Heroes in the Dark

by Iffondrel

Taking place during the School Trip Arc, we center on Tokoyami in the aftermath of Dark Shadow's rampage. Villains wanting to capture Bakugou set their sights on Tokoyami, and the connection these two have had since fighting in the Sport's Festival will decide what'll happen to them after being brought over by Tomura's League of Villains, with devastating consequences for Tokoyami.

107. Chapter 107

On his escort back to his room, Sir Nighteye assured him that everything would be alright. Tokoyami got the impression that the stoic hero wasn't normally the best at consoling others, but it still meant something. At least he could leave those investigators behind, along with all the new information they'd gleaned from it. And how much more frustrated could he be, in reality, when faced with whatever consequence that might bring?

Then he was back to his isolated hospital room, and there was nothing more for him to do except think. The hero who looked out for him – out of sympathy or guilt, he couldn't be sure – informed him that he'd be back after checking on the others. Past his sharp eyes and continued sense of duty, Tokoyami could see how tired he was, when each day following the impact of the war marched grimly onward. He admired Sir's continued sense of duty, having only known him for the briefest of moments before his stay here in the hospital. Perhaps that was why, when all was said and done, it was hard to watch him leave again.

Tokoyami grabbed the sleeve of his suit jacket before he could vanish out the door.

"Nighteye… Sir… please. I can't be here much longer," he'd rasped, movements heavy with misery. "I'll heal with or without this place. May I go home yet?"

And maybe Nighteye wasn't the most reassuring presence after all, but he still offered him a seemingly rare, thin-lipped smile and placed a comforting hand on his uninjured shoulder. "I'm a fair man – and so is Tsukauchi. I'll have you out of here by tomorrow – and I'll contact your parents to let them know that you're well enough to be discharged from the hospital."

Tokoyami had whispered his appreciation as the hero left him from there, and that hope stayed with him for the remainder of his time there. He wondered how many of his other classmates, who perhaps hadn't been as injured to the extent that he'd been, were already released. He wondered if some of them had stuck around even after feeling better, to make sure that the others were okay. It hadn't sounded like Midoriya was awake yet. If not for him, would Nighteye have already left? Or was he here for the both of them?

Tokoyami wished he was in a normal hospital room where anyone could drop in. Oddly enough, his time at the mansion with the League had gotten him accustomed to having people knock on his door at random intervals of the day, always asking for one thing or another. Up until a few days ago, he'd been a very busy person. And now, as he lay beneath the thin sheets of his bed staring up at the blank ceiling, everything felt much bleaker. So he waited, muscles tensed and mind fatigued, for when he'd be done with this place. Only… he wasn't done here just yet. There was still business here left unfinished.

Sir Nighteye visited him the next day as promised. By now, Tokoyami's throat was well enough for him to talk on his own, though the damage sustained to his lungs still left him short of breath. All his scrapes and burns felt better than before, and the only injury that dared to bother him was his shoulder. He'd be in a cast for a while longer.

Because of Tokoyami's account, much-needed information had been applied to his case. Sir explained to him that Aizawa, who was still recovering at this facility as well, would work with him to continue his courses at UA if that was what he wanted. At the very least, they owed it to him to provide a safe place for him to stay, and were making arrangements for him and his parents inside UA grounds. With the current state of the country, safety precautions were being enforced wherever the students were concerned. And with the alarming amount of attention Tokoyami had garnered for himself, this was the best course of action to protect him from villains that might be after him – for one reason or another.

Tokoyami followed him out of from his room, hopefully for the last time. Sir informed him his mother would be here shortly, but that there were some other patients that had recovered enough for visits in the meantime.

Per his request, he was guided to Midnight's – Ms. Kayama's – room, where Yaomomo and Emily, the class 1B student who'd helped him bring their teacher back to camp, were waiting outside. With Sir's permission, they were able to enter and see the state she was in.

Kayama was covered in bandages, and there was a patch over her eye. There were braces on her left leg and right arm, though it was a much better sight than the horrible angle they'd been twisted at before. On her bedside table was an assortment of cards and gifts given to her by friends and students alike. Aizawa and Shinso were there, too, waiting on the other side of her bed, and they both looked up when the students filed nervously in. Shinso flashed him a look of bewilderment before easing back into a more lax position that matched his mentor.

Yaomomo was quick to reach her teacher and lay a hand on hers while Emily hovered uncertainly beside her and talked with the nurse.

Tokoyami hesitated longer than he had any right to, held back by just how strange it felt to see these two. He was grateful, really, to see them both recovering just fine, but the weight of responsibility hung heavy on his shoulders, and he wondered if there was something more that he could've done to set things right.

