Secrets
Chapter 39 Part 2
Unbecoming
Throughout his days of being a normal boy, Jim begins to enjoy his life without trying to get himself killed, and hanging out with his friends. Jim aces his Spanish presentation without having to hid his shrunken body like before. Enjoyed his sisteenth birthday with his mother, even tested drived a vespa without a stalkling chasing him, and eats a slice of cake Talia had prepared with her and her aunt. Of his days cooking, spending time with his friends, not having to worry about danger. He then began to notice that there was something missing or something not right. He passes by Claire with Talia one day at the Square, but when he tries to greet her, she takes notices, and walks away without giving him a chance to talk to her. And continues on giving him the silent treament. At the play, Claire ends up kissing Steve, who auditioned for Romeo, much to his dismay.
. . .
He sits on the deck of his back porch thinking, remembering all of the lessons he'd learned from Draal teaching him the techniques and proper way of wielding the Sword of Daylight. He grew more sad realizing right now he doesn't have his surrogate brother in this different time line.
. . .
He was sitting at his desk in his bedroom, thinking about all of his adventures he had with his friends, while Talia had been fighting for her life in the Darklands, and meeting Marshall Cadden, who had possessed a mysterious connection to his surrogate sister. He picked up and looked at his picture frame of his friends again. . .imagining Claire and Marshall all five of them together, and sighed with deep depression.
. . .
Later at night, Jim walks across the bridge with his bike, remembering the day Marshall had come to him delivering a message from Tally.
"Look, I know that this is gonna sound crazy, but. . .do you by any chance know of a girl named. . .Talia Sturges?" a memory of Marshall's voice rang in his head.
"What? How do you know her?" Jim asked.
"I don't. She spoke to me in a dream and asked me to talk to you," Marshall said.
"In a dream?" Toby being skeptic. "Wouldn't you mean like. . .a phone?"
"No," Marshall said. "I'm pretty sure it was from a dream. She asked me to tell you all that she's alive and is trying to find a way to save a baby from some creepy dark dimension."
"Enrique! She's trying to find him!" Claire asked.
"Although, if I'm being real honest here, I don't know why all of this is important," Marshall said without a clue.
"Well. . .okay. If you're telling the truth, I'll explain. There's a whole other world right beneath our feet, "Jim explains. "Trolls living underground in a place called, Heartstone Trollmarket. There are good trolls and bad trolls, and. . .I'm the Trollhunter, a champion chosten to protect them." Jim takes out showing him his amulet. "This amulet gives me mythical powers. And Talia's a Silver Lion. She sacrificed herself to stop a ruthless troll named Gunmar from wreaking havoc on the world by letting herself fall through the Killahead- -"
Jim's brain suddenly snaps and realizes, and gasps in alarmed, "Oh, no! Killahead Bridge!" He jumps onto his bike and pedals in high speed for a race against time.
. . .
Jim reaches to the square and hides behind the statue, and spots Strickler's car parked, and watches him get out of and walks into the museum. Jim quietly follows him into the building without letting him notice. He stops and notices a real broadsword inside his car, covered in a sheath. Jim takes it out and pulls it out a little see the shiny metal reflecting his face confirming it was the real deal. He straps the sheath over his torso and and continues his pursuit following Strickler.
. . .
Jim sneaks his way inside the museum undetected, leans up against the wall, and peaks through the curtain finding Strickler in his troll form talking with Nomura.
"You're sure he hasn't told anyone," Strickler asked.
"Trust me, I know him. He's stubborn. He works alone," Nomura assured him.
"Good." Strickler appreciating the resource. "The all we do is lay the bait an Gunmar will be free."
Jim quietly gasp realizing that the new Trollhunter is Draal the Deadly. Now that he's in a different timeline. Draal's still the overconfident, arrogant, brute today back before when they first met.
"And reports of the last remaining lion?" he asked.
"The girls at home." Nomura said. "She doesn't know what's coming."
"Tally!" Jim gasps knowing of his friend in danger.
. . .
Jim rides back to his neighborhood fast on his bike and pedaled up to the Sturges residence. He jumped off his bike letting fall down on the side as he runs up towards the door pounding the wooden door in desperation. "Ms. Sturges! Tally! Open up! Now! Please!" he shouted.
