Be My Apprentice

Dipper watched, horrified as his Great Uncle was suspended in the air. The red glow of Bill's magic encased him. The one eyed freak babbled on how Ford built the portal in the first place. On how it was all Ford's fault. Well, it wasn't. Dipper knew it wasn't. Ford was a hero. Ford was his hero. Dipper swelled with anger. Bill had no right to blame his Great Uncle. This was Bill's fault.

Dipper snapped up. "IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN US. WITH THAT EXTRA FINGER, YOU'D FIT RIGHT IN WITH MY FREAKS." The triangle boomed.

Dipper watched his uncle be played with. Bill moved his arms a bit before returning them. Dipper watched his uncle's eyes focus on his fingers. Ford clenched his fists, ready to refuse. His gaze landed on his nephew. His eyes widened and he looked so frightened. The old man sighed. Slowly, he looked at his hands. He couldn't be killed in front of his nephew. He wouldn't. He knew what he meant to the boy. He couldn't let Dipper see him join the other side, but he'd rather that than watching him die. Ford sighed, defeated.

"Come on, Sixer. I know time is non existent but you don't have all..." Bill glanced to the red sky. "Whatever your human mind wants to interpret it as."

Again, Ford sighed. Eye contact was not only avoided with Bill, but with his nephew too. "I'll join you. Only if you and your crew don't harm my family." He could only hope Dipper had run with the journals. Unless Ford finds a loophole, his nephew is the only one that can save the world.

Dipper watched, shocked. His expression soon turned into something angry and hurt. He growled as he came down from the clock tower and stood in front of it. "That's enough!"

Ford watched Dipper stand up to Bill. Just like he was, Dipper was reckless. "Hand over my uncle!" Dipper shouted. "Or else!" He whipped out one of the journals. His uncle was dropped in Bill's grip and left to float freely.

Ford watched Bill tease his nephew. He watched his nephew stay strong. His eyes widened in surprise when Dipper resorted to blind violence. Sure, his brother had him do chores but Ford was certain physical strength wasn't Dipper's forte. His nephew had jumped and was aiming straight for the eye.

A force field appeared in front of Dipper's fist and he was pushed back. Ford gasped as he watched his nephew fall into the dirt, only to roll and have his head hit a tree. "Dipper!" Ford screamed.

Bill's friends laughed. "Go ahead, Fordsy. Go talk some sense into him. Maybe he can still be that apprentice you wanted. I mean, the whole idea of the kid leaving helped the apocalypse come much faster."

Behind Bill, the journals were lifted, Dipper jumped at them, but by now they were way out of range.

"Teach Pine Tree what happens to heroes. He'll listen if it comes from his." Ford cringed, but approached Dipper. He floated down and even when he landed, the red glow was still there.

Quickly, the boy got up. Ford looked so sorry as he watched Dipper curl in on himself. His nephew backed a few steps away, covering his bruised eye. The boy panted, Ford was proud of how strong he was being. "Dipper..."

"Get away from me!" Dipper lashed. "What happened to being a hero? What happened to fighting back even when you're sure it's impossible?" Dipper took a few more staggering pants.

"Dipper, you're injured. You're surrounded by these monstrosities. Are you really going to argue about this now, or will you listen to what I want to tell you?" Ford said strictly. Dipper was quiet as he backed away. "Don't leave. You'll only get yourself killed."

The boy looked behind him. He had a clear route. He looked back to his Grunkle. "When the world fights, you fight back."

Ford hadn't heard that saying in over 40 years... "Dipper, where did y- AH!"

From his pocket, Dipper unleashed a hell ton of glitter on his uncle's eyes. By the time he was able to see again, Dipper was gone.

"Hench maniacs! Roll out!" Bill said loudly. With a wave of his hand, a plain old car became a crazy monstrous race car of some sort.

Bill's friends jumped into the car. "Aren't you worried about that Pine Tree kid? He might be trouble." A demon, 8-Ball, had asked. Bill waved him off.

"By the time he has a reason other than his life to fight for, I'll already have someone on the case. In fact, he's getting on it right now." Bill glanced to Ford and rolled his eyes. "Cmon sixer, join the party. Although we could, I don't want to wait an eternity."

Ford was snapped out of his thoughts. "O-oh. Coming~" He chimed before hopping in, significantly smaller than everyone else. He watched Bill zap things as they passed by. He looked to where they were. If anyone knew how to fix things, it had to be Dipper.

