Author's Note:
So, allergies are upon us and spread like a wildfire. I also, with tons of embarrassment, had forgotten all my passwords to every website. Even Google. So, lets just say, doing this chapter was more adventurous, frustrating, and overall given up on many, many times.
Oopsie. Life is stressful.
OH YEAH! If you guys wonder why the students are so supportive of the Trollhunters as they comment on this show, the reason is because of how they act when Jim arrives!
They may not know him so well but since they all supported Jim when he was "sick", we figured, what better way to honor the humanity and kindness that possesses the teens.
THIS EPISODE ISN'T AS EASY TO REACT TO AS WE THOUGHT!
ALSO, A BIG THANKS TO JoseAngelEscalante5 ON WATTPAD! Thank you for sharing your idea of adding beds for the kids to get some rest! It was a perfect way to end this episode due to the small reactions.
We are always open to ideas and we thank you guys for pointing things out, sharing your ideas, and following us writers on this journey!
Anyways, you know the drill. Sorry for the long wait and please
Enjoy!
Hiss Hiss, Bang Bang
Jim chewed at his lip as he had been waiting to see the aftermath of being captivated in the Darklands for so long. He wanted to see how he and his friends handled his freedom and what the future held for him, especially since Gunmar would run free.
Even though Gunmar was out and now Jim was blaming himself for the major mistake he made, he grew even more curious on how he and his team would find out and how it would go. He remembered the host mentioning at the beginning that no matter what happens to him, everything will be okay and that this was meant as an eyeopener, to help him understand what would change.
Did that mean something serious would happen to him that he could possibly not like? He sighed nervously, rubbing his hands together, he had already made the choice of how he wanted to end everything so no matter what, he was set and he couldn't change it.
The night has finally set on Arcadia, the theater lighting up within the darkness, many people surrounding the building as a small cat scurried across the road, careful of the oncoming car.
The cat let out a small cry, ears flattening at the sight of the not stopping car, their horn honking at the small animal. It escaped into a small alleyway, sniffing around in search of food.
Everyone aweed at the small cat, wondering what it was doing and why the cat was the main focus, however, they didn't mind seeing such a little cutie.
The cat's head perked at the sound of a boy laughing loudly, kicking the theater door open as an arm was draped around his girl's shoulder.
"Boy, that stunk. That director's gonna have a short career." The boy joked, he tossed the container of popcorn against the dumpster, the small amount of popcorn littering on the floor.
The cat meowed before prancing over to the popcorn, ready to feast until a crashing noise had alerted it. Curious, the cat leaped onto the large dumpster, looking in to find red eyes staring back at it. A pack of white Goblins had been waiting for it, reaching their arms out and pulling the hissing cat within the dumpster.
As some Goblins fled the area, the cat never returned from their grasps.
The theater went quiet, all the jaws were dropped to the floor after the cat had met such an unfortunate fate.
"WHEN DID THIS GET SO DARK, WHY?!"
"I can't even describe how bad that was. We had to see this cat on it's journey and all the emotions of the cat when it died!? Why did we have to see that!? I can't handle this!?"
"You know, I thought this was filtered, where the host was just being nice and making it PG but NO! Now it's getting too comfortable to show us the sad deaths!"
Across Arcadia, hidden safely behind the house walls, laid Jim, comfortably in his bed. The alarm clock beside him had read 5:59, just a few seconds before it blared once 6:00 AM hit, waking the boy.
Instead of a groan as it disturbed his slumber, Jim's body instantly shot up from his pillow, instantly awake and wearing a smile on his face.
"My stupid alarm. Ah! My stupid alarm! I love you! I love you!" He silenced the crying alarm and headed towards the bathroom, jumping in the shower at the unexpected temperature of the water. However, no complaining was heard, only rejoicing.
"Cold, cold, cold! I love cold water! I love hot water even more!" He yelled happily as steam poured from the tub, filling the room. After he had gotten ready, the Trollhunter stepped downstairs, leaping over the rail and smiling as he heard rustling in the kitchen. "Mom."
Speaking of Barbara, she had stuck her finger in the fresh made batter, instantly regretting once she had tried it. "Ugh. Did I put salt in instead of sugar?" She let out a gasp as Jim hugged her from behind, smiling widely. "Well, good morning, kiddo. Yeah, you may not want to eat that."
Jim didn't heed her warning, dipping his finger in the bowl and tasting her batter. His eyes grew wide and his tongue instantly fell between his lips, trying to remove the vial flavor from his mouth. However, he smiled, "Mm. Tastes like home. Don't change a thing." As he stepped away, he gagged a little, Barbara smiling as she watched him.
"You're chipper this morning."
"Yeah, well, better chipper than dead, huh?" He responded, grabbing a brown bag from the fridge and attacking Barbara's cheek with gentle kisses.
"Well, that's one way to look at it I guess…" Toby mumbled, watching Jim wake up so excited just for being home and going to school. He wasn't sure how his best friend would handle it, but this was definitely a shock. It must have really affected him from being in the Darklands for so long.
The student body was shocked, even the teachers and the trolls had been too. He was so perky and felt that it could have been a possible cover up on what he was truly feeling. Maybe he did miss everything but how could he possibly be this okay?
"Guys…" Shannon started, "He is so happy and grateful for being home. This day means so much to him and none of us really realized what truly happens. Jim, we are glad you are okay."
"Thanks Shannon."
"That's true, I guess. Everything okay?"
"Are you kidding? Everything is great!" Jim smiled pulling his backpack from the staircase and revealing what Aaarrrgghh had done to it a while ago. With a nervous laugh, Jim kicked it back into place, "It's back to normal. It feels good to be back!"
"Jim! Stop! You are saying too much without realizing."
"He is so happy and I want to slap him for not being careful about what he says, especially around his mother."
He left in a hurry, closing the door behind him and leaving Barbara to question the interaction as she dipped her finger once more in the bowl containing the mysterious batter.
"Back? Back from where? Ooh! Definitely salt."
"Thank goodness the salt was there, she wouldn't have forgotten what you said." Barbara smiled at the moment but was concerned for her son, this was not like him.
Outside, Jim smiled as he rode his bike through the street, breathing in the morning air and speeding off while his friends stayed behind, watching him.
"Have you talked to him about it?" Toby asked, catching Claire's attention.
