Heroes in the Dark

by Iffondrel

Taking place during the School Trip Arc, we center on Tokoyami in the aftermath of Dark Shadow's rampage. Villains wanting to capture Bakugou set their sights on Tokoyami, and the connection these two have had since fighting in the Sport's Festival will decide what'll happen to them after being brought over by Tomura's League of Villains, with devastating consequences for Tokoyami.

91. Chapter 91

Heroes in the Dark chapter 83

Tokoyami was led back the way he'd come, stopping only to check in on Spinner, who'd been gleefully trying out his new blade.

They walked in on him finishing up a maneuver with a flourish, twirling his sword experimentally before twisting on his heel to face the new onlookers. Spinner had an unapologetically happy smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes at the majesty of the weapon he'd been entrusted with. "It's so perfectly balanced! You gotta check this out Toko – "

The bird-headed boy stared back at him evenly, exuding a grim demeanor. Despite being just as excited as Spinner had been over the prospective new gear, the feeling had been swiftly put aside to remind him of where he stood in all this. Though the newly outfitted cape, goggles, and claws already felt like a natural extension of what he was supposed to be, he couldn't ignore that it'd all been done to further weaponize him as an accomplice on the villain side.

"…Yami." Spinner finished his name lamely, the tip of his sword tilting towards the ground before he went ahead and sheathed it all together. He must've noticed how quickly the mood had changed, swiftly putting an end to what he'd been doing in order to come stand by his side. "Oh, hey! You got some pretty cool stuff, too!" he prompted, nudging Tokoyami good-naturedly. "Why don't we, uh, take this somewhere else and try it out? I'll spar with ya!"

It sounded like an ordinary invitation, but Tokoyami picked up on what went unspoken. He could only say so much after the somber reality that Trumpet had pulled him back into.

Nevertheless, he wasn't about to let the device around his ankle spoil the novelty of his other little "gifts." It made no difference what the supplier's intention is – he would use these as his own, for purposes that aligned with his ideals. Tokoyami wouldn't let these upgrades get to his head, and he'd be damned if he ever used them against somebody on his side.

Tokoyami warily drifted away from the both of them, eager to distance himself if it meant getting closer to the exit. "I had no other plans for the day, so I don't see why not. is there a better place where we can try out our new blades?"

Trumpet had an answer prepared, all too happy to have them leave. "The ML—PLF mansion is equipped with several large rooms dedicated to quirk training. I'm sure you won't need something of that scale, though. Might I direct you outside instead? The weather is fair and the courtyard has always been used for tamer exchanges, the kind of which you two are looking for."

Is he looking down on us?

Constantly, I'm sure, Tokoyami mused. Though if those rooms are typically reserved for quirks, then it might just be better to go outside, lest we run into anyone practicing their powers.

Spinner didn't think too hard about it. "Yeah, we can take this outside. Lead the way!"

Trumpet let them walk outside the room and back into the open hallway. "I'll do no such thing," he grumbled, reaching for the close door button. "There's an exit that'll take your to the courtyard just down the hall. You don't need me leading you around. Now, enjoy your freedom." And with that, he promptly closed the metal doors behind them, retreating into the depths of his study so that he couldn't be bothered taking responsibility for whatever came next.

Freedom? How laughable.

So what? I wanna go outside! Let's go fight – and try out those claws!

Tokoyami fought back a smile. Very well, then.

As promised, it didn't take much to find the outside. Tokoyami stepped out onto a large green lawn with cobblestone paths and interlocking hedges. Small trees and shrubs were planted in several equally spaced positions, their branches bare, and planter boxes were empty but for frost-covered dirt. Paved paths led out from the mansion, sectioning off large grass patches and feeding into recreational areas and plazas with all manner of fountains, statues, and benches.

In the shadow of the mansion, where the sun couldn't quite reach over the high-thatched rooves, a chill was settled over all else. Seeing his breath crystalize in the air, Tokoyami adjusted his new cloak to be more fitting.

"I suppose this is as good a place as any to warm up," Tokoyami remarked dryly, marching out towards the nearest open area. Despite how many people had been present at the rally, there weren't too many people around now. If this was what constituted as fair weather, then so be it. At least the cold worked to stave off potential onlookers. They practically had this whole area to themselves.

Tokoyami stepped out onto the grass and rolled his shoulders. Stiff, but not too bad. Quite a few days had passed since the fights, and that whole time had been spent recovering. That's not long enough to make me rusty, is it?

