Elaine’s frightening sternness; Alice’s startling beauty and confidence; Lola’s jaw-dropping physicality. Any one of these was almost more than Theo could handle; but he swore Jen was showing shades of all three at once. All wrapped up into on bewildering, disconcerting, intimidating package …
“Hurry!”
Her sharp voice made him run like the dickens, trailing her buxom form down the short passageway into an antechamber. This last Mighty Power she’d taken was reaalllly messing with his head. A…At least she hadn’t punished him yet. At least there’s that. He—“Wh-What the…?”
On the wall to his left: a full-sized, two-dimensional cartoon of a Mighty, buxom and strong. Extending from her arms – and jutting from the wall – were two real-life boxing gloves for Jen to take. Real but comically, ludicrously oversized, each one bigger than Jen’s whole torso.
She started to put one on; the thing swallowed her arm past the elbow. But she paused, seeing the other drawing on the wall: a diminutive, smiling cartoon mouse wearing some sort of helmet with a big push-button on top. A real-life version of the helmet sat on a pedestal alongside, the button glowing yellow.
“Umm…”
“Here,” Jen insisted, dropping the glove and lifting the helmet. Ignoring his misgivings, she rammed it down onto his head, fastening it around his mouse ears. He blushed, trying his best not to look at the bigger-than-ever breasts hovering right in his face…
a32;a32; “Come on, Team Super Mom!!” a32;a32;
Jen fastened the clasps, securing his helmet in place and buffeting him about in the process. Then she hastily put on her ginormous gloves. *Whoom! Whoom!* They buzzed through the air ominously as she waved them about, testing them. “They’re so light,” she marveled.
Theo gulped. They looked more like giant sledgehammers, if you asked him.
A bullseye target stood in the middle of the wall ahead of them. With a frown, Jen wound up and … *POW!* She walloped the target with one loud punch. With a mechanical click and pneumatic hiss, it opened right down the middle and rolled away to either side.
a32;a32; “Team Wonder Jen enters the next phase: Holey Whack-a-Moley!” a32;a32;
Theo gawped at the floor ahead of them, pockmarked with some two dozen round holes, each a little more than a foot wide. Scattered around the holes and sticking up from the floor were numerous small push-buttons, glowing the same yellow hue as his helmet. Much like the yellow on Mae’s superhero suit, in fact.
Team Super Mom’s room was visible alongside theirs, separated by a long plexiglass wall. Their rooms were identical, except that their buttons glowed a deep burgundy red – which matched Jen’s armor.
a32;a32; “Ever seen a real-life game of Whack-a-Mole, Bhumi?” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “No,” a32;a32; laughed Bhumi. a32;a32; “But I think we’re about to!” a32;a32;
Theo’s hand moved to the button on his head. “Oh fuck,” he realized loudly.
a32;a32; “That’s right, little Theo,” a32;a32; Sally jeered. a32;a32; “You and Bobby are the Moles.” a32;a32;
“Ohhhh FUCK!”
The entire crowd seemed to laugh at once, seeing his expression. a32;a32; “Team Wonder Jen is red; Team Super Mom is yellow. C’mon, Mole: do what you do best, and burrow underground! Get over there and start hittin’ your team’s buttons around the floor, as many as you can! Two points apiece, till you get to forty.” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Be quick, though: you lose a point each time the enemy Mighty bops you on the head!” a32;a32;
“This is insane!”
“It’ll be fine!” his overdeveloped daughter decreed.
“But—”
He didn’t get a chance to protest. Two massive gloves prodded him from behind, herding him unstoppably right over the nearest hole. With an alarmed screech, he fell right through, bumping his butt and tail along the way. He plunged knee-deep into a sea of dark foam padding and clumsily fell on his face.
“Get over there!” Jen roared down. She figured, if she expected him to follow her orders, she’d better make those orders explicit. “Hit buttons till I say otherwise!”
Theo gulped, starting across the dim underground cavern of uneven, spongy terrain. It yielding beneath him wherever he put his weight. Like crawling across the world’s biggest, fluffiest pillow, making the trek ten times harder. The yellow glow from his helmet lit his way as he made for the holes on Mae’s side of the room.
a32;a32; “Team Super Mom is almost through the junkyard!” a32;a32; Sally’s voice echoed, from above. Let’s hope Wonder Jen’s Mole can rack up a few easy points before things get a lot harder!” a32;a32;
It took forever, but at last he reached the closest hole on Mae’s side. Panting, he tried to stand too quickly; his feet sank in and he toppled over. Regrouping, he rose more carefully, teetering on the foam, and got his elbows through the hole, poking his head through.
a32;a32; “The Mole appears!” a32;a32;
His face flushed red. Jesus Christ! He really did fell like one of the moles in that stupid carnival game. The audience laughed, and laughed …
“Button, to your left!”
