A crushing force secured Theo’s shoulder and practically yanked him off his feet. He stumbled and whirled his head, finding massive black-covered fingers covering his entire shoulder, connected to an enormous meaty arm and an impossibly towering female figure. If anything, his now scrawnier arms accomplished even less than before, his struggles beyond useless as she shepherded him down the ramp and brought him backstage.
In the dimly-lit corridors, she put her free hand to her ear and muttered gruffly into her earpiece, then nodded. When he tried to capitalize on her distraction with a sudden, all-out heave sideways, the brute simply snorted and hauled him the other direction, into the roomy hallways and offices of the studio.
“At least tell me where we’re going!” he barked, hearing anxiety seep through his attempt at authority.
His mouth went dry as the other Panther fell in step beside him. The two brutes exchanged a nod far over his head, their tree-trunk-sized legs swinging beating the ground around him as their mouths remained silent.
These women were absurdly, unnecessarily huge! “W-Where are you taking me??” His voice sounded so meek, so shrill. “Y… You’re under orders, are you?” he brazenly tried. “Is that all you do: follow orders?”
*DaBoom BaDoom Boom* went their steps.
“Well, you’re not very nice!!”
This drew a snort from his Panther, and a wry smile from the other. Their earpieces buzzed again, and at last they spoke, in unison: “Got it.”
Turning him sharply, his escort opened an outlandishly large door – one of many – and abruptly released him. His momentum carried him clumsily forward.
By the time he recovered, the door was already swinging shut. Moments later it did so, with a loud *KaThump*.
“The fuck!?!” he blurted. What, was he a prisoner?! The room was mostly dark; the only light was from a long window looking out into the hallway, shielded by blinds. He felt along the wall at chest height but couldn’t find a light switch. Instead, he found the cord for the blinds, pulling with two hands to rotate the blinds open.
This was a conference room. Not a prison cell; not some crazy torture chamber like he’d feared. The table and chairs were ludicrously upsized like everything else; he blushed, realizing the light switch was nearly at chin level, which was why he’d missed it. But it was, indeed, just a conference room.
He tried the door. Gah … his wilted muscles strained considerably just to turn the knob! The door just … wiggled, a little, when he pulled. Christ, he could barely get these doors open last night; could he even do so now?
Not that it mattered. He could see the Panthers through the blinds, standing casually in the hallway. Their voices were eerily deep and muffled through the wall, as they chatted about who knows what. Probably about him. When he jiggled the doorknob, he was sure he heard a scoff of laughter before their conversation resumed. Hell, even if he got the damned door open, what use would it do?
He shivered. That was the least of his worries. Jen. He was scared like hell to find out what she’d do when, or where, she saw him again.
* * *
In a similar conference room, a few hallways down …
“Aaaaghhhh!!”
Jen rampaged back and forth, foaming and frothing, knocking aside any hapless chairs that happened to be in her way.
“Jen,” reasoned Alice, behind her, “I think you should—”
“No!” the redhead roared. “I don’t want to hear it! I’m done with that twerp! I’m freaking DONE!” She had run offstage in hopes of keeping herself together – before she did something to him she might regret. But her anger wasn’t subsiding. In fact, it was only getting worse.
“Jen—”
“Ggrraghh!! I thought for one freaking round—just one!—that he could keep his shit together and suck it up and—BAH!!” She swiveled, stormed back where she’d come, swiveled, stormed. “He’s RUINED our chances! Singlehandedly! He’s screwed us over! Screwed ME over!! How DARE he!?!”
Jen heard footsteps come up behind her, but she didn’t stop. “I swear,” she vowed, “when I see him again, I’ll--! I’ll-!!”
“You’ll do what?”
Jen gasped, whirled, and nearly fell on her butt as she found herself face to chin with … No … it can’t be. “Bridgette?!?”
Jen drew back as The Valkyrie herself—Jen’s idol, fellow contestant, and mentor—folded her arms and looked down with an unequivocal frown. Holy crud, and Lola was right behind her. Lola! The former, she hadn’t seen in days; the latter, in almost two weeks. Alice hovered nearby, but the two newcomers dominated her vision.
“How--?” sputtered Jen. “When did you--? Wh--?”
“I want to know, girl,” Bridgette huffed, staring her down. “Tell me.”
“Tell you …?”
“What exactly do you plan to do with this Mouse of yours?”
