#Emmett McGucket
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The Pirate Prince
I mentioned a little bit ago that in my Pirate AU, Angie and Stan's son Emmett eventually becomes the next Pirate King. Here's a sort of origin story for that.
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There were some benefits to have a nervous nature, Emmett considered as he snuck into his parents’ bedroom. His parents and siblings were all at a festival in the Gravity Falls town square. Being anxious and uncomfortable in large crowds, Emmett had been allowed to stay home.
I mean, it ain’t like I’m lyin’. I really don’t think I’d enjoy the big kerfuffle goin’ on today. But I did play it up just a tad to make sure they’d let me stay home. With everyone out of the house, he could finally snoop in his parents’ room. From the outside, they were straitlaced pillars of the community. Angie cooked for the poor and sick, while Stan mentored young people who lacked parental figures. But Emmett knew it was all an act.
Behind closed doors, his parents taught all their children how to pickpocket, swore like sailors, had mysterious scars, and walked like they were ready for danger at any moment. The last one, Emmett recognized because he himself behaved in that way. He had a feeling, however, that his parents weren’t on edge because of severe anxiety.
After all, Stan taught Emmett how to see through lies from anyone. Even Stan himself. And some of the lies Stan told were remarkably thin. It was almost insulting, the expectation Emmett would believe his father changed his name to avoid sharing it with a pirate. Or that Danny and Daisy’s early memories of time with pirates were just confusion over spending their first few years of life on a merchant ship.
Emmett opened the door to his parents’ room and strode confidently over to the closet. Inside were his ma’s many lovely dresses, though a few surprisingly masculine articles of clothing were hidden at the back. Emmett nodded thoughtfully. The trousers helped his theory, but they were far from conclusive. His older sister Daisy preferred trousers, for one thing. He knelt and began to stick his fingers in between the floorboards, looking for a loose one that could be pried up. Underneath a box of bonnets, he found it. It only took a small amount of effort to lift the board, revealing a chest below. Emmett huffed. His parents definitely weren’t making it easy. But he had plenty of time before his family returned.
He lifted the chest up and carried it into the bedroom proper, where he had better lighting to look at the contents. Naturally, it had a large lock on it. A lock that was swiftly picked by Stan’s best student. Emmett set aside the lock and paused. Now was the moment of truth. He lifted the lid of the chest. His breath caught in his throat.
The lessons he’d learned in class came flooding back to him. His twin was always fascinated by pirates, and asked question after question from their teacher when they discussed the ongoing piracy scourge. The voice of his teacher echoed in his head.
“The most famous pirate in recent memory was Sally McGowan, previously known as Sully McGowan, the last Pirate King. Her blade, a gift from her first mate and rumored lover, Stan Pines, was named Wasp’s Stinger, a reference to the ferocity hidden under her small stature. When she and her first mate disappeared, so did the blade that killed hundreds.” Emmett cautiously picked up the cutlass that rested on top of the chest’s contents. His fingers traced the letters that were etched into its blade. He didn’t have the ear for languages that his younger sister Cadenza did; he’d never become properly fluent in the Irish his ma tried to teach her children. But he knew enough to translate what was written on the sword.
“The stinger of the wasp.”
Emmett’s heart began to race. The distinguishing features of Sally McGowan his teacher had told them about resounded in his ears, aligning with his ma’s physical appearance perfectly. Blonde hair. A large nose. Eyes the color of the sea. Shorter than average and very sensitive about that fact.
He set aside the sword and continued to dig through the chest. A few other weapons were there, including brass knuckles. Brass knuckles were the reported favorite of Stan Pines, a former cabin boy who never properly learned swordplay and who, supposedly, looked eerily similar to Emmett’s dad, Stan McGucket. The weapons were wrapped in more clothing, these bloodstained and torn, but apparently still full of sentimental value. Hidden at the bottom of the chest was a pendant, made of an opal surrounded by gold. Emmett frowned.
Don’t recognize that. And it don’t seem like Ma or Dad’s style. Probably somethin’ they plundered and decided to keep as a souvenir. He set it aside as well. Finally, wrapped in a fine white fabric that seemed like part of a wedding dress, he found a piece of wood. His fingers brushed against it. It smelled of the sea and had a mark where a limpet had been pried off. Again, he wasn’t sure what it was. Nothing about it seemed remarkable or worth saving. But Emmett’s suspicions had been proven long before this point. He glanced at the clock on the wall. He let out a swear that would make most people gasp, but his parents would barely register as a bad word. His family would be home soon.
Emmett quickly put everything back in the chest, aside from a small dagger that he slid into his boot.
It’s their own fault for teachin’ their kids how to steal. They should expect us to “borrow” things here and there. He lingered on the cutlass of the last Pirate King, but knew that theft would be discovered far faster than lifting a simple dagger. With everything other than the dagger placed in the chest again, he locked it, put it back under the floorboard, and shoved the box of bonnets over it. He quickly glanced around the room as he left. It was like he had never been in there.
When his family returned, Emmett was reading a book on the couch. Caleb and Cadenza eagerly began to tell him all of what he missed. Emmett smiled and nodded, but couldn’t stop thinking about his parents. The unassuming woman and man who raised him had once been the scourge of the high seas.
If they could do it…maybe I could, too.
#I have Ideas to make a second part to this origin story#but this is what I've got so far and it's enough to post so it's getting posted#enjoy some Emmett-centric content#Emmett McGucket#Stangie Family#Pirate AU#my writing#speecher speaks
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teddy guy
#.osojpg#gravity falls#teddy mcgucket#oc#he is so important to me#and emmett said he's me!!!!#smiles
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It was a balmy summer day, and Angie was currently seven months pregnant with twins. Her brother Fiddleford had invited her to his and his boyfriend’s house for a little baby shower they had put together. The festivities had just ended, and Angie and her girlfriend Stana were relaxing in the small living room of the shack. She walked over and sat on the oversized recliner next to Stana, who promptly wrapped a muscular arm around her middle and snuggled her close. Angie leaned tiredly on the larger woman’s shoulder and laced her fingers together with Stana’s.
Angie groaned a little as she tried to get comfortable. She appreciated her brother’s gesture, but the festivities had exhausted her. As she leaned tiredly against her girlfriend she began to think of how she and Lute had been when Stana was late in her pregnancy. She cringed as she remembered a moment when She and Lute insisted she learn something about riding horses. “How did you put up with me when you were pregnant Stana? I was a holy terror.”
Stana smiled, “Aww ya weren’t that bad Angie, and anyway, you and Lute didn’t know any better about pregnancy at the time.”
“True, but I still feel awful guilty when I think about how helpful you’ve been to me over the past coupl’a months.” Angie kissed her large knuckles, “I promise Stana, next time you get pregnant I’m gonna pay ya back for it.
Stana chuckled, “ I appreciate it. But unless Ford disappears before we can have our kids, I seriously doubt I’ll be getting pregnant again.”
“I guess I’ll just have to find some other way to pay ya back than.” Angie said.
Stana grinned, “I’m sure we can come up with something.
A little drabble in the Mystery Moms au , set when Angie is pregnant with Danny and Daisy.
When they decide to have kids they ask Ford to be a sperm donor, and come up with a specific plan to have around four kids, because they decide on having a big family similar to Angie’s. Stana doesn’t have a lot of positive memories of being pregnant with Molly, since she was a recently displaced teen at the time, but she makes the best of it by trying to use her experiences to help Angie out.
Angie has the twins and their son Emmett just like in the main verse, but after Ford disappears Stana decides to have their last kid, who is Emily. This is obviously set before that little slice of irony comes to fruition.
Mystery moms au is a rule!63 crossover between @thelastspeecher‘s universe Stanley MCgucket and my universe the Mystery Dads.
#gravity falls#mystery moms au#stanley pines#stan pines#stangie#stanley mcgucket au#my art#rule!63#too many ads to count
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Emmett McGucket's first Professional Role in a ballet is in a production of The Nutcracker. Stan and Angie see the very first performance and almost get kicked out bc Stan decided to cheer his son on loudly the second Emmett got on stage.
#the other dancers are like ''who was that???'' and Emmett just sweats nervously#Stan gets SERIOUSLY chewed out during intermission#Angie scolds him something fierce and threatens to take someone else the next time Emmett performs#is Stan interested in the ballet? no#but he's gonna support his kids in all their weird interests#and he is v impressed by Emmett's skill#he didn't realize just how good Emmett had gotten#Stan doesn't understand his kids sometimes but he's gonna be proud of them no matter what#Emmett McGucket#Stangie Family#speecher speaks
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For birthday prompts. Hmm... how about from Best Revenge AU where Junior talks to his birth dad Max, face to face. Or from the Nixie AU, Stan and Angie meeting their first grandbabies.
The door opened, revealing one of Junior’s younger half-brothers. Max wasn’t sure his name, but the boy had the distinctive McGucket nose, Stan’s thick brown curls, and was already nearing Angie’s height.
“Junior, Mr. Hillcrest is here!” the boy called.
“Let him in!” Junior’s voice shouted back.
“Okay!” The boy stood to the side, allowing Max to come inside. Footsteps sounded. Junior descended from a nearby staircase and walked over.
“Emmett, I’ll take it from here,” Junior, Max’s newly sixteen-year-old son, said. The boy, apparently named Emmett, nodded in relief and scurried away.
“He seems like a nervous one,” Max remarked. Junior sighed quietly.
“Yeah. Basically since he learned to talk, he’s been quiet and shy.”
“Is he a super?”
“Not yet. But he’ll prob’ly be one.” Junior took a deep breath. “But I didn’t invite ya over to talk ‘bout my little brother. I wanted to talk to ya…father to son.” Max nodded, trying to hide his eagerness. “Ma ‘n Dad promised to keep my sisters and brothers away from us while we talk,” Junior said. He walked into the adjoining living room and sat down on the couch. Max sat down next to him.
“So-” Max started. Junior held up a hand. Max quieted.
“Before we can get close like a father and son, we need to talk about why you’re not the man that raised me.”
“I thought ya knew.”
“I know what Ma and Dad told me. But what they told me was their side of the story. I won’t know everything what happened if I don’t hear yours, too,” Junior said firmly.
“What exactly was their side of the story?” Max asked.
“You don’t need to know,” Junior said. Max bit back his frustration at how cagey his son was being. “Honestly, you should be grateful I’m givin’ ya a chance to explain yourself after what my parents have told me you did.”
“If ya feel that strongly, why are ya givin’ me this chance?” Max asked. Junior shrugged.
“I’m old enough to know the truth about where I came from.” Junior’s eyes, the same warm amber as Max’s, bore into him. “Tell me your side of the story.”
“All right.” Max took a deep breath. He reached into his pocket with a hand and began to play with a small pebble he kept on his person to stay calm. “Yer ma and I were high school sweethearts. But after we moved out west, our relationship began to fall apart. Lookin’ back, I know exactly when things started unravelin’.”
“When?”
“The first time I couldn’t save someone,” Max said solemnly. Junior’s eyes widened. “Yer ma told ya I was a hero, right?” Junior nodded. “I…there was a cave-in. As a geokinetic, I was told to lead the charge. And I couldn’t- I couldn’t get everyone out in time. People died ‘cause of me.” Max squeezed his eyes shut, the memories just as painful now as they had been years ago. “I was haunted by it. I kept havin’ nightmares. Angie did her best to help me, but all her attempts just made me more paranoid. She was the best thing in my life. I was terrified I’d lose her too. That’s when I started controllin’ her.”
“Ma told me about the controlling.”
“I now see that what I was doin’ weren’t right. But in the moment, it was the only thing I could think to do. I had to keep her safe. And it- it wound up pushin’ her away.”
“You’re leavin’ something out,” Junior said abruptly. Max frowned at him. “You got physical with Ma.” Max’s blood ran cold.
He knows?
“Only once.”
“Yeah. When she tried to leave. You physically tried to stop her.” Anger was beginning to build in Junior’s voice now. “You were so angry that she would leave, you grabbed her and bruised her! She had to use her fightin’ skills to take you down so she could run!”
“Yes,” Max said softly. Junior blinked, visibly surprised by how meek Max was behaving. “I did do that. It weren’t right. None of it was.” Max took a deep breath. “Junior, I ain’t tryin’ to convince ya that I was in the right. I wasn’t. I was wrong. And I was too blinded by my fear and my love to see it. I just want ya to understand why I did what I did.”
“I understand,” Junior said. He swallowed. “It doesn’t make any of it okay.”
“I know.”
“I-” Suddenly, Junior’s eyes welled up with tears. “I can’t help but think about what might have happened if things had been different. If you had been different. Would you have raised me? Would I have full siblings instead of half-siblings?”
“I can’t answer that.” Max rubbed his face. “I don’t think it would be the happy life yer imaginin’, though. I wasn’t- I wasn’t faithful to yer ma, and I doubt she would’ve tolerated it.” Within a split second, Max’s cheek was stinging and there was a ringing in his ear. Junior glared at him. “Did- did ya just slap me?” Max asked dumbly.
“You’re lucky it wasn’t a punch,” Junior snarled. He stood up. “You cheated on Ma?”
“I’m surprised Stan didn’t tell ya that.”
“You- you-” Junior was actually shaking with rage. “How could you?!”
“I was a dif’rent person back then,” Max said. Staying calm was growing increasingly difficult; a voice in the back of his mind was screaming that he was throwing away his only chance to connect with his son. “A worse person. I’ve grown ‘n become better since then.”
“How can I believe you?” Junior demanded. Max met Junior’s eyes.
“Yer dad does,” he said simply. Junior’s glare collapsed into pure shock. “Yer ma does, too, but I figure yer dad believin’ would be the more surprisin’ thing. He ain’t my biggest fan.”
“No. He’s not,” Junior mumbled. He slowly sunk back down to the couch. “And he doesn’t forgive easy, so-”
“Oh, Stan hasn’t forgiven me. He just believes that I’ve changed.”
“Still.” Junior chewed on his lip as he thought. After a few moments, he sighed. “If Dad can look past what you did, I can try to do that, too.” Max’s heart soared. “But we’re gonna have to take this even slower than I thought we would.”
