Heroes in the Dark: Unseen and Unheard (chapter 49.5)
Rubble continued to rain down from the chasm above that had opened up, plunging them into a different section of the underground. Somewhere nearby, a giant crash and muffled roars could be heard, signaling that despite what just happened there was still unfinished business and an ongoing battle that he had been dismissed from.
The cold earth beneath him tremored from whatever was going on beyond his reach, and he silently cursed himself for getting separated from the others like this. Especially after he'd been left in charge of…
No, he couldn't think about what was going on without him, only that he had to get back there before too much damage could be wrecked in his absence. But that meant finding Aizawa first.
Shinsou ran a hand over his face, flinching when he felt an open gash that had opened up during the unexpected fall. He hadn't expected to get caught up in whatever it was that Chisaki had done using that destructive quirk. He propped himself up on his elbows, assessing the area around him. It was dark, and chunks of rock were scattered around him. He didn't want to think about how close he'd been to getting crushed. That would've been a pretty shitty way to go after embarking on his first real mission.
Nothing felt spectacularly broken, though, and Shinsou got to his feet without too much trouble, struggling only to catch his bearings after getting plunged into what new slice of hell the yakuza had presented to him.
It probably wouldn't be too hard to find a staircase that led back to the bulk of the battle – he could hear the faint, familiar voice of Midoriya, probably yelling something heroic. But beyond that, quieter but more persistent, was the ramblings of an individual somewhere in this network of tunnels. It sounded like he was talking to someone, and if it was one of Chisaki's lackeys then he couldn't just leave it be.
Shinsou brushed the dust from his clothes and straightened his scarf, keeping one end of it clutched securely in his hand. He wasn't the best with it quite yet, but Aizawa had taught him a lot over the past few months and he could carry out basic restraining maneuvers with it. On silent feet, he crept through the halls, honing in on a nearby room further down where flickering fluorescent light spilled out. The tattered breaths of a desperate man were beginning to turn from incomprehensible mutterings to coherent sentences, and Shinsou stopped just shy of the door to listen in on them. If there was more people in here than he thought and he misjudged his actions, it could end up being a grievous error. Despite his inexperience, he couldn't afford to mess up now.
"—why I isolated you without killing you, well… that's because there's value in letting you live. "The erasure of quirks." To him, that's a very attractive power," the voice taunted.
Shinsou's breath caught in his throat, and he held a hand to his mouth, taking a step away from the door. Aizawa was in there. And judging by what the villain was saying and the lack of a response, he was incapacitated somehow. Several thoughts rushed through his head – options, decisions, tactics… but they all fell short in front of what he knew needed to happen. Immediate action.
Shinsou gripped his scarf tight, steeling himself, and restrained the urge to clear his throat. Then, with quick precision, he turned into the doorway and took in the situation in a split second. A white figure was hunched over the unmoving black form of Aizawa like a predator with its catch, crowing over its ability to take down something so beyond its reach. Seeing this, Shinsou felt a flash of anger and threw out his scarf. The cloth streaked out from his hand, wrapping itself around the yakuza's wrist and forcing him to drop the plague doctor mask he'd been holding with a yelp.
"What are you doing?!" Shinsou demanded, a short, simple question with a lot of weight that was almost always certain to provoke a response.
"Don't get in my way!" he snarled, whipping around from his perch over Aizawa and reacting in turn with an arrow-shaped projectile that was sent flying towards him. But it was already too late for the villain.
"Stop."
The arrow, which upon further inspection was an extension of his silver hair, stopped just shy of Shinsou's face. At the same time, the villain, who Shinsou identified as Chrono from the mission reports, had gone deathly still. His face had gone slack, and his eyes were clouded by the effects of brain washing.
A shaky sigh of relief escaped Shinsou. It had been a close call – there was no guarantee that he would've replied to him, and that incoming attack had been faster than he expected. Fortunately for him, this person was equally impulsive. Otherwise, he could've found himself in a situation very similar to Aizawa. And that wouldn't have helped anyone.
