Chapter 9

The next day Kurt pondered what Inias had told him as he shuffled to his classes the next day. He knew he was going to die. That was no different. But being told his soul had a price tag on it, and no matter what, there would always be someone after him… He made that deal and he was going to pay for it. He hated himself for wanting to take it back now.

"Kurt?" Ms. Pillsbury called. "Your father scheduled an appointment with me. I'll take you now."

Kurt groaned internally. At least this was getting him out of his last class. He followed Ms. Pillsbury back to her office.

"So…Kurt. Your father told me about your…little adventure." Ms. Pillsbury handed him a pamphlet. It read, "I Just Had Sex With A Bunch Of People, And Now It's Coming Back To Haunt Me". It was all squeezed in together. Kurt snorted to himself. He'd slept with a witch and an angel, but he would certainly know if he slept with a ghost.

Ms. Pillsbury shifted uncomfortably. Kurt raised an eyebrow. His father actually thought this woman could help him with his problems?

"Now Kurt, um, sex addiction is a very serious-"

"Whoa, lady! Who said anything about sex addiction? I only had sex with two people in my life! Did my dad say I was a sex addict?" He could picture his father working cars, laughing away. Oh very funny dad.

"Now Kurt, you're very young. Too young to be having sex. Don't you want to wait for someone you love to do it, or maybe don't do it at all. And you have so much time in the world-"

"No I don't." He cut her off.

Ms. Pillsbury's confusion was evident on her face. "What do you mean? Of course you have time. You're young and you have your whole life ahead of you."

"That's the thing though. I don't. Listen... if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone?"

Ms. Pillsbury nodded. "It's part of my job to be someone kids came trust. A part of that is keeping their secrets. You can tell me anything, and it will be safe with me. I can promise that."

"The truth is Ms. Pillsbury, I'm going to die. For a while, I thought it was going to be at some point next year. But now I'm thinking it's going to be sooner."

Ms. Pillsbury's eyes widened. "Kurt…oh Kurt. What is it? Is it cancer?"

"That doesn't matter. But remember, you promised. You can't tell anyone. Not Mr. Shue, definitely not my father. You can't tell my father Ms. Pillsbury."

"Y-your father doesn't know? Does anyone?" Ms. Pillsbury looked frightened. Kurt supposed she never dealt with a student talking to her about their own impending death.

"A few people know."

"But not your father." Ms. Pillsbury stated.

"No, and he's not going to. You can't tell him. You promised me that." Kurt knew that Ms. Pillsbury was naïve, and didn't really know how to deal with bigger problems. He knew she wouldn't break his trust. She wouldn't tell anyone. And he was ready to exploit that. He really did need to talk to someone.

"That guy at the bar, and that other guy, before that…it was really just something I needed to get done, I guess. The first guy didn't mean anything at all. I knew him; didn't really like him. He was just there. And the second guy turned out to be my long lost uncle."

Ms. Pillsbury gapped. "Uh..Kurt…"

"I guess the thing is now, I really don't want to die, because my uncle, uh, told me some things."

"Kurt no one really wants to die. Are you sure there isn't a treatment? I think you should tell your father."

Kurt scratched his head. Yep. This was a mistake. "You know what? Let's get back on the sex thing."

He expected her to look uncomfortable again, but she just looked worried. "Kurt…you need to talk about this. You can talk to me, but you need a real therapist to help you come to terms with this. I won't tell anyone yet. That's because I think you should do it. Okay? I think that's all for today. But about your uncle...um..."

"Goodbye Ms. Pillsbury."

He saw Finn standing by his locker. "Hey. Where'd you go?" Finn asked him.

"With Ms. Pillsbury. Talking about my apparent sex addiction."

Finn chuckled. "Oh right. I remember you have to do that now."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "So what's wrong?"

"Oh, I think it's just a hunch but I think Karofsky and Azimio are missing." Finn said.

"Do you think something took them?"

"I don't know…maybe? I haven't seen them all day."

"Well, usually hunches are correct." Kurt told him.

"Is it bad that I kind of don't want to help them?"

"No. I feel the same way. But as bad as they are, they don't deserve to die."

"I suppose so."

"Hey, have you seen Mercedes?" Tina asked as she walked over to them.

"Mercedes is missing too?" Kurt asked. "Crap. When was the last time you saw her?"

"Today, in class. Then that dentist guy Carl, Ms. Pillsbury's boyfriend, called her out of class to do another dental checkup."

