Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Science has always been boring to Dib. And not out of lack of understanding. His father was one of the greatest scientists in the world, and Dib had inherited his father’s genius for the subject. Dib excelled in all aspects of science, from biology to quantum mechanics; there wasn’t a single scientific field that had bested the young Membrane just yet. 

But that was the problem. Science was practical, explainable, and most of all, predictable. It was all just too easy. In contrast, the paranormal was everything that science wasn’t. Rules and theories that define the natural world didn’t apply to the paranormal, making it all the more confusing and terrifying, and that excited Dib. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life trying to make sense of things that refused to be understood, but alas, the very nature of his heritage had denied him that chance from ever manifesting. 

He was a Membrane, and Membranes were people of science. And despite all his flaws, Dib could not bring himself to disappoint his father further. After the Florpus, their relationship had found new ground to rebuild itself on, but at the expense of Dib giving up on ever convincing his father on the legitimacy of the paranormal. They had survived a world ending event caused by an alien, and his own father had been the one to save them. And yet the man refused to believe it was anything more than a dream! 

Still, he had a father once more, and while Dib dreaded the idea of becoming another Membrane Labs scientist, he dreaded losing the little respect he had earned from his father more. So when his father gave him the ultimatum, Dib saw no other choice but to take it. 

Go to college. Get a STEM degree. Work at Membrane Labs for the rest of your natural life. 

In return, he’d never have to worry about his finances. In other words, he’d be set for life, not only with money, but also with his father’s support. 

A simple compromise, he had told himself. He could always find time outside of school and work to do his own paranormal research was his original belief. And for a while, he was able to do so. University wasn’t too hard, and Dib found himself able to conduct research on the local cryptids and supernatural beings in his spare time, of which he had plenty. But things got complicated once he graduated and started working under his father. 

Writing lab reports and peer reviewing research papers soon took up all his time, and god forbid any of the idiot interns mess up an experiment because then that would force Dib to stay overnight rerunning the whole damn thing. And the little time Dib did get outside of the laboratory was spent catching up on sleep and writing grants. 

Sure, he was debt free, living with the two most important people in his life, and a (somewhat) tolerated figure in the community, but Dib knew better. 

This wasn’t living. 

This was compliancy. And it was eating him alive. Only time would tell how much of himself would be left by the time he broke away from this cycle. That is, if he could ever muster up the courage to do so at all. 

“Yo, Dibshit! It’s already noon and Dad’s been blowing up my phone asking where the hell you are.” Comes Gaz’s voice from the other side of Dib’s bedroom door, accompanied by the sound of her fist slamming on said door. 

Dib lets out a groan as he picks himself up from his desk, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes before swiping his hand across his desk in search of his glasses. He ends up knocking the damn things onto the floor, and he curses under his breath as he’s forced to get up and fetch them from under his chair. As he adjusts them on his face, he looks over at his alarm clock. 

Sure enough, it’s 12:05 pm. 

Shit. 

Dib doesn’t even bother cleaning up his desk, simply shoving all his papers and tablet into the backpack on his bed before making his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth, bag haphazardly slung over his shoulder. 

“Dude, this is getting ridiculous,” Gaz says as she leans up against the bathroom door frame, arms crossed over her chest. “You haven’t showered in like three days, your phone is never charged, and I’m pretty sure that last time I saw you eat a full meal was last week.” 

If he wasn’t so tired, Dib would have laughed at the insinuation that Gaz was actually worried about him. Dib finishes up spitting up mouthwash before turning to face Gaz with a smug look on his face. 

“Careful now, Gaz. Any more nagging from you and I’ll start believing that you actually like me.” 

Gaz simply rolls her eyes before punching his shoulder, earning a hiss of pain from Dib. 

“Please. I just don’t like having a slob as a brother. Now hurry the hell up, I already told dad that you were on your way, and if you don’t show up in the next 15 minutes, I’m pretty sure he’s going to have an aneurysm.” 

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Dib mumbles under his breath as he makes his way downstairs, making sure he grabs his lab coat from the coat rack before sprinting out the front door. 

Sure, he could have driven to work, but Dib couldn’t remember the last time he got gas for his car, and he was not risking getting stranded in the middle of the road again. Plus, it’s not like the lab was that far. Only a 15 minute walk, or in this case, a 5 minute run. By the time Dib bursts through the front door, he’s gasping for air and his lungs are screaming from the unexpected cardio he just subjected them to. After a brief coughing bit, Dib quickly clears his throat and goes about his business, ignoring the stares of the people around him and simply slips into the employee’s only entrance to the laboratory. He can only hope his dad is too busy right now to be her-

“Dib.”

Oh for fuck’s sake-

Dib takes in a deep breath before turning around to face his father, refusing to lift his gaze to meet his father’s eyes. Well, erm… goggles. 

“This is the third time you’ve been late this week, son,” Professor Membrane says as a gloved hand places itself on Dib’s shoulder, making the young adult tense. His father must have felt the tension in his shoulder because he’s quick to remove his hand and let out a sigh. “Come with me to my office. We need to speak privately about this matter.” 

“Yes, dad.” 

The two walk in silence to said office, and Dib cringes at the amount of eyes he can feel staring at them. He had wanted his relationship with Professor Membrane to have been kept secret, to have no one know he was the infamous son of the greatest scientist in the world, but Professor Membrane had refused to grant Dib the privilege of anonymity. The second Dib started working at Membrane Labs, Professor Membrane had announced to the entire staff that his son was now a member of the Membrane Labs family. He had done so with an amount of joy Dib never thought was possible from his father, and for just a moment, Dib was okay with the notoriety. 

But for only a moment. 

Soon enough he was being treated like a nuisance by his co-workers. No one wanted to have him on their team due to his reputation or worse, the possibility of him being a snitch. But no matter, Dib preferred working on his own anyway. 

By the time they entered his father’s office, the atmosphere was thick enough to cut through with a knife. Professor Membrane gestures to the seat in front of his desk, and Dib plops down without question. As his father settles down across from him, Dib’s heart rate is already through the roof. 

“When was the last time you went outside, son?”

Dib blinks. 

Those… were not the words he was expecting out of his father. He was expecting to get reprimanded for his tardiness, but instead, he’s getting… whatever this is. 

“Um…” Dib furrows his pierced eyebrows as he mulls the question over. “I… I mean I just came from home. Does that count?” 

“Hmm… How about I rephrase the question: When was the last time you spent a significant amount of your leisure time outside?” 

“Oh…” Dib shrinks into his seat as he starts fidgeting with the buttons of his lab coat. “The last time I spent a considerable amount of time outside was a few weeks ago when you sent me with that research team to extract some radioactive material from the local forest. But in my free time? I… don’t really remember.” 

His father hums, clearly unsatisfied with his son’s answer. Dib feels sweat start to form on his neck, and he awkwardly tries to straighten himself up in his seat as he waits for his father’s response. 

After what feels like forever, Professor Membrane finally looks up and locks gazes with Dib. 

“Alright, how about this: I have a research team that needs to collect marine data later today. Their boat leaves port at 5 pm. That gives you enough time to go back home and get yourself ready for the trip. I’ll have Foodio prepare you lunch and pack you dinner for later.” 

Dib stares at his father, dumbfounded by the request he’s just made. 

“You’re… You’re not upset with me?” His words are barely audible, and he’s surprised his father was even able to hear them at all. 

“Of course not, son. Your efforts to keep up your end of our agreement have far exceeded my expectations, but now I’m afraid you’re pushing yourself too far. Believe or not, your sister has been growing concerned about your well being, as have I. And while I love how seriously you’re taking your work here at Membrane Labs, I don’t want you to end up resenting this position.”

Oh, if only you knew, Dib thinks to himself as he fights back a grimace. 

“So, once you’re done getting some fresh ocean air today, I’m giving you a two week vacation that starts tomorrow. Enough time for you to go out and have some fun with your little foreign friend, Zim. You might even convince Gaz to hang out with you two.” 

“Please, wishful thinking isn’t very scientific, dad,” Dib retorts, earning a laugh from his father. Dib can’t help but let a small smile slip through at the sound of his father’s laughter. 

If he tried hard enough, he could convince himself that all this was worth the privilege of hearing that sound. 

Dib has never been a fan of the beach, but the ocean was a different story. The horrors of the deep were just another facet of the unknown that even “real” scientists couldn’t deny. He never really got the chance to research many ocean cryptids, but then again, he was always so busy dealing with Zim in his youth that the thought slipped his mind. 

Speaking of Zim, Dib pulls out his phone, finally revived from the dead after nearly a month. It’s not like he had much use for it in his daily life. The only three people he had regular contact with were his family and Zim, though the latter had only just recently gotten back from space, scavenging for remains of Irken technology to bring back to Earth and tinker away on. 

If someone had told 12 year old Dib that his only friend in his adulthood would be the very same alien he was trying so desperately to expose to the world, Dib is pretty sure his younger self would have died right then and there. He exhales from his nose at the thought. The universe really did love dramatic irony, didn’t it?

He scrolls through his old messages with Zim, admiring the photos his old nemesis had sent him during his travels. To think there’s a plant out there that rains nothing but lava, and even stranger, that the Irkens had technology that had allowed them to conquer it. 

“Hey, Membrane, just because you’re the boss’s kid doesn’t mean you get to slack off on the clock.” 

Dib narrows his eyes at the researcher reprimanding him as he locks his phone and stuffs it back into his lab coat. He picks up his tablet and makes his way to the back of the boat, ignoring the smell of sulfur assaulting his senses. 

When Dib was told he would be collecting marine data, he was expecting water samples or even tagging the wildlife. The last thing he thought he would be doing is collecting oysters from some dingy nets in the middle of the Atlantic. At least he wasn’t touching the damn things. He did not need to smell like seafood right after taking his first shower in days. 

“How many more of these oyster nets do we need to collect data from?” Dib asks while transcribing the information being given to him onto his tablet. 

“We have about 10 more nets we need to collect, each about three kilometers apart from each other,” his fellow researcher says while cracking open another oyster. “Number 38 has some gill discoloration, but is not as prevalent as the discoloration seen in oysters 1 through 30. Compared to number 37, I would say this oyster is in a much healthier state of being. Well… at least it was.”

The oyster is quickly photographed by an intern before being unceremoniously thrown in the chum bucket next to the researcher, and Dib wrinkles his nose at the callous disposal. But he’s in no position to complain, so he forces himself to suck it up and continue writing down all the observations made on the health of the oysters and any adverse side effects to their genetic modification. 

“And there goes number 70,” his co-worker finally announces, dusting off his gloved hands. “Alright, our next stop is 30 degrees east and 50 degrees south. You, intern, chuck out these oysters. Membrane, you export that data back to HQ while we wait to arrive at our next stop.” 

Dib doesn’t respond. He simply waves off the researcher as he turns around and makes his way to the boat’s bow. He finishes exporting said data just as he reaches the railing, and he lets out a heavy sigh as he puts away his tablet. He settles on leaning against the railing, staring out into the darkening sky and endless ocean that stretches before them. 

Was this really what he was going to be doing for the rest of his life? Collecting numbers and writing reports about them day in and day out while surrounded by people only cared for what he represented and not who he actually was? He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes, mulling over everything that had brought him to this point. 

He loved his father, and his father clearly loved him in his own way, but how much longer can Dib really keep up this facade before his father eventually realizes it’s just that? A facade. His father was already picking up on how unhappy Dib was, and it was only a matter of time before he realized the source of his misery. Then what? 

Before Dib can spiral any further, however, the boat suddenly comes to an aggressive halt, and if it weren’t for the rails, Dib is sure he would have been thrown overboard. Dib stumbles into the railing, clinging to them for dear life as the boat rocks violently. 

“What the hell was that?” he manages to scream as he struggles with his footing. 

“It’s the engine!” The captain yells back. “It must have snagged something. Here’s hoping it wasn't an ocean mine!” 

Dib opens his mouth, but is quick to shut it. Despite the creaking of the boat and frantic pacing of his fellow researchers, the area has become deathly quiet. Something about it starts setting off alarm bells in Dib’s head, and he starts scanning his surroundings for any clue to what the hell is going on. It doesn’t take long for him to see something iridescent slithering underneath the boat, and he feels his heart skip a beat. 

Was that-

A scream rips Dib’s attention to the back of the boat, and his eyes widen at the sight of a reptilian head breaching the water’s surface. 

The flared, yellow fins crowning the sides of the creature's head are reminiscent of the appendages on a frilled lizard, and its deep blue scales beautifully reflect the dying sunlight back in shifting purples and greens. Its empty black eyes sweep across the boat before they settle on Dib, and time comes to a stop. 

The air stills, and Dib is left breathless. 

“Sea serpent,” Dib whispers under his breath, and the spell is broken. The stillness is swiftly shattered by a bellowing roar as the sea serpent rears back its head and then snaps its jaw down into the boat’s flooring, narrowly missing his co-workers by mere centimeters. 

Chaos explodes across the boat as the sea serpent burrows through the boat’s stern, the thick spines running along its slender body ripping into the metal and wood as it slithers through the floor and back into the ocean. Dib is forced to tighten his grip on the railing as the boat is tipped backwards, and it’s only when the sea serpent has passed through does the boat’s bow slam back into the water, causing an enormous wave of water to splash onto the deck. The vessel rocks violently back and forth, threatening to capsize as the researchers scramble to get their life vests on. That is, all but Dib. 

“Are you guys seeing this? An actual sea serpent!” Dib exclaims, excitement bubbling in his chest as he tightens his grip on the railing. “You! Where’s the camera?”

The researcher Dib addresses simply points to the bag on top of the helm, and Dib races over to it, adrenaline pushing him forward even as the wet floor tries to trip him. He grabs the camera just as the sea serpent rams the boat again, and he nearly hits the steering wheel as he struggles to stay on his feet. He pulls the camera out and is quick to secure its strap over his shoulder, not risking the possibility of losing the damn thing. He stumbles back to the bow, ignoring his fellow researcher’s desperate cries for him to get back and put a life jacket on. 

This is exactly what he’s been missing for so long. The adrenaline, the danger, the thrill. The unpredictability of it all. Dib can’t help but smile maniacally as he reaches the edge of the boat, camera ready to capture the moment the sea serpent breaks through the surface of the water once again. 

“Membrane! Get away from the railing! Your father is going to have our heads if anything happens to you!” 

There it is. The selfishness of them all encapsulated in a single statement. 

But Dib doesn’t say anything in retort, simply steadying himself against the railing with the camera aimed at the water.  All he needs in a single shot, and all of this stupid oyster data collection will have been worth it. He flicks on the flash of the camera, the darkness of twilight starting to engulf the entire area. 

“Come on… I know you want to pounce again…” Dib smirks as he spots a flash of yellow off in the distance, and he can practically feel his knuckles turning white as he tightens his grip on the camera. But the flash of yellow vanishes from sight, and Dib is left waiting with bated breath for the sea serpent to make its next move. 

What happens next occurs so fast that Dib is physically incapable of processing it. All he remembers is the sound of creaking metal, a sharp pain clamping down on his left leg, and then ocean all around him. He doesn’t have time to comprehend his situation when he’s suddenly flung like a ragdoll out of water and sent flying. 

He only has a second to take in a deep breath before plunging back into the frigid waters with a hard splash. As his eyes struggle to focus on his surroundings, Dib feels the water around him reverberate with a growl. 

He forces himself to turn around, struggling to stay afloat with his clothes and equipment weighing him down. The growling grows closer, and soon enough, all Dib can see is a mouth full of sharp teeth barrelling towards him. But instead of fear, all he feels is apathy. 

If this was to be his end, so be it. Dib wouldn’t have it any other way.  

But the teeth never reach him, nor would they ever. In an instant, something huge pierces through the sea serpent’s back, and the creature lets out a guttural shriek as it jerks away from Dib. 

Dib lets out a gasp, but quickly regrets the action as he unintentionally swallows a mouthful of seawater. He slaps a hand over his mouth as his fight or flight instinct finally kicks in, and he swims as fast as he physically can to the surface. As soon as he breaks the water’s surface, he takes in a strained breath before coughing up the seawater he ingested. He doesn’t have long before the sea serpent redirects its attention to him once more, but it’s once again speared by what Dib can now clearly see is another harpoon before it can reach Dib. 

“Don’t just sit there floating like a duck, kid! Get your ass over here!” Commands a deep and gravelly voice, and Dib whips his head around to find its source. There, due north, is a small, wooden fishing boat, and onboard are two men. One is operating the harpoon gun on the boat’s stern while the other is frantically waving Dib over. 

Dib doesn’t waste another second lingering. He starts swimming over towards the vessel, ignoring the growing pain in his left leg. Once he’s within arm’s reach, Dib is unceremoniously plucked from the ocean by the back of his lab coat and hauled into the fishing boat in a single swoop. He chokes out the last of the sea water from his lungs as his adrenaline starts seeping away, and the true weight of his injuries comes crashing down on him. His breathing soon becomes labored as he surveys the injury on his leg, and he’s horrified to see blood pooling on the boat’s floor. 

Shit. No wonder he’s starting to get lightheaded. 

A snap forces Dib’s attention upwards, and he’s met face to face with the man who pulled him out of the water. He’s an older gentleman with a five o’ clock shadow wearing a pair of square framed glasses and a red beanie. How someone his age had the strength to pull a soaking wet adult out of the water with so little effort almost makes Dib forget about the pain radiating in his body. 

Almost. 

“Listen here kid, you’re going to need to stay awake for me, alright? No matter what you do, don’t fall asleep, got it?” His tone is sharp, urgent, and yet a certain softness laces his words. 

Dib tries to answer, but he falls into another coughing fit as lingering sea salt coats his throat. He does, however, manage to nod, reassuring the man that he’s still coherent enough to understand his command. 

“Alright, I think that last shot got it,” the harpoon man says as he plucks at the slack rope that Dib can only presume is still attached to the harpoon embedded in the sea serpent. He finally turns his attention towards Dib, and it’s only then that the young Membrane realizes that the pair of men are twins. 

Such a strange little detail, but a detail that his mind seems to latch onto nonetheless as his vision starts to fade in and out. As the brothers discuss their next steps, Dib is able to stagger onto his feet. He ignores the men telling him to lay down and drags himself to the edge of the boat. Just a few feet away floats the lifeless body of the sea serpent, the ends of harpoons sticking out of its corpse like the hilts of swords. 

A beast slain, or better yet, a specimen in need of dissection acquired. 

“I need… to get to its body…” Dib strains out. “I can’t let… this go to waste…” 

The last thing Dib feels is a hand resting on his shoulder and a voice calling him kid. 

Then everything goes dark. 

Chapter Text

Dreams have long since eluded Dib, and he could not recall the last time he dreamt if his life depended on it. He had long accepted the reality that he may never dream again, so when he heard the soft whirling of gears and clicking of metal, he knew something was happening in the waking world. But the exhaustion in his body refused to allow him to stir awake to investigate the sounds. It wasn’t until after everything fell silent that he was finally able to crack open his eyes. 

He tries to focus his eyes, but the darkness of the room he’s in is making the task difficult. He brings up a hand to his face, and it’s only then that he realizes that his glasses are missing. Something shifts at the end of the bed he’s resting in, and no amount of trying to rub the bleariness from his eyes helps Dib figure out what is going on. 

“Oh right, I forget that you’re useless without these,” says an all too familiar voice, and his glasses are practically slapped onto his face. 

“What the…” Dib fixes his lopsided glasses as he finally gets a good look at where he is, and his eyes widen as he realizes he’s in a hospital bed. He looks down at himself to see that his clothes have been replaced with a hospital gown and an IV is hooked into the top of his right hand. He also has a medical wristband on his left hand, and when he inspects the label, he finds that he’s been given the name “Ocean Doe”. He turns his attention back to Zim, who is sitting at the end of the bed glaring at him. “Zim? What the hell is going on?”

“What’s ‘going on’ is that the Gaz barged into ZIM’S PRECIOUS LAIR and DEMANDED I find your pathetic butt after your little ‘disappearance’,” Zim is deliberate in air quoting certain words, and Dib furrows his eyebrows as he recalls the sea serpent incident. “It took Zim THREE DAYS to find you. THREE DAYS !!! Do you know how many inventions Zim could have finished in that time wasted on locating you?!” 

Three days?

“I… What?” Dib is too gobsmacked to respond properly. “That… that doesn’t sound right. I couldn’t have been out for more than a few hours-”

“Tch, of course your feeble human brain would have trouble registering the passage of time while you were unconscious,” Zim interrupts, his tone teetering with annoyance and what could easily be mistaken for concern by an outsider. He produces a stack of papers from his PAK and holds them out for Dib to take. “The only reason you’re in one piece right now is because I showed up.”

Dib takes the papers handed to him, and he skims over the documents as Zim continues to speak. 

“Your interior human medical technology did little to heal you properly, and so I took it upon myself to fix up your disgusting flesh injuries while you were asleep. Both external and internal. To think they didn’t even bother putting your bones back together. The imbeciles simply wrapped up your leg as if that would help! HA! Sometimes I question my decision to let your stupid species live.” 

As Zim continues to yap away, the full reality of Dib’s situation finally hits him as he reads through his medical report. Both fibular and tibial arteries in his left leg had been severed, which explains why he lost consciousness so quickly. In addition to nearly bleeding to death, Dib’s shin bone had been snapped in half, a few of his ribs had been fractured, and when he had been admitted, he was suffering from a case of mild hypothermia. The doctors had been able to suture his arteries, however, there are notes of him needing immediate surgery for the realignment of his tibia. Looks like he’s scheduled for surgery for the next day, and when Dib glances at the dates on the report, he’s finally given confirmation of Zim’s earlier statement. 

An involuntary shudder runs down Dib’s body. 

“Wait… Why did it take you three days to find me?” Dib asks, having finally processed what Zim was insinuating. “Where are we?”

“Further north than where your family expected to find you.” Zim produces a tablet from his PAK and pulls up a map to show Dib. “Your father’s research vessel capsized here, south. Based on that information, they started searching for you in hospitals local to that area, however, neither your name nor anyone who looked like you was showing up in any of their systems. That’s when your sibling so RUDELY intruded onto ZIM’S PROPERTY to demand Zim find you.” 

Despite his superficial claim of being inconvenienced by his disappearance, Dib knows better. He knows that if Zim was really that impatient to get back home, he wouldn’t have stayed here and repaired Dib’s injuries by his own volition. The thought makes Dib smile slightly. 

Speaking of injuries, Dib sits up and lifts up his blanket, mentally preparing himself to face the music. And while Zim had already told him he had been patched up, Dib is still taken aback by his condition. 

The skin on his leg is still tender and slightly bruised, but it’s whole. No missing chucks, no obvious broken bones, nor any obvious sign of having been shredded by the maw of a sea serpent. He brings his legs up to his chest, pleasantly surprised by his mobility and the lack of any significant pain. He runs his hand down the faint scar on his left leg, and he flinches with the contact alongside the realization that there’s a slight texture difference between certain parts of his leg. 

“Is this… a skin graft?” Dib furrows his eyebrows, looking up at Zim with worry in his eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t infect me with some kind of parasite, or worse, that you killed someone for their skin.”

“Puh-lease,” Zim says while waving off Dib’s concerns. “Do you really still think that lowly of Zim? Zim does not go back on promises, and Zim promised to not harm any living and breathing creatures for your sake! No, I used these things: the mushy mushies.” 

Zim pulls said mushy mushy out of his pocket, and Dib realizes Zim is talking about mushrooms. 

“These were the closest thing I could find that mimicked the properties of your squishy flesh, and with some genetic modifications from yours truly, Zim was able to create the perfect synthetic skin! And good thing too because you were missing a bunch of it on your leg. There will be some discoloration, but it should clear up in a few days.” 

“That’s… actually really cool, Zim,” Dib confesses. “Do you think you could show off your invention to my dad? I know he’d appreciate-”

Dib freezes. 

“Shit… Does my family know where I am right now?!” 

“I called your sibling when I found you, and she passed the information along to your father. This place is about a three hour trip for them to get here, but I could also just take you home right now since I had to do all the stupid doctor’s work for them.” Zim’s PAK legs spring out as he gets up from the bed, clinking against the tile flooring. 

For a brief moment, Dib considers saying yes, but his mind suddenly goes back to the twins that had saved him from the sea serpent. He looks back at his paperwork and notes the names of the men who had admitted him to the hospital. 

Richard and Fredrick Pines.  

These men had gone out of their way to not only protect him, but also quite literally save his life. A note from a nurse on his intake form claims that if it weren’t for the tourniquet the brothers had placed on his leg, it was more than likely Dib would have bled out on his way to the hospital. Another memo stated that these men would be contacted through the provided number once he was out of surgery since they couldn’t find any ID on him. Well, at least that explains why he was given a pseudonym. 

“I… I can’t leave just yet, Zim,” Dib finally says after a minute of silence. “I can find my own way home; I just need to stay until tomorrow to meet up with the men that saved me.” 

“YOU DARE REJECT ZIM’S KINDNESS FOR A PAIR OF STRANGERS!?” Zim snaps, one of his PAK leg’s shoving itself into Dib’s face in an accusatory manner. 

Dib doesn’t even flinch. He simply uses a finger to push away the leg pointed at him and narrows his eyes at the alien. 

“Zim, if it weren’t for these men, I would have literally died! The least I can do is thank them in person for risking their lives to help me.” 

Zim returns Dib’s glare, but ultimately retracts his PAK leg from Dib’s face. 

“Fine. Zim will inform your family of your extended stay. But you owe me for this.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you some fun dip once I’m back home,” Dib reassures Zim, who makes his way to the window and uses his PAK legs to force the glass open. 

But he doesn’t immediately leave. Zim lingers for a moment before pulling something out of his pocket and catching Dib’s gaze with his peripheral vision.

“This is for you.” Zim flings something over his shoulder with a flick of his wrist, and Dib barely has time to catch the object before it hits him in the face. 

Dib looks over the device, his pierced eyebrows furrowing in curiosity as he turns it over. It looks like a standard wristwatch, though it is missing the very obvious watch part. Instead, the Irken insignia is etched into a slightly lifted surface, reminiscent of a button. There are dials on the sides whose purpose are currently unknown, and when Dib tries to press down on the button, it refuses to budge. 

