"Ow! Dude, rough stuff!" Soos grumbled as he started to stand back up, pushing himself up from the floor.
Yuki stood as well, and helped Soos stand up as he glanced around. Something odd had just happened to Soos and Yuki. It hadn't just been them; the entire convention, for a brief moment, had suddenly lurched into the air, and then plummeted back down. People left and right were checking on their close companions, ensuring that everyone was healthy and safe. Booths and stands alike had their merchandise lift and fall just as those around them had. There were pamphlets spilling across the floor, and many ties were heatedly being re-adjusted.
"Earthquake," someone nearby muttered.
"I've heard the west coast has the occasional stutter like that," another replied.
Yet Soos nudged Yuki's arm. "Dude, I don't think it was an earthquake." Yuki turned and looked around, studying the damage. "Like, I've felt earthquakes before. But I've also felt what just happened a few times. Not the same, bro."
"I can't help but agree," Yuki nodded, and stared at the ceiling, where several strands of fabric from the booths around them had become caught. "The amount of dispersion, and the lack of tremors, discounts an earthquake."
"Yeah, I was afraid you'd agree with me dude," Soos gulped.
Maybe twenty feet away, someone shouted, "Yuki!"
The alien spun around, and spotted the frantic figure of Pacifica Northwest, her eyes wide as she bumped into people desperately as she struggled her way closer. Her hair was slightly frazzled, and parts of her business dress were crumpled. This made second priorities as she rushed towards the two. It wasn't until she was next to Yuki that she stopped, checked with him, and let out a quick sigh. Then Pacifica started to clean herself up.
"Pacifica, are you well?" Yuki asked, watching her carefully, perhaps worried that her 'illness' made her more susceptible to physical harm.
Noticing his study, Pacifica gave him a quick smile. Remembering that Soos was with him, she re-adopted her typical posture of authority. "What happened?" she demanded of the two of them, "I'm one hundred percent sure that wasn't an earthquake!"
Soos gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh wow, someone else is on our level," Soos said. He noticed Pacifica's glare at his comment. Wilting a little, he added, "What? I'm agreeing with you, girl."
"Right," Pacifica grumbled, "Where's Dipper and Mabel?" Pacifica asked them. The two looked between one another and shrugged. She added ina huff, "I bet you they're involved with whatever just happened. They always are."
Yuki slumped slightly. "Sadly, I would agree. And what just happened," Yuki looked about, and sniffed the air, "Was a Gravitational lapse."
"Huh?" the two nearby grunted.
Yuki excitedly explained. "Gravity lapses are momentary denials in the force of gravity – acting as an equalization of the attraction that connect us to the pull of the planet," Yuki noted, holding his hands up, trying to demonstrate with gestures, "something has just caused the constant force of gravity to be neutralized. This is why the structure of the building did not sway, yet the smell of older dust permiates. It is likely that collections of dust lifted off it's various surfaces."
Soos looked like he absorbed maybe half of that. "Oh. I thought someone just had a bad fart," Soos shrugged.
Pacifica retched and stepped away from him, to Yuki. "What could cause that?" she asked him, "Maybe some sort of crazy technology?"
"Yes. However," Yuki turned and stared out the front doors, mostly un-obscured by the crowds, "There is peace beyond the borders of this building. This means it was likely caused a local event. Something triggering this level of specificity in a sphere of Gravitational influence can be likely be one of two things-"
"Your people?" Soos asked. Yuki's dark skin went a bright shade of pink, and he stared pointedly at Soos. The handyman quickly spluttered out, "Oh, uh, like, I mean the Japanese? Or Canadaians? Japanese-Canadians?" Yuki seemed displeased with Soos's corrections. To his luck, Pacifica looked between the two of them, but seemed not to notice Yuki's frantic sigh.
Yuki added, "Or... something else. Perhaps... Soos," he fully faced Soos, and quietly asked, "The Warlock, from before. His magic; could it create a Gravitational Lapse like this?"
"Dude... you got me," Soos shook his head.
From the speakers nailed to the walls, a loud audio test blared, and had the crowds around flinch and shudder. Then, from the main stage across the convention floor, three figures took the center. The parents Northwest stepped up, but heralded another. A tall, dark man man with skin with a particularly nice bow-tie stood by a microphone stand, and held it to his mouth, better to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the man said, his deep, rich voice commanding around him, "Please do not be alarmed. Gravity Falls is not alone in it's history for the occasional hiccup. Small earthquakes do occasionally happen, but I am assured by our local friends, the Northwests," the bald man wove a hand next to him, indicating the well-dressed husband and wife, "That this is not something to fret about. You are perfectly safe, and will be for the duration of the convention. Please, go back to your regular routine. Thank you."
Though Yuki enjoyed the concept of peace and calm, he was displeased with the dismissal of danger. "I would advise against such actions," Yuki quietly said to his comrades, "This was anything but ordinary."
"Yeah. Made my stomach all weird and gurgly. So it's totally not good," Soos informed them casually. "Who was that guy anyway?"
Pacifica quickly answered. "Mister Steindorf, the head and brains of the Steindorf Company," Pacifica said easily, "He, my parents, and a few of the bigger companies here, decided together that Gravity Falls would be a great location for this sort of thing."
"I've heard of Omir Steindorf," Yuki admitted. "His family has passed down the ownership of the company for nearly two hundred years."
Pacifica turned back to the alien. "Oh, wow, you've done your research, Yuki," Pacifica grinned.
"Well, ah, as I said, studied the prodigious examples of business excellence in the Americas, like him and your family," Yuki told her with a shaky grin.
Pacifica giggled, and Yuki sighed. She would be pacified by the information, and he looked back to the stage. His eyes fixed on the man of the convention, and realized he had turned and was speaking to the Northwests in what appeared to be furious, hushed tones. While Yuki knew his strength had increased due to the adaptation to Earth's atmosphere, his senses had not. He wondered what precisely they were debating on the back steps of the stage.
"Hey, dude," Soos suddenly was leaning next to Yuki, his tall figure bent over as he spoke in a quiet tone to Yuki's ear, "That's probably not good."
"What?"
"The Northwests, dawg," Soos pointed out. "I wasn't there for it, but the last time something like this went down and the Northwests were involved, I heard they nearly let everything get destroyed. We should probably get Dipper and Mabel and tell them they're acting all weird and stuff."
Despite Soos' best wishes, Pacifica had heard. "My parents," Pacifica stepped before them, her hands balled up at her hips, "Are not up to anything!"
Soos recoiled. "Yeah, but dude, no offence," he added hastily, "How can we really trust you?" Soos asked her. Her gaze hardened. Soos took a step back. He stated, "Look, you may be like a hundred times nicer than your mom and dad, but you still live with them, you know?"
"A thousand times is more like it," Pacifica snapped back at Soos. He gave her comment some thought, and then wiggled his hand through the air, giving her statement a barely passing admittance. She continued, "And if they were up to anything, I'd know about it, and tell you idiots about it."
Yuki frowned, but focused on her information. "So, you know nothing then?" Yuki asked.
Pacifica explained, "If there's one thing my parents like, it's to brag. They may think I'm a bad apple off the tree, but they still tell me when they stiff someone from a good deal," she told them, and then shook her head, "This isn't one of those times."
Before a pair of closed elevator doors, a woman held herself back from lashing out. "Damn," the golden-haired woman growled as her fingers pried at the elevator buttons. There was no glow of electricity on the semi-transparent button. She scowled, "The whole system's been shut down." Arline put her hand against the doors of the elevator before her and groaned. "Might as well find another way-" she turned around, and found the twins glaring up at her. "Oh...yeah."
Dipper leapt at the chance for answers. "Arline, what the heck is going on here?!" Dipper demanded, his voice rising with each word. The master martial artist looked from Dipper to Mabel, who's eyes shone as she stared at her master. In Mabel's eyes were not stars of excitement. A piece of trust had been broken between the two.
Arline closed her eyes. "Now's not the time to get into details," Arline quietly said, starting to walk forward, towards the twins, "We need to go-"
"We?" Dipper repeated, "Not until you explain to us what's up," Dipper demanded, stepping between her and the hallway.
She stopped, and let out an short sighed. "Dipper, try to understand. I can't talk about this now."
