It was nearing the midnight hour at the bustling "Casino del Caos" on the edge of town in eastern Minitropolis.
The glitzy red and orange building certainly stood out like a sore thumb in what was otherwise a pretty meager city in an underwhelming borough of Minnesota. Regardless, the gambling wasteland drew in hundreds of thousands of people each year, tempted by its flashy backdrops, promises of fortunes won and possible debauchery that awaited around every corner.
As the evening waned, the slot machines remained fairly occupied, and it was the usual crowd, save for one.
Much like the casino sticking out in the middle of an otherwise mundane town, there was a figure sitting at one of the slot machines who definitely didn't belong among the others.
There was a semi-regular there by the name of Pete, wearing a plaid shirt and having a withdrawn look on his face as he pulled the arm of the bandit just one more time, possibly trying to win back his childs college money or at least not return to the same old disgruntled wife. Next to him was the 92 year old Ethel who just needed a hobby to pass the time, plus she liked the pretty cherries on the slot wheels.
But sitting not too distant from the two stereotypes was somebody else entirely.
Her black heels clacked against the black and white checkerboard floor as her face slouched against her resting hand, almost bored with the bright, flashing machine. Her eyes raised a bit as she hit another jackpot, totalling another few thousand for her own personal use. She simply shrugged and smirked as if this was just an average occurrence.
While it couldn't be proven, it DID seem as though this particular slot machine was bringing the young woman copious amounts of good luck, which was suspicious to say the least. It was almost as though she were using dishonest means to rig the random number generator... but how?
The young woman, who could best be described as attractive but aloof was about 5'6 in height, enhanced a bit with her impressive sleek black stiletto heels. She was revealing much of her lower and upper thigh before a black leither getup concealed the rest ... somewhat. She was fairly busty but her most distinct feature had to be her hair which was flowing down past her shoulders, a stark shade of purple. Usually such a color would look unnatural or dyed but somehow this color seemed to grow naturally from her roots.
As the woman continued playing on the slot machines, racking up a small fortune, a hefty gentleman in a suit and tie approached her from the side. Her eyes never left the slot machine as he spoke.
"Excuse me, miss..." the man said, his nametag reading Jonathan in bronze. "Ummm... excuse me miss?"
She finally rolled her eyes before spinning her gaze in his direction, her mouth awkwardly shifting up and down as she chewed on gum, her gaze practically screaming disrespect as she just glared at the casino employee.
"Miss you've been at this machine for quite a while and ... well..." Jonathan said
"And?" the woman asked, still continuing to play
"Do I even need to say it, Miss?" the man groaned, his eyes motioning down by her feet where there lay a huge bag with a comically large and cartoonish dollar sign painted on it, the bag overflowing with gold coins. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave at once ... otherwise my next move will be to call the police"
"Nah, I don't think so" the woman grinned, flashing her eyes purple for a moment, "I think you'll let me play as long as I like"
The man took a bit of contempt to this comment but the contempt didn't last long. His jaw dropped and he backed away in a stupor.
"You can play as long as you'd like ..." the man said, before walking away absentmindedly.
Right on cue another employee came over to hand her a martini
"Keep em coming, Klaus!" she smirked, downing the drink and setting the empty glass on the machine in front of her along with 4 other empties. Another man then came over and she nodded, "Hmm?"
"Would you like me to pull the car around yet, Miss Delia?" the man asked
"Hmmm, yeah I suppose so..." she shrugged, "can only play around for so long ..."
With that she'd get up, eyeing a dark red corvette in the parking lot which seemed to flash its lights upon her looking at it. As she got up with her huge bag to cash in, the old woman next to her let out a slight giggle and a whimper.
"Oh dear, I wish I had some of YOUR luck ... you think I could get one of those coins from you?" she asked
"Eh what do I care, you'll be dead in 2 weeks" the indifferent young Delia responded
"Hmm?"
