Mark awoke early the next day to get a head start on finishing off Dipper and Mabel Pines. The shadow of Madladl led him once again, and he only vaguely noticed how crisp the shadow had become. Like a cartoon trying to burst from its 2D confines. Mark took that as a good sign; if his godly sponsor in his endeavor to win Wendy was getting stronger, wasn't he bound to succeed?
Throughout most of the knight, he had constructed his trap for the twins out of cardboard and scraps of crafts from his mom and junk from his dad in the garage. It was a folding box that he now took into the old tunnels. Yes, he was skipping out on school again, but this was a much worthier goal, and he could always catch up later with extra homework.
"My shaman, I am most interested in seeing what you have planned. Why did you construct this box," Madladl asked.
"Well, Madladl, what I have here is a physical representation of the way I'm going to kill Dipper and Mabel Pines," mark explained. "There was an old movie from the 80s that showed a young girl stuck in one monstrous, devilish trap. There was no way to win your way out of it except to have the favor of the king. In this case, I will be the king, so there is no way for them to escape."
"Very clever," Madladl chuckled appreciatively. "There is nothing quite like a game rigged in your favor."
"Exactly," Mark grinned. "But this won't be a game. It'll be a slaughter."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dipper and Mabel woke up to their mom telling them that Grunkle Stan was calling for them.
"Wha!?" Mabel shouted, and the dashed for the phone downstairs.
Dipper ran to keep up with her, but her head start allowed her to reach the phone first. Unfortunately, wherever Stan was, the reception was terrible. His voice kept threatening to cut out, there was a lot of background noise, and he sounded very hoarse.
"Grunkle Stan, you old scallywag, what kind of adventures are you interrupting to give your favorite great niece a call?" Mabel asked.
"Putting it on a little thick, aren't you," Dipper pointed out.
"Shhh! He's trying to commune with me."
"No! I'm shouting at you sweetheart," Grunkle Stan's voice finally came out audibly. "Sorry, but Ford and I are in a hurry. Something…. Belgian waffles! Can't we slow down!? Look Mabel…. Bad happening…. Be careful!... Coming…"
"Wait, Grunkle Stan, what you're saying isn't making any sense. What's coming? Why do we need to be prepared?"
There was unfortunately no answer, because the connection went dead.
"I told those guys they needed a satellite phone," Dipper said, shaking his head.
"I think they just wanted some alone time together, you know? Catch up and all that good jazz," Mabel shrugged. "Let's face it, we would be checking up on them and bothering them all the time if we could just reach them."
"Yeah, but then you wouldn't be pestering me for help with your homework, you'd be asking Ford, and giving me some peace," Dipper replied, poking fun at her.
"Darn that homework all to heck I say," Mabel said, then she glanced around for their parents. "That's right, you heard me Dipper, darn all homework to the thirteenth level of heck!"
"I don't think there are that many levels," Dipper began, and then their mother came in.
"What did Great Uncle Stanford need?"
Dipper and Mabel exchanged glances. The family still wasn't sure if they believed this story of a twin Grunkle. Sure, Dipper and Mabel had pictures to prove it, and even a phone call to Grandpa Shermy had confirmed a Stanford and Stanley Pines, but their parents just wouldn't fully believe. Something about next summer sending the twins to a place even further away from computers and their Photoart skills.
"Oh, he was just trying to check up on us. Mayyyyybeeeee, he's coming," Mabel laughed nervously.
"That would be a surprise," their mom said with a small laugh. "Did he say anything else?"
"No, the line went dead," Mabel said, hanging up the phone.
"Oh well, he'll try again later for sure. In the meantime, you both have to get ready for school. Quick!"
With that Dipper and Mabel went about their morning routines, however they did have a covert conversation about they had heard Grunkle Stan scream to them.
"So, something bad might be coming," Dipper mused. "Ford had said that there were some spots around the world where weirdness was seeping in and causing problems. Maybe they registered an anomaly here!"
"Whatever it was, I think he wanted us to be ready," Mabel said, a serious look on her cute face. "I think it's time that we arm ourselves properly for another day at school, don't you think?"
Dipper nodded and they pulled out chests from underneath their beds. Within these trunks they had all the tools and weapons they would need to survive anything. After a summer in Gravity Falls, they had quite the collection. Dipper hid the shrinking and growing flashlight in his vest. Mabel filled her pockets with attack glitter. Of course she had her grappling hook. A camera went under Dipper's hat, just for extra measure.
"We could always still try to sell the photos we take," he explained. Mabel just laughed.
Yarn and knitting needles found themselves in Mabel's backpack as Dipper hefted a baseballbat. He shrugged and put them over his shoulder. Mabel put some teen romance novels into her pack as well.