Jim raised an eyebrow, wondering what Toby meant. They had to talk to him about something that seemed serious and they seem to be deciding if they want to say anything at all. It worried him greatly, he didn't want his friends to worry about who had to say what to him, if that was the case, then it had to be bad.
"No, it has to come from you. Why haven't you talked to him yet?"
"He just got out of the Darklands. He needs time to recover." Toby said shyly before Jim's cries of excitement had caught their attention. Jim had been doing a wheelie, arms held out to the side.
"Whoo! Check this ou-." Jim yelled before losing balance and having to quickly catch himself. He turned back to them, giving them a thumbs up before continuing on ahead.
"Seems fine to me," Claire answered.
Jim began to gnaw at his bottom lip as the crowd grew confused and awkward. He could feel the tension pour from the crowd as they watched, no one speaking up as they began to realize the same thing Jim had.
They were nervous to speak to him about something that seemed so important to them and Jim hated that. He wanted to know, asking Toby and Claire now would be pointless since it was the future and they possibly couldn't know, but they could easily connect the dots of what they wanted to say if they thought of it.
He turned to his friends, surprised that they were even keeping anything from him.
Jim skidded to a stop, "Come on, slowpokes, let's take the old shortcut!" His friends stopped beside him, Toby confidently speaking, the two smiling.
"Well, uh, since you've been gone, Claire found a faster way."
Eli sighed lightly, "he was so happy and now this is awkward because since Jim was gone for so long, now he has to get used to the new things Claire and Toby discovered." Jim squirmed in his seat, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
"Psssh! Come on. Faster than the canals?" Claire and Toby shared a knowing look right before a portal ripped open behind a truck, the three teens shooting out from it as Jim found it fun.
"Whoo-hoo! You're right. You have gotten good at that. Good 'ol Arcadia Oaks High! I wonder what we'll learn today." As Jim rode off at the sound of the bell, Claire stuffed the staff back into her bag, Toby watching Jim with disbelief.
"He's clearly not fine. Who in their right mind looks forward to school?"
"Ah, somebody who almost died… but seriously, you look forward to school?!"
"Toby, you are absolutely hilarious. How have I not noticed this before?" Toby grinned, waving his hand and feeling proud that someone truly found him funny. This was the best idea ever.
As the two went to catch up to Jim, students filled the school, conversations being made before Jim's unexpected arrival. Close by, Mary had been standing by Shannon's locker, gossiping about the one man she was always obsessed with.
"I mean, have you seen how tight Hank's jeans are?" She asked before cheering erupted from the student body, shocking Mary and causing her to look on what caused the happiness. She gasped as the Trollhunters stepped into the crowd, Jim especially surprised at the weird welcoming.
"No, Mary. I think you are the only one who looks at that. Who on Earth wants to wear such tight pants, especially a boy."
"Why did we even have to hear that?!" Someone cried out as Mary scoffed lightly.
"You guys just don't have a good taste in men. Tight Jeans Hank is amazing and so are his pants."
Another student waved her off, speaking up. "Jim, I know we don't know each other that well but I am not disappointed on how we reacted to your return." Jim smiled at that, thanking the student.
"You guys are surprisingly nice. In the beginning, it seemed like the whole school was against everyone. Or it was just me who thought that."
"Please, we are supportive as heck."
"What the...?" Jim mumbled before Eli's voice was heard, the boy crushing Jim in a tight hug.
"Jim! You're back! Oh! You're alive!"
"Back? They know?" Jim turned his head towards his friends who smiled.
"Perhaps filling Jim in before would have been a better option." Blinky stated, Toby and Claire rubbing their necks with a smile.
"Boy was acting like he was on something."
"They know you're the first person to be officially cured from the incurable Jim Lake Disease."
"Oh."
"Jim, you're a walking medical mystery," Claire added, as a student nearby was freaking out over the idea.
As Eli snuggled in closer, Jim awkwardly patted the boy on the shoulder, "Uh…"
"Yep, could still be contagious. Move along, Eli." Toby said, pushing him away from Jim.
"Bye, Jim! Gonna wash my hands now." Eli ran off after wiping anything off on Toby's sweater who didn't seem pleased by the fact. Once the three were left alone, Claire spoke up, ready to fill Jim in.
"T.P. covered for you while you were gone, but-."
"T.P.?"
"Oh, duh! Toby Pie. Guess you missed that one, too." Toby grunted and shook his head, still hating the idea of the nickname.
"OH NO! What if he starts feeling left out…." as more students commented, Jim grew more nervous. They weren't telling him much, just filling him when it was brought up. Granted they might have not had all the time to tell him everything but what if he would have never known? Would they have told him?
He wasn't sure what happened after he hugged his mother, that was the only thing that confused him since the future didn't show it, but did his friends fully fill him in at all? What if they didn't want to unless needed? Something was wrong and he didn't want to jeopardize what he had.
"Mm... You missed a lot, dude! I had to pretend to be you. I had to eat your mom's spaghetti carbonara. More like "cardboard-nara." You owe me! You also missed two weeks of homework. Don't hate us." Toby said, pulling out three books from his backpack and throwing them into Jim's hands.
Everyone laughed as Barbara blushed, it must have been really bad. The pun, however, was perfect. Even she'd say that about her own cooking.
"Hate you? Are you kidding? I love homework!" Claire and Toby looked surprised as he looked at what he had to do. "Hm, let's see. I have Spanish, social studies... Ugh, algebra!" As he frowned lightly at algebra, his eyes darted towards Steve who came barreling at him.
"Okay, did any of you hear how he said spanish? That was the most innocent tone I have ever heard."
The bully used his elbow, knocking both the boy and his books to the floor. However, Steve grabbed Jim by the shoulders, trying to seem imitating as he held the boy still.
"Look who's back! Did I hear you say you love homework? There's something fishy going on in this lake."
"NO! NOT THE LAKE PUNS!" Jim yelled out, wincing as the crowd chuckled, starting them back up again.
"These float my boat."
"I lake when we make puns about Jim's last name. Lake it or not, we do it anyway."
"Ha! Look at Jim's face, he's like knot today!"
"Water you gonna do about it, Jimmy."
"Oh my.. Please stop." Jim whined out, pressing his head in his hands as Claire and Toby laughed.
"Some of these puns are kind of… shallow."
"We might have gone a little… overboard!"
