Chapter 9 - The Wolves
The Putt Putt Trolls watched with curiosity as Trollex tried to knock the golf ball multiple times with his putter. His strong, moving arms were already a blur from the constant swinging, becoming a light show of rainbow waves around his body. And unlike the usual glitter, his tattoos glowed like the LED lights, enhancing the seemingly fluid waves of colors he swung around.
Despite being cool as cucumbers when they first saw new Trolls, most of them didn't expect Techno Trolls on the surface. In fact, they thought a Techno Troll could die if they remained out of water. But King Trollex, alongside not dipping his toes in any water pools for the entire day, looked as vibrant as he could be.
While educated and wary of the Techno King, the Putt Putt Trolls gazed with wonder and cooed softly at the chipper Trollex trying to swing his small golf ball. To them, his presence exceeded some of their feared expectations. He didn't seem to be suffering or look monstrous.
Just a little beaming rainbow.
Eventually, Trollex stopped swinging around his putter and glared at the golf ball before his tail fins.
"Why isn't this moving?" he squawked, irritated.
"'Uh, uh, uh, you're holding the stick the wrong way," butted in Barb, grabbing his putter.
"Wait, isn't it that way?"
"No the other way, 360."
Trollex turned the putter the right way with the club head facing the ground.
"Oh, like this?" asked Trollex.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" confirmed Barb, smiling. "Now, fire!"
One could expect a rainbow flying from the golf ball as it was launched into the air, all thanks to Trollex's arms forming a blur of colors again. Instead, they were treated to reality with the golf ball missing the high hole, a tall green mountain with a single flag on the top, and bouncing off the leg of a high treehouse nearby.
Since Trollex hit the golf ball so hard, it ended up speeding back to the watchful crowd and ending up into the mouth of an unfortunate Putt Putt Troll. The victim in question fell backwards and began choking, assisted by their fellow comrades, who started pounding their fists against his chest. It only took three punches to spit out the ball.
Trollex blankly stared at the saliva-covered golf ball…and his broken putter.
"I-I think you're kinda right," he said quietly. "Golf is kinda bad…"
"Remind me again?" asked Barb to the Putt Putt Trolls. "Are you supposed to fire from here?"
"Yes," said one Putt Putt Troll. "Extreme golf takes sharp precision, limited moves and muscle strength!"
Apparently, the Putt Putt Trolls grew over time to value the sport of extreme golf; only got a few shots or you would be out. Trollex and Barb glanced at each other, a bit surprised at how much these guys were becoming tougher.
Sure, the Pop Trolls could be unexpected, but the Putt Putt Trolls ticked all the hallmarks of a typical tribal gang.
Trollex's failed attempt at golfing even caught the attention of nearly everyone here, who was curious about these strangers. Viva had already taken Poppy away, Clay had taken his brothers for a chat, and Guy Diamond decided to treat Tiny Diamond to food from the nearby restaurant.
Knowing how easily distracted the Putt Putt Trolls could be, Clay assigned the two young royals to entertain his folks. However, he looked like he was panicking when he gave that order.
As Barb and Trollex dwelled upon the toughness of the Putt Putt Trolls, all eyes were already on the former, the Rock Queen herself. To them, she looked rough-no, the right word should be threatening. It wasn't just the piercings, the tight clothes and the bright mohawk.
They could mistake her for having lost her true colors with the slight red glow of her skin seemingly coming from sunburn. They could compare her wide eyes with an anglerfish's cloudy, deranged eyes. They could even think that her teeth would become sharper. Some of them were still shivering at the sight of Barb looking like a gremlin.
But despite all this, they noticed the soft look in her reddish-pink eyes. They looked vacant and tired but also filled with hot passion. Those eyes were also dilated whenever close to her friends, including Trollex…
Rock Trolls were said to be the most rambunctious and deadliest of all the Troll tribes. They were also some of the most judgemental and honest.
But now, it wasn't present for Barb. At least she wasn't being critical of everything she would see. And in a way, the Putt Putt Trolls felt like she could be one of them too! Well, if she removed the leather jacket first. They cooed away as the non-conforming Barb shared a few things under her breath to Trollex, curious about her behavior.
This went the same for the duo they were watching.
"Energetic, timid, crazy prepared, not urgent for having hugs and apparently, they love extreme sports that don't surround cuddly…things? Is that a good thing?" whispered Barb.
Trollex tilted his head, glancing at the Putt Putt Trolls. "They seem feral and adaptable. But they don't remind me of Pop Trolls, too."
"Yeah, my point. And when you mean adaptable, do you mean…?"
"They don't seem to be scared of us," said Trollex, furrowing his brow, self-conscious of how he might appear to them. "If anything, maybe just seeing if we'll be hostile."
Barb frowned, briefly looking away. "I…might not be good with that."
"Hey, at least they didn't strike when we first showed up. You were clearly visible."
"That's true. Come to think of it, Viva did sound sincere when apologizing for what her ancestors did. How progressive do you think these dudes are?"
As if on cue, Faith approached the duo. Noticeably, she kept a smile and couldn't stop bouncing on her heels, impatient. Dried out from books about the outside world, she felt many questions slowly creeping through her throat like soft bubbles.
And when she opened her mouth, she couldn't tame the cheeriness contained. "So, where you came from, is it true that you live amongst the fluids?"
"The fluids?" repeated Barb.
Faith looked embarrassed. "Oh, I mean, like, you two live closely to…well, places that we don't. I mean, King Trollex can breathe underwater and Queen Barb can swim in the lava?"
Trollex nodded simply. For Barb, it was a bit difficult to explain.
"Don't usually swim in it," said Barb, scratching her chin. "It's hot for a reason." She shrugged with a smirk. "But we Rock Trolls have tough skin. After all, we play our concerts in a volcano!"
