Story: All Across the City (Excel Saga GTS, BE)

[Goluxas]

After writing a couple BE stories, I've really caught the writing bug. It's no secret I'm a fan of Excel Saga, and growth was my first love, so now I'm combining the two to create my first growth story.

Right now I've just got the first part. No growth yet, just setup, but I thought I'd post it to keep me motivated. I'm going to try to keep adding to this every day (or every other day) until it's done. Critiques are welcome and encouraged!

Edit: Wrote a couple more pages. Got to the very first growth now. Don't worry, there's much more to come.

Edit 2: The people have spoken! I'll now post the story in reply form. Once it's all done, I'll attach a doc for those of you who like to archive.

[tsokei]

A decent start, no major complaints here.

[SuperXAsh]

not bad of a start. Keep it up ^^

[Goluxas]

Updated the main post. There's more story now, so you'll have to redownload. Which reminds me, I've been wanting to ask:

Those of you that read here, would you rather that I post it as a file, as I've been doing, or post each part as a reply to the thread? Or both? I can see the merits of each, but I was wondering what you all prefer.

[CandyKing]

Shaping up to be interesting so far, I'm guessing things will go out of control when Excel hits it.

[Wussy]

It's easier to read posts; I vote for that.

[vincent_richter]

A great man once said, and I stand by him on this: "second".

[Goluxas]

As you wish! I got sidetracked on other projects, so I haven't added to the story yet, but here's the content so far. Future additions will be added as replies.

------------------------------------------------------

All Across the City

Excel burst into the underground chamber which served as the meeting room and headquarters for ACROSS, pulling Hyatt by the wrist. She was late, very late, but it was that dumb bimbo Elgala's fault. Showing up at the apartment late last night, three shamefully large bottles of sake in hand... What was she thinking? At least she hadn't gone and spent their entire mission budget this time. How Elgala had managed to afford the liquor was a question better left unpondered.

The three human subordinates of ACROSS had drank their fill, celebrating their recent successful mission: a park bench in one of the City of F's more run-down parks had been converted to ACROSS control. A homeless man had claimed it as his bed, but only after the girls forced an oath of loyalty to Lord Ilpalazzo from him. All in all, a much needed victory after a seemingly endless string of failures. It was cause to celebrate, even if Elgala had a bit of a drinking problem.

Excel had woken up to a pounding headache and a sticky pool of blood. At some point while drinking, Hyatt must have exceeded her limits. After forcing herself up and rinsing the blood off in the shower, Excel checked her pulse and found her unsurprisingly stone cold dead. But, a pill jammed unceremoniously down her throat and a bit of energetic CPR, and Hyatt woke up good as new.

?Senior Excel,? she had said, ?where has Miss Elgala gone?? Only then did Excel notice the dumbass had wandered off in the night.

Cursing to herself, she had looked at the clock to find out that the daily ACROSS meeting was in ten minutes. ?No time to worry about Miss Boobies, Hatchan, we're late! Get in uniform and let's go!? Secretly, Excel hoped Elgala had passed out in a ditch somewhere and would wake up to a fearsome hairy cellmate in the city women's prison.

Unfortunately, Elgala seemed to have beaten them to the meeting somehow. She turned with a smirk as Excel and Hyatt took their positions in front of Lord Ilpalazzo's throne. The bleariness in her eyes, however, showed that she was in even worse shape than Excel. Serves her right, the drunk!

?Excel, you're very late.? Her head snapped to attention at her lord's voice, and she gave a vigorous salute.

?Lord Ilpalazzo, sir! I'm very sorry my lord!? Absently, she tapped her fingers together and diverted her gaze to the floor. ?I overslept and then Hatchan was dead and then I looked at the clock and--?

The floor fell away and Excel felt the familiar updraft that preceded her Plunge of Disappointment. The murky water, as always, was very cold. This time, a swarm of water snakes greeted her as she surfaced, slithering through the water with hunger in their reptilian eyes.

Some amount of frantic water aerobics and knot-tying later, Excel pulled her sodden body over the lip of the pit and collapsed breathless on the floor. ?I'm... very sorry... Lord Ilpalazzo...? she gasped.

?You should take a lesson from Elgala,? he replied, calmly as always. ?In her utter devotion to our cause, she slept and bathed in these very sewers to be on time.?

Elgala flinched, her secret revealed. Excel looked up at her and flashed a sneer between exhausted gasps.

?Lord Ilpalazzo, I sincerely apologize for my tardiness,? Hyatt said with a slight bow, delicately dabbing some stray blood from her lips with a handkerchief.

?No need to apologize, Miss Hyatt, given your condition.? Excel and Elgala shared a look of irritation at how easily Hyatt ingratiated herself with their lord. ?Now,? he said, ?shall we begin properly??

