AN: I just want to give a sincere thank you to everyone who's followed me and this story so far. Heroes in the Dark means a lot to me, and I couldn't have done it without the support of my readers. This is already such a long story, but it's incredible that we're now at chapter 100. This chapter is really important to me, so truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for reading!
It's sometimes said that even the strangest routine will become the norm if the cycle is repeated often enough. By who, Tokoyami wasn't sure, but that's certainly what it felt like.
Tokoyami stretched his arms over his head while Dark Shadow flitted about the training hall, receiving praise from various soldiers. They'd just finished up another bout of training. Lately they'd been branching out more from the routine sparring he'd engage in with the League, instead coming around to contest his abilities against more of his peers. The training hall – the ornate ballroom where people could freely unleash their quirks – still bore the scars of Tokoyami's first time here, when he'd faced off against Geten. He could tell that the PLF soldiers hadn't forgotten such a formidable show of strength every time they gave him that nervous look, glancing back and forth between his small frame and the deeply etched gouges in the wall. At the same time, he'd received an incredible amount of respect from the people here, and in every instance where he stopped by this place, people would line up to test their strength against him.
It was mainly warriors and advisors to the Black and Violet regiments that came here to test their meta abilities, so Tokoyami had grown accustomed to seeing the same faces and learning what they're all about.
"Dark Shadow, that's enough for now," Tokoyami called, reigning his sociable quirk in.
Dark Shadow hovered his way back over to his side with smiling eyes. "Hey, hey! Kakusu said she's working on a new strategy! She wants to show us sometime soon before she tries pitching it to the other lieutenants."
"Hm. Is that so?" Tokoyami mused, watching the high-collared advisor out of the corner of his eye. He turned, giving her a nod of acknowledgment, before heading out of the room. "I'm fine with that – we can meet in the cafeteria during lunch and set a time for later," Tokoyami decided with business-like conduct. Dark Shadow strayed from his side to deliver the message before returning again. It was hard enough as it stood to get out of the training hall on some days, with how many followers turned to him in his position of pseudo leadership.
As if to prove that point, Tokoyami was stopped again right as he was reaching for the handle to the exit. The shadow of a large man was cast over him, and he looked up to see the stern-faced advisor from Twice's regiment glowering down upon him. Tokoyami could never help fixating on the large scar scribbled across the man's forehead – he knew better than to inquire about it, even if he did little to hide it.
I never like giving people more reasons to stare, Dark Shadow mumbled, bringing to mind all the scars that Tokoyami had to hide by now.
Tokoyami didn't give any attention to the thought. "How may I be of service, Voltage?"
Voltage opened the door for him. "I'm merely commending your work here today," he said passively. "It's good to have reliable warriors leading the cause. Perhaps one day I could show you the true strength of my meta ability."
Tokoyami smiled thinly. "You like power, and that's fine. I don't think our meta abilities would match well together, though," he said, remembering Dark Shadow's limited experience with electric-type quirks. "You'd be better off fighting someone more on even footing, rather than trying to make an example of a strong opponent who has an open disadvantage."
Voltage looked disappointed, but not surprised. He looked like he might've persisted, with the air crackling around him, had their conversation continued.
Dark Shadow noticed it first. Something's coming! he hissed.
Tokoyami swiveled his head, locking on to an unseen presence. Then he felt it: the ground rumbling beneath his feet, as if in response to a cataclysmic command against the PLF mansion. He steadied his feet and gripped the doorframe as sirens screamed to life inside the facility. All the warriors inside the room stopped, raising their heads in shock at the sudden eruption of sound. Two seconds felt like a lifetime as the Liberation warriors processed what was happening.
"We're under attack!"
"How'd they find us?!"
An announcement aired over the intercom: "Heroes have infiltrated. Violet and Black Regiments to the front. I repeat, Heroes have infiltrated!"
Tokoyami locked eyes with Voltage, bewildered. The stoic man furrowed his scarred brow and turned back to the confused soldiers in the room. "Warriors, to me! Today we fight for our cause!" he yelled, holding up an electrified hand. The people roared in response and charged towards the exit, meta abilities at the ready.
Tokoyami slipped out the door with a gasp and lunged out of the way of the onslaught of people taking up battle cries.
This can't be real – is it a drill? A sick joke, maybe?
Where are the heroes? We have to find them, Fumikage!
Tokoyami couldn't say for sure where he was headed, running against the grain as members of the PLF awakened from every corner of the building to heed the call to action. Fellow soldiers turned to him wherever he went, asking where he was going and begging him to lead them, meet them on the frontlines, help them!
The mansion groaned – a guttural sound that resonated deep within him. The floor shifted under his feet, tripping him up, and cement from the building's foundation oozed between cracks in the wall. This is the work of Cementoss! So then it's true!
Tokoyami slumped against the wall, feeling a hideous tremble take hold of his body. What should I do? I can't… I can't go to the frontlines! If I find myself in the midst of this fight, everyone will call my name. Heroes, Villains, Allies whoever they are… they'll all call me a traitor! I can't fight them! So then…
A hand steadied him from behind, lifting him onto more stable ground. Tokoyami might've thanked the person if not for the yell that immediately met him.
"Wrong way!" Geten barked, turning him in the other direction. Tokoyami had seen him get angry before, but this was something else: a dangerous mix of wrath and full-fledged panic. This was more serious than any other threat they could ever deal with. "The heroes are attacking from the front, we need to—!"
Tokoyami ripped himself from Geten's desperate hold of him. For a split second, anger turned to hurt in his icy eyes.
"Which heroes?!" Tokoyami demanded, his tone sharp.
Geten stepped back and glowered. "Reports are still coming in," he begrudgingly reported. "But there's top heroes out there: Edge Shot, Kamui Woods, Gang Orca…"
But no Hawks?
If he was out there, he'd be at the top of the list.
Which means he's still in the building.
Geten wasn't finished just yet, though. "And those—those detestable heroes, they even have children waging their wars now!"
Tokoyami narrowed his eyes to slits, judging the Liberation warrior all the while. "How truly wretched of them," he sneered, unable and unwilling to hold back the sarcasm. He wouldn't be surprised if Geten failed to see the irony in that statement. If it's students, then… then I can only imagine that U.A. is here! They're the most competent ones for such an ugly job. But dammit all, that doesn't make this any easier.
We can't watch them get hurt.
