Dipper shrieked out loud as the beast flew towards him with open arms; his tongue licking his dried lips like a predator descending upon a cornered prey. With one final jerk, Dipper's foot was freed, and he swiftly rushed to safety on top of the rightmost table. As Dipper lied prone in exhaustion, Wilks had collided with the dangling piece, sending shockwaves across the makeshift platform. The villain began to ascend upwards when a sudden, ear-deafening noise forced him to look away from his goal:

*SNAP!*

Before Leslie Wilks could react, the damage had been done. His added weight was the breaking point of the cords attaching the two tables together. All ties to the middle portion broke out, sending it and the dazed gladiator spiraling to the mat dozens of feet below.

*KA-POW!*

Dipper awoke from his stress-induced state and flipped over to see the damage beneath him. A mass of wrestlers circled around the now broken-in-half table. Under it, they could see the muscular hand of Leslie Wilks trying to rise up, only to fall flat to the earth with a reverberating groan.

"This is unbelievable, CA! How lucky can this boy be? First, he is saved from plummeting to the ground, then, survives a brush with both of the Beat 'Em Up Bandits, and even escapes being annihilated by Leslie Wilks!"

"I wouldn't call it luck, Ty! If that kid was lucky, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. No, in my humble opinion – "

"Oh, brother. Here we go again…"

"-it was the foolhardiness of those men believing that might equals right. They played around, thinking that they had no chance of failing in their goal, and it was that same carelessness that caused each to do so. Yet, the same can't be said that young man. He had his eye on the prize since the very first moment he was dragged into this. Like I said before, Hoss: love can bring out the extraordinary in the very ordinary!"

Mabel spoke up yet again from her seat at ringside and scoffed, "Oh, brother. Don't you know half the story?"

Having his curiosity peaked, CA made an unusual offer to the tween. "Then, perhaps, would you care to share the rest with us?"

The brunette jumped in her seat. She turned her head back and forth to find the source of the call, "W-Who said that?"

"I did, miss."

The kindly announcer opened his arm towards an empty seat at the Announcer's Table. "Since you seem to have all of this "insider information," I would like to invite you to call the rest of tonight's event."

Mabel squealed at the offer, flashing a metal-braced smile at she wiggled her tiny fists in excitement. She looked up at the guard watching over her for permission. The man lowered his gaze from attention and simply shrugged. "Wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen tonight…"

With that, the twelve year old took off with lightning speed towards her new digs.

"CA, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Sure I'm sure, Hoss!" His partner reassured as Mabel adjusted the over-the-ear headset given to her by the nearest stagehand. "We need that extra something to get the inside-scoop on what this mess of all about! And for that, folks following along at home, I am honored to present to you for the very first time, our secret abettor– "

Using her best bravado voice, a windfall exploded from the pixie's lungs, "This is Marvelous Mabel, coming at you lucky ladies and gents live from the OCW at ringside. But the question still remains: will our daring and dashing Dipper be able to rescue his wondrous and always wonderful Wendy? We're bound to find out in the next few moments!"

The Tyrant, struck in shock of his mouthy new cohort. He leaned over to his partner and whispered in his ear. "I'd hate to admit it, CA, but she's so good, it's scary…"

"Just roll with it, Ty. Now, young lady, you seem to have a great deal of knowledge of this situation outside of the OCW universe. Perhaps, you can shed a little light for us and fill in the blanks of the story?"

Mabel gave the man a gentle love tap on his back, "Glad to, CA, my man. The vest-wearing dork is Dipper, my twin brother. The lumberjack princess in the cage is Wendy, his secret crush."

"Welp! I don't think it's a secret anymore, CA!"

She waved a careless hand, "Oh, relax. The truth is that everyone already knows. Even Wendy herself. Only Dipper thinks that it's secret."

"That's kinda cute, in a sad way. Does she at least like him back?"

Mabel lobbed her hand side to side. "Kinda. The age difference weirds her out at times – "

"Really? If anything, one would think it would be the height. Heck, the little dwarf would be a step-stool to reach her – "

"Ty! PG-Show, remember?!"

"Oops…"

"Relax, fellas. Me and the rest of the family always poke fun at the whole "Wendy/Dipper" thing. It's always good for a laugh!" Mabel paused for a moment as she thought. "Speaking of, there's no way those two can hear us, right?"

"No, ma'am."

"Oh, okay then. So, back to what I was saying before…"

"Ugh…"

Dipper's eyes could only see the blurred lights shining down from the ceiling above him. An annoying buzzing noise filled his clogged ears. He blinked repeatedly as a new form materialized in the distance. Wendy was shouting from the middle of her cage. Despite using her hands as an amplifier, her partner in crime was still unable to hear her voice as it was muffled by the humming sound growing louder with every passing second.

"It's the electrical barrier!" Dipper realized. "It's getting stronger and stronger by the minute! I have to reach that door before Wendy gets shocked again!"

