Jack knew from the very start that he was fucked, but he didn't realize just how hard until he finally got caught. Although, caught was an extreme term: Trapped was a more effective one, because that was exactly what Jack had fallen for. A trap. 

In the beginning, he was a simple young fella trying to combat the harsh reality of adolescence. He did all the things any human would usually do, but then a catastrophic event took place world wide. Giants emerged from what seemed like nowhere and took over the lands of the earth. Animals became wild and more aggressive. Humans were knocked off the top of the food chain. Families were separated and lost, whether to the maws of predators or the new wilds of the planet they had once smugly called home. Jobs and cities were evacuated, and the peoples fled for their very lives into the wilderness, abandoning their beloved homes that were all eradicated to make room for the new species that was large and in charge.

Life from then on was hard. Some took shelter together, seeking peaceful refugee camps in deep forests or even underground. Others endorsed in a life of bandits and raiding, thieving for their own survival. But some had taken it upon themselves to survive in the most risky way possible: Living off of the giants like borrowers. It was an extremely risky practice, and only a few dared to put their life on the line, but often enough they knew they couldn't handle the harsh wild of the world beyond the society blocks of giants. As such, they stayed and hid, whether in the streets like strays or within the very walls of the gargantuan houses themselves.

Jack knew he wouldn't last a day in the wild, so he stayed in a giants' block that was the new Los Angeles. It was one of the largest establishments yet, and even after seven years it still grew. That was how long Jack was alone, by himself, without anyone to talk to or even a shoulder to cry on. Fear made him grow up quickly and toughen up. Time still ticked by, and eight years was so achingly long. But one day changed everything, and that fateful evening Jack was focused on something else.

"Get back here you rat!!!" The Irishman ducked as the giant chasing him threw something metal. "I'll fucking teach you to steal from me!!!!" He bellowed. Jack slid under the counters and huddled there, gasping for breath. His head was pounding. His crystal blue eyes were wide and sharp with apprehension, and he backed away as the chef's approaching shoes. He looked around desperately for an escape route, but when he moved he convulsed under a wave of pain and grunted. He looked at his arm. The fresh cut was deep, and he was bleeding. Shit. He pulled out a strip of cloth with his good hand and wrapped it, keeping steady. He didn't have time to do much else. Time was precious, and he could only delay the bleeding long enough to get the hell out of this fancy kitchen.

He waited until the chef turned away to look for him, and then he pushed off the floor and hurtled toward the double doors. The chef rumbled angrily above him as he stomped around, not noticing the tiny human until he was squeezing through the doors. "Shit! No!" He hissed. If anyone saw a human running rampant in his restaurant, then they would shut him down until the pest problem was taken care of! He angrily stormed to the doors and peered through the circular windows, trying to get a peek at the human's whereabouts. But all he could see were the many other giants seated in the vast dining areas of his restaurant. "I'm so screwed," he muttered.

As soon as he had wriggled under the serving doors, Jack veered a sharp right and ran along the wall, praying that none of the big people would noticed his tiny shadow darting across the floor. They were all indulged in their conversations and the delicious smelling food, and the smell made Jack's stomach growl pitifully to remind the young Irishman that he still hadn't found anything to eat. He winced and wrapped his hurt arm around his middle, and he tried to look for a way out of this chaotic place.

Where's the exit!? Jack glanced both ways before he pushed away from the wall, trying to tear across to the other side of the room so he could get his bearings. But no sooner had he started to step away did a waiter come walking by with a huge serving cart thundering by, and Jack flinched back. He stumbled before recovering his balance, and he turned to the closest table and hid under it. His breathing was fast and shallow, with his chest and vocal chords tight with fear. Jack took a few rapid gulps of air and slumped against the table leg, trying to not pass out.

"Ah! Here you are." Jack felt his blood pressure skyrocket as two giants took their seats at the once-empty table he cowered under. "What would you like to drink for today?" The waiter asked.

"Oh, I think just water, for the both of us." Jack felt the hairs of his neck stand, and he shivered. How the hell can someone's voice sound so deep? He wondered.

"Yeah, just water please," a soft feminine voice agreed.

