————<•>————
'What did you do?'
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Claire and I met up with Toby and we decided to have our first stop be the park. We honestly didn't know where to start looking, but I had my note pad and was ready to write down any clues that we found along the way.
"Oh no" Toby mumbles as we walk into the park to find a small magician event. "It's Lorenzo"
"Who's Lorenzo?" I ask confused as I look to the middle aged bald man, who seems to be pulling a ton of cards out of his mouth.
"Oh, you weren't in Arcadia when it happened, but we have some beef" Toby shrugs like it isn't a big deal, but I know he wants me to ask what it's about.
"Beef? Why?" I ask confused, and cringing at the word beef.
"I was but a young child at the time" Toby starts and I immediately share a look with Claire, both of us rolling our eyes at the boy but letting him continue. "And as a young boy, all I ever wanted to do was become a magician"
"Interesting dream" I comment.
"I wanted to be a doctor" Claire shrugs but Toby immediately shushes her.
"This is my dream and story Claire!" Toby snaps before continuing his story. "I had set up my own little magic stand in this very park, happy and full of dreams to become big. Until he appeared"
"He being Lorenzo?" I ask confused.
"Lorenzo" Toby spits before continuing with his story once again. "He took all of my audience. Wowed them with his pathetic card tricks, and left me in the dust, alone with my birds"
"Birds?" Claire asks confused.
"Bird tricks Claire, gosh, keep up" Toby says annoyed. "That day I hated him ever since, and I know it's mutual"
"Have you ever even talked to him before?" I ask confused.
"No...but I don't have to. He's my mortal enemy" Toby scoffs as I just nod my head.
"Okay...well we can cross Barbara off on not being at the park. To the next spot!" I say as I turn us around and away from the magician Lorenzo.
————<•>————
We all went to the hospital next. Toby had called up before, but we wanted to make sure just in case.
We walk into the doors and I realise I haven't been here since when I visited Jim. I spent a whole night here but I've never been here since.
I follow Claire and Toby who seem to know where they're going, before we stop infront of the receptionist.
The lady looks up with a smile before it drops at the sight of me. I immediately scowl at the lady, remembering her from last time.
"Ms L/n...what can I do for you?" The lady asks with a fake smile.
"You could stop giving me that fake ass smile firstly" I snap with a glare, while Claire and Toby watch on confused. "I'm surprised you haven't been fired for scaring away people with your face"
"I'm surprised you haven't been sent to juvenile prison with that attitude of yours" The lady says back, the fake smile not leaving her face.
"Uhhh" Claire says, trying to get the ladies attention of me. "We were wondering if Barbara Lake has been in?"
"She hasn't, but I'll be sure to let her know that your looking for her when I see her next" The lady says to Claire before looking back to me with a scowl.
"Great...thank you Ms..." Toby starts to say before looking to her name tag. "Gyantdeck...oh wow"
"I'd be a miserable old bat if I had a last name like that too" Claire mumbles to me making me snicker.
"Thank you Ms Small Dick, it was horrible as usual" I say with a fake smile.
"It's Jyantdeck" She snaps in annoyance.
"Yeah, like that's any better" I mumble with a roll of my eyes before grabbing Claire and Toby by the arms and pulling them out of the hospital.
"What was all that about?" Toby asks confused.
"You beef with magicians, I beef with hospital receptionists" I shrug. "Alright, next destination!"
————<•>————
"The library? Why would she be here?" Claire asks confused as we walk into the old building.
"I don't know Claire! I'm running out of ideas here!" I exclaim before immediately getting shushed by everyone in the library. "Sorry"
"Okay, let's just take a look around, see if we can find anything" Toby says to us before we make our way around.
I look around at all the people inside, all with books or homework, or laptops. I suddenly notice a flyer on a door and wave Claire and Toby over.
"Guys look! A bookclub" I say excitedly, not noticing Claire's face of horror as I open the door to the group of people.
A small circle of elderly women look up at the sound of the door opening, and immediately they all scowl at Claire like she killed their cats (they all look like cat people).
"Claire Nunez" A lady with old glasses spits as she fixes them on her face.
"Denise, Janet, Helen and Sarah...funny seeing you ladies here" Claire cackles awkwardly, half hiding behind me.
"Claire...why do you know a ton of old women" Toby poorly whispers to the girl.
"It's a very funny story" Claire starts to say but one of the old woman cuts her off.
"It definitely is not! She's crazy that girl, a complete freak" The old woman yells while pointing her frail finger at Claire.
"I might've accidentally burned all of Helen's books at a Bookclub meeting" Claire whispers to us.
I stare at the girl shocked.
"How do you even do that!" I yell with wide eyes.
"I don't know how I did it either!" Claire yells back with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Well, have any of you happened to see a lady with auburn red hair, glasses and a motherly smile?" Toby asks with hopeful eyes.
"No, and if we did, we wouldn't tell you. Now scram you younglings, before I get out my cane!" One of the ladies yell, and we don't waste a second before running out of the room and slamming the doors shut behind us.
"Why are you beefing with old women!?" I yell, immediately getting shushed by everyone in the library. "Sorry, again"
"I don't want to talk about it, I baked so many cookies for them, and they never forgave me" Claire sighs as we start to make our way out of the library.
"Why are we running into so many people that hate us! We just need to find Barbara" I sigh sadly as they nod.
————<•>————
Claire, Toby and I had been biking all around town. We had now gone to Barbara's favourite coffee shop, the grocery store, and even the school, but nothing.
