Heroes in the Dark chapter 55

True to his word, Dabi didn't return to the desolate room until long after dark. That left Tokoyami many hours to explore the limited confines of his new living space. But even that much took a while to get to.

Tokoyami wasn't sure how long he sat on the filthy, soot covered ground with a hand clutched over his pained abdomen. His breath was harsh and ragged for an extended while as he struggled to regain his composure and get his thoughts in line. He hadn't been damaged – not really, anyway, compared to everything else he'd been through. But the surprise of it had been jarring, and the upsetting discovery Dabi had unearthed left his mind in a different kind of turmoil. The news about Overhaul's fate had come from nowhere, and he struggled with what he was supposed to be feeling about it. Should he not be able to revel in the vengeance that had been wrought against such a cruel individual? But if the villain was already in custody… there would've been no need for anything to be taken further. Yet still dissatisfaction broiled in the pit of his gut, right beneath the ugly scar that marred his flesh, wishing that Dabi and the rest of the League would've… would've…

And through it all he still had nobody to talk to.

A twinge of pain ran through him, and Tokoyami curled tighter into a ball on the floor until he felt small, his back pressed up against the couch the only presence grounding him.

He shut his eyes against it all, blocking out this place and trying hard not to breathe the putrid smell of burning that filled every corner of this sad, sad place. It had all become too much, and there was nowhere for him to go. A new place with the same situation. Nothing felt as though it would ever really change, no matter what he learned about everything happening beyond his reach.

Tokoyami must've passed out at some point, worn out by the beginning of a ruthless day and the overwhelming thoughts. When his eyes finally did crack open, his wound was nothing but a dull ache. He'd have to change his bandages before the day was over, that much was certain. But for now he could be at rest.

As much as the silence of having only himself for company was unnerving, it was also one of those rare opportunities. With a heavy sigh and a creak of bones, Tokoyami shakily pushed himself up from the ground. His feathers were ruffled, and an unpleasant chill had set within him, cold October air flowing in from the cracks in the boarded up living room window.

Shivering from the cold and the weakness in his legs, Tokoyami managed to push himself onto his feet while his vision adjusted to his surroundings. The lighting had changed, growing darker as the sun got lower in the sky and became unable to stream down between the walls of the bleak buildings. Tokoyami made his way over to this breeze, making sure to avoid bits of glass that had broken from it at some point. He was able to look out between one of the cracks, but was met only with the view of gray walls and the parking lot that they'd been dropped off in. Craning his neck, he bore witness to a small sliver of the sky, tinged with a strikingly vibrant red with the light of the setting sun. It stirred a feeling within him. Something about seeing the faint outline of all that empty air left him feeling hollow, like some far-off, unattainable thing. It was all so far beyond his limits, a sky of freedom he could never hope to attain for as long as he was here.

For all the times he's been able to look at the sky, he never realized how grounded he really felt. And he wasn't entirely sure why. The quietness of his quirk, for sure, or maybe the lack of control he had over himself. Or maybe still… something else about me has changed for the worse. And I think I know what it is… but I don't want to actually think about it.

Tokoyami stared out the slit in the window until the red color began to drain from the sky and his neck began to hurt. Only then did he realize that he'd stopped seeing what was outside a while ago. With a weary sigh, he stepped back. You still have nothing to say to me, even now? I get it, but… it still stings. You can't pout forever, Dark Shadow. I know you have things to say about the position we find ourselves in now.

No words were said back to him, but deep within the depths of Tokoyami's mind where no light shined, he could feel the presence of his quirk coiling into itself, almost squirming away from his desperate prodding. It made him feel an unavoidable guilt, one that he'd been carrying since his fight against Overhaul.

