"Dabi… where are we?"
Tokoyami recovered swiftly from the nauseating feeling of the transportation. With the dark-dressed villain by his side, they were walking up a ridge. The air was cold, and around him the last of the leaves struggling in the trees were freezing over. How long had it been since he'd last been in a place like this? The sky looked so clear and crisp. But he was all too aware that this was going to be anything but a peaceful day. An ominous presence hung over him.
Dabi kept his eyes trained ahead. "Dunno. Didn't pay much attention. Does it even matter? Let's just get this over with." He sounded annoyed. Tokoyami could understand that. After all, it would be so much easier if they just didn't have to be here…
That was out of the question. Dabi had put it in brief terms: if they didn't come to this designated spot at a certain time, this new adversary of theirs was going to give the League's location away to the heroes. Of course, to Tokoyami that sounded more like a rescue to him. Apparently they were dealing with highly influential… politicians? And they were outright picking a fight with the League. But then… why not just rat them out to top-ranked heroes? Why go through the hassle if they claim to have these advantages over them? And furthermore, what they did to Giran seemed excessive… He didn't know what to make of these adversaries. They sounded so different from the yakuza he'd had to deal with. And yet too similar for their own good. Where there was power, there was an opportunity to abuse it. And for a cause like this? It was baffling, and maybe a bit unnerving. But without much more context than that, he had no choice but to step up and see what all this was.
At the top of the ridge, he could already see them: the rest of the League of Villains. It'd been a while, so seeing them all in one place again made his gut twist in anxiety. It wasn't just seeing them, though – it felt like, strangely enough, he was on good terms with most of them, so at this point they weren't exactly the problem – but rather that them being here signaled the start of something horrible. Whatever was in store, the League was the catalyst for it. Tokoyami couldn't be sure that he was ready.
So really, it's nothing new.
Tokoyami grit his teeth and held steady, approaching the small group all the while.
When they caught sight of them, there was a little chorus of greetings. Twice and Toga called out to them by name, and Spinner waved them over to stand alongside the others. Seeing them all up close for the first time in a while, he was immediately reminded of their own training that the League had been going through. Toga and Spinner were fresh on the scene, but Twice and Mr. Compress looked battered, with the latter having lost his mechanical arm at some point. There was none quite as battered as Shigaraki, though. His overcoat was tattered and he was covered in scratches from months of fighting Gigantomachia non-stop. Tokoyami could barely fathom what that must've been like… though his training hadn't been that much better thanks to Dabi. And yet the leader of the League stood poised, ready for anything to happen.
They came to a stop behind the others, and Tokoyami finally got to see what the center of their attention was.
A city. Nothing particularly big or flashy – mostly clusters of small buildings separated by the occasional larger apartment complex or office building. A few highways bordered it, but there wasn't a whole lot of traffic. It was just a quiet part of Japan's city life. The only thing to note was maybe a single skyscraper in the distance, near the middle of the city.
With how determinedly everyone was staring out over the horizon, it was evident that there was much more at stake here, regardless of appearances. They must've not been here very long, because there was still some nervous discussion happening among them. Meanwhile, he could swear that Shigaraki was holding his breath in anticipation.
Twice joined his side. "Good, you're here! I am so sorry." As different as those comments were, they both sounded sincere.
Tokoyami grimaced. "I received your calls for help… this is supposed to be a rescue mission?"
"Yeah! They'll pay for what they did to Giran!" Twice said, only for his shoulders to droop in dismay. "We didn't have a choice – they got us cornered this time."
Mr. Compress took off his mask, looking out over the sprawling town with a discerning eye as if he was already calculating the property damage. "This ambitious group certainly came as an unpleasant surprise. No need to worry a feather on your head, though! We're on a bit of a time limit here, but we just need to hold out until our monstrous – and dare I say dubious – ally finds us. Gigantomachia could level these opponents in mere seconds."
Tokoyami looked to him in horror. "That's horrible! Is this not a residential area? Even a villain like you must have some consideration for the innocent lives at stake here!"
A chill wind swept over them, and Spinner pulled his bright red scarf closer to him. He glanced over to Tokoyami, and Tokoyami noticed a similar level of nervousness sparked within the man. "This… this is different. There are things at stake here that you wouldn't understand."
Tokoyami's gaze hardened on Spinner, staring him down accusingly. How desperately he wished he could tell Spinner what was on his mind. But that would have to wait for when he wasn't surrounded by the rest of the League.
