5 May 2179
Minoru started to back away slowly.
Utsuro Botai rolled her eyes. "Must we go through this every time? A little birdie told me you were going to Stop ."
In an instant Minoru's entire body locked up, stopping dead.
"There we are." Utsuro rolled. "So dramatic. As usual, such a girl."
Minoru flinched.
"Now, here we are, alone at last, no distractions." Utsuro's lips morphed into a predatory smile. "It's time to come home, Piglet. This has gone on long enough."
"N-No." Minoru grunted, fighting through a locked jaw.
Utsuro's nostrils flared dangerously. "Minoru, I grow bored of this dance, we both know how it will end, well actually, you don't remember."
Minoru's eyes widened.
"A little birdie told me that you're going to come home with me, you're going to be happy about it, and you'll forget all about this and my quirk. " Utsuro's eyes flashed a sickly purple.
Minoru's struggles ceased immediately, freed from Utsuro's verbal bindings.
"Mom?" Minoru questioned, frowning. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, my boss sent me with some paperwork for the Sports Festival." Utsuro smiled warmly, hugging Minoru. "I'm so proud of you, you were such a cute little man out there."
Minoru ignored a strange feeling, radiating from the purple teen's stomach, like that moment just after danger passed. "Sure, I want to come home, now."
Utsuro smiled and nodded. "Let's go home then."
The woman placed a hand on Minoru's shoulder, guiding towards a secluded area.
"Why are we stopping?"
"Like you wanted, we're going home." Utsuro drawled.
Purple smoke began to swirl, the sight filling Minoru with fear and dread. It meant only one thing.
Kurogiri.
"T-That's-"
"A good friend." Utsuro smirked. "Thank you for this, Kurogiri."
Yellow eyes opened in the mist. "As if I have a choice."
"Now, now, no need to get stroppy." Utsuro retorted. "Get through there, Piglet."
Minoru was pushed, stumbling through the portal and onto his belly.
"Tch, pathetic." Utsuro sneered as she stepped from the mist.
Forcing himself to stand, Minoru looked around.
It was the Botai Family Mansion in Yokohama, a place from Minoru's childhood, where they had lived during their early years. Minoru's memories of those first nine years were hazy at best, full of holes.
"This place."
"It's home now, Minoru." Utsuro spoke. "It's time to learn about your legacy, the truth to your purpose."
"My purpose?" Minoru questioned.
"You won't be returning to UA, Piglet, you're going to be homeschooled from now on." Utsuro replied. "Allowing you to go in the first place was a mistake, look how they overfed you, you've gotten fat, we'll have to fix that."
Minoru was hyperventilating, terrified at the idea of Utsuro's control over their entire life once more.
Grasping at the balls on his scalp, Minoru threw them at Utsuro's feet, trapping them in place. Feet pounding, Minoru sprinted towards the main doors, towards freedom.
"A little birdie told me you're going to freeze right where you are ."
Minoru's body locked up entirely, unable to move.
"My body, I can't move."
Utsuro sniffed in annoyance. "Stop making me use my quirk."
"But you're quirkless." Minoru uttered. "Have you hidden it all this time?"
"You know what, I can't be bothered making you forget about it anymore." Utsuro sighed. "This will be much simpler, a little birdie told me you can't leave the mansion grounds, you can't contact the outside world ."
Minoru could move again, wasting no time racing out the house and towards the gates. But within five feet of the gates, Minoru's body stopped, before turning and walking back into the mansion.
"Your quirk, it's mind control."
"Oh, it's far more than just mind control." Utsuro bragged. "Whoever my target is, his mind is putty in my hands, I can remake him from the ground up."
"Him, not them or her." Minoru looked up defiantly. "Your quirk only works on men, not women or non-binary people."
Utsuro gave a mocking laugh. "You're not planning on falling back on that old fantasy."
"Old fantasy?" Minoru questioned.
Utsuro rolled her eyes. "Of course, I made you forget."
Minoru backed away as Utsuro approached.
"You're my precious little man , don't you ever forget that." Utsuro whispered into Minoru's ear. "Now, how about you go to your room, I laid out a dashing tuxedo for you, we're having company tonight."
