Little Dipper

Into the Bunker

Gideon noticed his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out, motioning for the others to go ahead to their seats without him. "What the? My aunt?" He answered it and brought it to his ear. "Yes?"

"Gideon, is Pacifica with you?" She asked.

"Pacifica?" Gideon glanced to the side. On the one hand, something could've happened to her. On the other, she could've just run off upset again. "Yes, she's here. She's in the bathroom right now." Either way, he would figure out where she was in a bit.

"Oh, good. She ran off after we had a small argument." She said, relieved. "But, if she's with you then I'm not worried."

"What happened? What was the fight about?" Gideon asked.

"Oh, you know...the usual..." She said hesitantly.

Gideon groaned. "Aunt Priscilla, she's only 12. Give her time before you sell her off to the highest bidder. And I want to meet the suitors before you decide on one, anyway."

"I just wish her father wasn't busy...she never argues with him." Priscilla's voice was pouty.

"And I think we both know why and, if I had any say, it wouldn't exist anymore. I'll tell her you called." He hung up and called Pacifica's number, waiting patiently for her to answer.

"Hello? Wow, I still have reception here?"

"Pacifica, where are you?" Gideon asked.

"I'm going underground! Bill found this old bunker and—going to—it. I think—ception—bad, so I'll give you a call when I—out. Have fun on your date!"

"Be careful down there, who knows what The Author was up to down there?" Gideon frowned. "Your mother called, I said you were with me."

"Thanks! You're—utting out, I'll call you later! Bye now!" Pacifica hung up.

Gideon sighed. "Well, at least I know she's safe with Bill." He put his phone away and went to his seat.

–

"Alright, everyone stay close to the glowing demon." Bill said cheerfully. "It's awfully dark here!"

"So, uhm, there's a code to get in, right?" Dipper asked. "I mean, those symbols are a code, right?"

"Probably? This is my first time going in." Bill admitted. "The Author wasn't very forthcoming with information about the bunker. Probably didn't trust me as much as he said he did."

"And after all you gave him." Grenda said sympathetically.

"What can I say, he was only human. Deception and distrust are, sadly, human traits." Bill shrugged. "For demons, it's...well, clear-cut. We make deals, we fulfill the deal, the humans usually do their part...or seal us in a closet for 30 years to get out of it."

"You've been through so much." Grenda placed her hand on his arm.

"Okay, Grenda, let's tone down the flirting." Wendy laughed.

"Anyways, the symbols. I think it's a key, but the book doesn't really explain much about them. Something about a room, and that's it." Bill nudged Grenda's hand off his arm and shone the blacklight on the page. "I assume these highlighted ones are the ones we have to hit."

"What is this language?" Candy asked, peering at the page curiously.

"No idea. The Author came up with his own code." Bill shrugged.

"I thought you knew everything?" Dipper asked, tugging on him. "Bill, can I ride on your back?"

"Alright." Bill knelt down to let him on. "And, no, I don't know everything. I know lots of things." He corrected. "But, this is something my Sight can't help with."

"Oh." Dipper shrugged and climbed onto his back.

"Hang on." Bill stood up and continued on, holding Dipper on with one hand.

"How deep is this thing?" Pacifica asked.

"There's a door." Wendy moved ahead of the group and opened the door, staring blankly at the strange blocks inside. "Uhh..."

"Right...symbols." Bill looked at the book and sighed. "Okay...I'm not sure why we have to use this. Maybe it's already disarmed?"

"How can we check?" Pacifica asked.

"Hold on. Red, take Pine Tree. The rest of you, stand back." Bill said, handing the book to Grenda.

"Alright." Wendy took Dipper off his back.

"Be careful, Bill." Dipper said as they stepped back.

Bill stepped into the room, heading for the opposite door. Suddenly, the blocks started to close in on him. Bill split into multiples of himself and hit the symbols that were highlighted, stopping them short. "Okay, that's done!" He opened the other door, calling back his doubles. "Come on over, kids!"

"Don't call me a kid." Wendy playfully punched his arm as they got to him.

"Oh, forgive my transgression. Seriously, what is with you girls and punching me? Do I look like a leather bag of cotton to you?" Bill rubbed his arm.

"You look like a nerd. A bowtie, really?" Wendy laughed.

"Bowties are cool." Bill said, adjusting his.

"To who, nerds?" Wendy teased him.

"Hey, is that a laptop?" Candy ran over and picked up a dusty old machine. "I don't know who made it, it's not a style I've seen. And it's really old."

"We'll bring it out with us." Bill shrugged. "Someone shove it in their backpack." He looked around. "Wow, lots of monitors here. And they're not all for outside." He tapped a screen. "This must be in here."

"One of them is broken." Dipper commented, climbing up on the old dusty chair.

"Yeah...there's liquid on the floor too. Shit, that means an experiment is loose. Everyone stay close." Bill frowned.

"Look, a door!" Grenda opened it.

"Let's go exploring!" Wendy went in.

"Wait, shouldn't we wait for Bill to lead?" Pacifica asked.

"I'm perfectly capable of leading." Wendy said with playful defiance.

Bill looked over and raised his visible eyebrow. "Girls, seriously? I just said there's a creature on the loose in there and you're deciding now to be brats and not listen to your elder?"

"You better catch up, then!" Wendy grinned at him before darting in. "Come on, Dipper!"

"Oh, coming!" Dipper climbed down. "Come on, Bill!"

Bill looked around at the notes he planned to look over first and sighed. "Okay, fine, we're going in blind! But, don't say I didn't warn you!"

–

Someone was here. Someone was here after soooo long. How long had it been? Was he back? He hadn't seen either of them since they trapped him in that machine, unaware that it was faulty and would wear out over time and let him break out.

The creature watched from the ceiling as the group of people came in, taking pictures and chatting excitedly like it was some tourist location. Only one of them seemed on-edge, and he...hold on, the back of his coat...an eye, over a yellow brick pattern. Didn't he have pictures of someone like that? But, he didn't look exactly like the pictures.

This needed more investigating. The man was carrying the book, he had to get it from them somehow. He skittered along the ceiling after them, keeping his distance just in case that eye was actually an eye and not just a design.