Chapter Text
Jim sat in his window, watching the Domzalski house, spinning his phone on his desk. It was getting dark, he’d seen Toby return home about ten minutes ago, clearly in a hurry. He spun the phone again, watching Toby’s window as a blue light flickered in there. Any second now.
The phone rang, Jim smiled, taking a second to breathe before picking it up, answering.
“Hi Tobes…” He started, before being interrupted.
“Jimbo! You are not going to believe…! You said to go through the canal, and I did, and I found something! You are not going to believe this!”
“Calm down, Toby.” Jim grinned, watching the flailing shadow in the window across the street, before focusing on the yard again. “Deep breath, what did you find?”
“A talking amulet!”
There, something quick but big moved over the fence and slunk in behind the house, followed by something smaller and less nimble.
“Like a toy?” Jim asked, scanning the yard, but he didn’t spot either Blinky or Aaarrrgghh again. They knew to keep out of sight from the street.
“No, not like a toy! It said my name, Jim! It knows who I am! It’s super freaky!”
“Sounds pretty cool…” Jim tried his best to keep his tone light, like he wasn’t taking it seriously.
“It’s not! I mean it is kind of, but… It’s weird! I can’t get it open or anything, and it’s all glowy, and I…”
The silence stretched, until Jim asked gently. “Tobes?”
“I heard something.”
“It talked again?”
“No, from downstairs… Nana is definitely sleeping, though.”
Jim got up, trying not to let the excitement into his voice. “It’s probably just the cat. Do you want me to come over?”
“Yes! I’m going to have a look, just… Hurry?”
“I will.” Jim promised, heading out of the room, just as there was a startled whimper from the other end of the line. “Toby?”
“Oh my god…” Came a hiss, a low rustle in the back. “Jim, there’s something here…”
Jim rolled his eyes at Blinky’s antics, but did his best to sound surprised. “What is it?”
“It’s… I don’t know, it’s… AAAAAHHHH!!”
And then, faintly, over the phone. “It’s Aaarrrgghh, three R’s.” Which nearly had Jim burst out laughing as he skipped down the stairs.
“Toby?”
But all he got was muffled screaming and scuffling until he was almost across the cul de sac. Then Toby came back, whispering in a terrified voice.
“There are monsters! Don’t come, save yourself! They’re huge! Aaaah! They’re outside the door! Jim, you have to run!”
“I’m not leaving you!” Jim assured him. That was the point of all this after all. Saving Toby. And Jim knew there was no danger in that house part from Mrs. Domzalski’s cooking. So in he went, following the sound of scuffles at the top of the stairs.
“Blinky, he looks scared.”
“My good fellow. Do you mind? This is a moment of some solemnity.”
“Solembely?”
“Solemnity, means serious and dignified.”
“Dig-oo-nified…”
Jim peeked up the stair, finding Aaarrrgghh’s backside sticking out of Toby’s door, repressing a grin.
“Please don’t eat me…” Came a whimper from inside.
“Aaarrrgghh, do put him down.”
“Yes, please put me down…”
There was a yelp, presumably as Toby was righted out and put down. Aaarrrgghh moved into the room, Jim sneaking up the stairs.
“Where was I…?” Blinky mused over some scrambling, probably Toby trying to get away from them.
“Found you.” Aaarrrgghh supplied.
“Ah, yes! Master Tobias, we have found you! You have been chosen. The Amulet of Daylight challenges you to ascend to the most sacred of offices!”
“No thanks!”
“Orifices?”
“Offices, means responsibility. Master Tobias, unbeknownst to your kind, there is an entire world, living and breathing beneath your very feet. A civilization made up of trolls, vast and varied, and in dire need of your help.”
“Trolls? What?! How?!”
“Trolls! Indeed trolls! And it is now your duty to protect them, because you, Master Tobias, are the new Trollhunter!”
“Trollhunter!” Aaarrrgghh echoed, and honestly, Jim could not resist.
“Trollhunter?”
He’d have to assume that if anyone had seen him have this very same conversation in his basement, it would have looked just as strange. Toby was half climbed up on his desk, trying to get as far from the trolls as possible. Blinky was in the middle of the room, arms spread, clearly very pleased with his pitch. Aaarrrgghh was next to the door, and turned as Jim entered the doorway, looking at them. There was a moment of silence as all three blinked at him, before Blinky yelped, jumped and scurried to hide under Toby’s desk, eliciting a little yelp from the human as he pulled his legs up to let him. Aaarrrgghh spun a little on the spot, before grabbing the cover on Toby’s bed, draping it over himself, and hunching down. It still only covered the tops of his shoulders, so it wasn't very effective. Toby suddenly realized what was happening, and launched himself at Jim, giving the trolls as wide a berth as he could before reaching him and trying to escape out the door.
“I told you not to come!”
“And I said I wasn’t going to leave you. Besides… They don’t seem dangerous?”
“What?! They’re monsters, Jim!”
“They don’t look that scary. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they seem pretty….” He trailed off, looking at the very ineffectual hiding spots. “Um… Nonthreatening.”
Toby glanced back, relaxing, marginally. “Maybe…”
“Who are you?” Jim asked, stepping inside, trying very hard not to just launch himself into Blinky’s arms as the troll crawled out from under the desk. Same with Aaarrrgghh, who carefully lifted the cover to peek out at him. They were here, and this time, he could keep them safe. Well, safer. All of them. He felt Toby grasp his hand, squeezing it back. This time, none of them were going to get hurt.
“I’m Jim. Seems like you already know Toby.”
“Ah, yes. Hrum…” Blinky straightened himself out, pulling himself to his full height. “You may call me Blinky. And my very good friend, Aarghaumont, or Aaarrrgghh, as he likes to be called.”
Aaarrrgghh pulled the cover off, putting it back on the bed. “Nickname.”
“So…” Jim asked, glancing at Toby, before turning back. “What’s this about a trollhunter?”