Heroes in the Dark chapter 64

You're… you're actually here.

A moment of hesitation. Y…yeah.

To stay?

I was never gone, Fumikage.

But you were! I was alone! I was so alone, because you weren't there!

I was hurt. By you. But I still did what I could so that you wouldn't get hurt even more. I tried. I'm sorry I couldn't do more.

The haze of white clouding Tokoyami's mind began to disperse, and he blinked several times to bring himself back to reality, outside the parameters of his conflicted thoughts. The shock of what had just happened left him shaky, and his limbs felt numb. But then he became aware – of his heart thumping dully in his chest, of blood dripping down his arm and onto the floor… of the nomu glaring at him from the other side of the room. Of Dabi, standing amidst it all.

When the rest of his senses began to fill in the gaps, Tokoyami realized that he had been talking to him. "—can stand, right? I'll grab your sword and we can get out of this room. Don't worry about Hood over there. He won't touch you without my command."

The nomu let out a deep, throaty growl that could be heard from across the room. Dabi cast it a warning look while he walked over to pick up the sword that had been flung across the floor. "But honestly, you did better than I thought just on your own. Good to know that this thing is worth having around," he continued, picking up and examining the blood-splattered blade. "You had me worried, though."

Dabi was still talking, even as he walked back to Tokoyami. But he could barely process the words that spilled from his mouth like tainted rainwater.

The sword was held in front of him, an offering, and Tokoyami stared at it numbly. When his line of sight traveled from the cold steel blade to the even colder blue eyes looking down at him, he felt his heart sink. "This was all… for my quirk."

Dabi stared at him evenly. "We can get you patched up and head back. Then you'll never have to see this place again. Deal?"

Tokoyami disregarded those empty words. They provided a false sense of hope, as if it was something to look forward to when really it was a path of drudgery leading back to square one. "You dragged me all this way just to pit me against that monster." He was still processing in disbelief.

"It's… a new development," Dabi grumbled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. The sword was still being offered to him, but now it was beginning to waver in the air as Dabi pondered if it'd be better for him to hold onto it for now.

Tokoyami felt a scowl settle over him, his brow furrowing in unexpected anger. "You sat back and watched me suffer. So that I'd get back Dark Shadow. Just so that the League might have another tool at their disposal."

Dabi took a step back, surprised by the shift. "That's not it."

"You… you would let me die if it meant I'd have a working quirk. That's all you cared about, wasn't it?!" Tokoyami hadn't meant to yell, but it had come out with a burst of frustration. All the emotions of relief and confusion and heartache were pushed aside by the desperate need to defend himself and know the truth of the words that were leaving him now.

What he hadn't predicted was that Dabi would respond with equally adamant words. "That's not it! I'm not that kind of person!" For a brief moment, a flash of blue fire alighted on his arm, unprovoked, and Tokoyami flinched away before the flame was snuffed out. He rarely ever saw this, but… Dabi's quirk could be influenced by his emotions, just like Dark Shadow. He didn't like that they shared that aspect of their quirks. It felt too volatile.

Dabi breathed a heavy sigh. "Look. You have to understand that I wasn't going to let you die to that thing. But it was important that you thought that at the time. I knew I wouldn't be able to get your quirk back to you on my own, and you weren't making any headway either, so I had to resort to… less favorable means. I was hoping you wouldn't get hurt but…"

Tokoyami held his injured arm close to his body, glaring daggers at the villain standing apologetically before him. Dabi would never admit to feeling sorry, but Tokoyami could see it in the way he slouched, head hanging and grimace cracking his face.

"You could've stepped in at any time," Tokoyami growled bitterly.

"I thought you might be close to a breakthrough. And I was right. So stop gripping your arm so hard – we should hurry up and deal with those scars." He extended a hand to help him off the ground. Tokoyami stared at it in solemn judgment.

"You asked me if I trusted you. And I said no, but followed you anyway. Now I'm here after you put me through hell yet again, so what am I supposed to think?" Tokoyami staggered onto his feet, his vision going fuzzy before re-focusing onto the figure before him. He didn't know how he was expected to go all the way back to the hotel in this condition, but at the moment he was fueled by his bitterness towards the villain.