Minoru sat in the bedroom, decorated with all the fixings he remembered from his childhood. Sighing, Minoru stared down at the phone resting in his palm.
Phone calls wouldn't connect, there was no WiFi, mobile data wasn't working. Not even emergency calls.
Removing the UA gym jacket he was still wearing, Minoru folded it up and moved to the dresser.
Selecting the second from the bottom drawer, Minoru dug right to the back.
I have to hide it, otherwise she'll take it from me. Physical evidence that I attended UA, even if she makes me forget it. Makes me forget Tsu.
Minoru's hand brushed something unexpected, pulling it out to reveal a child's summer dress, patterned with flowers. Ironically, considering the malnutritied state of Minoru, it would probably still fit him.
How did this get here? Why do I have it? Was it mine?
Hesitating on whether or not to discard the dress, Minoru found himself shoving it back into the drawer, along with the jacket.
It was important, just like the UA jacket.
What did that bitch make me forget?
"Minoru, you've got ten minutes to be ready." Utsuro's voice called from afar. "If you've not by then, I'll have to come and dress you myself ."
Minoru shivered, standing tall and turning attention to the child's tuxedo on the bed.
I hate it.
"I'll fix it."
Minoru had always had an eye for fashion, even from a young age, and on the few occasions they'd been allowed to dress freely, had formed a distinctive style.
Removing their UA gym trousers, Minoru pulled out the pins that were used to turn up the legs, the smallest size was still too big for him. Focusing on the suit pants, Minoru shortened them to mid-calf, pairing them with dark red plimsolls from when she he had been learning ballet as a child.
Discarding the crisp white shirt, Minoru dug through the wardrobe, finding a shirt that matched the shoes. Pulling it on, followed by the jacket, Minoru rolled up the sleeves of both, to the midpoint of the forearm.
Finally, Minoru left the top two buttons undone, the bowtie hanging loose around the neck.
"Done. Much better."
Steeling herself himself for the backlash that was about to come, Minoru left his room, striding purposefully towards the dining hall.
Minoru made it barely three steps inside the room before an apolexic screech nearly deafened him.
"What the hell are you wearing, are you trying to look like a freak?" Utsuro hissed as she grabbed her child by the lapel. "Are you trying to embarrass me by dressing like one of those mutants?"
Minoru frowned. "But I have a heteromorphic quirk."
"Don't play dumb with me, I'm not talking about your worthless quirk." Utsuro had tightened around Minoru's throat. "A little birdie told me-"
"None of that, Utsuro."
Minoru watched in surprise as his mother froze dead, trembling slightly at the cordial voice.
"Grandfather." Utsuro spun around, bowing deeply. "I wasn't aware you were coming to the party."
"I fancied a break from my work."
Minoru stared at the man, tall and broad-shouldered, his white hair mid-length and shaggy, reminding him somewhat of Midoriya, and red eyes.
Grandfather, that means, that he's my Great-grandfather. He looks way too young, though.
"Minoru, such an antique sense of style, how fascinating." The white-haired man tilted his head back, revealing a ragged scar from under his left eye and down over the curve of his jaw. "Hm, you don't remember me, do you, child?"
Minoru hesitated, before shaking his head.
"I thought so." The man chuckled. "You were only eight the last time we met, and with your mother's liberal use of her quirk it's not all that surprising."
Minoru's eyes widened.
He knows about her quirk!
"Granddaughter."
The attention turned back to Utsuro, a sigh of relief escaping Minoru's lungs.
"You will not use your quirk on your child again, do you understand me?" The man spoke calmly. "I could take that power from you in an instant."
Utsuro bowed her head. "I understand, Sensei."
Suddenly, the oppressive atmosphere cleared.
"Excellent, let's enjoy this party, shall we?"
Minoru nodded, leaving as soon as possible, taking the seat with the corresponding name card.
"I lied." All For One spoke in the moment his descendant left earshot. "If you use your quirk on your child again I will kill you, no matter how much you beg or plead."
Utsuro nodded, before leaving his presence like the devil was on her heels.
