Are y'all ready for this? Stuff goes down in this chapter.
Hope you all had a good Halloween. I didn't. I've been sick for the past several days, coughing and sneezing while lying in bed, mildly delirious. Good news is that I managed to write the next chapter of this story! Bad news is that it's really long, kind of rambling, and goes out of character. Oops. Well, y'all won't be seeing it for a while; it's chapter 14. Hopefully between now and then I'll get it back into what I want it to be. I've kind of lost track of the characters, so I'm kind of struggling to keep up with what I'm writing. I see the end, though. Probably won't be anymore than... 5 chapters? So this story should total at no more than 19-20 chapters. Maybe less.
Anyway, this chapter is probably one of my favorites. I hope you all like it, too. We finally get to see Bill! That's good, depending on your definition of good. Oh, and I feel I should mention that I wrote this chapter before Dipper and Mabel Vs. The Future aired. I totally called Dipper's awesomeness.
Remember to review/comment! They keep me going during the long hours of struggling with my own morality while writing this story. I'm excited at the reception this story had gotten, though I'm so concerned I'm gonna mess this up somehow. Here's hoping I don't.
Enjoy!
"Dipper. What do we do?" Mabel whispered at him, clutching his arm as they heard the sounds of battle raging over their heads. Dipper didn't know what to say. What to do. He felt as lost as she did, stranded in the hallway between their room and the outside. He felt numb as he heard screams of pain, screams of joy. He was frozen, unable to answer his sister. He knew she expected him to have an answer, he always had an answer, but not now. Not now.
It was only when he heard the door to the upper decks open that he moved, dragging his sister further back into a dark corner on instinct, hidden from the entranceway. He pressed her against the wall, hiding her body with his. He could hear as shouts of exuberance echoed down the hall, hooting and hollering from ragged voices. He prayed to whatever god that was listening that they wouldn't be seen. That they would be okay. He could feel his sister shaking beneath him and he hated it, but what could he do? Where could they go? They couldn't stay here; they'd get caught as soon as the pirates came back from wherever they were headed. They couldn't go to the lower decks, or else they might get caught by a cannonball, or by a pirate pillaging their ship. And they couldn't go to the upper decks, or else they'd get caught up in the fighting. They were trapped, and he hated it.
"Dipper." Mabel breathed, terror written plain on her face. The hallway was dark, but light was streaming in from above, allowing him to see her terror struck face. He could see that she was remembering, as he was remembering, and he couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. It was so similar; so, so similar. They had met with pirates before while on board the ship, but never like this. Those pirates never got past the upper decks. It had never felt like that night. Not like it did now.
"It'll be okay, Mabel. I promise. We're going to be okay." He whispered, even if he didn't believe it, feeling his sister shake with ragged breaths, her skin pale and bloodless in the pale light. He needed her to be okay. He needed her to not freak out. He needed to think.
They had to move. He could hear the shouts of the pirates echoing the hallway, getting louder, and he knew they had to go somewhere. Up or down, which one? Trap themselves below the decks, or try and go up to freedom, but perhaps get caught by a pirate's blade? He was frozen for a moment, but his decision was made for him when he heard a pirate shout and the cocking of a gun. He heard his sister scream, but he didn't think as he grabbed her and pushed for the doorway to the upper deck, a bullet lodging into the wall inches from where his head had been.
He heard the pirate following them, but he kept running, holding his sister tightly by the hand. He daren't let her go, not for a second, not for an instant. She was all he had left, he'd rather die before he lost her. They climbed the stairs and entered a nightmare come true.
Fire was everywhere. The ship had caught fire. He could see it flaming around them, could smell the sickening scent of smoke. He nearly gagged as he took the sight in, pausing for only a scant second before pulling his sister along. She resisted, her own fear stopping her, but he dragged her. They couldn't stop, they had pirates on their heels. They had pirates down their backs. They had to run.
The sounds of screams were louder up here than they were down below. He saw as many sailors laid on the ground, unmoving. Dead, or hurt? He didn't know. He could see blood mixing with salt water on the deck, thick, red, and slick. He made sure to tighten his grip on his sister, dragging her along to the upper deck. To the forecastle. There wasn't much fighting there, he could see. They, they'd be safe there. They had to be.
