Following getting caught by the police, Jim and Toby were taken to the station for their museum break in. Once they arrived and the two boys were led to the line up area for their first ever mugshots, Strickler's arrival followed soon after. Nomura had managed to get away from the goblins, and had done so long enough to contact the police to have them arrest the boys. But she had also told Strickler what happened as well, including Marinette's presence via video call. When he was told about Jim's little sister being involved and most likely finding out about Nomura, Strickler raced over to the station. After he arrived and saw the boys getting processed, he immediately called Barbara.

"Hello, Walter. How are you?" Brarbara greeted, her chipper voice making Strickler feel guilty to be the one to bring her out of her cheerful mood.

"Hello, Barbara. I'm doing well, but I wish I was calling under better circumstances." Walter replied, a grime tone to his greeting.

"Why, what is it?" Barbara asked.

"I'm afraid Jim and Toby have been arrested for breaking into the museum." Walter answered as he watched Toby making fun poses during his mugshot.

"What! Why would they do that?" Barbara exclaimed, not believing what she heard.

"I'm not entirely sure. But I was told that Marinette was present for it as well through her phone." Strickler revealed, his own concern leaking into his voice.

"By who?" Barbara asked, a slight interrogating vibe to her tone.

"The museum curator, Mrs. Nomura. She was highly concerned when she told me about the event." Strickler answered, deciding to add a bit of 'caring' to Nomura's tattling on the boys to make her seem more innocent.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Barbara had grabbed her purse and was heading out to the exit so she could get to her car. To say that she was livid was a gross understatement.

"I can imagine. I'm on my way over now!" Barbara responded, her resolve to get there growing as she speed walked to the hospital exit.

"I'll see you soon then. Though I do suggest that you call Tom and Sabine to tell them what happened." Strickler supplied as Barbara exited the hospital and made her way to her car.

"Way ahead of you. I'll be at the station soon." Barbara replied before she hung up, opening her car door and hopping inside. Once she was in her seat, she pulled up Tom's contact on her phone and dialed it. As it rang, the doctor started up her car, and began her drive to the police station.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over in Paris, Tom and Sabine were heading up the stairs to their apartment, when Tom's phone rang. They had just begun their break from working in the bakery, and were looking forward to a nice quiet lunch. But their plans would have to wait as Tom pulled out his phone and saw that it was Barbara calling him. Wasting no time at all, he answered his phone.

"Hello Barbara, how are you?" Tom greeted when he responded to the call, a cheerful tone to his voice.

"I could be better." Barbara admitted with a heavy sigh, worrying both Tom and Sabine.

"What's wrong?" Sabine asked, coming up to stand next to Tom so she could speak into his phone.

"I just got off the phone with Walter. He told me Jim and Toby broke into the museum." Barbara revealed, causing both bakers to gasp at the accusation.

"What? Why would they do that?!" Tom questioned, pulling the phone closer to his face in his interrogation.

"I don't know why, but apparently Marinette was on call with them during the break in." Barbara replied, which made Tom and Sabine glance at each other in worry.

"Marinette was in on their plan? Really?" Sabine exclaimed, not believing that her daughter was involved with such an illicit act.

"Unfortunately, Walter is nothing short of honest when he tells me these things." Barbara sighed out, her stress bleeding into her voice.

"Why would she do this?" Tom wondered, still worriedly glancing at his wife before looking back at his phone.

"I don't know. But you should ask her." Barbara suggested.

"She's at school right now. It should be ending soon though." Sabine brought up, knowing that they should spare their daughter the embarrassment of them coming to her school to question her about her involvement.

"Call me back when she is. I'm almost to the station and will tell you more soon." Barabara assured from her end.

"Just focus on getting there. We'll talk to you later." Tom replied, knowing that she needed to focus on actually arriving at the station before they could do anything more.

"Bye." Barbara said right before she hung up, leaving the couple in silence.

"This is so unlike Jim and Marinette. Do you think there is something going on?" Tom questioned his wife, a worried look present on his features.

"I don't know, Tom. But we really should get Marinette's account on this." Sabine reminded him, hoping that she could keep her husband from making a rash mistake.

"But..." Tom began, only for Sabine to place a hand onto his.

"Be patient, Tom. We'll find out more soon enough." Sabine reassured, soothing some of Tom's nervousness.

"You are right, my love. I'll be patient." Tom replied, walking to the living room couch and sitting down. Sabine soon followed, both feeling anxious for their daughter's arrival.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Tom and Sabine were notified of Jim and Toby's incident, an anxious Marinette and Tikki were heading towards the bakery. After Jim hung up on her, Marinette was left unfocused and worried for the rest of the school day. Thankfully no one else noticed it, but now that the school day was done, Marinette and Tikki finally had a chance to talk about what they had seen.

"And you are absolutely sure that this is Killahead Bridge?" Marinette asked Tikki, looking at the picture of the bridge on her phone.

"Very. It's hard to forget that bridge after seeing Gunmar sucked into the Darklands." Tikki replied, poking her head out of Marinette's purse.

"And the museum lady... she was definitely a Changeling? You're not just guessing, right?" Marinette questioned, even if she knew the answer. She just wanted to be sure.

"Unfortunately, there's not much else she could be. We will need to tell Master Fu about this." Tikki confirmed, leaving Marinette at even more unease as she waited for the crosswalk light to change.

"It might have to wait until Friday. Something tells me that Jim's going to need some support in the near future." Marinette admitted as the crosswalk light changed to green.

"Master Fu should be made aware of all of this soon. I don't even want to imagine what will happen if we wait." Tikki exclaimed as Marinette walked across the street and finally reached the bakery.

"I know, Tikki. But with Jim being arrested, we will need to be careful around my parents." Marinette revealed as they reached the door leading to the apartment part of the building and started walking up the stairs to her home. "They have most likely been told about it by now." the designer muttered to herself as she opened the door to her living room. But to her surprise, her parents were waiting for her.

"Care to explain why we just got a call from Barbara, saying that you were on a call with Jim while he and Toby broke into the museum?" Sabine requested, an eyebrow raised in questioning at her daughter.

'Speak of the devil.' Marinette thought bitterly. "Well, um..." the designer trailed off, not knowing how to begin explaining her involvement in the break in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little while after Tom and Sabine were told of what happened, Strickler and Barbara talked with the police and they finally decided to let Jim and Toby go. Once the boys were free, Barbara sent them to wait in the car while she and Strickler finalized the release paperwork.

"I can't thank you enough for coming to the station. They are so lucky she didn't press any charges." Barbara thanked as she and Strickler walked out of the police station's front door-Tom and Sabine on the phone-while Jim and Toby watched from inside the car.

"Ms. Nomura is a personal friend. She agrees with me that this was nothing more than reckless youth running amok." Mr Strickler assured as he and Barbara stopped in front of the station to keep talking.

"Still, it was very kind of you to help, Walter." Sabine remarked from Barbara's phone, a kind smile on her face.

"This is so unlike them, however. It's honestly concerning." Tom pointed out, bringing up the elephant in the figurative room.

"You do have a point, Tom." Barbara agreed, the adults worry beginning to grow. Unbeknownst to them, this gave Jim and Toby the chance to finally talk about what had happened at the museum... after reassuring Marinette that they were okay.

Group Chat: Arcadia's Unlucky Trio

Jimbo: We just got out of police custody. Sorry for hanging up on you.

MariFairy: You should be!! I was worried sick!

Jimbo: Sorry about that. And sorry for getting you in trouble. How are you, by the way?

MariFairy: I'm okay. Considering I wasn't actually helping you break into the museum, I only just managed to escape being grounded. But at this point, I'm on thin ice.

Jimbo: Ah man, sorry sis. We should have made sure you weren't seen.

MariFairy: If I hadn't been on call, I wouldn't have gotten to see the changeling. This is huge!!

Jimbo: Fair point. Once we get home, Tobes and I will head down to Trollmakret to tell them what we learned.

MariFairy: If so, you guys should know that I took some pictures of the new exhibit and of the museum lady during the fight. Tikki said that you'll need concrete proof when telling the Trolls about it.

