Hi Everyone!

It's been a month but I'm finally back! I finished every chapter in progress which means new chapters for all of my stories today, and then I will get back to my usual posting schedule.

I would like to thank you all for your patience and kind words, you have no idea how much you helped me. You're mazing, guys!

Blaine stared at the open bottle of beer in front of him. He had gotten back to his apartment almost two hours earlier and he hadn't moved from the couch since then. He was still dressed in his costume although it was uncomfortably tight on his stomach but he couldn't get himself to get up from the couch. He still couldn't believe that the guy he had been chasing was that kind boy from the shop. Kurt. Kurt who was sweet and hot and so innocent looking.

He knew what he had to do. Kurt was a criminal and it was his job to catch him. But it so didn't feel right. He started getting to know him better and he knew that Kurt wasn't a bad guy. His only fault was that he wanted to help people in need, something Blaine should have done instead of being a selfish jerk. No, Kurt certainly didn't deserve to go to jail.

But what else could he do? What would people think about him if he had let a criminal rob people instead of catching him? They were innocents as well and they didn't deserve what Kurt did to them.

Well, they aren't exactly innocents, Blaine thought, thinking about the scene he had witnessed back in the shop of Kurt's father. If the others were just a tiny bit like Sebastian, and he was sure they were all the same, their fate shouldn't really concern him. Kurt just taught them a lesson which they truly deserved.

Blaine sighed and reached for his beer, hesitating before raising the bottle to his lips. He hadn't had anything for weeks and he had been so proud of himself for being strong enough to get out of his alcoholism alone. But if he had started it again, he would just be another weak man sinking back into addiction. He couldn't do that. He was a superhero and superheroes were supposed to be strong. He shook his head and finally got up from the couch, abandoning the bottle on the coffee table and went to change clothes.

About an hour later, he found himself on the treadmill of their secret base. He had to get rid of the frustration and it was a far better option than getting drunk. He still hadn't gotten his powers back and he needed them more than ever, so a little training wouldn't do any damage. As he forced himself to run faster, his thought wandered back to Kurt. He still didn't know what to do. This case was so complicated and he knew that he couldn't talk about it with anyone. He had to decide what to do alone, without telling his friends the truth. They wouldn't understand. They didn't know Kurt or what was going on in that area of the city. They didn't know anything about people living there. Not that Blaine was an expert either but he had seen enough to feel sorry for those people.

He sighed, closing his eyes. Poor Kurt had to go through hell and he wasn't the only one. Blaine remembered that older man, how devastated he had been when he had gone to the Hummels' shop to share the horrible news with them. Blaine couldn't imagine how bad it could be for them. He had never lost anyone in his life, so he could just imagine what it could be like.

Then he remembered what he had seen on those streets. Misery, desperation... People struggling to survive. Children who were supposed to be happy but none of them knew how to smile anymore. People who needed a hero and they finally had one in the person of Robin Hood, somebody who understood what it felt like living in that hell.

Blaine didn't stop running as he took out his phone from his pocket. He still had to decide what to do with the situation but he couldn't do that without learning more about those people. He didn't know what to do with Robin Hood but he knew that he had to meet Kurt Hummel again. Maybe it would help him find the best way to stop the robberies without hurting the person who had changed his life.

He didn't notice that as he sent the text asking Kurt to meet him the next day, his speed went from usual to unnaturally fast.

~ o ~

Kurt was looking forward to meeting Blaine again, so when he read his message the next morning, he texted back immediately, letting Blaine know that they could meet later that afternoon. He just had to survive the day until then. It seemed so long, even if he kept himself busy with Blaine's car and another one his father had asked him to repair, he checked the time on his phone way too many times. And when finally he could leave, he changed clothes in record time and rushed through the door, waiting for the man to arrive.

Blaine arrived minutes later, dressed in his jeans from the previous day and he was wearing a similar shirt, too. Kurt looked down at himself awkwardly. He didn't have too many fashionable clothes and he was nowhere as stylish as Blaine. He should have chosen a better outfit but it was too late now. He could just hope that Blaine would still like him this way.

"Hey" Blaine greeted him.

"Hey" Kurt said quietly. "You came."

"Of course" Blaine smiled. "We agreed to meet here."

"Right" Kurt nodded. It was so weird. He was going to have coffee with another man, somebody who wasn't just a friend of him. He tried not to look too excited, it would scare Blaine away and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Shall we go?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, yeah" Kurt nodded. "Uhm... where are we going?"

