Lacing his finger along the edge of one of three old journals was a great way to fidget. The worn cover provided something of a course texture across the fingertip. Dipper stared at the door, leading out of the hotel suite they had booked the same day. Behind him, by the couch, a gaggle of chatting members of the Paths, his sister, his Great Uncle, and Soos chattered. The Guardsman paced by the windows, his cloak gently billowing behind each step he took.
Dipper turned to a wall-mounted clock to the left of him on the wall. Unsatisfied with his discovery, he grunted. "She's really taking a while," he mumbled.
"Dipper," Mabel called over, bending backwards to view her twin upside-down from the couch, "Come over and help me tell the story about the convention! Otherwise, I just get to brag about the time I punched fiiiiire, and was waaay cooler than youuu," she teased, flashing a pearly white grin.
"Go ahead," Dipper called back.
Stunned at his cold reply, Mabel Whined, "What? We kicked butt, come over and help tell the story."
"You'll do fine," he said over his shoulder.
"Ugh, fine," Mabel grumpily turned back to the enraptured crowd of listeners, "Well, "she continued her story, "Okay, so, we'll tell you about the convention stuff later. Anyway, defeating Bill Cipher at Strongholds and Serpents, we finally found out what the blue thingies were for!" Mabel said happily.
"About time," Maureen said, leaning in closer, "That's been driving me crazy. I wish I could see them – they sound pretty."
Leaning closer to Mabel, Drew asked, "Was it aliens?"
"It WAS!" Mabel cheered, "See, when Bill Cipher teased us with his warning, he was being honest! Crazy, right?" she asked around. "Turns out, the little blue thingies were alien batteries that powered up people-look-alikes that were put in town to act like normal people!"
"People-replacers?" Nadan asked.
"Yeah," Soos nodded, "It's weird considering I was one too."
"Soos!" Mabel pointed to him furiously, "No spoilers!"
"Sorry, hambone."
"Now, Soos was fourth person we zapped, after we got both the sheriff and the deputy. Turns out – everyone was an alien robot being powered by the blue thingies!" Mabel exclaimed.
"Wait, you're one of these things?" Maureen turned to Soos, eying him up and down.
Soos frowned, and looked to himself. "Uh, sort of?" he guessed.
Mabel grumbled. "Dipper!" she called, "How do you explain Soos-who-was-a-robot and Soos-who-is-not-a-robot?"
The twin growled, and spun around. "Each of the alien constructs were designed to act exactly as a human, with memory, conscious, free will, and no idea they were actual robots. Basically, constructed bio-mechanical organisms. When the aliens recalled them, and returned the human population of Gravity Falls," he explained, "They had the robots memories added to their own, since they were removed from the time-space continuum."
The Paths stared at Dipper; their eyes wide. Mabel nodded slowly. "Like I told you," she sighed, "An egghead."
"It made sense," Rin shrugged from the wall nearby the television.
From the side of the couch, Ford chuckled. "If I had any idea that any of these adventures had been happening while I was away... not to mention my own family being involved-"
"Don't worry about us, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel said kindly, "We handle ourselves really well."
"Oh, I know that. Just all those missed opportunities for recording unusual phenomena!" He exclaimed, "These aliens sound fascinating!"
"You'd love Yuki," Mabel sighed, "You egghead original."
"Oh!" Soos exclaimed, "You would! He was the best! Was a super great scientist, and helped me out with fixin' things, and had leaves in his hair all the time!"
"A messy guy, huh?" Darren asked.
"Nah dawg, he just grew little plants in his head," Soos said.
At the confusing looks, Mabel explained, "He was one of the aliens. He kind of left the rest of the aliens and lived with us. He was a really sweet person," Mabel said, "Kind, and generous, and patient with everyone. Dipper is around because of Yuki's selflessness," Mabel said, her voice quiet.
Dipper finally turned, looking at the group. All the eyes had fallen onto him. With a sudden tightness in his throat, Dipper shrugged. "Uh, yeah," he nodded, "I fought Graupner when he was still just a human... he got a good hit on me," Dipper said, holding out his hands, looking to the places where serious harm had been dealt, "Blackflame. Then Yuki came in. He... saved me, and…" Dipper found that his brain knew the next words, but his tongue would not form the words.
"Blackfire?" Nadan asked quietly. Dipper nodded slowly.
"Wait, what happened to your friend?" Drew asked, looking between everyone. He was nudged by Maureen, who gave him a look. "What?" he asked quietly, red growing in his cheeks.
Dipper said simply, "He's gone now, too." He turned away from the group.
Mabel gave a sad, drawn-out sigh, and she too turned, facing the group. "He was always there for us, even when we didn't think he was," she said. Her body gave a quick little jolt, and she sat upright, "But he was soo funny!" she explained, "It took him a month to really understand sarcasm, or metaphors! Every time he interacted with our Grunkle Stan, it was like he was trying to learn two more languages at once!" There was a round of chuckles, but Ford gave a loud laugh.
"I'm shocked that Yuki could handle my brother at all," Ford admitted, "That hot-headed guy intimidated a lot of intellectuals."
"Grunkle Stan and Yuki didn't always get along," Mabel admitted, "But in the end they really cared about one another. And speaking of hot-headed," Mabel wiggled her eyebrows, "You guys should hear the time our friend Pacifica befriended a dragon, and I punched fire away!" she exclaimed.
Dipper grumbled and walked away from the door, irritated by any revelry at the moment. His eyes stuck to the door, and his fingers continued to play with the spine of the journal closest in reach. The unsteady feeling in his heart was one he never liked experiencing, especially when it came to relating to any of the women in his life; sister or... whatever Wendy was.
"She'll come back."
