True to his word, Tokoyami accompanied his old classmates back to UA. But rather than be at the center of the crowd like Midoriya, who saw no end of comforting words and reassuring smiles, Tokoyami shied away. He didn't need to be tempted by such things. Not when he had no intention of sticking around very long if he knew what was best for his own mission. And sure, Midoriya was also taking a grave risk by going back to the school, now that everyone knew who was after him, but he wouldn't be the bearer of bad news on a day that was already so dreary.

So Tokoyami hung back, on the edge of everyone's visions. Any attempt to engage him or include him in senseless conversation was strategically avoided. It wasn't that he was adamant against interacting with his old friends. It was just… better this way. He'd been gauging Midoriya's reaction carefully throughout the entire escort back to campus. He saw the way his eyes flicked cautiously around his surroundings, searching the shadows for potential enemies.

Tokoyami couldn't help thinking that it was him the battered, returning hero was searching for. As if he was something to be wary of. And perhaps he was deserving of such caution, considering the way he'd gone after him when the class had made their all-out assault against him. Perhaps it'd been too much. He really… wasn't suited for these moments of emotional vulnerability. That could very well have been another thing that was robbed from him during his time dealing in the shadows. He couldn't fake those smiles or promise that things would be okay without knowing the outcome for certain. He was too tired for that. Tokoyami couldn't be expected to lie, not when happiness and safety and warmth was never guaranteed, especially in these grim times.

He didn't want to ignore his classmates after working together with them in a way that, admittedly, felt meaningful. When Sero managed to catch his eye around a bend in the corner and enthusiastically wave him over, Tokoyami declined with a gentle shake of his head. And when Kaminari called out his name, wondering where he'd gone, Tokoyami had felt no choice but to answer in turn and give away his position, much as it grated him to do so. He didn't hate it, either – these attempts to include him were reminders of what he'd willfully left behind. But he didn't have the words to properly convey why he couldn't stand in their midst the way Midoriya was currently doing so. It just felt as though too much was different, more so than even when he'd first returned to the heroes after being with the villains for so long. This time around, he was choosing to keep his distance, and that cemented his stance in a different way.

Even still, there were those who knew how to check in with him during the somber walk back. Shouji always kept an ear trained in his direction, and Jirou did much the same, checking his position through sound every so often. Anytime somebody wondered if he was still with them at all, they were quickly reassured. At one point, when Tokoyami paused to watch his classmates cross an open stretch where a city block had once been, a crow came down and landed on his shoulder, startling him. Tokoyami had looked to the black bird for a confused second before understanding had taken hold, and he'd politely informed the messenger bird that he was doing just fine… though he appreciated Kouda's concern.

It was only when the walls of UA drew into sight that the insatiable urge to flee took hold of him. Normally the tall-standing building with its reinforced walls and dependable staff of heroes would offer a place of safety for the likes of someone like him, a sensation he did in fact desire despite his choices up to now. The school had his friends and family there. His teachers, temporary as they had been. This place was protecting his mom and dad – and Eri. And that meant the world to him.

But as he followed his class at a distance, up the paved road leading to the front gate, he felt his blood run cold. He could hear people. Lots of them. An uproar of voices wailing and yelling from inside the walls. Everyone heard it – it would be impossible not to. Judging by the resigned expressions he could pick out from his old friends, they must've known. Even Midoriya, being dragged back here as he was, looked ready to face the obstacle that was so disruptively set before them.

"What's wrong?" Tokoyami croaked in a small voice that could be easily drowned in the steadily building voices. He stuck to the treeline as the ominous gates of the school opened for them, revealing a massive crowd of civilians toting umbrellas and protest signs against the steadily pouring rains. Their sounds echoed resolutely in his head, muddled at first, but as they drew closer and he forced his feet forward he began to make sense of the words.

"Don't let that kid enter UA!"

"Shigaraki'll come after him!"

"UA guaranteed us we'd be safe here!"

Tokoyami choked on his next breath and backed up rapidly into the bushes at his back, nearly tripping on his way into cover. Despite his messy retreat, nobody turned to look at him lest they give away his position to the masses of people that were surging at the entrance of the school. His head was swimming, hands trembling as he parting the prickly branches of his incidental hiding spot. "Who are they?!" he whispered aloud.

