"She's got lions in her heart; a fire in her soul.
He's a got a beast in his belly that's so hard to control.
'Cause they've taken too much hits, taking blow by blow.
Now, light a match, stand back, watch them explode."

"Superheroes," by The Script

Chapter 11 – No More Heroes

Dipper threw open the door leading to the family entrance of the Mystery Shack, "Well, here we are: home sweet home!"

He helped the kind-hearted doctor inside of the doorway. The elder looked around the rustic cabin, and let out a quiet sigh, "Yes…it's quite…quaint."

The boy grew embarrassed as he limped with his guest into the living room, "I'm sorry. I know it's nothing fancy. Heck, it's barely considered legal…"

The doctor held up his hand, "No, no, my boy. It actually reminds of my lab. It's roughly the same size as this place. Kind of cozy in nature…"

The azure armored lad gently set the worn-out professor into his great-uncle's favorite recliner. As the old man started to relax in the cushioned seat, Dipper left his side and headed towards the Gift Shop.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Dipper explained as he held the swinging door open, "I'm going to check a few things out – find out what happened to my family…"

The doctor nodded in understanding as the thirteen-year-old stepped into the shop. A wave of relief overcame him as he immediately spotted his twin sister, their loyal handyman friend, and his "grunkle" amongst the countless articles of souvenirs and keepsakes.

"Guys!" he exclaimed. "Thank heavens you're all okay!" He pointed over his shoulder, "Listen, we got to get outta here! The world's gone crazy, and –"

Dipper stopped in the middle of his sentence as he noticed something was terribly wrong with the scene before his eyes. Despite his frantic nature, all three of his relatives simply remained entirely motionless. Their eyes simply stared out into the distance, never focused on the nerve-wrecked hero in front of them nor taking the time to blink periodically.

Troubled by the strange atmosphere all around him, Dipper took a precautious step towards his sibling standing alongside a row of Mr. Mystery bobbleheads. "Hey there, Mabel…" he called out, waving his blue-gloved hand lightly in front of her face in an effort to gain her attention, "Is everything ok?"

A voice played through her forever-grinning metal-smile, "Well, hello there, handsome! My name's Mabel, but you can call me "all yours!""

Dipper's mouth dropped at the suggestive response as a feeling of nausea flowed through his stomach. "Mabel…" he laughed off the extreme awkwardness, "What are you – what are you doing?"

Once again, the pixie repeated her overly uncomfortable message, as if it was on an automatic transmitter, "Well, hello there, handsome! My name's Mabel, but you can call me "all yours!""

Fed up, Dipper reached out for her shoulder, "Stop it, Mabel! You don't know what you're saying…"

To his horror, his metal hand went right through her body! Instead of feeling flesh, bone, and a fluffy pink sweater, Dipper's fingers fell through was appeared to be a complicated structure of multi-colored pixels, smearing the vibrant display as they went. A loud static noise filled the air, prompting Dipper to cover his ears. A split second later, the dead silence returned as the paralyzed image went back to normal.

"What the heck - ?"

Hoping to gain a better perspective on Mabel's condition, he walked to his twin's side, only to gasp aloud in dismay; her profile had disappeared entirely! It was like she had vanished from the face of the earth!

Dipper jumped back around to the other side of the display case. Mabel suddenly came back into sight as he could make out her brown haired and sweater covered backside. Confused by this, the inquisitive boy hopped back and forth, foot to foot, as he watched his sister fade back and forth out of reality.

The young detective swung back around to Mabel's front as he tried to figure out what was happening. Her troubling message repeated a third time, mocking him, "Well, hello there, handsome! My name's Mabel, but you can call me "all yours!""

He rubbed his fingers against his chin, "It's so weird. It's like she's missing her third-dimension…" Dipper further studied Mabel's condition. "Why can I only see her in 2D? It almost makes me think of the way a video game character is displayed – "

The teen stopped in mid-sentence as he came to a realization. "Like a video game character…" He rushed towards Soos, who was placed leaning up against an entire circular rack of Mystery Shack shirts, including the same muddy green question marked one he regular sported. His mouth was left open in a friendly smile, showing off his parted, chipped front teeth. His muscular arm was forever raised in a gentle wave.

