Chapter 15 (Patreon)

The sound of machinery and weights filled the air of the gym. The only accompaniment was the upbeat alternative music that echoed throughout the space. Truthfully, the music was a stark contrast to Chad's mood. Frantic, fearful, and overall anxiety filled his small mind, but with it came a sense of adrenaline. He hadn't anticipated this level of chaos when he agreed to attend with Pam, but somehow his bad luck continued to follow him. He would have given anything for just one peaceful day, but it seemed that just wasn't in the cards for him. At this point, he would have settled for an opportunity to throttle Keith for inciting the commotion of the breakout.

Chad sprinted along the black rubbery floors of the gym with Kevin keeping pace beside him. So far, neither of them had had any close calls, but that could change at any second. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs of danger while also looking out for the blonde who'd inadvertently taken Jeremy for a ride. "Shit, I can't see that woman anywhere," Kevin said, "Should we split up?"

"I don't like the idea of that," Chad replied, "There's already a lot that can go wrong, but splitting up means we'll be completely on our own."

"Damn these little legs," Kevin said, "We might not have a choice, Chad. This place is big, even for someone of average height."

"I'm not losing someone else," Chad said before spotting a set of shoes heading towards them, "Damnit, we've got incoming!"

A young woman in her mid twenties with olive skin and black hair walked towards them. She had a set of earbuds in, and she was blissfully unaware of the two miniature men in front and below her. Her shoes were well worn and fraying, and the once white material had begun to fade into an almost iridescent gray. Her foot landed beside Chad, and the subsequent tremor caused him to lose his balance. He looked up at her as she passed; her skin-tight black leggings hiked up the very visible canyon of her buttcrack, along with a crotch gap showing the briefest sighting of a camel toe. A white tank top adorned her midsection, but even from his vantage point he could see it was coated in a layer of sweat. She was a harrowing reminder that he and Kevin were mere insects amongst titans. Danger found him in his own home, but this place was practically crawling with an untold amount of unaware giants.

He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as she passed, and he thanked his lucky stars that they'd avoided the immediate threat. Kevin whistled at him, "This is going to be a long day. As pretty as these girls are, I'm not keen on dying under one."

"Nobody is dying today," Chad said, picking himself up and dusting himself off, "We're going to find Jeremy, get back to the safe zone, and if I've got time, I'm going to give Keith a few good snacks for causing this mess. We just need to be careful as well as quick."

"Heh, I hope you're right," Kevin said, "Didn't you say your wife is a trainer here? Why don't we see if we can find her and get her help, or maybe your stepdaughter?"

"No," Chad replied, "This whole project was Pam's idea, and the less she knows about what's going on right now, the better. As far as Anna goes, I'm pretty sure she'd be too angry to listen to me. We're on our own for now."

"I don't like it, but I see your point," Kevin nodded, "We need to move then. We've got a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time. Let's start by getting off the walkway. It would help if I knew that girl's regiment for the day, but for now, we're just gonna have to run blind. The girl Jeremy hitched a ride with had on a pair of black tennis shoes with lime green laces, and her leggings were a neon green to match. Didn’t get a good look at her top half, but that's something for us to go on."

Chad followed Kevin as they darted off of the main walkway between areas. It wasn't much safer, but it was better than nothing. "Pretty observant for such a short look," Chad said, "What did you do before all of this?"

"I was a detective, believe it or not," Kevin replied, "I wasn't the greatest, but I picked up a few things on the force. I'd hoped to eventually save up enough to become a private eye, but then this damn virus happened. Luckily, Macey has been pretty good at taking care of me. Can't imagine she'll be too happy if she realizes I'm not where she left me...again that is."

"I wouldn't have guessed that, but I guess my luck isn't all bad," Chad said, "Come on, we need to try to-"

That was all he could get out before the foot of a young woman sent him hurtling through the air. A brunette wearing violet spandex booty shorts and white tennis shoes had accidentally kicked him high into the air. The weightless feeling of flight was quickly offset as gravity pulled him back down, and he tried to brace himself for wherever he was going to land. His life flashed before his eyes as he plummeted downward, but to his surprise he landed on something warm and leathery. After bouncing a few times, he sat up in an attempt to get his bearings. His joy at surviving was short-lived as he realized he was on a weight bench. The barbell above him looked like an instrument of torture, but what was worse was knowing he was trapped.

The shadow of a titan loomed over him as a woman readied herself to use the machine. She didn't bother looking down, why would she? Chad was forced with the decision of where to go and what to do. Dashing down meant risking getting pinned, or even crushed by this woman's backside. Running towards the top of the bench meant he could possibly avoid any compromising situations, but he wasn't sure if he could make it in time. He didn't have time to think it through, and he hoped for the best as he rushed towards the upper half before it was too late. The shadow of this woman was rapidly approaching as she got into place, and his heart beat faster than his legs could carry him.

The woman was in her early thirties with bleach blonde hair. She wore all black activewear in stark contrast to her pale white skin, but there was a sheen of sweat on her skin that made her glisten. These details were lost on Chad as he focused solely on reaching his destination. An air current from her sudden seating gave him the boost he needed to avoid getting crushed by his unwitting assailant. He tumbled forward just as she sat down to begin her first set and the smell of sweat grew stronger as she further laid down to get into position for the press. One crisis averted, but he was still faced with the difficulty of getting to the floor.

