, away from prying eyes and ears, did Sir speak up. "I couldn't help listening to what you were saying. I hope that wasn't an invasion of your interests."

"…That's fine," Tokoyami rasped.

"You talked well for yourself, too," Sir Nighteye continued. "Sometimes, though, it can be incriminating to say things. This may be the only time I can warn you, but please think on how you can build a case for yourself."

Tokoyami searched his expression, confusion drawing the corners of his beak down into a frown. "A case…?"

"I thought your injured vocal chords would give you more time, but that might not mean much now. The Commission has been antsy, waiting for you to be well enough to give your account. More than anyone else, you might have the answers they need to gain an advantage in this ongoing war. But if you say too much, they might think it better to prosecute you for assisting in villain activity. Alternatively, they might believe it too dangerous for you to roam the streets with so many villains rising up."

Tokoyami's mouth went dry. "But that's… not fair," he wheezed, struggling to hold back the panic rising in his chest.

"I know." Sir Nighteye held a tired hand to his forehead and leaned against the side of the elevator. "That's why I'm telling you. You're not meant to be a villain, and I can't see you locked up. I don't look at you and see a staunch believer in tyranny. I've already told you before, have I not? You can still be a hero – but only if you choose so. Whatever the case may be, your first step is to evade wrongful trial. Otherwise, you won't ever get your chance to go free."

The elevator opened with another taunting ding! and they stepped out. He followed after Sir, slower this time, and simmered quietly. I've been held captive for months now. I thought things would be different. Instead, it sounds like it could be worse! They're intentionally withholding information from me, keeping me in an isolated part of the building… and perhaps charging me for colluding with the enemy?!

Sir thinks you'll be alright, though, Dark Shadow reminded gently. We just gotta be mindful of what we say, yeah? Why don't you just let me talk it through? We can run what to say through each other before speaking and remind them that we were just a victim in all this. And then they'll release us!

How optimistic…

Sir Nighteye opened the door to his room and waited until he was inside before entering after him. On his bedside table, next to the apple, was a plate of soft foods. Tokoyami's stomach rumbled at the vague smells, and he all but collapsed onto the new linens of a freshly made bed. Sir Nighteye took this as a sign that he was doing better.

"I'll need to leave you for now… to check up on Midoriya," he said, hovering near the door.

A spoonful of pudding hung in the balance as Tokoyami stopped eating to consider that. "How long will you be gone?" he asked, a bit too sharply. He didn't like the idea of being left alone here.

"Not long," the hero promised after a short pause, no doubt changing plans in his head. "I can return when the doctor comes to change your bandages."

Do you think they believe we're a difficult patient?

Tokoyami glowered at the thought. Though all that did was show Nighteye a scary face. After our treatment in the medic tent outside the PLF base? I'm sure word has spread plenty far by now.

"They'll be careful," Nighteye assured, as if that was the problem. "We can't have you changing your own bandages."

"…Right," Tokoyami conceded sullenly as he watched the hero go.

The day went on in an agonizing state of uncertainty. Would he be able to see more of his old classmates? Could he expect the pleasant surprise of any welcome visitors? Or was he meant to wait around here getting better, even while he felt like falling apart.

People came around, surer than anything, to collect his dishes and, as promised, change his bandages. He'd made it a point to not make a sound or react in pain, lest that intimidate the hospital staff. Surely they wouldn't be afraid of him then, right?

He fell asleep when he got tired, with no way of knowing if it was night or not, and wasn't surprised when it came fitfully. Even the realm of sleep wasn't a place he could escape to. It seemed like suffering would follow him wherever he went.

He changed into a fresh set of hospital clothes when he woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, washing his face in the bathroom sink. Cinders fell from his feathers, washing down the drain, and he watched the blackened water go with a shuttered breath. Droplets still fell from his feathers when he stepped back into the room and headed back to bed. He didn't reach it before a knock sounded on his door, and he turned sharply as a new face emerged, followed by Sir Nighteye.

"Good afternoon!" the man greeted easily enough, tipping his hat and welcoming himself inside. "I've been around UA a few times before, but I believe this is my first time meeting you in person. I'm Naomasa Tsukauchi of the police department, and I was just hoping to ask a few questions."

