The Bite (Part 2)

Story by Jakebe on SoFurry

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Aaron comes home from the hospital, hoping to put the attack behind him and return to some semblance of normalcy. Unfortunately, this is not what happens and things get away from him rather quickly.

This is part 2 of 3 for an unfinished story. I love the idea but the execution definitely needs some work and pre-planning. I hope to return to it sometime soon!


"I'm telling you, this isn't normal. I don't feel right." Aaron was sitting at his dining room table for the first time in three days. He had been let out of the hospital late the night before, but he was so tired he went straight to bed. The last 72 hours had been like this, bouts of extreme energy followed by a wave of exhaustion. Dr. Bose had said it would take some time for his body to fight the venom coursing through him and return to its equilibrium state. Even still, he felt different every time he woke up. It scared him. He was a creature of habit. He liked knowing how things stood.

"Well you look amazing." Kord was making pancakes in his work clothes. He worked as a banker, amazingly enough, and he was fairly good at it. He dressed the part in a way that flattered his figure. His pants were tailored to accentuate his firm, toned rump and the bushy tail that wagged freely over it. His shirt stretched over his shoulders, making them seem endless. His suspenders only made his back look that much bigger. Aaron felt himself dropping at the sight of him and forced himself to look away. Now that he had his rest, all he could think about was sex. "I hate to say it, but that hospital food did wonders for you. You're looking more ripped than ever."

"I feel bigger than ever." The horse rolled his shoulders, felt the way his chest and arms strained his shirt. It was true. His clothes were all a lot tighter on him now. "Do you know what the scale said when I weighed myself this morning? 415 pounds."

Kord dropped his spatula. "You've got to be kidding me." He turned to stare, big iron skillet in one massive mitt.

Aaron shook his head and smiled, though he had the grace to look embarrassed. "Not at all. I'm as surprised as you are."

The wolf reluctantly turned back to the stove, but only to shove the last of the pancakes onto a plate. "You couldn't have gained 25 pounds in three days. Not coming off an illness. Not eating that...swill."

Aaron chuckled and shrugged. It actually felt like the seams on this t-shirt were going to tear if he stressed them much more. "I had maybe three times the food that I should have. Dr. Bose was really good about feeding me. Said I would need to eat a lot to fight the infection."

Kord grinned. "Well, remind me to thank Dr. Bose in person later this week."

"Should I be jealous?" Aaron took the plate of pancakes and quickly tucked into them. It was a short stack, and he could already tell it wouldn't be enough.

The wolf laughed and sat down, tucking a napkin into his shirt before starting in on his own breakfast. "Hardly. I only have eyes for you, babe. If you happen to be in the proximity of a certain tiger, though..."

Breakfast went by in a flash. Aaron finished his pancakes, ate more than his fair share of potatoes and stared at the bacon Kord had made for himself before grazing half a box of cereal. He ate while the wolf cleaned the dishes, and he casually watched him move around the kitchen. For such a big guy, he moved with a fluid grace that was hard for his draft-sized body to manage. It was one of the many things he envied about him.

"What's up?" The wolf's bassy voice broke him out of his thoughts. Aaron shook his head once and rubbed his mane. He could feel his sheath straining his shorts, which were already so tight it was starting to hurt a little. He'd give anything to take the wolf right then and there.

"Just thinking about how hot you are." The horse grinned easily and sauntered over to his mate. "And how much I want to carry you up the stairs and have my way with you." He threw his arms over Kord's shoulders and brought him forward. His sheath ground against his stomach, and the canine's muzzle was forced to tilt up between his heavy pecs. Was Kord always this small?

"Mmm. I'd like nothing better, stud." His nose wrinkled, and Aaron could tell that his arousal had been noticed. "But for right now, I have to get to work. I'm going to be late already."

Aaron reluctantly released him, turning towards the sink to hide the clear outline of his head threatening to burst right through his shorts. He felt like a colt again, ready to blow on a hair trigger. It had been a long time since he felt so ragingly horny, and he was pretty sure that wasn't one of the side effects of komodo venom. It was distracting, and a big reason that he didn't want to go back into work right now. Between the ill- fitting clothes and the nearly constant erections, there's no way he'd be able to concentrate on his job.

