The Pines siblings had managed to find the bar downtown and were currently coming up with a game plan. The bar was called the 'Skull Fracture', something that mildly alarmed Evelyn.
'The name just fills me up with warm, fuzzy feelings alright.' She thought sarcastically. 'This really wasn't our best idea.'
"This is the place." Dipper gasped when the security bouncer looked in their direction and ducked back into the alley they were hiding in. He turned to Mabel. "Got the fake IDs?"
Mabel handed her sister and brother their homemade IDs proudly. Just looking at them made Evelyn pale slightly. 'This will never work.' She thought worriedly.
Dipper looked at his own ID, determined to go through with his plan. "Here goes nothing."
As they walked over to the bouncer, Evelyn asked. "Why didn't we just find out where Manly Dan lives and meet him there?"
The twins stopped at the obviousness of her proposal. Dipper slapped his forehead for not thinking of that sooner, before looking up at the bar. "Well, we've made it this far. Might as well go through with it." Dipper said as they continued walking.
"Besides, this is the fun alternative to boring house visits!" Mabel exclaimed, pulling her sister's arm.
Once they reached the man, who Evelyn had decided to mentally call Tats, they held out their obviously fake IDs for him to inspect.
"We're here to interrogate Manly Dan the lumberjack for the murder of Wax Stan." Tats inspected their IDs as Mabel wiggled the googly-eyes. "Deedlededlele."
Tats moved back, letting them pass. "Works for me."
As he opened the door to the bar, Evelyn was staring at him, mouth open. 'How had it been that easy?!' she yelled mentally. 'There's freaking glitter and macaroni on the IDs!'
Despite her thoughts, Evelyn quickly walked in with her siblings, only to almost stop once again. Testosterone was practically tangible in the Skull Fracture. Men were fighting, drinking and breaking things to the point that Evelyn had to hold back a sigh. 'I think that this proves that some of those stereotypes can be accurate.' She thought. 'Men are idiots.'
They wandered farther into the bar, Mabel and Evelyn having to step over a body to reach Dipper.
"He's resting." Mabel said optimistically, staring at the unmoving body.
"Alright, let's just try to blend in, okay?" Dipper told the other two.
"You got it, Dippingsauce." replied Mabel, before jumping onto a stool and talking to the scary man beside her.
Though Evelyn was hesitant to leave her little sister alone, she decided that Dipper was currently in more danger, since he was going even further into the bar. She followed her little brother until a large hand clamped on her shoulder, effectively stopping her.
"An' where do ya think you're goin'?" a menacing voice asked from behind her.
She carefully turned around to face the 6'2'' monster of a man in front of her. His hair was greasy, he was missing a few teeth, and he was scarily muscular.
"Excuse me?" Evelyn asked, trying to stay calm.
"Wha's a gurlie like you doin' in a place like this?" he questioned, his tone more angry than flirty.
"I believe I have every right to be here." Evelyn answered smoothly, becoming annoyed by his attitude.
"You're just'a weak, tiny gurlie. Ya shouldn' be hangin' out in here, freaky eyes." He said, tightening his grip on her shoulder.
Evelyn held back a flinch of pain at his grip, refusing to back down. With a fire in her eyes, she replied, "I'm sure I can handle myself, thanks."
"Oh yeah? I bet ya couldn' even hold your own against me, ya little punk." He goaded, challenging her.
And Evelyn loved a challenged. "You're on, 'Roid Rage."
"Uh, Evie?" Dipper asked worriedly.
He'd stayed behind to make sure that she'd be okay, and had been hoping she'd back down. But, he knew Evelyn could rarely resist a challenge, especially when people mocked her. It wasn't that he doubted her strength, because she was one of the strongest girls he knew, she'd trained hard for it, but it was more the fact that he didn't like how big this guy was. He looked dangerous.
"I'll be fine, Dip. Just stay safe, alright?" She gave him a reassuring smile, before following the man over to another part of the room for their test of strength.
Sighing, Dipper headed over to Manly Dan alone.
