Unbeknownst to CockyJim and Gina, the Trollhunter was right about Toby leaving school already but not about him heading home after class. Like Toby promised Marinette, he raced down to Heartstone Trollmarket to find Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!! in the hopes of them being able to help get the real Jim back. It did take a bit to search their usual haunts, but he finally went to look for them in the Hero's Forge, where Aaarrrgghh!!! was lifting a large platform from the stone ground, a strained face present as he grew tired.

"Higher. Just a little higher." Blinky said from beneath the platform Aaarrrgghh!!! was lifting, popping his head out from beneath the rock that had left a gaping hole after his companion was unable to do so.

"Arms hurt." Aaarrrgghh!!! groaned, letting the heavy platform lower just slightly due to his tiredness.

"Focus on how much Master Jim's arms will hurt should this training equipment malfunction." Blinky countered, a little appalled by Aaarrrgghh!!!' s wavering strength as he placed a hand on the bottom of the platform to prevent it from crushing him.

"Blinky! Blinky! Wingman! We've got trouble!" a panicked voice coming towards them called out, the two Troll's current task being interrupted when they turned and saw Toby running into the arena. "It's Draal. I mean, it's Jim. But it's Draal's fault." Toby rapidly explained once he reached them, not even gasping for breath after his continuous exercise alongside Jim. A new personal best if he would say so himself.

"Did Draal kill him?" Blinky worriedly wondered, immediately thinking the worst when seeing Toby's worry. "Oh, I never should have consented to Draal supplementing Master Jim's training." the six-eyed Troll fretted, standing in the vast control panel under the platform.

"He didn't kill him. He gave him something. It's like a totem. A 'great shake' or something. It's making Jim crazy." Toby elaborated, finally getting his point across to his Troll friends.

"Crazy?" Aaarrrgghh!!! asked, struggling to keep the rock up as he looked at his wingman.

"Yeah! It's like he's drunk or something. He's completely without fear or impulse control. And he's totally 'crispy.' " Toby vented, his explanation leaving Blinky even more worried as he crawled out from the hole he was in.

"Tobias, this totem... was it a Grit-Shaka?" Blinky asked, having an idea of what the 'great shake' the rounded boy was referring to.

"Yes! That's it!" Toby declared, happy that they knew what he was talking about.

"No fear." Aaarrrgghh!!! stated before he slammed the platform down, happy to be free from the task for the moment.

"That's how it works on Troll physiology, yes. But how will it act on a human?" Blinky thought aloud, a questioning look appearing on his face as he pondered the idea.

"Not good, I'll tell you that much." Toby remarked, which worked to quell Blinky's query for now. "We've got to find Jim and get that thing off of him ASAP!" the rounded boy exclaimed, prompting him and the two Trolls to run out of the Hero's Forge to find CockyJim before he did any more crazy stunts.

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Fortunately for them, it didn't take long to find CockyJim; who had made his way to Heartstone after his argument with Gina to get his mind off of the interaction. This is how CockyJim found himself sitting in Trollmarket's tattoo parlor, the jacket Marinette gave him tossed to the side and leaving him in his white t-shirt as a buff troll stood behind him with a large hammer and a chisel.

"Give me a tattoo of a broken heart. With a crack in the middle. And make it weep." CockyJim requested, followed by the troll getting ready to pound the metal into CockyJim's plushy flesh.

"Cease this madness!" a voice quickly yelled out from nearby, causing CockyJim and the tattoo Troll to turn and see Blinky had been the one to interrupt them as he pushed a troll from his view, revealing his companions as well.

"Hey! Perfect timing, buds! Let's all get tats!" CockyJim said excitedly as he laughed, stretching his hand out to them. "Fellowship! High-five?" the Grit-Shaka-influenced boy cheered, only for his three friends to stare at him in concern.

"If you would give us a moment." Blinky mumbled to the tattoo Troll, who simply walked off at the request. Meanwhile, CockyJim gently patted his hand against his own since they were leaving him hanging, smirking despite the worried looks he received. "Great Gronka Morka, it's even worse than you said." the four-armed Troll said to Toby, his hand going to his forehead in an attempt to soothe his oncoming headache before turning to face his pupil.

"Master Jim, the Grit-Shaka." Blinky demanded, holding out his top-right hand for CockyJim to relinquish the totem to him.

"Ha, ha! Cool, right?" CockyJim questioned as he pointed to it, grinning like the arrogant fool he was acting like. "I mean, crispy." the Trollhunter corrected himself, his voice deepening as he finger-gunned Blinky.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'unholy' and 'disturbing.' "Blinky countered, glaring at the offending necklace in anger.

"Dangerous!" Aaarrrgghh!!! added in, his thick finger pointing at CockyJim while he protected the necklace.

"That, too." Blinky agreed, followed by him pushing his larger companion's finger out of the way before turning back to CockyJim. "Master Jim, that is a Gumm-Gumm totem, which is reason enough to be wary of it. But the fact that you are a human makes its effects unpredictable!" the six-eyed Troll lectured CockyJim, whose happy mood dropped when his friend had put a stop to his fun like many others tried to do so earlier, his face contorting into a mopey frown.

"And that necklace is not a good look for you." Toby said as he pointed an accusing finger at CockyJim, channeling the inner fashionista that he gained after years of helping Marinette with her designs.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is this? An intervention?" CockyJim questioned his friends, all while pulling the large hand of the Tattoo troll near his back.

"If need be." Blinky replied as he quickly pushed it away, denying CockyJim of his tattoo... which would have killed him if he got it the way Trolls do.

"Well, need not be! Mari, Claire and Grandma already tried that and failed. I'm fine. I am better than fine." CockyJim declared, neither party seeing the tattoo parlor Troll backing away in the hopes of avoiding any involvement in the growing tension between the Trollhunter and his friends. "And if you want the Grit-Shaka, you're gonna have to take it from me." the blue-eyed boy challenged the trio, standing up and keeping the amulet clenched in his hand behind his back.

"Come on, Jimbo. We don't have to go there." Toby said with a sigh, not wanting to fight his friend. But his hopes for that were thrown out the window when CockyJim pulled out the key to his armor, revealing it to the group.

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" CockyJim proclaimed, speaking the incantation weirdly before the transformation began. "Holla!" the Grit-Shaka-influenced boy yelled as he was pulled from the ground and circled in metal, the armor connecting piece by piece as he grinned.

"Or maybe we do." Toby spoke when Jim finally landed on the ground in a pose, totally done with his friend already.

"That's right! Uh-huh! I just went there!" CockyJim taunted as he stood with satisfaction, only for Aaarrrgghh!!! to growl as he gently shoved Blinky out of the way and started advancing on CockyJim.

"Be gentle with him." Toby said from the back, still hoping to settle this matter peacefully.

