Chapter 1: The Fruitage of Desperation

"Alright, Ms. Uraraka, thank you for interviewing with us today. We'll keep you in mind." A girl with a chestnut brown bob cut and rosy pink cheeks gave them a smile in exchange. However, nothing about the smile was sincere. For Ochako Uraraka, that line was one she heard too many times. If anything for her that line was just a formality; something the interviewer was supposed to say.

She rose from her chair, thanked the interviewer, and left the building. An overwhelming sense of disappointment came rushing as she made her way back home. For her, finding a job wasn't merely a way for her to get things she might have personally wanted, it was more so a way she could provide for her family. Her parents owned a construction business however they had relatively few clients. Not to mention the Quirks her parents had didn't really help with business either. So as a result her family was dangerously close to being homeless.

Not to mention their financial situation had strained the relationship between her mother and father. Arguments would often ensue; her mother suggesting that her father was a good-for-nothing and her father suggesting that her mother was unsupportive and ungrateful. At one point an argument between her parents got so bad her father said that he was going to pack up his bags and leave. Ochako would never forget she spent the whole night crying; afraid that she wouldn't see her father the next morning. Fortunately, her fear never materialized due to her dad talking it out with her mom. For Ochako, having money just didn't mean material support for her family, but it meant emotional support as well.

She desperately wanted to aid her parents in the business but she couldn't due to her not being licensed. She often expressed this to her parents but both told her that they would be the happiest if she chose to pursue her dreams. Like any parent they felt it was unfair to have their 13 year-old task themselves with providing for the family. Ever since a little girl, she wanted to become a pro-hero since she had a deep desire to help others. But she didn't feel right trying to help others when the people she needed to help were right in front of her. As much as she wished to pursue her dreams, her family took priority and she needed to find something tangible. She knew very well of the low acceptance rates for hero schools, and banking on getting into one of those programs was something she didn't feel to be the smartest decision.

As she walked home and contemplated her next step of action, she heard a voice cry out for help. The cries sounded pained and frantic so Ochako ran as fast as possible to try and identify who was calling for help. Eventually she came to the source, and saw a man who was pinned underneath a car. He looked up and saw Ochako in the distance; petrified but what she saw. Although the girl wasn't the ideal help he was looking for, the man was short on options.

"Hey kid, do you have some type of strength Quirk or something to get this car off of me? I'm kinda in a jam if you haven't noticed.", the man wheezed.

"Maybe, my Quirk can help you, I'm not really sure. I haven't used it in a situation like this and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to either.", Ochako nervously replied.

Not having time to deal with the girl's timidity, the man summoned his strength to bark, "Look around, there's nobody here! If you don't help me, I'm a goner for sure! I don't give a damn what you're supposed to do, get your shit together and help me!"

Taken aback by the man's abrasive tone, Ochako mumbled out an "ok" and made her way to the man's side. Taking a deep breath she pressed her fingertips to the car, and slowly the man felt the weight of the vehicle ease off of him. Once he had enough space, he quickly crawled out from underneath the car. Wondering how the girl was able to lift the car off him he turned towards her and saw that she wasn't lifting the car but rather she was making it float.

"Release!", Ochako exclaimed. Following her statement the car fell back to the earth with a loud thud. Instantly, she fell to her knees and vomited all over the pavement; a result of her being over-exerted.

"Well...that's the last time I'll try to change the oil by myself.", the man said, still amazed by the sight he saw.

"Are you okay? We should probably get you to a hospital. I can imagine being trapped underneath a car would do some damage.", she asked weakly as she wiped her mouth.

The man snapped out of his stupor upon hearing the suggestion of being taken to the hospital. "No, no, no, that won't be necessary!", the man responded frantically.

Ochako offered a confused look in return regarding the man's adamance against going to the hospital. "Look, let's just say I have a personal doctor and he'll leave me as good as new if not better."

Not wanting to prompt any further Ochako slowly nodded her head in confirmation. Having sensed that the girl's curiosity was "sated", the man commented, "You know, your Quirk is pretty amazing. It could be helpful in a variety of settings. What do you plan on doing as far as work goes?"

Without thinking she responded, "I don't know and honestly don't care. Right now, I'll do just about anything if it pays well."

"I see. Well, it would be a shame if a Quirk like your's went to waste. You know, I might have a position for you if you're interested. And I assure you it'll guarantee you a fair sum of money as well. All it involves is…"

"Yes, I'll do it!", Ochako exclaimed despite not getting a chance to hear the job description.

The man gave a deadpan stare upon being interrupted. "Don't you want to hear what you'll be doing?"

"Oh right...sorry…", Ochako replied, her face beet red with embarrassment.

"As I was saying before, all you have to do is aid in moving cargo. As far as shifts it's your typical eight hour day. Regarding pay, that will be discussed once you speak with the boss."

Ochako could hardly contain her glee, however there was one question she had. "The job is something I definitely would be interested in, but wouldn't I need a license to use my Quirk in a setting like that?"

The man waved his hand forward and replied, "Naw, you don't have to worry about that. The boss isn't really concerned with things like that."

Despite the obvious red flag, Ochako's excitement won over and shook her head in confirmation.

"I would drive us to the location but from the looks of it my car is not exactly in driving condition. So we'll just have to walk there. It shouldn't be too far from here though. Just follow me."

