Yes I know it's been over five months and my only excuse is that a lot of personal stuff happened in 2020. Good riddance to that and happy new year (yes I know it's a bit late).
Nothing is better than kicking back and watching some quality television after a long day of work, and If you couldn't already tell, that's what was happening right now. Soos, Dipper, Mabel and I were all seated in the den, excitedly waiting for the next program to start. "The tiger was badly injured in the explosion," A voice from the T.V. narrated dramatically, "but we repaired him… With a fist!" The screen showed a normal looking tiger suddenly flexing a very human arm coming from its upper body. The striped predator looked at it, almost smiling. The four of us cheered as big text appeared on the screen, reading 'Tiger Fist.'
"That tiger is a hero!" Dipper exclaimed happily while Mabel punched the air out of excitement. The screen showed the tiger once more, admiring his new appendage. Suddenly his new human arm punched him in the face, prompting more text to appear on the screen. "Tiger Fist!" The narrator continued, not losing an ounce of his dramatic voice. "Will return after these messages." A comercial soon followed the epic voice and I frowned, for two reasons. One, because of course an ad had to come up just as the show was about to start, and two, I knew what this specific ad was.
"Hey look," Soos exclaimed, pointing with his big hand at the television, "it's the commercial I was telling you guys about."
"Are you completely miserable?" Bud Gleeful's voice asked over a picture of a beautiful sunrise peeking over a pair of snow capped mountains.
"Yes!" A sobbing man replied with heavy tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Then you need to meet," Bud continued, "Gideon…" A second whispering voice uttered the name making a chill go down my spine.
"Gideon?" Dipper asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What makes him so special?" Mabel said, building off of her brother's statement.
"He's a psychic." Bud's voice ominously replied.
"A-roo?"
"So don't waste your time with other so-called men of mystery," Bud's voice continued as the scene changed to a horrifying video of Stan exiting an outhouse with toilet paper on his foot. "Learn about tomorrow tonight at Gideon's Tent of Telepathy!" Bud concluded triumphantly over a picture of his son's tourist trap.
"Wow!" Mabel gasped, kicking her legs furiously. "I'm getting all curious-y inside!"
"Well, don't get too curious-y!" Stan demanded, walking in from his last tour of the day. "Ever since that monster Gideon rolled into town, I've had nothing but trouble." He stated, hanging up his suit jacket.
"Well, is he really psychic?" Mabel asked, jumping off the arm of the couch with a great big smile on her face.
"I think we should go and find out." Dipper commented.
"Never!" Stan yelled. "You are forbidden from patronizing the competition!"
"Well…" I started, standing up and crossing my arms. "Me and Soos have been there before." Stan's jaw fell slack. "Granted, we were there for like two minutes, putting up flyers for the reopening of the wax figure exhibit." Stan's jaw closed and showed a devious smile.
"Hey-hey! Good job kiddo!" He praised me with a pat on the back. "You put them somewhere important right?"
"Right over their show schedule and at the entrance of the tent." I replied and Stan gave me a high five.
"Nice, kid!" He said light heartedly just before his tone turned a bit more serious. "But, no one that lives under my roof is allowed under that Gideon's roof! Unless of course you go for some vandalism." He added that last part with a smile on his face. "But other than that, I forbid you from going!" Stan walked out of the room and Dipper turned to his sister.
"Do tents have roofs?" He asked with a smile, making his sister's face light up.
"I think we just found our loophole…" She exclaimed, pulling out a piece of looped string from her sweater pocket. "Literally! Mwop-Mwop!" She tilted her head from side to side with a goofy smile after each 'Mwop.'
"I guess we're going to see this little monster." I said with an outward appearance of excitement, but with an inward expression of slight worry. This was Gideon Gleeful after all. I could tell the other day I made him upset, or even worse: curious.
"What are we waiting for, dudes?" Soos asked with his arms spread in the air. "Like seriously, we're just standing here, are we actually waiting for something?"
"Not anymore!" Mabel yelled as she bolted out the back door.
"Right behind ya, Hambone!" Soos called after breaking out into his own sprint. Dipper and I glanced at one another and back to the door that just slammed shut leading outside.
"We should go catch up with them before they forget about us." Dipper said responsibly, prompting me to shake my head slightly with a smile.
"Nah, there's no rush." I replied and Dipper raised an eyebrow as we walked to the door. "Soos more than likely left his keys in the gift shop again." We opened the door just in time to see Soos' pickup truck race past us and out of the parking lot.
"You sure about that?" Dipper asked with a smug look, clearly enjoying my shocked face. My gaze flew over to him with a small scowl.
Fortunately, it only took a few minutes for Mabel and Soos to realize that we were gone. According to Mabel, Soos somehow didn't know where the tent was and needed directions. So, he turned to where he thought I would be and realized I wasn't there. Initially it scared him, thinking that I had jumped out of the moving vehicle, but he quickly remembered that we were never in the truck to begin with.
"I genuinely can't believe that you forgot us." I said, now sitting in the front seat of the pickup.
"Heheh, sorry, dude." Soos replied with a small chuckle, looking both ways once we reached the end of the path leading to the main road. "So, which way am I turning?" He asked with a small smile.
"Soos, we were there like three days ago." I replied. Part of me expected Soos to remember after I said this but the majority of me remembered who I was talking to. "Take a right and it should be a mile or so on our left." I said with a small sigh.
"Thanks, dawg!" Soos announced, turning his blinker on.
Not even two minutes later we arrived and stepped out of the truck. Just being in the presence of the star above the tent made me feel cold in the humid evening air. "This place looks amazing!" Mabel declared as we approached the tent's brightly lit entrance. Bud Gleeful stood beside the entrance collecting money for peoples entry.
"Step right up there, folks!" He exclaimed. "Put your money in Gideon's Psychic Sack!" A group of idiotic tourists ahead of us gladly complied, making me roll my eyes. I pulled out a one dollar bill and set it in the cheaply made bag that really did deserve to be called a sack. Almost instantly, Bud stopped me. "Now young man, I think you could spare a little more than that." Bud speculated with a fake, plastered smile.
I crossed my arms and gave a quick glance around my surroundings. "I don't see anything about an admission price." I replied with a fake smile of my own. I expected Bud to be more pushy and upset, as his face had fallen, but I was wrong.
"Smart man." He replied, his face returning to it's once overly friendly state. He gave me a slight push forward, ushering me inside. The twins and Soos followed close behind after they paid their entrance fee. Multiple rows of low quality benches were set before a stage with a piano and a speaker on it.
"Whoa, this is like a bizarro version of the Mystery Shack." Dipper suggested once the four of us sat down. "They even have their own Soos!" He added, pointing to a man with a name tag that read 'Deuce.' Soos glared at the other handyman with what can only be described as murderous intent as he chewed on a taco he had smuggled in.
"It's starting!" Mabel exclaimed as the lights began to dim down. "It's starting!" Grand music played and spotlights swept through the tent until they landed on the stage's curtains, illuminating a figure behind it.
"Let's see what this monster looks like." Dipper said with an arched eyebrow and crossed arms. The curtains rolled back as the figure walked closer. While the shadow from the lights made the person behind the curtain appear massive, the lights shined on Lil' Gideon. Emphasize on 'Lil.'
"Hello, America!" Gideon exclaimed with outstretched arms. "My name's Lil' Gideon!" He closed his eyes and clapped his hands, sending half a dozen doves out of his white hair.
Dipper leaned closer and squinted his eyes as if he were missing something. "That's Stan's mortal enemy?" He asked aloud to know one in particular.
"But he's so… Widdle." Mabel added with glee. I gave a glance at Soos, who was entranced at the sight before him before adding a comment of my own.
"He's not that impressive so far." I stated honestly. The other day, I didn't really get a good look at him. Sure we were locked in a stare, but I only was able to see his upper body… and not his short stubby legs.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is such a gift to have you here tonight!" He declared happily. "Such a gift." His smile disappeared and was replaced by a serious look. "I have a vision. I predict you'll soon say, 'Aw!'" The young con artist turned his back to the crowd and after a brief second turned back with a smile that entranced the crowd….well, most of the crowd. It really wasn't that adorable, but just like Gideon had predicted the crowd gave a hearty "Aw!" once they saw his face.
