—CHAPTER 20—
Bird sounds.
A faint light, slowly becoming clearer.
Jack could now make out the fabric of the pillow he was lying on. Gently, he lifted his head and rose from the sheets, letting out a contented yawn. Rarely had he woken up feeling so well rested.
Just then, Jack realized just how wrong this was. Normally, he was abruptly awoken by his alarm clock, set for seven in the morning, six days a week. Today as Wednesday, wasn't it? And yet that clock read quarter to ten, but he hadn't heard a peep from it. Was it broken? It worked fine yesterday.
Suddenly, a more important realization caught Jack's attention: Where is Ashi? It appeared that she had gotten up earlier and let him sleep in. He wondered why she would do that. Did she tell him something before he went to bed that he forgot? No sign of Wolf either. The dog was always found wound tight at the foot of the bed between them, and remained there long after he and Ashi got out of bed. Him being gone was unusual as well, and finally pushed Jack to climb out of bed and investigate.
The apartment was quiet and still. Scanning the area, Jack stepped carefully out into the hall, and into the open area of the apartment. The living room, kitchen, dining room, all empty. The front door was still locked up from the night before, impossible to do from the other side, so nobody had left the apartment. That defused the initial concern. Now confident that Ashi and Wolf would show themselves soon, Jack remembered he was only wearing his boxer shorts, and decided to start getting ready for the day in the meantime.
Jack walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, bending down to rinse his face with cold water. He leaned back up and spotted himself in the mirror, and began to ponder his appearance as he wiped the excess moisture from his beard. Maybe it was time for a shave?
Reflecting on his reflection, Jack failed to notice the bathroom door slowly being pushed closed by a shadowy figure that had been lurking in the corner. The sound of the running water covered her footsteps as she snuck up behind him, ready to pounce. Jack only saw the looming danger for a split second in the mirror; by the time he turned around, it was already too late.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Ashi shouted joyfully, leaping onto Jack and wrapping herself around his back. She startled him even further with a loving kiss on the lips, which he reciprocated until she broke off and dismounted his torso. Wolf had been in the bathtub, lying down at Ashi's behest. Once Ashi popped out, the dog stood in the bathtub with its tongue out, wagging its tail excitedly.
"Ashi! You remembered," Jack gushed as he moved in for another kiss, only to place his lips on the tip of her index finger.
"Not until you brush your teeth," she ordered with a sly grin, "First one was a freebie."
With his own smirk, Jack turned back around to the sink and pulled his toothbrush out of the holder. Wolf had climbed out of the bathtub and ended up on Jack's left, now vying for his attention.
Ashi leaned against the countertop to his right, "Of course I remembered, you don't have to sound so surprised!" she playfully scolded.
Jack laughed, laying the toothpaste on his brush, "Well, to be honest, I had forgotten it was my birthday until just now," he remarked as he started brushing with his right hand, and petting Wolf with his left.
"What? How do you forget your own birthday?" Ashi asked incredulously, "I thought you turned twenty-eight, not seventy-eight."
Jack shrugged with the toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, before removing it to spit in the sink. "I just never cared much for celebrating my own birthday, is all. Even as a child, it was just another important day I wasn't able to spend with my parents, presents or not. And sure, they got better when I came here, but last year was… well, there was nothing to celebrate," he mused, resuming brushing. His left hand fell back to his side, and Wolf started licking it affectionately.
"Yeah…" Ashi trailed off somberly, looking down, thinking of when Jack was at his lowest point. However, she bounced back almost immediately. "But, hey…!" Ashi exclaimed hopefully, "Last year was then, and this year is now; you've been through so much since then, and you deserve to enjoy your birthday. So, I took the liberty of cancelling classes for today, so that we could celebrate it properly!" she touted, standing next to him proudly with her hands on her hips.
"Hmmm," Jack hummed in contemplation while brushing. After spitting, he spoke, "'Properly', you say?" He placed the toothbrush back in the holder and turned to her as he exited the bathroom, "And what is the proper way to celebrate my birthday?" he asked coyly.
Ashi explained as she stepped into the hallway to let Jack into the bedroom first, "That's up to you. It is your birthday, so we can do whatever you want!" Wolf attempted to follow them into the room, but Ashi silently directed him to stay outside the room, and closed the door. The dog bowed its head with a huff, and trotted over to the living room couch.
"Whatever I want…?" Jack thought aloud, sitting at the edge of the bed to hear more.
Facing the closed door, Ashi turned her head to cast a seductive side glance at Jack. "Yep, whatever you want…" she cooed, spinning around to properly display her attire: the green lingerie he got her for Christmas. With a sultry gaze, Ashi slowly sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck gently. Her voice was soft, her face only inches from his, "Nothing is off the table, Jack, so whatever it is, just name it…"
Jack stared wide-eyed at her for a moment, seemingly enraptured by the endless possibilities, before finally blurting out, "I want to climb a mountain."
Ashi's seductive gaze turned into a blank stare, "…What?" She moved away to look at him in confusion.
"Ever since I moved here, I've wanted to hike up one of the mountains outside of the city, but I was always so busy that I never made the time for it; but now, I finally have the opportunity!" he explained excitedly, oblivious to the mood Ashi was trying to set.
"Oh…kaaaay…?" she affirmed with a puzzled expression, still surprised at his response. "So, where is this mountain you want to climb?" she asked.
"Faust Mountain. It's less than an hour outside the city, and it's not too big of a climb," said Jack, "We could easily reach the top before sunset and be back in town for dinner!"
