Day 5... I can't believe the end is so close!

This one is superhero themed, because I love superheroes. This one is less sad that yesterday's, thank goodness. A little long, though. And I have to confess, I got the basic idea from an original story I have in the back of my mind.

Again, thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I do so appreciate you support.

Jack Frost belongs to William Joyce and DreamWorks, Rapunzel to Disney, Hiccup and Toothless to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks, Merida to Disney/Pixar.

Day 5: Takes Two To Tango

As soon as Rapunzel Overland opened the door of the apartment, she was greeted with a meow from the smoke grey cat that sat on the back of the couch by the door.

"Hey, Pascal," she greeted. Sliding her key back into the pocket of her jacket, she paused a moment to scratch the cat behind the ears. "Is Jack home yet?"

There was no answer – from Pascal, or anywhere is the apartment – so it was an obvious negative.

She smiled as the cat pressed into her hand and meowed again. His green eyes looked after her when she moved on into the kitchen.

The apartment was fairly small, but there was enough room for the three of them. And it was bigger than the studio she had lived in before, so Pascal could hardly complain.

The air was filled with the warm smell of the stew she had left in the crockpot that morning.

Before she set about preparing the rest of dinner, she clicked the power button on the TV remote. The screen lit up with the new station Jack had left it on the morning.

Rapunzel only half listened as she went about her preparations. She had discovered long ago it was easier to just get dinner done as soon as she got home.

She had just finished chopping celery when she heard the all too familiar music from the TV that meant there was breaking news. They cut away from the coverage of an employee strike in a nearby town.

She looked over, dread nibbling at her stomach.

"This just in," the news anchor said. She was so stiff and serious it would have been comical at any other time. "The super villain known as Pitch black has launched another attack in downtown Burgess."

"Of course," Rapunzel muttered. Leaving the vegetables, she went to sit on the couch, pushing short brown hair out of her eyes.

Pascal immediately came to sit on her lap – which he regarded as his rightful territory. Rapunzel absently scratched behind his ears, eyes intent on the screen.

They had gone to an on-the-scene reporter.

"We're live in downtown Burgess, where Pitch Black and his nightmares have launched yet another attack on City Hall."

In the background, among the sky scrapers of down town Burgess, Rapunzel could see the horse-like nightmares as they galloped through the air, amidst the tall buildings, swooping down at the people unfortunate enough to get too close.

On the largest of the creatures sat Pitch Black, tall an imposing, on the corner of City Hall, watching as the police were beaten back by the nightmares.

An arrow shot through the horses, causing them to dissipate. Another sailed past where they had been. But Pitch pulled the reigns and his nightmare stepped out of the way just in time. The arrow shot past him.

"As you can see, Archer is already on the scene, doing an admirable job of holding them back."

The camera panned to Merida. Her glare was hidden behind her mask, but Rapunzel knew her friend well enough to know it was there. Her mouth moved in what was either a threat, a taunt – or both.

Another group of nightmares were incinerated by a burst of purple flames. A dragon swooped through the ashes, ridden by a green clad figure.

"Viking has just arrived as well," the reporter said. "I'm getting reports that the police are now setting up detours, but you should know that traffic is back up onto the bridge. Of course, everyone is advised to avoid the area until further-"

The wind around the reporter picked up, messing up her perfectly styled hair, raising a few papers off the street.

Reporter and camera both looked upward, where another figure was coming toward them on the wind.

Rapunzel's heart skipped a beat, and a smile tugged at her lips – even as she felt her worry increase.

"We can't tell yet, but from the sudden drop in temperature, we believe – yes, it's confirmed now. Jack Frost is on the scene."

Of course he was, Rapunzel thought. A few things he was willing to his friends, but Pitch was something he couldn't turn a blind eye to.

On the screen, Jack made a wide motion with his arm. The nightmares galloping toward him feel away, dissipated by the frost he had sent their way.

The three heroes regrouped, Merida now behind Hiccup on the dragon's back. She fired another arrow to keep the nightmares at bay while Jack and Hiccup planned.

Or rather, Hiccup planned, and Jack listened. Hiccup had always been the better strategist. The rest were more likely to run in half-cocked, only to fail unnecessarily.