As Ochako followed the man, she could hardly stop her glee from bubbling over. After searching for so long, she finally had an opportunity to help provide for her family. Those days of going hungry, those restless nights for her parents, those days worrying whether they would have a roof over their head tomorrow, would all finally cease. However, little did she know what was disguised as a blessing, would end up being a curse.

Eventually, both the man and Ochako made it to the worksite. In front of them was a heavy metal door, and after a variety of peculiar knocks from the man, the door slid open. As Ochako entered the building it felt like a couple dozen pairs of eyes instantly fell on her. Around her were big burly guys and all wore scowls like they were uniforms. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes instantly hit her nose, and overwhelmed her to the point of a headache. The sudden attention on her made her feel as tall as a mouse. To say she was intimidated would have been an understatement. One man who was in a drunken stupor whistled at her, his eyes glossed over from the booze and lust.

"Hey girlie, why don't you come over here! I can tell you're nervous! Don't worry, I can show you around and then maybe in exchange I can do some exploring."

Ochako's eyes went wide as saucers, after hearing his vulgar suggestion. She began to tremble violently in fear, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Instinctively, the man who brought her here stepped in front of her. "Listen, that's enough! She's only a little girl so don't think about putting your filthy hands on her unless you want problems with me."

The drunkard "tsked" in response, however the threat he received didn't stop him from watching Ochako as she walked away with the man.

"T-thanks for standing up for me back there. I was so afraid.", Ochako sniffled.

"Don't mention it kid. I should have told you earlier, that guys like him worked here. Sometimes I can be a damn idiot."

"Is the boss aware of how he is?", Ochako asked. The man nodded in response. "Then how come he's still here?"

"Well, it's because he's very good at what he does and right now is virtually irreplaceable.", the man replied.

Another red flag went off in Ochako's head but she tried to rationalize it. This was the closest she had to a job, and depending on the pay this might have been an opportunity she couldn't afford to pass up. Besides, as long as the man beside her was there, she had reason to feel a little safe.

As they approached the boss' office, the man's eyes trailed back to the little girl walking beside him. An overwhelming sense of guilt swept over him. The girl had no idea what she was in for and his reasons for bringing her were nothing more than self-centered. He squeezed his eyes shut and mumbled, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry, did you say something?", Ochako asked.

"I said...nevermind. It's not important. Anyways, we're here." The man approached the boss' door and knocked. Not long after it opened, revealing a man who had dark brown hair and bright amber eyes. He sported a green coat, with a white tie, but what was most peculiar was the red and gold plague mask he wore.

His eyes trailed from the man to Ochako, and in a calm manner he asked, "Care to explain who this is by your side?"

The man eagerly responded, "Her name is...her name is...?"

"Ochako Uraraka.", she interjected.

"Ochako Uraraka, and I met her after she helped me out from a mess I got into earlier today. In helping me, I got a glimpse of her Quirk and I believe that she can be a huge aid in helping move cargo!"

"Is that so?", the boss replied.

He turned to Ochako. Despite his calm nature, this was the most terrified she felt her whole time there. She just chalked it up to being in front of the boss, but in her gut she knew that there was something else as well.

"Well, Ms. Uraraka care to give a demonstration of your Quirk?", he asked her.

"S-sure…", she stammered out in response. She looked at the man beside her and touched him. Slowly he began to rise in the air, and when he was about a foot in the air, she pressed her fingers together to let him fall back to the ground.

"Hmm, interesting. What exactly is your Quirk, Ms. Uraraka?", the boss asked.

"Um, it's called Zero-Gravity. Basically, I can cancel out the gravity of anything I touch."

"I see. While your Quirk is most impressive, I assume there's some type of limit, yes?"

"Yeah, the most I can float is two tons at the moment. Anything more, makes me incredibly sick."

"Well, just like a muscle, a Quirk is something that can be trained to become stronger. I assume you'll have no problems taking the proper steps to surpass your limit, correct?"

Even though she knew what was required was easier said than done, she responded, "Of course, it'll be no problem."

"Excellent, starting off you'll aid in smaller shipments. Assuming you hold your end of the bargain you'll be gradually moved up to help with larger shipments."

Finding what the boss suggested to be fair, she replied, "Ok, that sounds fine."

The man who had brought her could hardly contain his excitement. "So what do you think, Chisaki? She will definitely be useful, huh?"

"Indeed, however there is an urgent matter I need to address with you." Chisaki then turned his head towards Ochako. "Ms. Uraraka, please wait in my office. I should be back briefly."

With that being said both Chisaki and the man exited the office and strolled down the hallway. As they walked, the man asked Chisaki, "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Why is she here?", Chisaki snapped.

"What do you mea-"

"Exactly, what I asked. Why is she here?", he asked, his frustration clearly evident.

The sudden change in Chisaki's mood frightened the man. "I-I know h-how ambitious you are. I was j-just trying to i-imitate that. I thought she would be a v-valuable asset to the organization."

"I agree, she would be a valuable asset for our cause."

"I-I'm sorry, b-but if that's s-so, why are you u-upset?", the man squeaked in response.

"The fact that you fail to see what you did wrong baffles me. Your mistake was confusing presumptuousness for ambition."

