Roller coaster of year people. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Start the fic.
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It had been a long and uncomfortable journey to Jersey but they had made it. The sound of pouring rain danced on their metal roof as they entered their domicile.
"Well that was a bust!"
"I can't believe Father Francis is out of town! There goes our supply of holy water!"
"Can't we just... make some ourselves?"
"On paper? Yes. In our case? It wouldn't be up to snuff!"
"Wait... are you trying to say that when you say "Holy Water" you mean..."
"Yes! It has to be literally holy, not just some chemical makeup! Needs a blessing over it by a legit priest!"
Dipper hung up his drenched trench coat on their little coat rack. "This is worse than I feared, and I was already fearing a lot!"
"Okay, we might have lost our line to our most effective weaponry but so what?"
"What do you mean "So What"? We just lost our safety net?"
Dipper sat on the couch as Pacifica hung up her umbrella.
"Well what if we call in some backup?" suggested Pacifica. "We are officers of the law after all."
"Backup?" Dipper echoed in confusion. "Like what? Some more G-Men? Or local police?"
"No! Like, you know, Yorg! Big viking guy like him would probably relish butting heads with a literal monster! Or maybe Jack Frost?"
"He's a dick!" scoffed Dipper.
"I mean, like, you're right but... he is the most powerful sylph in the world! If anybody could stand toe to toe against a legend like that it'd be Jack!"
"Oh yes! And he could even bring in his friends Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny! He can even unnecessarily carry around a stick for some reason!"
Pacifica narrowed her eyes at him. "You're lucky you're, like, cute!"
"I'm sorry! It's just... the only reason I called in Mabel for this is because she's the only one who has any idea of what we're up against. We can't promise their safety."
"I suppose that's a fair point... but wait! What about somebody who faces the crazy as much as we do? Someone who works in 'immigration'?"
Dipper raised a skeptical eyebrow at her.
"Artie? Really?"
"I know it's technically outside his jurisdiction but we could, like, call in a favor."
"Pacifica, I don't know... I'm not sure I want to get my buddy Artie twisted up in this."
"He's an adult. He can make his own decisions. And more importantly..."
"Would we stand a better chance with or without him?" finished Dipper. "A fair point, I don't like it, but it is a fair point. Alright, I suppose it would be worth a phone call."
East China Sea..
Artie stood on a boat bitterly staring at the ocean.
"I'm cold, I'm lonely, and this assignment is taking forever! I couldn't even rent the boat I wanted! I hate this job!"
A vibration from his pocket told him he got a call. His attitude almost instantly changed when he saw the caller id.
"Dipper! Good to hear a friendly voice! I'm stuck in a stakeout here and... never mind! How are you and that lovely bird Pacifica doing?...Really? The two of you are together-together? That's great! …... No, I'm not upset! If she really chose you then the better man won! Because real talk; you do deserve someone who makes you happy! So is this the only reason why you called or...?"
Artie listened enthusiastically to Dipper's explanation of the situation, but the longer the explanation went on the more Artie realized where the conversation was headed. The offer came and Artie had to swallow the bitter pill of telling Dipper the bad news.
"Sorry Mate, I would... but I'm pretty wrapped up in my own business. For some reason the Lochness Monster was spotted in the East China Sea so I had to be the one to investigate it. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're on your own... Keep that bird happy for me though."
Artie hung up the phone and stared bitterly back at the water.
"I swear, if this turns out to be another prank from that STUPID Sun Wukong then I will SWEAR on my car to cut off his tail Dragon Ball Z style!"
RV...
"Okay Artie says he's too busy."
"Shoot! Well what about some Gravity Falls monsters?"
"Gravity Fa-like who?!"
"I don't know, how about the Manotaurs?"
"They'd be tripping over their own hooves!"
"Multi-Bear?"
"He'd be barbecued!"
"What about the gnomes?"
"Pacifica, be serious!"
"Fine! How about... Rumble McSkirmish?"
