This chapter is way late. Ugh. I've been so busy with so many sewing projects. I guess you can say I've been sew busy. Aha, ahaha, ahaha...I'll see myself out.
I finished the Trolls costumes for my sister and her husband, I finished my candycorn lolita Halloween day dress, and I finished one of my Halloween costumes: Melanie Martinez "Dollhouse" dress. The other is a Suicide Squad Harley Quinn costume that I bought, so no sewing there. Now I've got to make a dress for this event we might be going to a few days before Halloween, it's gothic lolita style (SO MANY RUFFLES! No one sells black premade ruffles, so I'm having to make all the ruffles on my own. So many ruffles). And I have to make a Tudor dress for November's Renaissance faire. And depending on when we do the photo shoot at the old church, I want to do 1870s gothic Victorian for that. Ahh! When does it end?
Anyway, so that's what's been going on with me. Also, I went to Tennessee to see my grandpa. He was in the hospital the whole time, but he was in good spirits to see the family. But he has a year at the most, so it was bittersweet. Thank you to everyone who offered their condolences, it's much appreciated.
Thank you to all the patient readers who have been so patient with me with this new chapter. And a special thanks and as always shout out to the reviewers: Fantasy Fan 223, Energy witch, London87, EMObillcipher89, Marisol777, Berrybanana05, wildchild00, Abigail Rose V, and the two Guests.
Marisol777: Oh yes, just wait until Albert finds out in this chapter. I think you'll be pleased. :)
Guest (9/28): When you do post the cosplay pictures let me know, I'd love to see them. :) And thank you, I had a lot of fun filming that video. Although my Grunkle Ford impersonation was horrible, I laughed so hard when editing that scene.
Well, here is the agents/Abigail arc finale, I hope you all enjoy it!
The three Pines stared at the two agents before them. Dipper backed up, bumping against Ford's leg. It was just like last summer, only this time they were surrounded and the proof for the Pines brothers' crimes on display for all to see.
Stan subconsciously pushed Ford and Dipper behind him as he moved closer to the same agent who arrested him last year. Stan glared at the slightly younger man while Powers only smirked. He raised the memory gun causing the three to jump.
Stan moved into a defensive stance as he formed a plan. In a single leap he'd take down Powers. The worst case scenario he'd take a shot to the head, but the impact would disarm the agent, giving Ford or Dipper the opportunity to either run or snatch the gun. A quick glimpe at the younger agent proved to be the only unstable variable in his plan.
"Please, you're making a huge mistake," Ford said as he moved to be on the same level as Stan.
Stan glared at his brother then looked back to see the memory gun was now locked on his twin.
"The only mistake I made was letting you use this on me last summer," Albert retorted.
He moved the barrel away from Ford and stared down at its intricate design. "Fiddleford McGucket invented this, correct?"
"Yes," Ford answered. There was no use hiding the truth anymore if they had read his journal. Besides, he didn't have time for an interrogation when Bill could be seconds from death.
"I've heard he's a clever man," Albert said. "But to think he found a way to permanantly remove memories is a feat I'd never believe had it not been used on me."
"You must know he only did it to cure his own anxiety." Ford put his hand over his chest. "I'm the only one at fault for what happened to you."
Powers glared at the author. "Indeed, you don't know what a great deal you cost me," he said. His gaze switched over to the other twin. "Both of you."
Ford recalled Abigail's monologue at the police station. "I'm sorry for all of that, but try to understand there were more important things at the time," Ford explained. "Bill Cipher-"
"Who you have allowed to live in your home for nearly a year," Albert interrupted.
"What was I supposed to do?" Ford asked. "He was defenseless. He is defenseless right now, and your wife-"
"Watch your words," Powers interrupted again, this time with his finger against the trigger.
"I don't have time for this!" Ford exclaimed. "Bill is being tortured by your friend Harrison. He might be dying while I'm wasting time here."
"I'm warning you," Albert spat. He fired up the gun.
Ford stood as the memory gun whirred, readying its energy for the shot. What was even written in for him to forget? Would he forget all about Bill who'd wait for a rescue that would never come? Would he be forced to succumb to whatever horrors Aaron and Abigail concocted until his body finally gave out? Then what would become of the town when Kryptos arrived?
"I didn't know Harrison very long, but he was a good man," Trigger said.
"Was?" Ford asked.
"Indeed, Mr. Pines, but you should already know Aaron Harrison died years ago," Albert revealed. His tone darkened, "Now unless you expect me to believe the ghost of a pacifist is torturing your friend, I suggest you cease speaking."
Dipper didn't think what Powers suggested out of the ordinary in Gravity Falls, however the troubled look on his great-uncle's face silenced those thoughts.
"Then I'm afraid your wife has been keeping many secrets," Ford said.
"Your words hold no value," Powers replied. "Now, I have what I came for." He eyed the memory gun then nodded at Trigger who radioed for backup. "I will watch you both be put away for the rest of your natural lives."
Trigger stepped behind Stan with a set of handcuffs.
Muela and Fletcher, the two agents who had been positioned to watch the shack from the outside, appeared in the doorway of the shrine room, blocking their only exit.
"We caught one hiding in the trees," Fletcher said. "He refused to talk, so we put him in the car until he changes his mind."
"Good work, men, but we have two of the three we need right here," Powers replied and pointed to the Pines brothers.
