Being Bigger (COMPLETE - Chapter 8 added June 07th)

[NeverEnoughGrowth]

This story was a bit dark and made me feel some real conflicted feelings when Trent was in the depths of his personal hell but, particularly each of the chapters that have followed since then, each one has been better than the one prior - and that is saying somehting because every single chapter, including the first three, have been some of the best and most engaging and well rounded stories that I’ve read in a long long long long long long time!  
 

i really CAN NOT wait for the next two chapters and, if things continue and conclude in a manner and to a quality that I suspect they will, I have little doubt in my mind that this story will go down as one of my personal favorites of all time - and one that I will very likely remember for a truly long time - and will read over and over again, for god knows how many wonderful times!  
 

lastly, as many will prob agree - I secretly hope that Trent gets together with Lance - I hope he gives Lance some of the special juice and hopefully Lances growth ends up being like Seb levels of explosive - growing so fast Trent can almost (but maybe not literally) watch and see his new bae grow more massive and more powerful by the day - measure his chest for example in the morning and before bed and have there be a noticeable and not insignificant growth of like a half an inch - and then another half an inch to an inch even bigger the next morning - grows so fast that a super tight sexy snug tshirt fits in the AM and by the evening, and especially after an afternoon/evening workout, shirt sleeves start splitting apart thread by thread -

or, as a nice example perhaps, go on a road trip for the weekend - Lance is driving - his one muscular and now massive arm extended while holding onto the wheel - the two are driving along and as Trent looks over noticing his boyfriends bulge even seeming to slowly plump fuller and fuller - Lance absent mindly shifting more and more as his pants becoming slightly painfully tight due to his exploding quads - he has to adjust the seat belt height and such because his glutes are growing so fast by the hour that he finds himself literally rising higher and higher in the car seat as his glutes become beyond massive!

 

then, to cap it all off to make things truly undeniable, the serene and silent calm is then suddenly broken by the all to distinct sound of the threads of Lances sleeve slowly being broken to shreds!  
 

This moment becomes a literal confirmation that this huge hunk of man is literally growing in real time and even while am just sitting there and driving - he would be becoming too massive and huge for his current clothes by the minute.  
 

i got a bit carried away perhaps - please feel free to use any or all of what I just typed should that be of use to you - based on reading this, one can prob make a good guess as to some of the story aspects that I’ve enjoyed highly!  -anyways, thanks for all your efforts - cannot wait for the next chapter!! 

[Kymuscleboy]

On 5/31/2023 at 7:20 AM, Littlerjim said:

I'm always a little uncomfortable at looking at things through the lens of "effort". There's a way of thinking a lot of folk subscribe to, that anything wrong in your life can be fixed with hard work and effort. There's an element of truth to it - working hard can of course be rewarding. But most of the time, it's used as a stick to beat anyone who hasn't "succeeded" by whatever metric. Don't like your situation? Stop complaining and work harder. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!

But of course, that phrase was originally coined to show how ridiculous the concept of just telling someone to "work harder" can be  - you physically cannot pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Likewise, the merit of hard work is offset by the conditions the individual finds themselves in, for good and for ill.

People who have advantages that put them into positions of power leverage this, citing good ol' elbow grease as the reason why people with less resources, contacts, money, or opportunities do worse than they do. Take Seb: he knows that Trent hasn't taken any of the magic drug in Chapter 2, but he blames Trent's lack of effort for it anyway. The others buy it because it's a story that sells. It didn't matter how hard Trent worked because the playing field wasn't level. Like, if you were to start a business, you could run yourself into the floor, but you'll always be miles behind the guy with a small $1 million loan from his dad, or the guy whose parents owned an emerald mine.

Completely random examples there.

If you read size and strength in the story as a substitute for status, influence and power, you're pretty much on track - but I'm not focused on how it's gained, rather how it's used. Seb abuses power in every possible way. He seeks to deny it and to take it from others, he exerts it over so called friends and loved ones. He threatens people, throws his weight around, but he still succeeds. He is a tall, strong, rich, mvp.

Trent is denied power in such a traumatic way that he's able to better see the pitfalls of power. He struggles and works for what he has, and he's always behind Sebastian - but it doesn't matter to him, because he can clearly see what he's achieved. He's not rich, he's not as strong, he doesn't have a career lined up for him - so what does he have to show for it?

Since the breakdown in Chapter 3, Sebastian has been alone. There's been people for him to use or show off to, but there's been nobody meaningful for him. Whereas Trent has been gaining experiences, friends, a budding romance. He has integrity. Trent's victory over Seb in this Chapter isn't because he's the stronger man. He isn't. But he has more experience, friends to back him up when it turns nasty, and above all something to fight for. The win wasn't a physical one; it was an ideological one.

Sorry, I didn't mean to pile all that on. Your comment really got me thinking, and it hopefully builds some insight into how I see the story.

This is my first comment, as I have been behind the posting of new chapter in my progress of reading the story. I am so glad you said this.  Even in the original "Elongro" story, while I finally made peace with the idea that Trevor would never grow, I still have trouble accepting it was all his fault due to lack of effort. He started off with the same workouts Seth did, just like in this story, and tried to pick back up even after his summer workouts were interrupted, only to go nowhere and even lose gains he had made previously. To me it tracks with all the real life genetically gifted (and usually PED using) bodybuilders who tout the same, "you just gotta work," messages online. It's a lot easier to keep working when you see at least occasional progress and results from your efforts. So, to me it seemed more like Trevor stopped working out because he wasn't growing, rather than he didn't grow because he wasn't making an effort.

