Looking Backwards

by ToastyMagic

(Self Insert) After arriving in Gravity Falls by literally falling into it, Matt is dazed and confused. He is sent back from 2020 to 2012 with his knowledge of the show and he soon finds himself in the Mystery Shack where Stanley Pines takes him in. How'd he get there? Why are things changing? I guess you'll have to find out along with him.

9. Classified

1973

"Sir, I just got the news from Washington. We're shutting down the project."

"Very well, we need to dispose of our materials."

"Where should we send them, sir?"

"Somewhere no one will ever find them."

#

Present Day

Due to last night's party and all the damage it had caused, Stan brought us kids out to eat on this beautiful Saturday morning. He totally did this out of the kindness of his own heart and definitely didn't do it to make sure his shack didn't withstand any more damage.

Oh, who am I kidding?

The real reason we were going out to eat was Mabel's new invention, Glitter Pancakes. Dipper had calculated there was about a seventeen percent chance the batter would implode when heated thanks to the secret ingredient: gunpowder. How Mabel got a hold of said secret ingredient was thanks to our spectacle last night with the fireworks. She argued her pancakes would be an explosive start to our day, filling us with energy. The incinerated frying pan begged to differ.

After a small fire in the kitchen, Stan decided to call it quits and figured it would be more beneficial to spend a few bucks at the diner than to risk burning the shack down. Our car was crammed, with Mabel, Dipper, Candy, and Grenda in the backseat, none of which were wearing seatbelts due to only three proper seats for the four children. Stan, the responsible man, had seen the seating situation and shrugged his shoulders, turning the key over in the ignition. Hopefully, he wasn't prepared to ignore any road safety laws.

Despite venturing out for breakfast, the girls in the back were munching on a leftover party-size chip bag, more than likely spoiling their first meal of the day. But they didn't care, passing the bag between themselves while conversing rather loudly.

Sitting next to them, Dipper rested his head against the window, trying to drown out the loud crunches and gossip from his sister's new friends. He allowed his forehead to bang against the glass whenever Stan didn't slow down for a bump in the road, keeping him awake as he lazily peered out the smudged glass. This didn't go unnoticed. I glanced at him through the rearview mirror each time his head collided with the window. It was clear he was tired, from his drooped eyebrows to the heavy bags under his eyes, but perhaps the most telling was that he wouldn't flinch when hitting the window. I understand being tired, but allowing your head to bang constantly on a window? Something had to be up.

"You okay there, Dipper?" I asked, giving another glimpse at him through the rearview mirror. The preteen sat straight immediately as if he were being scolded.

"Yeah," Dipper replied after a brief moment. "Just tired, that's all." Maybe that's all it was. The girl's surprise sleepover after the after-party probably could have been heard from space. The girls went from talking to yelling and then to screaming in seconds, becoming the embodiment of the term "Zero to Sixty." Romance movies and boys were their topics of conversation for most of the night, consistently matching each other's enthusiasm, even at three in the morning. Sure, I've stayed up till the morning with my friends plenty of times, but how they weren't tired even in the slightest was beyond me.

Stan must've slept like a log. I didn't see or hear from him once after he turned in for the night. Even if he did get woken up by the girl's howling, he could have just gone down to the lab beneath the shack. Either way, Stan was awake enough to use his turn signal when changing lanes to get around a slow car, a good sign. The old man was going to speed past the vehicle but had to slam on the brakes because of what was in the road.

Proudly standing over the double yellow line was a white horse, taking a dump and splattering its business on the pavement.

"Oh my gosh!" Mabel exclaimed after being jostled around in the backseat with no seatbelt. "A pony!"

"It's so elegant!" Grenda exclaimed.

A man with a straw hat and an open shirt quickly ran into the street, grabbing the horse's saddle and leading it off the road.

"Next time, use the john like the rest of us!" Stan yelled, balling his fist in the air at the animal. After a quick glance to ensure everyone was in one piece and satisfied with getting his anger out, Stan continued driving down the road, swerving around the pile of poop the horse left in its wake. Why was there a horse in the middle of the road to begin with? Well, today was pioneer day, the day the twins would solve the Northwest coverup and find the eighth and a half president of the United States. That conspiracy was a weird find in the valley of Gravity Falls, as it would make sense to store sensitive information like that in the Pentagon or the legendary Area 51. Instead, the government decided to dump him and other secrets in this small backwoods town. Definitely a worthy hiding place, but certainly not the most secure. I wonder what else the government was stupid enough to hide here.

We finally made it into town, and a covered wagon led by two horses blocked our path, crossing the road. A family of three, all wearing clothes from the 1800s, sat at the helm of the carriage, waving at us in our enclosed wheel box. Stan's eyes shot wide open, now realizing why there were so many horses and old-timey people.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" He turned down a side street, trying to cut around the obstacle, causing his screeching tires to make marks on the pavement. As we flew down the road at a speed that certainly did not abide by road safety laws, we could see wooden stands and makeshift markets lining the sidewalks that looked like they would collapse, given the right push. Fresh fruits and other goods were held in barrels and crates, and people dressed in pioneer clothes were actively congregating and conversing. One group of said people were walking within the crosswalk, and Stan again had to slam on his brakes. However, the kids in the backseat were ready this time, bracing themselves by holding onto anything sturdy they could get their hands on.

"Grunkle Stan, what's happening?" Dipper asked worriedly, glancing out the several windows of the car at the unfamiliar setting around us. The old man didn't reply and quickly threw the car in reverse, ignoring the now cursing men and women he had almost hit moments prior.

"We gotta get outta here before it's too late!" Stan exclaimed over his shoulder, skillfully flying down the road backward. Despite his best efforts, a giant ox pulling a sturdy wooden wagon blocked our path further down the road. Stan let out a wail, stopping the car in the middle of the road, hoping the fumes puffing out the exhaust would motivate the ox to move. The living wall of muscle did not waver, and Stan's last attempt at escape was foiled. "They've circled the wagons! We're trapped!" Stan's shouting caused us passengers to flinch due to his volume, and we looked at each other. I could have sworn I heard Grenda ask if cows eat people under her breath.

"Pioneer Day!" Stan exclaimed, slamming his head into the steering wheel, causing a loud honk from the horn.

"What's pioneer day?" Mabel asked, grabbing her great uncle's headrest and giving it a good shake. Stan raised his head and sat back up, not wanting to overuse the horn and attract unwanted attention from the cops. He let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Every year, these yahoos dress up like idiots to celebrate the date Gravity Falls was founded," he explained, putting the car back in drive and reluctantly parking it on the side of the road, away from the commotion. We were given all sorts of glares from the surrounding townsfolk and animals. Some of the latter even seemingly stared into my soul. After ensuring the car had stopped moving, Stan's reckless driving had come to an end. We all stepped out of the vehicle, and Tobey Determined approached us. Surprisingly, even the washed-up reporter was in the Pioneer Day spirit, dawning a beat-up cowboy hat and overalls.

"Welcome to 1863!" he exclaimed, waving his arms.

Stan wasted no time, rolling up his sleeve and clenching his fist. "I will break you, little man!" The sudden threat from the more prominent man caused Tobey to flee with a yelp, and he crashed into a barrel, trying to escape. Stan decided, just like everyone else, that Tobey wasn't worth his time.

"Come one and all to the opening ceremony!" a voice from a set of hidden speakers announced. Down the road, we could see a large group of people gathered at the base of a stage in front of what I presumed was the town hall.

"You guys wanna check it out?" I asked, prompting the girls to cheer a 'yes' and Dipper to nod.

"Candy wants to see more ponies!"

"Grunkle Stan, you coming?" Mabel asked, pumping her arms in excitement.

"No thank you!" Stan proclaimed, crossing his arms on his chest. "Just remember, if you come back to the shack talking like these people, you're dead to me!" He pointed a serious finger at the five of us, and we exchanged looks.

"Thar's a carpetbagger in the trump cellar!" Dipper said, imitating an old-timey voice with a swing of his arms and a closed eye.

"Well, hornswoggle my haversack!" In an equally extravagant impression, Mabel replied, stomping her foot on the sidewalk. The two of them then spat on the ground, and we all ran off, giggling like children.

"Dead to me!" Stan called after us.

I wonder if we'll have to bust him out of some wooden stocks later.

#

The five of us walked down the street, passing by booths set up like street performers in a city. Kids were crowded around a large basin, dipping candles in it, somehow entranced by the mundane activity. Across the street, Manly Dan and Tyler Cutebiker sat at a table, chowing down on a turkey that could have been twice the size of the more petite man. Beside them was Mcgucket, showing a family how to pan for gold. To prove that the mineral in the shaker was real, the excited long bearded hillbilly popped the stone in his mouth and swallowed it whole.

That's not how that works at all.

Seated atop a primitive stage constructed entirely of rough-hewn logs and timber, the Northwests found themselves at the edge of the bustling square. The area was alive with the vibrant red, white, and blue streamers strung from building to building, waving in the gentle breeze. The surrounding buildings were modest, with their wooden shutters, trim, and barred windows, and gave off an air of simplicity that must be foreign to the wealthy family. Despite the rustic atmosphere, the lively energy of the festival was palpable, with people of all ages laughing and chatting as they bustled about the square, congregation before the stage.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" Sheriff Blubs exclaimed, standing on the edge of the stage. His arms were raised as he spoke into a microphone that looked extremely out of place considering its old-timey surroundings. "Ye olde commencement ceremony is about to commence!" His deputy, Durland, came racing onto the stage wearing his partner's matching raccoon hat. Most notable, however, was the giant handheld bell grasped in the man's hand.

"WHOOO!" he cheered, coming to a halt, ringing the item profusely. "I've got a bell!" Durland continued to shake the thing, treating it like a toy. I glanced over at the Northwest family behind him. Each sat straight with perfect posture and had plastic smiles plastered on their faces. Despite her facade, I saw Pacifica waver slightly at the constant ringing of the bell, without a doubt bringing up some traumatizing memories. She didn't look too worried, though, but who knows? Maybe the rich girl was conditioned so harshly that she doesn't even know the term 'trauma' applies to her.

"He sure loves his bell," Blubs stated, setting his hands on his hips with a chuckle. Grenda and I led the way through the crowd, making way for our three friends behind us. After a couple of polite "excuse me"s and hard shoves, we now stood at the base of the stage. I hoisted Mabel up on my shoulders as there wasn't enough space at the front for all five of us to stand there, which meant there was a beacon of excitement and rainbows for all to see. Pacifica noticed and gave us a scowl as she rose from her chair, probably recounting the events of last night. The blonde girl stepped to the microphone and tapped it with an expertly manicured finger.

"Howdy, everyone!" she exclaimed cheerfully, masking her previous disdain. "You all know me, Pacifica Northwest, great-great-granddaughter of town founder Nathaniel Northwest." She gestured to a stone-carved statue of the man perched on a rock, holding a flag with what I presumed was the Northwest Family crest displayed on the fabric. "I'm also very rich," Pacifica added, which prompted a sea of applause. "Now, if you've got the pioneer spirit, we ask you to come on up and introduce yourself." I had to hand it to the Northwest girl. Aside from always bringing up her fortune, she was a relatively decent public speaker.

Surprisingly, no one had raised their hand or showed any signs of willing participation. Everyone was probably too insecure about going up on the same stage as the family who practically owned the town and just so happened to be the same family with the largest net worth in this region of the United States. Given the town's size and population, I'm sure most people already knew each other. Well, everyone but me and the twins and Pacifica knew that too.

"Hmm, what about you," the rich girl said snootily, locking eyes with me. I guess she didn't take our talk well last night, but I could have handled that better. I glanced up to Mabel, who excitedly began tapping my head with her hands, giving me the go-ahead to squeeze around the crowd to make it to the platform's steps. The bubbly girl above me had gotten hurt by the words shared on this stage in the show, but after putting up with her lovable antics and silliness for the past couple of weeks, I can safely say that Mabel's silliness is a gift.