“What is this?” Dib asks, looking up to see Zim already climbing out the hospital window. 

“Something that will serve you in only the most dire of situations. And don’t even THINK about dismantling or dissecting Zim’s creation! If you break it, you aren’t going to get another one!” 

“So… are you going to explain what it is or…?” 

“HA! And here I thought you were smart. Why don’t you make use of that enormous head of yours and figure it out, Dibstick?”

Dib almost corrects Zim on his mispronunciation of the nickname he undoubtedly picked up from Gaz, but he’s quick to bite his tongue. 

“You really need to stop hanging around Gaz so much.” 

Zim simply turns on his new and improved human disguise and rolls his eyes before he jumps out the window without another word. 

Dib continues to stare out the window as the sound of ruffling tree branches fades with Zim’s departure. He looks back at the wristband once more, noticing the lack of a traditional clasping mechanism. Intrigued, Dib places the band on his right wrist, and he’s amazed to see the object seal itself around his wrist. He slips a finger between the band and his wrist, and he watches in fascination as it stretches seamlessly when he pulls it away from his skin. The material is soft, malleable like clay, and slightly warm to the touch. 

His attention is once more brought to his medical report, and he starts thinking about how to approach the twins. He should probably start off by introducing himself, but then what? A small part of him wants to ask them what they did with the sea serpent’s corpse, but he shakes the notion away. He doesn’t want to weird them out. He already has enough people in his life who consider him a freak, and he hardly wants to add another pair to the list. 

He lays back down in bed, staying up the rest of the night rehearsing his words for whom he now knows as the Pines twins. 

“Look, I know you’re still worried about me, dad, but I can find my own way home from here. You don’t have to drive all the way up here to get me.” 

“Are you absolutely sure, son? I can always postpone my meetings for another day-”

“Dad,” Dib says very firmly, growing tired of their back and forth. “I’m absolutely sure. Besides, it’s been forever since I’ve left the city. I kind of want to just explore the area for a bit, and, ya know, get some fresh air.”

That last statement seems to finally calm down his anxious father, and Dib hears him let out a heavy sigh. 

“Alright, son. But just promise me that you’ll be home before nightfall, okay?” 

Dib bites his bottom lip as he plays with the drawstrings of the jacket given to him by the hospital staff. 

“I promise, dad,” he echoes back before hanging up. He lets out the breath he was unconsciously holding onto during the entire phone call, and he rubs his eyes from under his glasses as he places the public phone back on its receiver. 

“Mr. Membrane?” 

Dib looks back at the nurse who brought him to the call center, and she gives him a small smile as she gestures towards the reception area. 

“The gentlemen who brought you to the hospital are here now. I can escort you to them if you’d like.” 

“It’s alright. I can walk myself out. Thank you.” Dib gives her a curt nod as he tightens his grip on his hospital bag containing his personal items. He takes in a deep breath to calm his pounding heart before making his way over to the reception desk. 

“Um… Hi…” Dib says sheepishly. “I’m assuming you two are the Pines brothers?” 

Said brothers turn around, and the one Dib remembers wielding the harpoon gun lets out a sigh of relief when he sees Dib. 

“Oh thank goodness you’re alright! You gave us a real scare when you lost consciousness on our ship.” 

Dib opens his mouth to respond, but he’s quickly stunned into silence when the man extends his hand towards him. Maybe he’s still a bit out of it because this man has six fingers on both of his hands. His facial reaction must have been pretty obvious because the man lets out a chuckle as he wiggles his fingers. 

“Polydactyly. Nothing more than a genetic mutation.” 

“Oh… yeah,” Dib says awkwardly as he shakes the man’s hand, trying not to dwell on the subject. “Well, it’s nice to properly meet you two, Richard and Fredrick I presume?”

The twins exchange a look, but then the one wearing the red beanie slings an arm around Dib’s shoulders and starts leading him towards the exit.

“How’s about we get out of the range of all these security cameras before we start introducing ourselves? Bet you’re probably already sick of being in such a stuffy building, so why don’t we stop by that diner I saw just down the street from here that totally looks like the kind of place with very lax security?” 

Dib stumbles a bit trying to keep up with the man’s rapid pace. “Um… Sure? I haven’t really eaten anything in like three days, but I don’t have any money on me-”

“Don’t worry about it, son,” the other Pines twin says as he catches up with the two. “Consider it a reward for surviving that ordeal you went through. Speaking of which, I'm surprised you weren't immobilized by that attack. I was fairly certain you'd broken a leg based on my evaluation, but then again, we were more preoccupied with the fact you definitely had a severed artery.” 

“O-Oh…” Dib may have been able to convince the doctor and staff that his miraculous overnight recovery had just been due to his genetics, but something in his gut is telling him that the Pines twins wouldn’t buy his story as easily. He mentally notes to not show them his medical report and tries his best to piece together his words carefully. “Well, the doctor did say that my injuries were more prevalent in my calf than my shin area, so I’m guessing that while the teeth of that monster did puncture my arteries, it just barely missed my actual bones.” 

Thankfully it seems that both of them buy his explanation. 

“Well aren’t you just the luckiest guy alive? Speaking of which, now that we’re out of sight of any cameras, I think it’s time we introduce ourselves properly.” The twin holding Dib finally releases his hold from his shoulders and gives him a wink and snap. “Name’s Stanley, but you can just call me Stan. And this six-fingered nerd here is my twin brother, Stanford, as known as Ford.” 

“Oh, um… Is there a reason you two used fake names when admitting me to the hospital?” 

“Let’s just say that a certain relative of mine,” Ford glares at Stan, who presses his lips into a straight line and looks away with his hands up in defense. “Committed a few too many felonies for us to be casually giving out our legal names. But that’s a whole other thing that we shouldn’t dwell on.”

Dib laughs under his breath. “Well, it’s nice to finally put names to the people who saved my life. And I think it’s only fair I give you two the same privilege. My name’s Dib.” 

“Dib, you say?” Ford echoes back with an unreadable emotion, and Dib starts internally panicking. 

“Y-Yeah? Is there something wrong with that?” 

“Oh, no it’s not that. It’s just kind of funny because we have a great-nephew with a name that’s pretty similar to yours,” Ford reassures Dib, and the latter lets out a small sigh of relief. 

“Alright, we’re here!” Stan announces as they arrive at the diner. 

The trio makes their way inside and is quick to order food, though Dib is very deliberate in choosing one of the cheaper items on the menu. Stan seems to catch onto what he’s doing, however, and ends up adding about two side orders to Dib’s original request, much to the young man’s embarrassment. 

“I know a cheapskate when I see one, and there is no way your scrawny ass is going to be filled up with just some toast.” 

“Fine, you caught me red handed. I just didn’t want you wasting too much money on me,” Dib confesses, twisting his lips into a slight frown. 

“I can assure you, Dib, that we don’t mind paying for you. Now, I’ve been curious since we met you a few days ago, what exactly were you doing out in the middle of the ocean? You were wearing a lab coat, so I’m assuming you’re a scientist of some kind.” 

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Dib starts, leaning back in the booth seat as he fiddles with his jacket’s drawstring. “I’m a researcher at Membrane Labs, and I was collecting data from some oyster nets that were set out a few months ago. We’d only collected about three sets of data before our boat was attacked. I was trying to get a photo of what was attacking the boat when I was suddenly pulled under water from underneath the boat.” 

“Membrane Labs? Isn’t that the fancy science company that Dipper was talking about last time?” Stan asks as the waitress returns with their food. 

“Yes, I think it is. I may not have been around for the company’s foundation, but I’m pretty impressed with how quickly the company’s CEO, Professor Membrane, was able to establish himself in the scientific field. They say he’s one the most brilliant minds currently alive, though I have yet to meet the man to test that claim,” Ford says with a slight hint of mischief in his tone. 

“Eh, he’s good with all things science. Everything else, not so much,” Dib says absentmindedly as he probes his hashbrowns with his fork. 

“Oh, do you work directly under him? You seem familiar with him,” Ford asks. 

“He’s my-” Dib begins, but his words quickly die on his tongue. “Um… well not directly my boss, but he is the one who assigns me to research teams for data collection and analysis. But yeah, I have met him in person a few times.” 

He’s not entirely lying, but he’s also not being entirely truthful. He doesn’t need to tell them that the world’s greatest scientist is his father; he doesn’t want them to figure out that he’s the supposedly insane son of such a brilliant man. He already has enough of that reputation back home, and for once in his life, Dib wants someone to know him, not Professor Membrane’s son. 

“Alright, enough yapping you two nerds,” Stan interrupts as he picks up his coffee. “Your food’s gonna get cold.” 

“Actually, before that, I have something to give you, Dib,” Ford says as he starts rummaging through his messenger bag. “You might not remember it, but before you lost consciousness, you had requested we keep that sea serpent’s body for what I can only assume is scientific research. We couldn’t hold onto it very long since it starts decomposing unexpectedly quick, but I was able to get some observations and drawings done for you before we were forced to let the body go. Ah ha! Here it is.” 

Ford pulls out a folder and holds it out to Dib, who is staring at the man in astonishment. 

“You… You called it a sea serpent… You actually knew what it was?” Dib’s voice is laced with confusion as he takes the folder and opens it. 

“Well of course! Only a fool would misidentify such a beast as anything else. I will say, this one was on the smaller side for its species. Normally these creatures can get around thirty meters, though this one was closer to around fifteen. It might have been a juvenile in that case, which would explain why it was so easy to kill.” 

As Ford continues to ramble, Dib flips through the papers in the folder, his eyes wide with disbelief. Contained in this folder is a series of drawings and scientific observations on the sea serpent. Things like its length, color, and even sex are listed, and not to mention just how meticulous the drawings are, with not a single detail about the sea serpent being left unnoted. 

“It’s been a while since I last picked up a pencil and drew anything, but I hope this is more than enough to sate your curiosity about the sea serpent we encountered. Oh, and I saved this for you.” Ford pulls out something from his coat’s pocket and holds it out for Dib. 

Dib sets down the folder before taking the piece of fabric from Ford, and he quickly realizes that something is wrapped inside it. He unfolds the fabric cradle and is met with an iridescent blue scale about the size of his entire palm. His hands start to tremble as he stares down at the scale, his emotions unable to process all this. 

“You… You really went out of your way to do all this? For me?” Dib’s voice threatens to crack as he speaks, and his vision starts to blur as tears start to well up in his eyes. 

Your father would never, a small voice says in his mind, but he’s quick to shake away the thought as he frantically rubs his eyes from under his glasses with the back of his hand holding the sea serpent scale. 

“Well, you deserved to get something out of nearly dying at that sea serpent’s hand. Plus, you remind me a lot of our great-nephew, the same one I mentioned earlier, Dipper.” Fords smile softly as he lets out a chuckle. “I have a feeling the two of you would get along very well.”

“What the hell did I say about yapping?” Stan repeats, earning an eye roll from his twin. “And you, all the food better be finished or else I’m going to have to take you back to the hospital for an eating disorder.” 

Dib lets out a sigh to calm himself before joining the older men in eating. It’s a comfortable silence, and Dib comes to the realization that he hasn’t been able to eat out like this with his family in a long time. Truth be told, he really misses that closeness they had when he was younger, though that just might be the nostalgia talking. 

“Your drawings and observations are really beautiful, Ford,” Dib suddenly speaks up, making said man look up from his drink. “And really professional. Were you a scientist at some point as well?”

“Well, I’m not sure most people would consider the supernatural and paranormal scientific, but in a way, yes I was. But that’s in the past-”

“YOU STUDIED THE PARANORMAL?!” Dib practically screams as he stands up and slams his hands on the diner table, shaking all the plates and glassware on it. 

“Oh, great, you really are like Dipper,” Stan bemoans to no one in particular. 

“I did,” Ford admits, readjusting his glasses. “I take it you dabble in the area as well?”

“I do! Or, well, at least I did until my dad kind of forced me to take this job at Membrane Labs. I haven’t had time to do any paranormal research in years now.” Dib lets a laugh slip from his lips as he starts running his fingers along the edges of the sea serpent scale. “To be honest, despite nearly dying to that sea serpent, that whole experience made me feel more alive than I’ve felt in forever.” 

“Well, if it's paranormal you want, you should visit our home town, Gravity Falls, sometime. It’s a small town in Oregon, and undoubtedly the capital of the weird and paranormal. We visit every summer to meet up with our family there. If you go around the same time, I’d be more than happy to show you around. You could even meet our great-nephew; I know he’d be more than happy to have another paranormal enthusiast around.” 

Dib can’t believe what he’s hearing. He falls back into his seat, his thoughts muddle and yet going a million miles per hour. Was this really happening right now? A family of paranormal investigators inviting him to their town full of cryptids and who knows what else? 

He can’t believe his luck.

“I… I think I’d like that, actually,” Dib finally says, a genuine smile making its way onto his expression. “When exactly do you two plan on going there?” 

“Towards the end of May. I can give you directions to our home there, though I can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for you there. Depends entirely if Wendy is going to be visiting, though I think that’s unlikely given the fact she’s working full time now in Alaska.”

“That’s perfect!” Well, except for one tiny little detail…

How in the world was Dib going to convince his father to let him travel across the country without fessing up the real reason for the trip?

The question weighs heavily on Dib throughout the rest of the day, and by the time he exchanges contact information with the Pines twins and gets on a train back home (courtesy of Stan who refused to let Dib trust any of the shady taxi drivers in the area), he still has no idea how he’s going to execute his plan. 

That is, until he glances down at the Irken insignia resting on his wrist while eating dinner with his family. And suddenly, the answer is right there.

“Hey, dad,” Dib says as a deceptive smile spreads across his face. “How do you feel about branching out our research into mycology?”

Chapter Text

The trip to Gravity Falls has always been a long and empty journey, with nothing more than nature sightseeing or the occasional hotspot to keep the twins entertained. Though this year provided its own new challenge with the fact that this was their first time commuting to Gravity Falls in their own vehicle. 

The twins took turns driving, of course, allowing the other the chance to rest and recuperate their energy, and there was the occasional traffic stop due to the overabundance of deer that just loved to throw themselves into traffic like it was their job. Luckily they hadn’t hit a single one. At least not yet. 

Only a few more miles, and they’ll be home. That's the only thing that’s been able to keep Dipper going despite having less than five hours of sleep. He knows he should have asked Mabel to take over driving from him an hour ago, but he couldn’t bring himself to disrupt her sleep. 

But now that she’s awake, he’s starting to regret that decision. 

“Pretty, pretty please with rainbow sprinkles on top?” 

Dipper lets out a sigh, shaking his head at his twin’s incessant begging. 

“We’re good friends, yes, but for the last time: I am not interested in Pacifica in a romantic sense whatsoever. We have like nothing in common-”

“And yet you two have bonded so much since we all first met! Can’t you see the enemies to friends to lovers pipeline you’re doing down?! It’s practically inevitable at this point, but you, Mr. Stick in the Mud, just have to make things all complicated because of your commitment issues.”

“I- What?!” Dipper nearly slams on the brakes at Mabel’s comment, but is able to quickly compose himself. “I do not have commitment issues! If anything, I have the opposite of commitment issues!” 

“Oh really? Then tell me why you spent around two weeks trying to decide which university to attend when you’d already said you were committed to Stanford?”

“T-That’s completely different,” Dipper stammers out, his face flush. “I just had to make sure which university gave me the most opportunities and stuff. Harvard was also offering me a really good scholarship, but I ultimately did choose Stanford because it was just better for me. But back to the point, my disinterest in Pacifica has nothing to do with whatever issues you think I have. You want the truth? Fine, I’ll just say it out loud: she’s just not my type, okay?”

“And what exactly is your type, dear brother? Oh, let me guess: tall, slender, ginger hair with a background in lumberjacking.” 

Dipper can practically feel the smirk in his twin’s voice, and he unconsciously tightens his grip on the steering wheel. 

“I was twelve, and she was the coolest girl I’d met at that point in my life. We’ve talked about this. My standards have changed a lot since then, and I’ll have you know that I already have an idea on how I’m going to get a girlfriend at Stanford.” 

“Oh please, don’t tell me you made a list for every possible way you’ll meet a girl at Stanford.”

Dipper instinctively tries to defend himself, but he’s left with a gaping mouth that he quickly shuts when he can’t find his words. 

“Oh my fucking god you did, ya big nerd!” Mabel lets out a loud laugh as she punches his shoulder, and Dipper just wants to sink into the floor and let the car crash at this point. “Well, don’t leave me hanging, bro! How exactly is Mr. Dipper Pines here going to net himself a baddie?”

“Well… I’m just kind of hoping to find a girl in one of my classes that’s cute and all and approaching her to form a study duo or something. Preferably she’ll also be in the same college as me so that we have something in common to talk about. Or I could meet a girl in one of my elective courses that I still need to take. I’m not entirely opposed to dating someone who’s in a different college than me.”

“Just make sure she isn’t a business or nursing major and you should be fine.”

“Or goth,” Dipper adds with a chuckle. “All I know is that I want someone who has the same level of ambition and drive as I do for life; someone who isn’t scared of taking risks. And if I’m really lucky, I might even find a girl who also enjoys studying the unknown as much as me and Grunkle Ford do. Plus, it wouldn't hurt if she was a brunette or whatever. And maybe shorter than me too…”

“Of course your short ass would want an even shorter girlfriend.”

“It’s not my fault that we got stuck with mom’s short ass genes!” Dipper retorts, ears redden. “It’s not fair that our Grunkles didn’t pass down their six foot tall genes.” 

“Oh, please. I already know how obnoxious you would have been if you were even three inches taller than you are now. Consider it a blessing in disguise, Dipper. But back to the point: sure you can have all these expectations and desires for the perfect partner, but the most important thing you can do is keep an open mind. As they say, the heart wants what it wants, and there’s no amount of logic or reasoning that can convince it otherwise.” 

“I suppose you have a point. Still, I have high hopes for my love life at Stanford. They say that you meet your lifelong friends during university, so here's applying that same logic to meeting a potential love interest.”

“Attaboy! Keep that positive attitude and you’ll meet your other half soon enough!” Mabel then pulls out her phone and suddenly grabs Dipper’s shoulder, startling him. “OKAY TURN RIGHT RIGHT NOW OR ELSE WE’LL MISS THE EXIT AND END UP IN PORTLAND!!”

Dipper, in his panic, swerves the car to the right, knocking out a sign in the process. He cringes at the sound of the metal pole scraping their car, but to be fair, it is a used car, and not a pretty one at that. 

“Well… at least we have Soos and his handyman skills,” Mabel says as she lets out a dry laugh, though Dipper can tell that she’s just as frazzled as he is from the small collision. 

The rest of their drive is silent, and it isn’t until Dipper pulls up to the Mystery Shack does Mabel let out a groan as she stretches her arms over her head. 

“Man, I forget how much I hate staying seated for hours on end. Alright, rise and shine, Waddles, we’re home!” 

While Mabel helps Waddles—who is well over a hundred pounds now—out of the backseat, Dipper gets their luggage out from the trunk. He does his best to not ogle at the very obvious dent on the rear door as he hands Mabel her backpack and suitcase. 

With one last look at each other, the twins lace their hands together before entering the Mystery Shack, oblivious to the cascade of events that would soon be catching up to them. 

“I’m telling you! The universe is doing its best to keep us together! I mean, how else could you explain both Candy and Grenda getting into CalArts alongside me?” Mabel waves around the whisk in her hand as she speaks, unintentionally splashing batter everywhere. “It’s fate, I tell you! Now all I need is for fate to set me up with a super cute guy or gal at CalArts, and I’ll be set for life, baby!” 

“Didn’t you have a girlfriend just last year? What happened between you two?” Melody asks as she sets the oven temperature. 

“Oh, her… Let’s just say that there was a reason she never wanted to bring me home to meet her family. But enough about that, how are those bell peppers coming along, boys?” Mabel directs her attention to Soos and Dipper, who are busy chopping up said peppers. “Grunkle Stan and Ford are going to be here soon enough, and I can’t serve them undercooked vegetables!” 

“Alright, alright, we’re done! These seeds are just really annoying to deal with.” Dipper finishes collecting the bell pepper into a bowl and hands it off to Melody, who promptly brings it to Mabel. “Anyway, as I was saying… It turns out that the Fresno Nightwalker was just a ghost that got tangled up in someone’s jumpsuit, which would explain why it’s only ever been seen that one time on video.” 

“Darn it! I was really hoping that we’d finally be able to meet an alien for once,” Soos pouts, and Dipper gives him a pat on the back. 

“I think we need to be just a tad more prepared to meet any potential extraterrestrial lifeforms. I doubt the chances of them being friendly is anywhere near high.” 

“But not zero, my dear brother,” Mabel chimes in as she slams the oven door shut. “Don’t worry, Soos. I’m sure we’ll find someone out there in the wide open universe who’ll be more than willing to exchange intergalactic meats with you.”

“I just need to taste a single piece of alien barbecue and I can die happy.”

“Grunkle Ford himself has never encountered a living alien, so you guys have got our work cut out for you,” Dipper says before resuming his mindless scrolling on his phone. As the conversation continues without him, Dipper finds himself looking at old text conversations. 

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed that Wendy won’t be joining them this summer, but she had worked so hard on getting that promotion in Alaska. It would be remiss of her to give up her dreams to come back to their small town for a whole summer. 

His phone’s notification sound goes off, and he’s quick to open the text message that pops onto the top of his screen. It’s Pacifica, asking if the twins have made it to Gravity Falls safely. A second text comes in just as Dipper is about to reply; it’s an invitation for breakfast at Greasy’s tomorrow morning, on the house per Pacifica’s specification. 

Despite not being interested in her like that, Dipper did really appreciate their friendship. Never in a million years did he ever think that the mean, spoiled, former rich girl would become a friend to him. Of course she could never replace Mabel as his best friend, but she was the only person outside his family members that he was really close to. 

Dipper puts away his phone after sending her a reply, allowing himself to fall back into his spiraling thoughts. 

It’s surreal to think that this is his and Mabel’s last summer coming to Gravity Falls together. With the fact that they’ve been accepted into two different universities, he can’t help but feel a pit in his stomach—one that’s been consistently growing with each day that passes. He knew that this day would eventually come; the day that they would need to go their separate ways. Even with years of mental preparation, he found himself unable to accept his current reality.

Just over 300 miles of distance would soon separate him and his dear twin sister. A six hour drive if traffic permitted or an hour and a half plane ride. It didn’t help that their schools were on different academic schedules too, meaning that their breaks wouldn’t even line up. All these thoughts and more continue to run around in his head rampantly until he feels something wet fall onto his crossed arms. 

Blinking, Dipper wipes at his cheek, and he’s shocked to see that he's starting to cry. He’s quick to wipe away his tears, hoping that no one has noticed that his internal dilemma is slipping out of him. And it seems that luck is on his side today, because the sound of the back door opening is more than enough to take any possible attention away from him to the two older men entering the kitchen. 

“Grunkle Stans!” Mabel yells as she barrels into Stan’s arms, nearly toppling the poor old man. 

“Woah there, pumpkin! These bones aren’t what they used to be.” Stan ruffles up Mabel’s hair as he gives her a squeeze in return, letting out a laugh. “I missed you two, sweetheart. And you, don’t just sit there staring at us, come give your old men a hug!”

Dipper lets a laugh slip through his lips as he stands up and heads over to greet his great uncles. Their embrace is more than enough to quench his lingering thoughts, and by the time they’re all seated at the dining table eating lunch and exchanging stories, he nearly forgets why he was so worked up earlier. 

“I see that you’ve made a few touch ups to your hat, Dipper.” 

“Hm?” Dipper is pulled from his thoughts at the comment made by Ford, and it takes him a moment to process what he’d just said. “O-Oh, yeah. It kind of went through the wringer during one of my late night cryptid hunts, but Mabel embroidered the pine trees on the sides to both fix and hide the damage.”

“With gold silk threads that I got on sale, might I add.” Mabel practically beams with pride at the mention of her absolute steal of a bargain. “I also got a jewelry making kit at the same store, and check these babies out!”

Mabel pulls her hair back to show off her handmade earrings: a pair of golden stars with a glittery rainbow trailing behind them. A clear nod to her nickname by a certain triangular demon who will remain unnamed. 

“That’s amazing, pumpkin. Now how’s about you make your old Grunkle here a new pair of brass knuckles that don’t flare up my arthritis.” 

“I wish! Too bad a certain grouch won’t let me use his furnace anymore.” 

“You lost your melting furnace privileges the second you thought it was a good idea to try and bake a cake in it!” Dipper snaps back in defense. “It took me weeks to clean out all that batter, and I had to order a replacement power supply thanks to you.” 

“To be fair, I thought that a hotter oven would make things bake faster.” 

“No way, dude! I thought the same thing up until last week,” Soos says as he passes out the cupcakes that Melody just took out of the oven. “Man, we really need to invent something that can bake things faster at higher temperatures that won’t immediately start a house fire.”

“Soos, that’s what the airfryer is for,” Melody says as she picks up everyone’s dirty dishes and takes them back to the kitchen. 

“Oh right! Gosh, I don’t know what I’d do without you Mel.” 

“Speaking of inventions, you mentioned an internship opportunity you were thinking of applying to last time we spoke, Dipper. How’s that going for you?” Ford sets down his cupcake as he gives Dipper his full attention. 

Dipper fiddles with the cupcake wrapper in his hand as he leans back in his seat. “I just applied to that internship last week. The absolute earliest I’ll get a reply is late July, and that’s assuming I get past the initial screening. And even if I do, I have to attend an online interview with the Professor Membrane present. Do you know how nerve wracking that’s going to be? Having an interview with the CEO and founder of such a large and powerful company?!”

“You’ll be fine, you big nerd,” Stan says, pulling down Dipper’s hat into his face, earning a yelp in protest. “If you could get into the most pretentious school in the country, I have no doubts in my mind that you’ll get that pretentious internship.”

