In the week after Marinette's birthday, things had quieted down a lot on both the sibling's sides of the globe... which had them on pins and needles. While they were glad for the break, considering both Marinette and Jim had grown to expect some form of violence at the drop of a hat, they didn't like the week-long quiet. Granted, the newly given free time the siblings had was spent in training, so it helped ease the edge off their shared tensions. But it soon became a distant thought in the back of their minds when Jim's birthday drew nearer with each passing day... neither of them having any idea how eventful it would truly be.

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The sun had already risen on Arcadia hours ago... bringing a new danger along with it. But Jim was unaware of it as he slept comfortably in his bed, only to be startled out of his slumber when hearing a loud growl nearby. Upon being rudely awakened and calming his racing heart, Jim's electric blue eyes quickly twisted to the door, finding his mother arriving.

"Wake up, wake up!" Barbara sang as she walked into her son's room, a tray in her hands as she advanced towards him. "Don't want to sleep through your birthday! the doctor nearly squealed, sitting on Jim's bed.

"Birthday?" Jim asked gently, an unsure smile gracing his still-tired face.

"And the big day you start with–" Barbara began as she raised the tray in her hands from her lap and up to Jim. "Mom's special birthday pancakes!" she proclaimed, handing the tray to Jim with a large smile.

However, as her son took the breakfast tray from her, he looked at the meal with a sad look. A candle had been stuck in the stack of flapjacks and a trail of syrup had created a disturbing smile, the eyes of the pancake no help at all as one slowly dripped. In summary, the decoration on the meal had caused the simple food to look - well there were no words Jim could describe how it looked except...

"He looks like he's screaming." Jim observed, wincing at the face on the top pancake.

"He's excited." Barbara stated, hoping to ease the awkwardness already building. "I know, you'd rather forget your birthday. But you're 16! This is a big one and we should do something tonight!" the ginger-haired woman declared as she stood up from Jim's bed and headed to the door, placing a book that had been lying helplessly on the floor back onto a shelf.

"Oh, Mom, you know I don't want to-" Jim whined, only to be cut off when his mother opened his window, letting the fresh air flow in and greet the birthday boy.

"This isn't up for discussion. No one should be alone on their birthday." Barbara argued with a smile, Jim groaning with a roll of his eyes while his mother headed to the door. "When you've had your fill, I have another surprise for you downstairs." the doctor announced as she headed down the steps, Jim sighing to himself again before glancing at his pancakes, the candle still lit ablaze. Deciding to try and be a good sport for his mom, Jim took his fork and poked into the food just before the familiar call of the walkie-talkie pulled him from his misery.

"Warhammer to Trollhunter. Copy?" Toby called out from the device, causing a suddenly surprised Jim to dive into his desk chair.

"Copy. What is it, Tobes?" Jim replied, picking up his own to speak to his best friend in the hopes of distracting himself from his birthday.

"Look out your window!" Toby commanded excitedly. Immediately, the Trollhunter quickly stood over his desk and peered out his window, only to find Toby standing in his room waving his arm happily as he held up a paper birthday cake.

The drawing itself had been made with two layers and three candles were cut out on top, with the first layer having been bitten into and missing a piece while saying: Jim. Fortunately, the bottom layer was still intact and had the number Sixteen written. Even seeing it from his window, Jim was amused to see the cake drawing his best friend had made for him.

"I think a bird or something tore away a piece of your drawing, Tobes." Jim remarked in amusement, Toby happily smiling despite the critique.

"Ah, that was Aaarrrgghh!!!. He thought the cake was real." Toby explained through the device. "Or maybe he just likes the taste of paper." the rounded boy mumbled into the walkie-talkie, watching as Jim turned his back to the window.

"Any word from Claire?" Toby asked from beyond the walkie-talkie, wondering if his best friend had been lucky in that department since the babysitting flop.

"No, she's not returning any of my texts. It's not like I destroyed her house or anything." Jim responded, jumping off from his desk and falling back into his desk chair, the object rolling with him. "Oh, wait. It is." the Trolhunter added, mock perking up before dropping back into his chair in sadness.

"Dude, you didn't destroy her house. Her fake baby brother did." Toby countered from his end, Jim turning to watch as his best friend tried to get the large paper cake back inside the window but failed miserably.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to mention that." Jim sarcastically agreed, spinning his chair in a slow circle while still talking to Toby.

"Have you thought about it? Telling her, I mean?" Toby asked from beyond the walkie-talkie, Jim listening before he dropped his head back with an exaggerated sigh.

"Telling her baby brother's been swapped for a shape-shifting changeling troll because of me?" Jim yelled into the two-way device, watching Toby finally manage to pull his destroyed artwork inside the house. "Is there a Hallmark card for that?" the blue-eyed boy continued, his voice sounding deeper through the speaker than it actually did at that moment.

"If there isn't, there should be." Toby joked from the other end, hoping to raise Jim's spirits a bit. "In the meantime, ignorance is bliss, and I've got a birthday gift for you that Aaarrrgghh!!! cannot eat." the geology nerd announced, a swish being heard on his end as he threw the half-eaten cake drawing onto his bed.

"Toby-Pie! Why is this box empty?" Nana called from downstairs, her voice so loud that Jim could hear it from his end of the walkie-talkie and drawing a groan from Toby.

"Ugh, Aaarrrgghh!!! ate the kitty litter again. Gotta go. Warhammer out." Toby explained, signing off while Jim was still in his chair, his body hung forward before setting down the communication device on his desk. But with the conversation between them done, Jim had nothing preventing him from getting ready for the day, quickly getting changed for what was sure to be an interesting day.

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Now dressed for the day, Jim headed downstairs to see what his mom had in store for him. As he climbed down, the birthday boy spotted Barbara sitting at the dining room table with an identical stack of pancakes in front of her before shoving a fork full into her mouth. But as she ground the food with her teeth before swallowing it, her curious smile turned into a look of disgust. This was followed by her glance at the stairs and capturing the view of her son coming to the ground level of the house.

"Oh! Wait right there! Let me get your presents ready in the garage." Barbara mentioned as she happily hopped out of her chair, causing Jim to freeze in his tracks as she walked over to the young boy.

"The garage?" Jim parrotted in a hopeful tone as he bounced off another step, followed by him picking up the magazine in his school bag as it sat on the bottom step.

