Chapter 10: A price to be Paid

"Toga." Katsuki spat, the name tasting vile on his tongue. He could only imagine what that bitch was using his blood to accomplish, especially with as weak as Izuku had become.

Twice nodded, though a look of pure guilt and regret twisted his masked features. "And me."

The moment his arms were free, Katsuki grabbed the villain by the front of his costume and hauled him closer. "Explain."

"This is bullshit! Can you use your quirk or not!?Shut up stupid, I'm talking! Fuck you man!" Twice clutched at his head, hands shaking. His alters were bad today. He made no move to escape Katsuki's grasp. "Sorry. My quirk. I can double objects, myself, and others. All I need are precise measurements. The boss uses disposable Katsukis to break him down. Toga uses your body to comfort him."

Katsuki winced, mind running wild with the implications. Twice put a hand to Katsuki's wrist, drawing his attention away from his thoughts. "We need to get him out."

"How…" Katsuki was ashamed, his voice cracking on the single word.

"Compress, Dabi, and Big Sis are away. That leaves the boss, Toga, and Spinner."

It wasn't hard to do the math. As he was, starving, injured, naked, and nearly quirkless, getting both of them out in one piece? Impossible, even with the lowered headcount.

"Katsuki." Twice's tone was grim but steady. "What are you willing to do to get him out."

"Anything," he breathed.

"Even if your freedom is the price?"

Katsuki tensed, "Deku wouldn't leave without me, even if I was a corpse. The moment that little shit could walk, he'd come right back."

Twice scoffed, shaking his head, "I don't doubt that. Selfless to a fault, if you ask me. But he won't be leaving without you. Just not the real you."

Ice prickled unter Katsuki's skin. "He'd know." An almost mournful chuckle chilled him further. Twice stood, easily pulling out of Katsuki's grip.

"No. He won't. As long as I don't die and the double doesn't die, they'd both grow old never knowing the truth. It's a perfect double, down to your memories."

Katsuki took a moment to let that sink in then let out a shaking breath. "I wouldn't- it wouldn't know it's a fake?"

Before Twice could answer he stiffened, gaze snapping to the cell door. "Shit-I thought we'd have more time! Do what you can, give yourself an opening. This is gonna suck…"

It was then that Katsuki heard the muffled sound of something soft being dragged outside the cell. Footsteps and muttering grew louder, the voice was broken and yet so beautifully familiar.

Twice was right, this was going to suck. It had been a while since he had seen Izuku. There was no telling how physically or mentally broken he'd be. There wouldn't be another chance to get him out. This had to be perfect.

Katsuki flexed his hands, trying to work the blood back into his fingers and wrists. His entire body was stiff and sore as he rose to a crouch. As Izuku drew nearer, his words slowly began to register, and what he heard held a crushing weight.

"No. Shiga- no- please…Shigara-raki. Don't kill him." Izuku wheezed. He was crying, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he begged. "Not again…not Ka-Kacchan. I- I'll be good-"

"Shut up!" There was a dull thump and a whimper but Deku's babbling didn't stop. "Thats the last time I let her fucking drug you."

The door swung open and Shigaraki tossed the shaking boy inside then froze. Time stopped for everyone except Izuku, his one working eye settling on Katsuki, the other was swollen shut and surrounded by severe bruising. "Ka-Kacchan…" he whispered, already crawling clumsily toward him. His movements were stunted , his left arm cradled to his chest and his legs…one twisted at an impossible angle and looked dislocated at the hip, the other had been skinned from knee to ankle. "Kacchan I'm sorry. I'll be good," Izuku croaked.

In an instant, the boy was in his lap, his chest flush with Katsuki's and his arm wrapped desperately around his neck. Then he went still.

"What the fuck is this!?" Shigaraki rounded on Twice, whatever he said after that, Katsuki couldn't care less, that was Twice's problem for now.

Izuku was quiet for a moment, just breathing, the tension in him melting. "This Kacchan smells like caramel. Like real Kacchan. Love you, Kacchan." He mused softly between his promises and apologies. Katsuki smoothed a hand down Izuku's grotesquely scarred back.

The boy in his arms was so thin, so broken, and yet he was perfect. Katsuki nuzzled his nose into Izuku's hair, wishing he still smelled like ozone and mint. For one selfish moment Katsuki wound his arms around Izuku and held on with a desperation he hoped Izuku would never understand. The finality of this moment hung like a noose around his neck.

"Oi, Izuku." He said, his gentle tone enough to quiet Izuku's muttering, his lips brushing against Izuku's ear. "It's time to go home. Yeah?"

"Kacchan?" Izuku's eye was wide and glassy as he drew back to stare into Katsuki's face.

"Be g-good ok? I'll- I'll be right behind you." Moving Izuku off his lap and prying his arms from around his neck was torture, that one green eye so confused and almost hurt as Katsuki stood, leaving him on the ground. It was time to be the old Katsuki.

He settled into a crouch, hands like claws at his side as he plastered a sneer on his face. The expression felt good, and yet, somehow out of place. "OI! You crusty Fuck!" Katsuki growled.

Shigaraki turned, fist raised in an aborted punch once directed at Twice. Before he could speak Katsuki was on him, his quirk crackling to life in his palms as he collided with the villain's chest. To his satisfaction, the explosion was bigger than he expected, deafening, violent, and destructive. Ash and dust swirl and Shigaraki was howling. After one look at Twice, Katsuki followed Shigaraki's body deeper into the room.

His head was throbbing as he ducked under the villain's wild flailing and somehow Katsuki was able to wrap a hand around the man's wrist. The next explosion was sloppy but he felt the skin bubbling and the bones shatter against his palm. Shigaraki screamed, his words unintelligible as he threw himself at Katsuki. His deadly palm missed by mere inches as Katsuki dodged, his muscles working purely from memory and instinct.

There was nothing graceful about his movements and he was already out of breath but giving up wasn't an option. This would be his only chance.

The deep shadows of the cell worked to Katsuki's advantage as he ducked and rolled closer to the door, leaving Shigaraki in the dust and debris.

The next explosion threw the world into chaos. Katsuki hit the ground as sunlight filled the cell. Bits of wall and ceiling pelted him as he searched for the cause. An odd mix of emotions tumbled through him as he caught sight of the culprit.

His doppleganger stood, wreathed in dust and sunlight. The image of a hero. Izuku struggled to his feet, legs wobbling as Katsuki disposed of his spent gauntlet. Fake-Katsuki's eyes were glued to him, pure, righteous rage radiating from them and he pulled the boy into his arms. The way Izuku clung to him made the real Katsuki's chest ache. Izuku was beyond realizing his Kacchan was right here, buried under the remains of his cell, even though mere moments ago he was cradled against his chest.

Fake-Katsuki didn't wait for the other villains to make his job more difficult. With Izuku in his arms, his job here was done, his eyes not straying back into the depths of the cell. His mouth was moving, but Katsuki couldn't hear him, could only watch as Izuku nodded and clung tighter to him. Then, with a smirk, the copy took to the sky and disappeared from view, leaving Katsuki behind.