"It came true." Mabel gasped, holding a bag of popcorn I have no idea how she got.
"What?" Dipper replied unenthusiastically. "I'm not impressed."
"You're impressed." Mabel said, turning to her brother with a smile. I just leaned back in my seat, waiting for this nightmare to end.
"Hit it dad!" Gideon exclaimed. Bud soon began to play some upbeat tune on the piano while his son tossed his cape into the crowd. The article of clothing landed in a girl's hands in the row in front of us. In spectacular fashion, multiple other ladies, including a grandma, began to fight over the cape, which was the best part of the Tent of Telepathy so far.
"Oh, I can see what others can't see." Gideon sang from the stage. "It ain't some sideshow trick, it's an innate ability. Where others are blind, I am future-ly inclined and you too could see if you was 'Widdle Ol' me!" He then gave the most forced out laugh I have ever heard before stepping closer to his audience. He gripped his amulet and raised his free hand in the air. "Come on, everybody, rise up!" The crowd stood and despite my best efforts to stay put, the amulet's power set me on my feet as well. "I want y'all to keep it going!"
Dipper glanced down at his legs in astonishment. "How did he…?"
"Keep it going!" Gideon called from the stage. "You wish your son would call you more." He pointed to an old lady with a cat sitting in her lap.
"I'm leaving everything to my cats!" She yelled with a raised fist. The crowd, presumably getting pumped by Gideon's accurate prediction, began to clap to the beat of the music.
"I sense that you've been here before." Gideon sang, gesturing to Sheriff Blubs who was completely decked out in Gideon's merch.
"What gave it away?" Blubs pondered with a smile.
"Come on." Dipper said with a roll of his eyes, clearly growing bored.
"How much money did that even cost him?" I asked, giving a second glance at Blubs.
"I'll read your mind if I am able…" Gideon continued, stepping up to Mabel with a wink making me slightly gag. "Something tells me you're named Mabel."
Mabel gripped her cheek in admiration. "How'd he do that?!" She exclaimed, obliviously forgetting that her sweater spelled out her own name.
"So welcome all ye, to the Tent of Telepathy." Gideon continued after he rushed back to the
stage. "Thanks for visiting… 'Widdle Ol' me!" Fireworks then blasted from the floor and a neon sign reading 'Gideon' in all capital letters descended above the stage. The crowd was cheering like it was the best performance they had ever seen, even Mabel was loudly clapping her hands. "Thank you!" Gideon exclaimed after taking a swig from a bottle of water. "You people are the real miracles!" The crowd then began to file out of the tent, prompting me to raise an eyebrow.
"Is that seriously it?" I asked, genuinely surprised. I had thought that maybe most of Gideon's act was cut from the show due to time constraints on how long the episode could be, but nope! All there was to see was a ten year old singing a song that I guarantee he didn't even write himself.
"Man, that kid's an even bigger fraud than Stan!" Dipper exclaimed once we were outside. "No wonder our uncle's jealous!"
"Oh, come on, his dance moves were adorable." Mabel suggested. "And did you see his hair? It was like whoosh!" She threw her hands backwards behind her head with a look of amazement.
"You're too easily impressed."
"Yeah-yeah!" The twins began poking each other while laughing like small children and made their way back to Soos' pickup. I turned to look behind me to see Gideon watching us intently. Once our gazes met, I didn't know what to do, the kid could literally send me flying across the lot if he wanted to. I just gave a faint smile and a small wave, making him raise his eyebrows in what I could assume was surprise. I guess he was expecting me to be more hostile or something but It was my turn to be surprised when he smiled back at me and gave a wave of his own. It was hard to determine if his actions were genuine or not, so I just walked away from the situation and back to the truck.
The ride back was just like the ride there: short. While the driver and the two other passengers conversed upon their personal thoughts about the show, I dealt with my thoughts alone in my head. I knew Gideon was a bad lil' dude, emphasis on lil' once more, but the smile he gave me reminded me of something that I forgot about. I don't remember which episode it took part in, or rather which it was going to take part in, but there was a deleted scene of Gideon getting corrupted when he found the second journal or the amulet. While he may not look it, he was once an innocent little kid. Whether the deleted scene's contents carried over to this world or not is up for me to find out but it would be safe to assume that they had. This world was constructed by the thoughts of Alex Hirsh himself and the scene came from his own mind and was deleted due to time constraints, it would make sense for it to be canon. But how did Gideon get corrupted?
It was more than likely because of the book, but the journal didn't house any magical properties to my knowledge, however, the contents described within the journal's pages were certainly magical. Maybe that was too much for a young child to handle, terrifying him beyond comprehension. But instead of cowering, he acted. Gideon is a smart kid, that I'm sure of, so he must have done something about what he had learned. Maybe his initial intentions were noble, find the other journal (journals, but he didn't know that yet) and protect the town from any threat. Sadly though, any mind is susceptible to corruption, especially a young one. The young Gideon must have lost himself when he realized what he could do with his newfound power, turning it into a manipulative, money making scheme. It's a sad thought to be sure, but it could be the truth or of course, I could be completely wrong.
When I jerked forward in my seat, I was jerked from my thoughts as well. "Here's your stop, dudes." Soos called, glancing in the back seat at the twins with a smile.
"Bye, Soos!" The twins said simultaneously as they climbed out of the car. Soos was about to drive away, but he quickly noticed I was still in the front seat next to him.
"Uh, you okay, dude?" He asked with an arched eyebrow. I didn't answer him directly.
"Soos, serious theoretical question here." I said, making sure the twins were out of earshot.
"Hit me, dude!".
"Do you think that everyone is inherently good?" I inquired, facing the handyman.
"Oh, a philosophical serious theoretical question. I love these!" Soos replied with a smile. He placed a finger on his chin for a brief moment, putting together his response. "Yeah, I think I do, everyone has their innocence at some point."
"Okay," I began, "follow up question: would you try and save a potentially sadistic, egotistical creep from themself, knowing that they were once innocent just like you said?" I questioned, looking straight out the windshield now.
"Um," Soos nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "is this still a theoretical question?" I nodded, not making direct eye contact. "Oh, okay!" Soos replied, regaining his positive demioner once more. "Got a little specific there, dude," He added with a small chuckle. "Well yeah, I would probably try and-" Soos patted his tool belt- "fix them up! It would be hard, but I'd still try and help them, especially that completely theoretical guy you mentioned. Sounds like he would need it." He definitely does.
"Thanks, Soos." I replied, stepping out of the car. "I'll see you tomorrow." I offered him a fist bump which he gladly accepted.
"Boosh! See ya later, dude!" I shut the door and waved before turning and walking into the shack. Soos was right, about everything... as always. Gideon may be... unpleasant, but even then he's still a human being. He needed help, and whether he was going to allow me or not, I am going to try.
When I stepped inside the Shack, I heard a voice come from within the den. "I never learned anything while I was talking," the disembodied voice said, making my eyes widen. Without a second's hesitation, I sprinted up the stairs and barreled into the bedroom, startling the twins. Mabel was bouncing on her bed and due to my loud entrance she fell forward and onto the floor, landing on her face.
"He's back," I said, not leaving the door frame. Dipper, who was laying on his bed, rushed over to my side with a slightly terrified look.
"The Suspenders Man?" He asked, grabbing a bag that was set next to the door. I nodded and we both looked over to Mabel who groaned and set herself on her feet. "Mabel, are you coming?" Dipper asked his sister. "We can get him this time!"
"Ugh, I've been telling you guys to leave him alone." Mabel responded with a roll of her eyes. "What's he even going to do?" She threw her arms in the air. "He doesn't even have a body!"
