Stan grumbled tiredly to himself as he downed his fifth cup of coffee in a row. He usually stayed up most nights working anyway, but what he wasn't used to was someone beating on his doors and windows into the early hours of the morning, trying their best to get back in. He had no idea why Amethyst didn't just give up and go home, but she was painfully persistent about wanting to "hang out" with him for some reason.
Right before he went out to chase her off with the hose, however, she suddenly stopped just past sunrise, strangely leaving without another word. Not that Stan minded much; at least it left him to open the Murder Hut up for the day in some semblance of peace.
"Hey, Mr. Pines!" Greg greeted as he came in for his shift. Stan only offered him an exhausted groan as he slumped against the counter, clinging onto his coffee mug like a vice. "Uh… Are you ok?" Greg asked, concerned.
"Yeah…" Stan mumbled. "Just had a long night last night…"
"Oh… Well, uh… then maybe now's not a good time…"
"Not a good time for what?" Stan asked, sitting up a bit.
"Well… There's someone who… kinda begged to come down here with me this morning…" Greg rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to the still-open door "Um… You can come on in now!"
Stan bolted upright the second he saw Amethyst walk in with a guilty look written all over her face. "YOU!" he shouted furiously. "You little punk! I barely got any sleep around here last night with you bangin' on stuff all night long!"
"I know… And I'm sorry, Amscray," Amethyst pouted sincerely.
"Amscray?" Greg looked to Stan, confused.
"Ugh, stupid kid," he scowled. "My name's not Amscray."
"But you said-"
"I know what I said!" Stan snapped. "Listen, couldn't you just-" He cut himself off with a frustrated sigh before turning to his employee. "Greg, could ya give us a minute here? This won't take long."
"Oh, um… sure, Mr. Pines," Greg looked between the pair, uncertain for a beat, before he stepped outside. A long, stated silence followed, until Stan finally broke it with another irritated sigh.
"I just don't get you, kid. What's your deal with me anyway? Why couldn't you just run back up to the statue last night when I first told you to?"
"I dunno…" Amethyst admitted, rubbing her arm. "I guess… I was just so excited to meet you! I don't know too many humans aside from Music Man out there, and he's already super tight with Rose, so… you were like, a totally new face to me! I just thought you were kinda cool."
Stan raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised to hear this."Well… don't you have Rose and those other two bozos to hang out with? Why don't you just pester them instead?"
"Rose, Garnet, and Pearl are gone," Amethyst informed, frowning. "They went on a mission yesterday and… they just… didn't bother to tell me about it I guess."
"Oh, well boo-hoo," Stan deadpanned, unsympathetic. "I bet it's just soooo rough for you, not being able to punch monsters with all of your buddies."
"It's not rough," Amethyst shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time they left me behind. They're always doin' it. Probably 'cause they don't want me messing stuff up or whatever."
Stan knew he shouldn't ask. He knew he shouldn't. But what she'd just said… well, it hit far too close to home than he'd ever like to admit. "Uh… what do you mean?"
"Eh… It's just… I'm not as skilled or strong as the other Gems…" Amethyst sighed, crossing her arms. "Garnet's really powerful, Pearl's super smart, and Rose… Rose can do anything . And me? I'm just the dumb ol' rock that follows them around."
"Oh geez…" Stan muttered before he could stop himself. "I know how that feels…"
"You do?" Amethyst asked, intrigued.
"Course, I do. When I was a kid, everyone used to always compare me to-" Stan quickly cut himself off before he could let too much slip. "E-everybody else. And when it came right down to it… Well, let's just say I was never at the top of anyone's list."
"Hey, same here!" Amethyst let out a small, halfhearted chuckle. "That's sorta why I like shapeshifting so much. Why do I have to be a nobody…" She smirked as she transformed into Greg, Garnet, and Rose, all in seamless succession. "When I could be anybody ?"
Stan couldn't help but laugh. And this time, he didn't try to play it off. "You know, as freaky as that whole shapeshifting thing is, it's pretty impressive. You ever thought about goin' on the road with that, kid?"
"Meh, it's no big deal," Amethyst shrugged as she turned back into herself. "But this place you have going on here? It looks awesome!" With an excited grin, she looked around the gift shop, taking in all of the odd sights on display. "What is all this cool junk anyway?"
"What, you've never heard of the Murder Hut before?"
"Murder Hut?" Amethyst stuck her tongue out. "Ugh, that name's terrible ! Who would wanna come to a place with murder in its name aside from crazy people? You should really think about changing it. An old mysterious shack like this deserves to be called something just as mysterious!"
"Mysterious shack, huh…?" Stan mused thoughtfully. "Then how about… the Mystery Shack? What do ya think about that?"
"Oh, man, yeah!" Amethyst eagerly agreed. "That's way better!"
"You think so?"
"Yeah I do!"
"Yeah, well I-" Stan cut himself off. He forced the smile straight off his face as he stole another glance at the gemstone resting on Amethyst's chest. As sure a reminder of any as to why this conversation shouldn't– couldn't continue. "Pfft, well, it's not like I care about what someone like you thinks. I mean, I don't even know you, much less like ya, kid."
Amethyst rolled her eyes, grinning. "You know what I think? I think that's a lie, old guy. I think you do like me. At least a little."
"No I don't!" Stan sternly protested. "I don't like any of you Gems! I thought I made that pretty clear last night."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, old guy."
"Will ya stop calling me old guy, kid?"
"Only if you stop calling me kid," Amethyst coyly agreed. "But if I can't call you old guy and I can't call you Amscray… then what can I call you?"
Stan sighed in spite of himself. He knew he should have kicked Amethyst out the minute she walked in and yet… the playful smile on her face, the mischievous glint in her eye, the way she'd been left behind, forgotten, ignored… it all rang so familiar.
It all reminded him so much of himself that he found he just couldn't just turn her away. Not when he'd been turned away far too many times to count.
Stan," he finally answered. And this time, he didn't bother to hide the smile he found himself sharing with his new, strange, unlikely friend. "You can call me Stan."
"Well, we're here," Stan announced as they pulled up to the woods surrounding the Tent of Telepathy.
"Yeah! Here comes the revenge !" Amethyst bounced up and down in her seat. "We're gonna roast that little punk! I can't wait to see the look on his face tomorrow when he-"
"Hold it, Amethyst," Stan stopped her before she could jump out of the car. "We can't just go out there and do this as if it were any old Revenge Trip. If V was right about one thing, it's that this is a high stakes job."
"Heh, I get it! Stakes!" Amethyst laughed. "Cause we're gonna take the stakes outta the tent! Good one!"
"I mean it," Stan insisted. "Gideon may be a chubby little shyster, but he's a chubby little shyster with a whole lot of clout around here. Which means if we're not careful, then he could have the entire town turn on us in a heartbeat."
