Carried in Aizawa's arms like a misbehaving toddler, I was finding it hard not to let my pride take a hit. Sure, I'm a cat now, but did he really have to carry me like this? My dignity was dangling by a thread as his scarf looped loosely around me, securing me in place. I squirmed a little, trying to get more comfortable.

"Stop moving, stray," Aizawa muttered, glaring down at me.

I blinked innocently up at him, giving my best who, me? look. For all his grumbling, his arms were steady and warm, and despite the concrete jungle I'd clawed through, this wasn't the worst position to be in. Not that I'd admit it.

But then came the kicker. His destination wasn't a cozy corner of UA or even the staff lounge. No. He was heading straight for Power Loader.

Oh no. No no no. My ears flattened against my head. This could only end in chaos.

Aizawa paused in front of the workshop, knocking once before pushing the door open. The smell of oil, metal, and something vaguely singed hit me like a slap. Power Loader's lab was a war zone of unfinished projects and half-baked ideas, with tools scattered across every surface and a faint buzzing sound coming from somewhere suspiciously close to a live wire.

Power Loader turned around, goggles perched on his head, his expression already animated. "What brings you here, Eraserhead? And... is that a cat?"

"Yes," Aizawa said flatly. "I need a cage or something to keep it in for now. It's a stray that won't leave me alone."

I meowed indignantly at that, swishing my tail for emphasis. Excuse me? I am not "just" a stray.

Power Loader tilted his head, studying me like I was some sort of prototype he hadn't finished building. "A cage, huh? Well, I might have something... Hold on!" He scurried off to the back of the lab, muttering under his breath about containment units and failed experiments.

I gave Aizawa a wary glance. You trust this guy?

Power Loader returned moments later, holding what looked like a cross between a birdcage and a high-tech hamster ball. Wires stuck out at odd angles, and a faint hum of energy pulsed through the contraption.

"This," he began, puffing out his chest, "was originally meant to be a portable containment unit for small rogue drones. You know, the kind that fly off during testing and refuse to come back. But, uh... let's just say it didn't work quite as planned."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Didn't work how?"

Power Loader chuckled nervously. "Oh, it works... but sometimes the containment field locks a little too well. I'm still tweaking the release mechanism."

My fur bristled. Absolutely not. No way. I am not going in that death trap.

Aizawa stared at the device, his face as unreadable as ever. "And this is safe for a cat?"

"Sure! Probably!" Power Loader said with far too much enthusiasm.

I let out a pitiful meow, doing my best to look as helpless as possible. Aizawa glanced down at me, then back at Power Loader. "You don't have anything simpler? Like a regular cage?"

Power Loader scratched his head, looking genuinely confused. "A regular... cage? You mean just a box with bars? That's boring. Where's the ingenuity in that?"

"I'm not looking for ingenuity. I'm looking for functionality."

"Pfft, fine." He set the contraption down with a clank, rummaging through a pile of parts before pulling out something marginally less terrifying: a plain metal cage with a latch. It looked like it had been hastily assembled from leftover scraps, but at least it didn't hum ominously.

"This'll do for now," Aizawa said, taking the cage.

I glared at him, my tail flicking in irritation. You can't seriously be thinking about putting me in that thing.

"Thanks," he added before turning to leave.

"Let me know how it goes!" Power Loader called after us. "If you want the fancy one, just say the word!"

As soon as the door shut behind us, I wriggled in Aizawa's arms, letting out a series of urgent meows.

"What now?" he asked, his tone exasperated.

I shot him my best wide-eyed, pleading look. If he thought I was going to sit quietly in that cage while he figured out what to do with me, he had another thing coming.

"Fine," he sighed, setting me down on the floor. "But if you run off, you're on your own."

I stretched my legs, taking a moment to revel in my small victory. One step closer to freedom—or at least avoiding becoming Power Loader's next experiment.

For now, I'd stick close to Aizawa. As much as I hated to admit it, he was my best bet for survival in this ridiculous situation. Besides, it was oddly comforting knowing he was looking out for me, even if he didn't realize he was babysitting his own student.