Tokoyami's heart wouldn't stop thudding in his chest until he knew that he was safe. His head pounded with racing thoughts of threats around every corner, and his shirt was warm and sticky from the reopened wound. He clung to a primal fear that he carried at all times while Rappa's taunting words echoed around him, and no matter how far he fled from the scene of the battle, it still felt as though he was being chased through the streets like targeted prey.
No, no, I don't have a deathwish, this is the only way I can think to live! I'm not trying to be reckless, but… but I knew this would happen. I knew that trouble would follow me anywhere I went, and that's why… that's why I have to keep moving forward and pushing myself!
Tokoyami located the hospital without trouble. It'd be hard to miss, and in most circumstances he might've been fine entering through the front door. But it was a smaller building, enveloped in shadows from surrounding structures, and as Tokoyami approached he felt no sense of relief. The sight of the hospital made him falter as yet more unpleasant memories tumbled through his already tumultuous mind. All its windows were shattered, its doors broken in on every side, and through the looming darkness from within he couldn't see any movement.
Tokoyami's eyes darted back and forth between the shady promise of the hospital and the dilapidated streets he'd just left behind. He could still hear those sirens going off in the distance. No doubt, Kirishima would be making his report right about now. His old classmate knew too many things he wished he didn't, and it was all Rappa's fault. It made him seethe. And at the same time, he was rife with worry. He didn't need people thinking he was unfit to be wandering these streets, not when there was still so much he needed to do.
Fumikage, snap out of it, Dark Shadow whimpered, squeezing the shadowy arms wrapped around him a little harder. Where do you want me to take you? We gotta find a place where I can set you down better.
Tokoyami opened his mouth, only to shut it to suppress a dry cough that wracked his body. He stumbled forward, looking for any opening to the building that looked more secure than the trashed scene of the first floor. Up there, he managed silently, pointing to a cracked window on the second floor of the building, facing away from the main entrance.
Got it!
Dark Shadow flew him around the building, keeping close to the wall. He poked his little head out of the cloak to check for danger as Tokoyami breathed unevenly in his gentle yet firm grasp. Feeling that the coast was clear, the quirk lifted him up to the next floor. Tokoyami grabbed onto the windowsill, clinging to it and balancing precariously while Dark Shadow tore through the mesh screen and opened it. They managed to lift it halfway before the latch got caught, and Tokoyami wiggled in through the small space they'd managed to make. He all but flopped onto the floor when Dark Shadow wasn't fast enough to catch him.
It was just one hit! Why can't I handle it?!
Dark Shadow didn't respond, but he could detect the feeling of guilt coming off his quirk. Dark Shadow had left him exposed so that he could handle Rappa on his own, since Tokoyami hadn't been fit enough to take the villain on with Black Ankh. All he'd had to do was exploit their vulnerability to leave them in such a wretched state.
Let's… let's find somewhere to rest, Dark Shadow suggested. He slid out from under the cloak and began to investigate the area. In the meantime, Tokoyami leaned his head against the empty wall beneath the window.
This place could be crawling with enemies, Tokoyami warned, finding himself unable to calm down. Be prepared for another fight if it comes down to it.
The quirk was quiet on the other end. Every so often, the tendril keeping them connected would shift or twitch, showing that he was going further into the depths of the hospital for the sake of exploration.
Dark Shadow? Tokoyami sat up straight, breaking out of his brief period of rest. Is everything all right? he asked, worry clouding his mind.
Dark Shadow shook off the layer of concern that flooded their connection before responding. Huh? Er, yeah! I found a supply room, but, well, it looks pretty trashed. I think it might've been picked clean…
But is there anyone around now? Tokoyami urged, pressing his quirk for info.
N…no? I would've told you first thing if there was.
A moment of uncomfortable quiet passed between them as Dark Shadow made his way back through the hallways. "Hey, why don't you help me look? And then we can find a good place to rest until night."
Tokoyami hesitated before nodding his head. "Right. Then once night falls, we can swiftly make our way back to base."
Dark Shadow lifted him up and carried him through the halls. Carts and wheelchairs littered their path, and every door had been broken off its hinges so that the contents of each room could be raided for supplies. Every so often, the lights would splutter back to life only to go out again, and Tokoyami wished they would just stay off completely. This place looked like it was straight out of a popular horror game. If he had more common sense, he'd get out of here as soon as he found enough supplies to last him long enough to get this troublesome injury mended. Unfortunately for him, it was proving exceedingly difficult to maneuver.
Dark Shadow was practically dragging him by the time they reached the promised room. It wasn't as big as he'd hoped, but there were multiple shelving units forming small aisles where a multiple of various medications had once resided. It must've been stocked full until recently. He had to step over the splinters of the door, which judging by the black markings around the frame must've been blasted open. A few of the shelves had already been toppled, and it looked like a struggle might've taken place here at some point. But all was quiet, at least for now.
The quirk leaned him by a set of shelves and began flitting around. "There's a lotta bottles, but they're all empty. And I dunno what these long words mean, so maybe you can help me…"
Tokoyami stumbled over to a cabinet against one wall. Rolls of bandages had been cast upon the ground and trampled in the mad haste to grab other things, rendering them useless. With an agitated growl, Tokoyami dropped down to his knees and rooted around on the bottom shelf, fingers seeking out the farthest corners until they took hold of something. With a successful glint in his eyes, he pulled out a roll of gauze.
"You know what ibuprofen looks like, right?" Tokoyami inquired, already unraveling the roll and wrapping it sloppily around his shoulder – anything to secure it again. The bandages underneath were already in desperate need of being changed, but he dared not remove those now, dirty as they might be. "Start with that, or look for things that reduce pain. We need more antiseptic to bring back, too, but that can wait till later. If you find anything that clots blood, we need that right now, as well. Just… anything!"