That wasn't even close enough for him. Dipper's mind raced, and he shot out aloud his deductions. "You were tracking the warlock while he was here," Dipper told her, his gaze strengthening, "Like you knew he was here. You're at this convention, but you don't care about big money people, which means you knew before us, "Dipper pointed out verbally, "And, weirdly enough, you hadn't told us! We've told you before that we've dealt with him, and that he's been a threat, but if you were looking for him knowingly, without including us in on what you know, that means one thing: you've been hiding something about this from us."
Arline's eyes were wide. She looked rather lost for words. "Wow," she managed after a moment, "That was – well, that last one is sort of a stretch," Arline crossed her arms together, looking back at Dipper.
"Prove me wrong," Dipper demanded.
Arline's mouth fell open and she gave a small, shocked chuckle. "Dipper? Really? This is me we're talking about here. I'm just jumping at the first sign of trouble. Really."
Dipper's eyes narrowed. "You know, I'm happy to tell you that you're a bad liar," he told her. Arline's cheeks grew pink, but before she could respond, Dipper added, "But I've only known you for a few weeks. If there's someone you want to promise you're not holding back on us, it's my sister," he reminded her.
Arline's gaze faltered from strength and looked to Mabel. The brunette student of Arline stared at the ground now, the boundless energy, trust, and excitement washed away. More than once Arline opened her mouth, and quietly started to say something. "Mabel, I," more than once was the starter that ended up fading away. Mabel looked to her, a sad hope in her eyes. Finally, Arline shook her head, her mouth sealed.
Dipper groaned and spun away. "C'mon Mabel," Dipper said, putting a hand to his sister's shoulder, "We should get going. The Warlock could still be up to something-"
"Wait."
The twins stopped, and looked to Arline.
She was rubbing at the line of her hair as if she was fiercely itchy. She had screwed her eyes tightly shut as she groaned. "Ugh, dang it," she scowled, and finally said, "His name is Graupner."
The twins spun around. Dipper focused back on Arline, and Mabel's eyes sparkled with stars. "You'll tell us?" Mabel asked. Arline seemed upset with herself, red in the face like she had just said something awfully embarrassing. Walking over to the twins, she leaned against the wall ran a hand through her hair.
"God, I'm going to get in so much trouble. Guys – Dipper, Mabel," she started, "I had hoped to keep you two from getting any deeper than you already were. This stuff, all of this, is dangerous. Capital 'D' dangerous. This isn't something that people should know," Arline said, turning her gaze to her left, towards the twins.
"Master, please," Mabel asked, "Level with us."
Arline chuckled, amused with Mabel's eternal ability to provide her humor. The martial artist nodded and leaned onto her shoulder, now facing the twins. With a brief closing of her eyes, she nodded in agreement.
"Dipper, Mabel, I practice a type of martial arts called 'the paths', and that I walk the path of fire, right?" Arline outlined, and then looked between them both. When neither seemed confused, she continued, "There are responsibilities you get once you take the paths. You see, the paths don't give power to those who just wish to use it for their wishes. You have to create balance and prosperity. Sometimes actively."
"Balance?" Mabel asked.
"Prosperity?" Dipper repeated.
"Yeah, and I don't mean 'do volunteer work' and 'be charitable'. You have to find things that upset the natural order of life, and do your best to restore them. If you don't, the paths can crumble. You see, the energy we use, those of the path use, is a form of life-energy. It's inside us all. But that's not the only power out there," she added with a dark undertone, her eyes hardening, "And the most dangerous and versatile of them is called 'arcane'."
Dipper's eyes looked aside as he thought. That word, Arcane, meant a lot to him. It was a common sight in his many games of Stronghold and Serpents, as well as a term he was certain he had seen in some of Grunkle Fords old journals. "You mean magic?" Dipper repeated. Arline gave him a very serious nod. Dipper, feeling rather blasé about it, shrugged. "Well, we know about Magic," he told her, "That's nothing too crazy."
She cocked an eyebrow. "You think bending the rules of physics is easy?" Arline asked Dipper, who's confident grin faltered. "I'm not talking about party favors and pulling small animals out of pockets. Magic, and those who train in it, can do anything. Anything, you guys, leads a lot of people down a dark path. It can corrupt the mind and create disasters. Arcane power has no limit to what it can do, and your warlock, Graupner Kinley, will stop at nothing to use it for his gains."
"Graupner Kinley?" Dipper repeated.
"And what are those?" Mabel stepped closer, "What's his angle?"
Arline sighed and shook her head. "That's what I'm here to do. Well, that and one other thing," she added, "Stopping him from hurting anyone else, which, includes you two."
More questions arose from her answers. "How do you know all of this? All about him?" Dipper began to ask, "Where did he come from? How did he learn all of this?"
"Hold on, hold on," Arline rolled her eyes, "One at a time, okay? So, part of my duties as a teacher of the paths is to ensure balance. Well, Graupner, or as you know him these days, the Warlock, has been changing that. He's using his powers to hurt and scare people, and I can't let that happen. From what I've learned, he's been going around the country doing this."
"Around the country?" Mabel gasped, "he's been around!"
Arline nodded to Mabel. "Yeah. Gravity Falls was his most recent stop, but he is sticking around," Arline's eyes squinted as she pressed passed the twins, looking down the hallway, something in her mind's eye as she stared off, "He's stopped in this town. There is something here he couldn't find anywhere else."
While Arline faced away, the twins exchanged a very knowing glance. That kind of mission had happened before. Gideon Gleeful had once attempted to gather the journals to unlock, what he had thought, was unlimited power. Now another soul, Graupner Kinley, the Warlock, was keyed up to shoot his shot. Dipper took his turn to speak. "What?" Dipper asked. Arline turned, and shrugged. Dipper asked, "You don't know?"
"No. Not everything," she admitted, "I'm here to stop him from hurting people, and if I find out what's keeping him here, all the better to stop him," she said. There was a heat in her eyes and power behind her words that commanded Dipper and Mabel to listen. She sounded more formal than she had in her entire stay in Gravity Falls. Then as she stared, that energy lowered, and they found themselves facing the same woman they had knew for a few weeks. That guilt, that weight, had returned to her. She approached them, saying, "I wanted to tell you, I did," she admitted.
"Why didn't you?" Mabel asked, walking to her and holding her hand. "Why keep this from us? From me?"
"Mabel, it's not every day you run into teenagers who are used to fighting fifteen-foot spiders and werewolves casually. If I told any of my neighbors this, they'd ask me to start taking my meds again."
"Meds?" Dipper clarified.
Arline rolled her eyes, "Nothing bad, Dipper. Just your usual adult trauma-coping stuff," she informed him. As Dipper looked more concerned than before, Aline took a knee before Mabel, "Mabel, I have never had a student like you before. I don't want to lose what we've started together. I'm not afraid of losing you as a student. I know you're a tough cookie, but… This This is big, threatening, adult life stuff," she admitted.
Mabel shrugged and chuckled. "Hah. We've stared death in the face a few times. Heck- we've even had battles against actual demons! So, the whole 'let's jump into danger without knowing all the doodads', that's nothing new for us."
"Yup, sounds about right," Dipper nodded, "Half the time we don't know half as much as we think."
Arline was stunned. Her face cracked a crooked smile, and she laughed. Arline let out a loud belly-laugh, holding her hands over her eyes. Her echoing amusement effected the twins, who grinned and smiled to each other. Even in moments of tension, they could still bring a smile here and there. A few moments afterwards, calming down from her great amusement, Arline wiped her eyes and stared hopefully to the twins.
"I can't pretend that this isn't dangerous," she told them, her smile not going away, "But I think if there was anyone, I knew here I would trust to get through this all without being hurt, it would be you two."
"Aw, thanks," Dipper said to Arline.
Mabel beamed. "If not, that's why people sell band-aids for!" Mabel declared, and reached into her pants pocket, withdrawing an assortment of colorful neon band-aids. "They just need to make them scratch and sniff quality, and I've got a new collection to add to my scrapbook. Once they fall off, that is."
"Okay, that's kind of gross," Dipper told her.
Mabel shrugged, and turned to her master. "So, what's next?" she asked.
Arline turned. A nod of her head beckoned the twins to follow. "We should meet up with your friends," Arline told them as she marched away quickly, "And prepare them for what may be coming."
"You're going to tell them stuff too?" Mabel asked with an excited grin.
