As the barkeep handed him his rum and coke, he asked softly "Is this the Titan hangout?"

The bartender looked nervously at him and the stranger could see him itching to ask why someone would want to know such information. He settled instead on simply nodding his head in reply.

"Thanks," the stranger said, taking a seat near the door and settling in to wait.

He wasn't there long before the small bar went silent. One only had to look swiftly around to see that the reason for this was the group of rowdy twenty somethings that were now filing through the front door. There was much awkward shifting as the eyes of patrons darted around to other doors and windows in hopes of an easy escape, just in case one was needed. For these were clearly the Titans and in the city of Lima, there was one thing that everyone knew. The gang known as the Titans was in charge, and there wasn't a thing anyone was going to do about it.

The tallest of the boys had a small beautiful brunette pressed against him, and he dragged her straight to the bar before pushing her against it and laying a sloppy kiss onto her lips which she returned fervently. Another boy, tan and with hair cut into a mohawk parked himself on a table before barking at the barkeep.

"Hey Shuster. Let's get some drinks already. We've got ourselves a celebration to hold!"

"What's the occasion Puck?" The bartender asked with only a slight tremor in his voice as he began filling glasses of cold beer.

"Our boy Finn's getting hitched!" Puck cheered. His proclamation was followed by a chorus of yells and woops from the other men. Puck looked around the room threateningly before everyone else joined in with nervous hoorays and congratulations.

"Congratulations Finn!" Shuster said to the tall man who was still attached by the lips to his new fianc�. "And you too, Rachel!" The brunette peeled her face away from the kiss just long enough to shoot Shuster a wink.

Drinks were quickly passed around followed by second and third rounds as the Titans held their irreverent celebration. Finn continued testing how long he could stick his tongue down his girl's throat before they had to breathe. Puck began a game of darts, favoring targets that were close to patron's heads for the extra challenge. He was cheered on by a bespectacled man, named Artie, who appeared to have a bad limp. One curly haired Titan, named Jesse, had taken to jumping and dancing around the tables belting at the top of his lungs.

Then new, more distressing sounds were added to the revelry.

"KURT! PUCK! FINN! Fucking hell! Kurt!"

A lanky Asian came bursting through the door only barely supporting a well-built blonde man who was clearly in very bad shape. Puck and Jesse appeared by their side to help carry the blonde over to a seat. Sam! Man, you look terrible! Mike, what the hell happened to Sam?

Rachel rushed over with a glass of beer and a damp cloth, and began to clean away the drying blood on Sam's skin as he choked down the drink.

"Where's boss?" Mike asked the gathered Titans.

"Right here," said a cool voice from the corner. "Tell me what happened."

Out into the open walked a young man who had kept himself out of the limelight until now. The stranger couldn't help but think how devastatingly handsome he was. On one hand, his lithe limbs and pale skin made him appear delicate and one might wonder why such a person could command a gang of delinquents. But on the other hand there was power in his stance and fierceness in his bright blue-green eyes that made it absolutely clear where his authority came from.

"Kurt, I was jumped," spat Sam. "They surrounded me. Six guys. Said it was a message to you. They want us all to meet them tonight at midnight at the old McKinley playground."

"Who?" asked Kurt calmly but with a hint of bile in his voice.

Sam looked away nervously so Mike answered for him. "The Hawks. " Kurt's eyes flashed. "They've reformed and have come back. They say they want their territory b-"

Kurt grabbed Mike by the front of his shirt, and the stranger could see Mike visibly trembling at the contact. "Don't say that! West Lima is ours! Finn and I have run this place for years and I will not stand to hear different! We eradicated those rats before and we'll do it again."

"Yeah!" Finn chimed in. "I'm not sure what eradicated means but those guys are going to be sorry for what they did to Sam. Kurt and I got this! We're like lightning man! And you know what happens to a Hawk when it's hit by lightning!"

The men shared an eye roll at Finn's expense and Kurt silenced him with a glare.

"They've got a new leader," said Sam quietly. "They think he can take you, Kurt."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Who? What does he look like?"

"He wasn't there. I don't know where he was, but he wasn't with the guys that did this to me."

