2
Warning: Things get pretty dark and adult.
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Gideon stumbled into the kitchen, opening the fridge and frowning when he saw that someone had almost finished the orange juice. Picking up the carton, he placed it on the table beside the giggling Mabel, who was staring at something and smiling warmly. Gideon stood on his tip toes to reach a glass from the cabinet, and noted that there was one missing. Glancing over at the sink, he saw a lone glass sitting in the center of it.
Putting two and two together, the deductive child came to a fairly obvious conclusion. Dipper's been up late again.
He poured the last of the orange liquid into his cup glumly, sighing when it only reached a quarter of the container's height. Mabel continued to giggle every few seconds, stroking her pet's head and taking spoonfuls of Pentagram cereal. She giggled for the seven-millionth time, and Gideon glanced up from his glass, slightly annoyed. "What's so funny?" The mischievous brunette glanced up from her snapshot, but her face fell after a moment. "Oh uh, nothing just…a cute photo of a chipmunk." The white hared boy raised an eyebrow, his calculating mind trying to figure out why she was acting so suspicious. What could she be hiding?
Knowing full well that he wouldn't get a proper answer from her, he decided to change the subject. "Where's Pacifica? She wasn't in her sleeping bag." Mabel averted eye contact once more, and glanced at the splintery floor. What is wrong with her? That thought was interrupted by the entrance of the man who was paying for his room and board, Stan Pines. The man strode in, proudly displaying his new cane. It was gold in coloration, and had a pyramid with an eye on it as the handle. "Well what do you think?" Stan looked at Mabel expectantly, and raised his cane into the air to allow her a better look at it. Gideon smiled up at the man, "I like it, it's very stylish and it fits with all the triangular merchandise you have." The shop owner gave him a brief glance, and smiled slightly, surprising the nine year old, and making him feel warm inside.
Stan had, up until now, mostly ignored Gideon. The first few days of harboring him had been quite awkward, as the miser had seemed almost resentful of his presence. But this showed that they were progressing. It also made Gideon feel good to receive praise, even from someone he barely knew. His father mostly ignored him, and his mother was always out at social events, being the life of the party.
The miser's niece however, was not nearly as enthusiastic. She was staring at the cane with a slightly disturbed look on her face, and Waddles slipped out of her arms as she began to speak. "Grunkle Stan…don't you think it's…a tad…I mean its…it looks like Bill." Stan "pffted" indignantly, and spoke with his frequently used air of over confidence. "Of course it does! People saw him flying through the air, him at the explosion, I need to cash in on this while the wild accusations are flying and people know zippiddy-doo-da about what he really is!"
Mabel sighed in response to her great uncle's avarice and spoke as he adjusted his bow tie and moved towards the front of the shop. "Stan, I don't think we'll ever know what Bill is…" But the elder was already gone, and Gideon was trying to solve the pentagram shaped maze on the back of the cereal box. The normally enthusiastic tween stared at the table top, seemingly worried. But she's never worried…what could have her so worked up? They heard a yawn, and they both glanced up to see a drowsy Dipper enter. Gideon called out jokingly to him, "Hey Dip, stop drinking the OJ in the middle of the night!" The pre-teen detective rolled his eyes, and smiled good naturedly. Mabel smiled and sat up, calling to her brother in a razzed tone.
"Hey bro, did you have any trouble getting out of bed?" The pre-teen blushed, and Mabel giggled as he grabbed a bowl, the carton of milk, and a spoon, all without making eye contact. Gideon glanced between the two, disturbed by their changes in behavior, and confused by the private joke at Dipper's expense. What is she implying? Pacifica stumbled in, and gave Dipper a strange smile. Gideon's world stopped as he realized that her hair was disheveled.
Her hair is never disheveled. She always makes sure it's perfect. What the hell is going on? Wendy burst into the room, surprising the pajama wearing quartet with a desperate look. "Guys…you have to come see this."
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Wendy had been walking to work, deciding to take the long way since it was such a pretty day. She had been startled and disturbed by what she had found however, not twenty feet from the lodgings of her best friends. The redhead had sprinted forward, dashing past Stan as he tried to get her attention, and bursting into the kitchen.
