PART 1:
Just before noon on July 28th, 2015, the twins walk out of the Police Department, Dipper angrily reporting through a walkie-talkie that no one believes them about what will happen. Checking the time on his phone, everyone else checks in- Arline from the junkyard, Soos from the Bargains Depot, Candy and Grenda by the library, and Wendy overlooking town. Now noon, counter-operation Divide and Conquer begins.
As they walk towards the mall, Mabel examines her grappling hook as Dipper contemplates the coded note they found. The last sentence, have all operation members ready, has Dipper concerned about just how many people besides Yuki could be involved. Mabel tells Dipper to stop thinking about Yuki, the topic still sore. Mabel had attempted to call Pacifica, but no one picked up. That was the most either of them actually talked about what happened, both knowing there will be time to deal with Yuki after they get the Warlock.
Leaning against a wall, all the twins can do is wait and pray that with seven of them in town and Stan protecting the Manor, they will be able to defeat anything and everything that comes at them, whenever it does. They comment that the town is stupid for not believing them when the ground starts shaking. Looking around, they see the source- a logging truck.
Breathing again, Mabel asks if Zander has called back yet, the man apparently having disappeared since he left the Manor yesterday. Dipper says they can check up on him later, Mabel admitting that she has a weird feeling about something. Glancing at the time on his phone, 12:15, Dipper debates checking on him now, the Warlock's operation apparently delayed.
The ground begins shaking again, Dipper looking down the road in both directions. The shaking gets worse as he realizes there is no truck coming. Yelling for everyone in the vicinity to find cover, the twins start running down the road as the earthquake takes its toll on town, shattering windows, breaking buildings, downing poles and generally causing havoc as people try to protect themselves.
Arriving in a small park clearing they are able to stop running, no longer in danger from falling objects. Mabel points to a hill outside of town, the land bulging and growing. The shaking stops, everyone checking in on the walkie-talkies. Wendy mentions the hill growing, Dipper saying he and Mabel will go check it out, telling everyone else to go help people effected by the shaking.
Walking through the disturbed town, the twins stop walking when the hill explodes, sending earth and rock flying everywhere. In the explosion is a gigantic golem made out of moss and rock and earth, shaped like a werewolf. The entire town watches as the golem howls, deafening everyone in town, sending the people running for cover as it stalks down the hill towards town.
Arline cuts through the crowd, reaching the twins just as the 50-foot tall werewolf golem reaches the edge of town. Lighting her arms on fire, Arline runs ahead and hurls a fireball at the golem, the twins trailing behind her. They are on the defense for most of the fight, the golem's long reach and strength able to do considerable damage while Arline's fireballs are momentary annoyances in comparison. Realizing they should get it out of town to limit damages, Mabel stays to fight the creature as Dipper runs away to enact a plan he came up with.
As Mabel uses her grappling hook to get on roofs and attack the golem from above, Dipper runs to an abandoned but still running 18-wheeler. Candy and Grenda run up next to him, Dipper explaining that he wants to be able to steer the truck at the golem with no one inside. Candy offers to rig it to be remote-controlled, Grenda tossing her into the drivers seat as Dipper runs towards the logs on the back.
Wendy and Soos show up as he is staring at the logs. He explains that he wants to use the logs as spears and have them impale the golem after the truck crashes against it. Soos runs up to loosen the straps up front as Wendy and Dipper work on the back straps, awkwardly kind-of flirting with each other. Their friends finished with their duties, everyone backs away from the truck, Candy revving the engine.
Dipper looks at the golem and notices Mabel on it's back, both she and Arline unaware about the oncoming truck of death. Dipper tells Candy to stop the truck, but as she didn't think stopping would be something they would do, she failed to include that function. Dipper runs towards the fight, getting Mabel's attention just before the truck crashes into the legs of the golem, the logs ramming it just as planned, sending it to the ground.
Mabel quickly fires her grappling hook at the roof of a building, turning her downward plunge to angling for a wall. Dipper jumps up and grabs onto her, taking half of the impact as they tumble to the ground. Stumbling to their feet, they look towards where the golem is doing the same, Dipper's plan having only bought them a few seconds, the wounds closing up quickly.