He was the only hope for this world now.

------

Dipper ran from his Grunkle Ford. He ran until he couldn't. Until he collapsed and woke in a more damaged world he'd have to survive in.

Days later, he was running again. He panted and sputtered for breath, still trying to wipe glitter off his hands. He landed on his knees, then his front. Right in a crevice between buildings. Ford wasn't going to put an end to this... chaos, was he? There was no Mabel, no Wendy, no Soos. Not even Stan was around anymore. Dipper curled into himself and sighed. He was alone. He couldn't be- isn't a hero. Heroes just ended up killed, corrupted or worse. He had little hope for this world.

Bill laughed, watching Ford actually get along at some points with his freaks. The old man denied their offer to redesign him, but hey! Six-Fingers wasn't a total bummer! Once he was settled in, they'd make him a real demon. First, there were more pressing matters...

Bill pulled the human out of the conversation he was in and dragged him to the entrance of his fearamid. The light mood was replaced with a dense air as Bill looked to a giant chained bubble in the distance. The rimless balcony they stood on was quiet, the faint sound of music was blurred as Bill psyched himself out for something he usually didn't do. Be and sound serious. "You still have hope in Pinetree, Sixer." He stated plainly. It was actually softer than his usual all caps/ louder-than-inside voice.

Ford stiffened. Bill knew. "I won't deny it. He's my great nephew, after all."

"Well stop. Don't get your hopes up. As soon as he realizes I've got his sister in-" Bill gestured to the bubble in the distance "-that thing. He won't stop until he's in there or she's out here. And, let me tell ya, she's not going to make it out here."

"What do you mean? You said you wouldn't hurt them." Ford clenched his fists and seethed.

"Relax, Sixer. It's just a prison bubble practically powered by shooting star. It will only stop when-"

"-and Dipper's going straight in there." Ford held his head and looked to the floor.

Bill's eye crinkled in a mock smile. "A brother who would do anything, risk his life, risk the WORLD, EVEN JUST SO HE CAN RESCUE HIS SELFISH SIBLING! SOUND FAMILIAR?" The edge to his voice was back.

Ford gasped. "Oh no."

"OH NO INDEED. UNLESS YOU STOP HIM OF COURSE. ONLY SOMEONE WITH A WILL OF PURE TITANIUM CAN GET OUT!" Bill's eye crinkled. "AND WITH YOUR BETRAYAL, PINETREE'S ONLY THAT MORE VULNERABLE."

"St-stop him? Well, yes- but..." Ford's voice died. "Stop Dipper." He said, tasting the words on his lips. It was wrong. It sounded wrong, but he needed to keep Dipper safe, free at least.

"YOU'LL NEED SOME POWERS FIRST, THAT KID SURE IS SLIPPERY!" Bill lazily zapped Ford, who in turn felt a tingle down his spine that made it's way through his nerve endings.

Right away, Ford levitated into the sky and he used his new found power to scan the town. He needed to find Dipper and warn him... maybe even take him back? Hell, he's never fit in, has he? Maybe he could even join them...

There.

He left without another word to Bill.

Curled up in a ball, Dipper sighed, unable to cry. He opened his bag and grabbed something, his walkie talkie and spoke in a sad voice. "Mabel? Come in? Are you there?"

"..." Dipper sighed and shoved the receiver into his bag. He was alone. Just him and his thoughts- not counting the giant eye bats.

"...Dipper. Listen to me."

The boy's head shot up and he glared at his Great Uncle. "Why? Are you going to hypnotize me?" Dipper got up and backed away. He looked at this monster. He looked the same, his hair, his body, his face, but this monster wasn't his Grunkle. He glared and scowled at his levitating feet. "You- you're here to kill me!"

Ford's eyes shot wide. "Wh-what? Dipper, you're my great nephew, I'm not going to hurt you." He stopped floating and stepped forward.

"But Bill got to you, you... you- stay back!" From his bag, Dipper pulled out his twin's grappling hook. "I'll shoot!"

Ford sighed at this panicked child. It would be so much easier if he could just- He didn't want to finish the thought. The old man rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger, his glasses being pushed up. He floated down into a sitting position, on the ground. He sensed the kid calm down.

Dipper looked at him, stance faltering.

"The family is safe from Bill. Jesus and Winrey are safe too. I... can sense it." Ford sighed.

