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wil-is-done · 2 years

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When You’re A Mystery Kid - Chapter 22B: I Am Danny Phantom - Part 2

Summary: The Mystery Kids meets the half-ghost hero of Amity Park.

Word Count: 10.956

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a repost.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here.

By the time they arrived, everything was in chaos.

People running and screaming in terror. Cars crashed and overturned. Street vendor stands demolished, their wares scattered on the asphalt road. Roadside buildings wrecked, their windows shattered and some even missing chunks of their walls. It was all a shocking sight to take in for Norman. However, the most shocking sight of all was of the seeming culprits behind the chaos.

Ghosts.

They had to be ghosts. Norman had no doubts about it. About two dozen of them, all floating, all wreathed in an otherworldly, green glow. They tossed objects about with reckless abandon and fired strange blasts of energy from their hands in random directions, all seemingly with the intent of causing as much destruction as possible. The violence they engaged in left Norman at a loss for words. He had never seen ghosts indulge themselves in such mindless destruction before in his life. Although, Norman noted with suspicion that the ghosts all seemed to posses blank, glowing red eyes. That cannot be a coincidence.

Norman glanced about at his friends, who looked just as appalled by the destruction as he was. He gritted his teeth; how would they be able to face off against enemies they couldn’t even see?

“Flying, red-eyed green men, huh? That’s new.”

Norman whipped his head towards Raz, who had stated that so casually. “You can see them?!”

Raz gave him an incredulous look. “Of course we can. Why wouldn’t- wait…” Realization slowly dawned upon Raz’s face. “No way…”

“They’re ghosts.” Norman said grimly. “No doubt about it. They’re all ghosts.”

The Mystery Kids looked at each other for a moment, looking appropriately surprised and confused. Norman spotted Neil vigorously rubbing his eyes before looking back at the direction where the ghosts were.

“Uh, right, since when was that a thing we can do?” Wybie asked.

“Well, as far as I know, when a ghost is powerful enough, they can choose to make themselves be seen.” Norman explained. “Like Aggie. Everyone can see Aggie.”

Coraline breathed out a long sigh. “So, what you’re saying is, we’re going up against two dozen ghosts who might be as powerful as Aggie?”

“No. I mean, hopefully not?” Norman shrugged sheepishly.

Mabel, who had so far kept her eye on the ghosts with her head cocked to the side, turned to look at him. “Welp, you’re the master of all things ghostly. What do we do?”

Norman turned his gaze towards the still-rampaging ghosts, considering the question. “I’ll try to talk to them. You guys stay back for now.” He eventually replied. “Ghosts don’t get this… destructive for no reason. I need to at least find out why.”

Judging from the frowns on their faces, his friends seemed to have doubts about Norman’s plan, but eventually they all nodded, agreeing with him, even if reluctantly. “Be careful, Norman.” Neil said, which Norman replied with a reassuring smile.

Taking a deep breath, Norman stepped forward into the chaos. He scanned the area, quickly spotting a pair of ghosts nearest to him. One was lanky and gaunt-faced, while the other one was relatively bulkier and more muscular, and they were both occupied with reducing an overturned car into nothing but scrap metal. Norman was careful in approaching them, making sure none of the other ghost would notice him talking to them. Deciding he was close enough, Norman drew in another deep breath, before he called out to them.

“Hey! Hi! Excuse me!”

They both paused, giving each other a look, before they slowly turned to face Norman. Their blank, red-eyed glares made Norman stumble over his words for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure again.

“Listen, I don’t know what happened to you and your friends, or what the city did to you that led you to start destroying it, but all of this?” Norman gestured to the chaos around him. “This won’t make anything better. I know it feels good, right now. It even feels right, to do all of this. But it’s not going to help. If you keep doing this, you’re just going to feel worse!”

The ghosts’ expression stayed neutral. They simply glanced at each other again, but otherwise they appeared to be listening in. That prompted Norman to continue with increased gusto.

“If you guys really want to make things right, make yourselves really feel better, my friends and I can help. Whatever it is, I promise you, we will help you get through it. If you can just talk to your other friends and get them to calm down and listen, then we can-”

Norman was cut off when the lanky ghost suddenly ripped out one of the tires of the overturned car and tossed it at him. Before he could react, he suddenly felt his legs leaving the ground as he floated back by several feet, the tire striking the spot where he once stood. Once he regained his footing, he looked over his shoulder, spotting Raz with an arm outstretched pulsing with psychic energy.

Norman was about to thank him when a voice rang clear through the chaos.

“Trying to appeal to their sense of humanity, child? How charming.”

The source of the voice, stepping into the center of all the chaos, revealed itself to be nothing more than a man. His most striking feature, Norman noticed, was his extremely pale white skin, almost like the color of chalk, as well as his decidedly sinister red eyes. He was bald, Norman could tell, covered up somewhat by a small, black bowler hat. He wore a flowing, dark gray coat that was rather intricately designed, but it also with obvious signs of wear and tear. A prim and proper bowtie circled his neck, and his black boots appeared to be polished to perfection. The man watched Norman, as well the rest of the Mystery Kids, with apparent amusement.

“They lost any shred of humanity they had when they passed.”

Norman backed away from the man, rejoining the gathering of his friends. Whoever the man was, he was definitely the leader of this group of ghosts. As for how, Norman still had no idea.

Raz was the first of them to bite back. “You don’t look very human yourself. Who are you supposed to be, Nosferatu?”

The man simply grinned. He snapped his fingers, and almost immediately, every ghost in the vicinity stopped their rampage, all of them falling in line behind the man.

“My name is Frederich Isak Showenhower.”

He lifted his bowler hat and performed a deep, practiced bow.

“But you may know me as Freakshow.”

Norman’s heard of that name from somewhere, though he has trouble recalling from where exactly. Judging from how both Raz and Dipper’s eyes lit up, they definitely knew more about the man than Norman did.

“Nope.” Raz shrugged with deliberate nonchalance. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

To Norman’s surprise, the amused smile on Freakshow’s face gave way to an annoyed frown. “Seriously? Ringmaster of the infamous Circus Gothica? Ever heard of it?”

“Nope.”

“We’re banned from twenty different states!”

“Nuh uh.”

Freakshow let out a long, suffering sigh. “Well, you don’t look like the type I cater to anyway.” He suddenly pointed over to Coraline, the smile back on his face. “Now, you! You surely must have heard of me?”

“Uh, no? Why the hell would I?” Norman had no idea if Coraline was being genuine or if she was just helping Raz in trying to annoy the man. Either way, it seemed to be working. “What’s it even supposed to be, anyway? Some sort of… satanic cult?”

Freakshow stomped a foot down indignantly. “It’s a circus! It’s in the name, you little-!” he sighed, his shoulders slumping, before he quickly regained his composure. “I shouldn’t even bother with people like you. Run along and cower, like the rest of the pathetic masses.” He turned his gaze upwards, looking strangely expectant. “My prize shall be here shortly.”

Raz took a step forward, hands pulsing with psychic energy. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not exactly normal ourselves, and we’re not going anywhere, baldy.”

Lili stepped forward as well. “For committing acts of wanton destruction, you and your accomplices are hereby under arrest. We can do this the easy way, or the I-burn-your-ass-off way.” She smiled. “Please choose the latter.”

Freakshow laughed out loud. “Arrest me? Who do you think you are?” he sneered.

“The Mystery Kids.” Coraline joined Raz and Lili, placing herself between the two. She held her new psychic baton in her hand.

Freakshow rolled his eyes. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“No.” Coraline pressed the button on the baton. The six-inch long rod immediately extended to about twenty five inches, ending on a rounded tip pulsing with purple, psychic energy. She held the weapon at the ready. “But it’s about to be.”

Freakshow’s eyes narrowed. “Cute.”

He snapped his fingers, and immediately a pair of ghosts broke off from the group behind Freakshow. They flew over to a nearby ruined food cart, together lifting them into the air before launching it towards the Mystery Kids. Coraline took a step back while Raz and Lili both extended a hand outwards, a barrier starting to form around the group. However, before the cart could impact the barrier, there was a flash of green, and the cart was suddenly blasted to the side.

“No one told me the circus is back in town!”

Norman had to suppress a gasp. He had only heard that voice once before, on a news broadcast, but he recognized it all the same.

A figure landed in front of the Mystery Kids, putting itself between them and Freakshow and his ghosts. Norman’s jaw dropped. Even just from looking at the figure from behind, the white hair and the black bodysuit meant that the figure could only be one person and one person only.

“Danny Phantom!” Freakshow grinned. “Apologies for not calling ahead. I thought you might like the surprise.”

“Surprised, yes. Like, not really.” Danny retorted. “I especially don’t like how you’re not in prison.”

Freakshow waved a hand dismissively. “Prison life didn’t suit me. Terrible crowd, as well. Had to move on.”

“Well, the warden just called. The inmates want an encore.”

“Tell him I’m booked. I’ve got a show to do, right here, right now.”

“His schedule’s flexible. In fact, once we’re done here, I can probably give you a ride there.”

“Oh, this show won’t end the way you’d expect.”

Lili covered her face with a hand, wheezing out a low, “Oh my god.”

“Hey!” Coraline shouted, drawing all attention to her. “You guys seriously gonna talk all day?”

Freakshow responded by shooting a glare at Coraline, while Danny looked surprisingly embarrassed by the situation. “Er, right.” Danny cleared his throat, looking over his shoulder to address the Mystery Kids. “You guys should clear the area. You do not want to get caught in the crossfire.”

Both Coraline and Lili narrowed their eyes at him, but Raz was quick to speak up with a friendly smile. “Danny, if it’s all the same to you, we’re here to help you kick baldy’s ass.” Raz’s words prompted Danny to turn around, dumbfounded. “Big fan, by the way.” Raz quickly added.

It took a few moments for Danny to find his voice. “Alright, thanks, but I got this. I appreciate the offer to help, but I can’t afford to worry about you guys while fighting them at the same time. No offense.”

Raz was about to say something in reply before Coraline cut him off. “Hero, in case you didn’t notice, I’m carrying around this fancy power stick.” She gestured to the baton in her hand. “And then there’s goggles over here with his magic glowing hands.” She used the baton to point to Raz, specifically to his hands that pulsed with psychic energy. “Trust me when I say that we can handle ourselves.”

Danny’s eyes darted towards Coraline’s baton, then to Raz’s hands, then his eyes scanned the entire group, seemingly taking in their appearances for the first time. “Okay… I have to admit, those are pretty weird. You guys are pretty weird.” he stated. “But, still, you won’t be much help. Freakshow’s got ghosts. Only a ghost can harm another ghost.”

“You know, y’all should listen to him!” A foreign voice suddenly called out. Norman, along with the rest of his friends, turned their heads towards the source of the voice, quickly spotting a pair of teenagers peeking out of some nearby wreckage. One was male, with dark skin, and sporting glasses and a hat that he wore backwards, and the other was a female, dark-haired, with a clothing ensemble that was almost all black. It became clear the one that spoke up was the male. “He really knows his stuff!” He called out again.

Now it was Coraline’s turn to look dumbfounded. “And who are you supposed to be?” she called back.

“They’re my friends.” Danny replied. “Follow them. They’ll take you somewhere safe.”

Raz spoke with concern. “Danny, we’re not going to leave you to fight twenty of them on your own. You’re worried for us, but we’re worried for you too!”

“I’ve been through worse. Trust me.” Danny actually placed a reassuring hand on Raz’s shoulder. “I’m Danny goddamn Phantom.”

Raz took a second to gaze on Danny’s hand upon his shoulder in disbelief, before he looked up in awe to meet Danny’s gaze. Norman looked on quietly from the back, almost jealous of the fact that Danny Phantom himself touched Raz. However, the moment was broken when Raz suddenly shouted out, “Behind you!”

