Chapter Text
Ochako, like a lot of teenagers, has a part time job. However unlike most teenagers she signed a legal document (with her parents present) that said she wouldn't get a part time job... well a part time job outside of heroics... so like internships and sidekick positions were fine but a job at her (semi) local convenience store were a definite no no. But her parents could barely afford one apartment... let alone two and then there's gas, electric, food and transportation to consider plus one off expenses like and nowhere hires first years for anything other than unpaid internships like seriously how are they not illegal by now? It's unpaid labour... it's basically slavery with extra steps.
But food ain't free and she has to make the dollar dollar to make sure she doesn't have sleep for dinner... again. She even got a job far away from UA, but close to her apartment, to avoid UA from finding out about it... and no many heroes patrol here because this was a low income area meaning the people who lived here were ✨expendable✨. It sucks but it's life right? She was just another face in the sea of regular people... although the sports festival might change all that... she made an... impression. She just hopes it was a good one. But with some makeup, a hat, some sheer dumb luck and the fact most of the customers were either A) too strung out to notice, B) couldn't afford a TV set, C) were small time villains or D) too sleep deprived to notice who she was... she was just being paranoid right? RIGHT?! Yea. Besides the people who wrote the by-laws surrounding students working were probably written by the 1% who never had to worry about making rent and fed wagu to their dogs and had caviar daily... or something like that Ochako wasn't rich and her family could barely afford rent on one apartment let alone two... plus transport costs and uniform and school supplies and UA tuition.
Point being she needed this fucking job.
So she was more than willing to look past the socio-economic divide so she could fix it as a pro hero.
So if she had to make food for a man in his underwear and a leather jacket so be it. She just hopes Mirko wouldn't recognise her. Because if she did it would probably be game over, she'd get expelled. No take a breath Ochako, it'll all be fine. She won't recognise you. She probably barely even remembers the sports fest or what she did. Maybe this will all be-
"Fucking hell! You're Ochako Uraraka!" Mirko exclaims. Ochako has to cling to the bench in front of her as the room spins. That's it. Game over. She's going to be expelled, no high school will ever touch her and no other hero schools will touch her after being expelled from UA. She won't get a high school diploma, meaning she'll be stuck in dead end jobs for the rest of her life! She won't be able to take care of her parents when they get older. She'll have to work until the day she dies and- she doesn't want that for her life. She wants to be able to give her parents a nice cushy life and let them go to Hawaii and do whatever they want.
"No! I'm not!" Is the first thing she can think to say in her panic. Mirko looks at her and squints and leans in. She then leans out and folds her arms.
"Yea you are! Man you're a badass! We need more female heroes who can fight like we can! No giving up ya know!" She says with a big smile. Ochako feels small tears bead in her eyes. She can't get found out! She can't! She can't! She can't!
"I don't- I'm not- Please-" Ochako says, her voice a whisper. Barely audible to even herself. Mirko's ear twitches, so she heard. Ochako feels the room spin around her and her legs turn to jelly.
"Hey you okay?" Mirko asks, reaching out a little bit. Ochako shakes her head a little bit.
"I'm not supposed to work." She says, trying to take a deep breath to steady her nerves. Mirko blinks in shock, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looks at Ochako. Ochako closes her eyes and rocks backwards and forwards on her feet, trying to steady herself.
"What?" She says, her hip rocking out to one side. Ochako blinks, trying to form words. He brain is blanking and she can't breath. She can't- Mirko hops the counter and slowly rubs her back.
"One breath in, one breath out. Follow me." Mirko instructs, keeping her breathing regulated. Ochako follows it. In, hold, hold, out. In, hold, hold, out. She feels calmer, but her mind is still racing. Will Mirko dob her in? Get her kicked out. "Now, what's up?" Mirko asks, looking at her. Ochako looks away and takes a deep breath, steading her nerves.
"I'm not supposed to work outside of heroics whilst I'm at UA... or ever. If people know I-I'll be kicked out and and I’ll never get to become a hero and-“
“Hey. Slow your roll. I don’t give two shits if you have a job." Mirko says with a shrug. Ochako blinks in shock.
"Y-You don't?" She feels relief flood through her body and her knees give out, she has to grip the counter to stop herself from fully falling to the ground. Mirko also rushes to keep her on her feet.
"Fuck no. Honestly if you want to have a job have a job." Mirko says with a shrug. "Just fear the Rat God." She says solemnly.
