"The thing is a pest!"

Furious, a hand struck out and threw the vase off of the desk. It shattered on the ground, shards flying across the wood floors of the dimly lit office. Dressed in his suit, the man nearly blended in, but the anger and hatred that stuck out on his face was enough to catch anyone's attention. His hair looked as though it was glowing silver, messy and disordered, matching the crazed look in his eyes.

His scowl twisted into a wicked grin. "Except you can exterminate a pest, can't we?"

"Which is what we've been working on," a voice cut in from the other side of the room. The man in the chair stood up, avoiding the pieces of vase that were pointing out of the floor. "We've devised a strategy that will eliminate the problem that is known to citizens as Silver," he said. His voice was gruff and level, except when he said Silver-it was as though there was something bitter on his tongue. "We're planning on fighting fire with fire, and I'm sure that you won't be disappointed."

He turned and opened the door. The silver-haired man looked on with mild interest, his brows knitted together.

Through the open door walked a tall, slim woman. She had slick, black hair and she was dressed from head to foot in deep purple, from the small mask that surrounded her eyes to the gloves that tipped her fingers. Her mouth was turned up at the corners and she looked positively wicked. 

"Nice to meet you," she said softly, her eyes alight with a spark like a flame. "Call me...Acid." She extended a hand and the silver-haired man eyed her with excitement. He didn't shake her hand, but clasped his together. 

"Perfect! Perfect!" he clapped, smiling. The expression turned serious a second later, "What can she do, though? I want a show."

The second man nodded to her and she slinked to the other side of the room. She leaned against the desk and slid a hand over the surface. The silver-haired man watched, his fingers intertwined as he awaited something happening. The woman smiled and traced a circle in the center of the desk. There was a sharp hiss and then a thud and she beckoned them forwards. The man practically jumped towards her and stared down at the desk-where there was a smoking hole straight through, perfectly cut.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" he cackled, clapping his hands together. "This'll put an end surely to that masked monster!"

"You should have asked him out," Wes said, shaking his head.

Blaine sighed, waking alongside him towards the cafeteria. A week had passed since their afterschool conversation and Blaine was still fumbling over his words at the sight of Kurt. Kurt wasn't going to be there today at lunch, though. He was busy talking to one of the professors, but Blaine wished he would be there anyways. Wes kept telling him he looked like a sad puppy, again, especially after Blaine had told him about seeing Kurt after his first detention and the ride that followed-leaving out the Silver stuff.

"I can't though," Blaine said, shaking his head. "What if he doesn't want to go out with me and I just make things awkward? What if we do go out and I mess something up then and things become even more awkward than if he'd said no?"

Wes looked over at him quizzically. "Seriously, Blaine?"

"I know, okay?" he said, wringing his hands. "It's just...whenever I see him my heart races and I can't help but notice everything that he does and his laugh and those eyes and-"

"My dear, sad Andersmooth," Wes laughed, cutting Blaine off. "You have got it bad for Kurt, and you met the guy a week ago. I think the universe is trying to tell you to get some guts and ask the guy out for coffee or something! Otherwise, you'll have an awkward friendship where you can hardly think straight around him."

Blaine knew that Wes had a point, except he was so scared of what could happen that he really was afraid to do anything. 

"Puppy," Wes added as an afterthought and Blaine rolled his eyes.

"You know I could be right, though," Blaine said. They sat down at a table and Blaine rested his head on one hand. "Things could go horribly wrong."

"And I could be right and you could be acting horribly insane," Wes said calmly.

He exhaled, looking at Wes seriously. "You know, I'm really glad to have such supportive friend who I can always talk to without sarcasm and mockery when it comes to things that mean a lot to me."

Wes grinned widely, looking smug. "Mean a lot to me?"

Blaine could feel his cheeks burn and stared at the table, pretending to be interested in the sandwich he was supposed to be eating. He picked at the crust, avoiding looking at Wes. "Yes," he muttered, "means a lot to me, alright? I'm falling hard, okay, Wesley and I really care whether or not he says yes."

The grin only seemed to widen on his face and he laughed, not harshly, though, and poked Blaine with his toe. "You are so precious."

"Thanks," Blaine said, his voice dripping sarcasm.

