Chapter 49: Jailed
A/N: Yes, the notorious warning that hasn't made an appearance for several chapters... Warning for violence and/or possible child abuse (depends on whether you count Bill as a child or not).
That's never a good sign at the beginning of a chapter, is it? Or perhaps, for some of you, it's a great sign...
Anyway... Enjoy...?
Bill tried his best to clear the fuzziness swimming through his mind, but it was a difficult task that seemed rather counter-intuitive. The more he tried to concentrate, the more his head hurt, and ergo, the less he could concentrate.
After a few minutes had passed Bill was finally able to focus enough to move his limbs in some resemblance of coordinated movement. He managed to sit himself up-right in the back seat of the police car. He had to shut his eye for a moment as his head swam due to the movement, but after a few more moments he was able to open it again.
Through his blurry vision he was just able to make out the silhouettes of a large figure in the driver's seat and a smaller figure in the passenger's seat. Through the closed tinted window separating the front and back seats, silhouettes were all he could manage to see.
'Durland and Blubs?' Bill wondered. It must be, since he was in a cop car, right? And they were the only officers in all of Gravity Falls, last he checked.
Bill cleared his throat. "Umm... Excuse me? I don't feel so good," he said in as innocent and childish a voice as he could muster. "Hello? Sirs? Am I in trouble for something? I promise to be good, honest!" Blubs and Durland always struck him as complete morons: Maybe he could convince them that a mistake had been made and they would let him go...
Only, when the tinted glass separating him from the front passengers was slid away, the two people before him were not Blubs and Durland.
"Come on now, Billy. You know that sugar-talkin' ain't gonna work on Little Ol' Me."
Bill's eye widened in fear.
"By the way, last I saw you, didn't you have two eyes?"
….
Mabel was furious. She was upset, clearly, and not at all in the mood for playing games. As soon as Soos had run in the Shack saying Bill had been kidnapped she'd snatched up her trusty grappling hook, snorted out the cotton she'd had stuffed up her nose, and had run outside.
"Hurry up, start the car, let's go!" Mabel urged as Stan climbed in the Stanley-Mobile and started it up, Soos hopping into his truck right behind them.
"I'm goin' Sweetie. Just buckle up!" Mabel had already done so and, with a screeching of tires accompanied by the kicking up of gravel, they were off, speeding down the road as fast as Stan was willing to take them, Soos not far behind.
Soos made a call to Wendy, but she didn't answer. Instead it was her father who picked up.
"HELLO?!" The lumberjack bellowed into the phone.
"Oh, uh, Mr. Corduroy? Is Wendy there? I totes have to talk to her for a minute, it's supes important!" Soos said.
"NO!" Was the simple response, followed by the sound of crumbling gadgetry. Soos pressed "end call" on his phone, despite the fact that he was sure Wendy's phone had already been crushed in her father's hand. Soos frowned and sped up, continuing to follow behind Stan and Mabel as they raced towards town.
….
Bill frowned, not entirely sure of what he should do. He smiled again.
"Hey, aren't you a friend of Sh-uh, of Mabel and Dipper's?" He asked in his continued childish voice.
"Oh, you mean of Shootin' Star, my precious Lil' Pumpkin?" Gideon asked in an equally childish voice and with a puffy-cheeked smile on his face. A millisecond later he dropped the act and his face turned red and angry. "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, DEMON, SO DROP THE ACT!" He screeched, making Bill frown and lean away.
"Remember your breathing exercises," Ghost-Eyes reminded gently from the driver's seat, earning him a heavy and red-faced glare.
"You're as annoying as ever," Bill said, complying with Gideon's demand to "drop the act".
Bill smirked. "And, my, have you gained weight since the last time I saw you?" Bill knew that he shouldn't be antagonizing his kidnapper but, well, he just couldn't help himself.
Gideon looked positively livid for a moment before he took a deep breath, put his hands together in front of him, and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, there was a sickeningly-sweet smile on his face.
"Oh, Little Demon, you really shouldn't be teasin' me right now," Gideon warned with a smile, gesturing to Bill, who still had his hands cuffed behind his back and who looked pale as a result of the use of Chloroform. "But, then again, I guess it doesn't matter what ya do. Your fate is sealed," he said.
