Project GUARDIAN: The Rise & Fall

by Her Head In the Clouds

When Princess Thia is kidnapped by British terrorist, Pitch Black, a mysterious secret agent comes the rescue. But protecting her is a challenge as he is wanted dead by multiple spy agencies. Now she and the ex-spy who only goes by the codename 'JACK FROST' must work together and stop Pitch, all while uncovering the dark secrets of something he left called the GUARDIAN program. AU

48. You Are My Sunshine

Yes, I watched Frozen. I watched Frozen, and that line most of you recognized is disclaimed to it. Okay now that that's out of the way, let's get this snowball rolling. And aw, it's nice knowing most of you guys really felt an attachment to Dean's character even only after he's had screentime for about, 3 chapters. Also, I know that some of you finished your classes yesterday so from this student to the rest, happy holidays (and whatever else you may celebrate) and stay safe. (: Let this be my gift to you as you start your break...it might the worst gift to give lol but just remember, it's me we're talking about. :p

Have fun!

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"Turn Your Back on Mother Nature."

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Sector 3, time unknown

"Sh...Sh–GARH!"

But Tooth didn't stop. She dug her nails in. Hard.

Her knuckle turned white.

Her chopped hair billowed up behind her as she got lifted away.

"Sh-Shh–"

Tooth narrowed her eyes to stop the tears from leaking out. She horrifically thought of the Nightmares she'd killed on her own. She'd pay for them with her life.

But she didn't stop, wouldn't stop, and wanted to draw blood from the fingers wrapped around her mouth–

"Sh-Sheila!"

Until she recognized the deep, gruff, oceanic accent.

Toothiana immediately let go of the hand she was trying to pry away and nearly tripped. He let go too and twisting her head up, she saw the familiar strong jaw, blue frosted-tips of dark hair, and the acid-green eyes of someone she didn't realize she missed immensely until he was standing right behind her.

"EDMUND!" she shouted. "E...H-How are you–Wh...I-I don't even care oh my god, I'm just h-ha–"

Feeling like her world was going up in flames, she threw herself to hug him.

"Oy!" he gaped but he didn't push her away. He hugged her back tightly but frowned when he felt her wet turtleneck, and her shaking in silent crying. He shivered when the chill of her seismic distress crashed over him like a building.

But they couldn't stay – for once, he couldn't comfort her.

"C...C-Come on!" but Tooth didn't want to let go when he broke it quickly and pushed her in front of him.

"But wher–"

"Bugger that, princess!" Aster snapped cutting off her babbling and reached down to grab her wrist. He thought nothing of the sting she left on his hand and when he loosened his long arms around her, Tooth realized he only did it so she hadn't reached for her weapons and you know, shoot him.

Which she now knew she was capable of.

"Edmund," Tooth choked. "Y...I k'd...I killed a Ni–wi...I sta–nother human bei–"

"We gotta go! Now!"

Still, the hacker couldn't deny how good it was to see the young woman again – even if she did still have the appearance and height of a teenager. At least it made easier for him to lift her away.

The second he dropped her though and he got a good look at her, he dropped his horrified questions on her like nuclear bombs. They didn't stop running.

"Why are you here!? We sent an ELF to w–And what happened to your hair?!" he shouted worriedly.

"Shh, you big dummy!" Tooth panicked. She waved a hand to his mouth. "I-I had to! And y-you're gonna give us away–"

"And what were you doing there?!"

"Y–" but she didn't finish – not when she realized what Aster had just yanked her away from.

Tooth skidded to a halt and tried to spin back around.

"W-WAIT! P-Pitch was...He had m–Ah!"

Aster caught her arm with cobra speed and forced her back into a run with him. She looked at him like he was a crazy person.

"Edmund! Don't make me kick you in ba–"

"Stop."

"Why a–"

"Tooth? Just. Stop," and he warned in low tone enough to bring the shivers back up the princess' spine.

She widened her eyes at the mention of her nickname but she couldn't rejoice in it. It was obvious to her now just how much of a GUARDIAN Edmund truly was. Without his computer screens and his glasses, he acted and sounded more like a stealth agent. He sounded more like Jack. Even as she swallowed down the lump in her throat and gave him a quick glance up and down, she realized...

He looked like one too.

Dressing in a thicker bodysuit than Jack's, the returning Codename: EASTERBUNNY was clad in all black. Military boots carried his long feet and a small weapons belt was wrapped around his torso. Tooth couldn't help but notice his two dark bracers on either arm. She hoped they had a hidden blade too, but later squashed that idea when she realised they were blinking with alerts and built-in devices of the Aussie's own creation. But what struck her the most was the black holster, making an X over his chest and going around to his back to carry...

"Was he in there?!"

She looked up at him nervously.

"You're–"

"Never negotiate with a terrorist."

But Tooth shook her head.

"No, you don't get it!" she started and was already turning, trying to fight out of his grip. "Edmund, Pitch had m–Gah! Just listen to me! You gotta let me go, we gotta tu..."

But the tech analyst was stronger than her and practically pulled her without any resistance. As Aster got the two of them into the hallway that lead away from Sector 3 though–

BOOM!

Tooth flinched and bent her head down while Aster lifted his. He looked ahead sharply and his keen (almost-pointed) ears were straining in the sounds in the distance. A faint crash! that sounded like glass and wood shattering followed terribly.

Tooth snapped her head up when the screams from a hundred men sounded closer, sounded louder, as they moved to the hallway's end.

Her heart started to race again, aching from all the pounding before.

She froze in his hold and thought the worst.

"E-Edmund, w-wh–"

She stopped.

His fingers flex in the corner of her eye.

Toothiana's eyebrows lifted high on her forehead.

"Pl... Please don't tell me you wa..."

But with cold sweat steadily trailing down her back, Tooth saw Aster's powerful and rigid posture hunch slightly as he stopped in the middle of the corridor. Under his dark, emerald gaze he said nothing. But then he unhooked something from the holster around his right thigh. Under the dim emergency lights, she saw an electronic device.

Her pink eyes grew wide.

"No... No..."

"You don't have a choice," he offered gently.

She struggled with her gun in her hand. Squeezing it hard, gripping it–

"But I–"

"You don't!"

And before she could blink, he stormed ahead, throwing a hand back to beckon her.

"Tooth! "

"No, y...b...I-I'm coming!"

"Hurry!"

"I'm coming!"

She gasped in distress but didn't fight him as she sprinted after him. She knew there was no stopping a GUARDIAN once they had their mind on their missions. But she could at least try to mention what she'd seen.

"You don't get it!" she coughed.

And where was North?! And Jack was gone, trying to find the generators and the towers! Was really the he the one who made the sirens go off, like Dean said?

'No, Jack can handle himself,' she thought, feeling despicable about the thought of leaving him alone in the shadows again. 'B-But BT can't. Not on this level!'

As they ran hard and fast, some shadows flickered in the opposite halls they crossed. Toothiana tried to pretend they weren't there and forced herself to look his back.

"Pitch, he–"

"He's here!"

"No! I mean yes! But I–"

As her stolen boots scuffed the tiles, a stitch in her side suddenly hit her. Tooth gritted her teeth. It was probably from staying cramped in that hiding spot for so long and now from running abruptly.

She shook her head with scared eyes. 'Stop thinking about yourself!'

"Wait!" she cried again as he started to move faster. "Don't–Oh!"

Whipping her head side-to-side, Tooth caught more shadows every time they passed another side hallway. She did a complete 360 on the ball of her foot just as Aster reached the giant access door at the end of the hall.

"ARGH!" he growled and with his two powerful hands, he pushed the doors apart...

...

Crash!

...A horrible faraway yelling drifted into their ears.

Aster stormed in.

The sounds of tens of fights echoed from the new sector and the dim light from their hall was instantly swallowed by the even darker room ahead. Tooth saw the outline of eight enormous columns holding up the high-ceiling of the room.

It was empty...and it looked like the same corridor she'd run through earlier.

In a flourish, all her anxiety came back –but she didn't stop. 'I can't leave them...I can't leave them!'

But with a nauseated inhale and a heavy heart, Tooth bent her head low and followed her friend in, abandoning Mr. Sandy, Tatiana and her pointless plans behind. As she did, the two were attacked with cold air, sharp smells, and prickling senses instantly.

And the shadows didn't stop.

"Edmund!" she called and ran as fast as she could to keep up with his long strides. She knew he was going slower than he could for her sake, but she'd be damned if she didn't so how much she was trying.

Aster heard her tight gasp for air bounce around him worriedly.

"Shh, sheila."

"But Edmund," she whispered again and panicked as she looked around the poorly-lit passage. Fights and sounds were coming every small hallway behind the giant concrete beams and she was terrified to guess what was happening.

"Oh my god, will you just listen to me!? Y–"

Aster heard her but didn't respond, clearly dead set on the much larger doors at the other end of the room. As he ran meticulous strategies in his head and memorized the maps he'd been given, he tightened his gloves on his weapons. He was careful not to let his gene affect them.

Normally he would've been the one to wear his E-lens permanently on his face in situations that called for this. But this was Pitch's lair. Nightmares were enemies every agent had to be extra careful about and prepared for, and god forbid he distracted himself with the readings that would constantly read out on the visor.

He needed all his concentration.

