Heroes in the Dark chapter 60
Tokoyami wasn't even sure how something like this could've gone so wrong so fast. Evidently it hadn't been enough for the League to have gotten involved with those yakuza, but now this person sent to find Shigaraki was posing a bigger threat than what anyone was willing to face today. Of course Tokoyami could never allow himself a chance to let his guard down. Even in the current state he was in, this was just another situation where he would be fighting for his life.
The League scattered in the aftermath of the monster's first earth-shattering attack. Earth and rocky terrain crumpled like cardboard beneath the ferocity, and a single stomp from the mountainous man threatened to knock anyone not paying attention prone.
Tokoyami had only just been standing next to other members of the League. Now they were in the air, either jumping to avoid the new obstacles or getting flung by the newly jutting rocks. And he was left on the ground, in the path of a berserker. The ground was unsteady, and he stumbled back into a large rock, clinging to it for purchase as the rest of the world around him threatened to fall apart. His legs were already willing to give out if he wasn't careful, and rubble rained down from above.
Somewhere behind him, the abandoned cabin that the League had been using as their "hideout" was swiftly crumbling from the sheer presence of the fighting. So much for trying to fix it up and use it for something – that building had never had much for a solid foundation of living, but now it lay in a pile of ruin. No amount of half-assed handiwork was going to help with that.
Tokoyami's heart was thumping wildly in his chest – a hazard to his body, which was already trying to stay composed in the trembling battlefield.
I need to run. How far I'll get, I don't know, but I can't stay here.
Tokoyami pushed himself away from the rock that had been stabilizing him and began to look around in a panic, locating where he could go. The boulder ladder that he and Dabi typically used to get in and out of the quarry was blocked by the rampaging individual. It looked like this place used to have a road that led in and out, but that had since been reduced to a pile of precarious rock and mud from a landslide. But since it was the only place in sight that wasn't just a sheer cliff, he bolted towards that direction.
Even if he couldn't escape this place entirely or get nearly far enough from the chaos as he'd like, he could at least escape the immediate range of a fight that sure as hell wasn't his to endure.
Another quake caught him off guard, and Tokoyami couldn't catch himself before hitting the dirt. Dust clouds clogged his vision, and a guttural roar from the League's opponent shook him to his core. When it settled enough that he could get another look at what they were faced with, Tokoyami felt himself go cold.
The League were on a full-scale assault against the raging barbarian. And much to Tokoyami's dismay, they were up against a losing battle. For how much fear the League could strike into the hearts of the public and terrorize heroes… they were not holding up nearly so well here. They couldn't even get close to him. Toga and Twice weren't cut out for large battles like this, so their attacks were futile against the monster's tough skin. Nobody could even get close to him – Mr. Compress had tried, and now he was clenched firmly in its fist like a ragdoll. Tokoyami wasn't even sure if the man would've been able to compress such a massive specimen. He had to imagine there was a limit to that quirk. Everyone was tossed aside far too easily, mere insects before the strength of the gargantuan form.
"Unacceptable!"
Smash! Another hole in the earth.
"Too tiny!"
Crunch! More ground crumbled beneath them.
"Why? Why All for One…?"
Twice struggled to push himself up off the ground from where he'd been so easily cast aside. "Can't we quit while we're behind? I'm ready for round two, baby!"
While everyone else fought to stand, the one person not entirely caught in the crossfire was the only one with a truly long-range quirk. Dabi held back just a bit farther from the rest, occasionally sending out small blasts of fire from his arms to deter hailing rubble coming at him. He was assessing the situation while trying not to get too heavily involved even as the others fought a twisted survival game sent to test them. Tokoyami knew he could go all out if he wanted to, but probably not without burning his teammates. But he also got the impression… that Dabi was still keeping an eye on him.
That might not be as much an issue as Tokoyami thought, however. It was becoming increasing apparent that their foe was becoming progressively irritated. His movements were unreadable, and Shigaraki stood at the front looking for an opening. Instead, the mountainous man flung Mr. Compress directly at them with a mournful wail that made Tokoyami's feathers tremble. Shigaraki side-stepped to avoid the limp body of the League member – in his defense, it probably would've been bad if he'd tried to catch him – and Mr. Compress rolled to a bedraggled halt close to Spinner, his prosthetic arm ripped from him.