Jimbo: Tell her I said 'thank you' ? We'll need all the help we can get.

MariFairy: Will do. I'll send them to Toby. I want to be there when you tell Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!!

Jimbo: Deal. See you then

With the promise of Marientte being present for the future conversation, Jim put his phone back in his pocket.

"Okay, Mari's sending you the pictures she took during the fight. She wants to be present when we tell Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!!." Jim reported to Toby, even though he already knew what was happening due to reading the group chat as the siblings spoke.

"Only fair. But can we talk about the elephant in the room?! You just faced a shapeshifting Troll!" Toby exclaimed, bringing up a very big issue.

"I know, it's pretty nerve racking." Jim agreed, putting a hand to his head to soothe a growing headache.

"I mean, who else do you think is hiding an evil troll face? Coach Lawrence? Steve?" Toby began to theorize before letting out a small gasp.

"What if Strickler's one of them?" the geology nerd questioned, leaving Jim slightly baffled that his best friend would think that.

"Strickler's been teaching history at Arcadia Oaks High since the dawn of history. If he's one, I'm one." Jim denied, only to catch Toby's suspicious eyes watching Strickler with an untrustful look. At the sight of his best friend's behavior, Jim scoffed with a roll of his eyes before he pushed Toby back, grabbing his phone after it dinged in response to receiving Marientte's pictures. With the device in his hand, Jim opened it up to find the first of the 5 pictures his sister had sent and saw the bridge clear as day, symbols and all.

"I know where I've seen this bridge. It's the same one that Blinky was talking about." the Trollhunter remembered.

"What? The Killa-thingy Bridge? That's, like, ancient history, right?" Toby questioned, only for Jim to realize what the bridge meant.

"They're trying to break Gunmar out! That's why Mari said to not dismiss seeing the bridge so soon!" Jim exclaimed before turning to his left to face Toby. "This is bad, Tobes. Like, 'Goodbye, Arcadia' bad! As soon as we get home, we're going to Blinky." the Trolhunter confirmed, only to be sent in a panic as the driver's side car door was pulled open and Barbara's voice startled them.

"You really didn't have to go through all this trouble, Walter." Barbara began as she slid into her seat, already having ended her call to Tom and Sabine. Jim quickly handed Toby's phone back, hiding his hands as Strickler appeared in the passenger window.

"It's no trouble at all, Barbara. I'm sorry we had to see each other again under these unfortunate circumstances." Strickler replied, startling Jim as he spoke so suddenly.

"Well, there must be some way I can repay you. Coffee? Dinner? Appendix removal?" Barbara offered, causing Jim's eyes to grow and raise his eyebrow in shock at what he heard. Right as he looked at Toby, the two sharing a surprised look, Jim finally understood why Marinette theorized that Strickler and Barbara would get together.

'Dang it, I owe her 20 euros now!' Jim thought to himself as he and Toby turned back to face the two bantering adults.

"Coffee would be a delight. And a rain check on the appendectomy." Strickler responded, a flirty tone in his voice.

"Looking forward to it, Walter." Barbara flirted back, leaving Jim and Toby feeling a little more awkward than they should, before Stickler turned to face Jim.

"Watch yourself, Young Atlas. Next time, the consequences could be more severe." Strickler warned, before leaving with a raised eyebrow. Once he was gone, Jim finally realized what had just happened.

"Did you actually just ask Strickler out on a date?" Jim questioned as he turned to look at his mom. But that was the last thing he should have asked his mom at that moment.

"Oh, don't you make this about me. You guys broke into a museum!" Barbara exclaimed, raising her voice and making Jim flinch back against his door as he smiled at her with worry. "And for this?" the doctor questioned as she raised the Chubby Tracker into the air for them to see it.

"Not only that, but you made Marinette involved in this for some reason! She's already under enough stress with this masked terrorist causing mayhem, she doesn't need to start being foolish out of misplaced loyalty." she said, looking livid. "You are grounded until you apologize to that woman." Barbara decided as she dropped the Chubby Tracker and started the car while Jim let out a large exhale.

"You got me?" she pressed on before pointing an accusatory finger at her son.

"Yes, Mom." Jim shamefully replied.

"Yes, Dr. Lake." Toby mumbled as she drove off. Soon enough, the three of them were back home.

After dropping Toby off at his house, Barbara and Jim went over to their house, where she sent her son up to her room while she took care of some stuff before bed. It took a while, but after Jim was sure that his mom was in bed, he stuffed some pillows under his blanket and threw it over them, hoping to make his mom believe that he was asleep if she decided to check on him. Now having a dummy to be his alibi, Jim climbed onto his desk and went to his open window.

"Sorry, Mom." The Trollhunter apologized out loud before escaping through the window, determined to get to Trollmarket.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Time Skip)

After meeting up with Toby, the boys headed down to Trollmarket and found Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!! in the tavern, telling them what had happened at the museum. Although the trolls were relieved to know where the Goblin's nest was, they were soon worrying even more as the group-Marinette on video call included-surrounded Toby's phone while Blinky held it in his hands.

"Are you certain? Are you unquestionably, unequivocally..." Blinky worriedly questioned as they stared at the picture on the screen.

"Blinky, I'm certain." Jim interrupted, not taking his eyes off the phone.

"Can't be anything else." Aaarrrgghh!!! remarked.

"I concur. Lady Marinette's photographic skills are quite exemplary... compared to Tobias's." Blinky grimly agreed, unintentionally making a jab at Toby.

"Thank you, Blinky." Marinette thanked, before Toby spoke up.

"Okay, it was a little blurry! You try taking a picture while hauling butt, mister!" Toby challenged before they all backed away from the phone and sat on the seats surrounding the tavern table they were using.

"But what about the curator?" Jim questioned quietly before Toby swiped through the pictures Marinette had sent him and landed on the one of Nomura in her troll form. At the sight of the picture, Blinky waved over a waiter and grabbed a drink from the tray as Aaarrrgghh!!! started to speak Troll to him. Blinky quickly responded in kind, leaving the boys in confusion.

"What? What is it?" the Trollhunter asked as Blinky started drinking from his newly acquired cup.

"They are talking about the changelings." Marinette revealed a little too loud for comfort, causing Blinky to spit take his mouthful of liquid as gasps filled the room. With quick movement, Blinky covered Jim's phone with only one of his hands, hoping to avoid any more questioning stares as every troll that had been relaxing in the bar turned to the table that had spoken that name. In response, Blinky let out a nervous chuckle and let his hand fall from Jim's phone, allowing the trolls to turn back around and converse like usual.

"I wasn't aware that you understood Troll, Lady Marinette." Blinky admitted as Jim lifted his phone up so Marinette could speak.

"I can't. But Tikki had admitted that the museum lady could only be a... you know what... after I first told her about what we saw. So I figured that's what you guys were talking about." Marinette replied, easing some of Blinky's worry.

"I do have to ask, what's the big deal about them?" Toby asked, not quite understanding why these so-called 'Changelings' were so bad.

"Need I remind you what the Janus Order had done to the Miraculous holders in the Battle of Two Orders?" Marinette reminded, making the boys realize what it implied.

"Wait, the Janus Order are Changelings?" Jim asked, his eyes widening at the discovery.

"Indeed. And it's because of this and Sphinx's betrayal that Changelings haven't been talked about in quite some time." Blinky confirmed while Jim and Toby moved closer, lowering his voice as he cupped his mouth with his hand to hide the conversation from any other person. But his attempts were halted when his eyes caught another Troll behind them, eavesdropping.

"Do you mind?" the six eyed troll questioned the eavesdropper.

"Whatever." the troll uttered before heading off, allowing Blinky to start again.

"In the Old World, Gumm-Gumms..." Blinky began, only to be interrupted again as the same eavesdropping troll stopped on the other side of him, peeking behind Aaarrrgghh. Yet no one had missed his large self as Blinky threw him a threatening glare.

"Fine." the troll groaned before finally leaving them alone.

