Heroes in the Dark chapter 47
"Now… you'll be returning Eri to me."
Those words made Tokoyami shudder as the monstrosity before him squirmed into a position of power. Cracked earthen hands shuddered to life, propelled by some dark force that protruded from his back, while his own hands similarly became clawed and encased in dark protection. His plague doctor mask twisted like the beak of some corrupted avian abomination, moving with his every word. Dark seams rippled across his flesh, as though he could fall apart at any minute. It was a grotesque form that had fallen off the path of humanity. And yet the familiarity of a writhing bird-like monster promising destruction to the people and places around it made Tokoyami's insides twist, knowing that he'd been described in the same way before.
Overhaul let out a growl that ripped through his vocal chords as he adjusted to his new form. "I'm in a foul mood right now… but this is a little better."
The floor around him cracked and splintered, and more spires erupted upwards, narrowing his field of vision and forcing his body to move. Tokoyami rolled to the side, his thoughts racing. Assess the situation! Crouched low to the ground, able to feel the tremors of the earth being caused by Overhaul, he managed to get an understanding of what he was dealing with. Shinsou had all too abruptly left the battlefield, a gaping crack in the floor present where he'd once stood. It didn't look like he could see Aizawa or Chrono either. He swept the room desperately in search of who was still present, struggling to see over the ocean of stalagmites piercing the area. Tokoyami pushed himself back onto his feet, and only then was he able to see them. The people he cared about getting out of this hell. The brightness of Lemillion's hero outfit stood out against the slate gray rock – he was hunched against the far wall, with Eri still protectively in his grasp. And holding onto them both, shielding them from the hardships that refused to lessen, was that man they'd called Nighteye. Tokoyami wasn't sure what business he had here, but he had to be some sort of capable hero to be put on this mission. Regardless of the circumstances, they were safe at the moment, and that was the most important thing to Tokoyami. He could almost pretend that he could relax knowing they were safe, if not for the dangers being posed by the abomination that was fueled by hatred of the world and desire for power.
Tokoyami didn't want to be a hindrance to the heroes at this point. But he could still move. And so he couldn't stop here. Tokoyami began making his way through the labyrinth with as much speed as he could muster. He was vaguely aware of a green blur ricocheting off the spires that had risen above him, maneuvering at a rate far faster than he could ever hope to achieve. Midoriya was keenly aware of his movements, that much was certain, but he was also the least of his worries, a notion that Tokoyami was actually relieved about.
Overhaul – I guess it's not just Overhaul, though – stood in the midst of his newly unleashed storm of spikes, watching his towers rise closer to the ceiling of his own palace. When his wretched voice left that beak of his, it echoed off the stone spears, carrying to everyone still in the room.
"Such useless potential that neither side can use, right, Tokoyami? For everything you've done, I'll make sure you don't get out of here alive," he cawed, giving Tokoyami pause. "As for you, Lemillion, what a tragic life you'll have if you escape here today. If only you hadn't gotten involved with Eri… with me… You wouldn't have lost your quirk forever. You'd still be able to pursue your dreams."
Tokoyami knew what this was. Overhaul might be saying these things about them, but it was stuff they already knew. No, these words were intended to rattle the hearts of whatever threats to his authority were still present in this room. When Tokoyami looked up, he could see Midoriya perched atop one of the spires. He couldn't see the hero's expression from where he stood, but news like this had to be jarring.
And so of course Overhaul just wouldn't shut up about it. The fingers of his hands twitched, and Tokoyami couldn't help but notice the way he so stealthily scooped up a small black box that Nemoto had dropped. He knew exactly what that was, and what horrors it could unload. But more intimidating still was the way the contorted creature began walking forward, gaze set surposefully towards the only thing that matters to him. "And despite losing it, because you insist on dragging this out…" Overhaul's eyes narrowed into spiteful slits, and he braced his feet against the ground. Tokoyami knew where he was headed, and when Overhaul began sprinting towards Eri with malicious movements, so too did Tokoyami begin his mad dash in the hopes of reaching them first, even as those hateful words rang out clearly. "You've gotten all your friends mixed into this, all those people you thought you knew or thought you could save. So now they get to die. Over, and over, and over again!"
