Almighty Therianthropy

Chapter 6

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Jack, July and Revere flew across the ocean towards Spain. "So, you fly with the wind, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied simply.

"Your powers are something." She smiled. "And just think; you haven't even reached your full potential yet."

"What do you mean?"

"You're part of the 'belief system' now." She explained, moving her ponytail out of her face. "You've seen how powerful the other Guardians are, right? You're gonna get that power, too! Imagine all the new things you'll learn about yourself!"

"New things, huh?" Jack looked at his staff. "You mean like, not having to rely on my staff?"

"Yeah, and other stuff, too." She smiled.

"Hey, why did you want me to come with you?" The teen changed the subject. "If it's about the scratch…"

"Oh, no, I was just messin' with you back there." She laughed. "I just wanted to see how you fight."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't mean to be rude, but I can tell you're new to fighting." She looked at him. "You haven't had to do it much in your lifetime, since no one could see you and you didn't have any responsibilities." Jack nodded. It was true, after all. "But don't worry. You have quick reflexes, and you're learning fast."

"Oh yeah? Good." He grinned.

"I see them. Down there!" They found the were-creatures terrorizing Barcelona. They landed in the middle of the fray and began opening fire. The winter spirit stayed in the air so he wouldn't get shot by July or easily attacked. Revere also took to the air after dropping off his 'sister', screeching loudly in hopes to attract all the creatures to this area. It worked; the monsters stopped eating humans and ran to their new enemies. The spirits picked them off one by one. Jack, when he could, watched July fight. None of the creatures could touch her; she calmly but quickly shot all of them clean through the skull. Her hands didn't shake and her fierce eyes never blinked. She never even moved except to turn around. She shot the last werewolf right between the eyes. Literally.

"Whoa, that was awesome, huh?" Jack tried not to act impressed.

"It was too easy." July twirled the guns before putting them in her holsters.

"Was it?" He asked, wondering why it didn't sound like she was joking.

"Yeah. I noticed it when I fought with Tooth, too. They were just… asking to die." She looked at the boy. "They were different from the first ones we saw in Sweden. Don't you think?"

"Um…" Jack wasn't sure. In Sweden, they had been able to talk to the were-creatures and ask them what they were up to, but they didn't need to speak with any more of these assholes, they just needed to get rid of them. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, shrilly cry of annoyance. He turned around and saw a cute Latin woman about three inches shorter than him with black hair in a long bowl-cut. She had a green shirt and khaki shorts. Her face would be pretty if she wasn't looking pissed. She stopped in front of July and began rambling in Spanish.

"Yes, we're aware." July covered her ears, not liking the woman's loudness. "We took care of it, see?"

"Nosotros?" She turned her attention to Jack.

"Jack, this is Maya, the spirit of Mexico. Maya, this is Jack Frost." July introduced them. Maya stopped staring like a fan-girl and said something, but Jack couldn't understand. "He doesn't speak Spanish."

"Oh, jes…" She cleared her throat. "Is nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too." Jack got uncomfortable when she stepped a little closer, full-on staring now.

"Un hermoso niño." Maya cooed. July giggled.

"What'd she say?"

"She thinks you're pretty." July smiled. Jack blushed.

"Um, thanks, I mean… gracias?" He used the only Spanish he knew. Maya giggled, but then shook her head, getting back to the matter at hand. She spoke to July again before running off, not before stealing another look at the pretty boy. "Oh man… girls." Jack face-palmed.

"Well, you wanted to be seen and known, so you have to take the repercussions!" She joked. "By the way, she didn't say anything important. And good job!" Revere flew down to join them, giving Jack an appreciative look and coo. "Oh, he likes you, too!"

"Um… how can you tell?" He asked. Cuz I sure can't.

"He's a hard shell to crack." She pets his beautiful feathers. "It took him a long time to like Bunny. After all, the dumb rabbit tackled me when we first met, thinking I was stealing his eggs. Those two stared at each other for, like, hours!" She laughed, and Jack wanted to, but now he was thinking about Bunny and July being an item again.

I really should just ask. The teen thought. Just… get it over with. "Um, July? Can I… ask you something?"

"Of course! What?" She gave him a curious look.

"Well, um…" Jack knew he had to hurry; they needed to meet with the others. "What… is your… relationship with Bunny… exactly?" He was so embarrassed right now; every second she didn't reply felt like a day.

"You could only be asking me that for one of two reasons." July sounded really calm. "Either you like me…" She watched Jack react and he immediately shook his head no. "Or you like Bunny." This time the teen opened his mouth to say something, but he changed his mind, blushing furiously instead. "Holy shit! I knew it! I knew it was Bunny!" She went up to hug him, picking him up around his waist. "Ohmigod, go for it! You two would make the cutest pair! I can see it now! And imagining…" She trailed off, giggling as she 'imagined' things.

