Kurt shouldn’t have been surprised that he was sitting in his room on strict orders not to leave the grounds. He had barely made it to the gates when the wind picked up, pushing him back to the mansion and the rain became so heavy that his clothes were saturated within minutes.

He sat in the empty room on his bed, staring at the poor remains of bed clothes on the floor. He probably should get up and throw them away and maybe get more from the supply closet down the hall but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he sat almost completely still as the light in the room waned to evening and didn't move, save to wipe at the tear tracks whenever fresh ones appeared. It was silent in the room. Nick had offered to stay with him but Kurt couldn't bare it. He didn't want to deal with the false calm that Nick would show so instead he was with Wes and the others.

The sickening feeling in his stomach grew with every passing second. He had demanded to the professor, Storm and the other teachers to be allowed help find Blaine but they brushed him off. It was terrifying not knowing where he was or if he was okay. He kept trying to figure out where Blaine could be but he couldn't get the image of a sleek glass skyscraper, piercing the sky, higher than any building for miles and Blaine trapped inside out of his head. He needed to know he was okay.

He heard footsteps in the hallway and curled onto the bed with his back to the door. He didn't want to talk to anyone, or see anyone so he ignored it when he heard the click of the door handle and the creek of the hinges as it opened. There was the quiet sound of footfalls across the wooden floor followed by a few beats of silence.

"Kurt?"

Kurt had only ever heard Adam speak twice before, once in class and once in their room when Kurt had asked him his opinion on a shirt. Kurt had decided he had good fashion sense, especially when he suggested which pants Kurt should wear with the shirt he chose. Still, it was even more of a shock than he expected because he had thought Adam would still be in the library. His voice was quiet and concerned, and although Kurt didn't know him very well, he felt a surge of affection at his obvious worry.

He rolled slowly and pushed himself up the bed and into a seating position to better see Adam. Adam offered him a shy smile and Kurt pulled his legs up and hugged his knees to his chest. "Yeah, Adam?"

"I... I'm really sorry to hear about Blaine," he said quietly as he shuffled his feet. He dropped his eyes to the floor and he looked so young in that moment. He was young, Kurt reminded himself, only just turned fourteen. His shaggy brown hair fell in front of grey eyes and his face still had puppy fat along his jaw. Kurt suddenly felt guilty for not making more of an effort to get to know him. "I want you to know that if there is anything you need me to do or need help with, you can just ask."

"Thanks Adam," Kurt said, unsurprised by the sheer volume of sincerity he heard in his own voice. "But I don't think that'll be necessary. Professor Xavier won't even let me help look for Blaine."

Kurt dropped his chin to his knees, staring down at the bed's under sheet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Adam bite his bottom lip. "I never... I never told you what I could do, did I?" he asked tentatively. Kurt twisted his head slightly, chin still on his knees, to look at him with a furrowed brow. He gave a sheepish smile.

There was a small pop and Kurt bolted upright. Suddenly, his heart was racing as he stared at the empty spot where Adam had been. Before he could register what had just happened there was another faint pop and Adam was back, this time on the opposite side of Kurt's bed.

"Oh my god!" Kurt gasped, pushing away from Adam's new position in shock until he was cowering at the edge of the bed. Adam grinned. "You can... You're a-a-"

"A teleporter!" he confirmed and, if Kurt wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of smugness to his tone. There was an excited glint to his grey eyes. "I can take you to Blaine!"

Excitement rippled through Kurt at the thought that yes! He could find Blaine! But that hope was quickly squashed when reality swept over again. "I don't even know where Blaine might be..." Kurt started to say but something stopped him.

He did know where Blaine was. Or at least, he thought he knew. Every time he thought of Blaine he saw the same building in his mind, the menacing skyscraper, and that had only happened since he had discovered Blaine had left. But he didn't even know if a building like that existed.

