I’m at my base height of 5’7, riding in the passenger seat of Mr. Reed’s pick up truck as we drive down a country road to his corn field. The hum of the motor buzzes through my body as we move at breakneck speed.
Timber is riding on the back of the truck, staring at the acres of twelve-foot-tall corn stalks that seem to go on forever. I wonder tall he would have to grow to see the end of the field.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Lance,” Mr. Reed says. “And your big guys.”
I smile. “We’re always happy to help, especially Timber. He works really hard to keep Earth a peaceful place.”
I turn around and look at Timber. He yawns. When he notices my gaze, he grins and waves his hand as if to say “Don’t worry about me.”
He's been working a lot of day and night shifts recently, helping Earthlings locally and internationally with giant incidents. Sometimes, it seems like Earthlings view him as a force of nature rather than a person who suffers exhaustion.
I feel bad for denying him the size play session earlier, and now it was cut short for this.
There was no time to shower or change, so I still smell like the inside of Timber’s boxer briefs after a long day’s work.
My clothes are sticky, damp, and odorous. I feel bad that Mr. Reed has to sit next to me in this condition and take in the scent of Timber’s love, but I can’t deny that I enjoy being in this state outside of our mega mansion.
“I should pull the window down,” I say.
“Don’t worry about it,” Reed says. “My son Connor’s a size changer too, so I know a thing or two about the instincts you guys have. I’m prepared to tolerate a heck of a lot more than some smelly clothes in exchange for your help.”
There's no way an ordinary human feels comfortable with this side of me. “But I’m getting the seat of your truck sticky…” I say.
“I wouldn’t care if your giant husbands drenched my truck in cum and piss every Tuesday morning! When you have a giant son, you learn not to judge.”
Wow. I've never heard someone say they accept us with such... frankness. Well, he’s always been kind to size changers who don’t vandalize his property.
Maybe Timber was right when he said I should smell like his underwear in public. If I walked out the mansion every day with his scent on me, the ruder giants who harass me when they sense my tiny energy would back off. I could even walk around shirtless like Henry...
Am I still lacking lucidity? This is no time to think about raunchy exhibitionism, Lance! Stay focused!
“Thanks for understanding, Mr. Reed,” I say.
“Don’t worry about it. If you want to feel sorry for me, think about the Superior that’s vandalizing my corn field and swallowing my workers!”
Mr. Reed was the person who knocked on the door while Timber and I were doing size play. A giant from Superior parked his portal bike near Mr. Reed's corn field and began wreaking havoc.
“It’s another one of those darn destruction graffiti giants!” Reed says.
When Timber married me, a treaty was formed between Planet Superior and Earth. Overnight, the merciless denizens of the known universe’s strongest planet were forced to acknowledge Earth’s solar system as a protected zone.
Superiors are accustomed to viewing the denizens of all weaker planets as food or servants. Earth was no exception before Timber met me. Now, Earthlings are to be seen as friends, coworkers, and romantic partners.
Some Superiors with gentle sides like Timber have immigrated to Earth in search of tiny spouses.
But others are reluctant to acknowledge Earthlings as people with equal rights. That’s why we get vandals, as well as more dangerous invaders.
Long before Earth made contact with any alien species, humans with size change powers had to volunteer to stop dangerous human giants from destroying things. The volunteers came to be known as Size Support, an international network of rescue workers dedicated to neutralizing giant incidents.
Gentle giant aliens like Timber often feel obligated to join Size Support and handle incidents related to their species. But with his combat background and incalculable sizable energy, he's a coveted asset regularly flown around the world to handle high-level incidents involving every species.
As for me, I was doing Size Support missions with Henry years before we met Timber. Mr. Reed's farm has always been a hot spot for giant incidents.
Mr. Reed tightens his hands on the steering wheel. “Connor grew as a big as a three story house trying to fight the guy off. But then the vandal grew twice his size.”
I lean forward. “Is he okay?”
Mr. Reed furrows his brow. “The monster was hitting Connor with a huge metal chain when he told me to run and get help.”
Monster. Timber has super-hearing, so I’m sure he heard what Mr. Reed said. Monster is one of the words that cuts into him deep.
I turn around to look at Timber again. He keeps his gaze on the cornfield, expressionless.
I speak to Mr. Reed. “So the vandal only grew twice Connor’s size? That must be the vandal’s limit. If he could grow further, he would have grown large enough to swallow Connor.”