Looking over at the stranger, he considered his options. He wasn't fond of the idea of trying to hitch a ride with her, but a quick peek over the edge told him that his options were limited. The powder paint coating of the machine made climbing down virtually impossible. He may as well have been on a skyscraper. A fall from this height would surely spell certain death, but riding with this woman wasn't much more appealing. He'd done it before with members of his household, but this was different. Strands of her hair fell down from her ponytail, and he reluctantly resigned himself to his only choice. He just prayed that this woman didn't notice him, and he hoped that he could find a way off of her without too much difficulty.

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Anna walked carefully around the floor of the gym. She kept her eyes peeled and focused on the ground for any signs of mini movement. She was furious, but she kept her fury inside as she searched. She didn't have a clue what had gotten into Chad, but she intended to find out and punish him once he was safe. She'd fixed the now empty holding area as best she could, and she only hoped that nobody would come to pick up one of the missing members. Her top priority was locating, retrieving, and returning the men before anyone noticed. She didn't want to think about what this sort of thing could do to her mother's position. She'd gone through enough over the last few months, and she wasn't about to let things take another sour turn.

"I should have swallowed that little shit when I had the chance," she grumbled to herself.

He'd fooled her into thinking that he was actually a decent guy, but it turned out he was no different than any of the other jerks out there! She felt betrayed, foolish, and that made her angry. One thing at a time, though. She had to find the little twerp before she could dole out her punishments. Why did they have to be so small? She spotted something moving on the ground near a treadmill. It could have been nothing, but she couldn't risk it being one of those pests. She carefully made her way over to inspect whatever it was. A young redheaded woman wearing a baggy t-shirt and biker shorts stepped off of the machine, and for a moment she looked like she would step on the little insect. She watched as whatever it was froze in an obvious fear, but the woman stepped over it.

She walked over to Anna and smiled, "All yours, sister."

Anna returned the smile, but her eyes trailed over to the spec on the ground, "Thanks, but I'm just looking around. Keep up the good work, though. I'd take a minute to stretch, if I were you."

"Sounds good to me," the girl said.

"There's a yoga class starting soon, I think," Anna said, trying to get the young woman to leave, "If you hurry, I bet you can make it. Trust me, it's a great way to limber up and it helps work your core."

"Really?" the girl asked, "I'll check it out. Where is it?"

"There's a small studio setup down the way there and to your right, you can't miss it," Anna smiled.

"Thanks, see you around," the girl said, heading off in the direction that Anna hoped was right.

She waited until she was sure the girl was gone and the coast was clear before bending down to investigate. Sure enough, one of the tinies was scurrying about like the insect he was. She quickly scooped him up and brought him to her face to inspect him. It was tough to tell, but this one actually had a full head of hair. She clenched her fist around him and spoke in a threatening tone, "Alright, you little worm, where is everyone else? Tell me before I decide to toss you onto the treadmill and go for a run."

"Please don't!" the little man screamed, "I don't know where everyone else is, I swear!"

She rolled her eyes, "Then tell me what you do know, dumbass."

"A-all I know is that most of the guys took off towards the locker rooms!", the little man said. "Everything happened so fast, and most of us got separated. We should have listened to the other guy. Please, I need help!"

She gave him a slight squeeze while she debated on what to do. She could take him back to the holding pen, but what if he got out again? He seemed more frightened than anything, but she'd already had the wool pulled over her eyes once before. "Alright, mini-man," she said, "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to keep you on my person while I find the rest of your little friends. Make any sudden moves, do anything stupid, or try to cop a feel, and I will make your life a living hell. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" the little guy yelled, "Please, believe me, I was just following everyone else!"

"I believe you're an idiot and a pervert," Anna said, "You want me to believe you're not a perv, then stay where I put you."

He nodded and she put him in the pocket of her jeans. Part of her wanted to believe he was genuine, but her trust was shaky at best currently. That was one down, now she just had maybe a dozen more to find. She sighed as she went to resume her search. At least now she had a general idea of where to look. Although if her new passenger was telling the truth, then she'd still have to search the floors. She'd find these little men if it was the last thing she did. She just hoped none of them were stupid enough to get themselves killed. It wasn't a high hope, considering they'd been dumb enough to leave their safe zone, but she clung to it regardless.

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Chad had watched as his blonde giantess completed her set. Each time the barbell and her arms dropped, he felt his heart stop. This woman had done fifty reps before finally stopping and relaxing. He'd been waiting for this moment, and he said a silent prayer as he ran towards her head. It was damp and slick from the sweat she'd worked up, but he held on tight as she sat up. The sudden skyward turn made his stomach turn as he held on for dear life. He wondered how Kevin was faring down below. His hand slipped on one of the wetter strands of hair, and he panicked as he scurried to find another to grab. He managed to get another fistful as he started to slide down, but he still had to climb to get close to her shoulders.