"I know you've wanted this for a while, and now that you're the big one-six, maybe it's time. I think you'll get a lot of mileage out of it." Barbara called out from the garage, causing Jim to look up from the Vespa on the magazine's front page before heading to the garage, his excitement growing at the sound of an engine running.

"DID YOU SERIOUSLY GET ME A...?" Jim exclaimed as he ran to the opened side door to the garage, thinking that his mom really did get him his biggest wish.

But when he stepped into the designated room, his smile dropped when he found no Vespa and saw his mom standing over something on the other side of the room. Seconds after he stepped towards his mom, Barbara turned around and revealed Jim's gift, holding a fancy blender in her hands.

"The Food Magic 3000!" Barbara announced, introducing the kitchen gadget to him before the lid dropped to the floor. "From those cooking shows you like. It slices, it dices..." the doctor rambled, listing off the finer points of the blender before noticing Jim's less-than-pleased face.

"And... you hate it." Barbara said, her excitement dropping when she saw Jim's reaction to the gift.

"No, no, Mom, it's great!" Jim hurriedly replied as he unconsciously tucked the magazine in his hands under his arm, causing Barbara's eyes to catch sight of the Vespa magazine and connect the dots.

"Oh, no! You were expecting a...:" Barbara gasped, taking a step back from her son in her self-disappointment. "With the garage and the mileage..." the ginger-haired woman went on, now realizing that her earlier choice of words hadn't helped in convincing Jim to expect otherwise.

"It's fine. I also wanted one of these." Jim mentioned, gently pulling the machine from her hands after placing the magazine down.

"We'll get a Vespa someday, Jim. Just- You know I hate the idea of you on one of those things." Barbara said, assuring Jim that his dream would happen eventually... just not that day.

"I know. But the Food Magic is perfect, Mom, really. I can't wait to cook you something with it." Jim replied, hoping to allay his mom's worries just seconds before the bottom of his new blender fell off. Seeing the small mishap, neither mother nor son couldn't help the chuckle that escaped them while Barbara picked up the bottom bit, handing it to Jim to reattach it.

"Well, I know you'll like this next gift better." Barbara declared, turning around to grab a soft-looking package from the work table behind her and holding it out to Jim. "Marinette sent it a month ago so that you could open it on your actual birthday." the doctor announced before Jim placed the Food Magic to the side and grabbed the package from Barbara, opening it and gasping at the item inside.

"Mari, you shouldn't have!" Jim exclaimed as he pulled out the handmade leather biker jacket from the paper, his eyes and smile wide in his joy.

At first glance, Jim could see that while the black leather jacket was simple in design, it was also made with subtle nods to his Trollhunter duties. Turning it around, he spotted embroidered blue metallic crystals on the shoulder blades of the garment, clearly mimicking Draal's back crystals. Looking at the numerous zipper charms, he also saw that they were carved to look like tiny versions of his amulet. If that wasn't enough, Jim's inspection of the jacket had found a hidden embroidered portrait of Blinky under the lower side pocket flap, and one of Aaarrrgghh!! under the left side of the folded collar. And to top it all off, Marinette had managed to make the usual metal buttons out of blue geodes, mimicking the inner gem of the amulet. In any case, Jim was in awe of the gift his sister had made him.

"Looks like she spoiled you this year." Barbara happily noted as she watched Jim take off his usual jacket and put his new one on, wrapping his arms around himself and clearly loving the feel of it. "You look so grown up in that." the ginger-haired woman managed to say, getting choked up and starting to tear up a bit when seeing Jim wear his new jacket.

"Mom..." Jim softly chided, zipping up his new jacket as he tried to prevent his mom from crying.

"Sorry. I still just can't believe you're 16 already." Barbara said as she wiped the tears about to fall, a watery smile appearing as she took him in. "Where did the time go?" the doctor breathed out, amazed that her baby boy had already grown up.

"Oh, now don't be like that. You'll always be my mom." Jim stated, holding back a few tears of his own as he hugged her in hopes of easing some of Barbara's melancholy.

"And you'll always be my boy." Barbara muttered in reply, returning the hug just as Toby came barreling towards them.

"Jim! You've got to come quick! There's an emergency in...." " Toby yelled as he ran into the garage, trailing off when catching sight of Barbara still hugging his best friend. "The place. With the thing. Not even an emergency." the rounded boy continued, quickly calming down and trying to cover Trollmarket up.

"Hey, is that a Food Magic?" Toby asked, hoping to divert attention away from his almost blunder.

"3000. I'll leave you boys to it." Barbara said before she gently patted her son's chin and backed up to the door. "But, tonight we're celebrating, Jim!" the ginger-haired woman declared, doing a funky dance that the two boys watched with a disgusted look.

"Looking forward to it." Jim mentioned in his disturbed state, the two watching the door close and finally leaving them alone.

"Nice jacket, by the way, dude." Toby remarked, turning away from facing the door and addressing the new garment.

"Thanks. Mari made it." Jim said, smiling before he flexed his muscles to show it off.

"She really outdid herself. It looks amazing!" Toby cheered, slightly jealous that Jim got such a sweet gift while he had yet to get anything special this year, only to refocus on the reason for his arrival. "But seriously, we've got a Defcon One situation in Trollmarket." the geology nerd grimly reported, shocking Jim.

"How do you know?" Jim fearfully questioned his best friend, his arms dropping to his sides.

"I just do! Come on!" Toby exclaimed before taking Jim's hand and pulling his friend away, the simple action causing the Food Magic 3000 to fall from its stand from the resulting gust of air.

Neither boy paid attention to that, however, as they ran to their bikes lying on the grass next to the outside of the garage, unaware of something watching them. But the boys had no idea they were being watched, resuming taking off to Trollmarket to take care of the emergency.

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Upon arriving in Heartstone Trollmarket, Jim donned his armor and the two boys made their way to the Hero's Forge... only to be greeted by a horrifying sight. Trolls of all sorts were running from either swinging or retracting axes, trying to save themselves while Toby and Jim stood at the arena entrance with shock and fear. Their worry was only made worse when Blinky pushed himself through the mess and made it to his Trollhunter.

"It's too late, Master Jim. Aaarrrgghh!!! has lost his mind! Save yourself!" Blinky fearfully exclaimed, giving some context to the situation before a stranded Troll had been thrown into the air behind him.

"I thought Aaarrrgghh was at your house!" Jim yelled to Toby, who nervously smiled before letting out a scream and pushing Blinky out of the way just as the crazed Aaarrrgghh!!! jumped at Jim with a growl. Seeing the large Troll coming at him, the former fifteen-year-old jumped away before he was crushed, backing away from Aaarrrgghh!!!.

