Chapter 8: Fights
[This chapter contains scenes from Episode 3: Wherefore Art Thou, Trollhunter?, from Trollhunters]
Later that day, Jim headed down to Trollmarket with Toby to train with Blinky. It was nostalgic hearing the six-eyed troll recite the rules of being a Trollhunter and test his reflexes by hurling rocks at him. Fortunately, Jim had graduated from that form of training a long time ago and was performing excellently. It seemed to make Blinky very happy that his new pupil was so capable as well. While the two of them trained, Toby was chatting with AAARRRGGHH, getting along rather well as they chatted and watched.
They trained for a while before a gravelly voice cut through their training like a sharp knife through butter. As they turned, the four of them saw Draal sauntering in, chest puffed out in pride and a toothy grin on his face as he approached.
"Ah! So the Trollhunter's training begins." Draal roared in a condescending tone, swaggering in front of Jim as he clenched his fists together. "I thought the great Trollhunter might accept my services as a sparring partner. Part of your training regiment, isn't it?"
"In due time, perhaps." Blinky tried to cut off Draal but was cut off in turn as Vendel's wisened voice echoed from the stands above.
"Why wait?! I am eager to see your charge demonstrate his mettle." The albino troll watched on from overhead, stroking his beard as Draal's grin grew broader.
"Alright." Jim nodded, stepping forward despite Blinky's nervousness. "I'll take you up on that offer, Draal."
Seeing Jim's confidence, the spiky blue troll snarled, but kept his cocky grin as he strode to the other end of the arena.
"Master Jim, I know you are eager to prove yourself, but is this wise? Have you forgotten the first rule of being a Trollhunter?" Blinky nervously blocked Jim off, holding onto him with one set of hands.
"I know, Blinky. ' Always be afraid'." Jim recited the rule easily while putting his own hand on Blinky's shoulder. "I am afraid. Of a lot. But that won't stop me. Just trust me. Alright?"
The concern was clear in Blinky's eyes but, as Jim smiled up at him, the blue troll sighed and nodded.
"Very well, Master Jim. I do trust you. Just… hit him. Hit him as hard as you can."
"Will do." Jim nodded as his friends made their way back out of the arena and he took his place across from Draal.
The air was tense, thrumming with energy as the two warriors stood across from each other. The orange-tinted halls of the Hero's Forge looked like they were on fire as Vendel's voice boomed out over the thrumming of machinery and the hissing of steam and fire.
"Begin."
Draal immediately pounded the ground with his fists, kicking up dirt as he snarled like a savage beast and charged right at Jim. The son of the previous Trollhunter threw all his fury into his attack, rolling up into a ball, the many spikes on his back acting like stone swords as he tore across the arena directly for Jim.
Leaping out of his path, Jim dodge the troll, only for him to roll up the wall, defying gravity for a moment with his blitzing speed. Draal continued in his arc, unfurling as he dropped straight towards the arena floor, fists at the ready as he slammed into the ground, splintering it and throwing up a massive cloud of dust. However, Jim was still untouched.
The dust was thick and heavy, obscuring Jim's vision, but he could feel Draal's intensity as he struck out through the dust. He summoned Daylight to his hand, parrying the troll with his blade and forcing him back, surprising the warrior and angering him further.
Snarling, Draal attacked again, swinging his boulder-like fists as Jim backed out through the dust. The blows were swift and deadly, a single one of them could break bones if not for Jim's armor.
"I've waited my entire life to inherit the amulet." Draal barked, swinging his heavy horns at Jim as he caught his shoulder and sent him rolling across the ground.
Grunting at the impact, a flash of blue light erupted from the armor before Jim quickly sprung to his feet, dodging Draal's next strike as he dug craters into the ground where he had been just a moment earlier. Jim could feel his heart racing in his chest and his breath grow heavy as he exerted himself. He may still have the skills he honed for years in his mind, but his body still needed time to catch up.
"You're nothing but a weak, cowardly, fleshbag! Stop running and face me, Trollhunter!" Draal mocked, but Jim stayed patient, rolling with the punches and dodging the warrior troll's strikes one after the other until his body was at its limit, screaming at him.
Exhaling sharply, Jim knew it was time.
Pivoting around one of Draal's punches, he could feel the troll's stone skin scrape against his armor, grinding like the harshest of sandpaper. However, Jim was still able to raise his blade overhead, bringing it down with the flat edge right on top of Draal's head as a burst of radiant energy exploded between the two of them, throwing both warriors back.
Jim tumbled across the ground, eventually rolling to a stop near the edge of the arena. His body was sore and he ached from the impact but, as he sat up, he saw that Draal was also reeling from the blow.
"I think that's quite enough, Vendel!" Blinky strode out into the arena, shouting up at the pale troll. "Master Jim has performed well for how little training he's had, wouldn't you agree?"
AAARRRGGHH and Toby rushed out alongside Blinky, looking up to the stands where Vendel was stroking his beard once more.
"Indeed." The albino troll nodded before turning to leave.
Jim's friends all breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly raised their guards once more as Draal stomped back across the arena to snarl at Jim.
