Kamino was a booming ward of Yokohama, a prosperous business city. The rather small bar that All For One made their hideout a few years ago was tucked away in a small alleyway not many acknowledged when passing. The bar was long abandoned, whoever owned it before All For One found it, did not leave it in the care of anyone. Yumi sometimes wondered if maybe All For One had had the original owner disposed of since the bar was in such an inconspicuous place. It was the perfect spot for meetings and with Kurogiri they rarely had to step outside, he would just bring them to and from home, an apartment building All For One owned in a rather run-down part of Japan. Another place that was quite out of the way and would not be looked at twice.

Shigaraki left around 8 o'clock this morning, he was to meet with the small army they had gathered and take action against U.A. at 9 o'clock when the students would be arriving at U.S.J. for their training. Yumi has been rather on edge since he left. She'd been sitting alone at the bar for what felt like hours waiting for Tomura's and Kurogiri's return. She wished her Quirk worked on herself, allowing her to go to a peaceful place while she waited. The anxiety and worry were overwhelming.

"You need not worry, my dear." Sensei attempted to soothe her mind but it only brought her further into disparity. "Tomura is more than capable of protecting himself."

"That is not my worry, Sensei." It was a constant struggle to hide her contempt for her master. "If your intel is incorrect or more Pros show up, Tomura and Kurogiri are done for. If All Might isn't weakened as you say, imagine what he'll do. If he was able to-" She huffed out a frustrated sigh. She dared not bring up his loss to All Might. "You can only do so much for him."

"You as well." His tone was now firm. "You cannot hold his hand through everything, Yumi, as much as you wish. He has to learn and grow on his own, otherwise, he will never truly know growth. You are to be a guiding hand for him, not his mother. I will not allow harm to come to Tomura. Remember, my dear, everything I do is for his betterment."

For his betterment? She clenched her hands into fists. The lies, the deceit, the truth behind all of this is for his betterment or for yours? Yumi wished she dared to say such a thing, but she would die in an instant to the man she called Sensei and Tomura would never forgive her nor would he believe a word she said.

Why would he? All For One saved him, gave him a home, a place to belong. Allowed the pain and frustration Tomura felt to blossom into bloodlust and hatred; gave him the tools to do and be whatever he wanted. All For One gave him a purpose.

At times Yumi felt ungrateful. All For One had done the same for her. In a time when no one else wanted her, he did, even if it was for his own selfish reasons. She would have been left in a loveless home as the Quirkless child of the Takahashi family or worse killed by the hands of All For One in exchange for a new Quirk. It was conflicting and she understood. She understood how All For One got so many to follow him. He came to them when they were at their lowest and his outstretched hand to pull them back made them feel less alone.

"I'm sorry to come at a time like this, Shigaraki." The gruff aged voice of the eldest and head of the Takahashi family greeted the tall and imposing man standing before him. "But I am left with no other options."

"It is no trouble at all, Katsurō." The man responded with a small smile. "I always make time for an old friend." The figure's vermilion eyes turned down to the little girl peeking behind her grandfather. "And who is this?"

Katsurō placed a hand on the child's head, "This is my granddaughter, Yumi."

"She has your eyes."

Yellow orbs meet red, "That's all she has I'm afraid."

"Oh?" The man's brow rose in intrigue.

The aging man sighed, his face held all the stress of the last year of his granddaughter's misfortune in a pinched brow. "Her Quirk, Shigaraki, is not like my son's or her mother's. A mutation Quirk, I believe you called them once."

"I see." The man smirked, "And what is this Quirk?"

"I do not know. She does something when she touches others, makes them go crazy, one of her nannies killed herself, Shigaraki." Katsurō began to sound desperate. "My son wants her sent away or worse-… Her mother won't even go near her. The house staff is terrified of her, no one will even speak to her or look in her direction. I am out of options, old friend."

Shigaraki crouched down in front of the little girl, she shuffled further behind her grandfather much to Shigaraki's amusement. "No need to be afraid, my dear, I'm an old friend of your grandfather's. We've known each other for a long time. Do you know what your Quirk is?"

Yumi shook her head, looking down in shame.

"The maids say it's like Hell. Living through your worst nightmare for hours on end and being unable to tell what is real and not. Yumi has no idea what she is doing."

Shigaraki stood, his eyes still trained on the girl. "And what is it you wish of me, Katsurō?"