He stared off around the cafeteria, his thoughts distracted. He definitely wanted to ask Kurt out, except he just couldn't work up the courage to do it. Blaine worried his bottom lip, imagining the situation in his head-and the various ways in which it could go wrong. Still, the prospect of asking Kurt out to coffee may have sounded terrifying, but didn't the actual going out with Kurt Hummel for coffee part make up for that? The two of them, alone, sitting together and sipping from their mugs. Blaine could just picture him holding tight to a mug, his eyes crinkled as he laughed his musical laugh. His heart felt giddy in his chest.

"All that I'm saying is that if you asked him out now then you won't work yourself into a pure terror at saying a single word in front of him," Wes was saying. "Have some courage."

"Kurt Hummel, would you like to go get coffee with me?" Blaine said, testing the words out. "Hey Kurt, we should get coffee sometime?" Wes shook his head. "Alright...Kurt would you escort me to getting refreshing, hot beverages made from coffee beans?" Wes laughed and Blaine ran a hand through his hair. "I sound so...awkward."

"Just go with the first one," Wes said. "And if he says no follow him around singing Call Me Maybe until he either falls in love with you or gets so annoyed he gives up and says yes."

Blaine tried to picture that, "I'd need an a cappella accompaniment then he'd have to say yes."

"That's my boy, Andersmooth," Wes said with a wink.

He couldn't talk to Kurt the rest of the day, and he still had to go to detention again after school, so it wasn't until the next day at lunch that Blaine had the chance to speak to Kurt. He was already sitting at their table, a book open on one side of him. His hand turned the page carefully, his eyes studying the text thoughtfully. 

Wes already had darted off somewhere by then with a quick, "Good luck young Andersmooth," and a pat on the back. Blaine licked his lips, his mouth feeling dry, and sat down across from Kurt. Kurt raised his eyes at the sound and the corner of his mouth turned up, "Hey you."

"Kurt, do you want to get coffee with me sometime?" Blaine asked. The words seemed to tumble straight out of his mouth like the water of a dam that wasn't thick enough to hold it. His fingers tapped anxiously against his leg and he smiled hopefully at Kurt.

This time Kurt looked up and he smiled fully, his eyes crinkling. "Yeah, sure, that'd be nice."

Blaine nodded, biting down on his lip. "Would...would tonight work?" he asked quickly. He hoped he didn't sound too eager but his heart was racing and beating too loudly in his head for him to be thinking completely rationally. Even now, with the light shining down on him and the smile reaching his eyes he couldn't help but see how gorgeous he was.

"After your delinquent sentence?" Kurt said teasingly.

That smirk did things to his heart. "After my delinquent sentence."

Blaine was practically skipping on his walk home from school. The light wind tickled the back of his neck, keeping him cool. Was it possible that the sun was shining just a little brighter and the clouds were just a bit fluffier? Everything just seemed...better. It was like adding a touch of Kurt Hummel to the recipe of his life just made everything right. He was still falling, and he was falling into open arms that he was just starting to see. Maybe Kurt was waiting for him down there on the ground, waiting for someone, too.

He heard a beeping coming from behind him suddenly. He didn't startle though, just kept walking, his eyes shifting around nervously. He could feel something like a like pinch in the back of his neck and a slight shock. He tried to walk as though nothing was happening though, resisting suspicion. He waited a moment, and then crossed the street in the other direction, his mind searching the familiar streets for an empty alleyway.

A block down he was able to duck into an abandoned alley. Hidden in the shadows he let his mind free. He could feel the cool metal as it slid into place over his skin. He hardly felt the weight though. It wasn't very thick and was rather light. The metal took its shape around his fingers and he bent it experimentally, they moved just as they always did and he grinned as the mask pulled itself over his head, turning the world slightly darker.

In an instant he was off, sprinting faster than any average person could through the shadows. 

It took only minutes for him to get there. Crowds had gathered and were being pushed back by police officers. Blaine stood in the cover of the gap between two tall, glass buildings. There was nobody on this side of the street; they were all coming in from the other sides, staring above at the second story of the R.I.B building. Through the windows a figure could be seen, pressing her hand against the glass.

