Hey... I'm updating again. It's fairly soon after my last chapter but I just had to get it up. My only worry is that you're going to get a bunch of updates right in a row and then I'm going to suffer from the tragedy that is Writer's Block *shudders*
You know the drill... I don't own it.
"This boy must be important if the new Guardian goes straight to him when troubled." Owl-eyes watched as Jack and Jamie talked, catching pieces of their conversation through the open window. "They share an unusually strong bond…"
The window slammed shut, then, a few minutes later, the other Guardians arrived. A moment after, Owl-eyes watched as the boy embraced the young Guardian; then, he and the remaining Guardians left the house, no doubt to stop Flint's attack. "Dracula will be pleased." Finished with her quest, Owl-eyes turned and vanished into the bushes.
Jamie waved goodbye to the others as, one by one, they left his room. He sighed once they were all gone. Looking out his window, he was momentarily surprised to see a grey and brown tail disappearing into the bushes across the street; but he pushed any thought away, stubbornly telling himself it was only the neighbor's dog.
He walked aimlessly out of his room. Upon seeing his sister's door ajar down the hall, Jamie got an idea. "Hey, Sophie!" he called, popping his head into the room. Sophie was sitting on the floor coloring. "Do you want to play Frisbee with me?"
Sophie looked up excitedly at the question. "Sure!" She put down her crayons and joined Jamie who was already walking down the hall and out the door. Sophie grabbed a frisbee from the toy bucket by the door and ran out onto the lawn where Jamie was waiting.
After a few throws, their mom came out and walked to the car, calling, "I'mm going to run some errands, Jamie! Watch Sophie for me until I get back!"
"Okay mom, I will!" The siblings watched their mom drive away then went back to throwing the frisbee. As soon as the car was out of sight, Jamie caught the Frisbee and crouched down. "Guess what, Sophie? Jack visited me today and Bunny came to pick him up."
Sophie squealed, "Easter Bunny! Hop, hop, hop!" She bounced in place; then lost her footing, landing hard on the grass. "OW!"
Jamie couldn't help but laugh; even after four years Sophie was just as klutzy as ever. "Yes, the Easter Bunny! He'll be back soon so you can see him again!"
"Yay!" Jamie helped Sophie back to her feet and passed the Frisbee to her to start playing again. Both were smiling brightly, knowing their Guardian friends would be coming back.
^^^^ROTG^^^^
Dracula had only just arrived at Dracula's lair when Owl-eyes bounded up, her amber eyes glittering with her newfound knowledge. "Ah, Owl-eyes." Dracula greeted. "You have found a weak spot?"
Owl-eyes nodded her shaggy brown-grey head, "A boy of whom they highly regard."
"Jamie Bennett." Pitch sneered, "That child was my undoing." he looked at Dracula. "Your wolf has done well. Jamie is the best place to start. I did not catch him early enough. Thus, he was the last, unwavering light. Put that light out first-"
"And it will not be the last." Dracula finished with a nod. He glanced at Owl-eyes. "When should we attack?"
"Immediately."
"Then gather a force," Dracula ordered, grinning evilly, "We attack NOW."
^^^^ROTG^^^^
"Whoa! Great catch, Soph! Now throw it back!" Sophie swung her arm in a wide, clumsy arc, sending the Frisbee flying to the side.
"Sorry, Bad throw!" She shouted through giggles. Jamie jogged to where the Frisbee laid in the grass, laughing alongside his sister.
"Let's try that again." HE tossed the Frisbee back to her. "Now, this time, try to let it go earlier so it goes straight." A look of concentration crossed Sophie's face as she started to throw. She released and the Frisbee went flying straight ahead to Jamie.
"That's it! You did-" Jamie's excited shout was cut short when a large dog leapt from the street and caught the disc in midair, landing on all fours to the right of Jamie.
Owl-eyes spat out the Frisbee and glared up at Jamie hungrily. "Soph! Get in the house!" Jamie shouted, not daring to look away from the animal next to him.
"Jamie-"
"Just go!" Jamie sighed, smiling in relief when Sophie obeyed and ran inside, closing the door securely behind her. "Good dog." Jamie soothed, slowly bending down to Owl-eyes' level . "Good dog. Stay there."
Something of a sneer spread over Owl-eyes' face. "Good dog?" She replied, "Good human." Jamie's heart beat faster when the words reached his ears. Barking laughter behind him made him spin around in surprise. Four other wolves had snuck up from behind.
