Hello, internet! Welcome to the edited version of Chapter One of Transcendence: Rebellion! Well, let's not waste anymore time, and begin again!
Chapter One: The Rebels
September 23rd, 2018-Fifteen Miles South of Portland, Oregon
In the middle of a forest clearing stood a proud and mighty military base, surrounded by watchtowers, hundreds of soldiers either armed with automatic weapons and sniper rifles or stationed at turrets, poised to aim and rip apart anything that made so much as the slightest movement.
Hiding behind a bush several yards away, well out of sight of the snipers and their advanced scopes, was a team of five people. One of them, a young man in his early twenties, looked at the base with a pair of high-tech binoculars. He had a filthy mop a brown hair, mocha brown eyes, and the start of a scraggly beard, along with a few scars on his face and a big dipper birthmark on his forehead. He was wearing a black leather overcoat, underneath which was a black suit of advanced body armor, black combat boots, a black belt that held several small weapons, and black fingerless gloves. Hidden under the sleeves of his overcoat were what appeared to be blue wristbands made of an unknown material called Gnome Battle Cuffs, which allowed him to throw small energy blasts that had an extremely short range, as well as boost his armor's abilities to enhance his physical strength. Strapped onto his back was two advanced-looking assault rifles. This was Dipper Pines, the leader and founder of the small and ragtag Rebel forces trying to overthrow the tyrants led by Gideon Gleeful.
"See anything, Dipper?" asked a young woman the exact same age as Dipper with long, filthy brown hair and mocha eyes wearing a brown flight jacket with a sweater made of a material known as Bedazzling Fleece underneath, allowing the sleeves of the sweater to become multipurpose whip-like extensions, black jeans with a black leather belt that held a modified grappling hook, a pocket knife, along with several other bits and bobs, and black combat boots. This was Mabel Pines, Dipper's twin sister. Six years ago, Mabel was a bubbly, fun-loving teenager and a complete girly-girl. However, after her recent years of fighting a war against a psychopath who had an twisted obsession with her, as well as watching the very public and very painful executions of her own parents, coupled with being betrayed by her two closest friends, Candy and Grenda, Mabel's personality had done an almost complete reversal. These days, she could probably go toe-to-toe with the goddamn Batman and Shadow the Hedgehog in a brooding contest. Dipper and Mabel's boyfriend, Jack Nightshade, often tried to get the fun and lively person they knew Mabel could be to come out again, and Mabel often tried to let her fun side out again, but it just wasn't the same.
"Well, it certainly looks like they've got the place well-protected, what with all the turrets and snipers they've got all over the place," said Dipper.
A young man around Mabel's age with jet-black hair and icy blue eyes wearing a black and white leather jacket with the red image of a Zodiac wheel full of symbols with a one-eyed triangle wearing a top hat and bow-tie on the back with a blue zip-up hoodie and body armor similar to Dipper's underneath, a belt with two holsters holding dual pistols and a stylized knife in its sheath, and black combat boots scoffed and chuckled. "And here I thought this was going to be a challenge," said Jack Nightshade, Mabel's boyfriend. He and Mabel had met during Northwestfest six years ago. Before Gideon's hostile takeover, Jack and his parents had been nearly as rich as the Northwests themselves, but unlike the Northwests, the Nightshades didn't use their wealth as a means to prove that they were better than everyone else, but were philanthropists instead. After the Northwests sided with Gideon, the Nightshades began secretly funding Dipper's rebellion… until they were found out two years later and of course, were executed. Just as he had been there to comfort Mabel when her parents died, Mabel had been there to comfort Jack after his parents died, and things just happened after that. A big boost for the two was that Dipper and their Great-Uncles, or "Grunkles," Stanley and Stanford Pines, were supportive of their relationship.
"Don't get too full of yourself, cuz," warned a young woman in her mid-20s with red hair and green eyes wearing damaged glasses, a gray zip-up hoodie made of Bedazzling Fleece with a purple shirt underneath, black jeans with a number of small weapons on them, and black combat boots. This was Lillian Green, Jack's cousin and so far his only surviving relative. She had once planned to become a best selling author before the war broke out and ruined those dreams. Now, all she really had left was Jack.
"So, what's the plan, honey?" asked a woman that was the same age as Dipper. She had long red hair and green eyes, and wore an outfit that was almost the exact same as Dipper's except instead of Gnome Battle Cuffs, she had an axe, a knife, and medical equipment. This was Wendy Corduroy, and she was Dipper's girlfriend. She and Dipper had met six years ago when Dipper and Mabel first came up to Gravity Falls, Oregon to stay the summer. At first, Dipper and Wendy were much too shy to admit their feelings to each other, but after an encounter with a shapeshifter in Stanford's old Bunker where the Rebels currently operated, Dipper finally admitted his feelings. After literally putting the shapeshifter on ice and escaping the Bunker, Wendy revealed that she felt the same way, and their romance blossomed from there.
