Century Breakdown Chapter 4: Troublemaker, a glee fanfic

Chapter Four: Troublemaker

Eventually Kurt did have to make his rounds around the city. He pulled himself away from the communication room and managed to drag Sebastian out of his bed before dawn was even rising. For a moment Sebastian thought something was going on, that something was wrong. He woke up, pulling out the gun he kept tucked under his pillow, and aimed right at Kurt, who only gave him a roll of his eyes for Sebastian's display. Sebastian was pretty sure that words were strewn together sometimes during that little exchange, but as he was dead beat tired and had just woken up from a very comfortable sleep, he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what was actually said. It took him a moment to sort himself out before he was blindly follow Kurt out of the room, into the hallway and out of the theater. There was hardly any stirrings of life inside the building and Sebastian figured that Puck was asleep, where Sebastian believed he should have been as well, but he had learned that Kurt was anything but actually patient for someone once he had his mind set on doing something. Somehow Kurt still had energy and life to burn, even though Sebastian was utterly positive that Kurt had slept much less than he had the past few nights. And as far as Sebastian could see, the dark circles under Kurt's eyes were fairly light and only dusted across his skin. So, Kurt had to have turned in early last night, Sebastian guessed, because, although he had his doubts, Kurt wasn't an automaton and he did need sleep to survive.

The daylight was brushing against the darkness of the night. Stars were rapidly fading into the morning sky as the pale blue horizon peaked through decayed buildings. You couldn't yet see the sun, but the beginning of warm rays were streaking across the edge of the world, molding into the sky in a fixture of day and night. A limbo of the two phases of the day.

Sebastian looked up into the sky and wanted it to be night. He could always find reasons to prefer darkness over light any time of the day. It was when he felt the most free. He felt like anyone could do anything at night, and the thought was exhilarating. He felt like he could do anything and he wouldn't have to worry about the sun throwing around judgement over anything he could accomplish at night. If there was anything he hated most, it was that he had to sleep at night and then go out during the day. If only because it was the most practical, the safest way to live, especially now. If it weren't for The Warblers he would have found himself in this city for the night life. The parties, the bars, the clubs, the slew of possibilities that would be laid out for him like a fine feast. That's what he would have come to the city for. He would live with the mornings hitting hard, but he'd be able to shut the blinds to the light and never bother to emerce himself to the general population until he rose into the darkness and live in the night.

He was brought out of his thoughts and musings when he caught Kurt humming a familiar tune. He wasn't sure why it was so familiar to him. It must have been something he heard in passing once or twice before. One of those things he never bothered to look any further into because he decided that it really wasn't worth his time.

"What is that," he asked, unable to go about walking with Kurt with an unanswered tune stuck in his head.

Kurt looked Sebastian's way. He stopped the humming.

"That...song, you've been humming it for a while. What is it?"

"Oh," Kurt blinked, "Just a song I remember listening to a lot when I was in school. I guess I'm not really sure what it's called, or who it used to be by. Weird though."

"Do you remember the words?"

Kurt fiddled with the tune in his head, humming a few more bars to himself, trying to remember if he did indeed recall the words to the song.

It took him a moment but then he was singing softly, almost to himself."I'm gonna marry the night I won't give up on my life I'm a warrior queen Live passionately tonight I'm gonna marry the dark Gonna make love to the stark I'm a soldier to my own emptiness I am a winner."

He glanced over at Sebastian again.

"What? No comment? I'm pretty sure those are right."

"Do you remember anything more," Sebastian asked. The song did seem so familiar, not like an old friend, he was pretty sure there was a reason why he had never bothered with the song before. But right now, he wasn't sure, but it felt right to hear it.

Kurt sent him a funny look, not quite understanding a thing Sebastian was thinking, but continued with what he remembered nonetheless,"I'm gonna lace up my boots Throw on some leather and cruise Down the streets that I love In my fishnet gloves I'm a sinner Then I'll go down to the bar But I won't cry anymore I'll hold my whiskey up high Kiss the bartender twice I'm a loser."

For Kurt, it was like going back to the days he loved. Where he could be himself and just lose himself in the music, in the worlds that spoke volumes to him and kept him going through the tough times. Music had always been there for him. Through the tough times and for the fun times. Music evoked everything he was feeling and nothing he could put into words. And now that he'd found his old words, he couldn't keep them from flowing past his lips in a session of notes and lyrics.

