Stark white walls and bright fluorescent lights surrounded them on all sides. The long, narrow hallway they were traversing had plain doors on both sides, each one marked by a set of numbers to name the criminals locked behind them.

Tokoyami's feathers prickled with unease, and his heart beat uncomfortably in his chest. These grounds felt like both a premonition and a memory. He knew white walls. He knew locked doors. The feeling that he might do something wrong to end up behind them again made his thoughts run wild.

He picked anxiously at the old scars on his arms. Without his gauntlets, his arms felt exposed. And without the sensation of Dark Shadow pressing against his back under the cloak, his worries worsened.

I'm right here.

I know. I know. It's just…

He'd had to leave his weapons and utility belt in a locked container in order to be granted access to this place. And he'd been warned that the first sign of quirk usage could be considered a criminal offense. He felt vulnerable. There was no other word for it. He was at the mercy of these heroes, and considering where he stood, it seemed as though his request could backfire at any moment.

But… but he did trust Mirko – at least as much as one could, given their few exchanges. Under normal circumstances, he could stand to be more leery of someone of her status. His gut instincts had preserved him thus far… though he would admit that at times his thoughts and actions might border paranoia.

And why not? I've spent too much time being watched. Even now, they're watching, waiting for us to slip up.

Dark Shadow coiled nervously amidst his churning thoughts. They're making sure we're not staging a prison break…

Tokoyami kept his eyes trained on Mirko, who was leading them deeper into the high security prison. She'd gotten them in at his request without much trouble at all. They hadn't even needed a guide – just some directions and a cell number that Mirko had open on her phone. The prison's trust in her as a top hero was irrefutable.

Tokoyami couldn't help wondering if it was too convenient. The walls felt closer than before, and they were so deep into the underground hallways that he couldn't help but plan all sorts of escapes in a worse-case scenario.

We're not here to cause trouble. And Mirko doesn't see us as a villain.

Tokoyami rubbed his arm begrudgingly. I… know that already.

They had traveled to the outskirts of Tokyo for this meeting. This prison was certainly one of the more high security ones in Japan, especially since so many of the smaller ones had been overtaken by the sudden villain surge. But many of the people here were likely fated to fade into obscurity with their impossibly long sentences shackling them to the small rooms.

Tokoyami had given some thought about when he wanted to do this, but in the end he couldn't help jumping on this opportunity after only a few days. The tension between heroes and villains was building, and war was fast approaching. Shigaraki was moving in the public eye again, and though he'd been momentarily set back by a hero from overseas, it wouldn't last long. It was all over the news. Amidst all the accumulating turmoil, he just had to talk to someone.

Someone who would understand.

Mirko had offered to set him up in a visitation room, so that they could see each other between a glass pane. But those were heavily monitored, and he couldn't stand the idea of someone listening in on them.

Here in the hallways, it was only cameras. He could tolerate that.

Mirko slowed to a stop, looking between two nondescript doors. The numbers for each one were set next to each other, with no other distinguishing features.

This place had been unnervingly quiet the whole walk down, with hardly a rustle from other closed doors. It made him feel as though he was in isolation. Perhaps there were no other inmates at all. Maybe it was just one person. Maybe there was nobody at all.

Mirko wouldn't lie to us. She feels too guilty about what happened to do that.

Tokoyami hummed in unsure consideration. He watched the Rabbit Hero with eyes slitted in suspicion as she wavered between the two doors.

"This should be it!" she announced. Her voice felt too loud in the quiet of the prison, and Tokoyami cringed because of it. With a great deal of confidence and very little tact, she knocked on one of the doors with a heavy fist. "Oi! Atsuhiro Sako, ya got a visitor! You in there?!"

Tokoyami and Mirko leaned towards the door, him with his head tilted and her with an ear perked.

Silence went by for a second too long. Until a cold, annoyed voice came through from the other side. "...Wrong door. He's in the next one."

Tokoyami startled at the sound. Geten?

Mirko stepped back with a harsh laugh. "Close enough!" Then she turned to Tokoyami, her tone quieter. "Okay, the floor's yours. I can't leave you unsupervised, but I can turn my ear the other way. That alright?"

Tokoyami couldn't suppress a grimace, and his discomfort came through clearly despite her best intentions. "I don't doubt that you'll hear some things. Can you promise that what gets said here doesn't leave this place? I…" He couldn't explain why it was so important to him. He didn't even know what he had to say here. "...Please."

Mirko placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "'Kay, yeah, sure. I'm keeping my promise. But if it involves lives on the line, it becomes my business. Ya got that?"

I don't think it'll be anything quite so elaborate. Tokoyami nodded his head in silent confirmation, and Mirko's arms fell back to her sides.

She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll be right over here. So… so don't go anywhere."

And just like that, she walked away. Down the hallway a fair distance, until she rounded a corner and stopped just on the other side.

By now, the unexpected visit from what were obviously outsiders had caught the attention of both inmates from behind their respective doors. He could hear the sounds of metal dragging across the ground as one of the villains approached the door curiously. From the other, there was the creak of a bed as someone scooted further along it.

"...Did somebody call my name? Truthfully, I wasn't expecting an audience at this stage of my life."

Sentiment clogged Tokoyami's throat, as his words came out raspier than normal. "Mr. Compress… you're alive."

The reaction was more immediate this time. "Tokoyami, my boy! Is that you?!"

A sharp gasp sounded from the adjacent room. "Tokoyami?! Hey, lieutenant, you want to tell me what the hell happened at the villa?"

