Rob's offer was tempting to Tom, and for a very brief moment the all-star of Shermer High considered taking Rob up on his offer. But then he remembered all the times that Rob had bullied the less physically capable students at school, the way he had made the old Bill's life hell...And now he locked Willow in the locker room at school?
Even though Tom knew that Rob didn't hurt girls (unless he absolutely had to) the fact that he'd locked the love of his new and improved life up triggered the impulsive, protective side of Tom's personality. And with this magical gemstone, he didn't NEED Rob's help to deal with Ingerman. Or anyone else for that matter.
"Fuck you, Rob! It'll be a cold day in hell before I trust you!" Tom spat out, tightening his fists as Rob's face shifted from as nice a grin as the redheaded bully could make back into a infuriated scowl.
"Fine! I'll do it myself!" Rob roared, balling up his fists and rushing towards Tom faster than anyone his size had any right to be. Tom had tangled with Rob once before and hadn't come out on top, and that had been just a casual beating.Tom knew that he wouldn't last long; Rob was in another weight class entirely, and he was out for blood. There was only one thing he could do, something that he had thought impossible just a day earlier..
Right as Rob closed the gap between the two of them, Tom squeezed the magical gemstone tighter and cried out "I wish you were someone else! Someone smaller and nicer!”. It wasn't the perfect wish but in the heat of the rapidly closing moment Tom had simply blurted out the first words he'd thought to say. And as Rob reared back, hammer-like fist closed tight to deliver a jaw shattering haymaker to the smaller athlete the bully was struck by a bolt of viridian light that shot from Tom's closed fist. it was struck Rob's hulking form and Rob's silhouette was the last thing Tom saw as the flash forced his eyes closed, leaving a burning after-image in the darkness of Rob recoiling from the strike, his body suddenly shorter than it should have been as the change immediately began.
. But as quickly as it had appeared the light faded away, leaving nothing but the late afternoon light from the setting sun and the long shadows it was casting in the parking lot of McFly's. Tom opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the after-image of Rob's warping form before going wide as he saw what was standing in the exact same spot that the hulking redheaded brute had just been green smoke curling off shoulders that were much smaller (and rounder) than they had been just a moment before.
As the last of the afterimage of Rob's original body faded away into his new form, Tom's eyes went wide as he saw that Rob Bolstrum had been transformed into a...