Chapter Text
The rumbling of the helicopters above the building could hardly be heard over the deafening screams and cheers from the crow gathered just outside the perimeter.
"Units Seven and Eight confirm that you are in position and holding," an officer based inside the surveillance truck demanded. At the same time, another man behind him watched the information on display to ensure the plan's success. The vehicle was big and bulky, enough to fit the six officers that monitored the different screens and The commander of the operation, who patiently waited for the answer on the radio.
"In position," A woman's voice filters at the other side of the line.
"Five minutes, Sir." The Inspector in command noded while another flicked through the many security systems.
"To teams and units outside the building," the man spoke on the radio, "I want the police cordon to expand from two hundred feet to another hundred feet." He said while the occupants inside moved papers and tipped things to make those orders happen. "Any civilian or non-essential personnel trespassing will be apprehended and considered a suspect."
"Roger that. Mobilizing teams Charlie, Delta, and Hotel to cover." Crackled the radio in return.
The man smiled in satisfaction and pulled the radio to his mouth again.
"Infiltration unit, How is the situation inside the building?"
"Team Alpha here, Ground floor and second floor clear. We are standing by the third"
"Team Echo and Bravo. are on standby and currently blocking all entrances to the doors on the fifth and fourth floor." As the officers continue to speak, the man equips before leaving.
"Team Golf in position on the main gallery."
"Team Foxtrot is done checking the central display zone, Inspector Midoriya. We are ready, sir. "
"Understood." He replies while adjusting the gear before speaking into the radio again.
"Entering the mission zone now," Izuku says while swiftly making his way into the museum.
Even after closing the main gates behind him, the cheers and general commotion outside the place Could still be heard. Izuku rolled his eyes at the mere idea. A thief having fans? What had the world come to? Was there even hope for humanity anymore? Or were the people just going nuts? That could be a reasonable explanation.
The man entered the place, commanding his forces as he passed by.
After a bit of walk, he got to his destination and the target for that night.
"Two minutes, Inspector," someone called in.
"All right, people!" He barks into his radio.
"Hang on standby and remain alert, it's almost time, and as far as we're concerned, he could already be here somewhere." The green-haired man moved carefully around the room. His gun was hot on its holster, ready to be taken out. Sadly there was rarely a reason to take it out in those cases.
"As for the newbies, have your eyes peeled; remember that we are against a very bothersome thief." The sounds of sirens and a sudden eruption of screams almost opaqued the affirmative response from his teammates. The roar of the multitude below made Izuku smirk at the implied signal.
"Look alive, boys and girls, he's here," Izuku said. He felt a bit nervous, well, not really worried, but an addicting thrum of adrenaline raced through his veins, accelerating his heartbeat even more.
Security has been doubled, preparing the grounds for the Heist that would take place. Not only has the owner offered his private guards to be under Midoriya's command, but he had people come in to install more cameras, covering blind spots and giving them more access to rooms and hallways.
In short, the place was a trap for thieves.
For Izuku, this means finally throwing Bomber's ass into jail.
Bomber.
That's the name that had haunted Midoriya since he was six years old.
The Perpetrator was an unidentified magician who dedicated his talent to stealing renamed jewelry and art, only to return them undamaged days later.
It was one of the things Izuku always found confusing. Why would a thief like Bomber return something worth so much?
He was also very skilled with disguises. His ability to impersonate anyone physically and imitate their voices perfectly had complicated the man's capture.
This excellent skill set had helped him slip by police and made him confident enough to send notes to alert them of his upcoming "play," which was not the most annoying part.
No.
The fact that even with the information they had beforehand, having everything prepared to expect his appearance, and Bomber still managed to fall through the cracks and escape into the night each and every time, drove the Inspector insane.
The Phantom thief had been very active in the past but disappeared mysteriously when Izuku was a child. After ten years of hiatus, Bomber decided to walk into the light again. Seven years after his reappearance, Izuku Midoriya had already taken command of a task force known as the Bomber squad. Ever since the thief's Heist had become more frequent. Although they hadn't been able to keep him in the police grasp, they had successfully stopped some of his robbery attempts, an unprecedented feat before Izuku's Command.
