"Family and friends, I welcome all of you to this gathering which is made sacred by the spirit of love and friendship you have brought with you on this sorrowful occasion. On behalf of the Gasai family I would like to say "thank you" so very much, to all of you who have come to be with them today.
We are here to say farewell and to honor the life & memory of Yuki D. Gasai. Yuki was a great many things: compassionate, kind, always seeing the best in people who oftentimes were blinded by their own inner flaws. I did not have the honor of knowing Yuki myself but from speaking with a few of you here today as well as the family members she's left behind I feel as if I too, were able to know her if only briefly. I heard about her inspiration and devotion to her family, the free time she spent working at a quirkless help center, her compassion for those in need, love of children and animals, her adventurous spirit, and strength, as well as the courage she had to stand up for what she believed in and to speak for those who could not.
Each of you comes with your own unique memories of Yuki, for she was not the same person to any two people. You each bring your own special memories of a woman who touched your lives with love & friendship in myriad ways."
As the preacher droned on, Izuku leaned back against the tree he was standing under making himself comfortable as he looked upon the proceedings below him. It wasn't the worst funeral speech the greenete had heard in the last two weeks and honestly was likely in the top five but Izuku couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. None of the other funeral attendees even knew he was here but to Izuku this funeral, just like all the other ones had called to him like a sailor to the siren's song. After all Gasai-san was the final person killed in the Musutafu Apartment Complex Collapse to be buried.
Izuku had attended the funeral of each and every person although he'd never made his presence known, always looking on from a distance observing. After all what could he do walk up to the grieving family, the toddlers looking around in confusion, the relatives that either sobbed or hid their tears under a fake smile and say, 'Sorry, I didn't mean to kill dut duh duh duh da, I was trying to kill Slugger instead. Yes, the Pro Hero. No, I'm not on any illegal substances. Wait, who are you calling?' Yes it was better for everyone's sake that he stayed back out of the way offering his own silent condolences and apologies to the deceased.
There were only three funerals that Izuku hadn't attended, his own which was to be expected as despite being very much alive it would do the green haired boy no good to suddenly crash his own wake, Slugger's for obvious reasons as Izuku doubted he'd be able to keep himself from trying to set the hero's remains alight, and his mother's. Izuku had wanted to go, he truly had but every time he worked up the nerves the image would return, haunting him with his mother's blank gaze and bloodied, broken body. The person Izuku had been unable to save.
"Are you alright?" A soft voice asked, and Izuku turned to look at his companion. Momo had gone all out for the funeral dressing up in a black sleeveless dress that accentuated her curves in all the right places and hung to just above her knees. A black hat with a similarly colored silken veil rested on her head although she'd put the veil up to speak to him. Her black designer boots completed the outfit making it appear as if the heiress had been waiting to attend the funeral all her life.
Some noise below caused Izuku to look down to where the proceedings were taking place and he would be the first to admit that this funeral was quite different to the other ones he'd gone to. Those had been done with the traditional Buddhist ceremonies but apparently Gasai-san's father had been a foreigner and a devout religious one at that and Yuki had taken her father's teachings which was why this funeral was being conducted in a Western manner. It was strange but it didn't really matter to Izuku either way, he wasn't involved and both Yuki and her father were dead.
"No," Izuku finally answered Momo, his eyes still locked onto the funeral playing out on the hill beneath the two, "but I will be."
The ceremony lasted another hour before ending and it was another one before the last of the family and guests had left, leaving the grave - a traditional Japanese family crypt - deserted. As Izuku walked up, Momo following silently in his wake, he paused to take in the small sticks of incense that were still burning within the urn. For a moment the two stood there silently observing before Izuku held an upwards palm towards Momo who immediately created an incense stick with her quirk that she handed him. Reaching into his pocket the boy pulled out a silver lighter engraved with an image of a small foreign goddess that he used to light the stick that he then placed in the urn. Pocketing the lighter the greenete put his hands together and bowed to the grave once more offering a silent prayer and apology to the one whose life he'd unintentionally cut short.
When he finished Izuku turned and immediately began to walk away a slight yelp alerting him to the fact that Momo had not been as ready to depart as he was. The two walked to the gates of the cemetery where a private limo sat silently humming in wait for the two teens. As they piled in Izuku loosened his tie letting out a sigh of relief now that he could breathe unhindered by the piece of fabric.
"Where to?" Momo asked, having chosen to sit across from Izuku so as to give instructions to the driver who had extremely strict orders to ignore the greenete's presence entirely unless otherwise commanded by either the young mistress or the boy in question.
