"Are you sure this is the right place?" Jack jumped off his hoverboard and looked up at the building. It was massive, even for a giant.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Mat looked at his laptop. "Ninety percent sure," he added with a nervous laugh. Jack frowned.

"How are we gonna get in? This place is huge!"

"Well," Mat turned the screen to Jack. "According to these blueprints I borrowed- don't ask, there are windows here, here, and here." Jack pointed at a spot.

"What about the vents?" He asked.

"They're too small for us to fit in." Mat closed the laptop. "And this isn't your average spy movie, Jack," Mat said with a nervous smile. Jack nodded.

"We'll be ok." He sighed. "So let's just get in the lowest window, how about that?" As he said it, Mat winced. "What?" He asked. "What's wrong with that window?"

"It is a good way in," Mat agreed. "But you're forgetting something. We went through the forest, through town, and past the lake at the Aurora's crash site. We're at the base of a mountain pass."

"... oh fuck." Jack pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Is it facing the cliffside?"

"It's part of the cliffside." Jack groaned.

"Can we go up any other window, or are they placed in douchey spots too?"

"Afraid not." Mat closed the laptop. "We're going to have to climb our way in, if we want to avoid security."

Jack groaned.

Signe looked up when the giant opened the door and walked in. "Good news, little one." He unlocked the cage door and opened it. "I made arrangements for you to clean yourself up." He smiled at her and put his hand in, reaching for her. Signe shied away, and Amy suddenly pushed her body in front of her.

"Hey!" She yelled. "You can't just stick your grubby hands in and pick us up like we're toys!"

"A-Amy..." Signe stammered. "It's ok."

"Really?" The man's eyebrow raised. He looked at the small folk with an amused grin. "How should I pick you up then?" Signe gently pushed Amy.

"Amy, I'll be fine," she murmured. Before she could change her mind, Signe walked closer to the man's huge hand. She didn't look at the giant as she climbed in his hand. His fingers twitched at her light weight, making Signe stumble and grab on to his thumb as he pulled her out of the cage. Then, without another word, he locked the cage and turned away with the young girl.

Signe tried not to look down at the ground far beneath her. Instead, she tried to distract herself with the man's hand. Each ridge in his skin was so obvious, and she could trace his fingerprint with her own hand. This, however, resulted in spasmodic twitching from the ticklish feeling, so Signe quickly stopped and just sat in his hand, wondering how she was going to escape. But she kept getting distracted. She was a research assistant, it was in her nature to wonder. The giant's stride swayed so much; his hand pulsed with warmth, but his fingers were cold from bad circulation; every second in the giant's hand made Signe more and more uneasy.

Finally, the giant turned to a door and unlocked it. He entered a cold metal laboratory and walked to the table in the middle. There was a bowl of warm water on a towel with a tissue for Signe.

"Anything else you need, sweetheart?" The giant murmured. Signe climbed off his hand and stifled a gasp; it was so cold!

"A little privacy, please," she said meekly. The giant frowned. Signe crossed her arms and glared. "I'm a girl, I need privacy, all right?" She snapped. That persuaded the man.

"All right, all right." He put his hands up and turned away. "I won't go too far though; let me know if you need anything." Signe waited until he left the room before she undressed and stepped in the water. She shivered and rubbed her skin, getting the dirt off her pale skin. As she bathed though, she let her eyes wander around the room. How am I going to get out? She wondered. Signe wasn't sure what her plan was, but there had to be some way out of here.

When she was done washing and stepped out, she noticed the vent. Of course! Signe covered herself with the tissue and examined the vent. It was on the counter, and the grate was big enough for her to slip through. Signe looked at the door. The man's shadow was still outside, she could see his soles through the space under the door. She needed to act quickly.

Signe grabbed a paperclip left behind on the table and fastened it on the tissue. With her makeshift dress now together, she grabbed her bag and stuffed her clothes in it, and as fast as she could she ran across the table. She launched her body off the edge and rolled on the counter. As she got up, the man knocked on the door.