Mabel explains that she and Arline figured out that ability, and that fire works best at slowing the process as Arline comes over to them. Dipper asks Arline if she could control the flames if they light the golem on fire, Arline confirming that she could. Taking Mabel with him as Arline restarts the fight, he tells Wendy and Grenda to go into the liquor store and gather supplies to make some Molotov Cocktails.
Mabel suggests herself, Candy and Wendy get on the roofs and throw them from above while Soos, Dipper and Grenda attack from the ground, intending to mostly drench the golem in alcohol and let Arline provide the fire. Grenda and Wendy return, everyone grabbing bottles and moving into position. Dipper runs to Arline, who quickly lights one of his bottles on fire, and he throws it at the golem, everyone else following his lead.
The plan appears to work well, a considerable amount of smoke coming from the golem's burning body. However, the logs from the truck are still nearby, and the alcohol soaking into them turns them into giant torches, which the golem can throw at people. As they take cover from the weaponized logs, Dipper notices a crystal in the golem's chest that appears to be the heart of the creature.
Pointing it out to Arline, she conjures a large fireball, sending it directly into the crystal. The golem shrieks and temporarily stops it's assault, smoke billowing out of the crystal. Dipper turns to ask Arline to do it again, but she is struggling to keep up. Thankfully, air support comes in, Magenta breathing fire on the golem, sending it to the ground.
Pacifica comes over to the group, yelling at the twins for what happened with Yuki, but Arline tells them to worry about that later. Pacifica says that Yuki, who has been living with her, says the creature is a fusion golem- werewolf biology with the mindlessness of a golem. It'll continue to destroy the town unless you cut off the source of the orders- a radio signal Yuki discovered coming from something deep underground.
Pacifica offers to fight the golem with Magenta while the twins and their friends head underground to disable the signal. They agree, Arline telling Pacifica to just get the golem out of town as the twins tell their friends to stay on the surface and help people evacuate the area, not wanting to risk everyone going underground at once. Pacifica gets back on Magenta and begins flying around as the twins and Arline run towards the hill the golem came out of, dropping into the darkness.
At the end of the Author's Note is a coded PS message:Mvcg vkrhlwv, hlnvlmv wrvh.Next episode, someone dies.
PART 2:
Walking through the clawed-out hole, Mabel admits that she's concerned they haven't heard from Zander yet today. Dipper admits that it is weird, but then realizes Zander is rarely around when this stuff happens. Mabel wonders if he's involved with the Warlock, but Arline cuts into the conversation before Dipper can respond, making both twins suspicious of her in turn.
Seeing light in the distance, the three make their way towards it, glass and metal beginning to litter the ground. Peering around the corner of the destroyed wall, they see a lab with more broken glass, hundreds of computer monitors, and four guards with pistols standing around and surveying the damage that was most likely caused by the golem.
On one of the computers is the phrase Operation Search and Destroy is under way. Mabel reminds Dipper about their idea that the Warlock is looking for the Portal, but Dipper doubts this, saying they need to get onto the computers and figure out what's really going on. Mabel walks into the room and asks the guards where the bathroom is, shocking them enough that Arline and Dipper can rush out out and begin fighting.
By the time the twins have taken care of one guard each, Arline has handled the other two and moved on to one of the computers. She says that the entire system is something she's never seen before- something called O.S.C.T- so they need to guess the password. Dipper suggests 'power,' then 'search and destroy,' then the date, but none work, and the computer freezes.
Mabel moves to watch the guards as Dipper and Arline continue attempting passwords, each computer eventually declining them access. Running out of options, Dipper starts checking the guards' pockets, eventually finding a piece of paper with the password on it- Haddiya. As Dipper opens files, Arline comments that her Master once knew a woman named Haddiya. Dipper tells the girls that he found a bunch of product orders for lab equipment from O.S.C.T, but there are no bills to be found, meaning the orders were most likely stolen.
Arline realizes what O.S.C.T. stands for- Omir Steindorf and Company Technologies. She says that the company manufactured weapons, and she had had to deal with them long ago. Realizing the Warlock was more than likely scared of Omir finding out that he had stolen from the company, Dipper opens another folder with several video files inside. Clicking the first file, the Warlock appears on screen, people carrying supplies around behind him as he talks to the camera.