Dabi retracted his hand, watching in conflicted concern and admiration as Tokoyami swayed on his feet. The sword hung limply from his hand, as though he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But at the very least, he knew what to say. "I know, alright? This looks bad, and you're pissed about it. But contrary to what you might think… I don't want to see you die. And I think that's why it was so important for this to happen. I didn't want to see you facing the world without your quirk. It looks like you two both have some healing and growing to do, but I needed to see what that looked like."

Tokoyami hung his head quietly, remembering all the damage he'd put on his quirk for it to reach this state in the first place.

Dabi kept going. "If I hadn't done this… then somebody else would've. And there's no guarantee that they would've put a stop to things before it got too bad. I'd always intended on stepping in. But on a different battlefield or… somewhere else, I don't think there'd be as much concern for your safety as what I had to offer, even though it probably looks meager to you."

Tokoyami held onto the silence that followed. It didn't feel very reassuring. But it was about as genuine as Dabi could be in this situation, and that mattered for something. Yet the only thing he could hear now was the sound of that nomu shuffling around in the corner, agitated by the lost opportunity to unleash itself upon the stray bird. He couldn't so easily shake how imminent his unwilling sacrifice had been. Even now, his choices were limited. The only decision going forward that was truly his was how he chose to respond. He wanted to hate Dabi for what he'd put him through – and he did, to a certain extent. But that would be ignoring the intent behind it. Regardless of what Dabi or the League or that doctor wanted with his quirk… at the end of the day, it was still his. Dark Shadow was here for him, and that's what mattered most.

Tokoyami hunched his shoulders against all the weight that threatened to topple him, hanging on to what he had at the end of the day. "Just get me out of here," he whispered quietly. His steps felt unsteady, but he was determined to leave this room. Dabi walked by his side, a buffer between the injured and the monster lurking in the shadows of the room. During this time, nothing else was said, and Tokoyami lulled himself back into his own thoughts again seeking comfort. His mind felt hazy, unorganized, and the thoughts he directed at the quirk slumbering within weren't fully coherent, communicating only simple ideas.

Happy you're here.

I know.

It's been so hard.

…Yeah.

They reached the exit to the room, and Tokoyami chanced one last look at the nomu. It had crawled out of the dark just enough for its head to peek out, yellow eyes staring him down. It had a strained smile splitting its monstrous face. Unprompted, it spoke a few parting words. "H-hope to see… and fight… fight you again."

Then Dabi closed the door of the room, locking the beast back in there alone to await the next time it'd be needed. When he did, it was as if a sigh of relief passed between the two, and some of the anxiety welling in Tokoyami's aching body dissipated. He'd be better off if he never had to deal with a nomu like that again. But considering how much he was involved with the League, it felt like a pipe dream. No, he'd have encounters like these again. His greatest hope should instead be that he's prepared for whatever challenge awaits him next. But in order for that to happen…

Tokoyami prodded at the mental presence of Dark Shadow. His quirk was quiet, and he got the impression that just appearing the way he did had taken up a lot of energy. Are you going to be okay? Are we going to be okay? He thought back to Dark Shadow's physical manifestation facing off against the nomu and felt a shiver run through him. You said you were hurt.

The quirk didn't respond. Not in the way where the silence felt final, but more like it was hard to muster the strength to speak. As the quirk's movements and ambitions slowed in his head, Tokoyami could almost swear that he'd fallen asleep somehow, becoming a small, still-lying ghost in his mind.

I want to talk to you so badly. But please rest for now. We have plenty of time to talk later.

Dabi led him through the hallway. The bright fluorescent lights left an ache that built up behind Tokoyami's eyes, and he squinted them shut tight to block it out. Maybe now that Dark Shadow had become active for the first time in so long, he was more susceptible to the harsh, unnatural lights.

Like that, he found his steps getting lost in rhythm, his body still swaying a bit. When he ran into something, his eyes flew back open, and they went straight up into the quizzical stare that Dabi was giving him. Tokoyami stepped back awkwardly, lowering his head. Looking past Dabi, he could see the elevator still a ways forward and realized that they'd stopped in the middle of the hall, next to a different door.

"Hey," Dabi said, grabbing Tokoyami's attention with a start. "You have every right to think that I'm a selfish asshole, but we still gotta get you patched up before heading out. Can't have you walking in the streets like that." He opened the door and flicked on the light inside before stepping in. Tokoyami poked his head inside, worry churning in his stomach about what he would find. In the back of his mind festered the memories of the rooms he found in Overhaul's base, blood-soaked and filled with sharp tools. He could only imagine the Doctor had places like that as well, ready for incoming patients.