We can't afford to have anyone get hurt!
Fumikage… Dark Shadow planted a seed of worry in the pit of his stomach. It was a warning, more than anything, that there was no guarantee that he could uphold the safety of everyone involved. Let alone anyone.
But he couldn't just run. Not from this.
Tokoyami gripped Geten's shoulders, feeling a wretched sensation overtake him. "What about the League? Where's Dabi? Or Toga? Twice?"
"Haven't seen 'em!" Geten snarled, twisting away. His hood fell off his head, showing the extent of his frantic face. "What does it matter?! You fight for Liberation – you're a lieutenant, for fuck's sake!"
"I have to find them," Tokoyami whispered as the shrill whine of sirens filled his head. The ground shook again with the weight of collapsing walls, and he stumbled away from the upset ice-user.
"What'd you say?" Geten asked, leaning closer.
"I have to find the League! You can throw yourself at the heroes all you like, but they already know everything. Do what you want – I was never a leader for your cause!" Tokoyami declared. And he ran for it – away from him, away from the responsibility that had been misplaced upon him. Geten howled with rage behind him, screeching obscenities and calling him a traitor. None of it mattered anymore. Soon enough, Geten would have to join the fight. Then he'd be apprehended. And arrested. And that would be the end of it.
Tokoyami rounded a corner, out of sight of any soldiers, and slipped off one of his boots. The security anklet was still there after all these months, blinking its little red light and wrapped coldly around his limb. He could still remember the day Trumpet presented it to him, along with the rest of the gear. Oh, how he'd waited so long to be rid of the damnable thing.
With acute precision, he unsheathed his steel claws and slipped one underneath the anklet. Channeling some of Dark Shadow's strength, he wrapped the claw in shadow and broke it off. It let out a shrill buzz, up until it stepped on it over and over and over. Tokoyami rubbed at the mark left behind, a bruised band that wrapped around his leg. Then he put his boot back on and kicked the device away.
Tokoyami took a deep breath, taking a moment to ground himself. He listened to the sounds of battle erupting in the near distance. He couldn't imagine any of the League members stepping onto the frontlines. The PLF soldiers would be staving off the heroes' attacks, trying to keep them from getting too far inside. Knowing them, they'd fight for their cause until the bitter end. Or, better yet, until reinforcements showed up.
Reinforcements…
Tokoyami's body went rigid, as if he'd just been plunged into cold water. Hey. We haven't seen a single Twice clone.
Hawks would've told the heroes everything. How else would they have launched this attack? Dark Shadow asked, his internal voice trembling. So then wouldn't that mean…?
As if responding to their shared thoughts, something stirred at the bottom of Tokoyami's pocket. With a shaking hand, he reached inside and grabbed hold of the violently moving thing. He opened his palm, observing the bright red feather that he'd faithfully – stupidly – kept on him for so long. In all his time holding onto the feather, never had it moved so much.
"Hawks, please," Tokoyami begged. "If you could never tell me what was going on, then could you give me a sign now? If the world was set to burn down, would you bother to warn me at all?"
Was he ever truly listening? Or was the feather responding to a new, more urgent command from its user. Whatever the case was, the feather took off from his hand, leaving him behind. Tokoyami watched it go for a single moment of uncertainty. And then he was running – no, sprinting – after it.
I'll find you, Hawks! Damned if I won't! And when I do, you better… you better be honest with me! If you mean to bring down the PLF for the sake of society, then that's to be expected. But… "Don't you dare hurt my friends!" Tokoyami roared.
The feather was fast. He kept pace with it all the same, until his pounding footsteps escalated to flying. Dark Shadow swept him off his feet, bringing him up the mansion's many flights of stairs. The further they went, the more he saw of the damage sustained to the mansion: the entire midsection had been split in half, exposing the many hallways to the open air. Railings crumbled, walls moved, and Tokoyami was beginning to see more of the fight getting pushed deeper into the PLF headquarters. Nearby, he could hear the distinct crack of thunder as a grand bolt of lightning split the sky above them. Had he time to stop and process, he might've seen some familiar faces. But he didn't want that. Because if he did see them – the heroes – then he couldn't be certain that his willpower could continue to move him forward. And he needed to keep going. Just a little bit. The heroes have waited all this time to get him back. They could wait a little longer.
Even if it made him a criminal, he needed to ensure that the League got out.
Of all the thoughts that could possibly be brought to the front of his mind, it was the one he clung to the most in this exact moment that he heard echo from the floor directly above them.
"I'd trade my soul… for the League's happiness!"
Twice!
Tokoyami watched that fleeting little feather pierce skywards in that final stretch, sharpened into a reputable knife. His breath caught in his throat. No, no, no!
Crashing could be heard inside the room that the feather had disappeared into. Tokoyami flew up the last flight of stairs and made his apprehensive approach, fearful of what he might find. He recognized the room immediately: the classroom where Hawks had provided lessons for Twice and, to a lesser extent, him. He could only imagine that this was intentional. Was it all just a ploy to isolate him from the others when the time came?
Tokoyami closed his fingers against the doorframe. The sounds of fighting inside were unmistakable.
Maybe I can break it up. I'll plead to Hawks. I'll – I'll grab Twice and fly away, and then have him promise not to get involved with the villains ever again. And I'll convince Dabi to let go of his vengeance, and I can still play games with Spinner and drink tea with Mr. Compress. And Toga can use her quirk as much as she likes—!
Through his hazy hopes, a cold, calculating voice sliced through it all.
"After coming this far… I could never allow mere sentiment to trip me up."
Hawks. Tokoyami finally rounded the corner and looked inside the desecrated room to witness the grisly scene unfolding before him. The feather he'd let free had joined the fray of all of Hawks' other feathers as they flew through the air, piercing through every clone Twice could feasibly make. It was a mess of red feathers and gray ooze splattered every which way. And Hawks stood calmly in the middle of it all, blocking the doorway while he orchestrated his feathers to perform their deadly performance.
"There's still a way forward if you come quietly now," Hawks said evenly, with not a spark of emotion. Another Twice clone hit the floor before him. Then another and another, falling apart as fast as they could be made. And the real Twice… was pressed into the back of the room. Even from a distance, Tokoyami could see the ripped mask and the lacerations covering his body. He could hear the pain and anguish in his voice.
"They're my only friends in the world, and you ain't welcome to join the club!"