A brisk wind managed to slip in through the splintered boards covering the broken windows, and he crossed his arms to ward off the chill. With a shiver, he retreated and looked around the space he was dealing with to get a better idea of what was in store for him. For starters, there were no blankets, nor did this seem like the kind of place where heating would work. Tokoyami wondered if it got cold like this in Dabi's room, or if he was even sensitive to temperature changes like that due to the nature of his quirk. "Someone like him is probably more likely to overheat, right? That's how it is with most fire users, like how Todoroki needed ways of regulating his body temperature to be implemented into his hero costume."Tokoyami paused, carefully observing the evidence of flames that had filled this room time and time again. Of course, being a villain in this condition, Dabi wouldn't have anything like that…

He strode over to where he'd set down his meager pile of possessions, appraising the new addition that he'd yet to look over. Tokoyami rummaged in the bag that Mr. Compress had gifted him, pulling out a black cloak that reached to just a few inches off the ground. This one came with a hood to cover his head and was pinned together by a couple silver buttons. As promised, it was a heavier material that retained heat better. When he donned it, his mobility didn't feel impeded by it, the silky material moving easily with his body. "Even people like me are getting stuff that might help us. Granted, it feels less like an act of generosity and more like a pointless apology, but I can't very well ignore what I have…"

Tokoyami held his new cloak close to him, taking note of that familiar comfort it seemed to grant him. Surely even his quirk, disgruntled and quiet as it was, would feel better wrapped in the dark folds of the fabric just as they had been during their time at UA. Between their past heroics, the cape they'd donned under the yakuza, and now, it felt like the one constant – the one thing that managed to hold them together.

"…It's warm," Tokoyami sighed, almost fondly. He stood there quietly, not keeping track of time and allowing himself to get lost in thoughts until those too finally settled down. Everything became less loud, and it was easier to accept the fact that he was utterly alone.

His feet only moved when his mind finally stopped, and he perked his head up to his surroundings. It was getting progressively darker, and there weren't any lights but for the faint glow of kitchen utility clocks stuck at 00:00. Tokoyami instinctively made his way towards there, his stomach twinging with hunger. Food had been an afterthought for a long while now. He didn't eat much at the hospital, and before that… time had been far too limited in the yakuza hideout for him to have given much thought to food. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, he was reminded that this domain ultimately didn't belong to him. All of this belonged to Dabi, and was attained by the villain through questionable living habits. Was he the kind of person to steal food, or did he get enough money from robbing his victims or carrying out other nefarious deeds?

Tokoyami opened the fridge, and yellow light flooded into the rest of the room. His shadow spilled out in the wake of the light, hitting the wall and moving only when he did, attached entirely to his movements like a loyal doppelganger.

The fridge was empty.

Mostly, anyway. There were some condiments in the side shelves and a few bottles of alcohol. A couple jars had sparse remnants of pickled veggies, and a container of eggs looked promising until he noticed the expiration date. He'd be more disappointed if he'd expected more.

Tokoyami picked his way through the cupboards and pantry shelves. There weren't many dishes, most of the usable ones already in the sink waiting to be washed. He wasn't going to bother with that. But he finally was able to get his saving grace when he found where the dry items were stored. A small assortment of cans and different quick meals, and at the front of it was an instant soba bowl. Tokoyami's eyes lit up hungrily, and it was in the microwave cooking within seconds. He sat on the couch eating the best thing to have graced him in weeks, listening to the sounds of the city outside and paying attention to the dark surrounding him. Despite everything, all the turmoil and all he'd gone through to reach the present, Tokoyami couldn't help but consider that this was the most at peace he'd been in for a long while.

He finished his food, setting aside the empty bowl, and stood up to figure out what the rest of this place held. He could see the outline of things faintly in the half dark, and tried for the light switch as Dabi had before. Nothing. So he went back into the kitchen and opened up the microwave so that the light from there could light up that which he couldn't see. Tokoyami went to the front door, trying the handle even though he knew full well what to expect. The door rattled but didn't give. There was a lock on the outside, keeping him detained here. Definitely not like the rampant freedom that Overhaul had allowed them within the confines of his facility for the sake of dangerous exploration. But this whole place also reeked of inefficiency. Tokoyami inspected the hinges of the door, wondering what it would take for them to give way. He wasn't exactly in the sort of state where he could throw himself at a door. It'd be pretty pathetic if he gave everything he had to break out of this place just for his wounds to reopen. He'd bleed out all over again before ever being found, and that would be as disappointing a fate as any other.

