"GAH!" Jim screamed on the top of his lungs, pressing himself up against the walls of his home.
Or was it?
He couldn't tell the difference between what was right or wrong. His memory was gone, he didn't know who he was, where he was, or why he was there. Jim could feel a slight familiarity with the feel of the floor and carpet, like an indescribable sense of deja vu, but it still wasn't ringing any red flags or bells in his mind.
"Who are you people?! Where am I?! Who am I?!" Jim's hyperventilating was getting more violent by the second, feeling his heart pumping in and out of his breathless chest.
"Jim, Jim— look at me." Barbara swung in front of the rest of the team, so she was the only person Jim could see.
This was her profession as a doctor. If anyone could handle a distressed child, including her own… she was the one to call.
"Breathe…just breathe, can you do that?" She held onto her son's shoulders, as he looked her deep into the eyes. His eyes were full of fear and confusion, making Barbara use all of her willpower not to break down seeing her son like this - How did this happen? Why did he have to be so reckless? Thoughts spun in her mind, but she had to keep her professional stoicism.
For Jim's sake.
Jim gave a few quick nods, bobbing his head up and down as he was still pressing himself in the corner like a pinned animal.
"O-okay.." stuttering to gather his words, he took his mothers advice.
"Breathe in," she took a deep breath in, gesturing her hand in an upward motion before releasing.
"Breathe…in.." he repeated.
"Breathe out."
"Breath…out."
There was a short pause.
"Better Jim? You gave us all a—" She abruptly cut herself off, looking Jim into the eyes. That's when the horrifying truth began to really settle in.
He couldn't recognize his own mother.
"Y-yeah, I'm better," Jim wiped away his sweat and tears, "And who are you?" Barbara's heart sank, deeper than the Darklands with those words. Having to take a step back.
"I'm your— mother. Jim." Her voice began to shake, quickly comforted by Strickler's hand on her shoulder.
"We're your friends, don't you remember?" Claire intervened with a worried tone.
Jim took a moment before answering, "N-no? I don't know who any of you are. I don't know who……who I am?" He questioned himself, slowly getting up.
"You don't remember…." Toby said with a shocked and equally depressed tone.
The team is stopped as Douxie, Archie, and Merlin all come storming into the household.
"We came as fast as we could!" Douxie's eyes widened when he saw Jim looking at him with a confused and shocked expression.
"Well that's not good." Archie shapeshifted, letting his wings expand and make a few flaps, perching on the nearest end table.
"Oh my Lord, did that cat just—?"
"Shapeshift? Talk?" He commented back in a sarcastic tone, well aware that Jim didn't have his memory.
"I'm assuming that the blast of light came from the amulet, am I not correct?" Merlin began speaking, picking up the amulet from the floor. The blue swirls on the amulet flicked and twisted from inside and outside, the sound of quiet ticking from the gears.
"Yes you are correct, Merlin," Blinky answered too with a concerned tone for Jim's well-being.
"Jim not remember?" Aaarrgh questioned.
"I'm afraid not, I fear that the amulet had backfired on Jim when he attempted to take it off— for what a strange reaction I must say…." Merlin trailed off, seeing no damage to the amulet whatsoever, which raised more questions than answers.
"The amulet wouldn't…..hurt him— right?" Douxie questioned his mentor, taking the amulet.
"No, that's not possible. Unless—"
"What are you people talking about?" Jim questioned, looking Aaarrgh and Blinky up and down, but surprisingly didn't feel any fear towards them.
"Wait-wait-wait.." Claire took a second to think, only for some of the dots to connect; even in this cluttered mess. "Jim, you're not scared of Blinky and Aaarrgh, right?"
Jim took a moment, and the realization hit him. He wasn't afraid, not one bit.
"No.. I'm not. Should I?" He questioned, folding his arms in.
Merlin perked up, and the subtle realization hit him harder than he could have imagined. He hadn't had a problem like this before. Well, in reality there was more than just one problem— and he was well aware of it.
"You should," Merlin started again, gesturing for the whole team to silence. "Which means this isn't just any memory fluke, if it was… Jim would be reacting the same way he did when he first met Aaarrgh. And he's not. So that means that even if his mental capacity and condition had been erased, his instinctual and emotional state stayed the same."
"So what you're saying is that Jimbo is still in there?" Toby questioned, a smile peering with hope.
"Yes, he should." He replied, "Hopefully it will gradually come back as long as we keep him immersed in the troll hunting life."
The team made a collective sigh of relief and also worried emotions. They had lost Jim, even if it's just temporary, they still lost him. And all they have now is an oblivious boy who doesn't know who he truly is— where he belongs; no worries, no fears, it's like he's a blank slate for the team.
"The what?" Jim questioned at Merlin. "What life?"
"Jim, you're a trollhunter, you hunt— well….trolls." Toby attempted to explain, even though it was in the straightforward name.
"Okay…" Jim sat down and listened intently to the team's words.
"And you know all of us, family— or not. We are here for you, Jim." Barbara finished, looking at the rest of the team, and stepping in. "We will figure this out, and tell you everything you need to know down to the first day— alright?"
"Yeah, sounds….good." Jim gave a determined look that was infectious.
Jim's memories might be gone, but his determination and drive to stand for good?
It never left.