"Yeah, we might be in a boatload of trouble!" Jim groaned out, running his hands down his face.
"I think this went quite swimmingly!"
Steve yelped and held an uncomfortable look as Jim smiled, "I even missed you. The 'ol Palchuck."
"What?" As Steve looked shocked, Toby had picked up the sound of a familiar voice, turning to Darci and smiling as he imagined her surrounded in a pink heart of smoke, the mole costume covering her.
"I'm the most popular, but you didn't hear that from me. Fever of 104! I mean, do germs not know how fabulous I am?"
"Ugh! Get your germs off me!" Steve cried, trying to pull away from Jim before Toby called out to them.
"Uh, I'll let you two catch up. It's time for some unfinished business.
As Toby stepped away, Jim continued to bother Steve, wearing a smile, trying to lightly punch the bully in a playful manner.
Steve grumbled, watching the scene play out as everyone laughed. Jim was hilarious and seeing Steve freak out was pleasing everyone. Except for Steve, even if he felt a little bad for what had truly happened to Jim.
Toby appeared by Darci's said, holding a bouquet of flowers, Darci sneezed as she turned to find Toby. "Flowers for my flower."
"Oh... How... How sweet," Darci said, sneezing some of the petals off as Toby handed them to her, getting closer.
"Not as sweet as you, Queen Darci. I just wanted to let you know, some things have calmed down in my life, and now you have my undivided attention."
"That's nice, but-." Before she could finish her sentence, she let out another sneeze,
"Oh, don't say "but." Please don't say-."
"But... you don't even know anything about me." As her nose grew stuffy, she continued to sneeze, wiping her nose. "I'm allergic to flowers." She handed him back the stems which no longer supported beautiful colored petals.
"Oh."
"First, you really like me. Then, I hardly see you. Can't we take it slow?"
Darci sighed, knowing the reasons why Toby seemed so distant in the relationship that would be taking place in the future. He and Claire were saving their best friend from some dark Underworld and some evil trolls. He really seemed to be interested in her, if she knew, she'd give him a bigger chance, even help them out despite them having to keep a secret. Just because their relationship didn't withstand death and evil trolls like Claire and Jim's had, the soulmate movie relationships, didn't mean her and Toby's had to be struggling.
She hoped things would clear up, possibly even better even though Claire was accidentally pulled into Trollhunting so she deemed it fair.
"How slow?" Toby asked shyly.
"Like... glacial?" The bell rang, startling the two from their awkward conversation. "You're cute, T.P., but you gotta work on your timing." She stepped away, sneezing again before Toby threw himself against the lockers, whimpering.
"Things are all back to the way they were. Ha! It's like I never left!" JIm said excitedly, stepping up to them.
"Yep, back to square one. How great for us." Toby said upsetly before the scene changed, showing Jim stepping into Trollmarket and taking everything in.
Jim chewed on his lip, feeling bad after seeing Toby so defeated. In the future, Jim seemed to be happy while his friends seemed concerned, quiet, and upset. Is it possible that Jim would mess everything up in the future? Who was he kidding, he was messing things up. Toby had finally found a girlfriend and seemed truly happy, especially how long he was chasing after her.
However, Toby was spending all his time either covering or saving Jim. He couldn't spend that time with Darci like he and Claire did, Toby had to keep a secret because of the promises he had made and it ruined the relationship between him and Darci. No, Jim ruined his relationship.
The Trollhunting was Jim's duty, he was forced into it and couldn't say no. Toby had a choice, granted, Toby said yes, but Toby can get his life back, have a girlfriend and not worry that he won't make it home one day.
Jim sighed sadly, he is ruining his friend's chances at a happy life. Now the question is, what is he going to do about it? Confront Toby and apologize then say that he understands if Toby no longer wants to be a part of the Trollhunters? That seems like the right thing to do.
"Home is the same, school is the same, Trollmarket is the same," Jim spoke, his friends following behind with shocked faces again. Jim came across an angry Krubera troll, shocking him. "Except for that guy. What's that guy doing here?"
"Stinking, horrible traitor!" Blinky's voice rang out, the three teens catching the smoke pouring out from the library. "Another one. Ugh! Away with you!" Inside, a pile of books had been lit on fire as the troll continued to toss more in.
"Blinky?" Toby cried as the three teens skidded around the corner, looking surprised and defeated as they watched the books burn into ashes.
"What are you doing?" Claire yelled out, Toby speaking next as Jim seemed speechless at the sight.
"You love your books! This isn't like you!"
"Not my books! I'm destroying anything that bear my traitorous brother's name." As the troll tossed another book within the fire, Aaarrrgghh was standing nearby, looking nervous at his angered friend. "Full of lies! My Gumm-Gumm brother cannot be trusted and neither can these!"
The teens raised an eyebrow, turning to Blinky who didn't seem surprised.
"Seems like the right thing to do…" Blinky added, crossing all his arms.
"It's like we are watching him go through a break up." Mary said.
"I am unsure if I find this amusing or not."
The teens closed the gap between them and their friend, Jim landing on his knees and trying to save as many books as possible. "Blink! But they've been useful before, so they can be useful again!"
Beside them, Toby was backing away from the curious Aaarrrgghh who sniffed the stout boy. "Aren't you gonna stop him, wingman?" Toby giggled at the feeling before gathering himself and asking, "Uh, what's with Aaarrrgghh?"
"Leave him. Ever since he's returned from death, his sense of smell has been curiously heightened. He's been sniffing everything for hours." While Blinky moved away, searching for more to burn in his five stages of grief, Aaarrrgghh continued to attack Toby with his nose, humming in delight.
"Mm... You had Italian. Carbonara."
"Yeah, like, three days ago," Toby said, impressed, letting his Wingman sniff once more.
"Meh, needed more garlic." Aaarrrgghh's attention was diverted to Jim who grabbed a pail of water and doused the books, hoping to save them. Determination crossed his face as he moved past his whispering friends, "Talk to Jim yet?"
"NO WAY! He can tell how much garlic was needed! That is fricken awesome!"
"He says he hasn't found the right time," Claire pitched in. They watched as Jim continued to toss water onto the never dying flames.
Toby turned back to them, "It's not just me, right? Ever since he got back, he's been acting super weird."
Jim couldn't hide his embarrassment as the student body awed, someone even speaking up. "Give him a break. He was against his will due to his idotic idea and Usurna. He is happy to be home."
