Max and Ax, Part 1

[Padraig]

Hi guys ? well, it was a year ago today that I started posting my last story ("The Summer of 1981" series), and I can't believe how quickly the time went by. I am working on another series which hasn't all quite come together yet, so I thought in the meantime I would post this tale.

It's something I was working on a long time ago, so it's a bit different than the Summer of 1981 stuff ? less realistic, more fantasy ? but I definitely enjoyed writing it. I'm posting Part 1 for now and will put up the rest sometime next week.

As always, feedback is welcome.




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Max and Ax, Part 1


Max was ready. His plan was set. Everything had been tested, and he was confident that it would be successful.

He stood in the center of the school science?s lab, his home away from home, waiting for his prey and listening to the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall behind him. He knew it wouldn?t be long before things would be very different in his small Kansas town.

?I have to be strong. I was meant to be strong,? Max said quietly. "I can?t be weak.? He once again thought about the stupid nickname that Ax called him, the jibes alluding that he was less masculine than others and needed to "join a gym," and the whole thing with Janna dumping him because Ax told her to do it. Reflecting on all those things, he knew he had to go forward with the plan and teach the jock a lesson.

After a few more minutes, he began to hear footsteps in the hallway outside the room. He turned to check the time on the clock, and caught sight of himself in the mirror on the wall. Short and scrawny, just barely topping 100 pounds, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a wisp of a profile that made him look more like a boy than his current age of 17 ? but that was all about to change.

?Here we go,? Max thought with a smile.

The lab door swung open and in walked Ax with a scowl upon his handsome face, which though extraordinary in its beauty, was not necessarily the first thing that most people noticed. Usually, most eyes went right to his well-developed body ? even in the winter when bundled up to stay warm, one couldn?t miss the barrel chest, bulging arms, and beefy legs of Garrett Axton.

But this was the summer ? the Saturday after school had gotten out ? and Ax was wearing only a pair of navy blue workout shorts and white sneakers, so his glorious physique was hard to miss. Already tan from his daily jogs and pumped up from his workout earlier in the day, his muscles were the envy of every boy in school. He had always been a good athlete, but since he started lifting weights when he was 14, his body had grown bigger in all the right places, changing him from a skinny kid into a 200-pound teen hunk. He was already captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams, even though he was only a junior, and big things were expected from the big stud during his senior year.

The media had certainly picked up on his prowess on the playing field, and regular stories appeared about him in the local paper. It didn?t hurt that besides the sculpted body, Ax had also been blessed with blond hair, blue eyes, a killer smile and deep dimples that only enhanced his appeal. One picture on the front page of the Tipton Gazette and the publisher could ensure that issue would be sold out all over town.

But at this moment, it wasn?t the muscles or the tan or the hair or the dimples that Max noticed. It was the mere presence of Ax in the room that made him happy because everything had fallen perfectly into place.

?OK, Dupe, I got your note,? said Ax, looking down to read the crumpled piece of paper in his left hand. ?I know your secret and am going to tell everyone. Meet me in the lab. What secret? What are you up to??

Max?s smile got a little bigger. ?First off, I am in no way a dupe - it's you who will be the dupe today. And secondly, Garrett, I don?t really know any secrets about you. I just figured that everyone has a few skeletons in their closet ? even those at the top of the social strata such as yourself ? and you would think I had figured one of yours out.?

Ax?s furrowed his brow and the scowl disappeared into a look of confusion. ?But if you had wanted to talk, why not just call me up??

?I needed to see you alone. If you thought I was about to reveal an embarrassing tidbit, there was a much stronger chance you wouldn?t invite a buddy along.?

?You?re an odd one, Max, but OK, I?ll bite ? why did you need to see me alone?? asked Ax as he walked toward his classmate. He stopped about four feet in front of the smaller boy and looked down into his dark eyes.

Max surprised himself by not backing up as Ax moved forward. ?Because I have something to show you. Something that?s going to make a big difference around here.?

Ax dropped the note on a desk, and then crossed his thick veiny arms across his meaty pecs. ?And what would that be??

Max reached into his pocket with his left hand and pulled out an object that somewhat resembled a clear green plastic water pistol, only it was full of electronics instead of liquid. ?It?s my latest invention. Something that will help me take the best and make it better.?

The confused look on Ax?s face returned, only this time with a hint of concern. ?The best of what??

?The best of you,? replied Max. And then he fired.

A blazing beam of light sprang out of the gun, hitting Ax right in the middle of his smooth sculpted mid-section. Surprised at first, he slowly looked down and realized he was unable to move out of its path. As he struggled in place, however, he could feel a warmth seeping across him - it started at his middle and gently fingered its way across his entire body.