His mentor had been pinned beneath the villain, and at first Shinsou thought he wasn't moving. Upon further inspection he realized that Aizawa was indeed still capable of movement, just at a very slow rate. But once Shinsou's own quirk had taken hold of Chrono, the effects began to wear off. Shinsou barked a command for the villain to get off and rushed over to Aizawa's side. He hadn't gotten the chance to hear the rest of Chrono had been saying before barging in, but he figured he wouldn't have liked what was about to be said anyway. The sooner they got this mess cleaned up and rejoined with the others, the better.
Shinsou reached his mentor's side as he was beginning to get up and unwrapped the blindfold that had left him in a vulnerable state.
"Eraserhead! What happened back there? Are you alright…?"
As time and movement steadily got back to him, Aizawa was able to communicate the next course of action. "Make sure… you tie up Chrono good. Even if you have your quirk… if he gets jostled too much, he can still snap out of it." Aizawa's movements returned to real-time, and his gaze flicked around the area to assess where they would go from here. "There should be police officials closing in on this section, so let's find them. We'll leave Chrono with them and get back to where Overhaul last was."
With a contained Chrono in their wake, they traversed the tunnels. Aizawa explained Chrono's quirk and how he fell victim to it. After some hesitation, he began to go into Chisaki's alleged interest in his erasure quirk. But before he could elaborate, they ran into a group of officers that had been bringing up the tail of the heroes when the mission had begun. It was a small group, with their forces stretched thin for the sake of detaining various yakuza, but Aizawa updated them on the situation and gave them strict instructions about how to handle Chrono and get him into custody. Usually the officers would've kept going forward, but the task of properly apprehending Chisaki's second in command was momentous enough that they didn't want to spare another of their already small group. They promptly handcuffed the villain and returned the capture weapon to Shinsou, who wrapped it back around his neck where it belonged. He gave a last order to the brainwashed individual, and the officers set off with him in tow. That left Shinsou and Aizawa back to their own devices, and together they sought out a path that would bring them back to the room where chaos had struck them down.
Around them, tremors continued to interrupt their steps, and stone crumpled around them. Pipes in the ceiling were bent awkwardly, threatening to break, and it felt as though the whole place would come crashing down upon them before long. Even still, they still found the time to discuss what had happened and get caught up with each other before they were thrown back into the midst of the mission.
Aizawa checked around a corner, listening to the sounds from earlier getting louder. He swept down the unexplored hall, turning to Shinsou as his student fell in at his side. "What was the last thing that happened before you got separated from the others?"
Shinsou averted his gaze. "Well… after you used your quirk on Tokoyami, I did the same and was about to lead him out of the room. We were almost in the clear when Chisaki went berserk and… I wasn't able to do anything. I got caught up in it and was separated much like you, only I guess I slipped through the sights of whatever yakuza were in the area."
Aizawa studied his face, taking note of the guilt in his voice, as if the young student could've done more somehow even in a tumultuous moment where the odds had been stacked against them. It'd been an unwelcome surprise to have been separated like that, but it was nobody's fault. Except for Chisaki, who didn't know when to stop even though they'd been so close to victory.
The teacher sighed. "We all take responsibility for what happens here, but that's why we all need to work together for the best outcome." Shinsou looked up at him, skeptical. "Shinsou, this mission has proved to be a lot, but I don't regret having you along. Despite the differences in experience, you're as much an important asset as anyone else."
Shinsou fiddled with his scarf, hesitant to respond. He wasn't expecting a compliment like that while they were still in the middle of the mission. He could still mess up somehow in this final stretch, and he had no idea what consequences that would bring. Hypothetical scenarios plagued him, but he found he couldn't openly express his doubts. Not now, and not like this. But there were other things he needed to know. "Aiz – Eraserhead," Shinsou said, stumbling over the names. "When I was taking in Tokoyami, before all… that went down… I told him that he wasn't in trouble. But I only knew my orders, not what comes after. Is he –?"