"What are those for," Dipper asked, completely bewildered.
"They're romance novels, they are totally dense," Mabel explained.
"But I thought you liked that kind of stuff."
"Of course I do! Which is why I'm taking the hardcover editions! Packs an extra punch and they won't get ruined!
A few more things went into their backpacks and pockets and then they were ready. Downstairs their father gave them a confused look.
"Extra homework to take to school, or something? Those packs look kinda heavy."
"We're just being prepared. It's not like we are getting to fight monsters or anything like that," Mabel said with a wave of her hand.
"What's with the bat son," their dad asked Dipper, a stern expression crossing his face. "I know you have been trouble with bullies, but violence is never the answer."
Dipper began sweating and laughed nervously as he said, "What!? No. No! I am just going to, uh… Try out for the baseball team! That's right!"
"Really? Glad to hear it," their dad responded, a broad smile spreading over his face. "Nothing like some sporty initiative to help you through this overly awkward period of your life. Just watch out for rat tails in the locker room!"
Again, Dipper and Mabel exchanged a look before cramming in some breakfast and heading out to the bus. There, they also got more odd looks, but they didn't care. That happened every day anyway. No, they would put up with some ridicule if they were warned that something bad was going on.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"My Lord Madladl," Mark said excitedly. "They are almost at school! Lend me your power so that I can enact the plan!"
They both stood in the dark tunnel full of stars. Through the star he was holding, Mark was able to spy on the twins as they approached their middle school. Madladl again rose to eclipse the underground night sky and tendrils of his power shot out among the pinpricks of light. In the dim light, he saw the god's clawed hand reach out and take hold of his cardboard diagram of the maze. The maze began to change, becoming a true miniature of the hellish trap he had in began growing, and as it grew Mark noticed monsters and people walking inside.
"When you are ready to spring the trap, place the star in your hand into the maze. The cosmic powers will meld the Pines' school with your model. You will then be able to control the entire school and maze at will using this model you made," Madladl explained.
The god then heaved a big sigh.
"Is everything alright," mark asked, starting to feel a little anxious.
"Never better," Madladl chuckled. "It's just… I haven't lived like this in so long! My shaman, you are helping me feel life once again. For that alone I will ensure that you gain your Wendy!"
"Yes," Mark said, doing a double fist pump. "It's all I ever wanted!"
Madladl continued to chuckle. Mark held the star wherein he saw the twins with a shaky hand. He was so close. After today, the great obstacle between him his heart's desire would be cleared!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"'Kay Bro-bro, even though we've got to separate for classes, remember to keep in touch with the walkie talkies," Mabel said, shaking a finger. "And this time, make sure you actually do keep me updated! We don't want another repeat of Weirdmageddon on our hands!"
Dipper rubbed an arm and said, "Yeahhhhh, that was a mess that we could have easily avoided."
"Exactly! Remember, the code for something amiss is 'boy bands rule!' Repeat it several times," Mabel added with a wink.
"I never agreed to that," Dipper said flatly.
The bell rang, calling all students to their respective classes and the twins darted off in opposite directions. Dipper made sure his walkie was on as he dashed. He passed by Garrett Rupford, a kid with lanky limbs and a face longer than a horse's, who always had a boombox on his shoulders. Today, he was blasting the 80s smash hit "Maw of the Cougar."
It's the maw of the cougar
It's the thrill of the flight
Trying to run from a murderous kitty
And the cat's last known owner
Sadly left him outside
And he's coming to eat us all, maw of the cougar!
Excellent choice of music for today, Rup, Dipper thought to himself. Let's just hope that Mabel and I are the cougars today and not someone or something else.
Deep down, he feared that it might be Bill Cipher back from the dead to haunt them and get revenge. That had barely survived their last encounter with the chaos demon. He had almost killed him or Mabel! If it hadn't of been for Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford's perfect timing and acting, one of them would have been a goner and Bill would have won. Whether it was Bill or not, the twins were without their great uncles to bail them out. They would have to be on their top game.
Meanwhile, Mabel ran to her class thinking, Please let it happen today! Please let it happen today! Dipper deserves to have these kids see him as the hero! And me, too. No more making fun of us or anything like that. Life may not be like the movies all the time, but today it can be!
She and Dipper slid into their respective English and History classes at the same time and sat their butts down hard. They both pulled out their walkies and clutched them underneath their desks.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Madladl heard his nearly worthless shaman exclaim in excitement that the twins were now seated at their desks, none the wiser that they were doomed. Why was the only descendant of his former worshippers in Gravity Falls this pathetic mortal? True, his obsession with this girl Wendy would prove useful in overall plans, but the teenager was annoying and wretched.