Before he could reach the steps that would gain him entrance to the forecastle, to safely, he could feel his sister tugging on his hand, insistent. He could hear her voice shouting at him, full of terror and fear, but he didn't know what she was saying. His ears weren't working, the raging fire too loud, too deafening. He wanted to scream back, to tell her to follow him, to get to safety, but when he looked back at her he could see that she was pointing, her finger shaking. He looked on instinct, and saw what had scared her enough to stop their bid for freedom. He felt his blood run cold.
It was him. The man from the poster that he still carried by his breast. The man with the manic grin and the piercing eye. The man who made him want to run and never come out. Dressed in yellow and black he stood, laughing a high pitched laugh, tall and intimidating. But that wasn't the part that made his blood run cold. It wasn't what made him want to throw up. No. It was the fact that the man was facing off against his great uncle and captain. And he was winning.
Dipper could only stare as he stood, frozen. He felt Mabel tugging his hand, begging him to do something, to help, but he stood his ground. He didn't know what to do. He needed to get Mabel to safety. He needed to help his great uncle. He needed. To do something. Anything. But instead he hesitated. Frozen. Afraid.
He heard Mabel scream again, before a piercing pain hit his shoulder. He screamed as he dropped his sister's hand to clutch at the wound, turning to see that a pirate had come up behind him as he had stood frozen and had swung his blade at him. He could feel blood, warm and sticky, coat his right hand. He distantly felt regret at ruining his shirt, the new one Mabel had found for him while on shore. He gasped as his pain radiated, so sharp he wanted to cry.
He watched as the pirate lifted his blade again, and Dipper wondered if this was it. If this was how he would die, trapped on a ship miles and miles from shore. If he would burn. He could only stare as the blade came closer, time slow. He couldn't move. He needed to move. He wanted to move. He was scared. No. He was terrified.
A moment before the blade hit him, a moment before he left this world behind, a force tackled the pirate from the side, sending the blade scattering off on the ground. Dipper was shaking as he saw a flash of orange-red, not as bright as blood, blowing in the breeze as its owner wrestled the pirate to the ground. He looked into the face of his friend and saw her lips forming words, words he couldn't hear over the blood rushing in his ears. He felt someone taking his hand, tugging him, pleading at him, and he understood.
Run.
He looked at his sister, tears flowing down her face, and he gripped her hand tightly. His arm ached, his heart was racing, but she needed him. She needed him. He had to save her. Save Mabel. He couldn't give up.
So he ran. Not up, to safety, but forward. To their great uncle. She was saying something, but he didn't hear. He knew he should get her to safety, but their great uncle needed them, he was nearly on the ground now, and she'd never forgive him if he left the man to die. She loved their great uncle with all her heart, it would destroy her to watch him die. It would destroy him. To save Mabel, he had to save Stan. To save himself, he had to save Stan. He had to.
They dodged fights, slipping through cracks, tripping pirates as they ran. He heard as men screamed in pain, but he couldn't stop to help them. He couldn't help them. He shook as he ran, wanting to throw up.
He skidded to a halt when he reached the fight he had been wanting to find. Dipper watched as the pirate captain stood above his great uncle, blade held loosely in his hand as he grinned down at his prey. Dipper could see the man's mouth moving, forming words, taunts he assumed. He still could not hear above the roaring in his ears. He let go of his sister, knowing he had to grab his dagger, the dagger he needed to help his great uncle. The dagger his great uncle had gifted him. He hoped his sister would understand.
"Don't hurt him! Don't you dare hurt him!" He heard himself scream, felt the words tumble from his lips, startling the demon in yellow. Just as the man was turning, the sardonic grin focussing now on him, Dipper pounced. He tackled the pirate to the ground, away from his great uncle, away from his sister. He may not be that strong, but he was tall. He was lean. He had the advantage of surprise on his side as he struggled with the pirate on the ground, the man's blade scattering away from them as they fought.