"I saw a cute little coffee shop down the street, we could go there if it's okay. I'm not really familiar with these shops" Blaine said.

"I know" Kurt said. "It's fine, they make the best coffee here. And they have cheesecake."

"Sounds great" Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand who looked at him in surprise. Blaine immediately let go of Kurt's hand, stepping back. Maybe it was too much. He didn't really have too much experience, most of the guys only wanted sex from him but Kurt was obviously different. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine" Kurt said, although he didn't make any move to get closer to Blaine. After his horrible experience with Sebastian, he was afraid of any contact. It wasn't like he didn't want Blaine to hold his hand, he just... he couldn't do that.

"Let's go" Blaine said, desperate to enlighten the mood.

Kurt nodded and stepped closer to Blaine as the man turned around, so they could walk beside each other. The way to the coffee shop was perfectly silent. Kurt tried to come up with something to talk about, it was sort of a date after all, but he was so out of practice. Besides, what could he talk about? Repairing cars? He hadn't even seen a TV show for a while and he hadn't had any fun for years. Let's face it, he was boring and it was just the matter of time that Blaine realised it.

"What would you like?" Blaine asked as they stepped to the counter. The place was almost empty, they didn't have to wait at all.

"Uhm... a nonfat mocha, please" Kurt said.

"A medium drip for me and two slices of cheesecake, please" Blaine told the barista and grabbed his wallet from his pocket. "My treat."

"I can't accept that" Kurt said.

"Of course you can" Blaine winked and handed the barista the money before Kurt could do anything.

"Thanks" Kurt said as he grabbed his coffee and a plate and turned around to find an empty table what wasn't that hard, considering that except two tables at the windows, the coffee shop was empty. He chose the table in the corner where they could have some privacy and the others didn't hear them.

"Do you come here often?" Blaine asked.

"I used to" Kurt sighed. "When I was in high school, I came here with my friends almost every day. But we don't really have money for luxury anymore, so..."

"Coffee shouldn't be luxury" Blaine said quietly.

"You're right" Kurt nodded. "Things've changed a lot since Sebastian's dad died and he took over business."

"People really hate him, right?" Blaine asked, smiling sadly. "I didn't know it was so bad."

"We don't speak about it, just try to survive. Sometimes it's really hard" Kurt said.

Blaine reached out to gently grab Kurt's hand. He had completely forgotten that the boy in front of him was a criminal or at least he didn't think too much about it. Kurt just... He couldn't see him as villain. Kurt was an innocent like the other people in this part of the city, fighting day to day to survive. He couldn't blame him for that. Blaine smiled as the boy squeezed his hand and didn't pull back this time.

"You don't seem like a mechanic type" Blaine said, trying to change subject. "You said that you wanted to go to college. What did you want to study?"

"I wanted to be an actor" Kurt said quietly. "I wanted to get into NYADA and be a Broadway actor. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."

"So you like theater?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. When I was younger, I always asked for Broadway tickets for my birthdays. My father brought me to see plays and I could imagine what it would be like once I finish school" Kurt said. "But then Sebastian came and demanded more and more money from us. We couldn't afford school anymore, so I stayed with my dad."

"I didn't go to college either" Blaine said, deciding to stick to the truth as much as he could. "I wanted to but... I had a lot of work back then and didn't have time for my studies."

"You could still finish it" Kurt shrugged.

"I don't think so" Blaine said. "I'm too old for school."

"Oh, poor guy" Kurt laughed.

"Hey, don't laugh" Blaine said, smiling. "That place's full of 18-year-olds, how would I fit in?"

"I think you would be fine" Kurt answered honestly. "If it's the only thing holding you back, why don't you want to make your dreams come true? It's never too late for that."

"I don't know" Blaine said. "I had a hard time. I was depressed for years and I'm only starting to feel better. I think college would be too much for now."

"I wouldn't hesitate too much" Kurt said. "Maybe it would be good for you, help you get better."

"Maybe one day" Blaine nodded.

"At least you have a chance for a future" Kurt sighed.

"You say that as if you were completely hopeless" Blaine said.

"Well, let's face it. It doesn't look like I will get out of here anytime soon" Kurt said.

"Hey, don't give up" Blaine said, squeezing his hand. "Now that Robin Hood's here and gets you the money you need..."