"Oh, my gosh. Was it the kitty litter?" the Trollhunter fearfully asked as he backed away, his back soon pressed against one of the haywire blades and keeping him from escaping.

With nowhere to go, Jim was left open for Aaarrrgghh!!!'s large hand to grab the boy's slim waist, pulling him too close for comfort before letting out a booming roar. The mighty breath that escaped Aaarrrgghh!!! ruffled Jim's hair, causing the boy to use his hands as protection while being pushed back by the roar. But instead of the worst outcome that Jim had been expecting, a floor panel lifted into the air behind the vast troll. As it did, the underside was spinning, showing off the countless amount of balloons connected to it and the purple lighting illuminating it.

"What the?!" Jim squawked when he saw the colorful display, breathing deeply within Aaarrrgghh!!!'s hold while the large Troll seemed to calm down. As amusement park theme music suddenly started playing, off to the side of the arena, Blinky and Toby grabbed onto a pair of ropes and pulled them down. This resulted in a sign written in different colored Troll runes folding out from the top of the Soothscyrer in the middle of the raised floor panel, confetti raining down from it as well.

"SURPRISE!" Every one of the previously panicking Trolls yelled out, some of which holding balloons of their own.

"Happy Birthing day, Master Jim!" Blinky congratulated, causing Jim's face to twist with confusion before he realized what had just happened.

"What?" Jim said, only to let out a breathless yelp as a now smiling Aaarrrgghh!!! lifted him onto his hairy shoulder.

"Good actor." the large but loveable troll mentioned, causing Jim to let out quick breaths to calm his racing heart, the action causing his shoulders to lift and drop tremendously.

"Tobias and Lady Marinette informed us of your human surprise birthday customs." Blinky explained as he and Toby stepped in front of his 'master'.

"Seeing as Marinette got one, she and I both figured you deserved one too." Toby remarked as he waved around a deep blue balloon, earning a wide-eyed stare from the still-tense Jim.

"Wait, Mari was in on this?" Jim yelped, not sure how he felt about his little sister being a part of this heart-attack-inducing plan.

"She suggested the party idea... How it was executed was up to us." Toby elaborated, clearing the way for Blinky to retake center stage.

"Are you not surprised?" Blinky gleefully asked, hoping that he and the other Trolls did a good job.

"Uh... That would be one word for it." Jim replied with a nervous chuckle, still processing what had happened.

"I was convincing." Aaarrrgghh!!! added as he reached for Jim, gently setting him back on the ground.

"Sixteen years! A propitious milestone." Blinky proclaimed happily as Jim walked over to him and Toby. "Sixteen is when young trolls master command of their bowels." the six-eyed Troll added while Toby handed Jim the balloon in his hand, both boys making a sound of disgust at the news.

"I'm guessing that's the thing Mari said I'd find out today." Jim noted, now realizing why she had stopped Blinky from saying it earlier. "Got to say... not what I was expecting." the Trollhunter admitted, earning a bashful wince from Blinky.

"The Hero's Forge!" a voice from the other side of the arena cried out, easily recognized as Vendel's before the Elder Troll stepped into view, the party immediately shutting down. "Sacred proving grounds for Trollhunters past, present, and future... reduced to mockery." Vendel groaned in disappointment as he strolled over to the Trollhunter, using the sharp point on his staff to pop the balloon in Jim's hand.

Upon seeing Vendel's unpleasant manner, Jim backed away from the elder and joined his friends as they stood behind him. Unbeknownst to Jim, Blinky was now worried due to Vendel's reaction to the party, all while Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! had no fear while the larger Troll grabbed one of the loose balloons.

"Balloons." Aaarrrgghh!!! said before he bit into the latex ball of air, causing it to burst into pieces. "Pop." the gray Troll cheered, amused by the result of his balloon snack.

"You will remove them post-haste. I don't want anything to delay the Trollhunter's training." Vendel demanded before turning around to leave, prompting all of the celebrating trolls to sigh in defeat. But despite the reaction to Vendel's words, the Trollhunter noticed Blinky flinching before looking at the ground, suddenly finding it interesting as Aaarrrgghh!!! and Toby headed off to remove the balloons.

"He didn't mention Claire's brother." Jim said, using his hand to shield his mouth from Vendel if the elder troll had ever turned around and prevented him from hearing him.

"In his defense, he's never met Enrique." Blinky rebutted, hoping to ease the inevitable shock Jim had received when he realized what his mentor actually meant.

"You mean to say that you didn't tell him about Enrique?" Jim questioned Blinky, followed by a thunderous pop echoing behind them, causing Jim to turn his focus to Aaarrrgghh!!! and Toby. The sound happened to be the result of Aaarrrgghh!!! putting a large white balloon in his mouth, instantly popping it while Toby rode on his back and held a smaller balloon.

"Mm, it pops." Aaarrrgghh!!! hummed before turning the large stone floor, causing another balloon to hang above them while Blinky continued.

"Vendel doesn't believe we have a changeling problem, Master Jim. He certainly won't simply take my word that Claire's brother has been replaced with one." Blinky explained, Jim slouched at the news while Aaarrrgghh!!! continued to pop balloons with his mouth behind him. "I am planning on telling him today, however. So don't worry about it, for now." the six-eyed Troll assured his charge, earning a small smile from Jim at his words.

"But he's right about your training, and what better way to celebrate your birthing day than to work on forestalling your dying day." Blinky declared as he placed comforting hands on Jim's shoulders, pulling him in for a side embrace before the birthday sign fell behind the pair.

Seconds after, the sound of rapid balloon popping had occurred, causing Blinky and Jim to Aaarrrgghh!!! and Toby to see that they finished off the air-filled balls. Both mentor and trainee were left slightly amused by the sight of Toby smiling as he sat high on a proudly smiling Aaarrrgghh's shoulder, an orange balloon still in his hand.

"Mm..." Aaarrrgghh!!! purred in contentment, cutely popping his lips to mimic a balloon burst.

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A little bit later, Jim had begun his training just as a large shined blade lifted from the ground, a panicked look crossing his face before running after Aaarrrgghh!!!. But right off the bat, Jim was distracted.

