The Return to Gravity Falls

by EZB

Mabel and Dipper return to Gravity Falls three years after their life-altering summer vacation spent with their Grunkle Stan, to find that Gravity Falls never stops being, well, weird. As the twins encounter old friends and reconnect with the supernatural inhabitants of Gravity Falls, new dangers lurk just outside of the knowledge of Uncle Stanfords old journals.

88. Fight or Flight: Part 2

The moment his eyes lost track of her, Dipper scrambled forward. "WENDY!" he roared as he rose up.

"Dipper, wait!" Mabel shouted, trying to claw at him, to pull him back. "There could be more of them!"

Dipper didn't care. He pushed away from his sister and dived towards the shattered door, and found the edge of the collapsed platform. She couldn't be gone, he told himself in his mind, she couldn't die! Still, he knew that it didn't mean she couldn't become separated from the gang, sinking into the river below or being swept away with the tide. As he rounded the edge, the air fell from his lungs and a hand shot up for him.

"Sup dude?" she asked with a shy smile. She held onto a mere splinter of the remains of the plywood floor. Behind her a figure just struck the water, showing the distance to the river below.

"Give me your hand!" Dipper shouted. She took his hand and slowly started to climb up. Half way up, Mabel's hands came over and started to pull up Wendy.

"We gotcha!" Mabel said, proving her strength as she started adding to the speed of Wendy's ascension.

The house buckled, and the twins started to feel their weight shift forward.

"Hold on dudes!" Soos shouted, and he grabbed both Mabel and Dipper's shirts as he held onto a wall of the building. Ford then came next to him, and pulled at his shoulders, giving him what aid he could.

Sliding around Soos, Jace and Jess rushed forward, and took to flight. Their arms out, and their wingspans unfurled, the two made a quick spin before flying underneath Wendy, and letting her feet onto their shoulders. Jess grumbled something near inaudible as she pushed with her brother, but in a moment, they managed to retrieve the red-head from her state of near plummeting.

"Guys, thanks," Wendy sighed, and looked down, "You guys rocked that," she waved to the airborne siblings as they landed again.

"Get inside!" Chloe Boreas, the mother of Jess and Jace snapped, tugging Soos as she tried having him pull them all within the building. As he complied, the structure budged again, having glass slide across the floor to one side.

"We need to leave," Dipper stated. A flurry of movement next to him, and he saw Jess had leapt into the air.

"Unless we have an adequate diving instructor in this moment who excels in crash course diving," Ford called out, "I think Dipper is correct that we need to go now!"

"Crash course diving," Mabel laughed, "That's funny."

"Then let's g-" Wendy tried shouting.

Her voice was drowned out as a Helicopter of some sort flew feet underneath them. The noise alone caused them to hold hands to their ears, but the wind shook and rattled the very supports, making the building buckle further. Through the front door, they saw it again, some quarter of a mile away, making a turn back towards them.

"It's going to shoot at us!" Jace shrieked. Jess then landed next to him, sporting a worn, blue hat with a single stitched pine-tree atop the front. Dipper refrained a smile as he looked away, noticing a blush from her cheeks. "Really?" Jace glared at his sister.

With a deadly tone, Jess told her brother, "I'm not leaving it behind." Jace took an inch step away from her.

Pushing past the group, Archer Boreas stretched his neck briefly, and extended his wings. "Kids," he said, "Get your friends to solid land. Your mother and I will draw the fire away."

"WHAT?!" Jess shouted as Jace gulped. "But they'll kill you! They're using bullets!"

"Honey," Chloe brushed her daughter's hair as she stepped over, "You and Jace aren't fast enough to outrun a helicopter."

"Let alone, avoid a pilots aim," Archer mused, "let us handle this. Just get them to safety before the entire building comes crashing down," he said as he watched the helicopter with precise vision.

"But-" Jess protested.

"NO BUTS!" Chloe snapped, her sweet tone evaporated in a commanding presence, "You're taking your friends to safety, or when after all of this, you're GROUNDED!"

Jess's face went white, and Jace nodded. "Right mom, noted."

Chloe turned to the gang and Ford, who watched with uncertainty and wide eyes. Her expression softened, and she smiled at him. "Don't worry. My husband taught me everything he learned while he was in the service."

"He was in the service?" Ford asked.

Mabel chuckled, "Airborne division, I bet."

Chloe looked at her. "No. Marines."

"Oh," Mabel hummed.

Archer glanced to his wife as they stepped to the edge. With one shared look, they simultaneously stepped off the platform, diving forward. A moment later, they were soaring over the river, heading straight for the attack helicopter. To say they had the power of the winds at their back seemed an understatement. They were majestic as they flew, and fast.

"While I understand our desire to keep an eye on our former hosts, and your parents," Ford pointed out, and he pointed to the walkway, "But we've got more company!" The lot turned and saw them. Near a dozen men with the same instruments used by the hunters before were rushing towards them.

But these people were different. They wore cloaks of black, and pinning their cloaks together in the center of their chest was a sigil- two hands wrapped around four-point star that had etchings of fire behind it.

"It's Graupner's crew!" Dipper shouted.

"Behind me!" Wendy shouted, pushing the twins behind her as the first one arrived, and took aim. The person, wearing a simple black mask with holes for eyes and a nose, shot at Wendy, striking her in the chest with another dart. "Gah!" she grunted, "I'm getting so sick of those!" she cried; wrenching it out, and charging forward.

The rage of Wendy was like a bowling ball. She ran up to the first man and shoved him against a pillar with a hard shove, stunning them. Yet she would continue, leaving the clean-up to those before. Dipper and Mabel mostly took turns delivering a strong punch or kick to those who were still able to move. Again and again, Wendy plowed down those before her, an unstoppable woman with a blaze in her eye.

Half way under the bridge, gunshots tore into the air. The twins and the birds paused, looking back. The helicopter, now harassed by two adult harpies, soared straight at the under-bridge structure. The bullets splintered it further. Then something much larger than a bullet shot out from under one of the helicopter's wings.

"Is that a missile!?" Jace gasped.

"Eeep! Duck and cover!" Mabel screamed.

Wendy was in mid-grapple when the missile impacted the building and exploded. Had it not been for the weight of the man she had been pushing against, she may be been thrown entirely into the air. Those who had ducked were lucky enough. They avoided the spray of shrapnel and debris, and just as dangerous, the shockwave. The few remaining members of Graupner's crew who had yet to been bulled down, the blast knocked them off their feet, tossing all but one into the river. The last one cried out, and clung one hand onto the side of the walkway, where they hung for life.

Wendy scrambled up first, and looked down to her struggler, who seemed stunned. "Stay that way!" she yelled, and punched the man's head. The solid 'whack' of the fist seemed to do its part well, and the man went still.

Dipper pulled himself up, and glanced back. Whatever home may have been there once was gone. Burning pieces of old wood crackled and smoked before falling into the river below. But to Dipper's shock, the blast had also taken apart a chunk of the bridge.

"He's escalating," Dipper realized out loud in horror, "He's willing to destroy public stuff, now."

A hand wrapped around his, and Dipper let Mabel pull him away.

The seven rushed across the terrible wobbly platform, leading closer to the edge of the river. Arriving on the solid ground was a relief, but even more was the lack of more goons.

"I'm so sorry guys," Mabel turned to Jace and Jess, "They blew up your house. Such a cool house too!"

"Eh," Jace shrugged, "We birds love building. Mom and dad will have a new nest sooner or later. Besides, we were going to travel."

"Which may be a good idea to leave the country for a bit," Ford told them, "And get airborne."

"Okay, okay," Jace nodded, and turned to the gang. He took a deep breath, and then started to say quickly to the gang, "Guys, sorry we couldn't catch up more. Soos, you're looking tough. Wendy, you're looking rad. Dipper, keep being you, buddy," he winked, and Dipper rolled his eyes. Jace turned to Mabel, and stalled. "And... Mabel," he paused, his lower lip trembling.

Mabel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him as he did the same to her. "Don't worry buddy," Mabel sniffled as she hugged, "You and I still need to go on a spa-date together."

"Yes," Jace laughed, "Get my feathers trimmed and you can just watch, because you're perfect." Mabel gave just the smallest sobs, burying herself into his shoulder. Finally, they let go, and Jace gave her cheek the smallest peck of a kiss. He turned to his sister. He patted her shoulder, and softly said, "Say your goodbyes."

"Right," Jess nodded, taking a long breath. "Well, uh," she turned to Soos and Wendy, "I... I want you to know that I'm sorry for acting like a jerk sometimes."

"Aww, don't mention it dawg," Soos smiled. "Compared to some, your jerkiness is like a mild spice. More for flavor than heat." Jess tilted her head, uncertain what to make of his comment.

After snorting from Soos' comment. Wendy said, "Don't mention it. Growing up's tough. Gotta vent once in a while. I understand."

Jess eyed Wendy for a moment, perhaps doubting the sincerity. Eventually, Jess seemed to believe her; coming to a slow nod. Then she turned to Ford. "Uh... nice meeting you," Jess managed. Ford nodded back, a faint smile. Jess' eyes met Mabel, who was busy drying hers off. "Mabel, thanks."

"Daww, you feathery love-puff!" Mabel whined and grabbed her into a hug, squeezing the poor harpy into a near chokehold. After struggling to escape after a moment, she turned to Dipper.

He saw the look in her eyes. The same look three years ago he had practiced in a mirror. The mixture of fear and determination that he felt every time he was preparing himself to talk to Wendy about... how he felt. Well, of all the times, it would be now or never, he supposed.

"Dipper, I've wanted to say something," she started, her words trembling.

"Sure," he nodded, trying his best to stay focused on her, and not look to the others (especially Wendy).

Jess bit her lip, her eyes focusing on his.

From an alley almost a hundred feet away, someone shouted, "There they are! Grab them!"

Dipper snatched Jess and dived behind the cars. A hail of gunfire, all from a trio of goons who had just emerged from the darkness, ricocheted around them. As Soos and Ford dived with Mabel and Wendy ducked and slowly stepped aside, Jace leapt into the air.

"JESS!" he shouted, flapping away from the danger.

"JACE!" she cried out. Bullets nearly missed her spot, and Dipper pulled her back further. The angles of the gunfire changed, and suddenly found themselves on the car that ford had brought. Within moments, the roof of the engine was pierced by no less than sixty bullets.

