Undead Revolution (⛔☁️)

S7 - 11. [Inauspicious]

Katsuki sank into the cracked leather couch at the back of the dimly lit workshop, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. Across from him, Keiko slouched with a huff, swirling a dark drink in her hand. She’d swapped her gala dress for something more comfortable, but the remnants of her disheveled, 'post-mission' appearance lingered in the smudged eyeliner and tousled hair.

Keiko shot him a glare over her glass. "If you ever pull me into something like that again, I’ll melt down every weapon I’ve ever made and drown you in it"

Katsuki chuckled, moving to clean the knife he'd used tonight. "Noted. But admit it, you were damn good at it"

"Flattery won’t get you off my black list" She muttered, taking a sip before glancing over to him. "How’re you holdin’ up? This ain't a job you usually take"

Katsuki shrugged, leaning back. "Just keeping things interesting" He didn’t need to explain it to her, and even if he did, she wouldn't be able to understand.

She didn’t know about the emotions stirred up by that damn scrapbook or the gnawing need to drown them in something physical, something real. She didn’t need to know.

But then she raised an eyebrow, watching him with a pointed look. "You’re gonna get yourself killed for real at this rate. That, or Teskai's gonna kill ya"

The mention of Teskai brought a faint crease to Katsuki’s brow. He’d noticed Teskai acting strange lately, eyes darting over his shoulder more than usual, fingers tapping a little faster on his keyboard, like he was waiting for something to drop. The hacker’s instincts were usually on point, but Katsuki wasn’t in the mood to worry.

「A bad decision on his part, but that's just foreshadowing.」

"I’ll be fine" He muttered, brushing it off with a wave of his hand.

Keiko’s eyes narrowed, but she let it slide, leaning back with a long sigh. "Fine, but when you end up getting permanently maimed or something, don’t expect sympathy from me"

Katsuki smirked, but something in him stayed alert, lingering in the quiet moments between their banter. He noticed the flicker of the TV screen on the wall, a newscaster’s voice muffled but intense as he spoke of crackdowns and raids on the criminal underworld, the words 'escalating hero efforts' catching his attention.

He scoffed, muttering a spiteful They can fuckin' try' to himself.

Keiko raised an eyebrow at his tone but didn’t press, simply lifting her glass. "To surviving another day in this godforsaken city" She toasted.

Katsuki clinked a knife against her cup, the hint of an almost bitter smile tugging at his lips. "To surviving"

A sense of unease buried itself deeper and deeper, a quiet but certain signal that things were about to shift.

He didn't know which things would change, but soon, something would and Katsuki got the feeling that it wouldn't be a good one.

Keiko then sighed, finishing her drink with a quick tilt of her head. She set the glass down on the cluttered table beside her and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. The faint hum of machinery filled the silence between them, but the unease Katsuki felt didn’t fade.

"You ever think about gettin’ out of here?" She asked suddenly, her voice quieter than usual. "This city’s a damn powder keg. Won’t be long 'fore someone lights the fuse"

Katsuki snorted, the sound bitter. "What’s the point? Doesn’t matter where you go. Trouble’s always fuckin' waiting"

Keiko studied him for a moment, her sharp gaze softened slightly. "Trouble’s one thing, but you… you keep throwin’ yourself into it like it’s the only thing you know. Maybe it is, but…" She shook her head, her tone dipping into something close to concern. "I don’t know, 'Pool. Feels like you’re chasin’ somethin’ you’ll never catch"

Katsuki didn’t reply, his fingers idly spinning the knife in his hand. The blade gleamed in the light, a faint echo of the chaos he constantly invited into his life. He hated how well she could read him, how easily she could pick at the pieces he worked so hard to bury.

Must be something that comes with age. His parents always seemed to know when something was wrong. Especially his mother. He knew that Keiko had once had kids, so perhaps it was a mother thing? He didn't know.

「Must be nice, having emotionally available adults. - Losse」

Keiko sighed, her chair creaking as she stood. "Whatever. Your life, your shit" She grabbed her jacket from a nearby hook, slinging it over her shoulder. "You know where to find me if you need somethin’ sharp. Just don’t make me dress up again, yeah?"

Katsuki smirked faintly, watching her make her way to the door. "Noted" He said, his tone almost teasing.

She paused in the doorway, turning to give him one last look. "And don’t get yourself killed. I mean it"

With that, she was gone, the sound of the door shutting behind her echoing in the quiet workshop. Katsuki leaned back, letting out a long breath as he stared at the ceiling. Keiko’s words lingered in his mind, but he shoved them aside, letting the silence envelop him.

Killed? That was impossible. He wished he could die. Maybe being immortal had changed him; maybe being immortal gave him too much wiggle room, making him reckless.

A soft vibration in his pocket pulled him from his thoughts. He pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up with a message.

–––
Teskai: You done playing dress-up? I found smthn else. Not urgent but...

Teskai: It's weird
–––

Katsuki frowned, sitting up straighter as he typed out a quick reply.

–––
You: Weird how?
–––

The response came almost instantly.

–––
Teskai: Been digging into Genda’s files. Found a few things. Feels off.

Teskai: Might just be my paranoia, but I don’t like it.

Teskai: I'll let you know once I find out more.
–––

Katsuki stared at the screen for a moment, Teskai was rarely this way without reason. If something felt off, it probably was.

He trusted the boy's gut feelings, as much as if it was the teen's quirk. It was practically a second one, as far as he was concerned.

Shoving the phone back into his pocket, Katsuki stood, grabbing his mask from the workbench. The unease that had been lingering all night clawed at him again, sharper now, more insistent.

He could place it now. He'd been in tune with Teskai for so long that he could sometimes sense things before they happened. Or perhaps it was things had been too peaceful lately.

Whatever Teskai had found, it was just the beginning. Katsuki could feel it in his entirety.

And if there was one thing he’d learned, it was to trust his instincts.

Word count: 1135