It was supposed to be a simple trip to the mall.
Jason Lax had no particular reason to be there, other than the fact that Momo wanted to check out some new tech store for inspiration. Jason didn't care much for the latest gadgets, but he did care about the food court. And he knew he'd find plenty of opportunities for fun in a crowded space. Besides, Momo liked being efficient—she was always working, always serious, and Jason couldn't resist the temptation to mess around.
"Come on, Jason, we need to stay on track," Momo said, glancing at him with her usual no-nonsense expression.
Jason gave her a cheeky grin, his hands casually stuffed into his pockets. "Relax, Momo. I'll follow you, but I'm not promising I won't stop by the arcade first."
Momo sighed but didn't argue. She was used to Jason's antics by now, even if they did frustrate her. They made their way through the bustling mall, and Jason was already scanning the environment—looking for something interesting, something that would break the monotony of the day. His eyes flickered to the food court, but he didn't get the chance to head over there. Something was off.
A sudden shout echoed through the air, followed by a loud crash. Jason's senses immediately snapped to attention. His eyes darted to the source: a group of five Quirk users had stormed into the mall's main atrium, causing chaos in their wake. They were yelling at people to stay down and, judging by their wild appearances, it was clear they weren't there for a shopping spree.
Jason watched as one of them—a tall, hulking figure with a grotesque, reptilian arm—ripped open a jewelry display case, tossing aside the glass like it was paper. The other four, all of them equally bizarre in appearance, began ransacking the store. A woman with insect-like antennae hovered near a storefront, disorienting people with some kind of mind-altering pheromone, while another man, his skin dripping with some sort of liquid, created slick, dangerous patches on the floor. A third, short and stocky, had ears so large they looked absurd, yet they were radiating with amplified sound waves, making it impossible for people to hear anything over the deafening noise.
"This is a robbery, people!" one of the mutant Quirk users shouted, waving a gun that seemed to morph and distort in his hand. "Stay down, and no one gets hurt!"
Jason's first instinct was to stay out of sight, but that wouldn't be much fun. He gave Momo a look, signaling her to stay back as he slipped into the crowd. She might have been the one with the brains, but Jason liked to have things under control. He didn't want anyone getting hurt—not if he could stop it.
He quickly made his way toward the back of the mall, weaving through people who were still frozen in panic. The robbers were focused on their heist, but Jason didn't want to let that last. It was time to have some fun.
With a swift movement, Jason used his Shapeshifting ability. His form melted and twisted, becoming a clone of the reptilian thug. A perfect imitation down to the rough, scaly skin, towering physique, and the terrifying look in the creature's eyes. He grinned, admiring his new form.
The robbers didn't see him coming as he charged toward the group, stomping heavily like his clone counterpart. A look of confusion passed through their eyes when they saw another "one of them" coming from behind. Jason took advantage of their hesitation.
In a few fluid motions, he slammed into the man with the gun, knocking him off balance. Before the gunman could react, Jason grabbed his arm, twisted it, and disarmed him with ease. The crowd didn't know what to make of it, seeing a robber suddenly being thrown across the floor by a clone of his own. Jason grinned to himself. This was way too easy.
But there was no time to waste. The insect-woman looked at him with suspicion, readying herself for an attack. She sprayed some kind of toxic mist from her antennae, attempting to blind him, but Jason anticipated the move and morphed his appearance once again. This time, his form became that of the short, stocky robber with oversized ears. He quickly used his enhanced hearing to avoid the pheromone blast, shifting back into his original form the moment the mist passed.
Momo, from her hidden position, watched the spectacle unfold with wide eyes. "Jason, what are you doing?" she whispered to herself. But Jason was too busy to answer.
The other two robbers, who had been ransacking a nearby electronics store, hadn't noticed the tide turning. Jason sprang into action again, making his way through the aisles and using his shapeshifting ability to turn into each of the robbers one by one, throwing them off balance and making it nearly impossible for them to know who was who.
By the time the mall security arrived, the robbers were in full disarray. They didn't know whether they were facing a traitor among their own or if something more sinister was at play. Jason had already disabled two of them, and the rest were confused and on the run.
He let the security officers handle the last few stragglers. When the chaos finally started to settle, Jason returned to his normal form and slipped back into the crowd as if nothing had happened. He found Momo once again, who was clearly still shaken but grateful.
"Jason, you're insane," she muttered, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Hey, they needed help. And it wasn't like I was going to just sit around and let them destroy the place," Jason said, acting nonchalant as he leaned against the railing. He glanced at the mall's security team as they escorted the robbers out of the building. "Besides, it was fun."
Momo narrowed her eyes at him. "You're lucky you didn't get caught. What if you got hurt?"
Jason shrugged. "I wasn't really in any danger, and besides, I had it handled."
"You are insane," Momo repeated, shaking her head in disbelief.
Jason grinned at her. "Yeah, but it worked, didn't it?"
Momo could only sigh. She knew Jason was reckless, but it was hard to stay mad at him for long. With the chaos of the robbery now behind them, Jason gave her a wink.
"Come on, now we can go grab something to eat, right?"
And just like that, he was back to his usual self—carefree, charming, and utterly unpredictable.