There comes a time in everybody's life, through whatever hardship or grueling circumstance, that they are forced to make a decision. At the moment, who would be able to say with such certainty that they'd make the right one? Who decided what was right and wrong, or was there ever even such a distinction to begin with? And then, just maybe, there'd come a time of uncertainty. Or even regret. But by then, it'd be far too late to change the outcome. Could that person still strive forward the same way? Could they keep clinging to the consequence of their action – or lack thereof – even knowing the pain it'd caused?

These were the thoughts that plagued Tokoyami now, as he glared resentfully upon the scorched body of the meager life he'd managed to save. In his numb arms, the weight was unbearable. This burden of guilt and leaden life threatened to drag him down to the floor, even as it fractured beneath his feet.

The whole mansion was coming down around them, torn asunder by one quirk after another, and it was everything he could do just to continue his perilous escape. Their options were already limited: he could have Dark Shadow hold Hawks, but then the quirk's arms would be full should some worse fate befall them. Or they could continue as they have been, with Tokoyami holding onto Hawks as best he could while Dark Shadow struggled to direct them out of harm's way.

Two more floors. Can you do that for us? Tokoyami asked, while stopping to readjust the dead weight yet again. Hawks had stopped making noises, even though he was confident that his not-quite-gentle handling was afflicting the ravaged man. He couldn't afford the time to check on him. He couldn't slow down, even knowing that he was already going painfully slow. Because he knew – and Hawks knew, if he was still conscious – that Tokoyami could go so much faster if he only had to look after himself.

But that wasn't the case here. So they had to make do.

Tokoyami grit his teeth and picked Hawks back up, with his right arm looped securely under his blistered back and his left just barely getting ahold of his legs.

Once more, Dark Shadow – Black Fallen Angel!

Feeling the quirk wrap around his midriff, Tokoyami launched himself from a gap in the railing. Directly below, battles waged, but there was nothing he could do about them except avoid whatever came his way.

Dark Shadow glided above it all, claws outstretched like inky wings of their own. All the while, Tokoyami scanned the swarming people for familiar faces. No, no, not just any faces, of which there were many, the very same that might've looked skyward in seeing his passing shadow and spoke his name in hope. Those weren't people he could help anymore. He needed heroes, or whoever the hell was branding themselves as such during this cataclysmic encounter.

As they descended towards an open patch of ground amongst the turmoil, one that Tokoyami knew would lead out to a little-used exit, he felt the temperature around them drop suddenly.

"Dark Shadow, drop down!" Tokoyami barked. Shadowy arms wrapped protectively around the two of them, and their momentum continued to carry them through the air right as an enormous wall of ice was created at their backs. Frozen flurries swirled around them while icicles reached towards his back. Rather than get caught up in the icy onslaught, they tumbled onto the ground below and came to a stop upon slamming into the far wall. Shadows had broken their fall for the most part, but it still left Tokoyami feeling dizzy and breathless.

Above him, he could hear Geten screaming threats at any hero that dared approach him and his ever-building tower of ice. He dragged him and Hawks towards the hallway, hoping to slip past him without any unwanted attention. Hawks trembled pathetically in his hold, igniting a burst of involuntary anger within him. And then guilt, for how could he hold such animosity towards someone in such a critical condition?

Easily. He brought this upon himself.

So have we. And we got out of this far less scathed.

Tokoyami clutched Hawks close and, shaking the ice forming around his feet, slipped into the shadows of the compromised mansion in the meager hope that they might escape the ongoing conflicts surrounding them.

Against his better judgment, he looked back. He couldn't help but search the floors above them, scouring the crumbling stairways for familiarity. After all, Geten had fired off his large-scale attack with such reckless abandon – he had to make sure that the others had escaped it.

His eyes quickly found the floor they'd been on far above, where they'd been fighting mere minutes prior. Past the newly created ice wall, he could see that the side of the walkway had fallen apart even more. But the flames had already died out. There was nobody up there anymore. He had to assume that Dabi had gotten out of there. And Twice…

Twice…

Tokoyami wrenched himself away, feeling his breath hitch. He had nothing left but to leave it all behind. In doing so, he grabbed a hold of Hawks and began dragging him through the dark halfway, leaving a trail of agony in his wake.

