Snow_Wolf9 BetaTheAutobotNinja ReptileEdge
I hope this gives you guys an idea how to do the aftermath of the Rise of Titans.
"Doesn't it feel weird?" Toby wondered, munching on the burrito they'd gotten from Stuart's truck. Jim couldn't help but tip him, he hadn't really had the time to talk to him before jumping back, but he'd done so much to get him here. It too would have to wait, so he just grabbed his food and sat down with Toby to eat, daylight fading.

"What's weird?"

"Your mom and Strickler, dating. It would be weird to have a teacher dating your parent." Toby gesticulated with his food. They were eating out to give Walter and Barbara a quiet night, one Jim knew would probably go well. He just shrugged.

"I always liked Strickler. And I think he and my mom will get along. It's not that weird. Besides, I'm his favorite student."

"We'll see how long that lasts now. He's going to learn all your secrets." Toby threatened, Jim looking over, only to spot Steve behind them, an odd look on his face, before he quickly turned away.

"It'll be fine. We have some pretty good teachers." Jim mumbled, watching him shove his way to the front of the line. They hadn't stepped in on Steve picking on Eli this time, neither of them, so they weren't on his radar. Jim wondered if he should do something though. He wasn't sure what exactly had happened to Steve to make him change, but something had to happen. They'd need him, he knew that, but he'd prefer if they didn't have Steve doing his best to ruin their lives.

He glanced up at the sky, wondering if Bular would find them on the way home. He'd found Jim the first time tonight, but he was pretty sure it was because Strickler had clocked him, and told Bular. He was hoping he hadn't figured Toby out. He shouldn't have, being preoccupied with his date, and Toby hadn't run into his office to talk all cryptically about chess. Either way, Jim was pretty sure even Bular wouldn't storm out into a public square filled with humans. They, too, wanted to remain secret until they striked.Instead, on the way back, an empty can came rolling out of an alleyway, six eyes glowing in the dark.

"Master Tobias... I was hoping to begin your training."

"Ugh... I guess some training is better than none." Toby sighed, turning his bike to follow, Jim right on his heels.

He should have figured that if Bular didn't have the original plan, he'd have thought of something else. They made it down into the canal, Blinky trying to explain all the lore Toby had to learn, Jim only listening with half an ear. He looked up at the rafters under the bridge, the sky fully dark by now. And then two glowing orbs looked back, and he felt the air squeeze from his lungs. He darted forward, pushing Blinky and Toby out of the way, Bular landing where they had just stood, his sword dug into the concrete.

"Merlin's creation! Gunmar's bane! I have come to end you!"

Toby screamed. Honestly, if Jim could make his lungs work, he would have too. He had forgotten how terrifying Bular was. They scrambled to their feet, Toby digging in his bag for the amulet.

"Hand over Merlin's amulet, and I shall kill you swiftly...!" Bular offered, Toby letting out a little yelp.

"Kind of bad at negotiation..." He choked out, before pulling the amulet out, tossing his bag to Jim.

"And to think, I shall get to kill two trollhunters, in as many days, in the very same place..." Bular growled, a cruel smile on his face as he pulled his sword from the ground, stepping forward.

"Daylight is mine to command!" Toby declared, transforming in a flash of light. And yet, all Jim wanted was to step between them, tell Toby to run, that he'd protect him. Toby had no training yet, had nothing to draw on for this. Not yet. He was about to drop their bags, when Toby pointed at him.

"Go! Hurry!"

Jim tried to protest, but Blinky grabbed his arm with two hands, pulling him in under the bridge, Aaarrrgghh following.

"Toby! Wait, we can't just leave him!"

"He has a better chance than any of us!" Blinky was clearly panicked, digging in his pocket as he ran.
He looked back, watching Bular tower over his friend, not caring at all about the rest of them. "I'll clean the flesh from your bones and drink your blood from your skull...!"

"I like my flesh where it is, thanks!" Toby shot back, a little crack in his voice, before he threw himself out of the way of Bular's swing.

Behind him, Jim heard the scrape of the horngazel against the wall, the light from the portal flowing out. But he couldn't look away. What had he done? He'd thought he could protect Toby, but honestly, he had no real way of doing so now. He was powerless to stop anything as he watched Bular swing again, Toby rolling away clumsily, getting to his feet only to have to throw himself to the side again. He couldn't keep that up forever.

"Toby!" Jim dropped the bags, stepping forward, Aaarrrgghh grabbing his shoulder to stop him.
Toby glanced up, and that resolve Jim had seen in his eyes yesterday returned.

Become.