A series of gasps and a hundred responses followed.
"Wicked!"
"So cool!"
"Wouldn't it burn?"
"This is something I should add to my bucket list…"
Not even a single shred of disgust among these wild Pop Trolls. If anything, there were more looks of concern on pragmatic stuff rather than personal tastes. It was like the volcano rock concert would be an escape but also a danger for those who weren't built for the fire. Judging by how the Putt Putt Trolls were coming closer, they were considering the experience of being in the volcano stadium of the Rock Trolls' domain.
At the same time, they kept their distance to give Barb and Trollex enough breathing room. They seemed quite mindful of personal space.
"Can you tell us more?"
"What kind of challenges are out there?"
"How do you usually travel from one place to another?"
"Which food of your cuisines would you suggest we try first?"
"Are our Hug Times too much for you?"
Trollex mustered all his willpower not to say 'yes' to that question.
Seeing the attention drawing towards them, the two young royals just smiled and casually leaned against each other. A shared, singular act of looking cool, but they felt confident enough to start sharing with these folks.
Despite knowing they were mostly stalling them for Clay's sake, it was nice to see other Pop Trolls taking an interest in their culture without the conflicts or the likely exploitation.
Barb absentmindedly pulled out her guitar as she was about to answer their questions. Then, the Putt Putt Trolls forgot all they were asking and their hypnotized eyes turned to her instrument like raccoons eager to grab anything.
"I think this is the design you want, Jason!" commented Faith, nudging to her friend.
Jason looked embarrassed. "Yeah! But it's not edgy! I swear, it's not!"
"It's edgy," admitted Barb, stroking the neck. "But, overall, it's a cool design. Made from all kinds of scrapped materials we can get our hands on, filled to the brim with enough energy like the electricity from thunder and not a single string off-key or broken!" Barb paused as she considered that fact. "Well, sometimes, we break the strings intentionally. But it carries a lot of energy to make enough noise without a boombox!"
"I want to have the exact guitar like hers…"
"How deep can the guitar's chords go?"
"Can these be used as weapons?" asked another Putt Putt Troll, pointing at Barb's guitar to Trollex's trident attached to the back of his vest. "Have you used them before in fighting?"
Barb grinned. "Of course, I…"
Memories of wildly swinging her guitar around, striking the strings to produce larger bolts. With the word 'fighting' in mind, her mind could only recall how many cracks she made, how many buildings she wrecked and how many Trolls screamed as they were blown away.
A distant feeling of satisfaction flooded her body at the memory of snatching the strings and grinning in glee with the tribes locked up and taken for the ultimate plan…
The fire in Barb's eyes quickly disappeared. If one looked closely, they turned to a dull shade of red. She tried keeping her gasp quiet, but her smile fading away was noticeable. After trying to build up certainty, her shame was exposed as she stared down at her guitar.
In fighting, it was all just fun and games. She didn't have a hard time against those who tried fighting back in her World Tour, but it came at the advantage of asserting dominance and the power of hate. It was so easy back then to destroy the ones you oppose and despise.
How could she say she enjoyed something that made her a monster?
Trollex's first reaction was to put a hand on Barb's shoulder and nearly lean in to whisper. However, Barb shook her head with a pleading look in her eyes.
In another world, she wouldn't be this desperate to ask her friends not to tell.
However, now, she knew the beans could be spilled. But not like this. Not when they started to like the Putt Putt Trolls and when they shared the same sentiment.
Trollex stared at Barb for a while, looking a little stunned. It wasn't just the idea of sharing the bittersweet tale of the World Tour. It was the fear that was set in her eyes. Barb wasn't as resilient as before despite appearing fine for the last few hours.
He felt inclined to say something. They knew they couldn't hide it for long.
But he knew Barb didn't want to come across as terrible to the Putt Putt Trolls.
Finally, despite the curious stares, Trollex nodded and Barb sighed in relief. She at least had a small answer to the question.
"Well," she muttered flatly. "Not…in the traditional sense. In my time, I didn't have a lot of enemies to fight against."
Thankfully, the Putt Putt Trolls didn't push her further. They all nodded respectfully, even looking concerned. They turned to Trollex, who figured he would have to explain the trident.
Pulling it out, Trollex rolled the trident around his shoulders. It came to him that this was the first time he had done so ever since…frowning upon that memory, he focused on how he moved it around.
Now, as an adult, it only felt as light as a feather. Once it was in his left hand, he gently planted the tip of it on the dirt with the prongs pointed upwards.
The lights all around the golf course caught its magnificent pearly shine.
The Putt Putt Trolls cooed once again, awed by the trident.
Trollex tried mustering up a smirk. "Um, well, I have been wielding my family's trident for the past few weeks. Been a while, though not that many attacks on my kingdom, fortunately. Besides, I don't want to harm this too much." Lowering it, he looked down at the trident, catching his reflection. "It's easy to use it as a DJ, but as a fighter, it cannot go beyond a stain."
And there was his face. The proud king he was. But then, he remembered the face of a child when he stared at his trident long ago. Still, there was this feeling of the trident watching over him and the people he came along the way.
The feeling of protecting this treasure came over him. "It cannot go beyond a stain…"
"I can hear it whispering to me," muttered one Putt Putt Troll.
"Yeah, dude," agreed another. "Such a beauty!"
However, looking at this trident brought him back to a particular time. He remembered how murky the waters were…Trollex shut his eyes, trying to settle the unease in his body. When he opened his eyes, he still felt tense. The Putt Putt Trolls must be right. The glow of the trident was suddenly telling him about something off.
It wasn't precisely stirring him, but Trollex suddenly felt more conscious of the nervousness around him. It wasn't just coming from him or the Putt Putt Trolls.
