He had believed everything should have been safe after the intricate manipulations.
Young Atlas seemingly exhausted and not interested in anything? Good - it meant he would have kept a low profile.
Other students talking about different topics? Even better - the entire issue of Jim Lake's injuries would have faded eventually as long as something else would have drawn more attention. No, obviously, Strickler could hear some kids still discussing Jim's nasty bruises, but Palchuk's name came out often enough to keep the generally-accepted version the preferred way.
Shen had already bitten that bait, seemingly unaware of its entirely fabricated nature. Strickler had seen her in the morning, smug and full of confidence.
He could imagine her inner triumph - that fool must have already celebrated her acquirement of the most valuable information, the Trollhunter's identity.
Strickler couldn't help but smile at that. It was his win, temporary, of course, - but it was still his additional time and space for the maneuver. While Shen was busy pursuing Palchuk, he could have found a way to mend the falling trust between himself and Young Atlas and finally get the amulet.
It didn't even matter if his rival would kill the fake Trollhunter herself or sic on him one of Gunmar's children. That forged lead had an additional layer as well, working as an effective trap. Both Bular and Barverra had no tolerance for mistakes, and Shen seemingly enjoyed gloating. With the right circumstances, it could mean getting rid of the annoyance altogether.
A message from Nomura this morning also indicated that Barverra and some Order members had received the intended misinformation too.
Everything was going according to the plan, so was it that illogical Strickler relaxed for a second?
He was explaining the homework to the group of students when some ruckus outside of the classroom interrupted him. The kids rushed to watch first, and Walter followed without much interest - it was a typical school, after all, and teenagers were loud by default. Most likely, it was just another silly drama or something.
Jim Lake rushing past him as if pursued by the horde of monsters wasn't something Strickler expected. The next second he was in the corridor himself, though still not sure if he had to run after Young Atlas or check what exactly forced the boy to flee.
"Jimbo, wait!" Tobias Domzalski ran past Walter, heavily panting and seemingly panicking. Claire Nunez was not that far, suddenly closing the distance and whispering something to the boy.
Domzalski stopped in his tracks, arguing about something in a hushed tone and gesturing wildly. It didn't work as the girl continued to persuade him quietly. In the end, they both went somewhere, only raising Strickler's suspicions.
It was a nasty foreboding for sure, especially after realizing that Jim had been running from the wing with the counselor's office. In the best-case scenario, it would have been just a coincidence. Unfortunately, Walter never believed in those.
A part of him wanted to rush and check, but no, he had to keep a cool exterior, even if just for a bluff.
The students were gossiping already, most of them genuinely confused, some attempting a joke, and some seemingly annoyed.
Strickler wished he could have asked them for details, but no, he shouldn't have demonstrated more interest than needed. Talking to a fellow teacher? That would do. Kids however might have omitted details simply because he was still a teacher, despite his wonderful reputation. And trying to fish out more information would be suspicious.
Without Shen around, Strickler would have tried that, but her snooping had ruined so well-crafted status quo.
He attempted to decipher hushed whispers, but all the voices blended together, not to mention that many teens either shut up or seemingly changed the topic once he got closer.
The only remaining choice was to try deducing the situation from the small hints.
So, Young Atlas had been running as if his life depended on that. Strickler already regretted he hadn't managed to have a look at the boy's expression - that might have explained a bit. His own first guess was that Jim had been scared, but there were different kinds of fear.
Had he been in a hurry to save someone?
Had it been an emergency of another kind?
Or, perhaps, it had been the rawest of them all - a primal fear of someone getting away from the danger?
No, the latter would have made the least sense - other students should have noticed the danger as well, not to mention Jim's friends trying to pursue him.
And their behavior puzzled Strickler the most. Whatever had happened, those two seemed rather confused.
Walter frowned. Nothing made any sense, but his intuition told him Shen had been involved in some manner. The walk right to her office door and some way past it proved it even more - the commotion had seemingly started in the area near Shen's office.
