The children were crying - and they had every right to. Who could do such a thing? The teachers in classroom 2A wondered. Who could come into an elementary school with a loaded gun and simply shoot down whoever stood in their path? Already two staff members were dead and three helpless students - a forth grader who'd been using the bathroom at the time the murderer broke in, a second grader who'd been cowering in the library, the dead librarian sprawled over him in an attempt to protect him, and a fifth grader who'd decided to ditch her English class that day.

The situation was dire, hopeless even - but despite this, the teachers managed to keep themselves together. Even if it seemed hopeless, they had to believe - to wish and hope - that these killings would stop, that they'd be able to protect the kids, that help would come in time.

Jack phased through the door to classroom 2A and looked at the three dozen or so children in the room, the two teachers there trying to keep everyone calm despite the fact that they themselves were fraying at the edges. Only after he acknowledged every human did he shift his gaze to the anthropomorphic rabbit also frantically attempting to help. The children were to distressed to acknowledge his presence, but the teachers seemed to soak in every speck of hope Bunny could give.

"You know, Bunny, sometimes a false hope is worse than no hope at all," Jack pointed out as he stepped up.

"Frostbite," Bunny said as he turned around to face his fellow Guardian, "No, but ya can't be 'ere! That would mean..." He trailed off as he turned to the first graders behind him.

"Sorry, Bunny," Jack said, "Sometimes the good guys can't win it all,"

The next moment, Jack was slammed against a wall, held there by Bunny's paw twisted into his sweater as Bunny himself glared furiously at Jack, "That's it? THat's what ya 'ave ta say? What 'appened to ya, mate? What 'appened to the boy who screamed at Manny for attention? What 'appened to the larriken who'd sneak into my Warren and freeze the sentinels? What 'appened ta the Frost that fought against doin' this," Bunny gestured to the children with his free arm, "with all 'is might? Where'd 'e go, huh?"

Jack blinked slowly, his shocked expression slowly changing to a rueful one, "He didn't go anywhere. He died, and no one was there to guide him, so he didn't go anywhere," A small, ironic smile crept its way to Jack's lips, "and now he has to make sure over and over again that no other child ends up like he did. That's what happened to him Bunny," Jack turned his attention to the door just as it slammed open, "It's time,"

The Easter spirit released Jack as he turned to face the intruder. He was not an extraordinary man by any means, but any man could be intimidating when he pointed the barrel of a gun at you.

Without a word, the stranger walked into the room, his eyes darting about wildly, his hand shaking as he aimed it at the first child he managed to notice.

"No!" Screamed a teacher as she lunged at him. Jack could only watch as the tiny wisp of a human charged the attacker, trying to grab his gun, only to be flung aside. A gunshot rang out and the teacher collapsed into the quickly pulling blood beneath her.

"It's amazing how useless we are, in the end," Jack pointed out as he formed a snowflake in his hand and started walking toward the children.

"Frostbite! You know which anklebiters he's gonna shoot at!" Bunny shouted out desperately, "You can save them,"

Jack stopped in front of a child named Adrian - aged six, had a crush on Molly in third grade, wanted to be a scientist like his daddy when he grew up - just as the assailant raised his gun right through Jack's head and fired at the boy. Amidst the screaming and blood, nobody noticed the single snowflake landing on the boy's nose.

Jack rose and turned to face Bunny, holding Adrian's hand in his own, "You know I can't affect anyone living,"

"Shut up shut up shut up!" The attacker screamed, clutching his head.

"I don't want to die!" The spirit wailed and Jack immediately crouched back down.

"Shh, shh I know. I know. I'm sorry. It's time to go,"

"Go where?" The boy asked, distracted from his distress.

"To a place where you can play all day. Doesn't that sound great?"

The boy seemed to contemplate this for a second before saying, "I don't want any of my friends to die either,"

Jack smiled, "Don't worry. They won't,"

"Um, ok, ok then I'll go," The child said, trusting Jack. The soul began to dissolve until it disappeared completely.

The killer regained his focus, staring at his gun for a second before shaking his head and leveling his gun at another child.

Bunny stepped up beside Jack, a horrified look on his face "Uh, Frostbite, hate to break it to ya but-"

"Don't worry,"

A gunshot rang out.

The attacker fell to the ground, a bullet successfully driven into his forehead from the sniper positioned outside.

"Help came," Jack finished, "Now, I can't do anything about the living, but the dead..."

Trailing off, Jack marched up to the assailant, "I don't normally deal with adult's souls, but I'll make an exception just this once. Placing his staff on the ground, Jack reached as if to grab the attacker's neck, only to go through it and pull the soul out by its neck instead. It flailed helplessly in his grasp.

"How are you?" Jack screamed, the calm mask he dislayed for the child shattering, "How dare you? They were children!" He clenched his hand. Immediately, the soul froze and shattered.

In the background, SWAT members began swarming in, checking the status of the room's inhabitants and calling an ambulance for the downed teacher.

"Jack," Bunny called out, grasping the spirit by his shoulder, "Are ya oka-"

"Bunny," Jack interrupted, "False hope is worse than no hope at all - but, I think, as long as you're alive no hope is really false. Keep them believing, okay?"

Jack looked up pleadingly and Bunny quickly answered, "Matter of course, mate, but what about your hope? Where's it all gone?"

Jack smiled and hopped away to the now shattered window, "I'm dead, Bunny. Hope's not relevant anymore,"

With that he took off. Another tragedy. Another death. Someone in the great wide world needed him to give them someplace better to go to.