Heroes in the Dark chapter 38
Tokoyami stood rigidly as he watched the yakuza take his leave. Only when the hooded individual had disappeared around the corner did he allow his nerves to relax and his shoulders to droop. After everything, he really was tired. If push came to shove, he could always fight the physical battles, even at his own expense, but these games of toying with him were far more draining than he'd care to admit. They burdened his thoughts and did nothing to smother the worries that only ever seemed to rise in numbers. These yakuza… were far too good at getting on his nerve for his liking. Everything felt like a provocation – one to obey, to fight, to abstain, or any other command that might be given to a dog.
Tokoyami grit his teeth. Who were these people really to be asking these things of him? And in the midst of them all, it felt like he was being pulled in different directions based on the whims of whichever villain desired something of him. And as it stood, anyone who expressed interest in him was better off deemed as a threat. He loathed the idea that he might be falling for the antics they had in plan for him. But. Then again. The thought that he too posed a threat to them as an indisputable wild card managed to bring a bit of satisfaction. What one person wanted from him could easily contradict the desires of another, and that left only the question of why he'd chosen the position he had.
So what's it going to be? Dark Shadow cawed dryly, as if already knowing the answer. Are you going to be Overhaul's little servant in exchange for the girl's happiness? Are you going to be so easily triggered that you'll become Rappa's personal punching bag? Or are you intending on following Chrono's advice and abstaining from unnecessary things?
Tokoyami huffed indignantly. When you put it like that, it should be obvious that none of those are options I can so readily accept, or were you not keeping up with my thoughts? No, mine is a mission far more important than that, and I refuse to have any of these cursed yakuza convince me otherwise.
Is that so? And how are you going to even start on this "mission" of yours? You can't fool me, we're both thinking it. You don't have the slightest idea of where to go, only that you have the means to do so with no direction.
Tokoyami instinctively reached for his pocket, feeling for the keycard he had successfully acquired. Against all else, it was the only thing he had to show for his time spent in this place. With a relieved sigh, he leaned against the door to his room. And I'll be damned if I don't find a way of using it to my advantage.
And just what do you plan on uncovering in this place? What dark secrets do you wish to bring to light, and how will you inconvenience the man who controls this underground realm? Dark Shadow demanded in a ceaseless whisper.
Well, first of all, I'd like to know just where his operations reside and see what he has locked behind closed doors.
Dark Shadow let out an unhumored laugh. Well, you already found one of those things, now haven't you? Not sure how much that's done to help us, though. And anyway, that Overhole has rattled on about his ideals enough that we can safely assume that he deals in some dangerous stuff, if the fact that he's a yakuza wasn't a big enough hint already. Just how much more do you plan on inserting yourself into these predicaments?
Ah, so you've been paying attention after all, Tokoyami noted.
Of course I have! If I don't keep track of what's happening, we're going to end up—"
For the first time that day it seemed, Tokoyami listened to his quirk with rapt attention. And perhaps if they had been able to continue uninterrupted, he might've even heeded the sentient shadow's warning. But such was not to be the case, for without warning the bedroom door directly across from them opened up with a suddenness that had not been anticipated.
Tokoyami was put immediately on guard as a disheveled young man was thrust from the room. It took him a second, but Tokoyami realized that this person had no business being here. That was Toga's room.
He took a cautious step back, reaching for the handle to his own room as the individual before him turned and scrambled to close the own door that he'd just emerged from. His yakuza mask was hanging around his neck, and it became quickly apparent that his clothes were torn in several places, the pure white of his shirt now miserably stained with a few stray flecks of red. "Crazy bitch!"
It was Setsuno, the fair-haired Expendable. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since he'd last seen him in that room with the other precepts, so what the hell had happened in that time? He was breathing heavily, and his arms were trembling from where he had slammed the door behind him. With a shuddered breath, the young yakuza finally turned away from the door and whatever true horrors had been lying in wait behind it. What poor damned soul would be foolish enough to share such an intimate space with the likes of her? At a glance, it was readily evident that something unpleasant had occurred in the short time since Tokoyami had left the company of the League villains.
Tokoyami concluded that he had a decision that needed to be made: do I really want to deal with this today?
J… just go into your room and pretend this didn't happen, Dark Shadow begged.