Walking inside, the room was actually rather unremarkable. It was a simple, white-washed sickbay room with a single bed against one corner and a couple simple chairs against the other. A wall of cabinets contained medical supplies, and a countertop set with a stainless steel sink sat untouched. Dabi wasted no time in rifling through the drawers and doors in search for supplies. He pointed Tokoyami towards the sink while he rooted around.

Tokoyami stood in front of the sink, trying to push up his tattered sleeve. The threads were tangled with drying blood and he was having trouble getting it separate from the fresh scars. With a pang of regret, he reached across the counter to a pair of scissors sitting in a jar and set about cutting off the sleeve. The old, bloodied fabric fell away easily under the sharp blades. It was hard to look at his arm, so he turned on the faucet and ran it under the lukewarm water while averting his gaze. All the while, Dabi was nearby digging out a small pile of medical supplies. Tokoyami watched him, and saw that every so often the burn-covered man would pause on an item, looking it over, before pocketing it for himself.

Tokoyami turned back to his arm. By now the water had washed away most of the blood, and he could see everything clearer now. The scars weren't as bad as he thought they were, but blood still left them, and the edges of the wounds were raw and jagged. It was two long scars that wrapped around half his forearm, and a small one where the claw had just nicked him. Comparatively, it was nothing compared to the last grievous wound he'd received in a fight, but it was still sure to leave a mark.

Tokoyami watched as the water washed away the fresh blood weeping from it in small pink rivulets. "Hey Dabi. If Dark Shadow hadn't stepped in to protect me… then how much longer were you going to wait before you did something? When did you plan on opening the door?"

Dabi stopped rummaging through the drawers and stood to his full height. "This isn't the first time I've been in charge of a nomu. I wasn't going to let anything too bad happen to you, if I could help it."

Tokoyami grimaced and help up his arm from the sink. "So you consider this not too bad?"

Dabi winced. "In my defense, I don't know all of what Hood is capable of yet. But that's what I'm trying to figure out. I'm not trying to throw you into harm's way, but just this once I needed you to think that. I can't do it myself remember?"

All because I didn't act more scared in front of you, bastard, Tokoyami thought bitterly, thinking back to their first time in the parking garage.

Dabi let out a tired sigh and scratched the back of his head. "You're still shaking. Keep this up and you're gonna make me feel bad." Quite acting tough – I can already tell that you feel guilty. You don't have to hide it behind flimsy walls. "C'mere, I don't think you can wrap this on your own."

Tokoyami held his arm out, staring daggers at him all the while. But he bit his tongue while Dabi bandaged it – being angry at him wouldn't be of much use right now. That and… Tokoyami didn't want to be responsible for dealing with the new scars right now. He was too rattled by recent encounters for that, and already dreaded caring for it in the future. Right as his other wound was becoming easier to care for, he had to go and sustain another. He could never stay out of trouble for very long.

Tokoyami was relieved when he no longer had to look at the ugly scars, his arm now wrapped with clean white gauze. Any leftover supplies were either put back into the cabinets or pocketed. At Dabi's discretion, he shoved some bandages into his own pockets as well. When the counters were cleared off, Dabi sat down on one of the chairs.

"The subway won't run again until five. It won't do any good to be wandering around the streets, so lay down for the next couple hours. I'll rouse you when we need to leave. Understood?"

Tokoyami nodded numbly and sat down on the generic hospital bed. It looked like it had never been used, and the sheets were stagnant but clean, completely untouched. Definitely much cleaner than the couch that was waiting for him back in the hotel. But a part of him had grown used to sleeping there, and this surface felt alien to him. Nevertheless, his body was crying out for rest. Tokoyami laid down, easing onto it slowly before his arm gave out and he flopped the rest of the way onto the neatly folded sheets. He let out a gentle gasp that turned into a shaky exhale and allowed his body to relax as gravity pushed down on him. He dragged his bandaged arm close to his chest to keep it safe. His eyelids were heavy, but every time he closed his eyes it wouldn't last. A few moments would pass and they would snap open, back to the sight of the room and Dabi sitting across from him on the other side.