Tokoyami wrapped the bandages tight and deftly tied it with one hand. The injury wouldn't stop burning, though, and he knew that moving around this much was doing it no favors. With legs that were starting to shake, he groped through the meager amount of bottles left untouched. Shelves were swept clean, their remnants scattered throughout the space. He checked names and ingredients, carefully at first. Then, as his search stretched in time he became more desperate, casting things aside and littering the floor with his frustration. He was hardly much better than those that'd come before him, but he didn't see how he had much choice.
"Is this something you can use?" Dark Shadow asked, presented an unopened bottle that had rolled under the counter.
Tokoyami inspected it. Tranexamic acid – used to clot bleeding. With a shuttered sigh of relief, he poured some tablets into his hand and swallowed. They stuck in his throat, still damaged from smoke inhalation, and he forced them down. There was still nothing that'd been done about the pain, but that would ebb soon enough, or so he told himself. Feeling that he was no longer in a crisis, Tokoyami lowered himself onto the ground.
"We could find a bed, or a more secure area, if we're gonna be staying here for a little bit," Dark Shadow suggested, flickering around him with yellow eyes wide with worry.
Tokoyami gently swatted him away. "I'm fine just as I am! This place is already pretty empty, so I don't think anyone will come around now. And if they do, you can just chase them off."
Dark Shadow pouted, though he didn't outright complain. "Is there at least anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"
Tokoyami relaxed a little bit. He was still finding it hard to settle, but at least his quirk was doing its best, and right now that was everything he needed. "Some… some blankets might be stored nearby. And if the water's still running, I suppose I should drink some," he rasped. As soon as the instructions left his beak, Dark Shadow was out prowling the hallways again. While the quirk was preoccupied, Tokoyami struggled back to his feet. In truth, he hadn't wanted to rely so heavily on his quirk to drag him through this haunting place in search of a better resting place. He wanted to take responsibility for his actions, and the consequences that came with them. It wasn't fair to Dark Shadow that he had to keep protecting someone who was continually getting hurt. It never had been.
Tokoyami lost his footing amongst the trash littering the floor, and his hand went to stabilize himself using the metal free-standing shelf situated in the center of the room. Only he'd misjudged its stability, and the weakened structure buckled beneath his sudden movement. Tokoyami hit the floor on his hands and knees, his vision going white for one split second, and his breathing came in tattered gasps as he struggled to keep himself together. Next to him, the shelving unit clattered to the floor, and he flinched at how close it'd come to falling on top of him. This was truly beginning to feel like another one of those insufferable low points that he seemed to come across with increasing frequency. Matters only ever spiraled further whenever he feared his condition might be exploitable.
Fumikage? Are you all right?
Tokoyami clenched his teeth and balled his trembling hands into fists. I'm fine. Just getting my bearings.
Unconvinced but reassured nonetheless, Dark Shadow chose not to prompt him any further. While he still had time to save face, Tokoyami slowly pushed himself back onto his feet and sought out the most secure corner he could find without having to leave the room. Giving silent thanks for his small stature, he hunkered down beneath the counter on the far side of the room and opened some of the drawers next to him to further conceal his location. Then he curled up on the linoleum floor and tugged his cloak around him. Dark Shadow, I'm going to close my eyes for a little bit. I know we're both tired, but do you think you could stay vigilant while I'm asleep?
Won't that make it harder for you to gain back your energy?
Tokoyami furrowed his brow, but ultimately didn't have enough words to argue with his quirk. Do as you will, just don't leave me unprotected. And then his eyes drifted close, immediately plunging him into a fitful sleep. He shifted painfully on the uncomfortable floor, and in the farthest depths of his unconscious mind knew that this rest would bring him no solace. The cold of the floor leeched into him, until something changed during his sleep and he was no longer quite so cold. Time meant little to someone like him who was deaf to the world. But perhaps not all was lost, because he did eventually awaken.
What exactly had brought him out of his weary state wasn't immediately apparent. Judging by his fuzzy head and bleary eyes, he could've easily stayed asleep for several hours more. At least, that's what it felt like. Tokoyami wondered if Dark Shadow had woken him, that maybe dusk was upon them and it was time to move out before they overstayed their welcome. But when he lifted his head to look through the gloom, he was dimly aware of a blotch of darkness that had curled up on top of him. Only the smallest yellow slits clued him in that it was his quirk that had come to rest on him. It offered no warmth – that came instead from a thin hospital blanket that had been draped across him – but there was a certain comfort that came with having his quirk so near at all times. And Dark Shadow was clearly tired as well. Despite not suffering the effects of fatigue the same way a human would, Tokoyami had pushed him hard today. Such trials normally weren't too hard to bounce back from, but Tokoyami's own perilous state had weighed the quirk down, both figuratively and literally. So he couldn't even be mad that the quirk hadn't been able to keep watch as he'd asked.
Psst, Dark Shadow. Come on, we should get up.
The yellow eyes opened a little wider and turned to him, tired and confused. Huh? Oh, sorry, I was supposed to wake you.
Tokoyami shifted slowly, wincing as he did so. That's fine. Something else must've…
The distinct sound of a pill bottle clattering to the floor halted his thoughts. He stopped moving, balancing on his propped up right arm, and exchanged a look with his quirk. If Dark Shadow wasn't aware of their surroundings before, he definitely was now, eyes wide as moons as they shared a thought.
Uh oh.
The sounds of movement from someone else became more apparent as they were clued into it, and Tokoyami moved with deliberate slowness to get a better look from his position. He moved the hospital blanket off and shooed Dark Shadow underneath his cloak, hoping they appeared as nothing more than another shadow in the farthest corner of the room.
Together, they peered out into the rest of the room. A single light flickered near the entrance, casting weird shadows throughout that gave every object the impression of movement. It didn't take long to identify their company through the broken lighting, however. A flicker of purple fabric from behind a shelf helped him locate the new presence.
