Heroes in the Dark

by Iffondrel

Taking place during the School Trip Arc, we center on Tokoyami in the aftermath of Dark Shadow's rampage. Villains wanting to capture Bakugou set their sights on Tokoyami, and the connection these two have had since fighting in the Sport's Festival will decide what'll happen to them after being brought over by Tomura's League of Villains, with devastating consequences for Tokoyami.

42. Chapter 42

Heroes in the Dark chapter 39

Tokoyami hadn't been anticipating how long this confrontation would be lasting for. He disliked the idea that he might be getting used to having someone like her around when she posed such a danger, but that was starting to become the case. Nevertheless, he couldn't afford to put his guard down, as tiring as it was starting to be. Being on edge like this for so long couldn't be very good for him though. He missed the sanctity of his own company, where no-one else could be bothered to intrude upon his thoughts. And yet…

"I know you must be dying with curiosity to know what we've been up to," Toga purred. "We weren't lying yesterday when we said to Overhaul that Tomura didn't have any special plans for us, though. Oh no, we've had to come up with ideas all on our own. You can sympathize with me and Twice, right?"

Tokoyami scoffed. "That's fine and all, but what, dare I ask, do you plan on accomplishing? From what I'm aware, all you have is a container of wretchedly obtained blood. Or is there something else I should know?"

A toothy grin broadened across her features. In the unreliable light given off by the lamp, it looked ominous. Tokoyami shifted away from her as best he could while still sitting on the bed. "We just need to find the core of Overhaul's operations and make sure that he never uses it again. I only have a vague understanding, but it sounds like the source of everything these naïve yakuza has worked for all comes from a single device that lets him continue his drug research. Something like that could be of incredible use to the League. Can you believe there's something that important down here?"

"The core of his operations," Tokoyami repeated, contemplating what it might be. "So that's what you're hoping to find. There certainly seems to be a focus on research and furthering of a scientific goal, from what I've gathered." He was remembering the way Overhaul talked of samples with that person, like from a lab, with such urgency, and how keen he was setting up appointments for…

No. Tokoyami shook an upsetting thought from his head, but the troubling ideas persisted. He turned back to the conversation at hand in the hopes that he could brush them away. "S-so do you have any idea what this device might be and how it ties into everything?"

Toga touched a finger to her lips. "Hmmm, not really. I'm trying to figure out a way that I can ask around as that Expendable guy without seeming too suspicious, ya know? Maybe I can figure out something that way."

"Could you not get Twice to help you with that?"

"He's busy with something else," she said in an off-handed matter, flippantly waving aside the question.

"Toga…" Tokoyami said her name in an accusatory way, a warning to whatever she might be hiding.

"Don't worry it's not important," she giggled. "Besides, as much as I love working with Twice, I'm not sure I can trust him for a mission like this. I'm kinda hoping to keep it discreet?" She was watching his every movement with the eyes of a predator, waiting for him to offer up something that could be useful to him.

Trying not to squirm under her amber gaze, he slowly began to relent. "I… am also hoping to find something down here." Tokoyami hadn't put it into words before, but yes, that was what he wanted. More than anything, he wanted to secure Eri's safety, but that didn't sound like a feasible accomplishment unless he figured out the exact circumstances under which her suffering was being enabled. There was a reason for her situation that he didn't understand, but given the context clues that Overhaul and the rest had been providing, it was easy to assume that his suspicions lied in one of the rooms down here.

"I don't hold the same aspirations for discovery that you do," Tokoyami began, "but I'm thinking that I want to find a room where Overhaul holds some sort of regular appointment. I can't imagine it will have any relevance for what you intend to find, though."

"Is that so?" She hummed, interest sweetening her voice. "I suppose it paid to have you spend so much time with the head honcho after all~ Do tell! If it's something he's spending a lot of time on, then don't you think there'd be a reason for it? Because to me it sounds like important research being done behind closed doors…"

Toga was a lot of things. Oftentimes it felt like her goal was only ever to make him uncomfortable and interrogate the people around her. But she was sharp, and not just in the way that her knife was. As opposed to Twice or Dabi, who might brush past a comment and move onto the next subject, Toga was keen on thinking into the possibility of these sorts of small details. There was very little that got past her.