As Dipper looked over the man-child, he noted that his rather-plump friend was near invisible from the sides as well. In curiosity, he poked the giant's stomach with a single finger, only to watch the spot swirl in a blur of pixels. A brief line stemmed from his gaping mouth, "I am Soos…"

"What?" Dipper asked aloud. "Is that the only thing you can say?"

Again, the frozen adult muttered his simple message, "I am Soos…"

Left disappointed, Dipper turned around to see his Grunkle Stan slanting over the counter of the Gift Shop's register. The old coot's eyes were narrowed as he extended an arm out pass the wooden paneling, his oversized jaw stretched open as if he was in the middle of a shouting match.

"Buy something or get out!"

The child shook his head, "Why am I not surprised?" In spite of the irony presented before him, Dipper started to panic about the semi-lifeless states that his loved ones had partaken.

"What could have done this to them?" he asked aloud. "Is this why there wasn't anyone left in town? Were they all transformed like this?" As Dipper pondered the situation further, he was reminded of the threat Rumble McSkirmish made when he abducted Wendy from the Gravity Falls Arcade:

"We will take great pleasure in draining her life essence and making her part of our world, forever!"

"Is that what happened?" Dipper thought of all the monsters and villains he encountered since his capture and separation from his crush, "Gravity Falls is running amok with these things from the Arcade and yet, no other "real" person seems to be truly alive." He turned back towards his twin with a sympathetic look in his brown eyes, "It's like everyone traded places in reality with each other…"

A shudder traveled down Dipper's spine as his thoughts went back to his favorite ginger, imaging her terrible fate if the renegade world warrior had reached her before he had.

Suddenly, the swinging door in front of him shot open! Dipper raised his arm cannon in defense, ready to blast the ever-looming threat barging in from the other side. The doctor called out, shuffling slowly towards his newest protégé, "Is everything alright, son? I heard shouting from the next room…?"

Relieved, Dipper lowered his gun. "No, it's not…" He highlighted the unusual sights before him with his left arm, "I found my family, but something's wrong. They're alive, but not really alive, if that makes any sense…"

"Hmm…" The professor headed towards Soos. He checked for a pulse, noting the strange reaction when he made contact with the handyman's body. "Interesting…" He took a few steps back towards Dipper. "I can see what you mean. Their vitals are still relatively healthy, and yet…" The elder prodded at Soos's green shirt until the static noise returned, "…they seem to be in some sort of extraordinary digital fluctuation."

"If anything," Dipper added, "It's like they're become NPCs!"

"Beg pardon?"

"Oh," he rubbed the back of his shiny blue helmet shamefully, "NPC stands for Non-Playable Character. In a video game, they are the background characters that simply sit them and repeat the same mindless babble over and over again…"

It was then that Dipper realized that his new ally didn't have the whole story behind the madness occurring in the small mountain town.

"On second thought, Doc." Dipper placed a hand on the man's lab-coat covered shoulder, "I think it's time I fill you on what exactly happening out there…"

"So, I see…"

The doctor took another sip of tea as Dipper concluded his story, "Yeah, so after that huge purple pterodactyl dropped me, I crash landed against the tree tops, and when I awoke, that's when I bumped into you…"

He placed his glass against a TV-tray to the side of Stan's recliner, "You say that all of these things are fictional characters from everyday electronic-based entertainment devices?"

Dipper nodded in response, "Yes, sir."

"Truly fascinating…" The scientist heaved himself back into Stan's chair, "And this wasn't the first time something like this has happened? You and your sister were transported to a game world, as well as this "Rumble" character had previously kidnapped your girlfriend. Am I correct?"