“With… Dad?” Jen wanted to stop and take a breath, but her mentor’s scowl didn’t allow it. Neither did Lola’s. Geez… Jen had grown so much, but the two of them were still so much bigger than her …
“Answer me, girl.”
Jen gulped; focused. “I … I mean … my Dad sabotaged our entire round. He ignored me like five times, and did everything so wrong!” Her fury started to rise again. “I … I could just …!”
“What, punish him, hmm? Strike out at him?” Bridgette scowled. “Is that your plan? To let yourself be ruled by spite and anger?”
Jen’s mouth dropped. Yes, that was exactly what she might do. Only, Bridgette somehow made it sound almost … foolish.
“W-Well, what the hell else am I supposed to do?” she countered, much to the blonde Mighty’s disdain.
“Pah!” Bridgette glanced over her shoulder at Lola, who wryly pursed her lips. “I see the girl has come back,” said Bridgette, “not the woman I had trained.”
This hit Jen’s chest like a dagger. “What?! But … you don’t know what he’s put me through all these years! You don’t understand!”
Her mentor barked a laugh. “Oh? You think I don’t understand? Is this not the very same issue you came simpering to me about, last Wednesday? The one I thought you had moved past?” She shook her head. “Come, Lola. I think we’re done here.”
“I believe you’re right,” Lola agreed, turning to leave.
Jen panicked. “No!” She rushed to put herself between them and the door, even if they might bowl her over in the process. “Please,” she begged, suddenly plaintive, “just tell me what I should do!”
The big blonde reined in and regarded her skeptically. “No. You tell me what you should do.”
Jen floundered. “Me?? I …” She drew back, her brow furrowing. Thoughts of Dad’s actions again flooded her mind, scandalizing her, incensing her. Last round was the worst he’d ever done to her, by FAR! The insolence; the betrayal! Nothing else even came close!
And yet … hadn’t she felt a similar way, when she’d first met Bridgette? She’d arrived at Bridgette’s cabin angry and furious, but had left feeling almost like a different person entirely. How had she done it? What had Bridgette taught her?
“Strength,” Jen muttered, the recognition flooding back to her. “I have to be stronger. Strong enough to stay in control of my emotions. And not let anything get to me.” Her throat tightened. “Not even my dad.”
“Yes,” said Bridgette. “A Mighty needs toughness, not just here”—she thumped Jen’s newly-swollen arm. “But also here.” She thumped Jen’s chest next, just above her heart.
Strength. Toughness. Jen nodded slowly. But even as she did, thoughts of her dad seeped in again; all his idiotic, ridiculous screw-ups! “I … I just can’t fucking forgive him, though!” she raged, surging with anger again. “I can’t! I won’t!”
As Jen’s words hung in the air, the previously silent Lola stepped up. “Nor should you,” she opined.
Jen looked up at her in surprise. Even Bridgette cocked her brow. But Lola patted the tall blonde’s shoulder and smiled. “Keeping control of her emotions doesn’t mean she has to forgive anything. Sometimes a man has to face … consequences … for his actions.”
Jen gasped, but Bridgette regarded Lola pensively. “Oh?” She pursed her lips then shrugged. “I know little of these things. What I tell my Mouse, he does. Nothing else is needed.”
“Well, not all Mice are as amenable as your brother, Bridgette. I hate to say it, Jen, but your father requires a more direct handling, if you’re to have any hope next round.”
Jen gaped. She felt almost queasy. “You’re talking as … as if he’s …”
“As if he’s your sidekick, and you’re his leader. Which you are. Maybe you won’t be tomorrow, or the next day; but today, that’s your role. So the burden is on you to do what is needed.”
Jen’s eyes whirled to Bridgette, and Alice. Bewilderingly, neither of them raised any objection! She returned her quavering gaze to Lola. “W-What do you want me to do?” she practically whispered.
Lola leaned in and nodded reassuringly. “I have a few ideas.”
* * *
Alice stepped into the hallway a minute later, frowning heavily. Each of Lola’s ‘ideas’ had been more troubling than the last, from verbal tongue-lashings to some much more … physical …
“You disagree?” Lola asked, as she and Bridgette came out to meet her. The girl was still inside, staring intensely at the floor, lost in thought.