But I digress, I love this story, because you really surprised me. I read the first two chapters one night and didn't read the the third until the next. So, you can imagine my shock when what I thought was a plot closing mirroring "Elongro" took such a radical turn. The fact that Seb has turned out to be such a straight up villain really surprised me. I thought he was quite a jerk in the way he was treating Trent, but to see the level of sabotage, dishonesty, gaslighting and manipulation of their friends and especially Brie was just over the top. Seb has only reinforced how terrible he is in their subsequent meetings. I really do hope Trent ends up outgrowing him, as that would be the best revenge of all. Trent wouldn't have to do a thing, as Seb knowing that he's not the biggest would be enough. 

I also love the redemption of Adam, which I would have though impossible from the first scenes with him. It almost makes me wonder if Seb even put him up to that first bullying of Trent so that Seb could "rescue" him, all before telling Trent that he gave Adam the formula without asking Trent first. Regardless if that's the case, it's great to see that people can make a pretty radical change for the better. 

Now that I am finally caught up, I can't wait for the final two chapters, even though I wish this story would go on for much, much longer than that!

[Littlerjim]

Chapter 7

 

The party had died down pretty quickly after the drama had broken out, as the visitors slowly made their way back to the boardwalk. The driver of the beat-up car and a couple of his friends had stayed a while longer and shared a beer with Trent, but they soon left too. In the end it was just the boys, who stayed and drank until the early hours. By this point, they all knew Trent; and equally, there wasn't one of them that hadn't been on the receiving end of Seb's ire. None of them talked about it much, but the conversation still flowed until the fire died, in solidarity with what had gone down.

 

But the new day brought blue skies, and soon the events by the bonfire were a distant memory. The rest of the vacation passed without incident; as did the rest of the summer, and the next school year, and before they knew it, graduation was just around the corner.

 

The only person who ever mentioned the night by the bonfire to Trent directly was by Brie, who briefly checked in on him when she came to take the boys home; Adam had clearly filled her in on what had transpired. But despite the months of silence on the subject, Trent was sure the story existed as some campus legend. He was the man who toppled the giant, even though he was a giant himself. Very quickly he became aware of rooms quickly hushing to silence as he entered them, and a strange reverence from strangers he came across.

 

He’d been concerned about what his counsellor might have to say about it, but she’d been surprisingly blasé on the issue. She’d been far more interested to hear about his new boyfriend.

 

He and Lance had talked a lot over the last few days of that vacation, and had mutually come to a decision to not to let whatever they had develop any further. Between Lance’s size envy, and the position he was put into by Sebastian, they both felt like it was too much for a new relationship to overcome. They parted as friends.

 

Except it was a mistake. Trent spent the last weeks of the summer wracked with doubt, rattling around his new, scaled-up accommodation, in a constant state of regret. The first morning of the new semester, he’d had enough. He’d set his mind, he’d find AJ and get him to give him his cousin’s contact details, by force if necessary, if only he- 

 

Oh.

 

Trent had opened the door to his apartment to find a sandy-haired young man, frozen mid-knock.

 

“Can I… Can I come in?”

 

And so, the rhythm of campus life - that of studying, and working out, and growing - suddenly had dating thrown into the mix. And it was with some relief to Trent, that it seemed to be the “growing” aspect that was slowing down. It was still ridiculous, of course - another 6 inches were added to his height over the course of the school year, but compared to the foot-and-a-half of the year before, it seemed like a welcome slowing of pace. And from what he’d seen from Brie and Adam, they seemed to be experiencing a similar tapering off - much to Adam’s chagrin. But of course, they were no longer the only two around to keep an eye on.

 

He and Lance had talked long and hard about his shot of the B-852 drug; even after they’d gone to fetch the dose, using Trent’s medical contacts at the lab, it had sat in his fridge for over a week.

 

“Surely it’s my decision to make?” Lance had argued. The vial was sitting on the table of Trent’s apartment between them. It had taken a while for Lance to get comfortable here - everything, from the doors to the furniture, was just that little bit bigger. It made him feel like a child again, and could still mess with his mind from time to time.

 

“Of course it’s your decision, I’d never take that from you,” Trent responds, clasping his much larger hand around Lance’s, “But whatever choice you make, I want to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.”

 

“I am doing this for the right reasons! If we want this to work, then we have to be on equal footing!”

 

“We are already equal - me being bigger than you doesn’t make me any better than you.”

 

“You know what I mean!” Lance rolls his eyes, though he blushes slightly at Trent’s words, “And you can’t tell me this is entirely altruistic. I know what you’ve been through. Are you sure at least a part of this isn’t your own baggage?”

 

He was right, Trent conceded. He’d talked through his own history with the drug - and Seb - at length. But the fact Lance wasn't wrong didn’t mean he was - it might still be the wrong choice. At the end of the day, though, even if it was a mistake, it was Lance’s to make.

 

“Okay. You should do it.”