"No!" Arline whipped around; those blue eyes wide with fear. When the twins blinked and stepped back, she relaxed. "Sorry. No, I can't. Guys," she rubbed the back of her elbow absentmindedly, "It's bad enough you two know why I'm here now, but if others started to figure out what's going on–"
"What's the worst that could happen?" Dipper suggested, a small grin portraying his shaken confidence.
Arline shook her head, and slowly turned back. "The more people that know about what it is I do, the worse it is for them. Graupner isn't the worst thing out there," Arline warned them as she marched forward again.
"W-what?" Dipper gasped, "Well, what is then?" Arline said nothing. Her eyes seemed to burn with a cold flame that the twins had never seen before. She gave them each a single, quick look. Whatever it was she was referring to, was, like she said, capital D dangerous. She continued on, marching urgently ahead.
"C'mon," Mabel suggested, nudging Dipper to follow.
The three raced through the hallway, passing the spaced apart evidences of Arline and the Warlock's fight, along with the few pipes that had become slightly damaged during the flip of gravity. Staring at the scorch mark left behind by the Warlock's fire-based attack, Dipper scowled as the twins chased after Arline.
"Too many times," Dipper grumbled.
Mabel seemed to resign herself to his thoughts. "And I don't even really like thinking about locking people away unless they've deserved it," she said, her hair trailing behind her.
"He deserves it," Dipper decided.
"Yeah. Five times," Mabel counter as they ran ahead, moving in haste towards the main convention area, "That's five he's messed around here, and tried hurting people."
The twins shared a look filed to the brim with conviction. Instantly, they silently agreed on a single decision. This guy, Graupner Kinley, had lost his chance to reconcile with the twins after he tried hurting them with the Tulpa. He had then lost any chance for peace when he sent the recently turned werewolf Folbrow to hunt them. Now, after kidnapping Dipper, sending ghosts, giant spiders, and lycans at the twins, they were through with him. Their next place they were going to put him was behind bars.
Ahead, Arline shoved out the double doors. Accidentally knocking over the two guards next to them, the three stormed into the shaken crowds, who had only just begun to continue with their basis. Businessmen and women all walked about, looking to the walls and ceiling with fear. The few who seemed excited or even happy with the turn of events were, naturally, the insurance companies.
"We do include earthquake insurance!" one of them shouted as the trio passed. "For a limited time, you too can be protected from earth's mighty fury!"
Arline grumbled, "Don't know anything about earth's fury," Arline mumbled loudly as she and the twins ran past. "I'm sure Nadan would have had a thing to say about that."
Mabel leaned over to her. "What?"
"Nothing," Arline mumbled.
"Dudes!"
Arline stopped and whipped her head to the direction of the call. The twins stumbled forward and gasped. Soos, Yuki, and to their surprise, Pacifica, were heading their way. Mabel raced towards them.
Yuki let out a big sigh, stress falling from him as Mabel met him. "You're safe!" Yuki acknowledged, "Thank goodness."
"For now," Mabel was quicker to reply, letting Dipper and Arline catch up with her, "Are you all sa- Pacifica, that is a lovely dress!" Mabel pointed out.
"Oh, this old thing?" Pacifica asked, her eyes scanning the wardrobe. Her lips twisted and she frowned, opening them to retort to Mabel's kind compliment. Then, her eyes darted to Yuki for a moment, and she froze. He was looking at her with his usual smile. "Thank you," Pacifica looked back to Mabel.
"No problem! You know, we should totally go on a girl's night out at some point!" Mabel told her.
"Can we talk about the more important business at hand?" Dipper reminded Mabel, bumping into her as he squeezed his way next to her. "Hey guys. Pacifica," he gave her a small smile and nod, which she smiled back.
"I take it you have uncovered something odd?" Yuki asked.
"I bet it's another portal! Or maybe it's a secret underground facility with a shape-shifting monster! Or faeries!" Soos exclaimed, all one after another.
"Okay, tell me you two haven't actually found all those things he just said," Pacifica rounded on the twins, her brows furrowed in worry. When the twins shrugged, she shook her head. "I don't want to live here anymore. I need to move out of town."
"Soos, it's him. The Warlock again," Dipper exclaimed. Soos took in a sharp breath, and looked around.
"Oh boy, that's not good," he said, tugging his usual hat tighter around his head.
"The same Warlock who gifted you the cursed medallion?" Yuki inquired. The twins nodded. Yuki added, even more worriedly, "And the same one who gave Pacifica the flute?"
"Wait, that jerk is here?!" Pacifica demanded, "Ohh, I've got my lawyer on speed-dial! He's in for it now."
"All true," Mabel nodded, cracking her knuckles loudly, "We think he's overstayed his welcome."
"Which is why," Arline stepped up to the group, her bright blue eyes scanning around, "We're going to stop him at all costs. He's dangerous, and I bet he's not done."
Most were happy to hear Arline's declaration. Pacifica Northwest, often the one in charge, looked a little taken aback at the woman. "Okay, uh, fire-punching woman from the talent show; who are you to us?" Pacifica demanded.
"This is my martial arts teacher and master of the paths," Mabel leaned to the side and wiggled her hands before Arline, "Arline Hirsh!"
"Hi," Arline nodded to Pacifica, who eyed the woman before her.
"Huh. I swear I've heard your last name before," Pacifica told her.
"Kind of a common name, really," Arline said.
"If the Warlock is amongst us," Yuki stated again, thinking aloud with his eyes focused on the space between them all, "He will be seeking something here," he looked to the twins and Arline, "Do we have knowledge indicating his desires?"
"The desire to be a huge jerk," Mabel crossed her arms and pouted.
"Power?" Dipper suggested, "He told me once that he wanted power, in anyway, and wanted to use it for whatever."
The disguised alien paused, and looked around. Finally, he shook his head. "I do not understand," Yuki said, "While there is plenty of electrical power here, I do not see the opportunities that could arise from this building."
"That's because Yuki," Arline told him, "You're thinking power in a more physical form. If he wants power in any form, what better way to assert authority of masses of people than by controlling a select few?"
"Wait," Pacifica stepped closer, "Want to say that again?"
Arline re-iterated, slowly. "I think the Warlock intends to use or blackmail the rich and powerful here. By charm, or threats, or even kidnapping them," Arline explained, spinning around slowly, eying the entire populace, "Why else would he want to be amongst the rich and powerful?"
As Pacifica looked ill, Soos nodded. "If I was a power-hungry nut job who used magic, that does sound like something I'd do, but maybe only after making flurple a real color," Soos added, and then stepped closer, "So, what's the plan?"
Arline eyed Soos, Yuki, and Pacifica. There was a clear hesitation about her as she pursed her lips and frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. When something bad is happening, my mind gets to work. But, uh, the hypotheticals? Planning? I'm not the one to ask." She cast a worried glance to the twins. "That's up to the twins," she said, her words heavier than previously.
Looking back to Arline for clarity, they sighed and decided instantly want to say.
"We're going to grab this guy together and throw him into jail," Mabel announced first.
Dipper took his cue from his sister. "Soos, you and Yuki should wait out here. The warlock has only been going after us, so I don't think he's targeting you," Dipper announced.
"Which, despite your life-threatening situation, I am grateful for," Soos said.
"So, we can use this for our advantage. You and Yuki can jump him if we can chase him out into the open here," Dipper explained. "So, Me, Mabel, and Arline are going to go after this total, complete, son of a..." Dipper clenched his jaw. He felt the skin on his arms tighten, reminding him of the handiwork that Wendy had done weeks ago when he had been cut for fresh blood. He continued to the gang, "We can flush him out. Then, the five of us as one, get him."
Pacifica went pink in the cheeks. "Wait, what about me? What, I just stick around the side and clap?" Pacifica barked, pointing at Dipper, who blinked and leant back from her deadly tone. "C'mon, if Yuki's going to help, I should too."
"Uh, why is that a basis for your argument?" Dipper asked.
"Well, I mean, Yuki," Pacifica turned to him, her tone apologetic as her smile barely curved up, "You're not exactly strong looking." Mabel, Dipper, and Soos all burst out laughing, catching both blonds by surprise. "What?" Pacifica demanded as Yuki stood there, nervously watching them all.
"He's a lot more than meets the eye," Soos told Pacifica with a wink. With a cocked eyebrow, she glanced at Yuki, who seemed to have developed a small amount of sweat on his forehead.
