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This is a spin-off story featuring Adam from my series, Being Bigger, set during the events of Chapter 7. While I don't spoil any of the major events of Being Bigger, I think the story works better if you're already familiar with the characters involved. This story does not contain growth, and instead explores the already-grown Adam adapting to his new stature, and expands on some ideas that were only alluded to in the original series. --- "...and our last question today comes from user Anton481, who asks: Adam, I got my shot 3 weeks ago - not much growth so far, but it's early days and I'm optimistic. One of the things I'm looking to improve is my diet, but I-" "Oh god, the food question!" "Yeeeeah, the food question, haha. You get this one a lot?" "Almost as much as "how's the weather up there?" or "do you play basketball?"" "And what's your answer to those, just so our listeners don't repeat them?" "Usually "the same as it is down there, just two seconds earlier" and "no, but my fiancée does"." This seemed to tickle Hayley, the interviewer, who let out a hearty laugh. Adam hugged and stroked his own arm nervously; he was still pretty new to this, and being alone, in a different city, in someone else's studio was more than enough to unsettle him. He hadn't even meant it as a joke, he was just trying to be genuine; trying to be himself. Fortunately, that was his biggest selling point. Well, maybe not his biggest. Hayley was an early adopter of B-852 herself and, standing at 6'6", was hardly a petite woman. She'd played soccer at a national level before turning to a career in media, and this podcast, for which her minor celebrity and success with the wonder-drug suited her well. Next to the man opposite her, she was miniscule. Her team had been in contact with Adam when arranging the interview, and did their best to to equip themselves for Adam's size. The flight over had been comfortable enough - they'd worked with a promoter at Boeing, who had happily hooked Adam up with their new Plus package - a premium option for flyers with extraordinary space requirements - in exchange for some copy being read on the show and a couple of posts from Adam blogging the adventure. The whole thing was mostly just a publicity stunt. The number of customers who actually needed the extra space was relatively small compared to the attention the company got for getting involved with 852. Everyone was doing it, from established companies to new ventures like the Heightgeist podcast, trying to ride out the fad while everyone was still obsessed with it. Adam was one of the lucky few for whom the drug worked extremely well; it was estimated that just 1/500 people would experience dramatic growth of more than a few inches of height, and even amongst those, he was one of the biggest. He was super-humanly tall; at 8'4", he was already one of the tallest humans to have ever lived - at least, before the existence of 852 - and he was reportedly still growing. But, like everyone who had similarly expanded, he experienced none of the usual side effects of gigantism. His heart was healthy, bones showed no signs of deterioration, and as for muscular atrophy... well, that was just laughable to even contemplate. Hayley had watched most of Adam's videos as a fan, and re-watched them all as an act of purely professional courtesy to prepare for the interview. She knew that his frame was wider than most doorways. She'd seen the way his head was almost nestled by his massive broad shoulders, the way his thick arms hung down almost a little too far, ending in hands so big that the entirety of hers could fit inside just his palm - and she could palm a basketball. She'd definitely noticed how clothing was almost a performative gesture for the giant; it's not like it did anything to hide the shape of his pecs, his abs, his quads or... other areas. Hayley had to remind herself more than once during the interview, that he was engaged and she was a professional, and she really should stop looking. But despite all this, nothing could have prepared her for what it was like in person. To be face to face with such a titan was awe-inspiring, in the biblical sense. The man just filled space. The sofa he was sitting on bowed and protested under his weight, and even sat down a few feet away from her, it's like he was looming over her. She could feel his body heat from here! "It's okay though - I don't mind answering the question again," Adam says, sensing an awkward pause as Hayley seems to lose her train of thought. "Yes, sorry - got a little side-tracked there - Anton asks "I'm looking to improve my diet, but I don't know where to start. I've looked up opinions online but I feel there's a hundred of them and they all say different things, and when I try to read the science behind it my head starts to spin. Can you offer any useful tips?" "Aha, your head and mine buddy... So, the reason I hate answering this is because I feel like I don't have the right answer for it, y'know, but from what people I trust tell me, kind of nobody does?" "Hmm, we actually covered this topic a couple of weeks back. Recent studies out of Harvard has proven that 852 has profound effects on metabolism, but