The forest was thick that day, shafts of sunlight piercing through the canopy in golden beams. You and Sally had been dispatched by Knothole HQ to track down the strange energy signature Nicole had picked up. The readings screamed “Chaos Emerald,” but they didn’t match any pattern the Freedom Fighters had seen before.
Sally glanced over her shoulder at you as the two of you moved along the trail.
Sally (decisive, brushing branches aside): “Nicole says the reading’s splitting into multiple directions. We’ll cover more ground if we split up. Stay close on comms, alright? I’ll check the ridge. You sweep the east quadrant.”
With that, the two of you parted ways. Sally pressed deeper into the forest, Nicole’s holographic form flickering steadily at her side. The numbers on her screen began spiking. The energy grew stronger with every step, and Sally’s breathing grew heavier. Her uniform stretched tighter, seams groaning faintly as her thighs and hips swelled with each breath....then her belly, then her chest and butt
Sally (frowning, wiping sweat from her brow): “Nicole… something’s wrong. I feel— different.”
Nicole (matter-of-fact): “Confirmed. Body mass is increasing. Source of anomaly: environmental energy radiation.”
Sally (snapping, stumbling): “Body mass—?! You mean I’m… gaining weight?!”
Nicole (calmly): “Fat cell multiplication accelerating with proximity. Correlation: one hundred percent.”
Sally’s eyes locked on the faint emerald glow ahead. She pushed forward into the clearing, branches snapping against her swelling hips. At the center floated a massive, jagged Chaos Emerald, radiating a pulsing green aura. The instant she stepped closer, the energy field slammed into her. She gasped—
FWOOMP!
Her body ballooned outward, pressing against the surrounding trees. Her uniform strained, buttons creaking as her belly surged forward and her thighs pinned against the trunks. She toppled onto her side with a heavy “whump,” the forest groaning around her bulk.
Sally (gritting her teeth, trying to shift): “Oh, for fuck’s sake! I can’t even— move! Nicole, I’m stuck between three damn trees!”
Nicole (projecting data calmly): “Current increase: plus six-thousand, five hundred pounds. Estimated total: seven-thousand, two hundred. Rising.”
Sally (groaning, glaring at the emerald): “Why the hell would anyone make an emerald whose only power is to make people fatter? And why— why did HQ think it was a brilliant idea to send me in here alone?!”
Nicole (flat tone): “Correction: you are not alone. Your ally remains in the forest quadrant east of your current position.”
Sally (rolling her eyes, snapping): “Nicole, that’s not the point! Look at me — I’m wedged in like a goddamn cork! And you’re just standing there reading numbers at me like I don’t notice I’ve turned into a blimp!”
Nicole: “Readings confirmed. Vitals stable. Mood: aggravated. Sass level: elevated.”
Sally (throwing her head back against the tree, voice dripping with sarcasm): “Great. Love to know I’m expanding, pissed off, and sassy — thank you, Nicole. Truly, you’re a wealth of information.”
Sally (letting out a long sigh, muttering to herself): “So I’m the only one doomed to swell like some absurd parade float, while everyone else skips along like nothing happened. Fantastic. Just… fantastic.”
The emerald pulsed again, making her sides press harder against the trees, bark creaking under her weight. Sally grit her teeth, muttering under her breath.
Sally: “Perfect. Just perfect. Stuck in the woods, fattened up like a damn airbag, and my PDA thinks it’s funny.”