"Didn't they tell you Jack?" Pitch boasted. "It's great being a Guardian, but there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect-wonder, hopes, and dreams-it all goes away. And little by little, so do they." He chuckled at that last statement, making Jack sneer at him. "No Christmas, or Easter, or little fairies that come in the night. There will be nothing but fear and darkness. And me. It's your turn not to be believed in."

Bunnymund, tired of hearing Pitch's speech, chucked one of his boomerangs at Pitch. Pitch swiftly dodged it and his nightmare, Onyx, appeared. He jumped onto her and shot down one of the pillars. Jack watched in shock and delay as the Guardians jumped after him.

"Where'd he go!?" Bunny shouted.

Jack ran to try and catch up, but gasped in shock as something grabbed him. His staff was kicked from his hand and fell over the side of the pillar. He heard a shocked yelp from Bunny; the staff most likely landed on his head. Black sand gagged his mouth when Jack tried to scream for help and Jack finally looked at what was holding him back.

Two pale hands.

Jack felt fear creep into his heart and heard Pitch chuckle in delight behind him. Then Pitch teleported them through black sand.


In the lake clearing, Bunny picked up the staff that hit his head moments earlier.

"Isn't this Frostbite's staff?" he asked. "He can't fly without it, and I doubt he dropped it."

"Could you be any more stupid, rabbit?" a dark voice asked.

The Guardians turned around in shock to see Pitch with a tight grip on a struggling-and gagged-Jack Frost. They glared at Pitch, who smirked back at them.

"Let him go, Pitch," North practically growled. "Jack is not part of this."

"Well, that's not fun," Pitch frowned. "I'd much prefer to keep the sprite squirming, especially if it bothers you all."

"Pitch," Bunny warned him dangerously. Sandy made two whips out of thin air, ready to strike.

"Ah ah ah, Sandman," Pitch reminded him. "I have Jack, remember. Anything you shoot at me, I'll just put him in the way."

That made Sandy hesitate and falter. He wouldn't dare hurt Jack, even if it was on accident.

"As fun as it is to watch you squirm," Pitch spoke up. "I do have places to be and things to do, so I suppose I'll just take Jack here ... as an extra prize." He smirked evilly as Jack's eyes widened in fear.

Before the Guardians could do anything, a wave of black sand surrounded the captor and the captive and they disappeared.