"Nrrrgggh," Katsuko managed, and grinned up at him. "Totally...awesome."

Shooting a glance at Masahiko's rotting form, she added, "But you shoulda...let me knock him around a bit...first."

Too much. Her throat burned. Overtaxed lungs seized and jarred her bruised ribs as she coughed, triggering a blinding pain that left her curled around herself. Oh fuck oh fuck she couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't move--

She scrabbled weakly at her chakra, a drowning man clutching at a life preserver; Ryouma shifted and kneeled down beside her. One leg settled warm beside her own; his hand brushed at her hair. Startled, she went still and felt him fumble his first two fingers onto the pressure point between her neck and ear. Chakra, cool and comforting and not hers, flowed into her pathways. Her lungs shuddered open all at once, almost bursting as oxygen slammed into her airways.

Katsuko blinked her eyes open and fumbled her hand onto Ryouma's arm, noting with detached amusement that she couldn't even close her fingers around his wrist, and squeezed it once in wordless thanks.

They stayed like that until her heart stopped jackhammering in her ears, long enough for her to determine that she could still move all her fingers and toes and for her to tentatively feel for his chakra.

Kami.

How did Ryouma even have enough left to give her a jolt? Her energy nearly swamped his, her swollen chakra almost eclipsing the guttering ashes he had left in his system. Her eyes skittered towards his waist, looking for the equipment belt that usually held soldier pills, but it had been torn off in the fight. The long gash at his hip where a blade had sliced off the belt ties was still bleeding.

Damn it all to hells. Because of her chakra, she didn't carry soldier pills with her on missions--if she ever got to the point where even her inexhaustible reserves needed replenishing, it would be when she was dead or as good as.

They still needed to burn the fortress--her clones had set themselves up and were waiting for her signal--and make their escape, and she doubted her partner would even be able to stand up the way he was now. He needed energy, and fast.

A surge of worry and a large amount of determination let her push herself up on one hand, bringing her level with, well...Ryouma's chin.

Good enough.

He grinned weakly at her as she tugged his mask off, dropping the stylized ram's head like so much trash. She traced the contours of his face, searching for signs of chakra exhaustion.

"You're okay," she said. It was a question and reassurance, all in one.

Ryouma gave a half-shrug and quickly stilled it. "I'll live." The grin grew stronger. "Better'n them."

The rat mask came off with a little more difficulty, since she couldn't see the ties, but she breathed easier when the barrier of cold white porcelain was gone.

If he asked questions later, she could always say she'd hit her head.

"Chakra jolt," she gave a crooked little smirk, raising an eyebrow. "Just returning the favor."

She cupped a hand around the back of his neck to bring their mouths together, just a hard press of dry, chapped lips, and opened her chakra to him.