Within Trollmarket, the place once filled with happy light and busy streets had been left to nothing but a darkened heartstone, its golden color dying faster with every passing day.
The trolls sighed sadly, seeing what had been left of their home in the future. The place they called a haven for centuries would die and be lost to Gunmar. They would never blame their Trollhunter who was also currently hurting at the sight of the vast stone, all their anger was directed toward the Dark Lord that chased them from their home, killing them and it in the process.
Blinky gently massaged his hands, thinking as he would be Elder during this time, what was his next move? They possibly couldn't revive the Heartstone, unless their new awakened friend, Merlin (which Blinky was still processing) could help, but he doubted the future would be so forgiving and easy.
He only prayed that things would work out in the end. Swallowing his doubt, Blinky trained his eyes on the screen, ignoring the constant glances from Vendel.
Deep at the bottom of the vast stone, laid Morgana's still form as Gunmar advanced towards her prison, Usurna at his side.
"All this time, she was beneath our very feet."
"Whoa, whoa! You mean to tell me that Morgana was around us this entire time! Without us even knowing who she was in the beginning?" Toby gasped, looking towards Blinky.
"That must be deep within the Heartstone, someplace we rarely trudge through," Blinky stated, looking towards Vendel who gave a simple shrug.
"Her prison is indeed within Trollmarket, thankfully no one had discovered it, until now."
"Eldritch Queen, you will be freed from this wretched prison." The Dark Lord slammed the staff of Avalon into the floor, "and together, we will bring forth the Eternal Night." Within his trollish language, Gunmar chanted, the floor beneath the staff coloring in green.
"Does everything have to be a production with this guy? I'm sick of his dramatic speeches." Mary hissed out, rolling her eyes.
"Tell me about it, no one cares dude, just shut up and get on with it," Darci agreed.
Steve snorted, "yeah. Tell that to him to his face, see how far you make it."
Make the day night, the sun darkness, and me king.
Gunmar roared out as an electrifying feeling moved through him, the gem of the staff growing brighter as the light nearly swallowed Gunmar, who still hadn't pulled away.
"My lord!" Usurna cried out as he grunted louder, right as a strong pulse moved through him, throwing him back from the staff and into a nearby wall. Usurna glanced up at the staff curiously just as a circle of light poured from it, words circling the staff.
"Only human hands may wield. But how are we to find a human who can speak the Trollish incantation?" Gunmar's fist slammed against the stone floor, eye glowing in rage.
"Find me an Impure!" From his angered yell, the scene changed to Merlin digging inside the fridge, curious.
"Mm. Fascinating." The camera had been within the fridge, continuously filled with light than darkness as Merlin repeatedly shut and opened the fridge. From the side, Jim watched as he gently tossed food around in a pan.
"But how do you know the light goes out when you close the door?" Jim seemed a little concerned or rather disturbed as Merlin continued to slam it close and pry it open.
"I never expected Merlin to be in my house," Barbara stated as she joined her son's side, plates in her hand.
"Yeah, and playing with your fridge."
Jim smiled, it was a wonderful feeling to see his mom involved, no more lying and breaking her heart. It was also a bit relieving that he didn't have to bother hiding the trolls and worrying about where to keep them out of sight, his house was now a wonderful place to stash them.
Barbara smiled, she could definitely say she had one-of-a-kind experiences and it was all thanks to her son.
Claire laughed, setting the table with Toby. "You've had trolls, goblins, and changelings here. Why not a wizard?"
As Merlin walked through the kitchen, a stoic look upon his face, Strickler had stepped up.
"Merlin, the Immortal. What an honor." Strickler gasped, seeming shaky and trying to catch his breath, almost as if he had a fangirl moment. "Allow me to introduce myself," he dropped to one knee. "Waltolomew Stricklander. Well, Strickler for short. I've been mentoring the Trollhunter."
Barbara wore a wicked grin as Strickler's eyes were wide. He held such a tough facade, he did not expect to see himself in the future having a near panic attack as he faced Merlin. Morgana was his creator, he was supposed to treasure her.
This was an odd feeling and he wanted to hide behind the covers so badly as everyone chuckled at his rather embarrassing moment.
"This just keeps getting better every second," Barbara joked, earning a sour look from the Changeling. "Don't blame me, I'm not getting on my knees in front of a wizard."
The crowd laughed as his face grew beet red, not liking being called out once again. "Barbara, please." He sofly begged.
Merlin rolled his eyes, "spare me the life story. Now and forever, changeling." Barbara set down an omelet in front of the ancient man who seemed to be waiting patiently.
While others had admitted to enjoying such a moment, Jim's heart lurched, just slightly. He did feel sorry for the man. He seemed to be trying to change and with who he was, due to his nature, he had a natural reputation of hate.
Not being respected by both Troll and Wizard because he was considered a "mutant" was disheartening. Changelings were rather... hated. It was a harsh term, but it was true and that is what made Jim so upset.
Granted, Strickler set his own reputation with his actions but he deserved a second chance if he was willing. The fact that they were made to serve Morgana and yet still hated by Trolls despite their similarities, caused Jim to glance back at Strickler, smiling lightly.
The man mustn't have expected it as he stiffened in surprise, uncovering his face. He relaxed a second later, giving a sad smile, seeming as if he didn't deserve Jim's forgiveness.
"So, Gunmar stole your staff? Isn't that all he needs to make the, um, the, the–?"
"The Eternal Night, mom," Jim said as he walked behind her, supporting three more dishes in his hand while Merlin sniffed his, even pulling out a small spyglass to inspect it.
"Fear no, Mother of Jim. When I designed my staff, I put in a safeguard."
"See, we're in good hands," Jim stated as Toby had already dug into his plate, enjoying it like always. Jim handed a plate to Claire, the female taking it with a kind smile.