Ashi nodded slowly, "Huh… alright. You know what? Yeah! That sounds like fun!" she cheered, hyping herself up, "I haven't been on a hike in forever, let's do it!"
Jack smiled brightly at her enthusiasm, "Great! Let's get dressed so we can head out as soon as—" he started to get up, but Ashi immediately pushed him backwards onto the bed.
"Hold on there, birthday boy," she ordered, propping herself up over him on the bed, "I didn't put this on for nothing. We're not going anywhere until I give you your first gift," Ashi began to crawl over him onto the bed slowly and promiscuously, making her way slowly to his face. Once she arrived, she whispered in his ear seductively, "So be a good boy, and put on your birthday suit~…"
Blushing profusely, Jack's only response was a mystified, "O-Oh my…"
/
After a hearty birthday breakfast at Brewshido, Jack and Ashi headed past the city limits towards Faust Mountain. The trip was, as Jack said, around forty-five minutes or so, prompting Ashi to realize how often she had seen this very mountain over the horizon from the city.
They passed through the front booth into the open area at the foot of the mountain, where dozens of families were enjoying the nice weather in the public park. Once Jack's bike was secured, the couple made their way through the field towards the mountain trail, each carrying a light backpack of supplies. Jack's had a bag lunch for each of them, and a first aid kit—just in case. Ashi's bag was full of outdoor and climbing equipment, though Jack insisted that they wouldn't really need them.
Halfway across the field, Jack's cell phone rang, stopping him in his tracks. It was Scotsman, so he habitually held the phone away as he picked up, and his friend's voice came booming through, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADDIE!"
"Thank you, friend!" Jack replied with a smile.
"Sorry I didn't call sooner, I've been runnin' around with the doctor all mornin'," Scotsman explained, referring to the genius, Exdor. "One'a his inventions apparently got stolen, and I've been tryin' to track it down; guess the egghead should'a invented a lock fer it, eh!? AHHHAHAHAHAA" he joked raucously. "So, how are ya spendin' yer birthday this year? Ashi givin' ya a little workout, maybe?" he teased.
Jack rolled his eyes with a blush, "Not at the moment, no. Actually, we're at Faust Mountain National Park right now. We're going to hike up the mountain."
"Oh, really? It's about time!" Scotsman replied encouragingly, "I still remember when we were partners, ya always used to ask me to go hikin' with ya. Glad you finally found someone t' drag along instead!"
Chuckling at the memory, Jack explained, "Well, I figured it would be a good way for Ashi and I to challenge ourselves in preparation for the competition coming up."
"Aye, the Dome is next month already, ain't it? Ahh, I wouldn't worry. Ya got more than enough mettle between the two'a ya to win, hands down!" Scotsman declared confidently.
Jack was about to thank his friend for the vote of confidence, Exdor's nasally voice in the background caught his replied to it, "Alright, alright, just relax! We'll find it!" Scotsman shouted, then went back to talking to Jack, "Listen, I gotta go, but I'll see you and Ashi later tonight. Hopefully this thing'll be sorted out by then. See ya!"
Jack said goodbye to his friend before hanging up, then him and Ashi continued walking towards the mountain.
The trail began in between an opening in the trees lining the park, sided by a rather extravagant visitor center on the left, and a small cluster of odd-looking tents to the right. As Jack and Ashi neared the buildings, someone in the visitor center noticed them from the window, and quickly rushed outside to run over. The lanky man was wearing a park ranger uniform, jogging stiffly as he parked himself right in their path, posturing like an adult boy scout.
"Greetings, hikers! My name is Roger, and I'm the head ranger here at Faust Mountain National Park!" he greeted in a high pitch, nasally voice. "I see you folks are prepared to take on Lauren, is that it?"
"Lauren?" Ashi asked in confusion.
Roger pointed a thumb behind him, "Oh, that's just my pet name for the mountain. She's a humble mistress, but she'll cut you down hard for underestimating her, let me tell you," he shook his head with a tight-lipped smile. "Anywho! Just wanted to let you know that there's two paths you can take up the mountain: there's the normal hiking trail, and the nature express escalator!" he declared proudly, delivering a grand gesture towards a wooden staircase snaking it's way up the mountain just up ahead, "If you take the escalator, you get to go on the 'Wilderness Expert Ranger Tour', guided by yours truly! Only a few bucks per person!"
The couple stared at him blankly for a moment, then glanced at each other before Ashi spoke up, "No thank you, we'll just go up the normal way."
"Well, you're more than welcome to do so. Just make sure you watch out for the monster," Roger warned in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Monster…?" said Jack skeptically.
"Not just any monster: A Sasquatch!" Roger specified, "Folks have been going up the trail one minute and scrambling back down the next, hollering about how they were chased down by a big hairy creature. This has been going on for a couple months now, but it's gotten especially bad as of late. That's why we implemented the escalator," he explained somberly, but switched back to his camp counselor enthusiasm almost immediately. "On the bright side, the gift shop's been making a killing with all the new monster themed merchandise we have in stock. Good thing, too; Lauren is… pretty demanding when it comes to money," he admitted.
"The mountain?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
Roger shook his head, "My wife. Also named Lauren. She is very critical of my profession…" he said in dejected tone, and glanced towards the second floor of the visitor center. Jack and Ashi followed his gaze to a window with a curtain pushed aside, which fell back into its hanging position almost immediately when they looked. "But this Sasquatch business is the most exciting thing that's happened here since that wild pony outbreak a few years back! As weird as it sounds, I'm glad that things been terrorizing hikers! Just means I get to run the tour more often!" he giddily remarked.
