The flames roared into the air, painting the night sky black, blotting out the stars with the foul smoke. The fog of wispy clouds above them became roiling with heat and poisonous fire. Even from the center of the deck, the hot teeth burned across the space to attack Jack and Aster.

North stared, aghast, after Joseph Kelly's ship. His sabers dropped to his sides, clattering to the wooden deck in despair. The metal of the blades glinted in the firelight, flickering as if the intense heat melted them.

The Russian's jaw worked beneath his skin, opening and closing in shock. Sweat beaded on his brow, rolling down his forehead, the only part of his body not suspended in a static blow.

He mouthed silently the name of his engineer.

"Tooth…" he murmured, almost dazed. Suddenly, his gaze became enraged, and his brown furrowed in anger. The emotion rolled from his shoulders, radiating from him almost a lethally as the flames. He opened his mouth, and roared, "Tooth!"

Quickly, he knelt down to retrieve his swords. He whipped around to face Jack and Aster, both of whom flinched at the hostility that glared in his eyes.

"Both of you!" he ordered, "Put out the fire! Phil!" The large man snapped to attention immediately. North's gaze hardened. When he spoke, his voice was dead quiet.

"Let us make a call."

Phil grumbled in response, his face completely serious underneath his bushy mustache. The two men stalked off towards the helm of the ship. North's sabers glittered dangerously now, colored blood red by the fire. A sudden gust stole over the ship, and a wall of smoke enveloped them, separating them behind the rolling mass of dark shadows. In the center of the deck, Jack and Aster were left alone.

The two men stared after the path North had taken, stunned. Unconsciously, Aster placed his arm around Jack's shoulder and pulled him to his chest. Jack didn't resist, turning into Aster's body. The Australian's skin was almost scorching to the touch, heated by the flames. Sweat shimmered on his chest, as it did on his forehead and on Jack's pale face.

Jack broke the silence between them, his voice small compared to the snarling flames.

"You heard what he said. Let's go put the fire out."

Aster released Jack, taking a step back. Jack blinked, just realizing what had happened, both with the fire, and with Aster. However, Aster seemed more preoccupied with the former.

"How the bloody hell…" his voice trailed off as he stared at the flames.

Jack shifted his gaze to look at the fire. The flames looked like liquid rubies, lava given life to fight in the air. When they disappeared at the tip of their flames, it was not with a wisp like a candle, but with the loud crack of a whip. The fire bit at the ship like a ferocious beast, and every moment sounded like a growling thunderstorm in the throat of its maw.

The sweat dripped down his back and stuck his shirt to his pale skin, and Jack wished the fire would only be cold.

"Aster," he said suddenly, "I've got an idea."

"What…?" the man turned slowly, still out of it.

"Aster, we need to get back to our cabin."

The flames snapped on the wood, and Aster's gaze tightened. "Wha – mate, are you insane? The flames are in the way!"

"Aster, it's the only way! There's nothing else on this ship we can use!"

"Why can't we just smother them?" Aster exclaimed, exasperated.

Jack paused. "You do realize how stupid that idea is, right?" He stepped forward to grab Aster's arm. The Australian shot his gaze down to the hand, before he snapped his green eyes back up to Jack's face. Jack continued, "The flames are in the boiler room. They're getting too close to the balloons. You know what's in those balloons, Aster."

The Australian rolled his eyes, "It's just hot air, mate. Just a bunch of…" his eyes widened, and his jaw locked open, "helium…"

He looked back at Jack, and their eyes met. "We'd better get down to the cabin," he said.

They both nodded, before taking off.

They dashed to the steps to head below deck. Far enough away from the flames, the metal was only warm to the touch. Jack's bare feet slapped on the mesh, rattling it like chains.

He shouted over his shoulder back at Aster, "If we can, get as many kids out as possible."

"Alright," Aster replied.

Jack ran from the steps to the door. It had been closed after they'd left. Jack tried the handle; it was locked as well.

He backed up, ready to ram it, when Aster grabbed his shoulder.

"I'll do it, step back."

Jack protested, "I can do it myself!"

