The Pines family and Mystery Shack employees were hard at work cleaning up the mess that Dean had left behind the day prior.

"...And then that weirdo from the cave came in and turned him into some orb." Wendy told Ford.

Soos looked up from the golf cart engine, which he was trying to repair. "And then he just ran off."

Ford used his portal gun to warp the strange platform out of the dimension. "That's concerning. What could they want with a Cipher? There's so much about their plan that I just don't understand." Ford sighed.

"According to Blendin..." Archer started before picking up a small plant and dumping it in the field where a pine tree once stood. "They've been messing around with time travel lately. Time Police are really mad about the whole thing."

Dipper and Mabel were working on replanting trees. "How'd they even get a time-traveling zombie?" Dipper asked.

Archer shrugged. "Beats me. He isn't using a time-traveling device to do it."

The group's conversation was interrupted by a large set of caravans pulling up the road. The caravans advertised a traveling attraction by Rose Co.

Stan saw the vehicles pulling up and his face turned to shock. "We have to skip town! Now!"

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What did you do this time, Stanley?"

Stan lifted up a rock and grabbed a briefcase from under it. "No time to explain! Hide in the woods and change your names!"

The caravans came to a stop outside of the mystery shack and a tall Latino man stepped out of the drivers' seat. The man had dark hair that was graying and he appeared to be the same age as Stan.

He looked around until he saw Stan and grinned. "Stanley Pines. Been a while, hasn't it?"

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Stan slowly turned around and grinned. "Well if isn't Antonio Rose!" He walked up to the man and they shook hands.

"Gruncle Stan, who is this?" Mabel asked as she and Dipper ran up to them.

Antonio frowned. "Well, Stanley I didn't expect you to have a... great niece and nephew. But you never even told them about me?"

Stan looked off to the side and held his hands up. "They're just kids, and we did some stuff I wouldn't want to tell them about."

"Fair enough." Antonio chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dipper asked.

Ford approached the group. "Stanley, who's your friend?"

"This is Antonio Rose, the man who taught me everything about how to run a con!" Stan said.

"Woah!" Soos awed. "So is this whole thing a traveling Mystery Shack?"

Antonio pulled out a remote control and pressed a few buttons. The caravans began to open revealing a series of obviously fake attractions and merchandise. "It's my pride and joy! Every time people get wise to my scams I can run off before they can do anything!"

"I used to help him work on this whole thing a few decades ago," Stan said. "We went all over the country back in the day."

Ford crossed his arms. "Of course this is what you did for years of your life."

Stan narrowed his eyes. "Nice assessment brainiac. Anyway, how'd you even find me, Tony?"

"I saw your website online," Antonio explained. "Once I saw the terrible reviews I was sure you were the one behind this little tourist trap."

Stan chuckled. "Like your schemes were any better! Come on inside Antonio, let's get something to drink and catch up." The two friends went inside the Mystery Shack leaving the rest of the group outside.

"I don't like this one bit," Ford said. "Conmen don't just get back together to see their fellow conmen."

"I think you're just being paranoid," Soos said, admiring the fake attractions. "Mr. Pines is great and if this guy taught Mr. Pines then he has to be great too."

Wendy stifled a laugh as she looked at the merchandise prices. "Dang. No wonder this guy has to skip town. These snow globes are just stickers." Wendy said.

"I'm with gruncle Ford on this one," Dipper said.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Of course you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dipper glared at her.

Mabel shrugged. "You ALWAYS agree with great uncle Ford," Mabel told him.

Ford stepped in between the twins. "Now now kids. Don't start fighting each other."

"YOU don't go snooping through some guy's stuff just because of a bad feeling." Mabel snapped.

"I agree with Mabel." Archer jutted in. "We have bigger things to worry about than some scam artist."

Ford grit his teeth. "All I'm saying is this doesn't seem right! And we can't know! We can't know anything! What if those fusions are controlling the man's mind?" Ford argued.

"Uncle Ford, you're being paranoid. Everything will be fine. Right now we need to find out what those Freaksions are up to." Archer told him and Ford went to go sit down, trying to calm his racing mind.

Stan and Antonio were sitting at the table in the kitchen of the Mystery Shack. Stan passed Antonio a drink. "So after we split up, what happened to you?" Stan asked.

Antonio sipped the drink. "Well, I went north to Canada to get the police off of my trail. After that, I did the same old thing."

"I guess they're off your tail now if you're back in the States," Stan said.

Antonio's smile vanished. "Well, Stanley. Not quite."

Stan set his drink down. "What do you mean?"

Antonio sighed and looked off to the side. "They followed my trail and caught up with me about five years ago. I ended up doing time in prison since they knew about EVERYTHING. Then about a year ago they came to me trying to crack a case, apparently, I had a connection to the person." Antonio explained.

Stan narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Look, Stanley, I'm sure that YOU know. I cut a deal to get out early. It's only fair since I took the fall for the caravan and this is something you did on your own." Antonio said, setting his hands down on the table.

Stan slammed his fist on the table. "You better start making sense right now!"

Antonio sighed. "Your little chemical waste scam and almost destroying this whole town. They're onto you, Stanley. I took a deal if I could get you where you couldn't run. And well, I wouldn't suggest running. The caravans are loaded with government agents getting ready to haul all of you away. I'm sorry it had to be this way Stanely."

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Ford rubbed his temples as everyone else outside simply admired all of the strange attractions and cons. "This is fine. This will all be fine. For now, I just need to figure out what they could do with a Cipher. They seem very interested in taking control of my family... but why? If they just wanted revenge couldn't they destroy us? There has to be more." Ford said to himself.