Whoever this woman was, her hair was incredibly thick and long. He summoned every ounce of strength he had as he began his ascent. He tried not to look down as he climbed, and he ignored the fear that swirled around inside of him. Her hair bobbed as she walked off to her next destination. Every step she took caused his world to tremble, but he refused to let himself fall. With a great deal of effort, he managed to get within range of her shoulders. Unfortunately, since her hair was tied up that meant he'd have to try to swing himself over. His day just kept getting better. He didn't want to do it, but he knew he couldn't hold on forever. So, he kicked his legs back, then forward, and repeated the process to build momentum.

Back and forth he went again and again. He tried to imagine himself swinging from a vine, but the musky scent of sweat kept him rooted in his harsh reality. Finally, he felt ready to jump, but his luck took another severe turn as he did. Someone called the woman's name, and a sudden turn of her head ruined his progress. Not only that, his trajectory was changed in a second. It was too late for him. He had released the second she turned her head, and rather than flying towards her shoulders, he found himself whipping against her back. His body slammed into her neck, and despite the thickness of her hair, he slid through the soaking strands. Stunned by the impact, he began rolling down the back of her black tank top.

Her back was slick, and his velocity increased at an alarming rate. He needed to do something fast, or else this luge would lead to an unpleasant end. He looked around for a loose thread, anything really, that he might be able to try to grab onto. There was nothing. The top consisted of slick fabric that many fitness enthusiasts used. While flattering, it crushed his hopes of saving himself from his rapid descent. He'd have to find another way to save himself from a painful and final fall. He could only think of one way to save himself, unpleasant though it was. Her leggings had sagged just enough to provide a gap for him to fit in, but diving into that canyon was far from ideal. Still, it was the only chance he had to survive.

He tried to flatten himself out along the skin of her back. He stuck out his legs to push himself back, and hoped his angle was close enough. He could feel every bump of her spine as he slid down, and all the while he heard her talking with someone. It was as close as he could get it, and he braced once again for what was about to come. He slid down the small of her back, and into the opening of the back of her leggings. He tried to catch the waistband of her panties, but he flew past it and into the depths of her crack. He landed in the valley of her twin cheeks, and tried to keep from breathing in the stench of this woman's ass. The sweat had accumulated in this area more than her back, but at least he was relatively safe.

It was dark, but he could feel the cotton of her panties around him. Now, he had to figure out how to get out of this new predicament. The surroundings were far from pleasant, and he realized quickly that if he wasn't careful he would be getting more intimate with this woman than he would have liked. The question was, how was he going to get out? Moreover, what if this woman was going to a machine where would sit? The idea of being pushed deeper into the abyss before him sent shivers down his spine. Getting closer to her womanhood or her asshole seemed like nightmarish scenarios to him. He was reminded of his shower experience with Anna and the hell that had been in this moment.

A new variable was introduced that he hadn't considered: his unaware attendant began walking. Chad had become rather adept at riding on shoulders and such, but this was a first for him. The first few steps caused him to fall and tumble around her panties. His face was pressed into the damp fabric without warning, and he gagged as some of the foul moisture found its way into his mouth. He tried to push himself up, but there was nothing for him to use to get his footing. What was worse was the fact that every step she took drew her panties, and him, closer to her crack. A simple wedgie spelled a swampy misfortune for him, and after only a few agonizing moments he was submerged completely.

Her cheeks were firm, and he had no idea of the hell he was about to experience. Beyond his miserable prison, the woman had made her way to a vacant treadmill. She took a moment to stretch before going for a jog. She extended her right leg, bent her left knee, and leaned to stretch out her calves. She switched positions after a moment, and repeated the process before swapping to another light stretch. She exhaled as she slowly brought her leg up and back. She took her foot in her hand and gently pulled it backward. She held it for a moment before repeating the process with the opposing leg. Once she was done, she stepped onto the treadmill and turned it on.

Chad had no idea what was happening outside of his panty prison, but he found himself being pinned and jostled without warning. His back was pressed against one cheek as the other mashed onto his front. The momentary release was far from a reprieve as his face was pressed into the next. He tried to push himself away from the muscle, but whatever she was doing kept him locked firmly in place. This woman would be the death of him. If he survived, he was sure to be haunted by the memories of these moments. He was wedged and rubbed along the skin of her taut ass, and he'd gasped for air before his face had been smashed the second time. The taste of her sour and salty flesh made his stomach turn, and he hoped she'd finish sooner rather than later.

She changed positions, and Chad found himself being pushed up and further in. The sheen of sweat from her workout caused him to easily glide upward, and each time she relaxed he fell deeper into the darkness. The smell intensified and became more pungent than ever the deeper he went. He had to do something to get out of here before he passed out or worse. Whatever she had been doing stopped without warning, but he was already sandwiched between her globes. He felt her take a few short steps again before stopping once more. His body plummeted down a short distance before he stopped somewhere in the middle of her ass crack.

He tried to shake off the daze from being battered by her butt. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness around him, but he was afraid to look back. The scent of sweat had a much fouler accompaniment to it, and he knew that it was coming from a voracious hole not far from him. He tried to block out the image of getting sucked into that black hole, but being so close was still worrisome. Of all his near death experiences since shrinking, that was easily the worst one he could imagine. Remaining calm was the key to finding freedom, but that was easier said than done. What he didn't know was that his situation was about to go from bad to worse. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.

