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talesofargante · 1 year

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 8: Part 3 - Changeling Reveal

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Jim volunteers to babysit with Liz so they can find out whether Claire's little brother, Enrique, is a Changeling. While investigating, Liz discovers a new ability.

Words: 4.1k

Warning: literal cat food (if I miss any warnings, please lmk)

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"Since we lost our gaggletack, we need another one. Call Toby to see if he and AAARRRGGHH can get it," Liz instructed.

"Alright," Jim pulls out his phone and calls Toby, who answers, "What's up, Jimbo? Everything okay with Enrique?"

"I sort of just lost it," Jim replies, thinking of Enrique as anything but human.

"What do you mean you lost it?" As soon as Toby asked, Enrique vomited on himself and on the floor. Jim quickly backs away in shock and disgust. "No! What in the world?!"

"Oh, gosh. That's disgusting." Liz gagged slightly at the sight, carefully making her way closer to Enrique without stepping on the emesis on the floor and picking him up from the jumper. "Okay, someone's been playing around too much. Let's get you cleaned up, little padawan. Mind cleaning that up, Jim? I'll meet you upstairs."

Without waiting for a reply, Liz heads to the stairway and climbs to the second floor. She walks down the hallway to the nursery room, where she began cleaning up Enrique. Thankfully, she was familiar with taking care of him after learning from Claire while hanging out at her place.

After wiping Enrique down, Liz couldn't ignore the tingling sensation of magic coursing through her as she touched him. Without thinking and letting instinct takeover, she glances behind her to ensure Jim wasn't there before tracing a pattern with her fingers to Enrique's chest as foreign words spill from her lips.

In an instant, silver light sparks from her fingers, encompassing Enrique's form, then the light fades to reveal a green changeling with red-yellow eyes and brown course, spiked hair on his head, and scruff. The creature snarled. "Eh?! What the – What did you do? How did you do that?"

"So it is true! You are a changeling," Liz said breathlessly, thinking back on all those times she sensed something off until her eyes widened in sudden realization – she could sense changelings! If she had been sensing changelings in disguise this whole time, there was one person she could think of who may also have been involved. "Tell me, where are the Killahead bridge and your master, Bular? Is Strickler working for him?"

"Tsk. I ain't telling you nothing, enchantress. They warned me about you – the Guardian with magic."

Before Liz could confront him any further, footsteps were heard down the hall. In a flash of crackling green light, the changeling transformed back into Enrique, though he was NotEnrique to Liz's knowledge.

Entering the nursery, Jim walks up to Liz, glancing down at Enrique, unaware that the creature's identity has already been exposed. "Toby and AAARRRGGHH are going to bring us another gaggletack. In the meantime, let's see if our little friend will share where he hid our gaggletack. Where did you hide it?"

Enrique giggles, pointing his tiny finger toward the bin by the crib before clapping his hands in glee. Liz couldn't help but glare at the baby. This little trickster is messing with us.

"You hid the horseshoe in the diaper bin, didn't you?" Jim asked. Enrique seemed to cheer as Jim slowly lifted the diaper bin cover. "Because you're just a normal baby, and that's what normal babies do."

"Really, Jim, I don't think he hid it there." Liz sweat-dropped at his action. Smelling the bin, Jim quickly closed it and plugged his nose. "Ooh, doggy! Oh, it is really packed."

"Wait–" Before she could stop him, Jim instantly opens the lid and without thinking twice, stuck his hand into the bin. Liz grimaced at his action, swallowing the down the urge to vomit. Meanwhile, Enrique rolled away from his crib without their notice. Jim searches the bin, finding nothing as his eyes move to the empty crib. He gasped, standing up and looking around the room. "Enrique? Enrique!"

Liz silently cursed herself for getting distracted and searched the room, though she knew that NotEnrique hadn't gone far. He cannot escape. Not without completing his assigned task – to spy on them and report their activity to Bular until the construction of Killahead Bridge is complete.

"You stay here, Liz. Just in case Enrique decides to show himself back here." Jim suggested before walking out into the hallway. "Enrique? Oh, Enrique?"

Glad to see Jim taking the lead on this one. Before she knows it, he will be the Trollhunter that everyone needs. Liz patiently waits inside the nursery, predicting that NotEnrique will set a trap for them both should they decide to search for him together. She could hear the sound of metal clattering from downstairs and footsteps running towards it. Then, there was a silence followed by a yelp.

"Jim!" Filled with worry, Liz moves towards the door when it suddenly bangs shut in her face. A burst of giggles greeted her from behind, pulling Liz's attention to the center of the room on the floor, where NotEnrique, in human disguise, playfully grinning at her.