Even after he saved her from exposing too much, Barb suddenly lost her energy to keep up her cheerful front. Now, she was trying to keep a stoic look, but it was forced, judging by the wrinkles on her face. She was even slouching as if tired.
Her silence wasn't unnoticed and when she caught the look on Trollex's face, she curled her lips into an ugly frown.
"What?" she said, crossing her arms.
Trollex would have been intimidated if it weren't for the flat tone in her voice.
Still curious, one Putt Putt Troll raised her hand.
"What about your music? How does it sound like?" She was nervous to ask, but her sparkly eyes were nearly begging to get a good listen to their music.
Barb closed her eyes in deep thought before turning to the Putt Putt Troll with a faux firm look. "Question first, how much do you know about Rock music or Techno music or…whatever kind of music? You learnt, but how much did you hear?"
She half-expected the Putt Putt Trolls to be critical and biased, but once again, they surprised her.
At least, they answered her question, like children only learning from the books they could find in the library.
"What kind of Rock or Techno music are you talking about? Punk rock? Ska rock? Dubstep?"
Faith clicked her tongue in slight disgust at the mention of 'dubstep'.
"Well, we know Rock to have a harsh sound!" The Putt Putt Troll who made that comment then flinched in embarrassment. "N-No offense! Sorry, your rockness! It just ramps up the awesomeness of music up to eleven! I like harsher notes than soft notes!"
"Techno is more on the digital and technological side, am I right?"
"You just need guitars and the drums to carry a Rock song."
"You get to experiment with different effects, synths, tempos and drops in Techno."
The comments were becoming more out of admiration with no indication of any negatives.
"There's truth to find in Rock!"
"Simplicity is pleasure in Techno without needing words!"
"Both tribes can send more powerful soundwaves than Pop Trolls."
"Or a readiness for the next afterlife!"
As the Putt Putt Trolls chattered amongst themselves regarding their knowledge, Barb slowly lowered her guard and basked in their theories and praise. She could feel her body relaxing, the doom slowly loosening its grip. All she could hear and see now was the welcoming sight of the Putt Putt Trolls engaging with what Rock and Techno music could be like and they weren't wrong at all.
Even Trollex raised his eyebrows as he listened to those people. How invested they were without judgment. They were even quick to clear up any assumptions that might be discriminatory.
Trollex didn't notice that he was puffing out his chest. It was out of warm pride for the recognition given to his and Barb's music.
This bubbly feeling was also present in Barb, managing to crack a genuine smile.
"You all are not wrong," she said, lifting her crossed arms a little in a manner of regained confidence. "Long story short, with my music, it's all about expressing your deepest emotions. Rage is common for us Rock Trolls, but it's also important. It's the way you state your truth, your desires."
While no stranger to expressing themselves through music, the Putt Putt Trolls nodded in understanding. They were also fidgety, their excitement making them bounce around a little.
Sighing in relief and satisfaction, Trollex smirked as he gave his insight. "Don't mind me. For my own raves, it's about family and love. I will say simplicity IS pleasure, but it can be crafted in many new and different ways without adding so much. There's no holding back in setting the mood."
"Maybe you can present a mood for us?" asked Faith. A sweat drop then formed from the side of her head. "I mean, what kind of mood do you two often set when singing and dancing?"
Barb and Trollex glanced at each other.
"Would it be too scary if we say ours is quite fierce?" asked Barb.
"Eh, we're savages," said one Putt Putt Troll. He received a kick in the butt for this. "Ow! What? Viva prepared us for anything! I can't say that we're beasts too? We're not daisies."
"A song or two would be nice," chimed in another.
"Yeah!" said a third. "We like to know!"
Barb looked to the side again. This time, it was out of consideration with an eager smile.
"Give us a moment!" she announced.
The Putt Putt Trolls were already kind to understand, so they let her and Trollex scurry off only a few blocks away until no one was close enough to hear them.
Trollex was about to ask Barb if she was alright, but he noticed she was back to her perky self.
When she spoke, it wasn't fake and forced. "You know, fish boy, maybe playing one of our songs together won't be bad? For them?"
The Techno King grinned. "Now, we're talking! Is this crowd our target audience?"
"Not really. But they pretty much act like how we are now. Already past the bickering."
Trollex hummed, rubbing his chin. "Then should we reveal to them that we are a supergroup-?"
"Absolutely not," shot down Barb.
Trollex resisted from snickering. "OK, OK. Fair enough. Though, I think we should play that 'Ba, Ba, Black Sheep' song."
Barb's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean…?"
The Techno King nodded. However, Barb was skeptical. The song they were now thinking wasn't meant to be a leading single. It was just part of the album as a fun side project. If it were up to Barb, she would want to present an outstanding song from their combined genres.
"You really want to go with the straight path, dude?" she asked. "I mean, it's one of those more rocky songs than the middle ground."
"One, it's actually one of the most poppier songs we made," corrected Trollex with a stupid smile. "Two, we DID add Trollzart's orchestra to the mix."
"Wait, I thought that was YOU who added the trumpets and the violins from your keyboard."
"Not everything has to be made through the keyboard. And three, think of it like settling newcomers to something new they have to learn." Trollex's smile grew mischievous and sarcastic. "When you give a kid a teddy bear, it's meant to show the love an object can provide. And when they're older, you can just rip the head off to show its messy stuffing to reveal how torn it is from reality."
Barb placed a hand over her wide grin, nearly laughing. "What did I do to you, goldfish?" When taking this seriously, she recalled the surprising maturity and wariness of the Putt Putt Trolls. They seemed wise enough to learn. "I suppose we can try to! We're all adults!"
In agreement with the chosen song, they returned to the Putt Putt Trolls and gave them a thumb-up. They cheered in response and hopped around, obviously excited to hear them.