Especially now, since running into the princess, alone and terrified out of her mind–

"Chhhzzzz!"

Aster cringed and cupped his ear. The princess looked at him worriedly.

Tooth wondered why he wasn't answering back. She could understand that he was stressed, and if he was Jack, he probably would've told her to shut up the second he found her. But what she couldn't was why he wasn't sensing the same presences as her, dipping around the beams.

When one shadow finally got to close–

Her gun appeared.

"Ed–"

BANG!

She missed and Aster spun around...just as the shadow lifted his hood slightly, caught her terror and moved away.

"Izvinite," he apologized stressfully in Russian and vanished again.

The rest didn't stop but Tooth's mouth fell open, nearly dropping her Taurus.

"E-ELFs..." she gasped breathlessly and looked side-to-side more carefully. "ELFs!"

Sure enough, three more shadows moved in and out around the foundation columns and Tooth saw the mixture of dark red in the black. Their uniforms flickered ahead and around her, darting into the other hallways, elating her heart as she watched them move silently. She immediately lowered her gun self-consciously and squawked like a wounded bird under her breath.

That's why Aster didn't freak like she did.

A second later, she broke into a run just as Aster finished listening to the ELF report.

He clenched his jaw but didn't realize Tooth's boots suddenly catch up with him in her renewed adrenaline. She narrowed her eyes with more seriousness and gripped her gun. The other two were still in her holsters.

"Were they the ones who set off the lights?" she asked out of breath.

Finishing up his calculations, he tossed a glance to his right and saw one of the stealth ELFs who'd infiltrated with Jack earlier disappear to help another agent.

"Sorry," he apologized to her. "But that wasn't a blackout. That was the sound of 102 ELFs bustin' down Pitch's main haul."

"What?!"

He nodded and felt his heart make a dark flutter under his turtleneck the more the echoes bounced around them and the closer they got to the passage door. "Every agent and spy is fightin' across the facility to gain control."

Tooth shook her head.

"Wh–No...No! I told y–" and suddenly Aster sensed her change again. He looked over his shoulder just in time to catch her turning around again. He jumped back with the speed from his gene and caught her arm again.

"Stop doin' that!" he snapped worriedly. "Y'can't go back, Tooth!"

"I have to!" she argued.

"Why?!"

"I-It's because there's a hole!"

"A hole?" Aster gawked.

"A hole!"

He tried to stop his face from bridging on confused and agitated. What the hell had she been exposed to her down here!?

Aster gripped her again.

"You can't trust holes you just found! And whatever y'found I would've heard about so that's not a way out! What are y–" but then Tooth finally got him to look at her again.

She shut her mouth and tried to get him to really look at her. She almost forgot that with the Australian tech analyst, sometimes actions spoke louder when trying to communicate with him.

When he caught her pink eyes shine widely in the light, he paused. She looked scared, but then he realized...it wasn't for herself.

His eyes widened.

"What happened?" he mumbled worriedly and Tooth almost shook him.

"F-Finally!" she stumbled urgently and grabbed his hand. "I...I s...PITCH H–"

"ASTER!"

"GAH!"
"Aah!"

The two nearly jumped out of their skin when an ELF appeared beside them without a word. He was heaving slightly under his breath from running and the two joined him as they tried to calm their hearts. When Aster recovered first, the brunet faced him quickly, looking down with the authority of a commanding officer – and under his dark, GUARDIAN battlesuit, Tooth knew it wasn't something he had to perfect. She bit her lip as she turned to look up at North's man too, hating how the darkness blanketed them all for hours.

"What did you find?" Aster muttered and the dark-red hood peeked up at him.

The ELF clenched down on his teeth.

"One of the holding rooms in Sector 3 had a mysterious tunnel leading into it," he informed and Tooth gasped. The two saw her lift her hands together in front of her chest.

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" she gasped at Aster. The ELF's eyes widened slightly when he realized–

"Princess Toothiana!" he gaped and tried to move into a messy bow – but Tooth grabbed his shoulders with her small hands and hauled him back up.

"No time! NO TIME!" she freaked, although a part of her was always humbled when someone wanted to show her respect when most of the time everyone treated her like she was everyone else. But seriously, the three of them couldn't worry about her status.

She gripped him tightly as he already started nothing.

"Did you find–"

"Y-Yes!" he gasped.

"Are they–"

"Yes, your highness, they're–"

"OY!" Aster snapped and the two jumped away from each other as he butted in. His acid-green eyes shot the ELF an impatient look.

"Aren't ya supposed to be fillin' me in?" he urged and the ELF clammed up instantly and stood up straight.

"Sorry! B-But we found Agent Sanderson and one of the clones," he said and tossed Tooth a quick glance about calling one of her handmaidens the C-word. But it couldn't be helped. "They're being carted back to the location where the rescue team has been assigned to pick them up."

Aster nodded curtly–but then whipped his head back at Tooth.

"Wait! That's what you wanted t–"

But she wasn't listening and he stopped her midway when he saw her rub her teary eyes with the back of her hand.

"Th-Thank god," she whispered and nodded up at the ELF. "Th...Th-Thank you for telling me that!"

"But what about the princess?" Aster asked on her behalf. "Can you get her too the–"

"No, sir!" the ELF shook his head. "They already left and we...we didn't know you were here, princess! W-We thought the triple agent got you out! B-Because there's another ELF waiti–"

Tooth squeezed her eyes shut.

The two looked at her worriedly – and she was (again) reminded of why she always a problem for everybody...

Tooth gritted her teeth. If that stupid Nightmare had grabbed her–

She blinked her eyes open and look at the two of them, mad at herself.

"And Dean?" she clenched her fist. "Is he okay?"

"Who's Dean?"

And something cold dropped into Tooth's stomach. "I m– wh...What about the others? Where are they? Did you find–"

"That's not actually the ELFs' mission, princess," the ELF replied. Tooth openly frowned, feeling the time running out further and further.

"Why not?!" she snapped but when she saw where his grey eyes were fixed, she followed the gaze...and landed on Aster.

"That's what I'm here," he explained with a glare, but his gruff voice was soft. "The stealth blokes said they found 'em but when they tried to take your sisters, th..."

He glared. "Pitch's Nightmares ambushed and took 'em away. But they were lucky to put a track on them in the struggle, before they vanished completely."

Tooth stared at him for a second before she dropped her magenta eyes to his black, arm bracers. Biting her lip, she reached out touched his right one.

"Th-That's why it's blinking?" she mumbled shakily. "Is that them?"

"Ya, sheila," Aster nodded and was relieved when she quickly pulled out of her grief to give him a grateful look. He didn't know how important that look was because only a couple minutes ago she thought (thanks to Pitch's cruel words) they had all...

"And they're still in here," he added and lifted his bracer slightly. "So thank your lucky rabbit's foot."

She rubbed her eyes to banish all the tears away. "Y...You mean you?"

And Aster gave Tooth a small smirk because he knew she needed it – until it dropped back into a stern glance between her and the ELF.

"Now, let's move! Hurry!" he said hotly and turned on his boot and rushed the last meters to the passage door. Tooth and ELF followed, becoming a team of three now instead of two.

"And maybe you're better off with us, Tooth," Aster called back as he tightened his fingerless gloves and pulled back his arms, ready to push open the double-door gateway. "If they see you're with us, then they won't put up a fight to come with us."

"That's what I'm hoping!"

"Good," and with a powerful yell, the Australian jumped forward a little and putting all his strength into his hands, he threw open the heavy iron gate and they were welcomed with near darkness.

"Now let's do it!" Aster shouted and they all jumped over threshold.

...

Sector 1

"Don't stop!" the ELF panted. "Don't stop!"

"Look out!" and Tooth fired a shot before the words completely left her mouth.

The three Nightmares moved at them in their chilling gas masks and yellow, glowing gas masks. The weapon belts strapped all across their bodies were a few missing weapons – weapons they'd already used on other ELFs.

"Chzzz," one of them breathed through their black respirators. "Kill them!"

Aster kept on rushing forward. His left hand reached behind to his holster. In a quick release, he pulled long knife from one of the concealed sheaths and spun it over his head. And seeing it, the ELF panicked.

"Duck!" North's agent shouted and as he and Tooth threw their heads down, the electronic cable inside the blade collapsed and blade disconnected into multiple pieces on the cord. As two of the Nightmares ducked, Aster caught one around the neck but he didn't wait to see – neither did Tooth or the ELF.

The two immediately pulled up and joined in. Tooth narrowed her eyes and remembering what Jack taught her, she kept her arms tight to her body and dropped into a kneeling stance. With a controlled exhale, she shot her gun at the Nightmare closest to the stunned GUARDIAN to stop him from getting the tech analyst with a strike.

"Argh!" she moved away as the first stampeded for her.

As she did, the ELF went ahead with a flare and blinded him through his gas mask. When he stumbled back, North's agent dashed in and made a middle roundhouse kick. The Nightmare flew back and when one of Tooth's bullets was heard hitting the second one in the arm, the ELF whirled on him and knocked him away with a front kick.

With the distance maintained, Aster clenched his jaw. He let go of his bladed cord and kicked the choking Nightmare back too. He shot the two a quick look.

"Back!" he shouted – then he dropped to the floor.