"Don't let yourself be fooled, Fumikage," Toga said, teetering back and forth with the wind. "You have no idea how many enemies are out there waiting to get the jump on us. Right? Right?"
Mr. Compress pondered that for a moment. "Shoot, what was it… their leader said they had something of 110 thousand plus so-called liberation warriors waiting at their beck and call?"
Tokoyami stiffened. "There's what?!" he whispered hoarsely.
"You're gonna have to keep up better than this, kid!" Twice huffed. "I can't believe it either! The leader sounds like a total nut-job, you know?"
Dabi let out a rattled sigh. "Sounds like something our groups have in common. But seriously, what's up with that number? You guys didn't tell me that. Why'd you have to drag us into this mess of yours? I was perfectly fine dealing with my own shit."
Tokoyami could almost agree with that sentiment, if not for the fact that at this point he was on the verge of desperately wanting to know what was supposed to happen here. He wanted to know what the deal with this organization was.
Twice responded adamantly. In a show of frustration, he lashed out at Dabi with his tape measure. It was a decent enough weapon in certain situations, but Dabi dodged it easily. Twice wouldn't actually want to hurt one of his teammates – that's the impression that Tokoyami got, anyway, and this was only reinforced further by his words. "Hey, Giran brought you into the fold, too! Why can't you show a little more sympathy for one of our own?!"
"Like I care," Dabi said coldly.
"You bastard!"
Tokoyami had kind of expected a response like that from Dabi. He was already the one member of the League that made it his business to work at a distance from the others. As for Tokoyami… well, Giran wasn't exactly an innocent person being put on the line here. But from what he could gather, nobody deserved a fate like his, and that's why they were here. Be that the case, nothing could've prepared Tokoyami for what was in store for them.
Toga perked her head, hand already reaching for the knife strapped to her side. "Someone's coming!" she announced, putting everyone immediately on guard. Knives and swords were being unsheathed around him, and Tokoyami felt the familiar rise in temperature that came when Dabi was about to use his flames. At the call to arms, Dark Shadow emerged at his side, more from instinct than anything else. But rather than engage, he stepped back from the others.
Sure enough, a single individual was approaching at a fast rate, almost a blur. Tokoyami wasn't able to get a good look at the person until he skid to a stop not far from their party of misfits.
"Not another step! I was ordered to guide you down into town!" he announced.
Tokoyami's eyes went wide in shock as recognition set in. "You're a hero!" he gasped.
Spinner unsheathed his sword sullenly, but kept his hand on the hilt. "It's not one I recognize, though," he mumbled quietly. "A small town hero, maybe?"
Their combined shock was dismissed. The hero – a large, muscular man in purple spandex with a small green cape fluttering out behind him – continued undeterred. "If you want a face-to-face with the Liberation Army's commander, then you'd best follow me, okay?!"
There was grumbling and frustrated groans among the League, but with very little option Shigaraki stepped over to the hero in agreement. They trailed after the so-called hero begrudgingly – Slidin' Go was apparently his hero name, for what it was worth. Tokoyami just couldn't get past what the nature of their escort entailed, though. He followed along with everyone else, but there was a feeling of betrayal hindering him that refused to go away. What business would a hero have in this group? I thought this was supposed to be another organized villain group… With a sinking feeling, he wondered if this had any tie-in with Hawks's own ambiguous place among the ranks of corruption. Is this what Dabi and Spinner meant when they brought up Stain's ideals? This is just one hero, though. This person… was probably just bought by something that sounded like a justifiable cause.
Or money! Dark Shadow chimed.
Mph. Tokoyami looked to his quirk, peering out from under the hood of his cloak like a cat to avoid the sunshine. Maybe so. A real hero would be trying to escort villains to a prison cell.
Dark Shadow pouted. I don't wanna see that, though. Don't you wish the League would just give up their plans and fall to obscurity? It'd be easier for everyone…
…Whatever happens here today, happens. If there's people here that'll return me to my old life, then so be it. I won't let my emotions get in the way.
Dark Shadow made a small sound of uncertainty and sank further into the folds of his cloak. There was still this bad feeling nestled within him that wouldn't go away. It felt so weird to be walking in broad daylight with the entire League, just waltzing through this place. As trees turned to suburbs and turned to cityscape, this sensation continued to grow until he couldn't stand it. There was somehow less people in these streets than the ones that Dabi led him through back in Osaka's outskirts – at least back there they walked with a more defined sense of awareness and caution. None of that was present here, as if the city was entirely abandoned.
