Darkness. After falling through the empty nothingness for what seemed like an eternity, that was the first thing that Jack remembered. It was dark, and it was as silent as a tomb. And Jack was scared.
Gasping, Jack managed to pull himself into an upright position. Every single inch of his body ached, and his pounding head made it difficult to focus. Squinting through the desolate gloom that surrounded him like a death shroud, Jack tried to make sense of the blurry gray shapes that surrounded him.
There were strangely carved formations of stone overhead that appeared to be baskets or cages. At the far end of the room, which seemed to be a cave, lay a massive globular object that twinkled with a thousand golden specks of light. Besides the globe and the hanging cages, there didn't seem to be any other pieces of furniture in the rather barren abode. The only other thing that seemed to reside in the cavern was an oppressive sense of darkness that pressed down on Jack and made it difficult for him to breathe.
Straining to remember what had happened, Jack slowly blinked in an attempt to clear his fuzzy vision. It took forever, but when Jack was finally able to see clearly again, he realized with a jolt that he was sitting in the middle of Pitch's underground lair. Confused, Jack ran his fingers through his snow-white hair and tried to figure out what he was doing so far away from light and the realm of the living. Was he having a nightmare? Or had Pitch kidnapped him in his sleep and taken him here for whatever sinister reason? Everything seemed so surreal, yet Jack felt so alive that it was impossible to determine what was real and what was merely a figment of his imagination.
Sluggishly, Jack reached out his arm and let his hand brush against the rocky floor. He recoiled in horror when he felt the cold hard stone beneath his fingertips. It wasn't a dream after all. For whatever terrible, twisted reason, Jack was really stranded in Pitch's lair with no hope of escape.
As Jack came to this realization, a flood of memories gushed into his brain-the Nightmares; rescuing Pitch; being dragged away, screaming for dear life, taken away from everyone he loved; total blackness and the numbness of sleep. "No…" Jack whispered, reeling from the sudden revelation. He took a deep breath, telling himself that there was nothing to be afraid of here. He had his staff and his wits; surely those were enough to keep him alive while he navigated the lair. He could already see a stream of light emanating from the ceiling, and when he scrunched up his eyes and stared hard at the blotch of light, he could see a miniscule hole in the roof of the cavern. It wouldn't take him very long to fly up through the hole and return to the pond. Escaping would be as easy as frosting a window on a wintry morning. There was only one catch-was he strong enough to stand and summon the wind?
Hesitantly, Jack attempted to rise but moaned as dots swam before his eyes and his head throbbed even more intensely. Although he sat still for several minutes afterwards, he couldn't get the headache to go away. Jack closed his eyes and rubbed his head, but the pain in his skull only increased in intensity from one second to the next. With every passing moment, any chances of Jack finding the strength to stand became slimmer. Jack was beginning to believe that any attempt to escape from Pitch's eerie domain would be close to impossible if the headache got any worse.
There was only one thing left to do, and Jack wasn't even sure if his idea would prove successful. Still, he had no intention of staying down here forever, so surely it was worth a try. Jack sighed deeply, sending a strand of wispy white hair flitting away from his forehead, and shut his eyes. "Wind, take me back," Jack commanded.
Jack waited to feel the familiar chilly sting of the wind at his back, but nothing happened. Frustrated, Jack focused what little energy he had and tried again. "Wind, take me back."
Still nothing happened. Jack threw his staff across the ground in fury and banged his fist on the floor, sending a resounding echo through the chamber. "Why won't you come? I'm not staying here forever! Bring me back!" Jack yelled.
At last, Jack began to feel a nippy little breeze tugging at his back. "It's about time you came," Jack grumbled. He leaned over and reached for his staff-he had no intention of leaving it behind. Only the Man in the Moon knew what could happen if Pitch got his hands on Jack's precious staff. Jack shuddered as he imagined all the havoc that Pitch would undoubtedly wreak with it and gripped it firmly in his fingers.
Leaning heavily against the wall, he allowed the wind to lift him into the air. Soon, Jack was gently drifting like a snowflake towards the opening in the ceiling of the cavern. He could already feel the fresh air on his face. Jack grinned like a hyena and did a backflip of joy. Soon, he'd be free from this nightmare and back with the other Guardians once again.