He swiveled his head to find burly Jen pressed against the plexiglass. A narrow slit ran the length of the glass just below head height, allowing Jen’s voice to carry through. “Hit it!”
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “RAHHH!!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
a32;a32; “Team Super Mom is through the Junkyard!! a32;a32;
“Ack!” He slapped the button with his palm. A crisp *DING!* sounded through the arena as the button went dark. A counter on the far wall on Jen’s side lit up with a big ‘02’.
a32;a32; “Each button’s worth two points; when a team reaches forty, they move on! a32;a32;
a32;a32; “The Mighties’ only rule is: no taking off those gloves!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Speaking of which: Super Mom is putting hers on! a32;a32;
“Next hole -- go!” urged Jen emphatically.
He ducked under and crawled, bumbled, clawed his way to the next hole. Two buttons were in reach here. *Slap! Slap!* *DING! DING!* The number six lit up the screen!
But think how fast he could reach the other buttons, if he climbed out of this hole. He could get to forty points in no time! He started to pull his way out, but … dammit, his arms weren’t as strong as they used to be.
“NO!” Jen shouted.
He froze partway up, with his torso out of the hole and half his leg …
“LOOK OUT!!”
He looked back in time to see Mae, her body imposing and her expression fierce! Just when he thought the affable Mae wouldn’t hurt a fly … she raised her giant golden glove in the air and whipped toward him like a huge momma bear on the charge!
“Holy--!” he yelped, scrambling, catching his knee on the hole, coaxing it frantically through …
Too late. Her huge fist descended on him like holy vengeance from above. *KATHOOOOM!!!*
“AIEEEEE!!!“ The glove blasted down on Theo’s head, shooting him downward as if shot from a cannon! He plunged butt-first into the foam and ricocheted sideways, his body whirling and his head spinning.
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “HOOAHH!!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
*Ka-Ching!!* A sound rang out, like Super Mario collecting a coin. The cavern around him was flashing yellow. At first he thought he was seeing stars; but no, it was the light on his helmet, flashing a few times before it reset.
a32;a32; “Did you SEE that, Bhumi!?!! a32;a32;
a32;a32; “She REALLY whacked that mole!!” a32;a32;
Theo groaned, his head still swimming, the towering form of Mae peering down at him with a victorious grin.
a32;a32; “Each successful hit takes a point off the other team’s score. Our moles will have to be extremely careful where they choose to pop up!” a32;a32;
No effing shit! That blow was terrifying!
“Hee-HEE!!!” a jubilant voice squeaked, drawing Theo’s attention. There was Bobby, crawling through the underground passage no more than ten feet away, pointing and laughing at Theo in the most annoying way. “Mommy got you GOOD!!”
Rrrrghhh…
“Bye, buddy!!” Bobby gave a giddy wave and scrambled off, his lighter weight allowing him to traverse the foam with remarkable ease.
“I’m thirty-eight years old!!” Theo hissed. “I’m not your--Ack, forget it!” He crawled clumsily to the next hole over, feeling almost jealous of Bobby’s nimbleness. But Mae was nowhere to be seen. Bouncing a few times, building up momentum, he sprang up through the hole and—
Mae had been lying in wait!! *KATHOOOOM!!!*
“Ahhh!”
*Ka-Ching!*
a32;a32; “Ha HA!!! What a blast!” a32;a32;
Theo looked up from the foam, his face turning ghostly white as the crowd started to chant.
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “WHACK-A-MOLE!! WHACK-A-MOLE!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
Holy christ.
He flinched as Super Mom appeared over the hole, her gloves thumping the ground harrowingly to either side. Her huge gloves were too big for the hole, thank god. But he was starting to associate that genial, smiling face with absolute terror …
“I seeeee you…” she hummed, smiling right at him with absolute delight.
Damn it! This stupid light on his head!
“Come here, little guy! Come to momma.”
He and Mae were the same age! Yet she was speaking to him like he was freaking ten!
