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All That I Have

Summary:

Hawks lost his wings to Dabi. There was nothing left for him- no flying, no hero work, no optimism left.

With his mentor in such a state, Tokoyami does his best to help.

Who knew it would become such a detrimental endeavor?

Notes:

Hello all! Mysterious Multii here.

Okay, so. Just getting it out of the way: I was going to post a work for Tokoyami's birthday, but I didn't have the time to finish it. That's how it happens sometimes, but I'm going to work on it and get it out as soon as I finish it.

Also, this entire piece was spurred by a piece of fanart I found. I do not know how to link things onto here, so I can't show you, but it's an older piece made by kadeart. Like I mentioned in the notes of my last work (hoping people actually read these), this work is a bit... darker? I suppose? I definitely made it turn for the worse. I've got a lot to say about this, but to avoid spoilers, just read the end notes. This piece also made me EXTREMELY aware of how I use tenses while writing. Trippy. I tend to write past dialogue and thoughts in italics. Keep that in mind, too.

NOTE: This is not canon compliant, and I am also not a manga reader. Go easy on me.

If any of you would like to offer up some suggestions to what I should write next, I'm all ears. I take all your words into consideration- I've even used a few small commented suggestions already, and I liked how it came out. So, hit me with somethin'!

Sorry, I had a lot to say this time around, and I think it turned into a rant. End notes are just as bad lol :> As always, thank you and enjoy.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

With the loss of his wings, Hawks was left handicapped.

His beautiful wings could pick up the smallest of noises, every individual feather like a second pair of eyes and ears that tuned him into everything around him. His wings were connected to his brain, allowing him to control each feather as they detached from his back. Whether it be for a weapon or a way to save someone through the air, he was a master of his quirk. His bright, red wings made him the fastest hero alive. 

It took time to gain that effortless control, but he had it. His wings were his , and he loved them. They’re what made him a hero- what made him Hawks. Fierce Wings were what made him worth anything.

When they were burned away, Hawks couldn’t feel his wings’ presence in his mind anymore. No matter how hard he concentrated, there was nothing left for him to telepathically control. With the loss of his wings, something new filled the space in Hawks’ mind. The sad voice of a doctor telling him: “ We’ve done all we could, Hawks, but I’m sorry. There’s nothing salvageable with your wings. No bone, muscle, or feather made it out unscathed. You won’t be able to fly again.

Honestly, Hawks would rather have just died. 

How was he supposed to adjust to this? He’s lived his whole life with these wings, becoming so dependent on them for everything. His lack of spatial awareness left him feeling lost. Confused. Scared . His advantage was gone.

How was he to be a hero anymore? He was trained to save people with his wings, to fight with his wings. That was his skillset, and staple. How could he call himself Hawks?

It’s not like anybody wanted to hear the name ‘Hawks’ anymore anyway. Because along with everything else, the world has finally casted him aside thanks to his deadbeat dad.

At least his name got to die.

The thing he missed the most was flying. Nothing gave him more joy than soaring through the sky, to feel the wind, to be at peace. Flying was the closest thing he felt to being free. And it was gone.

Sleeping was hard, because the grading voice of that stupid doctor vibrated through his consciousness. Motivation was harder, because why do anything anymore? There was no real reason to keep going. There was no hero work. There was nothing.

 

That was a long time ago. In present time, Hawks walks to his destination, taking his time and breathing in the chilly air. He stops. Now that he’s here, Hawks just remembers.

 

To think you have nothing means to lose. But to realize that you have so much more than what meets the eye means you have to lose again.

 

-

 

An unpleasant splash of water had hit Hawks face, causing him to wake up and splutter. When he wiped his now-slick hair out of his eyes, he saw Miruko and Tokoyami standing over him. Apparently, they had come for an intervention. 

Hawks didn’t want them there. There was nothing they could do to make him feel better, nothing for him to care about anymore. Besides, Hawks wasn’t the kid’s mentor anymore, so there was no reason for him to stick around. And Rumi could find another hero to bother.

Miruko had told him he couldn’t stay like this forever, and she was right. Hawks hoped he would die before then.

But the two of them were persistent. They had gotten him to take a shower and eat after a very bold promise from Tokoyami.

 

...I think I found a way for you to fly again.

 

Hawks hated how quick he wanted to believe Tokoyami. He knew it was impossible, there was too much evidence. But the moment that a sliver of hope appeared, Hawks grabbed onto it and clutched it tight, even if he didn’t know that it was truly going to work. Because he was desperate.