"She's not really my girlfriend," Dipper corrected with an uneasy chuckle attached at the end, "But yeah, you get the idea. However, it has never gotten this bad before. After Wendy and I returned home from the last time, my sister destroyed Rumble's "Fight Fighters" arcade machine, preventing him from breaking through to reality ever again!"

"Still…" The doctor massaged his beard as he continued to theorize, "The obvious answer is right in front of us. The first time you encountered these creatures was in the local arcade. You were also attacked several times in the same place. Therefore, if I was to take an educated guess, I would say that there is where all of these invaders are coming from."

"Speaking of," Dipper asked, "How exactly did you get here, Doc?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders, "I'm not exactly sure. One minute, I was working on a new adaptor for my boy, and the next, a bright white light flashed in front of my eyes. I wasn't sure if it was a spark or explosion or so-what. When I came to, I found myself in those woods just outside of town. It was only a few moments later that I ran into the Second Numbers."

The doctor stopped for a second, "It's funny; now that I think about it, I would say it was almost like they knew I was coming. At first, I thought it was one of his nefarious plots, but after everything I have seen so far, this is most definitely far beyond his capabilities."

Dipper pulled up one of the folding chairs from Stan's poker table and removed his helmet to make himself more comfy. Beads of sweat raced down his face as he set his headgear on the shag carpet. "So, none of this stuff seems strange to you? Video game characters coming to life?" The boy rarely encountered an adult that accepted the bizarre hidden world within Gravity Falls.

"Not at all." The elder took another sip of his hot beverage. "You'd be surprised by all of the oddities I have encountered back home."

"Even…" Dipper hesitated, feeling somewhat guilty by asking the question, "Even if you're one of them…?"

The man lowered his cup, "I believe in what is called a multiverse theory, Dipper. One person's imagination can easily be another's reality. The possibilities are infinite! Why, I could be a fictional person in this world, and just as easily, you could be a…a television character in mine!"

While Dipper was glad he didn't hurt his comrade's feelings, a shiver raced down his back at the thought of millions of people watching his embarrassing and humiliating ventures on a weekly basis.

"You talk a lot about your son…" He broke eye-contact, "If you don't mind me asking, who is he?"

The doctor smiled widely, placing a warming hand on Dipper's armored shoulder, "Why, he is just like you: a little boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is someone that wanted nothing more than to explore life, learn its secrets, and play as hard as he could…"

He lowered his head, "But that was until the calamity happened. A jealous partner of mine triggered a great catastrophe, plunging my world in a state of chaos. With no one else able to stop it, my boy stepped up and volunteered himself, just as you have this day. Despite my objections, he pledged to do whatever he could to bring about peace."

Dipper tapped his buster with affection, "Well, yeah, with this baby, I bet he could do pretty much whatever he wanted…"

"On the contrary!" the senior raised a finger in protest, "His greatest weapon was none other than his heart."

"His heart?"

"All great heroes are led through what lies in their heart. It is this that separates him from…others of his kind. In fact, he hopes for the day that he'll never have to put that blasted suit again." He lowered his head, "It's unfair to ask someone so young to carry this tremendous responsibility. It wasn't right then, and it's not right now!"

Dipper hung on his every word as the professor pressed on, "This is what I was trying to explain to you back in town. It's extremely easy to lose yourself with all of this power available at your fingertips. You can grow cocky and careless. However, only someone with a good heart can use it to benefit not only themselves, but all those around them." He looked up to meet the touched teenager eye to eye. "So, what says you, Dipper? Do you think you can be that kind of person?"

"I…" Dipper nervously stammered, "I can try…"

"That's great to hear, my lad! I know you can!"

"Was he - I mean, is he human?"

The man stared in the distance with a twinkle in his eye, "As human as you or I could ever hope to be..."

Dipper moved towards the edge of the chair, "I know the Arcade is probably the best place to start with, but what about Wendy? She's still out there somewhere…"

The doctor sympathized with him, "I know how much you miss and worry for your lady friend, but remember, you and her are not the only ones in peril! This evil force seems to be growing at an alarming rate. In time, your whole planet could be at risk! If you were to concentrate your efforts on her alone, there may not be a world to come back home to!"

