They waited until dusk, when the sun was beginning to slip under the surface of the water, and Wendy flashed her lantern to show that the captain had retreated to his room. Dipper skipped a nail across the deck and a few moments later, Soos and Mabel appeared from the shadows. Soos boosted the young girl up onto the ledge above the door, a fishing net in her hands. Wendy dropped down from the ladder beside Dipper, and they took their positions at the front of the ship. From the helm, Ford nodded and Dipper and Wendy drew their swords.

"I'll try not to cut you open." The red headed pirate teased, pointing her sword at the boy. Dipper smirked and ran the edge of his blade along her's, narrowing an eye.

"I'm not as pathetic as I look." Dipper swung first, knocking Wendy's blade to the side and spun along her arm to get behind her. She whipped around and blocked the boy's next flat bladed strike, a grin on her face.

"Captain! Captain! Come quick! There's a fight on deck!" Soos shouted through the door. A few moments later, the door swung open, revealing an irritated Stanley. Just as his eyes fell on the fighting crew members and filled with suspicion, Mabel threw the weighted net over his head and the old man was knocked to the ground.

"Gah! What the devil?" He exclaimed, turning around to see Mabel jumping down from the ledge. Dipper and Wendy ran over as Ford shouted from the wheel above.

"Hand over the ship willingly, Stanley, and we'll let you stay aboard." Ford demanded. Stan's eyes filled with hurt as he looked from Dipper and Mabel to Ford, his grandniece and grandnephew and his brother.

"And sail on a ship of traitors?" He spat, struggling with the net. His wounded eyes turned to Dipper and Mabel. "Is this anyway to treat the man who took you in when your parents gave you up?!" Dipper and Mabel exchanged a guilty glance, but Ford had come down from the helm to speak with his brother face to face.

"Give it up. This ship was built to explore, not to destroy! You've broken your promise!" Ford snarled. Stan narrowed his eyes at his brother, finally managing to free him of the net. The crew took a step back when the two drew their swords, rage in their eyes.

"Some deals shouldn't be kept, Stanford." Stanley snapped back. Something flashed across the mutinous first mate's eyes, then they hardened and he swung his sword.

"Don't ever speak of that!" He cried over the clash of metal. Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm as the fight continued, angered words thrown like knives as metal flashed in the moonlight. Dipper put a hand on Mabel's shoulder to comfort her. He hardened his jaw and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Before anyone could do or say anything, Dipper jabbed his sword in the air just as the two brother's swords met. Blocked by the young boy's blade, the men stopped fighting. With a flick, Dipper had knocked both of their swords out of their hands. Stan and Ford looked at Dipper in shock. They had never even thought to check if the boy was any good with a sword. Perhaps he was more useful than just swabbing the decks.

"I was told that no one would get hurt." Dipper said, his voice even. Ford and Stan exchanged glances, then Ford crossed his arms.

"The Mystery Hack is ours. Stan, you either sail with us as a friend, or a captive." He insisted. Stan glared at him before sighing, broken.

"Fine. But I never meant to break my promise. I was just trying to protect you all..." He admitted before leaving to go below deck. Silence fell as everyone looked from one to the other. Ford rubbed the bridge of his nose before bringing out his journals.

"What are we going to go after first, Captain Ford?" Mabel asked, her voice shaking slightly. Dipper put a hand on her comfortingly and she gave him a small smile. Ford smirked.

"There's a certain something I've been meaning to go after for quite a while. Kids, follow..." He instructed as he walked up the steps to the wheel. Dipper and Mabel followed him as Wendy climbed back up to the crow's nest and Soos went back to his workshop.

"Sirens?" Mabel read questioningly when Ford showed them the page in the journal. Ford shook his head.

"Not exactly. This one is a bit more than just a lure for lost soldiers. It can walk among people as a human, then slip into the water and swim with the Kraken. It's song can instill any emotion within anyone. It can make a psychopath sane, make a pacifist start a war. It can turn brother on brother and make enemies fall in love." He explained. Mabel and Dipper exchanged worried glances.

"And we're going after it...why?" Dipper wondered. Ford tapped the page on which the siren's information resided.

"It can tame anything, Dipper, anything. Just think! We could examine any creature, any monster, and we wouldn't have to harm it whatsoever! Not to mention that it would keep us all safe as well, just like Stan thought his avoidance would have. All we have to do is capture it, and the world is ours to explore!" Ford declared, excitement in his voice. Dipper pursed his lips, his heart aching for the chance to learn of all the strange things in the world. Mabel eyes were locked on the picture of the creature, curiousness in her eyes.

"And what of the siren? What'll happen to him?" She wondered. Ford hesitated a second, then stood back, his hands behind his back as something flashed in his eyes.

"We aren't savages, Mabel. We're explorers. Besides, he and I...well, he's in the journal, so we've met before. He...he can join our crew." He said rather unconvincingly. Aware that he hadn't swayed the two, he closed the journal and handed it to Dipper.

"Here, I want you to have it. It'll help whenever we come across our first monster." Dipper knew that he was just trying to change the subject, but he couldn't keep his mouth from dropping. He immediately opened it up, thanking Ford graciously, then ran below deck, grabbing a lantern and starting to read, all thoughts of the Siren's fate pushed to the back of his mind...