June quickly opens the door to Jim's cry, surprised to see him here and in this panicked state. "Jim?! What in the- - What's wrong? Why are all sweaty and scared? And- -Why do have a sword?!"
"There's no time to explain," Jim responded, He looks outside to make sure no one was around. "I screwed up! I screwed up big time!"
"Jim calm down!" June trying to ease his tension. "What are you- - Hey!" Jim barges into the house rushes up towards the rug, picking it up and tossing it aside revealing a trap door. Jim opens it up and pulls out a book that was hidden underneath and showed it to her. "Look I know that you're a witch! Your brother, Adam. Isn't really your brother,you two grew up together in an orphanage, and I also know that he inherited an ancient powerful spirit, and not just any kind of spirit, a Silver Lion. Which Talia is right now. I also know that accident on her fifth birthday wasn't really an accident. Adam and Beatrice were killed by a troll named, Bular, and Talia was rescued by Kanjigar the Trollhunter."
June had her jaw dropped completely speechless hearing this from a boy that she'd been keeping her whole life secret for thirty-years, "Wha. . .How did you," She shakes herself to get her head straight," Wait . . .you said that you called yourself the Trollhunter. That's impossible. The amulet of Merlin would never choose a young. . .but you. . .how can that be?"
Jim could tell by reading June's face that she knew what he was talking about, "You believe me. . .don't you?" Then a shrilling scream came from upstairs in Talia's room. "Tally!"
One minute Talia was in her room drawing and the next before she knew a terrifying monster grabbed her and tossed her outside pinning her against the ground. "What are you?!" Talia screamed.
"I'm what kills you," the female purple creature said about to finish her off. Before she could bring down her scimitar, Jim comes in shouting pushing her off and away from Talia. The changeling breaks off from the boy from his grip hold, brings out her scimitars and faced him.
"Leave. . .her. . .alone, Nomura," Jim threatened with his sword in hand.
"I don't believe we've met, boy." she clarified.
"No. . .but I know everything about yout," he said.
"That right?" she sinisterly scoffed.
Jim comes in charging with a battle cry with his weapon. Talia watch the two engage in combat and could not believe her eyes. Her childhood friend that she'd grown up with for ten years, fighting evenly against a monster like a natural born fighter. June rushes outside aiding her niece while Jim continues to cross blades with Nomura.
"Talia, are you okay?" she asks her niece. But Talia did not respond, her eyes were locked onto the scene with Jim and Nomura fighting.
Strickler was hiding in the shadows in Talia's backyard witnessing the fight as well. Watching Jim battling one of his associates like a pro.
"Nomura, listen to me!" Jim said, before he gets shoved away and dodges her blade in time. "I know you're planning to release Gunmar!" They then bring their blades against each other, "But kidnapping my friend won't stop him from destroying you!"
Strickler's sharp sense of hearing came full alert as his eyes widen when he heard him said that.
"You guys think helping Gunmar will help give you the respect you guys deserve. But you're wrong," Jim shoves Nomura away and holds his sword out. "You'll always be impures to him. You can have a choice of wether of ending your life or help save yourselves by helping us."
"He won't let me! And besides you're too late, my little Draal's taking the bait," Nomura confirmed.
"Draal?!" Jim's eyes widen.
The female changeling was about to strike, Jim cringed bringing up his sword, until a purple fireball came out of nowhere knocking Nomura out cold. Jim turns towards June knowing that it was her spell ;with her hand palm up glowing purple, that saved him and seeing Talia with a faceless expression surprised by what she'd just saw. Jim kneeled down and gasping for air exhausted and relieved that he'd made it to save his friend in time.
"Y-y-yo-you just. . ." Talia stammered dumbfounded walking up to her friend. "How the. . .where di you learn how to fight like that?!"
"Like I said. . ."Jim panting. "Trained by trolls. I'm the Trollhunter. . .and you're a Silver Lion."
"You mean to tell me that. . .all of that stuff you said was true?!" she shouted speechless.
"Uh. . .yeah," Jim responded.
"A human Trollhunter?" Jim, Talia, and June turn towards the changeling in his human disguise stepping out from the shadows. "This would change everything," He said to himself. "But why on eart would a. . ."
"You believe me, too?" Jim asked, not surprised to find him here.
