Two Stanleys are better than One

Third Option

"...Figures. It just figures."

Stan watched his twin continue to pace back and forth, tugging at his hair until he looked a little like Einstein with glasses. He nearly ran into a large yeti in blue jeans who skipped past, accompanied by what appeared to be a sentient gumball machine; both of them barely managed to sidestep him in time, and the gumball machine muttered something that sounded like "Excuse you, buddy!"

"He wouldn't accept anything else?" Stan asked.

Ford growled irritably. "I think he's some kind of raven man; they like shiny things, and this is the shiniest thing I have." He tapped the watch with the fingers of his other hand. "And I think my reluctance to give it up just made him more eager to have it."

"Sounds about right." Stan looked down at his own watch thoughtfully. Then he asked, out of the blue, "How does it work?"

Ford paced back towards him, looking a little surprised at the question but going into lecture mode regardless. "The symbols are made out of a combination of metals that are naturally part of the normal world, and substances that are naturally weird. They interact with each other, and therefore create a natural shield against laws of weirdness magnetism."

"So it's something you really don't want falling into the wrong hands, I take it."

"Exactly."

"Is it just the watch part, or does the whole thing have to be together for it to work?" Stan was staring thoughtfully at the links that made the strap part.

"...Well, technically the center is the hub of the field and therefore the most important part, but there might be at least some residual power in-Stanley don't take it off!!!!"

Too late; Stan had slipped the watch off his wrist, making sure to keep the center part clenched in his hand, and was digging in his pockets for his screwdriver. Once he found it, he began awkwardly picking at the connecting links-until Ford grabbed his wrist and yanked it away.

"Are you insane?!" he demanded, voice actually going up in pitch in his agitation. "I told you, this is the only thing-"

"We need to get the stuff!" Stan shot back. "This is a way easier solution than sailing off somewhere else to look for it. I'm keeping hold of the center part, see? So we just need to separate it, fix the links back together, and presto, a nice bracelet for the nice raven man."

For the first time in a long while, Ford looked like he was sincerely contemplating fratricide. He took a few deep breaths, though, and then dug into his pocket and pulled out a shiny piece of quartz crystal.

"We can put this in the middle instead, so he won't get suspicious about it being smaller than before." Then he shot Stan a dark look. "And if you let go of that even for a second before we get back to the boat, I swear, before I forget you I will beat you within an inch of your life."

"You're welcome," Stan said dryly. "Now help me with this, wouldya?"

********

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Ford ordered twenty minutes later as they left the market, liquid dragon fire and other ingredients in hand.

"What's the big deal, Sixer?" Stan asked, massaging the little circle between his fingers. "We made it out all right."

"That's not the point and you know it. Are you trying to prove yourself or something? Because you don't have to, okay? I would never have considered replacing you with Shanklin, I learned my lesson already. You are all the brother I need. I'm not interested in trying to find someone 'better.'"

Stan's shoulders hunched a little, and he used the suddenly tricky corridor they had to navigate through as an opportunity to avoid answering for awhile.

Might've known he was eavesdropping.

Eventually, though, he said, "I know, Sixer. I know you're tellin' the truth, and I wanna believe you, it's just..." He fumbled for the right words.

Ford's irate expression faded. "Part of you is waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

Stan's chin dipped in a tiny nod.

Ford indicated the next turn, and after a moment said softly, "There's a part of me that is sometimes afraid to leave you alone with my experiments. I know it's not fair, I know that even the first time was an accident, but I remember seeing my dreams destroyed before my eyes, and something in me imagines it happening again."

Stan grimaced, and sighed a little. "We've screwed each other up so much."

"But not beyond repair, I hope. We can be reconditioned to believe in and trust each other again."

"...Whatever, nerd."

Ford tentatively held up his hand. "...High six?"

Stan squinted at it in the dim lighting. "Is this for figuring out how to bargain with the raven guy?"

Ford rolled his eyes. "If you want it to be, Stanley."

He received a toothy grin and a slapped palm. "High six."

********

I know, I'm rushing things a little; it's just that we're coming up to the ending.

Also, if anyone is interested, I have an idea for a story about "Shanklin" finding his Ford, and the road they have to take to get back home.