Heroes in the Dark: Seeing Through the Night (chapter 31.5)
The room was remarkably quiet but for the sound of his fingers tapping impatiently on the desk. The familiar atmosphere of U.A. no longer felt so reassuring to any visitors. The proud display of awards and plaques on the walls of the office were now tinged with a permanent air of failure that could not be so easily erased after all their shortcomings. He found it hard not to blame them at least in part for the poor standing he found himself in now. But he too was at fault for not being able to overcome his own feelings that had emerged from the past few weeks. He'd predicted this, after all.
Nighteye forced his fingers to stop moving as he continued to wait for the last minute audience. It was unprecedented of him to show even this small lack of composure, for anyone that knew him expected a much more calm and stoic figure. He wouldn't allow his emotions to get the better of him. But it had to have been obvious. At least to Bubble Girl and Centipeder and Mirio, they could see straight through him, understand how distraught he had been after All Might's end. Any attempts to make him laugh in the weeks to follow had all been in vain, and he had been noticeably sullen. After all, Nighteye had been there in the hospital with him when the grand hero had finally succumbed to his irreparable wounds: broken bones, shattered limbs, horrible discoloration of the skin from forcing his quirk. And an ugly set of animalistic scars that had wretched his side, directly over his old wound that he'd received years ago. It had all been too much. He'd known that All Might had a time limit. He'd told him as much: six, seven years? The details of predicting so far in advance were always so hazy, but still it had been set in stone. It still felt like it had been much too soon, though. A part of him had wished that his own life would meet its end before All Might's just so that he wouldn't be around to see his prophecy come to fruition. These thoughts were rooted deeply in his regret, in the sensation that he had not done enough for the man he'd admired. But it was just not meant to be.
And yet, just as quickly he'd had to push aside his misgivings. Regardless of what happened, what event shook his world and instilled him with a deep-set grief, he was a hero. He had a job to do to ensure that others didn't feel what he felt after losing an idol. No, a loved one. It wouldn't be fair if he allowed the innocent to be plagued with pain and fears. And that's why he was here now, sitting in an empty U.A. office awaiting the presence of those he had summoned. His unannounced arrival certainly would've been unprecedented. After all, hadn't they just been converged at his own offices, discussing their objectives for the plan going forward just yesterday? That much hadn't changed. Their goal was still the same. In fact, he'd even been lucky enough to find the last piece of information that he needed. But there was now a rift in these plans they've been trying so carefully to formulate that he hadn't seen coming until now. Or rather, it had presented itself as a possibility ever since it became apparent that contact had been made between the two villain groups, but he had hoped it wouldn't come to this. But his hope had been for nothing, upstaged by the imminent outcome of fate, and now he had to figure out a way past this.
Nighteye massaged his temples, sitting back in the chair. He already planned to break the news of his discovery to the rest of the hero team working on this mission. It was necessary, after all, since they needed to know in order to locate and rescue the girl Eri and put an end to Chisaki's criminal misconduct. But now this came paired with an all new list of possibilities, and he'd deemed it integral to share his findings foremost with the school. After all, they would have a better understanding of how to handle the situation. At least, he would assume so, but something told him that they didn't have the best grasp of their students, if past events were any indication.
That's where his thoughts stood, but then he had gone and taken in yet another one of their students as an intern at his hero agency. But what choice did he have? Izuku Midoriya, he'd given him a hard time at first… but he was never going to deny the student the chance to work alongside him. He couldn't do that, not to the last person that All Might had seen promise in. Even now, he failed to see in that boy what the hero had seen, couldn't understand why someone as strong as him had chosen a quirkless untrained kid to be his predecessor. When All Might had left the picture, he had been faced with little choice. That was the person he had chosen, the last of his will, and now it fell on him to ensure that this Deku was prepared. What kind of friend would he be if he couldn't even look after the things that had been left behind? No, as much as he hated it, as much as it frustrated him that things had turned out this way, he knew he had a responsibility to uphold. It has his duty to fill in for All Might and guide the student that All Might had left behind. It's what he would've wanted. It's what his dark, tired eyes had said to him silently as his life had left him…
The door to the meeting room opened, and Nighteye quickly banished the troubling thoughts from his mind. He knew it wasn't wise to dwell on them, for it admittedly left him unstable. Realizing that his hands had been tightly gripping the arms of the chair, he forced himself to relax as he welcomed the faculty that entered.
