Remember when I said I'd update this chapter quickly? I lied to myself too haha. But it is here at last, and now you get to see what's become of Tokoyami.

This takes place at the same time as the previous chapter and the beginning of the next one. If you're wondering why I used hero names in the previous chapter and family names for this one, it's because of the perspective switch. Tokoyami knows them better as classmates, while Hawks only knows them as potential heroes.

Chapter 23: Rats in a Maze

Tokoyami limps down the hallway. He can't think about Hawks, not his name or his promise or the fact that he will probably die. He can only concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and putting as much distance between himself and Dabi as possible. He keeps one hand on the wall to steady his steps, unaware of the smears of blood he leaves behind. He doesn't register much of anything beyond a tight feeling in his chest and the need to keep moving. Whether it's the adrenaline or the doctor's drugs, he doesn't know.

When he turns a corner the hallway yawns before him, an incalculable distance that seems to stretch with every step. There's a set of doors at the end, crooked and rotting off their hinges. He can just make out a stairwell through the gaps. He forces his legs to move faster; stairs may mean an exit or a window. At the very least, they will give him some protection if Dabi decides to simply flood the hallways with fire.

A loud bang startles Tokoyami just as he reaches the door. He collapses against the wall next to the stairwell and gasps for breath. The edges of his vision darken and his ears ring with distant shouts. He can't make out the words, but the voices sound almost familiar. Comforting. He could just stay here and wait for…

Stay alive, breathe, move.

Dark Shadow doesn't have the energy to form words, so he sends Tokoyami concepts instead. Tokoyami rallies; he is not alone, and he will not allow Hawks' sacrifice to be in vain.

He glances up, then down, trying to guess which floor he's on. It's clearly not the basement, since the stairs go in both directions, but otherwise it's difficult to tell. The number painted next to this door has flaked away, leaving only a few vague splotches.

Down will be easier on his body, and if he's on one of the upper floors it will lead to the exits. However, if he is already on the first floor the stairs down will trap him in the basement. He never wants to see the room with all the lights again.

Climbing up is something of a daunting task in this state. Tokoyami doubts he can make it to the roof, but this time he doesn't need to. If he ends up on the second or third floor, he might be able to reach the stairs on the other side of the building that will lead back to the front entrance. At the least he'll find a window. If Dark Shadow recovers enough he can give them a gentle landing. If not – well, that sounds like a kinder end than whatever the League has in store for him.

Tokoyami gets his legs under him one at a time, then pushes himself to his feet with a grunt. He reaches for the railing, only to pause when a brownish lump on it moves. He blinks, willing the spots from his vision, and is finally able to focus on a large rat.

"You'd better run, too. I doubt Dabi will care if your fur gets singed," he tells it quietly. The rat stands on its back legs and sniffs at him. Then it skitters back down the rail. Tokoyami briefly wishes he had Kouda's quirk, so the rat could lead him out of here. An offended grumble resonates through his bond with Dark Shadow. He gives his quirk a mental pat of reassurance. "I wouldn't trade you for all the quirks in the world, my brother."

He grips the railing and hauls himself up the first set of steps. He keeps up the one-sided conversation as he climbs. It helps him remember that he needs to keep moving for both their sakes. "I feel like an old man. Mom and Dad used to say I was an old soul, and that you were my inner child made manifest. I used to wonder if that were true, but not anymore. You're as old and tired as I am. You deserve your rest; we both do. I think that's the first thing I want when we're free – a safe place to sleep."

His eyes slide half-closed of their own accord, and he stumbles when the next stair is suddenly missing. He was too caught up in his head to realize that he reached the landing. A big number two is painted on the wall. He can work with that.

Tokoyami forces himself to straighten to his full height so he can see through the little windows in the top half of the doors. The hallway appears empty, but it's clearly one the League uses for living quarters. It has even more junk than the other halls – bits of laundry, cigarette butts, and snack wrappers are scattered across various bits of classroom furniture shoved up against the walls. It's a dangerous route, but Tokoyami has neither the time nor the energy to back down now.

