Heroes in the Dark chapter 45
The halls closed in more and more, and the air he breathed became ever more stifling. All the nerves of being so on guard after everything else that had happened up to this point was getting taxing, even though by all rights there was nothing particularly laborious about walking. It was the psychological aspect of being at their side for so long that was taking its toll. All the while, Dark Shadow hovered over them all, a peerless guardian waiting for its moment to strike.
Over time the rampant shifting of walls and rains of debris from the ceiling lessened. The tunnels became progressively quieter as they left behind what must've been a maelstrom of collective fights being waged from both sides. He hesitated to wonder who all was here and just how much blood was being shed over this. These were the kinds of things heroes signed on to do, but it never made the finality of the results any better. Especially not when the villain responsible for making such an attack from the heroes necessary was walking away from this. With the sounds of battle fading, Tokoyami once more directed his disgust at Overhaul, the man who was washing his hands of all responsibility by fleeing the scene and expecting that everything would turn out just fine for him. Tokoyami couldn't allow that to happen. Not after suffering so many failures already.
So focused was Tokoyami on his immediate surroundings and internal dialogue that he faltered when Overhaul came to an abrupt stop. He wondered for a moment if they'd reached the end of the underground facility, but the only thing extending in front of them was a larger room with several other passages branching off in separate directions. But then the two adult figures turned to direct their gazes behind them, and Tokoyami felt compelled to follow suit.
He wasn't sure when this person had caught up, or even how he'd gotten through all the chaos being wrecked by the Precepts and the League, but sure as day there was a beacon of heroism standing just behind them. He'd appeared from nothing, finding his way through all sorts of barricades in record time to stand before them. Sweat glistened on his face, but not a scratch or tear was visible anywhere else on his body. His red cape billowed to a stop when he did, and beady blue eyes that shined with determination locked onto the opponents standing before him. A bold golden print of "1000000" was labeled proudly on his superhero costume, and the young muscular figure held himself with all the dignity of someone with a job to uphold.
This was a hero. No doubt about it. There was something achingly familiar about him, but Tokoyami found trouble in wracking his memories for such a face. And what he found instead of a name was a realization that twisted his guts: this person reminds me of All Might.
The hero spoke with resounding clarity, with his eyes set on one thing only. He was panting lightly from the exertion of making it this far, but he looked raring to go. "Sorry to bother you, but… we need to have a little chat."
Overhaul narrowed his eyes, unamused by his presence. "You again." Tokoyami stiffened. While his first instinct had been to acknowledge the hero, it was more important that he be crucially aware of everything that Overhaul did and said. There was no doubt going to be a confrontation here, and he would most certainly be caught up in the middle of it. If he had any role to play at all, then it would be for the better. "Catching up shouldn't have been so easy," Overhaul noted, glossing over Tokoyami to focus on the true hero standing against them.
"I took a shortcut. Now I'm here for the girl," he said simply. That was all the verification Tokoyami needed. Now he had someone who could help him to achieve the same goal.
Overhaul was the last person to be impressed. "…You look like you're just a student, trying to act like a hero." That… was maybe true. But that was all he needed. "Last time we met, you turned a blind eye to the situation. It's not like this girl is hoping you'll save her. To her, you're no hero."
Something about the way he said that felt like a personal jab. But those words weren't supposed to be directed at him. It was supposed to dissuade the heroic individual behind them. But people like him were stubborn, and mere words weren't enough to keep them from putting actions before all else. Then there was Tokoyami, with all his actions feeling so frustratingly limited. As that thought crossed his mind, he noticed Overhaul make the slightest of movements – a shift in where he was looking. For a mere second, Overhaul locked eyes with Tokoyami, and that communicated everything that it needed to: yes, I'm referring to you, too. It wasn't just his imagination. Overhaul held fast to the belief that nobody here was capable of thwarting his plans.
Not that that would stop them.
The hero stepped forward. "She's why I'm here," he declared.