-DaLD-
Dipper had talked to Manly Dan, who told him the ax was a left-handed one, which was certainly a huge clue. He had a theory on how to catch the murderer using the information he'd just gotten, but first he needed to find his wayward sisters.
He first located Mabel by the bar with a biker, playing with a cootie catcher. 'Only Mabel…' he sighed as he approached her.
Mabel gasped, looking at the biker's fortune. "Your wife is gonna be beautiful!"
The biker, who now looked a lot less frightening, pumped his arm. "Yes!"
"Mabel!" Dipper interrupted. "Big break in the case!"
Mabel hopped of the stool, leaving the biker as she followed her brother.
"But will she love me?!" he cried out, reaching for to Mabel.
"Dipper, where are we going?" Mabel asked as Dipper led her into another corner of the bar.
"We're trying to find Evie. She went off to do some feat of strength with a biker guy." Dipper explained anxiously, glancing around for his sister.
"Hey, maybe she's over there!" Mabel pointed to a circle of men who were cheering around a table.
As they approached, they heard the men chant, "Evie! Evie! EVIE!"
They squeezed their way to the front of the crowd, only to stop in their tracks at the delight before them. Evelyn was sitting at the table facing a large man with a black beard and huge arms, in the middle of an intense arm wrestling match. On the floor beside her lay a man who was either dazed or unconscious. The man, to Dipper's surprise, was the blond that Evelyn had called 'Roid Rage'.
"Come on, is that all you got, Princess?" Evelyn antagonized, slightly out of breath from exerting herself so much.
The man roared and pushed his arm harder, but barely made any leeway.
"Evie!" Dipper yelled beside her, still shocked at his sister's strength.
"Hey Dip." She responded casually, pushing harder and making the fight turn in her favour. The crowd cheered.
"We need to go!" Dipper shouted, trying to be heard over the cheering.
"Gotcha." With that, Evelyn put all her strength in one last push, taking the man's arm down and winning the fight. The momentum her arm had and the fact that the man hadn't expected to be beaten made the unprepared man fall off of his stool.
The crowd went wild at Evelyn's second victory. She grinned, victory and happiness shining in her eyes, before jumping off her stool and joining her siblings, smiling brightly at their open mouthed looks.
"All right, let's go." She said.
The crowd groaned, realising the brunette was leaving.
"See ya later, fellas!" she called, waving at them as she left with her siblings.
Calls of 'You come back, ya hear?' and 'I'll beat you next time, little lady!' followed the three out of the bar.
As they walked out into the street, Mabel exclaimed in awe, "Whoa, Evie, you're so strong!"
"Thank you!" she smiled down at her energetic younger sister.
"Yeah, I didn't know you could do that." Dipper noted, looking at his sister in a new light.
"Well, years of self-defence and martial art classes have to pay off eventually. Plus, the blond was drunk, so it was pretty easy to take him down." Evelyn pointed out humbly, before bringing them back on track. "So, you pulled us out because you found something, right?"
Dipper nodded. "It's a left handed ax." He explained before showing them a list. "These are all our suspects. Manly Dan is right handed, that means…"
"That all we have to do is find the left handed suspect and we find our killer." Evelyn finished, catching onto his train of thought.
Mabel was pumped by Dipper's find. "Oh man, we are on fire today! Pa-zow, pa-zow, pa-zow!"
"Let's find that murderer." Said Dipper confidently, fist bumping his siblings.
-DaLD-
They'd gone all over town, coming up with ways to get people to use their dominant hand. The twins got more and more pumped the narrower the list became. Evelyn, however, didn't share their enthusiasm, though she kept her doubts to herself.
She still had the theory that the killer hadn't been going for Wax Stan, and she honestly didn't want her siblings or her to be anywhere near that person if she was right.
She'd also briefly thought that it being a left handed ax didn't mean too much. An intelligent killer could use a weapon meant with his opposite hand to confuse the police. That thought had disappeared quickly however, when she realised that most of the locals wouldn't have the foresight to pull a move like that.
Plus, it was ridiculously easy to fool the Gravity Falls Police regardless.
