'Where am I?' Minoru Mineta thought as he slowly got up, his head throbbing as if two different lives were forcefully stitched together inside his skull, and he instinctively raised a hand to massage his forehead, his fingers pausing midway as his eyes focused on them, small, pale, unmistakably not his own, and a strange sense of familiarity mixed with alienation crept through him as the thought surfaced, 'Am I… Mineta?'
He pushed himself off the bed with unsteady legs and walked toward the mirror attached to his cupboard, each step feeling heavier as fragments of memories—his and someone else's—clashed violently in his mind, and when he finally stood in front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection from head to toe, taking in the short stature, the round face, the unmistakable purple grape-like hair, and after a long, silent moment, he simply nodded as if accepting a cruel verdict before walking back to his bed and dropping onto it, placing his head on the pillow as the reality settled in.
"WHYYYY!!!!!" he screamed into the pillow, his voice muffled but filled with raw frustration and disbelief, his body trembling as the floodgates of memories burst open, showing him glimpses of the future that awaited him in this world.
Battles against villains from the very first year at U.A., chaos and destruction escalating into full-scale war by the second year, and the sheer insanity of it all made his chest tighten as images of destruction, blood, and overwhelming power flashed through his mind one after another, and he groaned internally.
"And don't even get me started on that whole One For All and All For One bullshit…"His voice broke slightly as he buried his face deeper into the pillow, letting out a mix of screams and quiet sobs until eventually the storm of emotions subsided, leaving behind only exhaustion and a heavy silence.
He slowly pushed himself up, his eyes slightly red as he took a deep breath and slapped both his cheeks with enough force to sting, grounding himself back into reality, and he exhaled sharply as determination began to replace the earlier panic, his thoughts drifting back to that surreal encounter he could barely comprehend.
'That damn ROB…' The memory of that so-called omnipotent being resurfaced clearly—the calm voice, the almost amused expression, and the words that had changed everything, explaining that the fusion of two souls within Mineta's body had triggered a unique ability, something that defied the natural laws of this world, granting him the capability to hold multiple quirks without suffering the usual consequence of carrying the lingering wills or souls tied to them, essentially removing the greatest drawback that even monsters like All For One had to deal with.
But then came the problem that made him want to scream all over again, 'How the hell am I supposed to get extra quirks?!' he thought in frustration, recalling how the ROB had simply laughed at him when he asked that exact question, casually stating that he wouldn't be given the power to steal quirks, as if it were some kind of joke.
Mineta clenched his fists slightly as he began listing the only possibilities he knew.
'There are only three ways…' His mind worked quickly despite the lingering headache, 'First—One For All… second—becoming a Nomu, which is obviously not happening… and third—getting All For One… yeah right, that guy would kill me the moment I even think about it.' He let out a long sigh, the conclusion painfully obvious.
'The only safe option… is One For All.'
Just then, a voice echoed from downstairs, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Minoru! Come freshen up! Breakfast is ready!" his mother called out, her tone carrying both warmth and authority, and he blinked before responding instinctively, "I am coming, Mom!"
He sat on the bed for a brief moment longer, his expression turning serious as his mind shifted gears, 'If I want One For All… I need to become someone worthy of it.' The thought lingered as he clenched his fists lightly, 'That means I have to get stronger… way stronger than Mineta ever was.'
He raised his hand to his head and plucked one of the sticky purple balls from his hair, staring at it thoughtfully as he bounced it lightly in his palm, watching how it reacted, how it stuck and rebounded.
'This quirk… it's not useless. It was just used like trash.' He squeezed it gently, noting the texture and elasticity, 'Feels like one of those stress balls.'
'If I train this properly… maybe even awaken it…' He placed the ball back onto his head and stood up, walking out of his room and heading downstairs toward the bathroom to freshen up.
After washing up and getting ready, he made his way to the kitchen, the familiar smell of breakfast greeting him as he entered, and his eyes landed on the dining table where his father was already seated, casually eating while scrolling through his phone.
His father, Manami Mineta, was an office worker with a laid-back demeanor, someone who also possessed the Pop Off quirk, though his balls were blue instead of purple, a small but noticeable difference that Minoru registered automatically due to the merged memories.
Moments later, his mother, Umeko Mineta, placed a plate in front of him, her long purple hair neatly tied and her circular glasses reflecting a sharp gaze, her presence alone carrying the authority of someone used to arguing in court. She was a Lawyer after all.
"Itadakimasu!" Minoru said as he picked up his chopsticks and began eating, his body acting naturally despite the storm of thoughts still running in his head.
"Eat slowly," Umeko said calmly, though there was a subtle firmness in her tone, while Manami chuckled at something on his phone, clearly amused.
That single action was enough for Umeko's expression to shift as a visible tick mark appeared on her forehead, and she pointed her chopsticks directly at his nose. "No phones during eating."
"Yes ma'am!" Manami replied instantly, putting his phone away without the slightest bit of resistance, his cheerful tone completely unaffected by the death glare directed at him.
Minoru couldn't help the small sweat drop that formed on the side of his face as he observed the interaction, 'Yeah… this is definitely my family now…'
His thoughts wandered briefly as memories filled in the blanks about their past, 'Dad used to be an angry delinquent… Mom was a meek nerd… but instead of the usual story, they somehow switched roles trying to impress each other…' He almost snorted at the absurdity of it, 'Now Mom's the strict one and Dad's basically the comic relief.'
He continued eating quietly, occasionally glancing at them as his father tried to sneak in a few flirty comments only to get shut down by his mother's tsundere-like reactions, creating a strangely warm yet chaotic atmosphere.
As he chewed his food, his mind drifted back to more important matters, his eyes lowering slightly as his thoughts sharpened, 'I need to start training as soon as possible… but where?'