“That… was a long sleep,” came a husky voice from within. The infinity claws on her right hand pressed against the adjacent wall of the pod.
“Oh m-my God…” Wool took three cautious steps forward and risked invading Jelly’s privacy, “Honey?”
“Mommy? Is that you?” came a sultry, female voice of an adult. “Did we die?”
Jaycee and Tor remained still, as did Tripp. Would Wool approach whatever it was inside the pod? If she did, would whatever lay inside freak out and attack her?
“Wool, be careful,” Tripp whispered. “She’s still a cat, after all.”
“It’s okay,” Wool focused on the pod and crept forward, “Honey? We’re not dead. You can come out, now. We’re going home.”
“Are we?”
“Yes,” Wool just about managed to squeeze the word out of her mouth, “Why d-don’t you come out from the pod?”
“It wasn’t this small when I went in,” Jelly whined, “It’s shrunk.”
She sat up straight and faced the others.
The first thing they noticed was her face. No longer an innocent and sweet adolescent half-cat. Her jawline and whiskers had thickened. The fur on her face had all but fallen away.
The second thing they noticed was her bust. Jelly was well-endowed, by all accounts.
“My tummy’s stuck,” she growled and lifted her top half out from the unfeasibly tight oblong that contained the rest of her body, “Ah, that’s much better.”
“Honey, y-you’re—” Wool couldn’t finish her sentence. Jelly’s beautiful tail swished out and slapped against the side of the pod.
“Jesus Christ,” Tor said. “How did that pod even contain her?”
Tripp shook his head, taking in Jelly’s evolution, “I don’t know, I—”
“—Meow,” Jelly swung her left hind leg out from the pod and slammed her heel against the ground, sending a shudder across the ground. Everyone felt it and gasped.
“Just one…. More…”
SCHTOMP.
Her right heel dug into the floor. The muscles in her arms flexed through her fur, “Ngggg…”
She straightened her arms and pushed herself to her feet. Her head almost hit the ceiling.
Tripp, Jaycee, and Tor’s eyes tilted up and took in her new size.
Wool started crying at the sight of the girl’s back, “Honey…”
Jelly swished her tail. Her long, orange-brown locks fell over her shoulder blades as she looked up at the ceiling.
CRUNCH-CRICK!
She rolled her shoulders and moved her head, cracking the kinks out of her neck and shoulders, “Feels good to be out of there.”
Jelly stood seven-and-a-half feet in height. She appeared to be wider in frame, too – the technical equivalent of a somewhat over-sized adult female. Not an ounce of fat anywhere on her.
“Jelly, how are you feeling?” Tripp asked.
Her cat ears twitched. She moved her arms in front of her chest and faced away to preserve her modesty, “I feel great.”
Tor looked down at her behind. He followed the swishing of her tail around with his eyes, “B-But but…”
Jelly turned back to them. Her curvaceous frame and trim legs were an astonishing sight to behold.
An truly exquisite vision.
Then, the bulge in her stomach came into view as she completed her turn. She held her claws over her belly.
“That’s one helluva pussy,” Jaycee muttered. For the first time in his life he felt threatened – scared, even. A much bigger being shared the room with him, now. Anyone with decent vision could see that Jelly could kick the guy around the room and have him for lunch.
“Hey, don’t talk about her like that,” Wool said. “Look at her. You think this is what she wanted?”
“I didn’t mean pussy in a derogatory way. She is a cat, after all. I meant a pussycat—”
“—Shut up,” Jelly roared at the pair with fierce volume, “Both of you.”
Tripp stood to attention and gulped at her instruction.
Jelly’s chest heaved in and out with anger. She extended her first infinity claw on her right paw and pointed at Jaycee, “You.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you,” she said. Her feminine voice was huskier than ever before, “Did you just call me a pussy?”
“No, I d-didn’t mean it like—”
“—You want me to show you how cute I am?” Jelly kicked the side of her pod in anger, “Come here and I’ll show you how easy I am to pet, you massive, metal turd.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Good,” Jelly stepped forward and loomed over the petrified man, “Then show me my respect. Bow down.”
“Wh-what?”
“Show me my respect,” she repeated. “Bow down.”
Jaycee looked to Tripp for a get-out. Not only was the attempt unsuccessful, it also angered Jelly even further.
“What are you looking at him for?”
“I, uh—”
“—I’m not playing around, Jaycee. Show me my respect and bow down.”
“Okay, okay,” Jaycee held out his arms and fell on one knee, “I’m doing it. I’m sorry—”
“—Don’t you dare apologize to me, Nayall. Just do as I say.”
Jaycee kept his mouth shut and hung his head in front of her. A giant purr erupted in her abdomen as she looked down at him.
“I’m bigger than you, now. Don’t ever forget it. Stand up.”
He did as instructed and arched his back, wondering what was coming next.
Jelly turned away and made for the door. “By the way, Jaycee?”
“Yes?”
She nodded at the slider on the wall and pointed to her stomach, “Mind if I borrow one of your exo-suits? Bonnie’s kid’s jeans are no use to me, anymore.”
“No, not at all.”
“I don’t think the others’ inner-suits will fit me.”
“I agree,” he said, thankful that he was still alive, “You go ahead and take whatever you want.”
She made her way through the door, “Thanks, human. See you on the control deck.”
SWISH-SCHUNT.
The door slid shut, leaving the others beyond dumbfounded. Tripp looked to the others and thought twice about his next sentence.
“Uh, I guess she’s in charge now?”
Tor tapped him on the shoulder, “Good luck telling her otherwise, good buddy.”
Jelly stormed along the level three walkway and kept her head down. The protruding bars across the upper sections of the wall threatened to smack her in the face as she moved past them.
A growl whirled inside her stomach. She stopped in her tracks and pressed her claws along at her belly.
“Miew…” she cried. Her knees nearly buckled. She pressed the pads on her palms against them, trying her best to contain the pink, glowing orb within, “God… I feel sick…”
She managed to turn the corner take hold of the staircase railing. The end of her claws scraped against her wrist, slicing off the ends of a few strands of fur.
BLOICK!
Her hips thrust so hard she nearly tumbled backwards down the stairs. She pulled herself forward and slid down a couple of steps. A whimpering came from within her throat as she spluttered and reached the last step.
“Guhhh…” she stretched her mouth wide open, along with her eyes, “Oh my tummy… ugh…”
She twisted her body around and planted her behind on the top step, accidentally trapping her tail. Her waist tilted forward and released, “Ugghhh…”
Her heels dug into the third step, trying to kick the intense pain away.
“Oh God, not now—”