"Maybe, but the guy freaks me out," I stated. "We need to try and get rid of him." I waited for Mabel to reply, but she didn't. It was safe to say that Mabel was completely done with dealing the wax disembodied head of Larry King. The past couple of nights, the three of us had heard heavy rumbling and creepy whispers coming from the vents throughout the Shack. Dipper had put it together relatively quickly, remembering now that we never melted wax Larry King, or as Dipper likes to call him, the Suspenders Man. I corrected him saying that his name was really Larry King, but Dipper would refuse to call him that, saying anyone, or anything for that matter, looking like that did not deserve to have a real name.
Mabel, Dipper and I stayed up until the a.m. these past few nights, trying to trap, capture and remove the wax monstrosity. Needless to say, we were unsuccessful in our efforts. Dipper kept putting together plans to catch the elusive wax head and after the fifth failed attempt, Mabel had given up. Mabel did bring up a good point though, he didn't have a body to harm us with, but the mere fact he was roaming around in the vents potentially listening and watching us constantly was enough for Dipper and I to stay focused on our mission.
"Suit yourself Mabel," Dipper said to his sister as we walked out of the room. The both of us crept quietly down the stairs and into the den and to our delight, well not really, we heard the head conversing with a presumed rat. With a shared look between us, we both unanimously bolted for cover at one end of the couch. Dipper fished a butterfly net out of his bag. We exchanged a nod and began crawling towards the vent that was hidden behind the other end of the couch. Dipper, standing on his knees now, lifted the net up and brought it to the vent. Luckily, Wax Larry King had the back of his head to us. Due to the small metal bars at the entrance of the vent, Dipper had to insert his net vertically, meaning he would have to twist his wrist to the left in order to ensnare the head instead of going right over its head. It looked like we were going to get him, after at least ten combined hours of trying, we were going to get him! Then the rat squeaked, because of course it did.
It wasn't a normal one, of course. It was a terrified squeak that was notable enough for Wax Larry King to turn around. Realizing that he was out of time, Dipper plunged the net further into the vent, so it was right next to the head's ear, and twisted his wrist quickly, trapping the head in the net. Sort of. Since Dipper was essentially pressed up against the wall and straining to reach the disembodied head, he wasn't at full strength.
"They took me out of Brooklyn, but they couldn't take Brooklyn out of me!" The head declared, making Dipper's face fall. The disembodied head of wax Larry King began thrashing violently in the net, fighting to break free. My hands and arms were too big to fit into the vent due to the bars being in the way, I could only watch as Dipper's grip loosened on the handle, allowing it to fall out of his hands. The head quickly retreated further into the ventilation shaft with the net still encasing it. Without a second's hesitation, Dipper brought both hands to the vent's frame and pulled the cover off and began to climb inside.
"Woah, slow down!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "You can't go in after him!" With his free hand, Dipper reached into his backpack and pulled out a flashlight. Once he had the item firmly in his grasp he turned to me..
"If we let him go, he'll just keep freaking us out!" He complained, breaking free of my grip. "Besides it's only a matter of time until he finds his way up to our bedroom!" We had both agreed on the first night not to go into the shaft to chase the head down, knowing that we could easily get lost in the dark. But Dipper had a point. It was hard falling asleep already with the knowledge that a wax head was lurking around, but it would be almost impossible to sleep if he found our room. Reluctantly, I nodded.
Dipper crawled into the vent, flicking his flashlight on. I tried to go in after him but I was too big. Even if I went entirely prone, I couldn't fit, my shoulders were too broad. It was up to Dipper and Dipper alone. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder before he took his first turn, realizing my predicament. Despite the knowledge that he would be going it alone, he pressed on, something that I really admired.
Dipper was at a crossroads, literally. He had three paths to choose from, technically four but no way was he turning back now. Setting the flashlight between his teeth for a moment, Dipper pulled a pen out from his pocket and brought it to his hand, creating the beginnings of a map. He decided to go right first, making sure to record his progress on the back of his hand. After a few moments of silent crawling, he was greeted with his first turn, forcing him to go right once more. After he took the turn he noticed an open compartment and moved his way to a light he saw. It was another vent entrance. Dipper found himself peering into the kitchen but quickly turned around, realizing it was a dead end. He crawled back to his original path and was about to press forward before hearing a voice come from the opposite direction.
"Do blue-eyed people see better?" The voice asked, making Dipper raise an eyebrow as he began to retrace his steps. What did that even mean? Dipper now found himself back where he started, glancing between the two paths he had yet to go down.
"I heard his voice come from your right," he heard my voice say, prompting him to look at me. I had stuck my head into the duct, still trying to un-effectively wiggle my way after him. Dipper gave me a quick nod and turned to his right. After another short crawl, he was faced with another three directions to choose from. Deciding to spice it up, he went straight this time and yet again he was faced with another choice, left or straight. He turned left and sighed when he noticed he was at another fork in the vent. He kept left and face palmed when he realized he had gone in a circle when another left turn was placed before him.
"Les Miserables is one of my favorite stories," Dipper heard the head state, and once again it came from the opposite direction he was going. He let out a groan and returned to the original split, making a quick glance at me as I had given him the wrong information.
"Sorry about that," I said, sitting in front of the vent now. "The sound echoes a lot in there." Dipper wordlessly pressed on, clearly irritated for being misled. He crawled through the only path he had not ventured down yet, turning left since it forced him to. Now he had two options: go straight or go right. The choice was made for him however, as he heard the voice once more.
"If you do something, expect consequences," Wax Larry King's voice came from ahead, sending a chill down Dipper's spine. He followed the vent and it made him turn left again, but he almost wished he hadn't. There before him was the disembodied head of wax Larry King. The net was still draped over him and more importantly, the handle was almost within the boy's reach. The two locked eyes and Dipper, realizing this could be his only chance, leapt forward in an attempt to grab the net. Somehow, someway, the wax head jumped out of the way, making Dipper land forcefully on his elbow.
"There's nothing funny about the funny bone!" Wax Larry King taunted before chewing on the net. Why it hadn't tried biting a hole before was beyond Dipper's comprehension, but that didn't matter now. The head was free. In a last ditch attempt, Dipper swiped at the head, but it came rolling at him like a bowling ball, making him fall back before he could grab the wax abomination. Wax Larry king did not stop rolling however. Instead of going on the offensive once more like Dipper expected, the head rolled in the opposite direction and around the corner. Dipper squinted his eyes in determination and quickly crawled after the head.
Once his eyes laid upon the wax head once more, his eyes widened. Behind Wax Larry King was a descent in the air duct, a descent that was sure to be a one way trip down deep under the Mystery Shack. Why that was there was only his secondary concern, the wax head stood upright on its neck and gave an unsettling smile.
The disembodied wax head of Larry King then jumped back onto the slope, slipping down the duct like a slide leading to who knows where. "Have a great week everybody!" Wax Larry King called before sliding out of sight. "Good night!" Dipper just sat there, mouth agape, realizing the wax head had essentially exiled itself. Then he wondered why he cared as a smile found his way to his face.
"Yes!" He exclaimed, throwing his fists into the air and immediately regretted it. He was still in a tight ventilation shaft after all. After a brief moment of mentally slapping himself due to his stupidity, he began to back his way out of the vents.
Once I spotted Dipper, I extended my arm into the vent for him to take, pulling him the rest of the way out. "What happened?" I asked once he was back on his two feet. "I heard a pretty loud bang."
"That's not important," Dipper brushed off quickly. "But what is important is the fact that we don't have to worry about the Suspenders Man anymore!" I let out a sigh of relief, letting my shoulders slump down, realizing I could finally get some good sleep. "The guy rolled down some slope in the air ducts that lead deep under the shack, not sure why it's there but I don't much care." My eyes widened, it was the lab and Ford's secret study that duct led too. Thank Hirsh himself that he wasn't curious enough to check it out.
"I think it's time we call it a day," I said, changing the subject. Dipper nodded in agreement, not even bothering to bring his equipment back upstairs.