Danny spun in place, arm raised to create a green barrier in front of him. The green ray of energy that sped towards him struck the barrier, dispersing harmlessly against it. Across from where Danny and the Mystery Kids stood, a ghost had stepped forward with an arm outstretched, while Freakshow looked visibly irritated by the current circumstance.

“Finished?” He hissed through gritted teeth. “You know, I planned on saving this for the big finale, but since you so rudely decided to ignore me…”

Putting on a wicked grin, Freakshow slowly reached into the insides of his coat. With that same deliberate manner, he pulled out what appeared to be some sort of staff, colored red and tipped with a bat-shaped effigy, studded with a pair of green gems that acted as the bat’s eyes. Resting above the bat effigy was a crystal ball that displayed a constant swirl of crimson-colored energy.

“Remember this?” He practically purred at Danny. “You’re quite enamored with this, if I recall correctly.”

Just seeing the object for what it was, Norman could tell that it was a rather powerful supernatural artifact, and the fact that it was held in the hands of Freakshow already put him on edge. However, to see Danny Phantom suddenly physically reel back and raise his arms to shield his now-panicked face, Norman’s level of alarm rose significantly.

“How did you get that back?!” Danny cried out.

Freakshow let out a low chuckle. “A good performer never reveals the secret to his act. That’s the magic of the circus, you see. Keeps you guessing.”

Out of the corner of Norman’s eye, he spotted Danny’s two friends rushing out of cover to stand by Danny’s side. The boy seemed to be helping Danny shield his face, while the girl put herself between Danny and Freakshow.

Coraline eyed Danny’s demeanor warily. “Gonna guess that magic staff is bad news?” She asked

“Very.” The dark-haired girl replied, shooting Coraline a grim look.

Freakshow took a few steps forward, his ghostly entourage following closely behind him.

“Come now, Danny. You made for such a useful addition to my collection of oddities two years ago, imagine how useful you would be to me now.”

Freakshow licked his lips, a manic grin on his face. A chill ran down Norman’s spine.

“Come on. Show your true colors once again. Cross over to the dark side.”

With his face still shielded, Danny yelled out a reply. “Never again, you shriveled marshmallow!”

“Oh, you will. You will.” Freakshow stated. “Minions,” he pointed at Danny with his staff, “bring him to me.”

All at once, Freakshow’s minions surged forward past him. Some of them had their hands glowing with some sort of green energy, while others picked up whatever debris they could and brandished them as weapons. With the encroaching ghosts only moments away from being upon them, Coraline and Raz looked at each other, and without saying a word, both of them came to a grim realization; there’s only one option left for them to take.

“Fall back!”

“Retreat!”

Norman was among the last to turn tail and run. He wanted another chance to at least try to talk to the ghosts, but a panicking Neil running back to him to tug him and yell in his ear finally convinced him to join the others in escaping. A rain of green energy rays and debris soon consumed the spot where he once stood.

Raz, Lili, and Danny stayed at the back of the group, with Raz and Lili summoning a psychic barrier to shield them while Danny blindly shot green energy rays behind him to at least try to slow down the ghosts. Norman grimly noted that, while the psychic barrier held up just fine against the debris, the green energy rays went past the barrier like it wasn’t even there, nearly striking the Mystery Kids as they fled. Another grim observation Norman made was that, as Raz and Lili fired a few quick psi-blasts at the ghosts, all of their shots simply passed through harmlessly.

Danny was right; among them, he really is the only one that could face the ghosts.

Although, Norman had to wonder… could his lightning affect the ghosts?

Norman quickly shook off that thought. There’s something off about those ghosts, and he wasn’t going to subject them to the lightning without knowing more first.

Both Raz and Lili seemed to be quick to catch on that psi-blasting the ghosts would be a waste of effort. In the rush of the chase, Norman heard Raz bark out an order of, “Lil, time to vanish!”

Raz and Lili dropped their barriers at the same time, swiftly following up by summoning a dome of psychic energy that surrounded both the Mystery Kids and Danny and his friends. The advance of the ghosts came to an abrupt halt, all of them looking around in confusion. Far behind the ghosts, even Freakshow’s eyes went wide in surprise. Norman and the rest of the Mystery Kids, familiar with this particular psychic ability, kept their voices down and slowed to a stop, while silently signaling Danny and his friends to do the same.

Coraline made her way to the front of the group and pointed to a nearby alleyway between two buildings. “In there. Hurry.” She whispered.

The group dived into the alleyway as fast as they could while being as silent as possible. Behind them, Norman could hear the voice of Freakshow shouting out, “Find him! Bring my prize to me!”

A few tense seconds passed of them hearing ghosts zipping out in different directions before they all collectively allowed themselves to breathe out a sigh of relief. The dome around them dissipated a moment later, accompanied by the sound of Raz and Lili panting in exertion. Beads of sweat were already forming on their foreheads.

“Okay, first things first,” Coraline started, putting herself at the center of attention, “what exactly is the deal with tall, pale, and crazy back there?”

Raz was the first to answer. “I heard some stuff about him and his ‘circus’. All of them are bad. Gets involved in lots of shady stuff.”

Dipper’s answer came next. “He’s obsessed with ghosts and anything involving them. He even wrote a book about them.” He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. “I’m… pretty sure I own a copy.”

“Good to know you’re supporting your local supervillain.” Lili retorted, which prompted Dipper to avert his gaze.

Coraline’s eyes turned towards Danny and his friends, the three of them currently leaning against the wall. “Danny, from what I heard back there, you had beef with that guy before?” She asked.

“I did.” Danny nodded. “Two times. Both of them are pretty close calls.”

Raz joined in with a question. “Anything you can tell us about him?”

“Besides the fact that he’s evil and a creep, there’s not much to tell about him. What’s important here is that staff.” Danny leaned forward. “It allows him to control ghosts to do whatever he wants them to do.” He put a hand on his chest. “That includes me. You can see the problem here.”

Norman blinked. “You mean those ghosts are being forced into doing this?”

Danny replied with a nod. Norman felt his hands clench into fists before he could control himself, that familiar spark of energy already threatening to leak out. He drew in a deep breath, the energy subsiding, for now. If the lightning had to come out today, at least now he knew who to use on.

“Except, that staff was supposed to be destroyed!” One of Danny’s friends, the dark-haired girl, exclaimed. “Shattered into a million pieces! It’s literally impossible for him to get his hands on it again.”

Danny scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, that’s the big question mark.”

Coraline and Raz shared a look, before Coraline asked, “Anything else?”

“Nothing that I know of. Without that staff, he’s just a regular guy.”

“Hold up, sorry to interrupt this, but,” Danny’s other friend, the boy with the glasses, cut in, “who are you guys exactly?”

Raz offered him a friendly smile. “We’re friends.”

“Allies.” Coraline was quick to say. “Let’s start with allies.”

Raz paused for a moment to shoot Coraline a sour look, before he continued on. “Bottom line is, we want to kick Freakshow’s ass just as much as you do.”

“If you’ll let us, we can do it together.” Coraline finished.

A few seconds passed in silence as Danny considered the suggestion. He looked to his friends; first, to the boy with the glasses, who simply offered a shrug, then to the dark-haired girl, who gave him a hesitant nod. Finally, Danny looked at Coraline and Raz, and said, “Alright. For this one time, let’s see how it goes.”

Raz clapped his hands together. “Nice!” he announced with a grin. “Okay, quick rundown, I’m Raz, and this is Coraline.”

“Not Caroline. Coraline.”

“She’s Lili, and there’s Wybie, Dipper, Mabel, Neil, and that’s Norman.”

As Danny’s gaze landed on him, Norman could only muster an awkward, sheepish little wave as a reply. Danny raised an eyebrow at that for a moment, before his attention returned to Coraline and Raz.

“Pleased to meet you all. I’m… well, you already know I am. These two are my friends. Sam,” Danny first gestured to the dark-haired girl, “and Tucker.” He then gestured to the boy with the glasses. “They don’t have powers, but they are very capable. You can take my word for it.”

Tucker took this opportunity to speak. “Y’know, if you want us to work together, you better have a good plan. This many people in the playing field? It could get messy.”

Raz looked towards Coraline for an answer, and Coraline in turn spent the next few seconds gazing at the entrance of the alley, at the chaos still occurring beyond it, the gears visibly turning in her head. While still focusing on the alley’s entrance, she finally asked, “Danny, how do you feel about being bait?”

Danny gave her a nervous look. “Generally? Not cool with it. What do you have in mind?”

“You’re the only one that can do anything to those ghosts.” As she turned towards Danny, a smile had started to form on her face. “At the same time, Freakshow only cares about you. He doesn’t give a damn about the rest of us. We can use that.”

“If you can draw all those ghosts away, the rest of us can sneak over to him and take his staff. Kick his pasty ass too while we’re at it.” Coraline explained. “Of course, if those ghosts overwhelm you and Freakshow gets to you, then it’s game over. So, we need to make sure you don’t get too much attention.” She shifted her gaze towards Raz and Lili. “You two lovebirds up for that?”

Raz crossed his arms in rather smug manner. “Be Danny’s bodyguard for the day? Hell yeah.” Lili didn’t say anything, but she did put on quite a confident smile.

Coraline opened her mouth to continue, only to be interrupted by the sound of a rather loud scream, which was accompanied by the distinctive sounds made by those green energy rays. It caught everyone’s attention, and the alley settled into silence for a few moments.

Wybie was the first to speak again. “Jonesy, I don’t think everyone made it out in time.”

Coraline closed her eyes for only half a second, quickly regaining her composure. “Mabel and Neil, you’re on evacuation duty.”

Mabel brandished her grappling hook with a grin, while Neil performed a salute. “Consider those people saved, captain!” He announced.

“Now, for the two of you,” Coraline pointed at both Sam and Tucker, “which one of you is good with people?”

Tucker raised his hand. “That would be me.”

“Relatively speaking.” Sam added with a smirk.

“Tucker, you help out Mabel and Neil.” Coraline had to fight back a chuckle. “Good luck.”

Both Mabel and Neil were at Tucker’s side in an instant. “Nice to meet you! I hope we can work together well!” Neil said as he enthusiastically shook Tucker’s hand.

“Love the backwards hat, by the way.” Mabel pointed at Tucker’s hat with her grappling hook, which made him flinch slightly. “Very nineties.”

“Everyone else, you’re with me. We sneak around, catch Freakshow off-guard, and make him pay for all of this.” Coraline accentuated the sentence with a swing of her baton. “Sam, you live here, so can I count on you to lead the way?” She asked.

Sam nodded, though somewhat hesitantly. “I think I can manage.”

“Alright.” Coraline took one last look at the group around her, all wearing expressions of confidence and determination. “You all have your part to play in this.” Her lips quirked into a determined smile. “Let’s save the day. The hunt…”

“… is on!”

Danny, Sam, and Tucker looked appropriately surprised by the Mystery Kids suddenly shouting that out, and Norman couldn’t blame them.

The surprise didn’t last long. “Come on, we can come out at the other side of this alley.” Sam was already running deeper into the alley, motioning for the others to follow her. “Hopefully Freakshow or his minions won’t see us.”

Coraline, Wybie, and Dipper quickly ran after Sam. Norman was about to join them, when he suddenly felt a firm hand grip his shoulder, stopping him. He looked over his shoulder to see Raz, who had taken his goggles off for the moment, staring at him dead in the eye with a look of hardened, yet faltering resolve.

“Norman…” Raz began, but Norman could tell he was at a loss for words, “Listen, I know you’d rather not do… your thing, and I would never force you, but-”

It wasn’t hard to figure out what Raz was trying to say. “I know.” Norman cut in. He smiled, and he hoped that was enough to comfort Raz. “If it comes down to it, I won’t hesitate.”

Raz’s face brightened significantly, much to Norman’s relief. Raz patted his shoulder and gave him a determined smile, which Norman reciprocated in kind, before the two broke off to join their respective groups. Before he turned the corner, Norman sneaked in one last look at the group at the alley’s entrance. Raz chatted excitedly with Danny as soon as he joined them.

