Night was falling on a small town in Midwestern America. It was a few days after Thanksgiving and Jack had been slowly sweeping across the nation. He had been to Russia and a few bits of Asia as well. After North America he was going to be on his way to Europe. Jack had to admit, even though it could be lonely doing his job, some of the things he was able to see more than made up for it. He smiled when he thought of the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower as he brought a light dusting of snow to the couples walking below bathing in the lights of the city, or the sight of the children of Tokyo as they were graced with a rare snow day courtesy of Jack Frost. Now he was perched atop the Sears tower in Chicago as he moved on to the bigger city. The suburbs were guaranteed a snow day, but he couldn't say the same for the city. It was harder with all the skyscrapers now days. He loved to see the progression of society but it also scared him.
How long until they became merely lost tales of fiction? He had lived three hundred years as an old wives tale with no one believing in him and he had seen what had happened first hand to the others when children lost hope in them. With the age of growing distractions and children losing their innocence much earlier than before it left an unsettling feeling gnawing at Jacks stomach. It had been years since he had become a Guardian and so far Pitch has made only ripples in their day to day lives.
It made Jack uneasy and the others as well.
For now though, he was content to do his job and bring winter to the world. He had declined North's offer to stay at the Pole during the winter mainly because he had to travel so much himself but also because if he stayed at the Pole in the days leading up to Christmas he would somehow be suckered into helping make some toy or another. He would retreat there in the summer sometimes but for now he was better off in the snow. He concentrated and with a wave of his staff brought a snowstorm to the city. He watched the first few flakes of snow fall before he released his hold on the building and started his fall to the pavement below. Jack took a moment to appreciate the lonely souls out at this hour before he yell his command to the wind, "take me home!"
Clutching his staff tightly he was whisked away back to Burgess as he waited for the sun to rise on the new day. He would celebrate the snow day in the same fashion he had years ago when the children of Burgess first started to believe in him.
They were in their early twenties now and some even had children of their own now that were told tales of the Guardians and of Jack Frost, the Guardian of Burgess in particular.
Jack landed on the lake in minutes and quickly set to work making flurries fall from the heavens. Light but perfect for snowball or snowmen. In other words, they were the perfect snow day material.
Children watched from their windows as the snow started to fall with wonder. Some could catch a glimpse of Jack himself as he jumped from roof to wire to tree branch and left a frozen trail in his wake. The kids would call to their parents who would smile indulgently and come see the snow while others would get lost in old memories. He came to a stop in a tree that overlooked Jamie's house.
The boy was now around nineteen and in college. Jack wasn't sure what for but it had been a while since they had actually talked. He would mostly just leave drawing in the window frost or little ice animals outside his window to let Jamie know that he was still out there. Jamie's sister Sophie was in high school and still a firm believer of the Easter Bunny. Hopefully he would see them tomorrow out in the snow.
For now he settled back into the tree and watched the snow fall as he chased sleep.
After what seemed like only a few seconds later, he was jolted out of sleep with a snowball to the side of his head. Jack flailed and with a startled yelp started to fall out of the tree. He quickly regained his senses and straightened himself in the air only to look around in a panic.
A laugh from below diverted his attention and he saw the cause of his rude awakening.
Jamie stood below with a crowd of kids ranging from twenty to as young as six.
A smile lit up Jack's face as he saw the assembled crowd. He twisted his staff so it stuck in the snow as he balanced on top. "That was a cheap shot, kids. You even have the benefit of knowing who I am." Jack took a moment to inspect his nails as if they were the most interesting thing in the world before he quickly jumped down and clasped his hands behind his back before continuing. "You should never start a snowball fight with Jack Frost." He smirked and that was the only warning they got before Jack reveled the snowballs hidden in his hands. The younger children squealed in mock terror before darting away but the older teens had no hope. Jack's smirk just deepened as he thought 'they are simply bigger targets.'
Thus was the start of another epic snowball fight. As time wore on though Jack noticed that the play seemed to lose some of its fun as the kids seemed to ware out quicker than normal. It was midday when they started to tucker out.
"Jack, hey- Jack!" Jamie called out as Jack went to extraordinary measures to make sure that the lake was safe for the kids to skate on.
"Oh, hey Jamie, what's up? Something wrong?" He glanced around as he tightened his hold on his staff.
Jamie had to stifle a sad laugh at the sprite's nervous nature before he could continue. "No, nothing's wrong, just wanted to know if it is okay if we go on a walk? You could show me your ice animals and snow work."
Jack's face lit up and he happily nodded before he set out to walk around to the far side of the lake. The winter spirit was so excited that he completely missed the devastated look that flashed through Jamie's eyes. The nineteen-year-old sighed heavily before following Jack around the lake.
True to his word, Jack made little ice animals of all kinds and regardless of his current state of mind, Jamie found them to be amazing. Miniature Ice sculptures come to life. Jack made a small bird that flew around them until Jack called it back and re-formed the ice into a scampering squirrel then a cat, a dog, a deer. They kept getting bigger and more elaborate. They made small talk as they walked but it didn't seem to matter to Jack. Jamie guiltily came to the conclusion that after three hundred years of no contact, any form of talking is a miracle.
Finally, they reached a clearing where Jamie suddenly stopped walking. Jack was so caught up in their meager conversation that he continued on for a few more steps before he realized that Jamie was no longer with him. He shot a glance backwards to see the other boy had stopped in his tracks and was staring intently at the ground.
