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I had seen him before. He was always doing hero work but today I had finally decided to hunt him down and capture him and remove that stupid collar from his neck. I was sick of it. I mean clearly the other heroes thought it was part of the suit but after watching it electrocute him the other day when he had gotten into an argument with Endeavor well... It had to go. I still couldn't believe I was doing this. He was a hero and I was a villain. I shouldn't be helping America's number two hero who helped people worldwide instead of just staying in America. I should be killing him and yet here I was chasing him down.
I had been following Phantom for two hours now and so far he had been staying in the public eye which meant that I couldn't get him. It wasn't until he had iced up a nomu that he finally left for an alleyway and I chased him and burned the agent who was waiting alive while I jumped him. Phantom shrieked when I set his collar on fire and I felt it start constricting around his neck like a snake. I wasn't having it though and I went full heat. At this point Phantom was screaming so loud I wouldn't be surprised if all of Japan could hear him and I finally let go and the collar turned to ashes. For a moment there was silence and then Phantom changed from a hero into a normal looking boy in a t-shirt and blue jeans and promptly fainted and I hauled him over my shoulder before heading back to my apartment that I only used when either I hurt myself or needed a break from the idiots in my life. I had never used it to save a life.
I walked inside my crappy apartment and put him on my crappy green couch quite quickly before going and getting a change of clothes into a t shirt and a gray jacket with blue sweatpants and then I threw my uniform in the wash before walking back into the living room where I turned on my piece of shit box tv and watched the news. I have no idea how long I sat there but eventually I heard a groan so I turned my head and Phantom was looking at me with a world of confusion etched on his face.
"You're not one of the agents." He growled at me and I was shocked.
"One of the?! Phantom! They were abusing you!" I snapped and he recoiled so I took a deep breath to get it together before speaking much more calmly.
"Do you remember anything before the agents? Surely you had a family or something?" I pressured him softly.
"I.. I don't... I don't know.." Phantom groaned before sitting up and looking at the tv.
"Okay. Well. My name is Dabi. I'm going to be taking care of you for awhile okay?" I told him while heading to the kitchen to make some ramen noodles for us both.
"Okay. Dabi." Phantom mumbled before taking over the rest of my couch.
I sighed before finishing the ramen and walking back over to him where I gave him a cup and he stared at it.
"Do you not know how to eat?" I asked him as a sense of dread suddenly filled me.
"No. Normally they gave me what I needed through.. Needles?" He said as his face scrunched up and I felt for him before walking over and kneeling down.
"Watch me. Copy what I do." I told him while eating my ramen and then he took a bite and god damn have I never seen a cup of ramen vanish from my view so fast.
"Got any more?" He practically begged and I shook my head.
"No. I gotta go shopping to be honest. Want to come?" I asked him while keeping my voice gentle.
He frowned. "Shopping?"
"Yep. It means I have to go get stuff." I explained and he tilted his head.
"Will I get hurt?" He asked me.
"Wha!? No! Good lord." I said mortified and he finally nodded.
"Okay I'll go." He said and I sighed. This was going to be a shitshow.