Makoto hugged Uraraka back for a brief moment, before looking at her with a terrified look.
"Something… something very, very wrong is happening. We need to get out of here! Just, wait here, two seconds!"
Makoto quickly turned, hurrying the interrogation room to grab his vials before leading Uraraka down the hallway.
"It's the teachers… something's wrong with them. I think it's the League of Villans. I think it's something to do with these vials. Ever since I got them, I've been a different person. I only… I only really felt like myself when Mr Aizawa gave me a pill to swallow. He told me there's been a spate of brainwashings recently, from a quirk that could make a mind-controlling toxin, and that they'd developed an antidote to it, and the toxin is in the school."
"Oh my god!" Uraraka said, a worried look on her face. "We need to talk to Aizawa."
"We can't. He left to get some coffee from the teacher's lounge, and when he came back, he couldn't remember what we were talking about, and seemed different. He tried to get me to have some of the coffee."
"The toxin must be in there!"
"I think the teachers are already infected. We need to get out of here, fast. I managed to snag the location of the drug company that produces the antidote, we need to get there, get some and save the school!"
"You're right!" Uraraka nodded. "We need to get the others, though, they'll help!"
Makoto thought for a moment, wondering if that'd be worth. It would give him a team of heroes to manipulate and use for a while. That could be a very valuable asset. But, of course, he'd have to keep up the ruse for a little longer, which is always stressful to do that long term, and he didn't like the idea of trying to evade the whole class when he split from them. Better to just bring the girl, one ally he could use for a while, and when the time came, he could just get out of her view somewhere with a lot of people, and just slip away into the crowd as he changed skin.
"No, I don't think that's safe. Any of them could be brainwashed but hiding it to ambush us later on! We need to be quick, before the teachers leave and start causing havoc!"
"OK, but even if we don't tell the others, we could sneak into our rooms to grab the… well, you know."
"Umm… I don't know if that'd really be useful," Makoto responded, hoping his lack of knowledge didn't show.
"Izuku, this is the perfect time for it! We reserved it especially for situations like this!"
"Uh, sure, yeah, let's go for it," Makoto said. "Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous. Bits of that mind control serum are still going my system."
"It's OK. We'll be quick," Uraraka nodded, holding Makoto's hand tightly.
The two of them raced through the corridors of the school, quickly making their way through doors and stairwells of the school. Makoto tried to figure out which room Uraraka was leading him to, while trying to figure out what the secret could be. Firearms, perhaps. Some sort of Quirk-enhancing drug… no, Makoto wasn't thinking in the mindset of some preppy UA girl. She'd be too posh and idealistic to carry anything like that. It's probably something lame.
"Right in here," Uraraka said, moving towards
"Hey guys, Midoriya just came back from his chat with Mr Aizawa," Uraraka loudly announced, as they both stepped into a large student lounge, filled with the members of Class 1A who were talking and messing around.
"Oh, hey," Makoto said, scanning the room for Bakugo, who seemed more surprised than angry.
That was good. He could get what they needed before Bakugo had time to get angry and attack. He headed over to the
"It's under the table," Uraraka whispered, as Makoto went over to the table in the back, looking underneath for a package or something.
"Hey, are you sure it's here?" Makoto asked, looking up to see the entirety of Class 1A staring at him. "What?"
Suddenly, Uraraka slammed her fist into his stomach. Makoto winced in pain, vomiting up black bile onto the floor. Uraraka grabbed him by the colour and flung him into the air. Makoto slammed into the ceiling, gravity not having kicked in no doubt due to her quirk. Makoto saw the ground explode with fire, as Bakugo flew into the air, slamming his fists against Makoto in an explosion, before sending him spiralling to the ground. Bakugo landed atop Makoto as gravity kicked in again, Bakugo's hand roughly grabbing Makoto by the neck.
"You're not the real Deku, are you?" Bakugo growled.
"Well, fuck, this didn't go my way," Makoto chuckled with a grin. "To be fair, you're not a real man, so I guess we're both lying about shit, huh?"
Bakugo slammed Makoto against the floor, eyes alight with flames.
"Show us your real form, shifter!" he growled.
"OK, OK, jeez. I guess Eraserhead told you I was prowling about, huh?" Makoto answered, shifting into the form of a tanned, particularly handsome teen. "Happy now?"
