HEYO!
We are nearing the end, and shit's getting real!
I didn't bother to edit this chapter, I'm having too much of a hard time writing it as it is. My mind is focused on plotting for my new original. I hope you like this one, it's been long awaited.
I don't own, disclaimer... blah blah you've heard/read it a million times.
Let The Chaos Ensue...
Chapter 34: When Things Get Bad
How could so much go wrong over the course of two days? How could everything get out of control this fast?
Strickler, Barbara and Toby left, Friday evening. And that's when things started getting bad. That night while on patrol, the goblins started attacking. Anyone who had been out past 10 was overrun.
Claire and Maggie handled anything with a human, and Jim did his best to drive them back, green goblin guts were covering the back alleys and edge of the forest all around town. Only when it was close to sunrise did they start to draw back.
Now, Jim was in Blinkey's library, where he'd been panicking for the last half hour.
"Blink, they've never gone into town in those numbers before! What am I supposed to do? I can't fight them all, and Claire and Maggie aren't going to cover it."
"Look, Master Jim, I understand you're stressed, but there's no need to panic..."
"No NEED?!" He roared. "Seven people are in that sorry excuse for a hospital, and Dr. Cross is at his wits end. Detective Skinner is out of town and for some reason, I can't reach him! Both my mate, and apprentice are covered in cuts, and bruises, and I've got a feeling that tonight won't be the last attack," Jim finished with a snarl.
Claire frowned and came up to Jim, she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers. "Jim, we know this is bad. But we've faced worse," she forced a smile.
"But we had armies, Claire," he gripped his horn nervously. "Assassins, trolls, you had your staff, we had Toby…" Jim sparred a glance and Maggie. "Mag's escrima sticks are done for, and you only have what could be compared to a stick to fight with."
"And I don't think I need to point out, neither of our weapons are magical." Maggie added.
Jim snarled in frustration, and Blinkey and Claire both facepalmed.
With a growl, Jim pointed to the door. "You two head upstairs, I need to make some plans before tomorrow."
Claire wanted to argue, but Maggie pulled her out of the den and up the cave. Then Jim began scrawling over Blinkey's tomes with information on goblins.
…
Saturday; middle of the night
Jim snarled as he fought against the onslaught of goblins trying to get into the city, no one was out, and team Trollhunter had so far kept them from the suburbs.
"Did we underestimate their numbers?" Claire asked, yelling.
"Obviously," Maggie scoffed, her breath visible in the cold air.
"Why do they have to smell," Amanda said. Incredibly grossed out.
"This isn't working. Time for plan B. Everyone ready?"
The group gripped their weapons tighter, before charging forward through the goblins and making a b-line toward the goblin nests, leaving a trail of goblin in the fresh snow.
"Take them down!" Jim roared.
With solid nods they began killing any goblin out, and tearing up and smashing the nests that overtook the entirety of trees like slimy green spider nests, all topped nicely with a white cap of snow.
Amanda had advanced quickly with her spear, though she used it mostly as a staff, using the sharp end to slice through the slimy green creatures.
Maggie's escrima were long gone with the previous fight, nothing more then two broken, beat up, dented, metal rods. But true to Jim's word, he'd taught her sword play, and she was proficient with the falchion, and her other short swords. She made quick work of any goblin that neared her.
The staff Claire was using was on it's last leg, hopefully this stunt would stop the goblins long enough for Jim to put his real plan into effect.
For the better part of the night they were laying waste to the goblins' nesting grounds, until around one in the morning, a shrill cry of pain reached his ears.
His eyes darted around, landing on Amanda. On the ground, surrounded by goblins, her spear in their hands.
He threw out his galives, clearing his path, and used his sword to kill anything in reach on his way to her. Maggie and Claire were around her in seconds, Jim there not long after.
Then roared as loud as he could, causing every goblin to run scared deeper into the forest.
Every resident of the town was awake at the sound, children cried, birds flew away, car alarms went off.
He scanned his friend and would've palled if he could. Her abdomen was quickly turning red against her light blue sweater and staining the fresh white snow. The fabric torn where her own spear pierced her lower right side. Jim wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad one, but Amanda was unconscious for the time being.
"Wh… what do we do?" Maggie asked, eyes wide.
Jim ripped off his shirt, and put it to her side. "Claire, come hold this, keep pressure on it," he tossed his phone to Maggie. "Mags, call Blinkey. Tell him and Arg to meet us outside NTM entrance. We've got to get her stable!"
"Jim, we've got to get her to a hospital…"
"I know, but we can't Claire. We can't explain this, and Skinner's out of town. They have another detective from New York here, we can't have Cross calling him in. I know it's not ideal…" he paused, ears twitching.
"What is it?" Maggie said phone pressed to her ear.
"Werber," he said. "He said he knows intense first aid… Change of plan, I'll go get Werbz and bring him to NTM…"
"No kidnapping Jim," Claire said with a flat expression.
"And I don't think we should bring him to NTM at all, he's an adult and he'd need some time to freak out over everything," Maggie added.
Jim snarled and rolled his eyes. "Fine, we take her to Werber. Maggie, lead the way." He picked up Amanda and held pressure to her wound.
They made their way to the suburbs, three sets of footprints in the ever rising snow, and one trail of blood left in their wake.
They arrived on his doorstep and they nervously rang the doorbell.
...
The doorbell rang and he opened the door not long after, his eyes first falling on Claire, quickly noticing her face and clothes covered in cuts, then maggie looking the same. Last on the dark looming figure with a hood, holding a limp body, at his feet an ever growing pool of blood.
"Oh my, what the hell is going on? Claire?"
"You know first aid, and we need your help. Amanda's been stabbed, and we don't have the means or knowledge. Please help us."
Slowly he nodded, then became frantic. "Bring her inside, follow me to the kitchen."
They entered and he swiped his arm across the island, throwing everything that was there to the side. Jim set her down and handed his bloodied shirt off to Maggie to press on, traded for a clean hand towel by Werber.
"Hold onto that, Claire, get some hot water. I'm gonna grab my first aid."
He left the room, running upstairs.
Jim threw down his hood and snarled loudly. "I'm going back out, I'll be back."
"Jim, no," Claire siad.
"Jim yes," Jim said.
"I can't have anyone else getting hurt, I'm the Trollhunter, and I'm failing at my job. Not anymore!" He then stomped out of the house, shutting the door a bit to roughly, causing it to splinter around the doorknob.
Werbz came back not long after carrying a large duffle with a big red tape '+' on it.
"Where did tall dark and creepy go?" He asked, remaining calm, as he quickly dug through the bag.
"Probably to kill the creeps that did this," Maggie said darkly.
"Good," the chemistry teacher replied. "It'll save me the trouble." Then got to work cleaning and treating Amanda's stab wound.
…
Jim ran on all fours, he had Maggie's sword. No way was his armor slowing him down. He charged with a steady growl till he reached where the goblins had taken refuge. It was a large cave, set in the ground and probably dug by the goblins.
Jim didn't realize how many there were till he was in the cave, nor did he want to know. Goblins it seemed, were much like ants. And the cave Jim just crawled into, was the ant hill.
A bit too much fear crept into his mind, and every goblin in his vicinity turned to him with devilish yellow eyes.
Still, he refused to dawn his armor. It slowed him down, and dulled his senses. He needed to be able to know his surroundings. Gripping the sword, he growled and lunged.
Sunday Morning
Claire was getting worried. The sun would be up soon and there was no word from Jim. She paced back and forth as Werber was stitching Amanda's skin back together.
So far, he hadn't asked questions, other then to where the tall figure had gone. No one had really spoken much of all. The tension too high, air too thick.
"Maggie, the sun's almost up. What if he's not alright? What if there were too many Goblins? What if… What if there was another Stalkling?!" Claire spouted off.
Maggie gave an unimpressed look. "Claire, this is Jim we're talking about. Jim the Bular slayer. Gunmars Bain. He's handled goblins before, even when he was less of a fighter. Plus, with that kind of anger, I think he'd be able to take on an army of Krubera."
Claire gave a shaky laugh, Werber giving worried glances at the two.
"Did you two want anything to eat?" He asked. Wiping his bloodied hands on one of the many ruined rags lying around the kitchen.
"That would be awesome, thanks," Maggie said. Claire only gave a slow sad nod.
Amanda was moved to the couch, sleeping soundly. And sooner than later, they each had a plate of cinnamon toast and a cup of cocoa.
"I'm guessing you want an explanation?" Claire said.
"I mean, that would be nice. But you don't have to if you don't want to. The only thing I really want to know is why me? And not the hospital?"
"All stab wounds are to be reported to the police, and Skinner is out of town. They've got some other big city cop down here for the week," Maggie said. Idly dipping a torn piece of toast in her cocoa.
Werber nodded slowly.
They ate in silence for a while. It was probably four or five when there was a loud knock on the back door, then what sounded like a body falling on the door.
Werber got up from his seat quickly and opened the door, giving a 'manly' yelp. Claire bolted from her chair at the sight, knocking over her cocoa and chair. Rushing to the side of the blue half troll on the back step, crumpled up, covered in goblin claw and bite marks. His jacket in shreds, and his own trail of red in the snow from the forest.
His eyes were half lidded, and he was giving pathetic whines of pain.
Claire felt two hands on her shoulders as she was harshly pulled away from her mate.
"Claire get away from that thing!" Werber said as he pulled her aside.
She violently removed his hands and rushed back to Jim's side. Maggie there not long after. "Jim, baby are you alight," she cooed.
He gave a sad moan and looked up at her with big sad eyes.
"Jim?" Werber said, the sound almost breathless.
"Yeah," Claire said. "This is Jim."
"What happened to you?" Maggie asked, zero decorum involved.
He gave a pained laugh. "Did you know goblins are like ants?"
It took the girls a second to realize what he meant, but once their minds gripped he was talking number wise. Their response was identical and instantaneous.
"Oh shit."
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