Tokoyami ignored him for now – he hadn't expected another familiar face. "I… yes, it's me. I'm here. I just…"

"Speak up a tad, will you?" Mr. Compress asked, trying to come a bit closer to the door. "It feels as though it's been forever! Time is a bit strange in places like these. Ah, but I suppose that's karma."

The sounds of dragging and shuffling feet could be heard. There was a small rectangular panel in the door for viewing purposes, and Tokoyami hesitated before giving in. Standing on the toes of his boots, he slid the panel and looked through the little glass window.

He saw a very tired man in his early thirties with curly dark brown hair and simple clothes that hung loosely on his slender frame. A bulky block encapsulated his hands, and some wires connected that block to another, which dragged behind him. The ex-magician walked slowly, a pained grimace on his face, but he forced a smile as he drew near as if he could tell that Tokoyami could see him.

"I must say, it is a surprise to know that you're here. I regret that I couldn't be in a more presentable state! Might I offer you some tea?"

"Don't bother," Geten grumbled from his room. "They don't take requests from people like us. They won't even let me have ice in my drinks…"

Tokoyami shook his head in bafflement. "Nor should they, if they had any intention of keeping you here."

There probably wasn't much to laugh about in circumstances like these, but Geten managed a chuckle. Any comment regarding his quirk's capabilities was one he'd always accept.

"Perhaps some other time, then," Mr. Compress hummed, coming to a stop right in front of the door. It was so strange seeing him without his mask, and so Tokoyami stepped away from the peep hole. It felt like the respectful thing to do.

For whatever reason, he hadn't actually been ready for this. Seeing a member of the League locked away in prison had been something he'd thought about countless times; he'd used to hope for the day when he'd see it for himself, but not anymore. He'd felt that most strongly when Twice had been cornered by Hawks and…

"Mr. Compress, I don't think we can have tea together," Tokoyami said, his voice beginning to waver. It was such a foolish thing to be worried over. He was pretty damn sure that this man had never properly thought something through in his life. Otherwise, they wouldn't both be here.

"Are you alright, Tokoyami?" Mr. Compress asked with genuine concern. "You sound unwell! Those heroes aren't giving you trouble, are they?"

Geten cut in. "As if! That's the side he chose!" the proud villain seethed. "Why are you acting like he's still your friend, Compress? He was never actually a member of the team."

It was true, of course. And yet he couldn't deny how normal it'd been, at least for a while. How comfortable it was to be so readily accepted by so many people.

"You bite your tongue!" Mr. Compress chided, catching him off guard. "You MLA were already a delusional lot to begin with, so I don't want to hear your criticism! It doesn't matter where Tokoyami stands in all this. Because he's a good kid." The older man slumped to the floor with a sigh, as if the declaration had spent his energy. When nothing but stunned silence greeted him, he went on. "Tokoyami, you… you helped anyone that asked for it, even if they perhaps did not deserve that from you. You could keep up appearances as good as anyone else, but you would always reveal your hand when it came to showing how much you care." A soft thunk sounded from the other side when Mr. Compress sat down on the floor and leaned his head against the door. Tokoyami followed his example, gingerly pressing his back against the barrier between them with a soft sigh. "I'm… so sorry for what I did to you. And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness or your trust, after everything I've stolen from you. I can only hope that you're happier now that you're back with the heroes."

"I…" Tokoyami grit his teeth in frustration.

"Go on," Geten encouraged icily. "Tell us all about your newfound freedom. You're only here to mock us for failing, aren't you?"

"I…!"

"Don't be ugly, Geten. I wouldn't mind hearing some pleasantries for once. If anyone's earned a round of applause, it's you, Tokoyami, for making it this far."

Tokoyami pressed the balls of his hands against his eyes and clutched at his feathers. "I'm not!" he said, loudly enough that Mirko most certainly heard, if she wasn't already listening to everything else. "I'm not happy! I'm not here to mock you! And I haven't earned anything! Mr. Compress, I don't know what I'm fucking doing! I can hardly trust anyone anymore. I can't live like this! I'm not a hero – I'm not a villain – I'm not anything!"

Tokoyami buried his head in his arms and curled up against the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white ear poke out from around the corner, and a renewed wave of shame burned through him.

"Oh, Tokoyami." Mr. Compress sighed. He sounded sad for him, and he was glad he couldn't see the pitying expression on his face.

"My heart bleeds for you," Geten mumbled bitterly.

Mr. Compress gently hushed him, and the icy villain stayed uncharacteristically quiet after that. "Tokoyami, my dear boy, I fear I've placed a great burden upon you. Even during the finale of my show, I forced you to pick up the slack by passing the others off to you."

"I was ready for that, though," Tokoyami bemoaned, lowering his voice. "I wanted to help them, so that they wouldn't end up…" Tokoyami waved a hand that the subjugated villains couldn't see at the reinforced doors. "Like this! Dabi would sooner die than be in a cage, Spinner wouldn't last even if he tried, and Toga—" His voice hitched uncomfortably in his throat, and his words came out a wheeze. "She just can't. I don't think I could stand to see any one of them in a place like this!"

Mr. Compress hummed knowingly. "Then perhaps it's for the best that it's just me and the angry one here. But that doesn't quite make things easier, does it?" He readjusted on the floor so that he could speak directly to the door. "I won't blame you if you've since forgotten, but I once asked if you could keep an eye on that lot, should anything happen to me."

"I didn't forget," Tokoyami readily confessed. He hadn't stopped thinking about them since the end of the last war. Hadn't stopped trying to find them, either. And yet, even when Mirko had handed him a lead, he'd ended up coming here first. As if that could possibly make things better.