So that was one door locked. Windows weren't about to help him either. There was a bathroom connected to the living space, but there was nothing of interest there except for a leaky shower. That left one last forbidden door, one that he went straight for once giving up on the front entrance. Despite Dabi's threats, he wasn't about to at least give it a try, just out of pure curiosity. His hand went for the doorknob. Locked.

"Damn you, Dabi, just spill your secrets. A person like you should have plenty to hide," Tokoyami growled to himself. His voice hung in the air, his outwardly spoken thoughts receiving no response. With an agitated huff, Tokoyami took to exploring all that was left. There wasn't much. A few shelves had some old books and manga volumes on them that he figured he'd end up reading through later when he got bored. There really wasn't much in terms of decoration or entertainment. A small dresser in the corner, covered in dust and soot, was relatively empty but for one drawer that had musty bedding inside. He could probable clean it out later and use it for his own meager possessions. There was a box sitting on top of the dresser filled with outdated magazines. A lot of them had to do with the ongoing antics of top heroes, and he wondered if there was any rhyme or reason to them. Either way, they might also be worth going through at some point, if not to figure out more about Dabi then at least to keep himself preoccupied with the passage of time. That left one more box, but he didn't have many high expectations for that one either. Sifting through it, it looked to be mostly junk: broken electronic parts, some miscellaneous tools and tangled cables that probably had no match. There was a lightbulb that had shattered underneath everything else at some point, and Tokoyami snatched his hand back swiftly when he felt the sharp edge of its broken surface. It didn't feel like there was anything of any use or value in here, and Tokoyami couldn't help but question why the hell he'd have something like this lying around instead of in the dumpster. He tried one more time, and instead of being pricked by something sharp discovered a smooth surface. His hands closed around a rectangular item, and he pulled it out to inspect it in the light. For once he was pleasantly surprised – it was a handheld gaming console. He hadn't seen one like this in a while, but he knew these types of systems were popular something like twenty years ago and nowadays were only ever found in second hand stores.

Tokoyami handled the clamshell system carefully. Its hinges were loose from use over the years, the paint on its edges worn away. It looked black in the dark, but when he held it up to the light pouring in from the kitchen he saw that it was actually dark blue. He pressed the power button with baited breath, surprised when it flickered to life. He was just now realizing that through the hardships and fears of being captive by villains… it was also boring. Time spent between events of interest went by slowly, and he'd lost track of how long he was left just staring off into space lost in those dark thoughts that plagued him.

But now he had video games in his hands, and that much felt like a bit of normalcy he hadn't anticipated. He couldn't tell when last the system had been used, but it miraculously had enough charge for him to play on it.

There was an old pocket monster game on it. Tokoyami hesitated, knowing it all belonged to Dabi. It looked like it had quite a few hours put into it, too, and the file on it was dated over ten years ago. "The decisions one makes within the freedoms of a game can say a lot about their character," Tokoyami muttered, overanalyzing the ancient game file. The controls felt easy in his hands, and he sat on the couch with it, curious. "Huh. He chose the grass starter. Wouldn't that give your rival the fire type? I would've thought you'd choose the opposite."

He began looking through the game, seeing what progress was made and the names he'd attached to characters. But before he got very far into his little investigation, the sound of a lock clicking out of place and the door opening could be heard. Tokoyami felt a flash of panic, not knowing if he was doing anything wrong, and folded the game system shut before shoving it between the couch cushions.

Dabi entered through the door with a fire in his hand lighting the way, which he swiftly snuffed out when he saw Tokoyami. That left his dark silhouette to be outlined only by the light of the open microwave. Even from the other side of the room, Tokoyami could tell that he was looking more haggard than when he'd left. He was tired, hunched and dirty. And probably only came back so that he could retreat into his room. A stillness hung in the air as the tattered villain surveyed his hole of a home before he finally settled on Tokoyami.

"Shit. That's right," Dabi muttered under his breath. But because of the quiet of the room, his words reached Tokoyami.

Tokoyami's feathers bristled. "Did you forget about me?!"