"Adam, how well do you know New York?" Kurt asked urgently. It felt like New York. The glass building, the smaller ones surrounding it, the street... The younger boy's forehead creased.

"Pretty well, actually," Adam told him. "I grew up there, and when my parents found out I was a mutant I lived on the streets until Professor Xavier found me. I know that place better than the back of my hand."

"I think I know where Blaine might be," Kurt said and he quickly began to describe the building to Adam. He didn't know how, but the more he described it, the more sure he was that Blaine was there. Maybe the fire isn't the only thing I can do, he thought.

"So, do you know if that building exists?" Kurt asked when he was finished. "If it's in New York?"

"I think I know it," Adam said thoughtfully. With a nod, he stretched out his hand to Kurt. "You want to go there?"

Kurt didn't even have to think. He reached for Adam's hand and almost instantly he felt like he was being tugged off the bed to float in thin air. There was a pressure all around him and he squeezed his eyes shut. The sensation was so strange, like something closing in on him and then suddenly it changed. What felt like thousands of tiny hooks pulled at his skin from every angle and Kurt's breathing picked up.

And then it all stopped. Kurt vaguely registered Adam squeezing his hand and he forced his own eyes open. His mouth dropped as he looked around him.

He wasn't in his room anymore, he wasn't even in the mansion! Instead, he was standing in a dim and dirty alleyway. Either side of him were two grimy, chipped brick walls and trash littered the ground around them.

"Sorry about the location," Adam said, already making his way out of the alley with Kurt on his heels. "I just didn’t want us to pop out in front of a group of people."

They broke out onto the street and Kurt froze in his tracks. His mouth went dry and he could hear his heart beat in his ears. There, across the street, was the exact building he had been imagining whenever he tried to figure out where Blaine was. Gold orange light from the setting sun reflected on the glass and for a second Kurt almost thought it was on fire. He could feel his hands shaking and the world seem to stop around him. That feeling, that horrible feeling of something wrong, had intensified and it took all Kurt had to refrain from heaving until his empty stomach ached.

Someone called his name. There was a light tug at his wrist and he was so out of it that he felt himself stumble and regain his footing. Adam was still there, looking up at him with concern. Kurt glanced back at the building. He was so utterly terrified at that moment that it seemed to have taken over the blood in his veins so his heart was now just pumping pure fear around his body.

"Adam," Kurt croaked. His own voice sounded so small and scared, but no! He couldn't be scared! Not when Blaine needed him. He shook mentally shook himself and cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was stronger and clearer. "Adam, I need you to go back to the mansion. Find the professor and tell him that you know where Blaine is. Tell him he's here."

Adam nodded but looked sceptical. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go in and find Blaine," He said, ignoring the anxiety the threatened to take over at the thought. Adam's eyes went wide. He opened his mouth to speak but Kurt cut him off. "I have to go. I don't know how long it's going to take for them to get here and I am not leaving Blaine up there on his own for however long it might take. And anyway, if I went back, they'd make me stay behind and I can't do that."

Adam bit his lip and he glanced to the building, eyes stretching up from the ground to the pointed lightning rod at the top. "Do you even know where he is in there?"

"Fifty seventh floor," Kurt said without thinking and then wondered how he knew that and how he was so sure. Adam looked back at him and his expression told Kurt he was thinking the same thing.

"Be careful, Kurt," he said with a supportive smile. Kurt swallowed down the lump in his throat.

"Thank you."

Adam nodded and turned and darted back into the alleyway from which they came. Kurt absently noted the quiet pop from the alley as he crossed the street.

The building was sleek and modern inside, black marble tiles and sleek white walls. On either side of the doors when Kurt walked in were sets of sofas and chairs. They were black leather, angular and stood on silver metal frames and glass topped tables sat in the middle of them. They looked hard and uncomfortable and the entire lobby screamed cold and lacking in anything friendly. There was an elevator to the left of the receptionist’s desk and beside it stood a large, broad attendant with stiff expression.