"This is hopeless, it's like she just went poof!" Toby complains as we bike along the bridge.
"Don't say that Toby, we have to find her, for Jim" I say as I continue to look around, hoping she might appear out of no where.
"I don't know Y/n, maybe we should go back and regroup or something" Claire says with a sigh.
"You too, Claire" I whine as I look to the girl.
"Look, I want to find her too, but she clearly isn't anywhere. I know you want to help Jim, I get it, but we've been biking around town for the last four hours!" Claire explains with a tired sigh.
I'll admit that my legs are a bit sore, but I can't stop looking. It's for Jim. He'd do the same for me. He'd do the same for any of us.
"Just a little bit longer" I ask, watching as Toby and Claire share a look before nodding their heads. "Thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Only if we stop by that hotdog stand a few streets back, it physically pained me riding past it" Toby sighs sadly as I nod happily.
"Deal, I could go for some food as well" I nod as Claire laughs.
"If you could even call a hotdog proper food" Claire points out as we chuckle.
As we ride along the bridge, a sudden bang goes off from below in the Canals, followed by a familiar growl.
Toby, Claire and I stop our bikes and look over the railings on the bridge to find Strickler—Barbara in his arms and Gumm-Gumms behind them. We gasp as we quickly ride our bikes down to them, watching the Gumm-Gumms behind them turn into stone from the sun.
"Barbara! Strickler!" I yell frantically as I keep my bike steady down the steep slope.
"Dr L! Are you okay?" Toby yells as we watch Strickler help Barbara up from the ground, the two looking very shaken.
"We have to warn Jim" Barbara says in a shaky voice.
"What? What do you mean?" I ask confused as I frantically look between the two adults.
"Morgana, she's free" Strickler struggles to say.
Toby and Claire gasp as I stand there stunned. Breathing suddenly becomes hard as I look between them before frantically grabbing out my phone—my hand slightly quivering as I hold it to my ear.
My phone continues to ring as I wait for Jim to pick up, my foot tapping on the ground nervously.
"Come on, Jim. Pick up" I mumble, my stomach swarming with nerves as I wait.
My phone stops ringing and I realise I went to voicemail. I slowly look up from my phone to the group, shaking my head.
We all immediately rush back to Jim's house. The horrible feeling in my gut getting worse and worse. He's okay, he has to be okay. Merlin may be an asshole, but he isn't evil. He wouldn't do anything to hurt Jim...right?
When we make it up to Jim's house I slam the door open, gasping at the complete mess the house is in...almost like a fight happened. I look around before my eyes focus on Merlin, the man seemingly shocked by our groups appearance but quickly recovers.
"Where's Jim?" Barbara asks in a quivering voice.
"Finally becoming a true Trollhunter" Merlin says simply, making me feel like I'm about to throw up.
"What did you do?" I whisper in shock, looking to the man who can't seem to look back at us. "What did you do?!" I yell again when I get no response.
"What I had to do" Merlin states with a blank face.
A sudden thud from upstairs gains our attention as Barbara and I rush up the stairs, calling out to the boy.
"Jim!"
"Jim!"
We make it to the bathroom and find that the doors are locked. Barbara bangs on the door, calling out to her son.
"Jim? Are you in there?" Barbara calls as she knocks on the door. "Jim, what's happening? Please let us in?"
Toby, Claire, Strickler and I stand behind Barbara as she toggles with the knob on the door.
I suddenly can't take it and walk towards the door, roughly knocking on it.
"Jim? Tell us what's happened? I will knock down this door, I swear!" I yell frantically.
"Jimbo?" Toby calls. "Come on Jim, open the door!"
"Jim, open the door!" Claire yells. "They freed Morgana!"
"Jim please! Come on, Trollhunter, let us in!" I yell confused.
I feel Strickler softly move me away from the door as he brings his ear to it.
"Young Atlas, you are not alone. Don't do this! Open the door!" Strickler yells—like he knows what's going on in there, and he knows it bad.
"Strickler, what's happening?" I yell to the man desperately as I watch him try and break down the door.
"Open the door!" Strickler yells to Jim frantically, and I realise I've had enough.
I don't know what's happening, but I know it's bad, and I know we have to open the door.
I shove Strickler out of the way before using my powers to slam the door open—almost completely breaking it—before rushing into the bathroom, the others behind me.
I look towards the bathtub to find this black goo and Jim's face in it, before he disappears underneath.
"Jim!" I cry as I watch the black goo disappear, with Jim in it.
I rush to the tub and frantically swipe at the water, yelling Jim's name as I hear Barbara call for her son.
I look to Strickler with tears in my eyes as I watch him hold up a jar that was on the ground. He stares at it in shock before his eyes meet mine, sadness written all over his face.
"Strickler?" I whisper confused, looking behind him to Claire and Toby who both are staring into the bathroom with tears in their eyes—before looking back to him.
"What happened to my son?" Barbara asks as she also notices the look on his face.
Stricklers silence was enough for the tears I was holding back to finally fall down my face. I slowly bring my hand to cover my mouth as I look away from everyone, trying to calm myself down but I know there's no point.
What happened to you, Jim?
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Authors note:
I originally didn't have the part of Toby, Claire and Y/n looking around for Barbara, but I decided to add my own little bit because the episode ended and the chapter was WAY too short
Hope you liked that part with the group and their BEEF HAHAHA
Also goodbye human Jim, you will be missed.
But u horny readers apparently love Troll Jim so u prob wont be too sad about this 🤷♀️💀
Make sure to comment and vote! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!