Another niggling doubt that Evelyn had was whether the killer was even human at all. Gravity Falls was a strange place where anything was possible, meaning there could be any monster or human pulling the murder off.
She kept all her observations and theories to herself though. She didn't want the twins to stress or worry. For now, she'd rather they just focus on the possibility of it being a left handed local. She would look for clues that would be connected to her theories by herself.
Evelyn just hoped that she was entirely wrong about the murder; that it really was just an angry local. For all their sakes.
-DaLD-
They'd crossed off almost everyone off the list, making the twins even more excited. Dipper flipped through the list before looking up at his sisters, realization dawning on him.
"Mabel, Evie, there's only one person left on the list." He said, excitement creeping into his tone.
Mabel and Evelyn inspected the list, both realizing the same thing Dipper had.
Mabel gasped. "Of course, it all adds up!"
Evelyn looked at Dipper. "We need to tell someone about this."
"I think I know who we should tell…" Dipper trailed off, before heading further into the downtown area, his sisters right behind him.
-DaLD-
They'd managed to convince the sheriff and his deputy to listen to their evidence, which didn't take as long as Evelyn thought it would.
They had joined Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland on the raid, waiting outside the Gravity Falls Gossiper just after dark. Evelyn was nearly thrumming with excitement at the thought that she was on a raid, albeit a very strange one.
"You kids better be right about this or you'll never hear the end of it." Blubs warned as he and Durland waited on either side of the door.
"The evidence is irrefutable." Dipper said, completely confident in his deduction.
"It's so irrefutable." echoed Mabel.
Durland turned to Blubs, jumping from foot to foot excitedly. "I'm gonna get to use my match stick!"
"You ready? You ready little fella?" Blubs riled his deputy up, making Evelyn feel mildly disturbed.
"Woo! Woo!" they cried, poking each other with their police batons.
'Jeez.' Evelyn thought, 'We'd be screwed if there was ever a real emergency.'
"On 3!" Dipper whispered. "1, 2…"
Durland cut him off by kicking the door open. "Yaaah!" he cried.
Blubs followed him in. "Nobody move! This is a raid!"
As the siblings followed the police duo into the building, they saw Toby Determined fall from his chair and scramble backwards.
"Aaahh!" he yelled. "What is this? Some kind of raid?"
Evelyn face palmed. "That's what they said, Toby."
Durland smashed a lamp, laughing.
"Toby Determined, you're under arrest for murder of the wax body of Grunkle Stan." Dipper stated as he and his sisters stood in front of Toby.
"You have the right to remain impressed with our awesome detective work." Mabel added sassily, high-fiving her siblings.
"Gobbling goose feathers! I don't understand!" Toby exclaimed, frightened.
"Then allow us to explain." Evelyn began. "You were hoping that Grunkle Stan's new attraction would be the story that would save your failing newspaper. But when the show was a flop, you decided to make your own headline."
"But you were sloppy," Dipper continued for his sister, "and all the clues pointed to a shabby shoed reporter who was caught left handed."
Mabel crumpled up the newspaper she'd been holding in front of Toby. "Toby Determined, you're yesterday's news."
Toby looked shocked for a moment, before becoming amused. "Boy your little knees must be sore… from jumping to conclusions!" he did a stupid little dance. "Hachacha! I had nothing to do with that murder."
"I know it!" Dipper exclaimed, before catching on to Toby's words. "Wait, what did you say? Nothing? You said nothing?"
Mabel was shocked as well. "Huh? What? Could you repeat?"
Evelyn felt a sinking sensation as she saw the truth in Toby's eyes. He was innocent. Which meant that the killer was still out there…
Evelyn had hoped they were right because she knew Toby wouldn't have wanted to kill the real Stan. But some people in town or some monsters or other supernatural creatures would.
Blubs was skeptical about Toby's innocence. "Then where were you the night of the break in?"
Toby looked awkward and hesitant. "Ehh…" he inserted a security tape into an old TV.
