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.

52. Chapter 52

Heroes in the Dark chapter 48

"What was that? I know you can do better – you should've been able to dodge that for sure." He sounded disappointed, knowing how much progress they'd made only to be stopped by this.

Tokoyami swept frantically at his sleeves, now alight with blue fire. He could feel the heat singing his arms. It was nothing he wasn't used to, but his mistakes hurt without fail every time.

With an irritated sigh, Dabi waved the flames in his hands away and crossed the space of the training area. Tokoyami ripped off his emaciated hoodie, stomping the hungry fires out as the villain approached as casually as ever. The crow-headed boy was breathing heavily, working to settle down now that combat had been disengaged. As the shadow of his impromptu teacher fell over him, Tokoyami felt his nerves and his quirk calm down ever so slightly, though he himself felt bile in his throat. He looked up, still panting for breath as he felt judgment wash over him from that piercing blue gaze.

"Well? We've been working at this for weeks now. What excuse do you have?" Dabi demanded. He wasn't angry, never really, but they'd gone through these motions enough already.

Tokoyami stared back at the ground solemnly, feeling the heat rise under his feathers. He'd been learning how to defend for himself without putting his quirk at risk, and in the process had understandably been caught in the cross-fire quite a few times. Dabi made sure of that. But he'd been getting stronger and – perhaps more importantly – faster. He'd been able to dodge these flames with varying levels of success for a while now. And yet sometimes he still found himself hesitating, even when his quirk wasn't out to take the damage in his stead.

"I… I know," Tokoyami gasped. "I'll move quicker next time."

"Is that all?" the fire-user drawled. "Because it looked to me like you weren't even attempting to move. What the hell convinced you to just stand there in front of my fire? That's not a rookie mistake – that was a conscious decision."

Tokoyami clenched the fabric of his pants briefly before straightening to look him dead on. "Y-yeah. I think… somewhere in my mind, I was thinking that I was supposed to be protecting something. That if I didn't take that attack, then someone else would. It was… subconscious. But your flames hurt people, Dabi."

"Yeah, they're hurting you," he pointed out. "The only thing you're protecting right now is Dark Shadow, but it'd be a shame if you did something stupid like put yourself at risk for no reason. I'm not gonna go easy on you, even if you decide to keep doing this. If you think there's something heroic about getting hurt over and over, there's not. It just shows that you have more to learn." Tokoyami watched the thin trails of smoke rising up from Dabi's scorched flesh, but kept his beak shut smartly. "So start thinking more about what you can do for you and your quirk, and keep it at that. Until you can ensure your own safety, you have no right to believe that you can do anything for others. It doesn't matter where you stand in this world, that's just how it is."

Tokoyami forced his eyes to blink back open, taking note of his surroundings as the lecture from not long ago faded into the back of his mind. He was dimly aware of every step of the hero struggling to carry him, every bump as he worked his way through the labyrinth of stone, and every resounding crash as fighting ensued around him. And yet he was strangely calm, focusing on the voice directed at him. Every so often, the familiar cry of his classmate calling out to him could be heard. But before long those calls of desperation no longer rang out, more pressing matters preventing him from such distractions. He got the sensation that Midoriya was fighting for all he was worth, more so than anything Tokoyami had ever been able to.

"We're… almost at the exit," Nighteye gasped. His left arm, due to its injuries, had long since given out, and now he was grimly dragging Tokoyami through the devastated room with all the strength he could muster in the other arm. If he looked over, he might've noticed that the arm was only barely attached, the flesh almost entirely ripped from splintered bone and dangling uselessly at his side. It was slow progress, leaving a red trail in their wake. Tokoyami thought that Lumillion had been in bad shape, being tasked with taking Eri away from this place once Midoriya had left his side. But at the pace they were going he couldn't imagine catching up with them. I should really be helping this hero get out of here. He's not gonna make it out if I keep weighing him down. Don't you think, Dark Shadow?