Oi, I think you're letting Dabi's work ethic get to you. We don't actually have to train every day, do we? Even hero classes weren't all battle oriented.

Mph. By now I'm sure I've spent more time with Dabi as a teacher than anyone else can ever claim to be…

"So what'd ya get?" Spinner asked, circling over to the other side and facing him. With a fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword, admiring it in his hand. "I couldn't help noticing that you don't have a sword." He paused a moment, growing embarrassed. "I-I mean, if you don't have one, that's okay too! It looks like you got some great gear already. What is that, like, armor and stuff? I guess it's kinda silly to ask for another weapon when you have such a capable quirk…"

"Nonsense!" Tokoyami snorted, freeing his arms from his cloak with ease and brandishing the new gauntlets. "One can never be too prepared in times like these." With a flick of his wrists, six steel blades extruded from his knuckles.

A sharp breath escaped Spinner, and he raised his head to get a better look. "No way! You got claws? That's so cool!"

A jolt of satisfaction ran through him. It was nice to be facing someone so agreeable for once. "I find it to be rather fitting, don't you think? Admittedly, I'll miss wielding that katana, but I'm eager to see if this new arsenal can do me justice."

"You'll have to figure out how to use them from scratch, though. Even though they have a similar property to traditional swords, they're gonna function different, ya know? I've been working with swords for years now, so I'll go easy on you. We're just getting comfortable with how these new digs work, alright?"

Tokoyami nodded his head graciously while getting into position with his claws. "Understood." Thinking back on it, he'd never gotten the chance to train with Spinner before. Or anyone in the League beyond Dabi, actually. Something he noticed right off the bat was how transparent Spinner was about what he was about to do, which couldn't be said for everyone. It was almost like he didn't want to see Tokoyami get hurt or something.

"Ready? And… begin!"

Spinner charged forward with his sword readied, quickly clearing the space between them. He raised his sword, purposefully leaving himself wide open (or so Tokoyami hoped). When he brought the blade down over his head, he did so slowly, giving Tokoyami ample time to prepare for a retaliation.

Tokoyami went with a simple block, crossing the claws in front of himself and bracing his feet, taking a defensive stance. The flat of Spinner's blade clashed against his own, and Tokoyami felt the shudder or metal scraping against metal radiate through his body.

"Good block!" Spinner praised, easing up on the pressure and stepping back. "Crossing them like that will probably be good against any number of attacks. But I think those weapons in particular might be good for parrying blows and then doing counterattacks. So let's try this again, only this time try to catch my blade between the claws and twist it to the side. Then you can attack. Got it?"

I thought I was doing pretty well for myself when using that old sword, but I guess Spinner sees that I'm sorely lacking in the fundamentals… Tokoyami readied himself again with a nod, and Spinner went in again, faster this time.

As advised, Tokoyami caught the opponent's blade between his claws. It probably would've been trickier to parry with a normal katana, but here it slid across the top of the claws before a twist of his wrist trapped it between two of the blades. Having more control of the exchange, he brought his claw to the side and brought Spinner's new weapon with it.

Duel wielding gives me a lot of options, Tokoyami considered. While one claw was parrying the sword, he stepped in and brandished the other one towards his exposed flank. Tokoyami thought it was a pretty good maneuver, but Spinner acted fast. He turned the blade free from the parry and brought his hilt up in one quick movement, letting the claws clash harmlessly off the back of the blade, near the guard. When Spinner attacked, his movements were slow, but the second a sword was turned against him he was quick to respond. Tokoyami had to admit – his skills weren't just talk, they were something he actually cared about, despite the lack of use swords saw in today's age.

"Alright, now keep attacking!" Spinner instructed. "I wanna see what they can do."

Tokoyami followed his advice and brought up the next claw, lashing out on the other side. Again Spinner blocked, and Tokoyami went in with the other one.

"Be careful not to bring them so far from your body," Spinner advised, catching the claw in his karana and twisting it aside before deftly fending off the next attack again. "Those claws don't require such large gestures – if you can keep them close to your side and strike quickly, then you'll wanna bring them back to a neutral position to decide if you need to attack or block again."

Tokoyami grit his teeth. He'd worked with claws before – how was steel so different from shadow? Then again, his Black Ankh ability provided passive defense, so it had always been easier to lash out with claws first and foremost. Now that he thought about it, redirected an attack was bound to be much more useful than absorbing it, especially when Dark Shadow still wasn't as tanky as he used to be.