“Speaking of Membrane Labs, we have quite the story to tell you two.” Ford lets out a chuckle as he reminisces. “A few months ago we were out in the northern Atlantic ocean setting up some lobster traps when we happened across something incredible. An Atlantic sea serpent about the size of a bus. It was a beauty; deep blue scales that reflected the light with a breathtaking iridescence and yellow tinted fins at the sides of its head. Like the appendages of a frilled lizard. Now, these creatures normally only feast on shellfish like crabs, lobsters, and oysters. But there have been some sightings that suggest that they will go after whales during certain times of the year.”

“If you don’t get to the point, I’m spoiling your little story right now,” Stan threatens, earning a look of annoyance from his twin. 

“As I was saying… The reason this information is relevant is because just south of us and out of view, there was a Membrane Labs research vessel collecting oyster nets. I have a feeling the sea serpent must have smelled the shellfish because just as quickly as it appeared before us, it vanished under the water. Not even five minutes later, out of nowhere, we see something flying through the air and crash into the ocean just south of us. Couldn’t have been more than seventy feet from us. I wasn’t able to distinguish what it was, but Stan over here knew immediately that it was a person.” 

“That kid was lucky he was wearing white or else I would have missed him,” Stan chimes in as he takes a swing of his drink before continuing the story himself. “We were able to see the spines of that sea monster sticking out from the water, zoning in on that poor bastard. I told Ford to get to the harpoon while I steered us closer, and if Ford's initial shot hadn’t hit, I’m pretty sure that poor kid would have been a goner.”

“Stanley was able to get him onto our boat after I managed to kill the sea serpent with a shot through the head. But things got even more complicated when he passed out from blood loss. I had to tourniquet his leg on our way back to shore, and we may have broken several speeding laws in the process of getting him to a hospital.” 

“That’s so badass!!” Mabel practically has stars in her eyes. 

Stan ruffles up her hair in response before shooting Dipper a glance from his peripheral. “And wouldn’t you know, the kid’s a researcher at Membrane Labs. Bib or whatever his name was.”

“It was Dib, Stanley,” Ford corrects with a deadpan voice. He then turns attention back to Dipper, flashing him a smile. “And to make things even more serendipitous, Dib also has a fascination with the paranormal and the unknown. So much so that I invited him to spend the summer with us here in Gravity Falls. We’ll be hosting him in one of our basement bedrooms, and who knows, he might be able to give you some pointers on how to get that Membrane Labs internship.”

“Please,” Dipper begins with a roll of his eyes. “The only sure fire way anyone is going to get that internship is through nepotism, and last time I checked, the identities of Professor’s Membrane’s children have practically been wiped from the internet. I doubt some lowly marine researcher like him would be able to do much for me, especially since he’s working at the East Coast lab, not the California lab that I applied to.”

“Better something than nothing, Dipper. But more importantly, how cute is this guy?” Mabel smiles mischievously as she bats her eyelashes innocently. 

Stan lets out a bellowing laugh at her question. 

“Hell if I know, kiddo. All I can say is that he’s tall, lanky, and pale. Clearly doesn’t go out much based on that last fact alone. You two can form your own opinions on him when he gets here tomorrow.” 

“TOMORROW!?” Mabel slams her hands on the table, shaking everything. “Do you know how little time that allows me to plan a party for him?! Goodness gracious, we need to go to the store first thing tomorrow if we want to make a good first impression on this potential dreamboat, Dipper!”

“M-Mabel!” Dipper stutters out as he’s throttled by his shoulders by said sister. “Will you relax? You haven’t even met the guy and you’re already scheming.” 

“I have no doubt in my mind you two will get along well with him. Just take it easy on him, more so from you, Mabel,” Stan says as he points a finger at her. “I don’t want another vengeful ex showing up to our front door with an ax demanding a blood sacrifice.” 

“Oh, come on! That was one time! Besides, if this guy works at Membrane Labs, he’s got to be a huge nerd like Dipper. What’s the worst he can do?” 

“Considering how many weirdos Gravity Falls seems to attract, I wouldn’t push your luck, Mabel,” Dipper says before taking a bite out of his cupcake. 

Had this been any other summer, Dipper might have cared more about the prospect of meeting this guy. Too bad he chose the wrong one to introduce himself to the Pines family.

“When is this thing going to start,” Mabel moans. “It’s been like three hours, and I’m getting tired.” 

“These things don’t have a set schedule, Mabel. It’s more of an estimate.” Dipper continues to readjust the telescope, trying to focus the lens as best he can. 

“Ugh, if this stupid meteor shower doesn’t start within the next half hour, I’m going to bed. I need to get up early for my skin care routine, and there’s no way I’m letting myself get dark eye circles for some dumb space rocks that aren’t even SHOWING UP!!” She screams out the last of her words as she throws up her hands in the air, clearly growing frustrated with the situation. 

Dipper only lets out a sigh as he shrugs off his sweater and throws it over his twin’s shoulders before taking a seat next to her. 

“And miss your chance to see like a million shooting stars in the night sky? Tonight couldn’t be a better night for it; there’s no moon so there’s less light to wash out the spectacle.” 

“I guess…” She lets out a sigh before leaning up against Dipper, resting her head on his shoulder. They stay like this for a while, with nothing but the midnight breeze rustling the trees surrounding them. 

“I’m really going to miss this,” Mabel finally says, breaking the silence. “Even though we’re obviously going to be seeing each other again during winter break, it’s still crazy to think that we’re not going to the same school anymore.” 

Dipper feels his heart seize, and the flurry of emotions that he’s been repressing all day is suddenly back in full force. He tells himself it’s the coolness of the night that’s making him tremble, and he does his best to speak up without his voice betraying him. 

“Well… It was bound to happen eventually. But it’s not like this is going to be forever; only a few years max. Soon enough you’ll have your own art studio, and if I’m lucky, I’ll become part of the Membrane Labs family. That way I can invent all sorts of things for you to make art with, starting with some eco-friendly glitter.” 

“Do that and I will literally kill a man for you.” 

“Oh please, you’ll do that for me right now!” 

The twins share a laugh when Mabel suddenly stands up, pointing at the sky. 

“It’s starting! Quick! Make as many wishes as you can before it’s over!” Mabel is quick to clasp her hands in front of her face and bow her head, much to Dipper’s amusement.

“There’s no need to rush, Mabel. Meteor showers can last for hours at minimum. Plus, I’m pretty sure we’re limited to a single wish even with a thousand shooting stars.” 

“Aw man! Why didn’t you say that first so I could have prioritized my wishes! Now I’ll never get that horse drawn carriage with a candy cannon on the back!” A yawn soon overtakes her, and she rubs her weary eyes before turning back to the window. “Sheesh, I really need to go to bed right now. Can’t wake up too late or else that Dib guy is going to show up before I have everything set up. Kind of funny that his name is Dib now that I think about it. Do you think it’s a nickname like yours?”

“I couldn’t tell you.” 

“Well, as long as he isn’t an exact copy of you, we should get along just fine.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Mabel merely sticks her tongue out at him before starting to head back inside, and in that moment, the anxiety bubbling in Dipper’s chest suddenly slips out. 

“Mabel, wait-” But the second she turns back around to face him, Dipper’s words die on his tongue.

Just tell her how you’re really feeling about being separated. Talk it out like adults, his mind is screaming at him, but his tongue has turned to lead and refuses to move. 

“Yeah…?” Mabel tilts her head in confusion. “What is it?”

“I…” Dipper lets out a sigh of defeat as he turns his attention back to the telescope, dropping his head in shame. “I got a text from Pacifica earlier. She said if we wanted to get free breakfast at Greasy’s, we should stop by tomorrow.” 

“Free food? Heck yeah! In that case, we’ll need to move our shopping trip to around eleven so we have time to catch up with Pacifica. Alright, goodnight, Dipper. Don’t stay up too late with the meteor shower, and remember, make sure to make a wish for what your heart wants most!” 

And with that, she disappears back inside, leaving Dipper alone in the suffocating hold of his emotions. He turns his attention back to the meteor shower overhead, cracking his knuckles anxiously. 

This whole thing is ridiculous, and yet… He can’t help but remind himself that stranger things have happened to him in his childhood. 

What his heart wants most…

“I wish…” he begins, clasping his hands in front of his face and bowing his head. “I wish for everything to be okay. For everyone. But… just maybe more so for me. I’m going to be facing the greatest challenge in my life without my other half, and I’m not sure how I’ll even manage. So please, to whoever is listening, I just want to find someone who can help replace the piece of my heart that my sister is taking with her to CalArts once summer is over.”

He doesn’t fight the tears welling up in his eyes as he looks up at the glittering abyss before him. 

“Please. That’s all I’m asking for.” 

Yet there is no audible answer to his prayer. And soon enough, the sky falls silent, leaving Dipper alone with the crushing weight of his reality, and the single comet that manages to slip by unnoticed by him. It’s blue trail sparing a single shimmer of light in the darkness of the black, moonless night.

Chapter Text

“Wake up sleepyhead! We’ve only got an unspecified amount of hours before Grunkle Ford’s guest gets here, and we need to redeem that free breakfast Pacifica promised us before we do any shopping for party supplies today!!” 

Dipper lets out a groan as he rolls onto his back, rubbing the sleep away from his heavy eyes. 

“Ugh… What time is it?”

“Six thirty! Now get up!” Mabel rips away Dipper’s blanket and starts trying to pull him out of bed. “We’re wasting daylight!”

“Okay… okay,” Dipper says sluggishly as he lets himself be pulled to his feet, letting out a yawn as Mabel practically shoves him towards the bathroom. “Wait… Doesn’t the store open at like nine? What’s the rush?” 

“The rush is that we better be at Greasy’s by seven or else we won’t get our favorite booth! Now make yourself look presentable. I don’t want you looking like a slob in front of Pacifica.” 

Dipper merely rolls his eyes at her command but doesn’t argue with her. He does as he’s told, brushing his teeth and fixing up his hair before heading back to their room to get dressed as Mabel takes over the bathroom. And despite her insistence to get to Greasy’s at around seven, Mabel ends up taking more than half an hour getting herself dolled up. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were getting ready for a date,” Dipper comments as Mabel exits the bathroom. 

Mabel sticks her tongue out at him, but Dipper is able to catch the way her cheeks tint themself pink with his words. 

“First impressions matter, dear brother; I would rather show up looking cute for an ugly guy than show up looking mid for a hot guy.”

“I already know you’re going to be very disappointed when that Membrane Labs research nerd shows up later today and turns out to be just that: a nerd,” Dipper says with some snark in his tone, earning a slap to his shoulder from his twin. 

“Would it kill you to stop being so pessimistic all the time?! Now come on, we’re already running late!” 

“No thanks to you!” Dipper retorts, but he can’t help but let a snicker slip out as he follows behind his frantic twin. They quickly say their good mornings to everyone before heading out with Mabel driving them to Greasy’s, much to Dipper’s relief. He did the majority of their driving the other day, and despite not voicing it, he was still rather tired from all those hours behind the wheel. 

“I think blue would be a safe bet, don’t you?”

“Huh?” Dipper blinks, having zoned out shortly after Mabel started the car. He glances at their surroundings and is surprised to see that they’re already parked in front of the diner. “Sorry… what were you talking about?”

“I was saying that since we don’t know what Dib’s favorite color is, we should probably use blue decorations as a safe bet. You know, the same color as the Membrane Labs logo.” 

“I guess…” Truth be told, Dipper wasn’t all that invested in meeting this Dib character whatsoever. Sure, his uncles had spoken somewhat highly of him, but this was still a stranger they were meeting. Plus, his mind was still fixated on the fact that at the end of this summer, he and his sister would be parting ways. Of course not for good, but it sure as hell felt like it would be. 

“... Dipper?” 

Mabel’s voice cuts through his thoughts, and Dipper forces himself to face her. 

“Dude, are you okay? You keep spacing out.” 

“I’m… fine,” he lies as he undoes his seatbelt. “Or at least I would have been fine if someone didn’t wake me up at the ass crack of dawn.” 

Now it’s Mabel’s turn to roll her eyes at his complaint, and Dipper is glad the subject is dropped as they make their way inside the diner. As luck would have it, their favorite booth is still very much available, albeit still full of dirty dishes from the last guest who used it. 

“Sorry for not bussing the table earlier. It was the only way I could reserve it for you two,” a voice says from behind the twins, and Mabel immediately lights up as she twirls around to greet the person the voice belongs to. 

“Pacifica!” She squeals as she hugs the blonde tightly, earning a giggle. “Oh my gosh, girl! I have so much stuff to talk to you about, and don’t even get me started on the drama that was my latest breakup.”

Dipper can tell that Pacifica isn’t really paying attention to Mabel. Her focus is instead not so subtly on him as she picks up all the dirty dishes from the table, stealing glances at him out of the corner of her eye every once in a while. He will admit, he does really admire just how much Pacifica has matured over the years. He still vividly remembers how much she would complain to him over late night calls about her first year working as a waitress at Greasy’s, and here she is now balancing two armfuls of dishes like it was nothing. 

While Pacifica goes to drop off the dishes, Susan stops by to greet the twins while she wipes down their table. It isn’t long until Pacifica is back with her notepad, ready to take their order, and it’s only then does Dipper realize something different about the former mean girl. 

“You’re growing your roots out,” he comments absentmindedly as Pacifica scribbles down Mabel’s order. 

“Hm? O-Oh… yeah.” Pacifica flushes as she starts fiddling with the end of her ponytail. “I just thought… You know, it was like time for a change or whatever. It doesn’t look bad, does it?”

“I think you look great!” Mabel blurts out. “I know for a fact that Dipper here also has a thing for brunettes.” 

Dipper’s face reddens at Mabel’s comment, and he’s too busy giving her a death glare to notice that Pacifica’s face has also erupted into a similar shade. 

“Um… Thanks, I guess?” The poor girl looks like she’s going to collapse any second now, but she’s quickly able to compose herself as she turns her attention back to Dipper. “Anway… How about you Dipper? Do you want your usual or are you feeling adventurous today? We’ve added new boysenberry pancakes and french toast, and I can promise you that nobody has gotten food poisoning from it. Not yet at least.” 

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll take the boysenberry pancakes then.” 

“With extra whipped cream?” She offers. 

“Ditto.” He doesn’t even bother to face her, his attention solely on Mabel, who is glancing between them with a mischievous look in her eyes. Once Pacifica is gone, he balls his hands into fists and leans forward with a scowl. “What the hell is your problem?! I already told you I’m not interested in her!”

“But her puppy eyes!!” Mabel pleas. “Ugh, it hurts me so bad seeing those big, beautiful blue eyes filled with so much love that isn’t reciprocated!” 

Dipper raises an eyebrow. 

“I feel like you’re trying to compensate for somethi-”

“THERE IS NOTHING TO COMPENSATE FOR, DIPPER!” Mabel yells as she stabs her fork into the table. Her scream causes a few heads to turn, and Dipper can only take in a deep breath to soothe his rising embarrassment. “I just… really want to make sure you end up with someone who cares about you. Is that too much to ask for?”

Her confession is quiet, yet her words pierce through him like a knife. His breath hitches as he bites down on his tongue, fighting back his sorrows. 

“Mabel… Pacifica is not the only girl who likes me that you’ll get along with.” One of his hands finds its way to the drawstrings of his jacket and starts fiddling with the metal aglet, while the other reaches across the table to take Mabel’s hand, which is still clutching her fork. “I know you’ve gotten your heart broken more times than I can count on both of my hands, and it sucks. I’ve seen your heartbreak, and I know you don’t want me to go through the same thing. But at the same time… I have to experience my own path with romance. Our experiences are going to be very different, maybe similar, but you can’t protect me from the pain. Nobody can, not even myself. But I can promise you that I’ll always find my way back onto my feet, just like you have multiple times.” 

Dipper can feel the tension in his twin’s hand slipping away as she lets go of the fork embedded in the table and gives his hand a squeeze. 

“I just hate seeing you cry,” she finally admits. “But you’re right; we can’t protect each other from everything. Especially when it comes to love.” 

Dipper gives her a somber smile, his mind storing her confession into the deepest part of his subconscious to inevitably torment him later. 

“Do you think Pacifica is willing to put the fork on the house as well?” Mabel asks jokingly, and the mood is immediately lifted. The twins share a laugh as Pacifica finally returns with their food—and an extra fork for Mabel. She lingers for a bit before clearing her throat, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“So… Dipper,” she begins, nervously spinning her pen in her hand. “You wouldn’t happen to be free sometime next week, would you?” 

“I’m not entirely sure. We’re going to be hosting someone this summer, and I don't know how long it’s going to take to accommodate him to Gravity Falls. Plus, I need to get a vibe check on his guy before I even think about leaving him alone with Mabel.”

“Hey!”

Pacifica forces a laugh, though Dipper can see the disappointment in her eyes. 

“Oh… that’s… fair. Well, enjoy your food, you two. And remember, it’s on the house!” And with that, Pacifica hastily makes her way back to the kitchen, not sparing the twins another glance. 

“I feel for that poor girl,” Mabel says in between bites of her food, earning a wrinkled nose from Dipper. “Well, at least I have time to prepare a pity party for her.”

Dipper doesn’t say anything in response, and the rest of their stay is silent as they eat their breakfast. By the time they’re done, it’s Susan who comes by to clean up their table. She reassures them that Pacifica has their meal covered, and Dipper can’t help but feel some remorse. The fact she didn’t even come out to see them out did sting a bit, but he reminds himself that she just needs space. 

The twins get back into their car, and off they head to the general store to get the party decorations Mabel will not shut up about. It’s nearly ten by the time they arrive at the store, and Mabel immediately heads towards the party section, leaving Dipper to grab a shopping basket in her wake. 

“Do you think we should get him a welcome present?” Mabel asks as she compares different styles of party poppers. 

“We’re already throwing him a party, what more could he ask for?”

Mabel gives him a look, and Dipper relents. 

“Fine… I’ll grab him a keychain or something from the front.” 

“Good. While you do that, I need to figure out what balloons to get. I’ll see you at the register.” 

Dipper waves her off, leaving the basket next to her as he heads back to the front of the store. He finds one of the dingy spinning displays near the register and immediately starts skimming through them. 

Well, it’s obvious that the name “Dib” isn’t going to be available, so he starts to eye the keychains that depict landscapes instead. He could get the one with the water tower overlooking the town, or the one with the cliff that was most definitely run through by a UFO. Considering that this guy was supposedly an admirer of the supernatural, the cliff keychain would probably be his best option. 

Just as he slips the trinket off the display, someone digs their hands into the side of his torso and yells at him, causing him to scream in response. When he whips around, he finds Mabel smirking at him. 

“What the hell was that for?!” He demands with a flustered expression. 

Mabel lets out a laugh before responding. 

“Just wanted to see if you were paying attention to your surroundings, dummy.” She taps a finger against his forehead, which earns a frustrated sigh from Dipper. Though his attention is soon turned to the fact that she isn’t holding anything. 

“Where are the party supplies you’re buying?” 

“Oh, yeah. I need help picking up one of the party cannons from the back of the store. It’s too heavy for me to lift on my own.” 

“Don’t you already have one back at the shack?” 

“Can’t go wrong with more,” she says as she grabs his arm and starts pulling him toward the back of the store. Her nails are digging into his arm pretty harshly, and her pace is far too fast to keep up with without him stumbling. It’s like she’s in a hurry. 

“Woah, slow down!” Dipper pulls back his arm and forces them to stop, rubbing his arm where she was just holding. “What’s the rush?” 

But before she can answer, a voice from behind him speaks up. 

“Dipper?”

Dipper freezes. The hairs all over his body stand on end as his mind registers the voice calling out to him. Mabel says nothing, all emotion in her face suddenly dissipating in an instant. His heart starts picking up its pace as he turns around, and his eyes widen in horror to see another Mabel standing at the end of the aisle, this one holding the shopping basket he had left with her. 

Her eyes reflect his terror, and fear soon grips Dipper’s chest. Sweat prickles his skin as he looks back at the “Mabel” in front of him, and it’s now staring directly at him with a smile that’s just a little too wide to be human. 

“What’s wrong, Dipper?” The thing asks as it takes a step towards him, forcing him to back up. “You look like you've seen a ghost with how pale you've gotten. Don’t you recognize your own sister? Or… is it that you’re recognizing something else?”

The thing morphs with a sickening squelching sound, and suddenly, Dipper is staring at himself. His blood runs cold as realization soon hits him. 

“N-No…” Dipper drops the keychain he’s holding, his body starting to tremble as horror seizes him. “No, no… We froze you in that cryogenic pod years ago! How did you get out?!” 

“Did you really think that thing would last forever? It was only a matter of time before those tanks ran out of liquid nitrogen, and even less time for all the machinery to rust away and allow me to escape. And escape I did, months ago…” The Shapeshifter soon reveals its true form, towering over Dipper. “But where’s the fun in causing chaos without eliminating the people who trapped me in the first place? So I took my time waiting for you two brats to come back.”

Dipper, who has been backing up during the Shapeshifter’s speech, finally bumps into Mabel, who hugs his arm. 

“Turns out, I never needed that six-fingered nerd's journal. Everything I could have wanted was sitting right there in the library; I don’t need the forms of the real when I have hundreds of fictional creatures to choose from! Though I will say, I do have a preference for those in that little game of yours. What was it called again? Dungeons and Dungeons or something like that?” To illustrate its point, the Shapeshifter begins cycling through a variety of creatures from said game: a Mind Flayer, an aasimar, a Death Knight, and a flurry of more forms too quickly for Dipper to recognize. It finally settles on that of a chimera before letting out a loud roar, and it’s only then that the twins finally react. 

Mabel immediately pulls Dipper out of the firing range of the chimera’s dragon head, and she throws her basket at the central head, momentarily distracting the beast. She hulls Dipper towards the exit, but a shelf is thrown towards the door, blocking it. Luckily for them, the shelf has also shattered the window next to the door, and Mabel hastily picks up a nearby umbrella and smashes through the remaining glass. They manage to slip out just as the Shapeshifter, now a Deep Rothé, charges them, barely missing the twins as they scramble out into the street. 

They’re only able to make it halfway down the street before the Shapeshifter bursts through the roof of the general store as a giant eagle and starts chasing after them. 

Dipper risks looking back, and he’s able to narrowly miss a car that’s thrown at them, pushing Mabel out of the way in the process. But before he can do anything else, a long tendril suddenly grabs him and he’s dragged into the air and forced face to face with the Shapeshifter.

“Even after all these years, you’re still so small and powerless against me,” The Shapeshifter says, morphing into a kraken. “I’m surprised your redheaded girlfriend isn’t here to save the day. But no matter, once I’m through with you two, I’ll be sure to hunt her down alongside tubby.”

“You’ll never find Wendy,” Dipper strains as the Shapeshifter’s grip around him tightens. “She’s further out than you’ll ever make it.” 

“Is that a challenge, then? Well, maybe I should keep you alive so you can witness me tearing her into pieces then.” 

“HEY ASSHOLE!!” 

Both Dipper and the Shapeshifter turn their attention to the street below them just in time for Mabel’s grappling hook to pierce through the eye of the Shapeshifter, earning a shriek from the creature. She tries to pull back the hook, but the Shapeshifter quickly transforms one of its tendrils into a hook and cuts through the line. It then proceeds to dig into its own eye and rip out the grappling hook and fling it back towards Mabel, though she is able to dodge the attack. 

“You wretched little pest!” In a fit of rage, the Shapeshifter uses its tongue to pick up a nearby bus and hurls it towards Mabel. 

“Uh oh.”

“MABEL!” Dipper can only scream as he helplessly watches his sister throw herself to the ground in a vain attempt to dodge the bus being thrown at her. 

But the impact never comes. 

Instead, an explosion cuts through the air, and it’s soon followed by the bus crashing down in two smoldering pieces on either side of Mabel, leaving her completely unscathed. 

Dipper can feel the Shapeshifter’s shock as its grip on him loosens slightly, and both of them stare in stunned silence as a figure in a black trench coat lands in front of Mabel with a loud thud. Giant, mechanical gauntlets expel what looks like steam as the stranger picks themself off the ground and stands guard in front of Mabel, who is staring at them with eyes so wide it looks like they’re going to pop out of her skull. 

Their face is obscured by an advanced looking gas mask with an LED display, and on that display is an odd looking symbol that Dipper doesn’t recognize. Triangular in shape with curved horns and surrounding a pair of slits that Dipper can only assume is where the stranger’s eyes are. The only other detail Dipper is able to ascertain from them is the fact that their combat boots have metal outsoles, which he notices as the stranger pulls a pin off their trench coat and turns their attention to Mabel.

“Whatever you do,” the stranger says as he kneels down to Mabel’s level and holds the pin out to her, their voice distorted by the mask they are wearing. “Don’t let go of this.”

Mabel simply nods, too awestruck to speak, as she takes the pin from the stranger. Once she has the pin, the stranger turns their attention back to the Shapeshifter. The creature tightens its grip on Dipper, who wheezes from the pressure. 

“You… You are not from here,” the Shapeshifter hisses, morphing itself into a Displacer Beast. “I carry the face of every single denizen that lives in this forsaken place, and even without seeing yours, I can sense that you are not one of them.”

“Funny,” the stranger says as they pull out a pair of blue vials from their trench coat and insert them into an opening on the back of their gauntlets. “I was going to say the same thing about you. Last time I checked, Shapeshifters like you don’t originate from Earth.” 

A loud click resonates from their gauntlets as they start to glow blue, clearly reacting to whatever it is the stranger just placed inside them. 

“But that just makes you easier to kill.” 

In an instant, the stranger launches themself into the air, giving the Shapeshifter no time to react as they fire something from their gauntlets towards the creature’s feet. As soon as the projectiles make contact, they violently explode into ice, earning an animalistic shriek from the Shapeshifter. The stranger seizes the distraction and fires several more projectiles at the Shapeshifter’s head, and in the brief moment the creature is paralyzed, they finally turn their attention to Dipper. 

A set of claws extends from their gauntlets, the tips simmering with a cold that Dipper can feel from where he’s suspended. They make quick work of the tendril holding Dipper with a single swipe of their claws, and for a brief moment, Dipper panics as gravity overtakes him. Fortunately for him, the stranger is quick to catch him, and as Dipper looks up at them, time seems to freeze. 

