Acquiring a new helicopter was something of a chore when you wanted it to come with enough armaments to start a small war. To his credit, Graupner Kinley, the self-proclaimed Lich, controlled many crafty cultists. He was certain one of them could just weld a weapon or two onto the airborne vehicle. At least he swore they'd be able to, otherwise, what good were they to him?
He scowled as he leaned against a metal doorway, rays of the rising morning sun blazing over the canopy of trees around them. Hidden in New Jersey was an arms dealer so stashed with weapons and armaments that they had their own base. Graupner and his men were collecting on their latest purchases; more helicopters and vehicles, which he saw in the large metal hanger. Being stationed at the doorway by the large hanger doors, he sighed.
The millions he had invested already into the base in the north west, the new technology he was preparing for his end of the deal, and now these weapons... it was adding up. He was beginning to wonder how far the amount he stole from Steindorf would amount to. Though, he pondered silently, stole wasn't quite the right term. Steindorf was gone, so it was more just claiming.
The coming commotion of the line of jeeps and two new helicopters stirred his thoughts to the present. "Get them outside," he snapped.
"Yes sir."
The cultists moved them out, and Graupner followed.
A phone rang from inside one of his robe pockets. There was only one person who called Graupner, and so he never needed to look at it before answering. "Leuthar?"
"I hear you're sending a care package to me," the smooth, cultured voice of Alvis Leuthar spoke, "Of two horns from the Jersey Devil itself. And based on the news coming in this morning, you've had quite the successful night."
"Yeah," Graupner said.
"Good. We've realized how those interlopers, the 'Paths' were tracking us, and with your permission, I'd like to set up a nasty little surprise for them."
"Good, I approve," Graupner sneered.
"And, ah, your mission?" Alvis asked.
Graupner looked around, and cleared his throat. "Operation Green Flame was a success," he claimed.
"Ah. So, the, uh, children are dead?" Alvis checked, some of his balanced tone rattled.
Graupner paused, his brow furrowed. "They will be soon."
"Oh, so, then, what you mean to say is that the forest is burned to the ground, but they're not dead," Alvis recited.
"Yes!" Graupner snapped.
"Well, that's not quite what I'd call a success, considering the amount you risked in approaching the beast before enchanting the box-"
"I'm AWARE, thank you!" Graupner roared. He heard a screeching tire, and spun. The convoy had stalled as they heard his cries. A vein throbbed in his temple. "Keep it moving!" He yelled at his cultists, who nodded, and continued to take the merchandise.
From the phone, Alvis noted, "You seem tense."
"What gave it away?" Graupner asked sarcastically, leaning against the outside hanger walls, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "Is it the fact that four, no, five people, with no military training, have been able to out-maneuver our entire forces again and again?!"
"No, I was, ah, just guessing," Alvis muttered. "Well," he continued, "Maybe a break is required?" Alvis asked. "You probably could do with some R and R."
"I don't need a break," Graupner grumbled, "A lich does not sleep. Does not rest."
"A... lich?" Alvis asked. "You're certain of that still?"
"It's a t-title," Grauper seethed through his clenched jaw, "At least for now."
"Misleading considering you're, as far as my studies have indicated," Alvis rambled, "A wraith. Still, I suppose all you would need was a phylactery, and then you'd be a real lich, wouldn't you? Not too hard to do, I imag-"
"I'm getting to that part, don't rush me," Graupner moaned, "It's just been a little difficult to complete these more personal tasks when I have to keep chasing these kids." Alvis paused on the phone, but Graupner felt a question coming. "What is it?" he asked in a warning tone.
Alvis cleared his throat. "Well, seeing as how it's the fourteenth, I was wondering if seeing this many unsuccessful attempts against them could prompt the question as to why we're chasing them across the nation? As far as I can tell, their action each time, until cornered, is to flee."
"Because," Graupner stated.
"...Yes?" Alvis asked.
"That is your answer," Graupner snorted.
His cleverness failing him, Alvis barked, "S-sir! Really?"
Graupner relented. "I'll give you three reasons. One – because they're the kinds of kids who, if they knew what we're planning, wouldn't just run. Two – we need one of them. Three – they spent months in the summer chasing me, and trying to stop me. Now it's my turn to chase, my turn to hunt, my turn to kill," Graupner growled, pure venom dripping from his voice.
"Ah," Alvis chirped, "A personal vendetta..?" When Graupner said nothing, instead rubbing his head and trying to scratch his blond hair, Alvis continued, "Well, I still think you aught to take a momentary pause. I can re-collect our forces if you'd wish?" Alvis suggested.
Graupner looked around. Seeing the weapons being packed up, including more of the tranquilizer rifles and rockets, he realized a terribly sad thing he hadn't considered. Turning back to the phone, he said, "I don't know what I'd do with myself."
"If given a break?" Alvis inquired. "Well, that's not a problem. To maintain professionalism, many do often forget what to do when not working. How about I suggest something... do you like, I don't know, spelunking?"
"Pass," Graupner shuddered, rubbing his scarred neck.
"Hm, or, a safari? See the wilderness somewhere?" Alvis inquired.
"I hate animals," Graupner grumbled, "They always bite me."
"Oh. Well, maybe-"
"I'll be fine," Graupner grumbled, standing up fully, "Do you have anything else to report on?"
"Yes," Alvis added, "one of our keywords came up on our web-scourges. We have reports that a Jeffreys will be nearby."
Graupner grunted and shrugged. "Alberta can do as he pleases. I don't care if he wants a new job, he won't get one with us."
"No, no, not Alberta."
Graupner stood very straight, and marched away, holding the phone close to his head. "Y-you mean-"
"Apparently," Alvis continued, "He has just re-appeared publicly. Will be holding a one-day seminar today, at the 'Kiernan Recreation Center' at Niagara University. About the importance of Archeology and-"
"Niagara!?" Graupner gasped, "That is close! Ah, poor guy," he snapped, "He can do so much better than that, I mean, come on, how can Niagara University be the only place he can get an audience? He deserves better!"
"I, uh, oh," Alvis said, "I had no idea you were so fond of him."
"He's inspiring," Graupner whispered, "A hero who battled against the odds again and again, no matter what people told him he couldn't do. He ended up doing it anyway, and winning the day. Man," Graupner swooned, "What a badass." He smiled, looking at the sunrise. Then he jolted with thought, as if a current of lightning passed through him. "You know what, Alvis?"
"Sir?"
Graupner stood fully up, and brushed himself off. "I think I will take that break. Just for today. I've got a signature to collect."
Copper and golden rays splashed against the dawn of a central New York township. Clouds that fluffed and gently passed by, not a care in the world, hid creatures returned to the world. Above the lavender colors, birds in similar appearance to a raven but easily the size of a glider soared without interruption. Magic continued to spill and encompass the world, an unseen influence over the normal and mundane. In the crisp summer morning, a radio played in a motel office, where a woman sat in rapt attention, listening to the news, from a radio.
"Several lives were lost in the blaze last night, and currently firefighters from both Atlantic city and ocean city have been called to action. The combined efforts to combat, what ecologists are calling 'the worst state fire on the eastern seaboard in American history'," the announcer explained to the woman, who seemed taken in by the news, "Are still underway."
Another voice on the radio said, "That's just awful."
"Yeah, a professor from-"
A knock on the doorframe distracted the woman on the desk, and she saw a large man in a tan cap. "Hey," he said, peeking into her office, "You mind if I grab some coffee?" he said, pointing to the vat of coffee by the wall nearest the exit. She only gave him a second look. He had been one of the few who had stopped by several hours ago, checking in at nearly five in the morning.
"Knock yourself out," she shrugged. Eying him only with the side of her eyes, she continued to listen.
The radio was saying, "-Informed us last night that it could take decades for the forest to go back to its natural setting. You know, not burned down to a crisp," the woman said.
"Pretty crazy a fire starts on the thirteenth?" the other voice piped in.
"Well, depending on weather," the other voice added, "We could be looking at an evacuation of most of the wooded area of New Jersey, and possibly south of Trenton if the wind carries it. It's rough."