"What if I wish to attack with both of them?" Tokoyami asked, bringing the claws in close.

"Try it."

Piercing Twilight Claws…

Tokoyami voiced the supermove name instinctively in his mind before lashing out in full force. Spinner took a hasty step back from his onslaught, bringing his whole sword up and bracing the flat against his palm. The sword trembled beneath the claws bearing down upon it. The sharply honed edges grated against the katana, scraps of shadow forming around them.

Spinner ducked out of the attack, letting the claws slip past him and retreating a safe distance with a wheeze. "I know I didn't really say anything, but, uh, I thought it was implied that we wouldn't be using quirks?" Spinner huffed, resting the sword on the ground for a moment to massage his wrist. He didn't seem angry about it – just surprised. "I mean, that'd kinda make i 1, you know?"

"S-sorry," Tokoyami stuttered, hastily sheathing his claws with a press of a button. "I didn't mean to, it just happened naturally."

"Don't get me wrong, it's great that you have Dark Shadow to back you up! I'm sure there's lots of cool stuff you two will come up with, now that you have those Badgerman claws."

Tokoyami frowned. "Badgerman?"

Spinner shrugged. "He's an oldschool superhero from the Golden Age. Had comics and everything, but with how quickly hero icons move on, you don't see much of him anymore. It's always about who's in the spotlight, rather than who set the foundation."

Tokoyami looked down at his claws, wondering how others had used them in the past and how he'd end up using them going forward.

Spinner readied his sword again. "But hey, that stuff doesn't matter. These are your claws only, and you're gonna be great with them." He gave a nervous little laugh. "Probably better that you have those than a sword, right? Now why don't we try this again. Nothing big or flashy, just an exchange of blows to help you get more familiar with them. They're not a part of your quirk, though you'll probably end up using them like an extension of yourself with enough practice."

And then you'll let me use them, too? I really like these new claws! Dark Shadow cawed, buzzing with anticipation.

Tokoyami squirmed nervously at the thought, and, feeling his hesitation, the quirk's rampant excitement died down. It'll be a bit before we move onto that. I'd like to know that I have good mobility and control over these weapons before taking the next step. Is that understood? I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to you wearing them.

Aye, aye! Dark Shadow said in a most agreeable way.

Good. Then Tokoyami readied his stance once more, waiting for Spinner to give the initiative.

Spinner rushed in with his sword again, using simple maneuvers of overhead slashes and sidewards swipes, always giving him ample time to respond. Tokoyami got the hang of it quickly, until the moves felt too predictable to prove a challenge. With how brutal his usual mentor was, it didn't take much for his reflexes to keep pace.

Tokoyami was fast, after all.

When he grew weary of playing defensively, he switched to delivering blows instead. Tokoyami was careful not to let Dark Shadow's eagerness get in the way. His onslaught was deflected every time, but Tokoyami kept a brutal pace, never letting up, and the rate at which he could continuously lash out was noteworthy, to say the least. Even if there wasn't much strength behind each blow, he found himself getting closer to slipping past Spinner's defenses.

The turns they took between defensive and offensive stances seamlessly transitioned into a more varied exchange, where Tokoyami would perform a few swipes with his claws before bracing himself for Spinner's counterattacks and vice versa. More than anything, it felt natural. Even in the brisk air, Tokoyami could feel himself breaking into a cold sweat. Likewise, Spinner was beginning to breathe heavily following their most recent bout. He was starting to wonder if this would be a good time to call an end to their training session when they were interrupted anyway. It was just as well, too – Tokoyami didn't want weariness to make his moves sloppy, lest one of them actually got hurt during the sparring match.

Despite that, he wasn't very ecstatic at what – or who, in this case– had chosen to encroach on their training.

"Fumikage~! There you are!"

Tokoyami winced. There was only one person who called him that – and in such a chipper tone, no less. Only somebody with a lot of nerve would have the gall to do such a thing. He heaved a weary sigh, fearing that a storm was coming for him.

Toga trotted out from behind a wall of hedges, bubbling with excitement. She seemed… different, somehow. Her eye was still healing, which he'd expected, and she'd donned her new winter coat. But under that, she still had pajama bottoms on, and her hair buns looked even messier than normal. More than that, she seemed to radiate a different intensity than normal – not so much a murder-y kind, but more like genuine excitement… How do I even properly describe her? I fear I don't have the words for it.