Tokoyami tensed up on the spot, and his heartrate picked up to an uncomfortable degree. He cast Sir a concerned look, but the hero could only offer him an impartial shrug. He'd already done all he could just by providing fair warning; Tokoyami had figured for a long time that, whenever he made his return to society, that he'd be questioned. But the idea had been easier long ago. At this stage, he worried if he could still claim to be as innocent as he'd hoped to be when it was over. After all, had his last exchange with the villains not been aiding in their escape? He hadn't even had enough time to think of a good excuse for his actions – especially not so soon after confessing his true thoughts about Dabi. If anyone outside that family had heard the way he described such a ruthless person, they might only see him as a conspirator on the villain side. Which he wasn't.

Tokoyami held a hand to his throat, brow furrowed in concern, and took an uncertain step back.

"He's still not feeling well," Dark Shadow cawed in his defense.

The man crossed the room to stand in front of him, showing no fear or wariness. Tokoyami had to admit that it was a better response than what too many others already had shown him. "Don't worry, Tokoyami, I'm on your side," he said with a wink. "Me and Nighteye go way back – I started working with All Might early on in my career. I'm a detective – I'm here to figure out the truth. There's a lot of bad news going around right now, isn't that right? A kid like you shouldn't have to get so caught up in it."

Tokoyami didn't respond immediately, thinking his options over in his head. If he refused here, it would only make him look worse – though the right to remain silent was awfully tempting. In the end, he agreed.

The detective seemed relieved. "Glad to hear it."

Tokoyami was guided down the hall and into a separate room that had been set up for discussion. He didn't quite process what that entailed until he was already stepping foot into this new space with the door closing behind him. Sir Nighteye didn't follow them in, and there were two others waiting in the room: a hero he didn't recognize standing in the corner and a bald man with sharp eyes seated at a table in the center of the room. Cameras and recording devices had been set up in advance. For a hospital, they sure knew how to make him feel like a proper criminal. It made his skin crawl, and he felt his readiness waning on the spot.

"Apologies if this comes as a surprise, Tokoyami – normally I conduct investigations on my own – but representatives of the Commission claim to have good reason for wanting to sit in on this. They'll be assisting me in this process."

Tokoyami struggled to keep his face neutral as horror crawled up his throat and left a bad taste on his tongue. The Commission? No, no, no, I want nothing to do with them. They're the ones who put Hawks up to that mission. They… they would've rather had us disposed of! Everything Hawks ever learned… wasn't that information for them?!

Even Dark Shadow couldn't sooth his thoughts as distress wormed its way through them both.

When he was led to a chair and directed to sit down, he all but slumped into position. His shoulder burned, as if there were a great burden being placed upon it, and he wondered if the effects of his pain killers were beginning to wear off.

Tsukauchi sat on the other end of the table next to his companion and made adjustments to the recorder. He pulled out a tablet that contained whatever documents he needed for this conversation and looked worriedly at Tokoyami. The other man scoured through his own files with a down-turned grimace, resonating an air of suspicion. This didn't seem like the kind of place where he had room to speak ill of the Commission and challenge whatever feelings they had regarding him. It felt like he'd entered a place where he was outnumbered – a different kind of battle.

"For starters, I'll just be going over a brief summary of what we know about everything that happened to you," Tsukauchi said. "If you see any inaccuracies or points with missing information, I kindly implore you to interrupt. Is that alright?"

Tokoyami nodded his head stiffly, and the interrogation began.

"August 7th of last year, Class 1A and 1B took a school fieldtrip into the mountain range overseen by the Wild Wild Pussycars for special training," he began, reading through documents that felt so very old by now. "On the third night of the trip, villains of the then newly assembled League of Villains attacked. Katsuki Bakugo and Fumikage Tokoyami were targeted by the League and consequently captured. At the same time, three members of the League were taken into custody: Muscular, Mustard, and Moonfish."

Tokoyami recognized the names from brief mentions, but couldn't put names or abilities to any one of them. A thought did occur to him, however, and he asked his quirk to speak for him. When Dark Shadow moved, so too did the hero in the corner, but he was left to say his piece as the investigators watched him curiously. "We weren't supposed to be a target, actually – Shigaraki was just as surprised when we reached their base. Their main target had always been Bakugo. We were just… unlucky."

Tsukauchi pursed his lips. "Are you implying that any one of the students could've been captured at the whim of the League?"

They saw me for a monster. That's why I became a target.

"We think so," Dark Shadow cawed unconvincingly. The two investigators took notes.

Once done, the sharp-eyed man picked up the conversation. "Two days later, heroes received an anonymous tip about a heavily scarred man lurking around an abandoned bar. This led to the discovery of the League's hideout. At the same time, the location of a nomu factory headed by All for One was discovered thanks to a transmitter made by one of the students involved in the forest raid. This sparked what would become known as the Kamino incident. Bakugo was successfully retrieved, but you were taken by the villains and, worst of all, the hero All Might succumbed to his wounds soon thereafter."

