Rise of The Guardians 2: Just Like Fire

Chapter 5: Jack

The second Aria closed the door behind her, Tooth, Bunny and North broke into aggressive condemnation of her claims.

I groaned. "Come on guys, stop."

Sandy was staring at me, silent as usual, but nobody else even turned their head.

"Stop." I said again, at a tone just below a yell. Still no response.

"This is like trying to wake a comatose patient." I muttered to myself, and Sandy nodded.

Out of options, I raised my fingers to my lips and blew. The shriek, piercing outside, echoed around the room, and Sandy winced.

Three pairs of incredulous eyes turned to me.

"What?" Tooth snapped.

"Something really important is happening, and you're bickering like little children."

"Sorry."

"Thank you." We were silent for a moment.

"You know, I've seen Aria before." I say eventually, to shocked looks. "Man in Moon showed her to me, not ten minutes ago."

"That means she's the bad guy though." North thundered, half rising from his seat.

"No, I don't think so. First he showed me this writhing mass that never kept the same form."

"Kronos?" Bunny mutters.

"I think so. And then he showed me her, and she was so kind and innocent."

"You're being fooled."

"I don't think so. You weren't in the chamber, you didn't see, but I think we should trust her." I said, remembering her soft actions in the forest.

North stood up. "Let's put this to a vote. Yes or no to trusting this fire-user. Jack?"

"Yes." I replied, picturing her smile.

"Bunny?"

"Hell no mate."

"Sandy?"

The room fell silent as we all stared at him. He looked at me and nodded once, slowly.

"Tooth?"

From where she was sitting on my right, she dropped to her knees beside me, causing me to jerk in surprise.

"Jack," she pleaded. "Don't you see what this bitch is doing? I've seen the way you look at her; she's trying to tear the two of us apart!"

"The two of us?" I repeated, getting up and standing behind my chair, holding onto the ornate back until my knuckles went white, and fossilised around the edge of the wood. "There is no 'two of us'."

Tooth opened her mouth but I spoke over the top of her. "If I had ever had any romantic interest in you, I would have asked you out ten years ago."

Tooth stood up as well, coming right up close to my face, eyes blazing as though Aria had set them alight.

I stood there silently, staring at her impassively as she made to go slap my face, changing course at the last possible moment to punch me in the stomach.

The instant I was doubled over and heaving, the room erupted.

"What the hell?" Bunny yelled, using the phrase that Jamie taught him last Easter. "Tooth, go and cool off right now. Even when provoked, Guardians do not injure each other."

She gave me one more scathing look, turned on her heels and left, allowing the door to slam shut behind her.

Bunny looked at me in concern but I waved him off, sinking back down into my chair.

North coughed awkwardly. "I take it then that Tooth is against trusting Aria." He muttered. "We're split half and half." He paused and turned to Sandy, clearly trying to lighten the sombre mood. "Why do you always leave it to me to be tiebreaker? It sucks."

Sandy shrugged while North pouted and I held back a smirk.

"Come on North, make a decision already." Bunny ground out.

The Guardian was prevented from answering by yells, echoing down the hall.

"Well shit."