"No, that'd be stupid," Dabi sneered, walking into the kitchen. "I tried not thinking about it. But since I'm here it obviously didn't work." He honed in on the cabinet that actually contained food and opened it. When he ended up closing it empty-handed with a curse, Tokoyami hid his empty soba bowl under the couch. "Don't bother," Dabi sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I'll figure something out. You'll be here for a while so just… bear with me."

Tokoyami settled himself deeper onto the couch, wrapping the black cloak around him like a blanket. He wasn't looking to get worked up about more things tonight anyway. It was too tiring. But he couldn't ignore everything. "Did you call Shigaraki?"

Dabi continued rooting around the kitchen for a while with no results. He took his time, letting Tokoyami sit in silence, before responding. "…Yeah. I told him what happened and he's already pissed. But all his hands are full dealing with other shit, so there's nothing he can do. We'll probably have to meet with him sometime later once they find a new base, just so that he can confirm for himself that I haven't accidentally killed you."

Tokoyami rested his head on his chest. "…Accidentally?"

A drawer slammed with an agitated clatter of utensils. "Yeah. Believe it or not, none of us want you to wind up dead. That means making sure you don't get hurt too much right now. We're off to a great start, right?" he drawled sarcastically.

Tokoyami closed his eyes and blurted out without thinking: "If you didn't want me to die, you should've done more."

Movement in the kitchen paused, and Tokoyami could feel that piercing gaze boring into him, but he wasn't about to open his eyes to meet him just yet. "Damn, could you lighten up? I know you don't like being here, but as far as your injuries go you're not in any danger. It can always be worse."

…He doesn't understand. That's probably for the best. I should really be more on guard, but I'm so tired of doing so.

The sound of a lock clicking into place resonated through the living space as Dabi secured the front door for the night. "The Leader's gonna transfer some funding to support you. You don't have to do much of anything other than stay put. This is all just temporary anyway, but I guess you can make yourself as comfortable as you can in a shithole like this."

"…This is your home," Tokoyami murmured.

"Yeah. And I'm fully aware that it's not a good one." Dabi closed the microwave, shutting out the light it had emanated, and made his way through the darkened room with a small flame to guide him. "I'll see if I can do something about the light tomorrow… Shit, you don't like when the lights are out. Did you want a flashlight or something?"

"Eh?" Tokoyami perked up in surprise at that, a confused grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth. And then he remembered. It'd been almost two months since then, but Tokoyami recalled his first night spent with the League. Back in the bar, when Bakugou had still been there with him. Dabi had locked him in the back room and turned out the lights. It'd been a horrid night for Dark Shadow. He wasn't exactly concerned about his quirk getting rambunctious at night right now, though. "N-no, you don't need to worry about that. I mean, my quirk… It was only because…" Tokoyami drifted into uncomfortable silence.

Dabi sighed, a heavy breath that escaped his stapled face. "You have a lot you want to say, I get it. And you hate me, but I'm also the only person here right now. You don't have to say anything now. I'm sure as hell not gonna sit here and listen to you tonight anyway. But I already clued you in on what the League was trying to keep from you, so you owe me some details on whatever is happening with you. Is that a deal?"

Tokoyami gave a small nod.

Dabi squinted into the corner of the room where Tokoyami had taken up residence. "It's too dark for me to see you, so I'll just assume you meant yes." Tokoyami watched as he went to the door of his room and unlocked it. A sliver of darkness leading into his personal space was the only thing visible. He couldn't help but wonder what he kept tucked away far from prying eyes, a place of seclusion tailored to this mysterious villain. "Don't disturb me unless you're pretty sure you're dying. And even then you better damn well proceed with caution." That's what he said, but it was less forceful than the threats he'd had prepared earlier today. It felt more like he was just going through the motions of being an intimidating presence, except that at the moment he was too tired to commit. Tokoyami had already been essentially promised that Dabi wasn't trying to hurt him, which was probably the best he was going to get.

