The Mystery Siblings were walking through the forest, heading in no particular direction, and enjoying the pleasant afternoon weather as the twins told Mike about their plans for the approaching new school year.

"… so mom was able to sign me up for the gymnastics classes I wanted but is hesitant to look for the self-defense class I wanted to have too," Mabel concluded as she balanced on a log. "She's worried that having too many physical extracurricular activities will leave me too tired and too little time to get all my regular schoolwork done as well."

"It's a valid concern," Mike replied as he and Dipper walked alongside the log Mabel was on. "Maybe just do the gymnastics class for now and once you prove you can handle that workload you can convince Heather that you can handle more."

"I guess that makes sense," Mabel pouted. "I just wanted to start learning to kick butt as soon as possible."

"You'll have plenty of time to learn," Mike laughed. "And you can always join mine and Wendy's spar-"

"Guys! Quiet!" Dipper hastily hushed. "I think I hear something moving…"

Mike and Mabel quieted down and listened as well. They could hear the wind rustling the trees and the scurrying of various small creatures moving through the trees, but nothing distinct enough for Dipper to have called the need for silence. After a few moments, Mabel whispered, "Maybe whatever it was moved on?"

"Maybe…" Dipper replied, listening a moment longer. When it was still normal Dipper relaxed and said, "Maybe it was just a false alarm…"

"Better safe than sorry," Mike said as they started walking again. "I think all our adventures out here prove that we can never be too…"

Mike cut off as he spotted movement heading right for Mabel. Acting on instinct, Mike leaped at Mabel just as the thing did, wrapping his arms around her, tucking her against him, and curling around her as much as he could to shield her with his own body. Their momentum carried them off the log and Mike felt a sharp burning pain as something sliced into his side. It hurt but Mike ignored it to focus on keeping himself and his siblings safe. Turning their fall into a roll, Mike came up in a defensive stance with Mabel still in his arms and gave them a chance to get a good look at the creature attacking them. It looked like a mountain lion, but snake scales were covering its back, and had a serpentine tail with a rattle at the end. A cobra hood was on its catlike head and when it growled it displayed long sharp fangs, most likely full of venom. After missing Mike and Mabel with its lunge, the cougler turned towards Dipper and was bounding towards the smaller target.

"No, you don't!" Mike shouted, putting Mabel down and leaping over the log. Mike ran forward and slammed his animatronic shoulder into the cougler's side as it leaped at the fleeing Dipper, causing it to hiss in pain and crash into the ground. The cougler recovered faster than Mike was expecting and leapt at him. Mike barely had time to bring his animatronic arm to protect himself from the venomous fangs before the cougler's weight into him and sent him crashing backward into the ground. Mike gasped as the wind was knocked out of him from the impact of both the ground and the heavy animal on top of him, claws digging into his stomach as it held him down. Parts of his arm's metal casing screeched and bent as the cougler chomped down on it and shook its head in an attempt to rip his arm off.

"Mike!" Dipper and Mabel cried in fear, both already running closer to help him.

"Get back! I've got this!" Mike commanded, the sections of his animatronic fingers separating and electricity beginning to spark between them. "Let's see how it likes a controlled shock!"

Mike twisted his hand enough to touch the side of the cougler's face, sending electricity coursing through its body. It hissed in pain, instinctively letting go of Mike's arm as it retreated off Mike. It wasn't completely deterred though as it was already preparing to pounce again as. Mabel wasn't going to let it though, firing off her grappling hook. The metal stabbed the cougler's right eye, causing it to roar in pain and thrash its head wildly.

"Now's our chance," Dipper said, helping Mike get to his feet.

With the cougler still distracted from its fresh injury, the mystery siblings ran for it. They were barely out of sight when they heard the cougler begin to chase after them, prompting Mike to pick up the twins. With them in his arms, Mike pushed himself to run as fast as his animatronic legs would carry him, adrenaline and fear for the twin's lives suppressing the pain from his injuries. Weaving through the trees, the sounds of the pursuing predator slowly faded away. Even though it seemed like they lost the cougler, Mike didn't stop running, only beginning to slow down when they glimpsed the mystery shack through the trees.

"That was terrifying," Dipper said bluntly with a grin. "But did you see that thing? It was so cool! Do you think there are other cougar hybrids like that would have different kinds of snake halves? How much is it one or the other? Do you think its cubs hatch from eggs? I can't wait to talk to Grunkle Ford about it and hear his theories!"

