She had to get out. She would, somehow. After a week in prison, her depression had turned to desperation. The facility was well run, but there were certainly some chinks in its armor. The other 4 monsters had been in for fifty years, and stopped trying to escape decades ago. She guessed few to none of the current employees, besides Monger, had ever even experienced a breakout attempt. Their routines had stagnated, and they didn't expect her to try to escape. Susan counted on that.

God, her bed was uncomfy. It was just a steel slab with an understuffed pillow, she would have been just as well sleeping on the floor. They obviously didn't have a fifty foot mattress on hand. She felt her spirits fall at the thought. This shouldn't be possible, but here she was. Five stories tall and trapped in a government facility. She felt tears welling in her eyes again and she forced herself to snap back to planning. As soon as she broke out, Derek would be waiting for her. They'd figure something out together, they'd get her back to normal. She would sleep curled up in the backyard until then if she had to. Dr. Cockroach had tried once so far to shrink her down, to no avail. He seemed just as frustrated as she was, and swore he'd find a way. It meant a lot to Susan. But, as brilliant as he was, if she could get back home, she was sure the top doctors in the world would be eager to find a cure. Or, eager to experiment on her… Either way, at least she wouldn't be in prison, at least she would be back with Derek. He was probably worried sick.

It seemed like most of the personnel lived in the compound, but at night there were less people around, as the researchers and staff went to bed, leaving only night guards. Very few of the guards had actual guns, and they were mostly sanctioned guarding entrances. The monster guards all seemed to have tasers and stun guns, which might have stopped Link or Doc, but probably couldn't take her down.

They did have large tranquilizer darts just for her, though. She had been tranqued a few days back, after her second nervous breakdown. Link and Dr. Cockroach were both especially displeased, because in her fall she flattened their table, radio, and the mad scientist's latest project. She was also pretty sure that all the cells, except the observation tanks, were independently movable, to minimize monster-to-human contact. She had heard the doctor mention it once or twice, and it would explain why her room clanked about like an elevator each morning. Therefore, she was led to believe that if she could use the smaller, open cells as a grip, she could throw open the larger door and wind up somewhere advantageous. Other than that, the plan was simple. Wait til they called her back to her cell for the night, and then bash her way out.

The next day was a normal one, despite the anxiety Susan felt leading up to that evening. She kept to herself and thought her plan over and over again. It had to work. The past escape attempts were all made by the human-sized monsters. Susan was confident if she got going, they couldn't stop her. They weren't prepared to. She grimaced again thinking about the size difference. Well, she thought, she'd use it to her advantage for now. Hopefully she'd be normal soon enough. Hopefully. She had begun teaching herself to beat down the monstrous doubt that said she would be this way forever.

"She seems more quiet than usual," Dr. Cockroach was taking a break from inventing. He had his feet up at the table with a cigarette in one hand and a few cards in the other. Susan's other cellmates were gathered around, playing Go Fish.

"She's quiet every day," Link scoffed, rearranging his hand. The ape much preferred games with a little more skill involved, like poker. He had found though, that Go Fish was about as sophisticated a game as Bob could play.

"Why don't we invite Susan to play with us?" Bob's face lit up. "I wonder if she knows Go Fish-Ape."

Link rolled his eyes, both at the suggestion and at the punny misnomer.

"Just leave 'er be, she obviously doesn't want anything to do with us," he shot an accusatory glance at the giant, who was staring into space at the other side of the yard.

"Now Link, you can't be serious. She's had her whole life turned upside down very suddenly. She's scared and lonely," the doctor took a drag of his cigarette and tapped it off elegantly into his ashtray.

"Yeah, her. Scared," Link returned his gaze to the cards and thumbed them idly. Cockroach had known Link for close to fifty years, and could see now that he was very intimidated by their new roommate. However, he also knew bringing it up would puncture his swollen ego. Considering how nasty Link had been towards her this week, Dr. C opted not to tease him, which might have been the usual response. Link also had very little experience with women, and humans in general, so he had mistaken Susan's recent curtness as a challenge of his dominance. The doctor however, recognized the emotional response as it was: fear. The scaly ape had been the baddest inmate for most of his waking life, and now, even though he talked big game, he knew he couldn't muscle Ginormica around. That being said, Dr. Cockroach felt very sorry for the girl, and wanted desperately for Link to get out of the stone age. He sent a pout toward his friend and cocked an eyebrow. Link returned the eye contact and snorted. "Fine."

