Opening File: Eustace Bagge
Eustace Bagge is the youngest son of Ickett and Billie Bagge and the younger brother of Horst Bagge. Growing up in a miserable home Eustace was the runt of the litter. His mother never liked him, his brother overshadowed him in an unbalanced sibling rivalry and his father was mostly cold to him. Having enough he ran away to become a Huntsman on his own and nearly died. If not for the kindness of a Scottish woman who would one day become his wife he might not have survived.
Eustace and Muriel became a traveling pair of Hunters, making their mark wherever they went. Eventually, they got married and had a daughter, Alexis Bagge. When they grew near old age the couple opted to retire at the old Bagge farmhouse which had been left to Eustace and was perhaps the only thing left to him. His father and brother were dead and his mother retired in a trailer park, refusing to move into a retirement home.
Eustace was proud of being able to be a successful Hunter along with being a husband and a father.
But what he truly wished for was an inheritance to leave behind to his daughter.
Close File
Xxx
"We all want to leave our mark before we go. Some do it by competing in national sports, some are architects that build something memorable and others are remembered for great historic deeds. What mark do you hope to leave? Something for everyone to see and think: 'Hey, I know the guy behind that'." TOM said as the file closed. "Or, 'that lady really changed my way of thinking'. Feats of pure talent, a story worth reading a million times over, the possibilities are endless. Don't just sit there expecting destiny to come to you, go out and meet destiny. You never know what might happen."
Xxx
The Bagges along with Rino, Extor and Raven had gathered in the dining room as Shirley put a crystal ball on the table.
"Think she's the real deal?" Rino whispered to Raven who looked at Shirley.
From an outside perspective she seemed like your typical fortune teller and yet…Raven could sense genuine magic from her.
"Join hands." Shirley said which everyone did.
"So, if you contact the dead then there really is an afterlife?" Extor asked skeptically.
"You could say that." Shirley answered.
"Excuse me."
"There is more to reality than a mere Overworld or Underworld or Nightosphere. There are many layers to it, too many to be counted." Shirley said before closing her eyes and opening her mouth.
Everyone was silent as what sounded like a ring tone came from her mouth.
"She's got to be faking." Rino said.
"You're on my payroll now. Wake up and get my brother on the line." Eustace said impatiently, banging on the table.
A moment later Shirley opened her eyes, returning from her trance. "The party is not answering."
"He never took my calls." Eustace grumbled.
"You spy any little transmitters on her?" Rino whispered to Extor.
Raven remained silent, her senses telling her that Shirley had acted as a literal transmitter for the deceased.
Courage popped a question. "Yo-yo?"
"I shall try." Shirley looked into her crystal ball. "I see…I see…I see…A yo-yo!"
"Yes!" Courage barked.
"I see a yo-yo. It is under the sofa." Shirley pointed to the living room.
Courage ran into the living room and looked under the cushion, finding an orange yo-yo.
"Isn't that the yo-yo I left him when I moved out?" Alexis asked, watching Courage take it out, play with it and then put it back under the cushion.
"He's been looking everywhere for it." Muriel told her daughter as Courage ran back in, sat on his chair and grasped her hand.
Eustace grumbled impatiently. "Try my brother again."
Shirley closed her eyes and opened her mouth, her head tilting up and remaining still as the ring tone from before was heard again.
Only this time someone answered. "Hello? Hello?"
Alexis and Muriel perked up, recognizing the voice. "Aunt Gertrude?"
"Oh for Pete's sakes!" Eustace face-palmed himself, unable to believe that the so-called fortune teller had dialed the wrong dead person.
"Muriel! Oh Muriel, how are you?" Gertrude, Muriel's Aunt and Alexis' Great Aunt asked happily through Shirley's mouth.
"I'm just fine, thank goodness and I have Alexis with me here." Muriel said with a smile.
"Hi Aunty!" Alexis waved one hand, even though Gertrude couldn't see her.
"This is starting to look like a Sunday sitcom." Rino whispered to Keanu who snickered in agreement.
"Hang up! You're tying up the line!" Eustace grumbled to his wife.
"Come on, Eustace. Give them a moment." Extor suggested, trying to placate the farmer before he said or did something stupid.
"Alexis! Dearie, you sound all grown up! " Gertrude said, happy to speak to her grandniece. "Is your mother using vinegar like I told her?"
