Not A Toy 125

Distress consumed both the scientists in the house.

For Sophie, it was the distress of a huge wave suddenly rising from the water - yet in truth the storm had been brewing since yesterday, and it was perhaps naivete that she thought it would take longer to crash upon her.

For Nathalie, it was the distress of the earth vanishing beneath her feet. The woman was suddenly falling, and the depths of the chasm were completely unknown.

Sophie needed a solution - and it was sitting idly on the other side of the room. Yet she had told herself that yesterday was a one-time thing. That kind of problem-solving wasn't sustainable, to say the least, yet it seemed that fate was intent of twisting her arm. None of this had gone how she had planned, yet for all her brilliance Sophie's actions had been driven by impulse and what she'd call principle. So, it was impulse again that sent her across the room, to that same solution once more.

Nathalie looked down at the two clearly shrunken women - and dressed in what appeared to be doll's outfits! Sophie had always had major concerns over the use of her invention, but now Nathalie had to consider whether that was an act! How was Sophie so worried about the ethics of her creation whilst people in her home who were clearly distressed! And yet, as the dark-haired woman looked down at the two strangers, she couldn't help but be amazed. The piece of tech that Sophie had spear-headed, that Nathalie and others had assisted with, worked exactly as intended. It would be exciting if it wasn't horrifying. The scientist steadied herself and approached the pair, who were desperately trying to hold her attention. The fact that her explicit question to Sophie had gone unanswered was less important in the face of this revelation.

"Down here! Here!" The pair repeated.

"I-I see you!" Came the words from Nathalie's mouth as she approached the duo.

The scientist slowly made her way to them, and Maisie felt a churn in her stomach as she drew closer, she had forgotten just how big people were to her now - or rather how small she was. Yet that didn't stop both her and her fellow tiny companion from assaulting the unknown person with a cacophony.

"I went for a job interview and-and-and there was this insane machine, and I think I hit something and it... it shrunk me and..."

"A fucking shrink ray! I walked in and picked the damn thing up and it just went off and my clothes... got bigger and..."

"Then that insane woman, Sophie, she came and shrunk us more and..."

"We were inside her purse! She kidnapped us!"

"Then she gave us this ridiculous outfits and..."

Nathalie couldn't keep it all straight. "Woah-woah, slow down! Give me a sec!" She said firmly, buying herself a moment of silence.

"God, you two are really shrunk, aren't you..." It was barely a question; just the stunned mind of Nathalie trying to process all that was happening. Without thinking, a hand raised towards the two.

Jenna stomped forward. "Oh-my-god. Yes! Yes, we are! Shrunk by a shrink ray! Now get us out of here! Hurry!"

Nathalie felt herself moving past the shock and swallowed nervously. "Right. I'll talk to Sophie and we'll get you back to normal straight away, okay?"

However, in the other room, Sophie's decision was already beyond consultation. She hefted her device into her hands. If Nathalie had been more patient then the redhead would have had more time to explain, and if those two other women hadn't made that noise then... Ugh! Sophie needed some time, that was all. Without thinking, she rushed with the noticeably heavier device, nearly crashing into the doorframe of the study.

"Talk to her?! She's insane!" Jenna roared with what authority she felt she had.

However, Nathalie wasn't a fool. As she spoke her words of reassurance, words that were rebutted by one of these tiny people, she realized how hollow they sounded. Was her colleague really someone she could just convince out of this - someone who had already shrunk, kidnapped and seemingly stripped and dressed two women?

The gears were whirring in the dark-haired woman's mind, and she realized she hadn't heard from Sophie...

It all happened fast. Sophie pulled the trigger on her device. However, it was Maisie, who had unconsciously kept some distance between herself and Nathalie, saw past the giant and gleaned a familiar shape barge into the room. Whilst Nathalie heard the hurried footsteps herself...

Yet it was the squeaked warning that caused her to act. "Behind you! Watch out!" Maisie screamed.

Nathalie jerked her body instinctively, and the room filled with an ominous glow.

A distinct beam charged across the room towards Nathalie and crashed into the form of Jenna.