Author's Note: At last, we have reached the end of the first half of Marvel Falls. And let me tell you, I did NOT expect it to be this long. Considering all the changes I've made on it though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Before we begin, I have some things to say. First, someone in the comments requested if I could have a musical bit as an homage to the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series. I thought it'd be a neat idea to do just this once, even though it has no relation to the cartoon. The first is a bit of the famous "Moon Girl Magic" song, and the second is "Born Ready" from Marvel Rising. I do NOT own any of these songs. They belong to their respective owners.
Another thing, I have been working on a fancast list for Marvel Falls. I just realized it's not yet done, and unfortunately, I don't have time to finish it today. So I'm holding it off until next week, which I will upload along with the next story I'm going to update weekly. So far, the only characters I need voices for right now are Dante, Agent Mobius, and Victor Timely. If anyone has any ideas for people to voice them, I'm happy to hear. Just remember my rule: no recasting.
Well, that's about it for now. Enjoy this chapter, and get ready for the next Young Avengers fanfic I'll be updating weekly: Howard's Ducktales. Any and all comments are welcome.
It's only been a few days since Gideon stole the deed to the Mystery Shack and kicked everyone out. After a long evening of fighting a dream demon for the sake of Stan's mind, the heroes' proud victory was abruptly cut short by Gideon, who took the deed by force. Now, the Pines Family had to live with Soos and his abuelita. Not only that, but Kamala was out of a job.
Kamala crossed her arms in frustration as she sat in the living room couch. She narrowed her eyes at the TV which showed a news broadcast reported by Shandra Jimenez, who stood in front of the Mystery Shack.
"In a move that has all of Gravity Falls buzzing, child psychic Gideon Gleeful has taken surprise ownership of the Mystery Shack, previously belonging to are shyster Standford Pines." She approached Gideon for a talk with him. "Now that you have the shack, what exactly are you planning to do with it?"
"I have a big announcement to make today, and I'd like to cordially invite all the good people of Gravity Falls to join me." Gideon declared. "Free admission to everyone who wears their Gideon pins." He held up a pin that looked exactly like his face winking cutely.
Once the news broadcast ended, Kamala opened her hand showing a Gideon pin in her palm. She gripped it tightly and tossed it to the wall narrowly missing her parents who just walked in.
"Careful, Kamala." Yusuf said. "You could've taken out an eye."
"Sorry." Kamala said apologetically. "I'm just sick of Gideon. He thought he could win me over with a Gideon pin, but shows what he knows. The only reason he got the deed to the shack was because he stole it from Mr. Pines. He's been a selfish nuisance since the beginning of summer."
"That boy?" Muneeba asked fixing her eyes on the TV which showed Gideon's face. "I know he tried to date you and it didn't end well, but..."
"It's not just that." Kamala said. "It's not me he really cares for. It's just… something I have that he wants to control. Not to mention the fact that he hates the Pines family. He may seem cute and innocent, but believe me, Gideon Gleeful nothing but a pretentious brat and I wish he'd just leave town!"
Both of Kamala's parents looked at each other before sitting down beside their daughter.
"Kamala, if you say Gideon cheated ownership out of the shack, then we believe you." Muneeba said.
"Thanks, guys." Kamala said. "Too bad the whole town isn't as easy to convince as you. They're all buying Gideon's act."
"Well, hopefully, karma will get him soon." Yusuf said. "Anyway, good night." He kissed his daughter's forehead before leaving the living room with Muneeba.
As soon as they left, Kamala sighed. "I seriously doubt karma's going to get the shack back. If I want to stop Gideon, I've got to expose him for the crook he really is. And if Kamala Khan can't convince everyone…" She turned her head to the room where she hid her costume. "Maybe Ms. Marvel can."
Gideon made a cute dance sequence to everyone who attended the event he announced earlier. And as usual, the crowd cheered for him.
"Gideon is the psychic-est!" Lazy Susan cheered. "He guessed the secret ingredient to my coffee omelet!"
"Somehow, he knew about my horrifying secret birthmark!" Toby Determined said.
"I love that child psychic so much!" Manly Dan proclaimed.
Among the crowd, Ms. Marvel sneaked around wearing a black trench coat, sunglasses, and a black hat. She was about to get in closer to the front when she accidently bumped into a smaller person wearing a similar outfit.
"Oof! Sorry about that!"
"No, it's fi…" Kamala stopped when she recognized the voice of her friend. "Wait. Dipper?"
Dipper looked up at Ms. Marvel with widened eyes. "Kamala? How'd you know it was me?"
"You've got a pretty distinguished voice, you know." Kamala said.
"I told you, bro." Mabel said showing herself alongside Dipper. "Hey. Soos and Grunkle Stan are here too."
"You here to try and expose Gideon too?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"Yes." Dipper said. "We can't let him get away with this. So are you wearing your Ms. Marvel costume?"
"Yeah. Figured the crowd would believe a local hero more than a fake brat who claims he was psychic." Kamala answered.
At that moment, Gideon took his place on the pedestal and made his announcement to everyone in Gravity Falls.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Today, I am delighted to announce my new plans for the former Mystery Shack. I give you… Gideonland!"
Bud Gleeful rolled up a small diorama of a theme park that was purely Gideon-themed. The crowd cheered, but the people who really knew him gasped in horror.
"We're gonna turn this dirty, old shack into three-square miles of Gideon-tertainment! And introducing our new mascot… Li'l Gideon Junior!"
Bud then held up Mabel's pet pig, Waddles, who was dressed like Gideon. Mabel was not happy to see him like that.
"WADDLES! YOU MONSTER!"
"All right! That's it!" Stan shouted as he and his family removed their disguises and jumped onto the stage. "Listen up, people! Gideon's a fraud! This kid broke in and stole my property!"
"Arrest him, officers!" Mabel demanded.
"Yeah!" Dipper agreed.
"Such accusations!" Gideon said playing it off as innocent. "Mr. Pines, I recall you gave the property to me." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the deed. "Look. Here's the deed right here."
"Well, that's all the proof I need to see." Sheriff Blubs said.
"I love you, Li'l Gideon!" Deputy Durland shouted. "Sing them funny songs!"
"No, don't believe him!" Ms. Marvel shouted. "You all know me, beloved superhero, Ms. Marvel. And it sickens me when criminals think they can get away with any wrong they cause. So believe me when I say that although Stanford Pines is a crooked, greedy grifter…"
"Hey!"
"He's actually telling the truth on this one! The only reason Gideon has the deed in is hands is because he blew open Mr. Pines vault and stole it from him!"
"Oh?" Gideon asked with a cocky smile. "And how do you know that's how it happened? Were you there?"
"That… Don't change the subject!" Ms. Marvel said trying to avoid the question. "Come on, people! Are you really going to believe him over me?"
"…Pretty much." Blubs said with a nod.
Gideon snickered quietly so that no one but Ms. Marvel could hear him. "You're playing a very dangerous game, Kamala. It's much easier for you to just accept my proposal and work at Gideonland with me as my girlfriend."
"Ugh! Not if you were the last guy on Earth." Ms. Marvel responded.
"Not even if I was the only one who can restore Ms. Marvel's reputation?" Gideon asked.
"What do you mean by that?"
Gideon didn't answer. He just fell backwards and landed on his back and shook himself around. "OW! OOH! THAT HURTS! MS. MARVEL, WHY DID YOU PUSH ME?!"
The crowd gasped.
"WHAT?!" Ms. Marvel asked. "Come on, people! I didn't lay a hand on him! You saw me!"
"I'd rather believe Gideon than my own eyes!" Deputy Durland exclaimed. "You monster!"
The crowd booed and threw eggs and tomatoes at Ms. Marvel, who raised her arms up to block them.
"Why is there somebody who brings eggs and tomatoes to a speech?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"I can make it all go away, Kamala." Gideon whispered to her. "Just say you'll be mine, and I'll tell everyone it was just a misunderstanding. Then, Ms. Marvel won't be the most hated superhero in the world anymore."
