After Kurogiri had sent the twins through his Quirk, Tomo found himself in a dark room along with Toru. His mind, still foggy from whatever she had done to him, struggled to recognize his surroundings. Besides him, Toru instantly fell to a knee.
RUN.
RUN.
RUN.
Tomo suddenly felt like his head was going to explode. His Quirk, as well as his instincts, screamed at him to run away. Every hair on his skin was raised in alarm at the new, unknown presence. His body, however, still chained up, could do nothing but wait.
RUN.
"Hello, my dear Toru," a deep, silky voice greeted. Tomo could barely hear it over the sound of his Quirk screaming at him, but what little he heard sent a shiver throughout his entire body.
"Thank you for seeing us, Master," Toru replied obediently. "I have brought my brother here as promised."
The room was too dark to see much at all, but Tomo could feel someone's gaze fall upon him. If he wasn't chained to his restraints, he would have fallen to the floor in fear. Fear. That was the word to describe his gut feeling. It was a deep, primal fear. Tomo knew he was in the presence of a monster. Someone who could destroy buildings and level cities flat with the wave of a hand. It terrified him.
RUN.
"Ah, yes. You must be Tomo. I have been looking forward to meeting you. Your sister has spoken a lot about you."
Tomo couldn't even gather up the air needed to respond. He was at the mercy of this monster and all he could do was wait silently for his Quirk to be taken from him. The powerlessness he felt in the situation only served to add to his fear. He could feel the rumbling of Darkness beneath his skin in response to his emotions, but not enough to wield it.
fight?
RUN.
The monster made a sound of disappointment. "Toru… I thought our deal was that you would bring your brother here willingly. Why is he thinking about attacking me? I don't think I misremember things that often, so tell me, am I misremembering our deal? Or have you brought him here unwillingly?"
The fear and desperation was evident in Toru's voice. "I'm sorry! You were right! I was supposed to make him agree but he's too stubborn to agree! Please, I still brought him to you! Just take his Quirk away from him anyway! I am begging you! He can't resist. Not like this."
The monster clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Oh Toru… That's not how things work here. First, you do something for me, and in return, I do something for you. You helped Tomura out with his plans and in return, I showed you the inner world of Quirks. See how that works? If we can be of use to each other, that would make us friends, correct? I like having friends, especially in odd and unique places. A person with your talents as a friend would make me quite happy. But, if you can't do this simple task now, then how can I rely on you for other harder tasks in the future? Sure, I can just take his Quirk from him right now, but I do not want that wretched power. It would only be helping you. So, tell me, why should I take his power?"
"Please, I'm begging you. I'll do anything you want! Spy on whoever you want! Attack anyone you want! I'll work for you for as long as it takes! Just take away my brother and sister's Quirks! Please!"
"I'm afraid, my dear girl, that you are not in any position to be bargaining. How about this? I would very much like to have you as a friend and you did help out Tomura a few times, so I will give you another chance. I liked that last bit you said, so bring me your younger sister so that I can examine her. There is something I would like to test with her. If you can do that, I will reconsider if I should help you."
Tomo suddenly found his voice. The disgusting tone with which the monster spoke about "testing Miyu" made all the fear holding him still evaporate, a deep fury taking its place. "YOU LEAVE MIYU OUT OF THIS! SHE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING!"
Darkness finally manifested around Tomo like an inferno. He could feel its power respond to his rage. It surged around his entire body, its intensity growing by the second. Tomo shattered his restraints like it were glass and dared to glare at the monster. The challenge he declared next came from deep within his heart. "Lay a hand on her and I'll kill you myself."
"Tomo! Stop! No!" Toru cried out.
The monster laughed.
Tomo lunged with the fury of the storm behind him. The full might of Darkness was at his disposal and his rage had heightened his powers to a level he did not care if he could not come back from. All he needed to do was keep this thing away from his family. And Darkness was more than happy to help when he had given so much.
It only took one look.
The fight was over before it could even start.
All the monster had to do was look at Tomo with the smallest hint of ill-intent and he immediately knew he had lost. The fight played out in Tomo's head a million times, and every scenario had him defeated instantly.
He attacked anyway.
As soon as he thought about moving his arm, a sharp, burning pain went through his left palm. The air was suddenly taken right out of him and finding any air to breathe back in seemed impossible. He fell to the ground clutching his hand in agony. He didn't even see the attack coming.
"Tomo!" Toru cried out and ran to his side to inspect his wound. He could faintly feel her apply pressure on his palm to stop the bleeding.
The monster laughed. "My, my! So much feist! I will acknowledge your resolve to fight back anyway, despite knowing how outmatched you were, you pathetic rat. Anyway, Toru, you have greatly disappointed me today. I think our deal is off. And, as reparations for wasting my time, I think I will take up your offer of you doing anything for me that I want."