"You will not always be the quarry, Master Jim. The hunted must become the hunter! Speed and precision are the goals of this drill, Master Jim. You must catch Aaarrrgghh without reliance upon your amulet or the sword it manifests." Blinky explained while Aaarrrgghh happily ran through the activated arena, letting the large blade drop and swing by, missing him but stalling Jim.

"If you are without your weapon, the environment can be your weapon!" the four-armed Troll exclaimed, he and Toby watching from the sidelines while the blade in Jim's path lifted to reveal Aaarrrgghh!!! waiting on the other side. But before he could even move an inch towards his target, a large ax came swinging down right at the Trollhunter.

"Whoa!" Jim yelped as he bent backward, the ax barely missing his face as he evaded the weapon with wide eyes.

"A weapon you use, I mean." Blinky clarified, his and Toby's face filled with fear as they watched Jim's quick dodge. Once the danger passed, Jim stood back up and continued to chase after Aaarrrgghh!!!, causing the large Troll to climb on top of a retracting blade, using it as a ride away from the Trollhunter. However, as Jim looked for a way to catch him, Blinky seemed to notice his less-than-focused state.

"Master Jim does not appear to be himself. I expected the celebration of his birthing day to add some spring to his step." Blinky observed, distressed to see Jim so distracted while Toby could only sigh.

"Birthdays aren't Jim's thing." Toby admitted, earning an intrigued glance from Blinky. "Celebrating other's birthdays, he's all for. It's celebrating his own that's the problem." the rounded boy finished off, both him and the six-eyes Troll watching as Jim had managed to climb up to one of the raised platforms, only to fall onto another one below it.

"For creatures with such a short lifespan, I would think they would be cherished." Blinky said, not understanding what he had been told while they watched the platform Jim was on tipping to the side, throwing him to another one that Aaarrrgghh!!! happened to be on.

"Uh, not for Jim. His birthday always reminds him of the fact that he can't celebrate it with his whole family anymore." Toby explained, the center training platform grinding to a halt just as Jim recovered from his fall and stood face to face with Aaarrrgghh!!!.

"What do you mean?" Blinky asked Toby, further intrigued by the new information he was learning about his charge.

"When Marifairy was born, Jim's family had made it a point to travel to Arcadia so that the two of them could celebrate together." Toby began, regaling his earliest childhood memories with the Lake Dupain-Cheng siblings with a fond look in his eyes while Aaarrrgghh!!! joyfully leapt out of Jim's way, landing on a higher platform.

"But when human children reach the age of six or seven, they start their schooling. As much as Dr L, Tom and Sabine wanted their kids to spend time together, they also knew that their schooling was more important." the geology nerd explained, his fondness fading away into a more somber expression as Aaarrrgghh!!!'s platform was lowered to Jim's level, followed by the Trollhunter's platform tipping to the side again.

"With that in mind, they limited visits to just during the summer. So when Jim turned seven, that year was the last time Jim got to spend his birthday with not just his mom, but his dad, step-mom and little sister." Toby concluded, leaving Blinky shocked by what he had just learned while Jim caught himself from landing on the ground and swung himself back onto an un-tipped platform.

"And sure, it doesn't mean he can't enjoy it, but I think he's been too preoccupied with being the Trollhunter to really do so this year." he added, which sealed the deal in souring Blinky's earlier good mood.

"I had no idea. So that's why Master Jim was eager to surprise Lady Marinette on her birthing day?" Blinky asked Toby, turning his saddened gaze from Jim's chasing just seconds before the center platforms lowered back into the floor.

"Yep. But I don't suppose you'd be able to remedy that, would you?" Toby questioned the Troll, watching as Jim stumbled back from another swinging ax while Aaarrrgghh still had the upper hand in the training, the boy easily falling onto his back.

"I believe I might know just the thing." Blinky declared after some thought to the request, turning his focus back to Toby. "Do you mind if I borrow your phone, Tobias?" the six-eyed Troll inquired, Jim rising from the ground and looking for a way to head off Aaarrrgghh!!!.

"Not a problem." Toby agreed, having an inkling of what Blinky had in mind as he handed his phone to him, mere seconds before Jim climbed onto the only remaining swinging ax.

"There you go, Master Jim!" Blinky cheered when he saw Jim's new perch, his bombing encouragement surprising Aaarrrgghh!!! from the break he was taking to look up and see the Trollhunter on the ax above him. "Now that's how you-" the four-armed Troll began to say, only for Jim to decide to leap off and get the jump on Aaarrrgghh!!!... but it was done at the wrong time and he began falling to the ground.

Luckily for him, Aaarrrgghh!!! had been there to catch him just in time.

"Gotcha." Aaarrrgghh!!! muttered as held Jim in his large hands, the boy's face dropping in disappointment when Aaarrrgghh said that simple word. But despite seeing the look on his pupil's face, Blinky and Toby could only smile at seeing Jim unharmed.

"I'll get right onto that matter we discussed." Blinky declared to Toby, prompting the rounded boy to lean over and open his contacts, clicking on Marinette's. No sooner than he did, it started ringing and seconds later... Marinette picked up the call.

"Hey Tobes! What's up?" Marinette greeted, unaware of who was actually calling.

"I'm afraid I'm not Tobias, Lady Marinette." Blinky replied, earning a second of silence from the girl on the other end.

"Is that you, Blinky?" Marinette asked.

"Indeed. I apologize for the sudden call, but I was wondering if you could help me with something of vital importance." Blinky requested, which had Toby eyeing him in a way that said he was going a little over the top.

"Depending on what the matter is, of course." Marinette replied, causing Blinky and Toby to smile at her words.

"Perfect!" Blinky declared, quickly falling into explaining his idea in full detail.

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While Blinky was getting Marinette to say 'yes' to his plan; which worked out well since her weekend was free for once, things on the surface were taking a turn for the worse. Deep within the woods outside of Arcadia, Strickler walked through the dense foliage and reached a small clearing near an open sewer pipe, planning to meet up with Bular since he called a meeting. The Changeling just stepped over a fallen tree and fixed his coat when he stepped over to a formation of rocks, dusting off his sleeves before looking around.

Bones were the first thing he noticed as they were scattered near the small formation, wreckage and dust also lying around a damaged sewer gate. As the teacher drew nearer to the wreckage, he noticed something glinting in the sun and bent down to pluck the item from the ground. Upon closer inspection, Strickler frowned at the glass-like scale in his hand.

"This is a scale, isn't it? You've summoned a stalkling." Strickler angrily accused as he turned his head to the mouth of the damaged sewer exit, Bular stepping out of the shadows to reveal himself.