Kamala growled at Gideon's direction. "Never!"
"Whatever you say." Gideon said snapping his fingers. His two burly bodyguards grabbed her and the Pines family holding them in place. "Now, get off my property!" He picked up a Gideon pin and placed it on Stan's jacket.
"Just you wait, you little… AAH!" Stan yelled out. "My hearing aid!"
"Thanks for visiting Gideonland, friends!" Gideon waved as the family was being carried out. "Don't come back. I don't care for y'all."
After the failed attempt to expose Gideon, the group was thrown off the shack grounds. They watched from the other side of the fence as the folks wrongfully cheered for the young liar.
"Don't worry, guys." Dipper assured. "We'll get the shack back somehow."
"We better."
Dipper was surprised to see Wendy come and join the group. "Wendy!"
"If I can't work at the shack, my dad's gonna force me to work upstate at my cousin's logging camp."
"What?! You're leaving town?!" Dipper gasped. "But we need you here!"
"Yeah, especially Dipper, because of his giant crush on…" Soos started to say before Dipper glared at him. "You… calyptus trees! The kid loves eucalyptus trees. Saved it."
"Well, nobody calls me a criminal and gets away with it." Ms. Marvel said. "Don't worry, Pines family. As Gravity Falls own superhero, I'll see to it that justice is done!"
"That's nice and all," Stan said, "But we're going to need more than imaginary powers if we're going to stop Gideon."
"Just watch me." Ms. Marvel said before leaving.
The next day, Ms. Marvel returned to the Mystery Shack and hid in the bushes joined by Squirrel Girl and Dante. They watched as the fence was guarded by Gideon's bodyguards.
"Can't believe he's doing all this just to spite us." Dipper said.
"I don't know about that." Ms. Marvel said. "I have a feeling he wants something more than just revenge. Not sure what he's after though."
"Well, nothing's keeping us from breaking through those guards and forcing the munchkin to give back the deed." Squirrel Girl said hand over fist.
"Wait. Hold on."
Everyone turned and saw Dipper and Mabel run over to join them.
"Hey, guys." Ms. Marvel said. "Let me guess. You want another crack at him too."
"We have to." Dipper said. "Grunkle Stan said since he can't take care of us without the shack, he's sending us back home. We have to get the shack back before the bus comes for us at sundown."
"That's rough, my dude." Squirrel Girl said.
"So what's the plan, Dipper?" Mabel asked.
"We'll need to have something in this journal that can help." Dipper said holding up his book. He opened it up and flipped through the pages. "Let's see… Barf fairy."
"Yeah!" Mabel yelled.
"Gross!" Dante said. "What else do you have?"
Dipper flipped through the pages again. "Butternut squash with a human face and emotions?"
"I wanna know how the author was able to tell it had emotions." Squirrel Girl said. "Did it talk to him or what?"
Dipper kept flipping through the pages until Kamala noticed something. She stopped him and pressed her finger on a bunch of weird sketches, symbols, and circles. "Whoa. What's that?"
"I've stared at this page for hours." Dipper said. "It seems like a blueprint to build something big, but it looks as though it's only part of it. Don't know where the rest are though."
"Well, half-finished blueprints ain't gonna stop Gideon." Squirrel Girl said. "To defeat him, we'll need something bigger than anything he has."
Suddenly, an idea formed in Tippy-Toes' head. He smiled before chirping wildly at his partner.
"What's that, Tips?" Squirrel Girl asked. "Devil Dinosaur?"
Dipper smiled and snapped his fingers. "Of course. Lunella and Devil Dinosaur could help! That's brilliant!"
"Who?" Dante asked.
"Oh, right. You weren't here when we fought Sauron, did you?" Ms. Marvel asked. "Well, come on. I'll explain everything to you on the way to her."
Maximus stood waiting impatiently tapping his foot on the floor as he kept his eyes on the door above him. His stomach growled for the third time that hour before the door swung open. Gideon headed down the stairs with a tray full of gross food.
"It's about time." Maximus said as Gideon gave his food. "Where were you?"
"Well, when you're digging up the Mystery Shack for the other journal, you tend to forget about the little people." Gideon said condescendingly.
Maximus sneered. "You know, it's people like you that fuel my hatred for humans."
"Well, you should have thought of that before you lead me to my journal." Gideon snickered. "Don't worry though. I'll make sure to mention you in a footnote in my autobiography." He laughed as he returned upstairs leaving Maximus alone in his cell.
"Laugh while you can, Gideon." Maximus said before scarfing down on his food.
"So let me see if I'm hearing that right." Dante said as he and the others headed deep into town. "You guys fought an evil scientist who turned himself into a dinosaur and wanted to lead other dinosaurs to attack Gravity Falls? And you teamed up with a 9-year-old super genius who could talk to a giant, red dinosaur to stop him?"
"More or less." Squirrel Girl said.
"Sorry you weren't there, Dante." Ms. Marvel said. "But hey, since we're going out, I bet we could get into some crazy adventures of our own from now on, huh?"
"Sure." Dante said with a small smile on his face. "I'd like that."
"Here we are." Dipper said as the group stopped in front of an orange-and-white building labeled "Roll With It". "Grunkle Stan said her family opened up a roller rink in Gravity Falls since they moved to town. This must be the place. Let's just… WHOA!"
The doors flew open and Lunella flew out of the front entrance on her roller skates. She stopped and spun in the middle of the sidewalk before suddenly stopping herself.
"That'll do." Lunella said to herself before noticing the gang. "You guys again?"
"Hey, kid." Kamala greeted. "We were hoping you'd help us with something."
Lunella looked confused. "With what exactly?"
"It's our shack." Dipper said. "Gideon claims we gave it to him, but he lied. He stole it from us, and he's going to turn it into his own theme park."
"We wanna get it back, but he's got bodyguards with bigger arms than my beefy waffle characters." Mabel said.
Lunella looked more confused. "What?"
"Don't pay mind to that." Ms. Marvel said. "Look, the point is, we need something big to break through Gideon's defenses."
"So you need me and Devil." Lunella surmised. "Can't you do it? You can probably grow, right?"
"I can," Ms. Marvel said, "But it kinda takes a lot out of me, and I might run out of energy after a short while. We need your help, Lunella. Can you help, please?"
Lunella looked at everyone before smiling and nodding.
Lunella lead the gang into her room which had a secret passageway. They all took it and found themselves in what could only be described as the biggest basement ever. To call it a basement was putting it mildly. It was a very large tunnel decorated with beanbag chairs at the front, and in the back, there was a subway car painted on and nearly covered with wires and stereos.
"Whoa!" Dipper said looking around. "Is this your lair?"
"I prefer to think of it more as a lab." Lunella said. "Excuse me one sec. YO, DEVIL!"
Devil Dinosaur made loud footsteps as he revealed himself. He came in from one of the tunnel entrances and lowered his head for Lunella to pet.
"Looks like duty calls for us again, big guy." Lunella said before pulling out a hot dog. She threw it into his mouth.
"Did you just feet him a hot dog?" Dipper asked.
"Yeah. Devil loves them." Lunella said.
Kamala took a moment to admire the lab a bit more when she noticed something resting on one of the counters. She approached and gasped when she recognized a blue crystal. She picked it up to examine it a bit more.
"Whoa! Be careful with that!" Lunella warned. She ran over to her and pulled the crystal out of her hand. "That's extremely delicate."
"Where did you get a Terrigen crystal?" Kamala asked.
"I found it out in the woods underneath a…" Lunella stopped explaining when she realized what Kamala said. "Wait. You know what it's called? You've seen something like that before?"
"Seen it?" Kamala asked loudly. "I've breathed in its gas, and suddenly, I had elastic powers!"
"That's the type of crystal that gave you your powers?" Squirrel Girl asked. "Gotta say, I expected it to be flashier."