"Nothing's too cool To take me from you New York is not just a tan that you'll never lose Love is the new denim or black Skeleton guns are wedding bells in the attic Get Ginger ready climb to El Camino front Won't poke holes in the seats with my heels cause that's Where we make love Come on and run Turn the car on and run I'm gonna marry the night I'm gonna burn a hole in the road I'm gonna marry the night Leave nothin' on these streets to explode."

Kurt finished off, trailing the words away and looked back toward Sebastian.

They were still walking, neither of them had stopped or slowed their pace much. The sun was still dimly lit and the signs of night were still fading off into the distance.

"Did you know the song?" Kurt asked, feeling exceedingly stupid for asking a question like that.

Sebastian shook his head, "Not really. It just sounded really familar is all. Listen to a lot of that kind of music did you?" Sebsastian chuckled mostly to himself, berating against the poor attempt to mock Kurt, "Sounds like something you would like."

Kurt settled for ignoring the attempt at being funny.

"And I'm completely sure that you used to listen to utter crap."

"Actually, I didn't listen to much music at all. Never really found the point in it," Sebastian countered, shrugging Kurt off.

"You were in a show chior," Kurt monotoned.

Sebastian nodded, the stupid meerkat grin on his face, "I just sang the words Princess, it's not like I much bothered with anything else. I was good at it and that's why I did it."

He turned his attention away from the sky and looked at Kurt dead on, flinching back a bit when he saw the horror struck look plastered on his face.

"What?"

"That's a horrible thing to say," Kurt exclaimed in a high octave that had Sebastian wincing.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "Just because you were into show choir to make friends and celebrate music or whatever, doesn't mean that the rest of us saw it like that. It looked good on a college application, especially if you were the head of the choir, and it filled a spot during the day."

Kurt huffed, actually huffed and Sebastian bit back a laugh.

"It was more than just that. Yes, it was great for making friends, and it was about the music. Why wouldn't it be? What's so wrong about creating bonds over a shared interest? And music is so much more than just swinging in the background while the leads sing in front of an audience."

"Know a lot about that don't ya?"

Kurt ignored him, "Music means so much more to a lot of people. Nearly everyone I met in that choir room had a change in heart in some way or another. Noah and I? Hated each other. Neither of us our freshman or sophomore year would even so much as think for a second that we'd deal with each other outside of the regular dumpster dives he subjected me to. Now look at us! By our senior year we were hanging out with my step-brother eating pizza and playing games. I had a few falling outs with some other people," Kurt admitted, thinking back to his friendship with Mercedes, how it had fallen off the radar after he transferred, "Santana?" Kurt continued, "She, okay, she's still a bitch, but she was scared in the start of high school. So scared about her reputation and about her family, all because she was in love with Brittney and she didn't think it was okay for her to like girls. Look at her now, she'll cut a bitch if anyone dares say a word to her or Brittney about their love. So excuse me if I think that that old Glee Club that music, did some good for us okay?"

"I see that it didn't do much to change you. Still a prissy ice bitch. I can only imagine how flaming you were in high school if this is the result of your 'transformation,'" Sebastian mocked.

Kurt halted, spun on his heal, and stood in front of Sebastian with defiance burning brightly in his eyes. There was more there too. Not just the defiance and demanding, but something else that had Kurt's eyes watering against emotions that Sebastian couldn't quite place.

"That Glee Club," Kurt closed his eyes for a breath before he snapped them open, a little less wet than they were before, "That Glee Club gave me so much hope for this world. I'm not going to lie and say that everything was perfect and that I always felt like I belongs. Because no. I hurt, a lot while I was at that school and sometimes I felt so horrible so utterly terrible that I never wanted to go. I just wanted to stay home and never wake up, and that scared me. And when there's this sign up sheet placed on a boring old cork board that feels like a new beginning, I felt so hopeful."

There were tears in Kurt's eyes again and Sebastian wished he could ignore them. They threatened to spill, but they didn't. Sebastian wondered how Kurt forced them not to fall streaming down his face for a little comfort.