Dabi gave him one last look before he disappeared into his room, as if to make sure that he really was there, sitting quietly on his couch. A yawn escaped him, and in the light of his unusually docile little hand flame, Tokoyami could see the way the staples around his mouth were pulled taut to accommodate. Everything about this haggard individual was always so painful to look at. But it didn't really bother Tokoyami anymore. His face wasn't scary and his presence wasn't intimidating, despite all the crimes he'd no doubt committed. It just felt sad.

"Oh. And don't forget to change your bandages," Dabi grumbled as he disappeared into his room. "Don't hold me responsible for your problems."

Right before the door closed behind him, Tokoyami managed to say a small "Thanks." But the sound of the door clicking into place probably canceled it out.

Tokoyami took a deep breath, as if he'd been holding it in since the moment Dabi had made his untriumphant return. And on the next exhale, his shoulders slumped in weariness. Right. He still hadn't changed his bandages. They probably weren't going to look pretty, not after the events of today. And it had been a horribly long day. I probably should've taken up his offer of a flashlight…

Tokoyami got up from the couch, stumbling around in the dark for a while until he remembered something. He searched the couch cushions blindly for a few seconds until he found the little game system he'd shoved down there. Turning it on, it emitted a fluorescent light that managed to reach a few feet into the dark. It was dull even on its highest setting, but worked for what he was trying to do. Grabbing his kit of medical supplies, he went into the bathroom and swapped out his bandages. It was a messy process, and a couple times he'd get nauseous and would look away to catch his breath for a few minutes. He ended up using more materials than what the much more experienced doctors might use, and by the end of it there was a mess of bloodied gauze on the dirty tiled floor, but by the light of the console he did eventually get it done, much to his relief. From what he could see, it didn't seem like the wound was any worse after the day, but he didn't exactly have the medical knowledge to distinguish that much anyway.

He walked back stiffly to the couch, wincing all the while at the tenderness of his stomach. The way he'd taped up his bandages made it hard to get comfortable, but he was glad he'd done it before falling asleep. With his cloak covering him like a blanket, he settled down on the lumpy surface and rested the game system in front of him. Starting up the game in it, he continued his casual investigation into whatever progress Dabi had made in it. The most interesting thing about it was the team of monsters he'd created and the names that had been given to them. Huh. Fuyumi is a pretty name for that one. Have I heard anyone with that name before?

And then the system died, running out of battery and plunging him into the inescapable black of night. With a regrettable sigh, he closed the system and set it at his side. With that, he was okay letting sleep take ahold of him, drifting away in the uncertain security of this wretched place. But at least when he did, nothing disturbed him. No dreams or nightmares ailed his slumber and the pesky troubles of the waking world were held at bay by the exhaustion that weighed down his bones. For the first time in a very long time, he succumbed fully to the concept of rest, not all too concerned with what the next day would bring. And deep within the inner mechanisms of his mind, Dark Shadow was also able to rest.

"Hey, what the hell is this?"

Tokoyami's eyes flew open and panic rose in his chest. He had a brief moment where he frantically wondered where he was, and twisted his body to look around. When his injury protested at the movement, Tokoyami let slip a startled yelp and fell back onto the couch with a dull thud.

"Jeez, calm the fuck down, I'm not antagonizing you – you do that to yourself enough as it is," came an annoyed growl from the seedy figure looming over him.

Tokoyami groaned, tired and irate in a pile of feathers and fallacies. He peered out from under his cloak, glaring at Dabi warily. At this time the room was lit up from the window, so he could assume they were well into the morning by now. Dabi was already dressed for the day, in a ratty long sleeve shirt that covered his arms and old jeans that were littered with holes where he could see more of the dark purple skin beneath in patches. And in his hand was the game console.

Tokoyami fumbled his words, internally cursing himself for leaving it at his side for the night. He hadn't even realized when it had left his side, but Dabi had probably been up and about for a while. Tokoyami thought he'd be more aware of that – at the hospital his sleep was often interrupted by any little thing the various League members coming and going into his room were doing. It hadn't exactly been a restful period of time for him. But he hadn't anticipated that this place would be any different.