Dipper felt his heart leap into his throat. Just to his left, having crept up to him without a sound, was Zander: The Guardsman. The male twin let out a shaky sigh. "Could it hurt to announce yourself?" Dipper scowled. The silver face mask stared at him, but something about it told Dipper that Zander was grinning. "And of course, she will," Dipper said, looking back to the door.
"Then why worry?" he asked calmly, soft as the shadow he was.
Unable to fully explain the strange anxiousness that plagued his heart, Dipper lifted his shoulders in a confused shrug, and admitted, "Because I feel something isn't right."
"How unlike you," the Guardsman said.
Dipper scoffed. "To not have legitimate reason behind why I feel a certain way?" he asked. "Trust me, I know," he said quickly, "And I don't like it. I prefer getting my feelings from facts and tangible evidence. Feeling a way... but not knowing why?" he asked Zander, "This is a Mabel thing, not a me thing."
The Guardsman reached out a patted his shoulder. "Instincts come from many things. Sometimes our senses tell us something that is there before we know it. Sometimes the opposite."
"A lot of help you are," Dipper grumbled.
The Guardsman stepped to face him. Dipper noticed, and turned his head. "Old man wisdom. Sorry," it said quietly, "But you aren't just facts and evidence, Dipper. You've trained in more than just that. You have tasted magic in the past," he said as a whisper, "And you've trained in the paths. What you have isn't just science and knowledge. There is mysticism in your life."
"Uh... I guess?" Dipper admitted, suddenly uncertain to Zanders sudden keenness to compliment him. "What are you getting at?" he asked gently. Zander reached out with his other hand, both hands on Dipper's shoulder. "Uh, Z- Guardsman?" Dipper quickly corrected himself.
"What does your gut tell you? Really listen to yourself."
Dipper looked to the mask, and focused to his own whims.
Something still didn't feel right. Wendy leaving hadn't caused it, though he was certainly displeased with her not being in sight. No, this feeling was from something else entirely. Like a color of feeling rather than the word, but it was one that brought to him itchy fingertips and a perspiring back. More than anything else, it was not knowing why he felt this way that made him more nervous.
He looked to the masked man. "I feel that something isn't right."
The masked man nodded, and turned to the door. As he opened it, the figure called back in its cold, even tone, "Dipper and I are going to check on Wendy. We'll be back," he said.
"Okay!" Mabel cheered, waving to her brother and Zander from the seat on the couch.
Dipper made haste to follow the cloaked figure. Leaving the suite behind, they stepped into the ornate hallway of soft, orange light. Their footsteps were muffled by the carpeting that matched the other aspects of decor. Surrounded by the lavishness of the expensive hotel, Dipper felt off.
"When did you start to feel this way?" the voice through the mask asked, more fluid and organic than before.
A heat creeping across his forehead, Dipper told him, "Uh... a minute ago... ish. It's stupid."
"It isn't stupid," Zander said, stopping and turning to look at Dipper, removing the mask to get a better look. The shining eyes flashed with a smile and blond hair fell forward as the face Dipper knew to belong to Zander Maximillion emerged. "Your instincts are ones I've come to rely upon. You and your sister both," he added, giving Dippers arm a pat with his own hand.
"I... didn't know that," Dipper said, looking away.
Zander shrugged and chuckled, "Yeah. I don't tend to tell people things like that. You live as many years as I have, you just rely on strengths of others and tend not to say anything about it. It all just sort of melds together after a while," Zander said, scratching his chin, his eyes looking away.
Dipper stared at him, and frowned. "Well, my senses still tell me that you're... I don't know-"
"Not trustworthy?" Zander asked. Dipper nodded. "That's fair," Zander smiled, "If you didn't, I think I'd not have such strong faith in your senses. But let me ask you this," he said as Dipper's eyes grew wide at his retort, "Do you really think I'd endanger you or your friends willingly?"
"Aside from sending us across the country to look for really dangerous rocks?" Dipper glared at him.
"Okay," Zander held up a hand as he smiled sheepishly, "To my credit, the rocks themselves aren't too dangerous, just what surrounds them tends to be."
Dipper rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He gave the man a second look though, and sighed as he came to an answer for the prior question. "And... no, I don't think you'd willingly endanger us."
Zander beamed, his bright green eyes twinkling. "I'm happy to hear that, you know?" he said with a deep breath, "Your trust is pretty important to me."
"I didn't say I entirely trust you," Dipper reminded him as they continued down the hallway, "just enough to know you're on our side."
Zander nodded solemnly. "I guess I'll have to earn that trust later." he said, adjusting the mask back across his face. "I can't say," he continued to chat as they approached the elevators, "That it'll be easy for you to feel like you can."
"Why?" Dipper asked.
Zander looked away towards the stairs, "I have a lot of secrets."
"Couldn't tell," Dipper scoffed.
"Maybe after all of this is done, I'll let you in one them all," Zander added, and the two approached the elevator. "And if that doesn't get you to trust me, then I'll have to die trying," he snickered.
Dipper quickly pressed the button for the elevator to head down. "She said she was in the lower lobby, a floor down," he reminded Zander. The man in the mask was silent, staring at the elevator button. Dipper watched the man go stiff as he stared, something Dipper wasn't used to, and he looked back the button. "What?" he asked.
Zander reached out and felt his hand across the button. The gloved hand caressed the metal slab that the buttons rested into. With a firm jab, he pressed it himself. Then he pressed the button going up.
"Zander?" Dipper asked, a bubbling anxiety growing inside his stomach. Something about the Guardsman's movements told him something was wrong. They were sudden, focused; something that people at ease would not need.