Merlin chuckled, not helping. "Then again, no safeguard is a guarantee." He shoved the fork into his mouth, chewing the piece quickly. "It's been centuries since I've eaten. Metal face here was lucky I didn't eat him back in the cave."
Everyone snorted in surprise before bursting out laughing, Steve slapping his knee. "Oh, that is so perfect!"
Toby grumbled, crossing his arms as a slight pang of fear ran through him. This Merlin seemed to have sick humor and he didn't like it.
Toby dropped his fork, chuckling nervously as his friends looked at him in shock. "He's joking, right?"
"Mm, not really. Time is of the essence." Merlin dabbed his face with a small towel. "Take me to the nearest blacksmith at once." Jim's answer to such an outdated place was simply leading him to his garage.
"We have a couple of tools and some old Christmas decorations. Will that work?" Merlin had moved to the side to open another fridge. Jim had moved to a nearby box, pulling out an ornament. "What are you making, exactly?"
"What is it with him and fridges!?"
"It's none of your concern now. No forge? No grindstone? Not even a bellows?"
"No," Toby started, catching everyone's attention. "But Jimbo has a garage door. Check it out!" From outside, the door had been shut, but not for long, the door pulling up and revealing the three. "Open, close. Open. What's it do next? Close."
After shutting and opening it a couple of times, it finally sealed them inside the small room. "This will have to do." Merlin sighed.
"Well, when you said you put in a safeguard, how long do safeguards typically guard... safely?" Claire asked as Toby joined her.
"Yeah, are we talking weeks? Years?" Yet, Merlin was distracted by something else, his foot collided with Jim's Vespa, trying to take it apart with aggressive kicking. However, Jim didn't agree to such actions and got in between both Merlin and the vehicle.
"Depends on Gunmar's cleverness. A few hours."
"But you can stop him, right?" Toby asked nervously, Merlin digging through a box. Jim had been glaring behind him, stepping to the side of the bike.
"I have lost most of my magic," Merlin threw a hammer back, nearly whacking the bike if Jim hadn't caught it, fumbling with it first, Clarie moving to catch him if he fell. "But this old bucket knows a few spells. I need you to acquire a few items first."
"What sort of items?" Jim asked, Merlin, turning to face him.
"I'm sure nothing too difficult to gather. Lend me your quill, I shall write you a list." Toby shrugged causing Jim to chuckle nervously.
"We're fresh out of quills."
"Can you text it?" Toby asked, pointing to his phone, receiving a groan from Merlin, seeming displeased.
From Merlin groaning, the scene changed to the teens stepping through the school, the bell ringing as Jim read from the paper.
"Blinky and Aaarrrgghh are collecting a bunch of these, which leaves three things for us," Jim stated.
"Kay, what's first on Merlin's list?" Toby asked, leaning over to see.
"An Antramonstrum shell," Claire answered as Jim instantly grew determined.
"Strickler thinks he has one in his old office."
Toby grunted, "ugh, I'm having flashbacks of Fart Cloud McDoomsday. Let's make this quick." The three moved through the school, only to stop as a high pitch voice caught their attention.
"C-Bomb, where have you been? The Battle of the Bands is right around the corner and you've missed, like, every rehearsal." The two boys instantly took that as a sign, growing awkward and turning, quickly leaving the scene.
Mary grinned, glad to see herself back on the screen. She missed making appearances and it was becoming rare when she did. While she wanted to be upset about it, she was happy to see her friend striving.
She also wanted some answers on Tight-Jeans Hank.
While Mary sucked in her glory, the others laughed as Jim and Toby quickly fled the scene. The two were dorks. Of course, Claire wanted to playfully hit them for leaving her alone to make an excuse but figured they would probably lose it anyway.
"I know, it's been super crazy," Mary watched the boys leave before turning her attention back to Claire.
"And what's this I hear about your parents in a play with Darci's dad? I thought theater was in your bag?"
Claire quickly shushed her. "It's a real crazy story. But here's what happened..." They stepped away, the boys now in focus as they stepped into the office.
"Uhl's not much for redecorating," Jim mentioned as he closed the door, the two instantly moving towards the keyhole.
"Got the key?" Toby asked.
"Strickler fixed it so we can use it," Jim said, handing it to Toby who eagerly placed it in the hole.
"Abracadabra." The lock turned green and the bookcase fell into the floor, revealing the abandoned hideout. The two shared a quick fist bump before moving to their desired target. Toby picked up the purple formation right as the door began to clank.
"Hide!" Jim commanded silently, the two fleeing in different spots as the door opened. It seemed Jim hadn't as he was grinning nervously when the door had been ripped open, Senor Uhl was confused for a mere second before glaring.
"What are you doing in my office?"
"Senor Uhl!" Jim pulled him into a hug. "I mean, uh, Interim Principal Senor Uhl." He laughed, inhaling nervously. "Ah, it's so hard to keep track. I'm just, uh, looking for guidance."
"Ah, oh, well. I'm glad you came to see me." Jim pointed frantically to the window, telling Toby to flee quickly who had hidden behind the desk. "I am worried about your attendance. You've missed forty-three days."
Jim reacted suddenly. "Shut the door! Forty-three days, you say." Behind him, Toby had received the message clearly, heading towards the hidden room.
The group was taken aback as Jim suddenly exclaimed, even the boy was shocked at his future self. Thankfully the shock had died down fast, and others reacting to their growing skill.
"I don't know if I should be proud or scared that you guys are getting way better at sneaking around."
"Right, don't hide anything suspicious, if they need it, they are getting it."
"Maybe it helps that the teachers think they are losing their minds."
"Hey!"
"I am afraid because of this lack of commitment," Toby snuck passed the chair, moving to where he needed to be. "You may have to repeat your sophomore year."