In many ways, he was.
All For One regarded his great-great-grandchild, sat at the table, shoulders hunched, clearly unwilling to be there.
Utsuro has piled layers upon layers of compulsions onto Minoru, a fragile, interwoven shell of lies. One day, not long from now, they'll crack. Like an egg.
All For One activated a suite of quirks, careful not to disturb the ones creating the mirage of his face that hit his injuries.
Dreamscape. Telepathy. Mental Connection.
In a few short seconds, All For One created a link between Minoru and the dreamworld. Just as he had done for Yoichi all those years ago.
Minoru would dream of that world, and finally see who really existed under all Utsuro's compulsion.
The egg of lies would crack soon, but I'll speed things along a bit. This should be interesting.
That night, in the child's bed that was concerningly exactly the right size, Minoru went to sleep.
Only to wake up immediately.
"I'm not in Kansas anymore." Minoru breathed as he stared out of the window as the fantasy city that sprawled as far as the eye could see.
Something felt off, Minoru noticed, like an old pain that had suddenly vanished.
Minoru looked down.
"Holy whoa! What the hell?!"
Minoru looked around the bedroom he had awoken in, eyes eventually landing on a mirror. Striding in front of it, Minoru felt the breath catch at the back of his throat.
"I'm a girl." Minoru murmured, staring at the reflection. "I have actual hair, and it's so long!"
A laugh slipped from his lips.
Or rather, her lips.
Her seems to fit me better, maybe it's just a side effect of all this.
"Miume! Your shift starts in ten minutes, don't be late!"
Miume, that must be my name, wherever this is.
"Miume." Minoru spoke.
The name felt odd on her tongue, a wave of warmth spreading down her body and limbs.
Miume smiled. "This is amazing!"
15 May 2179
Minoru watched the screen with dread, he felt sick
"We at MNS would like to offer our condolences to his mother and those who were close to the Midoriya family. U.A. will be holding a vigil for Izuku Midoriya on the 20th, and he will be buried with full honours granted to pro heroes who have fallen in battle."
The image on the TV changed, now showing a still of Midoriya taken after the cavalry battle. In his hand was the ten million point band, the green-haired boy grinning wildly. Finally, text faded into view, overlaying the image.
Izuku Midoriya
15.07.2163 - 10.05.2179
Midoriya was gone, taken the same day Minoru was, at the Sports Festival just like him.
Sobs wracked Minoru, crying alone in the childhood bedroom that was only vaguely remembered.
Midoriya had saved them, more than once, during the USJ attack, getting hurt again and again in their places.
"It's not fair."
Midoriya deserved to be a hero, a real hero, not just some vain child in it for the attention or need for the validation Utsuro had never given like Minoru.
It should have been Minoru who died, not Midoriya.
"You were already a hero."
A sudden pressure built up in Minoru's head, crying out in pain.
"You can't just wipe her memory!"
"It's not normal! It's unnatural, it's for his own good. He can fit it, be normal."
"I won't let you do this."
"You can't stop me. A little birdie told me you got out of my way."
Slowly, Minoru came back to reality, her his head pounding like a drum. It felt so real, like a half forgotten memory.
And I think I know who made me forget it.
1 June 2179
Miume, as she'd decided to call herself in this weird dreamworld she visited every night, had been cleaning down a table when she heard the rumors.
"Some kind of blur, shot across the sky toward the Royal Grounds."
"I wonder if it was an attack."
"Apparently it was some kid who didn't have an entry coin, a boy."
Miume shook her head, it sounded like some reckless Izuku would do.
Of course, he'll never do anything ever again.
Faltering, Miume stood up straight, staring down at the half-cleaned table.
Her friend was gone. Dead.
She'd never told him how she felt about him. It had been a small crush, quickly overshadowed by her growing feelings for Tsu, but nonetheless, she wished she'd had the chance.
"What's that noise?"
Miume looked up, brow furrowing as she saw the tankards around her vibrate every second.
And then came the screams.
"Monsters from the south! Run!"