The lights stayed on in the room and Dabi stayed awake, head resting in his hands. Meanwhile, Tokoyami couldn't bring himself to sleep. There was a clock on the wall, and every time he would stutter back awake after a fruitless attempt at sleep there would only be a lapse of five, at the most ten, minutes. The next few hours passed like this, and by the time Dabi was beginning to stir Tokoyami had been unable to gain any rest from it. He still felt just as weary and anxious as the moment his head had first hit the pillow. He couldn't tell if he had been too nervous for sleep or if the adrenaline from the fight had kept him awake. He thought that maybe it was the state of his thoughts, scattered but excited about having his quirk back, that had kept him from attaining the sweet release of slumber. Whatever the case was, when Dabi got up and began to cross over to the bedside, Tokoyami was already pushing himself up. Dabi didn't comment on his lack of rest, though a frown did tug at the corner of his mouth. He only ushered Tokoyami out of the room, turning off the light and closing the door behind him.

"I figured it'll take us a bit longer to get back the subway than when we got here. So go at your own pace and we'll be fine." They made their way to the elevator, and Tokoyami was grateful to be away from this underground hell, casting one last loathsome glare at the door on the other end that contained a monster behind it, one that he hoped would never see the light of day. Not that it had ever done him much good to hold out hope for anything good to come his way. By now he'd all but accepted that pain and anguish was destined to follow in his wake wherever he might go. And if that were to be the case, then maybe what he needed was for his woes to be a downfall on the villains' side, rather than having his actions – or rather his very state of being – become a detriment to the heroes.

Either way, he was just grateful when they finally left that damned kindergarten behind. If this was the kind of institution that the Doctor had running, then he didn't want to see what other places he had right in the middle of the public eye.

Stepping back onto the streets of the outside world was something of a relief. The air, tinged as it was with the smell of roads and fumes, felt fresh and welcoming. The cool chill of early morning pricked at his feathers and left goosebumps on the exposed skin of his arm, which he hid partially in his hoodie pocket. It was still dark, and the streets felt muggier than the last time he'd seen them just a few hours ago, bogged down with a thin layer of mist that skewed the lights lining the streets.

Dabi kept his voice low, eyes glinted as they scanned the area. "No more nasty surprises tonight. I'm taking you right back to the hotel, and after that I'll do you a favor and leave you alone for a couple days – give you some time to heal and reconcile with your quirk. Is that a deal?"

Tokoyami followed after him onto the streets. "It's the most I can look forward to at this point, I suppose," he lamented, taking in the empty city-scape.

Dabi nodded begrudgingly. "Stay close to me. I don't want you dragging behind. It won't be much longer until you get to relax."

Just like before, the area was empty and desolate. Very rarely would lights from buildings be on, and their way was scattered with shadows. Dabi winded down narrow streets and allies, pausing every so often to make sure they were in the right place. Tokoyami tried to pay more attention to his surroundings, but it was difficult to process the path when he was already so fixated on making sure he took one step in front of the other. The most he could do was keep his eyes trained on Dabi's back. Every few minutes, he would get farther away and Dabi would stop until he caught up again. Their pace was more akin to a slow crawl through the streets, but neither of them had any room to complain. Tokoyami knew that if pushed he could keep up just fine, but at the moment he wasn't willing to put in the effort.

Dabi had been quite the whole walk thus far, and Tokoyami hadn't thought anything of it until that silence was broken. He'd stopped again, on a corner where two narrow roads boarded by walls split off. "Hey. I know I said I'd leave you alone when we get back, but there's actually something I've been wanting to ask you about," he said vaguely.

Tokoyami blinked. It wasn't that often that Dabi approached him regarding much of anything. Unless it had to do with his training, healing, or quirk, Dabi was usually pretty quiet, and anything worth an actual conversation felt rare. But whatever Dabi had on his mind was more pressing than that, especially if he was already bringing mentioning it now, before they even got back to the room. "That's… fine, I suppose," Tokoyami murmured.

Dabi held onto the meek agreement as though it meant something to him and turned to continue around the corner. Only to stop abruptly before taking another step. Tokoyami couldn't see what he did, but he knew something was up when he hastily redirected down the other street, grabbing the sleeve of Tokoyami's uninjured arm and pulling him towards the new direction.