“I understand. I’m just glad yer givin’ me a chance.”
“Yeah, well.” Junior rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Don’t blow it.”
“I won’t.” Max managed a weak smile. He thought back to what Jimmy had recommended he lead with. “How ‘bout we start with gettin’ to know each other?” Junior looked at him. “I’m sure yer folks have told ya plenty ‘bout me. But they ain’t told me much ‘bout you, and there’s only so much I could get from our lessons together.”
“What in particular did ya wanna know?” Junior asked.
“Do ya have any hobbies?”
“I like to play soccer,” Junior mumbled. Max grinned. “What?”
“I’m a fan of the game m’self,” Max said cheerfully. A hesitant smile began to spread across Junior’s face. “Tell me all about it.”
#whoops this was longer than I expected but I do love this AU lmao#Best Revenge AU#Max Hillcrest#Junior Pines#Stangie Family#ask#vulpixen#my writing
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Monster Falls AU - Emmett
I still have a few prompts left to get to, but for some reason, I really wanted to write this particular plot point out. And I don’t like to redirect my muse if she’s speaking to me for something specific. So here’s Stan talking to Emmett about why he looks so human and what it means for his future.
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Stan idly swept the cave floor with his tail, brushing bones and shed skin to the side.
Eh. Good enough. Angie was out hunting with most of their hatchlings and had requested he tidy up a little bit while she was gone. If she wants it cleaner, she can tell me when she gets back.
“Dad?” Stan looked over at the lone hatchling to not go hunting, ten-year-old Emmett. Due to his incredibly human appearance, and thus lack of natural protection and weaponry, Angie and Stan didn’t want him hunting just yet. Even with supervision, they were both very aware of how dangerous hunting could be. They bickered and disagreed over a number of things when it came to raising the hatchlings, but keeping Emmett on a short, supervised, and protected leash was the one thing they didn’t have to discuss at all. They were on the same page from the beginning.
“What’s up?” Stan asked. Emmett looked down at his feet.
“I think I need new sssssssshoessssss,” he said. While the children that were more dragon hadn’t picked up Angie’s distinctive hiss, the naga children and, to their surprise, Emmett, had. Stan looked at Emmett’s feet. Both of his big toes stuck out of the incredibly worn shoes he had on.
Kid goes through shoes like no one else. Probably the extra toes. Like a lot of his siblings, Emmett had polydactyly. His was in the form of twelve toes.
“Yep. You’re right.” Stan walked over to Emmett. He circled his son, inspecting the rest of his clothing. Most of the family wore clothing either rarely or just on their torso. Emmett was the lone exception. Unlike everyone else, he had to wear not just a top, but also pants all the time, to protect his sensitive skin from the elements.
‘Cause it’s not enough for the kid to look mostly human. He’s gotta have eczema, too. Emmett greatly disliked wearing clothing and as such, tended to let it get completely worn out before asking for something new. Stan and Angie had to periodically check their son’s wardrobe to make sure it wasn’t literally falling apart. When was the last time we checked? Obviously before his last growth spurt. The hem of Emmett’s pants was almost halfway up his shin. Stan sat down.
“You need more pants, too,” he said finally. Emmett groaned. “And probably some new shirts.” Emmett groaned again, louder this time. “Most kids would be happy that their dad’s gonna get them some new clothes.”
“Ssssssssso?” Emmett asked, crossing his arms. His sporadic maroon and gold scales, which started near his elbows, glinted from the movement. “I’m not mosssssssst kidsssssss.”
“I know, ‘Met.” Stan sighed. “But you need clothes.”
“Can we at leasssssssst get treatsssssss from my fav’rite sssssssstall?” Emmett begged. Stan shook his head. “Why not?”
“We’re not gonna go to the Crawlspace this time,” Stan said. Emmett’s mouth dropped open in shock. “We’re gonna go into human town.”
“What?!” Emmett squeaked.
“Don’t worry, no one’s gonna know we’re not human.”
“But- but- Ma’ssssssss gonna lossssssssse it!”
“No, she won’t,” Stan said firmly. “Go change into whatever fits you best and covers up your scales. I’ll get ready and then we can head out.” Emmett groaned loudly but turned away and headed for the particular cavern that served as his bedroom. Stan looked down at the cave floor, thinking.
We’ve been planning on taking him into human town for a while. Might as well do it now. Angie wanted to be there for it, but it’ll probably go better if it’s one-on-one. Poor kid gets nervous when too many people are paying attention to him. Stan shook his head. He stood up and went off to the cavern he and Angie shared. Hopefully everything pans out like we want.
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“See?” Stan said, elbowing Emmett playfully. They had just finished shopping at the mall, stopping by the food court on their way out. They were now walking around a nearby park as they ate. “No problem.”
“I guesssssss,” Emmett mumbled. He took a bite of his hot dog. “Cooked meat is weird.”
“Do you not like it?”
“No, it’sssssss all right. I’m jussssssst not usssssssed to it, I guessssss.” Emmett frowned at the hot dog. “What kinda meat isssssss thisssssss, anyway?”
“No one knows.”
“Weird,” Emmett mumbled. He looked up at Stan. “Dad?”
With how fast he’s growing, he’s gonna start looking down at me soon.
“Yeah?”
“How come you were able to pretend to be a human ssssssssssso well?” Emmett asked. “You even underssssssstand human money and etiquette and- and everything!”
“That’s a bit of a long story.”
“Sssssssso you’re not gonna tell me,” Emmett said flatly.
“Did I say that? No.” Stan guided Emmett to a nearby park bench. They both sat down. “Y’know how everyone says that you look so human ‘cause there’s a human somewhere in my family?”
“Yeah…”
“The human’s me,” Stan said. Emmett stared at him. “I used to be a human. But years before you were laid, I turned into a dragon.”
“Wh- wh-” Emmett seemed like he was short-circuiting. “Did you become a dragon ssssssso you could court Ma or ssssssssomethin’?”
“Nope. She actually used to be human, too.”
“What?!” Emmett looked like he was about to throw up the hot dog he’d just eaten. Stan put a hand on his son’s back.
“Calm down, kid. It’s okay.”
“Wh- wh- how?!”
“Your ma and I were humans. But one day, we got exposed to water from a magical stream.”
“Magical ssssssstream?”
“The one that we don’t let you or your siblings get near. That water turned us into magical creatures.” Stan tilted his head. “That’s why we don’t let you get near it. We don’t know what it would do to you. It doesn’t look like it hurts other magical creatures, but you kids have former humans for parents, so we’re not taking any risks.”
“I…” Emmett stared at the ground. “Why didn’t ya tell usssssss?”
“No one in the magical creature community knows we used to be human. We wanted to wait until you kids were grown up enough that we knew you could keep the secret.”
“Why issssssss it a sssssssssecret?”
“Emmett,” Stan said flatly. “You know how humans are treated. If people knew what we used to be, they wouldn’t want to be around us. But we definitely couldn’t try to stay in human society. Especially not your ma.”
“Good point,” Emmett mumbled. He shook his head. “Why are ya tellin’ me now? I know I asssssssked, but ya didn��t have to anssssswer the quesssssstion.” Stan sighed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Your ma and I have been talking about you.”
“Good thingsssssss?”
“Neutral things.” Stan met Emmett’s eyes. “We think it’s time for you to go to human school.” Emmett jumped off the bench, staring at Stan in horror.
“H-h-human ssssssschool?” he squeaked. “They’ll- they’ll kill me with a ssssssssword!”
“Most humans don’t have swords.”
“Then they’ll usssssssse a gun.”
“They won’t kill you,” Stan said firmly. “Sit back down and let me finish what I was saying, will ya?” Emmett reluctantly sat on the bench again. Stan took a deep breath. “You pass as human even without shapeshifting or using a magical spell. No one would have any idea, especially if we made sure to give you a Glamour every day, like I do when I go into human town. Just in case someone caught a glimpse of something that wasn’t human.” Stan put his hand on Emmett’s knee. “We’ve been planning this practically since the day you hatched.”
“Why?” Emmett asked.
“I knew you looked too human to fit in with the other magical creatures. Your ma knew it, too. No matter how hard we tried, you were gonna stick out. So we had a backup plan. If magical creatures didn’t accept you, humans would.”
“But- but-”
“Your siblings have been telling us lately that school has been difficult for you,” Stan said softly. Emmett immediately looked down at his brand-new sneakers. “I’m not upset. Neither is your ma. But you’re getting old enough that people are really gonna start picking on you for being different. We just wanna make sure that you have some place you belong.” Stan rolled his eyes. “And your ma really likes the idea of you going to college.”
“College?”
“I think it’s stupid, but it’s important to your ma. Probably ‘cause she went to college.” Stan waved a hand dismissively. “Anyways. We’re gonna let you finish out the school year with all the other magical creatures. But we want you to consider switching to the human school next fall.”
“I…”
“You don’t need to give me an answer right away. I don’t want you to give me an answer right away. If you do, it means you didn’t think about it.”
“Okay.”
“And if you decide you don’t wanna go to human school right now, that’s fine. But like I said, you’re old enough that we wanted to offer it to you,” Stan said. Emmett looked around the park, watching humans stroll by, not even glancing in their direction.
“It issssssss kinda niccccccce to be around people that look like me,” he said quietly. “No one’ssssss sssssstaring at me fer lookin’ dif’rent.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll think about it, Dad.”
“That’s all I wanted, ‘Met.” Stan ruffled his son’s thick, brown hair. Emmett chuckled. “Is there anything else human you wanted to see before we head home?”
“I don’t know what’ssssssss in human town.”
“Hmm.” Stan looked up at the sky, using the sun’s position to roughly estimate the time. “We’ve got a while before your ma and siblings are done hunting. We can do a quick tour.” Stan stood up. Emmett stood as well. “At the very least, we can pick up some more food. Humans have way better snacks than magical creatures do.”
#there's actually a Lot that I've already decided upon that has to do with Emmett#Emmett and his journey into the human world to pretend to be one of them#(bc yes Emmett does wind up going to human school and living among humans)#so if anyone has questions......hmu#Monster Falls AU#Stanley Pines#Emmett McGucket#Stangie Family#ficlet#my writing#my stuff#speecher speaks
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I was going through my ficlets on my writing sideblog and realized that, once again, I had a ficlet ready for posting that wasn’t actually posted, because I thought I had already done so. So here it is. And also once again, I’m too lazy to come up with a good title. All you need to know is that it takes place after this Superhero/villain AU ficlet from a while back.
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“So you’re like. Really a McGucket?”
“Yes, I am,” Emmett repeated. He sighed. “Why does everyone keep askin’ me that? Ma always says I look just like Uncle Lute.” He was at lunch sitting with Carter and Carter’s two best friends, Ruby and Derek. So far, he liked them. It wasn’t quite the same as sitting with Emily at lunch, but he didn’t mind it. Or at least, he got the feeling he would mind a lot less once they started talking about themselves rather than asking him questions about his family.
“Lute McGucket? The Twister Twin known as Tsunami?” Derek asked. Emmett nodded. “That guy’s my hero. There aren’t a lot of A-list villains out there for young hydros like myself to look up to.”
“Well, Dad said Uncle Lute’s s’pposed to pick me up from school today, so…”
“That is so cool,” Derek said. Emmett shrugged.
“I mean. He’s just my uncle to me. And not even my coolest uncle.”
“Who’s your dad?” Ruby asked. Her eyes widened. “Is he the McGucket?”
“…No. He comes from a family that sorta has inconsistent powers. The type varies a lot and it skips generations pretty frequently.”
“Is he a villain at least, though?”
“No, he’s a stay-at-home dad. He didn’t want me to come here, since he’s never been involved in the whole mask thing,” Emmett said, the lie easily rolling off his tongue. Carter, Ruby, and Derek gaped at him. “That’s why my sisters didn’t go here.”
“Your dad married a McGucket and doesn’t want his kids to be villains?” Carter asked. Emmett scratched the back of his neck.
“Not- not quite. He’d prefer if we weren’t, but he won’t stop us. He and Ma agreed to raise us as neutrally as possible so we could make our own decisions. And this whole thing sorta goes against that plan.”
“Your mom is the McGucket,” Ruby said. Emmett nodded. “Your mom is Sirocco?”
“Yeah,” Emmett confirmed. Derek let out a loud chortle.
“Dude, she’s a badass. And honestly, kinda hot.”
“Gross,” Carter said, rolling his eyes.
“What? It’s true.”
“She’s his mom, man. Have some class,” Ruby said. She punched Derek’s shoulder. “For reals though, Emmett, that’s awesome. I’ve always admired her.” Ruby grinned viciously. “Her fights with Flamethrower are inspirational.”
“Heh. Yeah.” Emmett picked at his lunch idly.
“Hang on, did you say you had sisters?” Ruby asked. Emmett nodded. “How many?”
“Three. There’s my two older sisters – they’re twins – and my twin sister.”
“You’re the younger twin, I take it,” Carter said. Emmett grinned weakly.
“How’d ya know?”
“Only the younger twin doesn’t bother saying which twin is older. At least, that’s what my cousins that are twins told me.”
“I didn’t know Sirocco had kids,” Derek said thoughtfully.
“I did,” Ruby said. “Not how many, but I knew they existed.” Derek eyed her doubtfully. “No, really! I did! My aunt is friends with one of the people on the Twister Twins’ crew. She told me that Sirocco’s been on maternity leave a couple times.”
“Well, like I said, my parents are trying to keep things as neutral as possible for us,” Emmett mumbled. Derek shook his head.
“That’s so weird. Why marry a McGucket if you don’t want your kids to follow the McGucket family legacy?”
“Uh, for love, duh,” Ruby said, punching Derek again. “How’d your parents meet, Emmett?”
“It’s-” Emmett shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. My ma tells me the same story pretty consistently. She says they met at a bar and felt a connection. But my dad tells a different story every time, so I’m not sure what to believe.” He set down his fork. “Look, I- I’m glad that you don’t hate me or whatever, but I really- I’d prefer to not- not talk about my family, okay?” He looked away. A soft beeping came from the power dampener wrapped around his wrist, indicating that it was suppressing whatever command Emmett had accidentally given. Carter heard the beeping and glanced at Emmett’s power dampener.