"Hold me back. Wait, what? He's going to hear that," Jim suddenly hissed out, giving a side eye to Toby but quickly fixed it as Senor Uhl seemed confused. "Is what my mom will say about my father. Whom I never see. That bum."
Toby was frozen in place, looking from the button to Jim, "you never thought you could be separated from your peers, did you, Mr. Lake?" Senor Uhl moved closer to Jim who backed up nervously. "Actions have consequences."
Jim fidgeted, sliding towards the piano. "Isn't there anything I can do? Like play the piano or sing a song." He harshly played on the keyboard, making the teacher wince as Toby took the chance to close the room. "Please, Uhl, I want to stay in school, school, Uhl, I'm such a fool, Uhl."
He glanced behind him, the bookcase closed as Toby lept out the window, a high pitch scream from a bystander was heard but that was a good sign to Jim.
Everyone stared as they watched Toby fly out of the window, the scene humorous as whoever screamed had made it so much better.
"You two are the most chaotic duo I have ever met."
"I take that as a compliment." Toby grinned as he looked at the group.
"We are just going to ignore that Toby leaped out of the second floor?"
"You cannot sing your way out of this, Mr. Lake, but there is one thing you can do."
"Phew, I mean, there is?"
"We have two students who are not from these parts, they're having some difficulty fitting in. They are a little strange." From Senor Uhl's words, another classroom door was open, two unrecognizable people were in the room.
The boy was perched on the desk as the girl spun on the chair. "We'll fake illness. I've seen it work for others in gym class." The boy said before acting it out. "Aah, my leg, it hurts. Oh, my stomach hurts," he coughed. "My throat hurts."
He coughed, pretending to choke but the female seemed to believe it, whacking him so hard on the back he faceplanted off the desk and folded on the floor.
"Uh, who are those guys?"
"I don't know but they are crazy!"
"He just folded into himself."
"I already like them, they will fit in."
"Feeling better, hmm?" She asked, accent strong. Senor Uhl groaned, not enjoying the sight.
"Show them around, make them feel more at home in Arcadia and I could be compelled to look the other way regarding your absences, maybe." Jim's disapproving look was quite amusing as Senor Uhl explained.
Jim chuckled, "if there's anyone that wants you to look the other way, it's me." Outside, Claire and Toby had been leaning against the bike rack, waiting for their friend. Their eyes caught his figure, his confident look no longer around.
While some facepalmed at his response, others couldn't help but laugh. That boy would dig his own grave, especially with the face he made, Senor Uhl must be raging inside. Speaking of the teacher, he had been scolding anyone that was laughing.
"I am glad all of you find this funny!"
"He looks so done with you and you have no idea!"
"Jim! You made it out okay, and with two strangers I've never met before." She and Toby glanced at the newcomers who played with a bike, the female taking a picture of the spinning wheel.
"Wait, are they on the list?" Toby asked.
"Meet Aja and Krel. I think they're foreign exchange students. Principal Uhl says, if I want to pass sophomore year, I have to show them around, this wonderful, ordinary world of Arcadia." Jim deflated.
"You do know Arcadia is not a world, right?" Krel, the identified mysterious boy had said, Aja had been in the background, sitting on the bike backward and pushing the bike with her feet. "It is barely a municipality."
It moved off screen, while she had been facing the wrong direction, the metal clanging as she crashed into something, students watching in shock. Suddenly, Aja appeared, not phased from crashing, and moved towards Toby.
"Amazing! You have robot teeth. Can I touch them?" Toby looked uncomfortable as she pulled open his mouth, taking photos while Krel helped open Toby's poor mouth.
"Fascinating."
"Uh, who are these people, Jimbo?" Toby mumbled.
"Better yet, where did they come from?" Jim shrugged as Claire asked, the two mysterious figures quickly pulling their attention away from Toby to simultaneously say:
"Cantaloupia!"
"Cantaloupia?" Claire repeated.
"Yeah, Can-ta-loupia. From the Latin conjugation cantaloupali." Krel started. "It is a very small island off the coast of Santo Puerco." Krel grew closer to Jim, startling him. "What? You didn't learn that in school?"
No one said anything, they couldn't. The two new people had left them completely speechless, even Eli could barely say anything smart, or possibly call them out as he simply blinked at the screen.
"Uh, guess I missed that day."
"Mm. That much is clear." He pulled away, Jim letting out a soft groan.
"Don't you remember we have some important errands to run? Asap?" Claire reminded.
"Yeah, but I also remember I need to graduate sometime this century. So, let's show them our totally normal town." Suddenly, Aja appeared between the two, Jim was startled once again while Claire looked unamused.
"Lively!" When getting questioning looks, Aja explained. "You know, lively. Cool. Awesome. Outstanding. Lively!"
"Lively. Totally," Toby tried to say excitedly before she stepped away. "And very odd." The school bell rang, dismissing the students as the scene changed, the museum in view, indistinct chatter coming from the building.
"Nice to have you back, Miss Nomura." A woman said as Nomura stood, nicely dressed in her human form, bowing slightly as the woman closed the door, exiting. The Changeling brushed her hand against the painting, smiling proudly as she moved through the building seeing the entrance from the balcony.
She turned on soft classical music, humming along to the beat as she unpacked artifacts. However, a glance in the shield as Normura held up a sword, she spotted Usurna, the sword was quickly thrown towards the troll, the blade piercing the wood beside her.
"Hello, Nomura."
"What do you want?" She hissed out as Usurna stepped closer.
"I want what Gunmar wants. Fortunately for you, he wants you alive."
"I'm not going back to him to be tortured for entertainment."
"Oh, well, this is different. Now Gunmar needs you. Only human hands can wield the Staff of Avalon. And he has chosen you for that honor. Come quietly, and you shall be rewarded greatly."
Nomura scoffed, she was glad she was witnessing every side to every story, and thankfully she wasn't stupid to know to believe such crap. It was no honor, only being used as a pawn for him to succeed and wipe her out when she was no more use to him.
