Gravity Powers - Stranger Than Mystery - Book 3

Chapter 9 - The Last Shall Be First - Part 3

Wirt flew the helicopter right over the town as it made its way to where the Mystery Shack would be located. Tad looked up at them passing over and smiled. "Looks like they're airborne. Why don't you go ahead and see if you can kill two kills with one stone?"

As he said that, many shadows at random would stop and hold their claws up to the sky, their palms opened up and fired glowing purple orbs at lightning speeds at the chopper. The agent grabbed the turret and fired down to stop as many blasts as he could.

The helicopter's cabin rocked side to side as it flew along. Tad growled and opened his own claws. Purple lightning shot from each of his five fingertips up at the helicopter.

The lightning melted the right side and started to short circuit the vehicle. The systems died and the blades began to slow down. Some people started to panic.

"Everyone hold on tight! Agents, engage emergency landing procedures!" Wirt commanded everyone.

The pilots nodded and pulled a lever. Tad laughed as he saw them plummet to the earth. He didn't seem that much indifferent when he saw large sails slide out of the sides and glide the cabin forward more smoother to the ground.

The shadows resumed their fast-paced march with Tad.

The helicopter slammed into the ground and dragged across the dirt for many yards before coming to a stop literally an inch from the Mystery Shack's fence post.

Stan appeared in the doorway. "What the heck?!" He scratched his chin. "Is that really how you got here?"

"You would not believe the traffic." Dipper quipped.

Mabel giggled lightly as they all got out. She looked up at the shack. "Ah, memories. Sweet sweet memories."

"Ok, guys. Who knows how long we have until those shadows start coming. So let's fortify the shack as best we can. Here's a few enhanced ability suits me, Ford, and even Markus invented. They're designed to help you take more hits, hold hundreds of pounds over your heads, and even come with a few surprises in the form of buttons." Dipper said handing out the folded suits to Mabel, Wendy, Wirt, Tyrone, and then Soos who walked out to greet them.

"What exactly are the surprises Dip? I'd rather not find out when I'm surrounded by those dark monsters." Ty said.

"Well ok. One gives you a sonic boost in your knuckle area, giving you really powerful punches, another gives you the ability to jump really high, and the third is a chest laser from the power core, but that powers it down very quickly." Dipper informed.

Everyone put on their suits and picked up a few weapons. Not everyone had a weapon and went with their fists.

Ford with his binoculars was backing up on the porch. "I see them!" He called.

Right then, the porch nearly exploded as it erupted with purple laser fire from the shadows incoming.

Dipper turned around to see Great Aunt Jane grab an unconscious Ford and drag him into the shack. He stood proudly in front of everyone else. Kronos appeared beside him as a massive army poked out through the horizon. The road leading to the town was covered in a wave of pure black.

Everyone around Dipper prepared themselves and stood ready.

Tad floated over the approaching army close enough to them. He raised his arm and all the shadows halted at his command. He took a breath. "Isn't this....something."

"Sure. I want the victory. I want the universe. But....this is exactly what I wanted even more. The universe's greatest warriors. All of you. Against all of.....me. Honestly though, how can you possibly hope to stop me?" Tad said gesturing from them to his army.

"Like my father always says!" Kai said rushing out from a large bush. Markus, David, Mavis, Alex, and Samaera stood beside him. "As a family."

Dipper wasn't sure whether to feel angry that their kids were here, relieved that they know where they are, or furious that they were about to fight a massive army with them. All his feelings simply flooded out into a nod.

Tad moved his arm forward and the army charged.

Wirt and his agents stood back at the porch and opened fire on the incoming shadows. Kronos and the group yelled as they stood their ground. A few came up to them and Kronos sliced through them. Wendy swung her axe beside Kronos and cut through the shadows he missed. Pretty soon, it was more than waves, but an entire flood of shadows. Each of their counterattacks took out every shadow.

No shadow got past them no matter how many came. A few were shot down by the agents. Dipper noticed through the scourge that the children were fighting alongside them too. They were almost as good as their parents.

Kronos looked over at Tad floating over them trying to get to the shack. He lunged up in the air and flew up at Tad, colliding with him. Tad wrestled with him in midair. "You can't stop me. Once I reach the communication array I will have an army stronger than all the armies of the universe. I will be unstoppable."

"You forgot who you'll have to get past to do all that." Kronos quipped.

"It'll be easier once I destroy your hope." Tad said. He held Kronos back with one arm while his other lifted two objects up from far away and carried them close to the shack and then dropped them. It was Zak and Rory. No one could tell if they were alive.

Tad threw Kronos down to the ground and flew forward to the shack. Stan appeared in the doorway and fired at the demon with a shotgun. He wasn't hurt by the blast but got knocked back. He was so close to the array, he could smell its energy. He raised both his hands as the ground began to rumble.

Stan and then Jane and Ford limped out of the shack with Soos as the shack burst open. A large radio tower launched from the shack and shot into the sky. "It's so beautiful!" Tad cried. "Come to Taddy!"

"I don't think so!" Kronos yelled as he rammed into Tad's side, bringing them both down.

Meanwhile Dipper and the gang were successfully holding the army back taking out every shadow they faced with just a few hits each.

Kai and Markus stood back to back blasting and chopping enemies up. Samaera was able to fight with self-defense in her flexible suit. David was almost distracted by her.

Reese flew up and began to fly around torching dozens of shadows all at once. He flew low to the ground, knocking out many more with his wings.

Mabel fired her grappling hook which she hasn't used in a long time and it plunged through many shadow heads before coming back.

Ty simply swatted at all the shadows around him like a sissy waving his arms up and down really fast.

But Kronos swung his sword at Tad who grabbed the blade and tried to angle it around toward Kronos. They were facing Dipper and his family as they strained to impale each other. "If you love this family....if you think you're one of them....you can mourn for them...."

Tad freed one of his hands and held it out toward them. Lightning shot from his fingertips trapping them in a cage of lethal electricity that began to shrink around them. Dipper grabbed his family around him and held them in tears. The shadows that surrounded them backed away for the lightning. Kronos screamed.

In one last burst of energy, he swung the sword around behind Tad and pierced him. The blade stuck out far through his chest. Tad looked up at Kronos then shoved the rest of the blade through Kronos' chest.

The lightning stopped, the shadows began to collapse into black sand. Dipper ran over to Kronos' body as Tad fell to his knees. "I have....failed...." He said before falling over and disintegrating.

Dipper cradled his friend in his arms and sobbed. Kai turned around from the battle and ran to his fallen father. Right as he came into Kronos' field of vision, his eyes turned dark. And closed.