Before anyone could respond, Jim had turned back to his friends as the books sizzled. "Hey, guys, you know what we need? A calling! I'm sure there's been tons of stuff piling up for us to take care of now that I'm back. Uh, a cursed box? Or a loose monster troll, huh?"
Behind him, Blinky was screaming at the objects, yelling such things as "be gone" and "away with you" not even focusing on his comrades.
"Actually, Claire and I kinda took care of that stuff while you were gone." Toby added, crossing his arms with a proud smile.
Darci winced, "this is getting hard to watch."
"Oh, okay. What about some training? It'd be good for us to get back in the Forge and... You know?" As Jim's voice died off, Aaarrrgghh sniffed the air curiously, face scrunched in a confused look.
"I smell Usurna."
"AH COME ON!"
"She comes back after everything she pulled!? She almost killed him, yet, she is still innocent, we can't do nothing about it."
Blinky turned with a gasp as two guards stepped in, "Oh, dear." As the Queen silently stepped in, the team stood around the burning books, wearing nervous smiles as Aaarrrgghh put the dying fire completely out.
Following in, was Vendel, who began to speak before his new staff, a hook like stick had been caught on the doorway. "You- Oh!"
"So... it's true. The human Trollhunter has returned from his frolic in the Darklands." She started, a cocky smile resting across her face.
"Mmhmm, he proved himself!"
"The human Trollhunter humbly apologizes and throws himself at the mercy of the Troll Tribunal." Blinky mentioned somberily, hand placed on his chest.
"Tribunal?" Jim questioned. Blinky elbowed the boy, causing him to let out a grunt.
"The Tribunal has already voted on your fate." Usurna said, her face holding a judging emotion. Her head turned to the side as Vendel stepped next to her, speaking up in hopes to persuade the Trollhunter to act accordingly.
"And, by the barest of margins, has ruled to drop all charges, so long as you cooperate from this moment forth." The teens breathed out in relief as Usurna continued.
"Your rash choice to save one child put all of Trollmarket at risk. If any evil had been unleashed unto this world, the blood would have been on your hands." She pointed to Jim, pushing him lightly in the shoulder before stepping away. Usurna then stilled, turning her head back to ask, "Are you sure nothing followed you on your return?"
"Who's going to tell them?"
"Draal never left his post guarding the bridge," Blinky added, turning to his friends nervously to go along with the lie. The team smiled, all nodding at once to confirm Blinky's words.
"Hmm. Very well, then." Usurna huffed, her two guards and she stepped out of the room, leaving Vendel with the team. Vendel did not seem so pleased with Usurna.
"Are the Krubera really staying permanently?" Blinky asked.
"NO! THEY ARE NOT AND SHE NEEDS TO LEAVE!"
"Usurna feels their presence is required in light of my questionable judgement." As Vendel turned to face Blinky, his staff had gotten stuck in the lamp, his face filled with annoyance as he struggled to pull it free. "Speaking of such, have you made any progress in tracking down the culprit who stole my staff?"
"We will not rest until we bring them to justice," Blinky said with courage. Vendel looked down at them, speaking as if he knew who exactly took it, going easy on them.
"Yes, of course. I'm sure whoever took it had good reason and will return it as soon as possible. I've put my neck out far enough for you ungrateful fools. Any further, and she'll be sure to lop my head right off."
"Thank you, Vendel. It's good to see you, too." Jim pitched in, smiling. He seemed to miss the angry troll.
"Yes, well, if you want to thank me, go look into the goblin mess that one of our trolls discovered on a salvage run."
"Goblin mess?" Toby questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"There appears to be some droppings in a dumpster behind the Arcadia Cinema."
"Goblins? We haven't seen any of those in months." Claire looked nervous, turning to Jim who was the only one excited about the news.
"Oh, my gosh! Is this a call? Like, a good ol' trollhunting mission?"
Vendel grunted, their heads whipping in his direction to see the staff now stuck on his horn. "Just go."
"Gosh darn it! Let the boy have his moment!"
The team wasted no more time, now finding themselves within the same alleyway that the Goblins had been in earlier. The night was silent except for the sound of stone clacking against the concrete, the Trollhunters stopping beside a corner in the alleyway and Jim peeking his head out to inspect the area.
"All right, coast is clear." Once Jim gave the word, the others spread out, inspecting the alleyway while Jim continued, hanging on the corner of the building. "Nothing like a simple mission to get our mojo back, huh?"
"Did you just say "mojo"?" Claire asked with an eyebrow raised as she turned to face him.
Jim smiled, blushing a little, "Um…" Aaarrrgghh lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing curiously around the area. The scent grew stronger as Aaarrrgghh had cut closer to the dumpster, standing behind it as he lifted his head.
"Huh, smell poop."
"Ew!" Claire cried, not containing her reaction. They watched as Aaarrrgghh lifted the lid, finding an unfamiliar object, most likely poop, and plopping it into his mouth. Blinky looked a little disturbed as he stepped next to his brute friend. "Double "ew"."
"Aaarrrgghh, what is it?" Blinky asked, looking at the said troll who had found a collar.
"Mm, cat!" Aaarrrgghh said, sniffing it once more, licking it as well as his face had gone from excited, to serious. "No. Blood goblin."
"It cannot be," Blinky gasped at the news, not believing the news.
"Blood goblins? Are those the green ones or the blue ones?" Toby asked as he peered into the dumpster, Claire and Jim sharing a worried look.
"I thought they were white. Are there blue ones?"
"Contrary to their name, blood goblins are white."
"HA!"
"But they can't be here! The only place you can find white goblins is…" Claire started. Jim caught on, moving to sit down on a nearby crate as he finished her sentence.
"The Darklands."
"No, wait! We destroyed the bridge!" Toby cried as Claire stepped over to Jim who seemed to be deflated by the news.
Claire put her hand on Jim's shoulder, shyly speaking, "Well, Draal left his post to save us. You don't think, in that time-."
"If they got out, what if Gunmar got-." Before Jim could finish voicing his thought, Blinky quickly cut him off, already knowing what he meant and not wanting it to be true.
"No. No, no. We would know if he got out. Death would be on every doorstep, Arcadia turned to ash. We would know. These are just a few goblins. A few ferocious, insatiable, bloodthirsty goblins." Toby jumped slightly at Blinky's words but also Aaarrrgghh's burp as the troll was currently feasting on the items within the dumpster instead of worrying.