Once again, Toby's hopes were futile when he and Blinky observed CockyJim lettingAaarrrgghh advance before diving out of the way with an achieving laugh, knowing that the large troll had missed him. Turning around, Aaarrrgghh!!! was stunned to see he had failed to catch CockyJim, his target still free and kneeling on the ground across from him. With another roar, the large gray Troll dove at the Trollhunter again. But CockyJim jumped back from him, forcing Aaarrrgghh!!! to land on the ground before stepping on his back and jumping into the air to land directly behind him.

"A-ha!" CockyJim exclaimed excitedly before taking off, happy to have escaped for the moment while Blinky stared at the scene in awe.

"The Grit-Shaka has changed him, indeed. Master Jim was never this nimble." Blinky excitedly pointed out, punching the air a few times before looking at Toby with a smile and seeing the 'Not pleased' glare Toby was giving him. "I mean, this is terrible!" the four-armed Troll quickly corrected, following after CockyJim seconds before Toby called out to his friend to reason with him. They needed the normal Jim back.

"Master Jim, I beg you, do not lose yourself." Blinky called out to CockyJim as he, Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! chased after the elusive boy through the Trollmarket.

"Lose? I found myself! And I wasn't even looking for me." CockyJim stated as he kept running from his three pursuers, the shopkeeper Trolls watching them in wonder as if to know what was going on.

"The Grit-Shaka's effect on you is false, which makes it dangerous..." Blinky argued from behind CockyJim, who dodged an oncoming Troll in his path while the group still followed behind him. "You should always be afraid! If Bular attacked you in this state..." the six-eyed Troll continued to warn CockyJim, only to watch as he quickly turned a corner in the path and jumped off a small set of stairs, letting out a high-pitched 'Hiyah!' as he went.

"...you would not be able to defend yourself!!" Blinky finished as the group turned the corner and jumped down the stairs as well, Aaarrrgghh!!! quickly setting Toby on his back as he followed.

"Oh, yeah? I'll show you. I'm not afraid of Bular! I'm not afraid of anything!" CockyJim yelled behind him as he ran, so sure of himself before he turned his focus back onto the path ahead of him and caught sight of a few gnomes resting on a small shop canopy ahead of him. "Wait a minute." the blue-eyed boy muttered to himself in thought, followed by a laugh now that he had a plan in mind to lose his pursuers.

With that, CockyJim summoned his sword mid-run and jumped into the air, letting his sword pull on the cloth canopy before letting it go, causing the gnomes to fly with a cheer. As they flew, they played into CockyJim's plan perfectly and started falling right towards Blinky, who let out a scream as he watched them fly towards him and his companions. Fortunately, two of them landed beside him, leaving only one to land right on his face. Blinky quickly lifted the small creature off with a yelp, watching as the gnome yipped and struggled in his grip with angry chatter.

"Scum of the Earth!" Blinky yelled before throwing it away from him, wiping his face from where the gnome had touched before gasping as a small crowd gathered around CockyJim.

"I'll show you! I'm not afraid of anything!" CockyJim announced, causing all the surrounding Trolls to listen to him intently. "I-I-I will fight Bular. I will end him today!" the Grit-Shaka-influenced boy declared, lifting his sword high and prompting one troll to cheer at the idea before he ran off.

"Jim!" Toby called out, hoping down from Aaarrrgghh!!! as he and his Troll friends watched CockyJim leave.

"That went poorly." Blinky remarked in a slouch, only to perk up when realizing something. "Fortunately, Jim has no means by which he can locate Bular." the four-armed Troll added, turning to his friends just as a more worried look crossed Toby's features.

"That's not exactly true." Toby said quickly, causing Blinky to panic.

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After filling Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!! in on CockyJim's possible informant, Toby soon found himself standing outside Claire's house, peering up at an open window.

"NotEnrique! Have you seen Jim?" Toby called up to the occupant of the room, causing a sudden flash of green to appear below the window before the Changeling popped out the window in its true form.

"Hey! Get away! You're gonna blow me cover!" NotEnrique shooed Toby away in a horse whisper, hoping to prevent anyone from seeing their exchange.

"Come on! Did you tell Jim where Bular's hiding?" Toby questioned the little pest, already tired of his uncooperative behavior.

"If a bloke wants to commit suicide, who am I to stand in his way?" NotEnrique asked before he dropped from the window, leaving Toby in shock that the Changeling had sent his best friend to his death.

"Where did he go?" Toby continued to ask, hoping to get to CockyJim in time and stop him.

"I can't hear you." NotEnrique taunted from within his room, sitting on the side of his crib as he ignored Toby's badgering. Having no other choice, Toby pulled out the only card he had and took out a moldy sock from his pocket.

"I've got stinky sweat socks. Haven't been washed all week." Toby called out to the tiny imp as he waved the sock off like a prize, grateful for the knowledge he learned about Trolls when NotEnrique jumped back in the window with no hesitation.

"Give me, give me, give me!" NotEnrique demanded, eager to get real food for once. While he liked being the Nuñez's baby, it did have the drawback of not having any food he'd like without exposing him to his host family.

"Now, tell me where Jim is!" Toby ordered, willing to make a trade for the information.

Thankfully, NotEnrique was all for squealing for the sweaty sock and told Toby what he wanted to know. Now armed with the information, Toby raced to the canals to meet back up with Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!!, hoping they could find CockyJim in time. This is how Toby found himself standing behind a sewer gate as he discussed the plan with his fellow partners.

"NotEnrique said we'd find him in the sewers. I'll scout from above while you and Aaarrrgghh search below." Toby said to Blinky and Aaarrrgghh were on the other side, going over the plan quickly so they could start.

"Good idea." Blinky quickly agreed, the two search groups taking their separate ways with Toby going down the canal while they headed down the sewer pipe.

"Jim, where are you?" Toby called into the air, heading to the top of the canal to get his bike while the skies darkened above him.

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Meanwhile, in the sewers, CockyJim was roaming through the tunnels in search of his intended target, his sword held out in front of him as he walked through the large tunnels with a chuckle.

"I'm not afraid of you, Bular."CockyJim muttered to himself as he walked through the sewers, slashing his sword as he turned a corner. "Hey, Bular! Yo, Bular!" the Trollhunter called out, only to stop out of nowhere and quickly pull his sword out into a defensive pose, startling a poor mouse that was running by.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, you better scurry." CockyJim told the mouse, followed by him turning back to his pursuit. "Bular!" the blue-eyed boy shouted again, unaware of a Goblin hiding in the tubes above him and watching CockyJim as he walked by.

"Bular!" CockyJim yelled once more, which could be heard throughout the tunnels and catching Blinky's and Aaarrrgghh's attention.

"Master Jim. Master Jim! Master Jim! Where are you?" Blinky's voice echoed through the swears, to which CockyJim ignored the faint calls as he turned another corner in his path.

