Danny had barely taken three steps inside when he saw Justin Waverly leering at a pair of freshmen, who were backed up against their lockers.
Danny frowned.
He'd known Justin, who was a junior, one year ahead of Danny, since 3rd grade. Danny had never really liked the guy, but he'd developed a major ego complex about three years ago.
An ego complex that wasn't completly unjustified. Justin was tall, popular, and handsome. Despite being a junior, he was the star of the football team. Girlfriends, for Justin, came and went every other week. He was blond and tan, and never had any problems with acne. His parents were rich, and so Justin was always wearing nice clothes. They'd also recently bought for him a hot-off-the line, banana yellow Hummer.
A Hummer. Those things weren't even vehicles in Danny's eyes, but gas-guzzling, greenhouse gas-emmiting status symbols.
" 'Sup Nerd, Fatty," Justin was leaning up against the lockers in a pose he probably thought cool, and smirked down at the two freshmen. 'Nerd' was lanky, probably between growth spurts, and wore a "Halo" shirt. Thick glasses peekd out from a bush of oily hair. 'Fatty' was, well, fat and dressed somewhat sloppily. A stain of what might have been powdered sugar dotted the upper left corner of his snug black shirt.
Danny, though he couldn't sense them, was acutely aware of the powers he now possessed. Perseus had advised him not to use his powers selfishly. Could there be a more selfless act than giving this bully a taste of his own medicine.
"Pause." Danny said, and Danny couldn't help but be amazed as time froze again, for the second time this morning. Danny walked over and placed a hand on Justin's forehead.
Like a stream, information poured into Danny's mind. He knew Justin's fears and secrets, his dreams and ambitions. He caught bits and pieces of memory, events that had shaped Justin into the person he was today. Also, came the statistics.
Justin, at 165 pounds, was slender but built. He hovered at around 5'11", without shoes. He was 16 years, 4 months, 12 days, and 37 minutes old. He would die in a little over seventy years, on a Tuesday. Completely heterosexual.
Whatever there was to know about Justin, Danny suddenly knew it. Everything from the bully's first words to his shoe size.
"Whoa...I could've done without some of that," Dany said, "But anyways...what's the best punishment for you, huh, Justin?"
Danny looked from Justin to 'Nerd' and 'Fatty' and snapped his fingers. Closing his eyes, he began rewriting the entry for Justin Waverly in the dictionary of the gods.
"Football was something Justin's dad always forced him into doing. His real hobby has always been anime and videogames. He hasn't played football since middle school."
Danny looked up and gasped at the new Justin before him. His football jersey and vintage jeans had been replaced by a pair of black, baggy jeans and a black tee shirt with an anime character on the front. Justin was scrawnier now, too. His muscles were now very light, from several years of disuse.
Danny wasn't done yet, though.
"Let's make him shorter too...about their height," Danny said, casually this time, as Justin shrank in height to about 5'4". "And what the heck? Let's make him younger too. A freshman, like these guys. And let's replace his cockiness with some good ol' social awkwardness."
Danny watched again as Justin's features became a bit younger. As Danny had rewritten Justin, the boy's pose had changed from an arrogant leaning to a shy slouch. Danny was confused, though, when Justin suddenly became more muscular.
"Oh, that's right. He's a high school freshman now, so he's only recently quit football." Danny realized, "Well, gotta fix that. One of the reasons Justin hated football was because he's a lazy person at heart. But he's a big eater too. He's always been kind of chubby."
Justin was no longer fit now, but plump. The baggy jeans became snug around his waist and rear end, and Justin's shirt now strained to cover an ample potbelly.
"Additionally, Justin will gain weight throughout high school until," Danny stopped, pondering, "Until he becomes fifteen or so pounds heavier than this kid next next to him, that he made fun of."
Danny continued to rewrite Justin's character.
He took away the boy's flawless skin, replacing it with occasional acne. His hair became unruly, and particularly hard to manage in the mornings. Justin was now shy around girls, and furthermore, he would eventually go through some sexual confusion issues. The outcome of those issues, Danny would leave to Justin and to fate.
His parents, while still rich, were now pennypinchers. Justin's Hummer had been exchanged for a used Corolla.
Finally, as the ironic icing to an ironic cake, Danny changed Justin's relationship with the boys he'd been tormenting. Enemies before, they were now friends, and had been friends since the 5th grade. Where before, Justin had been leering over the two, all three were now engaged in what appeared to be friendly conversation.
"Resume." Danny said, having changed everything he'd wanted. And like that, time was flowing again. Danny, willing himself to not be noticed, eavesdropped on the three of them.
"J-force! You still up for the Halo party at my house on Saturday?" 'Nerd' was asking Justin, who was apparently now nicknamed 'J-force'. "My mom's baking cheesecake brownies!"
"I'm up for the Halo, most definately. It's my game, yo! I can't help but own it!" Justin had snaked an arm around 'Fatty', using the other to pat his paunch. "But brownies, man! Why you gotta do that to me? I'll effing pig out on them!"
"And seriously, I've put on like fifteen pounds since I quit football. I'm gonna get so freakin' fat. And I'm already freakin' fat, I can't even wear my Kagome shirt anymore!"
The three of them were wearing outlandish grins.
"Oh gosh, and your mom's brownies! They're like...the nectar of the gods, in baked form! I'm gonna get sooooo fat..."
Danny stood in the hallway, watching as the three friends slowly walked off, presumably headed toward their classes.
Wow.
In less than ten minutes, Danny had transformed Justin from a bullying jock to a complete nerd. It was kind of frightening. Any lingering doubts he had about being a demigod were now thoroughly erased. He had the power.
Danny raised his palms and looked at them.
Oh yes, did he have the power.
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