Alice pondered, then sighed. “No. I’d hoped these two would slip into their roles more naturally -- but you’re right, Jen has to do something. Give him a talking to, at the very least. Theo just isn’t going to get there on his own. Although … Hmm …” Alice snapped her fingers in realization. “I know who could help make this easier.”
“Who?”
“Two ladies very good at getting their point across. Who could set him in the right frame of mind before Jen even arrives.”
“The Panthers,” Lola realized.
“Bingo.” Alice took off down the hall. “Give me a few minutes, then bring Jen along.”
* * *
Theo peeked through the blinds again, seeing a wall of purple – the middle of one of the Panthers’ backs. Christ. He’d been in here several minutes already; but they’d already ignored multiple attempts on his part to get their attention, tapping on the glass, knocking on the door … He could do nothing but stand here, hearing nothing but their muted voices – and the occasional dull rumble that seemed to emanate from the walls. The audience, he realized. Mae and Bobby had either started their round, or were soon about to.
How long would they keep him here? Why were they—
Wait. A new sound, from the hallway – the dulled *tap-tap-tap* of high heels. Alice? Was that her? He pressed his face to the glass, but the newcomer was standing just out of sight. Her muffled voice was less deep than the Panthers’, but that could be said of anyone. Another try at the doorknob got him nowhere. “Hey!” he called, his frustration mounting. “Who’s out there? Someone tell me something!”
*Tap-Tap-Tap* The heels again. Now, the immovable doorknob turning; the door opening, so fast that he had to hastily jump clear. “Yes, ma’am,” the Panther’s bassy voice called, as her meaty legs swung right into the room.
He was done waiting for answers. As soon as Panther number one swept by, Theo slipped toward the door and—
“Oomph!” A purple arm caught him right across the chest before he’d even taken his second step. A boisterous laugh accosted his ears, as his body whooshed off the ground and soon landed on something hard. His head whirled around. She’d sat him right on the conference room table!
The Panther who’d carried him gazed down upon him with a … smirk? Did she think this was funny?! The first Panther spared him a brief snort as she resumed what she was doing: turning on the TV, of all things.
“Hey, what is going on?” he grunted, trying to shuffle away from Panther Two, but her freaking hand wouldn’t let him. “Who was that? Was that Alice?” Why wouldn’t Alice come see him? Was she mad at him? “When is the next round starting? Let me—urfff—I demand to see Alice right now!!”
“Remarkable,” Panther One idly mused, flipping through channels.
That’s all they said to him. Damn it. “What is?” he bit.
Panther One turned and, once again, spoke to the other Panther, right over his head. “Alice. Us. The next round. This little Mouse seems to worry about everything except what really matters.”
Theo squirmed again. “And what is that?”
As the Panthers exchanged a knowing glance, Panther Two brusquely patted his shoulder and leaned down. “The one thing that’s most important for any Mouse, of course. The one thing that should always be foremost in his little mind.” The brute leaned farther, to whisper chillingly in his ear: “Keeping his Mighty happy.”
“Yes,” chimed the other Panther. “That should come before all else … if he knows what’s good for him.”
A strong shiver came over him; he couldn’t help it. “Wh…What do you mean?”
Panther One found the channel she was seeking: a closed circuit airing of Mighty and Mouse, broadcasted live from just a few doors down. Team Super Mom was in front of the starting gate; Mae was smiling warmly, patting her son’s shoulders, encouraging him. “What a kind soul, Mae is,” the Panther commented.
“So easygoing, so supportive,” chimed Panther Two.
“Not at all like Jen, is she? Jen’s more like … what was that Mighty’s name? … Galaxia. Episode Four. Remember her?”
“Mmm. I was going to say the Toxic Maiden, Episode Two.”
“Yessss… Fiery and tempestuous, just like Jen. Remember what she did to her Mouse, after the show?”
Panther Two looked around. “It was here, wasn’t it – in this very room? She drew the blinds and told us to wait outside.”
“Yes, she did. Even put the TV on high to drown out the sounds.”
“Pfff. As if anything could muffle that spanking…”
Theo nearly coughed up his breakfast. “What?!” His eyes darted. “You’re bullshitting, right?”
Both Panthers just stared at him. Eerily. Not even a smirk.
He gulped. “C’mon …” He refused to believe it. He wouldn’t! “Y-you’re telling me you just stood outside, while … while she … ?”