The next morning I was sat in the den, rock music playing through my earbuds. No matter what time I fall asleep, I always seem to wake up relatively early, so when I woke up this morning I was not surprised to see I was up before both Mabel and Dipper. Listening to music in the morning helps me fully wake up and can keep me entertained while everyone else is asleep. Nodding my head lightly to the beat of the song, I sang quietly under my breath. "Lay me down in golden dandelions, 'cause I've been-" I heard someone walk into the room.
"There you are," Mabel's voice said. "I was wondering where you were." I sat up as she walked up to me. "Dipper's still sleeping, the goober." Mabel rolled her eyes, making me smile. "Did ya catch the wax man head thing?" I nodded. "Did you kill him?"
"It's unsettling that you can say that so nonchalantly," I responded, taking the earbuds out of my ears. "I'm not sure that he's dead per se," I continued, "but he's definitely not coming back for a while. Dipper said he's pretty much stuck really deep in the ventilation shaft." I smiled at the thought of Stan walking into the lab and seeing Wax Larry King in one of the vents.
"At least Dipper will stop being all paranoid about it," She said as we heard footsteps on the stairs. "Speaking of which: how'd you sleep, Dip?"
"Well," Dipper began, reaching the bottom of the stairs, "I would have slept a little better if someone hadn't slammed the door after leaving the bedroom." He glared at his sister, waiting for an apology. Mabel didn't crack under her brother's gaze, instead she looked behind her, as if the person responsible was there. Dipper just rolled his eyes in response, walking past us and to the table further in the den. He then sat, taking a swig of water from a glass that was clutched in his hand. The doorbell then rang, piquing everyone's interest.
"Someone answer that door!" Stan called from, presumably, his bedroom. There was no work today and I doubt the old man would be coming from the bowels of his room anytime soon.
"I'll get it!" Mabel called back as I stood up, knowing exactly who was behind the door. When she opened it, her gaze was set expectantly higher than it needed to be.
"Howdy," Gideon stated after a few moments, forcing Mabel to look down at the young con artist.
"It's widdle ol' you!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly while I just leaned casually in the doorframe behind her.
"Heheh, my song's quite catchy," Gideon replied, looking away for a brief moment. "Now I know we haven't formally met," he continued with outstretched arms, "but after yesterday's performance, I couldn't get your laugh out of my head!" I was uncomfortable watching this interaction in person, especially since he hadn't even acknowledged me yet. Gideon's eyes were locked with Mabel's, and Mabel's alone.
"You mean this one?" Mabel said before giving a sassy laugh.
"Oh, what a delight!" Gideon proclaimed. I almost gagged. "When I saw you in the audience, I said to myself, 'Now there's a kindred spirit, someone who appreciates the sparkly things in life.'"
"That's totally me!" Mabel exclaimed, laughing genuinely, until she began a coughing fit. Somehow, someway, fake plastic jewels escaped her throat and landed on the collar of Gideon's suit.
I was quick to speak up, "Mabel, don't cough on our guest." I set a hand on her shoulder. "That's rude." I was a little surprised at how genuine I said this and even more surprised when Gideon smiled back.
"Oh, it's quite alright," He said, waving a hand through the air and then bringing it swiftly across his collar, swiping the plastic jewels away. Again, very surprising. In the show he had said that it was enchanting and let it be. "I don't believe that we met either," Gideon said, shaking me from my thoughts and bringing my gaze to his face. He set his hand over his amulet now. "What might your name be?"
"I'm Matt-" I began, but I was cut off by Mabel.
"He's my cousin!" she butted in cheerfully. A small amount of confusion displayed across his face, as his hand slowly retracted from his amulet. I could have sworn I saw it glow for a moment.
"I see…" Gideon said quietly. Suddenly Stan yelled from within the Shack.
"Who's at the door!?"
"No one Grunkle Stan!" Mabel yelled back, prompting a smile to return to Gideon's face.
"I appreciate your discretion," Gideon whispered. "Stan's no fan of mine. I'm glad to see that the fresh apples fell far from the decaying tree."
"Thanks Gideon," I replied… I guess.
"What do you say we step away from here and chat a bit more?" Gideon requested. "Perhaps in my dressing room?"
"Oh, makeovers!" Mabel cheered with shaking fists before agressively poking Gideon in the stomach.
He chuckled in response, "Ow." I began to step away from the doorframe, but Gideon stopped me. "Would you like to come too, Matthew?" he asked. Boom, red flag, clear as day, darker than blood. He was more than likely up to something. No, he was certainly up to something. I know I said I wanted to help him, but I'm going to need to get a better read on the situation.
"Okay first, just Matt's fine," I said, prompting Gideon to give a nod in understanding, "and sure, I'll tag along." I turned to face inside. "Ya hear that, Dip?" I asked, not waiting for an answer. "Your sister and I are going to step out for a while." He gave a lousy thumbs up, indicating that he was still not fully awake. "We'll see you later."
A short, unsettling walk later, we arrived at Gideon's house, and very reluctantly, I entered his dressing room. I expected to be attacked or at the very least threatened, but Gideon showed absolutely no signs of hostility. God, he is creepy.
"Do you see something you like?" Gideon asked after seeing Mabel's excited expression once we walked in the room. I cautiously hung behind the pair, not stepping in too far just in case I needed to run and get the cops. I rolled my eyes at the thought. Like they would believe me over Gideon.
For the next hour or so, I silently watched as Mabel tried on a multitude of different flashy, sophisticated and oversized clothes and outfits. She was enjoying every moment of it. One of the times we were waiting for Mabel to come out and show us yet another combination of what she claimed as her 'Fashion Sense,' Gideon spoke up.
"So, Matt, how long have you been in Gravity Falls," Gideon asked casually. It appeared that Mabel would not be out anytime soon, so he tried to spark a conversation to cure his boredom. Or was it an interrogation? His hand rested on his amulet, waiting for my response.
I took a quiet deep breath, trying not to show that I was nervous. "Probably about a week and a half," I answered, making sure not to look into his eyes. He was definitely trying to pluck information out of me. "It's nice here," I continued, "nice and quiet." Out the corner of my eye, I could have sworn he shook his head at the second part of my answer, almost as if he was displeased. I didn't have time to fully process this, as Mabel dramatically revealed herself. She was wearing a very bright neon orange suit jacket that should be illegal with a relatively normal light blue dress shirt underneath. She still had the skirt that she arrived with on and of course she asked how she looked. I smiled, not at her 'Fashion Sense' as she put it, but at her enthusiasm and evident pride, saying that it looked great. She squealed a thank you and then retreated back into the changing room.
"Where are you from?" Gideon asked, resuming our conversation once the cheerful brunette was out of earshot. His hand was still over the amulet. Do I dare give him the honest reply? Yes I should, where I live actually kind of works out, especially with the Pines Family's origins.
"I'm from New Jersey," I replied, noticing a small hint of surprise on Gideon's face. "It's where Dipper and Mabel's extended family is from." The look of surprise did not vanish.
"I see…"
He was about to press further, but once again Mabel burst into the room. This time sporting a huge sun hat with a buttoned up vest with flames on it. Why Gideon has that, I'm not sure, but Mabel is clearly happy that he does.
"This 'fit is straight fire," She exclaimed with a smile.
"Yeah, somehow it's more radiant than you," I commented, Mabel blew a raspberry in response.
"Impossible!" she retorted, her smile not faltering. "I'm the brightest thing on this planet!"
"Well, you sure are a star." A shooting star, if you will. Mabel seemed content with my answer and returned to the changing room once more. Gideon did not press our conversation any further, but he seemed to be studying me in silence. Very unsettling.
Eventually, Mabel had tried on everything that had caught her eye which meant that we could finally leave. Gideon however was not satisfied with the time he had spent with Mabel.
"Would you like to come over after lunch today?" Gideon asked as we were leaving. "We can go for a walk up to the factory that produces ma' merchandise." I wanted to say no, that we were busy later and we couldn't stop by again, but of course i was never given the chance.