Before Shinsou could finish his question, they rounded another corner and came to an abrupt halt. In front of them, struggling to get back on their feet, were two thoroughly battered figures. The hero uniforms were easily recognizable, and they ran up to where Amajiki was getting Togata off the ground. Aizawa was at their side in an instant, helping with Togata. The upper-class student didn't look any worse than the last time he'd briefly seen him, which was good because he was already in pretty critical condition after sustaining so many wounds. Amajiki was in far better condition – apparently he'd managed to defeat the two yakuza he'd faced without too much injury, and despite attempts to draw out the battle he was able to deal with them and immediately set forth to get back to the main hero group. More officers were on the way, with others like Nighteye's sidekicks taking care of detaining the villains they came across and steadily making their way through the tedious cleanup of the facility.
Amajiki had raced through the tunnels, coming across groups like those of Fat Gum and Rock Lock, who were worse for wear than him but stable. It was only in the past few minutes that he'd managed to stumble across Togata, who'd been lying on the ground alone with his arm reached out desperately towards an empty hallway, as if there was someone he was supposed to be holding onto. His breaths were ragged, and blood seeped from open wounds that laced his hero uniform. It was difficult for him to talk, fueled with desperation as he was, so Amajiki gently hushed him and relayed the information his friend had said before they'd arrived on the scene.
"Midoriya had been leading them – Mirio and Eri – back through the halls and into safety. But something – I'm not sure what – happened, and Midoriya had been forced to turn back and leave them behind. And then Eri had been safe for a moment… but she also ran back to Chisaki as well, and nobody else was around. Then there was a giant crash, and it sounds like Ryukyu's team must be out there?" Amajiki muttered uncertainly, tugging on his hood. Shinsou remembered the crash from earlier and tried to think how long it had been since then. How much could've possibly gone wrong in that short span of time? "I-it sounded like a lot went down all at once, and we're worried about the conditions of those who were left with Chisaki. The last Mirio saw… it was only Sir Nighteye and Tokoyami left fighting before Midoriya rejoined them. It wasn't looking good."
Shinsou was the only one who caught the whispered curse Aizawa muttered. They were in agreement with that much. Despite all their plans and cautions to stay together, they'd all become so divided where it mattered most. But now they were steadily regrouping, figuring things out along the way, and they were close to where they'd been before.
From down the hall came a roar, strained and animal-like. It didn't sound like anyone was coming towards them, so they'd have to see for themselves what was happening.
Between Aizawa and Amajiki, they were able to easily support Togata, practically holding him. Even though he was safe with them, there was a hollowness in his eyes that couldn't be so easily ignored. It made Shinsou hesitate, but then Aizawa snapped him back to reality.
"Shinsou, lead the way. It sounds like the main room we left is just up ahead, and if Ryukyu is there she can help us all get out of here. We'll be right behind you with Lemillion," he assured.
Shinsou responded with a determined nod, pulling his scarf close to his mouth to hide his uncertain frown. Spurred by his mentor, he plunged ahead, comforted only by the trio following in his wake. It didn't take too long before he felt a breeze of fresh air rush past him, and the shadows directly ahead were a deep darkness as it opened up into a much larger area. Shinsou chanced a look behind him, where those following after him felt the same disturbance was quickly coming upon them. But instead of slowing down, Shinsou sped up until he was sprinting ahead. Aizawa called out to stay close, but Shinsou felt compelled to see what it was they had to face before they all ended up exiting together.
Shinsou streaked out from the crumbling remnants of the tunnel, exploding onto a scene of anguish and defeat. There was a large hole in the ceiling that sure as hell hadn't been there before, and beneath that sure enough was Ryukyu and her team. But even bigger and more threatening than that, a monster the likes of which he'd never seen was rising high over them. Debris rained down, and Shinsou spared a second to stare up in awe. His stomach clenched when recognition dawned upon him, and with a brutal suddenness he realized that this monster was Chisaki.
He'd prepared for all sorts of foes and obstacles that he might face, and Aizawa had warned him of the different things he might have to do and fight. No mission was without its hardships, and so he was ready to put up with so many possibilities. But not this!
