AUTHOR’S NOTE: Uh-oh, the following chapter contains giant male and giant couples’ action. I know a great deal of readers might find this icky, hence this upfront warning. But before you leave, if you enjoyed this story so far, this chapter contains a whole lot of important worldbuilding and appearances from all the goddesses. If you can’t stomach the giant couples’ stuff, skip to section 3 of this chapter. Thank you and good night.

1. Rendezvous with Alexandra

“You rang, madam?” Brad asked. As the fourth and final god, Brad was the only male in the Pantheon of new gods. He slipped into the role of god based on stereotypes and mythical stories of the ancient Greek Gods. He modeled his body off of marble statues depicting gods of legends with a tinge of Mr. Olympia winners from the golden age of bodybuilding. Large imposing chests, slim waist, telephone-pole sized legs, and a butt that can crack walnuts. “Some mess you made here.”

He was his normal, nine-foot tall height, standing on the rubble of downtown LA, only a few steps away from Alexandra’s immense face. She was still rocking her thousand foot tall stature, laying on the ground on her belly, panting, with a hand down at her crotch, keeping herself continuously stimulated.

“What the hells took you so long?” Alexandra asked.

“Glad you asked. See, I was at this party with—”

“I don’t care. I need your dick in me now.”

“You have the tongue of a poet, know that?” Brad asked with a grin as he shed his modern clothes and stripped naked. “You gonna shrink back down?”

“No. Grow to my size and get in. Be quick.” 

“Great idea.” He grabbed hold of his rising erection and gave it a tug while looking up at Alexandra’s beautiful features. “But don’t you think we’ll make Melissa upset if we fuck as giants this big?”

“Why are you still talking? Fuck me, already”

Brad gave a single nod before vanishing from where he stood. He re-appeared as an 1100 foot giant standing between Alexandra’s outstretched legs. Her skin was flawlessly white, contrasting starkly with the partially destroyed city. Her legs were shapely, with the right amount of muscles, and had just plowed through a dozen smaller buildings with ease. Brad’s erection was at full mast as he gazed at Alexandra’s supple ass. She lifted her butt in the air, presenting it to Brad, with her swollen pussy underneath, hungry and impatiently waiting.

Brad dropped to his knees and grabbed the goddess by the waist, before tracing his hands down her outer thighs. He yanked and pulled her hips close to his. A blowback of wind radiated outwards as the bodies of the two gods came together. A bottle of baby oil materialized in his hands. He squeezed a generous amount on his monstrous cock before setting the bottle back down on a road. He thrust himself into Alexandra without further hesitation. She was sopping wet, and her pussy was on fire, making Brad think she might melt his member off.

Alexandra moaned in relief. Her ravenous pussy was finally being satiated by the only thing in the universe capable of appeasing it. Only another god could fill her, stimulate her, and bring her to an ethereal climax that was unattainable from a mortal.

“Still doing the ‘wing’ thing, huh?” Brad asked as he admired the black, yet shimmering, wings on her back. They sprawled outwards, but as he thrust into Alexandra from behind, the wings tensed and retracted slightly. It was like a bird of prey on a perch, getting ready to launch itself during a hunt. While fucking the goddess, Brad’s right hand squeezed her ass cheeks before sliding upwards down the small of her back and riding up higher.

“Touch my wings; lose your hands,” Alexandra said with a groan as Brad’s cock swelled larger in her. It was painful for a second, but even more pleasurable with every hump.

“But I love your wings. Come on, lemme grab hold of them. Just this one time, yeah?” Brad asked while thrusting. 

Alexandra sighed. He was giving her a good fuck. She might as well throw him a bone, she figured. “Fine, just this one time.”

Alexandra was still laying belly down on the rubble where the WSI tower once stood. Her long legs and torso crushed adjacent city blocks and the thrusts from their sex caused weaker buildings in the area to collapse. Brad was behind her, straddling her, with his massive quads hugging and embracing her lithe limbs. Her round ass provided a springy cushion against his pelvic thrusts. He leaned over her long back and grabbed hold of the base of her wings with both hands. As if mounting over a motorcycle, he rode Alexandra while holding onto her, surprisingly, strong wings.

“Oh, fuck yes,” Alexandra wailed, as the feathers in her wings fluttered. 

Brad released his left hand from her wing and brought it back down to her hips. He pulled her ass upwards and positioned her so he could enter her deeper. He knew he did well when Alexandra cried out in unbridled pleasure, her entire body trembling as she climaxed for the first time.

All of Los Angeles County felt the gods making love. Not only were the rhythmic quakes a reminder of their ravenous love making, the skies over Southern California transformed by the power of the gods. It was a mixture of deep purple and bright yellow sun shining through patches of pink skies. It was reminiscent of a Hawaiian sunset. The rich, colorful skies with yellow sun rays made it appear as a little slice of heaven fell upon the ruined city.

But down at ground zero, it was anything but heaven. Whatever survivors that were still alive had to deal with the pounding quakes of God Brad’s fuck with an equally powerful deity. The survivors could not stand on their two feet for longer than a second as the ground beneath them sprang like a trampoline. If that weren’t bad enough, foundations across the downtown area cracked and splintered. Though engineers retrofitted structures in California to withstand earthquakes, they were unrated to withstand godly sex. One by one, buildings toppled within a one-mile radius of the giant couple.

Those trapped near the godly couple were stuck with riding out their lovemaking. Escaping by foot was near impossible, and vehicles were of no use since roads were littered with debris and impassable. Unfortunately, riding out the gods fucking didn’t guarantee survival. As Alexandra and Brad continued their coupling, they absorbed the souls of dozens every second.

“More,” Alexandra said with a whimper. She extended her wings and dug her fingers into the streets as Brad quickened his pace. She could feel the fear of thousands surrounding her. They had them trapped with no chance of escape.

Brad’s body also tingled as mortal souls streamed into his body based on his destructive fucking. The harder he pounded into Alexandra, the more souls he absorbed; and the more souls he absorbed, the greater was his celestial high. His chiseled body was perspiring; a sheen of sweat coated his Adonis-like body. Dust and debris clung to him as he pulverized downtown LA.

“More!” Alexandra shouted. She harvested many souls and experienced an intoxicating rush of fear that extended up to a radius of 50 miles. Brad leaned his hands over to her crotch and flicked her clit and then rubbed it expertly with two fingers. “Oh, yes, yes, yes!” Alexandra climaxed, releasing a shockwave of electrical power that caused all electronics in Southern California to flicker on and off. A blast of wind raced outwards as if an atomic bomb went off. The skies pulsed in radiant light as waves of pleasure pulsated through Goddess Alexandra.

Brad grunted and released what he’s been holding back since starting with Alexandra. He filled her womanhood with dozens of ropes of his boiling-hot seed. Nearby building windows shattered instantly because of both gods roaring with pleasure, which alone was a devastating disaster in itself.

He released his grip from her wings and hip and traced his hands up and down her curves. He nearly collapsed on top of her, from expending all his godly energy into her. Brad pulled out his softening member from her and sat back on his heel. His hands idly felt up her calves and hamstrings. He looked at the surrounding destruction and noted it was ten times worse than when he appeared.

“Melissa won’t like this,” he said, mostly to himself.

“Melissa doesn’t like a lot of things.” Alexandra neatly folded her arms and rested her head on top with closed eyes. She was ready for a well-deserved nap. “Leader or not, we’re gods too. She’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Right,” Brad said, as he rose to his feet. He stretched and flexed his muscles. “This was fun as usual, Lexi. Call me anytime. But now I gotta head out and get ready for my date.”

“Date? With who?” Alexandra asked, suppressing a laugh. 

“Two chicks I met.”

“Mortals? Weirdo.” Alexandra was closer to sleep as she adjusted her head.

“Nothing weird about having relationships with mortals, Lexi.” Brad lowered himself and moved his head close to Alexandra. “You should try it one day.” He leaned in to kiss Alexandra on the cheek.

“Don’t kiss me,” she said without opening her eyes.

Brad backed off. “Well, anyway, wish me luck on my date. I hope I get lucky.”

“Whatever.”

Brad vanished, leaving Alexandra where she lay. A mixture of her feminine cum and his ejaculation poured out of her and flooded the streets between her legs. The skies gradually returned to normal. During this seemingly peaceful moment, rescue workers and survivors evacuated the city, under the shadow of the sleeping goddess, her wings still splayed outwards.

2. Catfishing

For the past year, Brad had been living the life that any man in his position would’ve lived. Parties, women, alcohol, drugs, mansions, luxury clothes, jewelry, and a body so perfect it was only attainable in Photoshop.

In the evening, after his sexual escapade with Alexandra, he traveled to Las Vegas with two supermodels via a luxurious helicopter. Sure, as god, he could’ve teleported themselves to the city of sin, but where was the decadence in that? He wanted to show these ladies a night that the cheesiest romance movies couldn’t capture. A helicopter ride straight to their resort, where they’ll join in a rooftop party with the hottest people in Vegas.

Because of the size of the helicopter cabin, Brad shrunk himself into a compact six-foot, six-inches tall versus his comfortable nine foot stature. It was difficult for the gods to reduce their size to that of mortals. Typically, they could manage the smaller size for a couple of hours before having to return to their normal height. Their amazon height was good enough for everyday interactions with mortals, but their true godly height of 150 feet tall was the best. It was like comparing wearing pajamas to skinny jeans. 150 feet just felt right. This being the case, Goddess Melissa, the leader of the gods, created their Pantheon building headquarters to match their comfortable, towering heights. 

But for his date, an above-average mortal height was good enough for Brad. “Here you go, Candy and Roxxy,” Brad said, as he handed them a glass of champagne each. The helicopter ride was smooth, and there was minimal chance for drink spillage.

The girls wore glittery, glamorous dresses that adhered to their lithe bodies, the dresses ending high in the upper-thigh. Their open-toed, high-heels highlighted their long legs and made their calves pop. Brad drooled as he sipped on his bubbly drink. The girls tapped through their phones, taking selfies of themselves with their drinks from inside a half-billion dollar helicopter.

“Take a picture with us!” Candy asked Brad.