Before Bill Cipher had come along, the men and woman who led Madladl's cult and ruled the people of this mystical valley had real power. They could summon beings from other realms. They could converse with the forest and its many creatures. They could cast spells, write curses, and draw up wards. This youth had none of that. All he had was some seriously watered down blood and enough angsty ambition to drive at least a trilogy of cheap teen novels. Sadly, Mark was all the god had to work with.
For the moment, at least.
While his shaman thrust the star with the Pines into the magicked model of an old 80s movie set, Madladl extended his gaze beyond these magical, underground stars. He had learned from touching them earlier that Bill Cipher was no longer in this reality. He had been snatched up by a creature capable of walking across all dimensions. He was a being who could stand at the side of the great Axolotl, perhaps even above him! One thing was certain, wherever this creature went, he left a trail of destruction and… Corruption.
As Madladl strained his eyes, he saw that this Corruption linked this dimension to not just others in the multiverse, but to worlds and possibilities beyond! If he was going to achieve his old status, surpass it, and then kill Bill Cipher with his own hands, he would need power unlike anything he yet had. There were clues among the stars. He just had to find them and gather them.
His concentration was broken as Mark exclaimed, "Yes! It's working. Hahaha! They are separated, and soon the gerblins will have them down! All hail the Gerblin King."
Mark finished that last part in a sing song-ish voice. Madladl growled and leaned close to his shaman.
"Be careful. Don't let the initial success deter you from finishing the job. If you want Wendy, you must be rid of Mabel and Dipper Pines. So, be quick about it!"
"Right," Mark answered. "Okay, a small horde of these Gerblins and some boulders might just do the part nicely!"
Madladl shook his head and left Mark alone with his toys.
At least the boy shouldn't be able to botch up this job, he thought.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The classroom around Dipper started to change and take on a medieval look.
History is coming straight for us! He thought wildly. He brought the walkie talkie up to his mouth and shouted, "Mabel! Boy bands rule! Boy bands rule!"
She immediately came on and laughed, "I never expected you to actually say that! Ha! So you finally admit that they do?"
"Mabel, now's the time for this," Dipper shouted into the receiver. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Overly cheesy walls and hay and rocks sprouting up everywhere?"
"YES!"
Dipper's classroom melted and remolded itself to look like an overgrown courtyard in the middle of a decrepit, Dark Ages town. Moldering buildings with caved in roofs and too much plant over growth were everywhere. A cold sun looked down on the bewildered students. Chickens were running around everywhere. His classmates looked bewildered and started freaking out.
"Hey everyone, there's no need to panic," Dipper shouted after climbing up tonto his desk.
"There's totally reason to panic," Mabel's voice came over the radio.
"Not now, Mabel!" Dipper shouted back. His voice cracked a little as he said, "Guys, I know that something bad is happening, but getting scared and running around will get us nowhere! We need to come up with a plan!"
"Dipper Pines, get off the school's property," the teacher huffed. "And I'll be taking control of things from here, okay!? Now then, let's see, getting transported to another dimension probably falls under fire drill, so everyone lineup in two rows and then follow me!"
"That's a terrible idea," Dipper protested.
There was a scratchy roar and the ground shook as a monster entered the clearing. It was draped in shaggy fur with a steel cap on its head and long horns that curled high over its ears. It looked down a long snout at the kids.
"Looks like Mama's gonna have pork chops tonight," it rumbled.
"Hmm, a giant monster coming to eat us. That definitely falls under suspicious character on campus. Alright everyone, under those desks!"
The monster stooped down and popped Dipper's teacher into its mouth. The children screamed as the monster chewed the man up and then spat out his cheap tie.
"I really wish I still had those gnome gauntlets," Dipper cursed under his breath as he dove for backpack. He got a hold of the flashlight with the resizing gem. "Alright, everything is under control."
"Everything is not under control, Dipper! I repeat, everything is not under control," Mabel shouted on her end of the walkie.
"Not helping," Dipper said angrily.
He turned around just as the monster was reaching for him. Flipping the gem to the right side, he shown the light and the giant's body shrank, but the hand remained really large. The monster plopped to the ground hard, looking awkward and funny with its lopsided body.
"I'll get you for this," it squeaked.
"I'd like to see you try," Dipper laughed confidently.
The giant's hand got up like a spider and scuttled after Dipper.
"Of course you would do something like that..." Dipper ran out of the room and shouted back to the class, "Make a fort of the desks and stay put until I or Mabel get back to you!"