"Give me a moment, I'm thinking," muttered Dipper. A few very tense moments passed by before Dipper finally lowered his binoculars and turned back to his team.
"Well, what's the plan, my man?" asked Wendy.
In a hushed whisper, Dipper began to tell his ragtag team of rebels his plan for getting into the base and blowing it sky-high.
…
Gravity Falls, Oregon-Abandoned Site of The Gravity Falls Discount Putt-Hutt
Alcor the Dreambender pulled his black Lamborghini Diablo into the cracked and damaged parking lot of the Gravity Falls Discount Putt-Hutt, knocking over a trash can and running over a raccoon as he parked it. Apparently, the mini-golf course had been shut down after the bodies of what witnesses had described as "golf ball people" were discovered inside the miner hole, apparently having died of a gas leak. A thorough search turned up even more of the golf ball people, and the startling revelation that they controlled the balls. The creatures were rounded up and shipped off to government labs to be experimented on, and seeing as the creatures could be bribed into rigging the game in a golfer's favor, people stopped coming and the golf course folded up like a lawn chair.
However, as far as Alcor knew, the gas leak had never actually been repaired.
Saves me some money on a demolition crew… not that it matters anyway, Alcor thought to himself, a small blue flame appearing on his fingertip. Alcor blew softly and gently, causing the flame to float off through the chained and padlocked gates of the mini-golf course. Alcor went around his car, got on his knees, and put his fingers in his ears, squeezing his eyes shut very tightly.
A moment later, the abandoned mini-golf course exploded with the force of a bomb, the ground in and outside of it cracking even further than it had before.
Phase 1 of Stage 1 of Operation: Open-A-Nightclub-And-Get-Into-Gidiot's-Inner-Circle-By -Passing-Myself-Off-As-A-Very-Very-Wealthy-Young-Man-Who-Has-Little-To-No-Association-With-Dipper-Pines is complete, thought Alcor with a devious smirk. Now, onto Phase 2.
…
Back At The Base…
"This is some plan, Mason!" Mabel yelled at her brother as she used the whip-like sleeves of the Bedazzling Fleece to trip up two of Gideon's soldiers, who were pinning Lillian down with gunfire as the team tried to protect Jack while he set up his fireworks. Wendy, meanwhile, had fought her way to the base's armory to loot the place of supplies and equipment.
"For God's sake, Mabel, will you just call me Dipper?!" yelled Dipper, who downed a few soldiers with his Gnome Battle Cuffs. "We just gotta hold them off until Wendy finishes looting the armory and Jack rigs the place to blow!"
"Yeesh, sorry," said Mabel, opening fire upon the soldiers, who were trying and failing miserably to force the Rebels into a retreat.
After what felt like hours, Wendy's voice came on the comlinks that Dipper and his team had in their ears. "Okay, I've licked this place clean! I'll meet you guys outside!"
"Good timing, too, I've got my fireworks all nice and set up!" yelled Jack over the commotion.
"Okay, LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Dipper as he and and the rest of his team broke off from the engagement and tore out of the base, occasionally turning sharply on their heels to spray some suppression fire behind them.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity running for the exit in a hail of machine gun fire, the band of rebels saw Wendy, having at them to hurry up. With one final dive, the band of rebels leapt into a ditch while Jack hit the detonator.
A second passed, followed by several, uncomfortably quiet minutes.
"Uh… Jack? Honey? Where's the kaboom?" asked Mabel finally.
Jack slowly and steadily rose up from the ditch and tried the detonator again, noting that some of the fleeing soldiers had stopped and seemed a little confused as well.
"Why-won't-this-damn-thing-work?!" yelled Jack, pressing the button on each word he uttered.
Dipper and the others began to sit up. "Maybe you forgot to put the batteries in-"
No sooner had the words left Dipper's mouth than the whole base became engulfed in a huge fireball that not only sent flaming chunks of steel flying and landing far too close for comfort, but scared the Rebels silly.
"JESUS H CHRIST!" Dipper yelled in fright as he and his fellow rebels got up and hightailed it out of there, running as fast as their legs could carry them until they finally reached an empty clearing where what appeared to be three highly advanced motorcycles were waiting, concealed in some bushes. Dipper and Wendy climbed on one, Jack and Mabel climbed on a second, while Lillian climbed onto the third. A kick of their engines later, the ragtag band of rebels were off, leaving their handiwork behind them.