"Okay, just let me know when you two are ready to eat." The waiter walked off, leaving Jack only two pairs of legs to stare at. He was starting to feel cold and faint, and a nauseating glance at his arm told him he didn't have much time left. But he couldn't just risk running out from under, could he? No. They'll see me. The thought of being seen again made Jack's skin tingle with dread. See me... I can't let them see me. So he sat down and waited, anxiously, and prayed to whatever god that might exist that he would get through this.

Mark smiled as his fiancé laughed at his bad joke. "Mark!" Amy giggled, "You're so bad!" He winked, chuckling.

"What? You don't like my puns?" She reached over the table and squeezed his hand, still hiccupping with laughter.

"I do," she admitted, beaming happily at him. "Of course I do." Mark smiled and caressed her hand, once again marveling at what a lucky guy he was.

"You look lovely tonight," he murmured with shining brown eyes. The corners of her lips curled in a bashful smile.

"You already said that."

"That's just how much I mean it then." He lifted her petite hand and kissed it, making Amy blush shyly.

"I'm not that pretty," she mumbled humbly.

"Of course you are! You're even prettier than I am." She giggled again as their waiter returned with a serving cart.

"Your orders, sir," he said in a chipper tone, "Sir loin steak with the second side, and spaghetti and meatballs for the lovely lady."

"Thank you." Jack flinched as the cart rolled away, and the footsteps following it merged with that of the incessant chattering. He let out a quiet groan and rubbed his eyes. Lethargy was starting to seep in. He took a look at his wound and realized with alarm that the cloth was already soaked with blood. Shit! Jack tried putting on another cloth, but it bled through so quickly. He swooned at the metallic scent of his own blood, and his vision started swimming with nausea. "Urgh ..." He mumbled. I think I'm gonna be sick. The couple above him was eating and laughing merrily, not having a problem in the world or an awareness of just how much pain Jack was in.

Amy cut into her spaghetti cheerfully, while Mark tried to cut into his steak. "Hrgh... come on..." He scowled as he tried to slice through the juicy steak. "Damn it... almost-" The knife suddenly slid through, and the sliced off piece tumbled off the plate. "Shit!" Mark fumbled to catch the piece, but he missed, and it fell onto the floor.

"Oh, it's just one piece Mark." Amy smiled sympathetically. "You can have one of my meatballs." Mark sighed as his irritation quickly evaporated.

"Thanks." He set his utensils down. "I should get that though." He leaned over and reached to clean up the mess he had made when he noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. He stopped to look, but when he turned his head he found himself face to face with the human hiding under the table.

Jack had seen the piece fallen and decided to try and take it for himself. After all, giants had plenty, and he hadn't eaten anything for a while. He managed to get up, swayed the first two steps, and then staggered toward the delicious-looking piece of meat. But when he was just a few meters away, Mark leaned over and had been about to pick up the dropped food out of courtesy. That was when Jack froze, Mark had turned, and they were meeting each other's gaze.

Jack's eyes widened. He felt his very breath leave him as he froze. Mark's eyes widened as well, and his lips parted with awe. "Holy-" Jack turned and broke into a run. "Hey! Ow!" Mark tried to sit up too quickly, and he promptly smacked his head into the table. "Wait!" He sat up quickly and practically jumped out of his seat.

"Mark?" Amy blinked at him, puzzled. "Everything all right?" She asked. Mark didn't answer at first. He scoured the surrounding floor for sign of the human, but when he found none he sank back in his seat. He gestured Amy closer, and then he whispered in her ear.

"I-I think I just saw a human." His voice was shaky. Amy's eyes grew big.

"What? Where!?"

"I-I don't know where it went." Amy put her napkin down and leaned out of her seat to look around.

"There!" She pointed. Jack was running as fast as he could across the floor, but he was obviously struggling. Mark pushed his plate away from the edge and leapt out of his seat.

"I'll get it." Jack was gasping for breath by the time he made it to the other wall, but when he looked over his shoulder, he saw the giant picking his way across the room, following him. Panic sparked newfound adrenaline, and Jack took off again, running for his life.