"Come on," Tokoyami hissed, as if that might make a difference. He hoisted Hawks up again, cumbersome as it was while he sent Dark Shadow to scout ahead. "Why couldn't you ever help me? Even now, you're so useless. Maybe when I was your young, foolish apprentice I could convince myself that you were just testing me. But now? Now it's plain to see just how little you've ever tried to do me justice."

No response.

Tokoyami braced himself against the wall, feeling Hawks slip from his grasp yet again as if all his attempts to persevere were utterly pointless. "God dammit, Hawks. Why did it have to be like this?" he choked out, feeling his heart twist painfully in his chest. His grief threatened to take hold of him. Everything hurt, and he was losing the willpower to push on with the weight of another holding him back. Why did I think I could do this?

A string of thoughts pestered his internal monologue with a keen urgency, demanding his attention. Hero up ahead! He's not engaged with any PLF – should I confront him?

Tokoyami's fingers curled into the fabric of Hawks' tattered shirt. How bad would this look to an outsider, to have him hovering over the body of a broken-down hero? Not that he could see his image getting any worse. If he could just pass the wingless burden along, then that would be sufficient.

Please. We could really use some help. If we run into anyone else, I… I won't be able to fight my way out of this. So please…!

Tokoyami heard his quirk calling out for help from down the hall. He processed the thoughts and words being exchanged from quirk to hero, and visualized the encounter taking place between them. This hero was familiar… young… a student? But not from their grade, and different from anything Dark Shadow had seen before. So why did he think he recognized him?

Tokoyami felt his quirk returning, head filled with nervous excitement. Following behind him was a strange echo, like two sets of legs working together. He raised his head at the form that appeared to meet them, hoping to appear bigger than he actually was, only to be dwarfed by the equine form that emerged from the darkness.

"They're over here!" Dark Shadow crowed, reuniting with Tokoyami and circling protectively above them while the hero he'd brought along skid to a stop.

Tokoyami felt his body freeze, not sure what to make of the person who'd come to their aid. He seemed like something taken from a fantasy story. A centaur, was it? From the waist up, the student hero was clad in loose white and purple garb, but the rest of his body was that of a stallion.

"I'm here to help! Whatever the… case…" The centaur's declaration died on his lips as he looked down at what must've looked to be a truly pathetic display. "What happened?!" he gasped, breaking his animal form and dropping down onto the ground as a normal two-legged person. He ran up to them the rest of the way, unbothered by Tokoyami's discomfort or the way Dark Shadow bristled at the sudden action. "How did this happen to Hawks? And… and you!"

Tokoyami winced, and he could feel his face starting to twist into the beginning of a snarl. "What difference does it make? I'm not the cause of his damage, if that's what you're thinking," he spat, suspecting that this would be the mantra he'd be clinging to when faced with a hero from now on. "Time is fleeting and so is my faith. I'm trusting you to act as a hero would. So can you do that or not?"

Their new-found help appeared taken aback by the biting comment, and backed away as though concerned with his own well-being. How typical.

"I'm not accusing you," he said in a soft voice that startled Tokoyami from his defensive position. He listened with rapt attention as the young hero explained himself. "I saw how hard you fought to save Eri. I'm sorry I never got to meet you properly… and that I never got to help you back then. But I've heard what you're like and I want to think I know what you stand for. You wouldn't do this to Hawks. You… you must've had it so hard, to have come so far."

"You were part of that mission," Tokoyami rasped, suddenly feeling much more tired. He racked his head for any memory he might have of this person, but try as he might nothing came up. Had they missed each other in passing – or were his memories beyond a certain point made too hazy to remember every detail? "You… were there when we fought Overhaul."

He shook his head somberly. "Most of my time was spent fighting the precepts. I was only able to come in at the end to witness your battle against Chisaki and… and recover Mirio—er, I mean Lemillion. I wish I could've done more, even back then."

Tokoyami looked down, watching the way Hawks moved with every labored breath, and let out an impossibly heavy sigh. "I have so much to ask you."

"I could say the same for you," he said.

Tokoyami laughed bitterly. "I can't promise you I'd have much of an explanation. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Then let's start here." A well-meaning hand was extended out to him, and Tokoyami raised his bruised and burned head to a determined expression. "Suneater of class 3-A, at your service! How do you want me to help?"

