Hey, I am back after... 2+ years of hiatus. Hehe...😅. Well, here's a new chapter, but I have an unfortunate announcement. I have lost inspiration in writing this. I started the fic when I first discovered Trollhunters on the internet and fell in love with the show, as I watched more and wrote more ideas came and I really care for this story, since it is my biggest and longest whole work until now. Then... the movie came, yes I had taken a hiatus because of university, but figured I'd write in summer, then watched the Rise of the titans movie and it was like everything was ruined. All the growth, development, sacrifices of the characters were just erased like it was nothing. I tried to wait it out, in hopes of being able to finish the story, but it didn't work, the muse was not back. So I will be posting this last chapter I've had in my pc for over 2 years and finally managed to complete and a few story points and general plot of how I planned to write this before my muse was killed on the TV screen.
Thank you for reading and following this for so long!
I'm still here
Jim felt as if he was floating for an eternity, enveloped in warm fluffiness, as if the was soaring in the sky, hugging the clouds, then the crash happened…
A headache so strong, it was as if a plane had decided to crash into his skull.
"Ugh…" - he slowly sat up and rubbed his head, wincing as his arm twinged in pain, he was in the basement.
The door of the basement creaked. The sound feeling like nails were scratching a blackboard right next to his ear.
"...quiet…" - he muttered, still not fully awake.
The person going down the stairs halted and gasped.
As fast as she could, Barbara went down the stairs, upon seeing Jim, her eyes teared up.
"Jim- you are awake!" - she hugged him as tightly as she could.
"Mom, can you be a bit quieter? My head is killing me."
"Sorry…" she whispered "Just…I am so glad you are finally awake."- she wiped a tear from her eye.
"W-what happened? Last thing I remember is Angor Rot threatening Toby-"
"Jim!" she put a hand on his shoulder, seeing him start to panic "They are ok, everyone's alright! Now, breathe in and out, in and out…"
Slowly but surely, he calmed down, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
"Thank goodness…"
She hugged her clearly distressed boy and Jim returned the gesture with a relieved smile on his face.
=== Time skip ===
"I can't believe something like this could even happen!" – Jim exclaimed as he, Toby and Claire were walking out of the Forge.
"Yes, I knew with the whole 'another hidden world of magic' and being kidnapped by an evil troll, would mean some danger but I didn't expect that! I mean, how could I expect it to be possible to almost fly off into the stratosphere!" – Claire was gesturing wildly.
"It was not fun, that's for sure. Sorry about your bookbag though." – Toby apologized.
"It's nothing Tobes, it could have been worse. You could have really flown off because of that malfunctioning spell." – Jim patted his friend's back.
"On the brighter side, I got a really slick warhammer though!" – Toby brightened and pulled out the shrunk warhammer.
Unfortunately, that movement and shaking activated it and it bumped into a troll that was passing by.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Sorry!" – Toby quickly shrank the hammer and stuffed it in his bag.
"So, Claire, how's that reading you've been doing? Blinky and I did our best to help with translating the books but-"
"Don't worry, Jim, with the letter sheet and translated phrases, I have been doing quite a bit of progress. I am looking for ways how to easily get my brother without releasing your d-" Jim and Toby shot her a panicked look "Umm… the big evil troll overlord, but nothing solid."
"Hmm…" Toby hummed "Hey, wouldn't NotEnrique know something? Since he actually came from the Darklands recently and all that. Maybe we can sneak Jimbo into your house to intimidate him for information."
"That's a good idea! Too bad he's been sticking close to my mom recently. He hasn't even been sneaking to try and eat the cat. He might be a menace but… I am a bit worried. I don't want to make it worse." – Claire crossed her arms in front of her.
"Okay, no intimidation. What about you, Jimbo, any Ideas?"
"Well, asking NotEnrique is the best lead we currently have, so let's do that, but we're going to need something to negotiate… Tobes, how much old, dirty socks you can get on short notice? The sweatier, the better."
"Dirty socks?!" – Claire looked a bit sick.
"In 2-3 days I can have up to 5 pairs ready."
"Good, if it is not enough I'd throw in the winter stocking from last year."
"Alright! Let's go and get some info!"
The two boys fist-bumped and Claire watched confused from the side, still not quite used to troll culture or habits.
…
"Nuh-UH! No way! I am not risking my hide by going to try and steal the Fetch! I am on thin ice already and everyone's on edge since the Boss-man went into hiding." – NotEnrique grumbled from his perch.
At first the changeling had adamantly refused the meeting, but after the promise of dirty socks and meeting in secret on neutral ground, he agreed.
"Please, NotEnroque!" Claire pleaded "We don't have a way to save my brother right now, the trolls would not just risk releasing Gunmar. You came from the Darklands recently, so you must have something."
"Come on, dude! I'm even willing to get you a few argyle socks from my gran if you help." – Toby also joined with an offer of his own.
"The answer is still no! If I am seen sneaking around or worse, caught trying to sneak something out, I'm gonna be the next on the chopping board."
"What if… you are not seen?" – Jim said.
They all looked at him with questioning looks.
"You said Strickler is gone, you also mentioned before that he was the head of the Janus order before, so… There must be at least something in his office at the school! We can sneak in there after it closes and have a quick look-around and if someone does come, we'd be able to cover and hide you easily." – Jim explained.
After a lot of pondering and negotiations, the small changeling finally agreed to accompany them to the school.
…
Jim, Toby, Blinky, NotEnrique, Aarrrgh and Claire snuck in the school the next night. Claire led the trolls to Strickler's office while Jim walked behind the group as a lookout. They rounded a corner and reached the office, with a quick swipe of a library card they were inside.
