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Chapter Text

Tito Lopez winced as he saw the rushing water from the sewer he was in, clinging from a ledge. He shivered as the coldness of the sewer raised gooseflesh on his skin, hence why he was only wearing a Tarzan shoal made from a napkin.

Tito sighed. 'How did it come to this?' he thought. 'how did I, Tito Lopez, part of Dos Bros Tacos, the one who brought a snail into the Indianapolis 500, end up in a very big, no pun intended, problem, and in a life and death situation? I mean, maybe sometimes this happens to most people. If it could happen to my brother Angelo, he'd be in this situation too... I think.'

he hauled himself up onto the ledge and sighed, staring up at the setting evening sun through the sewer drain. "It feels like only a month ago that I entered Turbo in the Indy 500..."

FLASHBACK:

Tito ran up to Turbo on the starting lineup of the race. It felt soooo exciting. It seemed like history was gonna be made that day. He leant down next to the super-powered snail.

"Everything's gonna be fine, okay?" he said. "We can do this, right?"

Turbo gamely, albeit nervously, revved his engine, anything for his new friend. He didn't wanna let him, his bro, and his new friends/teammates down.

Tito's eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, I wish I was tiny, so I can give you a hug!" he said.

"Get off the track!" one of the race officials yelled.

"OK, OK, I'm going!" Tito said as he jogged off the track. "Good luck out there, Turbo!"

END FLASHBACK

'Maybe,' he thought, 'what I said that day must be the cause of my current state! If it's possible. I mean, people don't just shrink, right?'

He sighed and sat down, wincing as he felt himself shrink another inch. 'It's only a matter of time before I shrink so small, I'll end up becoming the world's smallest taco seller!'

He sighed again. "And to think, it all started so well yesterday!"

Chapter Text

The sun streamed into the window of Tito and Angelo Lopez's apartment. A Mexican Mariachi band alarm clock, reading 7:00 am, played loudly. Tito leaned over and pressed a button the clock, and the music stopped. He got up, and headed for the shower. Also, by this time, Angelo, Tito's brother, got up as well.

Tito was busy singing his song in the shower. Angelo waited for Tito to finish so he could have his shower.

Soon, Tito was outta the shower. He had just dried himself off when he suddenly felt a sharp tingle in his belly. It spread from the top of his head to the tips of his fingers to the ends of his toes. "That felt... weird." Tito said to himself.

Dismissing the thought, He weighed himself on the bathroom scales. but then... Tito gasped. he noticed something odd - instead of his usual weight [70lbs], it was a bit lower than normal [66lbs]. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Angelo banging on the bathroom door, saying "Tito, are you finished yet?" Tito quickly got out the bathroom and headed off to get dressed for work.

As Angelo drove, Tito couldn't help thinking about the scales. Did it seem like he was losing weight? Was something wrong with him? It was actually hard to say.

The day at Starlight Plaza went well too. The crowds were amazed at Turbo and the Snail Racing Crew's performance on the track.

Later, Tito and Angelo were having their lunch break. Angelo stared at Tito, and saw his brother. his hat seemed to flop about on his head a lot. and his shirt did seem to look... loose. Angelo's eyes widened, and he nervously put his taco down.

Tito looked at Angelo, then at the taco he'd put down. "Are you gonna finish that, bro?" he asked. "No, uh... I'm not hungry, anymore." Angelo said, pushing his taco closer to Tito, who ate it. Angelo just got up and walked off to the Dos Bros Tacos shack. he made a mental note to weigh his brother after lunch.

Also, by this time, Turbo and the other snails, including Turbo's brother Chet, were on lunch break too. Even Turbo noticed that something was up with Tito.

Later, after lunch, Angelo examined Tito. Upon standing on the scales, Angelo saw that Tito's weight had lowered significantly. It was now 61lbs. Angelo stared, and saw that Tito was now roughly the same height as him.

Tito stared at his brother, who, for some baffling reason, was staring at him like he'd grown a second head, or like his penis had disappeared and become a vagina.

Angelo sighed. He had to tell his brother to reveal the truth.

"Tito, what is going on?" Angelo asked. "Are you on a secret diet you aren't telling me about?" Tito looked bewildered. "Angelo, what are you on about?" Angelo sighed. "Look at the scales!" he said. He and Tito looked, and they saw the scales had gone from 61lbs to 57lbs.

Angelo sighed angrily. "Tito, what is up with you? You look almost a foot shorter than me!"

