Katsuki wasn't one to call for help, but kneeling here, with Izuku bleeding out against him, there weren't many options to choose from.

His pride could fuck right off.

"OI! You Bastards," he screamed, "get the FUCK in here!"

He wasn't about to waste time waiting for them. Instead, he began twisting and pulling at his wrists. Katsuki's body heat ensured that producing sweat was never an issue and the mix of sweat and blood was doing 'good' things for his progress of escaping the shackles.

Katsuki gritted his teeth and hoped that, by the end of this, he wouldn't be leaving behind a grotesque glove of his freshly peeled skin. He tucked his thumb into the hollow of his palm, trying to eliminate some of the troublesome bulk of his hand, yelling as he doubled his efforts.

He wasn't brave enough to look at the damage he was actively causing.

In that moment, he found that he understood Izuku a little better.

Here Katsuki was, destroying his body in an effort to save someone, just as Izuku had always done and was always criticized for.

The pain was blinding. Katsuki bared his teeth and his eyes stung against the burning and ripping and pulling of his skin. He let the curses fly unhindered as he worked, until finally, one hand slipped free.

He caught a glimpse of it as he reached to check Deku's pulse and hoped the damage wasn't as bad as it looked.

The rhythm under Katsuki's fingers was too fast. "Deku…come on!" Katsuki grabbed

Deku's shoulder and shook him. "Wake the FUCK up!"

Unsurprisingly, that technique didn't work. Deku just hung there, chest popping and crackling with each shallow breath.

Katsuki reared back and smacked him across the face hard enough to warrant an apology.

Izuku groaned in response.

"Fuck yeah…" he celebrated his tiny victory and took Izuku's chin into his hand. "Hey, Izu! Stay with me…"

Muddy green eyes fluttered open and stared at nothing. Katsuki gripped his chin tighter, trying to focus Izuku's attention. The hemorrhaging around the whites of his eyes was hard to look at.

"Kac~chan…?" Izuku's gurgled response devolved quickly into convulsive coughing, his blood peppering Katsuki's face. The fit never truly ended. With each inhale blood clogged his airway and with each exhale it bubbled into his mouth, down his chin, and into Katsuki's hand. Izuku's tears of pain, exhaustion, and fear traversed his gaunt cheeks as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah, its Kacchan. Come on Izuku...Breathe for me! Gotta breathe! " Katsuki didn't know what to do. He felt stupid. Begging would do nothing to clear his lungs. Even if he had full use of his hands, he was completely useless. That scared him almost as much as facing a world without Deku.

Like something from Katsuki's nightmares, Izuku's eyes rolled back and his body went rigid. Horrific moaning burst from him as he seized. Katsuki had never witnessed a seizure before, and after this…he hoped he never would. It was violent and unstoppable. From what he'd read in his first-aid courses, seizures weren't supposed to be painful, but the tortured sounds coming from Izuku's throat suggested otherwise.

Then suddenly, silence fell. Izuku's body was still seizing, but his chest refused to draw in breath. It quivered, stippled like goose-flesh but would not rise.

"Oh no you don't…" Katsuki growled through gritted teeth. His eyes stung, panic and frustration welled up within him as he patted Izuku roughly on the cheek.

His lips were turning blue. Katsuki pressed his forehead to Izuku's for the briefest of moments, a silent, frantic plea, then let go.

"God Damnit!" Katsuki bellowed. "He's dying! He's fucking Dying! Help him!"

Katsuki continued like this, screaming and begging for someone to come. Would they even help Izuku if they came? Or would they just laugh and make his last few minutes worse.

Izuku's seizure finally broke, his head lolling to his still frozen chest.

"Please! Fucking PLEASE!" Katsuki began tearing at his restraints with renewed vigor. He couldn't feel the pain anymore. "Fuck you! All o-!"

The door swung open and Twice stepped inside. He was still battle worn from earlier, his jumpsuit ripped over his shoulder to reveal the oozing burn Katsuki had given him.

"Hurry up! He's not breathing!" Katsuki's voice cracked as he spoke.