"Of course!" Mabel exclaimed, making me want to face palm. "We'd love to!" Mabel turned to look up to be with big cheerful eyes and I let out a guilty sigh.
"Sorry, I'm going to be busy at the Shack this afternoon," I replied and Mabel's face instantly went downcast. "But I can still drop you off here if you want." I quickly added, not standing Mabel's upset face. Luckily my answer prevented Mabel from frowning any further.
The two of us left Gideon's house relatively soon after that, the tent of telepathy symbol seemed to be watching my every step. Once we returned to the shack, Mabel went to the bathroom to fix up her hair. Changing into a lot of shirts, sweaters, vests and jackets is bound to have its consequences. Mabel refused to use Gideon's hair products as she deemed them too artificial.
"How'd it go?" Dipper asked me after I sat down on the sofa. He hadn't moved at all since Mabel and I left, going through his prized journal. "Was the guy a total creep?"
"Eh, he seems nice, but I do not trust him," I replied, crossing my arms.
"Well I think he's great!" A voice declared, making me jump in my seat. "He kindly invited us into his house and allowed me to try on outfits that I could only dream of owning." It was Mabel, obviously. Despite being a very energetic person, her footsteps were very quiet.
"Mabel look," I began, "You can still hangout with him if you want, just be careful. I just don't think he's trustworthy."
"Yeah Mabel, I don't trust anyone whose hair is bigger than their head," Dipper added, walking up to us. This clearly irritated his sister.
"Oh, leave him alone!" She ordered, hands on her hips. "You two never want to do girly stuff with me. You guys and Soos get to do guy stuff all the time."
"What do you mean?" Dipper questioned, leaning forward.
"Hey, dudes," Soos said, coming through the giftshop door holding something in his hands. "You ready to blow up these hot dogs in the microwave, one by one!"
"Am I!" Dipper exclaimed, happily following the handyman into the kitchen. Mabel stood, hands slack at her sides, watching her brother and Soos exit the room. Confusion was displayed on her face, not bothering to speak up.
"I understand you're happy that you found a friend, Mabel, but you have to get a good judge on his character before you two get all buddy buddy." I said, standing up.
"Matt, dude!" Soos called. "You're gonna miss it!"
"Be right there!" I called back. Giving a quick glance to Mabel. "Just tell me when you're ready to go and drop you off, okay?" She nodded in agreement. At least she wasn't angry, a bit upset sure, but not angry.
A packet of hotdogs and a couple of hours later, Mabel was ready to set out. When I asked her to meet me at the golf cart, Dipper pulled me aside.
"You're seriously not going to let her go by herself, are you?" He asked and I shook my head.
"I'm going to follow them, make sure Gideon doesn't try anything," I replied. "You wanna come too?" I asked.
"No way," He responded with a small chuckle. "I 'observed' Mabel with the last guy she was hanging out with, now it's your turn."
"Fair point."
A little while later, Mabel and I pulled up in front of Gideon's house with the golf cart. I was a bit hesitant to let her go, knowing how Gideon really acts when the eyes of the public aren't watching. Since events have been changing, who's to say that Gideon won't just outright kidnap her? It seems unlikely since Gideon actually seemed to like her in the show, but anything is possible. I'll have to bring up the changing of events with Alex again next time we speak, I don't think he's been giving me the full truth about why events are altering.
"I'll be back in a few hours," I said as Mabel exited the small vehicle. "If he seems suspicious make sure you get away from him."
"Yeah, yeah," Mabel replied, rolling her eyes.
"Mabel," I firmly spoke. I needed to know she understood, that she was actually listening to me.
"Fine," she said with a small sigh, turning away from the house and back to me, "if he turns out to be some sadistic little monster, I'll run and shout bloody murder." Not the response I was looking for, but at least she got the message. I nodded in approval, prompting her to walk up to the Gleeful's front door. After a quick knock, she was welcomed inside and I drove off down the road. Eyes scouring my surroundings, I drove slowly in search of a hidden but accessible place to park the cart. I found what I was looking for about four-hundred feet from Gideon's property, a small dirt road verge with a canopy of trees surrounding it. A perfect cover.
I had just switched off the ignition key and stepped out of the cart when I heard a car approaching. Quickly, trying to appear casual, I whipped out my new phone and started messing with it. I had gotten this phone with the prize money from the monster photo competition. It was not nearly as good as my old phone, but it was at least something that I could use without getting in trouble.
"There you are!" I heard a voice shout. My gaze flew up from my phone screen to lock eyes with Stan. "What're doin' out here? You're supposed to be back at the shack!" Stan exclaimed, exiting his car. There is no way to tell the truth without making it sound bad and there's no way I could lie and get away with it.
"I-uh, just dropped off Mabel," I answered, setting the phone in my pocket.
"And you didn't think you should tell me?" He questioned. "This is the second time today you and my great niece have ran off without so much as a goodbye!" He walked up to me, eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed. "Well? Where is she?"
"Promise you won't get mad?" I asked hopefully.
"Nope!"
I sighed. He was going to be furious, I might end up unconscious on the ground. There was absolutely no way I could try and turn it into a scenario where it wouldn't seem like a bad thing.
"She's with Gideon," I replied, watching his eyes widen.
"WHAT!"
"Shh! Keep it down!" I hushed. "They both don't know I'm still around, so I was going to make sure he doesn't do anything."
"But why would you allow this in the first place!" He whisper yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "I made it clear last night that you were not to interact with him!"
"Mabel was just making new friends," I defended uselessly. "Listen, I'm sorry, alright? Mabel seems to actually like the runt somehow and wants to be friends with him. Plus, you know what she's like when she gets upset." Stan shuddered at the thought.
"Okay, fine," He said,"just make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." He sat behind the wheel and closed the door. "I'm going to have a talk with her when you bring her back."
"Yeah about that," I scratched the back of my neck. "If I'm not at the Shack before Mabel is then I'm either dead, captured or arrested."
"Geez, kid," Stan said, "You're being too extreme. Gideon's not gonna kill you, he doesn't have any special powers." I didn't respond. "Wait is that why you think I'm angry? Because Gideon is dangerous?" Stan let out a laugh before continuing after I stayed silent. "Kid, look, that shyster is only dangerous when he puts on too much makeup. I'm mad because he's competition and you're out making friends with him!"
"Hey now," I began, holding out a hand, "Mabel is the one making friends, I don't trust him one bit." I didn't bother to bring up the fact that I would hopefully be trying to legitimately befriend Gideon. Call me crazy, but I don't think right now is the best time to bring that up.
"Whatever. If he somehow manages to kill you or something, make sure you give 'em a fight first." And with that, he pulled out into the road and drove out of sight. Maybe Stan was right, there is no real reason to worry. Gideon wouldn't attack me if Mabel were around.
I approached the house with caution, sticking to the trees in order to avoid being seen. I was in broad daylight, so stealth was crucial. It was completely quiet, except for the sound of some birds and distant cars. Then, the door swung open forcefully, causing me to jump and almost fall into a pile of sticks and leaves. My position would have been compromised if I didn't recover.
"How far did you say your family's factory was again?" I heard Mabel ask, undoubtedly the one who so gracefully opened the door.
"Oh, not to worry," Gideon said, following her out of his house, "it's just a short walk through the woods." I face palmed when I saw Mabel nod, not seeming to notice how truly suspicious that statement sounded. Then again, I can't entirely blame her. In no way, shape or form could Gideon overpower Mabel unless he used his powers, something I bet he is unwilling to do. Looking at the situation from this perspective really shows how dangerous the tiny con artist was because he was just that: tiny. No one would mistake him for a threat, especially someone as kind hearted as Mabel.
The pair crossed the street and wandered down a faint trail that, hopefully, led to the factory. I was not far behind, venturing onto the trail myself once I could barely see the two. I obviously couldn't stick to close and I regrettably can't stay too far either. I have no idea how to navigate through these woods, there could be a split in the path and just like that I could lose them.
Gideon had taken the lead, since he knew where he was going, and Mabel silently skipped after him. Not once did either of them turn around, they only focused on going forward to their destination.
