Opening File: Wade
Wade (Last Name Unknown) is Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable's Communication Guru. He is ten years old during Kim's Sophomore year, yet had not only already graduated high school, but had completed college within eight months. He created the Kimmunicator and other gadgets which has provided Kim with the tools needed to fight her foes. Though Wade is on the large side, his brain is even bigger.
Wade is inquisitive and curious. Though he is highly intelligent and confident because of it, Wade does not typically brag about this. He is, however, fairly competitive with those he considered his intellectual rivals. One of Wade's more defining traits is that he almost never leaves his bedroom, where his computer system is set up.
Despite this, his extensive computer network and hacking skills allow him to access virtually any location or person via technology, which he seemed to prefer to actual physical contact. Some have attributed Wade's apparent refusal to leave his bedroom as a form of agoraphobia, but this has never been confirmed.
At times, Wade displays a certain lack of ethics in his work. He typically needs very little prodding to hack into government or top-secret sources, viewing them more as fun challenges than anything else. However, it should be noted that in most cases, Wade did things of a questionable nature only at Kim's request.
Wade runs Kim Possible's website, supplies her with her various gadgets, gives Kim her missions through her "Kimmunicator", and arranges transportation for her. He has even gone on missions with Kim on rare occasions. He often relays information to her, searches information for her, and performs programming feats.
Wade's hacking talents are regularly put to good use, as firewall defenses like Dr. Drakken's can only keep him from getting into the deepest things, and he's able to tap into Global Justice Spy Satellites when need be, and was even able to "hack into the unknown" to find out about Yamanouchi. Few things have been recorded to be able to withstand his hacking, the lab in which the Centurion Project was developed being one of them Wade is also an inventor, sometimes bordering on becoming a mad scientist himself. Among his more mundane devices includes Kim's iconic grappling hook, laser lipstick, and a compact mirror capable of deflecting energy weapons.
Regardless of what scale, Wade's inventions are reliable and only break when damaged or improperly used by the user. Wade is a very talented child, as he interlinked with the whole world in his very own room at home and created several small gadgets for Kim and Ron. He likes technology and prefers to solve things the technical way. As already established, his hacking has few obstacles that he can't beat and anything to do with technology is something Wade can generally get into and deal with.
Beyond being their co-worker, Wade is a devoted friend to Kim and Ron. He is always willing to help with non-mission related troubles: more than once he offered to tutor them, volunteered to hire a personal trainer when Ron became considerably overweight, and at times still agreed to help Kim while she was doing something he considered to be less than honorable. Wade is also on good terms with Kim's family, and needed little prompting to assist them when they became involved in Kim's missions. In particular, he seemed to get along best with Jim and Tim, who he saw as his intellectual peers.
Kim considers Wade a close friend as well, and while under the influence of a truth ray, admitted that she was concerned about his always staying in his room. Ron is always eager to hang out with Wade outside of missions, and was regularly disappointed when Wade was unable to meet him in person.
Close File
Xxx
"The definition of friendship is difficult to explain, mostly because so many have their own views on it. For most of those labeled as 'villains' friendship is a crutch, a weakness, an asset to be used and then discarded when they have fulfilled their purpose. For those on the side of good and even that of ordinary folk, a true friendship is a form of trust that runs even deeper than normal. Deep enough that perhaps one is able to know how their friends will think and act, without having to be near them or even have any form of communication with them.
Of course, true friendship is rare, even for those who believe in it. As time goes on, one can find their so-called friends are not who they believe them to be for one reason or another, causing them to drift apart. Perhaps time causes them to change or perhaps time reveals them for who they really are. Sometimes it is easier to just form new friendships rather than trying to retain the old ones while others struggle hard, unable to move on and let go of a past long since dead." The camera opened to reveal a close up of half of Sammael's face as his eye opened and stared directly at the screen. "It is easy to believe when you are young that the people around you, the ones you bond with will be with you forever only to later find it hard to relate to them on a deeper, nuanced level. It becomes less of a bond and more of a responsibility to keep the good ones around and cut out the…more defective ones. You will walk a road with no meaning, something that you have lost in time that made you feel the love and support by someone that you cared about but pushed away by actions of your own or the others."
