Volume 2: Chapter 200 — Biceps and Baby Oil

The introduction was a fairly simple one. There was workout equipment spread out all across a gymnasium floor; every machine for every muscle group imaginable was brought in from Gregoir and Dan's home gyms. They were spread out like display platters, polished up and wiped down to a gleaming shine. Near the center of the arrangement was a simple bench press, but scaled for a giant. The frame was reinforced in every manner. It was thicker and broader, with crisscrossing beams and pillars beneath the bench to manage the enormous weight it could carry. The bar itself was only a little thicker than normal, but it carried a unique gleam that neither chrome nor steel would evoke.

Gregoir entered the frame, followed shortly by Connor. Both were shirtless and slathered with oil. Their torsos shined. Every muscle was deeply outlined. Every movement was measured and smooth. They made their way to the center, where the bench press waited. They stood on either side of the heavy construction as Gregoir led his student through a series of increasingly unusual stretches. Several seemed to be poses ripped directly out of body-building competitions, while others vaguely resembled the more exotic yoga poses. When they finished, Connor had developed a sheen of sweat to match his oiled-up skin.

Stretches complete, each squatted down low and rose up with a pair of large weighted plates. They moved in unison, mounting their plate on each side of the bar. The camera zoomed in on the gargantuan things. Then number 250lb stood out, engraved on its side. Then the pair ducked down again and added another set. And another. And another. By the time they finished, two thousand pounds of extra weight sat on the bar, and Connor was panting with exertion. Gregoir studied the bar, then the bench, poking and prodding and checking for stability. Finally satisfied, he dropped down into the lifting position, with Connor poised above to spot.

"Shake that ass!" Freya catcalled from offscreen, as Gregoir lifted the bar off its rack. "Show off the goods!" Abby giggled beside her, and only a very expensive gimbal kept the camera she was wielding steady. Dan watched as she zoomed in on Gregoir's enormous biceps as he steadily heaved up and down. It drifted to the side, where Connor's well-defined abs were tensed in preparation. Freya licked her lips and made exaggerated sounds of delight.

"This is demeaning," Connor lamented as he stoically held his position.

"This is hilarious," Dan corrected, filming the whole thing from his phone for posterity's sake. "Are people really going to take workout advice from someone with super strength?"

Abby pointed at Gregoir, who basically resembled a hero of antiquity come to life. "They will if he looks like that."

"We should put them in tight pants," Freya muttered to herself, one finger absently twirling her hair.

Abby giggled again, barely holding the frame as Gregoir completed his set. Connor grunted with exertion as he helped lock the bar back in place. Gregoir didn't even look winded. He sat up, grinned into the camera, and twitched his pecs in a manner that was somehow lewd and suggestive.

"And cut!" Abby exclaimed, laying down her camera before bursting into laughter. Gregoir soon joined in. Connor scowled but perked up when he saw the hungry expression on Freya's face. 

Yeah, Dan thought, this is going well.

Dan's original idea, to post cam footage from Gregoir's various raids, was shot down almost immediately for being both confidential and... well, inappropriate for public consumption. The concept, though, was sound. The idea was floated to the trainees, and suggestions were bandied about for ways to monetize Gregoir's popularity. It was at this point that Gregoir remembered something extremely relevant.

Gregoir had a fan forum, and it had existed long before he ever beat the crap out of Coldeyes. It used to be a tiny little thing, filled mostly with pictures of him from the APD's yearly swimsuit calendar. But it had grown with his reputation, and now was a respectable fan site, filled with discussions, arguments, and creepy fan photos. According to the site's metrics, it was disproportionally popular with women. Dan wasn't sure how that revelation led to them filming shirtless workout videos, but here they were.

At some point, Freya had arrived to pick up Connor. She had enthusiastically joined in on the debate, and it was mostly her prodding that had coerced Connor into joining in on the action. The younger man was less than enthusiastic about the whole thing, only perking up when Gregoir had introduced him on camera as 'my first disciple'. Dan was pretty sure it was only Connor's overbearing personality and outrageous wealth that had shielded him from being noogied all throughout his school years. The boy was a gigantic nerd.

