T3ddyBearL0ve-Bahaha, that would be epic! I love that song and having Jim and co. strutting to that would be AMAZING. (But yeah no, too easy for them lol.) Oh no, I love it when the villain is scared out of their mind after being a bitch to the characters like Eunice was. It makes their fall all the more satisfying. Poor Jim, he went from being on gravesand for like a couple weeks, to learning he's a berserker troll, to breaking his friends out of changeling jail. (Wow, I really put him through hell with this fic.) He really does need some yummy troll snacks. Haha, there will be Toby moments soon! I promise!

merendinoemiliano-Thank you!

Claire launched herself off the ground and over the head of a changeling. She landed behind it and thrust her spear through its back. It dissipated with a wail.

She wiped the sweat off her brow, panting. Despite the battle raging around her, she couldn't help but smile. It felt so good to be useful in a fight again. Turns out she didn't need her staff after all. Although, she had to admit it was a lot easier fighting with it than without.

Suddenly, an explosion sounded in the far distance. The ground shook underneath her, almost making her lose her balance.

"Well that doesn't sound good," she muttered. She looked over at Vardan, whose yellow skin had considerably paled. "What's going on?"

He shook his head numbly. "She-she wouldn't-"

BOOM. Another explosion, this one much closer. Dust rained down from the ceiling.

Vardan grabbed her wrist. "We have to get Jim and the others out of here. Now."

As if on cue, Jim appeared on the balcony. He reared his head back and unleashed the loudest roar Claire had ever heard him roar-maybe even the loudest she had ever heard. It made the room shake almost as much as the explosion did. Everyone stopped fighting and stared up at Jim, eyes wide with shock.

"Your leader is dead," he announced, waving to the pile of ashes behind him. "But this place is going down with her. We can't afford to fight. You can either come with us, find a better way to live-or you can go your own way in the world, alone and leaderless. I'd decide quickly if I were you."

The changelings looked back and forth among one another, unsure what to do. One by one, they started fleeing the room. Before long, only a few were left. Claire noticed they were like Vardan, in that they were on the scrawnier side. Still, it was more than she expected.

Jim leapt down from the balcony and approached Nomura and Vardan. "How long do we have?"

"Before the complex implodes completely?" Vardan thought for a second. "I'd say…around ten minutes."

Another explosion rumbled through the building.

"Make that nine," he corrected.

"Then we have no time to lose!" Blinky said, jogging over. "Do you know of an exit?"

Vardan nodded. "I do. Follow me!"

He started to leave, but Jim grabbed his arm. "Wait!" he cried. "The other trolls. We have to go back!"

He blinked, before realization dawned on his face! "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot! Uh…" His gaze flicked over to a turquoise changeling with black hair. "Rowan!"

The changeling jumped. "Y-yeah?"

"Go to Floor 14. There are about a hundred trolls in a tunnel in the supply closet there. Lead them to the forest just outside the complex. We'll meet you there. Go!"

Rowan saluted. "Got it!"

"Don't worry, she's a good one," Vardan reassured Jim. "Now come on!"

He dashed off, with Claire, Jim, and the other trolls right on his heels. They sprinted through hallway after winding hallway. More and more explosions rocked the building, making them stumble and fall more than once. Cracks started forming in the walls.

"How much further?!" Nomura demanded.

"Almost there, I swear!" Vardan shouted. He rounded the corner of a hallway and wrenched a door on the left side open. "Aha! See?"

Claire gasped. The massive room was filled with helicopters. They were going to get out of here!

Her enthusiasm died abruptly as she remembered something important. "Um, Vardan," she said, "aren't we, well, underground? What good are these?"

"Ah, but there's more!" he beamed. He pushed a red button on the wall next to him. Machinery groaned as the hangar doors on the opposite side of the room started grinding open. "Those open to a tunnel that will lead us out of here! All we have to do is-oh." His face fell. "Oh no."

Claire followed his gaze. Her heart sank at the sight before her. The tunnel, their only hope of an escape…it had caved in.

"What do we do now?" she whispered.

"I-I don't know," Jim said, his face stricken. "B-but maybe Merlin can help!"

Merlin, who was leaning on a troll for support, shook his head morosely. "I'm sorry, my boy, but I…I cannot. I am still too weak."

"Some wizard you are," Carbak sneered.

Merlin hung his head in shame.

"This can't be the end," Jim said, running his fingers through his hair frantically. "It can't-not when we're finally all together, not when we're so close-"

An explosion boomed from right outside the door, and he jumped. He glanced to the closed-off tunnel and to the flames now flickering in the hallway outside. He gazed at Claire, the horrible reality of their situation finally settling in. He put his head in his hands. "I failed."

Oh God. This was all too familiar. Being trapped underground with so many terrified trolls, enemies pounding at the door. The stench of dying hope and fear. They had barely managed to escape last time. Now though…now Claire didn't have her staff. She couldn't portal them out of here. She was still useless after all.

She looked down at Jim, who had his arms wrapped tightly around his chest. He looked so-so small, and alone. It pained her to see him like this.

A fierce wave of protection washed over her. She clenched her fists. No. Staff or not, she was going to get them out of here. She wasn't going to let that hag Eunice get the better of them. They were going to survive.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tuned out the panicked voices of the trolls around her and focused inward. She was somehow able to summon the staff to her in the shadow realm-that meant there had to be some magic in her. All she had to do was bring it out.

Something sparked to life within her chest. She forced herself not to get too excited as she coaxed the feeling into a flame. The flame grew brighter and colder, but still she let it grow. The icy sensation her chest became painful, but she didn't stop. For a portal this big, she needed to keep going until she couldn't anymore.

In the distance, she could vaguely hear Jim's panicked voice, but she ignored it. Sorry Jim, she thought with a shiver, but this is the only way. I won't lose you again.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes snapped open as she released the pent-up magic with a shout. An enormous portal opened beneath them, and everyone fell through it with a scream. A second later, the room exploded in a blaze of light and heat.

I did it, she thought wearily, a smile on her face. I really did it…

Then she passed out.

A/N: Sorry for the late update once again! I've literally been out of town every weekend, which cuts into my time for writing. Kinda irritating, actually. And finally, an explanation for Claire's extra white streak! Always bothered me why they didn't explain that in Wizards. But yeah, I LOVED that scene where they escaped in the season two finale of Trollhunters, so it was fun to write my own version of it.

Also yes, we got some new dorky changelings. Ones like Vardan where they don't like the situation they're in but can't really do anything about it. Until this chapter, that is! I don't think I'll spend too much time with them, since this fic is kind of in its final act, but we might get some scrawny changeling squad, who knows. I'll see you guys in the next update!