"Sureee…" Ashi agreed half-heartedly, "Well, we should probably get climbing if we're going to reach the top before dark. Thanks for the info, bye!" she waved, pulling Jack along hurriedly.
"Oh, uh, good luck, you two!" Roger waved excitedly after them, "And be sure to visit the gift shop on the way back!"
With that exchange out of the way, Jack and Ashi quickly reached the forked start of the trail: the normal path to their left, and the "nature express escalator" to their right. Naturally, they went with the former.
The couple didn't get very far before they encountered another distraction: three distinctive monks who wore garbs resembling the tents they passed earlier sat solemnly on the side of the trail. They hadn't seemed to notice the hiker's approach, so they quietly attempted to walk past, only for one of the monks to shout sternly, "WAIT!"
Ashi let out a tired sigh, "Here we go…" she muttered under her breath.
The three monks stood up in unison, lining up in front of the couple's path.
"WE ARE THE MONKS OF THE MOUNTAIN," the first monk bellowed.
"THE MONKS OF THE MOUNTAIN, WE ARE," the second reiterated.
"MOUNTAIN MONKS," stated the last.
Ashi looked at them disinterestedly, "And we're… leaving," she attempted to walk around the wall of monks, but the barricade merely moved with her, prompting a more annoyed sigh from her.
"THE MOUNTAIN IS DISPLEASED," the first monk declared.
"THE BALANCE OF NATURE HAS BEEN DISRUPTED," added the second.
"NOT GOOD," said the last.
Jack, not at all surprised by this development, asked casually, "What do you mean?"
The second monk in the middle removed his hand from his sleeve and uncurled his fist to reveal a crinkled candy wrapper.
"MOTHER NATURE HAS BEEN DEFILED."
"THE BEAST LASHES OUT ON HER BEHALF."
"SHE'S PISSED."
Ashi noticed the monk retract his hand while still holding the wrapper, then glanced back at the garbage can they had just passed, not even ten feet away. With one last big sigh, she looked up at the monks, "Look, we appreciate the warning and all, but we'll take our chances," she declared dismissively.
The monks glanced down at her sternly for a moment before stepping aside in a line like an opened door to let Jack and Ashi pass. As they did so, the monks called out.
"BE ON YOUR GUARD!"
"ENJOY THE HIKE!"
"PLEASE DON'T LITTER!"
/
With all the distractions out of the way, Jack and Ashi finally gained some traction on their hike. They had been climbing for almost an hour now, and were about a quarter of the way up. The only thing surrounding them was lush green and towering trees, illuminated by beams of light breaking through the leafy canopy overhead.
As they followed the trail, Ashi's eyes wandered aimlessly, absorbing their surroundings appreciatively. She took a deep, relaxing breath "You know, Jack, this was a great idea. I didn't realize how much I missed the outdoors—the real outdoors. Kind of makes me wish we wish we didn't live in such a big city, but at least we're never too far from all this," she happily commented.
"I agree," said Jack, only a few feet behind her, "It's nice to finally get away from everything for a bit. Sometimes, the city just seems too crowded, but out here, it's just you and me…" he trailed off when he noticed Ashi had stopped, and was staring at something off to the left of the trail.
"You might've spoke too soon," she said, referring to a small tent stationed near a crowd of large bushes, then turned to Jack, "Are people allowed to camp up here?"
"Not that I'm aware of," he answered, as the pair approached the tiny campsite curiously. They went over to find the tent was opened up with no one inside, but a sleeping bag and other supplies made it clear that someone had been there recently. Still, there didn't seem to be anyone else around.
Ashi peered into the tent curiously, "Weird… hey, maybe the monster scared him away," she joked, and they both chuckled, unaware that the bushes behind them began to shake.
"Oh yes, he must've been quite the litterbug!" Jack remarked, eliciting more laughter, which distracted them from the rustling in the bushes.
"And I bet he ran right into the gift shop to buy a t-shirt!" Ashi added between breaths, their laughing continued as the rustling grew.
A shape began to rise out of the bushes, casting a shadow that loomed ominously over the jokesters. The laughter trailed off as they picked up on the change in lighting. Jack and Ashi turned around slowly, and their eyes looked up as their smiles went down.
Right there, towering over them, was a furry ape man with a bulky, hunched frame. It wore a snarling maw, and had jagged claws adorning a monstrous grip from it's hulking forearms, which raised as the creature unleashed a fierce bellow that seemed to shake the air around them.
"RUN!" Jack screamed without a second thought, and he and Ashi immediately bolted away from the creature, which began charging after them. The trees in their path weren't terribly numerous, but they still had to duck and weave occasionally to avoid branches as they fled, while the creature just plowed through them.
Up ahead, Jack noticed a particularly sturdy branch. Gathering his strength, he pulled ahead of Ashi and right into the branch, bending it back tightly. He shouted, "DUCK!" just before letting it slip, and Ashi slid below the slingshot branch which nailed the sasquatch square in the torso, staggering it.
Once it got its bearings, the monster was right back after them, and the chase turned into an uphill battle as Jack and Ashi fled towards an incline. The terrain remained stable at first, but eventually Ashi slipped on a patch of loose gravel.
"Ashi!" Jack stopped and turned back to see the monster approaching his fallen girlfriend with an outstretched hand.
