Frozen Chains

Chapter 3

A long time since the first chapter: Present day

Jack walked down the cold hall of Pitch's lair, his brother, Jay, following close behind. As always, the constant fear of being discovered haunted them. Jack shivered at the though of what Pitch would do if he found them trying to escape.

The entrance was locked, but that would be easy to break when Jack found his staff.

Still. It was probably a bad idea.

Jay shuddered, grabbing a fistful of Jack's hoodie. Jack turned around and gasped.

Frost was covering the wall, spreading from Jay's hand.

Pitch had forbidden them to use their powers. They were punished severely if caught using them. If Pitch saw this, he would be angry, and when Pitch was angry, the boys suffered.

"Oh no." Jack said, panic rising in him. Jay must have accidentally brushed against the wall with his hand. 

Jay tried to scrub it off the wall, his breath quickening, but due to his terrified emotions, more of the blue-white fern pattern spread. His blue eyes widened. Jack didn't know what to do. Pitch had gone out for a few hours, but he could be back at any time. What if he saw-

"What is this?"

Both teenagers froze.

Pitch melted out of the shadows, a scowl twisting his lips, gold eyes narrowing cruelly.

"Is this ice?"

Jack whimpered, moving closer to his brother, who was paralyzed with fear.

"You both know that you are not permitted to use your powers." Pitch sneered. Jay shut his eyes tightly, grabbing onto Jack's sleeve.

Pitch was going to hurt Jay if he found out who had done it. 

"Whose ice is this?"

Neither boy answered.

Well, Jay couldn't. He hadn't spoken for years now. Not after what had happened, whatever it was. Pitch had punished him, that Jack was sure of, and Jay never recovered, but he didn't know exactly what Pitch had done to his brother.

"Whose ice is this?" Pitch repeated.

Jay couldn't talk, but Jack had no intention of giving his brother away.

Pitch's facial expression morphed into one of anger.

"Who did this?" His voice cam out in a deadly whisper. Jack started trembling. Pitch had always demanded that they answer when asked a question.

Refusing to do so was suicidal.

Pitch lashed out, grabbing Jay by the front of his torn black hoodie, shoving him against frost-covered wall. Jack heard the breath whoosh out of his brother's lungs, and blood dripped from his hands, old wounds reopening by the forceful movement. Jay gasped in pain.

"Who did it?" Pitch demanded. 

Jay looked at him, terrified. Pitch shook him, hard.

Thunk!

The back of Jay's head bounced off the wall.

"Stop!" Jack cried. "I-It was m-me." His hands shook.

Pitch looked at him, releasing Jay, letting him slide to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"What did you say?"

"I-I did it. I w-wanted to get a-away." Jack whispered. He wrapped his arms around himself, looking down at the ground.

Pitch gave him an evil and rather nasty grin.

"Liar." 

Jay shuddered on the ground, curling up to make himself small.

The Lord of the Shadows laughed coldly. "I know you're lying, Jack. I know you both too well. Doing anything to protect the other."

Jack tensed, terror bubbling up inside of him.

They were in for it now.

"We have a rule breaker... " Pitch gestured at Jay, and then turned to the other, "... And a liar. You have both defied me."

I'm a liar. Now we're both going to get in trouble, and it's my fault...

My fault.

"What is the punishment for defying me?" Pitch asked.

Jay and Jack both began trembling, but stayed silent.

"Not saying anything will only make it worse," The Nightmare King warned.

"A-A broken b-bone." Jack whimpered. He knew what was coming, and he didn't want to think about it.

"Exactly." Pitch smirked, "This will hurt, believe me." He seized Jay's upper arm, hauling him to his feet, and twisted the limb forcefully. A loud snap echoed throughout the cavern. Jay screamed, the only sound that was ever heard from him, but Pitch wasn't finished.

He twisted the already shattered bone even further, until the bone stabbed through Jay's skin, creating a lump under the fabric of his hoodie. Jay screamed again and then started gasping, his chest heaving, blood soaking the sleeve. 

Jay dropped to the floor once more and Jack reached for his twin, trying to get to him, but Pitch grabbed him by the throat.

"You're a liar and a killer, Jack, you deserve this."

"Pl-please, I-I only w-wanted to- M-my staff... "

"Your staff!" Pitch laughed, "That useless piece of wood? Unless you get your act together, you could find your precious staff thrown into a fire!"

Jack was connected to his staff in the same way that Jay was with his own. If it was snapped or thrown into a fire, he would feel it to a great extent. Jack didn't want that, not for him and especially not for his brother.

No, both staffs needed to be in one piece.

So what could Jack do? He couldn't fight, or Pitch would hurt Jay or break his staff. He had learned that a long time ago. Long before his will had been shattered, before he had become a broken shell.

So he could nothing.

Nothing but let Pitch break his arm.

***

There, this chapter is longer. 900 words, not including my little note.

Oh, just for you peeps who weren't expecting torture.........

Taa-daaa! Merry Christmas.

My mind is a little dark, so this is what y'all get. Just SYK, this is not for the terribly squeamish. 

Luvies!

~I_Love_Jack_Frost_13