DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.
What If?
Chapter 2: Heroes Reborn Part 1
The lights were off in the old shack when Ford's car pulled up to the building. He had hoped to leave this place behind like a nightmare that one awakens from in a cold sweat. This building was a place of great pain for the once-great explorer of the paranormal, as was the rest of this town, for every inch of Gravity Falls was nothing more than a testament to his poor decisions. There was a time that setting foot in Gravity Falls gave him a sense of wonder, but now it only filled him with dread and regret. He had hoped to leave this place behind him, but that changed when he received a letter from his estranged brother, Stanly, who had written to him asking him to meet with him at his old laboratory.
At first, Ford was hesitant to meet with his twin sibling again after so many years, especially after they had departed on such bad terms. In the past, Ford and Stanly had ventured the world investigating paranormal occurrences and events. But while Ford wanted to study and document these events, Stanly wanted to capture and exploit them for money. Time and again, the brothers would clash on how to handle their findings. Finally, everything came to a head when they visited the small Oregon town of Gravity Falls. Here, in this tiny town full of mysteries, the Pines brothers had their ultimate falling out. When they first arrived in Gravity Falls, Stan and Ford set up a base of operations so they could study and record their findings, or in Stan's case, try to showcase them in some shop of oddities for money.
Between Ford's desire for knowledge and Stan's desire for profit, it was only a matter of time before the brothers clashed over their differing ideals. Finally, after one too many arguments, Ford decided to leave both Gravity Falls and his sibling behind. It had been years since the Pines brothers had last spoken to one another, now here he was, standing before the former base, now dubbed 'The Mystery Shack.' A lousy road stop name no doubt thought up by Stan in the heat of the moment. A part of the paranormal researcher wanted to get back in his car and leave right this second, but another part of him wanted to reconcile with his estranged sibling. Long had Ford wanted to reconnect with his brother, and perhaps this was the chance he had been waiting for, so why wasn't he approaching the building any further?
Suddenly, the front door to the roadside attraction was thrown open, revealing Ford's distant brother. The paranormal researcher could only sigh in embarrassment at the sight of what his sibling was wearing. It was a cheesy suit and bowtie with a fez atop his head. Stan was always the one for the theatrics, but this was a whole new level. The next thing Ford knew, Stan had come up to him and embraced him in a tight hug.
"Good to see you, bro," he greeted warmly. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."
"I'm just as surprised as you, to be honest," Ford admitted before looking back at the shack. "What is...all this?"
"Oh, it's just something to get the tourists to fork over their cash," his brother brushed off. "But that's not what I wanted to show you. Come on. The real reason is inside."
"Wait, you dragged me here just to show me something?" Ford questioned before sighing. "Damnit, Stanly..."
"Relax, Ford, I swear it'll all be worthwhile," his twin assured with a grin and wink.
With an exhausted sigh, Ford begrudgingly followed his twin into the tourist trap. After passing by the oddities Stan had either acquired or made up on the spot, Stan lead his estranged brother to a vending machine. He typed in a quick code into a hidden keypad, caused the vending machine to move aside to reveal a secret doorway with a staircase that lead further down into the building. Nervous yet now intrigued, Ford followed his twin brother into the bowels of the base. As they moved deeper inside, Stan began to speak to his brother.
"Since you've been gone, I've been working on a little project," he began. "The tourist trap is just a side hustle to make some quick dough, but this..."
Stan gestured to what he was referring to, making Ford gasp in shock at the sight before him.
"This is the real deal," Stan finished.
The thing that Stan was showcasing to him was, in fact, a giant, inactive portal, but unlike in the universe from which this timeline had spawned from, this was no portal to the world of Bill Cipher, for Ford had never met him in this universe. Instead, what Ford was looking at was a portal that shouldn't exist: A ghost portal.
"You didn't..." Ford gasped in horror. "Stanly, what have you done?!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy, bro!" Stan replied. "You said this thing could theoretically be built, remember? So, I built it!"
"Built, yes, but getting it to work is a totally different story," Ford reasoned. "When I theorized that there was a way into the afterlife, I also understood that if a portal was built, then it would act as a not just a doorway to enter, but also could be used as a doorway for things to come out of as well."
"That's kind of what hoping for," Stanly admitted. "See, I figure that if I can get this puppy to work properly, then I have a new attraction to make some real money out of, and you can have something to study!"