"How's he supposed to get here from Gravity Falls? He doesn't have an online connection you know... Shoot! How are any of them supposed to get here from Gravity Falls? They're on the opposite side of the country!"
"Good point. Well how about..." Pacifica sighed and sat down on the couch next to him. "Sigh. I don't know... I'm trying to take your fear seriously, and if a threat is truly big enough I feel like we should have a right to call in the reserves. Somebody we already know and trust but... I'm grasping at straws. I acknowledge that now."
"You're only trying to help, there's nothing wrong with that."
Dipper put his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest.
"You're suggestions aren't bad... As long as you don't suggest the Lilliputtians. Hate those guys. Ruined my life."
Pacifica gave a small laugh.
"They are the worst. I would buy and sell them!"
"They'd deserve it." Dipper held her tenderly but he didn't feel as much joy as he normally would. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake the feeling. Like the Jersey Devil was right behind him, out of sight, waiting for him to lower his guard, low enough to deliver a killer blow. The dread he felt was simply unshakable.
"Still..." Pacifica snapped him away from his fear, if only for the moment. "Shouldn't there be someone we can call on? Someone besides Mabel? Oh! What about our boss guy?"
"General Segatory?"
"Yeah! Let's call in the army! We can do that, can't we?"
"That'd be a tall order, even with the wiggle room we're granted. Maybe if the entire country was in jeopardy it'd be possible, but a city? I think he'd trust us to handle it. Maybe he'd agree if it was the state but even then that'd be with some heavy convincing. No. One mythos monster just isn't enough."
"Maybe could call in some military offic-okay even I don't think that'll work."
Dipper hugged her a little tighter. "You know, I used to wonder what Mabel was thinking when she turned down being my partner but I kind of get it now. Life outside of mysteries and monsters is basically this. The connections we form with the people we like, the moments we enjoy with them...This is what Mabel chose over a life of mystery and adventure."
Pacifica nuzzled her head against him. "It does sound nice... Not to fear for our lives... Only focus on each other."
Pacifica lifted her head in sudden realization.
"Oh!"
"What is it, Baby?"
"What if we called in another Pines?"
"Another Pi-Who?!"
"You might not like it but... What if we called in your Great Uncle Ford? I know there's some bad blood between you two but he's still family."
Dipper sighed and closed his eyes in deep thought. Trying to ignore the terrible feelings that came with such an idea and approach it from logical point of view.
"No. I think not."
"Why not?"
"Even ignoring what's happened between him and I, he's still at the opposite side of the country teaching at West Coast Tech. Clearing up his schedule... he'd get here too late. I'm sorry Pacifica but it just isn't doable."
She looked up out the window and saw the rain had stopped.
"If we really are on our own, then I suppose now might be the time to see the mayor." mused Dipper.
"I know it's been a day, running around trying to find holy weapons to defend ourselves with but..."
"We need to see the mayor. I know. We've been so focused on prepping for the worst we never actually bothered to learn what the Jersey Devil is doing."
"We're off our game a little bit aren't we?"
"I mean, we knew this day would come we just weren't expecting it to be..."
Pacifica held his hand up, fingers laced for him to see. "Now?"
"Yeah... Now. Pacifica, if the worst happens I want you to know that I love you."
Instead of saying anything Pacifica just started to kiss his fingers. It was something Dipper was enjoying more than he thought he would, but she stopped so she could hold it and look him in the eye.
"Dipper, if there's one thing I've learned since I've started traveling with you. It's how much denying your feelings can hinder your performance in... well pretty much anything. So Yes. I love you too. I don't want anybody else."
"Pacifica..."
"Like you said, it's okay to be afraid. Don't deny yourself this or else it will hinder us. You also taught me to listen to my head. And it's telling me right now to learn more about what we're up against. So we should hurry to city hall."
Pacifica got off the couch and headed to the door.
"Do you think I need my umbrella? Nah. Rain has stopped."
Dipper smiled but as the reality of situation sunk back in, it disappeared.