"No, I'll do it," Aster said, and the tone of his voice made it final.

Reluctantly, Jack stepped back to let Aster through. The man braced himself, setting his shoulder, and then he released a cry from the back of his throat. With the shout rumbling from his lips, he ran forward, and smashed into the door.

The wood splintered, and they ran into the room.

No one was there.

"Where did they go?" Jack asked.

Flames licked the walls, slipping in between the floorboards of the room. A small fragment of the wall was torn away by the impact of the cannonball, crashing down to the boiler room one floor below. In the hole of the ground, twisted metal jutted through, the jagged edges of pipes clawing at the air. Steam rises into the room, to mix with the smoke falling down. The twisted cloud creates a haze over the room, like perpetual dusk.

There is a glimmer in the air, a sort of shimmering gold.

Jack knelt down, looking to the floor.

"Sand," he murmured, confused. "There's sand in here."

Aster comes up behind him, and places a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, mate," he says over the flames, "We need to hurry."

Jack nodded. "Right." He made to stand up, and took a step towards their cabin.

The floor creaked beneath him. The sound was louder than the fire, rising above the roaring in a single note of a wooden bow. It shook down to Jack's bones, and he felt his stomach drop before the wood did.

It shattered beneath his feet. A scream left Jack's throat as he felt the weightlessness enter his stomach. Aster rushed forward, throwing himself to the ground. He slid forward, and made a grab for Jack's hand. Their fingers connected, and Aster held fast, pulling Jack's fingers into his fist. Jack's scream cut off abruptly as he felt the painful tug in his shoulder from his own weight. He broke off into silence staring below him.

Mere inches beneath his feet, a single ripped pipe spired towards the ceiling, a jagged spear that scraped the air. Around it the flames circled, framing it in its horrible glory, and below it was a pile of golden sand.

Jack's breath shuddered in his throat. Even as he hung there, the smoke began to drift over the sand. It circled his bare feet, singing his pale skin. His chest heaved, and he coughed when the poison entered his lungs.

"A-Aster!" he choked out.

The Australian grunted, and another hand came down to join the first. The man leaned back, and braced his feet underneath him, before he began to pull. Jack emerged from the pit of fire, his body outlined by the glow of the flames.

Aster hauled him onto the floor, and knelt over him. Jack hacked another cough, lurching onto his side. Worry knitted Aster's eyebrows together as his green eyes scanned over Jack's injured form. His white hair was covered with soot now, and his feet were red from the heat. The wood had ripped his shirt on the side, and the flames had licked across the hem of his pants, blackening them in the fire.

"You alright, mate?" he asked, returning his gaze to Jack's face.

The blue eyes shone up at him in defiance.

Jack coughed, a loud scraping noise from his chest, before he replied, "Y-yeah." He pushed himself up from the floor. "We need to hurry."

Aster made as if to push Jack back down, to check him further, but he stopped himself, and relented.

"You're right; let me help," he said, and he instead moved to wedge his shoulder beneath Jack's arm.

"I've got it, Aster; worry about yourself."

"Mate, I'm just trying to–"

"Your chest, Aster."

Aster looked down at himself. The wood had scraped him when he'd dived for Jack. Splinters stuck into his skin, the ships of wood drawing blood that dripped down his chest, mingling with the shine of sweat in the light dusting of hair.

"It doesn't hurt," he muttered, just as the itch of his injuries began to settle in.

Jack pushed himself away from Aster, standing steadily on his feet.

"It doesn't matter; let's go."

They crossed the rest of the bunker to their cabin. The room was so far untouched by the flames, but the heat of the fire permeated the walls, leaking in to affect them still.

Jack rushed to the desk, and bent over his staff.

"Let's see… I need to…"

He sat down, muttering lowly underneath his breath. He took his tools in his hands, and set to work. The chamber of the staff opened with a pop, and the skeleton of gears and springs was revealed. Jack set himself upon it, his screwdriver breaking through the barriers to fix the delicate details of the creation. Every part mattered, every single cog had a purpose, and every spring was just as important as the next. He wasted no space within the chamber, and his creation came together in his hands.