Kurt lifted his head and walked with as much confidence he could muster to the desk. She didn’t look up from the computer screen she was scowling at. Her chin and nose were pointed and her cheek bones stuck out. Her dark hair was pulled tightly back into an unnaturally neat bun and a set of small oval, wire framed glasses were perched on her nose. Her eyes were a steal grey and she, just like the rest of the room, seemed to be void of friendliness in her charcoal grey suit.

He had to clear his throat three times before she raised her eyes. They were narrowed and she raised a thin, dark eyebrow in question at him. He gulped audibly at the intensity of her stare but didn’t back away. He couldn’t even if he wanted to – his legs weren’t even responding.

"M-my name is K-Kurt," he said in a quiet voice and her head snapped back to the computer screen.

"Kurtis Aberwood?" she said suddenly, nodding and clacking her fingers against the keyboard. Kurt stared at her until she looked back with boredom clear on his face. "Kurtis Aberwood?" she repeated, suddenly wary. "The new trainee intern for Senator Smythe?"

"Smythe...?" Kurt echoed and his blood froze in his veins. "Senator Smythe works here?"

The woman eyed him suspiciously so Kurt schooled his facial expression. He swallowed, trying to moisten his dry mouth and quickly plastered on a neutral but confident smile. "Yes, sorry, Kurtis Aber- Uh... Aber... Yeah, well, not important, that's me!"

Still regarding him sceptically, she gave a few more clacks at the key board before sliding a laminated identification badge which he pinned to his cardigan with only slightly shaking hands. "Okay, Mr Aberwood, take the elevator on your left up to the fifty seventh floor."

"Fifty seven?" he said with wide eyes, though he was hardly surprised after he learned Sebastian's father worked in the building. The woman clearly wasn't happy with him. Her mouth was set into a thin, hard line. Kurt turned on his heel and practically sprinted over to the elevator.

The elevator attendant looked even bigger up close. He pinged open the door and, to Kurt's surprise, slid into the tiny metal box after him. He looked expectantly at Kurt until he rattled off the floor number but never spoke, leaving Kurt to study himself in the mirrored walls.

He was glad he had planned his outfit last weekend and didn't have to worry about dressing himself this morning. Worry and fashion do not mix well, Kurt knew. The slim fit, grey shirt with a navy strip along the buttons and at the edge of the collar, thick, loose wool, navy cardigan and dark jeans may not have been appropriate for an intern but it was respectable. Maybe even smart.

He caught the eye of the elevator attendant scrutinising him with a look that didn't appear to be trusting. Wrapping his arms around his own middle, Kurt quickly looked away from the uneasy stare. What would they do when the real Kurtis Aberwhatever showed up? Would they turn him away? Or would they come and find Kurt? Throw him out, or worse, call the cops? His father would be so disappointed in him and Kurt briefly wondered what Blaine would think.

Blaine. That was why he was here. It didn't matter if he was found out so long as he rescued Blaine. So he gritted his teeth and straightened his back and strode out of the elevator with his head held high when it reached his floor.

There was a woman with an arm full of Manila folders waiting to greet him. She wasn't as cold as the receptionist had been but she didn't scream be my friend! either. She looked him up and down and her forehead creased a little.

"Kurtis Aberforth?" she asked and Kurt nodded a little frantically. "Alright, come with me."

He followed her down a sleek and modern hallway that was only a smidgen warmer than the lobby and that was only because of the orange and reds in the art on the walls. She was chattering away and Kurt had to force himself to listen, his mind was spinning at the thought that Blaine was here, somewhere on the fifty-seventh floor.

"So things are a little hectic here lately. The Senator's new campaign has gone off with a bang and it’s not entirely a good bang all round so everything's all over the place. And there was some personal drama with his son too and he hasn’t really been himself all day so just beware. I'm Helen, by the way, first assistant, so if you have any questions come straight to me."

