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"GAAHH!"Stan collapsed on the ground after being kicked into something hot that burned his skin. It hurt like hell, feeling as though his shoulder was being scorched. And it angered him."Stanley! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Are you-Ahh!" Ford had clambered to his feet, immediately feeling awful for what he'd just done as he tried to apologize, only to be punched.Stan got to his feet, picking up his brother's stupid journal as he went. He clasped a hand over his injured shoulder, wincing at the pain."Some brother you turned out to be. You care more about your dumb mysteries than your family? Well then you can have 'em!" With that, he shoved the journal into his brother's chest, watching bitterly as he fell. Except he didn't. Ford started floating up. Stan's expression changed from anger to surprise and questioning worry."Woah! Woah! Woah! Hey, what's going on?" Stan asked."Wo-o-oah!" Ford gasped out as he floated closer to the portal."Hey, Stanford!" Stan yelled, running towards his brother."Stanley. Stanley! Help me!" Ford cried out desperately."W-what do I do?!"""Stanley! Do something! Stanley!" Ford yelled, throwing his journal to Stan.Stan caught it, watching in horror as his brother cried out for him, floating closer to the portal. He had to do something fast. With little thought, he through the journal down and leapt into the gravitational pull."Stanford, I'm coming!"As he was propelled closer to his brother, he grabbed his hand and used the momentum to try and through Ford away from the portal. Unfortunately, the other had caught on to Stan's plan, and held fast he his hand."What the- Stanford, let go! I'm trying ta- oh no."Stanley cut himself off when he felt his back slip into the portal. Terror seizes both of them as they realized there was no escaping this. They were going through."F-Ford..." Stan says shakily, watching his brother in terror.The last thing Stan felt before falling through was the six fingered hand tightening around his five fingered one. ************* Pain.That's the first thing Stan felt when he regained his senses. His shoulder still burned, his body ached, and there was a heavy weight laying over his chest.Slowly, he opened his eyes, glancing around. The area was unfamiliar. It was dark, the air thick and heavy, and the plain was barren. Stan then looked down at his chest and saw his brother's face. He wasn't awake, eyes closed. Ford whimpered, face pinching up in pain."Stanford...wake up." Stan said, gently shaking his twin.The other groaned, eyes flickering open to meet Stan's. He blinked a few times before pushing himself to his feet and taking a look around. Ford's eyes widened as he took in the scenery, realization striking him."Oh no. Nononono. No! We're in the portal!" He screeched."Ugh. No kiddin'." Stan said as he staggered to his feet."I-I...this is all your fault!" Ford yelled, spinning around to face Stan."My fault? I didn't build the damn thing!" Stan ragged."You're the one who knocked us in here, you imbecile!""I was tryin' ta throw you away from the portal, but you wouldn't let go of my hand! You'd have still been in the basement while I was here!" Stan yelled, jabbing his finger into the other's chest. "So don't put this on me."Stanford growled, clawing at his own scalp as he shoved past his brother. He was so infuriating sometimes, it was just unbearable. The land went quiet aside from the occasional gust of wind that blew past them. They needed to find a place to lay low for the night since it was growing darker with every passing minute."Look, we need to find somewhere to hide out. If he finds out I'm hear, he'll come for me." Ford said, beginning to venture on."He who?" "B-...it's not important." "Um, if there's some crazy maniac chasing you, I wanna know so I can be prepared." Stan said, skidding up beside his brother."...his name's Bill. He's been trying to get me to open the portal so that he and his henchmen could cross into our dimension and take over.""The portal? As in the one we just came through?""Yes.""And he's here in this place?""Yes." Ford replied blandly. "We'll gave more time to discuss this, but first we must find somewhere safe."With that, the two walked on, quickly finding that they were up on a mountain. So they carefully began their descent, climbing down to a thin, rocky walkway. Stan watched his own feet, trying not to step on any lose rocks that could send him tumbling to his demise."Why did we have to be teleport on top of a mountain?" He whispered to himself, body shaking and eyes wide as his lifetime fear of heights hit him like a freighter."Just try not to look down." Ford said."And inevitably fall? No thanks. That thought is way worse." The two looped into another round of silence, walking along the broken path that crumbled and slipped with each of their steps. This was one of the worst days of Stan's life.An hour later, not even half way down and they stopped to rest. By now, it was nearly pitch black and ford had to fish out his pen light for them to see. "Come on. Gotta keep moving." Ford said, going back to the task at hand."Ford, we're both tired, it's dark, and we ain't even half way down this damn mountain. There is no shelter here and one of us is gonna fall add the cliff." Stan argued tiredly. "We can't stop. Can't stop.""Sixer...""Dont patronize me! And don't call me that.""Why not?" Stan asked."I don't like being called that anymore." Ford murmured."