Mabel let out a little squeak as a light bulb exploded on their way to the gift shop. "Grunkle Stan, be careful!"

"What, is the kid tryna kill me or something?"

"Yes!"

"Hah!" Stanley turned the corner into the shop. "Fat chance. He'll be lucky if he even puts a- DUCK!"

The two crouched just in time to avoid a cash register flying like a bullet at their faces. Stan watched incredulously as money exploded out of the register and caught fire, burning up into little piles of ash right in front of his eyes.

"Why, that little…"

"Grunkle Stan, come on!" Mabel tugged at his sleeve, and with one last dirty look the old man hurried to the broken snack vendor. He shoved it aside and the two went in.

Stan waved at the gift shop outside, which was beginning to swirl into a tempest. "Haha, sucker!"

"What are you doing? We need to go!"

"No worries, kid." Stan crossed his arms. "Poindexter rigged a nice anti-spook barrier around his lab. Where we're going, that ghost can't follow-" An 8-ball came flying from the other side of the barrier, smacking the old man in the face. He stumbled back and placed two hands over his left eye, cursing.

"Grunkle Stan!"

Stan removed his hand, looking at the broken glass shards falling off his glasses. The skin around his eye was red and swelling; it was sure to leave a real shiny bruise later. "But I guess he can aim. Come on, Mabel!"

The two fled down the stairs, out of sight of the raging ghost. Stan plugged in the elevator numbers and the two were off to the third floor.

"Haha," Stan chuckled. "Ow, ow, my eye. But that was quite an adventure, eh?"

"Yeah…" Mabel looked down. "Thanks for saving me, Grunkle Stan. I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier."

The old man put an arm around his great niece. "Ahh, don't bad about it, kid. Everybody says stuff they don't mean when they're stressed, and I'm pretty sure you've had a more stressful day than you're letting on."

Mabel gave a small, genuine smile. "Yeah. Thanks, again." She looked up. "This time, no more hiding things. I'll tell you everything."

"Now that's the Mabel I know." Stan ruffled her hair. "It feels like we're having a reverse conversation, with you telling me you'll be honest, haha! Is that irony? I can never tell if something's irony."

"What's irony?" At that moment the elevator doors opened to reveal Stanford.

"You two made it!" Ford smiled with relief, then stopped and pointed. "What happened to your eye, Stanley?"

Stan covered it, wincing a little. "Spook's got a better aim than Dipper ever did."

"Anyway, come in, come in!" Stanford led them into the lab, where they saw Soos sleeping on the floor. Standing on the top of the desk at the far end was a small framed picture, which Mabel couldn't quite make out in the dim lighting. "We all came down here when we felt the shaking. I had a feeling it was all going to go south tonight, but this is off the charts!" He pointed to the security cameras; most of them were busted and showing a black screen, and the few that were still handing on showed mass devastation of the Mystery Shack. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before; a category 11, and a furious one at that!"

"What do we do?" Mabel's eyes widened. "Do we need to get rid of him?"

Ford sighed. "You're not going to like this, Mabel, but yes. That ghost is far more dangerous than I predicted; it almost seems… murderous in its intent!"

Mabel sighed. "That's because… he is."

"Mabel." Stanford put a hand on Mabel's shoulder. "I need you to tell me everything that happened today. The more we know about this ghost's experiences and powers, the easier we can lay it to rest."

"Okay, I will." Mabel rubbed the back of her neck. "It all started to go stupid around the time this three legged dog led me to the dump."

"What?" Stanley raised his good eyebrow, earning a loud shush from Ford.

"But he was actually the shapeshifter!" Mabel quickly added. "And he started talking about being locked away all his life and-"

"Hey, that was for his own protection!" Ford butted in, and Stanley shushed him back. "Sorry, continue."

"Well anyway he tried to attack me, but then Dipper just came in and threw him in this dumpster!" The girl wrung her hands, tensing up as she recalled the next part. "And I thought it was over… but Dipper just kept attacking, and attacking – he was completely out of control, and… really scary! I didn't know what to do, so I just ran. I just ran back to you guys!" She looked down at the ground, her lip quivering. "I just… kept seeing him, Dipper, and the shapeshifter… it was awful."

Stan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sheesh, kid. No wonder you were all worked up on the ride home."