The Warlock says that he has everything ready to start a new experiment to find the energy source, just as soon as he ties up a few loose ends, holding up the talisman that contained the Tulpa. The Warlock turns off the camera, the computer automatically switching to the next video, the Warlock angry about something. He says that two weeks after the last video, the twins are still around, causing him problems. He debates asking someone who will be arriving soon for help, hoping whoever it is will forgive the delay. Dipper curses when he sees the Warlock pull out a spellbook, the same one that Robbie used to turn Wendy into a wraith.
Commenting that he has his own plan now, the Warlock turns off the camera, the video switching to show McGucket looking at the camera. He says that it's the second month working on the incubation chamber for 'project destroy' and the Alpha stage. He says that once he's done with a greenhouse he'll be able to move on to help with 'operation search,' hoping that will allow marriage to raccoons become legal.
Arline comments that McGucket is weird, but he says it's not that weird, the three of them turning around to see him actually in the room with them. Arline moves to attack, but the twins ask McGucket what he's doing there, McGucket explaining that he's working for someone- not Kinley, as he's not in charge. He goes on to say that other people from town have been helping out as well, the videos on screen showing other residents of town talking about what they did, and that they got paid for it.
Dipper asks McGucket what Operation Search and Destroy is, McGucket explaining that it's two operations, not one. The golem is the Destroy part, and he leads them deeper into the tunnels to show them the Search part. Passing several of the other residents of the town, McGucket leads them into a room that is covered in String Theory. As they look around, Dipper sees a note by the picture of the Manor that says the building will be the focus of the next experiment.
Dipper realizes that Operation Destroy was just a huge distraction to get everyone to focus in town and leave the Manor undefended while Operation Search happened. Arline points to a picture connected to the Manor, commenting that she was sacred of that. The twins recognize the picture as that of the Heart of the Forest, Arline yelling angrily that someone knew the entire time. Dipper demands answers, Arline saying that she really has no clue, but whatever the heck that rock is is bad.
McGucket whistles sharply, the three of them finally noticing the commotion outside the room. Sirens start blaring, telling all unrequired personnel to evacuate. McGucket leaves, the three of them intending to stick around a bit more and get some real answers from whoever is in charge. Just as they are leaving the room, gunfire ricochets around them, Arline slamming the door shut to give them cover.
Arline tells the twins that the best way to handle a gun fight is to limit the shooters vision. Conjuring two fireballs, Arline throws them down the hallway, the smoke and dust providing enough cover for her and the twins to rush outside, Arline a human fireball. Taking out the guards as they go, they make it through the first group as a second begins heading their way. Arline tells the twins that since the guards are trying to kill them to not worry about honor, just get through and survive.
The next group arrives and the fight continues, Arline taking out most of the guards as the twins pull each other out of danger. Desperate to find the source of the signal controlling the golem, the three make it to the machine hurt but alive. Arline quickly causes the command console to explode, a loud thud rocking the tunnel a few seconds later. The golem taken care of, the three of them look around their surroundings, the twins recognizing the pit as the same one Montana Jeffreys trapped Grunkle Stan at the beginning of summer, now with two tunnels opening into the bottom of the pit.
About halfway down the walkways, blue light begins coming from one of the tunnels. The three of them increase their pace, but the light stops before they make it down. Arriving at the bottom of the pit, they look down one of the tunnels to see the Warlock huddled up in his hoodie. He turns to them just as Arline picks him up and slams him against the wall, demanding answers.
The Warlock stutters that he's not the person they walk to talk to, but Arline just punches his face. He tells her to let go or he'll cast magic, but she says he would've done so already if he could. She asks why he can't cast spells, Graupner admitting that he had to give it to his Master temporarily, shocking the three of them that he has a Master, not a partner, and that the Master is here. Kinley says his Master has been in town for a while, Arline demanding to know who the Master is. A voice from down a tunnel asks Arline to lower his Apprentice, Omir Steindorf coming out of the shadows.
Cryptogram: note
Gslhv dsl wdvoo rm wzipmvhh uli zmhdvih droo urmw lmob nliv wzipmvhh.
Those who dwell in darkness for answers will find only more darkness.