"Pfft, like I care about what any of those squares think," Amethyst scoffed. "But fine. If you're so scared of getting busted, then I'll cool my jets for you. But only 'cause I don't wanna get yelled at by Garnet or Pearl if we do end up getting caught."
"Good," Stan grabbed his gloves and hammer from the back seat. "Then let's hit it."
Amethyst nodded, holding up her can of spray paint as they got out of the car. Under the cover of night, they crept toward the tent, keeping a close eye out for any sort of security patrolling. Fortunately, the tent was unguarded, leaving them with plenty of space to get to work.
Stan hurried around the tent first, pulling out each of the pegs holding it down. Meanwhile, Amethyst stood at the back of the tent, taking in the empty "canvas" before her. Her paint can was poised and ready to go and yet…
"Well, I got all the pegs," Stan joined her, holding up a full bag of stakes. "All it'll take is one good gust of wind and this whole place will come toppling down. What's the holdup back here?"
"I can't think of anything to write!" Amethyst groaned. "I mean, normally I'm super clever and witty when it comes to insults, but I'm so pumped up on Revenge Trip adrenaline right now. I'm drawing a blank!"
"Geez, do I still have to do all the heavy lifting on Revenge Trips even fourteen years later?" Stan smirked, reaching for the spray paint. "Gimme that thing. I'll show you what a good tag looks like."
Amethyst watched, curious, as Stan quickly and confidently graffitied on the side of the tent. His message was simple, but impactful, and Amethyst couldn't help but break down laughing the second he was done. "Oh my gosh, that's hilarious ! That stupid kid will never be able to live this one down!"
"Hey, I told you," Stan tossed the spray paint back to her. "I haven't lost my touch just yet."
"Man, I'm sorry for ever doubting you!" Amethyst chuckled as she followed Stan back towards the car. "I guess this means you're not boring. Just old."
"Yeah, well we're not done yet," Stan pointed out. "We still gotta-"
He froze when he accidentally bumped into one of the abandoned cars parked near the tent by mistake. Without warning, the car alarm started blaring through the otherwise quiet night air. Stan and Amethyst exchanged a wide-eyed glance as all of the lights in the nearby houses switched on, hoping that it wasn't already too late for them to slip away unseen.
"Uh, that's our cue hightail it the heck outta here!" Stan exclaimed, dashing for the car. Amethyst ultimately beat him to it, but he paid her little mind as he tried to start the car, only for it to stall out at just about the worst time possible. "Oh come on!"
"What's wrong?" Amethyst asked, glancing out the back window. People had already started emerging from their houses as the car alarm continued obnoxiously beeping. If they didn't hurry, they'd be found out for sure.
"Ugh, the stupid thing won't-" Stan cut himself off as he threw his fist down on the dash of the car. Somehow, that was exactly what it needed to roar to life once more. "There we go!"
"Well, come on! Let's hurry before someone sees us!" Amethyst anxiously urged.
"Hey, you don't have to tell me twice!" Stan pulled the car into reverse before speeding back onto the road. Amethyst was thrown back in her seat when floored it, burning rubber as he drove away from the scene as fast as his car would go.
"WHOO!" Amethyst screamed, exhilarated as she stuck her head out the window. "Yeah, baby! Pedal to the metal!"
"You think that's fast?" Stan asked with a challenging grin. "Then you ain't seen what this baby can really do!" His smile widened as he shifted gears, causing the car to rocket even faster than ever.
"Aw, yeah!" Amethyst yelled as her long hair blew wildly behind her. "This is the best!" She beamed as she sat back in her seat, reclining her legs up on the dash. "This is totally just how it used to be back in our old Revenge Trip days, and I love it! Doesn't it just make you feel alive ?"
"Heck yeah it does!" Stan boldly agreed. "I don't even know why I was worried before! Like anybody's ever gonna catch us this time! Even without Revenge Trips, we've still broken in and out of plenty of other tight spots over the years. This'll be a piece of cake!"
"You're darn right it will be!" Amethyst exclaimed. "I mean, we're already one third of the way done! The night's still young and the rest of this Revenge Trip is in the bag! Ain't nobody gonna stop this party! And why's that?"
Stan laughed as he caught the eager, expectant look Amethyst was giving him. Which was why gave her exactly the answer he knew she wanted to hear. "Because this party's going all night!"
They were more than ready to keep it going all night too. They rode the high of their first success as the second phase of their scheme got underway. They made several stops all across town, basically anywhere where any sort of advertisement for the Tent of Telepathy could be found. From billboards, posters, bus ads, and everything in between, nothing was safe from Stan and Amethyst. Each one was coated in graffiti in entirely unique ways, each more creative than the last and all meant to humiliate Gideon in any way possible.
Defacing the ads was easy enough, to the point that they only had one close call in the middle of it. Still, they cleanly dodged the patrolling cop car thanks to Stan's quick thinking and Amethyst's shapeshifting. The same dynamic combination that got them out of trouble more times than they could count back in their old Revenge Trip days.
From there, the rest of their work was even more of a breeze. They took to side roads out of town, speeding down them purely for the thrill of it all. Between their laughter, they reminisced on Revenge Trips gone by, on daring escapades and countless close-calls. And with a moon in the sky and righteous vengeance on their minds, for a moment, it felt as though nothing had changed. For a moment, it felt as though they'd never stopped doing this at all.
For a moment, they both felt as young, wild, and free as they had on their first Revenge Trip over twenty years ago.
"Yo, Stan!" Amethyst burst into the gift shop before claiming her usual perch on the counter. Her visits to the newly-dubbed Mystery Shack weren't uncommon, and while Stan complained at first, by now he'd gotten used to them. After all, Amethyst certainly wasn't the worst company to have around, not that he'd ever actually admit that out loud.
"Amethyst," Stan greeted her dryly. He didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading, unable to chase his bitter scowl as he kept on reading.
"Whoa, what's with the long face?" Amethyst asked. "What, was someone a penny short on buying a bobble head?"
"Pfft, I wish," Stan scoffed as he set his paper down. "Have you seen this? Some chump "travel destination reviewer" or whatever he calls himself came by here the other day, disguised as a regular old tourist. And then, after I kicked the creep out for asking too many stupid questions, he goes and writes this crummy review about the shack in the town paper!"
"Oh yeah? What's it say?"
"Nothing but a bunch of complaints about how this place is 'run down' and my business practices are 'shady'," Stan crumpled the paper up and tossed the paper away. "What a load of bullshit. I ya ask me, weasels like that deserve to be dropped off a very high cliff."
"Dang, this fool sounds like a real jerk," Amethyst said, crossing her arms. "What's his deal anyway? This place is totally cool!"
"Exactly!" Stan agreed. "That's why I'm gonna put that reviewer in his place tonight with a little good old fashioned revenge."
"Ooo, revenge?" Amethyst asked, intrigued. "Sounds neat! Whatcha you gonna do?"
"Eh, nothin' too fancy. I was just gonna go find his house and then let a bunch of rabid squirrels loose inside of it while he's sleeping."