But Setsuno finally seemed to take notice of him, looking up with a jolt of surprise. "Bird Boy? What are… why…" He turned his head back towards the door he came from, and thinking better about his current position, quickly backed away from it, crossing the hall instead to stand alongside Tokoyami. He winced as the yakuza stood near him, watching the door opposite them with an animalistic fear. He could smell the blood and sweat that stained his clothes. Damn it, Toga, Overhaul warned you against doing such unnecessary things.
What's this now? Do you believe yourself to be above them? Or would you rather abstain from taking responsibility for your actions altogether.
"H-hey, little guy," Setsuno said. Tokoyami cast a sideways glare at him, and the yakuza corrected himself. "T-Tokoyami. How long was I in there? What time is it?"
Tokoyami closed his eyes and turned his head to the floor. "Time bears no meaning in a place that cares not for its inhabitants. To measure it will only prolong the inevitable suffrage of us all."
He heard Setsuno whisper under his breath in a not-so-discrete manner: "The fuck is wrong with you guys?"
Tokoyami waited a beat before offering up a more appropriate response. "I haven't seen a clock all day. Though if I had to estimate, I'd say it couldn't have been longer than two, three hours max since last I saw you."
"That's it?!"
Tokoyami wasn't about to question the rattled young man on what had happened behind that door. I'm certain I'll find out within due time. But now that they'd reached this point, it looked like he was getting ready to slink off down the hallway before anything else could befall the poor bastard. So of course, Tokoyami had to stop him. Toga would thank him later.
A shadowy claw snaked out from under his cloak and barred the hall, making the yakuza jump back in surprise. "Hey, Sestuno, you're not planning on going off to tell others of what just occurred, are you? Unfortunately, I do believe that would be ill-advised. Overhaul is not in any mood to hear of such complaints, you see, and would rather if everything regarding us was a more peaceful manner. Or do you intend on upsetting what's been built between these two factions through the spread of nasty rumors that will do nothing to help this situation you've so willingly entered?"
A flash of anger crossed his face, and pink tinged his cheeks. It had just been a guess, but he's ashamed of something that had happened. You truly know how to pick your targets, Toga. Sestuno hastily brought his mask back up to his face like it was the one thing that would help to ground him, trying in vain to secure the straps. When that didn't work, he gave up, but continued to hold the mask up in a way that somewhat covered his emotions and muffled his voice.
"I just wanted…" he let out a frustrated sigh. "No way in hell can I go around saying what happened in there. Even I don't really know. Shiiit." His squinty eyes narrowed further as he focused in on Tokoyami, who was still standing by calmly with his quirk in use. "You want my silence in all this, huh? Fine, you got it. But that'll just make me feel better when Overhaul finally decides to do away with you lot. Every last one of you are a stain on our achievements, on this whole sick world, and once that comes to light, no-one will be able to help your sorry ass," he seethed.
Tokoyami dispelled his quirk. It wasn't the answer he had expected, but it was sufficient to his needs. After all, he couldn't have Toga's exploits compromising his own reputation. As spiteful as it had been, with the Expendable's view on them all made abundantly clear, it was still the promise he had hoped would be sworn. It's satisfying that I can make demands of my own for once.
He kept his sights trained on the retreating figure until he was gone from sight. If this became an issue that came up later, well, let it be known that he did his best. And while he perhaps could've been a bit more sympathetic, there wasn't enough time in the day to worry about a participant like him in this dilemma when there were more pressing matters to concern himself with. Whatever the case, the only viewpoint that will make itself known regarding this most recent issue would undoubtedly come from Toga and whatever she had accomplished in all this. And yet that wasn't something he was willing to deal with just yet.
Tokoyami felt unease ripple down his spine, and with a quick, hopefully silent movement, opened the door to his room and slipped inside. Only when it was fully closed behind him and he'd successfully entered the darkness of the living quarters did he so naively assume that he was safe. But just because he could, Tokoyami decided to wait with his head pressed to the door as he listened for movement.
It would've been easy for him to decide that he was merely being paranoid, that it would be so much easier if he just laid down on his bed and took a well-deserved rest. But that couldn't be so easily done until all his suspicions were confirmed. And unfortunately, he had a lot of those.
He could tell that Dark Shadow wanted to say something, and Tokoyami decided that he should listen. But, as was quickly becoming the norm, those thoughts were soon shoved to the back of his mind at the sound of a nearby door opening ever so slowly. Please, allow me this meager day of rest and turn the other way. He held his breath, listening intently for the telltale sounds of movement. But nothing could be detected, and he almost thought that he'd imagined the sound when a vigorous knock pounded on his door, startling him from the position he'd been in. He jumped back, heart thumping wildly in his chest as his nerves were put instantly on edge. There was no doubt in his mind who it was, but that was all the more reason to be cautious.