Queen Usurna was nothing but a liar and Nomura wanted so badly to take her down. Yet, she acted calm towards the lie, simply watching how it would play out.
"I was never one to go quietly," Nomura grunted as she leaped over the queen, her form changing as she took off, her only exit behind blocked by a Gumm-Gumm.
"Capture her, alive!" More guards had cornered the Changeling, yet, she never went down without a fight, pulling her two swords from her back, kicking and slicing at the guards who dared to approach.
She ducked from their slashes, turning them into stone and dodging the blows, until one had managed to evade her, quickly kicking her and sending her into a wall. She didn't hesitate to get back on her feet, running through the spaces as guards charged her.
One had been armed with a rope, snapping it but she avoided every whip and even the hands that threatened to still her. She leaped towards the second level, ducking and dodging the spears, another guard cutting her off.
"Just imagine, Morgana freed by your hand," Usurna spoke calmly from below. "You would be the greatest Changeling who'd ever lived."
"Never!" Nomura hissed, leaping down and aiming her fist at Usurna but it never made it, the rope wrapping around her wrist and pulling her away. Another rope had captured her other wrist, pulling her against the wall.
She growled as she was detained. "Impures were made to serve." Angered, Nomura used all her strength to pull from the bounds, leaping over Usurna once again, the rope that once hold her had rested under the queen's chin and before she could think, it was squeezed around her.
"Wow, talk about a low blow that she did not need to make."
"Trolls and people like this are the reason I will spit on their deathbeds." The Changelings in the room had grown made at the comment the queen had made, but were used to such words, however, the support they got from the group had made it much better.
"Ugh! Stop you fools!" The guards slackened, Nomura behind her, still holding the rope, using it against Usurna who struggled.
The crowd laughed, Steve being the most obnoxious as he pointed at the screen, screaming out the phrase: "what a loser," between his cackles, the others looking at him.
"This is the most supportive I have ever seen him," Toby muttered to Jim.
"Tell them to let the chains go!"
"I won't, even if you kill me, they will never let you escape. There's nothing you can do!" Nomura glanced up at the guards who held the rope before grunting.
"Finish her! End our suffering and finish her! I can't take it anymore."
"Yeah, just pull that rope a little tighter."
"DO IT! DO IT! DO ITTTTTTT!"
Nomura yanked out a dagger, kicking Usurna forward and letting go of the rope, but instead of using it on any of the enemies, Nomura pointed it at her own throat.
"Damn you, Nomura. Kill the queen, not yourself."
"It's a smart move, though. Usurna fails and loses what Gunmar sought out."
"SHUT UP! The queen can die!"
"Now, let's not be hasty." The queen said nervously, "you're a bright Changeling. You would never–"
"Oh, now you wanna kiss and make up. No, it's too late."
"You're right, I wouldn't." She threw the dagger at one of the guards, pulling their bodies to the floor with the rope. The others charged but Nomura had none of it. She leaped over a guard, using the rope to pull him back.
She kicked it forward, the guard crashing into the wall right beside Usurna. Not letting her go, the queen moved forward, trying to catch her, but the Changeling epically leaped into the air and crashed into the window, finally free from their clutches.
"No, no, no!"
From her angered cries, the scene changed to the three Trollhunters, still followed by the new students, all standing in a familiar elevator.
"Amazing. We love rooms that move," Aja said as she inspected the area. "Don't we, little brother?"
Her said brother looked unamused. "I am so bored, where are we going again?"
"Someplace not boring! A..." Toby's voice trailed as he couldn't figure out what to say, thankfully, Jim was quick to react.
"A super-secret teen center!"
"Five stories underground? Krel asked.
"Yeah, 'cause teens are so loud and crazy here. No parents allowed, so no telling, you two." Claire playfully scolded.
"No. No, no, no, no." Aja laughed, "we are excellent at keeping secrets."
"You have no idea," Krel replied, the two nodding at one another as the elevator came to a stop, opening up to the destroyed tunnels of the Janus Order.
Aja gasped. "What are those?"
"Ooh! Looks like human bones with bite marks!" Krel said, a little intrigued, pushing passed both Jim and Claire. "Now things are getting interesting."
Students cringed as Krel had found bones amusing, especially since they were real and the story behind them was more disturbing than the sight.
"Gross...."
"Teen center?" Claire scolded the boy gently.
"Let's see you justify how we're supposed to be collecting the femur of a Changeling and everything else on Merlin's list," Jim whispered as he watched the three move through the hallway, Toby digging through a pile.
"Uh, I'm sorry, you need a what from a Changeling?"
"Yes, let's just read that off like it's candy on a shopping list!"
"At least it's a thigh bone," Eli stated, shrugging as everyone gave him weird looks.
"Yeah, but they still have to collect a body part of a person! I don't know about you, whether it's an eye socket or a femur, it is still gross!"
"We, uh, raged here pretty hard last time. Guess we haven't cleaned up from the Halloween party. Oops!" Toby chuckled nervously as the two new kids had come across a skull, Krel kicking it away.
"You do realize your teen center does not have any teens in it, right? Where is the house music?" Krel asked as Aja had blown into a Troll's skull, making a whistling sound, Toby rather disturbed by the image.
"That's not a harmonica, you know."
"Oh, we just love music! Krel is a totally lively disc jockey."
"Oh, you don't say," Toby stated as said Krel had wandered off, reaching a door that had opened as the skull he had kicked, rolled by. When it opened, he peered around, gasping.
"Ay, yai, yai. Finally, something not boring!" He ripped cords and pressed certain buttons before slapping a blue, advanced device upon the table, the screen in front of him had lit up in different colors.
Toby chuckled at the sound Krel had made, for some odd reason, he found it comical.
