"Too many people have opinions on things they know nothing about. And the more ignorant they are, the more opinions they have."

-Thomas Hildern, Fallout: New Vegas

Rumi yawned as she sat in the sparsely furnished dressing room. It had been a few days since the run-in with Oscar, and so far everything seemed to be fine.

Well, relatively fine.

The day after encountering Oscar, a news report had come out describing the crime scene and Oscar's assertions. Normally stuff like this would have never aired, being based mostly on rumours and a few individuals.

But these were not normal times.

The timing could not have been worse. With all the recent controversy around the pro-heroes, the short news piece simply added more fuel to the burning dumpster fire that was the reputation of the pro-heroes. The internet was not much better, if not even worse. PLF sympathizers were decrying the increase in violent raids, while internet trolls reveled in the discontent and anarchy. Pro-hero society was hemorrhaging supporters and defenders like a bullet-riddled body losing blood, and no end to the problems was in sight.

Alright, maybe everything was not exactly fine.

As a result, Rumi had been invited to be the featured guest of one of the city's most popular evening talk shows. Prior to all the chaos, Rumi's reputation as a spitfire had put her on a list of heroes not suitable for mainstream media. Besides the fact that she cursed like a sailor, major news networks preferred heroes that were a little more classy. But now, Rumi was one of the few heroes that the public still had a positive impression of. Being unaffiliated with any pro-hero agency, as well as being very vocal about her beliefs, meant that Rumi had been mostly unaffected by recent events. On top of that, having lost her arm fighting the PLF meant that Rumi had many sympathizers as well as staunch supporters.

Flipping her long white hair over her shoulder, Rumi idly scrolled through her newsfeed on her phone. Normally, she would have declined the interview offer without a second thought, but Miss Sasaki had already accepted the offer by the time Rumi had heard of it. The stern older woman had informed Rumi that the interview was a good opportunity to help improve the social standing of pro-heroes. At the very least, doing the interview would cement Rumi's position as one of the last "true" pro-heroes.

However, the main point Miss Sasaki had driven into Rumi's skull was that the interviewers were almost certainly going to ask questions about Izuku. A handsome man in a suit who had appeared out of nowhere, and had won Rumi's trust, was almost a newsworthy occurrence in of itself. Miss Sasaki had made it very clear that Rumi should be on her best behavior when it came to talking about Izuku. The interviewers were more than likely going to ask some personal questions, and Miss Sasaki did not want a repeat of Rumi's last disastrous interview.

So what if she had punched a reporter in the mouth? The creep had deserved it. Oddly enough, the altercation had actually improved Rumi's hero rating amongst the general populace.

The rabbit-eared hero was broken out of her musing by the sound of a polite knock on the dressing room door.

"Miss Miruko?" A nervous female voice called out. "We are ready for you."

Putting her phone in one of the hidden pockets in her hero outfit, Rumi stood up and opened the door to reveal a short woman who had long whiskers on her face.

"This way." The assistant squeaked nervously, before leading Rumi to the set of the news show.

In front of a large green screen, two professionally-dressed newscasters sat behind a long metal counter as their assistants tended to their equipment. The taller of the two hosts, a man sat in a blue suit with round glasses perched on his nose. With a bald head that shone like a polished bowling ball, the male host had three ivory horns jutting out from above his eyebrows. The female host wore a stylish red blouse and grey skirt. Her neck was also covered in shiny pink scales that reflected the bright set lights like pink diamonds.

Honestly, if Rumi had met them before she did not remember. She didn't even watch talk shows that often like some other media-obsessed heroes, so she had no idea what the two hosts' names were.

The squeaky assistant pulled out a chair on the set and gestured for Rumi to sit down. Taking the seat, Rumi suppressed a grumble as two girls with hands full of make-up supplies rushed over to her. She hated this part, where random people she had never met before messed with her perfectly fine face. The first few interviews Rumi had done were rough to say the least, but Miss Sasaki had been quick to put her foot down and instruct the young Rumi on how to behave properly.

After a few minutes of enduring the makeup application process, Rumi was finally left alone as the camera crew began to get ready to record.

Turning to look at Rumi, the female host put on a smile that was so fake Rumi was concerned the lady was going to hurt herself.

"Any questions before we start Miruko?" The host asked politely.

Rumi shook her head a single time. "Nope, let's just get this done and over with."

Nodding in agreement, the female host turned to look at the cameras as the director gave a thumbs up.

"And we are back!" The scaled woman said cheerily. "Yes, you saw the title correctly! Today we have the pro-hero Miruko as our featured guest!"