She could see him; she could move much faster than him. How the hell was he supposed to--
*KerBLAM!* A giant glove appeared out of nowhere and toppled Super Mom to the floor!
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “WHAAA!!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
a32;a32; “Wonder Jen to the rescue!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Now’s your chance, little Mole – go!!” a32;a32;
Frightened, bewildered, Theo rose through the hole – and that’s when he saw it. A twelve-foot pole, sticking through the slit in the plexiglass, with a big glove affixed to each end. He’d barely noticed it before. But Jen had realized its purpose: using it as a ramrod to interfere with Mae!
*Ding!* He hit the button quickly.
a32;a32; “They’re up to six points again!” a32;a32;
“Drat!” the lumbering Mighty griped, swiping at him but missing as Jen harried her again. “That’s not nice!” she laughed, pushing back on the pole and starting a sort of reverse tug-of-war. A battle of giants; of booming footfalls and ferocious grunts. Cripes! All thought of climbing up to the floor was gone now – he was afraid even to poke his head out. This was no place for a Mouse!
He hastened through the safe underground and rose to the dangerous surface again. Mae stumbled heavily backward, her big boots shaking the ground near his hole. But her attention was still focused on Jen. He capitalized by slapping another buttons. *Ding!* And two more. *Ding Ding!*
a32;a32; “That’s twelve!” a32;a32;
“Hey!” No sooner had Mae turned her head, than the huge fist-pole whammed into her face. Jen was ferocious – that amount of force would’ve sent him flying! For Mae, it barely staggered her to her knee. Still, he felt an odd rush of relief towards Jen. Gratitude, almost. She was saving him! Keeping the terrifying Mae at bay and--
A *Ding!* rang out, but not of Theo’s doing.
a32;a32; “Holey Moley!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “What?” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Another Mole in the Hole-y! Super Mom’s Mole enters the fray!” a32;a32;
*Ding!*
a32;a32; “Twelve to four! Wonder Jen has to react!” a32;a32;
With a sudden outcry, Jen abandoned the pole and whirled to catch Bobby. Damn, she moved like lightning! But that meant …
Oh shit. Mae turned, grinned, and stooped over his hole. He’d long since dropped out of her reach … but with this freaking light on his head, she could still see him! Her lighthearted laughter rained down. “Come out, come out, wherever you aaaare …”
He had to face Mae alone now. Oh hell!
He scrambled to the left -- but his helmet light telegraphed his every move to Mae. He heard heavy footfalls above him, her shadow dimming the hole well before he got there. Groaning, he changed course to a different hole, poking his head out. Damn -- the button was just out of reach! He nervously rose from the hole up to his belly button and almost … reached it …
“Ah!” The genial giant noticed him – and while she wasn’t a natural athlete like Jen, her long, sturdy legs carried her plenty fast. Too ... damned … fast!
*Ka-Ching!* Her glove hit like an anvil and he fell to the foam, dazed. He hadn’t even gotten two points out of it!
a32;a32; “Team Wonder Jen’s Mole is absolutely sluggish compared to his rival Mole!” a32;a32;
“I know, dammit!” Theo vented.
a32;a32; “But Wonder Jen herself is like lightning! Just LOOK at her!!” a32;a32;
Mae thundered off! Theo shook his head straight and peeked out again and—Duuuude … He thought Mae was fast, but his daughter was insane! Twisting, darting, dashing, reacting in an instant to Bobby’s every appearance, scoring more *Ka-Ching*s than Bobby scored *Ding*s – even after Mae took up the pole to help! A few of Mae’s blows landed squarely; others glanced off; and still others were dodged like freaking Neo from The Matrix! A beautiful, flowing choreography, a blend of grace and power, that Theo could never even begin to replicate.
Fucking hell – now Jen somersaulted over the pole and slammed her fist down on Bobby in the same move!
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “WHOOAHH!!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
a32;a32; “One Mighty Height and Three Mighty Powers later: THIS is the Jen we’ve been dying to see!!!” a32;a32;
“Gah!” Theo was staring, slack-jawed – when he should be scoring! *Ding!*
a32;a32; “Thirteen to five!” a32;a32;
More *Ding*s from Theo; *Ding*s and *Ka-Ching*s from the other side, the scoreboard lighting up furiously! Mae scrambled to Theo with fists of vengeance; but as he fled to safety, she returned to help her son! And Theo—
*Dooo-whiiip! Dooo-whiip!* Sirens sounded, and spinning red warning lights bathed the arena.
a32;a32; “What’s this??” a32;a32;
A section of wall pushed outward, to Theo’s right – and another, on Jen’s side. Chutes. And after a moment of stillness: they each deposited a bottle on the ground, clinking and rolling. A round bottle, with purple liquid.
