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It started as a patrol night for both, Tokoyami and Shouji. They worked better in the dark, They were stronger that way. The two of them had chosen to do their patrols together or at least at the same time. They were now in their third year at UA, and had been doing their work studies together, ever since Tokoyami had to choose a different agency at the end of first year. They had been with the same agency since then, it was Shouji's original agency for work study.
The Patrol had started off as calm as any patrol could be, both of them walking in opposite directions leaving the Agency. They tended to meet up for the last leg of each of their patrols as they crossed paths. They were always a little nervous, especially when it was just the two of them. Tokoyami still had some trouble with Dark Shadow on occasion.
"Stay safe out there, Tsukuyomi. Yell if you get into trouble, I will keep an ear out. See you soon."
“You stay safe as well Tentacole”
Tokoyami had been having a quiet, calm patrol for over half of it. There had been nothing close to even needing the hero’s intervention. They heard a man calling their hero name, so they turned around and looked for where the voice was coming from. If someone was calling for them, then that person may be in trouble. They had not seen anyone and were about to move on only to be hit with a small knife to the bicep. As soon as they were hit they knew they were in for a fight. They turned toward where the knife had come from and, in an attempt to keep civilian injuries to a minimum they walked closer to them having Dark Shadow make sure that no stray knife hit anyone. The man who had thrown the knife also had a small stack of knives in his lap. They thought that the knives were the quirk as they just kept coming for him with seemingly no end in sight. Unfortunately, they were wrong very very wrong.
Shouji on the opposite side of town was coming across nothing out of the ordinary along his route. He was circling back to the meet up point for the final section the two of them patrolled when he heard it. A sound he never wanted to hear again, not when he was not there to help. He had heard Dark Shadow screech as loud as Dark Shadow was possibly able to. The sound of Dark Shadow screeching was one not heard normally unless Fumi was up against a light emitting quirk, such as Bakugou’s or Todoroki’s. Normally even when Dark Shadow screeched due to being hit with the light the screech was loud but not filled with fear and rage. He had only heard a Screech like the one he just heard from Dark Shadow once before, and that had been way back in their first year Training Camp when Shouji had got hurt by moonfish. He took off running toward where the sound had come from. He had to get to Fumi, had to make sure everything was okay. He had made a quick progress toward where Fumi was. But had not quite made it there yet when he heard an even worse sound. One that nearly made him drop to his knees, a sound that made his heart break.
“Ji” Fumi had shouted as loud as they could, it was weak but Shouji still heard it. He was close enough, and he would thank everything he could that he was close because they needed help, and Shouji was there to help. When he got close Shouji knew that he had not made it in time. He rounded a corner to see his worst fear laid out before him. Tokoyami was laid on the ground, blood pouring out of a wound in his abdomen. Dark Shadow nowhere to be seen. He could not spot the weapon used to inflict that wound. There were no sirens on the way to the scene yet that he could hear, so he pulled out his phone calling emergency services.
“We have a hero down, send someone to my location, I will leave the phone on for you to track it. Just Hurry.” Shouji barked at the operator as soon as they picked up. He sat his phone down and headed toward Fumi, dropping to his knees beside them. He gently picked them up carefully as not to jostle anything, and cradled them in his lap. Running a single hand over the feathers that covered Fumi’s head. Fumi’s eyes were closed, their breathing shallow.
“Hey Fumi, can you hear me? I am here now.” Shouji stared down at Fumi hopefully. They cracked their eyes open, and Shouji's heart soared when he saw the red eye recognize him.
“Ji?, is it really you or just my brain trying to comfort me as I die?”
“It's me Fumi, you are not dying okay? Just please, help is on the way! What happened?”
“I was going about patrol as normal when I heard someone call out for me so I turned around, and was going to leave since I did not see anyone that could have needed help. As I was leaving I was hit with a throwing knife. I noticed a man with a stack of knives and started to approach him. I had Dark Shadow watching my back and making sure no stray knives got through. As I walked toward him, he kept throwing knives at us. I thought the knives were his quirk, as they just kept coming, so I had Dark Shadow move in front, but next thing I know he is hitting us with a sharp ray of light. Ji, it was so bright, so sharp. The first one went right through Dark Shadow. I tried to get away before he could launch another one of those light beams but before I could it was through me, and he was gone. I am sorry Ji, I should have known better.”
“Oh Fumi, no you did fine, you did what you thought was best. Was anyone else hurt?”
“No.... but I messed up, I am not going to make it Ji.”
“Now don't you go talking like that please” Shouji could see the life fading from Tokoyami but he could also hear the sirens getting closer and closer to them. Fumi raised a hand to Shouji’s cheek and cupped it gently. He could feel the blood coating Fumi’s fingers now on his cheek, but he really did not care. The hands touching him were warm and held life. A life that he knew he could not lose. Tokoyami was so good. They were protective over those close to them as well as anyone who needed it. They deserved to graduate and be a full fledged hero. They already had done so much good for those that they met.
“It is too late Shouji, go forth and do great things. Revelry in the dark” Tokoyami’s eyes slid closed, their hand falling from Shouji's face.
“They wanted to say they loved you…” Dark Shadow had appeared tiny but there before disappearing as well.
Shouji felt something inside him break splitting wide open. He was losing one of his best friends. A friend he was coming to love but no would have no chance to do so. A friend who had been through so much but was still so good. He reached a hand up and touched the same spot Tokoyami’s hand had just been pulling it back to look at the blood that now coated his fingers, then down to where Tokoyami was now struggling to breath. Shouji picked Tokoyami up and hugged them to his chest. He wanted to make sure when Fumi went, and he knew they would go, they would know they were safe and cared for.
Shouji felt rage growing inside of him. He had not been here to help Fumi, he may not have known if there was a way he could have prevented this but he sure as hell would have tried. Someone had to pay for this, and he would make sure the person responsible was found and taken care of later, but for right now he was going to hold his Fumi and wait. What he was waiting for? He really did not know. However, he did know that he was not letting go of Fumi till he had to. He had to get as much of holding the other in his arms as he could. It was a feeling he had grown used to since Fumi only ever let Shouji hold him. They really did not like anyone else touching them but had always told Shouji they felt safe in his arms.
Soon enough the ambulance had arrived. He knew it was too late though and held no hope at all. Tokoyami was gone. He had held them as the last signs of life in their body left, as the blood pooled around both of them before slowing down. He had held Tokoyami as they stopped breathing. He had not been able to bring himself to say anything even if he had wanted to let Tokoyami know that he would miss them and would never forget them.
“Tentacole we need you to let Tsukuyomi go please. We need to see if there is anything to be done to help them.”
Shouji let the medics come and take Tokoyami as he loosened his grip from around them, when the medics loaded Fumi onto the stretcher it was like seeing the nightmare all over again. He knew in his heart that there was no way that Fumi was coming back from this. All he could do now was watch as they loaded him into the ambulance doing their best to bring him back, it was to no avail. He wondered briefly if he could have done anything to save Fumi when he arrived, but he had just held him and comforted him. He watched the ambulance pull away before standing and heading to tell his agency they had lost Tokoyami and that he would be taking a break.
The world had lost the Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi. Hopefully they would not also lose the Tentacle Hero as well.