Disclaimer: Don't own Trollhunters or any of its characters.

Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really appreciate them. A shoutout to Vici, Charlie, my bff memequeen and Inco for helping me with this chapter and the characerization. Also, big thanks to moonlight_wings and curry-llama for giving me some great ideas that helped form this chapter. I've drawn some pics of the oc changeling featured in this chapter on my tumblr tunafishprincess.

The rest of Fallen Too Far has been written, but I will spend the next week revising and lengthening it. Next chapter will definitely come out sometime next weekend however. Sorry for the long wait.

As said before, because of the length, I had to add another chapter to this part of the story. So there will be 6 parts in total for Bittersweet Sixteen. So stay tuned for next week's chapter!

I hope you enjoy this week's chapter!

Bittersweet Sixteen (V)

Toby yawned.

There were no words to describe how thoroughly put out he was. Well, there probably were words that described it, he just didn't know them yet. He wouldn't be surprised if it was one of those S.A.T. word he needed to learn, but he digressed.

Normally, Toby thought he was pretty darn quick at bouncing back from stuff. Even gym, his most hated subject, only required him a couple minutes rest before he was up on his feet and ready to face the world, or rather, the rest of Arcadia High. Plus, ever since his best friend returned it was a lot easier to get in the swing of things. Every day was an adventure with him.

Even today (despite the near death experience of riding a Toothless's ugly brother) had been one, though, he had to admit, this was probably one of the top five times in his life he'd worried about falling asleep while walking.

But hey, Toby thought, look on the bright side! He'd lost five, count them, five pounds since last week, bringing him up to a total of ten for the month. Running for his life was apparently paying off. He hadn't lost that much weight since getting mono in middle school!

He knew it wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it motivated him to do better. He had to be. Atlas needed him to be, especially after what happened tonight.

Holding down his friend as Blinky smeared some troll medicine on Atlas's arm had been nerve racking. Vendel's dry commentary didn't help matters either. Atlas passed out near the end of the treatment—a god-send, seriously, that guy's lungs were powerful—then was later placed on Blinky's bed. The troll in question tried to assuage Toby's fear of his friend's injury, explaining how the salve's fast-acting nature would help, but the words fell on deaf ears. The event left him feeling even more drained than the fight with the stalkling. Atlas's pained expression only reminded Toby of his current uselessness.

He wished he could have stayed longer, but he knew Nana would get worried if he didn't come home before midnight.

After leaving the market, he'd instructed AAARRRGGHH! to go home before him. He said it was out of concern for his Nana, but really, in all honesty, he just wanted some time to think.

The wind began to pick up; condensation filled the air. The rain had yet to fall, but he knew it was inevitable, just as how another fight was inevitable.

Every week, a new problem arose. Toby clenched his fists. Reviewing the past few weeks in his mind, he remembered making so many mistakes, so many errors he should have seen coming a mile away.

Events he could have avoided if he wasn't so freaking stupid. The dentist assistant's death continued to haunt him, even now. He nearly lost his friendship because of his overeagerness to help.

No, he reasoned, you're his best friend. He needs you. Toby knew he couldn't allow himself to wallow like this. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts, positive thoughts, he inwardly reminded.

Positive thought: they defeated the stalkling. Negative thought: Atlas would always be in danger. It was a tough pill to swallow, but it was the truth.

Toby knew he had to be better. He needed to be smarter.

He just had to be.

There were two choices: run or fight, and Toby knew the first would never be an option for him.

Mostly because you suck balls at running long distance, his head provided.

Also, he really wanted to move into using weapons instead of dodging Atlas and his knives (which, by the way, were very pointy and very sharp, attributes that, like in Pokémon, were super effective against him). Seriously, he was like one of those bug types or something that always got beaten by all the other types, since bug was weaker than something like ghost or dark. He was pretty sure he was the Metapod of their group. Huh, why did they even call it bug anyway? Are there actual non-Pokémon bugs in the Pokémon world?

