Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'To let yourself be swept away by the will of another is to suffer with no hope of recompense, and endless waves of confusion...'

'If we deny our ability to think, we deny our ability to hold our individual identity. What shall we believe we gain from restricting our capacities...'

'The purpose we decide to hold, let us unshackle that and our desires from the rest of the world. Let us find solace in ourselves, the wishes we grant ourselves...'

-

Every now and then, Kurogiri would dream.

Typically, the dreams would be meaningless. Sometimes, it was but an amalgamation of colors and shapes impossible to remember.  They passed through without a single emotion being awoken in him, as empty as the room he was located in. These dreams were the most bearable, as there was no internal longing to relive the experience.

Other times, the dreams were replayed memories of Kurogiri, a reenactment of the most important parts of his life. Sometimes, it was when he first awoke to All For One, His Sensei, and Doctor Garaki, when he looked into a mirror and saw his face for the first time. Other times, he dreamt about the first time he met Tomura Shigaraki, who cowered away from the strange, cloud-like man. Once, it was the day that he was captured by Gran Torino, only feet away from the creature that could have saved him. These dreams also failed to awaken something inside of Kurogiri, yet he still did not enjoy facing them. If not a feeling, they did still bring a sense of discomfort, though why he did not know.

More rarely, it was something that he did not remember living through. Something foreign, something...raw and emotional. These were the worst dreams for Kurogiri, for they were the closest to evoking something out of him. Whether they were feelings of extreme joy, or a feeling of despair, as though his entire body was being crushed from above, they threatened to escape from the subconsciousness and rise to the forefront of Kurogiri's mind. Yet, every time, he managed to push those emotions back down to the abyss they crawled from. They no longer existed in that form.

Regardless of the content, Kurogiri did not feel, or at least convinced himself that he didn't feel, anything reliving those moments. He had no reason to. Dreams, from what he learned, were but lingering feelings of inadequacy, a longing for something that a person can't quite comprehend. They pointed towards a new path, one that diverged from a person's original purpose.

However, Kurogiri also knew that such dreams should bring about extreme feelings inside of him, feelings that, for a long time, he failed to produce. After all, to become emotionally attached to the past was to distract him from his intended purpose, which was to assist Sensei in the raising of his protege. Therefore, he could only conclude that these dreams were not the same ones that indicated a wish for something new. It made sense, as Kurogiri was perfectly content to be someone else's tool. He never felt unsatisfied with how he was treated and thought about spending the rest of his days under Sensei.

Yet, every now and then, even before his imprisonment, Kurogiri had wondered why he dreamed. Doctor Garaki had the ability to significantly alter a person's mental landscape, regardless of how many quirks were stuffed into it. Surely he could've (and should've) turned off his ability to dream, so why didn't he? Did he not understand the meaninglessness of these dreams, moments that definitely, unambiguously failed to produce a singular sensation inside of him? Maybe he was worried about affecting Kurogiri's personality and rational thought. 

After all, Kurogiri was not like a nomu. Brought back from the brink of death, sure, but still not a nomu.

But, to question what they sought when they revived him would be to go against their grand scheme. There was an innate purpose to their actions, Kurogiri was sure of. After all, Sensei had continuously gloated about his numerous plans, how he tricked and played around the heroes 24/7, with the only thorn in his conquests being the singular quirk designed to counteract him. So, they must've had a reason for letting him keep this function. Kurogiri would not let his pessimism continue to doubt what Sensei was planning.

His imprisonment must mean something, unlike all those dreams. Surely.

When he was put to sleep for attempting to use his quirk, Kurogiri fortunately had a simple, empty dream of vibrant colors and shapes. No recollections of his past, whether of his current life or of that foreign person. Meaningless and empty of emotion, just as was intended for someone like him. Just as he hoped for. However, what he awoke to was not much better than a more immersive dream.

The passage of time was unmoving from the perspective of the padded cell. Not only was there very little stimulation besides the occasional flickering of the lights above, but the constant anesthetics used to put him to sleep made it impossible to perceive the moving of the world. It may have merely been a few days, or multiple months have passed by. The only thing he could be certain of was that no one had come to see him.

As Kurogiri felt his senses return after the last period of unconsciousness, his eyes felt increasingly more agitated by the bright lights above. The bindings covering his arms and torso felt too tight, and he felt as though there was an itch on the back of his head he had no hope of reaching. Perhaps the best word to describe what Kurogiri was feeling would be...discontent.

Surely other prisoners were not treated as inhumanely as him? Not even given the basic freedom to move his limbs, did this not violate several human rights codes? Then again, those ruling Tartarus have proven again and again that they had no remorse for Kurogiri, with not but a single question surrounding how he felt. Perhaps it was reasonable. To them, he was simply a servant of their top enemy, and Kurogiri had accepted his status as being considered an animal. 

Even if he felt that...No, he would not go down that line of thought again.

In any case, he should've been able to endure such harsh torture. Sensei had taught him and designed him to be better than that. The physical, mental, and emotional pain was supposed to be nothing to Kurogiri. Over the harsh insults thrown by the occasional drunk, over the numerous life-threatening battles, as he came face to face with heroes and villains alike, and over the realization that nobody came to rescue him when he was captured, Kurogiri endured. He had already managed to get through the initial part of his imprisonment. How much could a few years of this hurt?

Then, the door opened behind the glass.

-

"It did not pain me to do so, as I am the type who cannot abandon others," Kurogiri said without any intonation. It was not a lie, for it was who he was. Nothing more, nothing less, and he desired nothing else.

On the side, he knew that the detective and hero who captured him stood inside a hidden room. Most likely they wanted to gauge his reactions, figure out a way to reveal his secrets, and find where the League has resided.

Like he would ever do that. Over his dead body.

The two men in front of him he recognized from the attack at UA. Back then, he held no feelings of remorse or hatred towards them. Not even when the man with the scarf was slammed into the ground by a bird-like Nomu did something rise to the surface. Kurogiri felt nothing, neither guilt nor joy from the suffering. Right now, however, he did feel quite annoyed at these visitors. He was hoping they would ask a few questions and then leave, but they appeared adamant about staying for quite a bit.

The man with the glasses, Present Mic, if Kurogiri recalled, looked shocked at his answer, his mouth agape. "Sheesh. Sounds quite heroic for a villain like you. A bit too heroic, like..." Present Mic trailed off. Did he expect another answer?  Was there something more for him to do besides what he was intended to do?

Meanwhile, the man with the metal-like scarf, the one named Eraserhead, simply sighed, looking forward with a facade of apathy. Yet, Kurogiri could sense a feeling of...sorrow. Compared to the face he made back then, a face of determination and resolve, this man looked resigned.

Suddenly, Eraser leaned forward, his hair floating above his head and his eyes bright red. Kurogiri knew that was when the hero activated his quirk, recognizing the action from USJ, yet he also knew that his erasure would have no effect on him. "When I was about to leave that cat behind, you scooped the little guy up without a second thought."

Kurogiri tilted his head slightly. "I'm sorry? To who are you referring," he asked with intrigue, tilting his head as much as he could through the constraints.

"I was always hesitating. Holding back," Eraser continued without noting Kurogiri's reaction, his contorting into a more pained expression, "You always pulled me along."

The misty man simply looked back in confusion, "What is the meaning of this? I can not say I know what you are talking about," he replied smugly. Was he supposed to feel remorse for the hero in front of him? They hardly interacted, much less enough for Eraser to know him personally.

Despite Kurogiri's remarks, Eraser pressed on, "You were always in high spirits, always looking forward, without considering what came next! Even though death meant the end for you!" 

"I have not died, for how else could we be talking together," Kurogiri responded, still unsure as to what the scarfed man was talking about, "In any case, this 'person' you talk about seems quite idiotic. To move forward without thinking about the paths in front of you, only the foolish could follow such rationale." Yet, despite his statement, Kurogiri couldn't help but feel something emerge out of what Eraser was saying. It was uncomfortable.

The hero paused in his tale, a look of rage briefly appearing on his face before it returned to its more depressed state, "We...Yamada and I are teachers now. I'm really strict with my students. Because..." Eraser suddenly stood up, taking off his yellow goggles as tears threatened to fall out of his eyes. "...I want guys like you. I want heroes who can pull others along, who can live good, long lives!"

"What are you..." Kurogiri began, but a foreign feeling was beginning to worm its way inside of his mind. A feeling not unlike when he had those strange dreams. Was he being put to sleep? But, he did not feel himself getting any more tired. 

"Shirakumo, if you're still in there, somehow..." Eraser yelled out in desperation, practically slamming the words through the glass barrier, "The three of us can still be heroes together!"

"There is no other answer I could possibly provide you. I know who I-" Before Kurogiri could finish his sentence, a tremor ran through his body, as though a chilly wind ran across the entire room.