"You don't need to know what this hypothetical room possesses," Tokoyami said, an edge to his tone. "But if you could use your abilities to help me maneuver this place, then we could… perhaps help each other find our respective goals." He didn't like it, but Toga – or rather, "Setsuno" – was his best bet to traversing this place unhindered.

"Well, aren't you regarding yourself quite highly? Sure, I could have you tag along and maybe use you as an excuse if anyone questions my motive, but what good are you really? Although, now that I think about it, you might be worth having around just for the way you attract trouble. Might find things quicker that way, or at the very least it would be entertaining~"

Tokoyami took back what he thought. There was no hope for her. "If we get caught under suspicion, you'll be in trouble too, you fool," he growled. But she only laughed in response. With a dismissed sound of annoyance, he continued. "And you can't afford to go anywhere without me, because I have the means of obtaining what it is you wish to find."

That got her attention. "Hmm, and you need to be with me for that? Explain."

He hesitated for a beat, but decided that this is what they needed for a compromise. "Every room of importance in this facility is kept secure so that people like us don't stumble upon that which we're not to see. But I have the means of unlocking these doors, an all-access so to speak."

"Oh goody! So you have a key! How convenient, where'd you find a thing like that?"

"Ah, well, as you might have figured out, Overhaul's followers have a tendency to be careless. I was lucky to obtain such an important item of infiltration from the brute Rappa. Of course, I have every intention of keeping it for myself, so don't think that this is something that can be so easily pried from my hands," he warned, ever cautious of the girl's intentions.

"Tsk, so it's something those Precepts just have? God, that's such a waste." She muttered to herself, "Had I known, I could've stolen it off of my victim. No fair…"

Tokoyami demanded her attention again, leaning forward to speak with resolve. "Toga, we can guide each other through this place. With your disguise and my key, we'll uncover the secrets of this place and destroy the foundation that Overhaul has built himself on. That's what you want, right?"

She bit her lip in a vain attempt to suppress her excitement. "That and so much more. Sounds like a good deal to me. You're going to let me have my fun after all, aren't you? Glad I finally get to work with you, partner~" She reached out her hand to cement their agreement, looking at him expectantly. Every voice in Tokoyami's head was screaming at him not to take it. With the track record she had, this was hardly a reliable deal. And even if he was set on teaming up with her to further his own ideals, there was no reason why he had to take her hand. But he did. And he regretted it, as he knew he would.

Her grip tightened and she leaned in uncomfortably close. A dangerous tension filled the air, but this time Tokoyami didn't even consider resisting. He'd have every expectation of being in such close quarters, all things considering. In a way, he'd finally gotten his chance to isolate her on his terms so that they could face each other. Even though they had only just finished this uneasy compromise, there were thoughts burning into him that filled him with dissatisfaction.

"But I get the impression that there's something else you want dearly from me, hmm?" Toga purred, eyes lighting up with hunger.

Tokoyami scowled and returned the death grip in turn, manifesting shadowy claws that sank into her wrist. Her smile flickered in uncertainty and she reached for her knife, but he released her hand quickly. Freed from the fleeting exchange, she finally leapt back off of his bed. It was about time. "Yeah… yeah, there's something else I need from you before you try to leave. You have something that doesn't belong to you." Tokoyami got up from the bed himself, taking the few steps necessary to position himself between Toga and the door. This was the first chance he had with her, and he couldn't squander it. "It's great that we can work together, and certainly I plan on making the most of the tools I've been given. And yet, Toga, don't forget who you are to me. You're a threat that I just barely tolerate, out of necessity more than anything. So I don't care what you set out to do from here on out so long as you can aid me along the way in some semblance." Tokoyami took a step forward, his red eyes staring daggers at her. "But if what you said yesterday was true, then there's something you've done that's absolutely unforgivable. Since Twice isn't here to get between us this time, I'm going to have to ask you to cooperate further with me… if it's not too much trouble."

Toga shook out her wrist bitterly. Underneath her plastered smile, she was seething with an indignant air. It was unbecoming of someone like her to be backed into a corner. And to think, she had been so eager to enter his room. Now why had that been again? He was always going to have the upper hand. "Ohhh? And what would that be, dare I ask?" she spat, anger and curiosity fueling her nerves.

Don't let her get away with it. Have some control of this situation, Dark Shadow whispered insistently. This could be your best chance. Make her suffer so that others don't have to. Neither of you are innocent.