On the security tape, it showed Toby, at 10 o'clock, walking over to a closet and taking out a cardboard cut-out of a woman. "Finally, we can be alone, cardboard cut-out of TV news reporter Shandra Jimenez!"
He then proceeded to make out with said cardboard cut-out, causing the cops and the Pines siblings to cringe and make various noises of disgust. Toby looked chagrined.
After Blubs got over the traumatic sight they'd all just witnessed, he became professional. "Time state confirms. Toby, you're off the hook. You freak of nature."
Toby cheered.
Dipper wasn't as cheerful about it. "But, but it has to be him! Check the ax for fingerprints!"
The cops checked, before Blubs said. "No prints at all."
Evelyn felt a little more dread creep in. If there wasn't any fingerprints, then it couldn't have been a local of Gravity Falls, it would have to be something supernatural. This meant that their entire goose chase would become much more dangerous for them…
Dipper was shocked. "No prints?"
"Hey I got a headline for you: city kids waste everyone's time!" mocked Durland in his annoying voice.
The adults laughed as the siblings shared looks of discomfort and embarrassment.
"Boy, I'd be pretty embarrassed if I was you three." Toby said as the tape of him kissing the cut-out continued playing.
"Oh, look behind you, you creep." Said Evelyn snarkily, making Toby blush in embarrassment.
-DaLD-
The next morning, the siblings attended the funeral for Wax Stan. They'd helped with the setup, placing the wax figures around the room in the chairs to create a slightly larger wake.
Evelyn had felt odd when she'd been placing the wax statues. She'd felt as though they were malicious, like their eyes were following her as she walked around. She'd begun to come up with another theory involving the wax figures, one that she wasn't eager to prove…
'I would listen to your instincts if I were you, Little Bird.' The voice said.
Evelyn jumped in her chair, surprised by the voices' return. Her jump caused her siblings to look at her, startled and mildly concerned.
"You alright, Evie?" Mabel asked, squeezing her sister's hand.
Evelyn gave her a strained smile. "I'm fine."
'You're back?!' Evelyn thought.
'Yep! Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me!' the voice said cheekily.
'Just get out of my head!' Evelyn thought angrily.
'Oh, come on! I just got back! It took forever to get enough energy to do this!' the voice protested. 'Oh, and I'd pay attention if I were you. Your uncle is about to give a stirring speech about a wax figure of himself.' The voice added.
Evelyn growled mentally, but did what the voice said, and turned back to her uncle. The last thing she needed was to make her family aware that she was having an argument with a voice in her head.
'Good girl.' said the voice.
Evelyn bristled, but focused on her uncle's speech.
"Kids, Soos, lifeless wax figures, thank you all for coming." Stan began.
Soos blew his nose, crying silently.
"Some people might say it's wrong for a man to love a wax replica of himself." Stan continued sorrowfully.
Soos, who was still sobbing, jumped up and pointed indignantly. "They're wrong!" he sputtered.
'Jeez, your family's ridiculous, Little Bird.' The voice said, sounding both amused and annoyed.
Evelyn silently agreed with him.
"Easy Soos." Stan paused his rant. "Wax Stan I hope you're picking pockets in wax heaven." He stopped, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry I got glitter my eye!"
Stan began to cry and ran out of the room.
"Ohhhhh duuuude…" Soos ran after Stan, leaving the siblings alone with the wax statues.
Dipper sighed. "Those cops were right about me."
Mabel put a comforting hand on Dipper's arm while Evelyn patted his head. "Dipper, we've come so far, we can't give up now." Mabel tried.
"She's right. It's unlike you to give up on anything, especially mysteries." Evelyn stated, trying to stop him from quitting. Despite her hesitation to have the twins hunting down the murderer, she knew that Dipper would not be able to let it go. It would just eat at him, unless he figured it out soon.
Dipper walked up to the coffin, with Evelyn trailing behind him. Evelyn stared at Wax Stan for a moment, before something caught her eye. Leaning closer, she realized what had caught her attention was the hole for the stand.
A feeling like a bucket of ice hit her.
