Snowy Monday - You may not like a cliffhanger, but I do (smirks evil-ly)

Joud914 - is sarcasm not the only resort when you're half dead?

Thank you to all the new followers! Uni has been hectic this week, hence the little wait for this chapter. I haven't got any more intruder chapters written just yet, I've still to decide where this is going to go, so there'll probably be a few others again before the next one.

Enjoy!

"Or," The sinister voice crept from the shadows "you could turn around."

Amidst the darkness, golden eyes gleamed, staring down at the Guardians spinning blindly in search of the voice.

"Over here." The Nightmare King smirked, falling back and letting his shadows engulf him. In an instant, the inky black fled his body, and he was nowhere to be seen. Four heads spun towards the offering, only to find nothing but the ashen cloud coating the globe.

"Show ya self, Pitch!" Boomerangs sliced through the air as Bunny stepped forward, talking into the distant abyss, the wooden weapons returning to his paw without collision.

"Oh," Pitch purred, "but I'm having so much fun."

"Come on Pitch," another familiar voice called from the shadows, "stop messing with them."

"Jack?" Surprise filled the air, North's question echoing around the room. Why was Jack with Pitch?

Something along the lines of: You're a bunch of killjoys was muttered as the vast net of shadows ascended, allowing the light to filter back into the room. Atop the globe stood Pitch Black, and by his side was the winter spirit, looking worse for wear. He stood slightly askew, using a black cane for support. Black shadows seeped from the bottom, leaving a dark dusting spilling over the belief globe.

"Jack, get away from him!" Toothiana cried, small swords held out in defence.

"Hush," Pitch snapped, unimpressed. "As much as I'd love to run you all to the ground, I'm not here for a fight."

At the raise of his hand, a makeshift stairway appeared from the globe to the ground, the shadows seeming to solidify one at a time as Pitch stepped on them. Jack hobbled down after him, greatly favouring one leg. The steps burst into a cloud of smoke and disappeared as he reached the ground, leaving no trace they were ever there.

"Jack! Are you okay?" The guardians rushed over to him, Toothiana fluttering around him, checking the extent of his injuries. The lights above flickered as though sensing Pitch's presence, casting a gaze over the winter spirit's sunken face. Dark bags covered his eyes, a large healing wound decorating his temple. Still standing askew, his chest, which was unusually bare of his trademark hoodie, shook slightly with each breath. She cast a glare at the Nightmare King.

The truthful answer would've been an outright no - everything hurt. But for not wanting to worry the others any more, he settled for: "I've been better." Which was still the truth - he had definitely felt better than he was feeling right now.

"Pitch, ya have ten seconds to explain what you are doing here before I put my boomerangs to use." Bunny quipped, his paws pulled back defensively as he eyed his proximity to the injured Jack.

"Oh, relax furball," He glared at Bunny's furious eyes. "I'm more family to Jack than you lot will ever be."

That earned a few stunned looks, but Jack responded before anyone else could retort. Turning to face the boogeyman, he raised his eyebrows and gave him a doubting look.

"Apart from when you threw me off a cliff."

Pitch rolled his eyes as though this argument had happened a hundred times before. Behind him, the Guardians looked baffled at the exchange. Even a few yetis in the corner had stopped their work to listen to the conversation. Elves jingled happily about around them, not caring in the slightest about the proceedings.

"You deserved that."

"I did not!" Jack spluttered, waving his hands around. He instantly regretted it. His stomach churned in agony, protesting the motion. "And you snapped my staff." He hissed, still glaring at his comrade.

"That may have been a little too far," Pitch admitted. "But look at you, it's fixed, and you're fit as a fiddle." He eyed him up and down, a playfully malicious glint to his eye and chuckled.

"Well," he smirked, "not presently speaking."

"Hand me your scythe, and let's see how you feel!"

The two turned to face each other, obviously intending to restart the timeless argument before North regained himself and stepped between the two.

"I do not know what you mean by this," he spoke loudly, as always, hands outstretched to keep the two apart. He eyed Pitch warily, but neither of them made to move. The shadow man's forehead crinkled in annoyance, but he remained where he was even as the hand pushed him a step away. "But we can handle situation now."

"Ah yes, because you've handled it so well thus far," he retorted, emphasising and looking more annoyed the longer he was there. He stood with an air of calm, head held high, but a glimmer in his eyes showed he was severely restraining himself. "Tell me, Bunny, did you notice the deviant that came back with you last week was not Jack?"

Bunny looked taken aback at the information. Admittedly, he had known no differently.

"I assumed as much," Pitch continued, smug satisfaction setting on his face as he took in Bunny's confusion. "Or the rest of you, did you fail to notice Jack's absence this week? Are you all so self-absorbed that you didn't notice no snow fell anywhere around the world?"

Once again, only silence responded, save for the ringing bells belonging to the elves, wrapping each other in Christmas lights and decorating yeti's legs with tinsel.

