CHAPTER 6

"Whoa…wha…Oh God…that was it…I will never take another step in my life." Stan said.

"Well, I'd say you made a pretty good job, Stan. Now you know what it's like to be a handyman." Soos said. For the last minutes, Soos had made Stan 'help' him with his special project. First, he had Stan take all of the mirrors that were still intact to the shack's museum. They were like twenty, and Stan was obligated to carry them on his back, first outside the shack through the side door, and then inside again through the main entrance, which was very cruel because Soos wasn't planning to use all of them. Then, Soos entered the storage room and told Stan what he wanted also in the museum. Grunkle Stan carried one by one the heavy stuffed bodies of several dead animals. They were stored on that room, since the day Soos found it, so they could be turned into Mystery Shack's wonderful attractions by cutting parts from some and pasting them on others. Soos was usually assigned to this task.

"I… didn't… know… y-you had to remodel the shack every day… Soos" Stan said panting.

"Oh, don't be such a wimp, Stan. You should be grateful we didn't take the long road through the hallway and the gift shop."

The gift shop. Stan thought. How much time had passed? Twenty minutes? Half an hour? He was hoping that by now the twins had come up with a plan to stop Soos and rescue him. It sure was a good thing they didn't go through the gift shop. If they had, Dipper and Mabel wouldn't have had the chance to try anything. And speaking of that, how in heavens Dipper had that book and he hadn't noticed? And why did Soos take it? Did he need it for his hidden purposes? Or did he actually want to stop Dipper from using it against him? Well, now the kid would have to use only his brain to find a solution. He didn't see another way of escaping, and whatever was on Soos' mind was definitely bad, especially because it seemed to involve those expensive and delicate stuffed animals he had gotten from overseas.

Now, they were back at the floor room, where Soos was thinking on what else he could make Stan do to make him suffer a little more. He was planning that Stan make a trip to the portable toilets. That would've been like the sweetest moments of the night, but something told Soos that he should hurry if he didn't want more complications. Despite he had taken Dipper's journal, Soos knew he shouldn't underestimate the twins.

"I think that's enough Stan. Let's go back to the museum for tonight's main spectacle."

"Just… just give me a second to breathe a little more. In fact, I could use a break now. You can't deny your boss a short break, right Soos?"

With a move of his hand, Soos levitated Stan and got close to his face. "Oh, you'll have much time to rest once we finish with your 'transformation'"

"T-transformation?"

"You have always been proud of yourself for offering the people of Gravity Falls the strangest and most amazing oddities. The likes of which the world has never known. So…" Soos made a suspense pause. "What would make you happier than becoming the strangest attraction of all?"

Stan's eyes grew widely. He remembered the animals he had just carried to the museum. The museum…This definitely was on the road to turning really bad for him. Kids. He thought. Anytime you want.

A creaking sound came from the hallway. It was almost inaudible, but it caught the attention of Soos and Stan. They both turned their faces to the door. Soos smiled. "I wasn't expecting them so early." He said. He started to climb the few steps to the door, as Stan followed him floating. "It looks that your family will join us after all, Stan."

Soos walked down the corridor slowly. He stopped in the middle of it and listened. For a moment, he heard a voice, a very low voice coming from somewhere. He looked carefully and soon he noticed that the door to the parlor was slightly opened. Stan noticed it too.

"So Stan." Soos said loudly. "It looks like they came back to where it all started. Let's go to the museum by making a little stop at the living room." With that being said, he ascended a few inches from the floor and started to float towards the parlor. Stan was about to alert the kids, but a piece of cloth came from nowhere and wrapped around his mouth. We are doomed. He thought.

Soos left Stan floating in the middle of the hallway and entered the parlor in complete silence. There were no steps from him to be heard. He listened again, and he heard voices coming from behind the fireplace. His eyes went to the window, and then up to the ceiling. There was no light on this room, just the glowing of the moon, thanks to which, he saw a quick shadow moving on the wall behind the fireplace. Incredibly fast he floated to that position with his eyes shining in green.

"Got you Mystery Twins!" He yelled.

In front of him was no twin at all. Just a small video camera facing the wall. The voices came from a video that was being played.

Up on the ceiling, just above Soos, two figures that had been completely quiet prepared to move. Dipper counted on his mind. Three, Two, One… Execute! Dipper and Mabel fell from the ceiling just behind Soos with their Nyarfs aiming at him.

But just milliseconds before they landed, they were stopped in the air, surrounded by green light.

"Aha!" Soos said, turning around.

The twins were lifted and they struggled in the air, but their arms and legs were immobilized.

"Good, good, Dipper and Mabel." Soos said smiling widely. "That was so well elaborated. The opened door, the voices coming from the camera. I wouldn't have expected less from you."

Mabel looked surprised. "You… you knew it all the time!"

"Of course!" He said. "I'm also the more intelligent side of Soos. I knew you'd try to set me up by distracting me and then jumping out from the dark. I just didn't know where you were hiding until I entered the room."