" 'scuse me. Sorry. Pardon me." Mark muttered brief apologies as he weaved between tables, and he spotted the human run into the bathroom hallway. He squeezed past the last table and hurried into the secluded corridor to keep up. Jack stumbled to a halt and looked at the doors before him. Shit! There's not enough space under them! His only option now was a window at the end of the hall. He kept running and reached for his belt, and he unhooked a long piece of string with a hook at the end of it. He swung it and watched as it sailed through the air, and it snagged on the edge of the window sill. He started climbing, but he barely made it up two handholds before yelling in pain and dropping back onto the floor again. His arm hurt too much to climb. He staggered, dizzy with pain, and he turned around just as a shadow cast over him. Before he could realize that he was cornered, huge fingers moved toward him and ensnared him in a tight grip. Jack groaned and wriggled vainly as the giant hand securely held him, and he was lifted up into the air with a rush of vertigo.

Mark felt his mouth go dry as he slowly picked up the creature and brought it closer for a better look. He was such a tiny thing, quivering and breathing hard from the chase. Mark realized with a jolt that the human was really skinny, and that every feeble movement against him could be barely felt. He found himself letting his second hand hover under his fist as he loosened his grip, giving Jack a chance to breathe. He then realized that he shouldn't hold the poor little guy out in the open like this, so he grabbed the tackle that Jack had tried to use and shouldered through the men's bathroom door.

Jack didn't know where the giant was taking him. His vision was too blurred to comprehend. He had no strength to struggle. He didn't even move as the calloused fingers holding him slowly uncurled, or even as he was picked up by the waist and carefully set down on the counter. It felt cold under him, and Jack wondered dimly if this was where he died.

As soon as he put the human down, Mark backed up a step and took a deep breath, wondering what to do. Regulations said that giants must beware humans and turn them in as soon as possible. He had always thought humans were unfairly evilized and had a right to be angry, seeing as they had been evicted from their homes and hunted down like pests... but face to face with the situation? Mark didn't know what to think! And this human wasn't even trying to run away now; he wasn't even getting up. He just lay there, wheezing...

Mark felt a prickle of guilt for scaring the poor thing. He reached out trying to think of a way to comfort Jack when he noticed red on his hand. He turned it and gasped. Blood caked his fingers. He put his hand to his nose and took a sniff, and he immediately had to force down a wave of nausea. It was the human's alright. He looked and saw now that there was a bad cut on the small Irishman's arm, and he looked more tired than ever.

"Shit!" Mark whispered. He grabbed a paper towel and ripped a strip off its side. He turned to Jack and took a breath before slowly lifting his arm up. He felt a tremor of fear course through the poor little fella, and that tremor made Mark's heart quiver. There's no way I can turn him in. A determined expression settled over the giant's countenance as he set to work. He carefully peeled off Jack's bandages and saw that blood was still gushing from the wound. He ripped off another piece of paper towel and gently wiped the blood off. He then proceeded to wrap his makeshift bandage around the cut, winding and winding around before tying the ends off.

"There you go little guy." Mark set his arm down and sighed, feeling a bit faint. He was washing the blood off of his hands when his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. That must be Amy. He dried his hands and answered the call.

"Mark? Are you okay?" It was her. She sounded worried, but was talking quietly to not disrupt anyone else.

"Yeah." Mark swallowed. "I-I'm okay."

"Oh you sound out of breath. Did you catch it? Where are you?"

"I-I got it. I'm in the men's restroom, but listen, I..." Mark glanced at Jack. The little guy had barely moved. His head came up a little as he let out a disorientated groan, but that was all the strength he had. "Can you meet me in here? I'd rather talk about this in person." Within a minute, Amy slipped into the restroom and gasped.

"Mark! There's blood on your suit." Then her gaze landed on Jack, and her eyes softened. "Oh... it's injured?" She asked worriedly. Mark nodded.

"I-I did what I could, but- well, you're the doctor. I don't know if I made it in time." Jack's labored panting went faster when Amy's shadow passed over him.

"Shh," she murmured as she examined his arm, "It's okay little guy, I'm just looking..." Amy then looked up at Mark. "What happened?" She asked. Mark shrugged.

"I-I don't know. But the cut's pretty deep. I think he already tried to cover it, twice, but it was still bleeding when I caught him."

"Oh..." She looked at Jack again, and then she stood up straight. "We're taking him home, right?" Mark felt a numbing burst of relief course through him.

"Absolutely."