Amethyst nearly fell off the counter laughing when she heard this plan. "Dude, that's hilarious ! You gotta let me come with you and watch! Or better yet, help you round up all those squirrels!"
"Oh, no," Stan shook his head. "No way. I work alone, kid. Especially on petty heists like this."
"Aw, come on…" Amethyst pleaded. "I won't get in the way! I promise! Besides, I need to see some action! Everything's been so boring lately…"
"What, you mean you haven't been out tossing that whip of yours at creeps with your buddies recently?"
"Haven't been any creeps to toss it at," Amethyst shrugged. "And when there are, the others usually just take care of it without me. As usual."
"Hpmh, what else is new with those three?" Stan huffed. "Still, kid, you can't come with me tonight. Mostly 'cause I just don't think you can keep up with an old pro like me."
"Pfft, I know I can!" Amethyst daringly exclaimed. "I'm a magical Gem warrior! I can handle anything that any ol' loser might throw at us!"
"That's a pretty bold claim…" Stan mused with a growing smirk. "You really think you can back it up?"
"Duh!"
"Fine," Stan shrugged. "Then I'll give you a shot. But if you start dragging me down for even a second, then I'll drop you just like I'm gonna drop those squirrels in that critic's house."
"Deal!" Amethyst took his outstretched hand and firmly shook it. "Aw, man, this Revenge Trip is gonna be great!"
"Revenge Trip?" Stan raised an eyebrow, confused. "What the heck is a Revenge Trip?"
"It's what we're gonna do tonight!" Amethyst brightly explained. "Ya know, since we're going on a trip to get some revenge. So it's a Revenge Trip!"
"Geez, that's corny," Stan sneered. "You may have been right about renaming this place to the Mystery Shack, but you might wanna think twice about that whole 'Revenge Trip' thing."
"Eh," Amethyst shrugged, grinning. "You'll warm up to it eventually."
As expected, phase 2 had taken hours. Still, exhaustion was barely even a thought for Stan and Amethyst–it never was when it came to Revenge Trips and the spiteful adrenaline that fueled them. It kept them going all the way up to their penultimate destination: the Gleeful merchandise factory.
Stage 3 was set to be the most risky part of their plan by far, one that could land them in serious hot water if they were caught. Vandalism and property damage were one thing; but the scale of the theft they were about to commit was staggering. Not that either of them were all too daunted by that fact. After all, there was one hard and fast rule they always kept in mind on any Revenge Trip:
"Instead of just going big, always go bigger." And that's exactly what they were going to do tonight.
"You know the plan, right?" Stan asked as they pulled up to the warehouse.
"Duh," Amethyst smirked. "We get in there, get all the stuff, get out, and dump it in the lake. Simple as that."
"Sure, 'simple'," Stan deadpanned, getting out. "It'll be real simple if we manage to make it outta here without getting busted. Now, can you give us an in?" he asked, handing her a crowbar.
"You got it!" Amethyst gave him a thumbs up. She took a high leap at one of the warehouse's windows, perching herself on the ledge as she used the crowbar to pry it open. Stan only had to wait for a moment before the front doors swung open, revealing a satisfied Amethyst standing inside.
"What do ya know?" Amethyst said as Stan walked past her into the factory. "Looks like I haven't lost my touch either."
"How could you when you break into my house at least once a week?"
"Aw, come on. You know you love it."
"Love is a strong word. How about we say I tolerate it and leave it at that?"
"Pfft, whatever," Amethyst snorted.
The warehouse ahead of them was stocked to the brim with Gideon's self-promoting paraphernalia, piled up in boxes and crates stacked up to the ceiling. And yet, where some would see an intimidating challenge, Stan and Amethyst only saw a golden opportunity, one that they were more than ready to take.
"So…" Amethyst cringed as she kicked a Lil' Gideon plushy aside. "Where should we start?"
"With anything breakable," Stan said, clutching his own crowbar. "And then everything else we'll haul down to the lake."
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Amethyst readily agreed.
From there, the pair got to work. They stormed the warehouse, swinging their crowbars at everything and anything. Amethyst took it a step further by shapeshifting into a bulldozer, slamming her wrecking ball into the stacks of merch while Stan stood by, laughing and cheering her on all the while. Their rampage was messy, noisy, and above all else, utterly chaotic.
Just like any good Revenge Trip should be.
Once they'd finished that rampage, they began rounding up everything else. It was a fairly sizable load of clothing, figurines, posters, and more, and not all of it would be able to fit in Stan's car. That's where Amethyst's shapeshifting came in handy. She essentially turned herself into a "sack" to hold all of the remaining merch, tethering herself to the top of Stan's car with all of their stolen goods secured underneath her.
"K-k!" Amethyst exclaimed, her voice tight. "I… I think I'm ready!"
"Are you sure?" Stan asked. "'Cause you look like you're pushing yourself pretty hard up there."
"A-aw…" she let out a weak laugh. "Y-you really do care about me, S-Stan!"
"Yeah, yeah," Stan waved his hand dismissively. "Let's just get going already. The sooner we finish, the sooner I can finally go home and get in bed. Coffee only does so much to keep a guy my age going, you know."
"Then c-come on!" Amethyst urged as Stan got back in the car. "L-let's finish this!"
With that, Stan drove off, going slow enough to help Amethyst keep her spot on the roof. Still, they had every reason to be more careful now; the large, purple mound on top of the car would be a dead give-away if anyone spotted them. Fortunately, the night was on their side as they finally managed to make it to the lake undetected, satisfied they'd be able to pull off the final part of their plan without a hitch.
Or so they hoped.
Amethyst let out an exhausted sigh as she shapeshifted back to her usual self the second the car pulled up onto the shore. All of the stolen merchandise fell off the roof along with her, with several boxes already drifting away into the shallows of the lake.
"You ok?" Stan asked, standing over her. "Or are you gonna need a minute?"
Amethyst responded with a feeble thumbs-up. "I-I'm… good..."
"Good, because we don't have a lot of time to waste," Stan said. "We gotta shove all this junk into the lake before sun-up, or else we'll-"
"Or else what , Stanford?"
Stan and Amethyst froze stiff as a pair of glaring headlights suddenly flooded them both. And of course, standing between those lights, was none other than the very target of tonight's Revenge Trip himself.
"Gideon?!" the pair exclaimed, shocked.
"Well, good evenin' both of ya!" Gideon offered them a fake, friendly smile. "Or perhaps I should be saying good mornin' since it's, oh, about 3 a.m.! Now that begs the question… what are ya'll doin' out here this early with such a fine array of merchandise from my factory, hm?"
"Oh, this?" Stan asked. "We were just moving it all for you. Yeah, we figured that a bunch of useless tacky junk like this belongs better at the bottom of the lake than it does all nice and cozy in that warehouse of yours."