Within moments, Barb and Trollex managed to dash back to Rhonda and collect the mini turntable needed. With extra legs, Trollex could set his turntable up alongside headphones to focus on mixing the pre-recorded sounds. Meanwhile, with her guitar already ready, Barb kept hopping from one foot to another, trying to pump herself up for another performance.
There was no stage, yet the Putt Putt Trolls were respectful enough to hold a massive gathering for the duo to set up their equipment. To them, they imagined a strict line they couldn't cross, knowing the rest of the vast clearing would be a safe place to dance around.
The Putt Putt Trolls were surprisingly patient, chatting to each other as they waited.
To Barb and Trollex, they were more used to hearing the screams of their crowds, begging for them to perform. It felt…weird having an audience being this well-mannered. So mindful.
Trollzart would like this crowd since they wouldn't disturb the performer's concentration, but the younger Barb and Trollex always enjoyed the welcoming applause. They really were like Branch.
But despite the absence of welcoming cheers, the duo felt ready. There was no hesitation in pulling this off as if they knew the steps.
As Barb fidgeted with her strings and Trollex pulled out a keyboard addition from his mini turntable, the two couldn't help noticing Viva and Poppy joining the crowd. However, it wasn't out of curiosity.
Viva had her arms crossed as she walked around in zig-zags, her blonde hair combed in a new frazzled mess. Her back was facing against the chirping Poppy, uncomfortable with an idea that she feared doing.
Meanwhile, Poppy looked close to interrogating further. From experience, the Pop Queen knew whenever somebody had a bad day or bone. She wasn't none the wiser with her long-lost sister's sudden ignorance.
Despite the two being far away, Barb and Trollex could hear the slightest of their words as they mixed with the mumbling audience.
"It's not too bad!" pleaded Poppy. "I mean, there's a couple of hiccups."
"T-That's what I mean," stuttered Viva, not making eye contact. "You can't…trust anyone out there."
"Well, Barb and I didn't have a friendly start," said Poppy sheepishly. "In fact, we started as nearly mortal enemies."
Viva gasped, twirling around. "Wait, you two started as enemies?!"
"WE ARE CYBERPUNK!" roared Barb in great haste, instincts and passion. "WE ARE HERE TO MAKE YOU RAGE AND THINK ABOUT DEATH AND STUFF! I WANNA HEAR YOU SCREAM!"
"What's up, my fellow Putt Putt Trolls~?!" shouted the more relaxed Trollex, making the peace sign with both hands. "I wanna see you all dance!"
[Wolf In Sheep's Clothing - Set It Off feat. William Beckett]
[0:00]
A single drum bang from Trollex's turntable, kicking off Barb's guitar solo. For this song, she kept it playful, lively and something that could match the crisp and mischievous nature of glorious pop punk. She kept her body still, though, to avoid making a jumpstart too soon.
As the first guitar riff played, the glowing lights seemed to respond and all of them pointed to Barb and Trollex. The lights seemed to shudder, unsure of how they should move about.
Sure enough, the Putt Putt Trolls cooed loudly once again. They listened to tracks under Rock music before, but they never got a close and personal chill like this live performance.
Barb turned to Trollex with a grin. The Techno King laughed a little, improvising their opening lines.
"Who is this song about?" he asked cheekily.
"Oh, I'll tell you," said Barb.
[0:06]
And thus, Barb started singing with an ironic smile. She already felt good about playing this song, but the theatrics were more critical of this jazzy song.
Barb's teasing and raspy tone got the Putt Putt Trolls hooked as they bobbed their heads up and down to the song's rhythm. Respectful in their standing, they all took in the words of this song. To their surprise, it wasn't the usual expression of joy or general anger towards the world. The lively tone of the song seemed to tell them this.
It wasn't something they often listened to before.
As Barb sang, she gave the audience a pointed look as her smile slowly disappeared.
[0:16]
Then, she and Trollex ceased the instrumental as they both sang the following line.
However, Barb kept singing while Trollex actually did a distorted death scream with his autotune.
[0:17]
The instrumental returned and Trollex added a layer of faster drums to kick in the song's true energy. As the tempo kicked up, Barb kicked one foot in the air, eliciting a gasp from the audience. Continuing her singing, she let the rapt audience see the more boisterous side of her.
The Putt Putt Trolls didn't expect Barb and Trollex to exchange lines as if they were conversing. Their use of a twisted lullaby even got their full attention because, let's face it, who believes in lullabies these days?
And who was the 'black sheep' they were referring to?
As they listened more to the black sheep's words, they pondered the objective. Those two didn't sound remotely angry. They carried a carefree attitude similar to usual Pop Trolls, but it sounded more mocking than wholesome. It was as if referring to someone they were familiar with. The familiar twists in the nursery rhymes told them about something they couldn't trust.
And it felt right to hear about this.
[0:29]
As they approached the chorus, Trollex lifted his hand high…as a singular green button on his mini turntable glowed a fantastic ghostly aura.
[0:32]
The Putt Putt Trolls didn't expect the drop to kick in, fuelled by Trollex's sneaky addition to the mostly punk song. A soundwave erupted from the turntable as they headed into the chorus, spreading throughout the crowd. A fresh new wave of bliss swam through the Putt Putt Trolls, eliciting more choruses of gasps of shock and cheers of catharsis.
It was a grand release of energy for them.
They all started clapping along as Barb and Trollex sang burning questions together.
To everyone's surprise, the leading instruments seemed to be the piano and a couple of…trumpets? It was all coming from Trollex playing the keyboard on his turntable, the keys becoming louder than the rock guitar. A surprising addition from the otherwise rocky song.
The classical influence of the song got the Putt Putt Trolls astonished by the theatrical sound of the song as the two young royals sang beautifully. The beautiful vocals helped to entertainingly contrast the spiteful and provoking questions they begged towards the black sheep.