All four contestants froze, stunned.
a32;a32; “Well, SOMEONE had better grab it!!” a32;a32;
Total mayhem broke out. Mae whirled; tripped on her feet. Jen saw this and capitalized, lifting the pole and knocking her rival flat as she tried to get up. “GO!” his Mighty roared. “GET THE BOTTLE!”
Theo’s arms surged, in gut reflex, clumsily but frantically lifting himself through the hole, onto the bright, scary floor—and he ran for all he was worth. Buttons whizzed by underfoot, many of them glowing red. He could stop just a moment and hit them! Think how many he could—
Are you NUTS!?! She gave me a DIRECT ORDER! Just do what she says!
He dashed so fast that he overran the bottle, skidding to the ground, turning back. ACK!—Mae was on the loose! Jen could only delay her so long, and now she charged at Theo like a banshee, bellowing “YOU LITTLE RASCAL!!!” like a war cry, with both fists raised!
He grabbed the bottle with both hands and dashed wildly to the closest hole—but Mae got there first! His feet tried desperately to pump the brakes…
But he slipped in the process, flying to the ground face-first … and by pure, incredible luck, his momentum carried him right between Mae’s thick, burly legs and into the hole behind her!
*Whoosh!* Suddenly his waist lurched, as if pulled by a tether. He looked back just in time to see his Mouse tail slipping through Mae’s clubbed fists. “Drat!” she bemoaned, as gravity brought him the rest of the way through the hole, back to safety, as the crowd roared!
a32;a32; “Sooo close!!” a32;a32;
“JESUS FREAKING--!! GAH!!” he shrieked, curling into a tight ball of frazzled, shivering panic. She’d almost had him in her clutches, never to escape!!
More roars and shouts rose. *Ding!* *Ding!*
a32;a32; “The other Mole’s getting too greedy!” a32;a32;
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “RAAHHH!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
a32;a32; “Wonder Jen smacks the bottle away – far, far away – and nearly catches him too!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Four points scored, but no bottle! A terrible trade! He should’ve taken it and run, like his rival Mole did!” a32;a32;
Theo shuddered, realizing he was still clutching the bottle to his chest in his fright. Gulping, he unfurled his arms and looked at it. Purple. Dear god. He knew what that meant.
The chanting began. a340;(a344;0´)a295; “SHORTY MOUSE!! SHORTY MOUSE!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
a32;a32; “Please tell me Wonder Jen’s Mouse won’t turn this one down! He desperately needs to lose two inches!” a32;a32;
Dear god. He was already only as tall as Jen’s shoulders. If he took this … Christ, he’d be little more than BOOB height to her! Only Lola had ever been that tall compared to him.
And we all saw what that had done to his psyche …
Agh! But he had no freaking choice! Jen would kill him if he didn’t take it! Motivated by pure fear, he popped the cork and gulped the bitter brew down before he had a chance to reconsider.
“Blegh!” He cringed and, to prove to everyone that he’d done it, he tossed the empty bottle up through the hole, clinking onto the floor.
The crowd went wild. a32;a32; “He drank it! It’s a miracle!!” a32;a32;
Whoaaa. Suddenly the sounds grew distant; the crawlspace around him seemed to sway; the hole above warped into an oval in one direction then another, then seemed to zoom out slightly, stretching just a little farther away.
As the psychedelic dizziness faded and the cheers of the crowd came back into focus; as the temporary looseness of his suit vanished again into shrink-wrap tightness; he realized the hole actually was a mite farther away, the foam cavern a little more cavernous—at least, to him.
This was awful, horrible, frightening! And yet … a small part of him felt the tiniest rush of thrill, realizing how his lighter body sank less deeply into the foam, finding himself able to practically moon-walk forward. Quicker, craftier, nimbler … was that entirely a bad thing?
He coughed. What was he saying?! He was a ferocious, in-your-face, indomitable warrior, dammit! Not ‘crafty and nimble’!