Watching the closed steel doors, the man in a black cloak came to some realization. "The elevator isn't moving up," Zander said, "And I sense something bad. Dipper," he turned to the teen, and pointed past him, "Check the stairs."
Obliging the Guardsman of the paths, Dipper rushed over and found the bar-opening door that would lead to the internal stairway. He pushed it down and made to move forward, but ran into the door instead. It wasn't moving open. Dipper scowled, and tried pulling it. "Uh," Dipper swallowed loudly, "It won't move." He spun around just in time for the Guardsman to stand rigid, back straightened with a sudden energy.
"Damn," he yelled, and spun around faster than Dipper could have expected.
"W-Wait-" Dipper shouted and ran after him, "What is it?"
"We're in danger," Zander explained, his voice constrained and sounding angry.
"Because the elevator won't open?" Dipper asked.
The man in a cloak spun to him. "No. Listen to your senses! Something isn't right here. It's magic, Dipper," Zander told him, "The elevator and stairs aren't responding because a spell has been cast on them to prevent their access!"
"Uh... oh," Dipper gulped again, and followed closely behind Zander as he spun back again and strode rapidly down the hallway. Dipper then nearly stalled, and looked to Zander. "It can't be Graupner. He couldn't have caught up with us," Dipper remarked. Zander paused, only looking at him through the mask. "Can it?" Dipper worriedly asked.
"Dipper, keep moving," Zander barked as he continued to the suite door. Following orders as told, Dipper made for the door as Zander burst inside, and approached the couch quickly.
"-and when he threw the fireball at me, I just sort of threw a right hook, and then-" Mabel saw her brother and the Rockstar, secret-agent, martial artist return," Guys! Just in time to... are you alright?"
Zander spoke immediately, "We're leaving now," he said in his stone like voice, and he turned to Soos, "Get the starkissed please."
"Y-You got it!" Soos saluted, and rushed over.
The entire band of the Paths quickly stood, and Mabel scrambled to her feet. "What's going on?" she asked, rushing to her brother, "Dipper?"
The Guardsman spoke again, "Graupner is here."
Nadan, who stepped to the cloaked figures side, immediately asked, "How? How does he keep knowing their location?" he said, pointing to the twins.
The guardsman looked between the twins, Ford, and Soos. "I have suspicions. Nothing confirmed. My leading theory is he has help."
Drew, the youngest of the Paths, was quick to call out, "What about a diviner? Like your friend you told us about?"
"You know a diviner?" Mabel asked, her eyes wide and sparkling, "That's so cool."
Dipper rolled his eyes, and reminded her, "Mabel, we know a diviner."
"Oh. Yeah," she nodded, "I guess we did meet her at the fair."
"Focus!" the Guardsman snapped. The twins flinched at his volume, and the members of the paths stared at him. "We need to leave now. Are we ready to?"
"We are!" Ford shouted as he rushed over, tailed by Soos, who held the small box in his hands. "What is the plan?" he asked. The Guardsman turned, and started out the door. "Or... we won't be discussing it?" he asked with a disappointed sigh.
"No time," the Guardsman called over his shoulder, the rest of the Paths hurrying to match his step. The gang made haste as well, looking back to the temporary luxury they barely had an hour to enjoy.
"So, that Graupner found us again?" Mabel asked, running up to walk next to Zander. "That's okay! We're all together now, we can really put the hurt onto him!" she declared, punching her fist into her palm.
"Not if we can't help it," the Guardsman noted.
"Huh?" Mabel asked, "But we're all here! We can really beat him up!"
"The paths," the short redhead behind Mabel, Maureen, spoke, "Don't seek to fight. Rule number one to a fight-"
"Don't," Mabel answered for her, her energy considerably dropped. "Just like my master said."
"Arline was always ready for a fight," Maureen said, putting a hand to Mabel's shoulder, "But she knew when not to. That's the most important lesson to our teachings: know when to fight and when to flee."
Mabel held back her tongue. She had seen that, though the rule was a good one, it hadn't always worked. She remembered the fury that her master boiled with when she spoke with Omir, several weeks ago. They could have left, after all. Mabel offered the short woman a small nod and smile. "R-right!"
"I like fleeing," Soos said, raising a hand.
Darren, or Rushtar, laughed and turned to Soos. "I guess you'd be really good at the paths then. It's what we usually do, maybe ninety percent of the time."
"I could be a martial artist secret agent?" Soos asked, his eyes sparkling.
The guardsman spoke this time. "I don't see why not." Soos glued his mouth shut as tears welled up into his eyes.
Ford patted Soos' back, "That was nice, wasn't it?" he asked of Soos. The handyman only could nod rapidly, his lips screwed tightly together.
Arriving to the elevators, the Guardsman turned to his students. "Get the elevator or doors open. Quickly." The members scattered about, several going to the doors directly behind him, the others moving to the stairs.
"Shouldn't you help?" Dipper asked the Guardsman, eying the others now struggling to open the doors.
Mabel laughed. "Dipper, he's clearly working on a plan while the others try to solve the obvious issue," she scolded him, patting the back of his head. As her brother glared at him, Mabel eyed Zander again. "I'm right, right?" she asked, almost pleading. He nodded. Yes!" she pumped her fist into the air.
From the stairs, Darren called. "What's the plan if they won't open? Cus these won't budge!" he roared, pushing with his entire body against the door as Drew shoved with both his hands, nearly horizontal as he put every pound of body weight into it.
The Guardsman snorted, and slowly reached out. With a twitch of his fingers, a stream of nebulous black fabric wove into his hand and became like a long spike, a spear. "We are the paths. If there isn't one available," he said, "We make our own path."
Dipper couldn't help but grin, and then remembered as a redhead behind Zander struggled to pull open the elevator doors. "Wendy," Dipper gasped, "We can't leave her!"