It was Aizawa that called out to him first. "I'm glad to see you out and about, Tokoyami," he said encouragingly, struggling to rise to his feet. Shinso nodded in silent agreement before quickly handing Aizawa a nearby crutch, which he gratefully accepted. At that point, it clicked in his head: Sir had told him about Aizawa's lost leg – a grim injury to be sure. But perhaps equally debilitating was the injury to one side of his face, where scarring had formed around his eye from one of Shigaraki's attacks.

Kayama looked past Yaomomo, and her eyes lit up. "Oh, Tokoyami! It's the man of the hour! Please, come in! I'm glad you could stop by." Her voice brimmed with warmth, and though her face was covered in bruises, her smile shone through just as bright as any other.

"Midnight… are you truly going to be okay?" Tokoyami rasped, his hands shaking as he took in all her injuries.

The older woman beckoned him to her bedside and, once he was close enough, wrapped her good arm around him in a weak albeit well-meaning hug. Tokoyami stayed stock-still, surprised by the contact, but felt reassured all the same.

"All thanks to you, my dear student," she murmured, drawing her arm back so that she could look upon him with pride. Even after all this time, she was still his teacher, and that meant more to him than he could ever properly express.

"I'm s…sorry about breaking your glasses," Tokoyami mumbled, remembering the performance he'd put on for the other villains. Back then, he'd seen the light of fear in her eyes; to scare someone he cared about was always a feeling that evoked a great disturbance within him. He already knew how scary he could be when he lost himself, but to willingly swath himself in that guise and knowingly intimidate those around him? That was different. He didn't much care for it.

Tokoyami was surprised by the light laugh that left her split lip. "I should've known the moment you arrived that I'd be okay." Her eyes darkened, and she looked out at something far away. "Anything was better than what they had in store for me."

Tokoyami wished he had more to say. That he could explain how they weren't supposed to be out in the forest – the attackers were part of his regiment, after all, so they should've been following Geten's orders on the frontlines and… it had all been so far out of his control.

Tokoyami stood next to her bedside for however long, listening to his old teachers talk back and forth about their battles and recovery. Kayama praised her students fiercely for their efforts in combating Gigantomachia and openly discussed how long it might be until she's back in the classroom. Aizawa was already looking into options for a prosthetic, though the injury to his eye would need ample time before it would be of use again. He still intended on being class 1A's homeroom teacher, but his nightly heroics were put on an indefinite hold.

Every so often, he'd catch Shinso glancing over at him nervously, and though he remained quiet, Tokoyami could only guess what was being replayed in his mind. They hadn't seen each other since the fight against Overhaul. More to the point, Shinso had been the last person he'd seen before the League had taken him back. He'd been the one to truly see him at his worst, bleeding out on those back roads while Toga and Twice opposed him. How far away it all seemed now. Tokoyami could only hope that he didn't blame himself for what had happened.

After a while, Tokoyami found it hard to stand, and retreated to a nearby chair that provided a place to rest. Being surrounded by familiar faces and his old teachers. He almost didn't want to give up his time here. He could pretend, in this moment, that he truly belonged here, and that his presence wouldn't be questioned. But before long, Ms. Kayama grew tired, leaning back into bed to continue her recovery under the doctor's careful watch. Everyone who'd come to visit were kindly escorted outside her room.

Once her door had been closed, Yaomomo turned to Tokoyami, her hands folded politely. "I didn't want to ask in front of Midnight, but I want to be sure. Tokoyami… you'll be coming back to UA sometime soon, won't you? Shinso, Yanagi, and I have already been discharged, so we'll be returning to the dorms tonight.

Tokoyami opened his beak to respond, only to close it when he didn't truly know the answer. Instead, he turned to Sir Nighteye, hoping he'd know what best to say.

Instead, it was Aizawa who chimed in. "UA will always have a place for Tokoyami and his family," he stated definitively. "From the classroom to the dorms and everywhere else… we've been waiting a long time to have him back. Of course we're ready."

Tokoyami felt some of his nervousness simmer away. He smiled graciously at his old teacher, and bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you… Aizawa."

They parted ways after that, with Tokoyami bidding his teacher and peers goodbye. At least for a little while, until he saw them again. And then he was back to following Sir Nighteye through the hospital. There were only so many people still recovering from heavy injury following the war. More to the point, Tokoyami's time here was fleeting, and much as he wished to escape the wretched constraints of this newfound prison, there was still business he had to attend to.

"Sir Nighteye," Tokoyami began uncertainly as they moved out of range from the others. "I'd mentioned this before, but… before I leave here, I still need to see him."