While he'd only been here a short while, he'd already learned how to tell when his host was moving. He'd felt her walk, but the quakes around him now were much more intense. She was running, there was no doubt in his mind about that. He was ground between her cheeks with every thunderous footfall from outside. A treadmill. She was on a treadmill! How long would this last? Fifteen minutes, thirty? He had no way of knowing for sure, but already he could feel himself slipping and becoming exhausted. Sweat began dripping down her skin as she ran, and it acted as a sickening lubricant for him. What little grip he had on the folds of her flesh was quickly being undone by the rancid liquid that was slowly washing over him.

His heart sank when his grip faltered, no longer able to hold onto the skin before him. He was now at the mercy of fate and his host. He fell once more and fear gnawed at his mind. He was stopped as her foot hit the belt, crushed by the force, and then released before the process repeated. It was painful, yet thankfully not enough to finish him. He was subjected to a barrage of torturous beatings from this stranger. Time seemed to stand still for him as he was pummeled again and again. He couldn't focus, couldn't see through the intensity of her run. His only sense that remained intact was his sense of smell. The ominous odor of a hungry hole sent a surge of panic through him. He didn't know if he was getting closer or further away, but he fought against the momentum to try to claw his way to safety. It was fruitless. There was nothing for him to grab onto, and even if there was, by this point he was coated in a layer of filth and sweat.

Beyond the hell that Chad was enduring, Rachel, his unknowing tormentor, kept a brisk pace as she ran. She'd worked up a good sweat, and this was meant to be her cool down regiment before grabbing a shower and changing. She needed this, and she felt good having set a new record for herself. Still, something in her butt was bothering her. It felt like an itch of some sort, but she couldn't very well scratch it here. She'd hoped that her continued exercise would eliminate it, but somehow it was getting worse. It could have been the sweat she'd worked up, or it could have been the wedgie she'd developed. She wished she'd remembered to put on a different pair of panties before leaving the house. These always rode up on her, but she kept forgetting to throw them away. She'd discard them after this, though. She couldn't remember the last time she'd worked up this much of a sweat.

Chad grunted as he wrestled with the ass around him. He refused to let himself be undone by such a humiliatingly debilitating defeat. There had to be something he could do. He drew closer and closer to oblivion with every passing second, and there was a wall of wet fabric blocking his escape. Then it hit him. With all the force of the bombardment he'd been receiving so far: the panties. They were cotton! Impossible as it seemed, there was still the chance that there may be a loose thread or something he could grab on. He merely had to find the will, and the means, to reach them. A daunting task that ran the risk of giving up what little safety he currently had, not that he had much to begin with. He could either weather the storm, or try to save himself. The choice was an obvious one, albeit anxiety inducing.

He took a few deep breaths, ignoring the sour smell that invaded his nostrils, and readied himself for his jump. Her panties were close enough, but reaching them without getting sucked further back would be difficult. He steeled himself for his next move and let go of his inhibitions. His adrenaline surged as he stopped fighting against the constant motion of his aerobic host. He tried to adjust his little body so he could kick off of the fleshy walls surrounding him. Against all odds, he managed to launch himself towards the approaching cotton wall. To his dismay, there was nothing for him to grab onto, but there was one silver lining. Disgusting as it was, the sweat coating both his body and the panties acted as a sort of adhesive. His body stuck to the woman's wedgie, and he relished the short reprieve.

He still had to deal with the sensation of being rubbed along the crack of a stranger's ass, though. The terror of being devoured by her asshole was at least somewhat put to rest. There was still the chance that this woman's seemingly unending run could force her panties, and him, to rub against it, but now he had a chance to escape those deadly globes. He needed to climb if he was going to get away from his current peril. Knowing that and doing it were two different things, though. There was nothing he could grab, and this woman still hadn't stopped her workout. He ripped one arm free from the sticky fabric and slapped it over his head. To his surprise, it stuck! In spite of the life-threatening situation, he couldn't help but grin. He pulled himself up and felt like Spiderman climbing one of New York’s many buildings. It was the little things these days that kept him from completely giving up.

He made slow progress, but it was better than nothing. At the halfway point, he slid back down as the woman came to an abrupt stop. She was finally done. The thought elated him, but then he realized he had no idea what she had planned next. She began walking once again at a much more relaxed pace. He felt confident that he could handle her strides now, though. He kept climbing towards the waistband of her panties. What he would do when he got there, he hadn’t the faintest idea. There was still the question of how he was going to get down and away from this giantess, but he could only tackle one problem at a time. The thought of breathing fresh air alone was enough to spur him on. He scoffed as he wondered if this was worse than his torturous time with Anna. At least she knew where he was. This woman had unknowingly terrorized and pulverized his miniscule body without a shred of mercy or care.

The race was on to get out of this panty prison once and for all. He had no intention of sticking around to find out what and where she was going next. There was also the matter of finding Jeremy. If this was what he had been through, then he hated to think of what sort of horrors the young boy had experienced. He hoped that Kevin was faring better than he was. He grit his teeth as he realized that this woman’s panties were somehow going deeper into her crack. The fabric scrunched around him, but he wouldn’t be deterred by the change in terrain. He had to get out of here, and he would find some way to overcome it. He could see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and he quickened his pace in hopes of finally escaping.

