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Not the Groundhog/Not So Eloquent

Avoiding coursework? I'd disapprove if I hadn't been doing the exact same thing all weekend.

Cocky Jackie is funny Jackie. It's not really within her character to get drunk, but she'll probably be quite the lightweight, so if you can slip her some it wouldn't take much...

Jackie: Don't you even think about it...

Me: What? I wasn't planning anything! I swear!

Jackie: Sure you weren't.

Okay, time to get on with the chapter before Jackie loses her patience.

I flew down the ice and made a sudden, slight right turn avoiding Lupine's lunge and slicing at his side with my blades. I used the elbow blade to slash him, to avoid using my wrist as much as I could.

Lupine yelped and turned to swipe at me, and missed, because I was already back in the air behind him.

"What's up Fangs? Don't you like fast food?"

To my surprise I heard Lupine chuckle.

"So, if you won't come to me human. I'll just come to you!"

He jumped up onto the rock face and began climbing up towards me, chunks of rock falling from where he had dug his claws in.

I angled myself towards him and flew down, purposely avoiding his claws as I raked my blades against his other side, causing the pale blue/white of my ice to turn red.

Lupine turned to back hand me across the chest, but now my tiredness caught up with me, so despite the adrenaline I couldn't move quickly enough.

His claws caught me across the chest, causing my armour to squeal as deep grooves were driven into the chest plate.

I yelled in pain as the claws dug into my flesh through the armour and the force of the blow sent me flying backwards.

I burst straight through my ice pillar, hit the wall and fell down it and back onto the ice where I'd started as the ice from the pillar rained down. Now I knew what Billy's boomerangs must feel like.

My left wrist got trapped beneath my chest as I landed, causing me to suck in air through my teeth in pain, my eyes watering slightly.

I pushed myself to my feet with my right hand, my left hanging in an attempt to not aggravate it any further. However I quickly doubled over and grasped my chest in pain, leaning against the rock face. My chest felt as though it was on fire.

Lupine had a grin on his canine face as he came down from the wall.

I grimaced as I began to walk forward, my chest and back in pain and a lot of the air having been forced out of my lungs, again. My wrist wasn't having the best time of it either, and I could feel it throbbing beneath my glove. I was not in a position to fight, and yet I had to somehow.

Lupine chuckled as I walked.

"I almost forgot how frail you humans are. It's a shame really; you might have posed a decent threat."

He walked towards me, his mouth filling with saliva with some of it dripping out of his mouth. Around me the shadows seemed to solidify and spread, heading towards me.

"Now, Descendant of Frost, prepare to die!"

I wasn't done yet, and without moving I sent pillar of ice down onto his back, sending Lupine to the floor in a massive gasp, as all the air exiting his lungs.

I sent spikes of ice down into the skin of limbs, not enough to seriously hurt him, but enough to hold him down. He yelped in pain, and looked at the spikes in almost disbelief.

The solidified shadows rushed towards Lupine, shattering the ice spikes and he got to his feet, shaking off the ice.

"What's the matter pup?" He asked as I just stared. I had no idea he could do that. If this fight wasn't already going to be difficult, it certainly was now!

Lupine seemed calmer now, moving slowly towards me as if he was savouring the moment.

"It was a good effort, but even the Guardians couldn't beat me. What hope would an injured mortal like you have?"

I didn't reply, I had a feeling it would hurt my already throbbing chest.

Ice instead spread from my position, spreading up the wall behind me and thickening the layer on the water. It quickly reached Lupine and his breath began to cloud as the temperature dropped.

I stood up straight, no longer leaning on the wall, ready for any kind of movement.

"Spreading ice? Great as an intimidation tactic pup, except I'm not afraid of you."

I flung my arms out, spreading my fingers at the same time. The ice around him shot up in spikes, pretty much trapping him.

The shadows shot towards him again to free him, but I formed ice shards behind me and flung them towards him, distracting him.

In retaliation the shadows around me began to thicken, obscuring my vision. I tried to move, but it was like trying to move through syrup. I could move, but I wasn't moving quickly anytime soon.

Before anything could happen I pulled up a barrier of ice between me and Lupine. I held it there, but nothing was happening.

What's he doing?

In the darkness an even darker shape appeared, with glowing red eyes. The sight of it made my legs freeze up and my breath to catch in my throat, my heart pounding in my ears. In that moment I forgot where I was and what I was doing, all that mattered is that I didn't want that anywhere near me.

I backed up as fast as I could in thick shadows, letting go of my wall. The ice remained standing, but there was no re-enforcement behind it now.