With their eyes closed, they let their voices be heard. Hear its raw emotion, even if one couldn't tell what it was.
For one thing, the Putt Putt Trolls were starting to feel emotional. All remembering a specific group who kept justifying their needs to be 'happy' every year…
[0:42]
Barb's next words were of vengeance.
Trollex's following words were straightforward, an expected punishment for the black sheep.
And when they opened their eyes, their fierce, livid eyes sent a chill down the backs of every Putt Putt Troll present. They felt it. They could even taste it. It was a swear to make the black sheep pay for their crimes and they all shared the same promise.
The frozen lights started moving as the instrumental crescendoed, making a full-blown party.
[0:52]
As Barb went loose on her guitar solo, Trollex played louder trumpet noises to add to the apparent insanity of the song. Not only did its kookiness give everyone an excuse to go crazy, but the differing layers were the right combination to make an enjoyable catchy song. The rock and classical instruments were topsy-turvy, illustrating a ridiculous ride one couldn't resist.
The lights were already swerving, flashing in colors of green and purple. All the Putt Putt Trolls found strength in jumping and dancing around, all vibing to the strong performance of the Rock Queen and the Techno King. With hands waving around as if they were holding glowsticks and heads banging as if it was a midnight rave.
However, the only Putt Putt Troll who didn't seem to enjoy the song was Viva, frozen as she listened carefully to the words. She didn't concentrate on the sound. The lyrics felt familiar to her…
Poppy didn't join along the dancing, her eyes glued to her contemplating sister.
The relief of a wordless instrumental break was cut short when Barb pointed to Trollex so he could take the lead.
"Take it away, Lexy!" she shouted dramatically.
[0:58]
The Techno Troll couldn't help acting coy as the lights turned a deep, soothing shade of blue all over him. As the layers lessened, he pretended to check his nonexistent nails to look like he didn't care about the black sheep's view.
Viva shifted uncomfortably. Her people were already engaged with the words. How could they not relate to them? Despite Trollex and Barb moving their bodies slowly to the rhythm with a posh look and attitude, there was nothing pleasant to like from this...
It didn't help that Trollex continued to elaborate on the criminal mentality of the black sheep.
He raised a finger in the air, shushing the people for dramatic effect, with a smirk.
[1:08]
Barb then unleashed a red lightning bolt from her guitar and the lights turned a ferocious orange color. The instrumental turned intense once again as they sang the next few lines while the audience cheered along.
This sudden spectacle and visual caught Viva off-guard, taking a few steps back in discomfort.
It was clear that Trollex was already on a musical high. He wouldn't be used to singing such angry words and pressing questions like a demanding authority. But months of adapting and loving other kinds of music got him out of his comfort zone, spitting those blunt yet honest words like the fire breath he had repressed for a long time.
The fact that the smug Trollex maintained his rather cool-leveled body performance made the presentation more spectacular and fun to watch.
Yet, this pretended smugness got to Viva too personally. Her eyes drifted to the ground with a mournful look. She couldn't bother with the shared excitement of her people singing along to the morbid nursery rhyme.
All she could care about were the words. The coward was warned, preparing to leave others in a well. The condescending voices, mixed with smooth and raspy vocals, told her there was no place left for her and the Putt Putt Trolls to hide. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, her blood could still be smelled by the monsters out there.
Her blonde hair drooped downwards, weighed by Viva's imagined pressure.
Poppy noticed this, slowly reaching out a hand to Viva's shoulder.
The high note Trollex sang wasn't enough to break Viva out of her gradual misery.
[1:24]
Oblivious to Viva's distant plight, Barb and Trollex gave it their all and sang their hearts out in the second chorus. The voices felt so right, the lights were bright enough for the show and their audience was in the right mind to groove along. As the familiar words continued to lead them on, the two young royals were lost in the comic melody, swimming in its whirling pond.
As they dwelled in thoughts of revenge and success, they soaked in their crowd's cheering and singing. They both exchanged childlike smiles with each other, proud to see the Putt Putt Trolls immediately loving this foreign song. The place refusing to go dark allowed their glee and jumping to be seen under the blinding lights.
This was the kind of rock concert they would want to go to. Barb was already living for it. Trollex was starting to get a good kick out of it, even if his role involved another genre he wouldn't usually play. With every crashing beat and sweet acoustic, it was anarchy.
[1:45]
The song's surrealism took a notch when the classical side of the song overshadowed the rock guitar, only leaving the drums to be heard as the leading percussion. The blasting trumpets, the lighthearted pianos, all orchestrated from Trollex's keyboard…a spiral of uplifting keys to the fast rhythm of the hard-hitting drums.
It picked up nearly every Putt Putt Troll off their feet. A sense of floating up into the sky like balloons as if they ascended to a higher level of greatness. After their hard rocking, they were greeted by the welcoming embrace of being higher than those they considered…
Instead of singing the bridge, Barb was already speeding around from side to side as she encouraged the crowd for a special moment.
"NOW, EVERYONE!" she instructed. "In this next part, I want all of you to think about SOMEONE who ticks you off the most! And when we raise our fists, we want you to scream your heart out about it!"
The Putt Putt Trolls gasped. All of them? Screaming? Didn't they scream enough during the song?
"No, no, no, this is not a bad thing!" encouraged Barb, bouncing around. "We want to release that fury! Let it be known! Let it be known to the very person you hate!"
There was a collective stiffening from the audience, unsure of this reaction. They didn't want to go THAT wild. With glances and grimaces, they all considered just to continue dancing along. There was nothing to be mad about when they were having a good time, right?
In a moment like this, Barb would have noticed the growing worry. But already too into the frenzied intensity of the song, she just gave a friendly grin and jumped around more. She was breathless and restless, but she wanted more.