A few seconds later the beam subsided, the wearm feeling dissipated, and Ax?s control of his body resumed. ?What the heck was that? What did you do to me??

?To you, nothing. Well, except make you second-best.?

Ax looked down and took a quick scan of his body ? his muscles seemed to be the same size, so he was unclear what Max had meant. He flexed his left arm and cupped his bicep in his right hand, feeling the heft and shape and strength of his python. ?Second best to whom??

?Why, to me, of course?? replied Max, as he set the gun down on the counter next to him.

Ax remained confused until he realized that Max was transforming ? morphing really ? into something beyond his comprehension. "Holy mackerel, Max! You're growing!"

Max looked down and saw the same thing ? his body was exploding with size! He could feel pound after pound of muscle being added to his frame, changing him from a science nerd into a young Hercules. His pectorals pulsated outward, rising like twin iron souffl?s and creating tiny rips in his green plaid oxford shirt. They started as small slits in the fabric but grew more and more pronounced with each passing second.

?The ladies are going to have a hard time keeping their hands off of these,? said Max as he reached up to feel the hardness of his newly engorged chest muscles.

Then he noticed his biceps and triceps growing, just as if he had suddenly done years worth of curls and pulldowns within a few seconds. Like balloons inflating, he could feel them growing inside his skin, filling with potency and power.

"Grow, grow, grow!" Max chanted to himself.

His arms kept expanding until the poor cloth of his sleeves could no longer take it and the massive muscles simply burst right out of them. Max reached up and ripped off the rest of his shirt with one quick motion, exposing his newly sculpted torso.

?Awesome! It?s so much better than I expected it would be! I feel like Superboy!? bellowed Max, in a voice that was deeper and richer than it had been just moments earlier. He flexed his swollen left bicep into a steel ball and cupped it with his right hand, just as he had seen Ax do, and then looked over at his classmate and gave a quick smirk.

Ax gasped at what he was seeing ? muscles were popping out everywhere on Max. His face may have still looked like that of a boy, but his body resembled that of a Greek god.

?He?s HUGE! Everywhere!? thought Ax as he scanned Max?s body. In addition to his arms and pecs, the science student?s neck, traps, and deltoids grew beefier with each passing moment. The formerly best built student in the school was suddenly very envious of the dramatic taper between Max?s winglike lats and shredded abs.

Max continued his sudden growth spurt ? he obviously wasn?t done yet. But he didn?t have time to revel in the growth of his upper body as he realized his legs were also growing bigger and bigger. Just as he had down with his shirt, he reached down with a firm grip and tore his black slacks completely off, leaving him clad only in his shoes, socks, and a skintight pair of white underwear that was hugging his bubblebutt for dear life.

?Dang, my legs feel so powerful! Like I could lift a mountain!? roared Max as he squatted up and down a few times.

Ax was becoming more and more concerned as Max took up more and more space. He began to back away a little as he realized he was no longer looking down at the formerly five foot tall student ? clearly this hulk was growing up as well as out.

?If I?m six feet two, he?s got to be at least 6 foot four,? thought Ax.

For another 30 seconds Max continued his transformation from chump to champ, gaining more and more muscle ? he felt more and more like a superhero than a super scientist, which was a welcome change indeed. He glanced back in the mirror that had shown him to be a weakling only minutes earlier and saw nothing but raw power in his reflection now. Not knowing why, he hit a most muscular pose and could feel a stirring deep down within ? something raw and animalistic made him let out a powerful roar as he flexed.

Then he turned his attention back to Ax, who had also felt something instinctive and took a few more steps farther away from Max.

?How?how?did you?what??

Max advanced toward the former BMOC. ?Like I said, little Garrett, I took the best and made it better. My little invention over here was programmed to take the best quality of someone, enhance it, and let those enhancements flow back to the operator. In your case, your best asset is your physicality, which I took and enhanced for myself. And now, as you can see, I?m certainly bigger and better in that department.?

Ax was becoming more and more worried and retreated toward the door in which he entered. But Max was getting closer and closer with every step of his giant tree trunk legs.

?I don?t believe it!?

Max laughed. ?What don?t you believe? Are you doubting my scientific genius - surely not, since the process clearly worked. Or are you denying that I?m bigger than you??

Ax gulped. He had stepped back and was now up against the door to the lab, but Max had moved forward enough to put his palm on the door and prevent it from opening with his newfound strength.

?Come on, little man, flex for me.?

?What?? asked Ax. His deep blue eyes were filled with fear.

?You heard me! Since you can't seriously doubt my genius, you must be doubting that I'm bigger than you. So flex your arm so we can see who?s the top dog around here!?