Twice was crying. He was crying as he made new clones, different ones. Tokoyami forced his legs to move him forward, with no doubt that Hawks was already keenly aware of his presence. When he peered around Hawks, he could see Twice more clearly, along with the new clones: everyone from the League, formed from gray globs to protect him and be with him in this moment of desperation. A goopy Shigaraki materialized at the front, and then an annoyed Dabi, and then Toga and Spinner and Mr. Compress. They were all here with him, even if they couldn't actually be here. There was no clone of Tokoyami. He'd always been very stern about his boundaries, and Twice had respected his wishes to never get his measurements, much to Shigaraki's chagrin. He'd always tried so hard to be considerate—
Large red feathers eviscerated these clones, too. Tokoyami felt his heart drop as the League was cut apart. A primary tore right through the Toga clone's head, and several more cut into Dabi's chest, Spinner's face, and so forth until, yet again, Twice was left cowering alone, his arms raised to protect his head from a similar fate.
"Hawks, what are you doing?!" Tokoyami finally choked out, his voice laden with horror.
Hawks barely had to turn to address him, his raptorial eyes fully dilated and focused on the target in front of him. Twice, meanwhile, gave Tokoyami his full attention, as if he were his only hope.
"Tokoyami, kid, ya actually came for me…!" Twice sobbed, the beginnings of a smile breaking out across his bloodied and tear-stained face.
"Good. Now help me arrest this villain," Hawks ordered, as if that were the most obvious task in the world.
Tokoyami couldn't budge, caught as he was between two odds. There was nothing he wanted to fight here, nor any way he could possibly run away after seeing what this room contained. So he stood, frozen, until clarity came to him. And it pained him to have his friend call out for him while his old mentor spoke his hero name and looked at him expectantly, as if this was the plan all along and he should've known this was the outcome.
"Kid…?" Twice rasped, his voice trembling.
Tokoyami still hadn't moved one way or another. But just because he stood still doesn't mean the action had lulled. Every moment he wasted, another clone was made and more feathers were cast in a continuous cycle of preservation versus subjugation.
"H-Hawks, can't you let me handle this? Please, don't do this! I… I don't want to arrest Twice!" As he spoke, desperately grabbing hold of any control he could possibly have, the shadows of the room began to converge around him. Yellow eyes flashed in that familiar way, and black claws emerged at either side of him. Dark Shadow emerged, hovering over him and swatting aside any pesky feathers that came close. But Tokoyami already knew that none of the red daggers were truly trained on him. Not yet, anyway.
Hawks, seeing this development, quickly jumped back a step. Despite the newly created distance, he still spoke in that achingly emotionless tone. "It's our job as heroes to prioritize speed when taking down villains, Tsukuyomi. Those that refuse to give up should be feared the most. If you still consider yourself a hero, then you'd understand this. You've helped me this entire time. Never once did you sow suspicion regarding my true intent. Has something changed?"
"Don't talk to him like that!" Twice roared, charging forward on unsteady legs while unfurling his sharp-edged measuring tape.
Tokoyami whipped around to face him, making the foolish mistake of taking his eyes off of Hawks. He just wasn't fast enough, though. There wasn't nearly enough time to explain to him that he didn't want Twice to protect him. Not here. Never against Hawks. It would never work out.
But why was that?
Hawks rushed past him, a red blur. Tokoyami only really felt the buffet of air and the clip of a wing hitting his shoulder in the cramped space. But his eyes adjusted to the split-second action, and he pinpointed the moment that Hawks raised a long primary feather against the agitated Twice.
"Stop!" Tokoyami cried, going after Hawks. The hero struck true, albeit shallow, and a splattering of blood erupted from Twice's chest. Crimson droplets flew from the cruel blade, painting the floor and upturned desks that scattered the room. The largest attack afflicted upon Twice yet.
Tokoyami's vision went white, and with a furious scream he lunged at Hawks. Tokoyami hated to think that his moves would be sloppy during such a crucial exchange, but he wasn't like Hawks. He was like Twice, letting his emotions get in the way. And how could he not? If being a hero meant casting aside his feelings, then why would he ever want that!
He could feel Hawks' sharp feathers under his hand as he gripped onto a wing and tugged him back, hoping to tear him away from Twice. But of course he should've known that the feathers would just fall away and reconverge, invalidating his attempt to make a difference. The feathers shoved him back, sharpened points shredding his cloak and dragging him towards the wall. The memory of Hawks' feather pinning him in an alleyway during the fight against Hood came to mind, and Tokoyami struggled against the feathers like his life depended on it.
"If you won't help me, then stay out of it!" Hawks snapped, annoyance creeping into his voice.
I'm just a pest to you, is that it? "Why should I, when you never did a damn thing for me! You bastard! You absolute scumbag!" Tokoyami ranted. Dark Shadow fought off the assailing feathers with an agitated hiss.
We shouldn't even have to fight! We didn't do anything wrong, so how'd we get here?
But… but we can fix this, right, Fumikage? If we just talk them both down, we can work something out! And then nobody has to get hurt!
"Hawks—!" Dark Shadow called out, voice heavy.
Hawks shot the quirk a wild look, as if he couldn't stand to have his name called out to by yet another desperate entity. And when he answered, it was with another feather that was sent out, slicing right through Dark Shadow and scattering the shadows.
Outraged, Tokoyami plucked the feather out of the air with bare hands and snapped it in half. The sharpened vane dug into his palms before reverting into soft plumage. His hands were sticky with blood and his quirk was momentarily stunned – less from the actual attack and more by the emotional strain of Hawks' choice.
And still, despite all that, Tokoyami didn't unsheathe his metal claws in this fight. Because he didn't want to be like Hawks in all this and choose such a damning weapon. He wasn't here to enact harm onto others or fight with bitterness in his heart. He wasn't here for something so trifling as a valiant cause, either, or with someone else's orders hanging over his head. He was here to…
I'm here to…
Tokoyami's vision cleared. How far back had he been pushed? It all felt so far away now. But there was Hawks, poised over a hapless Twice with a large feather trained towards his head.
If you're trying to restrain him, then why would you aim for the head?! Tokoyami wanted to scream.
As he ran forward once more, hands reaching to take hold of Hawks – not his feathers, not his coat, I need to grab Hawks if only for a moment – he heard Twice's sullen words spoken aloud like a eulogy.