Tomo felt dizzy on the floor. He could barely keep up with the conversation as his eyes fluttered, closing and threatening to not open again. He tried his hardest to stay conscious. He had to protect himself and Toru somehow. His palm was still burning, but the faint rumbling of Darkness that lurked beneath his hands pulsed, keeping him conscious.
Toru's teary voice faintly drifted towards Tomo's ears as she spoke to the monster. "D-Did you plan this all along?"
The monster chuckled. His laugh was gleefully disgusting. "Don't be like that! I did want to give you a real chance! I would have upheld my end of the deal if you had succeeded. But alas, you failed! I will have you know, however, I always get what I want. One way, or another."
Suddenly, a loud crash was heard outside.
"Oh?" the monster said with a hint of amusement in its voice. "Let's go greet the heroes, shall we?"
Tomo felt a kindle of hope flicker within him upon hearing that the heroes were here. The smallest feeling of hope was enough to knock him out from the pain.
Tomo was on the floor.
Another dream?
When he tried to get up, Tomo found himself paralyzed. Just the thought of moving a muscle was enough to send shockwaves of pain throughout his body. He groaned.
A familiar light shined by his side.
Tomo turned to face it to get a better look.
A bright figure sat by his side. Her face was hidden, but Tomo could tell that she was looking at him with a concerned expression.
"Just relax and let me do this. It's the least I can do to ease your burden," said the voice, warm and friendly.
She reached out a hand to Tomo's chest. Right where his core of Darkness lay, damaged and burning. A bright light shone in her hands upon contact. Tomo gasped at the touch, the burn he felt from it resonating with his very soul.
"When all you can see is darkness, Light burns from its brightness. It stings your eyes and overpowers you. However, that burn can also be warm and soothing. It can be the joy of feeling the morning Sun on your face. It can be the reprieve of heat in the presence of absolute cold. It can be the shining guide to the end of a dark tunnel. That is what this power is. It burns, but what that burn does to you is up to your interpretation. Right now, let it soothe you. Relax and let its warmth heal."
Tomo listened and thought about the words. Light could hurt, but it could also heal. Light made his Quirk weaker, but it also needed to exist for his Quirk to work. Darkness is nothing without any Light to overpower. His Quirk was strongest at night, but could never cross the line with the rising sun.
When Toru had stabbed the top of his spine, she had done so with Light and shut his Quirk down. It was just like the battle between day and night. The shine of the bright Light had shattered the rising Darkness. Once enough time had passed, Light would be unable to sustain itself any longer and Darkness would creep back in. Such was the eternal struggle.
Where she had quelled him before, she was now flooding him with support. The massage of Light on his core was soothing. It was warm and soft. It felt like family and love.
"I'm sorry," said one of their voices.
When Tomo awoke, his surroundings felt like it came straight out of a nightmare. His left palm still felt like it was burning, but whether it was a good burn or a bad one, he couldn't tell. His head pounded and his limbs ached. Best Jeanist, the number four hero, lay out the floor next to him, a hole in his abdomen. The monster was outside, along with the rest of the League of Villains, Bakugo, and All Might. A funny feeling in his heart made Tomo look at Toru.
She stared back at him, still as invisible as ever, and yet, with all the care and love visible in her face.
"I'm still new to this, but I'm giving you a chance," Toru whispered softly.
Tomo looked at her confused. Before he could say anything, a loud crash outside jolted his senses. All Might and the monster were engaged in a deep struggle. Tomo tried to get up, but found it impossible and cried out at the pain all over his body.
Toru clutched his hand, trying to pour her feelings into him. When you grow up with a sibling, an unspoken bond forms that lets you understand each other on a deep and personal level. When that sibling is your twin, that bond intensifies even more. When that twin also happens to be invisible, they may as well share the same mind when it comes to certain things. Tomo knew what Toru was asking.
Instead of giving her his answer, Tomo focused on the problem at hand first. He had to get Toru out of here. Despite all she had done, she was still his sister. He would protect her and get her out of here safely. He saw Bakugo barely holding off the villains that surrounded him. All Might and the monster were also trading blows nearby. None of the attention was on them.
"We—" he coughed. Speaking hurt his body but he tried anyway. "have get… out. Here."
Tomo reached within himself for any bit of Darkness he could find. It was a weak ember and barely responded to his summons. A pathetic amount of Darkness appeared in his right hand. "Stay close."
Toru made a sound, his dialogue deflating her. "I… I can't. Not after what I've already done. You gave me your answer and I'm giving you mine. The best I can do is stay here and keep you, Miyu, and Mom safe. Maybe he will reconsider our deal one day if I serve him well."
Tomo stared at his twin in the eyes, saddened by her declaration. He knew her answer already, but to hear it aloud still stung. He shook his head to disagree and the dizziness returned. His palm burned even more.
She continued, "I have to pick a side in this fight and I decided that I am going to attack Bakugo to prove my loyalty. You have to stop me yourself. It's the only way the future stays bright. This is goodbye, Tomo. Keep Miyu and Mom safe. I'll save you. I love you."
