Chapter Nine

With weapons drawn at the ready, a black suited officer and his security detail moved to intercept the newly arrived newcomer.

"Halt," he ordered, "identify yourself and your intentions."

"I'm Dr Mandark Utonium and who the hell are you? More to the point where am I?"

"It can't be him," exclaimed Dr Smith, "he was killed."

"No," Dexter sighed, "it's him, you can take my word for it. I'd say that he's come back from wherever he was sent years ago. He looks the same, maybe a little older, but it is him."

"Well, then, let's go down and welcome him back home."

"No, you don't understand. It's him but . . ."

"Yes, but what? This is the single greatest moment in mankind's history - the first man to travel to the stars, perhaps to another galaxy and come back alive."

Seemingly obvious to Dexter or his concerns - Dr Smith bent over and spoke into the microphone.

"Dr Mandark, we are coming down to meet with you, please stay where you are. Major, you and your people are to stand down, but nevertheless are to remain alert."

"Yes sir."

"Not a problem," Mandark evilly smiled, "I have plenty of time and I'm not going anywhere now that I'm returned."

Reluctantly Dexter accompanied them down to the main floor. Mandark had his back to them while looking at the Event Horizon Doorway.

"Most interesting, what you've done with it in my absence . . . just where am I anyway?"

"This is the Desert Range Complex, an ANS center located along the Nevada-Deseret border. I'm Dr Zachary Smith, the scientific leader of this facilities - I would like to be the very first to welcome you back."

"Yes, I'm certain you would be . . . though where I've been - I wouldn't force even my worst enemy be to go there . . ."

"And that was?"

He turned, and spotted Dexter in the group and smiled another evil smile.

"Hello Dexter, I'm back."

"Yes, I can see that."

"In answer, I've been on another world, not Earth - or at least as far as I could ascertain it wasn't - rather it was one where Humans were - well, at best, kept as pets of Mega Giantesses."

"Giantesses - you mean as in . . ."

"Yes, I mean real Giantesses, as in mythologically huge ones. Despite what we might believe here on Earth - they're very real and can be extreme large. The ones I encountered were typically in the range of 500 feet in height, some taller, others shorter. The Humans of that other world - they called it Hephinr - once a highly advanced world-wide civilization of two billion people had been dramatically reduced to only several hundreds of thousands of individuals. The majority existed in a state of slavery to the Phemanazees - as the Mega Giantesses called themselves - conditioned by selective breeding to enjoy being servitors to their Mistresses. Those that were still at liberty - feral was the term used by the Mega Giantesses were less a resistance force then a cowering community that was struggling to survive amidst the shattered ruins of one of their ancient cities - Waugh."

"How did you survive - or were you captured by the Giantesses?"

"Well, to be certain my arrival was dramatic - akin to the arrival of a divinely sent deliverer, which made my assuming leadership over the feral clans all the easier. I put their unused technology to use, at least what could be made to work again. Few of the survivors were comparable scientists or technologists - a result of the selective culling by the Phemanazees to insure their dominance. Once organized into a formidable fighting force and properly armed with weaponry capable of dealing with Mega Giantesses, we took our war to them - sparing none. However, little did I know what I was unwitting setting into motion, disastrously so . . ."

"How so? It seems you were helping to liberate a repressed people."

"I was, but at the point of their final defeat - something awful happened, something far greater and more terrible then any group of oversized tyrannical women. Their creator and leader, a 700-foot Phemanazee Mega Giantess by the name of Glooria arrived on the scene and declared that we all would be destroyed as punishment for killing her empowered sisters. No sooner had she said this then she began to grow exponentially in size - reaching a 1000 feet, then double that within only a few minutes. Soon the very ground itself began to downwarp under the massive weight her huge body. To our pleas to stop she only laughed and said it was too late - a Growth Impossible planet crushing Supermega Giantess was now emerging in their midst."

"You obviously escaped the fate of that world, but how?"

"Yes I did - with the technology available I had been covertly building my own Event Horizon machine to return home. In fact, it was completed and ready to power up on the day Gloria destroyed their planet. However, just as she beginning to grow in size something abruptly appeared on my computer monitor and interrupted the countdown - an IRT chat room screen."

At the mention of that fact, Dexter felt like someone had walked over his grave.

"Incredibly it was a genuine Deity, a Goddess by the name of Rowena who offered me the certain chance of escape if I did a favor for her - and most willing I agreed to do so."

By now everyone in the room, even Dexter, was listening his story and were attentive to the point of letting their guard down - a mistake. Striking with a maniacal strength, Mandark had Dexter in his grasp, lifting him clean off the ground all the while shouting into his face.

"It was always you that got the credit or praise and not me. I only wanted a little fame, but you, you greedy little shit - you had to have it all didn't you? You couldn't even let me have a tiny bit of glory even back in school. Well, its payback time - with compounded interest!"

A couple of the guards with a clean line of sight on Mandark carefully opened fire, but rather then bringing an end to the heated situation, the hail of bullets only tore up his clothing.