He pushes open the doors, and the whole building seems to shake. He hears the echo of battle – one far larger than any Dabi and Hawks might be able to get into on their own. Tokoyami crouches beside a desk and forces his brain to focus. It must be some combination of blood loss and whatever drugs Ujiko forced into his system. Whether it induced bad memories or threw off his senses doesn't matter. It isn't real.

With renewed determination, Tokoyami carefully makes his way through the second floor. He pauses every so often to listen at doors or peer into open rooms, seeking alternative exits. Most of the rooms are empty, with moldy walls, boarded windows, and long-abandoned desks.

Eventually he stumbles – quite literally – into a room that's not so empty. The space looks like it's shared by roommates with opposing personalities: heaps of laundry and full ashtrays lie between a bookshelf meticulously ordered by size and color and a mattress with sheets tucked so snugly they'd put a military barrack to shame. The pile of junk on top of it, however, is so high that Tokoyami nearly misses the movement behind it. He takes a slow step backward, but building rumbles again and he loses his footing. The pile on the bed topples and the room's occupant groans as he trips onto the mattress.

Tokoyami has never seen Twice without his mask before, but the huge scar running down the middle of his face is a pretty big giveaway. There's also a set of bandages across his chest and shoulder and a fresh line of stitching that stretches from his cheek into his hairline. Tokoyami crawls backwards toward the door and grips Hawks' feather tightly. Unfortunately, the movement only serves to draw Twice's attention. Tokoyami freezes, and for a moment they stare at each other as the building settles and dust trickles down from the ceiling.

"Sounds like your friends are getting closer," says Twice.

The comment is so unexpected that Tokoyami finds himself responding before he can think better of it. "What friends?"

"Maybe they're your enemies. I don't know. But they're definitely yours!" Twice replies. He points to the one open window in the room, the sill lined with cigarette butts and ash. Tokoyami shakes his head, unwilling to risk a trap by moving any closer. He's about to say as much when a winged nomu flies past, followed by a stream of fire and then-

"Is that Endeavor?!"

He scrambles to his feet for a better view. It is, indeed, Endeavor engaging the nomu – and he's not alone. A spike of ice narrowly misses the nomu's foot, and a green flash leaps from the glacier to deliver a powerful punch to something below them.

Tokoyami is half-convinced he's hallucinating, although it seems unlikely he and Twice would share the same delusion. "What are they doing here?"

"It's all your fault, they came for you! You've got nothing to do with it, they're here for us," Twice replies.

Tokoyami shakes his head. "They think I'm dead. They must have tracked you from U.A."

"Don't panic. We'll never make it! There's a secret way out. We've got to meet with the doctor." Twice ducks around the bed and hefts a duffle bag onto the mattress with his good arm. It's stuffed full of money and valuables, with a spare mask sticking out of a side pocket.

Tokoyami takes the opportunity to back towards the door again. He isn't sure he can trust his senses, but if there really are heroes outside, he needs to find a way to reach them.

"You're not leaving without me! We've got plans!" Twice shouts. He moves much faster than Tokoyami expected given his injuries, closing the space between them and brandishing a knife that once belonged to Toga.

There's something painful about the idea of Twice turning him over to the rest of the League, a bit like learning Hawks was a traitor. For all his villainy, Twice has never been needlessly cruel. Even when he actively attempted to kill Tokoyami, he seemed conflicted about it – more so than usual. Even now he wavers, and while that may be because of his injuries Tokoyami thinks there's more to it.

"You don't want them to make me a nomu. You tried to warn me before," he says.

"Yeah, well. You're interesting, and those nomu are no fun at all." The scar on Twice's forehead wrinkles as he frowns, and he lowers the knife with a sigh. "I still think you'd make a pretty good villain. We could've had a real team-up."

"What do you mean?" Tokoyami asks.

In answer, Twice sculpts the air between them into a figure – one that Tokoyami knows from the soles of his bare feet to the feathers on his head. While the proportions are correct, Tokoyami's double is missing his latest scars and is wearing the Stain t-shirt Twice measured him in. Twice grabs the clone's arm and tugs them violently, holding the knife to its (his?) throat. It's disconcerting, to say the least, as the clone mirrors his expression of confusion.