Zander looked to Dipper, and nodded. "No one get's left behind, not today," he assured them.
(PAGE BREAK)
Wendy stared at the man in front of her. A cold sweat had formed over her still frozen body, and all the desire to itch it away was made entirely impossible. Graupner stared at her, waiting her answer. Clenching her jaw before answering, Wendy finally managed to ask him, "Why?"
Graupner calmly explained, "Because if you're coming, they don't matter."
Wendy growled. That wasn't what she was asking about. She tried, once more, "Why do you want me to come with you?"
He stared at her, the one stone in his eye socket glowing gently. "Does it matter?"
"No duh it does," Wendy snapped, "You can't kidnap me for money, cus there's no one left to pay for me. You aren't doing this to get at my friends, because you're saying you'll leave them alone. So, there's something else, and I want to know what," she told him.
He sighed, pocketing his hands into his cloak. "You're smarter than I expected. Still not saying much, but-"
"If you want an answer from me, you better explain why. Or I'll be happy to wait here for a while until someone finds us," she warned him, her eyes daring him to try anything.
Graupner sneered. "No one is coming for you," he told her.
"They don't need to," she retorted, "Someone just needs to see through the window, or something. Accidentally clean the panels of the building, and see you doing this-"
"Fine!" Graupner snapped, "Fine. You want to know, okay," he scowled, and stepped back, rubbing his blond hair. With a moment to collect the thoughts to whatever he was going to say, he kept looking at her. "I'll tell you, but first, I gotta know," he said, "How did you become a wraith?" Wendy's eyelids tightened as she scowled at him. "From one wraith to another-"
"You said you're a lich-" she quickly blurted out.
"I'm working on it!" he yelled, spit flying into her face from his outburst.
"Touchy," Wendy murmured, wincing at the grossness now on her face.
Graupner continued. "The only real difference between what we are, and what a lich is, is the phylactery ritual. Once I've completed the ritual for that, I'm a proper lich."
"And let me guess," Wendy said, giving her face a shake, attempting to swat away the bits of spittle on her cheeks, "You need me for the ritual."
"No," he told her, and then shrugged, "I could, but you're more important to me than that. But how did you become one? A wraith?" he asked, "As far as I know, only people who look up magic are those who come to learn the ritual to create one. I was able to ask for a favor from your friend, Yuki, and got some... tips. See, him watching Dipper work on things like this was... helpful. You, however, are an older undead than I am," he admitted, "Which means, unless Pines made you what you are-"
"Dipper would never have done this to me!" Wendy snapped back.
"So, it wasn't him," Graupner scratching his chin, "But his research was able to nearly backwards engineer the method... stupid Pines," he growled.
Wendy found herself renewed with pride. "What?" he asked him with a smile, "Dipper proving himself smarter than you once again?"
The Warlock snarled and lashed forward, his hand raised, ready to back-hand her. She never flinched, ready to take whatever punishment this jerk could offer. The hand hovered just an inch past her face.
Wendy snorted loudly, shaking her head. "What's wrong? Can't hit a girl?" she asked.
Graupner turned, scowling. He mumbled, "The object of the power word I've used is to lock her in place. Should I break the concentration and do any harm to her," he spoke to himself, and then glared to her. "Fine. I don't need to know how you're a wraith. But I want an answer."
"And I still want to know WHY!" she snapped.
"Yes, yes," he rolled his eyes, "Because you are a wraith. An un-tethered, and unbound undead. Not a wight, nor a revenant: a wraith. Aside from our rarity, we're dangerous, you and I. Ticking time bombs, if left unchecked," he reminded her. Wendy's lip quivered. As he spoke, she looked away. Suddenly those thoughts that she repeated like mantra in her mind each night felt too real. He grinned, inching closer to her again. "You know this, don't you?" he asked her, "Then you know that we're powerful hosts."
"W-what?" she asked. "Hosts to what?"
"Entities," he said, "Incorporeal beings of spirit and energy."
Wendy laughed. "News flash, idiot, undead can't possess other undead."
The smile that grew on his face was pure malice. "I know that," he said confidently.
"Then... wait," she blinked, looking back and staring at him, "What else..."
He grinned. "Not just the dead possess." Wendy gulped. If she hadn't been sweating before, she certainly was now. He continued, waking closer, "You see, the problem for my client, and soon-to-be ally," he added with a grin, "Is that Wraiths don't sleep. They can't exchange through the mind with wraiths the way they normally can with the living."
"Hell no," Wendy firmly said.
Graupner eyed her, a dangerously dark glare in his eyes. He still smiled, but it was cold and malevolent. Every fiber of the man before her warned her of his intention.
"Here's the thing, Wendy. I'm giving you the chance to sleep again," he told her, "To really feel sleeping like you did once. You'll finally dream once more," he said softly, "You won't even know what's going on with your body."
"I said hell no!" she screamed, "Now let me go!"
"You either come willingly," he said, his grin falling away, "Or I drag you away. I only need to," he lifted out a phone from his pocket, "Call my servants, and they will come. I don't have to touch you, but they will lift you to wherever I want."
Was there any option at all? Wendy stared at the evil thing before her, who had killed so many people already, who could whip out fire at a whim. Shooting him did nothing. Dropping off a cliff did nothing. How could she stop him? How could she... prevent anymore damage?
Her throat tightened as she closed her eyes. It was so hard to say it, but it needed to be said. "I... I'll g-"
The ceiling sparked. The air buzzed like a highly-pressured fountain of steam or even magma. A circle just behind Graupner was carved through the ceiling, drawn out by a black-looking tip of some sharp object. Graupner only had time to turn as a huge circle of the ceiling fell behind him with a loud crash, spilling dust into the air.
