This is it.
The car glided to a halt, its door gently sliding open. A woman climbed out. Dark-skinned, short, and thin, she stepped onto the cracked sidewalk with an apprehensive glance. A black-haired man slinked after her, tall and pale.
An automatic streetlight flickered on overhead as if welcoming them to the dark alley that lay beyond. In reality, its outdated orange light was a response to the setting sun, and it danced with the creeping blue of night on the car's chrome exterior. The man poked his head back inside the car.
Go back home and return here in three hours unless I tell you otherwise.
Confirmed. I will go home and then return to this location in three hours unless instructed
otherwise, a robotic female voice spoke through the stereo. With the couple clear, the car shut its door and drove away.
Are you sure this is the place? the woman looked around, her sun-bleached, decrepit surroundings a far-cry from the polish and gild she was used to.
Have I ever steered you wrong, Carissa? the man replied. He produced a set of masks from his coat pocket; sleek, small, only just large enough to cover their identities. One he gave to his partner, the other he began to strap onto himself.
These are enough? the woman asked.
It doesn't really matter. Everyone's here for the same thing. Besides, if they wanted to track us they could use my card, or our genetic signatures. These are just part of the fun.
The pair paid no mind to the shattered entrance of the laundromat, instead walking to an unassuming door built into its side. The pale man whipped out his wallet, pulling from it an entirely white plastic card. He held the card beneath some kind of scanner that replaced the door's original knob.
Verified, an electronic voice stated. Welcome back, Mr. White. The lock clicked.
I have a guest, as well. A moment passed, the computer seeming to think about its response.
Confirmed. Your Platinum Subscription now has three guest points left for this month. You can purchase additional guest points from our website or from the kiosk inside. Thank you for being a patron of The Den. The man pushed the door in and gave his partner a self-satisfied grin.
After you.
They descended a set of stairs, the only illumination cut off as the portal was sealed behind
them. Deep beats and hypnotic moaning flooded Carissa's ears, such music no doubt originating in some underground diskothek in Berlin. She was entering a new world, completely distinct from anything she was used to. This was a place for the clean and opulent to tangle with the dark, primal grunge inside them all. These were no bankers, senators, or their progeny; here they were hunters, stalking only unrefined hedonism.
The stairway opened suddenly into the main chamber. Moving lights flickered across a dance floor where a dozen patrons pulsed in time to the DJ's selection. A railing, made from simple conduit painted black, kept the partiers from spilling into the rest of the room. Tables and chairs adhered to the rails, each illuminated by the holographic flame of an electronic candle. Along the perimeter walls were booths, separated into individual cells by black, transparent curtains. Peering through the cigarette smoke and aesthetic haze, Carissa could see that many of those sitting were poking and prodding at something on their tables. She surmised that they were partaking in the venue's unique form of entertainment.
This is the vendor! her partner called over the throbbing music, drawing her attention to a sleek, modern machine in laid in the wall only a few feet from where the two were standing. The cyan displays were a stark contrast from the orange and red lights beaming or flickering around the rest of the room. There are a lot of options you can choose, the man continued, The baseline is instinct-only with generic features, but you can give them fake memories and customize their appearance! You can even make them edible!
A light flashed across their faces as the entryway upstairs opened. Two women descended the stairs, their shimmering dresses, one golden and one a deep ebony, drawing the attention of anyone nearby. When they reached the bottom, the two scanned the club, their postures making them seem as two queens surveying their throne rooms. The one in black, as if to solidify the comparison, held her hooked nose high, nearly having to look across her silver-covered cheekbones to peer at the pair in front of the vendors. The gold-dressed woman, the shorter, more full-bodied of the newcomers, arched an eyebrow at the couple, the thin curve poking above her white mask.
Are you in line? she yelled, her voice barely audible over the DJ announcing a new song. White's eyes flicked up from her revealing dress.
Uh, no, I was just telling-
Good!
The pair of women pushed passed the couple, leaving a waft of expensive perfume in their wake.
I want to go first, Hope! You always take too long! the golden one stated.
Fine, the black-dressed one replied, Patience makes the end sweeter anyway.