“It’s starting,” said Panther Two, totally ignoring him as she nodded at the screen, where Mae and Bobby rushed through the starting gate. “We’d better give this Mouse time to think. And prepare.”
“Lord knows he needs it. I swear Jen looked twice as upset as Toxic Maiden.”
“Or more. But who knows; maybe a few minutes of corrective action might do him some good.”
Theo’s face turned pasty white. “S…Seriously, guys … quit screwing around …”
Another wry, quizzical stare from both of them. “Odd,” Panther One mused, tilting her head, “he really doesn’t seem to understand how this world works now, does he?”
Panther Two’s big shoulders shrugged as she withdrew from the table. “Well, he’ll find out soon enough. Let’s clear out; she’ll be here any minute.”
A strangled noise left his throat. “Wh…Who?” he croaked, his heart thumping.
“Yes,” agreed Panther One. “We’d hate to intrude.” Raising the TV volume to a more audible level, she followed her counterpart out the door.
He hopped off the table; scampered forward. “W-Who’s coming?” his voice rasped. He received only a chuckle before the door closed in his face.
His knees wobbled. His hand went to his mouth, stifling his worry, his disbelief.
*Gasp*… The Panthers strode right past the window, walking away – they weren’t even guarding the room anymore! They knew he couldn’t get out. Jen was on her way … and they were leaving him to fend for himself!!
“Wh … What kind of crazy, f*#&$ed up place is this!?!” he screeched, dropping his hand to his heart, trying not to hyperventilate. “Where grown men can be spanked, and no one bats an eye!!”
But it was so much worse than that. He almost swooned, realizing his daughter would be the one doing it. His daughter! “Holy christ!!” He grabbed the doorknob and pulled, jiggled, heaved it for all he was worth. He panted and caught his breath, then tried again. It was completely useless!!
“Super Mom keeps moving fast, folks,” called Sally, on the TV, “but her Mouse is stealing the show!”
“Night and day, compared to the last Mouse, Sally. This one took that initial bottle of Skinny Mouse, making him light enough to sail through the tube course with ease! No need for his Mighty to bail him out and waste valuable time; not like with that last Mouse we saw! Just look at him blitz along!”
Theo took his eye off the hallway long enough to glance at the screen. What? Already!? Bobby had reached the maze even faster than Mae! Gradually, Theo’s nervous attention shifted more and more to watching his opponent dink and dunk through the underground passage, so light on his feet compared to Theo’s bumbling, careening endeavors.
“Shit…”
Bobby even recognized the importance of his Mighty, and waiting for her to directions, so much faster than Theo had too. Where Theo had stumbled blindly into the unknown, again and again, Bobby waited at every turn, watching attentively, reacting to Mae’s instructions with the unhesitating obedience of a dutiful son.
And while Mae lacked the surprising flair and athleticism shown by Jen, the woman had started the round thirty damned pounds heavier than her rival Mighty. She lifted the gate for Bobby all on her own, on just her second freaking try!
“She needs no power-ups, Bhumi! No time-wasting diversions. Super Mom is already super enough!”
But make no mistake about it: teamwork, and Bobby’s quickness, were where their team’s true advantage lay. Watching them close out the maze, you could tell that this was how the game was supposed to work. Two competitors working in tandem, working in harmony; no yelling, no arguments, no million little slowdowns that plagued him and Jen every step of the way.
“Round One’s not even complete yet, but surely Team Super Mom already has victory well in hand!” Bhumi predicted. “I just don’t see how Team Wonder Jen could overtake them at this rate.” And there was no other argument to be made as Bobby freaking slipped right through the narrow opening at the end of the maze; he didn’t even need the Skinny Mouse that Mae airdropped to him, but he took it anyway – and tiptoed across the tunnel without falling in even once.
Theo felt the full weight of his own stupidity crashing down on himself. He was an idiot, a goddamned idiot, for daring to think that he could win this game his way. He’d already felt this after running the course himself; but seeing the startling difference between his and Bobby’s performance only cemented it further in his mind.
He had cost his team their chance at victory today. There was no other way around it. Countless seconds, or even entire minutes, of clock time had been wasted by his arrogance. Alice was right. She’d tried to tell him, but he’d ignored her.
No wonder Alice was mad at him, refusing to see him after the round. No wonder she and the Panthers were just leaving him here to his fate. To face the consequences. From Jen.
