Come Wayward Souls

Phase Two

Slowly, Wirt turned around. When Dipper saw his face he immediately knew what had happened, and his stomach dropped right out.

"He's coming," Bill said, shining through Wirt's dark brown eyes with a golden hue and twisting the boy's mouth into a sick grin.

"Wirt!" Greg cried, running between his brother and the woodsman. "What's going on? What's happened to you?"

Bill shoved Greg aside with Wirt's long arm and grabbed the woodsman by the throat with immense strength Dipper knew his friend didn't possess. Greg fell to the ground and began sobbing, hurt and confused. Dipper rushed over and helped him up, holding him close now that Wirt was no longer there.

"Give me that lantern or I'll snap your neck," Bill snarled with Wirt's voice, his face in inch from the woodsman's. The woodsman immediately dropped it. Bill let the poor man fall and stooped to pick up the lantern.

"What's Wirt doing? Why is he being like this?" Greg moaned. Dipper reached down and lifted him into his arms, holding him tightly and letting him cry into his neck. For the first time since he had met Greg, Dipper properly realised that he was just a little kid who put all his hope in his older brother. And now that hope had been taken away by Bill, and it was all Dipper's fault.

The Beast emerged in the clearing.

"Woodsman," he said, in his deep, rich voice. "Where is your lantern?"

The woodsman, sprawled on the floor, was so terrified and choked that he couldn't answer. He could only point a shaking finger to Wirt. The Beast turned his antlered head towards them. Dipper shook in his boots and held Greg close to his chest.

Bill grinned.

"What's up, old friend?" He said, stepping forward with Wirt's thin legs. "What's the matter, don't you recognise me in my new skin? I know, it's a bit flimsy, but it's the best I could do on such short notice, and God knows I'm not getting in Pine Tree's conflicted little body again. So look, here's the thing: this whole trapping folks in trees thing isn't really working for me, so..."

"Cipher," returned the Beast. "It is of no consequence what works for you, because in case you had forgotten, you are in my territory."

"Well, Beast, that's where you're wrong."

The Beast laughed humorlessly. Bill's eye narrowed.

"You mock me?" He snarled.

"You think I fear you," the Beast said steadily. "You have no power here, Cipher."

Bill suddenly flew out of Wirt, pouring from his eyes and mouth in a dramatic golden stream. Wirt dropped like a sack of potatoes and lay on the ground, not moving.

Bill Cipher grew enormous and his single eye turned deep blood scarlet. He screamed out in his booming voice:

"EVERYWHERE IS MY TERRITORY! I AM OMNIPOTENT! I RULE EVERY DIMENSION, EVEN YOURS!"

The Beast backed away.

Bill shrunk, grabbed the lantern, and threw it against an Elderwood tree. It smashed open and flames happily engulfed the dry leaves and branches. The Beast screamed, the woodsman cried out, Dipper let Greg to the floor and the two of them ran to Wirt. Bill hovered above them, cackling in the chaos.