Chapter 2: Explanation

Two weeks later, it was fully summer break. Frisk was fully equipped with a couple of days of clothes, sleeping bags, food, and water. I was carrying our tent, cookware, lamp, GPS, more food and water, and my clothes. I was still wary climbing the Mountain. Anything could happen, so for any cases of over staying against our wills, I had written notes. Those tell the scant few people I trust where we are, how long we are supposed to be on the mountain, and if should anything happen, they should rescue Frisk at all costs … and me as an afterthought.

We are currently halfway up the mountain on our third day of the week and a half stay. We had set up our camp. Had a night of s'mores and terrible ghost stories, admittedly Frisk had the better stories. They seemed so realistic! One was about a fish woman hunting down a child in a swamp with a harpoon. It was terrifying! I sucked at anything scary, horror-filled, and even a parody of the stuff. I can't handle those, so I suck at telling them. It's kind of sad that my own kid is better at scary stories than me.

It was during the lull of stories and eating mushy sugary treats that Frisk asked the question I was silently agonizing over. With a chime of their bell and a flurry of hand signals in the firelight, they asked me about the intruder-people from four years ago.

I chewed slowly on my s'more and eventually placed down my unhealthy sandwich. I turned towards my child to see them fully. They looked the same as I last saw them. Chestnut brown hair a bit tousled but neatly circling their head. Their skin nicely tanned from playing outside so much. Blue and purple sweater, dark jeans, and black boots all neat if a bit dusty, it was really their eyes that startled me most. They were usually squinted, but now they were open. They were older and wiser than they should be. Stomach in knots and fingers playing with each other, I began my story.

"Well, it started when I entered a martial arts competition. You know how I use Chinese Kenpo and Jujitsu. Well, when I came around to the finals-"

"Whoa, you got into the FINALS?!"

I paused and chuckled merrily at their response. They were all starry eyed and awed. They were just too adorable!

"Hehe, yes, Mommy was strong enough to make it! And I was, gah, lost the thought! Give me a moment… Right! My opponent for the finals was a young man who didn't seem to believe in mercy or a fair fight."

I paused. Reliving the memory for a moment before sighing sadly, I glanced at Frisk. I wonder what their thinking to have that expression. It was quiet guarded.

"This man was fierce and relentless. It wasn't until the middle of the fight did I recognize the emotion behind his blows."

*chime* I looked up at Frisk to see what question they had.

"What do you mean by that? 'Emotion behind his blows'?"

I smirked a bit.

"Well, when you get to a certain skill level in your martial art, you begin to have a Conversation of the Fists. It is when you are in a fight. The heat of battle can close off many things, but can also open up just as many doors to the mind of the opponent. The emotion I felt was desperation. He was desperate and angry. He needed to take me down. I didn't know the exact reason why, even to this day, but I believe that he was trying to protect someone outside of the arena. He was just giving his all.

"In surprise, I had actually let my guard down for a moment and I black out from his punch. When I came about, I was still able to fight. I was determined to win the competition as well, but from the panicked expression I saw when I first opened my eyes, I knew I could win in his flustered state, but I didn't do it."

*CHIME*

I leaned back my child's flailing arms.

"You LOST! Was it on purpose?"

Lifting a hand to rub the back of my neck, I shrugged with a wink.

"Who knows? I lost the completion mostly fairly, but in my heart I had won. I didn't need a medal or a sum of money to know I won, but from unknowingly helped someone."

I watched as they looked down in contemplation, before whipping their head up with a frustrated expression. I raised my hands in peace.

"I know that didn't explain what happened years ago, but I'm getting there. Please be patient. This is a bit hard for me to talk about."

I took a deep breath to release some of the pressure on my chest, but it did little. I heard shifting. I looked up to see my child in front of me with arms wide open. I grinned, warmed by their gesture. I scooped them up and held them close. I felt a bit better now. I tilted back to watch the moon. Frisk leaned against me to watch with me.

"You see, it was after that competition that it all went downhill. I was alone in the women's locker room, all patched up and changing into my regular clothes. I had taken a moment after doing so to sit in peace, content with myself. I had felt a sharp pain prick my neck, and I fell unconscious. When I next woke, I was, uh, I was in the back of a moving van. I was tied up and gagged with tape covering my mouth to keep me quiet. I was terrified. I stayed awake worrying. When I was finally taken out, I-I …. I wasn't in the best condition."

I paused to take a deeper breath. I looked down at a horrified Frisk. I said too much! I sighed and frowned. I petted their hair to calm down the both of us.

"I'm sorry. It's in the past. Do you want me to continue?"

They nodded in determination. I huffed a laugh. Seems they inherited something from me after all.