Ack! Who was he kidding? Moving quickly, a surprisingly effective bounce trampolined him right up through the next hole.
a32;a32; “Now THAT’S a mole!” a32;a32;
Springy and spry, Theo slapped both buttons in quick succession--*Ding! Ding!*--and was back to safety by the time Mae’s third heavy footstep shook the floor.
a32;a32; “Twenty three, to sixteen!” a32;a32;
“Dag nab it!” Mae pounded the opening with her fist, more in frustration, while Theo was already off to the next hole. He felt a mounting confidence, even an elation, as he bounced along to his next target. He would never, ever admit it, but a part of him liked feeling capable again – even if shrinking was the way he’d done it.
A pair of counter-*Ding*s rang out. a32;a32; “Super Mom’s Mole is clever! Good, because he’d be hopeless against Wonder Jen otherwise!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Can Team Super Mom keep pace??” a32;a32;
Theo gritted his teeth. “I’m the clever one!” he declared, the thrill of competition once again coursing through his veins as he foiled Mae once, twice, thrice! Now he was the brilliant tactician, quick on his feet, with Mae always one step behind. He’d feint toward one hole and appear in another. Next time, he’d feint about feinting, sticking to his original course. HaHA! Feints within feints within—
*KATHOOOOM!!!* It only took one, devastating blow from Mae—outsmarting him, lying in wait—to bring Theo tumbling back to reality.
*Ka-Ching!*
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “WHACK! THAT! MOLE!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
“JEEsus!” To his smaller, shorter frame, that cannon-blast punch had been the hardest hit yet. Elated just moments ago, he was now right back to panicked, desperate survival mode. Turns out, his foe could be pretty damned clever, too.
a32;a32; “Thirty, to twenty-one! Team Wonder Jen NEEDS to pull away – it’s not enough!!” a32;a32;
Jen. He found himself looking off in her direction – wistfully, almost – at mention of her name. He couldn’t see her from down here, but … damn, he could really use her help. She hadn’t taken up the pole in a while now, as if trusting him to handle himself. But … but she did make things so much easier on him, when she helped. He almost wanted her to help him. She …was just … so …
“Gah!” What am I saying?? What was happening to the strong, independent man he once was?
*Dooo-whiiip! Dooo-whiip!* The sirens again! He scrambled to a safer hole, peeked through … but this time, the sirens weren’t on the sides, they were at the end of the room, right in the middle. A section of plexiglass folded away – and out from the wall, up high, a blue bottle emerged on a pedestal, bobbing gently side to side as a bullseye target hung like a pendulum underneath.
Theo gasped. Mae hesitated, torn between harrying him or dashing for that prize.
But Jen had no such hesitation. In a blink, she was already surging forth, flying over buttons and holes. Mae had started out closer, and took off as fast as she could – but Jen’s boots flew like the winged sandals of Hermes as she reached the wall first and gob-smacked the big bullseye with her fist.
The pendulum swung, throwing the pedestal sideways and sending the bottle flying in the air – toward Jen’s side! The teenager backpedaled like an outfielder and somehow caught it in her giant, clunky glove.
a32;a32; “Whoooaaaa!!” a32;a32;
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “MIGHTY HEIGHT! MIGHTY HEIGHT!” a340;(a344;0´)a295; the crowd roared, with enthusiasm like never before.
Improbably, Jen pinched the cork against the thumb of her glove and got the bottle open.
Reality came crashing down on Theo like an anvil. “Oh goddd!” he bemoaned, as she maneuvered the bottle to her lips and drank it down.
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “MIGHTY HEIGHT! MIGHTY HEIGHT!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
God help him. Her body stretched upward … upward … Dear god, NO!!!
Engrossed in the marvel of her own growth, Jen failed to notice Bobby crawling out of his hole, scurrying surreptitiously and *Ding*ing a button. The sound set her off like a greyhound, hurling the bottle aside and launching into the chase!
Theo screeched, seeing the ludicrous speed with which Jen moved. Before, she’d seemed like a video playing at 1.5x speed; now, she moved at a full 2.0. Poor Bobby didn’t even know what hit him; the impossible stretch and speed of her long, long legs carried her up to the boy in what felt like the blink of an eye. “Eeeep!” Bobby yelped, slipping and scrabbling for the nearest hole – but too late. With a calculated lunge, Jen plugged the hole with her outstretched glove!