And maybe I deserve it, too. That thought staggered him, as he went to turn off the TV. He needed time to think, to find a way out of this.
But as the screen went black … she was there. Jen. In the reflection. Standing behind him.
“Holy shit!” he screeched, whirling, as his big daughter advanced.
Jen had thought she was in control of her emotions. She’d thought she would take Lola’s first suggestion, sticking to words only. But the moment she saw Dad, her anger flared out of control. Words were no longer enough! Not for him. Blinded by rage, she surged forward, intent on grabbing him, to unleash a more satisfying, physical vengeance ...
“I-I’ll do everything you say!!” the little mouse-man screeched, before she got there. “You’re the boss!! PLEASE!!!”
Jen gasped, seeing how Dad cowered from her. His voice had held an urgency like never before. He was truly, genuinely terrified of her.
Whoa. She came to her senses just enough to stay her hand.
“Wh-Whatever you want me to do, I-I’ll do it!” his oddly shrill voice babbled, his raised arms shaking. “I swear! Just … just please … don’t …”
He believed she would hit him. And truthfully, if he’d still acted like an insufferable dweeb just now, she would have. Hell, she might have taken Lola’s last advice and spanked him till he howled!
But she had never seen him like this. This was different. At least for now, the arrogant jerk was gone. All she saw before her was a cowering, quivering mouse.
She opened her mouth to speak – but even that made him flinch. Dude… he was so afraid of her. And she could guess why, given where his eyes kept darting to. Her shoulders, so much wider than his. Her arms, so big it made his look like actual twigs. Holy crap, he was scrawny! And short, too – his eyes barely even as high as her armpits.
She could hardly imagine how she must look, to him. No wonder he was afraid.
And she realized, slowly, how much power this gave her over him. Just by standing there, planning her next words, she could see his anxiety growing. It felt so vindicating! Her pulse started to race, considering: wouldn’t it feel even better to grab him, and really make him regret …
No! She stopped herself just in time. Remember what Bridgette said! I have to control myself! Otherwise, she might end up regretting her own actions too.
So she folded her arms and stared down at him suspiciously, instead. “I’m the boss?” she said, repeating his words.
He looked like a trapped rat, hemmed in between her and the wall, his eyes jumping around frantically. “Y-Yes,” he confirmed, nodding his head.
“You’ll do what I say?”
“Yes,” he croaked, nodding again.
Clearly he felt cramped, but Jen didn’t back up an inch. “Why should I believe you, this time?” she asked dubiously.
“B … Because I learned my lesson. You were right. I was wrong. I see that now!”
Was he just saying that to save his hide? Maybe. But she had to trust he’d be different now.
“To be clear,” she pressed, raising her fist, “No arguing. No dragging your feet. We don’t have any time to waste.” She chewed her lip, tamping her anger … “And if you see a bottle, you drink it. Or give it to me. No hesitation.”
But he hesitated, right then. Seriously? She braced for a confrontation, tensing her arms.
Perhaps her flexing was what suddenly changed his tune. “Y-Yes!” he blurted immediately. “Of course!”
Rrrghhhh. “You’d freaking better,” she growled, heading for the door.
“Wait -- so you’re not going to … to …?”
She turned to see relief written all over his face. He really had been expecting punishment. Right here and now.
Well, sparing him for now didn’t mean she would spare him later. She gathered her thoughts for a moment then squared herself to him with full, brutal honesty. “This game show is the most important thing in the world to me,” she admitted, through clenched teeth. “And I’ll do anything to make sure we do our best.” Her jaw quivered. “If that means laying out consequences, to motivate you … t-then so be it. If you so much as slack off for one second … or give up … or ignore what I say …” Her whole body shook now, with momentous conviction. “… I will punish you. Physically.” She smacked her fist into her palm. “Hard.”
She saw her dad slump against the wall, melting against it in fright. She’d felt almost queasy saying it, herself. But he was the actual stubbornest man alive, and this show meant so, so much to her … so she just couldn’t leave it to chance. She literally saw no other choice.
And if he screwed the team up again next round, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself anyway. Lord only knows what she’d do.
* * *
It’d taken Theo extreme effort just to follow Jen out the room. He trailed after her now in the hallway, keeping twenty if not thirty feet between him and that glinting armor of hers, those gold and red boots pounding the floor with her determined strides. Holy FUCK! He couldn’t believe that last exchange. He followed after her, like a convict following the hangman to his own execution.