"Bular! It is I, the Trollhunter! Your nemesis challenges you!" CockyJim loudly proclaimed before catching sight of the goblin that was watching him as it ran on the pipes along the tunnel wall, prompting the boy to slowly advance on it. As he neared the exit to the tunnel, CockyJim took a deep breath as he hid behind a corner and waited a few seconds before suddenly jumping out of his hiding place. "A-ha!!" the Grit-Shaka-influenced boy cried as he held out his sword in front of him, only to find nothing in the intersection of tunnels.

Despite the setback, however, CockyJim smiled to himself in anticipation as he stood up straight again just as the Goblin landed on the ground a few feet away from him. It wasn't until the Goblin chanted 'Bular' that CockyJim turned to find the source of the noise, only to see the green-colored creature standing on his toes as Bular stalked into view with a huff.

"There you are, you ugly Troll!" CockyJim taunted Bular; who stood straight up and growled at the Trollhunter pointing his sword at him. "Let's see how tough you are without cars to throw at people, shall we?" the Grit-Shaka-influenced boy challenged, spinning his sword around to show off his skills as he spoke before getting into a ready stance, just in time for Bular to start coming towards him.

"I saw the Bridge. I know what you and your pals are up to. But it ends tonight, baby!" CockyJim threatened his approaching foe, taking a few steps closer and allowing Bular's yellow eyes to land on the green item hanging from the boy's neck.

"A Grit-Shaka" Bular observed, followed by an amused chuckle. "Now I understand why you are so quick to race to your death." the dark Troll snarled, all for having an opportunity to take out the Trollhunter now that he actively sought him out.

"Excuse you! I'm not racing anywhere. And the only 'death' tonight, is gonna be your pride!" CockyJim declared, holding his sword up once more before he charged at Bular, who wasted no time charging back.

Just as the opposing forces met in the middle of the tunnel, CockyJim swung his sword at Bular as he ran past him, the Troll easily dodging Daylight. CockyJim then turned around and advanced on Bular again, grunting as he kept swinging at Bular and not giving his enemy a chance to actually attack back. Annoyed by CockyJim's attacks, Bular swung his fist at the Trollhunter, shoving CockyJim back easily and leaving him unfazed by such a move, the boy letting out an 'Ooh!' as he stopped sliding back.

Waiting in his crouch, CockyJim continued to battle Bular, letting the Gumm-Gumm prince charge at him with a feisty roar. But before Bular could hit him, CockyJim ran to the side of the curved wall and went along it with Bular following after him. CockyJim then used the opening and took a swing, striking Bular in the face and making him yelp at the sudden burning pain.

"Ooh!" CockyJim mock-winced as landed behind Bular, who was busy wiping a drop of blood from the new cut just under his eye before growling in anger. "I bet that hurt–" the blue-eyed boy started to taunt his foe, only for Bular's arm to slam into his lithe frame before he could fully stand up.

The impact sent CockyJim flying high through the tunnel, the boy screaming in pain before his body slammed into the concrete in the middle of the tunnel intersection. Once he landed, his sword followed his example and pierced the ground near Bular, causing it to fade away now that CockyJim didn't have it in his grasp. Even then, CockyJim's armor whistled as the blue smoke cleared from it, leaving the Trollhunter lying helplessly on the floor, unconscious.

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While CockyJimwas battling Bular, Toby was searching for his best friend up on the streets above, zooming out of an alleyway on his bike before stopping in the busy street. From there, he locked up his bike and started looking around for any sign of CockyJim, quickly running to a nearby manhole on the side of the street to start.

"Jim? Jim?" Toby called out through the manhole cover, peeking his eye through one of the holes in the center of the metal disc to try and find his friend. When seeing that Jim wasn't in the tunnel under the manhole, Toby moved on to a nearby sewer grate for better results. "Jim, where are you?" the rounded boy cried, only to hear a crash from a manhole cover in the middle of the busy road and gasp in shock as he lifted his head from the sewer grate.

"Oh no!" Toby breathed out in dread before running across the street, knowing that there was only one thing that could have made that sound. "Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!" the geology nerd whimpered in worry, prompting a car that almost hit poor Toby to honk at him as he passed by and fell onto his knees next to the offending hole.

"Jim? Jim!" Toby called from above, once again peeking through the manhole cover in the hopes of finding his friend. "Jim!" he shouted again, this time in accomplishment when seeing CockyJim lying on the ground below and knocked into oblivion for a second.

"Jim, wake up!" Toby shouted to Jim, causing him to lose focus on the manhole cover above him while Toby tried to pry it from the ground, groaning as he sat up and held his forehead in pain.

But the pounding in his head was quickly overtaken by sheer panic when Jim looked for the one thing that he needed and found it missing from his neck.

"No, no, no." CockyJim; now back to being regular Jim, whimpered as his hand flew to his chest, looking for the Grit Shaka in a frantic state. Fortunately, he was able to find it quickly and saw it lying on the ground... just as Bular's foot landed right behind it.

"Lose something, Trollhunter?" Bular taunted Jim, who yelped in fear at Bular before the Gumm-Gumm smashed the totem with his foot, twisting his heel to make sure it was destroyed. Squealing in his newly instated fear, Jim quickly tried to don his sword to defend himself, only for it to not appear and leave him completely defenseless while Bular advanced on him.

"Good. The fear will tenderize your flesh." the dark Troll happily remarked while Jim crab crawled away from him, stopping at the start of the tunnel intersection as he smirked at the frightened boy. "You'll taste... delicious." Bular purred before he licked his lips, causing the boy to shudder until he reached the center of the intersection, having nowhere else to go.

"Jim!" the Trollhunter heard from up above him, immediately recognising the voice.

"Toby! Where am I? What's going on?" Jim called back up to Toby, who was still trying to get the manhole cover open now that he realized his friend was clueless, alone, and couldn't be saved if Toby did nothing. However, Toby's efforts did little to get the manhole cover open, forcing the boy to strain himself as he tried harder.

"I CAN'T GET IT OPEN!!" Toby panickily exclaimed to Jim, trying his best to help save his friend from his own stupid actions.

Down in the sewers below, Bular roared at Jim, forcing him to put his attention on the killer Troll as fear flooded through him. Seeing Jim's frightened stare, Bular finally lunged at him, ready to catch his prey. Unbeknownst to the two opponents, it forced Toby to try harder than ever to get the hole uncovered.

"FOR THE GLORY OF MERLIN!!!" the rounded boy screamed as he finally opened the hatch, flying back as the sunlight shone through the hole and Jim used his arm to shield himself from Bular's attack.