“Hey.” Carter reached across the table and rested a hand on Emmett’s arm. “We’ll back off. Sorry about that. We don’t get to meet many famous people.”
“But I’m not a famous person.”
“You might not think so, but a lot of people really look up to the McGuckets around here.” Carter smiled sympathetically. “You’re gonna have to get used to a bit of fame.”
“Great.” Emmett slumped in his seat. “Of my siblings, I’m the only one who doesn’t like being the center of attention.” The bell rang.
“Lunch is over,” Carter said. Emmett nodded. “C’mon, I’ll help you find your next class.” Emmett nodded again.
“Okay.”
-----
Emmett sat on the curb, trying to ignore the stares he was getting from other students. By the end of the day, word had spread that a McGucket was attending the school, and that the McGucket looked like him.
This sucks. This sucks so much. Emily would love this. She’d have a million friends already if she was here. He took a shuddering breath, trying to keep from crying. I wish she was here with me. His power dampener began to beep again. Emmett put his head in his hands. My dampener hasn’t had to work this much since I started lessons with Grandma Pines. This is all backfiring, isn’t it?
The worst part of the day had been the class on controlling his powers. Like Carter had said, it was required for all students who were still relying on power dampeners. Immediately after removing his power dampener for the lesson, the other students had run out of the room, overcome by Emmett’s desire to be alone.
At least the teachers were immune to it. Emmett squeezed his eyes shut. But it took forever to track everyone down and bring them back.
“Howdy there, sugar-cube.” Emmett looked up. “You all right?” his ma asked. Emmett jumped to his feet and wrapped Angie in a tight hug. Angie, who had become shorter than Emmett after his last growth spurt, returned the gesture. “Honey-bun, somethin’ wrong?”
“A lot of things,” Emmett mumbled into her hair.
“Oh, sweetling, I’m so sorry,” Angie said softly. Emmett broke off the hug. Angie smiled and wiped a stray tear off Emmett’s cheek.
“I thought Uncle Lute was gonna pick me up.”
“Yer dad said you could prob’ly use a ride from a parent today. Apparently this mornin’ went a bit rough?”
“The whole day did,” Emmett said.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Do ya want to talk ‘bout it?”
“Yeah.” Emmett glanced over at the other students waiting to be picked up. Almost everyone was staring at them. “But not- not here.”
“Would that have anything to do with the peanut gallery watchin’ us?”
“Yeah.”
“C’mon, then. I’m parked over here.” Angie began to walk towards the parking lot. Emmett followed her, staying close behind. “Care to explain why ya had an audience?”
“It’s ‘cause I’m a McGucket.”
“Yer a- oh, consarnit.” Angie grimaced. “I didn’t think about the trouble yer last name might get ya into. It’s fer the best that Lute didn’t pick ya up, then. He likes showin’ off. He’s actually been a guest speaker at this school before.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yes.”
“Ma!”
“Emmett, I really am sorry that I didn’t consider yer fam’ly bein’ a problem.” Angie kneaded her forehead. “I was so focused on tryin’ to make sure there wouldn’t be any issues with yer dad that I disregarded any issues that would come from me.”
“I’m famous.”
“Yeah.” Angie chewed her lip. “And that’s not somethin’ you want.”
“No, duh.” Emmett clenched the strap of his backpack tightly. “Can I please go back to normal school?” Angie shook her head. “But Ma-”
“We got the report of yer first power lesson already.”
“You- you did?” Emmett asked. Angie nodded.
“Usually, it’s a weekly call, lettin’ parents know how their kids are doin’ learnin’ to control their powers. So it was an awful big surprise to get that call on the very first day.” She came to a stop outside the family van and unlocked the doors. Emmett tossed his bag into the backseat before getting in the passenger’s seat. Angie got in as well. “Apparently, yer command was so powerful that even the teachers almost ran fer the hills.”
“I didn’t mean to-”
“That’s the point, Emmett,” Angie said shortly. “That’s the whole point of you comin’ here. That every other time you use yer power, it’s on accident. You can’t live yer whole life with a power dampener on. Clearly, yer grandma’s lessons haven’t been workin’ as well as we’d hoped.”
“It’s just because I was stressed and upset.”
“That’s not a valid excuse. When yer stressed and upset is the worst possible time to lose control of yer powers.” Angie clenched the steering wheel. “Sweetling, I know you didn’t enjoy yer day. And I wish there was some other option. But what happened in yer lesson today has fully convinced me that this is the only option.”
“Ma, don’t make me go to school here,” Emmett begged. His power dampener beeped. Angie looked at him sadly.
“We don’t have any other choice. Even now, yer accidentally tryin’ to control me.”
“I don’t want to be famous.”
“I know. I know.” Angie let go of the steering wheel to stroke Emmett’s cheek. “What if yer dad or Uncle Ford picked you up and dropped you off fer a bit? At least until the initial excitement over you bein’ a McGucket has died down.”
“But I thought Dad couldn’t come, in case someone recognized him.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“But-”
“This is ‘bout the only thing we can do to make things easier on you, kidlet. So that’s what we’ll do,” Angie said firmly. Emmett nodded. “Did you make any friends today?”
“I think so.”
“Oh? Anyone whose fam’ly I might know?”
“Um, his name is Carter Jones.”
“Jones…” Angie pursed her lips. “Hmm. Can’t say I know that fam’ly.” She started the car. “Maybe we’ll have to have him over, if you two get close.”
“Really? Even though Dad’s-”
“Stop worryin’. Yer father’s a grown adult. He can take care of himself.” Angie ruffled Emmett’s hair. “Now, let’s go pick up Emily.” She grinned at Emmett. “I bet she’ll be nice and jealous of ya.”
#sometimes I read the Word docs with my writings in them so much#that I forget which things I have and haven't posted#and this was one of those things. I've read this a million times so I could've sworn I posted it#but nope. I couldn't find it anywhere.#so yeah here's some Emmett stuff I guess lmao#Superhero/villain AU#Emmett McGucket#Angie McGucket#Stangie Family#ficlet#my writing#speecher speaks
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oh also I came to the realization the other day that, in the Monster Falls AU, Emmett is basically a weeaboo but for humans
#not going to elaborate any further just gonna let it sit#.....but if I get asked to show my work I will aldjksnfjkasd#Monster Falls AU#Emmett McGucket#Stangie Family#speecher speaks
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btw in the Pirate AU, Emmett becomes a pirate, eventually rising up in the ranks to become the pirate king.
he goes by the name of Stan McGowan, only child of the former pirate king Sally McGowan and her first mate Stan Pines.
but he works hard to become the pirate king, he doesn't use his parentage as a sort of shortcut. he earns that crown.
Angie and Stan don't find out he's a pirate until after he's already become pirate king, and are astonished he managed to keep it from them. but also incredibly proud.
(Angie's a bit more proud than Stan, tbh, bc Stan's worried about Emmett's safety)
#Emmett found out his parents were pirates on his own#and was like ''I'm not gonna tell anyone I've found this#I'm just gonna follow in their footsteps and use their names"#Emmett McGucket#Stangie Family#Pirate AU#speecher speaks
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Superhero/villain AU - Playdate
I was looking through my AU Word docs for Inspiration for Stanuary, and stumbled across this scene that I never finished. So I decided to finish this scene. It stars Emmett McGucket, who sort of inadvertently became the star of the Superhero/villain AU lmao.
Enjoy.
———————————————————————————————————–
Emmett opened the door to his house.
“C’mon in,” he said nervously. Carter punched his arm.
“You don’t need to be anxious around me, man. Hell, I’m the one who should be nervous. I might get to meet a famous supervillain.”
“…Probably not,” Emmett said, stepping aside so that Carter could come in. “Ma’s at her day job and Uncle Lute got called in to help his crew.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Carter remarked. He entered the house. “Oh, well. At least I get to meet your dad and your sisters.” He grinned at Emmett. “I’m a bit curious about whether they’re actually as wild as you say. I mean, compared to you, just about anyone’s wild.” Emmett flushed. “I’m just teasing, relax.”
“Yeah, I, uh, I knew that,” Emmett said weakly. He closed the door. “I’m glad your mom said you could finally come over. You didn’t get lost on the way, did ya?”
“Nah.”
“And did you walk or-”
“I biked.” Carter eyed Emmett. “Do you really wanna talk about how I got here, or show off your house a bit?” Emmett smiled.
“Good point. My room’s upstairs.”
“Awesome. Oh, before you show me your room, my mom told me to bring something over. Apparently that’s the nice thing to do or whatever. So…” Carter removed his backpack and dug around in it. “Ah ha! Here!” He handed Emmett a large candle. “You can give that to your dad.”
“When he gets home, I will.” Emmett brought the candle into the kitchen and set it on the counter. When he returned, Carter raised an eyebrow.
“He’s not home?”
“Nope.”
“But…he’s a stay-at-home dad. Where is he?”
“He, uh, he had to go run some errands,” Emmett fibbed.
“He’ll be back before I leave, though, right?” Carter grinned at him. “I’m starting to wonder if he doesn’t exist or something. You’re so secretive about him.”
“Nah, he exists. He’s just a bit uncomfortable with the whole villain thing,” Emmett said with a shrug. Carter shook his head.
“That’s so weird.”
“Hey, Emmett!” a voice shouted from the second floor. Footsteps thundered down the stairs. Daisy stuck her head around the corner to stare at Emmett and Carter. Her eyes widened. “Ooh, you have a friend over?”
“Yes,” Emmett said. “Ma and Dad said it was okay.”
“Hmm.” Daisy approached the two boys. She crossed her arms. “You’re short,” she said flatly to Carter. Carter grinned.
“I’ve seen you guys’ mom before. I’m not nearly as short as her. Or as Tsunami.”
“True.” Daisy continued to look Carter up and down.
“Did you want somethin’?” Emmett asked. Daisy shrugged.
“Yeah, but since you’ve got a guest, I’ll just harass Emily about it.” She burst into flames and flew away. Carter’s jaw dropped. He turned to stare at Emmett. Emmett smiled weakly.
“I told you my sisters were all elementals.”
“Yeah, but-” Carter chortled. “Man, I wish my family had cooler powers. When we show off, it’s not nearly as fun.” Emmett’s smile strengthened. “Anyways, do you have any fun video games?”
“I don’t really play many video games, but my dad and Danny like to play Need for Speed.”
“Hell yeah! Lead the way.”
-----
The video game session was interrupted a few times by Emmett’s sisters, who were incredibly curious about his friend and not bothering to be polite about it. Eventually, Emily settled down in Stan’s favorite armchair in the living room, silently reading a book on pyrotechnics and occasionally glancing over at Emmett and Carter, playing video games from the floor.
“So, Emily, do you think you’ll be the next Sirocco?” Carter asked after winning yet another round. Emily shrugged.
“Maybe. Depends on when Ma decides to retire. I don’t wanna steal her codename while she’s still usin’ it.” Emily turned a page in her book. “Dunno if I’ll go the full villain route, though.” Carter whipped his head around to stare at her.
“What? You’re thinking about being a non-villainous Sirocco? That’s insane.” Carter shook his head. “See, this is why it was stupid that your parents didn’t send you all to Sycamore Grove. Now not all of you will be villains!”
“Well, Dad’ll be happy about that, at least,” Emily muttered. Carter set down his controller and leaned back against the couch.
“This mysterious ‘dad’ again,” he drawled. He looked at Emmett. “Seriously, where is he? He’s not doing a very good job of being a stay-at-home dad if he’s not home.”
“He’s got other things to do,” Emily said. “And we’re old enough to watch ourselves anyways.”
“Fine, I’ll drop it,” Carter muttered. He turned his attention back to the game. “So, Emmett, you said all your sisters were elementals. Emily’s an aerokinetic, what about the others?”
“Danny’s a cryo, she gets that from our Ma’s grandma,” Emmett said. “And Daisy’s a pyro, she gets that from Dad.”
“Your dad’s a pyro?”
“Yeah.”
“Honestly, I didn’t even realize he was a super,” Carter commented. “Why isn’t he a villain? He married one and he’s got the right power for it.”
“Not all supers are masks,” Emmett said. “I mean, I don’t think I’ll wind up being a mask.”
“But to marry a mask and not be one-” Carter started. Emmett paused the game. He looked at Carter. “You guys are pretty touchy about this.”
“Well, yeah,” Emily piped up. “You think we haven’t heard this same line of questionin’ from Ma’s coworkers?” After a moment, Carter nodded.
“Fair point. So-” Whatever else Carter was about to say was interrupted by a loud crash in the backyard. “What the hell was that?” Carter asked, getting up. Voices carried from outside.
“You almost crushed me there, Pines.” Emmett and Emily exchanged a look.
That sounds like Uncle Lute.
“Excuse me for not having a perfect landing while I’m bleeding out, Gucket,” Stan snapped. Footsteps sounded on the back porch, which led directly into the living room via a sliding glass door. The door opened. “Who put the curtains down?”
“Prob’ly one of-” Lute started, pulling back the curtain. He paused, catching sight of Emily, Emmett, and Carter, who were all staring at him. “Um.” Before anyone could say anything, Lute suddenly tumbled out of sight with a yelp. “Son of a- Emily, get yer father off me ‘fore he flattens me.” Emily jumped to her feet. As she went to help, Emmett grabbed Carter’s hand.
“We should prob’ly go upstairs.”
“What? Why?” Carter asked.
“This seems like something that we shouldn’t-” Emmett started. Danny and Daisy raced down the stairs.
“We saw Dad crash in the yard,” Danny said breathlessly. “Is Ma-”
“Yes, yer mother’s on her way, but right now, we need to move yer father to the couch,” Lute said, pulling the curtain open. The action revealed Stan, unconscious and pale, being partially lifted by Emily. And, to Emmett’s dread, his father was in his superhero outfit.
“Come on, Carter, we need to get out of the way,” Emmett said, pulling Carter up from the couch and dragging him upstairs. His power dampener beeped. Once they reached the landing of the second floor, Carter pulled his hand free.
