Watching a winged, twelve-foot, giant of a creature stroll through the tight woods of the Pine Barrens was sure a strange thing. The five that followed him, a Quattro of young adults and teenagers, and a lone thirty-year-old or so man, were in relative silence since they collected the sizable pile of bags of potato chips. They dragged it along with them, held together atop a loose tarp on the ground. As the evening turned slowly into night, the crickets began to break the silence.
"Oh, those are pretty," Mabel noted, including herself in the souls willing to puncture the void of discussion.
Wendy mused, "They sound different than the ones back home."
The Jersey Devil growled, and peered over its shoulder. "I use to be able to eat them for food." The two ladies pursed their lips and stared at it, and after a moment of walking again in silence, it snorted and turned its gaze ahead.
"So, uh," Soos piped in, "Mister Devil, mind if I have a bag?" he asked, pointing to one of the several bags he held in his arms.
"NO!" the devil snapped, turning around and panting angrily at Soos. "We made a deal! You want my stones, you shall give me all this food!"
"Oh," Soos gulped, "Apologizes, mister-" the creature whipped back around, its tail narrowly missing their heads, "Devil..." Soos then looked dipper, and handed him a flattened, emptied bag once containing potato chips. Soos whispered, "Don't let him know."
Dipper rolled his eyes, and pocketed the bag. "Look Jersey Devil," Dipper started, marching up to keep pace with the huge creature.
Mabel gasped, "Ohh, or J.D. for short!"
It hastily replied, "Devil."
"Huh?" The twins said.
"I don't care where you humans live. I don't need to be associated with the land of 'Jersey', or 'America'. I am a devil. Now, what do you want?" it said, one of its glowing red eyes turning to glare at Dipper.
"I was just going to ask," Dipper asked, massaging this scalp through his hat, "If you're really struggling for meals to the point where you need to scare people and steal their food, why not just bite the bullet and come forward? Other, uh, types- err- folk like you have," he explained.
The devil, something of a curmudgeon, never turned to Dipper as it spoke. "I have lived decades, centuries, being hunted by mankind," the devil growled, his loud voice clear even as he faced away while walking, "I am not interested in forgiving just because it would convenience you."
"Wow, okay," Dipper cleared his throat quietly, "That's, uh, dramatic."
Behind Dipper, Wendy added, "And sort of freaky, dude. Like, why start trouble?"
"I started no trouble," the devil barked.
In turn, Ford spoke up. "There are countless numbers of lost hunters and researchers throughout the times that have gone off looking for you. You mean to tell me you start no trouble when all people want to do is find you and ask you questions?"
The devil spun in its place, its huge figure glaring down upon the party with ease. "I take no pleasure in harming those, but if you consider shooting someone and asking questions the same," it snarled, "Then I still don't start trouble. I merely finish it."
"Each of the dozens of lost souls in these woods," Ford retaliated, "are gone because you 'finished it'?"
"LOOK!" it roared, leaning in very closely to Ford, who flinched, but did not yield, "I do not care for your kind. They have hunted me since the day I was born. Never have they seen me more than a monster. Only ever have I found one long-term exception, and for that exception alone have I the patience to deal with you five."
Mabel whined, "Aww, you're just a misunderstood beastie."
It snorted, and spun around again. "Oh no, we understand each other very well," it grumbled.
Mabel blinked, and looked around. "So... you're okay being called a monster? But don't like it when people... call you one?"
It peeked over its shoulder. "No creature should be hunted and alone all its life. Such a life brings..." the words seemed lost to the grumbling voice. It looked away, and continued walking. "Are you following me, or not?!" it barked back as it continued into the shadows.
"Yeah, we are," Dipper sighed, and hurried to catch it. The gang followed, but Dipper made strides to match its pace. "So, uh, you're actually a devil?" he asked, "Like, from the bad place?" It eyed him. The red, glowing eyes seemed to sizzle, and Dipper immediately panicked. "Y-you don't have to answer that question," Dipper trembled under the glare, "But, I thought it'd be a nice way to catalogue you so people don't, you know, have to keep hunting you."
The Jersey Devil, perhaps annoyed, muttered, "I am not from your hell."
"Oh," Dipper gulped, "Then where are you from?" Dipper asked, slowly taking out his journal and a pen.
"There was a town to the coast," the Devil explained, "I was born there. For a time, I was human. Then I changed into this," it took its huge clawed hands and waved at his head, "The monster before you. I know not how, but I was forever changed. That was, I don't exactly know anymore, more than two and a half hundred years ago."
All but Wendy did a spit take, who instead just nodded and picked at her nails. "So, you've seen a few seasons," Wendy added.
"More than I can remember," the Devil grumbled, "And for many of those countless years, I scraped by, eating from the forests, and the locals trash."
As he recalled words once spoken, Dipper asked this local devil, "You said that you started growing... when again?"
"Several weeks ago," It mentioned. Dipper scrubbed at his chin, and it continued, "Since then, my hunger has grown considerably. Not just in the amount, but my cravings for real sustenance. Berry and leaf have been acceptable for a time, along with the occasional raccoon or deer. But now... I need far more. A deer a week once sated me. Now I need to eat practically that much every other day."
With a faint gasp, Ford pointed out, "You'd whittle the population of the deer to nothing."
"You don't think I know that?" It snapped back, "I need options that won't cause me to starve and die. Humans keep visiting, along with their baskets of food. I need the fatty food they keep brining."
Soos chuckled. "Nothing like a good sandwich and bag of chips," Soos sighed, "Or a mountain of bags of chips."
"Agreed," the devil said.
Knowing the gift of potato chips was going to a noble cause, Dipper nodded to himself. "Great, so this should at least curb your appetite for a bit," Dipper said, finishing a long note in his journal, "But you still didn't explain what you said earlier."
"What?" it asked.
"The man you met, this person who gave you the stones," Dipper explained pointedly.
"He didn't give me the stones," the Devil sneered, "He just gave me the box I hold them in. I have always owned these magic stones."
"Oh," Dipper nodded.
"There," the devil pointed.
In the darkness, the gang could barely make out a cut in the earth, like a small fissure. As they got closer, it widened and showed a wound in the ground- a natural cave formation. It seemed perfectly natural, save for scratches. Many of the exposed rocks had scratches about them, ranging from small and insignificant to deep and terrible.
"This is where you live?" Ford asked, breathless.
"Yes," It grumbled, "It's better than nothing- or abandoned houses in the woods. I often break those accidentally, but the stone of the earth lasts."
With the flashlights as guides, the entrance awaited them; a long, fifteen foot or so crack in the rocks, split open by about ten feet wide. The Devil had to crawl in, sprawling out on all fours and folding its wings closely to its body. Dipper furiously began to scribble as he watched it do so; amazed at how dexterous the creature could be even in such tight spaces. The five followed carefully, aware of the loose earth giving way to solid rock that shined with natural drops of water.
The incline was minor, but it dropped suddenly, only a foot or two, but enough for the five to watch their step, save for Wendy; who was happy to just leap off and land ahead of the others. Now inside a sort of chamber, they had a first look at the home of the legendary Jersey Devil.
"Wow," Mabel said as she scouted around with her own flashlight, "I love your decorating senses."
"Don't mock me," the Devil grumbled, able to stand up mostly straight in this tall enclosure.
Wendy quickly defended the girl, "Mabel never teases when it comes to fashion."
It was a simple cropping of a cave. A pool of water had collected in a distant corner, but closer to them was the hoard of the Jersey Devil. Piles of food wrappers, some older than Dipper or Mabel, piled high in a mound of trash. Bones littered a similar pile next to it, but what made the room seem inhabitable was the number of boxes and crates that dotted the sides of the walls. Rolled up carpets, a huge and shattered mirror, tapestries that were both ancient and moth-eaten, old chests from long ago: it was a treasure pile.
"This is amazing," Ford managed as he stared around.
The devil spied him, and then Mabel. She nodded rabidly, her eyes twinkling in awe. It then snorted. "Thank you. That makes three humans who have complimented my collection. The first just wanted it all for history. It belonged in a museum, he said."
Mabel chuckled, "Heh, we knew someone like that once."
