The End of Round 1

One by one, they began to gather in the sunken courtyard. AJ, having already ambushed Leah there, was there to watch all the others arrive. The Farras were first, and Julie and Loretta followed shortly thereafter. She thought Loretta looked remarkably pleased with herself, but Farra seemed uneasy and Julie was downright distraught.

“Uh….you okay?” She asked her.

Julie only shook her head.

“I want to try to get through this without crying, and then I’m going to retreat to my room and drink myself silly,” She said.

“Fair enough…” AJ said, looking away.

She found Jake joining, with Rachel in tow. She knew what her roommate was planning, and encouraged it, and was relieved to see a toned, fit (albeit busty) Rachel appearing with an unaltered Jake.

Rachel immediately took a seat by her.

“You were right,” She whispered. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

“See? He even did right by you.” AJ said, giving her a friendly bop on the arm.

“You look pretty good, too.” She said, “Did you do the thing we talked about?”

“She sure bloody did,” Leah’s voice called out.

She stepped up to her rostrum over the others, glaring briefly at AJ. AJ flashed her a wink, but she turned away with a sneer.

“What’s this about?” Farra asked.

“Would you all just give it a minute please?” Leah said. “We have a full, organized explanation to get through and we’ll be here all day if we sit here repeating everything to each other.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” Farra agreed. “I…oh my god!”

As AJ turned to see what startled her, her own jaw dropped. Hannah and Emily were walking side by side, but Emily was both radically altered, and completely naked.

“Jake! Don’t!” Leah cautioned.

But Jake had already leapt down from the rostrum to take her in his arms.

“Are you okay?” He asked. “What the hell were you thinking, doing this herself?”

Emily looked up at him with wide blue eyes.

“That I wanted to win,” She answered. “And it’s temporary anyway, but…we’ll get to that.”

She turned back toward the other assembled women.

“And I go first, so you might as well not ask.”

Jake looked angry.

“I’m glad it’s all going away, but…isn’t this dangerous?”

“We’re all in danger, Jake,” Hannah said. “Emily just took control of it and owned it.”

He let Emily go to round on her.

“I don’t want to hear a fucking word out of you!” He said, pointing.

Hannah took a step back in shock.

“I…what?”

“Rachel told me all about your little bully session,” He said. “If you think you’re going to win me back by taking advantage of my girlfriend, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Jake, stop!” Emily said, trying to put a hand on his arm.

He shook it off.

“It’s not like that,” Hannah begged. “I wasn’t…”

But Jake was shaking his head.

“No. We’re done here,” he said. “Stay away from me, and leave Emily alone.”

To her credit, Hannah kept her chin up and face reserved as he berated her. She watched quietly as he led his new girlfriend away from her. But when she took a seat in the pit with the rest of the contestants, AJ could see how dejected she was.

AJ looked at Rachel quizzically.

“Later,” her roommate mouthed.

The others weren’t long in filing in. Most of them stopped to marvel at Emily, but otherwise, they filed in and took their seats. The only other altercation happened when Lindsey arrived.

“Dude, what the fuck?” She asked Ryan. “Why wouldn’t you let me help you?”

They spoke in a hushed tone, but they were to close not to hear one another.

“Because it was against the rules,” Ryan said. “You’re like the only person who’s been nice to me so far. Well…you and Mom. I didn’t want you getting in trouble on my behalf.”

“Ryan? Did something happen?” Farra asked, one of her bodies standing up.

The other examined Lindsey shrewdly.

“You’ll hear all about it in a minute, Mom,” Ryan said tiredly. “Please don’t make me go through it twice.”

When they were all settled in, Leah took her usual spot before them. She was still clad in the same casual clothes she’d worn with Jake, though she had managed to get some makeup put on. AJ couldn’t help but wonder just how much her actions had rattled her if she’d allowed herself to appear on TV like this, but when she spoke up, she was all pro.

“And with the last shots about twenty minutes ago, our first challenge round is complete!” Leah said. “We now begin the wrapup.”

She spread her hands.

