Phenomenon

Chapter 32: Child Soldier

I should have known that the brief reprieve I had from trauma was going to end as soon as it started. The very next day, after I had painted my positive portrait for Natsu-san, I bad news was delivered to me. The commission couldn't be swayed. They were adamant on their decision, not even several high ranking pro heroes complaining or two health professionals advising against my involvement swayed them. They must have been pretty desperate to be so stuck in their ways and completely disregard the fact that I was in no way stable enough to partake in the hideout raid, especially in the position that I was assigned.

"I'm sorry, Izu, they won't listen. Natsu-san, Ihro-san, Nemuri, Emi, Papa, me, Rock Lock, NightEye, All Might and a whole bunch of other heroes have tried to object to this idea, but they won't have it. They're too stuck in their idiotic ways." Dad scowled, eyes glued to the tabletop as he spoke. The amount of disgust and anger in his ebony eyes was unnerving. Dad was usually such a stoic, emotionless man, not even his eyes portrayed his deepest emotions. But in certain situations, let's say his son being forced to partake in a villain hideout rade despite the fact that he is obviously not mentally stable enough to do so, his emotions leaked through the cracks and painted a rare picture on his face.

"I... I guess there's not much that can be done, then. I... I'll just do it, not that I have a choice. If I'm helping someone, I'm sure it'll be worth it." I sighed. As soon as I had seen the look in my dad's eyes when I entered his room, I knew what was to come. I came to terms with the fact that I was being used as an expendable object. To the hero commission, my life held no meaning. It was hard to accept, but it was the unfortunate truth. There was no longer any point in even trying to fight fate.

"Please don't talk like that, Izuku. Your life is just as important as the girl's life. If we can't get you out of this, we'll try our very hardest to make this mission as safe as we can, ok?" Dad whispered. I felt a familiar hand fall onto my head, looking up through my eyelashes, I saw my dad looking at me with deep eyes swirling with paternal love and worry.

"OK." I hummed. In all honesty, by this point, I was devoid of any sort of emotion. I was going into this without any sort of emotion. That was dangerous. A dangerous game to play. One that I was engaging in without any sort of regard as to how I would turn out.

Several days passed after the news was delivered to me. I had confided in Tsu, Ochako, Hitoshi and Kiri about not being able to get out of the rescue mission and they had all been furious on my behalf. It was as though the anger which they had tried to bury as far down as possible on the day of the meeting resurfaced with a vengeance. Ochako went off on a rant, only being calmed by her girlfriend's hand on her back. Tsu had vehemently declared her distaste for the situation alongside Hitoshi. The two of them said very little, but the disgust on their faces and in their voices when they did finally speak was enough to guess how they felt. Kirishima was a mixture of these two reactions. Cursing the hero commission like a drunken sailor, proclaiming rather resolutely that 'They're not manly at all. Where do they get off sending us into this situation? I want to experience as much as the next hero course student, but I'm not much up to being used as a child soldier.'.

"I've given up hope now. Dad said that they won't change their mind and there's no way any of us will be able to get out of this." I sighed tiredly, arm thrown across my eyes as I sprawled myself out comfortably on Ochako's floor.

"That's no way to think, Izuku. Your right, of course, but it's best to go into this situation as positive as possible." Tsu declared wisely from Ochako's bed.

"I don't understand how any of us can be positive, least of all Izuku. He's not just going in accompanied by a pro, he's going in alone. That's really scary! I doubt that's even legal, sending a teenager into such a high-risk situation when he only has a provisional license. This is work for a qualified pro hero, the commission is just being lazy. They could very easily recruit someone from a different country." Ochako tutted from her position tucked into Tsu's side. Her brown eyes were almost black with rage as she cursed and slandered the hero commission.