Heroes in the Dark chapter 24
Tokoyami wasn't able to reliable breath until the meeting had come to an end. It had concluded swiftly after the small puppet yakuza – Mimic, as he was referred to – had finished his spiel. Besides being surrounded by those people though, it hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be. Nerve-wracking, for sure, but he hadn't been pressed for questions too much and Toga and Twice had been the ones to take the blunt of the attention rebellious attitudes. He wished that they had at least made more of an attempt to make his own role in all this easier, but it came as no surprise when that turned out to not be the case. And yet despite how little he actually got to say in all that, he could definitely feel from the sensation of anticipation hovering in the room that they all desired more from him. Mimic craved superiority over them, Rappa desired to clash once more, and Overhaul…
He really wants to pick us apart, huh, Dark Shadow murmured.
Tokoyami suppressed a shudder. In what context do you mean by that? He couldn't help but ask, knowing what Overhaul's quirk was capable of when it came to rendering people apart.
Dark Shadow grumbled unhappily. I mean us! What we're capable of! You called me a puppet. And then you only mentioned my weakness during the day instead of talking about my amazing strength. You're leaving out half the truth!
Now isn't a good time for this. I just don't want someone like him to find a way to manipulate us. It doesn't matter what we're here for, there's certain things that I won't allow him to know about if it can be helped.
…But what if he already knows everything he needs?
A hand touched Tokoyami's arm, causing him to jump. He hadn't even realized when he had been standing there tensely, unaware of his immediate surroundings. That is until Twice, noticing his pensiveness, had taken it upon himself to get his attention. "Don't get too caught up in your thoughts, you might want to pay attention. I'd ignore them if I were you!"
They had been rather quickly escorted out of the room and made to stand out in the hallway. Apparently Chrono had started talking to them but stopped upon realizing that Tokoyami wasn't listening. "Do I have your attention now?" he questioned, an annoyed edge in his voice. Tokoyami quickly began a mumbled apology but was just as quickly cut off. "Now, as I was saying, we have quarters set up and ready for your convenience. They should hopefully meet all your needs, but since it's currently uncertain how long you'll be here you're allowed to put in special requests for anything you think you might need. We're trying to be as accommodating as possible here. Now follow me. Your rooms are in the northern corridor."
Tokoyami gave one last look at the door they had exited from. It didn't look like anyone else would be coming out of there. "Is the meeting still going on?"
"It's over for you three, but yes, there is still much to discuss," Chrono said. "I'll be briefed on it later. And while I'm sure it concerns you, I doubt there's any reason to clue you in on what happens behind closed doors. You'll find lots of those here."
Did he just admit that they're talking about us behind our back?
Of course they are. That's the least surprising thing. Now hush.
"This area is divided into several quadrants. You need only concern yourself with the living area and the nearby general dining facility. You'll find that many doors are either locked or personally guarded. Those doors do not concern you so please don't try anything. If you expect a tour of this place, well, someone else can do that. You don't necessarily have to stay in your rooms the whole time, but the moment you step out of it you are being monitored, so please refrain from doing anything unfortunate while in our care. If you ask any fellow member roaming the halls for something, they have orders to fulfil your request however they see fit."
Tokoyami took in the surge of information with some amazement. Despite everything, this place had a greater sense of order than anything he'd seen before. I suppose they have to, in this line of work. More surprising still was the news that they actually could leave their rooms without an escort. Even if it inherently came with limitations, it was still more freedom then what he'd had in his entire time with the League. At the same time, it made sense. This facility was a much more controlled environment with an alert staff to keep things in check. They could afford to have people like him, Toga, and Twice free in the area to minimum disadvantage. It was also understandable in a strategic sense, facilitating a better degree of trust while also holding true to the declaration that they were now "officially yakuza." Tokoyami didn't buy into that, of course. He was just as much a prisoner as he ever was, and no amount of accommodations or self-righteous titles could change the fact that he didn't want to be here. But at least I can take it upon myself to scope out this area and maybe learn about what plans they have underway. Information like that could prove useful…to someone. I'm not sure how much good it will do me personally to put my beak where it doesn't belong.
Not that it ever stopped you before! Dark Shadow cackled.
It's unfortunate how true that is. Perhaps I just loathe the idea of entertaining my thoughts in the dark without knowledge of what's going on around me.
Then you're really not in the right position for that.
Tokoyami agreed, although it frustrated him that that was the case.
But that hardly seemed to matter now. He directed his thoughts elsewhere and once again put a stop to conversing with Dark Shadow so that he could pay attention to what was happening around him.
"Hey, hey, Chrono-man, what's behind that door?" Toga asked, pointing to one of the heavy steel doors that had a heavily muscled man barring it.
"That's…classified."
"Okay, what about that one?"
"…Also classified," Chronostasis said with an exasperated sigh.
"Don't waste your time! You're actually gonna learn anything useful from these punks," Twice said.
Toga took his words into consideration. "Where's that dining place you were talking about?"