"Hey! Stop shooting that!" Ford yelled from behind cover, "I was going to return that car, you maniacs!"

"New plan!" Dipper called out, "Get driving! Get them off our trail, and get Jess to safety!" Dipper called.

"No, I can fly away!" Jess cried out.

"Jess, it's a miracle your brother got out unscathed!" Dipper told her. Determination was tempered with realism, and Jess faltered, looking under the car with Dipper. The feet of the trio were slowly coming over.

"I got this," Mabel said, suddenly sneaking behind one of the cars.

"Girl's tag-team," Wendy nodded. She then stood up, walking out into the open.

"Freeze!" the leader of the three demanded, holding a rifle to her.

"Or what?" she snorted; her arms open wide. "Going to shoot me?"

"Wait," the leader said, his dark eyes looking at Wendy up and down, "This one... Corduroy! Switch!" he shouted, and the three lowered their rifles, and exchanged out the newer three-barrel weapons.

A warrior princess wannabe, Mabel leapt off the broken and shot up car, shrieking like a bat out of hell. The closest of the three grunts looked up to her and also screamed, unable to react as she drove her fist across its face. The leader in the center dodged to the side and aimed the device at Wendy as the one to his side spun to face Mabel.

A net shot out and slammed into Wendy. The force enough caused her to cough, and she flew back, slamming into the side of the car. Fragments of glass shattered around her, and she found herself constrained within the netting, and the back hood burst open.

"Hey!" Soos stood up, his fists up, "You leave my long-standing co-worker alone!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em Soos!" Mabel cheered as she ducked under a swipe from the other grunt. "Show how Soos does!"

"Mess him up!" Wendy cried, trying to pull the netting off. "Of all the things, a net!?" she said as she struggled, "They got me with a net!?"

Soos nodded slowly. "Right. Right!" he said, timidly approaching the man in his best boxing stance, with his hands in front of him. "Okay, tough guy, you put that down, or else I'll-" The man then tossed the device to the ground. Paused, Soos added, "Oh. Well, I guess asking for things does make life easier."

Then the man drew a knife. Soos gulped and lost what little color his face had.

The grunt sneered. "Yes, it sure does." He then stepped closer to Soos, who flinched and stepped back.

Ford rushed out from the side of his broken car, wielding a tire-iron. The leader, so fixated on Soos fear never had the chance to react. The solid metal piece struck the man's temple and he fell instantly, crumpling to the ground. "Nice job distracting him," Ford sighed, tossing aside the broken iron with a loud clang. "Not only is someone going to be missing a car, but a tire iron. Oh well."

Soos looked from Ford, who was walking away, to Mabel, still mid-fight. "Uhh, shouldn't we help Mabel?"

Dipper stood, pulling up Jess with him, "Nah, she's got it. Kicking nameless goons is her trademark."

Jess and Soos both looked back to Mabel as she, midair, spun and kicked back out across the man's jaw, knocking him airborne for a brief moment. As he landed, Mabel caught herself against the ground, and with a push, was upright again. "Got him," she declared, dusting her hands off.

Ford grasped the tangled net and quickly removed it from Wendy. She blinked as she stood up. "Thanks. You got that off me really quick."

Ford lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Extra digit helps," he grinned.

"Okay," Dipper said, opening the passenger door, "Mabel, let's go-"

Footsteps echoed down the one alleyway the enemy had come from. The air was once again riddle with the buzz and clatter of gunshots. Mabel swerved and dived behind Fords broken car. Dipper shoved Jess down, covering her as best he could.

"Dang it," he growled, "Just get in the car for now," he said to her.

"But Jace-"

"Is already up, but these guys could shoot you!" Dipper shouted. Jess cringed, but did as she was told, opening the passenger door and sliding inside. Dipper turned to the others.

Soos had managed to hide next to Stanley's El Diablo, and was looking back to him. Ford had slid next to Soos, and spied the tire iron.

"Toss me that," Mabel called, from next to the broken-down car with Wendy. Ford nodded, and kicked it towards her, the heavy metal clamoring as it did. "HEY!" she shouted to Dipper, "When I toss, dive!"

He nodded, and waited. Soos grabbed the handle of his car just as Mabel stood as she threw the crowbar at full force. The first man pushing his way out of the alley gasped. The Iron struck him dead in the chest and he fell backwards, collapsing onto the others behind him.

"GO!" Wendy roared, and she climbed onto Mabel's bike with her. "You drive!" Wendy told the female twin.

"Badass pink bike with a badass red-head? DREAMS CAN COME TRUUUUE!" Mabel roared as her bike hummed proudly, and she roared ahead.

Soos and Ford climbed into the El Diablo. As Dipper got into his seat, and checked on a sweating, nearly hyperventilating Jess, he nodded for them to move out first. The roadster screeched its tires for a moment, and then sped past Dipper and Jess, sitting in their car. Wasting no time, Dipper turned in his seat, and reversed the car.

"They see us!" Jess shouted.

He couldn't afford to look back. He could only pray that his focused mind would process the reverse steering needed to escape the alley they had parked by, and get back to a main road. There was more gunfire. Jess yelled and the car jostled as several bullets hit the hood.

"Mom's going to kill me," Dipper growled as he imagined the image of his mom seeing, for the first time, the bullet-hole covered car.

The light at the end of the alley was coming, and with a loud gasp of relief, Dipper spun out of the alley and into the street. Traffic was light, and Dipper then realized why. People were running, fleeing the streets from their direction.

"Smart folk," Dipper noted, "Not like us. No, we hear gunfire, we run to it, not away," he remarked with a mad humor, "What kind of idiot runs towards gunfire!"

He drove forward as Jess chuckled. "We are running away from the badguys though," she noted.

Dipper went to reply, but his eyes ahead saw danger once more. The pink bike and red roadster had turned in separate directions. Dipper's eyes widened as he saw an image he had witnessed not a few days ago: an entire garbage truck had been outfitted, with crude metal welding along its side. Men and women of similar cloaks held onto the sides, holding baseball bats and other blunt objects.

"Is that a garbage truck!?" Jess cried out.

"Yes," Dipper growled as he made a desperate turn, "It's a war-garbage truck!"

"How the heck are they getting garbage trucks?!" Jess barked.

Dipper went to reply, but he checked his mirror. The truck made a bee-line for him, actually knocking aside several abandoned cars in the middle of the road and casting them aside with its unstoppable momentum.

Dipper gulped. "Not important right now!" Dipper managed, avoiding the cars that were still trying to drive along the streets of Pittsburg, "A more important question is how the heck do we deal with them!?"

"You don't have a magical mini-tank that can become a normal-sized one, do you?" Jess suggested.

"Not to my knowledge," Dipper chuckled beside himself.

A shrill, piercing noise had the twin flinch. Both turned and looked past the front seats. Dipper groaned, as once again he was met by the realization that he had seen this before. Riding atop the truck, strapped to the roof by approximately ten bungee cords, was a man who shouted into a now live microphone.

"Rejoice all men and women in this dry, deserted age!" the man called out, his arms spread wide as he preached, "For this is a coming of great flourish and peace! Magic comes again!"

"It's the exact same truck from Florida!" Dipper gasped, and turned down a street, his tires skidding as he desperately made his swerve.

"What the heck is their deal!?" Jess demanded. She cried out as the earth trembled- the garbage truck had just smashed it's way over a thin metal fence, and then battered the side of a brick building. "They're crazy!"

"This jerk, Graupner," Dipper rapidly explained, "Is somehow brainwashing people! Like, into these crazy fanatics!" He said, and sped through a red traffic light, "Tickets be damned, I'm not getting flattened by a truck!"

"So then, what do we do?" she asked.

Dipper looked over his shoulder once more. The damage the truck was causing was catastrophic. People were cowering and fleeing the streets, avoiding the massive, tank-like construct. All the while, the men and women atop it was tossing off leaflets of their sigil; with paragraphs on it. Dipper looked to the sky. The black helicopter was shooting at two figures that weaved through the taller structures.

This wasn't just a chase. This was absolute war. Graupner declared war.

War. That could mean something, something Dipper could use "The military," Dipper gasped.

"What?" Jess asked.

Dipper scrambled for his phone as he drove, which was a struggle considering the amount of pressure to not crash and subsequently become flattened by a huge armored truck. Jess reached into the pocket he sought, and pulled out the phone for him.

"Call 'Mystery Gang conference' under my contacts," Dipper told her, "Put it on speaker!" she nodded, and did as told. The phone rang briefly.

"Wendy here," Wendy's voice answered.

"Wassuup!?" Mabel called, over the battering wind over the call.

"This is Stanford," the second voice replied, "Answering for Soos."

"I have a plan," Dipper announced.

Mabel cackled, and said, "Knew he would,"

"First of all, is everyone okay?" Dipper asked.

"Soos's driving is a miracle," Ford stated. Soos mumbled something in the background of the call, but Ford insisted, "No need to be modest, Soos! Mechanic know-how and instincts are a heck of a combo!"

Wendy however said differently, "I need to considering getting a jacket that's bulletproof. Mine is ruined – again!" she growled.

"Well listen," Dipper said, Jess holding his phone to him carefully as he drove down the street, "We need to shake these guys and-"

"Get out of the city," Ford answered, "Excellent idea."

"Actually," Dipper sighed, "Stay in the city."

Ford barked, "What?!"

"Dipper, are you sure?" Wendy called back, "I mean, there's a lot that could go wrong."

"Yes, there is," Dipper admitted, staring ahead as his mind now raced- Really bad tracking his driving and the conversation, "But hear me out: these guys are bad.. They chased us all the way up here from Florida. They're going to keep chasing us until this is over. They ran once, but they've upgraded their stuff. We aren't going to scare them off ourselves this time. We don't have the tools, and Zander isn't here to help us. We can't deal with the problem, but... the military can."

Ford asked, "You want to trap them inside the city and let the government pick them off?"

Dipper jostled himself, hating the words that seemed to make the most sense. "They're having a harder time navigating the streets here than they did back in the highway. Look, I know this sounds bad," Dipper gritted his teeth, "But these guys... they're going to keep coming after us. If we can delay them until some real soldiers arrive, we may be able to put an end to this without anyone else getting hurt. If we leave now, they could flee and go into hiding."