Another knock, quieter this time, and yet more insistant. Yeah. He definitely wouldn't be able to ignore this. But one could only hope, right?
He approached the door, but there was no way of looking out to see who was on the other side without opening the door itself. "Who's there?" he demanded, already knowing the answer.
A beat of silence stretched out between them. And then…
"Heeeey, how've you been?" Toga asked in a sickly sweet voice. "I just wanna talk, you know? No pressure, though!" What a blatant lie.
"I don't believe I've done anything to warrant your concern. You, on the other hand, have already managed to find trouble with the people down here in such a short span of time," he said.
"Ohhh come now," she soothed from the other side. "We all have to do things we're not proud of in order to further our own goals. Surely you can agree to that, right?" Tokoyami couldn't find a justifiable response to that, and it annoyed him.
"Don't play coy with me! Your recklessness is showing."
"And what does that say for yourself, hmmm?" Her voice lowered to a whisper, and Tokoyami had to crane his head to hear through the steel door that separated them by mere inches. "You've been spending an awful lot of time with Overhaul, right? Yesterday, when you disappeared for a while… he walked you back, didn't he? And then the time since I last saw you… it was all spent with him, too, wasn't it? Come onnn, don't lie to me, I want to hear all about the little adventures you've been having here while I haven't been looking. I can't help but feel a little responsible for this, ya' know?"
Tokoyami clenched his fists at his side. He wondered if she was aware of his frustrations. "Tsk. You really shouldn't let this be of any concern to you. It would be far more in my favor if you just left me my own devices."
"Not until I wring some answers from your little bird beak~!" she sang
He scowled, knowing that his stubbornness and her persistence were getting them nowhere. Continuing like this would bring him no peace… And no closer to what he was hoping to accomplish. "I want answers too, dammit!" He sighed, letting exhaustion sweep through him. The last thing he wanted to do was show any signs of visible weakness to the people of this underground world, but it was getting harder to do so with every task that was forced at him. And anyway, she was being awfully quite now. She could probably tell that he was close to caving in. "Toga, be honest: what will happen if I open this door to you?"
"Weeell for starters maybe we can have a normal face-to-face conversation? And, even if you want to play hard to get, I'd be more than happy to share my findings with you." Tokoyami fell silent, considering the limited options he'd been presented with. "Not to mention… I've been keeping in contact with Dabi. And he's been asking about you."
It was with regret that his last shred of stubbornness left him. Dark Shadow didn't seem to have anything meaningful to say either, so they were all just waiting on his decision. Unable to keep up his apprehension to face the girl any longer, he reached for the door handle.
The click signaling its opening rang clear as he braced himself. He was only able to open the door a crack before a knife was thrust through the miniscule space. How predictable. There would be no turning back now. It would've been nice if he could've opened it completely on his own terms, though."Toga, that was completely unnecessary," Tokoyami complained through gritted teeth. He braced his shoulder on the door as Toga tried to force her way inside.
"Honestly, I didn't think I'd get this far!" she giggled.
"I was about to let you in!"
"Yeaaah, but I was afraid you'd, heh, chicken out. Don't you think my actions are fair?"
Tokoyami struggled uselessly against the door, but his heart wasn't in it to fight like this. There was just no point anymore. He'd lost the moment he decided to open the door a sliver. "Not… when I'd already… made up my mind!" He stopped resisting, and the door flew open. Toga flew past him with a yelp of surprise, and he was forced to dodge her flailing blade. In one swift movement, he slammed the door shut behind them, wincing as the door's handle dug into his injured side. He'd been able to forget it for the most part until this moment, but now he was overcome with the desire to lie down. It was unfortunate that he'd already welcomed another problem into this already hectic day. He wouldn't be able to relax just yet.
Toga rolled into a crouch, her knife glinting dangerously. After a quick survey of the dark room, sensing that Tokoyami was the only one present, she came to a stand and sheathed her blade with a sigh. "Geez, it's not like you make it easy to be around you. But! I'm here now; isn't this fun?" She walked casually around his bed and turned on the lamp as Tokoyami glared at her from his position next to the door.