Mabel put her hand over Stan's, continuing: "And when I got back to my bedroom… Dipper was all in my face about leaving him – because I left the Board back at the dump – and things got all crazy and he started saying how he only wants to be with me and he'll kill anyone who gets between us." She looked up at Ford, who had a heavy frown on her face. "And that's it. I'm really sorry for keeping it a secret."

"Hmm…" Ford stroked his chin. "While this ghost certainly would have been easier to exorcise earlier-"

"Stanford!" Grunkle Stan hissed.

"-it's not too late to do the job now." The scientist reached into his belt and pulled out a white cylindrical object. "This should do the trick."

Mabel raised an eyebrow. "A soup thermos?"

No, this is a highly scientific piece of technology designed to trap ghosts." Stanford unscrewed the top. "When aimed at the ghost and activated, it shoots out a photon net that captures the ghost and keeps its energy stored in liquid form inside this container, ready for exorcism."

Grunkle Stan snorted. "So… a ghost thermos?"

Stanford sighed deeply, replacing the top. "Yes, I suppose if you want to grossly simplify it, it's a ghost thermos." He put it back in his pocket. "Now wake Soos and let's get going; I fear there won't be anything left of the Mystery Shack by the time we get up there."

Soos sat up. "Oh, I was awake this entire time. Just, the ground's so comfy!" He pointed at Stanley. "What happened to your face, Mr Pines?"

"Wait!" Mabel stepped in front of her Grunkle Ford. "So… after this, Dipper's gone for good?"

Ford straightened his coat. "Yes, Mabel. You have to understand, it's for the best; you've seen the devastation it can wreak! It's wildly powerful, out of control and there's no feasible way to pacify it."

Mabel thought back to all the times this ghost Dipper didn't exactly act like Dipper. The times he hurt people, the time he killed the shapeshifter. She over at her Grunkle Stan's black eye. "Yeah, I understand."

"Hey, kid." Stan gave a little smile. "That ghost out there, he's not Dipper." The old man walked over to the front of the lab and picked up the framed photo, then returned. "This is Dipper."

He gave the picture to Mabel, who saw it was a photo of her and Dipper – real, alive Dipper – from last summer. He had his arm around his sister, signature pinetree hat on his head, smiling warmly in bright sunny light. She felt that chokey feeling rise up in her throat, and she looked at her Grunkle. "I haven't seen a real photo of him in… forever." She glanced back at it. "He looks so friendly."

"Yeah, exactly!" Stan gently took the photo back. "That little squirt tearing up the Mystery Shack isn't anything like the Dipper we know and love!" He balled a fist. "So let's get up there and show that spook what happens when you mess with the Pines family!"

"Wow, Mr Pines." Soos started clapping slowly. "That was so inspirational!"

"Yeah, yeah." Stan put the photo back on the side. "Enough talking. We've got a ghost to catch!"

Mabel smiled, and followed the group into the elevator. The four got ready to battle a raging spirit as the doors opened, but it was strangely silent.

"Huh." Stan started up the stairs, putting on his brass knuckles. "It was really loud up here earlier."

The four climbed to the top, where they could see the full extent of the ghost's wrath. The gift shop was a hollow shell of a room, souvenirs and bits of wall scattered all around the floor. The roof was patchy and kept leaking dust, and the entire front was completely smashed through.

"Sheesh, this place is a wreck!" Stan looked around, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm gonna have to think of a good lie to pass this off the builders."

Soos came up behind the old man. "How about… a giant wasp?"

"That's a good one! And it'll make those builders work faster, in case the wasp comes back." Stan chuckled and clapped him on the back.

"Hey, everyone!" While they had been talking, Stanford had walked to the end of the Shack and pointed out at the forest. "I know where the ghost went!"

Everyone came running, where they could see what appeared to be a massive force had charged through the forest, felling trees and leaving behind a very visible path. "It seems to be going somewhere, but where, I don't know."

Stan frowned. "Huh, that's in the direction of the town." Next to him, Mabel gasped.

"The town!" She looked at Soos. "Wendy, Pacifica, Old Man McGucket, they're all in trouble!"

"Then we haven't got any time to waste!" Soos ran over to the car and jumped in the front, switching it on and flashing his headlights. "Dudes, get in!"