The other, male voice chipped in, "I guess that'll take care of the Jersey Devil though, won't it?" he asked.
The woman in the office snorted as the lady radio announcer laughed. As she re-focused, she noticed the man staring at the radio, something of sadness in his eyes. "Believed in the Devil, did you?" she asked.
The man whipped to her. "Never met him- I mean I don't know him- I mean- uh- thanks for the coffee!" he chuckled. As he stared at her with wide eyes, he darted out. She shook her head, not noticing him carrying six cups of joe.
The announcer continued, "And in other news, but certainly matching the theme of the craziness happening this summer, what with mermaids being reported all across the coast and the Philadelphia terrorist attack- the department of homeland security has announced the title of the culprits, and their leader, who-"
The door closed behind the person with the coffee, cutting off the radios story. The man, Soos Ramierz, marched up the stairs. Arriving to his floor, he found Wendy by the handrails of the second story of the simple motel. She noticed him and sighed, telling him, "Mabel was just told."
"Hoooh boy," Soos gulped, and walked to the door. He had stepped out, excusing himself to get everyone coffee when Dipper said he'd be telling her in a minute. True to Wendy's word, the voices behind the door were loud and aggressive. "Maybe she'll come to with some coffee?" he suggested.
"I wouldn't give her any," Wendy warned, "She's energized enough considering she just came out of drug induced sleep."
"Heh, more for me," Soos chuckled, and stepped inside with a braced clamp in his jaw.
The door had only creaked open before the full, unapologetic voice of Mabel blasted passed Soos.
"So that's, like four or five times you've used magic without telling me!" She snapped at Dipper.
"Mabel!" Dipper called back, arms crossed as he stood by the complimentary television in the room, "This is the reason I'm tellling you only now!" he barked, giving Soos only the shortest of glances before staring back. Ford stood next to the doorway, watching the two in their yelling match.
"Maybe I wouldn't be freaking out so much-," Mabel, standing atop one of the two queen sized beds, gave Soos a smile, "Morning Soos!" she smiled, and then whipped her head back to her brother, "-If using magic didn't keep causing more problems than it solved!"
"The magic I'm using isn't causing more problems!" Dipper yelled. "If anything, I'm just shortening the chances for problems to start!"
"Ooh, uh," Soos gulped, extending a coffee, "Maybe you'll want this?"
"Thanks," Dipper mumbled to him, quietly taking a coffee.
"I'll take one as well," Ford said, stepping up as Soos handed him one.
"Is it hot chocolate?" Mabel asked.
"Coffee," Ford shrugged.
With a quick, dismissive puff of air, Mabel looked back to her brother. "I was teaching you stuff about martial arts! Why are you trying to use this evil stuff?" she pleaded.
"First of all," Dipper started, but Ford beat him to the punch.
"Magic – not evil," Ford said, before sipping his own cup.
"Grunkle Ford," Mabel said, holding a hand to him, "You're, like, the only person we know who's used magic without going crazy. If we don't include the older version of you, which did go crazy!" Mabel added.
"From what I've pieced together," Ford mumbled, "It was less 'going crazy' and more possessed by Bill Cipher."
"Mabel," Dipper took a swig of his coffee, tensing his neck and giving his body a quick shake with the sharp, bitter taste, "I know you want to think I'm as good as you with the paths training. And I want to learn more-" she went to say something, but he held a hand, "Just wait. Okay?" he asked her. Mabel, still fuming, complied. Dipper continued, "I'm not saying I won't be happy to use the paths. I tried already, okay? When I fought Graupner, in Florida, or Georgia, or wherever it was, I tried the paths first."
"But he's just impervious to that kind of damage. I can beat him up all day, and not break a sweat," Dipper added, finally feeling the surge of caffeine, "But all it takes for one of his super-fatal spells to hit, and I'm a goner. I can't take that chance."
The sister, her eyes locked onto her dear brother, leapt up, and landed with her rear on the bed, bouncing only for a moment. "Hmph", was the most she could manage, in a throaty grumble.
"When I used a spell, it was to animate and give limited sentience and mobility to weapons, back at Area fifty-one. We were surrounded, and I needed something to hold them off while Wendy and I could find you," Dipper explained.
"You still ended up being captured," Mabel pointed out.
"Later than you did," Dipper pointed out.
She huffed. "That's not all!" she said, "You did something in that experiment chamber, or whatever!"
"A protection ward," Dipper sighed, "Like, it can't even be an offensive spell. All it can do is protect the user. I just used it to get close enough to the stone, that's all," he detailed, "Otherwise, I might have been shredded by that psuedo-dimensional energy... stuff."
"Quasi-dimensional-discharge," Ford corrected. Dipper gave him a nod, and faced Mabel again.
Mabel, losing steam, said, "You stole from Gideon using-"
"I never stole anything," Dipper interjected, "I just unlocked the desk with a spell. He kept everything. Even if I wanted to steal, I would have left all the papers there, so we could use whatever evidence against him in his own turf. You know, call him out on something, and then have photographic evidence or something in court."
Ford looked from one twin to another. "You two were in court?" Ford asked.
"Yup! As a congresswoman," Mabel proudly puffed out her chest, "I have the duty of ensuring the people are fairly treated and that I am given candy on a regular basis." Her energy unfazed, she refocused on her brother. "Okay, and I get using a little message-spell-thing to get help from Zander-
"Mostly because Zander said it was okay," Dipper grumbled.
"-But you said you used a lightning spell!?" Mabel spoke, her voice shrill as she whispered lightning.
"Technically, twice," Dipper said, scratching the back of his head, "And you're missing the time I summoned treants to fight Graupner for us."
Mabel snapped, "You what?!"
"You what?" Ford asked, adjusting his glasses as he called out with Mabel. She looked to the elder scientist, and he shrugged. "Well, without certain precautions, it can be a dangerous spell, but only if additional securities are ignored, such as maintaining control of the spell..."
"So those trees storming around, kicking people and almost kicking us," Mabel recited, "Were from you?"
Heat wrapped around his neck and ears. Flashes of the scene in the woods days ago mingled with the incident the night before. "YES!" Dipper snapped, biting at the air. Mabel recoiled, and Ford eyed Dipper.
"Uhh, maybe," Soos spoke up, fidgeting with his coffee cup, "More coffee?" he suggested.
Dipper took his chance, removing his cap and sliding down the wall to perch on the floor. "Mabel, ever since you told me about your training, I knew that you had learned something really cool. You stepped up and could hold your own against, like, anything it seemed!"
She picked at her chin. "Not... anything," she rebutted quietly.
"I know you and Arline said that I was picking up, but come on," he gave an exasperated sigh, "I could barely keep pace with you! And ever since Graupner became a wraith, or lich, or whatever he claims-"
"He's a what?!" Ford snapped.
Dipper continued, "-that I felt so useless using the paths against him," he turned quickly to Ford, "Yeah, that guy, Graupner, from last night is like Wendy," and he turned back to his sister, leaving his stunned great-uncle to mouth silently in awe, "Mabel, I wanted to use the paths. I still want to use the paths. I think they're awesome! But both times I've faced Graupner, he just walked past everything I threw at him. But when I used magic, I at least got him to keep distance. And trust me," Dipper looked down to his hands, "You don't want him to get close to you."
Soos had paused from his exit, watching the energy between siblings change. Dipper, now seated on the floor, and Mabel, now seated on the edge of the bed, did not make eye contact. Soos looked to Ford, who in turn whispered to him, "I find it maddening how similar these two are to myself, and my brother."
"Haha," Soos chuckled loudly, "That's what the other version of you said before you went evil." Ford's eyes darkened, and he sulked with tightly crossed arms. Soos winced. "Oh, right, sorry," Soos apologized.
Fully defused of her anger, Mabel let herself relax. To her brother, she asked, "Why weren't you telling me from the beginning?"
He looked up, shaking his head. "You always wanted to agree with Zander. He wants to avoid all magic if at all possible. So... I just figured it would make you mad at me again and again. So, I avoided it."