With time running out, the determined admirer followed Leslie Wilks's example and hopped to the metal railing of the scaffolding. Knowing that he didn't have the pure strength to use the varying levels of support to make it all the way to the top of the framework, he skipped from the beam and onto the first table of the middle row, missing his mark by several inches.

"Ooof! Not again!" As Dipper fought to pull him upwards, a mighty, yet filthy hand shot out and seized his shirt, placing him safely on the table. The boy let out a deep exhale, and raised his sights to offer his gratitude. "Oh, man. I don't know what to say – "

His voice became lost as he gazed upon the twisted visage of his rescuer. The man's face was covered with a crude mask made up of random sizes straps and belts. Dirty, stringy hair clung to the left side. His pudgy body was covered in a tattered white office shirt and a simple pair of brown stretch pants. A twisted, oversized red tie was hung around the wrestler's neck, although Dipper couldn't tell if it was its natural color.

Oddly enough, a worn-out sock was placed over his left hand as a puppet. The faded away eyes, nose, and mouth drawn on it easily gave Dipper the shivers.

"I – I – I…"

The man smiled and sat back, "Think nothing of it, my friend. We outcasts have to watch out for each other."

"We?!"

He nodded, "That's right, that's right." He pulled his arm back towards the audience. "You hear them, don't you?"

Dipper was confused by the random mumbling. "Who are you talking - ?"

"THEM, YOU FOOL!" His kindly nature had been replaced with pure hysteria. "DON'T YOU HEAR THEM SCREAMING FOR YOUR BLOOD?! THEY WANT YOU TO FAIL!" He pounded his chest, "LIKE HOW THEY WANT ME TO FAIL!"

Dipper held his hands up and tried to diffuse the tension, "It's okay. I getcha. Let's just try – "

The stranger hopped to his knees, making Dipper step back further. "DON'T YOU PATRONIZE ME! I'M NOTHING MORE THAN A HUMAN BLIGHT ON THIS WORLD! AND JUST AS I'VE BEEN BETRAYED, SO HAVE YOU, MY YOUNG FELLOW!"

"Betrayed?" Dipper asked. "But, by who?"

The combatant calling himself the Human Blight laughed as much as his mask would allow. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"So, let me get this straight, missy. You say that these two don't date – "

"Not officially, no…"

"…but they spend almost all their free time together when not at work?"

"Well, when I'm not in the mix. But now that you mention it, I've never seen Wendy spend as much time with a boy her age as she does Dipper…"

A somewhat jealous Mad Tyrant threw his hands down in dismay, "What's with kids today, CA? I know darn well I didn't have a "Movie Night" with an older woman at twelve years old! Hell, I'm lucky if I'm able to do so today!" He noticed that his partner's gaze was focused upwards. "Hey CA?! You listening?"

He shook his head, "And not to interrupt your "Love Connection," but we do have a match happening here."

Mabel squint her eyes to get a better look, "Who's that up there with Dipper?"

"The better question is "Who does he think he is today…""

Growing more uneasy with each passing moment, Dipper tried to excuse himself from the situation. Walking pass the Human Blight ever so slightly, he pointed up towards Wendy. "I'm not trying to be rude, but you know what they say about keeping a girl waiting…"

He went towards the next table, the given silence serving as a symbol of safe passage, until he heard the Blight called after him in a sing-song tone. "I wouldn't go that way if I were you…"

Dipper raised his sights towards the next layer of hung tables, spotting that the lowest one set was on the opposite side – making it the best bet for an easy ascent. He ignored the advice and hopped onto the middle table, planting his footing to standing against the slight swaying. As soon as Dipper reached the edge, the whole arena turned pitch black. The hardcore fans exploded with a roar of cheers.

"What's happening?!" Dipper tried to find his way through the dark, not daring to move a muscle. "What's going on now?!"

An eerie tune blared through the speakers, reminding Dipper of the old-fashion organ-music that he would hear during those terrible B-horror movies that he and Wendy would laugh and poke fun at.

*KA-BOOM*

The ring below Dipper erupted like a volcano, shaking the table beneath his feet. Fireballs flew out of the top of each ring post and into the sky, blanketing the pitch dark with a shade of blood red. Within that, he spotted a horrific sight waiting for him on the other end of the series of platforms.

An extremely tall being draped in black and red stood at the center of the last table, blocking Dipper's path to the next level. The disturbing neon light blanketing him made it appear as if his costume was made of living fire. His face was covered by a plain mask; dark, soulless beams peered out from the black eyeholes. His long black hair traveled past his broad shoulders.

The flames lowered back into the ring's corners, and yet the stage was still covered in crimson. Dipper's fright grew as the mysterious entity silently walked in his direction.

"Who – Who's this guy?"