Said boy remained silent for a moment, his eyes shut allowing Momo to take in his appearance. Izuku (as Momo had begun calling him in her head) was dressed in a pair of black dress pants and similar colored button up shirt both made out of high quality silk although the top button of his shirt was undone, it's wearer having undone it before they'd even left the complex. Hanging loosely from the boy's neck was a green tie, the same color as the boy's hair 'and his eyes,' Momo though softly as she shook her head wondering where that had come from. The clothes dark color gave the boy a somewhat intimidating appearance although it was his eyes that really sold it.
Izuku's eyes were a vivid, almost poisonous jade, and were as cold and hard as the rock itself, reminding Momo of a predator she'd once seen hunting in a nature documentary. Occasionally when the boy got caught up in one of the conversations the two teens shared said look would fade from his eyes replaced with a sunny warmth that screamed of life. However without fail the boy would eventually realize his mistake and the mask would return. As if hearing her thoughts, Izuku's eyes sprang open and Momo once again found herself captive to her master's jeweled eyes and the frozen depths within them.
It was the movement of his mouth that knocked her from her trance allowing the raven haired girl to capture the greenete's last words, "...go to her grave, please." the last word was a whisper but Momo heard it loud and clear. She knew that the last two weeks had been a shock to Izuku but she still didn't understand why the boy had gone to such desperate measures to avoid his mother. She knew it was related to what had happened in the apartment having been given a brief overview by All For One on Izuku's fight with Slugger which had led to the apartment complex collapsing but she couldn't figure out why Izuku was avoiding her with all his power. Did he feel responsible for her death? Did he cause it accidentally? Had he been the one to kill her and bring the building down with her inside? Momo had plenty of questions but until Izuku trusted her enough to tell her the truth that's all she would have, half-baked theories and ideas.
Giving instructions to her driver Momo turned back to her young master only to find the boy practicing a meditative breathing exercise. Izuku's eyes twitched occasionally and every so often he'd grimace slightly as if he was seeing something unpleasant but otherwise the boy was silent the entire trip leaving Momo to her contemplations. When the limo finally pulled to a stop Momo was the first one out followed somewhat reluctantly by Izuku, his confident demeanor having been replaced with that of a timid bird.
"Stay nearby, I'll call you if I need you," Momo instructed the driver who gave her a nod of confirmation before pulling away, merging seamlessly into the traffic. "Okay," Momo said, turning her attention to where Izuku had been standing, "what's nexxxxxtttttt…" she trailed off as she noticed that her master was in fact gone, his former location now vacant.
It took half an hour for Momo to find Izuku. During that time she had moved on from blind panic 'where'd he go?!', to anger 'he left me?!', to rage 'when I find him I swear I'm going to,', to fear 'oh gods what if he's gone for real?', to pleading 'if you let me find Izuku in one piece I promise I'll,' to rewards 'if I find Izuku and he's safe and he has a good reason for leaving AND he apologizes then maybe just maybe I'll give him a reward.'
The last one had made the ravenette blush red as she briefly wondered (and internally panicked) about how Izuku would react to such a thing. If his original reaction when they'd met was anything to go by then she could very well accidentally fry his brain. However Izuku had been improving; over the last two weeks the two teens had come to a sort of unspoken agreement, Izuku would give short, precise orders or instructions that Momo would follow. If she needed more information or a clarification she would ask simple questions that Izuku would return with simple answers. It might have seemed strange to outsiders how formal the relationship between the two teens was but to the socially starved teenagers it was more than enough. They both knew that such an arrangement couldn't last but for now it would suffice.
Ironically Momo stumbled across Izuku almost literally. The greenete hadn't been in the well kept part of the graveyard and as she walked down the rows of crypts said monuments had become more and more worn, ivy beginning to overgrow the structures that had begun to crack with age. It was here that Momo found Izuku collapsed backwards on his knees, his chin pressed against his chest, and his gaze downcast. Momo quickly looked Izuku over, confirming that he was, in fact, okay before she turned her gaze to the crypt itself.
Like the others the crypt was in disrepair, small pieces of stone had chipped off over the years and multiple cracks cutting through the small structure. However unlike its neighbors it was obvious that someone had tried to fix that particular crypt up, there were no vines or ivy on the grave and the grass in the immediate area had been trimmed down. Thanks to the repairs Momo was able to make out a faint name on the grave, Shairu.
"She's buried here," Izuku said quietly. Turning, Momo found the greenete's gaze locked onto the slab before him under which, she supposed, rested the ashes of his mother. "Her maiden name is, was Shairu."
"It's a beautiful name," Momo said as she crouched down so she was next to the boy who didn't lift his gaze.