"Ah, well… that was a lot to ask of you. Especially after Bubaigawara…" He cleared his throat with a cough and moved on. "It was merely a request from a worried old man far past his prime. I don't want that to trouble you so horribly. So I asked something else of you instead: to take care. May I ask what's come of that?"

Tokoyami processed the question. Any words he could possibly say were stuck in his smoke-damaged throat.

Mr. Compress asked again. "Tokoyami, are you alright? You don't sound it."

"I don't know what I expected when I got out, but this… this can't be what freedom feels like. The burdens have piled too high, and the scars keep overlapping, and I just don't know if I'll be ready when I have to face them all again!" With a shuttered breath, he wiped the wetness from his eyes. "I feel like no matter what I decide to do, I'm failing somebody I care about."

"...And you do still care about the League; its not only your friends and family you wish to protect," Mr. Compress correctly assumed. "Otherwise, I'm not sure you would've come here."

Tokoyami rapped his fingers dismally against his arms, pretending that his gauntlets were still there. "R…right. I'm not unsympathetic about your condition. I'm just… glad you managed to make it out alive. It seems as though my other bridges to the League have been… burned. And I want to talk to them all before things get worse, but I know that I'm running out of time."

Mr. Compress chuckled at that, only to suffer from a coughing fit that Tokoyami patiently waited for him to recover from.

"You do understand that everyone, myself included, was just waiting for you to make your grand escaping act. Don't you?" he asked, the pain in his voice made lighter by amusement.

"What?!" Geten gasped, breaking his silence.

"Not that it made much difference in the end," Mr. Compress sighed, ignoring the outburst. "At the end of the day, you followed us every step of the way. And even now, I don't believe you've truly left the League behind, have you?"

Tokoyami stared at the ground between his legs. "Dabi said something kinda like that… the night before the fight broke out. He told me that I should fly away the first chance I get, so that I can live out my life." A shuttered breath left his beak, and he rested his head on his arms. "At the time, he probably thought that'd be the best for everyone. But now I'm sure… he doesn't want to see me again. I hurt him. And I broke Toga's heart. And Twice is dead."

"That was not your fault," Mr. Compress interjected, his tone firmer than any he'd had before. It startled Tokoyami from his stupor, and he lifted his head slowly. "Tokoyami, we're villains – we all know the risks of the lives we lead, and Twice was no exception. I'm no exception, and I accept the price I paid. Everyone on that battlefield stayed true to what they believed in… that's all."

"You're the one that hurt yourself the most, though," Geten reminded them from the adjacent cell.

Mr. Compress scoffed. "With meaningful intent, I'll have you know! I wouldn't take a chunk out of my own side for nothing."

Tokoyami hummed sympathetically and leaned his head back against the door. "Not your finest moment… are you recovering alright?"

"Somehow! The heroes were kind enough to let me release the marble that had my, ah, organs and whatnot in it. Twas not a pretty sight! I didn't mean to alarm anyone, least of all you. I just…" He sighed, more tired this time. "I didn't have a better act in the works. I only knew that I had to hand things off to you. And you! You were injured, too! Dreadfully so. And I know Dabi didn't make that any easier on you. Normally he has so much more control. I hope someday that man will apologize properly to you."

Tokoyami slumped further against the door. He raised his hand gingerly into the folds of his scarf and to his bandaged throat, where tender burns were still healing. "A few new burns is all," he rasped. With a shudder, he vividly recalled the hot metal sole of Dabi's boot coming down onto his head while he cradled the traitorous hero. His distraught screams echoed in his memories, and he took a shaky breath before shoving them to the side. "He had far more control than I think anyone realized. Otherwise, I think he would've gone through with his promise to kill me."

"Is that what he told you?!" Mr. Compress exclaimed. "Why, he would never!"

"That's what I thought, too, but the more I think of it, the more I can't help but wonder…"

"Tokoyami, you weren't there when we were riding atop Gigantomachia to meet up with Shigaraki. Everyone was so torn up over the loss of you and Bubaigawara. Toga, the poor girl, seemed so lost. She went off to get an answer from the heroes she looked up to, and that was the last I got to see of her. And Dabi was out of it, too. I hadn't seen the young man so upset since the last time we nearly lost you, after getting you back from Overhaul."

Tokoyami groaned. This wasn't helping his turmoil. It only reinforced the idea that if he didn't do something soon, that mistakes were going to be made, and he might be powerless to stop them. He could never be sure which ran deeper in Dabi's mind: his need for vengeance or his sorrow. Whichever came out on top might determine the tortured man's fate.

Geten huffed airily from behind closed doors. "He would boast about you to the Violet Regiment advisors, you know. I think he just wanted to take all the credit for how ridiculously strong you were. Either way, I could tell he was proud of the kind of person you were."

"He was my mentor," Tokoyami pointed out. "It took a while to realize that, but he spent months training me, even when I was at my lowest. I regret to think that I might be using that against him sometime soon."

"Tensions were high on the battlefield, but I'm sure if you talked to him now, he'd bend an ear to you!" Mr. Compress enthusiastically reassured.

Tokoyami managed a fleeting smile. He might be the only one who thought that. The brief optimism wavered just as quickly, though. He'd been trying to get in touch with him. Dabi had left a communication device in his bedroom for Tokoyami to find. But it was either broken or being ignored, because nothing had come of it no matter how many times he spoke into it.

"I… still don't know where any of them are, though," Tokoyami miserably confessed. "I was hoping you might have an idea."

