Author's Note ~
Yep, we published two chapters! How great is that! We want to work harder for you guys! Thank you for making us smile and feel so great as we do this!
Also…there is a lot more dialogue in this than in Trollhunters.
Side Notes ~
We might not do all one-shot requests but if an idea stands out, feel free to drop them! Also, it really is hard to right main character responses when not many of them are active as much…
Mind Over Matter
A massive orange planet appeared in the corner of the screen, zooming into the orb where a couple of unknown aliens sat at a glowing bar, speaking.
"Ah, yeah, yeah. And I says to him, "That's not a C-one Class Transporter, that's a T-Two". Look at the thrusters, you nimrod! Am I right?" He laughed but the robot bartender paid no mind.
"Oh, great. This guy already seems annoying." Mary commented as Darci agreed.
"Definitely a problem."
A screen appeared within the corner of the bar, an alien news anchor speaking as three photos were blown up, Aja, Krel, and Varvatos being the center of attention. The alien news anchor spoke, describing the situation.
"On Akridion-5, a coup has overthrown House Tarron. The royal family are presumed dead."
"We are not dead, but I like them thinking that instead of knowing our whereabouts," Krel said.
"Pff, please. Those guys took off on a C-Class. That's a Royal Mothership." The alien spoke just as a strange figure pushed open the double doors. "With that kinda heat, they could outrun any ship in the known universe. I've been a transit operator for 16 keltons. Seen them all. But that Royal Mothership? Whoa-ho, she's a beaut."
The robotic rabbit had hopped toward the bar, slamming its fist against the surface as the alien yelped in fear.
The crowd groaned, the alien was already not knowing how to shut up and of course others would be listening to anything related to it in hopes to get information.
"Way to go, buddy!"
"Oh, hey! Foo Foo…" The said robot's arm had sparked. "Uh, the destroyer."
Toby narrowed his eyes," alright who is naming all the scary things? First, the Gumm-Gumms and now Foo Foo."
"Yeah, until you actually see what the Gumm-Gumms were capable of," Claire teased.
"Uh, Jim defeated most of them, they aren't scary."
"Says the one who always screamed when we were in the Darklands," Claire grinned as Jim chuckled beside them.
"What are Gumm-Gumms?" Aja asked as Jim glanced at her.
"Bringers of slow painful deaths, yeah, I know." Jim chuckled at her strange look.
"The Akiridion-5 Royal Mothership, have you seen it?"
"I don't know nothing, you know? I'm just trying to have a good time here. Want a drink?" The rabbit, otherwise named Foo Foo had dumped the thick green liquid, Neb gasping at the sight. "What'd you do that for?"
Foo Foo had thrown the cup, angering the bot as he caught it. "What I want is the Akiridion-5 Royal Mothership."
"Where did you see it, transit operator?" Nearby, figures covered in cloaks had been watching the scene.
"Oh," he chuckled. "So you heard me. Well, you do have those big, adorable ears." Foo Foo snarled. "I'm scared of them, but I want to hug them at the same time." The rabbit leaped onto his back, holding a blade close to Neb's face. "I meant, terrifying ears of death."
"Yeah, I think every planet heard you because you are obnoxiously loud." A student sighed. "Jeez, this guy. Can't we just get over with this part?"
"Right, so disappointing."
"The Mothership."
Neb yelped as the blade was shoved closer. "Holo-screen left side. I've logged every ship I've seen."
Krel groaned out when the bounty hunters attacked, he wasn't sure how they were found, but he didn't think of some blabbermouth that had been so tough when the rabbit first arrived, now only just to spill all of the information he had.
"This dude is an all bark, no bite."
The rabbit pulled a small device from Neb, it was a simple thin device with blue lines crossing. "At last, thank you."
"You're welcome, Foo…Foo." Foo Foo bounced off with a successful feeling just as Neb's strange tail wrapped around the bunny's leg.
"They're mine now." Foo Foo collapsed onto the floor as a strange figure buzzed and whirred as it stood tall in front of him. "What the…" The bunny was cornered as more tall figures quietly moved closer. "Don't stand in my way, I am Foo Foo the Destroyer, and I'll destroy you!"
Toby couldn't help but laugh, he knew that the Gumm-Gumms were dangerous, but after fighting them for so long, they weren't as terrifying anymore. Now, he could barely take any enemy seriously, especially with that name.
"Seriously, Toby?" Eli asked.
"What, this is hilarious!"
With a simple grab of his ears and Foo Foo had been tossed toward the side, crashing into numerous shelves. Foo Foo came to a shaky stand, donning his golden blade but could barely move before a tentacle wrapped around him and repeatedly tossed him into the floor.
The attacker rose Foo Foo into the air, shaking him slightly and letting the device drop in his hands. "Got it," the strange attacker said, ridding of Foo Foo by tossing him behind the bar.
The bot and Neb had ducked as the rabbit flew beside them. "No witnesses," the tall figure in the cloak mentioned before leaving, the other strange folks surrounded the two witnesses.
"Oh my goodness," Neb yelped as the weapon was drawn. "Oh my goodness!" Behind, one had cornered the robot, killing Foo Foo.
"Whoa, easy. I'm just a robot." As the screen focused on the three photos of Vex and the two royals, there was a flash as popping echoed in the now-empty bar.
The students stared at the screen in slight horror, if it wasn't for the fact that Neb was finally quiet, they'd be a lot more terrified.
"Are those things coming to Earth? What if we are witnesses? That's it, I can't do this. First the Eternal Night and becoming a Troll's lunch and now murderous Aliens!"
"I don't think we were here for the Eternal Night?" Aja questioned.
"You didn't want to be, after all, that's how our Trollish buddy named Jim changed himself."
"Ah, yes. I recognize part of it. Strange." Krel said, studying the half-troll who shrunk under his gaze.