"W-what-"

"You assumed that if you brought in a valuable asset, you would have a good chance to move up within the organization, correct?"

The man didn't respond but his silence confirmed Chisaki's suspicion.

"I figured. To help you understand further, I want you to answer this question. Besides myself and my designated recruiters, have you seen any other person within our organization go out and bring someone to the hideout?"

"N-no…"

"And why do you think that is?"

"B-Because that p-person could be a spy or s-something l-like that…

"Ah, now you get it. If that person you happened to bring was a spy for a rival criminal organization or even worse the Hero Association, the blood, sweat, and tears I would have put in could have ended up fruitless. So you see, ultimately the problem is that you put your own priorities ahead of mine, which is something that won't be tolerated."

The way Chisaki delivered his last line made the man tremble in fear. Even though Chisaki wasn't screaming or yelling, the killing intent behind his words was evident. "I-I'm so-sorry…", the man repeated over and over again. Tears were streaming down his face, due to being in a state of full-fledged panic.

Chisaki's face softened seeing the man blubber about how sorry he was. He took off one glove before responding, "Look, you made a mistake. However, the real failure happens when you don't learn from one. In the end you did bring me a valuable asset, so it's not the end of the world."

Chisaki extended his ungloved hand towards the man. "Just promise me you'll learn from this mistake, and this little mishap will be a thing of the past.", said offering the man a comforting smile.

The man wiped his eyes before thanking Chisaki for being understanding. He extended his hand as well.

"Consider it a done de-"

Before the man could finish his sentence the entire upper portion of his body vanished into a red mist. Blood painted the walls, ceiling, and even Chisaki's face. As the mutilated corpse of the man laid there and continued to ooze red, Chisaki reached for his phone and dialed a number. Not long after, the person he needed was on the line.

"Hey, I need someone to come and clean up a mess in the northeast wing. As far as the trash, dispose of it how you see fit. It should go without saying that I want the mess cleaned up as soon as possible."

"Sorry, I took so long. The man that brought you here did something on the grounds for immediate dismissal,so I had to deal with that unfortunately.", Chisaki said as he sat down in his chair.

Ochako wondered what led to the man being fired however she did not want to appear nosy so she withheld her inquiry. Despite not knowing him for very long, she was saddened to hear that he was gone. From what she'd seen, he appeared to be a good man. Also she was a bit worried as well, considering that her only defense from the pervert working there was gone as well. Which also led her to question, 'If sexual harassment is not grounds for immediate dismissal then what is…?'

"Ms. Uraraka, before we go further into detail, are you sure this is something you really want to do? Because, once you agree there is no going back…"

Chisaki's voice snapped Ochako from her thoughts. 'No going back, what does that mean exactly?' The accumulation of red flags was starting to become overwhelming. First the recruitment process, then the personnel, and now it was Chisaki's phrasing that had Ochako concerned about accepting the job.

Wanting more clarification before agreeing, Ochako asked, "What do you mean by 'there is no going back'?"

In a cool tone, Chisaki responded, "If you weren't made aware already, this job that you're taking is a contract job. If you were to quit illegitimately, hefty prices would have to be paid."

"What would be considered as quitting illegitimately?", Ochako asked.

"That will be answered once we discuss the contract in its entirety which we can do right now if you're ready."

After a long session of having puzzling clauses and stipulations read to her and explained, and going over some numbers of what she would be making, it was finally time for her to make her decision. She felt she had plenty of reasons to not accept. From the less than professional potential co-workers to the weird clauses in her contact, there was no shortage of doubt whether this was the right job for her. However, after discussing what she would make she felt torn.

The numbers on the contract were alien to her; almost to the point she felt they were make-believe. She knew with that type of money, financial woes would be a thing of the past. Not to mention, considering she would get paid that much for a job that didn't seem that difficult was a bonus as well.

She told herself earlier she wanted something tangible, and it was there right in front of her in writing. Despite the less than ideal circumstances she would be working in, she viewed this as an opportunity too good to pass up. She knew sacrifice was an ingredient for success, and if working in less than ideal conditions was the sacrifice, she was fine with it.

Images of her family flashed before her, as she made up her mind. Images of her and her parents laughing merilly at a nice restaurant, carelessly strolling down the beach, her father beaming upon seeing his new car, and many more depictions of her family's future came rushing. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how obvious the answer was.

"When do I start?", she asked.

"Ah, so it looks like you made your decision. You can expect to start tomorrow.", Chisaki replied.

The start date surprised Ochacko; she didn't expect her start date to be that early. However, she did her best to maintain her poise and responded, "Sounds like a plan, I'll be there."

As she got up to leave, Chisaki's voice caught hold of her attention. "Before you go, I wanted to ask you a question I had earlier. Why exactly did you accept this job?"

As Ochako stood, she shifted uncomfortably. Her family's financial issues were something she never liked talking about, especially with someone she hardly knew. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "It's because I want to provide for my family. We hardly have much to live off of. By accepting this job then, it would mean...i-it would mean…" Ochako's eyes began to glisten as she struggled to finish her sentence. Her breathing started to become raspy and her body was being wracked with tremors.

As Chisaki watched her break down, he couldn't help but feel genuinely empathetic. Poverty was something he had known as well. For a while, before he had met his future boss and father figure he had nothing but ambition. For a long time he had felt lost with no way to go. And he imagined that Ochako felt the same way as well.