The second his fingertips touched the concrete, the green in his eyes flickered around his irises, and his gene made the concrete split violently into large chunks. The sound was grinding and terrible...but Aster pressed harder.

The ELF's eyes widened.

Tooth was busy watching the Nightmares. The cracks splintered the ground and headed for them like waves rushing toward the shore. They bent their heads down in alert, unsure of what they were seeing through their bright gold lenses. And in their distraction, she flexed her fingers and Toothiana dropped down to the floor too, and did what she did best.

She grabbed the largest, sharpest chunk she could.

"Hey ugly!" she shouted. "You want a piece?!"

And when one of the Nightmares snapped back up to look at her, the rock was already flying toward to his face.

Tunk!

It got painfully him in the collarbone and bounced on his bulletproof vest but as he straightened up–BANG!

Tooth shot him in the eye.

The ELF followed her example. Throwing a piece into the air, he used his steel-toed boots to soccer kick Aster's present at the remaining two. But when they jumped aside to separate (hoping to make it harder for the three to focus), Aster had already stopped using gene and used a powerful rabbit jump to pounce on one of them.

Like a tank, his tall and heavily form knocked one of them down and the two went tumbling across the split concrete. The ELF and Tooth went after the last Nightmare and used the corded blade still wrapped around his neck to end him.

Nothing could describe how quick their heart rates had increased – the rush was constant...the instincts were animalistic.

As Tooth and the ELF got up from their victory kills and started running forward, Aster rolled back up too. He left behind his unconscious Nightmare and kept leading the way. Panting slightly, the ELF looked back suddenly.

"Well done, princess," he commented and she threw him a tiny, beatific smile.

"I learned from the best."

"Warning: This is a warning!"

Tooth watched as the two men suddenly threw their left hands up to touch both their ears. She knew exactly what they were doing without needing to ask.

"We've been compromised!" another ELF from another wheezed in a hushed, apprehensive whisper.

The ELF and the GUARDIAN skidded to a halt and looked at each other.

Tooth nearly smacked into them.

"Ag–T...Sanderson and the tooth–we...NO! STO–Chhzzz!"

Aster shot him a strict look.

"Go! Help them!" he ordered and the ELF nodded – but not before shooting the princess a worried look and as he started backpedalling the way they came. Tooth shook her head at him.

"Wait! W-What's wrong?" she spoke up again when it looked like he would leave them entirely. "What's–"

"I'm sorry, princess!" he said as he saw her twisting around to watch him go – but he couldn't wait, and as he pivoted on his feet, Tooth lifted a hand when he made a run through the doors again.

"B...B-Be careful!" was her last, heart-wrenching cry for him before she twirled back on the Bunny.

"What did they say?!"

Aster's eye grew wide but when she pushed her hair out of her face angrily, he only frowned. It did nothing to help her anxiety, standing in the open Nightmare field – and what was worse was that she had a creeping feeling that the call was related to her.

"Edmund, who's in t–"

"Chzzzck!"

Aster snapped his head up when the crackle in his complink nearly sent pain shot down his powerful ear canal.

"Chzzz–"

"We gotta move!" he urged again and grabbing Tooth's wrist, he yanked her and spun on his boot.

When Tooth flew forward, she realized he'd smacked her into his back.

"Oof! What are you...Wait!" she panicked but Aster didn't listen. A second later, he piggybacked her and made kicked into high gear. Tooth choked down a terrified squeal when he suddenly bent his knees – she knew what was coming.

"EDMUND N–THUUWM!

The tall GUARDIAN jumped off the floor and using the power of his gene in his legs, he and Tooth rabbitjumped 50 feet forward! The rush of cold air took all of Tooth's breath from her lungs.

"E–" she coughed and held on for dear life when he touched the ground again and made a quick run into another (larger) corridor. Across its flooding floor from the fire alarm, the hacker splashed water up and prepared for another jump.

"PLEASE!" Tooth tried again. See squinted through the winds and saw no giant columns but an ominous-sized ballroom all the same. "WHAT'S–"

"CHHZZZ–separated!"

Another ELF (who was helping the first to protect Sandy and Tat) conference-called to all the ELFs. "W–chzck! –'ve been separa–the tooth! S–chzzzzck!–she's vanished!"

"What?!" Aster shouted over whooshing air in his face. His face was incredibly frantic. "NO...N–BAM!

"Ahh!"

Tooth flew over Aster's shoulders as he dropped suddenly to the floor. In a horrible crash, the 21-year-old hit the concrete hard and hit her shoulder when she smacked into a small steel beam. As she cried out in pain, Aster's ankle was dragged back by the chain wrapped around his ankle.

His heart thumped, cold and wild.

"THIA!" he shouted and stopped trying to claw the smooth ground. He spun quickly around on his back to face who had tripped him.

A lanky, shorter Nightmare was curling his chain back around forearm and dragging back the 6'1 Australian with surprisingly easy strength.

Aster gritted his teeth.

"Rack off!" he snarled obscenely and twisted himself to grab the chain. The second he wrapped his fingerless glove around the cold steel–

SPRAK!

His Center gene cracked one of the links into twenty pieces, releasing him instantly. He got up, vexed and ready to run down the little shit.

"That all you got?!" he growled but the smaller man moved so fast, Aster didn't have time to throw his large hand up to–

BAM!

"Haah!"

...to block the hook to his jaw.

"Argh!" Aster keeled back in pain and shut his eyes to shake the stars out of his eyes. He threw his arms up to protect his face as he tried to spread his legs out for balance – but the Nightmare snuck in. With a two-hit combo and a low sweeping kick, Aster toppled slightly and nearly hit the wall. Tooth saw him struggle as she finally righted herself.

"Edmund!" she screamed in concern and reached for her gun in a panic at where it slid a few feet away.

Looking back hurriedly, she tried to focus her eyes on the Nightmare. Aster threw his gaze around like two green hummingbirds. The guy was smaller than him, and lighter, and that meant he was swifter, moving quick like Jack, like lightning! And if he didn't think fast, he'd get exhausted from working his larger muscles overtime – then he and Tooth would both lose.

'Focus, mate!'

Shutting his eyes briefly, he sensed a strike coming at his left and Aster quickly grounded himself. Turning the trunk of his body, he snapped his arm out and blocked the incoming side kick aimed for his ribs!

Tooth heard him exhale, calm and sharp – at least he could count on his Tai Chi to divert his aggressive energy. And with a terrified blink, she saw him immediately lift a powerful to kick the Nightmare back.

"I ain't playin', kid!" he snapped and lifting his right hand, he threw down the device he'd been holding the whole time. The second it hit the floor, a powerful vibration rippled across the concrete – then a flash ignited.

SRPPZZ!

In the dizzying sensory, Aster watched as the light carried around him and brightened the corridor, and when he turned left...the tiny Nightmare's body was caught in the trick, without any time left to disappear.

North's tech analyst showed no mercy.

Rushing forward, he caught the confused and dazed Nightmare in a hit-for-hit, block-for-block assault. Tooth kept her gun down but she was cheering and whining in the back of her throat.

The Nightmare was still faster and dodged the hacker's swings frustratingly, but he wasn't very good at blocking. Every time the Aussy got a hit in, it nearly sent Pitch's Fearling to his knees.

"Gargh!"

Tooth felt the adrenaline take over and was up in a flash.

'Get up, woman! He's not done yet! And the faster we get out, THE BETTER!'

Raising her gun, she waited until she got a clear line...and fired.

Bang!

Tooth gasped angrily and dove sideways when the Nightmare turned to see who had nearly shot his hand. Seeing the tiny, less-experienced body roll away, he changed strategy. With a distracting crescent kick, the Nightmare quickly spun and sped after the princess.

"Chhzzz–repeat: We've been–parate–WHERE IS TA–"

Aster's eyes grew wide.

"Tooth!"

He was not going to let her down again!

Reaching into his waist belt for more devices and a knife, he shouted again. "TOOTH!"

Bang! Bang!

BANG!

Tooth's jaw was set so tight she thought she'd crack a bicuspid! – but she didn't stop. Her kneel was steady, her heart was angry at Pitch (at everything), and although her eyes were a little dry from all the fear of keep them wide, she didn't let the fear take over.

'I'll throw up, curl into a ball, and go six feet under before that happens!'

"Argh!"

She fired two more shots and ran off, making splashes and not even bothering to get pissed about his bulletproof vest absorbing the hits or the ducks he made.

All Toothiana cared was that he got away from Aster long enough so the GUARDIAN could do what he did best – get tactful!

Run...shoot...run...shoot...That was the only thing to do.

Crack!

When she came to a stop, she realized the ground near her feet had already finished split open thanks to Aster's quick thinking. Tooth made a shaky breath and grabbed another piece of rock as she started getting up again. Then in a tight 360, the princess whipped the stone at the Nightmare coming at her – and nearly freaked him out when the sharp chunk nearly hit him in the eye!

The Nightmare snarled under behind his black handkerchief – the princess, he realized, wasn't a fighter...she was dead, forget what Pitch wanted! His base was ruined anyway.

The Fearling picked up speed.

"Come on, princess!" he snarled. "Dance with me!"

She fired two shots and tore away just as another device exploded at his feet and made him jump away. When he did, a small sinkhole opened at his feet.

He jumped back–

BAM!

–Aster rushed in out of nowhere and punched him.

