Danny Fenton was quirkless.

There was no getting around it, no matter how hard he tried. His fourth birthday came and passed with nothing springing from his fingertips. Soon it was his fifth, then sixth, then seventh birthday and still nothing showed. He had spent hours staring up at his ceiling, covered in plastic glow in the dark stars, willing any sort of power to burst from his tiny body. And yet nothing came. No quirk where he could look at a person and know their very weakness like his mom, or be able to store things in his stomach like an extra pocket like his dad. He didn't even have an empathy quirk like Jazz. He had...nothing.

His doctor informed his family about his lifelong disability with finality around his fifth birthday. Danny had been so excited for the doctor to tell them he'd eventually get a quirk that he made his mom dress him in his NASA outfit. It was really just a shirt that had the space logo but it was small Danny's favorite shit ever. It was his good luck t-shirt.

Maddie Fenton tried to explain to the doctor that it just didn't make sense, her and Jack were both fourth generation quirk users. No one in their extended family was even quirkless. Her son by all rights should have one. He should be strong.

He shouldn't be useless.

Instead the doctor showed them his x-ray and sent them on their way. There was nothing any of them could do. Danny was just broken.

His sister tried not to look at him with pity, but with her empathic quirk running wild she got a full dose of his anger and drowning pain. She knew first hand how much it hurt. She even tried to tell their parents but… well. His parents tried to be supportive but they had little time on their hands to soothe his worries, they were too busy saving other people. Their jobs as hero's taking precedence over their young boy's emotional issues. They had to save lives, his sister with the amazing quirk could help him.

So he coped. As best as he could in the only way he knew.

"Jazz, I swear to God, I'm just going to school. Stop fussing!" He snapped, his glare focusing on his elder sister. Her hands flitted over him making sure his uniform was perfect, like it mattered in some way. She didn't even flinch at his tone, fully used to the ball of repressed anger and steel her brother became.

"Danny, you and I both know this is more than just a regular school day! High school scouts are going to your school today! This could be your chance to wow them and get into a great high school!" She excitedly explained, finally getting his tie just right. She smiled wide, almost like she could just ignore his almost failing grades and an even more glaring reason why most good high schools wouldn't want him.

He was a liability. One that couldn't protect himself when push came to shove. He'd be lucky if any high school accepted him, let alone a good one.

Instead of telling her that for the fifth time today alone, he shouldered his backpack and shoved past her. He wasn't going to deal with her pitying looks again when he couldn't make it. He had enough to deal with.

The walk to school was uneventful like always. His middle school was small compared to most, rising to only one floor. They tried to make it seem as if the school was a good one, but most people knew it was more of a halfway station to even

worse high schools. His sister was one of the few exemptions, but with her stellar quirk and even more impressive grades almost every high school was vying for her application. She still chose one close and not even the hero course. She never wanted to be a hero like Danny did, she wanted to help people in her own way.

Trudging through the halls, he made his way slowly to his homeroom. He wanted nothing more then to just disappear entirely and not have to deal with any of his classmates, but he knew he had to stick through till the end of middle school. Afterwards maybe he could just get a job as a secretary or desk jockey at Fenton Works. Wouldn't his parents just love that? Their son unable to actually be a hero but still able to work with them.

He was dragged from his self deprecating musings by his homeroom calling for silence. It was the usual fanfare of making sure everyone was there as well as telling everyone what was on the agenda for the day. Which they all knew. It was all anyone could talk about, the high schools around the area all sent representatives to their school to try to recruit some students they felt would work perfect for their schools.

It was a waste of time.

Still he filled out of the class with the rest of his classmates to the gym, all of them buzzing about what school they wanted to go to. He muted them all out, his mind wandering to the video game he wanted to play when he got back home, and hoped this all would end sooner than later.

Slower then he liked, they all were shoved into the only large area in the school now populated by small tables, each one showcasing amazing high schools and what they had to offer to both young heroes and other professions, though the former was way more relevant. He was almost tempted to lean against the wall and ignore everything but with a quick look he saw his teacher there giving him the usual pity filled look.

Squashing down his rage and the urge to set the whole place on fire, he stormed through the carefully aligned tables barely looking at any of them but hoping it looked like he was.