Tokoyami raced forward, caring not for the way the sharp stones ripped at his already ruined cape and sliced at his body. He was doing this for a cause, and there would be no rest until he saw an end to Overhaul. Already Tokoyami was filled with a burning hatred for that man. And all the while, Tokoyami was screaming internally for his quirk to come back out, to be the weapon that would help make his goal a reality. "You don't get to decide that anymore, Overhaul!" Tokoyami screeched, descending upon him with fury in his eyes and shadows in his hands as the yakuza boss covered over half the distance to get to Eri and her cohort. There was a split second when that frayed, crooked beak turned towards him, glaring death in his direction. This man… had long since had enough of his foolishness. And really, Tokoyami accepted that if he did feel death again, it would be his fault.
But in that moment of minor distraction, the shadow of a large form descending from above fell onto Overhaul. A split second later this was followed up by a comically large rock broken from one of the spires being shattered over the yakuza. Overhaul disintegrated it upon reaching him, but not before doing at least some damage to one of his four arms. Somehow, Tokoyami had managed to appear on the scene at the same time as his green-haired ex-classmate, a realization he was eternally grateful for.
But more than that, Midoriya had made the first hit against this newly constructed Overhaul, and so became the most immediate target. Tokoyami already suspected what was going to happen, bearing no surprise when the villain swiped a fractured rock from the ground and held it above him to where Midoriya was quickly descending. As Overhaul's darkness-covered hand created a flurry of spikes from the single rock directed skywards, Tokoyami's own shadowy limb shot forwards. Before the spikes could even reach the soles of Midoriya's shoes, Tokoyami grappled it out of Overhaul's hand, where it cracked uselessly against the floor. It was a close call, but it also placed Tokoyami directly in front of the deadly yakuza.
Midoriya landed easily on the floor, ready to spring back into action if it meant keeping Overhaul away from everyone else. "Watch out!"
Tokoyami looked dead into the sneering face of Overhaul, looming right over him, and quashed the idea that he'd made a horrible mistake for the sake of steeling his resolve. "What do you have, truly?" Overhaul hissed. "Power and speed? Or maybe just a deathwish?"
Tokoyami stepped away from him even as he reeled his hand back to deliver an attack that would turn him to dust. N-no, not dust – that's the wrong…
But that strike never came. Something whistled past Tokoyami's head, tearing through his feathers, and impacted into Overhaul with a sickening crack as it hit its mark. Likewise, it was Tokoyami's queue to hit the ground. He narrowly avoided the barrage of projectiles that raced past him the moment he ducked down. Unfortunately, Overhaul was also able to dodge the next few thrown at him, the element of surprise gone. But on the occasions when they did hit, it was to a noticeable impact. He couldn't tell what exactly was being thrown, but it didn't look like a weapon he'd ever seen in battle before. Nevertheless, it looked effective. Tokoyami rolled to the side as the businessman raced past him.
"I'll keep him occupied while you all get away. I won't let him mess with the terrain!" the hero announced, entering up-close combat with Overhaul.
It was the most dangerous thing anyone could've done – Tokoyami thought this even knowing that he'd already done the very same thing multiple times with every expectation that he might not make it out with all his limbs intact. But Midoriya provided an immediate response – "Roger that!" – and wasted no time in believing that the situation was handled so that he could focus on the goal of the mission. There was a level of trust between the two that Tokoyami didn't completely understand, but it managed to work in their favor.
Tokoyami backed as far away from the two clashing individuals as he could until his back hit a wall of stalagmites. The stone had stopped moving, and he took a moment to get his breath back before feeling like he could move on. But then Midoriya landed on the ground in front of him, earning a gasp of surprise. This was the first time they'd been so close to each other since Midoriya had asked if he was alright following Dark Shadow's rampages. It was such a small thing, that brief exchange, but it had been another one of his regrets. These memories were not fond. Not what led to them, or what came after.
Midoriya looked down at him, and Tokoyami pulled the tattered remains of his cape around him nervously, as though in a vain attempt to conceal his condition. He couldn't stand the way that face he remembered as being so friendly and open now looked cold and stony. His intense green eyes bored into him, and he felt nothing but sadness coming from the rising hero.