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the others closing in, and he hastily turned on his heel with his hand held out in a signal to stop. "Stay back!" And then a large rock from above came crashing down, hitting the earth between them. This area was on the cusp of falling down entirely, and it wouldn't do them any good to drag Togata back into a place like this. If he could get to Ryukyu, she could carry them all out of here together.
Shinsou turned back to assess the situation, heart thumping wildly in his chest. Although the new albeit unmistakable form of Chisaki was already fast on its way to climbing out from the underground, there was a lot happening elsewhere that he had to focus on. He doubted his voice would mean anything to the yakuza boss, if it could even project that far, so as much as he hated it his quirk was useless in that regard.
The moment Shinsou was able to tear his gaze away from Chisaki, he came to realize that this wasn't the only thing he had stepped into. Because right below the shadow of the hulking enemy monstrosity was a different problem. One that was shrouded in darkness and building itself bigger with each passing second.
"Tokoyami!"
No response.
Shinsou cursed to himself. Whether he couldn't hear or knew better to respond, it wasn't certain, but Shinsou couldn't help but feel a sense of uselessness in that moment.
Aizawa called out to him from behind the rock that had landed in their way, leaving only a narrow opening near the top. They'd be able to get around it just fine, but it would take them a few minutes to catch up. Shinsou briefly relayed the situation, glancing over his shoulder every so often to watch the ensuing chaos.
Tokoyami… it couldn't have been anyone else. He remembered that strange quirk from the tournament, the way it moved and attacked. He remembered the stories following the wake of the attack on camp, the rumors about the destruction that was wrought. And he remembered the gross whisperings of villainy that followed Tokoyami's absence. And this was definitely it now, only amplified countless times over into the creature that rose from the rubble now, screeching in anger and pain. Something about it made him ache with an inexplicable sadness.
Just as quickly, the bird-headed boy and his horrifying quirk were gone, pulling themselves out of the hole above in hot pursuit of Chisaki. The ceiling cracked a final time, and Ryukyu shielded those beneath her with her body while Shinsou dodged the last of the falling rocks.
A rattled sigh escaped him in the aftermath of something he wasn't sure he was meant to see.
Amajiki landed next to him, startling him out of his somber thoughts. Together they set about helping Togata from the tunnel, bringing him down from the rock. The air around them had gone still, but the earth still trembled and directly above them the screeches of monstrous beings were easily discernable. It didn't seem as though there was anything that could stop the overwhelming energy and feeling of hate emanating from above.
They picked their way through the devastated battlefield to reach Ryukyu, who was there with Asui, Uraraka, and an injured Nighteye. The pro hero was in a pretty sorry state, with one arm looking ready to fall off. But when Shinsou came close, he picked up vague mutterings. He was talking about Midoriya and Tokoyami. They weren't safe. They were too injured for this. They… they…
There wasn't a lot of time. While Aizawa caught up with Ryukyu and was told the situation, Shinsou stared up into the sky. Asui joined his side, looking up to where the monsters were waging their battle.
"Tokoyami's up there," she croaked miserably. It was a statement, but Shinsou could hear the defeat in her voice. "I didn't know what he was doing. He was so injured I thought… and then I couldn't stop him."
Shinsou stared up silently, watching shadows flicker and listening to the sound of buildings and lives crashing down around them. They'd only been idle for a few seconds as the others worked to get the injured heroes into a position where they could be flown out of here. Another roar shook the air. "Yeah. I couldn't stop him either. Do you think we'll be able to get him back to class?"
Asui held a finger up to her chin in contemplation. "Maybe… but that's only if—"
The world around them trembled dangerously yet again, and Aizawa barked at them to get onto Ryukyu's back. Uraraka was already holding onto Nighteye and had started floating up ahead of them, prioritizing the most critically endangered individual. Meanwhile Aizawa and Amajiki held Togata steady, prepared to get him out. They couldn't waste any more time here, and they just had to hope that any officers that might've been trying to reach this area would see the danger and turn back. If all went well – which might've been asking too much given the current situation – then most of this place would've already been evacuated by now. Either way, they had injured heroes with them and unfinished business on the surface.
