Two Stanleys are better than One

Ford gets punched

...And he doesn't deserve it this time. :P

Just be patient; you'll see what I mean.

OoOoOoOo

The Stan O'War II was at anchor for the evening, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, without a sign of land as far as the eye could see. But they still had plenty of supplies onboard, so neither of its occupants was overly concerned.

Not much of supernatural interest had happened to the brothers Pines lately, so Ford was sure they were due something any day. But for now, he enjoyed the peace of the sunset, and the smell of salt water in the air that reminded him of the dimensions where dolphins had become the supreme beings (one of his more pleasant memories of the multiverse).

Stanley was in their cabin doing something-or-other, and Ford was on deck making some repairs to the wheel after the incident with the predatory cowfish (don't ask), when sure enough, something happened.

One of the worst somethings possible for him, and not one he ever thought he'd be forced to encounter again.

Namely, there was a loud thrumming noise, and a few seconds later a horribly familiar glow appeared above the boat, materializing as a white circle surrounded by a multicolored corona of light, shimmering in the air and crackling with unearthly power.

For a second Ford hoped it was just a very elaborate hallucination or flashback of some kind, as increasingly unlikely an explanation as that was when he actually started rising into the air and had to grab onto the helm with all his strength.

But even an unlikely explanation was preferable to the one that he was being sent back there, please God no not that not after everything-

He wasn't being pulled in, he realized through the haze of fear.

No, something was coming through into his world. A shadowy figure appeared, leaping through the circle and landing with catlike grace on the deck just as the moment of gravitational anomaly ended.

This was only marginally a better option than Ford being sucked back in, and as he recovered he grabbed for the first weapon at hand, which happened to be a crescent wrench from the pile of scattered tools which had clattered back to the deck when he did. He barely registered that the portal opening was gone, or that the whole process had occurred far more quickly and effectively than any of the times his had worked; he was too busy regaining his footing and rushing towards the figure wearing a shabby red jacket with the hood up and a mask and scarf ensemble covering his face-just as he straightened up from his crouched position, turned around and exclaimed, "Ford?!"

The adventurer froze in the act of pulling back the wrench to strike.

That voice...

The stranger pulled back the mask and scarf, revealing...Stanley.

********

Except not Stanley as he was now, Ford vaguely realized as he finished removing his headwear and let it drop to the deck; Stanley as he'd been thirty years ago, give or take a few years. Without the mullet, though-this Stanley's hair looked like it had been cut with lamb shears by a cross-eyed barber. He also had a set of long, jagged scars running down the left cheek, and looked like it had been a few months since he'd had a full meal or a good night's sleep, or any sleep at all (not too different from Ford in the days pre-portal, really). But it was still his twin's face, and his eyes that were widening and filling up as he reached out, fingers fluttering over Ford's shoulder like he wanted to touch him but was afraid to do so.

"Ford? Is that really you?" this young Stanley asked. Then his expression turned dismayed. "What happened? You're so...old."

Ford slowly lowered the wrench, struggling to figure out what he wanted to say, what the right approach was.

Just in time for the cabin door to burst open, and Stanley-yes, the original version-to burst out with brass knuckles ablaze on his hands, roaring, "Get away from my brother!"

The young Stanley started, and whipped a gun from his belt in one fluid motion, turning it towards the man charging towards him.

Moving at the speed of sheer horror, Ford's arm quickly rose and smacked it down so it was pointing at the deck while at the same moment he quickly interspersed himself between the two versions of his brother.

"Stanley, don't!"

He wasn't sure which of them he was yelling at, and it didn't matter because he had to stop them before-

His head snapped back with a crack when Stan's fist collided with his jaw.

OoOoOoOo

*Cue dramatic jarring chord*

Well, this chapter certainly ended with a bang.  In a manner of speaking.