Fighting to remain heard over the wind, Wendy shouted, "Dipper, how are they going to hide a garbage truck and a heavily armed helicopter?!"

"The same way they had before," Dipper retorted.

"And, uh, how's that exactly?" Soos asked distantly.

"I don't know," Dipper admitted, "But I have a theory Graupner's magic is behind it."

Ford answered first. "Very well. We keep them in the city, but try to lose them. If we can shake them from our tail, we might just be able to avoid them and have them remain in the city long enough to face real armed resistance-"

Dipper gasped and swerved the wheel, having Jess shriek. He barely missed oncoming traffic, and more importantly, a cop car. The car's lights were flashing, and the moment they missed it, the car jolted, moving up to intercept Dipper.

But the War-truck had other plans. It slammed into the side of the police cruiser, knocking it across the street in one fell swoop.

"Yeah," Dipper nodded, checking his rear view, "Shake these guys!"

"And how do we do that?" Jess asked as Dipper grabbed the phone and closed it. "They're, like, everywhere!"

"Maybe, but they can't be everywhere at the same time," Dipper said, "They're going to anticipate our movement, and act accordingly, right?"

Following his reasoning, Jess answered with a trailing off, "Right…"

"So, we need to act... like Mabel," Dipper said as he turned a street, and spied, in the distance, greenery beyond the multi-story structures. He drove forward, and looked to Jess, "You are buckled right?" he demanded. Her face grew slightly pink, and she leaned back, and buckled herself. With a small smile, Dipper told her, "Well, hold on," and found the start of a large thick, black fence. Nearly five hundred feet ahead, he saw it coming.

"Wait," Jess gulped, following the trail of Dipper's vision, "You're not serious."

"Stupidly serious," Dipper growled.

"But, but, is this car MADE for that?"

"Made for city parks? I don't think so," Dipper joked.

"But you'd be crazy to go in there! We'll tip over!"

"And they'd be even crazier to follow us in, right?" Dipper laughed, and checked over his shoulder. The truck was still on his trail. "We jump in, tangle these guys up, and we bail," he re-assured her.

"You didn't say anything about your car's suspension yet," Jess noted with a gulp.

Dipper felt his hair tickle as fear fell into his mind. "Yeah, I know. I'm trying not to think about that."

Jess firmly leaned back into her seat, clutching the bottom of her chair with white knuckles. The feathers on her ears frazzled up, and he gave the tiniest squawk of a gulp. Her face was as pail as his face was, looking into the mirror. Being chased by a terrible titan of a vehicle? That was one thing. Driving into the middle of a city park with an outdated car from several years ago not made for any kind of off-roading?

"Well," Dipper mumbled, "Time to do the Mabel – be unpredictable."

He grasped the wheel and twisted to the left, pulling the car's direction to face the coming park entrance. The curb was the first part of resistance that was easily bypassed. With a solid bump and jolt the car surged forward, narrowly avoiding the pedestrians who thought themselves safe on the sidewalk. Then the road became gravel, uneven brick walkways, and worst of all, roots.

Dipper smashed his horn again and again, desperate to warn those ahead of the oncoming danger. As the car bounced and jolted roughly, Dipper considered that, maybe, he could slow down?

"Jess!" he called as he stared ahead, "Status report on war truck."

Jess turned around, and her eyes grew wide. Dipper never needed to look in the mirror. He could feel the impact. Still, his eyes grazed over the image of the large iron fencing, and the front of the re-enforced truck bashing straight through. The crushing of a lamp post and the subsequent scattering of glass drove Dipper to slam the gas down even harder.

"Dipper, look out!" Jess pointed ahead, and Dipper yelled. He again twisted the wheel, this time to the right. A small pond ahead could spell disaster for them, but he skidding just enough in the dirt and brick to avoid splashing into the shallow water.

Behind him, the man atop the truck was having technical difficult. "Behold! Bask in-" Whack! Slap! Tree branch after tree branch slapped his exposed head. "Bask in- Bask- GAH!" he cried out, still strapped down onto the trash truck. "Avoid the trees, Margaret! I'm trying to-"

A particularly large branch slammed into his head, and though he still stood upright, his eyes closed and his eyes went limp as the microphone fell from the top of the truck.

"Thank you, nature's forces," Dipper looked out of his windshield to the trees.

"Dipper," Jess pointed ahead again, and Dipper swerved yet again, this time avoiding a statue. "Dipper, are you okay!?" she demanded.

"Yes!" he yelped, as his car jolted up.

"You're almost running into a lot," Jess told him.

"Happens when you're stressed to an unbelievable level," Dipper grunted, "Like, not just driving in a tough terrain," he then yelled, avoiding running over several picnic tables, and instead plowing through a gardens, "Not just making sure we don't get caught by these insane cultist types," Dipper said, turning on the windshield wipers as flowers and bushes were thrown onto the window, "But I've also got to watch out for you."

"I-I don't want to be a burden," Jess said quietly.

Dipper glanced to her, and her defeated eyes. "You're not," he admitted, "I'm just really flustered here, Jess."

"Maybe I can help?" she asked, leaning closer.

"Just how?" he asked ahead. Jess's hand suddenly was on Dipper's thigh. He tensed up and dared a look to Jess with his burning face. "Whoa-" he started, but he noticed her. She wasn't looking at him. She had instead leaned under his arm and reached out, snaking a hand into his vest. "Wha-what are you doing?" he demanded.

"H-Here!" she yelped, withdrawing his own journal tucked away.

"What are you going to..." Dipper blinked, and saw her flip out pages, and looked to him.

"Personal Encyclopedia and Journal search engine Jessandra, at your service!" she saluted.

"This... okay," Dipper grinned, actually game for her plan. "I know there's a spell that briefly intensifies reaction timing and thought speed. Find it for me," he said.

"A spell that does that?" Jess gasped, "That sounds awesome."

"It should be," Dipper grinned. She looked to him with a quizzical look, and he elaborated. "I've never used it. I've used probably less than ten spells in my life, okay?" he admitted.

"Is this, uh, an easy one to use?" she said, flipping through pages.

"No idea," Dipper shrugged, and swiveled the car, and drove around a sharp turn as the war-truck sped past for a moment, sticking a huge tree head on. The tree was knocked out of the earth, and the truck slowed, and began to turn around. "But we have some time," Dipper added, glancing over his shoulder.

"What should I look for?" Jess asked.

"Uhh," Dipper scrambled for thought, "Some incantation, written in Latin!"

"Dipper," Jess snapped, "They're all in Latin!"

"Look for one that talks about lightning and minds in the Latin text!" Dipper restated angrily.

"I can't read Latin!" Jess shouted.

Dipper groaned loudly. "Lightning! In the brain!"

"Gotcha!" Jess shouted, and dove right back into the book. As she flipped through pages, muttering to herself, Dipper scanned through the back mirror. The truck was making its return. With the strongest momentum Dipper had ever seen with anything as mundane as a trash truck, it uprooted entire benches and chewed it under its colossal weight. At the rate they were going, the thing would level the entire park, with them underneath.

"Uh, I think I found it!" Jess shouted, and held the book up.

"Let's see," Dipper read out of the side of his eyes. She had found it: the hasten spell. "Okay... okay... let's try this," Dipper said, and focused. He had a long stretch of road ahead. "Accurro Animus, Tonitrui et Fulgur, Adtonitus arbitror!"

From the sky, a crack of thunder rumbled ahead. Jess flinched, but Dipper shot upright. Energy coursed through his body and mind. He saw everything just the way it had always been, but it was so much clearer. He could see it go by, study the leaves on a tree in the fraction of a moment he had. He turned to Jess, and noted her scratches, her tangled hair, the worried look in her eyes as she watched him. He saw his hat, and he smiled.

"Hold on," he said, and he shifted gears.

He could see the layout of the park in his head. He'd been driving around it for the past two minutes, and he could see it as clear as daylight. The mind was so clear, and it took no energy to utilize it all. He had a plan.

Dipper drove around a particularly thick tree, and found himself in the center of the main path, which was lightly paved. Here, he had a straight shot for the exit. Instead, he turned around.

"Wait, what are you doing!?" Jess shouted, pressing her nose to the right side, where the exit awaited.

"They'll follow if we don't throw them off first," Dipper explained, his words stacking upon themselves as nearly robotic. He saw it in the distance; the same pond he had swerved to avoid. He drove faster and faster.

"Dipper, what are you planning?" Jess asked, looking between the destination, growing closer and closer, and the fixated stare of Dipper, who was growing a smile.

"I'm planning on trying something I saw on TV once, and I think it'll work," Dipper stated, and checked his mirror. The truck was on them, drawing closer.

"Dipper!" Jess shouted, pointing at the pond.

Three seconds away, Dipper shifted gears and spun the wheel left, and then right. The pond was wide enough to fit five of his cars within, but Dipper was down avoiding the entire thing, drifting across the circle path that enclosed the pond. Jess, who screamed at first began to laugh, as for a moment they were watching the wartruck dive straight at them, miss by several feet and dive into the pond. They circled the pond as the men and women on the side leapt off, trying to get a hold onto Dipper's car. Dipper merely had to correct his steering at the last moment, and suddenly he was driving far from the crashed truck and away from the scene.

"That was amazing!" Jess laughed, punching his arm lightly, and returning the journal to him.

Dipper grinned. "The craziest thing is that some people can just do that. Took me magic to even think how... how it – uh oh," Dipper groaned, and blinked.

His head felt heavy. His mind buzzed.

"Dipper?" Jess yelped, grabbing his shoulders as he buckled. "Dipper, you're acting sick."

"Dang," Dipper panted, his body trembling. "That spell was a lot more intensive than I thought," he said, letting out gasps of air.

"Intensive!?" She yelled, "What do you mean!?"

"Magic, uh, sometimes kind of wears on people," Dipper said, swerving out of the park and back onto the main road, "I guess that one was one of the more costly ones."

"You'll be okay, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, as long as we don't run into anymore-" he said, but his eyes shot wide as he pushed his shoulder against the door. Standing, right in the street with his gun out, was Alberta Jeffreys. He had out that triple-barreled rifle, and fired.

The pencil like needle missed Dipper's face by an inch, imbedding itself into the headrest. He swerved, barely missing the stoic man in the center of the road. There was a shattered hole in the windshield. Still, he saw him again, and realized, just as they had discussed, the man was absolutely related to Montana. Younger, probably, but had a dangerous look in his eye.