Dabi opened the ancient system with a quirked eyebrow. "I figured you'd snoop around here anyway. One day and you're already going through my shit and eating my soba. You got a lot of nerve, but I'm not surprised." Tokoyami sat up slowly this time, pushing himself up with one arm as he got his bearings. He stifled back a yawn, his beak quivering, and gathered his cloak around him so that he wasn't such a mess. Then he waited for Dabi's verdict. Was he mad?

Dabi grimaced at the small device he held in his hands. "I guess it doesn't matter. It's dead anyway. Didn't even know I still had this thing… hang on." He disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him. Tokoyami watched the door curiously, listening to the sound of shuffling from inside. When enough time had passed that he was beginning to wonder what was happening, Dabi finally did return. He looked disgruntled, but now there was a cord in his hand. He plugged it into the wall and began charging it. "Oh yeah. The power outlets still work, by the way. The wiring for the lights is just faulty. Never really bothered me, but I'll get a lamp so that you're not stumbling around at night like an asshole."

"Ah, um, right," Tokoyami managed to get out, surprised by how mild his rude awakening had turned out to be.

"Anyway, you wanna play this game, right? You've gotta be bored out of your mind after putting up with people like Overhaul and Shigaraki. Can't really blame ya there," Dabi said with a bitter laugh. "Give me a sec to reset it."

"N-no! You don't have to do that!" Tokoyami objected, moving to get off the couch.

Dabi cast him a suspicious look. "Why not? I don't care about it. Haven't touched the thing in years – a kid like you would get way more use out of it." But then he was looking at the little digital screen, and his expression changed. "Hm. Yeah, I remember this. Can't believe it still works – these things really are indestructible." He was quiet for a moment while Tokoyami walked up to him slowly, stopping nervously a few feet away. Tokoyami wondered if he should say anything, but then Dabi handed him the console, whatever emotion he had before replaced by a bored expression. "And now it's erased. It's all yours now, so go ahead and play it. I don't know if I have any other games around, but next time you get the chance it might be worth asking the Lizard to spare some. Just don't expect too much from me."

You've… already given quite a bit, though, regardless of if that's what you wanted or not.

"…Right," Tokoyami murmured numbly, appraising the device in his hands.

Dabi walked past him and into the kitchen, leaving him to stand in the middle of the living room. The lanky man was back to rummaging through his meager supply of rations until he was rewarded with a cereal box that had been shoved to the back of the pantry.

Tokoyami set the system on the floor near the wall to charge and crept over to the kitchen space. It was separated from the rest of the space by a bar with a couple stools crammed under it. He pulled out one such seat and sat in it, where it creaked under him threateningly, and watched Dabi go through the motions.

"…What time is it?" Tokoyami asked as Dabi poured cereal into a bowl. He knew damn well there wasn't any milk in the fridge.

"Uhhh, like noon? Hell if I know," he grumbled, setting the box on the countertop just out of reach of Tokoyami before going to lean against the counter on the far side of the kitchen, a whole five feet away. He started eating.

You could check your phone. I can see it in your pocket. Tokoyami sighed and reached across the counter, grasping at the box a couple times before he was finally able to drag it towards him. He poured some cereal into his hand and ate it just like that. "…It's stale."

Dabi rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well, shit, we can't all be millionaire gangsters, okay? Sorry my food isn't good enough for you."

Tokoyami poured more into his hand. "No. It's good."

Breakfast passed in silence, broken only when Dabi finished his bowl and placed it on top of the pile of dishes in the sink with a clatter. Tokoyami winced at the sound, foolish as it was.

A scratchy sigh escaped Dabi. He ran a hand over his face, stopping when it hovered over his chin and concealed the ugly scarring. "Alright. We can't keep doing this. You still haven't answered my question from yesterday. I'm not gonna pretend that I care, but you got me curious. What the hell happened when you were at the yakuza hideout? You can't hide from me, especially now that you live here. I spent weeks putting up with you before, so I kinda know what to expect from you, and it's not this."

Tokoyami kept his eyes trained on the countertop and continued eating.

