Amator : The Next Generation, Joey's Reward By J. Pardo You see, there IS something about Mary. Anyone who can turn into a 12 ft. Amazon just by thinking about it, I'd sure call something. Retrieving her composure, and her skirt, Mary left the stadium. She was given a hero's welcome by the entire staff. Even the Aleins greeted her, because they would have been killed as well, had she not acted. News of her deed spread throughout Europe. Money poured in to replace the stadium where tragedy was averted. In her honor, they renamed the stadium "Del Toro Stadium" and the team became the "Toros." The owner of the Professional Basketball team in Chicago, IL was so impressed that he renamed his team the "Chicago Toros", and was pleased they could keep the same mascot. A new phrase "That's No Toro", meaning the object in question did not meet high standards, came into being. Toromania had hit Genoa. A movie was made about the incident, "Toro, Toro, Toro!" An amusement park was built, Toroland, where you could buy Toroburgers and ride the Toronado, which featured a collapseble stadium. The local newspaper was renamed the Toro. It's motto "Although we're called Toro, we'll give you no bull." So what does all that have to do with Joey? After all this is Joey's story. Well, he saved Mary's life. Mary was tired of all the brouhaha about her deed. She needed to get away for awhile. She didn't know where to go, then she saw Joey. By this time, Joey's popularity was at an all time high. He was voted school student president, and ruled wisely, with Lizator as his vice-president. Mary sought Joey's counsel. "What am I going to do, Joey?" she asked, "I need to go away. I love this town, but I really need to get away. All this Toro garbage is getting out of hand." Joey thought for awhile. "If you can control your size, maybe you can disguise yourself and come back under an assumed name", he suggested, "that way you can still continue your schooling, but can take a break from your fame." "Great idea! I'll talk to Adrian about your plan", Mary said smiling. She walked over to Adrian's door, his 'School Psychologist' sign painted bright green above it. He was just leaving. "Hi Mary, I didn't see you there", Adrian said. "I need to talk with you", Mary pleaded. "Sure, just walk with me to the car", Adrian said, "we can talk there in privacy, before I have to leave." "Great!", Mary said walking after him. "Get in and tell me what's bothering you", Adrian said with concern. "I have to get away, at least get away from the burden of being Mary, savior of mankind", Mary answered, "Joey had the idea of me in disguise, and returning to school as someone else." "Jeoy has the right of it", Adrian said nodding, "so how can I help?" "Can you help me get even smaller?", Mary asked, "and make it stay that way for awhile? "Sure", Adrian said, "when do you want to start?" "Now?", Mary pleaded. "How can I refuse the hero of Genoa?", Adrian said. "Make that heroine!", Mary said sticking out her chest. Adrian blushed. "Right!", he stammered. "Think back to when you were small, do you remember anything special, anything you left behind that you always wanted to get?", Adrian said using hypnotic tones. "Yes there is, my bun bun", Mary fondly remembered, "he was a bunny rabbit. Not a real one, although I treated him like one. I'd carry him around all day. I felt safe with him." "How old were you when last carried him?", Adrian asked. "I put him away just before I came to high school. I figured that I was a big girl and didn't need him anymore", Mary replied. "Good. Mentally we're going to bring out bun bun from his hiding place. As long as he's with you, you'll always be an 8th grader. 13?", Adrian asked. "14, I had just turned 14", Mary said. "14 it is", Adrian agreed, "okay, concentrate. Go to the place where you put bun bun." Mary's eyes were closed she reached out with her hands to an imaginery drawer, only it was real in her mind. "I have it", Mary said, "I'm carrying it with me." "Open your eyes", Adrian commanded. Mary opened her eyes and was 4 ft 7in again. She lost her muscularity and large breasts, and became a young girl again just entering puberty. "Very good", Adrian said, "now all we have to do it get you a wig, and no one will know it's you." "Thank you, Dr. Burns", Mary said thinking back to the time when she first met Adrian. "We must change your name too. What was your grandmother's name?" Dr. Burns asked. "Edwina Tomasina Bracchi", Mary said. "When I snap my fingers, you will be Edwina Tomasina Bracchi, but you'll remember in the back of your mind that you're really Mary Del Toro. You'll retain Mary's memory and I'll bring you back when I say Salami, you'll be Edwina again when I say bun bun. I'll take care of it in the records", Dr. Burns said and SNAP! "How did I get here?" Edwina asked. "You were lost and I found you", Dr. Burns said, "Salami". "Hi, Adrian, how did I do?, Mary asked. You did fine", Adrian replied, "bun bun." "I don't know my way around, will you help me?", Edwina asked. "Sure", Adrian said, "Salami". "Wow, I must have faded out", Mary said. "Let's go find you a wig, and new clothes. When you shrink you'll leave yourself exposed", Adrian said as he drove off. Adrian had Edwina fitted with a wig and bought her a new wardrobe. She changed into her new one at the store, then they drove back to the school. Joey approached. "Have you seen Mary? she said she was going to talk with you", Joey asked Adrian. "I saw her a while ago, but not recently", Adrian lied seeing if Joey recognized Mary. "Well, please tell her I want to talk with her if you see her", Joey asked. "Sure will", Adrian said satisfied that the disguise worked. Adrian handed Edwina a bag. "Read this word, when you're in a