When he reached the top of her panties that had nearly transformed into a thong, he pondered his next move. Like every other scenario since his adventures at this size began, he didn’t have long to contemplate. He latched onto the fabric of her waistband and pulled himself upward without a second thought. He was so close that he could feel the cool air. He wanted to savor it, to take a deep breath, but he knew that time wouldn’t allow him that luxury. Besides, the more pressing issue was figuring out how he was going to get down. There was also the matter of figuring out exactly where he was within the gym. The solution to his first dilemma came in the form of the hand of his host. He thought he’d been discovered at first, but that thought was put to bed by what happened next.

The hand of this titan reached behind her and gave her waistband a quick tug upward. Chad knew the move well enough. She was most likely trying to subtly dispose of her wedgie, but what she didn’t realize was that it wasn’t all that was back there. The tips of her fingers alone were twice his size, and the sudden inertia from her pull and inadvertent brushing of his body launched him yet again. Chad was given more fresh air than he had bargained for as this stranger accidentally sent him flying once again. He was free from his unwitting tormentress, but the question was where he would end up next. He couldn’t believe it, but he actually hoped to land on another of these titanic beauties. If he didn’t, then he’d become a stain on the floors of LIFT.

Chad flew aimlessly through the air. All he could do was hope for the best as wind whipped past him. He could barely see where he was going as he began his rapid descent. He caught a glimpse of ebony skin before he crashed into something soft, hot, and slightly damp. He bounced between two unfamiliar mounds of flesh as he felt a familiar sinking feeling. He descended into the depths of a young African American woman's cleavage. From one pit sweat and danger to another. He didn't have a clue what this woman was doing, how long she'd been doing it, but by the feel of it she had clearly been working hard. The sweat rolling down her breasts was evidence enough of that, which only aided in him sliding deeper into her valley.

Deidre had been at it for over an hour now. She'd started out with some stretches, hit the treadmill for some cardio, moved on to some strength training, and she felt incredible. She'd been coming here for months, even before the pandemic had begun. This was her sanctuary from the woes and worries of her everyday life, and she needed it now more than ever. She was an officer, a lieutenant in fact, for the city police force. Since the virus had swept through the country, her workload had doubled. Life was difficult enough in her line of work beforehand, but now she and the others on her team were swamped with paperwork, case files, and investigations. Pushing herself like this was the closest she could get to an escape.

Honestly, it sickened her how so many men were mistreated and victimized. Maybe it was some kind of cosmic justice for all the domestic disputes, but that didn't make it right. She'd joined the force to ‘protect the little guy’, as the old saying went, but she never dreamed that saying could be so literal. Legislation and red tape were still an issue, though. The gears of the system turned at an agonizingly slow pace and it frustrated her to no end. That was a big reason she spent so much time here. It allowed her to work through those frustrations and emotions without jeopardizing her career.

She could have swore she felt something hit her chest, but it was probably just some excess sweat. The low-cut navy-blue top she wore wasn't the best for working out, but she'd forgotten to do laundry this week. Luckily, she had a pair of blue spandex leggings to spare, but she was pretty sure her top would need a thorough washing to get clean. She ignored whatever it may have been in favor of focusing on finishing her workout. She was currently on an elliptical and winding down before taking a much needed break. Another fifteen minutes, and she would be finished for the day, and she was looking forward to the hot shower she was going to take afterwards. With a sound mind, she pushed herself to finish her routine.

Chad was once again surrounded by fleshy mounds of a stranger. The scent of her body odor was strong from his position, and he found himself sinking to the bottom of this woman's sports bra. Her sweat rolled down and drenched his body. It formed a sickening mixture with his previous host's ass sweat. He'd been trapped in this position before, and unfortunately, he knew that there wasn't much hope of getting out. He could attempt to get her attention, but what would she do if he was discovered? He hated to admit it, but he had no choice but to wait it out. He could only hope that her impressive bust didn't crush his frail body.

The heat was stifling already, and he knew it would only get worse from here. The underside of a woman's breast was the last place he wanted to be, especially D cups like these, but it seemed it was a place he couldn't escape. It was better than his previous prison, if only by a small margin. He scrambled as those magnificent orbs bounced ever so slightly and threatened to crash down onto him. He narrowly managed to avoid getting pinned and smothered beneath one of those powerful ebony globes but it seemed he was far from being out the woods. He just hoped he had enough fight left in him to survive this encounter, and he hoped that Kevin was having better luck than himself.

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While Chad was dealing with his own personal, and swampy, hell, Kevin had been left alone on the floors of LIFT. When Chad had been sent flying his heart had stopped. Being alone among titans was the last thing he had planned when he woke up this morning. After witnessing Chad's impromptu flight, he knew he needed to figure something out fast. He shuddered to think what might have befallen the others from their group. Most of them were decent guys, but they'd gotten swept up in the heat of the moment. He knew Keith's type from his time on the force. Influential, charismatic, and troublesome were the three words that best described people like him. He'd put the lives of good people in jeopardy in pursuit of perversion. As much as he hated to do it, he knew there was nothing he could do for Chad. He had to move on and try to find Jeremy, or at least find someone to help. If Chad was even half as resourceful as he seemed, he would be fine. At least, he hoped he would.