Chrono slowed to a stop in the hallway. "From here? That would be down the hall adjacent from the one your rooms are located in and on the first right. If you have yet to eat anything today, then it might please you to know that it's open 24/7 and offers a wide selection of food and qualified chefs to–"
"On second thought, I'll just figure out where it is on my own," Toga interrupted, that familiar smile stretched across her face. Chrono swallowed back a cutting response, but by the way he visibly balled and unballed his fists it was clear that he was letting her get the better of him. Toga had a knack for upsetting people, he had come to accept. At least it was almost appropriate that she do so now for as long as she was tolerated. It meant nothing to him to see this gangster be upset but nevertheless diligent to follow orders. Although he did notice that the masked man picked up the pace, likely with the intent of getting them to their rooms as soon as possible so that he could be rid of the trio and go back to his boss.
Sure enough, a few more turns later and Chrono stopped a final time. "These three rooms have been assigned for you. You're being given a key card that will access them and a few other rooms, like kitchen, commons, etc. but not much else. Also you can't open each other's rooms with them." He pulled three almost identical white cards from his raincoat pocket and distributed them. "There are no maps here, so make sure you know what number your room is if you get lost and need to ask. At the same time, try not to waste anyone's time if you can help it. You're restricted to wandering this basement floor and aren't allowed in the upper levels. There's nothing you need to see there. However, if you put in a request you're welcome to enjoy the outside garden area if you're accompanied by an escort."
He watched with a hawk-like gaze as they all went to unlock their rooms: Tokoyami and Twice in separate rooms on one side of the hall and Toga on the other. Tokoyami held his card to the scanner until he heard a click. He opened the door, flicking the nearby light switch on to see what he'd been dealt. The first thing he noticed was that it was furnished much nicer than what the League offered, with a full-sized bed in the center and several shelves and dressers lining the walls. A door in the back lead to a private bathroom, and a basket of snacks sat on the bedside table. It was still a far cry from what his most comfortable living conditions would be – he couldn't help but miss his old room and everything that used to be part of his normal life – but it definitely wasn't anything to complain about.
Chronostasis waited while they each checked into their new destination, but by the way he fidgeted ever so slightly it was evident that he was eager to leave them to their own devices. "That concludes my end of the responsibility. If you would, please refrain from questioning me for now. There's plenty of others who can answer any inquiries you have. And by all means, take all the time you need to get your room situated and comfortable. I'll be sending someone else to check up on you later. In the meantime, do what you will so long as it doesn't place you in any trouble. We'll be keeping a close watch on you, even if you don't think so." Having seen to it that they were settling in, he quickly took his leave, checking behind him every few steps to ensure that none of them were pursuing him for whatever reason. He had no qualms against leaving them to their own devices. But it was inevitably a show of faith in this place's own security, not them, that allowed him to be so lenient. Their status and quirk abilities didn't matter if the area they have free reign of was fortified to keep them in check.
Toga set her bag on the bed of her room, where it clinked from whatever items were in there. She stuck her head out into the hallway, looking between the two of them. "I need to sort some things out, so please don't bother me! I'll see you later, but in the meantime don't do anything I wouldn't do~"
"That's a low bar! I see what you mean," Twice responded, waving hello as she shut the door to her room.
Twice and Tokoyami were now the only ones left in the hallway. Toga apparently had better things to do.
Tokoyami turned to the gray-clad villain. He hadn't packed anything for this trip and seemed ill-prepared to take on this mission, though his expression was unreadable. Most of the time it would be impossible to get a decisive response from him, but Tokoyami felt the need to say something. "Is this really okay?"
"Of course not, these rooms are shit," he complained, peering inside the space he'd be staying in.
"Twice. You know what I mean."
Twice closed the door to his room and leaned against it with a sigh. "It's fine for Toga; she's adaptable like that. And I hate to do this, though I guess I'm willing to put my misgivings aside if Shigaraki thinks it's for the best. But you? I don't know kid, you might just want to keep your head down while we're here." Twice lulled into silence, and Tokoyami thought that he may have actually given a good straight answer. But then he perked up, becoming much more animated. "Those gangster punks are more worried about me and Toga than you. As well they damn well should be! You'll have a much better time blending right in here, so you should use that to your advantage to dig up some dirt on them–!"
"Twice!"
He caught himself talking recklessly, and his masked face twisted into a worried expression. "Ack! D…don't come asking me for things! I don't trust myself not to lead you astray. Just t-try to figure things out for yourself this time and I'll help you where I can but I can't do that right now. Give me some time to think things through, alright?!" With a look of defeat, he retreated back into his room, fighting with himself to decide if he really wanted to close the door and leave Tokoyami by himself or continue to try offering up words of little comfort. Eventually, though, the door did manage to click back into place, leaving Tokoyami utterly alone.
Why must dealing with these people always be so frustrating?!
He waited for a response from Dark Shadow – for him to agree or say something meaningful – but his quirk was just as perplexed. So now what?
With a dejected groan, he followed Toga and Twice's example and retreated into his designated living area. Upon closing the door, he allowed Dark Shadow to materialize beside him. "I don't know. Both of the points that Twice made were things I'd already considered, but at the same time something about him has been more off than usual. So now I'm not sure what to think."