"Then let us help you get started!" she said. "Tonight's the night we let it go! No holding back! Here we go!"
[2:08]
The beautiful, emotional orchestra was cut short as the normally polite and kind Trollex played the role of someone REALLY resentful.
A few Putt Putt Trolls shuddered at the first few words. There was nothing funny about how the Bergens kept them like animals, their livestock for something they couldn't just give away like sacrifices.
Viva was one of those who vividly remembered the greedy smiles of the Bergens as they panicked in the cage. Their smiles looking too sinister, some of those smiles looking too wide to be considered sinister or tolerable at all.
She felt it. She observed the Putt Putt Trolls scrunching up their hands into tight, shaky fists. The threatening, loud instrances of Barb's guitar playing and Trollex's insane trumpets gave them this trigger spontaneously, dangerously provoking it. She couldn't help frowning too.
He then pointed to the crowd with an anticipated grin while Barb snapped her eyes open to awaken the crowd.
[2:18]
"GO! TO! HELL~!"
It was these words that the Putt Putt Trolls finally had enough. From the terror they had to live through, the mocking they received from their monsters, the fear they had to carry as they protected themselves out here…and once they joined along the climatic peak and the waving lights, they had no regrets as they all screamed their hearts out.
Viva, on the other hand, blocked her ears, letting fear overcome her. It was erratic. It was beautiful. It was uncontrollable.
The kind of things she wanted to defy.
Her kind just screamed in defiant rage, their voices echoing through the night to attract any outside threats.
And it didn't just stop at the screams as they began yelling throughout the chaotic instrumental solo.
"WHERE ARE YOU, MOTHERFREAKING…?!"
"BURN IN HELL, BERGENS!"
"WE HATE YOU!"
"GO TO HELL!"
"DIE ALREADY! DIE ALREADY!"
"RUN AND HIDE, YOU COWARD!"
"YOU CAN'T STOP US!"
It wasn't just Viva who was shocked by the furious death threats fantasized by the rowdy Putt Putt Trolls.
Barb's eyes widened and her smile was frozen, making her expression look quite silly, as if she ran into a slapstick accident. Boy, she didn't expect to hear THIS noise from the Putt Putt Trolls. She thought it would only happen LATER after experiencing many Rock concerts in the future. But now, she could see the mob wretched in defiance and wrath, a hallmark of the Rock Trolls.
Trollex kept himself calm as he vocalized a long note, watching their audience cry their hearts out. Something shook his heart at the sight of them letting it out. He didn't know if this was right. He was nearly distracted, but his hands automatically played the notes needed. But that long look at the Putt Putt Trolls placed a grave reminder in his head of who those people are.
Then again, Rock music was about letting out the fizzy, right?
Poppy could arguably copy her sister's reactions, but she refused to cover her ears. She was used to Barb's shows. It was just the display of long-lost Pop Trolls yelling and screaming like it was their nature. It took a while for her tribe to get used to angry music. Here, the Putt Putt Trolls weren't just the embodiment of such hatred and despair.
They were becoming animals.
They seemed to be taking it TOO seriously like…they weren't just doing this for fun.
She looked back at Viva. The older sister was shaking her head, hyperventilating.
[2:32]
The concert turned into disorder while Barb and Trollex sang the last chorus together, visibly joining the madness. Every Putt Putt Troll was stomping their feet, screaming their hearts out, singing the right words. All snarls and no desire for peace. It was mayhem as they spun around into a blur.
As Viva watched her nightmare becoming true, her worst flaws reflected on her people, her hand slowly travelled towards her scalp…and began tugging a few hair strings.
She wanted to get the voice out of her head, but she knew that it was also real.
Poppy quickly grabbed her sister and removed her hand from her beautiful blonde hair. Viva and Poppy stared at each other, dumbfounded by the gesture and the look, respectively. Viva's shoulder sank. She wanted the world to swallow her before the song could show the real her.
Poppy looked back at the performing Barb and Trollex. They were having a good time. They couldn't see Poppy and Viva. They didn't know and didn't mean to burden Viva.
Looking back at Viva, she tried reaching out to her older sister's hand.
But Viva yanked her hand back, now reluctant.
For all she knew, Poppy would hate her when she would ask later on.
[2:53]
Despite maintaining the pride and the emotion in their voices, Barb and Trollex finally saw the sulking Viva stomping away from the scene. And unlike Bruce, Viva's reaction towards their song was anything but delightful.
They didn't have to fear for long as Poppy chased after her despondent sister, but it didn't exactly remove the growing concern shared between all the three young royals.
Worse, it became a moment that would remain in their minds.
It only enhanced when Barb and Trollex paid attention back to the Putt Putt Trolls, who were now using a lot of energy to confess their hate towards the Bergens.
Yet, lost to the melody, the madness, the two had to wrap up the song anyway.
[3:07 - End of Song]
With the final words sung, the Putt Putt Trolls erupted into a screaming mass of raw rage, relief and satisfaction. There was a new war cry as they swore vengeance on the monsters who haunted them. Their death threats never stopped, shouting towards the sky to let the entire world hear them clearly. Even if they chose to hide behind brick walls.
Barb breathed heavily, trying to recover. This made her appear weak compared to the screaming Putt Putt Trolls still jumping up and down.
Trollex stared at the audience, now realizing the effects they had on them. And he wasn't sure if this was the intended audience reaction when performing a rock song.
They couldn't even see the exact expressions on their faces. They were moving too fast, the rhythm printed into their senses. It was as if they refused to let anyone understand them. All Barb and Trollex could hear was the same word they yelled out in spite.
Bergens.
Damning the Bergens.
Initially, they wondered what else they had to hate about the now-friendly Bergens. But after absorbing the anger exhibited by them, it was clear that they held such a grudge longer than any other Pop Troll out there could. It didn't LOOK fun for the Putt Putt Trolls.