Aster stood awkwardly by the door.

"Mate, can I help?"

Without looking over his shoulder, Jack replied, "You can put on a shirt."

Aster looked down at himself. He flushed slightly, and looked back up. "The bloody ship's on fire and all you want me to do is put on a shirt?" he bit, his voice rising in volume.

Jack's hand slipped, banging against a cog. He quickly fixed it, and then he set his tools down gently. He turned on his stool to look back at Aster.

His eyes shone bright blue with a sort of excitement. The soot stained his hair and his face, filling the hollows of his cheeks with the black dust. Oil stained his hands, even from the short moment he spent in the chamber of his staff. Those hands gripped his thin cotton pants, wrinkling his knees and pulling up the hems to expose his bony ankles. He released his hold, and the fabric fell away with black handprints on them. Despite the filth, Jack only carried a small smile on his face.

He scanned over Aster with his eyes. His tongue wet his lips slightly, and he said, "Get the blood cleaned up. I don't want you getting any more splinters if I fall again."

His lips parted to smile hugely at Aster. His white teeth shone, and he turned back to his work.

Stunned, Aster stood for a moment, unable to process the words. Then he blinked, and he grumbled unhappily. He crossed to his bed, and began picking the splinters out of his chest. He gasped in pain when one stuck a little more on his skin. The blood was dried now, but the injuries itched like a small blaze on his ribs.

His green eyes flicked up to the open door. The flames were in the bunker now, cracking loudly.

"Jack, mate," he said hesitantly, "How much time do we have until it reaches the helium?"

Jack muttered under his breath before he replied, "Any time between now and five minutes."

"Um… Jack?"

"What?"

"The fire's getting closer, mate. I think it's almost finished with the boiler room."

"I'm almost done."

"Jack…" Aster repeated, warning with his voice.

The flames roared, crawling along the wood towards their cabin. A burst of fire exploded from the depths of them, booming across the space to attack Aster. The Australian leapt from the bed, dashing to his shirt abandoned at the foot of his bed.

"Jack! Hurry!" he cried, tugging the green-dyed cotton over his head.

"I'm almost done!" Jack repeated.

"Jack!"

"Be patient, Aster!"

The man ran up to the table, shouting over Jack's shoulder, "We don't really have time to be patient, Jack! In case you haven't noticed, we're running on a bit of a schedule here!"

"Finished!" Jack announced, slamming the lid of the chamber shut.

He leapt from the chair, taking the staff in his hands. The butt of the staff barely missed Aster's head, and the man cursed as it swung by him. Jack ran to the door, holding the tip of the staff before him. He aimed it at the door, just as the flames began to eat away at the frame. They reached their tendrils out, trying to grab onto flesh, but Jack stood his ground, and leveled the staff.

He opened his mouth, and yelled:

"Thermal Modulator, Ice Function, test drive number 47!"

Aster piped up from behind Jack, "Wait, test drive? What do you mean it's a test dr–"

A blast of ice exploded from the spouts along the shepherd's crook. The cold air shot straight to the door, pinpointing the target. A bright light filled the room, and the ice burst through the flames. They were doused immediately, and a thin layer of frost replaced it all, painting the walls with the glittering shine of crystals.

Jack opened his eyes, peeking hesitantly out at the wreckage. When he saw the white paintings of snow around the room, his mouth gaped open. Slowly, he straightened, lowering the staff in his grip.

"It worked," he breathed, disbelief in his voice, "My god, it worked."

Aster stood beside him, just as stunned. He swallowed, and then said simply, "It worked." He blinked, and then muttered, "Well of course it was going to work – Jack made it – but it actually worked."

The smile that spread across Jack's face was ecstatic.

"Aster, it worked!" he cried. He leapt into the air, whooping with joy. "It worked, Aster, it actually worked! I – I can't believe it, but it actually worked!"

Jack burst out of the cabin into the bunker room. The ice spread halfway across the room, glittering as bright as diamonds on the wood. The cold air burned after the intense heat, but Jack didn't care, relishing of the feeling of the frost on his bare feet. He ran across the space, yelling with pride the entire time.