Tokoyami's eyes avoided them. It'd been a long time since he'd felt the raw edge of guilt twist into his gut at the mention of the hero's downfall.

When Tsukauchi spoke next, his tone was gentler. "It was a tumultuous time for us all. We continued looking for you, but with so little evidence and no trail to find you by, the search for the League had stagnated." There was an apology buried somewhere in there. "We would receive no more news about the villain activity surrounding you until mid-September, over a month later, with the investigation headed by Sir Nighteye. With the use of his quirk, Foresight, he was able to find out information that would aid him in the mission to save Eri, a young girl under the guardianship of yakuza leader Kai Chisaki. What came as a surprise at the time was the discovery that you were also there, in Chisaki's headquarters. At the same time, substantial evidence pointed us in the direction of the League's newest hideout – an underground base in the mountains. I was part of the team handling that information, alongside Gran Torino, and a raid was planned to smoke out the League. Known member Kurogiri was captured by the heroes, but the others escaped… and there was no sign of you. Could you explain that a bit more for us, to help fill in the blanks?"

Tokoyami closed his eyes, thinking back to that time. Of all the months spent in villain captivity, these were the memories he hated the most – and that was even with the steep competition of more current events. "The League made contact with Overhaul, and it didn't go very good," Dark Shadow explained sheepishly. "The made some kinda agreement to work together, but really all that happened was that Fumikage was sent to stay with them, along with Toga and Twice. We were only with the yakuza… about a week. All the time before that was spent with the League at their base."

"We couldn't be sure of the extent of the League's involvement with Chisaki, so as you can imagine we had to proceed with caution," Tsukauchi admitting, scrolling through the empty slots in his case with a tired eye. "There was also reason to suspect you might've been altered in some way to go along with villainous plans…?" It was a prompt.

Tokoyami was compelled to speak for himself this time, though he knew he couldn't do much of it. "My mind was unaltered," he said confidently. "All that'd happened in that time… was my training with the League. I was in no condition to escape… so I was tasked with honing my quirk under their supervision. The same was true… when I was passed to Overhaul. Though I was only supposed to be a bargaining piece – not a pawn for yakuza use."

The Commission representative gave him a curious look. "You used your quirk freely under Shigaraki, but not under Chisaki?"

Tokoyami scowled. "Training was just a means to defend myself. And I was forced to defend myself under both of them. Nothing free about it."

Tsukauchi nodded sympathetically. "September 24th, the raid on Chisaki's headquarters was made. This was headed by Sir Nighteye and Eraserhead, along with several other notable heroes and a handful of capable students that were meant to serve as backup. You were treated as an unknown variable, but in the end worked as an asset in assisting the heroes defeat Chisaki and rescue Eri. However, despite efforts to retrieve you, too many heroes were left in compromised condition to give pursuit when you landed outside the fighting range. Class 1A student Hitoshi Shinso was sent to find you, but ran into the League. This would be the second unsuccessful attempt in bringing you back home. The operation was never made public, and was only somewhat known on the hero scene, with your involvement being largely unspoken of."

Isn't that rather disappointing? "I gave everything… in that fight. I thought I might die – it would surely have been no surprise. I'd overused my quirk and paid the price for it, recovering in an underground hospital after that. The League had taken me back, sure, but I was useless to them…"

The other man intercepted. "Several months passed with little sighting of the League, despite having our best investigators look into it. Where were they during this time – where were you?"

Tokoyami shrugged, making his shoulder ache in protest. The answer was unremarkable, so he didn't feel bad for giving it away. "They laid low after that. Most of the League were in an old shack in the woods – no affiliation with anyone. And I was in Osaka while I recovered… under Dabi's supervision."

Tsukauchi's eyes briefly went wide in surprise. "I notice Dabi comes up a lot in your file… now why would that be?"

Tokoyami didn't have to think long about that. "His quirk has an advantage over mine –" a short burst of raspy coughs wracked his throat, and he bowed his head close to the table to recover while Dark Shadow stirred. "He was in charge of us more than anyone else. Shigaraki trusted us with him, and he didn't disappoint. Dabi also kept us away from League activity while they worked on their own thing. We didn't see much of the League during this time – just Dabi."