"Naw mate, dance with me!" he roared and the two started fighting again. Tooth was heaving as she stopped again, nearly leaning on the wall to catch her breath. But she was already shaking her head.

"No, Edmund!" she cried. "Don't get too–"

A kick knocked him sideways.

"K–"

"Edmund!"

And when he tried to step back, the Nightmare got under his elbow strike and threw a punch at his trachea. Aster doubled over to gasp for air; the Nightmare growled with fury. But then he made a low swoop and slapped a mini bomb to Aster's wet boot...and continued forward at Tooth.

The bomb started but Aster didn't hear it as the ELFs shouted in his ear again.

"CHHZZZCK–god! Thank–"

10–

"We got S–chzzz!"

9–

"Edmund!" Tooth yelled at him when she saw the tiny device light up the numbers on his ankle.

8–

"Sander–"

7–

"–zzzck! We got Ag–chzzz–'gent Sanderson! He's with us! He's fin–"

6–

BANG!

The Nightmare easily dodged Tooth's poor aim as her fingers started to shake.

5–

"E-E–"

4–

Her gun wasn't working. She only had one more bullet in that one and she didn't have time to unhook and click off the other–

"How'd you save–"

3–

Aster panicked. "H-How did you save him?!" he gasped into the mic.

"Chzz–'cause we had–hzzz–we had–"

2–

And she couldn't kill another Nightmare. Not the way she did with the knife. She couldn't kill–

BANG!

1–

"Had who?!"

"EDM–"

Suddenly–

A giant wind surged into the room.

And in a brilliant wave, it threw up all the water in splashes and droplets.

A second later, the temperature plummeted and all the water vapour in the room turned to ice – freezing the bomb at Aster's ankle and stopping the Nightmare in his tracks.

Tooth gasped.

---

I just figured out what my new favourite thing is... Oh yeah? What?

---

Her damp hair froze at the tips.

Looking down, the Fearling watched with sick horror as the ice crawled up his boot and made him immobile.

---

Because dummy, when it starts to blow... it means–

---

"What the f–"

CRACK!

And when the Nightmare's broken neck fell forward with the rest of his body, Jack appeared from behind.

He lowered his hands and threw Aster a cold look.

"They had me."

Aster and Tooth were so shocked neither said a word. Stuck between shocked and shit-scared, they stared at him in the poor light. His skin was more pale than usual and there was dried blood on his pants, his chest, his sleeves, and his temple. He also had a black cloth tied tightly around one of his biceps to stop some kind of cut he got. He also looked a little disturbed.

"Bl-Bloody hell, mate!" Aster gasped and broke his foot out of the ice angrily.

"Why did y–"

"Look at me, bucktooth!" Jack snapped but sounding perturbed. "Where do you think I am?"

He ran a hand through his hair and pointed down at the hacker's boot. He'd replaced his gloves with fresh new, clean ones. "Well, aren't you gonna thank me?!"

"What are you goin' off ab–" but the green-eyed GUARDIAN stopped when he saw the dead bomb still latched to his ankle.

"Crikey!" he screamed and frantically when to detach it in case it started again. As he did, Jack was already turning and running for another hallway. He didn't even think to glance at Aster's partner–

"Come on!" he shot under his hot breath. "We gotta move! I shut down the objectives, remember? But we've–"

"W-Wait! Just hang on a se–"

–until he heard her voice.

Jack dropped into a panic just as he crossed Tooth's path. "Toothia–"

She gasped when he caught her. His hands were colder than normal but he gripped her, almost unforgiving.

"Why the hell are you here?!" he nearly shouted. "You were supposed–"

"I know!" she cried back but tried to wretch herself from him so see she could see and make sure Aster was okay. "But we got ambushed, Jack! A-And Mr. Sandy...Dean...they–"

"Come on, get up!" he pushed and tried to help her steady herself – she left her empty revolver on the floor. But the second they were up, Tooth clutched her head with her hands.

"The escape didn't work!" she shouted in his face. His gaze was intense, burning her with something dark she couldn't understand. "They found me and so I had to–And wh-what's wrong?! Why're y–"

"I ju..." but his mouth fell slack as he saw her chopped hair again for the second time, all the blood,...and Pitch's voice and was searing through his head.

Tooth went to touch his shoulder.

"What's–"

"Don't touch me!" he snapped, suddenly pulling back. "With you, I...I'm always stuck on kill mode!"

"J..." Tooth instantly ruffled. "E-Excuse me?!"

"Yeah, I am! With you, that's a thing–"

"No! It's isn't!"

"Yes, it is!"

"NO! IT ISN'T!"

"YES, IT I–"

"OY! YOU TWO!" Aster said suddenly as he rushed past the two of them. "We can't stay! Hurry up!"

"Argh, you. Talk. Later," Tooth pointed up at him as the two stood up. Then she immediately chased after Aster.

"A-Are you okay?!" she gasped, not forgetting that he was almost blown to pieces a minute ago – and Aster turned his head back to stare at her when he heard her heart show in her tone. He slowed his run a little and reached a hand back for her to grasp. And Tooth, still confused out by Jack's dramatic appearance (as usual), took Aster's comfort full-stride. The second she put her hand in his glove, he squeezed back reassuringly. By the time he dropped it from her to pick up speed again, Jack appeared a little ahead of Tooth on her right. The three then moved in unison, boots pounding the concrete as fast but as quiet as they could. Their hearts were racing to an invisible beat and their bodies moved along an accelerated streamline.

"I'm okay, sheila," he nearly panted from the fright – then threw Jack a glance. "And good timing, frostbite!"

Jack just shot him a hot glower after the backhanded 'thank you' before he turned on Tooth again.

"Explain!" he snapped and she nearly jumped out of her skin. At the moment, he could care less that when he last saw Tooth they were so emotionally charged for one another. After everything that had happened with Pitch, his heart and his energy were so wasted over her that he wanted to push her off a cliff instead of hold her!

"Well?!"

"I know!" Tooth finally hissed, cheeks burning red. "I'm sorry! Ch–I don't know! We were almost there but then some Nigh–they took Mr. Sandy and Dean away but I was hiding and they didn't...but another one came and tried to...D-Did you know th-their Bluetooths are down?!"

"Ye–"

"And the escape tunnel closed on me!" she kept yapping and Jack shot his head at her.

"Then why didn't you find another?!"

"Because I was skipping through the halls throwing around flower petals–what did you THINK I WAS DOING?!"

"Don't yell at me–"

"You froze my hair!"

"–or I will buy one of North's sports cars and run you over myself!"

"With your money?! You're no prince!"

"And you're no princess!"

"JACK, I SWEAR TO–"

"AND ARE YOU COMPLETELY NUMB TO THE FACT THAT PITCH IS–"

"I KNOW PITCH IS–"

"Put a CORK IN IT!" Aster barked at the old married couple, and Tooth snapped her head away from Jack, cursing Thai under her breath as her nervous excess took over. She sped up her running as Jack muttered something dark in Луна before he realized Aster was still staring at him ruefully.

"Why are we following, Cottontail, anyway?!" Jack insulted without his bite really there. "I know the way!"

"No you don't!" Aster argued.

"Yes, I do!"

"Then where've you been this whole bloody tim–"

"Guys!"

"We need to go this way!"

"We're already going this way!"

"GUYS!"

"You don't even know where you're–"

"I'm following Tooth's sist–"

"We're following Tooth's siste–"

"AND I KNOW WHERE TO GO!"
"AND I KNOW WHERE TO GO!"

"SON OF A BITCH!" Tooth screeched and the two men turned away just in time to drop into the offensive and meet the large Nightmare in a tag-team strike.

"Guys, careful!"

Aster bent his head low and grappled the arch-level Nightmare around the middle, driving them both forward to the adjacent wall. As the Nightmare struggled to punch the tall, dark-haired brunet with his fists, Aster let go and pushed him the rest of the way – but not before touching the concrete again to uneven the ground, and letting Jack use his bent back as a stepladder.

Leaping off the Aussy, the shorter GUARDIAN catapulted himself toward the Nightmare. The man was too busy tripping on the (suddenly) jagged floor to notice until it was too late. With a rush of wind, Jack landed on his chest and catching his bulletproof vest in an iron grip, he pushed them both backwards – then as they were failing, Jack lifted his other arm with the gauntlet and grabbed the Nightmare's forehead.

Tooth covered her eyes, still blinded by her earlier scars.

The loud tumble blocked out the sound of his hidden blade going into the man's head...and the sound of their complinks going off in his and Aster's ears.

"Bunny! Jack!" North called in before switching to Луна. "Shostakovich! Sandy! My old friend is with finally me! But he told me about the handmaidens and Pitch. I am going to join fight now and will be at entry pole in minutes!"

(Луна) "What's Sanderson gonna do?" Jack responded as he pulled up with his blade going back into the bracer. He was still stressed out of his mind like Aster and North sensed the impatience.

"He will fly planes, is his specialty," the Russian commander answered impatiently. "But I warn you! Hurry to Holding Dome! Sector 1! That is where tracking stopped. Princess Toothiana's sisters are likely there!"

"I know, what I've–"

"–been trying to tell the bloody show pony–"

"That's where I was going!"
"That's where I was going!"

And the two immediately looked at each other like they wanted to get at it again.

