A Secret's Worth
Chapter 33: Walter
Ao3
Fair warning this chapter has some triggering content in it. Strickler's plans for the eternal night come up and they are pretty....yikes.
So this is your warning, proceed with caution, here be dragons. More specific, spoiler filled warnings in the tags.
Strickler quickly turned and hustled down the side hall of the museum, going as fast as he dared without running, which would only gather unwanted attention, and jostle the delicate contents of the tote bag dangling from his arm. He’d only have a brief window of time to step away from the field trip without being missed and he needed to make the most of it. Keeping his package concealed the entire morning had been challenging in and of itself, now he needed to get it secure before–
“Mr. Strickler?” a familiar but hesitant voice called out from behind him.
He froze midstep, slowly turning his head while discreetly concealing the bag in front of his body, catching sight of Jim Lake at the end of the hall peering at him from around the corner “Yes?”
“You…have a second?”
He didn’t, he really didn’t.
Strickler planted both feet on the ground and turned around fully, moving the bag behind his back to keep it out of sight “Of course, what do you need?”
Jim stepped into the hall and approached, only speaking again when the two of them were less than ten feet apart “I…just wanted to say thanks, I’ve been talking to one of the therapists on the list you gave me, they've been a big– a huge help,”
“Well I’m happy to hear that,”
Jim smiled up at him, but then his expression slipped into something inquisitive as he peeked around the side of him “Oh…you having lunch?”
Strickler bit back a sigh, how unfortunate, he’d been so successful all morning only to fail due to Jim’s unfortunately sharp skills of observation. Now that the boy had seen this much there was no point in concealing it any further “Actually this is something else, here, let me show you…”
He set the bag down on a side table, Jim stepping up to his side as he reached in and pulled out–
“Cookies?”
Strickler flashed him a sheepish grin while setting the plastic container down in the table “Chocolate chip to be precise, I always keep a box on hand for when I find myself a bit peckish in the afternoon. Although I would appreciate if you kept your knowledge of my little stash to yourself, Señor Uhl has a vicious sweet tooth,”
He allowed his smile to turn conspiratorial, popping the tabs of the box open “And I would be more than willing to buy your silence,”
Jim’s face lit up “Sure thanks!”
Still smiling, Strickler gestured towards the open container, Jim reaching in to snag a cookie, immediately taking a large bite out of it.
“So uh,” his words were muffled by cookie crumbs, he flushed scrlet then swallowed “I think I’ll be in your class next year, right?”
Stricker felt a trickle of genuine affection slowly run through him, softening out the sharp edges of irritation at being delayed “Yes I teach the next level of world history as well, and I look forward to seeing James Lake Junior again in the fa–”
“Just Jim, actually,” the boy’s face abruptly went from sunny to stony “I’m dropping the junior and going by Jim Lake now,”
Strickler’s mouth had been open to send Jim back to the rest of his schoolmates but now he hesitated.
He’d known for a while that Jim’s home situation was…turbulent, but this wasn’t the first indicator today that an extremely troubling event had occurred. That had been when Jim’s entire friend group had been dropped off at the school this morning in Mr. Nuñez’s vehicle. The second had been how somber and subdued the five of them had been despite it being the last day of school, only just now brightening when Strickler had given him a cookie of all things. Perhaps a check in was in order–
No, he shouldn’t.
He was running late enough as it was, and besides, Jim had a professional to discuss his woes with. And while Walter Strickler was many things, a licensed therapist he was not, though granted he would have been if he hadn’t been busy keeping the states and the soviet union from destroying the planet for five decades. But the fact of the matter was there were certain subjects directly relating to his family and home life that Jim was no doubt better off discussing with a trained professional as opposed to a well meaning educator.
Still…
While a trained therapist he was not, Strickler was capable of serving as a sounding board and occasional dispenser of advice; and he was more than confident in his ability to draw the line. And while he was running late he certainly wouldn’t mind prolonging this particular chore.
