A Silent Kind of Strength

Chapter 89

Shouta Aizawa was pissed. Someone had taken his kid. Izuku was gone. Hitoshi was panicking and being held by his remaining partners as they tried to calm him. Hizashi was running around gathering a team of heroes to help track down their missing child. And Mia was on a warpath hacking their cell service to get the records of Izuku's last movements a few days faster. Her daughter watched over her shoulder with a white knuckled grip in the back of the woman's chair.

Shouta was watching over Nezu's shoulder as the rat scanned through local surveillance feeds for the third time. Unfortunately Izuku seemed to disappear in between one camera's view and the next. So the rat had switched to looking for anyone who seemed suspicious or out of place. Unfortunately the mammal had managed to miss their first clue on the first few rounds of watch throughs. But this time Aizawa caught it. A flash of blonde hair and a vaguely familiar ish face. One he had only seen once. In a report. A file he had on his desk in the lounge ready for Izuku's upcoming court case.

"Nezu. There!" He pointed and the principal quickly zoomed in to check on what the underground hero had seen. Both of them confirmed that yes, that was Meishu Kurai. And he was with two other men, one of which was carrying a large bag of some sort.

The rat was on the phone immediately following the men on the cameras as far as he could. He did eventually lose them but they had a general idea of direction. And a handy address on file that just so happened to be in that area.

Tsukauchi had a team on the way as soon as he had the apartment number. Promising to call them as soon as he had news. But Shouta couldn't just wait. He told his husband to watch the kids and launched himself out the window before racing to the car. He would be there when they busted down the door and no one would stop him. No one would dare.

He made it to the complex just as the police knocked on the door, demanding entrance. After a moment or two of no response and a second warning call they brought forth the battering ram. The crunch of breaking wood and snapping hinges was satisfying and Aizawa held himself back for as long as possible before following the officers into the apartment.

He was ready to find his kid, bring him home to their weird little family, and smother him in good food and cuddle time. Except… Izuku wasn't there. Nothing was in the apartment except the basic furniture that came with the rental and some moldy leftovers in the fridge. Shouta's heart dropped to his feet with the realization that Izuku just… wasn't there. They were too late.

___

Hitoshi curled up tighter against Denki. He hadn't unwound from his tight ball of misery since Eraserhead had called to let Hizashi know that Izuku was no longer at the apartment. The blonde had been forced to carry his son to the car, allowing the other three distraught teens to come home with them in the name of watching over them so they didn't do something stupid.

He had settled them on the floor in front of the tv, a pile of blankets thrown at them so they could burrow as needed and a coffee table of tea and snacks at arms reach. He and Mia then retreated up to the office to help with the search remotely.

The kids were left alone to wallow in worry and field frantic texts from their friends. Hitoshi and Mei were definitely taking this situation the hardest, understandable with how soon after Hitoshi's own kidnapping it was. But Mei hadn't let go of Hitoshi's hand since they got in the door, holding it close to her chest like it was her only life line.