Tokoyami brought Hawks and Miruko up to the roof of the agency, where the sun was bright and the wind was blowing. Hawks closed his eyes as the breeze whisked his hair around. It would’ve blown through his feathers, too.

Great. And to think he was feeling slightly less depressed. 

Tokoyami had summoned Dark Shadow, both user and quirk looking very determined. The bird-headed teen handed Hawks his hero costume cloak, and Dark Shadow showed him how to hold it. Before Hawks could react, Dark Shadow had flown under the cloak and wrapped its claws firmly around Hawks’ waist. 

And Hawks began to rise.

Shocked laughter escaped his lips as his feet left the ground. He was doing it. He was flying again!

Miruko looked up in shock while Tokoyami was intently controlling Dark Shadow from the ground. Even amidst his concentration, Tokoyami was happy, knowing he could help his mentor- the man who had fallen so far from grace.

Hawks had asked Dark Shadow if they could go higher, to which the quirk complied. The cord grew longer, and Hawks could see Japan’s great city landscape. He hollered in elation, finally regaining that sense of freedom. Dark Shadow laughed with him.

Ever since he got out of that hospital, he’d been so lost. Hawks considered himself an optimist, but after losing his wings, he never thought he could come back from that.

But now, he could fly again.

Hawks gave Tokoyami wings, and he was giving them back to Hawks.

Eventually, Dark Shadow ran out of energy and let Hawks down. The quirk explained that it lost energy the farther and longer it was away from Fumikage, so it had to recharge for a bit. As soon as his feet hit the floor, Hawks begged Tokoyami to come back again so he could fly again.

Tokoyami agreed, and was given a key to the house. He stopped by whenever he could, and sometimes Miruko came with him, but Hawks could care less if she did or not. 

He just wanted to fly.

Rain or shine, they went out and flew. It felt like a part of him came back, and he was addicted to the feeling of being in the air after being off it for so long. Dark Shadow kept a firm grip on him, and Tokoyami made sure nothing happened from the ground below. He greedily held onto every moment he spent up into the sky and couldn’t wait to be there again once he met the level the rest of the world stood on.

Being able to fly was a huge step, but things weren’t made better. The first time Hawks came down from a flight, he had rode that high for a couple days, even cleaning up his apartment and not drinking. But it didn’t last long, and that high got shorter each time Hawks finished flying. Once he was back on the ground, Hawks fell into slumps- especially when Tokoyami wouldn’t visit frequently. Lacking motivation to do anything, having nightmares about blue flames, being angry at the world and angry at himself. Irritated and impatient with the fact he couldn’t fly whenever he wanted.

When Tokoyami walked in, he didn’t know what he was going to see. Hawks didn’t smile anymore, and most times, Tokoyami found him with a bottle in his hand. Sometimes Hawks would yell his frustrations at him. He would cry and vent, not finding the need to hold up an image for himself anymore. Hawks knew how the public still hated him; he’d either agree with their opinions or curse them for turning on him when he was sober or drunk respectively. Dark Shadow was frightened, but Tokoyami stayed firm. No matter what mood Hawks was in, Tokoyami would take him flying and occasionally help him cook or clean his penthouse. He never brought up the growing addiction.

I miss the old Hawks. ” Dark Shadow had said one day in a hushed tone. They were hovering over the ground, getting ready to fly back to UA. Hawks had listened in, but it went through one ear and out the other.

(If he had truly heard it, this could have ended earlier.)

What do you mean? Hawks-

Hawks has changed so much, Fumikage. For worse.

He went through something traumatic, Dark Shadow. And we’re going to be there to help him. We don’t have much, but we can give him what we have. It may not be the same before, but-

Tokoyami had made a noise of discomfort and rubbed at his temple.

Fumikage?

Sorry, it’s just a headache. I’ll be fine. Let’s go back.

The thing is, there were only so many times Tokoyami could say “he’s fine” before he wasn’t.

Dark Shadow is an enigma. It has sentience and its own power source of dark energy, but the shadow is still a quirk. Separate, yet a part of Tokoyami. And quirks can be overused.

In between hero training and school, the flight to Hawks, the varying lengths of time that Dark Shadow helped Hawks fly (it could be from 15 minutes to 2 and a half hours), and the flight back, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were overexerting themselves. The farther Dark Shadow was from its host, the faster its energy depleted, and the summer sun did nothing to help this fact. Tokoyami helped Hawks fly for months on end, and the man either forgot about that bit of information, or didn’t care. But Tokoyami didn’t want to let Hawks down, quite literally.