Sir gave a stiff nod, and rounded the corner back to the elevator. "Yes… yes, I know. I wouldn't think to deprive you of that." He flashed his card and opened the elevator doors. "We'll have to go up for that. He's been kept on another floor."

Tokoyami followed him into the elevator, eying the buttons to make sure they weren't actually headed for the basement floors. "Why's that? Even the number one hero was held on the same floor as countless others who'd fought in the war. What set Hawks apart?"

"Space, for starters. While there were still rooms available, the amount of work being done on this floor, with so many doctors and nurses running around… well, it was a bit much for the staff. And furthermore, Hawks' condition required a lot more attention, so he's being held in a room where medical attendants could keep a better eye on him," Sir Nighteye explained evenly.

The elevator opened to a new floor. Sure enough, this level was unnervingly quiet compared to the prior one. It reminded him of his own floor, down beneath where everyone else had been, only this floor shared the same airy spaces and natural light that the other aboveground floors possessed.

Sir Nighteye took long, quiet strides through the halls, knowing exactly where to go. Tokoyami followed behind, growing ever more curious. "Have you already been to visit Hawks?"

Sir looked down at him with his strange yellow eyes. "…No. Nobody's been told where Hawks is being held. Nor is anyone supposed to be seeing him – I believe the people working under the Hero Public Safety Commission were hoping to get the first word in with Hawks, as soon as he's well enough."

Dark Shadow coiled nervously in his head space. We… we're not supposed to be doing this? Hey, Fumikage, I dunno how I feel about this.

Tokoyami agreed, much as he hated it, but he didn't want to back down now. "This won't land me in more trouble, will it?" he asked the hero suspiciously, wondering if the knife of betrayal would prey upon him once more.

But if the hero had something to hide, he gave no sign. "I learned his room's location because I used my quirk, Foresight, on a nurse that was assigned to him. Due to my ranking, my keycard has the same status as other notable figures here. And furthermore, I already know that we won't be interrupted." Even as he said this, he glanced around the empty halls before fixating his sights back onto the distrustful boy standing before him. "I know how this must seem, Tokoyami, but I owe this much to you. It's what you wanted, correct? To speak to your old mentor while you had the chance? I can claim to know many things, but I don't know what future is in store for you – or Hawks. So if there's something that needs saying, now would be the time. Just… be prepared for disappointment. From what I understand, he hasn't talked since sustaining his injuries and refused any devices that would provide a way to communicate…"

"No… no, that's fine," Tokoyami said, taking a steady breath to prepare himself. "I want… I have to see him. Before I leave here."

Sir Nighteye guided him the rest of the way to a nondescript door. There was no name plate on it, but Sir once more took his card out confidently and scanned it, unlocking the handle and holding the door open for him. "I'll be waiting out here if you need me," he said calmly enough. Then, for the slightest of moments, his eyes darkened, and his voice lowered to a whisper. "I'm doing this for you out of good will. I only ask that whatever misgivings you have about the hero world, you don't take them out here. It's not my intention to eavesdrop, but if I hear a commotion I'll have no choice but to intervene."

Tokoyami wanted to express his gratitude to the man, but couldn't bring himself to in that moment. Instead, he felt the embers of anger begin to burn within him. "I already know I'm a dangerous person, but if I wanted Hawks dead all I would've had to do was sit back and let Dabi handle it," Tokoyami growled. Maybe the venom in his tone caught the hero off guard, because Sir stepped back into the hallway quickly, leaving Tokoyami to enter the room by himself. He slowly closed the door, leaving him shut in.

With Hawks. The ex-Wing Hero. The Number Two Hero. His old mentor. And, somehow, perhaps his biggest regret.

The room was generously spacious, filled with sunlight that streamed in from a large window overlooking the city. It was cracked open to let fresh air in, and with it the sound of birdsong coming from two sparrows idly roosting on the windowsill. Other than that, it was noticeably barren. As opposed to Midnight's bedside – and even his own, for that matter – there were no "get well soon!" cards or gifts of delicious fruit. It made sense, though. Tokoyami couldn't imagine anyone would actually be looking out for a person like this.

At the center of it all, a small lump huddled under the blankets, was Hawks. A mess of blond hair was all he could make out from it all. He'd made no reaction to the door opening, nor any sign that he'd been able to discern who'd been whispering in the doorway mere moments prior.

Tokoyami cleared his throat and began to step forward. Over on the windowsill, the two birds flew off with startled cries, and only then did Hawks finally begin to shift. As he approached, he saw that his back was turned to him, showing only a thick padding of bandages swaddling the extensive burns that lay underneath. It was strange to see him without his trademark wings, reminding him of just how vulnerable this once proud hero now appeared to him.