Kurt frowned. That man was hanging around the school more often than he should. He had assumed he was here for Ms. Pillsbury… "A dental checkup?"

"Yeah. Carl said there was something wrong with her teeth last time he saw her, so he wanted to look at them again. And I haven't seen her since then!" Tina said frantically.

"Okay, calm down. We'll look for her." Finn said.

"Hey! Anyone seen Lauren?" Jacob Ben Israel called out as he wandered the halls.

"Four missing students. That's definitely not a coincidence."

"Well I think Coach Beiste was the last person to see Azimio and Karofsky. We should go see her."

They found Beiste in the weight room. "That guy Carl asked them to help him load some things in the car. They were goofing off during practice so I made them go. Why? Is something wrong?"

"We can't find them." Finn said. "I haven't seen them all day."

Beiste looked at Finn worriedly. "You don't think something happened to them, do you? Should I call the police?" Kurt spotted a stain on the wall, on the other side of the room, by one of the weights. When he got a closer look, he saw blood, and a black smear. That could mean one thing.

"Hey, who was working out here?" Kurt asked.

Beiste tried to remember. "It was that girl Lauren." She said.

That made sense. Lauren was possibly the only person he knew that would be capable of making a leviathan draw blood. But strong enough to take one down…he didn't think so. "What is it?" Finn came over to him.

"Leviathan." He whispered. Finns eyes got big. "Shit."

"Yeah. I don't know if they're even alive now. They might have already been breakfast."

Beiste came out of her office. "I just spoke with their parents. Neither of them came home last night."

"So you think it's Carl?" Finn asked as they stopped by the janitor's closet to stalk up on Borax.

"It makes sense. He's been hanging around the school a lot more. Mr. Shue is always annoyed. Wait, do you think Ms. Pillsbury is one of them as well?"

"I don't know." Finn replied. "But I think I might know a way to find out thought."

Finn squirted Windex on Ms. Pillsbury's window. She opened the door, confused. A little squirted on her face. Nothing happened. Finn wiped her face with a paper towel.

Ms. Pillsbury looked annoyed. "Finn, what are you doing?"

"I-I just wanted to thank you for helping Kurt with his sex addiction. So I'm cleaning your windows for you."

"I'm glad I passed on my cleaning habits to someone, but you're leaving streaks." She said.

"Oh, sorry. Hey I really need to see the dentist. Where is Carl usually when he's not here, with you?"

"Carl? Well he's really a workaholic, always seeing patients. You can catch him at his practice right now. I have the address written down somewhere…"

"Ms. Pillsbury isn't one of them." Finn said as he met Kurt in the parking lot.

Kurt nodded. "There has been five missing persons in the past two weeks. All of them were Carl's patients."

They pulled out of the parking lot. "Oh right. Ms. Pillsbury gave me this." Finn handed Kurt the address. "I thought we could check there first. …How come Carl didn't eat her? He's around her a lot, isn't he?"

Kurt thought for a minute. "Well, we're food to them, right? So when you buy meat, do you get the ones with a little bit of meat on it, or do you get the bigger pieces? I guess it's the same thing."

Finn frowned. They heard movement in the back. Kurt pulled over and fished around behind his seat and pulled out Tina. Finn pulled out Puck.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Kurt demanded.

"Y-you're going to find the person who took Mercedes and the others. Mercedes is my friend. I have every right to be here." Tina said.

"…Lauren's hot." Puck shrugged. "So what are we dealing with? Some cannibalistic psycho or something?"

"We should call the police if you know where they are." Tina said. "You know where they are right?"

"Get out of the car, now." Kurt said.

"Please…Kurt, I just want to know that Mercedes is alright." Tina said.

"Then I'll bring her to you. Now get out."

"But Kurt…"

"What are you going to do Hummel? Throw us out?"

"Exactly."

"Guys, listen to Kurt. It's going to be dangerous where we're going. We're not sure how many there are, and we've never faced against them ourselves. We only heard stories." Finn said.

"You make them sound like they're some kind of monsters. Maybe Tina here can't handle them, but I can."

"We're wasting time. I'm moving them myself." Kurt got out of the car and pulled Tina out. Finn did the same with Puck.

"Wait! Please Kurt!"

"Let go of me!"

Kurt, getting impatient, snapped at them. "You want to know what we're up against?! They're called leviathans. They are the strongest, smartest things we've ever come across. They can change shape to look like anyone. Bullets won't kill them. We don't know what does. And the longer I'm here fighting with you two, longer that thing's with them, probably making an afternoon meal out of them."

