Work Text:
Later on in the day, the team returned from their duties, and Tech was in his lab putting things away. He also put away his De-Juicer device by placing it on a charger. He took some notes from the table and went over to put them in the filing cabinet, but he stopped midway, and he gazed at his old Kinetic Amplification Ray machine. A machine that was intended to make him stronger, but malfunctioned and turned him into a 13-foot wide orbed coyote blimp. He wasn’t the only victim; Slam, Duck, Rev, and even Optimatus were inflated as well.
Tech looked at the machine, covered by a tarp, and put it into storage until he could figure out how to make sure it doesn’t turn people into blimps. He remembered Duck’s words when he was still a blueberry. It was clear that the events of that day still bothered him. The whole evil half was bad enough, but it seemed that the event before that really was an experience for him.
“Hey Tech, you okay?”
Tech was startled by the voice behind him. It was Ace who came into the lab.
Tech E. Coyote: “Daah! Oh, Ace, it’s you.”
Ace Bunny: “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle ya. You doing okay?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Yeah. Just looking at the old ray again.”
Ace Bunny: “Oh yeah, that one. Have you decided on what to do with it?”
Tech E. Coyote: “I’m still debating it. Either I upgrade this one, or scrap it and start from scratch. But all the same, remembering what Duck said made me think about what I went through. I mean, the whole Ethan Hyde mess was bad enough, especially for Rev, but that ray… I don’t know if I’ll ever get over that.”
Ace Bunny: “I’m sure you will, Tech. Besides, you did want us to help ya. We’ll figure it out. Come on, let’s get back with the others before you stare at that thing for the rest of the day.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Aha. Yeah, sure. Good idea.”
As they head back to the living room, Duck, Lexi, and Slam were relaxing on the couch watching some television.
Lexi Bunny: “Oh, hey, guys. Wanna join us?”
Ace Bunny: “Sure thing.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Hey, where’s Rev?”
Danger Duck: “He went out to get some snacks. But he should be back—”
Rev suddenly turned up quickly with a bag of snacks and drinks.
Danger Duck: “Soon.”
Rev Runner: “Okay-sorry-about-that-but-I-got-all-the-snacks. There-was-plenty-of-traffic-that-I-had-dodge-and-run-from-but-as-you-can-see-I’m-back-home-safe-and-sound-and-all-that-running-around-really-work-up-an-appetite-and-a-thirst.”
Slam Tasmanian: “Eh, Slam help?”
Rev Runner: “Sure-here-you-go-Slam. Don’t-drop-the-bags.”
Slam took the bags from Rev and brought them to the couch. But as the team went through the bags, Rev went to the fridge to find something refreshing. Being a runner, you gotta stay hydrated.
Rev Runner: “Oh-boy-am-I-thirsty? Let’s-see-what-we-got-here-that’s-good. Let’s-see-applejuice-orangejuice-carrettjuice-lemonade— oh-what’s-this?”
In the fridge, Rev found a black steel bottle next to the lemonade and was curious about what was inside. So he took the bottle and opened it to see some blue/violet liquid that looked blended.
Rev Runner: “Ooooooh! That’s-a-good-looking-smoothie. I’m-sure-they-wouldn’t-mind-if-I-had-some.”
As Rev prepared to drink, the team was sitting in front of the TV. Slam was sitting on one of the beanbag chairs while Duck was sitting on the other. Tech, Ace, and Lexi were on the couch.
Danger Duck: “Thank you for not making it permanent, Tech, though I will admit, I think I’m gonna stay away from blueberries for a while.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Can’t say I blame you.”
Ace Bunny: “Hey, Tech. So… you and Rev, huh? I’m surprised you’re even going through with it.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Well, yeah. I know it’s a little… weird… but the fact that he was willing to sacrifice everything… even himself to save me in his nightmare, it made me realize how much he truly cared about me. You guys know I’ve been very anti-social. I felt so horrible when Rev told his story and how he even developed a crush on me. I never truly acknowledged the friendship we have. But now… I’m willing to make every second count for him, and I don’t care what is said from those who oppose it.”