They really needed to stop doing that!

Tooth meanwhile was listening (translating) their responses in her head, and she was glad they had switched to the GUARDIAN tongue in case any Nightmares were around.

"You did!? Что? (What?) Как?! (How?!)" but it sounded like the question had been directed at Jack.

He looked all around for a split second, aggravated and remembering what happened.

"Set, (Yeah,) when I sensed Sanderson and Tatiana were in trouble again, I ran back to help the ELFs and they mentioned the room before we all got separated," he explained with a shutter in his breath. Jack's memory of the tunnel, and of the two, was still raw in his chest and under his muscles.

"B...But when we fought them off, Baby Tooth vanished on her own!"

"WHAT?!"

Jack turned to look at her for a moment with a shocked look until he remembered she could understood. She had her hands over her mouth – he narrowed his sapphire gaze under his white bangs.

"But if she heard that, then I knew where she was going," his forehead creased, "So who do you think I was trying to follow?"

Especially not after what Jack just went through.

And for the first time since he arrived all bat-crap crazy, stressing her out as usual, Tooth shot him a soft look and nodded her head gently.

"Th-Thanks Jack," she mumbled with that glow that always lit up even they were fighting – but the two didn't hear it as they started freaking out over something else North was saying. In their snapping and incoherent sentences, her head started spinning from all the news.

BT was loose on her own. Jack couldn't keep up. The ELFs were getting ambushed. Santa Claus was coming to town. Sandy was flying freaking planes in the sky!

'We're all insane!' she thought to herself. 'Insane, insane, INSANE! And they're acting like students during exam week. And I ha-haven't had gum in days!'

Before Tooth even realized it, she started muttering the lyrics of some random, Italian song she liked. Nervously under her tone, she suddenly pictured herself back in the passenger seat of Jack's car chase.

Trouble was...she ended up choosing the one about a guy gliding his hands up a girl's–

"Seriously?!" Jack shouted. "Not now!"

She jumped a mile in the air when Jack's shocked and angry face was locked on her – it was obvious that he translated. Again.

"St...St–" her face turned pink again and started moving away to start running. "STOP LISTENING TO ME! AND I AM NOT SOME PERVMFMM!"

Jack didn't let her finish as he suddenly grabbed her when she passed him – he covered her mouth.

"Shh sheila!" Aster hissed and grabbed her other arm.

Tooth blew a nervous breath through her nose over Jack's cold glove. As she did, his and Jack's ear picked up something.

(Луна)"You two need to get to Holding Dome!" North finished in Russian."сейчас! (Now)!"

Then he cut out indefinitely to get ready to join them.

The two men said nothing and pulled Toothiana away from the side hallway. When they did, they paused and the three squinted forward carefully...

Then–

Shadows.

Twisted shadows were moving across wall in freakish movements...they were going down the same path to the Dome – and while Tooth didn't know that, she somehow just that feeling in her belly.

She gritted her teeth as Jack dropped his hand from her mouth, and Aster curled his fist.

She wanted it end to save her sisters; Aster wanted a challenge to prove what he was capable of; Jack wanted a second chance to crush his anxiety.

If the Nightmares were going to try to beat them to Tooth's sisters, they didn't know who they were messing with. And on their sudden hate, the three said nothing and chased after the shadow.

Hot and fast, they stormed after it.

Not knowing how long it would take.

...

30 minutes later

"D...Don't stop," Tooth panted, remembering the exact same thing the ELF had said earlier – she worried about him.

"Keep up, Tooth!"

"I-I know!"

Picking up speed and losing oxygen, the three ran after the shadows. The halls of Sector 1 were stretched to the ceilings with crisscrossing lights and shadows, making their pupils shrink and grow like clockwork. Several times, Tooth fell behind (being unfit and not a trained operative as she was) and Aster or Jack slowed down to grab her hand while the other tore ahead to make sure the coast was clear. Several times too ELFs appeared, giving Aster and Jack updates before the two unit leaders ordered them off on different instructions for take downs or rescue, watching them vanish into the battles all around.

But even though Aster offered several times to piggyback her again, she didn't want him to go down again because of her. So she bit her lip, gulped in as much cold air as Jack could circulate and followed the shadow with them like a deadly beacon.

"It's going down the same hallway as the trackers!" Aster gritted his teeth as he pressed one of the lights on his polymerized, electronic bracers. Jack and Tooth watched as its signature blinked rapidly – Jack clenched down on his jaw.

Simultaneously, he and Aster turned their complinks on, listening to the ELF reports across Pitch's headquarters.

"Why is it taking so long?!" Jack growled. "And why's that shadow's so fast?"

"Careful!" one Elf announced. "–ust spotted Pitch in Sector 4!"

"We need to get there first!" Aster hissed. "B...But it's not even comin' after us!"

"No–chzzz–'s gone! Chzzck! Pitch iszzz–'ector 12–"

"–r-ru plaow. Ch..." Tooth sang her sisters' lullaby. "Chang mang tu t-toi mai b–"

The shadow appeared again.

"It's Pitch! Sector 9! ELFs–"

"It can't be...It can't–"

"Every–CHZZZK!–Ahhh!"

And something in Tooth snapped.

Her mouth flew open on its own.

"BT!" she screamed after the shadow and the two GUARDIANs had no time to catch her as a burst of speed took over Tooth and she turned left at the corner before them.

"Tooth!" Jack cried and dashed after her into the final corridor. "Stop! It might not be–"

"ChhsSSSZCK–Bunny! Finally! Why you not answer be–"

"Dammit not now, North!" Aster growled but he and Jack couldn't stop North's call as much as Tooth's running.

"Not n–"

"Pitch was here! At the pole! But he got away from our fight!"

"What?!"

Jack yanked Toothiana back and wrapped his arms around her from behind just as the shadow flickered away under the sixty-foot double doors. He covered her mouth as he looked at Aster with a paling expression – he heard the news too.

Aster looked at the two of them as Jack leaned down and hissed something into her ear. She froze instantly and stopping struggling against him. When she fell into his back and the two stood frozen together, staring at him, Aster reached behind him...and pulled out his semi-automatic.

"When?!" he breathed into the mic. He was already looking for the shadow again. "When did you lose him?"

"As I say, why you not answer before?!" the Cossack snapped. "He vanish 30 minutes ago!"

Jack's narrowing blue eyes instantly grew wide and Tooth wondered why his grip on her was slacking instead of tightening when he usually tensed up.

She looked up at his face with her pink eyes – but Jack didn't react to her.

"He got...He's gone?!"

"Da, Jack!" North replied in a hurry and the two could hear the sounds of distraught men and the clang of swordfights going off in the background. "S...Sandy said he was...H-He was a GUARDIAN!"

"He was a WHAT?!" Aster's voice cracked and echoed across the hall – it caused Tooth (who could hear Nicolas' yelling in the earpieces thanks to the silence around them) to shut her eyes in fear, partly because she was afraid they'd be found out because of his screams; partly because she already knew.

"Pitch, he..." North continued. "He was agent. Codename...C–Nyet! Does not matter! What is important is that you know! He uses shadows!"

"Shadows?" Jack repeated under his breath – his fingers twitched across Tooth's cheek. Suddenly, it was like being in the tunnels with Sandy again flooded back into his head like poison...the suffocating, enclosed, and flickering darkness that was terrible and endless...

---

Having a little fun, gentleman?...I could give you something to cry about, Sandman–

---

"Pitch! He controls shadows, he moves them! And his touch, my men! M...H-His fingers open up fear cortex!"

Tooth's eyes grew wide.

---

–ME ALONE, OR GOD SO HELP YOUR– I DO NOT ANSWER TO THREATS, PRINCESS! ONLY TO FEA –Aaahhhh!...I'm s...I-I...s-s...I'm sorry...

---

Jack's were a complete reflection.

---

Every time I touch, you reveal yourself a little more to m–I see you very clearly now, Jack Frost.

---

"My link cut off because of him! I...I do not know how, so be careful, Bunny! He can tamper with your EA. He could be anywhere!"

And the three fell into a dark silence so hard, their hearts thundered under their chests. Turning her head back down the enormous curving corridor, Tooth pulled Jack's limp hand away from her mouth.

The air was immeasurably cold, seeping into their dark attire and wrapping around their bones – even Jack's. As he lifted his head high to trace the currents, his white bangs rose with his dark eyebrows. The ceiling was high...very high.

"A-Anywhere..." but Aster didn't finish as he stared at the ground and looked for movement across the walls.

When he looked, he realized that the concrete in this sector's last corridor was unlike anything they'd encountered in the others. Like weathered stone, the floor was smooth and clear of debris. The wall on the left side of the enormous hall was made of stone and the other wall was curved so high up that he couldn't tell if it actually reached the ceiling or was part of something el–

"So where are you?!" North gasped when it sounded like he suddenly running. "Where?!"

But Jack licked his dry lips.

"I...I think we're here, Nic," he replied with an unsteady tone. Then with a dark look, he cut the Russian off his complink.

"Good! I must find my men!" North finished telling Aster and as their communication short, the tech analyst didn't even care – he and Jack were already measuring the same observations.

If this was Sector 1...and that wall curved high enough to be a dome...then judging by the natural state of the rock that made the hall, the entire room was carved out of the rock under the ground...close to the coast of the Naples Gulf!