"Think, Kev, think," he mumbled to himself, trying to recall more details about the girl who had accidentally absconded with Jeremy, "Worn tennis shoes, younger girl, maybe an athlete? Shit, that doesn't narrow anything down!"

He needed a vantage point, but that was easier said than done at his size. This place was a deathtrap full of unknowing assailants, and nearly every machine in here could obliterate him before with one wrong move malfunction. He'd been trapped on the ground before, though, albeit at his apartment. Macey wasn't always the most observant either, but at least at home he only had to worry about her. Still, despite the variables of the many giants parading about, he had one trick up his sleeve. Jeremy had unknowingly taken from his own bag of tricks for getting around and avoiding getting stepped on. He just needed someone to come close enough for him to grab on. It wouldn't give him the height he needed, but he'd be able to cover more ground.

As if on cue, a woman approached his position. Standing his ground was always difficult. He'd seen the reports on the news of men getting squashed beneath an unsuspecting woman's shoes, and the idea of becoming a stain filled him with dread. He bounced on his heels a few times as the woman got closer. He spotted the long black laces hanging from her white tennis shoes and made a break for them. Nothing about this was pleasant, and there was so much that could go wrong. However, he was out of options for a way around. He tried not to think about everything that could go wrong as he got closer. She could trip, turn her foot, or even simply take a step, and it would be the end of him. He cried out as he leapt into the air and latched onto the shoelace. Now, he just had to climb and hold on.

The titan above him began walking again, and he was faced with a battle of inertia and will as he ascended. If he survived this ordeal, he would never again take for granted all the times Macey had carried him around. Gravity pulled at him and the shoestring with each step she took, but he was on a mission and determined to live. Slowly, carefully, he climbed upward to try to get to some kind of solid ground. He looked up to see how far he had, and to see what she had covering her legs. Skin tight and shiny pink leggings covered her lower half. If he had any ideas about climbing further, they were shelved upon seeing those. He'd have to settle for riding atop her foot. Every time he did this, he felt as though he were back at the academy climbing the rope in the gym. Luckily, that had always been one of his stronger accolades.

He reached the peak of her shoe while still holding onto the string. He'd been flung before, and he wasn't about to let that happen here. With his feet on solid ground once again, he now only had to focus on keeping himself steady. His view wasn't great, but this woman was helping him to cover more ground. Where was she going, though? Maybe it shouldn't have mattered, but the idea of her using an elliptical or a treadmill seemed like a recipe for disaster for him. He couldn't stay here; he wouldn't. Tempting fate never ended well for him. All he could do was keep his eyes peeled for the woman in question, or maybe some sign of life wandering the floor.

He spotted one of the men running away from an approaching giantess. She didn't see him, and Kevin watched as whoever it was went under her foot. His host paused for a moment and he chose to dismount and charge after whoever it was. He feared the worst, but he wouldn't forgive himself if whoever it was survived and needed help. A pity since he had just managed to get to a decent position atop her foot, but there would be other opportunities. He let go of the laces, ran to the side, and tried to slide down her shoe. The process was far from graceful, and he hit an unexpected, and literal, snag. His foot got tangled in the loop of her shoestring hanging from the right edge.

"Damn it all to hell!" he cursed as he hung upside down. This was uncharted territory for him, but he knew he had to act fast or suffer the consequences.

She was moving again, and this time the risk was much greater. If he fell then he could end up beneath her, but if he stayed like this, he ran the risk of dislocating something. He shook with every step she took, and was moving away from whoever it was on the ground. Thankfully, she was stopped by another woman, "Sandra! Oh my God, I didn't know you worked out here?"

Well, he had a name to go with the foot he was stuck to. It didn't help his situation, but she was stationary. He threw himself up to try to untangle his foot while she talked with her friend, "Hey, Becky! Yeah, I've been coming here for a month now. Mom recommended it, and it gets me out of the house for a little while."

Kevin fell back, barely missing the shoestring by a short distance. His head bumped against her shoe, but he swung himself back up to try again. For his sake, he hoped that the conversation would last long enough for him to get out and away. He snatched onto the shoestring this time and tried to untangle his foot while Becky talked to Sandra, "Why didn't you tell me? Can you believe they're actually letting the little ones in?"

He scrambled to try to undo the snare he'd gotten himself caught in. It was a simple task that was made incredibly difficult by being upside down. "It didn't seem like a big deal," Sandra replied while he wrestled with the knot, "I know, it doesn't seem safe. Those little guys are so easy to overlook. Tammy said she found one on campus just last week. Poor little guy was stuck on the desk because the professor completely forgot about him."

At least Sandra seemed sympathetic to him and the others afflicted. He'd heard the stories of women who took joy in abusing and mutilating men his size, everyone had really. Of course, her sympathy wouldn't help him out of his current predicament. He was close, so close to having his freedom back. He kept working while Becky and Sandra continued to talk, "I heard about that. I also heard that she's been keeping the little guy until they can find a cure. I hope she's not doing anything bad to him."

"Why do you say that?" Sandra asked as Kevin drew closer to his goal.

"She's been holed up in her dorm except for classes," Becky replied, "I don't know, I just wonder if she's, you know, using him. Tammy never had much luck with guys, and now she's got one all to herself to do with whatever she wants."