Tokoyami glanced over his shoulder, surprised by the sudden shift in movement. This earned a quiet hiss from Dabi, but not before Tokoyami caught sight of several dark figures loitering just outside the light of a nearby lamppost. Without knowing who they were, it was difficult to judge their character. If they were casual civilians, then they definitely shouldn't get involved with a person like Dabi. They could call the police, though. Or better yet a hero. Late as it was, it was likely that a hero might be patrolling a marginally more upscale area like this. If I took a chance and called out… would my voice be heard?

His line of thinking was disrupted, as it always was these days, by a muted curse from Dabi. "They're following," he whispered urgently. "Keep your head down and –" With a growl, Dabi pulled Tokoyami's hood back over his head, hiding most of his feathers.

Dabi pulled Tokoyami down the small street, and he struggled to keep his feet planted on the ground with each step. By now he didn't have to look – he could hear the dull sound of footsteps hitting the pavement not far behind them.

"Who are they?" Tokoyami whispered back, dread and curiosity settling in his chest.

"Nobodies," Dabi spat. Despite the declaration, he looked tense. In the dim yellow light being shed on the road, his eyes looked wild. He was anticipating a confrontation. He looked up at a street sign hanging above their heads and let slip a sound of frustration. Not wanting to backtrack any further, Dabi tugged him off the sidewalk and into the shadows of an alleyway, aiming to circumnavigate back to a point where they'd been before. Without the light from the road, Tokoyami stumbled over garbage and struggled to keep pace with the rushing villain.

"Hang on!" Tokoyami panted, threatening to fall only to have Dabi steady him uncertainly. The alley was barely wide enough to accommodate the two of them, and the tightness of the space coupled with the fleeting light made Tokoyami's heart race. "I don't think we can run—"

As if to disregard him, Dabi picked up the pace again, pulling Tokoyami right along behind him. Once again, he ended up reaching an abrupt halt, and Tokoyami barreled into him again. He was getting tired of that. But at least this time he could see what stopped him.

Peeking around Dabi, Tokoyami saw that a few people had maneuvered their way to the end of the alley where they had just been heading. These people, whoever they were, knew this city much better than they did. Tokoyami looked back the way they came towards the road, but a few shady figures were already making their way down it. A voice reached out to them, cold and calculating, and Tokoyami shuddered instinctively.

"Hey, what's this we got here? Somebody new on the streets…? Naw, that doesn't happen 'round these parts."

…These are thugs.

Dabi looked between the two sides closing in on them. Near the halfway point of the alley, another path split off between two buildings. Tokoyami was dragged the rest of the way towards it, only to be unceremoniously shoved out of sight from the people closing in.

"What'cha hiding there, Patchy? You're sure a piece of work, aren't ya?" came the taunting voice echoing down the alleyway.

"Hey, but doesn't that guy look familiar to you guys?"

"Couple of strangers snooping around town at this time of night? I'm sure they got a price on their heads from one side or another."

Dabi bent his head down close to Tokoyami. "I'm not losing sight of you, I want that to be perfectly clear. Hide down here and don't look in my direction. You don't need to see what happens next." Those words hung in the air like a threat, and Tokoyami stared up at him with wide eyes, remembering how hot his fires were and the damage they could cause.

"y-you're not going to kill them, are you?"

Dabi didn't respond. His mind had already been made up in advance. He shoved Tokoyami lightly, indicating a trashcan down the way to shelter behind, and turned back to the goons closing in on them from both sides. Tokoyami took a few uncertain steps, amazed that this was happening at all. He watched as small blue flames began to alight over Dabi's body, earning a response.

"Oh shit, this guy torching himself?"

"No wait, I think I know him!"

"It's just one person. Let's gut him and grab that kid he's smuggling."

Tokoyami didn't stick around to find out what happened next. When the sounds of fighting rang out through the streets and the alley Tokoyami retreated down became awash with the light of blue fire, heat at his back, he burst into a run. Screams of agony and rage followed behind him.

"Tokoyami!" Dabi called out, watching him run past the hiding spot and into the shadows where his flames couldn't reach.

"Where's your attention at, bastard?!"

Another wave of heat rolled through the narrow passages, tarnishing the walls with black streaks and eating away at the flesh of the damned. This small part of the world was falling apart around him, burning to embers, that much was certain. He knew firsthand the deadliness of those flames, and just imagining the way they felt on the vulnerable flesh of a human made him nauseous. Tokoyami pressed his hands to either side of his head to block out the sounds from behind, willing it all to go away. The fire followed him for a while, wisps of blue trailing down the alley from the source, incinerating stray clumps of garbage and drifting to the ground as embers that swiftly burned out. When the fire burned out, pausing for a brief period, there was a moment where the world felt a little bit darker – and Tokoyami could've sworn that a shadow had passed over him from above.