Brad obliged, and he sat between the girls as they snapped various pictures, and then immediately uploaded the set to social media. The intent was to make their friends and followers jealous they were on a romantic date with god. A god who, in an unabashed lewd display of hedonistic pleasure, had sex with a goddess at the expense of thousands of lives.

“You need to do that to me,” Roxxy said, holding up her phone for Brad to see. It was an aerial view of his backside while mounted on top of Alexandra. “I want you to fuck me on top of Vegas.”

Brad felt his cock twitch. “Oh. You wouldn’t mind the entire world watching your giant naked body get pounded by me?”

“Mind it?” Roxxy asked. She flipped off her phone and tossed it onto the seat beside her. “I demand it.” She leaned up and gave him a kiss.

Not wanting to be left out, Candy lowered her hands between Brad’s legs and felt him up as she kissed his neck. “Sex with a goddess is okay. But what about a gigantic threesome?”

“I think you’re unlocking a new fetish for me,” Brad said between laborious breaths. “Gigantic sex sounds peak fun.” His lips were busy going between both models, both eager for his attention.

They landed in the resort a short time later. Attendants opened the doors to the helicopter, revealing the three passengers inside with their clothes and hairs ruffled from their intense make-out session. Brad, Candy, and Roxxy gathered themselves and stepped out of the helicopter. A quick walk later, they joined up with the rooftop party, already in full-swing.

It was near midnight, and the desert air was still baking from the triple digit temperatures earlier in the day. There was a pool in the center, illuminated by LEDs that cycled through a spectrum of vibrant colors. A live DJ on stage played electro-party music, with several half-naked women dancing alongside him. The resort provided both caterers and bartenders, serving guests non-stop with delicious snacks and hard liquor.

“God is here!” one guest shouted as Brad entered the party. Everyone dropped to their knees, but Brad stopped them and told them to carry on with the party. They did as they were told.

The girls alongside Brad smiled smugly that they were god’s chosen mates for the night. The perks that came with sleeping with a god were endless. And they knew they were the envy of the world. Brad could sleep with anyone, goddesses included, yet he chose them. Their OnlyFans accounts were going to blow up overnight.

“Ladies,” Brad said. “Let’s get wild.”

Brad stopped holding his size back and allowed himself to swell to fifteen-feet tall, his fancy suit tattered, leaving him in a pair of tight boxer briefs he allowed to grow with him. The partygoers cheered as they saw their god towering overhead.

The next hour was a blur. They drank heavily. They danced. Both girls did lines of coke off his abs. At one point in the night, Brad found himself in the pool. Other girls attempted to grab Brad’s attention by feeling him up and trying to make small talk. Candy and Roxxy had to bat these girls off of him, like alley cats hissing at anyone that got close to their god.

“This isn’t fair,” Candy said into Brad’s ears. He sat in the pool, and Candy was topside out of the pool, leaning into him. “If we’re small, we look like them.” Candy loosely gestured at the other women in the pool, who were trying to get close to Brad. “Make me and Roxxy big,” Candy said, her breath reeking of alcohol and her speech slurred. “They need to know their place.”

She was so cute under the influence, Brad thought. Candy stripped out of her pricey dress and kicked off her heels. She told Roxxy to do the same. The crowd cheered as these supermodels stood naked amongst the party. It took little of Brad’s efforts to enlarge the women into mighty Amazons that matched his fifteen foot tall stature.

“There we go,” Roxxy said, swinging her arms and showing off her body. They jumped into the pool, creating a splash large enough to soak anyone near the pool. The Amazons shoved the little partygoers in the pool with their hips and legs, making their way to their god.

“This feels so right,” Candy said. “You should make this permanent.”

Brad drank straight from a bottle of tequila. “It ain’t permanent, so enjoy it while you can,” he said to her.

“Aww, don’t be such a spoilsport.”

Candy leaned into him and gave him a kiss. Roxxy saw this, so she, too, swam alongside him and pecked at his ears. Just like back in the helicopter, the three kissed and felt each other up. The girls shoved their breasts into his face. Brad responded by motorboating both their tits while feeling up and down their body. The pool water steamed as the threesome got hot and heavy. Brad’s cock was pitching a tent within his boxer briefs. The girls rubbed him and squeezed his shaft and played with his tip.

The crowd hollered and gave Brad words of encouragement. Some even dared to get close to the action and experience up close what it was like to be near a hot threesome, over twice their height in stature. 

“Piss off, bugs.” Candy said, at the relentless crowd getting close. The alcohol and drugs impairing the partygoers’ judgements in the face of an angry Amazonian.

Roxxy dove under the water and yanked Brad’s underwear off, his cock springing free. Candy shoved two women in the face who were too close for comfort. The women only had a fraction of Candy’s strength. She then mounted on top of Brad, guiding his monster into her snatch.

“Oh, god.”

“I’m right here,” he said with a smirk.

His member filled her insides and radiated with a pulsing pleasure. Candy couldn’t believe the moment. She was fucking a god. A god that made love with a goddess earlier in the day was giving her pleasure she’d never experienced before.

While Candy hopped up and down on Brad’s crotch, Brad was making out with Roxxy. Their tongues danced with one another and tasted each other. Her boobs felt magical in his hands, and he couldn’t help but playfully pinch her nipples.

“Touch me,” Roxxy said to the others in the pool, momentarily allowing them to get near under her command. “I want to feel your little hands on me.”

Men and women alike swam up to Roxxy’s imposing body. They obeyed her and started feeling her up. Her legs stretched to tomorrow and her hips were curvier than a rollercoaster and twice as fun. Roxxy’s ass was tight enough to bounce a quarter off of. Some daring people ran their naughty hands down her crack and along her inner-thighs. It elicited a moan from Roxxy as she felt dozens of tiny hands caress her perfect body.

“Is this what it’s like to be worshiped?” Roxxy asked. “I can get used to this.”

Brad laughed softly to himself, amused by the naivety from Roxxy. The feeling of being truly worshiped was something these mortals could never fully grasp. At 15 feet tall, they might feel elevated, but they remained mortals at heart, oblivious to the profound depth of genuine worship. He, along with his three fellow gods, was the only one to understand what it was like for a mortal to truly devote and worship them. This was a sensation he had recently relished alongside Alexandra, a memory that was still on his mind.

“They’re only ‘worshiping’ you because you told them to; and you’re scary big,” Brad said between kisses. While all this was happening, Candy was getting off on her second orgasm as she bounced on top of him.

“Mmmm,” Roxxy moaned. “Do what Candy said. Keep us this size forever. No, make us gigantic! I want to see what the world looks like from the point of view of a god.”

He laughed.

“You’re up Roxx,” Candy said as she got off Brad and sat back in the pool, barely catching her breath. “I need a break and a drink.”

Brad smiled at Roxxy as he stood up. Without caring about the little people around them, Brad brought Roxxy up on her feet and spun her around. He then shoved her upper back, so she bent over at the hips. Roxxy grabbed hold of the pool’s edge and leaned into it so her ass lifted high for Brad. The water hardly reached their knees as they positioned themselves for a remarkably public doggy-style fuck.

The surrounding guests hardly reached their hips. A smattering of people in the water treaded the waters under Roxxy, her giant breasts swinging right above their heads like pendulums. With drinks in one hand and phones in the other, some took photos and others livestreamed the lewd act unfolding. Flashes going off from people’s cell phones highlighted Roxxy and Brad’s body as he entered the fifteen foot tall supermodel from behind.

The crowd cheered as their god had sex with this unbelievably gorgeous woman. Because Roxxy never told them to stop, the crowd still in the pool continued to feel up Roxxy’s body; some women even dared touching Brad as his powerful legs stabilized himself as he thrust hard into Roxxy.

Candy, completely fulfilled, relaxed in the pool’s corner as caterers and bartenders continued serving her needs.

The music was loud, and the crowd was rowdy. More alcohol and drugs flowed through the hundred-strong partygoers. Brad’s public sex opened the doors for other party revelers to join in. They shed their clothes and tossed them in the air. Similar to the many parties Brad attends, it devolved into a highly participated orgy. Despite the many women moaning and men grunting, it didn’t compare to the wails coming out of Roxxy.

“Yes, god, please, fuck me, yes!”

Hands down the best she’s ever had. Brad hit the right spot, maintained the right cadence, and gave it to her with the right amount of force. Candy and Roxxy were good, but didn’t compare to Alexandra, he thought. But it wasn’t fair comparing mortals to the goddesses.

Brad decided he had enough and let himself cum. He pulled out and let his ejaculate get flung everywhere. A lot hit Roxxy, but several ropes struck the partygoers in the pool. Some took it as an honor and others were disgusted, god or not, and dove into the pool to avoid the celestial seed.

Brad let out his breath slowly and felt his heart return to a normal pace. “This was fun,” he said to Roxxy. Her legs were weak and she let herself collapse in the pool, colliding with several people not quick enough to get out of the way. “It was fun, right?” he asked openly, but received no response.

Candy had some strangers going down on her. They would hold their breaths, dive into the water, and give her oral with their tongues before running out of air. Candy welcomed the pleasure, as it required no energy on her part. She continued drinking as a stream of men and women pleased her.

Roxxy crawled out of the pool, not minding the tiny attendants that were roaming around, and laid across five lounge chairs, partially destroying them under her weight. She was out of breath and nearly passed out.

Brad also got out of the pool, since he ruined the pool water with his sexual juices. His member had softened, but his well-endowed manhood swung like an elephant’s trunk from between his legs. The party was winding down as more and more got too drunk or high to stand. Brad was sober. No amount of alcohol out there was enough to intoxicate a god. Unless he willed it. But at that moment, he didn’t want to be drunk.

“I’ll be in the penthouse,” he said to Roxxy and Candy individually.

-

“It was a fun party,” Brad said to himself, alone in the room. 

Out of practicality, he shrunk himself down to his normal nine-foot tall stature. He laid in bed watching TV, his feet hanging off the bed. Although he turned up the volume, the room felt quiet. “It was a fun party,” he said again. “They’re all fun. All the parties are fun. Chicks, booze, lots of fucking. Swish.” He made a gesture like he was throwing a basketball. “Living the dream.”