"Liz?" Jim called out from outside in the hallway. Just when she turned around to call out for him, a sudden weight landed on her shoulders as a baby blue blanket wrapped around the bottom half of her face with the ends pulled from behind, silencing her.

Having enough of his games, Liz reaches behind her for NotEnrique, who leaps off her back and releases the blanket. She turns around, glaring at the creature. "That's it! Playtime is over, changeling."

"Aw, but I'm having so much fun." NotEnrique teases from the ceiling, blowing a raspberry at her. "Stop being such a party pooper."

Eyes narrowing, Liz waves her hand forward, ribbons of silver light shooting towards NotEnrique, ensnaring him in its grasp. "Hey! That's cheating!"

"If this was a game, you should know I always play to win," Liz said, her voice echoing with power and control that seems to have taken a hold over the changeling as she uses her magic to pull NotEnrique towards her. Within reach, she grabs him by the scruff and stares him in the eyes.

At that moment, Liz felt as though something was being tugged inside her. Like the ends of a tight bow being pulled and loosening as a slight wave of unbridled power course through her body and mind, shadowing her senses.

"By whatever means necessary," Liz finalized, unaware of the glowing ring of silver encompassing her turquoise irises, reflecting in his own, filled with fear.

"Y-yes! Okay, you win! Please don't hurt me, enchantress. I'll be good!"

"You have nothing to fear from me if only you answer my questions."

"Alright! I'll tell you! Strickler is working for Bular, and they're hiding the bridge in the –"

"Liz! Are you in there?" Jim calls out from down the hallway, interrupting NotEnrique's confession. Using it to his advantage, NotEnrique quickly transforms into his human form and starts crying loudly in Liz's arms. "Why you little –"

"You found him!" Toby exclaimed from behind Jim as they entered the nursery. Hep walked ahead of his friend towards Liz, his attention on the distressed baby. "Aw, there, there. Did the nasty Trollhunter-man and Guardian-lady scare you?"

"Oh, come here, come here, little baby boy. Don't worry. Don't cry. Shh. Come here. Yeah, yeah. Come here, come here." Toby grabbed the baby from Liz's arms and pressed the little one against him.

Jim watched with suspicion as the baby sucked on Toby's shoulder before lifting his head and spitting out to the Trollhunter. A large frown spread across his face, not believing the act. Quickly, his face changed from serious to happy. "Oh, hey, little guy!"

Instantly, Jim pulls out and holds up the gaggletack with a purposeful grin. Awkwardly, Enrique let out a deep grunt before sobbing hysterically, making Toby wince. "Hey, what are you doing? You're freaking him out."

"He is freaking me out! He made me stick my arm in a diaper bin!" Jim holds his hand up to his friend, who curiously sniffs it before retching away. Liz grimaced, taking a step back to a safer distance. "Made you? You did that all on your own, Jim."

Jim sent her an exasperated look. "Not helping, Liz."

"She's right. You're better than that." Toby turned his focus on the baby, soothing him. "Who's a little baby boy? You're a little baby boy. You're such a little baby."

"That's it. I've got to do this. It won't hurt him." As Jim advanced, NotEnrique began to cry again, trying to escape. "Hey! Stop-! Slow! Hey, can you not-?"

Toby gently shoved his friend back, who just kept coming back. "Dude, get away from him! You're scaring Enrique!"

NotEnrique had climbed onto Toby's head as Jim jumped at him, the three flipping in the room as Liz evades to the side, avoiding the tumble. Jim had landed upside down in the chair, but he quickly picked himself back up before tossing the horseshoe between his hands.

"All right, come to daddy, poopling!" Jim grunted before diving for them, but Toby jumped out of the way. Toby groaned as Enrique fussed in his hands, pulling to be free. Jim slowly walked towards them and held out the gaggletack. Luckily, but unfortunately for Enrique and Toby, the changeling kicked Toby in the face before falling. Still, the redhead had caught him, trapping him. Jim pressed the gaggletack against NotEnrique's head, and lightning shot out of the gaggletack, revealing the changeling. Toby screamed when he made eye contact with NotEnrique, dropping the creature back into the crib as Toby ran behind Jim and Liz.

"Oh, no, that is not Enrique!" Toby shrieked, shielding himself behind the champions. The Trollhunter stepped up to the crib as the blanket draped over the creature. Once Jim reached to the side of the crib, NotEnrique popped out from the covers with a slight growl.

"Stupid flesh thing!" NotEnrique snarled. As he jumped from the crib, Toby and Jim screamed. The changeling jumped onto the lamp before twisting around and knocking it over.

"Oh, no, that is not Enrique!" Toby once again pointed out.