"Oh…"

"Don't worry." He placed a hand over the boy's gloved one, "Based on your stories, it sounds like this young lady is more than able to fend for herself. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if you two were to come across each other in your journey. And then, when all is well, you'll find a way to make things right."

"You really think so?!" Dipper stood up and pushed his chair back. "Thank you again for all of your help and advice."

"Thank you, Dipper. I'm afraid I'm not one for the battlefield…"

"No biggie! You're more than welcome to rest here until I get back."

"One last thing…" the old-timer reached over to the side of the recliner. He picked up a thermos container from a row set aside, and handed it to Dipper. "I whipped this up while making myself some tea. It may not be perfect, but I believe it'll do the trick."

Dipper examined the capsule from every angle, "What is it?"

"A mixture of various things I found in the kitchen, but mostly based from highly-caffeinated soft drinks. Luckily, the two compounds share a lot of the same chemistry. Have some; I believe you'll find the taste to be quite pleasant."

The boy twisted his face as he twisted the lip off the sipper. Bravely, he tilted his head back and took a quick taste, only for the drop to turn into gulps. He glanced up, "It's…good! It tastes a lot like Pinnacle Rainfall!"

"I'm glad you like it!" The doctor took a hold of the remaining two canisters. "In my world, the substance is what I called an Energy Tank or E-Tank for short. Sometimes, the solar energy from the sun isn't enough to refresh your power levels. This is where an E-Tank can become handy…"

All of a sudden, Dipper felt better on the inside and out. The armor felt less taxing against his small body. The dings, scrapes, and bruises he occurred from the Robot Masters seemed to vanish without a trace.

He finished his drink as the professor gave him the two thermoses. "Take these two with you. I apologize, but I only had enough materials to make three of them. The armor will store them away until you need them."

The bottles started to glow as the suit automatically absorbed them into his palms. As Dipper started towards the family room exit, he stopped in mid-step. "The helmet - I almost forgot!"

"Wait!" the professor held up his arm, "Think about it; picture the helmet back on your head…"

The thirteen-year-old stared at the blue headgear, focusing his energy on the single object. As if by magic, it disappeared from the floor in a pixelated flash, only to reappear wrapped around the back of his head.

"Oh, neat!" Dipper tapped the top of the helmet to confirm it was really there. He opened the door and waved, "Thanks again!"

"Good luck, my boy! Remember, lead your way to victory through your heart!"

"Okay, so this wasn't my best idea ever!"

Dipper spun around in endless circles, his arm cannon releasing blast after powerful blast at the hordes of zombies that surrounded him. Chunks of greenish-red goo flew from the scene at an alarming rate before returning to tiny blocks of pixels as they hit the ground.

Trying to come up with some form of strategy, the armored hero figured that the best course of action would be to avoid taking Main Street in avoid to reach the Arcade. Instead, he opted to follow the scenic route, going through the forest from the Mystery Shack to the Cemetery.

Unfortunately, about halfway pass the various tombstones and monuments that blocked his path, Dipper could make out the haunting moans from across the field.

"Oh, no way…"

An army of the undead appeared from every possible direction. With mangled limbs stretched outwards, they marched in near-synchronization towards their latest prey.

Dipper's eyes zoomed down to the splattered mess as he persisted in his fight, "More pixels?" The monsters reminded him of the Jellymen that attacked Wendy and him while trapped in the Slaughterhouse digital world. However, these zombies were less solid in form, appearing to have dripping flesh, similar to that of a runny-egg.

As soon he finished off the last of the fiends, a horrendous cry filled the calmed air:

"HOO!"

Dipper raised his sights to the sky as green and purple demons pounced right in front of him. Standing nearly eight-feet-tall, the beasts rose up on their hind legs and roared at him. They lunged forward with their cylinder-shaped skulls in an attempt to bite him with their unhinged spike-like teeth.