"Vinegar? In raspberry jam?" Muriel asked.
Courage made a gagging sound, sticking his tongue out.
"Seriously?" Raven asked with a slightly disgusted look on her face. "And I though only Beast Boy's tofu could make someone that sick."
"Still might be better than Haggis made by Scotty's wife." Keanu whispered and got an elbow to the ribs by Extor.
"Will you all quite jabbering?" Eustace stood up from his chair, interrupting the connection as Shirley returned to normal. "Now get my stinkin' dead brother Horst on the line."
"The dead should not be bothered for personal gain." Shirley cautioned.
"What? Oh just do it." Eustace barked.
Shirley simply repeated her attempt for a third time in trying to contact the dead.
"Hello?" This time it was a man who answered.
"That's him. That's Uncle Horst's voice." Alexis perked up and said.
"Alexis? Well, this is unexpected." Horst said, sounding rather pleased. "I never thought you would call me. How are you doing these days?"
"Isn't this grand, Eustace?" Muriel said to her husband. "Now you can settle your differences."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Eustace mumbled, not really caring for burying the hatch with Horst.
The chance for that was long buried before Horst was.
"It's not a social call, Uncle." Alexis said with a frown. "We're looking for the key to your box."
"There is nothing in the box for Eustace." Horst replied snidely.
"You would say that," Eustace growled. "You cheap-"
"Bury the box, Eustace."
"Look, Uncle Horst. You, Grandma and Grandpa have treated my dad like dirt his whole life. Now you're dead the least you can do is actually act like a good brother for once and let him have something you don't need to care about anymore." Alexis barked. "What's it matter if he gets the money you left behind?"
"The money is not meant for him, Alexis. Be thankful I even left it where it can be found." Horst replied stoically.
"Don't play games, Uncle. I grew out of that crap when I turned thirteen and saw just how badly you treated my dad." Alexis growled.
"But I never treated you badly, Alexis. You are about the only good thing he had ever done in his life. I knew you'd go on to do great things."
"And maybe he could have had more if you weren't such an obnoxious-" Alexis was cut off as Eustace picked up Shirley. "Dad?"
"This is between me and him, Alexis." Eustace said as he took Shirley down to the basement, leaving everyone else behind to ponder what was going to be said.
Once they were down in the basement, Eustace held Shirley up, as if wanting to speak to Horst face to 'face'. "Listen here, Horst and listen good. I don't care what you think of me anymore. The only thing I could ever want from you is to leave something behind for Alexis."
"…For her?" Horst sounded surprised.
"She and Muriel were the only good things in my life and they actually took time to make me better than what I would have been trying to measure up to you and failing miserably all because you couldn't just take one second to try and help me get good at one thing." Eustace snarled. "As far as I am concerned, our differences are settled. You're dead and I'm not and the only good thing you could ever do for me is make sure Alexis doesn't end up living on the streets."
"…Okay."
That caught Eustace by surprise. "Okay?"
"I always did have a soft spot for my niece. Search the line of your hat."
Eustace took off his hat and looked through it, finally feeling something and pulling out…a key! "You hid the key in my hat? If you hate me so much why would you leave it in my hat of all places?"
"Maybe I was curious to see if you would ever figure it out. But a fair warning, there is more than money in that box. You'd best have a team of hunters on standby. Don't say I didn't warn you, brother. " Horst said and ended the call.
Xxx
"Hmm."
Drew entered the lab to see her husband had thoroughly dismantled the computer, taking it apart piece by piece to look for any listening devices.
"It may not be a glitch, Doc. It could be an actual message from Dr. Lancaster. The part that's left of him." Drew suggested.
"So, what are we believing in now? Ghosts or zombies?" Doc asked, glancing at his wife.
"Oh, please tell me it's both." Zak said with an excited look on his face, clasping both hands together.
Even Fiskerton felt that was too far from the way he crossed his arms and looked at Zak while shaking his head.
"It's called EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomenon." Drew continued. "Now sometimes, a receiver will pick up the protoplasmic energy, the spirit, of a person who's passed on, just like it was a radio wave."
"And Dr. Lancaster's protoplasm just happened to be here in our computer after twenty five years." Doc drawled.
"Uh, there's no 'just happened' about it. EVPs usually show up when someone has unfinished buisness." Drew replied.
"That's exactly what the ghost said." Zak exclaimed. "He told Dad to finish what they started on Honey Island."