Ford thought of anything he had he could use as leverage. All his important research had been confiscated. His greatest inventions were to be hauled off to an unknown fate while he and Stan were left to rot in a prison cell with the highest security.
With the help of rookie agent Muela, Trigger pinned Stan against the wall. He let out a loud cry of discomfort and struggled as the two men clasped the first metal cuff about his wrist.
"And what are you going to do when those demons come back?" Ford asked as Powers moved forward to arrest him. "Do you think you can take them out on your own?"
"If that's the case, I'll come find you," Powers said with a smirk.
He spun Ford around and pushed him up against the wall next to Project Mentem. Ford didn't even fight when the agent pinned his right arm against his back.
Stan's stomach dropped. He glanced down at Dipper. "What about the kids?" he asked.
"We'll send them home," Powers answered. He held up the memory gun. "After we erase everything about this town from their minds."
"You can't!" Dipper exclaimed as Fletcher approached him from the doorway. He pulled away from the agent's grasp.
Fletcher grabbed again and knocked Dipper to the ground. The brunette tried to fight him off, but both of his wrists were pinned down while he thrashed. He kicked Fletcher in the stomach. The agent raised a fist, but stopped when he remembered his opponent was only a child.
"Get your hands off him!" Stan yelled as he ripped his unshackled arm from Trigger's hold. Muela slammed Stan's head against the wall.
"Stop!" Dipper cried as he was hoisted to his feet. The agent had a firm hold on his wrist.
"I'm not the one with the knowledge you need," Ford said. "It's all Bill, and if he dies you can say goodbye to this town." His glare hardened. "And if Kryptos knows how to bring down the barrier, they won't stop until everything in this dimension is destroyed. Then they're on to the next."
Powers narrowed his eyes. "And what proof do you have that will convince me of your story over my wife's?"
For once Ford found himself at a loss for words.
"That's what I thought," Powers said. He opened the first handcuff.
"Just give me some time and I'll think of something," Ford pleaded.
"You've had more than enough time," Powers spat. He firmly grasped Ford's forearm.
The only thing he could think of was Bill's Mindscape, but until he found Bill, it would be impossible.
Dipper's eyes met with his great-uncle's. Ford hung his head as he realized he failed not only Bill but his entire family. Guilt swelled up in Dipper's stomach, he couldn't stand to see Ford like that. It was all his fault, just like the time he wrongly accused Bill of using Ford's emotions, only to be proven wrong by the mind reading machine.
"That's it!" Dipper yelled. He thrashed in Fletcher's grasp. It was only when Powers gave the order that Fletcher roughly released his hold on the boy.
Dipper caught his balance then rushed over to the oldest agent.
"We can prove everything right now," Dipper revealed. He glanced over at Ford then looked back to Albert. "If Grunkle Ford is telling the truth you can see it for yourself."
Before anyone could ask Dipper turned on Project Mentem.
"Dipper, no," Ford called.
"We don't have any other choice," the boy said and picked up the helmet.
Ford glanced over at the federal agents then sighed. He spoke a silent prayer to wherever Bill might be, he was at the very least alive and not suffering. He pulled his fingers into a fist a the thought of wrapping it around Aaron's throat the moment he set eyes on him.
"What is this?" Powers asked as he and Trigger made thier way to the machine. They overheard Ford's explanation to Stan when they entered the room, but surely it couldn't be possible.
"It's something I built to keep Bill from entering people's minds," Ford answered. "But now I'm using it to help Bill recover lost memories caused by the bonding spell."
"Does it work?" Powers asked.
"So far it's been unsuccessful in its mission, but there are millions of years worth of memories to sort through," Ford answered. "However, for a normal human it can show you any thought or memory if prompted."
Powers glared at the scientist. "And how can I be certain you haven't tampered with it to show me what you want me to see?"
Ford glared. He tried to block out the images of Bill possibly being stabbed, beaten, or worse while they wasted time in the shack. "You can test it out yourself," Ford offered, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.
Powers thought for a moment, his eyes locked on the machine. He looked over at the thirteen-year-old who looked nervous, yet bore no ill intent.
"Trigger," Powers said. He tilted his head as an unspoken order to be the guinea pig.
Trigger tried to argue, but gave up as he knew it was no use. The younger agent sat down and Ford placed the helmet atop his head. The whole time Powers locked the memory gun on Ford while Fletcher and Muela aimed their handguns at him.
"Think of something only you would know," Ford said.
"Stanford Pines," Albert said. The author met eyes with the agent. "If you try anything I'll shoot you without hesitation."
Ford nodded. He set up the machine and stepped back while Trigger looked around at everyone staring. Soon he heard his own thought spoken outloud as it scrolled across the screen: This is awkward. Trigger clamped a hand over his mouth then paled when he realized he hadn't spoke it outloud. The following thought took its place in the center of the screen: This is worse than the time I blurted out Jennifer's muffin top expanded over her jeans in eighth grade.
"Turn it off!" Trigger yelled as the monitor showed the memory of a much younger version of himself sat in the desk behind said girl. The blond tried to jump to another memory, but the fear of seeing this one made it more focused in his conscious mind that the image wouldn't change.
It was a particularly hot day judging by the sweat on his face and several of his classmates waving handmade paper fans as the school was too cheap to raise or lower the thermostat as needed.