Stan came running from the hallway. Apparently Soos had let him go. "Kids!" He said when he saw the twins caught. "Oh no! Soos! You let them go!" He ran towards Soos, but got also frozen in the air.

"Well, now the family is complete." He said. "And where's your little buddy? Did he run away as you should've done?"

Dipper smiled. "Soos, my old friend. You are forgetting a crucial aspect of a distraction."

"And what is that?" Soos asked.

"It can be done twice." Dipper said slowly.

In that moment, Bloomscorch jumped from above them. A gun on each of his hands. Eyes on his target. He aimed directly to Soos' head…That is, until a hand grabbed him on the air.

"Ah, Yes! The surprise second wave!" He said as he held Bloomscorch with his right hand. "I was wondering when you would come out of the same spot the kids were at, which I was supposed to have forgotten about by now, and catch me 'off guard'."

Dipper's face went pallid as he saw the scene.

Soos tossed the creature on the air and he remained still there. "Sorry guys." Bloomscorch said with his eyes closed.

"It's okay." Dipper said, staring at nothing.

"Despite you surprise me again Dipper" Said Soos. "we all knew everything would end this way. This clearly proves that you couldn't think of something better without your precious journal."

Dipper got angry. He then searched for his fallen gun on the floor. Soos looked on that direction. He walked to it and picked it up.

"So, what's better than a trap? A double trap? Hahaha. That's what you came up with?" Soos said while holding the gun on his hand. "What is it that you wanted to shoot me with? Pitt Cola?"

Dipper struggled again. "No! Don't!"

Soos manipulated the green summer edition Nyarf gun, and opened the little chamber which was supposed to contain water. When he did it, a small pink sphere came out of it and fell to the ground. Soos picked it up.

"Is this…chewing gum?"

What came next happened really fast. A popping sound was heard. Soos felt that a strange force pushed him, he felt a weird scent of strawberries, and then, all he could see was a pink blur. The special "trapping gum" covered all his body and pasted him on one of the walls.

Instantly, they all were released from Soos' levitation power and fell to the ground. Dipper stood up quickly and grabbed one of the guns. He pointed it to Soos and…

"There you have it Soos! Triple trap! That's what I can think of without the journal!" Dipper was almost euphoric.

"Dipper it worked! You did it!" Mabel said running to her brother and giving him a huge hug.

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without my sidek…"

Mabel gave him a look.

"Okay… without my partner. My very special partner."

Mabel smiled. "And we also have to give credit to Bloomscorch here."

"Thank you guys."

"Wait, were you all faking?" Stan asked confused.

"Of course, Grunkle Stan." Dipper said. "By the way, that was great acting from both of you."

Grunkle Stan laughed loudly. "Hahahaha! Nice job kids! You too little freak!"

"His name is Bloomscorch, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel said.

"Bless you kid." He didn't understand and walked to Soos on the wall. "Soos, it seems that your little payback plans will have to be postponed!"

"So, are you alright, Grunkle Stan? Did he actually hurt you?" Dipper asked him.

Stan looked at him. "Huh? Oh yeah! No, your Grunkle is okay. Just a little tired because of carrying all those things to the museum."

"The museum?"

"Yeah, Soos here made me take the stuffed animals to the museum. Also some mirrors. You know, the few you didn't break, Soos. Then he said something about me becoming an attraction. You really freaked me out kid! What were you thinking?!"

Soos didn't say a thing. His face was all covered with gum. Bloomscorch approached him with a small cylinder on his hand.

"Now guys, this is another special soda that will let us see his face. It's the only thing that can dissolve trapping gum." He poured some on Soos' head and the gum started to evaporate, reveling Soos' serious face.

"Well done kids." Soos said calmed. "I made a mistake thinking you weren't important rivals. Especially you Dipper."

Mabel and Bloomscorch had grabbed their own weapons and were waiting.

"But, unfortunately for you, I'm still being more powerful, and perhaps you should've just run seconds ago." His eyes illuminated and a smile appeared on his face. However, nothing happened. Soos tried moving his hands but there was no effect.

"See? I told you guys. The gum is blocking really well his telekinesis." Bloomscorch said smiling. "And also the rest of his powers."

Soos was very surprised by hearing this, and also really angry. Soon, his eyes stopped shining. "You little rat! How you dare!"

"What was that about I didn't represent a threat?" Bloomscorch said.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Soos moved furiously inside his sticky prison.

"We must hurry, before the gum loses its effect." Dipper said, and he took some Hypermints from his pocket. He walked to Soos while opening his Nyarf.

"What are you gonna do anyway? Keep me trapped here like another strange attraction?"

Grunkle Stan had instantly many ideas of how this could represent a lot of profit. After all, it seemed he had just lost his most valuable worker. "Actually kids, that's not a bad idea."

Mabel punched him on the arm. "Grunkle Stan! That's Soos! He's not an attraction! And we are gonna change him back to normal."

"What?!" Soos yelled.

Stan abandoned that idea. Instead, he saw the small camera on the floor and picked it up. "Well, it won't be a total lost. Who needs the real supernatural creature, when I can sell hundreds of copies of authentic paranormal activity on the Mystery Shack!" He looked at Mabel. "Take this kid." He put the camera on her hands. "Whatever happens, just keep rolling!"