She waited anxiously as her companions dressed, afraid that something would happen to the atrocity she had stumbled upon. Of course they had to wake up Robert (or Robbie 2 as Wendy had mentally labeled him), which took even longer, and caused Wendy to grab Dipper's hand the moment the group began to shuffle out the front door, and yank him in the direction of her finding. "Woah, Wendy…SLOW DOWN!" The redhead wasn't listening, and practically dragged the dazed tween through the forest brush and into the clearing she had stumbled upon. He took a moment to catch his breath, and blushed, stepping away as he realized their hands were touching.
She walked over to the pile and knelt beside it, trying to keep a repugnant look off her face, "Now I don't know about you…but that doesn't look normal to me…" Dipper stepped closer, and his observation caught in his mouth as he got a better look at the pile of dead bats. Wendy continued to stare at the rotting mass, her voice wavering slightly. "You know that weird smell that tourists have been complaining about? I'm guessing that this is it." Dipper picked up one of the carcasses gingerly, sniffing it, before growing a look of revolution and throwing the corpse back into the pile.
They heard twigs break as Mabel caught up, and stopped short beside her brother as she grimaced at the putrid sight. Robert stumbled out of the bushes, brushing leaves out of his beard. He was promptly followed by his young companions, who were both unable to speak once they caught sight of the pile. The librarian on the other hand, was almost completely unphased by the rancid pile. He leaned down on one knee, inspecting a crumpled bat with care, speaking in a barely audible voice. "Fascinating…"
Wendy's eyes widened at his observation. I wouldn't call it that. Weird sure, but definitely not fascinating. That's just creepy. She held her tongue though, half because she didn't want to taste the foulness of the scene. Gideon stepped over to the absent minded teen and tapped his shoulder, "Uh Robert, do you know about any creatures which eat bats?"
The dark haired teen coughed as he realized what he had been doing, and rose, averting eye contact with his young colleague. "Well I uh…that is…I'm afraid not. I uh, I've never read about something like that, or encountered it for that matter. Sorry." Pacifica stepped closer, "It looks like whatever it was, it cooked them." Wendy glanced back at the skinned bats, and felt her stomach churn with realization. Mabel spoke first, stating the disgusting reality that they all knew to be true, in a small voice.
"So whatever killed them, it-it roasted them, and ate their skin. And…and it was human?" She turned to her brother, who just stared at the pile with a grim look. "Who…who would do something like that?" Dipper moved forward, and pointed at a nearby cave. "I think…I have a theory."
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(In Reverse falls)
Wendy glanced around the shop for the millionth time. Something wasn't right. Her boss, Bud Pines, was acting strangely, and she felt as though something was missing. As if there should be someone, or multiple people hanging around the Zone, but weren't. Soos was here, her boss was here, but there seemed to be too much room. Somehow she remembered being really annoyed by two people (Children? She recalled them being small), but their faces and names eluded her.
The door opened and she perked up, calling out to the soggy man who stood in the door way. "Welcome to the Mystery Zone! We put the Q in quality." The man smiled, and she noticed that there was something slightly wrong with his eyes. Shrugging that aside, she continued to yell slogans at the customer. Despite being a goth, she was quite enthusiastic about her job, more so then about anything else in her life. And it was an easy job here, or a mind-splittingly boring one at the office where her dad worked.
The man smiled again, almost creepily, like he didn't exactly know how to smile properly, and walked up to the counter, with Official Mystery Zonetm lamb shears. As she picked up his purchase and began to rig it up, he began to idly chat with her. "So uh, do you know where the previous owner of this establishment might be located?" She shrugged, "I didn't know this place even had a previous owner." The man chuckled and leaned an elbow on the counter, speaking in a friendly tone. "Oh yeah! Local rumor is that he sold the place along with his last name."
