The Cipher Fighters

Chapter 3:

The next day, the family gathered around the table in the lounge. Stan was asleep in his chair, Mabel was knitting a new sweater, Waddles was chewing on Stan's pant leg, and Dipper was reading Journal number 2. Ford stood in front of the group and cleared his throat. Mabel looked up, Dipper closed the journal, and Stan grunted as he opened his eyes.

" We have a very important task to do," Ford uttered. " It will be difficult, but it will be worth it."

" Is it about you getting a date," Stan rolled his eyes. " Never gonna happen, Brother."

" No," Ford snapped then talked normally. " We need to gather everybody on the wheel. The end of the world is coming and we are the only hope to stop it. For those who don't know…That's you Stanley…Bill Cipher has plans to come to our dimension and destroy it. I already have the weapons in place. In order to operate them, we have to find these people."

" Well, that's stupid," Stan gruffed. " Why can't we just go after him ourselves and gather any willing bodies as back up? That would be much easier."

" Not really," Ford sighed.

" The people on the wheel are the only ones who can defeat him," Dipper continued. " Some of them are among us right now."

" Well, then we'll just use them then," Stan said. " No use in waiting for the others."

" We need all of them," Ford stated firmly.

" Grunkle Ford, am I one of them," Mabel asked.

" Yes," Ford answered. " I am and so is your brother. Your friend, Soos, is, too. And…I can't believe I'm say it…You as well, Stan."

" Okay, so we are all part of the wheel," Stan stood up and approached his twin. " Who are the other yahoos?"

" I have no idea," Ford retorted. " I do have methods to identify them, though. Could take a while. We will have to split up to increase our chances. It will make things easier."

" So, how will we identify them," Mabel questioned.

" Through these," Ford pulled out some pens. " They are voice activation pens. These pens sense the same energy given off by those who are part of the wheel and only them. For example…"

Ford spoke into one of the pens and it began glowing. He then held it up to Waddles who oinked into it. The pen remained dull. Next, he passed the pens out to the group. The group split up and went into town. Dipper walked up to the grocery store just as Robbie was being thrown out.

" And stay out," the grocery store manager yelled and went back inside.

" Yeah, well," Robbie scoffed. " I didn't want to work here anyway."

Robbie glanced over at Dipper. Dipper widened his eyes.

" What are you looking at," Robbie stood up and pushed Dipper to the sidewalk. " Move it."

" Huh," Dipper murmured as he looked down at the glowing pen. " No. Not that guy."

Dipper stared up at Robbie for a while then pushed himself to his feet. Robbie opened the door to his van. Dipper bit his lip, sighed then ran over to the rebellious teenager.

" Hey, Robbie," Dipper uttered.

" What," Robbie turned around, folding his arms.

" My family kinda needs your help," Dipper squeaked. " The end of the world is coming and you are one of the people who can help stop it."

" Why would I want to help you," Robbie sniffed. " Why would I want to save the world? We're all going to die eventually."

" So, you're saying you want everybody to die, including Tambry," Dipper asked, squinting.

" No," Robbie yelled as he put his hands up. " No. Tambry means everything to me. I don't ever want her to die."

" Then if you help save the world, you'll be her hero, forever," Dipper smirked.

" You drive a hard bargain, Kid," Robbie sighed. " Deal."

Mabel went to the mall. She was walking from store to store, talking to people. They either responded with a smile or an raised eyebrow and walked away. Mabel sighed then sat down at one of the tables in the food court.

" I said no pickles," a familiar voice yelled then softened. " I'm allergic."

The brunette looked up. It was Pacifica. She was ordering something from Yumberjacks. The cook apologized and gave her a fresh burger with no pickles. Pacifica thanked them and went to sit down. She was just about to take a bite out of her lunch when a shadow hovered over her. Pacifica screamed as she threw her arms up in the air, tossing her burger.

" Hi, Pacifica," Mabel chimed. " What are you doing here? Alone?"

" My fake friends ditched me," Pacifica scoffed. " Speaking of friends, where's your brother?"

" We're gathering people to help save the world from an evil triangle," Mabel explained. " Yeah, we are on solo missions. The whole family."

" The end of the world," Pacifica raised an eyebrow. " You're kidding, right?"

" Nope," Mabel shook her head then looked down at her glowing pen. " And it looks like you get to help."

Ford was lurking from alley to alley, downtown. Suddenly, something bumped into him and he fell onto his butt.

" Hey, watch where you're," Ford started until he looked up.

" Oh, sorry," McGucket uttered as he reached out a bandaged arm to help the man up. " You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

" You might be mistaking me for my brother," Ford chuckled as he pulled himself up. " Get that all the time."

" The name is Fiddleford McGucket," McGucket chimed.

" Fiddleford," Ford gasped." As in Fiddleford Hadron McGucket? It's me. Stanford Pines. We were college buddies. You used to work for me. What happened to you? How's the family?"

" It's a long story," McGucket uttered. " I invented a memory eraser and wiped my memories until I became crazy. My family ditched me, because they couldn't tolerate being around a loon. So, where have you been, Ford? Haven't seen ya in years."

" I was traveling through dimensions," Ford scratched the back of his neck. " You were right about that portal. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

" All is forgiven, my friend," McGucket chirped, earning a grin from Ford. " Say, why is your pen glowing?"

Stan was driving around town, when the cops pulled him over. The old man sighed and pulled over. Sheriff Blubbs approached the car.

" Your brake lights are out," Blubbs said. " May I see your license?"

" Here you go," Stan handed Blubbs a rectangular shaped object.

" This is a fake license printed on cardboard from a cereal box," Blubbs uttered.

" Perhaps this will change your mind," Stan handed Blubbs a wad of cash.

" You don't have a license, do you," Blubbs asked.

Several minutes later, Stan had a gated door slammed on his face.

" Oh, come on," Stan yelled as he gripped the bars. " I can't go to jail. The end of the world is near. I am one of the only people who can save it."

" That's what they all say," Blubbs scoffed.

" Well, well, well," a voice with a Southern accent taunted. " Stanford Pines. Got into trouble with the law, now did you?"

" Not now, Gideon," Stan grunted.

" So, you know about the end of the world, huh," Gideon questioned. " About Bill's plan, huh?"

" And I bet you're in cahoots with him, huh," Stan snapped. " I ain't talking, Kid."

" How's the family," Gideon started. " How's Mabel? How's Dipper? How's the real Stanford Pines, Stanley?"

" What are you talking about," Stan narrowed his eyes.

" I know everything about you and your family," Gideon pointed at the old man. " Bill told me. I know who the author is, I know about the rift, and I know you aren't the real Stanford Pines. You are just his loser twin brother who is living a lie. I even know you are looking for people to help stop the end of the world from coming."

Stan narrowed his eyes more then looked down at the glowing pen. He hid it in his jacket pocket, but Gideon saw it and smirked.

" There is no way, Gideon," Stan snarled. " No way."

" Have your family bail me out, too, and we have a deal," Gideon uttered, tapping his fingers together.