Danger Duck: “Yeah, yeah. Just keep the lovey-dovey stuff away from me. Not that I’m against it, mind you, I just find it weird, and please don’t get freaky around me.”
Lexi Bunny: “Don’t worry, Duck. I’m sure Tech and Rev are very mature about it. Besides, I think it’s cute.”
Ace Bunny: “You know, I suppose a couple of good things came out of his nightmare: Lexi and me, you and Rev.”
Slam Tasmanian: “Hehehehe. Good couples are good friends.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Speaking of the nightmare. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I suppose I could thank my…other half. If it weren’t for him, Rev wouldn’t have developed the courage to say what he wanted. Let alone risk his life for me. For all of us.”
Everyone: “Yeah.”
Slam Tasmanian: “Eh, Tech? What… you do with pie?”
Lexi Bunny: “Hey, yeah. What did you do with the pie that had the serum?”
Ace Bunny: “Oh, Tech had it blended and put into a steel bottle for safekeeping. We had to get it out of the way while you, Duck, and Slam were on patrol.”
While Ace was explaining, Duck suddenly glanced toward the kitchen.
Danger Duck: “Uh, steel bottle?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Yeah.”
Danger Duck: “You mean the one that Rev is drinking out of right now?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Yeah, the one that Rev is drinking out of ri—”
Tech’s eyes widened, and his fur frizzled in shock, as did Ace and Lexi as they turned to see Rev drinking from the very bottle they described. Ace and Tech hopped over the couch to stop him.
Ace Bunny: “Hey, Rev, wait a minute! Stop!”
Tech E. Coyote: “Don’t drink out of that!”
Rev Runner: “Huh? Hey-guys-what’s-gotten-into-you-all-of-a-sudden?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Rev, stop drinking that stuff right now.”
Rev Runner: “Oh-this-was-yours? I’m-sorry-Tech-I-probably-should-have-asked-first-but-just-finished-it-as-I-was-really-thirsty-and-at-least-with-it-being-a-smoothie-some-food-was-in-it. Now-why-are-you-trying-to—”
The rest of the team went over to join them.
Ace Bunny: “Wait… Rev, did you say you finished it?”
Rev Runner: “Yeah-what-about-it? Why-are-you-guys-so-jumpy?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Rev, that wasn’t a smoothie, that was remnants of the blueberry pie I injected the serum with for Duck.”
Rev Runner: “Oh-okay-I-suppose-that-explains-why-you-two-jumped-at-me-I-thought-you-guys-were-going-crazy-and— *Suddenly stops talking and eyes get wide when realization kicks in* What-did-you-say?”
Tech E. Coyote: “That was the blueberry pie with the serum.”
Hearing this, Rev’s beak was gaped open with his eyes wide and his pupils looking like tiny black dots. He dropped the steel bottle, now empty, as Tech and Ace looked down at the bottle with concern for Rev. Ace was the first to look up at Rev.
Ace Bunny: “Oh no.”
Tech looked up at Ace before turning back to Rev and got the same reaction. Rev’s beak was turning blue… rather quickly, and the roadrunner grasped it in shock.
Rev Runner: “Wha… my-beak. My beak. Oh-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no. *His hands turn blue as well.* Oh-gosh-no-please-no-please-no-please-no-please-no-please-no-please-no-please!”
Tech E. Coyote: “Ace, bring him to the center of the room, quick! I’m gonna go get the de-juicer!”
Ace Bunny: “Good thing it’s not contagious. Okay, Rev, come with me, come along before you start to swell.”
As Tech raced for the de-juicer and Ace was bringing Rev to the center of the room, Rev’s black and red uniform started turning dark purple and blue for the red parts, and the red feather on the top of his head was turning blue as well.
Rev Runner: “Oh-gosh-I’m-so-sorry-guys-I-thought-it-was-just-a-harmless-smoothie-and-there-was-no-label-on-the-bottle-I-am-terribly-sorry.”
Danger Duck: “Wow. It’s only been a few days since your relationship started, and he’s already screwing it up by not labeling things you shouldn’t touch. I’m starting to doubt this ship already.”