"We know, Toby, but we can't let him escape!" Liz said before chasing after NotEnrique with the two boys close behind. Out in the hallway, the three teenagers ran across the hallway to the stairway, looking down the empty steps.

"Where'd it go?" Toby asked as Liz and Jim turned the corner.

"There!" Jim called out. NotEnrique's back faced them before turning around, revealing Claire's family cat with part of its tail and head sticking out from the miniature troll's large mouth.

"Put... the... kitten... down," Jim ordered as they advanced. Spitting out the kitten, NotEnrique threw it at Jim's face, who fell back with a yelp. NotEnrique jumped onto Toby, kicking him down as Liz managed to get the cat off of Jim. Nevertheless, Jim was pounced on by NotEnrique, making him groan as NotEnrique's clawed hands pressed, most likely around Jim's neck. "You're a real killjoy, just like your mate."

Leaping off, NotEnrique quickly evacuated the area as Toby panicked. "That is not Enrique!"

"We know!" Jim and Liz exclaimed at the same time, pulling out their amulets. They all ran after the changeling down the stairs.

"For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command."

"By the power of the Arcane, magic is mine to command."

In a flash of blue and cyan light, Jim's and Liz's armors appeared as they ran down the stairs. The three chased after the creature who had managed to climb up on the living room arch before swinging off and kicking Toby and Jim to the floor as Liz stepped back to avoid getting knocked down behind them.

NotEnrique lets out a long laugh as he crawls upside down on the ceiling, Jim and Toby already on his trail. As NotEnrique jumped from the roof, the two friends dived for him, but they knocked into one another as the creature managed to miss the oncoming collision. In the process, Toby crushes Jim into the floor with a yelp. While NotEnrique blows a raspberry at the two boys, Liz comes up behind and tries to grab him. Still, he quickly evades her grasp by jumping between her legs and onto the office chair in the reading room. Picking themselves up from the floor, Jim and Toby stopped beside Liz as the changeling twisted the chair to face them, a bottle in one hand and an open magazine in the other. "Do you realize how good you guys have it here? It's a party compared to those troll-turds in the Darklands."

Toby shouted as he ran up to the troll and tipped the chair over. Jim decided to chase as NotEnrique laughed before jumping over the room with the Trollhunter after him. Toby had finally stood as an open magazine was clutched between his hands. A sexy girl had appeared on the cover, meaning the contents inside were probably un childlike as Toby calls out on NotEnrique. "No, hey! You're a very bad baby!"

Toby looked back into the magazine anyway and flipped the page. "My word!"

Before he could turn a page further, Liz quickly snatched the magazine from his hands and tossed it away. "Bad Toby! Stop getting distracted and help Jim!"

"Ah! Yes, ma'am!" Toby saluted with a blush, running to the kitchen and skidding behind the island as Jim held a sizeable circular pan over his head, the dish acting as a shield. At the same time, random objects were thrown at him.

"Where's the real Enrique, you filthy rugrat?" Jim shouted before diving behind the island counter as NotEnrique stood in the fridge, chucking food at him.

"As if I'd ever tell you!" NotEnrique spat, throwing harder objects that shattered on impact. As Liz takes refuge behind the counter with the boys, a cake platter falls beside Toby, the slice of cake landing on the floor perfectly.

"Ooh, cake!" Toby cooed as he picked up the slice. Jim peaked his head around the counter, his sword appearing through a cloud of blue smoke. He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as NotEnrique threw a carton from the fridge. Quickly, Jim jumped out and sliced it with his blade, blue smoke emitting around him with scraps of carton paper.

"Don't make me use this." Jim threatened, hoping not to kill off his evidence.

"You can't touch me. I'm her baby brother. What do you suppose is gonna happen when they come home and see something's happened to their precious?" NotEnrique laughed. "I'm untouchable, baby."

Jim frowned at the statement, knowing he was right. Noticing a broom lying next to her, Liz had an idea, grabbing it and passing it to Toby, who nods and looks around the corner of the island, broom on hand.

"Jim, catch!" Toby yelled, tossing the broom to his friend, whose sword evaporated and was replaced by a normal household item with Jim smiling.

"Uh oh."Avoiding the broom, NotEnrique jumped on top of the fridge before hopping into the divide of the cupboards and kicking the fridge door into Jim's back. Jim let out a cry of pain before smacking the wall cupboard door where NotEnrique stood last. The changeling pulled himself into the cupboard with a laugh.