He went to dodge out of the way, only to discover that something held his legs down. Dipper gazed downwards to see that a group of sickly-orange severed hands wrapped themselves around his oversized boots, preventing him from fleeing.

*SCREECH! SCREECH!*

As Dipper struggled to free himself, one of the green behemoths sprang at him, scraping its razor-sharpened claws against his titanium chest plate, creating a series of scratch marks going downwards. In reflex, Dipper launched a blue fist against the demon's face, sending it flying into the distance in an carroty, gooey mess.

"If it wasn't for the armor, that thing would have yanked my insides out…"

Seeing that he was totally overwhelmed, the boy decided to switch weapons:

"BUSTER CHANGE – ATOMIC FIRE!"

His body temperature instantly changed as the heat within him started to build up. The hands gripping him yelped and cried out (despite being without mouths) before melting away into red, blocky puddles. Dipper could feel the pressure form at the end of his arm cannon. Without a second thought, he pointed it at the group of bulbous-headed imps.

"TAKE THIS!"

A literal wave of fire flowed from Dipper's buster. All of the monsters instantly turned to ash; their screams of "HOO! HOO! HOO!" were shortly muted by the deafening roar of the flamethrower.

Within seconds, Dipper was once more, all alone in the Cemetery. The only signs that a battle had taken place were a few scorched marks found in the green earth. His ears twitched as a small rustling sound came from behind. He spun around and pointed his ever-ready gun straight at his newest target.

Dipper's brown eyes widened as he found himself face-to-face with the gothic bully, Robbie V. Trapped in a two-dimensional state, his nemesis loomed over his tiny statute with an angered look spread across his pock-filled face. He pointed down and out in an accusing fashion with his hands wrapped in finger-less gloves, almost like he knew exactly who he was talking to. As for the case with everyone at the Mystery Shack, a repeated message played through his open mouth:

"What are you looking at, nerd?"

Dipper's breathing hastened as he maintained his aim at the helpless goth. "If there were any justice in the world, I would be able to blast you to smithereens, too! This whole mess; with the villains, with Wendy, could have been prevented if it wasn't for you…"

With his anger getting the best of him, the words of the good-natured doctor came to mind. He had been given a remarkable gift in order to try to make things right with the world, and the last thing that he needed to do was abuse his power by settling petty vendettas.

The youngster turned away from Robbie, deciding to be content with him not getting away scot-free for his crimes. As Dipper started to walk away, a taunting voice called out to him from the distance:

"WELL, WELL…NOT SURPRISING THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THE STONES TO FINISH THE JOB…"

"What?" The familiar, devilish tone made Dipper freeze in his tracks. He looked to the sky to see a glowing white object hovering towards him.

"THEN, AGAIN…" the crossed Kabuki-Hockey Mask suggested, "IT IS LIKE YOU TO SHIFT ALL OF THE BLAME FOR YOUR PROBLEMS TO SOMEONE ELSE…"

Dipper's lower lip trembled as the sentient Slaughterhouse mask came into view. Seeing the spooked expression on the child's face, the ancient relic laughed, "WHAT?! IS THAT ANY WAY TO SAY HELLO? I SAVE THE BUTTS OF YOU AND THAT HOT REDHEAD CHICK AND THIS IS THE TREATMENT I GET IN RETURN? REMIND ME NEVER TO DO YOU ANY MORE FAVORS… "

"What – " Dipper spluttered, "What in the heck are you doing here? " He instantly jumped to the worse conclusion, "Did you summon all of those undead monsters?"

" AND THERE YOU GO AGAIN; IT'S NEVER YOUR FAULT, IS IT, KID?! IF ANYTHING, I SHOULD THANK YOU FOR MY NEW FOUND FREEDOM!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?!" he screamed to the heavens. "I haven't set foot in that Arcade since the last time Rumble broke out from the machine! What exactly did I do?!"