Dipper carefully lowered the grappling hook. He didn't bother correcting Ford. "... Mabel?"

"She's... you-" Ford sighed again. "She's safe."

Dipper glared suspiciously. "Where are they?"

"Jesus is wandering around as some kind of... ah, apocalypse handyman. Winder is very... evasive and is doing spectacularly well for herself. They're fine, Dipper." Ford wanted to get up, but only got up to his knees so he seemed less threatening to the short child. "...as for Mabel." Ford closed his eyes, and focused on his great niece. He was fairly certain that with Bill's all-seeing power, came some, well, all-seeing powers. Just when he was going to call it quits and open his eyes, he was blinded with an obscene amount of light and colors.

There, in the center of the chaos displayed in Ford's mind, was Mabel. She was joyfully interacting with two detailed and radical men, she seemed fine and even more smiley than normal. Believe it or not. Ford opened his eyes and shook his head. Though a bit confused, he was certain that was where Mabel was and that his powers had indeed worked. "She's fine Dipper... and she's very happy where Bill put her. This is actually the happiest I've ever seen her, and that surprisingly is saying a lot."

"Bill has her?!" Dipper stepped back. "How do you know for sure? What if it was just an illusion?! Why should I trust you?!"

"Dipper, calm down!" Ford shouted, he felt himself crackling and Dipper fell back onto his butt. He sighed and winced at Dipper's hurt eyes. He could see the mistrust and the fear in his eyes. It hurt him. The betrayal.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Dipper. I'm not here as some sort of monster or freak that wants you dead. I'm here as your great uncle, and in order to keep you safe... I still want you to be my apprentice. I want you to forget about humanity and join me, we'll get to live and even keep our family safe in all this mess, Dipper. You'll be free."

The boy held his breath. Ford could see his eyes water. Dipper couldn't believe what he was hearing, his own Grunkle wanted him to throw away all the work they had to do to prevent what was happening, for what? Just to live and watch it all happen? "No, great uncle Ford, I'm not going to stand by and watch this happen to our world. I'm not going to make it worse." He shook his head. "I'm going to find everyone, and take Bill down. Now, where's Mabel." It was no question.

Ford looked down, his glasses glaring and blocking his eyes from sight. He couldn't let Dipper get to Mabel, lest he be trapped in her hellish paradise. He didn't want him getting even more hurt. He stilled his breathing and calmed himself. "Dipper, you've given me no choice. I know it may not seem like it sometimes, or I may have an odd way of showing it, but I care about our family. I will not have you scarred or- or dead!"

Ford looked up and stood. From Dipper's point of view, it was terrifying. His Grunkle's eyes were black with white pupils, a dark substance leaked from them. A gas heavier than air that seemed to rise after falling an inch from Ford's eye. Slowly, Dipper pushed himself away from the demon. "...Ford?" He squeaked.

"This is for your own good, Dipper. You will be my apprentice whether you like it or not." With one arm, Ford levitated his great nephew off the ground and encased him in a bubble. Dipper tried shouting his name, sadly at first, then rising in anger before it broke into anguish. Dipper hit and beat at the bubble with his fists with no prevail. He was trapped looking at the destroyed outside world as they rose closer and closer to Bill's fearamid.

Ford landed with a metallic thump, Dipper's bubble followed him obediently as he walked step by step, closer to Bill Cipher himself. Up on his thrown, the triangle in question was surveying his party, and the soon to be his world. Bill spotted Ford nearly immediately and his eye crinkled upwards into a smile. He tilted the tip of his head towards the ceiling and floated. Ford, for his part, was baffled. He followed the triangle anyways.

Once up there, Bill handed him a drink, having one himself. "GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, STANFORD! I SEE YOU BROUGHT ME A LITTLE SOUVENIR? LET'S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE!"

Dipper's bubble was popped and he fell face first into the ground. Scowling, the boy glared at the demons in the room. "You're stupid if you think I'll ever be Ford's apprentice now!" He yelled, soon a blue collar wrapped itself around his neck and pulled him into a bowing position on the ground.

Bill swished his drink around in his glass, already bored of the kid's 'hero complex' act. He rolled his eye and stared at Stanford. "So, Fordsy, what'd you want to do with the kid? STILL WANT TO KEEP THIS BRAT? MAYBE WE CAN ADD THE REST OF THE FAMILY WHILE WE'RE AT IT!"