The camera zoomed out, showing Sammael on his chair with an inquisitive look on his face.
"I suppose the end, we all walk our own paths but if a single bond can endure the tests of time…I suppose one can say that is possibly the one true friendship out of the dozens that fail or simply fade away. And if one true friendship can endure…then that friend is never truly gone."
Xxx
"The great Crystal Gems." Nergal said, holding the three up above him and then looked at the other three: Steven, Connie and Peridot. "How little you understand the greatness of my plan…and your place in it."
Three more tentacles lashed out and grabbed them.
"A plan to make a world where everyone has a friend and me…I am your best friend."
There was a flash of red light…
And then only darkness as Nergal let out a dark and evil laugh that echoed as their minds forced them deep into a very deep and dark place.
…
When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself floating in a pitch black void, completely empty. "Where…Where am I?"
He looked around, struggling to find someone…
Anyone in this dark place.
But no one was there.
He was alone.
A bright light came from his stomach and he lifted his shirt up to see his gemstone was glowing. "My gemstone…"
The light seemed to resonate as it created a single light in the dark void he found himself in.
Then came the voices…
The liiiiiight!
It burns!
Put out the liiiiiiiight!
"Uh?" Steven Universe felt something moving on him and looked down, gasping in fright at the sight of a dark liquid being removed from his body by his gemstone. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
"Steven." A calm voice spoke, echoing throughout the void.
Looking up, Steven gasped to see none other than the spectral form of Wirt hovering over him with his cape fluttering even though there was no wind. "Uncle Wirt?!"
Xxx
Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable stared in shock and horror at the recorded footage Wade was showing.
Ron paling, started to grip his hair, "Ohhh this isn't just SICK AND WRONG, THIS IS WRONGSICK!"
For once Kim found herself sharing her friends panic as she placed hand on her forehead and took a breath trying to calm down.
"How bad could this get Wade?" She found herself asking without realizing it.
Wade stared at them from across the screen with a grave look, "Very bad while some kinda anomaly seems to be keeping Bill Cipher and his invading incursion contained to the surrounding territory of their arrival." Wade took a breath and closed his eyes, "But if they break through we're looking at a world ending scenario worse than the Crom Crisis."
Kim herself felt her eyes clench as the memories of that particular crisis of how the brainwashed Shego easily mopped the floor with her and she almost ended up as a sacrifice to an evil deranged god of all things! It'd had been perhaps the closest call she ever had since she started training and adventuring as a teen heroine. It had also been something as much as she hated to admit had certainly left its mark on her.
And before she realized what she was doing she found herself glaring and snapping at Wade, "Why didn't you tell us about this Wade?! If this weird triangle really contacted you and you've been researching him, why didn't you give us the heads up? We could have prevented this!"
Though as quickly as the words left her mouth Kim felt shame and regret as she saw the guilt that crossed his face while Ron had stopped his own freak out looking concerned at them along with Rufus who had popped out of his pocked, "Wade...I'm-"
Wade stopped him in mid-sentence with a raised hand and sighed, "No, no your right I probably should have been straight with you guys."
He rubbed the back of his neck, "It's just at first didn't want you guys to worry while I was trying to learn what this guy's deal was. But then when I started to put together a picture the whole thing with Crom happened and well…"
Kim gave an exhausted sigh as Ron placed his hand on her shoulder. "Okay, you had your reasons. Right now though, it's important we try and stop this. Now, are any Huntsmen responding to this?"
"That's the surprising part. Gravity Falls has been labelled off-limits to all civilian and Huntsmen travel." Wade replied, typing away on his computer. "A class Omega alert has been called there, just like in Nowhere."
Kim raised an eyebrow. "But there isn't an army of Grimm or even any Grimm sightings near Gravity Falls." She narrowed her eyes. "Get suited up, Ron. We're going to Gravity Falls."
Xxx
Inside the Mansion home of one of the world's richest and most famous Hunters a tall muscled form of a female mobian duck by the name of Bentina Beakley or more commonly known as Mrs. Breakley was making her way through the mansion to the office of her old friend, comrade, and current employer Scrooge because of the sound that was piercing through the mansion.