"So, tell us about this human you knew," Dipper said, "He must have been the guardsman. Just in one of his disguises."
"I do not know of your guardsman, but the man I met didn't come for me," The Devil explained, pulling out a smaller chest, "He came to exchange something. Some thirty years ago, he approached me with this chest," he lifted the box up, "And said that it had once contained a priceless artifact."
"Ohh, I wonder if it was the fountain of youth," Soos exclaimed.
The four looked at him. His eyebrows raised, Dipper asked Soos, "The fountain of youth fitting into a tiny chest?"
Soos waggled his finger. "They never said fountain of large size. Maybe it was a miniature one, which is why no one found it so far. Lookin' for a big, thing, ya know?"
The devil continued, drawing the attention of the gang. "This man, he had enemies looking for it, and offered me a proposal. In exchange for protecting the chest, not the object, he would actively deny the existence of the Jersey Devil."
Wendy hummed, crossing her arms, and said, "He sounds like a shaker."
"He was kind to me," the Devil shrugged, "And no one has ever come for the chest. So, before he left, I placed into it my favorite collection," he rattled the box, "Stones of starkissed."
"How exactly do you know of Starkissed stones?" Ford asked, frowning, "From my understanding, its sort of a rare, often-unheard of object."
The devil tilted its head side to side, the horns lightly scratching the ceiling, "Yes, ah, that was also what my friend said. He explained it to me when I placed them inside. Had run into other strange materials before."
Dipper blinked. "Who is this guy?" he asked.
"Or girl!" Mabel added.
Dipper sighed, but still gave it a thought. This person, whoever they had been, was in possession of objects worth enough to hide by giving their last known container to the devil itself. They had enough courage to approach the same creature and enough causality to speak to it, even teaching it a thing or two. If Dipper hadn't been standing next to Ford, he would have assumed it was him, but the Devil made no noticeable reactions, and the scientist was currently wide-eyed and drinking in each movement the creature made. It was someone else- someone very cable with cryptids and monsters and artifacts.
The Devil spoke, and the boys mind fluttered back to reality. "I swore not to speak his name. A dashing man, one with roguish qualities."
"That describes a lot of people," Wendy grumbled, "Some present."
With a chuckle, Dipper asked, "Who?" To his dismay, Wendy focused on the Devil before her. Dipper swore he saw the smallest flush of color in her cheeks.
The devil's eyes narrowed. "Let us be clear," it warned, "I still do not trust you. The knowledge I have passed to you is out of my respect for your willingness to not harm me for a trade. But I will not break a promise just to sate your hunger for knowledge, or for your nosey characters."
"Hehe, we are sorta nosey," Soos shrugged, "Sort of part of the job description, trying to save the world and stuff."
The devil eyed him. "Save the world? How?" it asked.
"Not sure," Dipper sniffed, "But it involves using Starkissed. The magic swelling across the world is dangerous enough that things are happening that shouldn't. Like you growing?" Dipper explained. The Devil blinked, looking in the mirror as Dipper continued, "That was probably what caused you to continue to grow in size. Maybe you were supposed to grow larger, but without the magic in the world, you couldn't. Until now."
The glowing red eyes of the Jersey Devil narrowed as it focused on Dipper. "Will... I reduce in size if the magic is returned to normal?" It asked.
"Maybe?" Dipper shrugged.
Mabel, beaming, explained, "We're kind of hoping, whatever plan our boss has, is going to save the everything-ever."
"He's not our boss," Dipper grumbled quietly to Mabel.
The Devil turned back, looking away from the mirror. "Then ask any questions you need. If it helps you with this task," he extended out the chest, "This is yours, along with any information you want."
"Wow! Really?" Wendy exclaimed as Dipper slowly took the chest, examining the foot wide box. "We need to start with letting people know we're saving the world more often."
"But let me be clear," it snarled, leaning in closer to the twins, "I do not care for your human world. You save me lots of trouble by removing this magic that causes my growth. I don't want you to feel... like I care. Got it?"
Rolling her eyes at the beasts insistence, Mabel puffed out, "Okay, grumpy-wumpy."
"Yeah, sure," Dipper nodded, and looked fully to the large beast, "Tell us about the person you spoke to."
It snorted. "Which? My old friend, or my most recent guest before you all?"
"Wait... what do you mean?" Dipper asked.
"He said earlier," Ford walked closer, "That three humans, not two, had complimented the collection here," he wove his six-fingered hand towards the pile. The Devil nodded, "you've only spoken about the first one, I believe."
"You're right," the devil grumbled, "I have had to play myself carefully in the past few days," the Devil stated, moving towards a modern looking medical kit, and pulling it out. "Our interactions," the devil said, looking to them as it removed a sterile pad, and began to dap its odd face with it, "Are not the first where I considered myself in danger recently."
"You mean there have been other humans who posed a threat?" Dipper asked. It nodded.
"Who?" Mabel asked. Ford eyed the devil.
"Was it the second person?" he asked. The Devil nodded, and looked to Wendy.
"I am born with senses like that to many animals. I can leap and fly very far, so I have tremendous eyesight, and my hearing is above that of a humans capabilities. In here, I can sense movement outside by about two hundred feet, or so," it shrugged, "But my most useful has been my abilities to sense... danger... like you," it turned to Wendy.
"Me?" she laughed, "Dude, I'm both sort of honored, and kind of bummed you'd think I'd, like, attack you, or something."
"Think? No," it explained, "But you're not entirely human. You do not breathe. You don't blink. Your heart rate... I cannot hear it," It shivered, "And I have only met one person before you who made me this... nervous."
"So, you have met the guardsman then," Dipper sighed.
"Wait," Mabel held out her hand, catching Dipper off-guard. She looked to him. "You said he had a stone in his eye?"
It nodded, "Yes, a red one."
Mabel's eyes shot wide and she quickly spun about to her friends. "It's not Zander he met!" she exclaimed with a shrill voice, "Think! Who else do we have to constantly deal with that is spooky, and has a red thing in his eye?"
A palm hit Dipper's forehead as he cringed. "You're kidding me," he whined, "You met Graupner!?"
The Jersey Devil shrugged. "Yes?"
Dipper rapidly began describing him. "Pale? Wendy's height? Greasy, blond-haired guy in a cloak?" To each of these descriptions, the devil nodded. "Oh no," Dipper gasped, "He's been here. He's visited."
"Which probably means he knew somewhere around here was the starkissed too," Wendy added.
"Which means he probably cast some magic then, and maybe keeps tabs on the place," Soos guessed.
"Which also means," Mabel added, "Uh... just a lot of bad 'probably's."
Ford spoke at the devil again, asking, "What did he want with you?"
The devil, again, shrugged. "I don't understand the fuss you're all making. He seemed very pleasant, just unnerving. Just the other day, he asked that he would trade me for the same box, for protection. I politely refused him, and he then asked if he could at least see the box-" the devil paused. It turned to look at his box, scratching its large head. "I just realized... I am pretty sure he cast a spell on it."
Dipper yelled, "What did he do to it!?"
"Do not shout at me!" It shouted back, "And I do not know of your human magic, that should be something you can solve."
"Huh?" Dipper shot up slightly, red in the cheeks.
Looking between Dipper and the Devil, Mabel asked, "What does that mean?"
Ford approached the box. "Stand aside, my dear," he said to Mabel, and held out his hands. He closed his eyes, and with a wiggle of his six fingers, spoke, "Profero Profana Praecantatio!" Emerging around the chest like strings of condensed light, runes and symbols arose. Most prominently, a large eye, surrounded by entwined runes and lines.
Mabel crossed her arms at the sight of magic. "I'll let it slip," she grumbled.
Ford gulped. "I'm not saying I'm an expert on magic, but that reminds me of a tracking spell."
"We're being watched, like right now?!" Soos yelped, "Oh, I so wasn't ready for candid camera stuff!"
"Wait, you're telling me he placed something on my treasure so he could monitor me?!" the devil roared.
"Yes!" Dipper snapped. The Jersey Devil huffed, the nostrils flaring angrily as it snatched back the box from Dipper. "Hey! What the-"
"Be silent!" The devil snapped. Silence fell onto the group. "You say you want the orbs, but care not for the box?"