"W-what?!" Graupner roared, and Wendy felt heat rising quickly to her side. Her eyes darted, and saw a green ball of light crackling like embers. Graupner had his attack readied. Then a figure stepped in front of her- of a silver mask and black cloak, holding to its side a long spear of void. The Warlock yelled, "Guardsman!"
In a move so fast that it billowed clear most of the dust, the Guardsman rushed in front of the Warlock. The Guardsman locked both of the Warlocks hands together in one grasp. He yanked the spell-casting undead closer, pulling the furious creature to him. In the same motion, Zander lifted Graupner's arms up and over himself, as to not allow the caster a chance to cast magic towards him.
That did not deter Graupner. With a hellish scream, the Warlock unleashed a torrent of green fire out from his palms. It streamed out past the Guardsman, narrowly passing the elevator as a beam of flame. Wendy could feel those blisteringly hot flames scorch the air; melt the ceiling, cast ash and ember into their wind. The guardsman slowly pushed the hands up behind him and away, carving a green path across the ceiling as he slowly moved his hands away from the center of the building. Water sprinklers started to shoot off, caught alarm by the green fire from the Warlocks hands. Pulling the hands over the younger wraiths body and locking them against the younger mans back, the Guardsman took his other hand, and lifted Graupner by the neck.
Wendy gasped and fell forward. She was freed! Before her, several figures dropped to the cut-out circle in front of her. "Wendy!" Dipper shouted, being the first to leap up and hold her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked, water trailing down their faces.
She stared at him, her eyes wide and trembling. After a moment, another figure lunged at the two of them, squeezing them together in a Mabel-hug.
"You're okay!" she cried out, letting go of them.
Past them, Zander marched away to the windows.
"Idiot," Graupner snapped at him, "I don't breathe anyway!" he laughed as the Guardsman carried him towards the window. "Your choke hold does nothing!" he said, and then kicked out. Even holding the man so close to him, the Guardsman shifted the Warlock to the side, avoiding each kick with little effort.
"He's... really handling the Warlock easily," Ford noted as he landed behind the gang, and the rest of the Paths were on his trail. "Are we certain this shouldn't have been the plan all along? Let him deal with Kinley?" he asked, wiping away water from his glasses.
Graupner swore loudly. "I'll kill them, Guardsman!" he snapped, "You can't save them all! You can't kill me and I'll not stop until I've made you suffer for-"
"You talk too much," the Guardsman said. Then with a blur of movement that he was known for, the man took to a sprint, and then his body twisted as he launched Graupner Kinley in a vicious throw.
Through the window the Warlock flew. Propelled away by the might of the Guardsman, the man flew clean out past the shattered fragments of glass and into a free-fall past him. The moment the Warlock disappeared from view; the Guardsman turned back, ignoring the screaming past him. He spoke calmly to the group, "Check the elevator and stairs. We need to leave before we get cornered, or the Warlock decides to burn the building to the ground."
"Master," Nadan pointed to the window as the Guardsman strode closer, "You just kicked the enemy out the window on the eighth story. I think we've won." Maureen approached the stairs as Drew pressed a button to the elevator.
"Elevator is locked!" he called.
"But the stairs aren't," Maureen called back.
The Guardsman looked to Nadan, and then turned to the gang. "Wendy," he asked, "Are you okay?"
She nodded, but looked to Nadan. "He won't die from a fall. Not one that he can just stand back up from." Her words deeply troubled the tall man, who looked between her and the Master of the Paths, but he had nothing else to say.
Dipper looked to Wendy. "Did he do anything to you?" Dipper asked her.
"No- yes- sort of?" she tried, and looked to the rest of them, "He's got another new spell."
The Guardsman sighed. "As expected."
"You already thought he had new magic?!" Dipper snapped at him.
"Less talk, more walking," the Guardsman said, pointing to the stairs across the lobby. "We need to leave now."
Ford chirped up. "Then let's take the elevator," he declared, and moved over to the pair of metallic doors.
"Sir," Maureen called to him," Those are locked down – from the fire? We need to climb the stairways."
The scientist laughed, and rolled back his sleeves. "A pair of double doors locked down like that aren't going to stop a spell I developed some years back," he said, and then pressed his palms against the elevator doors, and murmured. A spark of white and blue electricity coursed from his hands, and the elevator dinged. The doors opened, and Ford smirked. "Voila! Going down?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Did he just use magic?" Drew asked, blinking off the water from his face.
"He did," The Guardsman grumbled, "But he's an exception for now. Focus on the larger task at hand. We need to leave. Walkers of the Paths!" he called. His members assembled rapidly. "You will take the first elevator. Knowing our enemy, he may have stationed foes below. See to it that the survivors of Gravity Falls are not met with danger."
"Understood," the dark haired, tall woman, Rin, nodded and stepped inside. The others stepped one by one inside, until the elevator closed, leaving the gang to themselves. As soon as the elevator departed downward, the Guardsman pressed the button again, summoning it to return as soon as possible.
Behind the teenagers, Ford examined the damage caused by the scuffle. "These burns are not typical for flames, even for magical ones."
"That's Graupner for you," Dipper scowled, "Using fire every chance he has. Lucky he didn't burn the building to the ground."
"He might," Wendy said, her hair wet and heavy as it fell past her face.
"Why?" Soos asked, "I mean, unless it's the usual reason." She gave him a look. He nodded, "The usual."
"But why didn't he attack you?" Ford asked, approaching Wendy.
Patting Wendy's arm, Mabel cried out, "Because he's a jerk who likes tormenting people first."
Zander stepped up next to Wendy. "No," he said, leaning to her, giving her a look through the silver mask, "It's more than that, isn't it?"