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
The ringing of a landline phone in Scrooges office made Beakley sigh with slight annoyed exasperation as she entered the room.
"Why is it despite making it clear I'm not his secretary I'm finding myself taking his calls for him?" She asked herself thinking of her friend who was currently away on personal business to Gravity Falls.
Though she thought with worried frown unknown to the children the personal business went beyond an old associate Stan Pines and getting back money owed, no she thought with a grimace it sadly went much deeper than that.
Just as the thought crossed her mind she picked up the phone ringing on the desk, "McDuck residence though I'm afraid Mr. McDuck isn't away on business may I take a message?"
Then she heard a voice that caused her grip to tighten on the phone as memories began to flash through her mind.
"My, my how the mighty have fallen Agent 22." She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as the voice through the phone carried on in its sinister German accent, "From one of the world's top agents in espionage to a lowly housekeeper and secretary."
Beakley opened her eyes with a glare and hissed out a name, "Professor Pericles, so Sebben's reports spoke true."
She heard the avian give what sounded like a click of his tongue over the phone, "Honestly first Scrooge now you Bentina one would think you'd be happy to hear that an old friend was alive and well."
Beakley snapped into the phone, "Yes but you lost that title a long time ago."
Pericles voice retorted with poisoned scorn, "And who's fault may I ask was that?"
She glared at the phone as if the bird on the other line was in the room, Pericles carried on. "But I didn't call to stir up bad memories no I just wanted to pass along an invitation."
Beakley questioned warily, "An invitation to what?"
Her heartbeat quickened upon hearing a dark chuckle over the phone, "Why just a wedding and celebration that while on the weird side is one that the world shall never forget."
Than his tone turned ominous despite the welcoming words, "Scrooge is already set to attend along with all the citizens of Gravity Falls I'm sure he'd be thrilled to have you, Donald, his three nephews, and oh of course your adorable granddaughter who I've heard about were to attend as well." He gave another chuckle, "It's truly set to be an event to die for~"
The phone started to crack in Beakley's grip as her voice began to raise and with her current turmoil of emotions missed the arrival of those at the opened office door watching and listening in on the conversation. "Listen and listen well, Pericles whatever you're plotting you leave my granddaughter and the rest of the children out of it!"
Only for Pericles to retort back with clear amusement, "You of all people can't expect to shelter them from the darker side of adventure much less the coming war." The grim amusement in the tone seemed to grow at his next words, "And I'm afraid that this is one invitation that you'll turn down at your own peril or perhaps Scrooge's~."
Xxx
"You know, I don't think I'm one to ask for very much around here."
Inside the massive pyramid in the sky above Gravity Falls, Bill Cipher was sitting on his own throne as he peered out across the large window showing Gravity Falls behind the barrier that protected it against his reality shifting powers and then there was the barrier around the entire area the town was part of that kept him and his goons from spreading across the rest of the world.
"But I think being allowed to take over all of reality in this crummy dimension is not too much to ask for." Cipher grumbled.
"You know, I say the same thing in my own universe." Klarion said, sitting next to Cipher and looking rather miniscule compared to the giant triangle shaped entity as he did while petting Tekl. "I would love to just bring the Chaos all over the world but I always have those Lord of Order and their rules to stop me. Really, have they ever even heard the word 'fun' and looked it up?"
"Klarion, you, me and all the other Lords of Chaos are adrift on a lonely island." Bill sat back on his throne. "Still, every rule has a loophole and can be broken and I'm not ready to just throw in the towel. Figuratively speaking that is."
"So what's the plan?" Klarion questioned.
Bill rubbed his 'chin'. "Maybe I was too quick to cast aside my meat bag allies…And I know one of them is closer than the rest."
Xxx
Meanwhile, Gideon was still in prison and working with his fellow inmates on a very important project…
"Okay, inmates, time to review your finger paintings."
The teacher looked at the paintings placed on the wall. "Good. Nice." He gasped when he saw Gideon's painting, which is a torn paper with a knife in it and 'Revenge' written on it and 'Love' written next to a picture of Mabel, causing the man to sigh. "Gideon, does this look like someone who's ready to re-enter society?"
"Gideon's unappreciated in his time!" A prisoner called Ghost-Eyes called out.