"You won't hurt him. You won't hurt her. I won't let you. I won't let you." He growled as they grappled on the ground. He could distantly hear the ragged breaths of his great uncle, though he was unable to see the man from his position. The demon in yellow growled back, his thin face twisted in fury now that his kill was taken from him. His left eye was alight with deadly fire, the other covered by an ornate golden eyepatch.
At one point, Dipper's right hand managed to get out of the grip the pirate captain had it in, and he lifted his dagger high in the air, slamming it down at where the man's head was. Kill, not kill, he didn't care. He was scared, wounded, in pain. This man- no, this demon- was the cause. Would it be so bad if his blow killed?
He would not be able to find out the answer to his question, because at the last moment the man moved, the dagger leaving only a scratch on the man's right cheek before it imbedded itself into the deck below. He watched as the pirate's face filled with dark fury, a snarl on his lips as the man finally gained the advantage and flipped their positions, Dipper slamming hard on the deck as the monster leered cruelly above him. He struggled, trying to regain his advantage, but the pirate straddled him, holding his hips and legs down, pinning his arms above him with one hand. Dipper couldn't move, couldn't breathe as the demon's face moved inches above his own, rancid breath causing him to gag. The man growled something at him, harsh words that chilled Dipper despite the fact he couldn't hear them. He wanted to cry, wanted to beg for freedom, but he couldn't. He let out a gasp of pain as his shoulder was roughly pushed against the ground, the demon moving for something at his waist, the manic grin returning as he freed it. The demon's own dagger. Sharp and glinting in the fire's glow. Dipper felt his breath catch in his throat as his heart constricted, eyes widened.
The monster growled more words at him, still harsh but now mildly amused as he stared down at him with a glowing eye. The monster ghosted the blade down Dipper's cheek, causing him to gasp in fear. He was afraid. He was going to die. He was going to die. He knew it. He saw the dark intent in the demon's eye, could see the glee he felt. Dipper began to shudder, but he refused to cry. He stared up at the demon and bared his teeth, pushing up again as he tried in vain to dislodge the pirate from his perch. He didn't want to die. Not like this. Not passive, not by the hands of a pirate. What cruel irony that this was how he would go. Whatever god that was watching must be laughing.
He had moments left. He could see the dagger inches from his eye, inches from lodging itself in his brainstem. He fought, he snarled, he cried out in pain but he couldn't give up. God, Mabel. He couldn't leave her alone! She needed him! He saw in horror as the blade lowered, so close that if he blinked his lid would be cut. He couldn't breathe now, couldn't move. He stared at what would soon bring him his doom and sent out a silent apology. To Mabel. To his parents. To Wendy, and Soos, and Stan, and everyone he had failed. Everyone he was leaving behind. He laid back on the ground, and tried to make peace with his upcoming death. It didn't work, but he had to try. He didn't want to die afraid.
He stared at the blade millimeters from his eye and counted the seconds. He heard the blood pounding in his head, in his ears. One. Two. Three. Seconds passed, and still the blade hung above his eyes. Why wasn't the monster killing him already? What was he waiting for? For him to beg? Well he refused! The demon wouldn't listen to him if he did, pirates didn't know mercy, and he wouldn't degrade himself just for the demon's amusement. He refused. He refused.
Suddenly, a bell rang. Loud, piercing. He saw the dagger above his eye jerk, causing his heart to stop yet again, but it did not descend into his eye. Instead it just hung there for a moment, motionless. Dipper felt his eye scream, wanting to blink but unable to. His mouth was dry as he stared. What was the demon waiting for?! This waiting was torture, was hell. If he was going to die, just do it already!
But then, suddenly, the blade was gone. Dipper barely had time to understand what had happened before he was getting yanked upwards slightly, his legs still pinned but his torso now suspended in the air, his arms limp behind him.
"Consider this your lucky day, Pine Tree." A voice hissed directly in his ear, before he was dropped back to the ground, the weight on his legs disappearing, the sound of running feet filling the air a moment later.
Dipper didn't know what to think. What to feel. His mind was racing but no thought was able to be processed. He could only lie on the ground and breathe, huge shuddering gasps that wracked his body.
