It was a clear night in London, the soft breeze picking up the smell of trees and the salty smell from the river. In a town house just by the Tower of London, a young girl was laying in bed, coughing badly with her mother sitting beside her with her hand on her forehead. 

“Oh Anna...you are warm. I don’t like how fast your getting worse. I’m calling the doctor right now and we will get you checked out alright?” The mother left the room, pulling out her phone and shutting the door behind her. Anna turned over and coughed again, sweat running down her face. By the window a figure appeared and landed carefully on the railing. The figure waved their hand and a shadow from inside the room moved on its own and unlocked the window and opened it, the figure slipping in carefully. The figure moved towards the bed and knelt down, resting a hand on Anna’s cheek. 

“Oh poor thing...you’ve seen to have caught the nasty bug going around...” the figure muttered softly. She moved Anna’s hair from her face and said softly “Anna? Can you hear me?”

Anna turned and looked at the person beside her and said weakly “who...are you? Are you the doctor?” The figure smiled and said “I’m your guardian angel, my sweet Anna. And I’m going to make you feel much better alright?” They reaches up and pulled down the hood that was hiding their face to show a youn woman, her dark hair making her bright purple eyes pop out and seem like they were glowing. The woman moved her hand to Anna’s chest and closed her eyes. She moved her hands around and they glowed silver as the energy moved around. After a few moments she lifted her hands up to pull out what looked like a ball of black ooze. She reached into her bag on her side with a free hand and pulled out a medium size bottle and put the sticky mess inside, sewing it away as she put the bottle back into her bag. 

As soon as the mass was pulled from the girls chest, Anna coughed hard then sighed, being able to breath again. The woman smiled and stood up, kissing Anna’s forehead. “Now get some sleep. You will feel much better in the morning my love” she moved towards the window and stepped outside and just as she was about to leave Anna sat up and asked “who are you?” She paused then turned and smiled. “I am Raphaela, your guardian angel. But you can call me Serena” then she moved outside and jumped. Her cloak blew back as huge silver wings burst free and carried her away into the night. 

*********

Jack Skellington was making his way thru the snow, reading his notes as he walked up hill with the snowing falling around him. He was making sure he remembered everything from the last meeting the guardians had had, all the while making sure he didn’t fall over in the snow. But when the light he was using was suddenly gone he looked up to see the huge doors to Santa’s workshop in front of him. “

“Oh my. If I hadn’t looked up, I would have gone right into those doors. I’m glad sally is normally with me to these things or I would lose my head “ jack put his things away and knocked on the door, moving back so the doors could open for him. 

************

Serena was flying over the river when she caught a flash of movement below her. Looking down she saw a black something running across roof tops, heading towards the hospital a few blocks away. Serena frowned and said “oh no you don’t...that is my haven” she flew down and landed a few yards in the path of the black mass. She moved her wings to flank her and said “stop right there. What is your business here?” The mass stopped and seemed to be thinking of a reply. Then it suddenly changed into a huge bug like monster with many legs and claws and huge fangs and jumped at her. Serena ducked and barreled rolled out of the way, pulling her blade from her back and moving to a kneeling stance and ready to attack. The creature turned back and screamed at her, black oozy shots flying at her. She jumped up and managed to cut many of the shots away from her but one hit her right wing and that’s when a pain like she had never felt before hit her nerves. 

She cried out and moved out of the way of more ooze, moving behind a shed that was on top of the roof. The ooze was smoking on her wing and Serena gasped to breath. It was toxic, that much she knew for sure. She flinched andlooed around for the creature, then had to dive out of the way as the creature spotted her and dove right for her. She rolled away and lost her weapon a few feet away. She cursed and reached to grab it but the creature landed on top of her and she had to turn to use her arms to keep the creature from going for her neck. It’s legs were flying around, cutting into her sides and legs as she fought to keep its mouth away from her. 

Serena managed to move just enough to kick hard with both legs and send the thing flying away from her. She rolled over to her stomach and muttered “I’m in big trouble...” she waved her hand weakly and a shadow moved and changed into a large raven. She muttered weakly “Get....help...hurry...” the bird nodded and took off into the air, vanishing from sight just as the creature was getting back to its feet and Getting ready to attack once more.