...I didn't mean to screw up your chances at that college.""Just shut up."Why won't you ever listen to me?""I don't know, Stanley. Why wouldn't I listen to the selfish asshole that ruined my life and then reared his ugly head back up, just to end up getting both of us trapped inside this hellhole?!" Ford growled angrily."I ruined your life? That's rich! At least you didn't get kicked out of the only home you had at eighteen, being forced to live in your car. At least you actually got to go to college and get a job. At least you didn't have to grow up on the streets, literally fighting for your life because mobs, loan sharks, gangs, and rapists are tryin' to get ya when your back is turned!" Stan yelled."I didn't have a choice in how my life would be because Dad kicked me out. And you didn't do a damn thing to stop him, SIXER."Ford spun around, hand balling into a fist as he punched his brother right in the kisser. His anger was short lived, however, when Stan stumbled back, feet slipping of the ledge."Stanley!"Stan hadn't been anticipating the blow, so it came as a surprise. It hurt a lot more than he would have expected being dealt out by his brother. Then, he feet slipped and he felt himself falling. As Ford screamed his name, he hurriedly tried to catch himself.Luckily, he was able to grab onto a crag in the cliff, holding on for dear life."Stanley!" Ford yelled, peering over the edge of the cliff."S-shit! Ford!" Stan yelled, heart racing. "Help me!"Stanford dropped to his chest, reaching a hand down towards his twin. "Grab my hand!"Stan tried stretching a hand up to his brother's, their fingertips just barely touching. They were so close, yet so far. But being unable to reach, the crag broke under the only hand holding on and he fell."AHH!""NO!"He plummeted down the side of the mountain, hitting a few rocks on his way down. And just when he thought he was going to keep falling till he hit the very bottom of the mountain, Stan slammed down onto another overhanging cliff, the breath being knocked out of him, and everything went fuzzy."Stan!"Ford's stomach had lurched when he watched as his brother fell. He's been the one to cause it too. His brother was gonna die now and it was all his fault.He felt sick when Stan fell onto another cliff about fifty feet down. There was no was he survived that fall. Nonetheless, with the adrenaline pumping through his veins and his logical thoughts being thrown in the trash, Ford needed to get down there.Tears in his eyes, he started to climb down the mountain, being careful so as not to fall too. It was agonizingly slow, time slowing to what felt like nothing. Ford's feet would slip every so often, making him have to pace himself.He was about seven feet from the ledge when the rocks gave beneath his weight and he fell the rest of the way. Ford landed beside Stan, feeling as if he'd cracked a rib. "Gah!" He gasped, holding his side.Composing himself, he rolled on his side and immediately saw Stan. With a start, he got to his hands and knees, crawling towards his twin. "S-Stan?" Ford questioned shakily, getting no response in return. "Oh god. P-please don't be dead."Ford placed a quivering hand over his brother's bleeding head, using the other to lightly shake him. With every second that passed with no signs of life, more tears streaked down his face and the further his heart broke with guilt and grief."Oh Stanley...what have I done?" Tears cascaded down his face in an endless waterfall. "Th-this is all my fau-fault."The guilt was overwhelming. He shouldn't have his his brother while they were up on the ridge, yet his mind had been overcome with pure anger that he wasn't able to think right. And it had cost him his twin.Ford bowed his head over the other's face, letting the tears fall freely where they wanted to go. A few dropped from his chin onto Stan's cheek, causing him to stir.Stan opened his eyes blearily, glancing up at the other. He winced, letting out a low groan. Ford jumped a bit in surprise, not expecting his brother to wake up."L-L-Lee?!" Ford exclaimed, pulling Stan against his chest, hugging him close. "I'm so sorry! I didn't- I just-I didn't mean to- p-please...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry."Stan gave his brother a sympathetic look at his whimpered apologies. With aching joints and a throbbing skull, he lifted his arms up weakly, wrapping them around Ford's waist."It's okay. I know...you didn't mean to." Stan wheezed out. "Shh, we're gonna be okay."
