Bucky's

Chapter 22: Trouble

Tanya enjoyed, for the first time in a very long time, the luxury of being able to relax and sleep in. She snoozed for a while until she woke up, well-rested. Even though her surroundings were dirty and impractical for her size, she was happy to be free and in control of herself. She wasn't confined in claustrophobic rooms on the floor in a giant building or on display in a glass box. She didn't have to fear being eaten either, which was a huge relief.

Eventually, she got tired of watching TV and sitting on the couch. Ronny had never given her a tour of the gigantic apartment and she wanted to explore. After being locked up for so long, being able to walk around, stretch her legs, and do what she wanted sounded divine. She ate a quick snack and drank some water before descending from the couch to the carpet. Rather than climb down, she jumped onto a pillow that was on the floor and cushioned her fall. Up close, she could see the carpet was full of crumbs and dirt and needed to be vacuumed.

She didn't want to judge Ronny too harshly for his messiness. She understood life sometimes got in the way and suspected more was going on with him than met the eye. Above all, he seemed bitter, wounded, and lonely. He must be if he had been desperate enough for companionship to save an insignificant human like her. Tanya felt sorry for him, for whatever he must be enduring beneath the surface.

She navigated the immense living room, marveling at the incredible scale of the furniture that towered over her. As she stepped around piles of trash and cans, she thought to herself that Ronny might appreciate it if she cleaned up a bit. She couldn't do much at her tiny size, but she might be able to at least collect the loose garbage into a pile that Ronny could stuff into a trash bag and throw away. Resolved to do good for the Giant who saved her, Tanya designated a corner of the room for trash collection and began dragging plastic and paper wrappers across the carpet to that spot. The labor was tiring, but felt good on her muscles. There were many empty soda and beer cans lying around that were significantly larger than Tanya, but if she knocked them on the side she could roll them into the corner.

After making a neat little pile, Tanya decided to take a break and rested against an overturned can. She was far from finished, but the room was beginning to look a bit more cleaned up. She hoped Ronny would be pleased with her work. She wanted him to be happy. She leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling, which looked like it was miles away.

Tanya's thoughts were interrupted by a thunderous banging on the front door. Startled, she leapt to her feet. "Ronaldo Ragoon?" a voice boomed. A Giant fist pounded hard on the wood. "Open the door!"

Tanya was rooted to the floor, paralyzed, but she consoled herself that the door was locked. Those hostile Giants wouldn't be able to get in. She clung to that belief, briefly, until the pounding and banging intensified to where it rattled the entire room all the way down to her bones. With a resounding crash, the door was busted in and several enormous Giants stormed the apartment. Without any time to spare, Tanya ducked inside the can to hide.

"Geez, this place is a dump," one of the Giants rumbled. "Are you sure this is the right apartment? If I was taking a girl home, I'd at least clean up first." Tanya felt offended on Ronny's behalf at these comments.

"It's just a pathetic little human he stole," another Giant remarked. "Why bother?"

"This is the correct apartment," another deep voice confirmed, and Tanya's blood ran cold. She knew that voice all too well. Bucky. Bucky was here, in the flesh. The infamous Giant had come for her. How did he know? Tanya shuddered. She had no idea what horrors he had prepared for her if she was caught. "Find the human. Leave no stone unturned."

"Stone? We're inside."

"It's a metaphor, you dimwit. Just do what you're good at and search." Bucky rolled his eyes at the idiocy of his goons. The other two brutes began violently tearing the room apart, searching for Tanya. She huddled inside the can, too petrified to move. She wasn't sure if she had a decent hiding place or not. The Giants stomped all over the apartment, causing earthquakes and vibrating the cans on the floor. They aggressively checked all the rooms, overturned the couch cushions, pulled out drawers and dumped out their contents, and rifled through all of Ronny's personal effects. His apartment was cluttered before, but now it was completely trashed.