Tokoyami came away with increasing headaches and pain in his torso area where Dark Shadow emerged from. Tokoyami didn’t think much of it- pain comes with building up any physical attribute, so why not when using his quirk? Yes, he might be overusing Dark Shadow, but it was for a good cause.

But the pain didn’t stop. It only got worse the more Hawks flew.

Tokoyami was changing in the locker rooms for PE when he first saw it. There was a small blotch of darkness forming on his abdomen. He wasn’t sure what it was at first, but he did know that it hurt terribly everytime Dark Shadow materialized.

That’s when they realized that using Dark Shadow hurt Tokoyami.

Dark Shadow was livid over this information. He never wanted to hurt Fumikage, but the extreme overuse had finally taken its toll on Tokoyami’s body. That night, Dark Shadow cried and wouldn’t let anyone else near his brother. If Tokoyami couldn’t use Dark Shadow, what would that do to his training? To Dark Shadow itself?

Tokoyami always talked about being one with the darkness. But not like this. 

For the time being, Tokoyami tried to take it easy. Until they found out more, he stopped calling upon Dark Shadow, making due without the extra help of his familiar throughout the normal day. When it came to hero training, however, there were always slip ups. Needing to save a classmate with a Piercing Twilight Claw, or having to fly himself to avoid falling debris. He couldn’t help it; if his friends needed his and Dark Shadow’s help, he wouldn’t stand by to watch. Despite his quick saves, his friends had tried to encourage him to not do anything, as if they had to remind him that communicating mentally with Dark Shadow for too long brought forth the headaches, but bringing Dark Shadow forth made him keel over. He was well aware.

But he still wanted to be of service, especially for Hawks. So despite knowing the drawbacks, Tokoyami kept going to see his old mentor.

The flights became shorter. And the blotch began to grow.

One day, Hawks had gotten mad that Dark Shadow could only keep him in the air for 10 minutes. It wasn’t the first time Hawks had been truly mad at them. One time, Tokoyami came late. Another, Hawks had drunkenly compared Tokoyami’s flying to his, and how it was sloppy. Dark Shadow had shied away at the outburst, but Tokoyami did his best to stand strong. To not clutch at his stomach. To not show that Hawks yelling at him might hurt even more than the darkness eating his skin. He knew Hawks didn’t mean it, that Hawks was just going through trauma. He could take it. Dark Shadow begged him otherwise, and Miruko had overheard.

Miruko sent him home early, by train, and told him not to come alone anymore. When she got back after escorting the boy to the station, Hawks had snapped at her. For the first time since the incident, she snapped back.

He needs a damn break. You’re working him like a dog. You don’t seem very grateful for what he’s doing for you-”

“Of course I am!” Hawks had shot back. “ I can fly because of him.

Because of his quirk. He’s overusing his quirk just because you can’t accept the fact that you’ve lost your wings. You’re hurting him, Hawks. Physically and mentally. I haven’t heard you make conversation with him once- it’s just straight to flying. Have you even talked to him about the fact that he saved your damn life? Or thanked him? He’s the reason why you’re still here, yet you’re still asking and asking and asking for things from him. He’s given you all that he has, yet you don’t care for him in the slightest. You have to let go of your wings-

Hawks told her to leave. She did. And Tokoyami didn’t come back.

 

No one could find a way to get the darkness to recede. Dark Shadow tried to take the shadowy infection away, to somehow reverse it, but he had no control over it. It was like it was consuming Tokoyami. 

Dark Shadow didn’t come out anymore, not when it hurt his brother. 

The darkness soaking up his skin grew each day, as did Tokoyami’s irritation. There were times he wanted to use Dark Shadow, but the quirk refused in order to help him. The defiance made Tokoyami go crazy. He was in charge, and how he used his quirk should be up to him. Yes, it hurt, but the reasons to use Dark Shadow outweighed the ones why he shouldn’t. But Dark Shadow disagreed every single time, which of course, made Tokoyami angrier. Angry that he couldn’t even use his own quirk properly. Angry at the fact his body was reacting the way it was.

But not angry at Hawks. Never at Hawks. Which was another thing quirk and user didn’t agree on. Dark Shadow’s opinion on Hawks changed- it wasn’t blinded by loyalty like Tokoyami was. Dark Shadow hated Hawks for what he was doing to Fumikage, and how he treated both of them like nothing. Tokoyami used the same weak defense to keep Hawks’ name clean- about trauma and pain. Eventually, Dark Shadow’s pleading morphed into snapping retorts.