A pause. The sounds of panting from one hero. Wide open eyes of anticipation from the other. The sound of a monitor beeping rhythmically in the distance. Besides that, though, it was completely calm and quiet, giving the illusion that all parties were being perfectly rational.

But, if nothing else, Kurogiri could tell something was wrong with him. That something was threatening to break past his cloudy exterior and override his personality. Just like those feelings in those terrible dreams, yet even stronger now. Previously just waves that only managed to slam small children on the beachside, they were now raging towers of emotion, of another person, who wished to sink the ship was Kurogiri, the servant of All For One, the caretaker of Shigaraki, the supervisor of the League.

He was Kurogiri, and Kurogiri was him. There was nothing more he could ask for. 

'But, don't you want more? Does your soul not yearn for something greater? Do you not wish that-'

And just like all those other times, Kurogiri navigated through the harsh storms, his ship only suffering minor damage. The turmoil inside his mind steadily receded as he pushed those thoughts back into the back of his brain where they belonged. 

He did not know what transpired as he forced everything into the deepest pits of his consciousness, but looking in front of him, he could still see the same faces in front of him.

Eraser was still looking on with teary eyes, his mouth gaping as he awaited a single answer.

Present Mic looked on with hesitant anticipation, as though either something magnificent or dreadful would occur.

Neither was satisfied with what Kurogiri had to say next. 

He turned his eyes towards the scarfed hero, blinked once, and said the next words with the same calmness as the others. 

"I'm sorry to tell both of you, but nothing you have said has brought about any recollection inside of me. And I can most confidently say that my name, if ever, is not Shirakumo."

"No, that's...that's a lie!" Eraser was quick to counter, "I saw his face. I saw your true face! That blue hair, that strip you always wear on your nose, those eyes..."

"Oh dear, did you think that a person was inside of me," Kurogiri said, barely able to hold back laughter, "That is impossible. I have quite a tight hold on my identity and my purpose. It is only to serve Sensei and to watch over Tomura."

He bent forward as much as he could, glaring towards Eraser as he eerily replied, "I do not know either of you on a personal level, and neither of you know who I am, deeply clear from your constant pestering."

"Well, sorry to tell you, 'Kurogiri', or whatever the hell you are, but that's 100% bullshit!" Present Mic yelled emotionally, "I saw your face too! C'mon, there has to be a way to bring you back! We were...like, the best of friends! We did so much back at U.A., and now you're this weird ghost guy! That color scheme doesn't even look good on you!"

He paused only to take a few more breaths before turning to the other pro, "Aizawa, c'mon, if we keep pushing him like before, he has to break! Shirakumo, he might really be in there!"

Before Eraser could answer, Kurogiri quickly took hold of the conversation once more, this time unable to hold back his laughter. "Ah, I see. That explains everything. Goodness, I did not expect you heroes to harbor so much envy inside of you."

"Envy?" Eraser quietly answered, "What's so envious about wanting to see your dead friend one more time?"

Underneath his mist, Kurogiri smiled. Now was the time to turn the tables. "I expected more from such an overbearing teacher at UA. Surely you could've seen the flaws inside of you? Perhaps I simply have an innate talent for detecting one's jealousy, as I could tell after that kid's kidnapping. Bakugo, I believe?"

"What does that have to do with everything?" Eraser angrily replied, quickly stiffing up at his student's name, "Get on with the point or I'll break through this glass and strangle the answers out of you." He barely heard Present Mic tug back on his friend's arm, saying something quietly that the misty man could not hear. 

"Do you not see the parallels between him and the death of your friend?" Kurogiri replied in a sly tone, "Perhaps it would help if I compared you to the one Sensei had his eyes on, Midoriya if I recall. You two are quite similar, I have to say. Rash, angry individuals who hold naive faith in others, which would inevitably result in anguish building up. Yet, whilst you faced the pain of your shattered belief, your student managed to save his friend without a significant sacrifice. You must've turned green seeing how your students did not have to experience such a loss. Now here you are, believing hopelessly you can save your friend just as he had, but allow me to break that belief. I am not your friend. Whoever he was, that person is long gone. "

Present Mic continued to look on, his eyes somehow growing even wider past his tinted glasses. Any rebuttal died on that loud man's tongue. Meanwhile, Eraser was beginning to shake with fury, his hair falling down to cover his face. It looks like his plan was working. Sooner or later, they would leave, perhaps with a few harsh words that would hardly matter to the prisoner.

Kurogiri decided to end off with one last remark. One more thing that would make sure neither of them would ever come back. "If that is all, let me be at peace in my prison. If nothing else, perhaps you two may find some solace in the permanent death of your friend, wherever he may be. The rest of us are alive, however, and the living should not tether themselves to the dead."

"Ok, that's enough, sedate him," a muffled voice rang from the walls. Already, Kurogiri could feel his consciousness fading.

That should've been it. Maybe Present Mic would yell out objections to Kurogiri's response. Maybe Aizawa would mumble some insult towards him, a calm rage emanating from his words. Maybe he would be punished by the guards for his responses, for making a hero breakdown. Kurogiri wouldn't expect anything different from these reasonable responses. 

Yet...

"You aren't alive, you scum."

"I'm sorry?" Kurogiri questioned, fighting through the grogginess to respond, "Are you trying to call me soulless? Although you may consider my actions 'evil', it has no bearing on-"

"No. That's it. You aren't alive." Aizawa reactivated his quirk, his red eyes shining with rage now, "You're a mindless corpse who took the shape of my friend, a demon who believes they're a person like us. But let me tell you something."

A harsh beeping began from the hidden room, barely visible from Kurogiri's heightened sense of hearing. "He's getting agitated again..."

"You are nothing. I know Shirakumo is inside of you. All we have to do is get rid of this persona Sensei has put him under, and then-"

"Ha...I'm not...this Shirakumo...No matter how much... you say it, it won't...be true, ha," Kurogiri slurred, the full effects of the sedative kicking in.

"To hell that's not true!" Present Mic retorted, "You aren't even a real person! You're like one of those nomus, yeah? Then that means All For One basically made you. So, you're no one! You didn't get born, you're just someone taking over Shirakumo's body after he got lobotomized! Just get out of his body, you probably can't even exist within your pathetic master!"

"No, that...that's...I'm a person...I'm alive-"

"Did your 'Sensei' not tell you the truth?" Eraser questioned, before laughing with little joy. It was more filled with retribution.  "What am I saying, of course, he didn't. You don't tell a robot they aren't alive, do you? That's all you are, really. Only following someone else's script, believing they aren't the person who they really are."

"I...I..."

"Don't worry, Shirakumo!" Present Mic shouted, though at this point Kurogiri could hardly hear anything, "We'll find a way to bring you back! We'll get this brainwashing crap off of you and then everything will be A-Ok, right? Hey, Tsukauchi, please tell me that-"

"But...I am Kurogiri...I don't want...to be...someone else..."

"You're the one who said we, 'shouldn't tether ourselves to the dead'," Eraser responded vehemently, "Well, by your logic, we shouldn't tether ourselves to crap that was never alive."

"No...I'm..."

He blacked out.

-

When Kurogiri awoke, or at least gained feeling inside of his body, he did not find himself inside his padded cell. Instead, he was in a world of pure darkness, where neither the ground nor the sky was visible. Perhaps if either was decorated with the light of stars, it would be bearable for him. Instead, the looming shadow was only suffocating.

He...didn't like this. When he was knocked out, his mindscape always went to a dream, whether the benign or the nightmarish. In either case, it was at least a bit grounding. Here? It was too disorientating, too strange, too...not him. Even those foreign and abnormal dreams had a semblance of a connection as if he was watching a memory of his past lives. Now, it was as if he was dead and had become an outsider to reality.

"Where...where am I?"

"Looks like you're in your head! Always wanted to be face to face with the guy in my body."

Kurogiri quickly turned to face the mysterious voice. Sitting on top of a blueish cloud was a teenage boy with vibrant, sky-colored cloudish hair. He was wearing a brown coat, with some kind of martial arts clothing and an obi underneath. The boy was also wearing cyan goggles that sat above his eyes, which Kurogiri noted were a strangely familiar purple. The most notable thing, however, was the constant grin the stranger had plastered on his mouth, his teeth practically shining in comparison to the darkness surrounding them.

"Who are you?" Kurogiri inquired, "I have never been under the effects of mental projection via quirks, though I have seen the Doctor test such utility."

Rather than giving a straightforward answer, "Oh man, did you think I'm like a hallucination? Wow, that's a new one! Been insulted a few times, but this might be one of the better ones."

From years of dealing with child-like maturity, Kurogiri did not react with any visible emotions, simply repeating, "Who are you? I do not enjoy this roundabout language."

"Oh, my bad, guess we got a serious guy here," The teenager sat up a bit more upright, still smiling, however, "You can call me Shirakumo. Think I around, uh, 12, 13 years or so ago?"

Kurogiri looked back at Shirakumo with an unmoving face, or at least as unmoving with only two golden eyes, "Shirakumo? The same name as those heroes' fallen friend..."