"No way. You're crazy." Puck said. "Things like that aren't real. And even if they are, what makes you two so special? Why do we have to stay while you go after imaginary monsters?"

"Because we have experience. I've hunted the supernatural for years. Finn's done pretty well for the last couple of months. If we take you with us, you'll only get in our way."

Puck looked mutinous. Tina however nodded. "Okay. Just bring her back safely. And when you get back, maybe you can tell me a bit about the things you've seen?"

"I'll think about it." Kurt replied and let Tina go. He got back in the car. "Come on Finn."

Puck however wasn't convinced. "I'm still coming with you. Monster or not, I can fight."

Kurt sighed. They needed to go now. "Puck, I've thrown you in a dumpster with no effort at all."

Finn snorted as they drove off.

Mercedes tried to move against the bindings, but she was still stuck. She felt tears run down her face. She didn't want to die this way, covered in vomit and made into a meal.

There were only three of them left. They had watched as Lauren exploded in blood and bone as that monster tore into her. That image was never getting out of her head.

She looked over at the other two. Karofsky was oddly expressionless and quiet. Azimio however was sobbing and muttering over and over, "I don't want to die."

"Why aren't you a mess like your buddy? You saw what happened to Lauren."

Karafsky shrugged. "Does it matter? I'm going to die anyway. I guess it's the karma thing."

Mercedes sneered. "You two are here because karma's collecting. I'm here because of bad luck."

"You're right." Karofsky agreed. Mercedes gapped.

"Really. I deserve this. You don't. And I'm sorry for the way I treated you and the rest of the glee club. I guess I was just scared."

"Scared? Scared of what?" Mercedes asked.

"I'm going to die here anyway. I might as well tell someone. I'm gay."

Mercedes eyes grew round. "You're kidding! You?" She laughed. "Oh God, you're not joking, are you? Wow. I never figured you to be the type."

Karofsky shrugged again. "I didn't either."

Finally distracted from their situation, Mercedes smiled. "So is there anyone you like?"

Karofsky turned away, blushing. "Oh my god! There is, isn't there? Is it…oh my god, it's Kurt, isn't it? I've seen the way you've always looked at him. I just thought it was because…wow. You like Kurt." Her eyes shined with mirth.

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Karofsky said quietly. "I just wish I had told my parents. Now they'll never know."

Mercedes looked at him sadly. Suddenly they noticed that Azimio went quiet.

"Dude, you've seen me naked. I changed in the same locker room as you. And you're a fag too?"

"I can't believe it!" Mercedes seethed. "This may be the last few minutes of your life, and you still…"

"Mercedes, it's okay." Karofsky said.

"No it's not. He can't-" She was cut off by footsteps coming toward them. She felt sick again.

"There's something about high school kids." Carl entered. "Your parents will just feed you and feed you. And you kids always claim you 'eat your problems away'." Carl snorted. "What problems? You kids are spoiled! It doesn't matter. Just means more meat for me." Carl surveyed the trio. "So who's next? How about you?" He pointed at Azimio. "I'm real hungry."

Azimio shook his head frantically. Carl opened his jaws.

Kurt and Finn reached Carl's dental practice. Kurt picked open the lock. It was empty inside. "Come on. Let's see if there's a basement here." He said to Finn.

They finally found stairs leading down. As they walked they approached a set of rooms. They looked inside one of the rooms they suspected to be Carl's office. There were at stack of papers on Carl's desk. Kurt doubted they were all about dental procedures, so he grabbed them and stashed them in his bag.

"Do you hear voices?" Finn asked.

Kurt listened. "That way."

Azimio cringed as he waited for his final moment. Mercedes screamed.

But it didn't come. Azimio looked up as Carl's head was slashed off.

"Hummel?"

"Kurt! You…you saved us."

Azimio stared in shock.

Kurt quickly cut off their binds. "Is Lauren…?" Mercedes burst into tears.

"Oh. Damn." He stared at the stain on the wall. "Come on. He won't stay dead long." He looked over at Azimio and Karofsky. "Are all your limbs intact?" They nodded.

He handed them both an ax. "Help us chop up the body and put them into these separate bags."

Karofsky looked at him incredulously. "Did I just hear you say…"

"Yep. Now get to it."

"Just checking."

"Are you alright Mercedes?" Kurt asked.

Mercedes shook her head. "I just saw Lauren get eaten alive, found out that monsters are real, and I'm watching you chop up its body. I don't think I'll be alright for a long time…. But thank you for saving me."