Mr. Compress took a moment to think about that. "The Master has all sorts of hideouts to choose from. Do you truly have no idea where they might have gone after the war?"

"Well…" Tokoyami grimaced. His words were hesitant as he laid them out. "When I parted ways with Toga, she said she might go… home. And I have the address to her childhood house now…" It'd been enclosed in the documents Mirko had handed off to him, and though a few days had passed since then, the thought of visiting that place unnerved him immensely.

"And the others? I'm sure you mean to visit them all," the man pressed.

He nodded, even though they couldn't see him. "Y-yes. The first thing I did when I was left to fly free was go back to the place where I'd stayed with Dabi. He left me a few things, but wasn't there himself. As for Spinner, there's a bunch of posters being put up all around the cities, citing him as the new spokesperson for heteromorphs. Of everyone, he's the one person I think I can say I'm still on good terms with. As for Shigaraki… well, he's been in the news lately."

"That sounds… rather ominous," Mr. Compress noted. "I can't imagine the heroes were very happy about that…?"

Tokoyami made a choked sound. "It wasn't a pretty fight, based on reports alone."

"But he's still alive, isn't he?"

"I… think so. All for One is taking over his body to use as a new vessel, though, so I'm not sure how long Shigaraki will still exist as the person we think he is." Tokoyami swept his fingers shakily through his feathers. "But the last I saw, Shigaraki was still there. H-he's the reason why All for One couldn't do anything with me when he ordered a retreat. And now it seems more convenient that I be killed on his orders rather than face the others."

Geten chimed in from next door. "I couldn't help noticing that he wasn't very keen on risking anything for you, Compress."

The imprisoned villain sighed dramatically. "Perhaps that just means I've used up any usefulness I might've been able to give that man. I accept as much, even if it stings just a bit."

Tokoyami opened his mouth, but the words he had to say kept getting stuck. "I-I… Mr. Compress… I was wondering…"

Mr. Compress remained patient, and Geten thankfully slipped back into sulking silence. "It's alright, lad. Take your time. I have plenty to spare."

This is important. He'll understand that.

I know, but…

Tokoyami took a deep breath. Thought it through. And tried again. "Mr. Compress, I know you're probably going to be here a long time. And… and that you must still be recovering. But I was actually wondering… if you could do something very important for me."

"You need me for something?" he asked in surprise. "Well, I suppose I'd always be willing to lend an ear, if you ever find any merit to visit again after this."

"Yeah… I'll be sure to do that," Tokoyami responded shakily. "But first… do you think you'd ever be able to fight on my side?"

The two villains shuffled around to readjust inside their cells. When Mr. Compress spoke again, his voice was quieter and further from the door. "Young man, when you say your side… you must surely mean the hero side. Am I assuming correctly?"

Tokoyami winced. "I mean, not exactly…"

"Regardless of your own personal stance, there are only two sides to this war. You saw this first-hand. Staying in the center means getting attacked from both ends," he lectured, not unkindly.

"I know all that," Tokoyami groaned. "But I don't have it in me to hurt them. I'll fight, but it's not a battle I can win on my own. So I need you there. To… to use your quirk if things get out of control."

"Oh, Tokoyami…" Mr. Compress drifted off. He let him think about it. The quiet that stretched out was making him uncomfortable, and he hoped he hadn't made a mistake by putting forth such a bold proposition. The retired magician did, eventually, speak up again. "I will help you, should that even be permitted… but only if you truly believe that the others can be saved this way. I do not wish to be affiliated with the heroes. If I'm there for the final fight, it's only because you asked it of me."

Tokoyami's eyes watered unexpectedly. "Thank you, Mr. Compress," he croaked, voice thick with relief. "Thank you so much."

"Hey, do I get anything from this?" Geten asked. The clinking of metal sounded from his room as he stood up, and Tokoyami got up as well. With a few tentative steps, he came to a stop in front of Geten's door and peered in through the small window provided. The white haired villain was practically staring right through him with his icy eyes. For a moment, he was taken aback by how familiar that face was to him. But then he shook the thought from his head.

"Geten, I don't think there is anything I can offer you," Tokoyami said outright. "I didn't even know you'd be here." Though I knew you had to be locked up somewhere…

He watched Geten's eyes fall to the floor, his shoulders slumping in misery. He looked a lot smaller without his oversized parka. A faint chill could barely be felt from under the door, as if he was constantly trying to use his quirk through the reinforced locks encasing his hands and feet.

"I get that," he rasped. "But since you're here anyway… do you what happened to Mr. Re-Destro?"

Tokoyami rubbed the side of his face and stifled a sigh. He should've known it would be something like that. "He's still locked up, last I checked. Exactly where, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't tell you if I did know."

"Do you think he's alright…?" Geten asked, a bit more desperate. "I did everything I could to fight for the Meta – uh, the PLF after you left. So that I could protect that man and his ideals. I always thought I alone would be strong enough, but…"

"You're going to have to figure that out for yourself," Tokoyami said after a moment of deliberation. "I don't know if your future can truly lie with that man – I doubt he cares that much about you, despite the way you idealize him. But I'm sure you have a long time to think about it. I'm also… still trying to understand things."

"I dont know anyone else but him." Geten furrowed his brow, his chin crinkling, and, realizing how close Tokoyami's voice was, turned his face away so that he couldn't see the desolation on his face. "...But okay."

A voice called his name from down the hall. "Oi, kid, hate to interrupt, but we can't exactly be here all day," Mirko reminded him.

