Adjusting the focus
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.
Thanks a lot to those who followed, favourited and who reviewed. (I realise now that this sounds really sarcastic but I really do mean it.)
Chapter 7
The cell smelled. Or rather Katsuki himself smelled, but Katsuki was happy to blame everything bad on something or someone else right now.
It was a rather stupid thing to be frustrated about while in his predicament, but the cell had been silent and maddening for the last two days, so, Katsuki couldn't really bring himself to feel bad about it.
He hadn't seen Izuku for those same two days. No, Katsuki had just been sitting there. Not able to move a lot because of a shackle around his neck and handcuffs that pin his hands directly against the wall with chains still engulfing most of his hands. (Too high to sit comfortably but too low to actually stand. Katsuki suspects the were placed there with adult sizes in mind.) Entirely useless and unable to do anything, no matter how much he fumed and raged.
It's so silent in the chamber that the only thing Katsuki can hear is his breathing, and his thoughts, both of which suddenly deafeningly loud. Because Katsuki doesn't like to think. At least not this way. Reminiscing has never been his forte. He likes to just avoid the hard topics and focus on other things. But there aren't any other things here. Nothing but dust, metal and stone.
(Sometimes Katsuki thinks he hears something beyond the walls of the chamber, but it sounds vaguely like screams, so Katsuki tries to convince himself that those are just sounds his mind is making up.)
He hasn't seen Lab coat yet either. He wonders if he will. (A small part of him actually wishes for it, because he hasn't eaten or drunk anything in two days and the sting in his stomach is beginning to hurt, and his throat feels like something crawled in there and died, which really isn't an image Katsuki needs right now.)
He's pathetic. He's already caught himself counting cracks in the wall at least three times.
He's tried his quirk again and again before, but it's cold in the cell. Cold enough for Katsuki to flinch when his skin touches the stone instead of his clothes, and for it to feel like all his warmth is sucked out of him even through the fabric. Sweating isn't really possible for him now. Hell, he has trouble to just keep warm enough and not sit there shivering like an idiot.
He shifts from position, trying for at least the hundreds time now to get the kink out of his shoulder. Katsuki has got to do something. At least make an attempt at escaping, but his body is weak and restrained. There's nothing in the cell but his own body and his clothes to help. Katsuki doesn't know how he can do something.
He shifts again.
.
On the third day, Lab coat comes by, he's muttering lowly and doesn't focus on Katsuki at all for the first hour he's in the room, only leaving through the papers leafing on the table in the corner, even while Katsuki screams and croaks at him. When Lab coat finally does, he absentmindedly forces Katsuki to stand up via shifting chains, grabs his hair to throw his head back, and forces him to drink at least a litre of water, even though Katsuki isn't able to stomach half of it because he chokes several times. After that he gets some stale bread shoved in his mouth which Katsuki's pretty sure is expired, and then the man throws a bucket of warm water over him. Katsuki is pretty sure it is meant to be an equivalent to a shower.
After that Lab coat walks away muttering excitedly. Katsuki manages to catch the name 'Izu-chan'.
That night is bad. While the sucking emptiness in his stomach is finally a little bit filled, he has a stomach ache and the warm water has long turned cold. His teeth are chattering and he can't even curl into himself for warmth because of his restrains. He can't think because his head is buzzing. He isn't able to sleep at all that night.
.
There's another visit two days later. By then, Katsuki has concluded in one of his clearer moments he has a fever. A bad one. He's drowsy, hot but shivering. He's sweating again, causing small explosions to go off in his hands, which would be great if it wasn't for the weakness of his body. He has already thrown up twice, even with nothing in his stomach. He seems to be panting for air all the time. Everything hurts. Lab coat is a blur and Katsuki is pretty sure the only reason why he was able to stand were the chains holding him up.
Lab coat doesn't seem to notice.
.
The next time he isn't even aware of the visit.
He suddenly notices he's drenched with water one moment. There's also an obviously old apple and banana laying only a few feet away from him, and also a water filled small bright yellow bucket with several animals printed on it, one of those buckets you see children walking around with on beaches, which looks so out of place in the room it makes Katsuki laugh in a hysterical moment. He can't reach any of it anyway.
Only Katsuki could have sworn those hadn't been there before. He could have sworn he had been awake for hours and he could have sworn he hasn't seen Lab coat at all for those hours.
