Cipher's Pawn (Book One in the One of Us AU Trilogy)

Cipher's Pawn

Alright, this is for WattyFallers and EZ-Dayz's contest #5.

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"Well, well, well, and here I thought today couldn't get any BETTER," Bill said as he fired a laser at the tower, and it was destroyed a bit later after the beam passed.

The blast shook the whole building; rubble rained down on the two Pines. Ford got up shakily. His eyes widened, and he let out a gasp. "Dipper!" Ford said, horrified.

His nephew laid under a wooden beam and a few more pieces of rubble. Dipper didn't respond to Ford, and his great uncle ran over to get him out. The wood was surprisingly heavy; that worried Ford even more. Since Dipper was only twelve, laying under rubble wouldn't be good for him. Ford groaned as he pushed the largest of the wooden beams of off Dipper.

"Don't worry, Dipper, I'll get you out!" Ford went to push the second beam off of the twelve-year-old, but a dark laugh interrupted him.

"Whaddaya know, it's Six-Fingers and Pine Tree!" Bill chuckled. "It's nice to see my two favorite puppets getting along so well."

Ford looked up and glared at Bill. "Cipher," he growled, "leave my nephew alone." Ford balled up his fists, and stared at Bill. Bill Cipher, Ford's former closest ally, stared back calmly as if the he didn't have a care in the world, which made Ford even angrier. No one messed with his family.

"This is pretty amusing," Bill said calmly. "What do you guys think?" Bill turned to his demon friends, who laughed and giggled in response. Bill turned back around. "Y'know, Sixer, you'd make quite an addition to my friends. With that extra finger and extra IQ, you'd fit right in!"

Ford grit his teeth. "I'd rather die."

Bill laughed. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's ask Pine Tree for his opinion! What do you think, Pine Tree?" Bill leaned forward like he was trying to hear Dipper say something, but Dipper was still unconscious (well, Ford hoped he was.) "Nothing? What a shame."

Ford chose to ignore Bill, and he knelt down beside his nephew. "If you would excuse me, my and I nephew will be going."

"Actually, no you won't." Bill's voice turned deep, and Ford froze. "No, no," Bill said in his normal voice, "you'll be doing exactly what I want."

A strange feeling seeped into Ford, and he wanted to run. But he didn't. Something stopped him.

"Why not join him?" a voice whispered in Ford's head.

"He's the enemy!" Ford thought back.

"The world would be much better, Stanford. Much better."

"Bill . . . he's . . ."

"Bill is the ally. You've always known that."

Ford turned back to Bill. "You're right, Bill," he said in a monotone voice. "I will do everything you want." Beside him, Dipper's eyes fluttered open, just long enough to hear what his uncle said and see him, Bill, and the demons leave before he dropped back into darkness.

~~~

It had been hours since Ford and Dipper left, and they still hadn't returned. Stan was starting to worry about Dipper; Ford, too, but mostly Dipper. Stan would never live with himself if anything happened to his nephew, no matter how much Dipper seemed to dislike him. At least, Dipper acted like he wasn't fond of Stan much; the two of them were always getting into arguments. Nonetheless, Stan wanted his nephew safe.