"Why… Tell me why…?" their foe growled, before raising his voice into a gibbering outburst of disappointment. "Oh Lord, whyyy?! Why is he… So weeeak?!" The man fell to his knees, causing the earth to shake, and tears cascaded down his face in grief and frustration, his bawls ringing out for them and the forest to hear.
Tokoyami was only vaguely aware of Spinner saying something, but it was drowned out by the loud cries.
Tokoyami thought that they might've reached a sort of temporary stopping point. Maybe Twice was right, and that there was a second round of action that would pick up in a bit, but for now the enemy seemed utterly demoralized. Granted, it was because of the League's own inability, but still. Tokoyami took this opportunity to distance himself further from the conflict, if it made any difference.
And then that odd little box began to stutter, and Shigaraki had his attention enraptured by it. Something was happening, but what it was he couldn't be entirely sure. It gave Tokoyami pause. He'd hoped to find a way out of the danger, or maybe out of this forest altogether… but realistically that probably wasn't going to happen, even amongst the chaos. The damages surrounding him were far too daunting, his own limitations endless and adding up all the time. He… he probably wouldn't be able to get out of this quarry, no matter how much he wanted to. And he could still feel the burning glare of Dabi searing into him from afar. I might… be able to learn something from all this, though. Seriously, what the hell is happening?
Tokoyami caught a shred of conversation from where the League had come to stand on the side of the quarry opposite him, something about a doctor. Tokoyami turned his attention to the radio that separated them, and he took a few regrettable steps towards it to pick up what it was saying. All the while, he felt the crushing anxiety of being surrounded by enemies on all side, but accepted that it was no longer something that he could so easily flee from. If he could just learn something from all this, then maybe it would be worth it.
"—Are all your pals there with you? How've you all been doing?" came the unfamiliar voice of a man from the radio, clear for the first time. It sounded like it belonged to an older, gently person, and for some reason that made it particularly off-putting.
But Shigaraki was quick to respond, a growl in the back of his throat. "Fine, thanks… but we're about to be mincemeat."
Ouch. Shigaraki, that's not a very good vote of confidence for us, don't you think? I would've hoped you'd have more confidence in your own team… although, against this monster I really can't blame you…
Tokoyami looked over at the radio uncertainly, thinking about the person behind the static. But when the cries of their opponent fell short, he looked up just in time to see the giant man bring his arms crashing downwards in a devastating blow bigger than any other from before. This time, there was no room to prepare, and everyone was flung from the shattered earth whether they wanted to or not. Tokoyami felt himself freefall when the ground left him, and he experienced flight in a way he never would've wanted to. He couldn't help himself – he let out a startled cry, betraying his emotions as all stability left him. Rocks and cabin remnants tore past him, scraping him from every side. He reached a desperate hand out to grab onto something – anything – only for it all to evade him. And there was nothing but hard ground far below him, coming closer and closer. A stray rock hit his still-healing scar, and a pained gasp escaped him before he shut his eyes tight to the rest of the world, dreading the worst.
Someone help me!
The ground never came. At least, not in the way he expected it would. Something just about took the breath out of him, as if he was being clutched by the midriff, but he was never given the chance to process what was happening. He felt his feet touch the earth, but not in a way that was bone-shattering. When he opened his eyes, he was deposited on the ground, cape splayed out around him, and he was alone. The rest of the League were still around, recovering from the same enormous impact, but it didn't look like any of them had been close enough to do anything.
Just because he'd somehow fallen safely didn't mean he was out of danger yet. Rocks still rained down from above, and as bewildered as he was, he had to push it aside in order to focus on everything else that came after. A large boulder crushed the earth besides him, and pebbles showered him. Tokoyami weaved through the chaos, eyes trained on the immediate area around him. Only to feel resistance, his movements trapped in place when something tugged him by the throat, making him choke. Whipping around, Tokoyami saw his cape trapped under one of the shifting stones. A frustrated groan slipped from his beak, betraying his futility, and he scrambled to tug the fabric out from under the weight.
"Hey, watch it!"