Not really listening, the redhead extended a hand. "That'll be 21.99$...hey I know you…you're the microwavable casadia man!" The man chuckled yet again, and removed his wallet. "Yeah well, you can call me Fiddleford." The ginger frowned, "Okay…that's kind of a-" "Shitty name? You bet your britches, my parents HATED me." She smiled, "Yeah, I know how that is…my middle name is the single worst on Earth." The millionaire leaned forward, "Is it one of those names that sound like they came from another dimension?" Wendy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, something like that…" The customer smiled and picked up the lamb shears, handing her the money. He looked thoughtful as she placed the money in the register, "Y'know…there's a twenty dollar tip waiting for you if you can point me in the direction of Old Man Gleeful's place…"
The goth shuddered at the name, and felt slightly dazed as a sea of awful memories came flooding back. "What do you want with that creep?" Her voice became sharp. Any friend of that sicko is not a friend of mine. The man leaned further forward, whispering "I'm gonna have that hovel he calls a house, DE-MO-LISHED. I was gonna go give him one last chance to sell the land to me." The teen gave him a vengeful smile, "He's down by the lake, about three hundred feet from the dock." Fiddleford smiled and handed her a fifty dollar bill. "Woah, this…this is more than…"
He spoke as he turned towards the door, a disturbing grin striking his features. "Yeah well, you know us rich folk…" The door swung open as he stepped out, "…always throwing our cash about willy-nilly."
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Dipper Gleeful sat in the dark, tearing off the skin of his latest kill/breakfast. He enjoyed the feel of blood running freely across his fingertips. With every strip removed, with every bone broken, he imagined his enemies, lying helpless before him, unable to do anything but scream as he tortured them beyond any semblance of sanity.
The first was that pitiful excuse of a counterpart, who would try to be brave, but would eventually break beneath the pain, and surrender all his secrets in exchange for respite. I will give him none. The second would be Cipher, in human form, cracking stupid jokes even as he was mutilated. The third would be that pathetic version of his sister, who would probably whine and scream the whole way through. Thinking about her reminded him of when she had attempted to comfort him, upon his discovery of his dead sister. She had been hugging her brother and smiling not moments before, and she thought that HE, the boy who had come close to murdering her, would want her sympathy.
That stupid little girl. Probably had the world handed to her on a silver platter, like that stupid Northwest brat. I bet she thinks she's better than my sister, just because she was more accepted by the slug-brained masses. The only reason they ever accept you is if you're a slow minded fool like them. And that's what she is, an idiot, a daydreamer. I'd like to tie her down, turn her dreams into nightmares, I'd tear off her-
There was a clattering sound, and Dipper realized that he had been squeezing the bat corpse as his thoughts progressed in violence. Now the shattered bits of bat bone lay at his feet, and he kicked them aside, angry at himself for slipping into his subconscious. Disgusted with his lost meal, he wiped his gore covered hands against the stone floor of the cavern, and glanced up at the ceiling, hoping to spot another easy meal. His concentration was broken when he heard a voice pierce the silence. "It was your theory, so you check!"
Her. How dare she have his sister's voice, how dare she use his sister's tongue to produce the gibbering madness that she classified as sentences? How dare she have the audacity to show up at his lair, bringing her cohorts with her? How the fuck did she find me? I barely left this cave accept to dispose of the bodies-He practically slapped himself when he realized that he had led his foolish enemy's right to his den. Then he heard his own voice, practically quivering in fear. "Are you kidding me? If he's in there…he'll MURDER me. Robert, you're taller, and you know hand to hand. Go check it out!"
A third voice (how many of them were there?) entered the conversation, and Dipper quickly came to the conclusion that it belonged to the librarian. "Well um, maybe we should uh…draw lots?" Oh god, he even sounds pathetic. Dipper stood, barley hearing Pacifica suggest to her companions that they enter simultaneously. The psychotic performer rolled his sister into the darkness at the back of the cave, putting a hand on her head once he came to a stop. He whispered a promise to return soon, and then he kissed her cold, bandaged forehead. Brushing dried blood from his lips, he glanced around the cavern. Using the power of his amulet, the twelve year old raised a pile of pebbles and bat remains into the air, and ran towards the mouth of the cave as Gideon sighed in exasperation and stepped inside. "I'll do it you big bab-" Dipper slugged his opponent in the stomach, and smiled as the nine year old collapsed onto the ground. Serves you right you little sack of filth.