Tito stared at himself. "You know what Angelo, I think you're right. There might be something wrong with me." "Well? What is it?" Angelo said, wanting the answer. "OK, bro. I'll tell ya. You'll think it's crazy but, well, I'll tell ya. I think maybe, just maybe..."

Tito paused impressively.

"What?" Angelo asked impatiently.

"...Well, I... could be... shrinking?"

There was a long silence. Then Angelo started laughing. "What's so funny?" Tito asked. "Well," Angelo said, through laughing, "Imagine, you, Tito Lopez, my little bro, a freak of nature! The Incredible Shrinking Taco Seller!" He laughed for what seemed like 5 minutes. or more. "People would only shrink in sci-fi movies, and such. You're just believing this stuff, bro." he said as he walked out.

Tito sighed. Maybe his brother was right. Maybe he WASN'T shrinking after all. It was just a harmless ruse.

Or was it?

Later, Tito was just getting ready for the taco delivery run. It was then he saw his shirt. It seemed to somehow sag a bit, and seemed to be somewhat a little bigger than before. Then, he noticed his pants were sorta sagging. 'I'm gonna have a word with the dry cleaners about my clothes.' he said to himself. He then headed up to the delivery truck... which seemed to have gotten bigger. "I really need to install steps on this thing." he said, as he struggled to get in. It took a while, but he eventually got in. He saw he could barely see over the steering wheel.

And, not surprisingly, he wasn't the only one. Turbo, who was on the umbrella of one of the tables at the time, had seen everything.

He saw the truck, slowly, but surely, start up, then drive off. 'Maybe something is wrong with him.' he thought.

That afternoon, Tito drove through the streets back to the Starlight Plaza Strip Mall, after his day of delivering tacos. He was still thinking about the scales, and about his shirt, and about the truck, and what Angelo said earlier. he was concerned. WAS he shrinking? Or was it a mistake with the dry cleaners? It was hard to know for sure.

'Maybe Angelo is lying.' he thought. 'Heh. Wouldn't be the first time.'

Then, another thought, this time a worrying thought, struck him like a bullet. 'But then again, what if he isn't? I mean, what if I could be shrinking? I could end up a freak of nature myself - 'Come to Dos Bros Tacos, home of the World's Fastest Snail, and also, of the World's Smallest Taco Seller!'

He parked his taco truck right outside Dos Bros Tacos, and dashed to the male restrooms of the plaza. He stared at himself in the restroom mirror. His shirt looked a little somewhat bigger on his shoulders, and his hat seemed a little bigger on his head. I must have shrunk a few inches. Tito guessed as he came out and went back to the Dos Bros Tacos place. Overall, he didn't seem too worried about his problem.

But if he'd been worried a lot, there'd be no concern over what would happen next...

Chapter Text

All too soon, evening arrived. Angelo was busy closing the Dos Bros Tacos shop. He waved goodbye to Bobby, Paz, and Kim-Ly as they headed for their homes. Now, all he had to do was wait for Tito to finish, so they could go home.

Soon, Tito finished, and came out. He was a little smaller. He could see Angelo looking stunned. 'I guess the big bro just got bigger!' Angelo thought. He & Tito walked off to the truck.

Turbo saw everything. 'Something is wrong.' he thought, seeing them driving away.

Angelo drove as Tito sat in the seat of the truck, feeling concerned. He now seemed almost 2 thirds of his size. He almost pictured himself shrinking so small, he shrunk right out of existence in a cloud of smoke. He chuckled slightly at that, but then became worried.

back at the apartment...

Angelo and Tito returned. Tito was now approximately half his size.

"Tito, don't think I haven't noticed how short you are." he said sternly. "Angelo, i think maybe that I am... shrinking!" Tito sighed. Angelo facepalmed. "Look, Tito, I think you're working too hard. Tomorrow, we're quittin early at 3. so you can relax."

Tito looked quiet. he nodded. "I'm just gonna turn in." he said. he walked off to the bathroom, his clothing trailing. Angelo noticed, but didn't say anything.

After his shower, Tito sat down on his bed in dumb shock. He was now lower than before, almost a third of his size.

"That's odd." he said to himself suddenly, "I don't remember my bed being this big." He stared down at his sandals, that had now came off his feet, and wriggled his toes with a wince. his face tugged into a smile briefly before fading back into a worried frown. Well, I certainly look like I'm shrinking, so I might end up shrinking so small, i'll become a freak myself.