And there it was. This wasn't about reconnecting with his brother. Stanly only wanted to make money, and Ford was only brought here to be a stepping stone for his financial quest. This was what split the Pines twins apart the first time. Ford only wanted to explore the world of the paranormal, while Stan only wished to exploit it like some freak show. The Ghost Portal was something Ford had thought up after attending a seminar in which renowned paranormal researchers Egon Spengler and Peter Venkman spoke about how the realm of ghosts could be, in theory, reached via piercing the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead but advised against it. For if the smallest thing went array, then it would lead to the apocalypse.
Ford, fascinated by the thought of reaching the world beyond the living, drew up a blueprint for a portal to what Egon and Peter called the 'Ghost Zone.' But before he could build the gateway to the realm of the dead, his conscience kicked in, and he shelved the project out of fear of what he may bring upon the Earth. Clearly, however, his brother had no problem. It was a little-known fact that Stanly was just as smart as his brother and was a capable engineer in his own right. But what he lacked was Ford's realization that this was wrong.
"Did you even think for one second about what this could do?!" the paranormal investigator demanded. "I halted the project for a reason!"
"Yeah, and that reason was that you were scared," Stan chided. "I did what you couldn't!"
"Yes, for money, like always!" his twin shot back. "You know, when I came here, I thought that you wanted to make peace between us. But no, you just wanted to drag me into another one of your get rich quick scams!"
Stan didn't say anything in response right away. Instead, he only glared back at his twin brother.
"So, I'm gonna take that as a no then?" he finally asked in a voice tense with anger.
"Absolutely not, Stanly," his brother affirmed. "And I will be reporting you to the authorities for what you've done!"
Stan was again silent upon hearing this statement for several moments. Suddenly, in one quick motion, Stanly reached into his suit, pulled out a pistol, and fired at Ford. Though the twin managed to mostly move out of the way of the gunshot, the bullet still ripped through his shoulder, forcing a cry of pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his now wounded shoulder as he did. Before Ford could get back to his feet, his brother stomped his foot onto his chest.
"Sorry, Ford, but I can't let you do that," his brother said. "I got a lot riding on this, so I'm not letting you or anyon-"
Stan's words were cut off when the Pines brothers both heard the sound of something sparking. The two of them collectively looked toward the source of the sound and saw that, after passing through Ford's shoulder, the bullet had managed to hit a vital part of the ghost portal. Running on the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins and with his brother distracted, Ford managed to shove Stanly off his person and jump back to his feet. As he did, he reached out and took hold of the gun in Stan's hand, leading to the two brothers wrestling over the firearm, all the while the now damaged ghost portal began to sputter and spark from where it had been struck by the bullet.
Just then, the inside of the ghost portal started to glow a strange shade of dark green, signaling that something had gone wrong. Ford, though still focused on getting the gun out of Stan's hand, noticed this change from the portal and quickly shoved his brother off his person. Thinking that he now had the perfect opportunity, Stan took this chance to try to take a shot at his twin sibling. But before he could pull the trigger, a bright green beam erupted from the portal, striking him dead on. Ford could only stand and watch as his brother was consumed by the beam of Ectoplasm, all the while screaming in agony as he vanished into nothingness.
It may have felt like watching something play out for hours, while in reality, it was only a few seconds. Ford could only stand there in silent shock at what he just witnessed as he tried to process everything that had happened. Not only had his twin brother just tried to murder him but now he was exiled to the Ghost Zone all in the span of ten minutes. He wanted to feel something like pity or remorse for the sudden loss, but instead, he felt a strong sense of dread. For now, Ford feared that if by some chance that his brother survived his journey into the Ghost Zone, then he would be a force to be reckoned with. There was no other decision other than the logical one. He would remain in Gravity Falls and safeguard the Ghost Portal from all who would dare come near it. He would also prepare for the day if and when his brother would return, but he would not undertake this task alone.
Unknown to Ford, this, like other actions of this strange new universe, played out before an unseen visitor. Clockwork, who had been traversing the branch's timeline, had found his way, as he was drawn to this moment, for it would be the springboard to one of this universe's biggest deviations. So, with that in mind, he fast-forwarded into the timeline.