The door behind Soos cracked open, and Wendy popped her head in for a peek. "Is it clear yet?" she whispered to Ford and Soos.
"Almost," Soos nodded, "They're in the quiet stage of their argument."
"I didn't want you to get mad," Dipper admitted, "I hate it when you get mad."
"I wouldn't... I mean..." Mabel struggled for her own reply, nervously playing with her sweater. "I just worry!" she cried out, "I know you don't trust Zander, and I get why we're all in the dark about some of his stuff, but he's been honest about why he doesn't like magic."
Ford huffed, "He's a little too obsessive about it, if you ask me."
"Shh!" Wendy and Soos told him. Ford jolted to the side, looking sheepish.
"But that doesn't mean, like," Mabel stood up, walking over to her brother and sitting next to him, "That I want you to hide from me."
"I don't want to," Dipper explained as he watched her take a seat, "But I never believed you'd give me a chance to explain why I would use magic."
Mabel shuffled herself to sit beside him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I... maybe you're right," she sighed.
"I am?" he almost choked, looking to her with a whip-lash enduring head turn.
"I do want to believe Zander. So much, I guess I forgot that I've seen you use magic before. I mean," she leaned forward, "We saved Gravity Falls three years ago partly because of magic. So, I guess it can't all be that bad."
"So... you won't mind me using it?" Dipper asked.
"On the condition that it's for something that you couldn't use the paths for," she expressed, "Otherwise, you punch those problems away, like a Pines!" she roared, and punched the air before her. "Got it?" she said, offering him a hand.
From the side of the room, Wendy muttered quietly to Soos and Ford, "I'm pretty sure punching problems away is also Corduroy family thing."
Dipper stood, and helped his sister up. "Deal," he said, taking the handshake fully once they stood.
"Phew!" Wendy declared, stepping in finally. "Was afraid that would take longer."
"What?" Mabel turned, giving her an eye, "We twins resolve issues quickly!"
Wendy eyed the twins, and reminded them, "Unless they take thirty years."
"A rare exception!" Ford protested, "Before our falling out, Stan and I would easily get over problems."
"Sure, okay," Wendy rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you two are chill with each other," Soos said, stepping over, "Should we get back to missions and stuff?"
"We should probably just tell Zander about the first one," Dipper admitted, taking out his phone after he placed his cap back on.
"You haven't told him yet? While I was sleeping?" Mabel asked.
Done with the questions, Dipper scowled. "Look, it was a tense situation as it was, and I'd rather we all be present and accounted for before I spoke to Zander more. Okay?" Dipper grumbled, and punched in Zanders number. Pressing the button to call, he held the phone to his head.
"Maybe put him on speaker?" Mabel suggested. Dipper, giving her a scathing look, pressed the speaker mode button. "Thanks!" she smiled.
"Dipper?" Zander's voice replied after a few rings.
Dipper spoke quickly, "Zander, we've got a lot to repo-"
"Hey Zander!" Mabel chirped.
"Thanks for the call," Zander said, "And hi Mabel," he added with a cheery voice. She giggled and hopped in place while spinning in close circles. "So, what's going on? Got the stones?"
"Yup!" Soos answered, holding the small wooden container, supposedly filled with Starkissed orbs.
"Oh, Soos," Zander said, "Didn't know you'd also be here- Wait," he paused, "am I on speaker?"
"Yup," Ford noted.
"Sure are," Wendy smirked.
"Explains that then. Well, I guess I'll have to fend myself off from five instead of one at a time. Fair enough," he chuckled.
Mabel took her turn to speak. "Well, we got the box with the stones, but..." she paused, her gaze falling, "We're pretty sure the Jersey Devil had to give up for us."
"Oh," Zander replied. "I was under the impression the Devil would have been a problem. He, uh, helped out?"
"We made a trade with him," Dipper explained, "Food for information, and then we were able to negotiate the stones, in that box that Soos shook," Dipper added as he stared at the still locked box.
"Yup!" Soos said, "Here, I can shake it again!" he gave the box a rattle.
Zander hummed on the phone. He then asked, "If the devil cooperated, why did you burn down the woods?"
"Oh, dude," Wendy sighed, "That wasn't us."
"Graupner got to him just a little after we did," Dipper explained in a quiet voice, "I get the feeling we're not going to see the Jersey Devil anymore."
"Oh... Well," Zander started, "I'm sorry things had to end the way it did. If it really was cooperating, that is a lost chance of an ally... still, the stones are ours now. I think that's just about enough to finally complete our mission. How many do you have?" he asked.
The five looked to the box. Soos gave it another rattle. "Uhh," he said, "I guess, maybe, twelve? Or twenty?"
The pause from the phone pierced the twins. That clearly had not been the answer expected from the Guardsman, the Master of the Paths, the famous Zander Maximillion. After a moment, his voice came back, in a clearing of his throat. "How... do you not know?"
"Well, thing is," Soos started, but Dipper rushed to the answer.
"They're inside a box!" Dipper cried out, "One that we can't break open."
"A locked box," Zander mumbled, "Great. So, for all we know, it's not enough and we need to do more. Damn," he stated, "I was really hopeful there for a minute."
"Wait!" Mabel called, "It is probably enough, we just need to get it open!" she explained.
"You told me it couldn't be broken open," Zander reminded, "And we need to know if we're doing looking. I need the stones as soon as possible if we're going to complete this before things get even nastier."
"Nastier?" Dipper asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean Graupner," Zander warned, "He's kicking things up a notch."
"We noticed," Wendy mumbled, "He burned down an entire part of New Jersey just because he could."
Zander seemed to agree, giving a thoughtful hum. He said, "During our encounter with him in Mississippi, he wasn't present as we'd hope, but his cultists sent one of those armored trash trucks through a building just to get us. They blew up an entire street block just to try killing us, as they were ordered to," he sighed, "I've not had to deal with this kind of willingness to destroy in a long, long time."
"These guys of his are nutso!" Mabel barked.
"It's gotten the point," Zander continued, "Where the government is putting them on the active terrorism list. The Rising Grasp is now known as a fully funded terrorist cell in the United States. They just don't seem to know why they're doing anything," Zander added with a chuckle, "Not like we could give them a good answer."
"Killing us out of spite, probably," Dipper answered, his voice low and grim.
"At least the government will also be on our side," Mabel shrugged.
"Doubtful," Zander quickly said.
"What?" The twins barked.
Ford stepped up and explained. "Graupner and his minions move across the United States rapidly. We need to assume that without any kind of pre-planned move from your enemy, the government will have to react, as supposed to plan and intervene."
"Not to mention," Zander added, "They're up against magic users, and a leader who cannot be killed by conventional weapons. They're out of sorts if they just use local law enforcement." Zander sighed. "I know you guys are tired, trust me, I know what exhaustion feels like," he told them, "But you need to find out if you can't get to the contents of the locked box. Without them, we could have weeks of looking to go through still. And we don't have weeks, guys," he said, his voice rising, "We're almost at five percent increase in global magic levels now."
"This... all this," Dipper gasped, "Is five percent!?"
"I warned you, didn't I?" Zander added, "And this is just a pinch of what's to come. But we can reverse this," he said, "Just get the contents, or confirm that they're impossible to get to. I need an answer, and soon. Now, I need to go," he added in a hurry, "I'm going to check in on the second half of the project we're working on. Call me as soon as you have an answer."
"Zander, wait-" Mabel tried, but the dial cut, and they were let be. "Darn it," Mabel grumbled, "I was going to tell him to have a good day."
Dipper gave her a weary smile as he put the phone away. "Okay," he said to them, "So, I was thinking about what the Devil told us. How he talked about the guy who gave him that box," he pointed to the object in Soos' hands, "And it got me thinking about someone we know who might fit that description."
"We know someone who could have already met the Jersey Devil?" Mabel gasped.
"Who?" Wendy and Soos hooted in unison.
"Or what," Ford interjected. When the four turned to him, he shrugged, "Hey, you all make non-human friends! It could have been another monster."