Tooth shook her head as her lips quivered.

"So...i-instead of following Tat...w–"

"We might've been following him the whole time," Aster finished for her. And the two heard as he clicked the safety off his gun before he started to move.

Jack immediately shifted away from Tooth. Then after activating his staff, he joined the tall dark-haired brunet in a surreptitious tiptoe towards the gigantic double doors in the distance.

And Toothiana, after saying a quick and silent prayer to whoever was willing to listen to a mutant like her, rubbed her eyes in distress. Then pulling out her small knife in her boot, Tooth gripped the upgradedTaurus PT92 (facing it down to the floor) and followed right behind Edmund and Jackson...

...

Breathing in and out, like patients going into cardiac arrest, none of them said a word.

Tooth only focused on making sure her feet pressed as gently as they could on the smooth stone floor; Aster strained his ears past the blood rushing in his ears to listen to the sudden echoes of a thousand raindrops hitting the earth above them (and for anything else that might have sounded like a scream or a fight); and Jack had the sinking, disturbed feeling of someone who had just hit the boss level of a video game.

He gritted his teeth.

'This is it...' was the last thought that drifted through his head as the three reached the enormous double doors, the only thing attached to the curved wall. Once they stood before it, stared up with unsettling quiet – a shiver so violent passed through all of them when the cold air blew up into their faces from underneath.

Tooth nearly choked.

Getting kidnapped, hiding from the cops, meeting criminals...freezing to death, explosions, gunshots...rising, falling, sanity, mental breakdowns...nightmares...

That had all happened and yet, nothing had prepared her for this moment – and she wondered...Were the boys? If they were, in their equally dark (but strikingly different) bodysuits, they were true to their Guardianhood because she couldn't see a thing on their faces.

But as Tooth bit her lip, it didn't mean she couldn't sense it. She then reached out (just as Aster and Jack both put their hands on either door) and touched their arms.

They stopped, but didn't turn back.

Tooth shut her eyes resignedly.

"Remember...y-you have me," she mumbled shakily.

Aster nodded. "Thanks, sheila."

And Jack tilted his head down so she wouldn't see his face.

"...And you have me," he murmured.

Then as their silence fell, both men dug their back heels into the ground. With clenching jaws and a sharp inhale, the two tightened their cores at the last second and with a flourish of strength–

"Go!" and they used all their muscles to pry the door open. Tooth took a step back and turned to face the hall for trouble, careful to keep her gun pointed down. But she listened, her blood pumping madly through their cold veins...

It groaned open, pretending like it'd been kept shut for years, and the air between the growing crack smelled of sea air and something sharp. When the door was open enough for all three of them, Jack and Aster stopped pushing. The Centers fluttered violently inside them and as they peered in, they realized what they were seeing...

...was nothing at all.

"What?"

Tooth glanced over her shoulder at Aster's whisper.

"What's–"

But she stopped when an immense darkness stared back at her from the opening in the door. She nearly dropped her gun.

Turning around to face it, Toothiana felt the most horrible chill hit her in the chest and travel down her arms. Her first instinct was to run away – and seeing the absolute darkness, so was Aster's...

But not Jack.

His breath quickened under his lips. He suddenly couldn't move and for all his control and dark focus, he was hit hard...

---

You can't kill the fear–I can, try!

---

...hit by the fear of Pitch on some psychological level he wasn't done repeating to himself...over and over.

---

H–I WILL! I PROMISE YOU TH–WELL THEN YOU BETTER CROSS YOUR HEART AND HOPE TO DIE!

---

His blue eyes moved around like two trails of molasses.

From the special awareness he (along with the tech analyst) was sensing, Jack guessed that the room was huge. There was a feeling of being incredibly small standing before the threshold and it couldn't be described by what they could hear or see since the door left everything to the imagination. For all they know, it was an empty span where Pitch kept nothing.

That...or there was an army of a thousand Nightmares standing silently inside just waiting for them to figure it out.

Jack then swallowed a thick lump in his throat, and lifting his head with a set jaw, he moved over the door line with a slow boot. His hand moved to reach for his LX rod at his belt, shaking in Tooth's light.

Everything in her wanted to grab his hand and yank him back–

Aster grabbed his arm instead.

"No, mate," he whispered and stopped the shorter operative from pulling out his flashlight. "That won't work in here."

Jack shot him a guarded look. He didn't bother to reply when he watched Aster reach behind to his holster again and unsheathed something. And when the two saw what it was in the dim lights from the hall, they realized...

It was a large boomerang.

Holding it down in his hand, the weapon was sleek, black, and had medium-sized nodes running along its beautiful sides. But before Jack could ask, and Tooth could lean in, Aster flipped a tiny switch on his arm bracer – all the round balls on the boomerang lit up brilliantly.

"Stand back..."

Pulsating strong, his prized weapon lit up the floor around them and Jack made a mental note that the floor was the same as the hall outside – clean and weather worn concrete. And everything the light touched was deserted. But the boomerang didn't extend light very far.

Tooth opened her mouth to say so – but then Aster stepped inside and with a reel back, he narrowed his eyes, and flung the returning throw-stick in the air.

The second it left his hand, the boomerang soared up and the lights on its body blinked rapidly.

It immediately started measuring the distances from itself to the solid body of the wall and when it was within matching carbon signature, the boomerang marked the dimensions of the spherical area and made a perfect radius to follow – then it flew strong in a circle. And as it did, one by one, each ball of light left the boomerang and stuck to the wall, each burning artificial sunlight and lighting up the room one light at a time.

Jack and Tooth watched in shock as the boomerang spun and spun, leaving light for them in an unknown-sized dome they had no hope of doing themselves. They looked at Aster for brief individual reasons before refocusing on the room.

The boomerang was returning, and giving the dome what it desperately needed, but a blue light from the top starting appearing. And just as the weapon swung back to the Aster, shooting its last light, he reached up to catch it effortlessly...but he didn't speak up.

The dull echo of the rain shower from up above started to die away as it ended, and the blue light high up at the top of the room...was coming from the moon.

In the glass ceiling that had failed to see, the clouds had parted from their brief freezing rain shower, and the waning moon shone into the dome. As it was making its descend for the coming morning, it brightened the smooth floors, the high walls, the creepy side platforms and iron ladders that raced along the walls...and, what they had prepared for the worst...Nightmares.

Their blood ran cold.

In the center of the dome, seven arch-level Nightmares stood in a menacing line. Their blurred yellow goggles glowed horrifically and they had every weapon possible strapped to their bodies – and they said nothing, did nothing, in their confident silence and stared back like the three were nothing.

Nothing but three pigs to be slaughtered.

But at the sound of Tooth's gun going CLINCH! from her safety clicking off, Jack and Aster instantly moved with a cold hate. Jack dropped the temperature in the room and froze the vapour along his staff. He gripped it hard as the frost curled up it like a ghost's breath.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" he seethed at the Nightmares and when they didn't answer him, he pressed to release the mighty hook at the top of his staff.

"Answer me!"

But they didn't – and as he snarled under his breath and made a run for it, Aster joined him with his semi-automatic in one hand and a knife in the other. Toothiana ruffled the fury of a queen.

"You are all road kill!"she roared and broke into a run, hot on their trails.

Jack's face was murderous.

Aster's was unmerciful.

And Tooth pointed her gun up.

"THIS IS FOR MY FA–" but she stopped.

She stopped.

Skidding to halt, she gasped at her own feet. Something in her forced her to...

'But why?!' she screamed at herself but even though she kept yelling at her legs to move, her heart was telling her not to – and it was winning.

Looking down and around, Tooth panted as her excess energy had nowhere to outlet. She wasn't scared anymore, just mad, really mad! And this fight with these Nightmares was supposed to be her outlet! They only needed to run another couple twenty metres to–

'No, hang! Wait, w...what?!'

Tooth's train of thought suddenly derailed when she realized that...Jack and Aster were doing all the running. They were doing all the work, running headfirst into a fight with their rage while the Nightmares just...just stood there! They didn't even move, they...

"Th-They're not even..." she mumbled shakily as she looked at the Nightmares.

Under her unmoving scrutiny, the princess realized how stiff they stood. They weren't even going into a defensive stance! Her eyes frantically looking all around for landmines and those trip wire things that people set off in movies...but there weren't any. There weren't–

"E...J-J–"

'So it's–no, it's a trick! IT'S A TRICK!'

Toothiana suddenly panicked and started babbling to get Jack and Aster to be careful but the two didn't hear her.

They were out for blood and judging by their faces, they'd been in situations before where the men pretended to do nothing until the last possible second so they weren't scared! And as they kicked into a violent sprint, Tooth couldn't leave her spot.

Something was making her suddenly panic.

She glanced.

One of the Nightmare's fingers twitched under the moonlight. Gazing heatedly at the fingers poised over the gun, she watched them twitch and flutter violently. But why?! WH–

Flutter.

Tooth froze.

Something inside her reacted to it more than she thought it would. Tooth shook her head a little but when she turned her head ignored the boys, she noticed...that all the Nightmares were twitching and fluttering their fingers!

Fluttering.

Fluttering?!

Flut–

---

Wings up, ladies!

---

Their fingers didn't stop flexing!