"Only to do what we should have done long ago." Bular gravely stated from his place in the shadows, causing Strickler to rise from the ground and stomp over to him.

"Stalklings are as dangerous and unpredictable as they are uncontrollable." Strickler furiously exclaimed to his unwanted colleague, stopping his march when both of them heard a familiar screech in the sky seconds later. With his face twisted in anger, Strickler looked up and found the beast flying in front of the sun, which earned a scoff from the teacher before glaring at the bigger Troll.

"We agreed that any attempt on the boy's life would bring too much scrutiny." the Changeling reminded Bular, stepping closer to the Gumm-Gumm prince and holding the scale out to him, secretly trying to protect Jim from this new threat.

"Which is why I summoned the Stalkling." Bular tiredly explained to Strickler, turning his gaze from the flying Troll and back at the Changeling. "I'm sick of hiding in shadows while this fleshbag stumbles closer and closer to my father's bridge." the Gumm-Gumm snarled, having enough of the close calls they've had with Jim's search for proof of their plans before turning to look up at the circling Stalkling.

"When she gets her prey alone, no one will ever see or hear from the Trollhunter again." Bular declared, Strickler glaring at him in anger for defying his wishes. "Lest they find his rotting bones, of course!" the dark Troll evilly added, cackling while the teacher worriedly looked up at the Stalkling in fear for Jim's life. But neither Bular nor the Stalkling cared for his input as the snarling beast flew away, looking to quickly take care of her prey.

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While the Stalkling was in search of its prey, Toby had decided to help Blinky execute one of the birthday surprises he had in store for Jim by asking the birthday boy to meet him near the Vespa dealership. Blinky wasn't the only one who had a gift planned for Jim, which Toby thought was the perfect excuse to put his plan in motion. Fortunately, Toby didn't have to wait long for Jim to make his way across town to meet him in the alley opposite the dealership... unaware of the Stalkling landing on the roof just above Toby's head. But despite the growl it let out as it watched Jim slowly ride up to his friend, neither boy heard it while Toby looked up from his watch to smile at the arriving Jim.

"All right, chief. Are you ready for your birthday gift?" Toby gleefully asked Jim after he stopped his bike with a squeal, shaking a yellow folder in his hands as he spoke.

"Are we... gonna sue someone?" Jim worriedly questioned his best friend, not sure of how to feel about the folder in the bouncing Toby's hands.

"Nah, that's your gift for your 20th. I'd need Marinette to help me with that one." Toby assured Jim, revealing that he seemed to have a few different plans for future gifts. "Hey, give me your wallet." the rounded boy requested, earning a perturbed look from Jim.

"Maybe you don't know how this whole gift thing's supposed to work." Jim said as he climbed off of his bike, taking off his helmet to put it off to the side.

"Don't worry, I've got it wired. Now give me your wallet." Toby replied, his confidence and all-knowing look winning Jim over as he reluctantly set his wallet in his friend's hands.

With the wallet in hand, Toby opened the leather pouch and looked into it, his gaze quickly falling onto a familiar content inside before he looked at Jim with a smile. He simply then pulled out a picture of Jim and his whole family on Barbara's med school graduation day, the Trollhunter dressed in overly fancy clothes compared to the rest of his family. Immediately, Toby let out a sudden mocking laugh, causing Jim's eyes to grow in size before he gathered himself and frowned.

"Sorry... I couldn't help myself!" the geology nerd admitted as he put the photo back into the wallet, continuing his search for what he truly needed, smiling while shaking his head in annoyance. But it didn't last long when Toby pulled out Jim's learner's license, tucking that into his folder and closing the pouch back up. "Cool. We're ready." Toby declared as he handed back Jim's wallet, walking off to the end of the alley.

"Not this again," Jim mumbled to himself, now having a good idea of what Toby had in mind before his best friend backtracked to him.

"Ha-ha!" Toby cheered, followed by him and Jim walking out from the alley and to the dealership, spying a man shining the headlight of a Vespa displayed at the front. "Good day to you, sir! Lovely weather we're having." the rounded greeted, causing the man to turn around to face the two boys.

"You again?" the Vespa dealer groaned when seeing them, Jim giving Toby a suspicious look while he smiled up at his friend in the hopes of getting him to trust in his plan. "Look, I already told your friend that he can't do a test drive unless you have a learner's permit." the dealership worker said, clearly tired of telling Toby the same thing over and over before the rounded boy pulled out Jim's learner's permit from the folder.

"Hot off the press." Toby announced as he held the car out to the dealer, the worker taking it from the boy and looking at the card to make sure it was legit. Seeing that it was, the Vespa dealer glanced back at the smiling teens, still not satisfied.

"Okay, but I also need an insur-" the Vespa dealer began as he handed back the card to Toby, who took it and gave it to Jim to put back into his wallet.

"An insurance card? Luckily, he's still on his mother's plan." Toby interrupted while pulling out a slip of paper from his prepared folder, leaving the dealership worker stunned before he continued.

"Here's his Social Security card. Trust me, he's got good credit. And just for the fun of it, I also have his library card, along with signed testimonials from his teachers, family and friends." the geology nerd went on, handing the respective cards to the worker and showing off the alleged documents as he handed the folder to the man, leaving Jim impressed. Shocked at how prepared Toby had been, the Vespa dealer snatched the folder from Toby's hand and suspiciously raised the folder to scan over everything he saw.

"Happy birthday." the Vespa dealer mentioned to a nervously smiling Jim, approving of the documents. "But he's still only 16. I need a signature from a parent." the dealership worker announced, still denying Toby's request due to his desire to protect the merchandise. But Toby saw this coming and was prepared for it.

"Would you accept the signature of Mr Franklin and Mr Jackson?" Toby questioned as he pulled out the wad of crumpled money from his pocket, the dealership worker inspecting him with a raised eyebrow before pointing at the boys.

"Thirty minutes. And it better not come back with a scratch." the Vespa dealer warned before he tore the money from Toby's hands and replaced it with a set of keys, the two best friends sharing a celebrating high five.

"Enjoy the ride, birthday boy." Toby proclaimed happily as he dropped the keys in Jim's hand, gently nudging him on the shoulder. He never should have doubted Toby's persistence.