Strickler contemplated barging in without knocking - obviously, that wasn't his style, but her schemes had already tried his patience too much. At the last second, he stopped himself from another reckless step.
No, right now the main priority should have been thinking about the next step. Luckily, he would have a break after the next lesson.
Sometimes, Walter was surprised by his own professionalism. Pulling a non-boring class without anyone noticing his mind was elsewhere was one of the skills he was proud of. If only his students knew what was going on inside his head!
Strickler's time was clearly running short. With all the schemes to prevent everyone else from getting the amulet, he was still far from obtaining it himself (and probably even farther than at the very beginning).
No, he actually could have sized it easily. Any changeling would have told Stricklander he had been ignoring the most logical and the least troublesome method - killing the Trollhunter. Wasn't Mr. Strickler, the World History teacher, just in a perfect position to take out the oblivious student? He still had enough trust to not be perceived as a danger.
And Walter hadn't abused that trust so far. It was as if he was following some set of rules, some honor code (ridiculous for any changeling!), or worse - as if he actually cared about the kid.
What a nonsense! Jim Lake was just another one of his 'investments in future connections' that somehow had landed into an unfitting position. Strickler had gotten rid of his so-called favorites so many times!
Not now, though. Even if there had been countless opportunities for that.
The bell broke up his thoughts, never letting them go in a dangerous direction.
Caring about Young Atlas wouldn't be different from treachery. Oh, Bular would be so elated to learn about the chance to get rid of him. Barverra most likely too. And Shen would gladly size the leader's position for himself.
Strickler dismissed the class and headed towards his office. He needed some coffee and time to think out without the disturbances.
Alas, luck wasn't his ally today. The door wasn't locked - this fact alone made Stricklander go full changeling spy mode. Someone was inside with who-knows-what kind of intentions.
He wasn't dumb to dismiss it as his own forgetfulness. A knife for emergencies was already inside his sleeve. Perhaps, he was nowhere close to Nomura when it came to countering a sudden attack, but getting the upper hand was still within his abilities.
Strickler opened the door, faking the ignorance. The unknown enemy should have relaxed too and...
There wasn't any attack, though, honestly, the second Walter got a good look at his surroundings, he wished it was an ambush.
But no, the intruder was Shen - most likely, after lockpicking his door. A common skill within the Order, so no surprise.
Whatever her reason for an uncalled visit was, she definitely didn't even try to hide. Oh no, the damned snake had occupied his table playing with his chessboard as if it was her office.
Not that Shen had been that respectful before, but right now, it felt like a blatant war declaration.
"You're late," she stated rather matter-of-factly. "I've gotten tired of waiting."
Strickler scowled at her.
"First," he said, "no one invited you. Second, unlike certain someone, I remember my civilian responsibilities too."
Shen burst out laughing.
"Seriously? Those mean nothing right now. You'd better focus on saving your hide. You'll need it soon."
Resorting to some empty threats now? Not that Strickler was surprised - it would have reached that level eventually in any case. Intrigues within the Order weren't new, sometimes those even escalated to literal murder attempts too. Some decades ago, Walter had killed two assassins, so whatever was going on right now was pretty mild.
"I'm genuinely baffled," Shen continued, seemingly annoyed with his indifference. "Great Stricklander, the manipulation master, someone always in control. You've always been a living legend, the undefeatable. Yet now you're telling me that you can't even take away the amulet from a fleshbag brat even though he's within your reach, seriously? You've lost your grip. The Order had no need for toothless weaklings!"
"How do you know that everything isn't going according to my plan?" Strickler asked calmly. It took a lot of him not to show his true emotions as her words had the desired effect.
"Then it's a horrible plan," she retorted with a smirk. "If I were you, Gunmar would be free in no time!"
"Foolish bravado." Strickler relaxed a bit. All bark without bite, apparently. There was no need to get nervous.