"Oh, well I'm much obliged, Stanford, much obliged," Gideon nodded as his smile sharpened. "'Course, you both realize that I can't just let something like this lie. Especially since all of my signs all around town were also shamelessly vandalized tonight. Ya'll wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
"Ugh, just shut up , you little twerp," Amethyst groaned, annoyed. "You already caught us red-handed, you don't have to be an annoying jerk about it."
"Very well then, I suppose you're right," Gideon shrugged. "Guess there really is no need in bein' pleasant if you ain't gonna be. I'll just settle for dialing up the police and letting them handle this." He grinned darkly as he pulled out his phone. "I'm sure the town prison will just love to welcome two new inmates in one night."
"Ok then, go ahead and call them," Stan challenged, unconcerned. Amethyst shot him a confused glance, but he quickly reassured her with a sly, subtle wink. "And while you're at it, go ahead and tell them how you trespassed onto my property earlier and cut through my lizard cage. Or about how you vandalized the Gem's temple and painted the whole thing blue. I'm sure they'd love to hear about that."
"Ohhhh!" Amethyst exclaimed, laughing. "You can't smooth-talk your way outta that, Gideon! We know you did all that stuff!"
"Maybe so," Gideon acknowledged. "But it's my word against ya'lls. And really, who are they gonna believe? Poor lil' ol' me? Or the town crook and a Gem with a known record of causin' mischief?"
Stan and Amethyst exchanged an anxious glance at this. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but they knew he was right. Gideon practically had the entire town wrapped around his finger; it'd take a miracle to convince anyone that they were in the right, especially after everything they'd done so far tonight.
"So are we making a break for it?" Amethyst muttered to Stan.
"Do you even have to ask?" he replied in a quick whisper. "Getaway time!" he shouted, throwing a smoke bomb down. While Gideon was blinded by the blast, Stan and Amethyst jumped into the car and sped off down the shoreline, leaving their haul of merchandise behind in favor of escaping.
"Wha—hey!" Gideon shouted, enraged. "Get back here, you— augh !" He ran to the car behind him, hopping into the passenger's seat beside Bud. "After 'em, Daddy!" he ordered harshly as he began dialing up the police. "Don't you dare let them get away!"
Meanwhile, Stan floored it as he swerved back onto the road, while Amethyst stole a nervous glance out the back window. "Uh, he's following us!"
"Of course he is, the little troll!" Stan growled. "Wouldn't have expected anything else. We've gotta lose him!"
"Yeah! Now you're talking!" Amethyst exclaimed. "Oh, wait! I got an idea!" She turned around in her seat, reaching for the mound of plushies that they had shoved in the back and grabbing several of them. Opening her window wide, she threw them hard at Bud's car, watching with a satisfied smile as he had to swerve out of the way to miss them.
"Nice one!" Stan grinned. "Now we just gotta-" He cut himself off the moment he heard police sirens ringing out from behind them. Amethyst gasped as she looked out the back to see a patrol car had joined the chase, riding alongside Gideon and his father as they chased after them.
"Aw, come on!" Amethyst groaned. "How'd they get here so fast?! I swear, it's like that kid can get anyone to do anything for him!"
"It doesn't matter!" Stan said, speeding on the narrow forest road. "'Cause we're about to shake both of them as soon as I find the dirt path up ahead."
"That old thing? You'll never be able to find it as dark as it is out here!" Amethyst protested. "Let me drive, I have a much better idea!"
"What?! You really think I'm gonna let you drive my car?!" Stan scoffed. "Now you've really lost it!"
"Come on, Stan, just trust me on this!" Amethyst pleaded, reaching for the wheel. "I have a plan! You know me! I always have a plan!"
"Yeah, well if you always have a plan, then why didn't you plan on this happening, huh?!" Stan retorted, pulling the wheel away from her. The car wildly weaved back and forth on the road as they grappled for it, but even still, both Gideon and the cops kept tight on their tail.
"I could have planned for it!" Amethyst argued hotly.
"Then why didn't you?!"
"Because… because I… Look out!" Amethyst let out a frightened shout as the car rounded the next turn hard.
Fortunately, they managed to lose Gideon and the police with this maneuver, but neither of them were able to stop the car from veering out of control and off the road altogether. All they could do was share a scream as the care plowed into the woods, the breaks proving useless thanks to their dramatic descent downhill. They only narrowly managed to avoid hitting any of the trees in their path thanks to Stan steering their way through them, despite plenty of dangerously close calls. After what felt like ages, the car finally came to a stop in the middle of a wide clearing, a bit worse for wear, but miraculously still in one piece.
As the car finally went still and the engine mercifully cut off, the pair sat in stunned silence. While Stan leaned back in his seat to try and catch his breath, Amethyst let loose a loud, triumphant cheer.
"Whoo! We lived! And it was awesome !" she exclaimed, stars in her eyes. "Man, I wish I could have seen the looks on our faces as we were rolling down that hill! What a wild ride! Huh, Stan?" Amethyst grinned as she glanced at him, only to find him staring down at his lap in shaken disbelief.
"Amethyst, we nearly just died," he said, his tone harsh and cold.
"Well, yeah, almost, I guess," Amethyst shrugged. "But we almost died a bunch of times on Revenge Trips before, so what's the big deal? Like we said, this party's going all night! And nothing's gonna stop us from-"
"Dammit, Amethyst!" Stan practically shouted. "I'm serious!"
"Pfft, since when?" Amethyst scoffed, crossing her arms. "Oh yeah, that's right. Since you got old and boring. Should have known you'd wimp out on me in the end. Just like last time."
"And I should have known that everything would turn south, just like last time," Stan countered just as bitterly. "I don't even know why I agreed to come along on this disaster. I knew I should have just trusted my gut and stayed home. At least then I wouldn't be on the lamb again ."
"Oh yeah, cause anything's better than going on another Revenge Trip with me, right?" Amethyst asked sharply. "I'm too 'rambunctious', too 'reckless', too much for anyone to handle, even you! But for some reason, I still thought you could." She let out a hash breath as she tore her sights away from him. "For some reason, I thought you were actually cool way back then. Guess I was totally wrong all along."
"Whatever," Stan coldly retorted. "You really think I care what you think about me? Or about what anyone thinks of me? Well, I don't! Never have! And you know why? Because unlike you , I'm totally fine on my own! I don't need anybody to pick me up when I'm down and tell me I'm gonna be ok, 'cause that's not how the real world works! I don't need to go out and act up just to make myself feel better! The only reason I ever went along and did any of that was because of you !"
"Oh yeah? W-well, who said I ever needed you to make me feel better?!" Amethyst shouted, her hands curling into tight fists. "I was just fine before I ever met you! Back then I had Rose, and she'd always tell me that I was special, that I was important, no matter what!"
"Oh wow, real inspiring ," Stan deadpanned. "I'm sure she really meant it too. Just like how she said she was gonna stick around you guys forever, huh? And look at how that ended up turning out."