"Fascinating," Tsukauchi murmured, adding to his notes. "It's certainly the biggest gap in our investigation. Contact with you wouldn't be made again until the start of Hawks' undercover mission at the end of December, after it was discovered that the League had united with the Meta Liberation Army—"

"False." Tokoyami's rasping breath, tinged with anger, made both investigator's look up, though they shared different expressions. "After the Hero Ranking… back in November… the Kyushu incident with the Hood nomu. I was there for it."

Tsukauchi hesitated briefly. "If that's true, then it doesn't seem as though anybody was around to see it…"

"Lies!" Tokoyami hissed. "Hawks knew I was there. But he didn't want anyone to know! Before that, too! He'd known I was already with Dabi. But Hawks would rather save anybody else – it was part of his mission, right? To make sure I stayed with the League!"

"You'd lower your voice if you knew what was best for you," the Commission representative growled. "Hawks is an admirable hero that aided Endeavor in that devastating fight and saved countless people from those nomu. He gave no account of you being there – who do you think is more trustworthy?"

Tokoyami felt his heart sink. Nevertheless, he wracked his brain for what he could remember of that day. He'd really hoped that, despite Hawks' actions that day to keep him away from the fight, the winged hero would still have reason to vouch for him. Apparently that hadn't been the case. "Then… the rabbit!" Tokoyami remembered, leaning forward across the table. "Rabbit Hero Mirko was also there, right? She saw me – I just know it! What did she have to say?"

Tsukauchi brightened up at that while his companion scowled condescendingly. "That… that lines up! In the days following the Kyushu incident, Mirko approached both the Commission and the police department for information regarding you. She wanted to open up your case again, despite it going cold." His eyes flicked warily over to his companion, giving away a tell. There was a lack of communication going on between the public, the police, and the Commission. And Tokoyami was caught in the crossfire of it all with only his word to speak for it.

"If you were actually there," the Commission man began, narrowing his eyes, "then how did you get there and back? Why would Dabi, the man orchestrating the attack, bring you along?"

"It wasn't Dabi's decision," Dark Shadow explained meekly. "Dr. Ujiko decided for us… I think just to see what would happen. After all, it was his nomu doing the damage and his quirk transporting us there and back. He was always the one with the most control…"

Tsukauchi took the time to jot that down. "Okay – understood. I guess that just leaves one detail unclear: why would Hawks keep other people from seeing you? Is it possible that you were mistaken, and he was actually trying to protect you?"

Tokoyami stared steadily down at the table. "N…not once has that man tried to protect me."

Tsukauchi looked like he wanted to inquire more about that, but before he could his partner interjected. "Regardless of whatever happened at Kyushu, we wouldn't have news of you again until December, when Hawks successfully infiltrated the newly formed Paranormal Liberation Front. And, as news would quickly have it, you were appointed co-commander of one of their regiments. Is this correct?" he asked gruffly, already knowing the answer.

"…Yes. I was a lieutenant for the Violent Regiment and responsible for battle tactics, alongside Dabi and Geten," Tokoyami admitted before his voice grew hard. "But that was not my choice. It was a last-minute decision from Shigaraki to further sully my reputation to heroes… while granting me immunity amongst other villains."

"What can you tell us about the other commanders of the PLF?"

"Probably nothing that Hawks hasn't already told you," Tokoyami shot back.

Tsukauchi interrupted the negativity culminating between the two. "Why don't we take a step back?" he suggested, forcing a smile. "Tokoyami, what was your relationship with Hawks during your time at the Gunga Mountain villa? I understand that you interned under him last spring for a short time. He was the only hero on the scene, though I can't help noticing your resentment for him. Did you know about his infiltration of the villains, or did you think he'd switched sides? Is it possible there was a certain level of miscommunication that resulted in the outcome we saw during the war?"

"He couldn't tell us anything – he was being monitored from the get-go," Dark Shadow explained. "All we wanted to know was whose side he was on, but Fumikage's not sure if that really mattered in the end. We thought he'd killed Best Jeanist and he put up a good front, but we already knew his patterns, so we were just as sure as Dabi was that he was only looking for intel to bring back to the heroes."

"Suspecting he was working with heroes for the greater good, did you do anything to help him?" the Commission investigator pressed.

"Did… did Hawks never speak of me in his reports?" Tokoyami asked hoarsely. How many times had he carried Hawks' feather to places it wasn't supposed to be, allowed important information to leak from his fingertips, and told him about the League? How long had he thought about Hawks using him and felt that sickly wave of guilt wash over him, all the while suspecting that the winged man was incapable of doing the same for him?

