Y'all excited for this? Because this was a lot of fun to write. It's been quite a year. For Jim and his crew, and for me. Thanks to everyone who stuck around.

Disclaimer, Enjoy, and...

Let The Chaos Ensue...

Chapter 42: Epilogue

Corbin changed, a lot.

After graduation, one of the student's 'found' a gem larger and more precious than the hope diamond. He sold it for an obscene amount of money and opened a school for 'Mythology and Battle Arts'.

For anyone who wanted to learn they could attend. And anyone who wanted to learn a little more… well.

…

Jim, in human guise, finished with the intermediate class for self defence, sending them home for the day. "Alright, you keep practicing those moves and I'll see you next week. Got it?"

The middle school age kids nodded and goofed off as they headed out the door. Two of them staying behind.

"Alright you two," Claire said. Stepping out of the back room door. "You ready for your first day of real training?"

The boy, Cody, and the girl, Dex. Both nodded vigorously. Ages 15 and 13, they showed the most promise for new students. Both agile and sharp minded, with natural skill for fighting.

They followed Jim and Claire into the back room, through another, and down a tunnel lit by glow stones. As they came out, they entered a massive, empty room. The sleek stone walls covered in murals and frames.

Inside was a girl with long, sharp black hair, and piercing green eyes. Jim walked up to her and introduced the kids.

"Cody, Dex, this is Maggie. She's going to be your trainer for the most part."

Maggie smiled and looked at the two. "You know, you two must be really special if you got invited in at such a young age. I look forward to teaching you."

Dex smiled. "I look forward to learning."

Jim nodded and walked to another door way into his personal classroom. He had three students waiting. Two girls, and one boy, Jim walked over to the wall and removed his mask, placing it on the hook.

"How was Amanda's class?"

"Really interesting," Zach smiled. "Did you really start fighting trolls when you were 15?"

Jim nodded. "You already that far? She shouldn't be teaching anything about me for another few months."

Zoe sighed. "He reads through the material like there's not tomorrow."

"Can't blame him," D.J. said. "It's really cool stuff."

Zoe nodded in defeat. "So, what are we learning today teach?"

"Well, I thought I'd let you guys decide. Since you're doing so well."

"OH! Can we practice with our weapons?" Zoe asked.

Jim raised a brow. "Your weapons? The magic weapons? The ones that reflect your talents and skills made by my wife, Claire weapons? The weapons you're not supposed to know about?"

The three nodded. "Yeah, those ones," D.J. said.

Jim pinched the bridge of his nose, his ears twitching. "Zoe, your brother has a loud mouth. Tell him to shut it would you?"

"Daunelle does what he wants, Teach, you know that," she smiled.

The troll smiled and nodded. "He does. Do you know how his recruiting is going?"

"Really well, him and Livia are doing really well at finding out who both want to be involved in all of this, and those who are good for it. Then… discreetly leaving your Hogwarts recruitment letter. 'Your a troll, Harry.'"

The three of them laughed.

"They are not Hogwarts letters…" Jim rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Yes, I'll let you practice with your weapons. You know those are like… my gift to you for when you finish your training though, right?"

"Oh yeah," Zach said. "We definitely know."

Jim left to retrieve the weapons, on his way he passed two faces. "Max, Paige! What are you guys doing here? I haven't seen you two in months!"

The couple smiled. "We just stopped by to give you the addresses of some candidates we thought would be good for your school, since we've been helping out in Europe with Ashley and Kassie. And you know, a few other of your graduated student's. Getting the eastern trolls back to a civilized state isn't as easy as you think."

Jim scoffed. "That's why you're there. I've seen it myself, trust me. Thanks, though, and it's good to see you again."

He continued to the armory and stopped when he saw Alex and Kyle. "Jim, hey, are you coming to Arcadia with us to help teach in the California branch next month?"

"I'd like to, but I can't unless Chaos class comes too."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "You get so attached to your kids, Jim. They're grown adults! Stop doting on them!"

"They're like… nineteen, they've barely tasted adulthood," he laughed.

"And you live in fantasy land, you and Claire… you've been living it for the past 8-9 years," Alex said.

"Hey, I can't help it if my life is perfect," he grinned.

"Yeah, because killing monsters and having yours and your mate's life on the line constantly…"

"You know that's not what I mean."

"Yeah, we know." Kyle said.

"OH! Maggie's in charge of Mischief Class right now, right?" Alex asked. "I wanted to talk with her."

Jim nodded. "Yeah, I just dropped off two kids to her class. I had them skip Trouble Class, I think they'll surpass the older people in Mischief and be in my Chaos as soon as the three I have now leave."