…
Several hours later, Dipper, Wendy, Mabel, Jack, and Lillian pulled their motorcycles into the recently built garage area of Stanford Pines' secret Bunker, which really was the only safe place left for the small group to hide, considering that Gideon Gleeful had managed to turn the entire country against them. Leaving the Garage, Dipper and his crew made their way down the hall past the Shooting Gallery, where a young woman with short maroon hair wearing an outfit that would make most people label her as a punk was firing arrows at targets with pictures of Gideon on them. This was Hazel Brown, who was a crackshot with a bow and arrow, even if she was a little screwloose, and as the group past her, they heard her say, "Gideon Gleeful, you've failed this nation," before firing another arrow. They also passed the Close Combat Training Room, where a beautiful woman with long brown hair wearing a black leather jacket, a purple blouse, tattered blue jeans, and black combat boots was engaging a training robot in hand-to-hand combat. This was Faye Evans, an old friend of Dipper and Mabel's, and apparently, one of their only true friends. The group also passed by the workshop, where an old man named Fiddleford McGucket was hard at work on some mechanical device or other before finally reaching the Observation Room, which served as the main hub of the Bunker, and which was lined with computer monitors that displayed everything from the evening news to Saturday morning cartoons. Looking at one of the monitors were three men. Upon hearing the door open, they turned to face Dipper and his crew.
"'Sup, dudes?" said a portly man who somehow resembled a gopher wearing a battered green staff shirt with a big black question mark on the front, khaki shorts, and brown shoes. This was Soos, who as loyal of a friend as any of the Pines could ask for. He had worked as a handyman for the Mystery Shack until Gideon had branded them all criminals and forced them into hiding, and idolized his boss, Stanley Pines, who sat in his electric wheelchair wearing the top half of his old suit while his lower half was covered by a fleece blanket with dollar signs on it.
"How'd the milk run go, kids?" the old conman asked with a small smile on his face.
"Well, we had a mishap with the detonator, but otherwise it went pretty well," said Jack with a smile.
"Hmm… Dipper, come here for a moment, I need to show you something," said the third man, who looked almost exactly like Stanley, except he wasn't crippled, looked lean and fit, and had six fingers on each hand.
Dipper almost instantly got sweaty, as he always did when his Great-Uncle Ford talked to him, for just as Soos idolized Stanley, he'd idolized the Author of The Journals, having sensed that he was a kindred spirit. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Dipper made his way over to his hero's side. "Yes, sir?" he asked.
"Something strange is going on in Gravity Falls. Both the old Mini-Golf course and the local Taco Bell have been blown to bits by unexplained gas explosions," explained Ford, indicating the monitor, which was displaying a news report about the explosions.
"Good riddance to both of them," muttered Dipper, recalling the incident with the Lilli-Puttians. As for Taco Bell, he had some extremely unpleasant memories of that revolting excuse for a restaurant. "But, how is this strange again?"
"This is the part where things get a little troubling. Not long after both places went up in smoke, some multi-billionaire named Alcor Cypher bought the properties. Apparently he's planning on building a nightclub where Taco Bell used to be, called The Black Star. As for the golf course, he plans on turning that into the site of his mansion and grounds," explained Ford.
"Cipher? As in, Bill?" asked Dipper, a small shiver of fear running down his spine.
"Possibly. Although, this Alcor spells his name with a y instead of an i. What's even more troubling is that he's invited the Northwests to the Grand Opening of his nightclub, to discuss a business partnership," continued Ford.
Dipper groaned. "Great…just what I needed, another fat cat dumping money on Gideon-"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than all the monitors turned to static while a laugh that sounded oddly reminiscent to Chara Dreemurr, a character from Undertale. The laugh rang throughout the Bunker. The static flickered and buzzed as what appeared to be a black humanoid shape with no discernible facial features, save for two glowing yellow eyes and a glowing yellow fanged mouth.
"AaH, FoRd, aLwAyS aSsUmInG tHe WoRsT," the figure said, amusement evident in his voice.
"Wh-who are you?! What are you?!" demanded Dipper, as the rest of the crew arrived to see what was going on.
"I hAvE mAnY nAmEs, MaSoN pInEs… BuT, mY pErSoNaL fAvOrItE iS tHe DrEaMbEnDeR," The Dreambender said, earning shocked stares at the mention of Dipper's real name.
"Ho-how do you know my real name?!" said Dipper in stunned disbelief.
"Oh, DiPpEr, I kNoW eVeRyThInG aBoUt YoU," said The Dreambender. "I'Ve BeEn WiTh YoU yOuR eNtIrE lIfE. BuT, nOw iS nOt ThE tImE fOr ThIs. If YoU WiSh To OvErThRoW gIdEoN, yOu WiLl NeEd SoMeOnE oN tHe InSiDe... SoMeOnE lIkE mE."
"And how do we know we can trust you?" said Dipper.
The Dreambender paused for a moment. "ThAt'S aN iNtErEsTiNg QuEsTiOn, Mr. pInEs... AlLoW mE tO pOsE oNe Of My OwN: cAn YoU tRuSt YoUrSeLf? I tHiNk I'lL lEaVe YoU To BrEw On ThAt OnE fOr A wHiLE, aS i HaVe OtHeR pRoJeCtS tO aTtEnD tO. wE wIlL fInIsH tHiS dIsCuSsIoN nExT tImE."
And with that, The Dreambender disappeared from the screens, which instantly turned back to normal, leaving a very, very confused band of rebels in his wake.
And thus concludes Chapter One! If you liked what you saw here, then by all means, fav, follow, and review, and I'll see you guys next time for Chapter Two!