Speaking of the two siblings, they had been sitting at a table in the cafeteria as they watched a random student eat.
"We should commend ourselves, we managed to make it to the fifth of the periods without incident," Krel stated.
"And we finally figured out this cafeteria thing," Aja mentioned before pouring the cup of Orange Juice into her hands, letting it spill while Krel shoveled food into his mouth with his hand, wearing it on his face. "I think we have a very good handle on human food consumption."
The one student that had been their focus, had watched them, looking shocked as the two siblings froze, staring up at the rest of the cafeteria that had been staring at them in shock.
"Why are they looking at us?" Aja asked. A student hadn't even bothered to catch his tipping plate, the food sliding off.
The crowd laughed, remembering that scene. "You guys were trying so hard to fit in and not stand out, that it made you stand out."
"You humans have complicated lives."
"Yeah, you are not wrong there."
Back at the house, Aja and Krel in their normal forms looked nervous as the mother ship spoke to them to scold them while their robotic parents shook their fingers at the siblings.
"I have calculated a 98% chance your Akiridion identities will be discovered within the next Delson."
"And then you will be captured and tortured in the most agonizing manner possible, feeling the exquisite pain of a thousand Tilabian death slugs," Varvatos yelled, Aja, giving him a questioning glance.
"Are you guys talking about us or this General Morando guy? Because I am not going to lie to you, some humans are capable of that."
"So far, we haven't come across such dangerous humans to "torture" us. Besides the man you call the principal." Aja mentioned.
"Because you got lucky. Simple as that, some of us are dangerous."
"All this agony and pain merely from being discovered?"
"By now, General Morando has employed the deadliest killers in the seven galaxies to locate you. Your failure to remain inconspicuous will prove fatal."
"He's talking about Morando, why make us seem so bad?" A student cried.
"We are bad…"
"At least it isn't us that are the threats, right now."
"Okay, can we talk about how this Vex guy is chewing them out when he was lifting benches and threatening to snack on butts?"
"We don't talk about that."
"Varvatos Vex is not weak!"
"Their failure?" Mother replied with a sass-filled tone, reminding Vex of the situation he had made.
Varvatos held his back in his human form, standing at a crosswalk that had continuously said "Wait." As it continued, it angered Varvatos.
"No one tells Varvatos Vex to wait!" He took the end of his cane and smashed the small activated box as cars drove past, "Varvatos Vex destroys all those who command him to wait and crushes their remains with murderous glee!"
On his last swing, which had gone noticed by the man within the Taco Truck, Vex's back had cracked and he tensed in pain.
Everyone blinked at the screen, "that too." The crowd facepalmed while Vex blinked at the screen, seeming unimpressed. There was no reason for him to be judged, even if it wasn't seen as normal to the Human Kind.
"Okay, that does blend in because some old people are angry and if they are having a bad day."
"The machine was insolent and disrespectful," Vex said, unamused as Aja sighed.
"This is going to be difficult. How can we pretend to be human? We don't even know what it means to be human!"
That is why I have reduced my planetary analysis to three basic rules of humanity." Mother spoke as the robot parents stuck out their fingers rapidly, holding up three and starling the group.
"Three?" Krel questioned as the robots stepped away, ready to act out as Mother spoke. "That's far too many."
"What's with every different creature having three rules about something?" Darci asked, looking at the trolls.
"Our three rules are specific for Trollhunting success," Blinky commented.
"Yeah, one is kicking people in the nards. Which is funny."
"It is not funny when you go through it!"
"Rule one," Mother started, scenes moving across the screen. Senor Uhl had been standing in front of the class as the students paid attention, Aja seeming quiet and collected. "Humans are still evolving, so you must prepare for change."
"Change of plans, pop quiz!" Senor Uhl said, making the class groan out but Aja had been excited.
"Change! I know what change is!" She stood and dumped out her backpack, loose change pouring over her desk.
"What are you doing?" Senor Uhl asked as the students gave her weird looks.
"I have come prepared with change!" Aja said happily as the students laughed.
Steve couldn't help but smile as he watched Aja. She was confused but trying to fit in. It wasn't easy to understand a species' complex nature. If anything that just made her more adorable and he had wished he reacted differently, but he didn't realize he'd love her only moments after.
"You know, there are ways I'd expect that to go, but I didn't think of it going like that," Mary stated.
"How did she get all that change?"
"Rule two. Because humans are prone to errors, you must embrace your mistakes." Speaking of that, Krel had been standing in front of Miss. Janeth's class, had a whole confusing and detailed image on the whiteboard while everyone had watched with confusion.
"Wow, the low blows keep coming."
"My mom tells me that every time she gives me a hug!"
"Okay," Toby started. "You know what the problem is, Eli the nosy man is enduring all of this."
"I am not nosy!" He cried as Jim, Claire, Toby, and even Blinky gave him a knowing look, all staring at him. "That was different."
"I really don't think it was, you made it so hard to do secretive Trollhunting," Toby commented.
"Why do you think we touched you with the Gaggletack?" Jim said. "You just knew too much."
"This sounds interesting, what is a Gaggletack?" Aja asked.
As Krel pulled away, he bumped into Miss. Janeth, making the teacher gasp. "Mr. Tarron, what are you–"
"I am embracing my mistake," he replied, as the students watched him chase her down for a hug while everyone stared in shock.
Everyone laughed. "Did he just call Ms. Janeth a mistake?"
"Um.. that's…" Eli said, speechless as the scene changed, Aja and Krel standing in Senor Uhl's office as Mother spoke again.
"Finally, rule three…"
"You disrupt your classes, you exasperate your teachers, explain yourself." Senor Uhl scolded.
"When in doubt, play with your phone," both Aja and Krel pulled out their devices as Eli's figure hovered behind Senor Uhl's door seeming to spy on them as Senor Uhl broke his pencil in half, groaning.