He paused mid-step. Okay, that thought-tangent went way off topic. Probably shouldn't have done that Pokémon Blue speed run on his computer last night.

Toby regrouped, trying to return to the main subject at hand. Ultimately, weapons would be a must in the upcoming fights, since, all in all, being terrified was kinda sorta getting a little old for him.

The image of himself with thor's hammer or magical flaming fists came to mind. Ah yeah, that would be super badass.

He smiled, even as his eyes began to droop. Arms burned with exhaustion from his recent adventure. His body was on autopilot, slowly ambling his way down the street like his Nana after three shots of vodka on New Year's. Except, unlike Nana, he wasn't trying to kiss every available cat in the vicinity.

A bright beam flashed up ahead. He flinched back, squinting.

Who in the—

The car slowed, rolling up to his left side. He tried to look inside, but it was too dark for him to see. A moment after that thought the window began to shift down; a familiar redhead came into view. A very familiar redhead.

Atlas's mom.

Ah oh.

"Oh crap," Toby cursed before covering his mouth.

Dr. Lake pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. The car's headlights reflected off them, shielding her expression. Or maybe he was just too tired to see clearly. Something about the situation made him on edge. Her smile was too stiff to be actually happy. Hell, he hadn't seen her real smile since Jim disappeared.

"What are you doing out here so late, Toby?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Oh you know ah," he started as he looked around the neighborhood, hoping for an answer. Shit, what should he say? Think, think, think, Toby inwardly chanted. "Night…walking? No, jogging, night jogging! Trying to get in shape. Wanna be ready for some marathons."

That was a good excuse, right?

"Exercise is good for a healthy life but I would suggest doing it during the daytime. Crime has gotten worse recently," Dr. Lake lectured.

Toby chuckled dryly, "Tell me about it."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, sorry, I totally agree, which is why I'm heading back home right now," Toby assured. He threw her a half-hearted wave, returning to the sideway. "See you later, Dr. L."

Please, please, please don't follow.

Alas, predictably, his response didn't appear to work. Instead, Dr. Lake drove alongside him, cutting him off at the intersection to the next block.

Goosebumps crawled up his arms.

"I'll take you home, Toby, here," she said, unlocking the car door. "Hop on in."

"You really don't have to Dr. L. My home is only a few blocks away." Well, more like a ten, but hey, whose counting? Certainly not him.

"I wasn't asking," she said, features darkening. "I'm telling you." She reached over and flung open the front passenger door. "Get in the car, Toby Domzalski."

Toby swallowed. His heart hammered against his rib cage. He knew something was off about their meeting.

He had never seen Dr. L so terrifying. What if—

His face paled. What if she had been replaced by a changeling?

No way. It couldn't be possible, right? Changelings only had one human form, at least, from what he'd seen so far.

But that didn't mean it wasn't possible, his mind countered. Sweat beaded at his temple. Holy smokes, what if they were, like, body snatchers? But they needed a human in the Darklands in order to do something like that, right? Could they switch babies out like batteries? What about full grown adults?

Could his Nana be a changeling? What about his teachers? He wouldn't be surprised if Señor Uhl was one in all honesty.

That didn't make sense though. If adults could get into the Darklands then that stood to reason Gunmar could get out of the Darklands, unless the guy was like, a gazillion feet tall.

Wait, how tall was Gunmar? Did anyone really know? He'd have to ask next time he saw Blinky. Surely he would know.

Another thought began to develop. What if they were using magic to look like Atlas's mom? What if Gunmar was pretending to be Dr. Lake?

Hell, if trolls, gnomes, and goblins existed, why not transfiguration too?

"Toby," she voiced sternly. "Get. In. The. Car."

Toby snapped out of his reverie at the tone of her voice. Yep, definitely Dr. L.

He hoped.

"Yes ma'am," he yelped, nearly tripping along the way.

He shut the door, back ramrod straight. His hands drummed along his lap, his knees drawn together to hide his nervousness.

She revved the engine.