The curvier woman seemed not to hear. She inserted her card in the machine, and the words Welcome, Serenity! flashed across the display. The woman swiped it away without bothering to read, and set to work. She tapped the Bulk option and typed a ten into the amount space. Then, she tapped Instinct-only,then Random Features, and Edible, and finally Confirm. The machine grumbled, and thirty seconds later, Serenity was walking away with her card in one hand and a metallic box in the other.
I'll get a table! she called back to her friend.
Hope stepped up to the vendor, repeating the same nonchalant motions as her friend, only selecting different options. She wanted two, one for now, one for later, and gave one the memories of a family man and randomized his facial features. The other she gave a lustful personality, and chose Custom for his appearance. She swiped passed all the presets, the politicians, and the celebrities, until she came to an image she had uploaded from home; the face of her most recent ex-boyfriend.
I guess we're up next, White said to Carissa, the couple watching as Hope joined her friend near the dance floor. Do you want to pick them out, or should I?
Serenity was already plucking her prey from the box when Hope slid onto the cushioned bar stool. Her fingers gripped a young, nude red-headed woman by the shoulders and nimbly pulled her from a casket-like indentation in the box. The stouter woman shook the small girl, as though the tiny were a string of crab meat coated with too much butter. When the redhead groggily blinked her eyes open, Serenity released her grasp, letting the woman bruise her shoulder as she landed harshly on the wooden surface. Only seconds later, Serenity was doing the same to a balding, gray-bearded man that appeared to be in his sixties.
What do you think? she asked Hope, her fingers hovering over the box.
You bought them. Hope swiped her card along the edge of the table, and a holographic display appeared before her. She tapped a few options and closed the projection. Though I like the one with the mustache.
Serenity dipped her fingers into the box once again, shaking a middle-aged man with bristling black mustachios when they retreated. He too was thrown into the mix, rolling between the other two as they flinched away. You're not going to open yours? The woman asked her taller friend.
Not yet, Hope answered. She watched the little people on the table, an arching eyebrow the only hint of interest on her face. The redhead was clearly the most roused; while the two men blinked their eyes and rubbed their heads, the tiny woman was on her feet. Her gaze darted from Serenity to Hope, and then back again. The loud, thumping environment rendered her minuscule ears near-deaf, and anything beyond the surface she stood on was a heaving whirlwind of ink and fire. On either side of her, two titans peered down their noses, intentions unknown.
Agh! She'd barely heard it, but it was obviously a cry of shock. Apparently her compatriots were coming to their senses. The little redhead spun around- THOOMB! She fell on her ass. A crystal obelisk appeared between her and the others. Inside, a bubbling amber liquid seemed eager to escape. The tiny woman kicked herself backward, her heart racing as she imagined the consequences if she'd taken a step. Strange sounds reached her ears from the heavens: the titans were communicating.
Oops, sorry about that.
Serenity peered at the waitress. You almost crushed one of my tinies! It cost me what you make in a week to buy just that one!
I really am sorry. The waitress pulled back the fur lining of her leather bikini. She produced a red card and swiped it along the table. Please enjoy a drink on me.
While Serenity swiped through the display and hassled the waitress, Hope observed the tiny people below. Through her glass, she could see the two men stumbling around, glancing from the giant women to the murky surroundings beyond the table. Redhead, however, had leapt up and was frantically turning circles. But, there was nowhere for her to hide. There was only the glass she'd just escaped from, and the boxes her kind were pulled from, and above it all was the holographic display, its cyan light a makeshift sky. If she could reach the edge, there may be a way down, but the giants above would need to be distracted...
A force from behind nearly knocked the tiny woman over. She stumbled and turned, but the force persisted. It pushed against her torso, forcing the redhead to backpedal. She wrenched open her eyes; a black-tipped finger, longer than she was tall, was shoving her. Passed the hand and the arm it was connected to, Redhead looked into a pair of bored, brown eyes peering from behind a silver mask.
Something solid halted her retreat. She recoiled, arcing her back as well as she could. The surface behind her was like a wall of ice. The finger persisted, pushing her flush against the frigid wall. A drop of water as big as her cheek rolled onto the small woman's shoulder. She shivered, and the drop flowed down her breast, leaving behind a trail like an icy slug. An obsidian axehead pushed into her chest- the giant woman was going to cut her in two! She shivered again, as much from pain as from cold. The frigid water engulfed her nipple, engorging it instantly, and then rolled onto the giant fingernail. The titaness arched an eyebrow, and pushed ever-so-slightly harder...