Doc cleared his throat as Drew leaned on his shoulder. "There…May have been a project left incomplete. Or maybe…his life's work. Honey Island was just one bus and a swamp boat ride from our house in New Orleans. I practically lived up there on weekends and summers. Dr. Lancaster was like a second father to me. The work was inspiring, a government funded project to isolate the unique DNA sequences that make a cryptid a cryptid."
The potential was limitless…" Doc smiled at the fond memories before frowning. "And, sadly unrealized. We never finished. And then he was gone."
Zak and Fiskerton both seemed saddened, more for Doc's sake since Dr. Lancaster sounded like such an important man to him as Fiskerton mumbled and Zak then realized what it was the 'ghost' was talking about. "Unfinished buisness."
"No. We have living, breathing problems to worry about. We've lost too much ground to Argost." Doc refused.
Just as he finished the computers turned on again, showing Lancaster. "Argost…The answer. Doc…Honey Island. Finish it."
The Saturdays stared at the screen while Fiskerton stumbled back.
"Well," Doc admitted with a smile. "Now I'm at least intrigued."
"So how do we get there? In case you haven't realized…" Drew pointed outside the window that showed the massive blizzard outside. "We're grounded."
"…Not unless we call on Miranda."
Xxx
"Alright Stan, another day, another random body pain. Here we go."
Now that he no longer had to work on fixing the portal Stan Pines liked to try sleeping in most days. Unfortunately that did little for his aching bones. The doctors in Gravity Falls were not quite caught up with modern times so Stan was left to handle old age on his own.
Perhaps he should talk to Pachita about that since she's still an 'official' supervillain despite being as old as him.
Which started with putting on slippers that were soaked in milk. "Ugh!"
He then found a note on his desk that read: "Dear Stan, I need something to carry milk in so I used your slippers. Love, Mabel." Stan shuddered and walked into the kitchen and tried to turn on a light but the light bulb bursts.
He groaned and went to find a new light bulb but found that the box was empty except for a note that read: "Dear Stan, I took these to build a planetarium suit for Soos! Sorry! Dipper."
Stan grumbled and crumpled the note. "Great now I have to go outside in the cold and get some more."
This was the start of a rather lousy day.
Xxx
Stan was waiting in line in a grocery store at the checkout counter with light bulbs. Robbie, Lee, and Nate show up behind him.
"Whoa, let's not take this line. There's an old person in it." Lee whispered.
"Psh, yeah. He's probably gonna pay with like, pennies and, war bonds." Robbie agreed.
Stan had enough of them whispering behind his back. "Hey! For your information, I was gonna shoplift most of this."
"Security!" The cashier called out and instantly security guards rushed to Stan.
"Ha! Smoke bomb!" Stan threw smoke bombs on the floor that read 'Expire 11/1996'; nothing happened. "Aw, seriously?"
The security guards tackled Stan.
"Ahh!"
Xxx
Stan came home bruised with the box of light bulbs. "Ugh. Rough start to a day." He walked towards the kitchen. "But it's all gonna be worth it when I fix that light bul-"
Stan walked in to see Ford screwing in a light bulb with Dipper, Mabel and Soos "And... we're... done!"
Dipper, Mabel and Soos cheered.
"Does anyone see this? This is what a hero looks like right here." Mabel said happily.
"I thought we were out of light bulbs." Stan spoke, letting everyone know he was there.
"Oh we were, so I invented my own! It will last a thousand years and the light it emits makes your skin softer." Ford replied.
Dipper, Mabel and Soos rubbed their skin. "Oooh!"
"Never have I known such softness!" Soos muttered in awe.
"Anyway, where were you?" Ford asked his brother.
Rather than answer Stan dropped the new light bulbs in the trash; went to the TV and picked up the remote. "Well, TV at least you appreciate me. Give me the good news."
The TV turned on to show Shandra Jimenez. "This just in, the mayor is dead."
"What?!"
Dipper walked in with Mabel, Zoe and Frida. "Whoa, what's going on?"
"Raised by bears in the wilderness, Mayor Eustace Huckabone Befufftlefumpter was best known for raising the water tower, possible starting World War I, and putting town menace Gideon Gleeful behind bars, in actual adult prison. A memorial statue is already being carved in the deceased mayor's honor." Shandra started to cry while her co-host comforted her. "I'm sorry. It's just been so long since we've had real news. I'm just so happy!"
