Leaning against the wall of Rumi's training room, Izuku swiped through various reports and files on his phone as the rabbit hero pounded away on one of the heavy punching bags. It had been a few days since the visit to UA, and the two partners had kept themselves busy hunting down leads on PLF cells as well as taking part in Rumi's normal pro-hero duties.
Today was shaping up to be a slow day. Not much criminal activity was being reported, and there were no more leads to chase down regarding the PLF.
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku could tell that Rumi was trying to sneak up on him while he was distracted with his phone. Pretending to not notice, Izuku had to suppress a grin as he waited for Rumi to strike.
Like a panther leaping towards its prey, Rumi jumped forward with a flying kick, clearly intending to knock Izuku off his feet.
Dropping his phone, Izuku ducked under the kick and went to draw his pistol, but was surprised when Rumi rebounded off the wall and tackled him to the ground. Determined not to go down without a fight, Izuku hooked one leg over his partner and used the movement to gain the top position.
The two wrestled on the floor for almost a full minute, neither of them able to gain the advantage over the other. Rumi had strength on her side, but Izuku had years of experience and technique under his belt.
After some struggling, Izuku finally was able to gain the upper hand and pin Rumi to the floor. Breathing heavily, Izuku kept an iron grip on Rumi's arms as he straddled her torso.
"Nice try." Izuku said between breaths. "But you are still sloppy. With your strength advantage you should be able to easily pin me."
Her chest rising and falling in time with her heavy breathing, Rumi grinned cheekily and flicked one of her rabbit ears against Izuku's face. "So you're the kind of guy who likes to be on top huh?"
It took a second for Izuku to understand the innuendo in Rumi's words, and upon realizing what kind of position he was in he quickly let go and stepped back while trying to keep a blush off his face. "S-shut up. You know that was for a reason."
Smiling knowingly, Rumi sat up and stretched her arms. "No need to be shy Izuku." She said flirtatiously. "Lots of girls like a guy who can take charge. No shame in knowing your preferences."
Frowning, Izuku stood up and offered his hand to Rumi. "You keep talking like that I am going to start thinking you actually mean what you say."
Taking Izuku's offered hand, Rumi pulled herself to her feet and gave him a wink. "What would you do if I did?"
Izuku was not sure how to respond, but was saved when his phone started to buzz loudly.
Picking his smartphone up off the floor, Izuku skimmed through the text and straightened out his suit jacket. "Looks like the analysts found something. Says we are needed to flush some rats out of hiding."
Izuku did not notice the look of disappointment on Rumi's face as she sighed irritably and walked over to the door of the training room. "Great, just when I thought we were going to have an easy day. Lemme get changed then we can go."
As Rumi left to shower and change into her hero outfit, Izuku walked out into the massive living room and read the details of what they needed to do. Apparently the intelligence division had narrowed down the number of possible PLF terrorists to a small list. Three of those individuals on the list all worked in the same backstreet market area that was in the city's ghetto district. While their businesses were not technically illegal, almost all the vendors in the ghetto district were almost guaranteed to discreetly sell various illegal goods. Drugs, stolen valuables, and illegally manufactured support items were just a few of the things that could be found in the ghetto district if one looked hard enough and knew the right people.
The local police had spent the better part of a decade trying to stop the flow of illegal goods, but for every vendor they arrested, two more would pop up selling the same thing. No matter how many requests for additional aid were submitted, the city never seemed to have the necessary funds available to spend on thoroughly cleaning out the district.
However, what most people didn't know was that the ghetto district was considered a necessary evil by those residing in the upper echelons of the Ministry of Defense. The district was a popular place for many criminal elements to gather, which made tracking and observing said criminal elements much easier for various high-level intelligence communities. The combination of an underfunded local police force and central location drew criminals to the district like bees to honey. So instead of searching the entire city high and low for one person, you just had to go to the ghetto district and wait for your target to eventually show up.
While the number of illegal activities in the red light district was high, the vast majority were not dangerous in any way. This made the district a popular place for pro-heroes to take their interns to hone their investigative skills.
However, it seemed that there was an active PLF cell in the area, and the data was showing a steady rise in the number of violent crimes. If the violence continued to rise the district would eventually need to be cleaned out by force, which would mean the loss of an important source of information on the criminal underworld.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Izuku put away his phone as Rumi entered the room wearing her hero outfit.
"So what are we doing?" She asked in a slightly irritated tone.
Not understanding why his partner was suddenly in a bad mood, Izuku spoke as checked to make sure his sidearm was locked and loaded. "Intel says that there are three individuals in the ghetto district that might be part of a PLF cell. My boss wants us to flush them out so our surveillance teams can track where they go. Easy job for us. All we have to do is walk around and maybe bust a few dealers."