Well what the hell do you think we’re going through then, huh?

They couldn’t agree on anything anymore, and arguments broke out between the two. Tokoyami spoke aloud and Dark Shadow spoke in his head, which was enough to make people think that Tokoyami was going crazy.

Dark Shadow’s rampages were easier to reach now, now that their brotherly comradery became a power grab. Tokoyami gripped tight on the reins to control his quirk, because that’s what Dark Shadow was. His. Quirk. This made Dark Shadow angry, too, to be treated poorly for caring for Fumikage’s health. They both knew that Dark Shadow was more than just some power, but for the first time, Tokoyami was denying it.So the quirk started to fight back, for its host’s sake and its own. Dark Shadow’s defiance rattled in Tokoyami’s head constantly, snatching away the little control Tokoyami could still hold onto. Two sources of strong emotions spelt disaster, an unstoppable threat that was looming closely over the horizon. 

 When it finally happened, and Dark Shadow emerged from Tokoyami with a great roar, Tokoyami fell unconscious from the pain after 10 seconds. It was like something was tearing through him, a knife working its way from the inside out. Like Dark Shadow was trying to rip free from its flesh prison. Neither of them wanted it to be this way. But, like everything else, there wasn’t much that could be done anymore. The darkness doubled in size. 

When Tokoyami woke up, he was in a hospital bed with a quirk-suppressing cuff loosely secured to his ankle. It was a frightening sight at first, but Miruko ( Not Hawks. It was never Hawks. ) was there to fill him in and calm him down. The cuff was there to protect him from Dark Shadow, whether it was intentional or not. Recovery Girl had also come up with the theory that erasing the quirk might stop the darkness from spreading. After a few days of observation, the hypothesis was proven correct- it did stop. But it had already done so much damage, and there was no saying if the overuse effects would cease and let Tokoyami use Dark Shadow normally again. There were too many unknowns with this situation, too many ways it could go wrong. After a long discussion, they did reach one agreement: Tokoyami was going to live, but he couldn’t be a hero anymore. And he wouldn’t be able to use Dark Shadow for a long time.

Hawks soon found himself being kicked into one of his walls.

Do you realize what you’ve done?! ” Miruko had screamed. “ You took away Fumikage’s future! He can’t be a hero anymore because of your obsession!

This was when Hawks woke up- Miruko’s words made him aware of how horrible he was. Tokoyami was so excruciatingly loyal that he sacrificed it all to see Hawks smile again, yet time and time again Hawks had snapped at him. He ruined a child’s life after that same child saved his and gave him hope back. Tsukuyomi was more of a hero than he ever was, and it was about damn time Hawks did something to return the favor. (Even if it was too late.)

Hawks wouldn’t be able to repay him fully, not in a hundred lifetimes, but he could try. So for the first time in 6 and a half months, Hawks left his agency and went to UA. It took so much longer than it would have with his wings, and people definitely saw him, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was Tokoyami. For once.

After being reluctantly let onto campus, he barged into where Tokoyami was staying, and the regret he should have been feeling for the past half year kicked in now. Miruko had told him that he needed to see Tokoyami for himself but… He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t expecting this

Tokoyami’s shirt was off to monitor the streaks of pitch black that now covered a majority of his chest, a stark contrast against his paling skin. It all oozed from the center of his abdomen, almost reaching his heart. The cuff was ever present, the only thing that seemed to do any good for him now. 

He looked like Dabi.

The sight scared him, bringing him back to the day it all went downhill. Pictures of a man standing over him, patchwork face with a splitting grin, blue fire everywhere- the same things he saw in his nightmares. But for the very first time, he remembered a black cloak putting out the flames on his back. A shadow in front of him. Tears on his face that weren’t his. Hawks couldn’t turn away, not now. If he gave into his fear, he’d lose Tokoyami forever. 

Tokoyami had asked him what he was doing there, his voice and face carefully guarded. Hawks didn’t even think about how his old intern might not want to see him. Even being here, he was still selfish.

“I came here to see you. And to thank you. And apologize.” He had paused for a moment. “ I guess I’ve just got a lot to say.”

Looking back, Hawks doesn’t remember what he said, he just knows that he talked for quite a while. It’s what happened after that will be burned in Hawks’ memory, even more so than losing his wings.