"Dipper! Geek out later!" Mabel scolded, squirming in Mike's hold as she tried to make him put her down. "Mike got hurt in that fight in case you forgot."

"Oh..." Dipper said in shame and worry, glancing at the growing blood stain on Mike's shirt. "You should put us down so you don't strain yourself any more than you need to…"

"It's not that bad," Mike assured with a slightly strained smile though he did put the twins down anyway. And to Mike, it wasn't that bad as he's suffered far worse injuries and he was sure he'd be fine, plus he didn't want to worry the twins. It did hurt though, especially as the adrenaline started wearing off. The twins gave Mike a doubtful look and silently agreed with each other to get Mike's injury treated as soon as possible.

"Let's get home then," Mabel said, both her and Dipper grabbing one of Mike's hands and beginning to guide him back to the Mystery Shack as quickly as they dared.

As they walked, Mike couldn't quite hide his winces of pain as each step stretched and pulled at his wounds, causing stabs of pain. Mike was starting to feel warm too and he swore the wound in his side was burning far more than it should. They were only about halfway to the Shack when Mike hunched over and let out a pained groan, the burning getting stronger and trying to spread.

"Do we need to go get someone to help carry you?" Mabel asked in concern, though her voice sounded distant to Mike.

"No," Mike said stubbornly, forcing himself to keep moving. "I can make it…"

Mike only made a few more steps before his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the grass, the burning pulling him into the black of unconsciousness. Dipper knelt and tried to wake Mike up while Mabel ran into the Mystery shack screaming, "GRUNKLE STAN! GRUNKLE FORD! MIKE'S HURT AND WE NEED HELP!"

The sound of pounding feet filled the Shack as everyone inside came rushing to Mabel, Stan and Ford of course, but Soos also came barreling in. Stan got to Mabel first and asked, "Where's Mike and what happened?"

Mabel quickly filled the others in as she led them outside to Mike. Between all the adults they were able to lift Mike's body and get him inside, gently laying the Cyborg from the couch. Lifting Mike's shirt, Stan let out a self-censored curse and said, "That doesn't look good…"

They could see the claw marks in Mike's stomach though the large slice in his side was far more worrisome. The veins around the immediate wound were black and further up they were glowing as Mike's remnant was fighting whatever it was that trying to spread through his system.

"It looks like some of that creature's venom got into him," Ford observed with a grimace. "I'm not sure if his remnant will be enough to purge it as I'm sure the venom's quite potent…"

"Will you be able to make an anti-venom?" Dipper asked with worry.

"Maybe…" Ford said, gathering up an infected blood sample. "I'm going to have to study this first."

"Either way, the kid still needs his wounds taken care of," Stan said gruffly, pointing at the twins. "Dipper, grab the first aid kit and make sure it has plenty of bandages. Mabel, get a washcloth and a bowl of cold water. Mike's burning up and we need to keep his head cool."

The twins nodded and scampered off to fetch the requested items while Ford disappeared into the basement to run some tests. Soos shifted anxiously and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help Mr. Pines?"

"Yes there is Soos," Stan nodded, looking over at the other. "I need you to keep an eye on the twins for me. I'm going to need to stay by Mike's side to keep an eye on them, but we both know the twins aren't going to be satisfied just sitting around doing nothing. So when they inevitably go looking for trouble in a desperate attempt to help Mike, I need you to help keep them safe."

"Yes sir Mr. Pines," Soos said seriously giving Stan a salute. Stan nodded in appreciation before turning his attention to the twins as they ran in with the requested items. Stan thanked them and quickly got to work bandaging up Mike's stomach while Mabel pressed the cold wet washcloth on Mike's head. Once Stan finished patching Mike up he took over keeping Mike's head cool.

They were like that for a while, Stan tending to Mike, Mabel expending her nervous energy by knitting, Soos watching in worry and concern, and Dipper switching back and forth between pacing and flipping through his journal. Mike was silent at first, completely blacked out, but as time passed he started to shift and murmur incoherently in a half-conscious state.

"I got some good news and some bad news," Ford said when he came back, immediately getting everyone's attention. "Good news is I can make an antivenom, but I don't have all the ingredients I need currently. And unfortunately, it's going to take some time to gather everything…"

"We'll help Grunkle Ford!" Mabel immediately piped in.

"Yeah!" Dipper said with determination. "If we work together we'll get everything faster and I don't think Mike can afford us taking too much time."

