Authors notes: If you're a dedicated reader of mine, you may have missed some of the fan art I have created. I posted 2 of them in the 1st chapter and the 4th chapter. Make sure not to miss it! (This was a note to those who were following the chapter when this part was just created. I have not posted my fan art till right now.)

Without further ado, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy chapter 14!

--

(Present time)

After Tokoyami was sent into his room, the class wanted to discuss the situation Tokoyami was in, but Momo decided not to speak of it, even to the teachers until they had settled the situation down a little.

"Things must've been going wild for Tokoyami right now. It's probably better to ask him for his consent first. Imagine the media surrounding him if his location was revealed." Momo instructed them.

"That means discussing should also be minimised," Midoriya added.

Everyone agreed with it and went off with their daily activities, though still obviously shaken by the sudden news.

--

Shoji couldn't sleep. He was invaded with horrifying thoughts on the well being of his dear friend these few days. Having all of them to be proven wrong just lifted 2000kg off his shoulders. (Mind you, he probably could even lift that)

Tokoyami randomly appearing out of nowhere definitely gave him the second shock of his life.

He was so grateful that his friend is finally back. However, right now all he had now was questions.

Well, first of all, Shoji's worry haven't completely left him yet. Tokoyami might have gone through a traumatic experience which is definitely not healthy for a teenager. He needs someone to talk to, someone to comfort him, somewhere to release his emotions.

And it should be him. If not him, who else would?

Tokoyami could be suffering right now and no one would know.

Maybe I should visit him now...

*glances at the clock*

2:31 am

maybe not...

"Ughhh! " he grunts as he places his topmost arm on his forehead and closes his eyes.

...

...

There was a weird buzzing notice that Shoji could not make out. It was so faint, a slight disturbance of his own breath could distort it.

Shoji's eyes fluttered open.

The sound faded away.

probably just my imagination...

Now he's curious.

Using his 6 arms, he formed into 6 ears. He positioned his 8 ears in all directions. (His ears on his head stayed in the same position of course)

With his sharpened hearing, the world became noisy. Crickets buzzed annoyingly like an alarm. A lizard's chirp echoed through his ears. The buzzing he heard was now clearer and sounded different... It had a rhythm to it.

"I should go outside to get a better sound." Shoji bounced out of his Tatami and out of the balcony.

Just as he thought, the sound became more distinguishable. The sound sounded more human-like. The walls probably had distorted the sound greatly.

Shoji first though was human speech. But it wasn't logical for a human to talk continuously. Human speech consists of many syllables and consonants.

wait a minute... Oh no...

Without a second thought, he leapt over the railing.

It sounded obvious now. It was the sound of despair... Crying.

His heart raced as he tried to leap down a level. Being stealthy is one of his specialities. His many arms gave him the perfect balance and a strong grip. However, there were still risk involved.

why did Toko's room have to be so far away?

Shoji's room was on the 4th story, front-most unit while Tokoyami's room was on the 2nd story, back most unit.

They were practically located at polar opposites, but Shoji still had to thank the gods that he lived on the same side as Tokoyami. It would be troublesome for him to lend someone's room to go in to. Climbing from the 1st floor didn't work too, the second floor was wrap. y out of reach even for him. Down was the only option.

Oh, wait a minute... Let's give it a bit more thought...

He leapt back to his balcony. Different students may have different sleeping patterns. He should plan a route instead of rushing through recklessly. He was breaking the rules after all.

OK, let's start.

Kirishima is right next door, while Koda is one level down. Both are safe choices and probably sound asleep. With Koda, he was close with him and was probably save even if he caught him. There is still a risk with Kirishima but the chances are low.

Kirishima rarely sleeps late, judging from the quick and early silence Shoji gets every night.

He plans a route down to Koda's balcony. There are two ways to go... Down or forward.

Shoji paled... oh no...

Below Koda was Mineta. Who knows what he could be doing in this ungodly hour. Going forward also isn't an option. Kaminari is definitely an all-nighter. He might be playing his game or hanging out with someone.