Trigger's face reddened while he (and everyone else present in the room) watched a vivid retelling of that day. He shut his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears as the moment he most feared approached. Why did he agree to his superior's orders?
Fourteen-year-old Jeff Trigger rested his cheek on the surface of the desk, relieved at the somewhat cool surface. The slight comfort combined with draining energy due to both heat and boredom put him in a drowsy state. He looked straight ahead for his eyes to now be on level with the girl's waist in front of him. Her love handles pudged out from the sides of the tight jeans, and forgetting where he was opened his mouth.
"Please, no more," Trigger begged.
Ford granted the agent mercy. Trigger put a hand over his racing heart and let out a sigh of relief. He found it difficult to look at the others in the room, but thankfully they didn't get to see Jennifer whack him seven times over the head with her TI-83 calculator.
"Aw, it was gettin' to the good part," Muela complained as he held onto Stan's arm.
"Ten, no, no, twenty, no, fifty bucks and I'll let you watch it later," Stan offered.
"Are you satisfied?" Ford asked while Trigger removed the helmet. He grimaced at the machine wanting to add it to a list of illegal torture methods.
A quick glimpse at Trigger and Powers knew it was legit. He nodded and it was Ford's turn to use the machine. Dipper watched his great-uncle secure the helmet and his heart leaped, he hoped this time he made the right choice.
"It's a shame they took everything," Soos said as he opened cabinets to find them empty. "That's like forty years of work gone forever." He shut the cabinet door.
Wendy shrugged. "I just hope they don't find whatever Ford is afraid of them finding," Wendy replied. She kicked the pillows out of her way.
"Mr. Ford said only three people know about that room," Soos returned. "It must be something real special."
"Or dangerous," Wendy said. She recalled all the weapons they came upon in the bunker, along with the several guns she had seen on Ford's person over the year.
Soos excused himself to use the bathroom. Wendy nodded and picked up the desk chair. She sat down at the now empty desk. Despite already knowing they'd be empty, she opened each of the drawers.
She pushed her fingers against the back of the middle drawer and jumped when she felt a hidden compartment. She knelt down and pulled the drawer out as far as it could go. Her fingers searched for the opening. At last her fore and middle fingertips caressed the soft spot and she pushed.
A pen rolled out. She reached her hand inside to find only a dime and two pennies, and an empty carton of jellybeans. The girl groaned then slammed the desk drawer shut. From the bathroom she heard the toilet flush and the faucet turn on.
A few seconds later the sink turned off, but Soos didn't emerge from the bathroom. Another minute passed without any sound. The girl stood. She called out for her colleague only to receive no answer. Wendy brisk walked over the the bathroom and knocked on the door.
Soos threw open the door, nearly bashing Wendy in the face.
"Oh, sorry, dude," Soos said with a laugh. The handyman hurriedly exclaimed, "But seriously, you gotta come check this out." He waved his hand and the girl followed him into the bathroom. Soos faced the open mirror cabinet. "I just opened to see if there was a Tylenol inside, 'cause I got a bit of a headache, and look what I found!"
Soos reached into the medicine cabinet and brought out a potion hidden behind the over the counter drugs.
"Mr. Ford must've hid these after Dipper stole the sleeping potion," Soos guessed.
"In plain sight, that man thinks of everything," Wendy said with a shake of her head.
"They must've thought this was all regular medicine," said Soos.
"This whole time we've had him pegged wrong." She pulled out a few more potions disguised as generic medications. "He's just as crooked as Stan."
"Oh, careful with that one," Soos said as he caught a glass bottle almost knocked off the shelf. He turned it to show the label to the redhead. "It's an inhalant."
"Paralysis powder," Wendy mused. "I don't even want to know what he uses that for."
She handed it back to Soos who then picked up a new vial labeled confusion syrup.
"I wonder if he brought any of these back from the other dimensions," Soos said. "Apparently there's like tons of other worlds out there. He only ever mentioned a few." Soos chuckled. "Maybe he doesn't have many good memories with 'em."
"Well, if we get out of this you can ask him," Wendy replied.
"Hey, is someone down here!" a voice called.
Wendy jolted and bumped into Soos who dropped the vial of confusion syrup. The glass shattered spilling the sticky, orange liquid over the side of the chipped ceramic sink. Wendy pinched her nose at is rancid odor leaving both to wonder how long Ford had possession of that one.
"This way!" the agent yelled.
The two heard four sets of foot steps.
Wendy grabbed the bottle from Soos and waited for the agents to approach. The first two blocked the exit and the other two stood behind. All four had guns trained on the two.
"Looks like the fugitives came back," one of the agents in the back said.
The one in the front noticed Wendy cradling something in her hands.
"Put it down!" he yelled and motioned for her to relinquish the glass.
"Gladly," Wendy said.
She slammed the vial on the floor, instantly shattering it. A pale blue cloud rose from the powder in front of the four men. Wendy and Soos shielded their faces with stiff washcloths hanging on the towel rack next to the shower.
One by one the agents fell to the floor. Wendy jumped over the men who croaked out pleas for help. Soos looked over them, his conscience begging him to help them, but the girl tugged at his arm prompting him to hurry with her.
"They'll be fine, right?" Soos asked.
"Yeah, it's probably just temporary," she answered. However she looked over her shoulder hoping it didn't cause any permanent damage. She turned her attention ahead once more; surely Ford would't keep anything that dangerous in his bathroom mirror.