But feat or not, that was as far as they got.
'Tonight will be different.' The Inspector thought to himself, looking at his Team with pride.
He inhaled, repeating again on his head. 'I will not be fooled again by this punny burglar.'
"ETA of Bomber is 30 seconds, Inspector," someone shouts.
"All right, Security unit, close the door," came the command from the man in charge. "Now, Codes!" The man ordered the people scattered strategically inside the room.
The entrusted Team had a specific Alphanumeric code for this occasion to help them identify any impostors or intruders. Quickly the agents started to shout theirs as the Inspector glared around.
"P1 CLEAR"
"L1 READY"
Nine Members of his squad were assuring the jewelry on display, all of them with their eyes on the enormous blue sapphire.
"U1 IN POSITION"
"S1 IN POSITION"
"U2 CLEAR"
"L2 READY"
"T1 READY"
"R1 IN POSITION."
"I CLEAR,"
The museum goes silent, so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
Izuku could hear the blood pumping in his ears and felt his hair standing on edge.
The officers turned to see a tall figure clad in an officer uniform near the crystal box they were guarding; he was slowly approaching it.
"I? You okay?" Inquired the Inspector, slowly making his way to the strange Officer, fully aware of what that meant.
A big old clock ticks at the very end of the exhibition hall, adding to the already palpable tension.
"Just 5 seconds before the announced hour," crackled the radio far away.
"Oh yes," The man answers back with an amused yet calm voice as a feral grin stretches on his face.
The squad, already aware of their situation, starts to inch toward the intruder. They were circling him while the Inspector walked ahead.
The silence was interrupted by the countdown coming from the radios that no longer mattered to the people inside.
Bomber lifted his face to look at the inspector approaching and finally whispered.
" I... Am Here"
His eyes widened, and just as he yelled to attack, a loud bang alerted them of a small smoke bomb going off, helping the thief disappear. It was too late for the Team to realize that the smoke had some sort of sedative, and as a figure now dressed in a black coat watched the scene from afar, the police bodies collided with the ground.
A pair of red eyes lingered on the Inspector, who, seemingly unconscious, lay with the rest of the officers on the floor prey of his trick, before continuing his plan.
The thief made his way over the case, gently maneuvering the Bismarck sapphire necklace into a bag.
'This was too easy.' He thought as he watched Izuku again.
Cautiously, Bomber walked up to the greenet, watching with pride the results of his plan.
"Better luck for the next time, Inspector." He murmured, and Just as he stepped away, a pair of legs wrapped around his ankles and tackled him to the ground.
"Aha! Got you!" The Inspector yelped in excitement as he slapped heavy-duty cuffs on the thief. It took a second for the burglar to register what had happened before he started to struggle.
Inspector Izuku Midoriya has always been proud of his thinking ahead of time tactics, so it was no coincidence that he had a gas mask created to be discreet to remain awake in this kind of situation. He made a mental note to send a gift to the gear department after this whole ordeal ended.
The smaller man quickly moved behind him, grabbed him, and yanked the thief with a little more force than necessary.
'not so cooky now, are we?' he thought giddily.
Or that's what the thief made him believe for full five seconds.
Suddenly, the air rushed around him, and his cheek was now pressed against the carpeted floor.
Somehow, the taller man had escaped the cuffs and was now pinning him softly to the ground. "Aah, some say under pressure, the diamonds shine brighter," he heard the man talking near his ear. "Just like you, my lovely inspector," The blonde on top almost purred in his ear, making him shiver. "And I'm sorry, my dear. But I am a magician, after all, and I can not let my audience down. Much less you," he talked with pride.
"Now, Inspector, it has been an entertaining night, but I've got to return to the shadows as all shows must end." The thief said with a mock sigh of disappointment as he stood up fragrantly.
'Smug bastard!' Izuku growled, and just as he tried to do the same thing to get him again, everything went down in a literal flash.