They all look so angry, Fumikage. I don't want to be in a place like this.

I can't imagine anyone would…

A mouth emerged from the trunk of the tree beside him, nearly making him jump out of his skin before Shouji's voice reached him, calm and level. "These are the citizens that are taking refuge at UA, since it's one of the safest places across multiple cities," he explained in hushed tones, as if he, too, feared discovery on Tokoyami's part. "When word got out that Deku, the person All for One is after, would be returning here, panic spread quickly. If it could've been a quiet ordeal, the teacher's would've preferred it, but as it stands…"

Tokoyami watched as UA's teachers emerged on the scene, attempting to placate the distraught hordes of people while ushering the students further inside, where the walls would protect them. No doubt, they wanted to get Deku back to his room and into some warm clothes as soon as possible. Tokoyami could hear Present Mic calling out above the heads of the people, yelling for them to calm down. But… but they all looked so upset. So desperate, as if coming back here would break the fragile idea of peace that they were clinging to.

"I can't stay here any longer," Tokoyami croaked, shaking his head numbly as his breath hitched uncomfortably in his throat. They… they didn't know about him, did they? Nighteye had told him that his case was being intentionally kept obscure to the public, while Midoriya's had taken off like wildfire. To their knowledge, his story had ended when he was saved by heroes after the war. But the villains lining the streets and the heroes who'd watched his actions closely knew him too much. If they ever found out everything he'd done to reach this point, then…

They would think we're a monster.

"I-I'm sorry," Tokoyami rasped, gathering his cloak closer around him. "I shouldn't have come here. But… I sincerely hope that Midoriya gets the rest he deserves." The words felt more forced than he intended, but it's the best he could manage in that moment. "Tell the class I said good-bye."

He turned to leave. Behind him, at the head of the unruly crowds, Uraraka was pushing ahead with a megaphone in hand. Aizawa had appeared to check in with the class, doing a swift head count while he searched the perimeters for his missing student. Even the top pros were here to welcome them back: Best Jeanist and… and Endeavor. If he expected to see anyone else, he was sorely disappointed. Not that it made much difference to Tokoyami, who ducked his head down further and melded into the shadows as if they were there just to hide his cowardly retreat.

"…When things calm down, do you think you'll ever come back here?" Shouji asked through the disembodied mouth.

Tokoyami thought about that a moment, shuddering as a fat droplet of water splashed his neck through a gap in his scarf. "I'd like to. If only so that I can properly see everyone. But I can't say for sure that this will ever calm down. Not with the way things are."

"That's why we're trying to make things better."

Tokoyami could feel his hands shaking as they gripped tightly onto the folds of fabric protecting his shoulders. Coming back here shouldn't have been this hard for him.

It's okay to leave, Dark Shadow murmured, pressing his head into Tokoyami's back.

I can't imagine doing anything else.

Without a proper response to leave Shouji with, Tokoyami pushed his way further into the undergrowth of the surrounding forest. He didn't want to make use of the roads, not while he was trying to slip away, and the branches caught on his tattered clothes repeatedly as if they alone could impede his progress. In his wake, Uraraka's voice rang out bravely, amplified by the megaphone for all to hear.

"—You don't get it! He left school in the first place because he didn't want to cause trouble for anyone! We were the ones who brought him back here!"

Tokoyami drowned the noises out as best he could, just grateful that he wasn't the one standing trial before the masses. His time would surely come, and he'd have to answer for it. The less that was said about him, the better. But the footage was out there for everyone to see. It's not like he was keeping secrets – it's just that they were masked behind claims of brainwashing and manipulation from the evil people that had captured him. Striking out on his own and keeping his presence in the general public low wouldn't hide him from whatever criticism would come his way.

Tokoyami's eyes watered without meaning to. What a load of shit.

Dark Shadow rested a clawed hand lightly on his shoulder and hovered close, though he had no words to say that could offer reassurance during these times.