City Hall... Mayor's Office...
The mayor's office was surprisingly more patriotic then one might expect. It was like a mini-oval office. The mayor himself sat behind a desk; he was an elderly gentleman... quite possibly even older than Ford currently is.
"Detective Pines, I'd like to speak to you very frankly if I may?"
"You may."
"I wasn't always mayor of this fine city. I was once a high school principal. I was able to work my way into office by two means alone. By being very frank and by caring, today I plan on doing both to keep my citizens as safe as can be. Since your first visit to our lovely town..."
"My Grunkle 'Stanley's' home town." corrected Dipper.
The mayor blinked at Dipper for a moment or two and then pieced together exactly what the detective was getting at.
"... I guess I was wrong about that kid. If he helped shaped you then there MUST have been more to him than what I saw."
The mayor pulled out a drawer from his desk and pulled out a bottle of pills. "Do ya mind?"
"Not if you really need to."
He opened the bottle and popped three pills into his mouth. "No fun getting old!"
"Last time Jersey Devil tried something it involved gold coins to steal souls. Is he playing something of the same game now?"
The mayor poured himself a glass of seltzer. "Nah." He guzzled it down quickly. "No coins this time around."
"Okay," Dipper raised an eyebrow. "then what has he been doing?"
"Mostly? Just scaring people."
"You can't be serious. That's it? Just... spooking people?"
"As strange as it may seem, that's how it is. He's been appearing randomly all over the city; alleyways, poorly lit peers, basically anywhere that would be considered 'spooky'."
"So he hasn't technically 'done' anything?" asked Pacifica.
"Nothing new, anyways. You know how these things go though, it's only a matter of time."
Dipper furrowed his brow thinking. "What areas has he been seen the most?"
"He's been all over the place, hasn't been favoring anyplace over another!"
Dipper shook his head. "Forget I asked. I know where to find him... but he seriously hasn't 'done' anything?"
"No, but I'd rather not wait around for him to start!"
"Fair point. We're on it."
Outside...
Dipper walked out of city hall hanging his head. He closed his eyes and a mental image of the Jersey Devil appeared. That alone was bad enough, but another mental image followed quickly after it. This one was of when Pacifica lied dying in his arms in the snow.
His own mortality was bad enough, but now with Pacifica in the mix? Well let's just say he could feel the color draining from his face.
"Hey."
Pacifica's voice snapped Dipper back to reality.
"Still thinking about Mr. Goat?"
"...I can't get him out of my head."
"You know what? You need a break."
"Wha-? A break?"
"Yeah, we've been running around looking for holy weapons so much we've actually missed lunch and it's getting close to dinner time."
"I...uh..."
"So... Let's get some dinner and strategize."
"...Well...I do know of a burger place nearby."
Pacifica attached herself to his arm and gave him her best 'We're going to have a good time! I just know it!' smile.
"Great! Lead the way!"
Dipper lead Pacifica down the street but unknown to both of them they were being watched. Up above in the sky, was the Jersey Devil's pet. The Pterodactyl goat thing was watching them with hawk-like persistence.
He seemed benign in his flight until without warning he turned around and headed south towards a certain prison island.
Louise's Burgers...
"This place makes good burgers." noted Pacifica.
"I know. You really know the lady behind the grill? What's her name? Loopy? Lucy?"
"Louise. Mabel was her best friend for a little while growing up. She comes from a line of fry cooks actually."
"Okay, let's strategize."
"Huh, strategize?"
"One thing you've always told me is to listen to my head, and right now the Jersey Devil is in yours. I don't mind taking the reigns in this one. You've been strong when I was weak, now it's my turn to return the favor."
She kissed his forehead, took some napkins and made a paper rose out of them.
"Let's just say this is the Jersey Devil's prison fortress. I say we get Mothman, who will be this left over pickle, to fly around and quietly scout out the location. We learn the place's strengths and weaknesses, AND THEN, only when we know the place inside out do we implement the next stage of the plan. Using Mothman's …. silk-barf... whatever; we construct some dummies of ourselves on a boat on the way to one side of the prison. We use that as a distraction to sneak in on the other side of the island to fight the Jersey Devil on our terms. We don't need to storm castle, just handle the dragon."