"I'll kill you. I'll save you," Twice says.

Tokoyami's eyes widen as he realizes that Twice is offering a way out for both of them. He gets the chance to escape, and Twice gets to keep a bargaining chip against the heroes. "Thank you. In another life, you would have made – well, probably a terrible hero."

"Don't thank me! Haven't you learned anything? Never forget and never forgive, not me or anyone else here." Twice's expression shifts from a grin to a terrifying glower, then back again. He waves his hands at Tokoyami, shooing him off. "Now get out!"

Tokoyami nods and limps into the hallway, moving faster now that he knows freedom is within his grasp. If it all turns out to be an elaborate hallucination, at least it's a good one. Much better than the rats crawling around his feet. He heads straight down the hall this time. If the heroes are focused on the nomu it will be difficult to get their attention from a random window. He needs to find a way outside.

He turns a corner and finds the door to another stairwell. He grips the railing and starts down the steps as quickly as his body will let him. For a moment he thinks he's finally caught a break, but it seems fate is not done with him yet. The building rumbles just as the first floor door flies open. Tokoyami stumbles back and scrapes his calves against the steps. The near-fall probably saved his life, however. Standing just below him is Shigaraki, arm outstretched to disintegrate anyone in his way. His expression is murderous, and when he recognizes Tokoyami he sneers.

"Well, well, this game just got a lot more interesting."

There's an inhuman roar and a flash of light from the hall behind Shigaraki. The fight is inside now – or always was. Tokoyami backs up the steps and tugs on his bond with Dark Shadow. The quirk's response is determined but weak. Dark Shadow will need to feed off what little energy stores they have left to manifest, and even then it might not be enough. The only good news is that Shigaraki can't move quickly, either. He isn't putting much weight on his bandaged left leg. There are bruises and scrapes all up his left side, and what looks like a fresh burn on his right arm. It seems that while they couldn't destroy the League, Hawks and Dark Shadow at least managed to weaken them.

"Tell me something. Is Ujiko still around, or did he disappear at the first sign of trouble?" Shigaraki asks.

"Ujiko is dead," Tokoyami replies, although he isn't sure that's true. He isn't sure if he wants it to be. "I killed him."

"You?" Shigaraki laughs. "It sounds like you've become a proper villain after all. Did you do it in front of your friends, let them see the monster you really are?"

The door below them explodes inward, splintering under the force of a large rabbit foot. "Shigaraki!" Miruko bellows. "Get back here you coward. I'm gonna smash your fuckin' face in!"

"I hardly think such language is becoming of a hero, even against-"

"That prick stole my friend, I'll talk to him however the fuck I want."

Tokoyami barely has time to process that he's witnessing team-up between Miruko and Iida before Shigaraki grabs his throat and uses his other hand to decay the stairs between them and the heroes.

"Tokoyami!" Iida shouts. He revs his engines and Miruko crouches down, preparing to leap the gap.

Shigaraki uses his four-fingered grip to pull Tokoyami in front of him and lets his other hand hover over his bare chest. "Not an inch closer, or I'll make sure your failure is the last thing he ever sees."

Dark Shadow stirs and Tokoyami readies Hawks' feather-blade. "You can't hurt me," he mutters.

"Can't I?" Shigaraki laughs, then slams the heel of his palm directly over the bandage on Tokoyami's chest. Tokoyami makes a choked sound and drops the knife as his vision whites out. He thinks someone shouts his name, but he can't really hear anything beyond the pounding of his heart and his own half-aborted breaths.

By the time he comes to, he's being dragged back down the second floor hallway. There's a commotion at the end of the hall, however, and Shigaraki stops up short. Twice, Mr. Aizawa, Kouda, and Shouji are just outside Twice's room, and the villain is holding a knife to Tokoyami's clone. Tokoyami still isn't convinced what he's seeing is real. Even if a few heroes followed the League back to their hideout, there's no way his entire class would come.

Shigaraki chuckles. "Now isn't this interesting? Two birds, and only enough time to save one. Then again, I'm not sure if eitherof them is the original. We may have misplaced him."