Lightning crackled in his brain, and Dipper cried out. The pain was severe – a reminder of the pain he had felt in his hands. He couldn't drive; he pulled his hands to his head, clutching his skull, trying to press away the pain.

"Dipper, drive! DIPPER!" Jess shrieked a very far way away, watching Dipper recoil.

"You- you need to," Dipper mumbled, his eyesight fading. He couldn't remember what was happened. Some part of him suddenly remembered what the spell was. It was a tradeoff; high speed body and thought for a moment for low brain function for a moment. Gritting his teeth, Dipper faintly remembered a cackling voice in his head.

You don't just start using magic by starting with whatever spell you want. Takes study, a lot of practice to learn to ignore the effects of casting spells, the voice of Graupner Kinley taunted him.

The car jolted to a direction, and his eyes blinked naturally. He could see the road before him, and he looked next to him. Jess had reached over, and she desperately tried steering to her best. Dipper felt a lack of pressure on his foot, and he noticed the gas was off. He was just going on whatever forward momentum he had used, and it didn't unsettle him.

"Dipper, c'mon," Jess begged, her words like a swimmer underwater, "Focus!"

"I'm trying," he grumbled. The world was stuck in a buzzing fog, unable to allow him focus.

"You can do better," she begged. "Please!"

He saw traffic coming, but his mind was forgetting what to do. Did he drive through him? Did he own the huge truck that could bully its way through anything? Wait, or was that the bad-guys? Maybe he could just park next to them all, and ask them to kindly move faster. He'd be by them in a few moments, after all.

The passenger shouted, grasping his shoulder. "DIPPER!" Jess yelled.

The yell jolted him awake, casting aside the numbing static in his mind. Though he felt the fatigue of casting magic, Dipper was back to a sense of self- he could act on his own accord. Hands on the wheel again, he twisted and applied the break as expertly as he could.

The traffic was avoided. He swerved the right, and found a familiar local stop he had been to not an hour before: The Pitt factory. Then he yelled and slammed on the breaks. A hot-red car was coming right at him, and he swerved to the left this time, as did the car.

None other than Soos and Ford paralleled Dipper's actions, both narrowly squeezing into the parking lot with less than foot of space between the two cars. Dipper swerved again, now trying to avoid a fire hydrant before him. The car hit a curb and swerved, and in the moment, he nearly lost control, spinning away from Soos.

The two inside screamed, holding against the sides of the car to attempt to remain still and not bounce about. The car again hit a curb and then slammed into something hard in the side alley by the factory. Dipper's head struck the side of the glass, and he groaned, falling forward as he felt the side of his face.

"Oww, Dipper," Jess's voice groaned as she also held onto her head, and undid her seatbelt.

"One sec," Dipper said, and undid his own, and checked his mirror. He gasped. There was a trail of blood falling from his hairline. "Oh crap," he gulped.

"Dip-" Jess finally looked to him, after massaging her neck. Once she saw Dipper, she screamed. "Oh my god! We – we need to get you to – oh no! Dipper! BLOOD!" she roared.

"Hey, hey!" he grasped her hands gently, "I'm okay. Okay? Just relax. I'm okay for now."

"But-but-"

"Trust me," he said, and offered her a tired smile. A mild mistake, as his brain seemed to throb in rebellion at the attempt to do so. He reached for a glove compartment, and there found several pieces of insurance paper, and used them to pad his skull. "Not like mom will care," Dipper grumbled, mentally reprimanding himself for ruining the proof of insurance. "I wonder if I'm even allowed to drive in this..."

Ahead and beyond the windshield, Dipper saw figures approaching. Slowly, but steadily. They were not the cloaked grunts, but the trained men from Alberta. The Hunters. Dipper pushed Jess's shoulder and then pointed ahead. "Look!" he demanded, and that she did.

"Okay!" she nodded, and tried to push the door open. It wouldn't budge. "Dipper!" she cried out.

"Grab my hand!" Dipper shouted.

"Just reverse us!" Jess shouted.

"I can't drive, Jess," Dipper shouted, "I can barely see ahead of me! We need to run!"

Jess looked ahead. They were almost thirty feet away now. Sweat formed across her face, but she then nodded. She grasped his hand, and Dipper slammed open his door. Three needles shot out and barely missed Dipper's legs as he yanked Jess with him, and the two darted down the car, keys in hand.

A hot rod slid into view before them, parking at the entrance to the alley. Dipper gasped and waved at Soos as he stepped out of the car and ran to them.

Soos, rushing from the side of Stanley Pines car, shouted, "Dudes! You're alive!"

"For now," Dipper grinned.

"Whoa, we need medic Wendy on the scene," Soos pointed to his head.

"I'll be okay for the time," Dipper shrugged.

With an incredulous scoff, Jess noted, "Wendy can do medicine?"

"Gentlemen!" Ford shouted from the car, having yet stepped out. "Please hurry! Time is of the- LOOK OUT!" he pointed and ducked back into the car.

Soos grabbed the twin in his large arms and spun around the side of the corner wall. Several more darts flew past, inches from scratching Soos's arm. "Close shave, well, pierce," Soos grunted as he dropped the two and stood at the corner.

"They reload really fast," Dipper growled.

"Get to the car!" Ford demanded.

"We can't! They'll shoot!" Dipper shouted back. Several darts zapped into the wall next to his head, and Dipper looked past the El Diablo. Montana had arrived, along with two of his goons, and were some fifty feet away, marching closer. Dipper, panting, and aware of how close this was getting, grabbed both hands of his friends. "Okay, now or-"

Soos's car revved up. Ford had switched seats, and speed back.

"HEY!" Dipper roared, but the car sped away, disappearing into the lot. "You- you traitor! I knew it! TRUST NOBODY!" he screamed after the roadster.

With an audible, worried gulp, Soos asked, "He'll bring it back, right?"

"Let's not wait around to find out," Jess said, pushing against Soos, towards the front doors.

"Quick! Inside!" Dipper pointed, and charged with his two friends into the interior of the factory. The automatic doors received three needles through their glass as they opened, causing the three two duck and swerve.

"Welcome to the Historical and Original Pitt Factory! The only Pitt you'll not want to crawl out of!" a cheerful automated voice called out as they stepped inside the air-conditioned room.

It was a huge visitor hallway, with various cowering people pushed against the sides of the walls, watching as the three ran inside. The sweet air was punctured by the cries and whimpering of the fearful. Desks hid the public workers who dived under for cover. A single guard approached the three.

"Hey! No running inside!" he said, a night stick out as he approached the three.

Dipper glanced behind and saw Alberta and his five followers. He pushed Soos aside and grabbed Jess as he pulled. Three needles zipped past and struck the guard.

"Hey!" the guard shouted, waving his stick meekly in the air, "No un-authorized... weapons... in the-" he collapsed forward with a loud snore.

Racing across the floor as the guard fell, thee three approached a pair of double-doors that lead further inside the old factory. Slamming them open, they ran down a similar well-lit hallway of old-school wooden walls, and crusty paint jobs. People peered around just to see them race by. Then from behind, people shouted. Dipper pulled Jess aside again, narrowly dodging three more darts, which scattered at the end of the hallway.

"That door!" Dipper shouted, pointing to a doorway on Soos's left. A plaque read next to it: Factory Floor. Soos took the call and leapt for it, shoving the door aside and ushering Dipper and Jess inside.

Stepping inside, the three skidded to a halt. They were on a platform, overlooking the entirety of what could have been the majority of the massive factory. A small platform before them displayed a mechanical array of buttons, knobs, and levers.

"Shoot, what now!?" Soos asked, "We're closed off."

Dipper approached the edge, and looked down. Chains dangled from the edge of their platform to the solid stone floor. "Here," Dipper nodded, and climbed over the safety rail and began to shimmy down the chains. Jess looked down, and her arms out, she glided through the air, landing beneath Dipper.

"Uh oh," Soos gulped, and with about as much flexibility he could muster, climbed over the control panel. As he made to spin around and grasp the chains just below his reach, his leg struck a lever and he yelped. The snag threw him off, and he tumbled forward, barely able to grab hold of the old metal chains below him. Before he began to climb down though, the mechanical world around them whirred and hummed to life.

As Dipper landed next to Jess, he looked around. Pistons were pumping, and wheels were twirling faster and faster. The sweet, peach perfumed air was suddenly tainted as a blast of raw steam enveloped the two below, making them cough.

"Soos! You turned it on," Dipper coughed.

"Oh, sorry!" Soos cried out as he slowly climbed down, "I- I didn't mean to! I'm just making a lot of mistakes these days-"

The doors above shot open, and men began to climb out onto the platform. Soos finally landed onto the ground next to the two, and the three scurried out of sight, hiding behind a large soda labeling machine.

Up above, the crew was chatting.

"Platform has no way down," one of them said, scowling.

"Not no way," another noted, and pointed over the edge, "The chains are swaying a bit."

"So, they're in here?"

Alberta Jeffreys grunted. "Turn off the gadgets. It'll just make it harder for us to find them." The closest one approached the board, and frowned. After a moment, he pushed a button. The lights above let out a crisp Zap. The electronic panel exploded, and the lightbulbs of the room all exploded. The only remaining sources of light were the active machinery and the switchboard before the men. Alberta swore, and rounded on the one who had touched the button. "Really?"

"These things aren't labeled!" the man who blew the fuses complained. Alberta shoved him aside, holstering his weapon on his shoulder. The man pointed, "Look, see?" Looking onto the board of switches and buttons, Alberta scowled and glanced around.

"Alright. This just got a bit interesting, that's all," he declared, and turned to his men, "One gets posted up here, the rest, we're going down and finding them. Use thermal tracking," he said, and lowered himself around the ledge, climbing down the chains.

Dipper pulled the two aside, and then away from the platform by some thirty feet. "Look, if I heard them talking correctly, they're going to use thermal visioning."

"I hope they don't have flamethrowers," Soos gulped.

"What? No! Soos," Dipper hissed quietly, "That means they'll use heat to find us. But that's not such a bad thing," Dipper said, pointing behind himself to a large device that was spewing a steady steam of white vapor. "This place will begin to heat up, and we'll be harder to track."