*Ka-Ching!* went his helmet as his momentum carried him into the side of her glove. The youth tried to roll and scramble away; but what chance did he have? He may be quick as rain, but Jen was quicker than lightning. She surrounded the little Mole with her gloves, hovering over him, cutting off his every attempt at escape.
“BOBBY!” Mae bellowed. Some mothers could lift a car to save their child; others could push a train. But all Mae had was the pole, and a clear line of sight. And with it she unleashed retribution on Jen like no mother had before!
a32;a32; “She knocked Jen clean over!!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Yeah, big momma!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “She’s relentless!” a32;a32;
“You’re all INSANE!” Theo blurted, cupping his hand to his mouth as he watched the carnage in awe. Yet somehow, amidst the barrage, Jen got back on top of Bobby, pinning him, cutting him off, denying his escape! Mae bellowed and knocked Jen off balance again and again -- but still, somehow, Jen persisted! He didn’t know how, but she—
“Come on!” Jen bellowed—at him! “GO GO GO!!”
Holy christ – he was an idiot! Jen was doing all this for him, forcing Mae away so he had a free run! And he was squandering it!!
He climbed, and dashed across the floor, to some of the few remaining lit-up buttons left. *Ding!*
a32;a32; “Thirty-two!” a32;a32;
*Ding!* *Ding!*
a32;a32; “Thirty-four, thirty-six!” a32;a32;, as the loud scuffling and pounding nearby continued.
*Ding!*
a32;a32; “Thirty-EIGHT!” a32;a32;
Forty would end it! Just two points away!! But … but as he whirled around …
“Noooo…” he wheezed, finding no more lit-up buttons near him. The only three left were on the far outer edge, past the last holes. And Mae, just now, abandoned the pole and planted herself in front of them, waiting for him with big, open arms.
“Come here, rascal!” she called, beckoning determinedly with her gloves. There was a fire in her eyes now; one that wasn’t there before. It seemed almost a little bit … unhinged. Crazed.
He could see why. Through the glass wall, he saw Bobby still aboveground but huddling anxiously against the far corner. Jen was facing him, planting herself between him and the holes, mirroring his every move. Likely, she could’ve moved in and captured him by now, but probably she didn’t want to risk him slipping away. Bobby’s eyes kept darting to his mother, but she was much too far away.
It reminded Theo of something he’d seen in his backyard, earlier this spring. A baby bunny rabbit, somehow separated from its mother and calling to her through the fence, its squeaks grew more and more nervous—and the mother more and more frantic—the closer Theo drew. He was just opening the gate, but the rabbits didn’t know that.
Well, right now, Jen was the big, scary intruder, and Bobby was the bunny. *Gulp* … and Mae was the frazzled, crazy-eyed mother rabbit – who, unable to reach her own baby, would do anything she could think of to get him back.
And if that meant attacking her rival’s bunny, in retribution … then that’s exactly what she’d do.
*GULP* “Oh Christ…” He had no better chance of getting past Mae, than Bobby had of getting past Jen. With just a step or two in either direction, Mae could cover all three holes at the drop of a hat. And from the way she held her arms open to him, she didn’t mean to just bop his head. She meant to capture him whole.
a32;a32; “Quite a predicament, here!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “My gosh, I’m LOVING this!!” a32;a32;
Hey! They didn’t know what it was like, down here! Mae was scary from the start, with her big fists and cheesy smile. Now, her smile was a death-stare – and at his diminished size, she was huuuuuge!
The three buttons were spaced just a few feet apart. He could go underground and pop up unexpectedly. Maybe the outer two buttons were in reach of the holes, if he really, really stretched for—
“Don’t!”
Jen’s voice rattled in his ear like a warning bell. His head snapped to her almost … dutifully.
“It won’t work! Stay aboveground!” she commanded, keeping one eye on Bobby as she looked back at him.
Holy hell. And he thought Mae was huge. Jen was gigantic!
His foot withdrew from the hole. His teeth rattled. Maybe she was right. She always seemed to know best. But … but … Oh god. “I…” His voice came out a squeak, like the baby bunny. “I-I need your help!!”
Jen cursed; nodded. She must’ve decided he was right, because she backpedaled toward the pole and grabbed it. Bobby started to creep forward, so she flinched reproachfully, making him reconsider.
Wasting no time, she tested the pole’s range.
a32;a32; “Ooh, the pole baaarely covers the first hole, Sally. Is that gonna be enough?” a32;a32;
Crap! Would it be??
