Summer waited politely at the elevator while Stan rushed about, checking switches and pressing buttons and staring at dials. She'd been watching him do this for half an hour – maybe longer. When he at last approached her after shutting down the portal, breathless and patting the sweat from his forehead, she greeted him with a cheerful "Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'm gonna be, I guess," he answered, moving by to enter the car and input the code to go up. "Sorry for the wait. I don't want your magic to do anything weird to the machines."

She nodded with a smile. "I sort of assumed. It's all right."

He tapped the arrow and off they went, their trip half as long as usual. The doors opened into a pitch black space, large enough to eat the elevator's light after a few feet and still keep its full dimensions a mystery. Summer put an end to that with a silvery lantern bristling with LEDs – which she made from a piece of paper pulled from the pocket of her black skirt. "I saw this on TV one night when I couldn't sleep. Let's see if it-" Her voice and steps both came to a halt as she left the car. Stan almost bumped into her back. "-works."

"Yeah. I shoulda mentioned that," he said apologetically after realizing what had stopped her. The area was rectangular with a low ceiling, carved right out of the dusky brown rock. At the far end stood an imposing, rusty metal door. Sticking from its center was a black circular handle. On the walls, written in red, were various warnings against opening that door. "So, yeah. Somebody'd been through here before, I guess. Must have been part of Project Apollyon. Wonder why they abandoned it but left all the equipment downstairs? Eh, then again, maybe it was too big to move..."

Summer was beginning to have second thoughts about the whole idea. "Are you sure we should be opening this?"

"Hey, you wanted to know what was up here," he reminded her with a tiny grin. "And so do I. But, you know, buyer beware and what not."

"I guess..." she said with a sigh. On reluctant footfalls she approached the door, floating the lantern up high to project its glow as far as possible. When she got close enough, she poked a wary finger at the black handle while scanning the area for magical threats. "It feels empty, but we've been fooled by rock before. I'm suspicious. To say the least."

Stan came up by her side, shoes scraping along the concrete floor. "Yeah, no kidding. Your call, kid. What do you wanna do?" he asked, gazing at the dusty steel.

Brow furrowed, she pulled her phone out of her other pocket and looked at the screen. The sense of dread provided by the room and its markings was bad enough, but the "no signal" message she saw made it even worse. "Hmm. Honestly, Stan, I'd feel better about this if my sister were here to back me up."

He flashed her a thumbs up and a smile. "I gotcha. Let's go topside and see what's going on, huh? I'm a little worried about the kids anyway. They didn't get that much sleep."

A quick elevator ride later, they were back in the gift shop, where Summer swiftly dialed the number and put the phone to her ear. "Oh?" she remarked, looking a little surprised.

Stan turned away from the vending machine when she made the noise. "What's up?"

She looked at the screen again. "It says the line is busy." A moment later, the phone started to ring. "And now Dipper is calling me."

He walked over just as she answered, face twisted with worry. "Great. I wonder what Mabel blew up this time."

"Summer! Hey!" Dipper said anxiously, barely able to keep a grip on his phone. The three of them were nearly to Winter's car when all hell had broken loose. "Okay, um, I know you just called Winter but we're kind of busy with her phone right now. Not gonna lie, we've got a little bit of a crisis."

"What crisis?"

"Are you talking to her now?" When he nodded, she motioned for him to raise his phone toward her. "Sister, meet us at the graveyard," the blue-eyed woman said loudly. "Something happened and they need our help."

Mabel, bouncing around with terror on the wet grass nearby, was trying to talk the redhead down. "I'm freaking out because you're freaking out! We're on our way! Breathe into your adorable hat or something!"

Winter's request was enough for Summer. "All right. I'll take Stan and a... shortcut. Are you on the way now?"

"Just about to get going," Dipper replied, staring at Winter as she curled the car up into a necklace and put it on. "Hey, what are you gonna do with the magic, man?"