Fortunately for Jim, Bular's face got caught in the sunlight, forcing him back from Jim with a growl before the Trollhunter looked up from his arm and watched the Gumm-Gumm back away into the shadows. The beast then suddenly roared at the boy in anger, causing Jim to flinch while remaining in the sunlight. But while Jim was occupied by Bular, Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!! had turned a corner and finally found the boy after looking to their right.

"Master Jim!" Blinky called out in relief when seeing Jim safely surrounded by sunlight, prompting them to start running to aid the boy in escaping Bular.

Sadly, the Goblin that was spying on Jim was right above them and stopped them in their tracks by opening another cover, letting light fall in front of them. Upon seeing the new obstacle, Blinky let out a scream in shock before the Goblin left them stuck behind the light source, the pest scurrying away in delight.

"Master Jim!" the four-armed Troll called to Jim, who let out a noise in panic as Bular circled him as he lay in the light, the only protection he could use.

Across from them, the evil troll then roared as Jim finally stood up, pulling out his sword and dragging it behind him while the boy tried to keep the furthest distance he could between himself and Bular. But he knew that while staying in the cage of light would keep him safe, it wouldn't last long when the sun finally set. He needed to get out as soon as possible.

"Jim, grab my hand! Come on!" Toby called to his best friend, holding his hand down to try and save him. "You can do it!" the rounded boy encouraged Jim, who then jumped high into the air towards Toby. But sadly, it wasn't enough and Jim landed back on the ground surrounded by sunlight, Bular still circling him with the tip of his sword dragging near Jim's feet.

"I can't reach! The armor! It's too heavy, Tobes!" Jim cried to his friend, only to jump back when Bular got ready to strike at him, the sword lifting from the ground and pointing at the Trollhunter.

"Pathetic that you meet your end in a sewer, Young Atlas." Bular snarled, glaring at Jim.

As if struck by lightning, Jim's mouth dropped in shock as quick flashbacks played in his mind... each one depicting a time when Strickler referred to him by that nickname. The most recent time Strickler was at the Dupain-Lake house. Jim sitting in the car after he and Toby had gotten arrested. Just after Toby's failed Changeling test on Strickler. All those memories played in Jim's mind like a broken record as his eyes became wide and filled with terror.

"Take care of your back, Young Atlas." Strickler had said in Jim's final memory, causing the boy to gasp as he held his head with his armored hand, all sorts of thoughts and feelings swirling around and keeping him distracted from his survival.

"Master Jim! You must get out of there!" Blinky screamed at him, snapping Jim out of his trance to look at his mentor.

Bular then used Jim's distractedness to draw out his second sword and scared the Trollhunter into trying to run away as Blinky ordered him to do. Unfortunately, Bular blocked him by swinging his right blade into the concrete in front of Jim, forcing him to dodge the killing blow and scramble back into the sunlight with a roll to the ground. He landed on the other side of the light and then tried to run away again. Yet, Bular was quicker, circling to cut off Jim from escaping and forcing him to run in the other direction before realizing he was trapped.

With that knowledge, time seemed to slow down for Jim as he turned to face Bular, knowing that he needed to think of a way to escape with his life. Slowly blinking, Jim took a deep breath to center himself before watching Bular roar and prepare to swing his sword at him again. As the sounds of Jim's heavy breathing and a heartbeat flooded through his ears, Bular swung at Jim, causing him to jump back and land near the edge of the circle of sunlight, his body tense in waiting for the next attack.

Bular then swiped at him again, which Jim countered by jumping back even further and landing in the center of the ring of light, Bular's blade nearly slashing him through the middle as he did. After the two attacks, the Trollhunter looked at his surroundings for a way to get close enough to Toby and escape to the surface, looking above him to judge the best way. His gaze then went back to Bular once again, leading to Jim putting the pieces together for his plan to get to safety, realizing something that could easily help him.

Now armed with a plan, Jim stood his ground and waited for Bular to swing his sword at him again, the dark Troll quickly playing into his plan when seeing the easy mark Jim was leaving him. But as Bular swung again, Jim easily backflipped away from the sword, landing at the edge of the ring of sunlight and away from the blade. Fortunately, Jim's plan worked, leaving Bular's blade wedged deeply in the concrete and stuck within the stone. Upon seeing Bular struggle to free his weapon, Jim's eyes darted to the stuck blade and back up at Toby after making sure Bular was occupied.

"Jim, grab my hand! Now!" Toby yelled from above, still holding his hand to the boy now that Jim had a clear shot to get out.

"I lost the Grit-Shaka."Jim began as he looked back at Bular, placing his metal foot on the blunter side of the blade as he pulled the amulet from his chest. "But I can still be brave." the blue-eyed boy declared as his armor disappeared, no longer protecting his human body as he glared at Bular.

In anger at Jim's defiance, Bular roared at the boy as he finally pulled his sword from the ground, not seeing that Jim was balancing on it in the process. So as Bular threw the now free sword, he had also thrown Jim into the air too, who quickly grabbed onto Toby's outstretched hand above him. With his best friend's hand in his, Toby quickly pulled Jim out of the sewer with a little struggle but managed to get his friend to safety before he could be pulled back down by Bular. But after Toby managed to get him and Jim out, the Trollhunter quickly realized that they weren't out of the woods yet as they fell backwards to the ground.

"TOBY, THE HOLE!! " Jim panickily shouted, not hesitating to get off of Toby and frantically kick the circular cover back onto the manhole, Bular roaring below as he did so.

As soon as the hole was fully covered up, Jim and Toby watched the now silent manhole with wide eyes until Bular's fist appeared and punched the cover-up into the air, startling the two boys. They shrieked in fright at Bular's fist but relaxed when they saw he still couldn't get out, prompting them to drop back to the ground after the heart-racing event, sighing in relief. But after Jim panted to catch his breath, he quickly sat up halfway in realization and looked over at the still-exhausted Toby.

"Strickler's a Changeling." Jim told his best friend, spilling the news he realized during the fight.

"I... never trusted... him." Toby panted out, still catching his breath after the heart-racing rescue he had done. "Also, you've been a real turd today." the rounded boy stated as he sat up a little too, looking at his friend with a glare.

"And I smell like one, too." Jim agreed as he sat up more from the ground, followed by him letting out a regretful sigh. "Thanks for saving my neck. I owe you one." the Trollhunter praised, knowing that he had a lot to make up for now that his Grit-Shaka-influenced exploits were over with.

"Yeah, great. Just don't ever say 'crispy' again." Toby requested, just glad to have his best friend back.

"Deal." Jim happily replied as he held up his hand to Toby, who smiled in return before the two high-fived and Toby dropped back onto the ground in relief. But the moment was interrupted right as a car pulled up and honked its horn at them, the driver commanding them they needed to move and prompting Jim to start standing up.