"You fools, a world that had suffered under Mega Giantess terror would create only the very best in body armor. Wouldn't they Dexter, you bastard! Now give them to me, dammit!"

"What . . . what . . . are you talking about?" he said dazedly.

"Never mind, Goddess Rowena told me which pocket you put them in!"

With the bottle of Ãœbermass Vitamin Pills secured, Mandark then tossed Dexter aside.

"Please," pleaded Dr Smith, "you been through a great deal there's no need to be violent."

"Violent? You don't know half the meaning of that word! I'm only just getting started."

At this he put the bottle to his lips and swallowed a dozen or more of the green pills.

"Nice lime favor, they will have a real fortifying effect I'm certain. Thanks for creating them Dexter - you'll soon know if it is one of your greatest discoveries, in fact - the very last."

At Dexter's questioning look - he smiled an evil smile, one of infinite satisfaction. Within seconds of doing so, his eyes began to glow with an emerald incandesce behind them.

"Oh not all at once," he pronounced, "I want have some fun and to take my time."

He turned to the rest of the onlookers - as if judging their worth, and finding it wanting.

"You all better run while you can, especially you, Dexter. I'm going to do to you what that murderous bitch did to that world I was on . . . and crush the life out of you like an insect."

Taking him at his word, Dexter bolted for the doorway - with the sounds of laugher echoing behind him, increasingly becoming deeper in masculine tone. It was soon accompanied by they the brusque chatter of semi-automatic gunfire, determined and desperate in its cadence.

**********

"You've added a new piece to the game," stated Giselle - raising an eyebrow, "isn't that a violation of the rules?"

"No," Rowena replied, "as I said, only that no others be enhanced other then your two superbeings and my yet to be, well soon to be enhanced target. I've used all of my reserve game chips to get him there - it wasn't easy, Glooria was causing the planet to spin apart . . ."

"You're doing?"

"Me? You can credit me with a lot, but I don't commit genocide or gendercide, only balancing the scales in selective instances and of a personal nature."

"Didn't think so, it's not your style."

"Thank you, I take that as a complement."

Giselle smiled a crafty smile, "If you going to add to the board with an outside player then I will use my chips in a like manner - Mortal and not enhanced to balance out the scales."

Suddenly on the edge of the base, a squad of individuals materialized - all of who were heavily armed and armored. At once, they began to move in the direction of where Kevin and Tanya had been confined, almost as if they knew where to go.

"Now that's something my sister that I didn't expect, but they're no match for my soon to be all-powerful Giant."

"We will see. You've put your all money on one toss and roll of the dice. I prefer diversification within a portfolio - a synergy, with the sum greater then its individual parts."

**********

"What do you suppose is going on?" asked Tanya - impatiently. "I would have thought they'd come for us by now."

"I don't know, but it must really important if they needed to call upon Dexter."

As I watched, her clothing gently flexed and shrunk at times - sensually so. The swells of her breasts were pushing at the front of her clothing in manner that could only be called erotic. I wasn't doing much better myself - already I had taken off my shoes. So had she, for that matter. Then she looked at me seeing how I was appearing - must have been two inches taller as my pants cuffs were that much higher up my ankles and my risks past my shirtsleeves.

"Goddess," she sighed, "if feels like I'm pent up and ready to explode. You look like how I feel - it's all of this nervous tension."

"Well my pretty Amazon, if you don't stop it yourself I'm going to have an accident in my pants."

"You're trying to make me laugh - and take my mind off of it. Thank you, my shining Knight."

"You're right, though," I said taking her hands in mine, "it is all the tension and concern."

They felt slightly larger and stronger then normal. Slowly we drew closer to each other. I loved feeling her hard yet very feminine body against mine. Tanya's arms encircling me - lovingly, gently and mine in like manner about her body. It seemed to calm both of us, yet still we could feel the growth power that was just under the surface - impatiently waiting, demanding.

"I know, but if it doesn't end soon, I'm going to transform. I thought this feeling would pass as when I'm monetarily startled or angry - but here I can constantly feel it - my growth transformation, but only being held back with the greatest of conscious restraint."

"It's the survival mechanism . . ."

"Yes, but its more then that, too. I'm not the ordinary Tanya anymore - I'd be a liar if I denied it, but I truly prefer the Super Amazonian version of myself. All of my life I have never liked being helpless or weak. And yes, I know I was above average in development as a female, but even so . . . when we encountered those gang members I felt so powerless, terrified even. Then as I transformed that first time into tall and powerful female something came over me - it wasn't just a physical morph, my mental attitude changed slightly too. I feel so secure and confident inside of my super superior physique - and totally comfortable as a Titaness. A great self empowerment and improvement is the only way I can describe it."

"I see, and believe me I do understand. However, does that mean after this is over you don't plan to ever become just the ordinary Tanya again? Even for just the fun of it?"

"No," she smiled, "my dear one - not at all. It's not to say I never will change back into a normal-sized Human, being such does have its own advantages and can be fun, too. But I do want to stay whenever I can as Tanya the Amazon - for it really is me now."