When Midoriya talked, it was in a low, hurried tone. They didn't have time for this, but after everything that had happened something needed to be said. "When they said you would be here, I had hoped they were wrong. There's been nothing from you for weeks – we thought you were dead. Instead you were right in the middle of an even bigger crime syndicate." Tokoyami had never seen such a prominent show of relief… and disappointment. It hurt him in a way so different from everything else he'd been through.
"Midoriya, none of this was my choice. I…I'm sorry!" Tokoyami choked, remembering too vividly all that he'd done. He'd apologized much like this that night, too, but Shouji had told him to save it. Now, after everything that'd happened, he couldn't do it. The classmates he endangered, the forest he destroyed, the hero he'd –
"About what?" Midoriya asked bluntly. It felt like a challenge more than anything. Tokoyami had read the newspaper articles and knew of the suspicions surrounding him. Everyone knew. But Midoriya brushed it aside. "Tokoyami, the police and hero units are outside. Uraraka, Kirishima, Tsu, they're all on this mission to ensure its success. I need to help Togata and Eri get out of here. And you need to get out of here too. You don't… belong here." Something there had made him pause. It didn't feel honest, as the hero in the making looked him up and down. But Midoriya wasn't the kind to cast judgment on others like that, with disregard for their struggles and feelings. It was just… circumstantial.
"Please, I can help!" Tokoyami begged, pushing his weary body from the rock support to stand in front of Midoriya. But he wavered, and nausea muddled his head. All the exhaustion from the past few days had been steadily piling up, and all he could do was continue forcing himself to move. Midoriya steadied him without hesitation, placing a reassuring gloved hand on his shoulder, and that struck a chord within Tokoyami. Between the half-hearted encouragement from League of Villain members and his own efforts to soothe Eri's own worries, he hadn't been given a gesture like this in far too long.
But when Tokoyami looked back up from the ground his expression hadn't changed. It was still cold except for that unbearable sadness, and Tokoyami couldn't bring himself to see it any longer.
"If you really want to help, if you can still move, then try and keep up with me. Get out of here so that you can turn yourself into custody and everything will be okay." Midoriya couldn't stick around any longer. He couldn't even wait for a response, being left only to trust that Tokoyami would follow his advice and become his shadow while they escape.
When his hand left his shoulder, Tokoyami couldn't help but feel a prick of disappointment. If this was the path he was set on, then going back to hero society was going to be an arduous task he hadn't mentally prepared to be going through so soon. Not after everything that had happened. He'd probably be drilled of all the information he had on the League, on the Precepts, on their plans and whatever role he had to play in them. Then, before he could think more on that, Midoriya was streaking through the obstacle-cluttered room as a streak of green lightning, bouncing off towering stone pillars with ease and reaching Eri at an incredible rate. Tokoyami could never dream of keeping pace with that, though per Midoriya's request he had to try.
It had only been a few measly seconds of conversation, a confrontation he had wandered about for far too long only for it to end all too quickly. Given the timing, that was to be expected, but it still left him feeling more hollow than he would've liked. Already, he could see Midoriya scooping up the hero Lemillion and Eri and breaking down a wall for escape. Time was already against them, so Tokoyami needed to hurry after them before it was noticed by Overhaul –
Tokoyami made a mistake in that instant when he looked back to the fight that had been raging not far from them. He knew he needed to get out of here, but something had kept him rooted to the spot. Perhaps he was apprehensive after all to appear before all those heroes, police and everyone else waiting outside. Or maybe he just knew too well what inevitably happened with anyone who chose to fight against Overhaul. It never did end very well.
Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was Overhaul's promise to bring demise to all that dared to challenge him. But that hadn't mattered to the people – to the heroes – that had rallied to rescue Eri as they had today.
When Tokoyami turned to see the battle raging on, what he saw instead was something that he should've known was one-sided. Midoriya had been quick to put his trust in this "Nighteye's" ability, but Tokoyami knew better. It felt like time was slowing down, and not through the use of a quirk. Overhaul had managed to fend off the hero's assault, and Tokoyami bore witness as he backhanded the businessman into a position of vulnerability.