"All right," he said, leaning down to kiss his wolf between the ears. "But you owe me some spectacular sex when you get home."

"Deal. In the meantime, why don't you run this off and rest up for the rest of the day?" He patted the stallion's immense bulge, tongue lolling. "I'll try to get back home early, OK?"

Aaron nodded and watched his wolf walk out the door. "I love you."

"I love you too." Kord shut the door behind him. Aaron could just hear him padding down the walk to the car. The house fell silent, and immediately felt claustrophobic. He rolled his shoulders once more and felt the seams stretch around the muscle. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to jog down to that clothing store on 5th and Holliday, get some new clothes. It would do him a world of good to do something instead of skulking around the house after all. He would just need to find a decent pair of shorts that wouldn't rip on him.

In the upstairs bedroom he found a pair of very old sweatpants that would do the trick nicely. He carefully cut them into shorts, and they slid over his thighs with a surprising amount of room to spare. They hugged his waist just right, too, the soft fabric hugging his rear and the muted bulge of his package. It wasn't the most modest thing he could wear, but finding clothing that didn't look like a tent or make it inappropriate for him to be within fifty yards of families was getting increasingly difficult. Aaron briefly wondered if it might be worth jacking off once to prevent spontaneous and embarrassing erections, but quickly decided that the clean-up would take far too long. Besides, it was a quick job to the store and back -- barely five miles. He'd be back in no time, handle himself in the shower, and be nice and freshly-dressed for Kord this evening.

The big horse took a deep breath and tried to think of things that wouldn't get him hard. Bills. Bank statements. His hunk of a boyfriend reading them in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts...

Aaron shook his mane and snorted. That was enough preparation. It was time to get running.

He squeezed through the doorway, both of his shoulders brushing the frame as he exited. He briefly looked back at his front door after shutting it. Something wasn't right there. The width of the doors in the townhouse was one reason they decided to take it. They didn't want to feel cramped in their own house. The fact that the door was measurably smaller concerned him. Was someone playing a trick on him? Had Kord replaced it while he was away at the hospital? As soon as he had the thought he dismissed it as silly. Why would someone go through all of that effort just to make him think he was growing?

He took a deep breath, ignoring the way his shirt nearly split across his pecs, and ran. His heavy hooves thudded on the pavement, ringing with each impact, and his body adopted a seamless gait as he pistoned himself forward. The movement was automatic, easy. He nickered to himself, pleased. His body was built for this. Each muscle worked in concert with others to carry him, let him feel the wind ruffling through his fetlocks and crashing against his thick hide. Each step was the culmination of the cycle and the launch of the next one, his back hoof lifting while being supported by the front. The whole process was one of the simplest things in the world, but once he lost himself in it, it gave him an immeasurable joy.

Aaron fell into a gallop, eyes fixed on a spot a few feet in front of him, nose up as he looked down at the world. He saw people staring up at him as he flew by, his muscles automatically shifting his huge body to pick its way through the crowd. He didn't even have to think about it. He could just keep running, let one part of his brain do the work while the other enjoyed the physical sensation of it.

He moved out of the row of townhomes, through a well-maintained residential neighborhood, then out onto the nearest major street. Here, the foot traffic was much thicker, and he had to slow down considerably to wind his way through the mix of posts, people, and furniture put out by restaurants starved for space. He didn't mind this at all, actually. It was part of a game -- how fast could he move without bumping into someone or something? He thought of Kord, of the easy way he moved his bulk, and strived to emulate it.

The big horse was doing well until someone caught his attention. He didn't think anything of it when he first saw the figure, but he double-taked as soon as his mind registered it. He craned his neck, looked across the street over the low cars rushing by, and saw him. The lizard that had attacked him a few days ago was between two parked cars, staring at him as he rushed past.

A wave of alarm rushed through him, and then of anger. Should he find the nearest policeman? Should he confront him? Who the hell did this guy think he was? How did he find him? He swerved to step out onto the street when he felt something soft brush up against him. The sensation was exquisite. Nerves fired all over his body, and he felt each muscle bunch and swell. For a second, his vision fuzzed, and he turned his head to see what on earth had happened.