A few tables vyed for his attention, the representatives almost showing their pamphlets into his face, trying to make sure all students saw them. He talked with a few, carefully skirting around his bad grades but the conversation always came to a halt when they joyfully asked about his quirk. When he hesitated one representative immediately assumed he had a "villian" quirk and tried to assure him as best as possible.

"You know there are no such things as bad quirks!" She cheerfully told him, the stack of pamphlets clutched in her blue hands, "it's all about the user! If you're a bad person you'll use your quirk bad, but if you're good then you'll use it for good!" She was practically shouting about quirks now, and judging from the laughter he was hearing, some of the other students noticed who she was talking to. " So I'm sure whatever quirk you have is actually really powerful and you should be proud!"

He was about to answer her, when he felt a heavy weight sling across his shoulder pulling him close. If the offending smell was anything to go by he knew all too well who it was.

"I'm sorry miss, but you must be very confused." Dash spoke up, knowing full well he was ruining whatever chances Danny had with this school if his smile was anything to go by, "Fen-turd here doesn't have a quirk."

Danny can almost see every thought the woman has telegraphed across her face. She shows surprise, even some disgust at the nickname but it slowly morphs to pity and rejection. She knows she can't sign her school up for a lawsuit waiting to happen. The quirkless are better not seen and not heard.

He's dragged away from the woman by Dash who easily overpowers him without even having to display his quirk. He's almost pushed into a table that doesn't have a highschool placed on it, as Dash whirls him around and gets in his face, quickly using his superior height against him.

"Listen here, Fenton. Stop trying to get into the good schools. Everyone here knows you're not going anywhere and I don't need my chances blown up before I can even get there." he hisses, his friends laughing behind them at the stupid quirkless kid.

"I don't even want to be here Dash" he manages to get out with as little bite as physically possible, which is to say still way too much. Dash seems to mull over his words before his body starts moving. Danny watches with boredom of someone watching something they saw a hundred times over as Dash's muscles undulate till the are three times the size they were previously. He crowds Danny's space once more with a grin, his quirk on full display of all the good hero schools, "better to learn your place now, Fen-turd, and just jump off the nearest building."

With those caring parting words Dash finally leaves, muscles dying down to a still ridiculous amount of muscles, and gives the teen room to breathe.

"Fucking asshole," he mutters to himself under his breath as he watches some of the more important schools practically run over to Dash. He's a shoe in to being a hero and everyone in the damned school knew it. Even when he was pummeling the resident quirkless kid into the dirt. To them, that's where he belonged.

"You seem to have some interesting friends." A voice purred from behind him suddenly and entirely unexpectedly. Whirling around with more speed he thought capable, Danny saw one of the representatives for a school leaning against a nearby table.

The man looked plain at first glance, his silver hair tied neatly behind him in a loose ponytail over a suit that most of the others were wearing. Yet he looked like he belonged in it, like it was specifically made for him and everyone else was merely borrowing it. His stormy blue eyes bore holes into Dash's head, with all the emotion Danny wish he could show. Looking him over, it didn't look like he had a quirk, but Danny had learned early on the looks are deceiving.

Slowly the man's eyes moved to Danny, who in turn looked him over. They were cold and calculating, like this man could tear Danny apart and he knew the most painful way to do it. It was decidedly the most uncomfortable look he had ever received.

"He's not my friend." He finally responded, the anger he always felt for Dash bleeding into his voice without his control. He glared at the well dressed man, hoping to convey how much he hated the idea of merely being associated with Dash.

Instead of being annoyed, he laughed heartily, startling some nearby tables and their occupants. " No, I suppose he wouldn't be." He chuckled out, his eyes thawing with interest. He held out a hand for the teen to shake, "I'm Vlad Masters"

He knew who he was. Of course he knew who he was. He was Vlad Masters, a billionaire and someone who had no business dealing with him or his school. Dumbly he took the outstretched hand, shaking it before realizing it was only proper to return the favor.

" I'm.. I'm Danny Fenton." he mumbled out, trying to keep it from looking like he was internally freaking out.

He could have sworn he was imagining it, but something like recognition flitted across the man's face.