"Nevertheless, in some days, I've managed to fish out all the information I needed without your connections or good reputation with the students." Shen said with a triumphant grin.
"Let me guess, you went around drugging kids." He tried to put as much boredom in his tone as possible, and, judging from her annoyed expression, it worked. "What will you do if someone notices and the rumors are spread? The Trollhunter isn't dumb, he'll connect the dots and learn your true identity."
Walter believed in Young Atlas. Besides, the kid had a team, meaning that someone there might have reached some conclusions as well. Stricklander himself remained unreachable simply because he had made no suspicious moves.
"And why should I care if he knows?" Shen cackled mockingly. "His knowledge means nothing - I'm going to kill the foolish brat anyway."
She followed a different set of rules altogether. Walter suddenly realized that he was probably the only one who cared about keeping his true identity hidden from Jim. Every other changeling would see no point.
Shen took his silence as a sign of weakness and continued with growing confidence:
"Your era has ended, Stricklander. Give me three days - and I'll overthrow you, obliterate your intricately built empire, and obtain the amulet!"
"A bold statement." Strickler couldn't help but roll his eyes. Stating her intentions before the one she was supposed to overthrow? That was quite a fatal mistake.
Perhaps, the subtext was too evident - or she just predicted his line of thoughts. Anyway, she suddenly smirked, turning her attention to the chessboard.
"You're so confident," she said. "But my plan has already begun. Let's say that someone decided to have a pawn. Seemingly harmless, expendable figure." Shen picked up a white pawn and started to move it. "However, for that player, it was the most important one as he planned to turn it into a queen..."
Strickler raised his eyebrows. His confusion wasn't even pretended one - he actually had no idea what the hell Shen was trying to imply.
"And?" he asked, trying to predict what she could possibly answer and failing miserably.
"He underestimated his opponent, apparently." Shen shrugged and used a black rook to flick the white pawn out of the desk. "Poor naive little pawn got inside the trap so easily. And, while focused on that scheme, our player made his king totally defenseless..." She proceeded with moving the black queen to block the white king. "Check and mate."
"What a curious little anecdote," Strickler muttered, still failing to see what that metaphor could possibly mean. No, he could guess it was about him - he should have been both the player and the white king, while the black rook was most likely Shen, and the black queen had to be Barverra. But the white pawn?
He tried to remember all his subordinates who could fit that 'secret weapon' description. Nomura? As if someone like that could count as a pawn! Scaarbach? He wasn't even around, still being the reserve. Someone from the changelings stationed in Arcadia? Their loyalty was dubious, and, well, Strickler already considered them the enemy's assets. Who else? Bular? That one was simply ridiculous as a guess.
Apparently, Shen had some kind of misunderstanding. Unfortunately for her, no one would correct her false theory...
Centuries ago, she had been feared, no different from a natural disaster. Nothing had felt impossible - Barverra, the daughter of Gunmar, had been a true embodiment of power.
No, of course, the years spent as a human had taught her some humility. She had learned the meaning of weakness, and since Jim's birth, she had known the urge to protect.
But now, now Barbara felt helpless, powerless, and useless. It was even worse than the time James had hurt her son.
Back then, she had made a silent oath to protect Jim from any possible suffering - and in the mere span of two days, she had realized how much she had screwed already.
Someone had hurt her son physically - and Barbara had no way to make them pay.
Something had triggered Jim's troll nature - and she couldn't even promise it would never happen again!
Not that long ago, she had been so upset with her child avoiding her - only to do the same once she felt scared to answer some uncomfortable questions.
Going to the hospital. That one was just a convenient excuse. As if Barbara would ever show today's accident and its consequences to the outside world. Her colleagues weren't that oblivious, they would be able to tell the stab wound apart from an accidental cut.
No, that was a wound she was going to treat herself back in the safety of her secret cave. It was her place to deal with 'troll stuff', and unfortunately, Jim's outburst was a part of that secret life.
