On their sixth anniversary, Cathryn went into labor. They were suprised when the technician in the birthing room told them it was twins. They named their first son James Simon. Jimmy was a healthy boy, born at 6 pounds 9 ounces. They named their second son Thomas Michael. Tommy was health too, but bigger than Jimmy. He was born at 8 pounds, 11 ounces. Although Tommy was bigger, it was clear from their features that they were identical twins.

As the boys grew, more differences became clear. Jimmy's eyes focused more quickly. Tommy was the first to sit up, crawl and walk. Jimmy was the first to talk. Sam liked to joke that Jimmy was the brains, and Tommy the brawn.

Even with their different moods, the boys were inseparable. While Tommy would run and play, Jimmy would tag along and watch his more coordinated "little" brother.

One day, at age four, the brothers were playing in a wooded area near their home. "When I grow up, I'm going to be a lumberjack!" Tommy boasted.

"Lumberjacks cut down trees," Jimmy added.

"Ya, and they're strong too, like me," Tommy boasted, making a muscle with his arm. Even though he was four, his bicep made a billiard size bulge on his upper arm. "I won't even use an axe. I'll take the trees down with my hands!"

"Think you can take down a tree now?" Jimmy asked.

"Don't know, maybe. Which one?"

Jimmy looked around. Some of the trees were real big, and some pretty small. Jimmy picked one with a trunk about a foot in diameter. It was a young oak. "This one?"

Tommy walked up to the tree. He pushed it, and the tree swayed a bit. He looked at his hands, and they were a bit dirty. "Better take off my shirt. Mommy will get mad if I get it too dirty." He lifted his t-shirt over his head and handed it to his brother. Eventhough he was a child, his muscles were clearly visible. He had small pecs, and a tight waist with 8 little ridges.

Tommy walked over to the tree. He put both hands on the trunk and began to push. His back spread into a V too large for a child his age. He braced himself with his legs, and his thighs became ridges of defined muscle. As he pressed into the tree, it swayed and then bowed. A deep canyoned formed on Tommy's back as his lats thickened. The separation between his quads became more distinct, and his bulging hamstrings caused the bottoms of his shorts to rip. Tommy's calves burst into diamond hardness as he pushed harder on the now not-so-vertical tree. As Tommy shoved, the trees surface roots began to crack and were forced from the ground. Tommy's face showed raw determination and his child's body began to swell with strength and power. With a sudden crack, the trees roots burst from the ground and the tree toppled over. Arms akimbo, Tommy turned and smiled at Jimmy. His body didn't look like a four year olds, but more like a small teenage bodybuilder. "There."

"Neat! But you didn't really break the tree, did you?" Jimmy corrected.

"Well, it's not in the ground!" protested Tommy. He walked to the tree, and curled it. His biceps bulged into baseball sized mounds, though his face showed no strain at all. "And when I'm a lumberjack, I'll carry them around and make lots of money." Tommy turned fast, forcing Jimmy to move out of the way of the swinging tree.

"Tommy! Jimmy! Time to come home," their Mom called, unaware of what her son had just accomplished. "Lunch time!"

"We can play more later," Jimmy said as he tossed Tommy's shirt to him. It fit his now pumped muscles snuggly. Their Mom would comment that Tommy was growing too fast and she'd have to buy him new clothes. They didn't tell her about the tree.

As the boys grew, it became apparent to them that Tommy was different than other boys. He was stronger. Lots stronger. The twins decided that this would be their secret. When Tommy played, he never showed anyone but Jimmy how strong he really was. Sometimes, he even let other kids win, just to keep the secret.

As Tommy grew, his strength increased dramatically. When he was six, he could lift the family minivan with one hand. By the time he was 10, he was doing the same to Mack trucks. The twin's secret was safe until they entered the sixth grade.

During their first day of middle school, they met their new gym teacher, Mr. McGuiness. He was a new teacher, but there were rumors about him from the start. He was the new football coach, and had been training the team for a month before school started. Some of the players said he had taken a solid steel bar and bent it into a pretzel. Others said he threw a football so far, they couldn't see where it came down or that Mr. McGuiness said he had launched it into orbit. Tommy reacted with a steel-cold gaze when he heard these things.

Jimmy and Tommy were in the same gym class with about 20 other boys. Jimmy's eyes widened at the sight of their teacher. He was about as tall as their father, six foot one, but much bigger. He wore a tank top and shots, and his muscles were clearly visible and huge. His shirt stopped above his belly button, draping down from his mountainous pecs. His abs were two rows of boulders jutting from a thin waist. His sweat pants strained to contain his thighs, the muscle definition clearly visible through the fabric. Jimmy wondered if Tommy might look like this man when he grows up.

Mr. McGuiness was very handsome, with sculpted features and red hair. Some of the kids wondered if he might be a bodybuilder, except that he didn't shave his body hair. Not that it mattered, his muscular definition was clearly visible.

