A/N: This and the next chapter will be shorter. Sorry about that. We're almost done with the fic, though!


"I want to speak to her again," Tomura started in a hushed voice as he stepped into Izuku's doorway.

The boy looked up from where he was zipping up his hoodie in surprise.

"Oh," was all he could respond with. "Oh, okay."

Sitting back down on the bed, he gestured for Tomura to come in. The older man hesitated, but as soon as he was inside the room, he shut the door and made his way to the bed.

As soon as he sat down on the edge, Izuku closed his eyes.

Within moments, his eyes reopened, and his demeanor shifted into one of motherly warmth.

"It's so good to see you again," Nana began with a smile. "How have you been?"

"... Better," Tomura admitted, fidgeting with his gloves.

"Oh…!" She finally noticed the material and gently reached for them. "You got gloves! How do they feel? They look nice."

"They're… really great." He allowed her to take his hands in hers, and as she marveled at the material, he spoke up, "Would it have made any difference if I was Quirkless?"

"Hm? What would?"

He grew silent again.

Nana looked up in confusion. "What do you think would be different?"

"My life."

The spirit hummed for a second. "No. All For One would have found a way."

"Oh." He looked down with a contemplative frown.

"What's got you thinking about that?" She asked softly, letting him take his hands back. "Did someone say something to you?"

"I…" he started, but hesitated. He looked up with a frustrated look. "I… I don't know. I'm conflicted."

"About what?"

"About my Quirk." He looked away again with a quiet huff. "Sensei said that he gave me a Quirk… so I was Quirkless once, right? I mean… I have the toe joint."

Nana froze. For a moment, her eyes flickered with hidden emotion, until she blinked and a distinctly Izuku tone to his voice came out in disbelief: "You were Quirkless too?"

Another blink, and it seemed Nana was back in control. "I had assumed as such, but… it feels different hearing it in your own words."

"Why? Is there something wrong with being-"

"No! Never!" She interrupted, only barely remembering in time to keep her voice down. "Never. Tomura, there is nothing wrong with being Quirkless. In fact, I had my suspicions about why All For One picked you."

"Didn't he take me in because… I killed my family?"

"No," she spoke again, more heatedly. Her eyes hardened, and for a moment it was like she was looking past him. "While I had thought it was because you're my grandson, now it seems his theories are confirmed… All For One took you in because you were born without a Quirk."

She looked back at her grandson, and the confusion on his face made her sigh quietly. "Tomura, he gave you a Quirk because you were the perfect protégé. He took you not only because you were Shimura Nana's kin, but because…"

She winced, then, as if something abruptly painful seized her. She gripped her chest for a moment before carefully continuing, "... because… well, because it was convenient for his plans."

"I don't understand."

"Until this ceaseless war finally ends, I don't believe you ever will," the weary spirit answered. "There are certain things that you must be kept from - things that would crush you. I don't want to see you hurt."

He watched silently as she reached out to cup his cheeks in her hands. Her brow furrowed when she felt how patchy and cracked his skin was.

"Are you… upset to know the truth?" She asked quietly.

Wordlessly, he shook his head.

"Well," she continued, "I want you to realize that you aren't broken because you were born Quirkless. You were made to be just the way you are. You're no less of a person now because of your old self."

He nodded.

She smiled warmly, swiping a thumb across his cheekbone. "I'm so happy I got to meet you. I feel… like a piece of me has finally been able to pass on."

"Will you still be here…?"

"Of course." Nana chortled. "I will always be here when you need me. In the meantime… I wish you luck with your Quirk. Get some help with the cracking, if you can."

Patting his cheek one last time, she let go and closed her eyes.

Izuku's body went limp, and after a moment he reopened his eyes and stared at the older of them with uncertainty and… was that relief?

"So… all this time," he began quietly, "those shoes… I thought I recognized their design."

Tomura remained silent, too overwhelmed to speak.

The boy heaved a dry laugh. "How ironic. The one thread connecting us, other than my father… was the fact that we were both born Quirkless, and that he gave us Quirks to suit his purposes."

With a wry smile, he said, "We really aren't so different after all, are we?"

Though he could not find the words to speak, the older man couldn't help but nod his head.