It's not like that, I just need… Tokoyami's scowl deepened.

"Toga, you said you had Midoriya's blood. You flaunted it in front of me. Knowing you, I don't think you'd lie about something like that. But I can't allow you to possess such a thing. It wouldn't be right. I won't let you drag a hero like him into this mess, for whatever intentions you have with it will surely not be in good faith. Every time I consider the possibilities, it makes my blood boil. I don't want to know how you obtained it, but I can't stand to have it in your hands any longer… And you have it right now, too, don't you?"

Toga licked her lips greedily, and Tokoyami didn't miss the way that her eyes flitted over to her backpack for a split second. So she still had it in there. It made sense that she wouldn't want to drift so far from something she considered precious. Which is why making this work would be quite difficult. Truthfully, it was this exchange that he'd been dreading the most.

"Yes, I still have that tasty little morsel. And? What do you plan on doing about it?" Toga asked, batting her eyes innocently. "You wouldn't deprive me of such a thing, would you? I worked ever so hard for it, after all~"

She truly was the kind of person that knew exactly how to ruffle his feathers. The more time he spent around her, the more he came to regret his decisions. And there was a good chance that this was the most troubling of them all.

"It's not your right to possess such a thing. You're the last person who should have such a power at your disposal. So if we're to go any further, then I'm going to have to ask you to surrender it to me."

"Bold demands, but I'm not stupid. I can't just give it to you," Toga said. "Unless you plan on forcing my compliance? You gonna just steal it from me?"

"It was never yours to have in the first place," he growled back. "But I'm not like you. I can't do that to you and expect that you'll still agree to work with me without any hard feelings. I'm not letting you leave this place with it, though. However, at the same time I can't in full consciousness let you leave unsatisfied. Despite my regard for you, I'd rather not place a target on my back. I don't want to become enemies with you. Name your terms, and we can work something out."

Toga wasn't smiling anymore. That was never a good sign. But it seemed like she was finally taking this seriously. "Do you know what you're asking for? Do you have any idea how long I've craved that sweet drop of blood from precious Izuku? And now you're telling me I can't use it, that all my efforts were for nothing." Her body quivered. "All I'd be left with are the treasured memories of my time spent with him. His worried puppy-dog eyes and fluffy green hair… the way he bled for me, how much pain he would endure just to match me. You can't make up these things!" She seethed, dismayed at the demands he had put forth. "And now you want to take from me the one chance I had to be that? To be him? I hope you understand how hefty a price you're asking of me."

"You could still have your chance again," – though I certainly hope that doesn't become the case – "but not today, and not with what you have now. But surely you have something in mind that I can use to compensate you? Something that you might never be able to obtain otherwise."

Her knife glinted in the low light as she began to play with it in her nimble fingers. It looked like she wanted to throw it at him, and all things considering he wouldn't blame her if she did. Perhaps if she were more foolish, it would be a much more probable outcome. But not today. Even this wasn't enough to test her patience that far. "You approach me like this as though you already had something in mind for the exchange. What can you offer me? Your key? Not likely, since you want everything in your favor. Your cloak? Utterly useless to me." She began to move towards him in a dancing motion, her hands held behind her back, singing all the while "So – what – is – it – that – I – want – from – you~?" She got up close, like she had no notion of boundaries, and her head came to rest right near his shoulder. Although her voice was but a whisper, it rang loud and clear. "Oh, that's right. You have only your body to give, don't you? Is that what you wanted? An exchange of blood?"

Tokoyami fought the urge to turn away lest he leave himself exposed. After all, she was right: the only thing that would be of equivalent exchange for Midoriya's blood would be to give her his own. He looked her straight in the eyes, unflinching. "Yes, I figured it would come to this. I want to willingly give you a drop of my blood to do whatever you want with, and in turn you give me what you stole from my friend."

"He's my friend too, you know," Toga muttered.

"Hardly. So says your delusional mind, but Midoriya is better than that."

The corner of Toga's mouth twitched. "He's better than you, too. You think that just because you've come so far that you're worth the same? Not a chance."

"And so what of it? Does it truly make a difference?" Tokoyami said, fighting to keep his voice level and his feelings under control.

"It does to me!" Toga complained, stepping back to face him head on. "When it comes to you, your blood hardly compares to Izuku's. After all, I could probably just steal a drop here and there for convenience's sake, like last time!"