Mr. McGuiness looked up and down the line of students. When he got to Tommy, his eyes stopped. Tommy stared back coldly. Mr. McGuiness explained that they would be expected to change into gym clothes before the next class. He explained what t-shirt to buy, and the need for a jock strap. He asked if anyone was interested in sports, and several of the boys raised their hands. Tommy didn't. That gave Mr. McGuiness an opening. He walked over to Tommy.

"What's your name, son?"

"Tommy Jenkins, sir."

"Ever thought about playing football, Tommy? You look pretty tough."

"Thought about it, but I'm not sure I want to."

"Well, Tommy, you look pretty fit. Do you lift weights?"

"I've lifted some things, yes sir."

"Why don't you come by after school. There's no practice today, but maybe I can tell you about the team."

"I have to go home with my brother, sir," Tommy said, pointing at Jimmy.

Mr. McGuiness looked at Jimmy. "Why don't you come too? You wouldn't mind waiting while I talked to your brother, would you?"

Jimmy pondered this for a minute. "No sir, I don't mind. I think Tommy might like playing football." Jimmy looked at Tommy and winked.

"Then it's set." Mr. McGuiness resumed talking to the class about what to expect in phys-ed this year.

After class, Tommy stopped Jimmy. "What was that about? I can't play football with the normal kids. I could hurt them and then they'd learn about our secret." Tommy stressed the word secret.

"I know, but I've got a hunch. You saw Mr. McGuiness. I think he might be like you, real strong I mean. If he is, he might be of some help to us. If the opportunity comes up, I think we ought to test him."

"Help to us?"

"Ya. Look, you got a gift, but we can't keep lifting rocks and trucks and stuff. If I'm right, the teacher's been where you are. He knows what to do, and what not to do. Maybe he can train you. Maybe he knows other strong guys. We have to play it by ear, but he could be useful."

"For what?"

"For making you the strongest man this world has ever seen."

Tommy grinned at this thought.

Jimmy was the first to arrive at Mr. McGuiness's office. The teacher was busy sitting at his desk, filling out some paperwork. He wore the same tank-top, and his boulder-sized delts and bowling-ball size biceps dominated the desk as he wrote whatever administrative mumbo-jumbo was required of him. Jimmy knocked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. McGuiness. Is Tommy here yet."

"No. Jimmy, right? Come on in and sit down while we wait."

"Thank you, sir." Jimmy took a seat.

"You and your brother are awfully respectful, calling me sir and all."

"Mom and Dad taught us to respect our elders, sir."

"I'm not that much older than you." Mr. McGuiness grinned. "Anyway, you and your brother are twins."

"Yes sir. Identical twins, well, kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Yes sir. Dad says Tommy's the brawn and I'm the brains. Tommy likes to do sports, and I prefer books and stuff."

"So you don't like sports."

"No sir. " Jimmy sensed his chance and took it. "Tommy wants to be a body builder. He's got all these magazines and stuff. Some of the kids say you're a body builder, sir. Are you?"

Mr. McGuiness chuckled. "No. I've never competed. I'm just naturally gifted."

"I don't understand," Jimmy feigned.

"I'm kinda strong. I, well, er, I like to do tricks." Mr McGuiness looked at Jimmy, who played innocent. "Would you like to see?"

"Sure."

The teacher stood. "Let's go into the weight room."

"What about Tommy? Aren't we suppose to meet him here?"

"I'll put a note on the door." He scibbled 'In the weight room' on a piece of paper an taped it to the door, then walked down the hall. Jimmy followed. As Mr. McGuiness walked, he lifted the tank top over his head, revealing a landscape of rippling back muscles. Jimmy walked faster, and noted the gym teacher's hairy pecs bouncing inches over a cobblestone waist. Mr McGuiness bounced his pecs as he walked, noting the young kids eager gaze.

The weight room was a plain tan room with several benches, a number of dumbells and barbells, rackes of weights, a few weight machines and two weight racks. One of the walls was covered with mirrors. Mr McGuiness motioned for Jimmy to sit on a bench as he faced one of the mirrors. He looked at his reflection, grinned, and struck a double bicep pose. Mountains of muscles bulged from his arms, and his lats flexed into wings of pure power. "Ya, I guess I could see why you kinds think I body build." Jimmy nodded.

"OK, I promised you tricks." Mr. McGuiness walked over to a solid-steel barbell. It was a five foot long steel bar without any weights. "Watch this." The man gripped the bar at the ends. His arms burst into rigid, hard muscle and the solid bar began to bend. In five seconds, he had bent the bar over itself into a the shape of a pretzel. A small dabble of sweat covered his body, and Jimmy could smell a musky aroma from the man.

From the doorway came the sound of clapping. It was Tommy. The twelve year old entered the room and said, "Nice trick." He walked into the room and removed his t-shirt, revealing a sculpted chest and boyish 8-pack. He took the bent metal from the teacher, who just stood there. Tommy held it with one hand, feeling its weight. Taking the ends, he pressed into it. His body burst into muscular hardness, and the metal began to deform, undoing the pretzel knot. Next he pulled and stretched it back into the straight bar. "I don't think you should destroy school property, sir."