And when Bular swung again, Toby didn't dodge. He raised Daylight, and caught the blow, before deflecting it. It was a crude swing, but Bular hadn't expected it, and it threw him off his balance.

"Hit him!" Jim shouted, and Toby swung the sword like a bat, striking Bular in his midsection. The blow came with a flash of light, and sent the troll flying.

"Come on!" Jim called, waving at him, bending down to grab the bags again.

Toby hefted the sword, and started running towards them, clearly in disbelief of what he'd just done. Behind him, Bular shook himself, before taking off after him with a roar. Jim stepped inside the portal, reaching out through the reforming rocks, grabbing Toby and pulling him inside just as it closed, both toppling over. There was a loud thud on the other side of the wall, and a deep, guttural roar. But they lay there, seconds passing, and finally it set in that they were safe.

"Did you see that...?" Toby asked, voice fleeting.

"I saw that." Jim confirmed, pushing himself up sitting, looking down at Toby. "Told you you were a hero..."

"I might actually believe you..." Toby mumbled, letting out a breath, before pushing himself up, the armour coming off.

"Well done, Master Tobias! I knew you had it in you!" Blinky rejoiced, grabbing them both and hugging them tight. "Oh what a sight! You have faced Bular and survived!"

He placed them both back down, Toby seemingly catching up to what he'd just been through.

"We nearly died! That thing almost killed me! I can't face that again! I'm pretty sure that was dumb luck! I almost died!"

"Almost! That's the important part. A life of almost is a life of never." Blinky told them cherilly, starting to walk down the cave.

The boys looked at each other, Jim sighing, Toby gesturing at Blinky's retreating back with a look of "Are you hearing this?" Jim shrugged, before following.

"You sure he can't follow?" Toby asked as Blinky jumped down a ledge, the crystal stairway below lighting up, spiraling down.

It felt like coming home, and Jim had to stop himself from showing it. He pretended it was wonder, that he was seeing it for the first time. He'd missed trollmarket, he realized. Maybe, this time... He needed to start making a list.

"What is this place?" He asked, heart swelling.

"This, my gentlemen, is Heartstone Trollmarket. And the incantation forbids entry to GummGumms, like Bular and his ilk." Blinky assured them.

"Gum-gums?" Toby asked, climbing down carefully, Jim following, Aaarrrgghh holding up the rear, giving a supporting hand at the steepest drops.

"Oh yes, the most fearsome of trolls." Blinky nodded.

"Scary ones." Aaarrrgghh added, Jim glancing back at him. So much pain and sadness on that big face, and all Jim could do was squeeze his hand around Aaarrrgghh's thumb as the troll helped him down a step. He was starting to realize how difficult this would be.

"I mean ok, if that's the name you want to have for your scary trolls, then ok..." Toby mumbled, but Jim couldn't answer.

He could see the soft orange glow around the bend at the bottom of the stairs. He was going to cry. He hadn't realized what this place meant to him, how much it had hurt when it had been lost. Toby didn't notice his silence, his jaw dropping as he stepped out to the ledge to look out over the sprawling structures between them and the heartstone.

"Indeed, this, Master Tobias, is the place you are now dutybound to protect." Blinky told him softly, proudly, letting them look their fill.

Jim tried to remember that he was supposed to have never been here before, but it was hard. He remembered everything. Walking here with Claire, the missions he'd undertaken to gain the trolls' trust, his training. Draal. Draal was down there somewhere, hating humans, because he hadn't actually met one. Jim hoped they could get through to him. Toby would need him, just as much as Jim had, and this time, this time, he'd live. With that resolve, he drew in a breath.

"Wow."

"You said it, Jimbo... You guys live here? Seriously?"

"Trollmarket is home and hearth and sanctuary for all good trolls." Blinky confirmed as they continued down the steps, Toby drinking everything in with his eyes, Jim just happy to see it all alive and whole and full of light again.

"And here I thought the only thing under our town was dirt and plumbing." Toby smiled, pulling out his phone to take pictures.

"Stay close." Blinky warned as they walked onto the main street. "Human feet have never graced trollmarket before. Do not stray."

Jim sucked in breath, realizing what was coming. He could do this. He could. It wouldn't feel like meeting old ghosts at all. Old ghosts that had forgotten they had once been friends. A few trolls made comments, gasped and stared, but Aaarrrgghh growled at them, protectively, and Blinky ushered them on.

"Look at all this!" Toby exclaimed, taking pictures of everything, the signs, the people, the rock walls.