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With thirty minutes on the clock, Jim wasted no time in getting his helmet and starting up the Vespa, soon riding down the street and enjoying the fact that he was riding his dream vehicle. Glancing at the speedometer with a grin as he sped through town, Jim decided to have a little bit more fun with his limited time in the Vespa. He was the Trollhunter, he was already risking everything so why not give the Vespa a little action? While it was a stupid idea... it would be worth it.

A sly grin appeared on Jim's face before he sped up the Vespa, finding himself weaving through construction roadblocks and enjoying himself. The sudden turns and following tricks soon led him to the bridge over the canals, passing through the traffic with ease while making his way to the other side. But the fun was over when a shadow cascaded over him, Jim's grin turning into confusion as looked up to see what had made the shadow, his hand covering his forehead to cut the glare. Unfortunately, he was greeted by a creature flying in front of the sun, coming right at him.

"What the?" Jim mumbled before realizing that the creature's claws were aimed at him, causing him to scream while quickly swerving and ducking from the mysterious creature trying to pull him from the scooter. Fortunately for him, Jim managed to drive off before it could grab him, coming away unscathed and crossing the bridge towards the outskirts of town.

"What the heck! What was that?" the Trollhunter questioned aloud, quickly fixing his side mirror to see if it had still followed him. But while doing so, Jim had twisted his mirror a little and found Steve in it and he rode behind him. "Steve?" Jim yelped, shocked by said bully's presence as he pulled up beside him.

"Nice wheels, understudy. I knew you wanted to be me, but this is pathetic." Steve taunted Jim, still having the ridiculous lisp while Jim kept a lookout for the flying creature.

"This is not a good time right now, Steve." Jim told the bully, his eyes locked on the sky in search of the crazy dragon-like creature.

"Time for what?" Steve interrogated, the two boys being the only ones now occupying the road cutting through the forest.

"Whatever this is!" Jim hastily replied, which only seemed to rile up Steve instead of persuading him to leave.

"Whoa! Are you calling me out? You want to race?" Steve demanded, his Vespa swerving a little as he yelled at Jim, clearly not able to handle the vehicle.

"No! What I want is to have nothing to do with you!" Jim frantically replied as the two drove down the street, their engines humming as they sped up and the creature's shadow passed overhead.

"You think you can take me, buttmunch? Bring it!" Steve challenged Jim, speeding off past the Trollhutner with the simple line while Jim focused on the skies rather than Steve.

"I don't want to bring anything!" Jim called out to Steve, his eyes suddenly catching the Stalking in the rearview mirror. Terrified of it, Jim immediately sped up, easily passing Steve and instantly making him think it was truly a race.

"Oh, yeah, I'm totally gonna crush you!" Steve proclaimed with a grin, showing his gap before he picked up speed, drifting around Jim who still had no care for the race. But after Steve passed by him and swerved into the other lane; the one he wasn't allowed to drive in, a car suddenly came by. With a shout from the driver, Jim's eyes grew wide as he watched Steve evade the incoming car and his Vespa started going haywire.

"My wheels!" the blonde olf cried, his vehicle going off the road and causing him to hit the thick root of a tree, flying from his bike while Jim drove past him. In the end, Jim was all alone again... leaving him an easy target for the pursuing creature.

"Uh..." Jim gulped when he saw his situation, followed by him frantically fixing his mirror and finding the Stalking right on his tail and swooping down at him.

Seeing the threat chasing him, Jim's hand tightened around the handle as he sped up and drove away from the beast, who still managed to have a good distance from him. Hoping to avoid the threat, Jim tilted his head just in time to see the creature diving down at him, finally giving Jim a good look at what it looked like. But Jim didn't have much time to take it in before the creature moved in front of him and opened its paws, ready to take the boy away. Fortunately for Jim, he managed to move around the large Troll-bird, forcing it to nearly crash into the cement before it lifted itself from the ground again.

Once back in the air, the creature attempted to take Jim again while the boy tried to escape, managing to get a claw to grip Jim's shoulder and lift him and the Vespa off the ground. But with how awkward the angle was, Jim managed to get the creature to lose its grip and drop him back on the ground, the flying Troll-bird flapping up into the air above. As the creature prepared to attack again, Jim finally had enough and pulled out his amulet.

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" the blue-eyed boy shouted as he kept driving his borrowed Vespa, a wave of blue light surrounding him and blinding the creature for a moment as Jim donned his armor.

Now armed with his sword, the Trollhunter swung his weapon in the hopes of hitting the new enemy, still managing to keep his dominant hand on the Vespa controls.

After a few swings, the familiar sound of his sword managing to cut something finally occurred before the creature cried out in pain before tumbling to the ground in front of the Vespa. Seeing the beast coming at him, Jim swerved around it and drove past, leaving the creature behind as it let out a piercing roar before it took off into the skies to find a place to lick its new wound. With the threat no longer chasing him, Jim's armor faded away as he slowed down the Vespa, breathing heavily and watching his surroundings to make sure it was gone. Once his heart was at a more manageable pace and the creature was gone, Jim drove off, hoping to find out what just attacked him.

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Back down in Trollmarket, Aaarrrgghh!!! was standing at the exit to the Gyre station, a sack in his hands as he waited for something. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long when a glowing red Gyre came shooting in, docking at the station and slowing to a halt. Once it stopped and the glow faded, Blinky could be seen in the cockpit, waving at his large friend with a smile.

"Got her?" Aaarrrgghh!!! asked his friend... only to be responded to by the sound of retching in the back of the Gyre, earning a wince from both Trolls.

"Yes, I did!" Blinky replied as he walked away from the cockpit, opening the Gyre side door just as a shaken Ladybug walked up to him.

"Ooooh... I knew I shouldn't have eaten earlier." Ladybug moaned as she slouched in on herself, she and Blinky walking down to the ground while she wiped her lost lunch off her mouth.

"Apologies for the rough ride, Mistress Ladybug. I would have thought you'd be used to it after experiencing it before." Blinky apologized profusely, feeling guilty that Ladybug was feeling crummy.

"I've only been on a Gyre once before, Blinky. But I thank you for the apology." Ladybug remarked before she composed herself, resuming her usual state of decorum now that she could see straight again. "In any case, I'm glad that you came to get me to surprise Jim. I didn't know beforehand if I would have enough time to visit him." the spotted heroine admitted, happy that she had the chance to spend time with her brother on his birthday like so many years ago.