The Human Blight answered from the table behind him, "Oh, that's Abel. Molded and framed in fire when he was a child. Some say in the forges of Hell itself. Has a really, really bad temper." He pulled his ruined shirt proudly. "I know that from experience…"

"Lucky me…"

Dipper's brown eyes widened as the fingers on Abel's right hand began to glow a bright orange. Within a split second, the monster flicked forward, launching a fireball in his direction.

"BAH!" The much smaller adventurer dropped to a prone position and covered his head. A nearly scream prompted Dipper to opened his fingers to see what had happened. To his horror, he watched as the Human Blight fell from his position; a haunting scream following the unfortunate soul into the darkness below.

"Ohnonono!" Dipper pulled himself back from the edge to confront the ever-growing danger. Abel carefully made the switch from the end table to the center where his target currently presided. Hopping back to his feet, Dipper went take a step back, finding nothing but dead air. As he was about fall, a new hand was pressed against his back to halt his descent.

"How in the – "

"Think nothing of it, groovy cat! Brothers like us gotta stick together, ya dig?"

Dipper followed the familiar tone, "What?! But how did – "

A wrestler donning torn tie dye clothing sat at Dipper's side. The overweight fighter's flowing mane was tied back with a matching bandanna. Dusty, vintage shades were hoisted against the man's sweaty brow. He flashed a toothless smile that made Dipper swallow his disgust.

But the oddest thing of all was that Dipper could have sworn that this was the same person who presented himself as the Human Blight moments before.

"Hold on! Aren't you – "

"That's right, my main man!" All of the angst and social frustration was missing from his husky voice, instead replaced with positivity and cheerfulness. "The Hippie King, at your service!"

"So, is Dipper right? Is that new guy the same as the one in the belt-masky-thingie?"

The two announcers looked at each other before trying to answer her question.

"Um, I think – well, it's a bit complicated, isn't it, CA?"

"It might be best to just watch what happens, darling. It'll be easier to understand this way…"

Dipper looked past the kindly guardian to see that the monstrous Abel cocked his head back from a puzzled state. He went on with his pursuit, forcing the junior high schooler back to the first table. Now trapped on the far end, Dipper looked around with any sort of exit. Even Wendy had vanished from sight as she had become hidden away in the dark above.

"What am I going to do now?"

*BONG!*

The entire arena returned to pitch black as the crowd applauded even louder. Dipper remained at a standstill, unaware of what else would slither out from the nether.

*BONG!*

Another ring of what sounded like a gong rocked the stadium as random screams and shouts rose up from below. Dipper was finally given some light as a glowing blue-purplish mist appeared from nowhere and surrounded his ankles. It drifted across to the middle table and towards Abel, making the colossus stop in his tracks.

"A fog?" Dipper questioned. "All the way up here? But that's impossible!"

He tried to step out from the unknown miasma, crashed into a solid mass from behind. Dipper looked up to see what he bumped, instantly losing his voice at the sight.

"But – But – But – But – "

A second titan materialized from out of the shadows. While the same size as Abel, this man was dressed in gothic attire; his wrinkled outfit resembling that of a deceased mortician. His lengthy hair was tucked beneath a round, felt black hat.

Dipper shook in his sneakers as the apparent menace lowered his goateed, pasty face downwards. His eyes turned a bright white as they rolled into the back of his head.

"BAH!"

"From the depths of the underworld, Ty! He's here! The Bogeyman has finally come back to the OCW!"

"Jeez, you think that he could have cleaned himself up for such an occasion. He looks like the living dead!"

"He might as well be, Ty. The Master of the Macabre doesn't take his title lightly."

"Hey, guys. This may sound weird, but those two big guys kinda look alike…"

"Quite the keen eye there, young lady. Those two brutes are actually brothers."

"Get out!"

"I will not, little lady! But it's true. Even though they're blood-related, Bogeyman and Abel were born in different spectrums of the dark – one in the pale moonlight and the other in the blazes of heck! They couldn't be any more different than night and day!"

"And yet, you have to ask whose side are they on? Maybe if Abel actually gets that kid and wins that prize pot, maybe he can finally afford to buy a personality!"

"Hey!"

"Ty, his sister is sitting right here!"

"And…?"

Dipper went back and forth between the two, finding that there was no place left to flee to.

"I'm trapped! There's no way I – "

His sights lit up again as a strange flow stemmed from the Bogeyman's fingertips. A swirling shadow spiraled endlessly in a circular pattern; a projectile of pure darkness and pitch black.

"Oh no! Not again!" Dipper went to duck when the gladiator gently shoved him to the side, well out of harm's way. The Bogeyman issued a simple, but incredibly grim warning:

"MOVE…"

He swiped his hand outward, releasing the dark energy towards his sibling at high speed. Acting without any sense of concern , Abel jabbed his arm up, deflecting the strange missile away from him and towards the metal scaffolding, creating a vibrating *KLANK!* in the distance.

