"Finn." Is all the Lantern Bearer said at first.

"You thought I wouldn't find you?" He added, his long twisting, nails beginning to dig into Finn's shoulder. He repulsed in pain, and once Wirt removed his nails Finn instinctively held his hand over his throbbing shoulder. There was the slightest bit of blood beginning to surface.

Wirt's unnecessary -though mild- violence made Finn's blood boil. Why would you hurt someone before they've even spoken?
He has no idea what I'm capable of.

"I knew you'd find me. I wanted you to find me." Finn lied.

Wirt raised an eyebrow to suggest clarification. He kept his calm facade however.

"Lets settle this once and for all." Finn smiled confidently.

Wirt laughed. He leaned down to meet Finn's eyes (though mostly to remind him who had the upper hand).

"I took down Bill and I can take you down."

Wirt finally noticed Bill in the ally, wiping tears of laughter -and spit- from his eyes.

"Bill is in the body of a sweaty teenage boy. I should hope you can take him down." Wirt commented.

"Look who's talking!" Bill called, cackling.

Wirt stopped to process the scene. The lantern. Bill was supposed to have it but it's amber glow was nowhere to be seen.

"Bill. Where is my lantern?" He asked, he tried to speak monotone but fear leaked into his voice.

"Oh! That!"

Wirt made his way over to Bill. He had seemingly forgotten Finn was even there.

"Bill." Wirt said in a low tone.
"I was thinking maybe we could make a deal! I can give you the lantern and you could-"

"Or you could just give it to me now and we never associate again. I prefer the latter." Wirt interrupted. His signature hostile expression crept back into his face.

He was almost surprised to see Finn rooting through trash, next to his feet. If that were him he'd have run by now.
Not that it mattered, especially not now when Wirt had so many things on his mind besides this incompetent child

"I don't do favours for nothing, Beast. You should know that." Bill mentioned. He wasn't smiling for once, he looked bitter and serious. He wasn't anywhere near Wirt's height but he stood up straight and showed no fear under his burning gaze.

The Lantern Bearer gritted his teeth.
"It isn't a 'favour' you stole from me! I want it back!"

Bill opened his clenched fist and his hand was engulfed in hot blue flames, he rolled his eyes, and extended his hand
"Well, then we'd better make a deal. You're trying my patience, Beast."

Wirt growled as he weighed his options, what's the worst that could happen?

A cold wind blew by, accompanied by a drizzle of rain. What if it went out?
It would be Wirt's fault. Nobody else to blame, it was his choice to go to the graveyard, he was -indirectly- Greg's killer.
He couldn't face that kind of guilt, eating him up from the inside out, just imagining was a nightmare.

"Bill, Please!" Wirt cried, pulling on Bipper's jacket for emphasis.

"I don't know..." Bill teased, he smirked at Wirt's obvious anxiety over his younger brother.
Deep down The Lantern Bearer was weak.

"What do you want from me?!" Wirt screamed, tears beginning to well in his eyes.

"You see Beast, there's a spider that keeps crawling through my house when I sleep. It wants something. How about you replace me? All you have to do is kill it."

That easy?

"I...I suppose so..." Wirt said, he knew there'd be a trick to this but he'd find the loophole after he found the lantern. Bill couldn't be that brilliant. Surely Wirt would be able to conquer whatever Bill threw at him. Right?

"Perfect!" Bill exclaimed grabbing Wirt's hand and shaking it vigorously. His twisted smile leaked back into his face.

Blue flames over came their hands, the flames were hot yet...cold. So freezing that they burned, but Wirt didn't pull his hand away, for some reason the pain was somewhat comforting.

It was done.

"Tomorrow night. And don't pull anything, I'll come prepared for whatever you could throw at me. And don't worry, kid; I'll keep good care of the lantern until then." Bill said. It was so strange for Wirt to be called a child by someone who looked younger then him, he didn't want to wait that long, but he didn't want to fight anymore.

Suddenly a hot bullet whizzed past his head and into the brick wall behind him.

He turned his head to see Finn and Stanford standing together, Ford holding a shining black gun. He wondered if he had missed on purpose, as a warning maybe.

"Stanford Filbrick Pines! And Finn! How'd you get here so quickly?" Bipper's body twisted in a disturbing and painful looking way as he turned to face them.