"Peridot, topaz, cassiterite... Oh wow, kornerupine! Oh, sorry..." Jim turned to see him waddling away from the troll he'd physically ran into, letting himself laugh a little.

"That was a person, very embarrassing..." Toby mumbled.

"Your knowledge of minerals is nearly troll-like, master Tobias." Blinky said approvingly.

Jim lifted his feet almost on instinct as they passed what he knew was a gnome nest, the little critters scurrying underfoot.

"Begone, vermin!" Blinky stomped at them. "Pickpockets, scum of the earth. Don't get any extremities too close to them, they have a nasty bite."

"Jim! Jim! Look at that thing! It's colossal!" Toby jumped up and down, pointing. Jim looked up, the heartstone towering over them, unobscured by now.

"It's amazing..." He breathed.

"Heartstone." Aaarrrgghh informed them, Blinky coming up behind them.

"Our lifesource, it provides light and sustenance to all troll kind. It keeps us from crumbling to stone, and gives us all our power."

"Now that is wicked cool..." Toby mumbled, and Jim could only agree, looking at the crystal shooting like a flame up towards the cavernous space above. He knew they'd only have a few moments more. And true enough, the grumblings behind them were becoming louder.

"Why are there humans here?!"

"Fleshbags!"

"Puny!"

As Blinky started to explain, Jim could already see the people being shoved aside in the back of the group. And then Draal was there, full of rage and bitterness, and Jim felt a sharp pain when he realized that his father had been dead for less than two days, and Draal had spent that whole time waiting for the amulet to come to him, to find him, to fulfill his destiny. And now it was about to be ripped from him in the worst way Draal could have imagined.

"If you let me explain, Draal..." Blinky tried to keep his voice even, backing away, knowing full well the larger troll wouldn't take the news well.

Jim pulled Toby behind him, and Toby had probably had enough of large trolls coming at him for today, because he didn't object.

"Human feet have never sullied trollmarket before! Why are these fleshbags here?" Draal demanded.

"Well, wouldn't you believe... This is our new trollhunter." Blinky told him, gesturing to Toby.

He could might as well have declared them GummGumms. The gasps of shock and horror echoed through the street as the news spread.

"He can't be the trollhunter! He's not a troll!" Draal snapped, shoving Jim aside to tower over Toby, who let out a little yelp. But then Aaarrrgghh's big hand folded around Toby, creating a barrier between them.

"Amulet chose." He told Draal, staring him down.

"Show him..." Jim hissed to Toby, coming back up beside him as Aaarrrgghh pulled his hand back. Toby looked unsure, but then steeled himself, straightening out and pulling the amulet from his pocket.

"For the glory of..." He trailed off, nervously. Jim nudged his shoulder, and he tried again, louder this time. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command."

Nothing. There was a long moment, but nothing happened. Jim had hoped that since Toby had gotten it to work right away, not faltered like Jim had, he wouldn't have this problem. But the amulet remained still and dull, and Toby went pale.

"What are these lies?" Draal growled, turning to Blinky. "What are you trying to do?"

"He is the trollhunter! He faced Bular just minutes ago, right under the bridge!" Blinky said.

"Lies!" Draal roared, slamming his fists into the ground, cracking it.

"Toby. It's ok, you can do it." Jim whispered to him, before suddenly he was grabbed, and held up.

"I will not let you sully my home a moment longer..." Draal sneered, and Jim gasped as the hand around his ribs tightened. Once more he was brutally reminded that right now, he was just a human, fragile little bones under stone fingers, nothing to protect him. He could do nothing.

"Let him go!" Toby snapped, and now, finally, the amulet lit up. The armour formed around him, and he hefted the sword in one hand, pointing it at Draal.

"Now!"

Draal dropped Jim more because of shock than a desire to do as he was told, staring at Toby like he couldn't believe it. The other trolls looked the same.

"How would a human protect us?!" One of the women cried.

"Bushigal! I'll have none of it!" Draal finally snapped, slapping the sword aside. Toby wobbled, but kept both his grip and his footing as Blinky helped Jim to his feet. "I am Draal, son of Kanjigar, and that amulet is my birthright!"

"His son?!" Toby hissed over his shoulder at Blinky.
"That's his son? The last guy? The what, best trollhunter ever, or what did you call him?"

"Well, yes..." Blinky wrung his bottom hands, shifting on the spot.

"When my father was felled, the honor should have passed to me!" Draal snarled, and grabbed at Toby's chest, fingers closing around the amulet.

Only for him to be knocked back by a wave of energy, Aaarrrgghh catching Toby, Draal skidding over the ground.