Kurt pulled his hand back sharply, looking at Blaine with wide eyes. He knew in that second that he said something wrong. Of course he said something wrong. Robin Hood was the biggest secret of these people, especially Kurt. They all knew that he was a criminal and there were people out there who wanted to stop him. People like Blaine who had money and were afraid of being robbed.

"I should have known" Kurt said as he quickly got up.

"What?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"You're Sebastian's man, right?" Kurt asked, shaking his head. "I was so stupid. I should have known that you only wanted to get close to me to ask me about him."

"What? No, Kurt, that's not..."

"People respect him here" Kurt said, unable to stop the blush spreading across his cheeks as he talked about himself. "You and your kind may not understand his reasons but he only wants to help these people."

"Kurt, please, let me..."

"I don't want to see you again" Kurt said and practically ran out of the coffee shop before Blaine could stop him.

He ran back home, rushed through their shop without telling his father anything and went upstairs, locking himself into his room. When he was finally alone, he walked to his bed and sat down, burying his face into his hands. He couldn't believe there was someone out there trying to find him. Okay, he knew that Nightbird was after him but he wasn't really afraid of him. Nightbird didn't seem dangerous and after their last meeting, he sort of felt safe around him, even if the man had scared him on the roof with his last action. But after he had gotten home that night and calmed down, he had realised that Nightbird hadn't wanted to hurt him. He had just wanted to talk.

He couldn't be sure about Blaine, though. He seemed nice but Kurt didn't really knew him, he could be a good actor, especially if he was right and Blaine was working for Sebastian. Those people were dangerous and if Sebastian wanted to get him off the streets, he would do it one way or another.

Kurt had wasted too much time but it was over. He had to break into Sebastian's companies and find something that he could use against him. It wasn't about money anymore. Somebody had to stop Sebastian and he was the only one who could do it. Sebastian had to have secrets, everybody had, and Kurt had to find out what it was to use it against him and save the people he loved.

~ o ~

Sebastian turned his chair around, facing the two men with bored expression. He hadn't seen Kurt for days and without him, his days were always the same. Nothing interesting happened to him, his project still didn't bring success and now these idiots wanted his help, too. He had been thinking about paying Kurt another visit when they had arrived, babbling about some robbery. Sebastian had no idea why they asked for his help instead of telling this the police.

"What do you want me to do, Hunter?" he asked slowly.

"My men didn't find anything. I thought you could help me" Hunter said.

"And me" David Karofsky added quickly.

"I could but I don't see why I should" Sebastian said. "I'm working on a very important project right now, I need everyone to focus on it."

"This man is dangerous" Hunter said. "He chooses people like us and he's very good. He broke into my place without anyone noticing it."

"Your security system isn't really the best" Sebastian shrugged.

"But mine is" Karofsky said. "And he broke into my office, saw everything I was working on."

"Why is it such a big deal for you? You surely aren't that stupid to keep your secret files in your offices, right?" Sebastian asked.

The two men looked at each other nervously.

"You are" Sebastian sighed.

"It's just the matter of time that he shows up here, too" Hunter said.

"In that case, I'm waiting for him" Sebastian smiled.

"You don't know this man" Karofsky said. "You underestimate him. He's not just after money, he wants to destroy us."

"What has he stolen from you that is so important?" Sebastian asked.

Karofsky looked down nervously. Nobody knew about his secret, at least it had been that way before Robin Hood. He felt ashamed and knew that nobody would understand his weird... hobbies.

"Look, it doesn't matter. Will you help us or not?" Karofsky asked impatiently.

Sebastian was silent for a whole minute, considering his options. Maybe helping the two men wasn't a bad idea. He needed new humans for the tests before he could be sure it was working and he would better turn people who would be faithful to him instead of someone he didn't know.

"Fine. Let's do it" he said in the end.

"Really?" Karofsky asked in relief.

"Yeah, why not? We're friends, right?" Sebastian smiled. "Although I want something in return."

"What is it?" Hunter asked carefully.

"Follow me" Sebastian said.

He led them out of his office and into the secret lab in the basement. Doctor Roberts and his team were working without getting a break, afraid that they could be Sebastian's next victims if they didn't find a solution soon.

"Mr Smythe" Doctor Roberts greeted him as he stepped inside.

"I hope you have good news for me, Doc" Sebastian said.

