Chapter 13: Meeting The Zeroes

The inside of the building was much nicer than the outside would suggest. Renovations had left the inside looking new and clean, the doors and windows all had locks to prevent squatters from discovering their oasis. Huge, overstuffed couches and chairs made very comfortable seating around the coffee table on one side of the large room, the other side was full of dining sets and tables for the food they brought from home next to a small kitchenette. The middle of the space was clear for weird dance parties and games that required space like twister. They had removed all the rooms aside from the bathrooms so they had more space to exist together.

It didn't even take an hour for their day to be ruined. Izuku got his hugs and high fives for winning the sports festival. He was in the middle of listening to Yagi tell everyone the embarrassing things Shinso had told him of Izuku's dorm activities when the alarm sounded. The gathering was on the far side of the warehouse they used. They had built a wall inside along the front with a reinforced door so they had time to disperse before they were seen after their lookout spotted someone entering the building. The front of the building up to the wall was just as run down as the outside since they didn't spend any time there.

The lookouts took turns so they could enjoy the party, but Yua didn't even get to see everyone up close before she was sending the alert to their phones that someone was opening the door. People scattered out of the exits they had memorized for just this occurrence. Doors and windows leading to different alleyways taken by three or four people to minimize the chance of being caught by whoever was breaking up the fun. Three people would stay behind normally, to show proof of ownership to the police or fight the people who'd discovered a quirkless gathering to give the others a chance to get away from the possible hate crime.

Because of the picture Yua sent with the warning, Izuku decided to stay back alone this time. Once everyone was clear he opened the door that Aizawa was trying to pick the lock on. "Hello, Sensei."

Aizawa straightened up, examining the empty space full of food and games behind Izuku. "Hello, problem child. Want to explain why you broke the rules you agreed to when you left campus."

Izuku peered around Aizawa and saw Ojiro's smug face looking back at him from the main entryway. "Not until he leaves."

Without even turning around Aizawa called out, "If you try to stick around and listen in you'll have a week of detention Ojiro."

The blonde scowled at Izuku before he turned to leave. Izuku ushered his teacher inside and they took a seat across from each other on the couches. Izuku took a breath to steady himself before he began. "Aizawa Sensei, please let me explain before you say anything." A go on gesture was his response. "I'll take any punishment you see fit for breaking the rules, but please don't share what I'm about to tell you with anyone."

Izuku pulled harshly at his fingers, not looking his teacher in the eye. "So I would have brought my mom or Kacchan, but they were busy and Kacchan's parents are out of town and there isn't anyone else I could trust to come with me." He waved his hands frantically when he realized what he'd just said. "It's not that I don't trust you, you've proved that you actually care about me. It's just that the other people here don't know that they can trust you yet."

The look on Aizawa's face wasn't angry, just open and calm so Izuku continued. "Quirkless people, we have these meetings so we can be with people who understand us like others can't. We don't bring anyone who isn't quirkless because so many of us wouldn't be comfortable with someone quirked that we haven't met. If I'd brought someone they would have had to wait outside, but I'd have to tell them what was going on and it's not just my secret to tell."

"The more people who know about these meetings, the more danger there is for us. A group of quirkless people in one building? People would see that as an easy target. So we don't tell people and I couldn't bring you because you're on the approved hero list so they all know you'd help a Zero if we were in trouble, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't accidentally let our location slip. If I'd told you, no one would have been comfortable showing up and we all need these meetings so much."

He ducked his head. "I'm sorry I lied to you, I know I've lost your trust and I won't argue with my punishment. Please just don't tell anyone what I was doing here!"

Aizawa moved to crouch in front of him, resting his hands on Izuku's knees. "Problem child, you haven't lost my trust. I understand why you lied and I'm not going to out your secret. You won't be punished as long as this was a one time thing, next time you want to see your friends and no one you trust is available, I can drop you off and pick you up nearby, you won't even have to tell me where the meeting is. I just want you safe."

Izuku was crying now, throwing his arms around his teacher to hug the man for the first time. "Thank you Sensei!"

They stayed like that for a long while, with Aizawa rubbing at his back until Izuku's tears stopped. "Hety kid, what's a Zero?"

That had him pulling back and rubbing at his neck. "Oh, it's what quirkless people call each other. It's…um, it comes from a joke someone made once a long time ago. Like 'how many fucks do we give about quirked peoples' opinion on us? Zero'"

Aizawa chuckled at that, "Very apt. Come on, how about you message your friends to let them know they're all safe and then I take you for lunch since I ruined your plans?"

Izuku looked around, "We could just eat the food here, we have enough." He sent the message explaining what happened and, surprisingly, several Zeroes came back to meet the teacher they'd heard so much about. Aizawa introduced himself to all of them and apologized for ruining their day. They spent the day getting to know the hero and he never asked any invasive questions or showed any hint of awkwardness or judgment. That evening, Izuku was dropped off at his apartment by his teacher, happy with the knowledge that he could really trust the man.

On Monday, Ojiro was clearly pissed. Izuku had gotten back to the dorms late the night before so he hadn't seen the blonde before he walked into the classroom and spotted Izuku. Ojiro stormed up to the boy who was just trying to enjoy a conversation with Shouto and Katsuki and slammed his hand down on Izuku's desk. "What are you doing here?"

Izuku kept his face blank. "Waiting for class to start, same as you."

"Shouldn't you have been expelled? You aren't supposed to go out on your own since you're such a fragile little baby and you were wandering around alone in a shady part of town. I know you were up to something, I saw a bunch of creepy people going in there."

Izuku shrugged. "I was meeting with some friends, Aizawa picked me up and I got in trouble for putting myself in an unsafe situation. Breaking one rule isn't enough to expel me."

Katsuki looked ready to commit a murder. "And he isn't fucking fragile, he gets death threats, asshole."

Ojiro ignored Katsuki, sneering at Izuku. "You got in trouble? Clearly not since you're still sitting in a class you don't deserve to be in. What did you do to get Aizawa to put up with you? You whore yourself out for a spot someone else should have gotten? That how you get Bakugo to protect you too? You spread your legs for everyone to get your way?"

Katsuki flew at him, ready to kill the boy for the vile things he said to his best friend. A white scarf wrapped around him before he could make contact. Aizawa stood at the door, rage written on his face. "Ojiro, clearly you have no potential to be a hero if you think it's acceptable to speak that way to your classmates. You have been given every chance to unlearn your discriminatory beliefs and wasted all of them. You are expelled, go pack your things."

Ojiro seemed to realize no arguing would get him out of this. That didn't stop him from knocking over several desks on his way out. The classroom was silent until Shouto spoke up, "I don't know why you would have been considered unsafe when you were clearly at a yakuza meeting."

Izuku groaned and slammed his head on his desk.