"Oh, Ghost-Eyes, you're making me blush!" Gideon giggled.
"Gideon makes prison life worth living." Another prisoner named Kilbone shouted.
This led to all the prisoners chanting their 'best friend's name. "Gideon! Gideon!"
Suddenly, a piece of the ceiling was eater by what looked like a giant goat, making the rest crumble down and crushed counselor. The prisoners looked outside and gasped at scene of abnormal creatures/
Gideon watched as a three-headed bird which landed on his hand and screeched. "Oh my. Bill came through."
"You know it, pal!"
The prisoners and Gideon all gasped as Bill Cipher emerged from the wall, his body seemingly made of stone before turning to its normal golden yellow hue. "I hope I didn't interrupt your art class but if I did I got news for ya: you're all being let out for being disgusting sacks of meat!"
"Yay!" The prisoners cheered.
"All you got to do, is agree to work for me." Bill zoomed in on Gideon and circled around him. "Agree to do that and I'll give you a taste of what's like to turn the world upside down!"
Gideon stuttered with surprise as a greedy smile groew on his face, "P..power?" He looked up at the circling demon, "You mean you're really going to give me power?"
Cipher simply shrugged, "Well yeah I kinda have to." He poked Gideon nose, "If I sent you in as is even with those thugs you've wrapped around your fingers at best you'd be a minor annoyance, or at worst be torn to literal pieces."
He narrowed his eye on Gideon with the boy taking a step back not liking the look in the demons eyes, "Which while not entertaining doesn't really help me much does it?"
Bill held out his hand alit with blue flames, "So what do you say you up for this second chance, and a shot at some real power!" He narrowed his dark gaze, "I don't give people second chances every day, and this is a limited time offer so decide fast!"
Gideon sweated his eyes shifting back and forth before he clenched them shut than reached out and took Bills hand.
Their forms begin glow a demoniac yellow as air began to echo with Bill's insane laughter..."HehehehHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH!"
Before the air was pierced by Gideon's scream. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Xxx
"This is stupid. I don't have time for a stupid town meeting! I have to save my kids!"
Stan Pines had done a lot of things in life he had regretted but the one thing he regretted most right now was running for town mayor.
That meant he had to gather everyone in town hall to assure them somehow they weren't all going to die horribly.
Really, what part of crooked mayor didn't these people get?
"Well, someone has to calm them down, Stanley. You're the mayor." Ford pointed at him before peeking out from behind the curtains to see the gathered town's people. "At least we've done a head count so we know that they are all safe…For the moment."
"Which is more than I can say for Dipper or Mabel." Stan grunted as he adjusted his tie.
A real tie, mind you.
Not the mind controlling one Dipper and Mabel had used on him.
"I know, Stanley, I know." Ford sighed as he stepped back from the curtain. "As far as I can tell, Mabel is trapped in a pocket dimension. Not entirely different from the one that holds the Infinity Train but given that it was made by Bill Cipher, I am not sure what to expect. And Dipper is likely held up in Cipher's fortress that is crawling with demons and other nightmarish creatures."
"You're not making me feel better, Ford." Stan grumbled as he stepped up onto the podium. "Hey there, everyone. How are you doing?"
"Mayor Pines, what are you doing about the giant hole in the sky?" Lazy Susan asked.
"Oh that? Uh…I got some top people working on it right now. And these people are the ones who got us those fancy shields that keep the monsters out." Stan quickly said with a reassuring smile. "We're looking into a bunch of ways to stay alive and to make sure you have all working decent, but not top working because those are pricy, cable. So don't worry, you won't miss Duchess…Though I think some of us will prefer the apocalypse, am I right?"
In the crowd, Frida and Zoe just shook their heads while Carmelita simply face-palmed herself at her father's behavior while Pachita just muttered 'idiot' under her breath.
Suddenly the air was pierced with horrible screeching causing all those gathered to cover their ears as they groaned in pain. Once the screeching stopped the gathered crowd turned to the source seeing a large muscular man with red hair, an eye patch, and a metal hand scratching down a chalk board looking at them with stoic gaze, Hoss Delgado. The sight of who made Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland pale remembering this maniac from earlier this summer and the beating he had given them.