"I only knew because she told me when I asked why I had never met my grandparents. They died in a plane crash, a child on board had a quirk that increased his strength relative to his temper. Kid ended up bringing down the plane when he threw a temper tantrum after he found out the airline was out of peanuts and juice boxes. Only a few people survived the crash and my grandparents weren't among them. My Mom was in high school."
Momo didn't say anything instead she merely raised a hand as she began to rub small circles on Izuku's back, letting the greenete get the story out of his system. "She became an outcast, only her friend Mitsuki was there for her as she grieved and adjusted to life on her own. Everyone else, her so called friends, they just moved on without her. Then she met my Dad. I don't really remember him that well; he was always working and I don't have any real memories of the man but she loved him. When he left after I was declared Quirkless she was so mad…" Izuku trailed off reminiscing on past memories, but Momo didn't stop her rubbing.
"She said that she didn't need him, that all she needed was me and that we would be fine as long as we had each other. She tried to hide it but I knew she never really got over him, we kept the name Midoriya after they got divorced and sometimes late at night I would overhear her crying in her room as she watched those stupid home movies she was always making when I was young. I think that's about when she started to stress eat."
"And?" Momo prompted after the greenete fell silent.
"And that's when I began to hide my problems from her." Izuku said softly. "She had been through so much, done so much for my sake and I knew how much easier it would have been for her to just abandon me. Leave me on a street corner or in an alley and just walk away after telling me to stay put. I could never repay her for all she did so I just tried to make things easier. I hid the bullying, badly I'll admit, and though she knew that something was wrong she was never able to prove it. I know she recognized the burns, we only knew one person who could do that to me but I never admitted who'd done them. She called the school and asked questions but the teachers denied all her accusations."
Izuku scoffed as he raised his eyes and Momo was shocked at the sheer amount of hatred buried within those emerald orbs, "They didn't want to mar the record of the 'Next Great Hero,'" Izuku practically growled the words. "As a result nobody stopped him when he burned me, marked me as if I was his property."
Seeing Momo's questioning gaze Izuku turned his back to the girl, unbuttoning the top few buttons on his shirt he pulled it aside exposing his shoulders and giving Momo a clear look at the handprints that littered his shoulder blades and upper back. The hand Momo had been using to rub the greenete's back rose trembling to her mouth and she reached out with her other hand softly laying it on top of the scars. "Super Regeneration didn't heal them," Izuku said, his voice softening slightly under her touch. "As far as I can theorize it can't heal wounds that have already begun healing or have been cauterized; my scars check both boxes."
"How?" Momo asked, her voice trembling with hidden emotions. "How could teachers, adults, people whose job is to look out for the well being of CHILDREN let this happen under their supervision?"
"Society," Izuku responded as he slowly removed Momo's hand from his body and began to button his shirt back up, his back towards his companion as the scars and burns disappeared under the black silk. "Every teacher wants to say they taught the next All Might. Every school wants to have the claim that the #1 hero attended there, walked through their halls. Neither wants to risk their best shot at making that happen by marking his record anything less than perfect especially over a mere quirkless."
Turning Izuku looked into Momo's eyes and Momo found herself taken aback by what she saw in his gaze. His eyes were still the same hardened jewels that she'd seen before but only now could Momo accurately identify the reason behind his gaze. It was sheer will, an inner confidence forged through years of abuse, belittlement, and isolation.
Momo recalled the words Izuku had said the day she'd first met him watching the green haired boy from the shadows of the lab, 'I'm the outcast, the one who stands on the side looking in. I've seen the abuse heaped on others, experienced it. Society lifts people up based on their quirks telling them 'you can be a great hero'. Everyone else they're treated as extras that lack the same potential as those with better quirks. I'm going to change that, make it so everyone is protected and treated equally no matter their quirk.' Only now did Momo realize the true extent the issue resonated with Izuku. All his life he'd been held down and now he was determined to change a society that would let people be treated like he had and Momo couldn't say that she disagreed.
If society had let him down so badly and was willing to let someone who'd tortured a classmate be a hero then there was something seriously wrong. Momo may have only been introduced to her family's darker side recently but she considered herself logical and from what she knew of society having gotten a look at both sides she would admit that Japan was not the shining beacon of order it claimed to be. Quirkless persecution was rampant, quirkist practices were growing, and in the shadows and cracks of society villains were preparing for when the Symbol of Peace, All Might, fell.
Momo had noticed, as had many of those who'd paid attention, the hero's gradually declining appearance in public and though she didn't know why she felt that it was because his era was ending. All Might had been a hero, the hero, for years, decades even but even he had to retire eventually. He wasn't immortal and that meant that the future would change hands, be passed on to the next generation. She'd originally thought that she would help as the ruler of her family's corporation, but now Momo knew that wasn't her role.