"Being around you never fails to remind me of the precariousness of my situation," Tokoyami grunted. If Toga was paying attention, she didn't respond. Instead she made herself comfortable on his bed, which had been neatly made up by someone while he'd been away. Grumbling in annoyance under his breath, Tokoyami checked to make sure that the door was secure behind him before crossing his room to sit on the side of his bed opposite the contently smiling villain. "But just be warned, if you try to do anything I don't like, I won't hesitate to throw you out of here at a moment's notice." He undid the clasp that kept his cloak secured around his shoulders and wearily tossed it aside. "Now. I just got out of some unpleasantries with one of the Precepts. And you also mentioned communication with the rest of the League. Considering you felt compelled to knock on my door, can I assume you have something you wish to tell me?"
Toga settled her backpack into her lap and rested her elbows on it. He was willing to guess that there were things in that bag he didn't want to see, and whether or not he'd see anything pulled from it would be entirely reliant on her whim. "What you mean that little thing back there? Ugh, but I wanted to hear what you were up to. How boring."
"Toga. I let you into my space for a reason. I can't provide you with anything until you prove to me that your information is worthwhile."
Her eyes gleamed excitedly, but her voice was slick with sarcasm. "Are you saying you're finally willing to rely on me? Aww, how sweet of you!"
"…Detestable. I'm asking for your cooperation on my terms. Please, I ask you that you treat our predicament seriously. Or am I asking for too much?"
Toga clicked her tongue in irritation, her cheery smile wiped quickly from her face as she assessed the direction the conversation was taking. "No more than two days in and we've already reached this point, hm? Alright, that's fine. I suppose we're both at fault for making it more exciting here than it ever needed to be. Isn't that right?"
"…Maybe so. Now elaborate – what occurred between you and that yakuza in my absence?"
Toga lied down on his bed with her gaze trained steadily on Tokoyami, much to his chagrin. He wanted to relax too, dammit. "Oh that? Nothing special, I suppose. He was just a desperate soul that craved the touch of a woman, is all. And far be it me to deprive him of that!"
Tokoyami coughed in embarrassment, feeling heat rise to his face underneath his feathers. So there'd been a reason for their interactions after all. Just how long had she been wanting to pull such a stunt? "I thought you were acting unnervingly flirtatious with the young man. You were exploiting some unseen weakness, weren't you?"
"Oh, you should've been there when he spilled his tragic backstory. The sorry bastard wanted to die when his girlfriend cheated him, but a hero wouldn't let him leave this world in peace. Honestly, I don't have much sympathy for those kinds of people. But it sure does make them easy targets!" Toga snickered.
"So is that all? You just wanted to mess with the minds of the mentally unstable? Your cruelness never ceases to amaze me, Toga," Tokoyami said with a disappointed shake of his head.
"Oh, spare me your useless heroics, Fumikage. I'll have you know that I have my reasons. It turned out just fine, didn't it?"
"He's out there now cursing your name, and frankly I don't blame him," Tokoyami muttered.
"Okay fine!" Toga groaned. "He expressed interest and I brought him to my room promising him a good time. Well, I had fun, anyway. He might be just a tad bitter…" Tokoyami stared her down expectantly, waiting for the horrid continuation to the story he was sure she had. "Yeaaah, so I knocked him out cold and drained him for his blood. What do you want from me, huh? It's not like his life is headed towards a happy ending with the path he's on. And it would've been just fine if he hadn't woken up! Ugh, you have no idea how hard it is to deal with people in my line of work. Last time I did this I at least was able to have some fun~"
Tokoyami crossed his arms and dipped his beak in contemplation. "So that's how it is. I could never agree with such underhandedness, and your reasons are questionable at best… but I suppose that's what makes you such a prime candidate for villainy. But that's besides the point. How much blood did you end up taking from him, and what intentions do you have with it?"
She laughed, propping up her head on an arm. She was making herself awfully comfortable, but that was the least of his worries. "Ohhh just a bit~ I always overshoot how much I need just in case. But I made sure to get enough to stay transformed on and off for a few days. I just want to be able to walk around this place without being questioned is all… see what I can find, you know?"
"Yes… yes, I know. But you won't be able to get very far in this place without the access card needed to open the doors in this facility. Your efforts have been for relatively little, in the end."
"Is that what you think?" Toga hummed. "Then by all means, tell me what I don't know."
Tokoyami stiffened. "Not yet. You haven't told me everything I wanted to hear yet. Until then, I refuse to share anything with you, even if it means that whatever plans you have will be at a stalemate. Rest assured, though, you need what I have to offer, should you choose to play your cards right. I've had enough exposure already to these yakuza, so don't underestimate the knowledge I hold."