As the scene faded behind him, Tokoyami became increasingly aware of where he was going – where his feet were taking him, where his mind was at, what compelled him. But he couldn't say for sure who he was running from the most – the alleyway thugs or Dabi. Either way, he was justified. Just so long as his legs kept moving. Just so long as he had to will to continue down a path unlit and unknown. In his mind, Dark Shadow twitched uncomfortably, equally confused by what was happening and what he was supposed to do, and his head began to ache with enhanced intensity. Panic threatened them both, and the walls crowded in on them.

Tokoyami followed the alley as far as he could, not knowing where he went or caring how much his body protested. The sounds from the battle had faded completely by now. He wasn't sure if that was because he was out of range or because it had already reached its grim ending. Either way, he didn't want to see it again. He wasn't ready to face that just yet.

It didn't appear as though that choice was his to make, though. He didn't know how far he'd gone, but he hadn't seen any open paths beyond the one he'd followed – any splits he'd seen were either too narrow between the densely packed buildings or closed off behind a large gate. And all his efforts had led him here, to a dead end. The wall in front of him was sheer and cold, part of a different construction, and only a six inch gap existed between the buildings walling him in and the one that stood tall before him.

I don't know where I am! What am I even doing, I don't know where to run! There's nowhere for me to go, but I can't go back!

Then why keep looking forward? But don't look back, either.

From a ways away, but still too close for comfort, a familiar yell echoed through the alleyway. "Where'd you go? Come on, I didn't tell you to run!"

Dabi's coming. I… I don't want to face him. Remembering the heat of his flames, he dreaded having to walk back. Would a pile of corpses be awaiting him? Or just a slew of bones and ashes.

Tokoyami took a deep breath. No looking forward or back.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something drift down from above – brightly colored and quiet. Whatever it was compelled him to look up, where he caught sight of an exterior access ladder suspended above him. It was beyond his reach, but a nearby trashcan gave him a way up. Tokoyami dragged it over to stand under the ladder and climbed on top. His balance wavered on the unstable surface, injured arm steadying him against the wall while he reached up with the other.

Careful!

The trashcan teetered under him and Tokoyami crouched to regain his position atop it. At the same time as that warning had reached him, Dark Shadow let out a hiss of frustration. With a quick, haphazard movement, a shadowy claw appeared for just a moment to swipe at the ladder. It came unlatched, falling towards him until it stopped with a clang close to the ground. Tokoyami stared at it in dumbfounded amazement. He'd gotten so used to trying to do things on his own through his struggles and hardships. He didn't even realize he could call on his quirk for help again. When he turned his thoughts to Dark Shadow, he found his quirk was twisting knots anxiously in his mind. He still was getting used to it, too. Appearing in physical manifestation didn't feel right yet. It was a process.

Tokoyami offered his quirk a silent show of gratitude and began climbing up the ladder. His arm throbbed with the exertion, pulling him up one rung at a time, and he tried to rely mostly on the rest of his body's strength to get him where he needed to be. Why he needed to be on the roof, he wasn't sure just yet. Maybe there was a path that would take him far from the hell of villains and yakuza and evil doctors. Or maybe he just needed to see the city from above again, to know that it was real and he was living in it. Either way, it was a torturous climb up three stories worth of ladder rungs with no pause. Whatever excess energy he had from the adrenaline of that fight against the nomu had been poured into this last effort, for all the good it did him.

Tokoyami reached the roof gasping for breath, his quivering arms dragging him onto the cold stone of the roof. His head felt light, and for a moment he wondered what would happen if he were to fall after all this. That would be pretty pathetic. Tokoyami scrambled the rest of the way onto the roof. He took a moment to rest his shaking body, even as the cold night began to settle in his bones. He chanced a look down to the alleyway below. A blue glow was approaching from around the last corner, and Tokoyami's heart skipped a beat. So fast… what did you do to them?!

Before he could round the corner, Tokoyami backed off onto the roof, letting the height of the building conceal him. Despite that, he heard Dabi call his name from below. Tokoyami couldn't respond. I just need a moment to think. Just leave me alone for a moment, Dabi, please.