"Amulet chose." Aaarrrgghh told him, again, patiently, putting Toby back on his feet.

"Let's see what Vendel has to say about it..." Draal grunted as he too got up.

Blinky walked past him, waving the humans along. "Feel free to go ask him. If you excuse us, lots to be done. Much trollhunting to be had. It's been a pleasure, as always."

Last time Jim had been here, he'd only seen the rage in Draal's eyes. This time, he saw the sorrow, the loss, the bitterness. He wanted so bad to reach out to his friend, reassure him, comfort him. But Draal wouldn't accept it, not now, and there was nothing Jim could say or do to help him. It would have to be later. So he followed the others down the very familiar path.

"Why didn't it work? Why did it take so long to work this time?" Toby wondered, still armoured, so he had to still be on edge.

"You are the first human to wield the amulet. It stands to reason there would be... Hiccups." Blinky responded, guiding them down the path, into the training hall. "Don't worry, you'll master it. It responds to your emotional state. You felt the need to protect master Jim, did you not? Same as in the canal. Don't worry, you'll learn how to do it on purpose."

"Thank you, Tobes." Jim smiled, the armor finally coming off, Toby catching the amulet.

"Any time, Jimbo. Not going to let any giant, angry troll eat you on my watch."

Jim threw his arm over Toby's shoulders, and together they walked into the huge space in front of them.

"Awesomesauce..." Toby gasped, looking around in wonder.

"This, is the hero's forge!" Blinky informed them. They walked across the bridge, both the humans glancing over the edge, Toby snapping a picture, Jim looking down into the dark. He knew what lurked there, waiting.

"Look at that!" Toby pointed, walking out on the actual arena, pointing up.

"Ah, yes. Trollhunters. Your predecessors." Blinky nodded. "A line of heroes a thousand years old, all the way back to Deya, chosen by Merlin himself. All the way up to here." He gestured to the empty plinth.

"The final resting place of Kanjigar, the Courageous. And one day, there shall be a statue of you here, Master Tobias." He noted how Toby paled, waving his hands. "Very far in the future, of course."

"Right. That's not worrisome at all..." Toby mumbled. "Ok, but like, if there are more like that guy, what's-his-face..."

"Bular."

"Yes, Bular. If there are more of him, I feel like I probably don't stand a chance."

"Only one. Rest in darklands." Aaarrrgghh helpfully informed them.

"What, exactly, does that mean?" Toby wondered, waving his hands a little as if trying to fish the information out of the air.

"The GummGumms have all been banished, a long time ago, to the darklands. Only Bular roams free." Blinky assured him. "His father and the rest of them are safely locked away. They have been trying to get out for centuries, and I fear, ill times are upon us. So, there shall be no more dilly-dallying. Step back, if you will."

They did as they were told, Jim trying to breathe. All of this, again. Bular, Gunmar, Morgana. They had to do all of this again. But he was one step ahead this time. More than one. He just had to make sure Toby survived. Him, and then everyone else.

He snapped back when Blikey pressed a button on the wall, and the blades shot from the walls and floor, Toby yelping and skipping aside. Jim rolled away, slipping over to the steps behind Blinky to get out of the way.

"You're doing excellent, master Tobias!" Blinky cheered.

"Could we maybe start with something less lethal?!" Toby shrieked.

"Nonsense, you're doing great!"

"Blinkous Galadrigal!" Boomed a voice, and Blinky turned a pale shade, pressing the button again to stop the machinery, Toby jumping back from a retracting blade.

"Is that seriously your name?" He asked, getting to his feet, before looking at the troll wandering closer to them.

"Horrible, yes, I know..." Blinky mumbled.

Vendel was as imposing as ever, also seething with rage and disapproval. Jim couldn't help but slip a little closer to the others, finding himself looking at the floor. He felt for a moment that surely Vendel would notice something was off about him, the old troll had always had a keen eye.

"I have come to meet this flashbag, chosen by the amulet." Vendel told them, glancing them over.

Last time, he'd turned to Toby, but this time, he turned to Jim, introducing himself with his lineage. Jim wondered for a moment if he'd done it on purpose, or if he'd just picked one at random and gotten it wrong both times. That had a lingering implication. If it was random, then Vendel had made a choice based on chance, and gotten a different result in both timelines. And that meant, Jim realized, that there were other choices. Other people choose at random, and they might not choose the same as they had before. Changing the few things he had might have already rippled out. And that left the horrifying thought. What else might change due to chance?

By the time he'd found his way back, Blinky had introduced Toby, and Vendel was looking him up and down, disapprovingly, while Aaarrrgghh pointed out, again, that he'd been chosen.

