The Cipher Fighters
Chapter 4:
Eventually, the group all gathered at the shack, except for one remaining member.
" Okay, seems we have everybody, except for the icebag," Ford uttered to Dipper.
" Yeah, I wonder who that could be," Dipper said then glanced at the clock. " Ugh. We don't have much time left."
" Don't fret," Ford smiled. " We have plenty of time."
" Move out of my chair, Brat," Robbie yelled at Gideon, pointing away from the chair.
" Excuse me," Pacifica scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Who invited Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum?"
" I was here first," Gideon shouted back, pointing a thumb at himself. " Ya'll can sit on the floor."
" Cut the chair in half," McGucket chimed and cackled.
" I can't believe I'm on the same team as Gideon," Stan grumbled as he folded his arms, glaring at the wall.
" As long as he doesn't bring up dating me, I'll be fine," Mabel muttered.
" How about you sit on the floor, Twerp," Robbie spat as he tipped the chair over, causing Gideon to fall out of it.
" Ouch," Gideon shouted. " Why you."
Gideon lunged at Robbie, but the teenager held him back with his hand, chuckling. Pacifica pulled out her hand mirror and began scanning her face. She picked up a little pad and dabbed it on her skin. Gideon stopped pushing and looked at Pacifica. He sneered and grabbed the pocket mirror, tossing it at Robbie's face. It hit Robbie, scattering powder everywhere. He began coughing. Gideon tackled Robbie to the ground. Robbie began pulling on Gideon's hair. The two began rolling all over the floor, punching and kicking each other. Stan stomped over to them, screaming at them. Pacifica flicked her hair and pulled out her cellphone, texting on it. Mabel's phone vibrated, she picked it up, and looked at it, snickering. She replied to a text.
" This is hopeless," Dipper sighed.
" Hey, guys," Wendy greeted as she walked through the door. " What's going on here? And why is Gideon in your house?"
" Just a gathering to help save the world from Bill," Ford retorted. " It's not going well. We need one more person to complete the mission."
" I'm your girl," Wendy replied, pointing at herself.
" Wendy, that is very kind of you, but," Ford started.
" Hey, the pen is glowing," Dipper shouted, grinning. " We found the icebag."
" Welcome to the team," Ford tweeted, smiling.
" Sweet," Wendy nodded her head.
" Now, if you'll excuse me," Ford approached the group, put two fingers in his mouth, then whistled. " Everybody, settle down. Fiddleford, put down that chainsaw. Gideon, Robbie, stop fighting. Stan, we can't kick them out. Mabel, Pacifica, get off your cellphones."
The group quieted down, stared at Ford then resumed doing what they were doing. Ford groaned as he slid his hand down his face. Dipper tried talking to them, but his voice was lost amongst the crowd. Wendy watched the disaster before her then climbed on top of the counter, standing on it.
" Hey, Dorks," Wendy bellowed. " Listen up. Unless you wanna die soon, we need to learn to get along and work together. Now, who's with me?"
The group remained silent as they gawked at her. Wendy lowered her eyebrows and raised her fist up in the air, taking in a deep breath.
" I said "Who's with me"," Wendy repeated, but louder. " Bill is a dangerous creature who is coming to our dimension soon. We are the only ones who can stop him. If we don't learn to work as a team, our entire universe will be toast."
" I'd rather be dead than work with Gideon," Stan huffed.
"That makes two of us," Mabel yelled.
" Three," Robbie screamed.
"That can be arranged," Gideon shouted as he pointed at the three.
" I just ate a chainsaw," McGucket snickered.
" Seriously, who invited Dumb and Dumber," Pacifica rolled her eyes. " We are better off without them. They'll drag us down."
" No, we have to work together," Ford spat. " The only way to defeat Bill is by combining all of the signs on the wheel. It's either all of us or Bill obliterates everything and everybody in his path."
" Dudes, I met this guy once," Soos added, while munching on a bag of chips he got from the vending machine. " He is bonkers crazy. The dude can, like, read our minds and stuff. He is like dealing with your worst nightmare, but, you know, way worse."
" He knows how to manipulate people and possess them," Dipper uttered. " Trust me. His threat isn't to be taken so lightly."
" It's true," Ford stated. " He has also found a way into this dimension. We can't close the path, but we do have a way to defeat him. Follow me."
Ford exited the shack. The group followed him outside. They widened their eyes at the sight before them. There, in the yard, stood the same machine that Ford showed Dipper earlier.
" Take a seat," Ford said as he waved his hand. " There's a spot for everybody. All the stations are the same, so no fighting or you'll be sitting next to me."
Everybody obeyed the orders and sat down in the chairs. Seatbelts came out of the chairs, buckling the group members in.
" In front of you should be a hand scanner," Ford announced. " I want you to put your hand on it."
The group followed the instructions. Suddenly, the machine began levitating. Ford began reading the radar. There was no sign of Bill, yet. He decided now would be the best time for practice. The group practiced using the machine all day until sunset.
" Excellent work, everybody," Ford chimed. " Early meeting again tomorrow for more practice, unless Bill shows up. Goodnight."
Ford, Stan, Dipper, and Mabel all went into the shack. The rest stayed outside in tents. Several minutes later, everything on the property grew quiet, except for one tent. It belonged to Pacifica. Pacifica was tossing and turning. She was having a nightmare about her parents. Every time she would open up her mouth to say something, one of them would ring a bell and slap her across the face, just like in real life. It would continue until she started crying. All of a sudden, everything turned grey and her parents froze in time.