Tokoyami stumbled through the forested area, leaving the rising walls of UA and all its noisy people behind. In retrospect, it was awfully brave of Midoriya to come back here, even after all the support his classmates had to offer. Tokoyami didn't envy him. It was easier to keep his beak out of these matters, since his own goals were dubious at best. The less that was known about it, the better. If there were people causing an outcry over him… he wouldn't ever want to see it. He's not sure what he'd even do.

Dark Shadow perked up at his side unexpectedly, responding to something he hadn't seen yet. Tokoyami stiffened in response, his finger hovering over the trigger for his gauntlets. It didn't seem realistic that an enemy would wander so close to the school, but anything was possible in these uncertain times. Either way, he wasn't about to take any chances.

But rather than flex his claws in anticipation for a fight, Dark Shadow detached himself from Tokoyami's side with a delighted gasp, his glowing yellow eyes brimming with excitement.

"Dark Shadow, who is it?" Tokoyami asked, unnerved by the response.

The quirk ducked behind a tree and tugged at whoever was hiding amongst the darkness there. A dry chuckle followed as Dark Shadow gently dragged a tall, dark-dressed man into the open.

"Father!" Tokoyami choked out, relief and anxiety mingling together in a short span of time. He hadn't wanted to see anyone on his way out – he'd barely even wanted to come back here in the first place! But… but now that he was, he could only wonder what the people closest to him thought of him now.

Tokoyami's dad peeled himself away from the trunk of the tree like a shadow and stepped lightly across the damp forest floor to greet him. The scar running down the side of his face crinkled as he allowed a thin, not unkind smile. Dark Shadow flitted around him all the while, vying for his attention, and the man patted his side idly.

Tokoyami restrained himself from rushing forward to hug his dad, caught as he was in a moment of uncertainty. No doubt, Midoriya was having another touching reunion with his mother as everyone worked to calm down the masses. But such a thing didn't feel earned here.

He hung his head in shame. "I… I'm sorry I ran off without saying anything."

His dad came to a stop in front of him, and Tokoyami willfully refused to raise his head to meet his gaze, worried of the disappointment he might find there. Dark Shadow, sensing his troubled thoughts, drifted away from the looming man and returned to his side, tilting his head quizzically to the side.

The sound of rain splattering the forest around them was deafening without any other words to fill the space between them. Until finally his dad broke his silence with a sigh. "It was only to be expected, actually." Tokoyami raised his head slowly from the ground to look up, relaxing when he found no hint of resentment or anger on his face. "Your circumstances had always been… different from the others. There is no one label or event that defines you. All I'd ever wished for you was that you'd have a future that you could control for yourself, without the fears that come with weakness and uncertainty."

Tokoyami did his best not to react to the key words he's heard his dad use time and again. Future. Control. Weakness. But something must've shown on his face, because his dad is quick to explain himself further. "I understand that it was no easy task to choose this path. I only…" His face twisted into something that resembled a sneer, but Tokoyami understood that it was only a frown. "I only wish to inform you that it's alright. I trust you to make these decisions. Your mother… I spent no small amount of time giving her ample reassurance in your absence. She fears for you immensely. But I know you are strong. Both in strength… and of will." He carded his hand through Tokoyami's feathers, carefully skimming the healed burns and scars while noting the places where his feathers had grown back strange and off-color. Tokoyami leaned slightly into his hand, and briefly wished there was someone out there he could lean into fully for support.

"I'll always strive to do my best with the power I was given," Tokoyami mumbled, his answer coming automatically as he tried desperately to sound more confident than he actually felt. "I… I won't lose myself. I promise."

Dark Shadow wilted under those words, despite them not being targeted in any way. The quirk no longer looked as excited as he was before, and Tokoyami could feel his desire to retreat back into the safety of his cloak, despite the fact that the overcast sky had created a perfectly gloomy day for him to be active in.

His dad fixed one last odd feather before stepping back, a contemplative hum forming in the back of his throat. "You don't need to offer up forced promises. I already know you'll do what's best for you. Just… please do not be shy about checking in with your parents. Your mother worries so. I'll be sure to add more funds to your account while I work out a damage settlement with the Hero Commission. At this point, the least I can do is support you in any way I can." His expression softened in a rare showing of concern. "After all, you two will always be my little crows."