Tokoyami scoured the ceiling and walls of the room for anything out of place. "Is this place bugged?" he rasped. After being carefully monitored by so many people above him for so long – the Doctor, the PLF, and Hawks himself – he felt a near constant state of watchfulness taking note of his every move. His skin crawled, thinking that surveillance would follow him everywhere he went, and he couldn't be sure if it was paranoia getting the better of him or just what he had to expect going forward.

Hawks shook his head slowly from the bed, still looking away from him.

Tokoyami stopped a few paces away from the bed. "Are you surprised that I'm here, Hawks?" No response. Tokoyami's eyes narrowed. "No, that doesn't sound right – Hawks is your Hero name, and you're no hero. Not to me or anyone. I suppose I should call you Takami."

"Don't… don't call me that. It wouldn't be right."

Tokoyami's eyes went wide in shock. The voice was faint and raspy from smoke inhalation, same as his and Todoroki's had been. But it was also that way from disuse. "You – you can talk."

Tokoyami swept past the foot of the bed so that he could face Takami for himself. When he did, he blocked his view of the window and blotted out the stream of light that'd been shining in, casting the fallen hero in the shadows of his silhouette.

"Have been… for a while now," Takami admitted with some effort, avoiding Tokoyami's hardened gaze. "I'd be worse off… if you hadn't taken those hits for me."

Was that supposed to be gratitude? Or an apology, perhaps? Tokoyami felt his body go rigid with anger as he beheld the truly miserable man curled upon the bed, so distant from his own woes.

"And even after those hits, it wasn't Dabi that hurt me the most, you do realize?" Tokoyami snapped, cradling his left arm and bringing to mind all the anguish that the hero had delivered to him.

Takami winced, but he didn't respond. His eyes were so different from before. It made him angry to think that, even if just for a moment, in that room of swirling red feathers and uncertainty, he might've been afraid of him. Seeing him now, it was difficult to believe that this was the same person who'd caused so much to spiral before his very eyes. It was almost fitting that he had nothing worthy of being said now.

"I was interrogated yesterday," Tokoyami went on, unprompted. If Takami didn't have the will to speak, that was fine. But he still had to hear what needed to be said. "They asked me questions to answers you were supposed to know. They said they hadn't been able to get any information from you yet – that you were unresponsive. And that left my own case more suspicious than anyone else's."

Still nothing. Now that the fighting on the field was over, it was as if he had nothing left to give.

"Hawks – Takami, whoever you are… why didn't you ever tell them about me? Why didn't the police know anything – and why was the Commission so quiet? It's like they wanted me prosecuted. After everything I'd done. After all those months spent wondering if… just maybe… you would come through for me." When Takami's only response was to creep further beneath the covers of his bed, Tokoyami felt despair begin to creep up his throat. He didn't want to be caught in a state of distress before this man once more, but with these words running rampant, it was hard to keep his emotions in check. He'd held it in for so long. "All this time, was I truly nothing more than a carrier pigeon to you?! Answer me!"

Takami tensed. And then, with a great deal of effort, he threw off the blankets and pushed himself off the bed so that he could be level with his ex-intern. "I didn't want to hurt you!" Takami wheezed, his bandaged body shaking. "Anything but that! But… but you were too close with those villains… with Dabi. How was I ever supposed to say anything? And if I gave away the wrong info to either side, or—or made any move to help you, then my mission would've been a bust. I would've been offed by the villains, or axed by the Commission – And I-I…" Takami held his head in his hands, chest heaving with so many words that had likewise been unsaid for so long, his throat raw and parched. "I couldn't do it! I couldn't risk that for you, okay? I figured that… that if you still wanted to be a hero, you would understand that."

"I was a martyr to you!" Tokoyami cried, his voice cracking. "I asked for help, I begged to be saved, and you didn't even react! Why was I the one sticking my neck out for you?! You never even deserved my help!"

Takami had turned his eyes down again, unwilling or perhaps unable to meet his own. He sat cross-legged on the bed, tugging his blankets anxiously around him as if they were some meager replacement for the feeling of his wings folded close to him. "I know… and I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Is that all?!" Tokoyami spat. "And what about Twice, are you sorry for him, too?"

Takami clutched his blankets closer. "…Don't," he whispered hoarsely.

"Why not? You killed him! The whole world saw it; there's no denying what happened. While I was trying to talk to him, to treat him like a person, you… you stabbed him like it was nothing! Not only that, but you proved that you were willing to go through me to do it – literally!"

"That's not… that's not what I wanted to do," Takami rasped.

