The meeting place was a cafe, in the city not far from UA. None of the other staff members, nor any of the students of the school knew it was taking place. Toshinori Yagi, known by millions as All Might, the former Symbol of Peace, hadn't completely lost the anonymity his more skeletal form brought him. Even after the world had seen it on television during his fight with All for One, it was nondescript enough for him to walk around in public without being mobbed by fans. The fact it was late on a Sunday evening helped too, Toshinori supposed.

He arrived at the cafe about ten minutes before the agreed upon time, but ended up being hassled by a waitress no less than six times about if he wanted to order yet before the other party arrived. Even without using his Quirk, Toshinori was always a tall man, standing more than a full head above most people. That tended to unnerve most, so he was hunched over more often than not to ease people's concerns. The man who entered the cafe and approached Toshinori's table was also a tall man, and also one who utilized poor posture to seem more unassuming to others. For just a second, as Toshinori got up from the table to shake his hand, both stood at their full heights, and took a moment to feel satisfied that they were the same height, able to look from eye to eye. "Good to see you, Toshinori," the newcomer said with a warm, friendly voice.

Toshinori mirrored the other man's smile, though he knew it must have looked far less affable thanks to his frightening visage. "You too, Clark." The waitress noticed that his awaited friend had finally arrived and quickly hussled over. Without Clark Kent even having to look at the menu, Toshinori told the waitress, "I'll take some green tea, and he'll have a slice of pie." The girl, who couldn't have been older than any of Toshinori's students, gave him an odd look, but when she looked at the other man at the table and didn't see even the hint of a complaint, she shrugged and left them to themselves. Toshinori was wearing one of his teacher shirts, a bright yellow one that matched his chair, but without any tie. The attempt at looking casual was marred somewhat by his odd appearance, though he didn't look like he particularly cared. He looked up and down at the man he'd waited for, and said to him, "You're looking well."

To many, that would be an understatement. Clark Kent looked radiant. Wearing the slacks, button-up shirt, and glasses the world's other most famous hero used to try and blend into a crowd, something about the alien made him look too healthy and positive to be real. The comment made him flinch, though, and he ran a large hand through his black hair. "I'm sure I look that way." Then, he looked out the window, into the street as a few people walked by at night. "It's amazing to think how long it's been. Since we first met, I mean."

The words sent Toshinori into a similar feeling of nostalgia. He joined Clark at looking out at the world they'd help create through their hero work. "Yeah. It really has." Then, something occurred to Toshinori out of nowhere that led to him having to suppress a chuckle, then a blood-filled hacking cough. When he'd recovered, Clark looking at him in concern, Toshinori waved a hand. "Don't worry so much, I'm fine. Just remembered the old days. Like when we first met." It had been over thirty years since then. All Might had been new to America at the time, and his time in Metropolis coincided with an attempt to make his costume more dark and edgy, to fit with trends at the time. It had led to the Man of Steel mistaking All Might for a villain, and a brief but powerful struggle between the two.

Despite Toshinori's attempts at defusing the tension with reminiscing over old follies, Clark was still looking at him with overly honest eyes. "Toshi, you don't look fine to me." There was an unspoken plea in his words, one that Toshinori didn't want to hear.

"Don't look inside me with you X-Ray Vision, Clark. And don't make a big fuss out of this. We tried already, remember? I'm satisfied with doing what I can with the time I have left." When Clark had first learned of the injuries All Might had sustained in his fight with All for One, something that only happened because Sir Nighteye had tattled behind All Might's back, the fellow hero had done everything he could to help. Kryptonian Technology, magic, and everything STAR Labs had at their disposal all failed to find any way to treat All Might that wasn't worse than what he was already going through. Clark clearly didn't want to drop the topic, but reluctantly seemed to do so anyway. Feeling a little less happy with his old friend, Toshinori leaned back in his seat and asked, "So, are you here because of the Titans kids? I looked for your boy, but didn't see him."

Now it looked like Toshinori had thrown All Might off his game. Looking as aggravated as Clark ever did, namely slightly annoyed, he explained, "My son is still eight, Toshi. And if you meant Connor, he's in the class visiting Charles's school." Raising one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, he added, "I've also told you before that I like to think of him as a younger brother, instead of a son. You never make that mistake with Peter." They took a small break from talking as the waitress brought over what they'd ordered, and Clark began to dig into his slice of apple pie.

