Jack held his arm as Jakoul snarled, ice exploded from him; a defensive mechanism; freezing the vents shut and turning the area into an icy wonderland. Tooth was impaled into the wall, Sandy was effectively cut in half while Bunny was frozen to the floor and North stuck behind the bar. That was a mistake. As was apparent because as soon as the blast was set off runes etched into the walls and floor began to glow. Jakoul was pinned to the floor by an invisible magical force that latched onto the magic; quite literally chaining him down with his own magic. The more he'd struggle the stronger the bonds would get. Gale shook his head.
"What the hell?!" Jakoul yelled out in surprise at unexpectedly being pinned down.
"GOD DAMN IT!" He struggled more and more; Jack had passed out during the battle when the pain had become too much for him and he'd fallen into Jamie's arms. Jamie held Jack close; watching in silence... Who was this human? How had they set this kind of a trap?
"You're not getting out Jakoul. That spellbinding circle is tailored to use the victim's own power against them. The more you try to break free the tighter those bonds are going to get." The voice comes over the speaker. Gale tried to make a run for it only to be snagged by Sandy's whips. He froze them only to be knocked from the air by Tooth though he knocked her from the air in turn by freezing one of her wings. Jakoul glared in anger, ignoring the tightening, painful bonds. He yelped a little as he went limp, breathing heavily.
"I may have lost, but you're never getting Jack back... or that brat Jamie." He snickered darkly.
"Never say never." The female voice chided even as Bunny knocked Gale out with a blow to the head. Jakoul snarled.
"WHO ARE YOU!" He yelled, irritated and angry as he struggled against the bonds, straining again despite the futility of it.
"A believer. One of Jack's oldest I reckon." The voice replied after a moment. Jakoul growled in anger.
"LET ME GO!" He screamed, struggling.
"Let you go? Right... Not happening mate. You've caused enough trouble." Bunny said, standing nearby while North flipped through a book in his hand. Jakoul looked at the book then screamed in anger, cursing them and such, struggling but all that did was strengthen the bonds a moment. Jack shook in Jamie's grip as he came to again, afraid... and his fear fueled Jakoul further, allowing the bonds to weaken before strengthening again. A shadow moved in the balcony, just out of clear sight. The figure had something they were etching into the floor. The voice from the speakers came across the room quite clearly.
"I'll admit you're stronger than I anticipated, but you're not getting away. It's only a matter of time before we figure out how to deal with you." The voice was definitely female. Jakoul growled.
"Oh yeah? Good luck trying to purge me from his body!" He snarled, twisting and turning in the bonds. Jack whined, hugging Jamie; he was shaking like a leaf. Jamie hugged Jack close.
"A believer... maybe... Jack, I have an idea that might work... if only I could get a message to our helper some how... Jack... think you could manage to put a message for me in frost while Jakouls' distracted? I should be able to give you the energy to do it." Jack winced.
"I'll try, what do you want the message to say?" He winced, the bonds hurt...
"We'll keep it brief. Ummm, write: contact. belief. light." Jack nodded and tried channeling his frost to a mirror in front of the figure he'd only glimpsed a silhouette of earlier.
"Please, please work." The shadowed figure jerked a little in surprise at the frost that skittered across a mirror. Staring at it quietly as the message scrawled across it... muttering to herself.
"That might be dangerous..." Jack cried, adding more words:
Please! I can't take the pain anymore just do it!
It was desperate, but Jack really wanted it to stop. The figure sighed, she didn't mean dangerous for Jack... it was dangerous for her ... but she nodded and disappeared into the darkness a moment before Bunny shouted suddenly.
"Are you out of your mind?! You can't reveal yourself! That will-"
"I know it will Bunny, but this might be the only way to be rid of Jakoul and his companion once and for all. I have to take the risk." She stepped into the light, her green eyes glimmered behind the glasses she wore. She was average, as humans went, in appearance; though her hair was such a dark brown that it was nearly black in the dim light. She walked over to Jakoul and knelt next to him; meeting his gaze fearlessly as she reached out to touch the cool cheek gently. He struggled and bit her hand in retaliation of the touch, glaring at her in anger.
"Feisty eh?" She didn't seem too irritated, instead she gently held his hand with both hands now; ignoring the sting of the bite and the cold as she closed her eyes.
"S-she got the message..." Jamie murmured, closing his eyes. It was a desperate gamble... and he wasn't sure it would work entirely but it was the only thing he could think off... but it was dangerous for the human to do this and the results could be... well, he wasn't sure WHAT they would be for a human, but she was obviously willing. The ice cocoon around Jack and Jamie shattered as a second light source pulsed next to Jamie. Seeming to communicate to him, Jamie nodded a little and pressed his lips to Jack's again before taking a step back and joining with the second light. The two now one, pulsed even more brightly and striked out at Jakoul, surrounding him and confining him in a cocoon of light. Jakoul screamed in pain.