"I wanted to save Twice. You understand that, right?" Tokoyami grilled. "He was a good man! He wouldn't be a danger to anyone if he'd just been treated better. And you ended his life as if there was no other fate for him!"

"I… I know. He was a good man," Takami admitted, growing ever more distraught. "But Tsukuyomi, please—"

"Don't call me that!" Tokoyami snapped, making Takami flinch. And truthfully, even Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were surprised by the outburst. He'd always been so proud of his hero name, even in the darkest of times, and had taken comfort when the people who'd needed him most had used it. But not here. Not when it felt like that name he'd held dear for so long was being used against him.

"No hero names. Got it," Takami mumbled somberly.

Tokoyami grasped at empty air as if he could pluck the answers from it like feathers in the wind. "It's not that. It's just… if you knew what Twice was like, then why couldn't you save him, either? Why… was your every action against him so ruthless? Why did you always have your feathers pointed at him – at me – as if we were the most dangerous obstacles you'd encountered?"

"Because, regardless of what kind of person he might've been, he was the greatest danger to us. You realized that too, didn't you?" Takami asked him quietly.

Tokoyami's shoulders heaved, as if he were unloading a great weight, and for a moment the stitches holding his shoulder together were pulled taut, forcing a pained gasp from his beak. His memories flashed back to that decisive moment, when he'd clutched onto Twice's arm, pleading that he wouldn't unleash Sad Man's Parade against the unsuspecting heroes. But by then he'd already been pushed into a corner. And Twice had been willing to do whatever it took to protect the League's happiness. That… that should've included Tokoyami, too. But in the very end, their ideals hadn't lined up.

"It wasn't my fault," Tokoyami hissed. "I did… everything so that things wouldn't turn out the way they had. And you struck him down any chance you got."

"Because I was fighting a losing battle," Takami rasped, sinking back down onto his bed as if the effort to argue this matter was sapping his energy. "The moment it became a fight against two people… and then three, all of which had dangerous quirks, I knew my options were running out. If I hadn't moved… if I wasn't fast enough… then the whole war would've been lost to one man, and you'd have many more friends to grieve."

Tokoyami sat at the edge of his bed, his anger fizzling as exhaustion began to set in. "Don't you think I wanted to help you? That I'd spent so many restless nights wondering if you could be trusted, only to be so viciously gutted time and again? Hawks was my first mentor, or did you forget? It wouldn't have had to end that way… if you'd made even a fraction of the effort I'd made when trying to meet you halfway."

"I know," Takami confessed quietly, his voice becoming more strained as time went on. "But you weren't my intern anymore. You were Dabi's. I know it wasn't right, but… I only wanted to hear what info you had to spare, so that I could understand. I…" He swallowed hard, letting silence stretch between them as he fought to say his next damning words. "I wanted to make sure you'd be on my side when the time came, but the signals were too muddled. I could never get as close to you as the League was."

Tokoyami's fingers clenched into the sheets. "I shouldn't have had to prove myself, Takami. I was scared that the whole world might condemn me, and I clung to your feather because I thought it might mean something." Tokoyami glanced over at the miserable lump, feeling his blood boil. "Look at me, dammit! Face the consequences of your actions, for once in your life!"

Takami did as he was asked with a labored sigh, finally shedding his cocoon of blankets and looking to his old student with dull yellow eyes.

"You hid me from the world, Takami. You knew my fate, and concealed it every chance you could. The Commission… the people you worked for, they swept my case under the rug. It would've been easier for them if I'd been dead, right? So that they wouldn't have to keep re-opening the wound of their failings. And… and this whole time, it was never you looking out for me. You were a knife hanging over my head, and all you proved was that you'd always been willing to let it fall."

Takami pressed his lips into a thin line, finding no words to say before the raw accusations.

And how could he, when each line was a stone placed upon his guilty burden?

Tokoyami continued. "From the very beginning, I was only ever used by you. I was a means to an end, your way of gathering precious intel. I should've known from the very first week of our internship that nothing good would come of knowing you. Or perhaps I was just desperate – you were the only link I had to the hero world. You knew what was happening around me, and yet you couldn't even provide me some meager scraps. So was it really a surprise that a person like Dabi – a villain, a murderer, a reject of society – proved to be a better mentor to me than you ever were?" Tokoyami touched his burned and bandaged fingers to the bruises on his head. "Dabi was a lot of things. He was a tough teacher, but never outright cruel. He was short-tempered at times, but he didn't take it out on me. And you know what? He was honest. That's more than you ever were for me. Back then… when I protected you from him, his words were all true: he looked after me when he thought I might die, he worked with me when I didn't have my quirk, and we learned to fly together. Would you have done the same for me?" Tokoyami was sure he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from the defeated hero. That way, there would be no doubt.