Senor Uhl facepalmed, he couldn't blame himself for not understanding but now all of it had made sense and he was so angered for nothing.
The evening came, and both Aja and Krel stepped into the house, looking unamused as Varvatos called to them.
"Were you able to follow the three human rules of being inconspicuous?
As the teens set down their backpacks, their robot father walked up, "Hey, there, buddy boy–" The father could barely finish as Krel launched his backpack at the robot, taking him down in a flash, all while he held his angered look with Vex.
"We know you're mad but that was funny, watching him go down like that." Krel stared at the screen, remembering this. He had questions on how this was even remotely possible to see what happened weeks ago but still was slightly annoyed to relive it,
"Question. How are we even seeing all of this?" Krel asked, turning to Douxie and Merlin.
"I am Merlin, the powerful sorcerer, I can see all. You are part of a story that was never meant to be changed." He stated, glancing at Jim who was instantly confused.
"So these views are… you?"
"Sort of."
"Varvatos will take that as a no."
"The school overlord gave us something called detention," Krel explained as Aja closed the door.
"We're so bad at being human, we're actually being punished for it." Outside, dressed in his Creepslaying gear, Eli had snuck behind the plants, lifting up his binoculars to look into the house.
"Are you serious?" Darci groaned out.
"This is exactly what we meant by nosy! You really spied on them?" Eli shrank in his seat as the Tarron siblings laughed, already knowing what happened.
"He doesn't represent us."
"Eli, come on, what are you doing?"
However, his attention was drawn to the robot mother sweeping the concrete tiles and brushing away the dirt. Eli grew concerned as he watched her step near the house, facing the wall.
Only a moment of silence before her head turned back to look at him, all while her body never moved. "Ahoy, there, buckaroo!" Eli screamed and ran off while the mother followed him at a walking pace, head still facing backward.
The crowd jumped back in surprise, no longer thinking about Eli sneaking around their house, only fearing the same way Eli had when he had seen the robot mother.
"This still haunts my dreams! I can't tell what's scarier. A big troll threatening to eat us or this!"
"Intruder alert," Mother warned, showing the residence the scene that occurred outside. The hologram appeared in the middle of the room, showing Eli's figure.
"The Eli," Aja said before Vex came to a stand.
"You allowed him to follow you home?"
"He knows where we live," Aja answered but Vex wasn't having it, talking about Eli as the said boy hide against the fence, the mother robot still on his trail, and head still facing the wrong direction as she walked backward.
"This nuisance must be dealt with before he exposes you to the entire planet." Eli whimpered, tripping over a sign before getting back up and running, the mother sweeping everywhere she stepped and giving chase, but slowly. "Annihilate him! Destroy him! Crush his bones to powder."
"Dude," Toby started. "This is a straight-up horror movie scene!"
"Yep, and Eli is the first to die!"
"Don't say that."
The robot mother picked up the sign and pushed it into the ground with force, causing it to be swallowed up by the dirt before straightening out and walking home.
"Drink his blood from the keg of glory!" Vex cackled, pulling Luug off of his arm.
"Right," Aja said dryly. "Because there's nothing inconspicuous about that."
"He seems quite interested in us," Krel mentioned.
"Yeah, but he also helps Jim and the creeps, I knew letting him onto Trolls would make him think too much," Steve whispered.
"Hey!"
"You guys can be a great aid when you need to be," Claire said.
"Just need to not get too far it."
"Varvatos has warned you, such curiosity could lead to–"
"To agony and pain," the two said in unison as Aja finished. "Yes, yes, we know. But what can we do about it?
"Learn what intelligence he's gathered."
"And how should we go about that, exactly?" Krel asked with sass.
"Torture, the Eli has ten fingers. Bring Varvatos back two of them, preferably thumbs."
Eli quickly hid his thumbs out of Varvatos's sight, not liking the fact he was hearing them discuss his torture as if it was normal. He would question them, saying that this wasn't normal to humankind but was afraid that his fingers wouldn't be the only thing he would lose.
Aja looked unamused as she responded, "Since you're such a fan of torture, why don't you do it?"
"He can't," Krel groaned. "The great commander Vex refuses to leave the spaceship."
"Because to do so would require Varvatos Vex to adopt a form that is wrinkled and saggy!" The vast alien moved to the chair, kicking his legs up on the table, "is it beneath Varvatos' station to be gross. Besides, there is much to be learned about the indigenous culture through this talking box."
He clicked on the old television, Luug playfully biting his foot. "Humans obtain monetary gain and weekend getaways based on their gyrational strength." Aja grinned and spun her brother, the poor boy seeming to have a hard time stopping.
"I have excellent gyrational strength!"
"Either way, we're not torturing the Eli. He needs his thumbs." Krel argued.
"I need his thumbs!" Vex replied harshly before growing silent. "Fine, but we need to know what is in that mind of his."
"Leave my poor thumbs alone!"
While Eli continued to freak over his nearly missing thumbs, everyone else was finding it amusing as they decided what would happen to the already paranoid Eli.
"Just be glad we went with the option we thought of," Krel stated as Eli nervously smiled.
Krel cupped his chin as he thought, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"No," Aja answered simply.
"Not once," Vex added.
"But what if you could?" As night fell across Arcadia, the house of Tarron lit through the darkness as the streets were silent. However, deep into the mothership where it hadn't been cloned, loud dance music played through the closed door of a room.
Inside, back in his regular form, Krel had been working on the screens, focusing as he slightly bopped his head to the music.
"Almost there, just need to tweak the cranial nob, and this beat!" He put his finger against a floating red orb, turning it green as the music changed, a smile on his face as he twisted and turned the controls.
The green orb floated back toward him, singing and catching his attention, but he didn't seem bothered, only changing it to another song and a different color. Happy with his choice, the orb flew off.
