The Funeral

"Today, a funeral service is being held for Midoriya Izuku, the Quirkless child who one months ago committed suicide after ten years of bullying for his condition. We would like to offer–" Toshinori turned the TV off with an annoyed grunt. In the months that had passed since his failure he had become truly fed up with the peoples' reactions to what happened.

'If he had been shown this sort of concern when he was alive, maybe this wouldn't have happened,' he thought to himself as he finished readying himself. It wasn't normal for him to wear a fancy all black tuxedo, complete with black tie… but he had funeral to attend. It only seemed right in his mind: he failed to save the boy, he should be there to apologies and say good-bye. He looked in the mirror and made sure he had everything right.

Black suit, oversized on his skeletal form? Check.

Tie, done up perfectly? Check.

Fancy shoes several sizes too big, polished like a mirror? Check.

Wreath of flowers to place on the grave? Check.

Boys blood soaked ghost, sad look on his face stood behind him? Ch–

Toshinori whirled round, eyes wide with shock. There was nothing there. "Great," he said to himself placing a hand on his forehead, and letting out a sigh. "I'm going mad now." There was the sound of a person knocking on his apartment door.

"Toshi?" a familiar voice asked. "We're here to pick you up. Are you ready?" His ride to the service had shown up. He tried to put the ghost out of his mind went to answer the door. He opened it to be met with the sight of Aizawa Shouta, A.K.A. Eraser Head, Pro-Hero and teacher at U.A. High School. He had forgone his hero costume and was wearing a black tux same as All Might. He also tied his long messy black hair up into a pony tail, which helped him look less like a hobbo. He still had his scarf like capture weapon, and signature goggles underneath them. He, along with fellow hero Vlad King and a selection of police officers had been tasked with keeping any unscrupulous reporters and opportunistic villains away. The heroes also knew about All Might's far from perfect health, so he wouldn't have to puff himself up until he got to there.

"Just a second," Toshinori answered, before quickly running to grab the flowers and leaving the apartment. He locked the door behind and followed Aizawa outside to the car where Vlad was waiting in the drivers seat. The trip was long and quiet. It gave Toshinori time to think. His mind drifted back to the early morning news report about the boy, how he was bullied for his 'condition' as they called it. 'Condition' was a word Toshinori had come to hate. They made it seem as though being Quirkless was a disease that needed treatment, or a disability that hindered the boy and annoyed those around him.

'I was like him once.' Toshinori thought. 'Quirkless. Mocked. Weak, until Nana…' He shook those thoughts from his head. Today was going to be sad enough as it was, he didn't need to make it more so. 'But I wonder, if I'd never met her would I have ended up doing the same thing?'

"Don't think like that!" a boys voice said. "You have to keep going, keep saving people!" Toshinori looked round the car, trying to find who had said that. But there was only himself, Vlad King and Eraser Head neither of whom seemed to be talking. He also noticed that the voice seemed to enter his head, while bypassing his ears.

'I really am going mad,' he thought with a shake of his head. The car came to a stop.

"We're here," stated Vlad. He and Eraser Head got out off the car, while Toshinori undid his seatbelt and inflated into his All Might form before stepping out off the now seemingly smaller vehicle, flowers in hand. He didn't bother with the smile though, hadn't in months. It didn't seem right. There was a small group of police officers standing outside the gates of the graveyard. "I'll stay here with the cops, and make sure no reporters or villains get in," Vlad said.

"And I'll be patrolling inside the graveyard, looking for any who managed to make it past security," Eraser Head added putting on his yellow goggles.

"Thank you both. And remember, anyone who has to be removed must be taken away quietly. We don't want to cause a disturbance," All Might reminded. The other heroes nodded in understanding, before going to their posts. Leaving All Might to head to the service.

All Might was disappointed to find that their was only five other people there. But he couldn't say he was surprised from what he had learned. The boys father had divorced his mother when he was found to be Quirkless, he had no friends at school and most of Inko's 'friends' it seemed just couldn't be bothered to come. Midoriya Inko seemed to have lost a bit of weight since over the months, and had bags under her eyes like she hadn't slept in that time. All Might found himself worried for her health.

On either side of her was an older man and woman, whom he later learned were Inko's parents. They had come to try and comfort their daughter, while they themselves were dealing with the loss of their only grandchild. It was good to see that one half of the boys family looked after their own.