Thinking quickly, Ashi steadied her arms on the ground and began dragging her feet along the gravel like a bicycle in place, kicking waves of rocks and dirt right in the sasquatch's face. The monster used its arms to block the debris, but backed up just enough to lose balance and tumble backwards down the hill.
By the time the creature picked itself up, Jack and Ashi had already gone beyond the top of the slope, and the creature let out a roar in anger. It lowered itself into a deep squat, and stayed there for a few seconds, before launching itself high enough to match the trees, landing over the incline with a violent thud. Shaking off the impact, the sasquatch lumbered ahead vigorously, checking every direction for the elusive hikers as it disappeared deeper into the forest.
The air was silent for several moments before Jack and Ashi finally climbed down from the trees they were hiding in, confident that the coast was clear.
"Okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea," Jack remarked, brushing himself off, "It's not that late yet; if we head back down now, we'd still have plenty of time for another activity."
Ashi shook her head as she knelt down and started rummaging through her knapsack. "And let some urban myth ruin your birthday? No way. You wanted to go for a hike, and here we are. We're going to finish this thing, monster or not," she asserted with a positive demeanor.
Jack looked down at her, "Ashi, there's nothing 'mythical' about this creature; we saw it with our own eyes! If we go any further, we are willingly putting ourselves in danger," he argued.
"Wouldn't be the first time," she shrugged, taking an emergency flare from her bag and slipping it into her back pocket. "Besides, now that we actually know what we're up against, I think we could take it," Ashi remarked as she pulled a matchstick from a small book and tucked it behind her ear.
"Ashi, we're dealing with a half-ton ape man that can clear the treetops in a single leap! We've never faced anything like this before!" Jack argued worriedly as he was handed a sheathed hunting knife.
"True, but now we have some time to prepare ourselves. Next time that thing shows its ugly mug, we'll be ready for it," she declared confidently, clutching a length of taught rope in her fist.
"I don't suppose my birthday privileges will change your mind?" Jack asked, already knowing what the answer would be.
"Nope!" Ashi smiled cheerfully, draping the length of rope over her head and firmly wrapping it around herself. "Of course, you're free to assert that authority if you really don't want to keep going, but I reserve the right to call you a coward and a quitter if you do. Your call," she teased.
Jack sighed, hooking the knife to his left hip, "Right… well, let's be on our way," and started back towards the trail with Ashi eagerly following at his side.
/
Inside the usual diner, Scotsman and ExTor sat in one of its back booths. Fed up over their lack of progress, Scotsman put their investigation on hold for a lunch break. The officer was sloppily tearing into a plate of chicken wings, while the witness sat anxiously across from him, tapping his fingers against the table.
After cleaning off another bone, Scotsman glanced over to see that ExTor's plate had barely been touched. "Hey, start eatin' already! I ain't coverin' ya fer nothin'!" he complained.
ExTor sputtered in disbelief, "How can you gorge yourself like that when we have a potential crisis on our hands!?"
"Listen, buddy: No man does a good job on an empty stomach! Missin' my lunch hour would be a major hinderance to our investigation!" Scotsman asserted, then shot an incriminating glare at ExTor while he bit into another wing, "Not that we were havin' any luck in the first place!"
ExTor adjusted his spectacles defensively, "Well, as I told you before, this model was merely a prototype. Fully functional, mind you, but the thing had been sitting in the lab for months before I even touched it again. It was completely unprecedented that someone would manage to infiltrate the lab and take it!"
Wiping his face with a napkin, Scotsman scoffed, "You tell me, smart guy! Far as I know, we're the only two people who even know it exists! This whole thing is a wild goose chase! We've got no suspects, no evidence, no leads; I got nothin' t' work with here!" he complained, biting into another wing.
Rubbing his temples, ExTor bowed his head down towards the plate in front of him. "Ohhh, this is not good. Just imagine what someone could do once they find out what it's capable of! Th-They could be wreaking havoc halfway across town by now!" he exclaimed nervously, then clutched his cheeks in horrific realization, "What if AKu has it? By god, his scientists have probably reverse-engineered it by now…they could be mass-producing them as we speak; we wouldn't stand a chance against that! An army of—"
"WOULD YA RELAX!?" Scotsman interrupted ExTor's panicked train of thought, "If someone was gonna go on a crime spree with it, we'd already be hearin' about it!" he pointed out, gesturing to the radio strapped to his shirt. "And as fer that other concern, just don't. Ye can't spend all yer time worryin' about what that crook is up to, it'll just drive ya mad! Take it from someone who's seen it happen before." He paused to wash down his meal with a drink, then continued, "What we need is a better way t' look around the city. We've scoured every inch'a it on foot, but a view from the air could be the breakthrough we need! I don't suppose you got some sort'a flyin' contraption we could use fer that?" he inquired.
"Well, yes, but there's a very slim chance that we—" ExTor's reply was cut short by a vital remembrance, "EUREKA! Why didn't I think of it sooner!?" he adjusted his googles excitedly, getting up from the booth, "To the lab!" he exclaimed excitedly, pointing himself forward as he ran out of the restaurant.
Scotsman called after him, pointing at the dish he had left behind, "HEY, HOLD ON! YER WRAPPIN' THAT UP AND TAKIN' IT WITH YA!"
/
The sun was still high in the sky as Jack and Ashi stopped to eat their lunches, in a small clearing just off the trail. Up ahead, the trail appeared became a narrow pathway along a dangerously steep cliff, as they came ever closer to the mountain's peak. Both of them ate their sandwiches slowly and anxiously, anticipating their next encounter with the fierce sasquatch.