partly due to the differing levels of efficacy of the drug in individuals, mapping how it does so is still a long way off." "I'll take your word for it, haha." "Well then, what about you, Adam? Why not keep things simple? What does your food regimine look like?" "Honestly? Whatever I want and as much as I want of it. I've got this Thai-style pork recipe I keep coming back to, pretty sure I made a vid for that one, and I probably eat more burgers than I should..." "You realize you're going to make a lot of people very upset," says Hayley, though she's smiling as she says it. "Biggest guy on the planet says "eh, just eat what you want"" "I'm not officially the biggest," Adam responds with a smirk on his face, picking up on the humor, "But yeah, sure, why not? Like, okay, if you have a goal in mind, like you're a sprinter, or a powerlifter or whatever, and you want to try something, then sure, go for it. But this thing sets us all on our own journey. Your body is gonna react in its own way, and I think the only thing you can do is LISTEN to it, right? At least until the science catches up or whatever." "But what if Anton is leaving size on the table? You've been extremely privileged, but not everyone gets the level of growth you have. Can you honestly encourage everyone else to be so laid back, when it could cost them down the line?" Adam sighed. "I don't know, honestly. And yeah, I'm extremely lucky, I get that, but the things I'm luckiest to have didn't come from a needle. It's my family, my friends, my soon-to-be wife. And I've seen all kinds of crazy shit that people have tried, from starving yourself or, like, gorging way too much on the opposite end of the scale, and then there's all these knock-off drugs springing up, and none of it is proven to work. If you really want to get bigger, you gotta work hard, eat well and try to just enjoy it. Because I know this for a fact: if you make yourself miserable for the sake of being a little bigger, the best result you're gonna get? You're going to be big and miserable. And you deserve to be happy, regardless of what size you are." "I like that... Adam, thank you so much for joining us on Sizegeist, I know you're busy planning for the big day so we're thrilled you could make it -" Hayley went through the business of wrapping up the pod while Adam leant back. He'd gone a little heavier than he'd expected to, there; most of his own content was instructionals, some Q&A's and some band-wagon, meme-type stuff. It was nothing like this, and the speed in which they'd wrapped had him worried - he was relieved when, after taking off her headphones, Hayley came up to him and gave him a hug. Or at least she tried to - though he was still sitting down, he nevertheless towered over her, and arms barely made it past his front. "Thank-you - seriously that was fantastic, I think we're going to get some good numbers on this one," she says, breaking the warm gesture, "Did you enjoy it?" "I think so - it's just outside of my comfort zone, y'know? I hope I didn't mess anything up for you." Hayley bats the thought away as if swatting a fly, "Absolutely not. I mean, we're all friends here, and we'll be kind to you in the edit, but I don't think we'll have to do much. You're a natural." "Seriously?" "Absolutely. Actually, I was gearing up to ask you something, so I may as well come out with it - had you considered doing some longer form content?" Adam looked blank - he hadn't, it was plain to see. "Like... what exactly?" "Well, we're not sure ourselves yet, we're just testing the waters. It'll probably be a spin-off show, moving away from interviews, we're considering video. Point is, a high-profile regular guest could draw in numbers, and you've got a good product. You're huge but you're also just a guy; sort of relatable and aspirational, if that makes sense? That's a profitable combination." "Right, yeah, I guess it is." He was aware of it already, to a point. But again, this wasn't his wheelhouse - he was alone, expected to be professional, whilst being the absolute centre of attention. It just didn't sit right. "We'll do what we can by Zoom - no reason to fly out here once a week or anything, and we of course respect you've got a busy few months ahead. There's no rush. But how about we put together a proposal and send it your way? Absolutely no obligation." "Sure - sure, that sounds good to me. It's worth a look, right?" --- "Hey babe - interview went well, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Kick some ass!!!" His message to Brie was short; he knew she wouldn't read it until later, it was game day, and she’d be getting in the zone. He'd catch the stream, if he could, but for now he simply padded down the sidewalk towards his airbnb, and more populated parts of the city. Adam walked a lot - so did most people who had such dramatic reactions to the 852 shot. Vehicles, unless properly prepared for their densely muscled and towering frames, became uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst. It helped that his much longer limbs naturally propelled him at a jogger's pace, and that his seemingly limitless pool of stamina made this effortless. If anything, it helped to nurse that constant urge to move which came with 