Heroes in the Dark chapter 4

Tokoyami stepped through into the room that they had all first arrived in, the villain charged with looking after him close behind. He glanced around, his feathers prickling with unease. Now that the space had calmed down and he was free to observe the surroundings, he could take note of it. Just as he thought, it was a generic bar space, with a long counter running along the wall protecting shelves of cheap alcohol. Behind it stood the familiar villain that had been identified as Kurogiri after the USJ incident, busying himself by cleaning up broken bottles that had been thrown his way at some point. Despite his general lack of emotion, he looked tired, his hazy purple mist less lively.

The walls were plastered with old and partially destroyed posters featuring pro heroes. Some heroes from the past he didn't recognize had large gouges taken out of them or Xs marked across their faces. One featuring All Might stood out the most, with three long scars marring the picture of the Symbol of Peace. Mounted to his right was a television turned onto the news channel and muted. For a moment there was a UA faculty member being interviewed, but he couldn't understand what was going on. He assumed that the reports of the attack in the forest had spread fast, though. Tokoyami wondered if his classmates had made it out alright. He couldn't forget the image of Midoriya and the rest reaching out to them, injured and desperate.

But it went without saying that the ones he should be worrying about the most right now were him and the other student trapped here in this room. For sitting in the center of the room surrounded by villains was Bakugou, restrained much in the same way as he was during the awards ceremony after the tournament. His hands, the source of his brutal power, were once again weighed down by heavy concrete blocks, and a gag had been tied over his mouth, probably to stop the cursing and death threats that were being directed at the villains. Last time the boy had been restrained like this he had radiated anger and intimidation. Now you could still see the rage written across his face, but he was decisively more subdued, shaking quietly with suppressed emotions in an uncharacteristic way. It was almost sad to see. Tokoyami hoped that he had the sense to stay put. Bakugou was smart, an excellent student and even better fighter, but the way that he let his emotions get the best of him in the past could prove to be consequential for the both of them.

One-sided conversation between the villains and the student came to a halt when the room noticed his presence. All eyes turned on him, suspicious and judgmental; when Bakugou caught sight of him walking freely, he scowled, becoming visibly angrier.

He brought that upon himself, Dark Shadow laughed in his mind, and Tokoyami found himself agreeing, although he'd never tell that to the quirk.

"Hey, Dabi, what the hell," hissed the reptilian Stain impersonator, reacting immediately. "We already have our hands full with this one."

Shigaraki let out an exasperated sigh. "You were supposed to keep that extra in the back so that we can do something with him later." He sat down in a barstool and compulsively began scratching at his neck, which was already red and scarred from a particularly stressful night. Kurogiri slid a drink his way, but it was left untouched on the counter.

"It's fine, no harm no fowl," Dabi said, smiling at his own pun. No one else was laughing. "Look, don't worry about it. He's not gonna do anything, so I decided that he didn't need to be left out of this. Is that a problem?" he challenged.

"For all you know the kid could be lulling you into a false sense of security," mumbled the imposing lady he'd heard them refer to as Magne. "You don't know what he's capable of."

"Eh, I have a pretty good idea and I'm not concerned."

That sounded like a slight against him, but Tokoyami wasn't about to take it personally. Not in the state he was in. His quirk was greater and more complex than anything they could possibly understand, but he wasn't about to brag about that any time soon. Hopefully if they let him be then they'd never have to know about the internal turmoil that had been going on between him and Dark Shadow.

"How could you be so quick to trust the new kid? I dunno about that, he might end up fitting in," said Twice, although his words came off as confusing.

"I hear that crows make great pets," giggled the schoolgirl that looked no older than himself. She stared him down with intense yellow eyes filled with animalistic instinct, like she would happily attack him without warning. It made him uncomfortable, and he hoped he wasn't showing how agitated he was to be back here surrounded by all these unfriendly faces. Usually he could keep his calm better than anyone, and was happy to be the voice of reason in the classroom, but this was hardly a normal situation to be in.

"Sure, whatever, just so long as the brat doesn't get in the way. If anything goes wrong because of him, it'll be your fault, Dabi," Shigaraki growled. His eyes gleamed from between the stiff fingers of the gray hand covering his face, appraising the hero in training that had become their unexpected captive. "Everyone can stop hovering around the explosion boy. Maybe he'll be ready to cooperate after we pick apart this…Fumikage, is it?"