"It doesn't matter. You're both going to let him go," Aizawa says. He shifts so that he can keep an eye on Twice and Shigaraki at the same time, ready to activate his quirk.

Tokoyami can't process whatever the villains say in response. His senses are going in and out of focus with every shallow, painful breath. It's easier to focus on the rat that hurries down the hall to Kouda, crawls up his costume, and sits on his shoulder. Kouda tilts his head to listen to the animal, still splitting his attention between Tokoyami and his clone. Then, with a certainty Tokoyami has rarely seen his friend display before, Kouda focuses on him alone. He nudges Shouji as subtly as he can, all while Mr. Aizawa runs through his hostage negotiation strategies and keeps the villains' attention on him. Shouji grows another eye to examine Tokoyami and forms a hand underneath to sign his name and a question.

There's so much Tokoyami wants to say to them – that he's alive, that he's happy to see them, that he's angry it took so long, that he doesn't blame them. With Shigaraki's hand on his neck, the only thing he can do is sign one word: yes.

Kouda whispers to the rat on his shoulder. It runs down his arm and heads straight for Tokoyami. The moment it reaches his feet, everything happens at once. Kouda shouts for Aizawa, Shigaraki tightens his grip, and Shouji lashes out at Twice and the clone with enough force to knock them both to the floor.

The rat leaps onto Shigaraki's burnt arm and bites down hard just as his last finger brushes Tokoyami's throat. Shigaraki shrieks and tries to fling the rat away, but it clings to him with teeth and claws. By then Aizawa is running for them, locked in a staring contest with Shigaraki and one very determined rat. Something – someone – much larger shoves their way between Tokoyami and Shigaraki, finally forcing the villain to release him. Tokoyami stumbles forward. He's caught before he hits the ground.

"I've got you! You're gonna be fine now, okay? Please, please be okay."

Tokoyami blinks, barely able to comprehend what's happening as he's led down the hall by floating gloves. "…Hagakure?"

"You recognized me!" He can't see her smile, but he can feel it.

"Nice job, Invisible Girl!" Miruko's shout is followed by the rev of engines and a rapid thumping of feet as she and Iida join the fray. Kouda slots himself under Tokoyami's other arm. Together, he and Hagakure settle him on an old desk chair out of the line of fire.

To his left, Twice grapples with Shouji and, to Tokoyami's surprise, his clone. A hazy version of Dark Shadow has wrapped itself around the clone, although the pair mainly serve as a distraction while Shouji attempts to restrain Twice. The cloned Dark Shadow is far less effective than the real thing; as Tokoyami suspected from the start, Twice cannot accurately duplicate a sentient quirk.

Twice kicks Shouji in the neck and twists around to stab Tokoyami's clone. The knife only pierces the clone's arm, but that's more than enough to make it crumble into mud. What's worse, Shouji is now alone in the fight against Twice. The villain is smart enough to aim for Shouji's legs, slicing into a pocket and the meat of his thigh. The contents of his pocket skid across the floor and blood pours from the wound. Tokoyami reaches for his friend without thinking, but Hagakure and Kouda gently hold him back.

"Take it easy!" says Hagakure.

"But Shouji-"

"Leave it to me," says Kouda. He whistles through his mask, and a horde of rodents converge on them from every darkened corner of the hall. "Please help my friend, little ones!"

The rats immediately descend upon Twice like something out of a horror movie. With Shouji looming over him Twice can't roll out of the way, and he's forced to choose between holding the knife and protecting his face.

Tokoyami's attention shifts to the other side of the hall. Miruko and Iida are closing in on Shigaraki while Aizawa stares him down. Iida grabs Shigaraki's arm, but the villain finally manages to dislodge the rat and fling it straight at Aizawa's face, forcing him to blink. Iida releases Shigaraki and ducks away from his deadly fingers. Miruko steps in, feinting hits to buy time for erasure's cooldown period.

"Give it up, Shigaraki. You're outnumbered, outclassed, and you've lost your hostage," she taunts. "If you surrender now, I might not kick your testicles into your throat."