Ford shut his eyes and immediately thought of Bill. He internally begged Bill's forgiveness for having to wait even longer, a thought that broadcasted across the screen for all to see. Dipper lowered his eyes to the floor. His heart swelled as he too mentally asked Bill to forgive him for all he had to endure.
A few scattered memories of Ford and Bill played out for all to see. It included one particular intimate moment that made Stan cringe and Trigger shielded Dipper's eyes. A brief image of Ford shaking hands with Bill in his true form popped on the screen for a mere second then was immediately replaced with Bill's first day in human form before they escaped the Fearamid.
"Kryptos," Ford said silently and the demon's name scrolled across the screen.
The image of the Fearamid came into focus, only it looked more saturated. Ford knelt down with an injured Bill in his arms. The words spoken between the two were muted. Ford stood to glare at an exact clone of himself. Ford obliterated the fake then fell to tend to a wound. Bill easily healed it then the two ran while the demon in the distant yelled after them.
The two met up with Wendy, and Soos. The new leader of the henchmaniacs revealed himself.
"So that's our enemy?" Stan asked.
Powers glared at the old man then returned his attention to the laughing rhombus.
Kryptos exchanged words with Bill when accused of betrayal. Kryptos replied that he was the one right for the job since Bill went soft and accepted a human life with his human captor. Everyone in the room watched Kryptos slap Bill.
Kryptos threatened Ford and that's when Bill verbally assaulted his previous friend, giving Wendy the chance to attack. Ford retrieved the journal then proceeded to recite the spell while Bill fought off Kryptos, in which it was revealed that Krytpos planned to return before the end of summer.
The memory finished leaving everyone in the room quiet.
"Now do you believe us?" Dipper asked as he turned to face Powers and Trigger.
"Do you think it's true?" Muela asked.
"I don't want to dismiss it," Powers replied. "The higher ups must know at once." He turned his attention to Ford. "You'll be taking a trip with us to Washington."
"I can't without Bill," Ford said. He held up his left hand. "I'm bound to him. I saw firsthand what happens to him when the ten mile rule is broken."
"We'll find Bill, don't worry," Powers said in a warning manner.
"We have to find him now," Ford pressed. He stood with the helmet still in place. His tone darkened, "I gave you what you wanted, now I won't wait any longer to bring him home safe and alive."
A picture of Bill smiling came into view over the monitor and instantly transformed into an expression of horror as a larger man stood over him with a scalpel. Trigger clamped his hand over his mouth while Powers glared at the screen. Something about it felt familiar, but surely it wasn't Harrison, the very man who out of compassion talked down domestic terrorists and convinced the most derranged to release hostages.
The six observed Ford's memory of watching Bill stare up in fright while the scalpel pierced that lovely gold eye.
"Is everything alright?" Trigger asked when he noticed his partner's expression.
"Something's not right," Powers answered. "Call the station. Ask Abby where Bill Cipher is being held."
The image switched to Ford and Abigail in the interrogation room. Abigail taunted Ford and ordered the man on the screen to drive. They watched Bill writhe in agony. He screamed, unable to move due to the restraints. The younger three agents stared at the monitor with gaping mouths; sure they had heard of government corruption, but had never witnessed it before. The man off screen laughed at Bill's suffering. Powers hummed, he knew that laugh from somewhere.
Ford shifted as the words: Please be alive, Bill scrolled across the screen. A clip played of Bill screaming in agony while a man dressed in a black suit stood over him.
"No one's answering at the police station," Trigger said as he lowered his cell phone.
Powers swore under his breath. He pulled out his flip phone and dialed his wife's number. Five rings without a response he closed the phone.
The scene switched back to the interrogation room. Ford sat handcuffed to the table while Abigail slid the folder towards him. Albert didn't recognize the malicious glint in his wife's eyes. Ford's thought: How did they learn about the journal? ran across the screen. It was quickly followed with: I gave in too easy. We're wasting time.
The images flashed too quickly, interrupted with frantic thoughts on Bill's safety. One recalling Abigail threatening the twins scrolled in large font followed with a brief memory of Abigail grinning upon Ford after delivering said threat. Stan clenched his free fist. Albert pushed away the evidence from his mind; his wife wasn't a traitor.
Images ranging from Bill's first arrival in the shack to Ford's early days researching Gravity Falls flashed on the five monitors. A memory of Bill and Ford fighting the ghoul popped on screen. It quickly vanished and in another monitor they watched an argument between young Ford and Fiddleford. Stan's heart jumped when the night Ford closed the curtains shut on Stan played exactly how he remembered forty years ago.
"What's going on?" Powers asked.
"His thoughts are all jumbled," Dipper said.
"Sixer, focus," Stan called out.
The images and thoughts continued to flutter across the screen. The colors warped. Pieces of dreams and conversations in the Mindscape leaked into the memories.
Stan pulled away from Muela. With one hand still cuffed he made his way over to his brother.
Ford gasped and opened his eyes when Stan slammed a hand on either shoulder.
"Calm down, Stanford," he ordered. Ford stared into his brother's eyes. It reminded him of their preteen and early teenage years when Stan used a similar method to help him whenever he got anxious. "We can't help Bill if your brain is jumpin' everywhere."
Muela grabbed Stan by the elbow.
"I don't know where he is," Ford whispered. He lowered his head. "I don't know if he's even alive."