In the universe that Clockwork hailed from, the vast majority of the Earth's heroes had united under the banners of different teams such as United Heroez, or, more importantly, the Infinity League. But in this universe, the Global Justice Network never had the idea to form the League. However, while there were no superhero teams, that did not mean that this universe was not without its heroes and villains. In this timeline, SheZow still fought for truth and justice, but this was not Guy Hamdon. Instead, it was his Aunt Agnes, who never met her untimely death. Still among the living, Agnes was there to take her niece and nephew under her wing and guide Guy through his life as he learned to accept his true gender as a woman.
In Norrisville, there was a Ninja protecting its citizens. However, it was not Randy Cunningham underneath the mask. In this timeline, Randy had given into his inner vices and had become something of a delinquent in the town. From cheating on tests to even vandalizing buildings with fire, this was not the good-hearted soul from the main universe. Because of this, the Nomicon chose Heidi Weinerman to be its champion. Carmen Sandiego, once a heroic thief, was now a top agent of Global Justice. Team Go, given their powers by a strange meteor from space, remained both a team and family. Shego never betrayed her brothers and served as their leader. In the shadows, Barabra Keynes still stalked the criminal underworld as Knightowl, but as a far darker version of herself. Her sidekick, Sparrow, was also vastly different.
But while there were still heroes in this world, there were many who never became who they were meant to be. Even now, the Gargoyles, who were meant to soar over the skies of Manhattan, remained as statues in their castle, as Xanatos never rose the castle about the clouds. Zordon never came to Angel Grove, leading to those who would be the Power Rangers, aside from one of them, to live a normal life, but that did not mean that there were not Power Rangers in this world. Star Butterfly never came to Earth to hone her magical powers, leading Marco Diaz to never meet the Mewman Princess, which could be for the best. For like Randy, this variant of Marco was an angry youth who ran in a gang causing havoc as El Tigre after gaining the belt from stealing it from Manny, who had been sent to live with his mother after his parents' divorce.
There were many heroes and villains in this universe who either became something else or never existed, but one event was going to change everything. Clockwork had moved forward in time to the moment when this universe would meet with the dawn of the metahuman head-on. It was here, at this science expo one summer in Amity Park, that the world would see a boom in superhuman activity, and like so many dawns of new ages, this would not be a peaceful formation. It was here, at this expo, that Clockwork would bear witness to a different age of heroes.
"How's it looking, Jack?" Vlad inquired. "The show is supposed to be ready in twenty minutes. And need I remind you that several members of our audience are investors?"
In another life, Vlad Masters would become one of the most notorious villains on Earth, Vlad Plasmius, after an accident involving a prototype ghost portal. But this fate was not bestowed upon this variant of Vlad, who was rescued by his friend and partner, Jack Fenton, at the last minute before the beam could hit. Because of this, Vlad remained Jack's friend and partner throughout college as they showcased their ghost portal to their investors. Granted, Vlad felt sadness when the woman he adored, Maddie, chose Jack over him, but he learned to quickly get over it when he realized that money could get him plenty of women to fill the void in his heart.
"Not to mention the greatest minds on the planet are going to see our project in action as well," Maddie added. "You know what they say about first impressions."
"And you still married me anyway," Jack noted as he put on the final touches. "Aaand there! She's ready to go!"
The project in question was a much larger ghost portal. One that could open the doorway to the realm of the dead if it worked. And after sinking as much money as they did into the project, it was needless to say that a lot was riding on this.
"Are you sure this isn't going to blow up again?" a voice inquired. "Because it's gotten to the point where mom has the insurance agency and our lawyer on speed dial."
The voice of worry came from Danny, who, unlike his other self, never had the accident with the ghost portal that would make him into the hero of Amity Park and founding member of the Infinity League, Danny Phantom. Here in this universe, Danny, as well as his sister Jazz, grew up living normal teenage lives. And though they were mocked for their parents' work, they lived a much better life financially thanks to government backing the Fentons had gained after showcasing their first portal to the federal government. Danny's relationship with Vlad was not one of hostility but of a family-like bond. Vlad was both Danny and Jazz's godfather in this timeline and was referred to as 'Uncle Vlad' by his godchildren.
"No need to worry, Danny, your father knows what he's doing," his mother assured.
"Oh, look, a penny!" Jack cheered as he found a coin on the floor.
"...I'll keep my phone on hand," Maddie mentioned.
