We're all a bit crazy

23 - Punishments

⚠️TW⚠️

Now that Izuku really got a look at the place. This was not UA.

The bedroom Izuku and Ochako were sharing was like a cell. Heck it was one if they were being honest. The walls and floors were concrete. There were barely any lights and the lights they did have were either broken or flickering. They had no furniture what so ever, except for two mats that acted as beds, both having a blanket and pillow.

Their bathroom was better than their room. The floors were tiled and they had an actual toilet and a better shower than UA. The only downfall was that there was no windows or mirror. The door that led to the hallway was metal, bars lined the top so they practically had no privacy. And a small screen was placed in the corner, to the right of the door.

Where they were was a mystery. There were no windows anywhere from what Izuku saw.

He was currently sitting in his room, staring down at what he assumed was food. Uraraka sat next to him, she wasn't giving any food for some god forsaken reason. It was pathetic.

"What are you thinking about Deku?" She broke his train of thought, he snapped back to reality and looked at her.

"How come we don't get to eat with the other patients. And how come you don't get food?" As if on cue Ochakos stomach growled. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, a frown resting on her face.

"I dunno... They know I have an ED, in a way I'm grateful they're not giving me food but I didn't starve myself for days without some sort of snack or drink..." She trailed off as her stomach growled once more.

Ochako was taken aback as the burnt piece of toast was placed on her lap. She glance at Izuku. "Eat it Chako."

She glanced down at it, a frown resting on her face. "I can't take your food Deku..."

"Yes you can, I ate last night, you didn't, you need to eat this morning, can you do that for me?" Izuku gave her a reassuring smile. Ochako was hesitant but when her stomach grumbled for the third time in five minutes she gave in, taking a bite.

Izuku chuckled to himself as he watched Ochako devour the piece, black crumbs falling into her lap and littering around her mouth. He placed the paper plate on the floor next to him, waiting for the brunette to finished the burnt piece of toast.

Once Ochako was finished she sighed, visibly relaxing. "Burnt toast isn't that bad y'know."

Izuku looked at her dumbfounded. "Um. Yes it is."

"Oh you're lying to yourself. It's quite delicious." She said with a grin.

"There's something seriously wrong with you if you think that."

"No there's something wrong with-" Ochako was cut off as a scream echoed down the hallways.

"No please! Don't take me there! I'll do anything! Please don't take me there again! I'll do anything! I won't talk back again! I'm sorry!" The person screamed.

Izuku and Ochako looked at each other before standing up, they cautiously made their way over to the door. They peered out the bars as they saw a pink skinned girl being dragged down the hallway by her hair.

"Mina..." Ochako whispered.

As Mina and two guards walked past their door a baton was smashed onto the bars. Making Izuku and Ochako jump back, their fingers retracting as they barely missed getting broken. "Mind your business freaks." One of the guards hissed. Keeping an eye on the two before they
went through automatic doors. Mina's screams and pleads died down as the doors locked behind the three.

Ochako teared up as she listened helplessly to Mina's faint screams. Everyone knew where those doors led to. It was the punishing quarters. If you didn't comply with directions or were disobedient you were sent there. There were multiple different rooms for different punishments.

The screen came to life as Mina was shown being shoved into a room full of mirrors. The guards stripped her of her clothes, leaving her in her bra and undies, before locking her in the room.

She banged and banged on the door, pleading to be let out. Tears streamed down her face as her hands became red.

Ochako teared up at the sight.

Despite the size of the screen the picture quality was amazing, which didn't help with the more brutal punishments. The loud speakers didn't help either. Akio and Haru decided it would be a good idea to place these screens in every single room. The speakers littered the hallways and were placed in the rooms. So even if you didn't watch, the sound haunted you. They concluded that it would teach the patients to not disobey, most of the punishments were shown and some were not, dependant on the severity of them. It was a sick sick way, to push rules into you.

After ten minutes of begging, Mina calmed down, she was sitting against the door, her knees brought up to her chest, as her head rested on top of them.

Another 5 minutes later passed as soft sniffles were heard. That was when people started speaking to her through speakers in the room.

They were calling her fat and ugly. How no one would love an alien freak. How her eyes were scary and how everyone was afraid of them. And that the reason that she was lonely was because people were afraid of her, afraid of her quirk, afraid of how she looks, afraid that she was going to hurt them

Mina's sobs took off again as she pleaded for the voices to stop. But no matter how many times she pleaded the voices came back stronger, they were sending more hurtful and mean comments her way.

The mirrors didn't help. Mina tried to use her quirk but the quirk cancelling cuffs stopped her from doing so. So she started punching the mirrors, the shards covering the ground.

Once she was done she gasped. There were no longer several reflections off her but millions. She dropped to the ground in defeat, not caring about the shards digging into her legs, and covered her ears. Begging for everyone to stop.

For 20 minutes this went on for. Ochako was a sobbing mess as she yelled for them to stop. But it was no use, the taunts persisted.

Mina finally gave in and picked up a shard, dragging it over her thigh. Crimson beads trickled out and ran down her leg as she went deeper and deeper with each cut. Finally the door was opened and guards held her down.

A medic team came in and treated her wounds, carefully taking the tiny shards of glass out her legs. Wrapping up her cuts with gauze before walking out again.

Mina was a sobbing mess as she was pulled to her feet and pushed out the room.

The screen finally turned off. Ochako was curled up into Izukus chest as she covered her ears, tears running down her face.

Izuku was silent. Running his hand through Ochakos hair, he was lost in thought as Mina's screams and pleads ran through his head. It was like it was on loop. He couldn't get away. He just wanted everything to stop hurting. And for it to go back to the way it was. But of course, nothing ever stays the same.

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Published - April 16 2023