The creature gave chase and left the students alone. One of the girls turned to her friends and asked, "When did Dipper Pines become such a man?"
"Hey, I saw him first!" The friend shouted, and soon they were pulling each other's hair.
A nerd off in the corner pushed up his glasses and wheezed, "Why doesn't stuff like that ever happen to me?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After the classroom transformed around Mabel, she started overturning desks and tables to make a barricade. Dipper was being an idiot. He didn't realize what had just happened, but she had seen enough 80s cult classics to know what they were in store for. She was pretty sure they were in the Maze. Monsters would be coming for them soon, and unless she found a helpful caterpillar, there was no way she would be able to navigate this labyrinth on her own, or even with her brother's help. After trying to warn her brother, she set to helping her scared classmates.
"We are going to need weapons. Weapons I say! Casandra, sharpen those number 2 pencils! William, find the hard erasers, they make good rocks! Shelly, make a fire using your extra layers of emo clothes! And Keith!"
A dorky looking kid turned with a big, expectant smile towards her.
"Dang it, change your name! I mean, who even names their child that anymore?"
Quiverstaff strode over and shouted over the din, "Everyone must remain calm! I'm sure there is a plausible explanation to why this happened!"
"Yes, the weirdness has escaped Gravity Falls and has come for me and my brother! We have to fight it off," Mabel said distractedly.
"Wait a moment," Shelly said as her clothes started burning. "You mean you and Little Dipper are responsible for this?"
Mabel suddenly realized her slip of the tongue.
"What!? Pfffft! No! I mean that we might be the cause, but that's no reason to jump to conclusions."
"Oh, I think we have a good idea as to how to react to this knowledge," Ms. Quiverstaff said with an evil grin. "Throw her out of the classroom children. If whatever powers brought us here want here, then we must give her up to appease them and save ourselves."
"But you're a public servant," Mabel gasped.
"This is the 21st century, Ms. Pines, I don't get paid enough to care," Ms. Quiverstaff shouted.
As her fellow students descended upon her, a gang of miniature goblins came into the clearing that had once been their classroom. In unintelligible speech, they squawked and jabbed at the kids. They then produced small knives and swords and charged.
"Enough of this," Mabel cried out, and she used her backpack to batter way through the creatures.
"Capture her! For the Gerblin King!" one of the monsters shouted.
Gerblins! So, I was right. We are in the movie Maze!
Mabel made her way to a wall and took out her grappling hook.
"No weapons on the campus," Ms. Quiverstaff shouted.
"Tell them that," Mabel called back as she slung her way to safety.
The Gerblins split into two groups. One party attacked her class while the others tried making a gerblin ramp up to the top of the wall. They were so small that it would never work.
"The blades," one shouted gleefully.
At first, Mabel was confused, and then she saw the rotation hack saw blade coming for her. She managed to jump to another wall, but figured that she would have to climb down soon. The Maze was not built to accommodate cheaters. Mabel turned back to watch her classmates fall to the gerblins. Ms. Qiverstaff was already down and getting dragged away.
"And you had such an appropriate name for fighting, too," Mabel shouted through small tears. Yes, her class was a bunch of jerks, but nobody deserved that! She picked up a loose brick and screamed, "Have a taste of this!"
She lobbed the projectile right at the gerblins. One them was crushed under the brick and she springs and gears burst from it.
"Your King wears pants that show off just how little of a man he really is," Mabel taunted as she repelled down to the ground. "How about you poop brains try taking on someone your own size!"
"She insulted the King! Get her!"
Yes! I'll lead them away from the others, Mabel thought as she tore into the maze. I just hope I can get to Dipper before he realizes what he's up against.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dipper panted as he led his own monster away from his class and towards a long ramp. He could see something at the top of the ramp. He also heard people calling out in distress. Teachers and students everywhere were beset upon by little monsters. And every now and then he saw a big monster, too. He worried about Mabel, but he had to get away from the hand monstrosity first.
The giant was closing in and Dipper knew he had to get somewhere that a giant hand could not. He saw a tall pole with feet sticking out all over it. Dipper quickly climbed up the stalk.
"Man, this stinks. Literally!"
The giant came up to the pole and began to climb up as well. Dipper flipped the gem and grew his hand, which he then used to punch the giant off the feet. He whooped with excitement and then shrank his hand before he lost his balance. He took in his surroundings and saw students everywhere fending off smaller monsters. He then saw what, or rather who, was up at the top of the ramp.
Principal Louise Aguste was tied to a block, where a large and hairy monster with an axe stood ready. Dipper's stomach fell out the bottom as he realized what was coming.
"No!"