"But how – " Dipper couldn't understand what he just saw, or even heard. "Their attacks – it's not special effects; they're real?!"

His inner worries came to a stop as the Bogeyman placed a mighty hand on Dipper's shoulder. His body trembled from top to bottom at the touch. He followed the trunk-like arm upwards as the demonic brawler tucked his head downward.

"STAY…"

With that, the Bogeyman walked pass Dipper and onto the middle table. His brother stepped in stride to match until the warriors were face-to-face. They stared at each other with utter contempt and hatred – the result of an endless rivalry that spanned decades.

"Remarkable! The Bogeyman – that legendary specter that looms over the OCW – has decided to align himself with the forces of good and stand before his sinister brother and protect our young friend up there!"

"Now I've seen everything, CA! That ghastly freak serving as bodyguard to two teenagers? Maybe it's him trying to ruin Abel's fun?"

"Well, whatever reason there is, I know one thing for sure: if those two are about to duke it out, it's definitely gonna be awesome!"

"Right, you are, Marvelous Mabel…"

Still sitting in the middle of the stand-off, the Hippie King placed an empathic hand on each man's thigh. "Now, hold on there, groovy dudes! There's no reason in partake in all of this messy violence, man. What we need to do now is to talk things out and find a peaceful solution…"

The entire crowd groaned collectively at the passive proposition. Without breaking eye-contact, both brothers took a hand and pressed against the soft-hearted beatnik, sending him flying off of the table with a grunt.

"Oh! There he goes! Again!"

"Are you two sure that hippie was the same guy as before?"

"Trust me, my dear. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him just yet…"

The arena's lighting was now a mixture of their trademark purple and red shades; each side serving as the drawn battle lines. Suddenly, everything went dark. White flashes of lightning filled the sky, making Dipper drop down on the table to avoid being struck. He could only hope Wendy would fare better, despise being entrapped in a metal chamber.

"Hey, I can't see a thing! What's happening up there?"

"Look! In between the flashes!"

Dipper raised his head to see that every time the lightning struck, he could make out both Abel and the Bogeyman trading blows. As time passed, the boy spotted a new figure rising up from the table's midsection. His shaggy hair, mustache, and beard all connected in one greasy sum. Numerous scars and markings were etched across his forehead. A bit of his left ear was missing; a closed off curve revealing that it had been an older injury. The outsider ironically sported a cut-off black T-Shirt with a mocked-up wanted poster with his own portrait on it, beneath the printed text: WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE.

But Dipper froze as the man turned towards him and flashed a familiar smile of missing teeth, making the amateur detective question reality further. "It can't be!"

"Wait, there's someone else up there with the other guys. He – He kinda looks like a phony criminal that you'd see in an old-timey cowboy movie…"

"Young lady, I'd like you to meet Cowskull Pete, the third, and most insane personality of the wrestler called Ham Clarke."

"Ham Clarke? Who's that?"

"I'll take this one, CA. Hamilton Clarke grew up always wanting to be a world-famous superstar. Problem with that is that he used to practice by throwing himself off of his garage numerous times a day."

"Oh! Okay, I get it! It's like cartoons where you keep hitting someone on the head, and they become a different person each time!"

"Exactly! But that's why Cowskull Pete isn't the kind of person you want to bump into in a dark alley. He is the living embodiment of everything blood-soaked and hardcore. If there's extreme violence involved in the OCW, Pete usually isn't too far behind!"

Dipper gasped aloud as Cowskull Pete rose up and grabbed both Abel and the Bogeyman by the chest. He glanced back at the stunned adolescent and shouted as he pulled the two goliaths off from the table in a kamikaze attack:

"HAVE A GREAT DAY!"

*KA-BOOM!*

One final bolt of lightning struck the middle tables, forcing Dipper to turn away and shield his eyes. He could still hear the screaming of the fans ringing in his ears. When he opened his eyes, the regular lights had come back on. All three fighters had vanished from sight, returning into the ether from whence they came. The only remaining sign of their struggle was a series of burn marks across the lay of the table.

Not wanting to wait for more trouble to catch up, Dipper leapt from table to table to reach the end of the scaffolding. He went to avoid his mistake from last time, scaling a little higher to make the jump to the final row of tables. Dipper hesitated for a moment, the height difference bringing him back on edge.

With a gulp, Dipper let go of the bar he clung to and let gravity take its course. He smacked the wooden finish and rolled towards the edge, throwing his hands down to stop himself from falling.

"Ow-Ow-Ow!" The adventurer shook his sore palms repeatedly. "Hope I didn't catch a splinter…"

With the lights restored, Dipper was able to see Wendy pacing endlessly in the locked cell with her arms crossed her flannel chest. A sense of dread and worry splashed was across her freckled face. The buzz of the electrical field still prevented any contact between the two.