"Uhh, yeah?" Wendy shrugged.
"Then take them!" The devil slammed the box as hard as it could, hurling it with such force into the solid stone that the wall cracked. The box clattered away, rattling with unseen contents. To the six watchers' bewilderment, it was unscathed; without damage of any kind. "Uh... that's a surprise," the devil hummed, with a tone in its voice similar to pride.
"Is it also magically enchanted to be unbreakable?" Soos suggested as Dipper and Ford approached the box. Ford, his hands still out, shook his head.
"No. The material of this container is particularly powerful, that is all. If the force of that couldn't break it, we need a tool set, or the key," the scientist said, and turned back to the Devil, holding the box in his hands. Before Ford could ask, it shook its head.
"They key stayed with the owner of the box," it sighed.
"Why would you put treasures into a box, and not keep a key with you!?" Dipper snapped.
"Because it's my favorite collectables!" it replied angrily, "I wanted to keep them locked away, but in a place I knew was safe. I always figured that should I need them out, like today, I would just break the box! I never considered that it wouldn't... break..." It paused, and turned towards the mouth of the cave. Its tall, deer-like ears perked up.
"What is it?" Dipper asked.
Wendy then also looked towards the exit and held out her hands. "Yo," she said, "I hear a helicopter."
With a loud, metallic rattling, a small cylinder of metal bounded into the cave. The five spotted it quickly, and just as they did, Ford barked, "DUCK!" The five dived for cover. The devil roared, and stomped out with its hoof. In a loud whine, the object was crushed under the weight and strength of the twelve foot tall being. A moment later, the ground buckled and cracked and the devil hissed, lifting its leg up to reveal the smoldering under-hoof.
Ford, adjusting his glasses from the ground, added, "Oh, or just let the devil crush that grenade like a bug. That works."
It snarled, and looked at the entrance. "So, someone wishes to be the hunter once more?" the Jersey Devil glared at the night sky above. "Then I shall provide a hunt!" it roared. In a flash, it crawled out, so fast it was a blur or gust of wind. It was outside before the others had a chance to say anything to it.
As the five approached the cave's entrance, yells and panicked voices mingled in the night air as the recognizable and terrible roar of the Jersey Devil thundered like a fog horn. Gun shots sounded. Ford pulled Dipper and Mabel down, and Soos dove in front of the others. Wendy started to climb, holding out a hand to pull herself up further. Steadily, slowly, she grew close to the entrance.
There were more screams, and then a loud explosion.
"Please! Oh god, no! Master! Save us-"
The panicked voice, unfamiliar to the five in the cave suddenly became muffled. Still panicking and attempting to say something as Wendy neared the entrance, a blur of motion suddenly slammed into the top side of the cave mouth. A man, armed and armored with black bullet proof jackets slammed into the cave with a sickening crack. The body slumped inside as it barely missed Wendy, who yelped and stepped aside in time.
"Yikes!" Mabel cried as the person flopped down next to them, limp. He wore dark, military like armor. The man's eyes were open wide, entirely unfocused.
With a sudden pull of his gut, Dipper felt dizzy. "Is he-" Dipper asked.
"Shh!" Ford put a finger to his lips as he hissed. The five fell silent, and listened to the once again quiet night. In the distance, they could hear a helicopter. "No more gunfire," he said, and started to climb up.
Sharing a quick look between the two, the twins also climbed up, along with Soos. Waiting for the four, her mouth agape as she stared ahead, was Wendy. The four were not far behind her in their decision to look ahead with shock, as they finally saw what work the Devil had done.
The Jersey Devil had come across what seemed to be a squad of Graupners goons. They were more armored than previous versions. Two were on the ground, their armor torn and their eyes open wide, lightless. Splashes of dark liquid across the bark of the nearby trees and a nearby dark jeep with the lights still on. The last of the four was held by the head in the devils' hands, which was panting slightly. Its wings had splayed out, now covered with several more holes in it than previously.
With a sickened realization, Mabel told the Devil, "You killed them."
The sharpened claws of the Jersey Devil flexed open. The body dropped to the ground as the devils grip relaxed. It turned to her and the other four, and sneered, showing bloodstained teeth. "We are all kings, or pawns," it chuckled, and spat onto the ground, staining it red. "You should leave," it said, "If they were here to hurt me, they would not have used such devices. They want you."
"Probably," Dipper nodded, and looked into the cave. With his flashlight in hand, he ran inside, barely managing to not trip over the unmoving body of the man inside, and picked up the durable wooden chest. The glowing runes had subsided. He rushed back to the surface, the chest in his arms. The Jersey Devil stared at the sky as he returned. Dipper told them all, "We need to go."
"Yes," the Devil sneered, "You do," he turned to the group, "Take their vehicle. It will be faster than walking."
"I love jeeps!" Soos said as he ran towards it, "So full of outdoorsy possibilities!"
"And you?" Dipper asked as Ford and Wendy also rushed forward.
It looked from the sky to Dipper, and then Mabel. "I have no part in this fight... but," it snarled and bared its teeth, "They were perfectly content to shoot at me. This is my land. I live here. They will regret bothering me in my own HOME!" It roared. Suddenly, its wings sprawled out further, and the beast was airborne. The twins watched it vanish into the night, its own dark monster of terror.
"Mabel, let's go," Dipper cleared his thoughts, and pulled on his sisters hand.
She hadn't moved since speaking to the Jersey Devil. "Huh?" she said, looking at the bodies on the ground.
"Mabel," Dipper followed her vision. The confidence he had, ready to get into the jeep and to keep moving, was shaken. "Hey," he said, grabbing her hand, "We, uh, we can't stay."
With a voice so frail, Dipper thought she had been hurt, Mabel asked, "But what about them?" as she looked at the broken bodies before her.
Dipper gave the two men and the woman a second look. There, deeper in his gut he felt the same thing he was certain his sister did. Hurt as it did, he had to turn away, and pulled on her arm. "Mabel, we have to go, before more show up." She looked at his face. Her eyes shimmered in the light provided by the jeep. "Mabel, please–" he started.
"Guys!" Wendy shouted suddenly, "Behind you!"
Dipper spun, and saw the approaching dark outlines. More people, holding some sort of weapon in their arms. He gasped, seeing now his sister finally shake herself and look back as well. "Dive!" they said simultaneously, and leapt away from one another.
Thunder crackled in the sky again, this time a repetitive and jack-hammer like pounding against the eardrums. Smoldering metal struck the earth right where the twins had just been, peppering the fallen pine needles and branches. Mabel was up quickly, and threw herself behind a fallen log. Dipper crawled across the ground, avoiding sight in the shadows provided. He looked to his sister, who was looking at the jeep.
His eyes trailed her gaze, and saw Soos duck just under the dashboard of the car with Wendy as the bullets shot towards them. The glass broken, cracked, and then finally shattered with the continuous hail of bullets. Ford also dived away, ducking behind the backseats rapidly.
After a moment the figures began to reload seemingly, and the twins began their run. Ford popped his head back out, and spun his arms through the air, making wide circles that grew smaller. At the end of each circle, he held his hands to his neck and throat.
"Portisculus Potestas!" he called, and then let his hands off, and took a deep breath. Then he roared. The sound that came from Ford was that similar to the Jersey Devil; like a cone of pure sonic power over the heads of the twins. It shredded the needles off of branches and tossed up smaller pebbles and threw them back. From the darkness of the assailants, the blast of sound shot the four attackers backwards, having them slam against trees.
After her yell subsided, Mabel yelled, "No more magic, guys!", pulling herself into the Jeep alongside Dipper.
"Whatever gets the job done," Dipper muttered, and turned to Soos as he pulled himself up. "Get us moving, Soos!"
"On it, dawg!" Soos nodded, and began to direct the wheel of the vehicle. A wave of needles and loose earth sprayed out from under the tires as the jeep began to retreat itself backwards. The headlights displayed the dark woods with faint vision that gave them no more than a hundred feet before them; the thickness of the forest hard to make out.
"Delta squad," a familiar, robotic voice called from inside the jeep. The Soos looked next to the dashboard, and the twins spotted it as well: a radio communicator. "I didn't say you could pull back. What is going on?"