He turned toward Jim fully, schooling his features to show the appropriate levels of concern “Is everything alright with you and your mother?”
Jim’s sullen look hardened into a frown, hand holding the cookie falling to his side and head dropping “No. He– my dad,” the word was spat on a wave of venom “Showed up at our house, we all got into a fight, and he found out how hard things had been for me and mom, how much we struggled after he left, and he…..he laughed,”
The boy snapped his head back up, a startling echo of something almost trollish in the look of fury on his face “He found out how much we'd been hurting for years and he thought it was funny,”
Strickler, who prided himself on his ability to remain composed even in the most dire of situations, had to take a moment to recover from his shock. He’d known somewhat of the strife surrounding the Lake family situation, but for the boy’s father to go so far as to break in–
“Are you and your mother alright, he didn’t try to hurt either of you did he?”
“Oh no,” just as quickly as it had come the fire in Jim’s expression vanished “He didn’t try to hurt us, just acted all smug,” a vindictive smile curled on his face “Until mom kicked his ass out,”
In the interest of deniability Strickler opted not to ask whether he was being metaphorical or literal.
“So yeah,” Jim shrugged, the action too exaggerated to be completely natural “We may share DNA, but he is not my dad,”
This was running deeper than Strickler expected, better reign things in “I’m happy that you’re safe, and that you trust me enough to share this, have you discussed these events with your therapist yet?”
Jim instantly flushed and looked down, shifting from foot to foot “Oh yeah, I called him this morning, gonna go see him after school. Kurt’s been really great; letting me vent, helping me get out of my own head, reminding me that all my friends probably don’t secretly hate me,”
The laughter that followed those words was painfully forced.
Strickler let a genuine frown creep into his deliberate mask of concern, Jim clearly meant it as a joke, but hearing Jim say something so concerning so casually was…troubling. And he couldn't take a therapist’s place in helping Jim unlearn such a mindset, but maybe….
“Jim, you don’t have to understand others’ decision to spend time with you, but you should respect their choice to do so as smart thinking people,”
He took half a step closer “And I know your friends, I’ve graded their exams, and while a few of them could certainly stand to apply themselves to their essay questions a bit more, I can safely say that they are all intelligent, highly capable individuals. And if you trust them in other regards you should trust them with their choice in friends,”
Jim blinked up at him, abject shock wiping his expression clean “I’ve…never thought of it like that…”
Strickler smiled down at him, and feeling surprisingly bold, spoke up again “And while I can’t speak for anyone else, personally I consider you brilliant young man, and many would be lucky to call you a friend,”
For an instant Strickler thought he’d gone too far, but then he quickly realized it wasn’t discomfort holding the boy’s tongue.
“You…really think so?” he said softy, staring up at him with wide eyes.
“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t,”
“Oh, uh, th- thanks,” Jim smiled weakly at him “That…means a lot,”
“I’m always happy to help, now you should be getting back to the group before Ms. Janeth notices your absence, and perhaps finish that cookie before you do,”
“Got it, on my way,” Jim turned and began walking back down the hall, turning and waving as he went “Thanks Mr. Strickler,”
“Of course,” Strickler called after him “My door is always open,”
Jim vanished from sight around the corner, footsteps slowly fading into silence. Strickler lingered in his spot next to the side table for a few moments, affable smile slowly falling off his face. Once he was certain Jim would not return he tucked the plastic pack of cookies back in the bag and continued down the hall, stepping through the small door at the end.
He was immediately greeted by smoldering red eyes and hot, rancid breath.
“You should have let the child stay,” Bular loomed from the shadows, this small storage room one of the few places free from sunlight during the day “I could use a snack,”
If Bular hadn’t been glaring at him Strickler would have rolled his eyes. He could make a jab about how a student going missing in the middle of a museum in broad daylight during a field trip would attract a dangerous level of scrutiny, but logic had a habit of going in one ear and out the other when it came to Bular.
Thinly veiled insults lent themselves much better to memory.
