Fortunately…or unfortunately, depending who you ask…the effects of Bip’s muscle serum weren’t quite permanent. Over the course of several days Dunphy returned to his regular size…or close to it, anyway. He did end up a little bigger in the end. Bip initially likened it to a balloon; once stretched out, it won’t return to its original size…but no, that wasn’t a suitable metaphor. Dunphy wasn’t loose and flabby, and whatever growth had stuck with him was filled with solid meat. Bip tried a new metaphor, “It’s like Hot Pockets, now 10 percent bigger!” He had no idea if this effect would be cumulative with repeated doses, but had already reformulated things for the potion’s effect to be longer-lasting. Several vials of this new formula were neatly arranged in a rack, one for Dunphy and the rest for other test subjects he’d recruit. And since the effects mostly turned out not to be permanent, maybe he’d try one himself later just to sample that kind of physique.

“So, Beef Blastbody, you ran off before I could even explain…” Bip now explained, “It’s not science unless I document the process. We’re gonna try the serum here under a controlled setting, while I record video and take notes. We’ll call your lion boy Marcus here my lab assistant, in case someone needs to…I don’t know…roll you off to the shower or something again.”

Both cats nodded silently and eagerly, while Bip fussed with some settings on the tripod-mounted camera, then announced clearly for the recording, “Okay, super strength serum, take two!” As he was writing down the time and date in his graph paper notebook, Dunphy reached over, taking a vial in each hand, popped the caps with his thumbs and tossed his head back to swallow both doses concurrently. He no longer cared if the flavor left something to be desired, he just craved being big again.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Bip practically screamed.

Dunphy shrugged, “You said take two!”

“I meant…” Bip rubbed his eyes…he was an “eyelid family” of gecko, not an eye-licker…“that’s for the recording. Because I never captured the first dose. And you just…”

“I can feel it!” Dunphy interrupted as he flexed his arms. Partly because he did feel pretty amazing, and partly because that kind of showing off always turned on his boyfriend Marcus. “I think…oh. Oh!”

The potion’s effects took hold even quicker than the first time, and within seconds he had gone from his already prodigious athletic form to exceeding most professional bodybuilders. To avoid a uniform blowout like last time, for the sake of modesty, he was covered in a one-piece spandex suit that should allow considerably more give. He flexed his arms again, “This is fantastic! Without all the football gear…my shoulders, everything…it doesn’t hurt at all! Let’s go!”

And go he did…with two doses in him, bigger and faster than before. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils. “Yes. More. MORE!” Soon Dunphy exceeded the size he had reached on the playing field, and the potion’s effects showed no signs yet of slowing down. Even with this much roomier and stretchier suit, seams were soon strained and creaking, threads beginning to pop. “MOOOOORE!”

The camera started beeping. MEMORY CARD FULL flashed on the screen.

“Shit!” exclaimed Bip. He had spare cards at the ready, but was losing precious seconds of footage for his science project. He powered off the camera, fumbled in a new card, and got the recording started again, announcing “Super strength serum, take three!”

“DUNPHY, NO!”