She wasn’t pretending, either. The look he’d seen in her eyes, when she’d first entered … She’d truly come within a hair’s breadth of snatching him, maybe smacking him around; maybe bending him over his knee and spanking him, like the Panthers had suggested! In fact, it seemed certain that the only reason she hadn’t yet, was so he wasn’t hobbled for the next round. Jeezum crepes!!!
All those foolish plans he’d had, to beat the system, to attack this game show on his own terms … he had to abandon those completely; immediately! It wasn’t about winning anymore, or looking good while doing it. Self-preservation – that was now his one and only goal. Getting through today. And surviving the aftermath. Damage control. That was all that mattered.
He glimpsed the Panthers, after several turns down the hall. They hadn’t just stayed away; they’d even stayed out of earshot. Giving Jen total privacy to do with him whatever the hell she’d pleased. And—
And there was Alice, standing next to them, chatting. She fell silent upon seeing Jen and Theo approach. All three of them seemed to be eyeing them now – him, most of all. Casually, the Panthers fell in step around him on either side, studying him with wry, amused grins, coming to their own conclusions about what had transpired. Alice, at least, spared a worried glance for him. But she winced, as if admitting that whatever was done, was done. And without even a word to either of them, she faced forward and walked at Jen’s side.
Not even Alice would come to his aid! Not after he’d ditched his girlfriend’s advice last round. Not after he’d botched it, and screwed up his team. She was mad at him for sure. And that meant he really and truly was on his own. He would have to face Jen after this, alone.
His spirits sank even more as the buzz of the crowd grew closer. Oh, how he’d dreamed of bathing in their cheers, basking in their adoration as he led his team to victory! Imagine the reward, too: privileged access to that sweet, sweet Apo-Reverso. Several inches of permanent height boost – yes, please! Plus the chance to compete in next week’s Tournament of Champions, for even more Apo-Reverso. He’d be the towering tank of a man he used to be, or even beyond.
But he could kiss those dreams goodbye, now. His only solace was that the Apo-Amplifier potions they’d taken today, and in the past two weeks – they weren’t permanent. You have to keep taking more doses every few days or so, or everything you’d taken would start wearing off. That restoration process would take days itself, maybe even weeks, but eventually he’d be back to his respectable, sturdy, 5’10” self again.
And Jen would return, wonderfully, to being a frail, defenseless twig.
Oh, how he yearned for that day …
But he couldn’t think about that. Not now. Not with his daughter’s powerful glutes firing with every step, her broadened back rippling, her arms hardened with muscle. Not with his own body so … meager. Not while he stood a full head and shoulders shorter than her.
Could he just … tuck tail and run? Escape far away from here, forfeiting this next hopeless round?
A dry laugh escaped his lips. Gallows humor. The two enormous purple-clad brutes had him surrounded, and the thought of him getting free of them was almost comical. And even if he insisted – and succeeded -- on bowing out of the contest … what then?
Then he would still have to face Jen. And it’d be days and days before the doses wore off. He shuddered. No … he had no choice but to stick this through.
At last they reached the side of the arena, just outside of the lights. Alice spoke into her earpiece, then turned to Jen. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Jen merely replied, her voice gruff and her jaw clenched. Theo tried to hang back, but the Panthers, ermm, dissuaded him from that, with a forceful nudge from behind. By the time they stepped into the lights, it was all four of them in a line – the Panthers on the flanks, and him right next to Jen with her face darker than a stormcloud.
Ahead of them, Mae and Bobby were stepping down from the scales. a32;a32; “That’s only a modest gain for Super Mom,” a32;a32; Bhumi commented. a32;a32; “A single Mighty Power, and that’s it.” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Ah, but she didn’t need the extra bottles last round. Each of those were well off the beaten path, and securing them would’ve wasted substantial time. Given the massive lead they’ve accrued, I’d say it was the right call.” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Yes, well, we expect the Mighty to be the star of every team; but in Super Mom’s case, her Mouse actually stole the show! He nabbed nearly every bottle available – two Skinny Mouses and a Shorty Mouse – which not only will benefit him next round, but worked wonders for him in Round One too.” a32;a32;
Alice touched her earpiece, then: “Go, go, go!” And the group of four plunged into the bright, blinding light.