Lexi Bunny: “Come on, Duck. It’s obviously an honest mistake. But Rev should have known, he was with Ace and Tech while we were on patrol. They blended it while we were out.”
Rev Runner: “They what?!”
Ace Bunny: “Actually, he wasn't. He decided to go ahead with his patrol duty. He left before Tech even started to put the pie in the blender.”
Rev Runner: “Oh-no-if-I-only-stayed-a-little-longer-I-would-have-known-about-it-and-not-drink-from-it.”
Lexi Bunny: “Oh. I suppose that would explain why he didn’t—”
A deep, thunderous gurgle erupted from Rev’s stomach—far louder and more violent than Duck’s had been. The sound reverberated through the room like a washing machine filled with boulders
Rev Runner: “Oh… guys… I don’t feel so good!”
Danger Duck: “I know the feeling, Rev. Trust me.”
His midsection suddenly ballooned outward with a heavy glorp, followed quickly by his hips and rear. His arms and legs swelled too, forcing his stance into a wide, waddling stagger. The fabric of his uniform stretched tight, creaking ominously with every inch of growth. Rev’s eyes widened in panic as he tried to keep his balance, the sloshing weight inside him throwing him off.
Slam Tasmanian: “Augh, Rev grow fast!”
Ace Bunny: “You can say that again. Much faster than Duck.”
Rev Runner: “Tech! Wherever you are—hurry! Bwoomph!”
His cheeks puffed out massively, turning the roadrunner’s face into a rounded, blueberry version of itself. That was the trigger. A powerful surge rushed through him. Rev let out a muffled yelp as his entire body began expanding at an alarming rate. His torso swelled into a taut, glossy blue sphere, his limbs sinking deeper into the growing mass with wet, squelching sounds. The juice inside him churned and frothed, visibly pressing outward against his straining uniform.
Furniture started paying the price. His swelling side bumped the pool table, shoving it several feet before it toppled over with a loud crash of balls scattering everywhere. He tried to waddle away from the walls, but his massive rear knocked over a lamp and a shelving unit in the process.
Rev Runner (voice growing more strained and muffled): “Oh gosh—everything’s getting so tight! I feel like I’m gonna burst!”
By the time Tech sprinted back into the room with the De-Juicer, Rev had already reached twenty feet… twenty-five… thirty…
Tech E. Coyote: “Okay, I got the de-juicer! Where’s Rev? Is he—WHOA!”
Tech’s feet slipped on a spilled drink from earlier. He hit the floor hard, skidding several feet as his eyes widened in pure shock. Towering above him was a rapidly growing, glossy blue mountain of a roadrunner. Rev’s spherical body kept surging upward and outward—thirty-five feet, forty, forty-five—his curved surface reflecting the ceiling lights like a giant blueberry balloon. The air hockey table flipped upside down and slid across the floor as Rev’s swelling side pushed it aside like a toy.
Tech E. Coyote(still on the floor, jaw dropped): “Ooooooh… deeeeeaaaar…”
The growth finally crested at a staggering fifty feet. Rev’s enormous blueberry body now dominated the entire living area, pressing gently against the high ceiling and filling nearly half the room. Only his massively puffed cheeks, the top of his head with its now-blue feather, and his hands and feet protruded from the shiny blue sphere. Inside, the juice sloshed and gurgled loudly with every tiny shift of his body.
Rev Runner (heavily muffled, voice vibrating through his huge form): “Mmph! Guys… where are you?! Tech! Help me! Please! I feel so full… so heavy… I can barely move!”
Ace went to help Tech up, and everyone looked around the top of Rev’s overswollen body.
Danger Duck: “Holy cow. Hey Tech, how come I didn’t grow that big?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Because you only had one slice. The serum was made to give the subject the appearance of a ten-foot blueberry once the slice is consumed. The tray I was using was made for six slices.”
Ace Bunny: “And there were at least five left in that tray with the serum.”
Lexi Bunny: “That means Rev has grown to be…”
Tech E. Coyote: “Yep… He’s a fifty-foot blueberry roadrunner. And you know what… I might as well get it out of the way. I now have a blueberry for a boyfriend.”