"Pacifica, we can use you for help, but we're dealing with a guy who throws around fire for sport," Dipper told her, "Mabel and I deal with this kind of thing on-and-off. When's the last time you had to deal with a monster?"
"At the talent show? Duh," she rolled her eyes.
Dipper frowned and glared at her. "Yeah. And how well did you handle it all?" he asked of her.
Pacifica opened her mouth, her cheeks bright pink. "I was startled!" she declared.
"Dipper, don't be mean to her," Mabel shoved his shoulder, and he nodded.
"Pacifica," Arline spoke to her directly, "Dipper isn't wrong. This will be very dangerous. I'm really happy the twins have friends as brave as you," she said off handedly, causing the pink in Pacifica's cheeks to grow, "But this isn't something you should just be willing to jump into. Only do this if you think you can survive through life-and-death situations."
Pacifica listened very closely to the words of the martial artist, her eyes squinting as she heard each word. When Arline finished, the blonde looked around, scanning the faces of those she had circled with, perhaps checking their sincerity. Life or death, danger or safety, and friend and foe; Pacifica studied them all. Mabel gave her a big, wide grin, Dipper presented a half-hearted shrug. Finally, she looked to Yuki, who looked back, no pretenses to provide her. He just looked to her, and she back. Finally, she sighed and nodded.
"Maybe I can escort some people out so we can make sure no one gets badly hurt during all of this," Pacifica told them.
"I love it," Arline told her, "Don't think for a second that we're not counting on you, okay?" she added, and Pacifica's eyes lit up.
"Okay. Stay safe, and go kick this guy's ass. Especially you," she pointed to Yuki, who blinked and looked around, "Stay safe." Pacifica grinned devilishly to them, and then spun around.
Soos had gasped and put his hands to his mouth. "Wow. She must mean business if she's swearing like that!" he said.
"Perhaps," Yuki said distantly, following Pacifica as she left their circle, departing towards the main stage.
"Alright. Reminder," Arline spoke to Yuki and Soos, "The man wears a dark cloak, but has bright blond hair under it. Really pale skin, and the more he talks the more he looks like he's about to vomit. Tall, lanky, and has that annoying voice," she said.
"Annoying voice – roger," Soos nodded, and turned his cap around so the flat edge faced away.
Yuki said, "Perhaps you might want to start your search... there," Yuki pointed up.
The twins and Arline turned and followed the path Yuki's point created. They found, overlooking the center of the huge convention center floor, an extended section of office serving as an over-watch. Glass panels tilted away from the floor gave it the look of a monitoring station.
"The manager office?" Arline asked, and turned back to Yuki, "Why?"
"A list of all members, and their affiliations, could be a good start to the man's goals," Yuki acknowledged. "And should he not be there, having someone in the offices that overlook the space could present us the opportunity to 'get the jump on him'."
"Hey! You used an expression!" Mabel clapped Yuki's shoulder, to which he grinned happily.
"I like the idea," Dipper admitted.
"Okay. Thanks Yuki," Arline told him with a wink of her eye. "Guys, we have a magician to capture," Arline announced.
With flair appropriate only to a mission as dangerous as theirs, the five split up. Soos and Yuki quickly turned and passed around a booth, ignoring the calls of the still shaken attendants in their attempt to market their product. "Cricket Tickets- the newest form of pest removal!" they shouted, waving about the exemplified object. The other three started right for the offices. Arline in the head, and the twins flanking her sides, the marched in formation towards the opposite doors.
"Arline," Dipper started, "Where do people like this Warlock come from?"
"Him? Honestly, I only know a few things," she said, glancing over the shoulder, "He's a prodigy at this. Learning to use these spells all by willpower alone is pretty impressive. He's the kind of person who is used to things going his way. I think he's doing all of this to be pardoned from doing something stupid, actually. Either way, he's kind of a menace."
"That sounds familiar," Mabel pointed out Dipper. "Shorten him up, make him pudgy, tall white hair-"
"He's not Gideon," Dipper commented.
"Yeah. Doesn't sound like him at all," Mabel remarked.
"Oh great," Arline muttered as they passed out from the stream of walkers, and found themselves near the doors. Guarding those needed-to-be-passed doors were a duo of different guards.
"Hm. I can try distracting them?" Mabel suggested as they paused.
"How?" Dipper turned on her, "Going to show them your new sweater designs?"
"I thought feminine wiles would do the trick," Mabel admitted, but then her face lit up, "Unless you do think they'd like my new design!" she said, pulling out a tiny sketch pad she constantly kept with her, "I like the one with an author dueling a fencer. The real test of might is worn!"
"Mabel," Dipper started to compile a reminder of the seriousness of the situation, when there was a flash of color next to him. Arline had darted ahead. Down and then up, she swiped her foot so fast the man she targeted was lifted into the air and thrown against the door. His companion only had time to blink and bare his teeth in shock before she swung her fist to his neck, stunning him and knocking him and causing him to reel forward, and then kneeing him in the side of the head. The second guard fell aside, motionless.
The twin's mouth gaped widely as they stared in disbelief. With a minor jerk of her hair, Arline stood fully, and rested herself from her combat stance. She noticed their stares, and sighed. "Relax, they're not dead."
"But you just attacked them," Mabel gasped, walking up to her, "Just because they were in our way."
"They're not badly hurt," Arline told her, a heavy hand on Mabel's shoulder, "And we need to keep going. We have to be thinking about the bigger picture; the safety of the entire convention."
"But they're part of that convention," Mabel protested, "A grim, more, uh, masculine sub-participation."
"Mabel," Arline shook her head, and the girl closed her lips. "Besides, that guy," Arline pointed to the man she struck twice, "Was a jerk to me when I picked up my mail. Cat-calling. Ugh."
"I guess as long as they're not hurt for good," Dipper added, patting his sister's shoulder, "c'mon Mabel. They'll be fine."
"Sorry. Sorry," Mabel whispered to both as she crept past them with her brother, following Arline.
Through the doors and down the hallway they moved, passing down similar construction as the one from before. Arline's stride was direct and uncompromising, and almost made the twins rush to keep up.
There was a sense of amateurism with the two. Mabel and Dipper had, of course, done these sorts of missions before. However, with Arline giving them the guide, they felt as if there was now a regulated method to go about this sort of endeavor. While they had solved and accomplished so much in their own regards, it had always been by the skin of their teeth. Messy, dirty, and barely scraping by was how the twins made it through the day. Now, with Arline, there was a sense of professionalism, like they were now on their first mission all over again. Dipper continued to adjust his hat, and Mabel continued to pull at her sweater.
"Heads up," Arline told them, spotting ahead an elevator. "Stay close to me, up until you see me on fire," she told them as she pressed the button for 'up'.
"Roger that," Dipper nodded as the doors opened, and the three stepped inside to the empty metal pod.
"You guys ever wonder what would happen if you put up a bunch of rubber bands around the inside of an elevator and suspended yourself from all sides," Mabel said, "and then the elevator crashed down the entire building; would you just jiggle around like a bouncy ball?" she asked as the doors beeped. Dipper and Arline stared at her, one with amusement and the other, Dipper, with concern. Mabel shrugged as the doors closed. "I sometimes do."
A few minutes later, those same doors opened to the third level of the building, and the three stepped out. The hallway before them was damage, and to a much more severe amount than those before. Scorch marks scarred the floors and walls, knives were embedded into the walls, and several men, all in similar security guard wear lay on the floor, motionless. Mabel gasped as she spotted, along with the other two, puddles of crimson liquid flowing out from under them.
"Are – are they–" Dipper asked, color in his face draining.
Arline rushed forward, and checked their pulse. "Alive," she stated quietly, and gently pushed the first to the side, finding his injury. A long cut on the side of his arm showed them the source of the blood. "His ingredients. Dark magic calls for blood a lot," Arline walked to the next one, and checked him as well, his dark skin splattered with red. "Same. They're not in danger of dying, at least not for a while. We'll need to get them help after we get him," Arline told them as she stood, carefully avoiding the puddles of blood.
Mabel's eyes blazed with fire as she marched ahead, passing both her brother and Arline in her driven speed. If she had been upset with how quickly Arline dispatched the guards, she was furious at the Warlocks actions against these people. Dipper made a noise behind her, trying to grasp her and restrain her as she pushed forward, but her speed was too sudden. She strode down the hallway towards a pair of double doors, and pushed them aside just as the other two met up with her.