"OH, YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW, DO YOU?" The mask lowered itself to meet him at eye level, "AND YOU'LL LOVE THIS, 'CAUSE YOU GET ONLY HALF OF THE BLAME. LET ME SET UP THE SCENARIO; DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU ESCAPED FROM THE DIGITAL WORLD THE FIRST TIME?"

"Well, yeah…" Dipper shifted his shoulders, "Wendy and I defeated that "evil king" guy, and were given a wish to share. We wished that we could go back home together…"

"AND THAT WAS SO HEARTWARMING. IF ONLY YOU WERE MORE SPECIFIC IN WISH-MAKING, YOU TWO WOULD STILL BE EVER-SO-CLOSE –"

"Look," Dipper butted in, "Are you going somewhere with this? I kinda have to be going …"

"MY POINT IS THAT, YEAH, YOU TWO LOVEBIRDS OPENED THE WAY BACK HOME, BUT DID YOU EVER ONCE THINK TO CLOSE THE PASSAGE BEHIND YOU?"

A sickening feeling grew in Dipper's stomach as he contemplated the mask's idea. "But, wait a sec! Mabel fried the Fight Fighters machine. Shouldn't that have severed the link between universes?"

"YES…AND NO. LOOK TO YOUR LEFT…"

A viewing window appeared in the middle of the atmosphere. Dipper peered inside to see a lingering flashback that frequently played out in his nightmares. There he was, in the Gravity Falls Arcade, standing before Rumble McSkirmish within his game machine as the imagery of Wendy Corduroy pounding with her fists, crying out for her freedom was shown on the screen of every other video monitor.

"DOES THIS LOOK FAMILIAR?"

Dipper crossed his arms and turned away in shame, "You know it does…but are you trying to say?"

"I'M SAYING THAT WHILE METAL-MOUTH DID DESTROY THE MACHINE RUMBLE USED TO ESCAPE, WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THOSE OTHER SCREENS WHERE PRECIOUS WENDY WAS BEGGING YOU TO COME TO THE RESCUE?! A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME IF YOU ASK ME…"

"That's not funny!" He pointed his buster towards the supernatural piece, "You weren't – " Dipper stopped in place, his anger fading away as he realized the mask's suggestion, "They're all gateways, aren't they? We blew up one of them, but the other games; they're all gateways between worlds!"

"HE CAN BE TAUGHT!" the mask poked fun, "AS TIME PASSED, A DIGITAL CURRENT STARTED TO MAKE ITS WAY INTO YOUR REALITY. THE EMPEROR OF DARKNESS STARTED TO BUILD HIS POWER ON EARTH, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT!"

"But why us?!" Dipper asked. "That purple guy has it out for both of us, but why? What did we do to tick him off?"

"THAT'S THE THING, DIPPER, MY BOY! FOR ONCE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY INNOCENT!" The creepy heirloom rose up, "TELL ME, DO YOU THINK THAT YOU AND DARLING WENDY WERE THE FIRST KIDS TO BE TAKEN INTO THE DIGITAL WORLD?"

Dipper was left dumbfounded by the question; it had never crossed his mind before being mentioned at this moment.

"NO WITTY COMEBACK FROM MR. KNOW-IT-ALL? I'M IMPRESSED. ANYWAYS, THE WAY IT WORKS IS YES, THE CITIZENS OF OUR UNIVERSE UNDERSTAND IT IS THEIR ROLES TO BE USED FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF THE FLESHY HUMANS. BUT WHEN YOU COME INTO OUR TERRORITY, THE RULES CHANGE, AND YOU ARE THE ONES NARROWLY SURVIVING PERILS SET AT EVERY TURN."

The mask's empty eyes shone a blood red, "AND WHILE YOU AND WENDY WEREN'T THE FIRST TO BE SUCKED INSIDE, YOU WERE THE FIRST TO ESCAPE. THINK ABOUT IT, BRAT; TWO LITTLE PUNKS INVADE YOUR TURF AND ASSASSINATE ONE OF YOUR GREAT LEADERS – "

"But he was evil!"