"Take away her Quirk."

"And leave her Quirkless? That wouldn't be good for the Takahashi reputation."

"Then exchange it for another, I know you can."

"I can, this is true, but the one I bestow a new Quirk onto does not always survive. I cannot guarantee Yumi will live."

Takahashi Katsurō grew silent, in his 60 years of life he has never felt so powerless. He loves his granddaughter. He had hoped she would one day make an excellent head of the Takahashi family. But her Quirk was too much for their family. Without any options left, Yumi will be left Quirkless or sent away.

"I have another offer that might satisfy the Takahashi family as a whole." Shigaraki's lips stretched into a Cheshire grin. "Leave her with me."

"What? You can't be serious?"

"It's the better of all options, my friend. Yumi will live a normal life, Quirk intact. I can train her to use it. And-" Red met yellow once again. "You can hold her a funeral, tell the world the newest child of the Takahashi family died from a sudden illness or accident. Imagine all those who will come in sympathy. New clients and old, it will be a time of prosperity for the business."

The older man lowered his head, his eyes glancing at the young child attached to his hip. This must be a strange time for her, confusing and terrifying. A normal life is all he could hope for his grandchild. And Shigaraki wasn't wrong, the death of his grandchild would make business boom. Would his son or daughter-in-law object to this? He did not know but this was his decision to make.

Katsurō shut his eyes with a sigh, "Very well, old friend. I trust you."

"Smart choice."

Yumi gripped onto the sleeve of the man who introduced himself as All For One. She followed behind him as he led her through the hallways of a small apartment building in a city she was not familiar with. He reassured her she had nothing to worry about and that he would take great care of her. She was confused and scared. Her grandfather had left and when she had gone to follow he told her to stay. She didn't understand.

"This will be your new home, my dear." The tall man reassured her. "I have someone I would like you to meet. He is also in my care."

All For One opened the door to one of the apartments and led her inside, shutting the door behind them. "Tomura, come out here. I have someone for you to meet."

After a few moments, a child emerged from the hallway. His appearance made Yumi move further behind All For One's legs. He was only a few inches taller than her, his posture was poor, with pale blue hair and dark clothes but what made her terrified were the disembodied hands that decorated his upper body. One covered the features of his face and she was unable to see his eyes.

All For One chuckled at her cowardice. "No need to be afraid, child." He placed a hand on the back of her shoulder and moved her away from him gently. "Go on, introduce yourself."

Yumi's eyes were fixed on the floor, playing anxiously with her fingers. She bowed to the boy in front of her. "Um, hello, my name is Takahashi Yumi. Nice-nice to meet you."

The boy was silent, his head turned in her direction.

"Don't be rude, Tomura, introduce yourself."

"Shigaraki Tomura." He said softly.

Yumi rose from her bowed position, her eyes still trained on the hardwood under her feet.

"Yumi will be under my care, just as you are Tomura." All For One informed. "She will be staying here with you and Kurogiri."

All For One showed her what he said would be her new bedroom. It was a small bedroom with the barest of furniture, a bed, a dresser, and two bookshelves. "I'll have Kurogiri get you a few things, clothing, and whatever else you will need. I know it is smaller than the home you once had." He looked to the young girl. "Do not worry, my dear, you will adjust to your new home. Do not hesitate to ask me or Kurogiri for whatever you need to adjust."

"My-my grandfather…" She felt tears welling in her eyes. "When will I be going home?"

"Oh, child." He fained sympathy but she was too young to understand the difference. He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to him. She crawled onto the bed beside him. "Your family has left you with me because they do not want you anymore."

"...Want me?"

"They've abandoned you because of your Quirk. You were too much of a burden for them to handle." All For One explained, "But no need to worry my dear, I will take care of you. I'm here."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she placed her hands over her face and began to sob. All For One wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. "Tomura is the same as you, his family did not want him either. But I saved him. I brought him here and have taught him how to use his Quirk, just as I will for you."

"She is in great physical condition for a 5-year-old." The man who was introduced to her as Dr. Garaki informed All For One as he sat across from Yumi. "Her Quirk I'm still unsure of, but from what Takahashi said it could be some kind of mental Quirk."

"Do we have any subjects who we can test on?" All For One questioned.

