A New Beginning

Chapter 6 The Gang

Jim's POV:
(Written by @Kodbro)

I still couldn't believe that I could walk in the sun again. And now that I did, I knew what I had to do. Apologise to Toby.

Alas, my journey of excitement was stopped short when something buzzed in the back of my armour, telling me to take it out and answer it.

It was Claire. "Claire," I said. "Hey. What's up? I was just-"

"Jim. We've got a problem," was the first thing she said. And just like that, my day escalated downhill.

"What kind of problem?" I asked, concerned, stopping in my excitement as I did.

"It's your dad," she said. "He's escape. It was just on the news. But he had help."

"Who?" I asked.

"I don't know. That's why we need you to come home quickly so we can discuss about what we're going to do next and who is behind all of this. I know you can't walk in the sun, but-"

"No. Don't worry. I've got it covered-"

"But Jim-"

"Just trust me," I said, leaving her no choice but to listen. After I hung up, I dashed as fast as I could to my house only to have my mom open the door for me.

"Jim?" She said, for a minute confused. Then her blue eyes brightened at the sight of me standing in the sun. "Jim! I can't believe it. Is it... can you really...?"

"Walk in the sun? Yes. All thanks to Merlin," I said.

"What? Do you mean he finally manage to whip up some SPF5000 only now when you could have used it for Gunmar?" The voice of Toby suddenly asked from behind my mom.

And while it was sarcastic, he did not say it playfully. If anything, he was still grumpy and upset from my last visit.

Oh Tobes. I don't ever remember seeing him like this before. My mom stepped aside at his presence.

"You boys okay?" She asked us.

"Oh totally," Toby replied before I could. I knew he was lying.

I tried to apologise to him through our glaring contest until Strickler's voice suddenly cut through from the living room where everyone else was.

"As much as it is most joyous to have us a back together including our two new comers, Mary and Darci, we do have important matters on our hand to discuss. Such as James Lake Senior and his sudden escape from prison. But Jim. How did you get here? The sun is still up-"

"I can walk in the sun again, Strickler," I told him happily. "All because of the stones. Now that I'm a troll, the Daylight stone actually works."

He ruffled my hair out of happiness before getting back to business. Why does everyone do that?! Only Toby wasn't smiling when I looked back at the group.

Strickler. My mom. Numora. NotEnrique. Claire. Toby. Steve. Eli. Mary and Darci. Only Merlin, Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! were back at Trollmarket where I had come from. The Gang. Was what I wanted to call us.

It helped me to fit in seeing Strickler now stuck in his troll form. He was like a father to me. More than James ever was. And now both being a troll just brought us closer.

"How?" I asked.

"Like I said," Claire said. "He had help. And apparently from someone worse than Gunmar and Morgana."

"Well, what is their name? Strickler?" I asked him since he knows more than us about Trolls and Wizards.

"Well. If legend is right then there is only one person that is powerful enough that I can think of. And if it is who I fear it is, then we are more doomed than we thought."

"Does this ever end?" Eli asked. "First trolls. Then aliens. And now Wizards?"

"Hey Butsnack. You're the one who introduced us to all of them. Remember...? That day in the locker?" Steve said.

"Thanks for that, Steve," Eli said sarcastically.

"But surely, whoever this powerful deity is, can not have possibly let James out by themselves, hey C-Bomb?" Mary asked.

"Who knows?" Claire asked. "These days, anything can be possible."

"And that's not all," Strickler said. "If there is anything I do know about your father, Jim, it's that when he was your age, like you and Toby, him and his best friend were inseparable."

"Who was it?" Darci asked.

Strickler turned to Steve right then. "Your father, Steve," he said.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hold the horses. You mean to tell me that Steve, the one who used to bully Lakey here (no offence, Palchuk)-"

"None taken."

"-his dad was Jim's best friend?" NotEnrique asked in disbelief.

At least I wasn't the only who thought that. Strickler nodded. "I feel like me brain is gonna explode," NotEnrique muttered before jumping off of the coffee table towards Claire.

"It makes sense," Numora agreed. "If so, then that means as well as this new villain, James had help from him too. Who knows what they could be up to now?"

"I thought the battle was over," my mom said.

"Glad to know I'm not alone in that," NotEnrique said, now on Claire's shoulder.

"Then I guess we just have to be prepared for whatever is going to come our way. We've done it once. We can do it again," I said. "We destroyed Bular. Defeated Angor. Revealed the Changelings in our very midst. Slayed Gunmar and Morgana twice magic. Stopped the Eternal Night. These battles are only making us stronger."

"Well put, Young Atlas. But you're forgetting who we are up against," Strickler said. Stopping me abruptly. And just like that, my confidence dropped.

I looked at Strickler then. Hard and serious. "Tell us," I said.

"Morgouse. Her name is Morgouse."