"...Stole our young and did something unnatural to change them. Their sole purpose: to spy on the world above." Blinky continued, leaving the teens intrigued.

"What did they do to them?" Toby asked.

"Nasty business. Very messy." Aaarrrgghh!!! simply replied, not wanting to get into the nitty gritty.

"They experimented on them with dark magic, connecting them to kidnapped human children to take on their human forms, and turning them into one of the few species of Trolls that can walk in the sunlight without issue." Blinky explained before he waved Jim over. But he accidentally knocked his cup off the table in the process, and fortunately caught it with his other hand and set it back on the table before leading Jim-his phone still in hand-away from the table.

"These are the very reasons why I doubted your certainty." the six-eyed troll admitted as they passed by a pair of Trolls playing darts, using gnomes as their projectiles. "I don't question you saw Killahead Bridge after this evidence. But the fact of the matter is, it should take years to collect all of the stones. Decades, even. You would need an army of changelings." Blinky revealed as they walked towards the exit to the tavern.

"Does that mean there might be more Changelings in Arcadia?" Marinette asked, worry filling her tone.

"Considering that it appears to be halfway built, I would say that is an accurate assumption. But these are serious accusations, Master Jim, Lady Marinette. Even with this proof, absolute bedlam will ensue." Blinky warned as Toby popped around the corner, hearing Blinky's words.

"Well, we have to tell someone. This is our city, too." Toby exclaimed as he reached Jim's side.

"Who? Our court-appointed psychiatrist? They're never going to believe us." Jim added, looking a bit defeated as Toby walked past him and started climbing the stairs out of the tavern..

"There has to be another way." Marinette spoke up, knowing that her brothers were both right. While they did need to warn the city, they would never believe their story. But before Jim could climb any stairs, their conversation was interrupted by an approaching Draal.

"Well, if it isn't the piece of flesh I'll pound into pancakes tomorrow. I look forward to your pain and I'll drink to your death." Draal taunted, pounding his fist into his palm as he spoke. At his threat, Jim turned to face Blinky in worry.

"Death? What is he talking about? I thought this was only a rematch." Jim questioned Blinky, hoping to clear any misunderstandings.

"To challenge a troll's honor can only end in ruin. It's all right there in chapter three of A Brief Recap -" Blinky explained, only to realize... "You still haven't read the book." the six eyed troll remarked, even if he already knew the answer.

"Now, hold on. This fight, I don't know, maybe we can, um postpone it?" Jim offered, even though he didn't have much hope that he'd get a positive answer.

"Postpone, you say? What a trainer! Does everyone in your company forget how to fight?" Draal rhetorically questioned, looking over to Aaarrrgghh!!! as he did so, causing the larger troll to growl at him in response.

"There are things that have been brought to our attention. Things that have serious implications." Jim attempted to explain, which only caused Blinky to realize what he was implying.

"No, no, no, Master Jim! Shh!" Blinky shushed, hoping to get Jim not to say anything about Killahead Bridge until the time was right. However, Jim's words did very little to sway Draal's mind. In fact, it only made things worse.

"By Kanjigar's honor, I would have made your death swift and painless. But for that act of cowardice, I will show you no mercy when I take back what's rightfully mine." Draal growled, leaning in close to Jim as he made his threat. But it only triggered Marinette's 'Protective Sister' mode.

"If you really think of yourself worthy of the amulet because your dad was the last Trollhunter, then you are more egotistical than Hawkmoth. And trust me, that's saying something." Marinette berated, catching Draal's attention and redirecting his gaze onto the phone in Jim's hands.

"And who are you to talk to me in such a way?" Draal demanded, his anger barely hidden from the girl.

"Marinette, Jim's sister. And I don't appreciate the way you're talking to my idiot of a big brother. There are bigger and more important things going on here than your bruised pride needing to be saved." Marinette responded, leaving Draal slightly impressed that she was talking back to him. But it didn't last long as he huffed at Jim's phone and looked back at the Trollhunter.

"Cute. You need a powerless child to fight your battles. How pathetic." Draal tauntedly cooed, triggering Jim's own protective instincts.

"Leave her alone. She's only calling it like she sees it." Jim nearly growled out, causing Draal's anger to grow even more at his sudden confidence.

"Bid farewell to your loved ones, Jim 'the Dead Meat.' " Draal taunted before walking away with a grunt, leaving Jim to process the information as Toby gave him a comforting hand.

"I'm going to die in that arena." Jim groaned out, causing the three teens to sigh, not liking the odds.

"Sorry for butting in, Jim. I think I only made things worse." Marinette apologized, hoping to lift his spirits.

"It's okay, Mari. I'm just glad that you believe in me so much." Jim assured as he lifted his phone to his eye level.

"I'm your sister. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you guys." Marinette replied, smiling as she made her promise.

"And we couldn't ask for a better one than you." Toby added before he and Jim started to make their way out of the tavern, hoping to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But while Jim and Toby were heading back home, Nomura and Strickler had met up back at the museum. Fortunately for Nomura, she had managed to get away from the goblins and get to safety. Now that the commotion of the break in had calmed down, the two changelings were looking forward to the opportunity to decide what to do next.

"What was I supposed to do? The boy turned them on me. The goblins were supposed to hide our tracks, not lead them to us!" Nomura argued, following Strickler as they walked to the exhibit hall where the bridge was.

"I will see to it that your mess is cleaned up." Strickler assured her as they reached the curtain blocking the entrance. Once there, he pushed open the cover as Nomura glared while stepping through the threshold. But she stopped in her tracks at the sound of a sword being scraped against rock and her eyes widened at the sight of Bular as he sharpened his sword against his arm. At that moment, Nomura knew what her fate could be.

"I'm sorry. You've been compromised." Strickler mumbled while Nomura turned to him, growling at the history teacher before finding a sword pointed near her chin.

"Please, Bular, spare me." Nomura begged after she turned to face the large troll, backing up as far as she could at the same time. Yet Bular stayed on her path, sword still aimed right at her.

"Groveling, Impure?" Bular questioned as he kept pushing Nomura towards a corner.

"You need me. If you dispose of me, who will replace me? The boy already knows I'm a changeling. How long do you think it will take for him to find out Strickler is one, too?" Nomura brought up, pointing over to Strickler as she spoke.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there... without you." Strickler piped in. At his words, Bular raised his sword to strike at Nomura, prompting her to raise her hands over her head in an attempt to protect herself as she screamed. But before Bular could land a blow on Nomura, she ran from the large black troll and caused him to slashing at the crates instead, using those to throw her to the floor.

From her spot on the floor, Nomura's eyes caught a glowing green cascade on the ground, finding the artifact she had stored before discovering the teens earlier. But as she reached for it, Bular stood tall above her and pointed his sword at her while she backed herself towards the open crate, raising it once more. As he brought down the weapon, Nomura pulled the artifact from its crate.

"Wait! I've acquired the Fetch!" Nomura exclaimed, using the artifact as her shield and stopping the killing blow.

"The Fetch? More changelings?" Bular questioned as he lowered his sword away from Nomura, his curiosity being piqued.

"But we are nearly finished. What good would it be to bring another..." Strickler spoke up as he walked to Bular, not happy that Nomura's death wasn't coming sooner. But he was interrupted by a sword suddenly pointed at his throat.

"Be quiet, Impure." Bular commanded as he looked over at him, leaving Strickler no choice but to follow the order given to him. "Go on." the dark troll continued, looking back at Nomura.

"Think how proud your father will be to see his legion grow." Nomura pitched, appealing to Bular's tactical side of his personality.

"Prepare the exchange. In case we're ever one changeling short." Bular ordered as he put his sword back in his scabbard, allowing Nomura to rise to her feet.

"And there's something else you should know. The Trollhutner and his friend weren't alone during the break in." Nomura revealed, causing Bular to immediately become more interested.

"What do you mean 'They weren't alone'?" Bular questioned, leaving Nomura to devilishly grin at his sudden query.

"There was someone with them on a video call... a girl." Nomura revealed, causing Strickler to gasp at her admission. At the sound of his gasp, Bular turned to glare at Strickler.