Mabel didn't say anything, since Dipper and she also wanted to have visual evidence of the events of the night.

"Change me back?!" Soos asked again. "You are gonna change me with that thing?!"

Dipper was climbing to his head. "That's right, buddy. We are gonna get back the old Soos. And you are gonna return to the place you belong." He opened the gun and popped the Hypermints on the Peruvian soda. Then he closed it. "Now open up…"

He was pushed violently by Soos. "Never!" He yelled.

Dipper fell to the floor. They all saw how Soos was fighting for freedom behind the layer of gum. At some spots it seemed to be thinner now.

"Wow. He's stronger than I thought. But that gum is supposed to resist." Said Bloomscorch.

Dipper got up and searched for his gun. He saw it was shaking. He picked it up. "Hold him guys. I'm making another try."

Hearing this, Mabel put the camera on the floor and she and Stan ran to Soos. They grabbed what they thought were his arms. Bloomscorch got one of his legs.

"You're not gonna put that thing into my mouth, Dipper!"

"Look man, you have lost. Just let our friend come back." Dipper approached Soos and he was about to put a hand on him, when that green light appeared on his eyes again. Everybody stopped and feared the worst. Then, behind the trapping gum, Soos' body started to glow.

"NOOOOOOO!" He screamed.

Dipper fell on his back, Bloomscorch was sent some feet behind him, and Mabel and Stan were tossed aside in different directions.

"Bloomscorch!" Dipper yelled from the floor.

"I know! We just need more gum!" He reached for his gun, but it rolled away from him. The other Nyarfs did the same and climbed the walls, except for Dipper's, which he was holding tightly against his chest.

"Not this time Soos!" Dipper felt his gun was going to fly away from his hands.

Soos had recovered his evil smile. "You had your chance kid! Just let go that toy!"

The glow in Soos' eyes increased and Dipper's gun escaped his grip. It flew away to the other side of the room, but Dipper caught it with only one hand, turning his back to Soos. The others could only look. Dipper was fighting against Soos' power with all his strength. The gun was now shaking very violently, because of the strange force acting on it, but also since its content was becoming very unstable.

"You can't win this one, kid! Hahahahha!"

Dipper closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He felt his arm was going to be torn. Not this time! Not anymore Soos! Dipper shouted in his head. His fingers were slipping. He had to think fast.

"Soos!" He yelled with the strength he had left. "You ruin it every time we play videogames… but I don't care! Because you're my friend!"

Soos' face changed suddenly. Dipper felt how the force he was fighting weakened. It worked! He thought, and quickly pulled harder. Before Soos could react, Dipper turned around, aimed, and shot his Nyarf. The anomalous soda hit Soos hard on the face, leaving him stunned. He lost control over the objects in the room and his telekinesis faded. However, almost none of the soda entered his mouth.

Now. Dipper thought. He ran and jumped to Soos. He landed on his chest. The moment he did it, Soos reacted. The green glowing returned stronger than before, followed by a long roar from Soos. A creak came from the fireplace. Then, the green fire appeared on it. In two seconds, a path of tall flames abandoned the fireplace and formed a barrier around Soos and Dipper.

"Dipper!" Mabel shouted. "We have to help him!"

"We can't go through the fire!" Bloomscorch responded to her.

Mabel looked everywhere. Then she looked up. "Grunkle Stan, give me a hand here!"

Inside the fire wall, Soos was trying to get rid of the last of the gum to free his arms. At the same time, he was struggling to get Dipper off himself. The kid had put an arm around his neck and wasn't going to let go.

"You never give up, kid. Right?" Soos got one leg out of the gum.

Dipper had his gun near Soos' mouth, but once again he was fighting against an incredibly strong force. Each time he almost put the gun in position, his arm was pushed by the Soos. He accidentally pulled the trigger a couple of times, firing bursts of soda at the wall.

"Hahaha! You're strong! I have to admit that. But I have already won. I only have to push until this gum loses its effect." Soos was laughing, despite Dipper was holding on his neck really hard. "And don't think on playing with my emotions again!"

Dipper had almost done it. "I…..I'll never let you….hurt Grunkle Stan!"

"I won't hurt him! I'll make him famous! World famous! And there's room for you too!" Soos said. "You all three can be part of my special exhibition! I'm sure Mabel will love it. She'll only have to lose some parts of her body!"

Dipper was on the limit of his strength. He couldn't even believe he was standing against an evil force with only his weak arms. He knew he could hold on for some more time, and that was all. But when Soos literally threatened with damaging his sister, Dipper felt all the limits faded away. He felt a mix of fear and anger, which soon transformed into rage.

Soos managed to free one of his arms. "That's enough, kid. Get off me." He grabbed Dipper's vest from the collar, but his arm was pushed away violently. Dipper had let go from Soos' neck. Instead, he held Soos' free arm to the wall strongly, and stood up on the sticky gum on his chest. Soos couldn't believe it, but he was fighting against the kid's noodle arm.