He was watching a romance movie. A man falling hard for a woman he had a connection with. In his head, Brad compared the actress on the screen with Roxxy and Candy. This actress was nowhere as pretty as those models. No contest.

He continued watching.

The movie was heartwarming, though; he had to admit. Two lovers that were so right for each other, but a comical set of errors kept preventing the female character from seeing the connection. Her character turned out to be pretty amazing. The warmth and connection her character had with the male character was beautiful. Attractive, even.

When the film was done, he felt something stirring within. A realization he wasn’t sure if he was ready to admit, even though it was staring right back at him. He was god. In Vegas. Alone. 

-

The girls barged into the penthouse, back to their normal height, and stark naked. The height effect Brad placed on them wore off in the morning. Brad, still nine-feet tall, was in the kitchenette, brewing coffee.

“Hello, loves,” he said in a chipper tone.

“Ugh,” both women moaned.

“Can you do something about this hangover?” Candy asked, before even greeting Brad.

Brad felt tempted to let them suffer with their hangovers. In the end, Brad’s kindness won over, and he waved his hand to clear away both their hangovers.

“Holy shit, that’s amazing,” Roxxy said.

An hour later, both girls showered and dressed themselves in revealing outfits. They sat on the patio overlooking the Las Vegas strip, while enjoying coffee and room-service breakfast. It was late morning, and the desert heat was already ramping up.

“It’s so hot out.” Candy said.

“I know, right?” Roxxy asked, as Brad shrugged. Extreme temperatures were irreverent to him. He then noticed both girls smile and stare at him. 

“What’s up?”

“Make us big again,” Candy said, her excitement hardly caged.

“Why?” Brad asked, washing away his breakfast toast with his black coffee.

“Because it’s amazing. There is something satisfying about the power I feel when I stand over people and witness their expressions as they gaze up at me.”

“We felt like—well, not gods of course,” Roxxy said, with a nervous chuckle. “More like Demigods!”

After some thought, Brad asked, “doesn’t it bother you that other people aren’t seeing the real you?”

“Uh, no,” Candy said.

“Nope,” Roxxy agreed. 

Brad took another sip of his coffee as he enjoyed the view from the patio. He asked, “y’know it’s like an Instagram filter, right? I can make you big. But that’s not who you really are.”

“Don’t care,” both women said.

Brad was wondering if he cared. He looked at his arms that were bigger than a bodybuilder’s arms. Chest with pectoral muscles that threatened to tear his shirt apart. He ran his fingers across his face and felt his powerful jaw, defined cheekbones. This wasn’t him. None of it was. Post-ascension to godhood, Brad quickly discovered how to change his appearance. He modeled himself what he thought a god should look like; for the past year, the world knew God Brad by his façade only.

“So, is it okay for people to like the fake you? Instead of the real you?” Brad asked.

“How’s it fake if you make it happen for reals?” Candy asked.

Because it’s still fake no matter how real you think it is, Brad thought, not having the courage to say it aloud.

The girls soon started talking to each other, planning out their day in the Vegas strip. Shopping was on top of the list. Designer clothes, handbags, and priceless jewelry. They would then gamble with Brad’s money for fun—loss or win, it wouldn’t matter—since he was already an endless ATM. Then party at night, showing off their goods, and fucking a god for all to see. They insisted Brad turn them hundreds of feet tall. What marvelous advertising would it be for Louis Vuitton to have their handbags the size of buildings clutched by two giantesses? They’d probably get a sponsorship for life.

The conversation continued for the next half hour. Brad listened without speaking. The only mention they made of him was about his endless money, his powers that could enhance their bodies, and the pleasure he could provide them. As they spoke, their voices became an unintelligible mess as Brad recalled his past flings. The women, vapid and only speaking of materialistic accusation, never asked Brad how he was doing. Never asked what his life was like pre- and post-ascension. They just wanted things from him. Be it his money, power, or his dick.

Fun party last night, huh? He asked himself. His inner-monologue was dripping with sarcasm. It wasn’t fun. It was empty, like all the other parties. No longer was Brad able to ignore the fact that this lifestyle wasn’t him and it surely wasn’t fulfilling. Pre-ascension, he could never get a girlfriend. Now, as god, he’s had so many sexual relationships it would make Zeus blush. And he couldn’t remember any of their names. Nor could he remember any meaningful spark between them. This wasn’t the life he wanted.

“Girls,” he said, interrupting Roxxy and Candy’s incessant chatter. “I want to ask you something seriously…” Brad transformed himself. It started off as a yellow glow that enveloped his skin. Bright enough to cause the girls to shield their eyes with their hands. The transformation took about two seconds. When it was complete, there stood Brad: 5’9” tall, average build, average looks, and acne scars that were remnants from his youth. Brad didn’t look ugly, but his normal self—his true self—wasn’t the Adonis the world became accustomed to seeing.

“Why do you look like that?” Roxxy asked, eyebrows furrowed, unsure what she was looking at.

Brad ignored her and asked, “quick question, would you go out with someone that looks like this?” The girls, and nearly everyone in the world, didn’t know what Brad looked like in his past life. When the girls stared at Brad’s true appearance, they didn’t know it was him. As far as they knew, it was a stranger.

Both girls laughed so hard, their spittle struck Brad’s face. They covered their mouths and continued laughing at the unexpected visage, which Brad transformed himself into.

“Is this a joke?” Candy asked.

Brad felt his stomach twist into a knot. “I’m asking you to be serious. Would you date someone that looks like this?” he asked, waving his arms up and down his true appearance. “Would you even talk to someone that looked like this?” His last question lacked confidence as the girls were already shaking their heads.

“Fuck no,” was their general answer.

“Not even talk to?” Brad asked.

“Why’d you make yourself look like that?” Candy asked. “Change back. I can’t even take you seriously looking like such a nerd.” The girls’ laughter was so strong, they nearly fell out of their seats.

“I guess that answers my question.”

“Come on! Let’s get ready for some shopping. Brad, my god, please go back to normal before someone sees you like that. And get your credit card ready for some action.”

“Right,” Brad said, slapping his knees as he rose to his feet, refusing to transform back into his Adonis facade. “Wait right here. I’m gonna speak with the concierge.”

“Okay, sweetie, but please change your looks before you forget, nerd.” They laughed again.

Brad nodded with a smile and walked out of the suite and into the hotel’s hallway. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he sang, “bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks.” He left the hotel and never returned.

3. A Pantheon Meeting

“Yer gonna love this job like a duck in water. Did it myself about six months ago and, I swear, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming. Them gods, they’re somethin’ else, I tell ya, h’what. Goddess Melissa and Hailee, they’re as down-to-earth as they come, despite being all celestial and whatnot. I did everything they asked, put in some extra elbow grease, too. They sure did appreciate it, gave me a nod here and there, and a little somethin’, somethin’ for my efforts, if you catch my drift. But the real prize? Being right there with ‘em, serving ‘em up close and personal like.”

“You got me really excited. What kinda tasks they set you to?”

“Well now, I can’t spill the beans, I’m afraid. Signed myself a promise to keep tight-lipped—what happens at the Pantheon, stays at the Pantheon.”

“You can at least tell me if there were any gross tasks, right?”

“What’s ‘gross’ to you might be just another Tuesday to me. Didn’t do nothing that set my conscience squirming, I’ll tell ya that. But no more yammerin’ about it. Don’t wanna cross any lines, with ‘em gods.”

“I hope Goddess Hailee takes a shine on me. I’ve been worshiping her since day one.”

“Any of ‘em are aces in my book. Well, let’s just say I’d rather get assigned Brad before I got Alexandra.”

“Seriously? You’d rather work for a fella over any of the goddesses?”

“No more questions, ya hear?”

Erik and Allen were in an early 90s pickup truck, driving through the Texas countryside. They had seen no signs of civilization for miles, yet the road they were on was busy with other vehicles filled with worshipers from all over the world making their way to the Pantheon. Those without means of a personal vehicle rode in buses—and there were many bussing companies that sold trips to the Pantheon. 

The once seldom traveled two-lane road, in a deserted part of rural texas, now had a stream of traffic with hardcore devotees eager to catch a glimpse of the gods. 

There were two main types of pilgrims that made the journey to the Pantheon: those who wanted to worship and respect the gods in person, and those offering their bodies and services directly to the gods. Erik was a veteran servant, having made the journey half a year ago, when the Pantheon was relatively new. The gods were still trying to figure things out and how to use these hardcore devotees that begged to be their servants. Erik was a pioneer, showing Goddess Melissa personally that a hardcore servant was willing to do anything to appease their god. From pampering to cleaning, to sensual entertainment. 

“How big are they?” Allen asked from the passenger seat. The air conditioner in the truck was out. They had rolled down both windows and hot sand from the surrounding desert pelted them as they drove 70 miles-per-hour down the road behind a polluting coach bus. The blowing hot air from outside scantly cooled their skins.

“Big,” Erik replied. He had an elbow out the window and two fingers on the wheel. “I reckon about 150 feet tall. Woo-wee, I tell ya h’what, it’s a sight to see. I can’t wait to serve ‘em again.”

Of all places in the world, in the middle of nowhere, Texas may seem like an odd location for the Pantheon of the new gods; however, it served a practical purpose. Melissa and Hailee were in New York during their ascension—Alexandra and Brad were in Southern California for theirs. Not only was Texas the midpoint for their homes, the massive structure was away from major population centers. No city could claim the home of the gods. The rural area allowed for unlimited expansion, while its desert environment controlled the influx of people visiting their home. 

“My gods,” Allen said with his jaw dropping. Off on the horizon, the top of the Pantheon building came into view. All the descriptions and images he’d seen about the Pantheon hardly prepared him for the real thing. It was like witnessing the Grand Canyon for the first time. It was unbelievably monolithic and breathtaking.