Danny rolled his eyes at his father's antics, but at the same time couldn't stop himself from letting a small smile form on his lips. Though he was still embarrassed by his parents, he still couldn't help but be fascinated by it as well. He still desired to be an astronaut, but if there was another path he would follow, he wouldn't be opposed to being a ghost hunter like his mother and father. Just then, the doors to the expo room were thrown open. Jazz's voice could be heard as she and someone else entered.
"Hey, you can't go in there!" the girl ordered. "This is a private viewing!"
The unknown stranger pushed past the young girl as he stormed up to the stage, and he wasn't alone, for with the newcomer were a young boy and girl flanking each side of him as well. Vlad let out an annoyed sigh once he got a good look at who exactly had interrupted his work.
"Oh, good lord..." he groaned with an added facepalm. "Ford..."
Since his brother had been cast into the depths of the Ghost Zone, Ford had been preparing for the inventible return of Stanly from the realm of the dead. For years, Ford had worked closely with Dr. Spengler and Dr. Venkman on working on a way to properly capture and contain ghosts. Alongside Dr. Ray Stantz, the four men became the Ghostbusters, and throughout the '80s, battled such dark spirits as Pariah Dark, the king of ghosts, when he attempted to lay siege to New York with an army of specters and demons. After retiring from his days as a ghost hunter, Ford returned to Gravity Falls to continue his efforts to combat his brother's eventual return. And this time, he wouldn't do it alone.
One summer, his extended family called him and asked Ford if he could keep his grandniece and nephew for the summer. At first, the paranormal investigator was resistant to the idea of watching the children, but then he had the idea of training them and aiding him in his coming battle with Stanly. So, he took Mason and Mabel under his wing, putting them through rigorous training exercises day in and day out until they were ready to take on not just their evil uncle but all the world's evil as well. Thanks to Ford's teachings, the Pines twins used their skills to be young heroes of this universe. Aided by their tech-advisor, Wade, the duo took on such villains as Duff Killigan, Monkey Fist, and Señor Senior, Sr. Mason was dressed in a purple shirt with black jeans and had a military cut to his hair while his twin sister had her hair in a ponytail. She wore a black shirt and had on tan cargo shorts.
"I warned you, Masters," Ford said sharply as he stormed up toward the stage. "I warned you not to do this!"
Ever since learning of the Fentons' attempt to build a ghost portal, Ford had clashed with Vlad and his partners several times. It should have come as no surprise to the paranormal researcher since Masters and the Fentons were former pupils of his when he was working as a college professor shortly after he retired from the Ghostbusters. He had warned them time and time again not to repeat his brother's folly. He went as far as to remind them of the last time one had attempted to discover the connections this realm had with that of the dead, seemingly resulting in the sudden disappearance of a kind-hearted mortician in the 19th century. However, it had become clear that his warnings fell on deaf ears.
"Now Ford, be reasonable," Vlad began. "We're only doing what you, Peter, and Egon started."
"We were fighting ghosts, not inviting them to our world!" Ford snapped back. "I'm warning you, do not switch that machine on!"
"I'm sorry, Ford, but this is our life's work," Maddie refused. "Jack, Vlad, and I have put so much of our time and money into this portal to just stop when we're so close."
"You're welcome to stay, but we're doing this," Jack affirmed.
Ford glared at his students with a burning contempt in his eyes before turning away and walking to the back of the room, muttering several words of anger under his breath. Meanwhile, Danny, who had ignored the argument, stood in awe of the two young heroes that were standing alongside Ford. He had heard the many stories of the Pines twins and their heroic exploits, and needless to say, he was something of a fan.
"Uh...hi," he sheepishly greeted the twins. "You guys are THE Pines twins, right?"
"Last time I checked," Mason answered warmly. "Let me guess: You're a fan."
"Oh, absolutely! You guys are awesome!" Danny nearly shouted in excitement before quickly settling down. "Uh, sorry about that. I'm Danny, by the way."
"Nah, it's cool. We get that reaction all the time," Mabel assured. "It makes us feel like rock stars."
"Hey, Mason, I've always wanted to ask this if I ever got the chance to, but are you and Dominatrix, like, a thing?" the young fan inquired.
Mason's cheeks instantly went red with embarrassment as his twin sister snickered at the question. Dominatrix, Wendy Corduroy, was the daughter of the Baroness, who, rather than abandoning her, took her child with her when she returned to Cobra. Under her mother's harsh teachings, Wendy grew up to be a deadly agent of Cobra who had taken on a leather-clad persona that both enticed and terrified men. However, Dominatrix had taken a liking to the young hero and often flirted with him while he was in the midst of being tortured or caught in one of Cobra Commander's death traps. Mason, though he knew that the woman was a villainess like her mother, couldn't deny that he was attracted to evildoer on some level.