Although the door had indeed opened, from his position at the far side of the table it didn't look like anyone had entered at all. But then a voice sounded from the ground, and he craned his neck a bit farther to see the unmistakable mouse-like face of the principal.
"What an unexpected surprise!" Nezu said happily. But his beady black eyes were wary, as though he'd already assumed that this would be no pleasant discussion. And certainly, he would be right about that. "It's not often that you come around here, though I understand you know the potential of our students. Does this perhaps concern that? Or something else?"
The door opened further as Aizawa stepped into the room. He was the only U.A. teacher to be involved in this mission, so it was to be expected that he would have a say in this matter. Nighteye would have to share the rest of his findings with the others eventually, but for the time being this took precedence. The sooner they could reach an agreement, the smoother this operation would be. After everything he'd been striving to achieve from staking out Chisaki's building the past two weeks, he wouldn't allow something like this to put a wrench in their plans.
"I don't suppose this is something that could've waited until later?" Aizawa drawled wearily, his eyes tired but exceptionally sharp, appraising him for anything that might give away his motives. "To take the initiative and meet us here on such late notice… you're not the kind of person to do so without good reason." The door was shut securely behind him and they took their seats across from him at the table. Nighteye waited patiently for Nezu to hoist himself into the chair before beginning, foregoing proper greetings and formalities to get right to the point.
"It just so happens that I've made a breakthrough in my investigations for the mission, and it isn't something that can be shared so readily with the rest of the hero team. The best I could do is bring it to your attention first before we can proceed with anything else, though I have reason to believe it might not bode well for our proceedings," Nighteye explained, searching for words as well as gauging their reactions.
Nezu tilted his head to the side. "If I may, I'm not directly involved with this mission. Does this perhaps have something to do with one of our students? Have you encountered problems that might negatively impact those interning under you? It would be disheartening to have to pull our students from this mission due to complications…"
"No. The students set to be involved should be prepared to face whatever hardships occur from these proceedings. But I'm not here to talk about them, though I have no doubt that it will heavily impact them." Nighteye folded his hands in front of him and leaned forward. "I'm here because I need to know about your missing student, Fumikage Tokoyami. You've had no leads on him since the Kamino incident, correct?"
Aizawa's gaze hardened. "Why? What do you know?"
"That's what I'm here to ask you," Nighteye said simply.
Nezu shifted in his seat, made uncomfortable by the topic. "His last involvement with the school was during the camping trip, where he – like the rest of the students – was working to strengthen his quirk. Although in his case, it would be more accurate to say his homework was "controlling" his quirk, named Dark Shadow. His was a rather unusual case where quirks were concerned, but that just made him one of the most powerful students in the class."
Aizawa rested his arms on the table and wearily picked up the conversation. "With so many students at the camp, it was hard to keep track of all of them. Tokoyami always trained by himself, where nobody else could see him, but he always assured me that he was making significant progress. I chose to believe that, too. Until the villains attacked and his quirk went on a rampage, devastating a significant chunk of the forest and almost killing one of the more dangerous villains."
So that's how it was. He'd heard the reports and seen the news coverage of the incident – everyone had. But a lot of it had been swept under the rug as much as possible, with images from of the forest post-attack not being released to the public and discussion about the dangers of said quirk being largely dismissed. It's like the school didn't want to admit that they had failed one of their students by being unable to properly train him. It was a lot of responsibility that had been placed on them, and it almost seemed unfair to place so much blame on them. But they had lost so much from this incident. And maybe, just maybe, something more could've been done to prevent this. Or at least diminish the consequences somewhat. Maybe then All Might wouldn't have left him so soon. But that's just wishful thinking.
"Of course, that just served to make him yet another target for the villains, who, according to the students who had been there to witness it, hadn't been a target for their capture until that moment," Aizawa said. "None of the teachers or supervisors for the camp were present when this happened, unfortunately." And right here Nighteye could detect the guilt that was prevalent in his voice. This was something that he carried personally. It brought to mind the teacher's position when All Might had led the assault against the League of Villains to bring back the students. Aizawa had performed his role as a teacher while being interviewed by the media, trying to placate the crowds of upset civilians and quash any doubts people had about the safety of the students. Looking back, it had been for naught. He should've been there alongside All Might instead. "Tokoyami was last seen at the Kamino incident, where several unauthorized students were able to rescue Katsuki Bakugou, who was captured alongside him. Unfortunately, before proper action could be made, Tokoyami was just as quickly reclaimed by the League. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to find any leads on his whereabouts, let alone what condition he might be in."