"I… I wanted to have you back as an intern, Tokoyami," Takami coughed, his words getting choked up. "I know that first week… made it seem like I didn't care. But I saw potential in you. I wanted you to be with the heroes. I… I didn't want to take on a different intern, but at that time I was just as uncertain and… and with the way my mission was going, I had responsibilities to uphold—"

"What do you mean by different intern?" Tokoyami interrupted, an edge to his voice.

Takami fidgeted under his accusing stare. "I… I still needed an intern once you were gone – somebody who could provide me with info on the League. The Commission was insistent on it, and… and since I was working with Best Jeanist at the time, which took him off the scene, we decided it'd be best… that I take Bakugo under my wing."

Tokoyami gaped at him, having found himself at an utter loss for words. "You chose… Bakugo. Instead of saving me, on your mission to investigate the League – that I was a part of – you chose to replace me?!"

"It's not like that," Takami mumbled. But his shoulders were bunched defensively, and his words were those of a losing man. "If I'd known how to rescue you sooner, I would've."

Tokoyami pushed himself off the bed. He went to the window, looking out over the crowd of angered civilians below. Their screams and demands for answers were fainter than they were yesterday, the crowd smaller. When he refocused his line of vision, he saw himself reflected in the mirror: a mess of feathers and burns, his red eyes looking so frustratingly like they belonged to a villain. And all he could think was how tired he was. No sympathy stirred in his heart for the defeated hero, and his patience was ever-fleeting. "All I wanted from you was your out-stretched hand, and you could never give me that. Or rather, I suppose you did once, but it was only to plant a feather on me, so that I could continue being useful to you. You… you better not've used Bakugo the same way – I won't forgive you for treating my old classmates the way you did me." Tokoyami left the window behind and started moving his way around Takami's bed, back to where the door awaited him. "You were never a mentor to me. I realize that now. Perhaps I was foolish to save a wretch like you. But… in truth, I think I did it more for Dabi's sake. Because I know what he's like, and I couldn't stand the thought that he'd fall deeper into darkness by killing the likes of you."

Tokoyami turned back one last time to take in the full image of what he left behind. Just another sorry hero, knocked down from his pedestal with no means to fly back up. "This is good-bye, Hawks. Congratulations for showing the world that I'm a villain – or at the very least, not one to be trusted. I need to find Dabi. And Toga and Spinner and Shigaraki, for I believe there has to be a better ending than the one you demonstrated. In the meantime… I hope I never have to face you again. I think it would be best if your blood-stained wings never grew back, and that the name Wing Hero Hawks were to die. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are – take this time to save yourself, if that's something you can still do. Because the next time you stand before me and bear your sword, I uphold the promise I made to you back in that mansion – I'll strike you down, just like you did to Twice."

Keigo Takami buried his head back into his hands, curling in within himself as Tokoyami left him behind. In truth, it didn't matter if Hawks the hero were to live or die anymore. If he did recover and crawled his way back to the Commission, then he wouldn't be wholly surprised. It was the possibility of a future confrontation with the man that gnawed at him the most. He didn't want to fight him, but he would if he had to. Because there were people out there still worth protecting.

Tokoyami opened the door quietly and looked to each side discreetly for intruders. But only Sir Nighteye stood there, waiting patiently for his conversation to be over.

"Are you done?"

Tokoyami nodded silently, stepping out into the hallway. Sir poked his head into Takami's room to see what'd befallen the injured hero, only to withdraw and close the door at the sounds of muffled sobs.

"I take that's all you wanted to do here…" Sir Nighteye said, wearily drawing his hand down his face. "In that case, there's nothing more keeping you here. Let's make our way down to the lobby. I need to work through some papers and finalize a report on your behalf. Once that's settled, I'll be able to escort you back to UA, where the teachers there can continue looking over you while you finish your recovery."

"And what will you do then?" Tokoyami asked.

"I'll come back here. I have a responsibility to Midoriya. Once he wakes up, he'll be able to join you back in the school," Sir Nighteye explained patiently, keeping his eyes forward as le lead him back down the hall.

"…Right," Tokoyami rasped. How much longer was Midoriya going to be here? He didn't know the extent of his classmates' injuries… only that none of them had looked very good in the midst of battle. He got the impression that he'd find out soon enough, but that only served to make him more nervous about what was to come. After all, so many people had been hurt by villains that had supported Tokoyami, trained with him, and even served under him, unwilling as it had been. Tokoyami, meanwhile, was the only one rejoining the hero side with an injury dealt by someone from those very same ranks. It was supposed to be noble and selfless to fight for a just cause. And Tokoyami's memento from the war had been the opposite: a brand of betrayal from a top hero, scarred into his flesh for daring to protect the side of evil. Even if Tokoyami couldn't bring himself to regret standing up for people he'd cared about, how would others see it? There might not be another person on the planet that saw what he did in the members of the League of Villains.