Curious by this reaction Mason had, Clockwork, who had been watching these events unfold, made time rewind to one such encounter between the two lovers.
Six months ago...
Mason had been tracking Dominatrix for three days through Rome after she had stolen the Roman gold that had been discovered only days ago. His search had lead to a hotel in the heart of the city, and he was going to make sure that she wasn't going to get away again. Then again, he had made that same vow back when he caught up with her in Paris, then in Japan, and again on that lost island, all of which were times she escaped being brought to justice after seducing him and leaving him handcuffed to the bed. But this time would be different...he hoped.
After crashing through the window of the hotel room she had been hiding in, Mason stood proudly before what he thought would be a shocked villainess. Instead, he found himself before a foe who was lying across the bed of rose petals and dressed in black lingerie, all the while having a dreamy look in her eyes. Though Mason was awestruck by her beauty as always, he forced himself to remain steadfast.
"Dominatrix, I've come to bring you to justice!" he proclaimed, doing his best to keep up appearances. "Come quietly or be taken."
"Mmm, I choose...taken," Wendy cooed. "Looks like you'll have to come over here and try to get me out of this bed."
Well, what could he say to that? So, with a heavy sigh, Mason undid his belt and made his way over to the bed as Wendy licked her lips in anticipation. He was going to end up being handcuffed again and probably have another stab wound in his gut, but he could never deny the daughter of the Baroness. As the young hero crawled into his enemy's bed, Clockwork had seen enough and returned to the present.
"Uh, no comment," Mason finally answered Danny's question.
Mabel chuckled at her twin's response. It was then that the twins followed their great uncle to the back of the room, though not before taking a quick picture with their fan so he could send it to his girlfriend, Sam, as evidence that he had met actual superheroes. Just as they had done so, the Fenton's audience began to enter the room and take their seats. Like Vlad had said, the crowd was filled with some of the brightest minds on this Earth, as well as some of the richest men in America looking to line their pockets with more money. Among the crowd was James and Ann Possible, who had come the Fenton's expo as something as a family outing with their children.
In another life, the name Kim Possible was associated with one of the greatest heroes on Earth. But on this Earth, this variant of Kim Possible was a normal teenager. Instead of worrying about the fate of the world, she instead worried about her S.A.T.'s. And unlike the Kim from the Prime Earth, this Kim wasn't the least bit interested in whatever this was.
"Seriously, why are we here again?" Kim questioned her mother. "This isn't exactly you and Dad's field of research."
"Well, Vlad's an old college friend of your father's before he transferred to Amity Park University," her mother explained. "your father wanted to be supportive of this little science experiment."
"You mean messing with ghosts?" Kim pointed out. "Seriously, did everyone just forget about the whole 'ghost king' thing back in the '80s?"
"Agreed, this has 'bad idea' written all over it," a voice from the row behind the Possibles added.
Kim turned her head back to see a young man with a rather large head sitting behind her. This was Dib Membrane, and much like his prime earth counterpart, he too was an enthusiast of the paranormal. However, unlike the Prime Earth Dib, this one did not go out in search of the unknown. He instead ran a podcast called 'The Swollen Eye,' where he would talk about various subjects involving cryptids, UFOs, alternate Earths, and government conspiracies. But Dib did not do this podcast alone, for he had a special cohost alongside him. One who had joined him and his father to this expo.
"Dib, darling, leave the girl poor alone," the cohost advised. "Just let her enjoy the show in peace."
Dib turned to his cohost, Tak, with a look. Tak was not only his partner in the podcast but also his partner romantically. Before meeting the person he considered the love of his life, Dib was alone. True, he had his fans, but it didn't fill the void he felt in his heart. Then, one day at school, a new student entered the classroom. She, quiet, reserved, and, in Dib's opinion, quite beautiful. It wasn't before long that the two struck up a friendship, then a partnership, and shockingly, a relationship. The void that Dib felt was no longer there, and all he could feel was joy now that he had someone in his life.