Ax didn?t need to be told again and quickly raised his left arm ? his bicep bulged up, filling with the strength it took him years to accumulate.

Max took his meaty right paw and put it on Ax?s arm. ?Nice. Small but nice. About 16 inches, right??

?Almost 17, the last time I measured,? replied Ax.

?And what about mine? Is it bigger than that?? asked Max as he flexed his left arm.

Ax stopped flexing and put both hands on Max?s bicep, but he couldn?t get them all the way around the gigantic mound. He was blown away by the size and hardness of the muscle and could barely get the words out as he started to feel a little faint. ?I dunno. Must be?at least?20 inches.?

Max smiled. ?Yeah, quite a bit bigger indeed. And I?m sure they?ll prove to be quite a bit stronger as well. All those records you set in the weight room aren?t going to last much longer, are they? It?ll be as if you never accomplished anything at all.?

Ax frowned at the thought. He had been lifting every day for years and was so proud of the records he had set in the weight room, and now Max would be able to wipe them all away in an instant.

?How can this be happening? What?s going on?? thought the confused athlete.

?And it?s not just the weight room where your records will fall. I?ll be joining the football team, basketball team, and the baseball team ? whatever position you played, I?ll be taking that spot.?

Ax?s eyes grew wide and tears began to form. ?What??

?Yes, indeed, my puny friend, your touchdown record, free throw record, and home run record will soon be mine as well. All those scouts who used to come looking for you are only going to notice me.?

Ax tried to maneuver away from his tormentor, but Max firmly put his hands on his shoulders and prevented him from moving. ?You can?t do that. I mean, you?re only one person ? I can play other positions. I can still be on the team and get a scholarship.?

Max shook his head. ?I?m afraid that won?t be happening, Garrett. From this moment on, I?m banning you from the teams. I don?t want anyone taking the spotlight off of me. Oh, and I?ll be banning you from the school weight room and the gym in town as well.?

?You can?t?you wouldn?t??

Max pressed in a little harder, positioning his groin right up against Ax?s midsection. ?Seriously, little boy, didn?t you just see the size of my bicep? I?m the new king of the castle around here, and you will do as I say. Or you?ll regret it.?

?No, you can?t do that. I?ll lose my muscles. I worked so hard for them ? I?ll end up a weakling!?

?Exactly. Maybe we?ll get together once a week just so I can measure how small you?ve gotten.? Max moved his hands from Ax?s shoulders to his prized biceps. ?We?ll watch these nasty muscles atrophy until you can?t even see them anymore. You?ll be barely able to carry your school books by the time graduation rolls around.?

Frustrated by the thought of losing his muscles and turning into a wimp, Ax threw a punch into Max?s stomach, but the rigid muscles of his midsection stopped his blow cold.

Max laughed. ?That the best you can do? Just wait until you haven?t worked out for a few months ? you?re just going to get punier and punier. And, since you will all kinds of free time now that you are dropping out of sports and stopping your workouts, I think we need to get you a part-time job. Maybe at Hank?s Donuts.?

?No, you wouldn?t make me work there. Please, no!?

Hank?s Donuts was owned by Hank Pendleton, a former football star at the high school who had gotten a scholarship to play at the University of Kansas. But after he blew out his knee in his senior year and wasn?t drafted into the pros, he returned to his hometown and opened up a local donut shop that had proven quite popular. He always hired other ex-jocks to run the place, and every single one of them gained tons of weight and grew very fat eating the leftovers at the end of the day.

?My dad knows Hank pretty well. I think I can swing it for you,? replied Max with a chortle. ?But after a few years, I think your nickname might change from Ax to Ass, if your butt grows as big as all the other employees.

Sadness permeated Ax?s whole being. He had worked so hard on perfecting his physique for so long, and now everything he worked for was being taken away. Not playing sports? Not working out? Losing his muscles? Getting fat? It was almost too much to bear.

?Why are you doing this?? Ax croaked feebly. ?I have to be strong. I was meant to be strong. I can?t be weak.? If Max hadn?t pressed him up against the door, he surely would have fallen to the ground.

?I wanted to see your face as I took away you position of power. I wanted to watch as you went from the top of the heap to bottom of the barrel.?

?Me? What have you got against me?? asked Ax.

That response seemed to anger the big hulk, and he pressed harder and squeezed his victim up mercilessly against the door. ?Are you joking? After all the things you?ve done to me. The name-calling? The taunts? Taking away my girlfriend??

?Your girlfriend??