"Just a moment!" he called back before turning to the doors once more. "This is goodbye, Geten. I suppose this is a more proper parting than the last time I saw you."

Geten slinked away from the door with his head held low. Despite there not being a fight between them this time, he looked truly defeated.

"And Mr. Compress. Will I see you again? Beyond these walls? I… I can convince the heroes, I'm sure of it. They'll take any help they can get, even from you."

"Yes. I'll be there at your side when you need to face the remainder of the League," Mr. Compress confirmed, without the hesitation he'd had before. "But only as a last resort. And to those ends, I need you to make a promise for me."

Tokoyami placed a hand on the door and leaned in close. "A promise?"

"I need you to try and pay them all a visit, before this show goes up in flames. That goes for Twice, as well."

Tokoyami's throat closed at the thought, and his response was unnecessarily strangled. "But Twice is…"

"I know, Tokoyami," Mr. Compress said calmly. "I saw the video. Dabi told us what happened. We shared our grief and had to move on in the moment. Dabi dealt with the body the only way he knew how, and I don't think that was easy for him to do on his own. But we agreed that whoever made it out of the oncoming fight would return to give Twice a proper grave. I'm sure somebody had to have kept that promise. So there should be something there, at the ruins of Gunga Villa. I'm just not sure exactly where." The clink of heavy cuffs and rustle of movement indicated that he was getting up. "I'm still a bit worse for wear, so I won't be quite so fast, but I'll be there should you call on me. Just remember: Compress retains the conditions of whatever gets marbled. If I use it on someone who is injured, their injuries won't worsen. But if I use it on, say, a fire, that fire will burn at the same rate on the inside. I'm tired now, so I'll leave you to it… but I do hope I can do something right by you, someday soon."

Tokoyami closed his eyes and took a level breath. Inside his chest, his heart was pounding uncomfortably, but otherwise he felt a strange tranquility ripple through him. He didn't realize just how reassured he was to have a man like Mr. Compress on his side. Even with heroes like Sir Nighteye, Eraserhead, and Mirko vouching for him, it was somehow the agreement from the imprisoned villain that gave him peace of mind in all this.

Because you two want the same thing.

"I look forward to having you at my side," Tokoyami murmured quietly before stepping away. He turned to walk away, to where Mirko was already headed in his direction, figuring he was done.

"Ah… I must confess, I'm happy to hear you say that. Even if the others won't be nearly so thrilled." And with that, Mr. Compress dragged himself back to the bed in the corner of the room.

Mirko raised a curious brow at him, and he nodded to express that he was ready to leave. He fell in at her side and they began the walk back through the unnervingly quiet halls.

"So? Didja get to talk about what you wanted?" Mirko asked, making him question if she truly had turned a blind ear to it all.

Tokoyami thought about it for a moment. "It went better than I thought, but there's still a lot that needs to be done."

"Anything I can help with?"

He solemnly shook his head. "No. I don't believe so."

Tokoyami waited until the cover of darkness to make his move. In the days following the conflict with Crow, he'd been exceedingly nervous about traveling greater distances under the cover of night. Where it had once been his natural environment and an odd comfort of sorts, it was now an ominous reminder of all the enemies that lurked in the shadows.

But there wasn't very much time for these reservations, and if there was any chance to talk with the other members, he had to do it now.

Are you sure about this?

It doesn't feel as though I have much choice.

Oh, Fumikage… you always have the choice.

Tokoyami alighted on a rooftop to gain his bearings and look at his phone. He'd plugged in the address that'd been disclosed in Toga's files and wasn't so far from it now. Even still, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about the intrusion on her personal life. The file hadn't included too much information – the names of her parents, what school she'd gone to, and some old newspaper articles written about her, which included some familiarly scathing interviews from classmates. It had her criminal record and very few details about her life between middle school and her eventual team-up with the League… nothing he wanted to pry particularly deep into, but was skimmed through all the same.

Toga had already told him a lot about herself – Spinner, too – during those moments when they'd train together in the gardens of the villa. She'd just never told him much about her old home. They had a sort of mutual understanding in that regard. He dreaded to think now that he might've ever taken those moments for granted.

It's not much further now.

Tokoyami fiddled with the communicator in his pocket – the one that Dabi had left for him. He'd messed with it in the past, turning it on and off and speaking into it to no avail. He wondered if he was too far away for it to work. But he knew the reality of it was that nobody in the League was willing to talk to him just yet.

Perhaps it would be different, though, if only he could see them in person. Not that talking face-to-face had done him much good the last time he'd seen Dabi, but…

He didn't even know what he was meant to find. He didn't expect anyone to be at that address. He just…

I just need to see it. I want to know how she lived. If nobody else understands her, then I at least want to try.

Tokoyami raised the communicator to his beak. "Is anyone there?"

Static met him on the other side, and he sighed as he slipped the device back into the bottom of his pocket.

He looked back up, towards the direction of Toga's home. His breath caught halfway up his throat, and his muscles went rigid at the sight on the horizon.

An eerie blue glow reached into the night sky, vivid and eye-catching in the city of dull stone and flickering lights. He could see it, just barely reaching over the roofs of houses and ramshackle office complexes: those familiar flames.

Tokoyami lurched forward, taking a running jump off the roof and willing Dark Shadow to fly him there as fast as possible.

The quirk stretched his arms out and dragged him through the air with unspeakable urgency, as if there were lives on the line. And maybe there were, but in that moment he could only think of the one person that he knew without a shred of doubt had to be there.