"HE WAS A LEADER TO MANY, NONETHELESS. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? TO THE VILLAINS OF THE GAMING UNIVERSE, YOU GUYS BASICALLY SPAT IN THEIR FACES BEFORE HOPPING THROUGH A PORTAL HOME WHILE FLIPPING THE BIRD."

"So, wait?" Dipper stopped the heirloom again, "You're telling me that this is all about revenge? Not just towards Wendy and me, but in contempt for humanity as a whole?"

"YOU GOT IT!"

Dipper rubbed the back of his head in amazement, "That's incredible…in a scary way!"

"THAT'S NOT ALL! TELL ME, NOT COUNTING THE OL' DOC YOU HAVE STASHED AWAY, NOTICE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THESE INVADERS?"

The adolescent returned a blank stare, prompting the mask to give further details, "OH, YOU KNOW. KILLER ROBOTS AND DOG-FACED GOBLINS? LIZARDMEN AND DEADLY NINJAS? ANYTHING RING A BELL?"

"Well…"

"THEY'RE ALL BAD GUYS, GENIUS! YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THEM SWITCHING PLACES IN REALITY, BUT ONLY THE VILLAINS ARE COMING THROUGH! ALL THE HEROES OF THE GAMING UNIVERSE ARE LEFT BEHIND!"

"What?!"

"AS OF THIS MOMENT, YOU ARE THE ONLY GAME-BASED HERO STANDING IN THIS GUY'S WAY!" The eyes curved slightly, "WELL, YOU AND…BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW…"

"Hold on!" Dipper ordered, raising an eyebrow, "Who are you talking about?" The mask remained silent. "Are you talking about Wendy?! Do you know if she's alright? Or where she is?"

"BUT WHERE'S THE FUN IN JUST GIVING YOU ALL OF THE ANSWERS?"

"Grr…" Dipper decided to try a different approach to get his question answered, "Fine, then! Some all-powerful evil relic; I'll bet you couldn't tell me about Wendy even if you wanted to…"

"NICE TRY, KID, BUT SAVE YOUR REVERSE-PSYCHOLOGY FOR SOME OTHER SAP. NO, IF YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT HER, PERHAPS WE CAN WORK OUT SOME SORT OF DEAL…"

Dipper was growing wary based upon the sing-song tone being used, "And what would that be?"

The mask loomed closer, "PUT ME ON AGAIN! C'MON! IT'LL BE FUN, LIKE THE GOOD OL' DAYS! WE'LL HAVE A TON OF ADVENTURES, BREAKING BONES AND PUTTING SOME SERIOUS HURT ON THE THINGS STALKING THE STREETS. IT'LL BE MESSY, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU IT'S A LOT BETTER THAN THAT TIN-CAN YOU'RE WEARING RIGHT NOW!"

Without saying another word, Dipper charged a blaster shot and aimed it squarely at the tempting mask. He remembered from their last encounter how strong and free that the artifact made him feel, and yet, he also recall how it encouraged him to be more violent, allowing him to blindly give into his rage without any form of self-control. Too many people were counting on him than to dash it all by giving in to the tom-foolery at hand. At least while wearing the blue armor, Dipper was truly himself.

"OKAY! OKAY!" it floated into the sky. "DON'T SAY I DIDN'T TRY TO HELP YOU…" Disgusted, Dipper turned away as the mask called out one last time, "YEAH, JUST WALK AWAY WITH YOUR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT JUST YOU REMEMBER ONE THING, PAL: YOU'RE HERE WITH US IN A WORLD SUPPOSEDLY MADE UP OF ONLY BAD GUYS, SO WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT WHO YOU REALLY ARE?"

Stunned by his response, Dipper looked over his shoulder, only to discover that the mask had vanished as easily as it appeared. With its vicious words poking at the back of his mind, he paced himself as he continued towards his next destination…