I'm back with another chapter! This is a season 2 episode, yeah, but it's one that could reasonable take place at any time over the summer, and it was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy!

It was a nice day in Gravity Falls. The Mystery Crew lounged around the gift shop as Ochako inserted the last quarter into the vending machine. The snack she chose started to slide out of its rack, but got caught on the way down.

"Aw man," she pouted. "And I wasted some perfectly good quarters too."

"That sucks," Izuku sympathized with her.

"Need some help?" Soos walked over to her. "Check out this trick. Bibbity boop-wahp." He tapped and nudged the vending machine in certain places, and the door opened up, allowing them access. He grabbed a handful of candy and tossed it into Ochako and Izuku's hands. "A genius taught me that once. This just in - weather report calls for a candy blizzard!"

"Sweet!" Mina jogged over and took some snacks out of the machine, Shouto following behind with an amused expression on his face.

"Thanks a lot!" Izuku beamed.

Soos waved him off, putting his own quarters into the now closed again machine. "No problem. I'd do anything for my fellow Mystery Shack workers."

"Soos!" Stan yelled. "I need to scratch myself in two places at once!"

Soos shook his head lightly. "And I mean anything. Coming Mr Pines!" He ran off, leaving his wallet behind him.

Izuku picked it up. "We should make sure he gets this back. In a minute I mean. I don't really want to see him helping Stan scratch himself."

"Don't phrase it that way, it sounds really bad." Mina's eyes sparkled. "Hey, don't you guys want to see what he's got in his wallet? Learn some Soos secrets? Could be fun!"

"I dunno if we should be snooping in someone's wallet," Izuku said hesitantly. But something had already caught Ochako's eye, and she pulled it out.

"Oh wow, a laser tag membership? That's so cool! We should all go play sometime."

Shouto pulled out a piece of salami labeled "for emergencies", then shrugged and put it back in the wallet. "Can't judge him for that. To each their own, I guess."

Izuku, obviously losing to his temptation and curiosity, looked at Soos' drivers license. "Jesus Alzamirano Ramirez. Oh, he's an organ donor, that's cool. And his birthday…" Izuku trailed off eyes, widening. "That's today!"

"Seriously? Why didn't he tell us, we could've done something for him!" Mina pouted, then brightened. "Well, we still could! Day's young, after all. Maybe we should throw something together for him."

Shouto's eyes knit together. "I don't know. I'm all for giving Soos a good birthday, but maybe he's got a reason he didn't tell anyone. Maybe he just doesn't like his birthday."

"We should still do something nice for him though," Ochako countered. "Maybe we can ask Stan and Wendy what they think he would like? They've known him longer, after all."

"Sounds like a plan," Izuku agreed.

Wendy winced, and Stan stopped counting his money to focus on them, and Izuku knew something was up.

"Glad you asked us first before doing anything," Wendy said. "You guys haven't heard yet, but Soos hates his birthday. He's hated it as long as I've known him, and probably since he was a kid. Some weird personal biz."

Izuku glanced at Shouto. "Looks like you were right. But why would he hate his birthday?"

"Personal business is probably right." Shouto sighed. "I've never been that fond of my own birthday, or at least it stopped feeling special when I was little. I'm not saying Soos has the same reasons I do," he added at their sympathetic looks, "just that maybe he's got a good reason for it."

"For your next birthday, we're gonna make it the best birthday of your life," Mina promised. "But right now, there's got to be something we can do for Soos."

Wendy shook her head. "We've tried everything."

"I even petitioned the government to have this day removed from calendars." Stan pulled out a sheet with his face on it and the words "danger, flight risk". "Now I'm not allowed on airplanes anymore."

"That's really sweet of you, but how does asking the government to remove a calendar date make you a flight risk?" Izuku wondered.

Stan looked away shiftily. "There were some… steps in between."

"Ah."

"What about the laser tag place?" Ochako offered. They all looked at her. "I mean, he's got a membership, and we were already talking about going there with him before we knew it was his birthday. That way he can at least do something he enjoys with people he likes."

Wendy smiled. "Smart idea. I like it."

They headed out of the shack to see Soos on the porch, looking glumly at a postcard in his hands. Izuku sat down next to him. "Hey, Soos! You, ah, left your wallet on the counter earlier."

Soos looked up in surprise, taking the offered wallet. "Oh, thanks dude! Hope you didn't eat my emergency salami, but I can't blame you if you did."

"No way, that's your salami. But we did see that you had a membership to the Big Gunz laser tag place, and we were wondering if you wanted to go with us there, as a big group."

The shack employee looked hesitant. "I dunno, I'd love to go with you guys, but I'm not feeling up for a lot today."