Shoji can't risk going diagonal. It would cause more noise and the chances of him losing balance is much higher...

OK, back to the beginning...

Going forward after Kirishima would be a death trap. Its Bakugo's room. If he got caught, he either would get killed or he would alert everyone.

Going down also leads to the same conclusion. Kaminari. Wow, he's basically wrapped tightly like a prison. He had no means of escape. "Guess it's time for Plan B. " Since there wasn't a safest route, he only can rely on his quirk to save him now. He stood on the balcony and aimed all 6 of his arms as ears down. He listened for movements intently... *creak* *creak* There was slight movements far down... It sounded like metal creaking, or a bed moving... Mineta, what the heck are you doing? Shoji shook his head to get rid of whatever he was thinking. He aimed his ears at Kaminari's bedroom. As expected, television sounds could be heard.

And of course, when he tried for Bakugo, he heard none. The riskiest route is the only accessible route he had.

Well, he had no other choice left...

With his heart pounding in his chest, he stood on his railing. One miss-step and he may be gone.

The wind blew strongly against Shoji, making him much more nervous. He looked at his landing point. Definitely a jump that he can make.

With a deep breath, he leapt...

*bop* *bop*

That was the only sound that he produced. It was soft, swift and invisible.

He looked in the sliding doors... Kirishima seemed to be asleep. He could hear his breathing and it seemed undisturbed...

He looked over to his next platform. For some reason, it reminded him of a landmine, because it may very well be.

He didn't have time to think, so he leapt again

*bop* *clank! *

oh s*it!

His leg hit on an elevated metallic object.

He looked down to find Bakugo's grenade glove on the floor.

Why the heck is this here?

He frantically listened to any sounds...

Doesn't seem to have any...

...

not even breathing sounds...

Bakugo must be in his room, no one was allowed to be out of their rooms after midnight. So Bakugo must be...

Shoji paled... OH SH*T I NEED TO HIDE

Without another thought, he jumps over the railing and hung himself at the edge. He quickly let go and landed gracefully, using all his arms to soften his impact drastically.

He could hear a door sliding open.

Footsteps...

It approached the end of the balcony.

Suddenly, spiky blond hair could be seen peeking out of the railing.

Thankfully, it was designed so that the upper levels have a hard time to look at the lower levels. The sheer height of the level between was too much for anyone to look down and spot a figure... Especially at night.

He sighed quietly when the hair disappeared from sight.

He glanced at the door. This was Iida's room. Being a serious person and a respectful leader, he should be fast asleep now...

Shoji tensed... Even though he was out of a dangerous position, he still felt uneasy.

A dark figure loomed over the railings above...

Shoji rests his hands on the sliding door of Iida's room.

It's unlocked? Sorry Iida, lend me your room for a while

He could see the hint of a pair of fiery red eyes as he hid himself within the curtains.

Damn, he's observant!

Iida could be seen sleeping in his bed. His room was neat and tidy, so Shoji had to be careful not to mess with anything.

Bakugo hung over the railing, staring at the balcony below for a few minutes. Shoji felt his blood ran cold as he waited for the longest minutes of his life pass by.

Thank the gods Bakugo did not dare to enter someone else's room without certainty of another souls presence. He lifted himself up to his balcony shortly after.

Shoji waited for a few more minutes after he heard a soft click. He held his breath a few times after seeing Iida shift in his bed multiple times.

Finally, he had a clear, less risky path left. He tiptoed back to the balcony and closed the door.

Down would be Aoyama's room. He didn't know him that well, so he did not have a clue about his sleeping pattern. Next door was Ojiro's. He was more certain that Ojiro was an early sleeper. He usually goes to his room earlier than his classmates.

Using his ears, he points at both of their rooms.

no sound huh...

After what happened with Bakugo's room, he couldn't be sure. When his ears passed by Tokoyami's room, he felt his heart broke. The cries he had heard had been reduced into soft weeps and sobs. It was truly depressing to hear his friend break down, especially since Tokoyami was a stoic person.