"People like you… ain't heroes," Twice said miserably, as the feather hovered between his eyes. "Never are. Never were. You throw us to the wolves. All of us down-trodden folks! Me… and Tokoyami, and everyone else that doesn't fit your image of someone in need! You and Tokoyami talk with such familiarity. You knew each other before all this, right? The kid's been through so much, and I know he won't turn into a hero like you. Because he'll save even those who've been rejected by your perfect society! He knows our struggles, more than you ever will!" Tokoyami felt his heart ache at the words. Why did the most validating words have to come to him at a time like this? "You don't know or care, but… little Toga, she… she wrapped me up in her hankie, all gentle-like. But, well… betcha didn't know this either… This is the second time! The second time I managed to screw everyone over."
No, it's not! This is my fault, I led Hawks to you all! I don't care that you brought Overhaul to us that night, but don't you dare take the blame for trusting someone! Tokoyami's thoughts rang as he came up behind Hawks, fighting off his feathers and raising his hand once more to take hold of the winged hero.
"Even when I mess up, I still gotta protect their happiness!" Twice cried.
Hawks, unflinching, brought the sword down. "I'll be sure to—"
Tokoyami burst forward from the cloud of knives and hurled himself into Hawks full force. "I won't let you!" he shrieked. They tumbled across the ground, a writhing mess of shadows and feathers. With how much of his wings were dispersed through the air, the hero felt like a much smaller target than he'd previously imagined. He grappled through frantic movements and reluctant attacks. Tokoyami felt a gloved hand clamp down on his beak, and he looked up with eyes wide.
Hawks' façade broke. Expression wild and feathers thoroughly ruffled every which way, he yelled in Tokoyami's face. "Stop intervening – you'll doom us all! If Twice escapes, the heroes will—"
What was he about to say? As Twice struggled to a stand and the temperature began to rise all at once, what could've been said in that moment to have swayed him? The heroes would lose face? Lose the battle? They'd die? He couldn't have predicted which option meant the most to Hawks, because after all this time he didn't even know what this hero stood for. And he wouldn't get that chance, either.
The wall around the doorway exploded with the intensity of the blast that invaded every corner of the room. Unrestrained blue flames scoured the hardwood floors and burned through the cramped space, suffocating and deadly all at once.
Tokoyami felt the flames roll over his flame-resistant cloak and lash across any exposed skin only briefly. Right when he thought that the heat was too much and that he'd be consumed by it all, that same hand that'd been clamping his beak moved to hook him around his midriff and pull him aside. The ground was swept out from under him and protective wings blocked the onslaught from reaching him any further. It was messy and unforgiving, and the sharp smell of burnt feathers that he knew too well assailed his nostrils. He was vaguely aware of Hawks picking up another burden before he was unceremoniously dumped onto the sidelines, just out of reach of the blazing inferno.
Tokoyami rolled across the ground with the momentum, carrying him into the debris of a destroyed whiteboard with yesterday's lesson still written on it. He was vaguely aware of Twice and Hawks, still locked together while he'd been cast aside.
Dark Shadow spluttered to life despite the blazing light, rousing Tokoyami to his feet as fast as possible. Tokoyami pulled himself up by an upturned table, only for it to break on him. Dark Shadow's claws help him before his disoriented body could slump back to the ground.
It's okay. It's okay. It's…
"Why shouldn't we intervene?" a gravelly voice challenged, marching through the flames of his own design.
Tokoyami's head cleared enough just in time to watch Dabi come up on the huddled bodies of Hawks and Twice. That hero, tenacious as he would, hadn't released hold of his target throughout the entire ordeal. If anything, Tokoyami wondered if that ever-so-brief exchange he had with Hawks had only reinforced his drive to carry out this mission.
Such thoughts were disrupted by the heavy thump of Dabi's boot being brought down on Hawks' head. The hero's visor shattered into gold-tinted shards across his face, and Dabi dug his heel in further. "Didn't notice me there, didja?!" Dabi crowed. Tokoyami watched on as flames began to emurge from the bottom of his foot. H-hang on… "Looks like sentiment tripped you up after all, hero!"
"D-Dabi, your fire…" Tokoyami wheezed, staggering towards him.
Dabi looked up sharply, as though surprised to see him standing up. And really, he couldn't blame him. it would've been so, sooo much easier if he'd curled up away from the reach of the fire and let Dabi deal with this mess. And yet, while watching the flames overtake the room, he realized he couldn't let that happen either.
Stop the fires – you're hurting them!
If he could speak up, he would've, but the flames sapped the very breath from his lungs. Smoke filled the room, and in the midst of such a crucial encounter, there wasn't nearly enough time in the world to talk. That moment had long since passed, as he was quickly discovering.
The room got even hotter as Dabi readied another flame-enhanced stomp, but in that second where Tokoyami had called out to him, Hawks broke free from under him.
Dabi stumbled back as Hawks flew out from his grasp with Twice in tow, guided by a flaming primary feather. Dabi's quirk exploded beneath him, crawling every which way as he missed his easy target. He cursed, face scrunching up in frustration as Hawks dragged Twice to the other side of the room.
The blue inferno ebbed enough for Tokoyami to navigate the space around him, and he stood to attention when his name was called. "Tokoyami! You should hang back. I wouldn't want you to get caught up in something so unsightly. Don't worry – he's almost out of weapons anyway."
Tokoyami hobbled over to the cleared space behind Dabi.
Caught up… caught up in this, you mean?! He thought to himself, feeling the feather-made cuts and first-degree burns that had emerged across his body smarting with every step.
Hey. H-hey! What's gonna happen now that Dabi's here? I think everything's just gonna be worse now! There's… there's no way we're getting out of this unscathed. Everyone's hurting! Dark Shadow groaned. He stuck his head out part-way from under Tokoyami's cloak and took note of everything happening.
"I know," Tokoyami choked, dragging himself into the broken doorway. He coughed, and a spasm rippled through his body. For all the times he's fought Dabi in training and went up against his quirk, he's never had it be so concentrated. Fueled by rage and condensed by the size of the room, it felt impossible to move freely. He looked back at the lost souls still condemned to the back of the room that had been their only escape.
Hawks remained poised over his makeshift prisoner. His wings were smaller than before, with him desperately calling back as many surviving feathers as possible, and the left side of his face was scarred and burned from Dabi's initial attack. Beneath him, Twice was curled up on the ground with what Tokoyami imagined was similar disorientation.
