Blaine's first week at McKinley is everything he expected.

He sees Kurt far more often. He's also cornered in the locker room by a jock. It's still early in the day, and Blaine has noticed the punching bag. It reminds him of the Dalton branch of Fight Club, which he can't discuss. It feels a little bit like home. And that's when Blaine hears the voice. That's when he remembers that this is the place where Kurt was threatened, and kissed against his will.

"What are you doin' in here, man? This is for the football players and you don't look like no football player I've ever seen…"

"Blaine Anderson," he says, extending a hand, out of habit.

"Wait. You're that Hummel kid's gay boyfriend, right?" the football player asks, in a tone that makes Blaine nervous.

He doesn't think it would help to point out the redundancy of that statement. In a second, the jock is in his face. "Well, allow me to introduce myself." Suddenly, a fist plows into Blaine's midsection. "The name's Azimio Adams, and it's my job around here to make sure everyone stays in their place!"

Every few words, Blaine loses his breath again as Azimio lands another punch. It's as terrifying as it ever was - even more now, because there would no consequence for this guy - and Blaine would just have to take it.

Blaine could hit back, but he won't. It's not that he's too polite. It's that he's too afraid. This guy is bigger than he is in every way.

This isn't going to end well.

Quinn's walking the halls, looking for The Mack, when she hears it. The unmistakable sound of someone getting the crap kicked out of them. She's a skank now, through and through, but it's because she knows what it's like to feel like a total reject. Being pregnant at sixteen, losing her spot as head cheerleader and giving up the baby pretty much guaranteed that.

She scans the halls, and glances at her cell phone for the time. She knows that Santana and Karofsky are the only two who actively protect other kids. Which is ironic considering just how much of a mean girl Santana is and that Karofsky is the reason they needed the Bully Whips in the first place. Santana doesn't arrive until 30 seconds until she's supposed to, and Karofsky isn't anywhere to be seen. So Quinn ducks into the boys' locker room to see what's going on.

For once, she doesn't turn a blind eye. She doesn't wait for someone else to intervene, because there is no one else. She walks right up, and inserts herself between Azimio and Blaine, who, from the looks of things, is showing Blaine the ropes of McKinley High. She plants her hands into Azimio and shoves. He doesn't move.

"Hey!" he objects. "Do you mind, Fabray? Me and Fancy's boyfriend got business to discuss! There ain't no girls allowed in here! That's the point I've been trying to get across…" Azimio clenches his fist, ready to take another swing, but Quinn won't move.

"Discussion implies talking. I don't see much of that going on. Besides, Mack wants to talk to you," she lies, shielding Blaine's body with her own.

"I got no business with The Mack! That gal's trashy!" Azimio objects.

"And you're so upstanding…beating up on a guy who would never hit you back," Quinn snarls, taking a step toward him.

"Hey, it ain't my fault he's a pansy," Azimio shrugs.

Quinn steps as close to Azimio as she can get, and clenches her fist. The pink hair. The tattoo. The clothes. It's a disguise. And it gives her courage to do things that she might never have done last spring. "He might not hit you back, Azimio, but I promise you, I will. Now, get away from him before I make sure it gets around school that I kicked your ass…"

She glares at him, not breaking eye contact until he turns and leaves them alone.

"You okay?" she asks dispassionately.

"Quinn?" Blaine gasps.

"What?" she retorts sharply.

"Thanks," he manages, getting to his feet.

"Don't mention it," she says, a threatening note in her voice. "Seriously. Don't."

"You know, this is what I was afraid of, coming here," Blaine wheezes. "I didn't think anyone would care."

"Yeah, well… Lucky for you, I have no tolerance for stupidity," Quinn says over her shoulder.

"Thanks for showing up. You just made my day. You're my hero," Blaine rambles, even as pain rips through his abdomen.

"Trust me, I'm nobody's hero," she says, pushing her way out the door and not looking back.

"You are," he calls back. "You absolutely are."

The End.