Jack was taking small bites as he surveyed the surrounding area vigilantly for any signs of movement. His head would snap in the direction of even the smallest sound, which always ended up being a chipmunk scurrying, or a falling leaf.
Meanwhile, Ashi was trying to multitask, using a nearby rock to sharpen the ends of long sticks between bites. Eager to dust off her Imakandi hunting skills, she had already amassed several makeshift spears in preparation.
"So," Jack finally spoke up, "What exactly do we hope to accomplish here?"
Ashi didn't look up from her work, "What do you mean?"
"Say we manage to win against this creature; what then? Do we skin it and bring the coat back as a trophy? Are we going to mount it's head in our living room?" he asked with a hint of condescension.
"Oh, I see," Ashi scoffed with a smirk, "You think this is a pride thing. Okay, yeah, maybe it is; but this thing has been terrorizing everyone who comes up here. It may not be our responsibility, but if we can at least scare it away, maybe we can make the mountain a little safer for everyone else," she asserted, clutching the spear with a serious gaze.
Jack smiled, knowing well enough that her noble intentions were sincere, and she returned it. The moment was cut short, however, when a distinctive shuffling was heard off in the trees. The two suddenly stood up at full attention, each grasping one of the sharpened sticks readily.
They stood back to back, steady and still as the sound became clearer and closer. The echo made it impossible to ascertain which direction it was coming from, but it was coming fast, and they gripped their weapons tightly.
Suddenly, the woods went silent. Only the sound of a few falling leaves could be heard. A moment that seemed to last an eternity.
Then, just as suddenly, the beast came barreling towards them from the trees, bellowing a tremendous war cry of a roar. The duo reacted by powerfully hurling their spears at the creature, which were effortlessly swatted aside.
Jack and Ashi each picked up another spear and ran at the monster themselves. The creature reared back as they approached, bringing its hammer-like fists down hard to crush them, but the couple split up to dodge and surrounded it on both sides. Thrusting their spears at the monster's wide-open ribs, they were stunned to find the sticks bent and broken, unable to pierce the furry hide.
Their pause gave the sasquatch enough time to react, turning towards Ashi to retaliate by swiping at her with its claws, but she gracefully dodged each attack. Jack was compelled to intervene, and leapt onto the creature's back. He tried to draw the hunting knife, but he creature's violent jostling forced him to keep a tight grip. Ashi utilized the distraction to attack, latching onto the monster's front and wailing on its face with her bare fists. This seemed to have an affect on the creature, which couldn't seem to focus as it struggled to dislodge the assailants.
Jack finally managed to reach the knife, and went for a powerful stab into the monster's back. Once again, the knife simply bounced off the surface with a distinctive metallic clank, and he looked at the knife in pure bewilderment.
Finally, the creature managed to get them off, grabbing Ashi firmly around the waist whilst throwing Jack over it's head. He shook it off just in time to see the giant ape lift its massive foot, about to deliver a bone-crushing stomp.
Fortunately, however, Ashi's arms were still free, so she pulled out the matchstick and safety flare she'd been concealing, lit them both respectively, and aimed it point-blank at the creature's face. The monster let out a strangely human cry, dropping her in alarm as its facial fur caught fire. It knelt down and began frantically rubbing its face along the dirt to extinguish the flames.
Ashi went over to check on Jack, who looked up at her in frustration, "This isn't working!"
"Yeah, maybe this was a bad idea," she admitted, helping him to his feet, "Let's go!" and the two fled towards the trail.
The creature was able to put out the fire, and saw them trying to escape again, so it hefted up a nearby boulder and hurled the stone in their direction.
Ashi noticed the rock coming at them, and shouted, "Look out!" tackling Jack out of the way as it landed right in their path on the narrow ridge. With the boulder blocking the way forward, and the sasquatch blocking the way back, the only way out was down.
With Ashi already lying on top of him, Jack wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Tuck in your head!" he ordered, and rolled them both off the steep incline before the beast could catch them. The creature watched them disappear into the brush, bellowed a victorious roar, then lumbered back into the trees.
The pair tumbled for what felt like an eternity, being buffeted by the hard ground over and over again, before finally hitting the bottom of the hill, which ended at a sharp angle that split them apart. Jack stopped sooner than Ashi, who kept rolling and got her foot got caught on a large root sticking out of the ground, causing her to yelp in pain.
Covered in scrapes and dirt, Jack quickly pushed himself up and went over to tend to her, "Ashi! Are you alright?"
Ashi winced, sitting up to clutch her leg. "Yeah… I think I turned my ankle…" she said, lightly rubbing the appendage.
Kneeling beside her, Jack reached down and lifted her leg, gently applying pressure as he moved down her calf slowly towards her foot. He asked her, "Does this hurt?"
Once he hit the ankle, she hissed, "Right there… stings a bit."
Jack lowered the leg tenderly, "Just a minor sprain, but you should stay off it for now."
"But we can't just sit here, that thing is still out there," Ashi reminded worriedly, "Go find some help, I'll wait here in hiding until you get back."
Jack looked at her defiantly, "I'm not leaving you behind, there must be another way," he urged. If he still had his first aid kit, they could've at least wrapped the ankle to get her by, but they were forced to ditch their supplies when they fled from the sasquatch.
"What other choice do we have? Do you intend to carry me the rest of the way?" Ashi remarked sarcastically.