"Come on, let's head home. I've got a couple of apologies to make." the blue-eyed boy said to Toby as he rose from the ground, holding out his hand for his friend to take and lifting the rounded boy to his feet. Now having caught their breath, the two boys headed back to their homes, hoping to put this life-threatening encounter behind them. But unknown to them, Bular was still below in the sewers and was watching the surface with a growl of frustration before leaving with a laugh, seemingly pleased with himself.

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Now that Jim was freed from the Grit-Shaka and rescued from facing Bular, he and Toby raced back to their homes as fast as they could. They would have taken their time, but Barbara called Jim in the middle of their way over to let Him know that Gina was about to head out on her next trip. With that in mind, they picked up the pace so that Jim could make it in time to apologize to his grandmother before she left town. Fortunately for them, they made it just in time for Gina to walk out of the Dupain-Lake household with Barbara following beside her as they went towards the silver-haired adventurer's motorcycle.

"Are you sure you can't stay another day? You know you're welcome to stay for as long as you want, Gina." Barbara said as they walked to the curb, hoping to have Gina around longer since she enjoyed having her stay with them.

"I'm sure. I've already stayed longer than I should have and I'm itching to get back out on the road." Gina assured Barbara, her wandering nature having enough of staying in one place for so long... alongside her lingering feelings about her argument with Jim. Not to get Gina wrong, she loved spending time with her family and knew she tended to spend too much time on the road. But that didn't mean she liked it when said family brought it up when they were mad at her.

"Well if you need a place to stay while you're still traveling this side of the world, you're always welcome here." Barbara stated, bringing a smile to Gina's face at the offer.

"Thank you, Barbara. You and Sabine have always been so good to me." Gina thanked the ginger-haired woman, hugging Barbara tightly that the doctor returned in kind. "I'll see you again when I head back to EuroAsia." the elderly traveler said as she pulled back from the hug, stepping the last bit of distance over to her motorcycle as it sat against the curb in front of the Dupain-Lake household.

"See you then, Gina." Barbara farewelled the silver-haired adventurer, prompting Gina to hop onto her motorcycle and get ready to leave. But just before she could revv her engine...

"GRANDMA, WAIT!!" a voice near them shouted, causing Gina and Barbara to turn and see Jim and Toby approaching the house. But when seeing Jim coming towards them, Gina's face contorted with displeasure and caused the boy to frown in shame after he and Toby slowed to a stop.

"Jim, there you are. Where were you? I called you 10 minutes ago." Barbara questioned her son, not seeing Gina's expression while she hoped to get an answer for Jim's tardiness.

"Sorry, Mom. Something came up." Jim replied, quickly dismissing his mom's worry. "But I do have something to say to Grandma before she leaves." the Trollhunter admitted as he turned to face Gina, who looked at him in disappointment and a sad shake of her head.

"Jim, whatever you have to say-" "Grandma, I'm sorry!" Jim quickly interrupted, leaving Gina and Barbara to look at him in surprise while Toby proudly nodded at him.

"I'm so sorry for what I said to you earlier. I was having a bad day and I don't know what came over me." the Trollhunter elaborated, taking a tentative step towards his grandmother while rubbing his neck too. "I know that is no excuse for how I treated you, but I can't begin to express my regret for what I told you." Jim went on, his hands coming together pleading while he nearly went to his knees, begging for forgiveness.

"Can you find it in your big and loving heart to forgive me?" the blue-eyed boy asked, trying to pull off an unsuccessful version of puppy dog eyes while Barbara looked at him with a questioning stare.

"Jim, what are you talking about?" Barbara probed her son, not understanding what Jim was apologizing for and causing her son to panic and wince at the question.

"Well, um... funny story, actually." Jim began, not seeing the softening stare from Gina as he turned to face his mother. "You see the thing is..." the Trollhunter continued, his gaze darting to the side several times as he tried to think of a good way to explain his earlier actions.

"Oh, he merely said that he wished I wasn't so set on traveling to Mexico! Said that it was a waste of time when I already went to Spain." Gina spoke up as she hopped off her motorcycle, saving Jim from answering his mother. "There's nothing to worry about, Barbara." the elderly traveler added, allowing Barbara to sigh in relief before Gina turned to Jim and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Non so cosa ti abbia spinto a comportarti in modo così deplorevole, e non credo di volerlo sapere. (I don't know what prompted you to act so deplorable, and I don't think I want to know.)" Gina began in Italian, prompting Jim to look at the ground in shame. "Ma so che di solito sei un ragazzo dolce. Quindi lascerò stare questa cosa, mio ​​piccolo cavaliere. (But I do know that you are usually a sweet boy. So I'll let this one slide, my little knight.)" the silver-haired adventurer assured him, leaving the boy relieved by her understanding.

"Grazie, Nonna! Prometto che non mi comporterò mai più come ho fatto, mai più!(Thank you, Grandma! I promise that I will never act like I did, ever again!)" Jim replied in Italian before hugging her tight, happy that Gina was forgiving him so easily.

"Ma attenzione, Jim. (But, be warned, Jim.)" Gina advised, quickly tightening her hug with a strained smile hidden in Jim's hair. "La prossima volta che dici o fai qualcosa di così rozzo, potrei non essere così indulgente.(The next time you say or do something so boarish, I might not be so forgiving.)" the elderly traveler warned Jim, who copied her strained smile while burying his face in her left shoulder.

"Giusto. Sì, capito! Prometto che non lo farò!(Right. Yep, got it! I promise I won't!)" Jim quickly promised, leading to let him go now that she had confirmation of him remaining a gentleman from here on out. "Se posso chiedertelo, hai detto alla mamma... quello che ti ha detto prima il preside?(If you don't mind me asking, did you tell Mom about... what the Principal told you earlier?)" the blue-eyed boy asked his grandmother, hoping to avoid that conversation for a little bit longer.

"Nonostante le tue azioni precedenti nei miei confronti, non ho detto a Barbara quello che hai fatto a scuola. Lei non lo sa.(Despite your earlier actions towards me, I haven't told Barbara about what you did at school. She doesn't know.)" Gina replied, causing Jim to let out another sigh of relief and placing his hand on his rapidly calming heart while doing so.

"Grazie, Nonna! Sei il migliore!(Thanks, Grandma! You're the best!)" Jim praised, earning a pleased smile from Gina at his words.

"Continua ad essere il ragazzo dolce che conosco, e parlerò alla pari. Va bene?(Just keep being the sweet boy I know, and I'll call it even. Okay?)" Gina requested, a playful look crossing her features and bringing another smile to Jim's face as well.

"I will! Thank you for forgiving me. I love you, Grandma!" Jim declared in English, hugging Gina once again.

"I love you too, my little knight." Gina responded in kind, hugging the boy back as well. "E ti suggerisco di fare ammenda con tutti gli altri che hai ferito oggi.(And I suggest you make amends with everyone else you have hurt today.)" the silver-haired adventurer whispered to her grandson in mid-hug, knowing that she probably wasn't the only one on the receiving end of CockyJim's attitude.

