I wouldn't be so worried if I wasn't always right

    Phone removed from his pocket, his horror only heightened as dexterous fingertips made to issue a hurried text. Though it was in his haste that he didn’t realize until it had been sent that the text itself appeared as gibberish to the untrained eye. Just as well…the two subjects of his message were far from fools. No doubt they’d decode it with all due haste and abide by the implied plea for a reply…provided they could.

To: Dipper, Ozpin From: Ford

That would be the cherry on the top of all of this; he already doesn’t know how to explain this to-

His phone buzzes.

It’s Ford. A new wave of guilt washes over him, even as he scan the code. He’s used them before with Qrow when extremely sensitive information was being handled. It takes a moment but he thinks he’s figured it out when he finally notices Dipper stirring.

“Dipper! Dipper, are you alright?”

He begins typing back, even as he asks, as Ford seems desperate for information. The headmaster tries using the same code, figuring that perhaps it’s on purpose- especially with Bill running amok in reality.

To: Ford

From: Ozpin

L'p douljkw. L'p rxwvlgh ri pb krxvh zlwk Glsshu. Vrphkrz Eloo jrw frqwuro ri klp L wklqn. Exw L wklqn kh'v douljkw qrz.

Dqg wkhq-

He pauses, taking another long look at the tear in space above them.

L'p vruub.

    “Ugh, yeah, I’m okay... as okay as I can be, anyway... I didn’t think Bill could still do that...”

    Dipper sits up in a daze, looking around the room at the destruction already beginning to take place. Of course he already knew what was going on.... unfortunately, he got to see the whole thing. 

    He glances over Ozpin’s shoulder as the message is sent, and Dipper snaps back to full consciousness at that moment. “Is that Great Uncle Ford? Let me see that, I have to talk to him–” Without giving the man time to answer, Dipper snatches the phone from Ozpin.

To: Ford

From: Ozpin

Juxqnoh Irug, lw'v Glsshu-- zh qhhg wr phhw lq shuvrq vr zh fdq iljxuh rxw zkdw wkh khfn zh'uh jrlqj wr gr. Phhw xv lq Jdppd, brx nqrz zkhuh. Eulqj hyhubwklqj brx'yh jrw.

   “Hᴍ, ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅs ɪs ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀᴇ! ᴀʜᴀʜᴀʜᴀ!!”

As if the great swirling X which split the sky weren’t enough, goldenrod clouds began to rumble as though wracked with thunder, until descending from the skies the following began to alternate betwixt a trickle and a downpour:

Sector oo1: Wax. Hot, cold, hunks of cheese encased in it…wait, what?

Sector oo2: Skulls. Complete, humanlike, yet oddly ambiguous upon inspection.

Sector oo3: Glitter. Seemingly harmless at present. But don’t let it get in your eye!

Sector oo4: Ectoplasm. Any decent ghostbuster would know that green goop slipping from the clouds isn’t Nickelodeon Slime.

Sector oo5: Sea water? Tears? Either way, a single drop is more than sufficient to salt your margarita.

WEIRDMAGEDDON /wird məˈɡedn/

WLPH LV GHDG

PHDQLQJ KDV QR PHDQLQJ

D ZRUOG ZKLFK LV PLQH BRX PDB FHDVH WR GHILQH

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that something is off about this situation. Dipper.. isn’t speaking quite like himself. It’s eerie for some reason, and warning bells are starting to go off in his head but-

What is it? Dipper more than anyone would be scared about the rift, what it could cause, and the most cautious about Bill. Surely the youth who told him and warned him so vehemently about deals and possession would know better than to make one himself. No, Dipper would have no ill intentions, so why does he feel uneasy when he nods in affirmation of the bathroom’s location?

“Yes- there’s one downstairs as well you know I can show it to you… Dipper?” But it seems like he scampered off immediately after hearing ‘yes’. Unable to shake the sense of foreboding, he sets down his knife, and pulls out his phone, intending to text Ford to ask after Dipper’s disposition as of late.

   “Yᴀ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ sᴏ, ʜᴜʜ? ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴍᴇ, ᴋɪᴅ.” The challenge arrived with a snicker, one door all but slammed upon a hand Bill had seemingly neglected to remove from the door frame. Though in the next instant was it wrenched free, a bruising finger thrust in the ghostly figure’s direction.