Tokoyami managed to yank the cape free and turn around just in time to see a broken floorboard from their desecrated cabin launched in his direction. With nowhere to go and no time to dodge, Tokoyami did the only thing he could and raised his arms to cover his face and body.
For the second time today, his worst fears went unfunded, and the rubble never even reached him. But compared to his fall, he knew what had stood in his way this time. Even before he opened his eyes, he could feel the roll of familiar blistering heat and hear the growl of exertion. Tokoyami hung on with his eyes closed a second longer than necessary, swallowing his rattled breathing, and when he finally did unravel himself from the defensive position, what he saw was not entirely unwelcome.
Dabi stood in front of him, fending off the oncoming rubble that had been ready to strike him down. Tokoyami allowed himself a stuttered sigh of relief and clutched his cloak close to him hoping it wouldn't get caught on anything else if he could help it. The dark figure turned around as his flames died down, and icy eyes fell onto him. "I thought I told you to pay attention," Dabi growled.
Tokoyami calmed himself even amongst the turmoil, admittedly feeling relief at the villain's action. "You and I both know that our track record for "paying attention" isn't so good, otherwise we'd be more prepared for these sorts of things. They seem to happen often enough," Tokoyami shot back, undeterred by the villain's irritation.
Dabi's eyes narrowed. "I saw you drifting farther and farther away. That's not very safe, you know." Tokoyami wasn't sure if that was a warning or a threat, but he grimaced all the same.
It wasn't as if they could relax even now, though. While everyone picked themselves up following that attack, their foe was still in an emotional state of conquest.
"I want to accept him!" the monster groaned. "But, All for One, I… I just can't!"
"Why not?!" Shigaraki called out indignantly, coming to a stand atop a precarious rock and swatting away a rock that had been aimed at him, watching it turn to dust.
That damn persistent radio bounced through the waves of rubble, continuing to speak almost mockingly. "I take it you've met Gigantomachia?" So there's a name attached to this one now. "He's a big supporter of All for One. He even used to be his bodyguard!" The turmoil was only just barely beginning to settle as the doctor continued to provide an explanation that was much deserved after the hellish starting line of this encounter. "He's one of the people All for One trusts most. With that extraordinarily durable body of his, he could handle multiple quirks even without getting remodeled first. When All for One was weakened by All Might, he knew his defeat was inevitable, so he hid Gigantomachia away. Such careful planning! And all this happened just a few years before he picked you up. No matter what might happen to him… he made sure his hopes and dreams would live on."
Tokoyami listened to the spiel numbly, taking in all the information he could for better or worse. There was a whole history about these villains and the one who sat above them all that he still needed to understand. A part of him wished he could've had useful intel like this a long time ago, so that maybe it could've been of use, but now he was in a position where everything he learned couldn't truly be of use to anyone on the outside. And yet, he still wanted to know.
Dabi, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly so interested. He looked frustrated – Tokoyami knew the signs all too well – and he was aware that the fire-user wasn't very fond of battles dragging on for too long. Training with him had always been fast-paced and tough, but it was what he'd gotten used to. Already, the air was beginning to heat up. Tokoyami backed up from him until his back was pressed against stone and watched as Dabi's arms became wrapped in blue flames.
"Call me crazy, but I'm having a hard time seeing this as some generous gift," Dabi snarled, readying a full-frontal attack.
The damn radio voice was quick to respond to him, but it came off in an oddly praising manner, and it didn't sit right with Tokoyami. Who the hell was this person supposed to be again? "Nice insight, Dabi! I'd say you're right! Gigantomachia is loyal to a fault. So loyal that it hurts him to think that Shigaraki doesn't measure up to his old master!"
Tired of listening to the man on the other side of the radio and all too eager, Dabi unleashed a scorching conflagration of blue directly at their foe. And with that large-scale blow came the all-too familiar smell of burning flesh. "We'd better go all out to show him we're worthy!"
Tokoyami flinched away from the fire. For something he saw often enough, it was large attacks like these that were rare to see. Destructive and overwhelming. And he always had to think that it must hurt to throw his fire around like that.
Despite that, when Tokoyami looked up at the monstrous man shrouded in flames, it became immediately apparent that there was something wrong.
The radio crackled again, taunting. "That won't be enough."