I doubt Pacifica cares about that, though.

With Mabel still on my shoulders, I stepped to the platform, and for a moment, I caught Mr. Northwest's gaze. His stare felt like a void, hiding any emotion behind whatever mask he had welded to his face. He was inspecting me in a suspicious manner, taking in every detail he could. I studied him, too, figuring the man probably hated coming into the town like this, believing the people to be beneath him. God, what a tool.

Pacifica lifted the microphone from its stand. "Our newcom-"

Despite being on my shoulders, Mabel yanked the microphone out of the rich girl's hand. "How's it going, brave pioneers!?" she shouted into the device, which prompted another sea of cheers and applause. "The name's Mabel, and my wonderful escort over here is Matt." I waved at the crowd with one hand while the other held Mabel steady. "We like to go on amazing adventures with our friends and dabble in mysteries!" Pacifica laughed at this, a classic snooty and haughty laugh.

"I've met you guys before," she announced when her laughter subsided. "The real mystery is why you hang out in that hovel with your great uncle." Mabel's shoulders slumped at the comment, and I took the microphone from her hands.

"You know Pacifica," I began, turning to face her, "being in the midst of people who care about you is an adventure in and of itself." The girl in question rolled her eyes in annoyance, remembering our conversation from the night before.

"Yeah, yeah," Pacifica replied, waving a hand through the air. "Everyone perseveres with the power of friendship." Sarcasm laced her voice like venom. "That's not how the world works." She turned to the crowd, and fake sincerity washed away her subtle mockery. "Those brave men, women, and children on the trail all those years ago only survived because of what little they could carry." It was clear to me that she was trying to get the crowd on her side in this battle of words, but for that to be an effective tactic, one must care about the said audience. As of right now, Pacifica most certainly did not care.

"Well, what do you think the pioneers had when they set out on the Oregon Trail?" This question stumped her. There were apparent answers, like wagons and tools, but I'm not sure her high-class mind could fathom such outdated items. "They had one another, each possessing different but necessary skills and supplies for survival. No one could have made that journey alone. " Pacifica crossed her arms now. "The journey along the Oregon Trail was one of the greatest adventures in human history." I turned to face her. "So yes, the power of friendship was the reason those people preserved.

"In fact, for your prestigious family to have founded the town," I continued, my voice leaning toward its own tone of snootiness, "they too would have needed others to survive to complete the same perilous and filthy journey." Silence followed, and the Northwest heiress glared daggers at me, but I ignored her and faced her father. I could have kept going and straight up accused the Northwests of being frauds, but something told me that wasn't the best idea. Preston Northwest must have caught wind of the potential danger this little debate could arise and rose to his feet. He approached me, taking the microphone from my grasp.

"This young man is quite right!" the billionaire began, setting his free hand behind his back. He faced the crowd, allowing a fake grin to take over his face. "My ancestors were right alongside yours on the Oregon trail, ready for a new life with new opportunities! And guess what? They succeeded!" He gestured to the statue of his great-grandfather. "They blessed us with this wonderful town we all call home." Cheers erupted from the crowd, reinforcing the idea that the Northwests were the greatest in their easily manipulated minds. Preston turned to me, setting the microphone behind his back so no one could hear what he whispered.

"It appears you know your history well. I trust you stick to the hard facts."

I nodded and smirked at him, stepping off the podium and back onto the street. I set Mabel back on the ground, and we returned to Dipper, Candy, and Grenda. I could feel the heat of Preston's gaze on the back of my head. He probably thought we were sheep just like Gideon had, and I was happily going to prove him wrong.

#

The five of us sat on the steps under an even more giant replica of the town's supposed founder. With the forest to our backs, we could clearly see the center of town and all the 'yahoos,' as Stan put it, having the time of their lives, pretending they were in the pre-industrial era. Candy and Grenda had been shoveling chips from the same bag as earlier into their mouths while Mabel picked up a bag of butterscotch and was munching on them contently. All the restaurants in town were either closed or strictly selling food from the 1800s, and knowing this group, they wouldn't settle for anything with less than fifty grams of sugar. And so we decided to skip our first meal.

"I swear, sometimes it's like people are under mind control when they're around the Northwests," Candy said, crossing her arms and breaking the silence. Grenda nodded in agreement. "They love them so blindly."

"Yeah, it's crazy how everything goes right for them all the time!" she exclaimed, angrily munching on her chips. Until then, I had never really questioned the two girls' relationship with the rich, snobby blonde. Pacifica probably treated them like the classic Valley girl bully would in a cheap teenage sitcom, and she definitely fit that bill. I thought she would be a one-dimensional stereotype when she first appeared in the show. But as he had done multiple times, Alex Hirsh proved everybody wrong and pushed her to become a character with depth and conflict inside her. I hope the butterfly effect I have been causing will allow her to solve said conflict.

Dipper had been flipping through the journal violently ever since he sat down. "That may not be the case," he finally spoke up. "All that history talk reminded me of something I read." He scanned a few more pages before finding what he was looking for. "Here it is! According to the journal, the Author found potential evidence to suggest that Nathaniel Northwest was not the actual founder of Gravity Falls." He looked desperate to find something with actual proof, and his face was growing increasingly distressed. "Said proof is on a document housed in the journal, but I can't find it anywhere." Uh-oh, how did that manage to get lost under Dipper's watchful eye?

"Wait," Mabel began, reaching into her sweater pocket, "do you mean this old thing?" She pulled out the old document, revealing it had been folded into a hat. "Us gals needed to be able to roleplay as a sailor to practice our flirting skills last night." Dipper snatched the paper from her hand.

"Mabel, that's ridiculous!"

"I wouldn't be too sure," I commented, pointing to an arrow on the paper. "Looks like Mabel Dog has made a map for us." The girl in question awkwardly set her hands on her hips triumphantly, clearly not realizing she had done so.

"I sure did," Mabel laughed nervously.

"Where does it lead to?" Candy asked, leaning to get a better look at the map.

"It looks like it leads us too," Dipper began, scrutinizing the paper hat, "The Gravity Falls Museum of History." He returned the hat to his sister and stood up with a grin. "Wait, where even is that?"

"Follow Grenda!" Grenda exclaimed, shooting to her feet and running down the steps.

"You heard her," I said, rising to my feet. I hopped down the steps and began to race after the larger girl with the rest of our little crew hot on our heels.

#

"Daughter, who was that boy on the stand?" Preston Northwest inquired, stepping off the back stairs of the stage due to the crowd at the front end. Those people can be such savages. Pacifica had leaned against the family car, and her posture corrected to perfect height once she realized she was in the midst of her father.

"I met him at the party I went to last night," Pacifica replied, and her skin paled. Her parents were not the biggest advocates of allowing her to intermingle with the common folk.

"Pacifica Northwest! Please don't tell me you weren't seen in that hovel they call the Mystery Shack!"

"I went there to ensure people remember we're better than them." While that response was partially true, pure curiosity was her true motivation. She wanted to know what a commoner party was like. The last one she attended was a birthday party for her preschool playmate. Now, she had grown accustomed to the balls and galas the one percent, the only percent that matters of course, attended. But Pacifica couldn't help herself, wanting to know what the music, atmosphere, people, and food were like. Oh my god, the food! They had the greasiest meals and snacks in the world! She had tried a few for herself and couldn't deny how good they tasted. If Mother saw her eat such food, she would without a doubt send Pacifica to a week locked in her room. The whole party experience at the shack was a special one, to say the least. For an inexplicable reason, Pacifica felt a sense of belonging to that Shack. She had felt it the second she looked at the rickety building, and it never ceased until she left. What's even stranger was that the feeling was deep, deep, down, and chained to the bottom of her stomach. It felt different, so she had noted the minuscule feeling. Of course, of all people, Pacifica could never tell her father any of this. So she lied and continued being her father's vision of a perfect daughter. Father knew best.

Preston was pleased by that answer. "I suppose that's acceptable." He took his wife's hand and helped her down the final steps. "That boy is quite suspect. He may have a potential objective considering how he spoke to you on the stage." Preston opened the car door for Mrs. Northwest, and she slipped inside. "Daughter, I would like you to tail that red-haired boy and tell me what he is up to." Pacifica raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, Father." Why? Why does that annoying teen have her father's attention? Despite her inquiry, she did not dare verbally question her father's word.

"Splendid." Preston sat beside his wife in the car, a smile plastered once more on his face. "We have some business to take care of, but we'll be back later to pick you up." The second he closed the door, his smile disappeared, and the chauffeur pulled onto the backstreet.

Pacifica ventured to the center of town, asking if anyone had seen a redhead teen, an energetic girl with braces, a sweaty boy with a big head, a girl who looked ready to join a pro wrestling league, and a girl that had the same color scheme as a mobile game system. One of the perks of being a Northwest is that no one ever lies to you.

Ever.

#

The five of us left the museum, finding what we were looking for. I had pointed out the clue we were searching for the moment I saw it. Dipper, who had kept the hat map to himself, looked at me skeptically when I claimed to have found the clue. Dipper had been the only one to read it and kept its information to himself. In short, he was the only one who could have known where the clue was, and I, like an idiot, proved otherwise. The best part was that I didn't even realize my slip despite Dipper's lingering glances at me.

We threw away our museum day passes as they had fulfilled their purpose. Mabel, however, kept hers and claimed to be saving it for the scrapbook she had been working on. She never let any of us see it, promising to show it at the far-off end of summer.

"Oh hey, there you dudes are!" a familiar and friendly voice called out. We turned around, and Soos exited the museum, racing after us. "I saw you guys in there, but you left so fast I didn't even have a chance to say hi!" Mabel fist-bumped the handyman. The latter wore a large cowboy hat instead of his usual cap and dark blue overalls over his mystery shack uniform.

"Soos, oh my gosh," Mabel started, "You should totally come with us!" She threw her arms up in the air and tilted her head to the sun. "We're uncovering a massive conspiracy!" Dipper slapped a hand over his sister's mouth.

"Mabel!" he hissed, taking a glance around. "You can't just yell that in public!"

"Yeah, I can!" Mabel took a big inhale, ready to shout once more. Her brother, however, was not and covered his sister's mouth for the second time.

"Augh! Did you just lick my hand?!" Dipper exclaimed, removing it from his sister's mouth and shaking it vigorously. "We done here?" Mabel nodded, proud that she had managed to break her brother's hold. "Good. Does anyone know the fastest way to the cemetery?" Soos's hand shot up in the air like a student who knows all the answers.

"Oh! I do, dude!" the handyman declared. "I dropped a full large pizza pie once and go every night to the cemetery to pay my respects." Soos set his hat over his heart at the mention of the pizza, wiping a sudden tear from his eye.

#

After she had been pointed in the general direction of the Gravity Falls museum, Pacifica had heard a certain high-pitched bubbly yell about solving a conspiracy. Probably nothing of serious note as Pacifica assumed she knew the person who had shouted, that Pines girl. And that girl wasn't solemn. She followed the sound of the voice and found herself tailing the group she was tasked with finding. A larger man, the party's DJ from last night, had now accompanied them. Juice, she thinks his name was. What a weird name. After following from a distance, the group of whackos led her to the cemetery. What a grimy, odd place to hang out.

Pacifica had also encountered the police. As it turns out, they were pursuing the same group she was, and they had asked her if she had seen them. Father never trusted law enforcement, especially in this town, so neither did she. Pacifica lied and told the two officers, Blubs and Durland, that the 'delinquents' were heading to the town limits. They had trusted her word without a second thought and went right on their way. Told you being a Northwest comes with its perks.

#

"Wow, you really buried a pizza pie in a cemetery," I commented. While Dipper, Mabel, Candy, and Grenda were all standing under a stone-carved angel pointing somewhere beyond the horizon, Soos and I stood over a dirt mound with a crudely made wooden cross sticking out of the ground.

