21.08. You beat yesterday's time.
Not good enough. Gotta make track.
Got you a little something for the new school year,
Mr. Eighth Grader.
Looks big.
Well, I thought it would fit.
You grew a little this summer.
No, I didn't.
- I can return it. - No.
It's cool, Mom. Thanks.
Your bike is locked.
Jacob! Hey, bud. First day back. What do you think?
It's just the same people in a grade higher.
What's the big deal?
- Oh, come on. It's gonna be awesome. - You know you're delusional.
I prefer the word "optimistic."
Here. Catch.
Hey! Welcome back, students.
- Hey, there's Sarah. - Where?
Welcome back, students.
How's it going?
Jacob, hi! Hey, Jimmy.
- Hey. - How was sports camp?
Great. Except I blew out my knee the last week.
- It looks painful. - It was.
Very. But it's okay now.
- Hoops after school? - What about the knee?
Doctor said it's fine. Plus, I could beat you with only one knee.
Sarah, come on.
See ya.
Wait, basketball? I thought you said you're trying out for track this year.
I am.
I've been practicing every day, shaving seconds off my time.
Tryouts are this week. I'm so ready.
Now, that's the right attitude.
I gotta find the coach to sign up. Maybe I'll even make team captain.
And we're both delusional.
On your marks! Get set! Go!
Go!
Great effort, Jacob.
You got the most passion out of anybody out here,
but sadly, not the height.
Those kids will outdistance you every time.
You gotta take three steps for every one of theirs.
It's just physics.
Maybe you should try a sport you're more suited to.
Like?
- Bowling. - So, I didn't make the team?
I mean, a little guy like you, your low center of gravity.
You could crush it. Think about it.
Bowling? Is that even a sport?
Why not debate team? I bet they really work up a sweat.
Look, Jacob. I think you are 100% overreacting, okay?
I think I'm 100% perfectly reacting. It sucks being short.
Maybe you'll have a growth spurt, okay? I don't know.
Have you seen my family?
My granddad was the giant, and he was, like, 5'5".
You could try yoga.
You know, that's supposed to stretch your spine.
You're right.
I gotta find something that'll make me taller.
Wait, no. I don't think that's what I said.
There's inversion therapy where they hang you upside down.
I mean, fine for a bat.
Wait. This one's better.
"Increase your strength and stature with a new growth-accelerant technology.
Fast results. No exercise required."
- Yeah. That doesn't sound sketchy at all. - And it's free.
Hey!
Look, I'm bummed you didn't make the team,
but I'm not gonna let you fall for some scam.
- You're right. - You're short.
I have big feet. Deal with it.
Your feet are super big.
Why'd I tell you that?
Okay, I better go.
If I'm late, my mom always assumes I got detention.
Catch you later.
"Would you like to learn more about this opportunity?"
Yes!
Hi. I signed up for something and was told to come here.
Hello? Is anybody there?
I'm supposed to tell you I'm test subject 13.
Decontamination initiated.
Complete. Please step forward.
Subject 13, have a seat.
I do hope parental consent has been given.
Your application appears in order.
You've enrolled in a medical clinical trial.
- Yeah, it's like an experiment. - It's a controlled test.
The protocol is to inject microscopic medical robots into your system.
Once coded to your DNA,
they can stimulate pituitary function and physical development.
Robots. Inside my body.
The precise term is "medibots."
For your DNA sample, do you wish to provide blood or hair?
Hair. Definitely hair.
Wait. You're gonna stick that in my arm?
It's going in your ear.
This will make me taller for sure?
If you're hesitant to participate, I have a waiting list.
No. I wanna be test subject 13.
What happened?
Loss of consciousness is common.
What time is it?
If I'm late for dinner, my mom will freak.
This control unit synchronizes the medibots circulating in your body.
Press here to increase or decrease efficacy.
You mean I can turn 'em up if I want?
Making any adjustment for at least a week is ill-advised.
And be aware, with your growth stimulated,
you might be hungrier than normal.
You may go… once you drink this.
It's fuel for the medibots.
Iron, chromium, tritium, phosphorescent isotopes.
The usual.
Man, I'm hungry.
Morning. Pancakes?
Yes! Lots of 'em.
Okay, coming right up. Did those pj's shrink?
It worked!
I mean, yeah. They shrunk, I guess.
Yes!
Hey, Jacob.
Thank you, Jacob.
- No problem, Emily. - That's Jacob.
- Hey, what's up with Jacob? - Yo, Jimmy.
What did you do?
- What do you mean? - You seem different.
- Well, I-- - You're confident.
Excuse me? I'm always confident.
- Dude, I've known you since preschool. - Fine.
Perhaps I've been a little neurotic in the past.
But I've matured.
I don't think so.
Gotta get to class. See ya.
I know! Your face cleared up.
I don't have acne. Do I? Where?
Thanks again, Jacob.
No problem.
- Ready to lose? - Sure.
But who's gonna beat me?
Nice.
You never made that shot before.
What can I say? I'm a new man.
Your knee!
Are you okay?
Fake.
If that's how you have to make a point, I wouldn't be so proud of it.
You got a lot faster over the summer.
Been training for track.
- You make the team? - Not yet, but I'm pretty sure I will.
Catch you later. Rematch. Saturday. My house.
I'm in.
Come on! Let's go!
You're almost there!
- Hey, Coach! - Jacob.
Could you give me another chance?
Didn't take to bowling, huh?
I know I can do this. I've been practicing all summer.
Please.
All right.
I'll give you another shot next week, okay?
Next week.
Then I better turn this up a bit.
Yes! I beat my record time.
Thank you.
You ordered pizza? We're having dinner in an hour.
Don't worry. I'll eat that too.
Hey. You seem taller.
I stopped slouching. Like you told me.
You actually listened to me?
Next time, ask before ordering pizza.
Let me know when dinner's ready.
That's crazy.
I can't believe you didn't tell me till now.
They were tiny when the doctor put them in my ear,
and they must have grown after I drank that green, glowy stuff.
Do you know how many things are wrong with that sentence?
So, what's the plan?
I'm not bailing.
Really? Okay, an hour ago, you called me,
panicking because you were pulling nanobots out of your ear.
- I know, but-- - You're infected with robots, man.
They're working, though. See?
I turned up the controls so I'd grow faster.
- Let me see that. - Maybe it was just a side effect?
And I'm fine now. Don't worry about it.
Or maybe they won't stop growing.
Well…
Dude, you let some mysterious company shoot millions of robots into you.
When you put it that way…
Hey, man, I don't want anything to happen to you.
You're my best friend.
Okay. I'll go back to that doctor after school tomorrow.
- Good reflexes. - Can't play today, Sarah.
We had plans.
Sorry. I gotta go somewhere.
Jacob! Are you hurt?
Stay back.
…shutting down…
Sarah! You followed me?
You were acting weird, and you took off so fast.
It's because I didn't want you to see this.
I signed up for some medical test they did.
I don't even know who "they" are, but they're gone now.
Dr. Cruz, what's going on?
Thirteen, you shouldn't be here.
And why are you back, Seven?
Seven? I don't understand. You're not even short.
They said they could fix my knee.
The clinical trial is over.
Wait.
I want these medibots out of me. Now.
There is no protocol to remove them.
That was explained in the document you signed.
The medibots are now a part of you forever.
I just wanted to make the track team. And now I don't care.
I'm short. Fine. I can deal with that.
I should've been happy with who I was.
I just wanna be me.
You still are. But "you" have changed.
Dr. Cruz said this experiment was a failure.
She said it was over.
Maybe it went great, so they don't need more testing.
So, what do we do?
Accept that this is who we are now. For better or worse.