Huffing in irritation, Rumi walked over to her apartment door and opened it. "Well why does it have to be us? Can't you just send some goon squad out to do it? Or what about sending some pro-hero interns out for experience?"
Stepping out into the hallway, Izuku waited for Rumi to lock her door then accompanied her to the elevator.
"Because we don't want them going into hiding." Izuku said matter-of-factly. "An MoD squad would send every petty criminal in the district running to hide, and interns are not as intimidating as a top-rated hero." Smirking, Izuku walked out of the elevator with his partner and walked to the nearby parking lot. "Just do what you normally do. Blow off some steam and scare the shit out of some dealers and thugs. Like I said, easy work."
Rumi grumbled under her breath as she got into the passenger seat of Izuku's sedan. "Fine, but in exchange I wanna go out for some lunch. Someplace with actual food, not just a fast food joint."
Deciding not to irritate his partner any further, Izuku smiled as he got into the driver's seat and started the car. "Deal. I know just the place."
The ride to the edge of the ghetto district took almost twenty minutes. Izuku and Rumi passed the time by arguing about what was the best All-Might movie, and by the time they arrived at their destination Rumi seemed to be in a better mood.
Getting out of the car, Izuku forced himself to not look at his partner as she did some quick stretches which showed off her toned body.
"Alright Izuku." Rumi said lightheartedly. "What are we gonna be looking for?"
Shrugging, Izuku locked his car and followed Rumi as she walked down a dirty alleyway. "Something small time. So either drugs or stolen goods. I am leaning towards stolen goods, since this area is chock full of fences and pawn shops."
Nodding, Rumi cracked her knuckles as she nimbly avoided stepping in puddles of brown water. "Sounds good. You want me to lead this time?"
Grinning, Izuku nodded as they exited the alley and emerged into the bustling market area. "Sure. Though can you please try not to punch anyone? I really don't feel like writing up another incident report explaining why you felt the need to give someone a black eye."
Rolling her eyes but grinning good-naturedly, Rumi let out a melodramatic sigh. "I will try, but only because you are taking me out for lunch later."
For the next hour Izuku and Rumi strolled through the shady market. Several vendors were interrogated, a few thugs intimidated, and they even managed to help a girl find a family heirloom that had been stolen from her grandmother.
Feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, Izuku peeked at it to read the message. It was a confirmation from the surveillance teams that the three suspects were on the move, and that the pair's task was done.
Clearing his throat to get his partner's attention, Izuku nodded back towards the direction of the car. "Good job Rumi, wanna go get lunch?"
Releasing the collar of a criminal they had caught, Rumi watched as the terrified petty thief dropped his bag of stolen phones and ran away.
"Sounds good." She said happily. "I am hoping this spot of yours has good food. I am in the mood for some protein."
Just as the two had turned around to walk back to the car a haughty female voice called out to them.
"Well if it isn't Miruko!" A blonde woman in a purple hero outfit said loudly. "Who is that hunk of a man with you? Don't tell me you actually found someone who will put up with your crap."
Turning around with a sneer on her lips, Rumi crossed her arms and looked at the blonde pro-hero with obvious disdain. "Mt. Lady, always more concerned about getting laid than actually doing work. If you spent half as much time doing your job instead of trying to seduce random men you might actually be in the top twenty."
Immediately Mt. Lady's smirk turned into a scowl as she strode closer to Rumi. "You better watch your mouth Miruko. You act like a muscle brain, but you clearly know the effect your outfit has on your fans. I don't see any good reason why you need to show off your thighs and ass."
Immediately stepping between the two women before things could escalate, Izuku put on his best fake smile and extended a hand to Mt. Lady. "Mt. Lady, nice to meet you. I am agent Midoriya, Miruko's hero liaison."
Immediately, Mt. Lady gave Izuku a charming smile and daintily shook his hand. "Oh the pleasure is all mine Midoriya. I had heard there was a particularly handsome liaison at the conference a while ago, but I think we missed each other." Giving Rumi a quick venomous look, Mt. Lady unashamedly struck a seductive pose as she continued to talk to Izuku. "I can already tell you are unappreciated with someone like her. If you ever want to switch partners I am just a few phone calls away."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Izuku kept his professional smile on and nodded. "I will keep that in mind. What about your liaison? I am sure you must have a good one."
Mt. Lady let out an annoyed sigh and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh she is okay I guess. More concerned about statistics and filing reports than anything else. Honestly, she has all the personality of a piece of steamed broccoli. But I can't complain too much, we came to understand each other. She takes care of the paperwork and I can keep doing my usual routine."
Before Mt. Lady could continue, there was the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching accompanied by an annoyed voice. "Lady! Stop wandering off! We are supposed to-"
Emerging from the crowd, the pro-hero known as Kamui Woods paused his lecture as he saw the scene in front of him. "Miruko, agent." He said cordially. "I apologize if my teammate is causing you trouble, she has a tendency to be very...independent."
