Heroes in the Dark chapter 43

For a moment everything was still. Not a breath hung in the air, and not a sound was made as the abstract shock settled in. It all felt so surreal, after everything that had happened. After everything they'd had to endure. Was it all leading up to this moment?

Tokoyami couldn't believe what he was hearing. Something he thought was unimaginable, but what he'd been hoping – and in a way dreading – for so long now.

Heroes. They were actually here. The last time he'd seen other heroes, it had been… during that night. That night when they, when he, had lost everything. When irreversible crimes had been committed, and a long-lasting guilt had settled upon him. There were some things that couldn't be so easily swept from the mind, but now, here, there might be a chance of atonement. Because despite his situation, there was no way he could stand down now. Not while he – not while she – are so close to securing themselves to the heroes that awaited them outside. They could stay strong just a little longer. Whatever it took.

Tokoyami waited in agonizing silence, wondering what would happen next. The thumping of his heart was causing his whole body to shake, but he clenched his fists and scowled across the room to where Overhaul was frozen in place. Eri shifted fearfully behind him, peeking out from his cloak before shrinking back at the sight of Overhaul. But that wasn't all she saw. It didn't even register until he heard her quietly whisper "What is that?" that he realized this was her first time seeing Dark Shadow. Given her current state, this wasn't the best time, but there was no way around it.

"Don't be afraid, that shadow is mine. Together we'll keep you safe," Tokoyami soothed gently, hoping she would understand.

He wasn't given the chance to do much else when, ever so smoothly, the lanky man turned to face Chrono, who was only now registering what he'd walked in on. Overhaul made no obvious reaction to this news, but Tokoyami could tell by the twitch of his gloved hand that he was irritated beyond measure. "Is that so," he drawled. "They have quite the timing, I suppose. I would've hoped there'd be more time. But even that is against us."

While they talked briefly, Tokoyami had to take a moment to focus his attention inwards. To reconnect to that which he thought he'd lost. He prodded mentally at the shadowy presence that sat like a rock at the center of his mind, causing it to writhe weakly like a starving eel.

Sshhhkkrrr—rr—hhh-here…

Dark Shadow, please, you have to hang in there. I don't know what I'd do without you, Tokoyami silently begged his fractured quirk.

I—I'm…heeerrrrrre… Fumi-k-kage… The voice strained for coherency, fighting to knit itself together and stay with him, since that was all that was being asked of the shadowy form. Tokoyami stifled a sob, trying to keep up a brave exterior for Eri. But nobody would ever understand how worried he'd been, how agonizing such a loss had been, and how wretchedly grateful he was that his quirk was by his side now. It was still so weak, this connection being held together by frayed strings, but he was determined to hold onto it no matter what. He couldn't afford to feel like that again. Not quirkless. Not alone.

Dark Shadow was the only thing standing between them and Overhaul. It fizzled in the air, struggling to remain corporeal, and Tokoyami was starting to sweat from the strain of using it in this weakened state. He knew there'd be no way for him to hold his ground, not at this rate. So the best he could do is make sure that Eri was at his side, whatever happened. And then meant that Dark Shadow would have to hold out.

Overhaul turned back to him, a cold calculation dancing in his eyes. Tokoyami tensed, and his quirk became more solid for a moment, claws flexing. The yakuza boss took a step towards them, and the quirk let out a rattled hiss, causing him to hesitate. There was no way he was actually apprehensive of the quirk, seeing it as any sort of threat. But now wasn't the time to be escalating the situation. Not when he needed to have a firm grasp of what was happening.

"Eri… Tokoyami… I see you have some rampant thoughts making you impulsive right now. But I'm afraid we're in a bit of a hurry. It's not safe here. We'll have to evacuate, and I expect you to follow." As he said this, sediment from the ceiling came knocked loose, showering them in dust and pebbles. Tokoyami shielded the girl from it, but when he looked around he thought he saw the walls moving ever so slightly. He must truly be losing his mind. "I can't have anyone slowing me down, mind you. You should throw away any crude thoughts that you possess any shred of power over me, because that will never be the case. So I'm going to have to ask you to step down and let me take over from here."

Tokoyami's throat was parched from fear, but he managed to keep it from cracking as he spoke up. "You have another thing coming if you truly believe you'll be able to walk out of here unscathed." A bold front was the last thing he could afford to put up. Anything else could spell ruin for him once more as Overhaul's patience began to wear ever thinner. A rumble in the distance caused more debris to come down from above. Tokoyami felt Eri pull at his cloak. He redirected his attention, the lapse in focus causing Dark Shadow to sputter out of existence for a fraction of a second before congealing once more.

The child looked up at his with wide eyes. Her voice was quiet, but easily heard in the tension of the room. "Please… no more. I need to go. Please don't get hurt for me again."

Tokoyami's gaze softened with sadness. He hated that she had to feel such responsibility. It wasn't right – none of this was. But there was nothing to fight right now. "Then I have no choice but to come with you."