A new emotion swelled up inside of Dipper's chest, one which he hadn't felt since accepting the job. Hope.
"I'm...impressed! This sounds like something I would come up with! I think this might actually work! Pacifica, I'm... I'm proud of you!"
"Aw thanks, Sweetie." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "We probably shouldn't go over the detailed steps until Mabel arrives."
Meanwhile at a certain airport...
Mabel slammed her hands down on the counter out of anger.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T TAKE MY PIG WITH ME?!"
"I'm sorry." apologized the stewardess. "It's just that the pig so big I'm afraid that the normal paperwork on board pets doesn't apply."
"Listen! My Bro-Ham needs me and I need to ride my special little gentleman into the battle!"
"I'm sorry, Miss. We just aren't that kind of airline. I'm afraid you'll have to book a cargo plane."
"WHAT IS THIS?! THE DMV?!"
Back at Louise's Burgers...
Dipper and Pacifica exited the restaurant with full bellies and fresh minds.
"We'll shack up at hotel, I think sleeping in the RV would make us too vulnerable."
"Agreed. We should pick one with a lot of people, that way we can blend in while we wait for Mabel."
"You pick out a hotel, I think I should ask around about these Jersey Devil sightings. Something isn't sitting right."
Pacifica pouted.
"Why do I have to be the one to find a hotel?!"
"Because it's my second time in this town and you forgot your weapons."
"I... what?!"
Pacifica quickly patted herself down. She didn't have her umbrella OR her magnet gun. The umbrella was one thing, it was easy to forget it was more than just an umbrella, but her magnet gun... that was her on duty weapon. Kind of unforgivable for an officer of the law to be unarmed.
"I can't believe I forgot that!"
Dipper kissed her forehead.
"It's okay, Sweetheart. Everything about this case is pretty distracting. I'll meet you right here at say... ten?"
"Ten?"
"Yeah three hours away... We were in there eating burgers for a while."
"Okay, ten."
Pacifica gave him a quick peck on the lips and left.
"Don't be late!"
Dipper sighed wistfully as he watched her leave. However, with her absence the color started to drain from his face again. Without her, he alone. Alone and vulnerable.
RV...
Pacifica swore under her breath as she ran between the raindrops. The rain had started up again and it was worse than it was earlier. It was as if the rain returned and dialed things up to eleven just to spite her. Now that there was thunder and lightning too, the type of storm where you stay inside to wait it out.
Thankfully the RV was right where they left it. Pacifica thought she felt an ominous presence but chalked it up as nerves from the case.
"You're just a little spooked, Pacifica. Dipper and his fear talks are starting to rub off on you. You're fine."
She grabbed the doorknob and found it curiously to be unlocked.
"Funny... Did we forget to lock up?"
*CRACKATHOOM! *
"Right! Worry about it later!"
As soon as she entered though, she froze.
It's a rare feeling. Coming home, to a place of safety and security and almost immediately knowing that the comfort promised there has been violated. A place you're so familiar with that just by stepping foot into it, you know something is wrong. That you're not alone. That if you don't choose your next choice of action correctly you could pay for it with your life. And worst of all, knowing your next choice of action determines your intruder's.
Her umbrella was still close to the door. This was good. By quickly grabbing it, she was armed.
She looked to her left, her magnet gun was laying on the bed. The bed was always at the end of the RV, and a quick flash of lightning revealed the way there. She didn't see any monster waiting for her... but she was experienced enough to know not to ignore her gut.
To her right was the driver's seat, she knew where her intruder wasn't so that left the front seats and the bathroom.
She rolled into the hallway, landing with her umbrella ready to be deployed. This action was loud enough to merit a response from her mystery guest but was curiously greeted with nothing.