"Huh?" the twins asked, looking between the Guardsman and Wendy.
Zander, looking to Wendy, explained, "Graupner is amused with his power, and seems to enjoy the destruction he causes, but he doesn't seem keen on torment from you. Otherwise, Wendy would have scarring on her body," he pointed out, "So either you two had a lovely catch up," he said with a shake of his head, "Or... he wanted something from you."
"Dawg, what did he want?" Soos asked, his hat dripping of sprinkler water.
Wendy looked around, her eyes downcast. After a long pause, she flipped her hair around, and spoke. "He wanted me to come with him."
"What?!" Mabel snapped.
Worry pouring through his body like ice-water, Dipper quietly asked, "Why?"
"I don't really know all the details, but he needs me because I'm a wraith," she explained rapidly, tugging on her soaking red hair, "I didn't entirely follow with what he was saying dudes, but he has some new sort of spell that can just... stun me!" she cried.
"Spell that can stun?" Zander asked.
Ford piped up, "Did he use exactly one word?"
Wendy looked to Ford with wide eyes. "Yeah. He said 'Halt'." Zander and Ford looked to one another. The look Ford gave the Guardsman was one of significance.
"What does that mean?" Dipper asked, "I know of spells that can command or get inside someone's head, but a single word?"
"It's called," Ford stepped closer, opening his palms with six fingers attached, "A power word."
"Pffft," Mabel blew a raspberry, "Dumb name is dumb. One out of 10, would recommend new name."
"In short," Ford said, eyeing his great-niece, "It is a magically enhanced, single utterance that compels the listeners to obey, and remain stuck in the order. They can range from more subtle, to terrifying and consequential."
After gulping, Soos said, "Oh, I dunno Ham-bone, that sounds just about right."
"They require rigid concentration, and should the user commit any harm to the target or targets," Ford added, "The spell may end."
"But that means the Warlock is growing stronger," Zander growled, "Those kinds of magics took Sefu, I mean, Omir Steindorf a while to master," he explained. Only a moment did the twins have a moment to look at Zander with more intensity before he continued. "If he can stun someone with a word, who's to say he doesn't have other spells prepared for use."
"Great," Dipper shook his head, "Now he can burn us to death with black fire, he can burn us to death with green fire, throw things at us with his telekinesis, or just order us to freeze!"
Zander chuckled. "He's becoming quite the nuisance, isn't he?"
"Nothing us survivors of Gravity Falls can't handle, huh?" Mabel asked, him, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Exactly. Honestly," Zander said, looking to the five, "You've all come so far. Well, maybe not you, Ford," Zander added. The scientist shrugged. Zander went on, "If there was a chance that we can save this disaster, it'd be because the four survivors did the impossible over and over-"
"Five survivors!" Mabel chirped.
"Five?" Zander asked her.
"Yeah," she smiled, "You moved into town too. You're a survivor of Gravity Falls too." Her words immediately shut the man up. He stared at her, through the unreadable mask. No laughter, no tensing of the arms, just... he stared. Mabel found the attention and drowned in it, willingly basking at his staring. Her smile grew only wide and dopier. Dipper eventually had to nudge Mabel, who looked to her brother. "What?" she asked him. When he nodded to Zander, she looked back, and found he had paced away, towards the elevator.
Zander spoke again. "When we arrive downstairs, I suggest we caravan ourselves out of the city. If history serves as an example to Graupners next move," he said, turning to face them all, "He'll escalate his next actions."
Ford, wiping away as much water as he could, huffed, "Not to mention his aggressive tendencies catalyst with his recent departure. Maybe we should have kept him nearby. You did seem to have the boy under control," he said to Zander.
The man shook his head. "I don't think... anything can keep him under control anymore."
"So, we just keep our distance," Dipper stated with a shrug, "I've learned that tactic the hard way. The elevator suddenly pinged, and the six turned to the interior. Empty, ready to go down. Dipper took a deep breath, and let it flow out of him gently. "Are we ready?" he asked, turning to the group once more. His eyes lingered on each of them. Receiving a smile (most notably from his sister), and finally he saw Wendy. Those green eyes shaken, made vulnerable. Then she focused, and something of that tiredness fell away, revealing in those verdant orbs... fury.
"Let's do this," she smirked.
Into the elevator they climbed. They doors closed, and the six felt a great power bounce between them all. Standing together once again, they could meet against any foe. Then the elevator music began to play. "I hate these songs," Wendy grumbled as Soos bobbed his head to the gentle beat.
Then the lights flickered. Screams from below echoed to their perceptive hearing. Gunshots, the walls shook. Dipper felt more of that sweat racing across his hands and back, and he looked to Mabel. She wasn't smiling, not this time.
Zander spoke up, stepping past them all. "When the doors open," he calmly issued, "Stand behind me."
"If you wish," Mabel hummed, her eyes to his lower back.
"Take cover if it's bad," Zander added, "And if you see him, don't get close."
"I'll help," Wendy said, stepping forward.
"Not today," he told her, twisting half way to see her. His mask still displayed nothing, but she glared. "If he wants something from you, we take no chances offering him that prize. Right?" he asked. Wendy let out a deflated sigh, but nodded.
The gunfire stopped. It was quiet below them, the rising earth level lobby supposedly only a floor or two below them. The twins exchanged glances, sweat building on their faces. Soos gulped, fidgeting with his fingers as he pushed himself further into a corner. Stanford slowly craned his head from shoulder to shoulder, producing a few popping sounds. Wendy stared, not moving, not breathing. She mirrored the stoic and masked figure before her, who slowly extended out his spear of void.
Then the elevator stopped with a small jolt.