Aster followed him, more hesitantly. He shivered at the cold, but at the sight of Jack, he couldn't help but smile. Then he saw the hole at the end of the room.

"Uh, Jack," he called, "There's more fire."

"What?" Jack asked, and he stopped abruptly, whipping around to look at the hole.

The flames began to grow again. The firelight entered the room first, filling the crystal frost like a liquid blaze. The ice glowed blood red, flowing with the flickering light emerging from the pit.

Jack only smirked, and brought the staff up again.

"I've got this."

Flames erupted from the tip, the heat searing the wood and joining the fire from the pit.

"Jack!" Aster cried.

"Sorry! Wrong switch!"

Sheepishly, Jack hefted the staff and slipped the ice switch. He blasted the flames back, and more frost spread out from the point of impact.

Jack continued to stalk forward carefully towards the pit, stepping around the one he'd fallen through earlier to the large one at the end of the room. He stood over the open mouth of the pit, and aimed his staff down. Another blast of ice shot fro the staff, clearing away the flames.

Pipes erupted hot steam into the air, and it all rose out of the pit, melting the frost quickly. Far below, the wooden floor was covered with sand. The entire room was engulfed with flames, creating more steam in the boilers. Twisted metal created a tunnel straight down.

He would have to jump.

"I'm going down, Aster!"

The Australian perked up, and stared, alarmed, at the boy. "Mate, wait!"

But Jack already had begun to climb. He set his staff across the gap, and it let him dangle over the gap precariously. He was still ten feet above the floor below. A shudder passed through his body.

Jack took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and dislodged the staff.

He dropped down to the floor, bending his legs to absorb the blow. He ended up falling on his side, and he gasped as his staff banged him in the side. The wind was knocked out of his lungs, and he groaned in pain, rolling onto his back.

Aster peered down the hole.

"Jack, are you alright?" he called.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Jack replied back.

"I'll be right down!"

Jack sat up, and shouted, "No! There's too much fire!"

The flames filled the room around him, the heat clogging up the air more than the smoke. A thin layer of sand covered every inch of the room, including the metal boilers. Despite the fire, the grains refused to melt, and between Jack's toes, they felt cold to the touch.

Jack stood, and hefted his staff in his hands.

"Here we go," he muttered.

The ice covered everything, replacing the sand on the walls. The frost spread, creating curling patterns on the wood, and it looked like a wonderland of metal and snow. Crystals of the ice glittered against the fire, and soon, only in the dim light. The fire was put out, and the cold came to take its place.

Jack stood in the center of the room, admiring his handiwork.

Suddenly the door to the boiler room creaked. The frost around it crunched, and it opened.

Aster poked his head in, and arched an eyebrow at Jack. "Mate, why didn't you just take the stairs?"

Jack frowned. "Shut up."

Then they both smiled, and Aster entered the room completely. He rushed forward to hug Jack, pulling the younger man into a strong embrace. Aster was shaking, and then Jack felt the tears on his shoulder.

Jack smiled, and buried his face in Aster's neck. "It's alright, Aster, I'm alright."

"I know, Frostbite, I know, but…" he broke off again, tucking his head lower to hug Jack tighter.

Jack sighed, and took a deep breath. Aster smelled of fire now, the scent of his cologne gone. But he still smelled of the flowers from the ball, of the spring in London, and of the earth far below them. He smelled like smoke, and he smelled like paint. Jack hugged him tighter. He liked the smells.

"It worked, Aster…" he murmured against the man's neck. "It really worked…"

Aster sniffled, and seemed to calm down. When he spoke, his voice was steady. "It did, Frostbite, and it was amazing."

They separated, and gazed at the frost around them, glittering on the walls.

"Where do you think everyone went?" Jack found himself asking.

"I'm not sure," Aster answered. "Let's go and find North. Maybe he knows."

Jack nodded, and they left the boiler room, to make their way up the metal stairs to the deck.

They emerged onto the deck to see the night was becoming pale.

"It's a little soon for morning, isn't it?" Aster muttered.