Back with the Trollhunters, Toby clutched his backpack, moving to his friends. "Got the bones, what's left?" He whispered.
"Just the last thing, lightning in a bottle?" Jim said with confusion.
"You mean like in a metaphor, right?" Claire asked. "It would be impossible to catch."
"Ha! You think that's hard? You should see the ones I gave Blinky to find," Jim laughed as the scene changed to Blinky and Aaarrrgghh, deep within a cave. While Aaarrrgghh reached up nervously, Blinky had been plugging his nose.
"Oh no, I am not curious," Blinky said as he watched the scene, the others wondering what Jim so amused that he had given Blinky.
"Just a drop," Blinky mumbled, gas burbling from a hole beside them, whacking them in the face with its stench. Aaarrrgghh moaned out. "Careful."
Another higher-pitched gas had leaked near Blinky, the two recoiling away as it squeaked, "ew!" Aaarrrgghh cried out.
"Careful, careful!" Blinky strained right as the whole room exploded, shaking as gas poured from every hole, the effect rather forceful. It had been continuous as the two gagged and retched.
Vendel nearly doubled over as he laughed, holding his stomach and wiping at his eyes. His normal serious composure was instantly gone as he heaved, his laughter getting louder as the other students joined in.
Blinky sat beside him, staring at nothing in particular as he crossed his arms, unamused. "It is not that funny."
Vendel waved his hand frantically, unable to get any words out as he threw himself back, enjoying the sight of Blinky trapped within such a cavern, both the trolls and their reactions had been priceless.
"Nice one, Jim. Nice one."
Jim playfully grinned as he turned to Blinky who shook his head in disapproval. "I am disappointed."
The crowd still bellowed, hacking as they couldn't breathe but couldn't stop from the pure enjoyment.
Back with the three, Toby winced, yet, Claire didn't focus on that, only on Aja who was spinning with the skull.
"Guys, we're down one."
Jim and the others ran to her side, "Aja, where's Krel?" He asked.
"Krel?" The team cried out before they passed an open door, disco lights flashing as club music caught their attention, Krel behind a big screen as he focused. He pressed his fingers against the screen, making a funky beat, the colors on the screen dancing with him.
"You people really should be moving it." While they stood in shock, Krel jumped into the middle, pulling off comedic dance moves.
"How did he turn the Janus Order into a rave?" Claire asked as Aja danced onto the screen.
"Ah, Cantalopia tech." She continued to bust a move while Toby deflated.
"Man, Europe gets all the cool tech first." Jim moved passed her, trying to turn it off but was continuously thrown back to avoid getting kicked in the face. He shoved Krel to the side, trying to turn it off but turning on something he tried to avoid.
On the numerous screens, Aaarrrgghh appeared, fighting Gunmar. Jim's heart skyrocketed as he pressed every button he could.
"I so enjoy moving picture stories!" Aja said happily.
"Turn it off, Jimbo!"
"I'm trying!" On the screen, Jim had slashed Gunmar open.
"Try harder," Claire said.
"Huh, looks scary, what is it called?" While Jim quickly turned, the death of Gunmar continuously replaying, Toby answered differently compared to Claire and Jim.
"Gun Robot."
"Trollhunters."
"Okay, I know this is weird, but why do I get the strange feeling someone broke the fourth wall."
"Oh, shut up! You're crazy!"
"I mean, Trollhunters." Toby corrected when Claire glared at him, Jim blindly shoving his fist on the control panel, shutting the screen off.
"Here's an idea. Who wants to see the house of Arcadia's very own councilwoman?" Claire asked.
"Do not get a big head, please." Ophelia tried to search through the crowd for whoever said such a thing, scowling.
"Yeah, we should go," Jim said as he stepped away, Krel looking displeased.
"Ay, yai, yai." He grabbed his device as he followed them out. Back in the Lake residence, Barbara looked at the door leading to the garage, constant clattering catching her attention as she pressed her ear against the door.
"Ow!" Merlin's voice echoed through. "This infernal contraption." Barbara peeled open the door, a pale blue color instantly pouring out. "Shut the door, please."
Barbara had closed the door but let out a scoff as she faced it, "Ugh! You'll clean up that mess when you're done!"
"Wow, your mother just told Merlin, an ancient wizard what to do, that's awesome."
Merlin let out a laugh, "no."
Despite Barbara's glare, the crowd let out a laugh. The way Merlin simply laughed and dryly answered was hilarious. While Merlin was quite dry and sarcastic, his humor was sometimes amusing.
In the dining room, Strickler had pressed the phone to his ear, listening to it ring before it went to voicemail, a familiar voice echoing in his ear.
"You've reached my cell, you know what to do." Strickler groaned, pulling the phone away and Barbara entered the room.
"Nomura still isn't answering?" She asked as Strickler tried once more.
"I should have gone with her, it's dangerous to be alone."
"Maybe she turned off her phone?" Barbara suggested as he hung up the phone once more.
"I have to find her," he shoved the phone in his pocket, moving forward but Barbara was quick to stop him.
"Wait, wait. Uh, I'll drive, you said it's dangerous alone. We're in this together." She nudged him, moving forward as she fixed her glasses. Strickler was taken aback, looking surprised before he cleared his throat, a slight smile on his face.
With the teens, Clarie had been showing Aja and Krel around the kitchen of her home, arms out wide while Aja had taken photos, the two following around and fascinated by such a simple sight.
"I'm not one to judge, but either they are the perkiest and the happiest people or there is something wrong with them. I mean, tourist, yeah, but who would get excited about a kitchen?"
"You never know, maybe they dreamed about this?"
"And this is where the leader of our town, Councilwoman Nunez, makes enchiladas."
"Fascinating," Aja said, taking a photo of the microwave. "Does that make you a council princess?"
"Uh, yeah, the way my mom takes it seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if she called me that," Claire said lightly, crossing her arms.