The Doctor hummed in thought. "I have one that we can use but if her Quirk is unstable, I'm not sure how it'll affect the subject."

All For One let out a small chuckle, "Need you ask if I care?"

Dr. Garaki sighed, "Very well. I'll get the subject ready." He said as he stood up and left them alone.

Yumi looked up at All For One standing beside her. "You want me to use my Quirk?"

"Of course, Yumi." He smiled down at her. "I wish to help you, as I did Tomura."

Yumi turned her head away, playing with her fingers anxiously once again. "Will I get hands like him?"

He laughed, "No, no, child, those are his. A reminder for him. You will not need such a thing."

"What kind of a reminder?"

"No need to worry yourself with that. However, do remember what I said. Tomura's Quirk is very dangerous and it is best not to ask."

"I understand."

Yumi was led into a white room with All For One beside her. There was a young man in the center of the room who looked delighted to see All For One. "Sir, it's great to see you again."

"You as well." He motioned towards Yumi, "This is Yumi, she is a young pupil of mine."

The young man bowed low to her. "It's an honor to meet you, Yumi-sama."

The honorific confused Yumi, she was only referred to as such when she was living with her family.

"Go on, Yumi." All For One gently pushed her towards the man.

She was hesitant in her steps. "It's okay, I can handle it, Yumi-Sama." He said with a reassuring smile and extended his hand to her.

Encouraged by his reassurance, Yumi outstretched her hand and grabbed the man. It was immediate, his eyes glazed over in a blank stare and his smile faltered to a thin line. His body became rigid as he became locked into his mind. Yumi let go of him, taking a step back. It was always a faint vision in her head and quick voices.

The man was engulfed in a blinding white light, his head felt aflame, loud popping in his ears vibrated his ear drums violently. His heart sank into his stomach. He was blind and deaf to the world around him. He was on the precipice of darkness, like the moments before you fall in a dream but he was left anticipating it instead of waking up.

In the distance of the ever-extending nothingness was a flicker of flame, the smell of dankness, and rotting wood. The world around him came back to him. He was in what looked to be a basement, a candle was lit, burning away and causing the shadows to dance against the brick wall.

Where was he? His body ached horrendously, his muscles felt stretched thin and exhausted. He attempted to move but realized he couldn't. He turned his head, seeing his arm stretched along a wooden board, strapped down from his upper arm, elbow, and wrist, his other arm was left in the same fashion. He looked down, he realized he was nude. Both of his legs were pulled apart to an uncomfortable distance, both legs similarly strapped to these wooden boards as his arms. He had no way to keep his weight up so he hung and pushed against his restraints. His fingers and toes were numb, he realized. He was cold and hungry.

Wasn't he just in the lab with Dr. Garaki and All For One, with that little girl who looked terrified of everything? Or was that a dream?

There was the sound of a door opening, heavy with creaky and rusted hinges. The door then slammed shut and he heard the fall of footsteps. A man stepped into the small light of the candle. He couldn't see the man's face or make out anything about him, he was just another shadow in the darkness.

He opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. His throat was unbelievably dry, pained from the lack of moisture. When was the last time he drank anything?

There was a clinking of metal clashing against each other and the shuffle of footsteps in the blackness. He swiveled his head around trying to find where the figure had disappeared. He felt something cold against the raw skin of his back, then a blinding pain erupted along his back. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing would leave. He had no voice, he could not scream. The pain was agonizing and persistent. What was the man doing to him? The intensity of the pain slowed and he was able to breathe for a moment. He heard something drip onto the floor, he lowered his head, seeing red run along his legs and a pool of red on the floor below him. The man threw something out of the darkness, into the small glow of light, it hit the floor with a soft wet thud. It was pale and red, the texture of skin.

Oh… it was skin. His skin. The figure has peeled away the flesh of his back.

He stared at the wet lump in horrid awe. His mouth stretched open in a silent scream. His eyes burned angrily for the need of tears but none came. His chest heaved with distress, his heart hammering against his ribcage like a drum. Where was he? Why was this happening? Why was this man, thing, doing this to him?

The pain returned. He attempted to struggle against his bonds but he had no leverage, no way to escape the pain. He was stuck, trapped with the pain.

