Vortagar's eyes gleamed with malice as he twirled his staff, dark energy crackling around him. He watched with amusement as Alex and Luke fought valiantly against the shadowy creatures. But there was no need for him to let this struggle continue any longer—he had a far more humiliating punishment in mind.
"Enough of this childish resistance," Vortagar sneered. "Let’s see how you fare as… less-than-ideal versions of yourselves."
With a wave of his hand, the air around Alex and Luke shimmered, a strange energy surrounding them. Both boys felt a cold, tingling sensation wash over their bodies. They staggered, suddenly feeling a heavy weight pressing down on them from within.
Alex shook his head, trying to shake off the sensation. "What… what is this?" he gasped, feeling a sudden stiffness in his joints. His heart raced as he tried to stand tall, but something was wrong—his muscles, usually lean and powerful, felt sluggish, heavy.
Luke gritted his teeth, trying to focus. "It’s… some kind of spell," he said, his voice strained. "We have to—"
But before Luke could finish, both boys were hit with the full force of Vortagar’s magic. Alex felt his chest tighten, not from fear, but from something changing inside him. He looked down in horror as his once-toned body began to expand. His athletic, muscular frame softened, his abs disappearing beneath a growing layer of fat. His chest, once firm and defined, grew rounder, sagging slightly under his shirt as his pecs turned into flabby mounds.
"No… no way," Alex muttered, trying to push the fat away with his hands, but it was useless. His torso ballooned outward, forming a noticeable gut that pressed hard against his shirt. The fabric stretched, straining as his belly grew bigger, the waistband of his jeans digging into his swelling sides.
Next to him, Luke was undergoing the same transformation. His wiry, fit body began to lose its sharpness, his limbs thickening with excess weight. His stomach bulged outward, rounding into a soft paunch that jutted over his belt. His face, once sharp and youthful, began to age—laugh lines forming around his mouth, crow’s feet creasing at the corners of his eyes. His once-smooth skin became rougher, more weathered, as if years of life had been fast-forwarded in mere seconds.
"What’s happening to us?!" Luke groaned, his voice deeper now, rougher, as though even his vocal cords had aged. He tugged at his shirt, which had become comically tight around his widening torso. His belly protruded like a beer gut, his body no longer resembling the agile warrior he had been moments before.
Alex, too, felt the years weighing down on him. His once-strong jawline softened, a layer of fat forming under his chin. His muscles, once defined and powerful, were buried beneath a thick layer of flesh, his arms and legs growing flabby and weak. His jeans felt painfully tight around his thighs and waist, the button threatening to pop off as his body expanded beyond its teenage proportions.
"I… I can’t stop it," Alex gasped, clutching at his growing belly, feeling the soft fat beneath his fingers. "We’re… getting old."
Vortagar cackled with glee, watching the boys struggle in vain. "Oh, yes! Look at you now!" he taunted. "The mighty Teenage Cyber Space Warriors—reduced to middle-aged men with dad bods! How pathetic!"
Both boys tried to protest, but their bodies continued to change. Their once-youthful faces grew lined with age, their hair thinning slightly at the temples. Luke’s dark hair now had streaks of gray, and Alex’s light brown hair had taken on a duller, slightly grayer hue. They looked at each other in disbelief, seeing not their best friends, but two out-of-shape men who looked like they’d been lounging on the couch for years, not fighting interdimensional threats.
Alex groaned as he tried to bend over, but his new gut got in the way, his movements slower, less fluid. His shirt had stretched to its limits, the seams threatening to burst as his torso widened. His once-defined chest had turned into soft, sagging pecs, and his arms were thick but without any of the strength he used to have.
Luke tugged at his waistband, his belly hanging over his belt in a way that made him feel embarrassed, like a man who hadn’t seen the inside of a gym in decades. His arms, while bigger, were doughy and untoned. He felt sluggish, tired, and worst of all—helpless.
Vortagar floated closer, circling the two with a cruel grin. "What’s the matter, boys? Not so quick on your feet now, are you? Not so strong, either. Look at those bellies! I’d say you’ve been hitting the beer a little too hard—maybe watching too many football games instead of fighting monsters, hm?"
Alex glared at Vortagar, but there was no hiding the flush of embarrassment on his face. He tugged at his shirt, trying to hide his gut, but it was impossible. His clothes were too tight, every movement constricted by his new size.
"Change us back!" Alex shouted, though his voice cracked slightly with age.
"Please," Luke added, breathing heavily from the weight pressing on his chest. "We can’t fight like this…"
Vortagar chuckled darkly. "Oh, I don’t think I will. You see, I quite enjoy watching you squirm. After all, what chance do a couple of middle-aged men with dad bods have against the forces of evil?"
He flicked his hand, and the two shadow creatures—who had been watching this transformation with empty, glowing eyes—moved forward again, their claws outstretched.
Alex and Luke stumbled backward, their movements clumsy and slow, their aged bodies unfit for the fight that was surely coming.
"Time to see if you can still fight… or if you’re ready to join the ranks of washed-up has-beens!" Vortagar jeered, raising his staff again for another round of torment.