"Wow you're doing this, school and your Trollhunter duties?" Allexis asks as she flips through the pages of the script her brother had out next to his homework.

"Yep, and I'm only doing this again because I finally got my spot back after Steve crashed his Vespa." Jim says as he turns the page of his textbook. "Lucky me."

"Well then you better stay on top of this, mom told me you lost your spot in the play and you're lucky you got it back. Also, is Steve seriously still being an ass?"

"Unfortunetly, but whatever, I at least get to kiss Claire and he doesn't."

"Claire? Oh so there's a girl involved?" Allexis asks with a grin. "Mom failed to mention this."

"Because it isn't really relevant!" Jim says quickly before snatching the script back. "Don't you have...I don't know, tutoring sessions to do for money or job hunting?"

"Not today, and I already sent in applications too so I'm all done for now." His sister says as she leans in. "So who is this Claire? Shall I ask Toby if you're not gonna answer my questions?"

"None of your business! Now get out I have to study!" The teen yells, getting up and pushing her towards the door of his room. "Just go and watch your cartoons or something!"

"Oh no! Gravity is increasing on me!" Allexis yells, making her body go limp until she's draped on top of her brother.

"No its not!" Jim yells as he keeps trying to push her out the door.

"It is too Jim, the same thing happened yesterday!" And with that, she successfully managed to make them both fall, Jim right under her. "Told ya!"

"Your butt is crushing me!" The teen yells as his sister turns around to try and hold him still. "Moooooom!"

"Mom's not here dumbass!"

"What's all that racket?" They hear Draal yell from upstairs. "Trollhunter?"

"Don't mind us! Just some dumb siblings shenanigans!" Allexis yells before she hears the troll coming up the stairs. "Hey how do the stairs not break under your weight if you're made entirely of stone?"

"How about you get off your brother?" The troll says as he walks over and reaches down to try and grab her, but she smacks his hand away.

"Oh please get her off me, she's heavy!" Jim groans. "You need to lose weight!"

"And you need to gain some, you bean pole!" Allexis says as she gets up and stretches. "I used to be small and scrawny, but I ended up gaining a bit of muscle from taking some self defense classes. Oh and from biking, going up and down those hills are fun."

"I keep forgetting you were studying in San Francisco." Jim says as Draal picks him up and he stretches. "I'm gonna take a break from studying, my brain hurts."

"Go ahead, I'm not gonna stop you."

"Good. Draal, could we maybe train a bit more tonight?"

"Gladly, it's partially dark out so I can go outside." The troll agrees and casts a glare at the older girl. "Avoid breaking the Trollhunter, or I'll do the same with you."

"Draal!" Jim scolds as he grabbed the troll by the hand and drags him away. "Come on, what did I tell you!"

Allexis simply rolls her eyes and walks back to her room to grab her laptop, powering it on. She could now hear the sound of metal hitting metal and glances out her slightly cracked open window that faced the backyard where she could see Jim and Draal really going at it with their sparring lesson.

"Go for the legs!" She yells.

"No backseat teaching!" Jim yells back, followed by a yelp. "Draal!"

"She said the legs, that's a good way to take an enemy out, especially the taller ones!" Draal yells back.

"Good to know my sword fighting lessons from cartoons helped!" Allexis yells with a laugh before settling herself down at her desk with the laptop and grabbed her phone. So far no responses from any of the places she applied to, but there was always tomorrow at least. Deciding she had nothing better to do, she puts her laptop away and pulls a book out from her bookcase to read, engrossing herself in it as she listens to the clanging of metal on metal until it stops briefly, resumes for a few seconds and stops. Alexis frowns and sets her book pages down on the desk and peeks out her window to see Jim and Draal talking, seemingly talking in low voices until the troll gets up and shakes hands with the teen before walking off towards the house.

Huh, wonder what they are up to. She wonders before getting back to her desk. I'm sure it's harmless, it should be.