And when she really, really looked–

---

TOOTHIEE! Uh bup bup, what to do we first?... Tiana! ...W-Wings up– Sisters for life–

---

Tooth blinked and found herself standing in a darkly lit room. It was large and cold and she couldn't move – but she was breathing heavy and sounded scared for her life. Her eyes were seeing the world through a yellow lens and she kept blinking, crying against something stuck to her mouth. But just as she kept moving her fingers, hoping the strange woman in the back would see her, the two men suddenly broke through the darkness and were running toward her–

And they had black tape wrapping their hands around their guns–

Jack's face appeared!

"JACK! STOP!"

And just he pulled his arm back with his hidden blade ready to drive it forward into the Nightmare's chest–

"JACK,S–STOOOOOP!"

Her bloodcurdling scream at the tops of her lungs made Jack lift his hand at the last moment.

His blade flew off course and went right over the Nightmare's shoulder. But the second he pulled his arm back, he roared under his fiery adrenaline and curled his fists in.

He spun on his heel, just as Aster re-aimed his gun above the Nightmare he was about to shoot in the face–

BANG!

He was lucky that his wrist listened to him when his finger didn't.

As the resounding shot echoed loudly around the Hold Dome, he spun to look at Toothiana too. The two had murderous looks on their faces and were about to yell in the unforgiving silence–

Until, it revealed the tiny muffled, high-pitched whining...

...coming from inside the Nightmare uniforms.

"Mm...mmhmmm...h-h-hm...m-mm!"

Blood ran cold.

She felt like all the skyscrapers built in her heart were coming down in a terrible collapse of glass and emotion.

Then Tooth was sprinting like her life depended on it.

"I'm c...I-I'm...o-oh my god I'M COMING! HANG ON!"

"M...mh-h-hmm...mmmm...mm...mhm-h-h-h–"

Tooth sprinted and sprinted, not flying on off the ground fast enough, and by the time she got to Jack and Aster and the Nightmare Jack nearly impaled, she couldn't see past her tears.

Quickly, as soon as she got to the two, Jack and Aster helped her lay the Nightmare gently on the ground they realised that, not only could the body actually move, but that it'd been forced inside the uniform and was meant to stay that way.

Jack's fingers were shaking.

"Th'...The guns are bound to her hands!" and he immediately used his blade to cut the tape around the wrists as Aster tried to unbuckle all the belts and open the vest with the suit.

But he couldn't stop his unsettling horror as he shot it to Tooth.

"H-How did you know?!" he gaped, his face still losing color. But the princess didn't answer as she moved back up to the head and pulled off the head cover and gas mask...to reveal Tiati.

Little Tiati underneath, crying behind a piece of tape over her mouth.

"Ti–T-TIATI!"

Tooth screamed and dropping her gun with a clatter! she scrambled through her blurred vision to gently peel the tape off her youngest handmaiden. The second it was free, the 6-year-old screamed and cried until her lungs had no oxygen.

"Waaah! W-Wah-h–T...T–A-Aaah!" she cried and Jack and Aster felt her cries tear them from the inside out. Tooth bent her body over her youngest sister's to shield the girl's face and absorb her crying.

"Ti-Tiati, I'm..." Tooth choked and the second she felt the boys set her free, she pulled the tiny girl from out of the Nightmare uniform and squeezed her into her like a sponge. And for all her tears since the beginning, an immense wave of sorrow suffocated Tooth...causing her to cry uncontrollably

"Ati, I-I'm sorry...M-M..M'so..." she choked and bent her head over her sister's in shame as her tears rolled. She didn't care if Jack or Edmund thought she was baby. "H–H-I'm so sorry! I r-really real...O-Oh m'g...H-H'g–"

But Tiati didn't hear her as she continued to cry in fear.

She hadn't seen the sky in days.

Jack and Aster said nothing, still shaking with terror, as they rushed to free Tooth's other sisters. They couldn't believe that if Tooth hadn't screamed the way she did, one or several of the girls would've been...it was absolutely sinister, especially for the two dedicated, protection operatives – and as each handmaiden was cut loose and unbound, watching them all swarm to Tooth like hummingbirds (crying about where she'd been and what she'd done to her hair) made them realise just how terrible their actions could have been...how terrible their actions always were.

"You're all toge...y-y...where's–and T-Tu...you g-h...I-I'm–c'm, come!"

As Tooth let go and latched on to each new sister that appeared, she screamed each time with a ripping kind of pain because each one...every sister...

...had a different face.

"W-Wh...What did he do?!...H-How did he–"

"And it hurts, T-Tooth!" Tia cried as big wet tears rolled down her cheeks and she rubbed at them before it stung again. "I-It re...I-I'rl...really hurts!"

"No! I don't understand! H-How–Wh...I-I can't–"

They no longer looked identical to Tooth but were instead left mutated by the experiments Pitch's scientists had done on them to activate their Center genes, and because each was probed with a different stimulants and biological compounds, they all had varying side effects.

Tina was ghostly white from the rising anemia running through her veins. Theena looked unhealthy and her hair was turning colour. One of Tiana's arms was twisting into a strange shape she couldn't unbend and Tuhina kept scratching her face like it was constantly itching from something none of them could see. And Tulia had light pink eyes now like Tia and Tiati instead of purple...but what they all had in common was the feathery sprouts sitting at the crown of their heads and the purpling skin discoloration from their foreheads down to their noses.

"Wh-Wh...wh'wld he...h-h...Why would he d-do that?!" Tooth hiccuped and pulled Tiati and the others close again.

"WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?!" and Tiati and Tiana started to cry loudly again at their big sister's screams.

"B-Bec...b'cs..." Tuhina cried. The 10-year-old looked up at Jack for a brief second before she started to cry again. "Pi...Th-They said w...w-were fail'rs!"

She rubbed at her eyes in shame.

"Th-They sa...s'd w–need...b-be dis-dis...disposed of–"

Tooth didn't want to hear the rest as she squeezed her eyes shut and bent her head in the circle her sisters made under her. She choked out a sob and they all felt her body shake with her crying. And when they started to cry again, Tooth felt like the shallow ice sitting under heart finally broke through.

"I...I-I ...m-m..."

She felt submerged in a cold she thought she would never come back from.

"...I'm...H'IM–"

And she gave into it.

"I-I'M SO SORRY."

Her body crumpled under her knees, and in her depression she leaned on the girls entirely, bleeding her heart out.

And like a bullet to the chest, something inside Jack seemed to split open.

Like gunshots and bullet wounds all over again... and he felt himself drown with her.

---

"Tooth, what's wrong? Come on, look at me! What's wrong?!...Toothia–BANG! ...When he looked up from the gun shot in his chest, he stared at Tooth desperately.

---

...

The frost unfurled at his fingers, turning the black Nightmare uniforms white and the hardening of his gloves. He gasped from some kind of unstoppable pain and Aster looked at him worriedly, not feeling the same connection. Maybe it was because Jack knew what it was like to be a big brother, to lose a younger sibling...Maybe it was because he never got to hold Emma the way Tooth reunited with her family, or that he never would...but something in Tooth's screaming made Jack sure that if he ever had his heart shatter to pieces, this was it. Here in this room, with his guilt, his rage, his memories, and his demons.

Jack looked at the girls one more time.

A second later, he shut his eyes and grinded his teeth, snarling under his breath to shove it all away.

"Jack?! What's–"

Not even looking at the equally terrified Easter rabbit, the 24-year-old got up and gripped his staff.

A beat of silence.

"We've gotta move," Jack bit out and Aster pulled away from the scene, fixing him with an 'are-you-that-heartless?!' look – until he actually turned, sensing the unbridled tension and saw Jack's twisted expression.

Aster's eyes grew wide.

He saw right past Jack's poor and messily built-up shield like a sandcastle.

"Y-Yeah," the Aussy breathed and blinked several times. He turned back to Tooth and watched how she tried to shut out the world for her family.

He bit his lip.

"Tooth?"

Jack moved forward and touched her shoulder. At the touch, Tooth hiccupped.

"J...J–" he heard her croak from deep inside.

His eyes widened.

She knew it was him without even guessing.

"Tooth..."

Something in him wanted to suddenly take siege of her – and it made Jack want to die all over again. But he couldn't...he wouldn't let it...

With a shaky breath, he slid down his hand from her shoulder and pressed it to her back.

"We gotta move, Tooth," he murmured soft but loud over her and her sister's sobs. He felt her entire back shudder as she hiccupped again. But her hair shifted and he saw her respond in quick, little nods.

"I'n...I-I..."

Tooth then lifted her head slowly from the circle for air. When she gazed up through the glass ceiling the moon, shining down her face, suddenly made her think of the creator of Project GUARDIAN – and a flicker of TSARLUNAR dance across her vision.

She dropped her head instantly and squeezed her eyes.

Two more tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I to...h'itook too...l-long, I...m-m..."

Almost immediately, that terrible hand around her heart squeezed again and she curled in tighter.

Aster's eyebrows scrunched together, watching her short, dark hair shake in tiny twists. When she didn't want to let go, Jack dropped to his knees behind her. With hands still afraid to touch after everything he went through, he gripped both her shoulders.

"To...Tooth."