"Good human. Sit human. Stay human." They mocked, padding closer. Jamie took a step back, frightened by the wolves' intelligence.
"Who are-?" Jamie stopped, remembering what Jack had told him.
"Dracula uses wolves to do his dirty work."
"Oh, no."
Just then, a shadow fell over the yard; as if a cloud had covered the sun, but when Jamie glanced up; he saw a blue, cloudless sky. "Jamie Bennett., it's been awhile." The voice came practically from nowhere, sending chills up Jamie's spine. "You sure have grown since we last met. A bit old to believe in the Guardians, aren't you?"
Pitch strolled out of the shadows, appearing only feet in front of Jamie, making him jump back. A warning growl form Owl-eyes told him not to move back any further. "Pitch? But how can you be back? A-and the wolves… they're supposed to be Dracula's. He's the one who's-"
Jamie's shirt constricted around his neck, cutting off his words and air. Pitch grinned. "I didn't come to disappoint you." Dracula picked Jamie up off the ground by his shirt, then tossed him down onto the grass; past Pitch, between two black-furred wolves.
Jamie propped himself up, glaring at Pitch and Dracula. Before he could do anything else, the two wolves shoved him back to the ground, pinning his shoulders under their weight. "It's been nice to meet you, Jamie Bennett, the last light." Dracula expressed with a small mock-bow. "But it's time for that light to go out."
Pitch formed his shadow scythe and, with his orange eyes gleaming, brought it down for a killing stroke.
"NOOOOO!" Jack flew I from nowhere, colliding straight into Pitch, and a miniature blizzard erupted for a moment. Jamie gasped at the icy air, but smiled at the sense of comfort it brought. As the blizzard died down, Jamie was slightly surprised to see that the two wolves holding him down were frozen solid. Recovering quickly, Jamie shoved the wolves off him and raced for the house.
Dracula tried to make sense of what had just happened, his eyes flicking to everything; the frozen wolves, the boy running towards the house, a blue portal glowing at the edge of the yard, and Pitch- several feet away from where he had been- fighting a teenage boy with white hair. "So that's the infamous Jack Frost."
Dracula didn't think he looked like much of a treat; then again, the boy had just frozen Dracula's wolves, and Pitch was faltering under the onslaught of frosty lightning coming from Frost's staff. "I am not disappointed."
Pitch didn't take long to recover; he had thought their attack was too easy. Unfortunately, it still wasn't quite enough. Jack had hit him with painful force and didn't hesitate to attack, rapidly shooting ice which Pitch struggled to deflect of dodge.
Dracula observed the fighting and quickly began to form a plan. Frost was distracted, the four Guardians- who had arrived soon after Jack- were busy with the wolves… and Jamie Bennett was alone in his house. "Fools." Dracula smirked; he dissolved into mist and drifted into the house through a window.
Reforming in the entryway, Dracula raised his eyebrows. Jamie held a bo-staff confidently; blocking the hallway from where there was a flash as a little blond girl peeked out of a door, clinging to a greyhound. Dracula chuckled, "You really think to stop me with a little stick?"
Jamie's grip shifted to a ready stance. "I'm not afraid of you." Dracula grinned evilly, showing his fangs.
"Good thing I don't need you to be." Dracula lunged, claws outstretched, but was suddenly stopped when his claws collided with Jamie's bo-staff; and the staff held under the stress of the attack.
Jamie breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his head, "Thank you, North." he whispered; never had he been so grateful for the large Russian. North had made the staff for Jamie when he had started taking martial arts; it was reinforced with magic and could hold up to even North's swords.
Dracula struck again and again Jamie blocked; determined to hold off the Master of Pain. After several minutes, Jamie could feel himself faltering. Dracula seemed relentless and didn't seem to be tiring, while Jamie's arms were shaking. Jamie heard Sophie squeak behind him and the small distraction was Jamie's undoing. He missed a block and screamed in pain as Dracula's claws shredded the right side of his shirt and the skin underneath it.
Eeeekkk! Don't hate me for this evil cliffhanger! Just know I actually like using them so several chapters are going to end with them... in fact, I think I've already used a small one in one of the previous chapters...
Hey, it just occurred to me how much I hate cliffhangers- when I'm reading them- but love to use them in my writing... how's that for Irony?
~~Wavelength