Dipper looked at him right into the eyes. "YOU ARE NOT GONNA TOUCH HER!" He yelled on his face.

Soos' expression was that of someone who had seen a lightning bolt strike just in front of him. Dipper started to point the Nyarf to Soos' mouth. Soos used all his will to regain control of the situation. He was glowing. The gun was glowing. Dipper himself was glowing, but the boy kept moving his arm, with determination on his eyes.

"Impossible!" Soos yelled. "You're just a wimpy little kid! You're no match fo…"

Dipper stuck the gun on Soos' mouth. "Just shut up, Soos." He said, and pulled the trigger.

A click was heard. But there was no "boom" or "splash". They didn't make a move, Soos scared and Dipper blinking. He pulled the trigger again, and again. Nothing happened. He looked at the gun confused. Then, he realized it wasn't as heavy as before.

"Dang…. It's empty." Dipper said.

Soos scared face changed to a deformed smile. "Hahaha" He laughed with the gun still on his mouth. "Hahahahahhahahahahaha!"

With a green flash from his eyes, Soos grabbed Dipper's hand, and released his trapped arm. Dipper was too stunned to fight, and his empty Nyarf flew away from his fingers. Soos looked Dipper in the eyes. "Next time remember to reload."

He took the kid by his chin roughly and brought him closer to his face. Dipper felt how any hope vanished inside him.

"You lose. I win, boy." Soos said.

Three, Two, One... "Banzai!"

Mabel jumped from the ceiling and landed over Soos with her legs around his neck. She instantly pulled his hair very hard with both hands.

"How do you like the Waddles attack, Soos?! Don't you dare to hurt my brother!"

Soos couldn't do anything but screaming in pain. Dipper was frozen by the astonishment. He only reacted when he saw what Mabel had brought with her. A Nyarf gun that was shaking. He took it off of her hand and positioned it over Soos' face, but a force stopped him from lowering it.

"Ahhhhh! You little demon…. No, not again, Dipper!" Soos yelled.

Dipper put all his strength on it, but the glowing gun didn't move. Just then, Mabel let go Soos' hair and placed both hands on the Nyarf. "Come on bro!"

Soos tried desperately to stop them with his arms, but the twins pushed the gun together and stuck it inside his mouth. Immediately, Dipper pulled the trigger.

The complete load of energized soda was released inside Soos. The force of the soda burst was like that of the engine of a rocket, a small rocket. However, it sent Dipper and Mabel flying through the air. The fire and all the green lights disappeared completely. Soos swallowed almost all the soda and coughed violently.

"Ohhhhhhhh… what was that thing kids?" He asked before his eyes opened widely.

Dipper and Mabel had fallen to the wooden floor hard. Stan and Bloomscorch helped them up. They all turned around to see Soos, who was making weird noises. Actually his stomach was the one making noises. Soos' whole body started to shake. His eyes seemed to be bigger and he was staring at nothing. Soon he opened his mouth and emitted more strange noises. Also there was foam forming at it.

"I think it worked." Dipper said.

"Yeah, that or we just killed him." Bloomscorch said.

Mabel looked at the creature with a . "I-I mean….h-he….look!" He said.

Soos started to glow again. It was a strong light that lasted only for a few seconds. Just after that, he let out an incredibly loud and long burp. He seemed to be a little disoriented.

"What the…I don't…you guys…" He said. Then he saw the group in front of him. "Whoa, what is happening dudes?"

Soos spoke with his old and normal voice. The twins looked at each other smiling.

"Soos!" They shouted and ran to him. "Are you okay?" Dipper asked.

"Dipper? What is going on? And… why am I hanging from the wall?" He said. He was still a little dizzy.

"Soos! We just kicked your evil counterpart's butt and sent him to sleep!" Mabel said as she tried to free Soos' leg from the gum.

"Evil? Y-you mean that creepy voice in my heaaahhhhh…..ahhhh…..headadadaddhhh."

"Soos?" Dipper said. "You okay?"

"Suuuuuuuuuure…Diiididdididiiiipppppp….babbabbaahhhh….." Soos kept mumbling and making noises. Dipper looked at Bloomscorch.

"What's happening to him?"

"Don't know… maybe the side effects?"

"What did you give him anyway, kids?" Grunkle Stan spoke from behind the video camera. He had taken it after helping Mabel climb to the ceiling and wasn't going to lose any detail of the happenings.

"It was some foreign soda we found on a secret underground room below the gift shop, combined with hyper energized mints." Dipper answered to his uncle, and now remembered he owed them an explanation.

"What?!" Stan shouted. "You gave him the expensive Peruvian soda?! You know how difficult it is to get that stuff?! I hope you didn't touch more of that merchandise down there!"

"Grunkle Stan, it was the only way to help him! And besides, there are still some bottles left."

His uncle sighed. "Well, I guess you are right. Anyway, I knew some day he was gonna get sick for drinking so much of it."

Dipper's eye twitched. "Wait, you're saying he has drunk this before?"