?Don?t play dumb, Garrett. I know it was you who told Janna to stay away from me. We were just about to go all the way, when suddenly she dumped me like a sack of dirt. My one chance at true happiness and you took it all away. So I?m taking everything away from you in return!?

?But Max,? sputtered Ax. ?You?re wrong. You?ve got it all wrong!?

[silvershadow]

Wow...you got my attention I feel sorry for Ax I hope he can become top again. By the way loved the other story as well. Not All Jocks are jerks people can just assume they are.

[Mdlftr]

Good one! I agree with the previous poster -- not all jocks are jerks, and not all nerds are poor, misunderstood saints.

Sounds like Max needs a personality transplant/upgrade as well!


Also, here is a quibble: just being big and strong doesn't give you the skills to be a leading basketball, football and baseball player. There's also things like learned skills, reflexes and hand-eye coordination that have to all be combined to make someone a superior athelete. It's mental as well as physical.

I dunno, Max isn't a very sympathetic character at this point. I'm more with AX at this juncture, who, as you note, has actuallly done all the work to get to this level -- before Max stole it.

Interesting to see where the story goes!

Mdlftr

[Padraig]

Thanks for the comments - I really do appreciate everything, as I hope it makes me a better writer in the future.

As for your comments, Mdlftr, about the transformation not necessarily making Max a better athlete - you are definitely right. It gave him strength, but not all the other qualities needed to play well on the field or on the court.

I was initially going to fold those elements into the transfer of Ax's "physicality" and say that Max stole his overall "athleticism," but I decided against it at the last minute because, in my mind, Max was making assumptions that adding muscle would also add sports prowess. I wanted to show that he was a scientific genius, but there were limits to what even he knew or understood (and this plot point will make more sense as the story continues).

But looking back, I should have gone with my original train of thought because although I know what's going to happen, the reader doesn't and it only serves to add confusion.

Again, much appreciated!

[ephaiston]

wowowow
luv yr stories
hope 2 read more
tnx
ciao

[speedoTrap]

Hello,

The story has a very good setup. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I agree that we are left hanging on the assumption that the jock is inherently evil but that's so human of all of us. The story line allows for further revelations on their personality, history, experience. The geek-gone-hunk has much to explain to himself over time. He's fallen into a trap whereby nothing will be enough. Albeit, they are rather young to have the best athletic skills... honed after many years in college/olympics.

I've been reviewing "Mimetic Desire". Max has taken an imprint of Ax to develop a superior body form. Max now craves other jock aspects and has even gone so far as to make all the plans known to Ax. By using his scientific prowess, he's further gone past the "Mimetic Violence" stage whereby one must elevate over time to be the "teacher" or "master".

The muscle thievery element in stories is my favorite. The hero ends up being the jock who learns life experience from many new perspectives coming out stronger in the end. I wonder if Max will come up with a gadget to take other elements. Eiiik, speedo trap!

ST

[Padraig]

Thanks, guys - I'm glad you like the story so far. As with most of the stuff I write, I try to drop some hints in the first chapter about what's going to happen during the rest of the story, but I try to not give too much away too soon. I hope that the readers are suprised that things don't necessarily turn out as expected - for Max, Ax, and anyone else who may turn up.

Part 2 will be up soon. Thanks!!

[GlitzPianoman]

I haven't read anything this good on this site in a while. Normally, I'm not a fan of sci-fi/fantasy instant muscle transformations, but this one has gripped me. Great job! I can't wait until the next chapter!

[michaelv2]

Hi Padraig, welcome back! Another summer, another story? To tell the truth, I hate the "muscle theft" thing, not erotic in the least. Having read your previous work, I'm hoping not to be disappointed.

[Padraig]

Thanks, Glitz - I don't normally write the instant muscle growth stuff, so I'm glad it went over well with you!

Hi Michael - glad to hear from you again! As I mentioned in the intro, this story was something I wrote along time ago before I figured out what I really liked, so there's a little bit of everything in it - like I threw different scenarios up on the wall just to see what would stick. I think if you keep reading, you'll see enough elements of my other stuff that you will like.

As for the muscle theft concept, it wasn't something that I have been a big fan of either (although sometimes I get a hankering for a good revenge tale), but it was a necessary part of the overall tale I wanted to tell. I struggled for a long time to figure out how to get more comfortable with it, and as usual, my eventual inspiration came to me in a song.

I was listening to "Just Once" by Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram (from 1981, natch), and there was a line that went, "take the best and make it better." When I heard that everything sort of clicked in place for me. My muscle theft gun wouldn't drain the jock of his muscles, but it would take the best of him and make it better in someone else.

So that's how the story originally formed - but like I said, the muscle theft is only a small part of what I wrote. Stay tuned for Part 2!