He thought she might be on the verge of tears, but no. She disengaged from the comforting folds of his cloak and climbed down from the bed, away from his protection. Tokoyami saw the way that Overhaul's expression shifted to one of smugness as Eri parted from him.

Overcoming his sorrows, Tokoyami quickly righted himself to be by her side. Dark Shadow curled around him as he stepped closer. She flinched when the ghostly form moved suddenly, eyebrow knit together in worry at the bird-like shape that dripped with pain and instinct. Tokoyami whispered another reassurance to her, even despite not knowing if any of this was truly going to "be okay." At this point it was the greatest contribution he could make, and not much else was to be done.

He didn't know how much of a difference it made. Either way, Eri knew had to happen. It pained him to watch her cross the room, even though he was so close behind. And then when she reached the door, Chrono stooped to pick her up in his arms as though it was standard for him to do so.

Dark Shadow let out a low, animalistic growl, channeling Tokoyami's thoughts and frustrations. The quirk hated it just as much as he did, or maybe because he did, and that was culminating into an outward show of disdain.

Overhaul cast him a dirty look, probably the dirtiest thing to come from that man other than his garbage ideals and morals. But it communicated at a glance without anything needing to be said. I'm not going to let you ruin this for me, even if it means I have to kill you for real. Tokoyami wondered if he really would try to do that, in front of Eri no less. But thinking further upon it, he had no doubt that the cruel individual would do so without hesitation.

In his mind, Tokoyami soothed the frazzled quirk. But he still asked that it stay in the physical world, difficult as it was. It hovered close to his shoulder, claws shaking, but managed to hold itself firm. He was afraid to communicate any thoughts more complex than that for fear that the quirk might retreat back inside his mind.

Tokoyami came to stand in the shadow of Overhaul. With Eri's presence secure, the two began to walk down the hallway. And Tokoyami followed, just as he'd sworn. Focused as they were on getting themselves and Eri out of the infiltrated headquarters, Tokoyami realized that he could probably make a run from here and head towards where the sound of battle was starting to be made. He could reach the outside world and be recovered by the heroes. They were so close. He could hear them and yet it pained him to be so far away. Freedom didn't have to be impossible. All the misery, all the pain and literal death shouldn't have to be a promise to him. He could only hold out like this for so much longer. But he couldn't do that. Not to Eri. He couldn't leave her behind at such a crucial moment. He had to be there so that when the time came he could ensure that the heroes get to her.

So he followed in their wake, a somber yet determined presence. He was a literal shadow, trailing them closely, eyes always trained ahead. Chrono looked down at him pointedly, and adjusted Eri in his arms when he got too close. They were walking at a brisk pace, fast enough that had Eri been walking herself it would've slowed them down. Tokoyami matched their pace, with his quirk making an occasional noise to remind them that he was still there, watching, waiting, and hoping for their failure.

A dull thud resounded throughout the halls, coming from somewhere in the distance behind them. Tokoyami chanced a look back, but there was nothing to see yet. Without a doubt, though, something was coming, and they were the targets. Tokoyami quietly urged the people following in their wake to have haste, even knowing that this place, crawling with yakuza as it was, would pose a fierce challenge to anyone who stepped foot down here. It certainly had for him.

Chrono paused briefly, listening to the sounds brewing on the edge of their perception. He dipped his mask close to Overhaul, but Tokoyami could still make out his muffled whispers. There was no point hiding these things from him now. He already knew more about this place then he'd ever wanted, but he had only himself to blame for that.

"The whole lot of them are moving in sync at full speed," Chronostasis rasped. "They know exactly where they're going. So probably… our operation's blown. If they find you, it's all over."

Overhaul kept walking without hesitation, not slowing down for an instant. "I figured we'd end up here sooner or later… Just happened to be sooner, I guess. They won't find me, though. "I wasn't here. They went wild on their own." That's how we'll play this. That's the reason I have these pawns."

"The Eight Precepts of Death. Yes, this is certainly the best opportunity to prove their worth and buy us the time we need," Chrono muttered.

Tokoyami faltered a moment thinking about that. All the people he'd had the displeasure of meeting down here… were now opponents that the heroes were fighting against. He thought back on them all. The three Expendables, Setsuno, Hojo, and Tabe: they were a team, a trio of solidity that stood firmly for Overhaul and would probably fight recklessly on his behalf. The large hulking one, Katsukame, would also be a formidable force. Tokoyami still remembered that night with the League when he'd first seen him burst through that wall. And surely the others had quirks of their own that proved their worth in battle. But then… there was also Rappa, whose fighting prowess he knew better than anyone else's in this underground. He couldn't help but feel sorry for whatever unfortunate soul would have to go up against that brute. Hopefully they would be capable enough to handle it, but it wouldn't be anything that they can get out of unscathed, that much was certain.