"All the more reason to go!" Mina chimed in from behind them. "Sounds like the perfect way to lift up your spirits to me."

"Well…" Soos still seemed undecided, but after taking in all of their encouraging faces, managed his own small smile. "Okay, let's do it!"

The laser tag place looked as many laser tag places did, with black lights and neon everywhere. As everyone got outfitted, Wendy felt the walls and frowned.

"Are these just mattresses spray painted purple?" She wondered.

"I think the place used to be a mattress store," Stan offered.

"Laser battle will commence, in three, two, one!" The doors opened, and they charged in.

But the minute they did, something felt different. Rather than fog machines and other people running around, Shouto and his friends found themselves in a small, bright white room, where two tall men stood. He turned around to see white bars of energy separating them from Soos, who had bent over to tie his shoe.

"Soos!" He called out, the others turning around at his voice. Soos looked up, surprise and then panic flashing across his face, before the last white wall slammed down, leaving them trapped.

Mina instinctively kicked one of the men. "Hey, let us out of here! We need to get to our friend!"

"Thank you for buying digi-cod, the smart codpiece!" Mina stepped back to rejoin the group, shoulder brushing against Shouto's.

Ochako kicked at one of the walls, a metallic clang echoing around them. "Nice try," one of the men said, "But those walls are solid time-tanium." Now that Shouto looked closer, both of their captors were absolutely ripped. And very familiar.

Izuku seemed to realize it as well. "It's those time enforcement guys!"

"That's right. And there's only one way out of here."

"Through me!" They turned to see a head and two hands, glaring at them harshly. Then the head frowned and messed with something on his watch, his jumpsuit coming into view. "W-wait, hang on." The jumpsuit turned to its normal color. "Through me! And that's what it would've been like if I'd just gotten it right the first time, but it's still as effective."

"You're that guy!" Mina exclaimed. "The time travel guy. Blengi, right? Blarji?"

"Blendo?" Ochako winced. "Oh, shoot sorry, I just remember it was a really hard name to pronounce. But wait, there was a lot of "j"s in there, right? And "L"s?"

"Blendin, I think," Izuku tried.

"Yes! That last one! Blendin Blendjamin Blandin!" Blendin snarled. "You better not have forgotten my name after you ruined my life!"

"We didn't forget!" Ochako protested! "It was just a very hard name to get right! Also, ruined your life?"

"No excuses!" The man shrieked. He fiddled with his watch, and a hologram popped up. "Initiate flashback. It was after you stole my time device to win your stupid pig. I was captured and stripped of my job in the time anomaly removal crew, my whole life's purpose!" The flashback showed his jumpsuit turning into prison garb. And then I was given ten squared life sentences in time prison. I've spent every day since then planning my vengeance." The flashback disappeared.

Shouto winced, feeling the guilt rush over him. They hadn't meant to, but they'd clearly ruined the man's life. Looking at his friend's stricken faces, he could tell they felt the same.

"We're so sorry!" Izuku stepped forward. "Officers, he was telling the truth then. It was us who were messing with time, not Blendin! We didn't know what we were dealing with, that's no excuse. We should've come clean then and not let him take the fall for us." Blendin stepped back, as if shocked. Then he shook his head.

"Y-You're just saying that because I'm about to get my revenge on you!" The man insisted. "I won't be swayed by your lies."

"They're not lies!" Izuku protested.

"He's right," Shouto added. "What we did was wrong." He turned to the officers. "How can we fix this?"

They both looked more than a little shocked. "We appreciate your honesty, children, but Blendin's fate has already been decided. As you said, you didn't know what you were messing with, and he should not have allowed anyone from the past to get their hands on his time machine, as almost anyone would've used it. He is still at fault here."

That wasn't fair. But what could they do about it?

Mina winced. "Then can we at least go back to our own time? It's our friend's birthday, and we promised ourselves that we'd make it a good one."

"Unfortunately, no," the other guard said. "Not anymore."

"Don't think your fake pity will stop me from erasing your pitiful existences," Blendin crowed at them. "And some dumb birthday means even less. None of that matters here, in Globnar!"

One of the white walls became bars again, but this time into a very different place. Shouto looked out into what seemed to be a futuristic gladiatorial arena. People were on fire, falling through portals, fighting monsters and battling each other on giant clocks. As people were stricken with blades, they aged forwards and backwards.

Ochako leaned up against the bars. "What is all this?"

"This is gladiatorial time combat!" Blendin announced. "The winner gets a precious time wish," they watched as one of the combatants was declared the winner, "and then decides the loser's fate!" The winner turned his thumb down, and the loser was vaporized. Shouto looked on, horrified. "The four of you are officially challenged. Dundgren! Get me my war paint."