The setup for everything had been surprisingly simple. Dan played the role of transporter, picking up some of Gregoir's personal gym equipment, along with his own. He'd dropped by an electronics store and bought what was basically a Go-Pro on a stick. Once Gregoir's training session was over, he'd sent all his little recruits home (amid much protest) and they'd gotten down to business. A little rearranging, hang up some lights, slather on the baby oil, and they were ready to film! 

"This will just be a teaser," Freya said, scrolling through the footage. She looked over at Gregoir, all business now. "You'll need to come up with an actual routine for people without strength upgrades."

"I already have one!" Gregoir exclaimed with his usual enthusiasm. "My fighting spirit enhances me in battle, but my grand physique was carved out of hard work and sweat!" He grunted, throwing himself into another pose as every muscle tensed. His shirt was still off. Freya held up the camera and took a still. Abby wandered over with her laptop, and the two got to editing.

Dan left them to it. He made his way over to Connor, who was wiping himself down with a towel. His nose wrinkled as he scrubbed the baby oil and sweat off his skin. Dan held in a laugh, choosing to nod in greeting, instead.

"This is not how I imagined spending my evening," Connor groused, discarding the towel. "This can't possibly be the best way to raise money."

"It might not be the best, but it's definitely the most amusing," Dan said shamelessly. "Besides, sex sells."

Connor grumbled under his breath, "I still don't see why you're escaping this humiliation."

"I'm not a cop," Dan pointed out. "Far as the city is concerned, I'm just some guy. Gregoir's the face of the thing, and you're his plucky sidekick."

Connor's face spasmed as if he couldn't decide whether he liked that description or not. He chose to grunt non-commitally instead. "Whatever. When are we having that spar? I think kicking your ass will make me feel a lot better about this."

"Later," Dan laughed. "When you're not covered in baby oil." He pointed at Connor's arms, still glistening. The younger man glanced down, swore vociferously, then picked up his towel and resumed scrubbing.

"I swear, this stuff doesn't come off!"

Dan laughed again. "Come on, let's check on the girls. I've got news I wanna share with you all."

Gregoir had joined the pair by the time Dan and Connor made their way back over. He was seated on a stool, which valiantly strained under his bulk. He held a smartphone in his hands, and he was scrolling through his fan website in open fascination. He perked up as Dan approached, waving the screen in his direction.

"Daniel!" he cried. "This is amazing! I had no idea my fan site had grown to such an extent!"

"You don't keep an eye on it?" Dan asked. 

Gregoir waved his hand airily. "Ah, it is difficult. What little free time I have must be used judiciously. I'm afraid surfing the web and posting on forums is simply too time-consuming an activity." 

"It can be addicting," Dan agreed. 

"But I'm thrilled so many have been inspired by my actions!" Gregoir added, beaming at his phone screen. 

"Yes, yes. Very inspiring," Abby agreed as she spliced together a video of Gregoir doing bicep curls.

Connor sidled up to Freya, settling in beside her. At some point, he'd put a shirt on, to her obvious disapproval. Dan squatted beside Abby, watching her edit for a few moments while he thought over this next conversation. It was time, Dan figured, to bring his friends in on what he'd been doing. He was stuck on how to proceed and could use some level-headed advice, and outside perspective.

The problem was how to phrase it in a way that didn't totally out him as a Natural. They all must have suspicions by now, but the specifics were not something he was willing to share. The secret of his portals would spread no further than it already had. Unfortunately, without that capability, it was difficult to spin the tale in a way that made sense. How could Dan have ever found out about these terrible crimes? Normal, law-abiding Dan?

As usual, Dan decided to blame Anastasia.

"So," he began, "I've been doing some work for Abby's grandmother..."