But Overhaul didn't look like he cared much for that idea. He turned around, showing his back to the hero as though there was nothing left to worry about. Tokoyami banked on the idea that such foolishness would be his undoing. "You're not getting the picture, huh? Let me make it simple…" The hero wasn't waiting any longer. He charged forward, and Tokoyami tensed in anticipation. Overhaul sighed. "I'm telling you, you're just going to die."
Tokoyami felt all his expectations crumple at once. He didn't know why he'd so quickly placed so much on the first heroic figure he'd seen in a long time, but when the hero stumbled halfway through his charged and took a knee to the ground Tokoyami couldn't help but feel a stab of betrayal. He looked around wildly for whatever must've caused such a halt in progression, until his eyes caught sight of a figure hanging inexplicably from the pipes on the ceiling.
The familiar underling of Overhaul's let out a slurred laugh, hoisting a bottle of alcohol into the air. "Bwa ha ha! Feeling drunk, are ya?!"
So it's his quirk? Tokoyami guessed, watching the intoxicated man hanging from above with mixed fascination and disgust.
But Overhaul was already walking away from the scene at a swifter pace, and Tokoyami cursed himself as he was forced to follow for fear of losing sight of Eri. If the hero had made it this far, then he could get through a little bit more, but Tokoyami had to continue abiding by the role he'd set for himself and remain at their side. Tokoyami hastened his steps to reach Chrono's side.
They stepped into the open room, and Tokoyami felt a chill run down his spine when a shadowed figure that had been lying in wait slipped past them. The hooked mask that dipped in and out of sight showed it to be Nemoto, the slimy Precept that was so overtly devoted to his duty. No. Don't think about them. The hero will get through them. So he kept going, though his instincts screamed for him to wait.
The sharp, piercing sound of a gunshot going off resounded through the halls, and Tokoyami turned back around swiftly. Dark Shadow let out a rattled growl, claws flexing. No no no, I can't let another hero die!
But the bullets were passing right through him. Tokoyami trembled with uncertainty. He wanted to help so badly, but he could feel Overhaul's cold glare seizing him. He could hear clear as day the banter being passed between the three of them.
"What the heck kinda quirk is that?" Nemoto sneered.
The hero answered without hesitation, and Tokoyami saw the way his own face contorted in surprise at his willingness to comply. "Permeation! When I use it, everything passes right through me!"
An icy voice cut through Tokoyami's thoughts. "Tokoyami? You're being awfully hesitant. I'd hope you're not thinking of anything rash," Overhaul murmured just loud enough for him to hear.
Tokoyami ripped his eyes away from the fight scene. "I… I don't think those two are capable enough to keep him at bay for very long. Those can't possibly be the only Precepts you have at your disposal at such a crucial moment. I know that hero, and they're no match." Tokoyami wasn't sure how much truth there was to that, but at the very least it gave them pause.
Overhaul's eyebrows furrowed, displeased. "No, that's not…"
Nemoto's voice echoed through the halls. "I must follow him! And walk that same path! To share in the joy of realizing his goals!" The loyal Precept was on a tirade, his mind clouded only with thoughts of his boss as he shot the gun wildly.
Overhaul let out a tsk. "He's not even paying proper attention. Chrono, make sure they do their job right."
His right-hand man stuttered to attention, and he shifted Eri in his hold to make sure she didn't slip. "Eh? A-ah, I'm not sure that's truly necessary, especially since my hands are already –"
"The girl can walk," Overhaul snapped impatiently. "Go slow down the hero so they can put a proper bullet through his head and hurry back to my side. It'll just be easier that way."
Chrono wasn't about to argue further. He set Eri down gently on the ground and turned to walk back into the fray. The little girl looked around in confusion, not entirely sure what was going on. But Tokoyami was at her side in an instant, and her hand gripped onto his cape out of instinct. But her other hand became the possession of Overhaul, dragging her away from the scene. Tokoyami wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing – that hero had no idea what to expect – but now there was one less person for him to worry about. Now the only one standing in his way was Overhaul.