---

"...no June, I am not talking to him again, and I've told you why already! That guy was so clingy, I couldn't stand it!" Allexis yells as she is putting groceries away in their proper places, her phone on the kitchen table as she was on a call with her friend. "I swear if he tries calling me one more time and sees me in person, I'm gonna do more than shove him to the ground and throw my messenger bag at his face!"

"Oof, boy trouble?" She overhears her mom say as she enters the kitchen, humming to herself.

"I gotta go, and tell that creep everything I just said I'll do." Allexis says before hanging up. "Sorry you had to hear that."

"Clingy ex?"

"Very. My most recent relationship and I am now wondering if I should swear off dating for a bit."

"Well nothing wrong with that, but how bad was this guy anyways?"

"Ugh where do I start?" Allexis groans as she shoves a carton of milk into the fridge. "I saw so many red flags as we dated, and I just had to call it quits. Like demanding to see who I had been messaging and talking to, telling me I couldn't hang around my guy friends, and demanding I spend every waking minute with him."

"Sounds like you got lucky with breaking up with him sooner than later." Barbara says with a wince. "Maybe date after you graduate and get a stable job, or maybe if you find someone to your liking at whatever job you get hired at, you can pursue them if they're single and available."

"Never thought I'd get relationship advice from you of all people." Allexis chuckles as she put away the last of the groceries. "Also, is Jim having girl trouble or something?"

"You mean with that girl Claire, the council woman's daughter? Well I don't think so, he's pretty smitten with her, but the other day he got into a ton of trouble because he apparently trashed her house while babysitting."

"Weird, that doesn't sound like something he would do."

"I know! But things got resolved at least, but I doubt that girl's family would want him to date her. Anyways, I gotta get to work, as usual you are in charge until I get home."

"Gotcha, and I'll make sure mister Romeo gets his homework done." Allexis says as she hugs her mom. "And I'll hold downt he fort, as I always did."

"Aww, such a trooper." Barbra chuckles as she pinched her daughter's cheek. "See you tonight, or tomorrow morning."

Once she was sure her mom left, Allexis walks over to the door leading to the basement and takes her phone out to switch the flashlight on. Draal was asleep in the corner, surprisingly snoring quite softly as he laid on a pile of coal that was strewn about the room. Deciding to clean up the area a bit, she tucked the phone away into the pocket of her shorts and carefully made her way down the steps to grab the broom and proceeds to carefully sweep some of th coal towards the troll, taking care not to hit him and making sure it was all piled against him to make a bigger bed of coals for him to lay on.

As she was nearly done sweeping, her phone started buzzing. Curious, she pulls it out to find an unknown number calling her, but proceeds to hit the button to respond to the incoming call.

"Hello?"

"All! Oh good this was the right number!"

"Toby? Wait, how did you get my number?" Allexis says in surprise. "Also aren't you still in school? You shouldn't have your phone out."

"I got it off Jim's phone, but that's not the point! He's has been acting really weird and it's because of this thing he has around his neck!" Toby yells. "If the school calls, don't be alarmed! Also this is Draal's fault!"

"Tobias, you are now worrying me, how weird is Jim acting?"

"Like really really weird! Look, meet me at the canals and you'll see!"

"Down to the bridge that overlooks the canals?"

"Yeah! We gotta let the others know, maybe Blinky knows how to fix this!"

"Wait how can Blinky-"

"JIM NOO! Please do as I ask, bye!"

Frowning, Allexis closed her phone and turns to look at Draal, who is sitting up and yawning. "Good morning to you big blue, mind explaining something?"

"Whut now?" The troll asks with another yawn, reaching behind him to pry a piece of coal from between his spikes and tossed it into his mouth.

"Tobias called, said Jim was acting weird and claimed it was your fault, but refused to explain. Mind explaining to me what he meant by that?"

The troll looked puzzled for a few moments before frowning. "Oh the Grit-Shaka...could that be causing this?"

"A what now?"

"A special totem, it's supposed to banish all cowardice the wearer has and make them more...how do I say this, braver?"

"Okay but why would my brother need that?"