“So, not to sound incapable or anything, but do you got anything up your sleeve that might help us help you?” Raz asked.

Danny seemed to appreciate Raz’s enthusiasm. “A few.” He replied with a coy smile. He then shut his eyes tight, his body surrounded by a green glow, before there was a sudden flash of light, and out from thin air, four exact duplicates of Danny came into existence.

Raz’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit!”

Norman had to agree. Holy shit, indeed.

Danny and his duplicates wasted no time to fly out of the alley. A quick nudge from Lili knocked Raz out of his shock, the two of them swiftly summoning spheres of psychic energy under their legs and hurrying after Danny. Mabel, Neil, and Tucker were the last to leave, darting out of the alley with their heads ducked.

The sound of Dipper calling out his name made Norman realize just how far he had gotten from his own group, and he sprinted after them.

The street at the other end of the alley was not as damaged as the street they were on, but some parts still made Norman cringe. Just as Sam hoped, only a few of Freakshow’s ghosts lingered here, and even those few quickly left as Norman heard Freakshow bellowing out an order to ‘bring my prize’ to him. So far, the plan seemed to be going according to plan. Coraline signaled everyone to just start sprinting once the last ghost left. It took them less than a minute to get from the alley to the end of the street. Sam stopped before the corner of the street and pressed herself against the wall, everyone behind her following her example. She cautiously peeked around the corner.

“Freakshow’s at the end of the next street, in the middle of the intersection.” Sam stated. “Looks like the distraction’s working.”

Coraline stepped forward to join Sam in peeking around the corner. Dipper also stepped forward, but Norman put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Dipper turned to give him a questioning look, which Norman replied with a shake of his head. Norman had known Dipper long enough to know that he couldn’t bear to be out of the loop, but for this one time, satisfying Dipper’s curiosity wasn’t worth the risk of being discovered. Dipper, to Norman’s relief, seemed to understand, reluctantly stepping back to where he was.

A few seconds passed before Coraline signaled them to join her.

“See that diner?” She pointed towards a rather ruined diner, situated about two thirds of the way down the street. “We can hunker down in there. Move out, cover to cover, two at a time. Dipper, Norman, you go first.”

Norman was caught off-guard when Dipper suddenly wrapped his hand around Norman’s own. His heart started beating faster, and it’s not just from the anticipation of having to sneak forward.

“Wait for it…” Coraline held up a hand, keeping a close eye on the next street. “Go.”

Norman and Dipper darted out into the street, going from cover to cover just like Coraline said. Luckily, there was an abundant amount of them, most of them being ruined cars and chunks of destroyed buildings. They didn’t stop at each cover for very long, only a few seconds at a time, mostly because Dipper would impatiently tug them forward before long. A battle must surely be brewing just up ahead, judging from the sounds of energy blasts and of Freakshow bellowing out orders. What little that Norman could spot in the rush - most of it being flashes of light and vague figures zipping around in the sky - pretty much confirmed it. Eventually, even with Dipper rather recklessly leading the way, they managed to slip into the diner undetected.

The inside of the diner was devoid of people - thank god for that - and just as ruined as the outside. Shards of glass and plates scattered on the ground mixed with bits of food, some of the booths have scorch marks on them, and the jukebox even had a chair jammed into it. Dipper hastily cleared up a section of the floor from the debris, before taking off his backpack and setting it against the counter. Norman looked back to the corner where they came from, spotting Wybie and Sam had started making their way over, with Coraline staying back presumably to watch over them. Norman shifted his attention to the other end of the street, getting his first good look of the battle.

Freakshow was indeed standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by three of his ghost minions, all of whom held a car door in their hands as some sort of makeshift shield. Those shields were put to good use to protect Freakshow from blasts of psychic energy, courtesy of Raz and Lili. The psychic duo ran circles around Freakshow, never staying in one place for too long thanks to the psychic sphere under their feet, taking shots at every opportunity. Three more ghosts hounded after Raz and Lili, peppering green energy rays in their direction. Raz opted to dodge the blasts coming his way, while Lili chose to levitate pieces of rubble around her to block the blasts. Freakshow glared at the two psychics, before turning his attention to the sky. Norman followed his gaze upwards.

Up in the sky, Danny and his duplicates were engaged in an all-out battle against the rest of Freakshow’s minions. Norman spotted Danny - or possibly one of his duplicates - getting caught in a hold from behind by one of the ghosts, while another ghost prepared an energy ray to unleash on him. However, that ghost was interrupted when another Danny swooped in to deliver an uppercut, followed by a green energy ray at point blank to blast the ghost away. The Danny caught in a hold managed to break free, spinning around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the ghost behind him. Not even a second later, that Danny was suddenly struck by an energy ray from a different ghost minion. Back and forth the aerial battle went, with either side not gaining a significant advantage over the other. Norman had to admit, Danny seemed to be faring quite well, despite the fact that he was outnumbered.

As exciting as it was to see the hero fight live, Norman tore his eyes away from the spectacle to look for his other friends. He smiled in relief upon spotting them. At the back of the battlefield, Mabel beckoned a group of people out of a ruined shop, directing them to away from the chaos. Nearby, Neil and Tucker worked together to help a couple crawl out of their overturned car, ushering them to safety. With all of Freakshow’s minions preoccupied with fighting against Danny, Raz, and Lili, their task could be done without much trouble.

“Is there five of him?” Hearing Coraline’s voice next to him nearly startled Norman. Looking around, it seemed that Wybie, Sam, and now Coraline managed to sneak across without a problem. Coraline had joined him in observing the battle without him realizing it, currently looking up at the sky.

Norman nodded. “Yeah.”

Coraline chuckled in disbelief. “Okay, that’s actually pretty cool.”

“What now, Jonesy?” Wybie asked. “I mean, I’m guessing walking over to him and beating him over with you magic stick is out of the question, with that shield trio he’s got around him.”

“I’ve got it covered.”

Dipper’s simple statement made him the center of attention. He sat on the floor, one of the journals open before him, and was in the process of taking out several vials filled with strange-looking powders and liquids out of his backpack.

“You setting up a science lab?” Sam asked, incredulous.

“Kind of.” Dipper lifted the journal, showing off the number ‘2’ on the cover. “Remember this?” He set the journal on the ground again, continuing to take items out of his backpack as he talked. “Each journal has a… theme, almost. Each one focuses on different subjects. The third one was more about creatures and occurrences. This one focuses on spells, runes, and items.” He paused to look up at the others. “Dangerous ones. Ones that you can use to harm people.”

“So, obviously, this is the one that Gideon managed to get his hands on.” Dipper chuckled dryly. “At least we can be grateful that he wasn’t smart enough to figure out even a third of what this journal has in store.”

Coraline eyed him rather warily. “And you did?”

“A bit.” Dipper shrugged. “I only really started when this whole protect-the-world thing began, so I still don’t know a whole lot. But, what I managed to figure out is already pretty nasty. Like what I’m about to make right now.”

“Before you ask,” Dipper flipped through the pages of the journal, stopping at a particular page titled ‘Weaver’s Wrap’, “it’s a snare. A magic snare. With the right ingredients, the proper patterns, and the magic words, this thing can wrap around and squeeze until there’s nothing left.”

Norman’s eyes widened at that revelation. Coraline, Wybie, and Sam had pretty much the same reaction.

“That’s- isn’t that a little extreme?” Wybie asked.

Dipper waved an arm dismissively. “Ah, it takes half a second for me to dispel it. My plan is to use this to immobilize him so we can restrain him in some other way. Like… with Mabel’s grappling hook, probably. Yeah, the grappling hook would do.” He fished out a scrap of white fabric and set it down on the floor before him, before looking up expectantly. “A little help would be nice.”

Coraline eventually shrugged. “Fine. We’re going with Dipper’s evil snare of death. Norman, Wybie.” Coraline gestured towards Dipper.

Norman sat down next to Dipper. Wybie joined them, the apprehension clear in his eyes. Together, they followed Dipper’s orders, even though it soon became clear that Dipper was doing most of the heavy work. Coraline and Sam returned to the window to keep watch outside, though Norman noticed Sam’s eyes flitting between the outside and Dipper’s work, her eyes alight with interest.

Dipper first poured out three pinches of dark-red powder onto the scrap of white fabric, muttering something under his breath that Norman couldn’t make out with each pinch. He then carefully arranged the powder into the shape of a circle with a horizontal line across it. Next, he picked up a vial of blue liquid as well as a pipette, using the pipette to let out a drop of liquid at eight different points around the circle, once again muttering something under his breath with each drop. After that, he held up a vial filled with some sort of gel-like black substance, and smeared the substance on the tip of his pinky finger. Dipper used the black substance to connect the circle to the drops until, Norman realized, the shape on the fabric roughly looked like the shape of a spider. Dipper leaned in towards the fabric, cupping his hand around his mouth, and whispered something loud enough that Norman could make it out this time.

“Rachni tenaci mortis peterparkrus Frederich Isak Showenhower mirabile serket.”

Dipper leaned back as all the ingredients seemed to seep into the fabric, leaving behind a purple-colored spider symbol on it. Dipper gingerly picked it up between his fingers.

He grinned. “It’s ready.”

Wybie eyed the scrap of fabric nervously, and with good reason. At this point, Norman had to admit, the symbol did give off an aura that, at best, made him feel uncomfortable.

“Still doesn’t explain how we’re gonna get past the shield trio, though.”

Dipper’s lips quirked into a knowing smile. “Those ghosts won’t be an issue. Trust me.”

Dipper hastily shoved his journal and all of the vials back into his backpack, slinging the bag onto his back as he rose to his feet. “I need to find Mabel. This plan won’t work without her grappling hook.” Dipper was already making his way to the diner’s exit. He paused at the doorway to look at Coraline. “Unless…”

“We are not killing him.” Coraline stated with a glare.

Dipper shrugged. “Your call.” Without another word, Dipper darted out into the street. He took his time, going from cover to cover, but Norman still watched with bated breath as Dipper got dangerously close with the battle still brewing in the middle of the intersection. Thankfully, so far neither Freakshow nor his minions seemed to have noticed Dipper’s approach.

Dipper was just about to round the corner to the right, when Norman heard Coraline grimly state, “I think that ghost saw him.”

She pointed at one of the ghosts that’s been chasing after Raz and Lili, who had come to a sudden stop, his line of sight seemingly corresponding with Dipper’s position. Her suspicion was confirmed when that ghost prepared an energy ray and aimed it at Dipper’s direction. Dipper, completely oblivious to the ghost, darted out of cover once again, and at the same time, the ghost released his energy ray. At that moment, it took every ounce of self-restraint in Norman’s body to not scream out Dipper’s name.

A pulse of orange psychic energy suddenly exploded behind Dipper, blasting him forwards by a few feet, the energy ray striking the ground where Dipper once was. His landing was rough, nearly face-first, and he skidded to a stop a few feet later.

Raz stood nearby, a hand outstretched in Dipper’s direction. “Sorry about that!” He yelled out, before a volley of energy rays forced him to keep moving again. “Start running, Dipper!”

Dipper recovered from the tumble quickly enough. However, instead of rising to his feet and running the other way, Dipper scrambled to his knees, his head frantically whipping back and forth. Only upon noticing that a ghost was approaching did he get his feet under him to sprint out of Norman’s line of sight.

Dipper’s odd behavior confused Norman, until he came to a realization. “I think Dipper dropped the snare.”

Coraline must have noticed it too. “Dipper, you goddamn-!” She let out a wordless growl, quickly addressing everyone else. “We need to get that snare. Wybes, Norman, sneak in and find it. Sam and I’ll cover you.”

Norman nodded. “Got it.”

“Can do, Jonesy.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?”

Coraline twirled the psychic baton in her hand. “Ever played baseball?”