What Dib didn't know, however, was that Tak was, in truth, an alien hidden in plain sight. In this universe, Tak never lost her chance to be an Invader for the Irken Empire. The problem was that her scores were a bit too high for the Tallest's liking. The leaders of the Irken Empire had never encountered an underling with an intellect that surpassed theirs. Fearing Tak and the possible threat she posed, they sent her to a distant, backwater planet that was far from the empire. Still the dutiful Irken, Tak accepted her mission and departed for Earth with her SIR unit, Mimi. Once they arrived on Earth, Tak easily infiltrated human society and posed as the daughter of the CEO of a major meat corporation. Despite her vast knowledge, the alien infiltrator needed to better understand humans on a personal level. So, she chose to interact with Dib, seeing that he was the one who apparently had any real intelligence among her class. Plus, this way, she could be closer to Dib's father and his work.
"Nah, your boyfriend has a point," Kim agreed "This just feels like a disaster waiting to happen."
"Oh, I certainly hope so," Professor Membrane mentioned. "Nothing would make me happier than to see the Fentons fail spectacularly!"
"My dad's just jealous because they built a working ghost portal before he could," his son muttered to Kim.
"I. Was. So. Close!" the professor exclaimed.
Just then, the lights in the auditorium slowly dimmed as the stage lights came on, meaning that the expo was about to begin. As always, Vlad, who loved being the center of attention, stepped forward to address the audience. The Fentons weren't exactly the best at talking to crowds. Something that Vlad not only excelled at but relished.
"Greetings to one and all!" he began. "I want to welcome you all to what will surely be a moment that will go down in the pages of history!"
He then gestured over the Fentons and the ghost portal.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the ghost portal," he continued. "With this, we can break the wall between the worlds of the living and the dead. For centuries, mankind has wondered what was beyond this mortal coil. Now, we can explore this realm as we explored the depths of the oceans and the vastness of space!"
"He sure has a way with words," Mason noted to his great uncle "I can see why you hate him."
"And now, dear friends, I will give the floor to the true brains of this machine, Jack and Maddie Fenton, and allow them to take our first steps into the next steps into our future!"
With that, Vlad stepped aside and allowed his friends to switch the portal on, all the while the Pines family stood in the back waiting for the slightest thing to go wrong. After activating the console, the portal began to hum to life. All eyes were on the portal as its creators continued to power the machine. It wasn't before long that inside of the portal began to glow green inside, signifying that it was coming online. Gasps and whispers of awe began to fill the room, making Vlad smirk at the idea of the fortune that he was going to make. Meanwhile, Ford could only grimace at the sight of the awakening portal as the memoirs of that awful day between him and his brother.
Mason and Mabel noticed their great uncle's expression as they to expressed their own concern. While they never got a chance to meet their great uncle Stanly, the stories that were told of him by Ford were anything but good. They understood that if Stan ever returned to Earth, then he could become what might be their greatest foe yet. Suddenly, the portal began to spark and sputter while flaring began to flare flashes of green energy out of it.
"What the hell is going on?!" Vlad demanded.
"We don't know!" Jack answered as he and Maddie frantically worked the portals controls.
"Well, shut it down!" their friend commanded.
"We-We can't!" Maddie stated in horror. "We're trying everything, even cutting the power, but nothing's working!"
As the Fentons tried to desperately stop whatever was happening, the crowd began to grow tense, some even getting up from their seats and rushed towards the doors. It was at that time that the Pines twins jumped into action. The siblings quickly made their way toward the stage as Jack and Maddie continued to try and shut down the portal. But just as they reached the stage, a blast of Ectoplasm shot out of the ghost portal. Acting quickly, the twins dove out of the way of the beam as it shot out into the crowd. Amidst the chaos, the beam of Ectoplasm struck Kim dead-on, causing her to fall to the floor. Kim's parents instantly went to their daughter's side, as did Dr. Membrane and his son, who were not only trying to give medical aid to the girl but were also curious as to how the beam had affected her.
Back with the twins, they had gotten back into action. However, they were unprepared for what was to come. The portal was, in fact, used as a doorway...and it wasn't that someone had gone in, but rather, someone had come OUT. Standing at the center of the stage for all to see was Stan Pines. No longer was Stan a mere human, for he had become a true force to be feared. His hair was long, and his skin was now a dark green with dark red eyes and fangs sticking out of his mouth. He wore a black suit of armor with a purple, fiery cape. In his hand was a green blade with a pumpkin on the hilt of the sword.
"Finally...I'm home," the wayward Pines said with a dark smile.