Hey! You have yours- Serenity slid Hope's glass away, letting the redhead fall into the previously occupied space. And I have mine! She gripped the little woman's legs with two fingers and threw her toward the other two tinies with a practiced flick.
I was just bored waiting for you,
Now you know how I feel. Serenity watched her purchases huddle together, no doubt an instinctual attempt at a defense. What do you want to do? We could go down and watch the races or play darts.
Actually, Hope stepped off her stool, I think I'm going to head to one of the rooms.
Already?
Your toy got me excited, she replied, throwing a quick glance at the cowering redhead. Without another word, Hope picked up her box and glass. Serenity watched as the thin woman stalked down a red-lit hallway and out of sight.
So much for patience.
The old man heaved, his stomach contorting painfully for what had to be the hundredth time that night. And again, for the ninety-eighth time, nothing came out. The blue nutrients he'd been endowed with upon creation had long since been cast into the ether of twisting bodies and smoke... either that, or into the heaving crevice of Serenity's own endowment. The tiny man kicked his legs as best he could, desperate to keep his head above the mass of sweating, quaking skin. The great thumping and racket his ears had been subject to ended abruptly. Slowly, his world stopped moving so much. Giant bodies came to shape, pumping their fists and clapping. His titaness roared in approval, and droplets of alcohol-laced spittle rained down onto the tiny man's spinning head. He retched again.
Serenity ambled back to her table, tossing her box and handbag upon it when she arrived. She plucked the old man from her jiggling cleavage.
Did you like my dancing, little dude? He flinched as a torrent of sweet-smelling breath blasted his face. Her expression soured when her eyes focused on the cowering man. You're too dumb to talk, anyway. She dropped him on the table. But how are you two doing? Serenity heaved herself onto the barstool and leaned until she could see over her knees and prodigious breasts. Below, strappy heels wrapped tightly around her calves, and shoved between her bulging skin and a thin strip of leather was a gasping Mustache.
This man's dance had been just as unpleasant compatriot's. Serenity's attempts to bust a move had left him thoroughly bruised and battered. Worse still, all the movement had wedged him further between the woman's shoe strap and shin. Now that it had all stopped, he laid his head against the hard leather as best he could, letting the world continue to spin around him...
Hey, wake up! Serenity shook her leg. Instantly, the man snapped back, his impromptu nap interrupted before it had even begun. You weren't even born yesterday. What makes you think you deserve a rest? Come here. Her fingers glided down and clamped themselves on each of his shoulders. Mustache tried to yell, but the only thing that escaped his hoarse throat was a meek gasp. The titan hand jerked... and the fingers flew clear off the man.
What the hell? Let go!
He heard the giantess roar, but couldn't understand. In truth, he wasn't holding on at all; the leather strap across his chest held him far more tightly than his own meager grip ever could. Again, Serenity's fingers squeezed the man's the shoulders. Mustache was compressed by flesh from everywhere but his front. The giant pads kept his arms uncomfortably tight against his torso. The minuscule man scrunched his brow and let his head hang limp. If he was lucky, he might be able to keep from retching again.
Serenity tugged.
Agh! Instantly, the mustachioed man's back straightened. His arms readjusted in their sockets. Pain shot through him from both his left and right as his bones dug through muscle and sinew. Serenity pinched tighter, and pulled harder. There was a vicious Crack! as the man's shoulders dislocated. His back popped in protest to the upward force being exerted on it. With one more tug, he was pulled clear in half, his chest sailing upward between the giantess' fingers while his lower bits were left strapped between leather and skin.
God, you guys are weak, Serenity grunted. She tossed Mustache's top, still trying its damnedest to scream, into her monster maw and ended him with a disgusting, wet crunch. Y'know, she said, mashing the squelching man-jelly around her mouth, I'm glad they make you guys taste like gummy bears. She looked down at the old man as he shielded his eyes from the horrific sight. I don't think I'd be able to stomach you otherwise.