Goddess Melissa modeled her Pantheon to match the timeless architecture of ancient Greece. The building looked like a lowercase “t” from above. The bottom of the “t” was the main hall and entrance to the Pantheon. Goddess Melissa’s private quarters were the wing at the top of the “t”. Hailee and Brad had rooms on the left and right wings, respectively. The three wings had massive domes that let in natural light and had masterful art painted on the inside. One impressive dome, that was twice as large as the others, was in the main throne room where all four gods sat—which was located where the three wings met.

As for Goddess Alexandra, her private quarters were deep underground, underneath the Pantheon. Goddess Melissa allowed Alexandra to carve out an underground lair that was both impressive and frightful. 

Each god made their quarters their own. Decorated and furnished with items that matched their personality.

Although the building seemed square and angular on the outside, intricate carvings infused it with a unique personality softened and invigorated its features, elevating it to a level of grandeur surpassing that of the Vatican or Salisbury Cathedral. Corinthian columns—with ornate carvings that made Michelangelo’s masterpieces look like a kindergartner’s art in comparison—adorned the Pantheon’s exterior. The roof was triangular, decked with stately spires and topped by four domes mentioned earlier. Goddess Melissa created an architectural marvel from her powers, which was resplendent in its design, and fittingly grand and sacred. It stood worthy to represent the four gods entrusted with the guardianship of humanity and the universe.

“Wait, why are we driving off the road here?” Allen asked, as all the traffic ahead did the same and drove into a field. The Pantheon was still a couple of miles away.

Erik turned the wheel hard in his truck as he followed a line of vehicles. They parked as orderly as possible in the desert field. “We here,” he said.

“Where’s here?” Allen asked. “Don’t tell me we walking to the Pantheon from here.”

“Welp, we ain’t gonna drive any closer than this. The gods, they don’t take kindly to vehicles near their home. Says it messes with the vibe and aesthetics of their sanctuary, or some shit like that.”

It wasn’t a true pilgrimage without an arduous hike under the desert sun towards a holy site. The other pilgrims were thoughtful and downright kind by offering food and water along the trail. Hundreds of worshippers crowded the paths as if they were in a packed theme park. There were worshipers heading towards the Pantheon and some others returning to their vehicles after their visit. Their collective spirits electrified the air.

Allen wiped the sweat off his forehead, which was already caking with the sand being kicked up by others. As they got closer to the building, the more and more he had to crane his neck back. No matter how close they got, the Pantheon seemed to still be out of reach. It only grew larger and more imposing. He gazed down the length of the structure—realizing, only then, he wasn’t looking at some marvelous wonder-of-the-world constructed by ancient humanity. He was looking at a goddess-made building that wasn’t even a year old. The Pantheon was so grand it stretched along the horizon, becoming and defining the landscape. Because of the sheer magnitude of the building and atmospheric haze, the architectural details of the Pantheon became blurred as it stretched so far away into the horizon.

When Erik and Allen reached the steps to the Pantheon, the details came in full bloom. There were custom carvings around the building. From the Corinthian columns to the walls, the stained glass windows, and the arches that connected each column. Allen was in a dazed wonder. He’s never witnessed something so beautiful. He could see influences from each god etched into the building’s facade. Scenes from New York, palm trees from California, and statues of the gods in various heroic poses lining the triangular roofs.

“Cat got your tongue?” Erik asked with a smirk on his face.

“It’s… unreal.”

“Ya ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.”

Before continuing, it was important to note that the Pantheon was scaled to mortals and gods. It was considered the gods’ second home, and a divine building where mortals can visit and pay respect to their gods. There were doors for the gods at their 150 foot stature, and doors for the tiny mortals. Stairs with steps large enough to accommodate the prodigious feet of the gods, and stairs for the rest.

The Pantheon sat on top of an elevated foundation. The stairs that connected the top entrance to the desert ground-floor were divided in three parts. At the center were steps scaled for the gods; the outer stairs were designed for mortals. A Hollywood-style red carpet lined the center steps for the gods. Mortals were–not–explicitly forbidden from walking the red carpet or exploring the enormous steps, but it was in their best interest to not traverse it, lest they want to risk getting crushed underfoot.

Erik patted Allen on the back and, with a cheer, motivated him to take the first step. Allen looked up the stairs for the mortals and guessed there were at least 500 steps to reach the top. He took a deep breath and began the climb.

About twenty minutes passed, and the friends were about halfway up the stairs. Other pilgrims stopped and rested at different levels throughout the stairs, but Erik and Allen wanted to reach the top without stopping.

“They couldn’t have put a gondola or somethin’?” Allen asked between labored breaths. “An escalator or elevator?”

“Elevator is for handicapped and elderly. Everyone else goes up this way.”

As Allen placed his hands on his knees and helped himself up, one step at a time, the ground trembled underneath him. Those around him looked up as the quakes were undoubtedly from an approaching god.

“Is that what I think it is?” Allen asked Erik.

“Yuppers,” Erik said. “Wonder who it is.”

Just about everyone stood still and stood by with gleeful anticipation. All eyes were now up at the Pantheon entrance. The earthquakes intensified as a shadow slowly emerged. Out from the shade and walking between two massive columns at the top of the Pantheon, was Goddess Hailee, standing as tall as the Statue of Liberty. She wore casual clothes that matched her streetwear style. Red flip-flops, jean shorts with suspenders and a tattered white shirt, expertly tailored to show off her midriff. 

“Oh my god,” Allen said, too distracted to realize that everyone within view dropped to their knees and bowed. He quickly did the same. “My god—goddess, Haile. I mean, my Hailee—Goddess. It’s Hailee! The Goddess. She’s here. She’s here!”

“Calm down, boy,” Erik said, placing his hand on Allen’s shoulder, feeling his body shaking, likely full of emotion. “Catch your breath and say a lil’ prayer to your god.”

Allen bowed his head to the ground and prayed. Because Hailee still didn’t have an official prayer, everyone just made up their personalized one for the goddess. “Goddess Hailee, I’m offering you all I got—my life and my service. I hope you take notice of me and let me be of use to you. My heart is yours.”

“Howdy, y’all,” Hailee said in a faux Texan accent. “Me and the others are so happy for y’all to make it out here.” She lifted her empty hand and a fruit smoothie materialized in an instant. She stuck the straw between her lips and sipped on her drink as she stepped down onto the center Pantheon steps. People, who appeared to be 2.5 inches tall in comparison, nervously looked as her sandal-clad feet came close to them as she walked down the steps.  

“Guys, you’re almost at the top.” She cheered the crowd with a wide smile. “Don’t give up now. I can’t wait for y’all to join us in our home away from home.”

Allen, along with the other pilgrims, felt some of their praise and worship of Hailee reciprocated. A magical, love-filled aura followed Hailee as she reached the bottom. She sipped on her drink and overlooked the streams of mortals making the rigorous trek to the Pantheon, only to serve and worship them in-person.

Although Hailee was not into the getting worshiped thing like the other gods, she couldn’t deny how intoxicating a mortal’s devotion was. Several times already, she nearly dropped her drink as the warmth and love from thousands in the area was a near-climactic experience for her. She sensed some worshipers were out here for the other gods, but they prayed to her out of respect. Others were—her—devotees, mortals that pledged their souls in this world and the next for all eternity. Those mortals got her off the most. Their praise and worship were way more radiant than others were. These particular devotees were like ten mortals put together. Enough to make Hailee’s legs feel weak, causing her to stomp on the ground harder than usual to keep her balance.

Soon after calming down from the celestial high of worship, she looked back down at the crowd and noticed how heat stricken they were: from fanning themselves, to pouring water over their heads, to sweating profusely. Hailee then looked up at the sky and towards the sun before looking back down.  

“Kinda hot out here, huh?” Hailee asked. Heat, cold, and weather didn’t affect the gods like it did mortals. But it seemed rather mean how everyone was suffering, their only crime being that they wanted to worship the gods up close. “Let’s fix that.”

Hailee twirled her free hand up above her, her eyes glowing bright white as she commanded the skies under her power. Thick, cumulus clouds formed out of the blue skies and hovered over to block the sun, casting a relieving shade across the land. Another flick of the wrist and a breeze formed from the East. The temperatures dropped from mid-100s down to low 80s with Hailee’s manipulations of the clouds and currents.

“Better?” she asked, her eyes returning to normal before noticing the wonder-struck worshipers at her feet. “Okay, see y’all inside!”

What a relief it was to have those clouds block out the sun, Allen thought. The heat from his sun-burnt skin just blew away with the cool breeze Hailee created. Hailee’s foot landed near him on the stairs designed for gods. The quake in the ground, the smell of her coconut lotion, his ears filling with the low-frequency boom, and the displaced air from her stomp blowing his jeans and shirt back—all experiences that overloaded his senses. He dropped lower to the ground and prayed harder. Not out of fear, but in complete devotion to the goddess. Tears formed in his eyes as Allen got high off his own supply of love.

The rhythmic quaking from Hailee’s steps faded as she returned to the Pantheon. Slowly, the worshipers outside began rising and continuing their trek, now filled with more vigor after being in the presence of a god, and because of the cooler weather.

“How ya feelin’, kid?” Erik asked, helping Allen to his feet.

Allen was out of breath, his legs were weak, and he felt dazed, as if waking suddenly from a deep slumber. “Holy shit. I’ve never felt anything like that.”

Erik had a wide grin. “I remember my first time. Pretty powerful stuff, huh?” Erik asked while playfully giving Allen a slap on the chest. “Come on, now. Let’s see which gods we got assigned to.”

-

The Pantheon was abuzz with a flurry of activity. Worshipers explored the main hall of the grand building and marveled at the glorious interior. It was an extravagant hall, lined with precious metals and polished stone. Gold and silver, marble and granite. Goddess Melissa expertly decorated the interior of the Pantheon to create a lavish home fit enough for gods living on earth—while avoiding her designs to appear gaudy. The interior surpassed the grandeur of the Sistine Cathedral and the opulence of Versailles. Each element, from the soaring ceiling to the intricately patterned floors, was a testament to Melissa’s divine tastes. Natural light filtered through stained glass windows, casting vibrant hues across the hall and illuminating the faces of the awestruck worshipers. This was truly a place where the gods and mortals met—a seamless blend of celestial and earthly craftsmanship, leaving every visitor in a state of wonder at the majesty of it all.