Getting onto Ryukyu's back was a new experience. Her scales weren't as sharp as they looked, and he gripped onto the cloth of her hero uniform, which was made to change shape with her. Asui jumped up near the base of her neck while Shinsou climbed up onto the back, behind where Tamaki was holding onto Togata. Ryukyu checked to make sure that they were alright before she snapped her wings open and lifted herself slowly off the ground. Careful not to dislodge anymore rubble or hit her large wings against anything, she flew them up to the surface, clambering out of the treacherous hole that she had made in the first place. Away from the edge, Uraraka set Nighteye down gently. It looked like they were talking, but as Shinsou got down off of the dragon he was much more preoccupied with the sight of two avian giants tearing into each other. It was equal parts horrifying and incredible, and it was something that Shinsou had no hope of interjecting himself into if he valued his life. And yet even though it couldn't have taken them more than a few minutes to converge and make it back to the surface like this, it looked like the fight had already reached its end.
The air pressure dropped suddenly, and a giant impact roared to life as a green flash running along a shadowy body delivered a precise hit right into the monstrosity that was Chisaki. Shreds of darkness scattered through the air, decimated from the blast, and Shinsou watched as several different forms fell through the air after the climatic clash of power.
A thoroughly defeated Chisaki fell to the ground first, his body of horror dropping in chunks and crumbling to nothing. For a moment it looked like two other bodies had dropped alongside them, but they were just as much a part of the rubble as the rest of Chisaki's broken shell. Shinsou wondered if he was seeing things – he didn't remember anyone else in the room other than Chrono, who they already had in custody. But it'd make sense that Chisaki would find a way for his underlings to reach him.
And then Midoriya came next, with Eri clinging onto him tightly, falling like a meteor to hit the ground nearby in a plume of dust. Green energy crackled around the two wildly, lashing out at the fragile earth. A chorus of cries rose from concerned heroes and bystanders who'd witnessed the fight, and Aizawa slid off of Ryukyu in a hurry, stumbling when he hit the ground but desperate to get them within sight, and Shinsou did likewise.
But when he saw the full extent of everything that was happening all at once, he stopped dead. The energy that had been surrounding Midoriya before wasn't as glorified as before. It was persistent and all-encompassing, almost as though it was choking him. His and Eri's mouths were open in screams that could barely be heard over the rest of the catastrophic noise. Chisaki's ragged body lied limply on the ground not far from them, but Shinsou felt a spike of alarm when, even in that defeated state, the yakuza boss used his quirk a final time to create a desperate stone hand that lurched greedily towards the child. But then an enormous claw carved from darkness smashed into the ground between them, obliterating the futile hand and causing the earth to tremor. Amidst the chaos and the dying throes of this destructive battle, Tokoyami and his quirk hadn't stopped. None of them looked as though they were about to stop. So long as their quirks were still usable and breath filled their lungs, the three different combatants continued to rage as if they had no choice.
Tokoyami stumbled back with his quirk, as though realizing how close he'd come to crushing someone, and those ragged claws left deep scars in the earth. A roar escaped him, an ugly sound that pierced the sky, and Shinsou flinched at the amount of sheer anger and pain that tore through the student's throat. It just sounded so wrong, and suddenly all those stories he'd heard about this quirk were much more believable. This was a force he'd never want to face alone, much like the monster that had been conjured by Chisaki.
Which was why he could only watch in alarm as Uraraka darted forward, maneuvering past the maelstrom of destruction in order to reach Chisaki. The heroine had a good few seconds of advantage over them, having reached the surface ahead of them before jumping into the thick of action. She sprang onto Chisaki with practiced precision, twisting the villain's arms forcefully behind his back so that he wouldn't be able to use his quirk again. Their main foe had been dealt with. But more dangers remained yet.
"What's the situation?" Ryukyu called out, taking in the scene with exasperated concern.