Ford shut his eyes tighter and the image of the last time he saw Bill popped on the screen. Abigail gave the man on the other side of the monitor an order to finish whatever he stated. The face of Aaron grinned back as he spoke, "Gladly."
Albert's eyes widened.
"Go back," he ordered.
Ford opened his eyes.
"Go back," Powers repeated and pointed to the monitor. "Rewind to that last clip."
"I can't go back, it doesn't work like that," Ford explained as twenty thoughts, most of which concerning Bill and his family, darted across the various screens. "It shows a current thought, or thoughts."
"Did you see something?" Trigger asked.
"If I did your friend is worse danger than you thought," Powers answered.
He turned his back and tucked a finger under his chin. His head spun and his heart ached. It had to be a mistake. Something Ford had seen must have altered the image. There was no possible way his Abigail could be on friendly terms with that man.
"What do you mean?" Ford asked and grasped hold of Powers' shoulder. He turned so that the two men's eyes met. "What did you see?"
"I don't know for sure," Powers replied.
"You said Bill is in worse danger," Ford repeated. He threw the helmet from his head, it clanked when it collided with the floor. The author advanced on the agent. "Now you better tell me what you know?" He smacked the memory gun from Powers' hand.
Stan kicked Muela in the back of the knee. The agent faceplanted and Stan dove after the gun at the same time as Agent Trigger. Muela tackled the old man to the ground. Trigger reached for the memory gun just as another person picked it up.
All three men looked up to see the youngest person armed with the weapon.
"My sister went looking for Bill," Dipper said as he shakily pointed the gun at Trigger and Muela. "If Bill's in danger, she is too." He looked up at Powers. "Now what did you see?"
"What's all the commotion about?" a voice said from behind. The group turned to see Soos standing in the doorway with Wendy behind him.
"Where's my men?" Powers asked.
"Asleep," Wendy replied. She held up her fist. "Now what's this about Mabel being in danger?"
Powers straightened out his tie. "If what I think is correct, we'll need to find her before she finds him."
"Who?" Ford asked.
"Aaron Thalen," the agent answered.
Pacifica closed her phone then walked back over to where the other girls waited with Bill. She informed them that an ambulance would be there shortly to pick up Bill. Several of the gnomes, most with blood splattered on their faces, beards, and clothes circled around Mabel and the unconscious demon.
Corpses of both human and gnomes littered the ground. The light breeze wafted the stench of blood and fresh vomit through the air which made the teenagers' stomachs turn.
Mabel glanced down at her friend. She pushed sweaty strands of gold hair from Bill's forehead. Her fingers brushed against nearly dried blood, unknown if it belonged to the demon or one of his recent victims.
From the left Pacifica cleared her throat. Mabel looked up to see the blonde holding out a pack of makeup remover wipes. There were only a few left and there was a chance it might sting, but it was better than nothing.
Mabel gently wiped away chunks of vomit and dried blood from her friend's face. A few times his breathing hitched and he gave a slight moan, but remained asleep.
"Hey, Mabel," Grenda said. Though she looked down, she watched the shadow of the mentioned glance over in her direction. "I don't know what happened with Bill, but it's happened before, didn't it?"
Mabel's heart leaped. "What-what do you mean?" she asked.
Grenda sighed. "I'm gettin' some weird memories of monsters and our town lookin' like Hell."
Mabel and Pacifica exchanged glances, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by the larger girl. Grenda slanted her brow, but elected not to say anything at the moment. She sneered down at Bill, not sure why, but almost certain seeing him in that form brought on those memories that must have originated from a long forgotten, yet vivid nightmare. However one more look at the other two girls and she was positive they knew more than they were willing to say. However, had something like that happened, surely she and the rest of the town would've remembered.
For a moment Mabel wanted to confess everything to her best friend. Her grunkles agreed it was best that the fewer people who knew the truth the better; judging from what happened with Abigail they were correct. Still, she was almost certain Grenda wouldn't hold a grudge against Bill, at least not enough to want to bring him harm.
The awkwardness broke when blinding lights caught their eyes. Immediately Grenda and Mabel moved to their feet, all three shielding their faces from the highbeams. The gnomes scurried away. Mabel's smile fell when she realized no sirens warned the vehicle's approach.
The car jolted to a stop and the door opened wide. The white light against the black of the night provided only a silhouette, that of a petite woman.
Once her eyes adjusted to the light Mabel gasped at the sight of the last person she wished to see.
Abigail stopped before the teenagers, who stood protectively around the unconscious. The agent glared down at the bloody blond.
"Is he dead?" the redhead barked.
"No, and I won't let you hurt him anymore," Mabel retorted.
"Neither will I," Pacifica added.
Grenda grunted with a nod. She then looked over at Bill and for some reason imagined him in a triangular form. A maniacal laugh echoed in the back of her mind. Grenda pushed those thoughts away and returned her attention to where it was needed.
She looked up to see a mess of bodies behind the four. With a gaping mouth the agent walked past the girls and her green eyes scanned the freshly deceased. She gasped when her gaze fell upon the one she searched for. A bloody gaping hole that once housed an eye full of glee at the thought of maiming another victim stared lifeless up at her. His mouth hung open, the severed tendons on display.
"He tried to kill me," Mabel explained breaking Abigail from her trance. The redhead turned to look at the brunette. "Bill didn't have a choice."