“Like… once?” Sam replied rather hesitantly.

Norman could tell Coraline had to hold back from rolling her eyes. “Just follow my lead.” Taking Sam by the hand, the two made their way out of the diner, pausing for a moment in the doorway to address Norman and Wybie. “When I give you the signal, run like hell.”

The two were out the door before either Norman or Wybie could properly reply. Norman watched them as they took cover behind a smoking wreck of what used to be a car. Sam picked up a brick from among the debris, while Coraline peeked her head out over the wreck. She then took a few steps back, settled into a stance while brandishing her baton with both hands, before giving Sam a nod. Sam threw the brick into the air, and Coraline swung her baton with all her might. The brick sailed through the air towards Freakshow. It actually managed to slip past the ghosts shielding Freakshow, and he had to physically dodge it after noticing at the last second. Coraline and Sam didn’t waste any time, two more bricks already streaking towards Freakshow, though this time both were able to be blocked.

Freakshow glared down at Coraline and Sam, pointing his staff in their direction. Immediately, one of the ghosts that had been pursuing Raz and Lili changed course, now flying towards Coraline and Sam. Coraline had time to send a nod at Norman and Wybie - the signal - before both her and Sam bolted in the other direction, the ghost in hot pursuit.

Norman and Wybie practically scrambled out of the diner’s exit. They stuck to going from cover to cover when they could, but it was an otherwise mad dash to get to where Dipper dropped the snare as fast as they could. Norman considered it a miracle when, as far as he knew, they reached the spot undetected. He had to pause for a moment - the dash left him quite winded - but Wybie was already tossing over bits of debris left and right in an effort to find it.

“God, how are we supposed to find that thing?!” Wybie exclaimed as his eyes scanned the ground. “It’s so tiny!”

Norman looked around the debris-strewn field. Wybie was right; finding that scrap of fabric in the middle of this chaos just with their eyesight was borderline impossible. They needed something more.

“It felt weird.” Norman pointed out after a moment of thought. “Right? It felt… off.”

Norman clenched his eyes shut, focusing hard. With his world gone dark, he felt his presence grew. He didn’t have a lot of practice with this particular ability of his, so it felt unstable and took longer than he would’ve liked, but eventually he spotted that uncomfortable aura again. His eyes snapped open, his head whipping to his left. Wybie followed his gaze. Nearby - roughly twenty-thirty feet away from them - slightly wedged under a pile of rubble, was the scrap of fabric they were looking for. Wybie immediately sprinted towards it.

“Get out of the way!”

That shout came from Lili, rolling towards them on her psychic sphere, a pair of metal sheets levitating behind her, shielding her from a barrage of energy rays that came from a pursuing ghost. Wybie doubled the speed of his sprint, while Norman quickly dived into cover. Wybie rejoined him behind the cover a moment later, just as Lili sped by, some of the stray energy rays whizzing past above their heads.

Norman gave Wybie a frantic, expectant look. Wybie looked down at his clenched fist, before he slowly opened it, revealing the scrap of fabric inside. Norman sighed in relief.

“Alright, how do we use this?” Wybie asked, and Norman’s relief dissipated instantly. “Do we just… throw it? What if we throw it and nothing happens?”

Norman looked around at his surroundings desperately. “We need Dipper.”

Not a moment later, he felt Wybie rapidly tapping his shoulder, before he pointed over to a pile of rubble quite a ways away from the battlefield. Timidly peeking over that pile of rubble were a pair of heads that Norman instantly recognized as Mabel and Dipper. They appeared to be desperately searching the field themselves. Norman waved at them, while Wybie lifted the fabric in his hands just enough so that the twins could see it. Dipper spotted them first, his eyes lighting up. Mabel sent them a thumbs up when she did the same a moment later.

How do we use this? Norman mouthed.

Norman was initially worried he didn’t mouth it clear enough, but Dipper looked like he understood it well enough. He rose out of his cover, both hands cupped around his mouth. There was a moment of hesitation, but Dipper quickly shook his head, before he shouted out loud.

“Etavitca!”

Dipper’s voice rang clear across the street. The dark purple spider symbol on the fabric began to glow. Norman and Wybie shared a look for half a second.

“Throw it now!”

Wybie did, but it was a panicked throw, more out of him not wanting to hold the fabric for any longer. In Norman’s humble opinion, Wybie could have done better.

However, the strength of the throw didn’t seem to matter, as the scrap of fabric came to a sudden dead stop in midair. The glow of the symbol intensified until it consumed the entirety of the piece of fabric. The fabric then unfurled to become a sizable spread of netting that emitted a dark purple glow, before it sped off towards Freakshow at an incredible speed. One of the ghosts shielding Freakshow put himself in the path of the snare, but the snare simply passed through both the makeshift shield he held and the ghost himself like they were nothing. Freakshow was absolutely not prepared, the snare wrapping itself around him extremely tight, leaving his arms trapped against his chest. Peculiarly, the snare somehow completely missed the staff, leaving it untangled from the mess of dark purple netting that encircled Freakshow, though the villain still had an iron grip on it. Freakshow’s expression immediately contorted into one of intense pain, his mouth gaping open in a silent scream.

“Yes!” Came Dipper’s incredibly ecstatic shout, his voice even cracking slightly. “Get the staff! Somebody get the staff!”

Lili was quick to respond. A pink-ish glow surrounded the staff, and Norman could see Freakshow visibly struggling to maintain his grip on it. The ghosts that once shielded Freakshow have now begun an attempt - a rather futile one - to free the villain from the snare. He only managed to hold on to the staff for a few more seconds before it slipped out of his grasp. However, right at that very moment, a ghost shot an energy ray straight at Lili. Acting out of pure reflex, Lili tossed the staff into the air, before rolling out of the way of the ray.

Freakshow’s eyes darted upwards. “Minions!” He managed to choke out. “My staff! Bring back my staff!”

The ghosts who had been trying to free Freakshow immediately chased after the staff. Likewise, up in the sky, the ghosts who had been battling Danny all initiated a nose dive straight towards the staff. Danny was quick to catch on, him and all of his duplicates diving after the ghosts. It was a close race, but the numbers that the ghosts had gave them an advantage, as most of them did everything they could to slow down Danny and his duplicates, leaving the others free to pursue the staff. At the last possible second, just as one of the ghosts was only a moment way from catching the staff, one Danny fired off a desperate green energy ray. The ray found its mark, sending the staff plummeting back towards the ground.

Norman’s eyes widened once he realized where the staff was headed.

He rose to his feet, climbed on top of the cover he once hid behind, and raised his hand, his palm open. The staff landed perfectly in his hand.

Every ghost in the vicinity immediately ceased whatever activities they were doing. They stared ahead blankly; arms limp at their sides, almost as if they entered a dormant state. Freakshow managed to send a glare at Norman, even through the pain he must be experiencing. Norman climbed down from the cover, walking at a steady pace towards Freakshow.

Somewhere from behind Norman, Dipper uttered out the word, “Etavitcaed.”

The snare that entangled Freakshow lost its purple glow, and with it, its tight hold on the villain. Freakshow dropped to his knees, coughing and drawing in ragged, desperate breaths. The sight almost made Norman pity him. Almost.

Amazingly, Freakshow forced himself to rise to his feet, before limping towards Norman with a glare. “That staff… is mine.” He growled.

Norman spotted the distinctive claw of Mabel’s grappling hook sailing above his head to nail Freakshow right between his eyes. As he stumbled back from the impact, the claw became enveloped in an orange glow, before it proceeded to circle the villain a few times, leaving him entangled once again, this time by the trailing cable of the grappling hook. Losing his balance, Freakshow fell on his back, letting out a groan in pain.

Norman walked up to the villain, his gaze meeting Freakshow’s.

“You think that ghosts are not human. That they’re less than human.”

He let that familiar energy flow, all the way to his fingertips.

“I don’t know what made you think that way, but you’re wrong. They’re just as human as the rest of us.”

Freakshow gave him an expression of defiance.

“You naïve child. They are nothing but monsters.”

Norman’s grip on the staff tightened.

“Monster?”

Sparks flowed freely out of the hand that held the staff. The defiant look on Freakshow’s face was gone.

“They were not the ones that abused the confused and distressed souls of people who passed away. If there’s any monster here, it’s you.”

Electric lines danced up and down the staff; it started with one, but then it became a dozen, then three dozen, then five dozen, until the staff was enveloped by it. The handle started to splinter. Cracks formed on the crystal ball. Freakshow’s eyes went wide with fear.

“You’re the fucking monster.”

With one last surge of energy, the staff was shattered into pieces. The crack of thunder could be heard from miles away.

Norman took a few steps back. He breathed in and out deeply, the energy receding from his hands. Freakshow still stared at him with wide eyes.

Within the next minute, Norman managed to reassure all the ghosts, who had broken free of the staff’s control, that Freakshow would pay for everything that he had done. They all dispersed, going off on their own without much fanfare. The Mystery Kids, along with the addition of Danny, Sam, and Tucker, all reconvened, forming a circle around Freakshow. The subdued villain, at this point, had shaken out of his fear-induced paralysis, and now looked up at the gathered group rather sheepishly.

“I… surrender?”

Lili landed a kick on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The next kick was aimed at his head, and that knocked him out cold.

“I know you said it’s not a habit, but it’s really becoming a habit, Lil.” Raz remarked.

“Oh, like you wouldn’t do it.” Lili bit back.

Raz chuckled lightly, before he turned his attention to Danny. “You okay, Danny?”

For the most part, Danny looked relieved, though Norman didn’t miss the fact that, ever since they had gathered here, Danny had stolen wary glances at Norman whenever he thought Norman wasn’t looking. “Oh, yeah, I’m good.” He answered. “Thanks for the assist. That fight would’ve been a lot harder on my own.”

“Oh, it was nothing, really.” Raz shrugged dismissively. “All in a day’s work for us heroes.”

“Right.” Danny looked around at every member of the Mystery Kids. A rather awkward silence settled for a moment. “So… I guess this is where we part ways?”

Coraline was quick to chime in. “Not exactly.”

“See, Danny, kicking this guy’s ass was fun and all, but it’s not the main reason why we’re here.” Raz explained. “We’re mainly here to talk to you.”

Danny looked surprised for a moment, and then he looked curious. “You know what, after seeing what you guys can do… I’m intrigued.” He said. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

“Well…” Raz glanced around at their surroundings. In what was only seconds ago an empty battlefield, a crowd had begun to gather around them. Some people even had their phones out already.

“First things first, let’s go to someplace more private, yeah?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure. Do you wanna head to my place, or-?”

“Just follow us.”

The next ten minutes they spent convincing the local police department that, yes, they have the authority to arrest Freakshow - Raz got to flash the new badge around after all, much to his delight - and that the containment facility the Psychonauts had would be far more secure than anything the local police had in their disposal.

“No offense.” Raz added hastily at the end of his explanation.

With a bound and unconscious criminal in tow, they spent the next twenty minutes walking back to where the Mystery Kids had parked their jet. The walk was rather awkward. It was mostly silent, with Danny, Tucker, and Sam - especially Sam - occasionally asking a question. Raz’s answer was always for them to just wait, looking far too pleased to be acting so cryptic. Coraline did approach Norman at one point during the walk.

“Damn, Norman, you were fucking pissed back there. What’s up with that?” She asked.

“I think it’s okay to be angry for the right reason.” Norman replied simply.

When they arrived, the Mystery Kids let Danny, Sam, and Tucker - especially Tucker - to have five minutes to freak out over the fact that they owned a jet. They also used that time to secure Freakshow with some proper restraints, as well as order Agent Danvers to keep a very close eye on him while they have a chat with Danny. They all then sat in a loose circle just outside of the jet, where Raz and Coraline spent the next ten minutes giving Danny and his friends a rough idea of who they were and what they do.