"Welp. Glad Gunmar was weakened in the Darklands."
"Jim, there's something we've been meaning to ask you," Toby started but Claire stopped him from going any farther, realizing that this was not the time anymore.
"Toby. If these little poopers are in Arcadia, how do we find them?"
Jim frowned, Claire had completely changed the topic. All he wanted was to know what seemed so important for them to say. Granted it was the future but he wanted to know and why they were so nervous to tell him. Was it bad? Was he possibly overthinking this? No, Toby's and Claire's voices were tense and they seemed like it was more of a problem to address then it was easy. It was gnawing at them and it was most likely hurting them as they were deprived of answers.
"We don't find them, they find us," Jim stood, remembering how they were in the Darklands. "Once they're on your scent, you can't shake 'em. They're gonna be after me."
"But you weren't the only one in there. Nomura was with you." Toby pointed out, hoping to find whoever the Goblins were now after.
:Nomura skipped town as soon as we got out. She's long gone." Claire pointed out.
"Well, then why aren't they here?" Toby asked and Jim's eyes grew wide.
"Because someone else was in there, too." From Jim's worried face, the scene switched to Chompsky who happily strung his guitar, humming softly as a small candle was lit, illuminating the dark dollhouse. His girlfriend sat on the couch, listening to his tune as he finished, smiling happily.
The doll's hands where folded together, placed under her chin to show her happiness as she listened. Chompsky cleared his throat, turning around and pulling off his hat to reveal a large wedding ring.
He smiled and pointed to it, showing her before a soft knock on his door was heard. He held up a finger, smiling as he told his lover to wait patiently. His head popped out of the window, swearing at whoever interrupted their moment but found no one.
The gnome moved to the door, stepping out and searching around, growing angry that some fool had been teasing him, ruining a perfectly good moment. His head turned back to his house, looking up to find the Blood Goblins who hungrily peered down at him.
Nervous, Chompsky backed up, whimpering as he found his lover now standing in the window, holding out a nervous hand for him. Once Chompsky's back was to the door, one Goblin leaped, luckily the Gnome was quick on his feet, scurrying past the Goblins and avoiding their grabby hands.
"HOW THE HECK DID SHE MOVE!? IS SHE ALIVE!?"
"Well, I am never buying one of those…"
As the Goblins gave chase, they managed to grab the hat from Chompsky's head right before they had tripped on the spinny chair resting near Toby's desk. Chompsky ran to the yoga ball, using it to roll over the Goblins, nearly avoiding them.
Thinking quickly, the Gnome climbed the dresser, the Goblins close behind as he blew raspberries at them, leaping onto the bed. One Blood Goblin managed to land on the bed with Chompsky, the two jumping at different times before Chompsky grabbed a pillow, knocking the Goblin to the side.
Chompsky flung to the hanging airplane, yelling out as he flew through the air, doing a flip and landing into an awaiting tophat.
The Goblin knocked the hat to his partner, the other one digging within it to get their prey, only to find nothing but a bouquet of flowers. Finding nothing else, the Goblin placed the hat on it's head while another had lifted a chest, throwing it to the side, the others searching the area.
Toby grumbled, how on Earth did inexperienced Goblins understand the trick faster than him. Luckily no one noticed.
"HA!" Steve cried, "They did a magic trick better than Toby!"
Damn it.
Chompsky stood as a toy on a shelf, laughing as they passed and leapt away. The Goblins opened the doors to the wardrobe, crying out but finding nothing. That was until the computer lit up, playing loud music and catching the Goblins attention.
"Go, go, sushi! Happy fun time begin!" The Goblins tapped on the controller, distracted. "Nice job! Celebrations!" The game said, right before Chompsky appeared above the computer, pencil in hand as he let out a battle cry.
The Gnome wasted no time, stabbing the Goblin in the hand before making a break to his house, the Goblins angered.
Gnome Chompsky looked behind the couch, his lover out of sight before the front of the house opened, the Goblins grinning as they surrounded him, holding his lover.
"Yes!" A Goblin moaned out, blowing out the candle and Chompsky whimpered, now in a tight spot.
The crowd shared the same reaction, raising an eyebrow as they watched the Goblins actually play and trying to figure out the game.
"So are these Goblins more superior than the others. How could that be possible? Fascinating. A whole type of Goblins that surpass the intelligence of the others."
"We don't know the full spectrum of Goblin intelligence. Besides, all of them are truly smart creatures, especially in their own way." Blinky replied.
Downstairs, the door was pushed open, the three teens poking their head out of the door as Nana stood, occupied by the dishes. Toby stepped behind her, waving in his friends and smiling.
"Shh!" He kept his smile as he called for her, "Nana!"
"Oh, Toby Pie! I thought you kids were upstairs playing. There was an awful lot of noise." As she spoke, the trolls moved past the window, Aaarrrgghh smiling.
Toby smiled nervously. "Uh... The goblins are here? Uh, I mean…" He let out a chuckle as he quickly fixed himself, "I must have left my music on."
"Goblins Are Here? Oh, that's a horrible band name. I don't understand what you kids listen to these days." She said, turning back to the sink as Toby grew impatient, the trolls coming across the next window. Finally, the three snuck upstairs, finding nothing but a trashed and empty room.
"Okay, Toby, I love her. She has no clue and is too precious."
"Chompsky?" Jim called out, receiving no answer.
"No, not Chompsky!" Toby cried, inspecting the empty dollhouse. Jim sighed as he picked up the discarded hat, the trolls finally joining them in the room. "Chompsky?"
"Poor gnome," Aaarrrgghh moaned out.
"It was supposed to be a simple mission." Jim said, handing the hat to Toby as Claire sighed, speaking up.
"There's no such thing as a simple mission." At the defeat, Jim sat down on the chair, Toby staring down at the hat as he spoke.
"Shush Claire, there is hope for things." A student hissed.
"Oh yeah, what about the Changeling searching at the school, or finding the den of Goblins… those seem like simple missions until you actually do them." Claire mentioned, tapping her chin.
"Shut up."
"The little guy survives the Darklands, then goes out like this?" Toby looked at Claire, realizing what he had to say. "Nothing's been right since... since…"
Jim perked his head up, "Huh?"