The Mystery Crew shared looks. "We need to get out of here now," Shouto said.

"This would be a really bad place to die," Izuku agreed.

"On it." As Dundgren helped Blendin put on his war paint, the other guard, Lolph, leaned against the bars, watching them. With his eyes on the others in the room, Ochako floated his tape off his belt and over to them. They huddled around her as she fiddled with it.

Just as Blendin noticed what they were doing and cried out, they were gone.

They popped into existence again, flopping down on mattresses. Shouto looked around. Rather than the laser tag place they were aiming for, they had ended up in a mattress store.

Mina groaned. "Stan said this place used to be a mattress store. We went too far into the past."

A familiar sound echoed behind them, and the four ducked under the mattress. "Looks like they overshot their destination by ten years," one of them said.

"You'd better find those kids!" Blendin wiped the war paint off of his face.

"You'll get your justice Blendin," Lolph said coolly, looking rather ticked that he'd had his own time machine stolen.

"I'd better! I'm going to keep stammering until you find those kids! I-I-I-I-"

"I hate that guy," Lolph muttered to his coworker.

"Let's move," Dundgren agreed. They two of them hopped from mattress to mattress until they were out of the store.

"I don't piss off that many people when I stammer and mumble, do I?" Izuku looked worried.

"Not in the slightest!" Ochako assured him, as they crept out from under the mattress. "It's really charming when you mumble."

"We like you for who you are, and that includes your tangents," Shouto added. Mina slung her arm around his shoulders. Izuku smiled at them bashfully. "Let's get moving. Hopefully we can be back before we miss anything."

"Um, not yet, actually." Ochako winced and held up their stolen time machine, which was sparking, and obviously a little damaged. "I don't trust this thing until we fix it."

"We'll just get the tools at the Mystery Shack. It should definitely still be open right now."

It was an extremely strange moment, walking through the town. The tattooed man was just getting tattoos, Sheriff Blubs had long hair, and there was a sign with baby Gideon on it, vandalized by someone drawing demon horns on him. Izuku winced as they walked past that one.

And there was Stan at the Mystery Shack, talking to his tourists about his new wax exhibit. The four of them smiled at each other before running behind the shack and sneaking in through a window.

Izuku grabbed some of the tools from behind the counter and started working on fixing the time machine, while Ochako walked over to help a kid with the vending machine, obviously about to teach him the same thing Soos taught her. Shouto let his eyes roam around the slightly altered store, and something in his gut turned over. There was a strange feeling that soaked through him, like he needed to see something.

Shouto hopped behind the counter and leaned down, following that feeling, and there under the counter was a framed photo, with two figures inside.

"Find something interest- oh. Huh." Mina leaned over his shoulder.

There in the photo were two kids, both of them looking about five years old and nearly identical to each other, the boy in blue and the girl in pink, wearing their hair at different lengths. They were smiling happily for the camera.

At the bottom of the frame was a scribbled note: "Stanford. You haven't come to see them since they were born, so I thought you might want a photo! Your brother, Sherman."

"I mean, it makes sense that Stan's got family," Mina muttered softly. "I guess I just didn't expect this. I dunno why. They must be his grandkids."

"Looks like this photo was just sent. They're probably our age about now." Shouto frowned. "I wonder why he's never mentioned them?" They could ask when they got back, but he wasn't sure how Stan would respond to the inquiry.

"Guys!" Ochako ran over. "That kid! He was Soos! It's his birthday today, and he sounded really excited about it!"

Izuku perked up, walking over with the machine in hand. "You think this is the birthday that ruined his other birthdays for him? Should we go see what happened?"

"Isn't that a little private?" Shouto was pretty sure he wouldn't be happy if someone time traveled to his past and watched as he broke down on the ground after being pushed way beyond his limits on his sixth birthday.

"But if we know what happened, then maybe we can help him fix it in the future, whatever it is." Shouto looked at the others and saw he was outnumbered, so he sighed and followed them along.

It seemed to be a great setup for a birthday, and nothing like his own. Soos' whole family and some of his friends were there and happy to see him, his grandmother got him a giant cake, and Soos himself was smiling brightly.

"Sorry, could you move seats?" He asked one of his friends. "It's for my dad. I haven't seen him in like, eight years, but he's coming today!"

Shouto's heart sunk. "Guys, we should leave."

"What?" But Soos was running to get the door, and they followed him. Shouto didn't need to hear the words spoken to see the postcard, and young Soos' face fall. The kid went back inside, dejected.