They rode the elevator back down, all the way to the first floor. Tokoyami poked his head out the open doors, cautiously surveying the main lobby that stretched out before him. "And this is… really alright?"

Sir Nighteye pushed his glasses up. Though his face betrayed no emotion, a light exhale that could be mistaken for a laugh suggested that he was amused. Does this man laugh? He always seems so cold and distant…

"Your concern is understandable, but I have things handled from here. I wouldn't be able to rest if some other authority tried to put you somewhere you weren't supposed to be," Sir Nighteye reassured once more.

They crossed over to the front desk of the lobby, where Sir set about the process of releasing him from the hospital. He was very fast at the tedious process, signing papers and reading through paragraphs with a swift yet discerning eye. While this was happening, Tokoyami looked around, taking note of the suspicious glances from other patrons being cast his way.

"Your parents will be here very soon," Sir went on, formal-like. "They'll have some of your belongings and will be able to help you get situated in your new accommodations. You'll have to be escorted out the back way to avoid the crowds, but you won't run into any trouble that way."

It was hard to pay attention, much as he wanted to, when he felt so exposed and vulnerable. There was something so impossibly foreboding about places like these, constructed to house the injured and dying. Now that he knew for sure that he was leaving, he'd be perfectly content if he was never to return to a place like this.

"There was something else," Sir Nighteye began, hesitation in his tone as he passed a filled-out paper back to the receptionist. "You had some interesting items on you when you were recovered. They were taken into custody for investigation, but I was able to get them back. Would you be comfortable having those back?"

Tokoyami turned from where his eyes had been glued to the exit doors. A pained jolt of hope went through him, and he looked at the hero as if it were too good to be true. "Is that alright?!" Tokoyami gasped, raising his hands shakily. "It's… it's what I trained with. It's what I'm used to."

Nighteye seemed uncertain for just a moment more before he took a great breath. "Well, we may as well, considering I'm already endorsing you as a hero. As you can imagine, I met some reluctance when recovering this… villain-crafted gear. But at the end of the day, Detnerat support items are commonplace on the hero scene. It'd be hypocritical to deprive you, especially considering your level of familiarity. You won't be going back to the villains anytime soon, if we can help it, so it should be fine."

Tokoyami couldn't help feeling that there was a question in there: would he find himself with the villains again someday? He hoped that the hero wasn't listening when he told Hawks that he needed to find the rest of the League. If that information spread too far, it might cost him his lackluster freedom. What a demoralizing thought.

To think I was with them for so long, and now I just want to make sure they're okay.

Tokoyami hungrily watched a man come out of the back room with a sealed box. It was set on the counter before Sir Nighteye, and Tokoyami fought down the urge to grab it right there. Sir authorized the exchange and slid it over to him. Tokoyami went to open it, but a disapproving noise from the hero gave him pause.

"Be careful, now," Sir cautioned. "It may be a bit premature, but your – how do I say? – weapon of choice is included in that box, and it'd be ill-advised to pull those out in a hospital setting."

Tokoyami snatched his hand back as if he'd just touched a hot surface. But such things never bothered him much anyway, so he graciously accepted the confiscated goods and bowed his head in understanding. "Yes… Sir." He sighed, wondering just how much of his gear they'd salvaged. In that moment, a thought occurred. "What about… from the PLF mansion? I had a room there, and a few possessions. I know it's insignificant but… what are the chances of getting those back?" Tokoyami asked. He knew the mansion was likely nothing more than a heap of rubble, and his measly possessions from back then – a tattered cloak from Mr. Compress, a burned handheld from Dabi, and a broken sword hilt from Spinner – was probably indistinguishable from the rest of the garbage. But it'd still be hard to completely let go of them.

Sir Nighteye furrowed his brow, squashing his hopes quickly before they could build too high. "I wouldn't have the faintest clue. Nobody's going to be searching through the ruins of those abandoned headquarters unless there's valuable information being held there." Tokoyami averted himself with a flush of embarrassment. How juvenile it felt to hold such desires. And yet… If nobody's there anymore… then I want to see it. Just to be sure.

Dark Shadow prodded at his thoughts. Do you think we could look around and… and find out what Dabi did? You know, to Twice's body.