Suddenly the lights from the house started to flicker grabbing everyone's attention.
"Jim. . .what's going on?" Talia starting to sound afraid.
"Listen, I was the Trollhunter in a different timeline. I lived this, but I messed up everything, and failed you, Tally." Talia stares at him while June and Strickler listened. "I was given a second chance and have been tossed into the past, and only this time I wasn't chosen by the amulet, and Gunmar's going to be free."
Then a massive explosion was heard and shook the earth startling everybody. They ran into the house and back outside onto the street and saw the fire and smoke rising into the air.
"I fear it's too late," Strickler said. "The invasion has begun."
But Jim on the other hand did not want to believe it and thought one thing left to do to fix all of this, "We need to get to the museum."
. . .
Strickler got his car with everyone inside driving straight into the town with sirens and chaos everywhere.
"Why do yo want to go to the museum?" Strickler asked Jim. "There's nothing there, but death."
"That's where the amulet is," Jim specified. "If it started like this, it can undo this."
"But Jim, you're not the Trollhunter in this reality," June Clarified.
Talia's phone ringed from her sweat-shirt pocket, reached it out, saw Toby's caller i.d. and answered, "Toby?!"
"Tally, it's true! Everything Jimbo said was true! What the heck is going on?!" Toby panicked speaking through the phone.
"Die!" another voice was heard through the phone.
"Just get somewhere safe," Talia said. "We'll find you as soon as we can!"
The menacing woman's voice was heard once again, "Come here!" The last thing she heard from Toby was his shrilling scream and the physco changeling. "Now for the main course!" Then the phone gives off a cut-out line.
"Toby? TOBES!" Talia shouted into her phone.
"I repeat, this is not a prank," the guy radio through live broadcast was heard. "There have been strange animal attacks all over town." Then the four saw goblins driving a cop's car as they were driving. "People are advised to stay indoor- -Oh, no. Donny! Shut the- -They're coming!" Just like that the radio cuts off.
"It's worse than I thought,"June points out towards the window and shouts, "Step on it now!"
Strickler speeds up and swerves down the street. He weaves down a street compacted by crashed cars and debris from shattered buildings. June, Talia, and Jim stare at the devastation in disbelief.
"So, if you are from another future, what happens to me?" Strickler asked Jim.
"I'm pretty sure that's not important right now," Talia wanting to change the subject.
Jim pulls out his phone and dial's his mother's number, "Mom!"
"Jim! Where are you?!" Barbara panicked over the phone.
"Mom, I'm okay! I'm with Ms. Sturges and Talia!" he said.
"I don't know what's going on," she said scared. "I'm coming to you. Tell me where you. . ."
"Mom, you need to get somewhere safe," Jim said. "Lock the wards." Strickler swerves around a Gumm-Gumm and continues down the street.
"Listen. . .I need you to be safe. Honey. . .I love you," his mother said.
"I love you, too," Jim said. Then suddenly he hears a big explosion before the line cuts. "Mom? Mom!"
"They've hit the cell towers," Strickler said still on the wheel. "We're almost there."
"How do we stop these guys?!" Talia said.
"You can." Jim said to her.
"What?!" she looked at him as if he was crazy.
"You have a lion spirit! And you're one of the best fighters I know! You can take them!"
"Yeah, from YOUR reality! But here I'm just Talia Sturges!" she pointed it out.
They've arrived at the museum, and see numerous of Gumm-Gumm's marching out of the building. Then a familiar face jumps a big, black, troll, whose eyes glowed like fire wielding twin-blade swords infront of the car, making Strickler hit the brakes as the rubber on the tires burn to a halt.
"Impure," The towering Gumm-Gumm seethed glaring down at their history teacher.
"Oh, my gosh!" she screamed.
"Get outta here! Get outta here!" Jim urgently repeated. Strickler moved the stick down to reverse and steps on the gas pedal. "You'd better be right Trollhunter. There's no- -" But before he could finish the car was bashed by a powerful brute force and was flipped upside down on the concrete road. They unbuckled themselves and crawled out of the overturned vehicle.
"What hit us?" Tallia said.
"Not what. Who." Jim said, as they peer over the car as the bigger than the other troll whom they've just recently saw approach Strickler and June. "Gunmar."