   “Iᴛ’s ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ ᴛᴏʟᴅ Sɪxᴇʀ– ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀɪғᴛ sᴀғᴇ ғᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ. ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ! ᴛʜɪs ᴅɪᴍᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴀs ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴀs ᴍɪɴᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏɴʟʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟᴠᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ!” Another laugh was let loose from his lips as Bill turned to again pry open a door, this time leading into the depths of Oz’s bedroom.

   “Jᴀᴄᴋᴘᴏᴛ.” The entity stepped inside, wasting no time tearing drawers from their cabinet. He turned each upside down, scoured under the bed, and ripped the window curtain from its rings, humming merrily all the while. “ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏɴ, ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏɴ, O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D…” He mused to himself amidst his belligerent ransacking of the other’s abode. “ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ғᴀʀ; ɪᴛ’s ɢᴏᴛᴛᴀ ʙᴇ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴇʀᴇ…”

    Think, think, Dipper. There had to be something that could work. Ozpin definitely wasn’t going to have a puppet around.... maybe he should go check in on him first.

    When he phases through the floor, he can see Ozpin picking up his cell phone, and that’s when the idea hits him. Maybe there was a way for him to be heard. with one hand held through the phone, Dipper shuts his eyes and concentrates. (Hey, ghosts could do it in the movies, it couldn’t be that different, right?) 

    Even without dialing a single number, the dial tone on Ozpin’s beeps, followed by a single ring, and then static. But faintly, intermittently through the static, Dipper’s words come through, echoed from the mindscape into reality. 

    “▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Oz▒▒▒, ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒ me! It’s Bi▒▒! He▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒’s up in y▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒ift and you ha▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒d stop h▒▒!”

    Here’s praying it would work.

“Exactly. If this was the real danger of the portal all along I want and need to make sure it stays safe as I possibly can,” he fills the trailed off silence with words of his own. Though he curiously throws the youth an odd glance at the request.

“I imagine it doesn’t differ much from the first, Dipper. Does it truly matter what it looks like? I see no need to pull it out today. Besides I’m sure Ford documented any changes from the previous one in his journal. If you’re that curious, why not ask to see his notes?” Ozpin replies shaping out a tooth with great care as he speaks, “In any case, no. Besides that wasn’t the point of your visit was it?”

   “Sᴜʀᴇ, sᴜʀᴇ! ᴡʜʏ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ? ʜᴇ’ʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ɴᴏ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’s ᴀ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ʀᴇɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ʜɪs ɴᴏᴛᴇs.” Bill made every attempt at casual indifference, although taking every spare second of silence to consider how best to remove himself from the burdensome weight of Ozpin’s company.

   “Tʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ?” Bill echoes as he draws the knife free from where it had some point plunged deep into the pumpkin’s hardened exterior. And, with a slight flick, what remnants of pumpkin interior stained the blade were cast to the wayside. “’ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ ɴᴏᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ– ɪɴsᴀᴛɪᴀʙʟʏ ᴄᴜʀɪᴏᴜs. ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪ ɢᴜᴇss ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴜʀɪᴏsɪᴛʏ ʜᴀs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴏɴᴇ ʟɪғᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ.” He let out a brief “ʜᴀ!” of laughter before falling to silence once more, gaze affixed to the ghostly form which floated about the room. He needed an out, an excuse– and locking eyes with Dipper’s incorporeal form brought him the perfect deficit of humanity to utilize.

   “Bᴀᴛʜʀᴏᴏᴍ?” He blurted out most suddenly as he cast the carving blade down to the newspaper workstation Ozpin and Dipper had fashioned. And, whilst standing, it was with a jerk of his thumb he indicated over his shoulder to the stairwell. “ᴜᴘsᴛᴀɪʀs, ʀɪɢʜᴛ? ɪ’ʟʟ ғɪɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴡᴀʏ.”

    But the past was the past, and Bill’s eyes were staring at him in his body, and he would have felt something in his stomach lurch if he had a stomach to feel anything with. 