Luug's bark had caused Krel to turn around, finding the orb trapped in Luug's mouth and Aja in her human form, holding the pet.
"Are you having a very small party?"
"I'm making a mind reader to see inside the Eli's head." Behind, Aja had lost grip on Luug, the pet barking as he chased the orb, continuously changing the music every time his mouth latched onto it.
"Ooh, see inside my head!" Krel turned around with a victorious laugh and slid on a pair of glasses. His eyes narrowed as he tapped buttons on the side. "What am I thinking right now?"
From his view, a monster appeared above Aja's head, "I am not a gloober."
"You look like one with that on your face."
"No, I read your thoughts!" Krel said excitedly, "Uh, think of a number between one and one hundred. He slid back on the glasses as different numbers appeared above her head. "6, 42, 19, now you're just thinking of puppies."
Everyone gasped in wonder, staring at the screen in shock as Krel smiled, feeling proud that they were actually liking his inventions. After all, he wasn't much of a popular kid at the school.
"Okay, we were wrong about you, you're pretty cool now."
"Dang," Toby said, crossing his arms. "Why don't we get the good tech? Stupid troll tech."
"It is not stupid! Each is advanced for particular species. Ours is based on magic." Blinky scolded.
A shocked expression appeared above Aja, "Lively! Wearing Akriridion technology strapped to your face will only draw…."
"...more attention to ourselves!" They said in unison. "I can read your mind, keep up!" Krel commented as he followed his sister.
"I'm thinking of a number between one and one thou–"
"Puppies again?" Krel mentioned, the two leaving as the door closed, Luug floating into view, hanging off the ball with his mouth.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh at their pet, while there wasn't much seriousness to the group, they were pretty fun to watch, sometimes to the point where they were speechless.
"Kleb!" Aja cried.
As the night ended and daytime arrived, the class had been standing in front of the Planetarium, Miss. Janeth speaking.
"Do aliens exist, or are we alone in the universe?" Aja and Krel looked at one another. "I'll let you decide. Your projects for the school science fair are due next week. Explore and find information because if I have to grade one more baking soda volcano, I'll explode!"
"Wow, way to answer your own question without knowing that the answer is standing right in front of you."
"Alright, not going to lie. I'm so used to seeing the teachers and projects with the Trollhunter team. I actually miss them."
"Don't forget Troll Jim..oh, wait. We get the real thing." Pairs of eyes floated on Jim who had been leaning back in his chair, extremely comfortable as his long metal legs had been stretched slightly. He raised an eyebrow before looking at Claire with wide eyes.
She let out a small laugh, "And you were so nervous about the change, I told you were an eye-catcher."
"Stop, you're supposed to help me here!"
"I am."
The kids walked in as Aja smiled, staring it down. "Maybe this place has a spare Daxial Array– what are you doing?" She turned to her brother who had put on the glasses.
"I'm going to reconnoiter," Aja rolled her eyes as they walked in, Miss. Janeth closed the door behind them.
"No hugs today, Mr. Tarron." Through the building, Krel had been reading everyone's thoughts.
"That's the first and last time she has to say that to a student, can't believe she is denying it."
"Wow, that is harsh!"
"Oops."
If I flunk science, then my parents are going to kill me.
"Then study hard!" Krel answered, the student looking perplexed. "Do not die, my friend."
"What?"
Why hasn't anyone noticed my new haircut? Shannon said in her thoughts, causing Krel to appear and startle her.
"Uh, Shannon. No one can tell, it literally looks the same." Mary said dryly as Shannon blushed in embarrassment.
"So that's how he knew!"
"You eliminated hairs from your head! Ha! Very pleasing!"
"Huh?"
Krel stepped up to her sister, smiling proudly. "Did you see how she looked at me?"
"Yes, it was sad. Come, little brother, let's find the Eli!" As Aja dragged her brother passed people, thoughts poured from their heads.
Can we just go home already?
"I have been asking myself that very same question," Krel said, surprising the student. Aja pulled her brother back, leaving the confused student behind as they stopped at a certain distance.
"Look, he's talking to the lumbering oaf with golden hair." While Steve was calm, Eli tripped over his own feet, stumbling before grabbing Steve and pulling him away while whimpering.
Everyone laughed at both the insult and Eli's scared form. Of course, Steve had been blushing, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Distract the oaf while I read Eli's thoughts," Krel mentioned as their targets stood near the rotating planets.
"I know what I saw, Steve! Right through their window. They were aliens!"
"Aliens? Illegal Aliens?"
"First off, wow. Second of all, you know Trolls exist, so why are you questioning it?" Toby said.
"I was in denial."
"You're always in denial."
"There's a difference?" Krel asked. "What is an Illegal Alien?"
"Let's not talk about this."
"No, alien, aliens!"
"Maybe they were just, you know, dressing up the way you dorks like to, huh?"
"This wasn't cosplaying. They were blue aliens living in a house that just….boom... Appeared out of nowhere!"
"Wow, this aged really well for you, Steve. You'd think you'd learn to never question what Eli has seen. I mean, he witnessed the fight against Kanjigar and Bular."
"Okay, I get it!"
"I like how Eli is just blabbing out their secret, not so quietly either."
"Look, Arcadia's a strange place," Steve started. "But it's strange with creeps and Trolls, not blue E.T.s and magic houses. That's crazy." As Steve ranted, not as quiet as he should have been, Aja watched with her eyes narrowed, smacking a podium but it never fell.
"Damn, Steve, you need to say that any louder?" Claire hissed.
"Now he's outing all of us before anyone knows," Toby joked.
"Do not look at me, this is a human thing," Blinky added as Jim was laughing at Steve's expression.
