Pyro - A My Hero Academia Story

Chapter 2

Izuku sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. Where was he?
A hospital?
How did he get here?
Why did his arms hurt?
Wait.
Memories flooded Izuku's mind.
A slime villain, a wall of brilliant flame, Kacchan's limp body.
Kacchan.
"KACCHAN!" Izuku spun, looking for his friend.
"NURSE! SOMEONE! WHERE'S MY FRIEND?!"
The door burst open
"My baby! Thank God you're okay!" Izuku's mother's was in tears
"I was so worried! Your body was burning up; backlash from your quirk. They couldn't get you to wake up.
I thought... I thought..."
A sob escaped her.
"Please, Izuku. Never again".
"Mom, I'm sorry I worried you, but look; I'm fine.
Where's Kacchan? Is he okay?"
"Katsuki's doing just fine.
The pros made sure you both got to a hospital straight way.
I think you made quite an impression on them."
She sighed
"Oh Izuku, what were you thinking? How could you rush headlong into danger like that?
The pair of you have always been reckless, but this is taking it too far.. Katsuki nearly died.
You nearly died."
"I couldn't just stand by and watch my friend die, Mom."
"Saving people isn't your job, Izuku! There were heroes on the scene! You know we've had police asking questions?
What you did was assault!"
Izuku hung his head.
"I just- I just wanted to help...
Can I see him? Can I see Kacchan?"
Inko motioned towards the door. "Room 221. I expect he's waiting for you."
                             ***
"Hey look,"
Bakugou was sitting up in bed, watching television.
"It's the big hero".
Izuku was shocked to see his own face on the TV screen.
"Turns out somebody caught the whole thing on camera. Went viral."
His voice was cold with resentment. "'Hero kid saves useless loser' or something like that.
The public loves you. I hear a couple of pros even want you to intern with them."
Izuku was taken aback by his friends cold tone.
"Kacchan, you know I didn't want any of th-"
"Shut it, Deku. Who asked you to speak? For that matter, who asked you to play the hero, anyway? I was fine. I had it handled"
"But I was just trying to h-"
"You think you're so much better than me, don't you?
All those sparring matches, you were holding back on me, weren't you? You condescending prick. Well mark my words Deku: I'm going to work until I've surpassed you. I'm going beyond - Plus Ultra style. I'm going to be number one. Me!"
Izuku was speechless. "Kacchan. I never..."
"Just beat it, you freak. I don't need you. I never did."
                             ***
The winter passed in a blur.
When he was first discharged, Izuku was snowed under with requests for interviews.
There was talk of an unauthorised quirk use charge, but nobody really wanted to cast dirt at the boy hero, so that quickly passed, as did the media attention.
The rest of the time, he trained.
Alone.
The U.A. entrance exam was in February, and the incident (as he had taken to calling it) had set him back.
If he'd really tried, he might have been able to use his new-found fame to get in on recommendations, but he didn't want that.
If Kacchan could pass the entrance exam, Izuku could do it too.
He remembered his words - "I'm going to work until I've surpassed you" - but Izuku wasn't just going to sit back and watch while Kacchan became the number one hero.
Before the incident, they had been friends. But since that day, their relationship had evolved. They were rivals. And Izuku wasn't about to lose.