"Knock yourself out, granny" Delia said, flipping her a single coin before walking off with the bag, a pair of handsome gentlemen escorting her towards the cashout while an unusual amount of unconscious bodies lay at her feet.
As for Pete the local gambling addict? She'd let him suffer of his own addiction.
----
The next afternoon, 3 friends would meet in a garage to check out the results of a week long trial. Hopefully these results would yield more success than past experiments which in some cases would never be spoken of again.
At the moment, an already clumsy young woman by the name of Alexis Cole would walk gingerly into the garage of her friend Joshua James, all while her best friend Leah Henderson guided her whilst holding her own hand clumsily in front of Lexi's face as if to block her view.
"Alright ... are you ready?" Leah asked excitedly
"Leah, sheesh, I can already see through the spaces in your fingers..." Lexi giggled a bit, able to make out the outlines of her bright purple car.
"May I present to you ..." a triumphant voice emanating from none other than Joshua James, the master mechanic "...the all new and improved ..."
"and no longer flammable..." Leah chimed in, eliciting an extra grin from Lexi
"...Q-Z-RTek287 -- Stratacruze Pontathalon!!" Josh cried out as Leah slowly removed her hand from Lexi's face.
"It looks great!!" Lexi exclaimed, running up to Josh and giving him a strong but soft hug, "thank you so much ..."
"But ... Q-Z-... who what?" Leah scoffed, "nobody's going to remember that ... why don't we just call it the Shrinkmobile or something?"
"Leah..." Lexi scoffed, "I think I'm a bit too mature to call my official heroic purple car the ... ooh are those cup holders?"
Lexi leaned in to notice a couple more modifications had been made to the inside. Leah simply rolled her eyes at Lexi's continued "maturity"
"So ...." Lexi said, excitedly eyeing the car that would soon be hers. It had taken a couple weeks for the modifications to be finished and ... well, things hadn't exactly gone the smoothest in that time. "This car is ready, right? Like ... no more issues?"
"Issues?" Josh asked, shrugging as he reorganized some of the tools on his tool bench, "what issues? I think I got this thing whipped up into shape pretty quick..."
"Well there was the time it caught fire..." Leah sighed
"Which time?" Lexi smirked
"Heh, then there was the time you accidentally overclocked the shrink thruster and shrank it to subatomic size..." Leah reminded the fledgling mechanic again
"Oh geez, don't remind me of that ..." Lexi sighed, "Spent about half a day the size of an atom trying to find that ..."
"But you DID find my missing earring!" Leah chimed in happily
"Well yeah, it was like the size of a planetoid to me, I couldn't NOT find it" Lexi shrugged, as if this were normal to her
"Okay so there were a FEW mishaps..." Josh sighed
"Then there was the time the car would only go in reverse..." Leah recalled
"Look, I think it turned out okay for a car from another dimension..." Josh shrugged, "speaking of which, did you ever check the glove box?"
"The glove box?" Lexi shrugged, "not really, no ... sometimes I almost forget that the car has normal features like ... well, a normal car would..."
"Heh, well you may want to have a look ..." Josh said, directing his friend over to an oily counter containing what appeared to be a handful of shiny jewels, so bright in fact that they illuminated through the piece of paper they were wrapped in. They were also a bit warm to the touch.
Lexi peeked under the piece of paper curiously as if unwrapping a present and saw the smattering of power crystals, similar to the ones she had seen the warriors in Quartzaria use. She raised an eyebrow and then carefully pulled the paper up from underneath the gems to read a very cringeworthy note.
"Dearest Lexi ...
To say that I've been looking forward to this moment would be an understatement ... much like I hope this car propels you forward into great joy ... I also hope that we spent our lives on the road to unending bliss with very few speed bumps... please find, in addition to this cruiser, growth and shrink gems that you can use as you see fit. Consider it the first of many gifts from me ... you've already given me the greatest gift of all..."
At this point Lexi simply crumpled up the note, refusing to read the rest as a curious Leah and Josh leaned in with anticipation.
