August Sketches (Patreon)

Hello to our Biggerest Patrons! Thanks to your support, we reached our first big goal, and now you guys get some extras! Launchpad is getting fat and happy, while Lion-O finds a new source of power from the Sword of Omens!

Launchpad: 

“Oof…” Launchpad clutched his middle, even if either arm couldn’t reach around the giant, wobbling gut that now dominated his frame. “Okay… okay. Just gotta try… a few more burgers for Mr. McD… counting on me… real big job…” he muttered to himself as he reached for another cheeseburger from the pile. 

There had been a slight miscommunication, to say the least. Launchpad’s employer, Scrooge McDuck, had been mulling over a side venture for investment, and while he normally didn’t touch the stuff, his board had suggested fast food would be a reliable bet.

But Scrooge wanted to make sure he was backing a quality product, and that’s where Launchpad came in. As a “reliable source for the market,” a diplomatic term for “lowest common denominator,” Scrooge had tasked Launchpad with finding the fast food chain with the best product, the best customer service, and the best bet. “And be thorough!” Scrooge had ordered. Really, in some way, Launchpad’s current state was Scrooge’s fault; the wealthy duck should have known he needed to clarify. Launchpad had been to every major chain in Duckburg, eating every item on their menus, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As it turned out, there was a lot of good food in Duckburg, and Launchpad had to test re-test the same items, multiple times over. It was hard to pick a favorite!

The results were predictable to anyone besides Launchpad. The duck had inflated in weight, every part of him chunky, blubbery, and round. After he had broken one chair, Launchpad had just opted to sprawl out on his couch for his testing; it was more comfortable, especially with all that extra cushioning, and the coffee table made it really easy to just reach out and grab more food. It was more efficient this way, he told himself. All for his big job.

The pilot’s belly rose up like a snowy mountain from his vantage point, filling the space in front of him. One hand was resting lazily on one side of his chest, soft and round as a cloud. Reams of flab and blubber bunched up, practically forming a pillow for him to rest on. His padded jacket was useless for covering him up, now; sleeves were strained to bursting with all the lard swaddled around his arms, and his pants were almost destroyed by the jiggling thunder thighs and his wide, globular rear he spent so much time resting on nowadays. He ran a free hand over his shock of red hair, his inflated cheeks wobbling as he chewed on his latest test subject, a thoughtful look on his face as he gulped it down.

“Okay…” Launchpad suppressed a belch as he polished off his latest burger, and strained to reach out for a clipboard he had been keeping notes on. “Belly Buster’s… good taste, real friendly… I think this might be the one…” he paused, tapping his pen thoughtfully against his multiple chins. “Eh, I better grab a few more. Just to make sure.”

Lion-O:

Lion-O stared down at the Sword of Omens. It all came down to this; the rest of the Thundercats and all their allies in Third Earth had gathered to defeat Mumm-Ra once and for all. The lion crouched down to examine the sword closer. The Eye of Thundera set in the hilt had never been so bright, humming with energy. He had long expected that the Sword had more of its own mind than Panthro, Cheetara, or even Jaga thought; it sensed its evil twin, the Sword of Plun-Daar, wielded by the monster he was destined to defeat.

He took a deep breath. “This is going to be something new, isn’t it?” he asked of the sword. “I’ve never seen so much energy in you so far… Well. If this is how it has to be, then I’m ready.” Lion-O gripped the hilt of the sword, and wielded it just as Claudus had years ago. “Sword of Omens, show me the way!”

It was a subtle thing at first; a small swelling of energy in his core, but soon the leonine prince felt it spreading to his entire body. It was like an inner fire, growing more and more intense, until he could practically feel sparks firing off of his fingertips, like lightning.

Or thunder.

Lion-O looked down at his body, and saw that it was now brimming with power and newfound strength, every muscle tensed as his veins snaked across his arms and legs, and now, he had started to grow. His armor was growing tight, and he struggled to get it off to make room as his shoulders and back spread wide, his legs strengthening and widening into earth-shaking rods of iron. Finally, his arms surged in size as he let out an adrenaline-fueled roar. Wielding the magic sword that was now growing with him, he swung it in a wide arc. “Thunder--” He stomped forward, quads thick as tree trunks rippling with electric strength. “Thunder--” Lion-O tensed his arms, biceps large as boulders surging up to meet him. “THUNDER--” He beat his chest, a wide, clefted canyon hard as steel. 

“Thundercats, Ho!” Lion-O roared. He was breathing heavily, looking down at the immense musculature packed on to his frame. With each breath his chest surged forward, like the tide coming in, and didn’t retreat as the growth still lingered. He could only imagine what his sprawling back looked like, a golden field of bulging muscle that even Panthro couldn’t match. He was titanic, and in that moment, Lion-O marvelled at the fact that he couldn’t think of anyone that could match him for size. As for strength, he hadn’t tested it, but as he tensed his arm again, making his engorged bicep bounce, he had a pretty good feeling it would be hard to top.

Still, he pushed that out of his mind. The battle wasn’t won yet. He grabbed the Gauntlet of Omens, which had grown as well, and whatever scraps of armor he still had. His friends and allies were still looking to him to lead; and where he had knelt a prince, he had finally risen a king.