The tween stood proudly on top of the bird as it wriggled under the net. Ezra whooped and clapped for Dipper, letting him take credit for the moment.

Chuckling, the boy slid down and started taking as many of his own notes as possible. Ezra watched and waited patiently. He chuckled at Dipper's enthusiastic interest. There seemed to be a way with him and this town. As if he was born for this stuff.

Shaking away the thought, Ezra watched the bird in awe. Only something of this design could have been dreamed up. It squirmed and cried from under the net. Once he heard the sound of Dipper shutting the journal, the teen undid the net and watched it run into the forest. The two boys smiled, nudging each other with a sense of camaraderie. It's funny what an afternoon of mystery-hunting could bring between people.

The two walked back to the golf cart and took a seat. Dipper would normally drive, but Ezra needed the practice. They threw off the gnomes that raided the cart and drove away quickly.

The two started making casual conversation, mainly just a lot of questions and answers. "So, how did you make that laser sword?", Dipper asked. Ezra simply shrugged and answered, "Simple, just took some metal and special parts and sort of made it." The boy nodded in understanding.

"Why do you ask?", Bridger responded, raising an eyebrow. Dipper looked down and muttered, "Well I was kinda...sorta...hoping I could...make one?", the tween muttered anxiously.

Ezra nearly stopped the cart, he was so surprised. "I thought you said you couldn't handle it.", the padawan remarked. "Well, no one said I couldn't learn.", Pines retorted. "Yeah, I don't think so. Don't take this the wrong way, but not just anyone should be using a lightsaber. For many, it takes years of practice before they can start making theirs.", the teen explained, remembering what Kannan told him one time. "How long did it take you?" "About...a year.", Ezra admitted. "And to be honest, I don't think I was ready for it yet. But, that was out of my control."

"What do you mean by that?", Dipper asked, eyes lighting up in curiosity. Ezra was quiet for a moment, thinking about his response. If there's anything he's learned from the twin's tales, it's that you never know who might be listening, and what could follow you. With that thought in mind, Ezra sighed. The less they knew, the better. "...It's not important." Dipper sighed and turned away reluctantly.

As they drove by, the tween noticed an unsettling symbol carved into a tree. It looked like a burn marking of Bill. The lines were so precise; only one thing of Dipper's knowledge could have made it. He stared at it for a moment in thought. No, there's no way Ezra would do that.

Right?

You never know, Pine Tree. You never know.

Dipper had a determined look on his face when he saw the parking lot. The teen remembered what Soos had taught him, and slowly did every step. It was almost perfect, except for the minor crash against the log at the end. Dipper ran inside to show Mabel his findings, leaving Ezra to think for a moment.

After everything in his life, this seemed to be a nice change of pace. All of it. Everyone seemed to warm up to him, especially the twins. Ford seemed so eager to show him everything, treating the padawan like he was an old friend. It was almost perfect; he felt like he could never leave. That's when a thought occurred to him.

Why not stay?

The teen shook his head for a moment, embarrassed that he had even had such an idea. But...at the same time...

Ford walked up and cleared his throat, bringing Ezra back to reality. "I take it you two had fun?", the man remarked. Ezra chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it was kinda crazy." "So I've heard.", Ford responded with a chuckle that quickly died away.

"Listen, Bridger, if I may be frank with you for a moment.", the scientist started, causing Ezra to look at him curiously. "Some kind of...thought...ran through my head. Has anyone ever asked for you to make some sort of deal, for something shady?" "...No. Why?", Ezra asked. "Well, it seems this place has many enemies, who would stop at nothing to get what they're after. So, if anyone offers anything at all to you, please let me know.", Stanford said in a gentle tone. "You can trust me, right?", the scientist finished.

Ezra sat and pondered this for a moment before nodding. Ford chuckled and smiled faintly. "Good. Now, I want to see if I did the hyperdrive correctly.", the scientist said, turning back to the lab. Ezra sprang after him, suddenly asking, "Wait, a hyperdrive? How did you know how to fix one of those?"

"...Experience, Bridger.

From many years ago."