"You're all pathetic excuses," he spat, an ashen cloud escaping from his robe and covering the polished floor as he spoke. Light began to evade the room, blocked out by the onslaught controlled by his emotions. "If only everyone else saw what you really were, too."

"Alright, alright, enough!" Jack protested from the side, not fancying a redo of the Easter debacle. He hobbled forward using his dark cane, a small hand coming up to push North's larger one out of the way. "We don't have time for this. The man who attacked me is going after more. We have to stop him."

Toothiana was the first to speak, fluttering forward and placing a hand on Jack's shoulder, steadying his wobbling form. The prolonged standing was clearly taking its toll. His knees shook beneath him, and the colour had drained from his face. White knuckles clenched the makeshift staff whilst the other hand curled itself desperately around his stomach like if he let go, his insides would tumble out.

"Do you know who attacked you?"

"No," Jack replied apologetically, "he didn't have a face at first; it was like he formed of whispery silhouettes. Then it was like he flicked a switch, and his face turned into mine. He took my staff and left me there, but I heard him speak to Manny before he disappeared."

"What did he say?" Toothiana asked eagerly.

"That there was only so long Manny could hold him. I passed out after that."

"Seth said he wanted oblivion." Bunny contributed while thinking aloud, not realising the winter spirit was oblivious to the other seasonal's condition after his own run-in.

"Seth's here?"

"In medbay," North supplied, glaring warily at the shadows still devouring the room around them. "Seems you are not only one this person has gone after."

"Is he okay?" Worry creased in his brow, Seth was his oldest and best friend. He was hobbling towards the corridor before anyone could reply, cane clicking against the hard floor with every step he took.

"He is recuperating but will be in time," North answered, hastening after him. He whistled to the two yetis sat by the door, nodding his head towards the entrance as he followed, and they quickly rushed in front of him towards Jack.

They reached just as he pushed open the door to reveal a very awake summer spirit, amusedly watching another yeti chase around a jingling elf. Said elf looked like he was having the time of his life, scurrying under the creature's feet while wildly waving a small labelled glass bottle. With a subtle flick of his hand, Seth sent the elf flying with a gust of wind, the bottle shattering upon impact and spilling a weird green liquid into a puddle on the floor.

Sandy was asleep in the corner, completely oblivious.

"Damn," Seth sighed, not quite managing to hide his smirk. "Guess that means no more medicine for me."

"Don't worry," Jack smirked back at him, using the doorframe for support. "I'm sure North has loads more in the supply cupboard."

"Snow cone!" Seth quipped, turning his head too quickly, earning a grunt as he agitated the burns on his neck. He eyed Jack's scewiff stance and wounded head. "How goes?"

"Same old, same old," He replied casually. Sandy snored silently in the corner of the room, oblivious as Jack poked his staff into his side, trying and failing to wake him. The golden man huffed silently and curled in on himself, refusing to budge. Jack chuckled as he prodded him again, harder this time. One eye barely cracked open before the air above became a pantomime of a charade of golden pictures, switching temp too quickly to understand. Sandy huffed, resorting to a high five instead when it was clear Jack had no clue what he was saying. "Nothing compared to that ogre in '56. Couldn't walk for a week."

"Yeah, sorry again about that. Who knew ogres were so easily agitated?"

Jack turned to Seth's sheepish (yet showing no hint of remorse) gaze; his eyebrow raised suspiciously. "I think it was less about how easily agitated it was and more how adamant you were to make it fly."

"You're both buffoons." Another figure emerged from the depths of the shadows, haunting the corner opposite the bed.

"Hey Pitchy, long time no see," Sandy stared incredulously as Seth took up a normal conversation with the Boogeyman. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm on babysitting duty, apparently." He rolled his eyes, not sparing a glance at the shocked golden man before swooping down and filling the chair. "And don't call me 'Pitchy'."

"Is he getting grumpier with age?" Seth whispered behind his hand to Jack, but the shadow hand, which appeared above his face and gave him a quick slap, proved Pitch had heard.

"Absolutely," Jack replied, earning a smack himself. Pitch sighed and hung his head as they continued to laugh. How he had gone from the most feared spirit in the world to looking after two children was beyond him.

No one had yet noticed the bright flashing '?!' above the sandman's head. It wasn't until Tooth cleared her throat at the door that anyone acknowledged his question.

"Bad guy wants to take over the world," Jack explained briefly, "typical Thursday shenanigans." Sandy nodded as if that were all the explanation he needed.

"Do you have any idea where he might be going next, Seth?" Tooth questioned the spirit. The longer they waited, the more harm the spirit was likely to do.

"Not sure, but considering he came after us first, I imagine he'll be going after Flo and Aurelia. That is if he hasn't yet," Seth wriggled in the bed as he answered, trying to make himself more comfortable. The broken ribs weren't doing much to ease his pain. "That's probably a good place to start."