The lone yakuza picked up the pace once more, with only two children following in his wake. The scene of battle was being left behind. Surely they had to be properly preoccupied by now. Which meant…
Eri looked up at him, her face a mask of concern. It begged a question, and Tokoyami felt compelled to answer. They were in the center of the room when Tokoyami held out his hand, and Eri reached out to hold onto that instead, letting his cape fall back to his side.
A battlecry of epic proportions reached the very edges of the surrounding area. "POWERRR!"
And in that moment, when Overhaul turned to acknowledge the source of the outburst, Tokoyami scooped Eri into his arms for himself, ripping her from Overhaul's clutches to hold her within the folds of his own cloak. She was lighter than he expected, her frail body manageable even for someone as small as him, and he felt little hands grab securely onto his shirt. He could also feel Overhaul's last shred of patience for him snap in that moment. They had to get out now.
A streak of red and white materialized in the air in front of them, erupting directly from the ground, right when Overhaul had turned his attention elsewhere. Tokoyami could barely keep up with the movements, not even when they were coming straight for him.
"Chisaki!" the hero roared, winding back his arm to deliver a packed blow to the startled yakuza boss. He bent back to dodge the punch coming for him, but that second of distraction had dulled his movements, and the hero's fist managed to connect just barely with the side of his face, scraping past his plague doctor's mask. But in that same instant, something unprecedented happened. The hero twisted sharply in the air, and while his fist met its mark it didn't stop there. A well-placed kick came soaring towards Tokoyami. His eyes widened in surprise, and with the split second before impact he curled his body inwards to protect Eri. But the blow was never going to hit her.
The kick hit him square in the beak, the force of it shoving him back. But when it came to Eri it merely phased right past her. A part of him was grateful that she wasn't hurt, falling instead into the open arms of the hero, but all the rest was focused on his reeling mind as he was sent tumbling across the floor. Dark Shadow vanished from his lapse in concentration and his cloak wrapped around him wildly from the momentum. Tokoyami came to a stop with a gasp that made his jaw flare up in pain. What the hell happened?! I'm on your side!
But the hero doesn't know that.
Tokoyami's vision blurred before he was able to make sense of what was going on around them. He coughed and tasted blood, and everything was shaky, but he struggled onto his knees, forcing his limbs to move so soon after such a hit. And when he looked up, he saw Eri cradled protectively in the arms of that shining beacon of hope that had come so far to save her. When his voice rang out, it spoke to the testament of his power, and Tokoyami felt his morals freeze.
"Don't worry, I'll be your hero!"
And he was right. This person was sent here with the single purpose of achieving Eri's safety, something that Tokoyami felt he had never been able to fully realize because of his position. He'd said a lot of promises to Eri, never knowing for certain that they could become a reality. He wanted to be a hero to her so badly because she was the only one to regard him as such, to use the name he'd chosen specifically for heroics, and she was the only person more vulnerable than him. That had instilled a responsibility upon him. But even now he wasn't in a position of heroics. He was a liability appearing to be on the side of the villains. The heroes had no idea where his loyalties lied, or what changes had occurred in the time that had passed since the summer camp. If anything, it made sense that the heroes would rather suppress him in this mission before even considering cooperation. He… he should've expected this. And yet it still hurt him in a way that hadn't been as expected.
Overhaul stumbled away. He rubbed viciously at the area of impact, scratching at the mere memory of where the fist had connected. Already the beginnings of a bruise was starting to appear above his cheekbone. He seethed into his mask, bitter words muffled behind a veil of thinly concealed hatred. "Filthy," he hissed, glaring death at the hero. But then he regained just enough composure to speak out properly, even while he was coiled in pain in disgust. "Come back now, Eri," he hissed. His breath was heavy, his movements jarring, but still that honey-slick voice rang out with all the tenacity of dedicated snake spilling its warnings. "…Or he'll be killed. How many times must I say it? You were born to break people."