Tokoyami quickened his pace, walking close to Spinner. He kept his voice low, but in the overwhelming silence of this place he was sure the others would be able to hear them regardless. "So why target Giran? What do they want with us, another teamup? Like with… the yakuza?"
Spinner blinked in surprise. He spoke back likewise with quiet whispers. "Oh, er, so nobody told you… I guess this is all kinda sudden huh?" Spinner slowed down, trailing behind the others. Tokoyami noticed the hero look back at them, expression unchanging, but they were ultimately left alone for the moment. "Sooo, about all this… these Liberation guys are trying to destroy us. You know, to reign in a new era or something like that. I guess this is what we get for getting you wrapped up in all this, huh?"
Tokoyami fought to keep down the alarm welling in his chest. "Destroy you?!" he hissed. "Isn't that a bit much?" He didn't even give a second thought to Spinner's regret, too focused was he on what was at stake in the moment.
Spinner offered him a forced smile. "You sound worried. Really, though, you shouldn't be – I don't think they have any reason to hurt you, so if something happens just try to avoid getting in the middle of conflict and keep to yourself. We can handle ourselves."
Tokoyami looked around. The streets were still empty. No signs of other people, let alone conflict. "This army… do they view me as a villain? As one of you?"
"I… don't know," Spinner admitted. At least he was honest. "They never said. They just wanted to be sure that we were all here so that nothing slipped between the cracks. But if you steer clear of anyone that looks important, then you can probably get out of a whole lot of trouble. You're stilling healing, right?"
Tokoyami instinctively pulled his arm under the protection of his cloak. "What of it?"
Spinner hesitated. "Are those scars on your arm new?"
"…Yeah."
Their hushed conversation came to a close when Dark Shadow peeked out from the folds of Tokoyami's cloak. Hey, who're they?
Tokoyami trained his attention forward, to where the League's newest enemies were patiently waiting for their demise.
Slidin' Go spoke up from the front of the little train of villains that were begrudgingly following after him. "This place isn't usually my turf, but today's a big exception!" It didn't feel like he was walking to them, though. Rather, one of the two figures waiting in the center of the road stepped up. These people… stood out in a strange way, until he recalled what kind of people they were supposedly dealing with. Perhaps that was why their opponents now were a man with slicked back hair in a pressed suit and a blue-skinned lady outfitted with a strapless dress and pink parka bordered with black feathers of all things. Are we… supposed to be fighting them?
No. Not them. For now, anyway.
The man spoke loudly and clearly, as if projecting it to a large audience. "Just as the man says! Here in Deika City, 90% of the population – heroes included – are liberation warriors, lying in wait. This is a liberated district!"
Two things occurred to Tokoyami in that moment. First of all, their definition of liberated. It was an ideal he'd heard about only as whispers – what if everyone could use their quirks freely? And to answer that question, well, he always figured the world would be a much more chaotic place. It's one of the main reasons why he wanted to be a hero, though. He wanted to know how to use his quirk properly, to train and be better for his own well-being, so that it would help the people around him rather than hurt. His second realization was that this place was much more populated than he'd initially thought. There were people slinking around just out of sight, and he'd only figured it out when the whole world had held its breath to listen to this man's speech. But he could see them now: perched on rooves, stalled in alleys, and peeking out from windows.
"Thanks for making the trip, and welcome! This is a day of celebration, and you are the guests of honor." There was a dark gleam in his eyes, partially obscured by his glasses but impossible to ignore nonetheless. It set Tokoyami on edge, and rightfully so as the air began to stir. An unapologetically cruel smile spread across his face. "Shall we start the festivities?"
The world released its breath. And with it, they were swept into a maelstrom of abilities. Pent-up quirks unleashed their blinding flashes of energy and elements. Projectiles rained down, claws and teeth were brandished, needles and roof tiles pierced the air, and the air became a haze of people, all with their own quirks being put on full display. It was suffocating. More intense than any class training session or festivity. And as far as he knew, all these people were out for blood.
Above the chaos, a single voice declaring the start of something grand: "This is the Metahuman Liberation Army's Revival Celebration!"
Tokoyami backpedaled with the rest of the League, trying to catch their bearings. But with everything happening, it was quick to see that it'd be difficult to stay together. If most of the attention was focused on the real members of the League, then that would probably work just fine for him.
Dark Shadow had emerged from his cloak and was working hard already, batting away at pelting stones and small attacks that came near. Tokoyami's sword flashed, deflecting a projectile, but several others struck his arm, sure to bruise. The initial smoke cleared enough for him to see where everyone was located.