Besides, some recipes from her witch friends had already proved to be more effective than anything the official human medicine had invented. Obviously, even those wouldn't guarantee an overnight recovery, but they could accelerate the healing process tremendously.
Healing wounds. Barbara's mind trailed to Jim's injuries. She wished she could have brought all those miraculous medicines to her son. The bruises would go away overnight after applying those.
No, without telling him the entire truth, it would be simply impossible. Jim was old enough to question such fast healing.
Besides, wasn't his recent traumatic experience way more troublesome than any physical wound?
Another outburst might have happened in the future. It might have been even worse. Gumm-gumms were extremely violent trolls, and Gunmar's kin stood out even within their ranks. No, obviously, they all had learned self-control at some point in their life, but...
Murder sprees used to be the best solution for any situation. Father taught all his children that, and small Barverra had gladly complied, killing everyone she might have encountered. She hadn't even let go of the tendency until the crushing defeat at the Killahead.
A part of her longed for that amoral, ruthless lifestyle. Barverra could use that one right now to draw all the troubles in the haze of the bloodbath.
Or some other distraction could do, like...
Cornering Stricklander and his dumb protegee together with Shen.
Well, that one wouldn't even count as a murder spree, just plucking all the problematic elements within their side's ranks. Besides, apparently, both Stricklander and his unknown protege were dangerously close to Jim.
Surely, Shen attempted a coup - Barverra had enough experience to tell when someone tried to manipulate her. For now, she would play along. Unfortunately for Shen, though, the daughter of Gunmar didn't like her at all - if anything, she was sick and tired of schemers around.
Barverra left the cave, burying all the difficult thoughts as deep as possible, and headed towards the museum. She had no idea how exactly Shen planned that 'cornering'. Probably, it would be better to ask about some details at least. But well, it wasn't as if one sneaky changeling couldn't screw everything.
The base was silent. No Nomura or even Bular around, and even goblins kept a low profile, probably sensing Barverra's murderous mood.
The half-finished bridge towered right before her, reminding her about the mission everyone but Bular had seemingly forgotten about. She wondered if her father was aware of non-stop intrigues and infighting within the Janus Order. Something like that would have never happened inside his army - after sizing the control Gunmar had been plucking all the roots of rebellion. His more ambitious generals had never lived for long.
Barverra should have done the same with the allies here, weeding out anyone with too problematic behavior. She felt slightly annoyed with Bular for not doing that before their reunion. On the other hand, he wouldn't be able to plan all the strategies and logistics when it came to rebuilding the Killahead Bridge. It was partially her own fault too.
Did she have at least one family member she hadn't let down?
Shen appeared from the shadows, breaking up her thoughts.
"You're late," Barverra stated coldly. "And don't you dare to tell me that your plan has failed."
She looked around, trying to see if the changeling had brought the supposed protege, and saw no one.
"Obviously, no." Shen shook her head. "It worked splendidly. The foolish kid nearly revealed his true nature. I'm quite surprised, though, as he managed to escape before transforming..."
Her words... Why did those invoke such nasty foreboding?
"Are you telling me you were forcing that impure to transform inside the school?" Barverra asked. It had to be that one - the school was the only place where those two could interact. "What if you were wrong? What if someone saw?"
She hated imagining a rampaging adolescent troll inside the school grounds.
Wait, what if that one had actually happened, and Jim's recent violent outburst had been a result of his defensive instincts kicking in?
"Oh no, it was inside my office," Shen said and added quickly: "Besides, I used something that works only with trolls..."
Initially, Barverra wanted to remind her that her target had apparently escaped her office before transforming, but the addition made her pause for a second.
"And what was that 'something'?" she asked blankly instead. No, she had a guess, but honestly, that couldn't simply fit that vague description. After all, gravesand worked for humans too.
"Refined gravesand," Shen replied proudly. "Put it in his tea. Even a sip was enough - I can't believe James Lake drank it all!"
The time itself seemingly froze. How could it be even possible?
Barverra had gone through every single possibility while trying to find the reason for Jim's state.