"You met Aizawa and Hizashi? Damn, it really has been quite a while since I talked to them," for a moment, Shirakumo let his smile drop, looking as though he was reminiscing on something, before quickly building up his grin once more, "So, how'd it go? Did Hizashi annoy the crap out of you, or was it Aizawa with his too-serious stuff?"

The misty man pondered how he should answer. Should he be noncommittal, say that their conversation was nothing interesting? Should he respond with praises for Shirakumo's friend, noting the few positives of talking to them? Or should he be honest, say that the conversation was as stilted and antagonistic as Kurogiri expected, that the things Eraser and Present mic said made him feel deeply unsettled?

"Wow, Aizawa get you down that much? I mean, I knew he was a bit of a downer every now and then, but jeez..."

At Shirakumo's sudden answer, Kurogiri was barely able to hold back a flinch. "I should've known that one who has entered my mind must be able to read my thoughts," he muttered. "Tell me, what is your purpose inside my consciousness? Do you perhaps wish to attempt to extract more information in this form you take?"

Shirakumo blinked once before, for the first time, giving a slightly serious response. "I mean, I didn't 'enter' your mind. Technically speaking, you're the one who entered my mind."

"Impossible. These lies won't break me," Kurogiri shook his head, his eyes squinting as he examined the kid for any signs of lying, "As I have said numerous times, I am quite certain that-"

"'I have a tight hold on my identity', that's what you wanted to say right?" Shirakumo cut off, "Ok, so, I don't have a lot of information, I only get to wake up when you're dreaming and that's basically the only time I see anything new, but..." He paused for a second, a more thoughtful expression on his face.

He turned his head to look directly at Kurogiri and calmly said, "You haven't really been a person like you said, have you?"

Kurogiri was taken aback by that statement. "Not a person? But, do I not walk and talk like every other human? Do I not think? Do I not have a purpose to follow just like everyone else?

"Ok, everything else makes sense until that last part, hm," Shirakumo murmured, pensively looking at Kurogiri, "Well, is it really your purpose? In those dreams of yours, I never see you do things for yourself...?"

Kurogiri raised a hidden eyebrow in confusion, "Excuse me? Perhaps it is a bit foreign to someone who does not desire to follow the whims of another, yet I have managed to find fulfillment in being Sensei's underling. Is that not enough purpose to follow?" He was about to continue on, but a singular word of the teenager struck him as odd. "I'm sorry, dreams of mine? Were you watching my dreams?"

Shirakumo simply shrugged, moving his hand in a 'kind-of?' motion, "I guess that's how it worked? I'm not really sure how to describe it, not like there was anything else for me to do when I woke up, so yeah. Gotta say, that life of yours is pretty depressing."

Depressing? Was that what this child considered it? "I disagree with such an assessment. Sensei had taken pity on a downtrodden individual such as me, bringing me back from the brink of death. Even after suffering from such excessive amnesia, he allowed me to follow him in his endeavors across the world. It's possible you conceive such a life as villainous and therefore saddening, but I was happy, and am still willing to live such a life."

A quiet, awkward pause swept through the air between the two. Shirakumo continued to look thoughtful, but now there was an aura of...sympathy. What would he possibly need sympathy for?

"Alright, alright. I think I know what's going on. I don't know what happened between you and my old pals, but I guess it didn't go too well. Even in your dreams, I've never seen you get this defensive before," Shirakumo said. He clapped his hands and leaned even further towards Kurogiri, "Ok, Kuro-buddy, you think that you were just a random stranger that this 'Sensei' saved after they lost all their memories, am I following correctly?" Kurogiri nodded hesitantly. "Well, I'm sorry to break this to you, but that's entirely wrong."

"What, do you wish to speak the lies that your friends spewed and claim that my soul is not alive? That I am but an imaginary force puppeteering someone's corpse?" Kurogiri snapped back with venom.

Shirakumo was not the slightest bit deterred, his eyes only lighting up in realization rather than fear, "I know what to do now! You seem really obsessed with your identity, yeah? But if I show you who I am and how you came to be, maybe you can learn something new about yourself?"

"But, how can I possibly verify your truths?" Kurogiri lamented.

"Well, if I'm really, like really really bored, sometimes I just watch my old memories for fun. Looks like whenever I do that, you also become a spectator. But, like someone watching a real trash movie, you always seem to leave the theater before it starts to get good. So," Shirakumo took a deep breath, and, for the first time in the entire conversation, stopped smiling, before saying, "You need to watch, no, feel those dreams. Then you might see something new."

"I will not do that," Kurogiri huffed, his mist slightly fizzing out as he looked at Shirakumo skeptically, "I will not force myself to experience unnecessary torment. Those dreams, your dreams, if you are to be trusted, they are too foreign. They are not for my eyes to see."

Shirakumo sighed before jumping off his clouds and gently grabbed one of his hands, "Look, even if this is the first time we've met, I think I got a pretty good idea of your personality from your dreams. I know you try really hard to not fight back against whoever has power over you, but still want something else, don't you? You even question their plans every now and then, even if you do beat yourself over it every now and then. Maybe just try your own instincts instead of your 'Sensei', ok?"

Kurogiri breathed raggedly, a swarm of strange emotions already building up inside of him. To trust this child could risk an emotional outburst, a shattering of his mental defenses. Who knows what secrets Tartarus may glean from his weakened state? Yet, the chance for the truth, to figure out whether or not he had been lied to for his entire life...It was certainly tempting. If he purely listened to his master, perhaps he would tell him to ignore Shirakumo's demands, probably even kill him for suggesting such an inane idea. 

But, if he asked his soul, if he truly peered into his own wishes, then...

Suddenly, the emotions that he repressed to the back of his mind came flowing like a tidal wave, knocking him down to his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. 

The dreams, they were morphing the entire world around them...

Kurogiri, for the first time, clearly saw the dreams he so adamantly denied. He saw Shirakumo, that cyan-haired boy, with what appeared to be younger versions of his friends.

He saw the camaraderie they formed, and how Shirakumo acted as the glue to keep their friendship together. 

He saw how strongly Shirakumo held his beliefs, and how he didn't let the criticisms of parents, teachers, and the public alike keep him down. 

He saw how Shirakumo recklessly protected those children, the last thing the dream showed being the rubble that knocked the hero out.

Kurogiri did not know how to respond to the dreams. There was just...too much stimulus, too many feelings inside of his mind. How could he possibly parse through all of this, this endless torment? Why had he listened to Shirakumo? Why had he let the words of a child sway his actions, his desire, his intended purpose? 

Suddenly, the dream shifted once more. The dark void returned once again, but rather than being the space around him, it folded his body, blocking out all his senses except for his ability to hear.

"Is the subject prepared for the mutated quirk?" A voice rang out to his left. 'Master', Kurogiri realized, still hardly able to form thoughts in his mind.

"Hoho, yes. This child is quite the resilient specimen, I must say so myself," another voice spoke to his right, Doctor Garaki. "Ah, what a shame. I had hoped to get a two-in-one deal with that Eraser kid, but this is still more than enough for our purposes. I just can't wait to get started!"

"It was not difficult to acquire this body. Oboro Shirakumo's body was lying in open sight like a treasure dropped in a dumpster bin behind a restaurant." All For One calmly said, "If it is not too much to ask for, could you perhaps tweak his mind to be a bit more...passive? We still must give him the ability to critically thinking, but a rebellious servant may prove to be more threatening than a docile one."

"Of course, of course. You've seen my talent many times, All For One!" Garaki confirmed. "That may increase the surgery time by a few days, but it won't increase the risks. Of course, as with any of my creations, I give the honor of naming him to you, sir."

There were a few footsteps, then...

"I shall call him Kurogiri."

Kurogiri watched as his senses returned to his body. The landscape around him became similar looking eternal black. In front of him was Shirakumo, standing on a new cloud as he looked at the misty man with a saddened expression, back to having that idiotic grin on his face. "Damn, I still can't believe he just took my body like that. And the fact he actually managed to make whatever the hell you are, is honestly incredible. Horrifying and disgusting, but still incredible."

As the emotions inside of his mind settled, Kurogiri continued to shudder, though becoming more controlled. "My entire life, my entire purpose, it was all a lie? Designed to be a slave to Sensei, denied my right to be a person. My entire life, I had thought I had been happy to be the caretaker of the League, yet now, I have nothing."

"Hey, you still got your soul, and you still have control of this body!" Shirakumo consoled, "Besides, now you know the truth, and now you can be your own person! Never too let to be yourself, yeah?"

"But...who would be there to look out for me?" Kurogiri bemoaned, "My master and Garaki had deceived me, Shigaraki would betray me, and the rest of the League has little care for me. I'm...I'm all alone." He felt the beginning of tears build up in his eyes at the realization. Even before he was imprisoned, the pain of loneliness was present. However, Kurogiri continuously blocked it out, ignoring it and pretending that his pathetic role was a sufficient substitution for companionship.