Tokoyami accepted his outstretched hand with a graciousness he couldn't properly describe at that moment. He was lucky to have found someone just as willing to help him as they were to aid the injured hero he'd dragged this far. He'd had it in his mind that he'd be chased away from Hawks or be forced into custody by any other hero. And maybe that'd be an irrational fear – if it hadn't already happened before.

Tokoyami swayed on his feet, feeling much lighter without an imminent threat hanging over him or the weight of an adult body bringing him down. "Ideally, I would've flown somebody out of danger on my own, but as fate would have it I'm not in a position to do that – I can either carry a person or fly myself out, I can't do both. Nor would I even know what direction to go from there. I have to assume that the heroes have a medic tent set up somewhere in the outskirts, correct? I need you to take Hawks to them as swiftly as possible. I'll… I'll follow behind you, as best I can. Provided that you give me the medic's location, we can rendezvous there. And then… you can go back to what it is you're doing here."

Suneater furrowed his brow, searching Tokoyami's face for more answers. "My mission here was initially to clear out the tunnels leading to the underground, but my team was pushed back by the PLF's leader. Now I'm assisting wherever I can while they re-converge for a second wave. Ensuring the safety of you two is the most important thing now. You're injured, and my centaur form is strong enough to carry multiple people, so wouldn't it be best to keep you both with me?"

He sounded just a bit desperate, and Tokoyami couldn't really blame him. All too quickly, he'd become this upstart hero's responsibility. Knowing that feeling, he'd be the same way in that position. But if he was spotted fleeing this all-out fight while riding atop a hero, they'd all be out for his head. And even though this should rightfully be his escape back to his old life, something inside him was screaming not to ruin his ill-forged reputation in these final moments.

Tokoyami shook his head slowly. "I… I can't go with you. I don't want to be seen like this, not until I'm clear of this place."

Suneater gingerly took hold of Hawks, careful not to touch any painful looking areas only to discover that they were unavoidable. He transformed back into his centaur form, situating Hawks' limp body across his back and securing him with rope – no, tentacles, formed from his hand. "Wha—hey, you don't have to be so worried. You're safe now, okay? I-I can get you out of here! I want to do that for you."

Tokoyami kept his distance now that Hawks was in the capable, albeit strange, hands of another. "Just following you will be enough. I'll be right behind you. Now please… we don't have time for such petty squabbles."

Suneater opened his mouth to protest, only to quickly snap it back shut when the incapacitated Hawks let out a most pitiable noise. The realization that he'd been given the number two hero's life was setting in, as panic-inducing as it was, and he quickly relented. "Stay close, alright? Our medic camp is situated in the woodland just southeast of here. They'll get you patched up, and then you'll be okay!"

Suneater began to canter down the hallway – fast enough to make reasonable distance but not so much as to worsen the condition of the hero draped over his back. At the same time, Tokoyami felt some unrewarding relief wash over him. Now that his hands were freed, he cradled his left arm in the other, careful not to agitate the still-bleeding shoulder and its damaged muscle fibers. He took a few shuttered breaths as he fought to shake off the fuzziness creeping onto the edge of his vision.

Dark Shadow. Let's move.

Aye!

Gentle claws looped around Tokoyami, picking him up easily from the ground. Like this, they were able to keep pace with the hero just fine. The world didn't quite feel like it was bearing down upon him. And yet…

I still feel like I'm burning.

Despite his best interests, Tokoyami spoke up from his place behind Suneater, hesitant at first, but then more confident. "Should, um, anything happen between here and there… I feel I must say that I don't regret the outcome of what happened during that mission. I'm so, so grateful that you heroes could rescue Eri where I could not… and I only wish I could've done more to aid Lemillion in his time of need."

Suneater glanced back in surprise, his hooves clacking nervously against the hardwood flooring. "Don't sell yourself short just yet. From now on, you can make up for lost time. When this is over, tell everyone your thoughts yourself! I think… no, I know Lemillion wants to have you as an ally. Not just because you're both strong, but because you're reliable! So please… please don't be so hard on yourself!"