The Guardians…what will they think of me when I return? They don't know what it's like to be alone for so long. They won't understand the reason why I saved Pitch. They'll just think I'm a traitor, Jack realized. As this thought entered his foggy brain, he paused in his flight and hovered uncertainly in the stale air. He hadn't had much time to think it over when the Nightmares had begun to drag Pitch away, but now that he had some time to reflect upon his actions, he was beginning to doubt that he had done the right thing.
Was it really worth it to save a man as evil as Pitch? Perhaps Pitch didn't really deserve to be forgotten, but surely he didn't deserve to be remembered. All that Pitch wanted was to be believed in, but the belief he gained came from fear and suffering. He was a cautionary tale to the Guardians; an example of who they could become if they forgot why they protected children in the first place and cast their noble centers aside to replace them with merely a desire to be seen. He had no place in the world; after all, fear only corrupted hearts and made them less receptive of miracles and light. Why should a man like that continue his existence in a world where fear was no longer needed?
Still….the terror Jack had seen in Pitch's eyes had given him pause. He knew that feeling far too well-the fear of being dragged into oblivion and erased from the consciousness of the world. Every time he'd been passed through by ignorant humans, that fear had haunted the corners of his mind and driven him to unbearable anguish. Every time he'd faced Pitch, he'd always worried, deep down inside, that he might not live to fight another day. He could hardly remember a moment in his pre-Guardian existence where he hadn't dreaded that the day would come when he would cease to exist altogether.
Unlike Pitch, though, he'd helped children to believe in the Guardians, and in the course of assisting the Guardians in their battle against Pitch, he'd discovered his true calling in life. Now, he couldn't imagine for a moment never existing, never being just around the corner with a friendly snowball and a mischievous grin in hand. It was even more difficult for him to imagine leading a life where children ran from him in horror and he ceased to be little more than a scary story told around campfires in the dead of night.
Even before he'd become a Guardian, he'd protected his sister from the dangers of their little colonial world. Although he no longer had to look out for his sister, Jack now held the fate of the children of the world in his hands. He knew he'd gladly sacrifice his life to keep them safe, just as he'd given his own life to keep his sister alive. But now that Jack had given that same mercy to Pitch, would the Guardians still trust him, or would he once again wander the world, unseen and unheard by anyone?
There was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, Jack willed the wind to carry him further towards the light. His reunion wouldn't be a pretty one, but Jack was willing to risk the distrust of the other Guardians. He knew that he had to take responsibility for his actions, and he was willing to face the uncertainty of his companions because he knew that, deep down inside, whatever Pitch had done to them, the boogeyman was just as worth saving as any child that they protected. It didn't matter whether he was good or evil. Pitch was still a living, breathing person with a soul and hopes, dreams, and fears. When Jack really thought about it, Pitch wasn't all that different from the other Guardians or even the children who believed in them. Why should he not receive the same trust and compassion that the Guardians gave to the children of the world? Perhaps Pitch would be willing to change his ways if he was given a chance to contemplate what he had done. Maybe he would keep his wrath in check and give the Guardians the same mercy that Jack had given him now that he knew what it was like to be saved.
A sinister whinny jolted Jack from his introspection. Raising his staff, Jack glanced around the lair to determine the cause of the whinny. Surely there couldn't be any Nightmares here in the lair? Then again, the ones who'd dragged him here might still be lurking in the corners of the cavern, waiting to jump out and scare Jack to death.
Jack forced himself to appear calm and collected. Although his heart was beating furiously in his chest and his mind was racing, he knew that if he showed fear for even a moment, the Nightmares would easily overpower him. Another whinny pierced the veil of silence in the lair. To Jack's horror, the whinny he'd heard sounded even closer than the first.
"W-who's there?" Jack called out shakily. Two more bone-chilling whinnies answered him. A few seconds later, another chorus of whinnies echoed throughout the lair. Then, one by one, twelve pulsating Nightmares emerged from the shadows to form a circle around Jack. They shook their shifting manes and stomped their feet, snorting as they stared at Jack with glowing eyes full of hunger and rage. Jack sliced through three of them with his staff, but as soon as the unlucky Nightmares dissolved into dust, four more popped up to replace the ones he'd slain.