"If you are sure, I will continue, but stop me if I…

"I was noticed by some Mobster/scientist during my competition, so I was kidnapped. Apparently, I wasn't supposed to wake up after that blow to my head that made me black out. That really caught their interest. I was kept in a building with a lab for about a year and a half. I learned during my 'stay' that my opponent was one of their former test subjects. I didn't get to learn more about him."

I stared into the fire. Memories of all the tests flashed at the back of my mind. I flinched when I felt a small familiar hand on mine. Glancing at the conjoined fingers, my larger hand was spotted with blood. I gasped before a flicker of firelight ruined the illusion, showing dusty calloused unbloodied hands as they were. Exhaling shakily, I felt Frisk squeeze my fingers. I pressed my lips together and gently squeezed their hand back in gratitude.

"It was actually the place I met your Father. We were both test subjects to the morbid people, and we had formulated a plan to get out of there. It actually took a few tries, but we made it out. We were able to get to the right people to take care of the sickos that had held us hostage in the next city over. The few people that wished for freedom was granted, the leftover muscle and brain the operation went into hiding. Let's just say they don't like me anymore as a test subject."

I shivered in the mountain air and pulled Frisk closer to me. I couldn't stop shivering. Warm tears pooled into my eyes threatening to spill. It was starting to get hard to speak through the tightness of my throat.

"Y-your Father and I had changed our names and gotten married to live in the present and look to-to the future. I was actually expecting you when they came. They had ambushed us in a public park. We-we struggled and they- they…"

I couldn't speak anymore, but I would think that my point was made. I felt Frisk hug me, and I held onto my child, my last line to this life, my happiness. After maybe five minutes of sentimental cuddling, I looked at my dark surroundings and the smaller fire. I glanced at a sleepy Frisk. I smiled. I feel lighter than I had in years.

I heard a quiet chime. Frisk was signing something.

"Do you believe that even the worst person can change? That anyone can be a good person if they try hard enough?"

I took a moment to answer. Had I not been through what I did, I would have immediately answered positively. I did though, and I am not so sure anymore.

"Maybe"

I heaved both of us up and started to kick some dirt into the fire to put it out. Frisk mumbled a moment, protesting the movement. I chuckled.

"Come on kiddo, it's half past sunspot on my wrist; it's dark; and we are both tired. Let's hit the hay."

Their response was to curl up into my arms as much as they could. I was a short person at five foot two inches. Frisk had apparently also has inherited my short stature, for this stage of life. They only stood up to just above my hips. I smiled and kissed near the crown of their head. I looked back up at the moon in content.

Xxxxxxxx

There was rushed breathing, the smacks and cracks of flesh against flesh, and the scribbles and clicks of a keyboard.

I panted in exertion, as did my opponent. I blocked their punch, grabbed their arm and flipped them on the unpadded concrete floor of the sparring room. He coughed up blood as he attempted to swipe my feet out from under me.

I didn't want to do this anymore!

The moment I paused to let him punch me in the gut, electricity passed through my neck to my entire body. My screams only increased the voltage. Deeper screams joined mine. When it stopped, we heaved breathes since we haven't eat much in the past few days.

"DT, B2, continue sparring!"

I was DETERMINED to get out of here, one way or another. Bravery 2 has already failed three time getting out of here, but I WILL make it. One day, I will get out of here…

I sat up in my sleeping bag instantly. Sweat ran down my neck, feeling like my sins were crawling down my back. I panted faster as I saw the blood on my hands again. I tried to keep quiet with Frisk nearby.

'No, no, no, no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!'

The blood started to move. They started to form the other test subjects' names. I fisted them close so tight I could see them turn white in the dawn light.

'Wait, dawn?'

I looked up through the mesh of our tent to see that it was dawn. I forcibly slowed my breathing to calm down. I looked back at my hands to see them without the blood, but I know they will always be there. I glanced over at Frisk. I sighed in relief at their peacefully sleeping face. Feeling sticky, I got up but paused at a small crack sounding outside.

They found us.

Heart beating wildly, I woke Frisk gently. I shushed them quietly when they woke. We moved about quietly. Moving my hands, I glanced to see Frisk frown and sign back. We argued for a moment until Frisk agreed with my plan. I unzipped the entrance and grabbed the nearest rock. I threw it at our spy.

Men and woman, a total of five, came crashing through the foliage. They either failed at catching Frisk or were pulled into a fight with me. At the current moment, I didn't know if there would be more people out there to catch Frisk. I just needed to take out these guys for Frisk. Frisk does not deserve to live my past. I fought with determination, for Frisk.

I heard Frisk scream. I turned to see Frisk being held in the air by the collar of their sweater. Images from four years ago moved the assailant's hands from the sweater to Frisk's throat. I must protect Frisk!

"RUN!"