A pained expression shows on Mr. Reed’s face.
“The workers who have been swallowed are probably okay,” I say. “Thanks to the Superior-Earth treaty, digesting humans carries a hefty prison sentence. A destruction graffiti hooligan wouldn’t risk it.”
“You mean he… ‘soft vored’ them?”
I give a supportive smile. “Yeah, that’s right. You’re great with size change vocabulary, Mr. Reed.”
“When Connor awakened at 18 I didn’t know anything about giants besides the horror stories. I have to look out for him, so I’ve learned a lot since then.”
Mr. Reed reacted to having a size changing son better than Henry’s parents. Well, Henry’s species has a different history with size changers, so it’s not too surprising.
“Connor is a nice guy. I’ve seen him on campus. He’s shy around me, but he hangs out with Henry sometimes.”
The truck slows to a stop. “The Superior parked his portal bike here,” Mr. Reed says.”
On the left side of the road sits a chrome motorcycle with semi-transparent wheels made of white energy. Surprisingly, it’s the same size as an ordinary human motorcycle.
Suddenly, the truck bounces and I hear a giant stomp. Timber has already jumped off the truck and begun growing. He runs into the corn field with loud thuds, creating what I'm sure are gigantic footprints of crushed corn.
I peer through the window on Mr. Reed’s side of the truck. “The corn stalks are so tall I can’t see past them, but Timber could hear the vandal from here,” I say.
Mr. Reed looks at me, confused. “Was he supposed to take you with him?”
I sigh. “On paper he should have, but he prefers to neutralize threats before I get close to the giants. Anyways, we should follow him.”
“The vandal and Connor are somewhere deep in the field," Mr. Reed says. "I’m fine driving over the corn, but I can’t go in there blind.”
“I’ll use my tiny powers to scan for sizable energy. I can detect the presence of giants like a radar.”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I sense three giants. The feeling of Timber’s energy is instantly recognizable, and the other two must be Connor and the vandal.”
I point my finger toward Timber’s sizable energy. “I know where they are. Drive that way.”
Mr. Reed drives past the portal bike into the corn field. Timber is out of sight, but we consistently notice huge patches of crushed corn shaped like footsteps, a confirmation we’re going in the right direction.
After some driving, we hear the sound of two giants yelling. It’s Timber’s voice, and an unknown giant. I sense Connor’s presence but he’s not making a sound.
“I know where Connor is,” I say. “He’s close to the others, but he’s not moving.
“Where is he?”
I point in Connor’s direction. Mr. Reed turns right and slows the car to a safer pace as he drives in search of his son.
“Stop here,” I say.
The two of use get out of the car and I lead Mr. Reed to Connor on foot.
We find him unconscious and bound by a giant-sized white metal chain. He’s three stories tall, wearing jeans and a white tank top.
“Connor, wake up!” Mr. Reed shouts. He runs toward Connor and presses his hands against his son's giant chest, attempting to jostle him awake.
I walk to Mr. Reed and put a hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be okay. He’s hurt, but his sizable energy is stable. Stay with him while I handle the vandal.”
"You fought good," Mr. Reed softly says to his unconscious son. He turns to me, "Give him hell, Lance!"
Making my leave, I brush the towering corn stalks aside as I walk toward the sizable energy of Timber and the vandal. The vandal’s power level is microscopic compared to Timber’s, so I’m not worried.
I soon reach and area with a long and wide stretch of crushed corn. It’s not like Timber’s footsteps. It’s part of a crop sign pattern, the type alien teenagers make during a rebellious phase.
I can see clearly now. Timber and the vandal are in view, six stories tall.
The vandal looks young, maybe 18, with a black jeans, white hair, and a ripped swimmer’s build. He’s showing off his arm and torso muscles by wearing a sleeveless leather jacket, unzipped with no shirt underneath.
And his outfit is adorned with dimly glowing white chains.
The vandal is trying to fight Timber and failing miserably. They’re not yelling anymore. Is Timber toying with him?
The vandal launches punch after punch, unsuccessfully. He briefly relents and says, “A few years ago, it would've been an honor to fight the Starving Saber!”
Timber replies calmly, “My name is Timber now.”
"That's a dumb name for a Superior!"
They lock their hands and wrestle for control.