The inside of the large, overseeing office was messy. A prior struggle of some sort had knocked aside furniture and chairs, spilling around papers. A man laid against the glass to the far left, but the three eyed ahead, next to a pile of torn apart chairs and seats. Slowly turning from the windows, a hand to his head, the Warlock slowly turned. "... Hold on a second," he said to the phone as he faced the three, "I've met some resistance again."
"Warlock!" Mabel growled, the skin on her fists tightening as she clenched them tightly.
"Or should we call you by your name," Dipper exclaimed, "Graupner Kinley?"
The Warlock's eyes widened. He leered, his lips curling as he glared back, his eyes darkening as he leant forward. His leer displayed a speckle of blood on his forehead. With the phone still to his side, he lifted his hand and swirled his fingers through the air absent-mindedly.
"Well then," he said, those pale eyes glaring between them, "We've all finally caught up."
"Graupner," Arline spoke quickly, "Under the non-aggressive magic conduction act of fourteen seventy-six, you are restricted from using Magic in the conduct you've displayed," she said, catching the twins off guard. There was a magic act? From fourteen seventy-six?
"It's somewhat outdated," Graupner told them, "You know, by a few hundred years."
"It's just as relevant as it did six hundred years ago," Arline told him, "Leave non-practitioners out of your mess."
"How would you know!?" he yelled, spit flying out from his mouth, "You weren't alive then!"
"No, but hurting people for your own gain is a pretty sucky move. And you'll cause more hate for magic," Arline stated.
"There are codes of magical conduct?" Dipper asked Arline quietly, and she nodded gently.
The warlock snorted and shook his head. "Rules to protected those without promise or hope to expand the world by force," he stated, still keeping his hands in mid-air, spinning them slowly around, "Pathswoman," the warlock leered at Arline, "I've heard of you. The fire-dancer. The last true student of the one Guardsman." Graupner, the Warlock, waited for her to reply, but she said nothing. "Fine, I'll cut to the chase. I want you off my back," Graupner told them.
"Really?" Dipper snorted, "We couldn't tell with the whole inverting gravity and throwing fire at us!"
"Shut up, the adults are talking," Graupner hissed. As Dipper simmered, Graupner Kinley turned to Arline. "I've got quite the resources under my control now. I am not someone you want as an enemy," Graupner said, his words flowing in a slither through the air. "Just go, and we'll pretend this never happened."
"While you slice people and send giant spiders running into town!?" Mabel demanded heatedly.
"That spider," The Warlock snapped, "Was meant to scare people out of town, not eat anyone!" Graupner shouted. "If no one is here, then I get this mission done without anyone being involved."
"And that mission would be?" Dipper asked, taking half a step closer.
Graupner shot his mouth open quickly, but then he chuckled and shook his head. "Not for you to know," he said angrily and massage his throat absentmindedly.
"Gee, it almost sounds like what you're doing is pretty bad," Mabel said in her best jabbing voice, "And you're going to hurt people no matter what. So, I think we're just going to stop you now, and put you in jail. And there, I'll send you sweaters reminding you how many years you still have before you can get out."
"Mabel, wow," Dipper looked to her, shock in his eyes, "That's pretty dark."
"Well, I don't like him," she admitted with a mere shrug.
Graupner Kinley roared, "Shut up!" The three flinched as the Warlock closed his hand in the air, staying the movement of his fingers from their circles. The pile of broken chairs and equipment began to rattle and sway, and there was a feeling of static to the air. Magic had been cast. Arline took to action before Mabel and Dipper even thought of it.
She was in mid air, her arms not yet ablaze, and she shot down, punching straight for the blond man. Yet he barked a single laugh, and the pile of furniture rolled in unison over. It coalesced into a single shape. A make-shift hand extended out and back-handed Arline out of the air, throwing her across the room and into a desk, which splintered as she crashed through the wood.
"Master!" Mabel screamed. Dipper and her turned to rush, to aid Arline back to stand up.
That same entity then stood between them and Arline. Huge, wide, overbearing shoulders presented the hulking figure that the twins could only describe as an 'office chair golem'. Two stubs for legs and feet held the weight of the body and thick arms, which were easily three times as thick as the legs. A small head, with swivel-chair wheels for eyes, bore down at the twins.
The warlock hummed, as if taking notes. "Not bad for a first try," Graupner told himself as he nodded easily. Then he grinned. "You should have listened to me, Pines. Kill them," he pointed to the twins, who then looked up the golem.
It was very fast, much faster than they had expected. It reached back and prepped it's hand for a massive back-handed swing before they could blink. Yet something was faster: Arline. Like a bullet, she threw herself back at the golem with a warrior's cry worthy of ancient barbarians. Fire roaring alongside her arms, she slammed into the chest of the golem, carried it through with her force, and then shoved it out the window with a loud crash. The golem roared and fell to the ground, causing a huge outburst of screams. Arline slowly turned around, her face scuffed and slightly dirty from the landing, yet she grinned to the Warlock.
"It takes more than a crumby art project to stop me," Arline told him.
The Warlock smiled with a twinge of pain. "Maybe not you, but what about those below?"
The golem roared below Arline. Screams of panic and terror below shook the martial artist's confidence, and she spun around. People were stampeding to get out of the way, running completely over booths and stands to avoid the now marauding construct. Arline had a choice to make.
Graupner offered her, wincing as he began to speak, "Me, or the innocent below."
Graupner heard movement behind him too late. Mabel had sprinted up next to him and delivered her strongest punch across his face. He cried out as spit and flecks of blood sprayed onto the iar. He stumbled back, knocking against the glass.
"No," Mabel hissed.
Dipper flanked the warlock, and said, "Both." He looked to Arline, "We've dealt with him before. Can you save the people from that thing?" he asked.
Arline looked to Dipper and grinned. "Don't get more hurt than you need to," she told him and then leapt out from the three-story drop.
"Dang, that's cool," Dipper said as he and his sister began to advance on Graupner. "Alright, you poor excuse for a human being," Dipper scolded the Warlock, "You're done."
Graupner Kinley spat aside, still reeling from Mabel's punch. "Am I?" he asked with a groan afterwards. From under the desk he had stood by, he pointed at something unseen with a finger. Something rattled loudly, clinking into the air, as up soared and chains, the same dirty chains Dipper and Mabel had seen before. They floated in the air above the Warlock. He cackled as they circled him like a shield. "You think you've got me? Try me!"
Mabel was first to rush at him. Loud and deliberate, Mabel dove right for the Warlock. In the maddened glee, the man spun and rushed back at her, the chains unraveling from their closer protected to whip at Mabel. She avoided two wide swings, and rolled to the side. The third swipe was a stab near her neck. Mabel was ready; pushing herself backwards to be flat against the ground. Before the chain could retract, she grasped hold of them. She was tugged, but held them back.
There was an opening. Dipper roared as he followed up. The warlock had little time to prepare for the side-assault, and couldn't turn fast enough. Dipper kicked out, hitting the man in his sides, forcing him to stumble aside as Mabel held the chains in place. Like a puppet dragged away from the strings, the animated chains fell lifeless to the floor as Mabel pried them away from their master.
"How's that for you!?" Dipper demanded, continuing his attack. The Warlock did his best to fight back, yet was only the recipient of an improved fighter. Dipper had learned a lot since their first encounter, and was expressing all of his anger and resentment towards the man in his fury.
Graupner snarled after a jab to his ribs, and reached under his jacket.
"Dipper! Be careful!" Mabel shouted as she stood up and raced to catch up. Dipper heard and leapt back, barely spotting in time the drawing of a knife.
In the moment's pause, the twins spied the bruised and bloodied face of the Warlock. Dipper had accomplished quite the number on the man before him; large purple circles in his face growing wider and larger by the second. Despite these blooming flowers of violence, the man snarled with a wide grin. He seemed pleased, as he lifted a knife, and pocketed the cell phone.
"Shouldn't have let up," Graupner told them, and held his hand open to the ceiling. The knife he held glowed with runes, and began to float into the air. Not only that, but several more knives all came floating out from under the cloak, glowing with the same kind of imprinted power. There were six floating blades under his control. With a spit-covered snarl, the Warlock told them, "Now, let's actually fight."
He stepped forward as the knives began to spin like blender blades through the air. Mabel and Dipper watched him, stepping back from his advance. There was no pity or remorse in the eyes of their enemy. He stared at them with glee as he then extended his arm, and two of the five knives shot out, one for each of the twins.