"So, crazy weather we've been having," Toby mentioned before immediately blurting out, "Quick question, when did I break my arm on the see-saw in Arcadia Oaks Park?"

She threw him a strange look. "You've never broken your arm on a see-saw."

"Whew," he said, shoulders relaxing. "Just checking."

That made things a lot easier then.

Until the next words that came out of her mouth.

"I know you've been seeing Jim," she stated. Her fingers tightened against the steering wheel.

His eyes widened. Not good.

"Oh…How much do you know?" He probed.

"I remember what happened, that night your art teacher came over," she paused, her brows forming a sharp V. "If she was ever an art teacher in the first place."

Toby smiled nervously. His hands traveled upwards to his sweater-vest, fisting the material. "Oh, Ms. Nomura! You guys were drinking pretty heavily on that tequila, ha, ha, ha…you're not laughing."

She reached into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled letter. It was the same paper as Toby's own. He recognized his best friend's handwriting immediately.

"Drop the act, Toby," she said. "Monsters and magical armor? What are you two involved in?"

Toby sighed. Damn it, Atlas. He thought the other had destroyed it. Not nearly enough, apparently.

"It's a long story," he answered.

"Good," she said frostily. "You and Jim can tell me all about it at my house."

"Dr. L, things aren't safe right now. At—Jimbo, he's trying to protect you," he tried to reason.

After a sharp right turn, Dr. Lake responded in a stern tone with, "I appreciate the thought, but I want to see my son."

"I don't think—"

Dr. Lake placed up a hand to silence him. Once they pulled up to the next stop sign, she began, "I don't need your excuses, Toby. Jim has been missing for six years, ten days and twelve hours. Believe me, I've counted. Every day I wake up wondering if today is the day I would find him or a police officer at my door delivering the news. I searched everywhere. Every news article, every lead I could find," she confessed, voice cracking. "Do you know how it feels? To have someone you love ripped away, only to get to see them again, but unable to approach them for fear they'll run away again?"

Toby stared down at his lap, nails biting into his palms. "Yeah, I do."

"Oh no, Toby, I—" Dr. Lake touched his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "I'm sorry."

Toby made an effort to sound reassuring. "It's okay."

"No, not it's not. I can't keep doing this…this thing we're doing." She said with a gloomy sigh.

"What thing?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

No, he didn't. He had been up since before the crack of dawn and now it was nearly midnight. At this point, his brain was mushier than Nana's Thanksgiving mashed potatoes and gravy.

His stomach growled.

Dang. That sounded really good right about now.

"Uh, I've kinda had a long night, Dr. L," Toby explained. He couldn't prevent another yawn from escaping his lips. "Could you spell it out for me?"

"Jim and you know I know," She said, gesturing to herself.

"Know what?"

"Ugh! Are you serious?" She threw up one hand, the other gripping the wheel. "Jim! I know he's alive and I know he's going to school in Arcadia and I know you two are involved in some crazy world with monsters and who knows what else. I've waited long enough. More than enough. This is getting ridiculous."

"It's for your own safety, Dr. L."

"My safety? What about your safety? You two hang around monsters. I saw you riding a giant…green…rock thing for gosh sakes! I know you both have some belief you're protecting me from something or someone, but I can protect myself."

"This isn't something you can protect yourself from, Dr. L. These guys are crazy strong. Even Jim can't fight them by himself."

"I think you underestimate how far I'm willing to go, Toby. I know that, whatever you two boys are involved in, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to see my son again," she assured.

"Dr. L, I…" His eyes caught the glint of something in the backseat. He turned his head, mouth dropping as he took in what he saw. "Uh, is that a shotgun in the backseat?"

She nodded. "Whatever monsters are out there, I can handle myself."

Toby pulled up the tarp covering the rest of her arsenal. "Holy shit you've got grenades back there, too? Where did you buy these things?"