It was a woman, older than him but without any telling signs of age. She had short-cropped pink and dark blue layered hair, and a purple dress that fluttered with every step. She had a serious demeanor about her as she rifled through the squalor remnants of the supply room with increasing frustration, much as he'd been mere hours ago. If she kept investigating this place with such intensity, he'd be discovered in no time.
Fumikage, please don't provoke a fight, Dark Shadow insisted, pressing his head into his side.
Tokoyami rested his hand on his quirk and clenched his jaw in firm resolution. That might not be up to me. But whatever it takes, we'll get out of this unscathed.
Tokoyami slowed his breathing and calmed his heart, muffling his presence. He moved slowly and methodically, slinking out from the cover of the counter and clinging to the darkness as if he were a part of them. The woman moved on to the next wall of supplies, making her way towards the back of the room, and Tokoyami stayed low while circling around her. The stealth techniques he'd learned from Toga were incredibly handy, but only as much as his ability to pull them off. Even at his most careful, he was keenly aware of the rustle of his clothes and the stiffness in his limbs that made maneuvering the room undetected more treacherous.
His unknowing opponent moved again, onto the next wall of shelves, and suddenly that was the only thing standing between them. He could see the exit like a gaping wound beyond the next set of shelves in front of him. He could make a break for it, but he wasn't sure how fast this person was. So he stayed where he was, crouched low and still, while he waited for the woman to move onto the next shelf at the back of the room. Once she had her back turned, he'd make a rush for the empty doorframe and be out of this building before she even knew what happened.
She stopped.
Tokoyami sucked in a shaky, involuntary breath at Dark Shadow's warning. His eyes flicked from the exit back to where the intruder had been standing. She'd crouched down to investigate the contents of the bottom shelf, and had pushed through a wall of rubbing alcohol to look onto him with intense purple eyes that stared down the barrel of a gun.
Tokoyami felt his heart drop.
"Don't move," she commanded.
Where did that gun come from?! Tokoyami wondered in dismay as the woman slowly traversed around the shelves, gun trained on him the entire time. He wasn't confident he could out-speed a bullet – the last time he'd been the target of a gun, Lemillion had been the one to step in and take the hit for him. Right now, it was only him and his quirk, and if he got scathed here then… I'd have to go back to the heroes for sure, and they'd never let me go again. Provided I live through this.
His foe had come around to stand squarely in front of him, blocking his view of the exit and silhouetting herself against the flickering light. The origin of the gun became evident as she came into view: a rifle-like protrusion that extended from her right elbow. Her quirk.
"I thought I sensed a rat in here," she murmured, looking him over with heightened interest. "Actually, what is a kid like you doing in a place like this?"
Tokoyami took in a large breath of air, now that his stealth had been broken. She doesn't know who I am? "Same thing as you, I suppose," Tokoyami rumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his crouched position.
She took a bold step forward, her gun raised point-blank at him. "I said don't move. Hands where I can see them."
Tokoyami bit back a curse. Dark Shadow, stay where you are. The last thing I want is to set this lady off. His quirk squirmed nervously behind his back, but ultimately stayed put. Then he raised his hands shakily. They were still covered in blood from wrapping his injury earlier, and the bandages from before had bled through at some point.
"You're injured," she noted, her tone somewhat sympathetic. But her focus never wavered, and peril aside Tokoyami was growing increasingly uncomfortable. "If you came here looking for a doctor, I think you're out of luck."
"You're right," Tokoyami mused, glaring up at her from the other end of her gun. "If you let me go, I could go find someone to help me."
She arched an eyebrow. "Oh, is that right? Let you go so that you can go right to the heroes and give away my location?"
Tokoyami frowned. He felt a flash of anger churn in his stomach before he pushed it down with another raspy breath – anything to keep himself calm in this situation. "Do I look like the kind to go seeking out heroes?" he spat, giving away more animosity than he'd intended. "Besides, I don't even know who you are. From my understanding, everyone's been coming here to swipe supplies. If you're a villain on the run, I wouldn't know any different."
With an annoyed sigh, she backed off. She clearly wasn't happy to do so. "What are you, a middle schooler?" she grumbled. "Then I guess you wouldn't have heard about me. But that's fine – convenient, even. Unfortunately, this was supposed to be an undetected outing for me, and you just ruined that for me."
"If you let me go, I can promise you won't see me ever again," Tokoyami insisted, his words starting to feel more desperate. She won't kill me just for being here, will she…?
Fumikage, we might have to appeal to her some other way. If not, then we're gonna have to start taking some risks.
Tokoyami's eyes flicked down to his cloak, where his quirk was concealed. It was only for a moment while he acknowledged Dark Shadow's advice, but his newest adversary followed his line of sight.
"What're you hiding?" she asked, voice laden with suspicion.
Tokoyami wavered. "It's nothing, just—"
Before he could say much more, she infiltrated his space in one swift movement and crouched at his side, using the tip of her rifle to push his cloak aside. Tokoyami stifled a yelp of surprise, but that did nothing to smother the panic he felt. Things always managed to get worse once people saw his quirk.
Dark Shadow peered out at her from behind his back, now that his hiding place had been exposed. He hissed and flashed his claws.
She leaned back, startled by the reveal, and Tokoyami was worried she'd shoot him right there. He braced himself to dodge if the gun trained back onto him – the least he could do was avoid having any major arteries be hit. But there was no need. Instead of opening fire, she held a hand to her mouth to suppress a laugh, throwing both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow for a loop.
"Is this supposed to be your quirk? It's kinda cute," she admitted, resting back on her knees a few feet away from him.
"Wha—!" Tokoyami spluttered indignantly. Why do people always say that? You're the embodiment of darkness! But at least now he didn't feel quite so threatened, if this was her reaction to him. "You really don't know who I am, do you?"