"Stanly?" Ford asked in total shock. "Is that...is that you?"
The armored villain heard the voice of his brother and locked eyes directly at him. Even amongst the panicked crowd, Stan's eyes locked onto his estranged brother with a burning hatred within them. It may have been nearly three decades since they had last met, but for Stanly, being thrown on the Ghost Zone may as well have been yesterday to him.
"Long time no see, Ford," he sneered. "Like the new look?"
"What happened to you?" his brother questioned, still in shock.
"You mean, what happened to me after you sent into the Ghost Zone?" Stanly stated. "Thirty years in the Ghost Zone changed me on a cellular level, making me part-ghost in the process. I even defeated the Fright Knight and took his power as my own. I had long tried to find my way back to Earth to get my revenge. So, when the Fentons opened the door, all I had to do was step through it. And now I'm here to return the pain you put on me all those years ago!"
"What happened to you was your fault and yours alone!" Ford snapped back.
"It doesn't matter because I'm going to send you and every person in this room there personally!" Stan declared.
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Mason denied.
"And you are?" Stanly questioned, not seeing him as a threat.
"I'm Mason, and this is my sister, Mabel," Mason introduced. "We're your niece and nephew."
"But you can call us 'those guys who sent your ass back to the Ghost Zone,'" his sister added with a smirk.
"Well, consider this a short reunion, kids!" Stan snarled as he fired a black of Ectoplasm from his hand.
The twins jumped out of the way of the beam. Mason then pulled out a green and silver rod that, after pressing a button, turned into a metal staff that he used to strike Stan across the face. In his years in the Ghost Zone, the half-ghost had become accustomed to being impervious to mortal weapons, but the fact that he had been hurt by a man-made weapon both stunned and confused.
"What? You think we didn't spend all these years training to fight you and NOT bring something to smack you with?" Mason pointed out with a cocky smirk.
Stan's response to that came in the form of a snarl as he lunged at the boy with his sword at the ready. Mason quickly blocked the oncoming ghost with his staff before kneeing Stan in the gut to knock him back and hit him in the gut with his weapon. As the two estranged family members continued their duel, Mabel and Ford helped evacuate the crowd. However, as the mightiest minds and richest people on the planet fled the scene, each of them had their own sparks of ideas of ways to combat this new form of evil that had been unleashed onto the world.
"Stay with the crowd, Ford. I'll help Dipper!" Mabel said before rushing off.
"Be careful!" her great uncle advised.
As Mabel ran back to the stage to help her twin brother, she pulled out of pair of anti-ghost brass knuckles. Once she was close enough to the stage, Mason's sidekick sister leaped forward and threw a right cross across her evil great-uncle's face, making him stumble back in the process. Stan attempted to swing his blade down onto Mabel's head, only to have her brother jump in front of her and block the sword with his staff. With Mason guarding her, Mabel took out a pair of blasters and fired on Stanly, who quickly created a barrier in from of himself from the blasts. Stan then flew upwards as he tried to gain the higher ground, only for the twins to pull out a grappling gun and fire it in unison at their enemy.
The grappling hooks wrapped around each of Stan's ankles. Then, with a flip of a switch, the Pines twins unleashed a charge of ecto-energy up the lines up and right into Stanly, who cried out in pain. The half-ghost attempted to phase out of the trap, but the pain kept him from focusing on doing so. When Stanly had planned his return to Earth, he wasn't expecting resistance of any kind right out the gate, let alone from his own grand-niece and nephew of all people. He needed to escape and regroup so he could better combat this new threat properly, but in order to do so, he needed a distraction. It was then that he noticed that Danny hadn't moved since this whole ordeal and instantly got an idea. Stan then took his sword and fired a beam at the boy, hitting him dead in the chest. Danny let out a scream of agony as he fell to the ground, all the while his family could only look on in horror.
This distraction was enough to make the pines twins loosen their grip at the sight that had unfolded before them. Stanly took this chance to break free from his bonds, but just as he had done so, he was suddenly struck by a beam of Ectoplasm that sent him through the wall. Everyone looked to see that the beam didn't come from a gun but a hand. Kim's hand, to be more precise. Everyone gasped in horror at the horror before them. Kim's red hair had turned snow-white as her eyes were now blazing green. Kim, who was equally scared of this sudden change could only look at her hand in total shock.
"What...What's happening to me?!" she cried out in terror.