Do not own the movie.
Going to social events was not what Jack signed up for in joining the Guardians. Protect kids: defiantly. Give a good ass kicking to anyone who stood in the way of doing the first job: hell yeah. Go to parties: no. N. O. And it's not like he didn't enjoy socializing. He loved talking to anyone who would listen; it's just that other spirits didn't like socializing with him. In fact, they much preferred pounding him to a pulp to actually talk to him. So, when North informed him that Jack would need to attend a celebration dedicated to his addition to the Guardians, Jack made it is personal goal to avoid the Pole for as long as it took for North to forget the idea.
Unfortunately, his elder Guardian was nothing if not determined.
North just ended up sending the yetis and the sack again when Jack ignored his summons. Which is how Jack found himself poking his head out of the sack and staring up at his fellow Guardians. The winter spirit blew his bangs out of his eyes in an annoyed huff.
"You know, not every situation demands I get tossed in this god forsaken sack, North! I swear the yetis are mocking me, the shove the thing under my nose every time I visit." Jack slowly extracted himself from the sack, throwing irritated glares toward the Christmas spirit.
"You said you loved the sack!"
"Gotta teach ya the concept of sarcasm big man," Jack murmured.
"This wouldn't happen if you'd show up when we called, Frostbite," Bunny threw in from his place by the fire. Jack pondered the words as he took in the attire of his team mates. They were all groomed and dressed in what he assumed were party cloths.
"Oh, is that what this is about?" Jack turned on his heals before they could answer. Sadly, Bunny caught him by the arm before he got too far. "I don't want to go to a party!" He whined as the rabbit steered him back toward the others.
"Too bad, kiddo. We all had to go through it, and you are not wigglin' outa this. Now belt up, an' go with it."
"North set something out in your room. Oh Sweet Tooth, when was the last time you brushed your hair? It's so knotted! No worries, I'll run a brush through it, maybe some gel…." Jack starred at her in growing horror as she flittered around him, running frantic fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it while she rambled on.
"Sheila, leave the kid be! Now come on, Frostbite. We've only got an hour before guests start showin' up and…." Bunny took a sudden sniff of the air, peering suspiciously around. "North, people aren' suppose ta be showin' fer another hour, right?"
"No, no. Party will not be starting for long time. Why?"
"Someone's here." Aster reached slowly for his boomerang, eyes darting about to detect the intruder. Jack finally pulled his arm out of the furred Guardians iron grasp, looking about for whatever had everyone so on edge. He recognized the other spirits signature a split second before the cry of 'Flying tackle!' rang through the air. It was enough time to dodge the slim body that would have slammed into his torso. Instead he stood by watching as the spirit slid across the floor, a hilarious screeeeech following his face skidding against the tile. Jack barely managed to contain his laughter as the body finally came to a stop.
"I keep telling you that'll work better if you don't announce it before hand," another voice informed. Jack wiped his attention to the young woman perched on the railing beside them, watching the scene below her with a bemused expression.
"You don't understand the art of the flying tackle," the male spirit's muffled voice protested before he leaped up and pulled Jack to a head lock and wrestled him to the ground. The older Guardians starred in shocked silence as they tried to piece together what was going on. But when the mysterious male spirit pulled Jack to the ground, North decided the newcomer was a threat and drew his swords to deal with him.
Said spirit managed to pin the younger to the ground, straddling the boy before throwing his hands in the air with a joyous shot of 'victory is mine!', before turning to see a very sharp sword leveled with his nose. He gave a strangled shriek and rolled off of Jack.
"Holy sweet hell on a stick!" He shouted. "You don't go around waving swords in peoples' faces, you're going to take someone's eye out!" he pointed to his own eye for emphasis, giving Jack a pleading look as the sword was pushed closer to his face.
"North, it's fine. He's not dangerous." Jack placed a calming hand on the big man's arm, urging him to lower the weapon. North complied, eyeing the stranger with open distrust. The spirit – a youth in his late teens – ran a hand through his mop of reddish brown hair awkwardly, giving a shaky smile to the room. His eyes were a deep shade of brown that swept the room warily scanning for threats. He had a few inches on Jack and a similar physic, dressed in a pair of jeans and a modern t-shirt.
"So Frostbite, y wanna introduce us ta yer friends here?" Bunny easily identified both spirit as seasonals; the boy an Autumn and the girl a Spring. The young woman was a willowy beauty who held her-self with a regal grace that accompanied the slowing gown she wore. Platinum hair hung around her soft face in a halo. Green eyes signature of spring spirits eyed them in a similar way the autumn boy's did.
"Oh, yeah. This is Adam" a motion to the autumn spirit, "Willow,' a nod to the girl " and….. aren't we missing one?" Jack said after motioning to an empty space next to Adam.
"What do you mean…. Oh crap!" Adam shouted before bolting out of the room. Jack sent Willow a confused look.
"He locked Mara outside," she supplied, true amusement colored her voice.
"He didn't!"
"He did." The older Guardians glanced in confusion between the two seasonals, more lost than ever. The doors crashed open as Adam made his way back inside, stifling giggles at the girl who file behind him. She shook snow out of her curled orange-red hair, golden brown eyes glaring at the Adam. She had a body type that matched Willow's and was the only one of the three shorter than Jack. Adam walked over to Jack and tossed an arm over his shoulder while they both openly laughed at the girl's blued skin.
"It's not funny! I can't believe you locked me outside!" She shrieked, flames melting the ice and snow off her body. She clenched her jaw in rage as the boys doubled over, laughing so hard tears spilled over their cheeks. "Yeah, yeah. It's hilarious, laugh it up! Wanna know what else is funny?" Flames leaped at her finger tips at the cheered question, a mockingly happy smile lighting her face.
"Scatter!" The boys dived aside just before the fiery girl sent the flames flying at them. Deprived of their targets, the flames settled for the floor and wall where they'd once been. That snapped the Guardians out of their daze and into action fighting the flames.
"Mara!" Jack shouted accusingly.
"What, they're taking care of it?!" North whirled to face the girl. He stormed forward, swords once again drawn.
"You set fire to my home?!"
"Whoa gramps. Stress is not a good thing for a man your age," she warned. Adam gave a horrified look and smacked his palm to his forehead.
"Okay, Mar; if you're done destroying any chance we have of being social with these people –"
"There was a chance?" Willow interjected.
Adam gave a sigh and turned to Jack. "We gotta talk man. Important business."
"What kind of business?" Bunny asked, making his way past North – who was still red in the face at Mara's comment – to the cluster of seasonals.
"None of yours." The short remark came from Willow, who stared Aster down as if daring him to argue. Jack looked from face to face of the older teens and nodded, a look of grim understanding crossing his face.
"Guys, I'll be back in a sec," he promised, leading his seasonal brethren out of the main hall. The elders stared after them, minds spinning.
"What was…..that?" North finally managed to sputtered.
Bunny ran a paw over his ears. He ran over what he'd sensed from the other three teens, thinking the evidence over carefully before answering. "Ah think we just me the other three seasons."