"So…" He took a while to process that, and breathe. "You guys aren't a couple?"

"Oh right." She put him down. "I didn't answer your question." She paused, thinking of the right answer. "Bunny and I have… this 'more than friends, less than lovers' thing. So, we're very close, but not romantically involved."

"Really?" Jack let out a big sigh of relief. Well, that solves that problem, but… "Are you sure he doesn't like you that way?"

"I'm no Cupid, but… I'm pretty sure he doesn't." July said. "Oh, you are just the cutest! You really thought… oh man… really though, you should tell him!"

"But…"

"No buts!" She pointed at him. "You have to try. You can't let this eat you up." He was going to say something, but decided to just nod instead. She was right, anyway.

"Thanks." Jack decided to say.

"For what?" She shook her head. "Anyway, let's go find the others."

"Right." Right, this comes first, then Bunny.

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"This was too easy." Bunnymund said the same thing July did. The Guardians and July met in the Black Forest in Germany. "They're nothing like the ones that ate my side."

"I noticed, too." July said. "The ones that attacked you and the ones in Sweden seemed more intelligent. But these guys just seem mindless." Sandy made a picture of a zombie.

"True, but no matter how many brains, we must destroy them." North said. They all nodded.

"There are a lot of them." Tooth pointed out. "What if it never stops?"

"We really need to find their stronghold." July said. "Where did werewolves originate from?"

"No one knows." North said. "In Dark Ages, even before then, they have just popped up all over the world, and no one knows how they turn into one!"

"It's really all just a bunch of whacked theories." Bunny said. "We don't know which ones are true…" He stopped and his ears perked up, twitching around to listen. He sniffed the air, too. Jack knew this behavior.

"What is it?" He asked.

"We're being watched, mate." The Pooka gazed in a certain location.

"Are you sure it's not one of my cousins?" July asked.

"I'm sure." He seemed to find where the intruder was located. "Over here! He's running away!"

"Wait, don't kill him." The American spirit said. "Let's interrogate him." Bunny grinned evilly and nodded, going to fetch the were-creature hiding in the woods. After what sounded like a good tousle and a few grunts and screams, the rabbit came out from the shadows dragging a beat-up were-leopard behind him.

"Frostbite!" Bunny called, throwing the beast in front of him. "Do your thing!" Jack nodded and sent a flurry of ice and frost to the beaten were-leopard, freezing its back to the grass so he couldn't escape. The Pooka laughed, hopping back beside the Guardians.

"Do you really think he'll talk?" Tooth asked.

"Oh, dear sweet Tooth…" July said darkly. "I can make anyone talk." She walked over to the creature and smiled.

"You cannot make me talk." The were-leopard said in an African accent. "I will gladly die before the Lord!"

"I'll take care of that for you." July sounded awfully sadistic. "But first you need to tell me where you guys live."

"Never." He spat. July rolled her eyes and lean down real close to the creature, whispering to him. None of the others could hear, except Bunny, whose face contorted and eyes widened.

"What's she saying?" Jack noticed Bunny acting weird.

"I can't… tell you, mate." He replied, practically gagging in horror.

"Romania!" The leopard shouted. "Romania, we live in Romania!" He started crying and mumbling to himself, asking his Lord to forgive him.

"Is there someone leading you?" She asked. He kept crying. "Answer."

"Y-Yes. Our marvelous leader!" He said with admiration. "Betzalel! Our great Betzalel! Now please, just take me to see my Lord!"

"You're not seeing Him where you're going." She quipped before mercilessly shooting him in the face. Everyone flinched when she did that. "Well, guess we're headed to Romania!" She reloaded her gun and smiled, acting like that didn't just happen.

"She's a little scary." Jack whispered to Bunny.

"No shit." He agreed.

"Where in Romania, though?" Tooth asked. "What if he was lying?"

"He might have been." July shrugged. "But it wouldn't hurt to check."

"As for where…" The Pooka said. "My nose can find those bitzers."

"Betzalel?" Jack asked. "That's their leader? What a stupid name."

"Indeed." North laughed. "But now we have our objective."

"Yeah." July cocked her gun. "Let's ambush 'em."

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A/N: Hey lovelies! Here's this chapter! Betzalel is such a stupid name! (I'm sorry for anyone who's named Betzalel.) Betzalel is Hebrew for "Shadow of God", God's protection. And I can hear all you goin' "Why are they in Romania? That's where vampires are from!" Well, my thought was that the werewolves kept moving around to avoid suspicion and people who didn't believe in God. So they ended up there for now. Also, I wasn't able to insert Maya's power into the fic, but I had the idea that she could be covered in spikes when she willed it like a cactus and cut and pierce your ass up! A cactus is on Mexico's flag so I just thought… yeah. Enjoy! More to come!

- Taru-chan