Danger Duck: “A fifty-foot blueberry for a boyfriend.”
Lexi Bunny: “It's a good thing we got great high ceilings. I hope his head isn't pressing against it.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Duck, would you mind teleporting me to where Rev’s head is so I can speak to him properly, please?”
Danger Duck: “Uh… you worried we might slip off? Or get crushed by the ceiling?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Maybe, but I need to assure Rev that he's gonna be okay.”
Danger Duck: “Okay then. Hold tight.”
Duck took Tech by the arm and teleported him to the top of the roadrunner’s blueberry body. As they reappeared, their feet began to sink, and they tried to maintain their balance while also watching the ceiling.
Tech E. Coyote: “Wa, whoa, watch out.”
Danger Duck: “Oh, whaa, I tried t-to t-tell you. I got ya.”
Tech E. Coyote: “Yeah, I know. And thanks. Just keep your head down.
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Muh, who’s there? Tech, is that you?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Rev? Where are you?”
Danger Duck: “We hear ya, but we can’t see ya. You’re not in the ceiling, are ya?”
Suddenly, Tech felt something against his tail. He turned around to see that it was Rev’s feather on his head touching his tail.
Tech E. Coyote: “Oh, there you are. Hang on, we’re here. Are you okay? Ooooh.”
Danger Duck: “Oh my.”
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Well… am I still a giant blueberry?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Um… yes. And your cheeks are the size of melons.”
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Then I’m not okay. I feel huge, really tight, full of juice, feel like I’m about to burst, even though I know you made sure the serum wouldn’t do that, but I really don’t feel good. But I also don’t feel good about not asking you before I drank that blended pie. I’m really sorry. I had no idea.”
Danger Duck: “Hey, come on, Rev. Don’t blame yourself for this. Your boyfriend here’s the one who didn’t put a label on it.”
Rev (Muffled): “Oh, come on, Duck. Leave Tech out of this.”
Tech E. Coyote: “No, Rev. For once, Duck’s right. It’s my fault you’re like this, and I’m sorry. But you’re gonna be alright. I got the de-juicer prepped and ready, okay?”
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Okay. I remember being bloated before, but I was eleven feet and bouncing around the place. This makes me feel heavier and more grounded. And I can’t move my arms and legs.”
Danger Duck: “Well, if you want to look on the bright side. If we were ever entered into the county fair, I would happily take second place, and you would take first.”
Rev Runner (Muffled): I don’t know if I should laugh or feel humiliated by that joke.”
Danger Duck: “You don’t have to do either because I actually feel your pain, here.”
Rev Runner: “But Tech, when you used that on Duck, he was only ten feet. How is that thing gonna work for someone who’s… five times bigger?”
Tech E. Coyote: “There's only one way to find out. Don’t worry, Rev. This will all be over soon. I promise. (Kisses Rev on the forehead and grabs Duck’s hand.) Slam, heads up!”
Danger Duck: “Hey, what are you… Whaaaaaaa!”
Duck screamed as Tech took him and they slid down Rev’s round body. Slam, hearing Tech’s shout, saw him and Duck coming down and caught them.
Danger Duck: “Ugh… give me a warning next time, will ya?!”
Ace Bunny: “How’s he doing, Tech?”
Tech E. Coyote: “He really wants to get back to normal, but he feels guilty about drinking the blended pie.”
Lexi wanted to feel Rev’s body as she placed her hand on him.
Lexi Bunny: “Man, he really feels tight, doesn’t he? He won’t pop, right?”
Tech E. Coyote: “He won’t, but that doesn’t mean he won’t feel like he will. Alright, back up, everyone. I’ve got the device ready to shrink him… I hope. (Shouts at Rev.) And Rev, this is gonna feel uncomfortable, but as long as you don’t panic a lot, it won’t be painful!”
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Mmph, okay!”
Tech calibrated the five slices consumed and fired the laser to dissolve the juice in Rev’s body. Though this time, it seemed to be taking longer than Duck’s.
Slam Tasmanian: “Uh, why take so long?”