"You shouldn't have interfered," Abigail said. She shuddered and groped at the holster. Twice she missed and on the third try clamped the butt of the gun.
Pacifica screamed and Grenda pushed herself in front of Mabel.
"You shouldn't have interfered," Abigail repeated. She aimed the gun for the girls. She laughed.
Pacifica trembled as the recurring nightmare of childhood she had long repressed surfaced. How real those dreams had been as she woke in sweats able to still feel the hot bullet burn into her flesh.
Mabel paled when she realized the gun was aimed at her. Her hazel eyes landed on Bill, but this time he would not be able to jump into action.
"We were going to erase your memories and this all feel like a distant dream," Abigail said. She switched the safety off her gun. "Dear Albert must've found it by now."
"Please p-put it down," Mabel stammered from where she stood behind Grenda.
Grenda shook, but stood tall, she dared not move an inch.
"But you wouldn't leave it alone," Abigail said with a laugh. She grinned and aimed for the Pines girl. "But I arrived too late. Thalen massacred you all before I took him down."
Her finger pressed against the trigger.
A shadow loomed over the agent. Abigail looked up to see an army of battered and bloody gnomes moments before they attacked. Jeff ripped the gun from the woman's hold while the others bit and scratched at her. Abigail screamed. The girls stared on, too overwhelmed to speak.
Schmebulock gripped a handful of red-orange hairs severed from the woman's scalp. Abigail grabbed Duncan by the neck. Jeff's jagged teeth sunk into the tender flesh in between her thumb and forefinger. With a howl the agent released her hold on the gnome's windpipe. The multitude of creatures knocked the woman to the ground. The agent thrashed as they continued to claw and gnash, delighting in the lines of red.
Powers' screams were drowned out by the sound of approaching sirens. On Jeff's command the gnomes jumped off the severely mutilated Abigail and rushed for the woods, her gun in their possession.
The driver's side door of the government vehicle opened and out jumped the leader of the agents. Abigail's eyes lit up at the sight of her husband through the single cracked lens left in her glasses. She limped towards him with her arms stretched out. Her clothes tattered and most of her hair pulled from its plait.
"Albert," Abigail mumbled, her words slightly slurred due to her bottom lip sliced open.
Her smile faltered when he met her with a cold stare. The stoic man walked past the woman who only resembled the one he married. Albert stopped at the corpse of Aaron Thalen. A few seconds later Trigger joined him.
Albert bent down to examine the body. Guarded with latex gloves he flipped back the jacket where he saw the lanyard around Thalen's neck. The black lanyard clamped to a pouch with an identification card inside. Albert turned the card over and his heart tore in two as he starred at the name: Aaron Harrison. That villain's picture replaced the photo of the smiling man who died in action five years ago.
"Pines was telling the truth," Trigger said softly.
Powers only grunted in response then slowly rose back to his feet.
The partners nodded then the older of the two turned to face the Pines girl.
"What happened?" Albert asked.
"They were all dead when I got here," Abigail tried to speak despite the swelling in her lip. She gripped onto her husband's jacket only for him to grab her fingers and roughly push her away. "Alb..." she began.
Again his cold stare silenced her. "Don't say my name again," he ordered.
Stan, Ford, and Dipper hopped out of the car and rushed over to Mabel. Stan picked her up and pulled her into a tight embrace. Mabel stared into his warm face. Unable to hold it back any longer she rested her head on her great-uncle's shoulder and wept. Stan shushed her while he patted her back.
Ford knelt down next to Bill. Grenda and Pacifica gave him necessary space. He wanted to rip the bandage from his eye to see everything healed, where they'd both walk off from another nightmarish reality.
He gently stroked Bill's face. The demon stirred his eyelids fluttered. He moaned at the throbbing in his head combined with ringing in his right ear. His throat burned from violent vomiting, and his stomach ached from lack of nutrition.
Through blurred vision of a single eye he barely made out the smiling face of what he believed to be a dream. Convinced it was a dream Bill fell fast asleep with the quickly crescendo of the ambulance siren acted as a lullaby.
The paramedics jumped out of the ambulance and loaded Bill onto a stretcher. The unconscious demon was loaded into place.
"Are you a relative?" the EMT asked when Ford tried to climb aboard.
"I'm his boyfriend," Ford answered.
The paramedic looked to the driver who shrugged.
Ford entered into the vehicle. "I'm not leaving his side, so I suggest you get moving," he said.
Again the paramedic looked to the driver for advice. The look in Ford's eyes made the decision for him and the ambulance doors were shut.
A second paramedic looked over Mabel while Abigail was forced into the back of another ambulance. She fought the EMT's hold and called after her husband who merely turned his back on her.
"It was all for you, Albert!" Abigail screamed. She grinned and a tear leaked down her face, mixing the salt water with fresh blood. "All of this to bring you back."
The doors were shut in her face.
Trigger approached the female twin. Mabel, Dipper, and Stan all looked up at the agent.
"After you're released, we're going to need you at the station," Trigger said. "We're going to need a statement from all of you."
The twins nodded. Stan grunted then looked over at the older agent. He stared ahead at the mess of death that laid in a normally quiet town.
Half an hour later the Pines arrived at the police station where part of the parking lot was blocked off with police line tape. Officers and federal agents surrounded the premises. Stan narrowed his eyes, hoping they had not walked into a trap.