Hawks should have been more careful when he was making his way towards UA. There were some very angry people who had followed him to the school and started to cause a commotion at the front gate. Just like in Tokoyami’s first week of school, alarms started to blare. The two birds jostled at the loud noise, but Tokoyami had assured Hawks that it would be okay- any threat would be quickly neutralized, and there was no need to panic.

Neither of them accounted for the flash mob to be so coordinated in their attack, unlike the usual antics of a large group of angry people. Somehow, an explosive got hurled past the gate without being detected, dead set on Hawks. The wall to the infirmary erupted, and Hawks quickly covered Tokoyami with his own body.

How he could have done more if he had his wings.

The room was on fire, which was another painful drawback. Before Hawks could get lost in shock, he started pulling at the cuff on Tokoyami’s ankle, trying to break him free from his restraints, with no success.

Hawks’ feathers could have cut right through-

No. It wasn’t the time to wish for something he didn’t have anymore. It was time for him to be a hero again. To save the one person who deserved it more than anything.

Hawks began to look for anything sharp in the room. Tokoyami told him to stop, but Hawks refused. He wasn’t going to abandon Tokoyami, never again. 

“Hawks, you have to listen to me.” Tokoyami’s voice was surprisingly calm. “Hawks, stop looking for one second.”

Hawks ignored him, and continued to throw open drawers, cursing when none of them stored anything of use. When Tokoyami, for the first time since he’s known the kid, yelled at him, he finally turned around. Tokoyami was holding up a key.

The key to his cuffs.

Hawks had asked him why he didn’t use it earlier. Tokoyami responded.

“Hawks, you need to be aware of something. I’m not going to live, no matter what happens. If I free myself, I will not be able to stop Dark Shadow from appearing, whether it’s to protect me or to hurt you. If I don’t use it, I die by fire, whether it’s by another explosive or by waiting for you to go get help. But if I’m going to die, it’s as a hero, by my own terms. So I’m going to remove the cuff and use Dark Shadow, and I’ll do my best to have him protect both of us.”

“Shut the hell up, Tokoyami!” Hawks had yelled at him. “You’re not dying, and you’re not using your quirk. You’re not going to give your life up for me-”

“I already have, you idiot! Do you see this?! I’m dying, Hawks. I spent months destroying my life for you, and now you have the damn decency to say something about it?!”

“Why didn’t you-”

“Don’t you dare interrupt me. When I found out that there was no return from what was happening to me, I continued anyway. Do you want to know why? Because ALL I wanted was for you to see that life was still worth living. And if I stopped, you would have loathed me- don’t say that you wouldn’t, because you damn would. So I kept going, so I could at least still be seen as useful. There was no benefit to stopping, but you’d be happy if I continued. I decided that it would be the last thing I could give you. But I realize now I have one more thing, to show you how much I care, since you haven’t been able to see that for the past 6 months. The last thing I could possibly give you is another chance.”

Before Hawks could react, Tokoyami had freed himself. 

Dark Shadow burst out of Tokoyami, headed straight for Hawks. Tokoyami yelled in agony, but held out a hand. He pleaded to Dark Shadow, profusely apologizing for treating him any less than a brother and partner. Tokoyami’s voice was cracking and raw with desperation, but the words themselves were strong and true. 

“Tsukuyomi is us, and Tsukuyomi saves those in need. So please, this is our time to be heroes! Together!”

  Dark Shadow never stopped moving, but instead of tearing through the former hero like its original intention, Dark Shadow harshly picked Hawks up. Claws dug into his skin, but Hawks didn’t care. Dark Shadow listened to Tokoyami, and was now saving them both. Hawks thanked the quirk. Tokoyami said nothing.

There was nothing for Dark Shadow to hide under, especially with Tokoyami shirtless, so the descent was rocky. But they made it out. Dark Shadow did his best to maneuver them as far away from the building as possible, and Hawks shielded Tokoyami’s body from the impact.

As they hit the grass, something black dribbled down the sides of Tokoyami’s beak. He rolled flat on his back, giving Hawks a full view on how the darkness had reached his heart and expanded in jagged cracks towards his throat. It had grown so quickly in the mere minutes Tokoyami had taken the cuff off. But he knew that it was going to happen. His head rolled to the side, the liquid darkness leaving droplets on the grass. 

“Kid!”

Fumikage!

Dark Shadow hovered over Tokoyami’s still body, panic and despair radiating off in waves. “ I forgive you Fumi, of course I forgive you! I’m so sorry for everything. If you live, I’ll never ever question you again, okay? Please, Fumi! Live! I’m not going to leave you, Fumikage. Just please please please be okay… We’re the best duo, the bestest brothers. We can’t be separated, we just can’t!

