I do not own Rise of the Guardians.


Chapter 7: Treacherous Jukebox

Bill kicked the door in and barged inside. He'd been tracking Claire just waiting for her to make a mistake. Damned woman was too much trouble and Oriol was already on his case for taking too long to find her. Bill didn't know what the big fuss was about. She was nothing special and stupid too for making such an amateur mistake which had just gotten her caught.

"Well, hello there, Claire," he said smirking at her. She looked around looking for a way to escape but the warlock he brought with him had his back. She wasn't going anywhere.

Someone groaned. Bill looked around the room and noticed some guy who must have just woken up when he kicked the door in. He smelled the air. Not human. Huh. Claire got herself a vamp boy toy this quickly? Oriol will want to know.

'Sorry, dude,' he thought. 'You picked the wrong chick.'

"Grab him too," he ordered to the warlock as he grabbed Claire and dragged her out of the room. She struggled a lot kicking him and crying out but she was no match for his strength. He just ignored her antics.

Her new boy toy didn't even put up a fight. He just looked around dazed saying "What's going on? Where are we going?" He appeared very drowsy. Did she drug him or something? Bill shrugged. It wasn't his problem.

They rushed into the van and Bill locked himself in the back with both of them. They barely made it. The sun was going to be up in a few minutes. The warlock got behind the wheel and drove.

Claire crouched on the floor grabbing her boy toy who was laying on the floor trying to keep him away from Bill. The young guy just closed his eyes and fell back asleep again. Yeah. She definitely drugged him. The ride was long and bumpy in the back of the van but Bill was content.

'Oriol will be pleased,' he thought.


Claire hugged Jack close to herself unsure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he fell back asleep. On the one hand, it was easier, he didn't have to panic as she did and he got to rest properly so he'd have energy to escape later. On the other hand, he was completely defenseless.

'I'm so sorry, Jack,' she lamented internally while stroking his soft white hair. 'I'm so sorry you got pulled into my problems.' She was scared more for him than for herself. What were they going to do to him? Once they discovered how delicious his blood was, a gruesome, torturous death awaited him.

The ride was over and they pulled up into a fully covered garage. The van door opened, Bill got out and she smelled the familiar dampness of Oriol's underground compound. To think it took her days to get away from there and just about three hours to get back. Jack was stirring about to wake up. She looked at him worried and finally whispered into his ear.

"Jack. You must wake up right now." She shook him and he started to slowly open his eyes. "Listen carefully," she continued. "These people kidnapped us. They're very dangerous. I… Unfortunately, I know them. This is where I ran away from." He was fully awake now looking at her questioningly. "Don't freak out and don't say anything. They are vampires." She let that one sink in and answered the question in his eyes. "Yes. Vampires are real. I think they mistook you for one of them since you are so pale. Play along for now and… and just look for an opportunity to escape as soon as possible. They mustn't find out you are not a vampire."

"Get out, you two," Bill yelled outside the van.

"What?" Jack whispered back to her still trying to comprehend the situation. "Okay, okay, it's going to be fine. We'll escape together."

Claire shook her head. "I don't think it will be possible. It's just me they want, Jack. You need to run."

"If you don't get out now, I will drag you out." Bill was getting impatient.

"No. I can't leave you!" Jack protested but Claire got out of the van before he could grab her.


Jack couldn't believe what was happening. He got out of the van after Claire and was glad to find that he was still holding his staff in his hand. At least they didn't take it away from him. He leaned it on his shoulder trying to not draw attention to it. He saw Claire being dragged away by the big guy that was yelling at them to come out earlier. He still didn't completely comprehend what was happening. There were several scary looking guys around him. Someone pushed him to move and since it was in the direction they took Claire, he didn't protest.

He heeded Claire's warning that they were dangerous and so he decided to play along pretending. Were they really vampires? He didn't even know they were real. He looked at the guy next to him to inspect him. He had an ashen pale skin and eyes which were nearly glowing. It was creepy enough but then the guy noticed him staring and smiled revealing sharp fangs. Jack gulped. 'Yup. Vampires are real.'

They continued walking through the long winding tunnels. The place was like a maze of hallways and each one looked the same as the others.

Suddenly, a thought hit him, 'They can all see me!'

First, Claire could see him, now all of these vampires. What was happening? He came up with two theories to explain that mystery. 1. North mentioned that his powers would grow as a Guardian. He didn't know what it meant specifically but apparently, the more believers you have, the more power you gain. Maybe his newest power was becoming visible? 2. Vampires are supernatural creatures so they obviously believed in other supernatural beings. Maybe that belief was enough to allow them to see spirits? Same would apply to Claire since she knew these vampires so she had to believe in supernatural as well.

Claire. What were they going to do to her? Jack was scared for her. The Guardian in him strained with the need to protect her but his heart ached mostly because he started to think of her as a friend. She was a total opposite of him in many ways. She was strong, serious, calculated and smart but he recognized that she'd suffered a lot in her life. Underneath the mask of composure, she hid a great deal of sadness and loneliness. He could relate to that. After all, he spent 300 years all alone. They both had gaping holes in their souls and could be each other's salvation. But now, she was in danger. He had to do something.

The spirit looked around at the vampires surrounding him in the hallway. Could he take them all on? He knew nothing about them, how strong they were, what abilities they possessed and what their weaknesses were.

Up ahead, he noticed that Claire was shoved into a room, the door was slammed and locked.

'Hang in there, Claire. I'll get you out.'

He was shoved into the room on the opposite side of the hallway and the door slammed behind him.

He looked around to orient himself. It appeared to be some game room. There was a pool table in the middle of the room and couches spread around. He frowned as he noticed dark stains on the floor. Blood? There was a jukebox in the corner and it was playing some song from the sixties which he'd heard before but couldn't recall the title of. He walked up to the door hoping to hear what was going on in the room where Claire was locked in. He heard some muffled sounds of yelling but couldn't make out what they were saying. He did not hear Claire. Then, he heard footsteps and a click of the lock and jumped away far from the door just in time before it opened.

The big guy who grabbed Claire before came in with two other vampires and locked the door behind them. They all looked at Jack with a smirk.

"Boss wants to teach you a lesson on what happens when someone messes with his woman." The big guy cracked his knuckles in anticipation coming closer to Jack.

"What's with the stick, boy toy?" another asked.

"Boy toy?" asked Jack watching them warily his staff in both hands ready to be used.

"Put down the stick. It won't do you any good. There's three of us against you, boy toy, the door is locked and we have plenty of time."

Jack backed up now determined that he had to try to fight them. Vampire shmampire. He was the Spirit of Winter. He could take them.

The room was plunged into silence as the song in the jukebox finally stopped. Jack readied himself as they advanced towards him. Suddenly, the big guy's eyes bulged.

"Wait. You hear that?"

The others looked from him to Jack then back to him.

"A heartbeat."