Apparently Gideon doesn't constantly lie, within five minutes they, or rather we, had arrived.
The factory rested on a cliff overlooking the center of town with a sea of trees resting below. The two of them made their way to a ladder that led to the sturdy roof of the building while I stayed behind in the cover of the woods, having the slightest visual angle on them. I could barely make out their voices, thankfully it seemed like a normal conversation.
Maybe I was overreacting with this whole situation. Gideon would never actually hurt Mabel intentionally, he really does care for her. At the very least, that's how it appears. I don't exactly know how far Gideon's charade really goes, but I at least know there is some good in him.
"Woah, the view from your family's factory is nuts!" Mabel remarked after they sat on the roof. "Good thing we both brought our opera glasses!" They simultaneously exclaimed at once while giggling light heartedly. Where did Mabel even get those? They both peered into their spectacles with grins on their faces.
"Mabel when up here lookin' down at all them little people,'' Gideon began innocently, "I feel like I'm king of all I survey." I watched Mabel's form tesne up for a moment only for her to relax a second later. Hopefully she had caught that last bit. "Guess that makes you my queen," Gideon added with a shrug.
"What?!" Mabel said with an uncomfortable smile on her face. "You are being so nice to me right now! Quit it!" She shoved him in the chest playfully, clearly hoping to end the conversation then and there.
"I can't quit it."
Here we go.
"I'm speaking from the heart." Gideon said with a smile, hand on his heart. So poetic.
"From the where now?" Mabel asked nervously.
"Mabel, I've never felt this close with anyone," Gideon said shyly. It was probably true, he most likely didn't have any friends. It was definitely his own fault, but he wasn't lying to her. Mabel's face said it all, she was worried. Not worried for her new "friend" no, but worried about what she had just gotten herself into. They've known each other for not even a day and even Mabel knows that this was going way too fast. One does not simply state that they've never been "this close with anyone" a few hours after they've met unless they have problems. Mabel realized this now and continued to listen, nervously swaying her feet back and forth.
"So, so close," Gideon continued with a creepy chuckle as he tried to stroke Mabel's hair. With a frown she pushed his hand away.
"Look Gideon I um…" She began but had to stop in order to deflect another incoming stroke. "I like you alot, but let's just be friends." She said with a sincere smile. Since she was trying to avert her gaze from the con-artist to the next most colorful thing, she caught sight of me, my brightly colored hair giving me away. Luckily Gideon didn't turn my way and continued to speak.
"At least just give me a chance." He pleaded and Mabel's gaze flew over to me once more. I slowly shook my head with a stern look. "Mabel, will you do me the honor of going on a date with me?"
"A playdate?" She asked hopefully and Gideon shook his head. "A shopping date?"
"Mm-mmm." He hummed with another head shake. "It'll be just one little ol' date. I swear on my lucky bolo tie."
"Umm," Mabel began looking at me once more, wordlessly asking for help and all I could do was shake my head a little faster. When she looked back at Gideon he was attempting to persuade her with a face that was more creepy than cute, but it worked.
"Okay then… I guess," She said reluctantly after looking in my direction for a split second causing me to facepalm.
"Mabel Pines, you have made me the happiest boy in the world!" Gideon exclaimed as he pulled Mabel in for a hug. With her head on his shoulder Mabel looked at me one final time and once again her face said it all: I'm sorry.
Gideon told her to go on ahead and that he'll catch up, saying that he had to take care of something inside the factory. Mabel complied and with her head hung low, walked back to the path in the forest. Gideon's smile fell from his face the moment she wasn't within sight.
"You can come out now." He said ominously after he descended from the roof. "I know you were watching us." I decided to call his bluff, hopefully he was just being paranoid. "Staying quiet won't change anything Matthew," he added, slight venom lacing his voice. Suddenly, a breeze swayed the branches I was hiding behind, taking my cover. This was without a doubt the work of the amulet. "It's rude to eavesdrop you know." Realizing that it was futile to attempt to stay hidden I stepped forward into the small clearing before the factory.
"Matt is just fine," I said, crossing my arms. "Well, when you're suspicious about something you should try your best to make sense of it."
"Of course you should," Gideon said, clasping his hands behind his back. "In fact, I'm doing just that." The four foot monster then grabbed his amulet and my body became icy cold, just like a few days ago.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," I said with a small shiver. "I just want to make sure Mabel is alright, that's all." Gideon gave a small nod and a grave smile that sent its own chill down my spine.
"I'm sure that's true," Gideon replied, grasping his prized possession tighter. "But that's not the whole truth… is it?" My body grew colder and I could feel this strange sensation, like something was gripping my limbs. The sensation grew quickly, adding strong pressure to my now immovable arms. "Who are you?" He asked with a false façade of calmness.
"Where is this coming from, little man?" The pressure grew, adding an almost unbearable weight to my arms and legs. "I already told you who I was a few hours ago!" Gideon then gave a sinister smile and pushed his free hand out in my direction. Weightless and helpless, I flew against the trunk of a tree close by. The pain was immediate and I couldn't help but give a loud grunt. So much for trying to befriend him.
"Liar!" He practically screamed. "Who. Are. YOU!" I gave a pained smile, no way was I going to tell him of all people the truth.
"It seems that the white dwarf has shown his true colors."
"Quick wits will not save you boy." Boy? Who is he calling Boy? "I know that you are hiding something and I will find what it is." He gripped his amulet even tighter. "Now, I consider myself a patient person-"
"Yeah right!" I cut him off
"-so I can do this all day. I'm going to ask again," The pressure spread and found itself pooling at my throat. "Who are you?" I could hardly breathe, my vision slowly fading to black.
"You know," I began in a strained voice, "I can't tell you anything if my windpipe gets crushed." Gideon scowled and released his hold on me, letting me fall to the ground with a thud. Oxygen filled my lungs and I began coughing profusely while resting on my hands and knees. "I'm just some normal teenager, there's nothing special about me."
"That may be true," Gideon agreed as he used his power to push me into a kneeling position. "But you don't seem so surprised when faced with the supernatural." He gestured at himself like he was some kind of deity and I began to uselessly pull against the psychic force holding me in place. "Where the rest of this town would shrink in terror of things they don't understand, you seem to endure it. You seem..." He stepped closer with narrowed, accusing eyes. "Educated." I tensed up and ceased my struggle and ineffective attempts to get free and locked eyes with the little monster.
"And what makes you say that?"
"For starters, you haven't soiled yourself or pleaded for mercy after I demonstrated my abilities to you. But there's also this." He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a photo. It was the picture that led me and the Pines to victory in the photo competition, the one with me almost in the Momawonker's mouth. After he knew I got a good look he put it away.
"For the last two years I was the undisputed champion of that photo contest and all of a sudden, a newcomer comes in and sweeps away first prize. Not to mention, one does not simply get out of that monster situation unscathed, yet you did."
"Uh, you do realize that's fake right?" I said hoping that it was a sufficient excuse. "You know, photoshopped?" Gideon shook his head.
"Of that quality?" He inquired. "No, I doubt any computer in that shack has the potential to produce something like that." He turned his back to me. "I have eyes and ears everywhere in this town. I know every secret, every conspiracy and even every little crush." I immediately recognized this bluff attempting to make him seem much more dangerous, there was know way all of that was true. He faced me once more with a look of disgust. "I have to say, Dipper's developing feelings for that red haired cashier are quite unsettling." I nodded in agreement, I guess he wasn't lying about all of that. "But that is beside the point. Somehow, some way, a teenager who has only been here a little over a week knows more about the supernatural than anyone I encountered.
"So," He continued, "Either you are extremely lucky, which I doubt, or you know some of this special town's secrets." He tightened his grip on the amulet and in turn tightened his hold on me. "Tell me, how do you know about the supernatural? Did you hear about it, did you read about it somewhere?" So that's what he wants to know.
"I mean, there are a lot of supernatural books and movies, it's a whole genre, nothing special. That's how I learned about it." I concluded, receiving a scowl.