"After all you've done, Stricklander, you would flee in out hour of triumph?" Gunmar questioned.
"Gunmar, your Dark Excellence," he cowardly said, while June glares at the vile demon. "You are out. I so wanted to be there, but. . .uh, I had papers to grade. Then Bular approaches him growling bringing out his swords. "Bular. . .so, that's how it is."
June's hands glowed purple and unleashes a wave of magic knocking the Gumm-Gumm's down.
"Go! Now!" June said to the children, as Strickler turns into his troll self. "We'll distract them!"
"Aunt June! NO!" Talia reaches out for her aunt, before Jim takes her away drawing out his sword. "Come on!"
. . .
Jim and Talia hid behind a bush and spotted Steve up on the square's statue swinging his bat at the Gumm-Gumm's in defense, "Palchuk! Palchuk! Palchuk! Come at me, mouth-breathers! Palchuk never dies!" Then a Stalkling swoops in and snatches him into the air as he screams in terror. "Oh, yeah? you want a piece of this, too?"
"Who knew Steve had a brave side?" Talia raised an eyebrow curious.
"This way!" Jim made his move toward the museum as Talia follows.
The duo rushed inside, as they entered they find Killahead Bridge with the portal active and. . .Draal turned to stone.
"Draal," Jim gasped as his eyes widen in despair. Talia looks at him surprised and yet still confused of on how he knows this creature. Jim comes up and touches his stone face, "I'm sorry. You really were worthy." He gasps and notice the amulet was not on his chest. "The amulet!" He turns and found the missing artifact but broken and shattered into pieces. "No! No, no, no!" Jim desperately grabs the pieces, praying, and hopeing for it to work.
"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command. For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command. For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command! COME ON! For the glory of Merlin! Please! FOR THE GLORY OF MERLIN, DAYLIGHT IS MINE TO COMMAND!" his voice echoes through the museum as the building rumbles. . . Please." He stares down at the broken amulet as he begins to sob, "Please. Please. . .PLEASE! UNKAR! ANYONE?! I can't do this on my own." He continues to sobs as he drops the shattered pieces and hunches over hugging himself. "Please. . ."
Talia look down upon the heartbroken boy as if he'd lost all hope and all of their efforts of coming and putting to a stop to all of this madness and chaos had all been for nothing. Even though she still was not sure why all of this was happening or how this could be. . .No. She shook her head and refused to believe so. Talia slowly walks up and kneels down before him, and puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort his pain. "Tally. . .I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry. I screwed up. . .this is all my fault." Jim continues to sob as she still looks upon him in pity. But from after witnessing all of this she had one more question to ask him, "What happened to us before?"
Jim inhales through his nostrils as he sits up with his eyes still leaking with tears, "You. . .you sacrificed yourself and. . .and fell. And prevented all of this from happening. You were trapped into the Darklands, I tried to rescue you. . ." He sniffles and wipes his nose, " and I did, but. . ."
"Gunmar still got out, didn't he?" Talia finished. Jim nods and continues to cry again and lowers his head in despair.
"I hated remembering that day. The thought of losing you. I thought that if. . .that I never found the amulet. We wouldn't be in this mess. . .and look now. I ruined everything," he sniffs.
"Jim," Talia grabbing his attention. "There was nothing you could've done. There was nothing any of us could've done." Jim raised his head looking straight into her eyes. "I don't know what our other life was before, but one thing I can tell is that you had, what you told me, is what no other Trollhunter had before: a team. We learn from our mistakes and develop ourselves from them. Becoming more of we we are. Life throws us the toughest choices in our path, and it's what we choose in moments like this that makes our lives and everyone else's better or worse." She puts another hand on his other shoulder, "But you don't have to face problems alone. We're friends, Jim. We're like a clan, a family. And family helps each other thick and thin, whether we want it or not. And family never betrays each other. You're the one true, Trollhunter."
Jim looks at her thoroughly processing of what she'd just told him. He looks down upon the palms of his hands and clenches them tightly, "Not Trollhunter. . ." He wipes his face and raises himself up standing tall along with Tally, and faces Draal's stone body.
"Trollhunters. I know I am the Trollhunter. And I also know that we're Trollhunters," he narrows his eyebrows as he walks over, climbs up upon the deceased Draal and pulls the sword from his back. "Amulet or not."