By mere chance, the ginger looked out of the corner of her eye and saw that her attempted liberator was a step closer to springing her from Macallan's trap. She turned around and tried to shout down to him, only to have her message blocked by the endless zapping surrounding her.

Dipper stood on the balls of his feet and tried to yell back, "Wendy, I can't hear you!"

She continued to try to over-shout the electricity, going frustrated by the second until she suddenly stopped. Her expression turned utterly serious and alarmed. She pulled back from her hunched state and rapidly waved her arms back and forth. Her cheeks became a streamed red as she screamed more and more.

"Wendy?!" Dipper tried again to hear his sweetheart's message. "What's wrong? What do you see?!"

A primal, almost animal-like shout came from the heaven, making Dipper spin around in reflex. A huge shadow blocked all traces of light. A brawny wrestler fell from the upper scaffolding walkway with his arms raised over his head. In his hands, a long-neck sledgehammer was aimed directly at the unsuspecting youngster.

"AAH!" Dipper immediately leapt to the middle platform as the heavy-tip of the hammer crashed into the table with a sickening *KRAK!* He overlooked the newest attacker as the man struggled to free his weapon from the cave-in.

The grappler's long blond hair covered his face, save for his long, bird-like nose and bits of stubble on his chin. He stood bare-chested, with tattoos of the letter "R" wrapped around each biceps. Unlike his fellow co-workers, his outfit was very simple, consisting of plain black boots and a matching pair of briefs. On them, an unique symbol of four Rs meeting at the center was plastered across every inch.

"Oh, man…" Dipper used his hands to backpedal away from danger. "What's this maniac's problem?"

With another pull, the assailant was able to wrench his weapon from the rubble. He lowered the sledgehammer back into his hands and approached the edge of the table.

"You little son-of-a-bitch! You want to make a mockery of this sport – of my livelihood?!" He threw the hammer back into the air. "I'll be more than happy to teach you some manners!"

"Wait!" Dipper held his hands up, "You can't – I thought you guys had to toss me off this thing to get the prize or something like that?"

The aggressor shrugged, "I'm sure the old man could care less about how I get rid of you, as long as you're gone. It might be hard to believe, punk, but money is no object to me! What's happening now – me and you – it's personal!"

"But – " Dipper interrupted again. "I don't even know who you are!"

He instantaneously saw red. "Well, let me help you out then. When people ask you, "Who broke your legs?" make sure to say "Quadruple R did it!""

"Quadruple R?! What's that guy's deal? And why does he have it out for Dipper – I mean, beyond the obvious answer?"

"That, young lady, is Raging Richter Reginald Reynolds, or as the world knows him, Quadruple R. He originally was the leader of the "High-School Rejects," a band of misfit wrestlers that plagued the OCW years ago."

"And that tag-team that first fell though the tables trying to catch your brother? The Beat 'Em Up Bandits? They're kinda like the right hand henchman for Quadruple R."

"Oh, it's a revenge thing?"

"It's much more than that, I'm afraid. A lot of folks may not know this, but Quadruple R is actually Mr. Macallan's son-in-law."

"Really?"

"Scout's honor. In a manner of speaking, one day he'll most likely inherit this empire that Mr. Macallan created with his own two hands, and be the one to make sure it continues to thrive."

"So if this guy believes Dipper reaching Wendy will destroy the business…"

"…then, he won't waver in squashing him like a bug!"

Quadruple R slammed his mallet down on the far end of the middle table, sending Dipper up into the air. As he slid down the raised table, he spotted the enraged attacker waiting at the other end, taking practice swings with his gigantic gavel. With a yelp, Dipper dug his nails into the old wood and shifted his weight. The table lopped to the other side, blocking the view of Quadruple R and allowing safe passage to the last table on the row.

"Hey! Get back here!"

Without as much as looking behind him, Dipper skipped from the final table and back into the iron rods of the scaffolding, using them as a hand-and-foot holds to make it back to the top of the metal platform. As he pulled himself upward, something reached out and grabbed him by the ankle. Dipper tightened his grip on the iron bars, glancing down to see that Quadruple R was trying to pull him back down to his level.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" The wrestler held on to the struggling foot with no effort; his sledgehammer remained in his other hand. "You still have an ass-kicking comin' to you…"

With his grasp slipping further, Dipper moaned and looked up to see that Wendy stood at the far end of her cage, waiting on edge to see how he could probably escape from this predicament. The sense of worry could be still found on her face. Lowering his head in shame, a great sorrow filled Dipper's being until he looked back at Wendy.

Her reaction had changed; she now presented a smile. Her green eyes shined like emeralds, glimmering with hope and anticipation. Her curled fists shook in conjunction as her lips silently moved, repeating an unknown set of phrases over and over like a chant.

After a minute, Dipper realized what was happening: "She's cheering – she's cheering me on. Even when I don't believe it myself, Wendy still has faith in me…"

He stared back at Quadruple R, "I can't let her down…" He hoisted his free foot backwards. "I won't!"