Hawks directed an accusation at the pyromaniac "You nearly burned up your friend along with…" His eyes flitted to Tokoyami, now that he'd situated himself in Dabi's shadow. What, Hawks? What do you see me as? What do you think Dabi sees me as? Do you think I'm too far gone already?
But he saved you. From… from the fire. That means he actually does care, right?
As if to give clarity to his doubts, Dabi raised an arm and stepped defensively in front of Tokoyami, barring him from Hawks' site. "You can't fool me with that dribble. Cuz I know heroes… are always ready to save a life."
"Such a cynic," Hawks said, hovering over Twice. "And the force of that attack… it was almost like you knew about me already. Did Tsukuyomi rat me out after all?"
In the heat of the blistering room, Tokoyami's blood went cold. When Dabi stiffened before him and slowly turned around with betrayal-stricken eyes, it felt as though Tokoyami had personally planted the knife between his shoulder blades.
"You. You knew," Dabi seethed, smoke escaping from his mouth.
Tokoyami backpedaled until he was flush with the doorframe. "No, Dabi, it's not what it sounds like…!"
"You knew all along and you didn't tell me!"
Movement from the other side of the room redirected their direction to the far side of the room.
"Don't let the hero fool you!" Twice yelled, scrambling out of Hawks' reach in the middle of their three-way stare-off.
With an unsatisfied tsk, Dabi hurled a wall of fire directly at the place where Hawks was still crouched in shock. Tokoyami jerked forward out of instinctive concern, watching Twice roll away with flames trailing after him. This was no place to be using such unrestrained attacks, yet here he was. Here they all were, caught in a storm of fire and feathers, clones and shadows.
"I said, don't move!" Hawks ordered, right as the flames consumed him.
Tokoyami suspended his disbelief as Dabi's face broke out into a victorious grin. While it gave Twice an opening to escape, Tokoyami watched the glass window behind Hawks shatter, emptying the pillar of fire into the outside sky. With it, a shadow of a man that moved as though hell itself dogged his heels. There wasn't much time until the hero inevitably circled back.
"This way, Twice, hurry!" Tokoyami encouraged from the sidelines, worried for his friend but unwilling to step any further into the crumbling room. Fire was already eating its way through all the debris, along every curtain, and towards the people still present within the ashen walls of the room.
"It's so hot! So cold!" Twice shouted, patting the flames from his back and staggering the rest of the way towards them. And despite the hell he'd found himself in before, he looked so, so grateful to be racing towards them, without that hero to hold him down.
And… and Tokoyami! He was grateful to see Twice coming towards them. Up until Dabi opened his mouth again to speak an inevitable truth that shook him to the core.
"You're all we need to make quick work of the heroes down there," Dabi insisted, waving aside his flames to open up the way for Twice. "So go nuts! The others are waiting for you!"
Wait. That's… that's not what I wanted at all!
Twice skid on the blood seeping from the open wound on his chest, but kept going forward, his unmasked face set in determination. "Yeah… I'll do it!" Twice scrambled past Dabi, raising his hand to high-five Dabi's own outstretched one. The moment that signal sparked between them, clones began to emerge off of Twice, as though he'd been given permission to unleash everything he had against the unsuspecting heroes. That was what Hawks had been fighting so hard to prevent. If Twice left this room, the only thing that awaited the heroes was an outright slaughter. He'd seen what Sad Man's Parade was capable of against the old Meta Liberation Army. It'd overturned an entire organization. It'd outnumbered an army of thousands within a short span of time.
As he processed these thoughts, Twice was running past him, too. He flinched when Twice clasped his arm in what might've been an action of reassurance, a weak smile scribbled across his battered face. "I don't care what Hawks says. I'm glad you're with us!"
The villain made to keep moving past him, done slowing down as more clones spawned from his fingertips. He could feel the way Dabi's eyes seared into him, waiting to see what action he'd make, and he couldn't bring himself to care.
Tokoyami dug his fingers into Twice's arm before he'd finished running past him. His words came fast, and he damn well hoped that Dabi wasn't close enough to hear his strained whispers. "Twice, no, please, I c-can't let you do that. Just run from here – I'll cover you! We won't have to fight anymore—!"
Twice's smile faded, his eyes widening in surprise. Why did it feel like every little thing he said was a betrayal? Why was nothing he did good enough to help the people that the heroes had long since discarded?! Please… please just listen to me! I've heard your stories and felt your pain. So just this once, hold onto me and let me do something right by you!
Twice wrenched his arm free of Tokoyami with a vicious tug, making him stumble on the ash-dusted floor. "Kid, I'm sorry for everything, really. But you gotta stay outta my way!"
A shadow fell over them, a blazing silhouette that had descended from above to enact solemn judgment upon them all. Twice had made his declaration, moving past Tokoyami with the knowledge that he couldn't fulfill his futile wish in a world that had never served the League any favors. And in response, a sharpened feather came down upon the fleeing man yet again.
Tokoyami rushed forward, throwing himself at Twice with every ounce of his body. He couldn't even say for sure if the action was made to protect Twice from the deadly weapon or if he was just so truly desperate to keep him from unleashing his quirk onto the world. And maybe that wouldn't have been nearly enough when dealing with a top hero, someone he knows strikes fast and true in the face of adversity.
But Dabi was fast, too. In that particularly earnest way of his, where words were damnations and knowledge was exploitative. When his physical reaction to deliver his flames wasn't enough, his voice rang out with five syllables that struck the assailing hero like a psychological attack.
"Keigo Takami!...!"
And just like that, the newly renamed hero was caught in his line of fire. Dabi caught him in another whirl of flame, that daring second of hesitation costing him dearly.
Twice hit the floor.
Tokoyami hit the floor.
Dark Shadow whimpered from underneath his cloak, stretching out his claw to try and keep his hold on Twice.
His flames were never this hot!
The clones Twice had been making were incinerated on the spot, leaving behind shadows on the ground where they once stood. Tokoyami could feel the fires burning through his feathers, and he crawled across the ground, in that achingly small space between flames and flooring.
If I can just… make it to the railing! We can fly out of here. Dabi's fires won't reach us, and Hawks wings won't catch us. We don't need to be tortured like this. We don't need to betray anyone!