"Well he confided in me the other night that he was afraid of messing up this...kissing thing he was going to do with some human girl he seemed infatuated with. So I gave him the totem so he wouldn't be afraid, it's mostly used for Gum-Gums, but I'm not exactly sure what it would do for a human."

"You had absolutely no idea what this would do to him?!"
"No."

Allexis gives a frustrated groan. "Great! Now thanks to you, my mom is gonna be getting a call from the school for whatever erratic behavior he's been indulging in that's freaking Tobias out! Ugh, now I gotta run, I have to tell Blinky about this!"

"Hey at least I attempted to help!" Draal yells as the human rushes for the stairs.

"Next time he wants relationship advice send him my way! I dated and at least know what to do and what not to do!" Allexis yells back.

The run to the canals was quite exhausting, but she made it in time to find Toby pacing under the bridge.

"Oh my gosh thank goodness you made it!" He cries when she gets close. "Jim has been acting so weird! Even Claire is concerned and said he tried switching stuff around with the play like adding a car chase! He even walked into the teacher's lounge and drank their coffee!"

Good grief this sounded nothing like her brother. Whatever this Grit-Shaka was, it was messing him up.

"Relax, I'm sure if anyone can fix this, it's Blinky." Allexis tries to assure him. "And we'll get my brother back to normal before he does anything stupid. Now, lead the way."

They managed to enter Trollmarket, waving their way through the streets until they arrived at the Forge where they find Jom's mentors busy doing what looked like repair work.

"Blinky Blinky! Wingman! We got trouble!" Toby yells as they rush over. "It's Draal! I mean it's not him but it's Draal's fault!"

"Did Draal kill him?!" Blinky asks in horror. "Never should have considered Draal supplimenting master Jim's training-"

"Relax he didn't kill him!" Allexis assures him. "Toby says Jim has been acting weird at school ever since Draal gave him some sort of totem to wear."

"A Great Shake or something!" Toby adds. "It's making him crazy! Like he's drunk or something!"

"You mean a Grit-Shaka, Draal said it's a totem worn by Gum-Gum trolls to banish all fear and cowardice." Allexis corrects him. "And this was all to help him get over his fear of kissing a girl!"

"That's how it works on troll physiology, but how would it act on a human?" Blinky says as he crawls out and AAAARRGGH!! drops the rock he was holding up.

Allexis snorts. "From the way Toby is describing my usually sweet baby brother's antics, like someone on dru-"

"How about we go find Jim or wait for him to come to Trollmarket?" Toby quickly suggests. "He'll wander in here eventually!"

Thankfully for them, someone was able to alert them that Jim was in Trollmarket and proceeded to look for him. Soon the four found him at a stall where a large troll held a hammer and a chisiel, preparing to pound it onto his back.

"Cease this madness!" Blinky yells as they hurry to the teen.

"Hey perfect timing! Lets all get matching tattoos! Fellowship!" Jim exclaims happily and held a hand out to them. "High five?"

"Great Gronka Mornka, it's even worst than you said!" The older troll sighs before giving Jim a stern frown. "Master Jim, the Grit-Shaka."

"Cool right?" Jim laughs as he points to the glowing green gem around his neck. "I mean, crispy!~"

"God that sounds so cringy coming out of your mouth." Allexis mutters.

"I was thinking more along the lines of unholy and disturbing!" Blinky says pointing at the necklace.

"Dangerous!" AAAARRGGH!! Adds, pointing as well.

"That too, and cringy as your sister said!" Blinky says as he shoved the arm down. "Master Jim that is a Gum-Gum totem, which should be reason enough to be wary of it! But the fact that you are a human makes it's effects unpredictable!"

"That necklace is not a good look for you." Toby adds.

"Whoa whoa, what is this, and intervention?" Jim asks as he pulls the troll with the hammer back.

"Yes its an intervention! And for a good reason!" Allexis snaps as she shoves the troll's tools away from her brother's back. "You are not fine right now so off with that blasted thing!"

"I am fine, I am better than fine!" Jim snaps as he gets up and starts to walk away. "And if you want the Grit-Shaka you're gonna have to take it from me!"