Tucker listened with rapt attention, visibly reacting with awe in some parts. Sam’s reaction was more guarded, but Norman could tell she was warily intrigued. Danny listened in closely as well, though he still stole glances at Norman once in a while. Once Raz and Coraline finished their explanation, a minute passed by in silence, as the three processed the information.

“So…” Danny began, “you guys are like… the Power Rangers?”

Coraline nearly visibly cringed at the comparison. “More like the Avengers.”

“Actually, if we’re going with comparisons, our closest counterpart would be the Teen Titans.” Wybie quickly pointed out. “Just saying.”

“And… you call yourselves the… Mystery Kids?”

Raz smiled proudly. “That’s the name.”

Danny nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Sorry, but, that name is… really generic.”

“Hey, speak for yourself.” Coraline retorted. “Your superhero name is only a few letters off from your real name. It’s honestly a miracle no one managed to figure it out.”

“Excuse me; we’re talking about the coolness of the name here.” Tucker spoke up. “The name ‘Danny Phantom’ is inherently cool.”

Raz shrugged quite awkwardly. “Coraline, to be fair, we didn’t exactly put a lot of effort into the name. It was, like, the third name we came up with.”

“And you’re backed by the government?” Sam asked, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed.

“Not the government. The Psychonauts is an international organization that doesn’t belong to a single country.” Raz explained. “And we’re not ‘backed’ by them. We’re more like… partners.”

Norman could tell Sam had the most suspicions out of the three of them. “Sorry, let me tell you what’s happening from our perspective.” She said. “You guys showed up out of nowhere, you say that you are ‘partners’ with a secret organization of spies that doesn’t abide to any country, and you seriously expect Danny to just join up with you?”

Raz sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Alright, I admit, this whole thing looks a little bit shady, but I promise you, we are nothing like that. We just want to save people and solve mysteries.”

“Danny, come on, you’ve felt firsthand how easy it was to take down Freakshow when we’re all working together.” Raz gestured to everyone with a friendly smile. “Imagine that, but for every fight from now on.”

Danny looked to his left at Tucker, who simply offered him a small shrug, and then to his right at Sam, who gave him a slow head shake. He turned his attention back to Raz. “I’ve already got my own team, right here. We’ve been doing well enough on our own.”

Raz opened his mouth to respond, but Coraline beat him to it. “It won’t be enough.” She said. “Not for long.”

“Are you threatening us?” Sam retorted after a moment.

“I’m warning you.” Coraline met Danny’s gaze. “If you think the Disasteroid is as big as it’s gonna get, think again. Supernatural events are on the rise, and it’s not stopping. Hell, the eight of us have already stopped something bigger than the Disasteroid. Something that you don’t even know about.”

Danny’s brows furrowed in confusion. Both Sam and Tucker looked at each other, bewilderment clear on their expressions. Coraline continued on. “Trust us. We’re better off united than we are separated.”

Raz looked at Coraline with wide eyes, before he scratched his head nervously. “That’s a grim way to put it, but she’s not wrong.” He cleared his throat for a moment. “Of course, if you really don’t want to join, then we’re not going to force you into it.”

“We’re just telling you upfront that not joining is a very, very bad idea. For everyone involved.” Coraline added.

Danny let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “Raz, it really sounds like you’re threatening us.”

Norman decided now to speak up. “We’re not. We’re just desperate.” He stated simply. Looking around at the other members of the Mystery Kids, they all shifted in place nervously. “Sure, we’ve been chosen by this big, powerful organization to protect the planet, but we’re still just eight kids.”

After a moment of consideration, Norman decided it’s in everyone’s best interest for him to say the unspoken truth, as much it pained him to say it.

“We are… kind of scared.”

A minutes passed by in silence. Coraline spent that time absentmindedly tugging at her hair. Raz stared down at the ground, his fingers fiddling with the creases of his gloves. Danny and Tucker seemed slightly put off by the sudden shift, but they appeared sympathetic. Sam tried to put on a show of indifference, but Norman didn’t miss the glint of concern in her eyes.

“That’s why we want you to join us.” Norman spoke, breaking the silence. “You’re Danny Phantom. We need you.”

Danny sighed deeply. “Listen, I… if it means leaving my friends behind, I’m not joining any other team. Sorry.”

“Oh my god, why didn’t you lead with that?” Coraline suddenly snapped. “Fine. They’re in.”

Danny blinked. “What?”

“What?” Raz parroted.

Coraline turned towards Raz. “You saw it; they handled themselves pretty well back there. We are looking for new members anyway, so why not?” She shifted her attention to Danny. “Will you join us now?”

“I… uh…” Danny quickly glanced at Sam and Tucker, who looked just as surprised as he was. “Um… see, my sister is kinda part of the team too, so-”

“Great. She’s in.”

Sam chimed in. “Wait, just like that?”

“If his sister is part of your team, then I doubt she can’t handle herself.” Coraline pointed out.

“I, uh… I also have a… cousin.”

Coraline shrugged. “Your cousin’s in.”

“And… um, there’s this other girl, she-”

“Danny, let me save you the trouble.” Coraline cut in. “Everyone that’s a part of your team? Consider them a part of ours.”

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be elite?” Tucker asked, no doubt incredulous of the sudden invitation.

“‘Elite’ sure is a word that Raz used to describe us.” Coraline stared pointedly at Raz. “But, just like what Norman said, we really are kind of desperate.”

Danny spent the next few seconds massaging the side of his head. “God, I… if my entire team can join, that’s good, but I’m gonna have to talk this out with the others. I can’t make this decision on my own.”

“Hey, man, if you need more time to figure this out, we can give you that.” The friendly smile has returned to Raz’s face. “You don’t have to have an answer right this second.”

“Just soon. Preferably.” Coraline quickly added.

The circle soon dispersed after that. Raz approached Danny by himself and gave him a phone number to call whenever he and his friends have reached a decision. With a final salute, Raz jogged back to the jet. The rest of the Mystery Kids, one by one, boarded the jet. Norman was the last one to board, and as he walked up the steps, he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder.

Norman looked back to find himself face to face with Danny.

“Hey, uh, Norman, right?” Danny smiled, and it was an awkward one. To Danny’s credit, there was an effort to make it not look awkward. For anyone else, it might’ve worked, but not to Norman.

“So, I just wanted to say, great work with Freakshow back there. What you did was… it was interesting, very interesting. Just, all around, such a-”

“I noticed, you know. You stealing looks at me when you think I’m not looking.”

Danny froze, his mouth still gaping open. Norman continued calmly.

“Whatever you’re worried about, you can save yourself the stress. No matter what happens, we’re still on the same side.”

Norman continued his climb to the top of the stairs. Before the door closed, he managed to utter out a farewell.

“Until next time, Danny.”

In hindsight, I’m glad I split this into two parts, because fuck me this chapter is long.

A lot of things happening in this two-parter. We get a look of the world at large. Obviously, the meeting between the MK and Danny is the main attraction here. We also get Coraline’s new weapon, Dipper dabbling in some actual magic, and last but certainly not least, a glimpse of the state of Norman’s powers post-Weirdmageddon.

Now, some things to clarify regarding the canon of Danny Phantom; Danny and Sam aren’t in a relationship yet, Dani was adopted by the Fentons, Tucker is not the mayor of Amity Park, and Vlad was not swept away by the Disasteroid. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Thank you so much for reading this incredibly long chapter all the way to the end, and I hope you have a good day today!

#mystery kids #paranorman #danny phantom #psychonauts #gravity falls #coraline #norman babcock #danny fenton #neil downe #sam manson #tucker foley #razputin aquato #lili zanotto #dipper pines #mabel pines #coraline jones #wybie lovat #When You're A Mystery Kid

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wil-is-done · 1 year

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When You’re A Mystery Kid - Chapter 49A: Secrets of the Manor - Part 1

Summary: Dipper leads the incursion into the Blackthorne Estate.

Word Count: 8.217

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a repost.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here.

Standing in the middle of its courtyard, under the cover of its moonlit shadow, the main building of the Blackthorne Estate made for quite an intimidating sight, even without Dipper’s knowledge that at least three of the Crimson Conclave roamed somewhere in there. Having Norman with him eased his nerves somewhat, but he couldn’t help but be doubtful. After all, Norman was there in the tomb when the Conclave was released, and look how that turned out. Whatever. He didn’t give a damn how scared he was, how scared he should be; walking away was never an option.

Two hundred and sixty one lives, gone. Whatever happens in there, it was his price to pay.

“Come on. We can’t waste time here.” Dipper took hurried steps, closing the distance between him and the stairs leading up to the grand front door. A few seconds passed before he heard footsteps behind him, scurrying after him. He couldn’t bring himself to worry, or care. He’ll do this alone if he had to. And nothing could stop him.

“Wait.”

Dipper stopped, halfway up the stairs. He looked over his shoulder and saw Norman at the base of the stairs, flanked on either side by Neil and Mabel. The severity in his eyes was something Dipper had never seen before on Norman’s face. It felt unnatural, uncomfortable. Dipper briefly mused whether his eyes did it on their own, or whether his witch blood had something to do with it.

“Before we go in, I want to make sure,” Norman began. “You are planning to stick to what Coraline said, right? Not do anything stupid?”

Dipper nearly buckled under the pressure of those eyes, but he steeled his nerves and held on. “Of course. Of course I am,” he lied. A flash of pain flared in his chest, but he couldn’t make out if it’s the guilt or the caffeine getting to him. He chose to believe it was the caffeine. After all, what’s one white lie in the middle of all of this?

Norman didn’t seem entirely convinced, but still somewhat satisfied by the answer. However, to Norman’s left, Mabel’s eyes narrowed, almost weighed down by the suspicion in them. Dipper quickly spun around to face the double doors of the mansion. She knew something was up – he was certain of it. You don’t spend nearly thirteen years living so close to one another and not develop a sense for the other’s tells, especially for when the other was lying. Fortunately, that meant he also had learned all of her tells, especially for when she was scrutinizing him. He had to be careful around her.

Dipper walked closer to the grand double doors of the manor and peered inside. Darkness greeted him, and not much else. Barely anything was visible, only faint outlines and shapes in the shadows. The most useful info he could glean was that the room was massive. He brought his gloved hand up and whispered the chant he knew by heart.

“Ignos zukos surturos.”

The glowing runes on his gloves had the equivalent lighting power of night lights for a room as massive as the one before him, but the ten steps ahead he could clearly see was better than nothing. Norman, Neil, and Mabel caught up to him, crowding behind him, peeking inside as well. Careful as could be, Dipper took the first step inside, practically on his tiptoes. The interior was exactly what you’d expect from what you saw on the exterior. The gothic sensibilities extended inside, judging from what little he managed to see of the furnsihings and decorations. An intricate crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, glinting faintly from the dim light of the gloves. A grand double staircase stood at the end of the room and making quite an imposing figure in the near-darkness. A fuzzy, dark purple carpet made for a path from the entrance to the staircase, and-

Dipper stopped mid-step.

Lying near the base of the stairs was three unmoving bodies, their form reduced to gruesome husks of their former selves, a look of horror forever carved into their visage.

Mabel gasped softly behind him. A strangled groan escaped Neil just to his left. Dipper took a step back from pure instinct. His hands fell to his sides, knuckles clecnched until it turned white underneath the gloves.

Two hundred and sixty four.

The group still had to continue – now, more than ever – so they did. They dispersed, trying their hardest to be respectful to the bodies as they searched the room for any clues regarding where the Conclave had gone. It was a task easier said than done; there were five possible exits from the foyer, a pair of doors just to the right and left of the entrance, a door beside the staircase, and a split hallway on the second level, the darkness around them was almost unnaturally heavy and overwhelming, and Dipper couldn’t help but suspect that not everyone in the group was fully focused on finding clues. Mabel seemed to be devoting all of her time and effort to ignore the three bodies, while Norman kept stealing glances to one specific corner of the room. In all, things weren’t looking good. Sweeping the entire building would take too long – they would have to pick a route and stick to it. If they picked wrong, then that’s the night wasted. If only they had a map. Or, Dipper realized with a start, a witness.