Nezu traced a forlorn toe bean across the table. "This was the greatest loss the school had ever faced, and one that we haven't been able to so readily bounce back from. As a principal, it's my job to take responsibility for this. But as someone who's only left to wonder about the outcome, I can't help but be worried about what became of our treasured student…"
His concern felt like it was coming from a good place, but he couldn't help but notice the exclusion of certain topics. There was no mention of the second time that the student had rampaged, causing yet another upset within the villains' hideout. It was yet another thing they had attempted to keep away from the public, but news of the event had spread rapidly through word of mouth from hero witnesses like Kamui and Edgeshot. It was no secret that something big had happened there that was not a direct retaliation from the villains.
"But that's all we have," Aizawa stated sharply. "Weeks have gone by since then and still we have nothing, not even sightings of anyone affiliated with the League. The only possible link we have came from… you." Aizawa sat up quickly in his seat. "You said that someone from the League had made direct contact with Chisaki, the one under the pseudonym Twice. Is this a leadup on that? If this has anything to do with Tokoyami, you need to tell us now. Was there another movement in the League of Villains? Have you discovered where they might be located?"
"Aizawa, please, I requested an audience with you and Principal Nezu because you're both rational heroes," Nighteye said, hoping to deliver his findings as easily as possible. "You're well aware that my focus has been on yakuza movements for our current mission, and that much hasn't changed."
"And yet you found it necessary to seek us out for information on our missing student," Nezu mused. "This is no coincidence. Please tell us your findings, since you deemed it important to come to us specifically, before even the hero team working on this case."
Nighteye pushed the bridge of his glasses up. "It appears as though our goals have met at an overlap. I was able to successfully locate the position of our target by using my quirk on one of Chisaki's associates, something that I absolutely intend to share with the team. What I didn't expect to find, however, and something that my foresight never could've predicted, was the presence of a second target inside the yakuza headquarters."
Aizawa lurched forward in his seat. "Are you saying you have reason to suspect that Tokoyami is now in the hands of Chisaki?"
"It's not a suspicion, it's a confirmation. I saw him right there in the underground network, right next to Eri's position. My quirk is not wrong. Somehow, your missing student has fallen out of the hands of one group of villains and right into another. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak."
"And just what are the circumstances of this?" Aizawa inquired.
"So then you're saying you'll be able to rescue our student?" Nezu pressed, his paws balled into furry little fists.
Nighteye leaned away, a grimace present on his face. "I realize this must come as a shock after having reached a dead end with your own investigations. To answer your questions, I have no idea what brought Tokoyami into this situation, though a reasonable conclusion would be that it's part of a deal between the two villain organizations. I doubt it was his independent choice to be there… although even that might be an uncertainty."
"What are you suggesting?" Aizawa asked, his dark eyes narrowed to slits. "Regardless of how he got into their position, the only logical course of action is to ensure that he gets out of there. We are not letting him get past us again, on my pride as not only a hero but as his teacher."
"We're dealing with an unknown variable, Aizawa!" Nighteye finally snapped, trying to get to the point. "We have no idea what could've happened to this student in the weeks since you last saw him. It would be foolish to view him as another helpless target in need of saving with the track record that he possesses. For him to be working under Chisaki, there must be a more fundamental reason beyond being an innocent bystander."
"Are you suggesting my student has been turned into a villain? Were you really able to deduce that with your foresight, or is this an unprecedented assumption?" Aizawa growled.
"I'm saying we don't know," Nighteye said between gritted teeth. "He could be a willing or unwilling compliance, he could be brainwashed, he could be a test subject of Chisaki's rendered quirkless for all I know, but that's what I'm trying to get across to you. We don't have the faintest idea what kind of situation Tokoyami is in, but that's all the more reason why we can't afford to be reckless."
"But this does make him a new target of your rescue, correct?" Nezu urged, desperation creeping into his voice. He had little part in the actual mission, but it was his students that were being endangered, and therefore his right to voice his part.
