UA's Gremlins

The Ride to the Hospital

The moment Eri's eyes landed on the unconscious body in Katsuki's arms, she began to smack at Aizawa's arms and face until he set her down. She ran as fast as her small legs could carry her to Katsuki's side.

"Get off him!" Eri screech, tiny fists completely ineffective against Katsuki's arm. "Leave my brother alone!"

Katsuki smirked, letting the girl fight. "So you're Eri. Figures Izuku would try to protect someone so cute."

Eri paused, frowning. "You...know him?"

"Eri," Aizawa called gently. "That is Katsu...er, Kacchan."

Eri glanced back at Aizawa, hesitant, before looking back at the blond man in front of her who seemed angry at the world.

"What the hell you calling me that for?" Katsuki snarled.

"Because that's one of his only words," Hitoshi answered gently. When Katsuki's anger cooled at the idea, the other teen continued. "This asshole used his quirk to do something to Izuku to make him unable to say anything except a few words he fought for."

Katsuki's face paled and he looked at the limp body in his arms. "What..."

Eri watched the interaction and seemed to decide Katsuki was, in fact, Kacchan. "He kept your name and Dadzawa, Papamic, Toshi, and Dabi. He fought really, really hard to keep talking...he just doesn't talk as much as he did at first."

Katsuki's eyes stung as he cradled his broken partner gently. "Your mumbling...he took your mumbling..."

Eri gently patted his arm. "Don't give up hope, Kacchan. Big brother never did."

Wet, red eyes turned to her. "Never?"

Eri beamed, shaking her head. "Not once! I mean...he cried a lot, especially at night and for you...but he never stopped fighting until Overhaul used the collar."

Katsuki smiled, brushing a gentle hand over the sleeping face. "That's my gremlin. You gave him hell until the end."

"Oh! The collar! Can we get it off of him, Dadzawa? I don't want him getting hurt anymore," Eri begged.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Katsuki assured her. "I had the pleasure of destroying that piece of junk."

Eri beamed as she settled to sit next to him, one hand holding Izuku's pinky. "Really? Thank you, Kacchan. I took the controller thing...but brother didn't like it."

"That shit's gone," Katsuki promised. "Now, wanna help me get him out of here and to a doctor?"

Eri went still then flung herself over him. "NO! NO DOCTORS!"

Hitoshi flinched, losing his hold on Overhaul. Aizawa saw the hold break and straightened his back.

"Damnit," Overhaul growled as he realized he had been restrained and he couldn't, for the life of him, remember how to activate his quirk. "You won't win."

"We already have," Aizawa said calmly as he watched Katsuki easing Izuku to the ground, leaving Eri clinging to him and screaming about no doctors. He kept his eyes on the blond as the teen rose, ears pinned back and his sharpened canines bared. "Don't kill him."

"When I get my quirk back, I will end his life," Overhaul spat. "He was a useless pur-"

Hitoshi had wisely moved to the side when he'd seen the blond stand. Katsuki's fist cut off whatever lame rambling Overhaul had started. The taller man flew back and slammed to the ground, groaning as the shattered remains of his bird mask fell away from his face. Katsuki growled, hands smoking as he stood there.