“Did you try to control me?” Carter asked quietly.
“What? No!”
“Your power dampener just lit up.”
“I- sometimes when I get worked up- I still wear the dampener for a reason,” Emmett stammered. Carter looked back down to the first floor. “No!” Emmett’s dampener beeped again, making him grimace.
“What the hell is going on?” Carter demanded, still looking into the living room from above. “Is that- is that your mom’s archnemesis? That looks like Flamethrower.” Emmett broke into a nervous sweat. “Why did your uncle bring an unconscious superhero to your house? And why-” Carter’s eyes widened. “Your uncle called him your dad. So did your sister. And you said your dad was a pyro, which Flamethrower is.” Carter swore softly. “Your dad…is Flamethrower?”
“Can- can we talk about this in my room?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
-----
Once Emmett had closed the door to his room, Carter looked at him expectantly.
“Care to explain why your dad is a superhero?”
“I…I don’t know, to be honest.” Emmett crossed over to his bed and sat down. Carter sat next to him. “I told you the first day we met that I didn’t know how my parents met. Which isn’t completely true – I know how they met. But I don’t know why they became a couple. From what I understand, they didn’t get along for years, then, out of nowhere, they became a couple and had Danny and Daisy.”
“What’s the exact timeframe here?” Carter asked thoughtfully.
“Pardon?”
“How long between your parents getting together and your older sisters being born?”
“I…” Emmett stared at his friend. “Are you suggesting that my parents got together because my dad got my ma pregnant?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“But how would my sisters have gotten conceived if they were still enemies?”
“Oh, like you haven’t noticed how steamy some fights get,” Carter scoffed. “You pin your enemy against a wall, their eyes stare directly into yours…”
“Ugh! Okay, I get it, just-” Emmett grimaced. “Stop makin’ me imagine that happening with my parents.” Carter snickered. “At the end of the day, though, the timeline isn’t important, and neither is the way my parents got together. What’s important is that they’re married and love each other now.”
“Yeah.” Carter shook his head. “That’s weird as fuck, man. No wonder you’re always so cagey about your dad.”
“If anyone found out…” Emmett’s throat abruptly became choked up with fear. “My uncle told me that, back when Danny and Daisy were still really little, one of Dad’s coworkers found out he married a supervillain. The coworker went rogue and kidnapped Dad. My ma rescued him, but it was a big mess.” Emmett met Carter’s eyes. “You can’t tell anyone.”
“What would happen if I did?” Carter asked. Emmett’s heart broke. His expression must have shown this, because Carter quickly backpedaled. “I won’t! Sorry, I didn’t- I’m just so used to playing devil’s advocate that I said that without thinking.”
“I don’t know what would happen. But I would definitely never be able to see you again.”
“Well, you don’t need to worry, ‘cause I won’t tell a soul,” Carter said firmly. Emmett smiled.
“Thank you.” There was a knock. “Yes?” Danny opened the door.
“Dad wants to talk to you and yer friend,” she said, looking directly at Carter with a cold gaze. “Come on.” Emmett and Carter exchanged a look, then stood up and followed Danny downstairs. Stan was on the couch, still wearing the bottoms to his heroing outfit, with a large bandage over much of his bared torso. Thankfully, he was now awake and drinking a can of Pitt Cola.
“Glad yer okay, Dad,” Emmett said quietly. Stan grinned at him.
“Takes a lot more than what happened today to put your old man out of commission.” He looked at Carter. “Sorry about ruining your playdate with Emmett.”
“Dad!” Emmett yelped. Stan chuckled.
“I’m just teasing, sport. Seriously though, Carter, this isn’t how I planned on meeting you.”
“Shit happens,” Carter said with a shrug. Stan nodded.
“I like that attitude.” His easygoing demeanor abruptly vanished. Emmett swallowed, recognizing the stony expression on his father’s face. Stan was shifting into what Emily called “take no shit mode”. “Look, kid, you can’t tell anyone what you saw or think you saw today.”
“Don’t worry, I already told Emmett I’d keep it a secret,” Carter said. Stan looked at him doubtfully. “I don’t want to mess up my best friendship. Or anger one of the most powerful families in villainy.” Stan nodded.
“Smart. Even if Angie and I have to go into hiding with the kids, the rest of her family won’t have to. And you know exactly how dangerous the McGuckets are.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re giving me your word that you’ll keep my secret identity to yourself,” Stan said. Carter nodded. “I need you to say it, son.” Emmett noted with some amusement that the way Stan said his last sentence reminded him of someone. He glanced at Danny, who, judging by her expression, had also picked up on it.
He sounded just like Grampie Gucket. Carter, somehow not quailing under the force of Stan’s stare, nodded again.
“I give you my word that I won’t tell anyone your secret identity, Emmett’s dad.” Immediately, Stan left “take no shit mode” and chortled.
“You can call me Mr. Pines, kid. That’s what Emmett’s sister’s friends call me.”
“Ah. Okay. Mr. Pines. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Good.” Stan got up from the couch, poorly stifling a groan of pain. Danny crossed her arms, scowling. “Princess, don’t give me that look.”
“You shouldn’t be getting up, Dad. If you need something, I can get it.”
“Nope. No dice.” Stan clapped Danny on the shoulder. “I’m gonna go call your ma to let her know I’m not unconscious anymore.”
“Are my services as a human ice pack no longer needed, then?”
“Yes, sweetie, you’re free to go.”
“Great.” Danny went back upstairs and ducked into her room.
“Dad, I think Danny’s right,” Emmett said. “You should be laying down.”
“Nope! You and your little friend can get back to playing. Whattaya think for dinner? Spaghetti? I gotta get started soon if it’s gonna be ready at a reasonable time.”
“You’re making dinner?” Carter asked. Stan raised an eyebrow.
“I’m a stay-at-home dad when I’m not getting stabbed by villains. Feeding my kids is my job.”
“But you just got hurt.”
“Eh. I’ve had worse.” Stan grinned. “My wife’s given me worse.”
“Dad!” Emmett whined. Stan chuckled. He walked into the kitchen.
“Why’s there some candle in here?”
“My mom told me to bring a gift over,” Carter called.
“Nice,” Stan said. “Very classy.” Carter looked at Emmett, amused. Emmett shrugged.
“He’s right. Bringin’ that was pretty classy.” Carter laughed and punched Emmett’s shoulder.
“You’re funny, ‘Met. C’mon, let’s get back to me kicking your ass at video games.”
#I also have a MerGucket scene I stumbled across that I never finished#I'm gonna try to finish that one up too at some point#so y'all might have some MerGucket content incoming#Superhero/villain AU#Emmett McGucket#Emily Pines#Stanley Pines#Lute McGucket#Danica Pines#Stangie Family#my writing#ficlet#speecher speaks
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Something we discussed on the Discord a while ago was a new scenario for my Superhero/villain AU: Emmett has an ability that is derived from Ma McGucket’s side of the family, and that family catches wind of it and decides to recruit him. Ma McGucket is estranged from her family, for good reason, as evidenced by the fact that they decide to recruit Emmett by kidnapping him. Luckily, a non-powered kid in the family decides to help Emmett escape. And basically, here’s how that goes. Enjoy.
——————————————————————————————
“Psst!” At the hiss, Emmett looked up. Speaking through the window in the door was one of the kids in the family that had kidnapped him. Willis. Since they were close in age, Willis was often sent to bring him his meals. They’d gotten to know each other well, or at least as well as they could, given that Emmett was locked in a room. Willis unlocked the door and entered, the first time he’d done so.
Huh. Gettin’ a closer look at him, he looks a lot like Grannie Gucket, but with dark hair. Emmett remained silent, waiting for the other boy to speak first, just like his dad had taught him.
“Wait for the other person to speak first if they seem like they want you to talk first. It gives you more power when they eventually cave.” After a few moments, Willis cleared his throat.
“I’m- I’m here to break you out,” he said. Emmett frowned.
“Really.”
“Yes.”
“Sure, you are,” Emmett scoffed. “We might have talked, but that don’t mean I’ll just believe you when you say-” Willis scurried forward and removed the power dampening shackles on Emmett’s ankles. “Never mind.”
They wouldn’t want me to have access to my powers, even if they were trying to win my loyalty. Emmett rubbed his freed ankles, scowling slightly at his irritated skin. Great. Of course the shackles would make my eczema flare up.
“I can’t stand by and let this happen anymore,” Willis said quietly. “My family’s done a lotta shady things, but this is the worst. Kidnapping a nephew?”
“Wait, wait.” Emmett sat up straighter. “Nephew?”
“Well, I don’t know the exact relation, but-”
“Yer sayin’ I’m related to y’all?”
“Through yer grandma.”
“Through-” Emmett closed his eyes. “What’s yer last name?”
“Turner.”
“That’s- that’s my grannie’s maiden name.” Emmett put his head in his hands. “Now I get it. Now I get why they kept tellin’ me to join ‘em. Grannie told me that her fam’ly was rich in telepaths ‘n psychics, that my power came through her. Shoot.”
“Yeah. Um…” Willis looked over his shoulder at the opened door. “We- we should get outta here before anyone realizes I’m missing.” Willis helped Emmett to his feet.
“We?” Emmett asked. Willis nodded.
“I’m leavin’, too. I’m sick of bein’ treated poorly ‘cause I’m a normie.” Willis looked at the door again. “C’mon. I know a secret way out.”
-----
Emmett and Willis exited the building as quietly as they could, climbing out a window and jumping down to the sidewalk below.
“So…where are we?” Emmett asked.
“Nashville.”
“Nashville?” Emmett squeaked.
“Yeah. Is that- is that a problem?” Willis asked timidly. Emmett rubbed his face.
“I mean, I don’t know anyone in Nashville. My folks live on the West Coast, and my ma’s fam’ly lives in Arkansas. I don’t know what-” Emmett cut himself off as he felt the familiar sensation of hairs standing on the back of his neck, like someone was watching him.
“Why’d you stop talkin’?” Willis asked. Emmett looked around, but couldn’t see anyone. Before he could say anything, he heard a voice shout his name.
“Emmett!” Emmett and Willis spun around. An extremely tall man rushed over, scooping Emmett into an intense hug. “Thank the Lord.” Emmett buried his face in his uncle’s chest.
“Uncle Basstian.”
“Yup.” After a moment, Basstian held Emmett at arm’s length. Worry etched his face. “You look better than I thought ya might, but not nearly as well as I’d like.” Basstian embraced Emmett again. “It’ll be fine. Ma ‘ll fill ya up with some good ole fashioned southern comfort food, you’ll get some sleep, and we’ll take care of whoever did this to ya. No one messes with the McGuckets.”
“Uncle Basstian, how’d you know I was here?” Emmett asked. Basstian’s face hardened.
“Ma wondered if her fam’ly had somethin’ to do with ya disappearin’. Yer power is the exact kind that they like, after all. She wanted someone to come here to check, just in case, and I offered to go ‘cause I’m least likely to get caught. Everyone else is patrollin’ the more likely places.” Basstian broke off the hug. He looked Emmett up and down again. “She’ll be fit to fry when she gets told her folks did take ya.”
“Um…” a small voice said. Basstian looked over at Willis, who was shrinking away from him, visibly terrified.
“Willis, don’t worry, this is my uncle,” Emmett said quickly. Willis grimaced. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s- he’s a McGucket.”
“Uh, yeah. So am I.”
“But you’ve got a Turner power.”
“No, I don’t. I’ve got my own power. Look, you can trust Basstian. He’s my fav’rite uncle.”
“Aw, shucks,” Basstian rumbled. He ruffled Emmett’s hair. “Yer just sayin’ that ‘cause I’m the only one left in the fam’ly taller ‘n ya.” Basstian looked at Willis. His voice softened. “Willis, was it?” Willis nodded. “I came here to rescue Emmett, but if you need rescuin’, too, I’ll do just that. Is that what ya want?” After a moment, Willis nodded. “Good. Both of ya hold my hands and I’ll turn us invisible.”
“How are we gonna get to safety, though?” Emmett asked. “You can’t fly.” Basstian grinned.
“That’s a good thing, kidlet. They know there’s flyers in the fam’ly. So we’ll be takin’ my car. They won’t even glance at my beater.”
-----
“Hey, kidlet.” Hands gently shook Emmett. He opened his eyes blearily and yawned. Basstian smiled at him. “We’re here.” Emmett looked out the window. Relief washed over him at the familiar sight of the McGucket farmhouse. The drive from Nashville to Gumption wasn’t too long, at least, not by McGucket standards, but Emmett had fallen asleep quickly.
“Sorry I passed out,” Emmett said softly. Basstian shrugged.
“No problem. Yer lil friend was actually nice to converse with. He’s a sweet kid.” Basstian looked at Willis, who was sitting in the back seat. “I think you’ll like the rest of the fam’ly, Willis.” Willis smiled weakly.
“If they’re like you, Mr. Basstian, maybe.”
“Just call me Basstian, okay?” Basstian opened his door. He paused. “And, uh, be prepared. The rest of the fam’ly is nice like me, but not quiet like me. And since I was too busy leavin’ to call ahead, it’s goin’ to be chaos when I walk through the door with Emmett.” Basstian chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Actually, if ya want, you can stay in here until folks have calmed down a bit.”
“No, I’ll- I can handle it,” Willis said.
“Okay. Don’t be afraid to ask me to take ya outside or somethin’ if it gets to be too much, though,” Basstian said. Willis nodded. Basstian looked at Emmett. “Well, time to face the music.” Emmett nodded eagerly. They all got out of the truck and Emmett and Willis followed Basstian to the door.
“Who all is here right now?” Emmett asked.
“A decent number of people. Yer grandparents, Violynn, Harper, yer pa. Yer ma and siblin’s are still in Oregon, though, with Fidds ‘n Ford. Lute’s in California, doin’ some searchin’ there. He’ll be happy to come home.” Basstian pushed the door open. Hushed voices came from the kitchen and living room.
“Is that Basstian?” a voice asked. Emmett recognized it as belong to Violynn.