"I sure did, dawg," Soos sniffled, wrapping his large arm around my shoulder. "Wouldn't you do the same if you dropped a perfectly good pizza pie?" I didn't have a chance to reply.

"The statue must be pointing to the next clue," Dipper theorized, ignoring us and lining up his gaze with the pointer finger of the angel. We all looked at the location the statue was leading us to. The mall. While Dipper was looking where the angel pointed, his sister climbed the figure and set the extended finger in her nostril.

"Guys look," Mabel exclaimed. "She's picking my nose." She laughed, but something even weirder happened. The finger didn't move to reveal the passageway under Mabel's weight. Instead, it broke right off, causing Mabel to fall on her behind. She quickly stood and tossed the broken finger into a nearby bush, discarding the evidence like her grunkle had taught her. The group was ready to press forward to the mall, but I stopped them.

"Soos, can you help me move this rock?" I asked, squatting beside the stone embedded at the statue's base. Said stone had a triangle embossed into it with a singular eye in its center, and I tried to pay it no mind but kept sneaking unwary glances at the geometry. "I think there might be something important here."

Dipper stopped at the sound of my request, making an audible huff. "How could you possibly know that," he snapped, whirling around to glare at me. "I'm the one with the map and all the information, so how do you know where more clues are?"

"Just a hunch," I replied with a shrug as Soos set himself up on the other side of the rock. "And pure curiosity." Dipper groaned as Soos, and I shifted the rock revealing a set of coffins beneath it. I stood up and scratched my head. Where was the secret stash of American secrets? There were no stairs leading to a hidden cave. Only a six-foot hole with human remains was present. Disturbing the dead in Gravity Falls is certainly never a good idea, but I couldn't shake the impression that the grave was hiding something. One odd thing was the presence of a metal ladder leading all the way to the bottom of the grave. Why would a grave need a ladder? It wasn't like anything was climbing out.

"Stupid normal grave!" Grenda yelled, picking up a nearby stone. "Why can't you be INTERESTING!" Upon her final word, the strong girl sent the rock flying into the grave. My heart dropped. If zombies start rising out of this thing, we're totally screwed.

I held my breath as the stone hit the dirt below, but that's when the impossible happened. Instead of colliding with the ground with the force of a boulder like I had expected, the stone simply phased right through the dirt. A metallic echo reverberated below, and we stood there dumbfounded.

"Grenda," Candy began, "I knew you were strong, but not that strong." The girl in question took this moment to boast, flexing her arms with a massive grin. Refusing to believe my eyes, I picked up a smaller pebble and dropped it into the hole. The smaller stone phased right through one of the coffins, and a faint echo followed, just like the first one. This grave was certainly not as it seemed.

"Woah," Soos began, straightening his cowboy hat, "nice call, Matt." Dipper crossed his arms at Soos' praise while I sat on the ground and swung my feet onto the ladder's rungs, beginning my descent. Once I reached the bottom of the final rung, I noticed the heel of my shoe was phasing through the ground. With a slight push of my arms, I allowed myself to fall into the artificial grave. I braced for impact, using my arm to steady my landing. After a short fall, cold steel greeted my fingers, and a dark abyss surrounded me. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the amulet, and raised it to the air, illuminating the area.

Instead of a room filled with cobwebs, relics, and secrets of the United States of America, the space housed stacked crates and boxes that lined the walls. There were labels on each container, which appeared to be sorted alphabetically, stacked to the deceitful steel ceiling above. Metal-grated fluorescent lights hung from the top with their bulbs switched off. I'd say this is a storage room if I didn't know better. Whoever or whatever was down here could easily use a crane to lower or a forklift to raise supplies, depending on what was needed. The room was certainly large enough for it. If that were the case, a cemetery would be the perfect cover to lower things into the ground.

"Matt!" I heard Mabel call from above. "Matt! Oh my gosh, he's dead!"

"I'm alright, Mabel!" I called back with a chuckle, stepping to the front corner of the room. "Who's next?" I didn't receive a verbal response. Instead, Soos came plummeting from above, landing on his round stomach, which luckily cushioned his fall.

"Geronimo!" Mabel shouted after her friend's rocky descent, diving into the room and crashing into the poor handyman with a grunt. Everyone landed safely into the room one by one, and our gazes fell upon the door at the front of the room, presumably leading further underground.

#

Despite thinking commoners were below her, Pacifica knew rooting around a person's grave was wrong and a messed up activity. The six weirdos had all hopped down one after the other and were probably taking selfies or collecting teeth or something. Gross. She expected to see the tallest of the group's heads poking out, but not a hint of red hair or a cowboy hat was in sight. Pacifica wandered closer to the open grave and peeked into its hole to find no one there, but stranger still was the fact she could hear their voices. Her foot rested on the edge of the dirt, and her gaze fixated on the hole. The heiress was lost in thought, unable to notice the soil shift under her weight. A split second later, the earth caved beneath her, and she was sent plummeting down into the grave, letting out a distressed scream.

#

"Hey, do you dudes hear that?" Soos asked, now standing comfortably on his feet. As a matter of fact, I did hear what he was talking about. It kinda sounded like a-.

A body slammed into him from above, and the large man found himself lying on the floor once more.

"Is that Pacifica?" Mabel asked quizzically, prompting the blonde in question to raise her head to look at us. She didn't say anything and sat there like a deer in headlights.

"Northwest?" I began, utterly surprised by her presence. "What are you doing here?" She didn't reply, still processing her sudden fall. A small groan emanated beneath her. "Oh, would you please get off our Soos?" The heiress looked down, and her face paled, realizing what cushioned her fall. Pacifica Northwest was currently making physical contact with a commoner, and she knew it. What a sight to behold.

"It's alright, dude!" Soos announced, his voice muffled by the steel floor. "I'll be designated as a safety cushion!" Pacifica rolled off the handyman in a heartbeat and stood to her full height.

"So what is the richest person in town doing jumping head first into graves?" Dipper asked, crossing his arms. I think this was his first time officially meeting her, and based on what Mabel and I had said about the heiress, I don't think he was her biggest fan. That's not even considering what he had seen himself during last night's party.

"I was just in the area when I saw you, bozos," Pacifica replied, dusting herself off. "Considering if I should call the cops depending on what you were doing down here."

"Yeah, right," Dipper scoffed. "I saw you tailing us earlier." He crossed his arms and soaked in Pacifica's shock. I was a little surprised, too, as I didn't notice her, and I'm sure the girls and Soos didn't either. She had thought she was discreet, but even Pacifica couldn't evade Dipper's keen sense of observation. "Having bright blonde hair isn't really a great color while trying to utilize stealth."

Suddenly loud metallic thumps began pattering on the other side of the large door. They grew in volume, and all our gazes flew in its direction. "Get this door open now!" A gruff voice ordered, muffled by the wall separating us.

"Everyone, hide!" I ordered with a whisper. We scattered to the room's dark corners, and I extinguished the light of the amulet. The next second, the metal door swung open after the sound of a swipe from a keycard, allowing white light to flood into the room. I had bolted to the front corner of the chamber, sliding for cover. I pushed myself up and allowed myself to slowly rise, pressing my back to a group of crates. A set of two footsteps could be heard entering the room. My breath felt heavy, and my pulse rang in my ears. I prayed these voices weren't something supernatural. Peering my head around the crate, I could make out their appearances. Both were stocky men. Good. They wore full black suits with sunglasses, each with key cards clipped to their breast pockets. Not good. They are definitely agents of some kind. Couldn't we have just dealt with Blubs and Durland? These guys look serious.

"Motion detector was tripped in here," one of the men declared, pushing a button on the wall that sealed the door behind them with an audible hiss of machinery. "Fan out and find triggered it." He put his hand on his waist, revealing a gun holster. I gulped quietly, regretting hopping into the fake grave.

The other man sighed and was visibly less tense than the other. "You sure it isn't just that raccoon from the last few times?" He asked, casually strolling in behind his partner. The more uptight agent ignored his partner with a roll of his eyes and stepped further into the room. I quickly pulled my head back behind the cover and gripped the amulet tightly. He was walking straight towards me.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin. I whirled my head around, but no one was there, so I looked up and saw Mabel peering back at me atop the storage crate I was hiding behind. I took a quick breath of relief and noticed she was holding something small in her hand. In the dim white light seeping into our corner of the room, I could see her holding the stone Grenda had chucked into the grave a few minutes ago. Mabel then made a fake throw motion with her arm, and I caught onto the plan she was forming. I gave a thumbs up and readied myself, preparing to leap from behind cover. Mabel held a fist in the air with her free hand, having a clear line of sight of the approaching agent who couldn't see her lurking in the shadows. She waited for the man to take a few more steps, and when he was right in front of the crate, she threw the pebble to the opposite side of the room.

"What was that?" The tense agent asked, whirling around and drawing his pistol toward the loud clang. His back was to the small crevice I was hiding behind.

"I'm telling you, it's just that darn raccoon," the other agent declared.

"Well, it definitely didn't sound like a raccoon," The tense agent retorted. "Go check it out, now." The other man, sulking slightly, sighed once more and walked to the other side of the storage room.

"C'mere, little raccoon," he called in a soothing tone, bending down on his knees to peer down the slight gaps between containers. "I promise I won't hurt ya." With that agent distracted and the other agent's back turned, Mabel opened her tightly closed fist and gestured forward. I suppressed the urge to smile at her militaristic tactics in this tense situation.

I crept around the corner, holding my arm out while grasping the amulet tightly. Instead of holding the amulet in my offhand, I held it in my dominant one, hoping for more power in my swing. The serious agent still had his back turned but did have his pistol ready. I ignited the shield and held firm, realizing I only had one shot to take this guy down. I pulled my arm back and surged it forward, aiming for the back of his head.

"Huh?" the agent began, the sudden red light pulsating behind him caught his attention. He turned, and my shield rammed right into his face, striking his temple. The agent was out cold instantly, dropping his pistol and falling backward. I cringed slightly at the clean blow, realizing I probably just gave the guy a concussion. That wasn't the first time I'd given somebody one, so the guilt was relatively easy to shake off.

The commotion I had just caused did not go unnoticed by the other agent, and he pivoted his stance, drawing his pistol. I raised the shield, praying it had the strength to block a 9mm bullet from close range. Luckily I didn't get to find out since Soos, seemingly out of nowhere, charged at the agent from the center of the room with a glorious war cry. Like a bull, Soos ran the guy into the wall, jarring the agent's weapon loose, to which Candy, who also came out of nowhere, kicked it aside. Both agents were down for the count.

"Good thing Mr. Pines taught me how to take down shoplifters," Soos panted, stepping away from the collapsed man.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked, setting the amulet back in my pocket.

"Who the heck were those guys?" Pacifica snapped, stepping out from behind her chosen cover.

"They're-" I began but cut myself off, noticing a stare from Dipper out the corner of my eye. I was pretty sure I knew who these guys were, I was quite confident, but I could not explain how I knew, so I shut my mouth. How do you even explain to a paranoid kid that you know what government agents look like? Unable to come up with an answer, I crouched over the agent I had knocked out and unclipped the keycard from his suit. A portrait of the man was shown under the bold letters spelling the words "United States Government." I feigned a sense of surprise as I looked up at the group that had amassed around me. "Never thought I'd assault a government agent." The group gasped at the revelation. Below his portrait was text in apparent gibberish.

"Xvgyuwfd wsv wcb xvgvhh bwfnifh YP Lpxuo," it read.

"Dipper, how good are you with ciphers?" I asked, and the preteen scoffed at the question prompting me to hand him the keycard. He took out his journal and pen, wrote the cipher on a blank page, and got to work. The rest of the group stood awkwardly, itching for the slightest hint of insight, Pacifica most of all.

"How long is this going to take?" she asked irritably, breaking the silence.