 

Lance’s growth had been explosive at first, but didn’t maintain that pace for nearly as long as Adam or Seb’s had - though, as he’d beaten his cousin AJ within the first couple of months, he was quietly pleased anyway. He also seemed to sprout differently to what Trent had seen before now. With himself, Adam and Sebastian, the growth was fairly consistent - it’s like someone had taken a JPEG of a bodybuilder and stretched it out from the bottom right hand corner. They were taller, but they were also all-round bigger for it, rocking the same proportions they might have had at a much shorter height.

 

Lance was naturally gangly, and the drug seemed to accentuate that. While he packed on a little muscle, he stayed a lot slimmer than Trent had. His limbs had stretched outwards, his feet almost as big as his boyfriend’s despite nearly a foot of height between them still. In a room by himself, he looked like a large imposing basketball player, just cresting 7 foot - a huge and rare body type, but one at least theoretically attainable without assistance. Next to Trent, however, he looked - still kind of small. 

 

“Like the world’s biggest twink”, Aiden had said, when Trent decided to introduce the pair. It had certainly broken the ice, and before long the three were chatting like old friends.

 

He was quietly relieved that Aiden had taken so warmly to Lance, and the fact he was now exclusively his. But Aiden was true to his philosophy - he was never in it for romance or a relationship and, despite the occasional joke about Trent being “stolen away” from him, wasn’t about to get clingy now. The new couple still saw him from time to time, always drawing stares from people unready to see two giants trading barbs with a tiny man.

 

Towards the end of their final semester, Trent began to feel nervous again. After a conversation with the team that had organized his accommodation, Trent had been offered a job at the college. He’d pull duties at the gym, running some classes, both group and 1-1, but that of course wasn’t the star-draw. The college had seen a tremendous amount of response to the publicity work he’d done for them, and had big plans for their next drive for students and funding.

 

While Trent was secure, though, he knew that Lance hadn’t found anything yet. And with no classes to stay for, that would mean he would soon be away, back home to the other side of the country. Unless…

 

The two were spending a cosy night-in at Trent’s place, being the most comfortable to hang out in, and enjoying an ordered-in Chinese - a rarity, given how quickly the cost racked up for the calories they each now required. It’s in a moment of silence, the pair feeling full and content, that Trent raises the subject.

 

“Do you want to stay here?”

 

“Well, yeah. Were you planning on kicking me out?”

 

Trent looks at him in confusion, then corrects himself. “No, not tonight. I mean, yes, tonight of course… But I meant, do you want to stay stay. With me. Do you want to move in?”

 

Lance sits up from his position of being sprawled out across Trent, the sleepiness gone from his face. “I thought you said, after Brie…”

 

“You’re not Brie. And besides, I guess that was just me being… cautious. Us living together wasn’t what finished us. I mean it, Lance, and I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Stay.”

 

Lance’s expression of gormless shock creeps into a smile. He can only answer one way, and does so, as he presses his lips against Trent’s.

 

--------------------

 

“Hey! Oh, it’s been too long, it’s so good to see you!” Brie says leaning up and planting a kiss on first Trent’s, then Lance’s cheek, as they step into her home, and pass her a bottle of champagne. “Very nice, thank-you! I’ll fetch some glasses, you boys head on through.”

 

“Well, the least we could do is give you something to toast with. Congratulations!” Lance says, before following Trent through to the yard. There’s a smattering of people here and there, a few of whom Trent recognizes. A couple of the boys of course, the handful that had remained after college, give him a nod as he arrives. He spots Adam at the back of the yard - it would be difficult not to - talking to a grey-haired couple Trent remembers as his Mom and Stepdad, who he’d met briefly at graduation almost two years ago. And sitting in a chair on the deck near the house, wearing a sundress that showed off her long legs…

 

“Abbie!”

 

“Hey, you! It’s been a while. You look fantastic!” She says, standing up to greet him.

 

“You’re one to talk, look at you! Yeah, it’s been too long - I don’t even think you’ve met Lance, before? Lance, this is Abbie,” Trent says, proffering his boyfriend forward, who takes her hand.

 

“You do know I’m his wife right?” Abbie says jokingly, referring to the joke they’d played on Adam and Brie some summers back.

 

“God, not another one. I hope you’re not as vicious as the Mistress is,” Lance quips, his smile broadening.

 

“You know he’d kick your ass if he was here, right?” Trent asks.

 

“Aiden can’t even reach my ass. Anyway, it’s a pleasure Abbie. I know you by reputation at least; your 3-pointers are legendary.”

 

“Thanks! Maybe you’ll get to see one in person, someday - I’m moving back.” She smiles.

 

“What? No way, when?” Trent asks her.

 

“This summer. It’s going to be fantastic getting to play with Brie again; trust me, it’s much better than trying to play against her. You can’t tell anyone, though, they haven’t-”

 

But unfortunately, their conversation cut short as a bellow cuts through from across the yard - 

 

“Yooooo!!”

 

-Adam had spotted Trent.

 

The years since graduation had been a rollercoaster ride for the, now, over 8ft giant. What had started out as an innocent enough post - a few photos to his Instagram showing off the furniture he’d made - had exploded. It racked up thousands of responses from people demanding to know how exactly he’d made them - and, Adam was no fool, a lot more than just that. How tall was he, how much did he weigh, how big was his…

 

And while he wasn’t happy to share every fact with his new pool of adoring fans, he was more than happy to show them how he worked - and so a new influencer was born, through a curious combination of people who wanted to drool over one of the biggest men on the planet, people who engaged with his bombastic, golden retriever attitude, and those who wanted to see the actual product he put together. And with no embellishment needed, he’d gotten very good at his craft.