"Well no sense, in wasting time standing around chatting about it," Stan said, shooing the others away. "Go on already and we'll have victory ice cream once this is all over!"

"Victory ice cream!" Soos cheered loudly, getting the twins to relax and join in the cheer as well. The others rushed out of the house, no doubt to have some sort of crazy adventure as they gather the materials they needed, leaving Stan alone with Mike.

"Don't worry kid," Stan assured the half-conscious Mike with a fond smile. "You're in good hands. With the twins on the case, nothing's going to stop them from getting what they need to help you."

Mike didn't reply, but Stan wasn't expecting one and just kept tending to him. As more time passed, the glow of Mike's veins began to spread and were now visible from underneath his shirt sleeve and beginning to crawl up his neck as his remnant continued to try and fight the venom that was spreading through his system. Mike's fever got worse as well and his delirium increased as a result.

"So.…hot…" Mike gasped. "It… burns…"

"I know kid, I know," Stan comforted, pressing the cool cloth against Mike's forehead. "It'll be alright…"

"No.…no! No!" Mike said with increasing panic, unfocused gaze darting around wildly at whatever it was that he was seeing and hands weakly scrambling at the couch he was on. "The door's locked… I'm trapped… I'm trapped!"

"You're not trapped," Stan assured, putting a comforting but firm hand on Mike's chest to try and keep the other's flailing to a minimum. "You're in the Mystery Shack. You're home. You're safe."

Mike didn't seem to register Stan's words but the physical contact did make Mike's attention snap to Stan. He looked at Stan with glowing terror-filled eyes, still glazed over with his delirium.

"Uncle Henry.…you promised…" Mike pleaded with Stan. "You promised there would be a way out… I don't want to burn… not now… not now!... Not when I finally have something to live for…"

Abruptly Stan realized where and when it was that Mike thought he was, that the fever was mixing with the memories of the final fire and twisting it into a nightmare.

"Oh, kid.…" Stan said softly, pulling Mike up into a hug. "You didn't burn there… you got out and you came home with us…"

"So much fire…" Mike sobbed, clinging desperately to Stan. "I don't want… I can't… I'm so sorry… I'm not going to make it…"

"You survived kid…" Stan replied, gently rubbing Mike's back. "And you'll survive this too… because if there's one thing that I know about you kid is that you're a fighter. You don't give up no matter what and can beat odds that would crush anyone else. Plus you have us to watch you're back now and we always will. So even though you think you're trapped in that fire right now, just know we're coming to break you out."

Something seemed to have gotten through to Mike this time as he slowly relaxed in Stan's hold. Stan held him for a few moments longer before gently laying Mike back down. Mike was still gripped in the fever but seemed calmer now so Stan went back to cooling his head.

"We're back!" Mabel exclaimed happily sometime later, coming in with the others. "And we kicked butt!"

"I can tell," Stan said with a snort, taking in everyone's scuffed and dirty appearance. "Did you find everything?"

"We did," Ford grinned in triumph, holding a bag. "I should have the antivenom ready in no time."

And sure enough, Ford whipped it up quickly and was soon administering it to Mike, everyone sighing in relief as the glow in veins began to fade as it worked. It still took another hour before Mike woke up completely, confused and disorientated by what happened and how much time had passed, but he was in good spirits and happily accepted his own bowl of victory ice cream. They spent the evening watching tv together and just relaxing after the scare. People began dropping off to sleep in front of the tv until only Mike and Dipper were left, though the latter was close to nodding off.

"You can go ahead and sleep Dipper," Mike whispered with a chuckle. "I promise I'll still be here when you wake up."

"I know.… Dipper yawned. "But this whole thing got me thinking… I want to study magic…"

"Don't you do that already?" Mike asked.

"I mean really study it," Dipper insisted. "Like learn to use spells all the time and whenever I need to… this whole thing… it just really hit home how dangerous magical creatures are and it'd be a good idea to have magic on our side to help keep us safe…"

"Well, sleep on it then…" Mike encouraged. "Give the idea some more thought and if it's something you still want then I say go for it. If anyone can do all the studying and memorizing that movies seem to imply magic requires, then it's you. And I'll be here to make sure you don't accidentally curse yourself or something."

"I won't..." Dipper tried to protest but ended up falling asleep midsentence. Mike chuckled and closed his eyes, following his family into dreamland.