"Of course," Nighteye stressed. His head was beginning to hurt again. Perhaps he wasn't as prepared for this as he thought he was. "But expecting him to be an ally is out of the question. There can't be any misgivings about this. Whoever finds him should treat him as though he were a villain and subdue him, no exceptions. Whatever happens, it's vital that we put him out of the way of any fighting, secure him, and above all ensure that he doesn't use his power, even if you think we might stand to gain from it. If anything were to go wrong because we don't know his situation, it could throw off the entire mission."
Nezu took a steady breath. "You're worried that he'll lose control of his quirk."
"If that's something he can still do, then from my understanding it can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. So yes, that is my concern. But I'm not sure if his classmates will see that the same way. I worry about them not portraying the right amount of caution in the face of this ordeal."
"I was already concerned about their involvement after finding out about the League's involvement, but I was willing to let that slide," Aizawa grumbled. "At this point, we can't very well take them out of the mission just because of this, though. If anything, this is even more of a reason to have them involved. Their inclusion is integral to the outcome. They'll be determined to save Tokoyami once they know he's there, the same as I am. Once they're made aware of this, and I trust that they will even if we don't tell them, I can't help but believe that at least a few of them would go out of their way to get involved even if we forbade them from doing so."
"About that…" Nighteye began. "Be that as it may, I figured I would remind you that even though we now have a new objective, our primary responsibility is still in rescuing the young girl Eri. By the end of this, all of Chisaki's control should be dismantled. But just in case, it's worth reinstating that Eri is our main objective. So I want to make it clear, to you and the students involved in this mission that think they might know this Tokoyami, that you are not to give priority to his rescue over the Eri's. I don't want to see any favoritism get in the way of our primary goal."
"But if we get to him quickly, Tokoyami could aid us in dismantling Chisaki's assets. He could be useful in streamlining the mission," Aizawa insisted, clearly putting a lot of faith into his student. Nighteye could appreciate that. But it wasn't what was needed.
"Were you not listening to me before? You don't have any proof that Tokoyami is in a position to do anything like that. That makes him a risk factor to us all, and we can't afford to take any chances. I've already risked enough as it by staking out the yakuza headquarters these past few weeks, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let all my work go to waste all because you let your feelings get in the way. If Chisaki manages to escape with Eri while we're trying to gain control of the situation, then everything will have been for nothing. You understand just as well as I do what needs to be done here."
Aizawa closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Of course I do."
"Please, if I may ask," Nezu interrupted. "What position was Tokoyami in when you saw him? Were there any visible indications that something was wrong with him, or any clues that might give us a better idea of what's happened to him?"
Nighteye shook his head. "From what I saw, there was no physical harm, but that's difficult to deduce. He was wearing a cloak so I can't be entirely sure. As for his position, it appeared as though he was left to freely wander the underground headquarters, which led me to believe that the villains trust him in some regards. But I find it curious that he was found so close to where Eri is located. Truthfully, I cannot ascertain what role he has in all this, nor his stance on this matter. Which is why we have no choice but to proceed with caution."
Nezu stared down at his paws with a sad yet thoughtful expression. "So that's how it is… Yes, of course." He looked up with a new determination. "I'm grateful to hear that he is relatively unharmed, and I trust in you to do what's best. Thank you for deciding to bring this information to my attention, Sir Nighteye. I hope for the success of your mission, on all fronts."
"It was the necessary course of action. I needed your cooperation for this, after all. The information you have on this Tokoyami could prove useful to me, and I'm trying to gauge what needs to be addressed when I share the rest of this information with the rest of the team," Nighteye explained.
"If I may add onto that," Aizawa said, "do you think it might be wise to wait a bit longer just in case we're able to discover any new information on Tokoyami or the status of the League? We're in the process of getting a warrant to infiltrate Chisaki's headquarters and should be ready to go in a few days, but now I'm thinking that it might be best to hold off a little while longer just in case we encounter any useful information that could give us a better understanding of what's going on. I'm as eager as anyone else to get the plan into full swing, but as you said, this mission has been weeks of preparation, and it might be harmful to instigate it so soon after this new discovery. We need to take the time to make accommodations and spread the word of Tokoyami's situation to every hero and police officer involved so that we aren't met with any shortcomings. Even though he's not our primary target, we should still mandate his recovery if it's something that can be readily done during this operation." Aizawa's voice spoke of his seriousness, and perhaps even his desperation. As Nighteye had anticipated, the teacher wanted nothing but the safety of his students. Even if they were beyond his grasp, they were still his responsibility and he would do anything to get them back. "I don't want him to slip through our fingers yet again. I don't want any rash decisions on our end costing him more than he already has."