He wetly slapped his cards onto the table and leaned back in his chair, so as to face vaguely in her direction.

"Hey Gigant- uh, Ginormica. You wanna play cards, or what?"

Susan gave a grunt of discontent and looked out across the room.

"That's not my name," she growled. She was getting really sick of this fish-guy, and fast.

"Told you." Link picked his cards up again. Dr. Cockroach extinguished the last of his cigarette and stood.

"You're insufferable," he mumbled.

"Your turn, Bob," Link and the blob continued the game as the doctor approached the giantess.

Dr. Cockroach adjusted his coat and his collar, folding his arms behind his back. He noticed his antennae twitching, and he urgently smoothed them down. He recognized that, as much as he was a rational man, he was still at least a little frightened of the giantess. His panicked antennae gave it away. He supposed the insect in him had a healthy fear of being crushed. She had her head resting on her knees, and it seemed she didn't see him coming yet.

"Ah- Susan," he reached out a tentative hand and placed it on her ankle. She jumped and pulled her leg away, lifting her head upright in an instant. Her eyes found the doctor retreating his hand to behind his back once again. "Forgive me, dear. I would like to extend a more sincere invitation to play cards, and to apologize for Link as well."

"It's ok, it's not your fault," Susan stretched out her legs and placed her hands in her lap. "And uh, thank you doctor, but," She reconsidered for a moment. Sitting by herself, she had begun to talk herself out of her big escape. Maybe if she could occupy herself, she could keep her will. "Actually, I will play cards. Thank you."

"Wonderful! We'll deal you right in." Calmer now, Cockroach strode back to the table. Susan gave him a few yards headstart, then drew herself to her full height. Link's ear fins twitched as he heard the giant stand. Bob whizzed his eye around to the other side of his head.

"Susan! Great!" the blue mass chimed.

"Great," Link grumbled. Boy, she just got bigger the closer she got. The ape's chair wobbled as she sat herself next to Doc, who lit up another cigarette. He was currently resting in the chair Susan had flattened a week ago. It was sent out for repairs, or rather reconstruction, but it still wasn't quite the same. Not to mention, his radio was still out of commission. Link tossed that complaint into the pile, which he was sure was almost as tall as Ginormica herself by now. He snatched all the cards back and reshuffled, as Bob attempted to explain the rules to her.

Surprisingly, Link played nice, and the card game went quite well. Susan could confidently say that had been the most fun she had had in prison up to that point. Even The Missing Link admitted, albeit silently, that he was still having a good time. The mad doctor leaned back, admiring his work. Bob was absolutely gleeful, adding another friend to his circle. Link had only begun to deal the 3rd round of cards when the alarm went off, signaling the monsters to return to their cells.

"UUUGGHH," Bob threw his head back and dropped his cards. "We were having so much fun!" He folded his arms and pouted, his singular eye looking particularly moist.

"It's alright Bob, we'll play more tomorrow," the doctor cooed, reassuring him with a pat on the back. Link laid the rest of the cards on the table, and tried not to give off the impression that he wouldn't mind playing with Susan again.

Susan stood and exhaled, preparing herself. It's now or never, Murphy. You can do this. The door motors whirred and halted, open just far enough for the shorter monsters to enter. Just enough for her to grab on. She took a few awkward steps forward, for good measure, and then whipped around as fast as she could. Her footfalls thundered through the room as she accelerated towards the cracked doors, a full-tilt-fifty-foot fury. Link shrieked and ran, Doc gasped and scuttled out of the way, and Bob stayed put. Her right foot landed squarely in the blue blob, and the giant took a mighty tumble. She struck the ground full force, narrowly missing the other two as they dove out of the way yet again. Link was knocked off his knuckles by the impact. Bob detached himself from her shoe and quickly she stood again, sticking as much of her hands as she could fit in the smaller doors. With a semi-solid grip, she curled her arms upward, and the larger door started to give way. The motors groaned and an alarm began to sound, but Susan couldn't even hear it over the adrenaline. With a grunt, she kept pulling, until the hatch was maybe thirty feet off the ground.

"What's she doing?" Doc stood and brushed himself off. Link was grinning devilishly from gill to gill.

"What's it look like doc? Suzy's busting us out."

Susan crouched and her hunch was confirmed, an empty loading bay waited on the other side. She crawled through the opening and took off, as fast as her long legs could carry her. A few odd guards could be heard shouting, and running frantically at the new exit. Walkie-talkies began buzzing with the breaking news that Ginormica was loose. Link threw himself into the hallway, raised his arms, and roared. The guards shrieked, giving the remaining trio just enough time.