 

Adam bounds across the lawn and pulls Trent into a massive bear hug, then lets him down before slapping Lance on the arm. He opens his mouth to ask Trent something, but stops when he sees Brie exit the kitchen with the champagne and glasses, he changes his mind.

 

“Perfect,” He mutters, before bellowing, “Everyone can I have your attention please?”

 

The conversation in the yard dies down, and those who are further away drift closer to the centre of it all.

 

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming here today - I promise this won't take long, and I’ll let you get back to your drinks in just a minute. You all know why we’re here. Last week, I asked the most important question of my life to this beautiful, talented woman right here - and to my everlasting gratitude, she said yes.”

 

A ripple of applause breaks out among the gathered guests, along with a loud “whoop!” from Abbie.

 

“Brie - you are the most important person in my life, and I cannot wait to become your husband. You complete me, and I am so excited to declare all the love that I have for you in front of all our friends and family…”

 

The applause this time is littered with “aww”’s, as Brie blushes and steps forward, then leans up to kiss her fiancé. He returns it, placing his hands on her waist, and keeping one there as he turns again to his guests and continues:

 

“Obviously a wedding is a lot of hard work - fortunately, I’m not afraid of using a little elbow grease! And there’s no place to start like the present. For one thing, this wedding is going to need more than just the two of us. Trent…”

 

He rounds upon his friend, who instinctively looks around him, as if there was somebody else sharing his name that Adam could possibly be referring to. He feels Lance’s hand sneak into his.

 

“You’re my best friend. And when I say that, I don’t just mean you’re my closest friend - I mean you are the best person I could possibly have as a friend. Without you, I wouldn’t be half the man I am today. And I’m not just talking about the gains - although, obviously they speak for themselves, if anyone here wants to get big, hire this man!”  The gathered crowd laughs along with him. “But seriously - I am not proud of the person I used to be. I am a better person because of you. I need somebody by my side when I marry this gorgeous woman, and Trent: there can be nobody on this Earth more suited to that role than you. Will you do me the honor of being my Best Man?”

 

All eyes turn to Trent. He stares at Adam; turns to Brie, who nods, clearly knowing this was coming. He opens his mouth to speak, but words don’t come. He nods yes, as tears stream from his eye and the garden erupts with cheers.

 

A cork pops. Champagne is poured. And Trent shares an evening with the people he loves most.

 

----------------------------

 

“.... the effect of which may well be felt for decades to come.”

 

“Thanks, Susan. Up next the developing story of a man who was beaten unconscious in a downtown nightclub yesterday evening. The 28 year old, who has spent the last 10 hours in the intensive care unit of St Mary’s hospital, was thought to have been the victim of gang violence. However, footage has recently surfaced online that suggests the assault may have been the actions of a single individual.”

 

Blurry stills flash up on the screen of a young man smiling at a camera, gesturing his thumb backwards. Behind him, face flushed red and muscles bulging, is an impossibly huge man, taking up the entirety of the background of the shot. Next there’s a photo of - is that a man? A huge tube is thrust between what might be lips, rouged bandages cover the majority of his face, and the only skin visible is an eye - swollen to sickening proportions 

 

“The video quality is poor, but some sources suggest the assailant may be star athlete, Sebastian Greene. Witness accounts, and a deleted tweet from the footballer’s own Twitter place him in the area at the time of the attack, but at present no arrest has been made. Viewers are advised that the following footage contains scenes of graphic violence, that some may find disturbing.”

 

----------------------

 

In the distance, the gentle murmur of a crowded marquee tells Trent that the party is in full swing. He sits at the edge of the dock by the river, tie now loosened around his neck and his jacket long-since discarded, enjoying the company of chirping insects.

 

The suit of course had been custom made. Formalwear for an 8’2” bodybuilder was hardly going to be off-the-rack - and that’s before you accounted for the 8’5” groom himself. Fortunately, Adam’s newfound online fame had earned him a lot of contacts, not to mention a sizable fortune to draw from. And he’d certainly eaten into that for the event - the price of the catering alone boggled Trent’s mind. And then there was Brie…

 

He didn’t know what kind of person would look at a 7’1” amazon and think “she needs heels”, but he felt they probably deserved some kind of national award as well as a mental evaluation. The dress flowed for days, accentuating every curve and highlighting the perfection of her body. The bride is always the most beautiful person on the planet, but in this instance, Trent suspected it might well be the objective truth.

 

The dock creaks behind him, and suddenly he has company.

 

“Hey man, Lance said you wanted me. Killer speech, by the way.” Adam says, taking the space next to him.

 

“Thanks,” Trent says, without looking up.

 

“Are you alright, bud?”

 

“Yeah. I’m great,” Trent replies, now turning to regard his friend. In the gloom he can just about make out Adam’s features, concern played across them, and he didn’t want that. “I’m really okay. And I owe a lot of that to you. I love you, man.”

 

Adam’s concern cracks into a goofy smile, and he pulls Trent in for a one-armed hug, his huge limb laying heavily across Trent’s shoulders, “Aww, I love ya too, c’mere!”

 

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” Trent says, as the embrace ends.

 

“Well, that’s no good. You think too much anyway, I hate to think what ‘a lot’ means…”

 

“I’m going back to school,” Trent continues, to stop himself using the joke as an excuse to stop the conversation. “I’ve decided to retrain, I’m going to qualify as a therapist.”

