Familial Ties (Rise of the Guardians)

Jack, I'm Scared

Jamie whipped around to look at Jack; a cruel smirk that matched Pitch's had spread across his face.
"Gladly," he responded to his master flatly. He fixed his cold stare on Jamie and an icicle of fear stabbed him in his chest. He took a step back instinctively, and Jack began to stalk toward him.

"N-no, Jack- no, please!" he begged, continuing to back up into the centre of the room, throwing wild glances at his dead eyed friends. Jack was moving much faster than Jamie and was now only steps away. He reached out and grabbed Jamie by the throat, lifting him onto his toes. Jamie's hands scrambled against Jack's arm, trying to pull him away, trying to get air. He was sputtering and choking, mind racing as panic gripped him. Jack's fingers were cold against his throat, so cold they almost burned.
"Jack, I'm scared," he managed to gasp out. A small line appeared between Jack's eyebrows and Jamie continued with the last of his breath, "please, Jack. I don't want to die like this. I'm scared." A faint trace of blue began to colour Jack's irises, and Jamie felt the grip on his throat loosen. He sucked in some air before a dark hand clamped down on Jack's shoulder, and Pitch whispered something in his ear. The colour in his eyes blinked out.
"Ugh!" Jack growled in frustration, throwing Jamie to the side. He never knew how strong the Guardian was, his thin stature masking an unnatural strength. Jack had thrown him several feet into the wall of the cave, which his head cracked against sharply.

Jamie felt a blossoming pain stab through the back of his head and all the way into his eyes, stars dancing in his vision. He was dizzy and disorientated from the blow; whatever the doctors had been trying to avoid by taking him out of hockey this season, he was pretty sure Jack had just achieved. He was on his side, trying to scramble onto his arms to sit himself up as Jack launched an ice blast at him with his staff. Jamie was too slow, his head too heavy, and the powerful blast sent him into the wall again, freezing him there. Jack stalked toward him again, sadistic glee written all over his face. Jamie groaned, the pain in his head making it too hard to think. He was trying to plead with Jack, trying to get some of that colour to return to his eyes once more, but it was no use.

Jamie was going to die here, surrounded by friends in the most horrific way possible.

He felt blood trickle down his head and across his ear, dripping to the cave floor from his neck. He struggled to keep his eyes open; if he was going to be murdered, he wanted to look his killer in the eye as it happened. Jack was closing the distance rapidly, a sparkling knife of what looked like ice dangling in his hand. Suddenly, Baby Tooth shot out of Jamie's pocket. A bright blue glow filled the room, burning Jamie's retinas. He squinted hard through the immense pain and watched as the light took the shape of a girl. Jamie could only see the back of her, but he guessed she was roughly Sophie's age. The light was so bright that it chased all of the shadows from the cave, and Pitch was revealed to be standing across the room, watching in horror.

Jack froze as he looked at the girl. The knife slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground, skittering away as the ice found no purchase on the stone. He clapped his now free hand to his head and faltered, stumbling backwards, a groan escaping his lips through gritted teeth. He opened his eyes again, staring at the girl as he dropped to his knees. He was fighting the Nightmare in his head. The light dimmed as the girl faded out of view, and Jamie looked over to see Jack screw his eyes shut and lean over. He gagged and heaved as black sand poured from his mouth, much more than his body should have been able to hold. He coughed and sputtered for a good thirty seconds as the last grains of sand were expelled from him.

"NO!" Pitch roared, launching at the knife between them. He gripped it and whirled on Jamie, bringing the knife up above his head. Jamie willed himself to keep his eyes open like he promised himself he would as the knife came rushing down toward his chest. A pale hand caught Pitch's wrist from behind, stopping the blade an inch from Jamie's rib. He looked up to see Jack looming over them both, piercing eyes now fully returned to their icy blue. He ripped Pitch back, away from Jamie, and at the same time used his staff to release the ice that pinned him sideways to the wall. Jamie slumped down, groaning again with the movement.