Dipper's eyes widened as he tried desperately to get higher than a crawl. Mabel... Stan... "No!" He shouted, squeaking and whining as he clawed at the collar.

Ford felt uneasiness blossom in his gut at the sight of Dipper in bounds. He gave Bill a hard stare. "Bill, I would like to request that we unbind Dipper." He gave Dipper a worried glance, wondering if all of his pained noises were out of desperation, or actual pain.

Dipper fell backwards a bit once the collar was off and went back to scowling at the the two. He tried once to approach Bill, but was stopped by an invisible barrier three feet in front of him. He was stuck there, pouting and muttering curses. Ford smiled, because that a spectacular improvement in his eyes. "THERE YA GO, STANFORD! A GOOD LITTLE PLAYPEN FOR A GOOD LITTLE PINETREE! SO, HOW'S ABOUT WE DESTROY HIM?" Both demons ignored the boy's protests.

Stanford literally growled. "NO! He will be my apprentice, and live on as one of us, he needs to be safe and so will Stanley!"

Bill's eye squinted, pissed. Even if he was now on his side, Bill didn't take kindly to demands. Not to mention, Stanley, a demon?! Hah! "Very well, Stanford." He started. "Just be warned that neither of them will like that they were forced to live as demons. WHO KNOWS? MAYBE THEY'LL PUT EACH OTHER OUT OF THEIR MISERY!" That'd be fun.

Ford was silent as he stared at the air. Was becoming feral really a possibility? Or was Bill saying that they'd be so unhappy that they'd- no. He couldn't have that. Stanford's expression twitched into a frown before he beamed towards Bill. "I will see to it that they don't. I will take care of them. Once we find my brother, everything will be perfect!"

Bill's eye crinkled joyfully, mocking Ford's perception of 'perfect'. "DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YA, SIXER!" With a snap of his fingers, Dipper was flown into the air in a panicked state, his hat flying off and a blue light surrounding him. Ford was concerned when Dipper's eyes went blank. Dipper was left to float uncontrollably, it took minutes before his pupils reappeared as blue diamonds. "THERE YA GO! ONE DEMON GRAND NEPHEW! EXTRA AESTHETICS ON THE HOUSE!"

Dipper fell, falling to the floor his body changed from it's original color to white, then black, then blue. Ford watched, horrified as it settled on white with blue gradients coming from his arms and legs. "Dipper!" He gasped, watching as the boy tried to get up. "Dipper are you alright?!"

Dipper looked up, his ears were no longer human and perked up. His eyes, his betrayed sad eyes slowly trailed up to Ford's. "...I hate you."

Ford's eyes widened. "Bill! What did you-"

Bill shrugged. "DON'T ASK ME, SIXER. HIS LOOKS WERE ALL ME. HIS STATE OF MIND? WELL, I HAVE TO PIN THAT ON YOU."

Dipper's body changed colors to red and black as he stood on his two feet and began to pound at the barrier keeping him away. "I HATE YOU STANFORD! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE DEAD! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU'LL BE NOTHING BUT A PILE OF BONES WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!"

Immediately, Ford turned on Bill. He made clicking and sputtering noises as he approached. "Bill! This level of violence couldn't possibly be caused by me!"

The triangle rolled his eye and stared at the plently eyes Ford had grown on his head. "SURE IT CAN, HE LOVED YOU DIDN'T HE?" Bill huffed as he noticed Ford's hair turn black, eyes opening all over it. "CAREFUL FORD! YOU'RE MANIFESTING! AND THE KID'S JUST EXPERIENCING A SPIKE IN EMOTIONS. GIVE IT A DAY OR TWO AND MAYBE HE'LL HESITATE IN TRYING TO KILL YOU. NOT THAT HE COULD... althoughemotionsareapowerfulthing.... HE'LL LIVE, FORD. GET USED TO IT."

Ford watched his nephew still hack at the glass and curse against him. He put his hand against the barrier and a determined frown was set across his face. "You will be my apprentice, Dipper."

"NEVER!" The more primitive demon hissed, manifesting a scarier physique according to his emotions. He grinned and watched Ford breath. "Once I get out of here, I'll find Mabel, I'll find the others... and you are going to have a really bad time."

A/N: So a part of that (like, 600 words...? I think...? Maybe 800....?) was written a while ago, but it was incomplete. So I finished it and edited it.

WattyFallers
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