Hello, and welcome to Chapter 9. Not much to say, so let's just get started. Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney and Stands are the creation of the brilliant and talented Hirohiko Araki. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Enjoy.

1-Up Girl: Chapter 9.

(Right where we left off)

In another brilliant flash, Annie and the others found themselves back at Ringo's tower.

Unfortunately, this time they were returning not in triumph, but in defeat.

Somehow, through means the young otaku just couldn't figure out, their captive had cheated his way to victory in the last game. So instead of celebrating the release of another one of her classmates, she was forced to stand there and listen to the smug jackass gloat like… well, like a jackass.

"AAAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!" he laughed in self-congratulation. "YES! YES! I am the King! In your face you scrawny little four eyed runt! AAAAAAAH-HA-HA-HA! God damn it! I love myself!"

Suddenly, being dipped in lava didn't sound quite so bad.

"I don't know what the hell you're so proud of." Ferguson chimed in bluntly. "I mean, it's not like you really knew the answers. You obviously just memorized them. Anyone could do that. Hell, a monkey could do that."

"Oh, is that a fact?" Ringo replied annoyedly. "Well, let me tell you something, fat boy. There are exactly 127 possible questions in the Brain Drain minigame. All of them multiple choice and all of them subject to a complex mathematical algorithm that makes it impossible to predict which questions will be asked and in what order. And yet I, through years of intense trial and error, have flawlessly committed to memory every single question and answer in this game. And can now recall any one of them just by reading the first few words. Now tell me, could a monkey do that?"

"You have no idea what an algorithm is, do you?"

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"Wait, 127? That's such a random number." Brittney commented offhandedly.

"I know, it's weird, right?" Jackie chimed in. "And really, in all the time you spent memorizing those answers, you could've gone out and made some friends. Or at the very least done something constructive, like write your own novel or start a stamp collection."

"Do people really do that?" asked Ferguson confusedly. "I always thought stamp collecting was just something you see in movies."

"No, it's real. I fact, there's a whole museum about it up in Burbank."

"A museum about stamps? Is it like an actual museum or is it just run out of somebody's house?"

"No, it's like a real museum. I'm pretty sure it's owned by the city."

"Huh… I know this is gonna sound insane, but I kinda wanna go there now. You know, just to see how it's all set up. See if there's a giftshop. You know some museums have their own little cafes build right into…"

"Oh my GOD! Will you all just SHUT UP!" Ringo roared in frustration. "What is the matter with you people? How can you all just stand there having this stupid conversation while I'm plotting to kill you? Why aren't you a afraid of me?"

"Because you're not scary. You're just annoying." Brittney replied sharply. "And honestly, ever since that moron Star showed up, we've kind of been desensitized to paranormal weirdness."

"Granted. But I'm a notorious serial killer with the power to create entire universes using just my mind. So you can see how this might be a little different!"

"Well… you're not so much created your own universes." Annie chimed in unexpectedly. "It's more like you're just copying other peoples' ideas and bringing them to life. I mean, aside from cheating, you don't seem to have very many ideas of your own."

At this, Ringo just ground his teeth in frustration. He looked like he wanted to turn the young otaku inside out. But like all the other times before, he just turned away and said,

"NEXT GAME!"

With their captor otherwise occupied, the girls plus Ferguson were once again free to chat amongst themselves. And as usual, it was Brittney who broke the ice.

"Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh. Nice work, Lightfoot." She said amusedly. "That freak looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel."

"I wasn't trying to make him angry. I was just telling the truth." Annie replied nervously.

"Yeah, well whatever you were doing, it was funny. And more importantly, it gave me an idea on how we can end this nightmare."

"What are you talking about?" Jackie asked confusedly.

"Didn't you hear what he said a moment ago? He said that he created this world with his mind. And if that's the case, then I'll bet it takes a lot of concentration to keep it going."

Ah, now that did make some kind of sense. After all, this pocket dimension was created by Ringo's Stand, and a Stand can't act on its own accord. A Stand requires conscious effort from the User. Brittney might just be on to something.

"Oh, I get it." Annie said, with controlled enthusiasm. "So you're saying that if we break Ringo's concentration, his Stand will dissipate and we can escape."

"Well, that's the general idea anyway."

"Okay, but how the heck are we supposed to do that?" asked Ferguson skeptically.

"That's the easy part. Ringo's basically just a big bully. And like all bullies, he feeds on the fear of others because it lets him feel in control. But if you take away that fear he loses that sense of control and his cool." The head cheerleader explained. "You see, to guys like him, the world is a big scary place full of scary people who either want to use, judge or hurt you. So they use intimidation to either keep people inline or push them away; anything to make the world seem smaller and more manageable. But if that tactic suddenly stops working, the world gets bigger again and they start to panic. And panic, as I'm sure you all know, is the enemy of concentration. See where I'm going with this?"

Annie did indeed see.

But more than that, she understood.

Suddenly, her heart ached a little for her fellow captive.

"Um… Brittney… Is that how you feel?" She asked tentatively. "Is that why you're so… um… mean all the time? Because you're scared?"

"No, I'm just naturally mean." Brittney answered in a way that was both casual and unconvincing. "And besides, we're not talking about me right now. We're talking about that floating freak."

Ever the sympathetic type, Annie still felt a slight pang for the so-called 'mean girl', but luckily Ferguson was there to keep her on track.

"Yeah, well, that all sounds like a good plan on paper, but you're forgetting one little detail." He said in a leisurely yet lecturing tone. "We've been pushing this guy's buttons since Game 1 and we're still stuck here."

"Well, maybe we just haven't been pushing the right buttons." Said Jackie as her face stretched into an almost Janna-like grin. "I've got a plan. Just wait 'til the next game starts and follow my lead."