"So you breathed the gas in this thing, and it just gave you powers?" Lunella asked. "Like me?"
Kamala gasped. "Wait. You got powers too?"
"Yeah! How do you think I got my psychic connection to Devil?" Lunella asked pointing her hand at her dinosaur companion.
"So this thing gives people powers?" Dante asked.
"Well, from what I heard, not just anyone can get powers from these." Kamala said. "According to Mermando, these Terrigen crystals only affect Inhumans, which is pretty much the general term for people with powers in their DNA. Breathing in the mist that comes out of this thing can unlock those powers, but for ordinary people, it does nothing."
"Whoa. That does explain some of the weird stuff I found while studying it." Lunella said. "Well, it's best we keep this safe and sound until we know what to do with it."
"Lunella's right." Dipper said. "Right now, we gotta focus on stopping Gideon."
Everyone geared up while Lunella placed the crystal into her utility belt.
Gideon was busy digging up the yard of the Mystery Shack. He was obsessively searching for something when his dad walked up to him.
"Boy, I hate to interrupt you, but you have some guests."
"What?" Gideon asked before heading over to the fence with his bodyguards. He found Dipper, Mabel, Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, and Dante at the fence looking confrontational.
"Give us the deed to the shack, Gideon!" Dipper demanded. "Or else!"
Gideon laughed. "Am I supposed to say, 'Or else what'?"
"Yes, you are supposed to say that!" Mabel yelled. "NOW!"
All of a sudden, the ground shook and Gideon heard a repetitive sound of stomping getting louder and louder. He looked over at the forest and saw many trees getting knocked down. Devil Dinosaur ran right past them and jumped over the fence. As soon as he landed, everything shook. He then spun around swinging his tail at the bodyguards throwing them aside and knocking them out. He then leaned down at Gideon with a huff of air flowing out of his nostrils.
Meanwhile, Lunella, wearing her outfit and jetpack, landed behind Gideon and grabbed him by his shoulders.
"No use trying to run away, fool!" Lunella said.
Devil Dinosaur swung his tail again completely demolishing the fence keeping the heroes out. Everyone ran in and surrounded Gideon.
"You're surrounded by a group of superhumans and a dinosaur, Gideon." Dipper said. "Now give us back our deed and get off our property!"
Gideon sighed reaching into his jacket. "Very well. I suppose this deed belongs to…" Quick as a flash, he pulled out a whistle and blew into it.
Suddenly, Devil Dinosaur reacted to the loud noise the whistle made. He yelled out in pain and leaned to the ground trying to cover his ears with his tail.
"Devil!" Lunella gasped running over to her dinosaur.
"Ha! What do you know? Works on dinosaurs too." Gideon said before blowing again into it.
"Stop! Leave him alone!" Lunella pleaded. She tried to take the whistle out of his hands, but Gideon kept it away from her.
"Call your dinosaur off and I'll leave it alone." Gideon said. "Otherwise…" He blew into the whistle as loud as he could causing Devil to shriek out.
"NO!" Lunella shouted before reluctantly conceding. "All right! Fine!"
"No!" Dipper shouted.
"You're playing dirty, Gideon!" Ms. Marvel growled just as the burly henchmen recovered. They grabbed the group from behind and held them up.
"Hey. I ain't the one who brought a giant dinosaur into the mix." Gideon said. "Though, I have to admit, I am impressed by your creativity. Talk about thinking big. How did you ever…"
"Oh, no!" Dipper gasped as his journal fell out of his vest during the struggle. Gideon looked and gasped.
"No! Can it be? Is it?" Gideon picked up the book and flipped through its pages. "Of course! It all makes sense! The one place I'd never think to look! You had it the whole time! And to think, I actually considered you a threat! Every victory you had was because of not only your friends' powers, but because of your precious book! And now, it's mine!"
"Give it back!" Dipper demanded. "Or I'll…"
"Or you'll what, boy? You'll what? Huh? Huh?" Gideon taunted. "No muscles. No brains. Face it! You're nothing without this journal! In fact, I wonder what else you got in your goodie bags." He snapped his fingers at his henchman.
One of them turned Lunella upside down and shook her until her belt opened up. Lots of stuff fell out, including the Terrigen crystal she had in her pack. As soon as it hit a rock, it shattered into pieces.
"WHAT?!" Gideon gasped. "You had a Terrigen crystal! Where did you find it?"
"Would you believe I won it at a crane game?" Lunella asked.
"Uh, guys." Squirrel Girl said pointing at the broken crystal, which began to expand a cloud of blue mist that enveloped the yard. Everyone coughed when they breathed in the gas until it cleared up.
Kamala looked at her hands. "Nothing happened."
"I guess it doesn't affect you and me again because our powers are already unlocked." Lunella said.
"Guys…" Dante said holding onto his chest. "Is it getting warm to everyone else or…"
Suddenly, his whole body was being covered by a dark material. He breathed heavily in panic as it quickly creeped all over his body. Soon, he was completely coated in the same stuff that covered Kamala at the beginning of summer.
Kamala looked with widened eyes as she came to a realization. "Dante's an Inhuman."
"Oh… you've… GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Gideon shouted stomping his feet into the dirt field. "First, he steals my girl! Now, he's gonna have an opportunity that should've belonged to me?! You know what? No! I will not have this! Take him into the shack!"
Two of his henchmen nodded and grabbed Dante's cocooned body. They then carried him into the Mystery Shack much to Kamala's dismay.
"No!" Ms. Marvel shouted before looking angrily at Gideon. "Let him go!"
"Oh, no." Gideon chuckled. "I think I'll hold onto pretty boy until he emerges. Then, depending on what powers he has, I'll either leash him or… take care of him. Hehehe."
"Oh, that's it!" Ms. Marvel growled. Suddenly, she expanded her arms and freed herself by pushing the bodyguard off of her. She then grabbed Gideon by his collar and held him high above the ground preparing a fist with her free hand. "I should have done this from the beginning! Give us back Dante, hand over the deed, return the book, or else, I'll…"
"I'd rethink your threat if I were you." Gideon said pointing downward.
Ms. Marvel looked and saw a guard still standing. He pointed his cell phone at Ms. Marvel and took a picture of her attacking Gideon.
"You do anything to me, and that picture gets sent out to every last person in Gravity Falls." Gideon snickered. "Your heroic image will be ruined, and nothing you do will fix it."
Ms. Marvel thought for a moment before coming to a decision. "Guess I'll have to try." She prepared to throw her fist before Dipper shouted at her.
"MS. MARVEL, STOP!" Ms. Marvel stopped and looked down at Dipper, who looked defeated. "Let him go. It's not worth it."
"Are you kidding me?!" Ms. Marvel shouted. "After everything he's done? He stole from us! Tried to kill us! And Dante…"
"We can't let you make that sacrifice!" Squirrel Girl shouted. "We'll find a way to save Dante! I promise! But he wouldn't want you to ruin yourself for him!"
Kamala looked at Gideon with murder in her eyes. She gritted her teeth before letting out a weak sigh. "Fine." She shrunk her legs down to their normal height and let Gideon down.
After brushing himself off, he smirked confidently at his enemies. "Well, ain't this ironic. You may be a team of superheroes, but I'm the one with all the power, huh? Face it. Gravity Falls is my Gideonland now, and in my world, there are no heroes. Bye-bye forever, y'all." He held up his whistle threatening to blow it again. Devil wasted no time leaving the shack with the others.
Lunella looked at the other apologetically. "Sorry, guys. Guess I blew it, huh?"
"Don't blame yourself, Lu." Squirrel Girl said. "You did your best."
"I promise, I'll do everything I can to make things right." Lunella swore. "Come on, Devil."
Devil Dinosaur nodded with a frown on his red face. He and Lunella turned and left leaving the others in the middle of the woods.
"Well, that's it." Dipper sighed. "Guess the bus should be here soon."
