Zero to Hero

Chapter 1: One dose of burns

It was supposed to be a nice day. It was supposed to be a perfect day for a walk. It was supposed to be a perfect seven year old birthday.

What do I get?

This mockery of a ice cream man villain standing in front of me, baring his (it's?) ice cold teeth and waving a spoon. Behind him were hostages that were tied up, and they were screaming for someone to save them, but nobody moved. I wasn't sure if it was because of how ridiculous this villain looked, he literally was a huge pile of talking, melting ice cream, or no one had the guts to do anything before a hero arrived.

I just wanted a deluxe cookie and cream cone with rainbow chocolate sprinkles, dammit!

"Little girl, do you see?! Do you see how awful, how horrendous, how-"

"Shut your blab hole and give me the ice cream combo already bub. I've been waiting in this blasted heat for at least ten minutes, and my parents are waiting for me across the damn park." I growled out, narrowing my eyes.

The ice cream guy looked shocked for a second, and I didn't hesitate.

"HEY EVERYBODY! FREE ICE CREAM! LET'S EAT THIS GUY!" I shouted out to the kids in the park, and almost everybody smiled immediately, a glint in their eyes. I probably looked the same.

The villain started looking creamier by the second and waved his hands around frantically. "H-hey, I'm not edible! I'm a human, not a ice cream, so would you all just sit down quietly, and-"

"Dude." I kept my tone dry as I sharpened the plastic spoon with another from the ice cream cart. "You're a child's dream on a hot day. You cannot be serious. Now, GET HIM AND TAKE REVENGE FOR RUINING THE GOD OF ALL THINGS SWEET!"

I was a very satisfied Ochako a few minutes later. The police arrived just as the kids and I were trying to dig a spoon into the ice cream man's body, and they were more shell shocked than angry at our recklessness. Hey, kids can be one of the most brutal beings on earth, especially when ice cream is involved.

I was licking my cone when I heard it. Something that I wasn't planning on hearing as long as I was a child. Something that I shouldn't have heard at all, much less know about it.

A familiar voice. "L-let him go, Ka-Katchan!"

I snapped my head to the left and I witnessed one of the saddest and pitiful scenes I have ever seen.

A very young, very terrified, very tiny Midoriya Izuku, and a very much weeping boy behind him.

In front of him were that jerk-for-blaster Bakugou Katsuki and his two lackeys.

For a moment, I stopped. This was strange, why were they here in this huge park? Last I remembered, this scene happened in a small one, one that was surrounded by houses. Not this huge ass one that my family had decided to take me on a picnic.

But then again, canon Uraraka was supposed to be living in the Mie prefecture. For some reason, my father suddenly said we needed to move because of his work when I was six. A huge project was currently being held somewhere in Tokyo, in a city called Musutafu, and he needed to go. It was also the place where Izuku's apartment and U.A. were. Coincidence? Who knows?

So many questions were swirling around my head, but one thing was prioritized.

"So you're pretending to be a hero, aren't ya Deku?"

I needed to get Katsuki away from Izuku, but I didn't want to meet him yet. Not yet, I didn't want to know if meeting them here and becoming someone close to Izuku would set off a whole chain of events that I couldn't predict.

So I did the best thing I could think of. Distracting Katsuki long enough for Izuku to run away or do something that would save his skin.

I activated my quirk on my cone, whispered a tearful goodbye and threw it so that it would float across the blonde boy's head. The cone floated just right above him-

Then I slammed my fingers together and muttered out,

"Deactivate."

I promptly ran for the hills. I could hear angry yelling and explosions, and I did not want to look back and check if I had a temperamental demon on my heels.

…

My eye twitched as I saw a boy on the swings, looking alone and as lonely as the desert itself. Thing is, he was no random boy, he was a boy with half red and half white hair and the same gloomy look on his face that would be his normal look when he became a teenager. The only difference was that the left side of his face was wrapped up in bandages, causing me to realize that his-mother-pouring-hot-water on-him-incident had happened recently. My guess was that he was sick of staying at home and broke out to go somewhere where he could brood about his miserable life.

This day just kept getting better and better, doesn't it?

Now, what to do. I could leave him there and pretend that I never saw him, or talk to him and possibly set off a butterfly effect of some kind. I really didn't want to take the risk, but after seeing his sad look, it reminded me of his past. His borderline abusive past that ultimately won my mushy, sympathetic heart over prioritizing canon.

"Mama, Papa, can I take a walk around here again?"

"Okay, but be back soon and don't wander too far off." Dad chuckled as he rubbed my head. I smiled and nodded, scampering off into the direction of the sad looking swings.

He didn't seem to notice me as I approached him and cleared my throat. "Hey, are you okay?"

He jolted slightly and slowly looked up, blinking in confusion. He lifted a finger to point at himself, like he was asking, 'me?'

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, you. Who else could there be?" I took my place on the unoccupied swing beside him. "You look depressed. What's gotten into you?"

"...Why are you talking to me?" He answered my question with a question. He turned away to hide his gray eye. "You don't even know who I am. I could be dangerous."

I sighed and decided on my next course of action. "I saw a lonely, sad looking kid on a swing and wanted to cheer him up. Anything wrong with that?"