"You seem to have an inkling as to who was with them, Stricklander. Care to share?" Bular threateningly questioned, giving the changeling a side eye.

"It doesn't matter. She won't be a bother to our plans. But she could be an asset when the time comes to retrieve the amulet from the Trollhunter." Strickler assured, keeping his concern hidden as he attempted to keep Bular in the dark about Marinette. He had to handle the situation before that brute found out its true extent, otherwise it would have a nasty end to it.

"Very well. For your sake, hope you prove to be right, Impure." Bular warned before he walked away, allowing Strickler to turn and find Nomura glaring at him with a sadistic grin.

'I hope I'm right too.' Strickler mused in his thoughts, hoping that he could prevent that new possibility from happening. As far as he knew, Marinette couldn't defend herself against Trolls and he wanted to do Jim a kindness by not involving her in this mess. Fortunately and unbeknownst to him, she already was.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day proved to be much calmer for Jim, much to his relief. Granted he decided to miss rehearsals on purpose, but it was so he could deliver a letter he had written to Claire the night before.

(Flashback)

After getting back home from Heartstone, Jim made it back into his room and started on a little project he had in mind. Now that he knew his duel was a fight to the death, Jim decided to write letters to his loved ones to tell them how much they had meant to them. He had already written the letters to Toby, his Mom, Dad, Stepmom, and Marinette, but he was stuck on what he wanted to write to Claire. But how can you tell your crush how much you love them, while also explaining that you were going to die the next day.

"Dear Claire, you're receiving this letter because I've... most likely been slaughtered by a troll." Jim spoke out loud, testing how the words would sound if they were read. But when they failed his expectations, Jim banged his head on his desk with a sigh before he lifted himself back up and crumpled the paper. Trying again, he pulled out a fresh page and began again.

"Claire, I don't know how to tell you this, but let me try." the Trollhunter voiced out loud again, his thoughts and feelings beginning to flow onto the paper as he wrote them down, finally finding the right words to say.

(Flashback Ends)

Now here he was, standing in the eves of the stage while Steve and Claire were practicing onstage, an envelope with the word "Claire" scribbled on it in his hand and a broken look plastered on his face.

" 'What lady is that which doth enrich the hand of yonder knight? She doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel.' " Steve recited, pushed Claire from the center stage and from the spotlight as he spoke, his clear craving for attention making the situation more unbearable for Claire. But as the blonde olf kept going, Jim couldn't help but follow along.

" 'Beauty too rich for use. For earth, too dear, so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I never saw true beauty till this night.' " Jim quietly spoke alongside Steve, drawing Claire's attention to him as he peeked through the curtains. At the sight of her real co-star, Claire's annoyed appearance immediately lit up as her line started. Suddenly it felt as if it was her and Jim on that stage, giving her the courage to act better, even though she couldn't share the spotlight with him.

" 'My bounty is as boundless as the sea. My love as deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.' " Claire spoke, directing the line at Jim rather than Steve as she faced him as Jim watched with a smile, knowing she saw him. But the moment was ruined when Eli suddenly appeared behind him.

"She's good, isn't she?" Eli asked Jim, startling him enough to close the curtain and block him from seeing Claire perform before Eli ran out onto the stage.

"Yeah, she's great." Jim mumbled to himself, looking sadly at the letter in his hand.

"I hear... I hear some..." Claire stuttered, her voice coming closer and prompting Jim to slip the letter into her belongings.

"Goodbye, Claire." the Trollhunter farewelled before he walked off, leaving a just-too-slow Claire to reach the curtains.

"...something." Claire finished as she opened the curtains, only to find Jim nowhere. "Ah, fudge knuckle!" she swore quietly, missing the letter sticking out from her bag.

"Juliet, find your mark!" Ms. Janeth called out, forcing Claire to head back on stage, much to her annoyance to work with Steve.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once school had ended and Jim went home, he still had some things to do. As soon as he got home, he sent his letters for Tom, Sabine, and Marinette to his little sister via email, and got to work in the kitchen. In seemingly no time at all, Jim had a full on spread of home cooked dishes done, all for a proper last meal to share with his mom. Just as the timer dinged for the meatloaf, Barbara peeked her head in through the kitchen doorway as Jim pulled out the last of the gourmet meal he had cooked up.

"Blueberry waffles? Bacon mac and cheese? Shrimp cakes? What is this, a last meal?" Barbara commented as she stuck her finger into a bowl and enjoyed the flavor running over her tongue, not knowing just how on the mark she was with her guess.

"Well, I wanted to bake cookies. I decided to make your favorite, and then... eh, all your favorites." Jim explained as he placed the meatloaf onto the counter, leading Barbara to believe he was trying to butter her up.

"If you think this is going to get you out of apologizing to Ms. Nomura-" Barbara began, well used to Jim using his cooking skills to get out of trouble.

"Hey, can't we just have dinner?" Jim interrupted, trying to convey that there was no real ulterior motive to him making such a nice meal. "We've both been so busy. When's the last time we've really sat down and talked?" the Trollhunter asked, appealing to Barbara's softer side and earning a beautiful smile from his mother.

"I'll set the table." Barbara announced, leading to the mother and son to feast on their meal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile in Paris, Marinette and Alya were walking back to their class. They had already taken their morning break and were dreading their next class with Mrs. Mendeleiev, the worst teacher in the school in their opinion, when Marinette's phone buzzed.

"Huh?" Marinette said as she grabbed her phone out of her purse to see why it buzzed.

"What is it? Alya asked, a curious glint in her eyes.

"It's an email from Jim. That's strange. He usually calls at lunch when he wants to tell me something." Marinette explained as she saw what had caused the alert, feeling a little uneasy at the sudden change.

"Even then, what's it about?" Alya questioned as they approached Mrs Mendeleiev's class, her reporter instincts coming to life right then and there.

"It looks like some voice files. Those usually mean he wants only me or Toby to hear it." Marinette answered, remembering her and her brother's system of communication outside of video calls.

"Boo." Alya pouted as Marinette shifted her bag so she could open the front pocket and grab her ear pods.

"Sorry, Alya. Them's the rules." Marinette light heartedly replied, finding her bestie's response to be funny. Once she plugged her ear pods into her phone, she started to play the message as she and Alya neared their next class.

"Hey sis. If you're listening to this, it most likely means that I've died in my rematch with Draal. I know that you had faith in me to win, but let's face it... Draal is stronger and better than me. Even with my confidence growing everyday I'm the Trollhunter, I've never felt more afraid in my life than I do right now.

Honestly, I envy you. Despite not being able to stand up to Chloé for the past three years, you were always the more daring and adventurous out of the two of us. I always wanted to make you proud to call me your brother, and I truly hope that I have.

Though we only share half of our blood, you have always been the best sister I could have asked for. I can't imagine my life without you being in it, but you will have to continue your journey without me from now on.

Below this voice file, there are the ones for Dad and Aunt Sabine. Make sure they get them, and tell them I love them. Keep on kicking Hawkmoth's butt, and be the warrior queen Tobes and I know you will become. Love you to the end, Jimbo." Jim spoke from the file, sending Marinette to tears as stopped in the doorway to Mrs Mendeleiev's classroom. Once she saw Marinette wasn't next to her anymore, Alya turned around, saw Marinette rooted to the floor, and rushed over to her.

"Girl, are you okay?" Alya asked, causing the rest of the class-Mrs Mendeleiev included-to turn and look over at the girls out of concern.

"Dudette, what's wrong?" Nino questioned from his seat, seeing the tears streaming down Marinette's face as she kept staring at the phone in her hand and became short of breath.

"No... no. This isn't happening. It can't be." Marinette quietly stammered out, not believing what she had just heard as the world around her started to fade in the edges of her vision.

"Marinette, talk to us. What happened?" Adrien asked. But even her crush asking if she was alright, didn't bring Marinette out of her thoughts as she started backing away from the doorway.

"I... I need to go." Marinette announced, bringing Mrs Mendeleiev out of her own concern and stepping back into her role as a teacher.