"I think we might have created a riot," said Trollex quietly, his green eyes softening in sorrow for the trauma they evoked. He couldn't even imagine what they might be thinking right now. His own good heart yearned to console them, but there was no point undoing their need for release.
"At least they are not destroying the set…" Barb trailed off, witnessing a group of hurt Trolls desiring to wreak havoc on people who would have tried to earn their forgiveness. This unstoppable wrath, this desire to kill…for once, it scared her seeing it coming from others.
Their minds were still reeling from enjoying the song, but seeing this and Viva's reaction, it felt inappropriate.
Before the two could act, Guy Diamond suddenly appeared between them. There was a haunted look on his face.
"I…" He sighed reluctantly. He didn't seem to notice the rowdy Putt Putt Trolls, but he didn't need to. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but those guys are bad news to what we must do now. I need to show you something before Clay leads us out."
Barb and Trollex turned to him, confused.
"You call them bad news?" asked Barb, miffed.
"Did I stutter?" asked Guy Diamond. "We have to go. NOW."
But both royals couldn't find the motivation to leave the Putt Putt Trolls. Taking a step out of Guy's perspective, those poor people were just trying to sort out the feelings they buried inside. The young Barb and Trollex felt the need to help them. No, they SHOULD help them.
Guy Diamond wasn't happy as well when he took their hands. "We can come back to them when we're finished."
Barb and Trollex were suddenly dragged in another direction as they fled from the scene, letting the Putt Putt Trolls burn all the energy.
It was only when Guy Diamond stopped in front of a huge building shaped like a cyan seashell that they broke out from their daydream. It was when they realized their friends had found something that explained more about the new people they met tonight.
Barb and Trollex blinked a couple of times at the curtain-covered entrance. They looked around.
It was nearly far away from any spotlight shining into the golf course. Away from the warm, open lights where any Troll could riot all night without caring about being watched.
They looked back at Guy Diamond. He was shivering. The poor glittery Troll didn't want to return there, but it felt right. One person's experience wouldn't be enough, after all. It was something he should share since they couldn't live in ignorance anymore.
Just like how they remained ignorant of Branch's troubles.
Without a word, he walked through the entrance.
Barb and Trollex followed.
Trollex's body was the only light they could have in this place. Not a single lightbulb in this place. The Putt Putt Trolls probably didn't even want to see here too. There was barely any furniture. No beds, no tables, not even a tiny desk. But as Trollex's body glowed brightly, the walls were animated in technicolor.
Not the happy kind of technicolor, however.
Soft gasps filled in the quiet space as they stared at the writing and drawings all over the walls. Some words, written in ink, were visibly incoherent, messy. But they could make out words such as 'FIGHT', 'KILL', 'THEY'RE COMING' and 'I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE'. The words that stood out were 'kill', 'kill', 'kill', 'KILL', 'KILL', 'KILL' all over again.
The repetition of such edgy words would be considered silly if not for the disturbing drawings. It looked like graffiti from K-Pop Trolls, but it was worse. It was drawings of…monsters.
Even graffiti made by the Rock Trolls wouldn't be this daring to add graphic detail.
Heads with dark, empty eye sockets and white pinpricks of light sitting in them. Giant, gaping maws of teeth that looked too uncanny, too realistic. Sharp-edged symbols of explosions from a comic book, but they didn't seem to be drawn for comedy.
And above all, a dripping line of red sitting on top of the crazy paintings on the wall like blood…
Spooked, Barb looked down at the ground…finding a puddle of what appeared to be dried paint. But it didn't look like blue paint at all…
These paintings here, they all spoke of something the Putt Putt Trolls knew.
But if they knew, why did they keep such a disturbed place like this?
Trollex looked back at Guy Diamond. The glittery Pop Troll was now numb to the drawings. He could only show a sad look for those he believed might be hurting from the Bergens twenty years ago.
Trollex looked back at a drawing on the wall. It looked familiar.
He blinked. Coming close to it.
The face of a shadowy shark. Charcoal was used to make this beast, smeared all over as if its shape couldn't be defined well. From this view, all that mattered was that the shark was dangerous to all.
He could see the blank-white eyes staring off into the distance. They looked like they were pointed to him.
When he looked down, he could see how close its sharp teeth were to his stomach…
Trollex couldn't move. Something was holding him still. His vision was darkening, only focusing on the shark.
Three faces flashed through his mind.
There was his father.
He shrieked in pain as the shark pressed its teeth into his skin. The water around them grew murky in purple with only the trident being the one clear object from the growing fog. Trollex couldn't see Juan's face, but he remembered the brief horror in his eyes as the shark chomped on his body in its ugly jaw. The rest was hearing bones breaking and flesh squelching…
Then, there was the shark.
It was suddenly in his face. He could see every detail on its razor-sharp teeth. This many rows of teeth and they looked like they were decaying too. Barely white, they were yellow in dirt and grime and oil. If the colorful stains indicate anything, this wasn't the first time the shark attacked Techno Trolls like him.
And finally…there was his mother.
He could only stare at her mother as she wept and held him close in a tight hug. He felt her beating chest, lost in delirium. He thought he could hear her screaming in agony, but he couldn't listen well. He only felt the rapid heartbeat of her poor chest, knowing he felt the same.
And despite all the warmth her arms wanted to give to him, there was the absence of calmness that could only come from a lost husband and a lost father…
"Trollex," interrupted Barb's voice.
Trollex gasped and clutched his chest, suddenly back to reality. It was more of him being pulled back into the moment after being stuck in those awful memories.
And the Putt Putt Trolls had to draw such a monster to make the memory vivid every time he tried moving on.
He felt Barb's hand pressing his right shoulder softly and his first reaction was to swing his fist around.