No, every but one.
And here she stood, the culprit of all the mess.
Bragging of her achievement.
Mocking Barverra's son.
Failing to realize her own grave mistake.
It was just like that time with James. Unfortunately for Shen, unlike that time, nothing could prevent Barverra from taking immediate action.
It happened in a split second - apparently, the damned impure hadn't even finished her phrase before Barverra ripped off her head. Barehandedly.
She was slightly shocked herself. Something like that was more of Bular's style, not hers. Much like losing her cool that much.
The full realization hit together with Shen's death. After all, that damned snake hadn't been the only one responsible for Jim's suffering. She couldn't become a convenient scapegoat too.
In the end, the one who had approved of the plan was partially responsible too. Barverra clenched her teeth in silent rage as her wounded thigh reminded her of her own stupidity and neglectfulness. She could have prevented everything if she had simply bothered with asking for more details.
Shen would have brought the name - and that would have been the end. Barverra would have disposed of that schemer before the disaster had happened, not afterward when Jim had been already traumatized!
If anyone else had been responsible for approving the deranged plan, they would have died a gruesome death already.
She couldn't punish herself, though. What an irony!
She left the museum, feeling empty and exhausted, with no idea what to do next or how to fix the mess she was responsible for. No apology would ever erase the hurt Jim had gone through.
Any idea inside her head felt worse than a previous one. No, apparently the best course of action would be returning to her cave, transforming back, and going home. And then...
Her leaping through the city ended abruptly the second Barverra landed amid some trees. Apparently, she had been so lost in thought that she somehow ended up face-to-face with an unsuspected enemy!
Some other opponent might have reacted differently, but this one just yelped and nearly lost his footing.
Just why now?
Barverra stared at the so much familiar silver armor with a mixture of annoyance and tiredness.
Sure thing, the Trollhunter had to be the main priority and everything, but she simply didn't want to deal with a reckless kid right now.
Though, perhaps, 'reckless' would be unfair as a description. The boy had enough brains to still use that identity cover magic.
On the other hand, roaming alone at night when his life was a target for a bunch of bloodthirsty trolls didn't seem to be the smartest decision.
The Trollhunter seemed surprised by the encounter yet willing to fight as he had no trouble summoning his sword. Quite a progress compared to their first meeting, she would give him that.
His stance, on the other hand, was painfully sloppy. Barverra had a sudden odd urge to correct him.
They both kept glaring at each other without uttering a word. Unexpectedly, the human Trollhunter seemed slightly angry (or was it annoyed).
Barverra found it amusing - and well, she wasn't going to fight him in any case. That was just a kid, not that different from Jim.
"I'm genuinely amused you've lasted for this long," she said, breaking the silence first.
Well, probably, the in-fighting within her party had been a factor in that, but the kid had also escaped several dangers himself.
That alone deserved some respect, more so because of him being both a child and a human.
The Trollhunter scowled at her comment, not sure what to expect next.
Barverra wondered if he considered escaping - that would have been the most logical choice. On the other hand, she would have no problem with catching the kid if she decided on that.
"I'm not going to fight you," she said, not bothering to convince the boy. If he couldn't tell his opponent's intention from their stance, he still had a lot to learn.
"As if I'll ever believe that," he responded this time, tightening his grip around on the handle of his sword. "You want to get the amulet."
Somehow, watching the Trollhunter made Barverra's mind at ease. The previous rage had nearly evaporated already.
"Brave and not that dumb, I guess," she commented with amusement. "A good combination for a warrior. However, are you ever that there're other ways to get what I want without fighting?"
He was afraid, but not in a bad way - more like fully aware of the enemy's capabilities and never letting his guard down. Someone had already beaten an important lesson into him. The kid had certainly grown a bit since the night when he had been fighting Bular.
She wouldn't be able to cut that bright young life short. Too many things reminded her of Jim - the boy certainly shared a lot of personality traits with her son.
And...