“I’m going to call each of you one by one to explain what you did, why you did it, and ask you a question in hopes of justifying it,” Leah explained. “When we’re done, the audience will decide who wins and how everyone did.”

She snapped a finger and pointed to Emily.

“You first, love.”

Emily stood. As she did, AJ found she couldn’t help but marvel a bit herself. With her long flowing hair, perfect hourglass shape and complete disregard for modesty, AJ thought there was something almost angelic about her. She’d always had a soft spot for the more feminine types, and right now, Emily was a living, breathing avatar of them.

“I let the audience decide what to do with me. I picked 5 random comments for changes they made, then applied them to myself,” She said, before rattling them off one by one.

“Emily, this is crazy!” Jake said. “Look how much farther along you are than everyone else!”

“He’s right,” Farra agreed. “You look like someone who’s finished the game rather than just beginning it.”

AJ shuddered at that prospect. If this was finishing the game, where did that leave all of them?

“Only one of them is going to stick,” Emily said. “And think carefully, babe, because you’re the one who’s going to choose.”

Lindsey let out a low whistle.

“Humiliation fetish and you can’t wear clothes? Now that’s a bitch for stacking status effects.”

“You have no idea,” Emily cooed.

“Oh, I might. This chain, sensitive tits feedback loop is pretty rough.”

“Don’t you think you went a little overboard?” Leah asked, “As opening shots go, it’s rather ostentatious.”

“Isn’t that the point?” Emily said. “I got to explore this new kinky side you stuck me with, I got to do something fun for the crowd, and I’m giving the final say to my new ‘master’. It’s a triple win, right?”

“Thank you, Emily,” Leah said, letting her take a seat. “Hannah, you’re next.”

Hannah stood, and ignored the dirty look Jake was giving her. As Emily sat, AJ could tell that she was very, very horny, and for the second time, AJ found herself wishing she could be the one to do something about it.

“I went to Balboa Park. Jake and I went on a date there once, when we were vacationing out there,” Hannah explained, “I transformed three strangers.”

There was a murmur among the other contestants as she explained how exactly she did it. Everyone had picked on someone, but Hannah had gone out and changed people she’d never met, in potentially life altering ways. What her friend was going through had already been disquieting. Now AJ was downright worried. How far gone had she gotten already? And what was this business with Emily that had Jake so upset.

She looked at Jake, who seemed downright disgusted.

“That’s very cruel,” Leah said, echoing what they were all probably thinking. “What do you have to say for yourself, ruining people’s lives like that?”

“I didn’t ruin anyone’s life,” Hannah said. “They’re all reversible, except for the cops. And that’s just a really, really elaborate prank.”

“A prank? Did you not make them less safe?” Leah challenged.

“No. I made sure they’re still protected like they were wearing real armor,” She said. “And they’ll all be a lot more fit now, anyway.”

Leah considered that, then nodded.

“Very well,” She said. “AJ, you’re next.”

AJ grinned and stood.

“Obviously I brought my tats back,” She said. “And I made Leah a contestant like us. She’ll be competing in the challenges and suffering the consequences right alongside us going forward.”

There was a collective gasp at that, but Leah just stared down at her icily.

“Yes…you did,” She said. “I doubt anyone has any crocodile tears for me getting roped into the game. But how would you refute the charge that you overturned the will of the voters?”

AJ figured this question was coming, and had prepared for it.

“Pragmatically speaking, they’re getting the best of both worlds. Punky stepford shit,” She said. “And this thing needed some diversification in the looks department, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

She shrugged.

“Speaking un-pragmatically? Fuck em. I live how I wanna live. If the viewers don’t like it, they can vote for somebody else.”

Julie had finally looked up from the floor at her.

“Good for you.” She said, firmly.

“I am confused about one thing,” Leah said. “You used one shot on me, and one on yourself. But when you confronted me earlier, you were empty. Where did your third shot go?”

“Oh, right. I used it on my pizza cashier,” AJ said. She’d been so preoccupied with successfully attacking Leah that she’d almost forgotten the whole thing. “Gave him a lotto ticket worth about $1,000,000. With the intention that he’s gotta split it with the rest of the staff, of course.”

