He only had one choice, didn't he?

He had to accept Vlad Master's offer. The man seemed so sure he could get Danny into UA, a school almost notorious for not letting quirkless students in. It was a pipe dream of his to always try to get in, maybe lie and say he had an invisible quirk and just study in general education. But he knew even if that worked his grades would be his downfall.

It was tempting. Vlad even said he'd tutor him. Which would at the very least bring up his grades and make his parents happy…

It was almost too good to be true.

"Something on your mind, sweetie? "

Danny jumped, head swiveling to his mom. She was smiling but her eyes held concern even he could read. In the corner of his eye he could see Jazz staring at him too, her concern much easier to see. God, he wished she'd stop using her quirk on him.

"No, mom. Just thinking about school." He mumbled reflexively, picking at the now cold meatloaf in front of him.

His mom seemed to buy it, turning back to his father and continuing their previous conversation about their newest support items they made. His dad had built a net gun but their test dummy had exploded on contact somehow. Of course, his dad still wanted to use it whilst his mom was trying to explain how that'd be considered excessive force by the government.

It was the usual inane chatter that filled their dinner table.

He tried to listen like he always did. Tried to figure out if he could help in any way but his mind kept circling back to the man he talked with earlier that day. He just couldn't get him off his mind.

"Hey mom, dad... Do you know Vlad Masters?" He interrupted with no warning, his mouth moving before his brain.

The table grew deathly quiet. His mom chocked on her bite of meatloaf before waving a hand signaling she was fine. She quickly looked away from Danny before his dad jumped up excitedly.

"Of course I know V-man!" He practically yelled, child-like joy filling his face. "We used to go to school together!"

Well, that was news.

"You did?" His mom was still looking away, now fiddling with her fork. He watched Jazz give their mom a curious look, seeming just as confused as Danny.

"Yea! Your mom and I used to go to middle school with him. We all applied to UA together! We were all so sure we'd change the world." He smiled then, a wistful far off look taking over his face. " I was heartbroken that only me and Maddie got in, but he took it even harder. I haven't seen him in almost twenty years now..." His dad trailed off, his mom grabbing his hand to soothe some old wounds.

"I told him he wasn't going to get in." His mom finally inputted, her smile mournfull as she looked at Jack. " But he was insistent he'd get in on determination alone." Finally, she looked at Danny. " You remind me of him sometimes."

Danny couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

The rest of dinner had been silent for the most part, everyone in their own thoughts. Danny was glad he gained some new information on his possible new teacher but it felt like he brought up something he shouldn't have. As if Vlad was a part of a past is mom wished she could forget.

Which was going to make this harder to bring up.

His parents went back to their workshop in the basement as soon as they silently cleaned their plates. Jazz and Danny were left with cleaning off the table and washing the dishes like they were every night. Which usually Jazz used to grill Danny. And today was no different.

"Why did you ask about Vlad Masters?" She questioned with no preamble as she dried a plate he handed her.

He just sighed, wiping a wet hand against his forehead in an attempt to keep his raven locks out of his face.

She waited a second before realizing he wasn't going to answer. "Come on, Danny, there's got to be a reason."

He sent her a half-hearted glare in an attempt to get her to stop but he knew his sister better than that. She'd keep prying till she got a satisfying answer.

"There is a reason." He cryptically said, goading her, knowing that that wasn't enough to satisfy her need to know everything in his life.

She just bumped him with her shoulder lightly, knocking the smaller boy off balance for a second. He glared back at her but she continued on drying the dishes as if it never happened. "You know what I meant. "

Of course, he knew. She was looking out for him and based on the unnatural silence that befell their parents after he mentioned Vlad Masters, what happened between them wasn't good. Damn her big sister tendencies.

" He's offered to tutor me," He finally said, giving her a little of the information he was given by the billionaire.

He turned his head to see her reaction and was met with a slack-jawed, wide-eyed version of his usually composed sister. Her blue eyes shone with emotions he couldn't place before she wrapped him in a hug, splashing water everywhere as he had to drop the dish he was cleaning if he didn't want it broken.

"Jazz?" He couldn't help but whisper out as she crushed him between her arms.

"I'm so proud of you, Danny..." She managed to whisper back, her voice creaking with unshed emotions. " I'm so glad someone outside of us realized how smart you really are."