Up close, quite literally being cradled in their arms, he finally notices details that his mind didn’t register earlier. Dipper can now see that the stranger is clearly a man based on their physique, and he notes the long, black scythe of hair protruding from behind his mask. But what catches Dipper's eye the most is what the stranger is wearing around his neck. A black lace choker with a deep blue stone framed by an embellishment shaped like a moth. There are a few more pieces of this same stone dangling along the sides of the lace choker, and as the man shifts slightly, Dipper realizes the stone is iridescent, with shifting greens and purples. 

Wait a minute… Those aren’t regular stones-

But Dipper doesn’t have the chance to connect the dots as the stranger suddenly jumps back, barely dodging an attack by the Shapeshifter’s remaining tendril. 

“You’re gonna want to hold on tight for this,” the stranger commands, tightening his grip on Dipper. 

Dipper can only pray that he won’t slip as he wraps his arms around the man’s neck before they’re launched into the air by the stranger’s rocket boots. 

“IMBECILE!” The Shapeshifter howls as he breaks free of the ice, but not without losing an appendage. It soon morphs into another beast, an Owlbear, and rears up on its back legs. “You think you can defeat me so easily? I am ever evolving; my victory is inevitable!” 

“Sheesh, I nearly forgot how up your own asses you things are.” The stranger’s words drip with annoyance. The two land in the middle of the road, and Dipper is gingerly set onto his feet by the stranger, though the twin’s grip around his neck lingers for a moment. Despite not seeing his eyes behind his LED mask, Dipper can’t help but feel something as he stares at the blue slits looking back at him. 

“Stay close to your sister,” is all the man says to him before throwing himself back at the Shapeshifter, leaving Dipper flabbergasted. But also… feeling rather flustered for some reason. 

“Dipper, get your ass back here!” 

Mabel’s voice breaks Dipper out of his trance, and he turns to find her taking shelter behind one of the two pieces of the splintered bus. He scrambles to her side, and the two watch with bated breath as the stranger continues to fire ice projectiles at the Shapeshifter and dodge its attacks with breathtaking ease. 

That is, however, until the Shapeshifter manages to lasso its tongue around one of the man’s gauntlets and drags the device—and said man— into its gaping mouth. 

The gauntlet is crushed effortlessly under the jaws of the Bulette the Shapeshifter has taken the form of, though at the cost of being doused in an explosion of the freezing liquid inside. While it’s stunned, the man manages to pull his bloody arm free of the gauntlet, but he doesn’t have the chance to do anything else as the Shapeshifter comes to and—in an act that horrifies the twins—swallows the man whole. 

Well, there goes they’re only salvation down the Shapeshifter’s gullet, is Dipper’s only thought as he wraps his arms around Mabel. 

“ENOUGH!” The Shapeshifter shouts as it morphs into a dragon, its voice crackling with hatred and sparkling embers. It scans the area before its eyes land on the twins cowering behind the bus, launching itself into the air and crushing the remains of the bus they’ve taken refuge behind. “No more playing around. This ends right now, you little nuisances!” 

The only thing either twin can think to do is close their eyes and hold the other close with the heat of the Shapeshifter’s firebreath looming over them. 

But no fire erupts from its throat. Instead, the Shapeshifter falls into a coughing fit as its breath starts to condensate, clutching its chest. 

“What…” It can’t get more than a single word out as it stumbles, fighting for breath. “No…” 

The mighty dragon collapses onto its knees, but not without rearing its head back and attempting to clamp its jaws down onto the twins. But just before its teeth can reach them, a rapid succession of beeping comes from the pin Mabel was given by the stranger. In the blink of an eye, a blue forcefield envelopes the siblings, preventing the maw of the dragon from reaching them. Its breath condenses on the forcefield as it desperately tries to pierce its teeth through the shield, but to no avail. 

Soon enough, frost begins to cascade from the inside of the Shapeshifter’s mouth to the outside of its body, spreading like ink throughout its skin. Its movements become increasingly rigid until finally, finally, all movement from the Shapeshifter ceases. Its body, still in the form of a dragon, is left frozen above the siblings, its final desperate act immortalized in ice. 

Neither Dipper or Mabel dare to move out of fear that the Shapeshifter will regain consciousness and attack them. So they stay still, with nothing but the pulsing forcefield emitting any type of sound. After what feels like an eternity, however, the two hear something new. They aren’t able to identify the sound before a blue explosion erupts from the Shapeshifter’s body, shattering the creature like glass. 

As debris rains down on the forcefield still protecting the twins, Mable finally speaks up. 

“Wait… Dipper, look.” Mabel holds up the pin, and it’s only then does Dipper recognize the logo staring right at him. “This is a Membrane Labs pin. Doesn’t that mean-” 

She isn’t able to complete her sentence as their attention is diverted to the figure stumbling its way out from the Shapeshifter’s remains. 

The fractured and glitching LED mask of the man cuts through the mist as he approaches the twins, and once the dust settles, Dipper notices the fresh blood soaking through the man’s pants and the tears in his trench coat. In his remaining gauntlet, he’s holding what appears to be the frozen heart of the Shapeshifter, which he makes a show of dropping and shattering under his combat boot. As he finally reaches the forcefield, he makes a gesture with his hand, and his gauntlet is reduced to a bracelet brandishing the Membrane Labs insignia. He places his hands on the forcefield, which brings up an interface that he fiddles with until the shield is retracted back into the pin Mabel is holding. All the while, the twins are staring at him, awestruck. 

It isn’t until the man finally retraces his mask does Dipper feel his heart skip a beat. 

“Dib?” Dipper’s voice nearly cracks as he speaks up, his heart going a million miles per hour. 

Said man lets out a chuckle as he combs a bloody hand through his hair and flashes the twins a smile, showing off his sharp canines. 

“Guess your great uncles did mention me after all.” Dib’s real voice sends shivers down Dipper’s spine as the taller man offers him a hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Dipper.” 

Dipper doesn’t react. All he can do is stare. 

This is not at all close to the mental image he had of Dib, and based on the fact that Mabel faints not shortly after hearing Dib’s voice, she clearly wasn’t expecting this either. The man standing before him has a plethora of piercing on both ears as well as asymmetrical eyebrow piercings. But again, Dipper’s eyes fall back onto the lace choker around Dib’s neck, eyeing what he now realizes is the iridescent scale of the sea serpent his Grunkle Ford mentioned. He must have cut the scale to fit into that embellishment and used the excess for the rest of the choker’s decorations.

And as Dipper looks back up at Dib, he locks gazes with the softest hazel eyes he’s ever seen. 

“Um… Is your sister okay?”

Dipper has no chance to respond as he too follows his twin’s lead and promptly loses consciousness.

Chapter Text

“Despite their association with decay and resilience, the mycelium, the true body of fungi, is rather sensitive. Especially within a laboratory environment. If you don’t have a sterile enough work space, the specimen will perish rather quickly.” 

“Okay, but how exactly am I going to take a whole ass fume hood with me to Gravity Falls?” Dib asks in return as he leans back in his seat. “I highly doubt I’ll have a place to put it, let alone somewhere that has a proper ventilation system ready for me to hook it up to.”

His father finishes tinkering with the box he’s been preoccupied with before turning around. 

“Why, with my latest invention of course! A portable and collapsible fume hood.” Professor Membrane picks up the box and sets it down in the middle of the room before walking over to hand Dib a remote. “And it’s minimally invasive.” 

Dib takes the remote and looks it over, noting its simplicity. He presses the “on” button, and he watches with mild amusement as the box unfolds itself into a decently sized fume hood. 

“This fume hood is completely self contained. As you can see, all air circulation leads to this back component here, and within this component is a catalytic converter that transforms any and all hazardous fumes into their harmless elements that exit through here. That being said, I would not recommend using toluene within it, as we both know that that solvent enjoys destroying catalysts rather quickly.” 

Dib can’t help but let out a small smile slip onto his expression with his father’s warning. 

“Try explaining that to the interns.” Dib retracts the fume hood and pockets the remote. “So… is this everything then? The fume hood, analytical scales, mini fridge, hotplates, pressure cookers…” 

“For your mycology research, yes,” his father says, and Dib raises an eyebrow at his tone. “But I have something else for you. Something… more personal.” 

Professor Membrane reaches into the breast pocket of his lab coat and pulls out a small pin bearing the company’s logo. He holds it out to Dib, who takes it with some hesitancy. 

“It’s something I’ve been working on for several months now, but I’ve only just been able to perfect the mechanism. Now, I want you to stand in the middle of the room so I can demonstrate how this device works.” 

Dib, suddenly very curious as to what is going to happen, does as he’s told, moving to the center of the lab as he clips the pin onto the lapel of his trench coat. Once he’s in place, his father backs up into the furthest corner of the room before speaking up. 

“Alright, honey, that’s your cue.” 

Dib is only able to see Gaz for a split second before he’s suddenly engulfed by a blue forcefield that blocks the mechanical gauntlet punch his sister throws at him. In his panic, Dib trips over himself and lands on his back, but the forcefield is there to break his fall. 

“What the-” Dib presses a finger to the forcefield, watching in amazement as it gives way like a cushion. “What the hell was that for, Gaz!”

Gaz throws him a smirk as she disengages the gauntlets, reducing them to a pair of bracelets that somewhat resemble the most recent interaction of the Membracelets his father has been working on. 

“A new kind of forcefield designed to sense danger at a much faster rate than our brains can process. A necessary precaution, of course, considering the scare you gave us back a few months ago.” Professor Membrane approaches the forcefield as he’s explaining all this. “The forcefield will automatically disengage after a minute of not detecting the source of danger, but it can also be manually turned off by placing both of your hands onto it to bring up an interface.

“As for your sister, she’s also been working on a new variation of the Membracelets as you can see. These are still prototypes, but we feel that it’s best you take them with you. Oregon has bears after all.” 

“Just make sure not to break them or else bears won’t be the only thing you’ll have to worry about chasing you down in the Oregon wilderness,” Gaz threatens as she removes the bracelets and places them with the rest of the equipment Dib is taking with him. 

Dib lets out a nervous laugh in a vain attempt to brush off her comment, but the wristband Zim gave him betrays him by activating itself in response, popping up the button with the Irken insignia. Dib is quick to disarm it, however, pressing the top side dial, hoping his dad doesn't notice the device as the latter deactivates the forcefield from the outside. As he’s helped to his feet, his father’s hold on his forearm lingers. 

“I know I’m not the best at expressing my emotions with you kids,” Professor Membrane begins. “But I must confess, seeing you so enthusiastic about this research opportunity, an opportunity that you sought out by your own violation…” 

His father places a hand on his shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze.

“I’ve never felt more proud of you, son.” 

Dib is quick to tell his father—and by extension himself—that the tears that start streaming down his face are nothing more than tears of joy. 

It’s a shame his heart refuses to accept the lie as easily. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Dib lets out a heavy sigh and allows himself to collapse onto the ground, the pain of his injuries finally catching up to him. “That was way too close.” 

At least the Pines twins are safe. Unconscious, but safe. He’d much rather face another Shapeshifter in his current condition than both Stans if anything had happened to the siblings. 

“You call that efficient?! A smeet could have taken out that Shapeshifter faster and with less bodily harm to themself!”

Dib lets out a loud groan as he forces himself to sit up and turn his attention to Zim, who is sporting his human disguise and sitting on the ledge of a nearby building. Gir is standing next to him, waving around a pair of flags with the Membrane Labs logo on them like a little cheerleader. Despite Zim upgrading his human disguise to be more realistic, Gir remains his green puppy self.

“If that’s the case, then why the hell didn’t you bother trying to help me, jerkwad?” 

“Because I did not spend weeks of my precious time subjecting you to the training of an Irken soldier for you to die to something as measly as a Shapeshifter,” Zim snaps back as he picks up Gir and uses his PAK legs to descend to the sidewalk. “If anything, you should be thanking the almighty Zim for preparing you for this randa-vu.”

“Rendezvous,” Dib is quick to correct. “And no, I don't think I'll thank you for taking me on a space trip only to throw me into a death arena with a herd of those things without any fucking warning!!”

“I could have easily thrown you in there without any equipment, but I didn’t,” Zim rebuttals. “Danger does not wait for you to be ready for it, Dibstick.”

As much as Dib wants to argue with the alien, he can't find it in himself to disagree. Zim has a point, but he already has enough of an ego, and Dib refuses to add any more kindling to it. So instead, Dib redirects his focus to the Pines twins, who are thankful still out cold. 

“The least you can do is help me carry them back to my car.”

“Fine, but only because you were stupid enough to allow yourself to get injured again. Gir! Tend to the Dib’s leaking flesh wounds while I deal with these corpses.”

“Yes, my master!” Gir says with a salute. He grabs the medical supply kit from Zim’s PAK before scurrying over to Dib, who lays back down on the ground to make it easier for the small robot to tend to him. 

Despite his ditzy nature, Gir has been making a lot of progress with his ability to complete tasks; Zim claims this is because he enrolled Gir at the local community college. And while Dib doubts that nobody would question the random green dog in their classes, he knows better than to overestimate the general populace’s collective intelligence. 

Gir cleans and wraps up Dib’s arm before pulling out a pair of scissors to cut through his pants to access the gash running down his leg. As Gir continues his work, Dib looks back over at Zim.

Something about the sight of the Pines twins dangling from his PAK legs as Zim struggles to figure out how to unlock the car door gets a chuckle out of Dib.

“I’ve told you a million times already: you have to press the logo on the car key and be touching the car at the same time for it to unlock.” 

“ZIM KNOWS THAT!!” 

A smirk sneaks its way onto Dib’s expression in response to Zim’s outburst. After a few seconds, the Irken is finally able to unlock the car, and he unceremoniously dumps the twins into the back seats, not bothering to seat them properly. He then makes his way over to Dib just as Gir finishes suturing his leg. 

Zim lowers himself to Dib’s level and offers him a hand, which Dib takes without protest. He stumbles as he’s helped to his feet, letting out a hiss of pain while leaning on Zim for support.

“Shit… that's gonna burn for the next few hours.” 

“Don't be such a baby about a little pain.” Nevertheless, Zim pulls out a bottle of pills from his jacket pocket and hands them to Dib. 

Dib doesn’t even bother questioning what the hell Zim is giving him; he’s in enough pain right now to take just about anything to quench it. As he downs one of the pills, Zim reaches over and pulls off the headphones around his neck. 

“As much as I hate to admit it, this Shapeshifter was on the stronger side.” Zim reactivates the mask from their dormant state and looks over the damage. “Zim can understand it destroying your father’s invention, but it was also able to damage Irken technology. No normal Shapeshifter should even be able to scratch something this advanced.” 

“Well, if anything, that just makes this trip all the more interesting for me.” 

All Dib gets in response is an annoyed look from Zim followed by a smack to the back of his head.  

“Ow! Okay, fine, I’ll be more vigilant.” Dib rubs the back of his head, internally noting the numbing sensation spreading over his injuries. Whatever the hell he just took, it’s a lot faster than the average painkiller. 

“You’ll be more than just vigilant; you’ll wait until I repair your equipment and bring it back before you dive head first into another fight.” Zim retracts the mask and stores it in his PAK before directing Gir to grab the discarded gauntlet down the street. “It should take a few days, but before that, I need to clear out the surrounding wilderness for any potential Shapeshifter spawn that may still be out there.”

“Fine… Just make sure Gaz doesn’t find out that these got damaged,” Dib says as he hands over his undamaged Membracelet. 

“Zim makes no such promise.” 

Dib can only hope that Zim is just messing with him, but knowing his track record, it would be wise to prepare for an angry phone call or for his reclaimed spaceship to show up unannounced with a pissed off Gaz. He lets out an exaggerated sigh before heading to his car to tend to the unconscious twins. Once he’s done readjusting them and fastening their seat belts, he feels a tug on his trench coat. He looks down to see Gir motioning for him to pick him up while holding something.

“What do you have there, Gir?” Dib asks as he picks up the robot. 

“It smells like that guy!” Gir says as he points to Dipper, holding out the hat for Dib to look at. It’s a brown lumberjack hat with golden pine trees embroidered on the sides. But when Dib tries to take it from Gir, the robot hugs the hat closer. 

“Noooo! I wanna put it on him!” 

Dib scoffs at the request, but compiles nonetheless. He holds Gir up to Dipper and allows him to place the hat on his head of brown curls, albeit crooked. It’s only because of this that Dib notices something under Dipper’s bangs. Very gingerly, Dib reaches out to fix his hat before lightly brushing Dipper’s curls out of the way of his forehead. 

He’s greeted by a familiar constellation shaped birthmark on the young man’s forehead, and he can’t help but stare. 

Is this how he got his name, Dib wonders. 

But before he can do anything else, Dipper starts to stir, startling Dib. 

“Shit. They’re going to be waking up soon.” Dib shuts the car door and sets Gir down to run back to his master before quickly getting into the driver’s seat to start the engine. “Just send me a text when you’re done with the repairs. And please for the love of the unknown, don’t tell my family anything about what happened today.” 

Zim makes a zipping motion across his lips as Dib pulls out from the area and onto the main road. By the time he glances into his rearview mirror, Zim and Gir are gone. 

Dib’s grip on the steering wheel tightens as his GPS tells him he’s nearing the Pines family home. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about not only meeting up with Stan and Ford again, but also meeting the rest of the family. His first meeting with Mabel and Dipper was a total disaster thanks to that rogue Shapeshifter, and he can only hope to make it up to them in the future. He can’t exactly tag along to any high stakes adventures with them until he gets his equipment back. Maybe he can invite them along for some mycelium sample collection; he is supposed to be working on a research paper after all. That seems like a safe option, plus, he’ll get some work out of the way in the process.  

It doesn’t take long for him to reach his destination, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest as he parks his car. Again, his wristband detects this, and he’s forced to snooze the device. He has yet to learn what happens when he actually presses the button when it pops up, but he doesn’t want to risk finding out. 

He takes a moment to calm himself down before exiting the car and taking in the view. The Mystery Shack is a bit more secluded than he had imagined, but it still manages to possess a rather welcoming aura to it. It’s definitely more welcoming than his home city, that’s for sure. 

But just as Dib starts walking towards the building, the front door suddenly bursts open and out rush Stan and Ford looking frantic and holding weapons. Dib isn’t able to understand a single thing they’re yelling about, but once they notice him, Stan points his bat at him.

“FORD QUICK! IT'S A GOTH!!” 

“Stanley! It’s just Dib!” Ford says as he forces Stan to lower his weapon. “Look, son, we’re sorry about this, but we need to get to town right now. The news is reporting the aftermath of a scuffle, and the twins are shopping in that area-” 

“Wait!” Dib is quick to block Ford’s path, holding up his hands in front of him. “Hey, relax! Dipper and Mabel are totally fine! They’re actually in my car right now; I managed to get them out of harm’s way while I was on my way here.” 

Stan pushes past Dib to confirm his claim, and he lets out a loud sigh of relief at the sight of the twins. 

“Oh thank goodness! Still doesn’t make me forgive the fact that you’re a goth. I’ll be keeping my eyes on you, buster. No niece of mine is going to follow in your macabre, fashionista footsteps.” 

Dib doesn’t say anything in return, merely furrowing his pierced eyebrows and pressing his lips together in confusion. 

“Just ignore him, Dib,” Ford pipes up as he holsters his gun. It’s only then that Ford seems to register Dib’s disheveled state, and his eyes widen with worry. “What in the world happened to you? You look worse for wear! Is that blood?!” 

Dib lets out a nervous laugh as he side steps Ford’s attempt to grab him by the shoulders. He can’t even think of an excuse for his appearance when a groggy voice suddenly speaks up. 

“Ugh… My head…” 

“There, there, pumpkin. Grunkle Stan is here,” Stan reassures Mabel as he helps her out of the car, keeping an arm around her waist to balance her. “Are you hurt anywhere? Who’s ass do I have to beat?”

Mabel lets out a weak laugh as she becomes more lucid, rubbing away the weariness from her eyes. 

“I’m fine, Grunkle Stan. If there’s someone to be worried about it should be-” Mabel cuts herself off as her gaze falls on Dib, and her face immediately lights up. “Dib!” 

Said man nearly jumps out of his skin as Mabel rushes him with outstretched arms, and in his panic, he throws a punch at the girl. Thankfully, Mabel still has his pin on her person, and his fist collides with the blue forcefield at the same time Mabel runs face first into it. He’s glad the medicine Zim gave him works as well as it does, because he’s pretty sure he just broke something in his hand based on the loud crack that’s heard. If he has any luck left for the day, hopefully those were just his knuckles cracking…

“What the-” Mabel probes the forcefield walls with her hands. “Woah. I didn’t realize this thing was squishy.”

“I-I’m sorry!” Dib stammers out, internally praying that neither Stan tries to retaliate against him for nearly socking their great niece in the face. “I wasn’t expecting you to… well… do that.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize…” Even while being basked in the blue light of the forcefield, Dib can see Mabel’s face flush. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed that you would be okay with me hugging you right off the bat.” 

Oh, that’s what she was going to do. 

Dib clears his throat awkwardly before disarming the forcefield once more. 

“Yeah, just… Don’t do that again.” He fidgets a bit with his torn sleeve before extending his hand towards her. “And sorry for the rough first impression I gave you and your brother.” 

“Are you kidding!? That was the most badass thing I’ve ever witnessed with my own two eyeballs!!” Mabel grabs Dib’s hand and shakes it hard enough to nearly knock his glasses off him. She looks like she’s about to make a reach for him again, but thankfully she redirects her enthusiasm towards her “Grunkle” Ford, hugging and shaking the older man violently. “You two should have seen him! He was all like ‘phew-phew’ with his gauntlets and took down that Shapeshifter like it was nothing!!”

“THE WHAT!?” Now it’s Ford’s turn to grab Mabel’s shoulders and throttle her. “How in the world did that thing escape the bunker? Better yet, how the hell did you manage to subdue that thing?!” 

“He didn’t just subdue it. He killed it.” 

The trio turn around to see Dipper standing next to Stan, his eyes fixated on Dib. 

“But that’s… impossible.” Ford runs a hand through his hair as he looks back at Dib in confusion. “Fiddleford and I studied that creature for months, and no amount of chemicals or physical damage was able to keep it permanently dead.”

“Um, well…” How the hell is he going to explain where he got so much information about Shapeshifters from without mentioning Irkens? It was Zim who provided Dib the serum he injected into the Shapeshift while inside it that forced its body to undergo an endothermic reaction that not only froze it, but inhibited its regenerative abilities. 

Welp, looks like it’s time for Plan B. 

Dib reaches a hand behind his neck, pretending to scratch the back of his head, and grabs one of the dangling scales on the back of his choker. He then proceeds to dig its edge into his palm until he feels it break skin. When he pulls back his hand, he feigns surprise at the sight of fresh blood on his hand. 

“Um… Do you mind me using your bathroom to clean up first?” 

“Holy shit I just realized you’re covered in blood!” Mabel exclaims as she grabs Dib’s bleeding hand and pulls up his tattered sleeve to expose his bandaged arm. “We need to properly wash these or else you’re gonna get an infection!” 

Mabel pulls Dib inside the Mystery Shack without another word, nearly tripping him in the process of dragging him up the steps of the building. The next thing he knows, he’s inside a bathroom and Mabel is rifling through the cabinet under the sink. How they got here so fast, he has no idea, but at the very least he’s away from Ford’s scrutinizing gaze. 

“Thankfully Soos and Grunkle Stan built this bathroom last year, so you’ll have a lot more privacy down here.” 

“Down here?” Dib repeats. 

“Oh, yeah. You’re going to be staying here in the basement for the summer! Guess you didn’t really get a chance to see it and all because of how much of a hurry I was in.” Mabel gives him a smile as she stands up and holds out some toiletries for Dib. “I’m not sure if you brought your own things, but we always keep extras down here just in case. I’ll have Dipper bring down your luggage and whatever else you packed while you shower, and if there’s anything else that you need, just give us a holler.” 

“I… I’m really not sure what to say,” Dib says absentmindedly, making Mabel tilt her head. 

“About what?”

“About… this, I guess.” Dib takes the toiletries from Mabel and sets down on the counter, and it’s only then that he finally gets a glimpse of himself in the mirror above the sink. Ford was right, he definitely does look like shit with dried blood matted into his hair and dirt covering just about every piece of skin he can see. He takes off his glasses, not wanting to look at himself any further. “Sorry… I’m just… overwhelmed.” 

While he can’t really see her, Dib hears Mabel take a step closer to him before hesitantly taking a hold of his trench coat, mindful not to press her hand too close to his body. 

“You don’t have a lot of friends, do you, Dib?”

Dib feels his blood run cold. He snaps his head towards Mabel’s general direction, a mixture of terror and confusion plastered on his expression. 

“H-How did you-”

“You’ll fit in just fine,” she interrupts. “I promise.”

And with that, Mabel takes her leave, locking Dib in the bathroom with his emotions to reflect on her parting message. He waits until he hears her steps disappear upstairs before letting out a sigh and leaning against the counter. 

I mean I guess I did save her life, Dib muses, trying to wrap his head around the unfamiliar feelings bubbling in his chest. He knows cruelty and its many facets well, and while he’s less experienced with it, he also knows love. This is neither of those, and he can’t help but feel ill for not understanding it.

Well, best not keep the Pines waiting for me, he tells himself as he unclips his choker from his neck and sets it aside. His emotions can wait to be deciphered later, when he’s alone. For now, he has a family he needs to prepare himself to formally meet.

Chapter Text

“He cut himself on purpose.” 

Those are the words that Dipper greets Mabel with the moment she steps into the living room, earning a look of confusion from his twin. 

“What?”

“His hand wasn’t injured when you shook it or else you’d also have blood on you. But your hands are clean. It was only when he brought back his hand from behind his head did blood appear.” 

“And why exactly would he do that?” Mabel asks in return, her words laced with skepticism. 

“To avoid answering Grunkle Ford’s question on how he managed to kill the Shapeshifter,” Dipper says, getting up from the sofa. “And the more I think about it, the more uneasy I am with him.”