"Well, I hate to run, but…" Jack gulped. He turned around swiftly and shot into the air, determined to fly through the gaping hole in the ceiling before the Nightmares could catch him. As soon as Jack flew off, though, the Nightmares let out a petrifying shriek and chased after him like a malevolent murder of crows. Jack blasted several away with his ice power, but every time he took down a Nightmare, a new one would spawn from the dust of the fallen steeds. By the time Jack was two feet from the exit, there were more Nightmares chasing him than there had been before.
"Come on, come on, you can do it, almost there," Jack muttered to himself. He forced the wind to carry him faster and reached desperately for the light streaming through the exit. A Nightmare lunged forward and grabbed his hood, dragging him down through the air. Jack screamed in fury and hit the Nightmare straight in the heart with a blast of ice, and the evil creature shrieked and exploded in a shower of black dust.
"Hah! Got you," Jack snickered. He soared through the air, taking out even more Nightmares as he finally made it to the exit. Grinning wickedly, he flew out the opening and into the bright early-morning sunlight, whooping in triumph.
He landed on the ice of the pond and scanned the area, searching for any signs of the other Guardians. Strangely enough, they didn't seem to be anywhere nearby. "Huh," Jack mused aloud. "You'd think that they'd stay behind after one of them got dragged underground by Pitch's Nightmares…"
Jack then took a tentative step forward and called, "Hello?"
Nobody answered. Jack called again, but still not a single voice answered his burning question. Jack's heart skipped a few beats. Why would they leave him alone here? The Guardians did not strike Jack as the kind of people who would abandon one of their party in a time of danger. He knew that they'd at least try to save him before giving up. After all, he was one of them now. Besides, even if the Guardians left, the children would still be there and they'd try to help Jack for sure. Even if the other kids didn't, Jack knew that Jamie would never leave him to die. There was no reason for either the Guardians or the children to flee now that he was no longer a neutral party. There was no way that they'd given up on him…unless-
Jack whirled around, breathing hard. No, it couldn't be possible. The Nightmares hadn't taken the other Guardians. And there were too many children for Pitch to be able to kidnap unseen. If Pitch had….well, Jack didn't want to think about it. All he knew was that he had to save his friends. Confidently, Jack took another step forward and released a dazzling wave of icy power rushing towards the Nightmares that had followed him aboveground. If Pitch thought that he could control Jack and harm the Guardians and Jamie, then he didn't know who he was dealing with.
Jack waited for the Nightmares to explode into a million tiny particles of dust, but to his surprise, the wave didn't affect the Nightmares at all. Instead, they galloped forward and sunk their teeth into his arms. Jack tried to fight back, but the Nightmares easily overwhelmed him, feeding off his growing fear. Now that the Nightmares sensed his terror, he was no match for them. Running like the wind, they flew towards the hole and began to pull Jack back down into the depths.
"NO!" Jack screamed. Frantically, he attempted to break free of the Nightmares, hitting them with his staff. The Nightmares merely dropped him, watching with cold eyes as Jack fell to his inevitable doom. Jack tried to summon the wind to save himself, but the wind seemed to have abandoned him. Jack closed his eyes, overcome with despair. Pitch had finally defeated him. Now, there would be nothing to stop Pitch from taking down the rest of the Guardians and infecting the children with fear. No longer would hope or joy or wonder or dreams or beautiful memories reside in their hearts. The only thing left in the world now was fear, and everything worth living for would cease to exist.
A cruel chuckle echoed throughout the lair as Pitch's shadow appeared on the wall. "Not so powerful now, are you, Jack Frost?" Pitch sneered, his voice booming and echoing off the walls of the cavern. "This is why you shouldn't have tried to defy me when I offered you a chance to stand by my side. We would have created a beautiful world together-a world where we would have been believed in. But no-instead you attack me and side with those awful Guardians. Now you have to suffer the consequences for your choice. I bet you're regretting it now, aren't you, little winter spirit? If only you had chosen darkness, then none of this would have had to happen…"
"I'LL NEVER JOIN YOU! NEVER!" Jack screamed. He reached an arm towards Pitch, as though to hit him, but Pitch merely cackled once again and disappeared into the darkness. A wave of hopelessness swept over Jack and caused tears to trickle down his cheeks. There was nothing he could do now. Pitch had won, and he had failed the Guardians forever. Now, he would truly be forgotten, lost to the sands of time. His name would become a faint echoing whisper, spoken by the few people who still remembered him in the Dark Age that Pitch would cast over the world. If only Jack hadn't spared Pitch, then none of this would have happened. The world was full of fear now, and he knew that he was the only one to blame.