"You got lucky, fleshbag. Next time, I won't hold back. If you know what's good for you, you'll quit while you're ahead, worm." Growling indignantly, Draal turned and stormed out of the arena.
Jim let out a sigh as he watched the troll leave. He was one step closer to having his brother back. Even if he had to exert himself quite a bit just to get this far.
Standing on stage, script in hand, Jim listened as Mrs. Janeth lectured them on Romeo & Juliet. The teacher was rather passionate, maybe too passionate at times, but she did put a lot of herself into her work. It was respectable. In its own way at least.
They continued rehearsing for a while, Jim getting the chance to go over his lines again and remember how distracted he was the first time. He found himself thinking about the first loop a lot more often as he was greeted with little changes in the timeline. Apparently the smile showed on his face as Claire glanced over at him.
"You okay?" She asked, taking a step closer.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Jim nodded as he felt his heart skip a beat and his face grow warm as he looked at Claire. She was still beautiful and he couldn't help but be swept off his feet as she stood close to him.
"Looks like you've got acting down." Claire laughed. "How come you never did theater until now? You would have rocked."
"I've had a lot going on." Jim replied, a smile still plastered on his face.
"I know we don't know each other all that well, but we're going to be spending a lot of time together, so…" Claire stepped closer to Jim, her finger tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled back at him.
"All right, all right! Act two, scene two, line 33." Mrs. Janeth interrupted the moment, calling the two of them back to the task at hand.
"I hope we get to know each other better too." Jim replied to Claire's unspoken message confidently as they continued their rehearsal.
He may not have restored her memories of everything that happened, but he wouldn't stop trying until she loved him again.
"Where have you been? I scheduled your butt-whooping for yesterday, jerk face. And you didn't show. Tick-tock, remember?"
Steve's hot breath was right in Jim's face as the blond-haired jock pressed him up against the lockers. However, Jim's mind was more dwelling on the fact that he, once again, completely forgot about Steve. He was rather preoccupied with Strickler and getting everything in line for what he had to do, but the jock just completely slipped his mind. He almost felt bad that he'd done it again.
"You better back off, Steve. Jimbo here is a certified badass now." Toby came to Jim's defense but Steve just turned aggressively towards the tubby boy.
"Back off, dweeb!"
"Hey, Steve, we don't have to do this, alright?" Jim tried to talk the jock down, but it didn't work even in the slightest as the blond-haired boy turned back to him with a snarl.
"Nobody ever wants to get their face bashed in, but that's what's going to happen unless you want to back down." Steve growled, grabbing Jim by the collar. As he did, a larger crowd started to gather and Jim noticed Claire and Darci. Immediately, a worried expression came to Claire's face as she took a step forward.
"You're better than this, Steve." Jim sighed again, not giving into the bully's provocation.
"Yeah! Better than you, buttsnack!" Steve snapped, shoving Jim back into the locker before swinging at him.
Jim was fast on his feet though, ducking and weaving every punch, leading Steve on as the tall boy quickly became frustrated.
"Keep still so I can punch your face!"
Jim just shook his head as he blocked one of Steve's punches and quickly danced around him, making the jock stumble before whipping around, angry. However, in that moment, Claire leapt between them, arms outstretched as she intervened.
"Leave him alone, Steve!" She demanded.
"Butt out!" Steve snarled, shoving Claire aside and sparking anger inside Jim as he saw the same scene play out again. The bully stomped forward, raising his fist once more for a massive punch. "Good thing your mom's a nurse."
The anger tied a knot in Jim's stomach as he clenched his teeth and his fist at the same time. He knew Steve was better than this, but the jock was still a jerk and needed to be taught a lesson in a way he'd understand.
As Steve started to swing his fist down, Jim quickly countered, a powerful uppercut striking the blond-haired boy in the jaw and laying him out instantly, a tooth popping right out of his mouth and clattering across the pavement.
"She's a doctor, actually." Jim let out a huff of irritation as he felt the heat on his knuckles where they made contact with Steve's face.
Toby was the first to start celebrating, followed by everyone else as they applauded Jim's efforts against the well-known school bully. He chuckled at the praise, thinking about the small victory for only a moment before remembering what else he had to do.
"The worm. Who does he think he is?! A fleshbag! A human Trollhunter?! He landed just one lucky blow, that's all. If I had another chance, I'd wail on that fleshbag until he showed his cowardly little tail and ran out of Trollmarket forever!" Draal cursed in trollish and grumbled to several of the trolls seated at his table as he drank from a large mug.
He was so absorbed in his grumblings he didn't even notice as Jim and Toby walked into the bar, though Blinky and AAARRRGGHH, who were seated nearby, noticed them immediately. Though Jim wasn't headed for them. Instead, he made his way over to Draal's table, standing right in front of the massive warrior troll defiantly.
"Alright, Draal. If you want to challenge me, let's do it for real this time." Jim leaned on the table, staring down the blue troll intently. "Name the time, name the place, and I'll be there."
The surrounding trolls gasped in surprise and Draal stood up to his full height, snarling down at Jim. However, all Jim could think about was the future. He may have to humiliate his friend, but it was the only thing he could do to get him back.
Besides, he just remembered some people needed to be knocked down a peg to become.