“You really shouldn’t think with your stomach, it’s never lead you to good things,”
The narrowing of red eyes told Strickler his barb had hit home. Provoking Bular like this was dangerous, but the brute had been a thorn in his side for centuries, let him seethe for a bit.
“You should be more focused on freeing my father and not on the fawning attention of fleshbag whelps,” Bular growled, turning and stalking further into the room “Was it really necessary to entertain the human for that long?”
It hadn’t been, but pushing Bular’s buttons was one of the few sources of guilty pleasure in Strickler’s life. Not to mention he’d much rather converse with Jim Lake than tear his hair out trying to explain basic strategy to Bular any day.
Granted, the same could be said about trying to convince Mr Pepperjack that the pyramids weren’t built by martian shapeshifters, or getting a root canal.
Instead of voicing these traitorous thoughts he hoisted the tote bag over his shoulder and followed Bular deeper into the room “It’s all part of maintaining my cover as a respectable educator,”
From out of nowhere Bular whirled on him, teeth bared and hands twitching for his jawblades. Strickler froze midstep, cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck.
Had to be cautious now, violence was dangerously close. If it came to it it wouldn’t be the first time Bular threw him into a wall, nor likely the last, but Strickler preferred to keep those instances as few and far between as possible
“Explain to me then, impure,” the slur fell heavy from the large troll’s lips “How the fleshbags opinions of you are so crucial in freeing my father?”
Strickler let out a heavy sigh, exaggerated to the point even Bular could pick up on it “If you insist,”
It was aggravating to have to justify his every action to Bular, but this would give the perfect opportunity to push the brute’s perspective in the right direction.
He set the tote bag aside on top of one of the many crates around them, folding his arms behind his back before turning and facing Bular directly “It is important to be perceived as kind and approachable, this causes the humans to trust me,”
Strickler gestured to the bag “You saw how easily he accepted food from me, one of the many benefits of building a reputation as a trusted mentor, which means that on the day of your father’s return my students won’t suspect that the day’s treat has been dosed with a little of this,” Strickler pulled a small amber bottle out of the inner pocket of his blazer, something far too precious to carry in a tote bag “Sending them all into a deep sleep, allowing me to transport them to the museum with ease and discretion,”
Tucking the bottle back into his pocket, he straightened his lapels before looking back up at Bular, lips curled into an artful smirk “Then when your father arrives he’ll have a meal ready and waiting to eat, a little something to kindle his and his troops’ appetites before the true feast begins,”
Bular snarled but his shoulders lowered, arms relaxing, showing that the immediate threat had passed “Your attempts to curry my father’s favor are as pathetic as they are obvious, impure,”
Strickler turned to pick up the bag, rolling his eyes when he was confident Bular couldn’t see before resuming their trek into the room. Hardly surprising the brute only saw the most surface level implications of his plan, of course it was for the better that Bular didn’t guess his true intentions.
If gifting him his students won him some of the Skullcrusher’s favor all the better, but what mattered was that while his students’ deaths would be brutal and messy, due to their drugged sleep they would also be swift and painless.
A twinge of something dark and heavy flickered in Strickler’s chest before he smothered it.
The culling of his students wasn’t anything Strickler was looking forward to–
A bright smile spread across Jim’s face as he bit into the cookie, the first genuine one in months.
But it needed to be done.
Gunmar would reclaim the surface and water the land with human blood, regardless of anything Strickler did or didn’t do. One way or another his students were all living on borrowed time, and if Strickler couldn’t spare their lives he would ensure he spared their suffering.
Bular came to a halt with Strickler doing the same, the two having reached their destination.
Millennia ago Strickler had once considered leveraging his position to keep some humans alive and under his protection during the eternal night, but after so many centuries whatever sweetness attached to that idea had long since turned sour.
Gunmar would no doubt respond to such a request by eating the lot of them on the spot. And even if he was successful at protecting some humans, what kind of existence would the eternal night be for them? Living as little better than pets, favored livestock spared slaughter but condemned to watch their would burn, the threat of the knife never too far away should they step out of line. Existing as the lowest of the low under the heels of their Gumm Gumm masters.