"Let's have a deal," she proposed calmly. "I bet you're sick and tired of this burden you didn't ask for. How many complications has the amulet caused already?"
His expression was the best response. Apparently, too many.
"And what do you propose?" his question was faint, nearly inaudible.
"Give me the amulet," Barverra said confidently. "Your life will be spared, the same for everyone you name. This isn't your war."
Whatever made the kid waver, his hesitation evaporated at once.
"I don't believe you!" he nearly yelled. "Your side has no problem using dirty tricks!"
Dirty tricks. Barverra could only imagine how many of those Stricklander and other changelings might have possibly executed already. A lot of stuff was going on behind her back - she could easily be unaware of countless schemes. Especially those involving Stricklander.
"You'll have my word and my protection. Gunmar's kin never breaks their oaths. And believe me, you don't want to know what happens to those who get on my bad side."
That was the sound argument. She hoped he would at least consider.
Not that Barverra could blame the boy for not trusting her. He had to learn at least a bit about her reputation - and that one was horrible, to put it mildly.
Perhaps, there was a need for a final push. What could possibly make him hesitate even more?
Well, if he was similar to Jim, wouldn't that be his close people?
"I'm sure your mother will appreciate it if you don't sneak out every night," she said, trying the safest guess.
Barverra had always been proud of her judgment skills, but apparently, she made a mistake. A serious one as a seemingly innocent comment turned a previously slightly scared teenager into an enraged warrior. His expression changed, and he even seemed to grow taller.
"Don't you dare to bring up my mom!" he hissed, his eyes full of genuine fury.
Oh. Apparently, the Trollhunter had misinterpreted the innocent remark as a hidden threat. It sounded like 'your mother will suffer unless you surrender'.
He was certainly a good son if he was willing to go all-out against someone way stronger just to protect his family.
The win should be his tonight. Barverra planned to evade several of his crazed swings and get away. Further negotiations would lead nowhere, and she didn't want to harm the boy.
One swing. She sidestepped effortlessly. That swordplay still needed so much work.
A second one followed - more dangerous this time. Barverra barely escaped it with a jump. The knife wound from earlier today reminded of itself at the most inconvenient time, and she landed way closer than anticipated, giving the opponent a sudden opening for an attack.
She had to unsheathe at least one of her swords, but there was no time as the third swing was already incoming. Blocking with her arm wasn't the smartest decision - alas, that was the only option.
The Daylight slashed her forearm. The luck was on Barverra's side. If the human Trollhunter had possessed more physical strength, the damage would have been more serious.
Still...
She had planned to retreat on her own terms, leaving the opponent lost, conflicted, and full of hesitation. Instead, he forced her into a shameful flight.
Barverra cursed inwardly, fully understanding that there was no choice. It was partially her fault - even with a kid as an enemy she shouldn't have relaxed that much.
Now she had to deal with the fallout of her own recklessness. How would she explain returning from the hospital with another wound?
It was quite an irony - this cut crossed the scar from the one Kanjigar had inflicted years ago. Not one, but two Trollhunters had achieved injuring the undefeatable Herald of Doom.
And if it made sense with Kanjigar, the human teen doing the same was an outright disgrace to Gunmar's kin, something that should have deserved the horrifying punishment decades ago.
The foolish kid didn't know all of that, did he? No, even if he had known, he would have done the same.
Barverra had threatened his family (well, according to his misunderstanding, but still!) - and the boy had reacted adequately. Hell, Barverra herself would blindly attack anyone hinting at harming her son.
She could relate - to the point of being willing to sweep tonight's encounter under the rug and forgive the Trollhunter. It wasn't as if Bular or, worse, Stricklander would ever learn about this dumb mishap.
A/N: Fun fact about this chapter: the scene of Jim unknowingly injuring his mother is one of the earliest I drafted for this fic (and the one I moved a lot in my script, LOL).
Next time there will be Jim's side, explaining how he ended up alone and facing Barverra