BOOK ONE: STATUS QUO chapter 2

I Own nothing!

….3 YEARS LATER...

Dipper could still barely believe his eyes...he was here...Republic City...The big Kumquat itself...and he was docking into it like it was no big deal! This was one of the greatest moments of his-

"Hey Dipper! Buddy! I could use a hand here!"

-and just like that the moment was over, as reality forcibly reminded him why he was in republic city in the first place.

Dipper sighed as he walked off the leaky canoe (that immediately finished sinking) to help Cave finish packing his fliers.

His friendship with Cave had been...interesting. He had to admit that Cave was quiet possibly the most brilliant inventor the world has ever seen!

Which would be great...if he also wasn't the most incompetent, dangerous lunatic that the world had ever had the misfortune to spawn.

Not that he was a bad guy! He had an almost sickening idealism about humanity, and genuinely wanted to make the world a better place...however good intentions didn't exactly make up for the fact that he once somehow caused an island to sink just by jamming a fork into a toaster (and that didn't even make it into the top 100 crazy things he'd done!).

Still, he was a good friend...who was about to sucker punch the human race silly. "I still can't believe you actually found someone crazy enough to finance this." Said dipper as he packed the last fliers up.

"Yep! That varick is a swell guy! And all I had to do was convince all my fellow innovators to let him get first pick of who get's contracted!...oh and 117% of the ticket prices and merchandising rights...whatever that is."

"Yeah, sounds real 'swell'." Said dipper sarcasticly.

And then he noticed headline on the fliers-

CAVE JOHNSON & DIPPER PINES WORLD FAIR/SCIENCE EXPO./WONDER IMPORIUM EXTRAVAGANZA!(also there will be cake!)

"Uh, cave, why is my name on this?" Cave smiled. "SURPRISE! As if I wouldn't give you credit for this! All of the heaps of success both me, my fellow inventors, and the world is about to enjoy wouldn't have been possible without your common application skills!

Dipper gives him a weird look. "You mean my common sense?"

"Yep! Why, without you I'd still be trying to force my portal gun to be a shower curtain!"

"Uh...wow...look, not to sound ungrateful but maybe it would be best if my name wasn't on this?"

"What? Why?" asked a confused Cave.

Dipper started to get uncomfortable. "Well, you know...in case the police come around...and arrest everybody...again."

Cave chuckled. "Dipper me chum. I know we've had many a shake up by the good old gestapo, but this time-"

"-will be different." Finished dipper. "No offense Cave, but that's what you said the last couple hundred times."

"True." Admitted Cave. "But I've never attempted anything remotely this big or over the top before have I?"

Dipper chuckled nervously. "Nope you sure haven't...god help us all..."

"What was that?" asked cave absentmindedly.

"Nothing!" Shouted dipper quickly. "Look, all I'm saying is that it wouldn't hurt to have someone on the outside to bail you out...or failing that have a a get-away driver...like I always do."

Cave chuckled. "Dipper, buddy you worry too much! Regardless of what happens, everything will be fine. Or have you already forgotten my 'special' condition?"

Dipper groaned, like he could ever forget! "Look man, I keep telling you it's a mistake to keep relying on only that to get you out of every problem

you face, you yourself admitted you don't fully understand. Besides don't forget that while it helps you; me not so much, if at all."

"Oh, yeah, that's right." Said a contemplative Cave. Then he gives a shrug and says: "alright I'll try to alter you name off."

"Thank you." said an appreciative dipper.

"Now enough Jibber-Jabber, to the Cave-mobile!" Cave quickly presses on a small capsule that quickly grows into an enormous hydrofoil. Which Cave quickly jumps in.

Dipper quickly steps away from the Vehicle. "Yeah, I'll pass. I'd like to stay within city limits and with all my limbs attached for once."

"Suit yourself." said cave with a shrug. And away he went...through several buildings...in the wrong direction.

Dipper shook his head. After all these years it still amazed him not only how bad a driver cave was but how bad his sense of direction was thought dipper to himself as he remembered the time cave tried to navigate a south pole restroom and somehow ended up in a wardrobe in Ba-Sing-Sai.

Still, when all was said and done Cave was a great friend and all the many adventures he'd had with him had really helped him through those dark times...after all these years he felt like he could finally put his past behind him...

MEANWHILE...

Little did dipper know that a huge part of that past was but one dock away from him.

Wendy Corduroy had just got off a boat and was calmly walking down the dock, and not just any dock but an L-shaped wedge dock that was adjacent to the one dipper was walking down.

Yes, both of them were mere seconds away from bumping into a glorious reunion of epic propor-

"Excuse me! Miss! Miss!" "Wha-" Said Wendy as she stopped walking and turned around to see a porter from the boat run toward her.

"Sorry miss, you forgot your bag."

"Oh, thanks dude!" Said Wendy appreciatively, oblivious to dipper already walking off the docks behind her and out of sight.

Strangely, minutes later Dipper and Wendy couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere, somehow. Hundreds of people were now screaming in frustration.

…...

TO BE CONTINUED?

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