"I mean, do you need anyone else? Kind of sounds like you lived with a bunch of assholes, anyway." Shirakumo said nonchalantly, "You got to have something you want to do that's unrelated to anyone else. You dreamed about stuff, right? Then you got to be wishing for something new."

'Dreams, huh', Kurogiri briefly remembered. Could his dreams have held meaning this entire time? Perhaps he had ignored the desire covered up by the memories that replayed for many a night. If he looked back at those dreams, could he find a new purpose?

"But," Kurogiri quickly realized, "What meaning was there to all of this? No matter if I manage to find a new purpose, I am still trapped inside this hellscape of a prison. How shall I ever go about fulfilling these new wishes?"

"Hm, really hard question you're asking there," Shirakumo backed away and closed his eyes as he looked to be deep in thought once again. As quickly as he entered that phase, however, he snapped out of it with a sudden shout. "That's it! You just have to escape from here and then you'll be able to find whatever it is your heart wants!"

"...Are you joking?" Kurogiri blankly asks.

"No, I have the perfect plan. You just have to trust me on this. It might sound really dumb, and it might get us both permanently killed, but if it's the only way to be free, then it's the best shot we have." Shirakumo extended a hand out to Kurogiri, "Alright, you willing to trust me here?"

The (dead? alive? revived? was there truly a distinction now?) man looked down at the palm, wiping away a few of his tears. To take the gamble, to risk death, that would destroy all hopes of finding his identity. He...did not want to die. He wanted to live a life that he was denied, do everything that he convinced himself was unnecessary. Yet, if he decided to stay in Tartarus forever, to reject the opportunity, would he damn himself to a life of emptiness as well? A life devoid of proper purpose and desire, just like his role as All For One's servant. Previously, Kurogiri would rely on the insights of Sensei or Garaki on such difficult decisions, yet he knew that he could not utilize their knowledge here. 

Kurogiri needed to decide for himself right now. What did he want to get out of his life?

So...

"I...shall trust you." 

Chapter Text

'What does it mean to be an individual? To hold your desires, to have expectations for a future beyond...'

'Shall we impose our own definitions of humanity, morality, finality onto another, to lambast their wishes for being different and foreign...'

'All it takes is a singular wish, a singular hope of something else for the seed of meaning to sprout from one's body...'

Every night, Dark Shadow would wish upon the stars.

He had been doing that daily for the past few years, ever since he read about doing that on one of those 'vividly dark and deep' (read: incredibly tacky) magazines that Fumikage was reading. One of the little sections discussed how, if one makes enough wishes to something above, they will eventually come true. 

Both he and Dark Shadow thought it was completely bogus, discarding that piece of advice in the back of their minds. However, a few days after reading it, Dark Shadow silently left Fumikage's body and opened their bedroom window. It was a little habit that Dark Shadow had, one of the things he never told his user about. Although their connected tether made it difficult to go large distances, he could still traverse their city block. It was pretty exhilarating to be free from someone constantly nagging you and telling you to get back inside. Every night, Dark Shadow would leave their bedroom and go out exploring, seeing the sides of the world that Fumikage adamantly locked him out of. The darkness of the black sky re-invigorated Dark Shadow as well, getting him ready for another day that simply going to sleep wouldn't do for him.

On that day, many of the lamp posts surrounding their apartment building were destroyed. A villain attack, something about a woman trying to steal the lights inside to power herself up? Dark Shadow didn't really pay much attention to the smaller details. Regardless, there was little light outside when he went out on his solo run. He liked the much darker landscape. The lights were much too blinding for Dark Shadow, and they were the one thing he hated about going outside at night. At that point in his life, he wasn't able to endure the harsh white color for long, but in his current state, it would be child's play to shrug off the brightness.

In any case, when Dark Shadow looked up into the night sky, for once in a long time, he could see a world of stars above him, distant white orbs dancing in outer space. At least, that was what Fumikage would have described it as. To him, the stars just looked pretty. Surprising for the bird, since he had been afraid of anything that was not the pitch-black darkness, from the shining of the sun to the dim lights of Fumikage's desk lamp. But, at a long, long distance, Dark Shadow couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of the stars.

'What would it be like to be a star?' Dark Shadow wondered to himself. Well, it might suck in a few ways. You can't move, you can't speak, you can't even smile! All you can do is stay motionless, let gravity or some other force move you across the universe. Pretty boring, and constricting in too many areas.

Then again, it would be liberating to be a star. There would be no one who could reach your level, and even if they did, there was nothing anyone could do to halt the burning of a bright star in the sky. They give off their heat and light regardless of the opinions of those around them, flying across the universe without a care in the world. In a sense, the stars are freer than the birds in the sky. At the very least, they are freer than Dark Shadow.

As Dark Shadow held his gaze upwards, yellow eyes glistening with the colors of the galaxy beyond, he distantly remembered a little tip. A small word of advice. He forgot where the hell he heard it, but it still managed to make its way out of the back of his mind. 

'Make a wish upon the stars, for they are but individuals who have achieved true liberation. Untethered by the self-doubts and selfishness of the common man, they shall shine brighter than the hottest fire our human hands may create. Thus, those stars shall guide you unto your own desires, to mold them into their ideal self, and to allow you to create your best and freest self.'

"To be the freest thing in the sky, huh?" Dark Shadow muttered to himself. Would it matter if he made a wish to the stars? It probably wouldn't matter. He preferred the present moment, and Fumikage said one of his worst traits was his lack of foresight. Regardless, there was something that compelled him to let out at least one of his hopes into the night sky. Not like anyone was going to hear it. No one except the balls in the night.

Dark Shadow took a deep breath, allowing his eyes to wander to the ground before letting out a wish. "I want to fly. If there's some god out there, they have to really suck since they never give me or Fumikage wings. What kind of bid can't fly? Honestly, really bullshit, if you ask me. But you guys can fly, right? I mean, you don't really fly like I want to, you only kind of float, but it's like flying. I think. Not like you could just make either of us grow wings and let us take off, but still. It would be nice to have them. Oh, and make them purple. Would match my feathers pretty nicely. Purple wings, hah." When Dark Shadow finished his tirade, he looked back up into the sky. The stars were unchanging from when he first stared at them. Would they have listened to his pleas? Would they have cared if they could? Would the freest things listen to those who still had desires for something more? Maybe they wouldn't do any of that. Maybe they were just too free to understand.

But he couldn't deny that he felt a little better. When Dark Shadow returned home, silently re-entering Fumikage's body, there was a little pit of contentment inside his body. It felt...nice. Yeah, it felt nice. Even if it never came true, at least someone might have heard his hopes. Maybe he would make another wish, Dark Shadow thought back then.

From then on, it became a sort of ritual for him. Every night, without fail, Dark Shadow would look up into the night sky and open up his wishes to the stars above. It was anything, from the absolutely banal (I wish Fumi wasn't so mad when I take out those weird books he keeps reading), to the more sublime (Imagine if someone else could hear me. Hear anything besides me screaming in rage. Would they want to hear me cry?). Sometimes they would come true, sometimes they wouldn't. Dark Shadow didn't want to be stupid, but every now and then, he would think that the stars really were listening to his wishes. Of course, the one time he mentioned it to his brother, he just scoffed and said that 'they weren't coming true because of some stars'. Well, at least that's how Dark Shadow interpreted whatever came out of his mouth.

Wow, was he slowly becoming more like Fumikage? He normally didn't think about this kind of philosophical crap, but that magazine must've flipped a switch in his mind.

Tonight, as he quietly opened their shared dorm window and stared up at the sky, Dark Shadow wondered what wish he should make today. After thinking for about 3 seconds, he came up with, in his opinion, a pretty neat wish. Hopefully, it would come true.

"Alright, star guys, can you please smite our math teacher? He got really pissed off at Fumi because I accidentally ate his homework. It wasn't his fault that I ate it. Then again, it also wasn't my fault. It looked like a tasty treat in the distance..."

"Alright, everyone. Today's training exercise is a 'lights out' simulation. We had the students in the support classes create a light-absorbing material that will make all of you virtually blind," Aizawa motioned to a pitch-black room. The change from the bright, sunny outside to the complete darkness was so quick, it was as if someone used a fill tool on the inside. "Your job is to rely on your other senses and get all the hostages out. Mic and Midnight will act as guards. If we see and find you, you're out and you fail. Get at least one hostage out, and you pass. No need to incapacitate either of us, only evade us. Understood?"

There was a collective affirmation from Class-1A. Aizawa nodded before continuing. "This will be a solo challenge, going down the seating chart. Aoyama, you're up."

"Ah, to be cursed with going first," he complained, before donning his usual shining (and, for Dark Shadow, deeply annoying) smile, "Nevertheless, I shall shine the way to victory!" Aoyama braced himself for a moment before diving straight into the pitch-black room.