Aside from worshipers visiting the Pantheon, and people like Erik and Allen volunteering personal servitude to the gods, there were men in business suits. Government representation from around the world, gathering to address the gods and receive their orders.

Goddess Melissa ordered all nations to represent themselves at the Pantheon. And these representatives made the trek to the Pantheon like any other Pilgrim. A subtle reminder that they weren’t above any other mortal. Possessing no extra power or privileges from the common man. Tired and sweaty, these representatives rushed towards the throne room, readying themselves for their meeting with the gods.

After further walking and admiring, Erik and Allen made it to the administration section of the Pantheon. It looked like an upscale bank, with a counter made of polished mahogany and two dozen clerks working behind. The queue to see a clerk moved rather quickly. The clerks pulled up each person’s name on their laptop and reviewed their application. Each applicant created a ‘dream sheet’ of the gods they were volunteering their servitude to. They had to order the gods, all gods, they wanted to serve from the most desirable to the least. Alexandra was on the bottom of Allen’s list, with Hailee on top. It only made sense that he served the god he devoted himself to.

Erik was ahead and got his assignment fast. He cheered when he heard he got assigned to Goddess Melissa. He ran back to Allen, who was still in the queue, and showed him the piece of paper, which was his ticket to Melissa’s quarters. Allen congratulated him. Erik wished his friend good luck and waited off to the side.

“Next!” a free clerk shouted. Allen walked up to the counter and gave his name. “Let’s see here. You want Hailee, but she’s already filled up. Melissa’s is also packed, no shocker there. Here, you’re assigned to Goddess Alexandra.”

“What? No, there’s a mistake, I sent my application weeks—”

“Stop,” the clerk said. “Just stop. It’s for your own good. This isn’t the DMV or customer service at Costco. You’ll take your assignment and no amount of talking will get you out of it, got it?”

Allen’s trembling hand took the piece of paper from the clerk. His eyes quickly scanned the document and saw his name and next to it—a line stating he was assigned to the Goddess of Fear. He stood there with mouth agape and eyes in disbelief, unable to move away from the counter.

The clerk saw this and sighed. “Listen, sorry for sounding like a jerk. It’s been chaotic all morning. God Brad decided he won’t be taking in any servants this month. It royally screwed things on our end, because we had to re-assign all his servants to the three goddesses. You got the short end of the stick and got paired with Goddess Alexandra. It’s not all bad. Just do as you’re told and don’t stick out from the group.”

Allen nodded, unable to say anything, and left the counter. He met up with his friend and told him the news. Erik’s expression dropped when he heard Alexandra’s name. He tried to console his friend and placed an arm around his shoulder.

“I signed the non-disclosure agreement with my soul,” Allen said. “What happens at the Pantheon, stays at the Pantheon, right? Well, we’re here and I’ve agreed not to discuss anything that happens here with the outside world. Can you finally tell me what it means to be a servant to the gods?”

“We’re little slaves to them,” Erik said, noticing Allen tense up upon hearing those words. “Basically we do whatever they want. Whatever whims they may have. We oblige them. Can be simple things, like praying to them while they sleep. Other times, it’s fun things, for me at least, like massaging Melissa’s feet. But sometimes they want us to pleasure them, and boy, lemme tell ya...”Erik sighed as he reminisced about his past excursions with the goddess.

“Pleasure them, how?”

“Sexual like.” Erik winked. 

“Oh.”

“I’ve heard, don’t know it for sure, but Alexandra and Brad are real horn-dogs. Brad is always having orgies and Alexandra always usin’ her servants to satisfy her puss. Hopefully she’ll get ya a scuba suit before you get to work.”

“Oh, great,” Allen said, his shoulders slumping and his head dropping.

“It ain’t all bad, partner. Alexandra’s hot. Do a good job and you’ll be fine. Shoot, you might even devote yourself to her by the end of all this.”

“Doubt.”

A bell chimed, signaling all servants to report to their respective gods’ quarters. Erik and Allen split; Erik having to make the long journey to the other side of the Pantheon, while Allen looked for the stairs that led to the underground. There was shoulder-to-shoulder traffic as throngs of worshipers moved about the grand Pantheon. As he joined others lining up for the door that led to the underground stairs, Allen bumped into another man, causing Allen to drop his assignment paper on the ground.

“Sorry about that,” the stranger said. He quickly reached down and picked up the paper for Allen.

“Thanks,” Allen said to the shorter man.

“You excited about serving Alexandra?” The stranger asked. 

“I don’t think ‘excited’ is the right word.”

“Aww, why not?”

“She’s mean. She kills people for fun, destroys cities, masturbates everywhere. Her and God Brad use their godhood for fun. Not like Goddess Hailee.”

“And Goddess Melissa?”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant. Goddesses Melissa and Hailee treat their godhood the way I imagine gods would. Trying to make the world a better place to live. Not like Alexandra who seems sadistic with her powers.”

“And Brad?”

“Hedonism. Not a noble trait for someone who’s god.”

“I’ll try to do better,” the stranger said. “But don’t tell me any man who’s given godhood wouldn’t have done half the shit I’ve done.”

Allen shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

“Hi, I’m Brad,” he said, sticking out his hand for a shake.

Allen shook Brad’s hand and said, “my name is Allen.”

They released their shake and continued walking with the gaggle down the stairs. “Thank you for not dropping to your knees and praying to me. That shit is really disruptive, y’know? And I don’t get off on it like the girls do. I mean, it’s nice and all, but I don’t really have an addictive personality.”

Allen raised his brow and shook his head again. “Isn’t it blasphemous to pretend you’re a god?”

“I don’t think that’s a rule. You probably made that up.”

Allen gently grabbed the shorter man by the shoulder and pushed him up along a wall so that the other worshipers could walk around them. “Are you pretending you’re God Brad? You fucking with me? I’m not in the mood for this shit right now. I was supposed to serve Goddess Hailee, but now I’m walkin’ down, to what feels like hell, unsure how Alexandra is going to torture us, and now I have someone fucking with me—telling me they’re god.”

“Dude, chill out. Alexandra is not that bad. She’s got a bigger heart than you realize.”

Allen sighed. “Who are you?”

“I’m Brad. God.”

“No, you’re not. You look nothing like him.”

“I know, I know. This is the new Brad, or rather old Brad if you think about it. This is what I actually look like. No more Photoshopping myself to look like a roided out Greek God. What do you think?” Brad extended his arms to show off his average body. Now, Brad didn’t look a hundred percent like his pre-ascension self. He took some liberties in smoothing his skin and getting rid of stubborn fat. But Brad looked like Brad. His past life friends and family would instantly recognize him, versus the over-the-top Adonis body he adopted since becoming a god.

“If you are god, prove it,” Allen said.

“Ooh, are you really testing god, right now?” Brad asked with a smile. “Gods are in their right to punish mortals for questioning them. Hells, gods punish mortals for a lot less.”

“Stop acting like your god. I don’t believe ya.”

“Why did you want to get assigned to Hailee, anyway?”

“I’m devoted to her. I’ve gladly handed my soul to her. I’ve always been fascinated by her since I’ve learned she was a goddess. But what really made me a diehard worshiper, was when she came to my town. Little town far aways from Dallas. Out by nowhere, and without asking for it, she came and fixed our busted-ass roads. Rebuilt our schools after gettin’ hit by a tornado, and cured our sickest citizens. We didn’t even pray to her for it! I mean it when I say my town is in the middle of nowhere. Not even on the map. And she came and helped us in ways we couldn’t even imagine. She was, I don’t know, eight feet tall when she visited us? She seemed so holy. So godly. She ate meals with us at the diner. She talked with us and spent time hanging out, giving us fist bumps. And she wasn’t trying to get anything out of us. She was just this down-to-earth goddess that does good for the little guy. I still get chills thinking about that day. I admire her, man! This was going to be my chance to show my faithfulness to her, in-person. But because Brad ditched on all his servants, it messed up the assignments. I now have to serve someone I don’t want to.”

“Ah, shit, sorry about that. Fuck. I didn’t know they were just going to force everyone on the other goddesses like that. I mean, I guess I could’ve seen it coming, if I focused on it. Seriously, dude, I thought they would’ve just sent all my servants home. I didn’t know it would cause this adverse effect.”

Allen, still not convinced he was talking to god, rolled his eyes and turned away from Brad. He joined the others, walking the many steps down to Alexandra’s lair. Brad jogged up and caught up with the taller man.

“Hey,” Brad said, “I’m sorry. Just stick with me, and I’ll right this situation.”

“There’s nothing you can do. You and I are stuck with Alexandra now.”

“Oh, ye of little faith.” Brad smirked. 

Time passed, and the large group of servants to Alexandra were now in her personal quarters. It was mostly dark in the room. On either side of Alexandra’s room, were these four great pillars of slowly moving lava that flowed from the ceiling and down into two troughs at ground level. Like a really dangerous lava lamp, these pillars illuminated and warmed the underground lair.

The floor was polished stone, almost appearing as brushed steel, and incredibly flat and even. Along the walls were columns made of marble, red curtains that connected each column like arches, and nude statues of Alexandra in revealing poses against the walls. Back center of the room was a grand bed that matched Alexandra’s 150 foot tall stature. The bed was probably the size of two king-sized beds put together. Many pillows and cushions were strewn about. Silky black and red sheets draped over the long bed.

There were many other details and furniture, like a bedside table, a seat with an ottoman, and a table filled with exquisite food that was enlarged to match Alexandra’s scale.

Allen wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the scale of the room, nor how little it made him feel. He was dreading coming face-to-face with Alexandra. Out of the hundred servants in the room, only a fraction truly wanted to be there. The majority shared the same circumstances as Allen and drew the short straw when it came to assignments. 

The crowd of servants collectively gasped as the ground boomed under their feet. Allen’s heart thumped loudly in his chest as he felt Alexandra’s presence fill the room. From behind a pillar, Alexandra walked out, poised and regal. She wore black lingerie with a lacy skirt. Her towering legs and long midriff laid exposed. Her bare feet slapped against the polished floor of her room as she walked towards them. Alexandra’s trademark mischievous smile grew wide as she saw all her servants drop to their knees and start worshiping her.