However, Jack started to considered the notion. He noticed that Ashi still had a considerable length of sturdy rope wrapped around her torso. Luckily, it wasn't wasted trying to subdue the creature, which likely would've freed itself effortlessly from the binding.
Ashi noticed Jack's thoughtful expression, "What?"
/
"Jack, this is humiliating…"
"Oh, come on, Ashi, no one else is even around. I was just being resourceful. Besides…"
The couple continued their way up the mountain, trying to get back to the trail, but only one of them was walking. Jack had fashioned a makeshift harness for Ashi with straps that allowed him to carry her on his back. Ashi was currently pouting in disapproval, crossing her arms as she held her legs up.
"I think a little humility would serve you well," Jack remarked with an amused grin.
Ashi turned her head slightly to address him, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Very much so."
"Ass…"
/
The bright glow of a large monitor was the only light in the dimly-lit, expansive space. There, Scotsman and ExTor sat attentively, at a pair of crosshairs skimming over a detailed map of the city and surrounding areas.
"I had installed a GPS tracking device on the machine very early in its development, and I completely forgot about it until now. We can use the satellite uplink to locate the pilfered device wherever it may be," ExTor explained, typing away on the keyboard in front of him, "Let's just hope our culprit hasn't travelled too far."
Scotsman had a sudden realization with this new info, and his surprised expression fell into a scowl aimed at the engineer seated next to him. "So, what yer tellin' me is that we spent the entire blasted day traipsin' around town fer yer fancy doo-hicky, when all ya had t' do was just hit a couple buttons on yer computer to find it in minutes?"
ExTor, looked away from the screen to see Scotsman's seething glare, "Well, t-technically…uh, I-I mean…to be, uh, precise…." he stammered nervously, then pointed out what was happening on the screen, "H-Hey, look! We finally picked up the machine's signal!"
The crosshair slowly zoomed in on the triangulated location, and Scotsman squinted as he began to recognize where it was. "Wait a second, that's…"
/
The sun no longer at its apex in the sky, and was slowly descending towards the mountain range on the horizon. Still, Jack and Ashi still had plenty of daylight left for the rest of their ascent.
Their "tactical retreat" had set them back a little, and they had no idea where the trail was, but they were still keeping a good pace. All they had to do was go uphill to reach the top of the mountain as planned, then the way back would be revealed.
With Jack doing all the walking, Ashi stared upwards and watched the treetops go by, trying to stave off boredom. She finally spoke up, "So, what now?"
"We're going to trap this 'Sasquatch', then we're going to reach the top of the mountain," Jack stated confidently, still soldiering along.
Ashi turned her head towards him with an expression of disbelief, "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
"But how are we supposed to accomplish that? We tried taking that thing head on, and look where it got us!" Ashi exclaimed, using both arms to gesture at their surroundings, "Whatever it is, there's no way we can just catch it," she reminded.
"It must be some kind of machine, you saw the way it repelled our attacks. If that's the case, we need only find a way to shut it down," Jack asserted, then brought his hand to his chin in contemplation, "But how…?"
The conversation paused to give the two a chance to brainstorm. Ashi closed her eyes with a sigh, recognizing they were in no better position for knowing the creature's true nature. Just then, the sound of running water caught her attention, and she glanced to her left to see a small stream snaking its way down the mountain next to them.
"What if we got it wet?" suggested Ashi.
Jack then looked to his right at the stream as well, "That could work, assuming we're able to get the creature where we need it to be." The slope they were ascending was just about to plane off as Jack mulled over the possibility of dousing the sasquatch. However, it was clear that the only water available to them at the moment would not be enough to properly submerge the beast, and he addressed that as they made it onto the level ground, "But even then, we're going to need a lot more…"
The source of the stream was revealed: a surprisingly large pond high up on the mountain; an oasis to any wayward travelers making the hike without supplies. Not only did Jack and Ashi fit that bill, but the body of water would also serve as the perfect spot to finally apprehend the phony sasquatch.
"Water!" Jack finally finished the sentence in elation, and Ashi peeked over his shoulder with a smile of her own.
They decided to take a break from their climb (for Jack's sake), having a drink of and resting by the pond while waiting for the sasquatch to inevitably show up once again. After they formulated their strategy for dealing with the monster, they began to theorize who was really behind it all. AKu, of course, was a prime suspect, but there were other strong possibilities this time as well.
Roger the ranger, for instance, was making a killing off the creature through merchandise AND off giving guided tours up the mountain stairwell. Perhaps his miserly wife pushed him to formulate the scheme? Maybe she herself was behind it all, taking matters into her own hands? Either way, it all seemed a little too convenient for the over-eager park ranger.
Then there were the three odd monks who had made their home at the foot of the mountain, clearly displeased with all the thoughtless hikers polluting the mountain. Their unusual behavior seemed poised to scare off any ne'er-do-wells that might cause trouble in the forest, but those who were not dissuaded by warnings—like Jack and Ashi—needed a more potent deterrent. What better way to drive trespassers away than a product of the very nature they sought to protect?
Either possibility still raised a single question: How did the culprit get their hands on a machine that could pose as a giant ape man so convincingly? Once again, the answer appeared to be AKu's meddling. Only someone of his wealth could afford something like that, and only he would have reason to cause such havoc. Whatever that reason, Jack and Ashi were now determined to put a stop to it.
Their trap was simple, involving a miniature peak at overlooking the pond, with a perch in the form of a dead tree sticking out over the water. Jack sat at the edge of the bridge to nowhere, eyes shut, in a meditative position, while Ashi remained out of sight. In his hand, Jack clenched one end of the rope he had used for Ashi's harness, the other end tied around the tree underneath him.