Turning back to face Rumi like they had just met, the well-dressed woman bowed slightly. "Welcome to the show Miruko. We are glad to have you."

Nodding politely, Rumi forced herself to not revert to her usual scowl. "Thanks for having me. Glad to be here."

Adjusting his tie, the male host spoke up in a slightly more serious tone. "Now that introductions are out of the way, let's get down to business. Recent events have certainly left this city, some may even say our entire nation, in a state of uncertainty. What are your thoughts about all this?"

Rumi shrugged. "It sucks, that we can all agree on. I certainly did not want for things to go this way, but as a friend of mine said, adversity breeds strength. If this crisis is what is needed to create a new age of prosperity, then it all might be worth it."

Clearly surprised by the articulate answer, the male host turned to his co-host. "Strong words, do you have any input to share Onishi?"

Onishi tilted her head curiously. "Well, I will say I am not familiar with the ins and outs of pro-hero society, but wouldn't something other than a serious crisis be a better alternative to create a new golden age?"

Rumi barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, a more peaceful alternative would be better, but we have to play with the cards we are dealt. A civilian like you may not understand, but us heroes put everything on the line to make the best out of any situation we are given. Nobody said solving this crisis was going to be easy. The strong survive, and the weak fall off. That's just how life is unfortunately."

Rumi was glad to see Onishi's eyebrow twitch slightly as she put her fake smile back on.

"A strong sentiment to have." The woman said evenly. "So you are saying that the deaths of beloved pro-heroes like Crust and X-Less are necessary for society to progress?"

This was why Rumi hated doing interviews. The stupid media hounds were more concerned about their ratings and views than actually having a constructive conversation.

"I am not saying that their deaths were necessary." Rumi said tersely. "But being a pro-hero means that you are willing to put your life on the line to save others. Crust, X-Less, and all the other pro-heroes that died knew the risks when they signed up. They died in the line of duty, just like a soldier, police officer, or paramedic. Nobody can take that away from them, and anyone who tries to slander them is no better than a villain."

The mood on the set was quickly declining, and the bald co-host interjected himself before Onishi or Rumi could continue arguing.

"And the pro-heroes that laid down their lives will always be remembered by those who lived because of them." The bald news host said diplomatically. "Speaking of people in the line of duty, you have a hero liaison assigned to you by the Ministry of Defense, correct?"

Her eyes narrowing slightly, Rumi nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"We have interviewed plenty of pro-heroes about their government assigned liaisons." Said the bald man. "While the sudden change was jarring for a few heroes, it seems everyone managed to eventually work things out. We even interviewed a few of the liaisons themselves, and they all talked about how they were simply normal people handling the bureaucratic affairs of their counterparts."

The male host then smiled similarly to a certain sinister American. "However, it seems your liaison is quite the outlier. Not to mention the fact that you are willingly working with him when you have rejected partnership offers from many other pro-heroes. I am sure everyone watching would love to hear the story behind your unique pairing."

"Oh Kaneko, always straight to the point." The female host said teasingly. "I apologize Miruko, it is just that all of us at the studio are dying to know more about this mystery man." Onishi then turned to look directly at the camera. "I think we have several pictures of him. Quite the handsome guy if I do say so myself."

Rumi watched as a screen off to the side turned on and revealed an (admittedly nice) picture of Izuku's face in high definition. Rumi was not exactly sure where or when the picture was taken, but Izuku looked good in almost anything. He had a steely gaze on his face, and his short green-hair complemented his face very well.

"So do you want to tell us about him? Or do you want us to just read his public government profile?" Onishi asked with a smug smirk on her face.

Rumi stopped herself from growling and saying something offensive about the scaled woman's personality. It seemed that there was no way to evade this line of questions, so she was just going to have to endure the questioning for the time being.

Before Rumi could respond, the host named Onishi began reading from a tablet in front of her. "Lets see here. Midoriya Izuku, twenty-six years old, and senior field agent for the Ministry of Defense. A military veteran with many commendations and awards, and he spent time in Japan's prestigious but classified counter-terrorism unit. My my! A very impressive resume."

Rumi was really tempted to give the smirking host a stiff middle finger, but the bald host named Kaneko quickly stepped in.

"So I will just address the elephant in the room." The horned host said honestly. "You two seem to work quite well together. How did he manage to get on your good side?"

Rumi forced herself to maintain a neutral face as she spoke. "He is not on my good side, he is my partner. I will admit, we had a rough start, but we eventually worked it out. Besides, he managed to beat me in a one-on-one fight."