"OK, you guys go in and look around, Aarrrgh and I will be here in the hallway on a lookout." – Jim said.
Jim and Aarrrgh went to each end of the hallway and began listening if someone was about to come, the run-in with Señor Uhl was too close for their liking.
'Coast seems clear for now. I hope they find something fast, the less we are here, the better.' -Jim thought.
Tap-tap…tap!
Those were steps! Jim ducked behind the corner and peered slightly, a second away from running to fetch the others. He expected the janitor, the night guard or Uhl, but his blood froze when he noticed the glowing eyes of Angor Rot looking at him from the shadows. Jim was about to shout and activate the amulet but stopped dead in his tracks.
"Shh…" – Angor said, putting a clawed finger to his mouth.
Quietly, with his injured arm he lifted up the limp form of Barbara Lake, tied and unconscious. In one fluid motion, the assassin's uninjured hand pulled out his dagger and put it against the woman's throat.
"Now, now, Trollhunter." he said the word mockingly "We don't want to make a scene, right? My hand just might slip~" – he sneered and teased the young troll.
Jim glared at him, fury clear on his face.
"Now, you'll come quietly, least her head flies off."
Jim knew what he was walking into was a trap but he was NOT going to leave his mom in the clutches of Angor.
=== Inside the office ===
They found the secret room and the fetch. Claire looked at some of the documents for some other information together with Blinky, Toby was playing around with the magic tool and NOtEnrique was lounging on the leather chair. Suddenly Aarrrgh entered with a bang.
"Jim gone!" – he was worried.
"What do you mean master Jim is gone?!"
"What happened with Jimbo?"
"Weren't you two together?" – Claire also piped in.
The noise and commotion made something stir and purple smoke come out of a crystal. NotEnrique spun around in the chair, uninterested in the conversation, but then he noticed the smoke.
"Uh, guys, we may have a wee problem." – and points at the crystal.
They all turn around to look where he is pointing and freeze.
"An antromonstum, everyone run for their lives!" – Blinky shouts.
"AAAAAAAAH!" – Toby and Claire scream and run.
"Hey, wait for me!" – NotEnrique scampers after them, barely managing to latch on Aarrrgh's fur.
=== Outside ===
Jim held the amulet inside his pocket, ready to defend at any moment as the assassin led him to the backyard. He had to be careful, he couldn't risk his mom's life.
"What do you want, Angor? I know you have grudge with me because of my father, is it because of arm?"
Angor growled and stopped, turning around to face the troll in disguise.
"As much as I want to eviscerate you right here and now, we have other business with you here."
'Wait, we?!' – Jim noticed and started scanning for a sneak attack.
Suddenly Angor Rot let Barbara Lake go and she landed on her feet, awake. Jim was startled and froze, then in a flash of light where once stood his mom, now was a Dutch man in a coat.
"Guten abend, young prinz." – he greeted with an accent.
"Polymorph…" – Jim was not expecting that.
"Ja, with Stricklander missing, there was a free spot in ze leadership department. Ve just needed you away from your friends. I am not usually the one for zis kind of theatrics, but it worked, no?"
Jim activated the amulet and transformed in his true form at the same time, not knowing what kind of tricks the two of them might have.
"Ah, are you sure zis is the time to be fighting us? Shouldn't you be more worried about your friends?" – Otto teased.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" – there was a scream from the school.
"The others?!" Jim growled "What did you do?!"
"Ve? Nothing, really. Ve are trying to get into Stricklander's personal office and just figured the best way to get rid of ze traps and remove some pests is to let zem go in and activate ze traps, then, ve reap the benefits." – Otto smiled as he looked at the young troll.
Jim hesitated for a second– take out the enemies here or go back into the school. He turned back and rand at full speed towards the building.
"Tonight I may have stood to the side, but next time I'll be going for your head, spawn of Gunmar! I am still here and will continue hunting you!" – Angor declared behind Jim.
=== Inside ===
"Hold on just a bit more!" – Blinky shouted as they held the open fetch.
The smoke monster was being sucked in but it thrashed around, making them almost lose their grip. Finally, the last of the smoke was sucked in and they closed the mini portal.
"W-we made it…" – Claire puffed.
"We're alive!" – Toby cheered.
"I am not coming with you guys ever again!" – NotEnrique grumbled as he tried to smooth his frazzled scruff.
BANG!
"Guys! What happened?! Are you alright?!" – Jim barged in with a force that shook the floor a bit.
"We're fine Jimbo, we took the fetch!" – Toby waved the device.
"I think I'll be keeping this on the way home, least your head almost gets stuck in there again." – Claire took the artifact and packed it carefully in her backpack.
"What happened, master Jim? Why were you gone and why are you fully transformed?"
"Hmm." Aarrrgh sniffed "Dust and sand… Angor Rot."
The others recoiled at the name.
"Yeah, he and a Polymorph Changeling tricked me into following them by pretending to be my mom. I came here when I heard you scream."
"Holy guacamole, are they still here?" – Toby asked.
"Yeah, I left them in the backyard, we better hurry back, who know what they might be planning."
They quickly left the school, now more nervous than they were before.
=== With Otto and Angor Rot ===
"Grr… I don't understand, why the need for these theatrics? Why not pretend to be his mother and then stab him in the heart? Why the whole monologue and theatrics?" – Angor growled as he followed Otto.
"Psychological warfare, mein friend, psychological warfare. I want them to doubt anyone, to slowly drive them into panic where everyone could be enemy, then is when people make mistakes." Otto toyed with the ring on his left arm "Be patient. Everything will come with time."
In another flash of light, in Otto's place stood Mr. Strickler.
"I think it is time we start moving the pieces." – he said, perfectly replicating Srickler's voice.