"Come on Jimbo we don't have to go there." Toby sighs.

"Oh you don't have to, but I certainly will." Allexis says as she steps forward. "Jim, I hate having to use the bossy older sister card, but I will use it. If you don't hand me that damn thing I will-"

"For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command! Holla!" Jim yells as he raises the amulet and transforms into his armor. "That's right, I just went there!"

"That's it I'm gonna kill him." Allexis mutters. "And then I'm grounding him."

"Be gentle with him." Toby warns as she and AAAARRGGH!! step towards the teen.

The Krubera troll lunges forward but Jim nimbly leaps out of the way. Allexis leapt for her brother, her fingers barely touching the armor before he jumps out of the way and races off, cackling and whooping as he runs away.

"JAMES LAKE JUNIOR GET YOUR SORRY ASS BACK HERE!" Allexis yells as she runs off after her brother, the others running after her. "YOU ARE GROUND FOR...UNTIL COLLEGE!"

Jim turns and stuck his tongue out as he races away, leaping over crates and barrels and winding between trolls, once even causing a canopy of gnomes to fall on them as a distraction while Blinky was trying to dissuade him.

"I'll show you! I'm not afraid of anything!" Jim yells from atop of some stairs. "I'll fight Bular! I will end him today!"

"That went poorly." Blinky mutters as surrounding trolls cheered. "Fortunately, Jim as no means by which he can locate Bular."

"Uh...that's not exactly true." Toby admits. "There's...that changeling we found."

"What changeling again?" Allexis asks.

"The one who's pretending to be Claire's brother? We're gonna have to ask him. By the way, do you have any smelly socks you are willing to part with?"

---

Well they got some information out of the small changeling, just some vague directions to where Jim could be and where Bular rested during the day. Apparently the Gum-Gum was hiding somewhere under the town in the sewers, so if they wanted to grab Jim while avoiding a fight with Bular, the group had to spit up.

"Of all the places it just had to be around the busy streets of our town!" Toby groans as he follows Allexis. "What if we can't get the totem off him in time?"

"Don't think about it, just keep listening for him." The older girl says as she kneels near a sewer drain and cups her ear before standing up and jumping back on the sidewalk. "He's being super cocky, mostly will be loud and screaming for Bular. We'll hear him eventually."

"Easy for you to say! You've never met the guy before, he's terrifying!"

"Not too keen to meet him yet, but it will happen eventually and-"

"SHHH!! You hear that?!"

Allexis kneels near the drain she was by earlier, straining to hear something that wasn't water or the noisy and loud cars near her. Then she heard it. "There! He's nearby!"

"Let's move forward then!" Toby yells as they hurry down the street before he runs across the street and attempts to pull up a sewer cover. "All help me!"

Allexis runs over, her fingers grabbing at the cover as she could hear the sound of loud roaring from under it along with metal clashing and her brother's terrified screams.

"Hold on we're coming!" She yells as they both struggle to lift the cover. "COME ON LIFT YOU STUPID THING!"

"FOR THE GLORY OF MERLIN!" Toby screams before the cover finally gives way and they manage to lift it.

Down in the sewer they could see Jim covering his face from the harsh light and the brief look of something dark that scurried out of view that roars.

"JIM!" Allexis yells as she stretched her hand into the sewer. "Quick take our hand!"

"I can't the armor is too heavy!" Her brother yells back as he jumps away from something that swipes at him.

Briefly Alexis sees it: soemthing large with glowing orange eyes that looks up to her with such seething hatred. She feels a surge of anger swell in her as their eyes met. "GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER YOU PIECE OF ROCK SCUM!" She screams as she yanks her shoe off and flung it down into the sewer, hitting the large troll creature square on the head. The next thing she knows she's falling into the sewer, landing painfully on her feet before shoving her brother behind her to stand between him and the troll.

"Seems you have a meat shield willing to sacrife herself for you, young Atlas!" The monster sneers as it walks around them. "The sister I've heard much about, I assume?"