"Flo's usually in France this time of year. I'll look there if the rest of you want to spread out and find Aurelia," Jack moved to step out the door but encountered a sleek grey hand before he reached the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eyebrow raised, Pitch proceeded to push the winter spirit back into the room. Seth snickered behind him as he was shoved unceremoniously onto the bed by his feet.

"France?" Jack was sure he'd just said that. "Is your hearing acting up again?"

"Highly amusing," Pitch countered, exasperated. "But you're not going anywhere."

"Yes, I am." He forced the hand off his shoulder but was once again halted by the stern face of the Boogeyman when he managed to stand.

"How do you expect to get there? And if, by some miracle, you do make it, what are you expecting to do when you get there?" Pitch eyed him up and down, looking highly doubtful. The Guardians stood in silence behind them, not contributing. "I doubt the absence of your staff will contribute to matters, and you can barely stand - let alone fight."

"I can stand just fine, thank you."

In one swift motion, a nightmare formed from the shadows, kicking the makeshift cane from Jack's grasp and devouring it, remains crumpling like ash drifting away from a fire. Shards of ice flew from his fingertips towards the horse as his knees wobbled. A short yelp escaped him at the shock, his injured leg failing beneath him, cracking as his knee made contact with the wood. Not a second later, the golden eyes of the shadow horse gleamed smugly over his face, strong hooves holding him captive against the floor.

"Point proven."

"That was dirty."

"Jack!" Tooth appeared before him, flicking her hands to shoo the horse away. It whinnied at her, hooves remaining firmly pressed onto Jack's shoulders.

"Onyx," he said sternly like he was telling off a child. "Get off."

The horse licked his face in response, not budging, and he couldn't help the laugh which escaped him.

"You are staying here," Pitch's tone made it clear there would be no argument about it. Calling the horse back to his side, two shadow hands reached down and pulled the winter spirit back up, twisting and reforming back into a cane in his hand as he stood.

At the entrance, Bunny's hand remained defensively over his boomerangs, which sat in wait in his holster. Pitch eyed him with a look of complete disinterest.

"And you, Pitch," The Cossack eyed him warily. The only reason he hadn't forcibly removed him yet was that Jack seemed to trust him. However, the Easter situation was still fresh in his mind, so he did not yet share that trust. The light above them flickered, casting a sinister gaze over the grey man's sharp features. "What will you do?"

Every Guardian's hand now rested unsteadily on some form of weapon as the Bogeyman turned to face them, his face void of emotion.

"Assuming my limbs stay intact," He glared at their weapons, purposefully on show as though to scare him off. He sneered at their naivety. "I'm going to help." He wanted to slap the surprised looks off their faces. "Do not mistake my actions: I could not care less about any of you, and this does not alter my opinions. But for the sake of those two," he nodded at Jack hobbling on a crutch and Seth confined to bed rest, "and the rest of the spirits you so willingly choose to disregard, I will offer my services."

They still looked at him rather doubtfully.

"And I will attempt to restrain myself from stabbing any of you in the back."

Four sets of eyes widened in response.

"Speaking from experience," Jack whispered to them, "he'll do it."

Surprisingly, Bunny was the first to speak. "I don't trust you in the slightest," he glared at Pitch, speaking bluntly. "And I'd more than happily deck ya at any given opportunity, but seeing how ya took care of Jack and how he trusts you, I guess I'll make do with tolerating you."

"Good rabbit," Pitch smirked smugly at him, and it took all of Bunny's willpower not to throttle him.

"Don't think you're doing anything without any one of us there, though. No funny business."

Pitch practically purred back at him. "Why, I wouldn't dream of it." Something about the glint in his eye said he would. Maybe he already had.

"I agree with Bunny," North said, stepping forward. Sandy and Tooth stood similarly in unanimous agreement, though the three still looked rather cautious. "For the children, we will put the past behind us. We will take sleigh and begin search."

"I'm not gettin' in that death trap, mate - I'll stick to my tunnels. We can spread out further that way." Jack snorted, earning a glare.

"I'll send word to my baby Teeth to keep a lookout," Tooth supplied. "Jack, Seth - will you be okay here?"

"You've got nothing to worry about." Seth smirked devilishly, his eyes meeting Jack's at the end of the bed. Why did that make Tooth worry more?

"Off we go then," Everyone jumped as North clapped his large hands together, his smile returning despite the situation. "You two stay out of trouble."

He trotted off after waving goodbye to the seasonal spirits while Pitch simply descended into the shadows (not before casting a warning glance at the two). Twirls of colour floated above them as Toothiana exited through the open window, and golden tendrils filled the room while Sandman crafted himself a small plane. Adjusting his goggles, he gave the two boys a short salute. The room, now weirdly quiet, remained empty save for the young spirits. Not even a moment of silence passed before Jack was on his feet and heading towards the door.

"Fancy raiding the kitchen?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

Another long one, I promise I'll make something happen in the next chapter!