* * *
The crowd buzzed as Team Wonder Jen stepped off the scales. a32;a32; “Wonder Jen gained twenty-four pounds! Some of that’s from her extra height, but the rest is pure muscle.” a32;a32;
Jesus. Maybe Theo was right to feel intimidated …
a32;a32; “An inch taller than Super Mom now! And so very athletic. Ack … such a shame her Mouse is so bloated.” a32;a32;
Bloated? They call 115 pounds ‘bloated’?!
a32;a32; “It’s really his height that’s an issue,” a32;a32; Sally elaborated. a32;a32; “The two Skinny Mouse bottles helped, but he flat-out missed the Shorty Mouse in the maze. Blitzed right past it.” a32;a32;
What? Where??
a32;a32; “Easy to miss that, in the dark. Yet another reason he should’ve waited for Wonder Jen to roll the roof away!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Yes, well, if we play ‘shoulda-woulda-coulda’ with all his mistakes last round, we’ll be here all morning, Bhumi!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Ha! Quite right.” a32;a32;
Jen didn’t look at him. But she seemed furious, as they headed toward the stage. Sally came down from the booth to shake Mae’s hand and pat Bobby’s head, engaging in small talk. Jen … twitched, as they reached the foot of the stage. Then finally her fiery eyes turned down to Theo.
“Let me do the talking,” she ordered, gruff as can be. “All of it.”
“Um…” Theo began nervously …
Until Jen’s eyes sharpened, her voice a growl: “Not. A. Freaking. Word.”
With a gulp, Theo nodded and followed Jen up the steps.
Sally waved them toward her. Crap, dude … he’d forgotten just how tall Sally was.
“Let’s hear it for Team Super Mom!” she boomed through the microphone, over the enthusiastic yells of the crowd.
“And Team Wonder Jen!”
The yells lessened.
“I would say last but not least, except … well, we all know the hill they must climb. Let’s see some highlights, if we can stomach it.”
The screen above the stage lit up with flashback after flashback. Jen climbing the wall like a mountain goat. Theo … struggling. Jen ducking under obstacles; jumping; hurdling. Whoa … he hadn’t seen that part. She really had been impressive from the start …
As Theo, meanwhile, started off abysmally and only got worse. Dear god … his blunders looked even worse on screen than they’d felt in the moment. And Jen, standing next to him, began tightening her jaw. Some of this was new to her, the full extent of his sabotage only now hitting her for the first time. Her hands started clenching and unclenching, her biceps quivering -- as if she were now regretting letting him leave that conference room unscathed. He inched farther and farther from her, keeping a wary distance …
Jesus, but Jen’s performance last round was truly astonishing, seeming all the more impressive as Mae’s highlights played next. Even at a size disadvantage, Jen had still outperformed her rival handily, her every move decisive, not a single moment or ounce of effort wasted. Mae seemed almost a lumbering, indecisive klutz by comparison.
That just goes to show how incredibly, terribly badly Theo had performed – that, despite all Jen’s dauntless efforts, their team was still wildly, unwinnably far behind.
Wait … but what’s this? Theo hadn’t seen how Mae’s round had ended. While marveling at the effects of a Mighty Power she had just drunk, Mae’s heel had caught on the side of a raised ledge and she tumbled off it, rolling clumsily down a slope and making her backtrack, retracing a circuitous path to the top before she finally landed atop the tunnel.
As the highlight reel faded away, Sally let out a loud ‘Awwww’ in real time. “An unfortunate blemish on an otherwise impressive round,” she consoled. “Bet you’re kicking yourself for that, huh?”
You could see the extra meat on Mae’s bones now, as she ran a hand through her hair and wistfully laughed. “I’m such a buffoon!” she good-naturedly joked.
“Well, even the most remarkable of Mighties mess up from time to time. But even with that bit of lost time, you still have a tremendous lead.” She leaned in dramatically. “Team Super Mom: your time of four minutes and fifty nine seconds … was almost SEVENTY seconds faster than your opponents!”
Mae gasped and cheered even louder than the crowd. Whirling, she scooped up her gleeful son and bounced him with joy. “Yippeeee!!” Bobby exclaimed with arms upraised.
“You two look like the contest has already been won,” Sally beamed. “Which … well, let’s put it this way: no team has ever come back from being even half that far behind. Super Mom: what’s your approach, going into this final round?”