Spinner sheathed his sword. He must've also sensed that their session had reached an end. "Oh, hi, Toga. Glad to see you're doing better. What'd ya need?"

"Nothing from you, Spinny," Toga purred, shooing away the very idea that she might need anything from him. "I'm just happy to see Fumikage! I wanna show him something special." She strutted right up to him, only to clasp her hands together pleadingly. "Can you come follow me? Pleeease?"

Tokoyami went rigid, refusing to budge from where he stood. With such a vague request, of course he'd be skeptical. "Is it truly so important? Spinner and I were in the middle of something."

Spinner came to stand by his side and mumbled to him in a way that could've been a bit more discreet. "I thought we were wrapping things up?"

Tokoyami flicked his line of sight from Spinner back to Toga, who is leaning in curiously to overhear them talk.

With a dejected sigh, Tokoyami folded. It would've been far too easy to say "no" to the girl and hastily retreat from whatever upset was no doubt hiding behind her devious motives. Instead he acquiesced to her invitation – whatever that meant.

Tokoyami flicked his claws back into the sheaths built into the gauntlets, noting the way Toga's eyes lit up when seeing them move. "Very well. I probably owe you enough to accept your terms. Just so long as you don't get too comfortable with my presence. I don't exactly have fond memories of my past adventures with you," he said, unable to hide a certain degree of bitterness that entered his voice.

Toga paid it no mind, focused solely on the fact that he'd actually agreed. "I love to hear it! Ahh, you're gonna be so surprised. I can't wait to see the look on your face~"

Isn't… isn't that the kind of thing she'd say to someone she's wanting to stab in a dark alley…? Dark Shadow considered, squirming through his dubious thoughts.

I'm not… afraid of her. But it never hurts to possess a certain degree of caution around someone like her.

Because she's unstable?

Tokoyami's frown deepened, even while Toga herself was eagerly beckoning for him to follow along. I don't… think I can use that word for her anymore. She knows what she's doing, and she's very focused when it comes to her goals. Just like everyone else here, she follows her own path of ambition.

…Do I get to call myself ambitious, too?

Spinner interjected. "Wow, Toga, you, uh, seem pretty passionate about this thing. Do I get to see what it is, too?"

Toga shook her head adamantly. "Nuh-uh! Not until I know that I can share it with everyone else."

You truly do not care about sounding like a reliable person, huh? Tokoyami lamented inwardly. He turned to Spinner, still standing awkwardly beside him. "Thank you for the training. I'll see you back in the League Ward, and we can pick this back up another day."

Spinner agreed, albeit a bit hesitantly. Tokoyami could tell that his sparring companion was silently asking if he was actually okay with this – to which Tokoyami had no clear answer. Regardless, he mumbled a good-bye and watched as Tokoyami reluctantly fell in line behind Toga.

Only when they had gone a fair distance away from Spinner, weaving between walls of concrete and neatly-trimmed hedges, did Tokoyami think to implore further.

"So then, where are you taking me? I can't help noticing that we're getting further away from the mansion." He didn't actually know how far the perimeter of this territory extended. It'd probably look bad if he were to immediately trigger the house arrest alarm on the anklet he'd received less than an hour ago.

"We're going somewhere nobody would think to look! I've been practicing where nobody can see me. It's better to err on the side of caution, right Fumikage?" Toga giggled, disappearing behind a wall of shrubbery.

Never mind the stupid anklet – this is setting off waaay more alarms! Dark Shadow huffed.

Tokoyami ignored the warnings blaring in his mind and plunged ahead, determined to keep up with her.

"Toga? Where'd you go?" He silently cursed himself, wondering how he could've possibly lost her so quickly. Granted, it wouldn't be the first time – Toga had a unique way of disappearing, especially if she didn't want to be seen. But given that he should know what she's capable of, wouldn't he be able to keep a better eye on her by now?

"This way! There's a place where there's no cameras or intruders."

Tokoyami followed her voice. By now the overgrown walls were taller than him, and the cobblestone paths were much narrower. He walked past a small, ornate gate, only to find himself at the top of a short stone staircase looking over a wooden structure. It took him a moment to process what he was seeing, noting the curved rooves and sturdy columns fitted at each point with no walls to connect them. It was a traditional gazebo, only it was tucked away in a natural fold of the hills, shadowed by the artificial walls around it, and icy had long since begun the process of creeping over every available surface the building had to offer. More than anything, it looked like a part of the sweeping mansion grounds that had truly been forgotten. There was something both serene and sad about this place, neglected by the passage of time.