Jack glanced down and realized that he was mere seconds from hitting the floor and breaking his neck. He tried to choke out a last word-a goodbye, a declaration of defiance, a prayer for the wellbeing of the children he had once protected. Nothing came except a heartrending sob. That was all he was-a trickle of failure and sadness that would disappear and only remain as a faded memory. Jack let out one last cry as the ground rushed up at him. A second later, a resounding crack reverberated through the chamber, and Jack's snapped neck fell back upon the floor.
Suddenly, a panicked female voice shouted his name. "Jack!"
The chamber faded into blackness, and Jack could faintly feel a tiny hand shaking his shoulder. "Jack! Wake up! Y-you're having a nightmare!"
Jack groaned and struggled to lift his eyelids, which seemed to be weighed down by boulders. Eventually, he opened his eyes and managed to make out a blurry figure leaning over him. The figure had glimmering green feathers and wide violet eyes that stared down at him with concern. Jack immediately recognized her. "Tooth…" he croaked, trying to lift his head. A horrible pain shot through his skull, and he fell back upon the pillow, moaning with agony.
"Oh, Jack, I'm so glad you're OK! I was so worried about you!" Tooth sighed, wrapping her arms around Jack in a humungous bear hug.
Jack grinned, disguising the fact that Tooth's embrace was hurting his already sore ribs. "Yeah…Just back off a little, ok? I can barely breathe," Jack coughed.
Tooth immediately fluttered off to the side. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly.
"It's okay," Jack wearily replied. He lay back and let his eyes travel around the room as he tried to figure out where he was. He was lying in a huge bed covered with thick blankets and arctic animal pelts. Besides Tooth, Sandy, Bunny, and North were standing around the bed, looking at him with mixed expressions of relief and concern. A few yetis and elves stood nearby, their eyes filled with both uncertainty and joy.
Jack guessed that he was probably in North's bedroom, judging by the size of the bed and the half-finished toys and ice sculptures scattered across the room like marbles. He wasn't sure why he was there, but he was glad to see the other Guardians after his horrific nightmare. He needed to be sure that what had happened was nothing more than a bad dream, and although he still felt a lingering sense of dread, for the moment he was relieved that he wasn't really gone after all.
North's jolly Russian accent broke through Jack's thoughts like a hand snapping a twig in half. "Jack Frost, is good to see you awake again. How are you feeling?" he asked gently.
"Terrible," Jack answered honestly. He made a valiant attempt to sit up, but his relentless aches forced him to remain still. "I-I don't know what happened after the Nightmares grabbed me," Jack admitted. He paused for a few moments as he coughed violently into his arm. When he took his arm away, he glanced down and realized that a few drops of what seemed to be liquid ice stained his sleeve. "C-could you tell me why I'm in here and what happened to Pitch after I saved him?"
Sandy began to form pictures over his head to explain, but they were moving so rapidly that Jack couldn't make sense of them. He shrugged helplessly, wishing that his head wasn't so fuzzy so he could understand Sandy. Then again, Jack had trouble figuring out what Sandy was saying even when he wasn't injured.
Luckily, North understood and began to explain to Jack what had happened after Jack had been dragged down by the Nightmares. "After the Nightmares dragged you away, Tooth flew down and fought them. After a while, she flew back up with you in her arms…and you weren't moving. Was worried that maybe you didn't make it. But Tooth said you were still breathing, so we took you back to the sleigh and brought you back here. I thought we should keep you here so you would be safe. The Yetis found some old books and we were able to make some potions to save you. But even then, you still wouldn't wake up. You've been here for two and a half days. Because of what you did, winter is behind schedule and you have two days of work to do to stop the world from going haywire with the seasons."
"T-two and a half days?" Jack stammered. He was so shocked that he barely even heard the last part of North's explanations. He'd known that releasing that powerful wave of energy would have a major impact on him, but he'd never have guessed that it would be that bad. He felt guilty that he'd thrown off the seasons, but if he'd had a chance to go back in time, he would've still done the same thing. Then again, perhaps he'd just caused more trouble for the Guardians by saving Pitch from a terrible fate.