No response. He was there in the far recesses of his mind, giving the smallest of twitches at the use of his name, but otherwise the quirk was dormant. Tokoyami didn't blame him. He wish he had the luxury to fade into the dark without having to worry about how that'd effect those around him. After this… I hope I get to take a long rest. But until then…

Tokoyami raised his head from his chest. "Nighteye?" he muttered, begging for the hero to hear him over the sounds of battle. The man hauling his useless body glanced down in concerned surprise. "You need to go… make sure Eri and Lemillion are safe. Th-that's why you're here."

Nighteye let out an indignant huff. "Maybe so, but I can't leave you in the thick of this mess after all you've gone through. You… you're part of this rescue mission too." Tokoyami didn't have the strength at this point to argue with that, as much as it pained him to be such a liability over the well-being of Eri.

Tokoyami managed to get a better bearing of his surroundings. They were getting close to the wall that Midoriya had broken through. Maybe they'll all be able to make it after all.

Behind them, the roar of Midoriya shouting the name of one of his moves – had he always used kicks like that? – rang out clearly, followed by the smash of breaking. A defining attack to be sure, so long as it hit its mark. It was attacks like that that could win fights even against monsters like Overhaul and whatever unfortunate souls were fused with him. The fewer hits needed to bring him down the better. If just one overpowered hit could land, then that might just be enough.

But that cold mocking tone never gave up, and Tokoyami could feel it even within the depths of his spilling guts.

"You might be fast, but after dealing with all those other adversaries… I can easily see you coming a mile away," Overhaul declared. And with those words alone, Tokoyami believed him.

By now Tokoyami was all too familiar with the wet, gut-wrenching sound of those spikes piercing clean through flesh, and his bleeding midriff twisted in sympathy. If only I could've done more.

Nighteye stopped dead in his tracks, his pitiful grip on Tokoyami beginning to slip. After coming so far, Nighteye couldn't ignore the fact that the young hero they were leaving behind had been injured. None of them were in good shape, but Midoriya was the last line of defense keeping Overhaul back. And Tokoyami could tell that, despite his own efforts, Nighteye had received too much damage to continue at the rate they had been. Either that or… If he had to choose, the hero would almost definitely want Midoriya to make it out of here over me. They have some sort of connection, so I can't fault him for that.

Midoriya could barely contain the pained noise, struck as he had been through an arm and leg. While it could've been worse, it was only a matter of time before Overhaul took it upon himself to end the lives of any one of them.

Nighteye finally crumpled to his knees, taking Tokoyami down with him in the process. Unable to do anything to help himself, Tokoyami slumped onto the ground. The hand of the hero that had been dragging him along was now being used to stabilize himself as he fought his own battle of catching his breath and figuring out this moral dilemma. A shame, too – they weren't very far at all from the hallway that Lemillion had gone down. Just a little bit further and they might've made it out of harm's way. Just one less distraction, or a push of motivation, and maybe Overhaul wouldn't have been able to see them. How laughable it seemed now to think that he could make it out so easily. As if Overhaul would've allowed that after everything Tokoyami had done.

But despite all that, a declaration of sheer determination rang out above the doubts. "Not yet…! I'm not done!" Midoriya shouted. Don't you know how much it hurts to stand? It's okay that we weren't able to defeat him here. Overhaul's plans are already as much a pile of rubble as this room is. He's nothing without Eri to fuel his plans. It's fine.

So then why did it bother him so much to hear Overhaul's taunts? "Ah… Lemillion and Tokoyami were just as tenacious. The potential of those who refuse to give up sure is something." There was something particularly sinister about those words. Otherwise Tokoyami might've been flattered to know that he'd left an impression like that on the putrid yakuza boss.

Tokoyami forced his trembling arms to hold him inches off the ground, straining to keep his wits about him. Which is when he saw Overhaul raise one of those cursed hands and hold it towards Tokoyami's direction. He flinched voluntarily, as though expecting something to finish him off. Instead, a mouth twisted onto the palm of his hand, an ability that Tokoyami was familiar with, just not from this individual. It made his stomach churn just thinking of this offensive use of an ability that he didn't want to associate with someone he felt only hatred for. But more to the point, it was all too obvious that the sickly words that spilled from the newly made mouth, projecting through the underground, weren't directed at anyone in the room.

