Thank you so much for all your kind comments! I love reading them. This chapter should answer a few of the questions leftover from the confrontation with Shigaraki.

Chapter 12: The Lying Game

Now

The tale weighs heavily on Hawks' heart. If he'd passed Shigaraki's test with Toga, Hawks is certain he would have been sent to recruit the real Tokoyami. And, worse still, he's certain he would have succeeded.

"Shit, Tsukuyomi…I'm sorry." It's the only thing Hawks can think of to say. "I should have come sooner."

"But you came," Tokoyami says. He suddenly lunges forwards and wraps his arms around a stunned Hawks, who has no idea how to reciprocate. "You came for me. You believe that I'm alive, you found me. That's enough."

A chill runs up Hawks' spine that has nothing to do with the room's temperature. Gingerly, he lets his hands rest on Tokoyami's back. "Yeah. I'm here."

"Thank you," Tokoyami whispers.

Sometimes Hawks wishes he'd let the people in that car accident die, the one that caught the attention of the Commission. Then he wouldn't have spent years training himself half to death, he wouldn't have been a part of this spy mission, he wouldn't have failed. He wouldn't be here now, sole comfort to the very person he hurt the most.

Hawks tightens his hold and presses Tokoyami against his chest, allowing himself to give into the need for human companionship. He tells himself it's for Tokoyami's sake, meant to warm and comfort him so that he doesn't sink further into symptoms of shock. And if he holds on just a little longer than necessary – well, who's going to know?

Eventually they both manage to collect themselves. Hawks pretends he doesn't see Tokoyami wipe at the feathers around his eyes, and Tokoyami is gracious enough to do the same for him.

"How-" Tokoyami's voice cracks. He clears his throat and starts again. "How did you find me? What you told Shigaraki – was that the truth?"

The sick feeling in Hawks' gut returns. He puts a finger to his lips. "Cameras, don't forget."

"Then speak softly and keep your back to it. The sound isn't very good. I've experimented with that a bit," says Tokoyami.

Hawks sighs and scratches at his back; pinfeathers are terribly itchy. He's going to have to pick his way through this conversation like a minefield, not only for Tokoyami's sake but also because he doesn't trust Tokoyami's assessment of the camera. As a spy, it pays to believe that someone is always listening. "How much do you remember of what I said back there? When they were…" his gaze falls to Tokoyami's fingers, "…hurting you."

Tokoyami shivers. "Bits and pieces. You said you were on a mission, some things about Endeavor. And that you didn't really care what happened to me."

"Ah."

"It's alright. I know you were just trying to protect me," says Tokoyami. When he glances up at Hawks, however, the question is in his eyes. Hawks doesn't have the heart to deny him an answer.

"You're right. I care about you, and they know it. It's how I got caught. Toga pretended to be you; she was pretty convincing, too. I let her get close enough to stab me, and then–" Hawks comes to an abrupt halt as he realizes he was just holdingTokoyami exactly as he'd done with Toga. He wasn't stabbed this time, so that probably rules out the shapeshifter, but it doesn't rule out a clone. "Shit. I am the worst at this. My trainers would be so disappointed."

Tokoyami frowns. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, at this point we've been talking for a while, so I'll just come out and say it: Are you a clone?" Hawks asks.

"What? No!" Tokoyami exclaims. Then his expression falters. "…would we know if we were clones? I spoke with Twice about our quirks. Even he didn't seem certain of himself."

Hawks chuckles at the absurdity of it all. "That's right. His clones have the same memories and personality as the originals. I guess that means our earlier test was pointless. We can't even be sure of ourselves without breaking a bone."

"Or burning," Tokoyami says softly. He holds up his left hand and stares at the bandages. Even careful movement of his uninjured fingers makes him hiss.

Hawks pokes at his side and shifts his wings. It's certainly painful, but he's not sure it's enough to destroy a clone. "The memory of pain could be implanted."

"Perhaps," Tokoyami says. He tilts his head, as though listening, then smiles. "Dark Shadow assures me that I am myself. Twice can only copy what he understands, and Dark Shadow is not a quirk that can be quantified and neatly explained."

With the memory of that dark shield covering Tokoyami's skin still fresh in his mind, Hawks can only agree. "I'm afraid I can't offer similar reassurance. My wings would be easy to measure, especially now that they're short on feathers."

Tokoyami studies him. "You were the one who asked if I was a clone. A clone intent on learning my secrets and betraying them to the League wouldn't be fool enough to make me question them. A clone who does not know they are a clone suggests free will. Either way, I choose to trust you."

"That's a dangerous thing," Hawks mutters, half to himself.

"Dark Shadow agrees with you. So if you are not who you seem to be, know that there is an extra set of eyes trained on you," Tokoyami replies.

Hawks looks into Tokoyami's eyes. There's no physical sign of Dark Shadow, no hint of glowing gold behind the red iris, but he still gets the unsettling feeling that something more than his intern is looking back at him. "Hey, that reminds me. Back in the other room, you did something with Dark Shadow I've never seen before. How did you manage that with so much light?"

"I don't know. I honestly didn't expect Dark Shadow to respond. I was terrified," Tokoyami admits. He stares down at his lap.

"What about the drawings?"

Tokoyami's head whips back up. "How did you…?"

"Sorry," says Hawks. "I found your secret stash while I was looking for more of your essays. Dark Shadow made them, right? And he had to be physically manifested to do it."