"Really?"

Jim nodded. "I'm a bit scared to see how Dex and Maggie interact though. The girl is a lot like Maggs."

Kyle sucked in a sharp breath. "I don't think I can handle another Maggie."

"Yeah, well. Cody keeps her in check. Anyways, I've got to get back to my class."

Jim grabbed the three weapons and headed back to the Chaos classroom. He'd named them that mostly as a joke, but figured that the more they knew, the more of a mess they could cause. That and the classes him and the others taught as a front were labeled normally, and when the underground classes were too, things got confusing.

He entered and found Claire chatting with the class. He handed out their weapons and they all gawked at them.

"Claire, did you really make these?"

She nodded. "I design them, Jim forges them, then I do my magic to them, giving them the unique abilities and powers suited to each of you based off of what Jim tells me," she said with a smile. "Excuse Jim and I for a minute to talk. Don't mess around with those till he shows you how to use them, 'kay?"

"What is it babe?" Jim asked.

"Werber wants to meet us for lunch tomorrow, then for you to talk to some of his classes about joining our school. Skinner needs you to do a week boot camp for the new troops under the front, he thinks it would do your Chaos kids good to fight some noobs. Then Mrs Read would like you to come by and get some scones because you haven't stopped by in a month."

Claire smiled up at Jim, her hair now even shorter in a pixie cut, with a silky grey headband.

Jim took in a breath. "Hmmm… If Skinner wants I can do the class after hours, train them like I did Maggie. Then they'll be physically ready for anything they face when it comes to police work. Tell Werber Wednesday, and I can do his third and fourth period classes."

"And Mrs. Read?"

"Mrs Read will get a few visitors later, you and I and the kids will go after class."

"Chaos class are not our kids Jim."

"You're right, they're not, but I like them a lot. So they can be my kids. If you don't want in on that then that's your loss," he taunted. Booping her nose then flicking her cheek.

"Maybe some of our own in the future?" Claire asked.

Jim nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just…"

"You're doing what you love, you're good at it, our life is practically perfect, and you don't want to mess it up." She sated.

"I didn't know you could read minds," he mocked.

"I can't, I just know you so well it's like I can," she glanced to the side at the students. "Now get back to class, because they really want to play with their new toys. I'll meet you in the lobby after class, m'kay?"

"Alright," Jim said. "See you then… Alright who wants to learn how to use their one of a kind magic weapon?"

The three young adults lined up quickly, and one by one Jim showed them how to use them. He spent the rest of class sparing with them and helping them use the weapon to its fullest potential.

When they were done, Jim slipped the mask back on and they headed through the tunnel and to the lobby of the 'Battle Arts' classrooms and found Claire with a few other people.

Maggie and Amanda, Alex, Kyle, and Justin.

"Hey man," Jim said. Giving the younger a bro hug. "How's the classes going?"

The young man scoffed. "Teaching wasn't my plan in life, but you pay so well it was hard to say no. Plus all of the student's are really into it, it's a lot of fun to teach mythology. There's a few I think would do good for the underground portion of the school."

"That's great, send me a list."

"To think you were able to hide from Jim for three years," Maggie said.

Justin laughed. "I honestly thought I was a dead man when the rumors about Jim's lack of humanity started going around. I had convinced my mom to move to a different state after I got into that private school. I was trying to get as far away from Jim and his threats as I could."

"Really?" Alex laughed.

"Yeah, I about peed myself when I got the letter," he said.

The group laughed and headed out the door, picking up a few other students as they went. Heading to the bakery. Laughing and talking about old times.

Corbin wasn't as small as it used to be, people came from all around to learn battle arts, or mythology from Jim's school, and because of that the town had to accommodate more people coming and living. The population stayed at a steady flux of about 15 hundred people.

…

The small, graduation class of 2019 wouldn't tell you the whole story, but they'd definitely tell you all sorts of wacky stories about Jim Lake. Or the strange creatures that appeared then disappeared in the space of six months. The explainable explosion. And the odd stories about the bridge near the sewers.

Some of them would smile and tell you that you'd never believe them, some would claim nothing happened, but if you asked the right person. They'd tell you, the story of how Jim Lake Jr came to Corbin, turned it on it's head, and left it changed in a way no one thought possible

If you actually asked Jim. He'd probably laugh and say something like this.

"I came here because I had to. I fought for these people because they matter. And I started teaching because I wanted to make a difference in a way that no one else could. After all, what better way to change the world then through battle arts, strategy, and a history no one knows?"

~ END