The twins exchanged a look, and Mabel pulled out the microphone, and held it out. A button it the wired side prompted her to speak, and so she pushed it and grinned. "Roger, roger. What's your vector, victor?" she smirked.
"What?" the voice snapped, "Who-" the radio voice yelled, "You! Pines!"
"Wow," Mabel chuckled, "Only took you one sentence to know who you're talking to. Good job, Graupner Bopner."
Graupner seemed to care little for Mabel's pleasantries. "You two keep getting in my way, you know that?" Graupner's voice replied on the radio, "I keep wondering how long your luck plays itself out. You're running low on friends and partners."
"And here we are," Dipper proudly said, leaning in to Mabels hands, "You're the only one who keeps throwing people at us, expecting something to change."
"It is changing," Graupner snarled back on the microphone, "You and your little band of friends think that distracting my primary force to the mid-west meant that I couldn't detach some private hires to get those stones. Don't worry though, the paths and you will be reunited soon enough."
Mabel closed her eyes and held the microphone button off. Dipper scoffed. "I hate it when he has anything to say remotely right."
The voice on the radio returned. "Oh, did I detect a pause? I think you're all sort of sensing it, aren't you?" he laughed, "You're starting to slip. You're starting to lose. I have the resources, and the willing numbers. I am better than you. You are just four-"
"Five!" Dipper snapped back.
The radio voice cried back, riddled with sarcasm. "Oh nooo," Graupner lazily said, "You added another member to your band. Catch me before I faint."
"One who knows magic," Dipper lashed into the microphone, taking it from his sister, "Who's got enough experience to take whatever you've learned and pummel it down, and-"
Two six-fingered hands reached out, and grasped the radio unit. It punched out again and again, shocking the twins and Soos. "Whoa dwag!" Soos barked as the built-in device was broken into itself after three strong punches, "Someone has a thing against radios."
"What gives?!" Dipper barked, turning to look back with his sister.
"Yeah," Mabel crossed her arms, "We were going to burn him so bad." Ford held a finger to his throat and grimaced. "Huh?" Mabel tilted her head. Ford, using his hands, flapped his fingers as one might to described 'talking', and shortly afterwards crossed his arms to form an 'X'.
"You can't talk?" Dipper asked, and then snapped his fingers, "You used up your voice with the spell!" Ford rolled his eyes, and made a new motion, closing his fingers and having them open rapidly, miming an explosive voice. "Ohhh," Dipper nodded, "If you speak, the thing happens."
Ford nodded, and took out his own pen, and quickly wrote on his arm. When he was done, he showed it to the twins and Wendy, who had been watching quickly. 'They could be tracking via radio signals'.
"Pssh, yeah right," Mabel laughed, patting the older mans arms, "These bozos aren't on us, so its fine." With a blaze of sound and a rush of wind, a Helicopter soared right above them. Mabel whined and let her grip lax as Soos continued to drive. "Maybe it's just a news helicopter?" she meekly suggested.
Above them, the black helicopter kept pace with them, and shined a bright light onto the car. Soos yelped, and veered away from a tree; temporarily blinded. Wendy stood up fully, staring at the flying wartime vehicle. "Graupner's up there!" she shouted, and pointed to the helicopter, just above the tree line.
Dipper nodded, recognizing the same helicopter he had seen several days before, in Florida. The chase down the highway, leading into the forest, the fight with Graupner, and his escape after Zander arrived: it was the same. The black helicopters door slid open, and they all saw the enemy stand there; a black cloak and hood around his form. A red light gleamed out of the socket where once an eye rested, casting a deathly glow before them.
"Graupner," Dipper scowled.
The man in the helicopter ordered something, but was lost to the sound of the whirlwind the chopper made. He pointed to the jeep the five rode in, and Dipper had the suspicion he was organizing something. He turned towards the jeeps right, and saw, just before they had a chance to gang up on the car, three more jeeps, all matching that of theirs, and a gang of black, mountain bikes racing towards them.
"We need to lose these guys!" Dipper pointed, and Soos spotted the oncoming danger.
"Yikes! Hang on, dawgs!" Soos spun the jeeps wheel, and the car once again turned rapidly, spinning around a nearby tree.
Approaching rapidly, the three bikers made great ease at weaving through the trees towards the gang, leaping over hills and over fallen logs. Once they had made their way, the closest pulled out a weapon.
"Duck!" Wendy shouted, pulling the three down, and Soos ducked as metal and metal met. The one biker fired his pistol again and again, ready and willing to kill anyone aboard.
"Ohhh, how I wish I could throw some fire right now," Mabel growled from her couched position. "Taste of their own medicine."
"Dream about-" Dipper started, and a bump in the road had him hit his head on the dashboard, "OW!" he gasped, holding his cap, "Dang it, dream about it later!" he snapped. Light shone on them from above, flickering through the canopy lines and against the backdrop of the large trunks of the trees.
"We need to take care of the chopper!" Wendy shouted, looking back towards the first biker, who retreated slightly, just as another got closer, and lifted its gun. Wendy was too slow, and rather than ducking, held her arms ahead and turned away.
The same roar the gang had heard before, not from Ford, but from a much larger beast of the woods, shook the air. Heralding its arrival, the Jersey Devil lunged out, matching the speed of the bike, grabbing both it and the biker, and hurling it into the woods. The biker and his vehicle spun away into the darkness, tossed like a ragdoll.
The once third, now second, biker turned and spun away from the Devil, but the lead had little time to notice, and was unprepared to dodge from the tail that swung against him head-on. The person flew backwards, rolling to a stop in the darkness as the bike crumpled and fell to its side.
"At least its on our side!" Wendy barked, "We should- Look out!"
Wendy had turned around, as had Dipper. A familiar pain his arms tensed and squeezed his muscles as he felt heat from far above, almost as a warning. From the flying Chopper, a rush of flame, dark and violet, seared the canopy and ate away at the vegetation. Then, eye contact made, Dipper saw the Warlock, Graupner Kinley, ready another cast of his dark magic.
"Ford!" Dipper pointed, but the older man was already at the position. Standing upright, he breathed, and shouted again.
The waves of sonic power blasted skyward, ripping through the already noisy night like a bomb. Dipper only was disappointed the vibrations of bending air made it hard to see Graupners reaction, but surely it was a great one. The chopper lurched, losing its ability to follow. It began to spiral away, before re-stabilizing and soaring away.
"Okay, I'm not saying Mabel is entirely wrong," Wendy laughed, punching Fords arm gently with a wide smile, "But that magic really helped."
Mabel spied Wendy with a frown, and then looked to Ford, who was massaging his own neck. "You okay, Fordy-dordy?"
He nodded, and then wrote on his arm once again. 'I can only do it once more. Otherwise I could hurt myself.'
Mabel prodded Dipper, and pointed to the message. "See?!" she snapped.
"This is not the time to talk about how to appropriately cast magic!" Dipper growled. The ground of the forest rumbled further, and Dipper spun to his far right. In the distant, another vehicle made its approach. "We've got company!" he shouted.
"Ohh, friendly?" Mabel asked, and also looked.
The approaching Vehicle was large and heavy enough to dislodge and push over a thinner tree with ease. Looking more like a military personnel carrier than a car, the vehicle approached at surprising ease.
"I doubt it," Dipper gulped as a lid atop the metal lined vehicle revealed a figure. In the same dark armor as the previous goons, a person emerged and lifted up through the hole in the roof, a long cylindrical device. Dipper immediately recognized it and his faced stretched in terror. "Definitely not friendly!"
In the single moment the rest of the gang had to look, they all screamed and ducked as a single, albeit large, rocket propelled grenade flew over their heads. It collided into a lump of earth some twenty feet to the side. The shock and eruption of soil made the four cry out, and Ford cringed, unable to say anything. They were being shot at by bazookas!
"We cannot be hit by that!" Wendy decided, "That'll shred us!"
"Coming from the girl who can't die," Soos gulped as he drove, "That's saying something, dawg!"
Dipper grimaced as he turned back and saw the same figure toss aside the previous armament. Dipper laughed, "Looks like they're out of-" but he spoke too soon, as the soldier had lifted up another of the exact same kind. Dipper yelled, "Rockets! Another one! Swerve-"
The second shot was, unfortunately, a tad more accurate.