Mr. McGuiness's mouth hung down as he watched this boy unbend the solid steel bar. "I couldn't do that til I was 17," he muttered. Tommy smirked, and flexed his body as the teacher's eyes looked him up and down.

Mr. McGuiness caught Tommy's smirk, then returned it with a self-assured grin of his own. "Ya, pretty good for a kid, but check out this man muscle." Mr. McGuinness hit a most muscular pose, pulling his arms into a crab and flexing his back. Mr McGuinness held the crab pose, flexing harder. As he did, his muscles grew thicker and more defined. Mr McGuiness stared at Tommy, who remained nonplussed. Mr McGuiness released his pose. His torso was covered with a fine layer of sweat that made reflected light off the bulk of his defined muscles.

"Not bad for an older guy, but I bet you I could take you." Tommy said. Mr McGuiness laughed.

"I don't think so, son."

Tommy walked to a clear area of the floor and laid down. He placed his elbow on the ground, and raised his open palm to the teacher. "Arm wrestle?"

Without a word, Mr McGuiness lowered himself to the floor. His arm was longer, and both adjusted their grips. Jimmy noted that how much thicker the teacher's arm looked compared to his brother. When they were ready, they looked at Jimmy.

"Call it." Tommy ordered.

Jimmy placed his hands on the competitor's fists.

"On three. One. Two. Three." Jimmy released them. Instantly, their forearms burst into rivers of defined muscle. Biceps leapt and shoulder's strained. Tommy's bicep looked like a baseball, while the teacher's was even larger. Mr McGuiness got an early advantage and pushed Tommy's arm down. Tommy strained and stopped it, but just barely. Both started to sweat, their faces red with the strain.

Tommy grunted, and pushed Mr. McGuiness back to the starting point. A new determination showed on the teacher's face. He pushed Tommy's arm, but Tommy was able to stop his short and push his arm back, this time pushing the arm past center. Mr. McGuiness struggled, and stopped the loss. He pushed back, but he wasn't able to get his arm back to neutral. Now, both competitors were sweating profusely.

"Damn, you're one strong man." Tommy said. "But I don't think you're strong enough for this kid's muscle." Tommy pushed Mr. McGuiness's arm down more. Tommy was now half way toward winning, but Mr. McGuiness wasn't through. He screamed a rebel yell, and stopped Tommy. Mr McGuiness had a huge pump, his upper arm quivering trying to contain Tommy's power. Tommy too was pumped huge, and his arms were now nearly as large as the teacher's.

Tommy grinned, "That all you got?" Mr McGuiness let out another primal yell, summoning all his strength to stop the preteen's arm, but with no effect. Both were breathing hard, but the teacher seemed to be breathing deeper. Tommy's power was wearing the man down. Slowly, Tommy forced the muscleman's arm to the mat. Mr. McGuiness struggled to free his arm, but Tommy held it firm.

"Guess my boymuscle was too much for you," Tommy sneared as he struggled to contain. "Sorry."

Mr. McGuiness finally stopped struggling. "OK. You win. Damn. Your strength is unbelievable."

"I've seen Tommy lift cars. He is strong," agreed Jimmy. "That's why he probably can't play football. It wouldn't be fair. I mean, he's even stronger than the coach!"

Tommy grinned, and flexed his arm. It was now clearly pumped as big as Mr. McGuiness's, if not bigger. This time, the red-headed muscle man looked at the boy in awe. Finally, he spoke.

"Look, kids. How many people know about this? I mean, you both know that Tommy's special, right."

"You're the first one we've ever told. Tommy hides it pretty well, and when he doesn't, nobody seems to notice."

"You mean your parents don't know?" Mr. McGuiness said in surprise.

Both boys shook their head, 'no.'

"Why tell me, then?"

"Jimmy guessed that you might be pretty strong too. I mean, the kids talk about your tricks, sir," said Tommy.

"And I thought maybe you'd be willing to help Tommy," added Jimmy.

"Help him? How? He's already shown he's stronger than me."

"I'm sorry sir, but don't you get it. Tommy wants to be stronger. You must have been in his position, a really strong kid who got stronger. Way stronger from the looks of it. You know what to do and how to do it." Jimmy looked at Tommy. "Would you train Tommy so he can get even bigger and stronger, please, sir."

Mr McGuiness thought. "Ya, I know what it's like, and yes I do still train. To be honest, I've only met a couple of guys who can take me. I am one of the strongest, but, fuck Tommy, you're in a league by yourself. I guess it's my duty to try and mentor you. But, damn it, with you on the team, we'd be sure to win the state football championship!" He laughed. "Ok, then, here's what we'll do. You start coming to football practice. You said you can hide your strength. Do that. I won't put you on the team. But after practice each day, I'll train you. Hell, maybe you can give ME some tips to get stronger. OK."

"OK!" agreed both boys.

"Fine. I need a shower after all this, and it looks like you do too. Let's hit the locker room then you boys go home. We'll start tomorrow."

Throughout middle school and later high school, Mr McGuiness trained Tommy. Tommy grew stronger than either of them could have imagined. •