"What?! He's my oldest employee. Of course he knew about the secret storage room. And yes, he is kind of addicted to that golden soda. I caught him many times taking a sip from the bottles, so I decided to give him one bottle as a reward for doing some extra special chores. I think he just got used to those 'dangerous 'chemicals."

Dipper and Bloomscorch looked at each other. They both knew what the other was thinking, and it wasn't a good thing.

"Well that's a very clarifying piece of information Stan!" A strange but also familiar voice spoke behind them. They turned around and saw with horror that Soos had trapped Mabel with his arms and was covering her mouth with one hand. He had also come out of the gum prison. "Don't you love it that you were this close to stop me?" He said in a disturbing voice. That voice…

"Mabel…" Dipper said.

"This useless body turned out to be really helpful!" Soos said smiling. "Very well dudes. That soda almost knocked me out. But apparently, Soos has developed some kind of immunity to its effects."

Dipper fell to his knees. "B-b-b-b-but… y-you were gone!"

"To make it easier for you to understand, I'll summarize it: I'm back, and you're doomed."

A shot of soda hit Soos in the face again. He fell on his back and dropped Mabel. Dipper looked behind. He saw Bloomscorch with a Nyarf on his hands and terror on his face. Dipper ran to Mabel and helped her up.

Soos moaned on the floor. "Oww man, wait until I get up…"

"Quick!" Bloomscorch said. "He hasn't retrieved his powers yet! Let's get the heck out of here!"

Dipper nodded and took Mabel's hand. But when he was about to head for the door he saw something on the floor near Soos. Journal number three.

Now or never. He thought and ran to pick it up.

"Dipper you dork! Come here!" Mabel yelled.

Once Dipper had the book, he was about to run again, but someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around slowly.

"Sorry, I haven't finished reading it." Soos said close to his face.

Dipper fell backwards. "Hahahahahahaha!" Soos laughed. He jumped once again and recovered his glowing and his floating ability.

Dipper moved away from Soos. Being so scared, he couldn't even stand up. His hand touched something on the floor.

"So, you all come back here now, or will I have to hunt you one by one over the shack?" Soos asked the others who were at the door. "Not that I won't like it but we hav… "

Soos was hit yet another time by a projectile from a Nyarf fired by Dipper. This time he got trapped again in gum. He stared at Dipper with a dangerous look.

"Boy, remind me to paste that gun to your face when it's your turn."

Dipper stood up and fired again, and then he fired for a third time. Soos was surrounded by an amazing amount of gum.

"Seriously Dip?" Soos said.

"Dipper, just come here!" Bloomscorch yelled at him.

Dipper shot another pair of gum projectiles to the window. Then he ran to the door an emptied his gun. He took three pieces of hard gum candy on his hand and squeezed them until he heard a cracking sound, just as Bloomscorch had told him. He placed them on the floor. "Let's go now!" He yelled. Everybody got out.

"Dipper" Soos called him. "Sooner or later, I'm gonna get out. And when that happens, I promise you'll have a reason to be scared."

Dipper looked away and closed the door. The candy exploded and sealed the parlor.

...
...

Dipper stared at the door, breathing heavily. He suddenly aimed at it and shot more gum.

"Stop it kid!" Bloomscorch jumped and took the Nyarf off of his hands.

"Sorry… I just wanted to make sure he is really trapped."

"Well, he'd better be. Because you just used all the gum candy." Bloomscorch said with some anger in his voice. "Oh wait, there's more left!" He said while searching on his interdimentional pocket. "Yeah, one piece. Only one little piece of gum candy."

"Dipper that was so stupid! He could've done something to you!" Mabel yelled at her brother's face.

"I'm sorry, okay?! I had to get this back!" He said holding the journal on his hand. "Whatever he's planning, he needs the book to do it. I'm sure."

"Actually that's true. When he had me prisoner, he wouldn't lift his eyes from the journal." Stan said. "B-because t-that is a journal, right? That strange old book you have there… "

Dipper and Mabel looked at Stan suspiciously.

"Sooooo… " Stan said. "W-what do we do now? We run away like rats?"

Dipper let out a sigh. "I hate to admit it guys, but I have no more ideas. The only thing I know is that we can't let him out."

"He won't leave this room for a while. That gives us time to get out and think on something else." Bloomscorch said.

In that moment, the shack started to vibrate. A weird sound came from behind the door. Dipper's eyes widened.

"No!" He yelled. "If we go now, he'll escape, and who knows how much damage he can cause on the town looking for us. We… we just need to secure very well this door and the windows. Somehow… "

"Wait Dipper. We're just gonna lock him up? We have to strike again!" Mabel said.

"What else can we do? We can't confront him."

"But we were winning! Didn't you see it? Soos was in there! The soda worked Dipper!"

"Mabel, that's over. It won't change Soos back, you heard him." Dipper just looked down to the floor. "We had a weapon and a plan, they failed. Now we can only resist here."

Everybody stayed in silence for a minute. They didn't know what to do and the vibrations continued. Mabel started to chew on her hair. Dipper noticed Stan was still recording and pointing at him. He felt annoyed. "Stop it, Grunkle Stan." He said and slapped Stan's hand.