"Marinette, you aren't going anywhere. And unless you want detention, you will sit down in your seat and join the class for the lesson." Mrs Mendeleiev threatened, making the students wince at the punishment she was about to give out. But to Marinette, that was the least of her worries as she finally collected her thoughts to say...

"Piss off." Marinette replied with a near growl, causing the class's collective jaws to drop at the sound of her swearing. Never had they expected sweet Marinette Dupain-Cheng to ever cuss, let alone to a teacher. However, Marinette used the shock of her classmates to finally run off, tears flying from her eyes as she headed out of the school and towards Master Fu's apartment. Along the way, Tikki had popped her head out of Marinette's purse, worried about her holder.

"What's going on Marinette? Why are you skipping school?" Tikki asked, considering there was no akuma attack going on.

"Long story short, Jim's in danger! I need to get to Arcadia as fast as possible! Tikki, spots on!" Marinette replied as she wiped away her tears while running as she transformed, determined to reach Master Fu's apartment and ask for help.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in Arcadia, while Marinette had run off to find a way to get to her brother, Jim and Barbara devoured the gourmet meal. After they finished eating, Barbara pushed the empty plate in front of the table away while Jim ventured into the kitchen to clean up.

"Oh! That was delicious. I don't know what I'd do without you, kiddo. I'd be ten pounds lighter, but..." Barabra happily trailed off, her hand rubbing her stomach in content.

"Well, you deserve it." Jim mumbled from inside the kitchen, doing the dishes and putting some of the leftovers away. But Barbara knew her son well enough to see he was bothered about something.

"Jim, where is this coming from?" Barbara asked, worry filling her voice.

"No matter what happens to me, I will never abandon you. At least, well... not by choice." Jim replied with a light chuckle, trying to say without actually saying what he meant. "You're an amazing person, and I just want you to know I'll always love you." the Trollhunter finished, turning to place his hands onto the counter of the breakfast nook, facing his mom.

"Don't you start that talk with me. I'm still hoping you'll end up close at an in-state college." Barbara lightly warned, not quite getting what Jim was trying to say as she picked up her empty plate and handed it to Jim. "Now, help me clear the dishes." the doctor asked before she got up from her chair and grabbed the leftover plates on the table.

"We are going to wrap these up for tomorrow." Barbara remarked as Jim took the plate in his hands to the sink, walking into the kitchen herself with her hand full. "You have to give me that waffle recipe. If there's anything I could eat forever, it's waffles." The doctor admitted as she walked to the sink and put the dishes in it so she could wash them. But as she did, Jim stepped back towards the breakfast nook, and slipped the letter meant for her in a cookbook.

"It's here when you need it." Jim replied as Barbara started the dishes, feeling down that his mom's hopes that he would stay close to home... wouldn't come to fruition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Jim and Barbara cleaned up, Marinette finally reached Master Fu's apartment. She had to be careful in order not to be seen going at his home, but once she was close enough while having a hiding place, she turned back into her usual appearance and ran up the stairs to the apartment. When Marinette reached the right floor, she less than gracefully stopped her running as the door to the apartment appeared in her view and banged on the door.

"It's open." Master Fu answered from past the door. With his verbal persimmon to come in, Marinette immediately opened the door and headed inside.

"Master Fu... I need your help!" Marinette panted out after she closed the door behind her, leaning on her knees as she caught her breath.

"What is it? What's going on?" Master Fu asked as he got up from his sitting spot on the floor, and walked to the winded girl.

"It's my brother, Jim. He... he's going to..." Marinette tried to explain.

"Calm down, you have plenty of time to explain. Why don't you have a seat?" Master Fu assured before he led her towards the table in the corner.

"I don't think there will be enough time if I do." Marinette admitted as she sat down, placing her arms onto the table to center herself as Tikki flew out of her purse and sat on her shoulder.

"There is always time to center yourself." Master Fu replied as he grabbed his teapot and cups, taking them to the table as Wayzz flew over to Marinette and sat on her shoulder with Tikki in an attempt to calm her down. "Now... Why do you need my help? And why does it concern the Trollhunter?" the guardian asked as he poured Marinette and himself a cup of tea, and handed it to her.

"It started a while back... when Jim first went down to Heartstone..." Marinette began as she looked down at the table, holding the warm tea cup in her hands. From there, Marinette told Master Fu how Jim had quickly become the enemy of their joint predecessors' son, explaining every last detail that Jim had told her in their video calls. She even told him of what happened at the museum. As she explained, Marientte's stress started to get better to manage, much to her relief to find that she wouldn't attract any akumas. But there was still the matter of Marientte's request.

"... and then he sent me an email for me, and our parents with his last words to us. After I listened to it, I ran here as fast as I could." the designer finished as she looked back up at Master Fu, her tea long gone and the cup still occupying her anxious hands.

"Because you think I can help you get there before the duel?" Master Fu confirmed after taking a sip of his tea, to which Marinette nodded 'yes'.

"There wouldn't happen to be a Miraculous that can allow someone to travel a long distance in no time at all, would there?" Marinette asked, hoping that her Ladybug luck would give her that much.

"There actually is. The Miraculous of the Horse has the power of teleportation, allowing the holder to move anyone and anything to wherever they want." Master Fu explained, much to Marinette's joy.

"Really? This is great! It's exactly what I need!" Marinette exclaimed, letting the cup in her hands drop back onto the table in her happiness.

"But, I cannot allow you to use it." Master Fu replied, bringing Marinstte's joy to a screeching halt.

"Why not?" Marinette asked, her eyes becoming wide and her thoughts taking an angry turn at the thought of hearing her brother hadn't survived the duel.

"I can't allow you to use the Miraculous for selfish needs. In times past, when a holder used their Miraculous for selfish reasons, it always ended badly for them. Granted, your intentions to help your brother are noble, but it's still a selfish reason to use it." Master Fu explained, causing Marinette's shoulders to slump in defeat. "However, that doesn't mean it can't be used to help you." the guardian slyly admitted as he stood up from his seat and walked over to the gramophone.

"But, you just said that I can't use the Miraculous to get to Arcadia." Marinette reminded him Master Fu opened the hidden code panel, the kwami's flying off of her shoulder at the same time.

"You can't... but I can." Master Fu replied after he input the code, activating the gramophone to reveal the Miracle Box.

"If I use the Horse Miraculous, you will make it to Jim before the duel starts. And since I'm using it to help you, I'm not using it for selfish reasons." Master Fu revealed, causing Marinette to stare at him in disbelief.

"You would really do that for me?" Marinette questioned, still not believing what he was offering.

"I know what it feels like to not be able to help those you care about, especially when you have the means to do so. It would be my pleasure to help you." Master Fu admitted as he pulled the Horse Miraculous out from the box, a far away look in his eyes as he thought back to his youth, and a certain someone. But he shook himself out of his moment and put the box onto the dresser the gramophone rested on, just before he was suddenly hugged by a very joyful Marinette.

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Marinette recited like a mantra, tears of gratitude leaking out from the corner of her eyes. At the sight of the thankful girl, Master Fu immediately returned the hug.

"But Master, what about your back? You might not be able to transform with the Miraculous, much less use it." Wayzz brought up from his spot on the table, concerned about his dear friend. At the turtle's query, the two humans broke away from the hug and glanced back at him and Tikki.

"Then we will need to go to Plan B." Master Fu replied, leaving Marinette in confusion.

"What's Plan B?" Marinette asked.

"I'll explain more, should we need to use it." Master Fu answered as he walked to the center of the room, and put the Horse Miraculous on. Once it was on the old master, the glasses immediately transformed from their true appearance and turned into a pair of muted gold rimmed glasses, right before its kwami appeared by Master Fu's side.

"Kalkki, full gall-" the guardian began, straightening his back in the process. But before he could finish, he fell to the ground in pain, worrying those around him.

"Master, are you okay?!" Marinette exclaimed as she went to help him back to his feet.

"Yes... I'll be fine." Master Fu assured as Marinette gently walked him back to the table and eased him into his seat.

