G/T Adventures

Mini Hero

Devin wandered through the dark alley, his satchel hoisted over his shoulder as he avoided broken glass, cigarette butts, and other dangerous things that could do harm to a Borrower like him. He couldn't tell how late it was, but there were few cars whizzing by, no one on the sidewalks, and raccoons and stray cats were already digging through trash bins. 

With a lot of effort, he scaled the side of a rusty, overflowing dumpster. At the top, a pair of yellow eyes stared back at him and he gasped, nearly falling backward. The raccoon paid no mind to him and continued its rummaging. They and the cats grew used to seeing him wander about and gave up on trying to catch him after he got away one too many times. "Hey Bandit," he muttered, getting on his knees to try and find something suitable to eat.

His head lifted at the clicking of heels echoing through the alley. His heart leapt into his throat. Devin watched the raccoon take off running behind a few garbage cans, and he did his best to crouch down inside of an old metal soup can to hide from view.

He expected it to be another woman that always stood at the corners near here, however, a young woman wearing some kind of business suit came into view in the dim light. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun, her clothing pristine and unwrinkled. She was busily rummaging through her purse, humming a very light tune. 

A male figure entered the alley behind her. He was moving faster than this woman. Devin sucked in a sharp breath, wanting to call out to her but needed to keep himself hidden.

This man grabbed hold of the young woman, his hand instantly covering her mouth as he forced her up against the wall. The purse she was holding clattered to the ground, a muffled scream trying to break through the man's fingers. 

The fearful look on her face wrenched Devin's kind heart, and he tried desperately to think of what to do. He looked around where he was. Perhaps the metal can would amplify his voice enough to make him sound like a human. 

His gaze wandered back to the two humans, the man now struggling to undo the buttons on her blouse. The woman had tears streaming down her face as she fought against him.

Devin sucked in a sharp breath and bravely opened his mouth. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

His voice seemed to startle the man who hands released the female. He began to sprint off in another direction, which Devin could do nothing about. 

The young woman crumpled to the concrete ground in a sobbing heap, the items from her purse scattered along the ground, her once neat bun now disheveled. She was obviously terrified, for she didn't even move to gather her things.

Devin silently scaled down the dumpster, his heart hammered in his chest, adrenaline pumping through his body. He paused, looking at a tube of lipgloss that rested near his feet. Hesitantly, he lifted the heavy item in his arms and began to approach the scared female. "M-Miss, a-are you alright?" He asked nervously. 

The young woman wiped her eyes an scanned the area before they landed on him. They widened in astonishment, but she still didn't move. "Wh-What...h-how? Were you...?"

"I scared him off, y-you're okay now," he placed the tube of lipgloss down closer to her, still keeping a respectful distance. "I-I think this is yours."

The woman's eyes softened, and she reached forward, gingerly picking up the tube. Her lips lifted into a soft smile as she sniffled. "Th-Thank you, for helping me. B-But you're so small, how did you sound that loud?"

Devin fidgeted with the satchel on his shoulders, giving an embarrassed shrug. "I...was hiding in a soup can. I shouted and it was louder than my real voice, as you can probably tell now. Why were you in the alley anyway?" 

Lucinda's face turned red in embarrassment and out of fear at the recalling of what just happened. "I was trying to take a shortcut home."

Devin rolled his eyes with a faint smile but decided to get back to what he was doing. Looking for food. He turned and began to walk away from the woman, only to jump back in surprise and fear when a hand came down in front of him.

"W-Wait, surely you don't live out here?" Her voice questioned in disbelief, holding a gentle, concerned tone.

"It's fine. I get what I can and survive. I'm not human, I can't buy a house or even work," Devin huffed, always wondering what it would be like to be able to work in a human facility without worrying about being afraid.

"Well, I-I need to thank you somehow," she whispered, her hand moving and laid palm up beside him. "Y-You can come with me tonight. I'll make sure you get taken care of, something to eat, drink, a warm place to sleep. You earned it tonight."

Devin looked at the palm beside him then turned to look at the woman who was smiling warmly down at him, tear tracks still staining her face. Her eyes told him she was genuinely grateful. "I wouldn't want to impose ma'am."

"Lucinda. And you won't be, not one bit," Lucinda continued to smile before realizing her things were still scattered about, but that was the least of her worries right now.

Devin slowly stepped into the open palm, sucking in another sharp breath at how soft the skin was to the touch. He felt like just being in her hand after being in a dumpster was contaminating her. She had a scent on her wrist that was unfamiliar to him. It had to be some sort of fruit though. A perfume no doubt. And when she moved, she handled him like fine china. 

Lucina moved slowly and carefully, using her free hand to pick up her purse and other items. She pulled her purse over her shoulder, standing up as gingerly as she could to avoid knocking the tiny being from her hand. 

Devin was so surprised at how gentle she was toward him. He sat on his knees in her palm, looking back at the dumpster as it grew further away. The raccoon peeked at the two of them from its hiding spot in the garbage cans. The clicking of heels filled the alley once again, only this time Lucinda was moving so they would be on the sidewalk and not in the darkened area anymore.

To him, this was a strange experience. To her too no doubt. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the strap of his satchel tightly. This would take some getting used to.

There are dozens upon dozens of stories where the Giant character saves the little one. I decided to take that storyline and swap it around. It gives the little guys and gals a chance to be heroes too.