"Sorry" He said. "Hey uh… I was wondering, how did you know telling Soos he was your friend would weaken him?"

"Oh yeah." Mabel said. "How did you make it, Dip?"

Dipper looked at them. "I-I didn't know if that was going to work. I was panicked. And suddenly this weird idea came to me. If this Soos is so mad by the way he had been treated, maybe treating him well can calm him, right? I didn't have any more ideas, and I think he was just surprised I said that in that particular moment."

Stan thought about it. "Yeah, I guess so." He said.

They remained in silence for one more minute.

Dipper stared at the door. "Bloomscorch, we need to use that last gum."

"Dipper, let's leave this place, one more piece of gum will only buy us minutes." The monster said.

"No." Dipper said. "I mean, we can't… "

"Dipper… " Mabel called him.

"We can't let him out!"

"Dipper!" Mabel yelled at him.

"What?!"

"I was just thinking… what if we had another weapon?"

"What other weapon?" He asked.

"You said we needed something really intense to wake Soos up, right?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Mabel looked down and played with her fingers. "How about… how about something so intense it makes you zone out seriously? Something that makes you believe you're somewhere else, in a very twisted but at the same time nice place?"

Dipper came close to her with a worried look. "Mabel… are you talking about… d-dru…"

Mabel quickly put a hand on his mouth. "Don't say it! Never say that word!"

Dipper grabbed her hand. "Well then… are you talking about those dangerous substances that adults consume to 'feel better'?"

"No…" Mabel said looking down again.

"Then what is it?! We don't have much time!"

"I-I'm talking about… S-sm… Sm…"

"W-what was that?"

Mabel looked at him and said. "I… I'm talking about Smile Dip, Dip."

"Smile Dip?" Dipper repeated. He quickly recalled the incident on the convenience store, and what Mabel told him about it the next day. I guess that is pretty intense.

"Yes! Smile Dip is perfect!" Bloomscorch shouted.

"You know about Smile Dip?" Mabel asked him.

"Sure I do! Everybody knows about it. One of humanity's most famous mistakes. We did our best to free this planet from that crazy thing. But… how do YOU know about it? We took care of it years ago."

"It seems you forgot to search on a haunted convenience store at Gravity Falls." Dipper said.

"Bloomscorch, please tell me it can wake up the other side of Soos!" Mabel was really close to the monster's face.

"Yes. It's the most intense mind blowing edible thing I know about. It actually has done something similar in the past, which I prefer not to mention right now. So, yes it will definitely wake up old Soos."

"Well, that's just great. Where are we gonna find Smile Dip at this hour?" Dipper said. "We can't run to the store for it! By the time we're back, Soos would've been gone already!"

"Hehe… " Mabel laughed nervously. "We may not need to get out of the shack to get it, Dipper."

Dipper gave his sister a very serious look. "Mabel, what do you mean?"

"It's just that… t-there's the possibility we can find some in… our room."

Dipper couldn't believe it. "And how exactly did it made its way to our room, Mabel?"

"Well, Hehe! Maybe I sneaked to the store one night and begged those ghosts for just one small package of it." She grinned widely at her brother's angry face. "Uh… Have I told you that you look cute when you are sleeping deeply… and also when you are angry?"

"Mabel! Do you mean that after the seizure you had at the convenience store, and after the other seizure you had because of that tiny amount you found on your sweater, and even after we talked about it and you promised to never do it again, YOU DID IT AGAIN?!"

"I couldn't help myself, Dip!" She said with a sad face. "I just wanted to try it one last time!"

Something hit the door strongly from the inside and made it tremble.

"Mabel! …. you…. you… Ahh! We'll talk about this later!" He faced the others. "We have a few minutes before he gets out! Come on, to the attic!"

They all headed to the stairs. Dipper put a hand on Mabel's shoulder and stopped her.

"I meant it. We are going to talk about this." He said.

Mabel tried to smile. "J-just remember I'm your sister… ok?"

...
...

Inside the parlor, Soos had been working hard to escape from his gum prison. To his surprise, he noticed the soda might had increased his powers. The gum was breaking fast as he concentrated, but still, he had to deal with three layers of it.

"Fools! Hahahaha. That soda was like a revitalizing elixir! I can't wait to thank them for it."

The shack vibrated because of the green glowing energy inside the room. He finally destroyed the last of the gum and walked away.

"However, I can't allow they shoot me again with it. I almost lost control. And besides, I don't even need it. Let's just stick to the plan."

He looked at the window which was also covered with gum. "Nah, too easy."

He walked to the door and slammed the gum with his fist really hard. The entire building trembled, and pieces of gum fell to the floor

"Hahahaha! Kids! We will meet sooner than you think!" He extended his arms to the door and the green energy started to dissolve the pink matter.

"And once we meet, Dipper, you're gonna wish for real bullets on that gun." He said in low voice. "Not even your precious book will save you."

He suddenly heard noises coming from the ceiling. It sounded like footsteps. He stopped what he was doing. "So you think you can hide again from me and make me believe you ran away?"