"NO!" He struggled to get away from the bright cocoon, Jack whined as it hurt him. He covered his hears from all the noise, it hurt so much that he was afraid. Scared of what was happening; Jakoul cried and screamed as he was pulled from Jack while he was trying to pull Jack with him. Jack shook in fear. The cocoon pulled Jack to consciousness as it left Jack's body; leaving Jack alone and in control. The woman stumbled back a little, falling on her butt like she'd been struck, but she recovered quickly enough.
"One down... one to go." She walked over to the unconscious Gale; the Guardians could only watch in silence. Two of the four recognizing the magic when they saw it. Jack breathed heavily, settling as he was back in control again. The woman settled down and Gale was more easily overpowered by the cocoon of light that was pulled into the woman and Jamie was left back in his body. Jamie blinked, feeling a little disoriented and weak from the effort.
"Y-you gonna be... okay?" Jamie murmured, his eyes flickering from Jack to the woman.
"I... I think so." She walked over to Bunny.
"Just to be safe..." She muttered and sliced her hand on the large hoop, wincing only slightly before etching a few spells in blood on the back of her hands and her forehead. Jack sniffed a little, he felt disgusted with his body at the moment, considering it was covered in blood and filth from Jakoul's actions. The woman sighed a little.
"You shouldn't have any trouble with them ever again." She gave Jack a faint smile.
"I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Jack thought for a moment, wondering if he knew this woman who had once likely been a little girl he'd seen before only to come up with no name or face.
"W-who are you?" He felt disgusting and like he'd break down again any moment, Jamie could feel it. She just smiled a little.
"Does it matter? I imagine you want a bath... fortunately this place is next door to a hotel. I'm sure you can wash there." She gently put a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"Take care hmmm? I'd rather we meet under different circumstances, if ever again." She moved towards the door, staggering slightly like she was drunk. Jamie watched her go with some concern as did the other Guardians.
"Should get you both clean like she say, da?" North said quietly. Jamie rubbed one hand over his face and nodded. He felt just as disgusted with his own body as Jack did... though he was slightly more detached about it. Jack's eyes filled with tears, looking at each of the other Guardians as he shakily stood up once Bunny had finished releasing him from the runes. Jack felt like breaking down all over again as he knew he'd killed thousands yesterday and today's blood and filth would never fully clean off. The four gathered around Jack and Jamie, compassion in their eyes; none of them blaming either for the lives lost.
"Come on mate... best get some rest and maybe some grumb... yeah?" Bunny said gently. Jack shook his head, pushing past towards the hotel that the woman had spoken of only to get fearful glances and screams. Jack slowly ran from the others, Jamie included; he felt horrible as he took to the skies, screw the hotel. Jamie gave the others a glance that said 'later' and followed quickly behind Jack. Keeping him in sight, but allowing him some distance too; people screamed as they saw him too and he can't help but cringe a little even as he followed Jack. Tears slammed into Jamie's face as the wind carried his broken sobs and tears away. He flew faster, trying to get out of the city, out of the state. Jamie followed silently, understanding Jack's issue more than he wanted to, but also keeping his promise to never leave. Jack finally landed at the south pole, the storm around him massive because of his emotions. He punched the frozen ground, breaking his fist; he didn't care though as he continued to punch the ground despite the crunching sound. Tears falling as he continued, blood dripping from the cuts on his hand. Jamie gently touched the bond as he landed several feet away; he didn't want to drive Jack off... he understood the frustration. Jack had spent most of his life trying to get someone to see him, to believe... and Jakoul had twisted that, making him what he hadn't wanted... someone to be feared. With one last sickening crack, blood and bones lay in his hand, broken and blood oozing from the wounds; it hurt but he needed the pain, felt he deserved it after all that was the hand that had snapped people's neck, stabbed them, stole things and massacred innocents. He huffed, about ready to break his other hand when he felt Jamie over the bond. He sniffed, closing himself from it to mask the pain.
"Jack... don't do this to yourself... You don't deserve it anymore than I do. To them... we're both monsters." Jamie said quietly. Jack whimpered as he curled in on himself, he needed someone who would understand but knowing that Jamie did only made him sob as he cried and cried.
"I deserve it. I deserve the pain." He called out. Jamie moved over and settled next to Jack, he winced at the sight of what Jack did to his hand.
"No Jack... you don't. You know this isn't your fault. No more than what Gale did is mine... and you know how bad he was." He murmured softly, taking Jack's uninjured hand in his own. Jack sniffed, looking at Jame; having forgotten in his misery that Jamie had been through the same trouble.
"I...I..." He shook his head, in denial of what had happened and how horrible it was; he hurled up the contents of his stomach on the ground as he realized what his body had been through.