The lights flickered out, the alarm blared, already worsening Midoriya's state of confusion, and as if the world was against him, a mini set of explosives that sat neatly near the armored window went off. Glass rains down ahead of him. He stood there bearly, getting what had happened—while the silhouette of the thief bowed before jumping off to the open night sky.
Izuku scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards the window with ringing ears. The new aperture in the room quickly dispersed the smoke, so he took off his mask to properly use the radio. Just as he recklessly tried to climb the window to follow after, he devised the bastard standing mockingly on a rooftop nearby, a large smile that showed too many teeth and the gem necklace glittering in the moonlight.
A second later, Izuku watched as the man fell from the heights and his cape transformed into a hang glider. The man escaped as always.
"Team condor!" he called the Choppers through the radio "he is running away to the east, I repeat, he is running away to the east 2 Chome direction!" the man exclaimed with frustration. This thief threw days of hard work down the drain with almost zero effort. Izuku turned around on his feet to take care of the sleeping unit.
"Damn it." He whispered as his head started to throb.
Another defeat for the police.
--------------------.0.----------------------
"He is a fucking asshole!" Izuku shouted, his shaky hands slamming the seventh beer bottle on the empty table.
"Do you hear me?! An asshole! How is it that every single fucking time I get my hands on that grimy bastard, he just goes poof! Gone. Never to be seen until his next stupid Heist." He explains with a tripping tongue, emphasizing the word poof with uncoordinated hand movement, "I can't stand him! He's a pain in the ass" The man was balancing on the high chair but slammed himself forward to explain again the situation that had his mind running so bad.
"He even used the phrase. I hate him. I hate him, dumb, good for nothing devil!"
"DEKU SHUT UP" the bartender finally yelled, spinning on his feet and giving the drunk man a well-deserved glare. Izuku fell silent, his hands shaking from the alcohol? Anger? He doesn't know. His thoughts are a jumbled mess. "You have been going over the same shit since you came in here," he said, stopping to check the clock behind him before continuing, "almost two hours ago! God damn it."
Izuku stared blankly at the bartender.
"You are an annoying drunk bastard; you know that?" He stops wiping his glasses for a moment before turning back to him with a cheeky grin. "This wouldn't happen if you were a good cop, not a full geeky bastard." He continues, "seriously, Plus Ultra? Even a kid would have found out what the code was."
"Kachannn!" He whined, "stop being so mean. You are not helping me feel better," Izuku cried out, pouting and leaning his still throbbing head on the cool bench.
"Oh, am I supposed to help you?" The bartender questioned sarcastically, causing the smaller man to narrow his eyes in a glare.
"You better give me something strong now!" Hollered Izuku while he smacked the empty glass of beer on the wood table once again.
"I'm tired of drinking beer anyway…." Izuku grumbled, slapping a hand on his forehead. As Katsuki prepared a glass of water, he'd pass as vodka.
He took a moment to take the disheveled man in. a tiny butterfly stitch, probably a gift from the Heist, littered his face, and the large bags under his eyes were prominent in the dim light. He had a lost expression, and Katsuki couldn't stand it.
"When did you learn to curse this much?" He teased with a smirk, changing the subject to take the man out of whatever loop he knew he was in.
"Mhmm, I dunno, there's this really, really loud neighbor across the hall cussing all day and night, I don't know if you've heard of him, but he goes by the name Katsuki Bakugou." The greenet retorts, his speech slurred. He probably shouldn't drink anymore, considering he had work the next day, but oh well.
Katsuki leaned over the counter, passing the glass of water over.
"Look, we are the only people left in here, it's 3 in the morning, so I'll give you this," he said, grinning as he watched Izuku take a sip from the drink.
"We drink this one together, and then I will drop you home. Does that sound good?" Izuku hums, not even bothering to lift his head off the table.
It's so cool against his hot face.
"Now cheer up, stop whining like a bitch and drink it; it's on the house" Izuku looks up with a tired smile and rosy cheeks. "Alright. Okay." He says, lifting his head with an effort to take another sip.
"Good. Cheers?" He asks, raising his glass. Izuku smirks, their glasses clinking together.