*POW!*

"Get off me, you big-nosed freak!"

Dipper delivered a swift kick square into Quadruple R's nose, catching the superstar off-guard. The brute stumbled backwards and slipped off of the table. He reached up and caught the end of the table to stop from plummeting back to earth.

Now free, Dipper made the last jump to the top of the scaffold. Only a few yards of thin walkway stood between him and the ladder leading directly to the entrance of Wendy's cell. Once he knew that she could see him, Dipper tried to signal her. He pointed at his eyes, and made a swirling motion with his index finger.

Using her height as an advantage, Wendy searched the area around Dipper's location for any sign of trouble. Figuring that the coast was cleared, she flashed her boy a thumbs up for him to carefully trailed the narrow footpath without fear or effort, and reached the ladder going upwards.

"This is it, folks: the home stretch. Will our young hero finally reach his goal and rescue his pretty lady friend before the wicked side of the OCW claim her as their own?"

"I hope so, CA! I feel like this story has been going on for months now! Let's wrap it up already!"

"C'mon, Dipper! You can do it! You're almost there!"

At long last, Dipper found himself in front of the massive cell. He stood on a small extension leading up to the grated door, where Wendy awaited her release.

"Hey, there…" She greeted him with a sly grin.

"H-H-Hey…yourself…" The fact that he could finally Wendy's voice again shed a layer of stress from Dipper's psyche. With a careful touch, he tapped the door of the cell, finding that it wasn't electrified like the other sections of the cage. He placed both hands on the massive handgrip and tried to pull it downwards. "D-Don't worry! I'll have you outta there in a jiffy!"

"Good to hear, Dip." She bent her knees slightly to relief the pressure in her gangly legs. "No offense to you, but my dogs are barking big time!"

*C-C-C-CREAK!*

Dipper could feel the lever starting to give.

"Almost…have…it…"

Just as the door began to slide open, a huge form dropped down from the top of the cage, landing between Dipper and Wendy, who remained trapped behind the steel bars. The dazed hero found that he once again found himself before a much-bruised, yet incredibly angered Quadruple R. Breathing deep, the maniac still clutched his sledgehammer in his gloved hands. His dark eyes burned with pure scorn for the child before him.

"No!" The lumberjane couldn't reach the door in time as it became relocked, leaving her helpless to do nothing but watch the events unfold.

"This can't be! They were so close! But how?!"

"Look at his hands, Ty! He played it smart. Those kids thought danger could only come from below, but never from above! Those gloves allowed Quadruple R to scale the cage, and I'll bet dollars to donuts that his boots are made of the same stuff as that redhead's!"

Out of reflex, Dipper went to turn away from the danger as Quadruple R quickly snatched him up using the handle of the hammer. He gagged loudly as the grip pressed directly against his jugular. The villain held Dipper against his body as he whispered into his ear.

"I'll give you this: you're a lot tougher than you look. But in the end, your best wasn't enough. This pathetic little game ends here and now!" His voice grew even darker. "But don't you worry about your girlfriend. We'll take care of her. After all, a cute little thing like her? Someone like that can be good for a million different things…"

Enraged, Dipper snarled aloud as he struggled for freedom. However, Quadruple R's hold was simply too much for him. The world blurred as he grew lightheaded. It became harder and harder to breath.

From the other side of the cage, Wendy could see that Dipper's fidgeting was starting to slow. His chubby cheeks were becoming a shade of blue. She knew that she couldn't let this happen.

"But what can I do while I'm stuck in here?"

A desperate idea sprung to mind. It would require pin-point accuracy to pull off, but at the same time, it would be their last chance to bring their nightmare to an end.

Running on pure determination, Wendy rolled up her green-flannel sleeves and moved as close to the cage's door as she could without risking being shocked. In her mind, she carefully lined up the narrow holes between the metal grate and prayed that she was slim enough to pull this off.

Wendy watched as Dipper's legs gave out, as he came even closer to unconsciousness. Without a second thought, the brave teenager stuck her bare arms though the spaces of the cage and took ahold of Quadruple R from behind.

"What the – " The surprised pugilist dropped her cohort as he was pulled against the cage. Wendy turned her face away as thousands of volts flowed into Quadruple R's body, creating dozens of live sparks and making the lights hanging above the arena flicker on and off.

*BBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*

After a few seconds, Wendy released the half-alive bully, bringing him to his knees. With justice finally served, she prided over a job well done.

"A word to the wise, you 'roided –up freak: Cordurory 3:16 says "No one lays a hand on my dork and gets away with it!""

Now out cold, the lifeless body of Quadruple R swayed from side to side until he began to tumble from the slender passageway. His momentum caused the inanimate Dipper to follow suit down after him.

"Oh, dear heavens! They're falling! They're both dropping to their doom!"