"Not only that," Jess added, "But they can only see thermal through their scopes," she added, "It's how they hunted Jace and I at night! So, if we just find places that a scope would be hard to be used-"

"Uh, just how do I hide?" Soos asked, holding his chubby belly.

The two looked at Soos, and then behind him. There was something laying on the floor some ten or so feet behind, and Dipper grinned.

"I think... we may actually have a way to combat these jerks," he nodded in appreciation.

"Does it involve me being bait?" Soos said, his chest deflated.

Dipper patted his arm, grinning. "Not at all."

The five men departed below, each with their weapon out. The dark environment made for an eerie surrounding, with many red and yellow flashes and glowing lights around, it became hard for the eyes to adjust well. But these men were hunters. They trained their senses well enough to cope with stress like this. While not as easy as shooting them down a hallway or in a dead-end room, they had it easy. Outnumbered, and outgunned. Now it was time to bag the kid, get the other kid, and get the money.

"Comms up?" Alberta asked, tapping on his ear, where a small mechanical plug was placed.

"Yessir," five replies stated.

"Okay. Split up, but keep in distance. I don't know about the twins, but tweety bird was something of a struggler," Alberta said, lifting a cigarette to his mouth and lighting it with a match, "I don't think they'll just find a corner and hide."

"Traps, sir?" one said.

"Maybe. Just keep your wits. No telling what a cornered monster will do," he grinned, taking a drag.

"She's just a kid," one of them scoffed.

"A harpy. She's a monster either way," Alberta said with finality, "Now, sniff them out."

One of the men stepped over a large piping and under a now running conveyor belt. As he did, he found himself in a semi-open region between the processor of cans and a boiling tank. He traced the large, highly polished metal with his weapon, using the heat of the room to look through the darkness. Steam shot out from a vent system, and he jolted, looking around it as best he could.

From the distance, he heard a 'shh'. Not a vent this time, but someone telling another to be quiet. He grinned, and crouched lower. He was nearing the wall of the factory floor, and found himself looking at a pair of double doors that would no doubt lead back outside. They were wrapped in solid iron chains, and completely locked.

Turning away, he saw a shoe sticking out from behind a large piece of piping. It was twenty feet away, small enough to be the bird-girl's. As the hunter turned, he paused once, spotting something large between him and the shoes. It lay crumbled on the floor, fuzzy and circular, with thin noodle arms. With a shudder at what appeared to be some sort of weird mascot, the hunter approached the shoe. He made to step over the mascot, his eyes glued onto the shoes.

Something then knocked him off his feet, from underneath him. As he gasped and made to speak, a heavy fist struck his gut, and he wheezed for air. He looked up, seeing the outline of a large peach with a big, happy face on it. Then the hands reached out, and the man screamed out.

On the comms line, someone called out, "Barnes?"

His voice echoed across the factory as he yelled, and then went silent.

The four men still accountable stopped, listening.

"What was that?" one of them grunted.

Alberta turned around, looking in the direction of the platform. "Brookes, call it," Alberta demanded.

On the comms, their watchman sounded uncertain. "I saw him moving towards the side left door, probably spotted them. Then something really big moved!"

Alberta growled, "The fat one."

"No, sir," the watchman, Brookes, replied, "Big. Round. Sort of like a circle or something."

"Like a circle or something?!" another cried out, "What the heck, is that?"

With certainty and causality, Alberta declared, "Barnes is out. Probably dead."

"Dead?" another gasped.

Brushing off dead ash from his drug, Alberta snorted, "Until we know otherwise, he's considered dead. Harpies were man-eaters in the past."

"Sir, should we group?" another called.

"Don't be pansies," Alberta growled.

"But-"

"FIND THEM!" Alberta roared, his voice echoing loud through the factory floor. As he panted, and re-adjusted himself, he said to himself, "No one doubts their choice of me over my brother. No one. Now, let's find them."

As he passed by, he failed to notice something watching him through several pipes: a large, old, worn, peach mascot with big eyes and a happy smile. As Alberta moved away, it slunk back into the shadows, ready to claim it's next victim.

The watchman, Brookes, spied into the distance with his rifle. The steam in the room was becoming a problem, as he could only really seemed to catch glances of his crew and suppose where they would meet up. Still, he could track it all. If something moved, he'd notice it.

Then the chain below him clattered. He gasped and paused, holding his breath. Could... could one of the brats be beneath him? Quietly, he said into the comms, "Guys. We got one sneaking back to the platform. Just beneath me, right now."

"Rodger that," Alberta affirmed, "Doubling back to meet up."

"I'll tranq. them," he grunted, and approached the edge.

"Just hold still and supervise," Alberta told him.

"What's he going to do, jump up twenty feet?" the man cackled.

From the crowded noises echoing around him, there was a rush of wind. He felt it, and made to turn, thinking the door had opened. Instead, two feet planted themselves onto his shoulder, knocking him aside. Thrown off, his balance continued until the railing wasn't enough to stop him. He cried out, and fell off the ledge.

His echoing cry halted Alberta. His men all froze, aware of where the screams had come from.

"Boss?" another man asked on the comms.

"That was Brookes," another whispered.

"They're actually fighting back?"

"No way. Freakin' kids are vicious-"

Chewing on the end of the cigarette, Alberta snarled, "Calm. Down. Re-group. Find your best way to the central boiling vats and generators by the back side."

"But they have a straight shot to the exit," another reminded him.

"Not from my position," he smiled, and looked behind him. True to Alberta's word, he could see straight over various machinery to the distant platform. If they tried to escape there now, he would see it. They wouldn't be getting far with his dosage in their backs. He smirked and added, "Besides, I think tweety bird and her friends are able to hear in on our plans. We played their game, but our move is to change the rules."

The large volume of steam that burst nearby hid away the sneaking mascot of a smiling peach. The wide eyes and toothy smile across the front of the four-foot-tall peach would normally make for a near impossible way to hide, but steam was its ally; masking it's padded feet under the various degrees of hissing and spouts of heat.

Some thirty feet away, it stopped, and the top half of the peach was removed, and Dipper nearly gagged. Stepping out to him from the shadows was Soos just as Jess landed next to them.

"You okay there, bud?" Soos asked. Dipper shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Too hot?" Jess asked, patting his arm gently.

"Too hot, too awkward to move, smells like dead possum," Dipper grunted as sweat mixed with the dried trail of blood down his face, "And too stupid. I thought this was a good idea, but at this rate I'm going to die without them ever seeing me."

"I thought you had a good idea," Soos admitted, "The creepy, ever-smiling face is a nice touch."

Jess nodded and took the top half from Dipper, eying it. "It is really creepy," she added, and handed it back, "But they can't see you with those thermal thingies."

"They, well, could," Dipper said, "But I would never stand out. Not initially. This thing is starting to boil on me," he said, and stepped out from the costume, kicking it aside, "Eventually I'll just be a large walking heated circle to them. Might as well ring the bell and shout 'come and get me'."

"But now what?" Soos gulped, "They're coming together. Like, right now. Just over there," he pointed through piping.

Dipper turned, looking through. Sweat dripped across his face and down his nose as he peered through. They'd have to act soon. The four remaining hunters, including Alberta, had yet to cluster up, but at the rate they were moving, they'd have only a minute or so. They needed to act quickly.

"We need to entice them," Dipper decided, turning away from watching the others in the dark, "Make them come to us, not us to them."

"Set up a bait?" Jess asked.

"Sounds easy enough," Soos shrugged, "I could, uh, be bait?"

"No, Soos," Dipper rolled his eyes, "they need someone who they think would be more helpless. We've already heard what they call you," and he looked to Jess. Soos's eyes fell to look at the floor.

"I... yeah," Jess nodded, "I can do that."

"Okay. Go make a scene," Dipper sighed, "We're right behind you."

The harpy nodded, took a deep breath, and then ran. Following the side of the wall, she turned at an opening, and waved her arms. "Hey! Idiots!" she stuck out her tongue and then turned. The moment she had started to run, a pencil sized needle shattered against the solid wall behind her. She was moving, and being chased. Dipper motioned to Soos, and he moved aside, pressing himself into the shadows as they watched.

A figure darted into view, reloading their main needle-barrel.

Dipper ran, ahead, more than ever trying to cover distance rather than remain in stealth. The man heard and turned, readying his weapon. Dipper however was too quick, and grabbed the tool as he passed, wrenching it from the man's hands and spinning him around.

Soos ran up and shouted, "Fix this!" as he grabbed the back of the guy's head and threw him aside. The man, stumbling and blind, slammed into the side of the wall with an audible thud. He fell aside, limp and slumping to the floor.

Then another arrived, his weapon drawn and ready. Dipper raced and reached out, narrowly dodging a Needle that could have been directed at either him or Soos. Soos gasped and stepped aside, nearly tripping over the collapsed man.

The man was ready for Dipper. He made a grand kick out towards Dipper. Training with Arline, however, prepared him for it. He side-stepped and lunged in, grabbing the weapon.

The man snarled back at Dipper, "Hands off, you punk!"

"Why don't you let go then," Dipper managed to say as he panted, feeling the might of the man as he struggled to maintain a firm grip over the weapon. A foot made its way next to Dipper's leg, and pushed. The man shoved Dipper back, and then drove the stock of the weapon into Dipper's stomach.

The wind was, for the second time that day, knocked out of him and he reeled back. A rush of air made him flinch, and he wheezed, "Jess, careful!"

The Harpy dived at the man, who reached out for her foot. She was now stuck trying to fly away, as the man anchored her down. "Let GO!" she roared, trying to kick out at the man's hands.

"Then stay DOWN!" he snapped back, and swung her to the ground with all his might. Jess screamed as she took a direct and sudden hurtle against the solid ground. Tough or not, she took the impact full, and rolled aside, gasping and coughing.

"Bagged," the man sneered as he aimed for her.

From next to him, a figure arise and screamed, "BELLY POWEEEERRR!"

Soos's grand stomach appeared out of nowhere. The Hunter's eyes shot wide as a gut the size of his body rose out of the darkness and slammed into his head, knocking him up into the air. Throw up, the Hunter's head struck a pipe line. The force was enough to crack the pipe, and the man fell and hit the ground with another sick thud.

As Soos emerged into the red light, he massaged his belly. "That's right, my proud stomach. You can digest anything, can't you?"

"Hey," a voice called to Soos from his right.