Amethyst suddenly threw her fist down hard on the dashboard, utterly enraged. "Don't you ever talk about Rose like that!" she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. "You think it's not hard enough that she's gone?! I don't need to be reminded of it, especially not by you ! You couldn't possibly know how hard it is to just lose someone like that!"
"Oh, really?!" Stan asked. The way he looked at her, with such unkempt fury, such unspoken pain , nearly caught her completely off guard. "Shows what you know. I do know what it's like to lose someone important. I knew how that felt way before you ever did! In fact, I-"
He quickly cut himself off as he drew in a sharp, sudden breath. He barely managed to bite back the bitter tears Amethyst had been powerless to stop on her end. For a long, tense moment, silence filled the car, until Stan finally broke it with a long, tired sigh. "See, this right here is why we stopped doing Revenge Trips…"
"What are you talking about?" Amethyst asked, curling in on herself. "We stopped because you got lame on me, just like everyone else…"
"No," he countered, shaking his head. "We stopped because this exact same thing happened the last time too, remember?"
"...Yeah, of course, I do," she muttered, unable to hide the shame that had stuck with her for well over a decade now. "That night ruined everything …"
14 years ago...
The first "Revenge Trip" had been a rousing success, paving the way for many more. Any time Stan and Amethyst found enough of a reason, they ran the roads by night, wreaking revenge on anyone who might've wronged them. They took chances, caused chaos, got even, and best of all, always had the time of their lives doing it all for eight years straight.
Despite many close calls, they were rarely ever caught, and whenever they were, either Stan would talk their way out of it, or Amethyst would force their way out of it. Otherwise, they spent their nights riding high and free, brightly breezing their way through every Revenge Trip, each more exciting and more risky than the last.
Until the night it all came crashing down.
It was supposed to be a simple job. A local supplier had failed to deliver a shipment of merchandise that Stan had already paid for, and they adamantly refused to give him a refund for it. Needless to say, he called upon Amethyst that very night, and just like that, they were off on another Revenge Trip. At first, it had been as easy as driving up to the factory a few towns over, breaking in, and sneaking out with the merchandise Stan had ordered. They were old pros at heists as straightforward as that by now, to the point that they'd gotten more than a little cocky, overconfident even.
And in the end, that overconfidence proved to be their downfall.
Things went wrong almost as soon as they arrived, when they accidentally set one of the factory's many alarms off. Unfortunately for them, security was already on-site, and the police weren't far behind them. And unlike the lenient cops back in Gravity Falls, these cops weren't willing to let them go with just a slap on the wrist so easily.
And that's how the pair found themselves sitting in a jail cell, facing more than a few serious charges for their latest escapade.
"I can't believe we got caught," Stan grumbled as he reclined against the stone wall behind him. "All these years and we've never been busted like this before! Guess that's why we got caught in the first place: we got sloppy."
"Yeah, we did, but you know what's not gonna be sloppy?" Amethyst asked with a sly smirk. "Bustin' outta here."
"What? You can't be serious," Stan scoffed. "Amethyst, we aren't in Gravity Falls anymore. These cops aren't as dumb or easy to fool as the ones back home. If they were, then I would have already talked us out of this cell and we'd be off the hook."
"Oh, so what?" Amethyst asked. "You're just gonna sit here and serve five to ten just because we made one dumb mistake?"
"No, but I'm just saying. We need to see how this is gonna play out before rushing into anything else. Tonight's already turning out to be enough of a mess as it is, we don't need to make it any worse."
"Since when did you start wimping out on me, Stan?" Amethyst asked, indignant. "You're always telling me about all of the wild and crazy things you used to do back in the day, so what gives?"
"'What gives' is that this isn't worth it!" Stan argued. "It's all fun and games until something like this happens. And I've been in enough scraps of my own to know that when things go downhill as bad as this, that's when it's time to bail out."
"Wha—Yeah, b-but… that's what makes it all so fun!" Amethyst protested. "It wouldn't be worth it if it was easy! The risk is what makes a Revenge Trip a Revenge Trip! Duh!"
"See, that's always been your problem, Amethyst!" Stan scolded. "You always gotta go bigger than you need to and it always ends up getting both of us in trouble! Which is why…" He let out a long sigh, hanging his head in defeat. "I'm done."
"D-done with what?"
"With this! With Revenge Trips, with getting arrested, with-"
"With me?!" Amethyst asked hotly, her hands curling into tight fists.
"Maybe!" Stan shouted before he could stop himself.
He regretted it immediately, as soon as he heard the sharp, pained gasp Amethyst took in. Her eyes were already welling up with tears that she refused to let fall as she simply glared at him, her expression saying far more than words ever could. "A-Amethyst," Stan began, unsure of how to fix this. Any of this. "I… I don't… I didn't mean-"
"Amethyst!"
The pair started, surprised, as a familiar pair marched up to their cell. Stan didn't try to hide his aggravation from Garnet and Pearl. Amethyst, on the other hand, was much more concerned.
"Oh no…" she muttered, knowing that this had just gone from bad to worse. Knowing that after eight years of keeping all of this a secret from the rest of her team, it was all over. They'd been caught red handed.
"Well, it looks like you were right after all, Garnet," Pearl said, glaring at the pair inside the cell. "I didn't want to believe that Amethyst would engage in something so deplorable, especially with a miscreant like you, Stan, but here we all are! Care to explain?"
"Sheesh," Stan rolled his eyes. "As if getting arrested wasn't bad enough, now we gotta sit here and listen to you lecture to us, Pearl? Might as well just send me off to death row and get it over with instead."
Pearl let out an appalled gasp as she grabbed Garnet by the arm. "Did you hear what he just said to me?! What a no-good, callous, unscrupulous, lying, cheating-"
"Pearl," Garnet cut in. "Calm down."
"What are you guys even doing here?" Amethyst asked, dismayed. "And how'd you find out about any of this? We've been doing this kinda stuff for eight years, and you guys are only busting our chops for it now ?"
"Eight years?!" Pearl exclaimed, shocked. "We just started thinking that your little nighttime 'solo missions' weren't what they seemed just the other week! How have you two been keeping this insane ruse up for eight whole years?!"
"Uh, maybe it's because we're way smarter than you, stretch," Stan deadpanned. "Ever thought about that one?"
"Clearly you weren't smart enough to not get arrested," Garnet returned just as sarcastically.
"So what? Are you guys gonna break us outta here or not?" Amethyst asked with an exasperated sigh.
"Of course we're not!" Pearl asserted. "As far as I'm concerned, you both deserve to learn the consequences of your horrible actions! Isn't that right, Rose?" She turned, only to find that their leader was nowhere to be found. "Rose?"
"Oh, sorry, Pearl!" Rose called as she finally stepped into the cell block. "I was just making sure none of those officers you knocked out earlier were seriously hurt and—Oh…"She stopped short. Her pregnant stomach was starting to become rounder by the day, and a cloud of near-constant exhaustion seemed to hover over her usually bright features. Exhaustion that only deepened when she took in the sight of the pair sitting in the cell before her. "Stan."