Giving it a harder nudge, the stand fell over, the object on display dropping into her hands as she cried out. "Oh, no! Help! Somebody strong and brave with golden hair!" She pretended to struggle with the object.
"I gotcha!" A boy with said golden hair came running up, however, she held out one hand to stop him.
"No, somebody else."
Everyone chuckled as the student who had been denied gasped once he realized what she was doing and why she denied his help.
"Don't gotcha!" He stepped back as Steve leaned over the railing with a smile.
"Well, looks like a job for the Palchuk." He chuckled and ran down the ramp, pumping his fists. "Palchuk."
"A word, Mr. Elijah Leslie Pepperjack." A voice called out, startling the young boy. Krel stood with a serious posture, glasses on his forehead as Steve had made it to Aja, the girl easily moving the object into his hands.
When it hit his hands, Steve grunted and his body caved with the weight. "Ugh! What is this? The heaviest rock on Earth?"
"Actually," Aja started, taking it from him and holding it in one hand with ease. "It's from the moon. Lively, right?"
Steve grunted when she tossed it back in his hands. "Sure, can you, um…lend me a hand?"
"Okay, was that not enough proof for you? She is lifting a heavy object with ease while you struggle! Eli scolded, despite Steve now believing him.
"What, she could have been a bodybuilder!"
"Yes, that's totally it."
"Umm… let's see. Nope." She simply answered when she glanced at her brother and Eli. Speaking of the two, Eli had moved from his scared posture to intrigue.
"Ooh! Is that a virtual reality headset? Can I try?" Krel smacked his hand away.
"Why do you always get so scared then perk up a minute later over something else? It's like a dog taking a piss then freaking out because of a squirrel, then finish pissing."
"Uh…"
"You've been spying on us!" Krel looked toward Eli, his thoughts speaking as a cow being abducted by a flying saucer.
He's going to space-kidnap me!
"Is that a cow? Well, whatever it is you think you saw, the four arms and the blue thing, it wasn't real." The symbol above Eli's head changed to an Alien face.
Oh, my gosh. He knows! He knows I saw blue them!
"Whatever you saw, there is an explanation." He turned away, laughing nervously. "My sister and I wear special glowing clothes and we dress like that because–"
Cosplay? Steve was right!
"Cosplay, yes! Uh, what is a cosplay?" Krel asked.
"It's when you dress up as your favorite movie or TV character. Sometimes I dress up as Super Agent Muldon from–"
The crowd threw their arms to the side, gaping at the screen in shock. "You cannot be that dumb! You were literally just saying how they were not what they seemed to be and if they ask you what cosplay is after saying they did it!"
"I'm sorry!"
"You're as bad as Steve!"
"Okay, I don't know what I was thinking, not going to lie."
"You are better than this, I am disappointed."
"So many times they were close to figuring out us," Krel joked.
"He's got glasses and he is still blind!"
"I don't know what that means, but, yes, that is exactly what we do." A voice echoed toward Krel, speaking a strange language. "Wait, that language. That's definitely not from this planet." Krel ran off as Eli called to him.
"Maybe we can cosplay together!" Krel ran through the balcony, using his glasses to glance at everyone in the crowd as the Alien language continued. As his gaze crossed over everyone, each thinking something different, the perp was spotted, leaving the area.
"If I didn't have to get up, I'd be banging my head against the wall. You're joking. Ge the Trollhunters on the case, you failed."
"Oh no! He's getting away. Seklos and Gaylen, help me!" Krel muttered before stepping back and leaping onto Saturn's rings. The person leaving his sight. "No, no, no, no, no!" Beneath him, the whirring hand sparked and sped up, Krel stuck on the planet as he screamed.
Ms. Janeth looked up, seeing her student riding the fast-moving planets. "Mr. Tarron, what on Saturn are you doing?" He screamed as he spun, Aja catching sight of it and staring in shock.
"Ha! Ms. Janeth with the puns!"
"Kleb!"
"How the heck are you so heavy?" Steve asked as he struggled to lift the podium. Aja turned and quickly lifted the podium back up with ease before running off. "Wait, how did you do..? Wow!"
Aja stood on the frame, leaping onto a fast-flying planet before catching up with her brother.
"What happened to inconspicuous?"
"We're not alone," Krel struggled to say as the stand shook, a small blue planet lodging in the wall behind Miss. Janeth as everyone ran off.
"You just dislodged Uranus." Aja leaped from the planet skillfully, using the rock ring to run around the fake sun and jump onto Saturn with her brother. She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him off of Saturn before jumping from the planet and to the floor just as the spinning display tipped over and crashed.
Everyone bursted out laughing as the Trolls and Aliens shared the confused look, unsure what was so funny. Especially catching the same teacher telling the students to grow up.
"I do not get it," Aja mumbled, staring at the laughing students. Beside her, Claire was rolling her eyes playfully as Jim and Toby had held one another, laughing as they nearly fell from their seats.
"Why are they laughing so hard at a planet?" Krel asked.
"Maybe it is a joke?"
As the smoke cleared, Aja pulled a strange mask from her face while Krel pushed off the small alien saucer display. As they regained themselves, their angered teacher stomped up to them.
"Mr. and Miss Tarron! The school's insurance does not cover planetary destruction!"
"My mistake!" Krel said before opening his arms and walking toward the retreating Miss. Janeth.
"No, no, no! No hugs. No touching!"
"Come on, hug?" Krel said, walking through the destruction as students stared.
The crowd continued to laugh, holding their stomachs as Krel understood why they were laughing now. He was beginning to understand that they do not literally embrace mistakes, but couldn't find the amusement of it.
"Dude, you are awesome!"
"I've never seen her this way, this is amazing!"
The scene changed, Varvatos Vex chewing out the children as the sun had nearly disappeared from view.
"You are both confined to your quarters."
"Confined?" Krel repeated. "I thought we were fleeing a dictatorship."