She just kept on crying despite the new technically meant to provoke sadness.
Shandra's co-host took over. "There will be a town hall meeting this afternoon to discuss replacing him."
"New mayor huh? Wonder who it could be..." Stan said, seeing his reflection in the TV.
Xxx
"You're a Satyra agent!?" Tambry shouted, feeling both shocked and angered by this revelation. "You left us behind to go be a terrorist?!"
"No, it wasn't like that! I was trying to make the world a safer place for us." Lana shook her head. "They just want equalit-"
SMACK!
"Ouch!" Lana cried after Sticks smacked her across the face.
"Stop taking whatever animal droppings they've been giving you and get it through your head!" Sticks snapped. "Satyra don't care about equality!"
Lana was about to argue but both stopped when they heard Tambry laughing suddenly and looked at her as she stared at the ground with big demented smile. "So let me get this straight. You not only neglected us for year and for fucking Satyra it turns out!?" She looked up and stared at Lana with a furious face. "But you also lied as well and everything that's happened to me and Nyx could have been avoided if you told our grandparents about us!"
Lana crawled back a bit, surprised by the angered look on her daughter's face.
This was not the reunion she had imagined.
"Listen, I can-"
"NO!" Tambry stepped back. "Stay away from me! Both of you!"
Tambry just ran after that.
She ran out of the lair she had been trapped in.
She ran out into the cold.
She didn't stop running after.
Well, she eventually did because of the cold and her own exhaustion from everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours.
She just wanted to get away.
Get away…
Get away from her mom.
Get away from what used to be sister.
Get away from all of it.
And then she heard the sound of a train.
Looking up, she saw the abandoned railway she come upon and there was a train on it, stopping just now.
How was that possible?
The old railway had been abandoned over a century ago. The train's door opened and the destination panel flashed her name: Tambry Kane
She didn't know why but she felt the sudden urge to enter the train.
"Tambry, wait!"
Just as she stepped into the door Sticks shot forward and both were on the train The doors closed and the train vanished.
Xxx
"Superboy's recovery has been nothing short of astounding." Dr. Princess said, seeing her patient's wounds were almost completely gone. "Just one more night's rest you'll be cleared."
"Thank you." Connor said, slipping his shirt back on. "I don't often bleed like that."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'd worry for those who bleed a little too often and think nothing of it." Dr. Princess replied.
"Yeah well, Connor here can take a lot of hits without getting so much as a bruise." Artemis commented. "Still, that was a tougher fight than I would have thought. That guy…He'd give even top heroes in our world a fight."
Pardus had not just been another criminal to fight.
He was a predator.
He fought with such ferocity and cunning that the two Young Justice members had been caught by complete surprise, able fight White Tiger, Kazemon, Lowemon, Connor and her at once and barely looked winded through it all. Sure they put up a fight but in the end it was Kazemon who had digivolved to take him down and it was likely Pardus would be back.
Guys like him always came back.
"It's an unfortunate but occupational hazard for hunters in this world." Dr. Princess said sadly. "Be glad you came out…relatively unscathed."
"Yeah, that's a hazard in our world too." Connor said as he sat on his bed. "So what are the odds-GAAHHHHH!"
"Connor!" Artemis jumped to Superboy's side as he clutched his head in pain. "What's wrong?!"
Men in white lab coats…
Lying in a strange tube…
A golden gauntlet grabbing her…
'Where am I?!'
A girl with green skin and auburn hair letting out a mental scream as her eyes flashed open.
Connor let out another scream as he fell back on his bed, panting as the vision ended.
"What happened?" Artemis asked as Dr. Princess rushed to his side.
"It's M'Gann!" Connor immediately sat up. "She's here!"
Artemis' went wide as dinner plates. "What?!"
"M'Gann is here. Van Kleiss took her…Like he took us!" Connor jumped to his feet. "We got to go save her!"
"Wait! You can't just get up and walk out of here! You-" Dr. Princess protested but her words fell on deaf ears as Connor literally jumped out the window… "What?!"
And landed perfectly fine on the street below.
"Sorry about that." Artemis picked up her bow and then headed to the door. "He does that when he's worried."
Especially when it's about green skinned girls from Mars.
Xxx
A young boy dressed in black approached the town, stopping for a second to look at the sign saying: 'Welcome to Gravity Falls.'