They raced through the halls, thankful not to encounter anyone. Everyone who could be fighting already was, with all the PLF soldiers taking up arms against the hero forces within the central halls and key access points. The little-used halls were inconsequential. Maybe once or twice, Tokoyami caught sight of enemy forces slinking down the hall adjacent, and when they reached the wider halls that led to the southern gardens there were some soldiers still milling about en route to a fight. Nevertheless, they burst out onto a patio overlooking the gardens, unhindered. Tokoyami paused, spotting the toppled chairs and tossed aside instruments of the patio that'd been so swiftly evacuated in order to take up arms. He noted with a pang the guitar he'd been practicing on these past few months, its neck broken amongst the chaos. Beyond that, the garden stretched out in all its once manicured vastness, now pocketed with impact craters and littered with chunks of fallen building.

Suneater burst into a gallop that took him past it all, confident of where he was going while Tokoyami silently requested his quirk fly him higher. The hero below checked on him periodically with nervous glances, as though fearing he might lose sight. He was right to do so.

When Tokoyami looked back at the mansion, he could see more of the damage being wrought on it. Geten's monumental ice jutted skywards, and in the middle of it Mount Lady was knocking back each frozen wave as they came. The whole building seemed to move in response to its cement foundation falling apart and stitching back together, pinning villains and quelling swells. He could see them – could see everyone – fighting for all they were worth. And here he was, running from it all. Wasn't he supposed to be stronger than this? Regardless of where he'd been up till now, his powers had always been viewed as some incredible achievement capable of turning tides and bringing opponents to their knees. And he couldn't do that anymore, because he had nobody left to fight. Whether he confronted a hero like Hawks or a villain like Dabi didn't matter. He'd lost to them both.

Viewing the turmoil he was leaving behind, he couldn't help but feel an irrational anguish take hold of him. Wasn't he supposed to feel happy to leave this place behind? Had it not been just another prison to him? Maybe so, but he couldn't deny the fondness he held for the people that in some ways had treated him more like an equal than most anyone else ever had.

When Suneater reached the tree-line on the edge of the gardens, Tokoyami found himself slowing down. Not because of tire – no, with Dark Shadow guiding him he could continue like this unhindered for great distances. He'd hoped that the student hero wouldn't take notice, but that wasn't to be the case. Suneater called up to him as Tokoyami hovered in the air.

"The rear guard is this way! Why'd you stop?"

"You need to keep going. I still have unfinished business to attend to," Tokoyami explained, already drifting off in a new direction.

"B-but I promised to keep you safe…!" Suneater spluttered. "I don't know what you've been through, but you're so close to being back with the heroes. So where are you going?"

Tokoyami scoured the land beneath him until it settled. "I'm sorry, Suneater. My time here is almost through. Until then, I trust you to carry out your duties while I finish up mine."

And then Tokoyami flew off, leaving the two heroes behind. Suneater did well not to cry out or chase after him, lest he attract unwanted attention from the countless villains milling around. At least now, on the outskirts of the area, nobody would flag him down or call him into question. Everyone was locked in problems of their own creation as it was, so who were they to chase a lone crow? It might've been in his best interest to tune it all out entirely and protect himself from the screams of anger and pain that flowed from the fields of battle. If he could turn off his hearing and squeeze his eyes shut, he probably would've, but he knew he couldn't just fly blindly like that. Not when he had a goal in his sights.

The dilapidated gazebo had remained untouched through the onslaught bringing down the rest of the property. Even from the sky, he could barely make out its mossy roof over the wall of poorly maintained hedges that obscured it. By now, he felt as though he'd seen the little closed-off corner of the gardens from every angle imaginable. Over the course of the last few months, he'd spent an absurd amount of time in this place. In the center of such a heavily monitored and thoroughly populated property, this was where he knew he could escape to time and again.

This would be his last time coming here, that much he could tell. And it pained him to think that, much as he wished it didn't.

"Is right here good?" Dark Shadow asked, landing him at the top of the decrepit stone stairs.

Tokoyami stumbled despite the lightness of the landing and gripped onto the rotten wood railing at his side. "Yes. This is fine," he reassured, making his way down towards the rooved structure.

The quirk stuck his head out from under the protection of his newly battered cloak and sighed. "How long do you think we're gonna be here?"

Tokoyami reached the bottom of the stairs and walked around the perimeter of the gazebo. Nobody else was present, making him wonder if he'd been foolish to come here in such a state.