"No, this guy's human, as far as I know," Dipper said off-handedly. "We met him in the beginning of summer, when-" Mabel suddenly screamed, and started jumping up and down. "-owwww," Dipper groaned, rubbing his ear.
"Using his faithful hounds to guard him as he adventures," Mabel declared boldly, "A sturdy body, a roguish face and charm enough to make a whole crowd swoon," Mabel pantomimed fainting in awe.
Ford adjusted his glasses, and then asked, "Are you two talking about Montana Jeffreys?"
"Yes!" both twins snapped, looking to him.
"You know him?" Dipper asked.
"Only by what his fame has told me," Ford shrugged, "When I moved to Oregon to study, I began to hear about a man who traveled the globe, discovering ancient burial sites, and lost cities. Better question, how do you two know him?" he asked the twins.
Dipper explained, "Well, he tried kidnapping Grunkle Stan when he got suspicious about the Mystery Man- I mean shack. He could get the land for himself, to look through."
Wendy scowled. "Another mystery I missed. This time it was this year. How do I keep missing out all the cool stuff!?" she barked.
"You were there, we looked for Grunkle Stans body," Mabel pointed out to Wendy.
"I wasn't there for discovering freakin' Montana Jeffreys!" she replied.
"You make it sound as if my brother had died," Ford admitted. Dipper and Mabel opened their mouths simultaneously, but Ford held out his hand, "Update me on the way, or another time. We need to find Mister Jeffreys as soon as possible! He may still have the key to the box."
"It's our best hope, unless we want to keep looking for another two weeks!" Dipper grumbled.
"But how do we find out where he is?" Mabel posed to the group, "Last time we heard from him, he retired. That's as good as saying 'no one sees me again'."
"Nah," Wendy shrugged, "He's still busy."
"How do you know?" Dipper asked her, as the other three turned to look at her this time.
"Easy," Wendy admitted. Reaching in for her jacket, she pulled out a small newspaper, and on it was the black and white rendering of their target, "He's doing meetings for cash at universities and colleges. He's got one today," she added, folding out the page, and reading the location aloud, "At Niagara University."
"College?" Mabel gasped. "Oohh, we can go see what life will be like if we were normal!"
"What?" Dipper spun on her.
"Like, bro," Mabel chuckled, "At this rate, we're never getting through college. Ever."
"I am going to go through college, get a masters, and then get as many P.H.D.s as I can before I pass out from exhaustion," Dipper noted.
Ford chuckled, "That's the spirit!" then he stood up more, and looked about, "Well, I'd say then it's time for us to go have a meeting with the world's greatest archeologist! Well," he added with a pause, "Except for Sara Craft. I wonder what's she's up to these days..."
With directions to Niagra being fairly easy (using their phones as well as the easily hundreds of signs leading visitors to the region), the gang was off again. Divided back into their multitude of vehicles, the drive wasn't one of terrific length, considering how most of them were used to driving entire days without much coming of it. It the drive made for a good chance to calm the group down with the prior night's activities.
At least upstate New York was beautiful. The trees here reminded Dipper and Mabel of some of the trees in Oregon, in Gravity Falls. They were not thick and ancient as the great redwoods, but tall and numerous, along with many hills and mountains of green that sprawled across the state. It was a bit cooler in the day than they had expected, prompting Mabel to roll her windows down, and stick her head out like a maniac.
"Suck it, dogs of America!" she shouted at a dog going for a walk, "This is also a human thing now!" The dog bowed its head in shame at its loss as she sped away, cackling like a maniac.
By the passing of noon, they had arrived in Niagara Falls, one of the top tourists stops of America. Speeding away from the grand sights of the waterfalls, the caravan turned north, speeding towards the north, following the river. It was only a matter of time before they finally saw the campus.
"Awww," Mabel hummed, "It looks so cute!"
"People get degrees here, nothing cute about it," Dipper said.
"It's got all that old style stuff around!" She reasoned, "Like nice buildings that don't look like they were made yesterday out of nothing but glass and plastic. Real stone! The Earth!"
Countering her, Dipper muttered, "Insulation is terrible I bet."
"Dipper downer," Mabel sighed as the car turned, following the signs for 'Montana Jeffreys: Seminar at Niagra'. The difficult thing wasn't finding the correct building: a two-part recreation center with small parking lots before it. The hard part was finding a parking space that wasn't taken. Especially ones that allowed the caravan to park all next to one another. Cars lined the streets, packed the local three lots, and a majority of a parking lot across the street. Coming to a tough call, Dipper decided to park as far as he could away from the campus. There at least the two cars and bike could park next to one another.
"So," Wendy said as the five joined, walking towards the campus, "What's the likelihood of running unto danger here?"
"Small," Dipper quickly put out.
"Really?" Wendy chuckled, "Nice. A break."
"Unless the dashing mister Jeffreys decided to become like his brother," Mabel said, and groaned, "Ugh, Alberta, we should be fine!"
"Oh, I mean," Wendy stated again, "Could we run into Graupner and his goons?"
"Unlikely," Ford declared.
"Okay, Pines," Wendy rolled her eyes, "Since you all seem to think this is perfectly safe, care to let me and Soos in on why?"
"Simple," Dipper said, "We're not alone anymore." He pointed to the buildings, "Graupner's now a terrorist, as well are his cultists. As long as there are people who could recognize him, he'll get in trouble with the military. The military!" Dipper restated with a smirk, "I'd just love to see his face looking down a tank!"
"Hopefully it will not come to that," Ford mentioned, "But It's more likely that our current villain will have nothing to find here. He seems invested in killing you when you're looking for these stones," he nodded to Soos, "But none are here. If he is somehow tracking us, he'd be sure to be stunned with our arrival to a place of no significance."
Soos chuckled, "It seems pretty significant to me. You see that big waterfall back there?"
"A while ago, yeah," Ford shrugged.
"So cool, dawg," Soos awed.
"Okay, so," Mabel clapped her hands together, "We go in, find mister Jeffreys, and politely ask him to give us a key?" she asked, "Seems easy enough."
With a dark grumble, Dipper said, marching forward, "Aaaand you jinxed it."
Approaching the recreation center of the college was no easy task. A bundle of crowds had gathered, pushing their way into the building. The five approached, and sooner than they would have liked, were swallowed up into the marching. "Stay together," Ford pleaded, being stuck to the back.
"Might be easier said than done," Dipper grumbled, holding onto his sister's hand for dear life.
"Guys," Mabel said, as the crowd began to separate them, "We'll meet up with you after this! Go find a seat, and meet us outside by the trees!"
As Soos, Wendy, and Ford were pulled into a different set of doors, the twins made their way inside a handsomely sized interior recreation center. The waxed wooden planked floors were decorated with the lines and colors to have basketball courts and volley ball tournaments. "See?" Mabel poked her brother, "Not a bad place."
He made no reply, instead climbing as high up as he could in the bleachers that had been designated for an audience. The air was buzzing with the many conversations of other groups taking their seats. Dipper surveyed them for a moment before his eyes widened. "There!" he pointed, and as Mabel followed his point, they saw their three lost companions, seated on the opposite side of the audience. "At least we know where they are."
"Why? Not like we're in any danger here," she said as the twins sat down. Mabel gazed about as Dipper took out one of the journals. When she saw him reading, she sighed. "Really? Dusty journal time?"
Dipper gave her a quick glance. "I figured while we wait," he explained, "I'd brush up on some of Grunkle Fords more complicated spells."
"Magic?" Mabel whined.
He wheeled his head to her. "You just said I could," Dipper hissed at her, "Like, gave me permission and everything!"
"I know, I know!" she said, placing her chin in her arms as a pout. "It's just a reflex."
"Like, unless the Paths can teach people to fly, or disguise themselves perfectly-"
"Well, my master once told me that if you study the ways of the air, you eventually could learn to fly, hypothetically," she explained. Dipper gave her a look, one long held and filled with questions. "What?" Mabel said, "Fine, I guess there isn't a way I can think of to disguise yourself using martial arts."