"Jack, Aster!" cried a familiar voice.

Baby Tooth ran into Jack's side, hugging the boy close.

"You two put the fire out!" she exclaimed, excitement radiating from her voice. "How'd you do it? Did you use your staff-thing? That's so cool!"

Jack laughed, and patted Baby Tooth's head. "You're alright! But… what happened to you? And where's everyone else?"

"We're right here, Jack."

Tooth was standing on the deck, surrounded by the rest of the children. She smiled softly, and walked up to him.

A frown tugged at her lips, and she wrinkled her nose. "You both smell terrible. Are your teeth okay?"

"Our teeth are fine, Tooth," Jack laughed, swatting her hands away from his mouth when they twitched upwards.

Aster was stunned by Jack's shoulder. "H-How…"

Tooth only winked, and chirped, "We all have our little tricks Aster."

"And I," called North, "made a call."

He walked down the large wooden steps that led up to the helm of the ship. He was free from soot, completely clean, as was the rest of the crew. He smiled down at Jack, and then reached out to pat Aster on the shoulder.

"You both did well," he said. "Thank you, my friends."

Jack scoffed, "It was nothing…"

Aster opened his mouth, most likely to comment on Jack's near-death experience, but decided against it.

North laughed, and leaned back to guffaw into the sky.

"That is good, then, for both of you! Now, I must go see to damage. You two go…" he waved his hand at them, dismissing them, "relax."

Jack chuckled, and looked up to Aster. The gruff Australian couldn't suppress his grin.

They left North for the moment, and walked to the railing. The rest of the crew dispersed, Phil and Tooth following North to the boiler room, and the children going off somewhere, most likely the kitchen.

Jack smiled, and bumped against Aster.

"Thank you for saving me," he said quietly.

Aster replied, "No problem, mate."

Jack nodded, and they looked out at the sea of sky before them. The clouds were below the ship now, and they looked like a soft ocean of cotton. A flock of birds emerged from the fog, like flying fish, before dipping back down again. The sun was rising over the horizon, painting the puffs pink and orange. The yellow light spread above them, beckoning in the new day. It was peaceful, and the cool air rushed through the ship again.

Jack spoke, "Aster, before Kelly shot at the ship, you were going to tell me something. What was it?"

"Hmm?" Aster asked. "What do you mean?"

"You remember; it was barely half an hour ago. I saw that picture of me in the sketchbook, and then you'd gotten mad. Then you were about to say something, when the cannons had fired."

"I don't know what you're talking about, mate."

Jack nudged Aster again. "Yes you do. You were crying then, too. What was it you were going to tell me?"

Aster was silent. After a while, he replied, "It's nothing."

Jack looked up at the man. He gazed out at the sky around them, staring off into the distance. His eyes were dry, but Jack saw something in them. He couldn't place it, though, so he only nodded. Frowning, he turned back to the sky as well.

North climbed back onto the deck, grumbling under his breath.

"A lot of damage," he muttered to himself.

"Not as much as if could have been," Jack called back over his shoulder. "It's a good thing you had all that sand down there, North. It kept everything from catching on fire faster."

North arched a thick eyebrow at Jack. "What sand? There was no sand."

"What?" Jack asked, confused. "But, I saw it! It was everywhere, and…" he trailed off, when he realized that North was only looking at him as if he were crazy.

"Well," North continued, "It seems that Tooth is not able to make all the repairs herself, and it is not safe to travel to America directly."

Aster stood up from the railing, and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

North only smiled.

"Phil!" he called. The large man stumbled up the stairs onto the deck, and stood at attention. North smirked, and unsheathed a saber form his belt. He raised it into the air, and bellowed:

"Set course for North Pole! We go to Santoff Claussen!"

A/N: Ah, I always feel weird writing for action scenes. Does anyone have any tips for writing them? Because I always feel like I make them too slow with all the words I use. ^^;

Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter!

~Renoku

P.S. I know that in Book!Verse, Santoff Claussen is not located in the North Pole, but it fits for this story and it gives me a reason to have Ombric and Katharine come in. (However, they will most likely be OOC…)