"Jamie? You okay?" Jack was starting to get a bad feeling about this whole situation. Jamie was to quiet and the other kids had been acting off as well. He pulled his staff up off his shoulder and held it at the ready.
Jamie shied away from Jack's question as if the sprite had threatened him personally. "I had to Jack. Please, I had. I-, if there was any other way…"
"Jamie?" He was so focused on the teenager that he missed the darkening of the sky or the whisper of dead leaves as someone crossed the clearing. Too late Jake realized the danger as a tendril of nightmare sand whipped out and slashed across his back, sending him into the dirt and frost covered snow. Jack twisted onto his back as he clutched his staff even tighter. He attempted to sit up, turning to Jamie to tell him to run when a crushing weight came down unto his right lower arm. It forced his body back to the ground and made him relinquish his hold on his staff with that arm. Jack was about to twist and try to squirm his way free when a black scythe came level with his throat. Jack held his hands up in surrender but his heated gaze held a passionate hate as he finally saw Pitch, the boogeyman.
"Hello, Jack. Miss me?"
Jack let out a growl worthy of Bunnymund and attempted to swing his staff only to have the scythe forced closer to his neck. He could feel beads of blood beginning to trickle down his neckline.
"Always so rash. Here, why don't I help you with that?" Pitch grabbed Jack's staff and threw it behind him somewhere in the distance. He leaned more of his weight onto Jack's arm as he bent over and whispered to him, "now why don't you and I go back to my lair and we can have a nice little chat about this whole Guardian business, hm?"
Jack tried his best to glare defiantly and smirk as he replied, "sure, but only if you bring the snacks. That pesky no shoes, no service, rule can be a real downer."
Pitch chuckled darkly before he pressed down with all of his force unto Jack's arm. "Such a clever boy. We'll have to beat that out of you later, won't we?" He removed his foot only to place a firm kick to the boy's stomach.
Jack rolled through the leaves and came to a stop clutching his abdomen tightly. Now that he was free from the scythe he tried to stand up but his vision was not clearing quick enough. All he could see were bright spots of color and slow merging shadows. He shook his head to try and get a better view but when he opened his eyes again Pitch stood there with the end of his weapon raised. Jack felt a pain crash through the left side of his skull before he dropped to the ground again in agony. The pain was intense, blinding. It was all he could to stay conscious but he resolved that this fight wasn't over. He had taken worse hits when he was still an outcast. He had believers now, he could hold off a likely concussion for a few more minutes.
"It's so much easier when they are quiet, don't you agree?" Pitch now addressed Jamie who had hidden throughout the initial confrontation. The Boogeyman had to smile as the boy hesitantly came out from behind a thick patch of trees. Fear was truly more potent than any ridiculous faith these pathetic children could provide. They were so easily swayed form one side to the other as well. It was simply gratifying to be the one to cause such powerful responses.
"What about Sophie? You said you'd give her back. Her and all the others!"
Figures he would silence one insolent brat only to have another step up and fill the void. But such is the way of children, Pitch mused.
"Yes, well about that dear child. It's quite simple, I lied."
"W-what? You lied? No!" Pitch had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the possibility that the embodiment of fear had lied never crossed his mind. Children today are almost too easy to manipulate. At least in the dark ages kids were weary. They knew of the ramifications of dealing with the Boogeyman. All his deals could potentially be a double-edged sword if not worded correctly. But kids today were too impatient to care. Still he should enjoy what he can.
"Yes I lied. I am fear; did you really think that it would be that easy? That you could just walk away, you and your sister to have that happily ever after you're always after?" He laughed as he now circled the teenager. He could see clearly the doubt and fear being implanted in his mind. It was marvelous. "This way we both get what we want." Here the boy looked ready to object but as Pitch twirled his staff with a blank look, he thought better of it. "You get to continue to live and be free while I get those pesky Guardians out of the way." Pitch caught the clasping of his hands into fists though and knew that the message had come across clear. The flash of the eyes over to where Frost's body lay was no surprise either.
When he was frozen from the waist down though, that was a surprise. Pitch made a choked sound and twisted around to see Jack kneeling on the forest floor with staff in hand. His right arm was held at an awkward angle and there was blood dripping down his face but he seemed determined to be a constant annoyance. Pitch went to work getting out of the ice.
Jack meanwhile flew over to Jamie. He grabbed the nineteen year old with his left and gingerly held the staff in his right. He made it back to town before he had to stop and put Jamie down.
"Jack, I am so sorry. It's just, where have you been? We were out of options. The kids-they have all been disappearing! He took Sophie, Jack. It's been months. We were waiting for you and the others to show up and help. You never came. You didn't come, Jack." He seemed to have worked through all of the adrenaline and now he finally crashed. Jamie dissolved into tears over his situation.
Jack didn't know what to say. There had been no news of missing kids. North's globe had shown no signs of anything bad going on and now he had a hysterical teenager on his hands. He was awkward enough cheering up sad children let alone teens. Instead he channeled Tooth and hoped to MiM that it would work. "Look, Jamie, it's going to be okay." He flinched when the teen turned to look at him. "Um, we didn't know anything was going wrong. There were no signs Pitch was back or we would have been here in a heartbeat. We-we'll get her back, Jamie. We'll get them all back. But I need the help of the other Guardians. So we will be back to help okay? I need to go get them."
"You're sure you're not just going to leave us again?" It was spoken with an almost bitter disappointment.
"You know we will or you wouldn't still believe in us."