852; the "itch" as Trent mockingly put it. The weather was fine, if a little breezy, and Adam was in good spirits, taking in the sights of a strange city. Although he was heading towards the more visitor-focused parts of town, he was enjoying having the opportunity to see the real-er parts of it. Old warehouses converted to lofts, remnants of an old packing district, little corner stores selling cheap coffee; all of which he passed, while the scant pedestrian traffic parted in front of him. And then he heard the shout. Adam was a simple man. He might struggle with public appearances and professional networking but when he hears someone shouting with that kind of inflection - anger, but mostly fear - his brain reacts within nanoseconds and his legs even sooner. Before he knew it he was bearing down upon three men who had another, smaller man, pinned up against a wall in a nearby alley. The trio were not small, each having willingly embraced their own 852 shots some months back, but neither had any of them enjoyed the success Adam had. The biggest of them, at 6’5, had his fist against the throat of his intended victim, while his friend smirked next to him. The shortest - 6’1”, but stockier than the other two - was hanging slightly back, and it was he who first saw the deceptively quick monster lumbering towards them. “Um, guys? GUYS.” he said with more urgency. The others turned to look. As Adam approached he slowed down, assessing the situation. It didn’t look good - a mugging, probably, or at least that’s what it looked like to him. The assailants didn’t pose much of a threat to him and their wide-eyed glances they shared showed they knew it too. But Adam was more worried about the guy at the back - slim, shaggy haired, with a short mess of stubbled stained with blood, he’d clearly been hurt already. While he was certain he could handle the three of them in a fight, he was less sure he could keep all of them occupied at once. “You want to stay the fuck out of this,” said the tallest mugger. “Yeah, I don’t think I do. How about you head home and leave the kid alone?” Adam said, trying to be firm, but not to provoke any rash actions. “How about YOU fuck off. I don’t take orders from the Hulk’s bitch cousin.” “You take orders from the guy who could turn your fucking bones into paste,” Adam said through gritted teeth, “So leave, and there won’t be any trouble.” “Oh there’ll BE trouble!” The mugger said. He took two steps towards Adam and, knowing he wouldn’t win any kind of fair contest with the giant, he reached into his pocket and brought out a knife. It was, in retrospect, the stupidest decision he could have made. Just as his movement was deceptively fast as he ran into the alley, so his reflexes allowed him to act with immediacy and significant force now. He saw the knife and he acted, his body moving before a complete thought could be processed, kicking forward with his leg. His leg, that was so thickly covered with dense, bulging muscle its size was more comparable to the smaller man’s chest than any other part of his body. Adam’s foot connected with the mugger's chest - and most of his abdomen, such was its size – before continuing to thrust forward, not slowing an iota. The mugger's eyes bulged nearly from their sockets, all air leaving his lungs with a bone crushing squeeze, before his entire body was lifted from the floor and propelled backwards. This transpired in the space of about half a second. One moment the mugger is bearing down on Adam, knife brandished;, the next he’s disarmed, sprawled, dazed and winded, 15ft from where he’d started There was a moment’s silence, broken when the knife clattered to the floor. The man’s friends didn’t need any further demonstration of what Adam was capable of. They ran to him and all but dragged him from the alley, while Adam looked on, a crooked smile on his face. He was quite proud with how that had all gone, and he turned to the small man the others had been assaulting. “Hey! Sorry if that got a little hairy there, I was improvising mostly. Are you alright? Name’s Adam.” He proffers his huge paw of a hand to the little guy. The small man stares at it, and then up at Adam’s face. Adam was never good at reading expressions, but something about this one made him uneasy. He’d often caught people staring at him, usually with a sense of awe or disbelief that anyone could get so huge. He’d learned to roll with it, and to just shrug it off if it got too much. It felt good, but knew it was best to stay grounded - he didn’t want to end up like Seb. The look he was getting now was similar, but tinged with - disgust? Recognition? The small man did not take his hand, or say anything at all as he averted his gaze and brushed past Adam. Adam, again acting mostly on instinct, stuck out his arm to stop him. He gently reached down and placed his big hand on the skinny man’s shoulder, only for the tiny man to immediately spin around and glower at him. “Get your fucking hands off me! Nobody asked for you to be here, so just fuck off where you came from..” And with that, the small man marched away. Adam watched him leave - now it was his turn to be puzzled. He hadn’t recognized the man before and he still didn’t, but his voice… It sounded familiar.