Twice reached the railing first. He could see the injured man hunched over it, stabilizing himself on weary legs while his hands gripped the metal rail for dear life. He was sending out another clone, only this one was holding an achingly familiar pink handkerchief.
Tokoyami pushed himself up again. He'd do it as many times as it took if it meant making a difference. If he could change things for the better, then why shouldn't he try? With all his heart, he was a hero. Not in name or title or anything so insignificant. But in the way that – not once, not a single time – could he sit back and watch the worse happen.
I'm not like any of you at all. Even after all this time, you all must've known. I can't watch the world burn the same way you do, and I can't even hate that I get hurt again and again. I'm sorry, Dark Shadow. I promised you I'd care more about what happened to us.
I knew you were lying, Fumikage, Dark Shadow comforted, uncoiling himself from under the fireproof cloak and facing the heat. So what do you want me to do?
Please, no matter what happens… don't hurt anyone here.
…
Twice's clone went over the side, falling… falling… And Twice himself turned around to face Tokoyami. He was here for him after all. But maybe that was too optimistic.
No.
No, Twice was looking past him.
Tokoyami twisted to follow his line of sight, feeling the buffet of wind against his back. And he locked eyes with Wing Hero Hawks, who kept coming back no matter how many times the heat was turned against him. With him came his last primary feather, wreathed in flame and burning in his hands as he drove it directly towards Twice.
Cursing his fate, Tokoyami held his hands in front of him in the feeble hopes of stopping the hero's onslaught. Desperation cracking his voice, Tokoyami cried out. "You don't have to—!"
The sharpened blade didn't stop. It didn't even fucking slow down. Tokoyami watched – he felt – the blade gouge into his left shoulder, cutting through skin and muscle. The individual barbs of the feather ran through him like it was nothing, up until Hawks' clenched hand stopped against his mutilated skin. It was the second greatest pain he could possibly imagine.
When the blade failed to stop at him, Tokoyami had no choice but to hear the sickening shhhunk! of the weapon impaling the person behind him. He heard the pained gurgle of a drowning man and felt the warm gush of too much blood splatter against his back.
Tokoyami felt trembling fingers brush against his hand in a weak attempt to connect, as if to apologize for not taking hold before. He closed his fingers around it, but his hand came away only holding a dirty handkerchief. And he didn't want to look. He didn't want to confirm with his own eyes what he already felt to be true. Not when he was already hurting so much. Not when that hero was slumped against him, shaking hands gripping the hilt of the weapon piercing through them.
But he did look. There was no other choice in the matter.
Tokoyami placed his hand over Hawks' and slowly moved out from under the feather that had ripped through him. There was no resistance. It was the lightest he'd ever felt this man's hand be. He ducked his shoulder out from under the razor-sharp blade, feeling his new wound snag on the feather's frayed edge before tearing it completely free. With sickening dread, Tokoyami turned around.
Twice faced him. Blood oozed from his mouth, twisted open in a cry that never came. His eyes were glassy. There was nothing left in them.
Tokoyami watched as Twice's body slipped off of the blade, slowly at first. Then the crimson tip came free of his chest, flicking dark droplets into the air before he crumpled onto the ground beneath him.
A scream rang through the air. Tokoyami had no idea where it came from – if it was him, or Dark Shadow, or someone else – but he felt the despair ignited within him. An unspeakable feeling of guilt and mourning as sharp as the very blade that had pierced him. He couldn't stop shaking. How pitiful was that? That he couldn't even move. That no tears came. That all his struggles had been for nothing.
Nothing.
"How could you?!"
Flames seared Tokoyami's neck. He should've felt it more, but they weren't meant for him.
Behind him, he was vaguely aware of the panicked breaths of someone growing more distant, followed by a heavy-footed stomp.
"How dare you… kill Twice like that!"
That was it, wasn't it? Twice had just been killed right in front of him. And he'd been powerless to stop it.
Dark Shadow loomed over the body next to him. Tears flowed freely, the quirk watching with stuttered whimpers and heartache.
The blood won't stop. But we're used to that. We thought we might lose Toga, but… but we didn't! Hey. Hey Fumikage, how do we stop the bleeding? I want it to stop.
Please. I'm trying so hard.
Why can't it stop?
It couldn't. Not until this was over. Because there were still people in this room fighting. And he was still standing.
Stomp.
A choked voice gasped for air, just enough to hurl his words. "Is that the face of a man who just watched a friend die?!"
Tokoyami found it within himself to avert his gaze from the still-warm corpse spread out beneath him, even if his fixated quirk couldn't do the same.
Dabi had taken his rightful place over Hawks' vulnerable body, foot planted on barren back as the last shreds of wings were singed to nothing. Should he have been surprised? Or felt anything at all? It was haunting, the way that Dabi's face was upturned into an impossibly wide smile, the staples around his mouth coming loose while smoke snaked upwards.
"Hey, now! That was rude!" he laughed – sobbed? "I haven't cried since my tear ducts got all burned! With Twice around, my dream had a way better chance of coming true, so of course I'm sad!" Flames erupted beneath him, fueled by insatiable sorrow and euphoria. "So, sooo sad!"
Hawks squirmed beneath him as the boot came down with every word, grinding embers into his ribs and blackening his skin with the intensity of the heat. Even still, the wingless hero raised his worsening voice, desperate for answers. "You and the League… I looked into your backgrounds! But I came up with nothing… on you and Shigaraki! Only you two! Who…" With whatever feeble strength he still had, Hawks pushed himself mere inches off the floor and yelled, "Who are you?!"
Tokoyami shambled forward, each step bringing him closer to them. He stepped on little blue flames, feeling the floorboards of the unsteady walkway groan underneath. Behind him, Dark Shadow remained situated next to Twice, his claws gently shaking their friend's shoulder.
Hey, Fumikage, where are you going? Can't you see Twice needs help? I'm not angry. I just wanna know why…
"…Dabi?" Tokoyami formed his name in his mouth like he was saying it for the first time, hoping that it might get his attention.
The heavily burned man pushed Hawks flat to the ground with another blast of localized fire, earning a satisfying cry from his captive bird. "You really wanna know? I'm Endeavor's son!"
Tokoyami watched Hawks' eyes flash with horror. The way his body went limp following the revelation… it was like he just gave up. After everything he'd done, that's all the info needed to truly destroy him.