He unleashed the wave of debris upon his dawdling foes, and ran past them with a triumphant giggle. The sounds of their recovery and pursuit him, but he was in peak physical condition, and easily out ran them. He had made sure to create a mental map of these woods, and was certain that he would be able to lose them in town, the borders being close by. Then the world started to slow down, and the image of a triangle flashed in the corner of his eye. He turned slightly, noticing color seep back into the world in what must have been a hallucination. Probably brought on by exposure to the sun, and lack of sleep.
His foot entangled in a root, and he tumbled onto his side, gravel and dust making contact with his cheek and leaving some nasty scratches. Cursing under his breath, the former magician stood, and wiped the blood away, before trying to regain his bearings. "Don't move." Stopping in his tracks, the nair-do-well turned slowly, and observed the redhead, she had a baseball size stone raised in the air, and was staring at him with a determined look. "Guys…come quick, I found him!" Dipper took a step back and she prepared to launch the projectile. "Do you really want to find out how good my pitching arm is?"
The young sadist turned back and smiled coyly, "You're not gonna use that, you don't want to kill me." Wendy's face scrunched up, and she stepped closer, "I'm not gonna-" "Oh I doubt that beaning me with a rock that size would kill me, but there's a 10% chance that I could get a severe concussion. And while I'm sure your "friends" would enjoy my leave from this earthly realm, I can't imagine that they would think of you the same way, accident or not." The ginger swallowed, "They would understand-" "Oh I'm sure they would, just like they would understand how you made a deal with their worst enemy." Her eyes widened, "Yeah I picked up on that. I'm observant. Back to the matter at hand, I'm sure they'd be extremely forgiving if they found out that you "accidentally" offed the same person who tortured you."
The redhead practically snarled and stepped closer, trying to get a word in but interrupted once again. The boy moved close enough that with every word he practically spat on her. "I seem to recall this world's version Mabel making the wrong call about me and my sister, something about no one deserving to die." The redhead fumed and he prodded her upper thigh, "Aww what's the matter?"
He put on a mocking voice, like that of an oversized baby, "Did the big bad lumberjack girl get nightmares about a couple of wittle twelve year olds? I can only imagine what we did to you in your mind, what with you all tied down and defenseless? Did you not like it when Dippy and Mabel weren't following you around like the obedient wittle dogs they are? Did you not like it when we weren't practically worshipping you?" He chuckled darkly, and dropped the voice of mockery, unaware that the anger which was boiling within the ginger cashier threatened to become his undoing. "Just like my sister to haunt the dreams a stupid, little girl, even after her own death, she can still scare the hell outta mouth-breathers like you. I bet we gave really gave you hell in your nightmare. I bet we made you our teenage bi-"
Wendy grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air, startling Dipper with the fire in her eyes. "Shut up you little freak! Now you're gonna listen to me. If you ever try to get inside my head again, or suggest something like that again, I will have no regrets in beating the living shit out of you. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
The warlock focused on her emerald eyes and smirked as he realized the force behind her exaggerated aggression. Then he caught sight of who was standing on the other side of clearing. Bursting into giggles, he began to wonder how much his counterpart had heard.
Everything judging from the look on his face. What a square.
Confused by his tittering, Wendy realized he was staring at something, she turned her head and his sniggering turned into rapacious laughter when he spied the look on his captor's face. The little mouth breather was on the verge of tears, and Dipper took advantage of the redhead's regret as she tried to explain herself.
Kicking the teen sharply in the stomach, Dipper fell to the ground and watched as the winded ginger stumbled backward and tripped over the same root which had ensnared him. "Make sure to catch your princess mouth-breather!" he continued to call as he weaved betwixt the pines. "If you're lucky she'll give you a kiss!" Laughing to himself the whole way, he pushed through some tight bushes, and came to a halt in front of his opponent's residence.
The old man should have a new car by now, I can steal the keys and drive into town. Smiling, he strutted towards the tourist attraction, and was sent flying when a golf cart slammed into him.
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Gideon was feeling particularly cocky.
He had been let out of Juvenile hall not two weeks ago, and spent that time gaining Intel, planning, and of course, coming up with snappy comebacks. He couldn't wait to see the looks of suprise on the face of the Pines family, they would pay for their transgressions against him. They would all kneel before him in the end, and Mabel would be his, weather she liked it or not. When her brother's life lies in the palm of my hand, she will have no choice but to accept our love.