Ace Bunny: “Might be because of his size. Duck’s body shrank in about a minute.”
Lexi Bunny: “With Rev, it’s gonna be a little longer.”
Danger Duck: “Hey, Rev, you feel anything?!”
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Not yet!”
Tech E. Coyote: “It’s a lot of juice, that’s for sure. I only hope the laser gets it all. This device was made to dissolve juice from a 10-footer, not a 50.”
Rev Runner (Muffled): “Wait… I feel… something.”
Finally, the juice inside his body began to dissolve into mist and evaporate through Rev’s feathers and pores. Slowly, he began to deflate, and Rev looked around, seeing the ceiling rise as he shrank.
Slam Tasmanian: “Bwah, Rev shrinking.”
Ace Bunny: “It’s working. Hold on, Rev, you’ll be back to our level in no time!”
Lexi Bunny: “I’m gonna get some towels. It’s gonna be pretty wet.”
Just a couple of minutes go by, and Rev’s limbs reappear, and his feet begin to touch the floor again. Tech continued firing the laser, hoping it would last, since he knew it was strong but wouldn’t go on for much longer without needing a charge. He watched the battery meter go very low, which brought him to a slight mental panic.
Tech E. Coyote: “Come on, come on. Almost there, come on, don’t die on me now. Almost done.”
But somehow, someway, Tech finally brought Rev back to normal size. The roadrunner was extremely damp, his feathers soaked, and his uniform felt cold. He panted, trying to take a breath as Lexi returned with towels to put around the roadrunner.
Rev Runner (Panting): “T-thank y-y-you.”
Lexi Bunny: “Don’t mention it, Rev. But I hope you two learned a valuable lesson here.”
Rev Runner: “I definitely did. Next time I see a mystery bottle… I’ll ask first.”
Tech E. Coyote: “And I’ll label everything. Maybe add a few more things to the ‘Rev Runner Do Not Touch’ list.”
Rev Runner: “On that… I agree.”
Danger Duck: “And can we all agree to give blueberries a long break?”
Everyone: “Agreed.”
Slam then picked up a scent. It smelled like something was burning.
Slam Tasmanian (Sniffing): “Grr… something burns.”
Tech E. Coyote: “That would be this.”
Tech holds up the De-Juicer, showing that the battery just died, and the laser pointer was burning. Rev was still feeling the effects of the De-Juicer’s laser, making him talk at normal speed.
Rev Runner: “Oh, Tech, is the De-Juicer busted?”
Tech E. Coyote: “No, just overheated. It was close to being busted, though.”
Danger Duck: “Say, didn’t Joe give you that thing, and doesn’t he have one, too?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Yeah, but he has a more advanced version of it. He would certainly have had Rev back to normal with no trouble.”
Rev Runner: “Would you like me to take that back to the lab for you, Tech?”
Tech E. Coyote: “Sure. Just be careful, it’s still overheated. Now, the charger should be on the desk in my lab, labelled De-Juicer 3000 XB. And that’s the only thing I’m letting you touch tonight.”
Rev Runner: “You got it.”
Feeling his energy return, he dashed down to Tech’s lab to put the device on the charger and dashed back to the living room.
Rev Runner: “Okay, the De-Juicer is charging as we speak.”
In an instant, Tech hugs Rev, relieved that he is okay. This caught Rev off guard, but he soon hugged Tech back.
Ace Bunny: “Hey, Rev, your favorite show is coming on soon. Still up for some TV?”
Rev Runner: “Yeah… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would really cheer me up right now. Mikey’s my favorite—I kinda relate to him.”
Tech E. Coyote: “And I would be Donnie, right? The smart one?”
Rev Runner: “Exactly.”
Lexi Bunny: “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go watch.”
The team settled in to watch TV after Rev helped Tech put the De-Juicer back in the lab to charge, finishing the day on a lighter note. Tech’s revenge on Duck had worked perfectly, but he never expected it to turn his new boyfriend into an even bigger blueberry. As for the Kinetic Amplification Ray, still sitting in storage… Only time would tell if Tech could finally put those memories to rest.
THE END