Tokoyami began moving without even thinking, an action he would have to regret later if he ever got the chance. If I can just – grab him and – pull him out of the way! At the same time, his thoughts were screaming out for something else. Dark Shadow, Dark Shadow, please please! If there's anything you can do for me ever again, it's making sure that this hero doesn't get impaled when I could've done something…! He was calling for any amount of his quirk to come forth – a claw, an arm, anything. But he felt shadows coil around him, swathing his limbs. And then those familiar bright eyes flashed from his abdomen, and Dark Shadow burst forth with as much solidity as he could possibly muster. The strain of utilizing his quirk to its fullest took the breath out of him, but it didn't allow for him to slow. Nighteye was right in front of him, just a short stone's throw away and coming closer. Then Tokoyami could only watch as Overhaul began reaching down towards the ground with one of those corrupted hands of his, his eyes gleaming in deranged triumph. When just his first finger made contact with the ground, a stone spire erupted forth, piercing through the hero's arm before he could even hit the floor and halting the trajectory of his body.
Even though Tokoyami had been left in the dust by Midoriya just a moment ago, his desperation fueled his haste like nothing else. With how quickly everything was happening, Tokoyami didn't have time to form a proper course of action. Nighteye was hanging in the air, suspended gruesomely by the rock pillar that had stabbed through his arm, and so with a vicious lash of his own arm both Dark Shadow and his clawed hand crashed into the brittle rock. It was undeniably messy, and probably dealt more damage to the hero than Tokoyami wanted to admit, but it successfully freed the hero from his suspension. As his body began to fall to the ground, Tokoyami saw out of the corner of his eye the rest of Overhaul's hand touch the ground, his palm lying flat. Tokoyami knew what was coming. He only wished he could've seen it before it was too late.
He'd been hoping to catch the hero before he hit the ground, but that wasn't possible. Before he could even blink, a stone spear was piercing the air and coming right towards him. Nighteye landed with a worrying thud at the base of his feet, and in the same instant Tokoyami's reflexes forced him to do the only movement he could. Time and time again he'd done it, and Dabi had even chided him for it in the past. But this time user and quirk were in agreement. Tokoyami crossed his shadow-covered arms protectively over his body, much as he would when defending against that burning fire. And yet this attack was so much more persistent than anything that had ever been thrown at him before. It was an attack that wanted him dead. Which was why Dark Shadow, just barely managing to hold himself together, had materialized directly between Tokoyami and this attack. Dark Shadow's mouth opened into a scream of final defiance. But it hardly seemed to make much difference as the stone ripped through the quirk's face and then the length of his body, scattering shadows and writhing tendrils. Dark Shadow's claws had gripped onto the stone at first contact, trying in vain to push back. The feeling of his quirk being so easily eviscerated sent tremors and unbridled anguish coursing through his already rattled body. He could only watch as the one thing that had stood up for him without fail was once again ripped apart in front of his eyes. The screech of Dark Shadow faded from the physical plain only to fill his internal thoughts, echoing off the walls of his head. He really was incapable of keeping his quirk safe.
Which was understandable. After all, he never was any good at taking care of himself, either.
It was hard to tell if the stone had slowed down at all when it finally did reach him after an agonizing moment where his actions, his fighting, his desperation didn't really seem to matter in the slightest. There was a brief moment where it hit the protective shadows of his arm, and the shadows flared to life in retaliation before they, too, were ripped right through. And then the defensive position was his own hands gripping desperately at the rock, begging it to stop, his black claws trying desperately to grip onto it. It pushed him back, and if not for that it could've been worse. But the horrible pain he felt instead didn't seem like much of an alternative. The spire pierced his quirk, his defenses, and then his flesh, ripping through them all like it was nothing. Tokoyami was dimly aware of a wet sensation spreading from his abdomen and dripping onto the floor. An unspoken scream sat at the back of his mouth, open in surprise, and his legs had begun shaking so badly that he feared they might give out. But if they did that, he'd be left… hanging here, body draped over this pinnacle of death. His claws scrambled uselessly at the rock as shallow breaths escaped him. He had no idea how deep it had gone, how much damage it had done, but with every movement he could feel it inside. It hadn't gone through him completely, but this wasn't the kind of injury that he could just walk away from.
