Sons of Eraserhead | Dadzawa [BOOK 1]

Chapter 3 - Black Hair Amidst The Smoke

Shota hated missions like this. They were the darkest part of his job. In the middle of the night his Agency had called for him to assist in a Search and Rescue mission. A row of houses across town had gone up in flames. The fire had been extinguished, but the wreckage hadn't been moved as of yet. 

He dragged himself out of bed and pulled on his hero costume.

"Shota?" Hizashi muttered, still half asleep. 

"Mission across town. They need me right away. Tell Hitoshi and Neito I'll be back soon." 

"Take care. Love you." Hizashi rubbed his face and sat up in bed.

"Love you too." Shota said before he swung out of their bedroom window into the breaking dawn.

The fire was easy enough to find - the cloud of black smoke still lurked above the ashes, looking down upon the damage it had wreaked in the night. He swung down to the ground, landing beside the Pro Hero who was on patrol when the fire was first reported. 

"Eraserhead, glad you're here." 

"Has anybody been pulled out yet?" Shota asked, securing a smoke filter mask over his mouth.

"Yes."

"Alive?" 

"...no. They think they've found everyone, though."

"Think is not a definite." Shota snapped has he approached the charred remains of so many homes and livelihoods. He kicked aside a pile of blackened beams and listened. Listened for any sound that could mean life. A mumble. A grunt. A wheeze. Anything. 

He listened hard for ages, eyes gliding over the remains. Moving anything could cause an avalanche or collapse, both of which could endanger anyone still in the wreck. He was about to turn away when he heard it. 

A cough. 

From inside the rubble.

"SOMEONES INSIDE!" He yelled. "THEY'RE ALIVE!" He scrambled up the mountain of bricks, ignoring protests from below. He stopped and began tearing apart the rubble.

A hand. It flinched. The person was definitely alive.

He sent brick after brick, plank after plank, tumbling down to the ground. Finally a face was revealed. Shota's heart sank. 

"IT'S A CHILD!" He screamed over his shoulder. As gently as he could, he pulled the boy from the rubble. Scooping one arm behind his knees and one over his shoulders, he lifted the child. Behind him, the Pro had their arms outstretched, ready to take the survivor down to the ambulance waiting on standby. Shota handed him over, then slid down the wreckage after checking the area for anyone else. There were none. 

The boy was loaded into the back of the ambulance efficiently and hooked up to all kinds of monitors.

"Let me in." Shota growled to the medic who was about the close the doors in his face. "Now." Not wanting to waste time arguing, they let him in. He sat at the foot of the stretcher. From what he could see, the boy hadn't suffered from any breakages - which was a miracle in itself. 

The ride to the hospital was silent other than the regular beep of the heart monitor. His heart was steady. He was breathing. He was alive. Dehydrated, but alive.

*******

Shota stayed with the boy as he was rolled into the hospital and to the Emergency Department. He waited outside whilst the nurses and doctors performed a full examination. He was still outside the the boy's room until noon, when he received a call from Hizashi.