"Ho piena intenzione di farlo. Non preoccuparti di questo.(I fully intend to. Don't worry about that.)" Jim replied in the same quiet volume, an amused yet tired guff escaping his lips in the process.

"Bravo ragazzo!(Good, boy!)" Gina applauded Jim, pulling back from the hug and looking at both him and the others with them. "Now that we've cleared that up, I really do need to go. If I don't go now, I'll miss the curfew for passing the border." the elderly traveler announced, even if her earlier drive to head out had been soothed a little bit after Jim's apology.

"Still don't see why you need to go, but I hope you have a good time." Jim said, playing into the excuse his grandmother had given him earlier to sell the lie.

"I definitely will, Jim." Gina assured before looking over at Toby, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And I promise I will bring back some spicy food for you on my way back, Toby." the silver-haired adventurer added, the rounded boy lighting up at the promise of authentic Mexican food.

"Awesomesauce! You're the best Gina!" Toby cheered, nearly jumping up and down in his joy.

"You're welcome, my boy. And please keep an eye on Jim. Something tells me he'll need it." Gina asked, glancing at her grandson with a 'You know I'm right' look that had Jim fondly rolling his eyes at her.

"Oh don't worry. I'm already on it." Toby promised Gina, earning a playful jab in the ribs from Jim in response.

"That's my boys." Gina praised before pulling them both into one last hug, soon pulling back and turning to hug Barbara too. "Goodbye, Barbara. I do hope you take care of yourself at the hospital." the elderly traveler said, bringing a soft smile to Barbara at the well wishes.

"I'll do my best. But Jim will most likely make sure I do." Barbara replied, glancing over at Jim with an amused glare.

"Good to hear." Gina said before pulling back from the hug, taking a step back to take in the sight of her loved ones for the last time in a long while. "I'll see you all when I come back through." the silver-haired adventurer parrotted as she walked back to her motorcycle and hopped on, Barbara, Jim and Toby standing next to each other in wait for her to rev her engine. As soon as she does so, her bike starts up and the engine roars through the cul-de-sac.

"Goodbye, my darlings!" Gina happily cried out through the engine, quickly zooming off and leaving the three of them on the curb while waving 'goodbye' to her.

"So... mind telling us what that conversation you and Gina had was about?" Barbara asked her son, waiting until Gina was far enough away before turning to find out the need to switch over to Italian mid-conversation.

"Oh, she was just reminding me to be myself despite having a bad day. Usual grandma stuff." Jim replied, knowing he'd be in trouble if she heard about his actions at school that day and still rolling with the excuse Gina had given him.

"Okay. But what happened at school today?" Barbara continued to question Jim, now concerned about what caused Jim to have a bad day in the first place.

"It was the kissing scene in rehearsals." Toby suddenly announced, causing Jim to turn and gawk at him for his bluntness.

"TOBY!" Jim shrieked, not seeing how that would help explain himself to his mom... in any sane way, that is.

"Oh. Say no more. I understand." Barbara replied, immediately understanding what Toby meant.

"Good." Jim said, relieved that he didn't need to explain what caused his bad day. "Wait... what's that supposed to mean?" the Trollhunter gawked after processing the exchange that just happened, appalled by his mom's lack of confidence in him.

"Well, you do tend to get in your own head in these matters, Jim. And while I don't mean to be mean, you could stand to be a little more confident in yourself." Barbara remarked, which worked to soothe some of Jim's unsettled thoughts on the matter they were just talking about.

"You'd be surprised." Jim muttered to himself, the irony of his mother's words not lost on him after the day he had n before shaking the memories from the forefront of his mind. "But I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. How about I start on dinner?" the blue-eyed boy asked the two others with him, eager to relax after such a tiring day.

"Sounds good to me." Barbara replied, her long day at work leaving her famished as well.

"As much as I want to enjoy your cooking, Jimbo, I have to head back home." Toby said, followed by him lightly punching Jim's ribs. "See you tomorrow, dude." the geology nerd farewelled, turning towards his house to leave the mother and son pair to their own thing.

"See ya, Tobes." Jim replied, allowing Toby to leave while he and Barbara headed to their home's front door. 'And here's to hoping apologizing to Marinette goes as smoothly.' the Trollhunter thought to himself just as the pair headed inside, hoping to have the right thing to say in mind after a good meal and some time to process the dreadful news he learned that day.

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(Time Skip)

A little bit after Jim apologized to Gina, those who were working to free Gunmar from the Darklands had gathered back in the town museum once more. But when Strickler found out about the fight Bular had earlier with Jim, he was left enraged when he learned what Bular called Jim during it.

"You did what?" Strickler questioned Bular with utter shock, glaring at the smug Gumm-Gumm looking down at him.

"I called him Young Atlas." Bular repeated, unfazed by Strickler's reaction to the news.

"But I call him that. Me, alone!" Strickler snarled, placing his hand on his chest as he referenced himself while speaking.

"You should have seen his face." Bular chuckled, still very pleased with himself as he watched Strickler begin to panic.

"He'll know I'm working with you. He'll know I'm a Changeling." Strickler fretted, turning his body to face away from Bular as he thought about all the implications Jim would now know about before turning to face Bular again with a snarl.

"Of all the idiotic things you've done, you're imbecile–" "I GAVE THE ORDER!" Gunmar's voice boomed through the room, interrupting Strickler's rant while Bular moved out of the way to show Strickler the Lord of the Darklands still standing near the closed-off entranceway.

"Call it a test." Bular said as he looked down at Strickler, smirking at the Changeling's fear-filled face as he realized that Bular was merely following orders.

"Oh, a t--A test?" Strickler stammered out, his earlier fury snuffed out as he looked at Gunmar worriedly.

"To lead him to you. So that when the time comes, you will kill the boy and free me with his Amulet." Gunmar declared, leaving Strickler shocked by the order while Bular couldn't be more happy at seeing the proud Changeling's confident mask fall from his face. But Strickler knew he had no choice now. One way or another, the amulet would be used to free Gunmar... and Jim would have to pay the price.

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While Strickler was being given his ultimatum from Gunamr, Jim and Barbara had finished dinner and had gone up to their respective rooms for the rest of the night. As such, Jim found himself sitting in his room and working on some schoolwork while waiting for Marinette to call him, the amulet resting next to him as he worked. Luckily for the Trollhunter, he didn't have to wait for the telltale ringtone he set for his sister and quickly picked up his phone to answer the video call, wincing at the stoney pout Marinette greeted him with.