"There is nothing wrong with me taking pride in my job," Ophelia stated as she looked at her daughter. "And the title you have could be simply your decision."
"Now, they won't tell you this on the normal tour," she pulled open the fridge, the two suddenly in view. "but I hear she likes spinach with salsa verde and–"
She was interrupted as Krel slammed the fridge close, pulling it back open. "A question if I may, how do you know the light goes off when you close the door?" He continued to open and close it, going dark, then light. "Fascinating, intriguing. But I do not trust it."
"It's like Merlin all over again...what is with them and fridges?"
"I get Merlin, but shouldn't they have been used to better technology?"
"You and Merlin, both," Claire said quietly, however, the two had heard, turning to face her.
"Who?" They said in unison.
"Uh." Claire moved to the back door, looking up at her roof. "How's it going up there? I'm really running out of things to show."
"A little longer!" Toby yelled from off-screen as Claire dipped back inside the house.
"Who wants to count how many books Councilwoman Nunez has?" As she disappeared, Jim and Toby had been perched on the roof, Jim sitting with a bottle and a kite while Toby searched the sky.
"Tobes, this is ridiculous. There's not a cloud in sight."
"Weather says two percent of drizzle," up in the sky, it was crystal clear, with nothing to hint at rainfall. "You just gotta believe, dude."
The phone suddenly slipped from Toby's hands, the boy stumbling and nearly falling from the roof as he tried to catch it, "son of a–" it clattered down the slope, smacking into something as a stray cat screeched. "This is my fifth phone. Jim this is never going to work!"
"Whoa, you were about to swear!"
"What-what, no not me, not me," Toby muttered as he avoided the gazes from the adults in the room. Jim wasn't surprised, and Toby was unsure if he should be shocked and offended but he knew his friend.
"What about believing Toby?"
"Yeah, that was until I dropped my phone off the side of the roof."
"It has to. Unless you have a better way to capture lighting in a bottle?"
From below, Claire and the two newcomers had been watching them, Aja speaking up. "Did I hear you say you're trying to capture lighting in a bottle?"
"Oh!" Krel chuckled, "we use to play that game as children!"
"Sorry, they did what now?"
"No, no. You don't understand. Lightning, like a thousand volts of electricity in a jar."
"Actually, its closer to several hundred million volts," Aja said.
"And that's not the way you do it," Krel finished.
"I like how he says it like it's a normal thing and that everyone knows how to do it like common sense. Something that is believed to be impossible."
"Well, they have played the game since they were kids."
"Is that not weird to you?!"
"Of course, it is. It's been on my mind for a few minutes now!"
"Seriously," Claire started. "You know how to catch lightning?"
"Si, you obviously don't, but we do!" Krel mentioned as Toby appeared on the other side of the roof, both he and Jim sharing a shocked expression. The scene changed, and the group within Claire's room as Krel tweaked the changed jar.
"So, that's some sort of supercapacitor?"
"Capacitor," Krel corrected. "I made it from the microwave. It can hold sudden bursts of energy." On Claire's bed, Aja had found the laptop, pulling it open and clicking the keys.
Ophelia was shocked to hear about her microwave being taken apart, however, she couldn't help but think that in the future, they would know.
"At least we know what actually happened this time, but why is it our furniture?" Javier questioned as his wife shrugged in response.
"Have you never been to physics class?" She asked.
"Well, I've missed forty-three days," Jim shrugged.
"Uh, we're more into Earth sciences," Toby said. "Anyway, how we gonna get a bajillion volts of lightning in there?" Claire moved beside Aja who was typing quickly on the keyboard, making noises.
"Are you seeing this? I think she just hacked into the Arcadia power grid." Jim and Toby were definitely intrigued, moving beside them.
Mary chuckled, "I think Eli would get along with these guys, so much in common."
"I could never hack anything! Their brains are a nice comparison to mine, so I thank you."
"Exactly, nerd," Mary lightly scoffed.
"Of course, where the locals store their power. Hmm, do you think 200 million volts will be enough?"
Jim and Claire glanced at one another, "sounds good!"
"Yeah, uh-huh," Claire said.
"Yeah, that's about right," Toby finished.
"Is this technically legal?" Claire asked and she received a confused glance from Aja.
"Define legal?"
Jim, Claire, and Toby shared surprised glances. "Their geniuses, Jimbo. Weirdo geniuses, that's the best kind!"
Aja planted her finger on the keyboard, the computer clicking and whirring as she made a noise, "We're all set. I've redirected the power to one corner at longitude thirty-six degrees. Uh, fifth and Main in T-minus fifteen minutes and uh, thirty seconds and approximately seventy-one milliseconds."
Toby laughed as Claire and Jim grew excited. "All we need now is a metal to act as a conductor." Krel pointed out. "Toby, I need your robot teeth!"
Toby chuckled nervously, inhaling as he whispered to his friend. "Jim, stop these weirdo geniuses."
The crowd chuckled and Jim looked at his friend with a teasing grin.
"Weren't you just praising them?"
"Blame my future self, Jimbo. We've been over that," Toby chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully. "Besides they want to electrocute me."
"I think I have something else we can use," Jim replied as the scene switched once more, a familiar blue car pulling up to the museum.
Barbara and Walter snuck into the dark corridors, piles of items that had been knocked overlaid in front of them.
"Something's wrong, stay close," Strickler said as Barbara inspected the area.
"What happened here?" She pulled out her phone, shone the flashlight around the room, landing on a dead troll that had been holding the rope in its demise. Barbara let out a startled scream, nearly dropping the phone which thankfully Strickler had caught.
He turned the light trail onto a different path, a sword from Nomura had been laying nearby. While they continued their search, Jim had quietly donned his armor behind a car while Aja and Krel stared at the designated street light.