Streets blurred beneath him, and he searched every shadow in passing for a lanky man trying to slip through them. Even with his night vision goggles on, the streets were unnervingly vacant, and he had to wonder just how long the fire they were fast approaching had been burning. This had to have just happened. They were right there!

Is it a signal?

Is he waiting for us?

Why else would he…?

He could feel the change in temperature as he came to a stop on the edge of the swirling conflagration. His phone went off to indicate that he had reached his destination.

"Toga's… home."

He couldn't see anything through the smoke at this height. The streets below, at least, were clear, and he directed Dark Shadow closer to ground level. He landed on the road leading up to a desecrated house, choking on smoke all the while.

"Dabi!" Tokoyami roared, crying out into the blazing night. "Where are you?! I know you're here!"

He coughed into his fist, and his chest ached in protest. Even still, he began to run, frantically looking every which way. Where he went, he could see glimpses of the smoldering house through the wall of blue fire. Even with the damage quickly tearing it down, it was clear to see that it'd been abandoned for quite some time. The walls trying desperately to trap it all in were plastered in graffiti; big, ugly words reading things like BLOOD SUCKER and VAMPIRE and DIE CRAZY GIRL.

Tokoyami held a shaky hand up to his mouth. Through the ash and smoke, he kept running.

"Dabi!" he wheezed, hoping for a response. "Toga! Please, just answer me!" he begged, desperate to be heard. "I'm right here, please listen to me! Let me…!"

Tokoyami's throat constricted. His eyes began to sting. The air was hot, the asphalt bubbling beneath his boots, and he willed his quirk to pick him up again. As his heart raced in his chest, he grabbed for the scarf around his neck and held it to his beak to filter out some of the noxious air. He breathed painful breaths into it, and his smoke-sensitive lungs protested every one.

Dark Shadow took over the call, his reedy voice cawing into the night. "Dabi? Toga? Please don't run off, this is important! We just wanna talk! We…! We don't wanna…!"

Dark Shadow brought him back above the rooftops and swiveled his head every which way. A whine built in his throat, and he looked down apologetically at Tokoyami. "I don't think they're here anymore, Fumikage."

Tokoyami let out a shuddered breath and pointed to land on a nearby roof. There. Set me down there.

Aye, will do.

Tokoyami stumbled as he landed on the roof, and he braced his hand on the railing, leaning heavily on it for support. He ran a hand through his feathers, disheveled and uneven as they were from being set ablaze in the past.

Dammit.

He sank his head onto the railing. Nearby, the blue fire continued to burn, sending a column of foul smoke into the grimy sky.

Tokoyami and his quirk were the only ones here.

"Dammit all!" Tokoyami wailed, slamming his fist into the rail. It shuddered under the force, but did not give as he shook it with the wretched breaths being dragged from his beak. He wanted to scream, because maybe then he would be heard. But his throat wouldn't let him. And no matter how much he or Dark Shadow tried to cry out, it seemed as though the shouts were only being swallowed by the fire. Everything was always being swallowed by those flames.

Sirens sounded off faintly in the distance, growing ever closer. There were no screams, though, and it was readily evident that this area didn't have any residents. Perhaps not for a while, though it was hard to tell with the current state of society. At the very least, the Toga household had been vacant for years now.

Why did you set her old home on fire? Is that what she wanted? Was she sad, seeing this place again? Did you make her feel better, I wonder?

Tokoyami slumped to the floor. The air simmered with heat, but it was nothing he wasn't used to, so he just pulled his flame-retardant cloak tighter around him and let the fire continue to burn. It wasn't as if there was anything he could do about them, anyway.

Dark Shadow coiled around his shoulders, his claws hovering near his midriff for the moment he was ready to fly again.

The fire won't reach you.

And I can't reach them.

He curled into himself. He hated to think that this might be another dead end, and he just didn't know where to go from here. If he'd been just a little bit faster, would they have been able to confront each other before the next stage of the war rocked the foundation of this country? Did there exist a reality where Dabi could reconcile with his anger and learn to let go, before it consumed him entirely?

There was so much he wanted to tell Dabi, so that maybe he wouldn't have to feel the way he did.

There were words meant only for Toga, to let her know that there were people that accepted her exactly the way she was. To let her know that…

I'm a damn fool.

Tokoyami took a deep breath, the kind that shook his entire body when released, and pushed himself back onto his feet. The sirens were getting louder, and he didn't want to be on the scene should any heroes arrive. The appearance of blue fire in the middle of the city was a call to arms that couldn't be ignored, especially with how the remnants of the League had been so quiet in the weeks following the last stage of the ongoing war.

He walked away from it. He ignored the screeching tires and blaring lights of the fire truck that pulled onto the road nearby. He hunkered down into the shadows cast by the blinding flames and held his head low as he slinked away.

Only when the crackle of flames and shouts of people scrambling to put out the inferno weren't quite so loud did he reach back into his pocket. His fingers closed around the little communicator once more and he held it up to his beak, praying his voice didn't sound too shaky.

"H-hey, Dabi. Or… or Toga, or Spinner, or anyone, really. I… I don't know if you can hear me – I don't know if you ever could – but I really wanted to talk. J-just now, you were here, and I missed you… you're still around, aren't you?" Tokoyami searched the alleyways below, as if there might be some clue there – a trail to follow or anything. A way to follow them back and maybe do something right for them. But he knew it was never going to be so simple.