Uraraka held firm as the world around her threatened to come undone. "Nighteye is right behind me, and we've called for an evacuation of the local citizens! Midoriya and Tokoyami managed to defeat Chisaki! But… something's not right…!" Those anguished screams filled the air again, making his blood run cold. This had to stop. "They both used their powers, but it's out of control! Aizawa, they're in pain!"
And that was the consequence they faced for giving everything they had to fighting and pushing their quirks like never before. It was hard to watch, but as Midoriya crumpled to his knees with Eri and Tokoyami thrashed with all-encompassing shadows that continued to cling to him, to look upon this spectacle was the best thing Aizawa could do for them. The teacher's eyes focused on the sources of destruction, erasing everything that fueled them. As though the fire that had been burning beneath them had been blown out, their powers stopped. That frightening energy ceased, and Midoriya collapsed onto the ground without incident. That much was a relief. But it was less expected when the same erasure hit Tokoyami. He was never given the option of a peaceful ending, and when Aizawa's gaze swept over him, the shadows struggled viciously. Even with the source of power cut off, it were as though the shadows still writhed with life. The monstrous form of that quirk had dwarfed everything else in size, even Ryukyu, but the silhouette of Tokoyami trapped within its center was ever present, comparatively small and frail.
As if the quirk didn't want to let go or succumb to the heroes, it used the last of its strength to stagger backwards, breaking through walls and going away from them. Stray shadows dripped from the body, growing weaker and weaker, but with nothing left to fight and its power fading fast, it was making its expeditious retreat. Shinsou couldn't possibly comprehend what that sentient quirk was trying to accomplish, seeing its actions now as a detriment to its user.
Then, before the shadows could fade altogether, the fragmented outline of the beast lurched suddenly, and Shinsou watched as it expelled Tokoyami from its dark shell. He couldn't tell if the quirk's action was a rejection of its user or a final gambit to ensure that he was as far away from anything that might pose a threat. Either way, there was nothing they could do as Tokoyami's injured body hurled through the air and out of their sight. He wondered if there was anything they could've done to prevent that from happening… but he had no idea how that quirk worked, let alone what kind of thought process it had. Regardless, Tokoyami had just as quickly left their sight, and everyone was left stunned at the turn of events.
Aizawa's hands were held up to his head in stressed devastation, as though he couldn't even process what had just happened under his watch. Everyone around him was battered and weary, and left with an unforgiving amount of cleanup in restraining the last of the yakuza and ensuring the well-being of Eri. They needed to get the emergency personnel for Nighteye and stretchers and detainment vehicles and only so many of them could move and…!
Aizawa turned swiftly to Shinsou, who looked up into his teacher's red, watering eyes in alarm. The mentor-figure placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Shinsou! I need you to track down Tokoyami and contact me the moment you find him. Use your quirk if you have to – I don't want either of you two to get hurt, but I worry Tokoyami might already be in a bad state. Do what you can, but don't be reckless. When we get things figured out here I'll send backup as soon as I can," Aizawa assured, his voice stern but with an underlying thread of desperation.
Shinsou blinked, and Aizawa's eye twitched. "And… what will happen after that?"
Aizawa opened his mouth, but he hesitated a split moment before answering. "I haven't figured that far ahead. I just trust that you'll be the first to find him. Understood?"
Not wanting to express any doubt, Shinsou once again submitted a determined nod. If this was to be his last task in this daunting mission, then so be it. Knowing that time was against them and the situation was best cleaned up as quickly as possible, Shinsou turned on his heel and darted away. The remaining heroes and students watched him run off, busy with their own obligations or crippled by injury.
And Shinsou left them behind with regret, racing through the vandalized streets. He maneuvered broken walls and shattered streets, lengthening the distance between them in pursuit of a new goal. He needed to find Fumikage Tokoyami no matter what, his feet bringing him closer to where he saw the bird-headed boy get thrown away. As for what he'd find, Shinsou was prepared for the worse. But just like before, even that wouldn't be enough.