She dropped the pole, chasing Bobby away. “It’s—” he croaked, when she returned. “It’s not enough!”
“It’ll have to be,” she declared. Such loudness, such confidence! He … gosh, he almost started to believe her!
“But—”
“Whatever you do!” she called forcefully, drowning him out. “Keep to the left! Stay where I can reach! Don’t go ANYWHERE else – OK, mister!?”
Wait – her tone was so definitive … but did she just wink at him? She ran off to fend away the increasingly restless Bobby; but when she came back, she repeated, “Stay to the left!”—but did she just wink again?? It was so subtle; he could’ve been imagining it. Mae, at her distance, surely would’ve missed it, even though she certainly heard everything Jen said.
“But,” she added, lowering her tone, “remember what I told you after the Junkyard?”
Of course he goddamned did. Obey her, no matter what. He nervously nodded.
She bit her lip. “Forget it – just this once.”
He sucked in a breath. It all became clear to him. He started toward Mae at a slow, fretful pace. Staying to the left, within the protection of the pole – just as Mae expected. He even saw Mae lick her lips, as she cheated little by little toward the left-hand button. Jen had let Mae overhear their conversation for a reason; and in Mae’s heated state, she wouldn’t see anything else coming.
Theo suddenly froze. What if he was wrong? What if Jen wasn’t hiding a message at all?? He’d be disobeying a direct order, and the thought of that—at her new size, no less!—twisted his stomach in knots.
“Ready…?”
He trembled. OK, Theo. You just have to trust your gut!
“GO!” Jen bellowed, hoisting the pole. Bobby broke for freedom, but Theo rushed toward the gaping maw of Mae’s arms. She braced, readying a leap in front of the left-hand button, preparing herself for Jen’s impending barrage. Theo drew closer, and closer …
And at the last possible instant, planted his little mousy foot and veered to the right! Mae fell for the ruse completely, her arms swiping at the empty space to his left as he perilously past her hulking form—and slapped the button past her foot!
*DingDingDingDing!!*
a32;a32; “That’s forty!!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “My WORD! What did we just see!?!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Trickeration! Cunning! Oh my!!” a32;a32;
Sirens wailed as Theo doubled over, catching his breath. He couldn’t believe that worked! Jen was a genius!
a32;a32; “The score’s locked in at forty to twenty-six!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “On to the next obstacle – Moles, return to your Mighties!” a32;a32;
He looked left – and Jen was beaming! Oh thank god … he’d read her right, after all! Relief washed over him; but also … pride? At not letting her down?
That… was a weiiiird thing to feel …
a32;a32; “Team Wonder Jen moves on imminently! Team Super Mom has to wait – a three-second delay for each point behind! We’ll start the countdown as soon as--” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “Ack! What’s this??” a32;a32;
Focused on Jen, Theo didn’t see the golden fists advancing behind him until it was too late. A surprised yelp turned into flat-out panic as the brawny woman bear-hugged him and lifted him way off the floor!
“P…Put me down!” he shrieked, facing forward, his arms pinned between her biceps but his legs kicking. “J-Jesus, lady!! I—Urghhfff…”
Her hard arms squeezed the air from his lungs like a deflating balloon, his torso sinking deep into her bosomy chest, as her lips appeared beside his ear. “You. Little. Rascal.” Her tone was eerie; stern. “You just think you’re soooo clever, don’t’cha?”
a32;a32; “What is she doing!?!” a32;a32;
Tremors shot through her body and into him – she started walking! Carrying him toward … the glass wall … Oh GOD, she was strong!!
Jen ran up to the glass, looking startled. “Hey! Put him down!”
Mae laughed – then, still holding him tight, slipped her left glove off and then her right, dropping them to the floor as she continued to walk. But now, with hands free, she had the dexterity to rotate him around to face her, holding him under his armpits and letting his feet dangle.
“Well,” she said ominously … then suddenly smiled. “You really are clever! That was very nicely done.”
He gasped. She was back to her genial, jovial self again, the heat of their last battle already passing away.
“Your Mighty, too,” she went on. “Very, very impressive.” And without any warning, she pecked his cheek with a kiss!