Jim swings the sword over his shoulder carrying the heavy weapon as he approaches to the entrance door. Talia was about to follow him until a small blue sphere of light catches her by surprise.
"If you walk out that door, you will die," Unkar said.
"What choice do I have?" Jim said.
"Oh, there's always a choice. Run away! Save your skin!" Unkar suggested.
Talia did not like the way it was speaking to Jim and puffed irritated by it compulsiveness, "I don't know who or what you are. But let me tell you something you teeny-tiny-sprite. Jim's not a coward! Jim's the strongest, bravest, selfless person I know. And there's no way he puts himself before others." Jim smiles grateful for her support.
" I still don't know why you can see and hear me, lion. But you don't know what really happened to you before. And here you're just a girl," Unkar stated.
"Oh, I understand, but it doesn't matter. Because I'm still gonna fight," she finished walking to Jim's side.
"She's right," Jim agreed, as he point's towards the exit. "Out there, they need a Trollhunter and a Trollhunter fights until the end." He turns back towards the exit. Then the ghost of Unkar transforms into a big sphere of green light and another voice speaks, "Ah. . .now you're getting it." Sounding like it belong to an old man, "My amulet does not make mistakes.
Jim turns around shielding his eyes from the blinding green light, "Your amulet?" He gasps before he realizes, "Merlin?"
"You know, it is customary to kneel before a wizard," Merlin said. Jim lowers himself and kneels before the great magical being. Talia glances between the two now totally confused of whats happening right now. "Ah, well hello there, young lioness. Even if this were for real, I'm glad to see you helping my champion in this reality."
"I-I-uh. . .I um. . .It's" Talia stuttered before she quickly kneels before him as well. "It's an honor to meet you."
"Wait? This isn't. . .You mean. . ." He glances down and realizes. "You did this."
"Gunmar is free, Trollmarket is in peril, and all of creatures in our world, I choose you." Merlin stated. Jim's eyes widen before he and Talia stand together. "Now, show them why."
Jim turns towards the exit with the sword on his shoulder. A bright silver light emits as Jim flinches from the brightness, he see Talia standing beside him in her feral form, smiling.
"We're finishing this fight together, Jimbo!" Talia said full of confidence. Jim smiles and nods before they glance towards Gunmar snarling at them, before they came charging in with a battle cry.
. . .
Then suddenly. . .Jim was found back in the dungeon rushing out of the cage. As if he'd awoken from a dream. Jim gasps and glances around noticing the broad sword was gone including Talia. He looks down and checks himself, noticing he was still alive and sees his amulet still intact. He slowly looks up. . .and finds Toby, Claire, Marshall, Blinky, Arrrgh, Vendel, and Queen Usurna.
"Master Jim! Is everything alright?" Blinky concerned.
Jim pants as he picks up the amulet, a little shaken from whatever he'd experience, but glad to see everything back to the way it was.
"Are you okay?" Claire asked worried. "Did they rought you up?"
"No, Claire, I'm- -I'm okay," He hugs her and Toby.
"Boy. . .and I thought I had trouble sleeping," Marshall raised an eyebrow with his hands on his hips.
"We've come to escort you to the Tribunal," Blinky said.
"They say if you're found guilty, you could die. Is that true?" Toby asked.
"He would either walk free if he surrenders the amulet. . .or resume his duty by telling us the whereabouts of the Silver Lion." Marshall stares at her in disbelief. "What is your choice, Trollhunter?" she asked.
"Uh. . .the one where both of my friends don't die?" Toby nervously chuckled.
"No. . ." Jim summons his amor in determination. "I'm keeping my amulet. . .and I'm not betraying my sister either. And I don't care what history you guys had with her ancestors, Usurna."
"Are you serious? That's what you want?" Toby flabbergausted.
"Yeah, Tobes," he said. "Never been more sure." He holds out a fist as they fistbump. "I'll face whatever comes my way."
"We're with you all the way Jim," Marshall assured him. "No matter what."
Team Trollhunters watch as the Krubera guars escort Jim out of the stronghold, amazed yet concerned about his choice facing the Tribunal. Yet they wonder what exactly he'd been doing the whole night.