Excel, finally recovered, lunged to her feet and gave a full salute. ?HAIL ILPALAZZO!? Elgala and Hyatt mirrored it, exuberantly and daintily, respectively.

?Miss Hyatt, your report on the progress of yesterday's mission??

?Yes, my lord,? she cleared her throat, which of course led to a small coughing fit and more than a little blood. ?Senior Excel, Miss Elgala, and I located and appropriated a lovely park bench to the cause of ACROSS. We also achieved the allegiance of a pleasant dirty old man in exchange for occasional use of said bench.?

?Hm. Fine work. I command that the dirty old man be given the title of Captain of the Police, and assigned to keep watch of our new bench. Relay my order at your earliest convenience.?

?Yes, my lord.?

?Now, for today's task.? Ilpalazzo stood. ?This world... is corrupt! But only a fool tries to take the world all at once! Therefore, we focus our efforts here, on the City of F, in the Prefecture of F. It is our stepping stone to the world!? He finished his familiar speech by raising his arm and forming a fist.

Excel felt her pride and enthusiasm welling up, and let slip another salute and a ?Yes, Lord Ilpalazzo!? He greeted it with a cold stare, and she lowered her arm sheepishly.

?In order to conquer this city, we must conquer the hearts of its citizens. It has come to my attention that the feeble-minded masses are easily swayed by powerful figures.? A projector screen lowered to Ilpalazzo's side, and a slideshow displayed images of famous world leaders: the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Japan, Stalin, the Premier of Canada, the Prime Minister of Britain, Hitler. ?These leaders sway their citizens with great charisma and strong stances.

?But, seeing as you lack these traits, we must seek our advantage elsewhere.? The slides changed, now displaying such prominent people as Michael Jordan, Andre the Giant, and Conan O'Brien. ?The masses 'look up to' someone they must look up to. Height is the key to dominating their hearts! A tall frame marks a powerful person!?

?Yes sir,? Elgala interjected, ?and you tower over these diminutive Japs!?

Ilpalazzo shot her a look of irritation. ?Elgala, you have spoken out of turn, and with somewhat racist overtones. We must lead the world to enlightenment; not fall in the same traps of prejudice and stereotype. Must I pull your rope as well?? On cue, a rope descended from the ceiling to his hand. Excel nodded excitedly, crossing her fingers behind her back. A drop in the ole Pit of a Thousand Torments would be just the thing for Little Miss Cleavage.

Elgala's face contorted in horror. ?No Lord Ilpalazzo, I apologize. I spoke rashly...? She turned her head to the side and muttered, ?How could I, Elgala, be so foolish. I almost ended up looking as stupid as Senior.?

?You're thinking out loud again, El...? Excel whispered to her dryly. The look of shock on Elgala's face made her smile.

?As I was saying, height makes right! As Elgala so rashly put it, I do have this advantage among the local populace. However, I must spend most of time here, devising our plans of conquest. Therefore, it is imperative that you three be the public face of ACROSS.?

?But Lord Ilpalazzo, none of us are exactly tall,? Excel pointed out. She was the tallest, at a mere (but taller than average!) 5'3?. She beat Hyatt by just two inches, and Elgala by three.

?Excel is so stupid. Of course our Lord is merely making an anology,? Elgala muttered.

?That's Senior Excel, and you're doing it again!? Excel strained the boundaries of what could be called a ?whisper.?

?That I am painfully aware of,? Ilpalazzo continued, unphased. ?But I have utilized every ounce of my considerable knowledge, experience, and cunning, and reached out to my most secret connections to produce this.? The slideshow screen lifted away and a curtain parted, revealing a strange, iron maiden-like machine. Levers and knobs decorated a control panel, and a series of screens displayed unintelligible information in rapid succession. Ominous fog drifted around its base, til a loud clanking and puff of smoke revealed the death throes of a beaten-up fog machine.

?This device will allow you each to reach new heights, as of yet undreamt of by your uninspired minds. With it, you will walk the streets heads above the rest, drawing the attention and respect of the masses.?

Elgala's jaw dropped, and Excel gave her a satisfied smile.

Hyatt tilted her head in curiosity. ?If I might ask, how does it work, Lord Ilpalazzo??

?I'm glad you asked, Miss Hyatt. You will each enter the machine via the door, and after a... brief... analysis session, it will record your genetic signature. Using these controls, I may then manipulate it as I see fit. Now, any volunteers??

Excel's hand shot up immediately, breaking previously assumed barriers on the speed of human muscle movements. Elgala was only an instant behind, but poor Hyatt's fragile body couldn't keep up with their enthusiasm.

?Well then, the choice is clear.? Thrilled, Excel took a few steps forward, turning to give Elgala a good view of her tongue. ?Elgala, if you would.?

The look of victory in Elgala's eyes made Excel's stomach clench. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head in defeat, glaring at Elgala's back. Her lord could be so cruel...

