Author's note: Updates on this fanfiction may be spastic, unless requests. Hope you enjoy. Inspired by a friend's fanfiction.
Tadashi's POV
Tadashi sprinted towards the building, heedless of the flames. Professor Callaghan was in there. The man who he admired, respected, almost like a father. He was in there. He could die. Tadashi couldn't let that happen.
He was almost to the building now. Closer... closer...
A small hand grabbed his arm, yanking him back. A voice, ripped with anguish, yelled his name.
"Tadashi, NO!"
Tadashi looked back, and found himself face to face with Hiro's wide brown eyes. His little brother yanked harder on his arm, trying to pull him back. Tadashi resisted, frantically looking back to the building. Had the fire reached Callaghan already? Was he already dead? How could this be happening! Everything had been so perfect, the showcase, Hiro's amazing performance, and acceptance to the school. And now this. Tadashi looked back to Hiro, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
"Callaghan's in there. Someone has to help."
He pulled out of Hiro's grip, taking one last look at his little brother's panicked face before sprinting up the steps, and into the building. He felt his hat fly off of his head. He didn't even think to grab for it. He had to get in there.
The heat of the building was incredible, almost unbearable. Tadashi's eyes watered, and he coughed on the smoke pouring from the building. He shook his head, and determinedly surged forwards.
"PROFESSOR CALLAGHAN!" he yelled, then coughed as smoke was forced into his lungs. "Professor... C-Callaghan..." he repeated, choking on the smoke.
He couldn't find him. He couldn't see him.
He couldn't see anything.
Stumbling, Tadashi reached out, trying to steady himself on a wall. His hand met fire.
Tadashi screamed as his hand began to burn, but it only came out as a weak cough. His lungs stopped functioning, too filled with smoke. The fire spread to his entire body. He couldn't fight it off. All the strength was being sapped from his limbs. He couldn't breathe. The fire burned brighter and hotter, but Tadashi began to grow numb.
An explosion rang out. Fire ripped through Tadashi, and the last thing he felt was his pain. Yet somehow, despite the distance, he still heard Hiro's anguish-filled voice.
"TADASHI!"
That was the last thing he ever heard.
...
Tadashi found himself lying on the floor of the showcase building. At first he thought he had somehow survived the explosion. But then things began to fall together.
First of all, he felt no pain. Nothing. Everything should have hurt, be he didn't. Second, he wasn't burned. He looked over his hands, to find them unmarked. The same with the rest of him.
Something's wrong, he thought. He stood, looking around. He was still inside the building. In a daze, he walked towards where he knew the doors were.
It wasn't until a broken beam of wood passed through Tadashi that he realized. He was dead.
He was a ghost.