“I’ll check,” said a second voice, resigned and weary. Emmett’s heart leapt to his throat.
Dad! Footsteps sounded. Stan cleared the corner and walked into the hall leading from the front door. He froze at the sight of Emmett.
“Emmett,” Stan croaked in a strangled voice. Emmett let out a loud sob and ran to his father, wrapping his arms around Stan in a tight hug. “Oh, sport, we’ve been- you’re-” Stan broke off the hug to look at Emmett more closely. He searched Emmett’s face. “Sweet Moses, we’ve been worried. Are you all right?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Whoever took you wasn’t feeding you enough.”
“Dad.”
“Don’t worry, your ma and grandma will fill you out again.”
“Dad, stop talking, I just wanna hug you,” Emmett said, his voice thick with tears. Tears sprang to the corners of Stan’s eyes.
“Sure thing, kiddo.” He embraced Emmett tightly.
“Was that Emmett?” a voice said from the living room.
“Yep,” Stan replied. There was a sound like a heard of stampeding elephants. Emmett and Stan were quickly surrounded by the McGuckets currently at the farmhouse. The McGuckets fussed and cooed over Emmett, stroking his hair, talking over each other at him, and hugging him when Stan finally let go.
“Yer skin ‘n bones!” Ma McGucket gasped. She pinched Emmett’s cheek. “Poor thing. I’ll get yer fav’rite food goin’ right away, okay?”
“Grannie, ordering pizza honestly sounds just as good as a homecooked meal right now.”
“There’s nowhere in town that makes pizza.” Ma McGucket chewed her lip. “I’ll fly to the closest Pizza Hut and get ya whatever ya want.”
“Sally, give him a second to think ‘fore ya fly off to a dif’rent town,” Pa McGucket chided. “Matter of fact, he don’t just need time, he needs some space, too. Everyone, back off a bit. Let him breathe.” Reluctantly, the McGuckets moved away. Pa McGucket looked over at Basstian, who was still by the front door. “Basstian, you found him, didn’t- well, howdy there.” Willis, partially hidden behind Basstian, let out a small squeak.
“I see ya picked up a stray, lil brother,” Harper drawled.
“That’s Willis,” Emmett said. “He helped me escape.”
“Well, shucks, that earns him lifetime membership to the McGucket fam’ly, then,” Pa McGucket said jovially. Willis ducked his head shyly. Ma McGucket, who had gone stock still at the sight of Willis, straightened her back and strode over.
“Willis, yer a Turner, aren’t ya?” she asked calmly. Willis nodded. Ma McGucket’s gaze turned steely. “I figured, since ya look like one and I sent Basstian to check on the Turners. I can’t-” Ma McGucket shook her head. “I thought maybe my folks were responsible, but I hoped they weren’t. I hoped that they had some shred of humanity, that they wouldn’t kidnap a boy of their own blood. But of course they did. Emmett’s got a new power, one that they’d want in their arsenal.”
“I’m sorry,” Willis mumbled.
“Oh, hon, don’t apologize,” Ma McGucket said. “It ain’t yer fault what yer fam’ly does. We won’t hold it against ya, no more ‘n my children ‘n husband would hold what they did against me.”
“So it was your family that kidnapped my only son?” Stan growled. Emmett looked at his father. The expression of pure rage was one he hadn’t seen since Emily was mistreated at school after she transitioned.
“Yes.” Ma McGucket clasped her hands. Her voice was steady, her face calm. “They’ll pay.”
“Damn straight they’ll pay,” Stan spat out. His hair was beginning to smoke. “No one messes with a Pines.”
“No one messes with a McGucket, either,” Pa McGucket said firmly. “I’ll go ring up the rest of the folks. Round up a good ole fashioned angry mob.”
“You’ve got my mom’s number, right?” Stan asked. Pa McGucket nodded. “Mind calling her for me? She’ll be able to contact anyone in my family who could help in a brawl.”
“Why don’t you call her?” Harper asked. Stan glared at him. “…Yer son was just rescued from kidnappin’. Right.” Harper cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, I’ll call up Lute. Violynn, you wanna call Angie?” Violynn nodded. The McGuckets dissipated, most of them going to other rooms to make phone calls, with the exception of Ma McGucket, who went to the kitchen. A few moments after, pots and pans began to clatter.
“They cleared out fast,” Stan muttered. He brushed Emmett’s shoulders. “You need some new clothes. I’ll raid Basstian’s closet.”
“No need,” Basstian said quickly. “I’ll grab him some stuff m’self.” Basstian ruffled Willis’s hair. “Don’t worry, kidlet, Stan might look scary, but he’s a reg’lar teddy bear inside. And he’s not nearly as loud as my siblin’s.” Basstian walked away, whistling idly. Willis, still standing by the door, wrung his hands.
“You all right there, kid?” Stan called.
“Yeah, just, uh…” Willis rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know what to do,” he said in a small voice. Emmett glanced at his father. Stan nodded slowly.
“Been there.”
“Really?” Willis muttered. “Doubt it.”
“I didn’t run away when I was a kid, but I did get kicked out. It sucks. But you’re a couple steps ahead of where I was when I was in your shoes. You’ve got a bed, a roof over your head, food. You can figure out what to do later. After you’ve eaten something and slept.” Emmett smiled.
Dad likes to pretend he’s got a heart of stone, even around his own kids. But like Uncle Basstian said, he’s a softie. Especially for kids from difficult situations. Stan beckoned Willis over.
“C’mon, kid. There’s TV to watch.”
“I…okay.” Willis walked over to Stan and Emmett. “What- what kind of TV?”
“Whatever Emmett wants to watch.”
“…Ducktective?” Emmett suggested. Stan ruffled Emmett’s hair.
“Good choice, sport. That’s a quality show. Let’s go watch a stupid duck solve some crimes.”
#no title bc I suck at titling things lmao#anyways this isn't any of the prompts I have in my inbox#and it's not particularly lighthearted or sweet#but I've been meaning to sit down and write it for a while. so I wrote it#Superhero/villain AU#Emmett McGucket#Basstian McGucket#McGucket Family#(not bothering to tag them all there are too many and I am tired)#Stanley Pines#ficlet#my writing#speecher speaks
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46 - Skies (maybe glowing alien!Gucks AU? How often do the kids want to go out flying when they're older? Does Angie? DO THEY END UP WITH CRAYON DRAWINGS ALL OVER THE CEILING?)
46. Skies
Uhhh this ended up a lot longer than I planned. Sometimes I just can’t shut up. And I wanted to write some fluff, since things are currently going down the drain. So here are some flying glowing Gucks. Enjoy.
Prompt List
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Stan slapped a mosquito that hadlanded on his arm.
“Damn bugs,” he muttered. Fussing sounded from the baby carrier to hisright. He quickly checked the infantnestled inside, Danny. “Princess, youall right there?” Stan held out hishand. Danny grabbed his finger andgummed it excitedly. “I get it. You just wanted your chew toy.” While Danny chewed on his finger, he watchedAngie pace back and forth on the lawn. “Babe?”
“I’m goin’ to do it,” Angiemumbled to herself. She clenched herhands into fists. “I can do it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with notturning into a giant bug and flying away,” Stan said. Angie looked over at him. “We’ve been perfectly fine so far with justbeing human.”
“But I’m not human,” Angiesaid. “Not fully human.” She looked up at the night sky, filled withstars. “Part of me has always been drawnto the skies, Stan. Now I know why. That’s where that part of me is from.” Stan’s stomach churned. “I know yer not that comfortable with all ofthis-”
“That’s an understatement.”
“-but I need to try. If nothin’ else, it’ll help me make thingseasier on the girls when they get older. They’ll need to learn how to control their alien sides,” Angie pointedout. Stan grunted, not willing to admitthat she was right. “Okay. I’m goin’ to do it now. I’ll do it.” Stan watched with bated breath.
Angie stood still on the grass,damp with dew. She closed her eyes andleaned her head back, her posture relaxed. After a moment, a faint shimmer spread across her skin. Immediately after that, color rippled overher features as her pale tone was replaced with a pulsating, faint pinkglow. Her limbs, already slender, grewunnaturally thin, while her ears grew up and out until they resembled adeer’s. Two feathery antennae sproutedfrom her forehead. Angie opened hereyes, revealing that they had turned pure black. The stars spilled across the sky reflected inher eyes.
“Well, you turned bug, time tocall it quits,” Stan said brusquely. Angie looked over at him. A chillran down Stan’s spine at her obsidian gaze.
“No.” The only good thing Stan could say about herother form so far was that her voice was the same. “I need to try…” Her pink glow became interspersed with alight turquoise. “I need to try flying.”
“Flying? Ang, no!”
“Ma can do it. The girls can.”
“They float, Angie.”
“That’s flying.” Angie looked back up at the sky. “I need to try it, too.” Stan pulled his legs closer to his chest,dread mounting. Angie took a deepbreath. She stared at the heavens asthough looking for an answer. A momentpassed. Then another. Finally, right before Stan was about to tellher that they should definitely call it quits for the night, Angie rose off theground.
“Fuck,” Stan swore softly,staring. Angie’s feet hovered a fewinches above the tips of the blades of grass. Angie let out a joyful laugh, like bells chiming. Her feet slammed back onto the lawn. She promptly sat down. “…You all right?”
“Yes.” Angie beamed up at the stars. “I am.”
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It was balmy summer evening. Fireflies danced in the air. Once again, Stan sat between two babycarriers on the lawn, watching Angie tap into her extraterrestrial side. But this time, two others were doing the samething. Stan adjusted his hold on Emmett,who was going through an incredibly fussy phase and wouldn’t calm down unlesshe was being held. In contrast, Emorywas fast asleep in his carrier, not caring about anything happening around him.
Wish I could be asleep rightnow. Then I wouldn’t have to watch mykids turn into bugs. Stan hadlearned quickly to keep his opinions about Angie’s alien appearance tohimself. Not only did it upset Angie,but it upset Danny and Daisy, too. Astime had passed, he’d gotten more used to Angie’s alien side, as well as hisdaughters’, but he couldn’t help preferring them in their human form.
“Okay, girls, time to shift,”Angie instructed, already alien in appearance. Danny and Daisy, standing in front of her, quickly morphed. Their skin glowed a faint gold, antennae sproutedfrom Daisy’s forehead, and Danny’s eyes turned a solid, milky white. “Good work.”
“Now we fly?” Daisy askedeagerly. Stan grinned at the excitementin her voice.
“Yup!” Angie chirped.
“How?” Danny asked.
“Close yer eyes and imagine whatit feels like to be weightless. Like yerin a swimmin’ pool, just floatin’,” Angie instructed. Danny and Daisy closed their eyes. After a moment, they both began to lift offthe ground. Danny opened her eyes,yelped, and fell back down. Daisy,however, upon opening her eyes, soared higher. She did an excited twirl in the air.
“This is great!” Daisy cheered.
“Don’t drift off,” Stan saidquickly. While Angie checked on Danny,Daisy flew over to Stan. She landed infront of him. “Hey, pumpkin.”
“Dad, did you see?” Daisysquealed. Stan nodded. “I love being part alien!” Daisy spun around, her sundress billowingaround her.
“Yep,” Stan said in a tightvoice, his smile forced.
“How’s my brothers?” Daisyasked. She peered closely at Emmett, whostared back at his older sister. “When’she gonna start glowing?”
“I don’t know, sweetie, he-” There was a flash of light. Stan blinked away the afterimages and lookeddown at Emmett still in his arms. “…Nevermind, I guess he’s gonna start glowing now.” A moment ago, Emmett had been a regular human infant, with thick browncurls and a large, distinctive nose. Those two traits remained the same, but he now looked anything buthuman. Unlike Danny and Daisy, who had amixture of human and alien traits, Emmett was looked exactly the same as Angie’sbrother Lute, when he was in his alien form. Stan stroked Emmett’s bangs out of the way. Emmett stared up at him with wide,pitch-black eyes.
“Wowie zowie, he looks likeUnclute!” Daisy gasped.
“…Yep,” Stan mumbled. One of Emmett’s antennae twitched.
“Sweetie, come back, you can lookat yer brothers later,” Angie called. Daisy looked over.
“Ma, Emmett’s glowing!”
“Is he? Good fer him.” Angie sounded pleased. “But we can look at him when we’re done learnin’to fly, okay?” Daisy sighed.
“Okay.” She skipped back over to Angie and hertwin. Stan looked back at Emmett. Emmett made a mewling sound and stretched oneof his minute hands out. Stan’s heartsoftened.
“Hey there, sport,” he whispered,holding Emmett more tightly against his chest. Emmett nestled against him and smacked his lips in a satisfiedmanner. His antennae twitchedagain. Stan kissed Emmett’s glowingforehead. “Wanna watch yoursisters? That’s gonna be you someday.”
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Stan sat on the grass, ignoringthe damp dew soaking into his pants and the blades tickling him.
I’ve really gotta mowsoon. Or better yet, get Daisy to do it. He watched sixteen-year-old Danny and Daisydo loop-de-loops in the air, glowing bright pink. They’re in good moods right now. I’ll tell her to do it later. Angie was giving ten-year-old Emory andEmmett the same instructions she’d given Danny and Daisy when they startedflying. Emory bounced on the balls ofhis feet excitedly, already in his alien form, which looked identical to hishuman one, with the except that he was glowing. Emmett, however, was still human, looking down at his feet, visiblydreading what was about to happen.
“Now, don’t worry if it takes abit to kick in,” Angie said. Herantennae twitched in the faint spring breeze. “Just keep tryin’. If nothin’happens tonight, we try again tomorrow.”
“I think we can manage,” Emorysaid proudly, puffing out his chest. Angie chuckled and ruffled his caramel-colored curls.
“I know you can, sugar-cube.” Angie looked at Emmett. “Emmett, you ready?”
“I think…I think I’m gonna go sitwith Dad,” Emmett mumbled. Angieblinked. “I don’t- I don’t feel good.”
“Okay, but-” Angie started. Emmett walked away silently and sat down nextto Stan. Stan put a hand on his shoulder.