He did hear some conversations made, but he assumed that that was Dark shadow.

With a leap, he landed on Ojiro's balcony and quickly followed by landing on Tokoyami's balcony.

He listened again...

Good, the crying wasn't disturbed... He didn't notice me...

He listened to the heartbreaking cries and sobs to the birdman. It still felt contained and suppressed, as if Tokoyami is still holding back his emotions.

Shoji felt the wind blow through him, causing him to shiver and wrap himself in his arms.

He peeked in the dark room. Tokoyami could be seen cuddled up on his bed with layers of blankets wrapping him tightly like a cocoon.

Dark shadow was nowhere to be seen, probably in Tokoyami's body.

Shoji was about to place his hand on the door handle when Tokoyami started to talk once more. He hesitated.

"We could've just found another way! There must've been one! If you weren't so stubborn!"

Who is he talking about?

"Dark shadow! Brother! There are so m-many questions I wanted to ask you! S-so many memories I want to share with you more!"

Dark shadow? Wait... What? Where is he? What's he talking about?

"You were there for me for my entire life... How am I supposed to live without you? I-I seriously can't imagine... Please, I want you back!"

Live without Dark Shadow... Wait... No... Dark shadow is gone? Oh no, I shouldn't have come... I've heard things I'm not supposed to hear...

Shoji leapt over the railings, hearing the last words he heard from Tokoyami...

"Please, just once m-"

His legs reached the ground below and he ran with his heart pounding in his head. He ran back to his room, avoiding any contact, his mind clouded with thoughts.

He knew that when someone close passes away, the right thing to do initially is to give the person some time alone to recollect his thoughts. Intruding only makes matters worse unless it is a last resort.

He closes his door and lay down on his bed with guilt.

Oh Tokoyami, I'm so sorry. I wish I could help you... I really do. I can't believe you have to go through this horrible mess. I'm sure things would be fine eventually.

Shoji wonders why he was so invested in the well being of Tokoyami... It was not unlike him to worry about others, but not to this extent.

The incident with Dark Shadow going berserk in the Training camp probably caused him to get closer to him. Tokoyami showed off his fragile side instead of his usual unwavering expression. It made him feel much more connected to him now that he understands the weaker side of Tokoyami.

He understands him very well. So now, he wants to protect him, help him go through the toughest event in Tokoyami's life...

--

Tokoyami walked out of the bathroom. Sleep had escaped him entirely.

After experiencing that horrible experience, he dreaded the gloomy atmosphere of his room for the first time. He wanted to leave his room as soon as possible.

He looked at his clock on his nightstand...

4:47 am

Might as well go outside and get some fresh air

Tokoyami wore his casual clothes... A black hoodie with two white stripes running down his chest, matching black trousers and a pair of black boots.

At first, he decided against wearing them because they reminded him too much of his companion. Tokoyami decided he didn't want to escape and forgot about Dark Shadow, he rather embrace his passing and remember him.

Well, it's not like he had spare time left to gloat over Dark shadow any more...

No one knows how much time he had left before the crystals started to kill him.

In fact, it was already killing him from the start.

Tokoyami walked out of the elevator to the first floor and approached the living room. He saw a fruit basket and took an apple to chew on.

Mmm, its been too long since I had another... Can't forget the sweetened-honey-Esque taste of apples

He looks at the bite mark left by him on the bright red apple.

Tokoyami was glad that his brother also had the same favourites as him. His taste reacted the same way as Tokoyami's did.

(Not everyone has the same taste. That's why people have different favourites)

He proceeds to sit down on the sofa when...

" Huh?" Tokoyami looked up from his apple.

On the sofa sat Momo, casually sipping a cup of tea. If he wanted to not make his presence known to anyone else, it was too late now. Momo turned around to face Tokoyami.

"Oh Tokoyami, you're awake!"

Tokoyami froze there awkwardly for a second. He nods his head finally and sat down on the couch opposite of Momo. He lay down in a comfortable position, folding his arms as usual.

"Feeling much better?"