"Everyone you left behind with me will be more deaths on your hands! Is that what you really want?! Eri!" Those sickening words echoed off the stone walls and pillars, being heard loud and clear. Tokoyami knew what this was. Please, you can't do this. Not to her. She cares too much. And that means…

Arms trembling, he lifted his head enough to look down the open hallway, only to have his heart sink when his fears were confirmed. The brisk patter of small footsteps running back towards them could be heard, accompanied by the hurried breath of a desperate child running back into the claws of her abusive guardian. And then she was there, right in front of him, a beacon of sadness.

"I… I don't want this!" Eri sobbed. Looking around at the people that had fought for her only to succumb to such grievous injuries must've made her decision all the more clear. If only Lemillion could've done more to keep her at his side… but that wasn't fair. They had all been trying to do their best. And at this moment they had all failed.

Behind him, Midoriya was struggling to stand. "Why?! Stay back! You need to go back with Mirio!"

Mirio…? Ah, the hero. I wonder if he and Midoriya work closely. Had things been different, it might've been nice to know him in a better scenario. Had things been different…

"Eri… please," Tokoyami croaked. They locked eyes, and Eri covered her mouth in shock to see him like this. He never would've wanted her to see him so utterly defeated, but now it was inevitable. He was the one closest to her now, so although his words were faint they still reached her. "I don't want you here. I don't want you going back to Overhaul… not after we've come so far."

Her lip was trembling, something only he could see. But then she lowered her arms and steeled her resolve. Just like Tokoyami and the heroes wanted this mission to turn out for the better, so did she wish for a peaceful ending. "I don't want you here either," she murmured, her voice sad but decisive. "I never wanted you to do this for me."

As if to confirm her thoughts and bring out those feelings of guilt, Overhaul's voice rang out yet again. "Eri… look at these people fighting in vain, how injured they've all become in pointless pursuit of an unachievable goal. Do you really think they're gonna win somehow?"

"…I don't."

Tokoyami could practically hear the twisted smile in Overhaul's voice. "In that case, what should you do?" he urged, waiting for the answer he desired.

Like Tokoyami, Nighteye also made an attempt to stop her, calling out her name. But he could barely reach his arm out, and movement outside of that was no longer an option.

"Go back to you," she said, stepping towards Overhaul. Tokoyami felt something in him break as she made the decision to walk right past him. It was the kind of defeat that could only be prompted by bearing witness to everything he'd been trying so hard to avoid. Tokoyami hadn't known what he'd be doing when he first came to this yakuza facility, but it had resulted in a personal goal that was now being crumbled into dust. He wasn't supposed to be the one being protected. Not like this. "And in exchange, make everyone better again!"

Tokoyami's head slumped back to the ground, where blood began to seep into his feathers as the puddle continued to grow, spreading out around him with no sign of stopping. I feel like Toga would've loved to see me like this. I wonder where those two are right now. I hope they're okay… no, I hope the heroes have them. That's what I should… be… His thoughts were becoming muddled, his ability to focus on the situation at hand becoming difficult, even with how important it was. Despite this, he knew Overhaul was crowing over his victory.

"That's right… instead of letting all these people get hurt, it's easier to just take the pain yourself. Everyone else understands it, which is why they keep putting themselves in front of others, but you have yet to do that, Eri." He turned his attention to the fallen Midoriya. "Lemillion was still giving her hope, while Tokoyami surprised me by staying by her side as long as he did. But now that faint hope is crushed, and nobody remains to lend her their support." I would if I could, you bastard. And you know it. "Haven't you figured it out yet? What Eri considers a burden? She… does not want your help!"

The implication that they've only been holding her back this whole time hit Tokoyami hard. He never would accept those villainous words, not after all that he'd bourn witness to. Knowing what Eri had gone through, feeling the pain that had become her norm, he just couldn't stand it. He couldn't just believe that this was the fate she would be forced to endure. It didn't matter if she convinced herself that she didn't need their help. It didn't matter if she didn't want him here. Even if she ended up hating him, Tokoyami felt compelled to do this.

"It doesn't matter!" Tokoyami cried out.

"So what!" Midoriya declared, rising unsteadily to his feet and ripping out the rock chunk that had pierced through his leg. "Even if we're butting in where we're not wanted…"

Tokoyami propped himself up on his elbows, gasping with the exertion. But he kept going anyway. "Even if you want to take all the burden upon yourself…"

Midoriya took a determined step forward. "You're crying, Eri! So no one's dying today!"