The same existence Strickler had suffered through for as long as he could remember.
The heaviness in his gut returned with vengeance, Strickler having to exert some force to disperse it.
No, any attempt at preserving human life would ultimately only be serving Strickler’s own ego. As painful as it would be for him, Strickler would ensure his students’ last memories were of sweetness and peaceful slumber.
Bular sniffed at the boxes piled against the back wall, boxes containing a very special traveling exhibit, pawing through the crates and scrutinizing their contents “You should spend less time on your schemes and more working towards my father’s return,” he groused, not even raising his head from his foraging.
Strickler leveled the troll with a cool gaze “The speed at which the bridge is assembled is irrelevant,”
Bular whirled away from the crates, smoldering glare landing on Strickler “How d–”
“The bridge may as well be rubble without the amulet to open it,”
Bular smoldered in silence, eyes positively burning into Strickler, knowing that the changeling had a valid point but his pride refusing to allow him to admit it.
“Rather than micromanaging me,” he folded his arms behind his back, a perfect picture of professional composure “You should be focusing on your battle with the Trollhunter,”
A coarse growl rumbled out of Bular “The Trollhunter will fall by my hand, I will claim the amulet and release my father, and the humans will burn as we retake the surface for trollkind!”
Strickler nonchalantly polished his fingernails on his shirt “Oh I’m sure you will,”
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So there is a lot of Saying of how Jim changed characters Such as Draal Strickler Angor and Nomura to name a few but not that much of how the character changed him (especially his friends and family ) outside of bein Supportive.
edit - there Amazing headcannos by @albentelisa and by a few more so maybe i would return on Something that people already Said
Also i am not a Writer i'm so not calming it's 100% (well Claire mabye hehe) jk.
Let's Start with the easiest and Probably the most loyal person to Jim and the first Person after Jim that was introduce was his BFF Toby. Toby Represent Jim mortality the fact that he Can be hurt and injured because toby very easily get hurt and injured because he only human and not in the best of shape but besides that he is able to Keep going Which is Why Jim kept going able to do things despite being only human.
(i am well aware that Jim was the one who push to toby to Keep going as well was the first but Jim a lot of the time felt a moment of weakness that he isn't good enough and toby Should him that isn't true it Kinda go visa versa)
another thing about toby is his happiness and he have a Positive out Look of things toby and Jim become friends a short time after his father Left Which is Why Jim able to Keep going as much as he did because toby was always being besides him.
that's Also Why the rott movie was bad because it tainted that idea.
but isn't canon still hunts me a lot of the time.
overall Jim became much more happy and Much less angsty that he Should've been without toby.
moving on to Jim's Crash and Jim's Soulmate the Lovely but dorky Claire.
Claire represent Jim's fear especially the ones who relate to Losing his Loved ones and become evil Plus Lacking in Self belief.
thanks to Claire Jim able or have much easier time overcoming his insecurities his Lack of believing in self to do Something risky Such as the final Push in the bathtub Scene (Part of it obviously is the fact that Claire herself is a bit of a Dork lol).
the thing that Claire gave to Jim was her Love and acceptance that she trust him and he totally deserve the Love and care that Claire give him. as he doesn't need to be fear that he always feel accepted with her.
She is also extremely Smart So she can her only Second to Blinky so she help Jim with things that aren't trollhunting related and Very Powerful So She can Protect Jim when ever he need a hand.
Claire is Jim greatest Love and i think that Jim feel a lot more confidence and accepted because of her.
even tho Jim Claimed that he doesn't care about his father but he def need one and Blinky was the Answer. i believe that Blinky Represent Jim desire for family and being a Leader because both of them becomes Leaders Jim become a Leader at part 1 of Season 1 and Blinky at the end of Season 2 after the Death of Vendel both were hurt by a close family relative Jim by his father leaving him and his mother as a little kid. and Blinky by his brother Joining the Side of gunmmar both able to make their own family Jim found toby as best friend and brother then Blinky became his troll Dad and ARRRGHHH his troll brother. Blinky befriend ARRRGHHH and Adopt Jim as his son.