"Heeey, sis. How are you?" Jim nervously greeted Marinette with a wave, only to see she was still glaring at him disapprovingly while sitting in her school's boiler room. "You're still mad at me, aren't you?" the blue-eyed boy queried, wincing as he spoke.

"What do you think?" Marinette retorted, an eyebrow arched at Jim amid her disapproving stare. "You better be back to normal or I will take the next Gyre out to take that awful necklace off of you myself! School and classes be darned." the pigtailed girl warned, her voice taking an assertive tone to it that had Jim nearly cowering away from his phone screen.

"I'm back to normal, I swear!" Jim cried out, throwing his free hand up in surrender with eyes wide in fright of her wrath.

"Prove it." Marinette challenged, not believing her brother despite his current state of worry.

"Sis, trust me when I say that I don't have the Grit-Shaka on me anymore! My earlier incident made sure of it!" Jim exclaimed, hoping to find some way to ensure he was back to normal. "I don't know how else to tell you the truth, but I will take any punishment you see fit to bestow on me for my behavior, for your fury towards my earlier actions is instilling the fear of GOD in me!!" the Trollhunter proclaimed as he placed his phone against his stack of textbooks, allowing for his hands to clasp together pleadingly in front of him.

"Yep. You're back to normal. The only person other than me that can panic like that is you." Marinette stated, her stare softening into a pleased smile now that she knew he was back to being her idiot of a brother. "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook with me, James Isaac Dupain-Lake Jr." the red-tipped-haired girl informed Jim, sending a hard stare at the boy while pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Oof, you must be really mad. You never call me by my full name." Jim remarked, wincing again at the soft threat his little sister gave him. "At least you know I'm back to being me." the blue-eyed boy said, taking any positive point he could now that he wasn't a dead man walking anymore.

"That's the least of your concerns right now." Marinette countered, bringing Jim down from the small high he had from finding the one silver lining in the conversation.

"I know. And 'I'm sorry' is definitely enough to make up for what Toby said I said to you earlier." Jim replied, immediately catching Marinette off guard.

"Wait... you don't even remember what you said?" Marinette asked, surprised by the news that Jim wasn't in control of himself while influenced by the Grit-Shaka.

"Not until Toby told me. But I know that doesn't excuse what I said. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. You need to know that I didn't mean a thing I had said and wish I could go back in time and stop myself from saying that..." Jim rambled on, trying oh so hard to prove that he was remorseful of his actions towards his sister before trailing off.

"That we are only half-siblings on a good day?" Marinette inquired, making Jim wince at the reminder of the most horrible thing Toby said he had told Marinette.

"Yeah... that." Jim shamefully agreed as he looked down at his hands resting in his lap, not eager to see the stare he was sure Marinette was sending him.

"You know, that was the cruelest thing anyone has ever said to me. Not even Chloé has hurt me like that, and she doesn't even know you exist." Marinette lectured her brother, getting her lunch out from her bag as she spoke. The menu that day was duck dumplings, steamed vegetables and assorted macarons for dessert.

"I know." Jim replied, his eyes looking up at her through his hair.

"You really hurt me, Jim. I'm not sure if I should forgive you even if you weren't in your right mind." Marinette continued, causing Jim to look back down at the floor in shame before she sighed in relent. "But fortunately for you, I can't ever stay mad at you for very long." the designer announced, to which Jim immediately perked up.

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Jim asked, a hopeful glee filling his voice at the thought.

"I do. On the condition of you owing me a few more favors." Marinette stated.

"Seems fair to me. Even though I was being a complete idiot." Jim replied, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't think you're off the hook yet. I fully intend to throw you into the Seine the next time you're in Paris." Marinette warned her brother, pointing a finger at Jim as she spoke.

"I'll be sure to mark it on my calendar." Jim assured her, his hand lowering from his neck and resting on his desk beside his other.

"Good. Now how about you tell me how Toby managed to get the Grit-Shaka off of you in the end?" Marinette requested, interested in how Toby had accomplished the feat. But upon hearing her question, Jim flinched and looked off to the side.

"Well... funny story about that." Jim began, leaning away from his desk with a grimace.

"Please don't tell me you did something stupid while still wearing the Grit-Shaka." Marinette begged, a hand going to her forehead to soothe an oncoming headache at the thought.

"I feel like you know the answer to that one." Jim replied, looking back at his sister to confirm the worst.

"Talk. Now!" Marinette demanded, glaring at her guilty brother to explain what idiotic act he had done now.

With the demand made, Jim then goes on to explain the rest of the day after the last call between them, starting with how badly rehearsals went. Even though Marinette was glad that Jim had gotten a taste of his own medicine from Clare; earning another point for her in his sister's good graces, she was appalled to learn of the argument between him and their grandmother. After getting another ear full of a lecture for treating Gina so poorly and calming down when Jim told her he already apologized to her before she left, he continued to explain the lead-up to him losing the Grit-Shaka. Soon enough, Jim's recount ended at the near end of the fight between him and Bular, before the dark Troll's little trick to distract him.

"And that's about it." Jim concluded, earning a blank look of disbelief from Marinette.

"I honestly don't know what else to tell you Jim. Except that you were an even bigger idiot when the Grit-Shaka was influencing you." Marinette breathed out in irritation, her lunch all gone while she held her hands at her temples to soothe her ever-growing headache.

"I know. And I fully intend to never touch one ever again." Jim guaranteed, not looking to repeat this little incident any time soon.

"Ohhoh, no! After you nearly lost your life in a half-baked attempt to fight Bular alone, I don't want either of us to touch, look at, or even mention that abomination of a totem in passing ever again!" Marinette forewarned Jim, a hard look sent at her brother to make sure he got the message.

"Fine by me." Jim agreed with a soft smile, only for it to fall from his face when he realized he still had to tell her about what Bular said during the fight. "But there is something else you need to know." the Trollhunter began, looking down at the floor while nervously fiddling with his fingers.

"What is it?" Marinette asked, causing Jim to hesitate to say it since he knew that she wouldn't take it well and was worried that Hawkmoth would sense her anguish. "Come on, spit it out! Lunch is going to end soon." the designer ordered, earning a disgruntled sigh to escape from Jim when he realized that she wouldn't drop the matter now that her curiosity was piqued.

"Bular called me 'Young Atlas' towards the end of our fight." Jim revealed, finally nipping the bombshell in the bud and causing Marinette to stare at him in shock.

"But, Strickler is the only one who calls you that. Why would Bular..." Marinette trailed off in thought, only to suddenly realize the truth and then stare at Jim in disbelief instead of her earlier shock. "No. Please don't tell me." the pigtailed girl begged amid her dread, shaking her head as she looked at Jim with pleading eyes.

"I'm afraid so." Jim replied, grimly nodding in confirmation.

"This entire time?!" Marinette probed.

"Seeing as Changelings are swapped out for human babies, I'd say 'yes'." Jim awkwardly answered, shrugging his shoulders with a wince.