A rabbit was sprawled out on his back before him, looking dazed. He was mostly white with a black hood of fur over his eyes and ears, a pattern immediately recognizable. It took Aaron a few seconds to switch gears, to pull the lapine's name from the recesses of his brain. He smiled down at Sam, then remembered what he had done, then flattened his ears in embarrassment.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, you big clod?" Sam was clearly annoyed, though in that high manner rabbits get when they're only mildly offended.

"Sorry." Aaron reached out a hand. Sam took it and allowed himself to be lifted off his feet and then set back down. The rabbit brushed off the front of his shirt even though that wasn't the side of him that was dirty.

"Yeah, well..." That was all the apology that was needed. Sam was mollified, and a small smirk appeared on his face. "Probably couldn't have stopped all that body even if you had seen me."

Aaron chuckled. "Probably. But I was looking over there, I think I just saw the guy that mugged me." He craned his neck to look around. The komodo was no longer there. He didn't even see his hoodie bobbing between heads in the crowd. It was like he had never been there.

Sam blinked. "Whoa. Wait a minute. You were mugged?"

Aaron looked down at his friend, his chest heaving. It was a little hard to catch his breath. "Yeah. It happened a few days ago. I was in the hospital and everything."

"Holy shit. That's why I haven't seen you then? Are you OK?" Sam had forgotten all about the fact that he had just been knocked down. He rushed over to Aaron, put a paw on his elbow. It felt cool.

"I'm fine, thanks. I was just being treated for a bite is all, they wanted to make sure there weren't any diseases before letting me go." Aaron smiled, though he was beginning to feel a little odd. His chest kept seeming to inflate, and he had to shift every so often because his stance felt wrong.

Sam seemed to notice something, too. "You look fine. Better than fine, even. I swear, you're bigger every time I see you." The rabbit squinted at the horse's left biceps, his nose twitching rapidly. "In fact, it looks like you're getting bigger right now."

A small shot of alarm raced through Aaron's heart. He felt his body push against his clothing, and then his shirt gave way. Seams tore along his shoulders and chest, but the pressure barely seemed to ease. The shorts that were so comfortable when he left the house felt like they were stretched around his thighs. He felt his sheath forming a bulge in the fabric, much to his embarrassment. This was wrong. Something was happening. Fear pulsed through him and seemed to feed his growth. The tears in his seams lengthened, and he felt his makeshift shorts slide an inch up his thighs.

"I'm...something's wrong." Aaron whinnied, the sound startlingly loud, and looked around. He was catching more and more glances from people walking by.

Sam nodded. "My apartment's just a couple blocks away. Let's get you there. Quickly. Are you good to walk?"

Aaron nodded, but he wasn't sure. He felt light-headed. He wasn't sure if that was because his clothes now felt painfully tight or if it was because his view of the street had risen a few inches since he bumped into Sam. The rabbit turned and cut a path through the crowd for him. He followed in his wake, brushing against people as he moved. His ears flicked down when he heard and felt a tear go straight down the middle of his back, from his collar to beneath his shoulder blades.

The run to Sam's apartment seemed to take forever. Every time Aaron moved, he felt his body push harder against his clothes. His shirt was more a collection of tattered cloth than functional covering by the time they reached his front door, and every bulge from his knees to his waist was visible through his sweat-shorts. People were definitely staring now.

The rabbit fished his keys out of his pocket and quickly rushed in. Aaron had to duck and turn sideways to fit through the door, and as he did he felt his shorts tearing up the front of his thigh. His hooved rang loudly through the small hallway, each step as loud as a shot.

He felt sick. This couldn't be happening. It had to have been some kind of delayed reaction to the komodo's venom. You didn't just start outgrowing your clothes in the middle of the street. You didn't grow that fast, period. It was like some kind of a sci-fi movie, where a guy gets hit by radiation and becomes a giant.

The thought made him swoon. His knees buckled and he stumbled against a wall. His bulk crunched through the plaster with disturbing ease before he caught himself. Sam yelped and reached out for him. Though the rabbit couldn't shift him if he tried, he helped Aaron to get a hold of himself. He lead the horse to the couch, sat him down, and tried not to look at the growing bulge of his sheath and sac through his clothes.

"Aaron? Sweetie?" The rabbit's voice was calm but clear. "Look at me. Take a deep breath. Slowly. All right, that's good."