"Well, you heard what Twice had to say. And Dabi said not to do anything reckless. But then Shigaraki said that he's not responsible for whatever you three end up doing. So what is it that you think is right?" Dark Shadow pressed, flitting around the room curiously. The quirk poked and prodded at his new surroundings, but he was always looking back over at Tokoyami to give him his attention.
Tokoyami had almost forgotten those words from Shigaraki. He'd said something like that after first dropping the news that they were joining up with these yakuza. But given the timing, Tokoyami hadn't considered them until now. He had no way of knowing what that man had planned. Only that it couldn't be much good coming from him. That one plague doctor asked us if Shigaraki had shared any plans with us about a possible betrayal. "But there wasn't anything like that, right?" He had told the truth to the best of his knowledge, but the question had been worded in a way that held Shigaraki responsible. So even if the other two had been telling the truth – something he already questioned as it stood – it was impossible to be certain if Twice and Toga would follow along with the deal or if they had their own improvisements they planned to act upon.
"Nope! Then again, why would we be in the know for those sorts of things? Ask Twice!"
"I can't do that right now, Dark Shadow, you already know that. He's not a trustworthy source at the moment, as much as I wish he was." It almost hurt to admit it, but that was the truth of the matter. For as much as Twice had tried to be helpful in acclimating him with the League of Villains and discussing the troublesome nature of double-edged quirks, there was always a part of him that was unreliable despite his intentions. That meant that the only person whose words he had any degree of trust in was… "Whenever this is over I'll be there to get you. So don't do anything reckless," was that it? You can say that if you want but it doesn't dismiss the fact that… Tokoyami shook his head and the thoughts that clouded it. "So Twice isn't an option. And I'm not comfortable going to Toga about it. That is to say, she is who she is, but her quirk intimidates me. There's nobody here I can reliably trust."
"She has Midoriya's blood!" Dark Shadow cawed. "So what are we going to do about it?"
Tokoyami collapsed onto the large bed, dropping his backpack onto the ground. He hated to think what she might end up doing with such a thing. The only comfort was that it was such a small amount of blood, and he knew now that Toga wouldn't be able to utilize it for very long, maybe a few minutes. But that might be all she needs to do something unforgivable. Tokoyami thought to himself that Midoriya didn't deserve to be caught up in all this the same way he did. All that student ever tried to do was help others selflessly, and that was something that only became reinforced in time. He wondered if that was the same now, or if the passing of All Might had done anything to change that in any way. He'd always had the impression that he was especially fond of the old Number One Hero, so there was no doubt that the student had grieved his avoidable death. I admired the way Midoriya would try so hard to extend his hands to others, but I have to wonder if that includes someone like me…I wonder if Bakugou ever told him the details of what happened during the rescue. I wouldn't hold it against him if Midoriya thought little of me now. I might even agree if he hated me for what I did.
Dark Shadow's form turned a shade blacker with the turbulent thoughts surrounding them, and he could tell that the quirk was adopting a similarly bleak outlook. "And after all his efforts to guide us through the forest during the rampage," Dark Shadow sighed regretfully.
"Yeah…I suppose something like that had happened. I…don't remember too much from that. Just a few words and the fact that he was there when my mind came to. That's all." Tokoyami looked over, realizing that Dark Shadow was staring at him intensely with bright amber eyes. "Why did you feel the need to bring this up?"
"I suppose that depends on what you end up doing yourself! You want to help the heroes in any way you can, right?"
"…Of course. It's the only thing I can do at this point. I feel the need to atone in some way, and that starts with proving that I can still be useful to hero society despite my position."
"Even if they never forgive us for what we did?"
"Yes."
"Even if you never forgive us?"
"…Yes."
"That means you can't just hide your beak in this room, Fumikage. If there's something here that the heroes need to know about, we have to find it. If there's anything we can do to make the lives of these yakuza more difficult, we should act upon it. And if we get the chance to grab that vial from Toga, we need to take it. You and I are both thinking it," Dark Shadow cackled.
Tokoyami considered that for a moment. They shared these thoughts, but hearing them spoken aloud to him made them all the more deafening. It was as though he were convincing himself to do something horribly troublesome and possibly endangering, but it was the least he could do for all the trouble that he was worth. Nothing had yet to rid the guilt that had wracked his body and frayed the relationship with his quirk since that night. Even if he wanted to think that things were improving, there was still a wretchedness about him that could not be so easily discarded. He needed to find a way to justify himself with whatever opportunity presented itself, and decided that that would begin here in the heart of the villainous yakuza hideout. Whatever plans they had, whatever they intended to do with Toga and Twice, it couldn't be for the good of society. And to those ends, he needed to make sure that those plans never came to fruition.
"So what do you want to do first?"
Tokoyami stood to his feet and had Dark Shadow dismiss its physical form to reside back inside him. "First, I need to figure out what's in this place. Then I need to figure out how to dismantle it."