Dabi looked up sharply, his brow knitting together as he brought steaming arms close to him and quickly snuffed out the flames clinging to his body. If he was seeing the same thing Tokoyami was, then he must also be feeling the same sense of confused futility.
"For now… Hm, let me see."
The ultra-hot flames licked at their foe's body to little avail, and the behemoth shook them off as if they were nothing but an annoyance. He bit through them, jagged jaws sinking into pure burning heat with a thunderous smash like mountains churning together. A rabid shake of his head and the oversized attack was reduced to measly embers that floated down meekly.
Everyone saw it, actually. And everyone felt that same disbelief.
Toga's voice chirped up, tinged with panic. "Not very effective, Dabi!" as if it wasn't obvious on sight.
But even still, Dabi held himself like he was ready to fire off another devastating attack if that's what he had to do to. This fight felt less like it was about "going all out" and more about keeping it together from a defensive front. That concept stuck in Tokoyami's mind like a barb, and the implications of something so daunting as fending off this monster made him shudder.
He sidled closer to Dabi, squirming from the uncomfortable heat radiating off of him. "You're not thinking of doing another attack like that, are you?"
Dabi's eyes shot down at him, his motions stiff and guarded. "Hey, you don't have room to talk. Don't tell me what to do," he snapped. But Tokoyami could see his hesitation. Likewise, the rest of the League was hesitant to try their luck again. How were they expected to fend off something like this?
I wonder… No, this isn't like the fight against Overhaul, not by a long shot. That was bigger and… nothing on that scale will ever happen again. This guy is strong and definitely super-human, but not the worst I've faced. If only I had Dark – no, I can't be thinking like that either. Those mindless rampages never truly did me any good. I'm better off if I never get consumed with a power like that ever again… even if it means I have to face obstacles like this on my own.
The radio clicked. As if it was changing stations. And a new voice emerged, one that emerged from the recesses of Tokoyami's mind to recall some of his worse memories tying back to that fateful day. He couldn't suppress the shudder that rattled his body when the voice of All for One came through the small speaker, cold and clear.
"Machia…"
Shigaraki perked up immediately at the voice, but it was Gigantomachia that fell upon the radio with a tremor of the earth, his enormous body huddled around it like a lifeline that needed to be held close. Their opponent was turned unnervingly docile at the mere drop of a pin, all because his voice had been spoken aloud by that voice. Something about it left Tokoyami nauseous while the League looked on in stunned silence, marveling at how the threat had been brought to his knees, a quivering and desperate mess, so easily.
The older man from before broke the broadcast, chipping in with a much-needed explanation, as if it were so easy. "A recording of All for One's voice is just the thing to calm him down."
By now the rocks were settling into place, rocks shifting for the last time. The quarry had become an unrecognizable mess, with nothing left but him and the League standing around wondering what the hell just happened. Everyone had managed to properly get back onto their feet and sweep the dust off, slowly converging together to be near one another in case the hulking foe managed to catch them off guard again.
Dabi looked down at Tokoyami again, and his stapled-together hand reached out to tug on his cloak. "Don't think you can drift away from me so easily – stay by my side. And stop getting your damn cape caught on things, or else you really will be in trouble," he scolded quietly, out of earshot from the others.
Is that what this is? Scolding? I didn't think you cared so much, Tokoyami thought begrudgingly, keeping his beak smartly shut.
He wasn't quite done. "You're lucky that your –" At least, he looked like he'd been about to say something else, before just as quickly cutting himself off. The crinkles of his face crinkled with a grimace, and he made his way over to where Shigaraki and the others were composing themselves. This time, Tokoyami followed, downtrodden and just as confused as everyone else.
That man – Gigantomachia – hadn't stopped nuzzling the radio that had been the source of his Master's voice.
Tokoyami couldn't read Shigaraki's expression from behind the grisly hand that concealed it. But when the League leader looked back at the rest of his team, battered and confused as they were, it didn't take much to know what everyone was thinking.
"We don't want this guy…" Shigaraki said, speaking for everyone. First impressions aside, it seemed like a perfectly rational thing to say. This villain group may not be composed of the most stable individuals… but this weapon of destruction before them looked like a lot of trouble to handle for anyone.