Aaron took a slow, deep breath and felt his shirt give around his chest. Even when he exhaled, his body took all the room that afforded him and forced the tear a bit wider. He was definitely growing. His whole body was tingling all over. He could feel his rump and legs taking up more of the couch, could feel his hooves slowly widening on the floor. It was such a weird feeling, and it wouldn't stop. That flash of panic leapt for him again. He forced it down, looked down at Sam, kept his breath even and steady. "That's right," Sam said. He held out a paw towards the giant horse, face down, rising up for the inhale, lowering down for the exhale. "Keep breathing. Feel your heart slowing. Feel your body relaxing." If he noticed that the horse was still expanding on his couch, he made no indication. His big ears were up, one pointed towards Aaron, the other swiveling around for some reason.

It took him a couple of minutes to calm down. The panic was always there, ready to take hold. He could feel himself growing still, pushing out the tears of his shirt until it fell away, mostly tatters. His shorts were ripping steadily and showing an obscene level of detail over his thighs and endowment, but barely held. His knees had to bend up on the couch. He could feel himself rising towards the ceiling. Sam was practically between his legs now, caught underneath his shadow.

"Are you calm?" The rabbit still commanded the room and Aaron's gaze. He stood tall and unruffled. Aaron nodded.

"Good. Now you can tell me what the fuck is going on."

So Aaron told him. He told him about being mugged on a dark street three days ago, and how he was bitten. He told him about the lack of diseases in the komodo's venom, how he felt extraordinarily horny and energetic after that. He told him about the weight he gained, how his clothing didn't fit, and how he thought he saw the lizard while jogging down the street. His voice started to break when he got to this growth.

It...didn't make any sense, people didn't just grow like this, and what was he going to do now? He wouldn't fit in his house, all his clothes would need to be tailor-made, and who knows what this was doing to him. Wasn't there such a thing as too much?

Wouldn't his body start to break down underneath the demands of all that mass? Did Sam have anything to eat? He was incredibly famished.

The rabbit listened impassively. Aaron had no idea whether or not he believed a word of it, but it felt good just to tell someone. When he was done, he discovered that his breathing was a bit heavier again, but that his growth had stopped. He looked up to the ceiling and found a shockingly small space between his ears and the top of the room. He would not be able to stand here.

Sam said, "Are you sure it was the komodo venom? Maybe this is some kind of condition for draft horses? Some kind of reaction to the medicine they gave you?"

Aaron's ears flicked and he snorted. "That....if this happens to any other draft horses, I would have heard about it by now. My family's good about keeping up on that sort of thing."

"OK. But it could be a reaction to the medicine."

"Have you ever heard of medicine causing people to grow right out of their clothes?"

Sam shook his head and grinned. "No, but I've never heard of komodo venom doing that either."

Aaron allowed himself to smile. "Good point."

"Either way, this isn't something that just happens. I think we should call your doctor and tell him what's going on. Hopefully he makes house calls." He looked from Aaron to the broad doorway of his living room. The horse would have to crawl to fit, but there were no guarantees he would make it through the front door. "Do you have his number?"

Aaron nodded. "It's in my wallet." He glanced to his shorts, tried to fish it out of his pocket. His fingers, however, were far too large for such delicate work.

Sam put a paw on the horse's thigh. "Let me." He moved in before Aaron could protest and jammed his hand into the pocket. The rabbit's touch was electric, and the horse whickered low under his breath. He could feel his sheath beginning to stir just from the contact alone. The elastic waistband of his shorts finally snapped. The fabric of the sweatpants tore over the bulge of his crotch. Sam, to his credit, ignored it, though his nose twitched a bit more rapidly. He got the wallet, got the doctor's card, and put the wallet on the coffee table.

"There. I'll be back with some food after I call." The rabbit sighed and turned to go. "Salad OK?"

"Oh gods yes," the horse replied. His stomach growled, and the noise filled the room.

Sam nodded, turned the corner into his kitchen, and was gone from view. Aaron leaned back on the couch and ignored the way it sagged underneath him.