The audience gasped, and then: a340;(a344;0´)a295; “Awwwwww…!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
“Now up you go, sweetie – good luck with the rest!”
a32;a32; “Gosh – she’s just giving him a hand!” a32;a32; Sally exclaimed, as Mae lifted him and set his butt on the glass! The section of glass that had opened up for the Mighty bottle, earlier.
a32;a32; “What cute sportsmanship!” a32;a32;
“Wh..Wha--?” Theo sputtered. “Buuu--”
Oh my god. Jen was behind him. No. …NO!!
Jen’s hands were already sliding under his armpits. His face turned a dark beet red as his own effing daughter pulled him through the opening – and lowered him to his feet!
He nearly fainted. His worst dreams were now realized. Jen – buxom, powerful Jen – loomed over him like no one had before. Perhaps not even Lola herself. The sight of it twisted his insides; wracked his mind into a frightened, shell-shocked mess …
And sent a sudden jolt of excitement right through his core.
He couldn’t help it!! She seemed not merely Jen anymore, but someone beyond. A towering, terrifying, large-than-life alter ego of the scrawny girl she used to be. And she appealed powerfully to all his most shameful proclivities: his lust for tall, beautiful women, which Alice had cultivated in him so skillfully; the breathless marvel and awe he’d learned in the presence of Lola, and her pure, raw feminine power …
His Mighty didn’t simply remind him of those other women now. She had both of these qualities in dizzying, surreal, gut-wrenching combination. The sheer ease with which she hoisted Bobby over the glass barrier; the measured poise and strength of her every movement, as she turned back to Theo; the fire-red locks of hair framing deep green eyes, atop her lofty, womanly figure …
a32;a32; “Now that’s a proper size difference, Sally!” a32;a32;
Dear god … please don’t let her have Elaine’s vengefulness too …
a32;a32; “Hold on – what is this?” a32;a32;
Theo felt a new wave of dizziness as her enormous forearm blitzed past his eyes, her stilt-like legs hardly seeming to touch the ground as she receded to the far side of the room in no time at all! A cheer rose from the audience as they saw what she picked up into her hand.
a32;a32; “Ah, yes – how could we forget?” a32;a32;
“No...” Theo gasped. The other Shorty Mouse – the one she had swatted from Bobby’s hand. It’d rolled into the back corner, still full of liquid. And she carried it back to him now, at a full-on sprint.
a32;a32; “She’ll make it back before the door opens – if she hurries!” a32;a32;
Her ponytail whipping behind her, her muscles firing, her bosom bouncing …
He almost crumpled before her, as she skidded to a halt just inches before him and thrust the bottle into his hand. “Here!”
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “SHORTY MOUSE!! SHORTY MOUSE!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
a32;a32; “Drink fast, little guy! Door’s opening!” a32;a32;
The sirens lit up again; the big door hissed.
a32;a32; “With this bottle, they MIGHT even have a chance! A forty-two second head start!” a32;a32;
a32;a32; “The impossible is becoming possible, Sally! But they were sixty-eight seconds behind in Round One – that’s twenty-six more seconds they need to make up here, in this last and final stage!” a32;a32;
He nearly fainted again, as her big hands popped off the cork for him and thrusted the bottle up to his lips. “DRINK!” she commanded. The force of her voice rattled his ears; the sheer size of her torso and the animalistic fervor in her eyes drained all thought of resistance from his mind. So utterly meek he felt, compared to her. So insignificant …
The bitter liquid poured down his throat. Was it him tilting the bottle back, or her? He couldn’t tell anymore. It didn’t matter. He gulped it down all the same, and trembled head to toe.
a340;(a344;0´)a295; “SHORTY MOUSE!! SHORTY MOUSE!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;
Her left arm threw the emptied bottle aside. It shattered against the wall. Her right hand encircled the back of his neck, controlling him at her will, rotating him to face the slowly-opening gate. “You fucking killed it last round,” she boomed, her unexpected praise sending relieved shivers up his spine – even as the world warped around him, the shrinking underway.
“But we CAN’T let up!” she bellowed, her hand seeming to grow around his neck, her hip rising up past his elbow. “Give it our ALL!” she yelled, her beautiful lips elevating higher and higher, her overabundant breasts rising higher than his eyes! “And HOLD NOTHING BACK!”
The gate opened enough to fit them through. Alarm and dread filled him in equal measure as his towering, breathtaking Mighty tightened her unbreakable grip on his neck -- and with unstoppable force, threw him forward as she sprinted alongside. “GO GO GO!!!”