private location", Adrian said and waved goodbye. Edwina went to the ladies room and pulled out the note. "Salami", she said out loud. and immediately her clothes shrank, as she grew. She struggled out of her clothes, as she looked in the bag. Mary changed into her old clothes and went out into the hall. Joey soon found her. "So did Adrian help you?", Joey asked. "I think so", she responded, "I have this vague recollection of being someone else. Someone much smaller, and it must have happened because when I woke up from a daydream, I was in different, smaller, clothes. I had a bag in my hand with the clothes I'm wearing now." "Hmm", Joey said, "I must ask Adrian about this." He didn't get a chance. Mary went outside the school, she saw a paper in the bottom of the bag. "bun bun", she read and automatically shrank her large clothes revealing her small breasts. At this time, two evil men were passing the school in a car. They saw an opportunity for an easy lay. Manny drove as Nunzio opened the car door. Joey was walking outside with Adrian when they spotted the car. As Nunzio grabbed for Edwina, Adrian ran forward. Nunzio saw him coming an opened the door in his face, knocking him out. Joey ran inside to get help and saw Lizator and Amaseth. "HELP", Joey yelled, "someone's been kidnapped". Lizator and Amaseth came running out and spotted the car as it was driving off. They ran to Amaseth's car and quickly followed. Joey went ot help Adrian. He cradled Adrian's head in his hands, and rocked gently. He heard a moan. "What happened?" Adrian said groggily. Joey said, "some little girl was taken in that car, but Lizator and Amaseth are following them." "You must go after them", Adrian said getting his concentration back, "that little girl is really Mary. I used hypnosis so that she could go back to an earlier time in her life, when she was small. It was what she wanted." "But how can she come back?", Joey asked, "we need her to be Mary again." "You must say 'Salami', I thought it was a word she wouldn't hear often, yet it would remind her of the time when she saved her schoolmates from harm", Adrian explained. Joey ran to get his bicycle, he was able to follow the car by the tire tracks left from Amaseth's muddy car. In the meantime, Lizator and Amaseth found the car stopped in front of a house. They snuck around the house, intent on looking through the back windows and didn't notice Manny behind them with a gun. Amaseth quickly turned. "Don't do it", Manny ordered, "Nunzio is in there with a gun to your friend. If I don't come in in two minutes, she dies." They felt helpless, and went inside with Manny right behind them. Edwina was strapped in a chair in a catatonic state. She retreated into her world with bun bun, and everything was fine. Joey eventually caught up with the car. He approached the house just as Manny opened the door. "Look we have another one", Manny said, "get in." Joey came in and sat near Edwina. Quietly, he said, "Salami". Edwina perked up her ears, still trapped in her world but hearing something that got her attention. Nunzio said, "Who you calling a salami?" Edwina started focusing. "Hey, Manny, he called me a salami", Nunzio said getting madder by the minute. He turned to Joey, "No one calls me a salami and gets away with it", Nunzio said as he swung his arm aiming for Joey's face. It never connected. His hand was caught in a vise. A vise made from a human hand. Mary stood up abruptly, easily breaking the strap. She pulled down hard on Nunzio's hand snapping it. Nunzio went into shock from the pain. Manny, hearing the yelling, rushed in and was hit in the face by Mary. His nose bone was shoved into his brain, killing him. Mary went back to Nunzio and put him out of his misery by twisting his neck, breaking it. Then she turned to Joey. In her bloodlust, she didn't recognize her friend and approached him intending harm. Her arms were immobilized by Lizator and Amaseth. The both yelled "MARY, NO!, It's Joey!" Hearing Joey's name, she stopped suddenly and looked up with recognition. Realizing what she was about to do she cried. Joey went to her, comforting her. "Joey, please forgive me", Mary pleaded. "There's nothing to forgive, you weren't yourself", Joey explained, gently kissing her. "Thank you my friend", Mary said gently hugging him. Lizator and Amaseth came over and they all hugged relieved that the ordeal was over. They called the police who came over quickly. "My God!" said Sargeant Risoli, "someone killed these men." "But it was in self-defense", Joey said, "he kidnapped my friend and brought her here." "Which friend?" the Sargent asked. "My friend, Edwina", Joey said. Amaseth said, "I killed this one," and Lizator said "and I killed the other." They lied trying to protect their friend. Looking at Edwina and seeing her small body, he could understand what happened here. "Sargeant!", Corporal D'Oro said, "these men were criminals. They were arrested before for raping little girls, but recently escaped from jail." "Looks like self-defense to me", Sargeant Risoli said, "you are free to go, with our thanks." They went to check up on Adrian, who had a large bump on his head, but otherwise was okay. He hugged them all, very happy that they were safe. Mary said, "I think I'll just stay Mary. I like me as I am." Joey spoke up, "I wish I could be as big as you. I'm tired of being a runt." Lizator looked at him and smiled, "I think that can be arranged", and Joey smiled back, not knowing what he was getting into, or what was getting into him. Lizator was about to give him his reward. This concludes Amator : The Next Generation, Joey's Reward. I'm taking a week or so off to give my wrists a break. I'm open for any ideas. Really and truly. Take care all, J. Pardo