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After the initial shock and Ford's apologies, he helped the more battered twin to his feet. They looked around momentarily around and realized there was a cave on the the ledge.Both entered the cave, looking around to make sure it was safe. Though, come to find out, the cave was actually a cavern, full of many tunnels that led every which way."Hmm. Maybe we can use these caverns to reach the bottom of the mountain. But for now, you need to rest. And we really need to get that...injury cleaned." Ford said, feeling all the more guilty for having hurt his brother."Well, what's the chance that there's some sort of water runnin' through these caves?" Stan asked as his brother lowered him to the ground."I'm not sure. It's possible, but I know nothing much about this dimension." Stanford replied, glancing around. "I'll have a look around. You just stay put."Stan sat quietly while his brother searched one of the tunnels, left with his own thoughts. For now he focused on the pain in his body. The brand on his shoulder and the new injuries.The brand still burned and ached. He was starting to feel hot, so it was probably becoming infected. His head throbbed from the in its side and the rest of his body was sore with bruises from the fall. In the meantime, Ford was searching vigorously for water in the caverns, growing worried that if he didn't find any, that they'd be in a hazardous situation. His eyes scanned every corner, every crevice for signs of a stream or even a puddle. Searching for about ten minutes, he started to lose hope. He turned to go back to his brother when he heard something. Ford stopped, listening intently for the noise again. It was quiet, the dripping of water.Heart leaping into his throat, Ford took off in a mad dash towards the sound. As he got closer, the sound got louder until he was right upon a small water spring coming from the rocks. Kneeling down, he cupped his hands and dipped them into the water, taking a drink."Ah." He sighed at the refreshing cool water. "I need to get some of this to Stanley..."He thought for a moment before a thought came to mind and he dug through his trench coat pockets. When he finally found what he was looking for, Ford pulled out his canteen and dipped it into the spring. ***************After Ford had returned and cleaned his brother's wounds out, they'd laid down for the night.
Stanley flipped onto his side, looking at his brother across the cave. Ford was facing him, eyes shut and body shivering due to the cold. It had to be fourth degrees in the cave, if not below that.He gave the older an empathetic look. Even with a jacket or trench coat, it was still freezing out. If only they had some blankets to keep warm. Sighing, Stan got to his feet, legs wobbling a bit under his weight as he stumbled quietly over to his twin. He squatted down with a grunt, taking and placing his jacket delicately over Ford."You'll need it more than me, bud." Stan whispered.He thought for a moment, then slowly bent down and placed a chaste kiss to Ford's forehead before standing up. "I missed you."Stan walked back over to the spot of which he slept and laid back down. Unbeknownst to him, when he'd turned away, someone's eyes had cracked open, silently watching him.Ford hadn't actually been asleep, still too afraid that Bill would possess him if he did. So he was quite conscious when Stan had gave him his jacket and, surprisingly, kissed him. That's something they used to do when they were younger, usually if the other had nightmares. That and if the other was beaten by bullies or their dad.As Stan laid back down, he noticed how he began shaking. It was quite cold out and it certainly didn't help that his brother had a fever. With a sad look, Ford stood up.Stan had curled himself into a ball, shaking from the cold and fever. He'd expected himself to freeze his ass off, but he didn't figure it'd happen this fast. Well, at least Ford would be warm.As he shut his eyes to try and fall asleep, he felt a warm body lay down behind him, placing his jacket and Ford's trench coat over them both. Stan was taken by surprise, especially when two arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him close as six fingered hands rested on his belly."Ford?" Stan asked, turning his head slightly to the side."Yep." Ford replied."What're you doing?" "Warming you up, knucklehead.""Why? I thought...""...thought what?"Stan gulped down the rising anxiety in his stomach before replying. "I thought you hated me.""W-what?" Ford gasped out in disbelief.Stan didn't say anything in return, just hunching his shoulders in wait for his twin's reply. Telling him that he was a good for nothing idiot who couldn't do anything right.Ford had been so blindsided by what his brother had asked him, he didn't know what to say. He took a second to gather his thoughts, sitting up so he could move Stan to lay on his back. "Now listen to me." Ford said, cupping his brother's cheek in one hand to keep his gaze on him. "I don't hate you. I was...angry, yes, but never once did I hate you."Stan stared at him in disbelief, not trusting his words to be truthful. "But...but I-""I love you, Lee." Ford wrapped an arm around his twin's neck, pulling him into a hug. Stan went stiff at the other's words. They hadn't said 'I love you' since they were sixteen so this was a bit out of the blue. With a sniffle he wrapped his own arms around Ford, holding on tight."Hey Stan?""Yeah?""I missed you too."