"A lot faster if you shut up," Dipper remarked, not looking up from his journal.

"Whatever."

After another few minutes, Dipper announced his findings.

"It's not a Caesar, Atbash, or a Playfair cipher." He clicked his pen thoughtfully, examining the page he was writing on. I took a peek, and the contents looked just as confusing as the cipher itself.

"What about the one that uses a code?" Mabel asked, peering over her brother's shoulder. "Those always stump you."

"Yeah, it could be a Vigenère, but one like that needs a key to crack it, and I doubt the United States government is stupid enough to-"

"Guys, look what I found!" Grenada called, standing over the other agent's body by the wall. In her boredom, she removed the suit jacket from the man and proudly wore the oversized coat. Grenada was holding a yellow slip of paper with the word "key" scribbled in messy handwriting. Dipper rushed over to her and snatched the paper, ignoring her call to fashion. Of course, after briefly examining the slip, Dipper noticed no other writing present. He let out a groan that caused Pacifica to crack a smile at his frustration. She seemed to have seen something he hadn't, reaching into the agent's pocket and pulling out a pen.

"Let me take a look," Pacifica offered, twirling the pen she found in the agent's pocket expertly between her fingers. Dipper, out of ideas, handed the paper to her. She held the pen close to the paper and clicked it, but instead of a ballpoint emerging, a purple light shone from the writing utensil, causing Dipper's jaw to drop. "My father has pens like this one all around the manor," she explained, soaking in Dipper's shocked expression before shifting her gaze back to the note. "The key is…Freedom. Try that, dork." Dipper did just that, and to his surprise, it worked, and a message began to form.

"Security for top secret Project MK Ultra," Dipper read aloud, causing my blood to run cold. No way I heard that right. Having learned about this stuff in school, I knew this project was one of the most infamous in American history. This project specifically dealt psychological damage upon its willing or unwilling test subjects, intending to control their mind through brainwashing. The whole project was inhumane, and some participants didn't even know they were participating.

"Why would an old project from the Cold War be what the cipher was hiding?" Candy asked, fixing her glasses and reading the message herself. "That was shut down decades ago because they couldn't get anywhere with it."

"How can a war be cold?" Soos asked. No one answered.

"This is bad," Dipper remarked, his palm cupping his forehead. "If the project is up and running, instead of being shut down like the public thought, then the government could have made so much progress in the years since."

"But why would these guys be stationed here of all places, though?" Mabel asked, causing Dipper to gasp.

"What if they have been using the supernatural to enhance the project?"

"That is certainly a possibility," I agreed. "We're in way over our heads-"

"Literally!" Soos butted in.

"-so I think we should get out of here."

"What and do nothing?" Dipper asked, tucking his journal away. An awkward silence followed. The hum of the lights above sounded like jet engines. Dipper's gaze held mine with surprising weight, refusing to let go. The others exchanged glances amongst themselves except Pacifica, who was enjoying the drama unfolding before her. No doubt about that. "If these agents are up to something dangerous, we can't just leave." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Dipper," I began, gesturing to one of the knocked-out guards, "this is the United States Government we're talking about." Candy nodded in agreement. At least someone was being reasonable. "We have no idea what could be past that door."

"And when has that stopped you before?" Dipper crossed his arms defiantly. "You're always the first of us to jump in action, but suddenly you want to be cautious? You littery just threw yourself into a grave a second ago!" My neck began to feel hot. I was only so confident because I knew what would happen. I expected an old vault full of relics, certainly not MK Ultra. I've practically studied Gravity Falls and its story and characters, and I know everyone's motives and drives. I know their weaknesses and fears, but most importantly, I know the future, or at least I did. Things have been changing, but they've at least resembled what happened in the show in their respective episodes. Every threat I have taken part in defeating was shown to some degree in the show, and this is the first time something has had a drastic change, with little resemblance to its original image. Do you see Quentin Trembly, the silliest person in the history of the United States? I certainly don't. All I see are armed government agents in a secret underground facility. Due to my lack of a response, Dipper continued.

"You were expecting to find something different in that grave, weren't you?" I tried to voice a reply, which would have been yet another lie, but Dipper didn't let me. "Don't try to deny it. I could see it in your face." He had me there. Man, this kid was good. "What's confusing to me is now that we found something you didn't expect, you want to turn tail and run."

"That's not fair, dude," I declared, thankful Dipper gave me a chance to speak. "Of course, I want to do something, but we can't just knock on the government's door saying we're gonna stop them." I rubbed the back of my neck, hoping my palm was cold enough to cool it down. It wasn't. "We need to strategize."

"What about all the other times?" Dipper retorted. "The gnomes, the gobblewonker, the wax figures, Gideon, the store, the gnomes again, the man and womantaurs, and that paper monster last night? You charged right into those conflicts when you should've had no idea what the outcome or the full scale would be of whatever we were facing. Unless you did." I didn't say anything, letting my arms fall slack. For a brief second, I considered telling him the truth, that I knew the world would almost end, that his great uncle has a lab under his house and that his crush on Wendy was useless. But then I remembered I'd have to tell him how I know if I told him all that. Bill could prance into Pine Tree's mind and figure out that this entire universe is part of a fictitious show, and that would undoubtedly set a course for him back to my dimension.

Who's the only one who knows about this all-powerful root dimension that influences all others? Me. Bill will undoubtedly try and weasel his way into my head to find what I'm hiding. Sure, I could tell Dipper never to trust the triangular demon to prevent this hypothetical stuff, but Dipper has canonically shown that he would cave into his temptation the first time around.

Everyone had Dipper's undivided attention during this tangent. Soos and Mabel also began to stare at me, seemingly waiting for a response to clear the air of Dipper's accusations. Both of them had been by my side in multiple dangerous scenarios. Those situations were life and death to them, but I had never felt a sense of mortal danger. I never thought that I could actually die. Despite the fear and adrenaline in those situations, I knew I'd come out relatively unscathed and had a slight sense of security. But right now, being on the doorstep of a covert government operation, I have no such feeling.

"How are you able to face all that stuff confidently and succeed? I know you are not using the journal because I always have it," Dipper went on, and I let him. "Which begs the question of how you always know what to do. None of it adds up."

"It was life or death, Dipper," I lied, giving as few details as possible, to which Dipper simply shook his head. He knew there was more to it than that.

"Have you been working with someone?" Dipper asked, and his accusatory stare turned grave. "Do you know who wrote the journal?" Pacifica, sensing he was finished, spoke up.

"Wow, I have no idea what just happened," she began, "can we just get out of here already?" As soon as the words left her mouth, as if the universe was answering her question, a static voice echoed through the room, emanating from the belts of both agents. None of us could hear what the spokesperson said, the static too thick to decipher anything legible. But then, a moment later, the same clunks and patters of footsteps on the metal floor from the other side of the door came within earshot. This time, they were much louder and more forceful, which meant more agents were rapidly approaching. My eyes darted around the room, searching for a quick escape; the only thing I could think of was the grave entrance above us.

"Oh no, there's more of them coming!" Grenada exclaimed, sending the group into a panic. The grave entrance above us was in the center of the room and was too high up for any one of us to access alone. Soos locked eyes with me, realizing this as well. I scooped up Mabel and set her on my shoulders, and Soos did the same for Dipper.

"Woah, what are you guys doing?" Mabel asked, grabbing my head and hair to stabilize herself from the sudden movement. I winced from the stinging pain from her grip on my hair but did not waiver.

"Getting you dudes outta here," Soos replied, standing beside me. The top of the twin's heads began poking through the ceiling, disappearing completely.

"Grab that ladder and get out of here," I ordered. Mabel, luckily with little hesitation, grabbed onto the hidden ladder and hoisted herself to the surface, phasing completely through the fake metal ceiling.

"What about you guys?" Dipper asked, following his sister up the ladder.

"Just go!" I ordered, and Dipper scrambled up the rungs after his sister. He gave me a worried look as I picked up Candy, allowing her to follow the twins, and both disappeared above us into the hidden sunlight. Pacifica was next and was clearly uncomfortable, wrinkling her nose as the handyman grabbed her.

"If you drop me, I'm suing you into the ground, deeper than any secret hidden bunker," she threatened, but Soos ignored her, getting the heiress to safety. Last was Grenda, and due to her larger size and muscle mass, it took both Soos and I to lift her to the ladder above. Just as the swipe of a key card opened the metal door before us, Grenda disappeared above the soil. A dozen agents with rifles and body armor rushed into the room. Their sights were trained on us, with six red dots peppered both our chests from the rifle's laser attachments. Soos and I raised our arms above our heads, and two more agents entered the room, seemingly unarmed. My heart dropped at the sight of them.

"Well Trigger," Agent Powers began, craning his head to look at the two unconscious agents on the floor, "looks like we found what triggered the alarm." I gulped as his eyes met mine. This was way worse than zombies.

#

The five that managed to slip away hid near a larger tomb concealed by its imposing cylindrical pillars. Their hearts were racing, and they stood silently, trying to catch their breath and comprehend what had happened. Dipper was examining his elbow that he somehow managed to scrape, probably due to his rapid ascent out of the grave. After ensuring he wasn't bleeding out or being chased, the flood of adrenaline in his veins subsided, turning off the flight mode he was forced into.

"We have to go back for them," Mabel suddenly stated, her gaze locked on the grave they had just fled from. Her braces whistled quietly due to accelerated breathing, and her sweater sleeve was stained with sweat from her forehead. She glanced at her brother and noticed he was avoiding eye contact, examining his cut for the second time. "I know when you're ignoring me, Dipstick. We've known each other since birth." His sister's declaration caused Dipper to sigh, and his eyes found hers. Instantly she could tell what he was thinking. "I know you're upset with Matt, but you know he'd jump straight back in that grave to save us." Dipper's face turned sour.

"No, actually, I don't know," he replied with furrowed eyebrows. "Did you not just listen to a single thing I said there?" Mabel crossed her arms with a pout, causing Dipper's tone to lighten slightly. "Look, all I'm saying is that-"

"Oh my gosh, Bro, Bro!" Mabel cut him off with a groan. "Do you honestly think I haven't noticed that stuff you're paranoid about either? I'm not stupid." That statement caused Pacifica to scoff, but Mabel ignored her. "Sure, he could be hiding something, big whoop!" She threw her hands around extravagantly. "But you and I know we probably couldn't deal with half the things we've encountered without him." She set her hands on her brother's shoulders. "One gobblewonker we could've handled, but two? Secret or not, he is still our friend and has helped us so much." Dipper hung his head, knowing she was right, but he couldn't shake the paranoia that enveloped him. Matt was hiding something important that he was sure of. If he doesn't tell him what that secret is soon, Dipper knows how to find the answers he wants, a decision that he deemed a last resort. Sure, that would probably anger the older teen, but then he'd know how Matt made him feel. Despite being friends with the red-haired teen, Dipper hasn't known him that long. He had no idea Matt's true intentions, unsettling the preteen even more. But Dipper knew, despite his words, that Matt wouldn't have left him behind. That has to count for something.

"You're right," Dipper announced with a sigh, jamming his hands in his vest pockets and glancing up at his sister. "But how are we gonna get back in there without getting caught?" Mabel gave a smirk from her brother's change of heart and reached into her sweater pocket, pulling out the map hat. Dipper raised his head entirely in confusion, and using both arms, he began frantically patting his vest.

"Sleight of hand Bro-Bro," Mabel interrupted with a wink. "You were right about the map leading us to the mall-" She tossed him the hat- "There was a store with the same symbol as the one on the map that I saw on our first day here. And given what we just uncovered, I think this map leads us to a different entrance."

Dipper fumbled to catch the hat, causing Pacifica to snicker at him. "Well, you dorks have fun with that," she said, fixing her hair. "I've got interviews to do and money to count." Pacifica began to stride away, but Dipper caught her arm, stopping her in her tracks, making her eyes widen and her shoulders tense. "You have two seconds to let go of me."