Izuku sat back in their hiding spot. "That's… I know that feeling. I've been through it myself. But it happened on his birthday, and so it stuck out to him even more."

"How can we fix this?" Mina wondered softly.

"We can't," Shouto told her. "We can only be there for him in the present." Izuku nodded firmly.

"This way!" They sunk lower in their hiding spot as Blendin and his guards came around the corner. "They've got to be around here somewhere. I think I heard them!"

Lolph shot his gun at a tree, causing the small Robbie hiding behind it to cry and run away. "Trace their chrono-signatures."

"Man, the sooner I defeat those kids in Globnar, the sooner I get my time-wish," Blendin gushed.

"You know what I'd do if I had a time wish?" Dundgren had a wistful expression on his face. "Retire, spend more time with the kids."

"Nahahaha-with the kids!" Blendin brushed him off. "Don't you know a time wish can do literally anything? Any impossible problem solved, just like that?"

Any impossible problem?

"We could wish for a way home," Izuku breathed. For the first time since Cipher, Shouto allowed himself to hope.

Ochako grinned. "Not just that - who says we can't wish for two things in one? We could solve Soos' dad problem and get home while we're at it. A perfect win."

"Think we can win this?" Mina looked as though she could barely hold back her excitement.

Shouto smiled. "I say we give it a shot."

They stepped out of their hiding spot. "Blendin!" Izuku called out. "We're ready to challenge you. No tricks this time." He handed Lolph back his time machine.

Blendin jumped in joy. "Yes! Let the battle begin! Prepare for GLOBNAAAAAAAAAAAA-" He was cut off.

"Turns out we can mute him," Lolph noted.

"Man I wish we'd known that earlier."

They reappeared in the center of the arena, more people than Mina could imagine around them and cheering loudly. A circle in front of them opened up, and out came the time baby they had seen fighting in that great war during their first time travel adventure.

"Silence," The baby boomed, and when a spectator cheered more, the baby fried him with laser vision. Mina tried to shake away the shivers the baby gave her.

"Welcome Globnar tributes," Time Baby said. "I have a very important nap to get to, so let's make this quick. You each have a chance to settle your time feud through gladiatorial combat." He waved his hands, and numerous weapons filled the arena.

"You will have until Time Baby is finished drinking the cosmic sand in this hourglass," a robot informed them. The robot pushed the bottle against Time Baby's face. "Come on."

"No!" The giant baby protested.

"It's good for you."

"Nya!"

"Get ready kids," Blendin challenged. "When this is over, you'll wish you were never born. Or rather, you'll wish you were born, because I'm gonna wish you were never born!"

"There's four of us and one of you," Shouto pointed out. "You really think you can win?"

Blendin's response was a confident smirk. "Of course I will. I've got training!" He grabbed a spear and twirled it around expertly. "What do you think I was doing in prison all that time?"

The four exchanged glances. This might be trickier than they thought. Still, with their own training, powers, and skills, Mina was confident that they would come out on top.

"Let the Globnar begin!" With that, the audience cheered, and the arena lit up, a scoreboard flashing over their heads.

What followed was an almost unending series of challenges, sparring, motorcycle racing, chess, monster fighting, hotdog eating contests, swimming away from sharks, holographic mountain climbing, and more. Still, from their training, intellect, and powers, the Mystery Crew found themselves gaining a sizable lead, and by the time they finished putting what must've been the final monster away, they had far more points than Blendin did.

"There is only one final challenge for Globnar," Time Baby told them. "An ancient game, thousands of years old, chosen for its exemplification of pure strategy. The ancient art… of LASER TAG!"

A holographic form of a laser tag arena sprung up around them, and Mina caught Ochako's eye, both of them trying not to burst into laughter. Izuku sweatdropped, and Shouto looked highly unimpressed. "The one who touches the victory orb first will win!"

"Yes! Time for my comeback!" Blendin readied his new blaster. "You might be laughing now, but just wait until they turn on the fog machine! You be so sorry-"

Izuku started firing at hitting him, and Mina ran for the orb, grabbing it.

Time Baby finished his cosmic sand. "It is finished!" The crowd went wild as the teen's point score went up to 999. Blendin screeched in fury and Mina high-fived her friends, all of their faces flushed with exhaustion and victory.

"You have made victory in Globnar." The giant baby floated down to them. "Before I give you your time wish, what is the decided fate for the loser?"

"Death!" Mina cheered.

"Mina!" Shouto snapped.

She chuckled, embarrassed. "Sorry, got carried away."

Izuku frowned contemplatively. "So, he did sort of try and wish us out of existence, but we also did ruin his life and accidentally frame him for a crime he didn't commit."