"Hm. Yeah, or do that, you little brat," Dabi sneered, hoping to rile a response from him. When Tokoyami didn't respond, his smirk dissipated. "Tch. Alright, how about this? What all went down with your quirk, and what can we do to get it to work again? Let's start with that since that's the topic that got me in this mess anyway." That's right. Shigaraki orchestrated this arrangement only after hearing of the state of Dark Shadow, since Dabi had been responsible for training him and the quirk up till now. "The sooner your power is useful again, the better. And I know you hate not being able to talk to him."

Tokoyami pushed the cereal box away to make room on the counter for him to rest his head, arms crossed beneath him. "…Yeah. I just don't know what to do about it. So much happened and…" He tried trailing off, but he could tell that Dabi was getting agitated at how he was trying to get around the conversation. "My quirk was pushed as far as it could go, and when I couldn't use it anymore, Dark Shadow pushed through without my command. If not for him, Overhaul's attack would've pierced me all the way through…" Tokoyami stopped to take a heavy breath. He really did hate opening up to the villain, but he was damned if he was going to risk getting emotional in front of the tyrant. "So Dark Shadow got hurt because of my recklessness, and I figured that was about as far as I could go with him in that state. But I still had so much to do. The heroes, they c-couldn't have done it on their own. I couldn't just lay there!"

Dabi looked down at him, unamused. "You were thinking all this while you were bleeding out from that injury?" he asked, pointing vaguely to where his damaged midriff was hidden behind the bar. "Are you sure you weren't just delirious from trauma? Damn, if only you could've just passed out like a normal idiot. Would've saved you some trouble."

"Y-yeah," Tokoyami muttered in embarrassment, burying his beak under an arm. "Er, that's why I had to go further and keep going. So I used… um… Trigger to…" Tokoyami mumbled it into arm so that his words were muffled. But Dabi was right there. He could hear just fine.

His eyebrows arched in surprise, or maybe amusement. It was hard to tell. "You used a fucking quirk enhancer? Shit, and I thought my quirk was too volatile for stuff like that. No wonder your quirk hates you. But I guess that explains what those two were going on about."

Tokoyami didn't register the comment Dabi had let slip about his own quirk, focused as he was on his own upsets. He let out an upset groan and pulled the hood of his new cloak over his head, lamenting the cursed nature of his arrogance. "It was so bad! I mean, it was so much power, but that was way too much for Dark Shadow! I can't believe I put him through all that. He was in as much pain as I was, only for him that wasn't his choice. It was my decisions alone that put him through that hell. Even when he did all he could, he kept going to protect me, and after that I made him into a rampaging monster to justify my own selfishness."

"Selfishness? What kind of crap are you spewing now? I bet you were trying to be the hero of the day, huh? Putting yourself through hell so that others didn't have to," Dabi said. Tokoyami thought the villain might be mocking him, but his tone didn't quite come across that way. He knew by now what to listen for when Dabi was making fun of him, and this wasn't it.

"Yeah," Tokoyami hummed quietly. "You're exactly right. I just didn't want anyone else to be hurt anymore, so I took it all upon myself. As much as I could, anyway. But in reality there were others that made greater sacrifices." Tokoyami traced an idle design along the counterpart. These were things he felt he needed to unpack if he was going to make any headway with his quirk, and for some reason saying it all aloud to someone like Dabi made it easier. He kept pushing him for more information, so it just kept spilling out. "I tried to protect someone, but a hero came and protected me instead, and that person lost his quirk. I don't know what happened to him now, but I think his hero career might be over. And yet there was a moment where I was ready to take on that same fate, knowing full well what the consequences were. I was going to have Dark Shadow erased. I was about to throw him away. And after that he still fought for me, got torn apart for me, and was stretched thinner than ever before. Because of me."

Tokoyami sounded miserable talking through all that had happened.

Dabi didn't care.

"But you're telling me your quirk is still there, right? You didn't actually lose anything except for a communication link." Dabi shrugged, ready to brush off all the troubles Tokoyami was undergoing since they weren't his. "Quirks are a fickle thing. You never really know how much damage is being done until it's too late. It sounds like a lot happened all at once, so I don't think it's fair to put all that pressure on yourself. There were other heroes there that probably could've fought harder. I'm not saying you should wimp out of a fight, but at least know when to keep your head down."