Her role was to assist Izuku. She'd only been with him for two weeks and while she'd had her hesitations Izuku had shown her repeatedly that he was meant to lead. He was hauntingly intelligent, naturally charismatic, and ruthless when he needed to be. Something about him seemed to say 'place your trust in me and follow my lead. I'll show you what I can do,' and Momo had done so and seen the results from them living together. She'd known the green haired boy for less than a month but she knew that if anyone could fix the problems that existed around them it would be Izuku and she would be there to help him. It was why All For One had placed her there, she realized, he too had seen the spark inside the boy, his willingness to do what it took to achieve his goals. Momo's job was to help Izuku, to support him, she would be there for him when All For One couldn't be, the boy's constant companion, his loyal lieutenant.
Standing up Momo held out her hand to the boy, who looked up at her with confusion. "Come on," she said with a smile, "you said that you're going to fix what's wrong with our world and I don't think even you can do that from right here." The boy gave her a blank look which caused Momo to briefly sweat under her collar before he gave her a hesitant grin and reached out so she could pull him to his feet. "So let's get back Midoriy - no, Izuku-sama."
For a moment the greenete started but he didn't say anything as he followed her to the entrance of the cemetery where the two loaded into the limo that appeared, as if by magic, at their approach. This time Momo got in first, Izuku paused briefly, holding the door with one hand as he turned around to look back towards where the grave of his mother rested. "I'm sorry Mom," Izuku whispered, his eyes softening before they hardened with renewed resolve. "But I promise you, that no matter what happens, I will save people. I'll still be a hero just in my own way."
With that the green haired boy got into the limo that immediately peeled away from the curb, disappearing into the early evening traffic. However none of the vehicle's occupants noticed the spiky haired blond with a bouquet of roses that had rounded the corner behind them as Izuku'd gotten in the car, nor the way he'd frozen upon catching sight of the greenete the flowers in his trembling hands falling to the ground around him where they were picked up by the wind and blown away. None heard the confused voice tinged with anger that had hissed in a mix of a growl and whisper a single word, "Deku?"
Author's Note:
Hello everyone first off before we begin this is NOT the next chapter in the story. Instead this is simply an interlude that I wrote because it would help me build the characters and their relationship as well as show where their personality currently lies. As we can tell Izuku and Momo are both very different from their canon selves but at the same time I feel like I've done a decent job portraying the change as logical and not just a complete 180 to get them to where I want them to be. Another reason I wrote this was because to me attending the funerals of those he killed just seemed like an Izuku thing to do. He obviously won't be doing that for everybody he kills but for the innocents he killed accidentally for the first time I just don't think he'd be able to stay away which means of course means that Momo would have to come to.
Now before anyone gets on me for the funeral itself please just realize that I recognize the majority of funerals are done differently in Japan but here in the countryside we don't have a whole lot of practicing Buddhists for me to go question for accuracy. As a result I tried to keep the scene to a minimum and just made it a brief speech that explained that Yuki just practiced a different religion due to her foreigner father.
Another reason for this interlude was for me to give more information on Inko. There's surprisingly not a whole lot of cannon information out there when it comes to her especially when compared to the mom's of other protagonist (although I will acknowledge that most of the shonen ones are dead or MIA) just look at how much information Sally Jackson has on her wiki when compared to Inko and she's in her respective series even less.
I also got to briefly hint at Bakugou and the role he'll play in the coming arcs. He won't be doing a 180 and regretting everything he's done or realize what an a**hole he is but he will be going through some character growth thanks to some of his 1-A classmates particularly an orange haired girl and a red boy that's constantly hard (sorry couldn't resist). However although she'll hide it a certain ravenette is going to Hate. His. Guts. Three guesses who?
As for the quirk Izuku will be getting soon I don't think anyone's guessed it yet so keep those rolling in, and you might just be surprised when it finally appears. Also like I said before I'm interested in setting up a P-atreon account to help pay for college so anyone who has one and would be willing to help please send me a pm so I can get that started.
I think that's most of the important stuff so like always make sure to leave a comment as I read them all and they keep me writing and until next time this is the delinquent older brother that knocks some sense into Yoichi and AFO when needed signing off,
-D'yavol Lucifer 3:)
*IMPORTANT NOTICE*
All the coverart for my stories are ones I found online. I am really interested in using fanart provided by you the readers to replace them. If you're interested draw something up and pm me so I can send you the details on where to send it or pm me and I'll give you some details so you can draw one. As I say in my bio if I use it I may add you as an oc in one of my stories! Isn't that exciting!
Stats For Nerds:
Reviews - 49
Followers - 401
Favorites - 311
Communities - 2
Views - 15,628