From the shadows beneath the unmaintained roof, Toga was waiting. She held her hands over her mouth, as if that might somehow conceal the unnerving smile stretched across her face. Her eyes shifted each direction, like an assassin making sure that the coast was clear. And then she only had sights for him, beckoning him forward the last little bit.

His heart was thumping madly in his chest by now, riddled with all the possibilities that could lead him astray in this hellish world. Tokoyami came to a dead stop and glowered at the spontaneous girl. "Toga. If you're trying to stab me, then I feel I need to politely decline."

Pft, even when faced with potential danger, you're so forward, Dark Shadow teased.

Does it make a difference? She's not actually planning on stabbing me, I'm sure. I just want her to know how suspicious she's acting, Tokoyami assured, even as alternative outcomes nagged at the back of his mind.

What if she… she knew the things you were thinking, though?

Dark Shadow. I don't want to entertain that thought any more than I already do.

Okay, so alternatives. What if it's another dead hero?

Tokoyami's feathers fluffed up, and he buried his beak in his hands. Stop! Just knock it off already!

"Come on, Fumikage! Just a bit further – or else I won't be able to show you!" Toga called out from the shadows like a demon from the depths of hell. When he didn't respond, frozen in the middle of the stairs, Toga doubled back to check on him. Her eyebrows knit together in concern, and she came uncomfortably close to him. He could smell blood on her breath, and he shuddered involuntarily.

Without warning, Toga came forward and grabbed hold of his hand to guide him the rest of the way, and by that point he didn't know what to do. For some reason, resistance didn't seem like an option, so he allowed himself to be led into the darkness.

When they were hidden under the cover of the gazebo, Tokoyami gently but firmly pulled his hand free of her grasp. "Enough games, Toga. I followed you out here, so what happens next? You said you were practicing something?"

I don't like the sound of that!

I'm sure it's fine. At least… I feel like we understand each other a lot more now, as much as I hate to admit it. I don't think anything of true consequence will come of this.

Needless to say, Tokoyami was quick to have his hopes dashed.

"So bear with me on this. I haven't really gotten it figured out, okay?" Toga said, prefacing her revelation. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small vial that contained a drop of blood. Tokoyami felt his own blood go cold, but before he could say anything Toga undid the stopper and drank it right before his eyes. He didn't have to wait long to figure out whose blood that was, watching as her messy buns morphed into black feathers and a beak emerged from her face. Within seconds, Tokoyami found himself staring at a perfect image of himself. Only he would never smile the way this false transformation did. Tokoyami traced his eyes across the disheveled feathers and the scar peeking out from under the sleeve of Toga's coat.

It was most definitely him. And knowing that filled him with insurmountable regret and bitterness. It was foolish of him to think that the deal they'd made in the halls of Overhaul's underground base could've stayed there. Of course she'd held onto his blood, even through those fights and after the months that had come to pass.

So now what? What further torment could he possibly have to endure?

And then a thought occurred. A horrid concept that instilled him with fear. Tokoyami took a step forward. "W-wait. Whatever it is you plan on doing, you need to know that it's not worth – !"

Before she could heed his call, shadows began to converge around them. The fake Tokoyami standing before him dipped his head in concentration, and an unexpected chill made him shudder. Outside the gazebo, a cloud passed over the cold winter sun, deepening the darkness around them. Tokoyami's plea hung heavy on his tongue, an unused burden, and he heard Toga's breath give an audible exhale.

Eerily familiar eyes flashed from her abdomen, and a sleek figure stitched of shadow crawled free of its restraints. Tokoyami watched with sickening anguish as the misty shape began to solidify above Toga's reconstructed head.

There is no mercy remaining for the likes of us, Tokoyami mourned, feeling defeat claw at the back of his throat when proper words failed to spill forth.

Who is that?! Dark Shadow hissed, coming undone within his stream of subconscious turmoil. That looks like an enemy! I won't let it hurt you, Fumikage!

Dark Shadow, wait!

Caught off guard by the quirk's outburst, he wasn't prepared when Dark Shadow uncoiled from him to stare off against this unexpectedly insidious foe that Toga had summoned.

"Dark Shadow, don't engage!" Tokoyami barked sharply, holding an arm back as if that might actually do something to restrain the sentient being. All the while, Dark Shadow flickered and squirmed, ignited by the urge to fight off the look-alike. It was like an animal acting tough in front of a mirror, certain that they were being threatened. Only Toga's quirk was much more tangible.