'What? What did you see?' the voice asked, not seeing her point. 'It's just a hole.'
'A killer with a hole in its shoe, no fingerprints, easy access to the house, and a grudge against Stan…' her eyes widened in realization.
The voice cursed. 'Get out of there, now.'
Dipper was still talking, before he saw the same thing his sister had.
"Wax Stan has a hole in his shoe…"
Mabel hadn't caught on. "All the wax guys here have that. It's where the pole thingy attaches to their stand dealy."
"We have to go." Evelyn ordered, agreeing with the voice.
"Why? I'm so close; I can almost feel it-!" Dipper was cut off by Evelyn grabbing his shoulders and lowering herself to be eye to eye with him.
"Dipper," she said urgently, fear clouding her eyes, "What has a hole on its shoe and no fingerprints?"
She watched the gears turn in Dipper's head, before it clicked.
"Oh my-" Dipper exclaimed, eyes wide.
"What?" Mabel asked, concerned and confused at whatever had spooked her siblings.
"Mabel! The murderers are-!" Dipper began, turning to his twin.
They heard a British voice and froze. "Standing right behind you."
Evelyn cursed quietly, turning to see Wax Sherlock Holmes stand and glare at them.
'I told you to get out!' the voice said angrily.
'Well, it's a little late for that.' She retorted snarkily.
The siblings watched in shock as the rest of the statues groaned and stood up, stretching.
Dipper gasped. "Wax Sherlock Holmes! Wax Shakespeare! Wax Coolio?"
Wax Coolio turned to Holmes."Wha s'up Holmes?"
Wax Lizzie Borden walked up to Mabel and took her ax back, making Evelyn grab Mabel and stand in front of her protectively. Lizzie just smiled menacingly at Evelyn.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Mabel exclaimed, still in shock.
Wax Holmes walked up to the siblings, the other wax figures following behind him.
Homes took a menacing step forward and said, "Congratulations, my three amateur sleuths, you have unburied the truth, and now we're going to bury you."
-DaLD-
Hey guys! Get ready for a long author's note! Sorry about the lateness of the update, but on the bright side, I'm almost done the next update, so that will be coming real soon.
I at first debated on whether or not I should have the arm wrestle scene in this chapter, but I decided that this was Gravity Falls; a place where not everything makes sense at first. I know that it's not entirely realistic for a 17 year old girl to manage to beat fully grown men in an arm wrestling match, but to be fair, I have seen it before. I also thought it would be funny to see the slightly more wild side of Evie, a side the twins rarely see.
Now her reason for taking the self defense courses and for how long she'd been doing them will be explained in a future chapter. I would also like to give the subtle hint that there is more to Evelyn's strange strength, but once again, that will be revealed in the future.
Now to address one review that I personally enjoyed reading by Winterherox2Summervillain: I know that Evie's life seems to revolve around the twins at the moment and, to be fair, for her it normally does. Her past will gradually be revealed, and will show that Dipper and Mabel were a huge part of her developmental years, making her that much closer to them. I partially based her relationship on the one I have with my brother, but also on what I know her character's like. The funny thing is, when I got this review, I had just got done writing my second solo Evie chapter. I won't spoil what's in it, but I will say that Dipper vs. Manliness, Double Dipper, and Boy Crazy will definitely focus more on Evie that her siblings. And thank you for your kind review! It brightened up my day.
This story's going to be pretty canon for now, with small changes that will lead to bigger consequences in the future. I will definitely start completely changing things in season 2, so for now, it will mostly be about developing my characters; setting the stage, so to speak.
Lastly, I would just like to thank everyone that has already favorited, followed and/or reviewed my story! This is really becoming a huge part of my life (in a good way) and it's nice to see that people appreciate it!
Please pardon any spelling errors, and please review, follow and favorite! I do not own Gravity Falls, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day!-Aria.
P.S. I know it's a dumb question, but I am new at this, so: if I get rid of a document on the manager that's already been uploaded and published as a chapter, does the chapter disappear as well? I don't think it does, but I'd prefer not to chance it. Thanks for reading this far!