Disclaimer: I don't own rise of the guadians

Bargain

Jackie glared she stepped forward and ice shot forward, but before she could freeze Krampus the fearlings darted forward and took the hit. Her ice stopped dead at the wall of fearlings that appeared.

"Now, sweetie." Krampus laughed. "You didn't think that would work, did you?"

"Don't call me that." Jackie hissed. "Where are they?"

"The boys?" Krampus said pretending to look confused. Jackie didn't buy it for a second. "Tell you what, tell me where Sarah is, and I'll give you the boys."

So, Krampus couldn't see through the invisibility cloak… good. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Jackie asked. She hoped that Sarah was walking around looking for the boys, maybe even walking into the next cavern while Jackie distracted Krampus.

It wasn't the plan exactly, but if the shoe fits…

Jackie glared at Krampus, "What do you get from taking Sarah?" She hissed. "Is killing her really worth it?"

"Yes." Krampus told Jackie, "See when I eat children, I get more and more powerful. The Naughtier, the better. Most children aren't worth eating, which is why I just toss them into hell, but the truly heinous? Those are delicious, and Sarah? With her magic and what she did three years ago? She won't just be delicious, she'll be the main course."

Jackie looked at Krampus in shock, "You're insane."

Krampus laughed, "To each their own." He said standing up. "Honestly Jackie what did you expect would happen? That you would barge in here and you would get what you want?"

Jackie stared up at Krampus refusing to show an ounce of fear, "Did you honestly think that getting your hands on her would be easy?"

"Pitch succeeded"

"And look how that ended for him, cleansed of his dark power," Jackie said, she held up the dagger.

Krampus laughed and reached out quick as a flash and ripped the dagger from Jackie's grasp. His other hand held Jackie up by the scruff of her hoodie. "See this dagger might work on the fearlings" The dark creatures all scurried out of the light of the moonbeam. "But me? I was dark long before the fearlings found me. What is this going to do?"

"Then why hide in the dark?" Jackie gasped trying to reach for the dagger.

"I like the dark." Krampus shrugged. "I love keeping kids in the dark, easy to strike when they don't know you're coming. "

Jackie stared at Krampus, eyes wide momentarily stopped by her shock. "You are evil."

"Yes." Krampus said, "You thought otherwise?"

Jackie tried to grab the dagger, she froze his hands but Krampus wasn't bothered by the cold.

"Oh, you think I'm bothered by the cold." Krampus laughed, "You're cute. And you think this tiny dagger- "He dangled the dagger in front of her. "Is worth anything?" He asked. Then Krampus laughed and threw the dagger to the ground and then stepped on it, it shattered like it was made of glass.

The moonbeam flew out of the dagger and away. The cave was plunged into pure darkness.

"That was my father's-" She hissed at Krampus her fists clenched at her side.

"Yes, yes, back when he was the immortal guardian of the Lunar Tsarevitch before he became the next Lunar Tsar. I know. I'm evil, what made you think I would care?"

Jackie hissed, she looked behind Krampus and smiled, in her hand, she created a dagger Jackie shoved the ice dagger into Krampus's arm.

Krampus screamed in pain and let her go dropping her to the ground.

"Sorry, you thought I would just let you hurt me?" Jackie asked with a grin.

She could practically feel Krampus glaring at her, if possible, the area darkened even further. The darkness felt less like an absence of light and like a physical thing that was weighing down on her. "Oh, my dear, you just made a very big mistake." He didn't even sound pained.

Jackie couldn't see where he was coming from, and his footprints were so loud and vibrational that it was hard to tell what direction he was coming. Jackie tried to defend herself with her ice, but Krampus' but not being able to see her aim was off. If she had hit him, it clearly hadn't been enough.

Jackie tried to stab him again, but Krampus kicked the dagger out of the way. "I shattered the dagger, which was made from diamonds from the Golden Age. And you think you're petty ice can do a thing to me?"

"It was enough to freeze Pitch."

Krampus laughed. "I'm not Pitch; The only reason you're dagger did anything against Pitch was because it had been infused with your mother's love. All by itself your dagger means nothing."

Even still Jackie refused to be cowed, she would not reveal Sarah's whereabouts, no matter how much pain and torture this monster put her through.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to start but it never came.

Slowly she opened her eyes, to see Sarah, her face furious, aiming the scythe at Krampus' jugular.