"No! Dipper!" Wendy shouted as the bodies fell back to the lower levels of the arena. She grabbed the back of her head as pure panic overtook her. "Oh no! No! No!" She covered her face with her hands, not wanting to see the messy aftermath of her actions. "What did I do?! What did I just do?!"

*CAW!*

The cry of a bird brought Wendy to a standstill

*CAW!*

She spread her fingers from her eyes; the spectacle before her took her breath away.

"But – But how – "

To her amazement, a new scuffler floated before the edge of the pathway with Dipper safely cradled against his chest. The man looked up from the child in his arm and his dark brown eyes pierced Wendy's soul. His long hair was curled into a black spoof. His face was painted a solid white, save for black circles and streaks that traveled from his eye sockets. The rest of his body was covered in a thick, onyx slicker. A long, sturdy bungie cord stretching down from the arena's rafters had been attached to his back.

"Hey, that weird-looking guy saved Dipper! He's okay!"

"Look, Ty! It's Scorp! When the OCW needed him most, he came down from the heavens to bring evil-doers to their knees and save the innocent from the sinful and wicked!"

"But this old gag, CA? To be honest, I really miss "Surfer-Scorp" from back in the day…"

Scorp carefully set Dipper back onto his feet. Still a bit groggy, he took a few steps and turned around to face his redeemer. The enigmatic icon slid a slicked baseball bat down from his jacket's sleeve and into his empty glove. In fear of another fight, Dipper's body began to tense up in careful anticipation of what was coming next.

To his surprise, Scorp raised his arm, retaining his self-imposed vow of silence, and used his bat as a pointer. Dipper followed the direction, finding that it led back to Wendy still waiting for him at the cage's door.

He rushed to her side, only to pause halfway. Dipper looked over his shoulder, "I probably should have said this sooner, but thank you…"

Scorp nodded in response, his blackened lips slowly curling into a partial smile.

Using both hands, Dipper tugged on the heavy latch before him until he could hear a soft popping sound. Finally, the door of the cage began to crack. Dipper threw it open with a slam, and darted into the cell. The buzzing of the electrical current had died as soon as he stepped foot inside.

As if they knew what the other was thinking, Wendy knelt down and opened her arms, catching her drained friend as he tightly wrapped himself around her mid-section. A close up of their long-awaited reunion was displayed over the videotron as the audience cheered on their happy ending.

*BING!* *BING!* *BING!* *BING!*

"It's over! That crazy kid did it! He overcame a gauntlet of the OCW's best and released his redheaded main squeeze from Mr. Macallan's contact!"

"And listen to that crowd, CA! I've never seen anything like it! A constant rollercoaster of emotions seen tonight as those two rose from being despised and detested to becoming the unofficial OCW sweethearts. Heck, I'm even seeing babies getting tossed in the air!" The Mad Tyrant laughed, "I knew they would make it through the entire time!"

Both CA and Mabel turned towards the gloating announcer in disgust.

"Mr. Tyrant. You do know we've been here the entire time with you, right?"

"And?"

After what seemed like an eternity, Wendy pulled back from Dipper while still maintaining her hold, "Are you alright?"

"Me?" Dipper motioned with his head. "I'm okay, thanks that that guy – "

*CAW!*

He looked back to see that the man had disappeared; a black crow stood in his place at the edge of the cage's ledge. It bucked its head towards Dipper and Wendy before flapping its wings and flying off into the distance.

"Wha – " Dipper turned towards Wendy. "How did he – "

Wendy patted his shoulders in support, "It's Scorp, Dip. It's kinda his thing…"

He shook his head clear, "What about you? How are you feeling?"

"I'm hanging in there." She smirked. "I mean, my hands are a bit sore, and it feels like the bottoms of my feet are gonna melt, but besides that, I'm good."

The two chuckled at Wendy's bluntness for a moment or two before the joy faded from Dipper's face.

"Listen, Wendy. I'm – I'm really sorry about earlier. I was being stupid, and – "

Before he could finish, she placed a finger against his lips to hush him. "Sshh…"

"But, Wendy – "

"Dipper," she beamed. "It doesn't matter anymore. You're here, aren't you? I got myself in trouble, and you came through all of this for me. Isn't that what's truly important?"

"Ohh! You guys!"

*SOB!*

"Ty, are you – are you crying?"

"Please, somebody cut my mike. I need a moment here…"

"Y-Yeah…" he forced a nervous laugh, "I guess it is, isn't it?"

Wendy stood back up, "About time you start listening to me…"

As Dipper followed suit, he noticed a disturbing new detail, "Um, Wendy? I think we got a problem…"

"Dipper, don't say – what happened now?"

He pointed at their exit. The door had closed behind him as he entered the cage. "I think we're locked in…"

"No biggie…" Wendy shooed away his worry and walked to the door. "All you need to open this baby from this end is to pop these clasps open …" With a twist of her wrists, the cashier was able to reopen their escape. "…and bingo! We're home free!"