Stood behind them were Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugou, the respective mother and father of Bakugou Katsuki. The boy himself couldn't be there on account of how he was in a cell awaiting judgement for his crimes. A lengthy public investigation revealed that he had indeed been tormenting young Izuku – or 'Deku' as he insultingly called him – and had indeed told him to jump off a rooftop earlier on the day of his suicide. And while the other students had at best stood back and done nothing, at worst helped him in his crusade against an innocent child, because it was him who was named in the boys final letter he would be facing the criminal charges.

The teachers at their Junior High School didn't get off any better. The same investigation had shown that they indeed knew what was going on, but never tried to stop it. When confronted they said, "We didn't think it was that bad. He never said anything or came to us for help." After a lawsuit, backed by a passionate – and it must be said furious – All Might, they ended up paying for the funeral, ten times over.

This sudden loss of funding combined with the schools new found reputation for training villains, meant they were expected to close in the next two or three years when all the current students had left.

Next to Izuku's gravestone was a photo of him. It was an older photo taken roughly two years ago at Christmas. He seemed so different, so… happy in the photo, nothing like the broken child All Might last saw. The funeral felt shorter than it was, mostly being a blur with the Bakugou's saying goodbye and voicing their regret followed by Inko, and finally it was All Might's turn. He stood from his chair, placed the wreath at what he felt was a shrine to his failure, and spoke.

"Midoriya Izuku, I know it has already been said by others, but I, I need to say it myself." His breath hitched, a silent tear sliding down his face. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. All your life you looked up to me and I–" His breath hitched again and he could barely voice his last words. "Forgive me."

He returned to his seat and never heard a voice on the wind saying 'I forgive you,' as the casket was lowered into the earth. The wake that followed was quiet, and while All Might only had an hour left in his hero form there was one last hurdle he had to confront today: Midoriya Inko. When they first met he had expected the woman to hate him for not saving her only child, to scream and throw things and curse his name. Instead she smiled an empty smile, and said she forgave him, that he tried his best, and that Izuku had the comfort of dying in the presence of his greatest inspiration. He couldn't tell her that at the time he was an unrecognizable skeleton man – a fact that only added to his quilt – and couldn't decide if her forgiveness was better or worse than being hated.

He found her sat on her own staring at something in her hands. This close All Might saw that she really had lost weight. She turned to look at him and smiled.

"All Might," she greeted with forced cheer that made the mans heart pang. "Hello there. H-how can I help?"

'You shouldn't make me such an offer. I'm meant to help you, I'm a hero,' is what All might wanted to say but couldn't. Mostly because at that moment he didn't feel like a hero. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up, and apologise again for–" Inko cut him off with a raised hand and shake of the head.

"You've already apologised countless times. You don't have to say it again," she said with a chuckle. There was no joy or humour in it though. "However, there is one thing you could do." She held out the object she'd been looking at, and All Might saw that it was a school notebook. It was chared, had signs of water damage, and the words 'Hero Analysis For The Future No 13'. "I was hoping you would sign this. I think… I think he would like that."

"Of course," All Might replied taking the notebook in one hand and producing a pen in the other. As he flicked though looking for an empty page, he saw the notes and observations about Kamui Woods and Mt Lady who had apprehended a villain earlier on the day of Izuku's suicide. It saddened to think that this sort of potential was seen as worthless and eventually lost, never to resurface. He reached a blank page, signed his autograph, and handed the book back to Inko. "Now I'm sorry for being rude, but I'm afraid I have to leave now. I have urgent matters to attend to."

"I understand. You have to show people that it's alright, because you're here." Part of All Might's mind wondered if things would ever be alright again. "Well, good-bye then."

"Good-bye," All Might said as he turned to leave with a wave.

All Might got to the car where Eraser Head and Vlad King were waiting for him. After looking around to make sure no-one else was nearby he deflated in a puff of smoke, and got into the back of the car.

"Was there any trouble?" he asked his fellows as they got in and fastened their seatbelts.

"It was all quiet on my end," answered Vlad as he started the engine.

"Same here. No-one was causing problems," stated Eraser Head. He took off his goggles and closed his eyes' for a nap. Toshinori nodded his head.

"Good. This day as already been difficult enough," he said letting out a sigh. There was a heavy silence.

"It's about lunchtime. Why don't we go to that American place you like so much? My treat," Vlad offered. Toshinori accepted, neither knowing or caring if the meals served their were healthy for someone without a stomach. After a large meal – that left him feeling a touch unwell – Toshinori was dropped off at his apartment, went to his living room… and fell to his knees.

"Welcome home, All Might," greeted the ghost of Midoriya Izuku.