As much as he wanted to be thankful that someone was here, this man was a villain. Katsuki didn't know what part he'd played in Izuku's capture and subsequent torture. He could be here to finish him off, if he wasn't already dead…

Twice closed the door and wordlessly crossed the cell, swinging a keyring around a gloved finger as he went. Katsuki was so absorbed in trying to free his other wrist that he almost missed the man proffer the keys once, then toss them at him.

Katsuki caught them by reflex, then stared at them, nestled dumbly in his bloodied palm. It took a moment longer than it should have for realization to dawn on him then he leapt into action.

His fingers shook as he grappled blindly with the lock on the cuff, but Katsuki didn't dare look away from the villain. This could all be a trick. When the mechanism clicked and his wrist fell free, he dared to hope it wasn't.

Twice was off slightly to the side busily swirling a jar of clear, opalescent liquid. He set it down gingerly along with a shot glass.

"The fuck is that…" Katsuki asked, making quick work of the bar that anchored his legs to the floor. In an instant he was on his feet and tending to Izuku's wrists. He winced at the cold, clammy feeling of Izuku's skin.

"It's what's going to save his life, if it's not too late."

Katsuki hoped the second statement was cynicism and not honesty.

Izuku's arms dropped heavily over Katsuki's shoulders in quick succession as they were released. Every cell in Katsuki's body was telling him to scoop Izuku up and bolt for the door. However, the mere thought of returning to UA with a corpse in place of Deku had him hesitating. He didn't have time to think this over carefully. There wasn't time to be skeptical. If whatever that liquid was could save Izuku, it outweighed every other option. If Twice was lying, Izuku was as good as dead anyways. Katsuki sunk to the floor with Izuku draped over his arms. He was silent but gave a stiff nod.

Twice returned the gesture then poured some of the liquid into the shot glass, brows knotted in concentration. With a seemingly practiced hand, he rotated the glass, setting the shimmering liquid to spinning. He handed it to Katsuki who took it with little more than a questioning glance. "Keep it moving, don't spill it!"

Katsuki did as he was told.

Twice placed his hands on Izuku's chest, his touch gentle but searching. His fingers ran the length of Izuku's ribs. After several agonizing seconds, he withdrew, looking troubled. Twice carefully leaned Izuku's head back to rest over Katsuki's arm, letting his jaw loll open. Izuku's face was a horror Katsuki would take with him to his grave.

"That needs to get into his lungs," Twice instructed, pointing at the shot glass.

Katsuki growled, taking the hint. Before he could psych himself up, he poured the liquid into Izuku's mouth and plugged the boy's nose. He leaned in, slotted his lips against Izuku's and blew. His breath and the liquid filled Izuku's lungs, his chest rising with the intrusion.

"That works, gross…"

"Shut up…" Katsuki spat and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

The change was immediate. Izuku took a breath. It was silent, shaky, but deep. The exhale was just as effortless. The blue tint of his lips dissipated though he still looked distressingly pale. "Holy shit…" Katsuki's shoulders hunched slightly and he tentatively placed a hand on Izuku's chest. His heart was beating. Beneath his fingers, he felt a rib click and shift. "Holy shit," he repeated, feeling as the steady, bruising pace of Izuku's heart seemed to be grow stronger by the second. "Is he going to be ok…" was what Katsuki had been intending to ask, but an abrupt sob stifled his words. He bit the inside of his cheek and sniffed, trying to get a grip.

Twice understood his meaning and shrugged. "That depends on his ribs and how much time he gets to rest, so not likely.Hey, he's stable, for now.Shut up." Twice rubbed at the back of his neck. His expression was unreadable under his mask.

If Katsuki was being honest, feeling Izuku's heart thrumming under his palm was enough. Whatever that stuff was, it was worth its weight in gold.

Twice hovered his hands over the floor just as a gritty, mud-like substance slipped from within his palms. As it fell, the muck began to take shape, a moment later a roll of gauze, a rag, and a shallow bowl sat on the floor in front of them. Katsuki watched suspiciously but none of the items seemed dangerous. "Lay him down and show me your wrists, or don't, not like we care."

Katsuki hesitated. His wrists stung fiercely and even though it seemed to have worked miracles on Izuku, he was skeptical. "Wouldn't expect a villain to care," he growled and adjusted Izuku in his lap, leaning the boy's back against his chest to keep him upright and close while also freeing up his hands.