"Why did you go into the Darklands without us?" Toby instantly shot out, shocking Jim.
Jim flinched, there it was. The one thing that was on his friend's mind and what was so nerve racking to tell him. He slouched in realization, he thought they knew why he left them. After all, Claire had mentioned it to Aaarrrgghh when he was resurrected.
Maybe that wasn't the answer they were looking for. Toby gently placed a hand on Jim's shoulder, smiling as the boy turned to face him.
"You make me mad at how selfless and caring you are." Jim chuckled at Toby who tried to act mad but failed miserably.
"Wait, what?"
"We found the amulet together, we trained together, we killed Angor Rot together! And then you just left us." Toby continued, his tone revealing every dreadful feeling he held in.
"Wait, is this how you all feel?" Jim asked, looking at the similar faces his friends held.
"You promised we'd get my brother together," Claire stated.
"After everything we'd been through, you said it was Trollhunters, not Trollhunter." Blinky added in, all Aaarrrgghh could say was,
"Yeah."
"Gunmar wanted revenge for killing his son. The amulet chose me to protect you."
"We protect each other!" Claire shot back, causing Jim to let out a sigh, this time, it was his turn to tell his friends the guilt he kept after.
"When I saw Aaarrrgghh die... I-I couldn't bear losing any more of you. I just wish everything could go back to the way things were, when everything was... normal. Yeah, the Darklands was a failure. I went in alone so you wouldn't have to. But classic Jim, you guys have to rescue me anyway. Some hero I am."
Blinky reached for the hat, gently giving to Jim as he stepped up to him.
"The amulet made you a trollhunter. You made yourself a hero."
"But Chompsky didn't deserve this. He may have been small, but he had a big…" The moment was ruined as Aaarrrgghh began to sniff the hat, perking. "You mind? I was trying to give a eulogy.
Jim blushed as the crowd playfully rolled their eyes, some letting out a soft chuckle. Claire nudged Jim, smiling as she silently teased him.
"By Gorgus, he's picked up their scent!"
"The goblins?" Claire asked, a faint smile crossing her lips.
"Gnome," Aaarrrgghh replied. The news excited Toby, the boy nearly standing on his tippy toes as he responded.
"Chompsky's alive? What are we waiting for? Let's go find him!" At Toby's excited cry, the team was now found following behind Aaarrrgghh, stepping into a dark, vacant alley way. Nervously, Toby had tripped, stepping on the back of Claire's shoe causing him to laugh nervously.
"They're inside." Jim pointed out, heading to the door. Toby jiggled on the handle, turning to his friends with a slight shrug as their only way in had been locked. Toby cleared his throat and stepped out of the way, letting Aaarrrgghh through.
The brute troll barely pulled on the door frame before Blinky held out his hands, shushing him. "Hush! We must be silent, lest we alert them."
"Oh," Aaarrrgghh hummed. Jim, however, was already trying to climb through the window until he felt his friends stare. He turned his head into their direction, finding Claire with her Shadow Staff ready and all of them smiling at him.
"Um."
"Let me guess. Shortcut?" Jim stated right before Claire opened a portal, the darkness filling the screen and changing it to inside the building, the team pouring out. As Jim eyed one side, finding it clear, he turned to Toby who had pointed two fingers, telling them to keep moving.
They quietly snuck forward, Toby stepping back, breathing out a small beat as he held his hammer, ready to use it when needed. The Trollhunters turned a corner, Toby instantly getting distracted by a crate.
The boy lifted it open, gasping at the sight. "We're in a fireworks warehouse? So cool!"
"Toby, focus. We're here to save Chompsky," Claire scolded.
"You're right. But we're coming back here later." After putting the firework back, Toby caught up with the group, right as they neared another corner, Jim using it as cover as he found the Goblins.
They had poor Chompsky tied to a stick, rotating over a fire. Granted, it wasn't doing much but the small Gnome blew on the fiery blaze, trying his best. Beside them, the Goblin had mocked the Gnome, scratching Chompsky's girlfriend under the chin, making kissy faces.
Angered, Chompsky let out fierce noises, hissing at him. The Goblins wheezed and laughed at the Gnome as Jim's face grew serious, studying what was displayed before him.
"Huh. Looks like there's two of 'em. I'll flank right, you take left." Jim stated,unaware of what lurked above him, he continued with the plan, a Blood Goblin peering down at them with a grin.
"There should be more, shouldn't there?" Toby asked before the Goblin leaped down from above, landing on Blinky's face and causing Toby to yelp. Jim and Claire tried to reach to pull the beast from their mentor's face, causing instant chaos.
"Off me, you fowl beast!" Crates had been pushed over, Blinky instantly in the sight of the other two Goblins who began to hiss, charging after them and leaving Chompsky stilled over the fire.
The crowd roared with laughter, loving how fast their plan unraveled and how the teens tried to jump and pull the Goblin from Blinky. The whole moment was hilarious as Blinky stumbled out.
The said troll, blushed. Just his luck. However, he was amused at his name calling.
One leaped on Claire, the said girl easily blocking any attacks with her staff. She slammed the Blood Goblin against a nearby crate while her friends had been battling their own.
Jim held up the amulet, "For the Doom of Gunmar-.."
"Wrong one!" Toby reminded, right before he had slipped on a stray Firework. "Ahh!"
"Oops, little rusty. For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" The armor finally donned, epicly appearing as it floated around him, combining in seconds. The Goblin that had managed to pin Claire to the floor looked back in surprise, leaping out of the way of a blue blast from the Trollhunter.
"Aah!" Claire yelped, right as Jim looked up, finding the Goblin that managed to escape from Jim had been using a chain, sliding on the beams of the ceiling and dropping near Chompsky.
Nearby, Blinky's head was unfortunately being slammed into the ground from the Goblin, the Troll mumbling, "Foul, vile thing!"
Jim ran past, sword ready to strike the Goblin before it had held up Chompsky, using it as its own weapon but making it much harder for Jim to even land a blow.
"Oh, no." While Jim struggled around Chompsky being used as a shield, another Goblin had jumped on Aaarrrgghh trying to bite at him. Granted it didn't affect Aaarrrgghh as much, but the large troll was still pleased when the Goblin had been struck with a firework, being knocked off from his shoulder.
As Toby laughed, ready to take out more Goblins, the boy had tripped once again on another firework.
