Gravity Rises (S3)

CW: Part Three

For the first time in millennia, Bill Cipher felt real fear.

The Symbols had formed the Cipher Wheel. He could feel it, even in this useless body.

He'd been in Lincoln's body for ten days; it was terrible. Yes, Bill wanted a physical body again, but he wanted his body, with all its abilities, all its power. Not a stupid human meatsack.

But he had to inhabit a human body until the township reached his dimension. Otherwise, the township would turn around, and Bill had no idea how to reorient it toward his dimension if that should happen. Stupid ancients and their stupid complicated prison. They'd made sure Bill would be effectively powerless during the most important part of his escape.

Bill didn't like feeling cut off from the mindscape, but he wasn't completely blind, even in this body. He could still feel changes to his prison. He'd felt Mabel escape the false moon, for example. And now he could feel the surge of power as the Symbols united and became the Cipher Wheel.

Was this it? Was his escape attempt already over? Bill had successfully separated the Symbols from each other, but his efforts had all been unraveled. Even Pacifica had somehow been convinced to switch sides, when Bill was certain he had her wrapped around his finger.

Still, those hadn't been his only efforts. Bill hadn't just been sitting around since the township started. The servants had taken dozens of books from the Order library before caving in the Northwest passage, and Bill had been reading them, studying them, trying to squeeze any helpful information from them.

It had seemed a useless exercise, since Bill already knew much of what was in these books. But it had been worth it — it had worked. A few days ago, Bill had found something in an obscure chapter of an old text, and he and the servants had been working on a new project ever since.

But it was too late now.

He could sense the Symbols reaching through the mindscape. Reaching for him. Bill was physically alone in one of the Northwests' guest rooms, but he mentally felt the Cipher Wheel's presence. They were here. His defeat was imminent.

Bill felt a spectral chill as the Cipher Wheel reached out and wrapped their magic around him.

~~~~~

The Cipher Wheel was exhilarated. Their existence was joyful; their power was thrilling. They were one mind, created by ten different minds all fused together, and they harnessed the protective magic that ran through them.

They were the protector of the entire multiverse. They were the only one who could stop Bill Cipher from escaping and destroying innocent people's lives. They took this responsibility seriously, of course, but they also reveled in the power that this gave them. It truly was amazing to realize that they could do so much good for themselves and for other people.

This amazement only lasted a few moments, though. Then the Cipher Wheel was focused. They reached across the mindscape, searching for Bill. They knew where he was: the Northwest Manor. It only took a second to mentally transport themselves there. Yes, the mindscape was linked to the physical plane, but it wasn't bound by the same laws. So it was easy to skip over to another building in the blink of an eye.

There he was, the demon himself, possessing Lee's body. The Cipher Wheel didn't feel angry when they saw him. Instead, they only felt joyful anticipation to be rid of him.

They reached out and bound him with their magic, which encircled him like ropes. He didn't resist; he couldn't. All the Cipher Wheel had to do was yank him out of Lee's body, and then they could unleash their full power on him. It was destructive power, yes: It would greatly diminish his abilities, including the ability to communicate with humans in their dreams. But it was also helpful power, good power. Goodness, the goodness of love and compassion, could fill up the leftover space in the mindscape when the Cipher Wheel cut Bill down to size.