 

“Well that sounds great!” Adam responds, not even missing a beat. Trent smiles. His friend’s instant enthusiasm and support was something he’d come to rely on over the last few years, but it never ceases to amaze him just how quickly he can get on board with an idea, “I don’t see what the big deal is though. I guess you’ll be stepping back from the PT work?”

 

“Sort of.” Trent answers, scratching his arm, “That’s not the big news, but it is part of it. I’ve decided to make some changes in my life…”

 

And there were no more jokes. Adam listened to everything Trent had to say.

[Littlerjim]

The penultimate chapter, gearing up for what I see as the end of this particular story. As always, thank-you for the comments. I'm shying away from responding to them directly for now - I don't want to tilt my hand too much with the conclusion so near - but I always read them and they always make my day.

The conclusion should be out soon - tomorrow if I can swing it, but don't be shocked if it's a little longer. 

[OldFashioned]

Truly one of the more fascinating (and well-written!) stories on here in a while. I’m not even that into macro, but find myself excited every time I see an update.

[HawkShark]

14 hours ago, Littlerjim said:

Lance’s growth had been explosive at first, but didn’t maintain that pace for nearly as long as Adam or Seb’s had - though, as he’d beaten his cousin AJ within the first couple of months, he was quietly pleased anyway. He also seemed to sprout differently to what Trent had seen before now. With himself, Adam and Sebastian, the growth was fairly consistent - it’s like someone had taken a JPEG of a bodybuilder and stretched it out from the bottom right hand corner. They were taller, but they were also all-round bigger for it, rocking the same proportions they might have had at a much shorter height.

 

Lance was naturally gangly, and the drug seemed to accentuate that. While he packed on a little muscle, he stayed a lot slimmer than Trent had. His limbs had stretched outwards, his feet almost as big as his boyfriend’s despite nearly a foot of height between them still. In a room by himself, he looked like a large imposing basketball player, just cresting 7 foot - a huge and rare body type, but one at least theoretically attainable without assistance. Next to Trent, however, he looked - still kind of small. 

@LittlerJim, this is such a delightful outcome for all parties, except Seb as it should be. The quote above though does make me wonder about your previous stance on (paraphrased) "It's not about the work". I can definitely see why B852 would turn Adam and Trent into massive bodybuilders. Their starting physiques would, I think, logically lean that way. It also makes sense that from their starting heights that Adam would end up taller than Trent. Seb, however, is a mystery in that sense. He was, to put it ungently, small and wirey, not usually the template that leads to massive muscle monster. Seb's initial training was definitely in the vein of Trent's, so the work he put into it was the kind that'd lead to his result. I'm OBVIOUSLY overthinking it, but that's par for the course for me. Is B-852 responsive to the "wishes", training, and initial physiology of the subjects? Or maybe it's a question of different batches of the drug having varying potencies, and end results. That'd explain why Lance only got tall, why AJ only grew (comparatively) a little, and why the first group of subjects all got HUGE. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, just out of an abundance of curiosity on the verisimilitude of the wonderful universe you've built  . Feel free to ignore this until after the hopefully BIG finale, just in case it might spoil the good stuff. 

Thanks again for writing this story too.

[ploder4]

1 hour ago, HawkShark said:

@LittlerJim, this is such a delightful outcome for all parties, except Seb as it should be. The quote above though does make me wonder about your previous stance on (paraphrased) "It's not about the work". I can definitely see why B852 would turn Adam and Trent into massive bodybuilders. Their starting physiques would, I think, logically lean that way. It also makes sense that from their starting heights that Adam would end up taller than Trent. Seb, however, is a mystery in that sense. He was, to put it ungently, small and wirey, not usually the template that leads to massive muscle monster. Seb's initial training was definitely in the vein of Trent's, so the work he put into it was the kind that'd lead to his result. I'm OBVIOUSLY overthinking it, but that's par for the course for me. Is B-852 responsive to the "wishes", training, and initial physiology of the subjects? Or maybe it's a question of different batches of the drug having varying potencies, and end results. That'd explain why Lance only got tall, why AJ only grew (comparatively) a little, and why the first group of subjects all got HUGE. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, just out of an abundance of curiosity on the verisimilitude of the wonderful universe you've built  . Feel free to ignore this until after the hopefully BIG finale, just in case it might spoil the good stuff. 

Thanks again for writing this story too.

It could also be that Seb could be seeking "chemical assistance" other than what exercise provides, but no details have been given as to how big Seb really is.  Trent and Adam haven't been in contact with Seb.  For all we know, Seb may still be big, but the quality of his muscle is a question unanswered.  For all we know Seb may still be bigger than the average human in comparison, but may be surprised when he sees both Adam and Trent.  LittlerJim has left us wanting more.  Great story.

[Littlerjim]

Chapter 8

 

Six years later

 

Although the use of B-852 had been outlawed in most countries, the effects it had already had on the population were... noticeable. The world had become just a little taller, with most people who chose to take the drug experiencing 1-2 inches of growth to their height and a small boost to muscle mass. The amount of people who experienced growth on the level seen by Trent and his friends was a miniscule fraction; but it was also a fairly large sample size.

 

So it was that very few people paid attention to the large man lumbering up the steps and ducking into a gym - almost 9ft tall, broad shoulders and arms that seemed too long for his body, needing to duck under even the larger doorway of the gym proper. He looks around him.