Most of the guys that worked under him accepted the job to fulfill their own selfish needs. He realized that Ochako was different in the fact that this job was something she needed. In some ways, he saw a lot of himself in her, from the background history to how both would stop at nothing to satisfy their ambition. What stood out most to him though was her love for her parents and the lengths she would go to make them happy. He too had a father figure and like Ochako, he would stop at nothing to make him proud.

In a soft voice, Chisaki said, "You don't have to continue, I think I understand well enough. As unfortunate as it is, poverty is often the driving force for maturity. However, just know that as long as you put in the effort here, I'll help you meet your ambitions."

Ochako mumbled a "soft thank" you in return.

"Go ahead and rest up. You're in for a big day, tomorrow." Ochako nodded in response, and continued to sniffle as she left. Watching Ochako depart, Chisaki thought to himself about the whole situation. To him, she just didn't need money but she needed guidance as well. 'Just like how I needed it, when I was her age.'

After a long trek back, Ochako finally made it home. As she opened the door she was instantly swarmed by her parents. Both pulled their daughter into a tight embrace, frantically questioning her about where she'd been. Wanting to put her parents at ease, she told them, "I was out looking for jobs again. I'm sorry I didn't let you guys know earlier."

Her father pulled away from her and put both hands on her shoulders. He looked her in the eyes and said, "Ochako, how many times do I have to tell you, you don't need to be looking for a job. Asking you to be a breadwinner at the age of thirteen is beyond unreasonable. You should focus on being a kid, have fun, pursue your dreams…"

"My only dream is for us not to worry about whether we'll have a roof over our head.", Ochako interrupted.

"Ochako sweetie, I thought you said it was your dream to be a hero. Don't you still want to do that? I remember how when you were younger you idolized Thirteen and wanted to be like her. What happened?", her mom asked her.

Ochako felt herself on the verge of tears once more. "Real life happened mom! Don't you think I still want to be a hero? I do, more than anything else! But, I can't pursue my dreams knowing that you guys are still struggling! I'd rather just be a hero for you two, than being one for the rest of the world!"

Her mother was taken aback by her daughter's outburst. Slowly hot tears began to stream down her face, a result of frustration and sadness. "H-how could I be such a f-failure? My own daughter can't have a normal life, because...because...I can't…" As she started to sob violently, she felt her husband wrap his arm around her.

Ochako felt horrible seeing her mother in tears. "Mom, I didn't mean to make you cry. Don't blame yourself for something beyond your control…"

"No i-it was in my control. I c-could have made b-better pitches to potential clients. M-maybe if I d-did a better job of supporting y-your father, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"C'mon honey, let's go sit down and talk. Ochako, we'll talk more a bit later." Her father gently grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her towards their bedroom as she continued to cry. Ochako on the other hand ran to her bedroom, slammed the door shut, buried her face in her pillow and began to sob uncontrollably. Her mother was by no means a failure, and she felt awful knowing that's what her mother thought herself as. She along with her father did the best they could to provide for her, and words couldn't begin to describe how much she valued that. Her mother's tears only steeled her resolve to excel in the new job she was given.

About an hour later she heard a knock on her door, and heard the voice of her father asking if he could come in. After responding "yes" Ochako's father came into her room and sat on the bed with her. Before he said anything, Ochako asked, "How is mom doing?"

"She's doing better right now, after talking a little bit. She still thinks it's her fault though."

"It's not her fault, and I didn't mean for what I said to come across that way.", Ochako responded, regret evident in her face.

"I know you didn't. I think it's literally impossible for you to purposely offend somebody. You don't have one bitter bone in you. Only thing that might be wrong with you is that thick skull of yours, though."

His playful banter managed to elicit a laugh from his daughter. He instantly smiled seeing her giggle. It had been awhile since he'd seen that. "But on a serious note Ochako, I commend you for wanting to aid your mom and I regarding finances. You don't understand how happy it makes me to know I have a daughter that is supportive. With that being said, you know that your mom and I want you to pursue your dream of being a hero."

"I know, but.."

"Hold on, let me finish. However, ultimately the decision of what you want to do is up to you. And with whatever decision you make, your mom and I will do our best to support you."

"Thanks dad. Like I told mom earlier, I really want to be a hero. But I'd rather be a hero for you guys than anyone else. And because of that, I have something to tell you dad…" Ochako hesitated to finish her sentence.

"Go ahead and tell me Ochako, I'm all ears."

"I found a job...earlier this afternoon…", she told him softly.

Her father tried his best to hide his disappointment. He had given his daughter his word that he would support her, so he tried his best to be enthusiastic about the news. "Congrats Ochako, that's awesome to hear! Are you pretty excited?"

"Yeah, but I'm also pretty nervous as well."

"To be fair, that's to be expected with a new job. Where exactly are you working though, and what will the shifts be like?"

Before she responded, she thought carefully about the question. If she told him about the nature of the job and that it was a contract job, she knew he would be skeptical. The last thing she wanted was to add to the stress her father was already under. So she said, "I got an internship with a high-end company that produces support items."

Genuine interest flashed in her father's eyes after hearing what she would be doing. "Oh really? What company is it?"