The giantess continued chewing as she bent down. She pushed Mustachios' legs through her shoe strap, no longer having to worry about breaking or retrieving him. A single finger was all it took to send the tiny man's lower half to be forgotten among the dirt and grime of the floor. At least there's still you, missy...
Serenity exhaled as she bent down further, her belly hindering the motion. Sticking her foot forward, she scanned the appendage for her other purchase. Down her calf... over her ankle... up her foot... up her foot... down her calf... up her foot...
What the fuck? Her good humor evaporated immediately. Fury bubbling from the pit of her stomach, she shoved her head under the table, anger overcoming physicality. You little bitch!
Redhead ran as fast as her little legs would carry her, splashing across a puddle of spilled liquor. When the giantess sat, the small woman had managed to slip out of her sandal; the ankle strap had been somewhat loose all along. While the titaness danced, Redhead had only just managed to keep from being cast into the crowd of stamping feet. It had only seemed safe to escape once Serenity had settled. While the giant woman toyed with her other captives, the redhead had slipped from the bobbing foot and jumped to the floor below.
She couldn't hear the splat, but she'd seen the aftermath. The crumpled legs of the mustached man landed off to her right, a sickening mass of shattered bones and meat. No longer was Redhead's captor just a scary giant; now she was a monster, an inhuman murderer reveling in taking a life. Seconds later, a bestial roar barely rose above the thumping music. Or rather, below; the tiny woman chanced a look over her shoulder. Shockingly, her little legs had carried her under the next table, but still the blood drained from her face. Mountainous breasts spilled over a scrunched belly, and a craning neck ducked beneath a few globs of forgotten gum. At the end, Serenity's very furious head turned left and right, her jowls quivering as she searched for the escapee. As the giantess bellowed in frustration once more, Redhead darted behind the only hiding spot around: a white tree-trunk like structure. Cramming herself into as small a volume as possible, the little woman prayed to the universe that she was worth less than a moment of the giantess' time.
Motherfucker! Serenity snapped her head back above tabletop. The only tiny she'd seen down there had been a corpse stuck to the underside of the table with week-old gum. She raised a fist and slammed it onto the surface with a violent grunt. Exhaling deeply, Serenity felt her rage slip away through her nostrils... except... there was something wet beneath her hand. The giantess shifted her loosening fist. Splinters scratched at her sensitive tissue. She looked down as she raised her hand.
He'd been killed instantly. The pulverized mash was all that remained of the elderly man. The weight of a car is not kind to the human body, synthetic or not. Fury bubbled within the giantess' gut once again. She felt fit to scream... but let it pass. Serenity soberly took her card from her purse and used it to bring up the table's display. With only a few deft fingerstrokes, she'd ordered a Sea Breeze, some towelettes, and a reservation for one of the back rooms. The night had only just begun.
The second floor of The Den was a much different place from the below. Reserved for Platinum Card holders, the décor was nicer, and very little of the plebeian ruckus permeated upstairs. The floor began with a small waiting area where an attendant or two were always stationed. Leather chairs and hardwood tables sat pleasantly in front of a more advanced version of the downstairs vending machine. A chess table occupied a corner with its own accompanying furniture, though there were no drawers to be found; players were expected to purchase their pieces from the machine.
After the waiting area, a hallway ran the length of the building, only ending at a set of double doors marked Employees Only. Instead of the dark, hazy atmosphere presented below, here the air was clear. While still dim, orange lights shone upwards from either side of the hall, adding their warm glow to the blood-red paint. As with the walls, the floor and ceiling were a royal scarlet, with the expensive carpet having triangular geometric patterns designs of an even darker red. An opulent Hell, Hope remembered her ex-boyfriend calling it. I'm glad I'll never be on the receiving end here.
He was right, of course. Shrinking a person was impossible. But building someone small from scratch? Extremely doable, and Hope held the proof in her hands. Leaving her glass to be picked up by an employee, she stood up from the overstuffed chair. The muscles of her long legs stretched with a satisfying burn, and her vertebrae cracked pleasantly. She frowned. The room should be ready by now. She was the only patron waiting. It usually only took them twenty minutes to clean-
A sharp buzzing nearly startled her. Tapping her sleek bracelet, Hope smiled as the display showed her the message: We're ready! Please enjoy Room #208.