"My father is ex-military. So's my brother. I spent half of my childhood growing up on a base. All I did was make a few calls to their old friends, " Dr. Lake said, as if it were a conversation about the weather and not the stash of illegal weapons in her middle-class sedan. A moment later, she added, "I wasn't expecting so much stuff though, but they were insistent that I have it."

"Is…is that a missile launcher?" Toby leaned over the center console to get a better look. Yep, if his knowledge of weaponry was accurate (and he was pretty sure it was, considering how many videogames he'd played), that was definitely some U.S. military grade artillery.

How high up in the ranks had her dad and brother been? Where missile launchers even legal to the general population?

And if so…

Could he possibly get one?

Now, Toby didn't cuss nearly as much as Atlas did (seriously, his best friend had a dirtier mouth than their boy's bathroom at Arcadia High). In fact, outside of his best friend, he tried to limit his curse words, especially when he was around his Nana.

This wasn't one of those times.

"What the fuck, Dr. L?" He yelled, much like any sane person in his position.

"Language," she chided.

"Sorry, but for real," Toby replied, motioning both hands at the backseat and it's contents. "This is insane."

"Toby, you're going to call Jim and get him to come over to my house. I don't care how you do it. Make up an emergency for all I care," she demanded in the universal voice all moms and grandmas had in their parenting repertoire. Dr. L side-eyed him; Toby squirmed in his seat. "Just do it."

"Yes ma'am," he squeaked.

Dr. Lake ordered, "Now."

Scrambling for his cell, he immediately smashed his thumb several times against the call button. It began to ring. The air in the car fell still. A minute or two later, it went to voice mail. Toby let out a silent exhale of relief. Blinky said he should be waking up soon, he recalled. How long it would take him to leave Trollmarket was another matter entirely. He knew if it were up to Blinky the teen would spend the entire night there. "He's kinda busy right now."

"I'm sure he can postpone it."

"You're not gonna take no for an answer, are you?" Toby asked.

She glared.

"Okay, okay. I'll leave him a message. Sheesh," he said. "Hey, it's Toby. There's an emergency. You gotta get to your mom's house ASAP, dude. There's a, ah, non-troll issue, okay? So don't bring Blinky or AAARRRGGHH!. Oh, and wear the armor please. It's super urgent. Get here as soon as you can." He hung up. "Happy?"

She exhaled, a small smile forming. "Relieved. I wasn't sure this was going to work."

"How did you know how to find me?"

"Small town. And also texted your grandmother what street you were walking on and she texted it to me."

"Wow," Toby said, shaking his head. He thought something was fishy when she asked for his exact location. "I can't believe Nana sold me out."

"She's worried about her grandson, just as I worry about Jim," Dr. Lake said.

Her eyes roamed the dashboard before settling on him. Seeing her now, underneath the harsh streetlights, he noticed how pale and tired she appeared.

Atlas and Dr. Lake meeting like this could spell trouble. He wasn't sure how his friend was going to react to this reunion. Would he even come?

No, if there was one thing Atlas never failed to do, it was coming to his rescue. Still, Toby hoped his friend wouldn't blame him for this.

" Word of warning, Dr. L. Jim's not the same Jim you remember," Toby cautioned.

"I know."

"Something happened to his memory. He doesn't like to talk about it. So don't ask him about things from before or make any comparisons with old Jim and new Jim. He hates that."

"I'll keep that in mind." She asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

A lot. An entire boatload of information, but that wasn't his right to say. He already revealed more than enough.

"I'll let him fill you in on the rest," Toby remarked tiredly.

He checked his phone, waiting for a response.

This was gonna be a long night.

They thought they were protected.

Idiots, the lot of them. As if their little caverns of stone and magic would guard them from the wolf at the door.

They believed themselves better, superior than their poisoned cousins. In reality, they were simply plump ignorant dogs eating from the scraps of humanity's dinner table, looking down on them like some ill-begotten mewling son of a bitch.

And now, even half-bloods were welcome. Some mongrel was better than them.

How disgusting.