"Again, it still sucked. It sucked nearly everyday. Because we were the losers. I was still a loser in that club, but everyone was considered a loser until we finally won Nationals our senior year. And it felt good knowing that I wasn't the only one going through a hard time. Sure, I got it worse than the others because I was already the faggy freak in the school who looked and sounded like a girl, but I had people there for me. Yes, most of them were dense until the last possible second, but they made it up to me. And that was so much more than I ever expected out of high school. That Glee Club, the thing you just mocked, probably saved my life in high school. I hated living everyday like I was and it only made things harder for my dad. I hated what people did to him because of me. So don't you mock something like that. Those people, that music, spoke to me and motivated me to push on and then make something out of my life that said "fuck you" to all of the people who made my life miserable before."

"Well, well, well," a voice echoed from the alley beside them, "This really must be my lucky day."

Kurt froze, eyes wide and unmoving. His posture was stiff and his finger itched for the gun on his hip. He honestly didn't expect such a cliche beginning to this inevitable meeting that he knew he was bound to face with one of the worst people from his past. It would only be his luck that the one guy that hated him as much as Kurt hated the guy would be the one to catch him at one of the few weak moments Kurt allowed himself. Usually they were left for the privacy of his room, or a particular emotional talk with Noah, never outside of the confines of the theater. And here he was, nearly in tears, voice nearly broken into hysterics, and the one Warbler Kurt did not want to find him had found him.

Sebastian turned toward the alley to catch the figure emerging from the shadows casting from the buildings. It still wasn't quite light enough for Sebastian to catch a good look at the figure until he fully emerged from the dark shapes. When he was able to identify the figure his throat closed up, cutting off his even breathing and for the first time Sebastian was more nervous, anxious, scared, than he had been in a long time. All he could think was "No, no, not right now." Not when he had finally run away, finally escaped. When he had found someplace where no one had heard of him, had ever seen him before in their lives. Where no one knew who he was and he could be himself without revealing everything about the past he wanted to bury away and kill before it had the chance to come back and blow up in his face.

"What a lovely little speech you had there Kurt. Reminds me of all the other whining I had to deal with while you were with us. Let me tell you Sebastian, he used to be worse. Used to cry like a fucking girl over the simplest of things. I can't say I miss it all that much."

The gaze Kurt had on Sebastian never strayed. Kurt eyes only widened and his lips thinned into a straight line. Sebastian, for a moment, thought that he was angry at Sebastian for not telling him that Sebastian's past may or may not involve the Warblers and their plans. But then Sebastian realized just what was being said to both of them. The Warbler knew Kurt. Had spent enough time around him to know something more about Kurt than anyone else really would have unless they were in each others company before and for reasons that didn't involve a gun to the other person's head.

"Thad," Kurt said, shifting so that his body was in front of Sebastian's, and if he were a bit taller and wider, he would have covered Sebastian completely with his body. But the gesture was nonetheless recognized with what it really was. Kurt aiming to protect Sebastian even though, not a minute before, Kurt was going off on Sebastian because of his dismissal of something Kurt obviously believed very strongly about.

"What brings you here?" Kurt continued with an edge in his tone that Sebastian was not aware was even possible, "It's a little bit odd to see you out here. I'd figured you'd be too concerned about getting dust on your pants, messing up that perfectly pressed uniform of yours."

Thad shrugged, lips curling into a feral grin.

"Oh Kurt, I can't say I missed that dry humor either. And your insults were always lacking. Never realized that it was better to go for the heart than just the outside of a person. Or are still too cowardly to play a little dirty," his gaze shifted to Sebastian, "Though I see you've found someone who would be more than willing to get a little down and dirty for you. Especially you Kurt. Sell out that ass a little to him and it just might take you far, or end up dead in a ditch somewhere, but details," he said, waving it off.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and managed not to take out his own gun and land a bullet right between Thad's eyes. What a lovely, welcome, sight that would make for him, and Kurt if his words and body language were anything to go by.

"Just tell us what you're really here for and get on your way before you end up dead and we have to deal with dumping a body we'd really much rather not bother with," Sebastian said. shifting his hands into his pockets, ideally feeling where he had his razorblade tucked into.

Thad's eyes widened in a mock version of innocence.

"What? I can't just be a lone straggler from the night? Who happened to make it out a little later than originally planned?'

Sebastian shook his head, "I think I'm going to have to agree with Kurt here and say that you wouldn't be out here in the desert if you didn't have to be. We want to know why you're the last to get out. Or if your even out here alone. I do hope you realize that you could be surrounded in a matter of minutes and you wouldn't even be aware of it."