"Yes, thank you for your concern."

"No problem, we were really worried about you..."

Momo's eyes piped up as if she remembered something.

"Ah Tokoyami, about your disappearance..."

"Yes?" Tokoyami glanced at her.

"We haven't noted anyone yet of your return, not even to Aizawa Sensei. Do you wish to continue to hold back on the news or inform the teachers of your return?"

Tokoyami was surprised by the information. He can't believe his classmates would go so far as to protect his own rights.

He considered the two options...

" Thank you for being so thoughtful but... "

One person entered his mind... Hawks.

He probably must feel guilty about Tokoyami's disappearance and he must be taking the full blame from it. It's Tokoyami's own fault that he had himself kidnapped. His own recklessness of causing Dark Shadow to be careless made him cause an accident.

Revealing his return would at least help Hawks to return his guilt a little, even if Tokoyami had already died.

"Can I ask a question, how is Hawks doing?"

Momo averted Tokoyami's gaze.

"He was heavily criticised for your disappearance, not to mention his guilt. He blamed himself massively and his personality had changed drastically since then. He dropped some ranks but is still ranked no. 12."

Just as he thought...

"Staying silent is only going to hurt others more than it hurts me. I do not want my selfishness to continue hurting others more than it already has. "

"Tokoyami, this isn't your fault. Stop blaming it on yourself. No one intended this to happen."

"... I-"

"Stop. You've suffered enough. I will reveal it to Aizawa Sensei during class later."

Tokoyami looked down at his uneaten apple. His appetite lost ages ago. He'd caused so much trouble to many.

Guess not everyone can be saved...

"Hey, Tokoyami?" Momo asked, changing the topic.

Tokoyami returned his gaze at her, but when he saw Momo, his vision blurred a little. A wave of vertigo hit him.

He closed his eyes and lay his head on the sofa behind him.

"Yes?", he managed.

Momo was looking at her tea, not noticing the change of Tokoyami's posture.

"Can I ask you, what exactly happened to you?"

"Oh... ..."

"I understand if it's a personal matter so you don't really have to tell me right now, but we're all very curious to know."

"... ..."

"I'm worried about you, we're all are worried. We all feel guilty that you had to go through such tough times alone..."

"... ..."

"So please, if you need help or just someone to talk to, your classmates are here to help." Momo looked up from her tea, finally concluding her speech.

Her eyes meet Tokoyami's face, his face contorted with pain, using his right hand to grab his face. Momo eyes widened in confusion.

"Tokoyami? Tokoyami! What's wrong?"

Tokoyami finally got a grip of himself.

" Oh sorry, I... I just got a little dizzy that's all... "

" I should bring you to recovery girl. "

" Oh there's no need for that. I think I woke up too early. I should get back to bed now."

Tokoyami stood up, wobbling. Momo stood up right after and offered her hand.

" Nono, it's OK. My dizziness has recovered a bit. I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for your help. "

Momo wanted to insist, but Tokoyami had already started walking off on his own. Momo watched as Tokoyami wobbled his way to the elevator.

His crimson red eyes looked dull. Momo stared at the bird teen as the elevator door closed.

Tokoyami did not feel better. In fact, he felt worse. It was as if thousands of needles were constantly stabbing his brain. His gut felt like it was constantly getting punched.

He could no longer stand still, so he slouched at the side of the elevator. He returned to his room without meeting another soul.

5:31 am.

Guess it was too early for anyone to wake up.

As he closed the door, the pain magnified. Red hot iron pokers were now embedded in his brain. He crashed into his bed, hugging his pillow tightly. His beak chomped into the fabric, waiting for the episode to pass.

More needles... More red hot needles...

His brain felt like it was being turned into mush. He groaned, making pained sharp inhales.

He couldn't take it anymore... He started to scream in his pillow. Pained shouts filled the room. It sounded exactly like a torture room.

His head was pounding, and it wouldn't stop. It now felt like something was applying immense pressure on all sides of his head.

5:36 am

"ARRRRGHHHHH!" he yelled.