Eager steps carried Dipper towards Norman. They slowed as Dipper realized what he was about to ask needed more tact than he was ready for.

“Norman, are they… still here?” Dipper asked anyway, slowly. Hopefully, he could get the request across without sounding like a complete asshole.

Norman’s eyes, again, drifted towards that specific corner of the room. A shadow of sadness and regret clouded those brilliant blues. “Yes.”

“Can you ask them if they saw where the Conclave went?” Dipper immediately braced himself. It was a really shitty thing to ask, and he was pointedly aware of it.

Norman’s reaction was strong, just like he predicted – a blend of disbelief and outrage. “You want to ask these people who just died, where their murderer went?”

“Yes. Because more will join them if we don’t hurry,” Dipper countered. And that was the ugly truth, wasn’t it? Every shitty thing he did, he wouldn’t do if it wasn’t necessary. “Come on. Do you think they want that?”

Dipper saw the change, the realization in Norman’s eyes slowly crack through the shell of outrage. The logic in Dipper’s request was sound, even if Norman might not want to admit it. Finally, with a deep breath and even heavier steps, Norman left for the corner. Dipper watched him go, satisfied, something close to a smile on his lips. He knew reason would win Norman over. Soon, Norman’s gentle, hushed voice filled the silence. He definitely took his time; first comforting them, before easing into an introduction. A full two minutes must have passed and the question was still yet to be dropped.

Neil sidled next to Dipper, joining him in watching Norman. “Is Norman-?” He stopped, shooting Dipper a nasty side eye. It was a little unnerving to see that on Neil’s eternally jovial eyes. “That’s not cool.”

Dipper harshly whispered, “Of course it isn’t. You think I like doing this?”

“You’re definitely not not okay with it.”

Mabel’s voice caught Dipper off guard. That was the first proper sentence she’d said to him since he blew up at her. It took a few moments for him to actually process what she said, and another moment to turn and face her. But by then, Mabel had turned away again, acting like he didn’t exist. His chance had slipped away.

Dipper huffed, pushing his annoyance to the back of his mind, his attention returning to Norman. He’s still conversing with the ghosts, and judging from his reaction, one of them had just pulled him into a hug. Dipper tapped his foot impatiently and clicked his tongue. “Come on, hurry it up.”

“Dude!” Neil elbowed him in the side of his gut. It stung a lot more than he thought it would.

Finally, at the edge of Dipper’s patience, Norman dropped the question. He went silent for a while, nodding along as he listened. Seconds passed, and Dipper perked when Norman offered a gentle thank you, before returning to the group The cloud of regret in his eyes was darker than before. “The Conclave went up the stairs and to the right. That’s all they know.”

Dipper nodded. At least it was worth it. “Good start.”

Impatient feet got Dipper to the top of the stairs while the others were only halfway up. He waited with his arms crossed, his feet tapping against the carpeted floor like a hummingbird on speed, until they eventually caught up to him on the second level. They were only a few seconds apart, but in his head, the wait was far, far longer. Wordlessly, he turned his heels and made his way down the right hallway. They had wasted more than enough time already here.

The hallways gave him more of what the foyer had offered; gothic accessories and decor befitting the style of the manor, and a gloomy, oppressive darkness that felt almost unnatural. Like an anchor had been dropped on top of him, slowing his feet and clouding his thoughts with doubt. He’d wandered around in the dark before, some darker than what he’s currently experiencing, and he never felt anything like this. There was definitely a supernatural element at work here, forcing these thoughts and feelings upon him. Which meant they were on the right track. The Conclave wouldn’t have placed these barriers if there was nothing at the end of the tunnel. His theory was further reinforced when the group turned the first corner, and came across two more bodies.

Two hundred and sixty six.

“We’re on their trail.” Dipper was moving again before any doubts or second thoughts could properly take root. “Come on.”

Thankfully, the rest of the group followed his lead, moving so fast their own doubts couldn’t catch up. Once or twice, they came across a split where the hallway branched into two or even three different directions. Fortunately, they never had to take blind guesses. They always managed to find some kind of clue that showed them the path they should take, none of which was as morbid as another dead body, thank god. Some of the clues were obvious, like scratches along the wall or pieces of broken furniture, while others were subtler, like settling decay on the floor shaped like a footprint.

The clues led them to turn left around a corner. Before them was a stretch of hallway virtually identical to the others they had passed through, except for the crucial difference of being the first one to be well-lit. Natural moonlight filtered in through a row of stained windows along the right side of the hallway, allowing a decent view of the garden and the city, and giving the group a much needed reprieve from the darkness. What’s more, one of the windows had a hole punched through it – a sign that the Conclave passed through here, so they were still on the right trail. Peering through the hole, Dipper’s eyes widened. The others followed his lead, and saw the same sight.

Dark clouds were forming above downtown Amity Park. A swirling vortex of black that hung too close to the ground for it to be natural.

“Is that them?” Neil wondered. Dark red flashed among those clouds for a split second, followed by a rumble of thunder. Dipper didn’t open his mouth, but his answer would have been, most likely.

“I hope splitting up wasn’t a mistake,” Norman muttered. He sounded afraid, his voice barely above a whisper.

Neil lets out a long breath. “Let’s have faith. And hope.”

That truly was the only thing they could do for Coraline’s group from here, wasn’t it?

Dipper tore himself away from the window. That was enough time devoted to hoping, and praying. Now was the time for action. And his next was to motion to the others to fall behind him, as he continued down the hallway. They were slower to follow him than he’d like, but he wasn’t about to voice that to their face, especially with Mabel among them. He’d only walked about ten steps before his keen eyes noticed something amiss. Halfway through the hallway, there was a door along the left wall, one that was ajar by an inch, maybe even less. Without a word to the others, Dipper advanced towards the door, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his arm.

“Wait!” Neil’s voice hissed. Dipper turned, and saw Neil was the one holding him back. “If that is the Conclave, then what do we do?!”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Dipper glared. Neil’s grip on his arm loosened, and Dipper took the opportunity to wrench his arm free, which was still harder to do that he’d like to admit. When did Neil get this strong?

Neil’s face twisted in a mix of fear and frustration. “We are at the bridge! It’s less than five steps away!”

Dipper pushed forward regardless. He laid a hand on the door, and gently pushed. The hinges whined, even with the care Dipper took to open it, loud enough to make him wince. Inside was dark again, but the moonlight from behind helped him with parsing the details of the room. The main fixture of the room seemed to be a long table with a series of ornate chairs set around it, along with a few glass cabinets placed around the sides. It seemed to be a dining room of some sort, if Dipper had to guess. Some parts were still shrouded in pitch black, so he could be missing things. One thing he didn’t miss, even in the darkness, was a door at the far end of the room swinging shut just as he entered.

Dipper glanced back at the group, his eyes meeting everyone’s, especially Neil’s. He darted inside, faster than Neil could move to grab him.

“No- oh, c’mon!” Neil grumbled, but he, Norman, and Mabel still followed Dipper inside. In no time at all, they crossed the room and crowded around the door.

Neil glanced about at the others, the anxiety palpable in his eyes. “I’m pretty sure this counts as stupid.”

“It’s not the Conclave in there,” Norman said, his tone unflinchingly certain. When Dipper turned to look, his eyes were closed.

“Y-you sure?” Neil asked, still afraid, but hearing his best friend sound so assured about this must’ve done wonders to his nerves.

Norman opened his eyes. “Trust me. Their presence isn’t something you forget.”

“Then they have to be civilians. We gotta get them out of here,” Mabel added. Good to know she still had her head in the game when it counted.

Dipper leaned close and knocked on the door, careful to keep his voice gentle. “We know you’re in there. It’s not safe here. You need to leave the building. Now.”

A beat passed in silence. Two beats. Three beats. Then, the door clicked, and cracked open. Dipper was ready for anything, but was still surprised when a face he recognized came peeking out.

“Sam?”

“Dipper?”

It really was Sam, looking just as flabbergasted as he was. She stepped back, letting the door swing further in, and revealing that she wasn’t the only one inside (and that inside appeared to be a broom closet of some kind). Tucker was with her, his back pressed against the far corner of the room, a broom in his hands held like a weapon. There was another girl with them, one that Dipper had never met before. She held a bulky and odd-looking flashlight, currently turned off, but pointed towards the door. In the dim light, Dipper spotted a slight resemblance between her and Danny. He mentioned he had a sister, right? This must be her. Jazz was her name, if memory serves.

“Sweet cripes almighty,” Tucker breathed a sigh of relief, his broom clattering out of his hands, “we thought you were... someone else.”

Both groups relaxed, as relaxed as they could be in a place like this. Jazz lowered her flashlight, letting it dangle from a strap around her neck. A sigh followed by a small chuckle escaped Neil’s lips, airing out the tension between the groups. Despite that, Sam kept a critical eye on Dipper’s group, but he couldn’t help but notice how she kept stealing glances towards his gloves. A beat of silence passed before Dipper decided to open his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Finding out what the Crimson Conclave are up to,” Sam replied. “Since they were last spotted here, we thought-”

“Yeah, okay, that’s obvious.” Dipper shook his head. He should’ve phrased that better. “I mean, here. Specifically. In this room.”

Sam didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes narrowed at him, looking a bit peeved at being cut off. “We heard someone coming, so we-”

“We decided to set up an ambush!” Tucker puffed his chest out, hands set on his hips. He probably thought it would make him look brave, but in Dipper’s opinion, it only made him look like an asshole.

“Can I please finish a sentence?” Sam hissed, shooting Tucker a glare. He flinched with a sheepish smile.

“You hid.” Dipper gave Tucker an even stare.

Tucker shrank further, opting to stare at his shoes. “Yeah, we hid.”

“No, it’s okay.” Norman smiled at him. Even at a time like this, he’s still trying to comfort people. “That’s a smart move, really.”

“Well, no need to hide anymore. It’s safe to come out.” Neil shrugged. “You know. Kind of.”

They were still wary, eyes darting towards the door to the hallway and the shadows in the corner, as well they should, but one by one they filed out of the closet. Jazz dragged a black duffel bag behind them out of the shadows. They appear to be well-equipped, if not as well-quipped as Dipper’s group, judging from how the duffel bag threatened to burst and spill all of its contents onto the floor. Not the most effective method of carrying your gear, but at least they didn’t come empty-handed.

“You brought your own gear. Good,” Dipper noted.

“Yeah, we got crosses, garlics, stakes; classic vampire hunter stuff,” Sam listed, prodding the bag with a foot. She gestured to the flashlight in Jazz’s hand. “And we brought some UV lights, too. Pretty much everything that should be able to harm vampires.”

So that’s what it was. That would absolutely come in handy. As he observed the flashlight, he couldn’t help but notice its holder eyeing him closely, looking rather pensive. “So, you are... Dipper?” Jazz started carefully. “You look much younger in person.”

Dipper frowned, not amused. What was that supposed to mean? That he looked like a child?

Jazz tore her gaze away from Dipper and casted a long, hard look at the rest of his group. “You’re all a lot younger than I thought you’d be.”

“If you doubt our capabilities, don’t.” Dipper crossed his arms. “I can guarantee you we are more than qualified to be here.”

“No, no, I’m not casting doubt or anything, I’m just-” Jazz let out a sigh, before she shook her head in disbelief. “Wow, you start off young these days, huh?”

Tucker suddenly grabbed Jazz by the shoulders from behind, drawing a small yelp from her. “Don’t pay too much attention to worrywart Jazz here,” he snickered with a dumb grin. “She’s too much of a mom for her own good.”

Jazz, recovering from her shock, immediately elbowed Tucker off of her. Tucker stepped back, grimacing, but the pain wasn’t enough to completely wipe the dumb grin off of his face. Dipper held back from rolling his eyes. Trying not to judge Sam’s group too hard was a losing battle, based on what he’s seen of them so far.