One teenager's plea for mercy would never have been enough. The axe swung up and down and the dead man's head rolled down the ramp. Dipper turned away from the grizzly scene. A voice cackled evilly from above.
"Just like the head, make them all roll! Make them all roll!"
Where have I heard that voice before? Dipper wondered.
He heard the clanking of machinery and then large boulders popped up from the labyrinth's floor and then rolled down the ramp. They sped towards the students! Dipper was not in the mood to lose anyone else, even if these kids and adults did look down on him. He pointed the flashlight and shrunk the boulders down to harmless pebbles.
Dipper then jumped down from the foot pole and landed hard on the giant's body. He heard it crack and then springs and wires flew in all kinds of directions.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Dipper squealed. "Not auto mechanical puppets! Dang it! Now one of my irrational fears just became totally justified!"
Mabel had been right, one could not simply navigate their way through the maze without a caterpillar friend, or some nice, hairy beast called Sweetums. She knew what she would have to do. She stopped in her track and allowed the gerblins to draw near.
She said in a strong voice, "I wish to be taken to the Gerblin King!"
The gerblins tripped over themselves and fell at her feet.
"She said the words!"
"I know!"
"How does a human know them?"
"Why do we have to follow them again?"
"I guess this means we have to take her right?"
The gerblins swarmed over Mabel. She cried out in shock. The little monsters covered her field of vision. It was worse than being kidnapped by gnomes. Well… That wasn't entirely accurate. It was all over soon, and they jumped back from her. She was in a tall tower and before her stood a teenager in tight pants and he also sported, long, bleached hair.
"The Gerblin King!" Mabel gasped.
"Yes, baby, what do you want," he asked with a pouty face and bad impression of an English drawl.
"I want you to leave this school alone," Mabel said sternly.
"Sorry, no can-do baby, I'm here to kill you and your brother after all. So, thank you for coming to me." The Gerblin King smiled at her. "Do you at least want to see your brother die before I get rid of you?"
He pointed to a bubbling cauldron wherein Mabel saw her brother fighting with all his might and with the flashlight to defeat a horde of gerblins and giants. He looked scared, but he was making a very brave show. Some of the other kids and teachers were helping him as well. Gears and puppets littered the ground.
"He can't keep it up forever. Besides, I have an unspeakable horror in store for him," the Gerblin King said excitedly.
"Quick question," Mabel asked. "Do you control the entire maze with your little glass ball, like in the movie?"
"Sure do."
"Prove it," Mabel said, jabbing a finger at the man.
He huffed and produced the ball. "Sure, let me summon the beast."
Mabel pulled out her attack glitter and blew in the King's face. He cried out in pain. Mabel jumped up and swatted the ball away from him and it crashed onto the stone floor, shattering. The world of Maze was blown into oblivion, swallowing Dipper and Mabel in darkness.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Ouch! Ouch! It's so pretty, but it hurts," Mark wailed in agony. "Why did I not see that coming?"
Madladl had expected as much from the stupid teen. He slapped him hard over the head.
"Silence you idiot! Why didn't you just kill them straight away?"
"They're tougher than they look," Mark complained.
The god scoffed at his servant, but then said, "At least this morning wasn't an entire waste. I've learned some very important things. Things that will benefit the both of us. However, for now we must retreat. You must get back to school and play the role of a good student and teenager. The Pines, all four of them, will be here in Gravity Falls soon. We'll catch them in a new trap once they have arrived."
Madladl laughed at his own brilliance and Mark looked up at his god and thought he looked even more crisp and real than before.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Mabel, Mabel, wake up," Grunkle Stan's voice and bad breath called to her.
Mabel sat up too quickly and moaned, "Oh ow. Little pretty stars everywhere. Feel like fainting."
"No time for fainting now, pumpkin," Grunkle Stan said, picking her and taking her down a hallway.
Mabel looked all around her and saw students and teachers just getting up. It was as though they had all been knocked out. She then saw Dipper next to Stan, a somber expression on his face.
"What's with the long face, Dipping Sauce?"
"A lot of people died," he mumbled. He was holding Wendy's hat in his hands, balling it up.
"I know," Mabel said quietly. "But I saw you fight pretty well back there."
"Really? How?" Dipper looked confused and Stan looked worried.
"I met the Gerblin King and broke his magical ball," she smiled weakly.
"Ha! I knew the place looked familiar," Dipper said, suddenly sounding like his old self.
"Well, you can tell us all about it on the way back to Gravity Falls," Grunkle Stan said. "Ford is coming up with a story for the authorities, and also telling your parents what we are doing with you. You'll be safest with us."
With that, the three Pines strode through a set of double doors and into the bright, morning sun.
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