Going Under (BillDip) ON HIATUS

Chapter 14

The procession was agonizingly slow, but the twins wouldn't have wished it to move any faster. Every step he took caused Dipper's heart to beat faster, his stomach to churn. Dread pulled at his movements, more restricting than even the chains that were clamped around his wrists and ankles. The only thing that kept the sentenced three moving were the rifles pressed against their backs. The morning light was grey, lifeless, casting strange shimmers across the fog rolling in from the sea. Dipper tried to steady his breathing, but found the attempt futile. He felt Mabel's trembling hand brush against his as she stumbled slightly on the uneven cobblestone leading them to their fates. He glanced over at her and their eyes met. Guilt stabbed at him at the utter terror in her eyes. The brown irises that usually sparkled with positivity and hope were now flooding with dismay and helplessness. He wanted to console her, but he had no comfort to give, so he just squeezed her hand lightly in his own. Despite the uselessness of the gesture, Mabel gave him a small smile that quickly fell apart as their guards pressed the guns harder against their backs to get them moving faster.

"Pick up the pace, we haven't got all day." Dipper fired a glare at them over his shoulder, and noticed that Bill was seemingly staring off into space. His eyes were unfocused, gazing out over the ocean. Dipper nudged him with his foot as they walked so the guards wouldn't notice, calling him out of his daze. The siren turned his head slightly to look at him, and Dipper raised an eyebrow in question. The last thing they needed was for Bill to be distracted. The teen didn't know much about siren song, but he had a feeling that not concentrating could be disastrous. The golden eyed teen brushed it off, tossing his overgrown hair out of his eyes and giving Dipper a small wink, then facing forwards once more. Dipper pursed his lips, wondering if he was even capable of feeling reassured anymore.

The shadows of the gallows stretched across the walls and floors as they came into view, as if desperately reaching for its victims. The sight of the ropes struck deep within the twins, freezing their cores, halting their movements. The soldiers, caught off guard by the sudden halt, didn't stop in time. The barrels of their guns rammed into the twin's backs, but the pain hardly registered, their feet firmly planted in their petrified state. Bill glanced over at the two of them and smirked. So much for the original plan. Just as the soldiers moved to raise their weapons, Bill spun around, his eyes burning with blue fire, his teeth bared. He snarled and, for a moment, the guards were stunned. The siren took the opportunity to grab Dipper and Mabel's arms and pull them behind him.

Having recovered from their initial shock, the guards aimed their guns, the soldiers that had been waiting at the gallows running into the hall to join the fray. In a matter of heartbeats, the siren and two pirates were completely surrounded. Bill narrowed his glowing eyes, aware of their current situation. Stupid Pine Tree... why didn't you stick to the plan? 

"Stand down now, or we will fire!" The general demanded. The creature smirked, his hands still wrapped tightly around the twin's wrists. The events had shaken them from their state of shock, but they did nothing, letting Bill do what he needed. The plan had been to comply with every order, quickly and quietly. Don't make a fuss, keep their heads down. Their obedience would lull the guards into a slightly less vigilant state, allowing Bill to remove the gold band they had placed around his throat so he could cast them under a song. Now, however, what had previously been an extremely circumstantial plan was now completely impossible. The soldiers were more than willing to change their form of execution from hanging to firing squad, and the golden band was still clasped around Bill's neck. 

"Drop your weapons, or I'll destroy you all," the siren countered, his voice level, his tone cool. The guards didn't do as instructed, but there was an evident change in atmosphere. The band...I need to remove the band... Dipper thought. He forced his breathing to steady, his heart pounding so loudly he was certain Bill and his sister could heart it. Slowly, Dipper began to reach for the band around the siren's neck. Having sensed the movement and caught on quickly, Bill let go of his wrist, their movements so subtle is was greatly outweighed by the tension between the creature and the general. Everyone was so focused on the stand off they didn't notice Dipper had his fingers placed carefully around the latch of the band, ready to open at a moments notice.