Bill smirked, despite the worry-line that creased his brow. "My, my, my! What would Shooting Star think about all this? You know, she's grown quite fond of me."
"I'm sure she'll get over the loss of one of her pets sooner or later," Gideon retaliated. "Besides, the way I see it, I'm savin' her from the likes of yo-" Gideon cut off his sentence and leaned towards Bill, squinting out the back window. "What the..."
Bill turned his head to see what Gideon was staring so intently at. Following a mere ten meters behind them were Pine Tree and IQ on the golf cart. Bill smirked.
"You see? The Pines are here to help me this time. They're quite worthy opponents, I'm sure you know. This will all end badly for you unless you turn me back over to them right now," Bill threatened with the darkest glare he could manage.
Gideon ignored him, instead calling out to his henchman. Ghost-Eyes looked in the rear-view mirror to see what his boss wanted and noticed the golf cart behind them. He pressed the gas.
"No," Gideon objected. "Let em' get a little closer." Gideon smirked and Ghost-Eyes did as he was told.
Ford climbed on top of the golf cart as they neared the car, preparing to jump. Just as he was about to leap, Gideon motioned for Ghost-Eyes to hit the breaks and the cop car's red back break lights flashed. Dipper reacted, slamming on the breaks as well and swerving to the side. Ford held onto the golf cart's roof a moment longer and, as Dipper ended up next to the police car, he saw his chance and jumped, landing on top of the car. He grasped the red and blue lights on top and held on.
Ghost-Eyes tried to run Dipper off the road and Dipper, realizing that he couldn't play bumper-cars with a real car while he was in a golf cart, slowed down until he was a safe distance behind the squad car, just as they passed into town and small buildings and houses began to spring up around them.
A few of the townsfolk came out of their homes and establishments to see what the commotion was as the police car came to a stop in the center of town, right outside the police station. Ford rolled off the front, pulling out his ray gun and landing in front of the car, pointing his gun at the driver.
"Hand him over!" Ford demanded.
Gideon laughed from the front passenger seat and lifted his arms. Ghost-Eyes reached over and picked Gideon up, setting him on his shoulders as he stepped out of the car. A half-dozen of Gideon's other prison henchmen approached as Dipper stopped the golf cart behind them.
"Why Stanford, would you really kill to save this here demon?" Gideon said, motioning to Bill, who had just been dragged out of the back seat by a few of Gideon's ex-prison mates.
Ford didn't drop his gun or his stance, despite the fact that he knew that, no, he wouldn't kill to save Bill...
Gideon motioned with his hand to a couple of his henchmen and Bill was shoved roughly to the asphalt; a sharp kick delivered to his stomach a moment later had him gasping for breath. Ford tensed, but didn't fire his gun. 'I wish I didn't carry mostly only lethal weapons on me!' Ford thought, but honestly, most of the creatures in Gravity Falls couldn't be even slightly damaged with anything less than what would be lethal force to a human. Ford didn't make a habit of carrying weapons around which were to be used specifically for fighting regular people... That was his brother's forte.
Ford glared, growled, and then tucked his gun away, back into his inner coat pocket. He brought out his knife. "I won't kill to save him, but I will fight you," Ford said sternly. "Let him go, weird little boy, before things get messy."
Gideon paid him no mind. Instead he had Ghost-Eyes turn around to face Bill and the other henchmen. "You two!" Gideon said, pointing to a couple of the ex-inmates. "Take him inside!" They complied, grabbing Bill by his arms and forcing him to stand before shoving him towards the police station. Bill stumbled, but managed to stay upright as he allowed them to escort him inside.
Dipper tried to stop them, at one point attempting to run over the one who'd kicked Bill with the golf cart, but he'd easily been pulled out of the driver's seat by one of the full-grown men.
"Put him down!" Ford demanded, pulling back out his ray-gun in an instant. "Him I will kill for," Ford said, dead-serious.
"But of course," Gideon said, and Dipper was released, stumbling to the ground in front of his Grunkle Ford. "I'm not the bad guy here! I don't wanna hurt any of you Pines. I just wanna make sure that demon gets what's comin' to him!" A few of the townspeople who had gathered voiced their consent.