Soos thought for one second.

"Ha ha ha hahahahahha!" He laughed and turned around to see the intact fireplace. "How come did you forget about this one, boy?"

He knelt down and entered the fireplace. He soon noticed it was too narrow for him.

"Well, I'll just have to make my own way up." He said smiling, and advanced breaking the bricks until he was under the chimney duct. Then, he started climbing.

...
...

They stormed into the room loudly. Bloomscorch stayed at the entrance with a gun. Dipper looked around. The room was a complete mess. He found his backpack and put his gun and some bottles of soda on it.

"Well, where did you hide it Mabel" He asked her.

"Uh, you know, you should go and join Bloomscorch on the door while I search for it."

"Mabel! Just tell me where it is!"

Mabel closed her eyes and said. "It's up there, on that box over the shelf." She pointed up.

Suddenly they heard a noise coming from the chimney duct beside Dipper's bed. Dipper immediately got it.

"I never blocked the fireplace!" He said alarmed. Bloomscorch came from the entrance. "What!?" They heard the sound of bricks breaking. It was getting closer.

"He's climbing up the duct! Get in position! Grunkle Stan, you too! Can you please stop recording?!

"Oh! Alright!" Stan grabbed a gun and pointed it to the chimney.

"This was a bad idea!" Mabel yelled. Just then, the chimney exploded, and tossed pieces of bricks, wood and parts of Dipper's bed through the air.

Soos' face appeared in the middle of the debris. "Here's Soos, family! Hahahaha!"

"Good bye Soos!" yelled Bloomscorch, and he emptied his gun. Soos received the impact and tried his best to shut his mouth. He felt through the duct.

"He'll come back, hurry!" The monster told the twins.

Dipper and Mabel tried to reach the box. They put their hands on it and pulled. "Let's hope you have enough Smile Dip left to stop Soos, Mabel!" They suddenly pulled too fast and the box turned over dropping its content. About twenty packages of Smile Dip fell over Dipper. Some of them were totally empty.

Mabel looked at him with tears on her eyes. "I'm sorry Dipper! That journey to the store became many more!"

Dipper stared at her narrowing his eyes. "Mabel Pines, I am so disappointed in you."

A green glow appeared on the chimney. It was followed by Soos. "Okay, that I didn't expect. But I'm back."

"Grab as many bags as you can, now!" Dipper shouted.

Everybody did it except for Stan. He aimed his gun at Soos. "Get back to the hole you came from, kid!"

"Woah, point that thing somewhere else!" Soos said, and with a shining in his eyes he immobilized Stan and lifted him. Stan dropped his Nyarf and the camera. Bloomscorch caught them. "Things are gonna be more simple and faster now, Pines family."

"Grunkle Stan!" The twins yelled.

"Don't worry! You are coming too!" Soos raised his hands but he was hit again in the face. Only this time it wasn't gum or soda. Whatever was fired from Bloomscorch's gun exploded into a million of shiny pieces on Soos' face. He was pushed back and had to close his eyes. He got stuck on the hole behind him, but didn't let go off Stan.

"Run kids, run! Stay away from the museum! But no matter what happens, keep rolling!"

Dipper took Mabel's hand and got out of the room with Bloomscorch behind them. "He won't be able to see well for a short time." The monster said.

"Wait! Come here!" Soos yelled. "Oh, you don't want to take that way…"

They made it to the stairs. Soos was counting on this. With a snap of his fingers, the pile of kitchen stuff that was on the staircase entryway ignited again. Only this time, the green fire was bigger, and it started to climb the stairs.

Dipper stopped at the first step when he looked down, but he lost his balance. Mabel took him by the shoulders just when he was about to fall into the flames.

They stared at their only way of escape. "Oh crap!" Dipper said.

"Yeah! Just stay there and wait… for me to get out from here." Soos said from the chimney. When he finally came out of it, all he saw was sparkles everywhere. "Wow… are you some kind of fairy, little freak?" He yelled at Bloomscorch. "Because that would make a great attraction!"

Mabel got close to her brother and whispered. "Dipper the window! We can escape to the roof!"

Dipper saw that the blinded Soos was coming out of the room. He nodded. They opened the triangular window and went out.

Soos recovered his vision little by little. He was on the attic, out of the kid's room, but no one was there. "You think they went through that window Stan?" He walked to it and stuck his head out. "Go ahead kids! I'll meet you in a moment!"

He went back inside. "Stan, no time to lose." He put a hand on the shoulder of the floating Stan.

"You should better pray that they don't go to the museum just as I told them, because they'll kick your fat butt once and for all!"

"What are you talking about? I can't let them miss the show! Let's just get you 'on stage' and then I'll go get them."

Soos headed to the stairs with Stan following him.

...
...

Bloomscorch looked down from the edge of the roof. "I think he's not following us!"

"Good, but I don't think he's gonna give up that easily." Dipper said.

The group managed to get to Wendy's secret break spot by passing to the other side of the roof. They were panting from all the running and climbing.

"Now… we have to figure out how to give him this Smile Dip." Dipper said.