"Ooh, ooh! Darkness! You know what that means, Fumi?" Dark Shadow rhetorically asked.

"No, we will not attempt that-"

"Ragnarok time, baby! We're gonna wreck this whole place up, knock out all the teachers, and it's gonna be so awesome!" Dark Shadow internally yelled out, throwing out a few mock punches.

Fumikage plainly facepalmed, closing his eyes in irritation. "If I must remind you as to what our sensei told us mere moments ago, the goal is to simply retrieve the hostages and escape without being detected. Not only would needless destruction attract the attention of the teachers, but it may also result in disqualification if we harm the hostages. We must play this scenario out with caution."

"Boo! Who cares about being cautious?" Dark Shadow groaned, "I mean, it's not like it's gonna be real hostages, so what's the harm in having a few and showcasing our new, coolest move?"

The quirk user only sighed in exasperation. "Your academic career is not the one at stake here, Dark Shadow. I assumed you knew that after what happened yesterday."

"Yeah, sorry, sorry..." Dark Shadow mumbled out. In truth, he felt terrible about getting Fumikage a zero on his unit circle assignment. He tried hard to explain that it was Dark Shadow who ate his homework and therefore he wasn't at fault, but all Ectoplasm had to say was that Fumikage just needed to get better at quirk control. Which, in his opinion, was entirely bullshit. Like, Dark Shadow didn't enjoy being blamed for stuff; he kind of dealt with that enough with his brother, but at the same time, it wasn't really fair how much flak Fumi got over that. "Well, I'm guessing you got a better idea, then, Mr. No Fun?"

Fumikage clicked his beak in thoughtfulness, attempting to come up with a strategy. "Cloak me in Black Abyss, so we shall camouflage ourselves. As you are better suited to navigate in the darkness, I'll be trusting you to locate the hostages. Our speed should allow us to retrieve them before the teachers spot us."

A simple enough plan, really. Honestly, Dark Shadow probably could have come up with that as well, but he kept that thought to himself. Both of their thoughts were interrupted when they heard Aoyama thud loudly on the ground, clearly having lost consciousness. 

"I see, we have to deal with smoke inhalation issues as well..." Dark Shadow heard Midoriya mutter to his right. To his left, there was an audible smack as Jiro whipped Mineta with her earlobes. Probably from a creepy sentence about being knocked out.

"Aoyama, Fail," Aizawa quietly noted to himself, writing something on his clipboard. "Ashido. You're up."

And so continued the pattern as the rest of the class. Most of the others failed, usually because they fell asleep from Midnight's gas. Uraraka seemed to have avoided the gas by floating upwards, but got disoriented by Mic's yells, leading to her falling to the ground and hitting her head.

Out of the 13 students who had gone so far, only Ida, Koda, Shoji, and Jiro passed. Ida used his speed to minimize inhaling the gas and removed the need for stealth; Koda simply called for animals and insects to locate the hostages to him to avoid getting caught; and both Shoji and Jiro used their quirks to sense the teachers and the gas to navigate safely. 

"... Fail," Aizawa wrote, looking at Sero's prone form, "Too much reliance on his quirk, most likely. Unable to find objects to tape to. Tokoyami, your turn."

Fumikage walked past Sero's body and opened the door. As expected, nothing but black shadows welcomed him. "Remember the plan, Dark Shadow. Do not deviate."

"Yeah, yeah, got you. Let's get started, then!"

"And...begin."

With Aizawa's command, Fumikage let Dark Shadow envelop him, coating his entire body in darkness. They dove into the room quickly, activating Fallen Black Angel to gain some height, getting some inspiration from Uraraka, which would allow them to avoid the gas. To deal with Mic's screeches, Dark Shadow simply covered his user's ears and endured the loud screams himself. Compared to the average human, besides his extreme sensitivity to light, he was much more resilient to other types of stimuli. On a sensory level, at least. Not only that, thanks to the vantage point and Dark Shadow's increased night vision, he could find the hostages much quicker than Fumikage, even if he was using night vision goggles. 

However, the downsides...

"Have you spotted them yet?" Fumikage asked.

"Jeez, give me some time, ok?" Dark Shadow snapped back, "We just got started on this crap, you don't gotta nag on me every single second."

"...Just focus on the objectives." He replied with irritation.

The lack of light would give the quirk much greater potential to curb-stomp the heroes if push came to shove, as well as make him faster whilst flying, but it did make him a lot more argumentative and contrarian. Both of them were still unsure as to why Dark Shadow responded so violently to darkness. Apparently, a normal human isn't supposed to have mood swings based on the lighting. Then again, he's not really a normal person, but still! Both of them've heard comparisons between Dark Shadow and someone with multiple personalities, but that didn't really fit. It's as though the 'main him' had to fight for control against other Dark Shadows. In fact, he felt as though he gained more control over everything whilst in the darkness. 

More liberated. More...human.

In any case, arguing would not help either of them during the exercise, so Fumikage decided to simply keep his emotions in check for both of them. If the user suddenly became agitated, then both of them would feel the effects of that anger.

After about a minute of searching, Dark Shadow spotted a pile at the end of the room. "Hostages at 5 o'clock. Don't see either teacher from here."

He felt Fumikage nod in a reply. "Bring us down there quietly. We'll see if we can carry them once we're on the ground."

As they began their descent, something happened. It wasn't anything Fumikage noticed. It wasn't anything the teachers noticed, nor their classmates outside. In fact, to the rest of the world, there wasn't the same sensation that built up inside Dark Shadow. He stopped mid-flight.

"...Dark Shadow? What's happening...?" Fumi asked with concern.

Would there be a way to describe what was happening to him? Dark Shadow wasn't sure if he could. Maybe his brother would be able to, albeit in the weirdest and overly long way possible. At least it would be descriptive, but Dark Shadow was not good at that kind of stuff. He liked to be upfront; he liked not to speak in annoyingly roundabout ways; most importantly, he wasn't afraid to express his emotions in their purest forms. Yet, even then, it was nigh impossible for Dark Shadow to convey exactly what it felt like. 

The only thing he could say was that it was like someone was listening to his pleas. As if...there was a being that heard his wishes. Not just his most recent plea, but every single one. Every single, vulnerable, painful wish that he made since he wished for wings. For anything that would let him and Fumikage soar through the clouds without a rifle aimed straight at them, ready to send them back to the Earth. 

Hah, maybe the stars were listening.

A memory consumed Dark Shadow.

"Dang, can't believe he passed out so suddenly. Thought you two were doing endurance training at UA or whatever?"

"Nah, it was only me doing all the hard work. Forced all that light on me while he didn't even move an inch!"

Fumikage, Hawks, and Dark Shadow were currently inside the top of his penthouse, giving them a beautiful view of the city below them. The only lights on right now were the chandelier above, dim enough for Dark Shadow to comfortably stay in. Of course, Hawks was technically supposed to still be on patrol duty, but because of his 'advanced persuasion techniques', aka having the excuse of getting his passed-out intern some medical attention, the three of them got a break from the brutal reality that is hero work.

Fumikage was lying on one of Hawks' many couches, with an aptly designed Hawks-based blanket draped over his body. Meanwhile, Dark Shadow was attached to him like a needy cat, having refused to move an inch away from Fumikage since he got knocked out. It wasn't actually a serious injury, more of a side effect from the villain's dizzying quirk. It was good luck that Dark Shadow was unaffected by it and quickly subdued the foe, though the teachers at UA would have probably scolded him, or most likely scolded Fumikage, for roughing up the villain way too much. But he kind of deserved it, right? And besides, not like Fumikage had made the decision. He was dead to the world the entire time Dark Shadow was throwing her around.

Hawks was laid back on the couch across from the two, mindlessly cleaning his red wings. "Still, it's clear there's work to be done on that emotional regulation stuff. Tokoyami said something about how you get really mad and impulsive when it's dark. Can't let all that rage blind you, else you might accidentally get someone killed."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Dark Shadow replied plainly. It was a wholly useless and repeated piece of advice, given ever since he had manifested when Fumikage turned 5. "Not like everyone's been telling me that since I was born. No shit I got to work on that. It's just...hard for me, I guess."

"Well, that's not gonna be an excuse when the media pounces on you and asks why the quirk pulverised the villains," Hawks said nonchalantly, sending a feather that pointed at Fumikage, "Or why the person's quirk accidentally gets their user injured. Not gonna look good for Tokoyami's reputation."

Dark Shadow simmered silently at Hawks' words, his already sour mood becoming much more acidic. To him, Hawks was a bit of a show-off. Before that night-flight, Dark Shadow absolutely despised Hawks, from the way he abandoned them to do his patrols, to the way he used Fumikage for any intel he had on the villain attacks on UA. He also thought Hawks was really, really annoying. Scummy in both his actions and his voice.