Katsuki wakes up with hazy, hot and painfully.
It takes some time before he notices the heavy, warm, breathing weight leaning on him on his right side.
His arms are still chained though, and he can feel the cold concrete sucking the little warmth he preserved out of him. He tenses.
He heaves his head up slowly, cautiously to his right. The tension falls away immediately when he sees a mess of dark hair, with a green sheen enter his vision.
It's Izuku. Izuku is sitting right next to him.
It's like a wave of relief engulfs Katsuki and his body gives a metaphorical sigh of that relief.
Oh god, It's Izuku and he's breathing. Katsuki doesn't think he's ever been as happy to see those stupid freckles as he's now. It's been nine days since they had split up, and he had heard that stupid villain mutter creepy things when he came to visit those two times, mentioning Izuku regularly.
Izuku looks bad though. He's shirtless, and isn't wearing shoes nor socks. He's shivering. Probably the reason why he's huddled against him, and Katsuki feels a flare of jealousy when he sees the different restraints of Izuku that give him much more room for movement. He looks cleaner to Katsuki than Katsuki knows he himself is, though his clothes are dirty. And Izuku has some bandages covering him, the bright white almost reflecting in the dark room. His arms. His stomach. One leg. A hand. A shoulder. Katsuki doesn't quite know how to feel about that; on one hand, it meant that Izuku had gotten wounds somehow, on the other hand they were treated, and on a third hand they were treated by Lab coat.
Katsuki shifts, trying to get a better angle. He blinks with surprised eyes at the cloth covering him that falls of. A blanket. There's a blanket in their cell… For Izuku, there was no way it was for Katsuki. Lab coat hadn't given him a second glance since the moment Izuku accidently crushed his handcuffs.
Something had happened, something that made Izuku-No, fucking Deku, important enough to deserve that blanket, even though he wasn't even wearing a shirt. Probably because he was able to crush his manacles to dust, even though he doesn't have a fucking quirk.
Katsuki was so done with having no answers.
He roughly jerks his body, hoping to wake Izuku up.
Izuku wakes up sprawled on a cold floor.
It takes a few seconds to shake off his drowsiness before he focusses on his surroundings.
He back in the cell again. The cell in which the villain brought him and Kacchan on the first day.
More important though is Kacchan, who's sitting next to him with his eyes closed. For a minute, Izuku freezes, afraid of the implications but Kacchan's chest is going up and down, his breathing the only thing you could hear in the room, it's harsh and shallow. Kacchan doesn't look hurt. He smells, he looks tired, sweaty, hassled with his hair a mess, his clothes wrinkled, dirty, with bags under his eyes, a pallor and hollowness in his cheeks, and a harsh blush on his cheeks, but Izuku is relieved when doesn't see any wounds besides several bruises and scrapes on him.
He's shackled against the wall though, just like Izuku, however Kacchan's hands are raised above his head and the handcuffs around his wrist are pinned directly to the wall, while Izuku has his handcuffs secured against the wall with chains and one chain circled around his ankle, and thus has a little bit room for movement.
There's a loud click and Izuku turns his head just as the villain comes in.
He looks overjoyed to see Izuku awake. ''Hi Izu-chan! I'm sorry, but I'm have to go on a trip, so we're not going experimenting together today. It's only for three days, I think.'' He gives him a thumbs up, ''So, it's only a short break, and my table has to be replaced anyway, so it isn't much of a hassle.''
Izuku blinks at him.
''Ah, not like your friend has been. A hassle, I mean. He's been screaming every time I come in here, well every time but the last time at least. Really tiring. Ah, his quirk is fun though! I'm still looking forward to him. So, you take care of him!'' He waved his hand a dismissing gesture. ''Ah! But I've to go now, I'll see you soon! Oh, there's someone who will check on you, but don't worry, I told him he wasn't allowed to go experiment with you two without me! You need to keep silent about your non-quirk though, okay? It's going to be a surprise for Sensei when I am able to discover what it is, so nobody can know yet!'' As he said this waved his index finger back and forth. Izuku blinks at him again, and the villain laughs in answer and walks out of the room again.
.
Izuku stares at the sleeping Kacchan again. He notices Kacchan has a shackle around his neck, almost like a dog collar. He can't seem to find it amusing.
