Chapter Text
“No!” Dipper tried to run forward, but Ford held him back, a grim expression on his face. In front of them was Gideon, standing beside a circle of blue fire, which had Mabel trapped and struggling to breathe. “Please, don't hurt her! We'll do whatever you want!”
“That's right.” Bill said, his voice mixing with Gideon's. “You will do whatever I want to save your precious sister.” He cackled. “You should take notes on how to be a decent brother, Sixer, this kind of self-sacrifice for the sake of a sibling is just the kind of thing you needed to learn, eh?”
“Dipper.” Ford knelt next to him, trying to keep him from running forward. “We'll have to trick him.” He said quietly. “I'll get out the rift and distract him, you attack him and force him out of Gideon somehow. Once he's out, the flames should vanish.”
Dipper looked out at them again, pursing his lips. Take the rift out of the protection of the Shack? They had to, even if it was a trick, to make Bill seem like he was getting what he wanted. And he knew he could beat Gideon, he'd done it before. He nodded and then watched Ford walk inside to get the rift.
Grunkle Stan had left town on a vacation, on Ford's insistence, and left the kids with Ford. (Mostly he wanted him out of the way during the impending battle.) Then, for some reason, Waddles woke up screaming from a nightmare and ran outside, and Mabel had chased after him. A nightmare...of course. Bill had used Mabel's precious pig to trick her into leaving the barrier.
“Tick tock, Pine Tree.” Bill drawled in Gideon's Southern accent. “I don't know much longer Shooting Star can last!”
“G-Great Uncle Ford is getting the rift now!” Dipper said nervously. “He'll give it to you, so just—”
“No.” Bill said coolly.
“What?” Dipper stared blankly.
“HE won't give it to me. YOU will.” Bill smirked. “One person only, and I don't want to risk Sixer trying to trick me with that damn plate in his head. I'm done playing games, Pine Tree. Either you give it to me by yourself or Shooting Star dies.” The flames grew a bit in size.
“O-Okay!” Dipper held out a hand. “I-I'll do as you say!” He looked at Ford as he returned. “Great Uncle Ford...he said that I have to give it, alone.”
Ford cringed. “He saw right through our plan...”
“Aside from it being predictable, this kid has REALLY good hearing.” Bill remarked. “Now, give him the rift, Sixer.”
Ford hesitated and Bill narrowed his eyes, the flames growing in size again so they could barely see Mabel. “NOW, Sixer. Or watch your niece die.”
“Great Uncle Ford...” Dipper pleaded.
“He's just going to kill us once he gets what he wants...” Ford gripped the casing.
“Actually, I intend to keep you alive.” Bill corrected. “Now, give him the rift.”
“I won't!” Ford shook his head. “I won't let you have your way!”
“Stanford.” Bill scowled.
“Great Uncle Ford...I'm sorry!” Dipper ran at him and slammed his body into his, surprising him and making them both fall over. The rift slipped from Ford's hand but didn't break and Dipper scooped it up, running out of the barrier.
“Dipper, don't!” Ford stood up and went after him.
“I can't lose Mabel!” Dipper cried, running to where Gideon stood, Bill's eyes narrowing in excitement as he got closer.
“Dipper, don't give it to him!” Ford yelled.
Dipper ignored him and stopped in front of Gideon. “L-Lower the flames. Then I'll give it to you.”
Bill smirked and held up a hand, the flames going down to almost nothing, but still there to keep Mabel in place. “Now for your part of the deal, Pine Tree.”
Dipper swallowed nervously and shakily held out the rift. Bill greedily snatched it up and laughed maniacally as the flames disappeared completely. Dipper ran to Mabel's side and knelt next to her. “Mabel! Mabel, please, wake up!”
“Nnhn...” Mabel started to wake and then coughed as Dipper helped her sit up. “Dipper? What happened? I ran outside...there was Gideon...he had Waddles, so I tried to punch him and then...everything was blue and I couldn't breathe!”
“Mabel...that wasn't Gideon.” Dipper said, shaking his head.