Tentatively he wrapped his arms around Jazz as well, resting his head against her bony shoulder. She was right and he didn't even realize it till that moment. He was overjoyed that Vlad signaled him out from everyone else there. Vlad Masters saw something in Danny he didn't see in anyone else and it made his heart sore. Vlad thought Danny could get into the most prestigious school and didn't doubt it for a second. He earlier reservations about the training were wiped away in a single hug.

"Do you think I should take the offer?" She may not know everything the billionaire wanted to help Danny with, but she was his guide in situations like this. It made his head spin trying to figure out what to do and he knew his sister would help him out along the way, no matter what.

She pulled away, her hands swiping a stray strand of hair out of his face. Her smile was nearly blinding as she gazed at her little brother. " I think it would be the best thing for you." She told him softly, watching his face for any sign he didn't want to do it. All she was met with was a fire in Danny's eyes she thought had gone out long ago.

"So do I." He responded with determination. He was going to be more than some quirkless freak. He was going to be the best hero anyone had ever seen.

Nothing was going to stop him.

"We do need to tell Mom and Dad though."

One thing was going to stop him.

The teen groaned, wiping a hand down his face in exasperation. Based on their reactions to just the man's name -or at least his mom's reactions- this wasn't going to go well at all.

This was his one chance to be better than he was and he just knew something was going to go wrong.

"Come on, kiddo." Jazz motioned after she put her drying rag down. She gently grabbed his hand before pulling him towards the basement door, his parents' workshop.

His mom and dad weren't just the heroes Miss Fortune and Gourgen, they also specialized in making support items, though more often then not they tended to explode. Which was why they were their only clients too. His dad actually was put into the support department when he got to UA until he was transferred into Heroics after he almost won his first-year sports festival. His mom was the one who won that year. They always claimed it's when they fell in love, right on the podium as they were being handed their medals.

"Do we have to tell them now?" Danny couldn't help but whine even though he put up no resistance to his sister's pulling.

"If we wait any longer you're going to lose the courage." She smiled back at him, a knowing glint in her eyes. She knew he had no intention of ever telling them.

Damn sister instincts.

With an air of finality, Jazz loudly knocked on the basement door, waiting for their parents to hear them. It took two more even heavier knocks to finally rouse their parents from their latest invention.

"Jack can you get that," came the muffled melodic call of their mom.

Danny heard an even more muffled response but couldn't make out the words. It must have been about something his dad was tied up in because the door swung open revealing his mom in her blue jumpsuit covered in oil stains and some weird green glowing goo.

"Oh, you're busy!" Danny nervously exclaimed, " We'll come back later!" He moved to turn around and run to his room but Jazz stuck her hand out and turned him back around with more strength than he knew she had. He tried to glare at her but she wasn't even looking at him, her eyes trained on their mom.

"Mom, Danny has some great news!" Jazz grinned at their mom, who just looked confused and dirty.

"What is it, sweetie?"

Now or never. Preferably never, but Jazz was like a bloodhound on a hunt and wouldn't let him go. With a deep sigh trying to calm himself, Danny finally told his mom.

"Someone is offering to tutor me."

His mom's face lit up in joy, her violet eyes shining. She clapped her hands together while her smile grew wider, " That's great news! I'm glad you're finally taking interest in your studies again! Now, who's the lucky kid that gets to teach my son?"

"...vladmasters..." Danny mumbled out, averting his gaze from the beacon of joy that was Maddie Fenton.

"I'm sorry, who?"

The teen just groaned again, before speaking louder, " Vlad Masters! Vlad offered to teach me and get my grades up!"

There was silence again, the same tension-filled silence that had pervaded over their dinner just an hour ago. The same one that made Danny never want to bring up his soon-to-be mentor ever again if he could help it. But Jazz just had to drag him into this.

"Jack, Get up here."

He flinched at the almost monotone way his mom called their dad. This wasn't going well, just like he knew it was going to go. His mom had her no argument face on which just made everything a thousand times worse. He was never going to get into UA and he was never going to see the one person who believed he could be a hero ever again.