    “You’re not going to find it,” he says at Bill, trying to stare pointedly at him while trying to devise a plan to be heard. Was there a puppet somewhere? A radio, maybe? Anything at all? “And he’s definitely not going to have it just sitting out in the open anyway. You’re out of luck, Bill.” Dipper knows his words are going to get through to Bill as well as they would to Ozpin, but he had to try something.

“I’m glad to hear it. I hope you enjoy yourselves; you especially deserve it after everything,” Oz replies lightly, finishing a triangle nose, and stepping back to see how he would try doing the mouth. He turns at the vague mention of the rift, however and slowly nods.

“Yes, he told me, though I am happy he let you know first, or as well at least. It’s peculiar, but poetic in a timeless way, something that looks so small and seems so beautiful could be the catalyst for a great disaster. It’s why I’ve taken great care to protect it after Ford entrusted it to me. It’s well hidden and locked away, where it will stay, until or unless he needs to have it again for whatever reason.”

   Therefore, it was when focuses were equally distracted that the entity asserted the control afforded to him by a prior deal, smoothly ejecting the Pines boy from his body in favor of a broad smile. Pupils which were now slightly elongated stood largely hidden with a gaze downcast to the pumpkin that lay before crossed legs, the tool left in hand wielded just a tinge more aggressively than before.

   “Yᴇᴀʜ, ɪᴛ’s sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʟʀɪɢʜᴛ. ɪ’ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇᴅ ʜᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴀɴᴅ…” The parasite trailed off in what was intended as a contemplative silence. And, momentarily the skewering of the pumpkin was halted as he spoke to his ultimate goal.

   “Sᴀʏ, ʜᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sʜᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ɪs ʟɪᴋᴇ. ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɴᴅ ɪғ ɪ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴘᴇᴇᴋ?”

    “Bill?? What did-- how did you--” Dipper stutters, leaning over his own shoulder. He knew the rules-- Ozpin wouldn’t be able to hear or see him. He’d be utterly useless in all of this, not unless he can out-talk or out-trick Bill.

Yeah, not very likely.

    But Dipper did know where this was going; so Ozpin had the rift after all, and Bill had a nearly flawless plan to get his hands on it. He fell right into the trap. How was he supposed to know that Bill could just boot him out whenever he liked? Didn’t he have to make a deal? Shake his hand? 

    “He’s not gonna show you,” he shouts. “Oz is smarter than that and you know it!”

He starts simple using the illustrations of Jack-o-lanterns he’s come across as of late. Perhaps once he gets the hang of it he can try something more creative, but his train of thought is interrupted by the other bringing up what he’d dreaded talking about.

“Yes, I’m.. better. I’m sorry you had to see that- and that I was nigh useless during the entire affair- but… I don’t think something like that will happen again. Or rather, I’ve promised to do my best to make sure it doesn’t get to that point again.”

Ozpin rubs the back of his neck, trying not to let the shame get to him too much. “Yes, he apologized. We, ah, fought.. briefly over some misconceptions, but we were able to come to an understanding again. Honestly I’m relieved, surprised that I gained his trust so quickly after everything but… glad at the same time.”

    “Yeah, we have. I mean, I get it. He didn’t want to tell me in the first place because... I dunno. I think deep down he knew that he was wrong? But things are fine between us now. He said he’d take me out for a make-up birthday dinner sometime soon.”

kandxina:

⊰ ⚙ ⊱ For one mere second, she’s relieved. The gravity anomalies were perfectly normal, right? But then two people intrude and she’s shaken for a moment before Rey pins them down. Oh, she is no stranger to this type of situation, and she initially takes a defensive stance as there was clear reason for the amount of security they had to go through to get here. Gloved hands ball into tight fights before the threat is neutralised and she listens. 

The young boy seems sincere, frightened, and she’s not sure what to think at first. How could something promising so much be…dangerous, as he says, then the older of the pair chimes in and it hits her. How could…she have been building something that could potentially lead to disaster? How could she have been so foolish…again. She trusts Ford, like she’d trusted her father, like she’d trusted Varrick and she’d listen to him for his side of this, because she doesn’t know the intruders. 

Then he admits he withheld information from the two engineers. And the other girl is clearly upset, but Asami has to pause in shock, tears stinging at her eyes as she looks up at Ford, brows knitting. “No. He didn’t tell us.”