"My pleasure, Mistress Ladybug. When Toby explained Jim's aversion to his birthing day, I knew seeing you would be a welcomed surprise." Blinky responded, glad to hear that Ladybug was still happy to be there before a look of thoughtfulness passed his features. "But there is another reason I requested your presence." the six-eyed Troll announced, earning an intrigued look from Ladybug, a questioning eyebrow raised at Blinky.

"Why is that?" Ladybug asked, her arms crossing over her chest as she probed for answers.

"It has something to do with the contents of the bag Aaarrrgghh!!! is holding." Blinky explained, followed by him pointing to the bag in the large Troll's hands and causing Ladybug to walk towards him. Seeing Ladybug approach, Aaarrrgghh!!! held out the bag to her, allowing her to open the top a bit and suddenly see NotEnrique squirming inside.

"OY, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" NotEnrique hollered when he looked up and saw Ladybug, prompting her to quickly close the bag and look at Blinky in bemusement.

"So this is the little imp that ruined Jim's chances to woo Claire, I'm assuming?" Ladybug inquired Blinky, drawing a nod from the second largest Troll in the vicinity.

"Yes. NotEnrique has proven to be quite the handful. Even in the short time he's been with Aaarrrgghh!!! and I." Blinky admitted, earning an amused smile from a suddenly chuckling Ladybug.

"Toby must have named him then." Ladybug mumbled to herself, looking at the ground while softly shaking her head at the news, soon looking back up at the two Trolls. "So I'm guessing you're going to pester Vendel about the bridge again... with both myself and NotEnrique as proof?" the heroine in red questioned, her mind working overtime to figure out what Blinky had in mind for her presence in Heartstone.

"Indeed. Though I believe we'll need some help from a certain kwami companion of yours to seal the deal." Blinky responded, now hinting at how they could finally convince Vendel of their claim.

"Whatever you need, I'm willing to provide. Now, let's go find Vendel and put this matter of proving the threat of Killahead Bridge real to bed." Ladybug declared, eager to make it happen as soon as possible.

"Let us go!" Blinky exclaimed, causing them all to leave the station and head out to find Vendel.

It took them a while to search the market for Vendel, but after Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!! and Ladybug peeked around a corner, a grin appeared on Blinky's rectangular face. Immediately, the others in the party knew that he had found Vendel, soon seeing Blinky gesturing to follow him to leave the corner, the six-eyed Troll walking proudly towards the elder of the city.

"Ah, Vendel! Just the troll we've been looking for." Blinky loudly greeted the aging Troll while Aaarrrgghh!!! and Ladybug followed behind him, the dead look written on Vendel's face growing worse when he heard Blinky speak.

"Don't stop looking at my account." Vendel tiredly suggested as he continued to walk, a stack of books in his hands.

"But it is imperative that you look upon this." Blinky announced when he and his companions caught up to the old Troll, causing Vendel to stop walking and turn to see as Aaarrrgghh!!! pulled out NotEnrique from the sack.

"Easy on the scruff!" NotEnrique whined from Aaarrrgghh!!!'s hold on him, only to flip out of the large Troll's fingers and onto his fist. "And what are you staring at, Grandpa? Have you ever seen a Changeling before?" the tiny Changeling snarked at Vendel when seeing the old Troll staring at him, climbing onto Aaarrrgghh!!!'s back before he inspected the area.

"So, this is Trollmarket." NotEnrique mused aloud, taking in the sight of the hidden city before Aaarrrgghh grabbed him, holding the little pest in front of Vendel to make sure he saw him.

"A changeling?" Vendel exclaimed, clearly shocked at the tiny Troll's presence.

"Yes, it is. Just as Jim and Blinky have been trying to tell you all this time!" Ladybug said as she came out from behind Aaarrrgghh!!!, further shocking Vendel with her presence.

"Mistress Ladybug! You are here as well!?" Vendel questioned the heroine, processing all that he had just been shown.

"Indeed. It is truly an honor to meet you in person, Vendel. I am grateful to have the opportunity." Ladybug greeted the elder of Heartstone with a bow, effortlessly switching to Troll after her many hours of practicing and leaving the four Trolls impressed.

"It is an honor to meet you in person, as well. Your Trollish is impeccable, My Lady." Vendel complemented, mimicking her bow out of respect to the Miraculous Holder.

"Ladybug is fine if you don't mind, but thank you." Ladybug said as they rose from their bowing, still not used to the fancy titles the Trolls referred to her by. "As to why I'm here, I came to confirm that the Bridge truly was in the museum that night my brother went after the Goblins." the spotted heroine announced, earning a questioning glance from Vendel.

"And how do you propose your plan to prove that? I've already seen the photos you provided." Vendel reminded the teen hero, which only caused her to smirk up at the old Troll towering over her.

"I'm sure my kwami, Tikki, would love to confirm that she and I both saw the bridge that night. Would that finally be enough proof for you?" Ladybug asked, once again leaving Vendel shocked and prompting Blinky to smile as he stepped forward to join the conversation again.

"You called me crazy, but who's the mad troll now, huh? Behold! I have proof!" Blinky joyfully remarked while NotEnrique struggled in Aaarrrgghh!!!'s grip, quickly finding that he couldn't escape.

"Put that thing away!" Vendel demanded the group, pulling them off to the side of the main path just as NotEnrique hit Aaarrrgghh!!!'s fist out of frustration. "What are you trying to do? Incite a panic?" the elder of Heartstone interrogated Blinky, wondering just how desperate he was to risk causing an incident just to prove he was right.

"Ey! I only came here 'cause you promised me socks to eat." NotEnrique whined from Aaarrrgghh!!!'s hand, glaring at Blinky to make good on his promise.

"And you'll get them." Blinky tensely assured the Changeling, slightly turning his heated gaze from Vendel to NotEnrique as he spoke.

"They better be argyle." NotEnrique said before Aaarrrgghh!!! shoved him into the bag again, only for his fist to pop out of it a second later. "And smelly!" the tiny pest added as he pointed an accusatory finger at Blinky, his arm popping back into the bag before Blinky rolled his eyes at the demand. With a sigh of annoyance, Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and opened it, reaching into her weapon and retrieving one of the socks Blinky had gotten for NotEnrique, stuffing it into the sack.

"There's more where that came from if you keep quiet." Ladybug said to the tiny pest, feeling the sock getting yanked from her hand before she pulled her limb out from the sack again.

"Now that's more like it! These clowns could learn a thing or two from you, bug girl!" NotEnrique exclaimed from within the bag, causing the group to collectively roll their eyes at him before Blinky turned his focus to Vendel.