Pacifica held her breath as she began her slow pace towards the front seats. She tightened her grip on her umbrella but found the front seats to be empty.
With this revelation she let out her breath. She suddenly felt foolish for believing that Jersey Devil would do something as cheap as hide in their RV.
The sound of rain hitting the windshield calmed her down. She highly doubted the Jersey Devil would be in her bathroom.
She began her walk to the back of the RV almost laughing at how scared she had been.
Picking up her magnet gun she sighed in relief but when she turned around she froze.
There, in the darkness, about as far back as the driver's seat, was a flame. No bigger than what you would find on a candle, then a second flame appeared next to it.
Then the flames came closer and Pacifica could see that they were actually inside the eye sockets of a goat skull.
"Miss Northwest. We meet at last."
The Jersey Devil emerged from the shadows as if he had always been there. Like the darkness was some kind of door for his personal use.
"You know, there are some who criticize me for not being bigger or bulkier but honestly it helps when I'm inside domiciles like this one."
Pacifica gripped her magnet gun tightly. All of Dipper's warnings about the Jersey Devil rang fresh in her mind.
He was getting control of the situation. She quickly aimed her gun at him.
'I won't give him the chance!'
*CLICK! * *CLICK! *
She inspected her magnet gun and found a hole in the side it had been laying down on.
The Jersey Devil held up a claw, it was the exact size of the hole, he waved it her.
'I still have my umbrella!'
She aimed at him and fired the taser.
Or at least she tried to. She hit the button but nothing happened.
She quickly checked it, the battery was missing!
"See," Jersey Devil stood to the point where his horns graced the roof. "Dipper used foresight against me in our first battle, now it's my turn. I'll be the one with the surprises this time!"
Elsewhere in the city...
Dipper flipped his notepad closed in disappointment. He had interviewed another eye witness only for it to be another dead end.
"I'm getting nowhere fast. I should call it a night; I'm sure Pacifica won't mind if I show up to our meeting spot early."
He folded up his collar and tipped his hat down to protect himself from the rain.
The eye witnesses' testimonies weren't that different from what the mayor had told him. It made no sense!
"Why would the Jersey Devil only make appearances without any actual evil deeds? What's the plan? Heh! There is plan; completely pointless... unless..." Dipper's eyes shot open upon realization. "He was luring us here!"
Upon realization of this, nothing else mattered.
He ran. He ran through the rain of the night. The thunder boomed in the sky above emphasizing the danger, lightning flashed illuminating the Jersey Devil's figure in the storm clouds.
He reached their meeting spot and looked around desperately for her. Panic was starting to overtake him.
"PACIFICA?!"
No response.
"PACIFICA!"
There was still no response. She simply wasn't there.
"The RV!"
This conclusion rang in his head as he ran off into the storm once more.
He ran faster than he ever had in his life, pushing his body to the absolute limit. His body screamed at him to stop but he refused.
He had to get to Pacifica.
He rounded a street corner, almost slipping in a puddle. Thankfully, a quick grab on the streetlight helped him keep his balance and kept his momentum going.
The RV was finally in sight, he would've felt relieved about it but he saw the door hanging open.
"PACIFICA!"
He tried to run even faster but the rain caused him to trip, falling on his face. He slid on the ground, the layer of rain water beneath him offering little if any comfort.
He looked up and in a flash of lightning his worst fears were confirmed.
"No..."
Carved into the side of the RV was a message: COME ALONE IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE HER ALIVE AGAIN
In another flash of lightning Dipper was on his feet.
I was dreading this case because of my overwhelming fear. It's still there but I can't feel it anymore.
Dipper raised his head with fury in his eyes.
Because now it's overshadowed by a different emotion. Now, all I can feel is anger.
To be continued...
That's it for now. No omake for this one because I feel it would conflict with the mood. I sure do hope the Jersey Devil lives up to the hype I've created for him. I was going to do this thing with JD controlling zombies but I couldn't make it work. I hope I creeped up the JD to worthy proportions. Leave me a review!