Ochako instantly kicked herself for not having an answer ready. She should have expected that to be a question he asked. 'Think Ochako, think Ochako, think Ochako…'

"I got an internship at Shield Industries."

Her father's eyes nearly bulged out his head, "Shield Industries! You mean the Shield Industries, David Shield owns?"

"The one and only."

"Well I'll be damned! Oh shit, sorry about my language sweet pea! Don't tell your mother now."

Ochako chuckled as she put her right hand on her heart. "Not a word."

"Honestly, I shouldn't even be surprised. Ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. You can guarantee that I'll tell all my buddies that my little girl is working for freakin' David Shield! Plus even though it's not exactly being a hero, you'll still be in that environment which is enough for me."

Ochako was glad to see her dad so ecstatic about her new "job", however she felt bad knowing that she was lying straight to his face.

"Man I'm so excited, I almost forgot to hear what your shifts will be!"

Ochako sighed. She knew that she would have to lie to find a way to justify her working full-time as a 13 year-old. However, she knew what was at stake if her father knew the truth and after seeing her mother's outbreak earlier, she decided it was worth the guilt. 'By any means necessary.'

After a couple of weeks working her new job, Ochako felt like she got the hang of what she was supposed to do. The work was fairly simple. All she had to do was zero out the gravity of various crates that came in, aid in moving them to their designated spot, and returning the gravity to them after they were in said spot. As per the instructions of Chisaki, everyday she worked on increasing the total weight she could float. Little by little, she increased her capacity and eventually she was zeroing out the gravity of crates she never thought she could.

However, today she felt kind of strange. It was hot in the facility and Ochako was exhausted and a little bit nauseated as well. She tried to zero out the gravity of a crate, however it came crashing to the floor before anybody could get underneath it. The contents of the crate spilled out once upon making impact.

"You damn brat, look what your sorry ass did! Now we have to clean all this shit up, thanks to you!", one of the men exclaimed.

Ochako mumbled a weak "sorry", and slowly started to pick up some of the items that were on the floor. Upon examining the item, she felt a strange sense of deja vu. Then it all came to her.

"There have been reports of shipments of support items being stolen and illegally redistributed on the street. These items have been found amongst a multitude of crime syndicates and local street gangs." As the reporter spoke, a picture of a support item that looked like some type of futuristic rifle was plastered on the screen. "Police say that these support items are capable of causing mass damage if not used as intended. Please be mindful as you go-"

Her father turned off the TV, clearly worried by what he'd seen. He shook his head and sighed, before saying, "Can you believe that Ochako? A device that was intended to help people is now being used to hurt, just because people care more about themselves than others. It's a sad world we live in…"

Ochako vomited, after realizing what she had been doing. For weeks she had been helping with criminal affairs and hadn't even realized it. However, she felt stupid for not piecing it together. The fact she didn't need a license, her "co-workers" that looked like ex-convicts (or current convicts for that matter), and the strange stipulations in her contract made it obvious. However, she was blinded by what the opportunity offered, and chose to ignore what the opportunity potentially was. After overcoming her shock she ran straight to Chisaki's office, much to the frustration of the other men there.

When she reached Chisaki's office, she didn't even bother to knock. She had a scowl on her face as she made eye contact with her boss.

"Ms. Uraraka, I thought we discussed knocking before entering."

"You guys are criminals!", Ochako spat, disregarding what Chisaki had said.

Chisaki's face remained unchanged despite hearing what she said. He simply sighed before responding, "I figured I couldn't keep you in the dark forever. I assumed you would find out one way or another. I just didn't suspect it to be so soon."

"I don't care, I want out, now!", Ochako demanded.

"Unfortunately, I can't let that happen. In your contract it says clearly only under extenuating circumstances, that you can leave early."

"I think finding out I'm working with a bunch of thugs would meet that requirement! You guys are bullies who stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it means the lives of the innocent!", Ochako shot back.

"You're doing yourself a disservice, just simply identifying us as 'a bunch of thugs'. Our cause is much more complex than what you're trying to portray it as."

"Your cause doesn't matter to me! What matters is your actions!"

"What if I told you that our actions are motivated by wanting to see a world with real parity."

"No, I don't want to hear it! You already manipulated me once! I won't make the same mistake twice!"

"I never manipulated you. I just simply withheld some information from you. I never forced you to join our organization, you made that decision on your own. Besides, it's not like your above something like that either. The fact that you're working here means that you had to withhold information from your parents. Otherwise, if they knew the truth, you and I wouldn't even be in the position to have this conversation. Or am I mistaken?"

Ochako could only remain silent. As much as she hated to admit it, everything he had said was true.

"You know Ms. Uraraka, you and I aren't that much different."

"You and I are nothing alike! Your type does nothing but lie and hurt good people!"

"Isn't that what you're doing to your parents? Or is it different?"

"Of course, it's different! I'm doing this so we don't have to worry about poverty anymore!"

"As I'm aware, however Ms. Uraraka, let me ask you this. Did it ever occur to you that this didn't seem like your typical "business"?"

"Yes, of course! Discovering those stolen support items today, only confirmed my suspicions!"

"If you were suspicious of us engaging in illegal activities, then why didn't you try to leave earlier?"