Compress and Dabi were talking, their voices drowned out. Twice was closer to him, though, so he could hear him. "So what?!" he cried out, emboldened by anger. "We're here, so where's Giran?"
Tokoyami felt a burst of air pressure sweep over him, shoving him back. He faltered back into a roadrail and crouched low to avoid the assailants above his head. Despite the turmoil, he picked up on what little he could: The man gesturing to the tower behind him, Shigaraki booking it past the two of them, eviscerating the attacking civilians in his path and leaving behind a trail of dust, Twice hurrying after him…
Tokoyami wasn't given the time to process much more than that. Dabi and Toga were already gone, lost to the cloud of quirks he imagined. Whatever the case, they weren't near him at the moment. But just because he was tentatively separated from them, didn't mean he wasn't still a target.
A hero – it had to be one – landed in front of him. Light blue with gold accessories and a mask that concealed their face.
"Who are you people?!" Tokoyami screeched, rolling to the side to avoid a fist caked in fragmented chunks of concrete. Before this hero could pursue, Dark Shadow unfurled from his side and hissed in their face, flashing his claws and posing intimidation. It wasn't much, but it gave the so-called hero pause, enough so that Tokoyami was able to drive some distance between them.
As fate would have it, a narrow side-street was his ticket out from the ensuing chaos. His arm was still smarting from the first, small attacks on them all, and his chest was fluttering with panic. The last view he saw of the road where it had all broken out was the man in the suit surrounded by his devout followers. Caught up in this ongoing battle were Spinner and Mr. Compress, trying to disengage from the throes of people. Dabi had disappeared. Toga too. And the blue-skinned lady was nowhere to be seen, either.
"Fumikage, do you think we can hide this one out?" his quirk whimpered, flitting around the small space nervously.
Tokoyami pulled his hood up and rounded a corner away from the main fighting. But everywhere he went, he spotted more people perched on rooves, surveying the city and eagerly awaited their moment to use their quirks on the city's threat. "I'm not so sure."
Hearing footsteps coming after him, Tokoyami slid behind the meager cover of a collection of trashcans. He pressed his back against the wall of the building behind him, feeling the cool concrete offer up its protection, and made himself as small as possible. Being in these streets reminded him of his escapades in Fukuoka, only this time around there were just so many more people aware of him and trying to attack him. it made his blood run cold, to think that these weren't some mindless monsters but actual civilians and heroes that were after him now. It occurred to him in a moment of panic that this has been what he'd always feared might happen someday – a truly unfightable enemy.
Dark Shadow grew increasingly agitated at his side as the footsteps came closer. With stuttered hushing, Tokoyami stayed under the radar, practically at one with the shadows of the alley. Three or four sets of feet ran past him, completely by-passing his hiding spot.
"Come on, Ms. Curious needs us!" one of them shouted, urging the others on.
"This is gonna be her best scoop yet!"
Tokoyami watched them go, tracing their every move until they were out of sight. He wasn't sure what to make of their elation, but if it was a point of interest for this army then it was probably nothing good. Why, then, did he feel so compelled to follow after them, if only to see what damage they could cause? He had only himself to jeopardize.
"The League is fighting all these people to save one of theirs…" Dark Shadow murmured.
"At the expense of others, though," Tokoyami argued. "Maybe these people are just brainwashed. If that's the case, I don't want to see them get hurt, even though they don't see us the same way."
"So you can't hide from all this."
"…I don't know," Tokoyami admitted, even while his feet were following the path towards what would no doubt be an unpleasant encounter. "If something happens, I want to be there to see it. Dabi's already gone off somewhere, Shigaraki is on a mission, and everyone else is caught within their own troubles. I don't want to be weighed down by the League's troubles and be labeled a villain alongside them, but this situation is so unprecedented that I can't know what's going to happen next."
As if to test his expectations, the sound of an explosion resonated through the stone path, stalling him in his tracks. It came from way too close to be comfortable, and was followed by a girl's scream.
"Toga?"
There were people in the streets ahead – more than he would ever want to deal with, if each one of them were truly liable to attack him. Without knowing the situation, there was no way he could just burst onto the scene. But he could hear voices – a conversation? He wanted to get closer, if just so that he could get a better idea of what the hell was going on.