"Yeah Hummel." Azimio said. "You're still a fag. But you're a fag that saved me. So you're alright."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "My boy here is a homo too. You two should hook up or something." Azimio continued, elbowing Karofsky.

"Not now Z." Karofsky hissed. "We're chopping up a body."

"Well you sure saved me a lot of time." A voice came up behind them.

"Mrs. Shuester?" Mercedes asked. "What are you doing here?"

Kurt turned around, and Mr. Shuester's ex-wife was standing right there. "The dumb hoarder was scheduled for a bibbing anyway. Five missing patients… what was that ass thinking…"

"What's a bibbing?" Mercedes asked.

"Believe me, you don't want know." Kurt whispered. He grasped his sword. Terry Shuester lunged . He managed to slice open her shoulder. Black oozed leaked out and a little smeared over his arm. He hissed as the skin bubbled and his arm went limp. The sword slipped out of his hand.

"Kurt!" Finn yelled. Kurt couldn't respond. The pain was so intense his world shook. He bit his lip to keep from screaming.

Inias appeared. "Whoa! What the hell is he?!" Azimio exclaimed.

The angel took a look at his arm, and his eyes narrowed. He rushed at the leviathan and raised a hand. Nothing happened. Terry laughed, grabbing the hand. Inias tried to get out of her grasp. "We're older than you, little angel. Your tricks won't work on us."

Then she cut the skin of her hand with her nails and drew her palm back. Kurt knew what she was going to do. Feeling the pain course up his arm, he realized leviathan blood was lethal to angels. It would kill Inias.

There was no way he was going to lose the only angel on his side. He grabbed the tub of cleaning solution from his bag with his good hand and doused Terry. He watched as the leviathan screamed a sizzled.

Finn chopped off her head. "Thanks Finn." He gritted out in pain.

"Kurt…" Inias began, motioning to the injured arm.

"No time for that now." Kurt said. "Take that half of Carl to Yemen, and that other half to Siberia, or somewhere far." Inias wasn't moving. "Now!" He barked.

"I'll be back soon." Inias said before he disappeared with Carl's pieces.

Kurt slumped against a wall. "You two." He directed at Karafsky and Azimio, who watched him with wide eyes. He pointed to Terry's decapitated body. "Get started on that one." They got started cutting up the body without a single protest.

The pain was spreading. He chanced a look at the arm. He wished he hadn't as his stomach churned. The flesh was turning black and had a swollen look to it. It looked…decayed.

Mercedes came and sat down next to him. "Hey, Kurt." She said softly.

He tried to smile at her, but it turned into a grimace. "So…so is this what you do? You hunt these monsters?" She asked. Inias appeared again. Kurt pointed at Terry's body, bagged and ready. Inias nodded as he took them and left once again.

"Yeah. And other things too. But these are the worst ones we've come across." Kurt said, pointing at his arm. He looked down again, and frowned. The flesh was blackened all the way past the elbow now. It was spreading. He looked at Mercedes and saw that she was turning green, so he quickly hid it from her view.

"Are you going to be alright?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah Kurt. That looks…I've never seen anything like that." Finn said, staring at his arm.

"Leviathan blood." Kurt muttered. "It's poisonous."

Karofsky looked puzzled. "But I got some on my hands and nothing like that happened to me."

Inias appeared in front of him again, kneeling. "Stand back." He told the others. "Show me."

Kurt shifted, allowing Inias to look. He gently grasped it. The angel frowned.

"It's spreading. I'm sorry Kurt, but I have to…it needs to be amputated."

Kurt eyes snapped up. "What?!" He gasped. The others looked shocked.

"It needs to be done Kurt. It'll soon spread all the way to your heart. What's more important, your arm or your life?"

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut. He had to keep going. He definitely couldn't die like this. Kurt opened up his eyes, and nodded. "Do it. Finn, get my sword."

Inias shook his head and took out a silver blade. "It has to be done with this." He turned to the others. "All of you wait outside. You don't want to see this."

"No way I'm leaving." Finn said, appearing by his side.

"Then you should probably get her out of here." Kurt pointed at Mercedes, wide eyed and looking nauseous.

"Do...do you want me to call them?" Finn asked, referring to his cousins.

"Yes. Yes. And call Coach Sylvester too."

Once Mercedes left, Azimio and Karofsky following her out, Finn handed him a leather bound book. Kurt understood and bit down. Inias raised the blade, and Kurt had to look away.

Suddenly he felt the worst pain he ever felt in his life, and his world went black.