“No offense, but I thought you guys would be out there helping Danny,” Neil chimed in. “This place is really dangerous. Like, there are three of them here. Three.”

“Hey, don’t go doubting our skills now. We saved the world so many times, it’s not even funny.” Tucker’s lips curled into an easy, cocky smile. How could he be so relaxed at a time like this? “And honestly? We thought you’d be the ones helping Danny.”

“Some of us are,” Dipper explained. It was a miracle none of his disdain showed through. “We split into two groups. One helps Danny, the other finds out what the Conclave wants with this place.”

“Speaking of.” Sam cut in. Her head was cocked, her gaze sharp. “What’s the deal with these vampires? What do they want?”

Dipper glanced to the side, his eyes meeting Norman’s. There was a silent understanding between them; Lili’s words ringing in his head, and no doubt ringing in Norman’s too. It’s really for the best that they keep things uncomplicated. “We’re trying to figure that out ourselves,” he answered. Technically, that much was true.

“Uh huh.” Sam said, slowly. Her gaze remained sharp on him, just short of a glare. She’s clearly not satisfied with his answer, and suspected there was more to find beneath. Honestly, good on her. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.

Still, the topic needed to change, fast. “Your turn,” Dipper said. “Do you know anything strange about this manor? Anything that would cause the Conclave to target this place?”

The edges of Sam’s lips twisted, but she didn’t answer. Instead, it was Jazz who answered after a moment of thought. “None that we can think of. It’s an old, fancy manor, and that’s about it.”

Dipper hummed. Not the kind of answer he would’ve liked. At least now both sides were even. They had spent far too much time talking, anyway. The Conclave was still out there, advancing whatever plan they had. The group needed to get moving again, five minutes ago.

“Anything anyone else would like to add?” Dipper asked. The question was mostly rhetorical. He’d walk away unless anyone has something incredibly useful or important to say.

“Here’s one.” Tucker raised a finger. Dipper came very close to walking away then and there. “See, the family that owns the estate - the Garsteins - is handing over ownership of this place to the city. They’re trying to turn this into a museum or something, from what I heard. Not sure why they think people want a museum this far uptown? Or what kind of museum-”

“The point.” Dipper resisted the urge to roll his eyes, already regretting the decision to stay. This Tucker character had to be quite exceptional if Danny Phantom had faith in him, but right now, Dipper was having a hard time seeing it.

Tucker stumbled over his words a bit, but continued. “Er, part of the process is, they mapped out the entire estate, which they then uploaded to the city archives. I hacked in and found a partial map.”

Tucker pulled out a device from his pocket - seemed like a heavily modified PDA of some kind - and offered it up to Dipper’s group. On the device’s display was a map of the manor. Dipper recognized the foyer where they entered, and some of the hallways that they passed through. Curiously, the room they were in didn’t seem to be included. That must be what Tucker meant by a partial map.

“The most important thing we noticed is this.” Tucker zoomed the display on two particular rooms. “This is the library, and behind it is another room. As far as we can tell, this room isn’t connected to anything else and the only way in is to go through the library.”

Interest twinkled in Dipper’s eyes. He understood what Tucker was implying. “A secret room.”

“And if there’s anything a bunch of weirdo vampires want with this place, it’s gotta be in a secret room, right?”

It would make for a rather safe bet. “Thanks for the tip.” Dipper nodded. It improved his view of Tucker, ever so slightly.

“You say that like we’re not coming with you,” came Sam’s cutting words, her narrowed gaze cutting even deeper.

“Of course you guys are coming with! We’re all in the same team!” Neil said with an awkward, disarming smile, faster than Dipper could retort. “The more, the merrier, right?”

“They...” Dipper tried, he really tried, but he knew if he voiced what he truly thinks, that he was against the notion, it would only lead to more unnecessary conversations. Time was a luxury they don’t have. “Fine.”

That satisfied almost everyone, except for Mabel and Sam. Mabel’s lips quirked an inch closer to the ground, her frown deepening. She, of all people, would know the real reason why he relented. Sam still kept her eyes fixed on him, like he had an ulterior motive, but he’d worry about that once it becomes relevant.

At last, the group finally moved once more, now seven persons strong. They were halfway through the room when, suddenly, Dipper felt the room spin, and his vision blur. Everything cleared after only a split second, but he suddenly found himself clutching one of the chairs, leaning on it to keep himself from collapsing to the floor. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself off of the chair, only for his world to spin once more, for the sensation of falling to overtake him. He had no idea how much time passed, but when his sight returned and everything was normal again, he found himself on his knees, his face inches away from connecting with the floor, with unfamiliar arms around him being the only thing keeping him from a bruised nose. Damn. Sleep deprivation couldn’t have kicked in at a worse time.

Dipper looked up and saw that he was surrounded. Everyone stared at him with a mix of surprise, confusion, and concern. He looked down at the arms wrapped around him, following them until he met Jazz’s face, looking just as surprised as the others.

“Are you okay?” she asked with almost motherly concern.

Dipper wrestled Jazz’s arms away from him, a little red in the cheeks. “Fine.” He hastily rose to his feet. Fortunately, the world stayed in place and his vision remained clear. “Didn’t sleep much, is all.”

“A nap and a shower would’ve fixed that,” Mabel said. To have her talking to him again would be delightful, but not when she spoke with that irritating tone every time.

Dipper sighed, but kept it low. “This is hardly the time, Mabel.”

Tucker leaned in, took a whiff, and grimaced. “She’s got a point, dude. You smell awful.”

“Zip it.” Dipper snapped. It’ll take more than one half-decent map for him to accept shit from someone like Tucker.

Dipper stormed off towards the door before anyone else could get cute with him. He peeked out of the room, eyes darting left and right – the hallway was clear, thank god. Not taking a chance, he sneaked out on his tiptoes, motioning with his fingers for the others to follow. It took them a second, but one by one, they filed out of them room. Their trek through the manor continued. Finally, they were making progress again.

Dipper kept Tucker close to the front of the group, because he stubbornly refused to part from his PDA when Dipper asked him to and he still needed the map to lead the way. To Tucker’s credit, he could actually be quite competent, when kept his mouth shut. The way his fingers easily danced around the PDA in his hands spoke of skill and experience that stretched back years. The device itself was impressive. It was definitely not store-brand – either he heavily modified it himself, or he built it from scratch with his own hands. Still, Dipper made sure it was clear that he was the one leading the group.

The map made a world of difference in navigating the hallways of the manor. They neared the library in no time at all. Only a few more corners until they reached their destination. Dipper paused just before one, and like many times before, signaled the group to stay back as he peeked around the corner. Unlike many times before, his eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets. Unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, he was certain he had just seen some kind of eyeball made from glass, with wings, also made from glass, disappear around the far corner.

Dipper turned back to the group, a little nervous. “Off topic, but does anyone here know how long you can go without sleep before you start hallucinating?”

“About four nights,” Jazz answered, justifiably wary. “Why?”

Dipper smirked. This was only night three. “Then I just found our next lead.”

Dipper rounded the corner, gesturing for the group to follow. The next corner opened up to a rather large space, with a stairway leading downwards – that was where they needed to go, Dipper remembered – and the upper area being a sort of mezzanine level that left a lot of the ground floor visible from up where they were. And sure enough, on the lower level, flying in a steady circle, was the very same glass winged eyeball that he saw before. Judging from everyone’s reactions, he was relieved to know that he wasn’t hallucinating.

“What is that?” Sam wondered in a whisper.

The group crowded around the corner, everyone curious to see the eye’s next move. They watched as the eyeball stopped, hovering in place, staring down a hallway on the ground floor. After a moment, it flew up to the second floor and began to pivot in place, its gaze sweeping across the mezzanine level. Everyone immediately, hastily pulled back.

“Some kind of spying eye, I think. Like a drone.” Dipper’s face darkened. “For the Conclave.”

Tucker glanced down at his PDA. “Library’s down there. We are definitely sniffing the right tail.” He looked around at the group. “Any ideas, gang?”

Dipper’s first thought was to shoot it down with a fire blast, but he still had no idea how to reliably control the blast. It might get too loud and destructive. The group was silent, deep in thought, until Norman offered, “I can shoot it, maybe?”

Dipper beamed at the suggestion. “That is an excellent idea.”

“Shoot it?” Sam raised an eyebrow. Wordlessly, Norman brought his hand up. A brief surge of lightning crackled across his fingertips. Sam’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. “Oh.”

Tucker and Jazz backed away too; their eyes wide with a mix wonder and fear. The group stepped aside to let Norman make his way to the front. As Norman peeked around the corner, Dipper couldn’t resist the urge from leaning forward to catch as much of the show for himself. Norman waited – keeping his hand behind him as lightning surged and crackled to it – as the eye finished its sweep of the room. Once the eye was looking away from the group, he stretched a hand out, releasing a lightning bolt from his palm. The bolt split the air, only to barely graze the side of the eyeball, before it struck the far wall. The hit was still enough to take out one of its wings, sending it hurtling against the railing of the mezzanine, before it dropped onto the floor of the upper area, flopping in place like a fish out of water.

Dipper’s lips thinned into a line. That was mildly disappointing.

Norman retreated before the eye could spot him. He stared down at his hands, at the remnants of lightning dancing around his fingers, before looking up, meeting everyone’s eyes with a grimace. “I guess I’m a bit rusty. Sorry.”

Before Dipper could respond, Sam stepped forward, clutching a small cloth pouch held together with a piece of yarn in her hand. “Allow me,” she said, her eyes purposefully meeting Dipper’s with a small, but rather assured smile on her lips. “I’ve been trying out some of the stuff you sent me.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and so were the others. He watched as Sam placed the pouch on her left palm, before she untied the piece of yarn, letting the pouch unfurl, revealing the components inside – a few drops of mercury, a sprinkle of tin salt, and a smattering of yellow-ish powder that Dipper couldn’t name at first glance. She used the yarn to create a circle with the components in its center, at the same time leaning in and whispering a short, droning chant. The components melted and seeped into the fabric with every pass of the chant, only stopped from spreading further by the yarn circling it. The chant finished, the circle now glowing dimly in the dark. She scraped the glowing circle from the cloth almost like a sticker, holding it limp between two fingers. She gave it a firm flick – the activation act, Dipper realized – finalizing it into a rigid, shimmering disc of light.

Sam hugged the corner, and with practiced ease, she flung the disc. It arced through the air, forming an impossible curve to strike down onto the spasming eyeball, cracking it clean in half.

Sam turned to the group to give them a small curtsy, before walking out into the hallway, picking up the disc of light as she walked past. Dipper smiled, and damn near chuckled. He’d always appreciated a bit of showmanship, especially when the person has enough bite to back their bark.

Norman turned to him. “You said the spells you sent her were harmless.”

“Technically, a chair is harmless.” Dipper shrugged. “But, when you throw it at someone…”

Dipper followed after Sam, but stopped just short of the stairs, his attention grabbed by the eye’s remains. Jazz and Tucker did the same, while the others made their way down the stairs. Dipper knelt beside the remains, inspecting it closer. It was an intriguing construct, for sure. The glass it was created from seemed to be the same glass the manor used for its windows. There were also elements of clay acting as the core for the entire construct. He made a mental note of where the remains lay. He’d love to have a more thorough look at it later. It could prove to be useful.

“If that’s the Conclave’s drone, won’t they know when it’s destroyed?” Jazz frowned.

“Maybe they’ll think something fell on it?” Tucker tried. It wasn’t that great of an attempt.

“They know alright. They know someone is here.” Dipper rose to his feet and met their eyes. “They don’t know it’s us. That’s the important part.”