Jack nodded and took off, while Hiccup brought Toothless back into the air as well.

"I should be there," Rapunzel murmured, feeling the familiar ache at the loss of her hair – and her powers.

A few years ago she would have been there, fighting beside her husband and her friends.

But while Pitch and Gothel's brief alliance had been a disaster for them, they had succeeded in cutting off her hair – what Gothel had wanted all along.

It had been Gothel's last victory – Jack had gone on a three day rampage until he got Gothel behind bars – but it had been a victory none-the-less.

Without her seventy feet of hair, Rapunzel was powerless. When it came to a fight, she was not more of a hindrance than a help.

It made these moments so much worse to watch from the safety of the apartment.

Jack attacked Pitch from the right. But before he reached him, one of the nightmares rammed into his side. The force sent Jack reeling, no long in control of his flight.

The camera followed him as he hit a skyscraper, the glass shattering from the impact, and Jack disappeared from sight.

Rapunzel gasped, standing up without thinking. Pascal mewled at being unceremoniously dumped out of her lap.

"Sorry, Pascal." She crouched down to pick up the cat, holding him to her chest, never taking her eyes off the TV.

"Jack..." she whispered, her heart hammering her ribcage.

But the camera had turned back to fight as Hiccup, Toothless and Merida dived toward them.

Pitch dodged any direct blows, but he was now on the offensive. Toothless was bigger than the Nightmare, and a flick of his wings kept Pitch from getting very far.

A few moments later, in a flurry of white frost, Jack returned to the scene.

The four (Toothless counted as one of them) herded Pitch to the edge of the rood, fire, arrows and frost aimed directly at him. Merida had jumped off Toothless so they formed a half circle around him.

But before any of them could fire... Pitch and his nightmare dove off the roof.

All the other nightmares that had were in the air... dissipated.

Rapunzel sighed in relief, squeezing Pascal tighter. But she wouldn't breathe easy until he was home safe.

#

She finally heard Jack's key in the lock, and jumped up to greet him as he pushed open the door.

"I'm home," he greeted, with his characteristic grin. But the cut on his cheek was impossible to miss, and she could see he was tired.

"Jack! Are you all right?" She wanted to hug him, but not knowing the extent of his injuries, she held back.

"Fine, I promise," he assured. "You must have seen the whole thing on TV."

"Yes," she said. She reached up to brush a fingertip just below the cut. A few years ago, with her hair, she could easily have healed it.

"There was an ambulance on site," he said. "I got checked out before I left."

"All right," she sighed.

Still grinning, Jack leaned down and hugged her.

The chains on her lungs finally broke, and she could breathe easily as she held him in return. She inhaled his familiar smell of mint and pine, tainted with dirt and sweat.

Pascal came up and sniffed at Jack, then turned back away.

"That cat is never gonna get used to me, is he?"

#

"I feel so useless," Rapunzel said, when they were on the couch after dinner.

They were watching Star Wars (one of his favorites), his head resting on her lap.

Pascal sat on a nearby arm chair, glaring at Jack with a ferocity reserved for trespassers. But they ignored the cat (spouses took priorities over pets). Those just as if it were Pascal, Rapunzel ran her fingers through Jack's hair absently.

Jack looked away from the movie to look up at her. "What do you mean?"

"Not being able to fight anymore," she said. "When I watch the news, I always feel like I should be out there, with you, Hiccup, Merida and Toothless. But I know if I was there, I would just weigh you down."

"It takes two to tango, Punz," he said, his tone gentle.

It was Rapunzel's turn to ask what he mean.

"You're the reason I keep fighting," he said. He reached up to stroke her cheek with a calloused but gentle hand. "I couldn't do it without you."

Rapunzel couldn't withhold a giggle. "Jack, I don't think that's what the phrase means."

He shrugged, but his expression was more serious.

"Don't feel bad that you can't fight," he said. "As long as you're here when I get home, I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Promise?" she asked.

Jack smirked. "Promise. And I never break my promises."

He lifted his head to kiss her briefly, then turned back to the movie with another boyish grin.

I was worried this one would be longer, but I'm glad to see it stayed under 2k words.

I hope you enjoy it.

We're entering the home stretch of Jackunzel Week! Days 6 and 7 will be two parts of the same story.