###

The further down the halls they went, the more anxious Tokoyami was starting to become. The sounds of fighting in the distance never faded, but it was also difficult to be sure if they were getting any closer. While at one point they might've happened upon other yakuza in the underground, this place was now ultimately empty. Everyone who was capable of fighting were out there proving that they can be useful to their boss up to the very end. And it wasn't doing Tokoyami any favors. They were only getting deeper into the darkness contained within this wretched place, and every little thing put Tokoyami on edge.

At one point a particularly large crash caused the whole place to tremble, disturbing the air that had been pristine and untouched by the heroes and outcry of the outside world for so long. This was a place that few people like them ever got to see, and now it was being ripped from its foundation for the whole world to witness.

Another large sound. The ground reverberated and the pipes shook.

Chronostasis followed Tokoyami's gaze, peering around to the direction they had just come from. He shifted Eri awkwardly in his arms.

"What a racket," Overhaul grumbled from behind his mask. "They'd better be doing their jobs…"

Chrono cleared his throat. He was beginning to look nervous at this rate. "Hate to say it but… the Precepts might be finished."

Tokoyami turned back to them in surprise. So soon?! Either they have so little faith in their underlings, or the hero unit sent here must truly be a force to be reckoned with. I hope it's the later.

Despite this sudden news, Overhaul didn't seem particularly upset by all this. "As long as the boss and I still live, this organization can't die." The boss? But isn't Overhaul the boss? "Most of the men are in the Boss's camp anyway and aren't exactly down with my way of thinking. Even though I respect the Boss's way of thinking more than any of them." Overhaul fished around in his coat pocket, making sure that something was still there. He produced two small boxes, and looked upon them fondly as though they were the ticket to his success. "With just the finished product and the serum… I can bring about our revival."

The four of them rounded a corner. When Tokoyami looked back ahead to continue this path of hardships, he was met by something that made him hesitate just a moment too long. It was Toga and Twice. They were just there, leaning with their backs to either side of the tunnel, waiting. Waiting for his orders.

Toga looked at him with a languid smile, her hand hovering close to her knife. He knew by now that there was no way she'd be so easily compliant in whatever demands Overhaul gave her, unless she, too, served to benefit from them in some way. So he couldn't understand why…

As he came closer them, Tokoyami felt his feet begin to drag. It was as though he were taking the path of most resistance just by being surrounded by all these spiteful individuals. Tokoyami watched Toga's movements carefully. And then he saw her eyes flick over to Chrono and what he held. Ah. That's right. This must be their first time getting so close to Eri, or seeing her at all. With all the whispers being dealt in this place, I wonder if they know what her importance is to this whole operation…

The two villains watched them pass curiously, their interest thoroughly sparked. When Tokoyami got within range, he sidled up next to Toga and whispered quietly in her ear: "I won't forgive you if you kill any heroes here today."

"Is that so?" she hummed back quietly, glancing between him and Dark Shadow. "But you already hate me, so I don't really think there's any reason not to go all out and have a little fun in the process. You could stand to think that way too, you know~"

Tokoyami gave her a baleful scowl. As much as he hated it, he couldn't deal with her taunts right now. He just had to hold onto the expectation that the heroes would get the better of her. He had to believe that, too, or else what chance did they have of making it all the way over here? If they couldn't get past the likes of Toga or Twice, then their opportunity of overcoming Overhaul would be grim.

Tokoyami turned away from Togo to acknowledge Twice, who was crouching near the floor. He wasn't sure what kind of havoc he planned to cause but…

The masked individual gave him a reassuring thumbs up and nodded his head to where Overhaul and his cohort were progressing down the hall. "Don't worry, we'll catch up with ya once this all is over. Sound good?"

Sounds like the sort of outcome I'm dreading. Unless, of course, we find each other from within the confines of a prison cell. Some good has to come from all this. Tokoyami nodded stiffly. He didn't feel the need to say the same message he'd given to Toga. She'd deliver it for him while they're in the midst of their respective troubles, no doubt. But he couldn't foresee what it is they would do, nor did he have enough of a sense of what plans they had. And he wouldn't be there to keep them at bay should they try to do anything unforgivable to the heroes that were fighting so valiantly in this forsaken territory.

Already Eri and the yakuza were drifting away from him, and he couldn't bear to abandon his responsibilities now. Foregoing his regrets, Tokoyami chose to catch up with them, leaving the two League members in his wake.

Overhaul was still appraising the items he held, ignoring whatever transaction had been going on behind him. "And this whole nasty business is just the thing our friends with vested interests enjoy. They'll love the idea of a drug that scares heroes and will happily invest. On that note… time to earn your keep, temp squad."

"Okaaay…"

"Leave it to us, Overhaul!"

Those two might be ready to work, to prove their value in Shigaraki's contract, but Tokoyami was eagerly awaiting his chance to break it. He just needed an opening, someone to come to his aide. Anything was better than trying in vain by himself to deal with such treacherous people.

I need a hero. Someone out there has to be able to reach us, I just know it. I'm tired of doing this alone.

N…not a-alone…