"Then that's how Zander could just 'take off' like that earlier," Dipper mentioned.
"I guess," Mabel shrugged.
"From martial arts to super powers," Dipper snorted, "I don't get how. Like, I understand that with conditioning you can make your body tough, or fast, or whatever," Dipper turned to her, "But the whole concept of 'and then you get to control an element' sort of got me. When do you get to start doing that?" he asked.
"I might have already," Mabel smirked. When Dipper's mouth dropped, she leaned in closer, "See, back in Gravity Falls, when I punched away Graupners blackfire?"
"I thought you only did that once," Dipper asked.
"Well, so far," Mabel bobbed her head back and forth, "Sort of a work in progress. But if I can deflect fire, one day, I could catch it!" Mabel sneered, latching out ahead of her and snatching some unseen thing.
"Without burning yourself?" Dipper asked.
"Yeah," she nodded plainly.
Dipper gently bit at his inner cheek, unable to find a pen to chew. He had always considered the amazing merits of the Paths, these elemental martial arts. When he didn't know of this unspoken war between the master of the paths and a master magician, Omir Steindorf, Dipper recalled not thinking of how similar they were. Yet now, now he wasn't so sure.
"Magic," Dipper mumbled, looking to his journal, but not really reading it.
"Hmm?" Mabel asked him, leaning to check on his gaze. "What is it? Dippity-droopity?"
Only pausing for a moment to give her a second look for the awful name, Dipper pointed to the page, "I just found a new spell to try out," he said, and looked closer, realizing he wasn't being dishonest. Reading it aloud, he said, "An illusion of disguise."
"You were just talking about that," Mabel hummed with a grin.
Dipper wanted to read more, but the lights dimmed. The twins took to settling down, Mabel bouncing in her seat nonstop. "I'm so excited to see him again," she whispered.
"Do tell," Dipper smirked.
"Well, he is sort of handsome. Not as much as Zander," she began, and Dipper turned. His gaze hit her, and she zipped her lips into a big smile. With a soft laugh, Dipper looked back to the now dimly lit center stage that had been brought out. On it was a woman, elderly, in a nice, sky-blue suit.
"Now, friends far and wide," the woman started, her voice betraying of age and experience, "I don't think I need to be up here very long. You know who this good man is. He comes to us, in his days of retirement, to talk about his accomplishments, and his advice to the generations to come. Please help me welcome... the amazing Montana Jeffreys!" She began to applaud, along with the crowd.
It was a thunderous. The applause took Dipper entirely by surprise. Around him, people shot up and screamed, slamming their palms together for the ruckus that was similar to an applause. Mabel joined them, hooting and hollering her heart out. All he could do was stand up slowly, just so he could see the man. Stepping from a double door across the room was him, Montana Jeffreys.
In physical appearance, he was almost the same. A handsome face with graying hair, and a silver five o'clock shadow, peered around through the dim light he strode through. Dark eyes scanned the crowd. Montana Jeffreys, a man's man with enough of a natural physical charisma to show how cool someone could be just by walking through a door, stepped up to the stage.
It took a real minute for the crowd to calm down. Dipper had to pull Mabel to her seat, which she only slightly resisted, mostly keen on keeping an eye on the famous man. Then he spoke to the microphone.
"Thank you," he said plainly, looking around the crowd, "Thank you." he paused, having no script, or stand to rest behind. He just stood before the subjective gaze of easily a hundred people. "Yeah," he nodded again, "Thank you for the tickets. Really helps, you know? Archeology didn't pay all the bills," he chuckled. The audience hummed with agreeable giggles.
He began again, "We've got a lot of world around us, huh? A lot to discover. You know," he scratched his chin, beginning to pace back and forth as he spoke, "The funny thing is, when you go looking into these places, you know – lost mines, hidden tombs, yadda yadda," he wove his hand through the air, "You look for the past. You go looking to understand things we've forgotten. But what we find," he added in emphases, "Is far from that."
"I wonder where his dogs are," Mabel whispered to Dipper as Montana continued to speak.
"No idea," Dipper shrugged, "Probably outside."
"That's good," Mabel hummed, "I hope Nadia's leg is okay," she said.
Dipper turned. "Who?" he asked.
"Nadia. As in one of the two talking dogs?" she reminded him. He gave a curt nod, and the two focused back on Montana.
"-have found that in almost all my cases, what I discover doesn't help me understand the past more, it helps me understand now. If you want to get why someone, or a group of someone's," Montana elaborated, "Is acting a certain way, look into their past. See what they've lost, sometimes even what they hide. Archeology is the, uh," he pantomimed typing on a keyboard, "Internet history search of the world."
Mabel chuckled and Dipper grinned as a majority of the crowd cackled. The male twin leaned to his sister. "It's kind of weird to listen and watch him when he's not trying to chase us down, or sic his dogs on us," he whispered.
"Right?" Mabel nodded, "Or trying to make us sell Grunkle Stans land. All for the low-low price of kidnapping," Mabel snorted, and Dipper chuckled quietly. After a moment of watching and listening, Mabel turned back to her brother, "Did you mean what you said earlier?"
He stared at his sister. "You're going to need to be more specific," Dipper quietly said, closing the book as he locked eyes with her.
"Well," she looked around the center, "Yhis. You know, college, and life beyond high school."
"Oh, that I plan on getting as many degrees as humanly possible?" Dipper asked.
"Or just one," Mabel retorted.
"I don't follow," he said, "Of course I meant it. I do want to try at least," he shrugged.
"But," she looked around, watching Montana for a moment, "We're here, lucky to be alive after how many death-defying situations," she continued as Dipper studied her intently. "If Zander says we're basically done, if we can crack open the box, then what's left before the really bad stuff? Each time we're almost done with something, it just gets even more intense and earth-shattering," she rationalized, and added, "Look what happened in Gravity Falls..."
"I can't believe that all almost made sense," Dipper told her. She gave him a glare, and he shrugged, "Still, we'll get out of this. This is not like that first summer, and we've seen the worst this summer. We're not ending the world, just saving it from a bit of magic over-drive. It's gotta be all downhill from here on," he assured her.
"But," Mabel added, "If each summer sorta becomes this, how are we ever going to keep going through normal boring life stuff? What's going to happen next summer if we're stopping magic from overwhelming the world? Alien invasion? Undead crisis? How could we ever get a normal college life if we're always doing, you know, this?" she asked.
From below, Montana Jeffreys concluded his short speech, "Thank you. I guess we'll, uh, do some questions."
Dipper, after giving the old archeology star a look, focused back on his sister. "Why are you suddenly interested in 'normal boring life stuff'?" Dipper asked, "It's not really your forte."
Mabel bit her lip, her brows twisted in a worried frown. Looking to her brother, she sighed, her contained energy slipping from her. "I just, you know... ugh, look around," she gazed about, and Dipper followed her instruction, "People, living life normally. They're not running around, being attacked by evil cultists or stuff. We are, and it's been both the worst and kinda the coolest," she gave a shy grin, and then gave him a serious look, "But if we save the world and stuff, in the end, we'll have to go back to... mom and dad. Not, you know..."
"You- ohh..." Dipper nodded. "Us. You're worried about us..." She nodded, watching a person sit down after asking the archeologist a question. Dipper continued, "I think, well, it was going to happen eventually. Just, maybe not as later in our lives as we'd like."
Mabel turned to him. "You want to get away from me?" she asked, her eyes swimming.
"No!" Dipper hissed, putting his arm around her, "I don't mean it like that, not even a little!" he gave her shoulder a quick rub. "I mean that one day we'll have our own lives. This will blow over, or boy do I hope it will," Dipper sighed, "And when it does, we'll just remember how important we are to one another. We've got cars now, or your bike. We can see each other whenever we want," he smiled, putting out his best attempt at cheering him up.
Montana below had answered his latest question. "Thank you for the question. Let's take another," he said, and pointed to a hand that raised up. "You, kid?" he asked.