Hoss' stoic gaze passed over the entire assembly before piercing the air with his voice, "Listen up you slack jawed yokels your town is ground zero to invasion of demoniac abominations." He crossed his arms with a smirk, "Fortunately for all of you the worlds most determined supernatural hunter Hoss Delgado is here."
He then walked through the crowd, "I've defanged vampires, gored Grimm, made Gargoyles and Trolls alike into rocky chunks." He stopped at the front of the crowd and turned around to face them and spoke with arrogant chuckle and smile, "And turned more animals from Satyra into stuffed decorations than I can count."
That particular comment drew uneasy looks and even some glares from the crowd some more heated than others. But he paid them no heed as his smile turned into a frown and glare, "I've even seen horrors beyond all of those, horrors no man should know." He closed his eye with a shudder remembering the tortures of puppet heck before shaking his head and clenching his fists as he opened his eye glaring at the crowd, "So you can bet on your sweet momma's that I'm not about to stand by and let my world get turned into the personal play ground by a one eyed freak and his gang of abominations!"
He pointed at Stan, "So if you chumps want to end up as demon chow feel free to follow this old geezer who let this happen in the first place." This prompted dirty looks from the Aves family which he ignored as he pointed his thumb at himself, "But if you want to live than I suggest you do everything I tell you starting now!"
Than with a vicious grin he punched his metal fist into his other palm, "So who's ready to help me send all these freaks back where they belong?"
…
"Does anyone care what this freak thinks?" Stan just threw his own two technos out there.
"NO!" The entire crowd shouted.
"Someone throw him out of here!" Stan shouted. "We don't need some backwater, chainsaw wielding hick to save our town!"
"But you probably need all the help you can get!" The doors were kicked open and standing on the porch of town hall was none other than…
"Gideon!" Everyone gasped.
"That's right, folks." Gideon laughed as he entered the town hall. "Lil' Gideon is back!"
"Gideon, we don't have time for you. We got a giant demon to deal with. Go back to prison and bother the people there." Stan grunted, having no patience to deal with the little creep.
"Oh, I am not going anywhere this time, Stan Pines." Gideon chuckled. "I'm here on direct authority of Bill Cipher himself!"
Everyone gasped again while the Aves family along with Stan and Ford narrowed their eyes.
"That's right. He and I got a whole new deal." Gideon remarked, talking as if he was explaining the morning weather.
"Are you insane?! He's going to kill everyone!" Stan barked.
Gideon burst out laughing, "Hehehahhaha~" Before he took a breath calming himself smirking sadistically at Stan, "Oh that's a good one Stanley Pines~" "
Stan froze for a second at the sound of his true name with Gideon snorted, "Did you really think I wasn't up to date?" He crossed his arms with arrogant grin, "I actually knew the truth for years Stanley~"
He giggled, "Daddy might have been a disappointment in many ways, but he was an excellent way of staying in the loop~
Gideon evil smirk widen, "Speaking of being in the loop don't you think it's about time you told the truth for once in your life."
Than gestured toward the gathered citizens of Gravity Falls, "And tell all the good people here that it's your family!" He pointed accusingly at Stan, "Who caused all this!" Gideon took a step forward, "It was your brother's research that opened the door to Cipher! It was your brother who inadvertently caused the founding of the Society of the Blind Eye! And it was you Stanley who ultimately who finished your brother's work and let Cipher into our reality!"
Everyone looked at Stan and Ford with widened eyes while Zoe and Frida stepped out with Zoe shouting first. "It wasn't their fault! Bill Cipher lied and tricked them just like Gideon is tricking you now! He just wants us to fight ourselves so he can help Bill find a way to take down the barrier!"
"Maybe…" Gideon grinned as his eyes flashed yellow and turned into red slits. "But I am still telling the truth…Just as I am here now…As the Authority of Cipher!"
INFINITY TRAIN ARC
'THAT WRETCHED IMPURE!'
Somewhere, far across the expanse of existence, a strange mind was raging. It, for the lack of a better word, floated in a void of pure darkness with its presence taking the form of ethereal lights, the likes of which should never been seen with mortal eyes.