Dark Shadow sniffled at Tokoyami's side, his claws clenching and unclenching as if he wasn't entirely sure what to do with them. "I—! I'll keep him safe, Dad! So you don't gotta worry about us!"

Their dad rumbled a laugh, more genuine than any he'd heard from him in a long time. "I know you will, Dark Shadow. If anyone can keep such a reckless child alive, it would be you."

Tokoyami burned beneath his feathers. "Th-thanks, Dad," he mumbled, taking a step back.

The parent figure didn't look the least bit surprised. "That's all there really is to it. I… regret that this place can't be more of a home to you the way things are now. I pray that will change in due time. But for now, take care. Wherever you choose to fly off to. And remember: you're not alone in all this, frightening as it may be at times."

Tokoyami dipped his head in silent understand and walked past his dad, continuing the trail he'd been headed down. He'd gone no more than a few steps when he turned his head back to where his dad had been standing, only to find the place empty. Just as he'd appeared, so did he vanish, back into the shadows and without a sound.

How typical.

At least now he could breathe a little easier, knowing that things were going to be okay for his parents. That was the closest he was going to get to his father's blessing on this formidable, self-imposed quest of his.

Once Tokoyami had gone far enough through the woods that he didn't think anyone from UA would be able to see him, he took to the sky. Dark Shadow suppressed a yawn as his inky wings brought them higher into the air, over the tops of buildings and cityscapes.

I know you're tired, Dark Shadow, Tokoyami soothed gently. It's already been a long day… and our residence is quite far from here.

I can do it, though, don't worry!

Tokoyami grimaced. He didn't like the idea of flying all the way back to Osaka, especially with how much they'd already had to travel throughout the day. If you can get us as far as Yokohama, then perhaps we'd be better suited to taking the train…

"Really?!" Dark Shadow cawed aloud, so close to his head that Tokoyami winced away from the unexpectedly loud noise.

He snorted a laugh. "Yes, yes, we can afford such means of travel every once in a while, don't you think?" It was another good reason to have his parents' support – the financial stability was nice, even if it served to reinforce the guilt he felt at leaving them behind like this. "I just want to make a quick stop somewhere before we locate a station."

Dark Shadow's excitement died down once more, and muddled thoughts filled their heads. Tokoyami clenched his fists, bringing them closer to his chest.

"You want to go… there?" Dark Shadow rasped, voice tinged with worry. "It hasn't been that long. Not enough has changed since then."

"I don't care," Tokoyami firmly decided. "It just… feels important. We know so much more now than we did back then. It wouldn't feel right if we didn't pay our respects once more."

Tokoyami could feel his quirk's hesitation. But his mind was already set on the matter. So they steered their way through the air, back the way they had first flown until they were passing back over the buildings where they'd clashed with Midoriya earlier in the day. Tokoyami eyed the empty skyscraper with its broken windows, thinking back to how poorly this last interaction with Midoriya had gone. He truly hadn't meant to pose a threat, even if that new quirk of his had thought otherwise.

Tokoyami flew past it all. Not without thinking heavily of the actions that had taken place so recently, of course, but rather with the knowledge that there were more pressing matters on hand. He wished he'd be able to move on from things that might've been better off put behind him, but that hadn't been the case so far in his life. And such pre-conceived notions wouldn't be proved wrong today, either. No, he was far too sentimental a person to simply let go of the woes that persisted in the depths of his burdened mind.

Tokoyami eventually had Dark Shadow set him down on a rough road littered with debris and toppled walls. These roads, he knew, were repaved not that long ago. The last time he'd been here, there'd been a new park erected in honor of the tragedy that had initially occurred. Here, in Kamino Ward, a place that was now synonymous with grief and devastation. It'd been less than two months since he'd last stepped foot here, under Dr. Ujiko's careful surveillance. Back then, Tokoyami had walked past civilians that were finding peace and comfort in what had been reconstructed. There'd been cherry trees and small paves paths and memorials put in place to honor what'd been lost.

Now that was gone.

Again.