…

Sir continued, oblivious to the somber internal exchange. "Once we have you under UA's care, you can unpack your belongings. Thankfully, you shouldn't be here much longer…"

Tokoyami nodded along numbly to his words, fingers idly picking at a cardboard corner of the box. It was difficult to believe that everything he'd endured these past months, the hardships he'd overcome and the reputation he'd earned, could all be condensed into something the size of a shoebox. How, then, was he supposed to look upon his old belongings and remember that those were once a part of him too? It didn't sound like he'd be going back to his old room anytime soon – maybe never. No, that was already forfeit – it'd be too dangerous to live like before. And, with a sad realization, Tokoyami considered that it might never be safe to be with his family the way he had before. Gone were the days of peace and comfort. Sure, maybe it'd never exactly been easy for the Tokoyami household, but he'd always miss it.

Back during the end of winter, when he'd used his request to the Doctor to see his old home, it'd only reinforced his heartfelt desire to go back and live as things had been before. But… that probably wasn't realistic. Not if there were villains in the world looking for him. To be a leader or a target, it didn't matter. And… and what if his case wasn't good enough after all? What if he only had to make one wrong move under the paralyzing light of day in order to turn every hero in the district against him?

I don't want… anyone else to decide my path. I only ever wanted to keep my loved ones safe, and if I can't do that… then what's even the point.

It's okay, Fumikage. Do what you think needs to be done. I'm here to protect you, if nobody else ever does. So… whatever happens, know that I'm here, Dark Shadow whispered within the depths of his mind, clouded as it was with thoughts.

Behind them, the front doors of the hospital opened, letting in a gust of chill spring air and the clamored voices of civilians swarming the outside steps. With the kind of patients being held in the facility, there were only so many people who were being let in right now, as Tokoyami understood it. Nevertheless, he never would've given it much thought if a soft, singsong voice hadn't called out from the open doors.

"Fumikage? Is that really my little songbird?"

Tokoyami dropped the box back onto the counter and spun around as if a great spotlight had been shined down upon him. Against the glare of day silhouetting their arrival, it took his eyes a moment to adjust. But there was no mistaking them. Not even after so long without them.

"Mom… Dad!"

Tokoyami didn't know if this was okay – if any of it ever would be again. But for a moment, he cast aside his worries – his frustration and grief and all the accumulated memories that dragged at his heels– and ran towards the two figures that were making their way towards him.

Her arms were outstretched, and he all but fell into them like they were the last safe place left in this depraved world. His shoulder flared up in pain, but he didn't care. With his one good arm, he clung tight to his mother while she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace that was gentle but secure. "You're back, you're finally back with us!" she crooned, her own hooked beak tucked close to his head.

Another hand on Tokoyami's back brought the small family closer together, and he looked up past his mother's white feathers and watery crimson eyes to see his father looming over them.

Dark Shadow swirled in his cluttered head space until he couldn't hold back any longer, and materialized in the small space between them with a tearful cry. "Waaaahh! We were so scared!" The quirk snaked around them, nosing his way between their parents until he was perched around Dad's shoulders. He practically dug his claws through his dress shirt, but rather than react in pain the stoic father figure cleared his throat gently, and Dark Shadow did better to restrain himself even as gloopy tears ran down his face.

"I'm sure you were," Dad murmured, stroking Dark Shadow's head to sooth his tumultuous emotions. Dark Shadow had always been closer to Dad, since he was the one who'd worked so hard to help him with his power from a young age. His dark hair had more gray streaks than the last time he'd seen him, and the bags under his eyes were deeper. Tokoyami numbly traced his eyes over the old, jagged scar that framed one side of his dad's face. The scar, faded by time but no less difficult to look at, had been young Tokoyami's first indicator that he needed to be a hero when he grew up – so that it never happened again.

Tokoyami winced as his mom swept her taloned fingers through his feathers, idly brushing through the damaged shafts and realigning them so that they lay flat on his head. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gone through his own feathers and sorted out their state of disarray. He must looked like a complete mess to them. "It's okay now," his mother soothed. "We're here. We're here now, and we're not letting you go. You're my baby, my only one, and I won't let you go ever again."

Tokoyami's fingers clenched the black fabric of his mom's dress, and he buried his face between the two parents. Tears streamed freely from his eyes, and light sobs escaped him as he let out all the pain and suffering he'd accumulated during this time. But it wasn't just that he was grateful to reunite with his parents. That'd already been more than he could ever hope for. No, rather, there was more to the tears that splattered onto the cold linoleum floor. He was happy now, but he also couldn't keep himself from mourning, even now. Because Tokoyami knew that moments like these weren't meant to last forever. And as much as he wanted to stand here, nestled in the comfort of his parents for all of eternity, he understood too well that the next time he left their side, he would feel even colder than ever before.