Ford looked around for the first time and noticed that none of the townspeople who had gathered seemed confused. They all seemed angry, perhaps scared, and some looked just about ready for a fight. "So I see the secret's out," Ford said.
"That's right," Gideon confirmed. "Of course I wouldn't keep a secret like this one from the town! I've learned my lesson, no more secrets!" Gideon said, winking at the townspeople, who smiled at him, trusting him. "I've got permission from the Mayor to do what I'm doin'! What'd you think I stole this here police car?" Gideon asked. "I'm in the right here, Stanford. Can you say the same?" Ford frowned.
"Don't listen to him!" Dipper spoke up, speaking not only to his Grunkle Ford, but to the town in general. "I know things seem crazy, and that you're all scared and hate Bill, but none of this is what it looks like! You're making a mistake!" Dipper insisted.
"We're doin' what needs to be done!" Gideon argued. "You Pines are just too weak to see it! Too goody-two-shoes to realize that sometimes you can't save the day with kittens and hugs and sprinkles! Bad guys need to be PUNISHED!Just like I was! And Bill Cipher? He needs to die for what he's done!" A few of the townspeople nodded their consent while others remained nervously silent. "And come midnight tonight, that demon's gonna get what he deserves!" Again, a general voicing of consent.
"We'll stop you," Ford said calmly. "You won't get away with this."
"No one's gettin' away with anythin'. That's kinda the point, isn't it?" Gideon asked calmly, as if Ford had just said something incredibly stupid. "Just be glad we don' look to punish you Pines for housin' him all this time. The town still owes you for savin' it, and you were just doin' what you thought was right, I'm sure, but don't go pushin' your luck now, ya hear?" Gideon waved his hand and the townspeople began to disperse. "I assume we'll be seein' you Pines later on tonight," Gideon said as he and Ghost-Eyes disappeared into the police station. Dipper made as if to follow, but his path was blocked by Gideon's goons, who guarded the station like sentries.
Stan, Soos, and Mabel pulled up in the center of town moments later.
"What's going on, where's Bill, whose butt do I have to kick?!" Mabel demanded as she hopped out of the car before it was even in park, brandishing her grappling hook like a gun.
"It's Gideon," Dipper said, coming over to his sister. "He's got Bill in the police station. I... I think they're going to kill him at midnight tonight."
Mabel blanched. "What? No! They can't!" She demanded. "I'll stop them!"
"Mabel, he's got the whole town on his side!" Dipper protested. "What do you expect us to do?"
Mabel frowned. "I'll go talk to him," she said. "He'll definitely talk to me, right?"
"Nu-uh, no way! I'm not lettin' you go in there alone with a bunch of thugs and that lunatic baby-man!" Stan refuted. "Not my Great Niece!"
"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel protested. "I've got to do something, and I might be the only person Gideon will talk to right now! Besides, he's made a lot of progress since last summer! He's really not so bad anymore, usually... I just need to explain to him why what he's doing is wrong! He'll listen to me, won't he? Please Grunkle Stan? Pleeaassee?"
Stan hummed. "I... Guess... But only if your brother goes with you. If Gideon's gonna be willing to talk to you, he's gotta be willin' to talk to you with your brother around as an escort, or else I won't allow it."
"Deal!" Mabel said. "Come on Dipper, let's go!" She grabbed her brother by the arm and pulled him towards the station.
The ex-convicts stationed in front of the police station's front doors held their hands up. "Hang on! No one goes in withou' the boss' approval!" One of them said.
"I'm Mabel, Gideon's, uh... Girlfriend..." Mabel almost choked on the word.
"Well, yeah, of course we know who you are," one of the convicts said.
"Should we let her in?" Asked the other. They both shrugged and reluctantly stepped aside. Mabel raced in, pulling Dipper as she went.
….
Bill didn't struggle or resist as he was forced into the police station, his side still throbbing from where he'd been kicked. He was walked inside, Durland and Blubs watching him as he was marched past them with fear written all over their faces. He was taken down a back hallway where the temporary holding cells were and was thrown into the center of the three cells. There was no one else in the other two cells.