Quickly, Liz reached for the handle and pulled the small door open, only to find nothing except for cans and glass containers. Trying another cupboard, she opened it, finding her target buried under some more tin cans, growling. She yelped as the cans fell, feeling her arm getting grabbed and pulled backward onto the floor as Jim steps in front of her in time, protecting her head with his arms as his back gets hit by the falling objects and NotEnrique escapes.

Luckily, Toby had been prepared with a large pot and caught the changeling under its steel trap. Unfortunately, his joyous occasion was short-lived when NotEnrique's fist created large dents from the inside.

Toby let out a scream as the pot bounced around the kitchen, carrying Toby with it. As it bounced, Liz and Jim climbed out of the way, and the pot led Toby from the kitchen and right into Enrique's bouncing swing in the living room. The swing acted like a slingshot, sending the two back with screams, passing Liz and Jim, who watched with shock as Toby and NotEnrique crashed into the wall.

Suddenly, a ringtone sounded from Jim's armor. Turning his head, Jim felt the back of his armor, searching for his phone as Toby and Enrique fought in the background.

"That must be Claire. Good thing I taught you where to store your phone." Liz winked. Jim grinned, finding his phone and answering it. "Oh, hey, Claire! How's the concert?"

"Jim, my parents just called. They're coming back early. I'm leaving now." Jim listened to her panicked voice before his eyes grew wide in realization. Noticing his reaction, Liz steps up to him. "What's wrong, Jim?"

"The Nunez, they're on their way home," Jim said, letting his armor disintegrate back into his amulet with his mouth agape. Suddenly, a blast of loud music sounded, catching them by surprise. The two champions turned to see NotEnrique by the stereo.

"Who's there? What's that music?" Claire asked.

"Tell her how you were elbow-deep in me dookie-bin," NotEnrique said, turning up the music even louder and dancing.

"Are you...having a party?" Claire asked accusingly, sending Jim into panic mode as he dodged the random items thrown at him. "No! No, no party! Gotta go!"

He hung up the phone as Liz summoned a shield to protect herself and Jim from the projectiles. Toby comes up behind them, back in the action as NotEnrique continues throwing anything and everything he can get his hands on, random objects lying everywhere as though a tornado had torn through the kitchen.

Suddenly, a loud knock sounded from the back kitchen door, followed by the door falling and landing between Jim and Toby, who gasped in surprise. Outside the doorway stood AAARRRGGHH, his hand frozen in a knocking motion.

"Stupid, smelly trolls!" NotEnrique sneered from the island countertop, dropping the cans and backing up.

"Their door!" Jim groaned and pressed his hand to his forehead as Liz shook her head, fingers pinching between her furrowed eyebrows. "What did you guys do to their door?"

With a laugh, Blinky popped into view from the outside. "We... Uh, we're here to... help."

He picked up the door as Jim pouted.

"Well, I don't remember inviting these two to dinner!" NotEnrique spoke, causing them to all look as he hopped from the fridge to the freezer, where he grabbed a box and stood atop the refrigerator. "First course, frozen peas!"

"Don't make me climb up there, foul beast!" Blinky threatened. Toby had taken a chicken leg from the floor and bit into the meat before throwing it at NotEnrique, who ate it in one gulp.

"Whoa!" The changeling grunted before jumping from his taller pedestal to the ceiling lamp and loading his mouth with peas. Then he launched them like a machine gun at Blinky, who covered his eyes as he stumbled around. "My eyes, my eyes! Green balls of madness! They hurt very badly!"

All of them took cover. NotEnrique laughed before loading more into his mouth and shooting more.

"AAARRRGGHH, it's just like our video game. You with me, buddy?" Toby mentioned. AAARRRGHH came out from beneath the small plate that did no justice to protect the giant troll from the peas. He smiled, however. "Sushi."

"Yeah!" Toby smiled, giving his troll friend a high-five.

"Draw fire?" AAARRRGGHH suggested. Balling his fists, Toby stands up with a proud smile. "No, it's my turn."

He ran as NotEnrique continuously blasted him with peas and fell over. "Oh, it's hailing peas, and I hate peas! Oh, ooh, ow!"

On top of the ceiling lamp, NotEnrique continued with the peas, aiming them at Toby. Suddenly, a large fist belonging to AAARRRGGHH slammed the changeling into the ceiling. His fist retracted, causing the smaller creature to wheeze out as he fell off the lamp, his arms and legs stiff as he fell onto AAARRRGGHH's plate. Toby laughed with cheer as he joined his larger friend's side. "Way to go, wingman!"

"Boom, boom!" AAARRRGGHH added when they fist-bumped.

"Way to go, you two!" Liz smiled, clapping as she and Jim stepped up to them. Jim's expression turned serious.

"All right, enough! Where's the bridge?" He asked NotEnrique, who recovered and sat up on the plate with a grin.