His thoughts are racing but not focussing: The villain is not going to experiment on him. At least, he isn't going to for a week because he's going away. Someone else is coming, and is going to 'take care' of them. The scientist hasn't experimented with Kacchan's quirk yet, because of Izuku. Izuku wants to sleep too. He wonders how his mom is doing. He wonders how Yagi-san is doing. He's cold. It's his fault they ended up here. In his life, before, this had never happened. He messed everything up. He wonders if he and Kacchan will ever escape. Maybe they police or heroes will find them.
(Izuku doesn't truly believe that though.)
His eyes focus on a blanket placed only two or three feet away from him. The villain must have left it there.
He uses the movement the chains allow him, grabs the blanket and pushes himself closer to a shivering Kacchan. Kacchan is warmer than him, too warm. He is still wearing all his clothes unlike Izuku. His shirt, his pants and his shoes. Izuku carefully places the blanket around him too. Cautiously, Izuku leans lightly against him, curling up to preserve his body-warmth. He misses the warmth of the blanket, but Kacchan looks like he needs it more. Besides Kacchan is like a small heater on his own anyway. The sound of Kacchan's breathing is calming in a way, it makes Izuku relax.
Izuku falls asleep before he knows it.
Waking up Deku doesn't fully go as planned.
Because Deku immediately notices that he's sick. The first thing he does when he rouses is adjusting the blanket to wholly cover Katsuki again, scolding him, not even looking surprised to see him.
Katsuki protest with the fact Deku isn't wearing a shirt, shoes or even socks, so obviously, he should take the blanket. Besides, he feels hot anyway. Deku doesn't accept this reasoning however, and Katsuki can't do anything about it, because his hands are pinned to a wall. After almost fucking half an hour bitchin' Izuku accepts to share the fucking blanket, which means they're even closer huddled than before. (Katsuki will never admit it, but he actually likes that, because Izuku is warm and familiar, and is better than anything he has had in a since he got chained up in this cell.) After that they are silent for a while. It's annoying how easily you can hear that Katsuki's breathing is just slightly faster than normal.
They ignore the elephant in the room. The fact that they're kidnapped. That both have no idea at all what to do. Their mothers.
Sometime later, Deku interrupts the silence by asking about what happened to him and Katsuki gives a short summary about sitting here for a week, creepy Lab coat who came in sometimes muttering stupid things, and the four times he has gotten food, water and a 'shower'. He doesn't mention the times where the villain didn't dry him, how he ended up with such a bad feeling that he wasn't even sure if he conscious for a few days, and the despondent look Lab coat had, like a child who lost his balloon, when he had found Katsuki laying in his own sweat and vomit the last time.
Deku looks at him in surprise. ''You haven't stood up in an entire week?!'' Then he shoots in a ridiculous concerned fit, muttering things about muscles and bones. Katsuki interrupts him by saying he has in fact stood up, a whopping three times, when he got checked up by the man. This doesn't really seem to comfort Deku, but at least he calms down. Deku is silent again after that.
Katsuki hesitates for a while, suddenly less willing to interrogate him now he looks so sad and tired. He decides for something smaller first. He speaks ''What about you?'' Deku's eyes flicker to his, but he averts them almost immediately when he sees Katsuki looking at him intensely. ''I-I was taken to another room. He, eh, tried to experiment on me. To get the non-quirk to come out.'' Deku's eyes flicker to him again, nervous, and which makes Katsuki want to burst out in anger even more, but he manages to only clench his teeth. So much for a lighter topic.
''The non-quirk.''
Katsuki doesn't understand why Izuku calls it a non-quirk, doesn't understand why he has never talked about it with Katsuki. Doesn't even understand what it is exactly. It makes him want to scream and punch something.
(Which Katsuki also doesn't understand. Because this is fucking Deku. For his part, Deku should be able to do anything what he wanted, as long as it didn't involve Katsuki.)
''Yes.'' There's a pause again. ''It's true. I mean that I don't really have a quirk. What we told you when we were four is true. I-I don't have a quirk.'' His eyes flicker to Katsuki again. It sounds more like he's trying to convince himself. ''I have the extra joint in my foot. It's registered like that in my papers. I don't have anything that actively manifested itself. I don't have a quirk. This thing I have I can't control it. I don't even know what it is, or why it's there.'' A small pause again. ''It just happens sometimes… Most often when I'm upset, but sometimes in normal situations too.'' He smiles weakly ''It's really annoying actually, because sometimes I just accidently ruin doors, or my chopsticks, or walls.''