He was alive. He was alive. He was still amongst the living. He was still breathing. He wasn't dead. He took another shuddering breath as that sunk in. He wasn't dead.
A moment passed in shock before he got up, shaking. Part of him wanted to stay on the ground forever, trying to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't dead, but he needed to find Mabel. He needed to make sure she was alright. He knew she wasn't still around him, because otherwise she would have tried to stop the pirate from nearly killing him, but where was she?
He looked around, trying to spot her. His head throbbed but he had to find her now. He needed to know his sister was still alive. He heard a groan of pain come from his right and he turned to look, watching his great uncle as he laid on the ground, clutching his gut. Concerned, Dipper rushed to the man's side, gasping as he saw the foot long gash in his great uncle's stomach. He was about to put pressure on it, like he had learned from a book, when his great uncle grabbed his wrist in midair. Dipper tried to say that the man needed help, that he needed to get the bleeding to stop, but he was interrupted by his great uncle's frantic words. Dipper, his ears still pounding with blood and pain, only heard it distantly, but what he comprehended made his blood freeze for the tenth time that day.
"Mabel. Dipper, they got Mabel. S-she, she got taken. Dipper, they took Mabel." He heard his great uncle repeat, the man's grip on his wrist bruising. Dipper could see the fear in the man's eyes, but it was nothing compared to the terror Dipper felt.
Mabel. Mabel. They had Mabel. No... No! No! Dipper broke the grip his great uncle had on his hand and stumbled back. No. Not Mabel. Not his sister. She... They couldn't have Mabel. He was supposed to protect her. She couldn't... They couldn't... No.
Dipper looked over to the pirate ship, still anchored right beside their own, and he felt himself stand and run. He didn't think, couldn't think. He slipped on the blood and salt water on the ground, but he didn't stumble. His eyes were set on the ship. He could see his sister, now, a pirate holding her arms behind her as a few others leered at her. He could hear her screaming, hear her begging them to let her go. He could feel rage fill his heart at the sight, rage blinding him as he rushed to the edge of his great uncle ship. He could see that the plank the pirates had used to board their ship was gone, but he didn't care. He didn't think, didn't even try and talk himself out of it before he jumped, leaped from his ship to the pirate's ship. He stumbled, only briefly, on the landing, but otherwise he was fine. He had made it. He didn't even care as he snarled at the pirates who surrounded his twin. Nothing mattered. Nothing, but Mabel. But his sister. Innocent, sweet Mabel who didn't deserve to be held captive by a band of filthy pirates. He'd rather die than know she was in the hands of these vermin.
He watched as the ones who were leering at his twin turned to face him, shock and anger on their faces. One of them charged at him, but he side-stepped. While he had never been good at sword fighting, when his parents had forced him to take it all those years ago, he had always been good at dodging and at evasive maneuvers, as he was very quick. The pirate turned quickly, but Dipper had already tripped the man, sending him tumbling to the ground, his sword flying from his hands. Dipper caught it quickly, on instinct. He then, without thought, slashed towards the remaining two pirates, catching them by surprise. They didn't have time to raise their blades before he had slashed into their arms, legs, chests; whatever he could reach. They dropped and he couldn't even feel relieved as he turned to the last one. The one who was still holding his sister. The one who now had a blade under his sister's neck.
Dipper felt his heart stop as he looked. No. He looked Mabel in the eyes and saw her fear. Saw the tears as they flowed down her face. He didn't know why they had taken his twin, what they wanted with her, but he wouldn't let them hurt her. He wouldn't let them kill her. So he lowered his blade, and he waited. He hoped.
He watched, as the pirate lowered his blade, his eyes fixed on something- someone- behind Dipper, but Dipper didn't care. He had his opening. He rushed forward, heart racing, and he slashed at the arm that was confining his twin. He heard the pirate curse loudly, and let go of his twin as he clutched his now bleeding arm. But he didn't care. He didn't see. Nothing mattered other than the fact that Mabel was free.
