It took Jack a while to wake up. He struggled just to drag his mind from the sticky, clingy cobwebs of unconsciousness as his head pounded like a gong. His eyes slowly opened, and he found himself squinting in a harsh yellow beam of light.

"Aha! He iz awake!" Jack frowned as a silhouette shadowed him. "Hallo!" The accented voice said cheerfully. "You ahr not dead! Zat is gud, veeeerry gud. I mean, not zat it vould make a difference, but I like to talk to my patients before zey die." Jack could have sworn he recognized that voice.

"Do I... know you?" He asked weakly.

"Ah, you ahr Signe's boyfriend, no? Vell, I thought so." The figure stepped closer and crouched in front of Jack. Staring out from a surgeon mask and black-framed glasses were shockingly bright blue eyes that practically glowed with a wild, eccentric eagerness. "I am a doctor," the German continued gleefully. "My colleagues simply call me 'Ze gud Doctor'."

"Y-you kidnapped her," Jack mumbled groggily. The doctor smiled coldly and gripped a clump of Jack's hair, shaking his head.

"Vell, kidnap iz a very strong word. I, ah, borrowed her! Do not vorry, I did not harm her. At least, not yet." Jack was still out of it, but anger boiled under his skin.

"Y-yer-yer crazy...!" He grunted. "Y-ye son of a bitch..." The doctor tsked and waved his finger.

"Zos ahr very bad things to say, you naughty boy." He suddenly laughed like he'd been told the best joke ever. It sent shivers down Jack's spine and helped him wake up. The doctor stood and walked across the room to drag over an old fashioned tv. Jack looked around; he was tied to a chair. He was stuck in an old, grimy room with one large window that was secured by thick steel bars, and the only furniture in the room was the old rickety chair, the bright spotlight, the tv that the madman had, and the rug under Jack's feet.

"Zere ve go." The doctor turned on the tv. Static crackled on the screen, until the image cleared away to a series of old camera screens. The doctor clicked on a remote and blew up one of the screens. Jack's breath hitched.

"You traveled vit zees three, yes?" He panned between three different screens: The first one showed Ethan isolated in a cell large enough to contain him, with a shackle around his ankle. He was huddled up in the corner, his face pressed in his knees and looking miserable. The second showed Mark, and he was glaring straight at the camera. Chains shackled him around the neck and ankle. But Tyler's was the worst. He was covered in shackles, completely immobile and laying in the center of his cell. As soon as a human-sized door to the cell opened, Tyler lashed his limbs and snarled like a cornered animal, straining against his chains. The lab assistant, Jack deduced, was shaking a little as he walked in cautiously and held out a large plastic bag of something. Tyler suddenly stopped and immediately turned his head, and his eyes turned silver as he rumbled with an intense stare.

The assistant tossed the bag and scuttled to a safe distance as Tyler swung his head and caught the large bag midair. He bit down, and a dark colored liquid dribbled down his chin. Jack gagged and tried to look away, but he found he couldn't as Tyler disturbingly devoured the bag whole; It was bloody.

"You cannot save dem," the doctor said, "My subjects have all lost zer hormonal balances vit ze gift of power and strength. It iz only a matter of time before ze other two of your 'friends' succumb to zer instincts." Jack kept the bile down and looked up at the doctor.

"Yer insane!" He shouted. "What the hell is the matter with you!? Why are you doing this to people! Millions of lives have been lost!" The doctor waved an imaginary fly away.

"Nothing but numbers. My work iz too important to be slowed down by simple tingz like death. Death iz only a part of ze circle of life." He waved his hand, and two men entered the room. "Subject Two and Three have not eaten for a while. I think it iz only a matter of time before you vill make a nice snack for one of dem."

"What!?" Jack struggled as they untied him and dragged him out of the chair. "No! No!! What are you doing? Get off me!" All one of the guards had to do was punch his bad leg, and he was made helpless. They dragged him out of the room and through a rotting hallway. As they went past some padded cells, Jack spotted Signe through the bars, along with the other two in separate rooms.

"Signe!" He yelled, only to get clubbed on the nose and yelled at in German.

"Seán!" But he was carried away. They dragged him into a larger and more open hallway, one probably more suited for giants to fit through, and brought him to a sort of caged elevator. They dumped him on it and swung the gate shut, promptly locking it. One started turning the lever, and his prison was raised up. Jack swung uneasily in the cell, and he resorted to gripping the bars so hard that his knuckles turned white as he was levitated high above the floor. Then the chains stopped with an ominous clang, and he was left hanging in the dark.

At first, all Jack could hear was his own shallow panting echoing. But then he heard something wild yowl in the distance and flinched against the bars. His heart was thrashing madly in his breast, and he still felt sick from seeing what the doctor was putting his friends through. And it sounded like there was other creatures here, being tortured and exhausted for the doctor's studies.