"…Aizawa, your favoritism towards your students is showing again. I'm being serious when I say that the best thing we can do is treat him like a villain in our suppression of the yakuza, rather than an innocent little girl. You would do well to remember that," Nighteye rebuked. But the teacher and the principal were both looking at him expectantly. He hummed to himself, formulating a decision. "I'll see if there's anything else I can discover. We'll delay the proceedings for a few days on your recommendation, but I want you to know that the longer we wait the more difficult this will become. In the meantime, I'll continue to have my sidekicks stake out Chisaki's territories, despite the fact that their increased exposure could be endangering them. It's possible that we may be able to see what's going on within those walls of his, which could potentially ensure us some new findings. But if nothing else comes of this, then I don't know what else to tell you."
Nezu bowed his head, looking as though a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Truthfully, nothing substantial had been done yet, but just knowing that someone was looking out for his lost student must've been some sort of relief. "You've done us a great service, Sir Nighteye."
"That was not my intention. I'm merely looking out for the best interest of the plan so that everything can unfold accordingly. With that in mind, it seems as though I have more coordinating that I need to get worked out because of this turn of events." Nighteye stood from his seat, thinking that he'd said everything that needed to be said.
But Nezu raised a paw to get his attention before he could take his leave. "That's a reasonable stance to make, and I appreciate your cooperation. I want you to know that you truly do have a place here at U.A. The students that intern under you admire your efforts and ability, after all."
"And? What are you getting at?"
"Just know that we value our students. Even if they're not here, I desire their safety. I hope this isn't asking too much of you and Mr. Aizawa, but please do your utmost to ensure that nothing inconceivable happens. We, as well as everyone else, have already lost enough as it is. Whether it's the students, the girl, or yourself, please take care and do your best. That might be the only thing I can ask for at this point."
Nighteye took a moment to comprehend that. But he understood what the principal was trying to get across. "Right. I'll be sure to keep that in mind going forward."
Aizawa sat up from his seat as well. "I'll begin alerting the authorities of the situation, as well as our decision to postpone the proceedings for a few extra days. And… I'll be responsible for alerting the students that are working in this operation, keeping what you've said here in mind."
"That will make my job a bit easier, then," Nighteye agreed. And then he turned his back on them, leaving them to contemplate his news on their own. His part here had been done. And yet it didn't feel as though he had accomplished that much, other than stalling for the inevitable. He couldn't actually be sure if there was anything else he could discover, or if this was all a huge waste of time. It felt much too late in his careful planning to be causing such an upset with this newest revelation, but it was necessary, as frustrating as it was. And despite Aizawa's reassurance, he had no doubt that this information would damage the performance of his students. After all, he already knew his interns well enough to know that they would stop at nothing to save another once they were made aware of the situation. It almost seemed cruel that he continued to find himself surrounded by such selfless individuals that were willing to put their lives on the line so recklessly. It only ever seemed to end in hardship. His newest intern, especially, had this sad desperation about him, like he never wanted to let anyone else down ever again. That was a feeling that he couldn't help but find unnervingly familiar, and he hated himself all the more for it.
As Nighteye left the meeting room and proceeded down the hallway towards U.A.'s exit, he thought of everything that might go wrong in the mission to come. This whole mission had been wearing down on him since it began, much too soon after that incident, and he couldn't help but worry about what it might bring. It was times like these that his quirk felt so utterly useless. He wanted to know, to be made certain that everything would turn out okay. But he knew that if he did look, he wouldn't like what he saw. Or maybe he would see nothing, and yet that almost seemed like a comfort at this point.
Nighteye felt the exhaustion caused by his worries catch up to him, and slowed his steps to a halt so that he could take a moment to lean against a wall. He caught himself thinking about the past again, when really he should've been thinking about the future, and let out a shaky breath. But in the wake of everything that had happened, it was becoming harder and harder to keep his composure, and he began to doubt if he was right to be instilling so much trust in these students and their teachers.
Is this what you would've wanted, All Might…?