The Shadow's Bane

No More Games

Jim's POV:

"I don't know," I said. Then turned back to look in the reflection of Eclipse only to see that what Hiccup had said was right.

The Mark of Angor Rott's Sigil was once more engraved onto the right side of my face. Or now to think of it, had it never actually disappeared completely and had remained there all this time even after Angor had died?

I remember the battle on the bridge clearly. It was a memory that I could not get rid of so quickly.

I also remembered his last words as if he had been standing before me now before I could plunge Eclipse into him. 
"You played, Hunter," he had said.

Standing up, I soon became aware of Evil Jim now trapped and frozen in the Stasis Trap that I had told Hiccup how to prepare back in the Dragon Academy.

"So this is the so called Red Blur that has been terrorising Berk and Arcadia?" I asked as I circled Evil Jim around the Load Stones.

Having been trapped in a Stasis Trap myself once before by Angor Rott, I knew he was helpless in there. You couldn't move. You couldn't talk. You could only breathe. It was an experience that I would never like to experience again.

Everyone else started gathering around me as I continued to take Evil Jim's appearance in. Then just like my mom had done by accident, I kicked one of the stones away and said, "Sedate him. We need to talk."

And because it took a while to get his bearings and energy back again to run off once he fell out, Hiccup was able to inject Evil Jim with venom that included properties of paralysis. How he got it? That I don't know.

Evil Jim dropped down to his knees quick again once he had been sedated with it. And now that I could see him more clearly, I noticed that he was a lot like me in appearance than I thought. Besides his shorter horns and his smaller incisors, he wasn't that much different from me. It was only his almost human like skin and build that gave his identity away. We shared the same armour. Of course we did because this was the same Evil Jim and I had fought back in the Deep.

"So you finally gave in," Evil Jim started. Then let out an evil cackle as Hiccup and Fishlegs tried to hold him down.

"Jim?" Hiccup asked me. Claire and Toby by my side.

"Keep him there, Hiccup," I said. My voice was firm and controlled when I spoke. Making me slightly more intimidating than I already could be if I wanted it. Then to Evil Jim, "No more lies. No more deceit. No more games. Just tell me who you are. And why you are here? Especially now."

For a moment, Evil Jim just glared at me. Then made one of his creepy smiles. "You already know who I am," he answered. "Your biggest fear, Jim Lake Junior. I was born from the moment you entered the Deep. You must know though, I never left Jim. Ever since you escaped, I had latched myself onto you. I was the Darkness that the Changeling tried to teach you to embrace. Then for your last question, I'm only here now because of your choice."

"The choice to become a troll," I finished.

"I believe I've answered your three questions," he smirked. "As for the Mark of Angor Rott. That betrayal of am Assassin. The Mark has never gone away, Jim. It's always been there. Even after you defeated Angor. The only way to completely get rid of it is to stop me. Since you killed him with the Eclipse Blade, which we both can now wield, I control the Sigil now. Which means that as long as I live, it always be there. And this time... it will be permanent," he smirked.

"Wow," Tuffnut said before Evil Jim could. "I knew our J here was intimidating, but Evil Jim just doesn't sound right."

"Yeah. I was thinking more along the lines of Jim the Just," Ruffnut added.

"Or Jim the Nutt," Tuffnut said. Winking at his sister. Now I knew what Hiccup meant. "It's almost like he has another twin."

"What do you mean by another twin?" Astrid asked from next to Hiccup.

Oh no, I thought. Because as far as I knew, Hiccup had no wish for Astrid to find out about us or anyone else for that matter. Clearly, the twins weren't good at keeping secrets.

"Yes," Evil Jim said. "Do you understand now, Jim?"

I think I did. "Jim. You know you can't trust him," Hiccup said. Behind him came Toothless. Perking his ears up out of caution in case his assistance was required in any times of upcoming attacks.

"Listen to Hiccup, Jim. Then again, listening was never Hiccup's specialty. As for you..."

Suddenly he did the unexpected, but expected thing and lifted himself up before making a dash out of Hiccup's and Fishlegs's grip too fast in order for any of us to react.

"Oh no. Hiccup!" Fishlegs said.

I cursed to myself silently. "How could I be so stupid?" I asked. "Of course he got away. It was all an act.

"Which leaves us still completely oblivious on how to defeat it?" Snotlout stated. We all looked at him. "What? Did everyone of you fail to notice that? And here I thought I was just the fighter. Not the brains."

"Snotlout's right, Jim. But from the looks of it, okay he may not always be right, so think of it as a ratio of 50:50," Toby said.

"Aah... that's not helping Tobes," Claire said. Then, "Hiccup? Why do you have that look on your face that says we need to split up?"

"Yeah. Have you ever seen a horror movie? Because bad things happen to people when they split up in horror movies, Hiccup," Toby said.

"But that's exactly what I'm thinking," Hiccup said.

"Of course he is," Snotlout said. "And every time you do I always seem to find myself stuck with the twins." Next to him, Hookfang accidentally sneezed which caused a plume of fire to escape from his mouth and fall onto Snotlout's head. He immediately began swatting it away out of playful irritation.

"Hookfang," he said. "I told you not to sneeze on me." In answer, Hookfang made a light growl like Toothless does when he talks back to Hiccup.

"Fine. Then Snotlout, you can go with Fishlegs-"

"Really? Fishface?" 
It was Hiccup's glare that made him shut up. "On second thoughts, I think I will take the twins rather since listening to Fishlegs's classes on dragons and his Trivia Cards are something I don't have time for right now."

Then he turned back to us. "While Snotlout and the twins go down to the village to check for Evil Jim, I will go with Astrid and Fishlegs back to my house to look for any signs of him while you Jim, can go to the Dragon Academy where Gobber will be with Toby and Claire. We need positions everywhere. Jim is right. There is no more time for games."

It was a strong order that he gave us. And one that I couldn't turn down. I was just glad to have Toby and Claire with me just as we used to be. Maybe on our way we could try and find out how to put a stop to Evil Jim.

"That was brosistaclly well said, H," Tuffnut said.

As for Hiccup, he only placed a hand on his head out of feigned irritation. "Not this again."

"You good to go, Jim?" Claire asked me, connecting her hand with mine.

"As ready as I will ever be," I said.