Looking around, he spotted a smaller alley that split off from this one, running parallel to the road ahead where he was vaguely aware of something happening. Slipping into the shadows provided there, he took this path until he found a back door to a business that likely had a front-row seat to what was happening on the main street. Tokoyami tested the door. Locked. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and pried the damn thing open, working the blade between the door and the frame to dislodge the weak lock holding it together.
The lights in this building were all off, but he could see sunlight streaming in from the front of the restaurant. Closing the door behind him, he snuck his way through the small kitchen and into the dining area of the abandoned establishment, coming to a halt behind the counter. Through the large glass windows, he could see what was happening.
He was right. It was Toga, standing in the middle of the road surrounded on all sides by countless quirk-users. And situated a short distance from her, like a queen amongst her loyal subjects, was the lady from before. Curious, they had called her. Toga, at first sight, looked clearly outmatched.
She's not a front fighter, Dark Shadow worried.
She's not defenseless, either, Tokoyami reminded. A lot of damage can still be done at her hands before…
Before they kill her?!
Tokoyami flinched. "What happens, happens," he hissed quietly. Everything was in view, but he was still having trouble hearing what this Curious person was saying. Against his better judgment, he crept his way forward until he come to a standstill, crouched directly under one of the large windows. He kept his breath shallow and listened intently, praying that nobody caught wind of his presence. All some one would have to do is look inside and he'd be found out. But at least now he could make out the words.
"—Have become the talk of the nation. Himiko Toga, it seems that you're not fond of interviews. As such, I must apologize. You see, I haven't given up on a scoop since my first year in the industry." This… interviewer, was probably the best word for her, had a vexing smile and prying eyes, like she so desperately wanted to work towards her goal no matter the case. Tokoyami peered his head over the rim of the window-sill, noting the way she stayed close to a large group of her henchmen. Meanwhile, the stark contrast was presented between her and Toga, who was utterly alone. Upon closer inspection, it looked like her leg was ragged, her sock scorched and damaged. The explosion from earlier…
This lady apparently didn't know when to stop talking, as if it were perfectly safe to be holding a conversation with such a dangerous criminal. "I have no interest in the League of Villains," she explained. "But you're special. Why did such a girl descend into madness…! What a wonderful article that would make! It brings me back to my days in the field—"
Tokoyami knew better than her. He had his eyes on Toga. It was a slight movement that most people would've missed, but he watched the girl unsheathe her knife in a single deft movement and fling it at the guy next to Curious. It got him right in the neck, making Tokoyami wince at the sight of him dropping to the ground. Sure, it made Curious stop talking, but it also caused a wave of revolt against Toga from everyone else lying in wait.
Toga wasn't the kind of person to mess around. Tokoyami knew this. He watched her slip amongst the ranks of people with assassin-like ease, her knife driving towards a single target.
We should get back.
We can't run from this!
Toga could escape if she wanted…!
…Do you care about that, though?
Tokoyami backed away from the window as hell broke loose in the street in front of him. He barely registered everything that happened all at once. He saw Toga's attack fail, saw her get shoved to the side by a shield quirk and get sent flying…
…Right through the window of the building Tokoyami was in.
Following after her, a brazen shout from the reporter: "Just what kind of life did you live?!"
Shattered glass was scattered everywhere, raining upon the ground and littering the tables. Toga twisted in the air, falling heavily on her feet and sliding to the back of the restaurant from the force of the blow while favoring her right leg. In the span of that second, there was a brief moment where their eyes locked with each other, quietly begging the question: what the hell are you doing here?!
There would be no backing out of this.
Tokoyami stepped toward her instinctively as she slowed to a halt, leaning against one of the tables.
"Toga!"
"Watch out!" Dark Shadow hissed.
An explosion lit up the entire building, filling the first floor with painful heat and choking smoke. Tokoyami was caught up in it, his quirk retreating immediately from the blinding flash, and it propelled him back towards the store-front. Tokoyami hit the windowsill, and shards of glass flew every which way. He buried his beak in his cloak, protecting his eyes and wheezing from the abrupt eruption.
"Wha—what happened?" He struggled to a stand, trying to avoid the glass, and swayed on his feet as the smoke cleared and the ringing in his head began to fade.
With a chill, he realized that, while Toga had been pushed to the back of the store, he was standing in full view of the battalion of liberated warriors. Turning his head, he saw that Curious had her black eyes trained directly on him.
"How exciting!" she crooned, as her loyal servants crept closer. "A double interview! What a wonderful opportunity. Please, why don't you take a seat and tell me all about yourself, UA's traitor, Fumikage Tokoyami?"