"To be honest, I feel much the same way about myself. I also seemed to have changed not only in body but in soul as well since this happened. I do like being very large and powerful - so when this is over let us be as we wish - as I doubt we will be able to conceal it anyway. Those enhanced super forms are our true selves and we shouldn't be apprehensive of appearing that way. I'm certain in time we will be accepted as special beings rather then seen as freaks."

"You have a deal my powerful husband."

And we kissed - and it was just then that the supposed locked door opened and Dexter bounded into the room.

"Time for that sort of thing later! We've got real problems on our hands and they are coming this way!"

"Now what?"

The two of us broke off and turned to face him. My clothing tightened - I was starting to lose control - and was about ready to give up trying. Tanya was holding my hand in hers and I could feel it changing more now - out of the corner of my vision her body seemed to surge a bit.

"Good God you look like you've seen death itself!" Tanya exclaimed.

"I have, and it wears the not so pretty face of my worst enemy - Mandark. He's turning into a real Giant. He activated the Event Horizon device and came on through . . . good God, you're growing, the both of you!"

I smiled and said in a deeper voice, "Its not easy to keep it pent up . . ."

I looked at Tanya and she smiled while nodding in agreement.

" . . . And we've decided to transform."

I flexed my arm in demonstration and the upper arm and the deltoid pushed tightly - massively so and with peaking perfection - against the shirtsleeve. The rest of my clothes were filling fast as well and I could sense that the Skinsuit was dramatically stretching in kind, too.

"That's making him into a Giant?" said Tanya - her voice an octave lower then normal.

Already her outside clothing was starting to emboss from the increasing height and feminine muscularly - an appearance that not only I knew that she had embraced as her true self, but one that had my full agreement and support.

"No, it was my discovery I was going to use on myself. Oh crud, I don't have time to explain but shortly he'll be at twice your size Kevin - and if he eats all of the pills it will have an exponential effect - he'll be a true 100-foot Giant."

**********

In the immediate aftermath of Dexter fleeing the computer laboratory research area the security people and the remaining scientist couldn't see why he bolted from the room. However, they soon did - to their utter amazement and terror the man who called himself Mandark began to change. Slowly, subtly and gradually his skin began to take on a green complexion even as his body began to grow in size - evolving into a true Giant. However, unlike the transformations of Kevin and Tanya into a Superhero and heroine with powerful looking masculine and feminine physiques, Mandark simply got larger in scale as though a camera was incrementally zooming in its focus. But whereas that would allow the subject's clothing to grow with them, Mandark's began to bunch and tighten over his frame as if it was entirely too small for his body. Buttons began to undo on his shirt and his lab coat or pants looked exceedingly undersized. The body armor began to tighten against his chest - and the straps around his body started to give way.

"Strange, I don't feel stronger but no matter as I get bigger I will have the equivalent of a normal man's strength but at a far larger size body."

Next, his already over tight clothing began to rip and tear apart along the sown seams and in the places of greatest fabric weakness. The cuffs on both his pants and shirt were well up his long arms and legs. To his greatest discomfort the now useless clothing was cloying and constricting on his private parts or between his buttocks. With his body reaching seven-feet he began yanking the shrinking items off. The last to go was the body armor - it was almost choking him by the time he got free of it. Feeling exuberant and empowered - as well as continued to grow larger - he started to leave the room in pursuit of Dexter heedless of the security detachment ordering him to stop. Natural enough, he refused to obey and after a second warning, the guards opened fire. However, it was to no avail, his body was bulletproof.

"You fools, you think you can stop me . . ."

He turned back to face them all - intellectually as much as emotionally or physically - seeing them as mere insects in comparison to himself.

" . . . I'm the product of the great Dexter's work - he would have anticipated such by the likes of you."

Now close to fifteen feet tall they learned up close to their regret what Mandark was talking about for he began to bloodily kill them all - smashing, pulping, ripping or even squashing them under his feet. A warm up practice to the main event - Dexter and any that tried to protect him.

**********

The mysterious group of newcomers had reached the outside wall area nearest to the room containing Dexter, Kevin and Tanya. With no way in and very little time left, the leader ordered her people to set up plastique charges and prepare to blow out a chunk so they could enter the steel and concrete reinforced complex. They knew exactly where - the main corridor that ran passed to the room.

When all was ready, she gave the order and the detonation occurred.

**********

Like a kaleidoscopic scene, another warboard table was overlooking a scene that was overlooking yet another one. The location was the Strategic Planning Room of The High Castle.

"Hmmm," mused DeniseH, "a most interesting choice of players Giselle has added in to assist her special people. Even so, things could spin out of control, do you wish to intervene?"

"No," AlexG replied, "not just yet - however, as a precaution I've relayed my wishes to Realm Force Starfleet Operations. A Battlecruiser is being covertly deployed, and if necessary the Cohort of Enforcer Knights aboard will secure the local area."

"Regardless, my Lord, I want to see everyone directly involved when this is over."

"Agreed, my Lady, and I've also taken steps in facilitating that matter as well."