Tokoyami glances to the camera, and then the door. There is no movement or sound from outside. He shifts to one side of the cot and lifts the edge of the blanket. "You look cold, Hawks. Share the blanket, and we'll rest."

Hawks shakes his head. "That's alright, you need it more. Sorry if I overstepped."

"Hawks. Share the blanket," Tokoyami says pointedly. "We can conserve body heat that way."

"Oh. Um, okay?" Hawks replies. He settles gingerly onto his side so they're both lying under the blanket, facing each other. Given the span of his wings, Hawks lost any concept of personal space long ago, so he's unphased by their closeness – that is, until a cool, inky black face appears between them.

"Hiya, Hawks," says Dark Shadow.

Hawks very nearly falls backwards off the cot. "What the hell!"

"Shut up," Tokoyami hisses. "I've kept this secret for weeks, and I will not have you ruin it now."

Hawks puts both hands over his mouth until he manages to compose himself. After all the terrible things he's seen today, he supposes he should be grateful that this surprise is a good one. "Has he been here this whole time?"

"Physically, no," Tokoyami replies, "but he is a part of me, and so we are never truly alone." Dark Shadow bumps his head against the underside of Tokoyami's beak.

"Is it dark enough? Even with the blanket, this room is really bright," says Hawks.

"I never said I liked it. But it's better than being stuck in Fumikage all the time," Dark Shadow replies, producing shoulders for the sole purpose of shrugging. "This blanket isn't very nice. I miss your hoodie, Fumi."

"So do I," Tokoyami says. He scratches the quirk's head and addresses Hawks. "He can stay out much longer than when we were first here. You were right to tell me to work on my strengths, Hawks, but by forcing Dark Shadow and I to face our great weakness for so long, the League has taught us to tolerate it."

"Fumi let me come out and draw when he was resting, so no one could see me. His body and the blanket protected me from the worst of the lights. After a while they didn't hurt so much. That's why when Fumi called me today, I came to the rescue!" Dark Shadow says, flashing a thumbs up.

"It wasn't quite Black Ankh, though. It would never have held up under an impact," says Tokoyami.

Emotion fills Hawks' chest to bursting, and for once it has nothing to do with his guilt. He thinks it must be pride, or even something like hope. "Are you joking? You two are amazing! You got kidnapped, and instead of giving up you created a new super move that can stand up to Shigaraki's quirk."

Dark Shadow immediately tears up and repeats, "We're amazing!"

Tokoyami smiles. "I'm glad you're here, Hawks."

"Me too, Tsukuyomi." And Hawks realizes that he actually means it.

"There's something I don't understand," Tokoyami says after a moment. "Why hasn't the League used the information I gave them to infiltrate U.A.? They might not have my ID, but they have my blood. They already used it to trick you."

Hawks shrugs. "U.A. has all sorts of security measures, and your friends already know about Toga. Maybe they thought she would get caught. Plus, it would've been pretty awkward for you to show up at the front gate after you were declared dead."

"I don't understand that, either," says Tokoyami. "If it's made my blood or Twice's copies useless, why fake my death at all?"

You're killing me here, Tsukuyomi, Hawks thinks. "I don't know. Sometimes villains panic and shoot themselves in the foot."

"My death was just a mistake?"

Hearing the distress in Tokoyami's voice, Hawks tries to backtrack. "No, not exactly. The heroes and the police were getting too close. Your teachers, especially, refused to give up, even when weeks passed and everyone else thought it was too late. The League had to give them evidence, something to force them to stop looking. It just…had some unintended consequences."

"You think so?" Tokoyami asks.

"I know so," Hawks replies. The monstrous guilt hiding in his belly grows, fed by half-truths and lies until it spreads into his chest and makes it hard to breathe. Hawks sits up and turns away, pressing one hand against his chest.

Tokoyami pushes himself up on an elbow. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy," Hawks gasps.

"Don't lie."

Hawks squeezes his eyes shut. "No, I guess I'm not. But you can't do anything about it right now. You and Dark Shadow need to focus on yourselves."

"Don't worry, Hawks! I'll practice until I'm strong enough to protect Fumi and you," says Dark Shadow.

You'd be strong enough to tear me to pieces if you knew what I'd really done, Hawks thinks. He smiles and reaches back to pat the shadow's head. "Thanks, shadow man. But really, you focus on keeping him safe."

Dark Shadow leans into his hand, then yawns. "Sorry. The lights make me sleepy."

"Return to me, then. You've done more than enough for today," Tokoyami says. Dark Shadow gives Hawks a hazy wave, then disappears. Tokoyami sighs and relaxes a little more into the cot.

"You've both been through a lot today," says Hawks. "You should sleep, too. It will help you heal."

Tokoyami shakes his head and sits up, the blanket falling away from his shoulders. "No. We should talk more while you're here, develop a strategy. I don't know when they'll come back."

Hawks gently pushes him back. "Then use the time to rest. You probably haven't had a good night's sleep in a month, and that will cloud your thinking – not to mention all the other crap you've been dealing with. Sleep, and I'll look after you."

Tokoyami hesitates, but eventually nods. "Alright. But if you hear anyone coming–"

"I'll wake you. I promise," says Hawks.

Tokoyami shifts restlessly a few times before settling. Once he's comfortable, he quickly succumbs to exhaustion. Hawks tucks the blanket around him. "I'm sorry, Tsukuyomi. I don't know if I can save you, but this time, I'm really going to try. I swear it."