He ignored the fact that his weight was forcing the wall to bend under it, and the aching hunger in his stomach. He ignored the way his clothes fell away in tatters with every breath he took, and he tried his best to ignore the energy flowing through his veins. It wanted him to get up, to run, to keep going until he could feel himself expanding again. Just thinking about it made his sheath start to rise. He felt his hand moving towards it, and the touch of his rough fingers felt so good against the flesh that he had to stroke.

His chest rose and fell a little faster, and the sound of Sam rummaging around in the kitchen was replaced with his own blood rushing in his ears. It ran faster through him, he could feel his veins and arteries tingling, a bubbly feeling that made him light- headed. He closed his eyes then, leaned back as he felt the broad flare of his tip rise into the open air.

"Knock, knock," purred a deep voice in front of him.

The horse's eyes flew open. Dr. Bose was there in the living room, giving him a very toothy smile. The tiger looked even bigger than before, his head sitting on top of bullishly wide shoulders. He looked crammed into his doctor's coat and black slacks. Every time he moved, it looked like a button had threatened to burst. His scent was obvious immediately, thick and dominant and exotic. Aaron's shaft thumped several inches higher along his torso, reminding him that it was still there.

His ears flicked back immediately, and he could have sworn that his blush would show through his dark fur. "Doctor! I...er...." How was he going to explain this, being an impossible behemoth on the verge of masturbating on the couch of one of his best friends.

Dr. Bose shook his head and chuckled. The rumble of his voice could be felt through Aaron's hooves. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Aaron. It's a side effect I'm quite familiar with. Though I have to admit you've come along a lot more quickly than I expected you to."

Aaron noticed just how hard the tiger was eyeing him. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "What...what do you mean? I thought you said..."

The tiger held up a massive paw. "Come on, son. I'll explain everything to you in a little while. We've got--"

"What are you doing here? This is my house! Who are you?" Aaron looked past the bulk of the doctor to see Sam thumping into the room. Even though the tiger had to have twice the weight of the rabbit, his friend was fearless. His ears were up, his chest was puffed out, and he looked at him as directly as his herbivore's eyes would allow.

Dr. Bose turned to Sam, then back to Aaron. "I wish you had told me you had friends here. This makes things a little more complicated."

A hooded figure stepped out from the corner. Aaron had no idea he was there until it moved, and a split-second later it had an arm around Sam. The rabbit struggled for a moment, and then was still. The figure held a cloth in a scaly hand. Aaron recognized it. Everything clicked. The lizard was here, in the house.

"What are you--?" The horse nearly stood up, his head crashing into the ceiling.

Dr. Bose moved with astonishing speed, stepping onto the couch to reach Aaron's nose. His nostrils flared, and a chemical smell flooded his senses. A switch flipped, and despite the rush of adrenaline Aaron felt his muscles go slack, his body ease and his eyes close. He landed with a thump in the chair, and the last thing he remembered was the purr of Dr. Bose in his ear.

"Bring the car around. I'm not going to be able to carry this one very far."

When Aaron woke up, he knew immediately that he was bound. He startled and struggled, and he felt the chains around his chest, arms and fetlocks stretch around him. He tossed his head, looking up to the bright light dangling from the ceiling over his head, then around to see if he could make anything else out. It took him a few seconds to adjust to the light, but when he did all he could make out was a hard concrete floor and a wide-open space. It looked like he was in a warehouse of some sort. The air was surprisingly fresh, but littered with sawdust, metal and the scent of machinery.

"Glad to see you're awake." Dr. Bose's voice was deeper now. It boomed in the space and rang off the walls. The tiger stepped into the circle of light, bigger than ever. His lab coat was gone, revealing a bare torso that was aggressively muscled. The stripes over his fur seemed to writhe with every movement, his bulk rippling and swelling whenever he moved. He was stuffed into those same black slacks, though, the fabric pulled tight around his thighs and crotch. Each of his forearms were swathed in bandages. It looked like a small amount of blood was soaking through.

"Where am I? What are you doing?" Aaron tugged at his chains. He felt small, stabbing pains in his forearms as he did so, and looked down to see that he too was bandaged. His eyes widened at the sight of the blood spots, and he looked at Dr. Bose with a snort. "What did you do?"

"I'm making us better," the tiger purred. He stepped closer, and even though he was sitting Aaron found himself looking down at him. If the doctor was still seven feet, that meant he had to have been at least fifteen feet tall. He had the sinking feeling that they were both significantly larger than that, though.