Soos looked over, and before he could kindly reply, a net shot out. Off his feet Soos went, tumbling backwards and tied up in a rough, firm wrap. He rolled away, nearing what appeared to be ledge for various unused boiling vats.

Dipper stood and shouted. "Soos!" As he charged, the man was re-loading his weapon, which gave Dipper the chance he needed. He got close enough, and then swerved aside as a second net was shot out, missing Dipper entirely. He grabbed the business end of the barrel, and pulled forward, knocking the man off balance. Stumbling forward, another figure ran up to Dipper, lifted herself upward, and kicked out with both feet.

Jess slammed her feet into the man's face. Pulled forwards, and then kicked back, the Hunter was midair and moving away from Jess. Dipper, still holding onto the weapon, used it as leverage, and yanked the man down. From midair, the man crashed down. His hands limp, Dipper took the weapon away from the unconscious Hunter. Jess was on the ground, the orange light from various warning lights cascading over her face. He lowered a hand to her. "Nice kick," he smiled.

Jess gulped, looking to his hand. Taking it, she managed to nod, and mumbled something about seeing him fight.

Soos's voice floated over, "Uhh, could I get some help here?"

Dipper chuckled, and with Jess at his side, the two approached the tied up and bound Handyman. Dipper grasped at one of the sides, and began to unravel. "Man, these things are tight," he growled, "These guys aren't cheap with their tools."

"Professional," Soos hummed, still knotted. "You know, had we not been enemies, I'd almost compliment them on their professional tendencies."

With a grunt, Jess reminded them both, "They're trying to kill us?"

"Only Graupner's Goons are trying that. These guys want us bagged," Dipper argued, helping Jess untie a closed knot of rope.

"Exactly. They're all crazy and wild," Soos mused, "Which is fine, but they have a mission, and just go crazy about it," he said as the net slowly became loosened.

Boomph.

Dipper gasped and turned, his weapon up. It was too late though. Just as he and Jess spun around to see it, another net slammed, this time, into Dipper. Lifted off his feet and carried back, Dipper slide across the ledge of the vat chambers, now tied up with his robbed weapon.

"DIPPER!" Jess cried out, running to help Dipper as Soos started to lean up.

Alberta Jeffreys approached, his weapon out and a cigarette in his mouth. He took a breath, and watched Jess run. "Squawking in danger," he chortled, and patted the cigarette, "Typical monsters."

"Hey!" Soos stood up, shaking off the nets from him.

Alberta paused, eying Soos. "What, lardo?" he asked.

"Okay, first of all, I know that was meant as an insult," Soos said, a finger out as he countered, "But lard is wonderful. It makes food taste great sometimes, and can be a great binding agent if used properly. So hah," Soos nodded, "And secondly, what's that about typical monsters? Not cool, dawg."

Alberta rolled his eyes, and approached Soos without care. "So, you're one of those 'Extra-Normal' believers, huh?" he asked.

"Uh, I guess," Soos shrugged, stepping to the side, attempting to block off Dipper and Jess from Alberta.

"Then you'd be stupid as well as fat," Alberta snorted, "Monsters, like harpies, and merfolk, and goblins; all are dangerous creatures that should be either put down, or on a leash," he sneered.

"I'm not stupid," Soos huffed, "Monsters are totally chill too. People like Jess and her family are the reason why people should trust monsters! I mean, 'Extra-Normals'," he corrected himself.

"You ever fought a monster, fatty?" Alberta grinned, "You ever have to fight for your life against something that looks at humans, and licks its lips because it's hungry?"

"Well, yes," Soos shrugged, "But people are bad too! I mean, you're trying to do bad stuff to other people now! Does that mean you should be put on a leash?"

Alberta's grin faded, and his eyes sharpened. He quietly, he warned Soos, "I'm better than monsters. I don't kill them, but I'm not going to let them walk over me. Now, out of the way, fatso."

"I'm not moving, you jerk of a hunter," Soos gulped, "And if that means I have to fight you... Uh... Okay," he said, and he slowly widened his arms, ready to engage in a match.

Alberta shook his head. "Move. I don't need to waste a perfectly good tranquilizer on you."

"Uh, you will in a moment!" Soos warned, his voice shaking.

"Just give us a bit more time!" Dipper called out.

"You can do it, Soos!" Jess cheered.

Soos yelled and threw his first punch. Alberta caught it with an open hand and cast it aside. "Wow. Strong! Huh," Soos thought. "Well, try this!" he cried out, and then made his best attempt at a kick. The man simply stepped around him, and pushed Soos down. "Oof!" Soos grunted as he rolled back up, and ran to block off Alberta from Jess and Dipper.

"You're a persistent chump, aren't you?" Alberta shook his head.

Soos, steadying himself, told him, "For my friends, you have no idea daw."

Alberta laughed. "Friends!?" he shook his head. "You mean those people who have been able to keep you safe this entire time?" Alberta pointed past Soos. The Handyman faltered in his stance. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" Alberta asked.

"Soos, don't listen to him!" Dipper called out, "You're plenty helpful!"

"Yeah!" Jess added.

"How?" Alberta called out loud, "Like now? Where he can only be a huge, fat, barrier between me and you?" he asked, "Or how he can't even watch the status of his very own car?" Or-" Soos's head fell, his entire body language becoming slumped. Alberta nodded. "Yeah, see? You're useless without these guys. You're a man who doesn't even deserve to be called a man. So, get out of my-"

"What the heck is your freakin' problem?!" Dipper shouted. "How can you be so different from your brother!?"

The glaring eyes of Alberta shifted. He looked past Soos to Dipper, tied up and stuck on the floor. "You don't know a thing about my brother," Alberta scoffed.

"Yes, I do!" Dipper growled.

"Oh, great," Alberta rolled his eyes, "Another fan boy. Wrote him letters, did you?" Alberta asked, "Did you want him to help you 'get through a hard part of your life'? Seen all his movies!?" Alberta snapped, spit flying from his mouth. "Well trust me, he's nothing like the movies about him! He's a liar, and-"

"I'm not his fan," Dipper interrupted loudly, "I personally met him."

Alberta stood up fully. "You didn't."

"Uh, yeah, I did," Dipper added, "and I know he's not half of an ass you are!"

"Where?" Alberta demanded, pushing Soos away as he stepped closer. "Where is he!?" he demanded as Soos fell to the ground, watching Alberta leave with shimmering eyes.

Stuck to his net, Dipper none the less felt bold. He exclaimed, "He was at Gravity Falls this summer, but he left. My sister and I convinced him to-" Dipper started, but the man shoved aside Jess and grabbed the netting, holding Dipper up with his hands.

In a tone dripping with malice, Alberta Jeffreys asked, "If you don't tell me, I will not only turn you in for the pay, but I'll torture you as much as I can do so without destroying you. Physically, that is," he added.

Dipper leaned away, feeling the stinking breath of the man wafting by. "You're insane," Dipper grumbled.

Alberta then roared, "WHERE IS HE!?"

"How would I know!?" Dipper shrugged.

Jess roared, took a flap of her arms to go airborne, and then slammed into the chest of Alberta. The man stumbled back, and rolled away as Jess crashed onto the ground. Alberta was back on his feet already as his cigarette fell apart. He swore loudly as his weapon skidded and fell off the ledge into the vats. The man with madness in his eyes crawled up and marched over to a struggling Jess. With a stomp, he slammed his foot onto the center of her back. She cried out, her eyes welling with tears.

"Damn... monsters," Alberta snarled, pushing down on Jess's spine.

"Hel-help-hel-" Jess gagged as she found she could not intake air.

"LET GO OF HER!" Dipper shouted, and stood, untangling the loosened net from his body. As he stood, Alberta raced to him, aware that Dipper still held the weapon he claimed from one of his hunters. Dipper had no time to align a shot. Alberta was fast as someone his age could be- and he snatched the weapon from Dipper, and held it away.

Dipper couldn't let him stay armed. He kicked up and out, knocking the rifle from his hands. as it spiraled away. He leapt, and drove a fist at Alberta, who weaved around it. In return, Alberta head-butted Dipper.

The injury from crashing his car still hadn't healed, and Dipper yelled as he felt as if his head might split open. Clutching his skull, he stepped away, but still had sights of the mad hunter. Casting aside his pain, Dipper whirled about, and threw a kick against Alberta. Though the hunter caught the kick, he was winded, and Dipper then threw a punch across his face.

"Dipper!" Jess shouted, having recovered and grasped the needle rifle, "Hold him steady!"

"I can't!" Dipper shouted as he struggled against the impressive training and hardened body of Alberta Jeffrey's, "Just shoot him!"

"Don't!" Alberta snarled, glancing to the harpy once before jabbing at Dipper, "You'll miss! You'll hit him!"

"No, Jess!" Dipper shouted, "Trust me, just shoot!"

Now grappling Dipper, Alberta grinned, showing his stained teeth. "C'mon then," he chuckled, "Try it. See how good the tweety bird shoots," he licked his lips.

Jess went red and she shrieked, "Stop calling me that!" and pulled the trigger.

Alberta pivoted, and spun Dipper an inch to the side as he stepped away. The needle flew forward, and as a projectile would, it struck the first thing in it's path. Dipper flinched as he was moved into the path of the projectile, and it stuck just under his armpit, awkwardly sticking from his shirt.

Dipper gasped and stumbled, clinging onto Alberta. Jess dropped the weapon, her hands at her mouth. Alberta merely lifted his hands and placed them at the scruff of Dipper's vest.

"And my work was done for me," he said, holding up the limp Dipper. "Thanks for the help, Tweety Bir-"

Dipper roared and pushed. Like a man emerging from the grave like a fresh and angered beast, Dipper cast himself at Alberta. He drove him into the air. Soos watched with Jess as Dipper shoved Alberta, tossing him to the edge. The Hunter had nowhere else to go, and as he yelled out once, he fell down the vat, vanishing into the darkness some twenty feet away.

Dipper's fingers clung to the surface as he held on, having fallen off himself. Jess and Soos both rushed forward. Soos skidded with his knees against the ground as he tried to reach out for Dipper, along with his harpy friend.

But Dipper's fingers slipped.

The two, in a world where the silence they heard was only in their minds, watched as Dipper fell. His beanie fell away from his head as his hair blew freely in the wind, and then he also entered the darkness below. A moment later.

BAM.

Soos and Jess both cried out.