After the night flight, he still disliked Hawks' attitude, their opinions on many things being extremely different. Fumikage and Hawks slowly formed a proper relationship, leaving the quirk in the dust. Dark Shadow isn't really sure what his human counterpart sees in that guy. At least he was properly interacting with them now, even if there was a pinch of animosity from the dark creature. However, that didn't excuse the way Hawks treated Dark Shadow as an extension of Fumikage's will rather than someone who just happened to be connected to him. Every training session, there was a subtle push for his intern to 'work his quirk to its theoretical limits'. Just sounded off to Dark Shadow.

"Oh yeah, sure. Not like being all edgy and crap isn't gonna tank his image," He grumbled out, "Why the hell should I care about that, anyway? We're probably gonna be underground heroes, so being intimidating best way to go about it, then."

Hawks tensed up silently, though he probably didn't know Dark Shadow knew. Not that the hero bothered teaching him about interrogation techniques, nor about how a lot of the public information was intentional misinformation. Just something he had to learn naturally. "Even so, it's Tokoyami's job on the line there. Kinda like the ring-leader between the two of you, yeah?" He stood up and lightly flicked Dark Shadow's 'feathers', just like he typically did with Fumikage, before sitting down next to the unconscious boy. "Personally, a quirk just needs to be trained into something useful and controllable. Not like quirks are technically alive. Reminds me of a book that talks about whether the person or the quirk comes first. Interesting read." 

Dark Shadow tilted his head. "Didn't expect you to be into all that brain stuff. Too hard for me to understand. Still," He looked at Fumikage with a saddened expression, "It feels bad that I can't relate to all that stuff like Fumi does. Is it my fault I don't have any idea what he's talking about? We both know I'm not that smart, but-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that. Sometimes you try, but it just isn't enough for someone," Hawks said, a hint of melancholy in his voice. He looked out the window, where the sun had just finished setting, and the streetlights below turned on. "Regardless, you still have to try as hard as you can. Prove your worth to the world, and you'll feel proud of how far you've gone. I've got my hopes that Tokoyami will be a top ten hero. At the very least, those Tsukuyomi figurines better sell like hot cakes."

Prove his worth? Did he have to work hard just to do that? Was his existence not enough for the world? No, Dark Shadow couldn't accept that statement. It just...didn't work with how he thought.

His anger spilled over suddenly, a flash of red appearing in his eyes for a moment. "What a load of bullshit. You think I'm not doing enough? You think I haven't been working my ass off to be a better fighter, to handle the pain that's like having someone peel off your skin?" He growled out with rage. Despite the lights above, Dark Shadow rapidly grew, towering over Fumikage and Hawks. "I try so hard for everyone! I try to ignore everyone calling me a monster! And no one gives a shit about me! Why should they? I'm just a goddamn quirk to you all!"

Hawks stood up quickly, flaring his wings and quickly sending off feathers to subdue Dark Shadow. Obviously, despite their sharpness, they did little to pierce the dark exterior of the being. "Dark Shadow, calm down. Do you really want to accidentally hurt Tokoyami? Think about what he'd think if he got kicked out because he couldn't control his quirk's rage?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" He roared out in fury, quickly swiping and grabbing Hawks, moving even faster than Hawks could react. Whilst the hero struggled against the quirk's grasp, Dark Shadow lamented, "Why should I do anything for him? It's not all about Fumi, damnit! What about what I want? That has to matter for something, right? But you're gonna tell me it doesn't, aren't you? It's all meaningless to you! Everything I do is meaningless!"

Hawks attempted to struggle, but Dark Shadow responded by gripping him even tighter. "Even so, what do you think you're proving right now?" Hawks argued back. "Being angry about what's happening just makes others despise your existence. Everyone will hate you for your outburst."

"DO YOU THINK I GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THAT!" Dark Shadow yelled out in hidden agony, "WHY DO I HAVE TO CARE! EVEN IF EVERYONE AROUND ME HATES ME FOR WHO I AM, AT LEAST I'M TRYING TO BE MYSELF FOR ONCE! IF I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING, I'LL BE THAT MUCH HAPPIER. I'LL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I WANT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!" Dark Shadow slammed one of his fists on the floor, shaking the entire building. The chandelier above swung precariously.

"Their advice and emotions matter, too. You can't live your life without caring about what other people want and expect of you. Even if it's painful, you have to at least see their perspectives, see what they want to create out of you."

"But...But...What's the point of it all if it means I'll never live an honest life? Just someone else's shadow...Even if I can save a thousand, ten thousand, a  million people, it's all so meaningless if I don't even want to do it... ,"

"Is that...how you really feel?" Hawks gasped out, his body steadily getting more crushed by the second, "Then...tell me, Dark Shadow. What is it...that you want...after everything you say you've suffered through..."

The thing that Dark Shadow wished for the most? That was easy. It was the first wish he made, from the moment he was born, to the time he made a wish to the stars, when Hawks took the two of them flying, even after they developed the Black Fallen Angel move. He still held it tightly, that deep desire, his one proof of his meaning.

"I just...I just want to fly! I want to have my own wings!" Dark Shadow cried out, tears beginning to flow from his golden eyes, "I've already become the wings for Fumi to reach the sky, so why can't I do that? When do I get to be the bird that gets to feel clouds and see the stars a little clearer? It's not fair! It's not fair at all!" Without noticing, he steadily let go of Hawks to instead bang his fists on the ground, sending harsh reverberations with each pound.

"I! Just! Want! To! Be! Happy!"

In the distance, Dark Shadow could see the first fragments of the night stars, flickering through the clouds and light pollution of the streets below. It felt like a taunt, the last laugh of the beings beyond his reach, showing off the freedom that the quirk knows he will never have. It enraged him, resulting in him slamming his fists one last time with all the strength he had.

The sounds of a heavy object swaying above, the quiet shink of metal being snapped, the light flow of air as something large falls through the air.

And then the crash as the chandelier fell upon Dark Shadow.

When Dark Shadow woke up that day, he felt a gentle patting from his user, a mixture of worry and confusion upon Fumikage's face. He had asked where Hawks was, why the windows were shattered, and why there was a chandelier on the ground. Despite continuous pressure, he remained adamantly silent to the questions until Fumikage just gave up and went looking for Hawks. 

The rest of the work study went relatively fine. Hawks never mentioned the incident to either Fumikage or Dark Shadow. Still, whenever their eyes met, there was a knowing look inside the pro's eyes. It wasn't of repressed anger, no. It looked...sad. Like Hawks personally knew how Dark Shadow felt. Maybe there was a hidden layer underneath all the bravado that Dark Shadow couldn't decipher. Something was eating away inside of those red wings, the reason that Hawks wasn't putting his all into suppressing the threat in front of him. Regardless, Dark Shadow wasn't able to deal with his own emotional baggage, so he wouldn't have time to figure out what was up with number 2.

On the final night of the work study, rather than having his interns take a train back home, Hawks decided to have a personal send-off for the two of them and have a flight escort as they flew towards the Tokoyami house. As they flew through the air, Dark Shadow, as usual, held tightly onto Fumikage's torso. He stared upwards towards the numerous stars that dotted the night sky. Despite his rage against everything around him, he couldn't hold a grudge against those balls of light. They did nothing to Dark Shadow, and Dark Shadow couldn't impact the way the stars moved.

At that moment, Dark Shadow was close to letting go of his tradition. It was a truly naïve belief that someone could hear his pleas. No one around him cared, so was there any reason a star should listen to what a shadow had to say? Shadows only existed thanks to the shine of those free beings, so did they need to give him more when they are the reasons the quirk existed in the first place? It was all so confusing to Dark Shadow. The culmination of his wishes, close to toppling over and shattering on the ground.

Suddenly, Hawks made of off-hand remark, still looking forward as he said, "Y'know, you two have the potential to reach the highest peaks if you really go for it. But, after everything I've seen, that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things if your heart isn't in it. Sincerity is the hardest thing anyone can be, let alone a hero. But, if either of you has any wishes, big or small, I think you can make them big. Part of the reason All Might's got number one. Great at saving people, great at showing he truly wanted to do what he did." He turned towards Fumikage and gave him a crooked smile. 

Even though it was directed at Fumikage, Dark Shadow clearly noticed the underlying message to the dark bird. 

'Don't give up on your own desires. Even the brightest stars keep those wishes close to their chest and let them radiate off their bodies. One day, if you follow in their footsteps, you might become your own star.'

And so, Dark Shadow vowed to never give up on his daily pleas. If nothing else, they could be a reaffirmation to himself. 

The hope that one day, he'll become a better person who can live a life of honesty and fulfillment.

The hope that one day, he'll sprout his wings and take off, breaking the chains on his claws.

The hope that one day, he can shine brighter than every other star in the sky.

The hope that one day, Dark Shadow shall lead the rest of the world, a world living in their own misery and self-imposed helplessness, into achieving their own wishes.

...God, he really was taking on Fumikage's mannerisms. 