Nearly there, his foot was almost out. He could feel the blood rushing to his head, and he was beginning to get light headed from it. "Maybe we should check in on them then," Sandra offered, "Just to make sure that the little guy is safe. I don't think Tammy would do that, but the women on the news didn't seem like the type either."

He undid the last tangle and tumbled down. He hadn't considered the ramifications of being caught upside down when he got free, and he landed in an incredibly ungraceful heap. He shook off the stupor from the impact of his fall, pushed himself up, and gave one last look to the stranger he'd hitched a ride with. It would have been nice to have her aid in his struggle, but getting her attention would be nearly impossible as it were. He had more pressing matters to attend to. He took off in a wobbly sprint in the direction of the man he'd seen mere moments ago. Sandra remained and chatted with her friend, blissfully unaware of the hitchhiker she'd carried along with her for a short time.

With a careful eye to the skies, Kevin darted across the floors. He refused to let himself be caught in a situation like his unknown companion. Women walked by to various machines and equipment as he made a mad dash for the spot where the man had been crushed. The shadow of another giantess' colossal shoe passed overhead, and he dove into a roll to avoid the threat of getting stomped. Afraid to look back, he pushed on drawing ever closer to his fellow man. He was nearly there when the shoe of another young woman slammed down in front of him. He skidded to a stop in front of it and waited for her to continue on, but whoever it was didn't move. He frowned as he looked upward, past her black tennis shoes, beyond the jeans she had on, further still over her t-shirt, and to the scowling face of Chad's stepdaughter. She stared down at him with contempt, and his blood ran cold. There was something about the look in her eyes that was utterly unsettling.

------------------

Anna had been wandering around the gym searching and growing more agitated by the minute. So far, she'd found five of the missing men, not counting the first twerp. Two of the little guys had been doing exactly what she suspected: including in their perverted nature. One stopped to gawk at an impressive African American woman as she hit her fifth mile on a treadmill, and another had been well on his way to diving into the cleavage of a woman doing sit ups. She hadn't even bothered asking their names, she didn't care. Instead, she'd stuffed the pair of them into her back pocket after threatening to use them as insoles if they tried anything funny.

Another had been cowering beneath a weight bench. Between the first bug she'd found and this one, they genuinely seemed remorseful. It could have been pure fear of her and her threats, of course, but both men were scared before she even opened her mouth. Not only that, they seemed more grateful to be away from the dangers of the floor than anything. She didn't know what to think anymore. She knew the other two had been trying to use their size to their advantage, stupid as it was, but then the other two swore they just wanted to go back to their families. She hadn't had time to interrogate them, but she needed answers. Time was running out, though, and she knew it wouldn't be long before somebody discovered that the men weren't in their designated area.

She'd been carefully making her way through the gym, and she felt more like a fool with every interaction she had with another woman. She wasn't dressed for a workout, and she'd been caught crawling around on the floor more than once now. She looked like an idiot and it was infuriating. She'd lied and told the women who'd spotted her that she was looking for change that she'd dropped. It was a bad lie, but they seemed to buy it. It didn't help to ease her growing frustration, though. To top it all off, Chad was still missing. How someone so small could get into so much trouble, she'd never know. She was determined to find him, though, and when she did, she would introduce him to a whole new level of pain and discomfort. She'd obviously been too lax with him over the last few weeks, but that was going to change when she got home tonight.

She'd spotted a spec moving along the black floors. It was another of those little troublemakers, she was certain. Anna crossed the floor to close the distance. Whoever it was, they were running to or from something. She wondered what it could be. There were hardly any other women around, so it didn't seem likely that he was trying anything. Still, she didn't trust whoever it was. She approached him, stepped around his path, and planted her foot in front of him. He stopped and stared up at her, and she glared down at him. This was ridiculous. She needed answers, damnit, and she was going to get them. She couldn't make out any features from her current angle, but she watched him slowly back up.

She didn't hesitate to reach down and scoop him up. To his credit, he didn't try to get away. She brought him to her face and studied him. Thin black hair, what looked like a goatee, and a fairly lithe build. It wasn't Chad, but maybe he knew something. "Alright, pipsqueak," she started, clenching her fist, "I got questions, and I'm not in the mood to play games. Who are you? Where the hell do you think you're going? And, what is the matter with you little shits?"

Whoever this guy was, he didn't budge when Anna used her threatening tone. Instead, he wiggled around to get his arms free and yelled out a reply in his own commanding tone of voice, "My name is Kevin Sanders. I'm a former detective with the police force, and I was going to check on a man who looks like he's either hurt or dead! I can't speak for the others, but that doesn't matter right now! Behind you, on the ground, there's a man who might be seriously hurt! If you have even a shred of decency in you, you'll check on him and worry about me later!"

She was almost taken aback by his demeanor. She wasn't sure whether she was impressed or offended by his demanding tone. "You expect me to believe you're just a good Samaritan?" she asked.

"I don't care what you believe!" Kevin snapped, "I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but for the love of God, I need your help! Please, he might need medical attention!"

She stared at him for a minute before relenting, "Alright, tiny, let's go. I want answers after this, though."

"Thank you!" Kevin said.