"Okay," The Guardsman quietly warned, "And the trouble... begins."
The doors slid open. A man in a dark suit stood directly before them- a weapon in hand! The Guardsman darted out, grasping a man directly in front of him who held their gun out. This new person fell to their knees instantly as the cloaked figure rushed forward. The man gagged as his gun fell to the side.
"Wait!" the person choked. The Guardsman relented, holding the tip of the sharp weapon at the kneeling man's throat.
Dipper blinked. That suit was familiar, he stepped out and to the side. "I know him," Dipper announced. Looking around only once, he saw many figures of that design: dark black suits and black tie, earpiece in, American flag pin over their breast pocket, and a sour look of office tedium.
They were all standing in the large lobby of the building, among cowering employees and several other hiding visitors among turned over chairs and war-torn couches. The agents had their guns out, and the floor had several tied-up individuals: cultists. As televisions scattered across the lobby had news on, the gang of the Paths had been pulled to the side. They were all held at by several armed and armored individuals, led by a balding and older man of pale skin, and similar dark suit.
"Yeah! I do too," Mabel shouted as she flanked Zanders other side.
As the occupants of the elevator stepped out, Dipper saw back into the past with the mans face: a united states government agent sent to Gravity Falls. Dark dirty blond hair, eyes of a hardened but tired figure of special training, he looked like an American dream sent to do 'the dirty work', and given a nice dark suit.
Mabel pointed at him. "That's-"
Straightening up, Zander growled, "Agent Jeff Trigger." As he did, the tip of the spear retracted, and he shook his masked head.
Dipper and Mabel gawked at him. "You know him?" They asked him.
During the first summer at Gravity Falls, he and his director, or boss, or whatever he was, had shown up looking for the portal. What had followed was a summer filled with interference from them- that unknown band of American Government Agents. Shortly after Stanfords brief return three years ago, the organization had been corrupted by Bill Cipher, and was used to instill fear and control over the town. Shortly after Bills defeat, the entire involved party was mind-wiped. As far as the twins knew, these guys couldn't remember them.
"Of course, we know each other!" Trigger snapped, pushing himself back up as the balding figure strode over, "We're always on top of high-profile paranormal individuals. Like a professional."
The Guardsman, dry as dead bones, retorted, "Yeah, looking really professional there, Jeff."
The other, older man spoke up. "Agent Trigger was always trying to gain what he lacked: professionalism."
"Hey, what?" Trigger sputtered, looking to the man next to him, "I'm... ugh," he rolled his eyes and said nothing else.
"And you're-" Dipper gasped, but was beat to the punch again by the masked figure.
"Agent Kevin Powers," the Guardsman snorted, "It's been a while."
The gang behind Zander stared. Like Agent Trigger, Kevin Powers was a man dressed in a clandestine attire of dark black suit, with only the smallest badge of clarification. He was older, and had a stern look of authority which only aged his appearance further. A mole just over his well-groomed, thick, graying moustache gave his otherwise heavy and featureless face detail. Of his graying hair, only the very top and sides of once surely well-kept hair remained.
Agent Powers spoke quickly to his addresser. "You promised us our paper work was enough to retire," he said to the Guardsman pointedly.
"And if you'll remember, I did," The Guardsman said, walking past them, "But the forces of evil don't really care what your state of occupation is." Following the man in cloaks, the pair of agents trailed after him. The gang behind Zander followed timidly, ears craning to listen to their conversation.
"I might be a bit lost," Ford whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
Wendy spoke up. "So, I want to say I was there for everything that ever happened, but at the same time, I don't really, uh, know for sure," she admitted, giving the twins a quick glance.
Mabel shot her a warm grin. "Nah, you basically know what's what."
"Oh," Wendy sighed, "Finally, I get to be ahead of the curve. So, basically-"
"They were super-agent people who wanted to understand what was happening at Gravity Falls," Soos rapidly started, "And then got so wrapped up that when the 'not-you' you," Soos said to Ford, "Summoned Bill Cipher again, he kind of took control using magic and stuff. We had to use a zappy gun of memory wiping stuff to make them forget!" he said. With a moment he realized Wendy's cold, terrible glare was boring into his side. "Aah... but she tells it better," he added, nudging Fords shoulder.
"What was that back there?" Trigger asked, rounding back on the party.
Dipper rolled his eyes. "That you have fantastic memory." The agent smiled with pride, and turned back to Zander.
"Regardless," Agent Powers declared, "You and your band of elementalists are active, without consent of the bureau."
"Yeah," Trigger parroted, "Without consent."
Zander turned and faced them, his mask betraying any intention and tone to his voice. "I don't need your consent to save the world, and I never will."
"So, uh," Mabel spoke up, "How do you three know each other?" she asked.
Agent Trigger spoke up first. "Well, I saw Powers during training. I was just, you know, like- yeah, he's going to be my mentor. And so, I decided-"
"She meant us and at him, you incompetent," Agent Powers interrupted. Agent Trigger looked away, red in the cheeks. Agent Powers looked to her, and blinked. "Do I... know you?"
"Nope," she shook her head, "Only in your dreams," she said with a beaming smile.
Zander sighed, and turned to them. "After some business saving a certain young woman from death some twenty years ago, Powers here," he said, prodding a thumb towards the agent, "Tracked me down and wanted to contain me, and throw me into Fopib."
"Into what?" Wendy did a small double-take.
"Fopib," Zander declared, "The Federal Occult and Paranormal Investigations Bureau. F-O-P-I-B. Among the worst acronyms, I think," he added.
Stanford gasped gently and reached for one of his journals hidden among Dipper, flipping open a page. "I had no idea there was such a thing." The Dipper gave him a quick, scalding look. Ford, realizing what he had done, lowered the journal back to him, "Ah. Sorry."