Mabel leapt aside and rushed forward, while Dipper bent backwards, avoiding the knife with surprising dexterity. When the knife flew back for Dipper, he put a foot on the glass window next to him, and pushed into the air, flipping over the boomerang-blade.
Mabel made no such extravagant movement. As soon as the knife Dipper dodged had come back, Mabel had grabbed a chair, and hurled it at the Warlock. Two of the six floating knives struck the side of the seat. The blades had enough of their own body to knocking aside the chair. Mabel was quick though. As the chair fell out of the air, she caught it again, and spun with it; building momentum as she twisted. Knives still imbedded into it's side, she roared and swung the chair at the head of her enemy.
Graupner shouted and ducked just barely out of the way in time to avoid the thrown chair. Two more daggers stuck into the chair as it passed. The chair crashed through the window, taking four blades with it. Now armed with only two, he grasped one of them, and let the other whip around him. He rushed Dipper first, who countered, kicking high at the man's neck.
While the attack missed, Dipper was quick at retracting his foot and taking a stance to avoid the retaliation. The Warlock swung again and again, for the face, the hands, neck – vicious or vital spots that could easily kill Dipper in a matter of minutes or seconds. Mabel took the advantage, and rushed in from behind. The floating knife detected Mabel, and began to swipe and slash at her, entirely from a mind of its own.
While Dipper could barely make an attack from between the constantly slashing man, Mabel began to find more success. Her training was more intensive, and she knew her body well. With a many fake outs and dodges, she began to 'stir' the knife to make more and more rash decisions to attack her. Finally, it extended too far, and she grabbed it by the handle and tossed it aside, sticking it into the desk. It, despite its best efforts, was unable to dislodge itself.
The warlock heard the sound and notice the missing knife too late. He spun around, ready to attack, but Mabel beat him by a long shot. Her foot slammed into his stomach. He gasped, slammed against the window with enough force to crack the glass. Dipper followed up with a roar and planted a stomp onto his chest. With a terrified gasp, Graupner grasped at either side of the framing as the panel behind him fell and crashed below. Holding onto the bare frame, Graupner Kinley let go of his knives and struggled to stay up. The twins slowly raised up from their trained stances. Had they won?
"This feels familiar," Dipper told the Warlock as he and Mabel watched him struggle to stay up. "You try killing us, and end up dangling over a long drop."
Mabel looked to her brother, playing up the stakes. "I don't know if he's going to be so lucky falling into water or whatever this time," Mabel added, shaking her head with mock sympathy.
"Yeah, such a shame," Dipper added, and then faced him again, "I don't know why you keep thinking this works against us! We've dealt with your magic stuff before! So, this thing you're doing-"
"Blaah! I'm evil and power hungry!" Mabel exemplified, holding her hands up to her face like claws.
"–Yeah, we're good dealing with that sort of thing."
"Not to mention," Mabel added with a gentle nudge to her brother's shoulder, "Two of us. One of you."
Graupner Kinley had been furious at their taunting. Then, at the words of 'one of you', the Warlock grinned, and let go with one hand. Dipper and Mabel gasped as they saw the fingers around the frame begin to slip. He looked to them with his demon-like smile, and said, "So quick to assume." With his free hand, he then reached in for the cell phone, held it to his mouth, and spoke. "Do it."
A burst of bright blue light soared through the entire building. Dipper and Mabel gasped, and they felt themselves fall upwards, pushed into the air simply from the friction of the ground they had been previously standing on.
The Warlock roared with laughter as he watched the twins begin to spin and flail, shouting and trying to gain control. "Yes. You seem so in control," he told them with a grin as he easily held himself to the frame before pushing himself down and out of their sight.
As the Warlock chuckled and started to push himself further and further down to the ground, passing by terrified, screaming, helpless members of the convention, he then heard a shout. A large man flew towards him, his fist drawn back and ready for a punch. It was Soos, who had spotted the battle above easily enough. With a snarl, the Warlock leapt away as Soos landed where he had just been.
Soos shouted, readying himself to leap again, "Get back here dude!" He then leapt, soaring through the gravity-less air, after the Warlock.
In the middle of the room, amidst the floating wreckage of the largest booths, now all mixed and tangled, Arline and the golem still did battle. She crawled and pulled herself around it's body, striking it with her flaming punches as hard she could. As the Warlock and Soos darted past the fight, one of Arline's punches lit the entire golem ablaze, sending chunks of burning wood and leather around. Like falling meteors, the chunks passed by still uncontrollable people, desperate to escape the fate of the destruction around them.
Less focused on his Golem's destruction, the Warlock snapped at Soos, "Get away from me!"
Soos began to extend his arms and swim through the air. "No way! You're a bad dude, dawg, and I'm going to grab you!"
"No!" The Warlock shouted, swimming through the air to avoid capture. Soos was gaining on him still. "Well, how about a flight correction?" The Warlock snarled, noticing a person in his flight path. He leered as he approached one of the many businessmen, and landed into him. With expert timing, he grasped the man, spun him around, and threw him at Soos as he kicked off.
Soos gasped and flew straight into the man, and was knocked off course. Tangled with the scared and confused businessman, Soos gasped. Still, vigilant as ever, Soos shouted ahead of the Warlock, "Yuki! He's heading your way!"
The warlock whipped his head about, looking around. He was shocked when he spotted Yuki. The alien, like a spider, crawled along the walls, carefully monitoring the Warlock's flight-path. Yuki, his pink-purple eyes flicking between his destination and the Warlock's, grew closer and closer. Panic grew in the magic-flinging man, but he found defenses. A large, floating table drifted into sight. Eagerly, he landed atop it. By the corner of the room, he and the table drifted. Yuki, resolute with his actions, leapt at the Warlock on the table with a surprisingly quick jump. Just before Yuki could land table, the Warlock jumped again, this time heading for the door. The table soared towards Yuki.
Gruapner Kinley cackled. The table was easily hundreds of pounds. "Ha! You can't keep up, can you-"
"Grappling Hook!"
Graupner squealed as he soared through the air. A hooked rope shot just past his face. As the steel hook snagged onto a roof support, the rope went taught. Mabel raced forward, holding the shooty-end of the device. Her other hand held Dipper, who was along for the ride. Though Mabel soared past the Warlock, Dipper re-adjusted himself, and was in the right position.
Dipper snapped, "Keep up with this!" and he whipped out his foot with a quick kick.
The Warlock had little choice other than to take a foot to the face. Dipper's strike hit sold on the left eye. Graupner Kinley cried out, clutching his face. A deep bruise started to form. Yet, the shock was what Dipper had wanted.
Dipper cried out, "Yuki! Now!"
The blood running through Graupner Kinley froze. The huge table behind him was now hurtling back at him. It almost whistled through the air like a massive projectile. Panic levels reaching new heights, the Warlock shrieked as he spun himself to better avoid the coming wooden object, and felt the wind pass by him. As the table narrowly hurtled past the warlock, spinning mid-air, a figured was revealed to be hiding among its legs. Yuki, eyebrows furrowed in focus, locked onto the Warlock. Graupner gulped.
"You are caught, misanthrope!" Yuki roared triumphantly.
He reached out, and squeezed the Warlock's ankle. With one hand on the table and the other grasping onto the Warlock, he spun and whipped the man towards the ground with an exceedingly powerful throw. The warlock crashed through two smaller, frail tables before he struck the ground. There was a resounding smash, the Warlock planted himself flat against the ground. His eyes watered, laying in something of a crater of debris.
There was another crash, but of a triumphant origin. From the middle of the room, Arline spun wildly, punching the flaming wreckage of the Golem again and again with her burning fists. Slowly, the entirety of the golem-being began to crumble. Arline's strikes and flames felled it. It was falling to ashes and scorched remains. The walrock, from his small crater, leaned up and spotted it all going down. The sight of Arline's victory stirred the Warlock. Veins twitched and his blood pressure surely rose.
Graupner screamed loudly, and lifted the phone back to his head. "Restore it all!" he demanded.
Dipper and Mabel had just landed on the ceiling when the once-proud gravity was restored. They whipped downward, and suddenly Mabel's arm lurched upward. The grappling hook to their fortune, was still hooked. Dipper clung to his sister's midsection, and she wore a brave smile. "Gotcha," she told her brother.