 

The gym itself looks much like any other, except that several of the machines are larger, and some of the weights by the wall extend to near cartoonish proportions. Additionally there are sofas and comfortable chairs that make up small resting areas dotted around the space. There are some people in here working out, but his focus is drawn to the center of the floor where a small crowd is gathered.

 

People of all sizes, ranging from sub-6 foot right the way to almost 8, are standing around, shouting words of encouragement, cheering and hollering. At the centre of the crowd is a man that is bigger than them all. Built like a bodybuilder but blown up past any conceivable proportion; his arms alone look larger than several of the smallest people in the crowd. It’s hard to tell from this position, but he may even be taller than his unseen watcher, supported by a pair of thick, tree trunk legs that support his titanic form.

 

He shouts louder than anyone here.

 

“Come on buddy! You can do it - nine! Just one more, go! Go! GO! TEN!” The gathered group explodes like an arena crowd as the huge man easily takes the bar away from the lifter in a single hand and racks it. The lifter sits up - a small man, barely 5’8 with spindly thin arms and a flushed red expression of goofy pride on his face. People in the crowd reach forward to pat him on the back, or slap his hand.

 

“You see that? Man, that’s incredible. That’s progress. You could barely do one of those when you came in at first, and now look at you! It’s a small step, but what do we take, everybody?”

 

“One step at a time” the crowd responds back.

 

“Damn right!” He opens his mouth to continue, but as he scans the crowd he notices the newcomer by the gym doors, “Hey, Carli, you’re up - Nath, can you spot her? I just need a second.”

 

He leaves the group and makes his way over to the entrance. With a gulp, the newcomer realizes he was right, and cranes his head upwards to look at the trainer, who must logically be over 9 feet tall.

 

“Hi Adam, long time no see…”

 

“Cut the crap, Seb, what do you want?”

 

Sebastian gulps, his eyes scanning the room. The bulk of the crowd had resumed their activity of cheering on their friend, but he can see one or two of them looking over, as well as other faces around the gym, quietly taking stock of the situation. Not that they needed to. Adam was more than enough to handle himself, and the last time the two of them had crossed paths plays prominently in Seb’s mind. He licks his lips nervously.

 

“I’m not here for trouble.”

 

“You’re damn well gonna get it if you don’t answer the question; what do you want, Seb?” Adam demands again.

 

Seb’s voice cracks as he finds his answer. “I need help. That’s what this place is for, right? Helping people?”

 

“Normally, yeah; for you I think we’d make an exception, though. How fucking dare you?”

 

“I know I have no right to-” 

 

“Goddamn right you have no right! Fucking hell, Seb, and I didn’t think you could stoop any lower!” Adam continues, as Seb looks away. His voice is a low hiss, meant to hide the confrontation from the more vulnerable members of the gym, but by this point, there isn’t a pair of eyes in the room not fixed on the pair. “What’s happened, huh? You fuck up your life so bad, you think you can throw yourself at the feet of the people you treated the shittiest? You’re fucked up, man. Get out.”

 

“No, please - “

 

“I said OUT, before I make you-”

 

“At least ask him!” Seb’s begging gives Adam pause for just a second, and he continues, “It’s his choice right? He should get the decision…”

 

Adam scowls. The shitbag was right, but he didn’t like it. He glances around, seeing the attention he’s getting.

 

“You wanna see the Big Man? Fine. I’ll let him know you’re here. But if he wants you gone, I’m gonna enjoy every second of throwing you through that door. Stick close.”

 

Adam turns on his heels, and Sebastian knows better than to disobey him. The way he talked about him - the Big Man? He’d had a vague idea that Adam was going to outsize him, his face was everywhere between the social media and minor celebrity status it’d gained him. But Trent… outside of an article he found, interviewing him about the opening of the gym, there was nothing. He lived a pretty private life. Just how big had he gotten, with his catalyzed dose of the drug? Exactly what was he going to find here?

 

Adam leads him through a hallway that branches off from the back of the gym, rounds a corner and ends in a doorway, of the same larger design all the doors in the building appear to have. 

 

“Wait here,” he says, before dipping inside.

 

Seb waits for what seems an age, though in reality is less than a minute. He hears the rumble of voices on the other side, and finally, the door cracks back open.

 

“You’re a luckier man than you deserve. Come in.”

 

Sebastian steps through the door, his heart in his mouth, and enters the office. The room is warmly decorated, clearly designed to be welcoming to visitors, though Seb couldn’t feel more unwanted. There’s plants, some certificates, and a few photographs - one prominent one on the wall shows a bearded man, another man with sandy hair, and a young girl being cuddled by them both. There’s comfortable, oversized armchairs that face a large desk, and behind it, rising to his feet, is Trent.

 

Seb’s jaw drops.

 

The man before him is smaller than he remembers. He’d been pushing seven and a half feet during their confrontation on the beach, and whilst he certainly still clears that seven foot mark, he seems obviously shorter. Or was Seb just bigger? But, no - although the sweater Trent wears masks some of his frame, it’s plain to see that he’s smaller than before. Not as ripped or as bulging. But other than that, the same beard, his shaggy hair perhaps flecked with just a touch of grey. Just smaller. What the hell had happened?