"It can't follow us. People will see." She searched the forest for an answer. "I'm sorry, you'll have to go back into the lake for now. I'll return for you later." At her command, it shot off through the rain and disappeared underwater. Now her attention returned to the kids. "Hang up, close your umbrellas, and take a deep breath. We're going," she warned, gently grasping them with her mind.

How Dipper kept from screaming as her flight took them a thousand feet into the rainy night over the forest was anyone's guess. Neither of the Pines could keep their eyes open to see the beauty of Gravity Falls below due to the driving raindrops. After reaching town, they zipped around at a lower altitude until Winter got her bearings and could locate the cemetery. She found a white light amongst the headstones and moved toward it. Out of the darkness materialized Soos and Wendy – and the redhead was crumpled on the ground, apparently in pain. Dipper was the first to power through Winter's tingly grip and rush over. "Soos! Wendy! What happened?!"

"Best I got is dudes in crimson robes with hoods, a glass gun, Preston Northwest, and then weird hand numbness," Soos explained as Mabel and Winter walked nearer. "She won't give me the details beyond that."

"Gee, that's not ominous at all. So what did we just fly into?" Mabel asked, laughing nervously.

"No offense, Soos," the redhead mumbled while sitting up, "but I was waiting on an expert." She stared up at the blue-eyed woman, raising her right hand. "You feel it?"

Winter tilted her head a bit. "Feel what?"

Wendy's eyes got wide. "...seriously?"

"Cavalry's here!" Everyone looked over at Stan and Summer as they descended gently to the ground. Like everyone else that had flown, both were soaking wet. "This suit is ruined. So are these shoes. Heck, I think my face is ruined."

"Sister?" Summer jogged over and looked down at Wendy. The utter despair in her eyes was breathtaking. "What happened?"

Now that they were all around her, she managed the strength to stand up. "When we got here the secret passage was already open. I went down to see who was in there and found these guys in red robes talkin' to Pacifica's dad. They surrounded me... one of them had this weird gun thing he was gonna erase my memory with, but something happ—no, not something. I happened." She took a deep breath, staring at her right hand. "I knocked 'em all out with magic and climbed out. What else can I say?"

"Well, I'm glad you es—what?" Dipper exclaimed, dumbfounded.

Winter took her hand and examined it more closely. "You used magic?"

"I guess. I know it tingled. Like that weird feeling I had when I flew with you guys the night we talked to Wilhelm and found out about the portal."

"Guess you really did take after your dad," Stan said, looking away. "Uh... sorry? Don't really know what to say right now."

"Dudes, they might still be down there," Soos interrupted, thumbing over his shoulder at the open passage. "We were keepin' watch so they wouldn't get away."

"What if there's another way out? They could already be gone," Summer said, mostly thinking aloud.

"I doubt it. That's a real conspicuous door to leave open if you've got another way to move around." Stan pushed through the gaggle and approached the entrance. "Nobody does... whatever they were gonna do to one of my employees. Winter, Summer, you're with me. Soos, you stay with the kids. Take 'em back to your truck or something."

"Wait, no!" Dipper yelled, starting after them. "We're on the same team, remember?!" Mabel added nothing, but went after her brother.

"Yeah, and I'm puttin' you on the bench! Now do what I asked you!" His harsh tone was enough to cease their movements.

Just before he could think of something to yell back, Wendy got his attention and motioned him over. "Huh? What?"

She was crying again in Soos' arms. "They said they'd used it on me before but I didn't remember them doing anything. What if they've used it on all of us? How many times have we had our brains robbed, man?" After wiping at her eyes a few times, she spat an angry noise. "Crap, I forgot to tell 'em who I saw. What's-his-face was one of the robed guys. The weird little reporter?"

"Toby? The one we thought killed Wax Stan?" Mabel said with a blink. "Are you yanking my chain, Wendy Corduroy?"

"No way, shorty. And Gideon's dad was there, too. I swear."

Both twins' jaws dropped wide open. "You have got to be kidding me!" Dipper yelled, throwing his hands to the sky. "What could he possibly have to do—you know what? Screw it. Let's just get out of the rain."