She looked around at the others’ puzzled expression.

“What? I been going to Louie’s for years. It’s great fucking service and even better pizza.”

“Very well,” Leah said. “You’re next, Farra.”

The twin women stood.

“I turned my sex pest dean into a young, pretty coed. To give him a taste of what the girls he preys on have to go through,” She said. “I’ll let him change back when I’m done here.”

Her other body spoke up next, putting an arm around the waist of her auxiliary.

“And I used a shot on each of my bodies,” She said. “To ‘untether’ them, a little more. I couldn’t get them very far apart before without things getting strange. Now I really can be two places at once, and I made myself a bit less clumsy as well.”

“Seems a bit like cheating,” Leah observed. “The sort of thing you would normally have to earn as a reward.”

“You gave us the guns,” Farra said. “And in any case, I’ll probably be a bit more pleasing to everyone here if I can actually move without tripping over my own brain.”

“Alright. Julie, darling.”

Julie stood, her expression hardening.

“I turned it on my family,” She said.

They all went quiet as she walked them through the details.

AJ was shaken, and she wasn’t alone. So far, all of them had fun, tried to do something sexy or otherwise played to the audience in some way. This was a mother’s decision to help her family, but to leave them as well.

“I can’t tell if I’m horrified or impressed,” Loretta said, as if she were speaking AJ’s own mind for her.

Farra muttered something in Farsi.

“How would you feel about the accusation that you murdered your own family?” Leah asked. “They’re not the same people now, are they?”

Julie balled her fist, her tone sharpening.

“I did not! They know who they are now, but they know who they used to be too. They just think I won this thing.”

“And you’re…what? Abandoning them?”

“Fuck you,” Julie spat. “You kidnapped me, and you’re gonna do god knows what to me, and I wanted my girl to have a mother around no matter what. If you’ve got a problem with that…”

Her voice broke then, tears forming in her eyes. Farra and Loretta both stood, and pulled her into a hug.

“I know that,” Leah said, more softly. “For what it’s worth, you’ve got my vote.”

“Bitch.” Was all Loretta responded with.

“Well…that’s for the audience to decide. And they will, now that we’re all playing together,” She said. “But it’s your turn next.”

Loretta giggled, and even bounced a little. She’d changed from the sorts of formal attire AJ had seen her in previously to a pair of tight fitting jeans, a bikini top and tennis shoes. Dressed down like this, she was almost girlish.

“Oh, it was real fun! I turned my cheating asshole husband into me. But a version of me that grew up with his money and won his office,” She said cheerily. “And I helped his chief of staff become even more capable..”

“So you erased him.” Leah challenged.

“That’s the best part!” She added with a smile, and then explained.

Lindsey cackled.

“HA! You threw him fuckin’ horny jail!” She said, “That’s amazing, holy shit!”

“What are you going to do with him?” Exe asked. “I mean, is he stuck?”

“Oh, I’ll change him back when I’m done here,” She said. “He’ll be all frustrated, but it won’t be so bad. And when it’s over, I’ll let him go sell summer homes or whatever it is his parents would have him doing if he weren’t the family favorite.”

She shrugged.

“If I’m in any state to do it, I’ll take his job. And if I can’t, I’ll give it to Miranda.”

“Democracy in action,” Leah retorted. “Megan, I believe I accidentally skipped you over. What did you do with your turn?”

Megan stood and groaned.

“I screwed up so bad,” She said miserably. “I was just trying to help a librarian, and well…I misjudged the angle of the shot. Or maybe I’m just not a firearms person. But I missed, and then it refracted among the chandeliers...”

“Oh my god, just spit it out,” Exe said.

“Fine! I turned the whole library into young, pretty, smart girls. Literally everyone in the room,” She said, embarrassed.

AJ blinked.

“How many people we talking, exactly?”

“Well, I didn’t get a precise headcount. Didn’t think I’d need to, come to that…”

“Megan, oh my god…” Exe interrupted again.

“60-80,” Megan squeaked. “I didn’t meant to, I swear!”

“Oh, sis,” Jake said, “I know you wouldn’t have done that on purpose.”