The vandal says, “I used to look up to you! Everyone did, and now you’ve done worse than go soft! You’re the opposite of everything we thought you were!”
“When I was a planet eater for the Superior Navy, I was always alone." Timber says. "I was alone even before I became a mindless weapon at zero lucidity, but I was too foolish to realize I hated my life. I lived for nothing worthy of admiration.”
The vandal raises his voice. “You’re wrong! You proved that a person from the slums can achieve the highest honors!”
“Those accolades were comet dust compared to my peaceful life on Earth.”
“Everything about you is wrong!”
Timber effortlessly wrestles the vandal to the ground and twists an arm behind his back.
The vandal holds in a scream.
Timber speaks down to him. "I'm finished toying with you, kid. Your punches are pathetic, and your attitude bores me."
“You have one of the highest power levels in the known universe,”the vandal says as he winces in pain. “Why are you wasting it on this backwater planet?”
I see a change in Timber's eyes. That's his annoyed face. “Look in the mirror and ask yourself, kid. Why are you tormenting these Earthlings? Because your chain buddies think it’s cool?”
“I’m not a kid. I’m 19.”
Timber retorts with more force in his voice than before. “You’re a coward who feels strong when your opponents can’t fight back!”
Timber seems to have control of the situation, so I approach them.
The six-story-tall teen’s eyes widen as he notices my small body. He says to me, “You’re him, aren’t you? You’re the human who ruined—“
Timber slams the teen’s face into the ground with a loud thump. The ground shakes for a moment, knocking me slightly off balance, but I stop myself from falling.
Timber growls at the teen vandal, “You don’t look at him! You look at the dirt!”
“We need to release the workers,” I say.
Timber scoffs and pull’s the teen’s head back up. “Release the humans you swallowed.”
The teen catches his breath. “I don’t know how to teleport them."
Timber gets angrier. “You don’t know how to do an ejection teleport? What gang of leather jacket idiots took you in?”
I interject, “He’s untrained. The workers might not be in stasis. Hold his mouth open.”
Without skipping a beat, Timber leans down on the teen’s back and pries his mouth open.
I go in, climbing over the teeth into the mouth. I immediately feel the warm and damp air as I step on the spongy tongue. I use my tiny powers to relax his throat as I trek inward, braving his cavernous esophagus.
When the darkness overtakes me, I activate my luminous sky blue aura.
As I reach the stomach, I’m glad to see there are no traces of acid. The teen I’m inside wanted to play the part of a troublemaker, but he didn’t intend to hurt anyone until he encountered Connor.
There are three terrified workers inside the stomach. I say to them, “I’m Size Support. Grab onto me and I’ll get you out.”
When they all make contact, I immediately teleport us to the outside. The workers immediately run into the corn field.
With a shaking voice, the teen says to Timber, “It’s not supposed to be this way! Why are you on their side? You should be crushing this planet like a sandcastle, not playing hero!”
Timber says coldly, “I never answered to punks like you even when I was a slum orphan.”
“You gentle giants are crazy! That’s why so many of you freaks are immigrating to this backwater—“
Timber glows red and commands, “Shrink.”
Timber and the teenage vandal both shrink. Timber stops shrinking at his normal 6’8, but the teen keeps getting smaller.
The teen speaks on the verge of tears, “You can’t play pretend forever! More Superiors will come and challenge your title!”
“I have no title to claim or reputation to tarnish. I renounced my Navy life when I married, and I’ve been Superior’s laughing stock ever since.”
“You’re still one of the strongest! People will fight you to prove their strength to the known universe!”
The teen is as small as a doll now. Timber menacingly looms over him in a crouching squat position.
With one hand, Timber raises the teen in front of his face. “You think I care? If they want to brawl, let them come! I’m not afraid of anyone.”
I crouch down and speak to Timber, “It’s true. More Superiors are causing trouble on Earth nowadays, and a lot of them mention you. Everything the professor said is coming true.”
Timber’s face softens as he looks me in the eyes.
Then, he scowls at the teen, “Listen up, kid. The only thing Superiors can take from me is my peace and quiet on Earth. Believe me, you don’t want to be one of them. Want to know why?”
I sense a slight drop of lucidity in Timber.
Anger and lowered lucidity are a bad mix for him. I need to take control of the situation.
“Timber, hold on!" I say. "Let me take care of this.”