However, around them, chaos descended and crashed around. The gravitational absence had many more people lifted high into the air, without grappling hooks to anchor. Entire platforms and pitched tents had found themselves suspended, and now came back to earth like meteors. Screams of pandemonium filled the air, as well did splintered wood and shattered plastics. Most, if not all, of the convention, collapsed and crashed into ruin.
Yuki was among the few who had caught himself, rather than crash. He was nearby the Warlock, and made to approach him. Then, a shadow grew around him. Above him, a large chunk of the main stage was descending.
Mabel screamed, "Yuki! Jump away!"
Yuki had strength, but it seemed lacked reflexes. He turned to leave, about to avoid the danger, but it was about to strike him. A streak of purple dove out and pulled him away. As the stage slammed into the spot Yuki had just stood, he collapsed to the ground with the woman who had just saved him: Pacifica. They rolled amidst the wreckage, and stopped, Pacifica holding herself just above him.
Yuki looked to her, breathing heavily. "Pacifica! Are you well?" he asked urgently.
She stared down into those bright eyes of his. With a shaky nod, Pacifica grumbled, "We need to stop meeting and hanging in life and death situations."
Yuki nodded. "Agreed. We shall meet in peaceful situations from now on," he told her. Laughing with the adrenaline, Pacifica pulled the shaken Yuki to his feet, in shock at what could have been his demise.
Just above them, someone cried out, "Whoa!"
Soos then landed next to them. Pacifica yelped and squeezed Yuki closer, trying to pull him from potential danger. Soos had crashed atop a large pile of plush toys. From the messy, fluffy, plush materials, his head poked out, and Soos nodded. "Once again, toys and child-like purpose saves my life."
Pacifica looked to Soos. "Are you for hire?" she asked, "Northwests could use servants with your kind of toughness."
From the nearby crater, a form rushed out. "Out of my way!"
The twins had just landed. Along with Soos and Yuki, the twins spun around to see their target running for the door. Over the backs of recovering men and woman he jumped and leapt, even passing through the burning remains of his golem. Arline attempted to reach out, grasping his arm. She snagged at one of the golems chair-legs. The Warlock was racing towards the exit, where the cops of Gravity Falls had just come in, agape at the destruction around them.
Graupner Kinley almost made it, he was going to escape!
WHAM.
A fist from the side struck out and slammed into the side of Graupner Kinley's face, and he fell aside, motionless. A tall, elderly man waved his limp hand through the air, stepping over the now unconscious figure, shaking his head.
"Officers!" Omir Steindorf called, pointing to the man below him, "Arrest this person!"
"Whoa there, sir," Sheriff Blubs approached just as the twins and Arline made it over, "What exactly did he do? By my reckoning, you just did the punching."
Deputy Durland added, "Yeah. I think punching people in the face is pretty bad."
"That it is, buddy," Sheriff Blubs told him with a pat on the shoulder, "That it is."
The twins rushed past Arline, who was watching the cops and Omir Steindorf with wide eyes. Dipper cried out, "He's responsible for what happened here!" as he and Mabel slid next to Omir Steindorf.
Blurbs coughed on his own air. "What? All of this?! You've gotta be kidding me."
Before Mabel could reinforce her brother, or the older man, two figures shoved their way past them. The Northwests, shaken, disheveled, and entirely dirty marched over. Their eyes, bloodshot and filled with fury, pointed to the man on the ground.
Mister Northwest was absolutely livid. "Officers, if there is to be something done about this horrible situation, it will be that you arrest this man immediately!" Preston Northwest roared loudly.
Sheriff Blubs, perhaps mildly annoyed at all the folks bossing him around, placed his hands at his hips. "By what right do you have to order me around, sir?" Sheriff Blubs demanded.
Preston would not be denied his demands. It was, however, Priscilla who warned with him with a hiss, "Shall we forgo inviting you to the annual Northwest Party this summer?"
Blurbs stood stock-straight. "I hereby declare that there is enough evidence to arrest this man on grounds of assault, massive property damage, attempted murder, and treason," Blubs announced loudly, and then he turned to his fellow officers "Take him to the cruiser."
Several policemen marched forward, grasping the arms of the stirring man. As he was lifted, his eyes came into focus, and he looked to the first person he saw- Omir Steindorf. His lips curled and his mouth opened and closed, struggling for words to shout. Yet he stifled his anger, and instead turned to the twins as he was pulled away.
"You think jail will stop me?!" he roared to them, "You think I'll forget this? That you've won?! Well, you're wrong!" he roared as he was pulled out of the convention center, "This isn't over, Pines!"
"Fine," Mabel replied.
"We'll be waiting," Dipper added as they watched him be pulled away.
Preston Northwest and his wife approached the somber and disappointed looking Omir. "Omir, my friend," Preston walked to him, a hand on his shoulder, "I know this was somewhat of a, well, slight muck-up, but I assure you, Gravity Falls is more than a safe place to hold business! This meeting was just a fluke-"
"That's enough, Preston," Omir turned to him. The Northwests actually flinched at the older man's tone. Those brown eyes glared at them, a cold fury held at bay only by professionalism and tailored attitude. "The only reason you still have a convention center in town at all is because this talented group here," he waved a hand to the twins, "And their friends. Had they not intervened, it is possible that whatever was going on around would have utterly destroyed this facility. So, don't try patronizing me with the 'safety' of this town."
Omir never once raised his voice, but the tone was so cold, it was no wonder that both the Northwests froze. Once several tense moments passed, Omir sighed.
"I will be speaking with the business council to discuss matters of expansion into this town, and how I will advise against it as long as these strange events are occurring," Omir told them. Preston made a step closer, but the older, dark-skinned man held his hand proudly up. "I stand by my words, Preston. Make no mistake."
With a look around at the twins and their allies, the two older Northwests passed by, defeat etched into their dark face. The twins were shocked: the last time they had looked so dour, the entire town had swarmed into their mansion for a mid-summer party. Pacifica watched her parents leave, a bitter smile on her face. Only when Yuki turned to her did she drop her grin.
"Look, they didn't listen," she told him, "Not once. I told them to leave because it was dangerous, and they just told me to stop being paranoid," she sighed and struggled to straighten her hair. Yuki put a hand to her shoulder, and what little tension she held vaporized. "Sorry," she told him.
"There is nothing to apologize for," he told her, "I understand the frustration of parents who do not listen."
Pacifica's eyes twinkled as she looked to Yuki. The twins approached the two and Soos, beaten, bruised, but victorious. Pacifica turned to the twins, "Thanks for what you two did. That crazy guy really has it out for this town."
Mabel teased her, "Maybe, like, we aren't the ones with weird stuff always around us?"
"No," Pacifica told her with a grin, glancing to Yuki once, "You certainly are."
Dipper snickered, and looked to the back of Mister Steindorf. Towards Pacifica, he asked, "So, was what Mister Steindorf and your parents said true? This whole convention was a ploy to increase business in Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked Pacifica.
Facing away, Omir Steindorf quickly answered, "Business is a ploy, my son." He turned to the gang, "All of business is about making money, by any means. This town is 'ripe for the taking', as it is run by small businesses almost exclusively. National and international corporations were interested with the land value here. I think there will be a large amount of reconsideration taking place now," the old man said, turning back to face the police cars as they pulled away. Graupner, the Warlock, glared at them from the cruiser, and was pulled away. "It only took one person to cause this amount of... chaos."
Dipper stepped up to him. "His name is Graupner, Graupner Kinley," he told Steindorf, and the older man turned to him. He listened to Dipper's words like a thirsty man eyed water. Dipper detailed, "He's dangerous, unpredictable, and violent."
Steindorf faintly nodded. "Kinley... why?" Mister Steindorf asked, "Why go through all this trouble?"
Mabel shrugged. "Dunno. Just seems like a big ol' jerk, ya know."
Omir Steindorf cocked an eyebrow at Mabel's description. It was like he had something to say about that, but in the end, he looked back to the exit. He declared, "Then I will personally head this investigation with the police on the matter," he announced as he stepped away, his pristine clothing absorbing the light as he passed out the glass doors. Leaving them behind, he glanced back only once, and waved to the group with a single two-fingered salute. He then adjusted his bow-tie, and stepped into a black limousine, which drove away once his door had closed.
Pacifica broke their silence. "Yuki," Pacifica asked, examining him, "Are you okay? I didn't ask if you were okay."