"What?" Mabel gasped. "Dipper, don't give up. You always have a plan."
"No. The journal always has the plan." Dipper said. "Think about it, Mabel. Gideon was right. The only…"
Ms. Marvel yelled in anger as she grew her fist and threw it to a nearby tree. It immediately snapped in half and fell over.
"Please…" Ms. Marvel breathed out. "Don't say he was right. That's the last thing I need to hear. I… I gotta go home." She hung her head down and walked away.
"I should probably go too." Doreen said. "Wanna go home, Tippy?"
Tippy-Toes chittered sadly.
"Yeah. Me neither. But we got nothing else to do." Doreen said walking along too. All that was left was for Dipper and Mabel on their way to the bus station.
Kamala changed from her superhero clothes into her normal clothes and threw her costume in the closet. She then fell onto her bed and buried her face into the pillow. She tried to hold back her cries, but she couldn't help it. The thought of all her recent failures just filled her full of anger and sadness.
From outside the door, Kamala's parents heard her sobbing and gently opened the door. They looked in and saw Kamala sad.
"Kamala?" Yusuf asked cautiously. "Is everything okay?"
Kamala buried her face deeper into the pillow. "No. Nothing's okay. Everything's falling apart."
Her parents looked at one another before approaching her. Muneeba sat on the bed beside her while Yusuf looked at her from the window.
"Let me guess." Muneeba said. "You tried to help your friends again, and it didn't work."
Kamala nodded while sniffing.
"Well… don't give up." Muneeba said. "You're stronger than that."
"I'm not so sure about that anymore." Kamala said. "I thought I had it all figured out, but nothing I did was working."
Muneeba gently placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder patting it. "Nobody's perfect, my dear. Not even a superhero like you."
Upon hearing that, Kamala opened her eyes. Finally, she raised herself from her pillow and looked over at her parents. "Superhero? But… I'm not…"
"Really?" Yusuf asked approaching the closet. He opened it and revealed her superhero costume inside. "Last I checked, this wasn't your Summerween costume."
Kamala gasped. "Wait. You both knew?"
"Only for a couple days, sweetie." Muneeba said. "We tried calling you, but you didn't answer. So your Abu and I drove over to the Mystery Shack to check on you. That's when we found you sleeping on the floor with the others in your superhero costume. We also found your friend's journal opened to a page about fighting an evil triangle in Stanford's dreams."
Kamala gasped figuring out what her mother meant by that. She must have been talking about the day when she entered Stan's mind to fight Bill Cipher with the others.
"I… I'm sorry." Kamala said. "I didn't know how you would react, and…"
"It's okay." Yusuf said. "I mean, sure, we were very worried since this meant you were up against criminals and monsters. But then, we looked more into your friend's journal, specifically the entries he wrote in himself."
"He couldn't stop talking about all the weird discoveries he made in the woods." Muneeba said. "But he also talks a lot about you. The way you protected him and other innocent people. The way you always held onto your beliefs even when the town's against you. The way you always held those you love in your heart. You're definitely the hero Gravity Falls needs right now."
"Yeah, but I don't know what to do." Kamala said. "The guy I like is Gideon's prisoner, everyone in town will listen to that jerk over me. It's like he has all the power, which must be hard considering how short he is." Suddenly, she went through a change that shook her parents. That didn't stop her from talking though. "And don't get me started on his pockets of fat around his head. And his stupid, porceline-white hair with too much conditioner. And his cute, innocent voice with evil behind it. He…" She stopped when her voice started to sound different. Instead of her teenage girl voice, she started sounding cute and folksy. "Hey, do I sound different?"
"You look different." Yusuf said.
"What?" Kamala asked before turning her head to a mirror. She suddenly yelled in panic as she saw not only her own body, but Gideon's. "WHAT THE?! HOW?!"
"Has… this ever happened before?" Muneeba asked.
"No! Never!" Kamala shouted. "I don't know how… How do I change back?!"
"Uh… Try thinking about how you look." Yusuf suggested. "I mean, you started to change when you described Gideon, so maybe…"
Kamala took a breath and thought hard about how she looked. She focused with all her concentration before she felt her body change. When she opened her eyes, she looked in the mirror again and let out a breath of relief as she was back in her normal form.
"I did it! I'm back, and… and I just unlocked a new level of my powers!"
"That's incredible," Yusuf said, "And, at the same time, kinda confusing. Where did these powers come from exactly?"
"Well, it turns out our family's a lot more special than I thought." Kamala said. "I'll be happy to tell you all later, but first, I gotta find a way to stop Gideon. I got the power to, but I don't have the means. How do I expose someone who everyone loves?"
"Well…" Muneeba started to say. "Maybe he's got a place where he keeps his secrets. Like a hidden lair or something in his house that…"
Kamala's eyes lit up. "That's it! His house! If I'm remembering right… Yes! That's perfect! I gotta call Doreen and go!" She got up, grabbed her costume, and raced out the door, but before she left, she turned and gave her parents one last smile. "Thanks. I love you."
Muneeba smiled. "We love you too. Be careful."
Kamala nodded and left the house before calling her friend.
Squirrel Girl met Ms. Marvel at Bud Gleeful's used car shop and hid themselves behind a car. They looked over and spotted Gideon's house.
"So you think Gideon might be hiding something there?" Squirrel Girl asked.
"Positive." Ms. Marvel said. "Remember when Gideon shrank us and took us to his home? Well, when we escaped, I caught sight of a door that led to the basement. The sign read that it had Gideon's secrets inside. Maybe it's got the key to defeating him."
"Sounds like as good a plan as any." Squirrel Girl said before spotting both of Gideon's parents through the window. "But how are we going to get inside without alerting the folks? They'll call the police, or worse, Gideon, and he'll ruin our image."
"Leave that to me." Ms. Marvel said. She took a deep breath and concentrated on Gideon's appearance. Suddenly, before her friend's eyes, she transformed back into Gideon. "Hey, hey! This is getting easier."
"Whoa!" Squirrel Girl gasped. "When did…"
"Just a new trick I picked up." Ms. Marvel said before walking up to her enemy's house. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the eyes of the Gleeful parents. The mother, though, looked absolutely terrified trying to focus on vacuuming.
"Gideon." Bud said welcoming. "And here, I thought you'd be celebrating after finally finding that journal."
"Eh… Right." Ms. Marvel said trying to act like Gideon. She cleared her throat and spoke clearly. "I need the house for myself, if you don't mind."
"Oh, why not? I got some groceries to get anyway." Bud said standing up. He then guided his wife out the door. "Come on, honey."
Ms. Marvel watched as they got into their car and drove away from the house. She then opened the door allowing Squirrel Girl to enter before changing into her normal form again.
"Ugh." Ms. Marvel shuddered. "I think I might need a shower when this is all over."
"So where is this basement you saw?" Squirrel Girl asked.
"Should be right about… there." Kamala said pointing to a door that she described. She nodded with her friend and entered.
They walked down the stairs into the dark basement. It was mostly covered in darkness, so they couldn't see much.
"Do you think we can find a light switch somewhere around here?" Squirrel Girl asked.
"No need for that." a creepy voice answered. The girls turned and finally noticed the iron cage took up half of the room. Maximus revealed himself as he stepped into the light and grasped the bars that held him back.
"Yikes!" Ms. Marvel exclaimed. "What happened to you?"
"Being imprisoned by a brat for months can really mess a man up." Maximus said. "So you must be the Inhuman girl Gideon's obsessed with. Kamala Khan, right?"
"Uh, yeah." Ms. Marvel said. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
Maximus smiled before introducing himself. "Right. Where are my manners? My name is Maximus Boltagon. And like you, I am also an Inhuman."
Ms. Marvel widened her eyes. "Really? What can you do?"
"Well, among other things, my Terrigenesis has increased my intelligence and given me slight psychic abilities." Maximus said. "Although, I clearly wasn't smart enough to see Gideon coming when he ambushed me and locked me in here."