"Uhhhhh... you meet the nicest people when you're ... in another dimension..." Lexi sighed
"Speaking of which..." Leah said, "You still never finished telling me that story about how you grew to like mega size..."
"Mega size..." Lexi scoffed, "it was like ... 25 ... 30 feet tops... but who's counting?"
"That does sound pretty cool" Josh smirked, flipping his friend the keys to her new "Shrinkmobile"
"It was ... alright..." Lexi blushed a bit. In reality, she actually liked it more than she let on but it was a strange sensation nonetheless and something she wouldn't be experiencing again in this reality, unless she were to employ the use of those growth gems. And to think, most cars just came with air fresheners...
"Oh c'mon girl... give me deets!" Leah teased, "I've already seen you tiny, but I've never seen you like ... mega"
"I wasn't mega!" Lexi repeated again, a light chuckle in her voice
"What IS mega anyway?" Josh asked, as if bringing up a real debate, "like what would qualify as mega size?"
"I'd say like ... 500 feet" Lexi said, as if a sudden expert in this subject
"500 feet? You're crazy!" Leah chuckled, "that's getting into giga territory... Mega's like 100 feet"
"100 feet?" Lexi scoffed, "that's like monster movie territory at best ... no way..."
"Heh, didn't realize how nuanced this all was" Josh commented, scratching his chin.
"Well it doesn't matter..." Lexi sighed, tried to smoothly open the door to her ride but it took her a couple of clicks on the fob remote button to get it to happen and even then, she slipped an arm atop its smooth titanium surface and gave an awkward grin as she tried to confidently pose with the car door. Danica Patrick, she was not. "...because I'm sticking to what I know ... which is becoming tiny... thank you very much ... that sounded so much more badass in my head"
The three friends simply soaked in the moment for a little bit. With everything that had happened in the eventful month and a half since they left college for the summer, it would be easy to forget that they were in fact on vacation.
While Josh wasn't officially employed, he had found a freelance opportunity helping out with cyber security for the upstart company known as CyberTek who had found quite a bit of a name for themselves in the past few months. Rumors had it that some of their tech could be used for interdimensional travel if employed correctly, but like many other rumors it turned out to be just that. Still, Josh had his connections and every now and then would lend his talents to checking out the cyber security protocols and ensuring no hackers or overeager competition could gain access to, or steal any of the IP CyberTek was working on. When the main "player" in town for technology had always been the devious folks at Enormo Enterprises, it was nice to have somebody who ... at least appeared to be on the side of the "average" person. In fact a lot of their technology appeared to be intended to help people and wasn't as vague as whatever it was Enormo Enterprises had been marketing.
Leah meanwhile had secured her "dream job" in many ways, at least for someone of her relatively young age, working as one of just a couple of employees at Sally's Fashion Boutique in downtown Minitropolis. While not located in the best part of town (then again, what was?), it was a store that mostly worked on their own fashions, with only a few known brands being imported to supplement the inventory. Leah, usually shy, found herself speaking up more and more in just her first couple weeks. Her ideas weren't always a huge hit (the large hat she insisted on modifying with a bright color scheme came out more like a sombrero than anything), she had crafted some surprisingly creative ideas that Sally herself found impressive. It helped that Sally was a flexible boss and seemed to take a liking to Leah early on, almost treating her like a daughter of sorts.
Lexi on the other hand was in a weird spot. She had spent the past couple of weeks since returning from her trip foiling the usual caper here and there, still borrowing Leah and her parents cars while her "ShrinkMobile" was being worked on. Her parents weren't exactly thrilled with the aspect of their daughter being a freelance superhero though, no matter how much Josh tried to reassure them with the extra layers of tracking and how "legitimate" her website had been. They were just happy to have their girl back from her missing stint in Quartzaria, but they insisted she try and find a more traditional summer job as she prepared for her second semester at Miniborough University, where she would be staying on campus this time around.
"So what's on the agenda today?" Josh asked, after the silence had run its course. His question was directed to both of the ladies.