As for Tokoyami? He was unchanged. The biggest surprise lay in that Dabi had actually said it – the truth that'd only ever been thrown at him in bits and pieces. It all made sense in the end, didn't it? Every little thing that he'd told him over the months they've known him. The way he fought, the way he acted… even that which he genuinely tried to hide – it'd all been laid bare to Tokoyami.
Dabi was the son of Endeavor, the hero he wanted so desperately to destroy. This was the brother of Shoto Todoroki. He'd seen it, time and again, since the very first day that the League had taken him. If he'd been told this sooner, would it have made a difference in how he saw Dabi? Or was it enough just to understand this villain – to train under and empathize with him.
Dark Shadow. I can't stop, not even here.
Dark Shadow failed to respond.
He decided that was okay. It was for the best that the quirk wasn't set off. He'd promised not to hurt anyone, after all.
Tokoyami came to stand in front of the suffering villain and defeated hero, swaying on his feet as though caught in a fever dream. "Dabi. You have to stop."
He didn't budge. His unhinged expression tightened into a scowl, the burns covering his face scrunching together painfully. "What was that? Did you realize your mistake after all this time?"
It was so hard to form words. When he raised his voice, he worried his grief might break through. The smoke clogged his lungs, making him light-headed. And god dammit all, he was already covered in so much blood.
Tokoyami fell to his knees in front of Dabi. But he wasn't Hawks – he wasn't giving up. "Like this. You have to get off of him," Tokoyami instructed gently, hooking his fingers under the boot firmly-planted between Hawks' shoulder blades. All of Dabi's weight was placed on Hawks, so Tokoyami had to carefully work his hands between the crushing foot and the gruesomely blistered skin. The iron soles were impossibly hot, immediately burning into his fingers. He was used to the foul scent of burning flesh by now.
Dabi kept the pressure on him, refusing to let Tokoyami order him around. "What difference do you think it makes?" he snarled. When he saw the angry red blisters forming across Tokoyami's hands, he stopped pushing against him. This, of course, enraged him.
"Hey, Bird, do you really have such a death wish?!" Dabi screamed, angry spittle flying into Tokoyami's face. "What are you doing?!"
Tokoyami appraised the damage concentrated across Hawks' back. There's nothing left. With a heavy sigh, he looked up at Dabi. "I know this looks bad. I know I messed up. I never wanted to choose one over another, and now I'm paying the price for it. But… I can't let you kill him! No more – it's not worth it!"
The air grew hotter around them. Tokoyami could feel it coming. Hell, he'd anticipated it. How could he not? When he stood in the way of such an inevitable outcome. He knew this whole thing would backfire someday. In truth, there wasn't a single foreseeable outcome where Hawks didn't end up facing Dabi's wrath. So why bother prolonging the inevitable?
Dabi must've been thinking the same thing when he glared down upon him. What right did Tokoyami have protecting the pathetic life of someone so dirty? The audacity of someone so disappointingly wrong.
Dabi lashed out – not with fire, but with his hand. He grabbed onto Tokoyami by the front of his cloak and dragged him into an unsteady stance above Hawks' twitching body. Smoke assailed his nostrils, and the burning presence of the villain's fist situated at the base of his exposed neck sent alarms through his head. In all the months that he'd known Dabi, he'd never been at the mercy of him quite like this.
"You don't get to sit there and tell me what is and isn't worth it!" Dabi seethed. His eyes were wide, reflecting his own rampant flames – as if the only world he wanted to see was where everything just fell apart. One where everything could just burn like he did. Tokoyami couldn't let that happen. He couldn't watch the world burn; he couldn't watch Dabi fall deeper into this pit of anguish. So when licks of blue fire began curling around his clenched fist and Dabi began to shake him with every unrestrained scream that he threw in his face, Tokoyami let it happen. Fighting wasn't the course of action here. It was their refusal to slow down for even a second that had allowed this grim outcome to befall them in the first place.
"You don't get to grieve a death that you let happen and then beg forgiveness!" Dabi snarled. Tokoyami grabbed the man's wrist with a burned hand, trying in vain to hold it away from his face and get some air. He tried to say his name again – not his real name, whatever it was, just the one he'd always known. But the pitiful attempt was shouted back down at him. "That sick freak killed Twice. He fucking stabbed you! You're actively bleeding because of that man who calls himself a hero, so why are you protecting him?! Or maybe you didn't hear me? I'm the failed by-product of the number one hero. And you… you're just fodder to the number two! The system doesn't care about us!"
"I already knew that!" Tokoyami yelled. "How could anyone possibly be around you for so long and not see that?!"
Dabi's breathing was tattered, coming out in choked gasps like a smoker. Blood oozed from the stretched muscles at each end of his mouth, and his brow was furrowed. It was a look of such immense disappointment and exasperation. Dealing with Hawks had been something he'd anticipated, but Tokoyami wasn't someone he'd wanted to confront this way. He held so much bile and anger inside that couldn't be so easily cast aside, with Tokoyami bearing the brunt of it now.
So he let go, allowing the bird-headed boy to drop back onto the ground like a bag of garbage. Maybe he hoped that Tokoyami would have the common decency to crawl away now. So long as Dabi still had Hawks to direct his anger at, he'd be okay with letting Tokoyami fly free. That's what he'd said just the day before, right? That I should get out of here when I get the chance.
When Tokoyami looked up, he met his eyes with Dabi. He was waiting expectantly for him to move.
Tokoyami didn't.
Instead, he cradled his hand under Hawks' head and held his defensive position. Dark Shadow, we're not in a good position to run. But if I told you to fly, could you do that?
I'm not angry. But the tears won't stop. Hey, Fumikage, what is this? Did we do something wrong?
Tokoyami's beak quivered in spite of himself.
Flames reached towards Hawks, who responded with a pained wheeze, and Tokoyami dragged him away from Dabi just a short distance. That was enough to make the villain move again, striding forward to trap Hawks beneath his cruel boot once more like a cat not done with its plaything.
"Hey, Bird, you're not understanding me! I was a damn fool to think you would. I'm not gonna kill you, but that filthy scum you're so adamantly protecting can't leave this place alive. Why? Why are you sticking your neck out for him?! I don't get it!"
Tokoyami cringed away from the voice, burying his expression against Hawks' broken form. He'd never heard Dabi get this way before. It felt like Tokoyami was the one wielding the feather sword now, using it against him and opening fresh wounds.