The crowd laughed, not surprised that Toby was constantly tripping on loose fireworks. He was tripping more then fighting which was amusing.
Jim hadn't made no advancement, nervous to hit Chompsky but the Goblin seemed to think otherwise. Chompsky yelled out as he grew closer to the fire, the tip of the stick knocking into the blaze and a small piece of burning wood had flew, Jim ducking before it collided with his face.
Unfortunately, the ember landed on the crates, instantly covering a crate in fire. Toby yelped, sitting up at the sight and panicking.
"Oh, boy! Fireworks fire!" Aaarrrgghh stepped beside him, the two watching as the fire quickly swallowed the rest of the crates. "Do we put it out? Or do we see what happens? Do we put it out? Do we put it out? Or should we see what happens? Uh…"
Aaarrrgghh blew on the crates, thinking it would help but it only made it grow. "Oh, hm... See what happens."
Toby looked at Aaarrrghh before throwing in a stray firework, watching it explode in a small blue vibrant color. "Oh! Cool! Terrible, but cool."
"Okay, this is so chaotic and I love it! This is the best fight I have ever seen. It should be so simple but it is absolutely hilarious."
Claire wasted no time, grabbing a fire extinguisher and pointing it at the crates. "Stand back!" She pushed the trigger, nothing but a clicking sound and a small puff of smoke came from the extinguisher. "Ugh! Useless!" That was until she swung it at an oncoming Goblin, knocking it away from her. "Or not."
"Yeah! Show them who's boss, girl!" Mary cried, Claire's parents joining in on the cheers.
"That's my daughter! You kick Goblin butt!" They yelled, clapping and shocking the Trollhunters.
"Are your parents cheering?" Toby mumbled.
"Yeah… I never thought that would happen." Claire mentioned, mouth slightly dropped.
Jim was blocking any swing, careful of Chompsky as the fire grew behind him. The Goblin threw the stick, and Jim quickly ducked, the stick holding Chompsky pierced a burning box, the Gnome chattering loudly at the flames.
Fireworks began to pop, exploding and lighting within the room, Jim watching as a Goblin tried stepping around a swirling firework. Jim took the chance, the Goblin instantly realizing what was happening before its guts were splattered across the floor.
Toby crawled on a non burning crate, holding out his arms as fire surrounded him, fireworks flying by and popping into many colors. "Behold! Our dreams and nightmares are uniting!" He let out an evil laugh before he was tackled by a Goblin, more fireworks exploding. "Get it off! Get it off!"
Beside him, Claire and Blinky were assisting Chompsky, "Poor little guy. You must be terrified." Claire mumbled and once Chompksy was free, he flew into the fire, finding his lover and kissing her on the helmet, lips sizzling.
"Oh. Ow! Hot!" He raised his eyebrows with a small grin, "Let's go." He ran back through the fiery blaze, yelping. Toby was still struggling with the Goblin who had a tight hold on the boy's face.
"Get it off! Get it off! Ahh! Get it off!" Aaarrrgghh came to his rescue, pulling the creature by its legs and repeatedly slamming it into the floor. Toby slammed his Warhammer on the creature, ending it's life and it's guts splattering on Toby. "Ew! It died on me."
"PG! PG! PG! PG! PLEASE, KEEP IT PG!"
"Nope, now it's PG13."
"Circle of life," Aaarrrgghh said. Claire and Blinky grew nervous, watching as more and more fireworks were being shot off, surrounding them.
"We gotta get outta here!" Claire yelled, bending down to Chompsky's level when he arrived, placing the hat back on his head. Jim had been too distracted, swiping at another Goblin but it had bounced all around him.
"Hold still, will ya?" The Goblin stopped, standing on a crate, laughing, and shocking Jim. "You... You can understand me?"
"Uh-huh," the Goblin replied, shaking its head with a grin.
"Master Jim, quickly! We saved the gnome! We must get out of here!" Blinky cried as Jim's focus on the Goblin grew stronger. Toby had tried to run to Jim, hopefully to pull the boy out of the burning building but burning crates had crashed in front of Toby, the boy yelping and falling back.
"Did anything else escape the Darklands?" Jim asked, the Goblin keeping its grin.
"Yes."
Eli's mouth hung open in shock. How come the other Goblins couldn't understand humans, or humans couldn't understand them when they were around humans more. The ones trapped in the Darklands seemed more intelligent and their communication was stronger than the ones roaming Arcadia.
It completely blew his mind, shocking him to the core. "That is awesome, they can understand us! Who else would be able to discover their skills?! Like what if they evolve and find or make a communication device. Their intelligence would be off the charts!"
"Should we be worried that Eli is happy about discovering smart enemies?" Mary asked, turning to Steve who shrugged.
"I would."
"Who else got out? Gunmar? Did Gunmar escape?" The Goblin never stopped grinning, never answering but instead waving right before it leaped off a crate that exploded from a firework.
Jim shielded his face, ducking from the close calls. On the other side, the team looked in every direction, Claire calling out for him. "Jim? Jim! Where are you?"
Jim coughed, covering his mouth before yelping as a burning wooden beam had fallen, crushing Jim beneath it. Blinky must have seen it as he called out, "Master Jim!" The team coughed as smoke invaded their lungs, Aaarrrgghh quickly scoping Toby onto his shoulder before Jim had appeared from the fire, waving for them, "Come on!"
Claire opened a portal, Aaarrrgghh leaping through first before the others followed, Blinky chanting out, "Aha! Avant!" Claire was the last to leap into the portal, a firework exploding in front of the camera and smoothly changing the scene to outside the Firework Warehouse, the team watching it burn from the distance, beautiful colors filling the sky.
"Fireworks. So much nicer from a distance, huh?" Claire asked before Jim grew shocked at the sight before him, catching his friends attention.
"Hey." Jim said to them, all of them surrounding Chompsky and a shocked doll as the hat was once again pulled off, the large ring in view. Chompsky got down on one knee, softly mumbling before smiling.
"Oh…" He pulled down her hand, trying to slide the ring on but realized it was way too big. He tried the other arm but whimpered when it didn't work. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he smiled, sliding it on her leg instead. "Oh!" He hugged the doll, covering her in kisses as the team clapped.
"I'm not sure it's official, but it's sweet," Blinky stated.
"Looks like some good came out of the Darklands, after all." Jim said with a small smile, looking at Claire.
