Your a cure I was looking for

Take her place

Take her place

Izuku was given a small room to stay in. It was dark, illuminated only by a single lantern. The room contained a wooden chabudai table paired with a small zaisu chair and a futon bed. Without the lantern, the room would have been pitch black.

A diminutive door led into a tiny bathroom, furnished with a small toilet, a sink, and a shower cubicle.

He was unable to leave, as the door was locked. Earlier, a man had entered the room wearing a bird mask and dressed in a white cloak, bringing a plate of food.

Izuku was surprised by the meal he was given. The square plate held an assortment of sushi, a bowl of salad, a rice ball, two cuts of fish, and two bottles of water.

The food was delicious and satiating. After eating, Izuku began to feel tired and decided to go to sleep.

As he lay on the futon, it felt oddly comfortable. Even though he was a prisoner, his captors were taking good care of him. However, he couldn't help but wonder about their intentions for him.

Later, Izuku was awakened by the sound of the door opening. He rubbed his eyes and saw two men dressed in white cloaks and bird masks.

"Get up, boy. The boss wants to see you," they commanded as Izuku rose and followed them.

He was taken to a room resembling a hospital, complete with surgical equipment, but it was dimly lit with only a light overhanging a patient chair.

Kai was there and seemed pleased to see Izuku. "Oh, you're here, good. You can help me out."

"With what?" Izuku asked, then noticed a little girl being placed onto the chair.

"Izuku, I'd like you to meet Eri. She has been assisting me with her quirk; she can rewind things, especially to remove people's diseases or quirks," Kai explained, but something didn't sit right with Izuku.

Eri looked small and fragile, with bluish, off-white hair that was messy and unkempt, parting in the middle of her forehead and almost reaching her waist. Her eyes were very wide and innocent-looking, bright red in color. A small, brown horn protruded from the right side of her forehead. She wore a plain, short-sleeved dress of a dirty, pale tan color, and bandages were wrapped around both her arms and legs, ending at her wrists and ankles.

"Why is she bandaged up?" Izuku inquired, concerned for the young child.

The man revealed numerous scars on her arms and legs, causing Izuku to pale upon realizing that it was not normal for a child to bear so many scars.

Kai approached Izuku. "I need to extract pieces of her skin and blood to manufacture special bullets that can remove quirks."

Kai picked up a surgical knife and moved toward Eri, poised to start, but Izuku intervened.

"No! You can't do that to her!" Izuku protested, grabbing Kai's arm, only to be shoved away as an electrified man restrained him.

Kai faced Izuku. "You understand why I need her. I can't just let her go," he said, pointing the knife at Izuku. "On the other hand, I could use you instead, if you prefer she not be harmed further."

Izuku looked at Eri, who was trembling with fear. "I'll take her place if that's what you're asking. Just please don't hurt her anymore."

Kai nodded in agreement. "Good. Now remove your shirt and sit in the chair so we can begin."

The men released Izuku. He complied, unbuttoning his shirt, taking it off, and then sitting in the chair. Izuku's gaze turned to Eri. "Can you please take her out of here? I don't want her to witness this."

"Of course. Shin, take Eri back to her room," Kai ordered as he looked down at Izuku. "You are definitely going to be of great use to me and my plans, Izuku Midoriya."

Izuku looked up at Kai, who was holding the surgery knife. A look of pure horror crossed his face, and he quickly closed his eyes so as not to see what Kai was about to do.

Outside the room, Eri was escorted back to her own room. However, as she moved further away, the screams of pain from Izuku echoed through the halls. Eri covered her ears, tears streaming down her face, knowing the sacrifice Izuku had made to spare her from another day of suffering.

The chapter ends with a heavy silence, broken only by the fading echoes of pain and the quiet sobs of a child who has just been given a glimpse of hope by an unexpected act of selflessness.

To be continued...