She brought them into a room that clearly was the outer office. Directly across from where they came were a large set of doors open into what was the Senator's office. Two particians set desks off on either side of the room. Helen nodded to one.

"That'll be your desk," she explained and then pointed to a stack of folders. "If you can organise those into that cabinet that would be great, I just have to sort some things out in Mr Smythe’s office."

Kurt nodded and she disappeared through the doors. It was simple putting away the folders, it was just alphabetical but just as he finished he heard the phone ring in the Senator’s office. Helen picked up and Kurt immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Yes, Kurtis has just arrived… what do you mean… are you sure it’s him?... I thought he seemed a little young… yes, send Jonathon up."

Kurt dashed under the desk, pulling the chair in tight. It was a silly hiding place but he was desperate. They knew and he didn’t have much of a chance for anything better. He heard Helen’s heals on the floor, slow and measured as she made her way into the outer office.

"Kurtis?" she asked. Her voice was dripping with mock friendliness and there was a slight nervous quiver. Kurt’s heart was beating frantically in his chest and he squeezed his eyes shut. After a pause, Helen voice came again and she hissed, "Shit."

Kurt heard her walk out of the room at top speed and he waited a moment before climbing up from his hiding place. He was so glad it worked but he needed to move fast. Whoever this Jonathon person was, Kurt didn’t think he’d be very friendly. He looked both ways when he got to the door, immediately knowing which he would take – one led back to the elevator (and inevitably Jonathon) and the other led to Blaine.

He didn’t know where he was going as he winded his way through a maze of corridors and hallways. He knew the building was big but he was lost in the labyrinth in minutes, with only the strange force inside him to point him in a direction. He raced past a large metal door but stopped abruptly. This was it. This was where he needed to go.

There was a panel on the wall beside the door and Kurt knew it required a hand print to open it. He pressed his ear against the metal but he wasn’t sure if it was quiet because there was no one there or because the door was too thick. Making a decision, he placed his hand on the panel, ignoring the ‘Access Denied’ that flashed on the little screen as his hand began to heat up rapidly.

His hand sunk through the panel and with a twist of his wrist, the door slid open with three short consecutive beeps. Kurt removed his hand, shaking it a little to cool it quickly. He slunk into another hallway but this one was darker. There was no fancy tile or art work here, just concrete walls that seemed to press in on Kurt. He speedily made his way down until he broke into a room that was startlingly bright in contrast with the dim hallway. The room was virtually empty apart from an examination table in the centre and a plush, high backed arm chair in the corner beside a wooden door on the other side of the room. At first, Kurt thought it was art work on the walls but after a moment in the room he realised it wasn’t art, but iron bars set into the walls. They were oddly primitive against the modern building and he almost laughed until he saw what he was sure would make him sick – a figure, curled in on themselves in the corner of one of the cells.

"Blaine!"

Kurt sprinted over to the bars that separated them, falling to his knees when he reached them and knocking them painfully against the iron. Blaine jumped, tucking his body in closer to himself as his head snapped up. There was no expression on his face until he focused on who it was. His eyes widened when he saw Kurt and his mouth opened just a little in surprise.

"Kurt," he said, and his voice was cracked and broken. He quickly crawled over to the bars, staring at Kurt with a look that set him on edge. It wasn’t happy or relieved but… disgusted? "Kurt, what are you doing here?!"

"Blaine, I’m here to help you," Kurt said, sounding as upset as he felt. Blaine was shaking his head before he had even finished, looking down at his knees.

"No, Kurt, you have to go right now," Blaine insisted and there was a terrifying desperation in his voice. It made Kurt’s chest ache at the thought that Blaine didn’t want him here, not even to help. But then Blaine looked up and Kurt realised it wasn’t that he didn’t want Kurt there; it was that he wanted Kurt out. He was terrified but it wasn’t for himself, it was for Kurt. "Please, Kurt, you have to go-"

"No, Blaine, not without you," Kurt said. Blaine looked tore between being frustrated and flattered.