"No more stupid responses, I want the truth. I may not be able to completely read minds, but I can read emotions and I know you've been keeping something."
"What are you? A walking lie detector?" I inquired with an arched eyebrow.
"I guess you can say that," He replied with a small shrug. "You say Mabel is your cousin correct?"
"Yeah?"
"Interesting." A small smirk came across his face. "You say one thing but your heart says another."
"Really? I thought you were a mind reader."
Gideon picked me up and threw me into the nearest tree, much more forceful the first time. My back slammed into the trunk, splintering the bark. I grunted, instantly regretting my choice of words.
"No more games!" Gideon yelled. "Mabel thinks you're her cousin, what would happen when she finds out you've been lying to her! You might need your windpipe to talk but you sure don't need your arm to make a coherent sentence!" My eyes went wide. He wouldn't. Gideon clenched his fist and the pressure returned, this time solely on my right arm. Exponentially it grew, pain shot along the appendage until I let out a scream of pain. It was met by another scream, but it wasn't his and it certainly wasn't mine.
Mabel stood at the end of the path with both hands clasped over her mouth with fearful eyes. Gideon instantly released his hold, allowing me to fall face first into the grass.
"Mabel!" Gideon exclaimed. "W-what are you doin' here?" He tried to step forward but Mabel stepped an equal distance backward.
"You were taking too long so I came back to see..." Mabel shook her head frantically, scolding herself. "The real question is: what the heck were you doing to him?" Gideon was now in a cold sweat. He tried to wipe his brow, but it did little to ease his nerves.
"How much did you see?" Gideon asked, both hands on his chest. His eyes widened and started to sparkle while he held an innocent frown.
"I saw enough!" Mabel exclaimed. "And no creepy, adorable face you make is going to convince me otherwise, Gideon!"
"Very well." He lowered his gaze. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." Gideon then raised his arm in her direction and waved it. In an instant, Mabel fell to the floor.
I shot to my feet and scrambled over to her collapsed form, running right past Gideon without hesitation. Before I could reach her, Gideon lifted me off the ground once more. I writhed and thrashed wildly, trying harder than ever to break his hold.
"You monster!" I yelled, not taking my eyes off her. "What did you do!"
"I can give you my personal assurance that she's fine," The little monster replied and at this point I was practically flailing. He clapped twice and in turn, gravity forced me to the ground once more. I was about to rush over to her, but a loud metal bang halted me. Looking to the side I saw two security guards exit the factory building and sprint in my direction. For the briefest moment I relaxed, thinking that we were saved. Then I saw Gideon's smile. They weren't just sprinting in my direction, they were sprinting at me.
The first lunged, attempting to grapple my waist and pull me to the ground. I sidestepped just in time, prompting him to lose balance and drop to the floor. The second slowed his approach and aimed to size my left arm. Once he lashed out, I grabbed it and twisted it almost a full one-hundred and eight degrees. Acting on instinct and the memories of my friends and I roughhousing back home, I kicked his left leg out from under him and he collapsed to the floor. Gideon sighed in exasperation.
"Do I have to do everything around here?" He gripped the amulet and hauled me into the air giving the guards an easy opening to apprehend me.
"What's wrong with you?!" I practically screamed at the two emotionless guards. "This is inhumane!" Gideon gave a small chuckle at my remark.
"I'm surprised you haven't realized by now," Gideon paused ominously, "This town loves me." He then did the same gesture he had done to Mabel and I quickly lost consciousness. The last thing I saw was Mabel bolting for the tree line.
I woke up, my head pounding and my vision focusing on a gray cement ceiling. I felt the smooth stone cold floor underneath my hands and shifted to sit place didn't look familiar but it was most likely a different part of the police department. I saw the little white haired boy gripping metal bars staring at me.
"How long have you been staring at me while I sleep?" I said drowsily, rubbing at my eyes.
"That is of no consequence to you boy." Gideon stated firmly. Again with calling me boy, who does this kid think he is?
We sat in silence for a moment, my brain already churning with potential break out plans.
"So let's start off with where you really came from." Gideon tried to be intimidating by leaning his pudgy face closer through the bars. He only succeeded a little bit.
"Jupiter," I replied with a flat tone and small smirk.
"I've had enough of your games! Tell me now!" His hands struck the bars and let out a loud clang that made me flinch. It might be a good idea to not mess around too much, especially in this scenario.
"Are you that dense? I told you, I'm from Jersey." I responded. The look on Gideon's face showed that he could tell I was telling the truth.
"But that's not all there is to it." He spat, sending a venomous glare at me. "There's more, you're leaving out a crucial part. I can feel it!"
"Feelings can be misleading," I shrugged looking away from his intense stare.
"Not when I have this!" he clutched his bolo tie and it let out a flash of teal light, "But you already knew that didn't you?" And with a raised palm, he lifted me into the air and slammed me into the cinderblock wall.
"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel huffed, bent over with her hands on her knees.
"Hey Ma-woah what happened to ya?" Grunkle Stan asked behind the counter once he caught a good look at her. Mabel's sweater was drenched in sweat, a result from sprinting in the summer heat.
"I was with Gideon-"
"I told you not-" Stan started.
"I know and I'm sorry, but he was being all creepy and asking me on a date, and then he knew that Matt was watching us, and he went to talk with Matt and I came back and he was attacking Matt with this weird bolo tie thingy that glows, and- agh! Nevermind! He has Matt and we need to go save him!"
"He's got the hots for you, huh?" He replied nonchalantly only catching the first part of her explanation, if it can even be called that.
"What?!" Mabel exclaimed. "No! Well I guess he kinda does but that doesn't matter right now! Matt's in trouble!" Stan's face fell.
"He isn't like, dying, right?" He asked thinking back to what I told him before.
"No, I don't think so but he did get captured or arrested or something, we need to go save him!"
"A prison break huh?" Stan asked with a smile and a hand on his chin. "I haven't done something like that since before you were born!"
"No time to get nostalgic Grunkle Stan! We need a plan!"
"Heh-heh, don't worry about that. I've got one that's fool proof!" He replied ruffling her hair. "Soos!"
"Yeah Mr. Pines?" He called back, across the room.
"You're in charge until we get back." And with that, he and Mabel bolted out the giftshop door.
"Huh," Soos said to himself, "what if an accident were to befall Mr. Pines and I would be Mr. Mystery since he would never return-" Soos slapped himself in the face. "Don't say stuff like that, Soos!"
Gideon had entered the cell with me and was still holding me against the wall clutching his bolo tie with the teal glow that was growing stronger the angrier he got. I still refused to give him any information.
"A few days ago when you were trespassing on my property and I saw you, you weren't scared, you didn't even flinch. No one has ever tried to stand their ground against me like that."
"I don't know if you've looked in a mirror recently but you aren't really the most intimidating person out there. It's kind of your whole brand lil' Gideon." He growled with anger and threw me to the opposite wall.
"How about when you said that this town was 'nice and quiet?' You were lying, your feelings betray you."
"Alright, let's pretend that I do know about all this stuff, what would it matter?" I asked. "I don't understand the point of you throwing me around." Finally I had given him some compliance, and he seemed to appreciate it. Gideon set me down on the ground much more gently compared to before.
"This town has many potential threats within its borders and there are gifts of knowledge that a brilliant unknown author left behind after his stay in town. He recorded his findings in these journals and with them, anyone has the knowledge to conquer whatever threat they came across."
"So you want these books in order to defend the town?" I asked with an arched eyebrow. Perhaps my initial read of him was correct, at least that's what I hoped.
"I suppose I do to an extent, but my real goal is to rule this town." He replied with an evil smile. "With that knowledge the people would need me and would have no choice but follow me.
"But you said that no one knows about the supernatural."
"That is true, but soon enough people will start to realize its existence and they will flock to me." He stated, resting a hand on his amulet. "I'm honestly surprised that no one has noticed it though, it's not hard to find." He shook his head. "But let's get back to you. I know that you know more than you let on and I would like to know how."