"H-Hang on, dude!" Soos yelled, standing up as quickly as he could, and looking around. He saw a ladder that led below. "C'mon, Jess!"

She nodded, eyes glued wide as she refused to look away from the spot Dipper had vanished. Climbing down the ladder was a quick, hasty endeavor by the two. Soos constantly slipped, and eventually jumped from almost six feet up. While he landed roughly, he pushed himself upright. Jess glided from the top, and raced ahead.

The two spotted him.

Dipper had landed on a sheet of metal, facing the sky. His eyes were closed, and one of his hands lay near the needle, still stuck in his side.

"Dipper!" Jess ran over with Soos, who skidded to a halt next to him. "Is he..." she started, and choked, "Is he-"

"Hold on dawg," Soos panted, and he leaned down, feeling Dipper's palm.

"Soos, is he-"

"Jess, hold on dawg," Soos panicked, "I have to make sure he's okay."

"No, he can't be!" she cried, and kneeled next to him, and touched his side, "I needed to tell him how much I loved him! He needed to know!"

Soos gasped, and turned to her. "Oh... oh Jess," Soos said, his tone beaten. "I'm sorry."

"I... if I had warned him about this," she started, tears now welling in her eyes, "Then maybe, maybe, you all would have kept away, and... and this wouldn't have happened," she sniffled, and wiped her eyes before beginning to quietly sob.

Dipper's eyes opened. "Uh, Jess," he grumbled.

Jess leapt into the air, akin to receiving a jolt of lightning. "D-Dipper!" she shrilly said, blushing so greatly that even the dim light couldn't mask it.

"DIPPER!" Soos roared, and wrapped his arms around his neck in a mighty embrace.

"Ack! Soos!" Dipper choked, "Easy!"

Soos let go, and glared. He, Soos, actually glared at Dipper. "Don't you... don't you even go and pretend to die like that! Totally not cool, dawg! Pterodactyl bros don't go feigning death without telling the other!"

"Ptero-what?" Jess hiccupped.

"Soos, I wasn't pretending," Dipper grumbled, and leaned up, rubbing the back of his head, "I hit my head on the way down. But, lucky for us," he smiled, and slammed his fist on the metal he sat on, and it made an impressive thunderous BAM, "The floor here is aluminum. Absorbed most of my impact. Honestly though," he added as he groaned, "It still stunned the heck out of me. Sounded like you guys were a mile away."

Soos leaned in. "But, dude, you got shot," Soos pointed to the still imbedded needle.

Dipper smirked. "Yeah, everyone saw that. I thought I was a goner too, but," he flicked the needle out, and reached under his vest, withdrawing the third journal, "Boom. Journals coming in handy even when not referenced. The needle just hit the binding cover! I just acted like I was being knocked out so Alberta would lower his defenses," Dipper explained with a smirk.

"Dude," Soos sniffled, "That's pretty awesome, dawg."

Dipper smiled. "Thanks buddy. If you hadn't been there, I may not have been able to sell it though," he shrugged. Soos's smile faded slightly, but he nodded. He glanced to Jess, who inexplicably turned and looked away. "Well," Dipper cleared his throat, "Maybe we should head up? Hopefully we can get out without drawing anymore-"

"HOLD IT!"

The three jumped, and looked up. At the top of the ledge, some twenty feet up, a man stood, panting. He was holding another needle gun, and pointing it to them. They recognized as the man they had first knocked out, using the mascot as a disguise. Glaring down at them, he spat to the side.

"Kiddies, this ends now," he growled, "You stay put until my other buds get up, or I'll inject you all without enough tranq to sleep for a year!" he roared.

"Dude," Dipper groaned, "just give it up! We already beat your boss, and everyone else. Just call it quits!"

"NO!" he yelled, "This time, we're bagging the best prize. Now stand still or-"

WHACK.

A hand-sized detached pipe struck across the hunter's back, and he stumbled. Collapsing to his side, another stood in his place, dropping the removed pipe with a loud clatter. Adjusting his glasses, he nodded down to them and waved a six-fingered hand. "I thought re-grouping would be wise, since the hunters were doing the same," Stanford stated, as Mabel, Wendy, and Jace arrived next to him.

Having the group walk outside was less troublesome than Dipper had anticipated. The idea of walking before the crowds of traumatized visitors and guests to the old factory had frightened him, but with a bit of pick-pocking smarts from Wendy, the gang used a previous sealed door to just walk out of the back, with no one there to ask annoying questions. They were out, unnoticed, and able to talk to themselves.

"I'm just glad that the cops showed up at all," Jace explained as they closed the doors behind them, "Even if the army isn't coming, or are late, or whatever," he shrugged, "The state militia scared away those machine gunners and their stupid helicopter."

"So, your parents are okay?" Mabel asked.

"Yeah. Waiting for us across the river. We'll be heading south. There's a city by the Chesapeake Bay that may have a cruise that leads to the bahamas. It's either that or Greece. Or not," Jace rolled his eyes, "I have no idea where mom and dad want to go next."

"Well, when you get to Baltimore," Mabel patted his arm, "Say good morning for me."

As Jace chuckled, Dipper marched straight up to Stanford. "You ran away!" Dipper growled, turning to Ford. Now outside and in the back alley, he stared at the middle-aged man. "We could have used your help, and you decided to duck and run!"

"Dipper, I immediately sought out your sister and Wendy," Stanford insisted. "The only reason I was able to get as far back to you was because we joined forces afterwards. Besides, had I not left to get them, how would you have fared with that last hunter?" Stanford asked. Dipper glowed red. "Dipper," Stanford suddenly sighed, "I... understand that, well, you've read my journals. You've seen the things I've written in them. 'Trust no one' is exactly why I ended up becoming a pawn in Bill Cipher's plans!" he barked.

"We know," Dipper grumbled.

"But I'm not the person you've met," Stanford argued. "I am, somehow, from your past, into my own future. Based on what you informed the Boreas family," he added, adjusting his glasses against the bridge of his nose, "This stone and the explosion are the cause for removing reality." Dipper's jaw tightened, and he glared at Stanford. "I never pressed you for information, Dipper, but when you are willing to divulge, I need to listen. I want to understand what's going on here as much as you."

"And... what do you think?" Dipper asked.

"I..." Stanford stood up. "Will be willing to explain, but I'll need some materials. Just to explain how my theory stands."

Dipper pocketed his hands, and shrugged. "Fine. I... I guess that can't hurt."

Stanford smiled. "Excellent! I'll go get to Stanley's old car with Soos. Dipper," he added as he turned, "You really should get that looked at. Head trauma is not something to be taken lightly for great minds, like the two of us."

Dipper paused as he watched Ford walk away. His heart had taken a second beat, and he stood, rooted to the ground as he watched his young great-uncle walk away. Dipper couldn't help it; trust or not, his lips curled into a soft smile. Stanford Pines, the mind behind the three journals, considered Dipper a 'great mind'.

"Ahem." Dipper turned around, and found Jess in the shadows.

"Oh, Jess," he said, facing her.

"Hey," she managed with a puff of energy. "Ah," she tried speaking, but her voice faltered. "Uh..." she tried again.

Watching her carefully was almost painful. She herself was not a person who could voice her emotions well, and Dipper could empathize entirely. He could almost see himself there, struggling to find the words to say to... Wendy.

She sighed and finally spoke. "Dipper, I know, uh, that I said something really, really, really... big, back there," she played with the feathers by her ears, "But, I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am," she swallowed loudly, "For letting the situation get the better of me. You already- I mean, I don't really- I mean-" she put her hands to the sides of her head and groaned.

Dipper let a corner of his cheek turn upright. "Hey, I getcha."

She looked up to him. "Yeah?" she asked.

Dipper shrugged. "Totally do. I mean, it doesn't help that I knew you felt that way since we basically met."

"Wh-what!?" she gasped.

"Uh, yeah," Dipper nodded.

"H-h-how?! I never told anyone! Any... Jace," she growled, and started to march ahead with her face hot like a burning poker.

"Whoa, whoa," Dipper held her back, "This had nothing to do with your brother. Look, Jess," Dipper leaned down to her, "I know you think you're alone, right now, with this sort of feeling. Like no one can understand how impossible you think it is, to look at someone like, well, the person you care about and have someone understand what you're going through in your head, but believe me," Dipper looked into her eyes, "I do. You're not alone."

She blinked, her expression becoming one of awe. "Have... you been psychic this entire time, Dipper?" she asked.

Dipper laughed. "No. Not yet at least. Still considering the pros and cons to that one," he admitted to the side. "No, I mean... I went through what you're going through."

"You... did?" she asked. He nodded. "It... was it with someone who lived in Gravity Falls?" she asked.

Dipper glanced back, spotting the trailing hair of Wendy as she walked with Mabel and Jace. "I guess you could say that she lived in Gravity Falls," he sighed.

Jess sighed. "It is Wendy," she said, her head falling.

"Hey," he turned back to her, "Why does that matter to you?"

"Because that means you'll never feel the same way," Jess sniffled, "And, it's stupid and wrong for me to just want that! Right?" she asked, tears falling from her eyes, "Like, what kind of selfish idiot wants someone for themselves even when they know they like somebody else?"

Dipper reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Jess, I know it hurts. Look at me; I'm still not dating who I have feelings for," he admitted. She looked to him, confusion dotting her tears. "It's... really complicated with the wraith stuff," Dipper admitted, "But that's kind of the trouble. We may want to control the way we feel, but sometimes we can't."

"It sucks," Jess sniffed, rubbing her eyes.

"Sometimes," he nodded, "But sometimes it doesn't. Love sort of hurts, in sometimes the best ways, and sometimes the worst ways. But we have to learn how to cope with the bad as much as the good. It's just like life."

Jess laughed, looking at him. "That's why I like you. You're stupidly smart," she said with a grin.

"Give yourself a few years, Jess," Dipper said, "You'll look back and think how much of an idiot I was. Probably," he added with a shake of his head.

A ruffle of feathers suddenly launched at him. He almost fell back, but instead found himself in a hug. Tears were falling into his shoulders, soaking his shirt and vest, but he found only a warm smile spreading across his face. The hug was tight around his arms, and he gently patted her back.

"I'm going to miss you," she managed.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too," he said as she leaned back. She walked around him as he stood up.

"Jace!" she called, beginning a run forward. He turned, seeing her leave with Dipper. "We can go now!"