"Why did he do that?" Squirrel Girl asked.
"Because I'm a threat to him." Maximus said. "I foolishly believed he could help me uncover the secrets of Gravity Falls. That's why I lead him to the second journal. But he turned the tables on me."
"Whoa. Hold on." Ms. Marvel interrupted. "What do you mean, the second journal?"
"Let me out of here first." Maximus bargained. "I cannot take another day behind these bars."
"Un momento." Squirrel Girl said before pulling her partner aside. "Uh, Kamala, are we sure we should be listening to this guy?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Ms. Marvel asked. "There's no denying that Gideon locked him in here."
"Yeah, but what if it's for a reason we don't understand? No offense to this guy, but he looks a little nuts, and I know nuts."
"Hey, you'd look crazy too if a munchkin locks you up for a while." Ms. Marvel said.
Maximus cleared his throat loudly so the girls could hear him. "You know, you're standing in a special spot where I can hear every word you're saying."
Ms. Marvel sighed. "Look, Doreen, I don't like the idea either, but Gideon isn't leaving us with many options. And you know what they say, 'the enemy of my enemy'."
Kamala approached the cell doors and grasped at the bars. She grew her hands to great size before prying them toward her. She pulled as hard as she could until she ripped the door off and tossed it aside. Maximus then picked up his book he was writing in and stepped on out of the cage with a smile on his crazed face.
"Ah, it's good to be free." Maximus said. He proceeded to walk up the stairs with the girls following him.
"So you said you were gonna tell us something?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"Right." Maximus said just as he left the basement and proceeded to walk across the living room. "Gideon is in possession of a journal that was written decades ago by a brilliant researcher who studied the strange anomalies of Gravity Falls."
"That sounds like the kind of journal that Dipper had." Squirrel Girl said.
"Dipper? Yes, Gideon has talked of animosity towards him and his family." Maximus said. "Tell me, which number is on his journal?"
"Three." Ms. Marvel answered.
"I see." Maximus said stroking his beard. "That's very interesting." He made it to the front door and walked out into the fresh air with the girls.
"But if Gideon already has a journal of his own, why was he excited to get Dipper's?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"Because each of the journals has a piece of something Gideon needs." Maximus explained. "Among the notes on the weirdness he studied, the Author wrote pieces of something among the pages. When all three journals come together, whoever owns them will be able to achieve ultimate power."
"How do you know so much about it?" Squirrel Girl asked suspiciously. "Did you know the Author?"
"We… met in passing." Maximus said. "I don't know exactly where he is, though. I just know that the more he learned, the more distrusting he became. He cut himself off from everyone in Gravity Falls and hid the journals so that no one would get their hands on that power."
"Except Gideon may already have it." Ms. Marvel said worryingly. "If he has all three journals, he may…"
Maximus laughed. "Don't worry about that. Gideon may not know until now that there are three journals. He always thought there were just two. He can't get the power without Journal #1."
Squirrel Girl let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good at least. That gives us time to still stop him." She turned and noticed her best friend looking worried. "Uh, Kamala?"
"I just thought of something." Ms. Marvel gasped. "If Gideon's so obsessed with the journals, then when he realizes that he has the third journal, he might get the wrong idea. Then he might go after… Dipper and Mabel."
"Then we gotta go and save them!" Squirrel Girl said before turning to Maximus. "What about you?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine on my own." Maximus said. "But you have to go. Stop Gideon before he tears Gravity Falls apart looking for that journal."
"I still have some questions." Ms. Marvel said.
"And I'll be happy to answer them in due time." Maximus said. "But for now, you have friends to save."
Ms. Marvel and Squirrel Girl looked at each other and exchanged nods. They then turned to run from Maximus and across town. As they left, Maximus made sure they were gone before giving a devilish smile.
"Ah. It's good to be back."
As Kamala predicted, Gideon went off the deep end after discovering that he only took Journal #3 from Dipper. He believed he still had Journal #1 and decided to go after him. With the help of a giant, Gideon-shaped mech that Old Man McGucket built for him, he marched onwards to where he knew Dipper and Mabel's bus would be. Although the twins had help from their handy bus-driver, Soos, Gideon eventually caught up to them at the edge of a cliff. The cliff hung over an old, wooden mining bridge that connected to another cliff across the field.
As soon as Gideon caught up with the bus, he used the mech to rip the roof off the bus. He saw Soos in the driver's seat, but there was no Dipper or Mabel.
"Okay, what's closes to our present situation?" Soos asked going through the bus emergency manual. "Raccoon in the engine or angry grandparent won't leave bus? Probably the second one."
Gideon turned and saw Dipper and Mabel running across the wooden bridge. He jumped down and cornered the two at a dead end.
"Tell me!" Gideon demanded. "Where is Journal #1?!"
"Journal #1?" Dipper and Mabel asked simultaneously.
"Don't play games with me!" Gideon shouted.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Dipper shouted. "You took the only journal I ever had! What do you even want these journals for anyway?!"
Gideon didn't answer. He just picked both Pines up in his giant, metal hands and held them up to his face.
"Fine then!" Gideon yelled. "If you want to keep playing games, then so will I! How's about this?" He held up his hand that gripped onto Mabel over the side of the bridge. "Tell me where Journal #1 is or your sister dies! 1…"
"No! Don't!" Mabel pleaded.
"2…"
"Let her go!" Dipper demanded. "I told you, I don't know what you're talking about!"
"3."
As he promised, Gideon released Mabel's hand and let her fall.
"MABEL!" Dipper yelled.
Mabel yelled as she started to plummet.
Thankfully, salvation came at the last second. Ms. Marvel appeared out of nowhere and stretched her arm to one of the cliffs. She then used it to swing herself over to where Mabel was and catch her in midair.
"Kamala! You came back!" Mabel shouted happily.
"Of course! There's no way I'm gonna let Gideon beat me." Ms. Marvel said as she made it to the other cliff and landed safely on top of it.
At the same time, Squirrel Girl climbed on top of the Gideonbot and jumped off of it. She landed an elbow drop onto his arm making him yell out in pain and release his hold on Dipper. She then rushed over to Dipper and jumped off to the side of the cliff. She climbed up gracefully until both she and Dipper reunited with Mabel and Ms. Marvel.
"Whoa! That was a rush!" Mabel commented.
"My whole life flashed before my eyes." Dipper said. "Man, I really need to get myself together."
"We're not out of the woods yet." Ms. Marvel said just as Gideon's robotic hand appeared pulling him from the bridge and on top of the cliff with the others. They moved backwards to the woods as Gideon towered over them.
"So you want to make a final stand against me, huh?" Gideon shouted. "Fine! I'll take absolute pleasure in crushing you all until someone tells me where Journal #1 is!"
"You're in for a bad day, Gideon!" Ms. Marvel yelled. "EMBIGGEN!" Suddenly, she grew until she was the size of Gideon's robot. She then grappled with him while the others moved to avoid their conflict.
Ms. Marvel threw a punch at Gideon, who retaliated with a tackle taking Ms. Marvel down. She retaliated with a headbutt shooting Gideon backwards. She then grabbed his arm and swung him around before throwing him to the woods ground. She then attempted a kick at him, but Gideon grabbed her leg and pulled hard making her fall on her back.
"Ah, sweet Kamala." Gideon said as he towered over her. "Don't worry. I promise not to hurt you too bad. I can definitely…"
Gideon stopped when he heard a feint music getting louder. He turned and saw distant trees being knocked down. As the music grew louder, he began to hear the lyrics.
"If you didn't know it, now-now. Moon Girl magic. Thought you knew. Thought you knew, baby."
Suddenly, Devil Dinosaur rushed out of the forest and roared as he rammed his head at the Gideonbot knocking him away from Ms. Marvel. She returned to her feet and spotted Lunella flying by her head.
"Hope I'm not late!" Lunella said.
Ms. Marvel laughed. "You're right on time."