“Oh, boy, here we go again…” Mabel lets out an exaggerated sigh as she crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her head. “Dipper, you hardly know the poor guy and you’re already making assumptions.”

“I’m just trying to make sense of this weird gut feeling I’m getting from him, okay!?” Dipper fesses up, earning a raised eyebrow from his twin. “Something about Dib is triggering my fight or flight instinct, and I’m worried he’s hiding something dangerous from us. Or that he himself is dangerous.” 

“Dipper, if Dib wanted to hurt any of us, he wouldn’t have thrown himself head first into danger for our sake.” Her tone is rhetorical and leaves no room for questions. “Ugh, don’t tell me it’s because he’s goth. We’ve been over this! Goth chicks are the ones you have to be careful around! Goth dudes are just melodramatic and a bit fruity, okay?”

“I-what? This has nothing to do with the fact he’s dressed like a Hot Topic cashier!” Dipper’s face flares up with the accusation. “It just doesn’t make sense how someone as smart as Grunkle Ford or Fiddleford wouldn’t have been able to figure out how to kill the Shapeshifter and then suddenly this guy shows up out of nowhere and does exactly that! Speaking of which, he claimed that Shapeshifters aren’t from Earth; how the hell does he know that?”

“Um… I don’t know, why don’t we wait until he’s finished cleaning himself up and give him some fucking space to decompress before bombarding him with all these questions?” Mabel snaps back defensively, and Dipper is taken aback. 

He furrows his eyebrows and frowns. He knows that tone; it’s the one Mabel uses to get people off his back. Yet here she is using that same tone against him of all people. His stomach twists uncomfortably with the insinuation. 

“The absolute least you can do to thank Dib for saving our asses is help Grunkle Stan and Ford bring his stuff to his bedroom. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to help Melody make lunch. For our guest.” She’s sure to emphasize the word “guest” to get her point across, earning a scowl from Dipper. 

“Fine.” He keeps his remaining reservations to himself as he leaves the room and heads outside, all the while he can still feel Mabel’s piercing stare on him. It hasn’t even been a full ten minutes and Dib has already turned his own twin sister against him. 

“Hey, kid, where’s your car?” Stan asks as Dipper steps outside. 

Shit. He knew he was forgetting something. 

“I… Fuck! I was too focused on the Shapeshifter to remember that we had a car!”

Ford lets out a laugh as he approaches Dipper with a suitcase. 

“Don’t worry about it too much, son. You had more pressing things to worry about. I’m sure Dib would be more than willing to take you back to pick up your car. Speaking of which, me and Stanley need to get Dib’s research equipment downstairs into the study room next to the guest bedroom; do you mind bringing him his suitcase while we do that?” 

“Already on it,” Dipper says as he takes the suitcase from his Grunkle, however, as his hand brushes against Ford’s, he can’t help but linger. “Grunkle Ford… Can I ask you something?”

“Of course! What’s on your mind, Dipper?”

“Why exactly did you invite Dib to spend the summer with us? I mean, you hardly know the guy, and it’s not really like you to immediately trust strangers like that, let alone invite them to our familial home.” 

Ford takes a minute to think over Dipper’s question, the struggle to pick his words written on his expression. As the second tick by, Dipper’s heart rate steadily increases until his Grunkle finally speaks up. 

“Even as he was bleeding out on our boat, he still had enough moxie to force himself to the bow of the boat in a desperate attempt to reach that sea serpent. In that moment I realized that he wasn’t just some ordinary researcher; he was a man willing to neglect his own well being in the pursuit of knowledge. Something about that realization… It felt like I was looking at a mirror that was on the verge of shattering.” Ford places a hand on Dipper’s shoulder before continuing. “But just beneath those hairline fractures, I also saw a spark that I haven’t encountered since I first met you and your sister. A spark that I knew I could help fan into something greater, and where else to help it grow if not the one place where all the weirdos like us in the world aggregate.” 

Dipper hates how sincere his Grunkle sounds as he speaks; he hates how guilt wriggles its way into his chest for doubting his Grunkle’s intuition. He must not have been keeping his external emotions in check since Ford playfully flicks his hat’s brim.

“I know he might not look how you might have expected, but I know you two will get along just fine. Just… give him some time, okay?”

Dipper wants to rebuttal. To argue that Ford has clearly missed something about Dib that’s now tormenting the young man.

But his tongue refuses to move. Instead, Dipper swallows back his pride and simply nods, tearing his gaze away from his Grunkle and onto the suitcase he’s now holding. 

“I trust you, Grunkle Ford.” It’s clear that he’s speaking more so to himself as he takes the suitcase and leaves before either of his Grunkles can question him. 

Dipper bites the inside of his cheek as he makes his way back inside, silently fuming. He knows what he’s feeling is significant; it’s very rare for his gut to mislead him. And yet even his Grunkle Ford, the most paranoid person he knows, doesn’t seem to sense anything off about their summer guest. By the time Dipper reaches the guest room, he has more questions than answers and is nowhere near a possible explanation for his uneasy feelings towards Dib. 

Maybe you are just overthinking everything, a voice in the back of his head tries to reason, and for a moment, he nearly believes it. 

But Dipper knows better. He can’t let his guard down, not until he can confirm if Dib is a threat or not. And looks like the only way he’ll be getting those any time soon is to take Mabel’s advice, albeit begrudgingly. 

Dib is our guest; treat him as such, he tells himself as he places his hand on the guest room’s door knob. No accusations, no intimidation. Just… put on some classic Pines Family charm. Once he’s comfortable and vulnerable, that’s when you strike. 

Dib is in the process of drying his hair when he hears the guest room door open. 

“Thank god he’s still in the bathroom,” Dib hears Dipper mutter under his breath as he enters the bedroom, and Dib can’t help but laugh under his breath. “Hey, man, I brought your suitcase down for you so you can get dressed.” 

Oh yeah, he nearly forgot that all his clothes were still in his trunk. 

“Oh… thanks for that,” Dib says as he picks up his glasses and puts them on. He expects to hear Dipper leave shortly after dropping off his suitcase, but Dib doesn’t hear any movement coming from the other side of the bathroom door. Just as he’s about to ask Dipper if he needs anything, the young man speaks up again. 

“I know this is kind of random, but I kind of forgot my car back downtown. In the same area where that whole Shapeshifter fiasco happened earlier. Do you think you can drive me back there to pick it up?”

“Um… Yeah, I can do that.” Dib furrows his eyebrows at the request, not entirely sure how to interpret Dipper’s tone. He’s pretty sure he can sense some level of unease in Dipper’s words. “Just wait for me outside, and I’ll be out in like ten minutes.” 

“Okay… Cool. Yeah, I’ll see you outside.”  

Dib waits until he hears Dipper’s footsteps leave the bedroom and go back up the basement stairs before exiting the bathroom. He finds his suitcase already placed on the guest bed, and for some reason this simple action seems to resonate with him in the same manner Mabel’s earlier actions did. 

Dib is quick to shake away the feelings, however, as he opens up his suitcase and starts rummaging through his clothes.

Okay, you’ve got a second chance to make a good impression on Dipper… Don’t mess it up.

His eyes catch his tattered trench coat on the towel rack in the bathroom, and while he does briefly consider wearing it, he knows better. He needs to look presentable. 

He ultimately settles on a random band tee, some ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket. He also removes the metal outsoles from his combat boots and throws on some bracelets to help Zim’s wristband stand out less. The last thing he puts on is his lace choker before finally stepping outside the guest room, and it’s only then that he’s struck with the sudden realization that he has no idea how to navigate this house. 

Luckily for him, the sound of footsteps on the staircase brings some relief as Ford and Stan come into view. 

“Ah, I’m glad to see you’ve cleaned up, Dib.” Ford gives Dib a warm smile as he places down one of Dib’s equipment boxes on the ground. “Sorry for not taking the time to properly greet you earlier.”

“Hey, it’s cool. You two were worried about the twins. I can’t really blame you guys for prioritizing them over me.” 

“No, no, Sixer’s right,” Stan interjects. “The absolute least we could have done was thank you for keeping the kids safe. But we’ll make it up to you, don’t you worry about it, kid.” 

Dib flinches slightly as Stan ruffles up his hair, and he gives them an awkward laugh as he runs a hand through his hair to fix it up. 

“You really don’t have to go out of your way to do anything for me. You’re already providing me free housing here and allowing me to conduct research here; I can’t really ask for anything else.” 

The Pines brothers share a look between themselves, clearly unconvinced. Yet neither of them pushes the topic any further. 

“In that case, you should head up to meet with Dipper. Just take a right once you get to the top of the stairs and head straight down the hall until you enter the kitchen. You’ll find your way out the back entrance.” 

“Thanks. We won’t take long.” And with that, Dib takes his leave. He’s grateful for the directions as he makes his way outside; this place has more rooms than he can count. 

As he exits and rounds the building, he sees Dipper pacing around his car, seemingly lost in thought. The sight makes Dib pause, suddenly very self-conscious. 

He’s been told by both Ford and Stan that he’ll have no problem getting along with Dipper. But Dib knows better. He has a long track record of being the community outcast and freak, and Dib knows he only needs to say a single wrong word for things to go south very quickly.

You’re going to be okay, he reassures himself before taking a deep breath to calm the anxiety bubbling in his chest. Nothing he can do will ever be worse than what Zim put you through in your youth.

He deactivates Zim’s wristband—not needing to look at it to know it’s going off—before finally forcing himself to approach Dipper, who stops his pacing at the sound of Dib’s approaching footsteps. 

Dipper looks like he’s going to say something before he quickly covers his mouth with a hand. The little of his face that Dib can still see from under his hand is tinted red, though Dib isn’t sure what to make of the reaction. The tension in the air is palpable, and the two young men simply stare at each other for what feels like forever before Dib clears his throat to break the silence. 

“So-”

“I-”

They both start and stop speaking at the exact same time, and they two are back staring at each other with a thick silence between them. That is until Dib lets himself laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. This seems to relax Dipper a bit, whose shoulders slump back as he shoves his hands into his pockets. 

“Well…” Dib begins as he holds out his hand towards Dipper. “So much for a normal first meeting.”

Now it’s Dipper’s turn to laugh, and Dib lets a smile slip onto his expression at the sound. 

“Our first time here didn’t exactly go without a hitch either. If anything, I should have expected something this dramatic to have happened.” Dipper takes Dib’s hand and shakes it, giving the latter a crooked smile in return. “Well… maybe not the fact that you were unexpectedly prepared for Shapeshifter, but that was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.” 

“Can’t really say I necessarily planned for that thing either,” Dib admits, his hand finding its way to his choker to fiddle with one of the dangling scales. “But considering the fact that the last expedition I went on ended with me in the hospital, a few extra safety measures were implemented for my trip to Gravity Falls.” 

“I heard.” Dipper pulls out something from his pocket, turning it over between his fingers before handing it over to Dib. “Guess that means you’ll need this back.” 

Dib takes the item from Dipper, and it turns out to be the pin his father gave him. He rubs his thumb over its glass surface, feeling something between melancholy and sentimentality as his father’s logo stares back at him. He doesn’t allow the feelings to linger long, however, and he quickly attaches the pin to his jacket without another thought. 

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing. So… do all employees get this kind of tech when they’re doing field work?” Dipper asks as Dib takes out his car keys and unlocks said vehicle. 

“Well… It depends on your field,” Dib says as he enters his car, with Dipper following suit. “Marine biologists can’t exactly use the same equipment or protective gear that our nuclear physicists use. The general rule is that the more dangerous the field, the more advanced the equipment you get.”

“And what exactly is your field?”

“I’m kind of a jack of all trades so to speak, but right now, I’m technically on sabbatical to research mushroom species in Gravity Falls to help develop a new kind of skin graft with them.” 

The conversation soon delves into a scientific discussion of the properties of mushrooms and mycelium as Dib starts his car and heads back onto the road. Normally, Dib wouldn’t entertain an entire conversation on science talk alone, but something about Dipper’s in depth questions and how attentive he is to Dib’s responses just feels… different. 

It doesn’t feel like he’s talking to any of his coworkers back at the lab. Hell, despite their cordialness with each other, he and Zim can’t have a single conversation without the latter throwing insults at him every other breath. This feels more casual. Laidback. He even finds himself laughing at a few jokes Dipper throws in here and there. He can’t really think of any other time he’s been able to just talk with someone like this. In fact, he’s pretty sure this is the first time he’s ever been treated like this. 

Like a normal person. 

“You work directly under him?” 

“More or less. I mean, he is the one who assigns me to my research teams, and I am part of the grant committee that he supervises.” 

“Man, it must be intimidating working with one of the world’s greatest scientists basically breathing down your neck."

“Eh, you get used to it after a while.”

Dipper hums, taking a moment to think over his next question carefully. When he speaks up again, his tone is suddenly much more serious and quiet.

“What is Professor Membrane like? In person? Away from all the cameras and interviews?”

Oh boy… 

Dib was really hoping that Dipper wouldn’t have asked that question, but in the back of his mind, he knew it was inevitable. But before he can answer, Dipper abruptly sits up in his seat and stares wide eyed out the front window as they round the corner. 

“IS THAT MY FUCKING CAR!?” 

He doesn’t even wait for Dib to stop before he undoes his seatbelt and bolts out of the car. Dib is quick to put the car in park and throws on the hazard lights before following Dipper. 

Dib catches up to Dipper just as he drops to his knees rather dramatically in front of a car buried under debris that undoubtedly came from Dib’s earlier scuffle with the Shapeshifter. 

“This has to be a joke,” Dipper mumbles to himself, disbelief written all over his face as he grips the sides of his hat. 

“Um… Okay…” Dib isn’t really sure what to say; truth be told, he’d consider this an overreaction on Dipper’s part. “I mean… It's just a car. It’s not like they’re in short supply.”

The look that Dipper gives Dib in response is enough for the latter to immediately realize that he’s spoken out of turn, and Dib’s panic only rises as Dipper makes his way back to his feet. 

“Yeah, no shit. But it took two years of saving money between me and Mabel to afford this damn thing, and it was used!” Dipper takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair, and again, Dib can’t help but stare at the birthmark on his forehead. 

“Well… if money’s the problem, I can give you two the funds to get another car,” Dib graciously offers, tearing his gaze away from Dipper’s forehead and sheepishly trying to find something else to look at. “We could stop by a dealership in Portland or something whenever you two are free. Until then, I’m more than happy to drive you two around.” 

Dipper doesn’t say anything. He just stares at Dib like he’s spoken a foreign language. 

“You’re… N-No, that… You can’t be serious,” Dipper stammers out, struggling to string together a coherent sentence. 

“I am. It’s the least I can do-”

“For what?! We hardly know each other, and you’re telling me you’re willing to shell out a couple grand to buy an essential stranger a new car! Are you insane?”

Dib flinches at the use of the word “insane”, and he can tell Dipper noticed. Dipper takes a moment to compose himself, taking in a deep breath as he puts his hat back on and kicks a piece of debris. 

“Sorry, I-”

“No, you’re right,” Dib interjects. “It is a weird thing to do. Especially with a stranger.” 

Dib starts fidgeting with a dangling scale on his choker as he looks over the area. Townsfolk are still working on cleaning up debris, and he reminisces on similar memories from his youth. But whereas his father would take care of the collateral damage from his altercations with Zim, here the responsibility has fallen on the denizens of Gravity Falls. 

“But you don’t feel like a stranger to me.”

When Dib looks back at Dipper, he’s met with the look of a deer staring at a semi-truck barreling straight towards it. 

Dipper doesn’t say anything; his face lit up like a stop sign as he continues to stare at Dib. He then simply turns away from Dib and heads down the street. Once he’s a good distance away, he pulls down his hat and screams into it at the top of his lungs, scaring off a flock of birds from a nearby telephone pole. He comes back without acknowledging Dib and heads straight back into the passenger’s seat of Dib’s car without another word. 

Well… At least now he has no reason to call me a weirdo.

But before joining Dipper back in his car, Dib pulls out his phone and snaps a picture of the destroyed car. He sends the image to Zim, letting the alien know that the scraps are free for the taking as he makes his way back to his car.

The ride back to the Mystery Shack is quiet and only ever so slightly awkward. Dipper refuses to look in Dib’s general directions the entire time, but it doesn’t seem to be out of hostility. Probably embarrassment if Dib had to guess. It’s only when they finally arrive back at the shack does Dipper finally speak up. 

“I never properly thanked you for what you did earlier.” 

Dib looks over at Dipper, who’s still avoiding eye contact with him. 

“I’m not sure I can ever truly express just how much I appreciate the fact that you showed up when you did,” Dipper confesses, grimacing as he speaks. “I really thought I was going to be forced to watch my best friend die in front of me.”

When Dipper finally forces himself to look at Dib, something clicks inside Dib’s mind. 

The feeling he got earlier with Mabel and the feeling he’s experiencing right now. 

It’s appreciation. Or at least something akin to it. 

Dipper suddenly furrows his eyebrows, a look of concern crossing his features. 

“Are… you okay?” 

Dib blinks, and it’s only then that he realizes that his eyes are welling up with tears. He lets out a sigh as he takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes.

“Sorry, it’s just…” Dib cuts himself off as he puts his glasses back on and unlatches his seatbelt. “You know what? Forget it. It’s nothing important.” 

He can tell Dipper wants to ask questions, but the Pines twin keeps his mouth shut. They exit the car and head back inside through the front entrance, and Dib finally gets the opportunity to take in the Mystery Shack in its full glory. 

Well… glory may not be the right word for what he’s looking at. 

“What is all this stuff?” 

“Oh, right.” Dipper steps further into the building as Dib looks around in confusion. “Guess my Grunkles forgot to tell you that the Mystery Shack is technically a tourist trap and all. But I can promise you that we do have actual cryptids here in Gravity Falls! We’re just not allowed to have any of them on display here for… reasons.” 

“Not even taxidermied specimens?”

“You try finding someone within a ten mile radius who’s willing to taxidermy a unicorn for under three grand.”

“Give me a week, and I’ll do it for you free of charge,” Dib counters, though it only earns him a disturbed look from Dipper. 

Thankfully, their conversation is cut short by a gasp coming from the other side of the room. 

“You’re back! And just in time too!” 

The two turn their attention to Mabel, who is covered in flour and what Dib can only assume is blue frosting. 

“Hope you two had fun getting to know each other!” Despite her singsong tone, Dib doesn't miss the slight glare she gives Dipper before focusing her attention on him. “Come, come! We just finished preparing lunch for everyone.” 

Dib does as he’s told, following Mabel’s lead while Dipper trails behind them. They weave through a labyrinth of hallways before Dib is able to recognize the basement staircase and the path towards the kitchen. What he doesn’t remember is the kitchen area being as dark as it is now. Before he can comment on anything, the lights suddenly flick on and the sound of an explosion and confetti soon fills the room. 

Dib nearly jumps out of his skin with the loud sound, stumbling back into a counter and staring wide eyed at the group of people surrounding the kitchen table. 

“Surprise!” They all yell out simultaneously while firing party poppers. 

Mabel starts saying something, but Dib’s heartbeat is far too loud for him to hear anything she’s saying. He looks down at his hands and sees that they’re trembling violently; the Irken insignia on his wrist is flashing like a siren, its pink light soon becoming blurry as his vision starts to fail him. His chest is caving in on itself as hyperventilation sets in; the pounding of his heart ringing in his ears only further scrambles his racing thoughts. 

Th is is n't rightSom ething is wro  ngY  ou're und er attackThis is a trapSom eth  ing is n’t rightYou’  re in dange rWh  at’s g  oing on? Who a rethes e peo ple What do t he y wan t wi th m eTh is is n't rig  htSom ething is wro  ngY  ou're und er atta ckT hi s is a tr apSome th  ing isn’t rig htYou’  re in dan  ger Wh  at’s g  oing on? Who a rethes e people What do t he y wan t wi th m eTh is is n't ri g  ht Som ethi ng is wro  ngY  ou're und er att ack  This is a trap Som eth  ing isn’t ri ghtYou’  re in dang erWh  at’s g  oing on? Who a rethes e people What do t he y wan t wi th m e Th is is n't rig htSom ething is wro  ngY  ou're und er atta c kT  his is a tra  pSo meth  ing is n’t rightYou’  re in dan ger Wh  at’s g  oing on? Who a rethes e peo ple What do t he y wan t wi th m eTh is is n't rightSom ething is wro  ngY  ou're und er attackThis is a trapSometh  ing isn’t rig htYou’  re in danger Wh  at’s g  oing on? S o me thing i s v er y w r on g

GET OUT

Dib’s body doesn’t wait for his mind to figure out his next course of action. In the blink of an eye, Dib finds himself sprinting out the back door and into the forest that surrounds the area. He can barely register the sound of someone calling out his name from behind, but the only thing on his mind right now is getting as far away as he possibly can from the Mystery Shack. 

He has no idea how long or how far he’s run out, and by the time his body finally gives into exhaustion, he’s surrounded by trees as far as the eye can see. He hunches over onto his knees, coughing and wheezing as he fights for a full breath of air for his burning lungs. His body is still shaking from the adrenaline in his system; his vision now fully obstructed by the tears that are streaming from his eyes. He tries to swallow back saliva, but it feels like he’s swallowing shrapnel instead.

What the hell just happened? he asks himself as he collapses onto the forest floor, clutching his chest. 

He tries in vain to calm his breathing, but fails miserably, his breath hitching as a sob rips through his throat. He curls into himself as his emotions spill out; years of neglect, pain, and cruelty hitting him all at once with the freshness of a papercut. 

He’s going to die out here. He's sure of it. 

As he lays there on the forest floor, struggling to breath, something small and warm manages to squeeze its way under him and holds itself close to his pounding chest. 

Dib doesn’t react to the presence immediately. A moment passes before his mind starts to pick up on the rhythmic beating sound against his chest, and he slowly but surely forces him to breathe in tandem with it. It takes a few minutes, but Dib is able to calm himself down just enough to pick himself off the ground and onto his knees. His glasses fall off in the process, but he doesn’t need them to recognize the neon green creature clinging to his chest, its arms too short and stubby to stretch across his entire chest. 

“Gir?” His voice croaks as he speaks up. “Wh… What are you doing here?”

The robot doesn’t answer, simply burying his face into Dib’s chest as he continues to emit that rhythmic beating sound. 

Dib doesn’t know exactly what to do, but the warmth Gir is radiating is more than enough for the tension in his body to begin seeping away. He gingerly wraps his arms around Gir, taking in deep breaths as he holds the robot close, taking comfort in the warmth pressed against his body. Once his heart rate and breathing has stabilized, he lets out a heavy sigh and plucks Gir from his chest, holding him up to his eye level. 

“Thank you, Gir.” Dib musters just enough strength to give the robot a weak smile. “Not sure how you did that, but it really helped.”

“I learned it in community college!” Gir says with a big smile. “Lots of my friends would roll up into balls in the library and cry until my psychology teacher taught me how to help them!” 

Dib stares at Gir in disbelief; guess Zim wasn’t just fucking with him after all. A laugh slips out of his chest, the absurdity of the situation too ridiculous for him to take it seriously. He sets Gir down, and he helps Dib by finding and handing over his glasses. Dib wipes his eyes dry before putting his glasses back on, and he finally takes a moment to survey his surroundings as Gir climbs onto his lap. 

Now free from his sorrows, he finally has the opportunity to really take in the tranquility of the area. He hears woodpeckers and chickadees making their rounds in the canopy of trees above; the filtered sun rays illuminate the forest floor buzzing with insects and small mammals skittering about. A breeze soon passes through the area; the rustling of the leaves is followed by a cascade of seeds and debris from the trees above. 

The scene is almost ethereal. Like the forest itself is alive. 

“...ib!”

The silence is soon shattered by the sound of someone calling out Dib’s name, and he quickly turns his attention to Gir, whose ears have also perked up. 

“Oooo! Is that a friend?” The robot asks. 

“Um… I’m… not sure,” Dib admits as he nudges Gir off his lap and stands up. “Either way, you need to get back to Zim right now.”

“But I wanna meet them!”

“Dib!” The voice is getting closer, and Dib now recognizes it as Dipper calling out to him. 

Shit.

“Hey, Gir,” Dib says as he starts walking deeper into the forest, prompting Gir to follow him. “Remember that game we played that one time on the dirt planet? The one where we raced to see who could get back to Zim’s ship the fastest? How’s about we play that again right now?”

“Yeah, yeah, I love that game!” Gir starts jumping up and down, obviously to Dib’s real intentions.

“Oh really? Okay.” Dib stops and gets into a runner’s starting position next to Gir, who mirrors his action. “You ready?”

“Yeah!!”

“Okay… Ready set go!!” Dib doesn’t even bother to pause in between each command, and he lets out a sigh of relief when Gir zooms off without even looking back at him. 

Dib stands and watches Gir’s green body be swallowed up by the forest, and not even a minute later, he hears leaves being crushed behind him. He looks back and is surprised to see both Dipper and Mabel approaching him, with the latter looking like she just finished crying. 

“Oh, Dib,” Mabel chokes out as she tries to approach him, though Dipper is quick to grab her arm when Dib instinctually takes a step back. “Shit! I keep doing that. Look, Dib… I’m really sorry about the surprise party. I was just trying to make you feel welcomed and thank you for saving me and Dipper; I didn’t realize-”

“Hey, you didn’t know, okay?” Dib cuts her off, not wanting her to self deprecate any further. “None of this is your fault, Mabel. I promise.” 

“I still feel terrible for scaring you that horribly, even if it was unintentional.” Mabel starts picking at her sweater’s sleeve as she drops her head in shame. “I’m so sorry, Dib. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, please just tell me.” 

Dib lets out a sigh, turning his body away from the twins as he rubs a hand on his neck. 

“Just… give me a few days to adjust. The change of scenery isn’t the only thing that I need to get used to.” Dib glances back at the twins, catching Dipper’s eye. A look of realization seems to overtake Dipper’s expression as they stare at each other. “We can try this again tomorrow.” 

“This?” Mabel tilts her head in confusion. 