"Hi," the next person, a pale teen that had dark brown hair that stood rigidly up into the air and had thick eyebrows, stood gently up, "You've run into the dead before, and sometimes the undead. What can you tell us about them that could help people be more calm after all these weird things happening these days?" He spoke with a soft voice.
As Montana answered, Mabel continued. "Do you really think we can stay connected? We're hours away from one another. Mom and dad aren't just going to have us bounce between schools so we can just see each other, even though they should," she added, falling forward in a slump.
Dipper rubbed her should, a pit in his chest growing. It had been a while since he had felt this deep pain: since the beginning of the summer when he and Mabel had only just arrived. He tried, "We'll figure it out?" His response only sunk her lower. Unlike the guilt he had felt before, it was now dread. There was no easy answer, as far as he could tell, that would settle Mabel's nerves. "Maybe," Dipper said, looking around and wondering to chance the scenery "We can wait outside for Montana?"
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Maybe we should."
"Okay," Mabel said, and smiled.
The two were standing when Montana took his next question.
"Thank you," Montana said.
"No," the voice replied, "Thank you for everything you've given us."
Dipper and Mabel slammed their rears back down onto the seats. That voice was unmistakable. Echoed from around the speakers clearly, the two spied around, and found him. The source of the voice, their pain of the summer, and their current enemy abound.
"Graupner?!" they both whispered.
"Well, it's nothing," Montana shrugged, "So, what's your question, kid?"
Graupner held a microphone to his face, which turned far enough to Montana that the twins couldn't see most of it. He spoke then, a tone unfamiliar to them. "Well, I think a lot of people here are scared about all this stuff happening in the world today," he started, a brightness to his voice, "But a lot of us are inspired for your tenacity. You continued to face opposition in your career, and yet you continued to push for what you believed in. What would you tell us, the fans, when it concerns chasing what we believe in?"
Dipper and Mabel wouldn't say a word now. Their eyes darted around the crowd, and suddenly they started seeing them. Sitting alone, every other row of seats, was a suited man or woman, all watching Graupner intently. They carried no pin of his approval, but it was clear they were members of the Rising Grasp. Mabel pointed to their allies, who had been staring back at the twins, eyes wide. Giving them a subtle nod, it was made clear.
The entire campus, and all its guests, could be engulfed in a warzone at any moment.
"Well," Montana paced for a moment, his response taking time, "So, look, here's the honest truth. When you're young," he waved to Graupner, "You get the idea that everything you're doing has some sort of weight to it, or it matters more than anything else; especially when it's important to you. I had that belief. I just continued to chase what I wanted until I got to it. I do have to say," he shrugged, "I could have saved myself a lot of pain by just deciding that some should just be let be."
Montana added, "But, when we find something we really believe, and we face opposition, I think of this – 'is it worth it'?" he posed to the audience. "Is it worth whatever I am currently willing to do for this dream? This object? If you can honestly answer yes, then go for it- and don't let a soul stop you," he said to Graupner. The Warlocks face split into an ear-to-ear smile.
Doing everything he could to not panic, Dipper breathed to his sister, "The heck is he doing here?"
"I don't even know," Mabel admitted, her eyes darting around the audience quickly, "But he's brought a posse with him, just in case." She turned back to look at their enemy as Dipper focused on the distant once-human.
From their elevated position and angle, the twins could only make out the back of his head, and maybe a fifth of his face. Part of his dark blond hair was pulled down against his scalp. A string of some sort was wrapped taut against his head, which Dipper then gasped and snapped his fingers gently. "An eye-patch," he muttered.
"I was just thinking that," Mabel nodded, still staring ahead, "It would be kind of weird to see a dude with a red crystal-stone-rock thing in the socket of an eye, right?" she snorted.
"Yeah," Dipper murmured, "But why is he just sitting in an audience for Montana Jeffreys?" Dipper asked. "If he's here for us, he's gone to greater lengths to attack us before."
Mabel scratched her chin gently. After a moment, she reached over to her brother's chin, and began to scratch his own chin as she thought. At the weird gesture, Dipper scowled at her, and moved his own chin away. Mabel then blinked and grinned. "Or, he doesn't know we're here," she proposed, "Or he wouldn't have risked being out and in the open like that."
"You really think so?" Dipper asked. "He's been able to track us for almost a week, or at least he located us down in Florida."
"If it's a spell," Mabel gave his arm a squeeze, "Maybe it isn't constant. He has to do a crazy ritual or something?" she suggested.
"Not a bad idea," Dipper nodded, "Spells that instantly locate a person that don't require you to have something belonging to the person are rare, and from what I've read, difficult to cast. The only other things that can just 'find' you like that I can think of would be..." Dipper frowned, unhappy with his own answer, "Demons."
"Like Bill?"
"Or that dream lady," Dipper shrugged. Together, they eyed their ultimate enemy, who still sat forward, taking in each word that Montana said in response to new questions. "I think I agree," Dipper concluded, "He doesn't know we're here. Last night was a close call for him, and if he had the chance to jump us, he would. No doubt there."
"So, we attack while he's unaware?" Mabel grinned, rubbing her hands together, "And just pull off his head!?"
"Uhh, no," Dipper shook his head, "No one is losing a head, at least by pulling it off. We should probably just stay out of sight, and not instigate," he shuddered, "I'm really not in the mood for innocent lives on my conscious. When we think he's left, we can try getting a quick re-meet."
Mabel blew a small raspberry, "Fine, pulling head off later."
Listening to a speech while sharing an audience with a psychopath only thirty feet away was a new experience for the twins, one they silently agreed they could do without in the future. The questions came from Montana Jeffreys, one after another. Finally quiet, the twins listened to the man. His focus, the feeling of determination, had lessened in the few months they had spoken. Many of his answers were vague, if not candid and often boring.
A grueling, tense hour passed before the end finally came about. A roaring applause met with Montana's departing words, "If you want we to sign things, there'll be a line just in the other arena. Thanks for having me," he said, stepping away from the stage.
"A signing," Dipper muttered, and gave his sister a look, "We can grab his attention there, and then arrange a proper meet-up."
"Operation: Twin stealth?" Mabel suggested.
"Until we figure out where Graupner is going," Dipper said, pointing to where the man once was, no longer seen, "Stealth mode is a go."
Following the majority of crowd down the inclined seating area, the twins inserted themselves among the populace. Each step down was a heart-racing journey, as both realized Graupner could be any of the figures just out of sight, only a moment away from spotting them. Though not entirely a relief, they met up with Soos, Ford, and Wendy in no time.
Wendy, her eyes wide, made quick with the meet. "Dudes," she groaned, "He's here."
"Yeah, always ruining our fun," Mabel puffed, as the five quietly walked out of the room, along with the majority of people.
"As of yet," Ford injected, "He seems unaware of our presence, or proximity. Which means his tracking isn't-"
"Constant," Dipper completed the thought, "We should be okay, but we shouldn't let him know we're here. He gets one whiff that we're close and he could go crazy."
"No way he'll do stuff here, dawg," Soos chuckled. The four turned and looked to him. "Well, I mean, he's a fan of Mister Jeffreys, isn't he? He was super happy to see him answer his question, and not in the 'raaaah, I'm so evil sort of way', you know?" Soos explained, "He's here as a fan. If I was with a person who I had a fan-crush on, I'd totally not want to start anything bad."
"You can't compare yourself to him, Soos," Wendy rolled her eyes, "You're a million times better."
"D'aw, thanks dawg," Soos smiled.
"Regardless," Ford spoke again, "Being in our normal sized group could cause suspicion. Perhaps we aught to assume smaller groups, as we had just a bit before?"
"To reduce the chance of getting caught?" Dipper asked.
"I think that's a good idea," Mabel nodded, "And we just need a code-word and shout it. So, if trouble starts, just start screaming Waddles, gotcha?" Mabel asked about. The other four gave a collected exchange of looks, making sure there was no confusion. "Okay, team grownups, are you ready?" she asked.
"As well as one can be," Ford said and adjusted his glasses.