 

Meanwhile, Trent looks his once-friend, once-tormentor, up and down with concern. He notes the bags under his eyes for a start, the generally unkempt look. Most concerning, though, was the telltale bruising on his arms, and a red, waxy look to his skin. He looks at Adam and speaks softly.

 

“Thanks, Adam. Would you mind leaving the two of us to hash this out?”

 

“What? After what he tried to pull last time?” Adam asks in disbelief, “No way, Trent, I’m staying right here.” 

 

“Please. This isn’t the same as last time. I can always shout for help if I need it, but I won’t” Adam pushes, plaintively. 

 

Adam looks at him, then to Seb, then back to Trent. “Fine. But I’m staying within earshot, and if you’re not done in ten minutes, I’m coming back in!”

 

“Make it twenty,” Trent asks, smiling ruefully as Adam leaves, closing the door behind himself. “Take a seat,” he says to Sebastian, gesturing and taking his own.

 

“I didn’t know he worked here,” Seb says hoarsely, uncomfortably doing as he was asked.

 

“He doesn’t,” Trent says simply, “But he volunteers from time to time. Plus he’s one of our biggest donors, since we got charitable status. The lights wouldn’t be on if not for him.”

 

“Charitable status? I thought you were a gym?”

 

“We are - or at least that’s a part of it. What we offer is counselling, help for those who need it in a post-852 world. But I think you know that already?” He asks, studying Seb’s face. The large man can’t keep eye contact. “What are you using?”

 

Seb’s attention is grabbed again as he regards Trent with disbelief - how did he know? - but he thinks twice about trying to deceive him. “Anything I can.”

 

“Seb, you didn’t need to come all the way down here to learn that shit’s not good for you. Why the fuck are you doing it to yourself?”

 

“Because I’m not big enough!” Seb snaps, on the verge of tears, his eyes wild. Trent had been afraid that might be the answer.

 

The effects of the B-852 drug had seemed to be random, with less than 1 in 10,000 experiencing the level of extreme growth Trent had seen first hand - and, through a cosmic fluke, that he was able to see multiple other times. But there were others out there, slowly surfacing to the public eye. He’d even met a few. And naturally, many of them pursued careers that their size gave them an advantage in.

 

When Brie and Abbie had started out, there was nobody physically in the same league as them, but these days they regularly faced entire teams of girls who were just the same size. Not that it mattered; whilst other women could match them for height or athleticism, there were none that came close to the near psychic levels of synchronicity the two shared. The pair were a perfect team, and a menace to every opponent they faced. This was not the case for Sebastian.

 

Trent had tried his best to ignore the plights Seb had been through, but to do so completely was impossible; it was all very public. From the incident at the nightclub and the young man he’d nearly killed, to the very transparent injustice that had followed, and the public backlash. Sebastian had walked away scot free, his lawyers having the footage of him actually committing the actual assault stricken from evidence. Seb got to keep everything, along with his place on the team - for a short while at least. 

 

He was, at the time, their star player, his superior size and strength making him a one-man army, practically capable of carrying any game by himself. But then others joined the team, and new big names started playing for other teams. It became quickly apparent that, on a level playing field, Sebastian Greene had very little to offer. He was dropped two seasons later, and that’s the last Trent had heard about it. But to reach this state…

 

“Seb… how can you possibly not be big enough? You must be, what, 9 feet tall?”

 

“Not yet… not ever. Oh fuck…” Sebastian’s hands shake as the tears fully fall now, unable to contain his sense of desperation. “It’s all over. I’ve not grown in more than a year. I’m fucking done for.”

 

Trent simply watches. It’s hard to. There was a time when the mere thought of this man filled him with rage - but the years had quelled that flame. He felt revulsion, but it was now diluted with pity.

 

“I thought you could help me,” Seb continues, “It’s what you do right? Make people bigger? But then I saw you and - god, is this what’s going to happen to me now?”

 

Trent is confused for a moment, before the realization hits; he was bigger, the last time they had met.

 

“And what would be wrong in being like me? I’ve got a gorgeous husband, a beautiful daughter, a fulfilling career - what exactly is the problem?” Trent pushes, anticipating the answer.

 

“I don’t have that. My size is all I have! I can’t afford to lose it!” Sebastian pleads, as if Trent had any control over the issue.

 

“You're not on the verge of shrinking. I took the antidote.”

 

Trent’s words have all the effect of a slap to Seb’s face. Trent can see the cogs whirring away in there, trying to come to terms with what he’d just said, attempting to rearrange the words in a way he could possibly comprehend. The best Sebastian can come up with, after a long period of silence;

“Why?”

 

“Because I was big enough. No, if anything I was too big.” Trent, corrects himself, standing up and walking over to the photo of Lance and their daughter. “Too big for ceilings, for plane journeys. I had to eat too much food. I had to work out every spare second I had. It was exhausting. And yeah, I enjoyed the stares at first. But past a certain point - it's all meaningless, right? I'd long since passed the point at which all that strength and size made any meaningful improvement in my life. And sometimes... sometimes I just wanted to look my husband in the eye. So I spoke to my doctor, I arranged to take the shot - and I don’t regret it for one second.”

 

“You - you chose to be small?” Seb stammers, still unable to process the fact.

 

“I’m 7’1”, Sebastian, I’m hardly a hobbit,” Trent replies, turning round to look at him, “I’m not small. I never was small, really, but I was just too stupid to see it. And I had somebody telling me the opposite - though, I think you were maybe telling yourself exactly the same thing?”