She hesitated, thinking hard about it for a moment before she answered, her face devoid of emotion or tells. "No. I don't. Why, am I supposed to? If you give me a good enough case, then maybe I'd be willing to make a deal with you, and nothing else needs to happen here." The way she spoke reminded him of Hawks—the closed-off, evasive nature of her words, the way she jumped to learn more, that trained mask that refused to give away anything about herself. He didn't like it. "You mentioned not wanting to go to the heroes before – is that connected to why you're here? Because if I'm being honest, if you were just a normal kid on the run, then you picked a hell of a time to be out in the real world."
Tokoyami knew it was foolish to take his eyes off of her, but he grew weary of staring down the barrel of her gun, and his arms were getting tired. He sat back down on the floor, folding his hands in his lap, and looked to the side dejectedly. "There's… not much to say about today's heroes," he muttered darkly.
"Are they the ones who hurt you?" she asked bluntly, making a keen observation based on his mannerisms and current condition.
Tokoyami scowled. He hated being so easily readable, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "Yeah," he sighed, unable to keep the misery out of his tone. "It was a high ranking hero, respected by many. I wanted to protect someone important, but… my ideals lay outside the interest of the Commission, so I was viewed as an obstacle by someone I'd wanted to trust. And for my interference, I was cut down." Maybe he didn't need to say this much – maybe he shouldn't have said any of it – but outside of Hawks himself, to whom he'd vented his frustrations, he'd had nobody to voice his experiences to. And if he kept bottling this bitterness inside him, it would only continue to fester.
"The Commission was after you?" the woman asked, her voice sharper than it'd been before.
Tokoyami winced. Ah, I see I've doomed myself after all. He felt Dark Shadow slip his claws around his midriff, ready to get him out if things turned worse.
But once again that moment never came.
The woman rose to her feet and, against his every expectation, extended her hand to him. He could only stare at it, equal parts bewildered and cautious. "Can you stand? I… I could never hurt you. Any enemy of the Commission is an ally of mine. Right?"
There was a demand to her demeanor, and he realized she was asking him if he was trustworthy. Not wanting to provoke her so soon after she'd lowered her gun, he took hold of her hand. She lifted him up with ease, stabilizing him on his feet. She was quite strong. "I'm Kaina Tsutsumi, but must people refer to me as Lady Nagant." Once again, she searched his face for any sign of recognition. But Tokoyami had nothing to hide in that regard. If she was involved with the Commission, then they probably did their best to scrub her name from their history. As he'd found out, they were good with cover-ups.
"Fumikage Tokoyami," he introduced. "I'm… a bit between titles right now, though I'm sure plenty of people have names for me. Tokoyami is fine, though." Just like as she'd done, he looked for any indication that she knew his name. But if anything clicked, she didn't let it show. He had to assume she wasn't privy to much of what had happened in the world of heroes and villains as of late. Which meant she was either living underneath a rock… or had just recently broken out of prison. "You mentioned a deal, but what precisely did you have in mind?"
Her quirk merged back into her elbow until it was nothing more than a ripple of flesh. A few more seconds and that, too, was gone. She held a hand to her chin and let out a small hum while she thought it over. "Well, originally I was just going to scare you into silence to cover my tracks. But judging by your story, I don't have to worry about that. Truthfully, I've never met a kid that didn't look up to heroes. And yet, you're not a villain, are you? Just somebody who was caught in the crossfire."
Tokoyami scowled. "That seems like an apt description, I suppose. I spent some time as a hero-in-training. If my presence here is any indication, it didn't exactly work out."
"Most things don't ever seem to," Nagant sighed, a distant look in her eyes. "I was in hero work for a good while. Working for the Commission, though… that was a big mistake. I'd hate to think they might still be taking in young hero upstarts." She seemed to get lost in thought, thinking back to days long gone. Then her eyes cleared, and she was looking to him with renewed interest. "Say, I'm a bit out of the loop, and you seem pretty knowledgeable about current events. Why don't we go back to my place for the night to get you patched up, and you can tell me more about what's been going on?" Her keenness was irrefutable, and Tokoyami couldn't help noticing that she still stood blocking the door. Even though the initial perilousness of their encounter had turned to more tamed pleasantries, Tokoyami wasn't about to mistake her offer for generosity. If he turned her down and tried to leave, it might foul the tentative peace they'd made. Would she use force at that point? If she truly had once worked with the Commission, then he wouldn't be surprised. Their methods were quite underhanded.
Hey, Fumikage, maybe she can be a useful ally to us? I know you won't wanna open up to just anyone, but if you don't wanna go back to the heroes, and it's too dangerous to approach the villains you once knew, then maybe someone like her is the kind of person we need!
We don't need anyone, Tokoyami snapped, his face twitching in the start of a snarl. But despite everything… I am no fool. There might be more harm in rejecting this deal. Perhaps there is something to be gained here. Tokoyami looked up to the lady who'd successfully cornered him. He wouldn't readily forgive her for so easily exposing his weakness, but he would at least make the most of it. "Very well – I will follow you for the evening, provided it doesn't land me somewhere more perilous."
The corner of her mouth lifted in a start of a smirk, and he got the impression she was holding back another laugh. What was so funny?! I'm trying to be serious, and she's taking me lightly!
Dark Shadow drifted out from the folds of his cloak to rest a reassuring claw on his right shoulder. It's okay. She just doesn't understand.
Tokoyami shook off his dismay. "In any case, you were searching this room for supplies – did you find what you were looking for?"
Lady Nagant flicked her gaze over the desecrated room, no doubt disappointed by what little it had to offer. "More or less," she grumbled. "I found some adequate medicine. I just wish I'd found some clean bandages."