"Maybe I'm not thinking straight," Tokoyami mumbled dejectedly, sitting down and leaning against one of the creaking columns that supported the weathered roof. When he coughed, he could feel his lungs constrict painfully. A wretched whine escaped his beak, and he grit his teeth as he felt his injuries begin to catch up with him.

You shouldn't strain your throat like that, Dark Shadow advised through their internal thoughts, encouraging silent thoughts so that he wouldn't have to speak aloud. The quirk himself hovered over him, writhing through the shadows maintained by the structure and playing lookout. He was being awfully brave, but Tokoyami was wise to such facades. Dark Shadow's claws trembled, and the quirk resonated with distress as globs of shadow fell from his vivid amber eyes like tears. We shouldn't push ourselves so much! So why? Why is it all so inadequate?

Tokoyami curled in on himself. Blood continued to flow from his shoulder with no sign of stopping. Taking a shuddered breath, he grabbed a fistful of his deep black cloak and pressed the resilient material against the wound. White spots danced in his vision, and he took a sharp breath while he waited for the new wave of pain to pass. Dark Shadow's form crackled in front of him, but the quirk stayed firm while Tokoyami waited for his strained breathing to return to as normal as possible.

Tokoyami shook the fogginess from his head, and a few crispy feathers fell to the mossy floor. Considering the yet unknown extent of his injuries, he would've been far better off having followed after Suneater like he was supposed to. Instead he was here, waiting for someone that might never come.

What a miserable outcome.

Tokoyami looked down at his hands, tracing the angry red welts that had emerged on them. It all hurts so much. All I want to do now is save them. Because I don't know if anyone else is willing to do that.

Above the loudness of his thoughts and the nearby rumble of conflict, a single earth-trembling noise sounded out. Tokoyami felt it in his bones – the cry of a monster that had been awakened by circumstance. He looked up, expecting to see the source break through from the PLF headquarters, but his view was concealed. Regardless, he didn't need visual affirmation to validate what he could already feel to be true.

Gigantomachia was awakened. Which meant that somebody out there was calling upon him and giving him orders.

I don't think the doctor has that much authority over him. Which means… something had to have happened. Could it be? Has Shigaraki been awakened?!

Dark Shadow grimaced as he felt a spike of stress cross between them. The quirk didn't want to entertain whatever this meant for them. Fumikage, your shoulder… we should go. There's people waiting for us. They'll patch you up. They'll make things right!

They'll be there no matter when we decide to go. But I'm the only one waiting for them. Just… just a little longer. And then we can leave. Tokoyami drew closer within himself, wondering if the hurt would stop. If he left now, then no amount of bandages would be able to cover up this feeling.

Right when Tokoyami was starting to think that hopelessness was his only reward for this cruelly sustained patience, he heard a rustle from the bushes above.

Tokoyami remained where he was, beak turned downwards. He didn't want to move too fast, in case such action would scare them away – not that he could move very fast anyway.

He let a minute pass, counting down the seconds while readying himself for another confrontation. The sounds persisted, and he had a good idea of what it was – the sound came from one of Toga's hidden stashes, a place where she stored a spare set of clothes in the off chance that her quirk ruined her outfit. She'd always been rather particular about keeping such stashes in the area, considering the downsides that accompanied her quirk.

When he figured enough time had passed, Tokoyami hauled himself back onto his feet. "Toga?" he called out feebly. "Is that you?"

A pause. Then he heard footsteps descending the stairs.

He didn't know what he was supposed to expect, but it was definitely her. Nobody else could be her,

Toga stepped into the shadows of the gazebo, dressed in the black garb that they'd grown so used to training in together. But underneath the new change of clothes, he could see layers of evidence. Gray sludge fell from her body, the leftover residue from countless transformations. And she was covered in splatter after splatter of fresh blood despite her skin being unmarred by injury. She'd been busy dealing with the enemy. Dealing with heroes. It made his gut twist, and acid rose in the back of his smoke-damaged throat.

Oh, Toga, what have you done?