There was a familiar shattering noise in front of me indicating that the wall had shattered. Almost out of instinct I felt picked up the shards with my mind and flung them at the darker thing that was heading for me.

There was a yelp of pain and the darkness almost seemed to evaporate, leaving me pressed against the wall and a bleeding Lupine in front of me. He almost seemed shocked that I'd got off an attack, rather than being worried by the shards of ice sticking out of him.

I flung my arm out with an ice blast and he was shoved backwards, off the body of water and onto the ice covered rock. The ice he was standing on crept up and surrounded his paws, leaving him stuck.

I stood there for a second, trying to get my breathing back under control and stopping my knees from knocking.

"What's the matter, Descendant? Scared?"

I glared at Lupine, a sudden burst of anger causing ice to spread along the wall behind me. Yeah, I had been scared, but now I'd had enough.

"Of what? You?" I asked with a harsh bark of laughter, which didn't carry any humour. "I've seen pot plants that look scarier."

That didn't hurt to say as much as I thought it would.

The shadows properly dispersed as I walked up to him as he snarled and struggled against the ice, but it wouldn't give. He shadows around him curled around his trapped paws, sharpening to try and cut through the ice. As he tried to I kept on adding more ice to cover the cracks, adding to the current stalemate.

Finally, it became clear that Lupine had had enough.

"Fine then human, you've won, kill me then!"

I wanted nothing more than to kill him. I was tired, in pain and angry, Lupine would make a perfect target to let it all out on.

As I walked over I could feel the frost thickening beneath my feet, becoming ice because of my anger. I could also feel it almost straining in response to my anger, I wanted to let it all out, to scream and let forth an ice storm.

But I wasn't stupid. If I did that I'd kill everyone else in the room who was mortal.

"No."

Lupine looked genuinely surprised, and growled.

"You've bested me, just get on with it."

"I've killed before, and I didn't like it all that much. Plus, you're a spirit, I'm not stupid enough to try. Instead, I'm going to do this."

I pressed my free, frost covered hand to his head and sent a cold rush to his head, the same thing I had managed to do to Skyscraper. I ended up causing a brain freeze that would have put a normal person into a coma, I needed to work on it, but it worked anyway.
Lupine's eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out.

I turned around to see the Guardians and Heads all staring at me from the rock wall.

"Before you all look shocked, I've had no food or sleep in 24 hours, I'm really not thinking straight." The more I spoke the easier it became.

I sent my ice up the walls, freezing and shattering their bonds. I lifted up my visor and let out a loud yawn as Jack approached.

"I don't think I've ever been happier to see you." He said.

I smiled and walked back over to the frozen water. I found the staff and wordlessly handed it back to him. Jack's eyes widened and he took almost reverently.

"I thought you'd want this back." I said.

"How did you get this?"

"I went to North's place first. I found it in the mess." I yawned again and my body decided to get on my case.

My chest and torso were burning, my stomach ached with hunger, my back ached from its meeting with the wall, my wrist was throbbing, the scabs on my legs stung and my leg muscles got on my case for skating for 12 hours at a time for the past week.

I felt myself stagger a bit and Jack steadied me, but I sent a smile that said I was fine.

"Jackie!"

I turned in time to see North practically lifting me up into a hug.

"Is good to see you!"

"Good to see you too." I gasped, trying not to cry out as he put pressure on my various injuries.

Thankfully he put me down with an almost embarrassed grin on his face. I staggered back slightly, off balance and adjusting my glasses.

The other Guardians had approached and were also saying thank you, but it kinda washed over me. The only thing that stood out was me asking Toothiana to not check my teeth again, remembering all too well what happened last time.

"Davies."

I looked over at Jason who had walked towards me with the other Heads behind him, I noticed that Alfred was leaning on the Head of the Descendants of Toothiana and my stomach tensed. The Head's hadn't gotten out of this unscathed. Looking at the Head of the Descendants of Sandman he didn't look great either. He was shaking off the black sand and had dark patches in his hair, showing that he had just started to get contaminated, but as I watched the dark patches began to fade.

"That was an incredibly foolish of you." Said Jason, his expression neutral, but I could hear the disapproval in his voice.

I felt whatever remained of a good mood fade.

"I just save your sorry...behinds!" Reminding myself not to swear in front of the Guardians of Childhood. "And you're telling me-!"

"Let me finish."

I glared at Jason as he continued.