Trigger opened the door and nodded for the three to follow him inside. Reporters and bystanders stood on the other side of the tape, every mouth spilled out questions to which Trigger answered "no comment" on behalf of all involved.
"Stanley!" a voice called through the crowd.
At the sound of his name in the crowd Stan looked up. A stout woman pushed her way through the police and onlookers alike. Before Stan could speak, he was engulfed in a tight embrace.
Brown eyes of the woman he had recently broken up with stared into his. Her ruby lips smiled then she nuzzled her cheek against his chest.
"I've been so worried, Stanley," Susan said softly.
"Don't be, sugarbean," Stan said as he pet her hair. "This happens all the time."
Mabel and Dipper nodded in agreement.
"I saw you on the news and couldn't stop thinking about you," Susan confessed, too afraid if she let him go he'd be hauled off to jail once more. "And Marjorie said...oh, I don't want to think about that."
"Look, honey, if you're gonna be with me, you should get used to this," Stan said. "So I understand if you want to run away. I got a past and that ain't gonna change. And it's kinda gonna be my present and my future too."
"Let's not talk about that right now," said Susan.
"She's right, we have more important matters to cover," Powers said from where he stood at the entrance of the police station.
Stan nodded and with his niece and nephew in tow walked on ahead.
He suddenly stopped and turned to face Susan. "You didn't say no."
Susan smiled. "I didn't," she replied.
They opened the doors to see people rushing about within. They all locked eyes with the head of the federal department and bombarded him with questions all at once. Powers held up his hands to quiet them down.
"We'll get all this sorted out in due time," Powers announced.
"I would hope so," said a voice from the back of the crowd. Everyone in the police station turned then parted to reveal the mayor standing with hands on his hips and tapping his foot. "Someone care to tell me what the hell is going on around here?" The short man stepped forward, stopping just short of the agents. "In one day my town is turned upside down, the police are being sent on a hundred different chases, my sheriff is shot by one of your men, and now I'm hearing something about a research building in my town being used to torture citizens."
"I think I can explain most of this," said Gideon as he and McGucket arrived on the scene, both back to their original size. Lee, Nate, Thompson, and Charlotte stood behind them, Lee still holding the flashlight.
"Come with me, Mayor," Powers said and led the group to Blub's office.
Powers held open the door as Trigger, Stan, Mabel, Dipper, Tyler, Gideon, and Fiddleford filed in.
Gideon set the flash drive on the table in front of him. Tyler picked it up and inserted it into his own personal laptop. The group watched what Gideon had downloaded from the surveillance cameras that recorded Abigail's interrogations with Ford, as well as her shooting Sheriff Blubs after she threatened Durland.
"I assure you, Mayor, this wasn't supposed to happen," Powers apologized. "We came here with a warrant to search for illegal weapons based on proof we received from someone here in town."
Dipper squirmed at that news, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Mabel.
"Things got out of hand," Powers continued. He straightened his tie then said, "I promise you she will be dealt with back in Washington." The agent turned his attention to Stan. "But I do reiterate what I said to your brother earlier. If he honestly believes this town is in danger, we'll need to be prepared."
At the mention of danger Tyler demanded an explanation.
Dipper and Stan gave a short rundown of what happened the previous summer and the threat they'd soon be facing with Kryptos' return.
"Why haven't I heard about this before?" Tyler asked. "And why don't I remember something this big happening? If half the town was destroyed, I think I'd know."
"You do know," Mabel replied.
"You just thought it was an earthquake," Dipper added.
Tyler slumped in his chair.
"Look, he did it so there wouldn't be all this panic," Stan explained.
The mayor nodded.
"Well, that won't happen again," Powers said. He stood and revealed the memory gun he confiscated when they left the Mystery Shack. "This is too dangerous for any one person to have. It'll be locked away in a safe place."
Fiddleford sighed then said, "When I made that there doohickey, I never meant it to cause such trouble." He crossed his arms on the table. "But I don't think the effects are perm'nent, 'cause I been gettin' lots of my mem'ries back lately."
"Yeah, Grenda asked me about it too," Mabel said.
The old man smiled. "But I'm glad it's gone, I don't want nothin' ta do with that thing ever again."
"What are you going to do with Grunkle Ford and Bill?" Dipper asked.
"I can't answer that yet," Powers replied. He secured the memory gun inside his jacket. "I'll try to do what I can to keep them out of prison for long, but it's for the higher ups to decide." He turned his attention to Cutebiker. "But in the meantime you keep them under control." His gaze fell on Gideon and Fiddleford. "The same goes for those two. None of them can leave town until this matter is settled."
"I understand," Tyler replied.
Albert addressed Stan. "I apologize for all the trouble Abigail caused for you and your family. Thanks to this evidence," he held up the flash drive that contained the tape Gideon made of the surveillance.
There was a moment of relief for the Pines, but it was short lived as none of them would be able to rest soundly until they knew of Ford and Bill's fates.
The agents exited the office leaving everyone in silence.
An hour later Bill woke to find himself in a strange location. He gasped as the memories of being tied down in the van surfaced. He pulled at the IV tube, his shouting stirring Ford awake from where he slept on the couch.
The human fell on the floor. He stood rubbing at his now throbbing shoulder then looked over where Bill thrashed as he yanked at the cables. Bill turned sharply which ripped the IV tube from his arm. He writhed and sharply turned which pulled chord from the heart monitor making it screech.