The area looked much more like it had when he'd first been caught up in the destruction. So many months ago, and yet it felt much more like years had passed instead for how much he'd changed during that time. So what good did it do for him now, to return to this place yet again and take in the senseless destruction that had made its return? All it seemed to prove was that there was no escape from the constant cycle of build and destroy. Over and over, evil and good, heroes and villains, until the end of time or the collapse of civilization, whichever came first.

There was one thing, at least, that was still standing. Here, in the sea of endless wreckage. Here, under the judgmental eyes of all who watched on with disdain or desperation. An empty throne, taken by none, now lost to time.

The Symbol of Peace.

Tokoyami can see the memorial of justice standing out amidst the rain. Though it was surrounded by wreckage, it'd miraculously managed to avoid taking any obvious damage itself. But that didn't mean that the statue was unscathed by the masses.

With a great deal of effort that weighed heavy on his soul, Tokoyami began to walk forward. His foot clattered against something on the ground, making him falter just short of seeing the statue in full view. It was Midoriya's hero mask, the metal mouth guard impossibly chipped and cracked from use and the green fabric tattered to mere strips. It must've fallen off during the confrontation between him and the class.

With a heavy breath, he kicked it off to the side. He hoped Midoriya would get some new gear, now that he wasn't running himself ragged. That would be ideal, at least. Tokoyami, in the meantime, would continue working with what he had. He really was only able to operate as well as he had been because of the tools and support left for him by the villains of the world. He wouldn't have gotten this far without them, either. This precarious situation… it was manufactured, and not entirely by his design.

Tokoyami came to a stop under the imposing shadow cast by All Might's statue. There'd been too many people around last time to get so close. It seemed bittersweet that only now, when this place was yet again suffering from the throes of devastation, would he finally be able to stand so close to the portrait of the man that'd once been his hero.

All Might had seen great potential in him once, so very long ago. He wondered if the brave hero who'd lost his life still thought that, looking down at the tattered, rain-soaked little crow standing before him. He wondered if anyone could see him at all, or if he'd become too good at hiding.

Tokoyami fixated his gaze on the soggy sign hanging from the statue's neck, an unremarkable board with the words I AM NOT HERE printed over a big red X.

Perhaps… it was for the best. If nobody was around to see him, then he wouldn't be missed when he was inevitably gone.

"How foolish, to think that someone such as I could live up to a hero as big as yourself," Tokoyami rasped. "You're not even around to watch the world you cared so deeply for spiral into disarray. Though I'm sure… things wouldn't be so bad if you were still here. Right?"

Statues don't give responses, though. He should've been able to ask for support and validation from his peers, teachers, mentors… But he'd turned his back on them all, and he had only himself to blame for whatever happened next.

Tokoyami tilted his face towards the ground, hunching his shoulders against the chill that was seeping in through his damp clothes.

"Haaa… you've come to pay your respects, too?" Tokoyami froze, the words drifting towards him cold and piercing in a way he didn't recognize. And yet there was something unmistakably sinister about the way that venom dripped from the scathing tone. "There's not many who come here for such reasons these days, but don't you think it's rather hypocritical?"

Tokoyami's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as they pinpointed the source of the sneering words, landing on a crouched figure garbed in white and crouched atop a mound of rubble.

"Hero Killer Stain." Tokoyami stated the infamous villain's name evenly, without reverence or disdain. "I've heard much about you – quite the polarizing figure, are you not?" Tokoyami leveled a stare at the long, serrated edge of his katana, slung easily over one shoulder. He hadn't come here in anticipation for a battle, but he'd fight beak and claw if it meant getting out of this place unscathed. He decided not to unsheathe his dagger-like gauntlet extensions just yet, playing things calmly to see where it went before any such action broke out.

Stain blinked slowly at him, seemingly unamused. It was strange – Tokoyami knew him as the kind of person to viciously attack heroes and villains alike, outlining him as an unpredictable opponent. And yet here, underneath the watchful gaze of the stony-faced All Might, he appeared surprisingly tame. He was an imposing threat, sure, but Tokoyami couldn't feel the insatiable bloodlust that was often associated with him. Stories from his classmates about the kind of person he was conflicted with the ideas shared with him from the members of the League who idolized him in various ways.