She doesn't look injured. Though I suppose anyone would be right to prepare for some unforeseen incident. Tokoyami gestured towards the cabinet along the far wall. "There's some over there – bottom shelf."
Lady Nagant nodded her head appreciably. "Good to know. Think you can grab a few for me?"
She doesn't want to turn her back to us, Tokoyami thought dejectedly.
Would you have taken off if she did?
It'd certainly be tempting…
Tokoyami complied. Now that he wasn't in quite so much pain, he went ahead and fished out every roll of gauze that was available, until there was nothing but empty cabinets at his fingertips. He passed several rolls to Nagant, who stood behind him and watched, before pocketing the rest for himself. "I hope you're not in need of too much. As you can imagine, it's a resource I've been desiring for a while now."
Nagant appraised the bandages momentarily before tucking them into her utility pouch. "They're not for me, but I appreciate the concern. Now why don't we get going? Travel gets more dangerous the longer the night goes on."
Tokoyami gave her a curious look before staggering back onto his feet. "R…right."
She led the way out of the storage room and made her way down the hallway, periodically checking over her shoulder to make sure Tokoyami was right behind her. She came to a stop at the top of a stairwell, waiting until Tokoyami was as close to her as he was willing to get. Sounds of glass breaking and shuffling feet came up to greet them from the floor below. Her voice low, she whispered, "This was where I came in, but…" Evidently, this place was still a hotbed of activity. She turned her attention to a nearby window. "Through there – I can help you get out."
Tokoyami followed as she pushed the window open and stepped out onto a thin strip of roof. Tokoyami glanced wearily behind him at the sound of a creaking stair before hastily climbing out the window after her. Only then did the chill of night truly hit him, and he looked up into a dark sky shrouded by light pollution. How long had he been asleep? He should count himself lucky he hadn't been throttled by a passing villain in his sleep.
"Miss Nagant, how do you intend on—?" he turned to address her, only to find that she was already stepping out into the open air. If her plan had been to drop down to the ground from this height, that might've been preferred. Instead, he could only stand there and watch as the air moved around her foot, creating the smallest foothold for her to walk across. She was suspended above the air itself, in no fear of falling.
"You have two quirks!" Tokoyami gasped, hoping his outburst sparked by dread and horror sounded more like amazement to the untrained ear.
She looked back at him sheepishly. "A-ah, did I forget to mention that? Don't hesitate now, though. Give me your hand and I can help you down from here."
A crash sounded behind them, and Tokoyami let a surge of urgency move him forward. "No need," he said, stepping off the roof with her as Dark Shadow's clawed wings stretched out to either side of him. "If anything, I would've much preferred to travel by air anyway."
"You're full of surprises yourself, aren't you?" she mused, stepping higher into the air to get away from the building. From the place they'd just left, something hurtled through the window, sending out a spray of glass shards beneath them. Tokoyami was thankful to be leaving the looted clinic behind. Unfortunately for him, his thoughts were now ablaze with warning sirens. Appraising Lady Nagant now, there was something more sinister about her. The only ones he'd ever known to possess more than one quirk were always associated with All for One. If she had undisclosed ties to the villain mastermind, then he had just placed himself in grave danger.
It might also be the lead I needed, though. Let's get to the bottom of this.
Be careful… Dark Shadow warned, clutching him close as he stretched his claws a little further into the air.
Once they'd gained height over most of the city buildings, Nagant slowed down. "I'm holed up not far from here. Just follow me and we can get you settled for the night."
Tokoyami agreed stiffly. His feathers prickled with unease, and questions lay heavy on his tongue. Did he say anything? Would it reveal how much he knew? But she most certainly has info I need, too. He decided he couldn't stay quiet any longer – not if it potentially led him to a den of danger. He just hoped he sounded inconspicuous. "I figured the, ah, gun was your only quirk. I understand that some quirks can be used for many different things, but the ability you're using now seems unrelated…?"
Nagant glanced over at him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and there was a guarded nature about her. But she answered to some capacity, which was more than he expected. "My quirks are Rifle and Air Walk. It's an exceedingly useful combination, even if I'm a bit out of practice."
"I can imagine," Tokoyami said, looking down at the world below them. Passing lights, cars going a bit too fast, and the rare bystander making their way through the gloomy streets. It all passed by so quickly. "I'm sure you know that… that flight is an ability that's valued above all in the hero world. Just being able to navigate these bustling cities at your own speed is enough to earn aspiring heroes a high rank."
She sighed wistfully, and her next step through the air was much bigger, as if she were flexing her freedom. Tokoyami drifted up beside her, keeping level. "It's amazing isn't it? Everything looks so… different from up here. It makes me think I can go wherever I want, if I just will it. I never had this when working under the Commission."
So Air Walk is her new quirk. Have I heard of this ability before?
Tokoyami tucked that information away for later. "It's certainly something else," he murmured. "Being able to fly is still somewhat new to me. And I spent most of my time honing it while I was… under surveillance, so to speak. So I've only had the past few days to truly exercise this new-found ability to the fullest."
"So you understand!" Nagant pressed, an intensity sparking in her purple eyes. "You must know what it's like… to feel like you only have one option available to you all your life. To think that things are out of your hands. But then something changes and the world opens up to you." Another big jump, and her dress fluttered around her. Only this time she let herself fall several stories before her quirk caught her fall, and she let out a delighted laugh. For however much she tried to keep her professional front reinforced behind a stony façade, Tokoyami couldn't help noticing the excitement and joy that defined her movements. This was someone who was thrilled by her new path in life every step of the way. It made it difficult for him to differentiate this morally ambiguous person from the potential threat she could easily pose.
She looks like she's having so much fun! Dark Shadow said.
If you're suggesting we join her, then the answer is no.
I… I know! But maybe when you recover, we can do stuff like that again. You know, like when we would have flying lessons with Dabi. Only this time… we could go anywhere!