And yet… it wasn't all there, either.

Tokoyami took a deep, shuttered breath in the hopes that he may steal his frayed nerves. It didn't do much to help, but at least he felt he could talk now that his quirk wasn't looking for a fight.

"Toga… I know you're still working through this whole awakened quirk business. It revealed a lot about you and what you're capable of," he began gently, before his voice hardened to a dangerous edge. "But you need to put that shadow away now."

Empty amber eyes hovered above the transformed girl, watching his movements silently. Shadows bubbled and pooled around it, feeding into a monstrosity that didn't feel entirely real. Beneath it, the quirk's user had much more expression to show, face downturned in disappointment.

"You… don't like it. I didn't think you'd be so mad," Toko-Toga sulked.

Dark Shadow nudged Tokoyami's shoulder, and he held up a hand for the shadowy creature to nestle his hand into. "That reasoning is surface-level at best. Truthfully, I hate it. Seeing you use my quirk instils nothing but dread and bile. Except that's not even my quirk, is it? Dark Shadow can't be replicated so easily, regardless of your acute imposter ability. You should've known it wouldn't be the same," Tokoyami chastised.

Anyone bearing witness to the situation would've been able to spot the difference between them. Despite it being the same quirk, they didn't even look the same, let alone act the same. There was something… off about Toga's variation of Dark Shadow. It looked more amorphous, yet clean. It didn't have the same spines and feather-like protrusions that the original had, and the surface looked more like a single, unified shadow rather than the intertwining tendrils that composed Tokoyami's real quirk.

Toga raised a hand up to her quirk, wanting to pet her newly spawned shadow the same way as he. When her hand touched the inky beast, there was no reaction to be had. It continued to hover, unblinking and unaware.

"Why is it so...like this?" Toga pouted, indicating the listless amalgamation drifting around her. "It's nothing like Dark Shadow! Yours is bubbly and loud and full of emotions. He likes to be pet and be complimented. This one is just kinda blank, I guess?"

Yes, yes, it's all true. Someone who understands me! Nothing at all like that inferior one. Dark Shadow hummed, still tense but willing to accept praise nonetheless.

It may not be a good thing to be so easily readable, Tokoyami warned, desperately trying not to let the embarrassment of her acute appraisal get the better of him.

Toga looked at him so pleadingly – which was just weird, since it was his own damned face. For better or for worse, Tokoyami let go of some of his anger. The thought that this might happen had crossed his mind before. There was no helping it now. Ever since he'd witnessed Toga use Uraraka's quirk, he'd figured that this might, unfortunately, happen. Now that it was actually being used in front of him, he couldn't even be sure how to feel. One thing was for certain, though – he couldn't ignore this.

When Tokoyami didn't have an answer prepared, Toga continued, growing increasingly more perplexed. "Your quirk is like the total opposite of you, and he's got so much of his own personality! So why is it that when I have the same quirk, it's so... inanimate?"

Tokoyami crossed his arms knowingly. "That's easy. I've had Dark Shadow with me all my life, whether I knew it or not. He's a manifestation of my internal shadows, yes. But he's also an individual that's reacted to the events of my life in his own way and has worked to build upon that. Dark Shadow didn't start off as a fully-fledged being, no different than how it took younger me years to develop into who I am now. An identity simply cannot be attained overnight. Your quirk is impressive in its own right, Toga, but it can't accommodate for a lifetimes' worth of experience."

The gears were beginning to click together in her head, encouraging her to walk around her version of the sentient quirk with a critical eye. "I guess that makes sense why they act differently. But it doesn't even look the same, either! I'm using the same quirk. I even have your face! So why isn't the quirk identical when everything else about my quirk has been accurate for years…?"

Tokoyami blinked slowly, letting her frustration sink in before answering. "Because you don't know how to use it. It takes understanding to have Dark Shadow take form like this. Your shadow is nothing but a base, with only a few fleeting moments of experience to actually shape its form in any way. A shadow isn't just a mirror image of you – by moving a certain way or incorporating new elements, it can be altered. For my Dark Shadow, he looks this way because that's the kind of companion I needed by my side in order to feel comfortable." Am I saying too much now?

You never tell anyone these things! Dark Shadow croaked. I kinda like hearing it myself.