Blinky made Jim the best trollhunter change him and give Jim a Parent figure that's all the Most wholesome.
Jim need a father figure to guide him in trollhunting world and Also being a father in general. Plus Someone to share his Knowledge with.
so Overall Jim need a guidance of mentor and a father and Blinky answer that call
ARRRGHHH is everyone favorite wingman i do think AREGGGGG represent Jim entering a role that can be very well take your whole childhood away. both were enter the role of a Warrior in a young age i believe that ARRRGHHH form @albentelisa worlds he understand Jim as a role of trollhunter the Most and Probably Jim has much better time dealing with being a trollhunter thank to ARRRGHHH
Also his big heart and Adorable Personality help Jim have much better time entering a Strange world of the trolls well and Blinky and Draal Obviously.
Draal is Jim troll brother one of my favorite relationships in the Series
Draal represent Jim defined by his father both were defined by their fathers until they able to break it Jim but overprotecting his mom and have carry all the responsibilities in the house and Draal by following his Dad's Job of being a trollhunter which is Why is He was a rival to Jim at first
Fun fact - i thought that Draal would be an Antagonist for Jim after he defeated him but i glad that he didn't became one and instead became an ally.
Draal was a role model for Jim because Jim understood honor of a Warrior and Also build confidence in Battle as well. Draal was Protector so much that Jim carried his wish and Kill gunmmar by his name and his death consider to be the best one in the Series.
Draal was able to Change Jim make him better as a Person i feel lIke because of Draal i believe that Jim is even honor then he used to before (he had a lot of honor before that but still) better Adjust to the troll world because he had a troll for a brother.
@pinkytoothlesso11 and @rexnanorum @yavannah @seekerofblades idon't know about the following two these following ones your expert not mine so i feel free to add up if i miss Something.
Barbara is Jim's mom and i think she represent his heart Barbara is Super Compassionate and have a Similar heart to Jim by being a Doctor and helping people both Jim and Barbara were hurt by Jim's father when he let the both of them down.
the Desire to help people so no one will be left out is Something that they both share Jim by being a trolhunter and Barbara being a Doctor.
Jim Learnt form Barbara that he doesn't need to be afraid to share the burden that you carry with your Loved ones. and that lies not matter what the intention behind it can and will damage your relationship with your Loved ones like what happen with them in Season 1.
Thanks to Barbara Jim become more honest Person who will have better time sharing his burden with his Loved ones and put his trust in them.
now to everyone favorite avocado troll nerd dad Mister Strickler. Strickler is one of the few relationships that is more antagonistic cuz Jim and Strickler butt heads a lot in trollhuntes in Season 1.
i feel Like what Strickler represent in Jim is the Desire to be Loved and accepted Sure Jim have toby and Barbara but he bullied and for the first part of trollhunters by the trolls because he was a human and Strickler by being a Changeling both however fortunately get the acceptance and Love Jim by Killing Bular and getting together with Claire and Building a family with Blinky ARRRGHHH and Draal
and While Strickler by getting together with Barbara and creating a family with Jim.
Strickler give further Knowledge about troll history and Changeling history to Jim teach him Combat Moves that Blinky won't teach because they cross his Limit.
Also i feel Like the Credit goes to @pinkytoothlesso11 i feel Like when Jim has a half troll Strickler is one who can understand him the most.
Which is Why at the end thanks to Lovely nerdy Strickler Jim is much easier time handling and Seeking things that others might won't understand.
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Trollhunters! Nomura Au
Final
The third part(2/2)<
This AU was made me and @enniyart
While part of the team, consisting of Nomura, Angor, Blinky, Draal, Aaarrgh, Toby and Jim, went in search of Merlin. Another part of the team with Steve and Eli stayed to look after the exhausted Claire in the Lake house (due to recent events, the house was empty for a very long time).