Tokoyami kept up with her easily. He could certainly move faster than her through the air, but he was in no position to show off that ability. So they maintained a steady pace, maneuvering the empty space above all the earth's troubles. As time passed, Tokoyami kept finding himself nodding off, only to startle back to a state of attentiveness. No doubt, Lady Nagant could see at a glance just how useless his defenses were. Not only that, but his injury was beginning to ache again, and a new pain in his chest had also made itself known.
Just as he was beginning to wonder if he was being brought to a safer place at all, Nagant alighted on the patio of a nice apartment building near the outskirts of the city central. Dark Shadow set him down gently beside her, and Tokoyami was grateful to be on solid ground again. Checking behind him, he could see the full array of buildings and lights from where they'd just been. But here things were quiet, with the residency promising safety and comfort. "If I might be so bold as to guess… you don't live here, do you?"
Nagant opened the sliding glass door. "I was surprised, too. Apparently this day and age has a bunch of empty rentals sitting around, so I snatched one up. Nobody's been around to check, and even if they did, well, it's my place now. It's the nicest accommodations I've ever had. Now let's get you inside and I'll see what I can do about that shoulder."
Tokoyami obliged, following after her. He took off his shoes and looked around with his night-vision goggles until the hostess flicked on a lamp that lit the whole living room. There was a proper kitchen and a hallway to one side. Needless to say, it was much better than what he had going for him back at the abandoned hotel room.
Lady Nagant started towards the hallway, gesturing for him to follow. "Bathroom's this way. You can get washed up and then we can talk some more."
Tokoyami fell in behind her. Despite being in unknown territory, he was beginning to think that he could relax. After all, the promise of a warm shower and fresh bandages and a soft bed was almost too good to be true at this stage in his life.
Then they passed the first bedroom, and a familiar voice called to them. One that sent an involuntary shudder through his body like a spark of electricity. His feathers bristled, old scars screamed, and his teeth clenched so hard his beak trembled.
"Lady Nagant, where'd you go? You said you'd be right back. I thought you left me!" The voice was a thin, needy wail that cracked in places. But it was unmistakable all the same, and when Tokoyami came to stand right next to Nagant to look into the gloom, his angry red eyes landed on the miserable form of an old enemy.
Lady Nagant sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I got some supplies. You're just going to have to be patient while I—"
"You," Tokoyami snarled, taking his first step into the room. And how could he not? When it was Overhaul. That detestable man who put him through hell – put Eri through hell. The same masked yakuza that used him, that wanted him, only to hurt him. Impale him.
Kill him.
Tokoyami's vision went red. He felt a blazing fire being lit beneath him, spurring him on. He was dimly aware of his fingers flicking the latches on his claws, extending the steel blades as far as they could go. And then he was rushing forward, through a mist of recklessness and fury.
A scream erupted from his sworn foe, a pitiful plea for mercy that went right over Tokoyami's head, and he stepped up onto the bed with his claws raised.
Fumikage, stop!
Something cold and hard pressed into the back of his head, and he heard the click of mechanisms falling into place.
Tokoyami's claws stopped just shy of Overhaul. His hands still shook with barely contained anger, but the rest of his body had gone still. The veil of red began to disperse, allowing him to see clearly. He was poised on top of the bed, his unsuspecting enemy prone just before him.
"Now step down," Nagant demanded, her voice cold and hard. Tokoyami raised his hands slowly so that she could see them and slowly eased himself away from Overhaul, until he had just one knee on the bed. There was just a few feet separating him from the yakuza boss, and now that his head had cleared somewhat from the initial surprise, he could properly see what he was dealing with. This wasn't the same Overhaul he'd once known. He should've expected things to be different – Dabi had already told him what the League had done with the man Kai Chisaki in their last meeting. Even still, it was difficult to process.
Overhaul had no arms – just measly stumps above the elbow that were wrapped in bandages, despite the injuries having surely healed by now. It was a stark contrast to the multiple, monstrous arms he'd possessed during their last confrontation. His once intelligent golden eyes were now glazed with fear and misery, and the face that he'd once kept concealed with his signature plague doctor mask was now that of a normal, unremarkable man with two-day stubble. His brow was scrunched in uncertainty, and just beneath his hairline Tokoyami traced the small scar that he'd received from Magne, during the very first encounter between him and the League.
This man… was undeniable pitiful. This was no yakuza leader or criminal mastermind. Even still, a low, threatening growl left Tokoyami, and he yearned to vent his frustrations. But first, he would need to address the gun pointed at his skull.
"Now, Tokoyami, do I even have to ask? What the hell is your problem?" Lady Nagant adjusted her position, bringing her head down next to Tokoyami's, and she glanced between her two guests with blatant irritation.
"Get that monster away from me!" Overhaul screeched, scooting farther back along the bed until his back hit the wall with nowhere else to go. "He's evil! He'll ruin all our plans! He'll ruin everything!"
"How flattering," Tokoyami said, glowering at him with baleful eyes. "You look as though you've seen a ghost."
"Nobody's answered me yet," Nagant pressed. "Somebody better spill an explanation already, before I decide to spill something else."
"Fine!" Tokoyami spat, unsheathing his claws with a flick of his wrists and whirling around to face the barrel of her rifle head-on. "That wretched villain you're harboring has caused me immeasurable damage. He does nothing but hurt anyone who he comes into contact with. He's the greatest threat here, not me!"
"He looks pretty harmless to me," Nagant muttered. "You looked ready to kill him a moment ago, no questions asked. I think that speaks more to your nature than his, wouldn't you say?"
Tokoyami's eyes went wide, and he spluttered as he considered his actions. "What?! N-no, I just… it was instinct, the need to protect myself from that insidious man!" Right? Despite what I said and the way I reacted, I would've… I could've stopped on my own. I'm not here to kill, even someone like Overhaul!
