Part 20

Impure.

Who.

It.

It can’t be.

Bular?

I thought you were dead.

I live.

Only to find you’ve left my father to rot in the Darklands?

You dare to conspire to steal my father’s throne?

No, I would never betray.

The Inferna Copula?

You think Angor Rot will bring your reign?

Abandon the ring now, before I feast on your corpse and floss with your intestines.

Bular, please!

Oh, boy.

Oh, you shall beg.

Abandon the ring!

She just walked right.

Pixies.

Angor!

You dare attempt to distort my mind with a pixie?

The nightmare would scare the ring from my hand?

You are a dog and this is your leash!

I am your master.

Obey my command and kill the Trollhunter!

Then you should avoid that school of yours tomorrow.

But the ring will be mine.

Jim Lake asked you to the dance and you didn’t tell us?

Spill it, C-bomb, before Mare and I go ka-boom.

There’s not much to really tell, except.

I sorta asked him.

Good, girl!

Excuse me, Darci.

Do not celebrate.

Educate.

That’s not the way you do things, Claire.

There are rules to being on top of the social food chain.

What sort of world do you think we live in?

If only you knew.

My goodness, really?

You don’t want to know.

Look at my face and tell me that you do not want to know what happened.

I can’t feel my arms.

First day of training can do that, but you are the one that wanted the war hammer.

Hey, hey.

Next time a magic troll assassin pinches your sword, you’ll be happy ol’ Warhammer and Shadowdancer have your back.

“Shadowdancer”?

Let me guess.

You haven’t run that by Claire.

Well, Tobes, rest up.

We can at least feel safe in school knowing Angor Rot won’t attack us in broad daylight.

Oh, my gosh, I think I can feel a little baby muscle growing.

Sweet dreams, hunter.

I fear Master Jim is in far more danger than we imagined.

According to the Gloomanac, Angor Rot made a Faustian bargain.

Faustian?

In exchange for his magnificent sorcery, he cursed his soul into a single ring, the Inferna Copula.

Mm, picture.

Helpful.

Whoever bears it, controls him.

Aaarrrgghh, it says here that Angor’s been stealing the souls of Trollhunters in a blasphemous attempt to fill the void ever since.

You don’t have to hide it from me.

I might only have two eyes, but I can see clear as day.

It’s obvious.

Ever since my human deformity, you have been distant.

Uh, yes.

Distant.

I may look different, but I’m still the same Blinky.

How about, to cheer you up, maybe later today, I could rent a mini-van, we could go for a drive?

Something with tinted windows, of course.

I hear we’re not too far away from the world’s largest thermometer.

I bet you could eat it!

Mm, not today.

Perhaps another time, my dear friend.

Oh, hey, Steve.

I finished your math homework, and I’ve already wired lunch money into your account.

Maybe we can skip the locker stuffing today?

Eli, we’ve discussed this.

Ow!

I make the rules.

I’m the alpha.

Who am I?

Steve Palchuk.

And there can only be one.

Phase one, find out the name of the cute blonde in biology.

Phase two, ask said cute blonde to Spring Fling.

Phase three make all her dreams come true.

I love you.

What up, bro?

Who are you?

Who are you?

Steve Palchuk.

MVP, on the field and off.

Future king of Arcadia Oaks High.

No, you can’t be Steve.

I’m Steve.

I’m Steve!

Ooh!

Ooh-hoo!

You may need to let that one rest.

Dang.

No!

No, no, no!

What up, Steve?

High-five.

So, what are you benching, like, uh.

What are you looking at?

I’m Steve.

You’re not Steve!

I’m Steve!

I’m Steve!

I’m Steve!

What was that all about?

SAT season.

I’ll tell you, one kid snaps like a snow pea every spring.

So.

“Shadowdancer”?

Well.

Don’t you think I should be.

I don’t know coming up with my own name?

Sorry, too much?

Hardly.

How about “Queen Death Viper 5000 of the Shadow Realm”?

Yeah!

That’s more like it.

The Puente de San Marti�n Bridge crosses the.

Sorry, I was, um.

As I was saying crossing the Tagus River.

The bridge is considered a masterpiece of Spanish architecture.

After the Killahead Bridge was destroyed.

Wait, Killahead in the Battle of Tagus River, the question then became.

“Why wasn’t Claire paying better attention to her baby brother?”

Why, Claire?

Why would you let them take him?

It’s all your fault!

En.

Enrique?

Enrique!

Stop!

Your fears are true.

You’ve been nicked by Creeper’s Sun poison and you’re turning to stone.

You have medicine?

To slow it, yes.

To cure it regrettably, no.

Sooner or later, the poison will overtake you.

Mmm.

How long?

Weeks.

With treatment, a few months.

You need to tell your friends.

No.

No?

Don’t want Toby to know.

I understand.

Then this will be our secret.

What do you mean the dino-park is offline?

This is bad.

Definitely not SATs.

There!

There are shadows!

My teeth are all gone!

There’s monsters in our town!

Why won’t anyone believe me?

No!

Who took my clothes?

It’s like we’re invisible, dude.

No, we’re not invisible.

They’re sleepwalking, like a night terror but in the day.

Have you seen Claire?

No.

Who do you think did this?

I don’t know, but I bet you Strickler is involved.

Come on.

No running!

No screaming!

No acting weird.

What’s happened to you all?

Oh!

What do you mean, it’s opening night?

Why is the spotlight on me?

Line?

Line!

No surprise he’s gone.

This is supposed to be our safe place, Jim!

What’s happening?

Why is everyone crazy-town banana-pants?

I don’t know, but I don’t like it either.