"Well I've actually gotta get to work soon" Leah nodded, "I guess today's suppose to be a busy day?"
"Hmm, July 1st" Lexi shrugged, as if this was of significance, "I guess people are gearing up for those 4th of July parties? You want a ride?"
"I HAVE a ride..." Leah smirked
"Yeah but can your ride switch into the size of a hot wheels car?" Lexi asked, slipping inside the car.
"It cannot..." Leah sighed, "but ... you know I'll be down for a ride ... just maybe not today"
Lexi gave her a bit of a dejected pout.
"C'mon Lex" Leah frowned, "I've got my car outside, and I'd have to drive it back just for you to drive me to work ... plus, don't you have to be to Trevor's soon?"
"Oh right..." Lexi sighed, momentarily forgetting that today was the last day of tests that she'd undergo for now as her friend Trevor Hilfmann, working out of the legitimate facade of "Aztek Parts and More" was continuing to examine the effects her interdimensional travel had had on her. "And then I have that interview..."
"Oh you DID get an interview with them?" Leah asked hopefully
"Yeah ... I'm going for a job as a waitress at the Snack Shack" Lexi shrugged, a half smile on her face. After a long break since her days at the Krazy Kookie and all the other adventures she had been on, it would be a nice change of pace to just do something normal for a change. Yeah, waitressing wasn't glamorous but it was something the young Alexis Cole had some experience with and she had always loved being friendly to people, it just came naturally to her.
The Snack Shack was a burger and fries type restaurant that Lexi and Leah were able to walk to at one point when their families lived in close proximity. They'd go there fairly often, when they weren't hitting Minima's Pizza to just gab about their day, get a milkshake or occasionally enjoy a Shack Burger, their favorite when it came to visiting there. Still, neither had been there in about 10 years so there was something nostalgic about Lexi re-entering the venue, even as a chance to be an employee there.
"Well, sounds like we all have things to do!" Josh shrugged
"Did YOU want a ride in the ... Shrinkmobile...?" Lexi sighed, tapping the outside of the car door as she instantly regretted calling it that. That name would likely stick now.
"If you don't mind" Josh shrugged, "but won't I hold you up on your job interview?"
"Could always speed you back here real quick" Lexi replied, eager to have a passenger for the 'maiden' voyage. "Up to you though"
"Eh, what the heck?" Josh smirked, jumping in the passenger side after hitting the button to trigger his electric garage door opener.
Leah just smiled at the overly zealous Lexi as her hands aggressively gripped the steering wheel as if she were about to run a dramatic race. She gave a little wave to Josh as well while she made her way towards the sidewalk to get in her own car.
"Alright lovelies, we'll see you later" Leah said, strolling out into the pleasant July weather. Lexi gave her a pleasant smile as Josh waved her off, glancing over at Lexi and blushing red a bit to see how happy she was and how the sun seemed to glimmer off her soft skin.
"You okay, Josh?" Lexi asked, with a slight giggle in her voice. It was rare for her to see the young man with a loss of words as he had been.
"Huh? Yeah ... yeah ... this should be fun ..." Josh chuckled, "just ... do me a favor and if you plan to use the shrinking feature, give me a bit of a warning"
"C'mon ... I'm a hero..." Lexi said confidently, her hand perched on the shift stick as she slowly pulled the car forward. She'd give Leah one more departing wave as her white Toyota sped off down the road, inching out into traffic. "I've got this..."
Lexi looked both ways and began to creep out of the driveway to get a better view of the road. She pulled out straight and took the turn a bit awkwardly, then started to drive, although it wasn't exactly a blazing start. She would awkwardly press the accelerator, then let it go, then slam the brake as she'd veer too close to the car in front, behaving much like a student driver. She shrugged. She hadn't had a TON of experience driving and being back in the so called real world had left her feeling a little less confident than the glitzy intergalactic highways of Quartzaria where it seemed like anything went.