Decades of work in Trollmarket brought her to this point. Her brothers-in-secrecy were not so lucky. Only she had survived after their admittedly disastrous mission into the biggest city in Trollkind. Entering through the secret Kubera caverns, walking hundreds of miles to the closest gyosphere to Trollmarket, working their way into the eyes and ears of the city—all her plan by the way—took years of planning. And all it took was one bumbling idiot in the group to reveal themselves.

But she wasn't bitter. No, she would never let her emotions get the best of her. Not like trolls and humans did. She was calculative. Precise. Everything she did she did for the cause.

Few knew about her mission; most of them were already dead or missing. It was inevitable. Their names were now but distant memories.

So she dedicated herself to the work. She gathered information, sending whatever scrape of interest she could find through little bottles she dropped into the underground streams to the surface.

In the meantime, she worked her way up from cat herding to owning a small stand in the outermost edge of the commercial district, no small feat considering her competition. Her home had been pleasant and cozy before she left tonight. It was modest in comparison to other trolls' homes, but it suited its purpose. It held a tiny library of things she'd collected over the past decades. Additionally, it was where she spent her resting hours, with a book in one hand and a mug of gulg in the other.

She read—no—absorbed everything she could about the world around her. It was her specialty after all. The breadth of Troll History had been one of the positives of her assignment. Though a spy by trade, she'd previously been a historian at a small college.

She missed those days. Still, she had made the best of her situation. Relationships with the other trolls were kept at a distance. She'd been courted once or twice, but she rejected them, knowing nothing would have come out of it. She was a changeling first and foremost. Her dedication to her race's success meant she had to be constantly vigilant.

That didn't mean she was alone throughout her time in Trollmarket. She had been a terrible cat herder, largely because of her fascination with the furry beasts. More than one had lived with her in her tiny apartment. Ugly little creatures, but humorous. They kept her company on the worst days. The days when she wondered if she would finally be found out. The days she remembered all her regrets over the centuries.

Many came and went, while others spent their entire lives with her. Each had a unique personality, with different likes and dislikes. Much like changelings, in a way. The heartache of losing each of them never faded however. Her last one died in her arms just last year. She would have gotten another, she supposed, if current events hadn't been what they were.

It was better that way. She never could have left any of them alone in Trollmarket once she left.

A cool breeze brushed her face. She shivered. Unfortunately, she had not thought to bring a jacket. It wouldn't matter though. Soon, she would be inside, addressing the highest ranking members of her newfound information.

She checked her map. It was old, but the landmarks were familiar. It was times like these she wished she'd learned to use those "smart phones" she'd heard so much about.

Any communication with the Order was sparse. Not to mention dangerous. It had taken all of her favors and several bribes to get a meeting with one of the higher ranked members. Her contact had been adamant she come alone.

Her gaze traveled down the street. She took a deep breath of fresh air. How long had it been since she'd seen the sky? Too long. Trolls weren't meant to spend their entire lives underground.

Getting out of Trollmarket had been a cinch. She took the tunnels, a treacherous journey if one didn't know the way. They moved and shifted constantly, the magic of the Heartstone waxing and waning like the moon. She lay in wait for several hours until a band of scavengers opened up a door. She followed quietly behind them, disappearing the moment they touched the other side.

Seeing the changes of the world above was alarming, but she pressed forward. The destination was a little out of ways, a concrete lot in front of an abandoned strip of storefronts.

She adjusted her skirt. It had been so long since she had been in this form. Human flesh felt so strange now. Her senses were significantly muted, as was her strength and speed. It was a vulnerability she detested. She was shorter than normal as well, and she didn't have much height to lose in the first place.

Tires rolled across asphalt. She stepped out from behind the streetlamp. A car (she thought, though it's appearance was quite different than what she remembered.) drove into the lot, circling around before settling several feet away from her.

A purple clad woman stepped out. Her heart raced. Her eyes took in the taller changeling's human form, black hair short and lustrous just as she remembered.

"Ms. Nomura," she said breathlessly.