He turned his head to me, his eye laced with surprise and disbelief. I raised my eyebrow at him and leveled my gaze. The surprise faded into a look of thinking, and he let out a deep sigh.

"I guess there's nothing wrong with it." He admitted, scratching his cheek.

I smiled, satisfied with his answer. I started swinging my legs, lightly moving the swings as a result. "So, what's wrong? I can listen to a few troubles if you want?"

"Ah..." He averted his gaze. "…I'm not sure if I can... It's, very private, and I don't think my father would want me to blab about our family. He also forbade me from talking to anyone outside and inside the house."

I snorted. Endeavor did say something like that, didn't he? "Well, I think it's a load of bull. Is he from the warring states period or what?" He opened his mouth, probably trying to correct me like the dense person he is, and I jabbed a finger in his direction, cutting him off.

"Look, he may be your dad, but he's not supposed to control your every single movement. And besides, he's not around right now." I patted his shoulder and he flinched lightly, not expecting any physical contact. "Do want you want for a change, won't you?"

He looked even more surprised and conflicted. I patiently waited for him to make a move. He was thinking of doing something that would go against his father's teachings, and if he found out there would no doubt that there would be some kind of punishment. It wasn't easy, especially for a seven year old kid.

"I… Ok. You're right, I think. I shouldn't let him get the best of me, but I'm just…"

"Worried? Frightened?" I guessed, leaning backwards and kicking off the ground, causing the swing to…well, swing. The metallic sound of old metal moving caught the year of him, and he turned to look at me curiously.

"We all have those times man. Its how it is, it's terrifying, you won't know what comes next…"

I recalled the times I had since I came to this world as I gradually starting standing up on the swing, and a huge grin made way to my face. "But you know what? It's amazing. It's amazing because the future is never set in stone, and anything you do has the power to change it. You can stay frightened and feeling pathetic in your father's shadow, from being confident and strong enough to get him back at it. It all depends on what you do, and how you want to turn out. If you want to be a hero, go for it! If you have a horribly weak quirk, it doesn't matter if you find out how to make it strong! If you want to do something, don't make excuses and don't run away, because seriously, "

Memories of my old life flashed through my mind. My fists clenched tightly and I pushed out the words bitterly, "You'll regret it forever."

I jumped off the swing at its highest peak. He stood up, obviously shocked and worried by my sudden suicidal actions, until I touched my arm and activated my quirk.

"So, let me ask you."

Slightly propelled forward from the force of the swinging, I floated gently in the air in front of him, and pressed my fingers together, muttering 'Deactivate', making a small thump sound as my feet landed. I shot him a smile and asked in a merriest tone I could muster.

"What do you want to do?"

He bit his lip, and in a moment, he looked up at me again, this time with tears in his eyes. I was taken aback by the dewdrops shining in his eye, making his gray eye look even prettier than before. He took a deep breath, and faced me with hesitance in his eyes.

"F-from the moment I was born, my destiny was already decided." He confessed. "My father, he wanted to be a better hero than All Might, and when he couldn't accomplish that, he decided to create a child that had a stronger quirk, someone who had his blood that would be the number one hero. So, he won over my mother's family, a family with a strong quirk with money, and-"

"Quirk marriage." I confirmed sadly and he nodded his head.

"My father… That man started to 'train' me at five." He scowled, his eyebrows smashed together and his lips pulled into a furious frown. "He didn't hesitate to hit me and yell at me even after I vomited blood. My mother, she tried to protect me from him, but she got hit in the process. I…I couldn't do anything but watch that beast beat her up. Then a few days later, she told me she couldn't stand to see my left side because it reminded her of him, and poured boiling water on my face." He reached up to touch the bandaged area gingerly, and I winced, hearing the pain and sorrow as he told his tale.

"I was so hurt and upset, and angry. Angry at that man, but angry at myself too! I couldn't protect her from him; I couldn't do anything to help her! She was always protecting me, and I couldn't do anything…" His voice became choked. He looked up at me with desperation, tears freely falling from his eye.

"That's why I…I…" He bit his lip harshly. "I want to be a hero! I want to be a hero, stronger than my father, strong enough that I can protect my mother from that monster!" He spat. "I'm done being afraid of him! I don't want to listen to him anymore; I want to do things my own way! I am a human being, not an object for someone to use!" He roared, pouring out of raw, honest feelings, to a girl who never had a desire as strong as the seven year old in front of her.

Hearing his declaration, something snapped in me. Here he was, a seven year old kid with an abusive father, and he had dreams. He had something he wanted to do, something that he could never give up. He wasn't going to let anything stop him now; I could see it in his expression. He was serious.

My heart throbbed, and I clenched my chest. What was I doing? My words just now were so hypocritical, I was nothing like that. I never did what I truly wanted to do, and I just mouthed away in front of him?

Why am I here? Why was I sent here for? What was my purpose, being reborn as Uraraka Ochako?

…

…You know what? Forget it. I'm done worrying. I'm done trying to be someone I'm not. I wasn't Uraraka Ochako, I wasn't a happy go lucky, cheerful and good girl like her. I could never be her, because I was myself. I was my own person. A 24 year old, manga loving woman who was dropped on her head as a baby. Crazy, but not stupid, as much as I liked to believe.