"Not a chance," Tokoyami growled. "I'll never let my guard down around you again."

She seemed to consider this for a while, allowing a silence to grow between them. When her arm began to move, he was ready. She flashed her knife toward him in one swift movement, but at the same time he had Dark Shadow intercept her. The knife clattered out of her hand and onto the floor. She didn't seem too bothered by the hazy shadow hovering angrily over her. "Hmm, so you say. Alright then. I believe you when you say that this is the best opportunity I'll get. But I stand by what I said earlier – in this case, a drop is not worth a drop."

Against his better reasoning, Tokoyami dispersed his quirk. They were on true talking terms now. "Is that so? In that case, go ahead and name your price. How much do you desire of me?"

"A pint."

Tokoyami balked, dumbfounded by her demands. "The hell you will! That's far too much. I shudder to think what you'd get up to with such a quantity. And with that much being taken, you're putting me at a disadvantage in a place where that's ill advised. This isn't your typical blood donation, you greedy bastard!"

"Oh, Fumikage, what does it even matter to you? Your pathetic excuse of a reputation couldn't possibly be tarnished further, regardless of how I choose to use it. And besides, usually I take much more from my victims."

"That's great, but I'm not your victim, I'm your barterer, and I get to decide what's too much. How about a cup? That should be plenty to fulfill your selfish desires." Watching her all the while, he stooped to pick up her knife, offering it back to her hilt-first.

She snatched it quickly from him like her life depended on it, and in that moment the sharp edge nicked the palm of his hand, leaving a red droplet behind.

"Why, Fumikage, you're a better business partner than I ever could've dreamed of. Yes, I can work with that much. After all, it means just a bit more when it's being willingly given to me, so I suppose that counts for something. How nice that we finally get to work together like this, don't you think? I do believe we'll both be quite happy with the results. When we're done dismantling this place, you'll be much more like me. And I? I'll be just – like – you~" She licked her knife, and the drop of blood he'd left on it. Tokoyami couldn't avert his gaze as her face morphed uncannily into the picture image of his own. The same sharp, crimson eyes, his jet-black feathers, with a few of them still singed, his beak, elongating from her face so that it was almost touching his own. It was all his, and yet it was not. It left a sick feeling in his chest, like every action he made from this point onwards was nothing but a grievous mistake that he had painstakingly set up for himself.

Why would you do this to yourself? Why do you feel compelled to sacrifice yourself at every turn? You understand that there's no way this will end well for either one of us, right? But since this is what you decided, without even fully breaking down the repercussions you will surely face because of it, there's no backing down now. Very soon, you're going to reap what you sow. And when that happens, I'll have no choice but to try and protect you from the outcome, now won't I? Dark Shadow's lamentations had reached him loud and clear, and he felt a twinge of guilt well within him. But it would do nothing to stop the actions he'd decided.

Toga retreated to the backpack she had left unattended at his bedside, and from it retrieved a small vial, the very same one that she had gloated over him. With a candid sigh, she held it in her hand like something to be treasured before setting it down on his pillow. With a final, longing look, she parted with Midoriya's blood and came back to Tokoyami. "Do what you will, but if I ever see it out in the open, I won't hesitate to steal it back. That's all I can promise you on my end, alright? Now, with that in mind, I do believe we have an appointment. How about we go back to my room? Don't worry, I won't bite – I have other tools for that."

Tokoyami had to keep himself from cringing. He truly was walking willingly into the lioness's den. But the sooner they got this over with, the better. "I agree to these terms. But how do you want to proceed after that? I don't want to waste any time more than necessary, so I'd hope that after all this you still plan on searching this facility with me."

Toga whistled unapologetically. "Wooow, look at you! A bit too eager to get to all kinds of trouble today, are we? Why, that's unbecoming of you! If only everyone could see you now~"

She was probably talking about the rest of the League, but her comment only brought to mind the heroes that would probably be disappointed to see him driven into a corner like this. And yet, it all felt necessary, like it was everything in his power to keep others from getting hurt. If all turns out well, then perhaps it won't all be for naught.

"You shouldn't act so surprised, Toga. After all, I'm sure you wanted this. So cease your endless chatter and desecration of my image for just a moment so that we can get this over with."