“Mmm, you all look delicious,” Alexandra said seductively, her voice booming and echoing within her chamber. It was louder than a rock concert and more thundering than an explosion. “We’re all going to have so much fun together. Except, I’ll be having all the fun.”

The worshipers trembled under her decree. Their fear only fed to her celestial high. She stepped close to them. Her enormous toes were only inches from the first row of bowing bodies. As she looked over the mass of humanity in front of her, she fought back against the idea of trampling over them and feeling their bodies pop like grapes under her soles. They all worshiped her and they all feared. All except for…

In a loud whisper from his bowing position, Allen panicked and asked, “Brad, what are you doing? Get on the ground and start praying.”

He pointed a finger at Alexandra with a look of incredulous disbelief and said, “I ain’t praying to that.”

“Dude, you’re going to get us killed. Please get down and pray!”

Alexandra walked around the crowd and headed for the lone man standing in the back. Her bare feet slapping dangerously close to the faithful.

“When a god is in your presence,” Alexandra said, her voice booming in a demonic yet feminine voice, her eyes glowing red in anger, “you get on the fucking floor and pray, mortal insect.”

“Is this really how you talk to your worshipers?” Brad asked, unfazed.

Allen mumbled a curse under his breath and slowly inched himself away from Brad.

Goddess Alexandra flicked her shoulders back, her wings popping out and looming over everyone in the room. “I didn’t think I would have to make an example within seconds of meeting my new slaves.” She said with a smirk. “But I welcome it.”

“Damn, Lexi, you’re cold. I mean, this whole vibe is so cold. I mean, the way you address your worshipers is a little cartoonish. And your room looks like a Spirit Halloween dungeon. Then there’s your outfit—well, your outfit is sexy. Love the wings, as always.”

Upon hearing her nickname, she used her celestial powers to examine the man daring to speak back to her; her initial anger clouded her mind, masking the true nature of the man. “Brad? The fuck are you doing?” she asked.

Brad turned and looked down at Allen, who stared back in shock. “Believe me now?” Brad asked with his arms out and his head popping forward. He walked away from the worshipers, and when space allowed, Brad grew himself. The man swelled in size, a deep hum filling everyone’s ears as his body stretched upwards, his footsteps growing in intensity before finally matching Alexandra’s size.

If there wasn’t already enough trepidation in the room before with Alexandra, it only compounded what the tiny servants were feeling upon seeing Brad with Alexandra together. Some servants crawled away from the four colossal feet that stood before them. They all knew the stories. The constant flings between the giant gods. Los Angeles’ destruction was still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Alexandra crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side, waiting for Brad to answer her original question.

Brad folded his lips inward, his confidence fading as he stood face-to-face with Alexandra in his true form. He readied himself for Alexandra’s inevitable laughter and mean comments that were sure to mimic that of Roxxy and Candy. Upon revealing to her, she was looking at his true self.

Brad wondered for days how this would go down, following the events in Vegas. He no longer wanted to lie to the world or himself with his fake body. Brad was not the Adonis that mortal women and Alexandra lusted after. He was an average dude, with an average body, that so was blessed with godhood. His horny mind took over his actions, and he lived a fast-paced, hedonistic life for the past year. Brad’s mind was entering a clarity for the first time since ascension; a revelation that his empty life manifested from his fake facade. 

How would Alexandra react? Was the only thing on his mind. They were celestial friends with benefits—Alexandra made that vehemently clear before. Not boyfriend or girlfriend. As a man, thinking with his penis and nothing more, Brad gladly accepted his position and wouldn’t have it any other way. Even now, Brad wanted to continue being Alexandra’s friend with benefit—or fuck buddy. 

But all that was ending when he promised himself he would stay true to himself. He was done being a fake Adonis. And there was no way Goddess Alexandra was going to be fuck-buddy with someone that looked like Brad. And Brad wouldn’t fault her for it. She deserved a hunky god—not him. 

So, the question was, was it more honorable to put the decision on her, or should he break off their fuck-buddy agreement himself? After weighing his options and potential outcome, Brad figured breaking things off himself would be the noble thing to do. It would save him some embarrassment from Alexandra, and it wouldn’t put her in the position of admitting that Adonis Brad—was better than average Brad.

“I guess this is the end,” Brad said. “I mean—y’know, our little agreement we had going on.” There was a momentary pause. “The hook ups and stuff. We don’t have to do it anymore.”

Alexandra raised a brow, the feathers on her wings ruffled. “You want to stop seeing me?” she asked while stepping towards him.

Brad took a step back. “Umm, Lexi, this is what I look like,” he said, pointing at his face. “This is what I really look like. Not that sexy god you’ve been fucking this whole time. I’m sorry.”

She continued walking towards him, a flame building in her eyes. “And because of that, you don’t want to fuck me anymore?”

The tiny servants immediately rose, tumbled, ran, or jumped out of the way as Alexandra’s bare feet came inches from them. It was as if she were ignoring their presence or had forgotten about them. 

“I—yes.” Brad’s back came into contact with a column in the room. Alexandra kept getting closer to him, looking more menacing even though they were the same height. The servants in the room looked on in stunned fear. “I lied and I’m sorry. If there was a way I could take back what I did, I would.”

“Yeah, yeah, shut the fuck up.” Alexandra poked his chest with her index finger. “Why don’t you want to fuck me anymore?”

“Well, y’know?”

“No, I don’t.” She shook her head.

“Because I look like this. I’m not that hunk anymore; I’m going to stop pretending I’m someone I’m not.”

Alexandra rubbed her temples with both her hands. “Wow. So, that’s it. You’re so fucked up, Brad.”

“Huh?”

“What do you take me as? Some shallow bimbo only interested in your fake muscles and ridiculous looking jaw? Huh? That why you think I was fucking you? Not the fact that you’re a god and that I like you. Never crossed your mind that I was spreading my legs for you Brad, and not that obviously fake body you had. I knew that wasn’t you. Fucking hell, not only do you think I’m shallow, you think I’m stupid.”

Brad ran his fingers as Alexandra’s words overwhelmed him. This was one outcome he never foresaw. Alexandra didn’t care about appearances like Candy and Roxxy. She was hooking up with him because of who he was—and that was not the Adonis body. Wait, did she say she liked me? Brad thought. He sighed as a stark realization overcame him. His big mouth just ruined the best relationship of his life—even if it was a friend-with-benefits relationship. He looked down at the servants on the floor; they were frozen, on their hands and knees, but had their necks craned upwards, watching the two gods squabble.

“Wait,” Brad said. “Alexandra, I swear, I said those things, because I thought I was making it easy for you. I didn’t know…”

“I know. You made the worst assumptions about me,” she said, looking down at the servants by her feet. “I should be used to it, right? Nobody thinks highly of me. Nobody wants to be around me. Look at my worshipers. Less than ten of them want to be here right now. They don’t want to be with me. Like you.” She shot him a look and turned to walk away.

Brad ducked quickly to avoid getting struck by one of Alexandra’s wings. Once in the clear, he stood back up and followed Alexandra. “Lexi, wait. He placed a hand on her shoulder that she shrugged off. He pulled back and said, “Lexi, I swear I said those things because I was thinking about you. I didn’t want to put you in an awkward spot. But I fucked up and made things way worse. I’m sorry.”

Alexandra turned back, this time her wing striking him. “Sorry for what? Because you thought I was a superficial airhead, or because I’m stupid and couldn’t tell you were wearing a mask?”

Brad had nothing to say. The worshipers were on edge, waiting for God’s next move. Some simply wanted to get out of there hoping they wouldn’t get caught, others were paying less attention to the squabble and more at the titanic feet that could kill them should they make the wrong move. “I am so sorry, Lexi. How can I make it up to you?” Brad asked.

“You tell me,” she said, cocking her head to the side.

Brad looked around the room. What could he give a goddess that could will whatever she wanted? He then looked down at her feet, at the hundreds of 2.5 inch mortals, ready to serve their goddess. He snapped his fingers and looked back at Alexandra, and said, “I’ll be your servant!”

Some worshipers gasped when they heard that.

Alexandra raised a brow. “Go on.”

“I’ll shrink myself and be like them. I’ll serve and worship you.”

“A god worshiping a goddess?” Alexandra asked with a smirk. “Kinda like the sound of that.”

“If I do that, will you accept my apology? Forget I even brought this shit up and just go back to the way things were? Please.”

“Hmm.” Alexandra thought for a moment. Her eyes darted from the mortals at her feet back up to Brad. “Sure. Be my servant for a month like these mortal insects, and I’ll forgive you for those mean thoughts you had about me.”

“Thank you, thank you Lexi! I’ll hundred percent make it up to you. You’re the best.”

“We’ll see how you feel about that after a month.”

Alexandra folded her wings, effectively making them disappear into her back. She then padded over to the center of the room so she was in front of her tiny servants again. The scheduled meeting in the main throne room was going to happen soon and Alexandra wouldn’t have time to play with her mortals beforehand because of Brad.

“Hey, so,” Brad said, “I kinda gave up my servants the other day, because I didn’t think I wanted them. That means you and the other goddesses got my share. I sorta changed my mind and want them back.” Some servants perked up upon hearing this.

“They’re mine now,” Alexandra said flatly. The servants’ hopes were dashed as soon as they were raised.

“Oh, right.” Brad looked in the back of the crowd and made eye-contact with Allen. “So, because I’m going to be your servant, that means you have one extra. Can I take one of your servants, at least?”

Alexandra shrugged her shoulders and gave Brad a bored expression.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Brad said and walked over to the back of the crowd, his booming steps frightening the worshipers as they were more powerful than Alexandra’s steps. Brad leaned into the crowd and swiped Allen into his hands. “See ya at the meeting!” Brad said to Alexandra.

Alexandra rolled her eyes as Brad took the gods’ exit out of her room.