"Just a coward, then," said Kurt smugly. The stranger tightened his grip on his drink.

"His name is Blaine Anderson," Sam continued.

"His name could be Alexander the Great for all I care; he's not coming into my home and fucking with my family."

"Who's Alex-"

"Just drop it Finn. Alright guys. Prepare yourselves, because we'll be giving those bastards a proper Lima welcome tonight. Got that?" They all cheered and ordered more drinks.

The stranger rose, heading for the door. For one whole second as he inched away his hazel eyes met Kurt's and a shiver ran through him. He turned and quickly left, only letting his short head of curls free from his hood when he was a safe distance away from the bar. He wondered if it was possible that the Titan realized who he was.

It didn't matter. He would still make damn sure he was the end of Kurt Hummel.

***

The heat didn't let up a bit that night. The Hawks sat sweating in the glow of street lamps as they waited on the rusted playground waiting for their challenge to be met.

Blaine, from his position on a crooked merry go round, took a good look around at the young men who had taken him into their fold. Nick and Thad each had their own swing and their eyes focused on the ground in front of them. David laid back on a slide taking long drags from a cigarette. Jeff was hanging from the monkey bars ignoring the fact that they creaked every time he shifted, and playing with a pocket knife in his hand. Wes was up and pacing. He had been the one Blaine convinced to trust him and let him help. Before now, Blaine had always struggled to survive the streets on his own. Well, not completely on his own. There was Trent. He'd found the eighteen year old a few months before he met the Hawks, and had taken the kid under his wing. Trent was in his usual place seated right next to Blaine on the merry go round, adoration in his eyes. Blaine was fond of him and because of this was able to ignore how annoyingly clingy he was most of the time.

Blaine shifted his mind to the task ahead. He knew if he managed to get the Hawks their territory back, if he managed to topple the Hummel-Hudson tyranny, he'd have a very comfortable position atop the new order.

His thoughts were interrupted by a burst of giggles coming from Trent.

"What's so funny?" asked Blaine.

"Just remembering that pathetic Titan's face, boss. You should have seen him. Well you did see him. Did I tell you I was the one that blacked his eye? Did you see it?"

Blaine couldn't help smiling at Trent's enthusiasm. He always wanted to please Blaine so badly. "Yeah 'T', I saw it. He was like a work of art when you were all done with him. "

"Those bastards don't know what they're up against with you. You're gonna show them good! I know you are!"

"Trent, for god's sake, shut your trap!" snapped David. Trent went quiet but still kept shooting Blaine joyful glances.

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Anderson," said Wes. "I'm tired of being humiliated by Hummel and Hudson."

"How dare you doubt him!" cried Trent, getting to his feet.

"Trent, you little fucker, I told you to shut up."

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"No, but I can shove my fist down your ugly throat!" David sat up and looked like he was about to make good on his threat.

"Enough!" said Blaine. "Wes, I told you I'd get you your turf back, and that's a promise. And David, Trent is my boy and I won't hear you threatening him again or you'll be the one losing the ability to speak, got that?" Trent might have swooned a little when Blaine defended him but he ignored it. He stared down David until the latter gave a shrug and laid back down on the slide. Wes just nodded and turned to continue his pacing. But his footsteps were now accompanied by many more approaching from the dark.

All seven Hawks jumped to their feet and stood at the ready, as the Titans minus Sam came into view, Kurt front and center. For the second time that day his striking eyes met Blaine's.

"So that was you." Kurt spoke softly, but in the silence his voice could be heard by all.

"Oh, I just wanted to see what I was up against," answered Blaine with a wide smile. "Have to say, I wasn't really impressed." He watched as Kurt pursed his lips. "How's your man, Sam? Gonna pull through, you think?"

"He's perfectly fine," Kurt lied without missing a beat. "I just knew it would be a waste to bring along more people then was necessary."

"Blaine can take all of you without any help at all." Trent blurted.

"I'd like to see him try!" Finn answered back! "We're like lightning and-"

"Alright," said Blaine, "putting aside the 'who has the largest dick' contest, I'm here to tell you one thing. You're either going to quietly give the Hawks their turf back, or we will take it from you."