"C'mon, Bob!" the cockroach screeched, scuttling out behind Link. Bob raced off after them as sleepy guards fought to remember protocol. The doctor and Bob wheeled off after Link, who turned the opposite direction from Susan's path, down an empty vestibule.

"Uh, shouldn't we be following Susan?" Bob asked.

"Of course not, that's where the guards are," Link panted, knuckles slapping steel as he ran. Cockroach dropped down to all fours and began scuttling at full speed. He shot a questioning glance at the ape, between checking the hall in front of him.

"But what if she needs our help?"

"She's five stories tall for crying out loud, why would she need our help? Trust me-" Link cut himself off to peer around the next corner. He motioned that the coast was clear and resumed stride. "Our best shot is without her."

Exit, exit, exit- Susan's eyes searched frantically for that word. She couldn't find it anywhere. The sounds of guards shouting began to fill the empty corridor between the echoes of each step she took. Shoot, Susan, faster! She took a sharp turn to her left to see EXIT blazoned in tactical red stencil. The corridor opened into the cavernous expanse of the prison, and a transport platform awaited her. Up in the ceiling, a massive vent shone moonlight through the slats. Perfect! She skidded out onto the platform and crouched low to the manual control panel. Crap, it had a locked cover. It was too small to get a good grip on, and smashing it ran the risk of sending her further downward.

"Agh!" Susan stood and ran back the way she came, taking one giant stride over the guards catching up to her. They all shouted as she loomed over them,

"Halt!"

"Stop!"

"Freeze!" but they couldn't stop her now. She was so close! Disheveled day guards appeared out of elevators, their stun guns fully charged. She practically had to dance around each squadron to avoid stepping on them, but she continued as fast as she could towards another way out. Suddenly the engines of gyrocopters fired up in the hallways she passed, but she just kept pushing. One flew directly out in front of her; she caught it by the tail and pitched it down the next corridor. She prayed it didn't crash but she didn't have time to check.

"Where are we going?" Bob asked, for probably the fourth time. The Missing Link wailed in annoyance.

"We're escaping, Bob! We're getting out of here!" He bellowed, losing breath steadily. "We're getting to the jumbo jet again. It almost worked last time, and now we've got a better distraction."

Dr. Cockroach was silent. He should have run after Susan, he should have stood up to Link, he should have acted on his own accord. The thought of them escaping, with that poor girl still trapped alone, made him nauseous. And yet, he kept scuttling along. He shook his head, and with a frustrated exclamation he ran himself up the wall and back in the opposite direction.

"Doc?" Bob slowed and watched the bug-man scurry away. Link turned at Bob's voice and saw the cockroach disappearing down the hallway.

"What are you DOING?" he roared, throwing his hands with defeat. The doctor said nothing, and was soon out of sight. "Agh!" Link rubbed his furrowed brow and growled, absolutely fuming.

"I think he's going to help Susan," the glob pointed out.

"Whatever! We'll go without him. I'm getting back to Cocoa Beach," he stuck his thumb into his chest. Link turned, but Bob didn't budge.

"I don't wanna leave him, Link."

Frantically she read the walls, looking for a direction. EMERGENCY EXIT caught her eye, at mid-shin height. She almost tripped making a pinpoint pivot in the direction of the red arrow. She followed it intensely, not looking further down the hallway. When she reached the end of the line, there it was. A standard, human-sized door. She could get barely as much as her forearm through it. Susan leaned her forehead on the wall, too exhausted and frustrated to cry out. She panted heavily, feeling defeat overtake her. The place was an absolute labyrinth. Then, mechanical voice ripped her from her spell.

"GINORMICA, HALT," the copilot of a gyrocopter boomed through a megaphone, as he hovered at eye-level at the mouth of the hall. Without really thinking, Susan turned and took two steps towards the chopper. The pilots screamed, and their aircraft wavered. She reached out a hand to push it out of her way, but the copilot fired. A large syringe, much like the one she saw on her wedding day, stuck firmly into her shoulder. The effect was almost immediate. She staggered back a step, but her fingers hadn't even reached the barrel by the time her eyelids began to droop. Her hand fumbled sideways, gripping onto the metal catwalk, and as she swayed it was ripped like paper from the wall. Her legs finally buckled beneath her, and the giantess hit the floor, unconscious.