Okay, so he was bluffing. Totally, one hundred percent bluffing. He knew that there was no way they could get anyone outside without any means to do so. He just hoped that Thad wasn't aware of that crushing truth. Because if he did, and he wasn't alone, then he and Kurt were seriously screwed.

"Well?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt shifted but Sebastian didn't see him move for his gun and knew that Kurt wouldn't fire if Thad didn't attack first. That would look bad for him. Puck had told Sebastian that it was always better to wait for the Warblers to make their move first because then whatever they did in retaliation was purely defense. It made sense. It wasn't a horrible strategy to uphold, especially when your future depended on people that did have the power to desert and go back to the big city and back to the Warblers.

For Kurt, it was a moral thing. If it was absolutely necessary for their survival, he would shoot first and ask questions later. There were times, during a raid for food and supplies they were in desperate need of, where he was known for taking the shot just so they would remain undetected. There were a few times mentioned to Sebastian by some of the people he had overheard, gossip never died it seemed, where Kurt was known to seduce an unsuspecting guard and then lead him into a knife in his stomach or across his throat. All to keep anyone who was caught out late safe and to keep their actions light and undetected until the next day when they were long gone and the bodies of dead soldiers were in their place.

Sebastian himself was quick to dismiss most of the rumors that seemed to spread about Kurt. Most of them weren't all that hard to believe, but some of them were known to be pretty outlandish. The same seemed to happen to Puck, but more with his sexual escapades, gossip mill from the older teens. Sebastian wouldn't be so quick to discard those if he was being honest with himself. But the ones that told of what Kurt would do to protect everyone, those were easy for him to imagine Kurt doing. He seemed to have a complex about keeping other people alive instead of himself, even if the other people weren't nearly as valuable to the cause as Kurt himself was (Sebastian ignored all of Kurt's lectures on how not one person was better over the other when it came to being alive. Everyone deserved to live, blah blah, we should do all we can to make sure that as many people stay alive as possible, blah blah. Sebastian knew what he knew and what he understood was that the leaders of the divisions and Kurt and Puck in particular were the most valuable and should be held above the rest for protection and safety. Because without them, it would only be more difficult to protect the remaining others).

Thad relaxed his own posture, not seemingly concerned about the weapon displayed on Kurt's hip.

"I just have a little message for Kurt here," his mouth twisted into a smile and weary eyes, "It seems that no one can seem to forget you. You left such a huge scar when you decided to run from us. Especially into the skin of one specific Warbler. Though I'm sure you know who I'm talking about without me even saying his name."

Kurt's eyes flashed sharply and with danger written in them, glinting as bright as silver daggers.

"I can't seem to recall names right now. Must not have been very important to me back then. Care to refresh my memory?" His voice was tight with filtered emotion.

Sebastian tried to remember all of the Warblers he remembered. He knew most of them. Had only ever heard of just one. One person who was out on business because of reasons that remained classified for as long as Sebastian was with the Warblers.

"Oh, come now Kurt. How could you not remember even his name? After all of the fun times you two had together? I'm sure he would be hurt hearing you like this," Thad sauntered up closer to Kurt until he was standing merely a foots distance away. Neither Kurt nor Sebastian made a move.

"Blaine," Thad said slowly and clearly, "Wanted me to tell you that he's been watching you and that he's just about ready to make his move. Though he doesn't want me telling you what grand scheme he's been working on just for you. He did want me to tell you that you have the power to stop his next move and the next and the next. Just turn yourself in and he won't have to make any moves that you don't want him to."

Thad froze, eyes wide and Sebastian took a closer look to see that Kurt had drawn his gun and had the end of the barrel jammed into Thad's stomach. His hand was steady, finger on the trigger.

"Leave. Now. And I won't kill you right now and send you to Blaine as a gift."

Thad's eyes flared, "You dig your own grave and the graves of everyone you care about?"

Kurt held Thad's gaze, unyielding and powerful, "We don't dig graves here," he relied, "We burn out into ashes and live on. Now leave, before I change my mind."

"Very well," Thad nodded, "If that's how it's going to be. No parting words for Blaine?"

Kurt didn't answer him, only cocked the gun into Thad's stomach. Thad raised his hands in the hair, backing up a step, and then another, and then another, until he was an arms length away.

