Vengeance

Doubt

The door to North's personal workshop slammed open, revealing a very exasperated Easter Bunny and a flustered Sandman.

"North!" Bunny shouted, startling the large man awake. The book he'd fallen asleep with fell to the floor as North jerked into a sitting position.

"What? What is it?" North asked as he retrieved the novel and examined it. "For goodness sake, Bunny, how many times must I tell you to knock? You've creased my pages!" Bunny rolled his eyes.

"Would you stop worrying about your book and listen to me?" North placed the copy of The Count of Monte Cristo on the table and leaned forward. "Bunny, what's got you so worried?"

Sandy stepped forward and sand symbols flashed rapidly above his head.

"You can't find Jack?" North asked.

"We checked all his usual haunts. Burgess especially, but he was nowhere to be found. In fact it looked like he hasn't been doing his job anywhere. There's hardly any snow, and it's three weeks until Christmas."

North felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. He placed a hand on his belly and stood.

"You are both right. Something is up. It must be Pitch's doing!" North slammed his fist on the table.

"Pitch?" Bunny asked.

"I can feel it! In my--"

"Belly, I know." Bunny interrupted. His voice softened with worry as he asked, "So... what do we do? If Jack's in trouble, I couldn't even tell you where to start looking."

North stroked his beard thoughtfully, and then his eyes widened as he smiled. "Ha! I cannot believe we didn't do this in first place! Sandy, use your dreamsand to find Jack!"

Sandy grimaced as sand flashed above his head.

"I don't care how long it takes, it is easier than flying in the sleigh for hours on end, hoping to spot him."

"North," Bunny said, grabbing the large man's arm, "if Sandy uses his dreamsand like that, he'll be very vulnerable. Maybe it would be better if--"

"Do not worry, Bunny. My workshop is one of the safest places on earth. Can you do it from here, Sandy?"

The Sandman thought for a moment before nodding.

"Good," North said, "now find our friend."

~~~

Pitch was standing outside of the Bennett house, brooding in the shadows, when he sensed a familiar presence.

"Mirage."

"Pitch."

"Why are you back so soon?"

"I dealt with Jack Frost like you told me to."

"I thought I said to keep him busy, not deal with him."

"What's the difference?"

Pitch snarled and whipped around to face the girl, ready to reprimand her for the attitude, when he spotted the object clutched in her hands.

"Is that what I think it is?" Pitch asked quietly, his temper tantrum forgotten.

"It's Frost's staff." Mirage said in a bored tone, holding it out to him. A grin spread across his face as he took the remains of his enemy's weapon.

"Well. This... this changes the game." Pitch said to himself before turning to look at Mirage again. "I have another task for you while I hide this away. There's a note attached to that windowsill. I need you to retrieve it while the boy is not looking."

~~~

"Sophie?" Jamie said, standing at her bedroom door, "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Sophie glanced up from the book she was reading, gently closing it and setting it aside when she saw the look on Jamie's face. "Jamie, what's wrong?"

"It's just..." Jamie started as he sat down beside her on her bed, "have you seen Jack at all recently?"

"Uh, I saw him last Monday. Why?"

"I haven't seen him in what feels like forever, so I was worried that he was hurt or something."

Sophie scoffed. "Jamie, you worry too much. Jack's a Guardian. He can take care of himself."

"Yeah, I know." Jamie said. He stood abruptly and left Sophie's room without another word. She watched his melancholy retreat, shrugged, and went back to reading her book.

Jamie crossed the hallway to his own bedroom and flopped down on his own bed. His stomach twisted uncomfortably as he thought about what Sophie had said.

She'd seen Jack last week. Pitch said Jamie had walked right through Jack.

"No," Jamie reprimanded himself, "I still believe. Besides, how come I could see Pitch?" He shook his head at himself as he stood and crossed his bedroom to the window.

The note was still taped to the sill.

Jamie swallowed and closed his window. "I can't let Pitch get to me. He has to be lying!" he said through clenched teeth.

But he couldn't ignore the little voice in the back of his head whispering that maybe, just maybe, Pitch was right.