Panic set in immediately, the patrons of the tavern fleeing immediately. Carried outside by the crush, Miume looked up to see massive Nomu, the size of skyscrapers, looming over Saronder.
"There's more!"
Miume turned her head, two more Nomu, human-sized, stalked out of an alleyway, a portal closing behind them.
The crowd scattered, leaving Miume standing alone.
Her mind screamed at her feet to move, to run, but they wouldn't. Miume knew she couldn't win against them, her proficiency in here was just as weak as her quirk in the real world.
The first Nomu charged at her.
Without thinking, Miume transformed her arms into ooze. The Nomu's claw bounced off her raised arms, shattering the limb with the reflected energy.
Miume stared at her undamaged arms. "This power, I have a chance."
Looking up, Miume watched as the Nomu that had attacked her regrew its arm.
"That's just cheating." Miume groaned.
The other Nomu attacked this time, swiping for her head. Dropping the conversion of her arms, she switched it to her head and shoulders, turning them to ooze.
Again, the Nomu's arm was turned to rubble and earth, before repairing itself.
An explosion rocketed the street, Miume turning her head to see the head of one of the giant Nomu detonate, the rest of its body crumbling away after it.
"The head, that's the weak point." Miume realised, turning her attention back to the smaller Nomu, a plan formulating in her mind.
Dodging the Nomu's claws, Miume turned her arm into liquid form and used it to encase the Nomu's head. With a single mental command, the ooze contracted, crushing the Nomu's head.
As the first monster crumbled to dust, Miume turned to face the other. With a roar, no doubt enraged by its brethren's destruction, the remaining Nomu charged at her.
A cloud of dust blew over her, arm retracting from the remains of the second Nomu's head.
Miume returned her body to normal, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I did it, I won."
4 June 2179
Anger shot through Miume, she spun around, transforming her arm into liquid as she did. Thrusting it towards the bastard who earned her ire, Miume pinned him against the wall.
"Are you okay?"
Miume glanced over.
It was Ikaragi who had spoken, the bartender and owner of the tavern Miume had found herself working at when she'd woken up in Restaria this time.
She was always in a different place, a different job, every night she dreamed of this world that was only supposed to exist in fiction. The only constant was Ikaragi, wherever she was, he was there as well, with a warm smile.
"What happened?" Ikaragi questioned, concern written on his face.
"This prick just slapped my ass." Miume, glaring at the pervert.
Was I like this bastard? Am I still?
"I'll alert the bluecoats." Ikaragi assured, before rapping his knuckles against the tarnished brass bell hung above the bar.
The first time Miume had seen it being used, she had thought it was some kind of joke. A magical bell that summoned the nearest available Bluecoats. It alerted them via bracelets that would vibrate in harmony with the bell, getting stronger as they got closer to the source.
Two bluecoats entered the tavern, Miume recognised them immediately. Tokoyami, with a cute red scarf and long, multicoloured hair that made Miume jealous, and the class rep from 1-B.
"Lieutenant Itsu, what's the problem?" The Kendo variant greeted, her orange-red hair tied up in a bun instead of her normal, more ornate, style.
Miume heard a whisper, a familiar voice, but she couldn't find the source.
The Tokoyami variant turned to look at two patrons. "My name is Officer Fumu, not whatever strange word you just said."
Angling herself, Miume's eyes landed on Midoriya, or at least, his variant here, with someone else who was blocked by another patron. However, judging by the hairstyle, Miume could reasonably assume it was Yaoyorozu's variant.
"It's okay now, miss." Itsu assured. "You can release the spell, we'll take it from here."
Miume hesitated for a moment, before nodding, her arm returning to normal, the bastard freed from her hold.
Only for him to land on his feet, making a dash for the still open tavern door.
Itsu rolled her eyes. "Fumu, catch."
It was over in a few short seconds, shadowy restraints around his legs and torso, pinning him in place.
"You are under arrest on the suspicion of sexual assault, you retain the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be taken as evidence against you." Itsu recited as she unclipped handcuffs from her belt. "You will now be taken to the nearest constabulary station where you will be interviewed with representation."
Itsu bent down, using her handcuffs to restrain his hands in front of him. With a click, the handcuffs glowed for a few seconds before returning to normal.
