~𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ℌ𝔞𝔰 𝔑𝔬 𝔅𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰~ (Tokoyami Fumikage X Reader)

Chapter 6

The cafeteria was silent, the students frozen in place, eyes wide as they watched Aizawa approach. His scarf draped loosely over his shoulders, but his intense gaze was locked on Tokoyami, who stood stiff and unmoving beside the now-dormant Dark Shadow.

Aizawa's voice was low, but it carried across the room like a blade cutting through the tension. "Care to explain, Tokoyami?"

Tokoyami swallowed hard, his crimson eyes downcast, clearly struggling to find the right words. The weight of his uncontrolled quirk's outburst was heavy on his shoulders, and the shame of it was written all over his face.

"I... I don't know what happened, Sensei," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "Dark Shadow... it just lost control."

"Lost control?" Aizawa repeated, his voice skeptical. His eyes briefly flicked to Dark Shadow, who was still hovering beside Tokoyami, smaller and quieter than it had been moments ago. "That's not exactly reassuring."

Tokoyami clenched his fists, frustration and confusion warring in his expression. "I've trained with Dark Shadow for years. It's never gone rogue like that before."

Niko stood nearby, watching the exchange, her own heart still racing from the earlier chaos. She could feel the eyes of the other students on them, whispers beginning to circulate around the room. Even Bakugou was uncharacteristically quiet, his usual smirk replaced by a curious frown.

Midoriya stepped forward, his concern evident. "Aizawa-sensei, maybe there's more to this. Tokoyami wouldn't lose control like that on purpose."

"I'm not saying it was intentional," Aizawa replied, his gaze unwavering. "But something triggered it, and we need to figure out what. If Dark Shadow can become that dangerous without warning, it's a problem for everyone."

Tokoyami opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a sharp laugh echoed from across the cafeteria. The upperclassmen- the ones who had initially issued the challenge- were leaning against the wall, their smugness returned.

"Well, well," their leader said, pushing off from the wall with a smirk. "Looks like the 'Shadow Prince' has a few more issues to work out than we thought."

Niko narrowed her eyes, irritation bubbling up inside her. These guys hadn't lifted a finger to help when Dark Shadow went wild, and now they were acting like this was some kind of joke.

Bakugou shot them a glare. "You got something to say, dumbass?"

The upperclassman shrugged, unfazed. "Just pointing out the obvious. If Tokoyami can't even handle his own quirk, what makes you think any of you first-years are ready for the real deal?"

Niko clenched her fists, ready to snap back, but Tokoyami spoke first.

"I can handle it," he said, his voice firm, though there was a tremor of uncertainty beneath it. "This was... an anomaly. It won't happen again."

The upperclassman raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "We'll see about that."

Aizawa's eyes flicked to the upperclassmen, and they instantly quieted under his piercing gaze. "I suggest you mind your own business," he said flatly, before turning back to Tokoyami. "We'll talk more about this later. For now, focus on regaining control. You're dismissed."

Tokoyami nodded stiffly, clearly shaken, and began to walk toward the exit, Dark Shadow trailing behind him in a much smaller form. Niko watched him go, her stomach twisting with concern. She could tell he was blaming himself for what happened, and that guilt was eating away at him.

Without hesitation, she hurried after him, catching up just outside the cafeteria. "Hey, Tokoyami-kun!"

He stopped but didn't turn around immediately. When he did, his expression was hard to read, his crimson eyes shadowed by frustration. "What is it, Niko-chan?"

She hesitated for a second, unsure of exactly what to say, but she couldn't leave things like this. "That wasn't your fault, you know."

Tokoyami's jaw tightened, and he shook his head. "It was my fault. Dark Shadow is my quirk, my responsibility. If I can't control it, what does that say about me as a hero?"

"It says you're human," Niko said softly, stepping closer. "You didn't do anything wrong. Something weird happened back there. Maybe it was the pressure, or something triggered Dark Shadow to act like that."

Tokoyami sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Maybe. But it doesn't matter. If I can't figure out what happened, it could happen again. Next time... someone could get hurt."

Niko reached out, touching his arm gently. "Then let's figure it out together. You don't have to go through this alone, Tokoyami-kun."

He looked at her, surprised by her words. For a moment, he seemed unsure how to respond, but then his usual calm demeanor returned, though his eyes still held a trace of uncertainty. "Thank you, Niko."

Before she could say anything more, a voice called out from behind them.

"Yo, you guys coming or what?"

Niko turned to see Kirishima jogging toward them, his usual grin back in place. "We're all heading back to class, but you looked like you could use a minute."

"Yeah, just... talking things out," Niko said, glancing back at Tokoyami, who gave a small nod.

Kirishima flashed them both a thumbs-up. "Cool. Just remember, we're all in this together. If you need anything, we've got your back. That's what being a hero is all about, right?"

Tokoyami gave him a rare, faint smile. "Right."

As they made their way back to class, the weight of what had just happened still lingered, but Niko couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Something had triggered Dark Shadow, and until they figured out what, things were far from over.