Phenomenon

Chapter 34: Rescued 2.0

*Aizawa's POV*

The week leading up to the raid on the villain's base was one of the most stress-inducing and nerve-wracking of my life. Every waking moment was spent buried under layers of anxiety and guilt. The limited-time I spent asleep was consumed by nightmares of the worst-case scenario. What if Izuku wasn't ok? What if he ended up being discovered by the villains and killed? Or handed over to the Leauge, right back into that scumbag's hands? Guilt plagued me like a bad smell and wouldn't disperse no matter what I tried to do. Truthfully, I don't think I wanted it to go away.

I felt as though I should have tried harder to get Izuku out of being in the mission. I should have argued against the Commission more, insisting that Izuku not be permitted to take part in the mission, no matter what they said. But what did they care? That wasn't their son out all on his own in a hostile environment. They didn't give a rat's ass if something triggered Izuku and he was exposed. All they cared about was getting drugs off of the street, and whilst that was a noble cause, the use of a teenager in their plan was unnecessary and appalling. Bile rose in my throat every time I thought of the horrors which could be befalling my son whilst I paced in my bedroom, Hizashi's worried eyes following my every movement.

...

I could feel myself practically vibrating in place as I listened to Nighteye and some high ranking police officer drone on and on about the objective of the mission and everyone's roles. As vital as the information was, I found it hard to listen when the knowledge that one of my kids was in the belly of the beast constantly knocked around my skull.

"Thanks to the information relayed to us by Deviant," I felt my body tense slightly at the mention of Izuku, " we know how to get to the place which Eri is being kept. This means we will be able to navigate the maze of corridors on the lower levels and apprehend the villains as efficiently as possible." Nigheye droned.

"Ryukyu and her agency will stay up top with the police to ensure everyone is kept safe and no one escapes. Fatgum and his agency members will work alongside a small group of police officers, The Nighteye agency and Eraserhead to apprehend the high ranking villains and rescue Eri. Deviant has already been told the plan and should follow it accordingly." The Police Chief spoke up.

"It is vital that you all keep an eye out for each other. Deviant has told us as much as he can but he couldn't tell us everything. He heard whispers that The League of Villains may have given Overhaul and his group a Nomu. How they created this Nomu without All for One, we are unsure of, but please bear this in mind when we enter the base. Understood?" Nighteye called. There were chants from all around me, affirming that they understood and were ready to go.

I sighed heavily as the weight of the situation weighed down on me further. I glanced around at all of my students. I had wanted to stop them, but just as with Izuku, it seemed I hadn't tried hard enough. They were still going to aid in the raid. They were still going to be placed in harm's way. They were only first years. 15 and 16 years old. No matter how experienced they may be with the grim reality of the battlefield, they shouldn't be on it. They shouldn't know every feature of war like it's an old friend they greet frequently. They were only teenagers, and yet I had failed as their teacher, they had long since lost the blind naivety which accompanied the dream of becoming a hero. The rose-tinted shield had been peeled away far too soon.

...

Standing in front of the hideout, my anxieties mounted even more. My son was in that building. It looked so innocent. A simple house modelled in the classic Japanese style. It didn't seem possible that such a nefarious person could be lurking within the depths of the innocent-looking house. It seemed preposterous that anything illegal should be happening in the house bordered by blossoming sakura trees.