His mouth felt full of cotton as he kept talking into the little device, for whatever good it might do him. "Hey, so… I talked to Mr. Compress. He's, uh, still alive, if anyone was wondering – and doing about as okay as someone in his condition can." He let out a nervous little laugh, not knowing if there was anyone listening who would care. "He told me about Twice's grave. I'm… I'm going to go visit it tomorrow. I don't know if I deserve to pay my respects to him, but I want to. So… that's where I'll be. Good night."

Tokoyami waited for a response. There was none.

He internally cursed himself and tucked the device away once more. Dark Shadow whispered small words of affirmation all the while, reminding him that his efforts weren't in vain and that he wasn't foolish for coming out here and trying to make amends. That there was still hope in fixing things before they broke apart entirely. And even if some things did break, he would be fast enough to catch the pieces. They just had to keep trying.

Tokoyami wasn't sure if he was ready to go back to that place. But he'd already voiced the idea aloud, and so it felt necessary that he abide by it. Even still, his nerves twitched all throughout the day, until he could stand it no longer, and he took the train that would land him within easy flying distance of the Gunga Villa ruins.

Nobody was supposed to go there, of course. It was one of the many places that the heroes considered restricted territory, even if there wasn't much left to see of it. If Tokoyami of all people was found there, he didn't think the heroes would let him off with just a warning. It was suspicious, coming from someone who'd stayed at that place for several months. It would hardly matter that he'd managed to save a couple of heroes during the initial war; they all had to have known that he'd willingly allowed the villains to get away. And the fact that he'd never been approached outright on the subject only served to instill a greater sense of unease.

He was a sympathizer, in the end. And that made him a dangerous asset to the villains.

Tokoyami wasn't sure exactly what to expect, as he flew over the familiar countryside with Dark Shadow. The last he'd seen of that place, the battles had been well under way. It was hard to remember anything beyond what'd been happening right in front of him.

The feathers. The fire. Blood. Running away with Hawks and the wound he'd inflicted upon him while everything continued to burn.

He remembered passing Hawks off to that upperclassmen, though not how he'd managed to get that far in the first place, and he dimly wondered if he'd blocked some of it out.

Then he'd been there, in that little hidden spot where nobody had ever found them, and he'd said goodbye to Toga.

Tokoyami closed his eyes and took a steady breath. He tilted his head up towards the sun and reminded himself that it was pleasantly warm. Not hot.

What else, what else…

Any idea where they might've put Twice's grave? Dark Shadow asked.

Not a clue.

It had to be somewhere out of the way of the fighting. Wherever Dabi had decided to cremate Twice, he must've had to act fast in the time between the end of the fight and catching a ride on Gigantomachia. Geten and Cementoss had still been fighting at that time, though, so the landscape could've changed drastically from the last time he'd seen it.

I think that break in the trees is it!

Tokoyami blinked his eyes open and squinted into the distance.

He couldn't see the high stories of the multi-floored mansion. There was, however, a gaping expanse in the forest where something surely must've been at some point. It was only when they were nearly on top of it did they begin to see the slanted walls and haphazard slabs of cement where the PLF headquarters had once been. Gone now was the luxurious building and its far-reaching gardens, replaced with the aftermath of a bloody, bitter fight.

Tokoyami felt nothing as he glided slowly over the place. No remorse or resentment. There was no feeling of loss in connection with a place that had held him prisoner, despite the fact that it was one of the most comfortable places he'd ever lived. At the same time, he would not rejoice in its destruction. Even if it wasn't truly a home for him, it was a home for countless others; it meant enough to the members of the Liberation Front that they were willing to risk life and limb for it. Or at the very least, what it stood for. And when the dust had long since settled, he decided that it didn't matter so much that they'd been fighting against the side of heroes – a desolate prison cell or a hole in the ground was hardly the kind of place for them to change their mind.

Tokoyami considered himself lucky that, despite prior misgivings, Mr. Compress was still a sensible man. He doubted very few others would take his side, where few others dare tread.

I'm not seeing anyone, Dark Shadow reported, swiveling his head every which way from under his hood.

Tokoyami struggled to pay more attention to his surroundings. It would be for the best if they didn't encounter anyone here – villain or hero. Just in and out, so that he could say that he upheld his promise to Mr. Compress.

We have to check that place first, Dark Shadow internally said.

There won't be anything there. Besides, we should check the perimeters first.

The quirk stayed quiet, but Tokoyami could feel the flicker of irritation through their link.

They flew through the sky above the wreckage, taking in all that had been left behind. It was far from the sustainable abode it had once been, but he expected that already. The roof had caved in entirely, without the pillars of ice holding it aloft. Stairwells and hallways had crumbled in on themselves, and already there was spring foliage struggling to push up between the cracks in the devastation. It'd only been a few weeks since this had all transpired.

The debris had been picked through since then, recovering the countless bodies from both sides that had been buried. Tokoyami couldn't remember how many thousands of arrests had been made against the PLF across the country. He didn't know how many casualties there'd been. He was sure the journalists hadn't counted them all.

There had to still be bodies buried beneath the ruins of the mansion. Not of heroes, but of other people.

Fumikage.

I know.

Tokoyami didn't see anyone. It was a relief and a disappointment. Regardless, he settled on that one place. He just hadn't imagined being back here so soon.

They spiraled down towards the pavilion where Tokoyami had last parted ways with Toga. He couldn't think of any other place to go in the moment. His head was too fuzzy with unprocessed thoughts to go anywhere else.

It'll only hurt to be here, Dark Shadow reminded him. And I was trying to keep you from getting hurt.

I know.