"Excellent idea, dudes. Truck's unlocked. Follow me." Soos led the pack through the graveyard, shining his light around. "Wendy's got a point, though. I wonder if I'm forgettin' stuff I shouldn't. I mean, besides where I left my keys this morning. Seems like a pretty minor thing to blame on a memory thief, right?" His weak laugh did nothing to lift their spirits. "Yeah, I'm not feelin' it either."

"I don't wanna think about this right now, Soos," Mabel warned grumpily. "If I do, I'm gonna get paranoid. Do you want us both to be paranoid all the time? No. No, you do not. You can't handle my crazy, son. I got enough to deal with without being afraid of the people around me." Her eyes went wide. "Frick. It already happened!"

"Yeah, yeah," Dipper said quickly, cutting her off before she could get too wound up again. "I mean, geez, watching Winter act like a fool was en—oh. Speaking of that, you still gotta apologize."

"I know, I know, gosh. Hey, Wendy! You okay? Why are you holding your arm like that? Did you get hurt?"

Wendy had it positioned against her chest as if it was in a sling, fingers curled into a tight fist. "No, I just—I still feel it crawling around under my skin. Like, I don't even know how to describe it. I mean, not like it's painful, it's just... I dunno."

"I swear I was kidding about us being wizards."

The redhead tried her best to smile at him. "I know, Soos." She turned her eyes to the truck up ahead and sighed. "I'm freezing. How long should we give them before barging in and pretending to be heroes?"

Dipper tapped at his phone, already having a similar idea. "Twenty minutes should be enough. I hope they remember everything when they get back." He set the alarm with one final tap and put it back in his vest. "Ugh, my head." A look at everyone else made him realize they were in equally poor shape. "Okay, who else wants an aspirin?"

"We don't like guns, Stan. I hope you know what you're doing."

He smirked at Winter as they all crept forward toward the tunnel opening; he himself was leading the charge, both hands clasped around a fourth-generation, flat black Glock 17. While his nerves were steady, he shivered with wet cold. "Oh, trust me, I know exactly what I'm doin'. You two ever shot one before?"

"We've been shot at a whole bunch, if that counts," a smiling Summer replied. "Ready to fly down?"

"Not really, but let's just go anyway."

They weaved a silent, careful path down the curvy tube and slipped out into the chamber without a sound. There they found the people in question, still sprawled out and unconscious on the floor – except for Preston, who was just beginning to stir. "Unnnnnh?" he droned, struggling to sit up. "What happened? Where did-" Upon seeing Stan, his gun, and the identical twins, he froze. "Miss Weiss. Miss Weiss. And Mister Pines, for whatever reason. Allow me a moment to explain."

"You'd better," Summer said, her arms folded. "Wendy called us for help. Who are they?"

"Ah, well..." Preston glanced over as Bud came to. "We've been caught, Bud. Stop worrying about your hood."

"By whom, pray tell?" he asked sharply, revealing his face in order to see. "Well. Our resident spirit whisperers and local con-man! What a surprise this is." The memory eraser was by his hip on the floor – in a flash he snatched it up and pointed it at them. "I didn't even know you owned a firearm, Stanford. Put that thing away before I make you forget how to use it."

"I don't think so, Gleeful," he said, pointing the gun at him in kind. "Look, I wouldn't make these ladies mad. You got no idea what you're up against. Also that robe looks so stupid on you."

"It's a little too late to avoid making me mad." Winter lifted a finger and magically nudged the brass device from Bud's grip before storming over and picking it up. She then grabbed him by the collar. "What is this and what did you try to do to Wendy?"

Bud wiggled unhappily in her grip. "What the—let me go!" He blinked down at her arm. "And can you get me a membership to your gym? I could stand to lose a few pounds."

Gnashing teeth, Winter tossed the gun back to Stan so she'd have a free hand with which to make a fist. "That's not an answer," she warned, aiming a punch at his nose.