"That was incredibly foolish of you to come charging in like that. While you did show some tactics, waiting for Pitch to leave, overall it was very foolish. If you had been captured, injured or worse killed by Lupine then we may as well have kissed HOG goodbye."

I felt anger build up within me. Yes, Jason had a point, but it had paid off hadn't it?

"But I wasn't." I said with gritted teeth.

"Davies, let me finish."

I raised my eyebrows and folded my arms, waiting for whatever was going to leave his mouth next.

"However, I cannot say how grateful we are for your swift response to my call." Said Jason, a relieved smile on his face.

As glad as I was that he decided that what I had done was worthwhile, I couldn't stop
myself from giving an irritated response.

"Swift? It took me a week! How did you know I was coming? All you told me to do was to keep moving."

"We didn't, but we're very glad that you did." Said the Head Descendant of Toothiana.

"I didn't doubt that you would at least try, although given the nature of your powers, I wasn't sure how long it would take you. I'm just grateful you found your way here and that you didn't share the fate of the rest of HOG." Continued Jason.

I decided now was not the time to mention that my first idea was to do as he said and run like hell.

"What happened to them?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

"Honestly?" Asked Alexander, "We don't know, we're just glad that at least one of us is free."

Alfred coughed, looking at me with a surprisingly serious expression. He was never one for being too serious, so the look was almost alien on the old man.

"Look sharp there solider, you're supposed to salute to the Heads."

I gave him a confused look, I thought he hated formality! Then I noticed the small grin spreading across his face. Deciding to humour the old Scotsman I snapped to attention and put on a salute.

"Sir!"

Alfred burst out laughing, startling the Head of the Descendants of Toothiana. "Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humour lass!"

"And you yours, old timer." I said, relaxing and giving him a tired smile.

"Old timer!" Cried Alfred with mock offence. "I think you'll find the word is 'vintage' lass."

"There's a time and a place you two!" Reprimanded Jason.

"Relax, things can only get better from here." Said Alfred, much to Jason's annoyance.
"Now, Jackie, you've got a story to tell, right lass? You can't control air, so how'd ya get 'ere so fast?"

"Well, about that..." I looked a little guiltily at North, "I may have, kinda sorta, used your globes to get here once I saw the state of the Globe."

"How bad is it?" asked Bunnymund, concerned.

"Pretty bad. Lights were going were going out all over the place."

Toothiana gasped in horror, "My fairies! Tell me, are they alright?"

"They're alive, I think. I didn't stop to get a better look, I'm sorry."

"What were they like?"

"They weren't flying. Beyond that I'm not sure."

"Then something must be done!" cried North. He turned to me, "How many snow globes did you take?"

"A few, the others are in my bag. Give me a second."

I went back to my bag and brought it out of wrecked ice, digging out the snow globes. I
could have sworn that I had more than I could find, as I could only find two. Shrugging to myself I passed one to North, who insisted I keep the other.

"Alright everybody! We need to get back to work!"

They cheered and Toothiana started to fly in joy, but quickly found that her wings couldn't get her off the ground.

"Tooth!" cried the Guardians, with Sandman making an exclamation mark out of sand as they ran to catch her as she stumbled in the air.

"Tooth, let's get you to Workshop, we can use the sleigh." Said North.

Toothiana nodded and Jack came back over to me.

"Are you going to come with us?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry, HOG's still in trouble. I have to do my part."

I suddenly wobbled slightly, "plus I'm shattered. I wouldn't be able to keep up with you guys."

Jason turned to Alexander. "Alexander, we'll head to the Tunnels to recuperate."

Jason looked at me. "Are you able to come with us?"

"Not now. I'm just so tired." That was an understatement, I felt ready to drop where I stood!

Jason pulled a concerned face and Alfred managed to clap him on the back.

"Ah, stop ya worrying, Jackie ain't a wee bairn anymore. She can take care of herself, if that beastie is anything to go by."

I smiled at him thankfully,

"You're not gettin' outta the story though!" He called as he and Head of the Descendants of Toothiana disappeared into the Tunnel.

I shook my head and turned to Toothiana.

"Toothiana, you don't mind if I sleep here for a bit do you?"

"Of course not."

I turned back to Alexander, "Keep that Tunnel open, I'll join you in a few hours."

He nodded, "See ya later Jackie."

The rest of the Heads went down the Tunnels and the Guardians went through the snow globe.

I picked up my bag and rose myself upwards, away from Lupine and onto a platform. I took off my helmet, and that was a far as I got as I staggered to the floor and fell asleep on my bag.

Well, that fight didn't last long.