'I can feel it! That impure is using my powers!' The dead lights that made up the being flared, expressing its rage. 'HOW DARE HE?!'
It knew of the impure who had done this.
An impure brought into existence as a result of trying to merge the blood of the ultimate darkness with the flesh of a mortal and then bathed in never ending life, giving birth to a form of life that walked and talked like a man but harbored the essence of evil in his veins.
An abomination even to It.
As if a mortal could ever grasp becoming just a mere fraction of what It was and It hated him and his kind as much as it detested the mortals that lived out there.
Mere sustenance they were in It's eyes.
'I will not let this stand. That Impure believes he can taunt me just because I cannot manifest directly on his world anymore?'
It was not a fool.
Having existed for eons, It was smart enough to know the rules of stepping onto the mortal plane of existence.
'As they say: 'two can play at this game'.' If It could smile in its true form, it would. 'I will tear this abomination down and eat it and whatever it is fused with. I will show that Impure it can never come close to what I am. I am the Eater of Worlds!'
And in the end, It would eat everything.
Xxx
The Fight Stadium Car
"Guh….Where am I?"
When Stan Pines opened his eyes, he saw…
Glittering lights?
Stan sat up and looked around, eyes widening at what he saw. "Holy-"
It was a huge fighting arena with seats lined with green suited people cheering and shouting at the fighting rank that looked like a wrestling arena. In the center of the arena was a hulking yellow colored creature shaped like a man with a golden belt and red boxing gloves.
Bright lights shined over the fighting arena and one of them shined down on Stan.
"LOOKIE FOLKS!" A voice shouted through electronic speakers. "It seems we have a new challenger!"
Stan raised an eyebrow at the sound of the voice but shook it off as he grinned. "Oh, you want me to fight…Okay, I'm in."
Why not?
His dad put him through boxing lessons when he was a kid and they paid off over the years as a con and an undercover Huntsman. Might as well have some fun while he was here. He stepped into the ring as the audience cheered.
"PLACE YOUR BETS, FOLKS! WHO WILL WIN? OUR CHAMPION, THE YELLOW POUNDER!" The voice asked as the so-called champion raised his fists up. "OR THE NEWCOMBER? UH…MR. FEZ!"
"Mr. Fez?! Really?" Stan looked up as he entered the fighting arena. "You might want to work on that."
"GIVE ME A BREAK. YOU JUST SHOWED UP AND WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU THEY'RE GOING TO GO 'JEEZ WHAT SHRINERS DUMPED THIS LOSER?'." The speaker retorted.
"Shriners?! Don't make me laugh. Those guys tried to skin me…After I robbed them blind." Stan admitted before shaking his head. "Whatever. Just start the stupid match."
"SOMEONE HASN'T TAKEN THEIR MORNING PILLS." The speaker grumbled "AND LET THE MATCH…BEGIN!"
The Yellow Pounder advanced on Stan who brought his fists up. It ran at him, preparing a kick. Stan raised his arms and blocked the kick. He then grabbed the Yellow Pounder up with all the strength he had and slammed him into the floor. However the Yellow Pounder seemed unaffected as it then punched Stan whose Aura flared as he staggered back.
"Not bad." Stan wiped his face. "I've had my beat downs from gangs inside and out of prison though. So I'm used to getting crap punched out of me."
He jumped into the air and punched the Yellow Pounder several times, pushing it back. Stan landed on the ground and aimed to jump again, this time aiming a kick but the Yellow Pounder grabbed him in mid-air and threw him down onto the floor again. Stan grunted as he grabbed the arm and pulled the Yellow Pounder close enough he head-butted it in the face.
The Yellow Pounder stepped back, seemingly dazed as Stan got back up and let out a battle cry as he charged again. He punched the Yellow Pounder several times before it finally went down.
"HOLY CRAP, FOLKS!" The speaker shouted. "WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION! MR. FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!"
Stan grabbed the champion belt and pulled it off, holding it above his head with a triumphant smile as the audience cheered.
Xxx
Stan was led to the champion's room and he had to admit it was a nice room.
Even nicer than his own room back at the Mystery Shack.
A bed, a dresser, some work-out equipment and even a bathroom with a shower.
