Hmm… seems like people do like this story. I just hope this chapter doesn't make you think otherwise… Here's chapter two!

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

"Hey! Look out!"

"Watch it, kid!"

"This is a dig site, for goodness sake…"

Zak and Fiskerton were constantly met with complaints from the workers, so much so that the Cryptid was beginning to get discouraged. But the Saturday child only got wound out more.

"Come on, Fisk, if this stuff is that important, then it must be worth seeing!" The dark eyed boy assured. He suddenly looked down to a single worker. "You want any help, dude?"

"Well, quite interesting of you to ask young boy, but sure." The woman in question responded, smiling brightly, her gender revealed when she had turned.

"Oh. Sorry, lady!" Zak gave a nervous laugh with Fisk. "I didn't-"

"No, all of our uniforms are the same… these suits are practically tents." She sighed. "Pick up a shovel and start digging. There's not a lot way out here."

Zak turned behind him to see that they were at the very end of the dig site, the bunch of archeological workers dotting the sand.

"Thanks… not a lot of people here are…." Zak tried to finish nicely, but found he couldn't.

"Nice? Yeah, I noticed." She replied dryly, looking up to Fiskerton. "A Cryptid? Not many of those left, are there?" Zak slid off of Fisk's shoulders with the creature's help.

"Nope… Fisk's the last one of the Fiskerton Phantoms." Zak began to dig, solemnly holding his shovel as Fisk searched for one to help the two. "How do you know about Cryptids?"

"Research. Your parents aren't the only ones who are interested in this stuff." She swung her dirt filled shovel to dump into a pile she had made. "So you're Zak Saturday?"

"How'd you know, lady?" He replied, doing the same with his shovel.

"Like I said, your parents aren't only ones interested in the Cryptid field. Your mother and father are infamous, hence you are as well." She finished, tugging on her desert flap hat as strands of her blonde hair were pushed from her face.

"Huh. Never thought of that." Zak pushed his shovel deeper into the soil. He continued to dig with the unknown woman, Fisk aiding the best way he could. The three became good acquaintances, chatting about various subjects from Cryptids to dig sites. (What more can you talk about way out here?) "Hey, miss," Zak suddenly piped up after digging for about a half-hour period, the boy becoming antsy. "We're gonna go, Fisk and I wanna get back to my mom and dad."

"Oh, well thank you for your help, Zak." She smiled, Zak still finding it odd that she knew his name. "And you too Fisk." Fisk muttered in his weird language to the scientist, Zak hopping onto his friend's shoulders once more. "Wait! Can you two get the shovels you used and put them over by my bag? I don't want to forget them when I go back in."

"Sure." Zak slid off the Cryptid's shoulders once more, running over to catch the shovels for the lady. As he passed her digging site, his feet dug into the ground where they had been digging deeply. Fisk got nervous for a moment, catching the small sound of the earth shifting beneath the boy's weight. The woman felt the sand change nearby, but didn't know what to make of it. Fisk ran forward as well, feeling danger approach. Cracks bolted from Fisk's feet, Zak's own area giving way once he had the shovels in his grasp. "WHOA!" Zak cried, dropping the shovels to rush to Fisk.

The ground jolted within the area, the woman shouting in shock. A tremor began to erupt from the sand, the sloping hills around the area giving way.

"FISK! FISK! Get the lady!" Zak commanded to his friend, the boy grabbing the claw that was attached to his belt loop. Fisk froze for a moment, unsure whether to do as he was told or to save Zak. Zak managed to launch the Claw's hook out against the pole of a standing tent, and haul himself out of the forming sinkhole with alarming speed.

With Zak now flying to safety, Fisk dove for the scientist, who was trying to rush off, but every step she took was lost in the breaking sand. Zak was pulled out of his safety launch and looked back in fright. The Claw served for another purpose, the boy thought, whipping it forward to get a grip on the back of the dig site worker's shirt. She felt the boy pull with all his might, Fisk trying to race over to give assistance.

By now, the rumbling and the commotion had captured the attention of various workers as they stood frozen in shock. The woman tried to get out of the caving in area, but no avail, the sand gone, now replaced with old broken dirt.

The cracked ground dropped.

The woman gave out a scream, her body falling into the endless cavern, Zak pulled with her with a cry. Fisk had just made it out of the unstable sand, only to see Zak skyrocket past him towards the bottomless hole. The Cryptid grabbed the boy's ankle with all his might, Zak slamming to the ground as his face and shoulders were hanging over the new hole. Now the Saturday child had never possessed a fear of heights, but the sight of this sharp, dangerous, and dark (and endless) cavern made his breath hitch.

"ZAK!?" The woman cried when her drop from the sky had halted, the Claw's grip on her shirt the only thing letting her hang over the cave. She swung back and forth as winds raced into the new black abyss.

"Fisk's got us!" He replied when the scientist's call reached his ears. But despite his guarantee, the creature was having difficulty hauling them both, due to a lack of stable rock. "Well, I'm sure he'll get us up soon!" Zak added with a shake to his voice when he heard Fiskerton grunt in frustration. The woman began to worry as she looked down, observing the dim slopes of rock and stalagmites. A nearby ledge gave her a jolt of hope.

"I'm gonna jump to a ledge! It looks stable!" The blonde woman hollered, her flap hat now gone, along with her shovel. "I'll try to swing over!"

"You sure?" Zak asked, his white spiky hair starting to get into his eyes.

"Yes! Now when I say so, let me go!" She finished, and started to gain momentum as she pushed back and forth with her legs, swimming in the air. Her swings got wider and longer, Zak feeling the tension on his artifact increase. He struggled to hold on for a little longer. The scientist got the same feeling, getting anxious as the ledge got closer. Zak cried out.

"I-I can't hold it!!" She made a decision.

"NOW!"

Zak let the claw's handle loosen on her shirt, praying she would make it. For a few wild moments, she soared through the awakened wind, her eyes set on the ledge. Fisk, still expecting to be hold two people, was thrown back with Zak, the boy loosing sight of the lady.

"NO!" He yelled in frustration, untangling himself from Fisk to race for the edge of the abyss. She was gone. His eyes desperately searched the darkness, dread swarming his mind and worry driving him to look longer.

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

"And then, my dear, we can find how old a being or piece of history is!" Dr. Darkofsky explained, holding up his two Carbon ions.

"Carbon dating sounds… Interesting, Philip." Doc confirmed, Drew nodding. "I think we-"

A rumble sounded from outside, Komodo grumbling deep within his throat. Zon screeched and blasted out of the tent, obviously unnerved. The two Saturday parents exchanged a worried glance, and bolted out after Zon, Komodo following.

"Do you think Zak's in danger?" Drew asked, starting to panic a little. Some workers were shouting about a cave in, only increasing her fear.

"He's always in danger…" Doc sighed.