Tokoyami sat on the ground as the heaving of his chest dulled to steady breaths. Thoughts battled within him, and in the middle of it all burned the image of those flames. He'd dealt with them so much over the past few months and knew they were deadly, but he'd never been witness to the kind of life-taking cruelty he knew they were capable of.

As he sat there, a shadow passed over him, and he knew it to be the one from before. Only this time it came accompanied by the sound of a single wing flap.

His head perked up immediately, and his eyes scoured the empty skies. Through scattered clouds and light pollution, he could see the faintest of stars – only the strongest ones that shined the brightest, made dim and small by everything else crowding them. It occurred to him that he hadn't looked up at the night sky for a long time. But that wasn't what he was looking for.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw it, like an angel descending from the heavens. A winged figure drifted down to roost on the same roof as Tokoyami. By the light of the streetlamps below, he could see the flashes of red coming off the wings.

Tokoyami rose shakily to his feet, his body afire with hurt but every nerve begging him to keep moving him forward. The man waiting on the roof wasn't looking in his direction – he was looking down into the alley, little feathers drifting around him. But in the pit of his stomach, Tokoyami knew this person had to be here for his sake. The wings he so seriously desired to free him from the chains of the ground. The hero he needed to be here for him.

A scream of desperation ripped through Tokoyami's throat, raw and unrestrained. "Hawks!"

And he knew it to be true. He knew this person, the number three – two – hero that had taken him under his wing for the work study. He never could catch up to him. But he'd gotten close. So agonizingly close to matching his speed with his own determination. For once they shared the same rooftop, and Tokoyami struggled into a haphazard run to bridge the gap between them. He never thought this would be the condition for standing on the same building as him.

When the winged figure turned around to the sound of his name and saw the bird-headed boy coming towards him, Tokoyami found himself hesitating.

He wasn't mistaken. It was without a doubt him. But for a moment, when those sharp amber eyes behind that visor landed on him and saw him for everything he was, there was a look to them that caught him off guard. Those eyes looked far colder than he'd ever seen them before, and the light of surprise that went off in them seemed almost unwelcome, like this wasn't something the hero had anticipated dealing with tonight.

N-no, I'm overthinking it. He's my mentor, for fuck's sake, of course he's surprised. I've been gone for so long.

"Hawks! Please, you have to help me!" Tokoyami begged.

Hawks' expression shifted to one of concern. "Tsukoyomi…? What the hell happened to you?" Tokoyami's heart ached to hear his hero name and be reminded of all he trained to become at one point in his life not so long ago. But something was wrong. Hawks hadn't made any move to get near him and bridge the gap. Tokoyami's legs were shaking and it was difficult to keep moving after all the events of the night. All Hawks had to do was grab him and fly him back to safety, back into the care of the heroes. He could see his family, friends, and classmates again. This was his way out, his way back to –

"Oh heeey," drawled a smug voice from behind. "You didn't tell me this area was part of your patrol. Is this a new night route?"

Tokoyami whipped his head around him to see Dabi scaling the ladder behind him. His coat was scuffed up from the fight and the stench of burning flesh followed after him, but he wasn't much worse for wear. He was already the kind of person that carried a weight of death and sadness wherever he went, so emerging fresh from a recent fight did nothing to change who he was.

Tokoyami didn't really understand what was happening or why Hawks hadn't made a move, so he took the initiative. Tokoyami stumbled the rest of the way over to Hawks and reached out, grabbing onto his fur-trimmed jacket as the hero took a startled step back. His voice was hoarse as he whispered to him. "Hawks, you have to get me out of here. That villain is after me. I know you can act fast, so… Hawks?"

The winged hero still hadn't made any move. The only shift was in his wings, which rustled to either side of him quietly. Tokoyami saw the way that avian gaze took in the information of his surroundings, appraising Tokoyami's physical state, his bandaged arm, and the way he trembled while clinging to his coat. It was the face of someone calculating problems in his head.

But then he looked up, at the villain standing just behind Tokoyami and slowly approaching with each agonizing step. And Tokoyami had to watch as Hawks' face shifted into an easy smile, regressing into a relaxed state as he greeted the person that had come to take back Tokoyami with friendliness and familiarity.