Zander snorted. "Officially? No. But then again," he turned back to the agents, "Things being official aren't much of a statement these days, are they?"
Powers eyes narrowed as he stared at the cloaked figure. "I remember us coming to a compromise and agreement. You retire your act as a combatant, and we provide you the means to live a new life." His lips moved only a centimeter, giving off the aura of displeasure. "You broke that agreement," he stated.
"Really broke," Trigger added.
Dipper stepped up. "These cultists are attacking us! If we didn't do anything about it, we would have been captured, or tortured, or-" Agent Powers leaned closer to the teen, his eyes gazing into Dippers. "Uh... can I help you?"
"You also seem very familiar," Powers stated.
"Yeah," Trigger said, and then added air-quotes, "Also and very."
Wendy glared at Agent Trigger. "You aren't helping at all, dude. Chillax."
Zander spoke aloud, "I don't really have time to abide by your rules. Things – bad things – are happening, and I can stop them. Do you two even know why these appearances of cryptids are suddenly everywhere?" Agent Powers intensified his stare, and Agent Trigger puffed out his lips and glared. He mumbled something, along the lines of 'bet you don't'. The Guardsman looked over to his group, who had been watching intently. "We're going to leave. Hopefully it draws the focus of these cultists with us. We don't want anyone else getting hurt."
Agent Trigger snorted. "You mean aside from the six injured during the firefight your gang and the crazy people had?"
Powers was quick to add to the jab. "You know of these terrorists. That makes you a witness. You're coming with us this time, Guardsman." The Guardsman made no movement, only slowly crooked his head to one side. "I know you can hear me," Agent Powers warned, his hands slowly reaching a weapon holstered at his side.
"Wait a second," Ford stepped forward, "If this is really as bad that the government has sent you, secret agents charged with paranormal investigations and other unexplainable phenomena, shouldn't we work on this together?" he reasoned.
Powers looked to him briefly. As Agent Triggers opened his mouth, a happy smile over his face, his mentor spoke. "We're the one in charge here. We'll make that decision, or whatever decision we wish."
"Oh," Trigger said, his shoulders slumping.
The mask of silver, expressionless features turned again. It stared with as much stoicism as Agent Powers could have ever hoped to achieve with a threatening glare. "How many of your agents did you bring?" the Guardsman asked.
Agent Powers barked quickly. "That's not information you're-"
The Guardsman held out a palm. "Just...nod yes. Ten? Twenty? Fifty?"
Though Agent Powers gave no inclination of cooperation, Agent Triggers silently held out both hands, extended all fingers, and flexed them twice. As he did, Agent Powers snarled, "If you're motioning anything to him," he warned. Trigger yelped and yanked his hands back down.
"The warlock, known as Graupner Kinley," Zander explained, stepping even closer to the agents, "Has a driving goal to hunt down my charge – those five," he pointed to the twins, Soos, Wendy, and Ford. "Each time he has more people. He is amassing an army within the borders of your country and in two weeks and one day it's big enough that the American government has labeled it a terrorist cell. Twenty men," he quietly said, shaking his head, "It won't be enough."
A vein twitched in the temple of Kevin Powers. "We have the situation," he steadily said with an unspoken threat, "Under-"
"Wait."
The three turned to Wendy. She had spoken up, catching not just the agents and Zander, but the entire gang as well.
"What is it?" Mabel asked, gently pulling on Wendy's hand.
The masked man nodded. "You sense it now?" he asked, and Wendy looked to him. "The TVs."
Then all the televisions of the lobby were struck with loud static. Eyes of the building turned to their closest available TV, uncertain for the sudden change. Then, it went black, and was overtaken by a single icon- a pair of hands engulfed by flames, holding a star between them.
"Under... Control," Agent Powers sighed, his zealotry evaporating.
Dipper gritted his teeth. "This won't be good," he remarked.
"Listen!" Ford hissed, "If this is our enemy, he may relay information unintentionally."
The TV spoke, a voice too familiar to the gang.
"I am the Rising Grasp. We ride the crest of the wave that will change the world as we all know it. Those of you who are smart have senses it, have seen it – the change in the world we speak of. It is an inevitable change that we all must experience. It has come. And, Chicago, so have I."
"Sir," Agent Powers said to his superior quickly as he held a pair of fingers to his ear, "This is being broadcasted all over Chicago."
The voice of Grauper Kinley continued. "I am not your friend. We are a showcase of the power this new world will bring. A world of magic. I don't care what you want, or what you think of us. But I warn you, I will burn a path of such terrible flame that you will have no chance but to run and cower before my very shadow. What was brought in Niagara was a teaser. We are more numerous. I... and ready for anything now," he warned.
Dipper hated to admit it, but sweat had formed on the back of his neck. Graupner had always been a shout to win an argument kind of person. This side of him, one of collected confidence and authority, was frightening. Something about how callously he spoke about his threatening presence told Dipper that Graupner was starting to understand the enormity of his footprint. A hand from his twin gave him a chance to break from the enveloping dread that was building by the back of his head. Mabel squeezed his hand, and he gave her a nod.
Yet Graupner continued. "I am here for someone. A stranger to this city, a tourist. Her name is Wendy Corduroy." Then, on those screens appeared her image. Taken as some sort of spy-camera from a low angle, it showed her by the windows many floors above. Wendy gasped. The gang slowly turned to the already pale teen. All eyes fell on the red-head, who looked like she may become ill at any moment, that if she had contents of her stomach to purge. She looked from one to another, trembling.
"How..?" she asked them hoarsely.
The voice then added, "Bring her to me, and the Rising Grasp leaves."
To be concluded in part 3.
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