He could hear their dad lumbering up the steps his orange jumpsuit the first thing Danny could see before his Dad's face finally came into view. His face was covered with guilt while he was covered in even more glowing green goo then their mom. One large hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Now, before you say anything, I didn't know it'd react to heat like that." His dad started, trying to explain whatever happened in the basement. His mom just turned to look at him confusion drawn on her face before she sighed.

"That's not why I called you up here, Honey."

"Oh!" His face morphed into one of his characteristic childish grins, the guilt gone now that he knew he wasn't in trouble. " So what's up?"

His mom's eyes trained back on him in an instant, causing his face to now show guilt. " Tell him what you told me."

"Vlad masters offered to tutor me..." He mumbled out, his eyes trained studiously onto the floor.

"That's amazing!" His dad shouted, startling both his mom and him. Jazz just grinned back at their dad, almost as if she knew this was going to happen. Danny glared at her, maybe she did.

"Just think about it, Maddie!" His dad yelled, wrapping a wide arm around their mom and pulling her into a side hug, " My best friend teaching my son! Oh man, we're going have to say thank you to him! I'll go grab your purse!"

"Woah wait, you want to see him right now?!" Danny yelled after his dad as he ran into their living room. Crashing sounds followed before his dad reappeared with his mom's purse clutched within his grasp.

"Of course we're going now! I haven't seen V-man in ages! If he's tutoring you I have to say hi!" His dad was practically vibrating with excitement. His mom just looked on with increasing exasperation before sighing in defeat. His dad won this round with sheer overwhelming joy.

"Come on, come on, let's go!" His dad ushered them all out of the house with the gusto of a dog who realized they're going to the park. Jazz and Danny just robotically followed, shocked at this strange development, their mom trailing a little ways behind them.

Once out of the house Jack Fenton paused, a moment of clarity hitting him.

"Uh does anyone know where he lives?"

Danny ignored both the paper in his pocket with the address and his mom's sigh of relief.

"How about we go this weekend, Jack? We'll find out where he lives during the week, okay?" Their mom placated gently at his dad's sad dejected face. At her words, he perked up again. It almost gave Danny whiplash just watching it.

" But first," She turned to Danny, her eyes boring into his with the determination of a mother on a hunt, " How do you even know Vlad?"

Well, that was a bit difficult to answer. Did he want to tell them that Vlad watched him almost get the shit kicked out of him by his middle school bully? They didn't even know he was bullied. He painstakingly hid the marks Dash left so they wouldn't be even more worried than they already were. Or that Vlad saw something in him that not even his parents wanted to acknowledge.

Better to just lie with a dash of truth then.

"He was at the career fair. We were talking about my grades when I mentioned you guys were my parents. He just offered to tutor me then and there and I told him I'd have to ask you guys first." Lying to them should not be this easy, Danny decided, but the words just rolled off his tongue before he could even think.

This seemed to appease the Fenton Matriarch as she just nodded an headed inside with her husband in tow leaving Jazz and Danny standing in front of their house.

" He was who you went to see today, wasn't he?" Jazz mused aloud disturbing the silence that befell them. Just like her to guess on the first try.

"Yea." He saw no point in lying to Jazz, she was going to figure it all out eventually. " He said he could help me get into UA."

Jazz turned to look at him, stunned into silence before an almost conspiring grin took over her face. " Showing the world the quirkless aren't useless. I approve and will do anything in my power to help."

It was Danny's turn to be stunned into silence, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. Jazz just shoved his chin up, closing his mouth with a clack. " Don't give me that look, little bro. You've wanted to be a hero since forever. What kind of sister would I be to just shit on your dreams?"

"The kind of sister I grew up with." He couldn't help but snark back.

Jazz knocked into him again with her shoulder, a small smile still on her face. " I mean it, Danny. You can come to me for anything. I'm going to support you on this cause I know they'll throw a conniption when they find out. So we won't tell them till you're in UA and there's nothing they can do about it."

They stood outside a little longer, watching the sky turn from a light blue to the orange and pink swirls of sunset. Both stood silently as they let the words wash over them like a gentle breeze.

"Thank you Jazz.

"Anytime, Danny."

Sorry this took so long! But it's finnaly here!

The inevitable telling of the parents~

As always come talk to me on my tumblr, cactipresident!

I'd love to hear what Ya'll think Vladdy's up to! Don't worry he's probably going to be in the next chapter...probably...