"No need to bring up bad blood. I was just asking. Figured I would be better safe than sorry," he spun on his heel and began walking back from where he came from, calling out, "I"ll be seeing you soon Kurt. Real soon if everything goes according to plan. Don't get to comfortable here. There's only so long you can hide from us. And only so long until you realize that you'll be the death of everyone you care about."

Kurt didn't respond. He pulled back the safety and slipped the gun into its holster.

Sebastian waited until Thad was out of their sight range before gripped Kurt's forearm and turned him around so that he was facing Sebastian.

"Care to explain that little mess that just happened right there," Sebastian demanded, not in anger, but genuine curiosity. He suspected that Kurt had some kind of past behind, but he couldn't see Kurt getting involved with the Warblers of all people. From everything that had happened, he knew Kurt hated the Warblers. But, maybe that was why he hated them. He must have known enough about them to get up to that level of hate.

Kurt didn't glare back, and his voice was slow and steady, something Sebastian saw as unexpected, "What about you? You knew who Thad was and he knew who you were. When were you two acquainted?"

Sebastian sighed, and with his hand still wrapped around Kurt's arm, pulled him into the closest building. He wasn't sure what it used to be, but he guided Kurt into the structure, glad that Kurt wasn't putting up any sort of a struggle. Which was good because that meant that Kurt wasn't necessarily asking about Sebastian knowing Thad because Kurt didn't trust him, but because he needed the answer to help strengthen the trust Kurt had already figured Sebastian had earned the right to hold. He was sure that Kurt would have put a gun to his head and then asked the questions if he in any way suspected that Sebastian might still be working with the Warblers in secret.

Inside the building were old storage crates, after deeming them suitable and not so decayed that they would disappear if weight were applied to the wood, Sebastian sat down on one, after releasing Kurt. Kurt remained standing in front of Sebastian. He wasn't sure if it made Kurt feel superior to Sebastian, more than likely it was that Kurt was feeling a bit skittish, despite any lack of a fuss being dragged into a secluded building with a now known former Warbler. Kurt most likely wanted to be able to escape as quickly and swiftly as possible if any of his doubts turned out to be rightful and true.

He sighed when Kurt didn't press forward on his question. Sebastian really wanted to call Kurt on his own bullshit. He hadn't answered Sebastian's question about Kurt knowing about the Warblers. About potentially being a former Warbler himself. Though, rationally, Kurt's live was literally on the line because of the grief he's been sending the Warbler's way. Out of either of them, it was Sebastian who was more likely to be the double agent.

"Look, Kurt," Sebastian started, "I know Thad because I was a part of the Warblers, for about a year. Pretty sure it was about a year, maybe a little longer? Before I left and ended up here, and well, you know when I got here, so you can do the math with that one."

Kurt looked down at him, "Why did you leave?"

"I got tired of their bullshit. I grew up. My parents left and I trusted their judgement. I hated everything I was a part of. There were a thousand and one fucking reasons why I left all of them reasons why I never want to go back and why I want the Warblers to fall out of power just as much as the rest of us." He purposefully said "us" because he was on this side now. He was with Kurt, Puck, Santana, Brittney, Sam, Quinn, and all of the other leaders and people who were in hiding from the Warblers. That was who he was and there was no denying it, from himself or anyone else, because anything else would be cowardly.

Kurt looked down at him, "Why did you leave?"

"I'm not going to lie and said I hated every living second I was with them. Because, when I first joined, I wanted to be there and I wanted to be powerful. And I thought that I could be the kind of person that would do anything for power, absolutely anything. I thought I could manipulate and weave my way through the rules and yeah," Sebastian shrugged, "For a while I did do all of those things. But, like I said, I grew up, I saw the error of my ways if you will. I couldn't stomach some of the things they were doing. To kids, adults, all of these people that didn't really deserve any of it. I didn't think it was right and so I left. Didn't even give them a days notice. For all that they knew, I was still in agreement with everything they believed in. I just walked out without anyone noticing I was gone until I was missing for a few days, or so I assume because no one came after me."

He looked up at Kurt to gauge his reaction. Kurt's eyes were soft and understanding and he wasn't itching for his gun. Then he sighed and kicked over a box of his own and placed it next to Sebastian. He broke Sebastian's gaze when he sat on the wood, both hands intertwined, resting between his knees. He was fighting, like he couldn't stay still for the life of himself, even his eyes were darting across the streaks of light peaking through broken boards of the building.