 

Hawks tried to get close, but Dark Shadow launched him away, tears in its eyes. The quirk wanted to do more, but it wasn’t going to risk taking any more energy away from its brother. So it screamed instead. “ THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! IF WE NEVER EVER MET YOU, FUMI WOULD BE OKAY! I DON’T CARE WHAT FUMIKAGE SAYS, I HATE YOU HAWKS! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I-

Dark Shadow had dematerialized in midair, as if he never existed in the first place.

That was enough for horrific dread to settle in his stomach. He dared himself to move closer, his feet dragging along with him. Tokoyami’s arm was outstretched, away from the rest of his body, reaching for where Hawks had been tossed away. Hawks fell to his knees, and seeing lifeless red eyes confirmed what he already knew. Hawks gently pushed them closed and cradled Tokoyami’s body tightly, blubbering over the life lost for his sake. 

 

-

 

Hawks stares at Tokoyami’s grave, just like he does every week. He never leaves until he finishes remembering. Now that he’s done so, Hawks removes his hand from the top of the decorated stone and sticks his hands into his pockets.

“It’s our little secret, right Tokoyami?”

Remembering the things he lost hurts, but it helps him stay grateful for what he still has. Hawks thinks that it’s helping him move on and be the person Tokoyami wanted him to be 4 years ago, which is something his therapist doesn’t know about. Hence, being the secret he holds with Tokoyami.

Today was cool and cloudy, perfect weather to be out and about. Even now, as he strolls through the streets he once flew over for patrol, Hawks doesn’t stop remembering. 

With the loss of his wings, Hawks lost the strategic awareness of his surroundings. But losing Tokoyami made him aware of everything in a completely new way; nothing he does is without purpose or gratitude. He may not have gone back to hero work, but Hawks helps people as often as he can, because that part of him was still his. And he’s thankful for it.

With the loss of his wings, a part of Hawks’ mind became empty, and condemning words replaced the control of his wings. But losing Tokoyami made room for the base of his returning optimism: his last words spoken to Hawks.

“But I realize now I have one more thing, to show you how much I care, since you haven’t been able to see that for the past 6 months. The last thing I could possibly give you is another chance.”

Being given another chance was better than flying. Because this was something that could last forever. It was all that he had. Something that can honor Tokoyami and Dark Shadow’s lives and make his worth living. The mere thought of Tokoyami’s final gift makes Hawks smile and mumble softly to himself.

“Thank you, kiddo.”

It’s a harsh reality, but it’s now something Hawks accepts. If Tokoyami didn’t die, he would have been stuck in a self-centered, depressed chasm for the rest of his life, never having a chance at returning to a resemblance of his old self on his own.

 

To think you have nothing means to lose. To realize that you have so much more than what meets the eye means you have to lose again.

And once you’ve lost something, something new becomes a step in the right direction.

 

 

Notes:

Dark Shadow is an enigma.
Throughout this entire piece, I went back and forth on how Dark Shadow actually works. Dark Shadow is a quirk, but according to the MHA Wiki, "incapacitating just one of them will not prevent the other from acting out". How the heck does that work? It also says that Dark Shadow has its own energy source, but... still a quirk. Honestly, I can go on and on about the mystery behind Dark Shadow. This is something I've got down rabbit holes trying to understand, and I actually have 2 works in the process of being made that expands on this whole phenomena. What do you think about Dark Shadow? Did I do his existence justice? How was the story overall? This work is different from my others, which makes me the most unsure about it, so I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

I feel like we did not see enough of Hawks dealing with the loss of his wings in the anime. Yes, I may have done him dirty here with his behavior, but I regret nothing. You can't tell me that this isn't something he would do: teeter over the edge with his wings gone and become addicted to any way he could fly again. Poor Tokoyami. Sorry he had to die, but the idea of quirk overuse was so interesting. Hawks 100% used him, but he let Hawks do it. Stupidly loyal, and it got him killed.

Also, the line "To think you have nothing means to lose. To realize that you have so much more than what meets the eye means you have to lose again" is so crazy and I wrote it for a fanfic??? After I wrote it I went: "holy crap this is so deep. And it's about two fictional birds. Wow." When you really think about it, it's a real way to look at and learn from life. Very philosophical.

Next week is going to be the next chapter of "Through Time and Space". See you then! Take care.