Gideon groaned as he got back up. "So you still haven't learned your lesson then, huh? No matter." Deep in the robot, the real Gideon held out his whistle. "This time, I'm blowing it until your dinosaur's ears bleed!" He held in his breath and blew into his whistle. The robot created a shrill noise that shook all the trees.
After a long minute of blowing, Gideon stopped to take a breath, but was shocked when Devil Dinosaur remained standing unfazed by the noise.
"What?" he gasped. "That's impossible! How could…"
"It's called 'learning from my mistakes'." Lunella said. She pointed at the sides of Devil's heads which were covered by metal casings. "Built those to stabilize that loud pitch of yours so it doesn't bother Devil. Dino-sized earmuffs, baby." She turned to Kamala. "Told ya I'd make things right."
"Never doubted you for a second, Lunella." Kamala said. Suddenly, she dropped her smile and groaned. "I don't… Oh, no. Not now." In an instant, she shrank back down and collapsed on her back.
"What's wrong with her?" Lunella asked.
"She's been big for too long." Dipper said. "She's exhausted."
"Works for me!" Gideon declared before charging and tackling Devil Dinosaur. "I can handle one bad dino by myself!"
Squirrel Girl growled seeing Gideon sneak attack Devil. "Well, how about one bad dino and one awesome army of squirrels? Squirrels of the forest, ASSEMBLE!"
Everyone watched as a whole army of squirrels appeared out of the forest. They grouped up onto Squirrel Girl and joined together. The army grew into a large, intimidating figure that was shaped exactly like Squirrel Girl.
"AW, YEAH!" Squirrel Girl's voice boomed from the squirrel amalgamation. "I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS!"
She ran over to Gideon and hit him hard with a dropkick. She helped Devil up and together, they double-teamed Gideon, who had to act defensively.
"I… I gotta help." Ms. Marvel said weakly.
"You're in no condition." Dipper said.
"Unless there's a way to get your energy up." Mabel said.
Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up in Lunella's head. She reached to her belt and pulled out a tricked-out cassette player. "I always know my tunes perk me up real nice." She slipped in a tape and pressed play on it. A song played right out of it into Kamala's ears.
"Ready. Set. Time to be a fighter
Don't look down. Keep on climbing higher
Be yourself 'cause heroes shine in different ways
And when your voice can't make a sound
Just know we hear you all around
To be a force of nature
'Cause we're gonna be
We're gonna be
We're gonna be the best
They're gonna see
They're gonna see
That we were born for this"
Inspired by the song that played and the music that joined with it, Kamala found the strength needed to force herself up and turn her attention at the fight between Gideon and her friends. She flashed a smile before profoundly shouting.
"EMBIGGEN!"
Once again, Ms. Marvel grew back to the same size she was in before. She ran towards the fight to join in while Lunella followed to play her music and help with the fight.
As the music played, the tide quickly changed into the heroes' favor. They completely overwhelmed Gideon with strikes, throws, and slams exchanged between one another. Even Lunella helped with sonic-blasting weapons that she whipped out of her backpack.
"So if it takes forever
We'll save the world together
We were born ready
We were born ready
Yeah, yeah, yeah
And if your heart surrenders
We'll hold it out together
We were born ready
We were born ready
Don't care if the world ain't ready for me"
The song ended just in time for the heroes to stand over their nearly-defeated enemy, who laid near the side of the cliff.
"It's over, Gideon!" Ms. Marvel shouted.
Though he appeared defeated, Gideon let out a thunderous laugh that confused them. "You may be right about that, but not in the way you think. Guess who I decided to bring with me? Dante!"
Ms. Marvel gasped. "Dante?"
Inside of the robot, Gideon grabbed Dante's crystalized body and dragged it over to where he was. "That's right. And if you hit me one more time, I'll see to it that pretty boy here gets shattered before he ever emerges."
"You're bluffing!" Kamala cried out angrily. "Can you really break a body in the middle of Terrigenesis?"
"Do you really want to find out?" Gideon asked. "You may have outnumbered me, but once again, I hold all the cards! And there's not a single person among you who can…"
Suddenly, a yell broke out interrupting Gideon's monologue. Dipper ran up Devil Dinosaur's body and jumped off as soon as he reached his snout. He leaped up into the air and made it inside of the Gideonbot through its eye. Once he was inside, he immediately tackled Gideon separating him from Dante's body.
"Leave us alone!" Dipper shouted throwing punches at Gideon's chubby cheeks.
"Never! I finally won this time!" Gideon responded by reversing his and Dipper's positions and throwing his own punches.
What came next was Dipper and Gideon in a brutal fistfight. Just when it seemed Gideon had the upper hand, Dipper interrupted one of his punches and made him punch himself instead.
At that moment, Dante's crystalized body began to crack. A small piece of it suddenly popped off and flew through the space between Dipper and Gideon's heads. They turned and saw a flame burning out of the crack.
"What the…" Dipper started to ask just as two more shards cracked out leaving a much bigger flame. "Guys, something's about to happen! Get us out of here!"
"Right! I… AHH!" Ms. Marvel yelled as she suddenly felt tired again. She shrank back down to her normal size, but this time, she didn't collapse. She couldn't afford to. Not when her friend's life is on the line. As she shrunk in midair, she aimed her trajectory to land though the eye-shaped window that Dipper broke through before. As she landed, she grabbed Dipper and Gideon before finally seeing Dante's body crack apart and the fire growing bigger.
"What's wrong with him?!" she asked.
"We can ask that later!" Dipper shouted. "If we stay, we'll get burned!"
As much as it hurt her to see Dante's body burning, she knew Dipper was right. Acting on instinct, she turned and ran out the window carrying Dipper and Gideon in her arms. She jumped through just as the crystalized body finally broke apart. As it did, a giant, fiery explosion was set off completely blowing up the Gideonbot's head. Kamala, Dipper, and Gideon narrowly avoided it as they fell to the ground.
After they recovered, they looked over at the Gideonbot with the flaming head and saw it lean backward. It fell off the cliff and plummeted down.
"DANTE!" Ms. Marvel cried out as she looked over the cliff. She watched as the Gideonbot hit the ground creating a bright, white-and-blue explosion that got the attention of everyone in Gravity Falls.
Ms. Marvel and the others raced down the cliff and ran toward the remains of the Gideonbot. Dipper found his journal and picked it up, but that's not what they were there for. Ms. Marvel fell to her knees and desperately moved all the broken machine parts out of the way looking for a sign—any sign—of Dante.
"Come on, Dante! Please, be okay!" Ms. Marvel said tearing up. After a minute of looking, she stopped and lowered her head crying for the second time that day. "No…. It can't be."
Everyone joined her with their heads lowered. They thought back at the adventures they shared with Dante. The Quentin Trembley conspiracy. The shrinking adventure. Their memories of them made them tear up. Gideon, however, snickered wickedly believing that he won something.
Suddenly, a red glow caught everyone's attention. They looked and saw a red-and-orange figure standing on top of the rubble. Everyone smiled just as the figure came into view. It was Dante, and he was holding balls of fire in his hands.
Everyone cheered when they saw him, especially Ms. Marvel, who cried tears of joy and embraced him. "YOU'RE OKAY!"
"Yeah! I guess I am." Dante chuckled. "And take a look at this…" He held up his burning hands and closed them. The fires were extinguished as he did that. When he opened one of his hands again, he snapped his fingers creating a flame that hovered over his fingers.
"Fire powers." Kamala laughed happily. "You have fire powers! That's why you exploded like that?"
"I exploded?" Dante asked.
"It doesn't matter right now." Ms. Marvel said. "What matters is everyone is safe and sound."
Just then, a police siren was heard. Out of panic, Lunella turned to Devil Dinosaur and motioned for him to hide before anyone could see him. The police arrived along with basically everyone in Gravity Falls. They gathered around the destroyed robot with questions asked over one another.