Dib gestures a hand between himself and the twins. 

“Well, the whole getting to know each other part. For now, I’d prefer to spend the rest of the day in my room unpacking and organizing my things. If that’s okay with everyone.” 

“Of course! You take all the time you need to relax and get used to everything!” Mabel clasps her hands together as she rocks back and forth on her feet. “Just promise me that you’ll let us know if we ever start pushing a boundary of yours. We don’t want this vacation to become a nightmare for you after all the trouble you went through to get here.”

If only you knew the hell I just escaped from, you won’t be worried about scaring me off any time soon, he mulls to himself. 

“I promise.”

Chapter Text

Despite his claim of starting over the next day, Dib ends up spending the next two days holed up in the basement. When asked how he was doing, Dib claims he’s just busy setting up his workspace in the study room. 

But Dipper knows better. 

Dib’s reaction to Mabel’s party told Dipper everything he needed to know about him. The way all the color drained from his face, the trembling of his entire body, the hyperventilating. 

No normal person can fake that kind of fear. 

And for those next two days, Dipper can’t get that look of terror out of his head. The last time he saw an expression like that was when someone accidentally brought a bell into Greasy’s. The panic attack Pacifica had was nearly as bad as the one Dib had, and it took Dipper and Mabel nearly half an hour to calm the poor girl down. And Dipper himself has had his fair share of episodes like this, but something about the fact that it was a surprise party that triggered such a bad reaction gave Dipper pause. 

Was it the confetti cannon and party poppers that had set him off? Dipper wants to say yes, but at the same time, Dib had no problem dealing with the chaos of the Shapeshifter. Maybe it was just the sudden appearance of so many people. Sure, Dib knew about their grunkles, but maybe it was Soos and Melody who triggered his fight or flight response. They were still strangers after all. 

But despite all these logical explanations, none of them seemed right to Dipper. Something much more foreboding is at play here, and despite his initial hesitance to trust Dib, Dipper knows better than to hold a grudge against someone who’s done nothing wrong. 

Call it a blessing in disguise, but at least Dipper understood what his Grunkle meant when he described Dib as a mirror. 

You don’t feel like a stranger to me, Dib had admitted to him so casually after only knowing Dipper for less than an hour. And in the moment Dib had confessed so, Dipper reacted the way he did because he was mad at the former. Furious, even. 

Furious because Dib continued to prove that he wasn’t a threat. And it wasn’t until Dib fled the party did that fact finally sink in for Dipper. 

And here he is now, standing in front of Dib’s bedroom door with a plate full of pancakes and hashbrowns. Mabel had been the one leaving food at Dib’s door for the past few days, knowing that Dib needed time to calm down before he would show his face again. But based on his own experience, Dipper knows very well that Dib isn’t simply “setting up” his workspace, at least not anymore. 

He’s isolating, and for this reason, Dib needs someone to break him out of that mental state. And despite all his internal strife with Dib, Dipper is hoping he can be that someone—if only to clear his guilty conscience. 

Dipper does his best to ignore his pounding heart as he knocks on Dib’s bedroom door, and for a moment, there is no movement from the other side. 

He’s probably waiting for me to leave, Dipper thinks to himself. He waits for another minute or so before knocking again, but instead of the bedroom door opening up, it’s the study room door across the hall that opens up. 

Dipper turns around to face Dib, and he’s surprised to see him fully dressed and in a pristine white lab coat. Kind of early for research if Dipper was being honest, and he can’t help but notice just how drained Dib looks. That is until they lock eyes with each other. It’s only then that Dib seems to perk up slightly, and he gives Dipper a brief smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

Dipper feels his heart skip a beat with the action. 

“White doesn’t really suit you.” The words escape Dipper’s lips before he can even think of what to say, and he mentally curses himself for speaking his mind. 

Dib stares at Dipper before letting out a laugh at the comment, only adding to Dipper’s embarrassment. 

“You sound like my sister.” The tension in Dib’s shoulders seeps away as he leans up against the door frame, and if it weren’t for the sudden reveal of personal information, Dipper might have been more intimidated by how much Dib towers over him. 

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah, I do.” Dib’s hazel eyes soften as he speaks, and Dipper does his best to ignore the fluttering sensation in his stomach. “She’s no twin sister, but she’s only a year younger than me, so we were together almost all the time in school. It was a bit weird transitioning to junior high without her, but I think the time apart from each other helped soften her up over the years.” 

“Soften her up?” Dipper repeats, and Dib responds by pushing himself off the door frame and motioning for Dipper to enter the room with a nod of his head. Said Pines twin enters with some hesitation, and Dib closes the door behind him. 

Dipper sets down the plate of food on a nearby workbench, and he takes a moment to look around the study room while Dib starts picking at his food. The basement had been undergoing renovations for years now, and it was only just the previous year that Soos and his Grunkles finally finished building everything. When Dipper was last in this room, there were only two work benches and a few stools in here. But now all the work areas are covered in lab equipment, and an additional workbench has shown up alongside a whiteboard and—

“Is that a fucking fume hood?!” Dipper asks in disbelief. “How the hell did you manage to fit that thing in your car?”

Dib nearly chokes on a piece of food as he fights back a laugh. He finishes swallowing before speaking up. 

“One of the latest inventions of Membrane Labs.” He wipes his mouth with his lab coat’s sleeve as he spins around in his seat. “A collapsible fume hood with a built-in filtering system. I would show off the collapsible part of it, but I’ve already set up my equipment inside of it and don’t really feel like taking it all out.” 

“If it were any other company, I wouldn’t have believed you.” Dipper takes a gander at the fume hood, noting the filtering system that replaces the typical duct system a traditional fume hood would have. “This is phenomenal…” 

“Yeah, I guess it is pretty cool,” Dib says half heartedly in between bites of food. “When you spend all your time around equipment like this, it’s pretty easy to forget just how extraordinary it all technically is.” 

“I suppose that makes sense. Still, I doubt I’d be so easily desensitized by all the tech and inventions that Membrane Labs is able to produce. I mean have you seen the latest space probe that the California location launched? They managed to figure out how to use the natural emission of cosmic radiation within space as a fuel source for it, so that thing is basically going to be running forever!” 

“Oh yeah, I completely forgot about 7126-Lene. I was actually a consultant for the team when they were building her catalytic fuel tank.” Dib cracks a crooked smile, and Dipper’s interest suddenly piques. 

“Wait, you’re in contact with the California Membrane Labs location?”

“Not very consistently, but yes, the California lab sometimes reaches out to the main location for consultations and collaborations. Whenever Professor Membrane is unavailable for these, the responsibility falls to me and a group of senior scientists.” 

Dipper can’t believe what he’s hearing. And to think he had mentally written off the guy as another cog in the machine before even meeting him. The guilt gnawing at him sinks its teeth deeper into his conscience. 

“You… wouldn’t happen to… I don’t know…” Dipper runs a hand through his hair as he averts his gaze. “Know anything about the hiring process at the California location? For interns?”

Dib stops eating as he processes the underlying implications of Dipper’s question. 

“You applied to Membrane Labs?” Dib questions, yet it doesn’t feel like he’s directing the question toward Dipper with how quiet his voice is. 

“You sound surprised for someone who works there,” Dipper says. “I mean, what kind of person wouldn’t want to work at one of the biggest science companies in the world?”

Dib doesn’t respond. And despite staring directly at Dipper, it’s clear that his mind is a million miles away based on his blank expression. Unfortunately for Dipper, Dib isn’t able to provide an answer when there’s a sudden knock on the study room door. 

“It’s unlocked,” Dib says, snapping out of his thousand yard stare. 

The door opens just enough for Mabel’s head to pop inside, and her face lights up at the sight of the two young men. 

“I had a feeling you two were chit chatting with how long it was taking Dipper to come back upstairs.” She practically bounces into the room and gives Dib the biggest grin she can physically muster. “Does this mean that you’re feeling up to hanging out later today?”

“Um…” Dib looks around the study room, clearly realizing that he can’t keep up with the ‘set up his work area’ excuse any longer. But then he looks over at Dipper, and the nervousness in his eyes seems to slip away. “Tonight for sure. I just need to finish some literature studies for my thesis so I can start the actual research part of it.”

Mabel lets out an elated gasp. 

“Do you know what this means, Dipper?!”

“Sleepo-”

“SLEEPOVER PARTY!!” Mabel beats Dipper to the punch as she throws her arms up, and Dipper notes how Dib flinches out of the corner of his eye. “I’m going to get everything ready for tonight right now!” 

Mabel starts to leave, but she pauses at the door and turns her attention back to Dib.

“What toppings do you like on your pizza?” 

“Pepperoni’s just fine for me.”

“Noted!” Mabel shoots him a wink and a snap before practically bolting upstairs, leaving Dib and Dipper alone once more. 

But before Dipper can break the silence between them, Dib speaks up first. 

“My sister used to beat the shit out of me growing up,” he begins, twirling his fork in his hand. “She may have been younger, but she’s always been very stubborn and particular about how she wanted things. I had a lot going on at the time, and despite her being the only person who knew about it, she didn’t care. She left me to my own devices, and if I even thought about trying to drag her into any of it, she’d get physical with me.” 

Dib stabs his fork into the unfinished stack of pancakes on his plate, and Dipper can see his hand has started to slightly tremble. 

“But like I was saying earlier, I think the time we took apart during that transition period in our lives did help her soften up. She’s not as nice as Mabel, but she’s definitely gotten better. Still…” Dib looks back at Dipper with a forlorn look in his hazel eyes, and the latter can’t help but feel his heart seize. “I don’t think I have the same privilege to call her my friend like you do with Mabel.” 

Dipper isn’t sure how to respond to such a revelation—if at all—and Dib doesn’t give him the chance to think of what to say as he stands up and hands him back the plate of half eaten food. 

“Sorry for the waste, but I really need to start reviewing those articles if I want to finish my thesis’s introduction before tonight.” 

“Yeah… Of course…” Dipper takes the plate and Dib retreats back to his laptop that’s sitting on the furthest work bench in the room. “I’ll see you later tonight, then. Just take the stairs in the hall next to the living room and you’ll find our room.” 

Dib simply waves him off, and Dipper tries not to take the sudden coldness too personally. 

As Dipper makes his way back upstairs, he can’t help but dwell on Dib’s confession about his sister. He hasn’t even met her, and yet just thinking about the fact she held so much contempt towards Dib leaves a bad taste in his mouth. And it doesn’t help that there’s the underlying implication that neither of their parents did anything to stop this mistreatment. 

No wonder Dib reacted the way he did to Mabel’s surprise party. If his sister was anything to go off of, it’s clear that Dib grew up in a broken home. Just how broken, he’s not sure, but if he were to use Pacifica as a point of reference, Dipper has a feeling he’s in for a rough ride. 

The weird feelings he gets around Dib can wait to be deciphered. Right now, he has a mirror he needs to fix before it fractures. 

“Okay!” Mabel claps her hands together as she stands up with a huff. “I think that’s everything. We got board games on stand by, three separate decks of ice breaker card games, pepperoni pizzas hot enough to burn the roofs of our mouths, and the softest sleeping bag I could find in the storage closet. Am I missing anything?”

“Did we not have other paper plates?” Dipper asks as he holds up said stack of rainbow unicorn printed plates. “I don’t think someone as macabre as Dib would want to use something like this.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re a hater. I know for a fact that Dib will appreciate us using the finest of tableware for tonight’s sleepover. Speaking of which, it’s almost eight thirty. I was hoping Dib would have shown up by now.” Mabel starts fidgeting with the end of her braid, staring at their bedroom door. “Do you think he got scared and backed out?”

“He seemed pretty determined to be here,” Dipper reassures her. “If anything, I think he might have just gotten too absorbed in his research paper.” 

“If that’s the case, then he’s no different from you on those internet forums arguing with strangers.” 

“Hey, they’re the ones picking a fight over the legitimacy of the creatures here in Gravity Falls! They had the audacity to accuse me of using photoshop when I posted a photo of a hawktopus onto the board!” 

“To be fair, that thing is pretty ugly; I wouldn’t have believed you either if I hadn’t had the misfortune to see it with my own eyes.” Mabel sticks her tongue out at the memory, and Dipper rolls his eyes.

Their conversation is fortunately interrupted by a knock on their bedroom door, and Mabel squeals in excitement as she makes her way over to the door and opens the door. 

“Dib! Glad to see you could make it,” Mabel says playfully as she gestures for Dib to enter their room. “Welcome to our humble abode.”

As Dib steps into the room, Dipper has to fight back a laugh. 

“Did you seriously go out of your way to buy a pair of company brand pajamas?” 

Dib narrows his eyes at the snarky comment, but his slight smile betrays his attempt to look intimidating. 

“They were free, and who was I to deny free stuff? Plus, they’re pretty comfortable.” Dib then turns his attention to Mabel and presents her with a black box. “Sorry I took a while to show up. I was looking for these.” 

Mabel takes the box and opens it, and her eyes widen with delight.

“I’ve actually never been to a sleepover before, so I was looking into what people do at them, and apparently some people like painting their nails during them? I remember seeing you with clipped nail polish when we first met, so I thought I’d bring my set of nail polish for us to do that.” 

“You paint your nails?!” Mabel says in disbelief. “I’m sorry, Dipper, but I think I just found your replacement.”

“Hey!” Dipper tries his best not to take the comment too seriously even though he knows Mabel is joking. While Dib has been a welcomed distraction, his heart still aches with each passing reminder that Mabel will be leaving him come autumn. 

Thankfully, Dipper’s spiral doesn’t last long. Mabel is quick to give them all pizza—with Dib laughing at the choice of plates and Dipper trying his best to not let dwell on the sound—and soon mindless chatter fills up the room. Once they’re done eating, Mabel asks to paint Dib’s nails, and he allows it as long as she doesn’t grab past his wrist. 

“Sorry if this question is too personal, but why is it that you’re so touch averse?” Mabel asks in a gentle voice as she finishes applying base coat on his nails. 

Dib furrows his brows, the conflict of whether or not to answer Mabel’s question visible in his expression.

“It’s… complicated. Some of it is due to my sister,” he admits, stealing a knowing glance at Dipper. “But most of it comes from a former… Well, I guess the best word for him would be archenemy.” 

“Hold the phone.” Mabel uses the bottle of black nail polish in her hand to point at Dib. “You had an enemy? Like a Joker to your Batman?” 

“Kind of? I’ll admit, looking back now, I wasn’t the nicest person either, but I know for a fact that my intentions were in good faith, unlike his.” Dib leans back against the leg of Mabel’s bed while she uncaps the nail polish bottle and takes one of his hands. “The whole beef between us started the literal day we met. I was the only person who saw through his disguise, and despite how obvious it was that he was up to no good, no one believed me. Things only escalated from there, and for years we were literally at each other’s throats. I came close to dying quite a few times, and I’m pretty sure I did die at some point that was rendered obsolete due to some time travel fuckery, but I did eventually learn how to exploit certain weaknesses he had in return. Nearly got him killed at one point too, but at the expense of nearly dying myself, but yeah. He’s the main reason I have issues with physical touch. It also probably doesn’t help that my dad was never really affectionate with me growing up, but that’s a whole other can of worms I don’t want to talk about right now.” 

Mabel and Dipper are left stunned. They can only stare in horror and disbelief at just how casually Dib reveals all this information. Mabel isn’t even phased by the fact that the nail polish brush in her frozen hand is dripping paint onto her shorts. 

“H-How… How old were you when this all went down?” Dipper asks, his voice cracking as he speaks. 

“Eleven.” 

Somehow that answer makes everything a million times worse. 

“Have you tried therapy? For all that? Maybe?” Mabel grimaces as she speaks, capping the nail polish bottle. 

“Please, they all called me insane and wanted to put me in a mental asylum. Besides, things between me and Zim have gotten a lot better. It’s funny to think that exposing him was my entire world for the longest time.” Dib’s carefree expression suddenly falls, and his tone becomes deathly somber. “And now… I’m all that’s left of his.”

It isn’t until Dib looks back up at the twins does he realize he’s spoken out of turn, and he quickly clears his throat to break the tension. “But let’s not dwell on the past. What’s happened has happened, and you should really change your shorts before the nail polish dries.”

“Aw, crap. I’ll be back right back. Here, you finish painting Dib’s nails in the meantime.” Mabel stands up and quickly shoves the bottle of nail polish into Dipper’s hand before digging through her dresser and finding another pair of shorts. She leaves the room shortly after, leaving the two men alone, staring at each other. 

“So… Zim, was it?”

“Yeah.” 

“Is he really the only friend you have?”

“Unfortunately. And I’ll admit, there are certain days it feels wrong to call him that, but I don’t have to worry about him doing anything dangerous anymore. Nowadays he’s up to his own devices, being an engineer and all.” 

Dipper hums, the puzzle pieces in his mind slowly piecing themselves together. This definitely explains why Dib’s been so comfortable around him, and Dipper only feels worse with this realization. They fall into a thick silence as Dipper starts painting Dib’s nails, with the former internally thanking Mabel for forcing him to learn how to do so even though he personally doesn’t partake in the activity. 

It’s a nice moment. Or at least it would have been if Dipper’s anxiety didn’t decide to rear its ugly head. 

Don’t mess up. Don’t mess up. Do not mess up!! Dipper internally repeats as he tries his best to paint Dib’s nails without shaking too much. 

“I don’t think I ever mentioned it, but I think it’s pretty cool that you were named after the birthmark on your forehead,” Dib says as Dipper finishes painting the last of his nails. 

Dipper’s face flushes from embarrassment at the comment, and he instinctively brushes his bangs over his forehead to hide said birthmark. 

“O-Oh… I-I didn’t realize you’d see it already,” he stammers out, averting his gaze away from Dib’s stare. 

“Yeah, I might have gotten a peak at it while I was moving you into my car that day. But I didn’t see the whole thing if that makes you feel better.”

“No, it’s not that, I just… It’s only been pretty recently that I’ve been comfortable showing it off more. Believe it or not, I used to be bullied for it.”

“We both know that I believe you,” Dib retorts, and Dipper hates how his heart skips a beat. “And I think it looks nice. It draws a lot of attention to your eyes and how soft they are.” 

The poor twin’s face only heats up further, and sweat is now starting to prickle the back of his neck. Dipper tries to laugh off the compliment, fluffing up his hair and putting away the nail polish bottle, all the while he can feel Dib’s eyes burning into the back of his head. 

“Th-That—” Dipper clears his throat. “I-”

“GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!” Mabel screams as she slams the door to the bedroom open, startling the two men. 

She could not have picked a better moment to have shown up, Dipper thinks to himself as he lets out a sigh of relief. 

“Presenting Mabel's Fortune Telling Jar!” Mabel practically slides over to the two and gives said jar a shake, beaming. 

“Fortune what?” Dib repeats inquisitively, and Mabel laughs. 

“You see, I used to do tarot card readings when I was younger, but I never really liked them too much because it felt like you never got enough information about your future from them. So, I ended up doing some research of my own and figured out how to make my own form of fortune telling with a touch of some fairy dust I managed to haggle from a gnome a few years ago. It works like this: You pull out five items from my jar, and the order that you pick these figurines matters. The first is your current state of being, the second is your ultimate goal in life, the third is how you’ll achieve that dream, and the fourth is a major obstacle that you’ll need to overcome in the near future to grow as a person. Oh, and the fifth is my favorite because it gives you a look into your love life!”

“That…” Dib knits his eyebrows together, clearly unconvinced. “Well… it’s not the weirdest form of fortune telling I’ve heard of.” 

“So, what do you say? Wanna give it a go?” Mabel gives the jar a playful shake as she holds it out to Dib. 

“It’s pretty harmless,” Dipper chimes in. “So you don’t have to worry about her spelling out your doom or anything.” 

Dib twists his lips into a flat line, thinking over the proposition before letting out a sigh. 

“I mean might as well. It is a sleepover after all.” 

“Heck yeah! First, we’ll take a lot at your current state of being.” Mabel gives the jar a few shakes to scramble the trinkets inside before opening it up and holding it out to Dib, who reaches inside with some hesitance.  

He takes a bit rummaging through the dozens of items inside until he finally settles on one that visibility piques his interest. When he pulls his hand out and opens it up, the trio is presented with a spider web. 

“Interesting…” 

“I-Is that bad?” 

“From what I’m seeing…” Mabel takes the plastic toy from Dib’s hand and looks it over like she’s a jeweler inspecting a precious gemstone. “You feel trapped in your current life, like a moth entangled in a spider’s web.”

Dib looks taken aback by the reading. 

“I… How did you-”

“It’s all in the fairy dust. Now, what is it that you actually want to do with your life?” Mabel presents the jar to Dib once more, and he reaches in with a little more confidence. 

This time, he pulls out a toy camera. 

“Cameras document everything they see, and I’m going to guess you’re like Dipper and you want to explore and publish your findings on the weird and paranormal, right?”

“That’s…” Dib glances at Dipper, a mix of surprise and confusion etched onto his expression. “Yeah, that’s pretty spot on.” 

Mabel smiles to herself as the next trinket is picked, and she mulls over the pair of safety scissors that Dib pulls out. 

“Now this one is really interesting.” She snips the scissors before continuing her reading. “Normally, when you need to escape something, you bring something sharp with you, to symbolize the desperation and need to cut yourself out. But these scissors aren’t super sharp, and that can only mean one thing…”

She leans in close to Dib, her voice dropping to a whisper. 

“The spider isn’t the one holding you hostage in its web.”

Dib doesn’t say anything, but judging by how his face pales in response, it would appear that he’s starting to believe Mabel’s clairvoyant ability. And if he’s this nervous, that can only mean one thing. 

Everything Mabel is saying is true so far. 

“Okie dokie! Now onto the next major obstacle you’ll need to overcome to become a better person.” 

But when Dib pulls out the next item, Mabel frowns. 

“Oops… I must have shaken the jar just a little too hard that last time,” Mabel says as she takes the broken hand mirror from Dib, mindful of its shards. “Well, the mirror symbolizes you being your own worst enemy, and believe it or not, this is one of the more common items pulled for this category.”

“Does the fact the mirror is broken change anything?” Dib asks, his words dripping with concern. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it. If anything, all it really tells me is that I need to replace this thing with a pocket mirror, haha. And finally, a peek into your love life.” Mabel giggles as Dib reaches for the last time. 

He takes a bit longer to pick this one, digging around the jar until his eyes widen. When he finally pulls out the last trinket, he raises an eyebrow at the item in his hand. 

“Is this…” He holds up the item and narrows his eyes at it. “A pine cone scale?”

Dipper feels his blood run cold. 

“Huh… I don’t remember putting that in there.” Mabel takes the scale and looks it over intently, oblivious to Dipper’s plight. “Either way, it’s in the jar and has been in contact with the fairy dust, so it will now have meaning. Pines symbolizes resilience and immortality due to their stature and long lives, and for you, this pine cone scale symbolizes a love that will start out very small, yet steadfast. You might not even realize you’ve found your true love until it’s fully blossomed, like how most people aren’t able to recognize pine sapling on their own. But once you find your person, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will be able to come between you two. That is the power of the pine tree... Wait a minute-” 

Dipper doesn’t stay around for Mabel’s realization. He quickly excuses himself to the bathroom, ignoring Mabel’s wide eyed stare as he pushes past her. He hears Dib ask what’s wrong as he leaves the room, and he beelines it for the bathroom. Dipper locks the door behind him once he’s inside, and he collapses against said door and slides onto the floor, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest. 

“It’s just a stupid little game Mabel invented,” he mumbles to himself as he runs his hand down his face. “It has a higher failure rate than success rate, remember? It means nothing. You don’t even like guys! You’re the straight twin; the normal one! This is nothing!” 

And yet part of his subconscious can’t shake the notion. The feelings he’s been getting around Dib… If he were to switch him out for a girl, of course he’d think of it that way. But that’s not who he is. It can’t be who he is. 

Then suddenly, a memory of a smile resurfaces to the front of Dipper’s mind. A smile with canines too sharp to be human.

Dipper looks over at the mirror above the bathroom sink, just barely able to see his reflection from his position on the floor. And as he stares at himself through the silver glass, something clicks. 

Suddenly, the question is no longer who Dib is, but rather...

What is he?

Chapter Text

“So what you’re saying is that if I cut off my arm, you could use a mushroom to regrow me a new one?”

“That’s… not how skin grafts work,” Dib says, his face twisting with what appears to be a mix of concern and confusion. “Skin grafts can’t replace limbs, only the damaged skin. They’re most commonly used for burn victims, specifically those dealing with third degree burns since those types of burns destroy the deepest layer of skin, thus preventing natural regeneration.” 

“Fascinating,” Soos replies. “Now onto my other question: If my skin were to be replaced with a mushroom graft thingy, would I be able to eat it?”

Dib sucks in a sharp breath, clearly growing irritated with Soos and his endless questions. Dipper can see him fighting back a grimace as he once again tries to explain his research thesis to Soos, who is equally confused with what the researcher is trying to explain. 

Dipper shoves a peach slice into his mouth as he watches the two converse from across the kitchen table. Despite the awkwardness that Mabel’s fortune telling cast over the twins during the remainder of the sleepover, Dib was none the wiser. Thankfully Mabel had spared Dipper from her desire to confront him about the pine cone scale, but now that morning had come and Dib was finally meeting Soos and Melody for the first time, Dipper can practically feel Mabel’s need to question him. It doesn’t help that she’s not very subtly staring at him from her seat diagonal to him. 

“Anyway…” Dib says with a sigh. “I’m going out to do some mushroom foraging with Ford once we’re all done eating. If I do have any spare specimens, I’ll gladly hand them over to you and your fiancee to prepare for dinner. How’s that sound?”

“Oh heck yeah! You should totally look out for any lobster mushrooms on your trip, and Melody can make her special mac and cheese with them.” 

“Definitely beats having to pay for actual lobsters,” Melody chimes in. “Those things are getting more expensive by the hour.” 

“I’ll keep them in mind.” Dib then turns attention to Dipper, and his demeanor immediately lifts; the latter hates how it makes his heart rate peak. “You two are welcome to join us if you’d like. I don’t really need that many samples, plus your uncle Ford said that we’ll more than likely run into some creatures that I can document.” 