“I rather doubt you even could have,” Leah added. “That’s the sort of shot that could only happen by accident.”

She waved a hand.

“I won’t beleaguer the point. You’re clearly beating yourself up more than I could,” she said. “Rachel, I don’t believe we’ve heard from you, yet.”

Rachel explained her game, when she finished, she gave him a little curtsy. It was almost comical, coming from a woman in a sports bra and yoga pants.

“Jake, I’m sorry. You were a good guy the whole time.”

Jake shook his head.

“We’ve talked about it. You don’t have to do this.”

“Nah, I do. I gave you shit in front of everyone, so now I’m apologizing in front of everyone” She said. “Anyway, since he passed my test, I let him do whatever he wanted to me. He turned me into this.”

“Thanks for giving me a chance,” Jake said.

“No prob. But you should thank AJ, too,” She said. “She helped me come up with the idea.”

AJ smiled and pointed at him.

“I got your back, buddy.”

Emily was looking between Rachel and Jake.

“Wait…are you two like…cool now?” She asked.

“Yup. Congratulations,” Rachel said.

“Yay!” Emily said, clapping her hands together. It did appealing things to her expanded figure.

“Alright, we’re down to two then,” Leah interrupted. “Exe. You’re up.”

Exe smiled and stood.

“So, if Rachel has AJ to thank, I’ve got Megan,” She said. “She gave me the idea to help people. So I picked a pair of struggling streamers and made them into pros. Or, well…I gave them the tools to be pros. Whether they can or not is kinda up to them.”

“And for your third shot?” Leah asked. “My logs said you used all of them.”

“I went home to my brother,” She said. “They’re kind of in a bad way without me there to earn all the money. So I gave him a bunch of money, and made sure he’s still in school and made him an electronics whiz.”

“An electronics whiz? What for?” Leah asked.

Exe gave her a quick, uncertain look, but didn’t hesitate in her answer.

“He likes computers and taking gadgets apart, and whatnot,” She explained. “So I made him a really great electric engineer. It’s really what he wants to do anyway.”

Leah nodded.

“Very well. And what do you say to the argument that you only did right by people because Megan put you up to it?”

“Sometimes we all need a push in the right direction, right?” Exe said. “That’s what friends are for.”

Megan blushed, fidgeting with her auburn braid.

“Aww…thanks…”

AJ couldn’t help but smile. The girl was embarrassed, but also clearly happy. She caught Jake giving Exe an appreciative look as well.

“And last but not least, we have you, Lindsey,” Leah said.

The blue haired girl nodded.

“Sup.”

Leah waved her to go on, and she stood. AJ saw how large her breasts had gotten and the chain that strained them, even through her shirt.

“So, yeah…I went and did an Uber shift for four hours,” She said. “Took a few fares.”

She explained what she’d done to them.

“Aww, that’s really sweet!” Loretta chimed when she told them about the newlyweds.

“Yeah…good for them,” Julie added, a bit sadly.

“Oh! And then I turned a hotel maid into Julie Roberts.”

“Julia,” Megan corrected.

“Whatever. It was cool,” Lindsey said. “And I made sure it didn’t fuck up their lives or whatever.”

“Wait a damn moment,” Farra said, standing. “You said ‘last’. You never called on Ryan.”

All eyes turned to the newly minted woman. She sat with her head down, and AJ only just realized then that she’d been so quiet and out of the way that everyone had overlooked her.

“Ryan?” AJ asked.

“I didn’t have one, Mom,” She said quietly.

“What do you mean, you ‘didn’t have one’?” Jake asked.

“Please tell me you didn’t just surrender on this,” Farra asked.

“It wasn’t like that,” Lindsey cut in. “The gun was just out of juice. I saw him try to use it and…”

She pulled her thumb and finger into the shape of a gun and pantomimed an empty click.

Farra turned on Leah. Her sudden fury was enough to make even Leah flinch back.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You gave him a defective weapon?”

“Mom, it’s okay…” Ryan said softly.

Farra ignored him. Leah crossed her arms and leered down at her.