"What bridge? London Bridge? I hear it's falling down," NotEnrique teased until AAARRRGGHH's hand crushed him. "Ow! Fleshbags... no sense of humor."

"We are not asking again. Where is the bridge?" Liz questioned this time. AAARRRGGHH continued to crush him, causing the small troll to groan. "Give me a break! I don't know anything. - It's me first day."

"Squeeze him till he pops!" Blinky said, stepping beside the two champions. The giant troll followed the order and pressed down further. The smaller troll's eyes bulged before he pushed the hand off him. "Okay, okay, okay! Can't blame a guy for looking out for himself. But you can't tell anyone I told you. I got a pretty sweet deal going here. If the bossman hears I squealed, he'll feed me to Bular."

"Bular's working with someone else?" Blinky questioned in concern.

"Who? Who is Bular working with?" Jim asked.

"Oh, er..." NotEnrique glances at all of them until his gaze stops on Liz, who subtly shakes her head, her turquoise eyes flickering with glistening silver. He clears his throat, looking away. "Forget I said anything."

Suddenly, a car pulling into the driveway drew everyone's eyes to the front of the house, where headlights appeared on the wall.

"Oh, no, someone's home!" Jim exclaimed, panic setting in once again.

"I suggest we make our egress," Blinky added, but AAARRRGGHH questioned the new word. "Egress?"

"It means to exit." Blinky grabbed the changeling, but Jim grabbed him by the smaller troll's legs, causing NotEnrique to yelp. "Whoa! I'm supposed to be babysitting it!"

Blinky pulled on NotEnrique's arm. "And I need the proof for Vendel!"

"And I need not be split in two." NotEnrique swats at them to let go.

"Enough! Jim's right. We were supposed to be babysitting. We'll bring the changeling to Vendel at another time." Liz said as Blinky reluctantly let go.

The front door unlocked.

"Okay, you have to go now," Liz muttered as NotEnrique continued to push out of Jim's grip, but the boy had a tight hold on him despite getting punched and kicked in the face.

"With haste," Blinky added. They left, AAARRRGGHH had trouble putting on the door, but they went in time. NotEnrique continued to struggle, but they froze as a voice spoke out. "Claire, we're home!"

It was Claire's father.

Not wasting another second, Liz waved her hand, muttering foreign words under her breath as cyan-colored mist swirled across the kitchen, replacing everything back to their original state before her armor dissipated. Meanwhile, Jim watched with his mouth agape in complete shock. Since when can Liz do magic?!

Hearing approaching footsteps. Jim pressed on NotEnrique, who transformed into his human form as Claire's parents walked into the kitchen. The parents gasped at seeing a random boy holding their child with Liz standing near him with a charming smile.

"Oh! Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Nunez."

"Liz? We didn't expect you to be here. Who is that, and where's Claire?" Mrs. Nunez asked, perking her eyebrow with suspicion. Before Liz could reply, Jim spoke up, chuckling nervously. "I'm Jim, the babysitter."

"In-training, he means." Liz corrected, remaining calm through the situation. "He goes to our school and wants to learn how to babysit, just in case he needs to earn some money on the side after school. As for Claire, she —"

Claire runs into the kitchen in panic before letting out the word, "Fudgeknuckle!"

Claire glances between her friends and her parents.

"Ah, Claire! We were explaining how you invited us over to teach Jim how to babysit. Did you find what you were looking for?" Liz nonchalantly asked as though Claire was with them the entire time. Mr. and Mrs. Nunez turned to their daughter for an answer.

"Uhh...yeah!" Claire smiled, understanding what Liz was trying to do. "I dropped my phone outside from upstairs while playing with Enrique and them in the nursery. Good thing it happened after you guys called."

Claire pulls out her phone from her skirt pocket, waving it. "Here, it is. Luckily, it didn't break."

"I'm glad." Liz smiled, nudging Jim to say something. "Ah, yeah! Good thing. You had us worried there."

Liz turned to NotEnrique, ruffling his hair, turquoise eyes gleaming in its original color as she grinned down at the baby, who cooed innocently in response.

"Well, it seems our playtime is over. Good game, Enrique. Hope to play with you again soon."

[End of Episode VIII - Adventures of Trollsitting]

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the last part of Episode 8! If you are interested in reading more, click the links below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

While reading, feel free to leave a comment [keep it negative-free, would you? thanks :)] or critique. I appreciate the feedback. And along the way, if you like the journey so far, leave a star, a kudos, or/and heart to vote! If you have any questions, feel free to ask as well and I’ll do my best to answer without giving any spoilers ;)

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale