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Let The Chaos Ensue...
Chapter 36: Plan Start
School was back in session, the trollhunters were on edge, Kyle and Alex both looked like kicked puppies, and by the time chemistry rolled around, Werber somehow acted as though nothing was wrong.
Amanda's parents knew she was at a sleepover and Werber excused her absences before they called home. She was resting at Maggie's house, happily watching netflix and drinking as much soda as she wanted.
Claire was still apologizing up and down, Jim just smiled and shook his head, saying the same thing over and over. "I'm not mad, I'm not upset. I love you. You don't need to be sorry."
Werber left his classroom to go talk to an administrator or something, and the bell signaling the end of school rang. The students cleared out, with the trollhunter trio left and two unlikely people.
Alex and Kyle stood in front of Jim and Claire's desk, Maggie soffed and moved to sit on the desk behind them, muttering. "This is gonna be good."
"I… I'm just gonna let her say it," Kyle said.
Alex gave him a dirty look, but didn't mind it. "What you said… before we left. We didn't realize, and we should have. Your secret, it keeps you and your home safe. Your family, the other trolls. We didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but we saw families, friends, trolls interacting just like people…"
"But we were being selfish and discounting it on account of them being trolls. To us they were just big monsters. Jager… you were just a monster to us," Kyle said. Bowing his head in shame.
"But then you what you said about it being your home… we're really sorry for the way we've been acting. Ever since we met, we're sorry. And we promise to keep your secret."
"Wow," came out of Jim's mouth. "I did not expect that."
"But we really appreciate that," Claire added.
Maggie burst into hysterics and fell back on the table.
Kyle shook his head with furrowed brows. "What is with you?"
"It's ironic, that's all," Claire said.
"What?" Alex asked.
Jim chuckled. "Alright, so you know about the goblin problem to only an extent right?"
They nodded.
"Well, around flourish this morning, I found where all the goblins are coming from. And now we're comparing their numbers to that of ants."
Both their faces screwed up, eyes wide.
"Yeah, so the only way we're going to beat them is recruiting an army of teenagers. And in order to do that…"
"You have to tell," they finished.
Jim smiled and nodded. "I'll probably get expelled or ostracized, but if it keeps you guys safe, whatever."
The couple looked at each other before grabbing another set of chairs and sitting down in front of Jim and Claire, Maggie sitting down on the end of the table.
"So, how can we help?" Alex smiled and leaned forward on her elbows.
Jim smiled wide, dread that they wouldn't want anything to do with this leaving. Replaced with hope for the other students, hope that this could work, and they could get rid of this nasty pest problem.
"Alright, so first off, we need to wait till I get something from Merlin, that should be Thursday. And we'll meet that night to discuss things further. But as soon as I have what I need from him you guys start talking. Spread subtle word that not only is James Lake Jr. a monster hunter, but a mythical creature himself."
"Anyway I can help?" Werber said, walking in the open, second door that connected to the lab, and alerting the others to his presence.
"Oh shit!" Alex said, glancing frantically between Jim and Werbz.
"Definitely!" Jim said. "Just curious, but how much of the story did you get?"
"The whole thing," he replied. "Threw my head through the loop and then back again. From what I heard, I probably know more than you two." He looked at Alex and Kyle.
Jim laughed and nodded. "They don't even know I used to be human."
"What?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, but that's a story for a different time," Claire said. Bringing everyone back on track.
"So Jim," Maggie said. "How is all of this going to go down?"
"Well, like I said back at Werbz. We should have a three weeks tops before the goblins start attacking again. I left a nasty dent in that hill of theirs, destroyed every hatchery I could sniff out, took out any goblin I came across. We're lucky though, I didn't see a single blood goblin."
"Thank Daya!" Claire sighed.
"Anyways, we spread rumor. Werber, you do to. Convince the teachers that there's 'something just not human about Jim Lake,' and 'the students are onto something'. Get it in their heads. I want everyone in school looking at me weird, second glances, I want every topic of gossip in school about me, and how I'm not human."
They opened their mouths to reply, but they were cut off, Jim wasn't finished.
"But… I don't want anyone outside this school in on this," he paused. "I don't want these kids' parents to know about this… think you can do it?"
Werber narrowed his eyes. "You want the teachers to know, but not the kids' parents?"
Jim nodded. "That's right."
"Alright," Alex said, pushing herself to a standing position. "We're going to have to get started if we're going to spread the news about you on Friday."
"What?" Claire laughed.
The blonde cocked her hip and smirked. "If you want to start good gossip, you've got to start small. You can't all of the sudden come out with this wild rhoumor. So you've got to start with… 'Oh my gosh, I heard there's something weird about Jim. And not the normal weird humor about him… this one's juicy!'" She said in mock shock.
Jim shrugged. "Whatever, but the non human part doesn't come out till Friday. Otherwise it's just too soon on the agenda."
Kyle shrugged and him and Alex headed for the door. "Whatever you say, we'll meet you at Maggie's on Thursday after school then."
…
Thursday
Jim made his way to Merlin's workshop and knocked on the door, after hearing the old man's voice he entered.
"Hey Merlin, are you done with Claire's new staff and the sticks for Maggie?"
"And the spear for Amanda…" he drawled. "Oh, and I conjured this healing potion, it should heal her wounds the rest of the way."
"It's not gonna turn her into a troll is it?" Jim smirked.
"Will you never get over that?"
"I'll get over it when I can stand in the sun and be fine."
"Hmmm. I suppose that is fair. Well, here are your things. Be off with you and don't bother me again."
Jim rolled his eyes and left with the bundle of weaponry, then headed to the armory. Before long, he was on his way back to Maggie's house with everyone waiting.
Alex and Kyle weren't happy to find out what happened to what happened to Amanda, but otherwise were playing their part well. The rumor that something big was going on with Jim was working nicely, and all the adults of Corbin knew was Jim was weird. Perfect.
"I'm back!" Jim shouted, coming into the Hazard Room. "First things first, Amanda, Merlin made you a potion to fix your stab wound."
"Really? Cool."
She took it and downed it, and it seemed the pain drained from her shoulders.
"Wow, Merlin being nice. What a concept," Maggie said.
"Second," Jim smiled at his mate. "Let's wish Claire a happy early birthday!"
The others cheered and smiled, and Jim pulled a silver chain from his pocket. It had a single amethyst stone at one end, and the whole thing looked like it was covered in intricate vines.
Wrapping it around her wrist and fastening it, he gave her a hug and flicked her cheek. She blushed and smiled. "Thanks Jim."
He grinned and nodded, then said. "Now rip it off, like you're really mad."
Her face changed like day and night. "What?"
"Rip it off, like it was a gift from Morgana or something."
"Why?" She asked, exasperated.
Jim's ears flicked and he shook his head with an annoyed smile. "Just rip it off."
Claire rolled her eyes and grabbed the bracelet in her opposite fist, and yanked hard. There was a bright flash of purple and the chain bracelet had become a thin staff, like a vine chain with a purple gem at the top.
A chorus of awe's and wow's went around the room.
"Oh… YESSSS!" She spun it around like she used to with the shadow staff, then ran her delicate fingers over the gem. "If only I could make portals."
Jim grinned. And stepped behind her, taking her hands in his and whispered in her ear. "Sheer force of will," guiding her hands, he drew a circle in the air, it left a golden glow behind and once the circle connected it turned a purple portal with a gold rim.
"Jim," she smiled.
"Whoa! Where's it go?" Amanda asked.
Claire frowned and mentally willed the portal away. "Home."
Jim sat in a crouch, and looked at her. "As soon as they're gone, we'll go straight to arcadia. I swear. We won't even bother with an explanation to the public."
Claire laughed, nodding. "I'd like that."
Jim smiled and stood. "Alright Maggie, since your old escrima are now nothing more than pitiful excuses for troll toothpicks, I had Merlin come up with these for you." Out of his bag he pulled a small leather pouch the size of a deck of cards, with a belt clip.
After it was fastened Jim continued. "There's two in there. The Black pair are for long distance, and the silver are for hand to hand, or hand to stick." She pulled out one set, and they grew to size as they emerged from the pouch.
"Amanda," he continued. "This spear, it can create shields." he tossed the pencil sized spear in the air and when in landed back in his palm it was full size. He then drew a semi circle on the floor and a light green, glowing transparent wall appeared in front of Jim, he then dragged his foot over the line, blurring it and causing the shield to vanish.
He handed it to her and she focused, shrinking it back down to pencil size and threading it through her hair.
"You two," Jim said to Kyle and Alex. "Here's the weapons you used at the forge, enjoy."
"What? Why don't we get cool magical toys?" Alex whined.
There was a burst of dark navy energy exploded against the wall, knocking some weapons from the shelves caused a lot of noise, and the attention to Maggie. She grinned with an evil look in her eye and the black escrimas in hand, both glowing that dark blue. "Shoulda joined sooner," she said.
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