Ochako remained silent. She knew the answer but she didn't want to say it out loud. He had a good point, as well. Even if they weren't actually engaging in criminal activities, she still should have tried to leave earlier if she suspected they were.

"Don't get me wrong. I find what you're doing quite admirable and like me you'll go to any lengths to help achieve your goals. My goal as I mentioned earlier is to create a just world."

Despite her better judgement, Ochako asked, "How do you plan to achieve that?"

"By eliminating the one thing so many people abuse; Quirks."

Ochako stared blankly in response. She could hardly comprehend what he was suggesting.

Noticing this Chisaki said, "I understand you may be confused. However, doing this is vital if mankind is to survive. It's been theorized that Quirks were the next phase of human evolution...well I couldn't disagree more. I think we're closer to our savage primate ancestors now, then we were before without Quirks. Ms. Uraraka, tell me, have you heard the story of the Nephilim?

Ochako slowly shook her head no. "Well to summarize it, angels basically came down in human form and forced some of the women on Earth. As a result their offspring possessed supernatural powers and many marveled at their abilities. Those offspring would then be called Nephilim. They possessed superhuman strength and were large in stature as well. However, these men used their power in destructive ways. They killed regular men to get what they wanted and would steal their wives. It got so bad the slate had to be wiped clean; in their case it was by a massive flood. I tell you all of this to emphasize the point, that with great power, injustice is bound to follow."

"Yeah, but that's why heroes exist. It's to correct the injustice."

"Ah, to be naive. Injustice exists everywhere, even in the hero society you idolize. The only way to truly correct this, is to wipe the slate clean. In this case it would be by getting rid of Quirks all together and starting fresh."

"But what gives you the right to deem who deserves a Quirk and who doesn't?"

For the first time in the conversation, Chisaki didn't have an answer. "I don't know. However, if a person needs to play God, I feel like I'm the most qualified."

"I think it's all crazy. Nothing you can say will change my mind…", Ochako mumbled.

"It all seems crazy now, but in time you'll understand. Besides, do you think you can afford to leave? Are you really comfortable with things going back to the way they were for you and your family?"

Ochako thought hard about it. Just recently she had taken her family out to dinner for the first time in a while. She remembered how they feasted like kings, and her father and mother laughing as they enjoyed their cups of wine. For the first time in her life, she had seen her parents relieved. Would sacrificing that justify doing the right thing? Another question started to creep into her mind as well. 'Is what I'm doing now actually the wrong thing?'

As much as she wanted to disagree, some of what Chisaki said made sense to her. She thought back to the support items. If people would use a machine intended to help to hurt they would definitely use a more powerful weapon in their Quirk. That Ochako was sure of. However, what she struggled to grasp was whether Chisaki's solution was the answer. 'Also, what did he mean that injustice exists within the hero society?'

"Ms. Uraraka, why don't you go home early. I'm sure a lot is on your mind right now so I want to give you time to think. If you decide that this job isn't for you then so be it. Otherwise, I'll see you at the same time, tomorrow."

Ochako nodded and walked away torn by what she heard and what she believed. As she walked away, Chiskai resumed going back to work. He wasn't worried in the slightest. He was confident he knew what decision she would make.

A couple of weeks later after the conversation she had with Chisaki, Ochako was finishing up her shift. It was getting late and most of the people there had already left. The shipment she was transporting had been exceptionally huge, so she needed a bit more time than usual to finish. As she moved some of the last crates, she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Hey there purty, didn't just think it would be us two, huh?"

Ochako's blood ran cold as she realized who it was. The person that had tried to hit on her earlier when she first came to the site, was slowly approaching her. Instinctively, she backed away as he came closer. "Ah c'mon, no need to run! I promise I'll be gentle…"

"Get away from me.", Ochako muttered, her fear reaching its climax.

The man suddenly rushed forward and grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away but she couldn't budge him. 'He must have some type of strength Quirk!', she frantically thought.

"Hey, there's no need for that, you're making me feel bad! I'm not the most handsome guy but you're making it seem like I'm repuls-"

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!", Ochako shrieked. Then she did what her father told her to do if she ever ended up in a situation like this. She drew back her leg and launched it forward making contact with the man's testicles. The man howled in pain, and she used that time to try and make her escape. She made a dash for the exit however the man was already there blocking the door. His eyes were bloodshot and despite being in a massive amount of pain he was smiling.

"You little bitch, playing hard to get are ya?! Well that's fine, I like 'em feisty!"

Ochako quickly ran the opposite way and jumped. As she was in the air, she zeroed out the gravity of herself, and glided to one of the racks within the warehouse. After making contact, she started to climb to the top of it, however she was horrified as she saw the man climbing it as well. Once she made it to the top she kicked her leg and made clean contact with the man's chin but he held on firmly to the rack. Seeing as that didn't work, she zeroed out the gravity of a crate that was nearby, held it over him, and returned it's gravity. The sudden weight caused the man to lose his grip and both him and the crate fell with a loud crash.

She zeroed out the gravity of herself once more and started to hop rack to rack in order to create some distance. She knew she was approaching her limit. She felt nauseated but she kept on moving. As she hopped onto another rack the man hopped on the same one, a crate being the only thing between them. Ochako quickly got on the crate and zeroed out the gravity of it, but the man held on to it before she could float away. Quickly she returned it's gravity and jumped off the crate, back onto the rack. Due to the awkward angle the man was holding it, he lost his balance and fell off the ledge. Ochako covered her mouth as fought back the urge to vomit.