This was more like a five star hotel than a locker room.
"I could get used to this." Stan sighed as he lied down on the bed and relaxed, looking up at the ceiling. "Still, doesn't look like Mabel's around here…Or any of the others."
That's right.
He came here to find Mabel and Dipper along with Ford, his grandchildren and that Double D kid had come with him.
So where were they?
He sighed but then noticed a strange glowing light on his right hand which he immediately raised over his face to get a better look.
1560
"What the…" Stan tried rubbing it off but found it stuck to his hand. "What in the crazy-"
Knock-Knock!
Stan looked to the door, staring for a moment. "…Come in!"
The door opened and standing there was a kid, likely a few years older than Dipper, Mabel, Zoe and Frida. He wore a yellow polo shirt with a purple collar/sleeve hems and a vertical red stripe on the right side. He also wore light blue pants, as well as a wallet chain and plain red shoes. He had pink skin which was surprising, except having a lighter complexion around his eyes and on his eyelids and he had blue eyes.
"Hi." The kid waved, his voice sounding very familiar.
Stan's eyes widened. "You're the announcer?"
"Yep. Name's Eddy." The kid nodded with a smile. "You know, I was glad when you showed up. When I took the job here, all the colored weirdoes were the only ones fighting. It was fun being the announcer but it got stale really fast. And I wasn't even getting paid."
"Ouch. Tough luck, kid." Stan held up his hand with the number. "Can you tell me about this?"
Eddy looked at the number and then raised his right hand, showing a number of his own.
1958
"As far as I know, they're our numbers. I ran into someone a while back who said these numbers are the reason we're on the train. And if we want to get off we got to bring it down to zero." Eddy explained with a shrug. "Whatever that means."
"Bring it down to zero. What do you-" Stan trailed off for a second.
"On this train you will get to solve your problems and you will have taken a number."
What is it talking about?
"To get off the train you have get it to zero. You become a literal zero like me."
Okay, he was starting to get annoyed from the way the robot switched from happy and chipper to sad and depressed.
"And if you need help, don't be afraid to ask for help from the denizens. Unless they have big claws and nasty pointing teeth."
"Oh great. I'm stuck here." Stan groaned as he fell back on the bed. "This is just perfect."
"Hey, it's not so bad." Eddy shrugged. "I should know. I've been here for what feels like forever."
"Then have you seen any kids around?" Stan asked, sitting back up.
"Nope." Was all Eddy had to say.
Stan sighed and stood up. "All right, so where do I go next?"
"The door to the next car is on the other end of the stadium where you came from." Eddy gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. "Just so you know, once you get out there be sure not to fall out. The train doesn't like people leaving and the monsters outside like you even less."
"Monsters?" Stan stood up.
"Yeah. Giant cockroaches. " Eddy shivered. "You do not want to mess with them."
"Oh great. Like we didn't have enough problems on our hands." Stan rubbed his head. "I only hope that Double D kid has some really serious weapons."
"Double D?" Eddy's eyes widened. "Scrawny guy? Can't lift a butterfly and wears a sock for a hat?"
"You know him?" Stan raised an eyebrow.
"I'm from the same cul-de-sac as him!" Eddy exclaimed. "What's he doing hanging out with an old man?"
"Helping my save my grandniece is what." Stan harshly answered. "And it looks like I have to find him too."
Eddy looked conflicted for a second before he spoke again. "Then I'm coming with. At least I'll be with someone who can tell me how to get off this train."
"Fine but you lead the way, kid." Stan pointed at him. "Only because you've been here longer."
"Fine with me." Eddy shrugged and gestured for Stan to follow him. "Just remember what I said. Do not try and get off the train."
Stan followed Eddy back into the arena and then onto the other side and past the stadium was a pair of red doors. The doors opened and Stan felt rushing wind as they stepped and gapped at what he saw.
There was one a train all right.
A massive train, bigger than anything he had ever seen before in his life with a single catwalk leading up to the next car.
"Remember to stay close." Eddy called over the wind. "These cars are crazy. The fight car was the safest place I could find."
"That's saying much." Stan muttered as he followed Eddy into the next car.
He only hoped his family would be fine when he found them.