She then looked down at the crowd of little frightened mortals at her feet. They stared at each other for several uncomfortable moments. The only other sound in the room was coming from the bubbling boil of the lava flowing down at either side of the room. Alexandra then waved her hands as if casting a spell, and a few things happened at once: bean bag chairs, sofas, and beds materialized between the worshipers; then tables loaded with food, from roast pork to fresh vegetables, appeared, along with drinks and fine wine. The worshipers were stunned by the sudden appearance of luxurious furniture and succulent foods appearing around them.

“So, this is how it usually goes down—before I was rudely interrupted,” Alexandra said. “I scare the fuck out of you, which is super fun for me to do, then I say, ‘I know it’s been a long day. Here, take a nap, relax, eat, and get to know each other. You’re going to have a great time with me, and I hope I bust any preconceived notion you had of me.’ But I feel like that moment is gone. Anyway, I have a boring-ass meeting to go to. We’ll catch up later.”

-

Brad walked up to the Pantheon and headed to Hailee’s chambers. He circled around the main throne room and took extra care with his steps, ensuring his path was clear of any tiny worshipers that may have strayed too far from the main hall. He came upon Hailee’s door, which was personalized to look like her bedroom door she had before her ascension. It was a cheap door, painted white, sticking out like a sore thumb compared to the splendor around the Pantheon.

Brad knocked on her door and stood by patiently. He could hear Hailee getting up from her bed and some stuff getting knocked over as she skipped to the door. Hailee answered the door and stood in front of Brad, wearing a silk pink bathrobe and nothing else. Her eyes locked with Brad, and then she looked up and down his body.

“It’s me, Hailee. It’s Brad,” he said.

“Brad?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shy sigh. “Listen, I need to apologize to you—and everyone for that matter. Ever since we became gods, I’ve been faking what I look like. With our powers, I didn’t want people to see the real me. I changed myself to look like, what I think people pictured a god looks like, and I—”

“Say no more,” she said with a smile, sensing his unease. “Brad, I went through the same thing. Hell, I think we all have. Four random humans given the power of god, who wouldn’t want to fool around with it at first? Just be who you feel comfortable being. There’s no need to apologize to me for anything.”

“You’re so cool, Hailee.” He nodded slowly with a smile. “I can see why many devote themselves to you.”

“I don’t know why.” She laughed, her cheeks blushing. “I can’t even get my ex to like me. But I’m not complaining.”

Brad glanced down at Hailee’s bare feet. Half her toenails were painted. “Having fun with your servants?”

“Who wants to know?” Hailee asked, full of giggles. “They insist on being my servants and they insist on serving me. I’m not gonna fight back on that.”

“Speaking of servants, I got another one for you.” Brad lifted his palm up to Hailee, revealing a frightened 2.5 inch tall man. “His name is Allen, and he says he’s your biggest devotee. There was a mixup, and he ended up with Alexandra by mistake. He said he wanted to serve your every whim and take care of your every need.”

Hailee reached out and plucked the tiny worshiper from Brad. “Allen? I remember you… I felt your presence earlier today when I went outside—and I could tell you were praying really hard to me. Well, welcome to team Hailee, little one,” she said with a wide smile.

Allen was awestruck. Goddess Hailee was holding him in her hands! His whole body shook as he got on his hands and knees and started worshiping his goddess from her large palm.

“And there he goes,” Brad said.

“Aww, look at him,” Hailee purred.

Brad’s booming voice almost knocked Allen over. Allen balanced himself and looked up at Hailee, who smiled adoringly at him as if he were a baby kitten. He then looked up at Brad behind him and mouthed ‘thank you’ to the giant god. Brad gave him a wink.

Allen stood in wonder, feeling overwhelmed as he gazed up at the titanic faces of the two gods looming above him. They peered down at him with amusement as they cooed at his tiny form, treating him like an adorable pet in their colossal presence. The surreal experience of being the focus of such gigantic beings, who found his mortal stature endearing, left Allen in a state of disbelief, caught feeling both insignificant and special under their gaze.

“Bad news everyone,” Goddess Melissa said, her thunderous voice filling the halls as she walked up from behind Brad. “Or good news depending on how you see it.” 

The leader of all gods joined the duo, wearing a business outfit: heels, skirt, shirt, and blouse. All tailored from expensive, artisan crafted wool and fine linen. Her buttoned blue shirt was free of wrinkles and tightly hugged her large breasts. “We’re canceling our meeting for today.” She then looked at Brad’s appearance and said, “I love the new look, Brad.” She rubbed his arm and gave it an affirming squeeze. 

Brad smiled back and thanked Melissa.

Allen swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Now, Goddess Melissa was right in front of him. The mature woman’s beauty took his breath away. He recited Melissa’s prayer out of fear and didn’t dare look up at her.

“May I ask why we’re canceling?” Hailee asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Family emergency.” Melissa said, “I have to head back home to Brooklyn.”

Alarmed, Brad asked, “home? What is it?”

“It’s the building where my family lives and all my stuff is at. But that’s not important right now. I almost forgot about the dinner I promised my son—and I have to be there, otherwise I won’t hear the end of it.”

“Must be an important dinner,” Brad said. “You never cancel our meetings. Not that I’m questioning you or anything in the slightest, Melissa.”

“I know, I know. My son is bringing his girlfriend over—not for the first time, but it’ll be the first time she’s not sneaking into my home.”

Hailee and Brad exchanged scandalous glances with one another.

“Oh, shut up,” Melissa said as she gently shoved Brad’s arm back with a smile. “I have to face the fact that my little boy is growing so fast and he’s got a girlfriend. And soon he’ll get married, move out of the house, and will forget about me.”

“He won’t forget about you,” Hailee said. “Nobody in the world could possibly ‘forget’ about you.”

“Yeah, I know I’m being a little melodramatic. Anyways, I should leave now, but first, I have to find Alexandra and tell her.”

“Tell me what?” Alexandra asked, joining the trio.

Allen lifted his head, almost having a stroke upon hearing Alexandra’s voice. He was shaking so hard his vision blurred. He turned and saw Alexandra walking up towards him. She went with a Greek God motif, and was wearing a red toga with a gold tiara in her black hair. Hailee was still holding Allen up in front of her, and with the other gods joining the conversation, he was in the center of it all. The chests of all four gods flanked him from all sides. Their powerful, booming voices came from every direction like a violently loud concert hall. Who did he pray to? Melissa, the leader; Hailee, his owner; or Alexandra, his original owner? Brad was the only neutral god in the bunch.

“Meeting is canceled,” Hailee said. Her clamorous voice made Allen jump in her palm.

“Enjoy the free day,” Melissa said. “We’ll meet up tomorrow, same time, okay?” Melissa asked, pointing at each god. Her eyes fell on Allen and could see the tiny thing about to pass out from fear. “Hey,” she said with a soothing, toned down voice. She extended a finger and ran it down the side of the man. “No need to be scared. There’s nothing to fear here. Also, thank you for your prayer. Didn’t think I’d notice you, huh?” 

Allen looked up and saw Goddess Melissa, not only talking directly at him, but she was comforting him with her finger. He felt his fear melt away and be replaced with complete admiration for Melissa. Allen didn’t see a giant woman in front of him—instead, he saw a benevolent goddess, in the literal sense of the word. There were conflicting emotions running through his soul. Did he, maybe, want to devote himself to Goddess Melissa instead?

“Aww, he’s cute, Hailee,” Melissa said. “I’m assuming he’s your worshiper.”

“Yup.”

“You’re lucky, I can sense a lot of love in him.”

Alexandra interrupted and said, “he should’ve been my worshiper.” She turned to Brad and asked, “is that the traitor you grabbed from my room?”

“Come on, Lexi,” Brad said. “I told you there was a mistake. He’s Hailee’s. Always was.”

Allen felt relieved he had Brad on his side, despite the shaky way they first met.

“Eh, whatever,” Alexandra said. “His loss.”

Still in the halls in front of Hailee’s room, the gods said a few more words, before Melissa insisted she had to leave at that moment. The entire time, Allen was turning his head a complete 360 degrees, trying to keep up with the gods speaking around him.

Melissa vanished, transporting herself back to New York. Hailee took Allen inside her room and gently closed her door, intending to give him an unforgettable night. 

That left Brad alone with Alexandra.

“I guess that means,” Brad said, “I’m worshiping you for the rest of the day, my goddess.” He bowed.

“We start tomorrow,” Alexandra said. “I’ll be giving my little slaves an orientation that you don’t need to be a part of.”

“Orientation? Gonna torture them with a PowerPoint presentation while you’re at it?”

“Keep talking, Braddy boy. We’ll see how your attitude changes when I stick your tiny body up my ass.”

“Lexi, please, please don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Alexandra kissed two of her fingers and then brought them up to Brad’s lip. She pressed her digits into his lip until they squished against his teeth. “Get some sleep, slave.”

Alexandra left Brad alone and walked back to her lair. Brad stood in the halls with an erection. “That was fucking hot,” he said. He scratched the back of his neck and wondered what to do for the rest of the day. There was nothing waiting for him in his room; no servants or worshipers to play with. Nothing back home in Cali. 

Brad then thought back to when he met Allen. The mortal had no clue who he was. Actually, no one in the Pantheon knew who he was. There was fun to be had there, right? He asked himself. He could mix into society with no one knowing he was god. Brad felt up his arms and looked at his chest. What would it be like to improve his body the old-fashioned, mortal way? Once he decided about how to spend the rest of the day, he vanished from the Pantheon in an instant.

4. Gym, Gains, & God

Brad wasn’t sure how the gym was going to work, but was determined to experiment and have a little fun. As a god, he had innate abilities he didn’t even control. If someone were to shoot him with a gun, the bullet would flatten against his body. If a freight train were to strike him, the train would split in half. He could swim underwater with no need for oxygen. Go without food for years, or drink a barrel of whiskey without getting alcohol poisoning. Point was, Brad was immortal. It didn’t matter if he was wearing the Adonis persona or not. Nor if he were 1000 feet or 5’9”. He was an all-powerful, immortal god.