Katsuki's mind freezes for a moment ''Walls?'' his voice is slightly higher than normal but Deku doesn't seem to hear him. Katsuki doesn't know if he's glad or annoyed. ''You might as well call me quirkless, because I am. I, just, I don't know. I'm just dangerous and weird also.''
''Dangerous?'' Deku blinks to him, surprised. ''Ah, yes. Because I can't control it. It hasn't yet, but it well, if it goes wrong. It's going to go wrong. I'm not sure if I even should be allowed to live this way. I could hurt, or even kill everyone I touch, even if it's accidental.''
Katsuki is silent for a while after that. ''Why didn't you tell me?''
''I-I don't know. I haven't even told mom. She just thinks I have a special talent for destroying things.'' Deku gives a weak laugh. '' I know it's not an actual quirk. It's weird. It's abnormal. I don't want to bother her, and make it even harder on her. This is a thing that can blow up in your face fast and painfully.'' A pause again. Izuku continuous in a softer voice, something irritatingly fragile in it. ''I-I just don't want her to be afraid of me, I know it's selfish, but… I don't even have a but. I'm pathetic.''
They both fall silent again, this time longer. Katsuki is able to get an up-close show of an Izuku who's slowly getting more and more miserable. He tells himself he doesn't care.
.
After maybe an hour Katsuki's voice croaks again, making Deku jump ''You say you can't control your quirk.'' It wasn't a question. ''And you say it's a danger to others. But you also tell me, you haven't actually hurt anyone accidently, an actual person and not an object? Since when have you had this thing then?'' Deku looks up startled ''The, eh, the first memory I have of it is when I'm five.''
Katsuki looks at him with puzzled, piercing eyes ''Why are you so afraid of doing it then?'' Deku looks at him surprised ''W-Well, it would be logical to be afraid of hurting others when you can't control it, right? I mean if it happens with objects, it can happen with persons too.''
''But isn't that the point? The fact it hasn't happened with actual persons, and has with objects. Shouldn't that tell you enough?''
Deku looks at him with frightened, almost caged eyes. He shifts his face away.
They're silent again.
''Here, take it.''
Katsuki shakes his head. ''Stupid, you should take at least half of it. Don't look down on me.''
Deku sighs. ''Kacchan, you're sick. I'm not looking down on you at all. I'm trying to make sure you're alright.''
''Well, you're weak, so you should get extra water too then.''
''Kacchan, just please.'' He moves the ridiculous bucket to Katsuki's mouth, and Katsuki jerks his head away again. He feels accomplished when he hears the soft sigh of Deku again. Almost. Only a few minutes and Deku would give in. The experiments had obviously been hard on Deku and his normal stubbornness had taken a hit because of it. But then the inside of his throat begins to tickle in that irritating way, he coughing violently in seconds. Which hurts. A lot. Katsuki had never thought that the burning feeling of an intense cough coupled with a dry throat would hurt so much. It leaves him heaving for air and with tears in his eyes.
'Kacchan! Are you okay?!''
Katsuki body becomes hotter and hotter, and he can't breath.
Black encompasses him.
.
''Kacchan, please. Just, you're sick. The blanket will keep you warm. You need to stop moving so much.''
Katsuki blinks at the blurry shape in front of him. ''It's too warm.'' He mumbles.
''Kacchan, you're ice cold!''
.
''What's that?''
Deku blinks at him excitedly. ''Kacchan! You're awake! Careful!''
Katsuki decides to ignore the last word. ''Yeah, it was impossible to not be with you being so loud.'' Deku freezes before he averts his eyes. ''Sorry about that.''
Katsuki weakly waves the apology away. ''It's not important. What is that on your hand?''
Immediately Deku's eyes widen as they gain a panicked look. He hastily and unsubtly hides his hand behind his back. ''Uh, N-Nothing.''
''Fuck, Deku. Is that blood?! What the fuck, you're coughing up blood?!''
''N-No, Kacchan, it's nothing! Don't worry about it!''