Jim cleared his throat, getting the two's attention. "Curious. First, metal teeth. Now, metal clothes?" She studied the new object closely.
"And you always tell me we are the ones who have to be normal?" Krel said questioningly as the amulet glowed brightly.
"Lively, what is the power source?" Jim leaned back to keep her from touching it.
"Um, I don't know, just a standard safety suit?"
"Uh, yeah. Safety first," Toby finished.
"Safety?" Krel repeated with a light scoff, "you're wearing metal in a lightning storm."
"I mean, he isn't wrong on that one. Can't use that as a reason." Eli stated.
"I probably panicked, knowing them so far, they aren't as gullible as everyone else was."
When Jim couldn't reply, Claire was quick to change the subject. "Hup-two! Better hurry."
"Good luck," Krel simply said, handing Jim the jar. The Trollhunter stepped up to the light post, sticking his sword into the ground as he placed the jar nearby. Behind the car, Aja had a timer, watching it count down.
"Redirecting in T-minus ten seconds." Toby stood from his post, waving Jim forward. The boy was quick to move, ducking behind the car with the others.
"Yep, just another boring day in our perfectly normal town," the stout boy commented.
"And three..." Aja started, the lights nearby flickering, above on the wiring, energy struck across the wires, "two, one...." They all poked their heads above the car, watching as the lightning struck in the middle, cascading down the sword and into the jar.
Around them, Arcadia instantly powered down, the whole city blacking out as the four watched with groans.
"No, that's not good," Toby muttered as alarms blared and people began to call out in shock.
The crowd looked at the screen in shock, not expecting them to take out Arcadia with their little project. Granted it was a lot of electricity, but it was shocking, to say the least.
"You know what, I am not surprised by both your reaction and the fact that you affected Arcadia with it."
"Thank you, I think."
"I like how there is no more panic with it either, especially because it can already be considered illegal." Behind them, Barbara and the Trolls were rubbing their foreheads at the kids, they were something else.
Back with Strickler and Barbara, Strickler had picked up the sword, "Nomura."
"Where is she? Is she okay?"
"Hold on, Barbara. We are all wondering the same exact thing!"
"It's pressurizing, especially when we can't find her."
"But you still ask?!"
"I don't know," the Changeling answered as a figure appeared above them. Beside them, the doors had slammed shut. "But we're not, we need to go." Strickler gently pulled her in a different direction, right as a Gumm-Gumm had leaped from its hiding spot, startling the mother.
Her footing gave out beneath her, stumbling to the floor as she was nearly hit with the swinging axe.
"Run!" Strickler cried, pulling her to a stand and fleeing in another direction, only to be cornered by another awaiting guard. They had tried every direction, only to be cornered as guards swarmed the area.
"Walt?" Barbara questioned as she backed away from any advancing guards.
"Hang onto me and take off your glasses," she didn't hesitate, pulling them from her face as she got a grip on him.
"Why? What are you going to do?"
"This," he simply answered, his eyes glowing yellow as his form changed. He spread his wings, pushing away the Gumm-Gumms as he lifted from the ground, Barbara clutched closely against him.
"Is it because it's a bright light? Is that why you had her take her glasses off? I hate to break it to you, but she already saw you." Steve joked, laughing as Strickler stared at him, crossing his arms.
"You may be able to make jokes about the other students, but I'm different, understand?" The gleam in his eye must've been noticed by Steve as the blonde boy slouched in his chair.
"Hey, he got told off by a teacher!"
They broke through the ceiling and above the clouds. Barbara had hidden her face in the crook of his neck, groaning out at the harsh winds.
"It's all right, I've got you." Barbara pulled her face from his side, seeing the full moon above the layer of clouds they floated over.
"Walter, you can fly?"
"Yes, I'm a keen swimmer too. We need to warn Jim," he stated before they had been cut off by a Stalking that growled at their presence. It screeched as it flew closer but Strickler moved to avoid its claws.
"What is that?"
"Trouble, hold on!"
"What do you think I'm doing!" She cried out, right as Strickler dove out of the way as the Stalking tried another attempt to grab them. It swerved above the cloud line, another appearing through the puffs of white.
"Someone help me find a jar, and every time someone is sarcastic in this they have to give me a dollar."
"Good luck on finding Merlin because you aren't getting half your money."
Strickler did his best to put distance between them while Barbara clung to him. He dodged every dive the Stalkings took to catch him before dipping into the clouds.
Angered that the prey was vanishing, the Stalking roared and continued chase. While the beasts struggled to get a grip on the man, they had managed to bump into Strickler, Barbara falling from his arms.
She let out a scream as she dropped, "hold on!" Strickler cried, diving after her as they cut the distance, a car laying in their wake. At the last minute, the Changeling managed to slip Barbara back into the safety net of his arms, crushing the car beneath his feet.
The alarm blared as the windows shattered, but Strickler didn't stop, taking off as Barbara glanced at him. "Lose him in the forest."
"Doctor's orders," Strickler replied, the Stalkings catching up as they took off near the woods, swerving and using the foliage as cover. Above, the Stalkings seemed to lose their trails, drifting off in a different direction.
"It's working!" Barbara said happily, only for a whistle to catch her attention. She glanced back, a swirling vortex of a bola knocking them from the sky. They slid against the floor, coming to a harsh stop, Barbara still in the arms of Strickler who was rendered unconscious.
The crowd instantly tensed as Strickler looked defeated at losing the chase and endangering Barbara. She was finally warming up to him, how would she take such a failure and end up hurting her?
He dared not to look at her, but her gaze never met him, he didn't doubt that her mind was running a mile a minute and one side of him was curious while the other part was afraid to know what she could be thinking about.
Around them, Gumm-Gumms appeared, however, a new guest had arrived. Usurna looked down at the prey they managed to capture, grinning madly.