As if on cue, the Pines brother in question burst out of the forest, and Gideon ducked behind a nearby stone, peeking over the top, and watching the actions of his nemesis from afar. But something was wrong with him, he was covered in dirt and blood, and he was smiling sickly, in a way that reminded the former entertainer of his own smile. Then a golf cart slammed into him, and that idiot of a handyman stepped off the device, a look of worry crossing his face.
Gideon was surprised when Mabel stepped out of the woods, and seemed almost relived that the pre-teen had been rendered unconscious. But his hopes that she had finally realized how much of a loser her brother was, were dashed, as Dipper stepped out behind her, followed by blonde girl and a well-dressed teen. What the-but how-are they-Gideon yanked at his perfect hair in frustration, having trouble comprehending this situation. The second Dipper was dressed as normal, but the fact that the first had been trying to escape gave Gideon the impression that the second was some kind of changeling or clone. The redhead who hung around with the twins entered the scene, avoiding eye contact with the second Dipper, but staring at the first Dipper resentfully. Then a familiar looking white haired boy entered the scene. (*)
Then the driver of the golf cart picked up the strangely dressed and unconscious pre-teen, and carried him to the Shack, followed by the entourage.
Well, I should have spent more time watching and less time coming up with theoretical comebacks. Sighing to himself, the child performer ran over to his rival's shop, and peered through the window.
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"Absolutely, positively, not!" Stan was enraged by the very suggestion of the idea. Dipper knew before asking that it wouldn't be easy convincing his great uncle to allow them to chain his counterpart up in the basement. But he hadn't predicted this level of resistance.
"It would just be until we figure out what to do with him!" He implored the miser, but Stan remain adamant. "No way…you already have the three miscreants staying here-" Mabel hushed him, and glanced at the kitchen door. Robert, Gideon and Pacifica were all in the back of the shop, told to wait with the unconscious Dipper as the twins smoothed things over with Stan. She knew they were two rooms over, but the walls were not particularly thick and she didn't want the living situation to become even more awkward.
"-Now I can't even shout in my own house?! FINE! The point is that you're not gonna miraculously stumble upon a way to deal with the little creep tomorrow, that you weren't able to think of today!" Dipper gripped his brow in frustration, "Well as soon as we find the totem, we'll be able to send him back to where he came from-" Stan interrupted him, stepping closer to the pre-teen and almost looking intimidating. "Oh yeah? And how's that workin' out for ya? Last I checked, you were no closer to finding "the totem", and I seem to remember you saying you would have found it before my two week time limit was up…or was I incorrect?" Dipper felt the anger grow inside, "Listen, I get that this inconvenient, but these are people, people who have saved our lives, and we can't just abandon them. Now you know we can't bring the other me to the police, so I suggest we keep him locked up in the basement. You know, keep your enemies closer and whatnot."
The old man gave a mocking laugh, and poked Dipper in the chest lightly, "Oh so that he can kill us in our sleep? Brilliant idea, brain-boy." The pre-teen fumed, "You KNOW we can't go to the police, and since I imagine you won't be paying for his medical bills, the mental hospital is out of the question!" Mabel tried to say something, but Stan was a possessed man, "Why keep him anywhere? He'd break out of those places anyway!" Again Mabel tried to interject, but Dipper jumped back into the argument. "Well we can't just let him go…there is no alternative!"
Stan crossed his elbows, and gave his nephew a look which seemed to indicate that he disagreed. Mabel and Dipper's eyes both widened when they realized what he was implying and Dipper stepped closer. "You-you're not saying we should kill him?" The old man sighed in exhaustion, and Dipper noticed the bags under his eyes, "I…of course not. I'm not gonna ask a couple of twelve year olds to kill someone. I…I could do it though." Mabel held her hands to her face in horror, and Dipper stared at his guardian incredulously. "You…you can't be serious…he…he's the same age as us…"
Stan turned around, his face out of view, "He's also responsible for almost destroying THE HUMAN RACE. Frankly, I would be doing him a favor, the little creep doesn't have a future, or friends. He was eating bats according to your story…and besides, I could kill him practically painlessly." Dipper grabbed his arm, and pulled his gaze back. "You can't be serious!? WE ARE NOT KILLING HIM! He might be crazy, and yeah, I don't like him any more then you do, but he got screwed over by the universe, and he has his whole life ahead of him…he deserves a chance to…you'know…deal with his psychological problems and live a normal life." Stan rolled his eyes, "Oh please, that kid is never gonna be anything other than be a maniac…he deserves exactly-" "THAT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE!" Dipper found himself a little scared by his own outburst, but he continued to scowl at his great uncle.