Now that the elusive figure, newly escaped from the depths of Tartarus, was right here before him, he'd have to form his own opinion. Tokoyami just wasn't sure where to start. Or why this villain had stopped him in his tracks in the first place.

"I could say the same for you, Jet Black Hero," Stain rasped, looking him up and down as if he were disappointed with what he'd found.

"Don't call me that, Hero Killer," Tokoyami growled. Dark Shadow coiled in the air above his head, flexing his claws imposingly. But Stain had yet to move his sword an inch, so Tokoyami quietly told his quirk to back down while he also refrained from making any hasty moves. He didn't know if Stain was the type to attack first and ask questions later or if he reveled in these sorts of stand-offish conversations – as with most things regarding the strange vigilante villain, he'd heard that it could go either way. Iida, at least, still had the scars to prove that.

"Do you not consider yourself a hero?" Stain quizzed him, leaning forward ever so slightly with a strange intensity to his frazzled, blood-shot eyes. His long, lacerated tongue lolled out of his mouth, like a snake seeking out its next victim.

"That title dates itself – it's merely a product of different times," Tokoyami explained away, his eyes momentarily flicking back to All Might's face. In the gloom cast by the rain, his triumphant smile looked far more like a contorted grimace, as if the mighty hero had witnessed something truly unpleasant. "You don't call yourself a hero to assure the masses that you're here to help them – you earn the right to be called a hero after doing good things for the people who need you."

Stain nodded slowly, taking in his words with an unreadable expression. "Those words… and that telltale scarf you're wearing… are you just another one of my impersonators?"

Tokoyami bristled at the accusation, his face twisting into a scowl before he could stop himself, and Dark Shadow appeared just a little bit bigger around him in response. "I hardly even know who you are," Tokoyami spat, the words coming fast and hard before he could take a breath to settle himself. "So… no, I'm not intentionally using your likeness for personal gain. Or… or to flock your followers to my side. To me, it is merely a keepsake from a dear friend – one who saw the kinds of things you did and was able to grab onto hope because of it. I am not like that, to be so easily swayed by things far beyond my reach. I will try to do things how I see fit, in the manner in which I have learned them. I dare say I have the experiences to form my own opinions." Tokoyami's hands took hold of Spinner's tattered scarf – the blood-red icon that had once been synonymous with Stain's will. Though the Stain standing here before him no longer sported the infamous garb, it still possessed the symbolism of fighting back against the current status quo of the privileged heroes. He'd seen civilians and beginner vigilantes donning the red scarves more and more as of late, while the appearances of heroes plunged dramatically. "Despite my thoughts, I will not look down on those that do choose to see you as an icon, though. Because I've seen the way your followers act. How they feel and express themselves. And I know that they, too, are strong-willed, so that someday they will come into their own and realize that they don't have to follow the ideas set by you. Everyone is bound to have their own experiences with the fraying line separating hero and villain."

Stain teetered on the edge of the crumbling block of building, looking ready to pitch forward at any moment on a whim. "Who are you, really?" he inquired, sounding suspicious.

"I am Fumikage Tokoyami. I have no claim to a title right now. Though if you have any ideas, please, feel free to enlighten me," Tokoyami answered drily.

Dark Shadow was momentarily distracted by a noise, and Tokoyami turned to see that someone was approaching. Before he even understood what was happening, a rough hand had lashed out and taken hold of him by the back of the cloak, dragging him into the shadows of the nearby rubble pile. Tokoyami's heart dropped, his body going rigid as Stain towered over him, holding him close with his sword hovering even closer to his neck, which was only protected by the thin layer of fabric that was his scarf.

And yet he still didn't get the sense that he was in danger.

With a sharp command, Tokoyami stopped his quirk from turning his claws against the Hero Killer and cementing their place in a fight. The shadowy entity's eyes blazed with frustration at the imposed limitation, but he followed the order with a snarl on his face and kept his beak shut.

"Someone's coming," Stain hissed, steadying his breath and lowering his presence in much the same way that he'd known Toga to do. Tokoyami followed suit, letting the shadows of their hiding place converge around him, and peered slowly around the rubble to see who it was.