"Miss Weiss, please!" Preston begged, rushing over to her side. "Let him go. I'll explain. No need for anyone to lose their temper."

Glaring daggers at him, she shoved Bud away and stepped back. Meanwhile, Stan and Summer took aim at the other two hooded figures as they began to awaken. "Someone better start talking. I thought we had an agreement, Mister Northwest." She glanced over as Toby lifted his hood. "You? My sister called you cute and you repay her by attacking one of our friends?"

"Our bad. Isn't that what the kids say these days? Oh, it's been so long since I was cool," he said while hiding his eyes.

"Ladies and... gentleman, these people are a portion of the Blind Eye Society," Preston said, motioning at them. The last to lift their hood was a brown-haired woman with dark skin and black stud earrings. "These aren't the only members, as you might have guessed."

"And they do what, exactly?" Summer asked, head tilted curiously.

"We are the only people standin' between the insanity in this valley and the peaceful existence of the citizens of Gravity Falls," Bud explained huffily. He was still dusting himself off from Winter's assault. "That device in Stanford's hand is a memory eraser. Someone sees something weird, we use that and suck it right out of their brains! It's as if it never even happened."

Stan lowered the muzzle of his gun – but not much. "Oh, well... you've got their okay to do this stuff, right? 'Cause I'm no saint, but this whole memory-wiping business creeps me out a little – and that is a high bar to clear."

"Well, not technically, no..."

"You just steal their memories, then?" Winter snapped. Her sister emitted a faint "uh oh" and moved up closer.

He backed up a little, hands raised. "Now now, that's not a very nice way of putting things. We free them from memories they don't want! I mean, really, would you want to be haunted by a floating pink brain with eyeballs and tentacles that lives in a freezer?"

"That doesn't give you the right to invade their minds!"

This was the most emotional Stan – or Summer – had ever seen the blue-eyed woman. "Please shut him up before my sister kills him," she asked Preston politely.

"You read my mind, pardon the awkward choice of words," he said with a nod, straightening his tie. "Bud, stop talking. You're a salesman, not an orator."

"Oh, buzz off. We're doing what's necessary to keep this place afloat while you sit in that ivory tower of yours. Why don't you come along one night and see all the fires we put out? Or are you afraid of what you might find?"

"Wait. Necessary?"

So sharp was Winter's tone that everyone in the chamber looked her way. Summer moved quickly, placing herself between them and her. "No," she whispered. "I'm here. Deep breath."

After obliging her with a lengthy inhalation, Winter again seemed calm. Her sister stepped aside after a moment of suspicious staring so she could speak. "We're taking that device – and I'm telling Colonel Greer what you're doing."

"Colonel who?" Toby asked, fidgeting nervously.

"Never mind that for now." Preston next struggled to find a gentle way to frame his disagreement, eventually ending up with "I don't think going to the military is a good idea."

"I will not tolerate this. I don't care about what morals they think they're upholding," she paused to turn her venomous gaze back to Bud, "nor whatever peace they claim to protect."

Stan, meanwhile, was examining the strange weapon. "Huh... some of this looks familiar," he murmured to himself. "It's almost like... eh." He looked back up and waved his hand. "Hey! Hey! I got an idea. And... Gleeful, seriously, don't look at me like that. Just listen. I may sort of agree that the town at large can't handle this stuff, you know? And if everyone started talking about it then the government would get involved in a bigger way, and I sure as heck don't want that. If you're gonna be mind-screwing people... ask first. Give 'em an explanation. I built a whole business on disclaimers and fine print. Trust me, it works."

Summer regarded him with a curious eye. "What are you saying, Stan?"

"I'm sayin' let 'em work as long as they don't just go around thought-snatching without getting a 'yes' first. The folks that wanna stay asleep can stay asleep. The ones that don't, well..." he trailed off for a moment until his eyes lit up. "Lotta people already trust you two with the paranormal, right?" he asked, waving at the twins. "Well, same deal. They can come to you for help in handlin' the truth. Maybe, just maybe, some of 'em will be willing to help."