“How…could you? We trusted you, Ford. I trusted you!” Her fists clench at her side, the woman biting at her lower lip. “Why wouldn’t you tell us there was a chance this thing could hurt people? I don’t…I don’t know what this sort of technology could do. I’m not from your time! You…” She pauses, glancing downward then back up with more conviction. “You used us! You used me! Why couldn’t you talk to us? What if there was some way we could have avoided the possible dangers? We’re smart engineers, we’re not idiots, Ford. Do you…” Another pause and she frowns. “Do you even actually trust us, Ford?” Why else would he lie? Like her father had.

The destruction Rey ensues, causes her to flinch. She isn’t about to join in on the destroying of a machine she never fully understood. Not when she’d gone through something similar already. She didn’t want a repeat of the entire Spirit Portal fiasco. “Wait…”

@anomalious

    𝓣his was a disaster previously beyond his imagination, now unfolding in flames before him. In an instant had he squandered what pillars of trust he had forged, watching as they toppled in a pool of ashes at his feet. Breathless for the want to combat the hard truths lain before him, the beginnings of shame crept into his chest at pairs of eyes locked upon him in evident betrayal. And, in the face of Rey’s rage and Asami’s tear-stricken grief, Ford felt every foundation he’d had for his actions crumble beneath his feet.

    “I–” I’m sorry. The words pushed to the brink of actualization. Yet some part of him– less feeling, and more shrewdly calculating substituted them for the explanation they clearly sought.

    “That wasn’t my intent– to use, or to lie! By the time either of you were involved I had already done my utmost to alter the portal’s original blueprints from their abominable destination.” Having seen the Nightmare Realm first hand, he had no intention to unleash that Hell upon Hive City. Yet, though well-intentioned, his knowledge and experience had afforded the author arrogance as well, lending him too much pride to admit to his past mistakes in the portal’s construction. “There was no need to confide that which I thought need no longer apply. Especially not with still so much work to be done. You must understand– I was desperate!

    “Please, if there is anyone who knows the cost of building a device such as this, it is me.” Though that particular branch of exposition wasn’t what was needed right now. He could only hope to salvage what dregs of promise still lay vested in him– and the portal along with it.

    “A-and that’s why…” Tremulous, Ford began, “I should have told you the risks. I should have told you everything.” He should have trusted them. “I thought I was sparing you any unnecessary misgivings. I was wrong. Asami– Rey, don’t do this.”

    Yet this realization had dawned too little too late in the wake of the garish blaze of a lightsaber starting to life. And, no sooner had it been drawn did Ford feel his steps lurch forward; the searing line cloven through machinery striking at a chord exceedingly close to home.

    “N-no. Stop! You don’t know what you’re doing!” The warning ripped itself free of his throat, every effort made to blink away the crippling parallels his mind drew to a similar disaster thirty years prior. “Stop!”

@headmastering​

Dipper and Oz are released from whatever force was keeping them against the wall, and he watches things fall apart as his feet touch the ground. One of the young women is in frustrated tears and the other, the one who kept them pressed against wall is now brandishing a blade seemingly made of light or concentrated energy. Whatever it is, it’s powerful enough to cleave through an unfamiliar looking machine like butter. 

She’s angry; Ozpin can respect that if Ford has kept the information, risks, and possible opponents secret up until this point. He’s not going to try and stop her, since she’s proven herself extremely powerful and there’s no telling if his fields would hold against such a blade or if the small portion of control he has over time is enough to hold through a fight. Even if he wanted this to be as peaceful as possible, but how could it have ever been? There would have always been some resistance from Ford, and he’s already destroyed some machinery on the way in- He just hasn’t been expecting it to be slightly in their favor. He rests a steady hand on dipper’s shoulder about to warn as much to his younger companion, when Ford actually starts approaching Rey in a distressed daze.

“Ford, wait- Leave her be; There’s nothing-”

“Stop!”

Oz is interrupted by Ford’s outcry, clearly not being heard, and he grits his teeth. He doesn’t know this young woman, or the extent of her temper, but he does know Ford won’t stop on his own, not like he is right now. 

It’s partially panic that causes it, but the headmaster quickly raises his cane, and then slams it hard into the floor, green energy crackling forth from it zig-zaging it’s way across the room until it creates a circle around the other man and then raises into its completely enclosed state, keeping Ford inside.