"I heard, Draal was in a state about it. And I agree, it's preposterous." Vendel huffed, poking Toby in the gut, before turning away. "However, there have been poor choices made by the amulet in the past, as you know better than most." He pointed out to Blinky, and Jim realized that while most conversations were going the way they had previously, a lot of the words were different. Or it came in another order. So things were changing, just a little, but enough to be noticeable.

Jim was reeling. That wasn't good. Vendel just picking the opposite of the one he figured was the trollhunter was one option, but the other changes pointed to chance. And chance was something Jim couldn't account for. He wished desperately for his friends. All his friends. For the ones that knew him. For the Claire that loved him, for the Blinky that had hugged him like a son, for the Walter that protected him, for the Vendel that had respected him, and the Draal that had fought for him. For the people that could help him figure this out. But while they were here, they weren't themselves yet. So now he got to choose. He listened with one ear to the tale of Unkar the Unfortunate, the rest of his mind weighing his options. Try to stick as close to the original path as possible, only changing things to save people. Or veer off the path entirely, into unknown territory, in hopes it would work better. For all he knew, they were already veering off. He might not get to choose anymore. But he found himself wanting to stick close to what he knew. And while details were different, Vendel demanded Toby try the soothscryer, just as he had with Jim, so the result was the same. If the result was the same, did it matter? Or would the differences eventually stack?

He sighed, pushing it away. Now was not the time, or the place. And Toby needed a leg up. He boosted Toby up, mumbling that it would probably be fine, he'd still have his hand, just ignore the sharp, pointy things. Toby gulped, but put his hand inside, only letting out a little strangled sound when it snapped shut around his arm. Inconclusive, like it had been for Jim, with the same explanation. There had never been a human trollhunter before. It needed more time. But it still didn't make Jim feel better.

"I'm going to die..."

"You're not going to die." Jim might have had a little too much force in it, but for him it was less than three days ago, and it was still raw.

"Jim! The last guy Blinky trained was torn limb from limb! On his first day!"

"And you've already lasted longer." Jim pointed out.

Toby somehow didn't find this reassuring, drooping with a sigh, half hanging on his bike as they walked.

"Now, if this was like, a movie or a tv-show, it would be awesome. I'd love it. But when it's actually happening to you, it's kinda awful."

"It'll work out."

"You seem to be the only person who thinks so, Jimbo."

"It's because I know you." Jim smiled at him. "I know what you're capable of. And trust me, no one can do what you do."

Toby smiled back, small but genuine. "Thanks."

Before nodding at his house. "Well, your mom is still up. Think it's safe to go inside?"

"I'm going to have to be brave and find out, don't I?"
"See, compared to that, neither of the giant, angry trolls we've seen today seem scary." Toby muttered, clapping him on the shoulder, before waving goodbye.

Jim walked up to the door, opening it, before poking his head in. "Is the coast clear? Or should I cover my eyes?"

"Jim! It's so late, where have you been?"

"I just wanted to give you guys privacy." Jim came inside, closing the door and hanging his bag on the stair post. Barbara was on the couch, two wine glasses on the table, one empty, one with just a mouthful left.

"Oh? You went all the way to wine on the couch? So it went well?" He smiled, coming to lean on the back of it. Barbara gave him a look.

"Don't you try. It's a school night, you should have been home ages ago."

"I know, I'm sorry, we lost track of time. I'll go straight to bed." He receded, holding up his hands, Barbara softening. She got up, grabbing the glasses.
"But yes, it went well. Very well. Are you sure you're ok with this?"

"Mom, I suggested it." Jim reminded her, coming around the couch.

"I know, I just... I really want to see him again. It's been a long time since I had that much fun. He's very nice. And charming. And handsome..."

"Ok, that's enough, I get the picture." Jim held up his hands to stop her, even as he was smiling. "I'm ok with it. I knew you'd get along, and I'm happy to be right. Especially if it gets me out of trouble, especially since I said I'd go straight to bed."

Barbara shook her head, but leaned over to kiss his hair. "Fine. Just this once. But don't make it a habit. Off you pop. I'm just going to clean up."

"Love you." Jim told her, before heading upstairs.

He had no idea how to wrangle this, but Walter and Barbara already getting together would help. In hindsight, Jim could see that Walter had fallen for her much earlier than he'd been willing to admit. Pushing that timeline up would hopefully help. And they'd be happy. This time, they'd be happy. As he does back to his room, he noticed the Justice League poster he was given by them was gone and replaced with a different poster. He shrugged as he thought it was nothing.