“I did no such thing. I double checked all the guns myself,” She said. “His weapon is empty because it was fired three times the night you all went out drinking.”

Ryan looked up now, confused.

“I didn’t fire it!” She objected.

Leah shrugged.

“Somebody certainly did,” She said. “Besides, I know how bad a way you got in. Would you have remembered even if you had?”

“I’m sorry, but what in the actual fuck?” Lindsey asked. “You can’t like…disqualify him or whatever because someone else used his gun.”

“And who, I wonder, would have been in the best position to do that?” Farra asked, rounding on her with her hands on her hips. “His roommate, I would certainly imagine.”

To Lindsey’s credit, the blue haired stranger didn’t back down. She met Farra straight in the eye.

“I hope you’re not fuckin’ _accusin_g me, here.”

“Mom, stop it!” Ryan cut in.

Farra’s other body was holding her, trying to comfort her, and she struggled against it.

“She didn’t do it. She’s been awesome and supportive this whole time.”

“I mean, that’s what I’d do if I were trying to kill him off,” Exe said.

“And how do we know you didn’t do it?” Jake asked. “He was…”

Whatever he was about to say, he stopped himself.

“He had issues with you, after all.”

“Yeah, and publicly. Which is why I’d be a moron to have done it.”

“Enough!” AJ said, standing up. “Guys, whoever did this wanted exactly what’s happening now. A goddamn free for all.”

She turned to Leah.

“Leah, come on…” She said, “I know I’m the wrong person to ask for help here, but Lindsey’s right. If someone used his gun without his permission, you can’t just let them get away with it.”

Jake was standing beside her now.

“Leah…please,” He begged. “You can’t do this!”

Leah ran her hands through her hair.

“I’d have a lot more bloody patience for this if you’d come to me in the first place,” She told Ryan. “Why didn’t you track me down and say something?”

“Is there anything you could have done?” Ryan asked.

Leah rolled her eyes.

“Obviously! They’re damned difficult to get ahold of, but we had an extra saved for Amelia,” She said. “I would have gladly given it to you.”

“And I offered to give him mine, too,” Lindsey said. “He stone turned me down.”

“And it’s a good thing he did,” Leah said. “I was very explicit that the guns were not to be used on other players. It doesn’t really matter who pulls the trigger.”

Farra examined Lindsey, her spare body watching Ryan.

“Well, I hadn’t thought of any of that,” Ryan admitted. “And it’s true that Lindsey offered to help.”

Lindsey raised her arms as if to say, “See?”. AJ gave her a sharp look.

“Then why didn’t you say something?” She asked Ryan.

“Because I’m just done,” She said. “Lookit; Jake will never be into me because he knows who I am. And I’m so far behind the rest of you when it comes to being feminine that I don’t stand a chance. No matter what happens, I’m defined by what’s happened to me. The rest of you can forge identities with the audience or whatever, but I’m just going to be the guy who became a girl in this race.”

Ryan let out a deep sigh.

“I was actually contemplating rewriting my own history as if I’d always been like this. Because that’s the only path I could see,” She said. “And…fuck it. I’d rather just go out and get it over with than be in a place like that again.”

“Oh, joonam,” Farra whispered. “What have you done?”

Leah sighed.

“I can’t very well help you if you’re admitting you surrendered,” She said.

“Leah, come on…” Jake tried again. “You can’t let this happen.”

“Jake…she isn’t. I am,” Ryan said.

“Oh, fuck it,” Leah said. “If this isn’t a time for a host intervention, I don’t think there is one.”

She turned to Ryan.

“The audience decides. They can spare you or eliminate you.”

“I’ll just lose later if I don’t now,” Ryan said.

Leah put her hands on her hips.

“Then you’ll bloody well do it on your own,” She said. “I won’t let it happen because of this.”

She shook her head.

“What a fucking mess,” She said, raising her hands. “Round 1 is over! Let the voting begin!”

The little monitor appeared at the center of the pit, but the women were watching each other as closely as they were the results. Distrusting one another, AJ realized. Whatever sense of unity they’d had, it was broken now.

And AJ had a sinking feeling about who was responsible.