OK, I'm back. And when I came home from my little vacation (which was great, by the way), I found a total of 91 reviews waiting for me. Guys, I nearly started crying. The fact that you all care enough to review means the world to me. Here is chapter 24, and it is dedicated to 150songs for his/her ideas. If you need to, check back on the last chapter to get a better sense of where the story is and what's going on.

Facts are from National Geographic, by the way.

Jack

Jack snuck though the side door, heart pounding. So far, from what he had heard, the man on the inside of this door was a crazy person. He hadn't told Elsa the whole story when she had asked about the problem. This guy, Marcus Flamer, didn't have any boundaries when it came to pranking. He was willing to hurt someone if it mean he could get a chance at a laugh. Jack was determined to shut him down before someone, namely Elsa, was injured by one of the pranks. He took a deep breath and crawled further inside.

The hall appeared deserted. No one and nothing in sight. Still, Jack was wary. He crept forward slowly and quietly, lest anything be waiting for his arrival. And it seemed he was right. No sooner did he reach the halfway mark down the corridor that a hiss swept through the area and a black rope was swung at Jack. He ducked with reflexes only one who had been practicing for over three hundred years could achieve and shot a blast of ice at the rope. The hall fell silent. Jack approached the now iced rope carefully. He peered inside and his eyes widened in shock and horror.

This was no rope. The object inside the ice cube was none other than a black mamba. With a body up to fourteen feet and speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour, they were easily considered the world's deadliest snake. Jack shivered. Bites were one hundred percent fatal. Which meant that whoever was inside wasn't just crazy, he was a complete madman. He aimed to kill. Jack took a breath, not wanting to go on. Then a horrible scenario of Elsa being in his position flashed though his mind. It was enough to make him stand, start walking, and make a face at the shadows, just in case Marcus had a camera somewhere.

He exited the hall. The room before him was the kitchen where North had the elves make all his cookies. Jack snickered, remembering the time he had added pepper to the sugar cookies, then hid in time to watch North come roaring out of his workshop. The guy nearly went mental recalled Jack with a content feeling. Then his elated spirit fell to the ground with a thud. What if Flamer did something of the same, but a little more extreme... He went to the platter of gingerbread on the counter and sniffed, then recoiled. They smelled like plants, which probably meant the little prankster had put something in them. And whatever that was most likely was nothing good. He threw the cookies in the trash, where they slid down a chute to meet with everything else thrown away, and continued. By now he was on alert for anything and everything out of the ordinary.

He was again in a hall, but this one was brightly lit. Jack knew from a couple of days of sneaking in here that this lead to the globe room. That's where the sneak will most likely be... He started to rush ahead, then stopped. Flamer's probably got this hall wired. Jack started down the hall again, but much slower this time. He had to make sure he made it to the globe room, that he made it to Marcus. Otherwise everyone outside could be in danger. If there was one thing Jack hated, it was putting his family at risk. The hall appeared to be clean. Maybe Marcus thought that with the mamba and cookies, the other entrance was well guarded. Jack snuck into the globe room and instantly quieted, gobsmacked.

The globe room looked the same. Mostly. The big difference was the large computer that took up the center of the room, with a screen that showed every angle of the workshop. This made Jack smile, knowing that his antics for the camera had been seen. The grin fell from his face when he saw the man in front of the computer turn around and smirk. He had red and orange hair and was dressed in a simple red shirt, jeans, and a grin that only a true prankster could pull off. His eyes were black and seemed to burn a hole right through Jack. His breathing slowed, and his legs weakened. He could sense that Marcus was trying to bring him down, to make him more vulnerable and easier to prank. Maybe he does have cooler powers...

Marcus Flamer gave a huge, rolling laugh that bounced off the walls and rivaled North's. "They said you were powerful. Sure, you got past the mamba and cookies, but now you have me to face. And I will make you wish you had stayed with the snake." His voice was powerful, booming. Jack started to retort, but a rope (a real one this time) tightened around his leg. He was hoisted into the air faster than you could say "pranked". The laugh sounded off the walls again.

Jack swung by his leg, dizzy from the sudden movement. His memory was hazy, but there was something about Marcus that didn't seem quite right, something that seemed off. And not just his sick love of murderous pranks. Suddenly, he remembered what it was. He had met the creator of fire long ago, back during his three hundred years of wandering the world. And his eyes had not been black. In fact, then had been a cozy red that made you want to sit and relax, much like the spirit himself had appeared to be. Jack suddenly stilled and turned back to Marcus. The black eyes, the death wishes to others...it all made sense. "Pitch" hissed Jack.

"Marcus" turned and smiled in a way that caused Jack's blood to run cold in his veins. "Yes, you worthless brat. Glad you have some brains up there." He turned back to the screen. "This boy was about to be recruited when I used the last bits of my power to possess him. Now I have my direct way to interfere with your fun, games, and childcare." Pitch spat out these words as if they disgusted him. "After I torture you. After all, I can't have anyone spreading any rumors. You understand."

Jack steeled his nerves and waited for pain, but Pitch simply laughed. What had seemed like a rolling, insane laugh before now seemed cruel and promised hurt to come in the near future. "Oh, no Jack. I need you to have your eyes open for this." Confused, Jack looked up. His eyes widened as he saw what Pitch had meant for him to see. On the camera that displayed the door where he had snuck in, a figure opened the door quietly. Jack felt like every last bit of breath had been knocked from his lungs as he recognized the person. Even though he couldn't be heard, Jack screamed as loud as he could.

"Elsa!"

Man, I am cruel. I plan to have the next chapter up by Wednesday at the latest.

Listen, guys. I was thinking that as a anniversary when chapter 25 comes out, we could rack up 100 reviews. I would like that goal to be fulfilled by Friday. Please, pretty pretty please?

Peace out peeps,

awesomesauce90