�Mom I�m home.� Theodore announced as he rushed in the front door.
�How was my favorite pup�s day?� His mother asked with an interested smile.
�It was fine but I�ve got to get ready for practice.� The fur replied and ran up to his room.
In less than ten minutes Theodore was out of his school cloths and into a baseball uniform. Up until about 6 months ago the young fur didn�t even like baseball. But that all changed when dad took him out to play at the company picnic. Then it became apparent that his wolf reflexes gave him a distinct advantage over the human children. And being better at something than humans was somehow gratifying after all those years of living in a human orphanage.
When Theodore got downstairs his Mom was waiting to take him to the field. Although she never understood the mechanics of the game, the proud woman seemed to like the fact that he was starting to play with schoolmates. And she loved to cheer him on at games.
�I got to leave practice early today.� Mrs. Thompson started to explain, �John�s truck is acting up again and I have to pick him up at work. Are you going to be able to make it home alright?�
�Yeah Mom I�ll be fine. It�s only a couple a miles home from the field and Bud showed me a shortcut home through the woods last week. Figured it would be good to know with the way Dad�s truck has been acting up.�
�Good.� His mother replied with a smile.
Quickly the wolf grabbed his gear and gym bag and rushed out the front door. His mom followed right behind him�
******************************************************************************************
�Come on Timmy pick it up a little!� Couch James yelled supportively as one of the boys ran for 2nd base.
As the human came around, Theodore caught the baseball from another teammate and tagged him. A moment later the empire called �OUT� and the couch ran over to the base.
�Timmy you need to get the lead out when rounding the bases. Look at how easily Teddy here tagged you.�
�Well I can�t help it the freak can��
�WHAT!!!� The couch hollered, �Listen here Timmy I don�t ever want to hear you call one of your teammates anything like that again. Now got hit the showers� ALL OF YOU.�
******************************************************************************************
After a brisk shower, Theodore got dressed and headed out of the locker room. Timmy ignored him after they got off the field but shot a dirty look his way as they headed back out.
�Hey Teddy!� Bud yelled.
Theodore looked over to the far end of the field at a short, and chubby human kid. That was good old Bud, his best friend. Over the years the two boys developed a close friendship, probably because both of them were not fully accepted by their peers. In an odd way, being the outcasts made their friendship a strong one.
�Man you looked great out there today Teddy!� Bud exclaimed patting his friend on the back as they headed into the woods, �But Timmy doesn�t seem to be too happy with you right now.�
�Well I can�t help it he sucks at baseball.� Theodore replied with a sarcastic grin, �Besides I�m already used to people not liking me because of what I am.�
�Oh Teddy not that fur shit again!� Bud replied and rolled his eyes, �You know you�re not the only fur in school.�
�Yeah but the only other fur is a bear and do you really think anyone will be messing with him? Andy would just sit on them if anyone tried.�
�Oh Andy isn�t like��
�Well, well, well, what do we have here?� A familiar voice announced from the shadows, �The wolf boy and his fat friend.�
�What do you want Timmy?� Theodore demanded as three boys emerged from the nearby bushes.
�I want you two off the team. Fat boy over there can�t run worth shit and a freak like you should be in the circus.� The youngster replied and spat on Theodore.
Before Theodore could react the three boys pounced on him. When Bud tried to help, one of the thugs punched him in the face and knocked him out cold. As the boys now concentrated on plummeting him, a strange sensation overtook Theodore. He felt a strange energy flow through his body and then the plummeting suddenly stopped.
When Theodore opened his eyes, the world seemed to be shrinking around him. However the fur realized as his clothing was torn to shreds that the world wasn�t shrinking, he was getting larger. That strange sensation became stronger and filled him with an almost electrical feeling. Once the growing stopped, Theodore figured he must now be at least 100ft tall.
The disoriented titan got to his feet and felt the hard ground below crumble beneath him. He then looked down at the 4 small figures below. Bud was still unconscious and the other three boys stood frozen at his feet. Theodore smiled as he swung one of his massive footpaws over his attackers and gently pressed down.
A cruel smile filled his face as the boys struggle frantically below. A dark predatory instinct deep inside longed to feel them compress under his sensitive pawpads. He wanted to feel their bodies crack and pop before grinding them into puddles of goo. He wanted to hear their cries for mercy transformed into screams of agony.
Then a voice of civility kicked in. That voice was one simple though, �What would mother think of me if I did this?� It probably saved those boy�s lives.
After toying with his captives underfoot for a few more gratifying minutes, Theodore lifted his paw up. The absolute look of horror on Timmy�s face made him feel powerful. He could have crushed that little bastard like an ant and it would have probably felt pretty damn good. But that would have been wrong.
�Please Teddy don�t�� The boy started to beg.
�Shut up and listen!� The megawolf growled, �You little pricks are not worth getting into trouble for. But if any of you say a word of what happened here today��
The megawolf finished his threat with a simple but effective gesture. With a grin, he swung his foot over to a fallen tree and stomped down hard. The impact sent a shockwave across the forest that left the smashed tree in a deep paw shaped crater. Timmy and his friends then scrambled out of the forest like frightened deer.
Instinctively, Theodore closed his eyes and concentrated on a shrinking. Somehow he knew that was the way to return to normal size but didn�t completely believe it until he reopened his eyes. The world around him now was now much larger, it was an odd but reassuring feeling.
After returning to normal the wolf did the only thing he could think of, got dressed. Unfortunately the only clothing that wasn�t destroyed in the transformation was his dirty baseball uniform. But it was still better than running around naked.
�Ooooo� My head�� Bud moaned. �What happened?�
�Timmy and his crew jumped us and then ran away.�
Bud slowly got to his feet but jumped back when he saw the giant paw-shaped footprint nearby, �What in the hell did THAT?!�
�Don�t ask.� Theodore replied solemnly.
�What happened to your cloths?� The panicked boy asked.
�Don�t ask.� Theodore repeated sternly.
Bud took another look at the footprint and then back at his friend. He probably had a general idea of what happened that day but chose not to push the subject. Perhaps this was done out of fear, friendship, or maybe both.
As the two boys walked home not another word was said. That day Theodore discovered great power and dark desires that laid deep within him. However, unbeknown to the fur, that day�s events did not go unnoticed