"You have been fitted with magic-damping restraints." Fumu spoke as he released his shadows and lifted the man to his feet. "Any attempts to cast magic will be seen as an attempt to evade arrest and you will be charged with such."
The pervert lifted his head, glaring at Miume.
"Fucking bitch, all I was doing was showing my apperication." The pervert snarled. "You should be flattered, you aren't even that attractive."
Okay, that hurt. Bastard.
Resisting the urge to activate her proficiency again and attack the bastard, Miume instead settled on watching Itsu explain how exactly the pervert had incriminated himself.
Serves him right, it's no wonder everyone hates me when I've behaved like this.
Itsu spoke, grabbing Miume's attention. "If you wish to press charges you will need to give a statement at the next convenient time for yourself, Miss?"
Without a moment's hesitation, the words rolled off her tongue. "It's Miume, thank you, Lieutenant, Officer."
"You're welcome." Itsu gave a reassuring smile. "Come along, Fumu."
With that, they were gone, the atmosphere in the tavern ebbing back towards its prior state. But it didn't feel like it for Miume, it felt like the walls were closing in. She was completely on edge, dreading another assault at any moment.
Slowly, Miume became aware of the eyes that rested on her.
Looking up, Miume's eyes met those of Midoriya's variant, just for a moment before he looked away.
Miume started, she'd seen something in his eyes she hadn't expected.
Recognition.
Is that the real Midoriya?
Miume shook her head, it couldn't be, Midoriya was dead.
5 June 2179
Minoru had seen a lot of faces come and go in the last month he'd been trapped in the manor.
Only a few stayed the same.
His mother. The man with the burns. The one who looked like Aizawa. The woman with the golden cords. Kurogiri. Tomura Shigaraki.
But Minoru hadn't seen his great-grandfather since the party on the first night he'd arrived.
Minoru sighed, staring down at her his tray of food. It wasn't as empty as it had when he was living with just his mother, but he still went to bed hungry every night.
A bowl of rice was placed onto his tray, followed by chopsticks.
Minoru looked up, it was the scarred man, the one who reminded him of Todoroki.
"Eat up, a growing kid like you needs proper food."
Minoru nodded. "Thank you. What's your name?"
The man looked at him for a few moments, before shrugging. "Toya, yours?"
"Mineta."
"So, you're Botai's kid, who would have thought she had a wannabe hero for a child." Toya mused, sitting opposite. "Because she's, you know, a villain."
"And you aren't?" Minoru questioned.
"I was like you once, but now I'm what I need to be, so no one else has to suffer like I did." Toya answered. "At least I'm not the demeanted lunatic who makes people choke themselves to death, or rip their own eyes out, no offense."
"She's crazy, she uses her quirk to control me." Minoru explained. "She deliberately starved me so my growth would be stunted, to keep me cute and childlike."
"That's messed up." Toya agreed. "She makes my father look, well, not quite as bad. Still a flaming asshole though."
"Who's your father?"
Toya shot him a withering look. "None of your business."
Minoru nodded, turning his attention back to his food. "So, you work for Tomura Shigaraki to get revenge on your father?"
"I don't work for Tomura Shigaraki, I work for Sensei, Mr. Tachibana." Toya answered. "Tomura is a violent manchild who thinks he's the protagonist of a video game."
"Mr. Tachibana?"
Toya frowned in confusion. "Thirties, white hair, red eyes, the one you spoke to at that party when you first arrived."
"He's my great-grandfather?" Minoru questioned.
"Something like that, most of the others are related to him in some form or another." Toya answered. "Clones, spliced hybrid children, or a further descendant like yourself."
Minoru nodded. "But who actually is he?"
"Really? You don't know?"
After a moment's hesitation, Mineta shook his head.
"He's All For One, the Merchant of Quirks, the First Demon." Toya listed.
"That's just a myth." Minoru denied.
"He's more than a myth, he's a legend." Toya spoke. "A living legend with the quirk of quirks, to give and take."