"You think I have one of these journals, don't you." I asked with a smirk and stood up. "Even if I did have it, do you really think I would give it to you? From what I can tell all you want is power so you can control others. There are alternatives for getting people to follow you. If you surround yourself with others that are willing to protect this town, I'm positive that people will follow you and whoever else you're with. There's no reason to do this sort of thing alone."
This made Gideon laugh. Not chuckle or snicker, but full on laugh. "Have you met the people of this town? They're a load of bricks! They would never follow me unless they had no other choice."
"You think yourself above them." I concluded and he shook his head.
"I know I'm above them, and soon enough they'll, realize that too. They'll think of me more than just cute lil' showrunner, I'll be their savior, their ruler." I shook my head, maybe that innocent kid that Gideon was years ago is truly gone. He's been consumed by his lust for power after he realized how insignificant he is compared to the supernatural.
Then came the muffled screaming.
The wall next to me burst open with a loud crash, shaking the entire building. When the dust cleared I saw Mabel in the front seat of Stan's car waving back at me. She then quickly turned to her grunkle in the driver's seat.
"Dang it Grunkle Stan!" She exclaimed. "We crashed into the cell next to him, not the one that he was in!"
"You don't think I realized that?" He replied with an eye roll as he shifted into reverse. Gideon, just now having recovered, shot an arm out at the car in an attempt to halt their movement. This was my opening. After damn near half an hour of being thrown around, I finally had a shot at retribution.
While he was distracted and struggling to keep the car in place, I grabbed his przed amulet and tore it from his neck. Just as he screamed out in retaliation, Stan smashed through the cell wall, the right one this time. This disoriented him and sent him to the smooth stone cold floor. Of course me using him as support to keep me from falling had a small factor in it as well.
Stan immediately reversed out of the wall to give me an opening to escape. Needless to say I took it graciously. I threw open the back door and literally jumped in since Stan never stopped moving.
"How is this thing still intact?" I asked Stan who was now pulling us onto the main road.
"Let's just say I've had this car kitted out for special occasions very similar to this one," Stan replied with a reminiscent smile. I let out a sigh of relief that we atleast going to make it back to the shack. I turned to peer out the back window to see Gideon with a bunch of guards stomping the asphalt with his foot out of frustration realizing we had gotten away.
"Woah, nice grab kid," Stan said looking at me through the rearview mirror. For the first time I truly set my gaze on the amulet in my hand. It was beautiful. A faint blue glow illuminated my fingers as I wiped its glossy center jewel. It was cold to the touch, but perhaps most fascinating of all was the near perfect reflection it produced. As I looked at it, I saw myself looking back and I almost flinched when Mabel spoke up.
"That's really pretty," Mabel commented, fully turned around in the front seat. "What are you gonna do with it?"
"I'm not really sure…" I trailed off. After a few moments I shook my head quickly and met Mabel's gaze. "Why don't you have your seatbelt on?"
"Because you don't," she replied with a smile.
"Touche," I said, reaching for the belt above my shoulder.
"Hey," She continued, "I'm sorry that I didn't trust you and Dipper abou-"
"And me!" Stan jumped in.
Mabel rolled her eyes with a smile and continued "-and Grunkle Stan about Gideon."
"It's all good Mabes," I replied, "You just have to realize that not everyone has as good of a heart as you do. I know that can be hard to come to terms with but given a bit of time, I'm sure you can." She then climbed into the backseat to give me a hug and I happily reciprocated before my eyes grew wide. "Seatbelt, Mabel! Especially since Stan's driving." Her eyes widen and she immediately goes to reach for her seatbelt.
"Don't make me go back there too!" Stan retorted.
That night Dipper had asked what he'd missed. I told him mostly everything, glossing over the details about Gideon and the journals. He asked to see the amulet and I didn't know a human's eyes could get as wide as Dipper's did once I showed him. He was upset that he wasn't there and complained that the highlight of his day was blowing up hotdogs in the microwave.
"Did you decide what you were going to do with it yet?" Dipper asked. I shook my head, my gaze entranced by its blue glow. "I guess we can figure that out later," he continued. "I'm gonna call it a night."
"Right behind ya," I replied, following him to the stairs.
Once I set the amulet down on the nightstand, I grabbed the dream stone and slipped under my sheets.
"Don't worry Dipper, I'm sure you'll be a part of the next adventure." I said closing my eyes.
"I sure hope so," He said, doing the same and before I knew it, I was in my mindscape.
"I sense that you are anxious about something," the voice of Alex inquired behind me. I turned to face him.
"Cards on the table Hirsch," I said, crossing my arms, "Just how bad are things out of whack? I know some Cartoon Logic is a poor excuse for everything going off the rails." Alex sighed.
"Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect?" He asked.
"I have but I don't know the inner workings of it," I replied.
"The Butterfly Effect refers to the sensitive dependence of the initial conditions in a world. A small change of the determined nonlinear system can result in large differences later on, leading to disastrous consequences."
"So basically what you're saying is that there is no way of knowing what will come next?" I asked.
"To an extent," he replied. "The next couple weeks will be similar to how they were in the show but after that…"
"There's no telling what will happen," I finished.
"Exactly. Bill Cipher started this effect once he learned what will happen to him in the future. He is much bigger than any butterfly and the changes will be potentially drastic."
"So I'm a product of this Billifly-effect?" Alex nodded in response.
"You are free to choose your own path to defeat him. You do not have to stick to the bounds of the show. Now that I think about it, this could potentially be a good thing," Alex inquired with a scratch of his beard.
"How so?"
"Well, Bill knows how he is going to be defeated in the future, right? If you keep changing things, the future he is expecting will no longer exist."
"But won't that mean the future that I know will no longer exist?" I asked and Alex nodded once more.
"Yes that is correct, but it is how I said earlier: You are free to choose your own path to defeat Bill Cipher." He set a hand on my shoulder. You can stick to what you are familiar with or you can take risks but just know, whatever you choose, he must be destroyed."
"I understand," I said with a sigh. I then opened my palm and held it out, willing the amulet to appear. "What do you think I should do with this?"
"Have you felt its temptation?" He asked, running a hand over its smooth jewel.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't," I replied.
"That amulet calls to those that are in need of its power." He explained. "Just like how Gideon needed its power to hold the supernatural back, it realizes that you may need it in your quest to defeat Bill."
"Wait back up," I said, raising my free hand, "Gideon used this to actually fight monsters and keep them away from the town?"
"Well, yes. He originally used its power for that purpose, but recently he has been blinded."
I took a quick glance at the amulet in my hand saying, "I don't want that to happen to me." Alex nodded in understanding.
"You have the choice to destroy it or, since you know what it is capable of, you may be able to stay grounded and not give into temptation if you keep it." He let out a small chuckle. "Either stick to what you know and destroy it or embrace the risks and learn how to use it. I'm getting a little repetitive aren't I?"
"A little bit, yeah," I responded with a smile.
"Then I'll let you get some rest," He concluded. "Whatever you choose, I have faith in you." I nodded in appreciation and he disappeared from sight. I peered down to the amulet in my hand and It was now glowing a shade of bright red, my favorite color. I didn't need to tear my gaze away from it like I had to before, instead I lifted my gaze to the once grey night sky to see one bursting with color. Each of the countless stars above shined a different shade and I smiled at the beauty of it. I set the amulet in my pocket and sat peacefully in the soft grass gazing up at the sky.
Soon enough I closed my eyes and laid on the ground, hands interlaced and cushioning my head.
If my encounter with Alex tonight was any indication, the future is anything but an open book and it's gonna get weird.
A/N
While I know this is a self insert, things are going to be changing just like Alex hinted there at the end. I want this story to be more than just a copy and past of the show and if I cut out something that you like, I am legitimately sorry in advance.
And as always…
While you don't have to, if you enjoy the story please consider leaving a review with your thoughts on the chapter or the story. Good or bad, they all encourage me to keep writing.
Thank you so much for reading!
-Matt