"A Deal's A Deal" (Part 15)

[Lover_Boy]

Brian walked down the hall amidst his friends. As they rounded the corner to the main entryway, the group disipated from around him as the kids that walked home or took the bus went their separate ways. As he watched, he felt a bit disappointed. He wished Tony were here to walk with him. Tony had become one of the, if not the closest, of his friends. With Tony's "gifts", he'd come to realize that being liked by a gay guy was actually quite flattering. He didn't quite understand how it worked, but he knew it was a deep affection. And as close as they'd become, Tony still maintained a distance of sorts.

He refused to openly socialize with Brian. When Brian had asked, he'd claimed that his being gay would make Brian's other friendships difficult. What he didn't have the heart to tell him was that he'd told all his friends that they'd have to accept Tony as a part of the group if he chose to hang out with Hossler. As a result, he'd learned who his friends really were because some of the other football players had stopped talking to him. it was all a moot point, though. Tony had decided, apparently, to stick with the "safe" crowd, and hang out with that kid named Andy. He knew why. Tony hadn't told him, but Andy had sudden'y gotten quite a bit bigger over a short period of time. He guesed he could get from Andy something he couldn't get from Brian. Brian's thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting his name.

"Yo, Hossler.....!"
Brian turned around to see Mark Tinsley walking toward him with his usual group of lackeys in tow. Mark had been the most vocal against Brian becoming friends with Tony.
"Yo, Brian, I wanna talk to you."
Oh boy, here it comes. "Whaddya want, Tinsley?"
Mark closed the distance between them in a few seconds, coming face to face with Brian. "What's your fuckin' deal, man?"
Brian knew what he meant, but he wanted to hear Mark say it. "What're ya talkin' about?"
"You know what I'm talkin' about punk!" He poked Brian in the chest with a thick forefinger. Tony had made Brian a lot bigger than he used to be. But Mark was obviously benefitting from puberty because he was nearly 6'5", and lifted weights like a fiend every day. He was bigger, and stronger than Brian. "I'm talkin'bout you pickin' little fairy-boy over us."
Suddenly, Brian knew what Tony meant when he said some of Brian's friends didn't deserve to call him "friend". "I didn't choose him over you. I just said if ya didn't like it, ya didn't have to stick around any more."
Mark shook his head in mock sadness. "Brian, man, I thought I knew who you were. How long we been hangin' together? Since third grade? Now, all of a sudden, ya want nothin' to do with us?"
Brian looked him squarely in the eye, "That's right."
"So, what? You queer, dude? Cuz-at's the only reason I can think of that you'd wanna hang out with'im."
"You just don't get it, Mark." Brian went to walk away, but didn't get far.

Mark grabbed his shoulder, and spun him around. He shoved him beckward, trying to knock Hossler down, but he kept his balance. Mark began shouting now. "Don't fuckin' walk away from me, faggot! What the fuck's your problem?! I just asked ya a simple question! What, we ain't good enough for ya now....?"
Brian was getting scared now. There was no way he'd be able to win a fight with Mark. Despite his size, he was quick. Combined with his size, he'd seen Mark kick a few asses. He tried reason instead. " I never said that. I just wanted everyone to know that he was gonna hang around. He's a cool kid, you'd like him." Oops.....
"Wrong answer." Three of the guys grabbed Brian, and pinned him to the external wall of the building. Mark made a fist, and Brian braced for impact a split second too late. Mark's fist collided with his stomach and the air was violently expelled from his body. He doubled over, and the other three let him fall the rest of the way to the ground.