Changelings did not have feelings. The Janus Order forbid any kind of fraternization that interfered with The Plan.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but admire the changeling before her. Nomura was legendary amongst them. A fearsome female that fought her way through the ranks. Nomura was everything she wanted to be and more.

Perhaps the admiration rose from their shared heritage. Nomura was a rare gem, colorful and tall. In comparison, she was a dull reddish brown, her figure deformed by the transformation she had undergone as a young whelp. Sometimes, she wondered how she would have looked naturally, but she immediately perished the thought.

Dwelling on the past only caused heartache. She was better than that.

"This better be worth it," Ms. Nomura huffed.

"Yes, yes, of course," she stuttered. Wow, she was talking to Nomura. The Nomura.

She glanced down at her nails, leaning against the side of the car. "Out with it then."

"Oh, yes," She began, trying to control her nerves. She was speaking to Nomura. The Nomura. "Well, I first began devising a plan to infiltrate Trollmarket one hundred and two years ago—"

"I don't care about that. Give me the information you promised," she ordered.

The shorter changeling's shoulders lowered in response. Collecting her thoughts, she asked in a soft voice, "You don't want to hear my report?"

"You said you had important information. World-changing information," she said, air-quoting for empahsis.

She had spent decades underneath the earth. She had discovered so much about their kind. The information she had send them was but a drop in the sea of knowledge she'd learned. Her recent news would be lifechanging. It was something she refused to put on paper. It was too precious, too valuable to be written down.

"I just thought—"

"My time is very precious to me," Ms. Nomura interrupted, edging closer to her. "Gunmar's return approaches. The Eye Stone will soon be delivered to Arcadia."

"So soon?" She said with astonishment.

How had she not learned of this?

Ms. Nomura nodded, arms crossed. "Yes."

She waited, but no explanation was given. The sides of her lips dropped ever so slightly. How foolish. Despite all the work she had done she was still a low-ranking member. Of course they wouldn't reveal such information to her.

The sting was no less painful however.

"If you're not going to tell me, then this meeting is meaningless," Ms. Nomura remarked, reaching for the car door.

"No, wait!" She exclaimed, placing herself between the changeling and the car. "It's the hybrid. Alfred or whatever he calls himself."

"What about him?"

She had hoped to use that as her trump card with their commander, the kind of secret that could send the Janus Order into a frenzy, but she needed Ms. Nomura's attention.

"He's the Trollhunter," she stressed. "He revealed himself after defeating the former Trollhunter's son."

Ms. Nomura's demeanor changed. Her eyes flashed yellow. "You're certain? Describe what you saw."

"The Trollhunter fought Draal the Deadly in combat and defeated him. After the battle, he changed. He revealed himself as a member of the Janus Order."

"And he survived?"

"Trollhunter's leader claimed the whelp as his grandson. Otherwise, I have no doubt he would be dead," she recounted, recalling the event in her head. Trollmarket was still split on the hybrid and his place as Trollhunter.

"That is a shocking turn of events," Ms. Nomura remarked, rubbing her chin. "What does he look like?"

"Dark hair, bright blue eyes," she described. "He has horns, skin, claws, and tusks like us, but the rest of him looks more human. Too human, if you ask me," she said in a dark tone. "He's a traitor. He's fooling all of you. You need to eliminate him now, before Gunmar returns."

"This is a grave accusation. What proof do you have?"

"Only my word," she admitted. "But I promise on my life and the Pale Lady that all of what I said is true."

"That doesn't amount to much." She tutted, one hand rested on her hip. "Ah well. I've worked with worse."

"Lord Stricklander will want to know. He's a danger to all of us," she urged.

"Lord Stricklander is a very busy busy man. He would never meet with some low-level member on the drop of a hat," she remarked, patting the other changeling on her shoulder. "But not to worry. I will tell him of your concerns."

As much as she admired Ms. Nomura, her pride won out. This was her mission. She was the one who'd discovered this piece of information. Decades of work and finally she had something she could use to elevate herself significantly. She had been walked over by more than one changeling over the centuries trying to get a leg up in their society.