Dipper made his way downstairs, Jazz and Tucker trailing behind him. He spotted the main group standing at the end of the hallway that the eye had been guarding, with a doorway open before them. And yet, they haven’t actually proceeded through it. Questions marks practically hovered over his head as Dipper made his way down the hallway. He shouldered past them, and stopped dead in his tracks. His questions were answered. Before him was a wall of darkness.

Literally. Beyond the doorway was nothing. Pitch black. It was as if the world beyond ceased to exist.

Jazz switched on her portable UV light, blindingly bright to the point that Dipper and a few others flinched away from it. She pointed it towards the doorway, and the light stopped. As if it was shining on an actual wall painted black. Jazz switched the light off.

Tucker squeaked. “That’s, uh... not natural.”

Not at all, but it was still the only path forward. Dipper took a chance, took a step closer to the dark. He brought a gloved hand up, and inched it as close as he dared to the doorway. Just like the light before, the runic glow of the gloves couldn’t penetrate the darkness, shining on it like it was a solid wall. Biting his lip, throwing all caution to the wind, Dipper thrusted his hand forward.

Noises and squeaks erupted behind him, and he wasn’t entirely sure he kept his silence either. The dark swallowed his hand, disappearing completely, glowing glove and all. The sensation was bizarre. He could still feel his hand, feel it enveloped by an unnatural cold, feel it as he gingerly moved it around in the dark. He pulled out, the glow of the gloves returning, his hand none the worse for wear. A little chilly maybe, but unharmed.

“Definitely not natural.”

“The leader of the Conclave is good with magic,” Dipper remembered. “He must’ve placed this here.”

“So the Conclave can be in there?”

Tucker’s words were like the detonator that triggered an avalanche of icy cold fear in their hearts. They looked amongst themselves. The dark alone, they could handle. But knowing the things the darkness could hide – dangerous, deadly things – made for quite the dilemma. Knowing that the Conclave could be waiting in there, maybe even a mere five feet away from where they stood, with no way for them to tell, rattled them to their very core.

“There is no other way to the library, is it?” Neil asked, afraid of the answer.

Tucker shrugged weakly. “If there is one, it’s not on the map.”

Doubt and fear squeezed his chest, tightening like a deadly vice. But his doubts, his fears; they didn’t matter. He didn’t matter. What mattered was finding out what the Conclave had planned. For the two hundred and sixty six lives they had claimed.

“We’re going in.”

That turned quite a few heads. Every head in the room, really.

“Okay, let’s not be hasty about this,” Jazz quickly interjected. “Like Tucker said, the map isn’t complete. There could still be other ways to get to the library.”

“And waste more time trying to find it? No thanks.”

Dipper stepped closer to the darkness. His face was mere inches away. He was ready to take the plunge.

“I’m not afraid of the dark.”

He looked over his shoulder. His gaze was harsh. Piercing.

“Are you?”

The others couldn’t meet his gaze. Their eyes wandered anywhere that wasn’t him. Except for Mabel. She stared him dead in the eye. For the first time in a long time, she was completely unreadable.

“I mean, sure, I don’t sleep with night lights on anymore, but this is no ordinary darkness. This is advanced darkness,” Tucker whined. That’s all he’s good for. Whine, whine, whine. “How are we supposed to find our way around in there?”

“Second corridor on the left, first corridor on the right, then third door on the right. That’s where the library is,” Dipper recited. He practically had it memorized. “We have a map. We follow it.”

“Partial map.” Tucker, again, failed to keep his mouth shut. “Just, as a reminder.”

Dipper saw that coming. Why’d he even waste time talking to Tucker? He wasn’t the one worth talking to. “Sam, you’re clearly the leader of your group. What do you think?”

Sam pursed her lips. “Hold on.” She flung her light disc at the doorway. It shattered on impact against the darkness. She grimaced, then turned to Dipper. “Yeah. Absolutely not.”

Dipper turned in place, putting his back against the dark. Damn. He genuinely thought that would work. “Thought you’d be different,” he said.

Sam narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips. “Don’t give me that. You’re the one that’s been hyping up how dangerous they are. Can you blame me?”

Dipper stepped back, deflated. Disappointed. Danny must’ve been the only one keeping his team afloat. “That’s it, then?” he spat. “We’re giving up? Turning back, just like that?”

“We are not turning back. We’re just looking for another way,” Jazz claimed. Her patronizing tone said otherwise.

“We don’t have the time for that!” Dipper clawed away at his own scalp. He was near the edge, frustration rising closer to a boiling point. “Am I the only one here keeping track of how many people the Conclave have killed?! Two hundred and sixty six!”

His words rang. The color drained from the faces of Sam’s group. Tucker’s PDA slid out of his hands and clattered against the floor. Jazz’s arms fell limp at her sides. Finally, they truly see what was at stake.

“They- they- what?” Sam choked out.

“And that number is going to go up the longer we waste time here!”

“To two hundred and seventy three?”

Dipper froze. He didn’t expect Mabel, of all people, to speak up. He counted quickly. That was exactly seven numbers up. “Because that’s what’ll happen if we go through there.”

For Mabel’s eyes to be so uncharacteristically piercing was unsettling, but Dipper wasn’t deterred. His determination didn’t flinch. “It won’t. You know what we can do.”

“And you know what they can do,” Mabel countered as she took a step closer to him. “Dipper, this is suicide.”

Norman stepped forward too, joining Mabel. “We were supposed to stay out of trouble. Coraline’s orders.”

God. Her. Seeing her in a positive light had grown increasingly difficult to do. “After which she speeds off to fight a vampire.”

“You know what she meant, man,” Neil sighed.

Dipper could barely believe what’s happening. Everyone, even his own team, his own friends, his own sister, had sided against him. Just because of one dark corridor. The Mystery Kids is dead – and the killer wasn’t a group of vampires. It was a fear of the dark. A fear of the unknown. The unknown they once loved.

Dipper didn’t recognize the people standing in front of him anymore.

“What is wrong with you all?” Dipper never imagined a day would come when he’d spit words with such venom to his own friends, but he never thought they’d act like cowards when faced with the unknown. “Is it dangerous to go in there? Of course it is! But we didn’t sign up for this because it’s safe!”

Mabel matched his voice. She took another step closer. “Facing danger is one thing, but you’re acting like you don’t want to walk out of here at all!”

Dipper maintained his gaze, but it proved harder and harder to do. She was getting too close. “What happens to me doesn’t matter,” he said.

“Of course it does!” Mabel got close enough to grab him by the shoulders. She was shaking.

“In the past, maybe.” Dipper had to look away. It was impossible to look her in the eye when she’s this close. When his hands were stained with the blood of two hundred and sixty six lives. “But not anymore.”

Mabel squeezed his shoulders, enough to hurt. “You are not-!” She stopped. Her hands left him. When Dipper looked, her hands have moved to cover her mouth. Fear clouded her eyes, and it wasn’t of the dark or the unknown. “Oh god.”

It was worse. A fear that cut closer to the heart. A fear that brought him back to summertime in Gravity Falls, a lifetime ago. To an attic bedroom, red sunset light spilling through the sole window, moments before his sister stormed off in tears carrying the wrong backpack. Mabel stumbled back, lost in a daze, unprepared to catch herself when she tripped. Neil was quick to be there, gently lowering her to the floor, keeping a comforting hold on her. Mabel raised her distraught eyes to meet his, mouth falling open. He knew what she was about to say.

“We’re becoming them. This is Stan and Ford all over again.”

“No!” Dipper paused. He was caught off guard by how strongly he reacted. How fast the word left him. His eyes, unfocused, fell to the ground. Why did it affect him so much when it was so clearly untrue? “This is… different. We’re different.”

Mabel didn’t respond. He just heard her breathing. Heavy. Shaky. Maybe it was for the best. He had no idea what else he would say to Mabel. Probably something bad. Something that would make this entire catastrophe worse.

Seconds passed in agonizing silence. Dipper chanced a glance forward, and regretted it. Norman stared at him, and had been staring all this time. Silent. Judging. Of all the people in the world, Norman was judging him.

Without having a clue of what to say, Dipper spoke, “Look. This is for-”

“The greater good?” Norman’s words stung. He’d read him like an open book. “Dipper, this isn’t you.”

For the first time today, Dipper almost laughed. “Then I don’t know who the hell you think you’re talking to right now.”

“I’m talking to Dipper Pines. My teammate, my friend, my-!” Norman stopped. For what reason, Dipper didn’t know, but the slightest shade of red now tinted his cheeks. “Someone I… deeply care about.”

Somehow, the thought of being deeply cared about made his stomach churn. “Well… people change.” Dipper looked at anything that wasn’t Norman. He couldn’t bear it. He didn’t deserve it. “Being responsible for hundreds of deaths can do that.”

“Alright, time out!”

A new, unwelcome voice cut in - Sam’s. She had stepped ahead of her group, dangerously frustrated and anger visibly close to a boiling point.

“Can you please cut all this drama shit out and tell us, what the hell is going on?!”

She was no longer interested in being polite, and as Dipper met her gaze, so was he.

“You said you don’t know jack about these vampires, but you clearly do.” Sam raised her fist, and began jabbing a finger at him. “You know their leader is good with magic. You know what they are capable of. You know they apparently have killed two hundred and sixty six people.”

Dipper tried to glare back, but couldn’t. His head spinning, his chest twisting, his stomach churning - it was all too much. The world was too much. He snapped his eyes shut, and weakly, meekly, desperately, begged for everything to stop.

“And now you’re saying you’re responsible for hundreds of deaths? What the hell have you guys been doing since we last met?!”

“You shut the fuck up!”

The words left his lips, but he didn’t remember making the decision. It was forced out of him, ripped out from deep within him by a primal force he couldn’t control. His eyes were wide open now, carved into a glare that he’d wanted, but what he saw was not what he expected. He expected fire and venom, outrage and hostility. Instead, he saw faces falling, glares softening. They looked at him now with distress. With pity.

Dipper blinked. His eyes were hot. Something tickled his cheeks. He raised a hand to his face and, as he pulled back, saw that it was wet.

Tears?

No. No, tears have no place here. Tears are useless. Tears won’t bring down the Conclave.

He had to focus. Focus on what really mattered.

Mason wiped away the tears. He forced his breathing to steady. He stared at the cowards around him, cold as ice.

“I thought you all wouldn’t let me do this alone,” he said. “I guess I’m wrong.”

Mason took one step back. The coldness of the dark was like needles prickling his back. A chorus of exclaimed noes, stops, and waits entered one ear and exited the other.

One voice won over the others, as his twin sister rose to her feet, tears cascading down her face.

“You promised me! You promised you won’t do anything stupid!” Mabel screamed. Begged. “What happened to that promise?!”

Mason paused, swallowed, and forced his aching heart to remain frozen.

“Consider it broken.”

Mason let the darkness, the cold envelop him. Away from his friends. Away from his family. Away from the light.

He is not afraid of the dark.

Hi again. Been a while, huh?

So, full disclosure, this was not intended to be a two-parter. But I promised to myself that I’ll get a new chapter out before the year is out, so this is the shortcut that I took. It still ended up being a surprisingly satisfying narrative, of Dipper’s continued spiral into absolutely losing his shit.

By the way, can I tell you something? Writing someone descending into a worse version of themselves gets distinctly not fun once you are about 5k words in. That’s the main reason why I kept leaving this chapter. It just gets too heavy to enter that mindspace for that long. Anyway. Next chapter shouldn’t be as depressing. I hope.

So, 2019 comes to an end. Productivity-wise, a step down from 2018, but it’s not all bad. Made a few fics that aren’t about the MK. Started a few projects that are refreshing to say the least. Got into D&D again, recently. So, yeah, I miss the quantity that I managed to reach last year, but I’ve put a lot more thought into quality now. Tentatively curious to see what 2020 would bring.

#mystery kids #gravity falls #paranorman #danny phantom #dipper pines #mabel pines #norman babcock #neil downe #sam manson #tucker foley #jazz fenton #When You're A Mystery Kid

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