Bud was genuinely stunned at what he'd heard. "Stanford Pines, I didn't know you carried such ideals in that granite heart of yours."

"Ideals? Ha! I've been a con-man for about as long as you've drawn breath. And I've learned you don't sell somebody something – they gotta buy it. People want a choice. Give 'em that, and they'll eat outta your hands. Mostly. Sometimes they don't like the choices and try to punch you."

Winter, as usual, refuted his thoughts with frigid efficiency. "I still don't like the idea of amnesia-on-demand. Also, what proof do you have that your device has no side-effects?"

Bud laughed a little and shrugged. "None! It ain't like we can test it out, sweetie."

She tapped her foot in thought for a moment. "Perhaps you may get a chance. I'm still going to Colonel Greer. Perhaps you could obtain official support. Or you might get shot. Either way, the way you do things is about to change."

Summer smirked with the image. "Hmm, Colonel Greer and a used car salesman? What strange bedfellows."

"Beggin' your pardon, but what do y'all have to do with the government, again?"

Preston felt safe enough to intervene. "You'll know when and if you need to, Bud. Now, I expect you'll present these concerns to Ivan if you want my continued support. As for the Colonel, I'll see to it that a meeting is arranged between all interested parties as soon as possible." He focused on the society members next. "Apologize for what happened to Wendy."

"We're sorry," they said, with varying degrees of fear and sincerity.

He nodded with approval. "Good. And try to remember that the list of off-limits personnel is binding. The next time your rear ends need pulling out of the fire I might not be around."

"What list?"

"The list I called them here to present." He produced a leaf of paper from beneath his dark blue suit jacket and began to read it out loud. "Summer Weiss, Winter Weiss, Wendy Corduroy, Jesus "Soos" Ramirez, Stanford Pines, Mabel Pines, and Maxwell "Dipper" Pines. These individuals are not to be approached, abducted, or otherwise contacted by the Blind Eye. While I've got you, is there anyone else we should add?"

"Maxwell?" Summer repeated with a grin. "How interesting."

Winter rubbed her chin for a moment. "Not that I can think of. How can you prove to us that you'll leave them alone if you're erasing their memories?"

"I can produce proof on request," he replied simply. "I know it's difficult, but I ask you to trust me. As unsavory as the idea is, the Society plays a key role in maintaining the sanity of Gravity Falls." Now his gaze went to Stan. "Mister Pines? The eraser, if you would."

He made a face at Preston's outstretched hand before relinquishing it. "Fine. Any of you nuts get within a hundred feet of those kids and I'll..."

"You have my word. And a Northwest's word is his bond."

"We'll see its worth soon enough, I suppose," Winter remarked quietly. "Before you go... did you have them make Pacifica forget? Summer and I couldn't help but notice how she acted. And have you heard from the Pentagon about the..." she hesitated, unwilling to betray too much with so many strangers around, "...other thing."

His stately face twisted with sadness. "Yes. It was this or sedatives. I did the best I could." In a second more he regained his composure. "And no, I'm still waiting. Another question for the Colonel, I guess." With that he excused himself along with the Society, departing up a staircase in the rear of the chamber the sisters hadn't seen during their last time here.

"Well, this just got extremely weird," Stan said, holstering his weapon. "And I thought I was up to date with the secrets around here. How good do you have to be to hide something in this town from me?" His face suddenly dropped. "I've been shot with that thing, haven't I. I'm gonna stand over here and succumb to intense paranoia for a second."

Summer tried to reassure him with some pats on the shoulder. "Poor Stan. At least it's not magical?"

"You're right. Someone built that thing. I want to know who." Winter noticed a shelf nearby. Papers lay scattered on the floor at its base. "That's where we found the documents last time. I'll go back up and let the others know we're all right. You two start searching."

The rain had stopped by the time Stan and Summer emerged from the chamber. He had a few files in hand, but like the War Department summary the latter had seen on her last trip here, these papers were heavily censored. Not knowing how else to close the passageway, she went with brute strength, pushing it closed with her bare hands. The old man watched her work in awe. "Geez. I'm surprised Soos hasn't hit on you yet."