Rumi looked around at the shocked faces, confused as to what she might have said to get such a reaction.

"That certainly is quite the feat." Said Kaneko with what seemed like actual respect. "If he has the quirk and talent to beat you, why isn't he a pro-hero?"

Rumi smirked, and could not help but brag about her secret boyfriend to everyone. "Oh he doesn't have a crazy powerful quirk. All he can do is…" Rumi paused as she tried to think up a suitably boring quirk. "...is dull his sense of taste. He is just a regular person."

Now that statement certainly got a reaction from the hosts.

"Are you serious?!" Onishi asked incredulously. "You are the fifth highest rated pro-hero in the country! You are the strongest female pro-hero in the roster! There is no possible way a regular person could best you in a fair fight!"

Rumi smiled smugly. "I know it is hard to believe, but he did. I would never lie about losing a fight. You just said it yourself, the guy is a military vet with a whole lot of experience under his belt. It was a close match, but he beat me fair and square."

The two hosts looked at each other like Rumi had just declared that the sky was made of cheese.

"Well...considering your work, I guess we have to believe you." The tri-horned Kaneko said slowly. "But that makes my earlier question even more relevant. Why isn't he a pro-hero? He sounds like he has everything that would make a terrific pro."

Rumi was not exactly sure how much she should reveal to the hosts, but it was hard to think up some bullshit excuse that would fit the bill.

"Well...if I am being honest. He doesn't really like pro-heroes in general." Rumi admitted. "He had a rough childhood. He just wanted to be a pro-hero. I mean, what young kid doesn't want to be like All-Might when they grow up? He got bullied a whole lot and was made fun of for being weak. So he decided to prove everyone wrong and joined the army. The rest is history."

Nodding eagerly, Kaneko adjusted his glasses. "Sounds like quite the origin story. Do you think there is any way we could schedule a day for him to come in and do an interview?"

Rumi smirked. "I don't know if that is a good idea. If you think I am bad, he can be even worse. But that is what I like about him. He doesn't take any shit, and he always gets the job done. I have lost count the number of times the two of us have gotten into arguments with each other."

Well that certainly made the voracious hosts pause. A personality worse than Miruko's? That was definitely not a risk many news outlets would take.

Onishi laughed nervously. "Well I guess we can put that interview on the back burner for now. Speaking of Agent Midoriya, there is some footage floating around of his rather heavy-handed combat methods. Do you ever worry that he might go too far and end up causing more harm than good?"

Rumi could not help but sigh in annoyance. "No, I don't. He has never given me any reason to doubt him." Rumi then straightened up and gave the two hosts a stern look. "Let's stop beating around the bush. He is a soldier, he was trained to kill bad guys. That is what you were implying right?"

Kaneko smiled awkwardly and shrugged noncommittally. "Well I was not exactly saying it like that. But, in layman's terms your statement is correct. There have been many complaints from prominent members of the community about the exponential increase in the Ministry of Defense's authority. If soldiers like Agent Midoriya are going to be operating in our city, how can we be sure that they won't treat this fine city like a warzone?"

This time Rumi did growl and lean forward threateningly. "Then I would say you are an idiot. If you actually took the time to talk to anyone in the Ministry of Defense you would know that they are taking this crisis very seriously. They are more disciplined and respectful than many police officers and pro-heroes I have worked with. They are not doing this for fame or fortune, they are doing it because they swore to defend their country. That clear enough for ya?"

The horned host named Kaneko seemed to have discreetly moved his chair farther away from Rumi, while Onishi seemed to be looking for the nearest exit. Even the production assistants and camera operators seemed to be backing away from the powderkeg that was Miruko.

Holding up his hands apologetically, Kaneko laughed awkwardly with a scared smile plastered on his face. "You are right, I apologize for talking about our brave servicemembers like that. There is no doubt in my mind that they are doing their utmost care to keep the peace."

Turning to face the cameras, the scaled host named Onishi put on another fake smile. "Unfortunately, we are just about out of time. Thanks for stopping by Miruko! Give our regards to Agent Midoriya, and tell him to keep up the good work!"

The second the cameras stopped recording, the two show hosts quickly retreated to their dressing rooms without another word.

Getting out of her seat, Rumi grumbled in annoyance as she walked to the exit. "How dare they talk about Izuku like that! He would never go around killing people like a maniac."

Making her way out of the studio and into the cool night air, Rumi pulled out her smartphone and dialed Izuku's number.