"I was with the Warblers for about half a year. I'm guessing it was right before you joined. So we probably just missed each other."

Sebastian grinned, "Would we get along if we were there at the same time."

Kurt shook his head and laughed a little and it sounded self deprecating to Sebastian's ears.

"Not at all. I'm pretty sure we'd get along even worse than we are now. When I found out what was going on, I reacted a little," he laughed again, "I defiantly was not happy with them and I had no problem voicing my opinion. I was a little more scandalized than horrified I think."

Sebastian nodded and thought back to what Thad was talking about, "What was the thing you had with Blaine?"

Now Kurt's eyes looked more wet than self hateful, "You'll get a kick out of this. I was in love with him," Kurt admitted, "Or at least, I thought I was. That kind of went out of the window as soon as I found out"

"How did you not know," Sebastian asked because he walked in with an open invitation to rule the world. The Warblers were always open with their plans when they introduced people they were interested in, "Didn't they tell you?"

Kurt shook his head, "No, never," he grimaced, "I was never asked to be in the Warblers because of my talent for scamming or murder or even my desire for revenge or power. Blaine wanted me for less... less noble purposes I guess you could say."

"Less noble purposes?" Sebastian lifted his eyebrows and sent Kurt a shit eating grin, one that he had hoped would at least calm Kurt down a little with the familiarity of it. But he made sure to sound less like he was trying to make fun of Kurt and more like he wanted him to laugh for the sake of laughing over horrible things, "That's what you came up with? Now I'm fairly certain I can guess what those less than noble ideas of his were. But seriously, that's why you were invited? As a personal whore for their leader?"

Kurt nodded, "He told me that it was more than that. But the idea is basically the same. He wanted someone ignorant, who would cling to his every word and love him. So, in theory, it didn't sound like such a horrible thing. He said he just wanted someone who would willingly love him and give themselves to him whenever he felt like he wanted them.

The only reason I even found about about what they were doing was because I wasn't so dense with emotions that I didn't catch that there was something going on. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I knew I was being kept in the dark for something. That there was a reason why the Warblers sent me a look every time I walked into a room. Like they knew something I didn't know and it amused them to no end. So, one night while Blaine was out with the Warblers, I went into his room and I searched through his desk. Personally, I think it was him being too trusting that I would be too trusting, that he even bothered keeping 'top secret' files in the desk in his own room. That was just asking for someone to go snooping around looking for information."

"What did you find in there? There's no way he would have left confidential files where it would be so easy to get into."

Kurt laughed, "There was enough for me fill in the blanks without too much creativity. Really, when I look back on it, all I can do is laugh at his stupidity. How he, how they all, underestimated me so easily."

"So," Sebastian nudged on, "What did you do after you found out about their plans? You said that you couldn't even stomach what they were planning, so I doubt you stayed there very much longer. Did you just leave that night?"

Kurt shook his head, "I was shocked, horrified, yes. I went straight to my room, determined to leave that night. To go back home with my family, to go back and...I'm not really sure what I was going to do then. If I would have done anything more than just ignore what I had seen and go on with my life for as long as possible."

"But obviously that didn't happen."

"No, it didn't. Blaine went into my room that night and was greeted with the lovely image of me packing as much of my stuff as I could into one bag. He demanded to know what I was doing. I tried to play it of as homesickness and how I just needed to go back home for a little while and be with my family. Unfortunately he wasn't that dense and I was nearly hysterical. I was shaking and crying and Blaine was so angry at me because I had never mentioned to him how much I missed home and he demanded that I tell him the truth because he thought I was happy. After a while I stopped trying to talk to him, to give him my explanation and I tried to just leave, but he grabbed me, smacked me around a little," Kurt took a breath, "He freaked me out just as much as he pissed me off and I pushed back. I told him that I knew everything and that I didn't want to even look at him anymore, that looking at him made me sick. Well...you can guess just how well that went," subconsciously Kurt traced the scars on his face and throat, hand darting underneath his jacket sleeves where Sebastian knew concealed skin that also carried scars.

"How much longer were you there?" Sebastian asked, figuring that was a question easier answered than any of the others floating around in his head.

