Welp here's the next chapter. I know some of you might not believe me, but this story will have lighter/happy moments eventually. Please enjoy this chapter and leave feedback! I really appreciated the comments about the tenses and the grammar errors, I always go back and fix those things after you guys point them out. As always review for me! I love hearing from you guys!
WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Disturbing imagery, violence, blood.
Jack began to writhe in his bindings, whining in frustration when the pain of his wounds nearly sucked the breath out of his lungs. During his brief struggling he'd managed to toss the covers off of the bed and onto the cold and unforgiving floor. Pitch merely stood at the end of the bed, watching with amusement with his hands clasped behind his back. He was delighted that the boy seemed to still have some fight left in him after all. Even after everything he'd done to him.
"You really are something else Jack…" Pitch said, smiling as he turned to face the door, waiting for the Tooth Fairy to return. Jack simply grunted around his muzzle as a response, trying his best to think of a means of escape from his restraints.
"I really thought I'd broken MiM's newest Guardian, I guess I jumped to conclusions too quickly."
Jack twisted his wrists again, pulling against the white cloth in hopes it would loosen. 'I've got to get out of this, I've got to warn Tooth!"
Panic filled blue eyes dashed back and forth in a desperate attempt to find something that would help the situation. All his eyes were met with were two other empty beds, a few wooden chairs, and a nightstand with nothing on it. Jack's eyes began to water as he realized there was nothing that could help him.
The Nightmare King's voice filled the air again, "all I had to do was mention hurting the fairy and it's like you've been filled with an all new strength. I am pleased to know you've still got some fight in you Frost. It's just a shame that you're so weak."
Jack turned his head away from Pitch and bit down on the gag hard, trying his hardest to fight off the tears that wanted to fall again.
A mixture of frustration and fear bubbled inside him, he didn't know what to do; he was completely at Pitch's mercy.
"She'll be here soon…I can feel it." Pitch said as his features formed into a scowl. Without looking back Pitch raised his arm and snapped his fingers. Instantly a pair of angry yellow eyes emerged from the shadow at the back of the room. A manic growl echoed through the infirmary as the creature paced into the dim light. Jack's eyes widened in terror as the creature came closer, its head lowered and its teeth bared.
Pitch turned his attention to the winter spirit, "don't worry boy, this fearling isn't here for your blood."
The black wolf suddenly stopped, its eyes fixed on the door to the infirmary. It sniffed the air, looking for the scent of its assigned prey. A few seconds passed before a feral growl ripping from its throat. Jack looked between the door and the nightmare wolf before resuming his struggles. 'That thing is going to kill Tooth!"
Pitch walked back into his shadow, hiding from plain sight, the wooden floor creaking slightly before all was silent again.
Jack's struggles instantly ceased when he heard the faint sound of humming getting louder. 'No…'
The humming continued to grow until it was just right outside the door. Tears fell from Jack's wide eyes as the door opened.
"Sorry it took so long Jack I had to- "
The sound of glass shattering resonated clearly throughout the room when the door swung open. Tooth gaped in shock at the image she saw before her. Her feathers fluffed out in fear. Jack laid there, arms tied above his head, screaming around a gag that had been tied tightly around his mouth. Baby Tooth and Phil lay unmoving on the wooden floor. She was frozen; her maternal instincts were kicking into overdrive at the sight of Jack.
Jack cried out around the cloth. 'Run! You have to run!'
Ignoring his desperate shrieking Tooth zoomed towards him shouting his name. She didn't see the nightmare wolf crouched behind the cabinets, waiting to pounce. Briefly she saw a black streak with a hint of yellow in her peripheral vision. It happened so fast. One moment she was flying to Jack, the next to was slammed against the wall, books from the bookshelf tumbling to the ground from the force. Her eyes were clenched tightly as the sound of growling filled her ears. A stinging pain raced up and down her arm. Something warm seemed to be dripping there.
The creature's hot breath made her bright feathers stand on end. When Tooth opened her eyes everything seemed to be spinning, weakly she looked up and gasped. There, standing angrily before her, was a wolf. Its jaw was clamped down ruthlessly on her feathered arm, her velvet blood coating its teeth and dripping to the floor she laid upon.
She tried to wrench her arm away only to shriek as the nightmare wolf clamped its teeth down harder. All she could hear was its angry growls and Jack's wailing.
"Is that it Tooth Fairy? Is that all that you've got?"
Tooth immediately jerked her head, looking around the fearling to the source of the voice. Her pink irises zoned in on the shadow at the back wall.
"Pitch! Get out here and fight me yourself! Don't let this stupid mutt do it for you! Urgh!"
A cold laughter boomed from the shadow before Pitch stepped out and revealed himself. "All of you Guardians are so pathetic…you can't even protect yourselves let alone each other."
Tooth roared in frustration as she listened to Pitch and fought against the fearling gripping her. "You're wrong! We'll always protect each other, while there's no one who will protect you!" She shouted.
"Don't lie to yourself fairy." Pitch said as he walked towards Jack. "Leave him alone!" Tooth yelled.
"You've just made my point. Look at poor Jack, barely here for two days and you've already failed him again." Pitch taunted as he gripped Jack's chin and forced his head up, his thump stroking the tender flesh of his cheek. "Oh if you could only see the fear in his eyes right now…"
Tooth grew angrier at the sound of Jack's whimpering. "I said leave him alone Pitch!"
Jack looked up at Pitch unwillingly, shuddering from his cold touch. He watched as Pitch formed a blade out of nightmare sand and hid it behind his back. It was completely obscured from Tooth's view.
'She won't know…' Jack realized, as his breath caught in his throat.
Pitch smirked down at him cruelly.
Suddenly Jack began shouting again as if trying to warn her of something, his desperate wailing making Tooth scared herself.
Instantly she began beating her wings at full speed and pushed against the fearling, flinging it off of her arm and across the room. It burst into black sand as it made contact with the opposite wall where the shadow resided. In a flash she was racing at Pitch, her arm pulled back, ready to punch him at full force.
She was stopped roughly as a hand shot out and wrapped itself around her small neck.
"One by one, I'm going to kill all of you…" Pitch snarled as she squirmed around in his grip. "I'll start with you…then the rabbit, then the Sandman and North." He paused and glanced at Jack's fear stricken form before setting his gaze on the fairy once more, "and finally, when you're all gone and no one is left to protect him, I'll torture the one who ruined my plans before, who made a fool of me. His last sound will be a scream; his last feeling will be excruciating pain. When he is reduced to begging for death, I'll show him mercy, and grant his wish."
Tooth was crying now as she fought for proper oxygen and heard the cruel words that dripped from Pitch's lips.
Her eyes widened as a black blade was suddenly thrust into her side as she could do nothing to stop it. Blood immediately sprang from the wound, dripping down her now slack body and onto the floor. Pitch could hear Jack scream in panic.
"Think of that as penance for punching my tooth out…" Pitch growled.
The sword quickly dissipated and Pitch carelessly let Tooth drop to the ground in a heap. He looked over at Jack again, his eyes dark and emotionless; the boy was sobbing uncontrollably.
The Nightmare King looked down at the fairy again watching a pool of red collect underneath his feet…