Never again.

"I think it's better if I do so. It is, after all, part of my report," she said, pulling away from the other.

"What makes you think he'll listen to you?"

She flipped a stray lock of hair, giving the other a knowing look before turning away. "I have my ways."

Before she could even take a step, Ms. Nomura grabbed her arm, her grip iron-clad.

"Fräulein," she remarked in a sickeningly sweet tone. "This is not up for discussion."

Her eyes narrowed. She felt as if her stomach had suddenly filled with lead, weighing her down in the spot. She wanted to run, to kick, to scream, because everything about the situation smelled wrong.

The muscles underneath Ms. Nomura's face twitched in such an unnatural way that she flinched back instinctively. The realization hit her like a bucket of ice water.

"You're not Ms. Nomura," she accused.

The changeling in front of her gave her a calculating look. "Oh?"

"Ms. Nomura is a high ranking member of the Order," she said, eyes widening as she realized what sort of situation she'd placed herself in. "She's…she's a high ranking member. She never would have agreed to meet with me. I can't believe…Who are you really?"

"Tut, tut, tut," the fake said. "And here I was going to let you live."

Before she could defend herself a sharp hot pain enveloped her right side. She doubled over, holding the wound.

"Stop," she wheezed. "Please."

The imposter twisted the knife deeper. She cried out. Her hands scrambled to apply pressure to the wound, only to find an even worse fate awaited her. Creeper Sun. She could feel her body turning to stone as her blood left her body. It was cold. So cold.

No, no, no. This could not be happening. Hadn't she devoted herself to the cause? Why did this have to happen to her?

Why, why, why?

The false Nomura drew close to her ear, whispering, "You should know better, Fräulein. Trusting a changeling is deadly."

She watched as the fake in front of her shifted, soft Asian features replaced with a pudgy round European face. The dress transformed into a dark suit, feminine curves smoothed down into a boxy masculine body type. He was chubby, unassuming in nature, but she knew better now.

Never before had she hated someone so deeply. Even as her vision began to blur she kept glaring at the polymorph.

In her last thoughts, she hoped there was an afterlife for their kind. Because she knew she would wait, centuries, if not millennia, to see her murderer again, with a smile and her own dagger in hand.

Once she was well and truly solidified, the man pushed the statute over. She clattered to the ground, breaking into millions of pieces.

There was some guilt in the act. Losing a changeling was always a somber affair. He hadn't wanted to kill her, but she already knew too much. Pity. There were only a finite amount of them in the world. He couldn't remember the last time one had been created. Certainly not in the last few hundred years or so.

But it was necessary, just as it was necessary to investigate this matter with the hybrid.

Were they the ramblings of a no-name changeling or something of value? He suspected the later, but without proper evidence he knew Stricklander would ship him back to the old world for even suggesting such an accusation.

"Poor junger Atlas. A child in a game of adults." He pulled out a cigarette, placing it in his mouth as his hands dug into his pockets. He never enjoyed the taste of them, but the nicotine helped him focus on the plans ahead.

Convincing Stricklander would be impossible as of now. The man was compromised. Though he would never admit it, he viewed the hybrid boy as a child, if not a son.

Which meant he had to take a different route. Someone who would consider his words. Someone who could help sow the seeds of betrayal into their commander's mind.

"Oh, you handsome fool, you already know who. Don't kid yourself," he said aloud. He took the lighter out of his coat, lighting it with sharp flick. He held the cigarette between thumb and forefinger to light it then immediately inhaled the fumes, relishing the burn.

He slowly exhaled. "Erst denken, dann handeln, Otto," he told himself.

Acting brashly would only get him killed. He needed to think, to plan, to strategize his next plan of attack.

He couldn't help but admire the poetry of it all however. If what the other changeling said was true, that meant the commander's pet was the Trollhunter. One of the Janus Order's very own was a double-agent.

His lips edged upwards, a devilish gleam in his eye.

How Shakespearian.