"I was there for another two months. During that time my friends back home had already caught whiff of what was happening with the Warblers and a lot of them were headed underground. Somehow they convinced my dad to go into hiding as well. Our little rebellion was pretty small and once they joined they found out about what was going on with me. I guess some people heard that the Warblers were keeping someone captive and torturing them, but they couldn't really do much back then. Everyone was too weak."

"How did you get out then?" Sebastian questioned, because he couldn't connect the dots well enough yet.

"I escaped on my own. More luck than skill really. They kept a pattern and it wasn't hard to figure out when the best time was for me to slip away. Blaine visited me sometimes, kept trying to offer me an out every time. Saying that he would take me back if I only stopped fighting them. One day I made a good enough actor and convinced him that I was ready to be with him. While we were kissing I pulled the knife from his jacket pocket and stabbed him in the gut and then I swiped a cut across his face," he tapped the side of his boot, where Sebastian knew he concealed a knife, "I took it with me and I managed to get out of there and then I found my way to the other rebels. I still remembered what I read in Blaine's desk and that's how we were able to gain a bit of leverage in our strength and numbers. They've obviously changed tactics, but the main goal and how they want to reach it is basically the same as when I first rummaged through the papers."

Sebastian let out a breath of air, "Well I can certainly see why they want to fly your skin up as a banner Princess. You pretty much pissed every single one of them off and single handedly managed to make a fool out of their leader."

"They underestimated me," Kurt sniffed hautingly.

"Okay, but none of that really explains how you ended up as big as you are."

"There was another leader before me," Kurt explained slowly, "He died during a firefight. He ended up caught in the cross fire and when the dust settled and the ones that attacked us had already gotten out of there, it was too late to save him. He'd lost too much blood and he had known it. Because the next thing we knew he was giving us the usual speal he always did when he felt the need to remind us what we were fighting for. I'd only been with them a year, hardly even a year, and he looked right at me and told me that it was my turn to carry on what we stood for. That it was up to me to keep everyone from killing themselves and each other. He had controlled all of the territory. From here to old California. There's no way I was going to be able to do that by myself."

"So you're the one that settled with the idea for the divisions? They weren't already there and you didn't just decide to replace all of the older people with everyone you knew before?"

Kurt nodded and then scowled when he got where Sebastian was heading with all of this before.

"Of course not. I thought we had already established that I'm not in this for any kind of power. I don't need it and I didn't want it in the first place. But it was a dying wish and no one would hear of anything else. We needed a more stable way to control the areas we had already obtained and so I proposed the idea of districts and everyone trusted me enough to divide them as equally as possible and be able to make the decision as to who would lead what division. Again, I thought I made this clear enough the last time you asked about all of this."

"Hey, you told me who looked over what, you never told me how they actually even started in the first place," Sebastian defended, "I'm finally getting the actual history of this whole thing. And I still don't know how this whole thing even started anyway."

Kurt shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. I just stumbled upon the rebels and they took me in. That's all I knew and not even the people that have been here longer than I have really know how it was that we came to be as strong as we are now. Or how we were able to stay out of the Warblers sights until..."

"Until you came in and made everyone a target?" Sebastian tossed in, speaking every bit of the truth that kept Kurt awake at night.

"Yeah," Kurt's throat felt dry and cracked, like he was trying to force out each breath and each word after the other, "You're right about that. But would you do any different? You're here right now, would you want to be kept in hiding. Away from the world and not doing a lick of difference...even if it meant that there was a higher chance of people, of kids, dying?"

"Does it really matter what I think? Because I think I hit a nerve there. But I guess we could look at it this way. Would the Warblers eventually find us? Yes, most likely. Especially if they've got a grudge on you and it sounds like they wouldn't take to kindly to themselves if they didn't find you, just so they can regain a bit of their pride that you hurt. Would they kill any of these kids because they left? Most likely they would anyway because they don't care about anyone, especially those who made the decision to break away from their power. So tell me, is any of that really any different from what's happening right now? I mean," Sebastian scoffed, "Who even cares about the fact that you're providing refuge and safety for these people, risking your own life day after day and even at night you're risking your neck for people you don't even know. Who cares that it's giving people the strength to walk away from the Warblers control, weakening them in the process? It's not like any of that matters?"

Kurt glared, "You're the one who said that I was making people a target. Now you're telling me that what I'm doing is exactly what I should be doing? How does that make any sense!?"