" Ah, parents," an echoing voice chimed. " Don't you just love them?"
" Who's there," Pacifica sniffled as she looked around.
" Heeellllloooooooo, Llama," Bill chanted as he appeared in front of Pacifica, causing her to scream. " I know. I am a scream."
" Who are you," Pacifica shrieked as she backed away. " What do you want?"
" The name is Phil Encrypter," Bill lied. " And you are Pacifica Elise Northwest, daughter of Preston and Priscilla Northwest."
" How do you know that," Pacifica asked.
" I know lots of things, Toots," Bill wrapped his arm around her shoulder. " I know you can't stand your parents. Always lying, cheating, abusing you, and just being flat out cold and uncaring to others in general. Your entire life is built up on a bunch of lies. If it weren't for the government stepping in, you'd be just like the rest of the town's folk. Normal. Poor. Village idiots."
" And your point is," Pacifica raised an eyebrow.
" I can change all of that and all you have to do is do something for me," Bill said. " You see, Stanford Pines has a snow globe that he borrowed from me, but never brought back. You get that, I change your family history, forever."
" That seems pretty farfetched," Pacifica tapped her chin. " There is no way you can change my family history."
" Okay, I lied," Bill huffed. " I can, however, change your parents."
" You can do that, for real," Pacifica questioned.
" Of course I can," Bill answered. " Now, hurry up. Time's a wasting. Look behind the vending machine. There's a hidden door behind it."
Pacifica sat up in her sleeping bag and looked around. She shrugged her shoulders then went back to sleep. Soon, morning came. Pacifica slipped out of her tent early and peered through the window just in time to see Ford type in the password to the bunker. He went inside, shutting the door behind him.
" Of course, it's password protected," Pacifica whispered then widened her eyes. " Dipper?"
Dipper walked up to the vending machine and punched in the password, too. He followed Ford, leaving the door open. Pacifica sneaked inside the shack and through the vending machine entrance. She snooped around until she saw Dipper and Ford.
" So, you think our army has a chance," Dipper asked.
" Honestly, no," Ford retorted. " Not yet."
" And the rift," Dipper questioned.
" Perfectly safe here in my study above, still," Ford answered.
" Of all the things to store it in, why a snow globe," Dipper shrugged his shoulders.
" I used what I had on hand, Kid," Ford stated. " The important thing is, it works."
Pacifica turned to run toward the elevator, but slipped. Ford and Dipper turned their heads toward the sound of a scream and a thud. They approached it.
" Pacifica, what are you doing down here," Dipper questioned, helping her up.
" How did you get down here," Ford glared at Dipper, who grinned and chuckled. " I will deal with you later."
" I was wondering when you guys were coming out for training," Pacifica responded. " I've been up since the crack of dawn."
" In a few minutes," Dipper said while raising an eyebrow.
" Okay," Pacifica uttered then ran back outside. " Darn it. I almost had it."
Another day of training began. The group was doing much better, except for Robbie and Gideon. They kept trying to attack each other with their powers. Ford seated them both next to him. A few hours later, it was time for a break. Some of the members went home, some went to run errands, and others went inside the shack. Pacifica peered from the doorway of the gift shop. Dipper punched in the code. The door opened. Dipper went inside. Pacifica hastily followed him, before the door had a chance to close. The boy went into the elevator. It descended down to the bottom floor. Pacifica pushed a button, making it come back up. She went inside the elevator and went to the floor above the lab. There, before her, stood a red door. Pacifica opened it and darted into the room.
" Okay," she whispered to herself. " Where could it be?"
She lifted objects, opened drawers, and looked under things until she came across the rift. Pacifica smirked and scurried over to it. She was just about to pick it up when she heard a voice.
" You shouldn't be in here, you know," Dipper grunted. " Ford hates it when people trespass and mess with his stuff."
" Oh, Dipper," Pacifica put her hands behind her back. " I was just, you know, browsing. What does this do?"
She pointed at the memory erasing gun. Dipper sighed and rolled his eyes.
" Nothing you need to know," Dipper folded his arms. " What are you really doing in here?"
" Okay, you caught me," Pacifica groaned then glanced at the rift. " I was hoping to find something in here to help me with my parents. This snow globe looks promising."
" That snow globe is not for sale," Dipper uttered, standing in front of it. " It is very dangerous."
" Hahaha," Pacifica chuckled as she pointed at Dipper. " You are so funny."
" Really," Dipper widened his eyes, blushing.
" Yeah," Pacifica giggled as she inched closer to Dipper. " And I must say, you look cuter without that hat. Why do you wear that stupid thing everywhere you go?"
" Pacifica, you're acting really strange," Dipper backed into the desk where the rift was. " I don't like it."
" Well, then you'll hate this," Pacifica wrapped her arms around Dipper's neck and kissed him on the lips.
Dipper gasped then closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her. Pacifica reached up and yanked his hat off, setting it over the rift. She scooped it up and put the hat over her head. The girl pulled back and gazed into Dipper's eyes. Dipper gazed up at the ceiling with a goofy smile plastered on her face.
" Got your hat," Pacifica squealed and took off. " Catch me, if you can."