She stood at the bottom of the steps, eyes hidden behind scraggly bangs. Her messy hair buns looked ready to come undone, and a well-used knife was tucked into her belt hoop, slick with blood. A dangerous aura encompassed her. If he was anyone else, then Tokoyami felt he should've been far more guarded. But he left himself open. He couldn't bar himself from her. Not after everything they've been through.

Besides, he knew she wouldn't hurt him, no matter what her mental state was like. He could see her lip quivering.

In that moment, Tokoyami felt a hole burning in his pocket. He reached his hand down, and in doing so felt it brush against the silky material of a handkerchief. He closed his fingers around it, slowly fishing it out of his pocket. When he did, something else fell free – a little scrap of folded paper that he'd kept with him all this time. It was something so small… if Twice had known the significance of that little note he'd passed in class that one time, would he have laughed? No, he'd understand. After all, this little square of fabric had meant the world to him – because it showed him that someone else cared for him. And in a place like this, that was so painfully hard to find.

Tokoyami held the hankie in trembling hands, feeling the weight of his failure take over him. How was he ever supposed to explain all that had happened?

"Toga, I—"

"It's true, isn't it?" Toga said, her voice ringing out clearly. She looked up sharply. Her eyes blazed with animalistic rage, but behind that veil of danger he could see the unfathomable depths of her grief ready to spill over. "Twice is dead. He's dead and never coming back. Right…?!"

Tokoyami hung his head dejectedly. "I'm so… so—"

Toga rushed at him. He didn't even anticipate the movement, her swift readiness taking him entirely off guard. Dark Shadow didn't move in response, either, not wanting to apprehend someone he so readily liked. Tokoyami was left stupefied as the villainess reached past every wall he might've built around him and wrapped her arms around him.

He wouldn't blame her for planting a knife between his shoulders if she knew all that had happened. Dabi must've told her that he's the reason why Twice's killer was still alive. That he was responsible for giving the heroes an edge over their little paradise and ruining her chance of happiness. That this was all his fault. There was no other explanation. If this was the closure that was meant to happen between them, then he wasn't sure he'd want to free himself of this eminent fight.

Only he didn't feel the bite of her knife. His actions went unpunished, his sorrow his only pain as he felt Toga's hands grip the fabric of his back in a heartfelt embrace driven by insurmountable sadness. He'd never been so close to her. He'd never… hugged her before. Close combat training was one thing and… and when she was injured, he'd carried her body to safety. But never anything like this.

Toga buried her head into his shoulder – she couldn't have known how much pain that caused him – and large tears fell from her eyes. Choked gasps escaped her mouth while she cried freely. This must've been her first chance to grieve her loss, away from the battlefield and prying eyes.

"Why'd he have to die?!" Toga sobbed.

Her cries echoed around them, raw and uncontained. It was the most devastating sound he'd ever borne witness to.

Tokoyami stood stock-still. His arms tremored, barely able to move. If he had the strength to wrap his arms around her in return, he might've done so. Instead he looked down at her huddled face, puffy and tearstained as it was. With as much reassurance as he could muster, he raised the handkerchief in his right hand and blotted the dampness from her cheek. The square of fabric came away dirty from layers of blood and grime. She must've fought so hard to get here.

"I'm so sorry," Tokoyami finally managed to say. "I never wanted to see that happen. I… I swear, I wanted to keep him safe. I wanted you all to live a peaceful life… and…" Tears pricked the corners of his eyes again. But he'd already cried. He couldn't let sentiment cloud his ability to tell Toga what needed to be said. Because he wasn't sure when he'd be able to talk to her like this again. From here on, things would never be the same between them. Even though they held each other now, mourning the loss of the same friend. He was going back to the very same heroes that had sullied her happiness, and that was surely unforgivable. "I never wanted any of you to get hurt."

Toga raised her head slowly, leaning into the handkerchief. Recognition sparked in her eyes, and though the crying didn't stop, she'd at least managed to calm down somewhat. "You… have my hankie."

Toga's hand went to touch the little fabric scrap, and Tokoyami withdrew his own hand so she could hold it. "You should have it back. Twice… he'd want that."

Toga retracted herself from the hug she'd held between them. Tokoyami flinched when her hand fell across his shoulder, and only then did she finally notice his grisly injury.

She lifted her hand up, finding it covered in his blood. So much for stopping the bleeding. "You're hurt!" she gasped, craning her head to inspect the serrated wound.

