dispatch

the radio

"Killing a cop? Are you kidding me? What part of 'lay low' did you not understand?" Shigaraki shouted.

"I got what you needed, didn't I?" Dabi bellowed with his jaw clenched.

He took the radio and small channel scanner out of his sweatshirt pocket, sliding them onto the bar toward Shigaraki and Kurogiri. The pale man frowned and brought his attention back to Dabi.

"Where's the gun?" he hissed.

Dabi's plain gaze turned to annoyance, but he remained nonchalant. Anybody could see in his eyes that he was over this interaction.

"We don't need guns; they'll draw too much attention. Maybe some of you need to learn to control your quirks better instead of relying on actual weaponry," he answered, directly insulting his boss.

"Besides, 2 more cops showed up. I didn't exactly have time to get anything else," he added.

Shigaraki watched him with wide eyes, wishing to strangle him right then and there. He grumbled loudly to himself, trying his best to contain his anger. In the end, it seemed to work. He closed his eyes, hiding his crimson globes. He sucked in a heavy amount of air through his nose and let it out loudly.

"Okay, Dabi," he breathed.

Dabi was so tempted to roll his eyes, but he knew very well his boss wasn't worth any of his time. Compress reached for the stolen items on the bar top.

"So," he droned, "does anyone know how to work these things?"

Dabi shrugged, walking away. He didn't have any interest in their findings. His job was to fetch the objects, and he did so. Until Shigaraki called him again, he was free to do whatever he pleased. He pushed open the exit door, feeling the cold outside air rush into the hideout. He held the door with his foot, pulling his hood over his head.

Nogecho, the hub where the hideout is located, is never a place you'd want to be at night. It's called the Boozy Backstreets for a reason. Villains, drunkards, wannabes, and trouble is all anyone would find there. Dabi could very well handle himself, but he never wanted to stay around there for long. He walked down backstreets, passing rundown apartments, and grubby bars with cheap lighting. He did his best to avoid anyone and everyone who looked his direction by ignoring them completely.

He wasn't completely sure where he was headed to. He knew he was in Miyagawacho, the next-door district to Nogecho, but it was a quiet district. Nogecho reeked of alcohol and trash. There was always noise; glass shattering, people yelling and singing, music playing, etc.

     Miyagawacho had a simple layout with beautiful landscaping. Apple and pear trees were planted alongside the roads in large clay pots, most lawns were kept up. It was always clean and it consistently smelt of fruity nature. Though, none of the buildings were anything remarkable, he genuinely appreciated the district's respect for nature.

     It held open gardens and greenhouses for everybody; strangers, locals. From watching others, he learned that it wasn't completely free food. With every so much you take, you must plant more seeds in the right area, whether it be vegetables or fruit. He always found this certain community interesting, in the way they function on peace and fair bargaining. If only.

     Quick, light footsteps were heard approaching him from the right. His body turned toward the noise, expecting it to be a threat.

     Tongue hanging from the side of its' mouth, nub wagging its' entire back end, the dog stood in front of him. It was speckled black and white, certainly a farm dog, but it was fairly small. The young dog sniffed his shoes, then his pants in curiosity.

     The urge to punt the thing was immense.

     Instead, Dabi watched the dog. It wasn't showing any sign of aggression. He looked up throughout the neighborhood, seeing if anyone was outside, but he saw no one.

     Looking back down to the dog, he groaned. It was sitting perfectly on it's bum, giving him the classic big, brown puppy dog eyes. The villain squatted down, reaching his hand out so the animal could sniff it. It smelled him vigorously, shoving it's nose into his sleeve.

"Aye," he pulled his arm back, "back off."

     The dog licked his hand almost as an apology. Dabi slowly pet the dog on the head. When he felt more comfortable, he stroked his back. It laid on its' back, wanting a belly rub with promising eyes.

     The villain cracked a small humorous huff through his nose, rubbing his tummy.

     Suddenly, the dog scrambled on all fours, ears up as if it heard something. It glanced back at the man, then back toward- what Dabi assumed to be- it's house. He looked in the same direction as the dog, standing as he did so. Still, he couldn't spot anything.

     The front door opened to the house, a light to the front porch switching on. A young girl stepped outside in shorts and a tank top, barefoot.

"Spud?" she called.

     Her eyes wandered shortly before spotting her dog standing with a stranger.

"Spud, come on, boy!" she commanded.

     The dog bolted to her excitedly, racing up the steps of her porch. She put him inside and started to approach the man.

"Sorry 'bout that. He probably saw you while he was out in the field and was curious," she explained at the bottom of her steps.

     She plopped down on the last step, grabbing a cigarette out of her box and lighting it. She took a drag and inhaled it through her teeth.

"He didn't bite, did he?" she asked him.

     The villain shook his head.

"Good," she said, "you travel through here often?"

"You always this nosey?" he responded.

     She shook her head, taking the cigarette out of her mouth.

"Just wanted to let you know, if you do walk by again, feel free to pet him if he's outside. I'm sure he'd like it."

     Dabi ignored her, turning back forward to keep walking.

"Safe travels," she called.