The journey to the tomb is uneventful. The only interesting moment happens when Merlin wakes up and Nomura says that she is now a trollhunter. This statement makes the Wizard surprised, for a second he looks at Jim, but quickly assumes the usual cynical expression on his face and together with the others goes to Arcadia where an unpleasant surprise awaits them.... The fact is that while the trollhunter and the others were looking for Merlin's tomb, the Creepslayerz, who were left to look after Claire, witnessed her obsession with Morgana (due to the fact that there was more concentration of dark magic in Claire, Morgana's possession occurred earlier than in the original). Steve was already ready to say goodbye to life, but fortunately Eli watched all seasons of "Supernatural", so the first thing he does is throw a jar of salt into the obsessed Claire and lock her in the basement to wait for the rest of the team.
After the rest of the team returns, Morgana is tied up in the same way as the original and they think about how to return Claire to her body. They decide to send a couple of team members to the world of shadows to pull Claire's soul out of illusions. Jim and Toby are called to go to the world of shadows, Angor remains to keep the portal open, and the rest remain to watch the queen of the Eldrich.
While Jim and Toby search for Claire, Morgana tries to manipulate the remaining members of the team. But Merlin begins to do what he does best, infuriate others, and Morgan is already being led to his manipulations and jokes.
Just like in the original, Jim and Toby find Claire's soul and together they expel the witch from her body.
At this time, Gunmar, with the help of Avalon's staff and Strickler, frees Morgana. Gunmar decides that he no longer needs changelings, but Strickler stops him saying that of all those present, only he is aware of what is happening in the world (and with the help of his connections has a great influence in the human world), he also says that he should not underestimate the superiority of people in technical terms. Strickler proposes a plan according to which his changelings penetrate into all important spheres of humanity, and when Gunmar decides to begin conquering the upper lands, humanity will already be destroyed from within and will not be able to provide proper resistance to the Gumgum army. Morgana, who has just been released, agrees with Strickler's plan and Gunmar and Morgana go into the shadows for a while to regain strength after a long imprisonment.
After all she's been through, Claire decides that her parents deserve the right to know what's really going on. At first, Ophelia and Javier do not believe their daughter, but when her teacher from the "exchange school" appears, all doubts disappear instantly.
Thanks to the help of a member of the Nunez council, the team is better able to hide trolls from the trollmarket.
A team of hunters is discussing a plan to defeat Gunmar and Morgana. Merlin tells about the stones of the three shadows capable of summoning the eclipse sword. The trollhunter already has the eye of Gunmar, and therefore the whole team goes for the rest of the stones. It turns out to be quite simple to get the stones of death and birth. Only in the process of extracting the second Draal accidentally turns into a human (he and Nomura even manage to go on a date to a human restaurant. The date itself happened surprisingly well, until Draal started eating curtains). After learning about this, Merlin and Angor finally figure out how to defeat Morgana once and for all. They decide to prepare a potion that, like with Draal, will turn Morgana into a human and when she will become mortal, they will finally be able to kill her.
Angor also decides that they need all the
powers they have and therefore helps Claire create her own shadow staff.
Blinky and Aaarrrgh, as well as in the original, gather allies among the trolls to fight back against Gunmar.
Gunmar also wasted no time and while the trollhunter was looking for the stones of the three shadows, he attacked troll settlements and replenished his army, simultaneously absorbing their hearts of stone, becoming even bigger and stronger because of this.
After that, Morgana begins eternal night (she also breaks Merlin's staff), but when they come to the surface, gumgums do not find a single person.
The fact is that council member Nunez is seeking consent to conduct a training evacuation of the entire city, so all residents of Arcadia are safe.
Morgana, seeing this, immediately begins to ask Strickler what is going on, and then it turns out that Walter has long betrayed her and sided with Gunmar. Morgana is about to kill the changeling, but she is attacked by an Angor that appeared from the portal and takes them to another battle location.