Dipper did just that, realizing that she could find a way to sue him if she desired, and judging by her face, she was practically begging him to give her a reason. Her ferocious blue-eyed stare seemed to tear through his skin, but surprise washed over her face when Dipper stepped closer. "Listen," he began, emotion devoid from his voice. "You're going to help us."

"As if I'd ever-"

"And here's why," Dipper continued. "Those agents have probably figured out that there were more people than just Matt and Soos in there, and soon they will come looking for the other people who breached their security." He pointed his finger at her. "That one guard saw our faces before Soos knocked him out, and since these people have eyes everywhere, they will find us. Right now, we need to stick together." Dipper studied her, and for a moment, Pacifica stood there. She was thinking, he presumed, probably weighing the possibilities and consequences of staying versus leaving in her mind.

"Fine," Pacifica stated with a groan while quickly crossing her arms. "Lead the way."

#

Pacifica couldn't believe she was walking through town with people she considered losers. The five of them hastily walked down the sidewalk, and Pacifica's gaze was set forward with her chin up, refusing to look at anyone they passed by. However, Pacifica had convinced herself that this course of action was necessary and, therefore, acceptable. Father had told her to keep an eye on these people after all, and she would do just that. She knew her father would be most displeased if she couldn't uncover anything of use. This wasn't her only driving factor. That same chained-up feeling returned in her stomach, almost like it guided her choices.

As they approached the mall, Mabel tugged on Dipper's sleeve, pointing to a store with a familiar symbol on the front. "That's the one," she whispered, and together they led the rest of the group toward the entrance. The door was locked, with a sign saying, "Closed for repair," but Dipper managed to pick the lock with some finesse. That sham of an uncle probably taught him that, Pacifica thought as they slipped inside.

The store was filled with all kinds of strange objects, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to futuristic gadgets. Pacifica's eyes widened in disbelief as she took it all in. She had never seen anything like it before. "What is this place?" she muttered under her breath.

"It's a pawn shop," Dipper explained, his eyes scanning the shelves for anything that might be useful. "A really bizarre one."

Pacifica couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them as they entered the store. It was like a sixth sense that she couldn't explain. She kept her guard up, having a small can of pepper spray at the ready. She carried that spray with her everywhere. No way she was going to let any of the potential riff-raff get close to her.

Suddenly, a noise from the back of the store caught their attention. It was a rustling sound, like someone or something was rummaging around. Pacifica's grip on the pepper spray tightened as she looked at the others. Dipper gestured for everyone to stay put as he crept toward the sound, somewhere behind a metal shelf.

Pacifica watched as Dipper cautiously approached the noise source, contemplating whether she should sprint in the opposite direction. The heiress had never been in a situation like this before, with danger lurking around every corner. It was exhilarating, and Pacifica couldn't help the thrill that ran through her veins. Stress like this will surely turn her hair grey.

A sudden distant crackle caught her attention, making her freeze in anticipation. She knew they had heard that same alarming cackle of radios and voices in that government storage room.

"Looks like there are some government guys ahead," Dipper whispered. "Mabel, are you sure this is the right place?

"Yeah, Bro-bro," she confirmed. "Just as I said, I don't think it's a coincidence these guys are in both places the map has led us." Dipper braced himself, gently nudging the shelf to reveal an open tunnel where they could see government agents doing their rounds. She knew the twins wanted to get their friends back, but this seemed a little out of their hands.

"Anyone got any idea how we can sneak through here and get Matt and Soos?" Dipper asked hopefully to the group. That other weird girl Grenda glanced down, remembering she had taken one of the agent's suit jackets. A somewhat cartoonish idea popped into her head, convincing her to hoist Candy up on her shoulders.

"We go..." Grenda began, handing Candy the jacket.

"Incognit-o." Candy finished, emphasizing the rhyme and dawning the jacket. After they buttoned the suit closed, they looked like a half-decent guard.

Dipper looked appalled. "There is no way that is gonna-"

"I love the creativity, girls!" Mabel exclaimed, drowning out her brother.

Pacifica rolled her eyes at the twins' antics, but deep down, she couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for their bravery. They were putting themselves in danger to help their friends, and it was a concept that Pacifica had never really understood before. She was always taught to prioritize her interests and shoot for number one. But watching the twins risk everything for their idiotic friends, Pacifica couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She shook her head. Yeah right. Her? Jealous?

Maybe Matt's words hit closer to home than she thought.

As Candy and Grenda got ready to put on the show of their lives, Pacifica found herself slipping into the background. She didn't want to draw attention to herself, not with those government agents lurking around every corner. But it was clear Pacifica's nerves began to get the best of her as they made their way closer to where Matt and Soos were being held. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her palms slick with sweat. This was it.

#

A set of knapsack bags were put over Soos' and my face as a courtesy of the agents leading us to a holding chamber. They made us keep our arms above our heads as we walked after they had patted us down. Luckily, they brushed right over the amulet in my pocket.

I heard Soos making anxious noises beside me, and I couldn't blame him. "Uh, dude?" he began, shuffling ever so slightly closer. "They're not going to feed us to monsters or anything, right?"

"No way, Soos," I whispered back, "I don't think they're crazy enough to do that."

"Okay, good, cuz I really don't want to die on an empty stomach."

"Pipe down, you two," one of the agents barked, shoving us along.

Peeking under the bag placed over my head, I saw several pairs of feet, including my own, walking along a steel-grated floor. Our footsteps clanged heavily as we were pressed into this underground maze. I tried keeping track of the twists and turns we made, but due to my lack of vision, it proved almost impossible. I had no choice but to be led blindly into whatever mess lay ahead. Not too long after, Soos and I were filed into a holding room where our crude blindfolds were removed. The room was completely dark, with a single and rather dramatic hanging light directly above us. Neither of us could see the corners of the room, shrouded in darkness.

"Oh, thank god, the lights are back on."

"Astute observation, Mr. Ramirez," a voice declared, a hint of dry snootiness and utter slight laced the words to their core. My body tensed, recognizing the speaker immediately. Soos and I turned around, facing a man in a perfect suit and almost unblemished brown hair. "I believe I have already met your acquaintance," Mr. Northwest continued, holding my gaze with hands clasped expertly behind his back. A familiar burning sensation met the man's pompous demeanor within my pocket.

"Oh my gosh," Soos exclaimed, taking a timorous step toward the patriarch and allowing a hint of excitement to seep into his voice. "Are you really-?"

"Yes, yes." Mr. Northwest raised his chin curtly, almost as if to look down upon the taller man. "Richest man within the Northwest region, hence bearing its namesake." I rolled my eyes at the boastful comment. "It appears to me that you two," he paused to find the right word, "gentlemen were caught trespassing."

"And why would you care exactly?" I chimed in.

"It's actually quite simple. Even your middle-class mind would-"

"Get to the point."

Mr. Northwest seemed almost hurt that his obnoxious slander was shot down. "This government facility that you have somehow stumbled upon," he poised a hand towards his chest, "is my property."

"Oh shoot, we're totally sorry, dude!" Soos shook his hands in a thankful gesture. "We know how much you do for our town."

Mr. Northwest returned his hand behind his back, seemingly pleased by the handyman's atonement. "Your apology is duly noted, Mr. Ramierz." The affluent man's gaze returned to mine. "Does your ginger friend here share the same sentiment?"

"I'm sure he does! Right, Matt?" I said nothing, glaring daggers at the, as Mabel would more than likely put it, "rich poophead." I hope she and the others were alright.

Sensing my ire, Mr. Northwest genuinely smiled, at least from what I could tell. That man wears a mask in such a way that you can never tell his true emotions. "Splendid. As this facility's generous and humble benefactor, I have decided not to press charges."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Northwest!" Soos proclaimed. I just scoffed. There had to be more to this than a simple farewell.

"Of course." The wealthy man leaned slightly forward, raising a finger. "I only ask you this one question in exchange for my generosity." The amulet, more than likely sensing Northwest's intentions, blistered ever hotter. I decided to trust it, slipping my hand into my pocket to grasp it. The sensation was so intense it almost locked my hand around the jewel. The ominous voice I had heard with Wendy returned, speaking quietly in a ghastly tone only I could hear.

There is more to his words. He lies. Do not trust him.

"My question is this," Mr. Northwest continued, "How deeply do you care for one another?"

Soos threw an arm around me, pulling me close to him with a tight grip. "Oh, dude, me and Matt go wayyy back." The handyman put his free hand on his chin in thought. "About two weeks." He shook me slightly to emphasize his words. "I'd take a bullet for this dude right here."

Once again, Mr. Northwest seemed pleased by Soos' words. "Intriguing. You truly believe this?"

"Yes, sir, I-" The patriarch didn't let Soos finish, reaching into his suit pocket and drawing some sort of modified pistol in the blink of an eye. Ready for Preston's sudden move, I drew the amulet igniting the shield in an attempt to cover both of us. However, the bright shield was too small of adequate cover for two men, and a projectile buried itself into Soos's wide shoulder. The Handyman fell to one knee while Mr. Northwest, satisfied, concealed the gun back in his front pocket. Soos had pulled me down with him due to his iron grip, and I thought I just watched my friend die.

Disregarding Northwest and, by extension, my own safety, I inspected Soos' wound. Luckily whatever was fired did not fully embed itself within Soos' body, allowing me to pull it out easily. The large man in question seemed fine, only boasting an accelerated heart rate. The projectile within my grasp seemed to be a canister, but whatever it contained had been administered into Soos' body.

I had to peel my eyes away from my injured friend to glare at Mr. Northwest. "What did you just do."

Preston Northwest simply straightened his suit jacket. "I assure you, boy, Mr. Remirez's flesh wound is about to be the least of your problems." The door we had been filed through hissed open, and the patriarch promptly and hastily took his leave. I rose to my feet, attempting to chase after him, but as quickly as the door opened, it creaked shut the moment Northwest was through. I bashed the shield as hard as I could against the sealed door, and the clash reverberated through the room, but the door did not yield.

Returning to my senses, I rushed back to Soos's side. "Dude," he began, "are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me, ya big lug," I replied, putting pressure on his wound. Blood had begun to seep out of the minor laceration, not a concerning amount, but blood never helps keep a situation calm. "How do you feel?"

"I feel...a little lightheaded, dude." Soos tried craning his neck to look at his wound. "What did Mr. Northwest hit me with? I thought he was cool."

"Well, that was your first mistake, buddy." Within only a few moments, and to our relief, the bleeding had completely stopped, and a small clot was formed. Another rather dramatic light illuminated a glass wall on the other side of the room, where an unfazed Preston Northwest stood with a small microphone in his grasp.

His voice flowed into the room through a set of hidden speakers out of sight. "This is military-grade, impenetrable glass." His tone was deliberate. "I spared no expense, as I'm sure you've already guessed. If you try pounding on this glass like you did with that door," he tapped his knuckle lightly on the pane. "I guarantee you'll die of exhaustion long before you make a scratch."

"Why are you keeping us here?" I asked, gripping the amulet tightly.

Preston's posture straightened to full height. "I sense the coming of a dark time," he stated, holding my gaze. "One that will darken the skies with blood and gore. This future is inevitable. It is impossible to avoid. The weak will have no place in this world; physically and mentally, we must be strong if we want to survive." Soos' body began to writhe under me, and a black substance ran through his body, turning his skin an appalling white contrasted by the dark essence that now coursed through his veins.

"Soos?" I shook him slightly, but he was unresponsive.

"I have funded a way for the latter to be unbreakable, our minds shall no longer hinder our abilities, and we will do what's necessary to survive in this coming tide."

My blood ran cold, and the amulet burned hot once more, its voice returning.

Fight.