He lay on the groud in a fetal postion, moaning in pain as thery began kicking him. Over and over, their feet slammed into him, and all he could do was protest in vain. Despite all this, the only thing that kept going through his mind was that he wished Tony were here........
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Tony strolled liesurely down the hall. He'd been stunned today to see one of Brian's best "friends" storm away from him in a fit of rage. He hadn't witnessed the actual conversation, but he'd gotten bits of it in overheard gossip. Then, at lunch, Andy had informed him of Brian's declaration. He had to admit, Brian was brave. It was a risky move today to so openly be frienfds with a gay guy. Suddenly, Tony was wrenched from his reverie as a feeling of imminent danger hit him. A thought, that most definitely wasn't his own, flashed through his mind like a siren going off. 'I wish Tony was here....!' He was overcome with a feeling of mental angiush as he realized the voice in his head was Brian's. Something bad was happening and all he knew was that he had to find Brian........
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It was no use. They'd stopped kicking him now, and Mark was sitting on top of him. He'd already struck repeated blows to Brian's face and torso when a voice came from behind the group of predators.
"GET THE FUCK OFF HIM, NOW!!!!!!!!"
Mark looked back in mid punch to see Tony standing there. The look on his face was a Heinz 57 of emotion. "Get lost, queerbait, before we kick your ass too."
Tony spat the words out at Mark like a curse. "I said, get off him now!"
Mark looked at the other three, and twitched his head like a defective robot in Ton'y direction. Tony didn't move as they fell on him like a pack of wolves, and pinned him to the wall.
Mark looked down at Brian who was trying futilly to push Mark away. "Your little boyfriend's here to save ya, Hoss." He looked over his shoulder at Tony with an almost maniacal grin, "Glad you're here to watch. Now you can see what happens to people who hang out with your kind."

Tony looked down at Brian as he grasped at Mark's arms, trying to dismount him. He let the three others hold him in place, he wanted to see their reactions to what he was about to do. Nothing too flashy. A tiny bit of change would come with the transformation, but the effects would be just as dramatic. More strength, more agility, more stamina, more endurance, more agility, and faster reflexes. In short, Hossler was about to become a fighting machine.........'NOW!!!!'

Mark pulled his arm back, preparing what was to be a final blow. He stopped, and blinked down at Brian. Was he growing....? His shirt looked like it had shrunk a bit, but he didn't have time for closer examination. In a split second, the tide turned. Mark's sneer became a grimace, turning into a scream of pain as Brian's grip on his arms became vice-like. Brian let go of his arms, and shoved both hands into Mark's chest. He hadn't put much effort into the move, but Mark flew a few feet into he air and backward as he'd been struck with a slege hammer. As he landed on his back with the force, Brian seemed to have a second wind as he did a flawless kipp-up like an expert martial artist.

Brian glanced over at Tony for a second as he felt his muscles swell slightly bigger. It felt different this time as they tightened and hardened. Mark got back to his feet. He looked a bit shaken, but determined none the less.
"So, you're gonna make this difficult, huh queer-boy? Fine with me...!"
He bounced on his feet, taking a boxer's stance, weeving back and forth as Brian stared him down silently. He moved in quickly, swinging a vicious punch at Brian's face.
Brian moved with near metahuman speed as he ducked it, and landed an uppercut to Mark's jaw.
Mark's meaty jaw took the hit, and he stumbled back a step. Undeterred, he launched a flurry of hooks, jabs, and roundehouses toward Hossler.
Moving with fluid grace, Brian appeared cat-like as he maneuvered effortlessly to avoid each one. On Marks last swing, he clotheslined him with such strength and speed that Mark was lifted off his feet an flipped backward in mid-air.
Mark landed with a resounding thud, winded, and barely had time to avoid Brian's foot as it fell in a stomp where his head had been a second ago. He rolled, and came to his feet, sweating profusely, and panting. Brian, an the other hand, hadn't spilled one drop of his own sweat since the fight began.

The three thugs let go of me, and surrounded Hossler as he eyed them one by one. They each rushed him, and it was over before it had even began. Moving like a ninja, Brian dispatched each one before they could land a blow, and finally came eye to eye with Mark once again. Mark was furious now, and ran at Hossler with a scream of rage. Hossler stood stalk still until the last second and launched his fist directly into Mark's chest. Even with all the muscle padding the blow, I winced as i heard something pop, and Mrk collapsed, gasping for air. He fell on his side, clutching at his chest as Brian turned around walking over to me.

I sighed my relief, and couldn't help but extend my hand toward his bruised and bloodied face. He didn't move away as I tenderly touched his cheek. Instead, my heart melted as he leaned his face into the gentle carress, touching his mouth to the palm of my hand.
He spoke through his injured lips. Lets go to my house." He put his arm around my shoulders, and we walked the rest of the way to his house where i could fix him up in private.........
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[color=red]There ya go, kidz, Part 15. No muscle growth, but some charcter development I wanted to do. So tell me, whatcha all think of these two guys' relationship? Lemme hear it here. And until Part 16, keep readin'. Oh, one last thing in case any of you missed it. I posted a stroy beginning in the Continuous Story Forum. It's for all of you that would like to take a stroy of mine and write it your way. See ya all laterz, kiddiez........[/color]

[rextorres]

Hi Lover_Boy! Reading your stories are like drinking a glass of wine: Each one just gets better than the previous chapter! Keep up the good work! If you need help, more ideas, or just want to collaborate, just let me know.