My true desire? I wanted to go wild. I wanted to mess up the events in this world; I wanted to alter the future so that everyone would be safe. I wanted to protect the characters that I so dearly loved reading about back home.

What was stopping me?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

A grin started to spread across my face.

"Haha, ahaha…"

The boy, no- Todoroki Shouto- widened his eyes in confusion as laughter spilled from my lips.

Then, I threw my head back and laughed.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH, FUCK THIS SHIT!" I roared, slamming my hands on my cheeks, flesh against flesh sounding out. "FUCK STICKING TO CANON! CANON CAN GO AND STICK ITS ASS UP A BRANCH! I DON'T FUCKING CARE ANYMORE! I'M GOING TO BE MY OWN URARAKA OCHAKO AND NOTHING AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE! THOSE WHO DO, FUCK THEM BACK TO THEIR FIRST GENERATION!"

Shouto blinked rapidly as I panted heartily, with my hands on my knees. I straightened up and jabbed a finger in his direction.

"AND YOU! YOU WITH THE PEST OF A FATHER!"

Shouto looked more shocked than ever as I suddenly calmed down, threw him a smile and stretched my hand out to him.

"Uraraka Ochako. Seven years old, and officially being fantastically awesome from now on. What about you?"

Shouto blinked again, and wiped away his tears slowly. He slowly stretched out his hand, gripping mine. "Todoroki Shouto. Seven years old, and going to be the best hero starting from now."

I grinned and threw my arms around his shoulder, causing him to let out a surprised gasp and stumble. "Alright then, can I call you Shouto? Do you want to head over to my house for dinner? I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind me having a friend over."

"A…a friend?" He looked more confused than ever, the poor thing.

I nodded. "Yes, you just poured out your life's story to me, so that makes us friends, comrades, compadres. Anything you prefer. Assuming this is your first time having a friend," I looked at him for confirmation, and he nodded. "Friends go to each other's houses to eat as much food as possible and potentially make them out of food for days unless they go shopping. Then again, that could only be my false inaccurate teenage logic and alas, we are still seven year olds, so it doesn't really matter."

He tilted his head, looking even more lost. Geez, this guy really had no friends up till' now, did he?

"You wanna get some grub at my house?"

"Oh. Okay. To be honest, I don't even want to go back to that house, but I can't leave my mother there…"

"Eh, no worries." I released my shoulder hold on him and grabbed his hand, pulling him the direction of my house. "When worse comes to worse, you can both come over and stay. My house is kind of big; we can hold two people more."

He brightened up considerably. Wow he must really hate Endeavor. Not that I blame him, I hate Endeavor too. "Really?"

"Yes really, half melted ice cream. Now, let's eat! I can smell the meat from here."

"Do you have soba? Cold soba?"

"Eh, I'm sure we can do something about that."

Mother was enthusiastic about me bringing Shouto over. Father was a little conflicted to see my first friend being a boy, but he welcomed Shouto with open arms as well. The dinner table was livelier than ever.

"So what's your name, little boy?"

"Todoroki Shouto."

"Ok, Shouto then! Well if I may ask, do you have any preference for dinner?"

"...May I have cold soba?"

"Oh my, you're a lucky one! I just bought some a few days ago! I'll make it soon!"

"Ochako."

"Yes dad?"

"You're not thinking of having a boyfriend at this age right? I know kids these days are more grown up compared to the old days but…"

"BLAGH! Dad, he's my friend! Nothing more, nothing less!"

"Hahaha! Just teasing, sweetheart."

By the end of the day, I felt sour for having to send Shouto back to that hell of a home.

"Hey, Ochako?"

He called out to me as he stood in front of my house. I crossed my arms and tilted my head, standing in front of the door.

"Yeah?"

"...The soba was good." He smiled, a genuine Todoroki smile, and bowed his head. "Thank you for having me over. I hope I can visit some time again."

I laughed. "Haha! Of course you can! I don't care if you sneak out, we can play whenever you want to! I'll be glad to accompany you, dear prince." I mock bowed and he laughed this time, something I hadn't heard since I first met him. It made my heart warm, knowing that I managed to relieve some of his pain.

He turned around and waved his hand, gradually departing. "See you next time, Ochako."

I waved my hand back. "Bye, Shouto!"

Todoroki Shouto, a friend that I made today. The cold, aloof, half and half, lonely boy. I would help him get over his family mess, and hope that he doesn't grow to hate his fire side. I would support him and be a friend he never regretted making. A friend that would never betray him. A friend that actually meant a friend.

I smiled and closed my eyes. 'Time to mess around. No more serious business.' I opened my eyes, feeling determination fill my being.

'It's time to show the world what you can do, Uraraka Ochako.'

…

Second (First?) chapter up like a baus. It's officially the start of Uraraka Ochako's messed up version of MHA. There will be quite a bit of meddling here and there.

I hope you enjoy this ride that will hopefully not turn into a roller-coaster heading to the ground.

~LunaricFairy12~