Mae set her son down affectionately in front of her and, perhaps out of respect for Jen across from her, gave what seemed almost a token response of affected sincerity. “Well, you never know, Sally; so, by golly, I just gotta focus, try hard, and avoid any big mistakes!”
“And your Mouse…?”
Mae beamed down at him with pride. “Bobby? I’m not worried ‘bout him. My little guy is just the best!”
“Little, indeed,” chirped Sally, sidling up to the boy humorously to emphasize their astonishing difference in size. “How’s the weather down there now, hmm?” she hummed down to him, in the way grownups often would speak to someone much younger.
“It’s great!” Bobby cheered.
“You enjoyin’ your new, smaller size?”
Bobby bubbled uncontrollably. “I love it -- yippeee!!” So much, in fact, that he lifted his arms as if for Sally to pick him up.
Sally laughed aloud and held him at bay amusedly with a nudge of her hand. “Maybe later, sweetie. Say – if you win, I’ll even toss you in the air. How’s that?”
*Gasp* “Really?!”
“You bet.”
“Pinky swear?”
Sally humored him in that most juvenile of vows, chuckling along with the crowd. Patting his masked head, her eyes turned to hunt for the other Mouse. Theo.
“Tsk … what are you doing way over there?” she asked saucily, hand on her hip.
Indeed, he’d shuffled a good two arms’ lengths away from the glowering Jen, by now. Just … you know … just to be sure.
And when he didn’t come closer, Sally came to him – one sideways scoot at a time, making funny noises each time and cracking a cheeky grin. She didn’t stop until she was right beside him, her hip practically touching his elbow. “You’re not so little, are you?” she said, in the same lilting, embarrassing tone she’d used for Bobby! “Why, I thought Mice were supposed to be shorter, aren’t they?”
Strange thing to hear, from someone whose tits were as high as your head! He faltered, trying to think of something to say … and then remembered Jen’s command.
*Gulp*…
“Awww… so shy?” Sally’s brow wrinkled in amusement. “You didn’t seem that way during the round. In fact, you seemed quite loud-mouthed about your silly convictions. Didn’t you?”
His body temperature rose to a hundred and ten. He yearned to speak up against this bloody skyscraper of a woman and defend his honor! But he caught a sharp, hard glare from Jen and held his tongue.
This only amused Sally more. “C’mon, sweetie!” she practically cooed. “It’s OK to admit when you’re wrong. Did you learn your lesson, hmm? Maybe be a little smarter next round?”
Theo gasped. The disparaging glint in her eye, the blatant demeaningness of her tone – all caught on national TV! And yet Jen, nearby, looked ready to kill him if he said a word…
“Oh!” Sally said, finally catching the direction of his glance, finally piecing it together. “I seeeeee. Your Mighty gave you a bit of a talking to, didn’t she? A little attitude-adjustment, shall we say?”
“A--!?” Jesus Christ! Mae was grinning; the crowd was laughing … How he managed to keep his mouth shut after that, was practically a miracle!
Just as he was calculating whether his fist could reach those pearly white teeth of hers, Sally gave over and tried her luck with his teammate instead. “How ‘bout you, Wonder Jen? Care to comment?”
Jen hardly looked at the tall hostess; just kept her eyes straight ahead, like laser beams staring into the dark. “We’re focused,” she growled. “We’re ready.”
“That’s it?” griped Sally. “Nothing else? About your Mouse, or …?”
“No,” Jen flatly replied.
“What about the way you fled the stage after Round 1? I’m sure a lot of folks would love to hear what was going through your mind.”
Jen’s face twitched but she stayed strong. “That’s over now. We’re concentrating on Round Two.”
“I’m impressed, Jen. How’ve you changed your tone so quickly?”
Jen crossed her arms gruffly. “I got good advice from some friends.”
“Oh? Who?”
Jen just shrugged.
“Well … you think you’ll win?”
Jen crossed her arms gruffly and stared intensely, ominously. “We’ll go hard.”
Sally, realizing that’s all she’d get out of Jen, cursed under her breath and moved off. “OK then! …What a talkative team.” You could almost see the annoyance behind Sally’s smile. “Are you ready, folks?!”
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“Are you REAAALLY reader?!”
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“Alright! Just quick commercial break, and we’ll be back for today’s second and final round of …”
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