"I see you have begun to put the pieces together," the menacing billionaire commented. "You two have been blessed with the opportunity of being the first human test subjects of the once thought-dead project MK Ultra." As if on cue, Soos' body stopped shaking. Before I could look at him, I was sucker punched. He knocked the wind out of me, and I flew through the air. I met the ground forcefully with a grunt.

"Soos?" My call landed on deaf ears. I could only watch as my friend picked himself off the floor, his eyes completely darkened by the foreign substance. The amulet's voice rang in my ears.

Fight.

#

Candy and Grenda led the group quietly forward. For everyone to remain undetected, they had lifted a grate on the floor for everyone to crawl through that ran parallel to the main walkway into the facility. The plan was for the two stacked girls to guide the others by walking on top of the grates while trying to find any signs of a detention or prison center. There was just one problem preventing their plan from starting. Pacifica refused to crawl in the disgusting confined space.

"What if there are rats down there?!" She argued with the group. "They'll tear me apart!"

Dipper scoffed. "You really are a rich girl, aren't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means there won't be any rats!"

"Guys," Mabel butted in, "yelling at each other isn't going to solve anything."

"Speak for yourself!" Pacifica threw her arms in Dipper's direction. "This dork you call a brother is calling me stupid!"

"Huh, I'm surprised you caught onto that."

Mabel rolled her eyes, realizing neither of them would shut up, reaching into her sweater pocket and pulling out one of the disposable cameras from their gobblewonker trip. A bright flash illuminated Dipper and Pacifica, causing them to stare at Mabel.

"Finally," she began, relishing in their silence, "Can we get a move on already?"

"I am not going down there!" Pacifica exclaimed. "It's probably all moist and grimy!"

"You better, or else I'm going to post the picture I just took online and tell everyone that you're the cutest new couple in Gravity Falls."

"WHAT!" Dipper and Pacifica yelled in unison. Mabel just smiled and held the camera close to her chest to ensure it was secured.

"Oh, I can already see the likes coming in."

"Ok, ok!" Pacifica pleaded. "If I hop down there and follow you guys, you'll delete that picture?"

"She better!" Dipper chimed in.

"I pinky-promise!" Mabel agreed, setting a hand behind her back that definitely wasn't holding crossed fingers. "Dipsticks already got his heart set on someone else anyway."

Dipper's face flushed red. "Mabel!"

"Do we have a deal?" Mabel offered, ignoring her brother.

"Ughh! Fine!" Pacifica accepted. "Let's just get going already."

"That's the spirit!"

Mabel hopped down first, and Dipper followed with Pacifica reluctantly in tow. As they crawled through the cramped space, the heiress grumbled and complained the entire way, but the group pressed on seemingly without incident.

Collectively disguised as a singular agent, Candy and Grenda marched through the hallways of the top-secret government facility with determined expressions. Thanks to the uniform and keycard clipped to it, they could walk right past the first guard at the facility's entrance. The bored agent didn't give them a second glance, hardly inspecting the card that did not match their appearance.

Meanwhile, directly underneath them, Dipper, Pacifica, and Mabel crawled steadily under the metal grates. The cool air and dim lighting added a sense of secrecy to their mission.

Navigating blindly through the labyrinthine tunnels, they put their complete trust in the girls above them. Five twelve-year-olds just successfully infiltrated a top-secret government facility.

Candy avoided all eye contact with other passing agents while Grenda walked as straight as she could. The girl above her, acting as her eyes, gave Grenda a light tap with her right foot, signifying a slight right turn. The larger girl, just like those beneath her, put her full trust in Candy's sight and banked to the right.

This same process occurred multiple times in multiple directions. Candy would spare a few occasional glances below her to ensure the group was still following her, and to her relief, they were. The more petite girl had not seen any signs of a detention center, which was something she had expected. Finding the holding cells should be tricky, especially for infiltrators looking for said cells. Luckily, upon their entry, she spotted signs and arrows directing toward a security room. That would be a great place to start.

Carefully, Candy led her group in that direction, and once the room was in sight, she unclipped the card from the suit jacket. She hoped Grenda had been practicing her coordination.

"Grenda," Candy whispered just as they were about to run into the wall, "tell the others to stop." The larger girl tapped her foot twice, signaling they were stopping. Candy swiped her card and tapped Grenda with both feet, telling her to continue. She did just that and walked headfirst straight into the door, opening it rather forcefully. The other below them also pressed on, successfully entering the surveillance room from underneath.

Just as Candy was going to sigh relief, she locked eyes with another agent seated before dozens of monitors. Luckily, she had anticipated this, and Candy readied the secret ace up her sleeve.

"Can I help you, agent?" The guard asked, standing up from his seat.

"Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun siheomeul chire wassseupnida," Candy spoke in her native Korean tongue, stumping the man.

"Um," the agent began, "I'm assuming you're the foreign inspector?"

The Korean girl spoke in an exaggerated accent. "Yes."

The agent flashed a quick smile as he walked directly over the group below them. "Alright then. I'll leave it in your hands." And with that, the clueless agent walked right on out.

"All clear, guys," Candy announced, hopping off Grenda's shoulders. With a grunt, Grenda bent down and helped Mabel pry the grate off the floor. After setting the metallic object aside, the larger girl reached a hand down and helped Mabel and Dipper up. Pacifica swatted her hand away, declaring she didn't need anyone's charity.

Candy had seated herself in the now unoccupied chair and got to work. "Guys," she began, "I think I can hack into their security system,"

Pacifica raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You know how to hack into security systems?" she asked incredulously.

Candy grinned mischievously. "I learned a thing or two from while I was at computer camp last summer. We had a whole hacking escapade." With nimble fingers, Candy broke past the security protocols and swept past confidential files. "Let's see what I can find." After several moments of clicking through different feeds, her eyes widened at the screen before her. "Um, would Soos and Matt ever fight each other?"

"What?" Dipper, who had been watching the door closely, asked in disbelief. "No, they're bros." Confused about why Candy would even need to ask such a question, he peered at the screen, watching the live feed of Soos beating the crap out of Matt. Dipper flinched as the larger man's fist collided with the teen's chest. Despite wielding his shield, Matt put up no fight, trying to dodge or block Soos' blows.

"You don't think-"

"Is that my dad?" Pacifica asked, pointing to the corner of the screen. Sure enough, Mr. Northwest stood with his hands folded, watching the altercation with a cold stare.

The group watched the cruel scene unfolding on the surveillance monitor in horror.

A surge of unexpected anger enveloped Pacifica. She knew her father, but she never would have expected him to authorize the use of a mind-bending drug on a meathead handyman to attack a teenager. Of course, she couldn't be sure if this was the case, but it certainly appeared that way. She couldn't help but wonder, had she been caught, would her father use such a thing on her? She dared not further consult that idea or result, shaking the grim thoughts aside.

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel exchanged worried glances. This mission had taken an unexpected turn, and the situation now seemed more dire than anticipated. Project MK Ultra clearly worked.

Now realizing time was a crucial resource, Candy swiftly managed to locate the detention area where Matt and Soos were being held captive. "We need to find a way to rescue them," Candy whispered urgently, her fingers dancing on the keyboard, flicking past multiple feeds. "They aren't too far from us."

The group was suddenly alerted to the sound of the door opening. There in the entrance was the agent returning to his post. He stood there for a second, completely surprised by the group of children in front of him. That shock lasted only a moment, and he reached for the radio to report this disturbance. "All units, we have a disturbance in-"

Mabel and Grenda acted on instinct, the former drawing her grappling hook and the latter surging forward. Not expecting the literal children to attack, the agent was on the floor, knocked out within the blink of an eye. However, that split second was all the agent needed to get his message out. They would soon be surrounded.

"What do we do?" Pacifica asked frantically. "I didn't sign up for this!"

Candy ripped the main monitor straight off the wall and hurled it to the floor. Grenda, catching on, helped her friend destroy any chance of their group being tracked.

"Oh my god, we're terrorists now," Dipper deadpanned.

Mabel slapped him across the face and then grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Dipper!" She exclaimed. "We need less of your pessimism and more of your optimism! How do we get out of here and save our friends?!"

"Right!" Dipper rubbed the stinging pain away, bringing him back to his senses. "We need a distraction."

Mabel twirled her grappling hook on her finger. "I think we got that part covered, right girls?"

"We shall bring death to our enemies!" Candy yelled, throwing her fist into the air while Grenda smashed the last monitor under her foot in some twisted form of affirmation.

Dipper took a breath. "Here's what we're gonna do." Dipper held up his hand to mirror his words. "Three teams. Mabel, you lead the agents back the way we came. Candy and Grenda, you two lead them back toward the storage room. Candy, you saw the surveillance. Do you know the way?" She nodded.

"Alright, good." Dipper turned to the blonde beside him. "That leaves Pacifica and me to go find Matt and Soos. Ready?"

Pacifica let out a nervous scoff. "Like I even get a choice." Dipper gave her a sympathetic smile before addressing the rest of the group.

"If we can't find each other, we meet back at the shack." Dipper then sighed, fixing his Pinetree hat. "Matt better tell us the truth after this."

#

Fight.

"Soos, please! Listen to me!" I reached out to grab him, but he was too quick and pulled me into a punch with a swift hand. The blow knocked the air clean out of my lungs, and I fell back to the ground in a daze. "Dude, this isn't you!" Soos' body stood over me, unmoved by my cries, only staring down at me. "Soos, please!" The words did not affect him, and he reached down to grab me. I pushed him away with the shield, giving me an opening to stand back up.

You must fight.

"I don't want to hurt you, buddy!" My futile calls to break him from mind control prove ineffective. Soos' glazed eyes reflect nothing but emptiness as he charges at me once again. I deflect his blows with my shield, desperately searching for a way to snap him out of this sinister spell.

Preston Northwest just stood behind the glass, a slight smile on his face. Clearly, his experiment was working.

As Soos continued his relentless assault, I deflected and dodged his blows with all my might, desperately trying to devise a plan. With the constant pressure, I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't end up with me hurting my friend. In my growing exhaustion, I could sense the amulet's attempt to take over.

Fight!

"Shut up!" I snapped, feeling the burning intensity of the jewel. "I-I won't hurt him!" My sudden shout prompted Mr. Northwest to raise an eyebrow.

As minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, I could barely keep up with Soos' fierce attacks. His strength and determination were overpowering. With each swing, I could hear the anger and frustration in his grunts, evidence that his kind-hearted nature was desperately fighting against the mind control.

Soos surged forward in a sudden rage, pinning me against the wall. The shield held firm, the only thing between me and a pummeling.

"Fight it, Soos!" I strained. "I know you're still in there." For nothing more than a heartbeat, I felt Soos' strength hinder. I took the opportunity and pushed him off me, sending him to the ground. I panted, trying to catch my breath, ready for another onslaught. Instead, Soos sat there and began to shake his head vigorously. I caught my breath and stared at Soos, hoping for a breakthrough. His eyes flickered with a fierce internal struggle.

"The dosage given to him was enough to control an elephant," Mr. Northwest explained. "In case you haven't noticed, he is nowhere close to the size of one of those beasts."

"That may be true," I admitted, sparing the billionaire a glance, "but Soos has a bigger heart than any creature."

Despite showing progress, Soos continued to attack me, his eyes filled with conflict. With each strike he delivered, I could see his pain and struggle. I desperately tried to defend myself using the shield granted by the sentient amulet, but its voice echoed in my mind, urging me to end this.

Fight!

I ignored its call despite the burning intensity. "Listen to me, Soos," I spoke with a mix of urgency and hope. "I know you're stronger than this. I believe in you."

Soos hesitated momentarily, his eyes darting between me and Mr. Northwest, who watches intently from behind the impenetrable glass. Mr. Northwest's gaze was unwavering, a glimmer of curiosity mixed with a hint of concern. Clearly, he sees this as a mere experiment, a test of his control.

But I refuse to let my friend be reduced to lab rat.