"I...don't understand how you are. Kidnapping me? Attacking my friends??" The horse kept struggling. The chains were digging into him more and more, and his chest felt constricted by them. Was he still growing? The thought made his heart leap in a jumble of emotion. He was already too big, far too big to live anything approaching a normal life. But it felt so good, this power. He knew at once that if they had ever developed a cure for him, got him down to his normal size, that he would miss this. He shook his head of the thought and focused on his captor. "How is that making me better? What are you doing here?"

The hooded figure that had attacked both him and Sam stepped into the light now. Next to Dr. Bose the komodo dragon looked like a child. He barely came up to the tiger's ribcage, and his shoulders were as wide around as one thigh. He grinned at Aaron, and the horse could see long ribbons of drool hanging from that long, boxy muzzle.

"We're a secret organization that's no longer interested in being secret." The immense tiger put a paw on the lizard's shoulder. "With the help of a few very special individuals, we're ready to take our rightful place as rulers of this planet."

Aaron blinked. He wasn't sure he heard correctly. "What?"

The big cat chuckled, giving the komodo a pat before walking around the massive horse. "I think you heard me quite well. We've been watching you, Mr. Sweetgrass, for quite some time. We've been studying your medical records, seeing your progress. You put on a fantastic amount of muscle with almost...no effort at all."

Even though Dr. Bose was behind him, Aaron could feel the tiger's eyes roaming up his back. He felt his mane tingle with the look. It was creepy. "So? You thought that having me attacked by this...this freak in a dark alley and then kidnapping me would make me want to join you?"

The tiger rumbled, shaking his head in the periphery of the horse's vision. "No, nothing like that. But I had to see what our little Jason here could do with specimens like yourself. The results are...quite striking." He had stopped in front of the horse now, and placed two big paws on his knees. "I believe that there's no limit to how big you can get, Aaron. That's...quite exciting to me. I'm going to study you, figure out why you take so well to our treatment, and see if we can duplicate it."

Aaron could scarcely hear the tiger over the whooshing sound in his ears. He felt his heart hammering in his chest. The chains were digging into him more and more. "What? You...you can't just keep me here! How do you think you're going to control me, huh? I'm bigger than the both of you put together!" He felt his sheath rise with that admission.

"It's rather easy to keep you in line, Mr. Sweetgrass." Dr. Bose rose to his full height and stepped back. "At least for a little while. You won't be bigger than I am for very long, I can assure you of that. And until then, we have...leverage. To ensure your good behavior."

The horse snorted. "Anything you've done will be found out. People will come looking for me. And for whoever you've taken."

"Ah, but not in time." Dr. Bose nodded to the lizard, who left the circle of light and immediately disappeared. He returned a moment later dragging a naked, unconscious rabbit behind him. Aaron's heart leapt and he leaned forward in his oversized chair. He knew immediately that it was Sam.

The tiger grabbed Sam's neck and casually lifted him off his feet. He cuffed him in the face with one huge paw, and the rabbit immediately startled awake. He looked at Dr. Bose and struggled, and the tiger responded by squeezing around the rabbit's throat. "Do you think you could break those chains and find help before I choke the life out of him, Aaron? I don't think so."

Aaron's heart felt like it was going to leap out of him. He squirmed and strained, but the chains held fast. He felt almost faint with stress. He had to do something.

Sam made a few gagging sounds, and his hands had come up to the tiger's forearms to claw uselessly. He tried to swing his body around to kick at his midsection, but he couldn't get enough reach. Dr. Bose merely squeezed harder.

"I'm not asking for much. Merely your cooperation for a time before we let you go. Once that's happened, it'll be too late for you to do anything about what's coming." Dr. Bose purred, his tail lashing, as he watched the rabbit's struggles weaken. "I need to hear you say you'll do it, Mr. Sweetgrass. Tell me you'll cooperate and I'll let your friend go. And if it turns out you don't care about him as much as I thought you did, well...I'll have to find someone you do care enough about."

Aaron couldn't breathe. The chains were constricting his chest far too much, and his arms were digging into his sides. He couldn't move. His vision blurred. But he had to do something. He couldn't just let this madman kill his best friend.