"Rose," Stan greeted her just as dryly.
"Rose…" Amethyst guiltily muttered, staring at the ground.
"Amethyst…" Rose began, her tone soft yet firm. "What's all this about? What were you doing to end up here with… him?"
"Rose, these two have been up to no good for nearly eight years now, right under our noses!" Pearl quickly informed her. "Can you believe it?! Eight whole years! And we never noticed until now! I can't imagine how they managed to-"
"It doesn't matter now," Rose calmly interrupted. "Pearl, let me handle this. Please."
Pearl took in a sharp breath, nodding as she backed away to let Rose step closer to the cell. "Amethyst?"
"Y-yeah…?" Amethyst looked up, feeling even smaller than she usually did.
"I don't understand," she shook her head. "I know you like to act out from time to time, but this? It's just… You can't…" She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts. "You can't act like this. You know you can't. When I'm… gone, you, Garnet, and Pearl will be the only Crystal Gems left. And I need to be able to depend on you to protect humanity in my place. But how can I if you're going to go out and cause this kind of trouble?"
Amethyst didn't say anything; how could she? Rose's words, while gentle and well-meaning, hit her hard. Shame swelled up inside of her, to the point that she could barely stand it, shame that she knew she'd never be able to shake. Not when the Gem she looked up to, the Gem she idolized, the Gem who helped her become who she was today… couldn't trust her anymore.
"And as for you, Stan," Rose's tone turned a touch harsher. "I really don't understand your part in all this. I thought we both made it more than clear where we stood with each other. You said so yourself: you didn't want anything to do with any of us. But then you suddenly start hanging out with Amethyst? Why? What do you have to gain?"
"Maybe I didn't wanna 'gain' anything from it, huh?" Stan retorted, scowling. "Maybe we just did it for the heck of it. Besides, it's not like you really have grounds to gripe at me about any of this; at least I'm not the one who's always leaving Amethyst out of everything."
"Wha—what are you talking about?" Rose asked, genuinely caught off guard. "We… we don't… Amethyst… is… is that how you've been feeling?"
Amethyst didn't meet her gaze as she simply, sheepishly nodded. "Yeah… a little…"
"I… I'm so sorry…" Rose said, her eyes wide and her voice shaken. "I had no idea… I never wanted you to feel like I used to-" She stopped herself, shaking her head once more. "You didn't know–and how could you have? After all, he's already fooled everyone else, so why wouldn't he have tricked you too? I knew I should have told you to stay away from him from the very start…"
Stan sat up a bit straighter under the brief, withering gaze Rose sent his way. "Oh, sure ," he sneered bitterly. "Go ahead, blame me for all of this. You already blame me for everything else, so why not this too?"
"Well maybe I wouldn't have to blame you if you had just left us all alone like you said you would!" Rose snapped back at him.
"Maybe I would have left you alone if you had kept your nose out of things for a change!" Stan shouted, standing.
"Maybe I would have stayed out of things if you hadn't shown up here in the first place and started undoing everything we had worked so hard to-"
"Stop it!" Amethyst suddenly shouted. She came to stand between the pair, desperate to break the unexplainable fury flowing between them up in any way she could. Even at her own expense. "Just stop it! I don't even know why you guys are arguing when this is all my fault anyway!"
"What?" Rose asked, surprised. Likewise, both Pearl and Garnet exchanged a confused glance.
"Amethyst, what-" Stan started to ask until Amethyst Interrupted him.
"You heard me," Amethyst said, resolved. "This is all my fault. Not Stan's. He didn't trick me or anything like that. I was the one who went down to his house eight years ago and… I dunno, we just sorta became friends. In fact… I was the one who came up with the whole Revenge Trip thing in the first place."
"But-" Stan tried to cut her off, only for Amethyst to continue taking the blame. Even though he knew she didn't deserve it.
"I'm the reason why we got in trouble and wound up here," she insisted. "So… if you're gonna yell at anyone, yell at me. But… don't blame Stan for this, please. I know you don't like him, Rose, but… I do. He's like… the only person who's there for me when you guys aren't. I feel… I feel like I can really be myself around him… Doesn't that mean anything?"
For what felt like ages, Rose didn't say anything. Instead, she simply started down at Amethyst, her expression awash in countless different emotions all at once. In the end, the most she could offer was a small, resigned sigh as she rested a gentle hand against her stomach. "Oh, Amethyst…" she began, glancing away. "I… We… We'll talk about this when we get back to the temple… For now, let's… let's just get you out of there."
As surprising as this shift was, neither Stan nor Amethyst complained when Garnet stepped up to the cell and used her gauntlets to pull the bars apart to let them out. No one said much else as they made their way out of the jail, not that there was much left to say anyway. Still, as Stan headed for his car, he couldn't help but stop short to spare a glance back at Amethyst. She glumly followed behind the other Gems as she returned his gaze, catching the soft 'thank you' he mouthed to her. Amethyst could only offer him the smallest, most bittersweet smile before they both turned away.
And just like that, the final Revenge Trip was over.
"You wanna know what Rose said to me when we got back to the temple that night?" Amethyst asked softly as she hugged her knees to her chest.
"Amethyst, you don't gotta-" Stan started, but she quickly cut him off.
"She told me she was disappointed in me. And… while that hurt, a lot , in a way it was sorta… ok. 'Cause I knew I took the brunt of everything for you and… I was really glad I did…"
Stan knew he could have said just about anything at this juncture. But instead, all he could ask was, "So… are you still glad you did?"
Amethyst paused to think the question over. In the end, she didn't get a chance to answer as a sudden light filled the car from right outside. The pair shielded their eyes, alarmed, as they expected Gideon and the cops. Only to be just as startled by who had actually found them instead.
"Amethyst!" Pearl shouted from her spot in front of the vehicle. "Get out of that car this instant! You too, Stan!"
"Aw, geez…" Amethyst facepalmed.
"Yeesh, history really does repeat itself, doesn't it?" Stan deadpanned in a futile attempt to lighten the mood.
Once they were both out of the car, the pair was able to see that Pearl wasn't alone. Garnet had joined her, of course, but so had Steven, Dipper, and Mabel, all clad in their pajamas, and all equally tired and confused about being dragged out of bed and into the woods.
"Amethyst? Mr. Pines?" Steven asked, frowning. "What are you guys doing out here in the middle of the woods this late?"
"Getting busted, apparently," Amethyst scowled, kicking a nearby rock. "Also what gives?" She shot a glare over at the twins. "I thought you guys agreed to not spill any of this to Pearl or Garnet. Not cool, dudes."
"Just for the record, we didn't tell them anything about what you guys were up to," Dipper said, defensive. "Mostly because we didn't even know what you guys were up to ourselves."