Tokoyami alighted at what had once been the top of the stairs leading down into the sheltered space he had shared with Toga for the few months they'd been together. Though the waves of cement hadn't reached this far, other things had. The overgrown hedges that had banked the place had been blown and blasted away. A shallow fissure split its way through the stairs leading down, and the roof of the sheltered outdoor space had almost entirely collapsed on itself.

Tokoyami swallowed the grief that threatened to well up in his chest and carefully picked his way down, avoiding splintered wood planks and shrapnel that had flown this far from the main building.

How many hours had he spent here, sparring with Toga? It was strange – nobody else had ever taken the time to sit down and teach Toga how to use her abilities. He was far from a proper mentor.

Likewise, Dabi had never mentored anyone in his life before Tokoyami. It was hard to believe that a person like him had any patience at all. It still felt like a miracle that they hadn't ended up killing each other, even by accident.

But Tokoyami had never attacked with the goal of hurting them. Dabi had always pulled his fire back. Toga never looked at him with killing intent. Spinner had always sparred with the flat of his blade. These were all things that'd been obvious to him for a long time now. It was something he never wanted to change.

But so much had already changed, and there'd been no avoiding it. All his struggles, all his strife, and not nearly enough to show for it.

Tokoyami carefully ducked down under the collapsed roof. Every step from his boots felt too loud as they hit the cement floor, with its cracks and claw marks. The unstable structure groaned from the light breeze, and he could swear that his breath would be enough to topple it entirely. But he didn't want to destroy things anymore.

Dark Shadow unfurled himself from under Tokoyami's cloak and filled the cramped space under the remaining section of the small building that was still somehow standing in the aftermath of it all.

"Hey, Fumikage…"

Tokoyami stared down at the ground, where the broken railing that he and Toga would lean against after practice led into a patch of dirt and weeds. It had blossomed since then into a scattering of little white daisies that popped up around the charred bone fragments that jutted up there.

It wasn't much. Most of it had been poorly buried under the dainty flowers. A few meager pieces that'd been unearthed by spring showers and a slight difference in the color of the dirt. In the center of it all was a rock – a brick from the villa's foundation, actually. Thin lines had been carved into it with the edge of a knife:

Bubaigawara Jin

"They came back for him," Tokoyami rasped.

"Dabi was already leaving this place when we encountered Toga here," Dark Shadow recalled. "They must've relocated his remains after the heroes had cleared out."

Tokoyami sat himself down on the ground in front of his friend's grave. "Toga must've decided on this location. Even after I left her in this place… she still saw something worth holding dear here."

Taking a deep breath, Tokoyami clasped his hands together and bowed his head in silent prayer. Then, when a moment had passed, he exhaled shakily and rested his hands into his lap.

Dark Shadow mimicked his motions, if only to feel that he wasn't alone in all of it. Silence stretched like shadows as moments passed and the sun began to descend into the sky. Plucking up his courage, Tokoyami cleared his scratchy throat and began to speak.

"H-hey, Twice. It's been a while. I… I don't know if you can hear me. Or if you even want to hear from me. I-I know I failed, but I never wanted it to hurt you all. I didn't mean f-for you to die." He swallowed thickly and pressed on with an all-encompassing feeling of remorse. "I'm sorry it cost you your life," he rasped. "I didn't want to pick sides. I wanted to help anyone in need. But that just resulted in…" He thought of Mr. Compress's warning, and what it meant for them. "Getting hurt by both sides."

His scars from the war had been healing. But his mindset had only gotten more conflicted as time had passed, and he struggled to think of anything that might straighten out the spiraling thoughts with each passing day.

Tokoyami went on, hoping he sounded a bit more confident. Dark Shadow remained silent, his only listener. "I don't know how long it's been since you last had a visitor, but, uh, I guess I should probably catch you up on what's been happening. I just… I don't have very many people I can talk to about my experiences. And that's only made it h-harder, because it feels like the only ones who might understand were you and the rest of the League. And they're all…"

Tokoyami buried his head in his hands. "I don't want to lose them. Is that so wrong? Is my brain so warped – are these thoughts my own? I knew things would never end well, regardless of who won, or who lived or died. That was always going to be a given. But I thought that, by the end, I'd at least be able to tell where my loyalties lied in all this. As if that ever meant a damn!"

Tokoyami lied onto his back, keeping the lonesome grave within his sights while staring up at the cracked rafters overhead. "Hey, Twice. Things haven't been good since you died. I lost the people who believed in me, and then rejected those who tried to help. I saved a few people, but my actions caused much more suffering, I'm sure. I tried living at UA, but I didn't actually try. I felt caged." He laughed bitterly. "Ironic, is it not? After all this time, I thought I might finally be free. Instead, I went back to Dabi's shithole apartment. Dabi knew I would, too. He probably thinks me a fool. He'd be right. I want…" Tokoyami's eyes misted over, and he felt his heart clench. He folded his hands over his chest as if this were his own funeral. He could berate himself later for offering nothing to Twice's grave but these wretched thoughts. "I want to heal, Twice. I want to find peace someday. I wanted that for you, too. And the others. But I don't want to tell other people how to live. And yet… I can't let their ideals sow more hurt into the world."

Tokoyami thought about all the little things he so desperately wanted to tell the remainder of the League, wherever they were. This felt like as good a place as any to start practicing.

"When I see them all again, there'll be so much to say. If it's alright, can I run it by you?"

No response. He didn't expect any different.

Tokoyami stared at the cracks in the ceiling, where the setting sun had cast the sky a vibrant red that seeped through the rafters like scars across skin.

He began again, trying to find the confidence in his words. "When I see them again… I just want them to understand the way I view them. How does this sound…?"