"A dictatorship is what you deserve!" Vex said fiercely. "How is destroying a planetarium less conspicuous than torture?" Varvatos turned on the television after forcing Krel to sit. "I demanded thumbs! No, the human is about to select door number two! He chose door number one, what a larvox! It's just a washing machine!"
The robot mother sat cookies and three cups of juice in front of Luug, the animal chugging the juice before chewing the glass.
"Can we please focus on the problem? Krel heard the thoughts of an interplanetary life-form." Aja stepped toward Varvatos, blocking his view, which he struggled to see around her.
"And what made you so sure it was a non-human?"
"Well, he wasn't thinking in any human language," Krel answered.
"Okay, I wish you would have believed us!" Krel scolded Varvatos.
"Varvatos does not believe until proven!"
"This mud-ball has thousands of different languages. You must have picked up a frequency from a television channel."
"But–"
"You will remain aboard the Mothership for your own protection."
Aja groaned out, clenching her fists. "This sucks!"
"Eh?" Varvatos turned to the ship, "Mother, are you losing air pressure?"
"It's a human term. It means I do not like this situation."
Varvatos came to a stand as the siblings stepped away. "The talking box taught Varvatos a human term as well. You are grounded! Varvatos thought it meant burying someone alive, disappointing."
Everyone looked at him in shock but figured someone like Varvatos would think that way.
All Luug did was belch in response.
As the night hovered, both Aja and Krel backed out of their rooms quietly. Krel had still been equipped with his mind-reading glasses while Aja had managed to put up her hair. Their backs gently touched, making Krel gasp before Aja turned to cover her brother's mouth, silently shushing him.
"What are you doing?" Krel whispered.
"Sneaking out, emphasis on sneaking. Now, let's get definitive proof we're not alone on this planet."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Krel gestured behind him where Varvatos had been sitting in front of the television, yelling.
"The word is clearly pineapple! Idiots!"
As the kids peeked their heads around the corner, their robotic mother had loudly exclaimed to them. "Going out? Don't forget your jacket or you'll catch a cold." Aja pushed her back into the hall and shushed her.
"Stay there, do not move." The young female hissed out, clicking the mother's nose and freezing her in a smiling position. Aja turned and pointed a strange device to the floor, a digitalized hoverboard appearing in front of her.
Vex continued to hiss at the screen, "Varvatos would like to solve. Five-letter word….idiot!" He cried as Aja lay down on her hoverboard, moving across the hallway and out of sight. She then passed the board to her brother who took his turn to cross. "They'll let anyone on this talk-box. Should have chosen door number two. It's probably where your IQ was."
Aja and Krel had taken refuge behind the kitchen counters, staring at Varvatos who laughed at the screen. That was until their attention was drawn to a purring Luug who seemed happy.
Taking the chance, Krel placed Luug on top of Varvatos' head, the animal cooing until Vex had set him down. Luug's big eyes stared Varvatos down as he whimpered, tail shaking. However, that only lasted a second before Luug leaped up and attached himself to Varvatos' face, giving the kids the chance to run out the door.
"What are you doing, you filthy animal?" Vex yelled as the kids finally made it outside.
"Let's go," Krel stated as Aja followed on her hovercraft.
The Planetarium came into sight as Krel stood on the ledge, looking out while Aja came floating by, stopping beside him as he grazed the golden city of Arcadia.
"I'm not picking anything up, it's hopeless." Krel pulled off the glasses as Aja smiled.
"Let me try!"
"No, no, no, no. My invention is very delicate."
Aja grabbed it from his hands and moved to the edge, "I'll be gentle, little brother." Krel gasped and tried to reach out.
"Be careful!"
"I am being careful." She slid the glasses on and glanced toward her brother.
"Fine, but we need to increase it slowly."
"Like this?"
"Not at all like this," Krel said, an x appearing above his head. More kept appearing as Krel moved forward, his glasses now his main thought. "What? No! You're gonna break it!"
"No, no, no, no, relax. You've got the signal range set too low. We need to increase it if we're going to pick up readings from all over town." The device whirred as Aja smiled, "Lively." She stated as numerous thoughts appeared.
If he had a good time, why hasn't he called?
Everyone wants to test-drive a Vespa, but do they ever ask the Vespa dealer if he wants a ride?
Jim and Toby glanced at one another, eyebrows raised as they weren't expecting someone like him to complain.
Nobody bought tickets to my one-woman show
Is it me? Oh, who else could it be?
Aja stared in shock as overlapping voices were heard, all the images that poured off the town floated toward her.
I've never rang the bell!
"Wait, what?!"
"So, why do we have to do it?"
"I have a strong dislike for this!"
I'm living a lie!
I cannot go to Ms. Janeth's one-woman show. Then she'll know.
Everyone glanced at Senor Uhl, then Ms. Janeth. "Know what?"
"Please, I beg of you, don't ask!"
"Wait, she has a one-woman show?"
"OH GOSH!"
Aja held her head before throwing off the glasses, Krel catching them with gentleness. "Seklos and Gaylen!" She chuckled, "Humans think they are the center of the universe."
"They're several million light years away from that, actually."
"I mean, all they think about is themselves and what others might think of them. She's worried about what he thinks about her, and all he's thinking about is what this other person thinks about him. Being human is difficult for everyone, it's even hard for humans."
"She hasn't even been here fully and she has us nailed. You summed that up perfectly."
"Uh, let's try not to tell the other planets how much we suck."
"She's right, living is so hard!"
"I never thought of it like that, but you must focus, Aja. Listen, remember why we're here." Krel handed her the glasses before she slid them on.
Enrique use my account to order socks, again!
Claire glared at her two boys as they turned to face her with a grin, "no, don't you two start!"
"Hey, it's Claire-Bear!"