And that also meant he had unlimited strength. The gods learned quickly that controlling their strengths was paramount. The gods destroyed many doors during their first week. Melissa tore the door to her SUV clean off, forgetting to temper her powers. Hailee had broken every door in her mom’s home in Florida, crushing door knobs in her fist or plowing through the wooden doors like they were curtains—all accidents.

Brad knew he could lift the roof off the gym if he didn’t tone down his strength. It would take some cunning to use his muscles, and only his muscles, to lift the weights, but that was part of the fun with his experiment.

Brad entered the 24 hour gym in his per-ascension height of 5’9” while wearing normal workout clothes. He checked his watch and ensured the timer was counting down for 2 hours. Once his watch goes off, he’d need to grow back up a minimum of nine feet tall.

It felt—strange using his natural muscles. It felt like his muscles were atrophied and that he was using them for the first time. Even opening the glass door to the gym felt like a chore.

“I hope this wasn’t a mistake,” he said to himself.

The gym was loud and bright. Fast tempo music blared, and the clamoring sounds of weights dropping assaulted his ears. He gazed across the gym and wondered what he should work out first. Was it an arms day? Legs? Maybe a full-body workout day? Then he saw an open area where a few people were stretching. Of course, he thought to himself. I can’t lift without stretching first.

Brad walked over to the mats and sat on his bottom and mimicked the stretches of the other gym patrons. He didn’t know what he was stretching or what purpose some moves served, but he kept going along with it. The others doing their stretches ignored Brad at first, but they caught on he was copying their every move. Two women, who were together, snickered and giggled amongst each other as they saw Brad trying hard to stretch his groin, but failing to position his legs correctly. They moved on and left Brad alone, not sure what to think of him.

“Okay, what’s first?” he asked.

He looked around the gym and saw the cable machines free in the center of the gym. They looked fun with all their pulleys and black cables going every which way. Brad started with the tricep extension. Another patron left the pin set near the bottom. Brad didn’t know what he was capable of, so he just tried the exercise. He pulled the rope down and extended his tricep. It felt light. Like super light.

“Am I doing this right?” he asked.

He looked at the graphic printed on the machine and confirmed he was doing the workout properly. He looked at the weight he was lifting: 180 pounds. That sounded heavy. He was lifting 18 plates and his arms were pretty tiny.

“Oops, that’s definitely not right.”

Without thinking, Brad was using his god strength to move the weights. He focussed on his triceps and had his flesh and blood muscles move the actual weight. He gripped the ropes tightly in his fist and pulled down. It didn’t budge in the slightest.

“Fuck yeah! I did it.”

Brad moved the pin to 50 pounds. He couldn’t get it to budge. It was still too heavy for him. He moved the pin to 20, but it was still too heavy. He grew concerned when he had to set the pin to 10 pounds, the lightest setting. Brad performed the movement, and this time pulled the rope down. But it was challenging, and his triceps were struggling with each rep. Brad got six reps in before he gave up.

“I can’t be that weak. The hell is wrong with me?”

This continued with several exercises. Brad didn’t cheat with his powers, and used his natural muscles to do the workouts. He had to lift at the lowest setting for each workout. Each exercise felt like the fight of his life. A pure physical challenge he hadn’t felt since his ascension. It wasn’t just his arms either, his legs were equally weak. His hamstrings knotted up after his first leg press, which had zero weights on them.

Every exercise, every rep, discouraged Brad. An hour had passed since he began working out and at that point, Brad noticed the stares. The other patrons looked on in wonder at this grown-ass man, struggling to lift light weights that were peanuts. Even children would breeze through the weights he was struggling to put up. People watching Brad wondered if he was for real, or was he was playing a game with everyone.

Then he heard the snickering. The all too familiar laughs that were at his expense. He recognized the tone, the infliction, the attempt to hush or conceal it. Are they recording me? Brad asked himself. He thought he saw a smartphone pointing at him. What was it going to be? TikTok or Instagram. It wasn’t enough to laugh at him at the gym. Were they going to share it on the internet, so a global audience could laugh at him?

Brad got up from the bench and slipped between two Smith machines. He mumbled and swore quietly while leaning his arm on the machine and resting his forehead on it. He wanted to leave the gym and end his stupid experiment. Or maybe just start using his godly powers and reverse everyone’s opinion about him. He could start lifting stacks of weights without breaking a sweat, and then he’ll impress everyone. He’ll just say he was warming up, or those previous sets were just a joke. Of course he’s strong. He’s actually super strong—and then he’d bench 405 with one arm.

He sighed as he forgot about that idea. If he used his godly powers to lift monster weight, wouldn’t he just be faking it for everyone at the gym? How would that differ from his Adonis persona? The experiment, the point of being at the gym, was to use his real muscles to workout like a mortal.

And the experiment was a failure.

He wanted to leave and go back to the Pantheon and forget this day. There was no point in working out as a god, especially if people were just going to laugh at him. And there was no point in using his super strength to lift weights, because that was just a major fake. He didn’t belong at the gym.

“Hey, you okay there?”

Brad turned and looked down at a short woman that was staring back at him. “Sorry,” he said. “Were you on this? I’ll get out of your way.”

“No, no, I was just checking on you.”

“Oh. Did I do something wrong?”

She smiled warmly. “Not at all, no—”

“Okay,” he said, interrupting her. “I’m done here anyway, I’ll be out of your way now.”

“Done with the machine, or done with the gym?”

Brad looked down, unable to keep eye contact with the short woman. “Both.”

“May I ask why?”

“I’ve decided the gym isn’t for me. Like, I don’t belong here and I feel so out of place. Fuck, I should’ve just stayed home and streamed a movie. Pardon my language.”

“This is your first time at the gym?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you do deserve to be here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your decision to be here is a gigantic step towards self-improvement. The real challenge isn’t just lifting weights; it’s the commitment to stay in the gym and keep coming back. That’s where true progress happens.”

“Yeah, but—” Brad said, but this time, the woman interrupted him.

“No ‘buts.’ Lemme help you out.”

“Thanks but—you gotta know, people are laughing at me here. If they see you help me, they’re gonna think—”

“Nobody is laughing at you.”

“Yeah they are.”

“You’re at the gym. Nobody laughs at another person for trying to improve themselves. I think you’re imagining things. And if people were laughing at you? Fuck ‘em.” She smiled up at him. “My name is Camila, by the way.” She extended her hand for a shake.

“My name is Brad,” he said, shaking her hand.

Camila took Brad on a quick tour of the gym. Explaining the difference between free weights, cables, and machines, and giving her opinion on each. She was rather short, probably five foot tall, even. She had a nice lower body and filled her leggings beautifully. Her workout clothes were tasteful and far from the over-the-top clothing Instagram influencers wore.

She took her time teaching Brad how to perform each lift. He sat at a bench and did shoulder presses with 5 pound dumbbells in each hand. At no time did Camila emasculate or tease Brad. She helped him with the weights by standing behind him and helping him through the motions. She was close enough for Brad to smell her sweet scent and feel her tender breath. They went through a series of arm and leg workouts. Camile patiently taught Brad the ins-and-outs of each workout and muscle building theories.

“Why are you helping me?” Brad asked between sets.

“Oh, because—I love the gym and I like helping people that share the same interest in me. I saw you, wondering from exercise to exercise. It almost looked like you were about to give up, and I wanted to help you. It’d be a shame if you quit after one day.”

“I was about to quit.”

“That makes me glad I came up to you,” Camila said. “So, what made you decide to come to the gym? Trying to look good for your girlfriend or wife?”

“Nah, I’m single. I just wanted to see what it’s like lifting and growing muscles,” he said. He then looked up at her, since he was seated on a leg extension machine and she was standing. “It’s hard work. I have a lot of respect for people that come in everyday and do this.”

Camila giggled. “So… are you coming in tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yeah, why not? You taught me a lot and I think I got this.”

“Are you planning on coming at the same time? Because I’ll be here, same time tomorrow.”

“I don’t know, I guess.”

She sighed. “Brad, maybe you can give me your number? And you can text me when you think you’ll be here tomorrow.”

Brad stopped exercising on the leg extension and looked up at Camila inquisitively. “My number?”

Camila gave a slow nod with a smirk, encouraging him to put the pieces together.

“Yeah, I have a number.” He didn’t have a number. Brad reached into the pockets of his shorts and materialized a cell phone in secret. It came complete with an unlimited data plan and, importantly, a number. Brad swiped through the phone quickly and gave Camila his brand new cell number. She typed it into her phone and sent Brad a text. “Whoa.”

“What?”

“You really wanted my number.”

“Don’t read too much into it. We’re just gym buddies, ‘kay?” Camila asked.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Brad said. He was feeling a genuine high. His true looks didn’t repel a woman like he thought it did. Ever since Camila started talking to him, Brad didn’t think she’d be remotely interested in him because of his pre-ascension looks or weak muscles. But here he was, in the guise of a mortal collecting the number off a girl. “Thanks Camila. I can’t wait to do this again tomorrow.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said with a smile. “Hey, you got a nickname or something?”

“No, just Brad. Why?”

“Oh, you know. You share a name with that jerk.”

“Umm, what jerk?”

“That so-called god.”

“You—you think he’s a jerk?”

“Oops, I’m sorry, do you ‘worship’ him or something?”

“No, no.”

“Good. I can’t believe anyone would worship that assclown. He’s such an awful person. Fucking pig, sleeping with every woman in existence. And then, of course, there’s what happened in LA. Thousands dead just so he can fuck an equally disturbing, so-called god.”

“Oh,” Brad said after a pause, but trying hard to hide his disappointment. “Not a fan of Brad or Alexandra. I guess you worship Melissa or Hailee?”

“I don’t ‘worship’ anyone.”

“You’re a non-believer?” Brad asked, feeling his heart drop.

“I guess that’s what they call us,” Camila looked up from her phone and at the concern on Brad’s face. “Oh, shoot, is this a deal breaker?”

“What? No.” Brad said. He could sense her trying to determine his sincerity. “Of course not. I’m really happy to have met you Camila. Same time tomorrow?”

Camila smiled. “Yup!”

Brad’s watch beeped, signaling the end of his timer. “Oh shit.”