"I thought… that he wouldn't attack if I was there," Tokoyami mumbled dejectedly.

Her brow furrowed as anger began to seep back. She stepped back to view him in full, though really this might've been the start of the distance that would be implemented between them from this point on. In one hand she had her handkerchief – and in the other, the blood that had spilled from the wound inflicted by Hawks.

"How dare anyone hurt you? How could they kill us like this and feign surprise when we bite back?" Toga growled, bitterness edging her voice. "All my life I've run from them, and even now all they do is destroy. Of course that detestable hero would hold nothing back. Don't worry, Fumi, I'll… I'll make sure we kill him! I'll make them all pay for what they did to us! We'll get revenge for Twice, just like we did for Big Sis Magne… a-and then we can live in Shigaraki's new world, and live freely, and be happy!"

Tokoyami stared down at the ground. His body was starting to tremble.

Fumikage… you know more than I do that we can't let that happen.

"Hey, Toga," Tokoyami croaked, just loud enough to get her attention. She perked up at her name. He wished she didn't look so hopeful. "When you were coming out here, you were fighting, right? You were heartbroken, so you were taking your anger out on your enemies. Is that what happened?"

Toga bit down on her lip, suddenly feeling more self-conscious of her appearance. "I-I… yeah. There were so many enemies in my way, I couldn't keep track."

"During that time, did you ever use my quirk?"

Toga flinched as if she'd been struck. "N-no! I mean, never intentionally! Because I know you wouldn't like that, a-and I only have so much blood left." She couldn't look him in the eye, even when he tried to meet her gaze. That was its own confirmation. "It's just that sometimes… when I felt like I was in danger, I felt like your quirk was still there, doing things. It's a blur now… but I promise you!" she said desperately, reaching her slick hand out to him. "I wouldn't want to hurt others disguised as you! Because I know how much you hate seeing others get hurt, and because you're a hero… so…"

Something seemed to click in her head, and she stopped reaching towards him when she realized he wouldn't be moving towards her again.

In the distance, near enough that they could feel the vibrations shaking the fragile foundation, a monstrous roar pierced the air. The sound of crashing walls and demolition followed shortly thereafter, and Tokoyami was made aware of just how short they were on time.

"Toga, I wasn't sure if you'd come here, but… I'm glad you did. Because you deserved a proper goodbye."

Toga's face went dark. "You're going back to the heroes." It wasn't a question. It never was. Toga wanted a world where she could live freely. So did Tokoyami.

"Please understand me," Tokoyami begged woefully. "I don't want you to ever be my enemy. You're my friend, and I don't want that to ever be challenged. So do you think… maybe you don't need Shigaraki's world? Even if you're happy, there's going to be so many more people that will hurt the same way you do now if you follow through with this."

Toga didn't give him a proper response. It was perhaps too much to ask. He wanted her to give up everything she'd worked towards, just so that they could stay friends and never meet each other on the battlefield.

"The League's already regrouping," Toga explained sullenly as tremors wracked the earth. "I was holding them up by coming out here. But now… I have to go back. That's the only future I have waiting for me. And it hurts, because I can't have a future where Twice is there. And now I'm losing you, too." She turned to leave.

Tokoyami stumbled after her, feeling an unexpected pang in his heart. "Toga, wait – where will you go after? When this is all over, what will you do?"

She paused to consider that, before reaching a decision with an impossibly heavy sigh. "I think when all this is over I'm gonna go home. Right now, I don't know what I want anymore."

He didn't know what she meant by that. What else was her home, if not the very place that was being torn down by heroes before her very eyes? But it was the only information he'd receive before she ascended the stairs and slipped back into the shrubbery.

Tokoyami clamped a hand over his beak, stifling the sob that threatened to escape. His eyes traced the ground beneath him, noting the old scars gouged from the earth through their many trials spent here. He inevitably stopped on the little square of paper that he'd dropped to retrieve the handkerchief. He stooped to pick it up, and unfolded the note in his dirty hands. On it was a question, scrawled out in Twice's messy handwriting. For something so small and insignificant, he'd held onto it for far longer than he had any right to. It was times like these where he needed it the most, and he read the little message to himself as he had many times before. Only this time, it felt different.

Are you okay?