Suddenly, the world began to spin. Jack moaned and squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths and willing the spinning to go away. Now was not the time to go passing out again. He needed to catch up with the seasons so that they would function properly, not to mention try to explain to the Guardians why he'd done what he'd done. It wouldn't be easy, but Jack hoped that they would understand and forgive him for what he had done-or at least try to.
"You all right down there, mate?" Bunny asked. His worried voice broke through Jack's thoughts and brought him back to the real world, reminding him that he'd have to deal with his personal demons another time.
Jack looked up at the grumpy buck rabbit and gave a feeble smile. "Yeah, I'm okay-"Jack started, but he started coughing again before he could finish his answer. He continued to cough violently for several minutes before he finally settled back down again. When he was finished, he noticed that more of the same freezing liquid coated his sleeve like ice on a pond. Curious, Jack lifted his sleeve to his face in order to get a better look. A strange bittersweet scent drifted from the liquid, and it seemed to be in the process of freezing. However, when he touched it, it felt curiously warm, and he could taste an odd tang in his mouth that seemed similar to the unusual odor of the liquid.
Jack didn't notice that North was also looking at his sleeve until the giant Cossack bellowed, "Tchaikovsky! What is that?!"
Before Jack could explain, North grabbed his arm and yanked it up close to his face. He stared at the peculiar droplets for some time before dropping Jack's arm again and sighing. "Looks like the Yetis will have to brew up some more of those healing potions. Is a pity. Only a few more months left until Christmas….Jack, if this keeps up, then I'm going to have you paint the toys this year."
Despite his malaise, Jack laughed heartily. "Sorry, North. Guess I'm still on the naughty list this year, huh?" he joked.
"You were always on the naughty list, Jack. Just because you are Guardian does not mean that you can get away with everything!" North winked. He started to walk out of the room, but paused as he reached the doorway and turned to look back at Jack. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
Jack abashedly looked down at his hands, trying to cover the fact that he was blushing at North's generosity. "Nah, I'm okay. I just kind of want to be alone right now," he admitted.
"Okay then. But if you need anything, let me know," North replied. He gave Jack a fatherly look that made Jack's cheeks feel even hotter before he left the room and gently shut the door. Only Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy were left in the room, but as Jack settled himself back in North's cozy bed, one by one they began to inch their way towards the door. As Sandy passed by, he gave Jack a silent nod and blew some of his dream sand towards Jack.
Jack blinked furiously in an attempt to stay awake, but the power of the sand was too strong and soon he began to feel extremely drowsy. Jack eventually gave in and slowly shut his eyes. As sleep began to drift over him like a lazy wave, he moved his head and felt a tiny lump on the left side of the pillow. A loud squeak pierced the air, and Jack was immediately snapped out of his doze as he frantically shoved the pillow aside. To his surprise, a sleepy Baby Tooth stared up at him, her big innocent eyes wide with shock.
"Baby Tooth?" Jack exclaimed incredulously. As if in reply, Baby Tooth let out a squeal of joy and fluttered up to perch on his shoulder like a petite parrot. She rubbed her fluffy head against his neck and let out a little squeak of pleasure. Jack gently scratched her behind the place on her head where her ears should have been, prompting her to lean even closer into his neck like a contented cat.
Jack looked over to Tooth for an explanation. "What's she doing here? Isn't she supposed to be collecting teeth with the other fairies?" he asked in confusion.
"Well, I tried to take her back to the tooth palace, but she wouldn't let me. She wanted to stay with you. She worried as much about you as the rest of us did, and she didn't leave your side this whole time you were out. Can you believe that? I've never seen her take to someone so easily before," Tooth explained.
Jack smiled and continued to stroke Baby Tooth. "I guess she likes me, huh?" he said.
Tooth gave Jack a shy but beautiful smile in return. "She must know that there's something special about you. You're lucky. She's never been so close to anyone else before. Don't let anything happen to her-she's almost never wrong when she chooses a person like you as her friend. It would be a shame if you let her down."
It would be a shame if you let her down. Jack immediately stopped petting Tooth and sunk back on the bed. He'd been so busy cuddling with Baby Tooth that he'd completely forgotten why he was injured in the first place. Jack groaned and buried his face deep in the pillow, unable to face Tooth's indirect accusation. He was sure that she hadn't meant her words to come out that way, but they still remained a painful reminder of the foolish thing he had done.