The hissing cry of the rocket approached, and Dipper pushed himself over his sister just as he saw it bury itself only a few feet before the Jeep. The blast rocked the earth. The momentum, and suddenly the five were airborne. Four screamed as the world around them flipped and filled with burning pine needles and patches of sandy dirt. The Jeep buckled, suddenly held in midair. Large, clawed hands reached around the front of the jeep and the back. Wings flapped against their movement.
"Devil!" Mabel cried out, beaming.
"Hold on-" it said. Whatever else the Jersey Devil had to say was cut off as it shrieked, the sound peppered by gunfire.
The armored carrier had approached, and the man had taken out a rifle. Once, twice, the Devil buckled as it lowered the Jeep to the ground, the moment the devil had collapsed, Stan stood as tall as he could, cupped his hands by his mouth, and bellowed. The resounding waves of sonic power tore apart the nearby tree, and flipped the armored vehicle, spinning away into the darkness. Once his scream subsided, Ford gasped, and held a hand to his neck.
"Ow," he said very sheepishly. "I could use some warm honey water." A groan from behind him had his attention, and the others turn. "Devil!" he cried out.
Now holding onto the sides of the Jeep for support, rather than supporting it, the Jersey Devil heaved a raspy, rattling breath. Bits of glowing crimson liquid fell to the floor from small punctures across its body.
Mabel whined at him, "You're hurt."
"Oh yeah," the Devil groaned, "Thank you for noticing."
"What can we do?" Soos asked, biting his nails, "We should go, right?"
"But then we leave him behind," Mabel pleaded, "We can't!"
"Why not?" the devil asked. The five looked to him. "If you want this to make me feel better, you better-"
The canopy shook. Looking to the dark heavens above, they spied the same black helicopter from before, and had little chance to react. A hail of small needle-like objects fell across the earth. The Devil swiped at the air with one of his wings, battering most of them away with a gust of wind, but many passed his reaction.
"Oh!" Soos gasped as one stabbed his shoulder, even as Ford moved to push him aside.
Dipper saw and flinched too late. A figure then fell across him, burying him underneath a lithe but surprisingly tough body. Instantly aware of the perfume like scent that washed over him, Dipper blushed and looked down, to see Wendy having laid down across him. She had taken the needles for him.
"You good?" she cried out.
"Ouch!" Mabel said, able to swat several away, until one got stuck in her arm. "The heck are these?" she demanded as the helicopter passed overhead. Making a large circle, it vanished for the moment.
"Oh dawg," Soos groaned, and began to slump, "I'm feeling pretty not awake, if you know what I mean," he snorted, his eyelids looking heavier and heavier to him, as his eyes unfocused.
"Drats!" Ford barked, giving Soos a few pats across the face, "Tranquilizers!"
"Nope," Soos corrected, "I do not feel tranquil. Just really tired. Tiredilizers..."
His eyes widened, Dipper turned to his sister. "Mabel!" he cried, as Wendy pulled herself up, also turning to the twin sister.
She blew a raspberry. "I'm fine, see?" she said, and flexed her arms.
"Really?" Dipper said, his mouth agape.
"Yeah!" she smirked, "Must be all that training I did with-" she then fell backwards, tumbling off the Jeep. A large, dark, bestial hand swung up catching her. The Jersey Devil lowered her back into the Jeep, to Dipper arms. "Arline..." Mabel said as her voice drifted away.
"Okay, not as much as you'd like to think," Dipper sighed, removing the needle from her arm. As he did, he noticed Wendy roll her eyes, and step into Soos's seat, pushing him aside gently, into Fords lap. "Wendy?"
"We need to keep going!" Wendy declared.
"They'll outrace us," Ford decided with his raspy voice. "And easily, with a helicopter."
"We have to try!" Wendy said, adjusting the gears.
The ground shook, and the three fully conscious flinched. Turning in their seats, they saw the Jersey Devil stand up fully. His wings spreading out, as the many tranquilizers fell to the ground.
"I will cover for you," it grumbled.
"Though we appreciate your heroic sacrifice," Wendy grumbled, "But this isn't a time for that, man!"
"There is nothing heroic about revenge," the Devil chuckled, catching Wendy by surprise, "He has attacked me for the last time. I will return the favor."
"No!" Ford gagged as he cried out. "Live and fight another day."
"Live, shall I? What's it to you!?" The devil snapped, turning to them. "I'm just a devil! I'll always be just a devil. If there is one thing I have been willing to put it all on the line for, its been my home, and ME," he roared as the sounds of the helicopter grew close. "This was an offense that I will see ended, with one of us dead."
Dipper looked past the Devil, seeing the approaching lights. "You won't stand a chance against Graupners magic," he said. Dipper then stepped over the side of the Jeep.
Wendy's jaw dropped. "Dude, no way!" she yelled.
"What?" Dipper said, "I'm just going to help him out."
"That's about the worst idea I've heard come from you," Ford grumbled, "Which is saying something, considering you usually have great ones."
"Dawg, don't do it," Soos moaned.
"Dipper," Wendy said, leaning towards him, her eyes digging into his own, "I took darts so you could stick around and help out. Don't just go throwing your life where I can't follow!"
Her green eyes shone in the distant lights of the helicopter, still approaching. Dipper, feeling the numbness of what he was about to do, reached out, and put a hand to her jaw. With his other hand, he drew a line across his lips, and then threw away the invisible zipper. "Trust me," he asked her gently, "Just stay out of line of sight."
"I feel like I'm missing a reference," Ford mumbled.
Wendy had little time to say, or act in any other method, as Dipper climbed onto the Jersey Devil, who sneered. "You're pretty brave, considering I didn't give you permission to climb onto me."
"You want to say no to some help?" Dipper barked. The Devil smirked, but said nothing, instead turning forward. "Can you still fly?" Dipper asked, "You did take some darts earlier-" The wings on either side flapped up, and Dipper bellowed, rushing up into the night sky with the Jersey Devil.
"I am immune to such things," the Devil chuckled, "Otherwise, hunters and such would have had me many years ago!"
The rushing of the wind only brought the sounds of the attack helicopter closer and closer. The cold night air was polluted with the smell of gunpowder and scorched metal, and burning pine trees. The two passed through the canopy, finally eye-to-eye with the danger.
With the front of the chopper visible, they saw the face of a certain blond-haired non-human with a red stone for an eye. It would only be moments before the helicopter slammed into the beast, but the devil swerved lower, entering a freefall. Dipper felt his cheeks and hair billow, and he struggled to hold his hat against his head.
As they passed underneath the Chopper, Dipper heard the voice. "PINES!"
Looking over his shoulder, a jet of Black fire shot by; missing the Devils wing tips by only a few yards.
The Devil, pulling himself up into the air, looked over his shoulder to Dipper. "Well, you said you'd help! Going to start anytime soon!?"
"I need a stable moment!" Dipper said.
The Devil snarled, and complied, turning to face the helicopter as it made another circle, preparing to make a pass at the airborne duo. "You only have a few seconds; make it count!"
Dipper reached out, and from his hand, opened his journal. Flipping through the pages, he desperately searched for the passage he knew would help. It was among the many notes he had taken, stained with ink and sweat. It was somewhere in there: a spell he had used to mild effect in his battle further south, in a park. Dipper new that it was only two words he knew; but couldn't remember the exact passage they were mentioned in!
"Act quick!" the devil hissed, and began to turn, fleeing from the chopper.
"I- hold- stay- I can't read while you're jostling around like this!" Dipper yelled.
"Not my problem!" the Devil barked back.
Scowling, Dipper turned back to the book, and his arms seized up again. "DODGE!" he roared. The Devil complied, taking a huge sweeping flap of both wings, and ascended above the helicopter as it passed, once again spraying black fire into the night.
Dipper yelped as he felt the world grow very heavy, only then to feel a strange weightlessness. He nearly collapsed from the back of the devil as he felt gravity's pull once more, and he shrieked. His journal slipped from his fingers. "NO!" he cried.
"Got it!" the devil snapped, its clawed hand reaching out for it, and tossed it back to Dipper. "Don't drop it, or your better dive after it yourself," it scowled.