"I was thinking on combining it with the soda. But I don't know what's gonna be the result of mixing those two." Bloomscorch said.

"Let's hope it will be something powerful." Dipper opened his backpack and started to take out the Smile Dip.

"Soos might be immune to that soda, but I'm sure he has never faced Smile Dip." Mabel said.

"What was that you shot at him in the attic?" Dipper asked the monster while checking his gun.

He showed him a plastic bag. "It's called 'Sparks'. It's modified hard candy that breaks into pieces. It also can stun somebody for a while. This is my last offensive option, but luckily, we have a good amount of it."

"Then I guess this will be useful." He took two plastic things that looked like toys from his backpack. "Our Nyarf enhancement accessories for rapid fire happened to be here. Now we can turn our dart guns into machine guns. Plus, we still have some of Inca's Golden Bubbles Cola, and one last trapping gum." He said while placing the items on Wendy's sun chair.

"Well I had time to take this!" Mabel said and from nowhere took out more strange plastic toys.

Dipper dropped his jaw. "The Nyraf Portable Long Distance Rifle?! Why do you have this, Mabel?"

"Yeah I know." She said. "I wanted to bring my old reliable grappling hook, but in the middle of the chaos I didn't find it." Mabel spoke as she assembled the blue rifle. "Anyway, I ordered this baby before we left home. It turns out that they deliver also here in Gravity Falls. Man, you were going to be so doomed on our next match…. now, it's gonna be Soos the one who tastes it first."

"Okay… we need to have more communication, sis. First the Smile Dip, and now this." Dipper said.

They looked at all their guns and ammo. They had two water guns, two dart machine guns and one long distance rifle. They also had six bottles of soda, a big amount of Sparks, one piece of trapping gum, and like seven bags of Smile Dip. Finally, they had the Hypermints.

"Okay" Dipper said. "Let's load the water guns and everyone takes one extra bottle of soda. We divide the Smile Dip and the Sparks using the packages, also the mints.

Both Bloomscorch and Dipper took one water gun and one dart gun, while Mabel took her blue rifle.

"And Bloomscorch." Dipper called him. "Put this into your interdimentional pocket." He handed him the journal."

"Dipper, what are you doing?" Mabel asked.

"I don't know what Soos found here, but he needs it for his plan. Even if he captures us, we still have a chance if the book is safe. You can send it far away right?"

"Yes, of course" The monster said.

"Are you sure, Dip?"

"It's the best we can do, Mabel. Besides, we already have everything we need." He turned to Bloomscorch. "Go ahead."

Bloomscorch nodded and took the book to his right side, where it disappeared as if it had entered his body.

"Well guys, this is it. The final confrontation." Dipper said. "I guess we'll go back to the gift shop, and then… the museum."

He took out his video camera and saw that the batteries had run out. He searched on his pocket and found only two replacements. "Last charge for you." He changed the batteries and turned the device on.

"Dipper, are you really gonna keep doing that?" Mabel asked him.

"Mabel, have you forgotten it? We're doing it for science. And also, it's what Grunkle Stan would've wanted."

They heard a loud noise coming from the other side of the roof. They all ducked and looked on that direction

"I think we don't need to get down there." Mabel said.

"This is not exactly the best spot to ambush him! And we need to find Stan!" Dipper told her.

He pointed the camera to himself. "Hello! As you can see, we're on the roof. Now it's about 2:40 in the morning. Our first plan failed, and Soos has taken Stan prisoner again, but we are well armed, and thanks to Mabel's secret nightlife, we have the ultimate weapon." More crashing sounds could be heard and they saw how the highest part of the roof trembled with each one of them. Some tiles were falling down. Dipper pointed the camera to the roof, his team, and him. "I hope we survive to watch this with you guys! Welcome to the last stand of… "

The sound stopped and silence surrounded them. But only for a few seconds before the roof behind them was destroyed by Soos, who emerged floating in the air. They were caught so off guard that they could only stare in astonishment.

"Oh sweet! I knew you'd be up here."

Soon, the surface they were standing on started to tremble and noises came from it.

"Dipper!" Mabel yelled.

"Oh my God guys!… t-the last stand of The Mystery Shack's Night After… "

"Oh forget that! Just run!"

Mabel dragged him and they jumped just when Wendy's spot collapsed. Soos laughed, still suspended in the air. They climbed to the top of the roof.

"Let's go back to the attic!" Mabel said.

They moved to the edge of the roof to enter by the window, but Soos appeared in front of them. "Wrong way, dudes! Hahahahahaha!"

They quickly moved back and descended to the gift shop's roof. They opened the door and jumped.

Dipper stood up, not caring about the pain from the fall. "So, he's guiding us to the museum. Well, let's just get this thing over." He held his dart gun tightly.

"Dipper! Waddles is still down there!" Mabel said pointing to the rug.

"I told you he'd be safe there!"

Mabel was thinking on opening the door, but then, they heard a yell.

"Kids! Is that you?"

"Grunkle Stan!" The twins said. The three of them ran through the curtained doorway and finally entered the museum.