“Rat God?” Ochako says, rising an eyebrow. Who's the Rat God? Is he a villain? Someone for Ochako to worry about? Is he bad? Will he hurt her?
“Nezu." Mirko says with a shrug, "He has eyes all over this city.” Mirko says nonchalantly with a shrug. Ochako slowly closes her eyes.
“Do you think he knows?” She asks, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“If he does he would try to help you. Trust me. You’re not the first UA student to have a side hustle.” Mirko says with a wink as she sits on the counter, grabbing a carrot out of the bag and crunching on it. Uraraka blinks and presses down a bubble of laughter at the sight of Pro Hero Mirko casually chopping on a carrot in a shitty supermarket. Then she recognises what she's implying.
“Did you... have a job at UA?" Ochako asks, looking at Mirko and blinking.
“Oh yea. I worked manual labour jobs after school and on weekends. The Rat God don’t really care unless it interferes with your school stuff. But don’t go blabbing because some teachers are assholes mind.” She says with a pout. She must be speaking from experience.
“I won’t Miss Miriko.” Ochako says with a small smile.
“Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus drop the Miss." Mirko says with a small laugh. She rolls her eyes to look at her again, leaning forward, "Also you know internships are coming up right?” She waggles her eyebrows at Ochako. Ochako blinks, she has to do an internship? She groans lightly and internally, she'd rather work a week of shifts here than not get paid to put her literal life in danger. Because they have to like shadow a pro hero and follow them around, which causes them to be put in the same level of danger.
For no pay whatsoever.
It was stupid and they should be stopped.
“Are they… mandatory?” Ochako asks, she’ll probably have to apply for time off now in order to get it. Damn, that’s a week no pay! Mirko throws her head back and laughs.
”I had the same reaction!” She says, still smiling wide. “Tell ya what, you come intern at my agency! I can train you to be a badder bitch!” Mirko says, seemingly excited. Ochako bites her lip, she should tell her her plans for her pro career.
“But I want to be a support hero.” Ochako says, she does. Mirko blinks in shock and as excitement drains from her face. Ochako feels bad, it’s just her quirk is more suited to rescue us all!
“Why?” Mirko asks, tilting her head to one side.
“Because… my quirk is more suited to it and most female heroes are support… it just makes sense!” Ochako says, puffing her cheeks out and crossing her arms across her chest. Mirko rolls her eyes.
“Riiiiight and just because everyone else is doing it you have too as well right?” She says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “And clearly your quirk limits what you can do.” Miriko rolls her eyes hard.
“Wha-no!” Ochako says, her cheeks going slightly pink.
“Then don’t let some shit sticks tell you what you can and can’t do. Be who you wanna be pinkie pop. But listen support hero or not you need to learn how to fight. Because villains won’t give two shits if you know or not.” Mirko says with a sigh as she hops down off the counter and spins around.
“I know…” Uraraka says, shivering. The USJ was a stark reminder of that. Everyone in her class got lucky that day. So so lucky.
“Right I forgot your class got all swept up at the USJ… didn’t that green haired one like break himself then too?”
“You mean Deku right?” She says, a blush on her cheeks. So she may or may not have a little crush… is that so bad? Mirko blinks, an eyebrow slowly rising into the air.
“Y-You call a classmate useless?” She says, her expression growing stony and serious.
“What? No! It’s like Dekihru. Ya know like you can do it! Not like Dekunobu!” Ochako says, and that’s what it is right? It’s a nice nickname! If it wasn’t Izuku would have said something right? If it bothered him?
“Well still… sound weird to me but if he likes it then whatever floats your boat I guess.” Mirko says with a small shrug.
“Do you really want to take me on?” Ochako asks, wanting to change the subject.
“Just for a week Pinkie Pop. Get some fighting knowhow in your head then let you loose on the world. How’s that sound?” Mirko asks, ruffling Ochako’s hat covered hair. Ochako only has one question.
“… is it paid?” She asks, looking Mirko dead in the eye.
Mirko throws back her head and laughs. A deep genuine laugh.
“Usually no but considering you asked how does… hmmm, well a side kick makes around £700 a week. Plus hazard pay. So let’s say £500 for the week? We have a deal?” Mirko holds her hand out.
“Yes. We do.” Uraraka says, smiling wide as she shakes her hand. That money could pay her rent for the month and then some!
“Well then, see you soon Pinkie Pop. See you soon.” Mirko says, walking out of the convince store one hand raised in a non chalant way as she leaves. Urarka smiles, that went better than expected.