"Take them to Gunmar, the Changeling will serve him once more." From the unconscious pair, the scene changed to Jim and the others walking through the street, Jim holding the jar of lightning close.
Jim glared at the screen, he wanted to kill Usurna right then and there. He couldn't blame Strickler, he tried to keep Barbara safe, and Jim knew that.
Their love was growing and the way Strickler had changed, Jim would thank the man before scolding him. The anger was boiling quickly and so was his worry. He was lucky that Claire had noticed the ferocious emotion, the feeling of her hand covering his had lessened some of the tension.
He regretted that his mother knew she was in the hands of Gunmar, however, he needed to have faith. Trying to catch his breath, he leaned back into his chair, ignoring the gaze of his mother.
He was afraid.
"Don't drop it," Claire started. "If that jar breaks, we're all fried."
Seeming slightly nervous as the pressure grew, Jim pushed it closer to her, "do you wanna hold it?" Claire moved back, smiling nervously as she silently declined.
"This is us," Toby said, turning to face Aja and Krel. "You want us to walk you home? Jim can light the way."
"It's completely unnecessary, our domicile is but a few blocks away," Krel replied.
"Thank you for the tour, it was—"
"Lively," the three answered with smiles.
"I was going to say legal," Aja said, clearly confused about what the word meant.
Eli raised an eyebrow, something was off of those two, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. However, he could comment on the fact that it was a very interesting way to use the word legal.
"Oh great, Eli's thinking again. What conspiracy theory do you have next?" Mary spat.
"Nothing of mine is a conspiracy theory, that's Blinky, and second of all everything I said was right."
"Hey!" Blinky cried from the back but went unheard.
"Please, half the claims you say, don't even make sense, you were right about the trolls being real. I haven't seen one thing that you were truly right about." Mary argued.
"The least you could do is believe me. Right, Steve, you're on my side here?"
"Yeah, we're the CreepSlayerz." Mary gently scuffed, looking away from them, and muttering the word nerds.
"And we'd like to thank you, you really helped us out." Claire responded, "You guys are out of this world."
"Precisely." Aja began to lead her brother away as Jim spoke.
"Maybe we'll see you around this summer,"
"Sure, maybe at the teen center?" Aja said, the two heading home while the three Trollhunters smiled, heading in their own direction. Jim pushed open the door, the house covered in nothing but darkness.
"We're home, Mom! Merlin? Got the stuff you needed." Toby sniffed the air as Claire closed the door, disturbed.
"What's that smell?" Toby's question went unanswered as Blinky's voice echoed.
"Oh, you know Jim, just sending us into the worst-smelling place possible," Blinky said, sarcastically, slightly rolling his eyes.
"Let's not forget how he found it amusing," Vendel mentioned causing a laugh to echo from the crowd.
"We're in the garage!" Jim appeared in the doorframe of the garage, Blinky and Aaarrrgghh waiting by a small pot used as a light source.
"Ah, Master Jim. It appears your little excursion was just as fruitful as our own," the troll gestured to the remaining pieces of the Vepsa that lay on the table.
"My Vespa!" He cried out, yelling at the loss as he dropped to his knees while Toby handed over the objects they collected. As Toby neared Aaarrrgghh, he retched, plugging his nose at the retched smell.
"What did you do!" Jim yelled at Merlin who stood near covered objects.
"I put it to much better use, this one is for Tobias." He pulled off the cloth, revealing an orange set of armor, replicating the style of Jim's but fitting Toby perfectly and matching his Warhammer.
"What! We get armor too!" He peered at the outfit which had been equipped with flashlights. "I've been waiting my whole life for this, so cool! So cool! Look how shiny it is! Oh, my gosh! Is that a shield, totally a shield!"
Merlin stepped beside Toby, revealing the other armor, "and this one is for lady Claire." It was a sleek purple color, a mask fitting for a mage, sharing both Morgana's and Jim's style of armor.
Claire smiled at it while Jim's face was priceless. His jaw dropped even further as his eyes were wider than ever. "Oh, wow. Holy guacamole." She breathlessly moved to the armor while Toby studied both.
"I like mine better."
Jim let out a chuckle, "that's surprisingly nice of you, Merlin."
"Quick query," Blinky started. "If we've been collecting items for a spell to thwart Gunmar, then why would they require armor?"
"A spell?" Merlin questioned as the two tried on their helmets, the light upon Toby's head instantly lighting up. "You thought we would stop Gunmar and Angor Rot without going to war. Do you have sand for brains?"
Toby knocked on Claire's head, then his as they continued to test it out.
"I love that Merlin is talking about a risk of dying, and you got those two having the time of their life just trying on armor."
" I like that Toby had to do the head test," Jim joked, earning a harsh but playful glare from his girlfriend. "Just gotta make sure it works."
" Jim, one of these days you're gonna get hit by her and we are going to know why." Mary laughed. "Like full support."
Jim turned to face his girlfriend who simply smirked, " you aren't gonna hit me, right?"
"Just remember, I face a wizard in the future, and beat her." She winked, at Jim, turning away with a slight swallow. Claire knew that she got the reaction she wanted as she chuckled a little, knowing his eyes were afraid to meet hers.
"Wait, a war?" Jim asked.
"Once freed, Morgana will attempt to bring forth the Eternal Night. We must prepare."
"Sounds like you're saying you're not going to stop Gunmar from freeing that witch," Claire replied.
"Oh, did I not make myself clear?" Merlin asked, turning to face them. "I'm not here to stop Gunmar, I'm here to kill Morgana." Everyone's faces dropped in shock as Merlin's face turned serious, the only sound that remained was a piece of the Vespa clattering to the floor.
".....what?"
"So, are we not gonna talk about how dark Merlin's face got? This is something other than revenge, this is vengeance, hatred, burning desire to see someone die, and it just came from the most sarcastic dry person who I have not seen show any emotion!"
"He's feelin' something."