Fumikage… I wasn't giving you any shadows to use back there. I was too surprised to react to your anger. Back there, that was all you.
Tokoyami's breath hitched painfully in his throat, and he cast his gaze guiltily to the floor, as if he might find solace there. "Why… why do you have him here?" he groaned, bringing his hands to his head. "He needs to be rotting in jail. There's nothing here for him – this world doesn't need Overhaul!"
"That's not true!" Overhaul seethed, growing more confident now that he knew Lady Nagant was here to protect him. "I have to be here. I need… I need to see the Boss again! I owe it to him! A-and Nagant and I have a deal, and you can't interfere with it!"
So that's how it is. Tokoyami took another look at Overhaul. But Overhaul wasn't there anymore. This was a washed up villain who'd lost everything. He had no power over anyone anymore – certainly not him, at least. And Eri… she was safe from him. She always would be, from this point on, now that she has UA to look after her.
Even still… he'd hoped that this man might never see the light of day again. He could never forget what happened in the darkest shadows of that yakuza base. Having to grit his teeth and bear the fact that this man was now experiencing even a shred of freedom was an unexpected kind of torture.
"I think that's enough for now," Nagant murmured, ushering him away from Chisaki. "I guess I could've warned you that I had a roommate. That's on me."
Tokoyami responded numbly to her prompting, stepping away from the bed on listless legs. Behind him, Chisaki was still raving. "It's all your fault, you know! That I'm this way… and you're like that! If you'd just followed orders and helped me that day…! If your League of Villains hadn't double-crossed me…! I wouldn't have lost my clan, my boss… my arms! And you? If you hadn't fought so hard, you could've gone back to the heroes that day. You never should've been involved with the villains. I only wanted to get you away from them. Ungrateful…!"
Tokoyami found his fingers instinctively reaching for the trigger of his claws again. Noticing this, Nagant grabbed his wrist, shaking her head at him, and guided him away from the door. "I'll be back later, Chisaki!" she said over her shoulder. At the same time, she threw a roll of bandages into the room and began to close the door. "You can figure it out for tonight, right?" And then the door was shut. On the other side, his tirade had fumbled to a halt, leaving only the sounds of shuffling on the bed.
Lady Nagant dragged a tired hand down her face, appearing older than before. She let out a heavy sigh and let go of his wrist. "Well, wasn't that exciting?" she said sarcastically.
Tokoyami clicked his tongue and averted his eyes, frustrated by his own lack of control and the circumstances that led to it. That man must hate that he was breathing the same air as me.
Dark Shadow wavered in his thoughts, sorting through the memories associated with the yakuza. He called us filthy – the filthiest of them all, actually. But we know better than that. Remember, Fumikage? There's nothing wrong with us.
"…But it's given me some more info about you," she continued. "Now come on, let's get you figured out… so long as I can trust you not to go after Chisaki while my back is turned."
"I'm not like that!" Tokoyami snapped. "I mean… that wouldn't be the right thing to do."
"Hey, kid, don't you think it's a bit late to be preaching morals when I had to step in and make sure you didn't claw that unarmed guy's throat out?"
Tokoyami rounded on her. "I wasn't going to—!" he staggered, suddenly feeling light-headed, and supported himself heavily against the wall with shaky breaths. That was the real question, wasn't it? Had outside forces not stopped him, would he really have killed Overhaul? That blinding need for vengeance, for closure at the cost of everything else… he didn't think it would be so strong. But surely he wouldn't throw away everything he had just for the sake of bloody judgment? He hoped he wouldn't, and yet… "I'm sorry," Tokoyami croaked dejectedly. "I acted rashly. But… but I swear, I'm not like that."
Lady Nagant walked down the hall and stopped in front of the bathroom. "Wash up and then we'll talk, alright?"
Tokoyami nodded numbly, graciously accepting a towel from her and closing the bathroom door behind him. The bathroom smelled fragrant – lavender, I think? – and was noticeably clean. With heavy limbs, he hung his scarf on one hook and unclasped his filthy cloak to drape it over the towel rack. He was careful with his shoulder, first slowly unwrapping the most recent bandages before inspecting it. The old bandages were brown with dried blood and crusty. Tokoyami had never been one to be squeamish around such wretched injuries, but even he had to admit that this wasn't a very pretty sight. He couldn't unravel the old ones without the dried blood tugging at his sensitive flesh, so he did that part in the shower, leaving a mess of sullied bandages and dark pink splatters on the tiled interior.
When he was done, he got dressed from the waist down and did his best to get the ragged scar as dry as possible before sticking his head into the hallway. "Miss Nagant…?" he rasped uncertainly.
She was waiting for him, leaning against the wall with a first aid kit at her feet. "You done?"
Tokoyami nodded his head and she motioned for him to follow her back into the living room. When they passed the door to Chisaki's room again, Tokoyami felt his nerves prickle. But all was quiet.
Nagant got situated on the couch under the light of the lamp and started sorting through her supplies. A glass of water and bottle of painkillers was already waiting for him, and he took some immediately. She had her needle and sutures ready, and sat waiting for him.
Tokoyami settled down next to her, turning his head so that she could get a better view of the injury. She looked it over with a discerning eye, and Tokoyami kept glancing nervously back at her.
"Geeze, kid, did you get hit with a serrated sword or something?"
"It was a feather, actually," Tokoyami growled. It was an odd answer, but that was the truth. She didn't inquire further on it.
"Well, whatever did you in before, it doesn't look as bad as I thought. Just a few of the old sutures broke, and it looks pretty inflamed. Some of this redness—" she traced a finger along part of the wound as she talked "—could've been the start of an infection, so count yourself lucky that it didn't get any worse." She passed him a cloth to bite down on and set about stitching the injury. Tokoyami fidgeted every so often, feeling his head get light, but after a while the pain pills were in full effect. She dried the wound one last time, applied a generous amount of antibiotics, and placed a square of gauze over the whole thing before wrapping it securely in the bandages she'd retrieved from the hospital. "There. You should be good now."