Although the Guardians seemed willing to let it slide, Jack knew that the only reason that they weren't prying him with questions was that he was too ill to tell them. It would only be a matter of time before the questioning began after he'd recovered completely. Jack suddenly wished that he would never get well. Sure, it was irritating to have to be confined to bed and lie around useless while the other Guardians went about their daily business, but he'd rather be stuck in bed than have to face the inevitable disappointment that the Guardians would feel at his terrible deed.
Even though Jack had just found his center, he felt as though it had disappeared from his sight again, like an elusive fish slipping through a net. How could he call himself a Guardian if he had saved the life of their mortal foe? How would he ever be able to face the others once he'd recovered? What would the children think of him? Jack imagined the look of disappointment that Jamie had surely worn on his face when Jack had saved Pitch, then immediately shoved it aside. As painful as it was to have his integrity doubted by the Guardians, the thought of Jamie distrusting him was even worse.
Jack couldn't figure it out for the life of him, but there was something about that kid that meant the world to him. He felt the same caring protectiveness towards Jamie that he had towards his sister, and if Jamie didn't trust him anymore-well, he might as well have lost his sister again. Jack didn't have the energy to figure out what it meant exactly, but he intended to find out why he had such a strong connection to Jamie once he'd gotten better.
"Something wrong, mate?" Bunny asked, tapping Jack on the shoulder. Startled by the unexpected touch, Jack jumped and sat bolt upright in bed. He could've sworn that Bunny had left the room. To his surprise, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny were all looking down at him with concern. Even Baby Tooth looked up at him as she hovered next to him, looking as though she wished she could speak and ask him what the matter was.
"Nah, I'm okay. I'm just-really tired, that's all. You know, ice magic is so draining and everything," Jack lied. He tried to smile, but he could tell that the other Guardians wouldn't buy it. Still, he hoped that it would be enough to convince them to let him be. Everything that had happened since he'd rescued Pitch had morphed into a muddy gray blur, and he needed some time to himself to work it all out.
"Well, all right. But crikey, don't try anything like that again. We can't afford to lose you when Pitch is on the loose," Bunny advised. He gestured towards the door to the other Guardians before tapping the ground twice with his enormous foot. A tunnel immediately opened in the ground, leading down to the depths of Bunny's Easter-egg paradise. The tough Aussie rabbit managed a quick wave good-bye before he leaped down the hole, leaving only a beautiful flower where the tunnel had once been.
Sandy made an incomprehensible gesture to Jack, pointing at a picture of a moon above his head. Although Jack still couldn't entirely understand what he meant, he figured that Sandy probably wanted to know if he should use his dream dust on Jack again. "It's fine, Sandy. I can go to sleep on my own. But thanks anyway," Jack replied. Perhaps Jack had understood Sandy for once, though, because the Sandman nodded amiably before he floated gracefully from the room.
Jack smiled once more as he laid his head on the pillow and closed his weary eyes. He felt Baby Tooth flit past him, her delicate wings brushing against his cheek, and land on his shoulder to snuggle up with him again. As he slowly drifted off into dreamland, he felt a tender hand brush his bangs away from his forehead. Since the other Guardians had left the room, Jack figured that Tooth was the one stroking his hair. Normally, he would have blushed and tried to push her away, but this time he was so exhausted that he let Tooth continue to run her fingers through his icy hair. He could have sworn that she was humming as her hand continued to run through its soothing motions.
He wasn't sure why Tooth had stayed behind, but a pang of guilt crept through him as he entered sleep. Although she was tender now, she probably wouldn't be so kind once Jack had told the Guardians why he'd saved Pitch. Sure, they'd been invisible too when Pitch had extinguished the belief of the children, but they'd never known the lonely ache that had haunted him for years. All they would see was a turncoat who didn't deserve the noble title of Guardian. Jack would have pondered more, but at that instant sleep wrapped around him like a blanket. Jack immediately tumbled into a chasm full of feverish nightmares where he struggled to fight Pitch, but was unable to resist as the boogeyman dragged Jack into the blackness that shrouded him, laughing as the other Guardians and Jamie looked on in shock at their betrayer.