Jack's lip curled in disgust. What kind of doctor uses people for scientific torture? A sick maniac, that's what! He slammed his fist against the metal mesh, only to curse and cradle his hand. "Ow! Fuck!" He swore and slumped, anger gradually fading to a miserable whimper. This is my fault. If I hadn't gotten myself mauled by sharks, or-or if I hadn't... His thoughts trailed off. He sighed. There was nothing he could have done. What happened, happened, and he couldn't change anything about it.

What I should focus on is getting the hell outta here. Jack dragged his body across the compact cage and peered at the lock. To his surprise, something was sticking out of it. What the hell? They left the key in! The only problem was getting it. He studied the bars. They were small squares around the padlock, but around the rest of the cage they were just long streaks. Jack put his arm through the nearest place he could fit and tried to reach for the key. Just out of reach. His longest finger could almost touch that simple little handle, but it glinted mockingly in the dark. Jack groaned and tried again, but this time he put his whole weight in it, cramming his shoulder between the bars.

By the power of the four leaf clover! I got it! Jack gasped raggedly and turned it. The lock clicked, and the padlock fell off as the gate swung open. Ok, I got it! Jack took his arm out and blanched at the long drop. Oh shit. The padlock clanged far below. Jack swallowed and looked around. He studied the pulley system that held his prison up and nodded to himself. If I can get onto the cage and maybe climb down that chain, then I can safely get down. But I don't know if I can with my leg... No, I have to try. I gotta get everybody out of here! Jack tried to not look down as he grabbed the edge of the top, pulled himself out and hauled hisself. He dragged his battered body onto the unsteady surface, tensing as the metal floor swung unauspiciously.

"Christ!" Jack hissed, clinging to the sides. The chains rattled softly, and Jack waited until the cell stopped swinging around. Then he sat up, held on to the chain and started swaying his weight from side to side. He held his spare hand out, leaning forward, and when the time was right he ducked and grabbed the chain that draped from the floor. "Yes!" He held on, took a deep breath, and slid off the cell's roof. As the cage swung freely behind him, Jack half slid half climbed his way down the long chain. He kept his eyes fixed on the chain, refusing to recognize how far up he was until his bad leg accidentally hit the floor. He cursed and stumbled off, almost falling onto his butt.

"Phew," he sighed. Thank Jesus that's over. He looked around and tried to remember which direction the guards had dragged him from. I need to find the girls. And Mark, Ethan and Tyler. Jack shuddered. The vicious image of Tyler losing control was still fresh in his mind. There had to be a way to reverse the effects. Under that stone face, he was more than just primitive feelings! The girls will find a way to help him. I got to get everyone out of here.

Jack went with his gut and headed off in what he hoped was the right direction. He was limping badly, which slowed him down significantly. The wound was open again and trickling blood, no doubt thanks to the doctor's rough-handling men. Jack reminded himself to punch a wall ten times more than usual. He didn't get very far into the labyrinth of hell before hearing a patrol coming from the hallway around the corner. Shit! Jack looked around wildly for an escape, and once again luck was with him.

The guards walked on by, not noticing the tiny drops of blood at their feet that led to a vent since it was so dark. Jack waited, tense, as they passed his hiding place. Just in time, he had managed to pull the cover off, climb in, and put it back in its place before they came around the corner. Jack wasn't feeling incredibly lucky, but he felt hopeful now that things were starting to go his way.

He remembered how to breathe after their footsteps faded, and he exhaled with a soft, "Phew." Good thing The Escapists taught me a thing or two. He looked over his shoulder. The ventilation system was bigger than usual, just big enough for a person to crouch-walk through. And behind him, an eager, dark tunnel yawned widely. Jack swallowed nervously and kept moving.

Ok, this is turning into some Vanish bullshit. Jack had gone on for what felt like ages! He had little patience for making no progress, and so it was starting to badger him. He stopped beside a vent and peeked outside. Nothing. It was a bland, boring hallway, just like all the others. Jack puffed his cheeks out and sighed loudly. Maybe I'm going in circles now. Maybe-

He felt a vibration in the floor and froze. There it was again. The vent's insides rattled slightly. The tremors were getting louder, rhythmic. Jack had been around giants long enough to know that those were footsteps. Which meant that one was headed in his direction.

He shrank back and hid in the shadows as the approacher thudded closer. Then a familiar shoe slammed beside the vent. Jack covered his mouth. His blood was hot and running wildly. Shit, shit! Why did they let him out of his cell!? Then the pieces clicked together. It wasn't luck that the key was left in the lock, it was deliberate! That doctor wanted me to escape! Rage and disgust boiled in Jack's veins, but fear kept him silent. He must have let all three of them out, so now they're running around in a scavenger hunt for the prize: Me. Once upon a time, Jack would have believed that these three goofballs that were his friends would have done nothing to put him in harm's way. But now, they were wild, being driven mad by a scientist who was all talk and no breeches, and functioning only on the desire for blood... or, a certain, handsome, Irishman.