He let out a soft gasp as he looked at her, her eyes wide as she pulled away from the pirate. She ran over to him, trying to embrace him, but he couldn't let her. He knew that there were pirates at his back, knew that while she was no longer confined, she was far from free. Knew that if he waited, if he let the pirates catch up to him, she would get captured again. He looked over to the edge of the ship, the railing parting slightly, and he did the only thing he could do to possibly save his twin. He smiled at her as she reached him, before pushing her overboard, her wide, terrified eyes the last thing he saw before his arms were grabbed from behind, his wound getting pulled painfully, causing him to scream with pain. But it didn't matter. Mabel was safe. Mabel… Mabel would be okay. She could swim, he knew she could. She'd live. Nothing else mattered but that. Not the blade at his throat, not the threat of his own death; nothing.
He shuddered as the pirate painfully gripped his arms, the adrenaline draining as reality came back. He could see, distantly, as a group of pirates came closer to him, their blades raised, but he found he didn't care. He was too tired to care. He was drained from the past several minutes -minutes, it had only been minutes since this all had started- and couldn't find it in him to care. He didn't know where he had gotten the energy to save his twin from, but it was gone now. Faded as he stared at his doom, yet again. He could taste blood in his mouth. But he couldn't find it in him to feel any fear. The time for fear had passed. Now, he was just numb. Death didn't matter, now. He was resigned to it.
"Well, well, well. What have we here, lads? A hero?" He heard a voice muse, high pitched and ringing, and unfortunately familiar. He watched as the group of pirates in front of him parted, a single figure standing in front of him, a sardonic grin on his face. Dipper could see the scratch that he left on the demon's cheek, blood still flowing sluggishly from it. He hoped that it hurt. That it stung.
"Interesting. You don't look like much, do you?" The pirate continued to muse as he stood in front of him, head tilted. The previous rage that Dipper had seen in the monster's eye was gone, replaced by a certain kind of manic glee. "But you just bested me. You just bested four of my men. How curious."
A slow grin appeared on the pirate's face. Sharp, deadly. Dipper could feel the beginnings of fear creeping in once more as he watched. Insane. This... This demon was insane. There was no doubt about it. He wondered what type of death the man would derive for him.
"But now, what should I do with you? Should I kill you? Run you through with my blade and toss your body over board?" At this, there was a cheer coming from the crew, causing the pirate's grin to widen. Dipper bared his teeth in a pale imitation of his previous nerve, not wanting to be seen as submissive. A beat passed before the demon continued on. "Or should I keep you. The brave little sailor who could. I'm sure a boy like you would fetch a pretty penny in the slave trade. They always like the daring ones; you're always so much more fun to break. And you, you would make a good slave. Hmm. Decisions."
Dipper felt his eyes widen as the pirate captain stared at him. Fear hammered in his heart now, his previous bravado gone, his numbness gone. He hadn't expected that. He hadn't expected them to keep him, alive. He had expected death for his insolence. Now, now he was scared; terrified. He could feel the ship moving, could feel as the waves rocked them, taking him farther and farther from his ship. His sister was safe, yes. But he wasn't. And that was just now sinking in. After all, there were worse things in life than death. He waited with bated breath as the pirate captain debated with himself, his grin still wide when he finally spoke again.
"I think… I think I'll keep you. You're no good to me, dead. But alive…" the demon trailed off as he chuckled, his eye alight with glee. "Nicholas, take him down to the brig. Secure him, tightly. We don't want any daring escapes, now do we? The rest of you, get back to work. I want the loot we gained from that ship sorted by morning."
With that, the demon turned, his long, yellow coat billowing in the wind. Dipper felt himself get dragged, and he tried to fight, tried to get away, but he was too tired. His muscles ached from the previous exertion, his head was pounding from the contact with the deck earlier. The pirate holding him dragged him along, down below the deck, into a part of a ship that he had never seen, not even on The Mystery. Getting tossed into the cage, he fell onto the ground hard, his wrist protesting at the harsh treatment. He heard the steel door slam shut, could hear as footsteps marched away from him. He shivered, despite his coat, as his reality sunk in.
He was a prisoner. To a pirate. To an insane, demon of a pirate.
The last thought he had, before he passed out from the shock and pain, was the hope that Mabel was alright. That Stan was alright.
It would be worth it, if they were alright.