"He's not really a villain," Ochako agreed. "Maybe we can turn things around with him."

"He was obsessed with erasing us out of existence. That's kind of a big deal," Shouto pointed out. "I'm not saying your wrong, just that maybe we should privately let someone keep an eye on him, in case he flies off the handle again."

With that decided, they turned back to Time Baby. "We've decided," Izuku announced, "that as long as you keep a close eye on him, Blendin should get his job at the time anomaly correction unit back, and be set free."

"And give him some nice hair," Ochako added kindly.

"So be it." And so Blendin's chains fell, and hair grew on his head.

"Really? You're doing this for me?" Blendin beamed. "I feel like hugging somebody!" He turned to Lolph.

"I can kill you in thirty different ways," Lolph informed him.

Blendin jumped back. "Yes sir."

"Now, children," The yellow orb floated down to them. "What is it that you want for your time wish?"

Shouto looked up at him. "Is there any way we can use this wish to travel to another universe? A different one from this?"

"Unfortunately not," Time Baby answered. "Time wishes are contained by the restraints of this world. Travelling to another isn't possible."

They all deflated. Mina winced. She could admit, that had really gotten her hopes up. Automatically, she looked over to Shouto, to see how he was doing. He caught her eye and nodded, as if to confirm he was okay, and she smiled at him.

Izuku sighed, then turned back to Time Baby. "This wish isn't for us then."

Time Baby's eyes widened. "Not you? But then who? Who is worthy to receive such power?"

They appeared with Blendin in the present, the laser tag scene frozen around them. Soos, the only one moving, turned to look at them, joy and relief spreading across his face.

"Izuku, Ochako, Mina, Shouto!" He ran forward and gave them all a big hug, which Izuku gladly returned. "I've been so worried! You guys just disappeared!"

"Sorry we're late," Izuku said, as the older man let go. "We got caught up in this time travel stuff where we had to fight to the death."

"There was a time cyclops, and a timed eating contest, and a time race," Mina added. "And lots more. But that's not the important thing."

"The important thing is that we know how to fix your birthday." Shouto motioned to Blendin, who brought out the time wish.

Soos looked stunned. "You guys did all of that for me?"

"Behold, your time wish," Blendin announced. "The power to alter time paradox free in any way you choose."

"We thought that maybe you'd want to use it to meet your dad," Izuku said softly. "But it's up to you."

"You mean I can finally see my dad by touching this thing? And you guys battled through time and space to get me this?" Soos looked the time wish over with wonder, before placing his hand on the orb and closing his eyes. With a flash, Izuku could feel all the cuts and bruises he'd gained in Globnar fade away.

"Bam." Soos smiled. "Fixed you up. Enjoy dudes."

Ochako frowned. "But Soos-" Izuku stopped her. To be honest, he had considered that Soos would end up wishing for something else, even if he hadn't realized it would be for them.

"Birthdays are supposed to be spent with the people who cared about you. And that dude didn't care enough about me to visit me once! Let alone fight monsters through time and space like you dudes." Soos laughed. "I've been being ridiculous this whole time. Whoever my dad was, he can take a hike! My family is my Abuelita, Mr. Pines, and you dudes. Thanks for giving me the best birthday ever."

"Of course!" Izuku wiped away his ears at that speech.

"Are you kidding me?" Blendin looked appalled. "Do you have any idea what you just wasted? Do you know how many have died to get a time wish? The wars that were started-"

"Oh, that isn't all," Soos assured him, pulling out a slice of pizza. "I also wished for this infinite pizza." He took a bite, and it reappeared. "And it can do that for like, infinity." Everyone expressed their approval at that part of the wish.

"I have to go back now," Blendin informed them. "A-After everything you kids did for me, with all that stuff you said about the other world on the way here, I promise if I find anything that can help you get home, I'll let you know."

"Thanks!" Izuku told him gratefully. The time traveler disappeared in a flash.

"Hey, are you guys coming?" Wendy called out. The five exchanged grins and grabbed their laser rifles, jumping into battle.

"You know, maybe we should've wished for our quirks back," Ochako mused, as they were walking home.

"It might not have worked. Doesn't work over universes, remember?" Izuku shrugged. "Then we would've wasted the time wish."

"Good point." Shouto listened to them talk, before Mina tapped his shoulder.

"Think we should ask Stan about that photo?"

Shouto looked over at the conman, who was laughing at something Soos said. "Not right now. Let's just enjoy Soos' birthday. There'll be plenty of time later. We're not going anywhere soon, after all."

Well, that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed, and please don't forget to leave a review! If you have any questions about the story, I'd be happy to answer them.