"No use revealing your hand just yet," he thought to himself.
"One of us needs to go inform the teachers," Tenya said.
"Wait, wait, just listen," Makoto said. "Afterwards, you'll be free to go tell the teachers whatever you think you should."
"We can't trust him. He does nothing but lie," Uraraka glared.
"Alright, that's a bit mean. I mostly lie, because I'm pragmatic, and as a shapeshifter, lying is often a pretty pragmatic thing to do."
"He could answer a few of our questions. Figure out where Midoriya is," Todoroki said.
"Oh, trust me, I can make him answer a few questions," Bakugo said.
"I'll be honest here, I'm not your enemy. I might not be your friend, but we're still on the same side of this."
"Tell us where Midoriya is, creep!" Uraraka shouted.
"OK, long story short, I'm a guinea pig for some secret organization of villains. They took that friend of yours and left me in their place to spy a bit. That bit didn't go too well, and now All Might and Eraserhead are going to track down a lead, follow the trial and go wipe them out."
"Sounds like the problem's sorted. Why shouldn't we tell the teacher, exactly?" Jiro asked.
"Well, there's where the problem lies. See, those guys who sent me aren't risk takers. Trust me. As soon as they realize who's on their trail, they are gong full clean-out. Trust me, the prisoners are getting shot, the buildings getting burned to the ground and the staff are relocating. They'll be up and running again in a couple of years like nothing ever happened."
Makoto looked at the angry faces staring down at him. He'd been in many a situation like this, but these heroes had a reputation. He'd seen clips of them at that class games thing when the Facility were preparing him for this. He had to be smart.
"I don't really care about stopping them. Who knows, maybe All Might and the heroes might actually catch them. However, they'll never save the prisoners or stop them before the relocation. If you want your friend to survive, you're going to have to come with me. I know a quick way to get their and save Midoriya."
"We can't trust him," Kirishima said. "He'd betray us first chance we get."
"Of course. We could just explain the situation to the teachers," Tenya said.
"That ain't going to work, people," Makoto said. "The teachers won't let me take the risks I need to for this to work, and to be honest, I ain't going to tell them. If I go with a bunch of heroes, I'll never have a chance to escape and hit the road."
"Why would you want to help us?" Tokoyami asked.
"Because, as the sweet Uraraka will point out, I was real sick earlier until I got my syringes. I'm sick. I'm sick, and the only permanent cure is at that place. If you guys really want to help your friend, I'm your best shot. With your powers and strength, and my inside knowledge, we can get the cure, free the prisoners and call the heroes. You get your friend back, I get my freedom."
"What if he's right?" Uraraka asks hesitantly.
"I fucking am right!"
"We can't trust him," Tenya said. "We know he'll lie to escape!"
"Wait a second! You could just get Yajima Maya from 1-C. Not a bad idea, right?"
"Who the hell is that?" Bakugo growls.
"Jeez, is this whole class really that self-deluded?" Makoto chuckles. "Haven't you heard of the other hero classes?"
"Yajima Maya," Tenya Iida said. "She's a quiet girl, but her quirk, Confessions, her superpower, forces people to tell the truth."
"Yeah, exactly. Grab her, verify what I said, then you'll know you have no other choice but to trust me."
"Even if he's telling the truth, we can't just help a criminal escape," Yoyorozu said.
"Look, your friend is in trouble. You might not believe me now, but you will in a moment. I'm the only chance you got."
"We need to act fast!" Bakugo growled. "Kirishima, Kaminari, go find the truth girl, bring her here."
"We haven't agreed to this!" Iida said, a worried look appearing on his face.
"I don't give a shit what you agree to! I'm find Deku and I'm breaking him out! Then, I'm kicking this mutant freak's ass! Then, I'm kicking Deku's ass, and then we can see who wants to agree about what, capiche?!"
Bakugo growled at Denki and Eijiro, and the two boys headed off running.
"I suppose we just wait here to see what he says, right, guys?" Minoru Mineta said nervously, looking at Bakugo as he shook with fear.
"Yeah… I know someone else I want to check in with first," Uraraka said. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Come on, Tsu."
"You got it," Tsuyu answered, before giving a croak.
As the four left, Makoto stared awkwardly at his third group of captors in twenty four hours.
"Uh… anyone know how to play chess?" Makoto asked. "Bit of poker?"