"Yeah, hambone," Soos grinned.
"I don't know if I count as an adult, but sure dude," Wendy shrugged.
"Okay, we'll get into that line," Mabel smiled, "While you guys stake out! Let's do this!" she quietly cheered. Grasping Dippers arm, she pulled him quickly through the crowd. They passed through the doors of the arena, and stepped into the connecting hallways. Dipper felt her nails dig into his skin as she lead ahead.
"Ouch! Mabel," Dipper grumbled, "What's the hurry!?" he hissed.
"We gotta get in that line," Mabel whispered, dodging and winding around people like she were a snake, "If we can get in lightning fast, then we can reduce the chance of running into snarky warlock boy," she explained, "And then we can get out of here without a fight!"
"Okay, I get it," Dipper whined, "But you're pulling hard-"
She came to an abrupt stop, and Dipper ran into her. Looking past her shoulder as he rubbed his scrunched nose, they both groaned. There were dozens and dozens of people already in single-file line. Many of them had books and posters, eagerly hopping in place to meet the celebrity.
Mabel began to shake as she stared at the line. Dipper leaned to her, and whispered, "Patience."
"I knoowww," Mabel whined, "I know. But that's a freak-a-doodle lot of people," she tried counting, "At least, like, nine. Nine billion people."
"Closer to thirty," Dipper said. Mabel hung her head from her shoulder, and he shrugged. "Don't worry," he assured with a pat on her shoulder, "I'm sure people will leave the line."
"That'd be good," Mabel said as figures started to join the line behind them, "Cus I'm getting the heebie-jeebies."
"Like Graupner is close?" Dipper asked quietly. She nodded. Her confirmation was enough, and he ripped open the journal as fast as he could, and started passing over pages.
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
"Just confirming the wording for a spell-"
"Dipper," Mabel turned, pushing his book lower to gaze at him, "Didn't we agree?" she asked.
"We agreed I could-"
"If we couldn't use the paths, then you use magic," she reminded him. "We're fine for now," she said, giving his arm a pat, "See? No dire circumstance." The figure before them grumbled, and stepped out of line. The twins stepped forward- before freezing in place. The person next in line was none other than Graupner himself. Mabel whimpered and turned slowly back to Dipper, "Never mind – it's absolutely a dire circumstance!" she whispered.
"He's right there!" Dipper breathed as they began to panic.
"What do we do?" Mabel shook her brother's shoulders as she whispered, "He's too close! Too close!"
"I'm working on it," Dipper said, and re-opened the journal. Flipping through pages as fast as he could, Dipper searched for a recent discovery of his.
"Hey," a voice behind the twins spoke up, "Move up the line, please."
Dipper nodded over his shoulder, but said nothing. In front of them, by mere feet, Graupner paid no attention to them. He was just staring over the shoulders of those in front of him. Dipper focused back on the book, barely able to breath. All it took was for Graupner to recognize their voice, even a little, and they'd be in for trouble. It was lucky enough the hallway was filled with the indiscriminate chatter of many groups, but the lack of voice barrier between the twins and the warlock made this a dangerous moment.
"I found it," Dipper mouthed to Mabel, still not taking a step forward.
"Hey," the voice behind him said, a little louder, "The line ahead is moving. Please shuffle up?"
"Dipper, if you're going to do something," Mabel snapped quickly and quietly, "Do it before he notices!"
"Okay," Dipper hissed.
"Hey!" the person behind Dipper gave him a sharp prod, forcing Dipper to take a step forward. His face heated, he glanced over his shoulder as Mabel glared at the stranger. He had a dark, copper-tan skin, and wore a disgruntled look. "What's your problem? Move up, or get out so I can be closer in line," he told Dipper.
Dipper, turning back to the book let himself smirk. With a sigh, he put the image of the man behind him in his own head. Focusing on the runes and the image of the stranger behind him, Dipper spoke the words, "Induo identitatem imagini."
Mabel leaned back, watching the effect the spell had on Dipper. Something silently felt like it wrapped around his face, his arms, his body. It had a feeling of wet tissue paper, yet he was unconstrained. He blinked, still looking to Mabel. She held up a mirror, and he saw in the mirror not himself, but a spitting image of the man behind him.
"Hey!" the man barked, "Can I move up, or what?" he snapped.
Dipper turned to face him. The spell covering his appearance, he said calmly to the man behind him, "But you've already moved up."
The man, looking at his own Doppelganger, dropped all his aggression. Paler in the face, the stranger shrugged. "Ah. I knew I'd have a breakdown soon. Time to go home and re-think everything," the stranger said. Without another word, the stranger in the line stepped out and walked away.
Grinning to his sister, Dipper stepped up and passed his sister. With the step taken, the man ahead of him turned around. Dipper gulped as Graupner looked right at him. The single eye of Graupner gazed over Dipper's new outward form, as Dipper realized that Mabel was cowering behind him. Still, Graupner seemed unable to notice.
"What was with that shouting?" Graupner asked Dipper, a calmer, strained voice. Dipper stared at the eyepatch he wore, a simple black swab of hard leather over his face. "Hey!" Graupner snapped, catching Dipper off-guard, "You never seen an eyepatch before?"
"Uhh," Dipper said, his voice a little higher in pitch than he'd want to admit, "No, I just like it's, uh, make."
"Oh," Graupner leaned back a little, "Thanks. Let me know if anyone else starts shouting or stuff," he grumbled, turning around, "We don't need any trouble for Montana Jeffreys. I'll get them to leave." Now let be for a moment, Dipper was about to let his guard down, then Graupner turned back to him. "Hey," the Warlock snapped, "Have we met?" he asked, squinting at the disguised man.
With the terrible realization that the spell only would disguise a form, not a voice, Dipper decided quickly on the safest option he could. He shrugged and gave a half-hearted smile.
Graupner glared at the man, but rolled his eye. "I guess not," he mumbled, and turned back.
Mabel leaned up against Dipper's back, whispering just loud enough for her brother to hear her. "You lucky, lucky man." Dipper couldn't risk saying anything. He was certain that Graupner almost recognized his voice the first time he spoke. He just looked just over his shoulder and gave her a shaky smirk. She added, "So, silent mode, in addition to stealth?" she asked him, just in the corner of his vision. He nodded, and she tapped his shoulder. "Good luck, private Pines," she muttered in a gruff, authoritarian voice.
The wait in the line could have been a tedious one. The fear of their current number one enemy discovering that his favorite two targets were only in arms reach directly behind him kept the excitement going though. Dipper felt sweat form on his head, watching Graupner this close. It was a strange feeling, to be so close to someone so detested, and to understand the possibility for terrible consequences should he act on any such feeling. All he wanted to do was to take his hands, summon his lightning spell, and just put all the current directly into the warlock, to fry his fleshy circuits to a crisp.
Animosity and anger were swayed with self-preservation, and the need for peace. Dipper knew that all the Warlock had to do was sneeze and at least thirty people could be enveloped in the blackfire. He didn't want anyone else hurt, especially random folk just trying to live life. All the while, he had to be silent. Any utterance to Mabel could tip off Graupner. He was nearly alone; save for Mabel occasionally patting his arm, unable to say a word herself. At least when Graupner turned and clearly had Dipper in his vision, he didn't have to duck aside like Mabel did.
Passing a quarter of an hour, the line moved up. Finally, the person in front of Graupner had left, and it was the warlocks turn himself. Dipper (and a silent, hidden-behind-Dipper Mabel) listened closely as their arch-rival closed into their objective. Montana Jeffreys, who was leaning in a chair, looked to Graupner, the corners of his mouth twisting in a small smile.
"Hey kid," he nodded to the Warlock, "Nice patch."
"T-thanks," Graupner stammered, rubbing the string that wrapped it close to him.
As he pulled out a small photo of his younger self, the prestigious, retired, old adventurer asked, "So, who do I sign for?"
"Uh, Graupner," The Warlock said, beaming and panting with excitement, "Graupner Kinley." Montana Jeffreys began to sign, but paused. He looked up to the Warlock. Graupner, to Dipper's contained joy, looked terribly nervous. After a quick gulp, Graupner asked, "Uh, wh-what is it?"