"Such poor manners. Your intern was right, it's rather unheroic. Then again, I know a few so-called heroes who've done far worse," Shigaraki replies, shooting a meaningful look in Tokoyami's direction. "Are you so sure you want them back?"

"Fuck. Yes." Miruko replies. Her foot lands squarely against Shigaraki's chest, shoving him to the ground. He grabs her leg with both hands just as Aizawa erases his quirk. Miruko holds the villain down while Aizawa wraps him from shoulder to wrist in his capture weapon.

Across the hall Shouji has finally restrained Twice with three hands. Twice tries to jerk free, but the rats surge forward and he ends up curling into the webbing between Shouji's arms for protection. Kouda leaves Tokoyami's side to check on Shouji's leg while the rats help gather the contents of his torn pocket. One item in particular catches Tokoyami's attention. It's a small black box with two switches on it. He knows he's seen it before, he just can't remember–

Hagakure shrieks and jerks back. Tokoyami follows her pointing glove to the battered rat climbing over his knee.

"It's okay. She's the one who bit Shigaraki. I asked her to keep Tokoyami safe," says Kouda.

"Uh, please tell her I think we've got it from here," says Hagakure. Tokoyami, never one to shy away from misunderstood creatures, lets the rat sniff his hand before gently scratching the top of her head. He refuses to let his guard down any further than that, however. He's learned the hard way that a fight with the League is never truly over.

Aizawa finally blinks, and he and Miruko drag Shigaraki to his feet. "I'll send out the update. We need to make sure we have backup waiting, and we can meet up with the rest of my team. They're on the move; this whole building is losing stability," says Aizawa.

"They've still got Hawks, right?" Miruko asks,

Aizawa nods. "Hawks and that doctor."

Tokoyami perks up at that. "Hawks – is he ok?"

"No different than when you separated, I believe," Aizawa replies.

"What about my doctor?" Shigaraki wheezes. "Sounds like you're as shit a murderer as you are a hero, Tsukuyom-"

His last word is cut off when Iida punches him in the face.

"Ingenium!" Mr. Aizawa shouts at the same time as Miruko says, "Nice one, kid!"

Shigaraki just laughs. "Now that's a hero with a backbone. Ingenium, was it? I'll surrender to you."

Iida blinks. "You surrender? Just because I punched you?"

"I'd rather surrender to the man who punched me because he was angry than any hero who claims some misguided sense of justice," Shigaraki replies.

Something's wrong, Tokoyami thinks, and Dark Shadow hisses of agreement. Thankfully, they aren't the only ones who think so.

"What is it you're trying here, asshole?" Miruko asks.

"I'd like to live to fight another day. I know my limits," Shigaraki replies. He turns his head to the side, grinning at Tokoyami. "Unlike some."

Aizawa's gaze flicks to Tokoyami, sharp eyes looking him over. "How bad?"

"Bad," Hagakure answers for him.

"Then we stop wasting time," Aizawa says. "Ingenium, take Tokoyami. Get to the medics as fast as you can. You should be able to outrun any villains that remain."

"Yes sir!"

"Anima and Invisible Girl will clear the way for the rest of us – report back if you encounter any trouble. And I mean that, Anima. Tentacole, keep your grip on Twice. Carry him if you have to. Miruko and I will take care of Shigaraki."

There's a dizzying exchange as Hagakure and Kouda help Iida to lift him.

"We'll see you soon. I promise," says Kouda.

"I won't let any further harm befall you. On that you have my word," Iida adds.

Tokoyami really wishes he could believe them. He gets one last look at his worried friends and a smirking Shigaraki before Iida takes off, carrying him to the end of the hall and down the stairs in a fraction of the time it took Tokoyami to climb them.

"This is Eraserhead. Ingenium is enroute to the medics with Tokoyami. Clear the way if you can. Miruko and I have Shigaraki and Twice in custody. Both are injured but mobile. We'll take them to the police rendezvous point. All available teams meet us on the way. We're taking every precaution, and I suggest you do the same."

Most of the 1A/pro team-ups are purely self-indulgent and based on characters that I really want to see interact. Also: Tenya "Tried to Kill a Man" Iida has unresolved anger issues and no one can convince me otherwise.