The horse strained against his bonds as hard as he could. He felt the metal cutting into his thick hide, felt the trickle of blood through his fur. He kept straining. The wounds on his forearms burned, and the sensation spread up his arms and into his heart. From there, it blossomed. The rush was enough to make his head spin. For a moment, he thought lack of blood might cause him to pass out. But then he felt good, almost light.

Strength surged through him. He felt his body shifting against the chair, his back widening against it, his rump pushing towards the arms rapidly. Suddenly the chain wasn't so constricting, and with a flex he found he could snap it. He flexed, again and again. He ripped the chain around one forearm with a quick, sharp yank. It was easier with the second. He could hear his heart pounding. His vision was ringed with red.

With a roar he lunged for Dr. Bose just as Sam went limp. The tiger dropped the rabbit and turned to run, but he wasn't quick enough. The horse grabbed him in two massive hands and lifted him up while he stood. He rose and rose, the ground falling away as the chains around his legs snapped around his hooves. The power was impossible, and he loved it.

"You aren't going anywhere," he rumbled. "Think you can call for help before I crush your throat?"

He grabbed the tiger's neck and head and squeezed his fingers into a fist. Dr. Bose flailed and strained, but he was no match for the horse's new-found strength. In fact, it was getting easier to hold him all the time as he grew. Aaron rose visibly with each passing moment, filling the space in the warehouse, his head rising up to the dizzying heights of the rafters.

The light bumped against his back but he barely felt it. What he did feel was how easy it was to constrict the tiger in his fingers. He flexed his forearm and fingers, and felt the immense bulk of the big cat bend unnaturally against them. It would be so easy just to...

Aaron blinked and snapped to his senses. This wasn't him. He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't even someone who got off on using his strength. What was happening to him?

He snorted and tossed Dr. Bose aside. The tiger flew into the darkness and crashed into something, but Aaron didn't care about that. He leaned down and scooped up Sam, who was now small enough to fit in both of his hands.

This was getting way too crazy. He rose up and his head hit the ceiling hard, making the entire warehouse tremble. He could still feel himself growing, too, his head and neck forced to curl against it as his back rose towards the rafters. The steel bent around his bulk with no effort on his part at all.

What was going on? How was he going to get out? Where was that little lizard anyway? Aaron's mind reeled, and he forced himself to take a breath. First things first. He had to get out of here.

The giant horse knelt down and crawled to the nearest wall. His hooves, knees and hand were cracking concrete now, and Sam was getting easier to hold in one hand. His body crashed into shelves that were around, and they fell and warped under his weight with astonishing ease. By the time he made it to one of the doors, his back was brushing against the girders now and he felt packed with muscle.

Aaron shook his head and simply tore his way through the wall without any more hesitation. He wiggled his way through the hole and into the open air. When he stood, the roof of the warehouse stood level with his stomach.

He groaned and rolled his back, looking down at Sam. The rabbit didn't seem to be moving, which caused a sharp rise in alarm. It wasn't like him to sleep through all of that noise. At best, he would need a hospital. At worst...

"Don't worry, Sam," he whispered, surprised at how deep and booming his voice was even then. "I'm going to get you home."

Aaron looked around. It was night now, the moon risen high over a clear sky. He was at the top of a hill, it looked like, with trees sloping down quite a ways until the ground levelled out again. Beyond that was a beach, and beyond that...water. Salt water, if his nose could be trusted. The horse looked around, then turned. They were on an island somewhere, who knows how far from shore.

"We have to get out of here," he said, more to himself than to Sam. He took his first step down the hill when a strong, sharp tremor forced him back onto his feet. He looked out over the warehouse, now about level with his waist, and watched the trees beyond.

They shuddered, and began to snap. A dark and monstrous shape rose over them suddenly, and kept rising. A foot rose over the copse and slammed down. The windows of the warehouse blew out in the shockwave, and it nearly knocked Aaron off his feet. All he could do was stare. The creature was immense. Unbelievably so. He could step ON the warehouse with no trouble at all. Aaron, as big as he was, would barely reach his calf.

"You will stop now," the giant bellowed. His voice was almost too loud and deep to hear properly. "If you resist in any way, I won't hesitate to fucking end you."