That includes me. I can't die right in front of her like this. I still need to ensure that she gets the sort of life she deserves, one without pain where she can be carefree. Tokoyami forced his arms to shove him up the rest of the way, his adrenaline pushing his body to its very limit. Above everything else, Eri needed to know that they were here for her.

"I'm gonna save you!"

"I'm gonna save you!"

The collective cries of Midoriya and Tokoyami giving their all rang throughout the room to be heard by everyone. It was a bold claim, one that Tokoyami at least wasn't certain he could fulfill. But if words were all he had left, then these were the ones that needed to be said.

Overhaul regarded their feeble declarations coldly, as though it was laughable that they could still boast of such things when the situation was already in his favor. Midoriya was back on his feet, and Tokoyami had managed to get to his knees. But that was hardly an accomplishment.

And then the ceiling shuddered. Roars sounded from above. Cement and pipes groaned under a heavy force from above, and before any of them could process what was happening, the whole room caved in.

The monstrous form of one of the precepts crashed down upon them all, accompanied by a scaly pink …Is that a dragon?!

"Bull's eye!" the dragon roared triumphantly. Her teeth were embedded in the muscular flesh of the yakuza giant, her wings splayed out to either side as more of the ceiling fell down around them. And following just behind her were much smaller shapes in comparison, those of Asui and Uraraka. Seeing more of his old classmates sent an unexpected jolt through his body, remembering the times he spent working beside them as a fellow hero in training. And now they were in on this mission with him.

But he was hardly given the time to think about that. The force of the impact sent Tokoyami reeling, and he collapsed back into the ground as large clumps of rock soared over his head. Cracks ran throughout the area, and more sections of Overhaul's playground fell apart under the strain. Out of the corner of his eye, Tokoyami saw a nearby wall collapse off to the side of him to reveal another hallway. And behind that was the scrawny figure of yet another one of the precepts. Only this person was untouched by conflict, and the unearthed hallway he fell from was in the opposite direction of where all the fighting had been taking place.

He wasn't a part in any of this? That might've actually been for the better. "Sestunooo…!" Tokoyami cried out weakly, identifying the young man that had been unearthed. The yakuza jumped in surprise. A lot was going on all at once, so he didn't have a lot of time. Of all the people on the scene right now, this yakuza probably understood his situation best.

Setsuno looked ready to flee at any moment. "I—I'm sorry! I couldn't stick with them, I just wasn't ready to get hurt all over again!"

"Setsuno. Get over here!" Tokoyami growled from between gritted teeth. Every second he spent talking to this person was valuable time he didn't have.

But the Expendable finally saw him, curled up in a pile of rubble with his back against a wall. In a split second decision, he was by his side before he could even blink. The last time they saw each other, Tokoyami had intimidated him into silence while he was vulnerable. Now it would be all too easy for the yakuza to end his miserable existence should he see fit. But Tokoyami wouldn't have called him over if he thought it would come to that.

"Shit, man, what happened here?!" he hissed, crouching next to him. His eyes kept flitting around the room, anxiously eyeing the heroes that were coming in and the gaping hole in Tokoyami's stomach. "I know last time I saw you I wanted Overhaul to do away with you. But, like, he killed you that same day and… and now you're already out here dying again? I'll never understand you League bastards…"

"Just shut up and listen!" Tokoyami wheezed, feebly grabbing onto his shirt. "You don't belong here. Overhaul isn't your ally. You may call yourself an expendable, but I don't actually believe you're ready to throw your life away. Otherwise you wouldn't have been hiding away from the heroes." Tokoyami let out a cough that wracked his body painfully.

"I-I wasn't hiding! I was just hoping that Overhaul could—"

"Forget Overhaul! If you get caught by him now, he'll destroy your body and use it to fuel his own twisted power, just like he did with Nemoto. That's why you can't be here. If you get out now while the heroes have their attention turned, you might even be able to live a normal life. You don't have to throw your life away, even though you tried to do so in the past." Tokoyami was gasping for breath, but somehow this felt important. It would be so much easier if the upstart yakuza turned himself in, but that wouldn't help him either. It would be for everyone's benefit if he just wasn't a part of this ordeal.