Not long ago, Jack would have found it impossible to achieve tranquility through meditation, his mind clouded by thoughts of failure and regret. Now that all of that was behind him, he was easily able to clear his mind and enter a calm, blissful state; surrounded by nature, the sounds of birds and running water, and with a light breeze flowing through his hair.
His eyes were shut, but Jack's senses were picking up even the smallest sounds happening around him. The scampering of a squirrel climbing a tree. A bird taking a quiet bath at the edge of the pond. The subtle swish of a falling leaf. A distinctive thud, approaching from beyond the trees.
It's coming.
The sound of the creature's footsteps became the only thing Jack could hear, as the sasquatch sauntered over to the small hill where he was perched. It had found them again, just as they anticipated. But unlike their last encounter, things would turn out differently this time.
Jack remained motionless as the monster made its way up the mound, seemingly unaware of its presence. The creature stepped as quietly as possible with the massive weight behind each foot, eager to take advantage of the defenseless victim. It stepped onto the tree with its huge mitts outstretched, and Jack could hear the wood creaking underneath them as the beast drew closer and closer, growling quietly in preparation of its attack.
Patiently, he waited. The sasquatch reared back, ready to grab him, causing vibrations in the tree with even the smallest movement. A single bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
Everything stopped for a moment.
A quiet breeze blew past them.
Silence.
Suddenly, the beast lunged to catch him in a bear hug, but Jack reacted in time by diving off the tree, much to the creature's surprise. It gazed down at the water, expecting a splash, but nothing happened. Instead, Jack had swung himself underneath the tree and landed behind the sasquatch, which did not have enough room on the perch to turn all the way around, and could only turn its upper body halfway. Caught off guard and off balance, the creature was helpless as Jack delivered a leaping kick right into the side of its head, sending it staggering off the tree and right into the water below with a huge splash, disappearing from view.
Jack stared with a stoic gaze at the rippling water for a moment, then bent down to untie the rope from the tree and walked away.
"Nice work, birthday boy!" Ashi praised, hobbling out from the nook underneath a tree where she was hiding, as Jack rushed over to support her.
Their celebration stopped when the sasquatch started to rise up out of the water. The two of them backed away slowly as it emerged from the pond, clambering towards them clumsily. The beast only took a few steps before its movements turned erratic and jerky amidst the sound of sparks and grinding gears, and it finally crumpled into a lifeless pile of fur and limbs.
Looking at each other in slight uncertainty, Jack and Ashi cautiously approached the fallen sasquatch. As they got closer, they could hear a muffled voice muttering in frustration. Jack let go of Ashi and grasped the sasquatch's head with both hands, firmly yanking it off its shoulders.
Underneath the extremely convincing mask was a scrawny, sweaty young man with damp, scruffy orange hair, wearing foggy goggles and a worn-out sasquatch tee shirt from the gift shop. He stared at them blankly through his tinted lenses before cocking an impish grin, accompanied by an awkward laugh, "You got me!"
Jack responded curiously as he moved back to Ashi's side, "It appears so…"
"But who are you?" Ashi asked, latching onto the crook of Jack's arm for support.
"He's my old assistant," a voice called out from behind them. Jack and Ashi turned to see ExTor approaching, and Scotsman sauntering over behind him. ExTor continued, "That thing he's piloting is a robotic exoskeleton designed to artificially enhance one's physical abilities, rendering even the most laborious tasks a mere triviality at best. I had initially created the prototype five months ago, but ended up putting the project on indefinite hiatus in favor of more pressing concerns," he explained, adjusting his thick spectacles.
The assistant noticed his old boss' presence, slipped his arm out of the machine to wave in greeting. "Hey, Mr. Torrence! Handles like a dream!" he commented, patting the sasquatch body with his free hand.
Scotsman stepped forward and pointed at the assistant incriminatingly, "Shut yer gobber, ya mangy delinquent! Yer in a lot of trouble fer makin' me chase ya around all day with this one!" he yelled, pointing a thumb at the diminutive engineer.
"Baxter, how could you do this to me? Breaking into my lab, stealing one of my inventions; I was always a good employer to you, wasn't I?" ExTor implored the thief.
"Aw, it was nothing personal. I just stumbled upon that lab of yours one day and when I saw this thing… well, I just couldn't resist," Baxter admitted, hanging his head slightly in shame. "One night, you had gone home early, and it was just me in the shop, so I took my chance and snuck the thing out of the lab. After that, I quit the job and brought it out here for some field tests. But with all the hikers wandering about, I realized I needed to either keep them away or conceal my identity. In the end, I settled on both; I'm really into cryptozoology," he gestured to the sasquatch mask in Jack's hands, "I'll admit, though; I've been at this for so long that the disguise sorta took on a life of its own."
"I'd say so, considering you almost killed us," Ashi remarked with obvious resentment, accompanied by Jack's stern glare.
Baxter shrugged sheepishly, "What can I say? Everyone else got scared off right away, but you two took it as a challenge! I was impressed, but I also couldn't let you get the better of me; it was a pride thing, you know what I mean?" he explained.
"As a matter of fact, I do…" answered Jack, casting a side glance at Ashi, who batted her eyelashes innocently at him.
"Now, wait just a minute!" Scotsman interjected, turning to ask Baxter, "How long have ya been out here pullin' this stunt'a yers?"
The boy touched held his chin and thought for a moment, "It's been… almost two months since I first came out here. To be honest, I'm surprised Mr. Torrence didn't come looking for this sooner."