 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry about everything I ever did to you, I was out of line, I-” Sebastian begins, but Trent raises his hand.

 

“I don’t need your apologies. I moved past that a long time ago, and to be honest - I’m not sure you’re in a place yet where you even understand what you’re apologizing for.”

 

“I know! I know, I know, I’ve done awful things. And I’m paying for it. I can’t live like this anymore, I can’t keep being me. I need to fix me. I need help!” Sebastian continues.

 

“You don’t have to convince me - it’s obvious that you do.” Seb’s eyes light up in hope, but Trent quickly dashes them. “Don’t get ahead of yourself - I think you should get help, I truly do, but I don’t necessarily think I’m the one to give it to you.”

 

“But - but how…”

 

“I have friends in the field, colleagues who might be willing to take you on-”

 

“No!” Sebastian says, “No, it has to be you. This whole thing started with the two of us, please… you’re a part of this.”

 

Trent’s face darkens for the first time since Sebastian had entered the room.

 

“I’m trying very hard to keep my temper Seb, but don’t you dare try to implicate me in your actions. I am not what led you down this path,” he states tersely.

 

“No, I didn’t mean it that way-”

 

“Didn’t you? You only tried to apologize to me a moment ago because I brought up the way you treated me. But what about what you did to Abbie, or Adam? What about the poor man that you hospitalized? What about the dozens of people who have come into contact with your life and left the worse for it? The only thing you’re interested in, still, is getting bigger! When will it be enough, Seb? What could possibly satisfy you?” Trent demands, his blood boiling.

 

Sebastian doesn’t speak. He studies his shoes guiltily, while Trent finds his chair and begins to calm down.

 

“I’m sorry,” he insists, obviously still angered but with a tighter lid on it, “That was unprofessional of me - but do you see now why you would be better with someone else? We’ve got too much history together. You need someone who can treat you without judgement. Besides, I’m not sure you’d like my remedy. You don’t need any more size, Sebastian. You need to learn to accept what you have.”

 

“And what if I could?” Seb chokes, “I don’t… I don’t want this anymore. What if I could learn to live with it? And to atone for what I’ve done….”

 

“Do you think you even could?”

 

“I have to,” Sebastian answers, “For you. I owe you that. Please. Please, I’ll do anything, just give me a shot…”

 

Trent takes a deep breath, and glances once more at the picture on his wall - his conscience, steadying his heart while he wrestles with the decision. Funny choice of words really. All of this had started when he’d given Seb a shot. It was hard to believe how much had happened since then - but he’d come out of it. Stronger for it. A better man, discovering things about himself that he otherwise never would.

 

He didn’t need to be the biggest or the strongest. He was more than happy to let others take that mantle. In fact, he enjoyed the work of bringing out that side in others, in nourishing their growth and seeing them flourish. This job was his passion, his calling in life. And sitting in front of him now is a withered husk of a man, whose start had been so similar to his own. There was nobody more in need of the help he could give. The only question is - would he?

 

He takes another deep breath-

 

END

[Ro20316]

3 hours ago, HawkShark said:

@LittlerJim, this is such a delightful outcome for all parties, except Seb as it should be. The quote above though does make me wonder about your previous stance on (paraphrased) "It's not about the work". I can definitely see why B852 would turn Adam and Trent into massive bodybuilders. Their starting physiques would, I think, logically lean that way. It also makes sense that from their starting heights that Adam would end up taller than Trent. Seb, however, is a mystery in that sense. He was, to put it ungently, small and wirey, not usually the template that leads to massive muscle monster. Seb's initial training was definitely in the vein of Trent's, so the work he put into it was the kind that'd lead to his result. I'm OBVIOUSLY overthinking it, but that's par for the course for me. Is B-852 responsive to the "wishes", training, and initial physiology of the subjects? Or maybe it's a question of different batches of the drug having varying potencies, and end results. That'd explain why Lance only got tall, why AJ only grew (comparatively) a little, and why the first group of subjects all got HUGE. 

remember that Adam, Seb, Abbie and Brie got the formula on their early stages and then they created a second verison where the changes were more "normal". The first formula did wonder while you work out and trhat's why Seb grew as muchas he did. He was living for the gym and had the resources for it an when Trent learned the truth  he had a "new " version and his mind set was just "get big" and he grew rapidly.

 

Trent got his life together and even tho he hated it. It's all thanks to Seb. If he werent for Seb he would still be the same shallow guy i mean Seb was the one that brought everyone together without him Trent wouldnt really know Adam and he wouldnt know how such a great guy he really is and in the other hand we have Seb and how his attempts to break Trent didnt really help, He was so resentfull of Trent he forgot himself and just wanted to hurt him. Seb was the biggest of them all, he could have had an easy life, he had money and connections He could have had a new life if he so wishes but instead he chose to drive everyone appart with his actions and now it's too late.

 

Adam, Brie, Abbie and Trent had form a family and they will continue to be,

[Ro20316]

That finale, This ride. This story was aweosme.

Im sure @dredlifteris proud of the work you have done.

 

Seb never found hep., he never got over his trauma and while he was big, and others started taking the SB he always saw himself as small and that drove him to teh point we see him in that last chapter.

They are not kids anymore . They are man and they are gonna work their things out slowly but surely.