"Just- just hold on," Dipper said, hyperventilating as he flipped pages rapidly. "C'mon! C'MON!" He then gasped. "Found it!"
"You've got only a few seconds!" the Devil roared, as the helicopter had returned, preparing for another deadly pass.
"Okay," Dipper sighed. He closed his eyes, and put the idea of the spell in his head. He tried to visualize what it would do, what it would give him. He then recited, "Adripio Adtonitus!" A familiar feeling washed over his hands, as light flowed from down his arm, towards his fingertips. From the tiny tips of light, Dipper saw the smallest discharges of static. "I need a clean shot!" Dipper said, realizing that'd he'd have to use the entire spell at once if he thought he had a chance to disable the helicopter.
"Clean shot?" The devil repeated. With a chuckle, it then soared forward, right at the helicopter.
Holding onto the devil with one hand, Dipper stammered, "Wh-what are you doing?!" Bobbing up and down in the frantic flight, he cried out, "I prefer a view that won't get us both killed!"
"Be quiet! I'm giving you your window of a shot!" it snapped. It looked over its shoulder, flashing him a fanged smile worth a nightmare or two. "Get ready for your first flying lesson!"
"W-what?" Dipper shivered and felt himself go numb. The helicopter was only several hundred yards away, and certainly not slowing down. They were so high up, and the wind rushed over his ears, making each word a scream. "This... wasn't this my first flying lesson-?"
"Aaand LAUNCH!" The Devil roared, as he suddenly made a huge buck, tossing Dipper higher into the air.
Dipper screamed as he felt the world beneath, which was to say the Jersey Devil, fall away as he began to soar on his own volition. All in the same span of time that it took to blink, Dipper rose, and the Devil fell. The chopper, and its riders were stunned; jaws dropping as Dipper soared above the terrible blades of the chopper. In the moment Dipper had, he took what he had cast, and slammed his hands together for one, mighty casting: a very literal clap of thunder.
No beam of lightning soared out. Like a decree from the storms themselves, a shower of electrical energy cascaded below Dipper, directly onto the very electrical helicopter. Its spiraling blades heated rapidly. Metal warped and bent, the glass shattered, and Dipper shouted at the colossal thunder he wrought. Fire emerged instantly from the helicopter as it began to plummet, spinning out of control. Dipper had only a single moment to laugh before his flying lesson ended, and began his falling lesson.
Yelling in the moment of Panic, a large, clawed hand reached out for him. "I got you!" The devil yelled, grinning. "No fall today, human-"
The tail end of the helicopter snapped off. In a single screech, the Jersey Devil's right wing was detached by the rouge blades. Dipper saw the face of the Devil, its eyes go wide and roll back into its sockets. More importantly, the world started rushing closer and closer to Dipper as they truly fell. Only for the briefest moment did Dipper realize this was what Mabel must have felt in a game of Strongholds and Serpents, in what felt like too long ago.
To his luck, a huge, old, pine tree stood before him. He reached out, abandoning the Devil. Needles and branches sliced and stabbed into his skin, prickling his very veins. He couldn't stall the fall completely, and as he felt his strength give; the power of the spell taking hold. His eyes fluttered as his center of balance gave out. Yet, he did not slam into the earth with a spine-splintering impact. Something soft had gathered him. He looked over, and saw a large, glowing hand underneath him.
"Gotcha!" Ford wheezed quietly. From his outstretched six-fingered hand glittered another, larger, seemingly magical one: one large enough to catch Dipper entirely.
"You did it!" Wendy cheered from the Jeep with Ford, only a few feet from Dipper.
Dipper could help but grin. "I'm good!" he said, waving an arm to them. Only as he did was Dipper able notice the good three-inch splinter stuck in his arm. "Ohhh," he grumbled, only then aware of how much pain he was in. "I knew it looked bad in your back," Dipper said, pointing to the splinter, "But this is-"
The forest shook in the distance, and the three spun and looked at a growing fire as the helicopter crash-landed. A moment later, and which a much more prominent crash came next to Dipper, who yelled, rolling off the hand in shock. Though the four feet fall wasn't enough to hurt him, the wind knocked right out of him caused him to gasp and whine. Turning to look at the new figure on, Dipper's eyes widened.
The Jersey Devil breathed slowly. Scratches covered its body, and most prominently, one of its wings had been removed. A pool had begun to puddle around the Devil, who looked back to Dipper.
Before it could say a word, Dipper choked out, "I'm so sorry."
It stared at him. Tears welled into Dippers eyes as he stared at the beast. The Devil chuckled. "Its a first," it smirked.
"Losing a wing?" Dipper asked weakly, feeling someone approach him from the jeep.
"No," the devil smiled, "Having an apology. Now leave," it groaned.
"Dipper!"
The male twin was lifted up into the air. Given the amount of pain he felt, he only looked to his assister, finding Wendy taking her cue. He saw Ford climbing into the drivers seat, pulling himself around the still numbed Soos. "Wait," Dipper said, looking back to the Devil, "Where do we go for the key?" he asked to the injured devil.
The Devil tried pulling itself up, but winced and sprawled out on the ground even more. Giving the boy a look, it said, "The man with the keys hunts for truth and treasure, or one in the same, as he said. Find the man with two faithful hounds. The three can give you the key for the locked box," the Devil explained.
"A name!?" Dipper snapped, as Wendy lowered him into the seat next to his sister. She climbed aboard as well, taking to the luggage area.
The red eyes flashed at him. "It was years ago, kid!" the Devil snapped, "I don't remember. Just look for talking dogs!"
"Wait, talking-" Dipper tried re-iterating, but the Jeep sped away into the darkness. Further and further the devil slid into the distant darkness. Fires vanished from sight. The light of the damaged forest illuminated their injured, unlikely ally. Steadily, surely, it faded into the distant shadows of the ancient pines. Dipper clenched his fists, and groaned. He said, "Maybe we should go back-"
"I'm sorry Dipper," Ford said, turning in his seat briefly, his voice gravely, but no longer a raspy whisper. "I don't think he would have wanted to follow."
Dipper said nothing, staring into the dying lights in the woods, hundreds of yards away. Secretly, Dipper knew exactly what Ford meant. The Devil had always been a loner. Always a loner. Why should it change now? It lunged at danger willingly, and made no request for help, even as severely injured as it was. The gut clenching tightly as they drove away didn't help his consciousness, however. Instead, Dipper turned and gently lifted his sister's head. Her eyes were closed shut, the effects of the tranquilizer having its work complete. She was very asleep.
"Man," Wendy spoke as she looked over Dipper's shoulder, "I envy her."
Dipper nodded, and glanced to the redhead. "Me too."
Fords driving may not have been great for the Jeep, but considering they ditched it the moment they were in sight of the gas station, they cared little for the messed-up tires. That they had time at all to gently move Mabel and escort Soos to the El Diablo at all was risky enough. At the edge of the forest were empty jeeps, like the one they had taken for themselves.
Wendy made her fastest ever work of sabotage, and slashed half the tires with knife she found in one of the few vehicles, and got atop Mabels bike. The now three cars sped off into the night. Gas fueled, they had time to get away from it all: the ambush, the warlock, the death he caused. Northwards they went, the hours passing in near silence. Eventually, the three stopped by a certainly unassuming little town, and booked a pair of motel rooms that were connected.
As the door between the rooms were unlocked and Soos was led to a bed, and Mabel laid atop one, Wendy ran her hand through her hair. "We'll only have a few hours before we need to go," she said as she paced, "I doubt that Graupners pals are done looking for us yet."
To her words, Ford replied, "Yes, and sadly, we are even shorter time than that," Ford mumbled. He held up a pile of cloth sheets from the motel that he had wrapped around a small object. "The entire ride here, it could see our movements," he said, indicating the box hidden within the wrapping, "I've taken precautions to ensure it doesn't show exactly where we are, but I will need to remove the tracking spell. Once we've done that, we should move, as so they cannot track us any further."
"Great idea," Dipper nodded, "When we're on the move, I'll call Zander and let him know what happened. I guess his plan to distract them didn't work," he mumbled.