"Are you done yet, little one?" He asked.

"No!" Signe sharply inhaled. "No," she called again, trying to stay calm. "I'm not done with my hair yet."

"Ok. Just hurry up, alright? I got to get you back to yer cage."

"Y-yes sir." Signe turned and ran to the vent. She peered into it, and then she slipped through the bars. Her bare feet felt cold as she left the light, and she shuddered. Her wet skin was freezing already as she left the lab behind. She descended into darkness, and all she could feel was the cold metal walls and her soft footsteps. She took a breath and looked over her shoulder, wondering how long she had.

An alarm suddenly blared in her ears, slamming against the metal walls. Signe froze, and then she hurried. I guess that answers my question.

Jack thought they were pretty careful. After he gained enough courage to climb in the window, he and Mat had agreed to split up and begin the search. Mat had the east wing, and Jack had taken the west. They separated going quietly into different hallways, and Jack was glad that there wasn't very much security around.

"Hello?" Jack poked his head in a room and whispered, "Little duders?" But it was just a janitors' closet. He groaned and closed the door. How the hell are we going to find them? He looked down the hall and headed to the next door. It led into a cafeteria. "Huh."

Before he could open it, red lights flashed on as an alarm blared. Jack jumped. Shit! He looked around, wondering what was happening. I hope Mat didn't fuck up! He looked down the next hallway and noticed some men run past. He pulled back and hid behind the wall, waiting until their steps faded to the alarm. As he strained his hearing, he heard metal groan. Jack looked down and gasped.

Signe finally found her way to another vent and ran to it. She squeezed through the bars, but one of them was so old that it broke under her weight. With a groan, it toppled and brought her to the floor with a hearty thunk. Signe groaned and covered her ears. The alarm was so loud. As she got up, she noticed a shoe next to her. She froze. She gripped the tissue tightly as she took a step back, seeing that a leg in black skinny jeans was attached to the shoe. Signe quivered and hugged her bag. She slowly looked up, and she saw Jack staring straight down at her with wide blue eyes.

Signe was in a trance. She was terrified, but she couldn't move. Those baby blue eyes seemed to have frozen her; she couldn't work her legs and run. Jack blinked once, and then twice, as his brain processed what he was seeing.

"Little duder?" He whispered. Signe quivered and hid her face in her bag. Jack glanced around for security and slowly moved his foot away from the small figure. "Hey, it's ok." He slowly crouched down and put his weight on his toes. He put his hands on the ground to balance himself, but he kept his distance. "Did you escape?" He murmured over the alarm. Signe looked up at him. His eyes were so bright and blue... She tried to avoid his gaze and nodded her head. "I-it's ok." Jack moved his hand closer. "I'm here to help." Signe flinched, and Jack's hand stopped a few feet away. Jack bit his lip as he remembered Mark's first reaction. The engineer had stabbed his finger when he had gotten too close.

"Look, I know you don't trust me." Jack put his hand down. "But I'm here to get you guys outta here, so you and Mark can go home." Signe widened her eyes and looked at Jack. He knows Mark! Signe's hopes soared. Oh, Amy will be so glad!

"Is-is he ok?" Signe asked quietly, getting up.

"Yeah." Jack frowned. "How come you're wrapped in a tissue? Where's yer clothes?"

"O-oh..." Signe looked down at her bag and blushed. "I-I escaped. It-it was the only plan I had. I-"

"Come on, let's check this way!" Jack's eyes widened. He leaned and saw some men enter the corridor and headed his way. Jack looked at Signe.

Look, I know you don't trust me," he murmured urgently, "And it'd be way too much to ask of you, but I can't let them find you." He put his hands together and pushed them toward Signe. "Can I ask you to, though?" Signe looked at his hands. He was offering to protect her, to save her from this place and take her far away from it. But could she trust him?

As the footsteps came closer, Signe realized that she didn't have a choice. She had to trust Jack with her life. She ran and climbed into his hand, and no sooner had she sat down did he lift his hands up and stand. Signe whimpered and lay down to not fall off as Jack turned and hurried to the janitors' room. He used his elbow to get the door open and slipped into the dark closet, making sure with his foot that the door closed as quietly as possible.

