This plot is what struck my idea for my NaNoWriMo piece. Due to that, I apologize if this fic gets dark at some points. My ROTG fics focus on darker side of the universe anyway. It's to be expected. :3

This is the sequel to "What is Your Center?". If you have not read that, please do so. Otherwise you will have no idea who the main narrator is.

1.

I crossed my arms as I wandered the catwalks, keeping an eye out for a certain mischief maker. Along the way I was stopped a few times by the Shadowbats preparing for Halloween in a month's time. A set rhythm had been made the past few years, so I wasn't needed as much as I used to be. However, I still loved being out in the field for that night, and I still loved to be involved in the plans. I was given the final say on everything new, and everything old was done with precision.

The only thing new that didn't seem to want to cooperate was hiding from me currently, making me more and more agitated. "I swear, if you ran off with him again without telling me…" I felt a presence begin to follow me, and I didn't slow my pace. Instead, I struck up a conversation with a passing bat, my oldest one, Vlad. "How are the preparations going? Are we still on schedule?"

Vlad nodded, hovering on his shadow-hued wings. "So far we will be finished right on time." It started to follow me as I slowed my pace, feeling the presence keep up with ease.

"Good to hear. Have the reapers made the delivery yet?"

He landed on my shoulder to rest for a moment, his orange eyes on me. "Yes Miss Eve. The spirits have been let loose in the far catacombs as per your request."

"All harmless, I hope. I don't need a repeat of the time we almost let Jack the Ripper loose on the streets."

He ducked his furry head a bit below his wings, his large ears falling flat. "Ah, yes. After that mishap the screening process has become more thorough."

"Good." I stopped completely, my fingertips pressed together. "That is all for now."

He nodded and flew off to the catacombs, were I had moved my workstation almost a decade ago.

I stood, staring at the glittering iron globe in front of me. His globe. As always, the lights remained solid, never changing. The presence from before came ever closer. I grinned. I sidestepped out of the way and gripped on to something around the middle as it became solid again. "Good try, Drago. You still have some practicing to do to mask your energy, though."

The black-haired boy went limp in my arms and glared back at me with pale eyes. "But Mom, I swear I can do it! Let me try again."

"I don't think so." I set him down, brushing his shaggy hair out of his ashen face. "It's almost dawn. Time for bed."

"But—"

"No buts." I turned him around by his shoulders and sent him on his way. "And no more shadow stalking. Straight to bed. I mean it this time."

"Oh let the boy have a little fun."

I looked up to see Pitch leaning on the wall of one of the higher catwalks, an amused smirk on his face. "You send him off then, Dad."

He shrugged and sunk into the shadows, reappearing under Drago. He pulled the child on his shoulders while the kid laughed in delight. "You heard your mother."

"But I can do it, honest!"

"You'll get it right eventually. Though we should be off before she flays us both."

I raised a brow at his teasing words. "Don't think I won't." He knew how stressed I would get so close to October, and so the ass would use it to his advantage to rile me up whenever he got the chance.

Without another word to me he turned, taking our son up the catwalks to his room. The whole thing was hard to adjust to at first, but we found ways to make it work. Everything had been easier with the production of more Nightmares and more Shadowbats with the fear toxin imbued in them. We still didn't trust everything in the hands of our creations though, and found time to both be in the field. Drago accompanied us every so often. He wanted to learn how to scare children like us, and he did survive off fear like us.

It had taken a lot of explaining to the others on how Drago even existed in the first place. Ten years ago, Manny had given me one last gift for everything I had done to help the Chosen put Lucifer back in his place. That gift brought Drago into the world.

I jumped as Hessian, my black-furred stallion, appeared next to me, tossing his head and pushing against my mind with his. I put a hand to his green skeletal stained muzzle, eyes narrowed at his anxiousness. "What is it?"

"The globe is off."

I looked to the one before me, seeing no change at all. "What do you mean? It's fine." My eyes widened and my stomach dropped. "The other globe." I dropped into the shadows and jumped out into my work station, grabbing on to the desk in my office that overlooked the fear globe. Sure enough, a spot in Pennsylvania was lit up brighter than normal. Something big had happened. "Where is it?"

"University of Pennsylvania."

I turned my gaze down and frowned. The university sounded extremely familiar for some reason. "Any idea what caused it?"

"Nothing so far. Shall I dispatch the 'bats?"

Before I could answer, a portal opened up beside me and a very angry North emerged. "Nice of you to drop by."

"Don't play games," he said, his swords drawn. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs with his son. He just came back not long ago— Where the hell do you think you're going?" I slipped into the shadows and emerged in front of North as he tried to stalk up the stairs, weapons at the ready.

"He did something. He had to. He's only person with capability to do so."

I was completely confused and dropped my hands. "North, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this!" he bellowed, pointing his sword at my globe. "He went after Jamie!"

My blood ran cold as it hit me. Jamie, one of the Guardians' favorite pet humans, went to University of Pennsylvania. "What happened?"

"Roommate in school found dead this morning in room. No forced entry. Jamie said he smelled rotten eggs. Brimstone. Of our world. The evil part of our world." He brandished his sword at me. "The boy was cut to shreds."

I went quiet. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I couldn't think of anything to even say. I couldn't believe North would think that, after all these years of peace, Pitch would do something like kill a child.

"It seems I'm needed down here after all." I looked to see Pitch standing in the doorway, Drago at his side. He nudged the boy's shoulder. "Off to bed with you." From his tone, Drago left without a complaint. Pitch watched the boy ascend the stairs, waiting until he knew he was out of earshot before turning back to North, arms folded behind his back. "I thought we were over accusing me of foolish shit years ago."

North merely kept a sword trained on Pitch. "Who else would do such things?"

Pitch curled his lip and brushed the sword away. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't point that thing at me in my own home. I'd hate to have to kill you. What would the children think when Christmas came and went with no Santa Claus?"

I saw the anger flash in North's eyes and I stood between the men, hands held up. "How about we think of this in a different way? As in we're both innocent and something else is out there." I lowered my arms once I was sure they wouldn't attack each other. "You said he smelled brimstone? When?"

"He didn't say. Shaky. He's at Pole now. Only said something else about howling and negative feeling some times."

"Bring him here and call for the others. If it is brimstone, then it is something we need to look in to. Especially if it's going to be targeting humans of any sort." I had a lot of books that focused on this side of our world. Of the monsters and creatures of the undead. If Jamie could give us any more information, we had a better chance of helping him. I caught Pitch's gaze. "If it's alright with the king here."

He swept his arm out in a gesture of dismissal. "Whatever the queen needs. I'd rather not have any… uncomfortable interruptions in the future. Bring the boy to the main chambers."

"You best not try funny business," North said, eyeing the Boogeyman warily.

He shrugged and folded his hands behind his back. "Why is it I try to be compliant, and yet here we are, still at odds?"

I rolled my eyes, looking between their shared glare of hatred. "Please work on the same team again," I tried. "We're not on the good side of the spectrum, but we don't want to see the humans killed. Who would we scare if they started dying off?"

"I can still scare you. So can Drago."

I elbowed his arm. "Not helping." I focused on North as he finally relaxed his weapon. "Well, North?"

He looked between us for a moment before nodding, pulling a snowglobe from his coat. "We will be here in half hour. Stay to your words."