Soos continues to attack me, his fists raining down upon my shield. Sweat beads form on my forehead as my muscles strain with the exertion. The amulet's voice grows louder in my mind.

END THIS!

Despite the barrage, I refused to give in to its bleak perspective. Pacifica had mocked me for it earlier, but in order to survive, I had to believe in the power of friendship to overcome this darkness.

I locked eyes with Soos, his once vibrant and kind gaze now clouded with confusion and pain. I knew he was wavering, but I also knew I couldn't do this forever.

#

Dipper and Pacifica dashed from wall to wall, cover to cover, avoiding the agents that constantly seemed to rush by. They could hear the sounds and voices from their portable radios.

"I hope Mabel and the others are ok," Dipper whispered as a group of agents rushed past.

"All units," a voice crackled from their belts, "there is a brightly dressed little girl running through the facility! we need all available units to respond immediately! Is that a grappling-"

A loud thud sounded, followed by a grunt.

"Come and get me, you buttfaces!" Mabel's voice yelled from the other end.

Dipper and Pacifica exchanged a quick glance. "Nevermind." The pair pressed forward. Despite the chaos around them, Dipper and Pacifica focused on finding Matt and Soos, which was proving risky. As another group of agents approached, Dipper and Pacifica, their hearts pounding, burst into a nearby room. It was dimly lit, filled with dusty shelves and forgotten relics. There was another exit on the other side of the room, a hidden bookshelf door that had been swung open.

In an attempt to catch her breath, Pacifica leaned against the wall and allowed herself to fall to the floor. She didn't even care about the disgusting floor. She was already dirty and sweaty with tangles in her hair. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. She set her head in her hands, trying not to recoil from the moistness on her brow. Dipper noticed and wandered over to her.

"Never been covered in grime before?" He asked, and Pacifica glared at him with sharp blue eyes, saying all that needed to be said. "Sorry," Dipper said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"This is all that stupid ginger's fault," her gaze returned forward.

"Yeah, no argument here." Dipper tilted his head. "Once we bust him out, I'm going to strangle him, I swear."

Pacifica then did something that she hadn't done in years. She genuinely laughed. "He'd probably squash you with whatever magic shield he has."

"Yeah, probably," Dipper agreed with a chuckle, reaching a hand down to help her up. She took it, and to her surprise, he brought her up to her feet. "Let's keep moving." She nodded, and he led her back the way they came, only for a crackle of radios to halt their advance. Thinking on his feet, he grabbed her arm and booked it to that open bookshelf, where he slammed it shut. He glanced at the heiress beside him, realizing he was still holding her, and let go. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Pacifica whispered. Dipper with his now free hand, Dipper pulled out a flashlight from his vest pocket. "Of course, you would have that on you, dork," Dipper said nothing and switched it on. A long hallway with dim lamps lining the narrow cobblestone corridor forward, a stark contrast to the rest of the facility. The pair stood close to each other, with Pacifica peering over Dipper's shoulder as they wandered cautiously forward. The small hall soon emptied into a larger chamber full of cobwebs and dust. The walls were lined with shelves and crates, busting with old, run-down items from a long past age. A golden chest full of documents sat before an old film projector. On the other side of the room were a rapier and a battle axe resting next to a large bronze bell that looked precisely like the cracked Liberty Bell. And at the back of the room was the oldest American flag with thirteen white stars in a circle on a blue background and thirteen red and white stripes.

"What the heck is all this?" Pacifica asked, watching where she stepped. A place like this would certainly have booby traps. Her question fell on deaf ears as Dipper's attention was caught by a document that rested below the flag on a marble pedestal. The boy had picked it up, and his shoulders fell slack, clearly something important. "What did you find?" Dipper suddenly flinched and whirled around to face her, clutching the paper close to his chest.

"Nothing."

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, you're a bad liar."

Dipper took a deep breath, looked down at the document, and began reading. "Let it be here recorded that Nathaniel Northwest, fabled founder of Gravity Falls, was, in fact, a fraud."

"What?" Pacifica exclaimed in disbelief, yanking the papers from Dipper's grasp. He let her, watching her eyes scan over the old document. Pacifica couldn't believe her eyes. Everything her family was prideful about was a lie. Her great great grandfather, who she was preaching his glory mere hours ago, was nothing more than a waste-shoveling village idiot. She looked up from the document to see Dipper staring at her. She shook the papers in his face. "Was this what you were looking for before your friends got captured."

"Yes," Dipper sighed reluctantly, pulling out his journal. "The author behind this book had been searching the potential fraudulent nature of your family and got stumped." He then flipped open to the page and showed her. "I'm…sorry."

Pacifica's breath hitched. "Like hell you are!" She balled her fists and creased the paper slightly. "Why would you be?" She scoffed at herself. "I've treated you, your family, your friends, and hundreds of others like garbage, all for what?" She released the papers and let them flutter to the ground. Dipper held your gaze.

"I won't lie to you-"

"Yeah, because you suck at it."

"-You have been a tremendous wad to all of us. But just because you're a Northwest, and just because you're your parent's daughter, doesn't mean you have to be like them."

"And do what?" Pacifica snapped. "I have no idea how to act like a decent human being! Today has certainly been evident of that." She laughed to herself. "I was ready to leave Matt and Soos behind at the drop of a hat." She looked at her muddied shoes. "It's probably too late to make a change."

"Look, Pacifica," Dipper began, taking a step closer, "what matters now is how you'll act in light of this information." The heiress looked up at him with dull, vulnerable eyes. "You could take the easy way out and act like none of this ever happened or try to make a genuine change."

Pacifica sat down and cradled her head between her knees. "I'm sorry, I just need a minute."

Dipper nodded. "I understand. I'll go find the others, and we'll come back for you." With that, Dipper took his leave further into the chamber, where a wooden door greeted him. He pushed it open, glancing at the girl behind him, who glanced back before pressing on.

#

"Alright, Soos, buddy," I panted, gripping the amulet tightly, "You gotta make up your mind, dude." I wiped the sweat off my brow with my free hand as Soos stared at me with soulless black eyes.

"Your resilience is admirable," Mr. Northwest commented. "Perhaps I should have administered some of the project's bearing fruit to you as well."

"Why don't you come in here and try." Mr. Northwest chuckled at my demand.

"Yes, let me just abandon all forms of protection I have set in place to come meet the demands of a commoner."

"God, you're so pretentious," I drawled.

"I'm sorry, don't you have a friend to fight?" Preston retorted, prompting Soos to charge forward. He locked us within another stalemate, but I held firm, shifting my feet to push back against the handyman's assault forward. Just then, over the intercom, was the sound of a door creaking open, accompanied by a sudden light, catching my attention. Right behind Mr. Northwest, a wooden door swung open to reveal Dipper Pines standing there with a flashlight.

This caught Mr. Northwest's interest, and he turned to face him. "Ah, it seems we have another delinquent newcomer."

"Dipper!" I exclaimed, giving the mind-controlled Soos an opening to overpower me. He sent me to the ground, but I recovered, blocking an overhead blow with my shield. "What the heck are you doing here!?"

"So you know this boy," Mr. Northwest inquired, arching an eyebrow. "Figures." He took a step towards Dipper.

"Don't you touch him, Preston!"

"Ah, so you do know my name," the billionaire asserted, half-facing me. "It appears you have more pressing matters to attend to at this current moment." Preston ignored the curses I threw his way, turning to face Dipper, who had bolted back the way he came. "Be right back, Matthew."

Not expecting to come face to face with Mr. Northwest, Dipper wasted no time rushing back to Pacifica Northwest. He barreled through the wooden doors back into the relic room to see her exactly where he had left her.

Her gaze whipped right to him. "Dipper? What happened?"

"Your father is coming," he panted, making the heiress' blood run cold. She was going to be so grounded. "Do you trust me?" Realizing she didn't have much of a choice, she nodded, and her father's figure emerged from behind him. Wasting no time, Dipper grabbed Pacifica, completely startling her and making her father stop in his tracks.

"Let go of me!" She demanded.

Immediate concern washed over Preston's face at the sight of his daughter being held captive, apparently against her will. "You no filthy no good riff-raff," he snarled. "Get your paws off my daughter this instant."

"You strike me as a businessman," the preteen stated, making the billionaire scowl. "Here's how this is gonna work," Dipper tightened his hold, almost hurting the precious heiress, "You're going to cure Soos of whatever poison you put him under and let my friends go, and then I'll give you back your daughter."

Realizing this just might work, Pacifica chimed in, selling the charade, "Father, I'm scared." She made sure to quiver her lip, something she would only do when she cried.

"A simple trade," Dipper proposed. "Whaddya say?"

Preston stepped forward, clenching his fist. "I will never listen to a commoner, let alone a child!" Dipper's face fell, and Preston began to walk towards him at an angle, forcing Dipper to walk in the opposite direction, making the two circle each other. They did this until Dipper's back was to the door of the holding chamber. Preston glanced to his side, spotting the rapier in the corner of the room beside him. Dipper followed his gaze and audibly gulped, taking a step backward through the door. Once Mr. Northwest reached down to pick up the weapon, Dipper, still holding Pacifica, ran back towards the chamber.

"I'm sorry," Dipper whispered to her, "I honestly thought that would work." Pacifica said nothing, eyes deadset forward. Rather than ensuring her safety, Mr. Northwest willingly kept his daughter in harm's way. Although that harm was a facade, the sentiment was real and something that would certainly stick with the young girl.

Dipper burst back into the holding chamber, eyes locked eyes with Matt's behind the glass before falling upon a small console with a big button. All of his instincts told him to slam down on it as hard as he could, and he did just that. The door to the chamber hissed open, and Matt took the much-needed opportunity but so did Soos, hot on his heels. With his friends free, all they needed to do now was cure an enraged Soos, get past a billionaire with a sword, and evade a hundred agents to break out of a top-secret facility.

Piece of cake.

#

"You two alright?" I asked the preteens beside me, keeping Soos at bay.

"Yeah, but it looks like we've got a couple pressing matters," Dipper remarked, gesturing to Soos and Mr. Northwest.

I readied my shield. "Yeah, I noticed."

The mind-controlled handyman and the billionaire managed to split our attention, and Soos surged forward, grabbing Dipper and Pacifica and holding them tightly. Dipper began to pummel him in an attempt to break free, but it had no effect due to Soos' larger size. Mr. Northwest took this opportunity to slowly back me into the chamber, but instead of halting at the doorway, he followed me in. I was not expecting this, but I acted quickly and created some much-needed breathing room between us.

Soos's grip tightened on Dipper and Pacifica as Mr. Northwest pushed me further into the holding chamber. Soos slammed his fist on the large button, and the door shut behind us, trapping us inside. Fear ignited within me as I stared into my opponent's cold, determined eyes.

Mr. Northwest smirked and twirled his blade expertly. "Shall we begin then, boy?"

He unsheathed his rapier, the glint of the blade casting an ominous shadow over the room. I positioned my shield before me, my heart pounding in my chest. The adrenaline coursing through my veins drowned out the sound of my quick, exhausted, shallow breaths.

As Mr. Northwest lunged at me, his rapier piercing the air with deadly precision, I braced myself. Sweat trickled down my forehead as I tried to predict his next move. Each swing and thrust of his blade was swift and calculated, his attacks coming at me from every angle. I could feel the world's weight on my shoulders, the pressure mounting with each passing second.

I composed myself, and Mr. Northwest and I duel, the clash of my shield against his rapier echoing through the chamber. His movements were precise and fluid, starkly contrasting my clumsy and desperate attempts to defend myself.

"So sloppy," he commented with a tsk. I lunged forward, but he sidestepped and stuck his foot out, making me stumble. "Predictable," he added with another tsk. It became apparent just how outmatched I was.