“I said wait! You can’t stop her. You.. can’t stop this from happening.”

It takes more concentration than normal to keep the orb up, as he clutches his cane white-knuckled. He glances back over to Dipper.

“Dipper, how do we turn this off? I assume there’s another way- regardless of quickly as she’s getting the job done in her own right.”

    Ford offers an explanation, but it’s hardly suitable– and in what felt like mere seconds Rey takes a furious slash at the machine. It’s enough to finally draw a sound from his throat: a panicked “What are you doing?!” 

    It was easy for him to rationalize that this was simply out of fear that damage to the portal could only make matters worse. But the truth lay in that this panic was far more than that. Why was he so conflicted about this? Everything was wrong; it was wrong of Ford to build this, it was dangerous and they needed to stop this at all costs, lest the apocalypse show up like a parade at their front door. So why was there still a shrivel of trust left in his heart for his uncle at all? 

    Dipper barely noticed that Ozpin was saying a word to him. He just kept his eyes on Ford, waiting for some apology or explanation, a blank and frightened gaze that would have read to anyone ‘This shouldn’t be happening.’ But eventually, Ozpin’s words register, and his eyes snap out of their hypnotized gaze. Something had to be done. This wasn’t a matter of trust in his uncle, it was a matter of preventing the worst. “Yeah,” he says, looking around the room in a panic to find the mechanism in question. And there it was, analogous to the machine once buried deep below the Mystery Shack– at least, from a distance it was. As he rushes closer, the realization dawns on him, that Ford did make adjustments, and in one of the most inconvenient places for the current company. With no guide or journal the convoluted system of grids and wires and buttons made little sense to the teen-- definitely not good. 

    “I-I don’t know what to do!” he shouts back to Ozpin, voice cracking in panic. “It’s different than the other one!” And then, a glance back to the glowing prison that held his uncle– and then back to Rey. It may have been dangerous to follow her lead, but at this point.... was there really any other choice? 

  𝓒ongratulatory smiles cycled betwixt the trio before the culmination of their collective efforts through the weeks. There had been many upsets on the road to the interdimensional portal’s construction, but now that it had taken form before them, it was difficult for the scientist to suppress the keen mix of excitement and anxiety which bubbled forth from within. Provided things ran smoothly, this machine would accomplish what no one else in Hive City had managed– given the benefit of blood-born abilities or otherwise:

  They’d finally have a found way out.

  “Asami, Rey…I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.” When Ford spoke it was provided his best effort to keep his nerves at bay, a smile substituting on his features in effort to dispel any dregs of fear. However, he dared to say he could pinpoint the same breed of uncertainty swimming in their gaze. Granted, they had every right to trepidation, given the scope of the matter at hand.

  So too did Ford’s gaze travel back towards the portal concealed deep in the bowels of Sector oo3, it’s geometric form looming far above the trio occupying its shadow. Here the author hesitated with his hands upon the lever which would ignite the machinery, hyper-conscious in that moment of the repercussions which could come from it. Though the inevitable conclusion was that it was worth the risk, as in the next moment his weight was thrown into flipping the switch in hand.

  Uneven steps doubled back from the portal’s face. Where previously had been nothing but a gaping hole ringed by star signs now stood occupied by what could be misconstrued as a star itself. So from it did lightening reach for the walls and ceiling, a menacing crackle accompanying it. Though this initial phase did not persist long, the lightening giving way to a whirring ring of color about the portal’s face, and the tick of a timer staged not far off which struck the seconds down to the creations moment of full operation.

  “I-it’s working. Brace yourself!” An arm lifted to partly shield his eyes from the blinding light, Ford reached for a grounding point just as the first of many gravitational anomalies to come washed over them. All around them discarded parts for the portal’s construction rose several feet off the ground, seeming to hover there in zero-gravity for an instant before slamming back to the earth. The three engineers were no exception to this, the hum of the portal starting to life serving as the backdrop to the unending clatter of a world repeatedly tipped on its head.

The lightning cracks and it raises the caution over that excited feeling, the pit of his stomach signalling that perhaps something was wrong as she shields her eyes with a gloved hand covering bright lights. She has to remind herself, this wasn’t like the Spirit Portal. It wasn’t, right? It was fine. But they, along with everything not bolted, rise into the air and fall back and she gasps. “Ford? Is…was that normal? Is it supposed to do that? Is everyone okay?”