"Or," Ford pointed out, "Graupner has enough of a following to now go after two problems at once."
Dipper screwed his eyes closed at the thought. Dealing with the Warlock alone had been a chore, and the moment his master, Omir Steindorf, arrived as well it had only got worse. While there was no longer a powerful sorcerer to worry about, Dipper considered the night, and how close they had all come to being flattened by a flipped Jeep. These guys were starting to really armor up. The danger was mounting.
"Maybe Graupner himself will slow them down for once," Dipper guessed quietly through the bumpy ride, "He went down in the helicopter, didn't he? He might need a bit of recovery or healing time."
He had been overheard by another jeep ride. Wendy gave a dark laugh, and Dipper turned to her. "No way," she said as she looked off into the woods, "That's not going to stop him longer than it takes to just climb out of the wreckage," she said.
"What?" Dipper gasped. "That wouldn't be enough?! He crashed from a hundred feet high, in a burning wreck!""
She shook her head. "This is him we're talking about. Wraith, Lich, whatever he says he is – he'll just come back," Wendy calmly stated. Dipper and Ford exchanged a single look, their eyes wide and shivers traveling down their spines. Wendy's words were terrifying as they resounded with a truth. Then Wendy spied Dipper, and he looked back to her. "How did you manage to drop the chopper?" She asked, "We saw a bright light in the sky."
Dipper looked to her, and glanced to Mabel.
"Indeed," Ford asked, "It sounded like thunder, but it hadn't stormed today..." he said, eying Dipper with curiosity.
The male twin gave a shaky smile. "Pretty crazy thing," Dipper started, "The Jersey Devil could-" Wendy rolled her eyes, and Dipper stuttered. "I-I- I mean... Okay, I cast a spell."
"Excellent!" Ford cheered.
"Why?" Wendy seethed.
"Because," Dipper leaned in, his voice getting quiet, "When we flew up, the Devil and I knew we had to do something, but what that was, we had no idea! I just thought of something I'd used against Graupner before, and-"
"You've shot lightning before!?" Wendy snapped.
"Shh!" Dipper hissed.
"Why are you scolding him?" Ford said, stepping next to Dipper, an arm on his shoulder. "If my reasoning stands, Dipper took a chance for our sakes, and attempted a costly spell while in the danger of falling to his death. This isn't a time to scold! He should be congratulated!" Ford said, looking to Dipper with a smile.
As Dipper rubbed the back of his head, Wendy scowled. "Because he won't tell his own sister this!" she hissed.
"Oh," Ford stammered, "Why on earth not?" he asked.
Dipper clawed at his face as he stepped away from Ford, looking out the window. "Mabel won't understand. She heard Zander say that magic wasn't good, and anything I do magic-wise will hurt her. I'm... I'm really trying, with this whole 'paths' training!" Dipper snapped, turning around, looking to the two still awake, "But I don't have that natural talent Mabel does, and I'm not indestructible as you, Wendy! But the water is getting higher and higher, and I need to bring something to the table that's worth what the rest of you can do!"
"Dipper," Wendy stepped to him, hands on his shoulders, "This is what Soos was talking about earlier. If you feel like you're not contributing-"
"It's not about feeling anything," Dipper grumbled. Wendy raised an eyebrow. "I mean it!" Dipper snapped.
A sleepy voice called from the nearest bed, where a drugged and sleepy teenager laid down. "What's everyone talking about?" she asked. Dipper felt his mouth become dry. Had she overheard? She had turned to look at them, her eyes unfocused and glazed with exhaustion. "Dipper?" she asked, eying Wendy and him. "Do I need to leave the room for your alone time?" she asked with a droopy grin.
Wendy withdrew her hands and rolled her eyes. Blushing mildly, Dipper stepped to his sister, and sat next to her. "You okay?" he asked timidly.
"Mostly," she muttered. "How'd we win?" she asked with a smile.
Dipper looked to Ford, who gave him an encouraging nod. Then, he turned to Wendy. Her gaze was strong, focused. He knew exactly what she wanted to say: the truth. Dipper turned around, and looked into her eyes, those sleepy eyes belonging to her sister. She bopped his nose with a thumb, and then giggled.
"Punched him good, didn't you?" she asked.
"I'll... tell you about it when you're more awake," Dipper said, and pulled the covers over her arms. Mabel nodded, and turned in her sleep. Standing and turning from his sister, Dipper saw the disappointment from Ford.
"I understand your hesitancy," Ford acknowledged, "Especially given her stance."
"Dude, Dipper," Wendy wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
With a heavy sigh, Dipper nodded, "I will tell her," he said, "Later. When we're on the move." He stood up, and looked to them both. "I think we should leave soon. Ford," Dipper asked, "How long until you can remove the spell on the box that tracks us?"
"An hour," Ford firmly stated.
"We leave in an hour then," Dipper said. Nodding, Ford took the wrapped blankets into the other room, presumably to deal with the spell. "Wendy," Dipper said, "You think you can keep watch?"
She snorted, a small smile creeping across her lips. "It's what I did for, like, three years. Keep watch," she said, and stepped to the door. "Hey," she said suddenly, turning from the doorway, giving Dipper a small frown, "I'm sorry I got on your case, dude."
Dipper shrugged. "It's okay. I'll live," he said and gave her a warm smile, "I got a little heated too. You cool?" he asked.
She nodded, "Just going to get on the roof and keep an eye out. Call me if something happens," she said.
Dipper sighed, and turned once again to look to his sister. Somewhere in his mind, he still rationalized how it was a bad idea to inform Mabel of his usage of magic. That was fading quickly, as he decided the secrets between him and Mabel had never gotten them anywhere good. That didn't mean she'd just understand his decision, but he knew it was better to face something like this head on now.
He heard Ford chanting, and was reminded of their task.
The Starkissed Stones, locked away inside the seemingly indestructible box, were theirs. With the knowledge that, at least with time, they could find the owner and crack it open, Dipper felt like they had taken a big step forward. The box had shaken with contents; multiple stones.
Yet, who could own the keys to a damage impervious box, that knew the Jersey Devil? Dipper pondered as he lay down on the bed next to Mabel's, and stared at the ceiling. Who had the resources to find the Jersey Devil, or the skills and know how. Dipper remembered it was years ago as well, with two dogs.
The teen gasped, rocketing up from his bed. They met someone who could have been this person: they knew someone who could do all that!
With two talking dogs!
A penchant for discovery and monsters!
Old enough to have been a ripe age during the time the Jersey Devil mentioned!
Dipper grinned, and realized he would need to go find the retiree.
:O Your eyes do not deceive you. You got to the end of an update. Between this one and the previous, it's been... what? Five Months since Part 1 of the Devils Dude? Well... I guess I'll see you guys again in March! :D
(EZB dodges a hurricane of chairs and laptops being thrown at him) WOW! Okay, so, maybe sooner? How about.. December? (Dodges an entire feral pug hurled at his face) Yikes! Poor buddy! Okay, okay... how about I say I can do an update... next week? (a thrown pencil hits EZBs nose) That's fair.
And unlike last time, where I proudly proclaimed I am back, I've got backups now, and by that, I mean I've already technically finished part one of the next episode. Yeah! Why ins't it coming out ASAP? Editing? Naaah. The real answer- Pacing. *But also editing. Now, let's talk about the thing on everyones mind, I imagine. "WTF EZB!? Where were you!?"
Well, I don't have a flash, sad, big time hearthrob excuse this time. The honest truth is that I got sad writing this chapter back in May. I read through the comments and love, and for some reason, all my eyes caught were the critiques and criticisms. Yes, I know that's dumb, it's important to see BOTH sides of the replies, but logic didn't seem to help me there. So I just sort of stopped. I just didn't think I was a good writer. So the summer went by, and I didn't care to write ANYTHING. I just worked, played games, and pretended that I had finished the story and didn't have to look at the people asking was I dead.
Then you guys brought me back. I was nostalgic one day, and decided what would happen if I googled this story. I got the surprise I could NEVER expect. Like, seriously, I still am shocked by what I found- that Return to Gravity Falls has an extensive T.V. Tropes page. I thought it cute at first, but then I went through the effort someone (or someones) went through to put everything they have in. Each episode with a small summary, and many others have FULL SYNOPSIS!? Dude, what?! I started CRYING when I read through those pages. To consider the amount of time dedicated to someone else's fanfiction?! I'm not joking when I said I cried. No shame for these tears, just love.