Tokoyami struggled to stand, but only succeeded in slipping on the hem of his own cloak and crashing back down to his hands and knees. He wanted to call out to Eri. To reassure her. Even now, he could see the way the little girl squirmed in the hero's arms. "N-no, he's gonna –!"
The hero held her close. "You don't have to listen to him!" he announced, quashing her fears in place of validation that she so desperately needed.
Overhaul let out an uncharacteristically animalistic growl, still struggling to correct himself. But the touch of that hero went more than skin-deep, and he was still rubbing away at nothing just to be free of the idea that he'd actually been struck. "Like I'm always telling you, your selfishness forces me to dirty my hands."
Tokoyami stopped struggling to listen.
"Every move you make gets people killed!" Overhaul jeered. "Your very existence is cursed!"
No… no that's not fair to her. She doesn't deserve to be told that.
It's not our fault.
"How can you say that to your own daughter?!" the hero yelled, angry that the man would reach such a horrifying conclusion.
Overhaul was crouched low to the floor, bent double. Tokoyami wouldn't have thought that a blow like that would've left him so vulnerable. Not after the hell he'd put them through and the power he waved. But then Tokoyami saw his ungloved hand reach close to the floor, and realization struck. "Hm? Oh. Right. That's what I told you." Tokoyami managed to find his footing and began to yell out a warning. Overhaul's eyes narrowed dangerously at the three of them. "I don't have children."
The floor erupted beneath them. Spires and pillars of cement writhed under their feet. Stability meant nothing, and Tokoyami pushed off the ground as it turned to a void without warning. He scrambled for purchase, his cape becoming shredded by sharp spears of rock bursting upwards. He grabbed hold of one such pillar being formed, but even that crumbled beneath him. There was nowhere to go that was safe in Overhaul's playground – everyone was at risk.
There was nowhere he could stand comfortably, but after a few moments he was able to gain an understanding of the rhythm of breaking and reforming. So long as he kept moving and remained aware, he was able to navigate the treacherous scape for the moment. But no matter where he went he was met with walls, and all the exits to this room had been sealed up, denying him the chance of escaping easily.
A bank of rock curved behind him, and he ducked as a spear protruded from it. Walls were beginning to form around him, and his vision was becoming limited. "Where's Eri. I need to find her. That hero better have…!" he spoke between gasps of air, voicing his thoughts through the turmoil.
Another spire erupted nearby, and this time he made a desperate grasp for it as it rose towards the ceiling. "There!"
He spotted Eri first, her fragile frame being held aloft over a sea of spiky protrusions. Beneath her, struggling to stand, was the hero. Several rock spears were piercing directly through his body, and Tokoyami felt panic rise in his chest. But there was no sign of injury, and except for the strain of the awkward position appeared otherwise unharmed. Both of them, thankfully, looked unharmed. But Tokoyami doubted that would last much longer.
The person manipulating the very earth stood in the center of it all, his hand pressed to the ground as wave after wave of changes tore through the room at dizzying speeds. The hero twisted around each obstacle, but Tokoyami was all too aware of how close those spikes were coming for Eri. Which could only mean… "You scum," Tokoyami hissed, scaling an upwards spear to roost above the ocean of rock and set his sights on Overhaul.
The hero must've reached the same conclusion, for his accusatory voice could be heard above the chaos. "You're even aiming for the girl?!"
Overhaul didn't even bother to deny it. "Yup. Breaking her won't slow me down. If I restore her quickly enough, she can be revived. Even if she's not back to normal, she'll still be useful. And she already knows that, firsthand."
Without warning, the pillar Tokoyami was hanging onto became a surface of spines sticking outwards at him. Tokoyami let out a strangled cry as a spear went through his hand and another pierced his calf. Pain rippled through him as they grazed past his body, sinking easily into his unprotected flesh. As opposed to the other hero, he was not immune. And with a sinking feeling he realized that Overhaul would be better off killing him. This was something he knew firsthand.