"Oh, thank goodness, you're all here!" Gideon shouted running away from the group and into the arms of the police officers.
"Gideon!" Deputy Durland gasped. "Good heavens! What on earth happened here?"
"It was those people!" Gideon accused pointing at the heroes. "They tried to attack me and blew up my statue with dynamite! Arrest them!"
"WHAT?!" everyone gasped.
"Officers, he's lying!" Dipper shouted. "He tried to attack us!
"Sorry, kids, but we trust Gideon." Sherriff Blubs said holding out a pair of handcuffs. "And nothing short of a miracle could ever change our minds."
"Get behind me, kids." Ms. Marvel said stepping in front of everyone. "I won't let them take you."
"And we won't let them take you."
The heroes were surprised when Muneeba and Yusuf Khan stepped out of the crowd and stood between the policemen and her daughter and friends.
"Sir, madame, would you please get out of the way?" Sherriff Blubs asked. "We got some arrests to pull out."
"If you want to arrest someone, arrest Gideon." Muneeba said. "If these people say that he's the one who attacked them, then we believe them."
Ms. Marvel smiled proudly while whispering, "Mom. Dad."
Deputy Durland gasped. "You dare doubt Gideon?!"
"Yes, we do." Yusuf said. "And if you want to arrest them, you'll have to arrest us first."
"Us too!"
Several more people walked from the crowd and joined the Khan family. The heroes watched in surprise recognizing who they were.
"That's my family." Lunella said recognizing four people in the crowd. "My mom, dad, Pops, and Mimi."
"And my family." Dante said.
"There's Soos." Mabel pointed out.
"And Wendy." Dipper said. "And Wendy's friends?"
"Wendy?" Manly Dan asked. "What are you doing?"
"Sorry, Dad, but I can't abandon my friends, even dorks like them." Wendy said.
"Plus, Ms. Marvel saved our lives!" Lee yelled out.
"She saved everyone in Gravity Falls dozens of times!" Nate added in.
"Ain't no way our daughter, Lunella, got herself involved in anything so horrible." Mimi said. "Obviously, the boy's lying."
Ms. Marvel's smile grew bigger seeing so many people still having faith in her. She shared that love with her closest friends gathering around her.
Gideon growled angrily. "What's wrong with you people?! Do you know who I am?! I'm Gideon Gleeful! I am the one who brought real wonder to Gravity Falls! Come on, people! Are you really going to believe them over me?"
"...Pretty much." Wendy said with a nod.
"Well, all this is cute and all," Sherriff Blubs said, "But this still doesn't change our faith in Gideon."
All of a sudden, an old, red car drove in forcing everyone to move back away. Stan Pines jumped out of the driver's seat with an excited grin.
"Wait! Wait! Stop everything! I've got something to say!"
"Mr. Pines?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"Not this guy again." Sheriff Blubs said.
"Just wait! Look!" Stan yelled running to the broken Gideonbot. "You guys all think Gideon is so perfect and honest. 'Oh, I could never tell a lie. I'm Gideon.'"
"He's more honest than you." Blubs said.
"Yeah, and he's psychic too!" Durland added.
"How's this for psychic?" Stan asked before kicking the Gideonbot's stomach and opening a hatch. "Take a good look!"
Everyone looked inside and found a wide array of computer screens showing different citizens doing various secret things.
"Wait a minute. Is that me?" Lazy Susan asked seeing a video of herself making her secret recipe for coffee omelet.
"And me!" Toby Determined said recognizing himself in the doctor's office getting his disgusting birthmark checked at.
Everyone in Gravity Falls saw the videos realizing that they matched up with Gideon's "psychic" readings on them.
"That's right." Stan said holding up a Gideon pin. "These pins are hidden cameras. And my hearing aide was picking up the feedback. Who's the fraud now?"
Everyone removed their Gideon pins and threw them to the ground. They then turned to Gideon with angry expressions. He chuckled innocently knowing that after all this time, he has finally been caught.
"Gideon, we gave you our trust." Durland said with a disappointed tone.
"You lied to us!" Manly Dan growled.
"Please, I… It's not what it looks like." Gideon said nervously. "What are you gonna do with me?"
"Tyler?" Durland asked the local enthusiasm enthusiast, who sniffed in sadness.
"Get him. Get him."
"Li'l Gideon," Sheriff Blubs said, "You're under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and breaking our hearts."
"Don't forget assault and theft." Ms. Marvel added as Durland slapped on a pair of tiny handcuffs on Gideon.
"WHAT?! NO!" Gideon cried out. He was dragged over to the police car when Stan picked him up.
"Just one more thing." Stan said shaking Gideon around until everything in his jacket fell out, including his wallet, keys, a picture of Kamala, Journal #2, and the deed to the Mystery Shack. Stan picked up everything he wanted, including the deed. "I believe this belongs to me."
Gideon was pushed into the police car with the door locking automatically as it closed behind him. He looked out in anger until his eyes caught something that made them widen. He saw Maximus hiding out in the forest. She smiled at him before waving his hand goodbye.
"No! No! You let him out?!" Gideon shouted. "You made a big mistake! He's even worse than I am! You need me! You'll hear from my lawyers!"
His threats fell to deaf ears as he was driven straight to jail. As he left, Shandra Jimenez covered the story to her news crew.
"There you have it. Local hero, Ms. Marvel, and her friends has vanquished Li'l Gideon, who was then exposed as a fraud by Stanford Pines. Ms. Marvel, I think I speak for everyone in town when I say, we're sorry for ever doubting you. Is there anything you'd like to say?"
Ms. Marvel turned to every citizen in Gravity Falls who smiled admiringly at her. She then looked over at her closest friends who always supported her. She then turned back to Shandra and gave her answer.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm just a girl who is different from everyone in just about many ways. But nevertheless, Gravity Falls is my home. So whether it's just a bunch of petty crooks, a wicked mastermind like Gideon, or anything that threatens this town, you can bet that I'll be there to protect you. Me and my friends."
Squirrel Girl cheered as she and Tippy-Toes joined their friend.
"And the Mystery Shack is back, baby!" Stan declared much to the delight of his niece and nephew.
As the crowd celebrated and cheered, Ms. Marvel turned and saw Dante who looked proudly at her. She broke off from the group to meet up with him.
"I'm so glad you're okay." she said.
"Me too." Dante replied. "And it looks like your reputation is better than ever."
"Well, I owe it all to everyone who supported me." Ms. Marvel said. She then had an idea that made her blush. "Uh, would it be so bad if… Maybe… I'm not sure if this is the right time, but perhaps… I think…"
Dante stopped her from rambling by caressing her face. He helped her look right at him. Nothing else needed to be said. They just smiled and kissed for the first time.
After the kiss broke, Dante was suddenly surprised by the sudden intrusion of Muneeba and Yusuf Khan, who watched the two.
"Are we interrupting something?" Muneeba asked.
"Mom! Dad!" Kamala said embarrassingly. Everyone laughed before getting to work on getting their lives back together.
It was a long day, but nobody complained. They got started on repairing the Mystery Shack and getting everything that was theirs back to normal. Everything was back to the way it was, even the broken-down S on the sign. Meanwhile, business was back in the Mystery Shack and better than ever.
Once the evening began to set in, Kamala, Doreen, and Dante joined Dipper and Mabel in their room.
"So your parents know you're Ms. Marvel now?" Mabel asked.
"Yeah." Kamala said. "It's going to be tough, especially now that it was revealed that our family's pretty special, but they couldn't be prouder of me. I mean, I am in trouble a bit for lying to them all summer, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing."
"Thanks." Dipper said. "So you said Gideon had a journal of his own?"
"That's what we heard from the weird hobo man he kept in the basement." Doreen said. "But Lunella just called. According to her, the police didn't find any weird journal, not from his arrest, his home, or the Tent of Telepathy. If Gideon did have a journal, he probably hid it where he knew no one could find it."