"Answer the question: what did you do to help the hero?"

Tokoyami opened his mouth to speak, only to feel it go dry once more. He shouldn't have to explain what Hawks could've been saying this whole time. Not here – not when he was so hurt. So when he tried again to speak, it came out as a painful, eerie hiss. "You will… never know what I sacrificed for Hawks!"

A coughing fit overtook him again, rendering him wordless, and he buried his head into his arms on the table, waiting for it to pass.

Tsukauchi rose from his seat while his accomplice glared icily beside him. "I'll get you some water, so hang tight!"

Shudders clutched Tokoyami's body as the fit petered out, and when he managed to raise his head again there was a water bottle extended out to him. He accepted it dutifully from the detective and took his time sipping awkwardly from it, waiting for his throat and frayed nerves to get better.

"I gave him… any info I could. Showed him things he never would've seen on his own. Told him things nobody else knew. Because I'd hoped – wrongfully, I see now – that he might be on my side. Eventually. But that… didn't…"

He would never be able to catch a break. Not even at his lowest. The man sent from the Commission set his tablet down, disregarding the notes he'd previously been looking through. "You can make those claims, but they won't help you. Do you want to know why?"

Tokoyami's face twisted into a scowl, but he didn't speak out. He'd rather wait and hear what blood-boiling sentence came next.

"Because as far as the public can see of you, you've earned the reputation as someone who defends villains. People across the world watched Japan's number two hero attack you in order to dispatch a threat to society. If you wanted to work with Hawks in his mission, why did you oppose him? He hasn't recovered enough for us to approach him for an answer, so all we have to go off of is what you say here… and the video broadcasted by Dabi." His face darkened as he leaned forward.

Tsukauchi rubbed his face wearily. He looked, in that moment, to be a man who hadn't slept properly in a very long time. "Tokoyami… this may be hard, but he's right. Villains across the country are singing your praises. Civilians are petitioning for your release… and your imprisonment. You're a core part of the division happening right now. Considering how long you were with the villains, it'd make sense… but it'll be hard to let a villain sympathizer walk free, especially if factions are hoping that you'll lead them. So where do you stand? Did you mean to protect Twice, if it meant that he might kill countless others? Did you do anything to aid in the remaining League of Villain's escape? Bear in mind, we know of how you saved Hawks and Midnight, but that doesn't make any of your other actions any clearer." He folded his hands on the table, seemingly also done with his notes. "Fumikage Tokoyami – do you consider yourself a hero or a villain?"

Tokoyami set his water down. His body ached, and his throat was still sore, and he couldn't suppress the sensation of misery coming over him. He'd asked himself that same question too many times. He wished he could say that this answer was more confident than the others, but it wasn't. Rather, he just had to hope that it was satisfactory, because that was all he had.

"I want, more than nothing else, for the people to see me as a hero. Ever since I was a child… I didn't want others to see me only for the monster. And I thought… that being at UA would help that…" He paused to catch his breath, and his quirk picked it back up.

"It was never easy," Dark Shadow croaked mournfully. "Even when we tried really, really hard, my power singled him out. But he never stopped believing that he could save others and use my power for good. Even in dark times, where I wasn't there for him, he never stopped looking blindly for the light. He gave away all he had so that Sir Nighteye wouldn't die. He risked everything to protect Eri. We fought the nomu in Kyushu so that they wouldn't hurt civilians. We… we tried really hard not to hurt anyone when the Meta Liberation Army attacked the League…"

"And when Hawks went after him, I stood in his way because I didn't want that man to die. I was so sure that there would be some other way… that it wouldn't need to end in death," Tokoyami continued. "I never… hurt Hawks. I wasn't trying to oppose him. But I also couldn't sit by when someone was crying out for help. I consider myself a hero… because even those who've been shunned by society… are worth saving."

With a quiet command, Dark Shadow vanished from his side. Tokoyami straightened in his chair and raised his head to meet the mixed stares of his interrogators. His eyes hardened, and he felt himself emboldened by renewed determination. "If I'm a hero to somebody, then that is enough. Do as you wish with me, but I will never regret defending someone in need. If I've made myself clear, then I have nothing more to offer you."

With a heavy sigh, Tsukauchi stopped the recording. Silence hung between them all as Tokoyami's final statement laid heavy upon those there to listen. Neither of them bothered adding more notes to their files. The detective's words came quietly while the other man simmered angrily. "Thank you, Tokoyami. That'll be all."