"I'm not scared of you!" Allexis snaps. "Jim, disable your armor, now!"

"All look out!" Jim yells as he yanks her back before a large black blade almost slices them both. "We really need to train you!"

"Oh I could use it! Later if we get out of here alive! Do that seesaw jump to get out of here, I'll run to the others!"

"But you told me never to-"

"I'll scold you about it later, do it!"

Jim nods before they jump back again from the blade, this time Allexis moves herself sideways as her brother recalled his armor. Their eyes met, they nod before Jim launches himself at the troll. With the creature distracted, Allexis rushes past the beast, running towards the other patch of sunlight that was preventing Blinky and AAARRGGHH!!! from helping them. She could hear his enraged roar as she threw herself into the light before rolling out of it onto the other side."Good gracious! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Blinky yells as he and AAARRGGHH!!! help her up from the floor and proceed to run. "What is going on in that tiny head of yours?! Jumping into a sewer with a monster like Bular?!"

"I don't know! Adrenaline maybe!" Allexis yells back as they run before the Krubera scooped her up to climb onto his back. "Lost a shoe but Jim's out of danger and that shaka thing is now not gonna be a problem!"

"Good! Blasted thing, give Draal a good scolding for us when you get home!"

The five soon managed to reunite in Trollmarket, Blinky dragging Jim into the library to scold him for whate felt like forever before they emerged.

"Get him home and send him to the bath at once." The older troll says and gags, pinchinghis nose. "Smells terrible!"

"The irony considering you all like eating smelly socks." Allexis laughs before turning to her brother. "Please, next time you need relationship advice or anything, come to me will you?"

"Right, you are a better option than Draal with this sort of stuff." Jim agrees. "Speaking of which...maybe you need fighting lessons. Or specifically Trollhunter-like training lessons with the weapons and everything. Like in that cartoon you like with the teenagers in Japan with the cool swords. Or that other one of the guy with the whip who fights vampires and monsters, that'd be cool wouldn't it?"

"Well assuming I find a job, I can spend my day doing training until I get a call back from places I applied to."

"Great! I asked Blinky and he said to ask Draal, and I know you don't really like him but he's a great teacher! Hey maybe you two can bond over your fondness for sharp weapons!"Allexis laughs. "Well if this trainng goes well and doesn't interfere with whatever job I manage to get, we'll see about that. Now lets get you home and hose you off before mom gets back, I don't think I'll have an excuse to why you smell like you swam in a toilet."

---

"Hey big blue, have time for a chat?"

Draal looks up to see the Trollhunter's sister at the top of the stairs, carrying a large plastic container under one arm and something small and flat under the other.

"What brings you here?" The troll asks as the human descends the stairs. "Is this about the Grit-Shaka? Did it work on your brother?"

"Oh it worked alright, a bit too well." Allexis admits as she reaches the bottom of the stairs to set down her items. "Jim got too cocky and it drove him to nearly getting himself killed and an encounter with Bular."

"Ah, I see you've finally met him?"

"Yeah, big fellow, glowing eyes, far uglier than you, and stinks. Next time you wanna help my brother, don't give him any magical items that are meant for trolls, please?"

"Sure, but what is this?"

"Popcorn." Allexis says as she holds up the blue container to show the troll it was filled with something pale yellow with flakes of red. "With some mild tajin powder, one of my roommates back in college introduced it to me and it's super good. Unless you have a super low spice tolerance level."

"And that thing?" Draal asks pointing at the flat metal object.

"Oh that's a laptop, I wanna show you soemthing. By the way, you think you can train me when you aren't training Jim? Blinky says I should learn, from you of course. Unless you are too busy doing nothing down here even in the evening."

Draal snorts. "Well unless you are too busy walking around the house doing nothing, we can try that. What's that?"

"Entertainment." Allexis says with a grin as she hits a button on her device as a dark haired man dressed in a heavy cloak was fighting with several other humans and getting punched in the face. "You might like it, it's got tons of blood and fighting."

"Huh, guess so."

"Good. Popcorn?"