The doctor persisted, as if it wasn't their choice to make. "Oh! You don't?! He could be quite handy in the future!"
Feeling like the danger had come to pass, Shigaraki removed the hand from his face. "Huh?" Behind Shigaraki, the League exchanged nervous looks. Tokoyami caught sight of Twice waving discreetly for his attention. Tokoyami tilted his head questioningly to the side, and Twice directed an "ok" sign at him, wondering if he was alright. Tokoyami hesitated, feeling himself relax just a bit, and nodded in response to confirm that everything was fine. Well, not everything, but he wasn't too hurt and there was no need in worrying Twice unnecessarily. A guy like him worried enough over the rest of his comrades.
Right now, Shigaraki was at the center of this unwanted display of attention from All for One's questionable associates. "Kurogiri was been babying you for too long. Open your eyes, boy!"
Tokoyami looked past Dabi to get a grasp on Shigaraki's response. This doctor, whoever it was, was a brutally honest guy. Tokoyami hadn't expected this voice from nowhere to come after Shigaraki like that. He might've found it funny if his feathers weren't already so ruffled from everything that had gone down just now. Everyone keeps bringing up Kurogiri. That really had been a significant loss, more than even I realized. If he was supposed to be like a guardian… how old is Shigaraki supposed to be again? I feel like I should be more concerned about his supposed leadership qualities.
Clearly Shigaraki didn't appreciate the doctor's criticism. "That's harsh, doctor," he grumbled, shoulders slouching.
Static filled the air for a bit before the doctor responded again. "Hmph. Give me a minute…" and then the voice was gone again in uncertainty, leaving everyone to wonder what was supposed to happen next.
"A minute? For what?" Toga asked, looking around.
Everyone waited in anticipation. Dabi surveyed the area, on the lookout for another unwelcome surprise that wouldn't come. All the while, he still paid attention to keeping Tokoyami at his side. Mr. Compress prodded unhappily at his newly destroyed prosthetic while Shigaraki aimlessly fiddled with the gray hand he usually kept on his face.
It was only a few aimless moments, but even that much was frustrating.
Twice spoke up first, the voice of impatience. "I swear, if this old coot doesn't get to the point…!" He stopped speaking, voice gargling, and he held a hand to his masked mouth as if overcome by something nauseating.
Toga rolled her eyes at the motion. "Really, Jin? Burping? Gross." Was what she said, but then she was making very similar noises, and a dribble of black sludge spilled from her mouth.
Tokoyami felt an overwhelming sense of dread before the physical effects came in. he knew this feeling from the pit of his aching core, as well as the loathsome feelings associated with it. The night in the bar when he felt he might drown and his breath wouldn't come, throat choked with sludge and guilt. It was just like… just like…
Inky goop spilled from the mouths of everyone standing around him, along with a chorus of gargled cries and confusion.
Mr. Compress was the only person he heard clearly, getting his words out to voice what everyone else was thinking. "Isn't this the quirk All for One used in Kamino?! How? Why—" and then he could say no more.
That's exactly what it was, and the mere thought of it made Tokoyami's blood run cold. As disgustingly familiar sludge began to rise from his throat and spill from his beak, an echo rang in his mind. He could almost see Bakugou clearly standing amongst them all, going through the same thing all over again with him. He could hear his fearful confusion, just like how Tokoyami had been that fateful night. And he relived in his mind that image of a bloodied but determined All Might, with jagged scars wrapped around his side, reaching out to save him before the sludge took hold completely. But that hand never reached, and instead Tokoyami had been delivered to the doors of the next layer of hell, ever spiraling downwards into the fiery abyss.
As the black substance took hold of him, he wasn't able to suppress the panic that jolted through him like a sudden, intense strike of lightning. Through the ink dribbling from his beak, he screeched one last thing to the demolished stone quarry. "I don't want to go!" The heaviness of those words, laden with horror and desperation, compelled him to reach out blindly for any little thing that might be there to bring him reassurance.
His hand brushed against tattered, thread-bare fabric, and without thinking he latched onto it as though his life depended on it. Then the daylight faded, as did everyone around him, and he was plunged into a new layer of darkness.
The last thing that was heard before the quirk completely took hold of them all came from that damned radio. "Now then, let's have a real chat."