The villains dispersed, leaning against walls, sitting at the bar, and crashing on a couch in the corner, leaving behind the restrained Bakugou in the center of the room. But they were all watching and listening, intent to see what would happen next. This was all some kind of spectacle to them, but one they worked damn hard to see happen.

"Third place in the tournament, if I recall correctly. Were doing great until you went up against the kid we have over there." He nodded vaguely towards Bakugou, who was now staring angrily down at his imprisoned hands. "Some kind of sentient shadow power, and Mr. Compress tells me it's much greater than anything I saw on screen. That true?"

Mr. Compress adjusted his mask from where he sat nervously. "You should've seen it, there was such devastating power and –"

"I want to hear it from him." The head villain swiveled in his barstool to face Tokoyami directly. "But if you piss me off or prove that you're of no use to me, then you better have a damn good reason for why I shouldn't obliterate you on the spot."

"You don't have to intimidate him – he's just a kid," Kurogiri chided.

"So's the other one, and look who's left cleaning up the destructive little monster's mess."

Heh, they think your classmate is the monster here, Dark Shadow laughed, intruding his thoughts once again. If only they knew. You'll just have to show them what you're capable of. Tokoyami didn't justify his quirk with a response, but it was becoming harder to split his attention between the two forces pressuring him on either side.

Kurogiri sighed in passive defeat, but went ahead and beckoned him over to a seat at the bar that was several feet away from the irate Shigaraki. Tokoyami took the seat and the misty purple figure served him a glass of water. For a villain that had done so much damage at the USJ and, from the accounts of other students, had almost succeeded in tearing All Might in half, he was surprisingly level-minded, a stark contrast to Shigaraki, who came of as impulsive and lacking patience. He wasn't sure what to make of all the others. Whatever the case, he needed to tread carefully least he inadvertently anger any one of them by saying something careless. He doubted Bakugou would hold the same sentiment, but that didn't matter now that all interest was on him.

"Go on, no reason to be shy, right?"

Tokoyami glanced over his shoulder in uncertainty. The one responsible for bringing him out here was leaning against the wall scrolling through a phone absentmindedly. Dabi noticed and glanced up from his screen, raising an eyebrow. As strange as it was, the student found him to be much more approachable. At the very least, the many-handed creep seated before him was most unwelcoming, and he could only hope that he wouldn't do anything harming to him. Although they were all villains with records to back up their misdeeds, the fact that some of them had expressed what might've been concern was a bit comforting. He hoped that Shigaraki's threat wasn't anything fulfillable so long as other villains held different views against him. Despite being called an alliance, he doubted that this strange group was capable of total camaraderie.

"Right." He started reluctantly, uncertain of how much he'd have to give away about himself before they were satisfied. "M-my quirk. Dark Shadow is a sentient being that I control for combat, and he – it, I mean, is…useful and multipurpose." Tokoyami grimaced, clenching his hands in his lap.

The villain staring him down was tapping his fingers against the counter. "That's great, but I already understand the gist of it from what I've already seen. Tell me what you did to Moonfish. You know, my incredibly strong, albeit psychotic, ally. He's either dead or in custody thanks to you. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad about that. I'll be angrier if I were to find out that he lost to a bunch of pushovers. But that doesn't sound like the case. So what the hell did you do, Bird."

"I don't suppose you would believe me if I said that I was just holding back during the tournament."

Shigaraki hummed in contemplation, but his scratchy voice made it sound like more of a growl. "Maybe I would've if it weren't so obvious that you had a weakness and a strength. But I could potentially understand why it wouldn't do a person any good to make a scene on live television. Can never be sure what attracting all that attention can land you. Isn't that right, Bakugou?" The tied up student didn't respond, so he directed his focus back to Tokoyami. "So out with it. What made your quirk go off like it did? Dabi says you're weak to fire and explosions."

First Bakugou and then the villains. Tokoyami's weaknesses were becoming more and more obvious to the people he'd never want to reveal them to, and it was a disheartening realization. It was also something he couldn't avoid disclosing with the person he now faced. They already had the answer, all that was needed was his confirmation. And he didn't want to provide an unsatisfactory answer.