With each exchange, my arms grew heavier, and sweat soaked my brow. The rapier whizzed dangerously close to my face, a warning of the deadly accuracy Mr. Northwest possessed. As the duel intensified, I tried to analyze his technique, looking for any weaknesses I could exploit. But Mr. Northwest was relentless, his skill and experience evident in every move he made. His strikes were like lightning, leaving me with little time to react.

In my exhaustion, I begin to lose control, and the amulet's voice seeps into my mind.

You need my help.

I certainly noticed that much. Unlike with Soos, morality was essentially nonexistent, and I wanted nothing more than to knock this guy out. There was just one problem, his daughter was right there watching. After creating some space between myself and the patriarch, I spared the heiress a glance. She stared back, giving me a slow nod.

I sighed, closing my eyes. "Just don't kill him."

Fine.

With that, I relinquished control, and my body was flooded by darkness. The amulet began to influence my actions, allowing me to implement a more coherent fighting style, using me as its vessel. Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through me like an electric shock. Once a mere tool of defense, the shield now asserted its power over me, burning in bright intensity. A newfound ferocity surges within me, replacing my fatigue with an unyielding determination. I surged forward, my eyes glowing a sinister red, catching the billionaire off guard. The shield began guiding my strikes, giving them unearthly precision and strength. Every strike became purposeful, my body moving in perfect sync with the shield's guidance. Each parry and counterattack felt like an intricate dance, seamlessly flowing from one move to the next.

Mr. Northwest, taken aback by my sudden transformation, struggled to keep up with my newfound prowess. His eyes widened with disbelief as my strikes intensified, pushing him back toward the chamber's wall. But it's not just my physical abilities that are heightened. Anger, raw and primal, pulsed through my veins. The shield amplified my emotions, fueling my resolve to hit this guy square in the jaw. The danger my friends and I faced today was all because of him, and a firey fuel of determination burned within me.

Mr. Northwest staggered back, his confidence shaken by my sudden surge of power. He tried to regain his footing, but I didn't let him. I pressed forward, striking with all the force the shield could muster. He tried to counterattack, but each strike was met with a swift and precise block from my shield. My anger was palpable. The energy and rage I tapped into made me feel invincible, an intoxicating feeling.

The billionaire tried to pull back, but I pursued him relentlessly, applying constant pressure. I could sense his fear as I advanced on him, my shield creating sparks with each impact. His sword clanged against my shield as he tried to push me back, but I stood firm, unwavering in my resolve to take him down.

With a final strike, Mr. Northwest stumbled back, falling to the ground. Per my request, the amulet did not press forward, allowing me to regain control. I took a deep breath as the physical feeling was returned to me, and the darkness dissipated. The billionaire clutched his sword in disbelief, staring into my eyes.

The door behind us suddenly hissed open, and Soos lumbered in, fists clenched, causing Mr. Northwest to smirk. He used his weapon to help him stand, setting his hair back into place with his free hand. God forbid he looked decent instead of perfect.

"Handy Man," Preston called, "Finish the ginger rif raf immediately." Soos stopped at the Billionaire's side, not bothering to look at him. A big mistake as he failed to notice the black substance was no longer flowing through his veins. Taking Northwest by surprise, he punched him in the head, knocking him out cold. I sighed in relief, extinguishing my shield at the sight of the man's defeat, almost falling to my knees. Soos rushed over and caught me.

"Thanks, buddy," I breathed. "Not sure how much longer I would have lasted."

"Soos?" Dipper called, releasing his hold on Pacifica.

"Hey, dude," Soos replied, helping me walk out of the chamber. "Sorry, you dudes had to see all that." He glanced at Pacifica once he and I entered the smaller room. "And sorry for grabbing you, little lady." Pacifica nodded in response. "Had to keep the charade up."

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Charade?"

"Yeah," I began, "once Soos saw you in danger, he immediately snapped out of it. It was the final push he needed to fight off the Ultra."

"So my father really did use that on you," Pacifica stated, eyes glued to the collapsed form of the man in question, the person she was supposed to look up to. "I'm sorry."

Soos tipped his cowboy hat with a smile. "It's alright. It wasn't like it was your fault, girl-dude." Surprisingly, Pacifica smiled back.

"I don't know about you guys," I began, setting the amulet in my pocket, "but I say we get on out of here, like, now." The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Wait." Pacifica walked over to the big button on the console, taking a glance at her father. She took a deep breath and pressed it with a shaky hand, and the doors hissed shut. "Let's go."

"Wow, wasn't expecting that," Dipper commented, crossing his arms.

"Shut it, Pines. Or else I'll lock you in there too."

The Four of us carefully wandered through the chamber of old United States artifacts and memorabilia that I was careful not to linger my gaze upon. Figures Mr. Northwest would have all of this moved even more out of sight. He's the one who needs to stick to the facts, not me. We only stopped for a moment for Pacifica to gather the documents proving her family was a fraud, which she seemed to be taking rather well. Either that or she was very good at concealing her emotions. I couldn't quite tell.

Once we reached the hall, Dipper peeked through the door and saw numerous soldiers rush past. Once he gave the all-clear, we bolted, trying to move together. That proved rather difficult due to my exhaustion and Soos' efforts to keep me steadily on my feet.

"Where are Mabel, Grenda, and Candy?" I asked while Dipper was checking if the coast ahead was clear.

"They were the distraction while we got you two." Dipper motioned us forward. "We agreed to meet back at the shack if anything went wrong."

"Hold it right there!" A voice yelled, causing us to freeze. Just down the hall, a few mere yards away, stood Agent Powers and Agent Trigger.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Powers exclaimed, drawing his pistol on us.

"Hold your fire!" Pacifica exclaimed. "I'm the daughter of Preston Northwest, and these hooligans have taken me hostage!" Dipper catching on to her improvised plan grabbed hold of her once more. "They demand to be granted safe passage, or else they'll hurt me." She pointed down the hall. "They beat up my father and left him in the chamber the ginger and fat man were held in!"

"I find that seriously hard to-"

Agent Trigger tapped his earpiece, apparently receiving some sort of message. His eyes widened in surprise, and he leaned close to his partner and whispered in his ear, confirming the heiress' story.

Powers sighed and holstered his pistol. "Very well."

Our little party took this opportunity graciously and booked down the hall, led by Dipper. Thanks to the order to stand down, we were met with no resistance and were able to walk straight past the guards. Once we got to the mall entrance, we turned to Pacifica.

"Leave me here," she said. "I'll tell them you guys possess critical documents that you threatened to leak so they won't pursue you."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Dipper asked. "What will your father do if he finds out you've been helping us?"

Pacifica sighed, looking at him. "I'm not sure, but at least you guys will be out of this crazy mess." She pointed a finger at us. "If you tell everyone what happened here today, I will personally tell the government to raid your house."

"What if I only mention the part where you crawled a quarter mile under grimy grates?" Dipper asked with a smile.

My jaw fell slack. "There is no way you got her to do that."

The heiress let out a very audible huff. "Don't push it, Dipper." She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Now get outta here before I change my mind." Deciding it was within our best interests to not press the young Northwest, we took our leave, dashing through the rundown pawn shop and the rest of the mall. Luckily Soos' pick-up wasn't too far away, and before we knew it, we were safely pulling into the Mystery Shack's lot.

We walked through the front door when we were ambushed by four figures in complete darkness. Various objects were chucked our way, and I immediately whipped out the amulet, ready to defend Dipper and Soos, when the assault suddenly stopped.

"Matt?" the tallest figure called."

"Wendy?"

The lights suddenly flicked on, and we saw Wendy, Candy, and Grenda all holding various heavy objects and Mabel with her grappling hook aimed at Soos' head. When I said the attack was over, I lied because Mabel barreled into me and Soos in a colossal hug that we quickly reciprocated. With the situation successfully diffused, Dipper spoke up.

"Now that everyone is here," he began, locking eyes with me, "do you have anything to say to us, Matt?"

"Man, you never quit, do you?" I asked. Dipper said nothing waiting for an answer to his accusatory questions from earlier. I found Wendy's gaze, and she gave me a nod. Mabel had more than likely already filled her in on the whole situation. I sighed, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room, realizing they were all staring at me. I'm fine being the center of attention but certainly not right now.

What do I even say? I know they all deserve an explanation, but how can I do so without putting them in danger. I instinctively jammed my hands in my pockets, brushing the amulet. Even it seemed quiet, waiting for my answer. I sighed once more, resting my head in one of my hands. I knew my relationships were becoming strained, clearly some more than others, but is it worth telling the truth and putting people in harm's way just to stand on good ground with them? I ran my hand down my face, scolding myself. If today was any indication, yes, it was very much worth it. They saved my life today. I can give them an explanation.

"Alright, look," I began, locking my eyes with Dipper's, "for the safety of everyone in this room, I cannot say everything." The preteen crossed his arms. "I told Wendy this once," I gestured to the redhead, "I said, 'I'm not from around here,' and I was telling the truth." I took a breath. "I'm from another dimension." As I suspected, everyone stood there, looking at me like I was crazy. I certainly felt like I belonged on a funny farm just for uttering the words. "I'm not actually your cousin, and I was never actually in the woods lost." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I kinda just appeared, falling out of the sky like a brick, landing right in front of the shack."

"Was that why you were all beat up when you stumbled into the shack?" Wendy asked, and I nodded, recalling how sore I was in the following days.

"I'm sorry I lied, but how can you explain to someone you just met that you're from another world?"

"Alright," Dipper began, soaking in the information, "but how do you know that you're from another dimension?"

I sighed. "I honestly don't think I could or should tell you."

"Of course not," Dipper sneered, "even after all we just went through, you still want to keep secrets."

"Give me a break!" I snapped, pointing a finger at my chest, "My friends and family are probably worried sick right now! I was walking home from school, and all of a sudden, the godamn earth disappeared beneath my feet, and I landed here! They probably think I'm dead, and I don't even know if I'll ever see my twin sister ever again!" I clenched my fists, fighting back tears. "I'm sorry, ok, but I know this is what I have to do in order to get back home."

"Do you, though?" Dipper asked. "You can lie to us all you want. You've been doing it since we first met, but don't lie to yourself."

I stared at him. "You don't believe me, do you?" He said nothing, holding his arms close to his chest, but the look he gave me said it all. He didn't believe a word I was saying. "You know what? I'm done." I turned and stormed out of the Myrstery shack, feeling Dipper's glare burn a hole through the back of my head. I slammed the door behind me, made my way out into the clearing just outside the woods, and stood there, gazing at the exact spot I had hit the treeline when I first arrived.

"Not cool, dude," Wendy declared, rushing past him. Soos nodded in agreement and followed suit, and the two tried to catch up with me. Their descent down the rickety front steps alerted me to their presence. "You ok, dude?" Wendy asked as they drew closer. I didn't respond. Instead, I pulled out the amulet and ignited the shield, walking to the base of the nearest tree. Leaving all thoughts aside, I reared my arm back and bashed its trunk as hard as possible, splintering the bark and creating a sizable hole. I hit the wood again and again, hot wells of tears stinging my eyes. With each blow, I remembered how exhausted I was, and it wasn't long until I collapsed on my hands and knees, releasing the amulet.

Soos and Wendy, who had been wisely keeping their distance, rushed over, kneeling beside me. They set their hands on my back, which was the straw that broke it. Full sobs wracked my body, and the two pulled me into a hug, holding me steady.

"Why me."

#

Within the halls of Northwest Manor, hidden by the faint, flickering light of lamps, two well-dressed figures sat at an ivory table.

"Those animals held my precious daughter hostage and are blackmailing my family name, but you're telling me not to act because why?" Mr. Northwest exclaimed, clearly enraged.

"Because we can use the boy," Gideon Gleeful explained, tapping his fingers together. A ring erupted throughout the manor, and Gideon's face lit up in a sinister smile. Dramatically, he swept his hand around the handle of an old phone and lifted it to his ear. From the other side of the line, Dipper Pines spoke.

"I'm ready to make our deal."

A/N

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