Tito quickly shrugged it off. "Maybe Angelo's right." he said. "I am working too hard. I just need to have a rest, and forget the whole thing."

So he started undressing out of his huge bathrobe, and then he stared at his hat, and put it on. Now clad in only his loose looking underwear, he struggled to get back onto his huge bed, which now, seemed bigger than before...

By this time, Angelo had just got out of the shower, and was now cleaning his teeth. It was then he suddenly felt a sharp tingle in his belly, just like Tito had before him. It spread from the top of his head to the tips of his fingers to the ends of his toes. He seemed normal. Or was he smaller? it was hard to say.

That very night, Tito, now lying on his huge bed, in his huge undies, and his huge hat, was asleep.

in the morning, he'd think the nightmare was over, but alas, the nightmare was just beginning...

Chapter Text

As the dark night went on, Tito hardly slept, for he was having a nightmare, a nightmare of him, now shrunk to snail size, and Turbo, escaping from a giant Guy Gagne, chasing them down the track of the Indianopolis 500.

At once, Tito saw Turbo's speed power ran down, and Guy was getting closer. Tito just managed to divert Turbo to the other racing snails, giving him a push to kickstart his speed.

at once the huge footsteps of Guy knocked Tito off his feet. He was trapped, and could hardly get up. He watched in horror as Guy removed first one of his shoes, then one of his socks, then, raised his humongus bare foot in the air. "Now you'll pay for having a snail ruin my career!" he boomed, and he brought his foot down...

Tito gasped, and awoke with a start, and he was sweating a lot. He saw the sunlight streaming through the apartment window.

'Don't worry, Tito.' He thought. 'There's nothing to worry about. You're gonna be fine. What happened was just a slight hiccup. Maybe Angelo is right. You are working too hard. Maybe you'll be normal again in no ti-'

Tito's thoughts were rudely interrupted when he tripped and fell flat on his face. Tito pushed himself up, and it was then he saw what he tripped on: a huge pair of undies that were like his own. Next to them; a huge yellow Dos Bros Tacos hat that looked exactly like his! Looking at the tag on the back of the huge undies, he saw his name, 'Tito Lopez' on it. 'These are mine!' he thought.

Then he looked at the hat and saw a label above the rim, which read 'If found, please return to Tito Lopez at Dos Bros Tacos'. in panic, he gasped.

He saw his bedspread, which now looked like as big as the ocean, or even bigger.

and he saw his hat looked about the size of a car!

and his Mexican Mariachi band alarm clock was now the size of the Big Ben clocktower!

It took Tito only at least 10 seconds, or even less, give or take, to realize...

"I've been... SHRUNK!!!" Tito exclained in shock.

Also, by this time, Angelo was weighing himself on the bathroom scales, but then he noticed something odd - instead of his usual weight [60lbs], it was a bit lower than normal [55lbs]. 'Surely I can't be shrinking as well!' he thought.

But his concern was far from how bad Tito's concerns were.

There sat Tito, on his huge bed, stark naked, and about the size of a doll.

"How could this have happened?" he said. "I really am the World's Smallest Taco Seller!"

Tito covered his eyes in fear and worry.

all at once, the door opened, and Angelo came in, fully dressed in his uniform.

Tito decided to get Angelo's attention. He got off the bed and ran toward his bro, who, to Tito's size, looked now the size of an office building. "Tito!" he called. "Where are you?"

"Bro! Down here!" he yelled. But it made no effect; Tito was far too tiny to be heard. He ran up to Angelo's pant leg and tugged. Angelo's pants slipped. He pulled them up...

And there he saw Tito.

"Tito?!" he shouted, in a loud voice that made Tito wince and cover his ears.

He picked Tito up and put him on the table. "What on earth?"

Tito explained everything.

"I do not exactly know how this happened, but I'll make sure the doctor finds out what happened."

Angelo phoned the doctor to make an appointment for the day after, then put Tito in his pocket, and drove to the Starlight Plaza Mall.

Turbo was surprised to see Angelo going in, he could hardly see Tito at all.

If only he knew...

Once at the Dos Bros Tacos place, Angelo got Tito outta his pocket. Then, he fashioned a makeshift Tarzan shoal from a napkin. Tito stared at it and then put it on. it looked... awkward, but at least he didn't have to go round au natural.

"Do you like it?" Angelo asked his doll-sized little brother.

"Si, I do, gracias, bro." Tito said, shaking his giant big bro's hand.

Well, not quite hand; more like hand and finger.

but still, it's good enough.