“You all right there, sport?” heasked softly. Emmett pulled his legsclose to his chest. “C’mon, kid, talk tome.”
“I don’t like being alien,”Emmett said quietly. Stan stared athim. “I’m already weird enough, since Igot twelve toes. I don’t like that there’sthis other thing that makes me so different.”
“You’re only a quarter alien.”
“Then how come I look full alien?”Emmett asked.
“That’s just how things worksometimes. If I’ve learned one thingabout genetics, it’s that you can’t predict it as much as you think you shouldbe able to.” Stan scratched hischeek. “Of course, I learned that fromlistening to your mom and Uncle Ford talk about the alien thing, but still.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Yeah.” Stan’s hand fell to his lap. He chewed on the inside of his cheek,debating whether or not to tell Emmett. Hetook a deep breath. “I didn’t, either.”
“What?” Emmett stared at Stan. “Dad, what do you mean?”
“When we first found out about thewhole alien thing,” Stan said, waving a hand vaguely, “I didn’t like it. Every time your mom turned alien in front ofme, I wanted to leave the room. I hatedhow sometimes your older sisters looked like…” Stan glanced back at Danny and Daisy. “Don’t tell them this, but I said that they looked like bugs.” Emmett’s jaw dropped.
“But yer so casual about all ofit!”
“It took a while before I couldbe casual,” Stan said. “I didn’t wantany of this, I didn’t like it.” Stantook a breath. “But then I got used toit. And after I got used to it, Istopped feeling so uncomfortable. Andafter I stopped feeling so uncomfortable, I started liking how you kids lookwhen you’re all glowy.” Stan ruffledEmmett’s hair. “You being alien isn’t abad thing. So what if it makes youweirder? Is anyone in this familynormal?” Emmett managed a small laugh.
“I guess you’re right.” Emmett took a deep breath. Like when Angie transformed, there was aripple of color that passed over his skin as his human appearance was wipedaway. In alien form, Emmett shifteduncomfortably. He glowed a tense darkgreen.
“Think you’ll take a stab atflying now?” Stan asked. Emmett shookhis head.
“I think I’ll just start bygetting used to the antennae. It’s beena while since I’ve had them.”
“No worries,” Stan said with ashrug. “Take your time. You can stay grounded with your old man.” Emmett nodded silently. Angie walked over.
“Emmett, you ready to start flyin’?”she asked. Emmett shook his head. “That’s fine. When yer ready, just let me know. Emory ‘ll be happy to fly with ya.” Emmett nodded. Angie turned toStan. “Come with me, darlin’.”
“…What?” Stan asked. Angie grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
“How’s that fear of heights ofyours?”
“I don’t know how to answer that.”
“Want to find out?” Angieasked. She pulled him close. Stan felt his feet leave the ground. He looked down. He and Angie were hovering a few inches abovethe lawn. His stomach turned over. He looked at Angie. Her large, black eyes caught the lightemanating from her skin.
I got used to Angie lookinglike this, I should be able to get used to heights. I can always close my eyes if I need to. Like he had when Angie first learned to fly,Stan quashed the churning in his stomach and grinned at Angie confidently.
“Let’s do it.”
“Gross, Dad,” Emmettmuttered. Stan frowned at his son.
“No flying, no opinion,” he retorted. Emmett rolled his eyes. Angie wrapped her thin arms around Stan’s torsoand rested her head against his chest, her antennae tickling his chin. Stan returned the gesture, embracing her. He closed his eyes as they ascended into thenight sky.
#I'll get to the prompts that other people sent me don't worry folks#there's no rhyme nor reason as to when I get to prompts other than just it's whenever I get inspired#Gluck AU#Stangie#Angie McGucket#Stanley Pines#Danica Pines#Daisy McGucket#Emily Pines#Emmett McGucket#Stangie Family#my writing#ficlet#ask#exsanguinary
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Superhero/villain AU - Heroic
Okay, the title is really vague because I wanted to avoid spoilers, but I’m gonna have to do a spoiler or two bc this particular ficlet requires trigger warnings! Hooray! So here’s an intense ficlet inspired by a hot button issue in my home country (the US of A), in which Emmett rises to the occasion, making both his parents proud and angry at the same time.
TW: Gun violence, school shooting situation (no injuries or deaths, don’t worry)
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Emmett looked up from his comic book when his mom turned off her favorite John Denver CD.
“What in the world…” Angie said faintly. Emmett looked out the window. His eyes widened. He sat up straighter. Every day, one of his parents would pick him up from school and then go pick up Emily, since her school let out half an hour later. He’d gotten used to the routine. The police cars parked outside Emily’s school and crowd of people milling around was most definitely not part of that routine.
“What’s going on?” Emmett asked.
“I’m not sure, hon,” Angie said. Emmett continued to stare out the window. A familiar shade of orange caught his eye.
“Is that Dad?”
“Looks like.” Angie’s voice was carefully controlled. Emmett watched his father, who was in his full hero gear, animatedly conversing with a police officer. The car came to a stop. “Stay in the car, Emmett.”
“But what if Emily’s-”
“Emily can take care of herself. You know that.”
“But-”
“Emmett Stanley McGucket, this is not up fer debate. Yer goin’ to stay in here until I find out what’s goin’ on, understand?” Angie snapped.
“…Yes, Ma,” Emmett mumbled.
“Good.” Angie got out of the car. Once she was engrossed in conversation with a police officer, Emmett silently opened his car door and exited. He snuck as close as he could without attracting attention, but still couldn’t make out what Angie was saying.
“Dangit,” Emmett muttered.
“Hey, kid,” a voice said. Emmett spun around. A police officer was approaching him. Emmett discretely slid off his power dampener. “You can’t be here. Go back to-”
“You don’t see me,” Emmett instructed the police officer. The police officer’s eyes glazed over. He stood silently, limp as a rag doll.
Oops. Emmett glanced back at his mom, who was still arguing with a police officer. Hang on. This might work. Emmett turned his attention back to the police officer he was commanding.
“Turn on your radio and give it to me,” he said. The police officer handed him his radio. “Go over there.” Emmett pointed at the small cluster of people that included Angie. “Turn on someone else’s radio. Discretely.” The police officer lumbered away, following Emmett’s instructions. The radio Emmett was holding crackled on.
“I demand to know what is goin’ on,” Angie’s voice said.
Yes! It worked! Emmett grinned. I can’t believe it! He looked up from the radio to see his dad walking over to Angie. This won’t go well.
“Ma’am, you need to leave,” Stan said gruffly. Emmett winced.
It’s so awkward whenever they have to interact and one of ‘em is masked but the other isn’t. Angie crossed her arms.
“I won’t. Not until I get some answers,” she said firmly. “Tell me what is happenin’. My daughter’s in that buildin’!”
“I-” Stan started. He rubbed his face. “There’s a gunman situation.” Emmett’s heart plummeted to his feet. “We were able to evacuate most of the children safely, but the gunman is holding one class hostage.”
“Which class?” Angie asked. Stan looked away. “Which class?” Angie’s voice broke.
“Seventh period Advanced Chemistry,” Stan said quietly. Angie covered her mouth with one hand.
Emily’s in that class! Emmett gripped the radio. That’s it. I can’t just stay out here and do nothin’!
“Tell me now what steps yer takin’ to rectify the situation,” Angie demanded. Her voice shook with emotion, but carried, attracting attention. Emmett swallowed.
It’s go time. While his mom was occupying the attention of everyone, Emmett silently slipped past the line of police officers. He sprinted towards the school. Before he could make it to the front doors, he was tackled to the ground.
“Kid, what the hell are you-” began the police officer holding Emmett down. Emmett met his eyes.
“Let me go,” he commanded. “You didn’t see me.” Like before, the officer’s eyes glazed over. He silently released Emmett from his grip. Emmett got up. He looked over at the officer he had commanded earlier. The man was shaking his head like he’d just woken up from a deep dream. Emmett broke into a cold sweat.
I can only control one person at a time. They’re gonna realize where I am. This is my only shot. Emmett jumped to his feet, bolted the remaining few feet to the front doors, and ducked inside. Immediately, the radio he was holding crackled. The sound echoed strangely in the mostly empty school.
“Emmett!” Angie’s voice screamed, startling Emmett so much he almost dropped the radio.
“H-hi, Ma,” Emmett said weakly.
“Emmett, get back here, right now,” Angie snarled.
“How the hell did you do that, kid?” demanded the voice of the first police officer Emmett had controlled.
“It’s- it’s a long story, sir.”
“And it’s irrelevant at this juncture,” Stan’s voice said. Emmett swallowed nervously.
Oh, no. Dad only uses fancy words like “juncture” when he’s pissed. Emmett began to walk through the deserted halls, disconcerted by the book bags and notebooks on the floor, dropped when people were running. I’m gonna be grounded until I’m eighteen.
“What matters is that we’ve got an innocent, harmless kid who managed to get into a dangerous active crime scene,” Stan continued. Emmett huffed.
“I’m not harmless,” he muttered.
“Emmett,” Angie said in a warning tone.
“Kid, leave the school, now,” Stan demanded.
“No.”
“Boy, if you don’t-” Angie started.
“My twin sister is being held hostage, okay? I’m not gonna sit in the car and do nothin’, Ma!”
“Rethink your decisions,” Stan said.
“No. I know what I’m doin’,” Emmett said firmly. Muffled noises sounded over the radio.
“Ma’am, please don’t make me arrest you,” said one of the police officers.
“I’ll take care of her,” Stan said. “You just keep talking to the kid, okay? Don’t let him turn off the radio.”
Shoot! That’s right, I should turn off the radio. Otherwise, that person with a gun ‘ll hear me comin’. His hands shaking, Emmett turned the radio off. A dead silence fell. Not the best adjective to use right now, ‘Met. He came to a stop and strained his ears. Faintly, he could make out vague sounds coming from down the hall. Okay. Okay. You’re actually pretty close. He continued to stand still in the hall, every inch shaking with nerves. Move, dammit! Emily’s counting on you! Emmett took a step. C’mon!
Still shaking, Emmett managed to walk down the hall. He stopped outside the only classroom with a closed door. Through the door’s window, he could see Emily, pressed up against one of the classroom’s walls. She looked up. Her eyes widened.
“Emmett?” she mouthed. Emmett nodded.
“Send him out here,” Emmett mouthed back. Emily’s eyes widened further. She shook her head. Emmett nodded. Emily grimaced.
“Fine,” she mouthed. She looked at something that Emmett couldn’t see, most likely the gunman.
“Hey, uh, I think I heard somethin’.” Emily’s voice was loud enough that Emmett could hear it through the closed door. “Somethin’ out in the hall.” A muffled voice replied. “It’s not. I’m serious.” Footsteps sounded. The door burst open, revealing a teenage boy Emmett’s age, holding a rifle not unlike the ones Emmett’s relatives used to kill foxes that got too close to the henhouse. Before the boy could raise his gun, Emmett spoke.
“Stop.” Emmett focused as much of his power into his voice as he possibly could. The boy froze. “Let go of yer weapon.” The boy dropped the gun like it was red hot. “Kick it over to me.” The boy did as he was told. Emmett picked up the gun, then tossed it over the boy’s head. A gust of wind carried the gun to Emily, who caught it in her hands. Emmett then released the command. The boy’s eyes cleared from the haze they got when under Emmett’s control.
“Who- how-” the boy started. Emmett swallowed.
“Look. I could force you to give yourself up,” he started. His voice shook, betraying his continued anxiety about the situation. The boy straightened his back.
“Oh yeah? How?”
“Well, fer starters, my sister has your gun now. And our ma’s been teachin’ us how to properly operate firearms since we could crawl.” Emmett nodded at Emily. The boy turned around. He saw Emily brandishing the gun and paled. “So yeah, I could force ya. But I shouldn’t have to. And I don’t want to. You did a bad thing.” The boy’s shoulders fell. “You know it. So do what ya can to rectify it. Give yourself up.” Emmett put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’ll walk out with ya.” After a moment, the boy nodded. “C’mon.”
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“You’re grounded until you’re eighteen, kid,” Stan said, his voice muffled by the tight hug. By the time Emmett and all the students had emerged from the school, Stan had gone home to change out of his spandex so that he could be there not as the superhero Flamethrower, but Emily and Emmett’s dad. Emmett and Emily were currently wrapping in a tight hug by both their parents.
“I figured,” Emmett replied. Angie broke off the hug to cup Emmett’s face in her hands.
“Emmett, that was incredibly brave,” she said sincerely. Emmett smiled. “But it was also incredibly dumb.”
“Easily the dumbest thing I’ve seen any of you kids do,” Stan added. “And that’s saying something.” Emmett shrugged. “Sport, if it wasn’t for your power, you’d be in deep shit. You realize that, right?”
“Yeah.” Emmett rubbed the back of his neck. “I know.”
“Emmett got the guy to give himself up without using his power, though,” Emily said. “Yeah, he used it to get the gun away, but after that, he talked the guy down.” Angie put a hand over her heart. Stan’s eyes welled with tears.
“Dad, don’t cry,” Emmett said.
“I’m not crying,” Stan grunted. “It’s just- it’s allergy season, y’know.”
“No, it’s not,” Angie said. She kissed Emmett’s forehead, something she had to stand on her tiptoes to do, now that he was taller than her. “Honey, I can’t decide whether to be proud of ya or profoundly furious with ya. Which is part of bein’ a parent, I s’ppose.” She frowned at Emmett. “Seriously, though, if ya ever try somethin’ like this again-”
“Not planning on it.”
“Well, not until you become a hero like your old man, right?” Stan asked, jovially elbowing Emmett. Emmett shrugged. “Aw, c’mon. That was pure heroism, what you just did.”
“I know, but…” Emmett looked away. “It was really scary.”
“Yeah, that never goes away. It never stops being scary,” Stan said breezily. Emmett grimaced. “What makes a hero is doing the right thing, even though you’re scared.”
“Yeah…” Emmett nudged the ground with his toe. “I’m not really in the mood fer one of your motivational speeches, Dad. I’m a bit…I just wanna go home.” His voice became smaller with every word. Stan wrapped his arm around Emmett’s shoulders and squeezed.