A few minutes later, Gideon strode in. Or, more specifically, he was carried in on Ghost-Eyes' shoulders. Gideon snapped, and Ghost-Eyes lifted him off of his shoulders and set him down on the ground. Gideon approached the cage Bill had just been thrown into and, with another snap of his fingers, the cage door was opened.
Bill stood and backed away to the wall furthest from the little creep.
"What's the matter? Not so talkative now that there's nothin' separatin' the two of us?"
"I could still take you down with my hands cuffed behind my back," Bill said with a glare. Gideon was, after all, still shorter than him.
"Don't go underestimatin' me now, Cipher," Gideon warned before smiling brightly. "Besides, I don't have ta fight ya to hurt ya." Gideon motioned with his fingers and two of his henchmen stepped into the cell. Bill shirked back further, frowning but refusing to cower in fear. One of the henchmen grabbed him by his golden hair and shoved him down, forcing him to kneel and then to press his face to the stone floor. Bill struggled at first, but soon gave in and peered up at Gideon.
"Don't feel so tall now, do ya?" Gideon asked with an annoyingly high-pitched little evil chuckle.
"I don't need to feel tall," Bill responded, trying to breathe despite his current position hunched over on the ground. "I'm fine with being short and powerful. By the looks of your over-done hair-do, I'm guessing you don't feel the same. Overcompensating just a tad too much, don't you think, Farquad?"
Bill was suddenly jerked backwards and his head was slammed against the concrete wall behind him, making him let out an involuntary whimper in pain. The hand in his hair let go and he fell to the ground, barely forcing himself to remain conscious for the second time that day. All at once, with the pain coursing through him and the dizziness in his head, Bill remembered to be afraid. He curled in on himself instinctually.
"Now what was it you were sayin'?" Gideon asked, and Bill didn't respond, averting his gaze. Gideon frowned and kicked at him, but Bill only curled in on himself tighter, refusing to fight back. "Looks like someone's already taught ya how to behave at least a little. Stanford, I assume," Gideon said with another creepy childish chuckle. "Let's see how well you've been trained. Get up."
Bill frowned, but complied, moving until he was sitting up, kneeling in front of Gideon.
"Good," Gideon said gleefully. "Now, kiss my shoe." Gideon stuck out his left foot, revealing his little brown leather cowboy boot.
Bill glanced down at it before looking pointedly away. Otherwise, he made no movement. No matter how afraid he was, and despite any pain Gideon would cause him, he wasn't about to let go of the last amounts of pride he held on to. Not for anything.
The instant response was a slap to the right side of his face, delivered by one of Gideon's men. Which one, Bill didn't look up to see, and he honestly didn't care at this point.
"Now, don't tell me you're willin' to die over this, Cipher," Gideon taunted.
"You're going to kill me tonight anyway. Nothing I do here will change that," Bill responded quietly.
Gideon laughed and nodded his fat little head. "Yeah, I suppose tha's true, Bill. But you sure can make thin's a lot easier on yourself. You made me do all sorts of embarrassin' dances for you, so it's only fair I make you do this now."
"You do plenty of embarrassing dances whether or not I'm forcing you to do them," Bill refuted. This only served to earn him another slap, this time causing him to topple over onto the ground.
"Demon, I swear, if you-" Gideon was interrupted by one of his henchmen.
"Boss, Miss Mabel and her brother are here to talk to you," they said.
"Can't you see that I'm In The MIDDLE OF SOMETHIN' HERE?!" Gideon screamed. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, fine, anythin' for my Sugar-Pie Mabel. You two!" He pointed at the two who were still in Bill's cell. "Teach him a lesson or two while I'm gone." Bill shivered as Gideon departed, his little legs carrying him towards the front of the station, Ghost-Eyes following right behind him.
Bill tried not to scream when a kick to his side resulted in the sharp snapping sound of a broken rib.
A/N: Well, I hope you, um... Enjoyed? I guess.…?
Anyway, reviews are love, reality is an illusion, the Universe is a hologram, Buy Gold, BYE~!