Minoru sat in stunned silence. The boogeyman he'd heard whispers of in playgrounds and at sleepovers was real, and he was related to him.
6 June 2179
Minoru flipped the mirror over, he couldn't stand to see the reflection. The face that looked back.
Because it wasn't Miume's face.
It was funny, Minoru had only had these dreams for a month, but he felt more comfortable as Miume than he ever had as himself.
Could I be-
As soon as the thought entered Minoru's mind, it vanished, whisked away by a force that felt entirely foreign.
It terrified her.
Him.
Her.
Him.
Not even his mind was his own.
Was Minoru even real? How much of who he was, who he thought he was, was the result of Utsuro's quirk?
Who am I?
Moving over to the dresser, Minoru opened the second to bottom drawer, removing the dress hidden there.
Pulling it on over his t-shirt and shorts, Minoru stood, marvelling at how it hung around his body, it felt so right.
Minoru actually felt comfortable in his clothes, for the first time in so long. Spinning on the spot, Minoru laughed happily with how the dress flared around him.
I really am-
Again, the foreign force crushed the thought before it could be recognised.
That night Minoru cried himself to sleep, hugging the dress tight. His mind was not his own, he would never be free to be his true self.
Utsuro Botai had seen to that.
7 June 2179
Minoru awoke to the sound of knocking on the door.
Izuku's alive, it's the real him, I spoke to him!
Another knock pulled him from his thoughts.
A shot of adrenaline burst through Minoru's system as he realised he'd fallen asleep in his dress.
Clambering out of bed, Minoru pulled the dress off as quickly as he could without damaging it. Rushing to the dresser, Minoru quickly shoved it to the back, closing the drawer with a bit more force than required.
"I don't care about the dress."
Minoru froze, fear followed by confusion.
That wasn't his mother's voice, but his great-grandfather's, the man others called Sensei.
All For One.
He'll tell Utsuro!
"I'm not going to tell your mother, Minoru." All For One spoke again. "There's something I want to show you."
Minoru stood, still panicking somewhat, it was like he'd read his mind, which, considering his quirk, was entirely possible.
Taking a few deep breaths, Minoru opened the door with as much faux calmness as he could muster.
"Hey."
Minoru inwardly, and outwardly, cringed.
"You need a better poker face, come along, grandchild." All For One instructed, setting off at a brisk pace.
Closing his door, Miume followed after, jogging at points just to keep up.
All For One took him to the main elevator, of a modern design, a replacement for the old-fashioned one Minoru remembered from his childhood.
Standing inside, Minoru shuffled aimlessly in the awkward silence.
"Why are you-"
"There are some things I wish to show you, and others I wish to tell you." All For One interrupted. "I'm sure by now you've become aware of who I am, of the legacy you were born into."
"You're a villain." Minoru stated.
"No, I'm a force of nature." All For One clarified. "Every force must have an equal and opposite reaction, there can be no heroes without villains."
Minoru didn't respond.
"I only hate one hero." All For One explained. "All Might, the man who almost killed me."
All For One turned, and just for a brief moment Minoru saw a withered man with a respiration helmet.
That was his true face, Minoru realised, hidden by some stolen glamour quirk.
"I almost died, at the hands of the very power I created." All For One spoke. "I was born at the very beginning of the Age of Quirks, blessed with the magnificent power to give and take the quirks around me."
"My brother was not so lucky, born with a quirk he could never use for himself. A tree whose shade he could not enjoy."
"So you gave him a quirk that he could." Minoru mused.
"Exactly, a simple stockpiling ability, to reinforce his ailing body." All For One responded, the elevator coming to a halt.
The doors opened, revealing row upon row of cylindrical chambers, just like the ones Minoru saw coming and going from the house everyday.
Just like the one with the white-haired clone of Midoriya.
"That stockpiling quirk merged with his original quirk, creating a power that could be passed on from person to person, growing stronger with every user. One For All."
Minoru followed All For One as they walked through the laboratory, eyes wide at the sight of Nomu in every tank.
"All Might's power, and the same one he passed onto Izuku Midoriya." All For One continued. "Ironic, that the power my brother gave away, one day returning to his nephew."