"Yeah, you dingus!" She playfully elbowed him. "My brother is back because of you. Some great came out of it. We don't wanna go back and change that."
"That's true. We okay, T.P.?"
"Whoo! We awesome-sauce. Although, I hate that T.P.'s catching on."
The team looked down in shock as Chompsky and his fiance had begun to slow dance, Blinky speaking. "So, we shall not return to the past, but shall we return to Trollmarket? I feel uncomfortable feeding the gnome's delusions."
"Yeah, this is getting real awkward," Toby said.
"Yeah," Aaarrrgghh moaned.
Jim turned to Claire, smiling, "Oh, yeah! You know a shortcut." She eyed her staff before looking at Jim with a smile, joining her arm with his.
"Actually, let's walk this time. It's a nice night." The team smiled, stepping away leaving Chompsky still dancing with his future wife.
The loud and multi-colored fireworks were seen over the trees, the reflection of the beautiful lights appeared in Dicatious' blind eyes, the thunderous booms echoing through his ears.
"Sounds of a battle?" He asked, Gunmar standing beside him with two Gumm-Gumms, one supporting the Dark Underlord.
"No," Gunmar started. "They try to make the night brighter. They fear the darkness." He inhales deeply, letting out a heavy exhale, "All that time... I had forgotten there were stars. If only my armies were here…"
As Gunmar held his chest, seeming in pain, they began to cross the empty road, Dictatious being led by the other guard. "We will build you another one, Lord. We must get to the Janus Order." Tires screeched, headlights appearing around the corner, alerting them. "I hear a surface beast approach. Slay it in the name of the Underlord!"
The Gumm-Gumm troll pulled out his axe, aiming it high at the speeding oncoming truck that never stopped. The horn blared from the truck, still continuing before it slammed into the Gumm-Gumm, only the arm of the troll remaining in front of the trio. The arm quickly turned to stone, Gunmar stepping up with help to inspect.
"What manner of metal monster was that?" He asked, the truck swerving and the sound of it colliding was heard, never seen.
"Yeah! Fear the cars of modern times, we will chase you out of town with the beasts of metal!" A student cried, arms in the air as they made a dramatic evil laugh.
"Did he slay it?" Dicatious asked. Gunmar turned to find the weakened troll trying to stand, "Aw, the poor thing thinks he can still fight for you."
"I have no need for weakness," Gunmar hissed, stepping up to the troll, donning his sword. The troll begged, shaking his head. "I will show you how destruction is done." Dicatious listened, hearing the slice of the sword and the guttural sounds, flinching.
The crowd flinched, their eyes squinting as they listened, glad they didn't have to witness it. "Wow, does anyone else think that this whole day was really harsh? Like jeezus, it went from just mentioning that someone died slyly. Like when Bular ate the guard and then Strickler mentioned it at the dinner with the Lakes, it was a sly way of saying, hey, someone died. Now it's literally being heard, the deaths not being shown but we get a closer view, a longer scene of it."
"They aren't shy about death anymore…."
Blue liquid splattered around them, Gunmar standing tall above the body as a car pulled up, stopping right in front of them.
Out from the car stepped Otto, the guard raising his axe. "Oh, Dark Underlord, we have been expecting you." Gunmar dropped his blade, grinning as he watched the man rest on one knee. "We have the tools to ensure your final victory."
Despite the dramatic ending, Jim quickly turned to his friends, sighing. "I'm sorry." Jim started, his friends instantly perking up at his apology. "Just because I can't say no, doesn't mean you guys can't either. I'm holding back your lives. Claire, you want to be an actress and I keep getting you in trouble by your parents, you have dreams you want to reach. Toby, you can't even have a girlfriend because of Trollhunting. You had to save me and risk your own happiness. I understand if you guys want to break off from Trollhunting and live the lives you guys want."
"Are you kidding me?" Toby started. "Just because Darci and I are having a rough patch doesn't mean I would leave my best friend to battle by himself. You told me your secret because we are always together, we never experience things without each other. Darci and I will most likely work out soon. Yeah, your decision was stupid but you were afraid to lose us. If my best friend is forced to fight for his life and the many troll lives, then screw it, so am I. Besides, I've seen too much to easily forget about all this and quit."
"Toby's right, I'm actually glad that Goblins were going to attack me because of my Changeling brother I knew nothing about. Screw acting, this is a lot more fun, exciting, and if I never was involved, I wouldn't have met you two. I'm myself around you guys and I have excitement in my life, not living under my parents shadow."
Jim looked at them with a smile, not caring as the whole crowd had awed at the heartwarming moment. The three shared a hug, their bond growing even stronger than before.
"You guys have been through so much and it shows that no one else can ever have the friendship, or share the experiences like you three." Darci started, "what all of us have seen is that three teens are closer than ever in some crazy situation. Also, Toby, I am sorry too, I know that I know nothing about Trollhunters but I should also give you a chance, like offering to sit by you at lunch."
Toby smiled, "it's okay Darci, I wish I could tell you."
The host watched them with a small smile, standing and catching everyone's attention. "Since this is a long process, how about I turn those chairs into beds? You guys can get some shut eye and be more refreshed for the upcoming episodes?"
Everyone cheered, loving the idea. The host smiled, pressing a button on a small device. Footrests slowly rose from the side, turning the chairs into comfortable beds. Pillows and blankets had already been supplied as the crowd happily crawled into a bed, some moving from their own seat/bed to share with another.
Jim smiled, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders and pulling Claire against him, the two smiling as they snuggled closer, their eyes falling shut as they instantly relaxed against each other's arms.
Beside them, Toby and Darci decided to share a bed, taking some time to get to know each other a little better, granter it wouldn't affect their relationship within the written future shown before them, but it made them feel better and affected them now.
Above them, Claire's parents were keeping an eye on their daughter. They had thought of how happy she was even if she never followed her dreams, they loved seeing her so happy. With a smile, they stared at her daughter happily trapped under Jim's arms and finally dropping their stubborn guard. Laying down, they succumbed to a deep sleep, not even nervous of the trolls nearby.
The lights dimmed as everyone had finally fallen asleep an hour later, the host stepping from their chair and leaving the room, leaving the sleeping crowd to themselves.
With no worry in the world, Jim smiled in his sleep, snuggling closer to Claire. Whatever happened, they would be ready for it and make it through.
Together.