“Is she alright?” Ford ran to them and knelt down.
“Great Uncle Ford, where's—” Dipper looked at him and was cut off by Bill's loud cackling. They looked up and saw Gideon floating in the air, holding the rift.
“Gideon?” Mabel pushed herself to her feet.
“Hey, Sixer, Pine Tree, Shooting Star! Guess what?!” Bill said gleefully. “I'm throwing a BIG party!” He threw the rift down, where it hit the ground from his current height and broke open. “And you're ALL invited.” He said darkly as the sky started to turn red and dark figures began to pour out of the rift.
“No!” Ford stood up and ran at the newly-made portal.
“Oh yeah, don't need this anymore! Here, catch!” Bill said. Ford looked up to see Gideon falling to the ground and gasped, skidding over mid-run to catch the unconscious child. High above, Bill was changing form into something Dipper had only seen in his nightmares.
It could almost pass for human, if it wasn't for the sharp teeth and golden skin. He was tall and thin and dressed in a golden-yellow suit with a black bowtie and gloves, and his hair switched styles three times before it finally settled on a short cut. Then he summoned his cane and flew to the monsters coming out of the portal. “Do as you like with the rest of the wold, but this town is mine.” He informed them. The monsters laughed and then dispersed quickly, more of them pouring out like ants.
Ford stepped back with Gideon in his arms, his fingers itching for his gun. He finally shifted the sleeping boy in his arms and pulled his gun out, firing on monsters as they came out.
“I wouldn't do that, Sixer! Look behind you!” Bill said coldly. Ford turned and gasped, seeing Dipper and Mabel held aloft by what looked like harpies. The way they held the struggling children, he'd shoot them before the harpies. “Put the gun down or I give these two to the harpies to play with!”
“Bill!” Dipper squirmed. “You said...you wouldn't kill us!”
“You automatically assume they'll kill you.” Bill hummed, hooking his fingers behind his back and flying over. “Silly Pine Tree, you'll be lucky if they decide to do that!”
“Alright, Cipher!” Ford gripped his gun and then carefully knelt down, setting the gun down. “You win.”
“Good.” Cipher pointed his finger at it and the gun burst into flames. Ford quickly stepped back from it. “You can go back into your shack – take him with you – and I'll let you know when I want you to come out.” Bill grinned. “Until you see the sign, just live your lives as if the rest of the world isn't in peril!”
Ford looked at Gideon and then looked back at Bill. “Doesn't this boy have a home?”
“Oh, sure. But he was living in jail until he made a Deal with me.” Bill gestured to Dipper and Mabel, who were being set down by the harpies. “Courtesy of these two. And I don't know if his parents WANT him back!” He laughed.
“Let's just go inside.” Dipper said, running to hide behind Ford with Mabel.
“Relax, kids. Like I said, just go about your day and ignore the big, scary rift just outside your house that's conveniently right above the underground portal!” Bill beamed at them and made a shooing motion. “Go on, I'll give you a bit of relaxation time!”
“Where's Waddles?!” Mabel cried.
“Oh yeah.” Bill held out a hand and Waddles appeared in front of them. He looked around frantically before running into Mabel's outstretched arms. “There we go, the whole family!” He grinned.
“Grunkle Stan isn't here.” Dipper breathed. “B-Bill, you won't let them hurt Grunkle Stan, will you?”
Bill raised an eyebrow. “Eh, okay. While you're relaxing, I'll go track down Stanley and bring him here. Call it payment for giving me the rift!” He grinned at him and then flicked his wrist. The group was thrown by an invisible force through the barrier and into the living room, the door shutting behind them.
“What are we going to do?” Mabel asked, getting up from the floor.
“...I don't know.” Ford stood up and walked over to the chair, gently laying Gideon down. “I have no idea how to fight him when he has so many cards like this.”
Dipper walked over and looked out the window, staring at the tall figure flying in front of the rift, watching as the nightmare realm came into their world. “...What can we do?” He whispered.