Setsuno adjusted his mask nervously. "He did that to Nemoto…? I… I wanted to fight, I really did! But instead I ended up here…" He looked disappointed with himself, as though finally taking an important moment of introspection to wonder how he got to be where he stood. For someone that had been so devoted to a person like Overhaul, he wasn't quite ready to be the expendable pawn he thought he was. Tokoyami could safely assume it had to do with his brush with Toga only days prior, along with the news of what had unfolded afterwards.

The heroes were beginning to converge in the middle of the room as the air was just starting to clear. Any second and they'd probably spot him. "Hurry up and get out of here," Tokoyami spat.

Setsuno hesitated. "I… I think I'm done here. I was hoping I'd get my chance to prove myself to Overhaul, but that might not be…" He let out an aggravated sigh, like he couldn't believe he was doing this. Tokoyami's arm dropped to the floor when he moved his arm away, reaching for his pocket. "I thought if I really needed to fight, I'd be amazing. But it's just not worth it. Unfortunately for you, you might still have some fighting to do. I'm gonna go ahead and make myself scarce, but if you still want to cause hell, then there's no point holding back." And he dropped a syringe into Tokoyami's bloodied hand. "I'll have to apologize to Hojo and Tabe if I ever see them again. I just didn't think I'd be strong enough, even with them by my side. So I went and got… well, I guess it doesn't matter now."

Setsuno began to creep away from him, headed back towards the shadows of the open hallway as the shouts of the heroes began to ring clear. "I shouldn't be helping you, but I guess I just can't tell what side you're on. And I'd feel kinda responsible if you died again. So at least try to live, and I'll do the same." He stopped before disappearing completely. "Oh, and if you ever get the chance, make sure to tell Toga to burn in hell for me. I'll never forgive her for using me like that." And then he was gone.

Tokoyami let out a rattled breath as that confrontation came to a close. It was hopefully one less person he had to worry about dealing with. And all he had to show was this needle… He had a feeling as to what it was. It'd be better for everyone if he turned it over to the heroes, so he wasn't held responsible for possessing substances on top of everything else. But he pocketed it anyway.

Tokoyami's head was just clear enough to get his bearings. There was the defeated precept, the heroes and their giant dragon, which Tokoyami was starting to recognize as one of the top pros.

"Wait, is that Tokoyami, ribbit?"

Uraraka matched Asui's confusion. "So who was that other Tokoyami…?"

And at the top of the hole, looking down on the scene unfolding beneath them, were three League of Villain members: Twice, Mr. Compress, and a half-transformed Toga. Her black-feathered head and familiar beak melted from her true face, and Tokoyami's outfit began to dissolve off her body as she halted the use of her quirk. Whatever she had done while masquerading as him had been accomplished, and all Tokoyami could do was sit and wonder what unpleasantries she'd unleashed in front of an audience of heroes.

"Who woulda thought we'd bump into you, Ochaco? More like "Plus Chaos," I'd say!" Toga jeered from above.

He wanted to wonder what was happening, if this meant he was safe or damned. He wanted to know why Compress was here when he hadn't been a part of the mission this entire time. But more importantly… Where's Eri?

She was just standing there, unprotected amidst all the chaos. Tokoyami made a move as though he could've done something to reach her, but Midoriya was already dashing towards her like it was the only thing that mattered.

"Get Tokoyami and Nighteye to safety!" he yelled.

His old classmates were already beginning to move towards him. Nighteye had managed to get back onto his feet not far from him after being able to withstand the force of the impact. But his focus wasn't there.

Before Midoriya could even reach Eri, a pillar of rock shot from the earth beneath her, propelling her beyond his grasp yet again, and spears of rock tore at him, daring him to come any closer.

"Chisaki!" Midoriya screamed, outraged at his newest attempt on their success.

Another pillar of rock shot from the ground, and the twisted form of Overhaul rose up to reclaim his prize. Midoriya was in desperate pursuit as Overhaul made his escape with Eri.