"I told you to be careful, Master. Now you've hurt your back even further." Wayzz berated after Marinette backed away from Master Fu to give him some space.

"I'm aware of that, Wayzz." Master Fu sighed out, leaning heavily onto the table. "It looks like we will have to use Plan B." the guardian admitted, looking up from the table and back at Marinette.

"And that would be what, exactly?" Marinette asked, an eyebrow raised at him in questioning.

"A little help from our Troll friends down below." Master Fu revealed, a sly smile on his lips.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Time skip)

Soon enough, Ladybug and Jade Turtle land right at the entrance to Stone Arc. After Master Fu had explained that the Trolls had a way to travel overseas, and arrive inside Heartstone, they immediately transformed and headed to the hidden entrance to the underground city.

"Looks like the coast is clear." Ladybug noted after looking around to see if anyone was around. Satisfied that no one would find out, Ladybug and Jade Turtle walked into the hidden alcove, where Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and retrieved her Horngazel. With the key in hand, Ladybug made quick work of stabbing it into the enchanted wall and drawing the doorway into the secret passage. After the path was cleared, Ladybug and Jade Turtle made their way down into Stone Arc.

"Do you think Vorgar will allow the use of the gyre? From my understanding, the Trolls use it for trade amongst themselves, correct?" the spotted heroine asked as they made their way down the red crystal staircase.

"That and many other things. But if you plead your case, I'm sure she will allow use of it." Jade Turtle assured as they reached the bottom of the stairs, and greeted with the beautiful sight of Stone Arc. "I have to admit, entering Stone Arc will never cease to amaze me." the guardian admitted as they stared at the Troll city in front of them.

"Same here." Ladybug agreed, a fond smile on her lips. But she shook her head, and redirected her focus back onto the task at hand. "But we have a job to do. Let's go." the spotted heroine advised before walking towards the part of the village they needed to pass through to reach the palace. With Jade Turtle following behind, they soon made their way through the city, even catching the eye of numerous Trolls. One of which was Tarnite, who was conversing with a Troll shopkeeper.

"Mistress Ladybug, Guardian, what a pleasant surprise!" Tarnite greeted, bringing the shopkeeper's attention onto the humans as well.

"Hello, Tarnite. It's good to see you too." Ladybug replied while the shopkeeper leaned on the counter by their forearms in curiosity.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mistress Ladybug." the shopkeeper greeted, causing the two humans to turn their attention towards them.

"And you as well, uh..." Ladybug began, only to trail off when she realized that she didn't know her name.

"Nox. My name is Nox." the shopkeeper, now revealed to be Nox, introduced, holding out his large hand for Ladybug to shake. In response to the gesture, Ladybug shook his hand as she took in his appearance.

While he had no hair, his upturned eyes were obsidian black with bright green round pupils, which made him look like he was possessed to the naked eye. Alongside his round face and large purple nose, he had dark blue; almost black; skin to accompany his beefy trapezoid shaped body. Standing at 2.2 meters, his bull-like horns rested on the sides of his head while two lower jaw fangs just reached past his top lip. All the while, his attire consisted of a simple dark gray leather kilt with a black belt around his waist, leaving his chest bare. But even at first glance, Ladybug could tell he had a friendly manner to him.

"It's nice to meet you Nox." Ladybug reiterated now that she knew the shopkeeper's name.

"So, what brings you two to Stone Arc?" Tarnite asked, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"Jade Turtle and I wish to talk to Vorgar. We need her help." Ladybug grimly admitted, leaving the trolls present in worry.

"Well, who are we to stop you from going to Vorgar? But isn't she busy right now with..." Nox trailed off, a little unsure about Vorgar's availability.

"Yes. But she should be done with the meeting very soon. Plenty of time to get there and not interrupt them." Tarntie interrupted, preventing Nox from saying the name of whoever Vorgar was talking to.

"Not that she wouldn't mind the interruption, of course." Nox remarked with a smirk.

"True. Either way, I shall take you to Vorgar immediately." Tarnite announced to the humans, turning to face them.

"Thank you, Tarnite." Ladybug thanked.

"You are welcome." Tarnite replied before redirecting his focus back to Nox. "It looks like we will need to conduct our business on another day, Nox." the ambassador admitted, feeling a bit guilty for wasting the shopkeeper's time.

"Don't bother. I don't have what you want. Sorry Tarnite." Nox revealed, leaving Tarnite a little shocked.

"Really? Is there anyone who does?" Tarnite asked, his voice conveying a slight disappointed tone to it.

"Hmm, Styx might. She's always got what everyone needs." Nox suggested, hoping that it would help him.

"Good point. I can't believe I didn't think to go to her first. Thank you, Nox." Tarnite half-heartedly thanked. While he was glad that he could still get what he needed, he was a little bummed out that Nox couldn't grant his request.

"You are welcome. Now get going." Nox encouraged, kindly shooing them away from his stall so they could get going. With a wave 'goodbye' the group of three began their way to Vorgar's palace.

"They seem nice." Jade Turtle remarked as they walked through the market.

"He is. Nox usually is very on top of his supplies, but he has been experiencing a slump lately. I do have faith that he will have a spike in sales soon, though." Tarnite admitted hopefully as he waved 'goodbye' to Nox, being a little more friendly than he usually was.

"Let us hope you are right." Jade Turtle sighed as they kept walking.

"But who's this 'Styx' he mentioned?" Ladybug asked, her curiosity growing at the name drop as she waved at a passerby.

"She's the one you go to when you need something... hard to come by. Which is kind of the reason why I didn't think to go to her for something easier to get." Tarnite explained as they turned a corner in the path, a hill leading to the palace appearing in front of them. "Alongside hard to get things, she sells everything from spells and potions, to enchanted weapons and artifacts. It makes her one of the best shopkeepers in Stone Arc." the ambassador elaborated, almost sounding a little... admiring of this 'Styx' person.

"It seems like you have a certain appreciation towards her." Ladybug pointed out, causing Tarnite to look back at her in mortification.

"Oh no. She's not my type." Tarnited protested, now realizing how he sounded to the others. "As Ambassador of Stone Arc, it's my job to know everyone in the city so I can diffuse any conflict. But Styx has helped at times when it comes to shopkeepers fighting over their turf." the lanky troll explained, trying to make it clear that he didn't see Styx that way.

"Fair enough." Ladybug replied, letting him know that his point was acknowledged.

"But I'll deal with my request later. We are here." Tarnite announced as they reached the top of the hill, and approached the palace doors. With a hard shove, Tarnite opened the large doors and led them to the throne room, just in time to see a large group of male Trolls leaving as they approached. While Ladybug was curious to ask about them, she decided to think about them later as Tarnite moved to the side of the hallway with a bow to let them pass. Following his example, both Ladybug and Jade Turtle did the same as the Trolls went past. Once they were gone, Tarnite resumed leading the humans to Vorgar.

"Were they who Vorgar was meeting with?" Jade Turtle asked, not realizing that Ladybug was about to ask the same thing.

"Yes. The ministers of Stone Arc help Vorgar lead the city. They are supposed to keep relations between the inhabitants in order, and oversee any proclamations Vorgar makes." Target explained after the group of Trolls left the palace, the front doors slamming behind them. With them gone, Tarnite led them to the throne room doors and placed his hands onto the door to open them. Once they were open, the ambassador led the humans inside, spying Vorgar sitting on her throne with a hand on her head, soothing a headache.

"Vorgar, the Miraculous holders are here to see you." Tarnite announced as they approached the throne, causing Vorgar to look up from her hand and redirect her gaze at the entering trio.

"It's nice to see you again, Ladybug. You as well, Jade Turtle." Vorgar greeted as the Miraculous Holders bowed to her in response.

"And it is nice to see you too, Vorgar." Ladybug replied as she and Jade Turtle rose up from their bowing.

"So what brings the Miraculous Holders back to Stone Arc?" Vorgar asked, lifting her right hand towards them as she spoke while her left rested on the arm of her throne and lap.

"I wish this was a friendly visit, but we... I came here to ask for your help." Ladybug began, bringing Vorgar out of her sort-of relaxed state.