"What are you doing here?" He blurted out quickly before he could question the look, suddenly remembering that Vlad did not own a School...as far as he was aware.

The billionaire smiled at him, his hand releasing Danny's to wave back at his table. It was filled with information about some company named Dalv, as well as a training program for heroes in training. It was interesting but confusing at the same time.

"But-"

"But why am I at your school?" The man predicted with ease, his toothy grin flashing. " I've learned that the most underrated assets come from unexpected places." His calculating gaze waved over his fellow students, "I came here personally to assess such potential, but alas all I've found as bullies and dullards. None of these students seem worthy of my company's time." He sounded almost bored, as if he was expecting some truly amazing potential to shove itself in his face. And perhaps he was. He was a man who was worth more then his entire town would ever make, if he came down himself he must have been expecting so much more.

" Sorry to disappoint."

His gaze returned to Danny, a small smile gracing his face. " Don't be, I should have known he wouldn't produce anything worthwhile."

There seemed to be so much Danny should have been getting from that statement. It almost seemed like a personal insult, if not for the fact that Vlads eyes were back on the others. Just as quickly he was leaning back against the table, a sigh escaping his lips. His dimly looked at Danny again before grabbing a pamphlet to begin whatever pitch he was planning to give people.

"Well Daniel, what do you want to be?", he started off with.

It was a typical question, most of the adults in the room were asking that same question as a gauge for their speil. It was a question Danny had been asked a hundred times over. But Vlad Masters asked him in a way that felt like his entire life depended on it. Like whatever he said would change how the man treated him. So for the first time since he was four years old, Danny answered truthfully.

"I want to be a Hero."

He prepared for the laughter. The mocking smile, the pitying looks. Hell even for the billionaire the just stop talking to him. Instead he was meant with consideration and a smile that felt like it belonged on a wolf.

"A hero,huh?" With the knowing smile, Danny knew why he saw recognition on his face earlier. Vlad knew who his parents were.

He thought he wanted to be a hero merely because his parents were too. Which couldn't be further from the truth and….oh no, Masters was probably expecting him to have an amazing quirk just like them. That was probably why he was even still talking to him.

God damn him, he was going to ruin whatever chance he had now out of good conscious. Damn him.

"But I don't have a quirk." He got out, pulling his emotions as far deep inside him as he could make them, trying to come across as bland. It didn't work.

Vlad didn't even raise a brow, he just nodded. "Yes I know."

He knew. He knew and was still talking to him? Something didn't add up. No one continued talking to him as if afraid it was contagious. As if his disability was his fault.

"You...what" he sputtered dumbly. He could feel his cheeks heating up at how stupid he was acting but it didn't make sense.

The man gave him a new look, one that betrayed a deeper interest. " Daniel, that buffon from earlier wasn't exactly quiet when he told Miss Marshin. If it's any consolation, I am as well."

This was too much. Way too much. There was no way he was quirkless. He was.. well he was him! He was too powerful for it not to have gotten out earlier that he was quirkless. Yes there was constant speculation and wonder but there was no way to know because quirk use without a hero license or self defense in public was illegal and he always evaded that question in interviews and oh my God…. Vlad Masters was quirkless.

"Do you know you show almost everything across your face." Vlad mused, pulling Danny abruptly from his thoughts.

"Why would you tell me!" He almost shouted, fully aware the man just revealed a very important secret. He in turn looked like he merely shared what color the sky was. It was just too much…

"I don't think you'd tell any one… also" Vka dragged out the o at the end as he reached behind him pulling a paper he seemed to have hidden. " I plan to offer you a ...position." he pointed to the paper, which Danny quickly noted was unlike the others on the table. It was smaller and only had a number and an address. " Meet here on Tuesday if you still plan on being a hero."

Danny was about to protest, when the bell rang, signalling the end of the scouting. Most of the others began packing up their tables and ending their conversations but the billionaire just stood up and walked out, as if nothing on the table mattered to him at all.

And maybe it didn't. He did say he saw little potential in the students here and….

Oh my God.

Danny gripped the tiny piece of paper with renewed energy and shoved it deep into his pants pocket.

Vlad Masters just offered him a job.

That was not how he thought today was going to go.