AN: As far as I'm aware, "Time is Running Out" has never been featured on any edition of Rock Band. Call it Artistic License.

Chapter 4

Marceline took a second after leaving the restaurant to get her bearings and remember the exact set of different streets she'd taken after leaving the odd mansion. Once she had a general idea of where she was going, she set off back up the hill, past rows of houses and eucalyptus trees on steep terrain. She kept her head down most of the time to avoid attention. Had she not done so, she might well have spotted the Ice King as he drifted down the hill towards the restaurant, still searching for her.

Instead, Marceline got to make her way back to Foster's undisturbed. She opened the door, pleasantly surprised that nobody was there to greet her, and that the lights were still on despite the lateness of the hour. She climbed the stairs and checked the door she'd came in through, but found nothing inside except a couple of brooms and a dustpan. A closet. How typical. Why were interdimensional portals always found in closets?

Marceline then stiffened. She heard a faint booming noise coming from somewhere upstairs. It sounded like a rock concert at a distance. Sure enough, when she went upstairs (climbing no less than ten stories, which to Marceline seemed impossible given the building was only about seventy feet high), she found a number of imaginary friends and one human in the middle of playing a video game with fake guitars, drums, and a mike. A logo reading "Rock Band" was emblazoned on every item. They were playing a weird, psychedelic-sounding song that wouldn't have sounded out of place in Ooo, especially with its references to the impossible time of nine in the afternoon.

As Marceline stepped into the room (wondering as she did so when she'd stopped floating and started walking like live humans), she realized the one human, who was belting out the lyrics like there was no tomorrow, was Mac. He had already found himself another red and black hoodie to replace the one he'd lent her. Marceline stood awkwardly behind the couch, watching as a big purple Bigfoot type murdered the drums, a redheaded girl in a green jacket played with one guitar bit, and the little blue thing that had skateboarded past her earlier played the other. She soon found herself air-guitaring the bass parts, watching as the notes flew by on one part of the three-way split screen.

Feeling like an intruder, Marceline started making to leave, but then the song ended and everybody applauded each other, and Mac turned around and noticed her lurking behind them. "Hey, Marceline! Where've you been?"

The redheaded girl turned to Mac and asked, "Wait, you know this girl? She's not your girlfriend, is she?"

"I didn't know you had a novia, Señor Mac," said Bigfoot.

Mac shook his head. "No, Ed, she's not my girlfriend. She's just an imaginary friend I found on the doorstep today."

"Well, if she's an imaginary friend, how come Herriman never processed her?" asked the redhead.

"Who cares?" said the blue guy. "Let's play!"

Mac held up his hands. "Well, howsabout we invite Marcy to play with us? What are you best at, huh? Bass? Drums?"

"Bass," Marceline whispered, then repeated after Mac asked her to speak up.

"Ugh!" grumbled the blue guy. "Now I can't play!"

"Bloo, relax," said the redhead. "You suck at this game anyway."

"You suck at every game," laughed Ed.

"Shut up, Frankie," muttered Bloo. "And you too, Eduardo." He slid off the couch and left the room in a huff, leaving the guitar controller behind for Marceline.

"Any songs you like?" asked Mac.

Marceline shrugged. "Don't really know what's on here. You pick."

"Great!" said Mac, clapping his hands. "Then we'll start with one of my favorites, 'Time is Running Out.' Get ready...and go!" He selected the song, and soon a darkly bouncy alt-rock beat filled the room, allowing everyone to get their groove on once again.