Blue Moon Rising

Chapter 2: Becoming: Part 1 (II)

Don't own Trollhunters or any of its characters

In spite of his insistence that he would take the tunnels, Atlas chose a different direction. The sewers irritated his nose and, truthfully, were just plain disgusting. Humans were rancid creatures. His shortcut was just as barren of humans as the tunnels were, a small backroad paved with trees and hills, stretching all the way to his intended destination.

He leapt from tree to tree, claws scrapping against the bark. The hood of his cloak kept falling off, causing him to have to pause and readjust it every minute or two. Not that it mattered. Humans rarely looked up. He would be fine.

Flipping off the tree to the ground perfectly (okay, that was a lie, he stumbled and stubbed one of his toes), he slid down the side of the canal, heading toward the recently deceased Trollhunter's remains.

Just a simple grab it and go mission, nothing more, nothing less. Atlas crouched to the ground, digging through the rubble.

JAMES LAKE

The hairs on the back of his neck rose as if electrocuted. His entire body seized up. The name carried meaning, but the teen did not know why.

Atlas froze, scanning the area, "Who said that? Show yourselves."

His ears twitched as the sound of tires drew closer.

Shit. Frantically, he scanned the area for a spot to hide.

He leaped back from the rubble, running up canal wall to the bridge. Concealing himself behind one of the columns, he waited, watching, all the while trying to calm down. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

Why did that name bother him so much? It was like an itch he couldn't scratch. He knew that name, somehow.

It didn't matter. Atlas had a job to do.

"Whoa!" A human came barreling down the side of the channel.

It was a boy around his age, give or take a year. Atlas watched, brows coming together. He looked familiar.

Atlas leaned away from the column and drew closer to the edge, spying on the other.

The human boy drove down the canal like a bullet then went halfway up the other side, only to ride down again and crash his bike. Atlas snorted, then covered his mouth. The teen panted, wiping away sweat from his forehead as he settled down next to the rocks, unintentionally sitting on the Trollhunter's face.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" The human hit himself upside the head. "Ugh. Should have accepted the tardy. Well, I'm never doing that again."

The rocks below the boy began to roll, causing the teen to yelp. Atlas stood up from his crouching position as a shining blue light came into view.

Atlas wasn't alone; the human noticed as well, mouth open in awe as he dusted off the residue and held it up to the light.

"Whoa. What's this?" His fingers tapped against the dial.

JAMES LAKE

Both teens screamed. Atlas lost his footing, slipping atop the beam and banging his horn against the metal, the screech it produced so loud it broke his cover.

Immediately, the human looked behind and above at the source of the other voice, squinting at Atlas.

Oh crap, Atlas thought, frozen in fear.

His limbs refused to move. The voice had boomed within his ears, leaving them ringing.

Why was the amulet calling for this "James Lake"? Was this normal?