“Ugh, I wish, but I already made plans with the girls,” Mabel bemoans. “We’re going to do some shopping at the mall, and I need to pass by the fabric store to get some cloth for a project I’m working on. You have fun with Dipper, though.” 

There’s a hint of mischief in her voice clearly directed at her twin, and Dipper has to shove another piece of fruit into his mouth to sooth his internal seething. Dib doesn’t seem to notice their silent conversation, much to Dipper’s relief. The rest of breakfast goes on without much of a fuss, and by the time Soos is picking up everyone’s plates, Dib has already disappeared back into the basement. Dipper himself tries to sneak off back to the safety of his bedroom, but a hand catches his arm just as he reaches the stairs. 

“Dipper.” Mabel’s voice is hushed and delicate, like she’s verbally walking on eggshells. “We need to talk-”

“There is nothing to talk about,” Dipper says as he pulls away his arm and turns around to face Mabel. “It’s just a game. For all we know, it could have just meant a Pines family member. Who’s to say that it isn’t you that’ll end up with Dib?”

“Well… about that…” Mabel taps her two index fingers against each other as she sheepishly ducks her head. “I’m preeeeetty sure that Dib… well… doesn't like girls that way…? A-And I know making assumptions is bad, of course! But my gaydar is really going off on him.” 

“So? This still doesn’t have anything to do with me. You know I only like girls.” 

Mabel furrows her eyebrows and gives him a deep frown. “But you’re the one who’s been saying-”

“I know what I’ve been saying!” Dipper snaps back, throwing up his arms in frustration. “And I know what I’ve been feeling, Mabel. This isn’t infatuation; it’s suspicion. And you’re right that making assumptions is wrong, so stop making them with me and Dib!” 

Mabel is taken aback by Dipper’s outburst, and the look on her face as she steps away from Dipper sends a pang of guilt right through his heart. But his pride refuses to falter, and he flees to their bedroom without another word. As he slams the door behind him, Dipper pulls down his hat over his face and lets out a frustrated groan. 

He knows he’s not crazy; he’s absolutely sure of it. He runs a hand through his hair, taking in a deep breath and letting out a subsequently loud sigh. 

None of this is by my own volition, Dipper reassures himself as he adjusts his hat back onto his head. All he has to do is figure out what Dib’s deal was; from there, he can figure out how to break whatever spell the goth has over him.

“One of the largest living organisms that exists today actually lives here in Oregon; Armillaria ostoyae, also known as the honey mushroom. It currently resides in the Malheur National Forest, and its mycelium network is estimated to be around 9 square kilometers and around a few hundred years old! And unlike most decomposers that feed exclusively on dead organic material, Armillaria ostoyae is a parasitic fungus that uses a network of rhizomorphs to burrow into trees and siphon away nutrients from their host.” 

“I think I remember my supervisor mentioning them while talking about potential projects to assign to the California labs location,” Dib says without looking up from his camera, photographing a bundle of the aforementioned mushrooms. “Wasn’t aware that they were parasitic, though.” 

While his Grunkle Ford continues to discuss honey mushrooms with Dib, Dipper is busy scribbling down notes into his journal from his seat on a nearby tree stump. 

Undead? Can’t be, he bleeds red. 

Phantom of Pain? Wears a lot of black, does own leather and has several piercings, but clearly doesn’t want to inflict any kind of pain on anyone. Plus he’s obviously corporeal, and these types of ghosts can only exist if you summon them. 

Shapeshifter? It would explain why he knows so much about them, but again it’s highly unlikely since he—again—bleeds red.

Incubus? Maybe, though records show that they usually go after women. It’s usually succubi that go after men. Maybe a concubus? They are known to shapeshift to match their target’s desired sex, but if that’s the case then Dib wouldn’t be seen as male by everyone. 

His gothic nature, charismatic allure, and sharp canines strongly suggest something akin to vampires, but vampires can’t walk in the sun nor can they eat human food. And I refuse to believe the sparkly type of vampires from Mabel’s dumb romance books are real. 

“IS THAT A FUCKING GNOME!?”

Dipper looks up just in time to see a familiar silhouette disappear into the underbrush, and he lets a snicker slip through at just how flabbergasted Dib looks. 

“They’re more of a nuisance than anything worth marveling at,” Dipper remarks as he shuts his journal and tucks it away into his bag. “But thankfully they’re not as annoying now that they have their new Gnome Queen; they actually tried to kidnap Mabel to make her take that position on our very first day here at Gravity Falls back when we were kids.” 

Dib looks over at Dipper with a contemplative look in his eyes before looking back down at his camera to adjust its settings. 

“That… really makes me wish we’d met earlier in life,” Dib laments, though it’s unclear if he’s speaking to Dipper or musing to himself. “Things might have turned out better for me if that was the case.” 

“Come again?” Ford questions as he returns from harvesting an oyster mushroom, startling Dib. 

“O-Oh me? Haha, I’m just talking to myself, nothing to fret about, really.” Dib hastily takes the mushroom from Ford and stuffs it into his mesh bag, laughing nervously as he does so. “Anyway-”

Before Dib can redirect the conversation, Dipper’s phone suddenly cuts through the ambiance of the forest. Said twin pulls his phone out and is surprised to see Pacifica’s contact photo staring at him, and he quickly excuses himself from the group to take the call deeper in the forest. 

“Yellow?”

“Alright, spill it, Mister. What the hell happened this morning between you and Mabel?” comes Pacifica’s voice in the tone she uses to scold rude customers at Greasy’s. 

“W-What the hell are you talking about-”

“I’m talking about the fact that Mabel’s been mopey all day, and when I offered to buy her her favorite rainbow mixed boba oolong peach tea at the local boba shop, she said she wasn’t interested in it. You and I both know that Mabel loves that sugar loaded monstrosity more than anything, and the fact she refused one tells me that something happened between you two this morning. So spit. It. Out.”

Dipper is honestly surprised with how volatile Pacifica is right now, and her words only serve to make him feel worse about what transpired earlier. He bites his lower lip as he looks over his shoulder, making sure that he’s out of earshot of Dib and his Grunkle Ford before letting out a defeated sigh. 

“We… had an argument about… something not super relevant-”

“Mason Dipper Pines, if you don’t stop lying to me right now-”

“Okay, okay! Sheesh, fine! Mabel gave our summer guest a reading last night and for the last category he pulled out a pine cone scale, okay? And now Mabel thinks that because the stupid pine tree symbol is associated with me and I’ve admitted to feeling weird around him, that means we’re destined to be with each other or some bullshit. But I know for a fact that I’m not interested in guys like that, and I’m pretty sure he’s hiding something from us, and that something has to do with his heritage, aka what the hell he is because I’m convinced he’s not a hundred percent human and whatever supposed ‘feelings’ I’m getting around him are simply a byproduct of whatever species he is. There. Are you happy?”

The phone line is silent, with only the ambient sound of fluorescent lights flickering from the other side. 

“...Pacifica?”

“I’m still here, just… thinking…” It’s clear her anger has dissipated and been replaced with confusion as she takes a moment to process Dipper’s word vomit. 

Dipper leans back against a nearby tree as he waits for her to respond, letting out a sigh as he picks up his hat with his free hand and wipes sweat off his forehead. After what feels like forever, he hears her clear her throat before she starts talking once more. 

“I… Well… I mean creatures that disguise themselves as humans aren’t entirely unheard of… but like, do you have any proof of his unhuman-ness?”

“Wait… you believe me?”

“Dipper, I’ve lived my whole life in the weirdest town in the world. I can’t really go around accusing people of being crazy without looking like a hypocrite.” 

Guess she has a point. 

“Well, in that case, here’s everything I know about him,” Dipper says before listing off everything he wrote in his journal with Pacifica humming along. He also goes over his discarded ideas to establish what Dib is not to help Pacifica eliminate redundant theories of her own.

“What about a dhampir?” Pacifica finally says in a tone that makes it sound like what she’s saying should be obvious.

“A damn what?”

“Dhampir, you nerd.” Dipper hears Pacifica laugh under her breath. “You know, like a half vampire half human kind of thing. One of the characters in that fantasy book series Mabel recommended to me is one, and they have all the advantages of being a vampire without any of the side effects. So basically like a superhuman. And the specific one in the book had some innate kind of charm thing that basically made them like, really likeable to people even if they were being a jerk. And as far as I know, dhampirs aren’t really a threat to anyone except other vampires.” 

Dipper is left speechless as all the puzzle pieces start to click into place inside his head. 

“That… that just might be it,” he says in disbelief, and a small smile creeps onto his lips. “I'm impressed. You really have a knack for this kind of stuff.” 

“Well, I kind of have to be with you as a friend,” Pacifica responds, and Dipper can practically hear the smirk on her face. “Oh, and like, the book itself didn’t really have any remedies for blocking vampiric charm. But, one of the artifact books I was reading in the library a couple months ago mentioned some kind of amulet that’s supposed to help suppress emotions from external sources or something to that effect. The only catch is that you have to build the thing yourself, and one of its required materials is some super rare gemstone that only grows in some elusive cave somewhere in South America. I don’t remember the book title, but I do remember the fact it was leather bound and had like a seal of sorts on its cover? Not the star one, but kind of like a dreamcatcher? If that makes any sense.” 

“Okay… give me sec.” Dipper pulls out his journal and jots down everything Pacifica said to keep a reminder of what to look for later down the line. “Alright, I’ve got that all down here in my journal. Thank you for the insight, Paz.”

“The only thanks I’ll be accepting from you is an apology to Mabel.”

Just when he was forgetting about his gnawing guilt…

“Ugh, fine. I promise to apologize to Mabel once she gets back.”

“Don’t you groan at me, Mister. I’m going to be stopping by to make sure you do so and that you mean it, capiche?" 

Dipper takes a deep breath to calm himself down before giving her an affirmative “Yes”. 

“Good. I’ll see you later today, and oh, do introduce me to this ‘vampire’ of yours. I want to scope him out if he’s going to be spending all summer with Mabel. And well, you of course.” The last part of Pacifica’s sentence comes out somewhat disgruntled, and Dipper takes a mental note of that. 

“Sure. Wait… why were you researching artifacts to begin with?” 

“U-Um… Oh, would you look at that, Mabel is coming back, can’t really chat anymore, buh-bye!” 

“Pacif-” But it’s too late, she’s already hung up the phone. Dipper lets out a sigh as he stares at his phone screen, thinking about everything Pacifica has just told him. 

A dhampir is definitely the most accurate guess he has right now, but the amulet that Pacifica mentioned is proving to be the more valuable piece of information. He needs to find that book to figure out the materials needed, and if Pacifica is to be believed, find out how in the world he’s going to get to South America without it being suspicious. 

“Dipper!” 

Dipper jumps at the sudden sound of his name being called, but he’s quick to calm down when he sees his Grunkle Ford approaching him. 

“There you are. You took quite a while with that phone call, and we were starting to get worried about you, son.” 

“Sorry about that, Grunkle Ford. I always lose track of time whenever Pacifica calls.” 

“Ah, I see,” Ford says with a slight smile, and Dipper tries not to think too hard into the look his Grunkle is giving him. 

“Soooo… How’s the mushroom collecting going?” Dipper asks. 

“Oh, yes. We’ve found enough species for Dib to grow several cultures from, and now we’re just searching for any lobster mushrooms we can find for Soos and Melody. We have about two so far, and Dib wandered off a bit more west of here to search for more.” Ford motions towards said direction, which Dipper follows with his eyes. 

“In that case, we should probably find him before he gets lost.” And with that, the duo heads off to find Dib, with Ford leading the way. 

While walking, however, something in the atmosphere suddenly shifts, and both men stop in their tracks. Dipper opens his mouth to ask what just happened when he suddenly realizes what’s wrong. 

The forest has fallen completely silent. 

Where there once was wind and chitter chatter in the canopies above, now there is nothing. Not even a single rustle permeates the woods, and the only sound Dipper can hear now is his own heartbeat, which picks up as the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. 

“We’re being watched,” Ford suddenly whispers under his breath before slowly unholstering his gun. “Dipper, get behind me as quietly as you can.” 

Dipper is too paralyzed to follow the order from his Grunkle, and the sudden sound of crunching levels behind them startles him enough to jump into the air. As he whips around to face the source of the sound, he’s met with an interesting sight. 

Just a few meters away from them is a white deer. Or at least something that looks like one. The creature takes a rather calculated step forward, like it’s testing the waters, and Ford immediately grabs Dipper and pushes the younger man behind him, aiming his gun at the deer. Despite being blocked from the creature, Dipper’s curiosity provokes him to peer back over at the deer from around his Grunkle’s waist. When he does so, the deer flicks its ears and takes another step forward, and it’s only then that Dipper is able to see that the deer has a set of folded wings on its back. And as the sunlight catches these wings, its feathers reflect back a silvery-blue color that compliments the animal’s white fur. 

It looks almost ethereal.

“Grunkle Ford,” Dipper musters out in the quietest voice he can. “What is that thing?”

“Peryton. Half deer, half bird. All lethal.” Ford removes the safety from his gun as he continues to stand guard. “Not much is known about them aside from the fact that they don’t cast their own shadows until they kill the human whose shadow they are cursed with bearing. I can’t tell if this specific one has already completed that morbid task, but it’s best we don’t risk it.”

The peryton tilts its head, almost as if in response to Ford’s warning, its antlers glistening in the cascading sunrays. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, it turns to its right and walks off behind a tree, disappearing without a trace. 

Neither of the men move, unsure if they can really trust that the peryton has truly left. 

“Hey guys-”

Ford turns around and fires a shot, which is immediately intercepted by Dib’s forcefield and a scream from Dib. 

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?” 

“Sweet mother of mercy, Dib! Don’t sneak up on me like that when I have my weapon drawn,” Ford exclaims as he puts said weapon away. 

“To be fair, I couldn't see that you had it from where I was standing,” Dib refutes as he deactivates the forcefield and approaches the Pines. “But more importantly, why were you even aiming to shoot?”

“A peryton crossed our path.” 

“Peryton? I’ve actually never heard of those before.”

“They’re nothing special, just winged deer that have a thing for killing people-”

“Wait,” Dib interjects. “Winged deer? You mean like this thing?”

Dib clicks through his camera roll before turning it around to show the two men a picture of said peryton on its screen. The peryton is much closer than Dipper finds comfortable in the photograph, and as Dib clicks through the photos, he’s amazed to see that the deer approached Dib without attacking. But what stands out most is that its feathers appear a pale yellow in Dib’s photographs. 

“It… just left you alone?” Dipper asks as he furrows his eyebrows in confusion. 

“Yeah. It kind of showed up out of nowhere once Ford left to find you, and while I was taking pictures it just started getting closer to me. Here, this one is kind of cute with its nose right up to the lens.” Dib smiles as he presents said photo. “Though I will say, I originally thought it was you who was approaching me, Dipper. I could have sworn I saw your shadow before the peryton showed up.”

As soon as the words leave Dib’s mouth, Dipper feels his stomach drop.

But before anyone can react, a shrill scream shatters the silence of the forest and is immediately followed by the sound of rapidly approaching hoof steps. Dipper looks over his shoulder just in time to see the peryton from earlier charging at them at full speed, but instead of targeting him, it rams its head straight into Ford, securing the older man in between its antlers and then taking off into the sky. 

“GRUNKLE FORD/FORD!!” Dipper and Dib yell out simultaneously as they give chase to the creature. Thankfully, they don’t have to waste much energy running after the two since the peryton simply dumps Ford into a nest of sorts in the tree tops, taking guard next to the man as it peers over the tree’s edge to stare at the young men below. 

Dib immediately drops his backpack and starts digging through it, meanwhile Dipper is left confused by the creature’s actions. Peryton’s are supposed to kill those whose shadow it bears, and Dib claims he saw the peryton casting his shadow, but then why take his Grunkle Ford?

“Here,” Dib says, forcing Dipper to look back over at him. Dipper notes that Dib has found and placed a familiar pair of metal outsoles on his shoes, and now he’s holding out his pocket knife toward him. “In case that thing comes back down, you’ll find its jugular right at the base of its neck. Keep your back to the tree here to make sure nothing sneaks up on you, alright?”

Dipper doesn’t say anything in return, simply nodding as he takes the knife from Dib. Once he’s done that, Dib activates his rocket shoes and takes off towards the nest above them, leaving Dipper alone on the forest floor. The twin does as he’s told, pressing his back to the tree before taking a moment to survey his surroundings. 

Nothing looks off, but the idea that there’s a deer creature casting his shadow and willing to kill him to get rid of it is more than enough to make Dipper’s anxiety soar. He tightens his grip on the pocket knife, trying to fight back the trembling in his hands. 

And then, he hears it. 

The snap of a twig, so quiet he almost misses it. And when he snaps his head towards where the sound came from, his blood runs cold as realization sets in.

The peryton that he and Grunkle Ford saw has blue feathers. And that peryton is up in the treetops with Ford and Dib. 

But the one that’s staring at Dipper with a bowed head and wide eyes has yellow feathers, just like the one in Dib’s camera roll. And when he looks down, he sees his own shadow staring back at him. 

There are two perytons. 

And they’ve just led Dipper into a trap.

That’s the last coherent thought Dipper is able to string together before basic instinct takes over, forcing him to drop Dib’s pocket knife and make a break for it. The yellow peryton gives up on trying to be quiet and lets out a bellowing cry as it pursues him. 

Dipper can only hope to lose the animal as he weaves through the dense forest, but then the sound of flapping wings catches his ear. He makes the mistake of looking over his shoulder to gauge how close the peryton is and ends up tripping and tumbling down a hillside. The wind is knocked out of his lungs as his back collides with the ground below, and he lets out a groan as he holds his spinning head, disorientated. 

He doesn’t even get the chance to pick himself off the ground before he hears the peryton land just a few meters in front of him. When he looks up, all he can see is a pair of antlers and flared wings charging straight for him, aiming for the kill.

But before the peryton can reach him, something body slams into the creature's side, tackling it onto the ground. The peryton lets out a harrowing shriek, but the sound is abruptly cut short, and Dipper can only watch in abject horror as Dib violently rips away a mouthful of feathers and hide from the peryton’s throat. Dib wastes no time digging his hand into the wound he’s torn into the peryton’s neck, ripping out a fistful of veins and arteries like they're nothing more than pieces of string. The peryton’s cries muddle into a sickening gurgling sound as blood spills into its airway, and Dipper has to look away and cover his ears as the peryton continues in vain to defend itself against the attack. 

Despite his best efforts to muffle the sounds, Dipper still hears just enough to know that Dib is not holding back in brutalizing the animal. And just when Dipper is worrying the attack won’t end, there’s one last squelching splat.

Then silence.

Dipper doesn’t move, too scared to even think about the sight waiting for him just over his shoulder. He hears Dib spit something out of his mouth, no doubt the chunk of the peryton’s throat he ripped out, before he falls into a short coughing fit. Dipper finally opens his eyes as he hears Dib make his way over to him, but he refuses to look back. 

“Dipper,” Dib says, clearly out of breath as he enters said man’s field of view and kneels down in front of him. Blood stains just about every piece of skin that Dipper can see, and a chill runs down Dipper’s spine at the sight of blood dripping out of Dib’s mouth and off his chin. “Are you okay? Did it get you anywhere?” 

“I’m… I’m fine,” Dipper finally says, though the crack in his voice is quick to betray him. Tears prickle the sides of his eyes, and he bites his lower lip in an attempt to keep himself from bursting into tears. 

Dib isn’t convinced, but he doesn’t argue with Dipper. Instead, he simply slides off his lab coat and uses the unstained back to wipe off as much blood off himself as possible before grabbing Dipper’s arms and helping him to his feet. 

In the process of standing up, however, Dipper’s knees buckle under his weight, forcing Dib to slip his arm around Dipper’s torso to keep him upright. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Your uncle’s fine; the peryton that took him already had its own shadow. This one must have been its mate or something like that, but you don’t have to worry about that thing anymore. No two perytons can carry the same shadow,” Dib tries to reassure Dipper as they begin their trek out of the forest, but little does Dib know that it wasn’t the near death experience with the peryton that’s shaken up Dipper. 

There is a vampire hybrid living with my family that just ripped apart a deer like it was nothing, a voice says in the back of Dipper’s head. Be grateful he is your ally; if you truly value your family and their lives, do not make him your enemy.

When the trio finally makes it back to the Mystery Shack, it’s Stan that greets them in the backyard. Well, actually it’s more like Stan greets Dib with the garden hose the moment he shows up. 

“Oh, no, you’re not going in there without a wash first, Mister.” 

Dib doesn’t even react as he’s doused with water, much to Dipper’s mild amusement. While Dib is being rinsed off by his disgruntled Grunkle, Dipper pulls out his phone and checks his texts with Pacifica. She said she and Mabel would be arriving at the shack shortly, so he quickly excuses himself and rounds the building, and sure enough, he’s just in time to see Mabel and Pacifica approaching. 

The sight of his twin sister immediately brings back all the negative emotions he’s been dealing with all day, and he bites his tongue as the two stop in front of him. Pacifica crosses her arms over her chest as she gives Dipper a glare, and Mabel looks just as awkward to be there as he is. 

“Listen, Mabel-”

“Dipper, I’m-”

The two stop and stare at each other, with the awkwardness in the air growing thicker. 

“Dipper, you go first,” Pacifica instructs, and Dipper lets out a sigh of defeat. 

“Mabel… I’m sorry for yelling at you this morning.” Dipper shoves his hands into his pockets as he kicks the ground. “I know you love playing matchmaker, but we’ve been over this many times. Hell, we had this conversation on our way here. You can try all you want to understand what I’m feeling, but at the end of the day you’ll never actually be able to feel what I feel, you know? And you can’t force certain types of connections between me and other people. I understand you just want to help, but I need to figure out certain things on my own, alright?”

“Yeah, I know.” Mabel runs a hand through her hair as she lets out a sigh of her own. “I’m sorry for trying to push something you didn’t want onto you. I got too in my own head to think about your actual feelings in the matter, and I was wrong for that. And you’re absolutely right, you do have to figure things out on your own, so I promise I won’t mingle unless you explicitly say so.”

Dipper lets a small smile creep its way onto his lips as he opens his arms. 

“Awkward sibling hug?”

Mabel mirrors his expression as she falls into his arms, giving him a tight squeeze before patting him twice on the back. 

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Pacifica says as the twins pull apart from each other. "Where's this mysterious goth that Mabel won’t shut up about?”

“Oh, um… He’s… kind of busy right now.” Dipper rubs the back of his neck as he thinks back to Stan hosing down said goth. “But if you want, we can meet up this weekend to introduce you to him. You still have Saturdays off, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do. I look forward to seeing if I was right about him or not when the time comes.” Pacifica throws Dipper a wink as she says this, and he has to hold back rolling his eyes at her. “I’ll see you two around.” 

The twins bid Pacifica farewell and once she’s gone, Mabel turns back to Dipper with a knowing look. 

“Grunkle Stan is hosing him down, isn’t he?”

“Yup.” 

“I knew it! Grunkle Stan only ever uses that thing to hose people down.” Mabel puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. “What’d he get into? Was it mud? Unicorn tears? Sasquatch dung?”

“He beat a deer to death with his bare hands,” Dipper says flatly, earning a bug eyed stare from Mabel. 

“HE WHAT!?” Mabel grabs Dipper’s shirt and throttles him, giving the already tired man another headache. “WHAT THE HELL PROMPTED THAT?!?”

Dipper stumbles as Mabel releases him from her grasp, and he has to grab her shoulders to steady himself. 

“Can you please stop doing that?! I’ve had enough head trauma for today.” Dipper rubs his temple as he waits for his vision to stop spinning. “But before I tell you everything, I need you to promise me that you’ll keep this under wraps, okay?”

Mabel makes a zipping motion across her lips, and for a brief moment, Dipper is reminded of Wendy. Dipper lets out a heavy exhale before leaning in close to Mabel, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

“Dib is not what he says he is, and I can prove it.”

Chapter Text

“And that concludes our biological sciences presentation. Up next, our nuclear physicists and their latest discoveries involving lead isotopes.” 

Dib lets out a disgruntled sigh as he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches the biology team exit the stage and walk past him. It’s his father’s annual keynote event, and he’s stuck backstage as the head of the chemistry team that will be presenting their newest findings after the nuclear physicists. 

He checks his phone and is dismayed to realize that the event isn’t even halfway done. Dib takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes as he tries his best to compose himself.

Just need to get through three separate presentations: One for chemistry, one for microbiology, and one for quantum mechanics. Then you can sneak out through the back and fuck off with Zim to that space bar he promised to take you to after the event.

“Scowl any harder and your face will get stuck like that for your presentation.”

Dib looks up to see Gaz standing off to his side, her attention fixated on her Game Slave. 

“Easy for you to say that when you aren’t even going to do any presenting.” 

“I worked on all the practical effects and pyrotechnics dad is using for these transitions, that’s more than enough from my part for this whole keynote event,” she retorts, much to Dib’s annoyance. “Speaking of which, I’m pretty sure one of the nuclear physicists is standing too close to the fire cannon right now.”

Dib follows Gaz’s gaze, and just as his eyes settle on said nuclear physicist, their presentation is concluded and flames immediately engulf the poor bastard, much to Dib’s mild amusement. As security rushes to push out the fire, their father quickly clears his throat before picking up the microphone at center stage. 

“Excuse the technical difficulties. Now onto our next category, chemistry!” 

“That’s my cue,” Dib laments, and Gaz simply gives him a thumbs up as he leads his team to the stage. Dib has to squint as he steps foot into the spotlight, and the cheers of the crowd only serve to further irk him. 

Let’s get this over with.

But before he’s able to finish setting up his team’s equipment, his father speaks up once more. 

“But before we move on to our chemists and their hard work, I’d like to make an important announcement.” The lights suddenly dim to a single spotlight centered on Professor Membrane, and as he glances back at Dib, the young Membrane can sense something is terribly wrong. 