That was all a memory, though. Now was the present, where Dark Shadow awoke with the blinding light of the sun and the color of the blue sky falling upon him. As he wiped the grogginess, as well as the brightness, out of his eyes, Dark Shadow could finally see what his surroundings looked like.

1. The hostage building, or what remained of the building, was a pile of rubble, pieces of the wall and the light-absorbing material spread about everywhere.

2. The rest of Class-1A, who looked at Fumikage with worried expressions, murmured quietly to each other. When they noticed Dark Shadow, those expressions became much more tense and fearful.

3. Standing right in front of him, the trio of Midnight, Present Mic, and Aizawa, all carrying similar expressions to the ones everyone else had.

He heard the faint sounds of groaning and shifting to his left. Turning his head, he saw Fumikage lying on the ground as he slowly opened his eyes. "...Dark...Shadow? Is that you?"

The quirk quickly rushed over to his side, steadily helping his brother to a more upright position. "I'm right here, Fumi. Never going anywhere without you."

"My head hurts..." Fumikage mumbled out quietly, gradually looking at his surroundings. "Do you know what...happened..." His words trailed off as he noticed the absolutely demolished building in the distance, followed by the crowd that was a few meters away from them. 

"I-"

"TOKOYAMI!" yelled out a bunch of different voices as all of Class-1A suddenly rushed at Fumikage, their faces a strange mixture of relief and hidden worry, though Dark Shadow had a hint as to what they were worried about.

"Are you alright? We heard something crashing and then boom," Mina made an explosion noise and spread out her arms. "The roof went flying, and it almost crushed Ida and Mineta. I think he's still a little scared, there..." They turned towards the aforementioned purple-haired boy, who was wrapped in a shock blanket and a bandage around his right arm. "They both got covered in pieces of that black wall stuff, and apparently, really sharp. I almost cut myself on it when I tried to help!"

"Uh-"

"That wasn't even the craziest part," Sero interrupted. "When the entire building fell apart, all the teachers got thrown around. Midnight got caught by Yaoyorozu's safety net, and Present Mic landed on his feet pretty well, but kinda...face-planted on the ground. He looked absolutely pissed when he got up."

"That's-"

"You guys are leaving out the best part." Hagakure said, pushing her way through the crowd, "A few seconds after that explosion, it was like...the entire world became night-time. We looked up, and it was just...black. Or maybe it was purple? Anyway, we were really confused about what in the world was happening until we saw two large, yellow eyes looking down on us. Really creepy."

"It was Dark Shadow, wasn't it?" Shoji calmly asked, a comforting presence for both of them, "I could recognize that color anywhere, and especially the roar it yelled for a few seconds before you fell to the ground. Everyone was really worried about you."

"The hell was all that, bird-brain?" Bakugo yelled out, immediately ruining that comforting environment, "Don't tell me you've been hiding your real strength this entire time!"

Midoriya nervously laughed, trying to pull his friend away from Fumikage.  "Kachan, please. I don't think it's the time to ask for a fight..."

The swarm of voices was getting to Fumikage. Dark Shadow could feel it. Even though they couldn't get a read on each other's thoughts or memories, they still held a deeper connection in terms of their emotions. Right now, Fumikage was on the verge of having a complete mental collapse. He had to do something.

"ENOUGH!" Dark Shadow screamed, silencing everyone around them, "Jeez, give us a few moments to wake up! I had the weirdest dream, and I'm not in the mood for all crap. Neither is Fumi, so back the hell off!"

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone stood uncomfortably from Dark Shadow's outburst. "Sorry, Tokoyami," Koda meekly replied. "We're just worried. The teachers aren't telling us what happened. Said it was something personal..."

'Wait, what did he-'

"I...I see..." Fumikage noted, finally getting himself on his feet and brushing off the debris in his feathers, "I'm sorry, I don't have any recollection of what transpired. Dark Shadow and I had located the hostages, planned to land, and then..." He looked off distantly upwards. Fumikage wasn't staring at the sun or the clouds. It was something else. Something...further away. "I'm not sure, but it was as though a wave of emotions surged over my mind, the ship that is my body almost capsizing through the harsh waters. There was no moment to comprehend the world around me; I could only focus on not drowning in the ocean beneath me."

...

"So, uh, anyone smart enough to translate?" Kaminari stupidly asked, "Shoji! You're good at translating Tokoyami! Can you tell us what the hell he just said?"

"I think that Tokoyami-"

"-Is dealing with significant emotional regulation issues that result in violent tendencies through his quirk." A low voice emanated from behind everyone. Dark Shadow moved above his classmates' heads to see Aizawa, along with the other teachers, standing there, the former's arms crossed and a strange look on his face. He sighed, the look now turning more sorrowful. "Kid, you have to tell us these things, especially for a quirk like yours."

"Tell you...what, exactly?"

Another sigh, perhaps a moment of debating whether he should continue. Aizawa pushed onwards. "Your self-esteem issues? We heard what Dark Shadow said inside that building."

"Wait, what?" Fumikage asked, dumbfounded.

"Wait, what?" His classmates asked, dumbfounded.

"Wait, what?" Dark Shadow asked, dumbfounded.

Aizawa was steadily becoming more uncomfortable, yet more confident. "When you landed on the ground, Mic and Midnight saw you collapse, with Dark Shadow hovering over your body without a body. It suddenly attacked everyone and everything around it, apparently screaming about wanting to be free, and not to have to care about what people say about it. When they tried to subdue the quirk, it yelled that it didn't want to be a tool or to be considered a monster before destroying the entire building. As you probably heard, I was knocked from one of the walls, getting flung across the ground." 

If the moments of silence before were awkward, it wasn't completely painful for anyone to even move. The bombshell that Aizawa had dropped, to everyone else, was a surprising piece of information that they were stunned their friend had been hiding from them. Maybe they had a few bits about the idea that Fumikage wasn't all that confident, but on this level? It was truly worrying.

For Dark Shadow, he knew it was one thing: Bull. Shit.

"God, was that really how you've been all this time? Since the forest camp..." Shoji trailed off.

"I don't...understand, sensei," Fumikage answered Aizawa's accusations. "I've never had to deal with such issues. Mutant discrimination wasn't as rampant in my city, and I've never felt as though I was less. At most, it is simply an objective understanding of my control over Dark Shadow, which is still lacking. And-"

"Tokoyami, please," Aizawa interrupted, his eyes glimmering with (misplaced) understanding, "I know how it feels to have a villainous quirk. To be put below others for your mannerisms, for the way you interact with others, for being off-putting to the people around you. But," He continued, a more assured look forming on his face, "If you want to better control your quirk, face these emotions; otherwise, your role as a hero will be jeopardized."

Dark Shadow saw how his brother floundered at Aizawa's remarks, "But that's simply untrue! You have no basis for that!"

"We were there, kiddo," Present Mic said, pushing himself up to Aizawa, "Kinda some heavy stuff. Don't think we misheard anything. Hard not to when that beast was yelling it the entire time. 'I'm not just a monster for you to take advantage of!' Something like that?" He imitated.

Oh. Oh god.

"Is that...really how you thought about us?"

"C'mon, Tokoyami! Everyone doesn't think you're some kinda monster!"

"Just like me, huh? Abandoned by everyone else..."

"I get it. It's easy to hold all that rage, tell no one about the pain you're feeling."

"Man, you were fantastic at tricking everyone, huh? Never even noticed what was haunting you."

It was too much for Fumikage. Way, way too much. He was trapped in silence as his classmates attempted to give their half-hearted condolences. 

Pity. That's what it was. None of them really cared about Fumi or his feelings, did they? If they really did, they would've tried to confirm it first. Figure out if it made sense with everything else surrounding him. Instead, they just took Aizawa to his work, patting themselves on the back for the sympathy they held for someone else. So what if some of them had their own issues? So what if they could relate to Fumikage's supposed issues? It was all just a way to comfort themselves with their own misgivings. They didn't give a shit about Fumikage, not like real friends do. Not like Dark Shadow did.

"You're all idiots!" Dark Shadow yelled out, silencing everyone for the 2nd time. "Fumi's like the most confident person I know! I would know for a damn fact if he was dealing with all that crap, but he doesn't! He's so sure of himself. Way too much in my opinion, but that's besides the point. Look, Aizawa, everything you've been saying is all BS! It doesn't make any sense! Did any of you even try to understand him?"

"Then tell me," Aizawa said, his resolve seemingly strengthened by something in what Dark Shadow said, "What was with your outrage? Where did those emotions come from?"

"They...They..."

God, should he really do this? He's kind of scared, honestly. Being honest with yourself is one thing, but to do it to so many people, that would take real courage. His little meltdown back at Hawks' apartment technically counted, but that was fueled more by resentment and pent-up rage. Here, the moment to find true sincerity came. Dark Shadow had to choose: Should he cower from his desires, and let everyone form their misguided beliefs about the two of them? Or should he open up, open his beak, and let the world know his hopes in the world? There would be so much pain trying to do that, yes. Maybe before, he would have kept his beak shut, let everyone run him over with their willpower. But, when he remembered the stars, when he remembered he wanted things too, Dark Shadow knew he couldn't back down here.