"What sort of help?" Vorgar asked, leaning out towards the red spotted heroine while Tarnite walked over to stand next to her throne.

"It's my brother, Jim. He's going to partake in a rematch to the death, and I need to get to Arcadia before he does so. Jade Turtle had already tried using the Horse Miraculous to get us there, but it didn't work. So we came here to ask for permission to use your city's Gyre." Ladybug explained, pleading her case to Vorgar in hopes she would accept her request.

"This is concerning. But before I even do anything, I need to know who is facing your brother? Stone Arc can't risk a diplomatic incident if it's a troll of great importance." Vorgar replied, knowing that she needed all of the facts before making a decision.

"Are you familiar with a Troll named Draal?" Ladybug asked, causing Vorgar and Tarnite's eyes to widen in response.

"I surely hope you aren't referring to Draal 'The Destroyer', the son of Kanjigar and Red Scarab." Tarnite spoke up, his own worry beginning to grow at the mention of the name.

"Yeah, that's who Jim is facing off against." Ladybug answered grimly.

"Oh dear. While I have never met him personally, I have heard plenty about Draal. He has been known to be ruthless against his foes, especially when his honor is challenged. If he is who your brother is facing, I have my doubts of him winning." Vorgar admitted, leaving Ladybug more worried than before. But Vorgar's choice of words did spark a bit of hope in her.

"So does this mean you'll help?" Ladybug asked, hopeful in her saying 'yes'.

"Of course. I never liked how Draal leeched off his parents' success, and expected to be his father's heir after he fell in battle. It would be an honor to help you put him in his place." Vorgar replied, a smile stretching across her face and reaching her eyes. To say Ladybug was happy with her answer was a gross understatement. She was elated!!

"Really! OH, THANK YOU!!!" Ladybug exclaimed, jumping up into the air in her joy. 'Looks like things are looking bright' the red hero thought to herself.

"But, there is... one problem to address. You can't use the gyre to get to Arcadia." Vorgar admitted, pulling Ladybug straight out of her joy and plunging her into a figurative pool full of ice cold water.

'Wait, what?' Ladybug questioned in her thoughts, before looking right at Vorgar. "What do you mean by 'I can't use the gyre to get to Arcadia'? I thought you said you'd help us." The spotted heroine nearly growled in anger, her emotions growing more volatile at Vorgar's admission.

"And we will. But the gyre can't travel overseas on its own. It needs time to apply specialty runes in order for it to take you to Arcadia." Tarnite explained, revealing the reason as to why they couldn't go yet.

"And how long will that take?" Jade Turtle asked.

"The soonest it will be done... is around 10 pm tonight." Vorgar responded, leaving Ladybug in shock.

"But the duel will be over by then! I need to get there before it starts!" Ladybug brought up, her anger growing at the new obstacle.

"I'm afraid there is no other way." Tarnite sighed out, remorseful that they couldn't get it ready quicker.

"Unless your master allows you to use the Horse Miraculous to get there." Vorgar pointed out as she gave Jade Turtle a side eye, putting him on the spot.

"I've already explained to Ladybug that if she were to use the Miraculous for selfish gain, it would backfire on her. And using it for this situation is still considered a selfish reason." Jade Turtle explained, all while nobody noticed Ladybug beginning to breathe heavily as she started spiraling into a panic attack.

"Is it really? She's trying to save her brother's life. I know I would do the same if I was in her shoes." Vorgar admitted as she argued with Jade Turtle's reason to keep Ladybug from using an easier way to get to Arcadia.

"Unlike the Miraculous, Merlin's amulet chooses its wielder. I am sorry for Mr Lake, but while a tragedy, his demise wouldn't really harm the fight against Gunmar, and allowing Marinette to go in a town with Changelings and Bular is already troublesome enough. But with that miraculous? It would be even worse! I will not allow her to use it! It will only lead to ruin." Jade Turtle fiercely argued, his own experience in using a miraculous selfishly passing in flashes through his memories.

"ENOUGH!!!" Ladybug yelled, bringing everyone's attention right onto her as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Stop saying: 'we can't do this' or 'we can't do that', stop it! I'M TIRED OF BEING TOLD WHAT I CAN OR CAN'T DO RIGHT NOW!! Jim's life is in-he could die! There are bad things in Arcadia that are hurting people, and we need to get there!!" the red heroine ranted, the walls she had built to keep herself from feeling any negative emotions cracking from the pressure around her. When Jim first told her he became the Trollhunter, she had been happy for him, she could have her big brother as a fellow super hero! That being until threats started to grow rapidly around him and; in extension; her since the Miraculous were involved in this ongoing war long ago. Now she was drowning in her worry for those around her, and her inability to protect them.

"This-! My brother's LIFE is at stake! I'm already-! Hawkmoth-! I'm not going to let him DIE!!" Ladybug cried out as she dropped to her knees, covering her eyes in an attempt to hide her weakness. At the sight of Ladybug being overwhelmed with her emotions, Jade Turtle was about to step forward to comfort her. But Vorgar beat him to it as she quickly sat up from her throne and approached the panicking heroine.

"And no one is asking you to. You're young, and still learning about all of this. It's okay to feel overwhelmed." Vorgar assured as she knelt down to Ladybug and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Feeling the familiar weight of Vorgar's hand, Ladybug looked past her hands just in time to see Tarnite coming towards them as well.

"She's right. You're not alone in this fight. Allow others to help you in the ways they can." Tarnite added on, hoping that his words would help calm Ladybug from her panic.

"Everybody has their challenges. What matters is how you overcome them." Vorgar finished, causing Ladybug to smile as she wiped her tears away. She had not expected to be given a pep talk from Vorgar and Tarnite, but she was grateful for it non the less.

"Th... Thank you." Ladybug sighed out, feeling better after letting out her emotions. Even if Hawkmoth had been around for only a few months, it still made it hard to let it all out once in a while. But once she was centered and calm again, Ladybug rose to her feet. "I appreciate your help, Vorgar. Any time you can get the gyre up will be amazing." The spotted heroine continued as she held out a hand to Vorgar, offering to help her up.

"I'll have the Engineering Guild Trolls get right on it. With any luck, we can get you there before the duel ends." Vorgar announced as she took Ladybug's hand, allowing the girl to pull her up from the ground while Jade Turtle walked over.

"Let us hope so." Jade Turtle agreed as she reached Ladybug's side, happy that she was feeling better now.

"But you will have to stay behind, Jade Turtle. Transformed or not, the gyre is not a pleasant use of travel, especially for those on the older side of age." Vorgar warned, hoping to avoid having anyone hurt.

"I understand. But even then, I'm not the one who needs to go." Jade Turtle replied before he turned to face Ladybug, knowing that this was her journey to make. "In the meantime, why don't you head back home? Take some time to decompress and create an alibi for when the gyre is ready." the guardian suggested, knowing that it would be the best course of action while waiting for the gyre to be done.

"Yeah, that sounds good. But how will I know when it's ready?." Ladybug pointed out.

"I'll stay down here to monitor its progress. I have been meaning to get a few more things for a project of mine, and this is the perfect place to get them." Jade Turtle assured, hoping that him being present for the gyre would ease Ladybug's apprehension of leaving. Thankfully, it worked.

"Thank you, Master. And thank you, Vorgar and Tarnite. This means so much to me." Ladybug thanked again, turning to the guardian, and the two trolls as she spoke.

"You are welcome, Ladybug. Now run along, we'll take care of things here." Vorgar reiterated, placing her hands onto Ladybug's shoulders as she turned her towards the door in hopes that she would listen to the elders around her.

"Very well. I'll see you guys soon." Ladybug farewelled before walking to the doors, glad to have a way to Arcadia in the works. But as she walked through the doors out of the palace, she came to the realization... of what she had told Mrs Mendeleiev when she ran off. With that in mind, as well as her brother's life at stake, Ladybug turned right around and poked her head through the door after opening it back up.

