Misguided Adventures and Magical Attachments (Completed)

Chapter 16

Dipper found himself speechless, mind crackling with shock. Even after all of his research, all of his suspicions, his predictions. The Author? The Author? The brunet found it difficult to take it in, sliding down to sit on the floor. He rest his back against the desk. "Why would . . . Why didn't he tell me? What is this?"

"Stanley didn't tell you about Stanford because he did disappear. He got sucked into a portal that he built. The Author made a deal with me, forcing me to help him build a portal so he could destroy the world and create a new one. It was a horrible plan, but I was forced to help him. Even the author's assistant stopped working with him and built the bunker to save himself. McGucket wanted to forget helping Stanford so badly that he created the Mind Eraser," Bill explained to him. The blond didn't mind mixing a few things around with the truth around so the plan would go perfectly.

"He forced you to make a deal with him? How? You're so smart and powerful! What could he possibly have to give you in exchange?" Dipper exclaimed, sitting upright. His shoulders were tense with stress. I knew McGucket was involved! That portal — I've seen it before. And where could it be? And what does Grunkle Stan . . . Stanley . . . have to do with this? All of his questions clashed together in an overwhelming mass.

"A vessel. Even back then, I really wanted someone to possess. So Stanford gave me full access to his mind and body. Yeah, you could even say I was tricked . . ." Bill looked down, feigning defeat for a few moments before looking up at Dipper again. "The portal is in the basement and-" The demon was interrupted by the slam of the front door and quick footsteps. "That's Stan!" Bill's golden eye widened.

Dipper jumped up, grabbing Bill's hand. He heard the hurried footsteps in the gift shop, coming closer. They had to do something or Mabel would . . . She's probably in the basement. But we don't have a basement! The tween tried to drag Bill out of the room.

"Woah!" Bill said in surprise as he was pulled out the door. "We'll follow Stan down." Bill walked with the boy into the gift shop. He stayed quiet as Stan walked over to the vending machine and typed in a code. A door swung open and Stan hurried down the stairs. Bill just watched and then slowly stepped up to the vending machine with Dipper.

It's a secret passageway? It was here the whole time? How could I not have noticed? What does Stan plan on doing down there? The tween stilled. A rising panic consumed him. "Bill! Mabel's down there, isn't she? Oh no, this is bad. We can't let him get there before us. W-we need a plan!"

"Right. The portal is already open so we'll to shut it down completely. Stan of course is trying to bring back his brother but the universe is in grave danger." Bill told him, starting to descend down the stairs. He stopped at the elevator and pushed the button to open it up. The doors opened. "Come on, Pine Tree! It almost too late! One minute and thirty seconds left."

The boy joined him in the creaky elevator, the doors closing them in together. They begun to descend. "I'm sorry for ever doubting you, Bill. You really are good," he murmured. A hero, soon. "I just can't believe all this is happening. And the Author . . . He's evil? That's just terrible." Dipper narrowed his eyes. "I owe you everything for helping. When this is over . . ."

"Ford is too smart for his own good. That's his flaw," Bill muttered. "And uh, I don't want the universe destroyed just as much as you think. Then there won't be anymore humans for me to make deals with." And then you will be gone and I'll be bored. . . Bill added in his thoughts.

I wouldn't want you to get bored, he smiled, the entire elevator jerking as it came to a stop. The doors slid open.

Bill kept a hold of his hand as he pulled Dipper past all the monitors and to the portal. The big machine was swirling and glowing brightly. "One minute left! Let's shut it down!" Bill ignored Stan as he raced past the old man to the three keys off to the side.

Mabel and Soos were already there, seemingly trying to figure out how to deactivate the superweapon. Dipper just barely missed brushing against a flustered Stan. The tween's eye had caught an alarmingly familiar glimpse of gold and maroon before getting pulled into the main room, the objects out of sight. "Soos! Mabel!" Dipper cried, dashing as quickly as his legs would take him.

"Dude, who is that?" Soos screamed back at him, pointing at Bill.

"What are he doing here?" Mabel started. "And why are you holding hands with a stranger?"

"No time! We have to stop this thing!" The boy felt his bangs start to lift, a sensation of weightlessness coming over him. Uh-oh. It's coming. He looked over at Bill, whose hand he was still holding. "Hurry! Before Stan gets here!"

Stan stared in shock, confused more than ever. Who was that man? Stan had never seen the blond before in his life.

Bill nodded and quickly helped Mabel and Dipper turn the keys, a red shutdown switch opening close to the portal. "That's the button!" he said and pointed toward the red glowing button.

Gravity shut off before the machine could, and Dipper was forced to let go of Bill, tumbling in the air like a speck of dust. Mabel and Soos made a dive for the button.

"No! Wait! Stop. Mabel, don't press that shut down button. Please trust me!" Stan pleaded. He worked too hard for everything to be lost. His twin . . . Stan made a dive towards them to stop her.

Both Soos and Dipper's twin were knocked off course. The employee looked ready to explode. The brunette scrambled away, only to get pulled into Soos' tussle.

"Grunkle Stan! What's going on?" she sobbed. "Tell me this is not what I think it is!"

Bill didn't mind the zero-gravity, but it was really hard to steer around. It wasn't like floating where he knew how to control it. The demon didn't say anything, but he tried to get back to Dipper.

Dipper frowned, eyes darting between them and the portal and the button and Bill and . . . He was overwhelmed.

"Mabel, trust me. Everything I've worked for, it's all for this family. Don't press the shutdown button. Do I really look like a bad guy?" Stan pleaded with her before he got pushed back from a wave of energy that emitted from the portal. There was fifteen seconds left on the clock.

"Shut it down, Dipper!" Bill tried to encourage the overwhelmed boy.

"Ten . . . Nine . . ." The computer started to countdown.

Mabel's foot had gotten caught on a wire with the last blast, tearing her away from Soos and Stan. But so had Dipper's. The portal emitted a huge burst of energy, slamming and pinning everyone else to the wall. Only the Mystery Twins were left. Dipper and Mabel both made it to the button at the same time.

"Don't listen to him!" the boy screamed, lifting his hand to slam it into the button.

Mabel lifted her hand at the same time, angry tears floating up from her eyes. "Grunkle Stan . . . I trust you." She snapped up Dipper's raised hand in her own and tackled him away from the shutoff switch.

Her brother scrambled for the button, but they were both sent flying away from the portal like the rest of them. Her grip was cruel. They crashed into a hard surface. "Mabel! Are you crazy? We're all gonna —"

"One."

He screamed, terror filling him to the brim. He was too late. He failed Bill. And the universe turned white.