"Do you finally believe me? Changelings, therefore bridge." Blinky stated, causing Vendel to grab Blinky by the shoulders and move him to the other side of the alcove they were using.

"Bridge, therefore panic." Vendel countered, pushing Blinky into the alcove wall. "Have you heard nothing I've said?" the old Troll questioned Blinky, neither seeing Aaarrrgghh!!! opening the bag to check on NotEnrique... only to find it empty.

"Hole." Aaarrrgghh!!! reported, looking at the chewed-through puncture at the bottom of the sack and drawing Ladybug's attention to it as well.

"Where did the little pest go?!" Ladybug quietly exclaimed, trying not to interrupt Vendel and Blinky's conversation while they started searching for the small Changeling.

"But for once, you're right. And the horror of it. The threat of Gunmar's exile is right over our heads and all Trollmarket has to protect it is your human Trollhunter child." Vendel grimly stated, Blinky listened with an unamused look while his words pulled Ladybug from the search for NotEnrique.

"Hey, that's my brother you're talking about. While I don't mean to offend you, Vendel, I encourage you to have more faith in him." Ladybug advised, gazing at Vendel for the less-than-flattering comment about Jim.

"Mistress Ladybug is right! You can trust the Trollhunter. In the face of the greatest danger, he will stand steadfast and gallant." Blinky declared, only to have Jim come running in screaming, getting the whole group's attention.

"Blinky! Blinky, you have to save me! A huge troll bird, like a jetliner with claws, just tried to kill me!" Jim panicked, forcing Blinky to quickly cover Jim's mouth with his multiple hands as he nervously smiled at Vendel at the sudden awkwardness. But the panicking mood Jim was in suddenly eased up when he saw Ladybug standing next to Aaarrrgghh!!!. "Ladybug? What are you doing here?!" the Trollhunter questioned, his eyes wide when he saw his little sister.

"Surprise!? Happy Birthday!?" Ladybug bashfully cheered, doing a nervous jazz hands before Jim pounced on her.

"Oh, you have NO IDEA how happy I am that you're here! I need your help!!" Jim exclaimed, hugging her so tightly that she could barely breathe in his arms.

"How could I not be put at ease by such gallant bravery?" Vendel rhetorically inquired Blinky, a flat tone filling his voice as he glared at the six-eyed Troll.

"I'm... glad to see... you too, Jim. But I... can't BREATH!!" Ladybug managed to say, each word forcing out more air from her lungs and pulling Jim out of his relief.

"Oh, sorry!" Jim yelped, quickly pulling away and letting Ladybug take a deep breath. "Better?" the blue-eyed boy asked, placing a hand on her shoulder to keep his sister steady.

"Much, thank you." Ladybug replied, her breath now regular before she turned her gaze to her brother. "But what's this about a Troll bird thing attacking you?" the spotted heroine questioned, her worry for her brother now eclipsing her earlier desire to breathe.

"Stalkling." Aaarrrgghh!!! simply stated as if the creature was nothing to worry about, turning in circles in search of Not Enrique as he spoke. Fortunately for the large Troll, Aaarrrgghh!!! found the tiny Changeling cuddled on his shoulder, sleeping soundly before he pulled him off and awoke the little pest. "Very nasty." the gray Troll added as he held NotEnrique in his hand, the tiny Troll blowing a raspberry at him.

"Stalkling?" Jim and Ladybug parroted in confusion, unfamiliar with the creature.

"Stalkling?" Blinky repeated in shock and worry, two of his hands covering his wide mouth out of reflex.

"It was flying in daylight. How could it fly in daylight?" Jim questioned the Trolls, prompting Vendel to pull out one of the books he had been holding and flip to a certain page.

"Stalklings are one of the few species of troll immune to the effects of sunlight." Vendel explained as he held the book out to Jim and Ladybug, the two of them looked at the photo depicted.

"That looks not nearly as scary as what attacked me." Jim admitted, causing Ladybug to look at him in worry about the news.

"That's because those unlucky few who are caught alone with it never live long enough to depict it." Vendel replied, closing the book before looking at Jim in intrigue. "I'm curious. How is it that you're not disembowelled?" the elder of Heartstone asked, only to earn a mortified look from Ladybug.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that!? I'm not sure if I heard you right when you said, 'disembowelled'!" Ladybug squawked, not believing that this new threat was capable of doing that to its victims.

"I hit him with my sword, I think." Jim said in reply to Vendel, once again placing a comforting hand on Ladybug to calm her down before she spiraled into a panic.

"You struck a blow against a Stalkling? What gallant bravery!" Blinky proclaimed, hoping Vendel would finally believe that such a human could protect Trolls.

"Well, it was more like luck than–" Jim began to admit, looking up from his sister to give an accurate recount of what happened.

"Incredibly heroic and brave and Trollhunter-ish." Blinky interrupted, cutting his master off again to add another little lie as he wrapped Jim and Ladybug in his arm, leaving both humans utterly lost on why Blinky had been acting this way.

"We shall see." Vendel said, earning a worried look from Ladybug as Blinky let them go from his hug.

"Why do you say that?" Ladybug questioned the elder, worried for the answer.

"Once a Stalkling marks its target, it... well, stalks it till death." Vendel replied as he walked away, leaving both Jim and Ladybug shocked by the news.

"That doesn't sound good!" Jim cried, not hesitating to put his two cents on the news.

"Uh, no doy, Sherlock!" Ladybug exclaimed, glaring at her brother for stating the obvious before focusing on the matter at hand. "What are we going to do!?" the spotted heroine inquired the Trolls with them, hoping they had an answer to fix their new problem.

"Fear not. As long as Master Jim is not alone, he will remain unharmed." Blinky assured the siblings.

"You mean, I can't be alone for the rest of my life?" Jim questioned Blinky in disbelief, he and Ladybug appalled by the statement.

"Is that a problem? You seem quite social." Blinky asked Jim, both of the humans stares speaking at themselves as if they were speaking the word: 'really' to the mentor Troll.

"Where the heck did you get that idea from?!" Ladybug yelled at Blinky, not believing that the Troll truly thought that was the case. "No offense, Jim." the heroine in red apologized, turning to her brother when she realized that she inadvertently offended him.

"None taken." Jim grimly replied, knowing that she was right. But that wouldn't help him in the long run if he was going to survive the day... let alone any day after.