Toru ran off towards the battlefield. Tomo could do nothing but try to chase after her through his agonizing headache. Where he would normally take no effort catching and taking her with him, whatever the monster did to him, along with what she did to him, and with how weak he was in general made it so that he could barely stumble after her. His tears made it hard to see again.
Tomo, in a final act of desperation, reached out his right hand towards Toru, Darkness emerging from it in an attempt to restrain her. She turned around, and to Tomo's shock, redirected light from her hand into his Darkness and shattered it completely. He stumbled again and fell to the floor, the wind getting knocked out of him.
Just then, a giant ramp of ice suddenly appeared nearby. Tomo could vaguely make out Kirishima's and Ashido's voices calling out to him, Bakugo, and Toru, begging them all to come along.
Bakugo took off instantly, launching an Explosion downwards to lift himself off the ground.
Toru glanced at the ramp, then at Tomo, flashing a quick burst of light in her hand, before running out into the battlefield. Tomo knew what that flash meant. She was staying behind.
In that split second, Tomo realized he had a choice to make as time froze for him. His body was weak and barely able to move, but his Quirk was another story. Toru's flicker of light had reminded him about that. The dream he had was real. Somehow, she had healed his Quirk enough to give him a choice. It was her final act as his loving sister.
Do I go along with them? Or stay behind for Toru? I… should stay with her… but… if the choice were that easy, then why am I hesitating? Toru healed me to give me the choice, but her opinion on this is clear, so why did she heal me? If she wants me to stay with her, and I want to stay with her, then shouldn't the choice be easy? Easy… Is the choice really that easy? I've lived life always taking the easy choices. But my time in UA has shown me… the easy choices aren't always the best choices.
Tomo thought back to all the times he took the easy way out. The first battle training when he hid the bomb in Darkness and napped. The USJ attack when he gave in to Total Darkness at the first sign of resistance. The Sports Festival when he didn't question the power of his Darkness and instead just abused it. The final exam when he cockily declared that he would pass by himself only to instantly get captured. All those times, he had chosen the easy way, and all those times, he had failed. He had failed so often at UA that it had kept him up at day while trying to sleep.
I… I'm tired of the easy way out. All it ever does is backfire on me.
If I stay with Toru, is that the easy way out? All I have to do… is nothing. I'm so weak that I can barely move. If I relax a little, I would instantly pass out until this is all over. That sounds like something I would do without hesitation. I could relax and wake up to a life of villainy under one of the most powerful men in the world. He's holding his own against freaking All Might right now. I would be by her side but can I protect her? And what about Mom and Miyu? They wouldn't be safe if the public found out we work for villains. We could take them with us. All four of us would be together no matter what. But under him? I can't trust him but Toru does. Would life under him be easy? All I have to do is nothing.
What if I go with Kirishima and Ashido? Muster up all of my remaining energy and Darkness that I can for one final move into their arms? Is that easier? Say I had no idea about Toru and that she acted on her own? No one would ever believe me… Bakugo might back me up but I doubt it. He saw firsthand just how committed Toru was and there's no way I can free myself from suspicion. At least I would be able to keep watch over Mom and Miyu without that monster's shadow lurking, but Toru would be lost to me… Would the villains hunt us down? The monster implied he was interested in Miyu's Quirk. No. I can't let her ever meet him. Even if no one else trusts me, I have to stay by Mom and Miyu. I just have to gather up my energy…
Tomo made his choice, groaning. He closed his eyes to blink away the last tear. "Goodbye, Toru. Please come back to me one day," he whispered into the night.
Tomo concentrated. Now more aware of it, he could feel the core of his Quirk hum in response. The pain that followed his mental poke required every ounce of concentration Tomo had to not let it knock him out. The effort for it made his mind feel numb and his left palm felt like it was going to fall off. Blackness was threatening to overtake his whole vision as dark spots became more frequent by the second. He grit his teeth through the pain, trying his hardest to make Darkness come out. Just when he felt like he was about to pass out, a gentle light caressed his core, the warmth accompanying it giving him the last bit of juice needed.
Dark Wings exploded from Tomo's back. He picked himself up and started running to the best of his abilities. The first step had him stumble, but his Wings kept him upright. With a deep breath and powered by the warm light in his body, Tomo jumped as high as he could towards Bakugo, Kirishima, and his other classmates, eventually catching Midoriya by the hand. As the battlefield grew smaller and smaller beneath him and the warmth of light within him started to fade, Tomo looked back at the battlefield one last time.
A flash of light from the battlefield flickered once again.
Goodbye.
A/N: Thanks for reading and all the support on last week's chapter. This chapter pretty much marks the end of the first act of this story and canon will get a bit wacky from here on out. Next chapter should hopefully clear up anything left confusing from these past few chapter. See you next week.