"So..." Josh asked, a bit timid as he watched his friend driving the car, "how's it drive?"
"It's great" Lexi smiled, "I can't thank you enoughh for the modifications ..."
"No prob" Josh nodded
"And I guess..." Lexi said, continuing on her thoughts as she just let everything sink in, "It's just nice to have the gang back together you know? You, me, Leah ... a ... mostly full summer full of things to do ... the sky's the limit, yknow?"
As Lexi continued her chat, she perceived just the smallest vibration of her phone to signify a text message. It was likely just Trevor reminded her or their appointment. She continued on the drive, knowing that she'd be there soon.
----
As one group of friends were celebrating their reunion, it would appear something similar were happening in a dark lab at the heart of Minitropolis. Of course this was no ordinary lab, but rather the workplace of one sinister Doctor by the name of Dr. Maximillian E. Mumford, the master engineer of Enormo Enterprises ... or at least he had deemed himself so.
Ever since his lone experimental success ended up going awol and becoming a self proclaimed superhero by the name of ... ShrinkGirl (a name that the cruel doctor found unoriginal to say the least), the dastardly doctor found himself in finding out her weakness, in tearing her down piece by piece ... and if he had to bend a few rules to do so, well, that was no skin off his back.
However, as much of a genius as the arrogant scientist found himself to be, even he had to admit that maybe a fresh perspective was needed if he hoped to get the upper hand on this ne'erdowell Alexis Cole. He had some other contingency plans in place naturally, but there was only so far that even his superior intellect could take him.
Thankfully, he would have to muddle through alone no longer.
A confused Dr. Giovanni Guillardo sat in a dark control room waiting for his old college friend to return with two cups of tea. To say that Giovanni had a bizarre few years would be an understatement. Well, technically, he had had a bizarre life.
Dr. Giovanni had devoted his scientific research to exploring a multiverse of sorts and for that he was largely mocked by the scientific community at large. Still, with the help of Dr. Max (a student at the time) and some others, he was able to attain the financial backing for a trial run of his particle collider back in his days at SoCal University. The experiment was deemed a tragic disaster that took young Giovanni's life. But that wasn't the whole story.
Dr. Max would sit down across from his newly found colleague and let out a sigh
"Tell me, Doctor..." Max said, a rare curiosity in his voice, "You've been fairly silent on your experiences over the past ... well, 20 years"
"It's not exactly something I care to recall, Max..." the mild mannered but sharp witted Giovanni remarked, "I spent a good decade or so in a parallel dimension ... another earth, if you will ..."
"So it was all true!" Dr. Max exlaimed with a bit of triumph in his voice upon hearing of the findings, "I always knew it, Giovanni! I was one of the few who believed in you and I never stopped believing!"
"Yes... and that is a fact that I greatly appreciate ... I do" Giovanni said, "but ... recently I found out even more..."
"Even more? How so?" Dr. Max asked
"Well ... in addition to our own world ... and any parallels of it, there are at least other dimensions ... at least one that I know of..." Giovanni nodded
"Ah-ha, you are making even more sense than I anticipated" Max nodded, taking a sip of his tea and letting out a great sigh. This was probably the calmest the bombastic doctor had been in months, chatting up his old colleague. "You see, I've been doing some research of my own on other dimensions and have made a few discoveries of my own..."
"Oh? That would explain your presence in the Fenster Forest... plus I saw that you had another facility built there..." Giovanni nodded, recalling his night in the woods where Max's drones had found him. "...for whatever reason, that one area of the city seemed to be drawing an immense amount of interdimensional energy ... it's hard to explain..."
"Well see, I could explain, but then you'd likely not believe ME" the coy Doctor Max shrugged, knowing a bit more than he let on as for as why Fenster Forest would contain a key to interdimensional gateways.
"Seems we have a lot of catching up to do then..." Dr. Giovanni nodded, relieved to see a familiar face for once as he clinked tea glasses with the eccentric Doctor Max.
Giantess World