"Who is she?" Tokoyami whispered.

They watched from their cover as a young, fair-faired woman crept around the mounds of rubble and approached the statue, umbrella in hand. She looked around nervously for signs of threats and, finding none, used her quirk to create a platform that brought her up to the statue's eye level. From there, she took off the egregious sign and worked to scrub the graffiti from the figure, mumbling all the while about how relentless the defacers were.

Stain looked on, unsurprised by the visitor, as if he'd been in this very position often enough to grow used to her appearances. "Every day, she purges the blasphemy left behind by the hero detractors. She likely travels from a nearby shelter, and causes no small inconvenience to those in charge."

"How courageous of her," Tokoyami drawled. "But foolhardy all the same. It isn't safe out here anymore. I understand the sentiment, but it will do her no good in the end, if she's ever found out by those so-called hero detractors."

"You don't get it, do you?" Stain growled, an odd edge to his tone that had Tokoyami looking back up at him. His face was set in grim determination. "She is like you. That woman was the last person to be saved by All Might."

Tokoyami wrenched himself free from Stain's hold of him and stepped back with a scowl. "No, you are mistaken! I was not saved by All Might – I merely led to his downfall!"

"Then why do you return here?!" Stain demanded, flashing his sword intimidatingly at him and bridging the measly gap that Tokoyami had made between them. "Do you stand as a mockery of what All Might represents? Do you honestly believe that one as small and weak of will could desecrate what the pinnacle of heroism stood for? Never! All Might would always maintain his grin and devote every fiber of his being to the people, even in the worst of times! To claim you have any fault in the matter would be to sell short the precedence he set! It had nothing to do with how strong he was or the power he held, but with how much of himself he was willing to give to the people around him!" Stain stepped back with a shuttered breath, a strange, new-found peace coming over him. "And after all of that, his influence lives on. The flickering ember he left behind is nurtured by those select few who succumb neither to chilling flame nor howling wind… until the ember grows anew into a roaring blaze! The people must not let that fire die out. No matter how undignified the struggle, they must stoke the flames so long as they draw breath.

Stoke the flames…

Tokoyami held a contemplative hand to his beak, thinking deeply on those words. He shouldn't have been surprised by the level of profoundness this man possessed – there was a good reason why this man was regarded the way he was, used as an icon of revolutionary ideas. "All Might's influence… this desire to rise above the ashes… it lies within you as well, doesn't it?" Tokoyami considered, trying to see the dangerous man for everything that he represented and still struggling to dissect the complexity with which he held himself. If Stain was surprised by how swiftly Tokoyami reflected the ideas back onto him, he didn't show it. "If you claim to do what you think is best for the sake of this world… then can I expect you to be there when our fight matters most?"

Stain let out a raspy, incredulous laugh. His eyes held no mirth, only disbelief. "You would request the help of someone with the blood of forty heroes on their hands? Do you even understand what you're asking for?!"

Tokoyami shook his head with a sigh. "Maybe not, I will admit. I won't deny you've caused much grief to this nation already, and your sentence to Tartarus was likely deserved because of it. And yet I struggle to see you as an enemy in all this. Because you care deeply for the fate of these lands. So I know… that you will say yes. That you will be there."

"You have a lot of nerve, deciding where I'm going to be like this," Stain decided, his too-wide mouth warping into a toothy grin. He turned away, finally sheathing his katana after deciding that there was nothing here that was necessary to fight. "I look forward to seeing how brightly you can burn."

You're not the only one.

Stain's hand flicked out behind him, and Tokoyami backpeddled swiftly to avoid the knife that'd been thrown at his feet. Pinned beneath the blade were several important looking documents.

"I think you, more than most others, will be able to make use of this information from my time in Tartarus. Until next time we meet, on the battlefield that will decide the outcome of this society."

Tokoyami gently plucked the knife from the papers and held firmly onto them, as if fearful that they would vanish if he wasn't careful. There was still so much to do before the tension between heroes and villains finally broke beyond the point of mending. And it didn't feel like he'd uncovered nearly enough of what he could do. But this, at least, was a good start.