"I have, actually" Doctor Roberts nodded. "We made a few changes on the matter and injected it into a few rats."

"And...?" Sebastian asked.

"See it yourself" the doctor said.

"What's going on?" Hunter asked in confusion as he followed Sebastian to a cage in the middle of the room.

Sebastian didn't pay attention at all, he was too busy staring at the rats in the cage. One of them was about the size of a dog, another one was running across the cage with superspeed and the third one was floating in the air, seemingly confused as to how it had ended up there.

"Any side effects?" Sebastian asked excitedly.

"Not yet, it looks like they're perfectly fine except for..." Doctor Roberts pointed at the weird behaving rats.

"So it's time for the human tests, right?" Sebastian asked.

"I would like to wait a few more days to..."

"We don't have that much time" Sebastian said and turned to his 'friends'. "Sit down, you're getting your injections."

"What?" Karofsky gasped.

"We made a deal" Sebastian said.

"You want to use us for your experiments? Are you crazy?" Hunter shouted.

Sebastian shook his head in disapproval. He hoped that they would cooperate but they seemingly only cared about themselves. He snapped his fingers, motioning for the guards at the door to step forward.

"I-I changed my mind" Karofsky said as two guards restrained him and forced him to sit down.

"Sadly, it's too late, guys" Sebastian smiled and nodded towards the doctor.

Doctor Roberts's hands were shaking as he stepped to Hunter to insert the injection, afraid that the scene he had witnessed a few days earlier would happen again.

"What are you waiting for? Do it" Sebastian said impatiently.

"Sir, I don't think we should..."

"Give me that" Sebastian groaned and grabbed the syringe from the doctor, slamming it into Hunter's arm.

Hunter howled in pain and fear, trying to break free but the guards were holding him securely. Everybody was scared of Sebastian, so they just closed their eyes and did what the man told them, afraid that they could be the next.

"It wasn't that hard, right?" Sebastian asked as he stepped back, waiting for the injection to take effect.

Everybody was now looking at Hunter who was breathing heavily, his eyes wide with fear. Minutes passed by but nothing happened what made Sebastian frustrated.

"It's not working!" he shouted.

"It is" Doctor Roberts said quickly. "He may need more time... a few hours maybe."

Sebastian slammed his fist down onto the table, growling angrily.

"I need to know if it's working!" he said.

"Sir..."

Sebastian silenced Doctor Roberts with one look.

"Lock them in the cells, separately. I want you to keep your eyes on them and if you notice any change on Hunter, I want you to let me know immediately" Sebastian said and with one dangerous look at the doctor, he left the lab.

~ o ~

Kurt pressed his hand to his lips to prevent himself from making any noise. He had sneaked into Smythe Labs just about half an hour earlier and to his luck, he had found Sebastian and his friends as they had emerged from the office. He had seen them heading towards the basement and had decided to follow them through the ventilation system. It had been hard and slow but in the end, he had found them.

And he had just arrived in time to see what was going on in the secret lab.

He didn't see much through the small gap on the ceiling but he heard everything. From the doctor's talk about the rats to the screams of Hunter Clarington. He didn't exactly understand what Sebastian did to him but it could only be something horrible. As the man left and his friends were locked up in the cells Kurt hadn't noticed before, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

It had been such a horrible idea coming here. Sebastian was evil, he had known that before he broke into his company, what had he expected then?

Not this, Kurt told himself. Anything but this.

Sebastian and Hunter were friends and for all he knew, Karofsky was sort of his friend, too. And now both of them were locked up in Sebastian's basement and forced to take part of whatever he was experimenting on.

I have to get out of here.

He was so close. He just had to stay for a little while, a few hours if the doctor was correct, and Sebastian's secret would be revealed. But he would risk getting caught, too, and who knew what Sebastian would do to him if he found him there. Maybe he would just kill him. Or do something more horrible to him. No matter what, Kurt had to get out of here, fast.

He forced himself to calm down as much as possible and quietly made his way back to the office on the first floor. He decided to take the shorter way back to the street and climbed through the window, his legs shaking so hard that he almost fell down.

When he reached the ground, he ran as fast as he could, trying to forget that he had ever been here. Screw his mission and Sebastian and everything else, he just wanted to get back to his normal, simple life where he was mostly safe and things like this never happened.

Kurt was so shaken that he didn't notice the tall man watching him in the darkness, smiling cruelly as the hooded man disappeared on the street.