"Yeah, they just came by and got us out of bed so we could come down here and find you guys," Mabel let out a yawn. "So what were you guys doing anyway? Racing through the forest against squirrels or something? Because that sounds like a lot of fun!"
"I can tell you right now what they were doing," Pearl gave Stan and Amethyst a critical scowl. "Getting themselves in all sorts of trouble, that's what."
"Hey, we only got in trouble 'cause we got caught," Stan countered crossly. "How'd you find us all the way out here in the middle of nowhere anyway?"
"Just like how we found you the last time," Garnet said, shifting her shades. "Future vision."
"Ugh, of course," Amethyst winced. "That always comes in to bite us in the butt somehow."
"Honestly, Amethyst, I can't believe you would go out and do another one of these heinous… 'Revenge Trips' again!" Pearl scolded. "Didn't you both learn your lesson last time when you got arrested for one of these nights of reckless abandon?"
"Whoa, you guys got arrested together before?" Steven asked, curious.
"Why don't you guys ever tell us about all this cool stuff you used to do?!" Mabel asked, just as intrigued.
"'Cause it doesn't matter, kid," Stan said, crossing his arms. "That was years ago. Which means nobody should hold it against us anymore."
"I think we have every right to, seeing as how both of you are still acting just as childish now as you were back then!" Pearl exclaimed. "I mean, just think of the terrible example you both are setting for the kids!"
"Uh, to be fair, they didn't set an example that any of us would really follow," Dipper pointed out. "What, with the whole driving a car into the forest thing."
"Yeah, see?" Stan shrugged. "If the kids aren't all torn up about it, then why should you be? It's not even a big deal."
"It is a big deal," Garnet said firmly. "What you two did tonight was irresponsible and reckless."
"I completely agree, Garnet," Pearl soundly agreed. "Amethyst, didn't you listen to a word that Rose said to you that night years ago?! Oh, just think of what she would say if she were here now. She'd be mortified by your irresponsible, heedless, dangerous, selfish-"
"Hold it!" Stan cut in the second he spotted the shame-filled look on Amethyst's face. Shame that he wasn't about to let her bear the brunt of, not this time. "Now you two can stand here and scream at me all you want for what happened tonight, but I'm not about to let you let Amethyst take the fall for any of it."
"Uh, Stan?" Amethyst asked, suddenly confused.
"Oh?" Pearl asked, sizing him up. "And why is that?"
"Because… because this was my idea!" Stan firmly proclaimed. "Guess I was just getting a little stir crazy and needed some action. So I roped Amethyst into going on a classic Revenge Trip with me. You can't really fault her for coming along to blow off some steam, especially since you two are always fussing at her all the time anyway."
"Whoa… Grunkle Stan, is all that true?" Mabel asked as she and Dipper stared at him, eyes wide.
As much as Stan didn't like the critical look his niece and nephew were giving him, he had no choice but to take it. After all, Amethyst had done the exact same thing for him years ago. It was only fair that he returned the favor. "You're darn right it is," he said, resolved. "Isn't that right, Amethyst?"
For her part, Amethyst could only stare at him, stunned. In the end, however, she decided to take the out she was giving her. How could she not, when he was offering it so freely, so selflessly? "Yeah… that's right," she said, narrowly suppressing a grateful smile.
And just like that, the debt they owed each other for years now had finally been repaid.
"Well, we should have figured as much," Pearl scoffed, glaring at Stan. "Nothing ever changes with you, does it, Stan? You're still just as irresponsible now as you've always been. In fact, I have half a mind to-"
"Pearl," Garnet interrupted, stepping past her to approach Stan. He crossed his arms as he looked up to her, expecting to be reamed out even more. Only to be caught off guard by the genuinely sincere look on her face. "Stan," she said. "Thank you for telling us the truth. This doesn't make what either of you did tonight right, but… it does prove a lot that you're willing to put yourself out there for Amethyst. Which… to be honest… isn't something even we can say we do for her that often."
"Well then, maybe you should start," Stan replied, completely earnest. "Cause you know, she really ain't half bad."
"Heh," Amethyst chuckled, elbowing him in the knee. "Same goes for you, 'old man'."
The kids couldn't help but smile over such a sweet exchange. Even Garnet and Pearl found themselves strangely touched by it as their former frustration swiftly ebbed away. The tender moment was cut off all too soon, however, by the heavy sounds of approaching footsteps and nearby voices.
"I saw a light over this way!" Gideon's tell-tale accent called out. "C'mon!"
"Aw, man! It's Gideon!" Amethyst whispered worriedly. "We forgot all about that little loser!"
"Wait, you two were trying to get revenge on Gideon?" Dipper asked. "Well, I guess that makes sense after what he did to the, uh, 'dinosaur' cage earlier."
"And the temple," Steven added.
"Aw, you guys totally should have asked us to come with you for this whole 'Revenge Trip' thing!" Mabel exclaimed. "We would have loved to help you get even with Gideon!"
"Ugh, and he's got the fuzz with him too?" Stan scowled when he heard other voices following after his rival's. "Whelp, that's it! We're pretty much done for this time! Might as well just surrender now, because how in the world would we ever get outta this one?"
"Like this," Garnet suddenly said. "Stan, Amethyst, take the kids and hide. We'll handle this."
"Wha—we will?" Pearl asked as the others ran off to take cover in the woods. She quickly changed her tune, however, when she caught the insistent look Garnet sent her way. "Oh! I mean, o-of course we will! Right…"
"Aha!" Gideon exclaimed as he burst into the clearing alongside Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland. "There they—are?"
"Evening, officers," Garnet coolly nodded as she leaned against Stan's car. Pearl stood much more stiffly alongside her, though she still made an effort of putting on as convincing of a smile as she could. "Gideon."
"Wha—You two?!" Gideon exclaimed, dumbfounded. "What are ya'll doing here? Where are Stanford and Amethyst?! I demand you bring 'em out here so they can pay recompense for their crimes against me immediately!"
"Oh, we would, if they were still here, of course," Pearl said. "And if they were actually guilty of any crimes at all. But, as it stands, you were the one who engaged them in a high speed car chase and apparently from the looks of it… ran them off the road, endangering both of their lives and nearly causing a case of vehicular manslaughter…"
"What?! I did no such thing!" Gideon protested hotly. "Officers, they're lyin' to ya both right through their teeth! Can't you see through their wicked Gem trickery?"
"Hm…" Blubs mused, glancing between the two Gems. "Well, if our two 'culprits' aren't here, then where are they?"
"They went home," Garnet replied.
"That's right," Pearl added, nodding. "The poor things were both so traumatized after the whole experience that they asked the two of us to retrieve Stan's car while they recovered. And of course, how could we ever deny a request from two… t-two… upstanding members of the community?"
"You really think we're buying any of that trash?" Gideon scoffed before he turned back to the officers. "I saw the two of them trying to dump all of my merchandise into the lake! Check the car! I'm sure ya'll will find more than enough evidence."