As Mt. Lady huffed indignantly, Izuku extended his hand to Kamui while Rumi gave him a silent nod. "Nice to meet you Kamui Woods. I am agent Midoriya, Miruko's liaison."
Giving Izuku's hand a firm shake, Kamui looked at him curiously while also surreptitiously putting himself in front of his pouting teammate. "Likewise agent Midoriya. I will admit, it is surprising to see an agent out in the field with their assigned hero."
A little thrown off by the comment, Izuku shrugged. "I guess I just enjoy having an active involvement in my partner's work. I will admit it is hard to keep up with her sometimes."
Nodding in understanding, Kamui held up his hands apologetically while keeping an eye on Rumi and Mt. Lady. "I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you in any way. I was just surprised is all. It is very admirable that you have such dedication to your work."
Interrupting before the conversation could continue, Rumi continued to give Mt. Lady a disdainful look as she spoke to Kamui. "We gonna spend all day talking or what? My partner and I have places to be."
Nodding apologetically, Kamui stepped back and discreetly began pushing his teammate away. "Understood, good luck on your endeavors. Again, sorry if my partner said anything to offend you."
As Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods began to bicker, Izuku and Rumi turned around and resumed their walk back to the car.
Finally getting back to the sedan, Rumi growled angrily as Izuku unlocked the car.
"God I hate that woman." She said bluntly. "More concerned about her sex appeal than anything else."
As Rumi continued to rant and call Mt. Lady several vulgar names, Izuku got into the car and waited for his partner to put on her seatbelt before driving away. It took almost a full ten minutes for Rumi to finally finish ranting, and eventually she stopped to give Izuku a suspicious look.
"So what do you think about her?" She said moodily. "Not gonna lie, I am gonna be royally pissed if you are thinking about taking her offer."
Chuckling at Rumi's jealousy, Izuku shook his head as he drove into the city center. "Don't worry, I am not at all interested in becoming her partner. To her I would just be eye candy."
Seemingly satisfied, Rumi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you are right...sorry..." She said quietly.
A little surprised at how meek Rumi was acting, Izuku could not help but laugh as he turned down one of the busy main city roads. "Man you must really be hungry. Usually getting any kind of apology out of you is like pulling teeth."
His eyes focused on the road, Izuku did not notice the slight blush on Rumi's face as she looked at him.
"Hey I can be nice when I want to be." She pouted. "Anyways, where are we going for lunch? Only places to eat around here are the real fancy ones."
Grinning slightly, Izuku pulled into an underground parking garage and quickly found a prime parking spot. "You will see. Just follow me."
His partner giving him a suspicious look, Izuku got out of the car and led Rumi over to a row of nondescript elevators. Finding a waiting elevator,Izuku and Rumi got in and began to quickly ascend.
Eventually, they reached the top and exited the elevator. Immediately upon stepping out, the two were greeted by the sight of a plush red carpet leading up to an entrance guarded by a muscular doorman in a black uniform.
"Uhh...Izuku...is this the right place?" Rumi said hesitantly. "This is like, one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. I don't think we can even get in, not to mention how ridiculously expensive it is."
Trying hard to suppress his smile, Izuku confidently stepped out of the elevator and gestured for Rumi to follow him. "Oh ye of little faith. You fight supervillains yet you are intimidated by a restaurant?"
Frowning at the slight verbal jab, Rumi stepped out of the elevator and followed Izuku as he walked up to the doorman. "This is different you ass. I just...I don't like being out of my element. I never go to places like this."
Deciding to simply let Rumi see for herself, Izuku came to a stop and smiled at the burly doorman who looked like he could bench-press a tank.
"Hello Fukuda." Izuku said with a friendly smile. "How are you? There an open spot for me and my friend?"
A big grin splitting his blocky face, Fukuda nodded in greeting. "Doin well Midoriya. My little girl just turned eight last week. Thanks for helpin me and the wife find a good school for her." Pausing, the giant man named Fukuda put a sausage-like finger up to his earpiece and grunted a few times, then gestured for Izuku and Miruko to step inside. "Got yer usual spot. Pretty slow day today."
Fukuda then turned to look down at Miruko and gave her a respectful nod. "Afternoon Miss Miruko. My wife is a big fan of yours, could I get your autograph?"
Izuku had to try really hard not to laugh at the look of shock on Rumi's face as she responded to the massive doorman.
"Uhh..yeah sure." She said as if in a daze.
Fukuda quickly pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and offered it to Rumi along with a blue ballpoint pen. "Thanks a bunch."
Automatically signing the notebook, Rumi silently handed it back as she was guided into the restaurant by her amused partner.