Days. That's how long it took for the man to fully peel away all the flesh of his back. Or at least he thought. He had no way of knowing how many days have passed other than the comings and goings of the figure. He was left bleeding, staring mindlessly at the pile of flesh left on the floor before him. The figure never cleaned it up. Never acknowledged it, just left when the job was done. The man never talked to him, never told him why he was here being tortured. He could not think of a thing he had done to deserve such a punishment.

It was senseless, that's all he could think of when he thought of what he had done to deserve this. He'd done nothing, this was simply a man, thing, torturing him for no reason.

The figure had not given him anything to eat or drink. His stomach screamed in hunger and his tongue felt like sandpaper on his mouth. He had thrown up from the pain at some point, bile coated his throat and mouth like tar, burned his throat and tongue, and stung his chapped lips. There was nothing he could do to make the taste of bile leave, he could not swallow without the lubrication of saliva.

When the figure left, he couldn't sleep even with exhaustion overcoming him, whether it was the pain, his muscles screaming to be let down, he couldn't sleep as much as he tried to will himself to. He'd spend the time after the man left with his head hung, eyes closed, waiting for sleep to take him, but it never came. What Hell was he in?

Months, maybe, he does not know, he was unable to keep track anymore of the figure coming and going. He was in a blindness of exhaustion and pain, delirious from prolonged dehydration. Why wasn't he dead yet? The figure had peeled away most of his flesh from his back, buttock, and calves. He moved on to his chest. With the man standing in front of him he could see the figure use his knife to hook under the flesh and slowly and methodically peel the peach strips away. Seeing it was more horrifying than feeling it so eventually when the figure came he was forced to turn his head away with shut eyes.

He could never make out any features of the figure, he was just a silhouette in the blackness.

He stopped questioning the why and instead focused on the when. When was this torment going to be over? When could he feel the sweet release of death? He did not know because from what he understood about the human body, he should be dead by now. Whatever Hell this was was keeping him alive, prolonging his suffering. He never thought himself a man to wish for death but this was beyond what he would call a time to beg for mercy from whatever god was listening.

He no longer remember what his name once was, what year he was born, or the day of his birth. He could not remember his mother's face. All he could remember was of this prison, the pain, the smell of rotting flesh and metal. He did not know how long he had been there but it felt like years, he could not be sure, he had not seen the sun, only the flame of a candle that seemed to never go out. By all accounts, he should be dead. His breathing had grown shallow from dehydration, his lungs burned with each passing breath. His nose constantly bled from dryness and he could feel the soreness of his lips from never feeling the quench of water. He no longer felt hunger, rather just emptiness and bloating. If he had grown thinner he could not tell, the figure had rid him of all the skin of his chest, groin, and thighs. He had grew delirious when the figure had quite literally stripped him of his manhood and threw it into the pile of rotting flesh like it meant nothing. He wanted to scream, curse, and thrash against his restraints but he was powerless and voiceless.

After that, he began to beg to whatever god there was to let him die. He would cry in voiceless sobs and cry tearless tears. Everything hurt, the pain was ever-consuming. He just wanted this to end.

He believed this would never end. This was his fate and he should resign to it. He had no more fight left.

Years, he believes, years had gone by kept alive by some unseen magic. When the figure had finished cutting away every last bit of flesh, a mirror was brought before him, forcing him to see what he'd become. Nothing more than exposed muscle that no living human being should ever have to witness. The skin of his scalp and face had been stripped away. He had no features to call his own, only the mechanical workings behind flesh. He was not human anymore, everything about himself had been cut away methodically and intently. He was a husk. Just a corpse with a soul unable to leave its mortal form.

He opened his mouth to scream but again nothing left. He needed to curse, beg, plead anything so he was no longer here in this nightmare. But he was voiceless.

Yumi turned to look at her new sensei who was waiting patiently in anticipation. The man had been under Quirk for only a few seconds. He had not moved since she activated her Quirk, except for a few twitches here and there, otherwise, he was motionless staring ahead, seeing nothing. She was unsure of what caused her Quirk to deactivate, whether it was her or the one affected by it.

Seemingly out of nowhere the man began to scream, blood curtailing and sizematic. Yumi had to cover her ears, his baritone making her ribs vibrate. His scream turned into hyperventilating, he was unable to take in any meaningful breaths. His eyes stared into the ground, and tears and saliva dripped from his face. Then the man collapsed into the weight of himself, falling into a heap of nothing but lifeless limbs and shaking bones.