Overhaul was below him, manipulating the ground. The yakuza boss chanced a look up at him. Even despite the situation he found himself in, Tokoyami could still see the way his eyes smiled to be delivering such a fate onto those that were wiggling through his obstacle course. He was taking pleasure in tearing apart those who were below him. It infuriated him.
Dark Shadow. Dark Shadow, cover me! "Black Ankh!" Tokoyami commanded, feeling the darkness envelope him. It stuttered to life, and pieces of the armor fell apart the moment they were formed as the quirk continued to suffer the effects of the ability suppressing drug. But it was enough, and the feeling of the spikes piercing into him began to subside. Wispy claws dug into the rock pillar, and, mustering all his strength, he shoved off of it. Tokoyami had his sights set on one thing only. Eri was in good hands – he had to believe that. But nothing would be solved until the one thing barring her freedom continued to reach for her with those disgusting, destructive hands.
Tokoyami soared through the open air, unrivaled. "Overhaul, eyes up here!" Tokoyami screeched, descending upon him like a murder of crows, his shredded cape fluttering in the wind.
Overhaul relented, the annoyance of having to divert his attention evident on his face. A flick of his hand on the ground, and another rock spear burst up from the ground. The claws of Tokoyami's quirk lashed out forcefully, in sync with his arm, and the rock crumpled back into a pile of debris being scattered throughout the room. Undeterred, Tokoyami continued his descent, and landed right in front of the yakuza boss. Tokoyami grunted painfully from the rough landing, but he only had so much time to react before Overhaul was upon him.
Snarling, Overhaul jumped back, making space between them, and swiftly created more spears with which to skewer him. Dark Shadow's claws grabbed onto one before it could hit its mark, and Tokoyami used that to vault over the others. His claws reached out towards that loathsome masked face, and Tokoyami was surprised at his own willingness to sink them into this person. But it was something he had to do, something he wanted to do. "Face me after what you've done–!"
Tokoyami was cut off before he could finish, a wall of stone slamming him to the side. His ribs ached with a familiar pain as he was just as easily swatted aside. It was more frustrating now more than ever, being forced to come to terms with the fact that Overhaul was untouchable so long as he controlled this space. Tokoyami heaved for breath as the strain caused his quirk to dissipate into the air again, and the feeling of vulnerability became even more evident when the shadow of that man drifted over him.
Overhaul glared down at him with all the contempt he could muster, appraising the tool that had done so little to help him throughout their time together. "I thought I'd be able to get some use out of you yet, but you really are more trouble than you're worth. You're nothing more than a reject hero trying to right past wrongs by throwing yourself into the fray of an untimely death. And I am more than happy to oblige yet again. This time don't count on me bringing you back," he sneered.
Dark Shadow forced itself to materialize in front of him, but one deft wave of his ungloved hand and Overhaul silenced the struggling quirk. Amongst the turmoil, he was only vaguely aware of the sound of gunshots ringing and a swirl or red off to the side where Eri was supposed to be with the hero.
Tokoyami screamed at his own body to move, unable to rely on his quirk. He needed to roll out of the way, evade the spears, get away from that hand.
Something erupted from under him, but it wasn't the sharp obtrusion he'd been expecting. Rather, it was a blur of bright colors and a muscular body appearing out of nowhere, filling the gap between him and Overhaul. Tokoyami felt this force shove him off the stone platform Overhaul had been utilizing, and he watched in amazement as a red-glozed fist connected with Overhaul's face for the second time. The hero had actually come to his rescue, something he couldn't have counted on, nor was he sure he actually deserved. But that meant Eri wasn't with him, and this place was still crawling with yakuza. So where…?!