As if on cue, the emerald jinn suddenly started calling out,

"Game Time~ Game Time~ Game Time~ Category: Puzzle! Game: 7 Completed! Difficulty Level: 8! Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. HAIL 2 U!"

And just like that, the world disappeared in another blinding flash.

Moments later, Annie found herself standing in what appeared to be a cartoon laboratory, before what appeared to be a large, cartoon supercomputer.

Her fellow captives were in their usual positions; either on the sidelines or in their cages. But just like last time, their captor was floating right beside her at his own computer terminal; once again looking like a contender.

"Hello, everybody. And welcome to 7 Completed!" the emerald jinn said manically. "As always, the rules are simple. In this Tetris styled puzzle game, we'll be positioning multicolored puzzle blocks that are numbered from 1 to 7. The object is to line up the blocks so that the numbers equal 7, or line up three 7s in a row. If you meet either of these criteria said blocks will disappear. If not, then the blocks will remain until either said conditions are met or the game ends. As with all games of this ilk, the blocks will steadily get faster and faster. And of course, the game ends when one of us runs out of space for more blocks. Just like last time, you'll be competing against me directly. Any questions?"

"Nope." Annie answered bluntly, eager to get started so she could see what Jackie's plan was.

"Alrighty then! Let's get this party started!"

And with that, the screens suddenly came to life and the first number blocks started to fall.

Ever the one for puzzles, the young otaku went straight to work on her screen, but while she was doing that, Jackie was putting her own plan into action.

"Oh, Ringo~" she sang tauntingly. "I know this might not be the best time, but there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Go ahead, ask away." The emerald jinn replied nonchalantly; not even bothering to look away from his screen. "I'm an expert at multitasking. And when it comes to playing games of this sort, my focus is all but unbreakable. Ask as many questions as you want. I'll still win."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You seem awfully obsessed with winning."

"Of course I am. When I win, I get to throw you all into a cauldron of lava. That's my incentive."

"Yeah, you like killing people, I get that. But you could still do that even if you lose. I mean, you could always just shoot us once we're back in the real world. So really, there's no sense in getting this obsessed with beating Annie. Unless…"

"Unless what?" he asked annoyedly.

"Unless losing means you die instead." Brittney chimed in, finally catching on to Jackie's plan. "It's the truth, isn't it? It's not just our lives on the line, yours is too. Admit it."

At this, Ringo let out a short burst of condescending laughter; again never looking away from his screen.

"Nice try, idiots. But my Stand doesn't work that way. It's not gonna kill me if I lose."

"Have you ever lost before?" asked Ferguson, finally getting into the act.

"Of course not! I'm the world's greatest gamer! No one has ever defeated me and no one ever will!"

"Then… how do you know you won't die if you lose?" Brittney asked innocently.

"W-What?"

"You heard me. How do you know you won't die if you've never lost before? You have no frame of reference?"

"I don't need a frame of reference! I know my own powers! I'm not going to die!"

"Say, how does the villain in this game die anyway?" The head cheerleader asked teasingly. "I bet it's not pretty."

"For your information, if the Player wins, Le Jinn is obliterated in a fiery explosion. But that is completely irrelevant because I'M NOT GOING TO DIE!"

"But how do you know…"

"I JUST DO, OKAY!" the emerald jinn roared, finally turning away from his screen so he could glare at them. "I know what you're doing. You think you're so smart, don't cha? Don't cha! Well, you're wrong. You're wrong! You're not gonna get inside my head. You're not gonna make me mess up. No way! Wanna know why? Because I'm the best. The best! I'm the greatest gamer in the world. The world! And thinking about death isn't part of the game!"

"Oh, yes it is~" said an unfamiliar voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. "In fact, it's the best part."

After a moment or two of confusion, everybody, Ringo included, realized that the voice had come from one of the cages; specifically, the one belonging to Chantelle.

"Oh, come now, Ringy Dingy. Don't tell me it's never even crossed your mind." The normally silent cheerleader said in a disturbingly sinister tone. "I mean, there are just so many things to consider when you know you're going to die. Especially in such a gruesome manner."

"Weren't you listening, Thunder Thighs? I'm not gonna die!"

"But aren't you even a little bit curious?" she asked with cruel amusement. "Haven't you ever wondered what it's gonna feel like? That one split second before it happens. The moment that seems to last forever and you hope to God Almighty that it does. But then… BOOM."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, and when it actually happens. What's it gonna feel like when you're bones start to crack and pulverize? Or when you're muscles start ripping apart like toilet paper? Or when your organs start flying out? Or when your brain turns to jelly?"

"I said shut up!"

"And of course, you've gotta think about what comes after. If anything. Will you go to hell? Or will everything just go black?"

"Damn it! Why won't you shut up!"

"But most importantly, you gotta wonder if you're gonna scream. Oh~ I bet you're gonna scream. I can tell just by looking at you. You're a screamer~"

"ENOUGH!" Ringo roared as he raised himself to look Chantelle right in the eye. "Listen to me, you little bitch! You can act as crazy as you want, but you're not gonna mess me up! You hear me! You're not gonna make me…"

Game Over! Play 1 Wins!

"WHAT!"

But alas, it was true.

Ringo had been so distracted by the peanut gallery that he'd forgotten all about the game.

And, as you've probably already guessed, this caused his number blocks to build up until they reached the top of his screen; instantly disqualifying him.

The emerald jinn had been beaten, yet again.

So, being the unbalanced psychopath that he was, Ringo responded to this development in the following way.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

End Notes:

Thanks for reading everybody.

I'll see you next time.

Peace.