"Quite the proposal," Kurt mused. "What do you think of it Jesse?"

"Why, it's clearly nothing but a joke." Jesse replied.

"Puck?"

"I think these punks need some straightening up, that's what I think." Puck growled.

Kurt smiled and began rolling up the sleeves of his dark leather jacket. "I don't know where you came from, Anderson. But you picked the wrong war to mix yourself up in."

Kurt started forward followed by his gang members and in the blink of an eye they were all on each other, fists and feet flying.

Blaine lunged for Kurt, aiming a fist squarely at his face, but all he hit was air and as he stumbled forward he felt a hard kick to his back which sent him groaning to the ground. He rolled over in time to avoid another strike from Kurt's foot and whipped his own leg around to knock him to the ground as well. Both men gained their feet again, and this time when Blaine punched his fist connected with Kurt's collarbone.

"Shit!" Kurt shouted, clutching the spot. He snarled as Blaine aimed another blow at him, and ducked to the side, grabbing Blaine's arm and using Blaine's own weight to twist him arm behind his back until Blaine howled with pain. Kurt held him with a firm grip, and Blaine began to fear that he was going to pop his arm right out of his shoulder. Thinking quickly, he leaned forward until Kurt couldn't hold the two of them up anymore and they went rolling to the ground. Blaine tugged his arm out of Kurt's grasp, and rolled away as they both sprang to their feet for the second time.

Kurt had a satisfied smirk on his face. He clearly thought he was winning. The smirk made Blaine's blood boil, and he rushed towards him once more. Kurt managed to dodge his first few punches but finally Blaine caught him in the stomach.

Kurt doubled over and Blaine used the moment to grab Kurt's head and smash it against his knee. Kurt toppled to the ground with a scream. Blaine gave an excited bark of a laugh as he towered over Kurt. The blood pouring out of his nostrils stood out in sharp contrast to his pale skin. They looked at each other and hatred filled both sets of eyes. But just as Blaine was about to continue his assault a sound cut through the fighting that made every single man freeze where they stood.

Police sirens. Without waiting for orders men began to scatter, but not before administering a final kick or punch to their opponents. Blaine looked around and was pleased to see more Hawks than Titans in favorable positions. He knew that Kurt could see this as well and he fled the scene with a wide smile.

By the time the cop cars arrived, the only traces of the rumble were splotches of blood on the warm pavement.

***

"FUCKING HELL!" A chair flew and smashed into a wall as Finn continued his tantrum. Kurt sat in an armchair holding his nose and clearly fuming as well. They were in their own apartment now. They had sent the rest of the gang home to tend their wounds, and so that the two brothers could come up with some kind of plan.

"Finn, can you stop it? Destroying our home is not about to fix anything." Kurt said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"This is a fucking joke! We used to cream those losers in seconds, and now they have this son of a bitch with them, and they go and kick our asses!"

"I'm well aware of what happened Finn." Finn stopped raging and looked straight at Kurt.

"Kurt, this is bad. Like really, really bad." Kurt met Finn's gaze and his features softened when he saw the fear in his brother's eyes.

"Look, we can't panic, okay? We're not about to lose our home to anyone. We're not about to give up what is rightfully ours. Just, stop throwing the furniture."

"Right. You're right. Sorry." Finn sank down into the chair opposite Kurt. Kurt watched his brother. He could be an idiot sometimes, but he still loved him. Though they were only step brothers they were still very close. Finn was the only person who knew that Kurt was a homosexual. When Kurt confessed this he'd initially acted the way you would expect a teenage boy to act, but he soon accepted Kurt and their bond only grew stronger after that. Finn was the most important thing in his life. Him and their gang. And there was no way some short little outsider was going to take that away from him.

"Finn?"

"Yeah, dude?"

"First thing in the morning I want you to tell the guys to stay low for a while. Our enemy has changed and we need to learn how to change with them. Until then we have to stay cool."

"Alright, but how are we going to learn to change?"

A smile crept over Kurt's face. "I'll be taking care of that."