Sebastian watched as Kurt glared at him, and attempted not to cringe at the ringing quality Kurt's voice rose to with his anger. He really did not see how puck could be as scared as he is when Kurt's yelling at him or venting out his frustrations because it kind of was more funny than anything to hear Kurt yell from the tops of his lungs. Really, Sebastian was always surprised that he didn't hear dogs howling from the pain it must cause them to hear him.

"I was curious to what it takes to boil your blood," Sebastian admitted, "It's really interesting really. How passionate you are and yet how defensive you are of yourself and everything that you're doing. Are you really that insecure that you need even me to fuel your self-esteem?"

Kurt blinked and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Is this what you're going to do if the Warblers do come for you and actually succeed? Let them into your head and send you back to being a scared little child that's running from his demons? Because that's exactly what they're going to do and right now it seems to me that they won't even break a sweat doing it either. You'll blow up and defend every step you made, but with every anger fueled rant you send yourself into you are giving them an opportunity to come right back at you and tear you apart. You're too emotional for your own good," Sebastian criticized, "Now that's all good and well when it comes to helping these people, but it's going to get you and everyone else killed. Unless that's your ultimate goal, I suggest you work a little harder on your poker face and not let things get to you so easily."

"Are you seriously giving me advice?" Kurt asked incredulously, "You, of all people?"

Sebastian smirked and Kurt wanted to slap it off of his face.

"Well, it seems that no one else here is challenging you enough. Sure, Santana is badass and I don't think I want to end up in a knife or a gun fight with her because I value my life very much. But I haven't really seen anyone around to question if you're even in the right mindset to be doing all of this. I mean, I'm pretty sure that was Puck's job too. But he's so whipped that it's insane. You have him wrapped around your pinky finger so bad that I really don't see him fighting you too much. Yeah, he's going to be there to make sure that you don't die, but I don't see him questioning your judgement call, even if he suspects that you're a little emotionally unstable. And by a little," Sebastian mentioned sardonically, "I mean a lot. Really, diva fits, even in the best interest, are not something you want to get into."

Sebastian explained further when he saw that Kurt's angry glare was not lessening up, "I talked to Puck while you were having your own little melt down in the communications room. He waved it off and although he is just as concerned as I am that there could be something going on right underneath our noses, he's not going to say anything to you. And right now, I don't think you need someone who's not going to voice any concerns or not push you to make you stronger than what you already are. Because, although I'm most likely going to want to drown myself in a nice whiskey after saying this, you're strong, Kurt. But there has to be more, you have to be more if you're going to stand a chance when the time comes and you're face to face with the Warblers, especially if that Warbler turns out to be Blaine. Do you understand."

Kurt nodded, and motioned for Sebastian to continue.

Sebastian grinned, counting this all as a win on his part, "Which is why I'm going to be the grown up right now and explain to you what Puck and I think. And I'm fairly certain that you've been thinking the same thing and now that Thad has come to threaten you, I think this really makes things real on our part."

Kurt nodded again and motioned for Kurt to continue, hand flourishing in front of him in such a flouncy gesture that had Sebastian grinning.

"We think that the Warblers might be planning to go into Division Six."

Kurt's lips thinned and he spoke up, in an almost relieved tone, "So I'm not the only one. I thought that maybe I was just being paranoid. Over protective over my family, but with Thad," Kurt grimaced and his hands clenched together until his knuckles were white, "I don't think it can be a coincidence." Kurt's eyes widened.

"I-" Sebastian started but cut himself off as Kurt stood up suddenly and began making his way out of the building. He stumbled up and went to catch up with Kurt's pace, "Hey, where do you think you're going. Did you not listen to a thing I just said about being emotional and letting your emotions-"

"Sebastian," Kurt called out, not missing a beat in his footing, "We need to go right now. To the theater."

Sebastian sighed and struggled to keep up, "Do you really think that they're going to call?"

"Blaine loves to gloat," Kurt explained, "Thad was just a part of that, I think. I could be wrong, but at least, if i'm wrong about the call...I'd rather be wrong about that than right about losing Division Six to the Warblers. Are you coming or not?"

Sighing, Sebastian followed behind Kurt and tried not to think about what would need to be done if the division was actually taken. He hadn't thought that far into it, but he didn't doubt that Kurt could stomach letting it go, Sebastian just thought that Kurt had too much heart to do what was best if it came down to letting the division remain under Warbler control.