Twisted Frost -- Discontinued

Chapter 2

The Guardians all leapt back in surprise. The one they'd been looking for for so long had just walked right back to them. Tooth fluttered up to him and engulfed him into a hug. 

"You've been gone so long, Jack? H-how are you here?" She stuttered, trying to force the words out before her tears swallowed them. 

The rest of the Guardians just stood there, shocked. They couldn't comprehend how it was possible for their friend to be standing in front of them. Tooth traced a delicate finger up the black ink on Jack's neck with curiosity. 

*****

Jack flinched away from Tooth's touch and took a small step away from her. He blinked at Tooth, his eyes swimming with a blizzard of emotions. His face, however, still held a small half-smile as he refused to respond to her question. 

Bunny furrowed his brows in worry, "Frostbite, mate, are y'alright?" he asked, taking a step towards the winter spirit. 

Jack turned towards Bunny with fire in his eyes. He didn't bother to mask his emotions this time ... Jack was angry. He stubbornly held onto his smile, though, as he said "Of course I'm alright, Kangaroo." 

Sandy stood in the back corner, especially concerned. Something didn't feel right. He tried to make some symbols, attempting to warn the others. None of them saw, though, and he couldn't find a way to make enough noise. 

Jack's gaze flicked towards Sandy, and his smile went away as quick as it came. He scowled at the golden man until the symbols stopped flashing. "You want to know how I got here, Tooth?" His smile returned, sending an unnerving chill throughout the room. Jack's smile faltered, as his gaze passed over all the guardians, "I guess you could say I had a little help." 

All of the guardians furrowed their brows in confusion. What did that mean? Tooth stepped forward and said, "I don't understand. Who helped you? Where are they?" 

Jack's smile doubled in size as he tsked, "All these questions ... What's there to understand, Tooth?" 

Jack lunged for her, pinning her to the wall with one hand secured tightly around her windpipe. Tooth gasped and scrabbled at the cold hand that was closing off her air. Jack smiled and shook his head, "Such a shame," he muttered. The rest of the guardians sprang into action. Jack sent a wave of ice towards Sandy, effectively pinning him to the ground. He laughed outright and directed another towards Bunny, sending him flying into a wall. Bunny hit the wall, his head slamming against the brick with a sickening thump. 

Jack looked around, his cold eyes searching for the last of them. "Where are you Santa? I know you're here somewhere ... Unless you finally decided to-" 

Jack's cold voice was cut off in surprise as North's Russian accent filled his ears. "I'm right here." Jack fell to the ground in a heap, a needle protruding from the fragile skin of his neck. He was unconscious. Tooth collapsed beside him, heaving for air. 

"What the hell was that?" Bunny muttered from the other side of the room, touching a hand to the back of his head and wincing. Blood matted the gray fur around his neck. 

North checked to make sure Tooth was alright, and once he had been assured that she was, he replied. "I have no clue. But, look at his ice ... Did it always look like this?" 

North gestured to a clump of ice slowly melting due to the warmth inside the palace. The icy blue now held more colors. North gasped once he figured out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. He stared in horror at the twisting piece of ice, laced with black sand. 

"Pitch."