Twice 'hmph'ed and swished the jar of liquid a few times before pouring some into the bowl. "Kid," he dipped a corner of the rag into the liquid then tucked it into a dry section, keeping it from dripping on the floor. "The world isn't black and white. Just because I'm not good doesn't mean I want him, or you, dead. You'd think that'd be obvious."

Katsuki glared. "Torturing him is fine though, right?"

Twice flinched and wrapped a gloved hand around Katsuki's right forearm. He shook his head, "That wasn't me."

Katsuki scoffed, "Sure dickwad. You just patch him up after they have their fun. That makes you just as guilty. How often does it get this close, anyways? Bet you like to play the fucking hero an save Izuku's life when shit takes a turn, don't you? Sick bastard…"

Twice let him rant and slowly began to dab the rag into the deep gouges and tears in Katsuki's skin. As he worked, the tension began to leech out of Katsuki's voice and body. By the time Twice had moved on to his other wrist, Katsuki had stopped talking all together.

The liquid was thicker than Katsuki expected, sliding like oil as it wetted the wounds. Katsuki released a shaking breath. Relief spread through the inflamed tissue, and when the pain faded, it didn't leave behind the tingle of numbness or intense fatigue common to healing ointments and quirks.

Twice coated his wrists generously with the stuff. He dipped the rag a final time then handed it to Katsuki who blinked, confused. Before the blond could protest, Twice reached forward, braced bruised face and reset his nose with a satisfying tweak and crunch . Katsuki cursed, blinking away tears. Twice took Katsuki's hand that held the rag and pressed it to his nose. He hadn't realized it was aching so fiercely until it stopped.

The villain took Katsuki's free wrist and wrapped it loosely in gauze then repeated the motion with the other.

There was something to be said about the peace brought by Izuku's improving condition. Here, in a villain's den, under a villain's ministrations, with no way to know where or even when they were, he felt…ok. Katsuki's typical confidence and strength had no place here. There was no certainty or trust. What little hope Katsuki dared to put stock in felt contrived. But the peace he found in Izuku's steadily rising chest, the absences of the horrific gurgle of blood in his lungs…it was everything to him.

The silence was profound in a way he'd never experienced and became what he longed for the moment it ended.

"Gotta put you back, can't have ya trying to escape." Twice said simply, getting to his feet.

Katsuki wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but he instinctually held Izuku closer to his chest and glared at Twice.

"Things'll go better for ya if ya don't argue. Won't be as exciting though…"The warning was hesitant but obvious and Katsuki knew he was in no position to put up a fight. As much as it hurt his already mortally wounded pride, he was outmatched. That didn't stop the slew of colorful curses from dripping from his lips. Twice made to take hold of Izuku but Katsuki snarled and shoved him back with a forearm.

"Don't touch him," he seethed and gently took Izuku back into his arms. He lifted him easily, his weight startling now that he could take notice.

Twice didn't move to stop him. He simply stood back and watched as Katsuki carefully affixed the cuffs to Izuku's wrists before lowering his knees to the floor. He paused as Izuku moaned in discomfort. It was tiny and weak, his eyebrows knotting slightly though he was still dancing the line between sleep and unconsciousness. It broke Katsuki's heart to do this, but there wasn't another choice.

If he tried to fight his way out of here, without his quirk while carrying Izuku's unconscious body, he'd end up getting them both killed, or worse, tortured for attempted escape.

No...he needed to bide his time. If Izuku's theory about his body's response to quirk suppressants was correct, he'd have to be patient...

Katsuki smoothed the furrow between Izuku's eyes with his thumb then grimaced and took his place on the floor beside his friend. He was midway through fastening his own cuffs when he noticed Twice staring at the doorway to the cell. The approaching footsteps drew another curse from Katsuki's lips.

"Jin~" the sing-song voice trilled from the hall. It was enough to make Katsuki freeze and drop the second cuff. "Are they ready for some playtime?! I'm so bored!"

Twice glanced toward Katsuki, an expression of guilt now obvious through his mask as Toga opened the door with a flourish.