“You got it, kiddo. But maybe we can stop for a treat on the way? I think a hero deserves some ice cream.”
“I agree,” Angie said.
“Yup,” Emily said. Emmett managed a small smile.
“I’m not one to turn down ice cream,” he said. Stan grinned at him.
“That’s my boy.”
#oooooof this had content a bit heavier than I usually write#but I'm proud of how it turned out nonetheless.#Superhero/villain AU#Emmett McGucket#Angie McGucket#Stanley Pines#Emily Pines#ficlet#my writing#my stuff#speecher speaks
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Superhero/villain AU - Back to School
Clearly, I’m very good at this whole “taking a break from writing so I can focus on research thing”. But what can I say? When your muse hits you over the head with a frying pan of inspiration, what else can you do but write? Especially when you’ve had a shitty day like I did.
So here. Have Emmett going to his first day of villain school in the Superhero/villain AU.
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Stan’s red El Diablo came to a much more careful stop than usual. Slumped in the passenger seat, Emmett morosely stared out the window at his new school. Nothing about the outward appearance of Sycamore Grove High School would indicate it was anything special. In fact, it looked almost exactly like the school Emily had been dropped off at a few minutes ago, only nicer, almost like it was private, not public. The dread that had been churning in Emmett’s stomach amplified.
“Emmett?” Emmett didn’t respond to his father’s voice. “Emmett.” Emmett slouched further down his seat. Stan sighed. “C’mon, kid. You gotta get out.”
“Just homeschool me,” Emmett mumbled.
“Your ma and I have jobs.”
“Yeah, and yours is being a stay-at-home dad. You’re supposed to do things like homeschooling.”
“You really don’t want me to be your teacher, okay? Trust me on that.”
“Uncle Ford-”
“Emmett.” Stan’s voice got sharper. Emmett’s shoulders slumped.
There goes the idea I could talk my way outta this at the last second.
“You need to go here.”
“I was s’pposed to go to high school with Emily.”
“If you get things under control, that might still work out. But right now, this is the school you’re gonna go to,” Stan said. “I’m not happy about it either. You know that. But we don’t have any other options.” Emmett didn’t respond. “Get your stuff.”
“…Fine.” Emmet reluctantly grabbed his backpack and opened the door. He didn’t make any move to get outside.
“For the love of-” Stan exited the car and made his way to Emmett. “Emmett Stanley McGucket. Get your butt out of the car now,” he said firmly, crossing his arms. Emmett did as he was told. “You better not act like this all day, you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” Emmett mumbled. Tears began to prick the corners of his eyes. Stan let out a soft sigh.
“C’mere, sport.” Stan wrapped Emmett in a tight embrace. Emmett returned the gesture, burying his face into his father’s shirt.
“Dad, I don’t like this.”
“I know, I know.” Stan’s voice was gentler than it had been a moment ago. “I don’t, either.”
“It sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.” Stan broke off the hug and held Emmett at arm’s length. “But you’re a Pines man.” Emmett nodded. “And what do Pines men do when they get knocked down?”
“They get back up.”
“That’s right.” Stan smiled at Emmett. “You’ll be fine. Find yourself a friend or two and before you know it, you’ll be graduating.”
“…I guess.” Emmett looked over at the students mingling in the courtyard. “How am I gonna make friends, though? No one from my middle school is gonna go here. And you and Ma never had me spend time with her coworkers’ kids. I’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Feeling like you don’t belong anywhere is part of the freshman experience. Your ma said most kids here have never been to a villain-only school before either. Trust me. Everything’s gonna go great.”
“Okay.” Emmett swallowed. “Are ya sure ya can’t homeschool me?”
“Sorry, kid. No dice.”
“Will you at least pick me up?” Emmett asked. Stan’s face fell. “What?”
“This is a one-time thing. It’s too dangerous for me to drop you off and pick you up all the time. We can’t risk anyone recognizing me.”
“Do I have to take the bus home?”
“Hell, no,” Stan said firmly. “Your Uncle Lute is gonna pick you up.” He forced a grin. “And pretty soon, you’ll be able to drive yourself to school and back home.” Emmett nodded silently. There was a loud honk. “Dangit,” Stan muttered. “People are getting upset I’m parked.” He met Emmett’s eyes. “If something happens and you need to come home early, just call. But try to make it through the day, okay?”
“Okay, Dad.”
“That’s my son.” Stan embraced Emmett one last time. “Have fun, sport.”
“I’ll do my best,” Emmett said. Stan smiled at him, then got back into his car, waving off the frustrated driver behind him. Emmett watched the car pull away. He took a deep breath and turned around to face his school. He swallowed.
It’ll be fine. Like Dad said, it’ll be fine.
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Emmett walked into his first class, Advanced Art History. He looked around the room. Students were clustered in small groups as they chatted about their summer vacations. Ducking his head to avoid eye contact with anyone, Emmett made his way to a desk in the back of the room. He set his bag down.
“Hey.” Emmett looked up. A girl with dyed green hair eyed him suspiciously. “That’s not your seat.”
“It doesn’t look taken,” Emmett said softly. The girl rolled her eyes.
“It’s assigned seating, freshman. So there aren’t any interactions between different powers. God.” She turned to her friends. “Why do they let freshmen into upper level classes? It’s so stupid.” Emmett snatched his bag up and held it close to his chest. He could feel panic starting to build.
“Do you need some help?” someone asked. Emmett spun around. A boy about his age smiled sheepishly at him. “You look a bit nervous.”
“It’s- um-” Emmett started. The boy grinned.
“Your first time at an all-supers school?” he asked. Emmett nodded reluctantly. “Don’t worry, most of the freshmen are dealing with that. And most upperclassmen are nice to freshmen who don’t know the rules,” the boy said, glaring at the girl who had spoken to Emmett earlier. She rolled her eyes. “Ignore Lacey. She’s just angry her boyfriend’s going to a normal school this year.” The girl – Lacey – glowered. “C’mon, the seating chart’s always at the front of the class.” Emmett silently followed the boy to the teacher’s desk. “Right here.” The boy pointed to a piece of paper on the desk. Emmett nodded. The boy quirked a half-smile. “It doesn’t bite.”
“I know,” Emmett mumbled. He didn’t move. The boy put a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s gonna be all right. I know all-supers schools can be scary the first time. I’m just lucky that I’ve been going to them my whole life. Legally required to.” Emmett furrowed his brow. The boy shrugged. “Psionics usually don’t get their powers until they’re like twenty. But mine showed up when I was one. So right off the bat, I couldn’t be around people who weren’t trained on how to handle powers.”
“My sister’s power manifested when she was one,” Emmett said quietly. “She’s an elemental, though, so…”
“Kinda expected,” the boy finished. He looked down at the seating chart. “What’s your name?”
“Emmett.”
“Emmett…M?”
“That’s my last initial, yeah.”
“You’re sitting next to me.” The boy stuck out his hand. “I should probably introduce myself, then. I’m Carter. Carter Jones.” Emmett shook Carter’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Carter.”
“So, what brings you to Sycamore Grove?”
“My power.”
“Lemme guess. Psychic?” Carter asked. Emmett shrugged.
“Technically, I guess. How’d ya know?”
“Psychics and psionics are usually paired up. I’m immune to psychic powers, after all.”
“Oh. Well, that’s not necessary. I’ve got a power dampener.”
“You do? Dude, that sucks,” Carter said emphatically. Emmett blinked.
“It does? Why?”
“‘Cause kids who rely on power dampeners have to take a special class on controlling their powers.”
“But my grandma’s been giving me lessons-”
“Is she a professional villain?”
“No.”
Professional, yes. Villain, no. Carter nodded.
“That’s why you still need dampeners. You haven’t gotten proper training. But don’t worry, the psychic teachers here are really good. My big brother’s power manifested late, so he got stuck with a power dampener while he was a junior. Before the year was even over, he didn’t need it anymore.”
“…I would like to not have to use it.”
“Well, duh. It’s basically training wheels.” The bell rang. “We better sit down.” Emmett followed Carter to the back of the room. Carter pointed out his desk. Emmett sat down. Carter followed suit, letting out a small chuckle.
“What?” Emmett asked.
“I just think it’s kinda funny.”
“What is?”
“I’ve been going to all-supers schools my whole life, so I basically know everyone in this room except you. And so far, you’re the only person in here that I actually like.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Carter grinned at Emmett. Emmett smiled back. “At lunch, want me to introduce you to some other people who don’t suck?”
“That would be nice.”
“You got it,” Carter said. The teacher walked into the room. Silence fell. Emmett smiled down at his desk as the teacher took roll call.
Dad was right. I can make friends. Carter nudged Emmett. Emmett looked up. Carter nodded at the teacher. She had gotten to last names starting with “L”.
“Thanks,” Emmett mouthed to Carter. Carter winked.
“Emmett…” the teacher started, reading off a piece of paper. Her eyes widened. “McGucket?” Emmett raised his hand.
“Present,” he replied. The entire classroom turned to stare at him, including the teacher. “Um, is there a problem?” he asked.
“No. Not- not at all,” the teacher said. “…Thank you for attending Sycamore Grove, Emmett.” She resumed going through the roll call. Emmett chewed on his lip.
That was weird. Someone poked him. Emmett looked over. Carter had gone completely pale.
“What’s wrong?” Emmett whispered.
“You’re a McGucket?” Carter hissed back. Emmett nodded. “Like, the Twister Twins? Sirocco? Hemlock?” Emmett nodded again. “Holy shit, dude.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Bad thing? No, it’s the exact opposite. You didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
“The McGuckets are famous in the villain community,” Carter whispered. Dread began to grow in Emmett’s chest. “And if you’re a McGucket, that means you’re gonna be famous, too.” Emmett’s eyes widened. He looked towards the front of the classroom. A few students were still watching him, visibly intrigued. Emmett swallowed.
Oh. Oh, no.
#Emmett is honestly the breakout star of this AU#before I started writing this AU I hadn't written much for the boy#so yeah this AU is like. half his at this point lmao#Superhero/villain AU#Emmett McGucket#Stanley Pines#my writing#ficlet#speecher speaks
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Superhero/villain AU - Cousins
Originally, I was just going to post the part of this that had Emmett in it. But then I decided to title it “Cousins”, and I figured I had to include the part I wrote with Emily, since she is also a cousin. As a reminder, this is a modern AU, so Shermie is Dipper and Mabel’s dad, making Stan their uncle, rather than great-uncle. Anyways, enjoy the far too much stuff I wrote, featuring emo Emmett and ray of sunshine Emily.
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“Emily, what powers do you have?” Dipper asked. Emily looked up from what she was working on, some sort of homemade illicit firework. She and Dipper were relaxing in the backyard while Mabel ran errands with Angie.
“Aerokinesis. Why?”
“I’m just curious, that’s all.” Dipper frowned. “I don’t think that runs in the Pines family.”
“You’d be right ‘bout that,” Emily said, turning her attention back to the gunpowder in front of her. “It’s from my ma’s side. Actually, she’s an aero too. And so is her mom. It’s kinda cool. Like a family tradition.” Emily looked up, thinking. “Daisy got Dad’s powers, Danny’s are from Ma’s side – apparently our great-grandma had the same power as her – and Emmett’s are new.”
“New?” Dipper cocked his head curiously. “What do you mean?” He closed his book and put it to the side, then took out a notepad and pen from his vest. Emily chortled.
“You makin’ a family tree or somethin’, cuz?”
“How powers get inherited is just…really cool.”
“Yeah. It is. That’s why Uncle Ford researches it.” Emily sighed. “Anyways, Emmett’s power is sorta a combination of Grandma Pines’ and…” Emily trailed off. She frowned. “One of Grandma Gucket’s sister’s, I think. Grandma Gucket is estranged from her family, so I’ve never met whoever it is Emmett got part of his power from.”
“What is his power?” Dipper asked. Emily shook her head.
“Sorry, kid. My sisters, I’m fine tellin’ you, but Emmett’s power is, ah, sensitive. He doesn’t like people knowing about it. If you wanna know, ask him.”
“Maybe…” Dipper chewed on his pen thoughtfully. He hadn’t seen much of Stan and Angie’s only son, even over a month into the summer. Emmett was very antisocial, or to use the word Mabel had immediately identified him as, emo.
“Hey bro-bro, hey Emily!” Mabel’s shout shocked Dipper from his reverie. He looked over. Mabel bounded through the back door and over to them. “Auntie Angie got me some new yarn!”
“It weren’t no problem,” Angie replied, strolling outside. She smiled fondly at Mabel. “Got to encourage creativity in young folk.”
“Aunt Angie, Emily was telling me you had powers?” Dipper asked her. Angie froze. She frowned at Emily.
“Wait, what?” Mabel gasped. “I thought you didn’t! I thought that was why Dad told us not to ask you what power you have!”
“I-” Angie’s expression was conflicted. She took a breath. “The reason yer dad said not to ask was prob’ly because it’s a bit rude to ask. The two of ya could use some work on yer manners, after all.”
“What power do you have?” Mabel asked.
“Emily said aerokinesis,” Dipper said. Mabel’s eyes widened.
“Whoa, isn’t that like, what Uncle Stan’s archnemesis has?” she asked. Angie glared at Emily.
“…Yes.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s so romantic,” Mabel gushed. “I mean, you two fell in love even though you have the same power as the person he hates most!”
“I think the person Dad hates most is the IRS,” Emily said. Her cheerful tone sounded a bit forced. “Then again, that’s an organization, not a person.”
“Mm-hmm.” Angie cleared her throat. “Emily?”
“Comin’,” Emily said, getting to her feet. She followed Angie inside.
“I didn’t know that would get Emily in trouble,” Dipper said quietly to Mabel. “I feel kinda bad.”
“Pfft, you’re probably reading into things,” Mabel said. “Auntie Angie probably isn’t mad at her. I mean, she didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, but…” Dipper sighed. “Never mind. Did you have any luck with Aunt Angie?”
“Nope.” Mabel flopped onto the grass next to him. “She said she doesn’t know anything about Uncle Stan’s job.”