Elgala climbed the short staircase onto Ilpalazzo's elevated platform, looking more and more nervous as it dawned on her just what she had volunteered for. There was no doubt in her mind that her lord knew what he was doing, but... Up close, that machine looked like something that had been welded out of junkyard parts chosen by a blind crack fiend. Even the displays, which had looked reassuringly intimidating from a distance, turned out to be mostly screensavers. One monitor even horrifyingly showed a blue screen with imposing white text. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, but her heart really set to pounding as Ilpalazzo laid a hand on her shoulder.

?You do a brave thing, Miss Elgala, volunteering your body so readily to test this device,? he said to her with a gentle smile.

?T-t-test?? She hadn't even considered the possibility that it was untested!

?And now, without further ado!? Ilpalazzo announced, stomping over her choked protest. He raised his arm and pressed a button on a remote control, causing the door of the machine to swing open with a burst of steam.

?Why was it filled with steam?!? Elgala thought, panic replacing worry, ?I, Elgala, sincerely wish that Senior Excel had been chosen...?

?Too late now! And seriously, stop that!? Excel responded.

Sweat was now pouring down Elgala's face. Ilpalazzo indicated with his outstretched arm that she should enter the machine now, and with a gulp, she obeyed. Once she got in, she exhaled with relief. The interior was not nearly as frightening as the outside. The walls were smooth, polished steel, gently curved, and there was padding along the back to lean against. When her legs brushed against the pads, she realized they were covered in velvet. ?So extravagant!?

Just as she was settling into position, the door slammed shut in front of her, causing her to jump in alarm. A porthole at head level allowed her to look out, but she couldn't see much of anything. The machine was a tight squeeze, all shut up, and she struggled to keep her cool as discomfort tried to lead to claustrophobia.

A noise from her side drew her attention. Part of the interior wall slid aside, revealing a small compartment, from which a needle on a small robotic arm extended. ?No, no, no! I, Elgala, cannot stand needles!? Only then did she notice other, identical compartments opening all around her, each housing its own little mechanical horror. She screamed.

From outside, Excel was having a blast. Elgala's face was totally visible through the machine's porthole, and the dance from comfort to confusion to terror was a delight to watch. By the time she started screaming, however, Excel's mirth faded. She realized that it was going to be her next, and her stomach sank.

The machines analysis and Elgala's screaming went on for nearly a minute, before the door swung open and she slipped forward to her hands and knees, clutching her chest and breathing deep.

?Well done, Elgala. It appears the machine finished with nearly no errors--?

(?Nearly?? Elgala interjected.)

?-- and I now have a perfect record of your genetic signature.? Ilpalazzo walked over to the control panels next to the machine and flipped open a cover, revealing a keyboard and an intriguing red button. ?The machine also functions as a transmitter, and you were implanted with a receiving device during analysis.?

(?What?! Where?!? She ran her hands across her back and head, seeking scars.)

?From here, I can edit your genes in any way,? Ilpalazzo continued, ?and-- presuming you are within range-- the effects will take place nearly instantly. Observe!? He typed in a few commands and jammed the red button.

Elgala only watched in horror. A beeping sound emanated from her person, though she couldn't tell from where, and then she was overtaken by a singularly odd sensation. She first noticed a change when her uniform became uncomfortably tight. It was already a tight fit, designed with accentuating her figure in mind. The neckline exposed plenty of cleavage, and her leotard-meets-skirt was short enough to make a stripper blush. But now that neckline was sinking and that leotard was riding up. Her black stockings sprouted rips, and her shoulder-length gloves were starting to threaten her circulation.

Embarrassment colored her cheeks as she used her arms to preemptively cover her naughty bits, and she squeezed her eyes shut. However, just as her outfit was on the verge of splitting its seams, her growth stopped. She cautiously opened her eyes. Nothing looked different, but then, she was looking out across the room from an elevated pedestal. She turned to Ilpalazzo.

Her jaw dropped. ?How can this be, that I, Elgala, may look into Lord Ilpalazzo's eyes without raising my head?? She stood even with him, her height an exact match, where before he had stood more than a head taller.

?That is the power of this device, Miss Elgala. I have set your height to match my own. You now stand at a respectful 6'3?, a remarkable improvement over your previous five feet.?

Excel's own jaw had dropped even further than Elgala's as she watched her grow before her eyes. At some point during the process, Hyatt had muttered an ?oh my? and collapsed in a heap. A small pool of blood was forming from her lips, but Excel had put off waking her up til the event was complete. Only when Elgala turned her back and Excel noticed she had the king of all wedgies did her amazed stupor break.

?Now, Elgala, there is a uniform tailored to your new dimensions waiting in the back room,? Ilpalazzo motioned in its general direction, ?Change out of those ragged clothes and report back here. Once the others have undergone the same procedure, I will elaborate on today's plan.?