"I suspected you'd be here in town, and I came to find you."
Ford explained.
"I came to kill you." He added darkly, strolling up to Bill, with Finn tailing him. He barely acknowledged The Beast to his right.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try!" Bipper remarked with his hands on his hips.

Ford looked at him and then back down at his gun as if to remind Bill of its existence.

"Finn." Stanford called Finn to his side, even though he was just feet away, and he yielded like a dog to it's owner.
Bill knew he wouldn't be able to stand being in such a predicament but Finn didn't seem very bothered. What a week willed individual.

"Thank you for calling me." He said under his breath. At first his eyes were fixed on Bill but for a split second he looked at Finn and even put a hand onto his shoulder.

Ford lifted up a gun, his hand rested on the trigger, pointed at Bipper.

Bill clicked his tongue and let out a laugh.
"That my friend, is a tranquilizer gun." He pointed out with pride, as someone who had seen many guns close and personal he had learned to differentiate. He had a feeling Ford knew exactly what kind of gun this was though.

"And so it is." Ford mused.

"Put it away." Bill instructed. After a long period of hesitation Ford handed the gun to Finn, he had another anyway, though it wasn't as humane as the last.

"If he tries to pull anything...shoot." Ford whispered, The boy nodded. Maybe Bill heard them, maybe he didn't but honestly Ford didn't care.

Bill cleared his throat.
"This is The Beast." He proclaimed motioning to Wirt.

"Creative." Ford remarked under his breath.
Wirt scowled and Stanford scowled back.

"He's a stuck up! Aww! Just like you! I'm sure you'll be best friends!" Bipper pushed Wirt and Ford closer together.

"Say hello Fordsie!" Bill liked playing dolls, with real people that is.

Ford and Wirt exchanged a look of great sympathy for one another.

"Anyway, The Beast And I made a deal today. You can get in on it too!" Bill joyfully exclaimed. He held out his hand and his signature blue flames danced across his fingertips, that is until Stanford swatted it away.

Ford clenched his fists, and gave a look of intense anger, even disgust at Bill. He stepped forward slamming his foot into the ground.

"No! You idiot! I don't care what circumstances we're under I am never shaking your stupid hand! It ruined my life! It ruined my life!" Ford Yelled tearing his gun out of it's holster and pointing it at Bill.

"I never asked for this! You tricked me! Nothing you said was real!"

"Shoot me?"
A smile crept across Bipper's face.

He reached behind the trash can and pulled out a blue and white hat, he placed it lightly on his head.

"Grunkle Ford! What's going on?!" Bipper Yelled with mock concern. Gosh, he looked so much like him.

"Please don't hurt me! I'll be back some day! Please! Grunkle Ford!" He tugged on His coat but the man froze where he was standing, seemingly paralyzed. Tears leaked out of his aged eyes.
The boy ran up and hugged him
"Don't kill me!" He sobbed.

Please!
I can't give up!
It's all a trap!
I can't kill him!
I need to kill him!

Ford didn't hug Bipper back, he couldn't bring himself to, he wanted to hug Dipper, he wanted to kill Bill. He didn't push Bill away though, for just a moment he could imagine his real nephew in his place.

His heart and mind were pounding loudly and out of rhythm. His thoughts were yelling so much louder then the outside world. But eventually he seemed to remember his situation as he pushed Bill to the ground, still not fully conscious.

Stanford!
We have to go!
Stanford!

He shook his head and tried his best to clear his mind but it was impossible. He could hear Bill's echoing laughter. Whether it was real or just in his head...he didn't know.

Ford began to take control over himself again. He could recognize that it was Finn and Wirt calling his name from inside his car.

He ran over to it and swung the door open, practically dropping into the seat.

He hadn't slept in weeks and his reaction to Bill's little play pretend had exhausted his mind. He was so tired but how could he sleep?

"You're safe now, we're going to drive far far away from here." Finn comforted.
Ford didn't have the energy to protest, he just nodded and looked out the window.

They sat in the car as it sped down the road through town and into the forest. It was getting late and everything looked the same. Pretty, but he was to stressed to appreciate it today.

For the first time in weeks Ford fell into a vivid dream, no- it was real...a vivid...memory.