"Now who's the one trying to tempt me, hm? Not that I don't mind~" She dropped her light-hearted façade and appraised him seriously for what might've been the first time. "You seem to have taken to this new situation quite earnestly. Was the League not good enough for the likes of you? I can understand if you want nothing to do with people like us, but seeing you become comfortable in the presence of these yakuza makes me sick to my stomach. But that can't be all there is to it. Ohhh no, you have your reasons, as I'm sure I'll learn soon enough."
Tokoyami tapped his fingers impatiently. "You're stalling. Get on with it. I know you have more to say than that. And what does Dabi have to do with any of this? I wouldn't expect him to have any involvement in all this, yet you felt it necessary to bring up his name."
"Impatient, are we?" Toga pulled out her phone and waved it in front of him. "There's no service down here, but that Sakaki guy was pretty chill with letting me outside this morning so I can get a few texts sent. Not sure if that was allowed or not, but he didn't seem to care either way. That's not what you want to hear, though. Oh no, you're much more concerned with what Dabi had to say. He's been kept pretty busy since last we saw him, but evidently not enough to keep from wondering about you. Apparently he thinks your gonna, like, do something you really shouldn't? I mean, of course you are, but I couldn't just tell him that without any details. I'm sure none of us are innocent of staying in our respective places, though. Who would've guessed?" she jeered, giving him a pointed look.
Tokoyami was compelled to avert his gaze. He hadn't forgotten those parting words with the fire-user, and an inexplicable sense of guilt washed over him. It's not like he had any intention of doing anything for the benefit of the League, but it was readily apparent that those words had been for his benefit more than anything. And maybe if he hadn't used his quirk in front of Overhaul the first time and just feigned weakness, then perhaps he wouldn't have been made a repeated object of interest. But sometimes these things couldn't be helped. And hopefully once this whole ordeal was finished with, it would all have been worth it.
"You can stick those concerns in a grave for all the difference it means to me," Tokoyami growled. "It's not his place to be inserting his thoughts, since he's not here to see what's happening for himself. That being said, I can't be sure that you and Twice understand the gravity of this situation, either, for all the good you seem to be doing."
Toga shrugged. "That's fair. As long as you don't end up dead, I'm sure it's fine. And don't you worry about us, we're totally capable when it comes to these sorts of things. Tomura gave us a pretty thorough briefing of what to expect. No orders on what exactly we're supposed to be doing here, but let's just say we have the freedom to figure things out on our own, and I intend to do just that."
"So you're looking for something specific down here, aren't you?" Tokoyami pressed. "I've received no such briefing, and I can't say I appreciate having information that might prove beneficial be withheld from me. You bastards expected me to walk this place blindly but bend my will at the nearest voice? How pathetic you must think I am." He hadn't expected to have these feelings, but the way in which he was being pulled at by two evils was an undeniable obstruction to his independent goals, and it infuriated him so. "The next time you get into contact with Dabi, tell him I've been putting his training to good use… that's all."
Toga grimaced. "Huh, that sounds a bit ominous, don't you think? You know you're not supposed to be fighting, right?"
"That, too, is none of your concern," Tokoyami said in a lame attempt of evading the question.
"So you say, but look at yourself," she drawled, her gaze scathing. "You went and got yourself injured since last I saw you. Now how did that happen, I wonder~?"
Tokoyami winced noticeable, his hand reaching instinctively to his bruised side. "I have only myself to blame for that–"
"Well, obviously, or else you wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
"—So I'd prefer if you kept your inquiries about that to yourself. I assure you the story behind it is trivial, especially while there's much more important things to uncover in this place where Overhaul controls everything."
A mischievous smile fluttered back to her lips. "Is that what you think? After all, Overhaul doesn't control everything here, now does he?"
"…No, I suppose not." And that's exactly what Chrono had been afraid of.
Whatever you do down here, you risk falling for someone else's trap. What kind of control is that supposed to be?! Dark Shadow hissed. The quirk had been patiently listening to their exchange the whole time, but Tokoyami could sense the pessimism encompassing his words. But he couldn't stop to listen to his quirk now. Not when Toga still had things to say.
"Now, how about this?" Toga purred. "I'll let you in on all the important little tidbits that Tomura has kept from you regarding this mission, and in exchange you need to tell me what you've been accomplishing in the time since we arrived here. I can't claim to know what exactly you've been up to, but it must be something special if you've already become like this~"