I need time to think.

We may be down a Shadowdancer, but Warhammer ain’t leaving your side, bud.

Tobes, don’t move.

There’s something glowing on you.

Stay very, very still.

It’s in my nose!

It’s in my nose!

Blow your nose!

Hurry, hurry!

Oh, my gosh, it’s inside of me!

Oh, no!

This is what’s happening to everybody else!

We don’t know that.

Toby, don’t freak out.

You need to study me.

What are you talking about?

Like in the movies.

I’m that guy.

I’m the test subject you gotta study to learn how to fight the stupid alien creatures.

Whatever happens next, you have to pay close attention.

attention.

attention.

What?

Are you insane?

Strange sensations, heart rate rising.

My mind is.

Toby!

Tobes!

It’s you!

Hey, you, mole.

Will you be my date to Spring Fling?

I love you, Toby-pie.

Get away from me, Nana!

And there goes Warhammer.

Get away from me, Nana!

Thank you so much for coming over, Mr. Blinky.

Well, to be frank, I’m concerned about Jim’s progress.

Ugh!

Oh!

Would you like some cream for that?

Oh, yes, please.

The whipped kind.

Okay.

As for your concern about Jim, he’s had his final growth spurt, but his voice should be changing soon.

Ah, thank you!

I meant his odd behavior.

Not his voice.

But, you know, the late nights, the lying.

Jim has a solid head on his shoulders.

And now that we’ve blasted through his emotional roadblocks, you shouldn’t witness any more unusual outbursts from your son.

Hello?

Blinky, everyone’s going crazy-town banana-pants!

Uh.

Oh, good, good.

Good afternoon, Mr. President Eisenhower.

I suppose I could pencil you in.

Help!

I’ve got flying glow-balls making everyone crazy.

It’s like they’re all trapped in a dream and can’t wake up.

No, no, no!

No more mole madness!

It sounds like an infestation of the genus Manicus-Delusious.

Blinky, I only have time for the cheat sheet, not the textbook.

Pixies.

Get away from me, Nana!

Pixies?

That’s it?

A powerful hallucinogen commonly used as a diversion to cloud the minds of an enemy.

Diversion?

Angor Rot is in the school!

I’m going for it!

I’m going for it!

I am Steve.

This is awesome.

Steve is special.

Steve is special.

One thousand pirouettes.

Stop looking at me!

Stop looking!

One thousand and two pirouettes.

I’m barn dooring!

I’m.

Do not fret, Master Jim!

I am on the way!

Darn this flesh-vessel!

Glory!

Now to ignite the accelerator.

Car, activate.

Go!

Please?

I’m coming, Master Jim!

For the glory of Merlin.

Hmm.

Daylight is.

Daylight is mine to command.

You’ve kept your wits, hunter.

Let’s see if you can keep your head.

Okay, then.

Plan B.

I’m Steve!

I’m Steve!

I’m special!

Great.

Don’t kill myself.

Don’t kill myself.

I’m special.

Come on!

How do these things work?

Even with your new toys, you’re no match for me.

Maybe I’m not, but they are!

Enrique!

Wait!

Stop!

Enrique!

I’m here, I’m here!

Give Nana some smooches!

Or else!

Oof!

Give Nana some smooches!

Give Nana some smooches!

The test subject has found the cure!

Jim!

Jim!

Claire!

I found the cure!

Toby!

Oh, no.

No!

Get a grip.

This is a nightmare.

Wake up, Jim!

This isn’t real!

Enrique!

Wait!

No!

I can’t!

Enrique!

Claire!

Stop!

Enrique!

No!

I can’t!

I’m sorry.

A gentleman never strikes a lady, but I’m no gentleman.

Just do it, Toby.

Just do it!

No, wait.

Wait up, Enrique.

I’m not Enrique, Claire!

I’m Toby!

Enrique, when did you learn how to talk?

Wake up!

Wake up!

Wake up!

Wait, Enrique.

Wait, no.

Wait up, wait up.

Hey!

Uh.

Toby, what the heck is going on?

No time!

Now, stick these up your nose and let’s go protect Jim.

There!

There’s Jim!

May today be an example, hunter.

Nowhere is safe for you.

You are never beyond my reach.

Even right here, protected by peers, nothing can stop me from getting to you.

Then what are you waiting for?

You know nothing of waiting.

I’ve waited centuries to reclaim what is mine what I lost.

What do you want from me?

I want you to get my ring.

We share a common enemy.

Strickler?

He wears the Inferna Copula.

You will steal it for me.

You want my help?

In return, I shall help you by severing the connection between your mother and Strickler.

We will both be free.

Why should I trust you?

Because you have no other choice.

The next time our paths cross, hunter, it will either be the end of Strickler or you.

Romeo, don’t leave me.

You can’t.

I can’t feel them.

Uh.

Trolls!

They’re everywhere!

Eli!

Hmm.

Jim!

Jim!

You’re alive!

Oh, man!

We really thought we lost you.

What did you see, Darce?

Don’t ask.

Yeah.

Let’s never speak of this again.

I came as soon as I got word.

Please tell me no one was hurt.

They’re all accounted for.

Looks like some kind of chemical leak in your science lab.

That stuff can make you go pretty loopy.

You’re lucky no one was hurt.

Very lucky indeed.

Oh!

Oh.

By Deya’s grace!

You’re alive!

Master Jim, I had to run the entire way, with a lavatory stop or two.

Oh, dear.

Your automobiles are the most obstinate machines.

How did you survive Angor Rot?

Long story.

Have you heard of the Inferna Copula?

Indeed, I have.

Mmm.

Enough of this madness!