Signe shivered as Jack held her close to his chest and waited. They both listened with dread as the guards came closer. Signe squeezed her eyes shut tight and braced herself. They came closer, and then closer. Then they stopped in the hallway. Signe flinched against Jack as a door slammed open, and then another as they hunted for her.

"Hey Damien, what about this one?" A man called right outside the closet.

"Don't bother." Footsteps came. "That's the janitors' closet. Eric always has it locked up before he goes home." Thank god he forgot! Jack thought. "Besides, I doubt it'd be in there. Come on."

"All right." The men went further down the hall, and then they turned and headed into another. Neither spoke. They listened to the footsteps receding, and then there was only the wailing siren. Jack sighed and broke the silence.

"Are you ok?" He whispered. Signe was shaking. He gently touched her back and rubbed. "It's ok. You can let go now, they're gone." Signe opened her eyes and realized with hot embarrassment that she was gripping Jack's shirt. She blushed and let go.

"S-sorry." Jack frowned and touched her head.

"Are you ok?" He repeated. "Yer shaking. And yer hair's wet. You feel cold." Signe shivered and realized he was right. "There's shelves here," Jack continued. "You wanna get behind something and change into your clothes? I doubt that tissue is keeping you very warm." Signe gripped her temporary towel more tightly. He was right.

"O-ok. Uh- oh." Signe was surprised when Jack lifted his hand up to a shelf, but she quickly regained her balance and crawled off. Jack picked her bag up and offered it to her with a ridiculous bow.

"Madame?" He said in a silly voice. Signe couldn't help but laugh as she took her bag.

"Thank you." She went behind some bottles of bleach and started changing. "So what's your name?" Signe called. "My name's Signe."

"Signe. That's a really pretty name." Signe blushed. "I'm Seán, but you can call me Jack if you want," Jack said.

"Well, thank you, Seán, for saving me." Signe buttoned up her shirt and shoved the tissue in her bag. She didn't want to risk leaving any traces of her presence.

"You're welcome." Signe came out from behind the stuff to see the back of Jack's head. She blinked. He even turned around to give me privacy?

"U-um." Signe turned red, and she was grateful for the dim lighting. "Y-you can turn around now." Jack turned in the small space and smiled when he saw her.

"That looks better." He nodded. Signe looked down at her clothes and laughed.

"I'm covered in dirt and blood."

"True. But it's better than a tissue," Jack pointed out. Signe nodded.

"You're right." Jack nodded back and offered his hand. Signe tossed her bag in his palm and climbed on. He held her up to his eyes, scanning her small frame, and he turned his head.

"I think the coast is clear," he breathed.

"Is it?" Signe listened. She could only hear the alarms and Jack's breathing.

"Maybe." He turned back to her. "Would you like me to go first and see?" He suggested. Signe's eyes widened.

"Y-you don't have to," she tried to protest.

"Of course I do!" Jack put her back on the shelf. "I'm putting you under my protection- not that you need me to protect you." There was a playful tone in his voice. Signe smiled and sighed.

"Fine."

"I'll be back before you can say woosh." He opened the door and slowly walked out. When the door shut behind him, Signe was suddenly gripped by wave of fear as she was alone in the dark. Even though the closet was out of proportion, claustrophobia creeped up on her, walls closing in dark and menacing.

I'm so high up, too. Signe closed her eyes and waited. What if I fall? Would he catch me in time? His hands were very careful and steady, I need to believe that I can trust him. Just imagine he'll protect you, you'll be ok Signe... You'll be ok... After what felt like forever, the door finally opened, and a warm sweet breath stirred her hair.

"Coast clear." Jack murmured. Signe opened her eyes and sighed.

"Whoosh," she murmured. Relief swept over her as she got in Jack's hand and leaned against his chest.

"See?" Jack smiled and cupped her against his heart. "I told you: Back before you can say woosh."