"I didn't think you were around these parts either, Dabi!" Hawks said, greeting the villain. And he laughed, as if they were buddies sharing a joke. "Run into a bit of trouble down there, did ya? I heard they'd been causing trouble around these parts, so I was sent out to see what was up."

Dabi shrugged. "I already dealt with them. Guess you should've been faster."

Hawks' smile looked no different from an outside perspective, but Tokoyami remembered picking up on some of the hero's habits during the work study. He could see the way it was becoming strained, and he saw the easy-going personality for how fake it was in the moment.

Tokoyami tugged on his coat, and Hawks spared him a pained glance. His gloved hand gently grabbed Tokoyami's, and he felt his hopes crumble when the hero carefully untangled his fingers from the fur of his jacket.

"Hey, uh, the kid seems pretty rattled. The League's honorary U.A. student, right? Kinda hard to ignore the news regarding this whole thing. How's it been treating you?" Hawks asked, as if this were some casual conversation. "You don't really talk about him much."

Dabi stood right behind Tokoyami, staring down the two birds unamused. "You never ask. And if you don't have anything good to tell me, then I don't see why anything needs to be said. But since we're already at this point, you're probably curious. Am I right?"

Hawks folded his wings behind his back, scattering a few more red feathers. "What can I say? I can't help feeling just a bit responsible for a fellow bird."

Dabi's eyes sharpened. "Do you have any connection with him?"

Tokoyami flinched, but Dabi must not have noticed. His attention was trained on the other.

Hawks stepped back from Tokoyami, leaving a hand on his shoulder while making it clear that a distance existed between them. "I'll admit, I scouted him briefly after the Sports Festival, but nothing ever really came of it. Guess I wasn't all that eager to have a kid following me around. But what about you? I didn't think you were the type to be looking after others. Especially a big name like this."

"Tell me about it," Dabi groaned, disgust on his tongue. "Yeah, the kid's been hanging out with me lately. The rest of the League has other stuff going on, so I've been doing my own thing."

Hawks perked up at that. "Oh yeah? How's that been?"

Tokoyami squeezed Hawks' hand, trying desperately to catch his eye and understand exactly what the hell was going on. This time Hawks knew better and didn't look at him, least he break his façade.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Dabi sneered. "Now if you'd be so kind, you have something that belongs to me. I gotta head out of here, and you're messing with my schedule."

Hawks quickly backed off, holding his hands up peacefully as Dabi came from behind to rest an arm across Tokoyami.

Tokoyami stiffened, only to relax a moment later when he accepted the futility of his role in this situation. This was no rescue mission. This was a game they were playing, and he was… A pawn. Same as always.

"I'll meet up with you later, Hawks. Next time, make sure you tell me all your flight paths. I don't want any more unwelcome surprises," Dabi growled. "And if you're not too fixated on the League, maybe you can tell me more about those hero records in exchange for what's been going on with Tokoyami here. But if you don't care, I understand."

Hawks chuckled weakly. "Yeah, yeah. I'll… see what I can do." This time, he finally did look Tokoyami in the eyes. But Tokoyami couldn't see anything past the carefully crafted barrier he kept up. It all felt so meaningless, seeing his old mentor in this place and realizing that he was doing nothing to help him.

Hawks, what are you doing? What are you planning? I can't just accept that you're giving up on me! There's something there, you just won't reveal it to me! Quit hiding yourself from me!

Hawks, he…

Dabi smiled, pulling his staples taunt and leering at the red-winged man. "It's a deal. Now why don't you continue on your little patrol?"

It sounded like an order. That didn't sound right. A villain like Dabi had no business making demands to the number two hero. And yet here they were, staring each other down. Only for Hawks to give in easily with a casual sigh.

"Gotcha. I'll leave you be. Just try not to leave too many burnt corpses in my flight path. It means more work for me, ya know?" Hawks complained. He spread his wings again, and Tokoyami resisted the urge to reach out to him, his hope blowing away like ashes in the wind. Watching the hero fly away without another word was devastating, and Tokoyami had to wonder if he'd done something wrong or if this was to happen regardless of his efforts. Either way, it left him back in the hands of the villains. But for some reason, standing next to Dabi right now didn't feel nearly as isolating as when he'd made his empty pleas to his old mentor.

Tokoyami and Dabi watched the winged hero vanish into the night.

Then he was shaken lightly, the burned hand resting on him indicating him back towards the ladder. "C'mon. Let's get you out of this place."