"I want to understand!" Toga insisted, bridging the last of the space between them with a few determined steps. "Because you're my friend, and Dark Shadow helped me and… I didn't think you would ever want to help somebody like me. Yet you did, and that's why I'm still here."

Tokoyami's arms fell to his side. He found himself struck by something truly unprecedented: sympathy. But it wasn't actually such a far-fetched emotion. He'd felt it when they'd struggled against Curious, too. Sympathy and hopelessness and desperation and so much else that couldn't be so easily construed.

"I… I can help you understand, if that's truly what you want." Who knows, maybe I can get her to run out her supply of my blood before anything grievous can happen? I'd prefer if I could have some control of the situation, anyway, he mused, watching Toko-Toga's face light up. "But! We need to set some ground rules. Under no circumstance is anyone else to know about this. Especially not Shigaraki. This quirk is not to leave this space. I understand now why you chose such a hidden location, and I need it to stay this way. If you possess even a shred of respect for my wishes, you'll agree to my terms."

Toga looked up at her quirk with an expression he couldn't quite pinpoint on his own face. Was this longing? Or something more somber.

"It's a deal. She won't be seen anywhere but here!" Toga reaffirmed.

"She? Where is this coming from?"

A confident smile began to creep across her stolen face. "You said your quirk was formed by your own experiences, right? In that case, I'll make this my own! All my life, I've wanted nothing more than to be my favorite people, to walk in their shoes and live in their skin. Because that's what my quirk was, and that's how I shared my love. I never knew that I could use my quirk to make something entirely new, though. Isn't that exciting?!" A bitter-sweet sigh escaped her, and with that the shadow dispersed into nothing, like fog vanishing in the morning sun. "I knew how Ochako used her quirk because I saw how it worked and I'd give anything to be more like her. I don't think I can copy the quirk of just anybody. But the first time I transformed into you, I thought I could feel something lying under the surface – I just didn't know what it was at the time."

Tokoyami couldn't tell if the quirk was beginning to wear off or if she was choosing to revert back to herself. Either way, the avian appearance began to slough off in gray chunks, dripping onto the dilapidated gazebo floor. In truth, he was grateful to see it come undone, even though there was no doubt he'd see it again soon.

Dark Shadow curled around Tokoyami's shoulders, as if to reaffirm that this was the one and only Tokoyami he cared about. "Sentient quirks are… complicated, to say the least," Tokoyami explained, choosing his words carefully. "Not much is known about them. If this is a path you were going to explore regardless, I'll feel better knowing it doesn't go unsupervised. Above all else, I don't want to ever see this get out of hand."

Toga rubbed her greedy little hands together – she could also have been just trying to warm them up, too. "Yup, yup! And you don't gotta worry. Tomura doesn't really need to see this, with everything else he already has on his plate."

That still sounded foreboding as all hell, but there was still some underlying comfort in her declaration of secrecy.

Tokoyami couldn't tell if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders or if he'd just marked himself down for yet another cruel twist of the knife in this ongoing battle against fate. It hardly mattered now. A deal had been made, and if Toga even remotely valued the tentative friendship they'd had the misfortune of developing, then she'd be sure to adhere to it. He only hoped that meant something. Truthfully, he didn't want to doubt her. But seeing that false effigy of his Dark Shadow had left him...unsettled, to say the least.

"In that case, I believe we've reached an agreement. All things considered… I think I've had enough for one day," Tokoyami said, heaving an impossibly heavy breath as if that might do something to lessen the impossible weight bearing down upon his shoulders.

You know if I'm heavy, you can just ask me to move, right? Dark Shadow grumbled from where he was settled around him.

Tokoyami wordlessly willed the quirk to vanish from the physical realm and proceeded to massage his aching temples.

Toga skipped around him, still bursting with unspoken questions while also taking note of his current condition. "Was that all a bit much? I can just head back to the mansion, if you'd prefer. You look tired, that's all." She paused, gauging his interest, but he gave no response. "…Did you wanna tag along?"

Tokoyami pressed his back against one of the support beams and stared up at the ivy-entangled ceiling. "I'm quite alright. You go on ahead and I'll catch up at some point. Please, allow me a moment to just stand here in silence."

Toga stood in the shadows with him, struck by uncertainty. "Did you...want any company?"

"I always have company," Tokoyami retorted simply. "Don't let me keep you, now."

With that, Toga took her leave, and Tokoyami remained in the shadows of the damaged building to ruminate over what new devilish contract he'd just signed.