"But I thought the door could only be opened from the outside…"

She spun back around to see Dipper standing with a doubting appearance on his face. His arms were folded across his front as he awaited her answer.

"Uh…" Wendy was caught unaware by her devotee's question. "I – I mean – "

"Wendy," Dipper stepped forward to confront his crush. "How did you know how to open the door?"

She shrunk down and appeared sheepish, "Well, I watched – no, those guys that grabbed me – what I meant to say is – "

"It's been open the whole time, hasn't it?"

Wendy broke eye-contact as she attempted to find a valid excuse. "Um…"

"I can't believe this!" Dipper stormed up and down the cage in outrage.

"Neat! This is like that extra after-credits scene you'd see in the movies! But in wrestling!"

"What a total debacle! This is the biggest screwjob I've seen since Montreal!"

"CA, it's been twenty years. You have to let that one go…"

"Never, Ty. Never!"

"Dipper…" Wendy tried to find the right words to reach her companion as he continued to pace his stress away. "I didn't mean – if you let me explain – "

He stopped on a dime and finally confronted her, "I just don't get it. If you could leave at any time, then why didn't you?"

Wendy placed her hands on his shoulders and flashed a grin, hoping her charm could get her out of trouble. "But I wouldn't be much of a "damsel in distress" if I escaped, now would I?"

"What?"

"That was the deal I made with Vic, Dip." Wendy began to explain. "The only way that he wouldn't press charges if I promised to help him make a show that the world would never forget. I didn't have a choice!"

Dipper placed his hands on hers. "But all the crazy wrestlers, and Soos getting involved, and – "

"I had no idea about Soos. Honest! And to be fair, I don't think Vic did either. And I know you got beat up and thrown around for my sake. That was the one term that I made him swear to. He "assured" me that by show's end, you and I would be able to walk out of this place unharmed."

Dipper aimed his sights towards the arena's flooring as Wendy's phrasing reminded him of something he heard earlier. Vic Macallan stood triumphant at ringside, basking in all of the excitement and applause generated by the countless fans surrounding him in the crowd. He opened his arms and shrugged his shoulders at Dipper before disappearing into a cloud of smoke. When the vapor cleared, the devil was nowhere to be found.

"Still," Wendy went on. "There were tons of things I was left in the dark about too, buddy." She rubbed her tender fingers as they were reddened from the electric shocks. "But hey, we both made it through in one piece…"

Dipper didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to scream and shout for being pulled through the wringer all night. But at the same time, he remembered how his mouth started the whole mess in the first place. He was glad Wendy was safe, but did the ends justify the means?

The unwanted silence preyed on Wendy's conscience. "C'mon, Dipper…" She bent down on one knee to meet him at eye-level. "After everything that's happened tonight, don't be ticked off at me…please? There's got to be a way to make this right…"

"CA, I'm confused. Was this a "shoot-work-double-cross," a "worked-shoot-double cross," or was it a "reverse-back-at-ya-double cross?"

"I'm not sure, Ty, but one thing I can tell you is that this is the farthest thing from the happy ending I pictured in my mind. But whatever they do, they better make it fast. We have two minutes before our broadcast fades to black!"

"Oh! It just can't end like this!"

All of a sudden, Mabel hopped onto her chair. She chanted at the top of her lungs, so that everyone around her could hear: "KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!" The girl faced the crowd standing behind her and started again, "KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Mabel's cheer quickly spread across the stadium, and within seconds, thousands of OCW fans shouted in union for their hero and heroine to reconcile.

"KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! "KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Hearing the rally of the mass beneath her, Wendy rolled her eyes and looked back at Dipper. Startled, his eyes went back and forth as tried to understand what was going on. "What – What are they saying? I don't get it…"

She sighed, understanding that the wisdom of the crowd might have a point, gently held Dipper still by the hands.

"Wendy? What are you doing?"

"Thirty seconds!"

"Well," Wendy moved in, "Let's just call this a reward for coming to my rescue, okay?"

The people's chorus became louder as Dipper's heart fell into his stomach. The boy couldn't believe what was happening! He saw Wendy close her eyes and pucker her lips…

"Fifteen seconds!"

Dipper pushed himself up and mimicked Wendy's movements, shutting his eyes tight, and pressing his lips together. The two came closer and closer until they were mere inches away from one another…

*WHOOMP-CHUNK!*

Every light in the arena had shut off, save for a select few at ground level. People grunted and complained as they made their way from back which they came.

"And that's a wrap from us in the OCW Universe. As always, this is your pal, Chuck Anderson…"

"And I'm Hoss "The Mad Tyrant" Taylor…

"And this is Marvelous Mabel, praying that her parents aren't watching from back home!"

"…thank you for joining us for tonight's show! See you next time!"

( July 8th, 2017 – October 15th, 2017)