"Yes. My quirk. It is indeed less powerful before such obstacles. What people usually see is a tamer version of what its power truly encompasses. While still capable during such conditions, its true power comes out under the veil of darkness."

Shigaraki considered that, taking in what was just said. "So at night, then. Makes sense. But something tells me that it isn't all of it. Surely you don't unleash the kind of power that can defeat a powerful foe everytime the sun sets. So what made tonight so special. It sounds like you destroyed half the forest."

Toga giggled from her seat on the couch. "Ooh~ that sounds evil. Maybe you're better off with us, huh?"

"I…that's a bit much. I don't remember that." Tokoyami turned his head away. "A kid can't destroy a forest. My quirk is only –"

"Show me."

Tokoyami tensed. He'd been dreading this moment, had been hoping that after Bakugou had caused them so much trouble that they wouldn't bother with him. And as Shigaraki's demand hung in the air, he hardened his resolution. "I refuse," he stated in a firm, monotonous tone. Even with everything that was going on around him, unleashing his quirk was the one thing he could not afford to do.

Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. "And why would you do that. If I wanted to I could bend you to my will whenever I want. To deny me is childish and futile."

Tokoyami hung his head lower, feeling thoroughly driven into a corner and afraid to speak again. There was no going back from this; he just didn't want to say –

"The kid can't control his quirk."

Everyone turned their attention to where Dabi had spoken up, and newfound interest arose as the villains began to piece everything together.

Dabi looked back up from his phone, the staples holding his skin together glowing from the blue light of the screen. "What. It seems obvious. Or maybe it's just from my perspective, but that quirk literally has a mind of its own." He stuck his phone into his pocket and slid down against the wall until he was sitting on the ground. "Maybe he's uncertain, unstable, unwilling. Perhaps this shadow can sense his fear. Whatever the case, I don't think it's smart to demand him to use it now. I'm sure he'll loosen up eventually, though."

Tokoyami tried to read the expressions of the people around him, but couldn't focus on a single one. After having his insecurities exposed, he suddenly felt much smaller. And yet a part of him was grateful that he didn't have to be the one to say it. He couldn't tell if this made his position more or less dangerous, however, and in the end he was reduced to tolerating this uncertainty once more.

The sound of agitated scratching brought him back to the most crucial part of this conversation. Shigaraki was at it again, digging his nails into the raw skin of his neck, not quite angry but something else, more calculating. "So…can we use him or not. Because I swear if it's going to be this way with a damn quirk I never asked for I swear I will send him to Master, just so that we can be done with it. If the kid can't use his quirk, then what's the point?!"

Tokoyami didn't understand the part about the master, or why he would be sent there, but suddenly everyone else in the room had been put on edge and the atmosphere had changed.

Dabi leaned forward. "Hey now –"

"You're right! Don't be so damn cruel, Tomura!" Twice sprung up from his seat, a decisively determined look on his masked face. "You better not have a problem with someone struggling with the duality of their quirk, because if you do –" he struck a pose, jabbing his thumb at himself "– Then you better have something to say to me! I can teach this kid right!"

"I don't think he has what it takes," Spinner scoffed.

"How do you even know you have 'what it takes,' whatever that's supposed to mean," Magne challenged.

Spinner pouted and crossed his arms over his polka-dot shirt. "Because I follow in the path of the mighty Stain! How could anything lead me astray?!"

"Then you should teach him!" Toga said, excitement evident in her unnaturally cheery voice. "He can be a great villain, he just needs our help is all!"

Shigaraki sighed in resignation. "What is this, a pet project? Fine then, he's your responsible. But if he crosses us on your terms there will be hell to pay. So Fumikage, count yourself lucky that I care more about Bakugou, because if I were left to deal with you only it might not have worked so well in your favor."

Tokoyami wasn't sure how to respond to all this. He could never approve of being taught by villains, but as far as he was concerned he was safe for now. This arrangement didn't make him feel any more comfortable, but if he could role with it for now then it definitely wasn't the worse thing.

They might understand you more than any hero ever could.

Tokoyami scowled. I didn't ask you.

"Hey, that's a scary face you have there," Shigaraki rasped. "Didn't you hear me? Go play with the others. I'm done talking with you. I'd rather negotiate with someone who actually has the conviction to use their quirk. So you better not interrupt me while I'm trying to level with Bakugou, or there will be hell to pay."