"Bill!" Ford yelled. "Calm down." He rushed towards Bill and nearly slipped in the puddle formed by the now leaking IV fluid. He put a hand on each of Bill's arms. "Bill, look at me," he ordered. "Look at me and breathe."
The demon's eye adjusted on the one before him. The image still blurred didn't belong to Aaron Thalen-that man was dead and he made it so. A few seconds later the face of Ford came into focus. Bill's breathing slowed.
The door swung open as the nurse rushed in at the sound of the screaming machine. The eyed the steady drip on the floor.
"He had a bad dream," Ford explained. He reached over and shut off the screeching heart monitor.
The nurse clicked her tongue then ordered Ford away from the patient. She grumbled as she completed checking his vitals. A second nurse arrived with another bag. The first nurse made no effort to be gentle as the new tube attached to the needle that thankfully didn't sever the patient's vein.
"It's nighttime, try to keep him quiet, so he don't disturb the other patients," the first nurse snapped.
With that the two staff made their exit leaving Ford alone with his now calm boyfriend. A little too calm.
"Bill," Ford said and moved the chair next to his bed. He sat down so they were on eye level. Hours ago he feared he'd never have another chance to speak with his boyfriend. "How are you-?"
Bill spat in Ford's face.
Ford wiped the fluid from his cheek then stared at the demon who glared in return. His eyes flashed red for a second before returning to their original hue.
"Bill, what's wro-"
"Get the hell out of my face, Stanford," Bill growled. "Get out of my room!" He pointed at the door, ingoring the sudden sting where the needle in his wrist had been recently adjusted.
Ford narrowed his eyes. "You need to calm down," he bellowed.
"Don't you dare tell me how to feel," Bill screamed.
He balled his fingers into a fist and launched it at the human. Ford moved his arm to block the blow, but it never came. Bill's arm dropped and the other hand clamped over his mouth. He turned to the side and let stinging brown liquid pour from his mouth. No food was mixed into the bile.
Bill stared down at the putrid liquid splattered on the floor. There was nothing left in his stomach. When was the last time he had been allowed to eat or drink anything.
He looked up, his eye red and watering from the illness. It was in that moment Ford no longer saw anger in that eye, but hurt.
"You left me to die, you bastard," Bill choked out. "You had the chance to save me, but you abandoned me."
The patient placed a hand on either side of his face and that's when he felt the fresh bandage attached to his face. He rose his right hand up and down only feeling a sharp sting behind the cover. It dawned on him that he only had the use of one eye-just like before. Bill grinned.
Bill wiped a sticky string of stomach acid from his lip then smeared it on Ford's cheek. He tried to hit Ford again so that his stomach would churn. He leaned over and let the bile burn his throat again, then cackled as it spilled on the human's lap. "You left me to die," he repeated followed by a combined sob and snicker.
Bill opened his mouth and another wave of nausea covered Ford's lap. Bill gripped at Ford's arms and laughed heartily while his esaphagus burned. Again he gagged, but nothing came up.
"I wonder what happens if I try to hurt you again," Bill mused.
"Bill, cut it out," Ford yelled and broke free from Bill's grasp. The blond collapsed on the tiled floor. He looked up, his cheek already bruising.
The bond glowed blue and he dry heaved twice more. The agony only made him laugh. The third retch produced a few droplets of blood.
"Look, Sixer, I'm bleeding," Bill cried in between laughs. He ran his finger through the crimson that now stained the hospital floor. The right pointer fingertip dipped in the blood then drew lines on the tiles. "Isn't this what you wanted to see? It's just like last time, only you've got a front row seat." Tears filled his eye and he laughed harder.
Ford reached into his pocket to realize the syringe had been confiscated when he was arrested. He looked around the room, no sedatives would be in the room where the patient would have full access to.
Bill lifted the stained hand to his face, all four fingers now decorated with the crimson paint. He let them fall over his cheek while he laughed. His breathing became shallow, the single gold eye wide as it stared at the man he once dubbed his lover.
"Look at me, Sixer!" Bill exclaimed. "I'm the beast with just one eye again!" He held his head back and laughed heartily. "I'm just like before." The blond shivered at the chill that just wouldn't leave. His pale skin took on a slight green shade. "I'm just like before."
There was only one other option.
While Bill laughed as he drew a triangle in his own blood, Ford maneuvered around him. Bill detailed an eye in the center of the triangle. Ford wrapped his arms around Bill's neck and pressed his forearm against the blond's throat. Bill's nails sliced at the fabric. Ford pressed harder until Bill's face drooped.
He released the unconscious man on the floor. His ear against Bill's chest he heard a faint heartbeat. Ford sat down on the floor next to Bill with his legs out in front of him.
"What have I done?" Ford whispered to himself.
And end chapter. I really hope this long chapter was worth the even longer wait.
It's getting closer to Kryptos' return. But it's not going to happen just yet. I'm considering having one of the henchmaniacs make an appearance in the next chapter.
Also in the next chapter I'm thinking of having Dipper confess to Ford that he's the one who handed over the journal to Abigail.
And as for Bill, he's supposed to be in shock there at the end. However he is super angry with Ford right now. If anyone has any suggestions on how Ford can earn Bill's trust back again, feel free to share.
Thank you all for reading. :)