Zero hits online for Cantaloupian Science Fiction. This time, Eli's thought was mainly heard.
Maybe I should take Darci to play laser tag. Who doesn't love tag?
Darci blushed as she listened to Toby think about her and their next date. She was glad she found someone like him, even knowing the secret now was much more amazing.
"Damn, we don't get to hear what Jim is thinking?"
"We shouldn't his mind was probably going a mile a minute."
Thankfully, Aja was lucky enough to pick up on the familiar voice that spoke the alien language. She opened her eyes with a gasp. "It's him, it's him!"
"It worked for you? I mean, I'm glad it worked."
Aja playfully glared at her brother, whacking him in the arm and causing him to groan and rub the sore spot.
Akiridion… Aja narrowed her focus on the voice. Tarron…Aja…Krel
"He said our names," Aja breathed out.
"That can't possibly be good, it must be one of Morando's agents." Aja hopped onto her board, Krel following.
"Alright, who is it? Eli knows everything, who is it?"
"I would like to guess," Blinky said. "The taco guy, what it does to you is alien enough!"
"True, he has shown up a lot lately! It's like the situations with Jim, if they show up too much, they're bound to be someone weird."
"Wow."
"You surprised us a lot, buddy."
"There's only one way to be sure."
Back in the house, Varavtos had moved the frozen robot to the side before rasping his knuckles against the door.
"Lady Aja, it is clear you are….annoyed. But Varvatos Vex must remain true to his duty, which is to protect you and the King-in-waiting." His hand hovered over the door handle when Aja spoke up.
"If you're checking in to see how I am, I am satisfactory, and I am studying the three rules to becoming an A-plus human. I will retire shortly." At that, Varvatos began to walk away, only to stop in his tracks when a man's voice echoed.
"Did you say retire? Then retire in style at the Sarasota Retirement Home." Varvatos punched down the door, finding the dad robot lying in Aja's bed. "Off Route 66, your sunset years can still be golden."
In Aja's voice, the dad sat up. "Lively."
"Okay, well, that's um… weird."
Varvatos was angered, stepping through the Mothership as Luug followed, "The Commander of the Taylon Phalanx should not be forced to walk the Earth as a hobbled slorvath." He glanced at his cane. "Eh! Varvatos was meant to slay, to murder, and pillage, not babysit."
He climbed into the chamber and the flash of light smoothly changed focus to Aja and Krel who raced down the street, following the thoughts of the alien speaker.
"This way," Aja mumbled before they stopped, hiding behind the coverage of a tree and looking in the direction of the taco truck, the voice still speaking. "We're close, Morando's agent must be…" She stopped when Steve came running through with his Vespa. "The golden-haired, lumbering oaf? This makes no sense."
"The taco truck!"
"I knew it!" Everyone glanced at Toby who was looking shocked.
"Hey, now. It wasn't confirmed and besides, Mary is there." Toby stated.
"Excuse me!"
"You're in denial, like Jim with Strickler at first."
"He was speaking with the Eli. He must have told him about us."
"I spoke with the oaf with golden hair and suspected nothing, he plays dumb so well. He must be brilliant."
Steve looked slightly offended but realized she hadn't meant any harm, besides he couldn't be mad at her.
"That's awesome! The insults just keep coming at you!"
"They're suspecting Steve, this is Karma." Mary joked.
The focus was on Steve as he took a mouthful of one burrito, beginning to choke on it and spitting it out. "Who's the king? I'm the king!"
Everyone let out a laugh, "Yeah, he's brilliant alright."
"Hey, our king is choking," Jim joked as the crowd roared in laughter.
That was until Krel angrily stomped up and slapped him hard. Steve yelled out in pain as everyone around gasped.
"What's the new kid doing?" Mary asked.
Jim and Toby began to laugh, snorting right as Steve glares at them. Jim cleared his throat, trying to keep a serious look before beginning to laugh again.
"Hey, at least you are admitting I shouldn't be messed with." Steve commented.
"Shut up, Steve." Mary scolded.
"What the…" Steve yelled.
"I command you to reveal your true form." Steve gripped Krel's shirt and pulled him closer.
"Do you want to die, buttsnack?"
"What is buttsnack?" Steve threw a punch, only for Krel to dodge. "Hey, no fair! Just stay still and get pummeled."
"Hey, cut it out, kids." The taco man warned but Mary was squealing in delightment.
"Oh, I can't not watch!" She said as she held up her phone.
"Yep, classic Mary, pulling out her phone." Everyone glanced at her as she was playing the same video on her phone.
"What, that was great!"
"Ha! Knock him back to wherever he came from, Steve!" A random student cried. Mary grunted and shoved the student back.
"Delete your mouth, Seamus," Steve growled and shoved Krel into the truck, however, the boy reacted quickly and managed to throw the helmet off Steve's head and toward Aja who watched in shock.
"Really, Mary."
She turned on the glasses, looking at the two. Steve had a murderous thought while Krel seemed worried. "Keep still so I can punch your face." Aja began to realize what had transpired.
Jim rolled his eyes, "been there, done that."
"Now he has no power over you," Toby joked. "Butt kicking time!"
"The helmet was blocking, oh no. Krel, it's not him! I was wrong! He is an idiot!"
"Ha! I love this so much!" Steve blushed in embarrassment as Aja looked at him with an apologetic look.
"Sorry," she started.
"Hey, it's okay. I would be your idiot any day."
Krel, now face pressed against the truck had mumbled, "It seems there's been a misunderstanding here. My apologies, you are just an idiot."
"Oh, yeah? Well, my fist is gonna misunderstand your face!"
"Krel, rule number three!" Aja reminded him as Krel pulled out his phone, clicking the buttons randomly.
"Kick him in the Gronk Nuts! Oh, wrong rule."