It occurred to him that this was probably meant for Nighteye, who was slumped onto the floor behind him. But no doubt Overhaul had taken just as much satisfaction, if not more, from delivering this blow to him instead. But he wasn't sure. His focus was blurring, so he couldn't see Overhaul. His head was drooping, resting on his chest, and there was a dizzying amount of red there that he could vaguely make out. The wails of Dark Shadow in his head became a ringing, and then that, too, began to fade into barely comprehensible noise.
Gritting his teeth, he mustered enough of his failing strength to shove himself from the rock protrusion that had stopped halfway through his body. He braced his clawed hands against the rough surface, watching the shadows peel off him like molting feathers, and pushed for all he was worth. Apparently it was the only thing keeping him on his feet, because when he was able to dislodge it with a gasp of pain he felt his legs collapse beneath him, sending him crumpling to the floor. He hit the ground hard, falling into a pool of his own blood. Tokoyami's ruined cape drifted down around him like the shredded wings of a bird. He couldn't move. He couldn't get up. Every time his muscles twitched, begging him to do something, it was a convulsion on the floor.
Despite all this, Tokoyami was dimly aware of someone moving behind him. He lifted his head as much as he could, struggling to make sense of what was happening, and felt a hand touch him gently. Ah. Someone's calling my name. Why does he sound so desperate? I don't even know him.
The businessman had managed to get back on his feet and was kneeled next to him. When Tokoyami struggled to look up, the strange hero looked frantic, like he couldn't believe that this had happened. You should be happier. That could've ended very badly for you, you know. And it looked like he did know, his shoulders hunched with guilt as he tried to get words across to Tokoyami.
The ringing in his ears finally faded, and with that he couldn't hear Dark Shadow anymore. His quirk had to have been too overworked, to the point where even the presence in his mind was faint. Alone again, as it were. All but for this hero shaking him, making sure he didn't close his eyes.
Deafening crashes filled the air as rocks shattered all around him. All too quickly, Midoriya had been forced to come back. It had to be his fault that he was going out of his way, even leaving Eri behind, just to make sure that nothing worse than what already occurred happens. The tremors Tokoyami felt in the earth suggested that Overhaul was still trying to manipulate the playing field, but every time he tried something Midoriya was there to stomp down on his attempts and take that power away from him.
Tokoyami lost track of the ground, realizing in confusion that he was being lifted up into the mangled arms of Nighteye. Hey. It probably hurts you to be lifting so much with that injury. You shouldn't be doing this. But his small form probably wasn't too much for the hero to handle, injured as he was. The hero looked down at him grievously, a pained expression on his face. Tokoyami opened his beak, struggling to form words, but desperate to provide the sort of confidence that he had so desperately been trying to instill in others. "It's-s not… your fault," he barely managed to his out from between gritted teeth.
The grip on him became more secure, holding onto him for whatever it was worth. In that moment, it looked like he'd made a decision. "Let's get you out of here – we'll get you through it."
Tokoyami managed a numb nod in response. Everything hurt, but he somehow was capable of hanging in there. At the same time, he was becoming increasingly aware of the work that Midoriya was having to put in. It was just like when Lumillion had put him in charge of Eri while he fought off Overhaul. It wasn't fair how utterly useless he had become. He was just dead weight now.
But Nighteye was determined to hold onto him, and while Midoriya zipped around them, crashing into all that Overhaul had to give, a somber thought came to him. He didn't know how much this hero knew about him, or how much he cared, but if this was the last thing he could do, he had to wonder. "I tried, but… Nighteye, do you think that I could be a hero?"
As the man carried him through the shattered terrain, Tokoyami felt the way his muscles tensed up. His eyes looked down at him from behind broken glasses, and his brow knit together. "Tokoyami… I'm afraid I've misjudged you horribly. And for that, I feel I must apologize. You've altered my fate. I just can't tell yet if it was for the better."