Gunmar at the same time starts a fight against Nomura in the eclipse armor and Draal.
Merlin goes to the ruined market to get a staff, and the rest of the team, together with the Order of Janus, fight against the Gumgum army.
The trollhunters' plan is that Angor should get close to Morgana and poison her with a poison that turns into a human (Angor himself understood that he was unlikely to be able to get out of the battle alive). Claire, when the witch finally turns into a mortal, will deal a fatal blow to the exhausted Morgan, thereby canceling eternal night. At this time, Nomura and Draal will try to restrain Gunmar in an open area, so that when the sky dissipated and the sun appeared, Gunmar fell under his direct rays and turned into stone (the fact is that he became so huge that Merlin was not sure whether the eclipse blade would be enough to kill Gunmar). The task of the rest of the team is to restrain Gunmar's army so that she could not come to his or Morgana's aid.The task of the rest of the team is to restrain Gunmar's army so that she could not come to his or Morgana's aid.
Angor and Morgana begin their battle during which the staff of the shadow breaks and Morgana kills Angor, but he manages to cut her with a poisoned blade. Morgana notices that her wounds do not recover, but remain and begin to bleed. In a panic, she tries to escape to regain her strength and stop the effect of the poison, but Claire, with a new staff of shadow, blocks her path. A long fight ensues between them during which Claire loses her right eye and is again in a dying state, but still she manages to kill the witch.
Gunmar finds himself right under the withering rays of the sun. He tries to find shelter (his skin has almost turned to stone and has become very fragile), but at that moment Nomura and Draal decapitate him. Gunnar dies, but also due to a strong surge of magic, the stone in the amulet splits, and Draal also loses his right arm.
The remaining gumgums, which did not have time to eliminate, are destroyed by themselves due to the death of Gunmar, as in the original.
Eternal Night ends (Merlin, due to the fact that Morgana broke the staff of Avalon, does not regain her powers).
Residents of Arcadia are returning to the city (a little oh.evayut when they see the consequences of the battle against Morgana and Gunmar). And when the team of hunters relaxes, the changelings take over the city and Strickler declares that his plan remains unchanged. Changelings will also destroy humanity from the inside, and then using human weapons they will strike at all the deposits of stone hearts, so the world will belong only to changelings (the world did not want to accept them, and they are not going to accept this world).
Claire goes to the hospital. Draal also becomes incapacitated due to the loss of his arm. Steve, Eli and Toby say that they will fight with the others, but Nomura does not want the children to participate in the massacre, so takes them to the pantry and locks them for a while until it's all over. Jim looks at all this from the side, and then follows Nomura (she did not look for him because time was running out, and she thought that he would have enough brains not to follow her (not enough)).
Nomura (already without the amulet, armed with khopesh), Merlin (still with 10% of his magic), Blinky, Aaarrrgh and the remaining surviving trolls go to storm the Order of Janus.
At this time, it is not Enrique who goes to the dark lands for familiars (let's accept the fact that the Darklands were not destroyed during eternal night).
While the rest of the trolls are fighting the changelings, Nomura infiltrates the headquarters of the Order of Janus (Jim slips behind her unnoticed) where Strickler is now. A fight ensues between Nomura and Strickler during which Strickler prepares to deliver a fatal blow to the hunter....
*BANG*
Jim picks up a crossbow lying on the floor and shoots his history teacher.
The surviving changelings escape from Arcadia. It is NotEnrique who successfully gets out of the Darklands with the familiars in the cradle stone.
Afterword: after the finale, Jimmy and Claire start dating (they fell in love with each other at joint sessions with a psychologist).
Claire continues to practice shadow magic (after the battle, she picks up a piece root of the Angor Rot body and now it grows in her pot).
Nomura, Draal, Blinky and Merlin, along with the rest of the trolls from the market, leave for New Jersey. Aaarrrgh stays with Toby and the others to protect Arcadia.
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