Blaine watched the moment, trying to figure out what she was doing, when something started to smoke from the glass. He moved forwards slowly, squinting. Her hand moved from the top of the window to the side, along the bottom edge and then up the opposite side edge. Then, through the smoke, he watched as she pulled back her arm, and pushed the window free-the large window that was two stories up, and right above several officers. 

He sprinted forwards, the suit allowing him to move quickly and nimbly, and pushed the officers out of the way. He felt the glass as it hit his back, like rocks thrown against him. He could sense that a few had cut him, they were large shards raining down around them, but he knew that the suit would repair itself and in an instant the nagging feeling of an open wound was gone.

The officers got to their feet, staring at the glass. A few of them glared at him but there was a murmur of thanks. Blaine didn't reply. He looked upwards, searching for the woman. He could see her better from this angle. She was dressed in all purple and her eyes were covered by a mask. She was crouching now, peering out with an amused smile at the glass on the ground. Her hands were moving around her, sliding across the floor, and once more smoke arose. Her eyes darted downwards and she grinned before disappearing through the floor. 

"...what the hell?" he heard an officer mutter behind him. "How did she..."

His question drowned in his mouth. From the first floor, a few feet away from the crystal sliding doors of the entrance, something was...sizzling? Blaine watched as a rectangular outline appeared in the doorway, the wall literally bubbling where the outline was as though it was being eaten away.

"Looks like acid," one of the officers called out. 

The wall fell forwards and the woman stepped free, the mischievous smile curled around her lips. She stepped right over the chunk of wall that was lying on the ground. Her gloved fingers stretched at her sides and she looked around with mild amusement. 

"How nice of you to recognize me," she said. Her voice was almost a purr. "I am Acid." She brushed her tongue slowly over her lips and her skin burned where it touched-little furls of smoke rising from it. A few of the officers stumbled back in fear, their eyes wide. She made her way forward and her eyes rested on Silver, taking him in hungrily. "Exactly what I'm looking for," she grinned.

Blaine stood his ground, wondering if the suit was resistant to acid, but he didn't exactly have time to test that theory. His fingers curled into fists. "Leave these people alone."

She lifted a shoulder lazily and flicked a finger towards the ground. Something hissed as she did so and when the acid hit the ground it ate straight through it. "You are no fun, aren't you," she whispered, smiling. "I'm not here for them, though, Silver, sweetie."

He didn't move. 

She did.

He could hardly blink and she was right in front of him, a hand around his wrist. He could hear the acid as it fought against the strong metal of his suit. He tore his hand away and she looked at him angrily, disappointed that it didn't work. Blaine, however, felt it slip through a moment later-and nearly screamed.

The suit was able to soak most of it up but he could feel a sharp burn around his wrist as though someone was holding fire to it. He bit down on his tongue until he tasted blood, resisting the urge to yell out in pain. 

Acid ran at him, tackling him to the ground. Her hands clawed at the suit, but it did no good. Blaine brought up his knee and threw her over top of him. She rolled across the ground before rolling to her feet, her eyes burning in frustration. He pushed himself to his feet, cursing internally at the shot of pain that went through his wrist at the movement. He could feel it swelling now, the suit attempting to repair not just itself but him as well. All of that only made it hurt more.

She ran at him again, her hands extended into claws, her fingers steaming. She reached up, grabbing for his throat. His mind whirling, he deflected her hands to the side so they curled around his left shoulder instead. He could feel the sharp bite of the acid leaking through-hear the sizzle as it sunk in. He felt dizzy suddenly, the pain almost blinding, and threw her off of him.

'She's got powers,' Blaine thought frantically. 'I need some sort of special power just to match her.'

Something clicked inside him like a lock sliding into place. He held up his hands to his face. They were glowing red like hot embers, but the glow died away, leaving them cold. He flexed his fingers, not sure exactly what he could do, when she flew at him again. Blaine lifted his hands, pushing towards her, and she went flying.

Acid soared across the road, slamming into a sign on the other side. Snarling, she lifted herself up, her hands melting away the top corner of the plastic. She stared at Blaine, hatred boiling under her eyes, and shook her head. She turned and sprinted off behind her, through the shops, and then she was gone. Blaine started after her but the pain was really starting to affect him now, and it was obvious she wasn't going to try anything else today. Feeling the burn in his wrist and shoulder, he ran back into the shadows himself and headed home.