And Tokoyami couldn't do much of anything. He just had to trust that the heroes could handle it. As much as it pained him, there were more pressing pains that needed to be addressed if he wanted to get out of here.

"Tokoyami! You're actually here!" Asui gasped, coming to his side. Uraraka had already come to Nighteye's aid, but he'd directed her to go to him instead.

"Oh my god, you…!" Uraraka caught herself, forcing down the feeling of horror from seeing him in this state. "We'll get you out of here, for sure!"

Tokoyami flinched away from Uraraka when she moved to use her quirk on him, but he only succeeded in falling onto his hands.

"Please, we need to help you!"

"If you can just… get me to the surface… that'll be enough," Tokoyami rasped.

The two girls looked between each other, their uncertainty showing clear. Asui spoke up for them both. "You're in desperate need of medical attention. We need to get you somewhere safe, away from the yakuza and the League—"

Tokoyami knew that what she said was right – it usually was. But she never got to finish that thought.

Tokoyami sensed a disturbance in the air, a feeling of menace so familiar and loathsome that he had no choice but to look back up into the sky at what was happening. It was Overhaul's anger, resonating from the top of his tower of hate.

"Give her back!" Overhaul screeched.

Tokoyami hadn't even seen the part when he'd come undone, but sure enough the person demanding the world obey him was by himself with no pawns to bolster his ego. And still that cursed hand of his reached out, seeking to grasp onto the tools he held so dear. He couldn't stand it any longer, seeing Overhaul do nothing but take and take without reserve. If he couldn't leave Eri or Midoriya or anyone alone, then someone needed to see to it that his greedy hands never got ahold of anything ever again.

Just then, an incredible shockwave of raw power exploded through the area. It was the kind of earth-shattering attack that someone like All Might would've been responsible. But All Might wasn't here. The only one fighting for them now was Midoriya. Even the dragon – Ryukyu, he remembered – was caught off-guard from the blast enough that the precept she'd been holding down was released from her grasp. But she was just as quick to switch objectives, coming to their side the second things went awry so that she could use her wings to shield them from the blast. Clumps of ceiling rained down upon them, and the ground was becoming unstable. The arena had also gotten bigger, with whole sections of the hallways becoming unearthed. But more importantly, Overhaul's tower had come crumpling down.

"What was that shockwave just now?" Ryukyu growled, lifting her head towards the sky as everyone else was.

Uraraka, much like him, was quick to recognize the source. "Deku!"

And sure enough there he was, a green speck in the air above them. And he was clutching Eri close, along with Lemillion's tattered red cape.

At the same time, Overhaul emerged from the wreckage, a beaten up shadow of what he was trying to be. His arm was bent and bloodied, but he paid it no mind, instead overhauling his arm back into working order. "This is why… I don't touch her. Never taught her how to use it. But still, somehow, she…" His new fingers twitched, searching. "Eri…! You bad, bad girl… you're still mine. All of you who serve beneath me will always be mine. There can be no escape from that." Overhaul touched the ground, a simple action with dire consequences that he had come to expect, and Tokoyami hardly even had the strength to brace himself for the worst.

Stone columns rose around them, fluctuating violently, but Ryukyu was able to keep them from touching the small group they had formed. But that wasn't the only thing happening. The walls that had initially been keeping this room contained began to retract back into the earth, and if Tokoyami focused he could feel the ground squirming beneath him, in search of something.

A surprised yelp came from a nearby passage, and a rock column launched an unwilling participant from the tunnel and into the center of the room. The unfortunate expendable that made his presence known tumbled to a stop right between the comatose Katsukame and Overhaul. It was Setsuno, struggling to get back onto his feet while trying to understand what was happening.

You bastard, I thought you got away! What compelled you to stick so close after I went and warned you?!

"Even you cowards, who think you can run away, are not exempt from your service to me," Overhaul snarled, grabbing the young yakuza by the arm and dragging him towards the large precept. Tokoyami could hear him pleading, begging him to stop. But to no avail. Why can nobody ever move fast enough? Do they not understand…?

Ryukyu made the first move when realization dawned upon her, and she lurched towards the center of the room to prevent what was about to happen. But it had come too late.

"For the old man's dreams… I still need you Eri," Overhaul rasped. And then his hand touched Katsukame, and all three of them vanished in a blender of flesh and rubble.