Tokoyami heaved himself up from the ground the moment he felt the floor solidify under him. Overhaul was probably reeling from the hit too much to keep the rest of the room in flux, leaving him with a rare opportunity. Tokoyami whipped around, eyes searching and heart thumping. He managed to lock sight with the hero that he'd had to have save him, and a feeling of mutual understanding passed between them. Although Tokoyami's jaw still hurt where the hero had kicked him, it was plain as day now that they were both forces working to thwart Overhaul.
The person who'd just endangered him own life to save him looked down at Tokoyami meaningfully. "Take Eri. I know you can break through those walls. I can permeate all I want but I can't take her with me. So move! Find Nighteye and Eraserhead!" the hero commanded. Tokoyami's eyes stretched wide at this show of trust, but he offered up a nod of cooperation. If it was this much, then he'd gladly do whatever it took to uphold his part of the hero's mission.
The sound of a gun firing off reverberated through the room, and Tokoyami felt something rip past the feathers on his head. Another one went off, and he had the sensibility to move this time. He ducked behind a stone column, flinching as the stone beside him chipped into several pieces after getting hit. Tokoyami peered around to see that Chrono had caught up with the chaos after the hero had dealt with him, and had wasted no time in firing off his bullets.
But he couldn't worry about that. The hero had risked it all to save him, and that had left Eri unattended in the center of the room. He watched the little girl peek her head out from under that man's tattered red cape. It was the only thing protecting her at the moment, but he saw the way she clung onto it and knew that it was important.
Across from him, on the other side of the room, Chrono was reloading his gun. The masked man looked up to stare through him, and Tokoyami felt the animosity directed at him coming off in waves. He could almost hear Chrono's accusatory voice chastising him for causing the boss so much trouble and how he would pay dearly for this.
Tokoyami didn't have time to think of the consequences. He charged out from the cover the column had provided and sprinted towards Eri. His leg throbbed viciously from the wound inflicted not moments prior, but adrenaline rushed through him, screaming at him to keep going even if it got him killed. Above the sound of his own blood pulsing and gunshots aimed at him, a dignified cry rang above all else:
"The reason heroes wear capes… is to wrap up and protect little girls in pain!"
He's right. I need to be there… for her! "Eri! I made a promise to you!" Tokoyami yelled. Her head popped up in alarm. She'd looked so confused up till now, but Tokoyami saw understanding dawn upon her face. They were dead set on doing this for her, no matter the cost. Her happiness meant the world. Whoever this hero was, whoever was coming to assist them, and whatever Tokoyami mattered to her… this was a mission that needed to succeed. Because she needed to know that she didn't deserve to live a life of pain and suffering at the hands of people trying to use her. It wasn't fair. It never had been.
Tokoyami was vaguely aware of the hero fending off the two yakuza on his own behind him. "You're strong, Chisaki! That said, between the two of us, I'm stronger!" A resounding thud of another hit being launched into Overhaul could be heard. "You won't lay another finger on her! Because I'm taking the both of you down here and now! This is your loss, Chisaki!"
Tokoyami appeared in a billow of inky fabric before a stunned Eri. He knelt down beside her gently and gathering her into his arms, tattered red cape and all. Her eyes held a world of sadness in them that tore at his heart, and he knew she felt responsible for the damage they were throwing themselves against for her sake. His arms were shaking, and Eri cringed away from him momentarily. "Eri, please," Tokoyami begged her quietly amongst the chaos, words for only her to hear. "I need you to know, you are not cursed. We are not slaves to our fates, no matter who wants to dictate them. We're doing this because we want to, and you can't change our minds. So let us help you. I don't want you to ever go through that experience ever again. I know how much it hurts, and you don't deserve that."
Her look of uncertainty turned to one of relief, and she reached her arms up to hold onto him better. He scooped her off her feet, taking her into a hold that, while awkward, would have to suffice if he's to get her out of here. He took a step, and fought hard not to stumble. Eri let out a small cry of alarm as he dipped forward before correcting himself with a grunt of perseverance. It was an agonizing pace, but Tokoyami began making his way towards the nearest wall. He focused hard on moving as fast as he could while also desperately calling forth everything he had to summon Dark Shadow yet again so that the quirk could open up a path to freedom.
