Undead Revolution (⛔☁️)

S8 - 8. [Only You]

Despite the ordeal taking place and his identity being blown out into the wind, there was still only one place to return to.

His homebase, his safehouse, his haven. He could only return to the apartment where Eri was waiting.

Katsuki lowered Teskai gently onto the couch, his friend's breathing labored and uneven.

God, he hated this. He should've known, he shouldn't have let his guard down.

The once snarky, sharp-eyed hacker was now barely conscious, his skin pale and clammy. Katsuki clenched his jaw, frustration boiling inside him. He wasn't a doctor; he didn't have the skills to fix this. All he could do was hope Teskai would pull through with the medical services he could administer.

But it was bad. He knew that.

Eri sat on the floor nearby, her small frame barely visible as she hugged her knees to her chest, watching in silence. Her wide eyes were glued to Teskai's body, fear flickering in their depths. She hadn't said much since they'd returned, but Katsuki could feel her worry radiating through the room.

Teskai groaned, shifting slightly, but his eyes remained closed. His breaths were shallow, every inhale a battle.

Katsuki cursed under his breath. "Hang in there" he muttered, though he knew his words were useless.

He began to unbutton the teen's shirt, tugging at it so that he could see the full damage. He didn't bother blocking Eri's view. She'd gone through a lot, this wasn't worth worrying about.

「Katsuki didn't realize than she was still a child, still holding onto a sliver of innocence and hope. No, he didn't think about that in the slightest.」

Eri's gaze stayed fixed on Teskai, her small hands gripping her sleeves tightly. She obviously didn't know what to do, and the sight of Teskai's pain, of Katsuki's frustration, but it obviously made her anxious. The anxiety welled up inside her, visibly showing in the way her breath had begun to hitch.

Suddenly, a faint glow began to shimmer around her face. The light was soft, almost unnoticeable, but it was there; coming from her.

Her quirk.

Before anyone even realized what was happening, Eri was moving closer to Teskai, her hands trembling as she reached out to him. The worry, the fear: it was too much. She couldn't control it.

Katsuki, who had been focused on Teskai's labored breathing, didn't notice at first. He'd kept her in his peripheral, but hadn't paid much attention.

But when Eri's glow intensified, his head snapped up. His eyes widened as he recognized the faint, blue-white glow around her horn.

"Eri- Wait!" He started, but it was too late.

Eri's small hands had touched Teskai's arm, and the glow spread, enveloping his body. Katsuki tensed, ready to pull her back, but something stopped him. The glow wasn't dangerous. It wasn't overwhelming. It was...calming. It gave a different vibe than it had during his exploration of it with her.

Teskai's breathing began to deepen, evening out as the tension left his body. His pale face gained some color, and his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Katsuki stared, disbelief freezing him in place.

Eri's quirk was rewinding him. Restoring him.

A few moments later, the glow faded, and Eri pulled her hands back, her eyes drooping with exhaustion. She stumbled, her body trembling from the effort. Katsuki immediately caught her, steadying her as she swayed on her feet.

"Eri..." He muttered, not entirely sure what to say. He had seen her quirk before, but watching her use it to save Teskai... It was something else.

Eri's eyes were round and frightened as she snapped out of her trance, her voice barely a whisper. "Did I...do something wrong?"

Katsuki locked eyes with her, still holding her close. "No" He said softly. "No, you did good. Real good"

Teskai groaned, this time a little more alert, his eyes fluttering open as he shifted on the couch. His hand weakly touched his side, confusion flashing across his face. "Wha'...?"

"Relax, dumbass. Eri fixed you" Katsuki told him, but his voice much was less biting than usual. His hands shook, but he could hide that with them wrapped around the girl in his arms.

Teskai blinked, trying to piece together what had happened. His eyes darted to Eri, whose small form was trembling with exhaustion.

"You... You did that?" Teskai asked, his voice small but steady.

Eri nodded slowly, her lip trembling. "I didn't mean to. It just... happened"

Teskai smiled weakly, his hand falling back to his side. "You're amazing"

Katsuki gave Eri's head a gentle pat, his mind still processing what had just happened. Her quirk was powerful and dangerous, sure, but she'd done something incredible. Even if it'd been by accident, she had saved Teskai.

"You can go lay down" Katsuki told to her quietly. "You did good"

Eri hesitated, glancing between Teskai and Katsuki before nodding and carefully shuffling back to the bedroom. Teskai's bedroom, not hers. Katsuki watched her, the weight of everything pressing down on him, but there was a small, barely-there flicker of pride in his chest.

She had done it. Even if it had been overwhelming, even if she was scared, she had helped. And that, in this moment, meant everything.

Katsuki couldn't be more proud.

Word Count: 887