• MARINA • Hunter Clarington-BOOK TWO✔

t w e n t y - f o u r

Marina had made sure Blaine knew she was joking as they drove back to McKinley, Blaine changing back into his superhero costume as they went back to the choir room. Everyone else was in costume, Arabella, Kara, and Jamie coming close to Marina. "Who was it?" Arabella asked curiously.

"Hunter Clarington." Blaine declared to the group. The trio all made noises of realisation while Marina flicked through her camera roll and showed them a picture of a smirking Hunter. Some of the girls made noises of awe as they looked at him, Marina quickly putting her phone away.

"Marina knew about the whole plan. Sebastian did too, and they had told the rest of the Warblers." Blaine informed.

Marina cleared her throat as eyes turned to her. "Actually, he paid me to act as if I didn't know." She lied easily, smiling nervously as a part of her act.

"Wait so.... Hunter's bad?" Arabella asked in confusion.

Marina shook her head. "No, he was bored and just wanted to make himself known as the new captain of the Warblers." She responded as they all sat, Finn walking into the room in a costume of his own.

"Okay." Finn began, strolling in.

"Oh, dear God." Artie murmured, looking at Finn in horror.

"So, I-I get it my first idea was pretty bad." Finn admitted.

"Worse than funk." Tina stated.

"Worse than 'Night of Neglect.'" Artie added in agreement.

"So, I decided to try something new 'Dynamic Duets.' This is gonna be a lot more fun, and it focuses on something you guys actually like: superheroes." Finn announced, managing to write the words onto the whiteboard without breaking the tip of the marker.

"Oh, so wait are we all gonna have to wear costumes?" Marley asked nervously.

"And who exactly are you supposed to be? The Bulge, who makes gym socks disappear?" Artie sarcastically questioned.

"Please don't melt us with your bulge." Brittany said, looking up at Finn.

"Well, I am the almighty Treble Clef, Uniter of Glee Clubs." Finn announced.

Kitty scoffed. "Jesus is the only real almighty superhero."

"Amen." Joe grinned.

"Nobody asked you." Kitty hissed to the boy.

"Come on, guys, let's hear him out." Ryder said, gesturing to Finn.

"Thanks." He sighed, "Look at the Avengers. Individually, they all have amazing powers, but as a team, they cannot be stopped. Right now, we're a bunch of individuals with great powers and talents, but we're not a team. Some of you even have mortal enemies in this very room, allowing the Dark Side to turn us against each other, when we should be focused on the Warblers." Finn said to everyone.

"I do focus on the Warblers." Marina muttered to Arabella, who nodded.

"We live with them." She whispered, Jamie and Kara nodding too.

"Nightbird and Huntress are handling the missing trophy." Blaine muttered, gesturing to Marina.

"Huntress.... Wait you hinted at Hunter stealing the trophy." Jamie noted. Marina nodded slowly.

"Great. Thank you, Nightbird, Huntress." Finn acknowledged. "Jake will pair up with Ryder, Marley will join Kitty to perform the duets. The rest of you, start preparing to fight an epic battle against the forces of evil at Sectionals." Finn grinned. Most of the group whooped and cheered.

"That idea was slightly better." Artie said.

"Still could be horrible." Tina shrugged.

When everyone regrouped in the choir room, they sat, waiting for Jake and Ryder to perform their song.

They were dressed in suits with hats and glasses, singing about Superman and they were fighting over Marley as they sang. They threw their hats and glasses to the floor, moving to stand on top of a desk. They each pulled their shirts off to reveal a superhero costume underneath. They were coloured red and blue, their colours alternating.

They then ripped their pants off to show the rest of their costumes. On the chest plate it read 'MS'. Artie leaned close to Finn. "Isn't MS a degenerative nerve disease?"

Finn gave Artie a look of confusion. "I thought it was a girl's magazine."

The two boys continued to sing until Jake punched Ryder, the boys beginning to fight. "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing! Hey! Stop it!" Finn exclaimed.

"Finn, do something!" Tina exclaimed in shock.

"Uh Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, what's wrong with you guys?" Finn yelled to them. Marina sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Move!" Marina exclaimed loudly, pushing everyone out of the way and grabbing Jake, flipping him over her shoulder, winding him. She then picked him up with ease, throwing him over her shoulder and looking to Finn who told her to take him to the auditorium. "Bad move, dude." Marina muttered lowly.

Sam grabbed Ryder in a head lock. "Full nelson, full nelson. You're not too tough now, are you?" Sam said to Ryder as he pulled him out of the room.

Marina overheard Blaine talking to Finn inside the choir room. "Hey. You got a minute?"

"Yeah. Dude, I was just gonna text you. How is Operation: Rescue/Recovery going?" Finn responded, happiness in his voice.

"Well, when I went back to Dalton, all those blazers and singing with the Warblers again..." Blaine began, only to get cut off by Finn.

"Wait, wait, what, you sang with the Warblers?" He questioned, alarmed.

"It just sort of happened." Blaine hastily responded. "But they embraced me like I was a long-lost brother."

Marina made her presence known. "Blaine, what do we always tell you. Once a Warbler, always a Warbler."

Blaine nodded. "It was like in X-Men 2, when Pyro left the X-Men to join Magneto's Brotherhood. It...it just felt right, like maybe I belong with the Warblers." He sighed.

Finn spoke quickly. "Dude, no, no, you belong here, with us, okay? Does this have to do with Kurt?"

Blaine thrust his arms out, circling the choir room. "Everything in this room reminds me of him. We were a dynamic duo in here. Kurt was my anchor, Finn, and now that he's gone, I just I feel like I'm floating. And you, you need a team that's gonna gel." Blaine helplessly sat down in one of the seats.

"Yes. Absolutely. We need a team with a lot of gel. And you're, like, the biggest part of that."

"I'm sorry, Finn, but the Warblers are my birth right and my destiny." Blaine stated. Marina moved to sit beside him.

"You know, they want you back because they miss you, Blaine. They miss the old you, they miss singing with you, and they miss their brother. No matter who wins Sectionals I want these teams to be friends- have friendly competition." Marina said earnestly, smiling softly at the idea of the two Glee clubs getting along.

"And, even if the New Directions lose think about what we did for the Trouble Tones last year." Marina said slowly, getting up and leaving the choir room.