"He was my first mentor!" Tokoyami confessed. "Before you, before anyone else, it was him! And maybe it didn't mean much, but I thought he'd be there for me. And I was wrong, okay? I was wrong! But I can't sit by and watch you kill him because of it. I don't want you to fall either!"
A heavy blow connected with Tokoyami's head, tearing a surprised gasp from his beak.
"I taught you everything, you thankless bastard! I was your teacher, and I was actually proud of it!" Another blow from Dabi's boot connected, and Tokoyami felt his headfeathers ignite. "I watched over you when I thought you'd die. I worked with you when you didn't even have your quirk. We learned to fly!" Stomp. "I figured, even when you went back to the heroes, you'd at least be more sympathetic!" Stomp! "If Hawks gave a damn about you, he would've done something. He had so much time to do anything! But all he did was ruin things, and you're taking his side!
"I'm not taking his side, I just don't want to watch anyone suffer!" Tokoyami sobbed, holding Hawks close. "Please, nobody else should have to die because I wasn't enough!"
"I'm suffering, Tokoyami! Every day that my dream isn't realized is like torture. And now, because of you, this pain is unbearable!"
"Dabi, you're hurting me!"
The boot came down again, and he readied himself to take the hit again. But this time, it didn't connect.
Tokoyami slowly opened his eyes to slits, wondering if it was fire that would seal his fate now. Instead he looked up to bear witness to a truly tormented soul. There was no more trace of his deranged smile, as if he'd taken this time to process the grief that they faced. And now Dabi was left with devastation.
Dabi hid the wretched burns of his face behind his hands. It was like he'd finally reached a decision, one that didn't align with any of the previous plans that he'd spent years envisioning. For all the time Dabi had spent plotting his revenge against the society that had so horribly failed him, Tokoyami was never supposed to be a factor in it. Why, then, had he put so much time and effort into someone who was never going to commit to villainous intent?
Watching the way anguish filled Dabi's face, he could kind of understand. He never wanted Tokoyami to suffer like him.
Dabi stepped back. No, he was walking away. Pretending like it wasn't too late to wash his hands of this ordeal.
"You're always pulling this shit," he rasped, voice heavy. "I can't do this if you stand in my way. Hawks wasn't the only one letting sentiment ruin his plans, huh?"
Tokoyami slowly pushed himself onto his feet, chest heaving for air that wasn't clogged with smoke. He ran his right hand through his feathers, unable to properly lift his other arm, and extinguished the embers burning through them. "You're letting us go?"
Dabi stopped alongside Dark Shadow, looking down upon Twice's lifeless body. "You'd better grab your quirk and get out of here. I won't hold you up."
Dark Shadow, Tokoyami silently whispered. We have to say good-bye. It's time to go.
The quirk raised his avian head and looked up at Dabi with wide, sorrow-filled eyes. When he refused to move, Dabi flashed a warning fire and sent the shadowy creature scurrying back under Tokoyami's tattered cloak. What happens now? I don't wanna leave them! What if they get hurt?
We need to seek medical aid for Hawks. After that, we'll find the League again. I promise. Nobody else needs to die today. We'll… we'll make sure of it. Tokoyami lifted Hawks up with one arm while Dark Shadow struggled to hold him with a shadowy arm of his own. It was a horribly awkward position. Had Hawks not attacked him, it would've been so much easier to save his sorry ass.
Hawks was wise to have stayed silent this whole time, only ever letting out little whimpers and a broken apologies. What did he have to be sorry about? He'd already done what he'd set out to do.
Tokoyami, now with arms full of roasted bird, stumbled his way towards the despondent Dabi. "What will you do now?" Tokoyami asked, wondering if he had any right to that information.
"If you're asking about Twice, then the answer is easy, isn't it? I'll deal with his body. That way no hero will be able to get to him ever again. Beyond that, it doesn't matter to you." Dabi turned to him, grief written across his face until he caught sight of Hawks bundled in his shaking arms, whereupon it was replaced with a crude scowl. "Once you leave here with that loathsome excuse of a hero, I'll know you'll have made your choice. And you'll be dead to me, Tokoyami. So next time you think you can stand in front of me and not got singed, I'll burn you with everything I have."
Tokoyami stumbled away at the venom in his voice, nearly dropping Hawks in the process. "You don't mean that…"
Dabi lurched forward with flames coiling around him, igniting his anger. "Why not?! You're my enemy now. I'll kill you, same as I have anyone else who's ever opposed me. So get out of here. Get the fuck out before I have a change of heart!"
Tokoyami fled, dogged by vicious flames and Dabi's howls of pain and outrage. He jumped off the broken end of the landing, seeing as how it was the quickest way out with so much of the building crumbling around them. He chanced one last look behind him to see Dabi's back and watched the way his shoulders heaved with choked gasps. And then the scene fell away, bringing the next couple floors flying past him.
Tokoyami tumbled through the air like a maple seed, doing everything in his power to keep ahold of Hawks while Dark Shadow's clawed wing slowed their descent. There was no way they could fly properly like this. The sooner they got rid of this filthy burden, the better.
They stumbled onto the next floor together, and Tokoyami broke out into a labored run while doing his best to keep Hawks stable in his arms.
"You… actually saved me," Hawks mumbled.
Tokoyami looked down at the burden, and it truly felt as though he was seeing him for the first time. The wingless hero's face was a mess of burns, with one eye swollen shut. His voice was so weak from smoke damage that he could barely hear him. His body was so fevered, with every part of exposed skin broken out into blisters. Where maybe he should've felt pity, he instead felt a horrible anger burning within him.
"This is all your fault!" Tokoyami spat. He watched the fear flash in Hawks' eyes, knowing he was at his mercy. "Because of you, I had to lie. I had to face the one person who actually cared about me during this whole mess and tell him that your life was worth saving."
Tears finally came, falling freely onto Hawks' huddled body. He gripped onto Hawks in preparation to fly down another floor, and he felt Hawks squirm in pain. "I'll never be like you, I swear! You better pray your wings don't grow back. If I see you get close to the League ever again, then I'll put you out of your misery! And yet… and yet…! You better not die!"
When Hawks failed to respond, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were left to cry out to a world that couldn't possibly understand their immeasurable grief. After all, who in their right mind would mourn the loss of a villain?