Ford groaned and watched the groups admiring the caravans. He began to focus and saw something strange on one of the caravans. Ford stood up and strolled over to the vehicle. He pretended to admire the 'real bigfoot DNA' while looking closely at the abnormality he had spotted.

He focused on one alleged photograph of bigfoot until he could clearly see the camera behind it. Ford strolled around to the other side of the caravan and put a filter over his glasses that gave him x-ray vision.

Ford gasped when he saw multiple government agents monitoring them inside of the caravan.

"Hold it right there." A voice said, Ford turned to see a government agent pointing a weapon at him. "Don't move."

Ford bit his lip and put his hands up.

Stan locked eyes with Antonio. "Look, Tony, we don't have to do this."

Antonio sighed. "Unfortunately Stanley, we do. It's too late now and I think it's time we switch places."

"Is that what this is about? You're mad about getting caught? You knew the risks!" Stan growled.

"Shut up!" Antonio shouted. "Stanley my sister died while I was in prison. Meanwhile, you're living free all back together with your family still running a scam! How is that fair? We were two loners with nobody but in the end, I'm the only one who lost!"

Stan gripped the table tightly. "You think things just got better for me? I spent years all alone and miserable! I worked hard to get the family I have today!"

Antonio shook his head. "You stole from the government! You nearly destroyed this town!"

"That's because my brother was lost in the multiverse and I was just trying to bring him home!" Stan shouted.

"What are you talking about? Have you become delusional?" Antonio asked. "I expected better from the man who managed to best the government."

Multiple government agents surrounded Ford and placed handcuffs on him. "We have a man resembling Stan Pines. Is it possible there are two of them?" One of the agents said into their headset.

Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, Archer, and Soos were still oblivious to their impending arrest. "Get ready to take the rest of them. Then we go get Stan Pines."

Agent Prowers stepped out of one of the caravans. "There he is. I remember him as the one who tricked us into giving up all the case information. I don't know who you are, but you're going away for a long time."

Ford chuckled. "Oh sure. Against you idiots? I've fought the government before." Ford broke the handcuffs in half and whipped out a staff that crackled with electricity on both ends. He slammed the staff into one of the agents behind him and ran around the caravan.

"Everyone! Move-in now! Go! Go! Go!" Prowers shouted and dozens of government agents emerged from the caravans.

"What the heck is going on here?" Wendy asked.

Ford smacked and agent in the head and ran over to them. "The government is coming after us again! Get inside and don't get caught, I can solve this but I have to immobilize all of them first!" Ford instructed.

"I'll help you, Ford," Archer said and the two of them began stunning as many government agents as they could.

The rest of the group ran for the Mystery Shack and Wendy punched an agent in the face to get inside. They rushed through the shack to the kitchen where Antonio and Stan were having a standoff.

Stan looked over at them and shot up. "What happened?"

"The government guys are back and Ford and Archer are out there fighting them off!" Dipper explained.

Stan put on his brass knuckles and made for the door. "Kids, stay put. Soos, Wendy, keep them safe." Stan said before running outside.

Stan rushed outside and joined his brother and nephew in the fighting. Antonio watched the Pines hold off numerous agents all by themselves from a distance.

Ford had set up a shield so that the government agents wouldn't be able to hit them with any guns. Meanwhile, Stan and Archer were fighting off the agents that tried to rush the group down.

Finally, Stan clobbered the last of the agents. "Well now, what do we do?"

Ford grinned. "I have a plan." He took out a computer and began typing on it. "There! Now, all we have to do is wipe their recent memory and they'll think that their mission changed before they started it." Ford shut the computer and began wiping the agents' memories.

Antonio walked up to Stan and admired the destruction. "So... I get the feeling you were telling the truth about your brother."

"Yep," Stan said, not looking at Antonio.

Antonio sighed. "Stanley I'm sorry. I know how much you always wanted to reunite with your brother and... I was jealous. I shouldn't have sold you out."

Stan took a deep breath. "Look I've been holding grudges for a long time. And I'm sick of it. Let's call it all even." Stan said and they shook hands. "Now get out of here."

"But I have to go back to prison," Antonio said. "And I don't want to run anymore."

Stan smiled. "Tell you what, I'm sure my brother can erase your criminal record using his computer magic skills. Just get out of here and start living."

Antonio's eyes filled with tears and he hugged Stan. "Thank you, Stanley. Goodbye." Antonio got into his car and drove away.

"You always wanted to get back together with me, eh?" Ford said.

Stan rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up and get back to work."

Ford chuckled and continued wiping memories.

Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Wendy came outside to help Ford and Stan move the government agents back into their caravans.

"Man. I can't believe we almost got conned," Soos said.

"I know, right?" Wendy said. "You would figure working at a con shop would make this sort of thing obvious but I didn't notice at all."

"Sorry about not believing you great uncle Ford," Mabel said.

Ford waved it away. "Don't worry about it. It was just a hunch, I do think I'm a bit too paranoid after all the time I spent in the multiverse."

Archer hopped out of one of the caravans. "Well, that's not such a bad thing when you deal with government agents hiding in caravans."

"Well, when you put it like that I think I'm pretty glad I'm paranoid," Ford said and he chuckled.

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End Credits

Ford flipped through all of his old journals at his desk, racking his brain. "What could they be trying to do? I know the Gremoblicorn specializes in magic but what would they be doing with a Cipher?" Ford sighed and set the journal down. "How much time do I have to figure all of this out."