     As the circle begins to crackle and illuminate with life, making objects rise and fall as the portal played god with gravity, Rey reaches for her phone. Some of her friends chose to stay behind, but with good reason. There was one, however, that needed to be home just as badly as her. The plan had been to send out a text with a phrase, and upon receiving it they would appear. She doesn’t get the chance as she senses two lifeforms, one somewhat familiar and another foreign. 

     With quick movements Rey calls on the Force to pin the intruders to the wall. She does not hurt them, allowing them to speak, but any other attempted movement is met with great resistance.

     “… You have thirty seconds to tell me why you are here before you regret ever thinking stepping in here.”

    He wanted to shout, to just ask why, but before he can step further into the room, he is pushed back, pinned to the wall with only enough movement to blink and breathe and speak. Add that to the list of things to make Dipper’s heartbeat threaten to jump out of his chest.

    “Why do you think?!” He shouts, wrenching his head around in an attempt to escape. But he turns it to look at his uncle, who he hadn’t seen in what felt like months. 

    “Great Uncle Ford, Ozpin told me everything. I just need to know: why are you doing this? I thought you of all people would know how dangerous it is!” He’d probably look in Ozpin’s direction for help, if he could turn his head enough to be able to see him. At least it was implied.

Suddenly they’re lifted high, high from the ground, floating. Oz tries to make an orb for each of them before they fall but it’s difficult without grounding his cane into something. He lands on his feet and hand in a squatting position, before looking over at Dipper obviously concerned.

“Are you alright?” Oz asks, before his gaze follows where the youth is pointing. Ah, that has to be it. There’s no avoiding it now.

    Dipper slides his backpack from his shoulders, letting it slump to the ground as he rummages through it, eventually producing an old brass key. It doesn’t look like it would match the lock on the cold steel door, not at all– but Dipper shows it to Ozpin with half a smile. 

    “This might make it a little easier, though.” A key to open any lock, given to him by a certain former president. Why hasn’t he used it up until now?

    One more deep breath, and he slips the key into the lock, which in a single turn unlocks with a gut-wrenching click that is barely audible over the thrums of the machine on the other side.

Still, there’s no point in turning back. Despite his own hesitations, the headmaster remember the demon who invaded his dreams, and clutches his cane harder.

“There’s that possibility, Dipper, but.. that doesn’t excuse many things he’s done. There are also parts of the situation that don’t add up. Bill mentioned your family opening a door for him with the utmost confidence; he’s not worried about you or your uncle going home to stop whatever damage he’s done. He’s lying in wait, amused by the chaos and rifts he’s creating. There’s also the fact that if the scientists are truly watching our every move, why would they allow an unauthorized way home? Wouldn’t they do something to stop it? They have the power to. No, it just.. it doesn’t make sense. Something’s foul about this whole affair, whether I desire to go home or not, and I can’t turn a blind eye to it.”

He pauses as they finally step out into the district below.

     They continue to walk. Footsteps fall and echo on damp walls around their words. Dipper’s sure that nothing good can come of this- nothing ever did. The portal had once brought destruction to Gravity Falls, this much was true. But hadn’t it also brought Ford back from half a lifetime across distant dimensions? Couldn’t good come from this, too? 

    Then came another wave of weightlessness, this time exponentially more powerful than the anomalies before it. Dipper fell down gracelessly on his side, but from the low vantage point he was able to spot it: a slice of bright blue light, glaring from under a vault-like structure. Less like a warehouse, more like a fallout shelter. How appropriate, considering what it contained.

His gaze follows Dipper’s and he sighs in understanding.

“That would make sense if it were in the underground district; not many people visit there unless they have to and it’s still close to his residence… I suppose it’s time to follow the trail. The way down shouldn’t be too far from here. Let’s get going.”

    But the walk is too long to stay silent the whole way, and let his senses overwhelm him. He looks toward the headmaster, searching his features for the semblance of a thought. Dipper can’t gather a thing. “Have you ever thought... what if he knows what he’s doing? What if Bill’s wrong? What if.... what if we could really all go back home?”