Toshinori took a sip from his tea, which was exactly as bitter as he enjoyed it, and said, "Sorry, Clark, but in my defense Peter's clone looks like he's the same age as him." He felt bad anyway, as the topic of the young clone was a touchy one for Clark. Try as he might, Toshinori didn't really understand Clark's position on the whole thing, but then again he'd never had anyone successfully clone him. So far, at least. "But I was wondering why you called the meeting. If it's not about the exchange program, what is it?" Despite being old friends, ever since Toshinori had stepped down from hero work they'd seen each other less and less often.

Clearly not a big fan of being put on the spot like that, Clark winced and took a deep breath, ready to drop something heavy. "Do you remember, all those years ago, when you contacted me? We met up at my favorite diner in Smallville. That was when you told me about what had happened with your archenemy, how your days as a hero, and on this Earth, were limited." Suddenly feeling more tense, Toshinori nodded, and took another sip of tea to brace himself. "Well...this is like that. You probably didn't hear about it, but Luthor sabotaged a mission to near the Sun, recently. I seemed to stop what he'd had in mind, but fell for the real trap. I've absorbed too much solar radiation too quickly. I'm...dying. Stronger than ever. But dying." Despite the words he was saying, Clark didn't look like a man who was dying. But, Toshinori realized, that might be because of what he'd said, how he was basically dying from his own powers.

"How long do you have?"

"They're not sure. At most, six months."

"Who have you told?"

"Aside from you? Bruce, Diana, Barry and J'onn. I'm planning on seeing Steve, Tony, and a few others in the coming week. Maybe Enji too, though if you'd prefer to tell him, I understand."

Toshinori didn't know what to do. He felt...unmoored. When his own death had been made clear, he'd felt no fear, only a desire to do everything he could with his time left. Now, all Toshinori wanted to do was call in every favor he'd ever earned to try and help Clark Kent. Was this how Clark had felt when Toshi had told him all those years ago? It was almost enough to make Toshinori laugh. The shoe was on the other foot. "No, you should tell Todoroki. He might take it worse from me than from you." Then, Toshinori realized something else, and lost his breath. "W-what about Lois?" Unlike Toshinori, Clark had a wife. A child.

For the first time since telling Toshinori about his impending death, Clark looked conflicted. "She's...taking it as well as could be expected. She always thought she'd be ready for it, of course, with what I do. We do. But we'll get through it. She'll get through it." Even if Clark didn't, Toshinori found himself agreeing with that sentiment. Lois Lane was one of the toughest people he'd met in his entire life.

It was still difficult for Toshinori to wrap his head around. A world without All Might, that would probably be okay. Japan would have some growing pains, but young Midoriya was working to fill those shoes. But a world without a Superman? "Do you remember..." Toshinori said, struggling to keep it together. "Do you remember when you offered my membership, into the Justice League?" It hadn't been the first team to seek out Toshinori. By that time, he'd already turned down the Avengers and the X-Men. Clark nodded, smiling at the thought of the time gone by. "I was tempted. I don't know if I ever told you that, but I was tempted to take you up on the offer, leave All for One for another day, or try to take him down with the League at my back."

"You're still an honorary member," Clark reminded him.

"Ha!" Toshinori laughed, and a small burst of blood tried to escape with the sound, only stopped by a quick hand with a napkin in it. "Me and the Phantom Stranger." It was easy, Toshinori knew, for most people to look at the world at that moment and fear the worst. The League of Villains was gaining power in Japan, and in the rest of the world, the Legion of Doom was solidifying a grasp on everywhere it could. But despite all that, even knowing the man across from him at the table was heading toward Death's door, Toshinori felt hope. "I think...we'll be okay. One of the best things about being a teacher has been being able to see the next generation of heroes. They're going to outdo us all, I think."

He'd meant every word, but it didn't take Super-Hearing to tell there was more in Toshinori's heart than the optimistic words he'd said. Reaching out to put a solid hand on his shoulder, Clark said, "It's okay to cry, Toshi." It was a rare event for Toshinori Yagi to let down his walls and let himself cry, but Clark tended to inspire such rare events, even in him. Japan's former #1 hero cried into his friend's shoulder, and didn't know when he'd be able to stop.