"Strickler's a Changeling. The whole time we've known him." Marinette said in disbelief as she looked down at the ground, not believing the news despite saying it out loud herself. "I can't believe it." the red-tipped-haired girl breathed out in a surprisingly calm voice, immediately unnerving Jim.

"Oh, no. I know that tone. Mari, you need to calm down!" Jim begged his sister, already very familiar with her patented 'quiet anger' voice by now.

"I'm perfectly calm. How can I not be when finding out that our oldest family friend has secretly been a Changeling looking to free Gunmar from the Darklands for the entire time we've known him?" Marinette replied as she kept looking at the floor, her voice growing in volume as if to confirm Jim's assumption of her anger. "HOW CAN I BE ANYTHING BUT CALM!?!?!" the designer shouted, finally looking back at her phone with fury burning in her eyes.

"Sis, I know what you're feeling. Believe me, it was shocking to me too." Jim tried to reason with Marinette, hoping to calm her down before Hawkmoth sensed her anger. Yes, she had every right to be, but the last thing the world needed was an akumatized Ladybug.

"It certainly doesn't look like it!" Marinette snapped back, glaring at Jim for his calm attitude.

"Well, I've had time to process it a bit since finding it out. But that doesn't mean I like it." Jim countered, still trying to reason with her.

"Good for you. I'm really happy that you're taking this so well. Meanwhile, here I am about to not blow a gasket on how violating this betrayal is!" Marinette sarcastically fired back with another accusatory finger point, not having any of Jim's attempts to calm her down.

"Mari, you need to calm down." Jim repeated, his hands gesturing to do so as he spoke.

"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN! You may have had time to mull it over, but I haven't! This affects me too, you know!" Marinette yelled, sending a sneer at Jim for his attempts to appeal to her logical side.

"I'm not saying that it doesn't. But Mari, you need to cool down before an akuma comes by." Jim pointed out, still trying to look out for her despite her constant brush off of his concern.

"To top it all off, he's probably known you're the Trollhunter this whole time and has spies watching me since I'm connected to you!!" Marinette interrupted, ignoring Jim due to her anger while not knowing how right she was about being surveilled by the Janus Order.

"HE HELD ME WHEN I WAS A TODDLER! HE HAS BEEN AUNT BARBARA'S FRIEND SINCE YOU WERE A BABY, AND YET HE SENT BEASTS TO JUST KILL YOU! HOW CAN HE SAY THAT HE CARES ABOUT OUR FAMILY AND THEN GO OFF AND DO THAT?!" the pigtailed girl shouted, her anger rising to devastating heights as she threw her free hand into the air beside her.

"Mari." Jim tried again, only to look behind her and see his worst nightmare coming at his sister.

"THAT NO GOOD SON OF A-" "MARINETTE!" the Trollhunter hollered, his voice filled with fear.

"WHAT?!" Marinette snapped, unaware of Jim finally catching her attention from her rant.

"Look out behind you!" Jim cried out, pointing behind Marinette and causing her to look behind her and see the akuma Hawkmoth sent after her closing in.

"CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP!!!" Marinette yelped as she scrambled to her feet, her phone still hand in her hand despite her focus on the akuma. "Not today, bug!" the red-tipped-haired girl proclaimed, quickly swatting the akuma to the ground and stomping on it... hard!

She then twisted her foot on the squished akuma for good measure, making sure it was dead before taking a couple of deep breaths and lifting her foot off of it. The sight of the darkened bug and the weird purple blood oozing out of it was a relief to both siblings, while Jim was further intimidated by his sister's act. Even Hawkmoth; who had witnessed the massacre of his akuma and felt the return of its energy to him, was left stunned by Marinette's actions and also intrigued by her. It left him feeling the need to keep a closer eye on her in the future, so he decided to look into this anomaly. But once she managed to calm down her racing heart, Marinette looked back to her phone and sent a grateful smile at Jim, unaware of Hawkmoth's new plans.

"Thanks for the save, Jim. Consider one of the new favors you owe me paid for." Marinette said, glad that she had him looking out for her as she sat back down on the floor to continue their call... avoiding the akuma's crushed remains just in case.

"That's the least of my concerns. Are you okay?" Jim asked, concerned with how fast Marinette calmed herself down from her anger.

"A little better now after the akuma scare. But nowhere near okay." Marinette replied, leaving Jim a little more at ease about her mental and emotional state. "Don't worry. I'll be fine once I get a chance to let out some steam." the designer added, assuring Jim that she would be okay.

"Fair enough. When do you get let out?" Jim questioned.

"Another hour after lunch. Ms Mendeleiev called in sick and couldn't find a sub to fill in." Marinette replied with a sigh, running her hand through her hair to push back her bangs from her forehead.

"Good. As soon as that bell rings, head down to Stone Arc to let it all out." Jim told her, earning a fondly exasperated eye roll from Marinette at the 'Mother Henning' he was doing.

"Believe it or not, Toby said the same thing after your last call. But don't worry, I will." Marinette assured her brother, still needling him for earlier but secretly happy that he was worrying about her so much.

"You'll never let me off the hook for that, will you?" Jim asked with a sigh, a fond tired smirk appearing on his lips.

"Not yet." Marinette replied, sending a smug look at him in response.

"Fair enough. Just make sure to take care of yourself, okay? I don't know what I'd do without the best sister in the world in my life." Jim said, earning a smile from Marinette as she leaned her back against the wall behind her.

"Thanks, Jimbro." Marinette replied, followed by the bell ringing seconds later.

"Looks like you got to go." Jim observed, a little glad that the call was coming to an end before Marinette found another reason to be mad at him.

"Yeah, looks like it. I'll see you then, Jim." Marinette answered, which suddenly triggered her to remember one last detail. "By the way, you know that bet on Aunt Barbara and Strickler getting together?" the pigtailed girl began, leaving a sour taste in Jim's mouth at the reminder.

"Yeah?" Jim replied, an eyebrow raised at her in questioning for why she was bringing that up.

"Consider it called off." Marinette declared, immediately reliving Jim with the news since he didn't tell her what happened on Valentine's Day. That alone would have won Marinette the bet and while Jim usually honored their wagers, he had a feeling that it would go south. Turns out he was right.

"You got it. See you tomorrow, Mari." Jim happily responded, waving goodbye to his sister.

"See ya tonight, Jim. I love you." Marinette farewelled, returning the wave and sending a smile to her brother now that they reconciled.

"Love you too, sis." Jim answered, allowing Marinette to hang up before going back to his schoolwork. But as he worked on his homework, the spying thing Marinette had brought up lingered in the back of his mind alongside Strickler's true alliances. Strickler wouldn't have sent someone to spy on his little sister, even though he was their enemy... right?