"I am fine, thank you," he told her with a smile. She sighed and in a brisk motion, reached out and embraced him. The alien froze, and looked to Mabel and Dipper, who both stared back. That wasn't the usual Pacifica repertoire of actions.
She pulled away, and smiled at him. "Well, I'm going to go help people to medics. A lot of people did fall pretty hard, "she announced with a wince, holding her own arm, where Dipper noticed a large purple and brown bruise forming just above her elbow. "I know you guys just fought off that crazy wizard guy, but we could all probably use your help getting people to doctors and cleaning up the mess," she told them as she turned and walked away.
"I'm great at cleaning and fixin' things," Soos stated, and marched next to her.
"Great. I'll put you to work right away, serva- err, Soos, right?" Pacifica asked him.
"You got it, bud."
"Don't call me bud," Pacifica scowled at him.
"Oh. Sure thing, Pacifica," Soos corrected. Something about the way he said it made Pacifica flinch, yet she did not correct him.
"I agree with her actions," Yuki smiled and nodded, and made to follow. When Dipper and Mabel did not, he paused and waited for them. "You mean not to aid?"
"We'll be coming," Mabel told him with a heavy sigh, "We just need to take a second."
"Very well," Yuki nodded and turned away, hurrying to catch up with Soos and Pacifica. Mabel and Dipper groaned and moved away to the wall, leaning against it together, and sliding to the ground in unison.
"That was a mess," Dipper admitted, "I'm not sure we really won that fight."
"Well, no one died, right?" Mabel asked him.
"We won."
Arline finally strode up, looking worse for wear. It was arguably the messiest she had looked since they had met her; her hair was singed in places, along with her clothes, and half her face was quite bruised. Nontheless, she wore a tired smile.
"We're not dealing with objectives when things like this happen," she told the twins, "All we have to do is stop the bad-guys from doing their bad stuff, and boom – we win," she explained.
Mabel grinned, asking, "That simple?"
"Yup!" Arline nodded, and then frowned, "Well, until people start dying. Then no one really wins."
"People could have died," Dipper noted. Dipper's eyes scanned around. Those that hadn't fled the building when the office golem fell to the floor were all stumbling around still. Some were helping one another up, or trying to salvage what remains of their booths and services they could. As far as Dipper saw, there weren't groups of urgent people. "I hope no one got that badly hurt," Dipper quietly wished.
"I don't think so," Arline told them. Her eyes softened and her face holding that former air of peace she usually was graced with. "Some people may have some heavy bruises and cuts – heck, maybe some broken bones. But... I don't feel any death here."
Dipper spluttered. "Wait, sorry, feel death? You can feel death?"
"Only when someone's spirit passes on," Arline told him with a grin. She leaned to a nearby column, giving herself a moment of respite. The twins stared at her. She snorted. "I'm not a spirit walker or anything like that. I just can feel when the spirit becomes energy. One of those crazy tricks those on the paths know, especially when you're in the path of fire."
Dipper's eyes grew wide enough to take up his entire face, and he shook his head. "Yeah, sign me up as a student. I want to learn that."
Arline laughed, and shook her head. "Consider it done, Dipper," she said, patting his shoulder.
"Guys," Mabel suddenly piped up, "We did beat him, right?"
Dipper looked to her and laughed. "Yeah? Of course we did. Arline just said – how couldn't we have beaten him? Well, I guess if his goal is supposed to be scaring people away from Gravity Falls, he kinda got that one down," Dipper admitted, "But really; how could we have lost this?"
Mabel leant forward, her eyes darting around in thought. "I'm just a little concerned," she said, looking to them after a pause, "How did he activate the gravity spell a second time?"
"You tell me," Arline said quickly, "I was busy fighting big-guy."
"Wait," Dipper gasped and quickly jumped up, "Oh no; Mabel, you're right," Dipper started to pace back and forth.
"Dipper? Mabel?" Arline asked them as Mabel stood, watching her brother move back and forth.
"Master, he was on the phone when we met him," Mabel started.
"And after you left, we nearly knocked him out a window," Dipper continued.
"But then, when he was dangling like the loser he was-"
"He lifted the phone up and asked for help. Then the gravity was switched off again," Dipper concluded.
Arline shot up and gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "Wait, he never did? He didn't use that scroll again?" Arline demanded.
"How could he have?" Dipper stated, "We were too busy hitting him up. Someone... someone else was here to do it for him."
As the three welled in the realization they had just uncovered, they slowly stared out to the repairing and limping men and women before them. The destruction, the fighting, the chasing, all of it to catch one man hadn't been enough. Like so many things in the town of Gravity Falls, all it did was lead to more questions. Now, in shock and frustration, the three wondered: who else had been there to help the Warlock this entire time?
When one question leads to another, how do you ever uncover the truth? Some say the truth is just an ongoing reality of explanations that are never completed. But seriously, who could be the aid in Graupner's attack on the Gravity Falls Business Convention?
Maybe it's Old Man McGucket. Or Manly Dan. Or maybe it's... LAZY SUZAN! Nah. Probably not. They like it in Gravity Falls.
Anyway, that concludes the action-packed Episode 6 of Season two. Hope you guys liked it! It was a doozy to write!
Speaking of doozy's, I was hoping to talk to the many talented artists whom I can reach out to here. I was wondering if I could be so bold to ask for help? I'm trying to build a cover poster for this series that's entirely original. Since I'm fortunate enough to have a seriously awesome group of friends who follow me on this journey, I'd like to call out to anyone who is or who knows artists who may be interested in helping me make a poster fitting this story.
Aside from that, I have no other particular news. Oh- except that the next episode is called "Fender Gender". We're going back to a lighter episode, and some feels are included.
Until next week, Seeya guys- (a section of the burning Golem crashes through the building and destroys EZB's computer. He stares at it with a pained look, and sighs.) Well, without my computer, I might as well just die anyway. (EZB's pants leg catches on fire from the burning wreck, and he leaps up, slowly catching fire.) AH! NO! I WAS BEING CYNICAL! JUST CYNICAL! AAHHHHHH!
They arrived at the station with the criminal in tow. That man, the arrested kid, had all the charm of a rattlesnake, along with this venom in his eyes. He was quiet, even when Durland started jabbing him with the end of his baton.
"C'mon, city boy," he told him as the police marched the arrested man into the precinct, "Guess? Guess? It ain't fun if you don't guess."
After a moment, while marching him into the building, the man in a hooded jacket sighed. Wincing before speaking, he finally muttered, "A catty burglar."
Durland cackled with joy, and behind the miserable man, Sheriff Blurbs hooted. "Aw, that one never get's old. Alrighty, Durland," the sunglasses wearing policeman looked to his second in command, "Let's do this."
As they pushed the arrested man into a stained, concrete room, the man turned. He was still in handcuffs. Whirling to the cops, he stuttered for a moment, his eyes displaying an iota of fear. "W-wait a m-moment," he told them, "I – uh – what is this? What's going on?"
"Oh, we gotta process ya," Blurbs told Graupner Kinley, who had started to sweat.
Durland leered, "Oh yeah, process."
The Warlock, Graupner Kinley gulped, and stared at the two men, his life in their hands. He couldn't really access his magic while his hands were bound. Was this how he experienced his first case of police brutality? Did the pine twins send him to the kinds of cops who broke bones and shattered teeth for fun? What sort of painful torture would he endure for the entertainment of these backwater cops?
Ten minutes later, he wished it was brutality.
Instead, the cops dressed him up in tourist flamboyance, and took selfies. He was tossed hats to wear, Hawaiian shirts to drape over his shoulders, and gravity falls signs to rest on his chest. Overall, he had become their human-display of
"Wishing you was here!" cried Durland as he gave the camera a quick 'peace' sign, and snapped the shot.
After straining at his neck before speaking, Graupner mumbled, "Just break my nose. I'd prefer that."
Blurbs chuckled. "Now, why would I do that? We have about another fifty photos do take for the Gravity Falls tourism department! Gotta make sure they have their fair share of pictures!"
"Oh, Blurbs! Give him the one with the cat-face!"
Sheriff Blurbs looked so proud. "Always thinkin' what I'm thinkin'."
That was it. It was then that the Warlock, Graupner Kinley, was certain about his decision. He really wouldn't mind if the entire town burnt to the ground, along with evidence of this humiliating moment in his life.
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