"Kinley," Montana stated, "I know that name. You know, by any chance, an old man named Omir?"
From their angle, all the twins could tell was that the beaming, wide smile faltered at the name. The once relaxed posture the Warlock had struggled, and he cleared his throat before speaking. "Sort of. He was my dad, I guess," Graupner mentioned sternly.
"Oh," Jeffreys nodded, "how is the old coot?" he asked.
Graupner shrugged. "Dead," he said. The old adventurer leaned back. "Don't apologize," Graupner looked away, "Not like anyone was his friend. He wasn't a great person."
"Didn't say he was," Montana Jeffreys stated firmly, "I had several short dealings with him in the past. Nothing too much. He got a job for a family member of mine. I heard things went south, and…" he eyed Graupner Kinley, but said nothing else.
Graupner nodded. "He sorta landed with me in his lap after a bad call. Never told me the details," Graupner snorted.
"Oh. Well, kid," Jeffrey reached out and patted his arm, "Look, you stay tough, got it?"
"I-I will!" Graupner began to become flustered, shivering as he was handed a small picture with his name and Montana's name signed on it. "I- I also wanted to say thank you," Graupner said, taking only a step to the side as he spoke, "Just that, well, without your stories and your discoveries, I probably would have lost it a long time ago. You got me through tough times," he gushed, holding onto the sign closely.
Montana studied the Warlock, his eyes sturdy and focused. A smile crept over his lips, and he offered him a handshake. "Kid," he said as Graupner nearly giggled with excitement as he took the hand, "You're wrong. You got yourself through. Keep it up," he told the Warlock with a smile.
Graupner Kinley stepped aside, beaming. Dipper was rooted to the spot. If it had been weird before, listening into a personal moment in the life of his enemy was ten times weird. To hear Graupner actually thank someone; without being snide or callus? Or just attack them for something minor; was that really their enemy?
"Heya," the voice of Montana called Dipper back to attention, letting Graupner vanish into the crowd.
"Heya!" Mabel's voice rang clear and true as she popped around Dipper while he stepped up.
Montana's eyes widened and he almost stood. Looking to her, and then the image Dipper wore, he rubbed his eyes. "I know you, girl," he pointed to Mabel.
"Technically," Dipper said calmly, "You know both of us."
Montana slowly stood up, staring at Dipper. "That voice... the girl-"
Dipper reached to his face, feeling for that strange sensation of wet-paper towel. Reaching under it with his fingers, he pulled. Mabel gasped and watched as whatever vision he was once fell away and scattered into small, dissolving pieces of colored paper. Without the feeling, Dipper breathed a heavy sigh. He didn't realize the mental fatigue he would induce himself for holding a spell as long as he did.
"Those twins from that town," Montana gasped, but Mabel and Dipper put their fingers to their lips and 'shhh'd him. "The hell are you two doing here?" he asked, nonplussed with their antics.
"We need your help," Dipper said.
"You may have a key role to fill," Mabel chuckled. Dipper glared at her, and she added, "and a very literal key that we may need to help save the world."
"Save the world?" he repeated, blinking rapidly. "I'm sorry," he held up his hands, "You two were in Oregon. Now you're in New York, and you're-"
"Saving the world," Mabel nodded, "yup! And you can help!"
Montana looked from one to another. "Saving it from... what?" he asked.
"I'm sure you noticed the," Dipper cleared his throat and leaned close to be quieter as he spoke, "Weird things happening around the globe." Montana stared at him. Dipper added, "You know, things people might consider... magical? Or maybe-"
"The magic surges happening everywhere," Montana nodded, "Yeah, of course I noticed."
"Oh," Dipper stalled. He had been preparing a small, quick speech to ease Jeffreys into believing them. He hadn't expected such an immediate agreement. "You... believe in that stuff?" Dipper asked.
"Kid," Montana glared at him, "I noticed the weird stuff from your town. I've seen things old enough to think nations and countries as babies. I've seen things that could melt your face off," he then shuddered, "Well, technically not seen it, but still- I notice magic. You spend your life digging through cursed gravesites and enchanted grottos, you come to notice when the weird is popping up."
With a bubbly smile, Mabel told, "Your observation skills are only matched by your handsome ruggedness."
"The important thing," Dipper said, "Is that we're looking for a key. It goes to a box you gave to a... uh... local cryptid," Dipper hinted at.
The Adventurer shrugged. "No idea what you're talking about."
"What?!" the twins barked.
He shook his head, "Look kid, I've been all over the world. I carry dozens of weird things, and what you two want is a key to a box?"
"A box that is throw-to-the-ground proof," Mabel explained, "Small, you could put a dozen little magic marbles inside!
His eyes squinted as he listened. "That does sound more familiar. Well," he gave them a serious look, "Since you're holding up the line, I'll assume you're not here to just get back at me for our little May encounter. If you really want my help, and aren't causing trouble, meet me by my temporary mobile – a unit the faculty made just around their building."
"Around the faculty building?" Dipper asked.
"Yeah, kid," Montana nodded, "I'll be there in half an hour. The line is almost done. Now get, I got other things to sign," he said.
Stepping to the side, the twins looked back over their shoulder. Montana also watched them, his rugged, beautiful eyes staring at them as they marched away. As another person approached, he signed a book of theirs without even casting a glance. Finally, the twins looked to each other.
"He doesn't trust us," Dipper admitted.
"What a booger," Mabel grunted. "We let him go and everything!"
"We did sort of leave on a truce," Dipper admitted, "Not our best ways of ending a meeting."
Mabel snickered. "What?" she asked, "That's practically friends for us."
Rolling his eyes, Dipper said, "That's not what a truce is," he explained as they pushed their way through the crowd. "A truce is-"
"When you are in front of someone who you're against, but decide it better not to kill one another," a voice directly ahead of them answered.
The two stalled. A few other folks, walking around, stepped away from the twins, revealing the speaker. No more than five feet from them arms crossed, in his civilian wear, eyepatch, and trademarked glare, was their enemy. Graupner Kinley broke his lips apart into a terrible smirk. There was no doubt: he was looking right at them.
Leering, he added, "At least just yet. But I'm feeling generous. Let's talk, Pines."
Yeesh, that awkward moment when you're sorta talking about a person, and then that person is just right there? That is this update, basically. Man. talk about weird feelings. But as I said, friday update again! Woot! This time with an OLD acquaintance from this story. Don't worry, if you're missing those dogs (I mean, if you are) they'll be back next update. Along with some dramatic shifts. Oh boy.
And Graupner? With hints of backstory? WHAAAAT? I never! I'm very curious as to what you consider and think his backstory is. I'm VERY curious to see if you can put together some pieces... I mean, some of you guessed Wendy's secret years ago, I wonder if Graupner's past will be locked together just as easily in your clever brains.
Anyway, I've got the next week update on my dash as we speak, along with another update. I've got something big to announce next week that I've been thinking about for quite some time. So expect the update next week on time- along with some other news!
I guess I'm out, so I'll see- (a low, deep rumbling emanates from behind EZB, who slowly turns)- you... guys... later? (A huge boulder rolls down what appears to be an ancient tomb that EZB has suddenly been teleported to) OH CRIPES! (EZB begins to flee, as the walls seemingly erupt with tiny darts, just barely missing him.) I will NOT die in this dusty old tomb! (he manages to leap out of the doorway just as the boulder comes to a complete crash.)
Wooh! Oh man... Lemme dust myself off... (EZB stands up again, somehow in adventure gear) Well, that was close. Now, as I was saying, see you guys next- (From the boulder a 'dook dook dook' can be heard'.) ... Well, at least the boulder is polite about knocking. (EZB approaches the boulder) Yes?
(From under the boulder, a monster wearing a top hat and dark overcoat reaches out with its midnight black limbs, and grabs EZB, who screams. Without another word, EZB is pulled under the boulder, surely where he couldn't normally fit.)