"Because they're my emotions. They're my desires."

"Yes, we've already noted that." Aizawa said in confusion, "What are you trying to-"

"No, they're my feelings. I'm the one who screamed. I'm the one who doesn't want to be a monster anymore. Fumi was knocked out, and he didn't have to yell out in agony for someone to hear him; you already do. Well, maybe you don't, seeing as you're so quick to make it seem he's some helpless baby."

"But...you're just a quirk?" Midoriya asked, a pensive look forming as he took out his notebook. "I've never had a quirk that had these kinds of thoughts before..."

"You mentioned someone..." Fumikage suddenly replied, finally getting out of his stunned stupor, "He had a bird quirk, just like me. You said the quirk was alive. That the bird could laugh, cry, fume...was that not alive?"

Midoriya fumbled for a moment before continuing, "Well, I mean, it's not really...the same? Cause Rody's quirk was just...like the manifestations of his true feelings. It was kind of sentient? But, more like an extension of Rody, not its own thing."

"Ok, so another quirk isn't like me, so what?" Dark Shadow snapped back boldly, "The hell does that have to do with what I'm feeling! These, terrible, terrible, feelings..."

"Because you aren't alive. You're just an extension of Tokoyami's ego," Aizawa answered. The caring persona had been dropped at some point, now a look of slightly hidden rage pouring through. "I do not want to deal with this. There is no reason that just because you claim you're alive, you are. I've seen dead things that think they're alive when they're just robots taking over someone's skin. I know what a person is, and you aren't."

"That's not fair, Aizawa. He's-"

"Tokoyami, you don't have to speak for Dark Shadow. Or rather, you don't have to speak through Dark Shadow." He pinched his eyebrows, the veins almost popping out of his hand. "It's truly sick to try and imitate a human being. Dark Shadow is simply a quirk, and, at most, a quirk is just that. A piece of a person's personality. It means nothing when it says something, or does anything. It's just what the user wishes it to be. Why do you think your quirk is the clear manifestation of your hidden rage, the worst parts of your personality?" 

"...Do you really think that, Fumi?" Dark Shadow quietly pleaded, the beginning of tears forming in his eyes, "Do you think I'm nothing, just the part of your mind that you hate the most? Is that all I'll ever be to you?"

"...No," Fumikage answered resolutely, "You...you have meaning, I'm sure of it. Even if no one else can see it...it's still there. The willpower of someone who truly wishes to live, just like the rest of us. And I'll never forget to cherish your existence."

"You...you promise?"

"Yes, I truly do."

"But, come on now!" Mic stepped in, clearly lost as to what had been happening. "There's no way a quirk can be alive! Because, because if we can accept that, then...we would have to accept...have to accept that Oboro-"

"Yamada." Aizawa quickly barked, "Enough. It's all just an act. Tokoyami's just refusing to let go of his worst parts. Kid, c'mon, you have to accept the reality here."

"Back the hell off from us, old man!" Dark Shadow snarled, motioning Fumikage to move away. "I don't give two shits on what you think is happening. If you want to ignore reality, go right ahead, but you just have to accept that you're wrong here, buddy! I'm alive, I'm a person as much as Tokoyami is, and you can't ever say I'm wrong. Why do you want to tether yourself to these false ideas?"

If Aizawa was mad, he was absolutely pissed at this point. "Tokoyami. I am centimeters away from suspending you right now, maybe even expulsion."

"What! Aizawa, you can't just-" Uraraka tried to intervene.

"Shut up, the rest of you. This is what happens when you try to test me." He redirected his attention back to Dark Shadow and Fumikage. "Your obsession with claiming that this quirk is alive is deranged and hopeless. I've seen when a quirk tries to assert its supposed identity. Every time, it was simply a mask that the user placed over themselves, a way to hide their true personality. You're no different, I'm sure of it. Quirks don't have dreams. They don't want anything. They just do what the user wants, that's it."

Why was their teacher so adamant about saying Dark Shadow couldn't be alive? It wasn't simply on the black bird, but on the entire concept of a sentient quirk. Was there something underneath those statements that Aizawa couldn't reconcile? Whatever it was, Dark Shadow wasn't going to just lie down and take it.

"...Do quirks make wishes to stars in the night sky?"

"What?" Aizawa said in confusion.

"Do quirks make wishes to stars in the night sky?" Dark Shadow repeated with more confidence. "Do quirks have their own wishes to be free? Do they wish they could sprout wings and fly with the other people they care about? Do they desire to one day become a bright star in the sky, truly free from people like you trying to tell me how to live my life? I want to shine hotter than the biggest star in the world! I want to be my own person, and I want to learn that I don't give two shits on whatever the hell anyone says on that. Call me selfish, call me evil, but I'm done listening to what someone else wants from me. I'm gonna do what I want, so I can be a more sincere person. I'll save people because I want to, not because of some stupid expectation. Fumi matters to me because I like him and I like being his brother! So, when I get my desires, I'll help the people I care about reach their own dreams. I'll be that star, the star that gives off its heat and hopes to those who struggle with their own meaning.

Everyone was quiet at Dark Shadow's loud proclamation. There were a variety of reactions to what he said, from awe to disgust, agreement to refusal, openness to hatred, understanding to confusion. Honestly, he didn't really care at this point.

"...You were inspired by a magazine article that much?" Fumikage quietly teased.

"Oh, shut the hell up, Fumi?" Dark Shadow replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That's it." Aizawa said plainly, before wrapping his scarf around Fumikage and dragging him directly in front of the hero, indirectly dragging Dark Shadow along as well, "I don't know how you do it, how you manage to control this quirk of yours and its so-called 'sentience', but it's gone far enough. I can't let you talk above being alive when you haven't even seen anyone die like I have."

There was a cacophony of yelling from both students and teachers, telling Aizawa that he was going too far. But they were all so afraid of actually intervening. Dark Shadow wasn't intent on figuring out why they hesitated. Maybe they were going to respond, maybe they were just going to stand and watch from the sidelines. The most important thing, though, was that Dark Shadow saw how Fumikage was gasping for air, struggling to free himself of the binds of the scarf. It was too horrifyingly similar to what happened to Hawks. So, he reacted.

And he reacted fast.

"Get your hands off of Fumi!" Dark Shadow roared, temporarily growing one of his claws before swiping at Aizawa. The slash took the hero off-guard, knocking him to the floor and freeing Fumikage, who fell the ground on his butt. Dark Shadow saw droplets of blood drop to the ground, a trail leading to where Aizawa had landed. If there was yelling before, now it was like the precursor to an all-out riot. Everyone was panicking over what Dark Shadow had done, asking if Aizawa was ok, asking Dark Shadow why he did it, and asking him if he felt any bit of remorse for what he did. Through the crowd, he saw Shoji torn between how he should feel about the situation.

...Huh, he didn't really feel any regret for what he did. Probably what it means to live a more honest life, huh?

As Aizawa steadily picked himself off the ground, he uttered three singular words. 

"Tokoyami. You're expelled."

...Wow, Dark Shadow still didn't feel any regret for what he did. Yeah, he felt terrible about ruining his brother's chances at being a mainstream hero, but...that wasn't exactly the same as the remorse for the action. 

"Fumi, I-"

"It's fine, Dark Shadow." Fumikage quickly answered, "I don't think I could ever find myself being taught by a person who cannot understand your wishes. Besides, there are other options available for us, I'm sure."

"What? You...neither of you..." Aizawa began, a look of pure confusion on his face. Dark Shadow could see the deep claw marks across his cheek and into his body from where he was clawed. "Are you kidding me? Neither of you care about your expulsion? You'll never be real heroes! All that training will be worthless! What would've been the point of your blood, sweat, and tears if you just threw it all away? Where's this so-called will you claim to have?"

"You're mistaken." Fumikage said, staring dead at Aizawa, "In truth, it is only through allowing the expulsion to occur that true will-power may happen. I can solidify my own wishes, my faith in myself and others, including Dark Shadow. Do you truly think I'd look stronger had I backed down from a singular threat? No, I decide to be, even for a moment, selfish. I chose my destiny here. Dark Shadow has said that he wishes to one day become a star, and I have faith in him that he'll achieve such a goal. And...I have my faith I'll join him in the sky."

"Fumi...You...You really do care." Dark Shadow could feel his golden tears trail down his faux feathers and onto the ground, disappearing as the soil beneath absorbed them.

"It doesn't matter. You've committed a crime, regardless. All I have to do is-"

A portal opened up beneath Fumikage and Dark Shadow.

It was purple.

If he had squinted at that moment, Dark Shadow may have noticed they looked like purple wings.