Tokoyami let out a relieved breath and leaned back into the plush couch. He closed his eyes, feeling exhaustion creeping onto the edges of his mind. "Thank you," he murmured sleepily. "That feels much better."
He was dimly aware of her staring at him, and he cracked an eye to look over at her. "What is it?"
"Well, while I'm at it…" She pointed to his side, and Tokoyami followed it to where an array of ugly bruises had materialized. "Those look new, like you were hit by a car. I'm not one to judge, but you might want to check yourself for broken ribs."
Ahhh, that might explain the pain from earlier.
Fumikage, that's not good.
Nothing we can really do about it now, is there? Besides, if I do have a broken rib, then I'm pretty confident those heal on their own.
With bed rest…
"Also," Nagant continued unprompted. "Those burns on your neck – wherever you got them from, they're healing fine, but you should definitely still be bandaging those too. And then there's…"
Tokoyami followed her line of sight to the jagged, unmistakably wretched scar in his abdomen left behind by a fight long gone. The less people who saw it, the better. Only a few of his classmates had known about it, and even that had been too much. He didn't need people needlessly worrying about him, after all.
People are right to be concerned about you, though…
Tokoyami scowled. He sat up, his hand hovering over the old scar that had nearly brought him back to death's door for the second time. "Oh, this? Yeah, you would want to know about that, considering the villain who did it to me is sleeping in that bedroom behind us."
Lady Nagant revealed nothing, only nodding her head in understanding. "I see… that would explain your reaction to him."
"And that's the least of it!" Tokoyami hissed. "If you knew… if only you knew the extent of the horrors he orchestrated, you wouldn't be helping him!"
Lady Nagant stood up as he talked, packing up her first aid kit and tidying the room. "Tell me, Tokoyami—do you think I'm a nice person?"
Tokoyami opened his beak to give a quick response. Of course she was. Why else would she have gone to so much trouble with him? But he took a second to actually think, and his response came slower. "I don't… know the first thing about you."
"Right. So it should come as no surprise that I have my own goals and motives. And they're not heroic, either. Far from it, in fact. I get the sense you still want to act with noble intentions. There's nothing wrong with that. But me? I'm after a target, and I'm sworn to bring him down. Chisaki's going to help me with that. Now, if you think you can help me better than him, then I'm not above dropping him off at the police station. But I need to know if that's something you're capable of, first."
She came around with a blanket and a pre-packaged sandwich from the fridge, both of which he accepted, albeit with a bit more wariness. Tokoyami looked from the offerings back to her, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Swallowing hard and keeping his voice indifferent, he followed up on her explanation. "A target, you say? I'm sure I'd be more use to you than him. I still have a lot of supporters in the shadows of society—" I think, anyway "—and I'm privy to whatever knowledge they possess. Heroes, villains, and anything in-between. I'll find enemies and allies wherever I go. So if there's someone you need to find, then I should have the ability to back you up."
On the other side of the living room, she tossed his sullied clothes into a small washing machine before turning back to him. "I just keep getting lucky, don't I? I guess things are supposed to be easier when you're not working on your own." She approached him, reaching into her utility pouches, and withdrew a picture before leaning down in front of him. "Normally my missions are for assassination, but this time the target needs to be brought in alive. I'm tasked with tracking down this kid. Have you seen this Izuku Midoriya anywhere?"
Tokoyami liked to think he was quite good at keeping a straight face, even when confronted with the worst possible outcome. He hoped that was especially true here – because he was screaming on the inside.
Wha—Fumikage! We can't work with her, she's working with All for One! She's gonna hurt him!
Let me think! I can't talk right now!
"Yes… he does seem familiar," Tokoyami managed weakly, his heart pounding in his chest. He hoped he hadn't been quiet for too long before answering. Hesitation could be a death sentence in some cases.
"Have you seen him? Do you know him? I need info, possible locations, habits – anything, really." Nagant pressed, holding the picture closer to his face. Tokoyami turned his beak to the side, but kept his eyes trained on the photo of his old classmate. The inheritor of that strange quirk, the one chosen by All Might himself. The person that All for One – and Shigaraki as a consequence – were after. His friend.
Tokoyami made the mistake of locking eyes with her. He saw that intensity again, the kind that spoke of a hardened nature he hadn't even really seen yet. She was determined to follow through with this mission if it was the last thing she ever did – that's what that expression meant, right? And what did she see in his own eyes? Was she seeing the panic that he was working so hard to bury? Was she onto him? Did Chisaki already tell her that I'm on Midoriya's side? Tokoyami tried to defend himself. "I-I don't—" A fit of coughing saved him, and he bent double in a vain attempt to recover.
Lady Nagant backed off with an agitated sigh. "Well, you know something, and that's good enough for now. You're probably tired, so I'll lay off for the night while you get some rest. But I want some better answers from you tomorrow, got it? And don't try to weasel out of this – nobody escapes me, I promise you."
Tokoyami stared down at the floor between his legs, willing his rough breathing to go back to normal. "Y…yeah, we can talk tomorrow. That would be best. Thank you, Miss Nagant."
Lady Nagant hesitated, as if thrown off by his gratitude, even after her thinly veiled threat. She quickly checked him over again as if worried that he was hurt somewhere she hadn't noticed. Finding nothing, she pocketed the image of his green-haired classmate and walked back in the direction of the bedrooms. "Don't worry too much about it, alright? Sleep well for now."
Then she was gone, retreating down the hallway and leaving him to his own devices. Tokoyami, meanwhile, practically collapsed the rest of the way onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling with wide, listless eyes.
This is bad.