Scotsman turned angrily towards ExTor, "AYE, SAME HERE! HOW IN BLAZES DID IT TAKE YA THIS LONG TO FIGURE OUT YA WERE ROBBED!?" he shouted.
"W-Well, we've been quite b-busy with our, er, other operations, as it were, a-a-and I wasn't paying attention to my backlog, uh…" ExTor hastily tried to excuse his faux-pas, but quickly attempted to deflect blame back onto the culprit, "b-b-but what's important is that we managed to recover the stolen exoskeleton before any real damage occurred! Baxter, do you have anything to say for yourself!?" he scolded the ex-employee.
Baxter shook his head, "Nah. I had my fun, but I knew it'd come back to bite me eventually. But for what it's worth, I did lots of research on the capabilities of the exoskeleton!" he reached deep into the sasquatch body and pulled out a small notebook, which he handed to ExTor, "Here, take a look!"
ExTor continued reprimanding the youth as he started flipping through the notebook's pages, "That's great and all, but it doesn't excuse you from…huh…" the engineer began to trail off as he became more intrigued by what was written down, "…these are, uh… awfully concise notes you have here…wow, I…I have to admit, these… these are quite impressive…"
"Well, isn't that just dandy?" Scotsman chimed in sarcastically, "Now enough readin', I got a job to do here! Let's go, son, yer comin' with us!" he reached out to grab the boy and yank him right out of the suit, but was stopped by ExTor.
"Now, now, hold on a minute there, Scot. Perhaps corporal punishment is a tad harsh," he remarked. "Personally, I think it would be more conducive to the development of our, 'research', if we gave Baxter here a chance to redeem himself in the form of his service to our cause. After all, he has provided us with invaluable information on one of our most promising endeavors. His input could be quite useful."
Scotsman stared at the engineer with bulging eyes tightly pursed lips, looking like he was about to explode at any moment. But instead, he defused himself with a sharp exhale, "ALRIGHT! You don't want to press charges? Fine! Do whatever you want, I don't care anymore! Not like I climbed a bloody mountain just to find out the perp was already caught, now did I?" he exclaimed, then turned away with his arms crossed in aggravation.
"Speaking of," Jack finally spoke up again, "How did you two manage to get up here so quickly?"
Scotsman turned his head and pointed with his thumb nonchalantly, "We took the stairs."
Jack and Ashi followed where he was pointing. Sure enough, an entrance to the newly-implemented stairwell was there beside them all along.
Ashi looked up at Jack somberly, "Jack, I'm sorry your birthday turned into such a mess. I just wanted to give you the perfect day, but I should've known something like this would happen. Something always happens to us…" she mused bitterly.
"Are you kidding? I couldn't have asked for a better day!" Jack answered back with a big smile, "So what if we got attacked by a boy in a robot sasquatch costume? It wasn't far off from our usual endeavors, but it was a huge leap in quality from my previous birthdays! Besides," he moved so that he and Ashi were facing each other, and held both of her hands, "Getting to spend the whole day with you was all I wanted out of it."
Ashi's eyes lit up, "Jack…" and she gave him a big hug, resting her head against his chest. He held her back, running a hand through her hair, and they stayed like that for a quiet minute amidst the swaying of the trees.
Eventually, Ashi spoke up again. "You know, your birthday isn't over. We've still got plenty of daylight, and there's not much further to go up the mountain. Think you wanna finish that hike?" she offered happily.
Jack responded with a smug grin, "Only if you're along for the ride," and put his arm around her shoulders while holding up the rope he still had.
Staring indecisively at the rope, Ashi glanced at Jack's expectant face, and finally relented with a roll of her eyes.
After retying the harness, and strapping Ashi to his back once again, Jack set off for the peak of Faust Mountain. It only took them about a half hour to reach to top, and immediately, the view was breathtaking. The sun cast an orange glow upon the green grass that coated the summit, which tapered to create a perfect view of the miles and miles stretching out down below. Setting Ashi down beside him, the two sat there, hand in hand, huddling among the clouds overlooking the horizon.
Ten minutes passed with only the sound of the calm, steady breeze. Finally, Ashi gazed up at Jack, and his gaze moved down to meet hers quite readily. "Happy birthday, Jack," she wished again lovingly, and he moved in to thank her with a gentle, savoring kiss.
Jack couldn't stop thinking about what a departure this birthday was from his previous ones. Usually, they ended in solemn reflection on mistakes of the past, but this one had him looking ahead hope for the future. Here, sitting at the top of a mountain with the love of his life, Jack realized that all was as it should be. Everything that had happened over the last year had led him to this moment, and the thought of how far he had come invigorated him, reminding him of the insurmountable strength of the righteous spirit.
And it was all because of her. With Ashi by his side, Jack knew he could conquer any obstacle.
Once they broke the kiss, they held one last gaze for a brief moment before Jack started to stand up. He looked out pleasantly at the sun about to touch the horizon, and said contently, "It's getting late, we should start heading back down."
Ashi didn't say anything, so Jack looked down to see her curling up into a ball, looking up at him with a playful grin. "Ready when you are, birthday boy!" she teased.
Jack raised an eyebrow, grinning despite himself, and carefully knelt down to put on the harness straps. Once secured, he inhaled smoothly and pushed himself with his legs, shifting his body to keep his balance.
"We're taking the stairs," declared Jack, as he started towards the path back down the mountain.
—END CHAPTER 20—
/