So I started reading their stuff, and I realized that I had forgotten certain small things. They made me smile. They made me laugh, or sometimes get a bit embarrassed (that website catches my mistakes too- so whoever you are, you're observant!) So, to shorten out this story, the love someone else had for this really, REALLY got me to realize how much fun this is.
Now, I promise you one thing- I've got the ENTIRE next chapter done, and being edited now. If you want further proof, in a review, ask for a sneak-peek. I'll include it in a private response for YOU! EZB won't let himself be flaky this time. He's going to go to the end. We'll see the rest of RTGF, or I'll die. (I'm still thinking another seven years before the latter, so I've got time).
Welp, anyway, that I'm back, I'm just glad to be here again. I have a few more plans to talk to you all about, but for now, I'm just going hold those cards closer to my chest. I want to build your trust back before I go rambling on other things. Hopefully you all forgive me for being a droopy loser. If you can't forgive me, at least I hope you enjoy the story. Welp, here's to talking again soon! This is EZB, glad to be back-
(A huge billboard reading 'Return of *Return to Gravity Falls*' swings through the room, crashing into EZB and his computer, which is shredded.)
...Oww... I'm good. Just a broken everything. I just need a little help-
(The second half of the billboard collapses onto his head, this time reading 'Coming soon'.)
Left to the darkness and the burning wreckage, the remaining brainwashed militant goons surrounded the burning helicopter. The flames had begun to spread through more of the trees, casting a deep orange and yellow light into the dark of night. A gang of the same armored men had surrounded the fallen, but still breathing, Jersey Devil.
Another black jeep pulled through the trees. On it, was a bundle of cable. Two men, wearing thicker and more condensed armor, took the ends of the hard cable, and marched into the wreckage of burning helicopter. They attached it to a centerpiece of the once functioning chopper, and slowly it was pulled. Bit by bit, the helicopter was pulled onto a side.
No sooner had it been pulled on its side than a figure gasped and clawed its way out from the center of the crater. Still ablaze and furiously spewing curses into the night, a silhouette approached. The voice of Graupner Kinley echoed into the night canopy above, his curse heavy voice slowing its onslaught of verbiage. He finally stepped his way up, and marched out. All clothing but his pants and shoes had been burned away, and as he stepped out from the backlight and was finally seen. As he breathed heavily, the nasty burns across his body rapidly undid themselves, leaving only fresh skin and missing, still with a red stone in the center.
"Damn twins," he growled, "Damn Pines," he spat at a tree, and then turned to one of his servants, "Get me a cloak!" he barked. The man bowed, and ran towards the jeep. Graupner was still skinny as he was when he had been thrown from a cliffs edge under the earth, but the wear of the time since had made him more toned. He turned and punched a pine tree with an audible 'thump'. Recoiling for a moment, he studied his hand, where bits of bark stuck into his skin. "I can get used to this pain," he sneered.
"Master," his militant servant bowed, and offered him a black robe.
Grauper began to wrap himself back into his usual garb. With a satisfied sigh, he asked, "What's the report?"
"The magical tracker you entered has allowed us to following their steps. They're moving north still," the figure answered.
"Where north?" Graupner demanded.
"Ah, uhh," the officer stuttered.
Graupner rolled his eyes and scratched his neck. "See? This is why I prefer Alvis to you lot. He'd know, yeah?" he said with a sardonic grin. "Get me answers!" he snapped.
"Master," another servant of Graupners private military approached, "Wouldn't it be easier to just kill the kids?"
"End goals, yes," Graupner nodded solemnly. "Now, they're technically doing me better alive than dead," he added, biting at the word 'technically'.
"Why tranquilizers?" the figure asked.
Graupner eyed him, the red stone flashing dangerously. "Because we need them alive for now," Graupner growled.
"But... we're just going to kill them, right? In the name of the Rising Grasp, master, we ought to just-"
Graupner spun, grabbing the mans jaw with his hand. His eye and stone fixated on the poor soldier who spoke too much. "Because," he said, his grip tightening audibly, "I have a deal with a damned demon that I will see carried out. I need to contain... the only one of those five... the only one that can't be physically k-killed or hurt, so I can't lose any bargaining chips," he then screamed, as fire wrapped around the hand he held the soldier with, "LIKE HER ANNOYING, LIVING, FRIENDS!"
His voice echoed throughout the forest as blackened fires ripped through and scorched the soldier in his hand. Graupner let go, and the figure collapsed to the ground, unsurprisingly motionless. Breathing heavily, Graupner spun to the first soldier, "Continue to track the movements of the twins. I'm sure they'll take off the spell soon, but we could get an idea where-"
A choked chuckle came from Graupners side, off into the trees. He slowly turned, looking to the fallen creature in the woods. The eyes of the devil stared into Graupners own, flickering with the intense fire behind the once human young adult.
"Something funny?" Graupner asked, sneering. The devil squirmed on the ground, but chuckled still. Graupner barked, "Well!?"
"You've lost," it said to him, "and even though you have, you're acting like this day was yours. A fool, chasing after the wise," it said, laughing despite its pain. A vein in Graupners temple throbbed, and he marched over. The devil continued to taunt. "All this time, you think you're in control? You're acting just as a child. A child! You can't even control yourself, boy."
Graupner finally squatted next to the head of the beast, staring at its eyes with his own stone implant. He smirked. "Maybe the idea is that we shouldn't have to," he smirked.
From the piercing red, glowing eyes, to the red floating gem in the Warlocks own eye, the wounded creature took its turn to smile, causing the once-human to falter. "Good luck with that, boy," it said. "You will lose."
Graupner kneeled closer, getting right into its face. "You know what I just realized?" he asked, and then grasped both horns of the devil, "I think I like your horns."
The moment came in a flash. Without a chance to scream, the devil merely closed its eyes. It was instantly engulfed in black flames that carried past it like a deathly wind. Spreading over the body of the creature and reaching into the woods like a tidal wave of shaded fire, Graupner Kinley dealt with the Jersey Devil with one spell. Arcane, flickering ashes billowed into the air as the Warlock stood up. He stared at the pile of glittering ashes that had billowed across the fifty-foot cone of blackflame. Lifting up a pair of horns in his hands, the Warlock smirked.
"New magical conduits, I b-bet," he said to himself, turning away from the fire as it began to spread rapidly. He tossed the pair of horns into the arms of one of his soldiers, and strutted back towards a Jeep. "Send them to the Savage Mountain Base. I'm thinking a cool hood with horns, or something. Alvis will know."
"Yes master," the soldier said, and handed the horns off. As Graupner stepped closer to a Jeep, the Soldier spoke again, "The fires, master?"
Graupner turned to the spreading flames from his spell, now becoming more natural red and orange flames. The shadows cast across his face turned the once human into a stark image of torment. He sniffed and shrugged. "Let it burn. We're on a timeline," he declared and stepped into the car. The soldiers pulled away, the exhaust of the vehicles nothing compared to the raging fires spreading across the Pine Barrens. As flames spread far and high into the night and the jeeps sped away, the Warlock sighed. "So much for the fearsome devil," he muttered.
Gsv Wvero zmw srh wfwv,
low kzoh nvg olmt ztl,
gsvb nzwv z wvzo gl xloofwv.
Lmvh mld zhs, hldm rm mrtsg,
Gsv wfwv hkvvxsvh uli xzhs,
Fmzdziv lu xlnrmt kortsg.
-And-
Biq xi sio unnuwb byups bilhm ni u biix? Fcey, nbun xiymh'n guey uhs myhmy. Gusvy by'ff qyfx nbyg ni bcm meoff? Oab. Alimm!
-And-
Wlz Lpymga dsmmqe omqmd rr. Vb eki zvo rj twfu vzdtha, nij vshmekmio ylgz imryo ptp, eil xdcwm slw nxtumo etop vvdzim wyh upmdwmjv. Bxinbtrrn jpzemm- qrv nxzlpzzd zmgt mh egtzziy.