"Oh, well only with your permission, your highness," he rolled his eyes. He turned to Mabel, and again exchanged a hug. Mid-hug, Jess jabbed his ribs. "Ow," he grunted. The two approached the end of the parking lot together, and found themselves under the patch of opening sky where the clouds parted.

"Bye guys!" Mabel cheered.

"Good luck saving us all from certain magical doom!" Jace beamed as he leapt into the air, followed by his sister.

"Safe migrations!" Ford waved after them.

Soos sniffled, and waved too. "You go, harpy sibs!" he called. Wendy waved too, chuckling and patting Soos's shoulders.

Dipper merely smiled and watched them grow higher and higher. Into the blue sky they rose, leaving only a few loose feathers to drift and all before them.

Except for something heavier. It landed right at Dipper's feet, and he looked down. Worn, old, and unmistakable, his old Pine-hat was at his feet. Lifting it back up, he turned back and stared at Jess, concern in his gaze. He found her looking back, beaming.

"I don't need it anymore," she beamed at him, "After all, I don't need to hide being a harpy these days!"

Without another word to one another, Jess and Dipper went their separate ways.

Dipper looked to his hands. There, resting in his palm, was indeed his old hat. It looked so distant to him, like a memory he had never known he could remember. Yet, instantly recognizable. A treasure now, surely. After all, it was only made by Stanford in the mystery Manor. A place that no longer existed.

A memory of home.

Dipper adjusted the back fitting, and then slowly slipped it on.

The rest of the journey through the city was uneventful, but no less tense. As they passed through the streets, the caravan passed the raw destruction the actions of Graupner's cult, The Rising Grasp, had caused. Emergency response teams had quickly replied to the many incidents across town, but Dipper never once saw more important army or military presence.

As they drove out, he noted to Mabel as she sat with him, "The heck happened with the military anyway?"

"Don't know," Mabel shrugged, "That nutty helicopter was chasing after Jace 'n Jess's dad and Mom, and then suddenly just left. Guess they got tired or something."

"Weird. They had us on the run," Dipper mumbled.

The drive out of town was far less stressful. As according to plans, the lot arrived by a small motel five minutes away from the highway leading north, and easily purchased a room for the day and night. After the events that had followed, no one argued about the idea of rest.

As they exited and climbed into the rooms, Ford grunted. "This Zander though, he's got enough sensitive information that he decides the times for these chats?"

"Oh yeah!" Mabel nodded, and bounded onto the bed, which sounded more like a plank of woods than a mattress. "Hmm. Nice and tough!" she patted the rock-hard sheets. She turned back to Ford. "Zander, or, uh, the Gaurdsman, is all about being a secret agent with crazy martial arts powers!"

"And he's kind of controlling," Wendy said as she stepped inside, passing a silent Soos by the Door.

Mabel insisted, "Not crazy controlling."

"Well, his anti-magical nonsense is enough to gain a certificate of warning from my expertise," Ford grumbled, lying against the wall.

Dipper was about to open his mouth, in some sort of agreement. Then the phone in his hand buzzed. He looked to it, and sighed.

"He's calling," he said, and looked around, "Let's get this... where is Soos?" he asked.

Wendy was the first to look about, and notice the door being ajar. "I bet he went off to the car. Dude's been looking a little sullen. I'll go check," she shrugged, and walked out the door. As Dipper answered the phone from the inside, Wendy stepped outside, and spotted Soos instantly. He was already moving around to the side of the building. She couldn't even call out to him before he was out of sight.

Alone, words echoed into Soos's mind. He strained at the realization of how impactful they had been.

You mean those people who have been able to keep you safe this entire time? Where he can only be a huge, fat, barrier between me and you? Alberta Jeffrey's words cut like swords into his brain, leaving him with short, panting breathes.

Soos didn't feel anger at the words, but he felt the weight of what he felt to be truth running down his spine. He felt heavy; sunken into the truth that he, Soos, had been tasked to watch over the twins and Wendy, and thus far had only ended up watching them. Had he failed at Mister Pines task?

How did he mess it all up? When did he really lose control? He looked back into his past, trying to find out how it had all gone badly. Where could he find out the trouble and fix it?

Where? How? He'd do anything to fix this mess!

Images and memories flashed into his mind, and suddenly, he wasn't alone.

"Wendy?" Soos asked, turning around as he opened his eyes. Instead, a single eye stared back at him. He yelled, and leapt back. Floating before him, in broad daylight, was a creature he had only seen in his nostalgic dreams. A triangle with a flat head, silver lines, and a purple interior stared at him. An elaborately decorated top hat floated just above the edge of the flat head, and the being spoke in a cool, soothing voice as it floated around him, twirling a lacey umbrella. "You!?" he gasped, watching her circle him.

"Yes, Soos, I have heard you," Kelly Yore said, in that familiar southern twang.

"B-but this isn't possible," he said.

"It is. I'm in your mind, Soos. You looked back, seeking answers," she explained, and popped open her umbrella, holding onto it with her silver hands and fingers, "Well, here I am."

"I didn't ask for you," Soos pouted.

"You didn't need to," she said, growing wider until she was as wide as a truck. The purple color of her interior vanished, and she became images and people. "I see into that desperation," she explained, showing him trying to fight Alberta, "I see into your hopelessness," she showed Soos thrown down the pit in the Haunted Mansion with the others, "And I see... into your fear," she said, and showed him trembling before the shadow of buffalo, ready to do battle. "Soos," she said as she showed his reflection, but with nothing buy darkness behind him, "You need my help."

"Your help?" he asked.

"I offered you my help once," she proclaimed, and the image of Soos vanished, replacing with a flag of two hands holding a four-pointed star with flames behind it. "My prophecy comes true still," she explained, "And I offer you my aid, Soos."

"Why?!" he demanded, "You, you don't get anything from this deal, do you? So why are you helping me?"

"Soos, I am gaining something from this deal," she cooed, and shrunk in size, "Your trust."

He paused, and picked at his fingers. "Why... does that matter?"

We waved her umbrella through the air lackadaisically. "My family doesn't have the best reputation right now. All I want is to begin to remind people that we're not just evil. We can be helpful. Soos," she leaned in, "I can end this all, right now. All I need is your permission to help you shape one event in your past," she explained, "One moment that will alter everything you've experienced past that point, and make your life, and everyone else's, better."

"But why?" he asked again, her words infecting his mind.

"You certainly have learned from Dipper about trust, haven't you?" she asked, chuckling, "Well... Soos, you're not helping much right now, aren't you? You can't stand up to your enemies, you can't provide more insight to your friends, and now you don't even have the tools to do the one thing you've always been good at," she reminded him, "Fixing things."

"S-So?" he asked, his lip trembling, as he shifted his hat down.

"I can give you a chance," she proclaimed, "An opportunity to make the greatest change of all! The fix-up of a lifetime," she said.

"B-by altering my past?" Soos blinked.

"Oh yes," she nodded. "One... very important moment, and the timeline you know... gone," she waved her hands, displaying phantasm visions, "Graupner as a menace?" His vision appeared, and then became dissipating smoke. "Wendy as a wraith?" she asked, and the same feature appeared and dissipated, "Poof. Gravity Falls being wiped from existence?"

"How?!" he demanded, coming forward, "Tell me how, dawg!"

"Simple," she said, her voice level and cool, "Just... shake my hand." she held out her hand, which suddenly burst into icy blue flame. Soos stared at it, and then to her. "I am not a demon who possesses, Soos," she assured, "But I will hold my end of the bargain."

"But," he gulped.

"Soos, if you're so hesitant," she said, and held out a second hand, "I'll offer you a trial. If you don't like it, we'll discuss the solution together. But I promise, you'll love the changes I provide."

Soos stood back, a hand to his lips. A trial? And he could reverse it? This whole time, Kelly Yore had never said a word of negativity to him, and now she offered an escape if he didn't like it? He hadn't been able to help the team so far. Maybe... maybe this was it? After all, it could be un-done.

Her words met his thoughts. She said, "This is your chance to really fix it, Soos."

Soos grabbed the edge of his cap, and twisted it around. "O-Okay, miss Yore," he nodded, and extended his hand to clasp around hers.

The black ribbons of the abyss he had seen in his dreams unraveled from around her. Soos yelped and tried pulling away from Kelly, but she remained looking into his eyes. "Don't fret, Soos," she explained with a soothing hum, "I'm going to make this better. Better... for everyone."

Soos felt the light of the universe fall away. He was floating. Gone.

He was alone. Gone from time and space.

The only thing he thought he heard as he closed his sleepy eyes was his name being called out. Distantly. Was it Wendy?

Soos couldn't help it.

He closed his eyes, and was gone.

---

So as much as I like to think that I've got some original ideas, I know a ton of you saw this one coming. From the moment I had Soos start doubting himself, you all were like "AWW EZB, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE HIM DO BAD STUFF WITH THE DEMON" and I'm sitting here like...

Naaahhhh. No way, brah.

Welp, you were right. Darn it.

And, for our beloved Harpy siblings, a final salute. *EZB salutes* may they fly away into the sunset... until the halloween episode.

AND! Tomorrow, until next update, I will have a vote up on my writers page. It will go over the list of things people might want to see on the halloween mega-episode coming at the end of the month. The vote will be up all next week, until I update again. When I do, I'll announce that I'll have tallied what you all voted for, and I'll write the Halloween episode.

If you have any final ideas for WHAT you'd like I recommend you write it in a review. I'll add them if they make me either 1. Chuckle, 2. Go YUSH, 3. Make me go 'ohh creepy'. I have four ideas down now, so more may be added. :D

But until then, I leave you all wondering 'the heck happened to the goons of the Rising Grasp'. Because all things, you see, have answers.

(EZB promptly lifts an entire bag of candy corn out from under his desk) Now, time to enjoy the delicious sweetness. (he reaches for the candy, but the candy slides away. Animated and alive, it hops up and down, making 'devilish giggles'.)

Ohhh no. I got some throw-away candy. (EZB is struck so viciously with the candy that he is impaled and stuck to the wall by various pieces of Candy... CORN!)

---

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-AND-

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-AND-

20-8-5 15-14-12-25 16-9-20-20 25-15-21'12-12 23-1-14-20 20-15 19-20-1-25 9-14-19-9-4-5 15-6!