"Yes, Blaine, really," a voice came from behind Kurt. He twisted on the ground to see Sebastian, grinning down at them. "How rude. Kurt has only just got here, it would be impolite to have him leave so soon."

"Kurt, go," Blaine hissed in his ear but Kurt shook his head. Sebastian was watching them and his expression turned from amused to irritated. He heard Blaine say in name again but he refused to leave him and this only annoyed Sebastian more.

"I never told you what I could do, did I, Kurt?" Sebastian said in a voice that appeared light but Kurt could hear the hardness there. He stepped towards Kurt slowly, keeping his eyes on him. "It’s quite unique, and very useful, but it’s so hard to explain. It would be much easier to show you what I can do."

He stopped right in front of Kurt and merely looked at him, keeping unnaturally still. Blaine was whimpering behind him, pulling at his sleeve through the bars but Kurt kept his eyes on Sebastian’s. Then, quick as lightning, Sebastian ducked and pressed two fingers to the side of Kurt’s temple.

Kurt’s head felt like it was about to explode. There was an extreme pressure all over his head, under his skull and pushing to get out and squishing to get in. He let out a cry and tried to raise his hands to his head in an attempt to dull the pain but there were piercing pains in every limb, making them heavy. He could hear Blaine’s voice in his ear, shouting out at Sebastian and Kurt gritted his teeth, not wanting to give him any more satisfaction than he already had.

The pain stopped suddenly, leaving Kurt numb and drained. He panted as he grabbed the bars and hoisted himself up from where he had slid down until he was almost lying on the ground. He glared up at Sebastian who was merely smirking down at him.

"It’s fantastic, isn’t it," Sebastian gloated, bending down to look directly into Kurt’s eyes. They were deep amber looking at Kurt, looking so like fire that for a second Kurt almost thought he could control them. Sebastian reached out and took hold of Kurt’s cheek, causing the pain to flow again. It was so much more intense this time and in seconds he was giving in and screaming out until he was a puddle on the floor. Sebastian chuckled. "You see, Kurt, I am so much strong than you. That is why my father is rewarding me. Why do you think he’s locating everyone to the Mutant’s Village? To gather them all together in a place where they can be themselves entirely. And who do you think he plans to elect to lead them?" He leaned forward to whisper right into Kurt’s ear. "And when I’m away on leadership business, there may just happen to be an accident, and I’ll be the only worthy mutant left. That’ll make me the most powerful person in the country."

Fear was beginning to creep into Kurt’s body. He wanted to move away from Sebastian but his bones were like liquid and wouldn’t respond the way he wanted them too. Sebastian laughed darkly in his ear as he drew away, drawing his finger along Kurt’s cheek bone as he moved and leaving Kurt writhing with his eyes clenched closed. Blaine was pulling at Kurt’s shoulder, whispering his name but there was nothing substantial he could do from behind the bars. There was the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer and Kurt tried to haul his eyelids up.

"Jonathon, take Mr Hummel here and lock him away," Sebastian said from somewhere above him and Kurt opened his eyes enough to see the elevator attendant bend down to grab onto his wrist. He dragged Kurt unceremoniously across the floor into the nearest free cell, the ghost of Sebastian’s power still fresh under his skin.

He heard the metal door slam and more footsteps recede away until the entire room was quiet apart from the insanely loud thump of his heart and the ringing in his ears. Something shuffled nearby and he reached out until his hand connected with cold iron and a second later a shocking degree of warmth covered his fingers. He gave Blaine’s hand a squeeze and felt Blaine squeeze back. Blaine had known what Sebastian could do and wanted Kurt gone before it had happened to him. It made Kurt's stomach twist to think that it must have happened to him

"How touching," Sebastian said a little bitterly, already walking away. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go tell my father we have a new test subject to play with."