"I'm sorry!" Yumi turned to her sensei to apologize further, but the look on All For One's face gave pause. He was smiling an inhuman grin, his lips stretching thin upward causing deep crow's feet to form heavily around his eyes.

All For One began to clap, "Bravo, Yumi! My decision to take you in has turned out to be a wonderful investment!" He moved upon her, towering over her, she had to stretch her neck back just to meet his eyes, those crimson irises. He placed two hands on her shoulders, "Well done, Yumi, what a wonderful gift you have."

"A wonderful gift?" She questioned. Her Quirk has never been called anything other than a curse.

All For One chuckled, "Yes and I will help you mold it into such just as I have for young Tomura." He cupped her cheek with his hand, it was almost the size of her whole head. "Wonderful, my dear, just wonderful."

Something blossomed in Yumi that she had not felt since her Quirk manifested, love. She felt loved.

The whirling of wind brought Yumi out of her memories of her childhood. A purple mist began to form in the center of the hideout. Tomura and Kurogiri are returning. She stood from her stool in anticipation but the smell of blood filled her senses and dread erupted within her chest.

Tomura's silver mop of hair came first with a soft groan of pain, the rest of him was soon withdrawn from the portal on the wooden floor. Her eyes immediately went to his wounds and they were quickly pooling blood underneath him. Gunshot wounds. Snipe. The mission had failed.

"Tomura!" Yumi gasped and fell to her knees beside him. She didn't even know where to start to stop the bleeding, he would have to see the doctor. Her hands hovered over him but she felt powerless to help him.

"They shot me in both my arms and legs." He hissed, refusing to turn his head in Yumi's direction, instead settling on the wall. He was shaking with rage. "We were completely defeated, even Nomu was done for."

Nomu? The Nomu was taken out? How? There is no way All Might was able to defeat that monster.

"Our underlings were completely wiped out… even the kids were strong…" She could hear the tremble growing in his voice, if he could move he'd be scratching at his skin until it bled. "And the Symbol of Peace wasn't weaker at all! You were wrong, Sensei…"

"No, I wasn't." All For One would not concede causing Yumi to glare at the screen of white static. "I was simply overly optimistic." Sensei hummed thoughtfully, "However it seems they may have underestimated us. Good, our name is still not known. What has happened to the doctor's and I's work? Has Nomu's body been retrieved?"

Kurogiri sighed heavily, "I am afraid All Might sent him flying. If we do not know the precise location of him, I would not be able to find him, no matter how many times I warped. We do not have that kind of time."

Yumi was furious, wrath growing inside her like a poison, her mouth salivating with venom. She wanted to scream at her Sensei, tell him she was right, that she should have been with him. But instead, she bit her tongue until she tasted blood.

"Even though I pumped it full of power that could rival All Might-" He stopped with a deep sigh, his voice dripping with disappointment and resentment. "Oh well, nothing we can do now, what a shame…"

Tomura shifted his head so he was now looking up at the screen of static. "Power like All Might's?" He began to tremble with unadulterated hatred, "There was a kid there with powers like All Might. He was so fast…"

Sensei was silent for a moment. "Is that so…?"

"If that kid hadn't interfered…" He was growing delirious in his wrath and the more notable blood loss. "We might have been able to kill All Might… It's all that kid's fault! That kid!" He clenched his fist.

"No use crying over it, Tomura, today was not entirely in vain. Let us gather a new group, hand-picked and we can take all the time we need." Yumi could hear the smile in his voice. "Shigaraki Tomura, next time you will show the world the true horror of your existence!"

"No!" The word ripped out of her without her permission. The room went completely silent, her heart was hammering heavily in her ears. "You lied! You lied to me!"

"Yumi, calm yourself."

She looked down at her hands, they were covered in a crimson red, blood, Tomura's blood. It made her head dizzy, she couldn't control her breathing, and tears were threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. Was she in shock? Is this what true fear feels like? "You-you said…" Her voice came out broken, unable to from her trembling lips. "I-I-..."

"Kurogiri, send Tomura to the doctors." AFO demanded, "And send Yumi to me."

Tomura turned his head to get a good look at Yumi. The look on her face as she stared at her bloodied hands made his brow furrowed in confusion. Yumi has seen plenty of blood. Tears were steadily flowing down her cheeks. What the fuck was her deal? It's just blood.