A/N: Turns out I'm unable to write more than two pages and something for this chapter. Mostly due to the fact that it's some sort of transition more than something important and I don't want to add useless filler in it. Sadly, gone are the days in which I was able to prolong something for ten or fifteen pages. Or maybe it's good since those pages used to be filled with things that the fic could do even without.

Ahhh... the struggles of fighting the inner critic and perfectionism... a battle rarely won...

Anyway, I hope this little chapter can sate your thirst for more until the next one, which should be at least slightly longer since things should be happening.

No promises though, because I'm an unreliable author...

(also, the full title is "Turns out it isn't as bad as it looks. It might be worse..." but the site doesn't allow chapter titles that long...

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The deeper into the cavern they went, the less Jim felt sure his latest decision had been the right one. Still, there was that lingering feeling of something wrong in the air. Something that raised his hackles and rang every alarm bell that had been ingrained into him since his first day on the job. It made him feel irritated, frustrated, and downright agitated.

It was... disconcerting, though, because for the life of him, he had no idea of why he felt like a caged animal over two very human teens trying to approach him.

Maybe Krel was right. Maybe his injury was worse than it looked and he had lost enough blood that his senses had been compromised, mistaking something harmless for danger.

"I..." he licked at his lips when he realized they were too dry for comfort. "I think I need to sit down... for a little bit..."

"Yes, good idea." Krel was immediately at his side, helping him down against the wall that could only be barely seen thanks to Jim's enchanted armor. "You need rest. I will keep guard. Maybe they have given up."

Somehow, Jim doubted that. While the other party looked ill fitted to explore a cave, the boy had sounded determined enough to approach him that he wouldn't be surprised if they continued in their pursuit.

Maybe he thought he was a lost dog or something, not that he could tell when the guy spoke a language that he didn't understand...

Jim snorted lightly at the idea. There was no way that his growl would be mistaken for a dog's. He had made sure of it, keeping it low and guttural. And with those snakes slithering around... well, he really hoped the kids had taken a hint and left for safer places.

One good thing was that least now they knew they were on Earth for certain, and not some distant world no one knew of. With that in mind, it was just a matter of finding a way off the island and a working phone, and they'd be home in time... in time for something. Jim had no idea of what, but he was pretty sure his friends and family would find something. Even if just to celebrate their safe return.

"Jim? Jim!" Krel's voice drew him out of his wandering thoughts with difficulty. "Do not fall asleep. Falling asleep is bad!"

The Trollhunter looked up at his friend and tried to think past at how amusing it was that Krel could be seen so well in the darkness thanks to his bioluminescence. Was it even bio when the Akiridion had clearly stated he was made of energy rather than biological matter?

"I... I wasn't..." Truth to be told, however, it was increasingly becoming hard to think straight. Looks like his wound wasn't as 'it looks worse than it is' as he had first thought. "I was?"

"You were," Krel confirmed with a nod before he placed a hand against his shoulder to steady him. "You fought all night against many, many snakes with arms and became injured. It is only natural you are exhausted. But you must stay awake."

Jim was going to answer that, yes, he was capable enough to stay awake, but he stopped just as he was opening his mouth when the amulet lodged on his chest flashed twice in rapid succession in a warning the Trollhunter knew very well. "Oh..." he commented as the armor that had protected him until then exploded into a fine red mist of light, leaving the ancient artifact to fall to the ground with a loud clink and him covered in shredded clothes that were too small for his new body. "Oh..."

For a long moment Jim was torn between feeling relieved that he was finally free of the armor after so many months and being really worried because his 'will to fight', or whatever it was, was slipping.

Krel looked at him, then down at the amulet sitting innocently on the ground, then back up at him with an expression that spoke volumes at how screwed they were. "Our only weapon disappears in... in..." he helplessly waved a hand towards Jim to indicate the red mist that had surrounded him just a moment ago. "And all you can say is... 'oh'?"

The Trollhunter cringed, but then he gave a huge sigh and leaned against the rock behind his back. "What else can I say?" he muttered, all his efforts going towards staying lucid enough to have a conversation. "Despairing about it will not help. I just need to rest a little and then the amulet will work again."

He felt like closing his eyes and sleeping, maybe lay down and find a comfortable spot on the damp rock, but there was still a small part of him that kept telling him to do what Krel had said.

He was just so tired...

"Maybe..." Krel started in a whisper. "Maybe we should ask for help."

And with just the uttering of those words, Jim felt a rush of adrenaline that snapped him back into reality, ready to stand up and tackle anything that came his way. "No, no..!" he forced his body to sit up straighter, realizing only then that he had been slipping down. "I'm fine! I'm fine! No need to go ask those two kids for help!"

He was up onto his feet before Krel could protest, but the moment didn't last and soon he was swaying on the spot, one hand going to reach for the cavern's wall in search of a sturdy support while the other pressed against his forehead to ward off the sudden spell of dizziness.

"You are being very unreasonable," the Akiridion boy grunted out, two hands going to steady his friend while the other two went to rest against his hips. "They do not seem to pose any threat."

"To you, maybe." Jim was very adamant on keeping his distance from the two teens they had just encountered. It was like his better judgment had decided to abandon the smart section of the brain and go hand in hand with his confused instincts.

The Akiridion looked at him for a moment before rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Fine, we keep our guard up," he said as a mean of compromising with Jim' own wishes. "First signs of hostility and we run. That is alright, yes?"

Jim watched his friend and lightly chewed on his upper lip. Krel's idea wasn't bad. Actually, it was the best one they could have at the moment, but there was still that insistent feeling of not right that really, really made him want to just avoid them even if it meant getting into a worse situation than their current one.

"Uhhh... alright... alright..!" he ground out, mentally forcing himself to push past the unreasonable feelings warring in his head. "But... how do we approach them without scaring them? Last time I checked, not everyone is ready to start chatting with a troll and someone from another planet."

There was a long and awkward pause between them, then Krel crouched on the ground and pressed all his hands over his face. "Right... my Serrator is missing..."

Despite everything that was going on, from the out of control instincts to the armor being gone, Jim couldn't help the loud snort of amusement that came out of his mouth. "We'll... we'll figure out something... I guess..."

After all, the Trollhunter decided, it couldn't be any worse than the trip through the Darklands or any other instance where he and his friends were able to get out of a situation by sheer luck and external help rather than well planned actions.