Tony helping out Brian as he gets beaten up by Mark is a great example of a friend helping out a friend. Tony could have made himself bigger as well, but decided on making Brian grow instead!

Tony and Brian could form a cool team, where Tony lets Brian in on his "secret" and they go looking around the schoolyard for other guys, who could use some more muscle.

Tony can use Brian as his bodyguard, and continue to make him bigger. Of course, Tony could also use his power on himself, and buff up his own muscles, so that the pair can rule the school as the two newest muscle guys in the class.

Lastly, they can decide to patrol the school and grow some of the guys who need it the most: the weaklings, the short, skinny guys who normally wouldn't stand a chance against the types like Mark.

Another idea is that Tony and Brian want to make up with Mark, and Tony shows Mark what he can do by demonstrating his power. He makes Brian (or himself) grow bigger, and makes a deal with Tony that he could grow him some muscle too, but for a price: Leave Brian and him alone!

I have two characters in the Ty's Power series, named Allen and Peter. Allen has the ability to make Peter's muscles grow every day. Peter returns to normal when he goes to bed at night. But Allen allows Peter to grow huge whenever the need arises, and it is quite a site to see him "blow up" and become huge!

Then of course there are Ty and Kent. Kent is a weak, skinny, geeky kid with glasses, who is always scared of everything. Ty decided to take complete control over the geek's body, and makes him huge whenever he thinks that Kent needs it. Since Kent is such an easy target for every bully at school, Ty needs to make Kent grow huge from time to time, just to scare off the bullies! What fun!

Lots of ideas there!

Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see what else you'll have in store for Tony and Brian.

My advice to you: Lots of muscle growth, great characters for the readers to care about, and lots of FUN, and you got a winner.

Rex

[Ender]

Well, Brian has certainly demonstrated his loyality to Tony, although in a way that will likely cause more trouble for both of them and any one associated with either of them particularly if the circle that knows of Tony's power expands. The more people that know the more likely it is that Mark and his following will learn of it... That could be a major problem for Tony... Brian is likely to defend Tony with the same fury that he defended himself but Brian won't always be on hand.

I suspect that Tony came a little closer to passing Saint's test. Rather then using his power to rescue Brain and himself, Tony leveled the field for Brian and Mark. But I don't think Tony has made it quite yet... he was not directly threatined. Brian also demonstrated that he's a worthy person too by not trashing Mark and Company (they were obviously intending the trash Brian big time,) when he had the chance and being more concerned for Tony... I had considered Tony and Brian as a replacement pair for Saint and Deez earlier and this installment could support that but I don't think that's where things are headed...

Alchemy... is meaningful you say... hmmm... one of the interesting aspects of Alchemy is its "four element" and their pairing as opposites and that all thing are a blend of the elements.... and it has connection to astrology and astronomy... (In the haydays of Alchemy they where the same.) The morning star is generally Venus or Jupiter, but on occasion the other classical planets Mercury, Saturn and Mars may fill in... the same for the evening star.... opposites??? there is an under tone of that in the stories... This plot line is still too vauge for too much speculation... But it's very intreaging...

Ender...

If you missed it under Chap14... Letting Tony "have his way with me" would be a "prize" I would greatly enjoy, afterwards the bath and message might be a whole lot of fun...

[unstud]

not to sound like i'm nit-picking, because i really love this story, but did you intend to switch perspective at the end there? the story has been third-person all along, but suddenly at the end you went first-person with Tony, using the I pronoun. is that intentional, or did you just get into the moment? (i know i did!)

[Lover_Boy]

[color=red]HOLY MOLEY, Ender! Is[/color][color=red] your avatar a picture of you????? [/color]
[color=#ff0000][/color]
[color=#ff0000]Wow.....drooooooooooooooool........![/color]

[Ender]

The face is fairly close but the body, sadly is not But I am working on it and I intend to get close before I croak... I'm a lot closer than I was a few years back (maybe Tony could help a bit ) I imagine its close to Brian's new look...

If it really was me I might let you deliver your prize...

Ender

[Ender]

Here a few others