Barb narrowed her eyes as she caught the fist. Then, they widened, dilated, softening in worry.
Trollex was already hyperventilating. He was livid. His unfocused eyes glared daggers into Barb.
The Rock Queen was immune to this fierce glare. It wasn't just the experience of accustoming to expressions of madness. It was also the first time she saw Trollex being this vulnerable. Despite appearing angry, his glassy green eyes made him look like he was ready to spill.
Gently, Barb slowly took both of Trollex's hands, putting them in hers. With a look of sisterly kindness, she refused to turn away despite the Techno King seemingly wanting to burn a hole in her forehead. Maybe it was what she deserved. Yet, Barb didn't want to leave Trollex alone in this, not when they had to leave under no conditions.
It was the best she could after leaving the Putt Putt Trolls to rage without thinking.
Staring into her eyes, Trollex felt the pressure leaving his shoulders. He realized how tense he was. It wasn't due to an unknown force trapping him, even if it was true. The warmth in his hands reminded him of the same warmth his mother tried giving him in their time of grief…it wasn't fair when he failed to save…
Blinking, Trollex felt his cheeks wet. He immediately tried to rub his eyes stubbornly. Old habits died hard. At the same time, he didn't continue to try to cover up his tears. He just stared at Barb with a hopeless gaze. A friend he could trust and confide with.
He didn't mean to be this difficult, but she kept close…
"Let's make an oath now not to forget there are still good people."
Barb looked like she wanted to tear up. "You're OK?"
Trollex shook his head. "No." Then, horror-struck, he looked back at the drawings. All evident of the paranoia and anger of the Putt Putt Trolls. It made sense why they drew their worst nightmares and hatreds. "The Putt Putt Trolls aren't OK too…"
His realization extended to a part of a wall covered by another curtain. Curious, he let go of Barb and hovered towards it.
Without a second thought, he pulled the curtain off, revealing a darker AND scarier mural of paintings to bear witness to. The monsters on this wall were more giant, spikier and distorted by a large amount of scribbles. Half of the monsters were bizarre, looking like they all came from a terrified child's scrapbook.
And the words?
YOU'RE NOT IN CONTROL, VIVA.
YOU'RE NOT IN CONTROL, VIVA.
YOU'RE NOT IN CONTROL, VIVA.
NOWHERE TO RUN, VIVA.
All of them were written in Viva's calm handwriting.
Barb narrowed her eyes as she analyzed the details of the monsters that she knew. Or at least what she thought were monsters at first.
"Wait, aren't those the bounty hunters I hired before?" she said.
Guy Diamond nodded slowly. "Yeah. That one looks like Hickory…"
He pointed to a scribbled drawing of the Yodeling Troll. Nothing was charming about the depicted man. What stood out were razor-sharp teeth coming out from the mouth, ears sharpened to look like a wolf's ears and claws dripping in blood. The rest of his hair and outfit were drawn in long, messy scribbles as if Viva couldn't make up her mind about how they looked like.
Trollex caught another picture of a known bounty hunter. "Oooh, that looked like Chaz too."
"And there's Tresillo," said Barb, pointing to another.
Guy Diamond noticed that one drawn Troll didn't look like any known bounty hunters. When he identified who it was, his eyes widened in horror.
"Floyd," he uttered.
"What?" said Barb and Trollex in unison.
Guy pointed meekly at the horrid drawing of Floyd in front of them. Being one of the many Pop Trolls who remembered how he looked before he went missing, they were all staring at the likely depiction of Floyd in the present time. The members of BroZone were right to say that Floyd looked like he was going through a phase.
But not this drawing.
It only showcased him as a monster. A close resemblance to a Bergen. His eyes were enormous, bloodshot. The pupils were shrunken into two scribbly messes. Like the other drawn bounty hunters, his mouth was filled with sharp teeth. His dark magenta hair with one bang meant to cover one eye looked twisted and spiky, a wildfire. The black shorts and belt he wore were drawn to look greasy and tattered, as if the stains and scratches came from his dying victims.
All three pairs of petrified eyes couldn't look away from Viva's drawing of Floyd. If it weren't for the exaggerated, scary details, then her drawing would be clear enough for them to be certain it was him.
But this and the rest of the drawn bounty hunters?
Guy Diamond's face paled to an unnatural paper-white color as his fears overwhelmed him.
Trollex was breathing heavily again, unable to process the mixture of fear, anger and sadness.
Barb's eyes became cloudy as she slowly walked backwards, her initial thoughts of Viva ruined.
"What did she do?" she wondered out loud.
AN: Next chapter will be the departure and revelations. It's not looking good for Viva and the Putt Trolls. This is what I've been leading up to: looking further into their character and understanding their traumas better. The film did a fair job illustrating that, but I want to use the unlimited length of fanfiction to see what would make them stand out. It should be important to stress that they are not like Branch.
Fun fact, I wanted to use 'Snakes' or 'Paint the Town Blue' from the TV show Arcane, but I figured both songs wouldn't fit the tone and the setting. Hole 'n' Fun ain't an industrial factory. I also once planned to use 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' in my discontinued story 'Voice of Rebels' and it now remains here! It's more or less relevant to the characters, but it does stir Viva and the Putt Putt Trolls. If Clay does hear it, he won't be affected. Additionally, Barb asking the audience to scream out loud takes inspiration from Olivia Rodrigo's performance of 'All-American B*' during her Guts World Tour.
I can confirm that Viva had met other Trolls whenever she tried going outside the golf course. However, her encounters were anything BUT pleasant, not to mention that something was holding her back. There's a bit of foreshadowing in her introduction, so try to find out how those encounters went for her.
All in all, no one is either right or wrong.
Thanks for reading this chapter! You know the drill; favorite or follow for more updates! Constructive criticism is welcome!
Until then, keep on rocking!