"Cheers for doing the best you could," Katsuki says.
Izuku throws his head back, Katsuki watching with a smirk still plastered on his face before cleaning up the rest of the bar.
"Hey, Kacchan." the Inspector started with a soft voice. "I've been meaning to ask you because it's been in my head all night, and I'm not sure anymore, but" he hesitated, gathering his scattered thoughts. Katsuki watched him play with the empty glass running his finger around the rim.
"So you think I'm incompetent?" He starts, feeling tears burn the back of his eyes. "I mean, I probably look so stupid trying to catch him." He says with a watery and depressing laugh before looking up with teary eyes.
'There it is,' he tough 'So it's one of those nights, huh?'
The blond sighs. He was no stranger to the thoughts that plagued his best friend's mind, having time and time again to pick his sorry ass up whenever something didn't go right. Still, he kept his back facing Izuku before continuing.
"Deku, you're not incompetent. You're determined, and that's what I like about you. Even if you planned it longer, he still would've escaped. The guy just has too many aces under his sleeve. That doesn't make you stupid." He was being honest. Because Izuku probably won't remember it in the morning, he always had been a lightweight.
So he spooned around to face him and went to say something, only to find Izuku taking his glass from behind the counter.
"But drinking too much is! Put my drink down now, dumbass. I already told you that was the last one!" Katsuki huffed, engaging in a small fight, and once he got ahold of the precious whisky, he skulled it.
"Kachaaannn whyyy." The Inspector whined again, and a slight pout played on his lips.
"I already told you, stupid Deku, now go grab your shit. We're leaving," He says, leaving no room for argument, and unless Izuku had a death wish, he wouldn't argue with Kacchan. Izuku huffed, watching Kacchan clean the dirty cup. He swayed as he stood up, and Katsuki wrapped an arm around a mumbling Deku's waist to prevent the man from tumbling on the sidewalk. It didn't take long for them to get to the taxi bay. He threw out a hand and chucked the sorry sight of his friend in the taxi before scrambling in himself. He sighed, telling the driver the address and getting Izuku settled. Katsuki dragged his half-conscious companion up the stairs and through the corridors until they reached the front door of their units.
"Keys, Deku." The bartender demanded, gently slapping the semi-awake man, who gave a noncommittal hum before slumping on Katsuki again. "Fuck sakes!" He growled, with one hand keeping the drunk man standing and the other patting him down for keys. He almost cried in relief when he heard the telltale sound of keys jingling.
Snatching them out of the pocket and spending another three minutes fighting to open the door with a clingy Deku hung on his side like a fucking baby koala.
"Alright, Deku. Let's get you inside and on that fucking bed." He huffed, kicking open the door and stumbling through the apartment. It hurt to see Izuku like that. Usually, the man was happy and cheerful, and it was upsetting to see him like this.
Gently lowering the man into the bed, he took off the boots, throwing them aside before pulling the sheets up.
He took a moment to take in the sight of the sleeping beauty and couldn't help but smile softly. "Damn Deku." He whispered fondly and carefully pushed the stray curls out of his face.
"I'm sorry for making you feel like shit." He continues, "you're a great boss, great Inspector, and a great man." He says, leaning closer only to stop and kiss his forehead instead.
"But I," He looked at him again with a smug grin on his face, "I'm just an amazing thief." He whispered before silently leaving the room, silently closing the door with a composing sigh. Closing his eyes for a moment, he let himself relax with the sound of the soft snoring coming from the other side of the door, and with that, he made his way to the living room.
He stopped to gently pull the necklace out of his inner pocket before shuffling over to the window, carefully moving the gem so it could bathe in the moonlight.
His eyes lose the spark at the sight. Once again, it was not the one he was looking for, so after setting everything up, he grabbed a piece of paper from inside the jacket and placed it carefully on the shorter man's desk.
On the note, in neat handwriting, it reads:
Thanks, my dear Inspector, for the gift,
But sadly, it's not the gem I'm looking for
Hope to see you soon~
1301113.