"You heard him," Blubs said as he and Durland stepped forwards. "Step aside, ladies."
"O-oh… Of course!" Pearl exclaimed, nervous. Fortunately though, Garnet had a plan.
"Wait! Look at that!" she shouted, pointing in the opposite direction. Luckily, the cops, as well as Gideon, were all gullible enough to fall for this ploy. It gave Garnet just enough time to shapeshift her arm to grab the remaining merchandise out of the back of Stan's car. While the others were still distracted, she easily tossed the haul across the forest seconds before they turned back around. "Alright, go ahead and check."
The officers did exactly that, shining their flashlight in the backseat only to find it was completely empty. "Well, golly, nothing's in there!" Durland exclaimed.
"W-what?!" Gideon gasped, shocked. "But… but they-"
"Looks like you have no evidence for your bold claims, Gideon," Pearl shrugged coyly. "You might as well just head on home. It's beyond past your bedtime, after all."
"Well, it's definitely past our bedtimes," Blubs concluded with a tired nod. "Come along, Durland. I'll pick us up some early morning coffee on the way back to the station."
"Oh boy!" Durland exclaimed brightly, following his partner up the hill. "Can I have extra whipped cream in mine?!"
"No, wait!" Gideon called out after the cops. When his pleas fell on deaf ears, he spun back around to offer the Gems a hateful glare. "You conniving Gems may think you're so clever, but very soon ya'll are gonna regret ever makin' an enemy outta me! You think painting your precious temple all up is bad? Just wait until I smash it to smithereens!"
"Oh, so you were the one who did that?" Pearl asked, crossing her arms. "And here we were thinking it was Amethyst all this time! I guess we owe her an apology!" She said loudly enough that Amethyst would easily be able to hear her.
"And believe us, we're already regretting having you as an enemy," Garnet deadpanned. "Having to put up with you alone is about as annoying as it gets."
Gideon let out a furious growl as he spun on his heel and stormed off into the woods, grumbling threats against the Gems all the while. Only once they were sure he was gone did Garnet and Pearl let the others know the coast was clear. The kids rushed out first, amazed by how smoothly the pair had handled such a dicey situation. Of course, no one was more impressed than Stan and Amethyst themselves.
"Oh my gosh, you guys, what you just did was awesome !" Amethyst exclaimed, beaming. "That little chump's gonna be crying about this for weeks!"
"Yeah, I gotta admit you two pulled a pretty decent con back there," Stan acknowledged with a smile. "And believe me, I know all about cons."
"Well, thank you, Stan," Pearl said, satisfied. "But for future reference, don't ever make us lie like that to cover for you again. I nearly gagged trying to convince myself to call you an honest citizen."
The group shared a short laugh at this, one that faded when Steven spoke up. "Well I'm really glad we're all getting along again! But, uh… could we maybe go home now? I don't know about you guys, but these past few nights haven't been the best for sleeping…"
"Agreed," Dipper tiredly nodded.
"Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!" Mabel cheered, surprisingly energized.
"Alright, alright, we'll take you all home," Pearl chuckled as she and Garnet began to lead the kids away. "Are you two coming?" she asked Stan and Amethyst.
"Eh, we'll catch up with you all later," Stan shrugged. "We still have one more thing we gotta do."
"Oh yeah! That's right!" Amethyst exclaimed, remembering the final part of their plan. "Uh… we'll be back in a while. Don't wait up!"
"We won't," Garnet assured as they all headed off into the woods. Stan and Amethyst lingered back as a strange sort of silence filled the air between them. That silence only continued as they both got back into the car and began to drive out of the woods. At least until Amethyst finally worked up the nerve to break it.
"Uh… Stan?" she began. "I… I, uh… Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"Um… you know, nobody's ever really… stuck up for me like that before. It… it was nice, for a change."
"Yeah, well, nobody stuck up for me the way you did all those years ago, either," Stan shrugged, finally cracking a small smile. "So I guess that means we're finally even, huh?"
"Guess so…" Amethyst let out a contented sigh. "Uh… I know tonight ended up being a huge mess but… you really did prove that you can still keep up with me so… that's pretty cool. I guess we're still sold off of doing any more Revenge Trips though, huh?"
"Are you kidding?! Of course we're gonna do more!" Stan exclaimed, as if it was obvious.
"What? But you said-"
"You really think I'm gonna let one nearly bad night stop us now that we got our mojo back?" Stan snorted out a laugh. "No way! I haven't felt this young in years . And just for the record, I'd do tonight over again in a heartbeat, screw-ups and all."
"Heh, same here," Amethyst chuckled warmly. "After all, where would screw-ups like us be without plenty of screw-ups of our own?"
"Old and boring," Stan replied, smirking. "That's where. Now, let's finish this Revenge Trip once and for all. Because how long is this party going?"
Stars were practically Amethyst's eyes as she was more than happy to let out a daring cheer as they drove off into the night. Into wherever this Revenge Trip ended up taking them next. "This party's going all night long!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to humbly welcome you to my lil' ol' Tent of Telepathy!" Gideon brightly greeted his latest group of tourists the next morning. "Inside this tent, ya'll will find a world of wonder and enchantment! So why wait any longer? Let's head on-"
He was suddenly cut off as he walked smack into the wide, large, solid canvas behind him. Gideon topped over along with the elaborate painting of the Tent of Telepathy, realistic enough to fool even him. His guests all gasped in shock as the ruse collapsed, revealing the actual tent behind it. Or rather, what was left of it.
Without the pegs to keep it standing, the tent had collapsed to the ground overnight. To make matters even worse for Gideon, it had fallen in such a way that it revealed the biting insult spray-painted onto it in bold, red letters: "Gideon Peeful".
"W-what?!" Gideon exclaimed, mortified. A mix of laughs and boos came from the crowd, which quickly disbanded when they realized Gideon had absolutely nothing to show them.
As he desperately ran after the tourists, Gideon failed to notice the pair hidden just out of sight in the bushes nearby. Stan and Amethyst finally let loose the laughter they'd been holding back once Gideon was out of earshot, exchanging a high five over another Revenge Trip gone right.
"Man, V really came through for us this time!" Amethyst chuckled, glancing back at the fallen painting. "That worked perfectly!"
"Hey, all the best Revenge Trips always do, don't they?" Stan asked, grinning.
"Heck yeah, they do! I already have a bunch of new ideas for our next one, whenever it is. That is, if you're game for it."
"You know I am," Stan confidently nodded. "Though, uh, we might wanna wait a while before we pull another one. After something as wild as last night, I'm gonna need a little time to recover, you know?"
"Pfft, whatever you say, old man ," Amethyst joked, playfully elbowing him.
"Now listen, kid, " Stan sternly began. "I thought I told you to- " He quickly backed off though in favor of a laugh he was powerless to hold back. "Aw, you know what? I'll let it slide." He sent a wink Amethyst's way, one that she was more than happy to return. "This time."