The giant before him, Tyler, stopped beside the vent and sniffed suspiciously. Jack pushed himself back a little further. A giant's hand was too big to fit through the vent, but any extra space was appreciable comfort. The maddened giant growled and swung his head around, as his eyes glowed silver with a cold glint of hunger. He rumbled and slowly continued walking, lumbering away with slow thuds. Jack listened to him leave, and as the footsteps faded, he could help but wonder: Were the others driven mad by starvation?

The question didn't comfort him, so Jack delve back into the maze of metal. It was an unending world of twists and turns and ramps, so exhausting that Jack was starting to go stir crazy. He needed to just pick an exit and make his way to Signe and the others. Maybe he could even find a control room to unlock their cells, but he wasn't sure if Tyler or the others would then be able to make it to them before he could. It was frustrating and sending Jack's thoughts in circles, and he hated when that happened- both mentally and physically.

Finally, Jack settled for a vent and carefully pried it open. He took a wary glance down both dark halls and listened. No giants around. He wondered if there were more than just his three starving buddies as he climbed out and picked a hallway. As he kept limping along, Jack tried to picture himself in a horror movie, or some kind of fan game. Who knows, this could even be fanfiction! Jack amused himself a little at that ridiculous idea and cracked a slight smile.

But then he felt a slight tremor, and his smile dropped. He stopped and listened. It was footsteps, but they didn't sound as heavy as Tyler's. It must be Ethan! Hope fluttered in Jack's chest. Maybe Ethan was withstanding the effects of hunger. Surely nothing could bring down that innocent little- well, "little"- blue boy? Jack turned and looked down the hallway as the giant emerged from the shadows.

"Ethan?" Jack called out hopefully. "What's up my cranky crew...?" His spirits quickly plummeted. Ethan was shuffling his feet with a zombie gait, and when he smelled Jack his head moved in his direction, giving Jack a chilling look at his blank, white, glowing eyes. They weren't vicious like Tyler's, but... in fact, there wasn't any emotion in them at all. They were just... blank.

Jack took a step back and looked around for an escape route. There was the vent he'd came out of, but it was between him and Ethan. And he had a sneaking suspicion that Ethan wasn't in the mood for bargaining. But could he risk it? Ethan wasn't charging at him yet. If he moved first, he might have the time to squeeze in and pray for the best.

Jack took a deep breath and hobbled closer. Ethan stirred with a low rumble, his blank eyes still fixated on the injured human. Jack went as close as he dared, and then he sucked up the pain and burst into a run. Ethan vocalized a sort of bark and took off as well, charging at him. Jack yelped and dived, throwing his body into the vent shaft. Ethan clawed at the opening as Jack dragged himself deeper in, but he felt skin graze his back leg and almost smother his lower half body. He shrieked in surprise and pulled away. Ethan was trying to reach into the vent!

Jack crawled away and didn't look back. The sounds of Ethan struggling to follow him gradually faded, and he kept going until he found himself going up to a different vent cover. He pushed it open and tumbled out, spilling onto the ground with a roll before splaying.

"Ohh," he groaned and rolled over on his back, breathing heavily. His lungs were on fire, and he couldn't feel his leg; only acidic agony. He sat up and pushed himself up against the wall to take a look at his injury. He stifled a cry of pain: His bandaging was falling apart, and it was dripping with blood. He bit down on his dry lips to stop himself from screaming in pain and looked away, choking on a sob. I can't do anything. I can't even help myself!

Jack was trying to keep fighting, but his spirit was failing now. He was alone in the dark, with only his spirit's flickering light to illuminate his way. He was stuck at the end of a hallway with a battered, neglected body, a mangled leg, and the faltering will to keep going. Jack closed his eyes and sniffed. I'm definitely going to die. I can't go on any further. Old memories began pouring through his thoughts, reminding him of all the good old days; before the apocalypse, when everything was good and happy, and even before they all got captured by that mad doctor.

He felt a tear slide down his cheek and tickle his whiskers. He was crying now, as he smiled sadly. Ironic? I'm going to die at the unwilling hands of my giant, starved friends. Hell of a way to go, of all possibilities. Course, I might die before they even find me.

Of course, that meant he had just jinxed himself. He heard a deep rumble reverberate through the air, sending shivers down his spine. He opened his eyes and looked down the dark hallway. At first, he couldn't see anything, but then he found himself mere meters away from a pair of red, glowing eyes: The maddened eyes of his third feral friend.