She giggled a bit. "He's probably too afraid of my sister."

"That's a good point. She seems pretty scary."

As they moved toward the street, they saw Winter had unpacked her car and parked it in front of Soos' truck. They were standing around it – and their conversation soon became audible. "What do I do? Am I supposed to go home?" Wendy asked, still favoring her right hand. "I mean, I don't feel it anymore, but I am freaked out six ways to Sunday over here."

Mabel rocked back and forth on her heels. "Hold on, hold on, let's go over this again. I saw someone get eaten by an island, Gideon's dad has been stealing people's memories, you're using friggin' magic and—oh! They're back!"

The group came forward to meet them. "Hey, kids," Stan greeted. "Who saw who get eaten by a what now?"

Winter raised her hand. "I let the island in the lake eat me because I wanted to... investigate. Mabel didn't take the sight very well."

"Sister!" Summer stomped over, fists clenched. "What were you thinking?!"

"That's what I said!" Mabel agreed loudly. "If she gets iced on our watch, you're gonna kill us! Literally."

"No she wouldn't. And I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that my definition of fear isn't the same as everyone else's," Winter admitted, slicking back her hair with both hands. "I'll be more careful next time."

Dipper shook his head and sighed. "All right. We've been over it. Let's move on and figure out who's gonna ride with who before it starts raining again."

"I gotta go back to the Shack anyway! All you silly Pines folks can ride with me," Soos said with a smile. After some muffled discussion, they agreed. "Cool, cool. Just, uh, somebody help me clean the pizza boxes out of the back. Wendy, how about you? Always room in the bed."

Wendy responded first with a half-shrug before looking up with a frown. "Thanks, but nah. I'll just catch a ride with these two."

"Suit yourself. Hoo boy, I'm gonna sleep good tonight," Mabel yawned. "Unless Bill—oh dang it, I can't do anything anymore without being afraid!"

"I've got some sleeping pills you could use."

Dipper cocked a brow at Stan's offer. "Um, isn't that illegal?"

He cracked a grin. "Because I'm such an upstanding citizen. It's just an option. You kids need your rest." He looked over at the identical twins and nodded. "Let's forget cracking that door for the night. I'll look over this stuff and see how it fits in with what I've got. See you two in the morning?"

"Of course!" Summer replied brightly. "Goodbye, Stan. And Soos. And Mabel. And... Maxwell." She burst out laughing at the noise he made. "You sound like a kitten!"

"Th-that's not funny!" he shot back, flush with embarrassment. "Man, I haven't been called that since third grade."

The blue-eyed woman rolled her eyes with a smile. "You two get some sleep. And don't worry about the Society, they've been told you're off limits. All of you."

In a few moments more they were gone, the handyman's truck but a red and yellow glow disappearing into the misty night. Wendy was so lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the twins going to their car before Summer called her name. "Huh? Oh, right. Sorry. I'm comin'."

Winter had just opened the driver's door. "I'm not sure where you live. You'll have to give me directions." But the redhead failed to respond, instead shuffling past and getting in. "Wendy?"

Only after everyone was in the car did she say anything. "I'm not sure I want to go home, to be perfectly honest," she admitted, rubbing under her hat. "I don't know what the hell I wanna do right now."

"I think you should sleep. You sound exhausted."

She was having none of Winter's friendly advice. "How can I sleep when there's stuff inside me that I don't understand? What if it hurts me? What if hurts my family?" Involuntarily, she hunched forward and broke down again. "I can't even trust my own brain anymore, man!"

"Oh, we know the feeling," Summer assured her, ignoring the confused look she got in return. "Maybe you'd feel better if we explained what magic is? How it works?"

"Uh, well..." Wendy folded her arms and sank back into the seat. "It's not like you guys could make me anymore paranoid, I guess. All right, but let's go to your house while I decide what to do. No point in sittin' here."