"Actually, can I stay here while the gyre is being recalibrated? I don't know if I'll be able to get away later on." the spotted heroine admitted, tucking a stray hair behind her ear out of nervousness. With her point brought up, the three occupants of the throne room could understand her reasoning of staying in Stone Arc.

"Plus I might have caused an incident at school when I ran off to get to Jade Turtle. So I'll need to lay low for a bit." Ladybug elaborated as she sheepishly stepped back into the room and closed the door behind her. But now that the others knew the true reason as to why Ladybug was hesitant to leave, they shook their heads at the information with tired smiles.

"Teenagers." The three of them fondly sighed, causing a nervous smile to appear on Ladybug's lips while she scratched the back of her neck at their good humored jab.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Marinette was requesting help, Jim and Barbara had finally gone to bed... or at least tried too. As the weight of his duel the next day came crashing onto him, Jim couldn't fall asleep and kept staring at his clock with sad remorse. Deciding to forgo any more attempts to fall asleep, Jim turned away from his clock and lifted his glowing amulet from his side to look at it. In his studying of the amulet, Jim turned the front of the relic towards one of his posters, where it shined its bright light onto the paper and suddenly transformed the words written on it into Troll Writing.

"Whoa." Jim gasped in surprise before he sat up from his bed, and looked around his room as he mused through his thoughts. "Huh, I wonder..." the Trollhunter voiced to himself, right before he bent over his bed, and found the book Blinky had given him underneath it. Pulling it out and flicking on his lamp, Jim began flipping through the pages, soon finding a page with the Killahead Bridge sketched on it and information surrounding it. Testing his theory, Jim pulled out his amulet, and aimed the light at the page, transforming the Troll Writing into English and making the book easier to read.

"Whoa, What?" Jim exclaimed in astonishment as he glanced at the amulet in his hand with a smile. Wanting to know more, Jim aimed the amulet back at the pages, which suddenly began turning without his command and leaving the boy in surprise. But his shock was settled when the pages landed on one with information on a Troll that resembled Draal.

" 'Weak points. Rule three: Kick him in the Gronk-nuks. Identifying your opponent's weakness.' " the Trollhunter read out, using the amulet to translate it. But his late-night studying was interrupted by a beep of his walkie-talkie.

"Hey, Jimbo. You up?" Toby spoke through the walkie-talkie, pulling Jim from his reading as he eyed the communication device. After Toby's voice echoed from the device, Jim headed to the window and found his friend was also waiting in front of his own window.

"Yeah. How can I sleep?" Jim replied as he looked over at Toby from across the street.

"What are you doing?" Toby asked, hoping to find out what his best friend was doing.

"A little late-night studying. Trying to find an advantage against Draal." Jim answered, being honest in his endeavor.

"Tomorrow's a pretty big day. Are you ready?" Toby questioned, even if he already knew that answer.

"Not in the slightest. I'm honestly hoping that Marinette's Ladybug Luck will help me avoid the duel." Jim admitted, a fond smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah, me too. Night, Jimbo." Toby replied before he signed off, much to Jim's fondness.

"Good pep talk, Tobes." Jim sarcastically remarked in good humor before he sighed off as well, looking over at Toby's window to find that he had already moved. With his conversation between him and Toby done, Jim went back to studying, hoping to find something to help him in the duel tomorrow. Even if it took him all night.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Time Skip)

The next morning came quicker than Jim would have liked. While school started on the surface, the Hero's Forge was filling up with spectators as they crowded on the balconies above the arena, ready for the ensuing fight. As the crowd's chatter was growing louder, Vendel finally spoke up from within the crowd.

"Gathered trollkind! The Trollhunter has laid a challenge before the son of his predecessor! And you shall all bear witness to the ensuing battle, which will be one for the ages..." Vendel announced to the masses in enthusiasm... before he continued with...

"If not remarkably painful and short." the leader of Heartstone muttered under his breath, finishing his proclamation in near silence. But as the balconies above the Heroes Forge were being filled, the arena itself was still empty while Jim and Toby eyed the situation before them from behind the gate leading to the arena. Now deciding it was a good time, Jim pulled out the last letter he had written two nights ago, his heart breaking within his chest as he looked at Toby.

"Hey, I...I want you to have this." Jim told Toby as he handed his best friend the letter.

"What's this?" Toby asked as he took the letter from his hands, tracing his name with his eyes before looking at Jim.

"It says everything I want to say." Jim admitted with remorse, allowing Toby to catch onto what he really meant.

"Oh heck no, dude! You promised me tacos." Toby argued, much to Jim's amusement.

"Now is not the time for lunch, Tobes." Jim said with an amused scoff, happy that Toby was trying to liven things up before his last moments.

"Last week, we went for tacos. I paid. 'Next time on me,' you said," Toby explained, happy to correct Jim's oversight of him owing him his favorite food. But when he finished, the weight of the situation came crashing back down on Toby. "You're going to get this letter back unopened after the fight, and when you get back, we'll get tacos." the rounded boy proclaimed, trying to convince himself and Jim that his best friend would make it out alive. And to the boy's surprise, it actually worked.

"Tacos sound good." Jim agreed with a chuckle, glad to have a friend like Toby at his side. But their moment was interrupted when Vendel announced...

"Draal, son of Kanjigar, son of Tarigar, Draal "the Destroyer," come forth." Vendel proclaimed, causing a rolling form to appear from an entrance opposite of Jim and his friends. When a set of spotlights caught onto the rolling Draal as he ended his rolling when he reached the edge of the arena, he suddenly flipped into the air and landed on the ground after his cool little stunt. He then roared and laughed to the crowd, throwing up his hands as masses cheered at his grand entrance.

But even after witnessing such an amazing display of skill, Aaarrrgghh!!! placed a none too gently hand of encouragement on Jim's shoulder, much to his appreciation despite the amount of force behind it.

"It's time to put everything I've ever said to you to practice. With a little luck, he'll trip and fall." Blinky proclaimed, which left Jim a little hurt that his trainer didn't think he could survive unless Draal made a mistake. But he was pulled out of his musings when Blinky kept talking. "Now, tell me: rule one." the six eyed troll questioned, attempting to quiz the boy.

"Always be afraid." Jim answered in certainty.

"Rule two." Blinky kept quizzing.

"Always finish a fight." Jim replied back as Aaarrrgghh!!! took his hand off of his shoulder.

"Rule three?" Blinky asked, wincing slightly as he did. Considering it was a less than pleasant thought to think about, it was understandable.

"About that. I was reading when the Venerable Bedehilde fought the Hydrabeast. There were no Gronk-nuks, but there was a weakness under its scales." Jim recalled, pointing to his upper arm as he spoke in an attempt to provide an example. But that was the least of Blinky's concerns at the moment.

"You read the book?" Blinky asked quickly, left in astonishment that Jim had taken his recommendation to heart.

"So, it got me thinking. Does Draal have a weakness?" Jim asked, completely ignoring Blinky's sudden enthusiasm in favor of learning something that could help him win.

"He read the book. He read the book!" Blinky exclaimed as he hugged Jim tightly, lifting off of the ground in the process.

"Books tasty." Aaarrrgghh!!! agreed, glad to see Blinky happy and that Jim had studied up for the fight. However, their celebration was interrupted when Vendel spoke up from the crowd again.

"And now, Draal's combatant, James Lake Jr., son of..." Vendel announced, trailing off when he realized that he didn't know any of Jim's relations. But a nearby Troll fixed that by whispering the answer in his ear. "Ba-bu-rah." the leader of Heartstone repeated in an unsure voice. But he let the matter go and refocused on starting the duel.

"Come forth, human Trollhunter." Vendel commanded, causing the gate blocking Jim's entrance into the arena to lift open. Taking a deep breath as he was flanked by two guard Trolls, Jim entered the arena, ignoring the harsh sounds the crowd made.

"Fight from your heart, Master Jim. It's strong, stronger than any rock." Blinky encouraged Jim as the boy walked away. But immediately after he finished speaking, the gate closed back up, locking him, Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! away from Jim. "And certainly, much stronger than mine." the six-eyed troll whispered as he gripped the bars of the gate, worried for his pupil.