All For One chuckled.
"You're not surprised, child. You spoke to Izuku, in the dreamscape, didn't you?"
Minoru hesitated, before nodding.
"I thought that might happen, it's part of the reason I linked you to that world." All For One informed.
"You're the reason I'm having those dreams?"
"Of course, I created that world, as a refuge for my brother when his body was too painful for him to bear." All For One replied. "I gave you access so you could see who you are, under all the lies you're made to tell yourself."
"I'm a girl in there, how is that my real self?" Minoru questioned.
"You'll see." All For One answered. "Utsuro's commands have no effect in that world."
Minoru frowned.
Does that mean I'm really a g-
A grating pain at the base of his skull frowned the thought out, Minoru's memory of it fading in seconds.
"Izuku Midoriya reminds me of myself, you know. The passion for quirks, so determined, defying the limits imposed on him." All For One remarked. "I tried to kill him, yet he simply refused, surviving injuries he should never have."
They stopped at the tank that held the Midoriya clone.
"I have decided to grant him reprieve, once One For All returns to me, I shall allow him his pick of quirks, heal him of his injuries." All For One explained. "He will make an excellent opponent for He Who Comes Next."
"He Who Comes Next?" Minoru questioned.
"Spoilers." All For One remarked.
The two stood in silence for a moment, before Minoru spoke. "Did you give my mother that quirk?"
"Not with mine, no I didn't." All For One answered. "There is an interesting quirk, pardon the pun, to our bloodline. We manifest a second quirk, during our teens, based heavily on our personality and desires, but only those of natural birth, clones and any of their spawn do not receive them."
"Was All For One your second quirk?" Minoru questioned.
"It was, my first, Decay, was beyond my reach at the time, and I wanted it back." All For One replied. "Your mother was born quirkless, but manifested a quirk in her teens, to control men, and only men, with her words."
"If you say I'm a, you know." Minoru started, not daring to say or think the word, to avoid the compulsion. "Then how come it works on me?"
"For you, it is a house of cards, she convinced you to doubt yourself, without her quirk, just for a moment, and then layered the compulsions on top of that doubt."
Minoru stared down blankly at his hands as they started to burn. Watching in shock, the skin began to ripple and morph, over and over.
Looking into the reflective surface of one of the tanks, Minoru saw his body shifting and changing, the location of his spheres moving from one part of his body to the next every second, face contorting into others he recognised.
Tsu.
Midoriya.
Miume.
"Shapeshifting." Minoru murmured.
"The manifestation has begun." All For One commented, placing a hand on Minoru's cheek. "That will be a powerful quirk, Reshape, versatile and complimentary to your first. All that's needed now, is for you to remember ."
Minoru went light-headed and then knew only darkness.
Before the torrent washed over him, memories of a childhood that slotted back into place one after another. The memories of a father wiped away, now restored.
They were all back, all her memories, the ones that had been lost for so long. Now Minoru could see what Utsuro had done, wiping her father of the memories of her existence, controlling her, manipulating her with her quirk.
Making her believe a lie.
8 June 2179
She awoke to the sounds of the morning, birds chirping outside the window. For the first time in years, her head fell clear, thoughts no longer controlled or erased.
Standing, she moved into the ensuite, staring at the face in the mirror, the one that didn't fit her.
It never had.
"Miume."
The name felt right on her lips, a warm pulse of euphoria shooting through her body, radiating down her arms and legs.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated, using her new quirk to alter her body, flesh, muscle and bone shifting under the skin as it took new form. Focusing on her scalp, the generation point of her Pop Off quirk vanished, no longer bound thanks to Reshape.
She felt her hair brushing against the back of her neck.
Miume opened her eyes and stared into the mirror, her eyes examined her purple hair, wonderfully long and actually real, falling past her shoulder. She drank in the contours of her face, seeing what she'd so envied in others, now hers.
She felt right.
She was Miume. She was a girl.
And no-one was going to tell her otherwise. The lie she'd been told, the lie she'd been made to believe, its power was gone.
Minoru, the boy that never was, was gone.
And Miume was there.
The truth had set her free.