Once inside Izuku led Rumi over to a small table next to one of the large windows that offered a fantastic view of the city below. Sitting down, Izuku watched as Rumi slowly took a seat and looked at him in disbelief.
"Okay this is getting ridiculous." She whispered in exasperation. "Are you like some super billionaire playboy secret agent or something?! Cuz I have no idea how you managed to get us in here. On top of that, I heard that guy say your usual spot. So that means you must come here pretty regularly!"
Stifling a laugh, Izuku shrugged nonchalantly and picked up the menu sitting in front of him. "It is a long story. Basically a while back I...well to put it simply I saved the life of the head chef. I had no idea who he was, but he was very adamant about paying me back. Fast forward and he lets me come here at a discounted price. I got to know the staff and have helped a few of them out. They are good people. Just trying to make their way in this world like everyone else."
Rumi eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head as she stared at Izuku with a slack jaw. Finally she managed to pull herself together and began looking at the menu. "Fuckin Christ this is like something you would see in a book or movie. At this point I don't think anything else you can say would top this."
Chuckling softly, Izuku put his menu down and waited for Rumi to choose her meal. "If you want protein then I would highly suggest a cut of Wagyu beef, or if you are feeling adventurous you could order the grilled quail."
Her rabbit ears twitching slightly, Rumi gave Izuku a suspicious glance and put her menu down. "What the hell, I guess since I am here I might as well go all in. Hopefully this quail and salad is as good as you say it is."
A well-dressed server came and took their orders, and less than a minute later a short but burly caucasian man dressed in an immaculate chef outfit emerged from the kitchen and made a beeline for Izuku's table.
"Aha! Izuku my friend!" The chef said with a thick Italian accent. "How are you? Do you-" He paused as he finally realized that Izuku was not alone. "Who is this beautiful woman?! One of those pro-hero people?!" He said in disbelief.
Doing his best not to laugh at the theatrical mannerisms of the chef, Izuku gestured to Rumi.
"Rumi, meet Lorenzo Romano." Izuku said with a smile as he introduced the short man. "Lorenzo, meet Miruko, my partner and the fifth highest-rated pro-hero in Japan."
"Ahh, Miruko, I think I have heard of you." Lorenzo said in acknowledgment followed by a short bow. "A friend of Izuku's is a friend of mine! Welcome to my establishment, I hope it is to your liking!"
Smiling awkwardly, Rumi nodded professionally to the Italian chef. "Uhh..Hi. It is my first time here. I did not know Iz...I mean Midoriya...had access to such a fancy restaurant."
Smiling widely, Lorenzo clapped Izuku on the back like a proud parent. "Izuku is a man of many mysteries, I would dare say he is one of the most interesting people in this city! Though I may be biased because he saved the lives of me and my family. In any case, I will personally ensure that your meal is of the highest quality! Enjoy your visit Signorina Miruko! Should you ever come by again I will gladly welcome you with open arms!"
Giving one last theatrical bow, Lorenzo dashed back to the kitchen as Rumi gave Izuku an amused look.
"Well he is certainly...lively." She said slowly. "And did he say you rescued him and his family? I thought you said it was just him?"
Shrugging nonchalantly, Izuku took a sip from the glass of water in front of him. "Technically I did not rescue his family myself. An extraction team did that. Though I was the one in charge of the rescue operation."
Throwing her hands up in mock exasperation, Rumi let out a heavy sigh. "I give up. No wonder people talk about you like you are the next All-Might. At this point I wouldn't even be surprised if you single-handedly rescued the American president."
Deciding to not mention the fact that he had taken part in a joint operation with the American Navy Seals to rescue an American ambassador, Izuku simply smiled and waited for the food to arrive.
After eating their fill of delicious food and talking one last time with Lorenzo, Izuku and Rumi left the building and got back into Izuku's car.
"Holy crap that was some of the best food I have ever tasted!" Rumi said happily. "Like, how the hell did he make even a regular salad taste amazing?!"
Pulling out of the parking garage, Izuku could not help but chuckle at Rumi's amazement. "He is very good at his job. You should see the kinds of desserts he can make."
After dropping Rumi off at her apartment, Izuku drove back to his own apartment and quickly changed out of his work clothes. Finally free of the stifling suit, Izuku let out a contented sigh as he flopped onto his couch with a cold beer in hand.
Today had been a good day, and now Izuku was finally able to kick back and relax.
Retrieving the long novel he had wanted to finish reading, Izuku was about to flip through the pages when there was a loud crash from his bedroom.
Immediately jumping to his feet, Izuku grabbed his pistol and slowly began to walk to his bedroom with his gun raised to meet any dangers. Finally getting to his bedroom door, Izuku kicked it open and inspected the scene before him. Sighing angrily, Izuku lowered his pistol as he inspected the gaping hole in the ceiling that was pouring out water.
"Well shit..."