"And this other Inhuman that you guys met." Dante said. "Is he… trustworthy?"
Kamala let out a sigh. "I don't know. All I know is, his name is Maximus, his powers make him super smart, and he seems to have some connection to the guy who wrote the journals. Other than that, nothing. But something tells me we haven't seen the last of him."
Just then, the door opened up, and Stan Pines walked right in. "Hey, you little monsters. You kiddos settling back in okay?"
"Just glad to have a job again, sir." Kamala answered.
"And all my favorite molding spots on the ceiling are still there." Mabel said. "Even you, Daryl."
"Hey, Grunkle Stan, we've been talking, and I think there's something we should finally tell you." Dipper said. He showed Stan his mysterious journal and let him read through it. "This is a journal we found in the woods. It talks about all the crazy stuff that goes on Gravity Falls. Gideon nearly destroyed the whole town trying to find it. I don't know what means or who wrote it, but after all that we've been through, maybe you should finally know about it."
"I'm glad you showed me this, Dipper." Stan said closing the book. He then let out a laugh. "Now I know where you've been getting it all from! Spookums and monsters! This kooky book has been filling your head with crazy conspiracies."
"But it's all real." Dipper said.
Stan didn't listen. He just kept laughing. "You gotta quit reading this fantasy nonsense for your own good. Although, some of these would make great attractions. Can't come up with this stuff. Mind if I borrow this?"
"Wait, no! Grunkle Stan!" Dipper protested seeing his uncle walk out of the room with his journal.
"Magic book." Stan laughed walking away. "Ridiculous."
"But… What about Kamala?!" Dipper shouted. "You should know that she's Ms…"
"Whoa, Dipper! Cool it!" Kamala shouted pulling Dipper away from the door. "Secret identity, remember?"
"Oh, come on. Nearly a quarter of the town knows who you are by now." Dipper said.
"Even if I did agree that he should know," Kamala said, "If he finds out, he might turn me into his latest attraction. And Ms. Marvel is a hero, not a dancing monkey."
"But what about my journal?" Dipper asked. "I need it."
"Dipper, you don't need that book." Mabel said. "Don't you see? You ran on the back of a dinosaur monster, jumped into the eye of a giant robot, and fought Gideon with nothing but your bare hands. You're a hero whether you've got that journal or not."
"Whoa." Dipper said thinking back at everything he did today. "Thanks, guys. I still want it back, though."
"Relax, kid. It's Stan. He doesn't take anything seriously." Doreen said. "I'm sure he'll return it once he gets bored of it."
That's when they were suddenly sneak attacked by Soos, who shot water guns at them. Everyone laughed and joined him.
As the night fell, Stan made sure everyone was fast asleep before he headed to the vending machine in the gift shop. He typed in the number combination on the keypad and revealed a hidden passageway behind it. He made sure no one was watching him before he headed inside and closed the passageway behind him.
After walking down a flight of stairs, he reached an elevator and rode it down two levels. When he came out, he walked into a teched-out laboratory with blinking lights and lit computer screens. He then reached a desk at the end of the lab and pulled something out of its shelf: a journal with the number 1 on it. He then set it down along with the journal he got from Dipper and the journal he sneaked out of Gideon's belongings.
"After all these years," Stan said, "Finally, I have them all."
He opened all three journals to specific pages, each book revealing a third of an advanced blueprint. Once he lined them up, he tinkered with the machines beside him following the blueprints in the journals like a set of instructions.
Once he was done, a blue light lit up even further ahead. Stan watched through a glass window. A machine shaped like an upside-down triangle with a circle in the middle lit up operational.
"It's working!" Stan gasped as he ran trough the door beside him and entered the machine room. He grabbed a long lever and flipped it. Finally, a blue light took up the circle in the middle of the triangle and he watched as it began to work.
"Here we go."
Maximus opened up his eyes to find himself floating in the middle of a starry space. He looked around seeing many eyes pointed at him, but there was one eye in particular he was interested in. It was the single eye that belonged to Bill Cipher, who greeted him gladly.
"Hey there, old buddy. Long time, no see." Bill greeted. "Guess what. I felt a disturbance. Looks like Stan the idiot turned the machine back on. Everything's looking great now." He laughed, but stopped when he noticed Maximus' sour expression. He glared angrily at Bill. "Hey, why the long face, Maxy?"
"Why the long face?" Maximus asked back. "How about the fact that I listened to you, and I ended up locked behind bars for it! Why didn't you warn me the brat was going to double-cross me?"
"Hey, I may have the ability to predict the future, but I can't see every last detail that's going to happen." Bill said. "The future is a bit of a foggy mess, but one thing was for sure: Gideon finding that journal was an absolute point. But for some reason, in this timeline, he can only find it if you helped him."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut off my ties with you, Cipher." Maximus said.
"I'll give you three. One, we had a deal. Two, it's not like you have anywhere else to go. And three, don't forget that my power is the only thing keeping you from aging for thirty years after old Sixer woke you up. Without it, time will catch up to you, and you might just become dust."
Maximus looked away from Bill. He hated to admit it, but he was right. Bill then lowered himself to wrap his arm around his shoulder.
"Aw. Don't be so sour, Maxy. Don't worry. Like I said, we had a deal. And once you help me get Weirdmageddon up and running, I'll see to it that everything you ask for is granted. You'll be king of the Inhumans, and you'll be free to treat the normies however you want."
Maximus sighed. "I suppose I can live with that. So does this mean I can start with the Cloudburst phase yet?"
"Sheesh. Is that what you're calling it?" Bill asked. "Anyway, sure. Go nuts. And if you need me, you'll know where to find me."
Maximus opened his eyes again finding himself in the middle of the forest. He knew the conversation he had was real, and he was finally ready to move on. He looked in his hand and found his journal opened up to a specific page. In that one drawing, he had a sketch of Bill Cipher surrounded by a circle with assorted symbols.
After closing the book, Maximus headed deeper into the forest. He stopped once he found an old, wooden shack that aged out. He entered inside and looked around. It was certainly a fixer-upper, but he didn't care about it.
For now, he headed over to a door and opened it. He walked in and found eight glass capsules interconnected by a machine. One of them was empty, but the rest were filled with different creatures. Most of them looked like they were humans with colorful outfits and one was an incredibly large bulldog. They all laid still in their capsules fast asleep.
Maximus circled everyone until he stopped at one. This capsule held a powerful-looking man in a black costume on with silver stripes decorating it. The top if his head had what looked like a thin tuning fork.
"Hello, brother." Maximus said caressing the class capsule. "You know, it would be so easy to make you pay for all the disrespect you showed me. All I have to do is turn off the life-support, and you'll die peacefully in your sleep." He paused for a moment. "But you don't deserve peace. You and everyone in our little family deserves to suffer. You. Medusa. Crystal. Karnak. Gorgon. Triton. Lockjaw. I would very much like for you to be awake just in time to see the world end and humanity fall. Then, the race of Inhumans will finally rise, and everyone will bow to me. Once you lose all hope, then I'll execute you without regret."
Maximus left the capsule room and returned to the living room. He brushed his foot on the floor until a switch was found. He pressed his foot hard on it and the absolute center of the room was lifted. A circular machine rose from the floor with empty tubes surrounding it. At the same time, another door opened, much smaller than the machine. Inside, Maximus scooped up over a dozen Terrigen crystals and put them in the empty tubes attached to the machine.
"Glad to see this thing still works." Maximus said as he fiddled with the machine.
Once it activated, all the crystals in the tubes were crushed until they released a blue mist, which were then vacuumed into the machine. That's when an automated voice called out from it.
"Terrigen mist: sucked in. Aerosol projectile: armed. Blast radius: the entire town. Launching in 24 hours."
Maximus smiled proudly as he stepped back. He stared at the machine and admired it.
"This is it. Nothing's ever going to be the same again. Just you wait, everyone. Gravity Falls is about to be a little more… Inhuman."