"Don't let them get away!" Chrono yelled.
Overhaul's response was a curdling scream of frustration, and the room as a whole shifted once more under his influence. The floor dropped down a foot under Tokoyami and rock spires shot from the earth every which way. He collapsed to the ground with a gasp, sticking an arm out to catch himself and doing his damnedest to ensure that Eri was okay. "You're hurt," she whispered.
Tokoyami shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not. Don't worry for my sake."
Behind him, the yakuza were still being preoccupied by the incredible skill and relentlessness of the hero. Out of the corner of his eye, a dark shape slithered out from a small crevice in the wall, and Tokoyami groaned inwardly at the prospect of another yakuza joining the fray. Somehow Nemoto hadn't been taken out of the fight quite yet, regardless of how that hero had gone about dealing with him before. All that mattered was that he was here now.
He wasn't the only one to notice. Overhaul narrowly avoided another onslaught of hits and raised his voice to be heard. "Nemoto!" he screeched, producing a small box from his pocket and hurling it at the crawling man. "Shoot him!"
Tokoyami felt his heart jump into his throat. He recognized those bullets all too well, knew the amount of power and importance they held. It was even graver than when they'd used the temporary bullets against him, and as such the situation called for greater measure. The box held a mere three bullets – they would've had more completed had their top scientist not met an unfortunate fate at the hands of Tokoyami's quirk – and that meant that they were a last resort meant only for the most dire events. It was all he could do not to cringe at the memory of that night. But if he didn't act quickly the results would be far worse than before.
Tokoyami watched as Nemoto's gun was loaded with a single valuable bullet, and time seemed to slow down as he struggled to get up off the ground. The gun pointed towards the hero that was still fending off against Overhaul. But then a thought must've occurred, a realization that the hero's permeation quirk would make it far too difficult to land. And Nemoto diverted his attention instead to Tokoyami and Eri. He wouldn't be able to dodge it. He already knew that. He couldn't deflect it with his quirk. That would do little to stop its effect.
Eri shut her eyes against it all, tuning out the noise and pain surrounding her. Not once throughout this all did he ever hear her cry or scream. Tokoyami was her expression and understood it. It was her way of bracing for pain, as if she has no other choice but to take it. She was so accustomed to simply just surviving. That agony and fear… she's gotten used to suffering through it in a way that nobody should ever have to.
It was with a sinking feeling that he accepted that, despite what it meant, he couldn't let the bullet hit Eri. No more pain or suffering. This was all for her sake now. Resigned to his fate, he bent over Eri to shield her.
I'm sorry, Dark Shadow.
The click of a trigger and the bang of a gun. Tokoyami tensed in preparation to feel the bullet bite into him, just like last time. Only now it would have lasting consequences. There was no going back now, even as his regrets for everything up to this moment bubbled forth.
Tokoyami did as Eri did, and closed his eyes to the rest of the world.
But the pain never came. He knew he heard the gun going off. It was pointed right at them, so there was no way it could've missed. They were prime targets. So then…
A red-gloved hand reached past Tokoyami's head, surprising him, and came to rest gently on Eri's head. Another hand landed firmly on Tokoyami's back, and he saw that the hero that had been fighting for Eri's sake was positioned in a desperate leap that had sent him sailing towards them. Tokoyami looked up and was greeted by the hero's smile, warm and trusting as though nothing at all could possibly be wrong. It was the expression of someone who was committed to being there for those in need.
As his muscular arms wrapped protectively around the two broken and struggling kids, the hollow thunk of the bullet hitting its mark could be heard so very close by. The hero practically collapsed into them, and Tokoyami watched with designated dread as the face of their competent savior twisted into one of hurt and anguish.