He watched with a heavy weight in his chest as she struggled to uncurl her small fists and pull herself away from her sisters. They watched in silent fear as she turned to face him, while Jack moved his hands to guide her to him. He then gestured urgently.

His lips were quivering.

"C-Come on, Tooth...C'mere–"

But in a heartbeat, Tooth had wrapped around herself Jack, in his lap with her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. And she held on tight, shaking, feeling like a complete idiot, and hating herself for it.

Still, she wouldn't let go.

Everyone was stunned.

Jack dropped his staff, clearly not expecting that.

But he froze.

He looked down at her worriedly with a knot in his stomach.

But after about five seconds, he slowly wrapped his arm around her, bringing her closer.

"What d-did I say about touchi...touchin–"

"I-I...kn-n...m...I'm sor..."

But she didn't finish as she closed her eyes in self-shame and dropped her chin again. When she did, he pushed her head onto his shoulder, feeling afraid, clumsy, and desperate all wrapped up in that twisted, little heart of his.

Aster frowned deeply when Jack's mouth fell open in his constant inner turmoil. He knelt down on one knee to put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

That's when they heard Tiana sob.

Tensing up, Jack nervously flicked his bright blue eyes up at her sisters. But they were all staring at him on the verge of crying again.

And for the first time in a very long time, his eyes grew glassy.

"I-I'm sorry..."

They said nothing but his lips wouldn't stop moving, trying to connect to a set of girls who didn't deserve the duty they had to carry.

He understood, and he hated himself for the very feelings that it...

"It...Y'...I di-didn't kn... I..." but he couldn't finish, ashamed of himself.

'We're not monsters. W-We're not.'

But as they watched, he tilted his head down, and Jack shakily dropped his eyes from their unreadable looks and away from Aster.

He gave Tooth a tight squeeze and tried to hide himself in her hair.

"Come on, Tooth..." Jack pushed.

When Tooth hiccuped, he briefly shut his eyes.

"Let go...Th-They're gonna be okay. We're all gonna get through this, but we have to move."

...And after ten more seconds...he felt her clench down hard on her teeth.

"I kn...Oka...O-Ok...I kn'J–" she heaved and then...Tooth started to move again.

Hard and heavy, she pulled away with a red face and wiped at it angrily.

"I-I'm r...r-really sorry!"

But when she looked at him, he shook his head, feeling cold relief drift through him again.

"It's okay..." He then nodded to reassure her. "I-It's okay."

And she believed him.

Unhooking herself from Jack, Tooth gave him one last look as she picked up her gun and shoved it discreetly into her holster. Tooth then rolled out of his lap and faced the handmaidens anxiously.

"W-w..." she coughed and pulled their arms up. "We h-have to m...We have to move, girls. M-Move!"

And in her command, they protested weakly, wanting to huddle forever, but were already shuffling and trying to stand – because if there were two things Tooth had taught them growing up, it was too get back up when they fell, and to listen to her when it was an emergency.

And they each knew, even 6-year-old Tiati, just how much of an emergency they were in.

"W...We're mov'n, T-Toothie...D-Don't worry, we're moving!" Tia assured her and being the most mature of all the clones, the 15-yr-old moved to help some of the younger handmaidens up. Warily trusting Tooth's new bodyguards as they came close to grab some of the girls' hands gently, Tia picked up Tiana gingerly and made sure she protected her mutating arm.

"G-Good girl, sweet," she mumbled and Tiana nodded painfully and leaned into the older sister as Aster took Theena's hand gently and pointed at the wall.

"I got ya, sheila," he said soft and gentle and ushered her quickly towards the wall. "W-We're gonna wait by the wall until Tooth's other friends show up to rescue us."

Tulia, who was holding Theena's other hand looked up nervously.

"Y...Y-Y...promise?" she said and kept twisting her head around for Tooth to make sure she could she where they were going and if the giant man could be trusted. But Tooth was a like a hawk and threw each one a long stare whenever they looked at her – after she wiped her eyes several times, she nodded and raised her pinky finger so they could see just how serious she was.

Mr. Sandy's promise sign always made them reassured.

Jack then took Tuhina's hand as the girl remembered him and drifted to him first. She was still scared of him, especially remembering how angry he sounded, but since he followed Tooth twice and she listened to him, she decided to trust him.

"Don't be scared," he whispered and when she started scratching her face again in pain, he squeezed her hand gently. "I'm right here, alright?"

And she nodded for him through her tears.

As Jack and Aster moved the girls quickly to the wall, Tooth grabbed Tina's hand last, then the three made their long shaky walk to the nearest wall of the dome about twenty feet away...

...just as the shadows started to elongate around them.

"Wh–"

...

All their center genes fluttering, everyone sensed something. The girls whined in protest as their bodies started to tingle with the instinct, and the three 20-something-year-olds panicked and looked around.

But as they came to land on the door, preparing to reach for their weapons–

Tatiana panted.

She came through the double doors in her bloodied white dress and dirty barefeet. And she looked, more than anything, like she wanted to go home.

Jack and Tooth went into cardiac arrest.

"Baby Tooth!" he yelled but as BT saw him and opened to shout his name, she glanced up behind all of them – and with a point, her face turned ghostly white.

Turning their heads around, everyone looked up and sure enough–

Jack, Aster, and Tooth looked up horrified.

Tooth's sisters started to scream.

Pitch Black was standing high up on one of the platforms, his body only outlined against the wall and his face masked by dark shadow. His hands were behind his back. But from several, lower platforms beneath him...seven shadows appeared, and became the Nightmares none of them had ever seen before in their lives.

Their uniforms were black but were made of a shiny material that reflected in the moon, obvious to them that they didn't need to melt into the shadows (or hide) to be killed. On their backs were long, thin weapons and they wore no gas masks, only a black fabric had completely covered their face. Their eyes glowed a poison yellow from within.

The silence that fell was deafening, as hearts stopped and GUARDIANs waited.

And all Pitch had to do was say one word to break it.

"...Boo."

And his most elite Fearling stepped off their ledges and dropped thirty-feet to the concrete without fear, rushing like dark horses at the two GUARDIANs.

Tooth's icy hair smacked her in the cheeks.

"NO!"

The shadows unleashed their chaos.

–and give Jack and Aster barely enough time to untangle themselves from the little girls. With Jack's wind and Aster's rabbitleap, the two jumping over the girls and landed in a full on collision with the oncoming assaults. And as they moved into a flurry of kicks and violent grabbing, the girls screamed–

Bang!

–and scattered like the wind.

Jack saw them in the corner of his eye as the Fearlings somehow set off his gun in his belt. When he refocused, his subconscious kicked in and he ducked under a surprisingly fast swipe and punch combo! As he did, Jack suddenly remembered the Bleeding Effect and all the little orbs of light Pitch crushed under his boot.

His eyes grew wide.

"THE WALL, GIRLS!" he shouted and performed a double layout that ended in a split kick, knocking back two of Pitch's ghost assassins away. "THE WALL!"

But he couldn't help them...only stall. And with a cut to his other arm, that's what he did best.

Aster snarled as he tried using his devices to blind, distract, and disorient the sinister guard but it was like the man had no pain, no emotion, nothing! Moving in blind subservience to Pitch, it had no bounds – which left the hacker in dismay because when it came to the assaults, he wasn't as effective as Jack.

"Garh!"

As his arm got twisted behind his back, he caught Tooth trying to bring the handmaidens together while simultaneously avoiding capture.

"Gi–No, Tuhi c–Stop it!"

"Tooth!"

When she tried pulling out her gun again, he panicked.

She snapped her up.

"Edmund! N–"

"DON'T T–" but he didn't finish as he found an opportunity to break himself free and attack again.

Tooth's teeth started to chatter and she spun to her sisters again.

'Take out your gun, hel...No! He's right! They'll run screaming again even more if you fire a shot!'

So Tooth dropped her hand from her thigh and raised both hands to signal to her sisters.

"This way!" she shouted over the clashes – as they listened to her instructions, the princess' handmaidens flew past her to the wall in a hurry holding each other and biting back their screams. As they did, a loud explosion somewhere far away shook the dome and echoed a deep DUUUNNnnnn across the concrete.

"Oof!" Tooth coughed and felt Tina bump into her, nearly zipping past an elite soldier who was trying to get to Jack. Tina screamed instantly – but Toothiana covered her mouth.

"Here, nong! O-Over there! Go!" and the big sister grabbed her small shoulders and pushed her at the rest. Almost immediately, her eyes stung with tears and her vision grew blurry.

Tooth felt her heart split in two ways –one was desperate to stay with her sisters; but the other was worried out of its mind, wanting to go after Aster and Jack!

She looked around, pink eyes flying in a mess to clear themselves of water.

'But who to help, where to go?!'

When she heard Jack cough and double over from a powerful punch he couldn't block, she panicked and nearly tripped.

"You guys!" she wailed and squeeze her eyelids shut. "Y–"

"Toothie, NOO!"

When she opened them again–

Pitch wrapped his hand around her eyes and when he threw her head back...

... silence followed.

---

Chapter's soundtrack: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" – Lorde Thanks to 'ripped pants and kitten sweater' lol for suggesting this new, darker take on the Tears For Fears original. It's pretty epic. Thanks for the song recommends in general! I can't share them all but you really don't know how much they've helped play a part in the very scenes you're reading. (: You are awesome cakes!