Fortunately, she caught sight of the exit once more. She climbed down and started to run towards it. Closer and closer, she got to it. Her hand was on the crash bar but before she could step outside she felt someone grab the collar of shirt and pin her down. She looked up and saw the man, who now was bloody and bruised, but despite that he still had the same lecherous smile as before.

Ochako struggled hard to escape, but it was to no avail. She wanted to try and float him up to the ceiling but her hand was being pinned down. There were no other tricks for her to escape; in this moment she was truly powerless. So she did the only thing she could do; she screamed for help.

"HELP, SOMEONE! ANYONE, PLEASE!", she cried, hot tears streaming down her face. Her pleas eventually became softer and softer. She knew it was futile. As far as she knew, everyone had left the compound.

"You really made me work for this, so you can guarantee I'm going to enjoy every moment of this! The hunt is almost as enjoyable as the product, you know!"

Ochako whimpered, anticipating what was about to happen. However, it never came. The grip the man had on her slacked completely. She quickly pulled away from him, wondering what had caused him to stop. She looked where his attention was and saw the silhouette of a familiar person. As the person approached, she quickly realized that it was Chisaki and he looked livid. The man slowly backed away as Chisaki approached them. Ochako ran forward to Chisaki, and buried her head in his chest as informal as it was. She sobbed violently, the emotion finally overtaking her. Chisaki put an arm around her in an attempt to sooth her.

"It's okay, there's no need to be afraid. He won't be able to hurt you anymore, I'll make sure of it. But just do me a favor and turn around okay?"

She removed herself from his chest, and did as she was instructed. Chisaki then focused his attention on the man.

"Color me surprised. I always knew you were a disgusting man but I never thought you would actually have the spine to try something like that."

"C-Chisaki, I-I can explain…", the man stammered.

"Go ahead, please try and justify why you were pinning Ms. Uraraka down."

The man tried his best to come up with an excuse. "I-it was because, s-she stole s-something from the w-warehouse and I w-was stopping her b-before she left."

Still turned around Ochako quickly tried to dispel what the man was saying but before she could Chisaki said, "Is that so? Ms. Uraraka, reach in your pockets and pull out anything you may have in there. After that, place it on the floor."

Only one item sat on the floor after she did what she was told; which was her phone. "It appears that she does not have any inventory as you claimed she did.", Chisaki responded.

"S-she, she must have dropped it when I was chasing her!"

Chisaki had enough of the man's shenanigans and roared, "That's enough! Do you take me for some type of idiot?! It's clear what you were going to her, had I not intervened! You're a coward, you prey on those weaker than you and can't even own up to what you were going to do!"

Chisaki's outburst caused the man to back away faster. As he did, Chiskai gradually approached him, sliding his gloves off as he got closer to him. The man knew Chisaki didn't buy anything he said, so he did the only thing he could do; plead for his life.

"You can't kill me! I'm too valuable to the organization!"

"You tried to harm one of the most valuable assets I have. You have worked here long enough to know how I feel about those putting their own priorities ahead of mine."

"I know and I swear it won't happen again!"

"I know it won't…", Chisaki replied. He then lunged forwards and put his hand around the man's face. The man screamed in terror before his head turned into a red paste. The corpse of the man fell backwards, his neck spurting blood. The smell, along with the exhaustion, caused Ochako to fall on her knees and vomit. Though she hadn't seen what happened, she knew what did.

"You...you killed him…", Ochako weakly said.

"It had to be done.", Chisaki replied.

They both sat in silence for a little bit, before Chisaki asked, "Now do you understand why the slate must be wiped clean? For every person like him that gets stopped, there's another that doesn't. A reality that the Hero Association refuses to address. The only way to truly correct this world is to have a complete jurisdiction of who plays the role of powerless and who plays the role of powerful."

He then turned his gaze towards Ochako and offered her his ungloved hand. "You can help make this a reality, if...you put your trust in me."

Ochako stared at his hand. Ever since being a little girl she had been told that heroes were the key to fixing things wrong with the world. However, she saw now that thinking may have been flawed. As much as the heroes tried, it wasn't possible for them to stop every bad thing from happening as Chisaki had pointed out. And with the plan Chsiaki was suggesting, to her it seemed like one that had multiple benefits and no consequences. Those who deserved to have Quirks would have them, and those who didn't deserve to have Quirks wouldn't. The choice seemed obvious to her. She took a hold of his hand.

Chisaki gave her a smile. "I'm glad to know that, I'll be having your assistance, Ms. Uraraka."

"Thank you Chisaki-san, I won't let you down."

"Please, don't call me Chisaki-san. You can refer to me as Kai, if you want."

"Oh ok, well you can use my first name as well, if you want to."

"Thank you for granting me the privilege, Ochako. Do you think you'll be in a position to come in tomorrow? I'm sure what you went through was pretty traumatizing so if you need some days off.."

"I'll be fine. I'll be here at the same time, tomorrow."

"Again, there is no rush but if that's what you wish so be it. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that Ochako left the compound, and made her way home. Eventually, she made it to her door and as she stepped through, she saw her dad on the couch half-asleep. 'He must have been up trying to wait for me'

"Ochako, is that you?", he mumbled as he stirred awake.