“Great. So we’re no closer to figuring out who Sirocco is.” Dipper resuming chewing on his pen. “Maybe we could ask Emily if she knows any aeros other than her and Aunt Angie. It’s not a very common power.”
“Maybe.” Mabel picked at the grass. “Dipper, are you sure you wanna keep at this? It’s kinda boring. I mean, if Uncle Stan couldn’t figure out Sirocco’s true identity, do we stand a chance at it? Wouldn’t you rather go do touristy things and look at all the stuff in the city? Auntie Angie said Emily is planning on taking us to some superhero-themed place tomorrow.”
“We can do both, Mabel. And yes, I wanna figure it out. I don’t have the kind of power that’s gonna make me a natural superhero, so I need to make sure I’ve got the detective part down. This is good practice.”
“I guess,” Mabel sighed.
“By the way, I think Emmett has some sort of telepathic power.”
“Really? Why?”
“Emily said his power is actually combined from Grandma Pines’ and someone in Aunt Angie’s family. Grandma Pines is telepathic. And it’d make sense for someone to avoid people if they’re telepathic. Being able to hear thoughts all the time has to be difficult,” Dipper said. Mabel nodded. “But Emily wouldn’t tell me outright what his power is. She said it’s ‘sensitive’. Whatever that means.”
“We should ask him.”
“Maybe.” Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “But I get the feeling if it’s sensitive enough Emily won’t tell us, Emmett won’t, either.”
“That’s quitter talk. You’re never gonna be a detective if you won’t ask our own cousin a question,” Mabel said, shoving him playfully. Dipper shoved her back, laughing.
“Kids!” Dipper and Mabel looked over at the back door. It was Angie. “Emily’s grounded fer a couple days, so Emmett’s goin’ to take ya to the café tomorrow. Sound good?”
“Sounds great, Auntie Angie!” Mabel shouted. Angie smiled. She closed the back door. Mabel turned to Dipper. “Huh. I guess you were right. Emily’s in trouble.”
“Yeah. But why? Why would telling someone about Aunt Angie’s power get her grounded?” Dipper wondered out loud. Mabel grinned at him.
“Maybe you should work on that, detective.”
-----
“So, uh, here’s the coffeeshop or whatever,” Emmett mumbled, nodding at the store they were standing in front of. He stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. “They’ve got good hot chocolate.”
“What about espresso?” Mabel asked. Emmett glanced at her with the eye not covered by his dyed black hair.
“…If I let you have coffee, Dad’ll be so mad, he might sign me up fer boxing again.” Emmett looked back at the storefront. “But that bein’ said, they have a decent espresso.” Emmett let out a long sigh. “Let’s just get this over with.” He pushed open the door, making the bell above jingle.
“By the way, Emmett,” Mabel said, following him into the coffeeshop, “I’ve been meaning to ask. What brand eyeliner do you use?” Emmett eyed her again. “It just looks so nice!”
“Uh, thanks,” Emmett said. He looked away. “It’s part of the Angst Outside line from g.n.o.m.e.”
“I’ll have to look into that,” Mabel chirped. She sniffed the air. “Mm. I love the coffee smell! Don’t you, Dipper?”
“Yeah, I like it,” Dipper agreed. He looked around. The coffeeshop was quaint and cute, like most local cafés. There was a back wall apparently reserved for fliers promoting various events, tchotchkes on every surface, and some sort of folksy music playing. What set apart the coffeeshop from other ones he’d been to was the theme of the décor. Superheroes. The tchotchkes were superhero figurines and the artsy posters on the walls renditions of local heroes. Dipper picked up a ceramic sculpture of someone he thought was called Manly Man. Ignoring his cousins’ fascination with the décor, Emmett trudged over to the counter.
“Well, like I said, I’m not getting either of you guys coffee. Or anything with caffeine, really.” He let out a long sigh. “I guess I can get you a cookie to share or somethin’.”
“Ooh, yes!” Mabel bounded over to the display case by the counter, pressing her face against the glass. “Dipper, look! They’ve got a cookie named after Un- Flamethrower!”
“Wait, really?” Dipper joined his twin at the display case. Mabel pointed at a gingersnap cookie that had a honey-chili frosting on top in the shape of the logo on Stan’s superhero suit. “Cool.”
“This place is themed after superheroes,” Emmett grunted. He shrugged. “I like the supervillain one more, but Dad wanted you to come here, so…”
“I like the supervillain one more, too,” a teenaged boy said, coming out from a door behind the counter. He grinned at Emmett. “Most Sycamore Grove kids do.” Emmett beamed. Dipper elbowed Mabel.
“Mabel, look!” Mabel tore herself away from the sweets. She gaped.
“I don’t think I’ve seen Emmett smile once this summer,” she whispered. Emmett leaned on the counter.
“I didn’t know ya worked here, Carter,” he said, his voice just as cheerful as Emily’s usually was. Carter chuckled.
“Well, don’t tell Ruby or Derek. They might kick me outta the group.”
“Please,” Emmett said, waving a hand clad in a fingerless glove. “You were there when my dad got home from work that day. You didn’t kick me out, and neither did Ruby or Derek when they found out. Workin’ here ain’t nearly as big a deal as my dad’s job.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t choose your dad’s job. I chose to work here,” Carter said playfully. Emmett laughed. “So, lemme guess, these kids are your cousins?” Emmett paled.
“You didn’t-”
“No! I know better than to outside of school. They look a lot like your dad, that’s all.”
“Oh. Right.” Emmett looked at Dipper and Mabel. “Yeah. They do.” He cleared his throat. “So, uh, go ahead and order, okay?”
“I think we’re going to need a minute to decide,” Dipper said, scanning the extensive menu behind Carter. Mabel had returned to ogling the desserts. Emmett smiled weakly.
“Take yer time,” he said. He turned back to Carter. “Have ya heard from Leif lately?”
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Emmett and Carter chatted the entire time Carter was working on their drinks, animatedly discussing mutual friends and teachers. By the time they finally left the coffeeshop, Dipper and Mabel had heard at least twice as many words from Emmett as they’d heard since they arrived.
“I know a shortcut,” Emmett said, jerking his head in the direction of a nearby alleyway.
“Are you sure?” Dipper asked. He wrapped his fingers tightly around his to-go iced hot chocolate. “It looks a bit shady.”
“It’s fine.” Emmett walked away at a fast pace, making Dipper and Mabel jog briefly to catch up. The further they got from the coffeehouse, the more withdrawn he became, his posture slumped and eyes downcast.
“Who was that?” Mabel asked.
“Carter? He’s m’ best friend.”
“What’s Sycamore Grove?” Dipper asked. Emmett hunched his shoulders.
“The high school I go to.”
“I thought Emily said she went to…what was it called? Franklin?”
“Yeah,” Emmett mumbled. “We go to dif’rent high schools.”
“But you guys are twins!” Mabel said. Emmett’s pace slowed.
“Yeah,” he repeated. “But I had to go to Sycamore Grove fer…reasons.” Emmett kicked at a rock. It hit a nearby dumpster with a ringing sound. “Emily doesn’t need to go there, though, so she goes to Franklin.”
“Is Sycamore Grove the high school for troubled teens?” Dipper asked. His eyes widened.
Oh no, I shouldn’t have said that! Emmett might think I’m insulting him! To his surprise, Emmett let out a soft chuckle.
“I mean, yer not completely wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Mabel asked. Emmett sighed.
“It’s complicated. I don’t wanna-” Emmett came to a sudden stop. He held his arm out, blocking Dipper and Mabel from going past him. “I see you,” Emmett said in a clear, carrying voice. “Stop hidin’ and come out here in the open.” Dipper winced. Something about Emmett’s voice was almost painful to hear. A shadowy figure dropped from above, landing in front of them.
“Who’s-” Mabel started. Emmett put a hand on her head.
“Shh, cuz. Lemme handle this.” Emmett straightened his back. He looked directly at the stranger in front of them. “Go home.” Dipper winced again.
Why does it hurt when he talks like that? It’s like he’s shouting, but he’s not. Or like he’s saying more than one thing at once. The stranger turned around and began to walk away.
“Drop everything dangerous yer carrying,” Emmett said quickly. Despite the pain it caused, Dipper listened intently to his cousin’s voice, trying to figure out what was going on. The stranger slowly removed items from their pockets, dropping them onto the ground. “When you get home, forget you saw us.” Dipper clasped his hands over his ears. His drink fell to the ground.
Okay, trying to listen harder was a bad decision. Emmett crouched down in front of him.
“Dipper?” Emmett asked quietly. “You all right?” Emmett’s eyes, for once neither of them hidden by his bangs, were full of concern. Up close, Dipper could see they were a rich brown, like his and Mabel’s.
“Yeah, I just- your voice hurt a bit, that’s all.”
“It hurt?” Emmett said. He seemed taken aback. “That’s- how would that-” He furrowed his brow. “What power do you have?”
“Um, Dad says it’s called omnilingualism.”
“Omni- Oh. You understand languages and codes?”
“Y-yeah.”
“How powerful are you?”
“Um, I dunno.”
“Can you figure out people’s intentions by readin’ body language, if you focus hard enough?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh dear.” Emmett grimaced. “I bet you got a bit of Grandma Pines’ telepathy. I’m sorry, Dipper. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone so strong.”
“Whattaya mean?” Mabel asked. “How did your voice hurt Dipper? I’m fine!”
“People with communication-based abilities like omnilingualism get affected more by my power,” Emmett said. He looked over Dipper with a careful gaze similar to Angie’s. “And folks with telepathy can tell when I use it, but they’re usually able to block it out. I’m guessin’ those two things made ya get hurt even though I wasn’t directing anything at you, Dipper. Again, I’m sorry. If I ever have to do it again ‘round you, I’ll be more careful.”
“I’m fine, I just- wait, what about that bad guy?” Dipper asked. Emmett didn’t even bother to look over his shoulder.
“He’s headin’ home and won’t remember what we look like, don’t worry.”
“How do you know he-” Dipper started. He paused. “Unless your power is…”
“…Yeah.” Emmett stood to his full height again and looked away. “I can control people.” He stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. “Grandma Gucket’s sister could do it by singin’ at folks. Called it a siren call. Grandma Pines can by usin’ her telepathy if she tries hard enough. I got a bit of both. Verbal commands work best, but if I so much as think ‘bout somethin’ I want someone to do, it usually happens.”
“How did you figure it out?” Mabel asked. Emmett scuffed the toe of his shoe against the ground.
“When my sister actually left my room when I told her to, I knew somethin’ was afoot.” He sighed. “I’ve gotten good enough that controlling people is on purpose most of the time. But I still slip up sometimes. So Ma and Dad shipped me off to Sycamore Grove.” Emmett shook his head. “Enough ‘bout my power. Dipper, if ya want, we can get you a new drink.”
“It’s fine, I think I wanna go back to your house,” Dipper said quietly.
“Fair enough.” Emmett set off. He kept glancing at Dipper as they walked, visibly worried.
“I’m fine, Emmett, don’t worry.”
“Yeah, I just…” Emmett looked away. “…Never mind.”
“Seriously though, what sort of school is Sycamore Grove?” Dipper asked. “I mean, Carter said people from there don’t like the superhero café or Uncle Stan’s job, you said it was sort of for troubled teens, Aunt Angie and Uncle Stan sent you there because of your power-” Dipper cut himself off. He exchanged a look with Mabel. Mabel’s eyes were wide, indicating she had figured it out, too.
“Yep,” Emmett said glumly. “It’s the school villains send their kids to.”
“Whoa,” Dipper and Mabel said together. Emmett nodded.
“Sure, anyone can attend, but no one would send their kid there if they didn’t have to. Unfortunately, they’re the only people who can handle my powers, which means I’m one of the kids who has to go there.”
“I’m guessing Uncle Stan didn’t like that,” Dipper said. Emmett grinned, surprising Dipper.
“You’d be right. Ma won’t even let him pick me up from school, she’s so worried ‘bout someone recognizing him as the hero, Flamethrower. I actually kinda like how uncomfortable it makes Dad.” He glanced at Dipper and Mabel. “Now that I’ve gotten used to goin’ to school with a bunch of kids whose parents regularly beat up mine.”
“Doesn’t it make Aunt Angie uncomfortable, too, sending you there?” Dipper asked. “You only mentioned Uncle Stan.” Emmett’s eyes widened. He looked away hurriedly.
“Uh, yeah, it- it does, it’s just that since Dad’s actually a hero, his discomfort is more entertaining.” Emmett took a left turn and they exited the alleyway. Stan and Angie’s house stood before them.
“We’re back already?” Mabel asked, surprised. Emmett nodded.
“Yep.”
“That was some shortcut. I need tips from you,” Mabel said cheerfully.
“…Maybe some other time. I’m gonna…go…” Emmett said. By the end of his sentence, he had resumed the soft mumbling they usually heard from him. He headed for the house. Dipper grabbed Mabel before she could follow.
“What is it, bro-bro?” Mabel asked him.
“Emmett lied,” Dipper whispered to her. “Once he said he went to a villain school, I decided to pay extra attention to see if he was lying at all.”
“And he was? When?”
“When he said that Aunt Angie was uncomfortable with sending him to the villain high school.”
“So Auntie Angie thinks that’s fine? She married a superhero!”
“I know.” Dipper looked over at the house. Angie was weeding in the front garden. She caught sight of them and waved. “I think we need to go back to the drawing board, Mabel. We’ve got some clues to connect.” Mabel groaned.
“You’re not gonna use my red yarn again, are you?”
“What else would I use on my evidence board?”
“Fine,” Mabel mumbled. She poked him. “I had a really cute sweater planned, so this better be worth it.”
“Don’t worry. It will be.”
#.......I did NOT mean to write this much#I just couldn't control myself whoops#I wanted to write some Emily and Emmett with Dip and Mabs and I got a bit out of hand#Superhero/villain AU#Stangie Family#Emily Pines#Dipper Pines#Mabel Pines#Angie McGucket#Emmett McGucket#my writing#ficlet#speecher speaks
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