Why do children have to be so small?

Rescue

We're outside the building, waiting for the signal to head inside. My team consists of me, Nemuri, Ken and Snipe. The rest are at the front, making a distraction. We'll sneak in the backway, hopefully unnoticed, get the kids and then get right out of there. The rescue is the priority. The signal could come at any second, my whole body is tensed up. My cast was removed 6 days ago. Those 6 days, I've spent exercising as much as possible. I needed to be strong for this. Nemuri is constantly keeping an eye on me, in case I fall over or something. And I thought Hizashi was overprotective. 

There it is, the signal. It's do or die. Nemuri opens the door and we all rush inside. We need to locate where they are and get them out quick as hell. I have an ambulance on speed dial if needed. Hopefully we won't meet anyone on the way, and if that's the case, Nemuri can take them out. We reach a three way crossing and split up. Snipe and Ken go alone, Nemuri goes with me. We all have hidden microphones and earbuds in case we need to contact each other. Hizashi has one too, under his headphones. 
"What do we do if we don't find them?"
I've started losing hope. Sure, we found where the call was made from, but this is practically a labyrinth.
"Or if they're dead?"
"Shota you can't think like that. We'll find them, they're somewhere around here."
"And if they're n-"
"Sch."
"No, let me ta-"
"Shota I heard something! Shut up for two seconds!"
She puts a hand on my chest to stop me, listening for the sound again.
"There it is again! Can you hear it?"
"No…?"
"I thought Hizashi was the only one who needed hearing aids. It's Eri, come on!"
She grabs my arm and pulls me away. 
"Wha- how can you hear that? I didn't hear anything!"
"Because you're deaf!"
She drags me through the corridor, down the stairs. We end up in a basement-like space. It's dimly lit and damp. Everything smells weird. 
"Can you hear her yet?"
"N- wait. Maybe."
There's a very faint cry of a very small child.
"Oh my god it's her."
I rip my arm from Nemuri's grip and run towards the noise.
"I'm coming, princess! Hang in there!"
"Hey, stay quiet, Shota. There could be people here!"
"Then take them out!"
I don't care about getting caught or beat up, I only have to get to them. Nothing else matters. I think I might have ran past someone, but a couple of seconds I hear them drop to the floor. Nemuri must be using her quirk. The crying becomes louder and louder, I must be getting close. I end up in front of a door.
"Princess? Are you in there?"
"Daddy!?"
I let out a sigh of relief.
"Is anyone else there?"
"Hitoshi, he's stuck…"
"No one else? Just you two?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'm coming inside."
I take out one of my caltrops and stick it inside the lock on the door. It's thin and small, it should work…
-Click-
The door opens. The room behind it is even darker than the corridor outside, and a lot colder. And there she is, Eri, my princess, on the floor.
"Oh my little princess…"
I hurry over to her and pick her up. I hold her tight against my chest. I'm not letting go of her ever again.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"N-no, but…"
"But what, princess? What is it?"
She sobs against my shoulder, gripping my shirt with her tiny fists.
"T-they hurt 'Toshi…"
She points to a glass door on the opposite wall. Nemuri comes rushing in.
"Did you find the-"
I give Eri a quick kiss on her forehead before handing her over to Nemuri.
"You stay with Nemuri, okay? I'll go get your brother and then we get out of here. I won't be gone for longer than a couple of minutes."
I kiss her again before heading to the glass door she pointed to. Eri clings onto Nemuri's shoulder. She's scared and touch starved. And now when I think of it, she's a lot lighter than before. They must have been starving them like they said they would. 
I look through the glass door. Half hung up is my son. His wrists are tied in rope, strung up in the ceiling. His feet are just barely touching the floor. I touch the door handle. It's locked as well.
"Fuck it."
I take a couple of steps back and force my shoulder into the glass door at full power. The door breaks and I can head inside.
"Hitoshi? Please tell me you're awake…"
He slowly lifts his head. His face is covered in blood, most of it coming from his head and a large wound across his face. It goes from under his left eye all over to his right cheek, crossing his nose.
"We'll match now, dad."
I can't help myself. My eyes fill with tears and I run up to him. I have to physically stop myself from hugging him. He could be hurt more. 
"Let's get out of here."
"Eri-"
"Is with Nemuri right outside. She's safe and you will be too, okay?"
I reach up and untie his right wrist from the rope. He winces as I touch his arm. 
"Does it hurt when I touch your arm?"
He nods slowly, looking down at the floor again. It could be broken, or it's just the burn marks from the rope. I don't have time to find out.
"I'll try to be as careful as possible, okay? Hang in there."
I slowly untie his left wrist and he drops to the floor. I don't think he has enough energy to stand on his own.
"I'm gonna carry you on my back with my capture weapon, okay? Just tell me if anything hurts when I touch it."
I remove my capture weapon and start wrapping it around his body, the exact same way I did when I found him in that alley ten years ago. Except this time he's triple in size. I press his chest against my back and wrap the rest of my scarf around my chest and shoulders. I pick up his legs and stand up.
"Just try to stay awake for as long as possible, we're going straight to the hospital."
"Denki…"
"Denki can wait. You need to be taken care of."
I leave the small room he was in. Nemuri is still standing outside with Eri pressed against her chest.
"Let me take her."
"Are you sure you ca-"
"Yes, I can. Give her to me."
She hesitates but still hands Eri to me. I press her against my chest.
"You stay awake too, okay princess? I know you're tired but you need to stay awake until we get to the hospital. It's not far."