She turned around and looked down. She couldn't see any movement, so she carefully placed Kevin on her shoulder. "Tell me where he is, and don't get any wise ideas," she ordered.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, situating himself so he wouldn't fall, "He's on the ground about five feet to your left. I saw someone step on him, but I don't know if he's still alive."

"Do none of you little idiots have common sense?" she asked, following his directions, "We try to set up an area where you can be safe, and all you morons do is look for a way out. If he's dead, it's because of his own stupidity."

"Pretty callus for someone so young," Kevin mused, "You're Anna, right?"

"Not sure I want to know how your little pervy ass knows that, but yeah," she replied, looking around for any signs of the victim, "I see him. Grab onto my hair, I'm gonna pick him up."

"Roger," Kevin said, grabbing onto strands of her hair, "Sorry if I pull anything and it hurts."

She ignored him in favor of inspecting the body. He was breathing, at least she thought he was. She gently scooped him up to look him over. Something was wrong, but she couldn't see what. "Hey, can you hear me?" she asked and waited for him to nod before continuing, "I'm going to take you over to a bench, and I've got someone who wants to have a look at you. Try not to squirm too much. I'm not gonna hurt you."

She took careful and deliberate steps toward an unoccupied weight bench. She made it and tried her best to set him down gently. She squatted down, ignoring the struggling coming from her back pockets, and helped Kevin get onto her hand. She lowered him over to the bench and watched as he hopped down to look the little guy over.

---------------

Kevin wasn't sure how he felt about Chad's stepdaughter. He knew one thing, he had been right about her always being angry. She was clearly a troubled girl, but she had helped him and his fellow afflicted. She knew how to handle people like himself and the others, though. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but for the time being it was helpful. He leapt down from her hand and rushed over to the injured man. His leg was bruised, possibly broken by the look of it. His breathing was labored as he laid on the bench, and his arm looked about as bad as his leg. "Hey, pal, it's alright," Kevin said, looking him over and trying to sound reassuring, "We're gonna get you some help. You're Marcus, right?"

"Yeah," Marcus wheezed, "Fucking stupid of me to buy into that dickhead's speech. Damnit, my leg is messed up. That woman didn't even realize what she'd done."

"Might be a bad time, but how did you survive?" Kevin asked, hoping to take Marcus' mind off his current painful predicament.

Marcus chuckled and winced, "Damn, think my ribs might be bruised, maybe broken. Her shoe, I got between the grooves on the sole. Lucky I'm not dead, but man this hurts something fierce."

"Sit tight for a minute," Kevin said, "You need a doctor, and I don't think this young lady is going to be enough."

"My daughter is going to kill me," Marcus chuckled before wincing.

"You've got a kid?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, Cherrie," Marcus replied, "She's twenty-five and has been looking after me since this whole thing started. The whole reason I came today was because I thought she needed a break."

"Mistakes happen," Kevin said, "What matters is that the right people pay for it."

"You're a good man," Marcus said.

"No, just a man, pal," Kevin said as he walked over to Anna, "He's in bad shape, Anna. We need to get him to a doctor, and that means we're going to need to get others involved."

"No way," Anna said, "I'm not letting my mom get canned because a handful of guys were being idiots."

"If this man dies, it's gonna be a lot worse for her career than us getting out." Kevin argued before sighing, "I get that you're worried about your mom, but if we don't do something soon, this man could go into shock! Anna, I'm a cop, okay? I will make sure that everyone knows who started this, what it was about, and that your mother and this company did nothing wrong. I need you to trust me on this. There is no angle that this plays out well for anyone, and we can keep this fairly quiet in the end."

"Yeah, but-" Anna started.

"No, buts!" Kevin yelled, "This is about more than just a job, a reputation, or feelings now! This is about a man's life, and there are others still out there who could be in danger! We have to do what's right here, okay?"

"I really hate it when someone lectures me," Anna sighed, "Fine, you're right. We can't just go telling everybody, though. It'll cause a panic, and that means it's more likely that someone could crush one of you."

Kevin was impressed by Anna’s logic, "You're absolutely right," he said, "So, we only tell people we know we can trust. I'm asking you to trust me, Anna, and I'll trust you in return."

"This day just keeps getting better," Anna grumbled, "Okay, I've got one person I know I can trust, but I've also got a handful of stowaways with me already."

"Ignoring the fact that you withheld that information, who do you have in mind?" Kevin asked.

"Didn't exactly have time to cover that, now did I, asshole?" Anna snapped before replying, "Jody, she's one of the trainers here and a close friend of my mom's."

"Fair enough," Kevin said, "I need you to find a woman named Macey. She's my fiancé, and we can trust her to help. She's five foot four, shortcut black hair, tattoo on her left arm of a dragon in storm clouds, and wearing black and blue workout gear. We need to get the ones you've found back to the area, and we need get Marcus over here into some safe hands."

"Alright, let's get going," Anna said, holding her hand out and gently picking up Marcus, "Hold on tight, I'm not sure how long we've got until someone discovers they're missing. Once we get the rest of you idiots safe, you're going to tell me everything I want to know."

"Help me, and you have my word, I'll tell you whatever I can." Kevin agreed.

"I'll hold you to that, bug-boy," Anna said.