"The heroes all fought really hard, though," Tokoyami sighed, thinking back to the pros and classmates alike that had been on the scene. "I wish they hadn't wasted their resources on me, since they didn't know who I was fighting for."

"Well, who were you fighting for?" Dabi prodded. It didn't matter anymore what answers he was fishing for. Just having the bird-headed kid open up about these experiences felt important.

"T-the heroes, of course. But mostly a little girl that was there. I wanted to do good by her, and to reach those ends I stopped caring about Dark Shadow's desires."

"Yeah? And what did he want, dare I ask?"

Tokoyami kept his attention trained on the countertop. "For me to stop endangering myself. That I might live."

Those words hung in the air, the uncomfortable truth of it becoming heavy on his mind the longer he let it sit. Next to him, the other barstool was pulled out, causing Tokoyami to straighten in surprise. Dabi plopped down in the seat next to him, making the distance between them just two feet now. But Tokoyami settled down quickly. It was a process, but he was already getting used to being around him again. After all, he'd gotten really familiar with the fire-user during their training. Trying to punch someone in the face was a great way to get accustomed to being around them.

Apparently Dabi was along the same mindset. "Lucky for you, you're not dead yet, so quite acting like this is the end, alright? Just put that stuff behind you because there's nothing you can do about it now. It's over. Your quirk is acting up and you both need to get back into shape. Otherwise you're just gonna keep moping and I'm already getting sick of listening to it. Dark Shadow is still there, you just have to move past what happened and compromise all over again," Dabi said. There was a part of Tokoyami that hated the fact that he was sounding so logical right now. But he already knew that where quirks were concerned, the villain had a pretty good grasp of them. "We started out with hand-to-hand combat, remember? Well obviously I can't do that now or else the Leader's gonna get mad at me again. I'd also be kicking your ass in the state you're in, and that's not as fun. So for the next week… I don't know, is mental training a thing? Yeah, do that."

Tokoyami ran a hand through his feathers in a vain attempt to compose himself in front of the villain. He could still feel the ones that Dabi had singed just a few weeks ago, and it gave him pause. "I already said, Dark Shadow won't respond to me."

Dabi rubbed his temple in frustration. "Well, what are you telling him? Maybe you're just saying the wrong thing. Besides, you said the quirk was overexerted, right? It might get easier to talk the more time passes. I think you both just need time to get better. But in the meantime, don't stop talking to him. If he doesn't want to talk, then you need to prove that you're still willing to cross this bridge to get to him."

"…Saying the wrong thing, huh?" Tokoyami murmured to himself.

Dabi got out of the chair. "It's not really my business, except when it is. Try figuring out what he responds to and build up from there. I don't know what else to tell you, Bird. I don't even know if any of this actually helps, but make of it what you will. You at least have something to think about." He went over to his bedroom, locking it up.

"Are you heading out again?" Tokoyami asked, surprised at the suddenness of it.

"No point in me sticking around much longer – I already said my piece, at least for now. I'm sure you still have plenty more you want to say, but try talking it out with your quirk some more." Dabi was already heading towards the front door, pausing only to grab a pair of shades from a kitchen drawer and a coat that had been thrown onto the ground at some point. If this was supposed to be his casual clothes for going out in public, then it just made Tokoyami wonder even more what the villain had gone off to do yesterday when he'd left in a rush. "I'll pick up a few things, so just keep doing what you're doing here."

Tokoyami rested his head back onto the cool countertop. "So that's it, then?"

Dabi looked over at him, annoyed. "What, did you want a pity party? Get over yourself. Hurry up and heal so that we can get to training. It's gonna be a pain in the ass getting back to where we were."

"Is… is there anything you want me to try and communicate to Dark Shadow?"

Dabi thought about that for a moment, pausing in front of the door as he prepared to leave. "Yeah, actually, now that you mention it. Tell that temperamental bastard quirk of yours that if it wants to get past my flames it's gonna have to come up with something better than that "Nightedge Spear" shit. So start thinking about what you can do to get improve already."