When You're a Mystery Kid

Assault on the Fearamid - Part 1

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here.

"Alright, fellers! Let's hope this turns out better than my other inventions!"

Those were McGucket's final words before Mabel yelled for Dipper to flip the activation switch. Dread welled up from the pits of Neil's stomach at those words, but he's fully aware that there was no point in having second thoughts now. The entire structure of the Shack shook violently. Gears, both visible and hidden inside the walls, began to turn, their rusted creaking and clanking filling the air. The Shack, slowly but surely, began to rise. Neil swallowed the rising dread, drew in a deep breath, put on a brave face, and gripped the flag in his hands tight.

The Shack swayed from left to right as it rose, and for a second Neil was worried it might tip too far to one side and fall over. Thankfully, that did not come to pass. The Shack rose to its full height without a hitch. The tarp that once covered it had been ripped open and tossed into the wind.

"Shackbot fully operational, captain," Wybie announced. He stood on a heavily modified dance mat, his left hand connected to the controls of the Shackbot's left hand. Or, at least, that's how Neil understood it.

Coraline glanced at him and gave him a resolute nod. She stepped into the front of the room and turned on her heel, facing the others with an expression that Neil would charitably describe as the very picture of fearless determination. Far in the back, Neil noticed how Stan crossed his arms and grumbled to himself.

"One small step forward for the Shackbot," Coraline grinned, "one giant step back for Bill if he knows what's good for him."

"Heck yeah!" Mabel cheered. "Let's go!"

The Shackbot took its first, unsteady step, then a second, then a third, and by the tenth step, it managed to find a steady march forwards. It eventually emerged from the tree line and into the ruined wasteland that was once Gravity Falls. Neil couldn't help but frown. His heart still ached whenever he saw the state that Gravity Falls had been reduced to. Even though he's only been in this town for a little less than three months, it already meant so much to him. All the friends he made, all the adventures he had; it was thanks to this small, unassuming town.

Neil glared at the pyramid that hovered in the distance. It wasn't often that he felt angry, but for this case, he's pretty sure it was completely justified.

The Shackbot soon stood tall in the shadows of the Fearamid. The cockpit had been consumed by dead silence. The tension in the air was so thick you could almost choke on it. In fact, Neil thought his asthma would've kicked in at this point, so he was silently thankful that that did not come to pass. Everyone already had enough on their minds without him having an asthma attack.

"What're we waiting for?!" Coraline's impatient words cut cleanly through the silence. It was like a jolt that brought energy back into the room. "Break down that scalene fuck's front door!"

Grenda quickly complied. She raised the Shackbot's right arm - the T-Rex one - reared back, and swung forward with all her might. The entrance was easily reduced to rubble, and just to add insult to injury, she made the T-Rex's head roar. She withdrew the hand, the Shackbot taking a few steps back. From inside the Fearamid, Neil heard Bill's voice echoing, complaining about how he just fixed the door. It was incredibly petty, but Neil felt an extra level of satisfaction about the act now.

Then, Coraline shot Neil a smirk. "You're up."

A hand clamped down on Neil's shoulder. It was Raz's, offering him a determined grin. "Go get 'em, tiger," he said.