"Yeah dad it's me, I just had a long night at Shield's."

"I'll say…", her dad yawned. "But I'm glad you're home safe and sound, that's what's most important to me."

He reached to give her a hug, and Ochako returned it, tightly gripping his shirt in the process. "Woah, woah, sweetpee. Is everything alright?"

Ochako desperately wanted to tell her dad about what happened that night but the question Chisaki posed to her remained at the forefront of her mind. 'Are you really comfortable with things going back to the way they were for you and your family?' She wasn't, therefore she wouldn't let it happen. She worked too hard to bring her family to this point in life and going back would essentially be her spitting on all the time and effort she put in.

"It's nothing Dad, I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

"Well, go ahead and rest up. I'll see you in the morning sweetpea."

"Goodnight Dad.", she responded.

Eventually she made it to her bed and tried to fall asleep. But the nightmare she experienced earlier only carried itself into her dreams.

Two long years had passed from the time Ochako met Kai. In those two years, Kai had taught her how to defend herself, how to keep her true motives hidden from those she spoke with, how to negotiate, and how to manipulate people's feelings. Her task also extended far from moving cargo.

Infiltrations into rival criminal organizations, stealing information from various crime syndicates, and even assassinations were things in her repertoire now. The once giddy and gleeful girl had been replaced by one who held all her emotions behind a mask. However, in her mind everything she did was for a worthy cause. Soon, there would be a world with parity because of the efforts of herself and the rest of the organization. Kai was nearing a breakthrough on producing a drug that eliminated Quirks and even though he hadn't shared the exact research with her, she knew he was close.

Not to mention, her family's financial situation had never been better. Her dad had used some of the money she brought home and reinvested into their construction business. Because he was able to upgrade some of the tools and machines they had, he was able to nab a few clients. Her parents were proud of her and most importantly they were happy. Even though she was lying to them, she felt as long as they didn't know, there was no harm.

In her two years at the compound, she began to grow fond of and borderline idolize Kai. To her, not only was he a great mentor, at times he seemed like a secondary parent to her. He didn't just treat her like an asset, he really was concerned with her well-being and how she felt. Also, at her time there, she had taken a liking to a little girl she had met. The features she had were unique; white hair, red eyes and a little horn that protruded from the side of her forehead. What was strange however was that she was constantly wrapped in bandages.

However, she learned from Kai that she was diseased and she needed multiple treatments to help maintain her sickness. She couldn't help but feel bad for the little girl. She always looked terrified going into the laboratory for her treatment. Ochako was sure that it was a lot for a girl her age to handle.

Ochako made her way to Kai's office after receiving a call from him to come down. She opened the door and sat down, waiting to hear what Kai wanted from her.

"In your time being here, you have served me well. I can't commend you enough for the contributions you have made to our cause."

"Thanks, but I figured you called me down to do more than just compliment me, right?"

Kai smirked behind his mask. "Ah smart girl. You are correct, I didn't call you down just to pay you compliments. Rather, it was to give you a special assignment."

"What's the assignment?"

"Well as you are aware, with a goal such as ours we'll be met with resistance from both sides of the spectrum. I already have a sufficient amount in navigating the criminal underworld however I'm not so experienced when it comes to the Hero Association. And that's where you come in. I want you to infiltrate U.A High School, and not just learn but understand what makes a hero tick. I want you to understand their philosophies and their procedures. Because once you understand an enemy's culture, planning an attack becomes the easiest part. The only hard thing that remains is the execution."

"How long will I be required to remain in the program?"

"For right now, it's yet to be determined. It all depends on how soon I can develop the Quirk-erasing drug. Until that happens, you are to report to me at the end of every month with the information you collected. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I won't fail you Kai."

"When it comes to you, failure is never a concern of mine. Now go ahead and get prepared. The U.A entrance exam is in a couple of weeks."

And that's a wrap. Hopefully, you enjoyed the chapter. Most of what happens in this story will revolve around canon, I just made a few tweaks. One tweak being Kai's motive for wanting to get rid of Quirks. I wanted him to be more of a dynamic villain, so I changed his motive to be a more powerful one, instead of him just wanting the Yakuza to be on top again. Also, this story pulls inspiration from The Judas Contract storyline, so if you notice some similarities that's why, (Anyone who's not familiar with The Judas Contract should stop reading this right now and go read that instead.)

For some of you this isn't the first story you read of mine. For those who've read The Phantom Wall and wondering when the hell I'm going to update it, my response is sometime soon (I don't have an exact date). TPW is an extremely detailed-oriented story and after the last chapter I posted, I took a break from writing in general due to school, work, and etc. Now that I have a bit more time, I wanted to kind of ease myself back into writing, so I started this project to do that. Plus, it gave me an excuse to write a villain Ochako story (I swear I haven't seen too many).

As far as updates go, my plan is to update at least once every month. Depending, if I'm free, I might update twice. We'll just have to wait and see. Also, don't expect every chapter to be this long. Ideally, they should be 4-6k words. This one...well I don't know happened, to be honest.

I don't have much more to say, except to be healthy and stay safe. If you have any questions or comments about the story, please leave a review or PM me. Until next time guys!