Title: GIR, I Know What We're Gonna Do Today! (GIKWWGDT)
Chapter 12: Mag-neat-o

Author's Note: If any of you original readers are still here, thank you guys for sticking with this story. If you're a new reader, or even stumbling across this months or years later, thanks for reading this far. Just hang in there, one more chapter to go.
Btw, yes, the chapter title is a reference to X-Men. I couldn't think of anything else ok

Isabella, Adyson, Katie, and Gretchen stared slack-jawed at the pirate pig boss, who was the size of an SUV now. He smirked triumphantly and began to charge the nearest girl, which happened to be Adyson. She cried out and jumped out of the way, causing the pirate pig to run into a pile of crates.

Isabella hopped up and started running towards the crow's nest where Gaz was trapped 15 or so feet above them. "Gretchen, execute plan #530!" She tossed a compact mirror, a flashlight, and a coil of rope at her next in charge as she passed. "I'll see if I can get Gaz down from there."

"Yes, chief!" she responded and began setting up the ropes to trip the boss. "Katie! Adyson! Execute plan #530! Here!" Gretchen tossed the other end of the rope to Katie and the girls got into position before the pig could recover. When he did, he squealed angrily and charged at them once more. They ducked out of the way, and he barely missed them, instead flying into a barrel of crates and disappeared like before.

Across the ship, Isabella had climbed up to the crow's nest. She reached out to tap Gaz's shoulder, but received a small shock instead. "Gaz! I'm gonna get you down from here!"

Gaz scowled at her. "That's okay, I can find a way down on my own. And when I do... that pig is going to be in a world of hurt!"

"Isn't there something — a cheat code to get you down?"

"Well..." she began reluctantly, "in this level, there's a 'damsel in distress' that the pirate captures." She gestured at herself and spat, "I guess that's me. I've heard rumors of cheat codes to rescue her before beating the boss. If you succeed, she helps a lot with strength and power, but it takes a lot of HP to bust her out." She squinted at Isabella warily. "I've never heard of anyone actually getting it right without draining it. Just forget it."

It was Isabella's turn to study the other girl. "I'll be fine," the Fireside Girl reassured her.

Gaz scowled in response.

"So what is it?" the pink-clad girl asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"The code. I told you, I'm going to get you out."

Gaz lifted an eyebrow.

Meanwhile, the Fireside Girls on deck started to get worried. The boss pig was nowhere to be seen. Gretchen and Adyson exchanged an anxious glance. Katie stood up from her hiding place. "Where—"

At that moment, a huge, dark shape materialized right behind Katie. Her scream echoed off the trees as sharp claws plucked her off the ground.

"Adyson!" Gretchen slipped into command mode, already creating a plan in her head. But as soon as Adyson charged the pirate pig, he jumped, creating a sonic boom that knocked both girls off their feet.

"Yar har har!"

"Hey, you ugly pig!" A streak of purple flew past the boss's head, a gust of wind lifting up his ears. Turning to see what it was, he noticed another streak, this one pink, whiz past and circle around him. He spun around, noticing the rope being wrapped around his body. He squealed in anger and struggled, releasing Katie and tightening the ropes further.

That's when Gaz and Isabella noticed the bright light shining right in the pig's face. Their eyes followed the beam to a corner where the other girls were positioned with the mirror and flashlight. They blinded the boss pig and he stumbled into boxes and crates. Now completely entangled, he gave one last grunt and fell over the side of the ship, slowly fading, still not exploding into the 0's and 1's which would signal his defeat.

The peace and quiet was a sweet, but short relief. Gaz and Isabella dusted themselves off from their rather rough landing. After all, they'd just swing down from the highest point on the ship and still shook it off to catch the boss off guard. But there was no time to rest because the pig would reappear any second, stronger than before, and they had to come up with a plan.

The Fireside Girls got into formation for an attack following Isabella's guidance and Gaz's helpful, albeit reluctant, advice. According to the gamer, the last reincarnation of the boss pig was normal sized. But, "he'll have an army of zombie hogs," Gaz added as they began to materialize around them.

"Okay, girls, remember the plan!" Isabella shouted.

The zombie pigs formed a loose circle around the boss and snarled menacingly. The blonde snarled back.

"Now!" Isabella shouted. The girls charged at the pigs, who squealed angrily and charged back. The result was a head on collision of determined girls and zombie hogs, all claws and teeth and hair and limbs flying everywhere. For zombies, they moved surprisingly fast, overwhelming Gretchen and Adyson in mere minutes. BAM! CRASH! They were cornered into barrels and knocked over by a handful that were gradually ganging up on them.

Isabella risked a glance back and - noticing the situation her fellow Fireside Girls were in - flung a hog that was sneaking up behind her into two others that were near the fallen girls.

The boss pig watched the whole thing unfold with a smirk and a glint in his one exposed, beady eye. He whistled, and the remaining zombie hogs returned to his side. Gaz and Adyson glared at the boss from the front lines while Isabella knelt beside Gretchen and Katie. "Some boss you are," Gaz huffed.

"Yeah, you can't even defeat us without the help of your undead army!" Adyson added.

"Oh, that was just a warm-up!" he oinked.

"Then bring it on like Donkey Kong!" yelled Katie, who was back on her feet and had a determined look. Gretchen and Isabella were still crouching a few feet away; Isabella attended some of Gretchen's minor injuries.

"Okay, you asked for it!" the pirate pig boss gestured to his zombie army, and they attacked with full force.

"Oh, no you didn't!" Isabella swung her backpack at the two closest hogs. They dodged it, but a magnet flew out and landed between the two pigs. Curious, they sniffed at it, but when they got too close, they started to glitch. They screeched with static and as soon as they touched the giant horseshoe magnet they got zapped into 0's and 1's.

Gaz happened to notice amid the hogs ganging up on her and Gretchen shouted to Isabella, "Use the magnet!"

"Right!" The Fireside Girl rushed to the magnet and picked it up. She charged into the herd of pigs surrounding the other girls and they all dissolved into 0's and 1's with loud squeals. That just left...

"Hey, yous arr a bunch o' cheaters!" The girls glared at the pigs and slowly started to corner him. "Th-that's no fair! You keep that thing away from me or I'll make ye walk the plank!"

Isabella lifted the magnet. The boss pirate pig began to turn into a bunch of static. He squealed as backed into a bunch of crates and the magnet inched closer to his face. "Let's finish this already!" Gaz grumbled impatiently. With one last step, the magnet touched the tip of his snout, and he exploded into numbers.

The scenery around them became static and disappeared, leaving them in a completely dark setting. From somewhere behind them, there was a pattern of flashing lights and distant triumphant music. The girls looked around, but the UTP was nowhere to be found.

Gaz began walking toward the lights and with a shrug from Isabella, the Fireside Girls followed. The lights were revealed to be end credits from the game scrolling in midair. Underneath was a familiar metal hoop shape. "You read to go home, girls?"