Nighteye was quick to call Ryukyu back so that she didn't get caught up in Overhaul's storm of twisting limbs and parts. "You have to be more careful. You three should be fine. At the very least… he won't be coming after you… for now." Every breath felt slow and laborious, but the hero was able to speak calmly. "He's heading aboveground in pursuit of Eri… but once he gets up there that's when… he kills Midoriya.

"He can't!" Uraraka cried.

"What are you talking about?" Tokoyami muttered, unable to make sense of why he thought this. Sure the situation was bleak, but that was no reason to be giving up so easily. After everything that had happened, Midoriya wouldn't die so easily. I thought you had more trust in him?!

Ryukyu bent down low to look him head-on, her expression pained. "You've foreseen this? We can't just sit here after hearing that…"

Nighteye swept his gaze around them all. "In the state you are in… even if you pursue him, you cannot win." Even though Tokoyami didn't comprehend the reason, he could feel everyone's despair as this statement sank in like a fact that had been engraved in stone. There was an ominous feeling to the declaration of imminent death, one that made his feathers bristle. If anyone were to die, he would've thought for sure that it'd be him.

And then the sky went black. The air tremored with energy as the morning light from above became blocked out. An impossibly large corruption of life began to take shape before their eyes. Earthen chunks dribbled from the coiling mass, its flesh alive with veins and steel bones. It was only vaguely humanoid, and the focal point of the hulking mass, Overhaul himself, was the least human part of it all. Countless arms erupted from the core like some insatiable god of madness. Rigid teeth of rock and metal clinked together inside a beaked maw, where Overhaul's deformed body sat at the back of the throat like a king on his throne of sins, looking down at them all in contempt. Tokoyami could almost hear the pained and outraged shrieks of Setsuno and Katsukame squirming within the depths of Overhaul's new twisted form. This was a being of impossible power and immoral judgment, taking shape for the sole purpose of draining any hope of success they might have had.

This was their opponent. This was the manifestation of everything that, as far as Nighteye was concerned, they stood no chance against. And with everything as dark as it was, this would certainly be the time to make yourself small, to hide in the shadows and accept the fact that their efforts would be quashed by this unrelenting force that radiated with its abuse of power. But unlike all the others, Tokoyami found strength in these darkest moments.

In the absence of light, Tokoyami saw this challenge and felt the smallest of life seep back into him. Asui turned back at him with a nervous ribbit and came to his side to help him up, but her attention was still geared towards the monstrosity towering over them all. A part of him was grateful for her assistance, but at the same time it pained him that she was helping him to do something that would be ultimately self-destructive.

This was what he had to face. It always had been. And regardless of what Midoriya was doing above all this, he couldn't accept the fact that he would ever have to do this alone. Every time one of them tried to face Overhaul without assistance it ended in pain and anguish. So if there was anything he could do now, it had to be done regardless of the consequences. Regardless of what Nighteye "foretold" or any warnings he had to give. Because right here, right now, the last thing Tokoyami wanted to be was useless.

With everyone's attention riveted onto the enormous beacon of despair, Tokoyami reached for his pocket. He felt the cold touch of the syringe, and rather than shy away from it he gripped it tightly in his clutches. There was no telling what this would bring, or if it could even help him at all given the poor state of his quirk. But there was nothing else of him. This was all he had. Not the power of these pro heroes, or the stability of his classmates. No villains to aid him, hinder him, whatever. All he had was the power of his quirk inside himself and whatever strength he could lend to it. Because even though he could feel his body begging him to stop, there was an unconscious need for him to throw himself forward for the sake of protecting the people that stood behind him.

He slipped the needle out of his pocket, his eyes glancing from Overhaul to the drug in its container, and took a shaky breath to reaffirm his resolve. Dark Shadow, I don't know how I can keep doing this to you, but it's all I have left. This is the last time I'll make you do something like this.

Tokoyami thought the quirk wouldn't respond, that the voice might remain dormant as it so rightfully deserved. But then a thin, reedy whisper crept into his mind. Do what you want. But don't lie to me.

And pushing aside his guilt, Tokoyami injected the trigger into his arm.