"Lights out, plebe." The fist collided with him, Krel slumping to the ground with blue dripping from his nose causing Aja to gasp.
"Dude!"
"I'm leaking fluid, what is this?" Krel asked, wiping his nose. "I must be dying. Is this the end?"
"And nobody finds him dripping blue strange?"
"Nope, we're blind."
"Not yet," Steve grinned as he lifted Krel, ready to throw another punch but his arm froze, Aja pulling him back with force.
"Get away from my little brother, snackbutt." She sent her foot into his stomach, Steve screaming as he slid into his Vespa, knocking it over. However, instead of being angered, Steve looked up at Aja, standing in the light like an angel.
"Whoa." Aja glanced at his thoughts to see an angel dressed as a ninja. She's like a ninja-kicking angel. A heart image thumped behind it as he stuttered in his thoughts, Aja looking confused. I mean, she–she kicks ninjas, but she's an angel.
The Trollhunting team stares at him in shock as Steve chuckles, "What can I say, I fell in love."
"With someone who kicked your butt?" Toby asked.
Before Aja could question it, the voice of the alien was heard, her attention moving to the taco guy. His thoughts spoke loudly as she glared, oh no.
"Krel, it's him!" She lifted her brother who was dazed.
"I don't mean to brag, but.." Blinky started with a grin.
"Who?"
"The burrito bandit, he is the alien." The man grabbed his belongings and started the truck before fleeing.
"They yelled at that so loudly, I am disappointed in all of you. Especially because he started fleeing!"
"Hey!" Shannon cried. "What about my guacamole? I paid extra!" Aja and Krel gave chase as the truck sped away, screeching as it turned the corner. Aja quickly activated her board, staying close behind as the truck sped around others, one being Ophelia.
He glanced in his mirror, finding her still hot on his trail but had to break instantly as a cop sped through the intersection, a voice crying as they passed.
The van sped up again when it was clear, Aja expertly dodging the flying tacos that came her way as horns roared from other cars, but she didn't stop, catching up to the window as the guy pressed harder on the breaks.
"Remember when Jim first fought Bular in the construction site and we questioned how nobody saw? Well, that made sense, but this crazy girl is literally chasing a speeding truck on something that has never existed! The biggest thing is a Vespa."
"Yes, we are blind, but once the Eternal Night happens, it won't be so frustrating."
"Nope, we embarrassed ourselves, it's over. We're the dumb ones compared to Trolls and Aliens."
"Damn it."
"Well, you guys are interesting," Aja commented as Blinky nodded.
"Indeed."
She had nearly touched the back of the truck, only for it to make a quick turn and cause her to crash into a nearby light pole, falling from her board as the glasses shattered. Krel had finally caught up, reaching for her.
"Aja, are you…" He gasped and reached for the glasses. "I knew you'd break it!"
"Wow, I really feel the love." Aja joked, now finding the time to mention it.
"What, my glasses!"
"Not the time, he's getting away!" Aja scolded as they cut through alleys, closing on him again. The tires continued to screech as he fled but another sound accompanied them, Luug's frantic barking as he ran between Krel and Aja, reverted to his Earthly form.
"Luug? What are you doing here?" Luug narrowed his eyes and barked, making the two siblings grin. Thinking he got away, the taco man grinned and chuckled before hearing Varvatos' voice call out, the old man in the center of the moon upon the top of a building.
"Stop right there!" Vex jumped down, groaning as his knees cracked. "These feeble human knees." The van squealed as the brakes were slammed on, Vex reaching out for the truck and managing to lift it, his body being pushed back but keeping his footing. "Halt, you steel monster!"
"How the hell did he get up there?"
"Let's not ask those questions."
"Just imagine seeing a really old man standing on a building like that, it'd be over for me."
"I inspire to be him when I get older, I should start practicing. I will torture you but throw a bench on you!"
"You suck."
He finally stopped, Varvatos throwing the van back on the ground as Aja and Krel caught up, Luug barking in a warning. Vex cracked his back as the two smiled.
"You left the house?" Aja asked.
"Did the television break?"
"I left during what is called commercials. Ugh! Being inconspicuous is painful and exhausting." They turned their attention to the man who whimpered as he stood against the wall, his slippers squeaking.
"Halt! By the order of House Tarron!" Aja said but the man didn't stop, running off as they gave chase.
"Run, you disgraceful coward! Varvatos Vex will rain glorious death on all you hold dear!" He picked up Luug and tossed the dog, the said pet transforming into his natural form, mouth open wide like a flower, teeth ready to latch.
"Dude is kind of mean."
"No!" The man cried before Luug covered his face, knocking the man to the floor. He pulled the growling Luug off just as the family cornered the man.
"As the kIng-in-waiting of Akiridion-5," Krel said before he and Aja transformed. "You are under arrest."
The man stood up with a gasp, "Ah! No way, it really is you, Krel! I knew it! And…" He sighed happily. "You must be Aja." The two gave each other confused glances just as the man lifted something over his head, revealing his true form. He was nothing more than a four-eyed alien. "Oh, I am the biggest fan! OMG, could I do a little sketch of you guys? Oh, I know, I'm kidding."
The crowd's jaw dropped, and everyone stared at the screen in surprise. "It's like changelings, I have no idea what to expect when they change but it's never what I think it is!"
"This dude has been living with us for a while! Alright, who else is an Alien or Changeling, reveal yourself. I have trust issues.
He laughed as the trio plugged their noses, gagging at a foul stench. "What the…"
Up in space, a strange ship floated through the dark void, an alien by the name of Alpha spoke, "According to the transit logs, our fortune awaits in the next system. Dead or alive, the royals will be ours." He lifted the device to the system, the planet Earth hovering.
"There will be no alive." The ship's claws lifted out, a large burst of orange ripping through it and blasting them out of view.
"Well, we're doomed."