''Fucking Deku, don't worry about it? You're coughing blood! How is that not something I should worry about?!'' Katsuki shifts angrily.
''Kacchan, no! You're sick! You're going to overwork your body again!''
''Don't avoid the subject, bastard!''
.
''How long has it been?'' Deku blinks at him. ''What?''
''You said the villain would return in about three days. How long has it been?''
Deku flinches. ''Deku. How long?'' Katsuki growls.
''I'm not sure. Time passes a rather slow when you're – '' Deku cuts himself off and his eyes look at Katsuki concernedly. Katsuki growls again. ''… I think around two days.''
''And the babysitter that Lab coat said would come?''
Deku shakes his head.
.
''I'm thirsty, dad.'' Katsuki looks up at the vague shape.
Their voice is frantic as they answer ''No, Kacchan. It's just me, Deku.''
Katsuki ignores the words as he weakly tugs at the pants of the figure. ''Please. Water. Throat hurts.''
Dad splutters guiltily. ''I'm sorry, Kacchan. I can't give you anything.''
He tugs again. ''Water.'' He says this time more forcefully. ''I'm sorry, Kacchan,'' a strangled sound. 'We already drank everything.''
.
''You know, that babysitter… I don't think he's coming.''
Katsuki doesn't know if he should be relieved or not.
.
''Can't you just crush the manacles again?''
''What?''
''Why can't you just crush or chains again?''
Deku flinches. ''I tried. I don't know how to activate it though.''
Katsuki shoots him an dirty look. ''Tch, should have known that even with something similar to a quirk you would still be useless.''
Deku flinches again.
.
''What are you doing?''
Katsuki stares sleepily at unnaturally bent fingers, before his eyes widen in disbelieve, snapping fully awake.
''What the fuck?!''
''I'm trying to escape, Kacchan. I'm not sure what to do with my ankle yet but this give me at least a little bit more room for movement.''
''You're trying to escape by destroying your fucking hand?! What the fuck's wrong with you! You should have at least consulted me before you decide to break your motherfucking fingers!''
''Kacchan,'' Deku looks completely calm, like he hasn't just broken the fingers of the hand that wasn't bandaged and like Katsuki is the one that is acting unrationallly. ''you're sick. Very sick. You didn't even recognise me the last time you woke up! And we haven't had food nor water besides one bucket in at least four days! You're going to die if you don't get out soon. A few broken fingers won't matter if that happens.''
''So, you decide breaking your fingers is the best idea?! With no further idea how to proceed? Because that's smart.'' Katsuki says sarcastically.
''Well, Kacchan, at least I'm trying to do something! Do you have any better ideas?!''
There's a small pause. ''That's what I thought.''
Izuku blinked at the pills in the villain's hands.
''Huh? Izuku, you're curious?''
Izuku merely blinked again. ''Hmm, I created them. The last two persons I experimented with- they were a lot less fun than you, don't worry- had when combined a quirk a little bit like your friend. That's why I was so excited with your friend. With him I would be able to upgrade them, only needing one person this time! They're really cool so far. Look, all you have to do is throw them like this and- '' The villain got in a pose that distantly looked like one of a baseball pitcher before throwing his arm in a smooth movement forward.
The pills twirled in the air for a few seconds before they bumped against the wall on the other side of the room. One second there was nothing and then Izuku's eyes widened as a whirl of fire and heat arose at the place where the two small tablets had landed. The wave of harsh wind tugging at his hair and the heat making his eyes burn and want to turn away.
''See? Cool, huh?''
So, originally, this was a far longer chapter, but then I decided to split it up in two.
No, honestly the chapter is kind of short, I know it's only around 4,5 K. I'm sorry, but I felt it was the best to end it here. Though it does mean I'm going to have to count on even more chapters *gloom*.
I didn't get any questions this time -though I'm not sure if that's good or not-,so only thing I really wanna say now is that I'm not a medical expert at all. So, I'm just speculating here that Katsuki's fever would spike sometimes, leaving him less clear and able to understand everything happening around him, and sometimes leaving him more able to understand. Which is why there's a scene where he can't recognise Izuku at all, but also one where he's arguing with Izuku while pretty rational and clear-headed.
That's it I guess, I wish you all a nice day and as always, thanks a lot for reading this chapter, and please do review!