Welcome to High School, Chapter Nine: Castaways

by SnowFlower Frost

Summary: The Guardians are going to High School. Nothing can go wrong, right? That's if you forget the fact that Pitch and Manny are in charge, the Guardians are secret agents, and they're going to school in none other then Burgess. High School AU, Agent!Guardians, Principal!Manny, Vice-Principal!Pitch. For CottonCandy123's fanfiction contest.

Disclaimer: I love reading Percy Jackson, especially the newly released House of Hades, but just like I only own my copy of House of Hades and not Percy Jackson, I don't own Rise of the Guardians, either.

A huge thank you to River Melody for being my beta! Love you, gal!

Jack stirs, his eyes heavy and thick with the fog of sleep. He doesn't know what to say or do, though he does know that it would be best to remain as still as possible. So he does so, biting his lip imperceptibly. He wonders what sense of danger could have possibly alerted him to his current predicament... Then he remembers the office.

Any untrained person would have stiffened, jumped up, started to do something, anything. But Jack was trained, and as such, he carefully kept up the pretence of being asleep until he no longer was able.

He sat up, his eyes wide in confusion, but it was with relief that he noted he was alone in the room. Then he realizes he is back at his condo, and he stiffens. He wonders what's going on, why they brought him back here. Then he remembers that he gave away the Guardians.

And he also remembers the strange copy of himself. What was Pitch playing at? Wht had he to gain by producing a... clone of himself, of Jack? He furrowed his brow, trying to think of the strategy lessons they used to receive at the Agency. But he can't and this causes him to growl in frustration. He threads his hands in his hair and he thinks, he really thinks. But he still can't pinpoint why Pitch would do what he did. And it pains him.

Then he stiffened again, moving like a cat across the room, throwing open the windows. It's a beautiful day, clearly spring is dying to begin yet snow laces the ground. Nothing seems to be wrong, yet Jack just can't shake that feeling. The feeling that has saved his life multiple times before. The feeling that all's not right in the world.

He reaches down into his boot and pulls out the old, perfectly balanced throwing knife, weighing it from hand to hand. Jack closed his eyes, just remembering. The way things used to be. The way things should have been... The feel of the hilt in his hands brings back more than he'd ever imagined, and he loved it.

It reminded him of better times, much better times. He could hear a soothing voice in his ear as he held it, guiding his aim, boosting his confidence. Though he couldn't quite identify just who it was, he could identify that the voice meant him no harm, that the voice maybe even... loved him.

But that was absurd, though he didn't want to voice it to himself. On the other hand, it might very well be true. Because according to the Guardians, he had had a life before Pitch, and he very well might have been loved there. Maybe one day he would return... But for now, this was his life.

Then, his eyes widening at the realizisation of his own stupidity, he noticed the strange little container on the small table of his apartment. He winced, holding in a curse as he cautiously prowled forward to investigate. He poked at it cautiously with a knife, then passed a scanner over it to be safe. He nodded to himself, having determined that nothing in the container would hurt him.

Picking it up, he took a deep breath and opened it. Inside was a small syringe, and a note. He unfolded the note, holding the syringe tightly in his right hand.

Then came a frantic pounding at the door, and, as if in a dream, he wandered over and opened it, still clutching the syringe. At the door are the Guardians.

"Oh, Jack, we were so worried when you didn't come back!" Tooth exclaimed, rushing forward and giving him a tight hug. He winced, as the other three Guardians all filed into his condo. They all looked tired and worn, and he bit his lip. "What happened?"

"Attack," North said helplessly, "attack in the Tunnels."

Jack had discovered that the Tunnels was another name for the locker hallways that composed the section forbidden to students. He frowned.

Then Tooth's eyes widened and she stared at the syringe in his hand. "Oh, Jack, what have you done?" She asked.

The other Guardians soon followed her gaze, and anger, fear, shock, and curiosity equally passed across their faces. But none were more angry than Aster.

Aster stalked forward. "Ya let the tunnels be attacked, for this? Where were ya, mate? With Pitch?"

Jack nodded. "Actually, yes."

He winced at the way they all stiffened and hurried to explain. "It's not like you think! Pitch, he called me! I didn't have a choice!"

Aster raised an eyebrow. "Likely story, mate," he scoffed, gesturing to the syringe in his hand. "Ah'd bet that you were the one that led the attack. I thought I saw a glimpse a' white hair underneath that mask a' yours."

He, and, indeed, all the others, looked absolutely murderous.

Jack swallowed, backing up until his back hit the wall. "I promise, it wasn't me."

Aster advanced at him, while the others turned away. "D'ya know what that attack cost me? D'ya?" He demanded furiously.

Jack shook his head.

Aster narrowed his eyes. "Likely story," he said again. His eyes glimmered in fury and he raised a hand and brought it hard against Jack's face.

Jack winced, reeling back from the force of the blow. "It's not!" He exclaimed.

Aster drew a gun from his holster and pointed it at him, the tip trembling, as if he was contemplating shooting. Aster closed his eyes.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Jack's, and he was pulled through the open window. He looked at his savour, a girl in all black. A girl dressed in the outfit of the Agency, as, he realized, was he.

The girl smiled beneath her mask. "My name is Alpha Agent S-12, and I just saved your life."

Up in the apartment several stories above from where Agent S-12 and Jack were crouched on the ground, the tip of the gun slowly lowered to the floor and Aster said with his eyes still closed. "Go... just go."

But Jack was already gone.

I don't really have much to say ;) Hope you liked this chapter, sorry for the cliffie (haha not really), and please review!

Kisses,

Snow