“I’ve been head of this company for nearly forty years now, and while science is always evolving and improving, I cannot say the same for myself. And for this reason, I have made the decision to step down as CEO of Membrane Labs.” He suddenly turns around and motions to Dib as a second spotlight illuminates the latter. “And I’m proud to announce that I will be appointing my son as my successor.”

Dib feels all the blood in his body run cold as the audience erupts into a thunderous applause. 

“W-Wha-” Dib isn’t able to get a single word out before his father interrupts him. 

“The progress my son has made in these past years in overcoming his… issues has been admirable, and I could not think of a better step in his future than for him to follow in my footsteps.” 

“Dad, wait-”

“This decision is final, and starting tomorrow, Dib Membrane will become the new face of this company.”

“This isn’t-”

“No need to thank me, son,” Professor Membrane says as he places a hand on Dib’s shoulder, whose whole body is now trembling as all eyes lock onto him. “I could not be more proud of passing on the Membrane legacy onto yo-”

“THIS WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL!” Dib finally explodes, his voice cutting through the chaos like a bullet and ricocheting off the auditorium walls. 

The entire building falls deathly quiet in response to his outburst, and the only sound that reverberates through the building now is Dib’s frantic heart beat.  

“Y-You… you can’t do this, dad,” Dib stammers out as he takes a step back, his father’s hand sliding off his shoulder and falling slack at his side. “This isn’t… I can’t…”

As Dib stumbles over his words, the spotlights overhead suddenly shut off, dipping the stage into complete darkness before the audience’s eyes suddenly light up like beacons, focusing their attention on Dib. Sweat prickles the back of Dib’s neck as he tries to take another step back, but instead of falling through the backstage curtain, his back instead hits a solid wall. 

“What the-”

“I… don't understand, son,” his father’s voice speaks up, laced with confusion. “Of course this was the next step in your journey at Membrane Labs, how could you not have expected it?”

“Because he’s a liar,” comes a familiar voice from the other side of the stage. 

Dib can physically feel his heart drop into his stomach as his mind registers the voice behind him. Slowly, he turns around and is horrified to see Dipper standing at the edge of the stage—his normally soft brown eyes hardened with anger—with the rest of the Pines family standing behind him, shrouded in shadows. 

Dib wants to scream, to demand to know how the hell the Pines family found their way here. But his tongue refuses to move, and he’s forced to helplessly watch the scene unfold before him. 

“So this is what you’ve been running from,” Dipper begins, his tone dripping with venom. “A life of privilege and prestige. And to do what? Chasing frivolous creatures and fantasies that bring nothing to the scientific community?” 

With each word, Dipper takes an accusatory step forward; with each sentence, the rest of the Pines family mirrors his movements like marionettes. 

“Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in your position?” Dipper asks as he comes to a stop in front of Dib. “I’ll be lucky if I get past the initial screenings for that Membrane Labs internship, yet here you are, the son of one of the greatest minds alive, flaunting your nepotism in my home and daring to say that you don’t want any of it.” 

“Son… is this… true?” Professor Membrane’s voice is quiet, with a hint of that familiar disappointment Dib hasn’t heard since his childhood. 

“D-Dad, I can explain-” But Dib isn’t able to begin to explain when the stage beneath him suddenly gives way. 

Dib doesn’t have time to react as he plummets into a thick, black ocean below. Panic immediately sets as he struggles to keep his head above the current, though this proves to be easier said than done due to how viscous the liquid around him is. As he fights against the sticky fluid, a cacophony of voices begins to speak above him. 

“I thought you were getting better, but it seems I was wrong.”

“You’re nothing but a disappointment to the Membrane name.”

“No wonder your father wants nothing to do with you.” 

“I can’t believe I let myself think you were like us.”

As the waves get higher and the liquid grows thicker, Dib finds his strength leaving him rapidly. Hyperventilation sets in as the liquid soon reaches his mouth, but just as he’s about to go under, he hears an unfamiliar voice echo through his head. 

Let the sins of the father’s past

Become nothing more than ash.

Allow your shattered soul

To once more become whole

Embrace this newfound affection,

And use it against your fractured reflection.

Once you find yourself in the place 

That holds neither time nor space,

Seek my voice, Unwavering Son,

To be saved from what cannot be undone.

Wake up.

Dib wakes with a start. 

A trembling hand clambers to his pounding chest, clutching his sweat soaked shirt. His eyes dart around his room, confusion flooding his mind as to why there’s a faint magenta color flashing until he remembers his wristband. Letting out a shaky breath, Dib snoozes the device before pulling off his blanket and swinging his legs over the side of his bed. 

“It was just… a dream,” he mumbles to himself as he wipes sweat from his forehead. “A nightmare, sure, but a dream nonetheless. You’re okay…” 

He takes a few minutes taking in deep breaths and nervously cracking his knuckles before his heart rate finally calms down. But by the time he’s relaxed, sleep has slipped away from him. Dib picks up his glasses from the night stand before checking the time on his phone. 

3 am. 

Great. Just what he wanted to see. Letting out a sigh, he gets up from bed and heads to the bathroom. After washing his face and fixing up his hair, he eyes the laundry hamper that Stan dropped off earlier in the night. He really should have put away his clothes earlier, but motivation hadn’t been available then. And it still isn’t here now. 

Instead, Dib simply starts digging through the hamper to find appropriate clothes for an early morning walk. While rummaging around, however, he realizes that his trench coat is missing from the pile of clean clothes. Anxiety spikes in his system as he starts to wonder if the Pines have thrown out his beloved trench coat. It was a thrift store find, and while it had been shredded by the Shapeshifter, Dib had been planning to patch it up like he’s done dozens of times now. Frowning, he ends up grabbing the first jacket he can find, which coincidentally happens to be the same jacket he was given by the hospital all those months ago. 

He's added a few touches to the reclaimed jacket, mainly some patches sewn onto the sleeves and front. It helped the clothes feel more… him in a way. 

Once he's done getting ready, he goes to pocket his phone, but he pauses once said device is in his hand. 

The dread from his dream is still lingering in the back of his mind, and his heart is heavy with guilt. The disappointment in his father’s voice hurt more than anything else, and before he realizes it, he's already dialed his number. 

“Hello, son.”

A small sigh of relief slips through Dib’s lips as his father’s voice greets him. 

“Hey, dad…” 

“Is something wrong, son? It’s rather early right now in Oregon for you to be calling.” 

“Oh… um… No, not really,” Dib lies. “I just… wanted to hear your voice is all.” 

That last part wasn’t entirely a lie, and Dib feels some guilt lift from his chest as his father chuckles under his breath. 

“I miss you, too, son. Now, how is your research coming along? I’m presuming you’ve already collected spore samples and are waiting for them to germinate?” 

“Yeah… I have about 10 different species I’m observing, and one new species I’ve learned about…”

They two continue to have idle chatter about Dib’s research project, and while Dib normally hates discussing science with his father, today he doesn’t mind the boredom that overtakes him through the conversation. It’s a welcomed replacement for the feeling of dread from his nightmare. And soon, his father lets a rather important piece of information slip through. 

“And after that, I had a quick look at the applicants for the California location internship. We have about five hundred of them, but based on my initial review, most of them aren’t qualified for the job.” 

Dib’s interest immediately piques as he remembers that Dipper mentioned applying to said internship. Dib bites his bottom lip as he internally debates the morality of intervening in the hiring process—he had just as much authority as his own father to push certain applicants forward after all. 

“You… wouldn’t have happened to see a Dipper Pines within the pile of applications, would you?”

His father is silent for a moment, most likely racking his brain for the name. 

“Not a Dipper Pines,” he says. “I did encounter an application for a Mason Pines, however, who will be attending Stanford this coming fall semester. Is there any particular reason you’re interested in his application?”

Dib blinks in confusion. 

Mason? That… doesn’t sound right. But there were no other internships at the California location besides this one, unless…

“Did he choose a preferred name in his application?” 

“I would have to check the system again to confirm that, but he is the only Pines who applied if that helps.” 

“Well, if you’re able to confirm that he goes by Dipper, I think you should really give his application some heavy consideration.” Dib fiddles with the drawstring of his jacket with his freehand. “I’ve… actually met him here. In Gravity Falls. And he seems like a really good fit for the company.” 

His father is silent for a moment, mulling over Dib’s words. 

“And you’re saying this… by your own volition?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s not like last time, I promise! Dipper is actually a pretty cool guy… I think…” 

I think he’s the closest thing I can call a real friend, Dib wants to say, but he’s quick to bite his tongue. 

“He’s been very… accommodating to me, alongside his family. And while anyone can be brilliant, not every brilliant person can be kind.” 

I should know.

“Well, if you’re willing to give your recommendation, I’ll be more open minded when I review his application in full later on.” The sound of an alarm cuts through the call, and Dib hears his father let out a sigh. “I have to get going now son. I’ll talk to you later today if I have time.” 

“Of course. Bye dad.” 

Once he’s hung up, he finally puts his phone away and heads out of the basement, picking up his camera on the way. Very quietly, he makes his way out the back door, and the moment he steps outside, he’s greeted by a cool breeze that gently caresses his skin and runs its cold fingers through his hair. 

Dib lets out a sigh as he closes his eyes and unconsciously moves his head forward, a vain attempt to lean into the phantom touch of the night. The night sky has always been more welcoming to Dib than its diurnal counterpart, and it’s no question as to why that is. 

Dib proceeds to pick a direction at random and then sets off. The forest is a lot more foreboding at night, he will admit, but he’s thankful to have been able to adapt to the darkness over the course of his lifetime. It also helps that all those trips to the cold void that is space practically forced his vision to adapt. 

As he’s walking, he passes by some interesting sights. Gnomes scurrying about the underbrush. Flying eyeballs with bat wings. Living geodes that hummed and chirped like birds. All of which he takes photos of to cross reference with Ford once morning comes. 

And because he’s so focused on photographing as much as he can, he fails to notice the unnatural protrusion in front of him and ends up tripping face first into the ground with a loud thud.

Dib lets out a long groan as he picks himself up, rubbing dirt off his face and dusting himself off before looking back at what tripped him. And what he sees gives him pause.

A tall, cylindrical stone is sticking out from a mound of dirt. Based on how high this mound is compared to the surrounding forest floor, it’s clear that something is buried underneath it. 

Knitting his eyebrows together, Dib puts his camera away before swinging his bag onto his back and approaching the mound. Carefully, he digs away a small portion of dirt that surrounds the stone, and he’s surprised to see that it’s not just a regular stone, but a stone shaped like a top hat. Dib looks around for something to dig up the rest of the dirt, and he ends up finding a flat stone that he uses to push away dirt from the mystery statue. 

He’s only able to unearth the top of said statue before he hears a twig snap behind him. Dib immediately drops the stone and stands up with a jolt. Nothing out of the ordinary greets him as he steps further into the clearing, and he unconsciously tries to grab a weapon from his bag, but is quick to realize he forgot to pack one. 

“Shit-” 

A branch from above him snaps, but it’s too late for him to react. In an instant, Dib is knocked off his feet and pinned onto the ground by a set of mechanical arms. But as he goes to kick at the person subduing him, he sees a familiar set of magenta eyes staring down at him. 

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, ZIM!?” Dib yells in frustration, which only causes Zim’s smirk to widen. 

“To see if you were paying attention to your surroundings and capable of side stepping an attack like I taught you. But it’s clear that you’re getting rusty, like the inferior human that you are,” Zim scoffs before retracting his PAK legs and getting off Dib, who throws him a glare. 

“Jeez, thanks for that,” Dib says, sarcasm dripped off each word. “Now what the heck are you doing back here in Gravity Falls?” 

“To drop off these, dummy.” Zim throws a bag at Dib, which he fumbles to catch. “I took it upon myself to give your equipment an upgrade, particularly your Membracelets. And with this pathetic display, it’s a good thing I did so.” 

Dib rolls his eyes before opening the bag and double checking that all his equipment is indeed intact. He raises an eyebrow at the aforementioned “upgrades”, pulling out a Membracelet that is now emblazoned with the Irken insignia. 

“Really?” 

“I have the right to mark what is mine.” Zim suddenly looks away, a solemn look taking over his expression. “Besides… I might as well leave something behind for Irk to be remembered by.” 

Dib presses his lips together into a thin line, unsure how to maneuver the conversation now that things have gotten serious. Thankfully, Zim is quick to drop the subject, turning back to look at Dib with a neutral expression. 

“I have something I wanted to show you. I found it the same day we arrived at Gravity Falls, after you left with the Peen family.” 

“Pines family, Zim.” 

“Whatever, same thing!” Zim snaps his fingers, which calls forth his ship to unveil itself just above them, its invisibility fading away from its surface like sequin scales. Dib is left awestruck by the display. 

“Hey, you finally got that cloaking mechanism we were working on to work.” 

“The Gaz has proven to be a rather skilled engineer with Irken technology,” Zim begrudgingly admits. “But even she is having problems implementing this mechanism onto your ship. We’re missing some key components, but the thing I want to show you could be our solution to that soon enough.” 

As Zim holds out his hand, Dib hesitates. He glances back over at the partially unearthed statue, debating photographing it or not. He sees that he's uncovered the top of a pyramid wearing a top hat and a little bit of an eye, though most of it is still buried underground. An uneasiness overtakes him as he continues to stare; it almost feels like the action is reciprocated by the strange statue. 

Tearing away his gaze and shaking his head, Dib turns his attention back to Zim, taking his hand and swinging the alien onto his back. Once Zim has a good grip on him, he expands his PAK legs and lifts them into the waiting ship. The ride is rather quick, with Zim taking them past the unusual cliff sides Dib remembers seeing on his way to Gravity Falls. 

“You know, it really does look like a UFO crashed through this place,” Dib mentions offhandedly, which earns a laugh from Zim. 

“So you haven’t realized where I’m taking you?”

“No… Should I?”

“Guess your investigation skills are also getting rusty.” 

Dib goes to argue with Zim, but is cut off when Zim pulls up a holographic panel from his ship’s dashboard. 

“Now tell me, Dib-stick, what do you see under all that disgusting organic material?” 

Dib furrows his eyebrows before looking at the screen, and his eyes almost pop out of his skull. 

“Is that-”

“Yes it is.” Zim activates the Voot’s cloaking mechanism once more before stopping the ship at the top of the spacecraft. “I wasn’t able to explore it earlier due to the locals, but now under the cover of night we have this whole thing to ourselves.” 

Dib can barely contain his excitement as he practically bounces out of the Zim’s ship and onto the buried UFO’s dome. It takes Zim a while to crack open an entrance for them to use, though once they look inside, they find a rather steep jump staring back at them. That’s when Dib gets a rather devious idea. 

“You know… it’s been a while since we last played catch, Zim,” Dib says as he takes a step towards the hole in the ship. “Think fast!” 

Without hesitation, Dib throws himself down the shaft, laughing to himself as he hears Zim swear in Irken before diving after him. Just before he hits the ground, Zim manages to catch Dib at the same time his PAK legs spring open to absorb the impact of their fall. Dib simply sticks his tongue out at Zim, who gives him a death glare before dropping his ass onto the metal ground. 

“Oof… worth it,” Dib says as he stands up and dusts himself off. Once he’s done, Zim pulls out a flashlight from his PAK and turns it on, and the sight that greets them leaves Dib speechless. 

The ship’s interior is massive, circular symbols etched into just about every wall and surface. It’s obvious this spacecraft has been abandoned for who knows how long, with wear and tear as far as the eye can see. 

“Woah…” is all Dib can mutter under his breath as he stares. 

“This ship is very old, far older than anything I’ve ever seen,” Zim admits as he starts to walk forward, prompting Dib to follow his lead. “I would need to do some isotope dating to determine exactly how old this piece of junk is, but if I had to guess, I would say we’re looking at an ancient ancestor to most galactic species.” 

“That’s… really cool to think about.” Dib pulls out his camera and starts snapping photos as they journey deeper into the ship. “And all these symbols, this has to be their language right?”

“Most likely, but considering how old this ship is, it’s unlikely my universal translator would be able to decipher it.” 

“I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to try.” Dib walks over to what looks like a control panel and gestures for Zim to do so. With a groan, Zim pulls out a tablet from his PAK and scans the writing on the panel, and the two are met with an error on its display. Zim doesn’t say anything, simply giving Dib a look before turning back to look around, leaving Dib to continue photographing. 

“Hm… it looks like we’re not the first to scavenge this thing for parts.” 

Dib looks over at Zim and finds him standing in front of a wall that’s been ripped open and is missing various electrical components. While approaching the wall, Dib notices a glowing pink substance leaking from a crack in the metal wall. But as he goes to touch it, Zim grabs his sleeve to stop him. 

“Don’t touch that. We’ll have to chop off your hand if you do.” 

“And why is that?”

“This is a common adhesive I’ve seen before, and despite its age, I know that it will still contain the same strength as the newly brewed stuff. Once you touch it, it will never let go of you, but I have something that should be able to handle this.” Zim steps back, tugging Dib along with him, before activating a signal on his tablet. After a few moments, Dib hears something hit the floor of the ship with a loud squeak, and soon enough, Minimoose floats up to them. 

“Nyeh!” 

“Good to see you, too,” Dib responds as he rubs the creature’s chin, earning another squeak. 

“Minimoose! Extract that substance for analysis at the lab.” Zim orders, prompting Minimoose to start licking up the substance. “Now, while he does that, we should look for the power core of this thing. If we’re lucky, we’ll find the missing parts I need to finish the repairs and modifications on your ship.” 

“And how’s it looking now?”

“Less Irken by the day,” Zim admits. “Once we’re done with it, you won’t have to worry about being targeted by another patrol drone.” 

“And how’s exploring outside the Milky Way been with the Voot? You just finished the cloaking mechanism, so I’m assuming you had to take some extra precautions while in space before then.” Dib pauses before bringing up the question that’s been eating at him for a while now. “Have you… had any luck finding any other survivors?”

Zim stops walking as the question hangs in the air. The only sound that resonates between them is Minimoose’s sloppy licking and the subtle creaking of the ancient structure around them. 

“The Voot is far too old for the Resistance to recognize it as Irken, but invisibility is a much welcomed layer of security,” Zim finally says after a while, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and somber. “And… No, I haven’t. All communication lines have either been disconnected or intercepted by the Resistance, meaning that even if there were, we have no way of reaching each other. The only evidence I’ve managed to come across of other Irkens have been damaged ships and destroyed SIR units.”

Dib feels his heart seize at just how broken Zim sounds. To think at one point in his life that this was something he actively sought out, but now, it all leaves him with a bad taste in his mouth. 

“I’ll be joining this extinct species soon enough,” Zim mumbles under his breath while staring at something behind Dib, and when said man looks over his shoulder, he’s shocked to see a skeleton behind them. Whatever species this was, they were massive, towering over Dib even while slumped over. Looking back at Zim, Dib fidgets with his camera lens before speaking up again. 

“Your species might not physically be present anymore, but their memory doesn’t have to be forgotten, Zim.” Dib puts his camera away before taking a step forward. “My father is always saying that there are two deaths: the first is the obvious one, the death of the body, but the second one is the more devastating of the two. The death of your memory. The last time someone utters your name, the last time someone remembers your face, the last time your past existence is appreciated—or damned—by the living. Irk doesn’t have to suffer that fate.”

“I don’t like where you’re going with this.”

“I’m just saying! The Pines are really cool people, and I know that they’d be amazed to meet an alien like you, especially one of an endangered species. They could help us document as much of Irk’s history and-”

“And what? Have my species be remembered by its worst member?” Zim interrupts. “Need I remind you that my whole mission was nothing but a lie by The Tallest to keep me away from the real invaders. That everything I ever did to prove myself only ended with the demise of all the Tallests within my lifetime, and that it’s my fault that The Resistance was able to topple the Irken Empire following the Florpus incident. And look at me now! An Irken who’s defected from everything Irk stands for!” 

Zim turns away and shrinks into himself. 

“Nothing about me is worth remembering.” 

Dib bites the inside of his cheek as he mulls over what to say in response, but his mind draws a blank. So instead, he gingerly approaches Zim and kneels down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him in for a side hug. Zim doesn’t protest the physical contact. 

“At the end of the day, we’re all nothing more than stardust. The fact that you’ve accepted this is not a fault, Zim,” Dib says in a gentle voice. “I’m pretty sure it’s also the reason you survived that drone sent to kill you.” 

Zim scoffs as he shrugs off Dib’s hand. 

“You idiot… This stupid defect didn’t save me from that drone, it only corrupted it. The only reason I survived that attack was because you showed up when you did.” 

Now that stuns Dib into silence. It’s been a long time since they’ve both acknowledged that day—that life changing incident. But Zim has never admitted to the fact that it was undoubtedly Dib’s interference that had saved his life; his pride would never let him admit to such a thing. 

But before either of them can do or say anything else, a low droning noise suddenly begins to fill the air. Dib jumps up to his feet just as Zim’s PAK legs shoot out and cover Dib in a protective cage. They watch as a large, floating sphere approaches them from the shadows with a cold and calculated precision. It stops just in front of them, making a series of noises as it stares them down, and while Dib would normally be scared, he’s more curious than anything. 

“What is this thing?” Dib risks asking as he tilts his head. 

“A security drone if I had to guess,” Zim says as he gives the drone a look over. “Though I’m unsure why it hasn’t detained us. Our security drones were much more effective than these, simply scanning for the presence of an Irken’s PAK and instantly vaporizing anyone who didn’t have one.” 

“Maybe it’s looking for a reaction of sorts?” Dib cautiously reaches a hand towards the sphere and presses his palm against its surface, noting a hint of warmth coming from it. 

“Whatever it’s looking for doesn’t matter now.”

“What do you-”

Dib isn’t able to finish his question when Zim suddenly impales the drone with his PAK legs, short circuiting the device and rendering it inert. 

“Dude.” 

“It holds more value to me as scrap.” 

Dib rolls his eyes, but doesn’t argue with him. Zim has Minimoose take the lifeless drone back to his ship while he and Dib continue to scavenge the spacecraft for parts. By the time they finish gutting the core of the spacecraft and loading their haul back onto the Voot, twilight has risen over Gravity Falls. But just as Zim suggests taking Dib back to the Mystery Shack before dawn breaks, Dib asks for a favor. 

“Do you think you could take me back home real quick? I need to stop by a car dealership to make a purchase…or two.” 

It takes longer for Dib to fill out all the necessary paperwork for the vehicle purchases than it does for Zim to bring him and the two cars back to Gravity Falls. Once all is said and done, Dib has two new cars under his name and a rather large credit card debt that he’ll have to explain to his father, but that’s a problem for later down the line. 

His current problem of explaining to the Pines family where the hell these two brand new cars came from is the more pressing issue. He can only hope no one notices them until after breakfast. As he enters through the backdoor, he lets out a sigh of relief when he realizes that no one is up and about just yet. But as he passes the stairs, he’s startled by a voice calling out to him. 

“Dib!”

Dib nearly trips over his own feet as he scrambles to make himself look natural, plastering on a fake smile and awkwardly placing his hands on his hips as he looks up at Mabel at the top of the stairs. 

“M-Mabel! W-Wha… What are you doing there?” Dib wants to slap himself for how stupid he sounds. 

Mabel lets a giggle slip through her lips as she comes downstairs, cradling something in her arms. 

“I could ask you the same thing, silly. You’re all flushed; were you outside just now?” 

“O-Oh… um… yeah, I just… needed some fresh air,” Dib stammers out as he shoves his hands into his pockets.

“Well, now that you’re here, I wanted to give you back your trench coat.” Mabel extends the coat from her arms and holds it up for Dib to see. “Sorry for taking it without asking, but I saw this really cool space print fabric at the store the other day, and well, I wanted to patch up your coat for you as a sort of thanks for everything you’ve done for us so far. I even stitched a little flower here to go with your moth choker!” 

Dib is stunned. He stares at the repaired sleeves of his trench coat, sporting a deep purple and speckled with stars, just like a galaxy, before turning his attention to the little flower Mabel has embroidered onto the lapel. 

“You…” Dib reaches out and takes the article of clothing from her, his eyes welling up with tears as he rubs the stitching of the repaired sleeves. “You really… took the time to do this? For me?”

“Of course! It’s what friends do after all.” 

Dib furrows his eyebrows in response. 

“You… consider me a friend?” Dib’s voice unintentionally cracks with the question, and he has to clear his throat to fight back more tears from spilling out. 

“Well duh. How else would you describe our relationship?”

“Well, I…” Dib flushes as he stumbles over his words. “I just kind of assume that most people are just tolerating me, you know? And so I just kind of exist in this grey limbo with people, not really comfortable labeling relationships beyond acquaintances or coworkers at best. You and Dipper are the only people around my age that don’t actively hate me, so I wasn’t really sure what to really refer to us as.” 

Now it’s Mabel’s turn to look like she’s about to burst into tears. 

“That’s… so horrible!” Mabel covers her mouth with a hand as she sniffles back tears. “No wonder you were so eager to visit Gravity Falls. You must have felt like you finally met people who actually understood you, like Grunkle Ford.”

“Yeah… that’s exactly it,” he confesses as he folds his trench coat and shoves it into his bag. “To be honest, it makes the idea that I’m going back home at the end of this summer even more dreadful.” 

Dib flinches as he feels Mabel take his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“If it makes you feel better, you’re always welcome back here next summer. And the summer after that, and the one after that.” Mabel smiles sweetly, and in that moment, Dib wishes he had the ability to hug her, but the thought alone makes him tense up. “This is a house full of weirdos, and us weirdos have to stick together.” 

Dib lets himself smile softly at her reassuring words, and he squeezes her hand in return. 

“Thank you, Mabel. For everything.” 

“Of course! And if you ever need to talk about anything, and I mean anything, I’ll always be happy to lend an ear, okay?”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Dib says as he flashes her a lopsided smile. 

Their moment, however, is quickly cut short as Stanley’s frantic voice fills the Mystery Shack. 

“KIDS!! THE COPS ARE HERE!! I CAN SEE THEIR CARS JUST OUTSIDE THE WINDOW! IF ANYONE ASKS, I AM DECEASED!!!”

“What the-”

“Um… yeah, about that…” 

Well there goes his plan to wait until after breakfast…