"What is wrong with you? All summer I've been with you, and you never seemed like the kinda guy who would kill anyone! Now you practically jump at the chance." Stan rolled his eyes again, "Oh stop being so naive, if anyone deserves it he does, and you know it!" Dipper looked ready to strangle the old man, Mabel was unable to remember when he had last been this angry. "Need I remind you that he is still me! He's still a person and yeah, he's an awful person, but HE'S STILL ME!" "I don't doubt it, YOUR ACTIN' JUST AS CRAZY RIGHT NOW!"
Dipper was about to reply, when Mabel reached her limit. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"
They both turned and saw Mabel glaring at them with nearly tear filled eyes, "Here's how it's going to go down…you-" she turned and grabbed Stan's new bow tie, pulling him down to eye level. "-You are not going to kill anyone, and you're going to get some sleep while we run the shop for you, because you are not thinking straight." She tapped his forehead, "And you're gonna hire our friends, work for food. And you-" she turned to Dipper and grabbed his vest, "You and Robert are gonna find a supernatural answer to our living space problem, then you can look for the totem." She turned around, "Now I'm gonna go get my shoulder pads and suit." Turning back sharply, she gave her family members a questioning look, "DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND?"
They glanced at one another before nodding weakly and watching the besweatered girl run upstairs, in search of the suit she had used for the weekend in which she had been placed in charge of the Mystery Shack. Stan glanced back at Dipper, before sighing and retreating towards his room. "He can stay for the night." Dipper smiled slightly, and ran over to the backroom. Upon opening the door, he began assigning jobs, "Okay, Robert we're gonna need you to look into pocket dimensions, Pacifica and Gideon, you're gonna need get your disguises on and go buy some chains. Me and Mabel will run the Shack while you guys are gone. Is everyone good?" They were surprised by their retrospective missions, but nodded, each understanding at their own pace. "Great. Now let's go!" He began clapping his hands, and they scattered, Robert moving towards the spare room, where he kept his books, while Pacifica and Gideon opened the secret passage, their disguises packed downstairs.
Dipper stepped out of the room and called Soos, knowing that he would unable to move his knocked out counterpart without the handyman's help. He dreaded interacting with Wendy for the rest of the day, but tried to place his anxiety and angst aside for later.
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Mabel sighed upon entering her bedroom, she flopped down on the bed, and moaned into the mattress. Waddles licked her cheek, and she gave the hog a smile, before rolling off the bed. "I don't get it Waddles…" The pig hopped off the bed and followed its owner over to the closet. "…when did everything get so complicated?"
She sighed once more, and opened the door, checking just to make sure that there weren't any invisible wizards inside, before stepping in, and checking through the line of clothes.
Her pig went up to the triangular window, raised its hooves onto the windowsill, and peered outside. Almost immediately it turned around, and ran back over to its owner, who had just stepped out of the closet and was holding her suit. "What's the matter?" Confused by the swine's squeals of distress, Mabel crept over to the window, and peaked out. Seeing nothing, she frowned and turned back to the pig with a smile. "Don't worry, the pterodactyls can't get in here…" She glanced back at the window, and her frown deepened. "Well…at least I don't think that they can…" She gave her pet a light stroke on the head, before stepping away from the window, and swung the closet door close. She grabbed her outfit and ran into the bathroom, slightly excited about wearing her oversized suit again.
The pig ran back to the window, staring out the glass at the eyeless creature which resided on the edge of the roof, and stared back hungrily.
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Hope you enjoyed, someone tell me if the code message has any mistakes, and I'll try to do a better job next time. By the way, I'll be going on vacation soon so uploads may slow considerably (I was moving before this, sorry about everything moving at molasses pace).