After the first ring, there was a click and Izuku's heavenly voice filled Rumi's ear.

"So, how did the interview go?" Izuku asked innocently.

Rumi let out a weary sigh. "Well I didn't punch anyone, so I consider that a win. Probably did not make any new friends though. I got a little heated when they brought you up."

Izuku chuckled in a way that made Rumi's heart do a few somersaults. "Well I appreciate the sentiment. I just dropped Uravity off at UA, want to go out for some food?"

Looking up at the cloudy night sky, Rumi smiled as she saw the moon begin to peek out from behind the clouds. "Lets order out. I just wanna snuggle up with you and forget about all this annoying bullshit."

Rumi could practically hear the warm smile on her boyfriend's face as he responded.

"Sounds like a plan." He said softly. "If all else fails, I know a few exercises we could do in the bed to help relieve some of that stress."

Now that certainly made Rumi perk up.

"You sly dog." Rumi said with a happy grin. "Well I certainly don't object. You still have a few wins over me, and I am feeling competitive tonight."

Rumi felt her heart skip a beat as Izuku stuttered cutely.

"W-well I guess I will p-play along if I must." He said huskily. "We c-can discuss this more back at your place."

Giggling like a maiden in love, Rumi began plotting her course back to her apartment.

"I love you Izuku." She said softly.

"I love you too Rumi." Izuku responded. "See you in a few minutes."

Ending the call, Rumi put her phone away and did a few quick stretches.

It was amazing how Izuku always knew how to cheer her up. One day she was going to have to do something special to show him just how much he meant to her.

Launching herself into the night sky, Rumi let out a whoop of excitement then began racing back to her apartment.

Elsewhere, Oscar stood in a dark office that overlooked the glowing city below. In front of him, a shadowy figure sat in a chair behind an ornate wooden desk, their back turned to Oscar as they watched the city below. On the desk, a single computer screen glowed softly, a Ministry of Defense screensaver slowly bouncing around the monitor.

"Your recent mission reports give me the impression that you are still not fully committed to our cause." The shadowy figure said in an icy voice. "We are at a critical point in the operation. If we are to produce results, then we need to hold up our end of the deal with those filthy PLF peons. Agent Midoriya and Miruko are one of the last obstacles preventing us from taking complete control. I want them taken care of."

Oscar shrugged uncaringly. "Sir, I am as committed to this operation as you are, but you can't just expect me to pull a miracle out of my ass. Mido and Lola are public figures, taking them out would raise too many red flags. I am more than happy to take them out myself, but those PLF dumbasses are the ones who need to take all the credit. The problem is, those chucklefucks simply don't have the firepower necessary to pull it off convincingly. Either you start letting me work independently, or give the PLF a weapon they can use. Reporting back to you every day slows me down, if you want results quickly you gotta trust me a little."

The shadowy figure was silent for a minute, seemingly mulling over Oscar's suggestion.

"The quirk nullification bullet, has the lab produced anything useful?" The sinister voice asked.

Oscar shook his head. "No sir. Apparently the biological material in the bullet was already in a degraded state to the point of being useless. The best the lab techs could guess, the bullet that took down Miruko was a shitty knock off. Unless the PLF has a way to preserve the material, the bullets are only effective for about 72 hours after being created."

The shadowy figure sighed in annoyance. "What about the quirk enhancement drug? Has the science team been able to improve it in any way?"

Oscar nodded. "Sort of. They increased the potency of it massively. You give it to anyone, and their quirk would get supercharged to All-Might levels of power. The problem is, the resources needed to produce a single dose are way too large for mass production." Oscar paused and snickered quietly. "Then there is also the fact that anyone who takes a dose goes batshit insane. The improved drug basically turns the user into a super-powered berserker. One of the test subjects nearly destroyed the entire testing facility."

The shadow in the chair was quiet, before suddenly speaking in an authoritative voice. "Then we simply provide the PLF with the means to create a usable amount of the improved drug. I will contact my PLF counterpart and figure out the logistics. We need to make it believable that the dirty vagrants figured it out on their own. As for you, keep carrying out your duties. Keep those PLF animals in check, and leave no survivors. When I have new orders for you I will let you know." The figure then waved Oscar away like a lord dismissing a butler.

Leaving the office, Oscar walked away while grumbling under his breath. "Fuckin pain in the ass is what he is. God I hope I am there when the prick gets taken down." Taking a stick of beef jerky out of his pocket, Oscar took a large bite and continued to walk down the plain office hallway.