Chapter 5 - In the Mountains

As a man of his word, Uncle Reo decided to bring me along on his training routine. Even though it was a school day, I felt that being with my uncle was more important than attending classes. He planned to head to the mountain peak on our estate, which was vast and teeming with wildlife. It was a place I had never fully explored, with buildings closer to the front where Uncle and I lived, but farther beyond lay a dense forest and the majestic mountain.

On the morning of our expedition, Uncle Reo packed our bags, and we began our arduous ascent. As we strolled, we encountered a family of bears – a mother, a father, and their cub. I couldn't help but wonder why these carnivores didn't attack us, given their proximity. I asked Uncle about it.

"They're afraid," he responded with a hint of mystery.

"Afraid of what?" I inquired, genuinely curious.

"Of me," Reo stated confidently.

"You? An old geezer?" I couldn't help but doubt his claim.

"Wanna see then?" he asked with a confident grin.

Reo abruptly stopped in his tracks and changed direction, heading straight toward the bears. The closer he got, the more visible the bears' trembling became. The cub sought refuge behind its parents, and the adult bears appeared as if they were facing their doom. Their heavy breathing echoed through the forest, and I wasn't even as close as Reo was. Their fur bristled as they slowly backed away, mirroring Uncle Reo's steps. Eventually, Reo reached a point where he could touch the mother bear's head. He then sprinted back to me, a smug grin on his face.

"Well? Just so you know, the only reason you haven't eaten yet is because I'm around," Reo chuckled.

I was dumbfounded. My uncle had frightened away three bears, two of whom were fully grown and stood at least eight feet tall. "Unreal, I never knew something like that was possible," I marveled.

As we continued our journey up the mountain, Uncle Reo stopped once again, this time to feed some hungry-looking squirrels. Several of them were hiding inside a tree, yearning to venture out in search of food. Unfortunately, a group of foxes lay in wait nearby, patiently anticipating the squirrels' emergence from their hiding place.

Uncle Reo saved the squirrels by offering them food, ensuring they didn't have to leave the safety of the tree just yet. I couldn't help but wonder why he didn't simply scare away the foxes to protect the squirrels.

"Why didn't you just run the foxes away?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"What good would that do? As soon as I'm gone, they will return," Reo explained.

"But—" I began, only to be cut off by his response.

"Also, I'm not the kind of person who neglects the predators. Just as the squirrels are starving, the foxes are starving too. They need food just like every other species. I won't interfere with their hunt to the extent that they won't get what they want," Uncle Reo elaborated.

"So all you did was prolong the inevitable with the relationship between the squirrels and the foxes," I pondered.

"You can look at it that way, I guess, Maki. It seems to me that I need to teach you about the wild while we're here," he said with a knowing smile.

Although we had a planned schedule for Uncle Reo's training, he seemed to be disregarding it, opting instead to take me into the bushes with him. There, he handed me a pair of binoculars so we could observe the situation with the squirrels hidden in the tree hole.

"The food I gave them was not enough, and I knew that very well," Reo stated as he peered through the binoculars.

"Uncle, isn't this a bit time-wasting?" I asked, concerned about our progress up the mountain.

"The first thing you must understand about the wild is that human morals are irrelevant here," he began to lecture, ignoring my previous question.

Uncle sure had been a master at ignoring certain points and statements recently, as if he was on a different wavelength.

"No human morals? As in right or wrong?" I probed.

"Yes, the second thing you must know is that animals in the wild are far smarter than you give them credit for," he said, pointing at the unfolding events before us.

To my surprise, out of the dozen squirrels in the tree hole, around five of them jumped out suddenly. As they did, the foxes pounced on them and snatched them before they could react.

"Oh no!" My heart sank as I witnessed the violent display. The poor squirrels did not deserve such a fate. Why did they jump out all of a sudden? Didn't Uncle give them food?

Uncle seemed to sense my distress and explained: "As I said before, I didn't give them enough to go around for everyone."

"I thought they would have shared," I murmured, tears starting to flow.

"This isn't right, please, Uncle, don't let the other squirrels meet such a fate," I implored, gripping his arms and trembling.

Uncle Reo replied with a solemn nod. "Sorry, dear. We are nothing more than observers, and there's more to this."

He gazed back at the tree hole, his focus returning to the unfolding scene. I followed suit, watching as the five foxes continued to feast on the captured squirrels. Meanwhile, several other squirrels managed to escape the tree hole and made a hasty retreat from the area.

"Thank you, Uncle," I sighed in relief. Thanks to the five squirrels who left earlier, the others had a little more time to escape the vicinity.

Uncle's response was measured: "The first thing to understand is to forget human morals. The squirrels who were sacrificed understood their fate clearly and accepted it without hesitation. The ones who escaped naturally took advantage of the sacrifice to prolong their lives. It was a logical decision."

He chuckled as he continued, "I gave them food to see how well they would use it. If I were to guess, that group of squirrels had a leader of sorts. I bet he commanded them to share the food with only a select few, those with the best chance of survival. He made the tough decision to use five starving squirrels as a sacrifice. It was unexpected but effective."

Uncle Reo's words shed light on the intricate web of survival in the wild, a brutal yet fascinating balance. The squirrels adapted to their circumstances, feeding those most likely to survive while making the hard choice to sacrifice the weaker ones who had not received Uncle's food.

He concluded with a hint of amusement, "So, Uncle gave the squirrels food simply to observe how they used it, and it turned out they utilized it spectacularly. Feeding those with the highest chance of survival and not wasting it on those whose fate already looked grim. Sacrificing those who did not receive my uncle's food, and voilà, they hatched a cunning yet heartless plan that ended up working."

(Important note: The information about the food Reo gave the squirrels, which were acorns, has been included in the story as requested.)

I nodded in understanding. "Alright, can we please continue our journey?" I asked.

"Okay, we'll pick up the pace then," Reo said with a chuckle, suddenly taking off running. I was caught off guard; I had never seen him run before. He had always been so laid-back, walking as if he had all the time in the world. But today was different. He was showing me yet another facet of his personality.

"Uncle!" I called, trying to keep up with his swift pace. He glanced back occasionally to ensure I was still following him, but I wished he'd slow down just a bit.

As we ran, he also had to watch for obstacles that might trip him, something he did with ease, while it was a significant challenge for me. This was the first time I realized I could have explored the forest and run through it rather than staying home. Uncle's life in the forest seemed quite adventurous, with a touch of danger, like the possibility of being devoured by a bear if I strayed too far from him. It was only now that I considered running in the forest.

We ran for what felt like an eternity, and I couldn't take another step. I fell to my knees, exhausted. The fact that we had covered only half of the mountain weighed heavily on me.

"I'm going to take a nap," I told him, my eyelids heavy.

Later that day, around sunset, I woke up in a warm and comfy bed. Uncle Reo was sitting beside me, reading some papers. I was bewildered.

"Uncle? Where are we? This isn't home, is it?" I asked, panic creeping into my voice.

"No, we made it to the top. I carried you," Reo explained, his eyes still focused on the papers in his hand.

"Sorry about that; you were so fast," I sighed, disappointed that I couldn't keep up.

"It's alright. The point of you being here is for me to show you my capabilities, right? You don't have to prove anything to me," Uncle reassured me.

"What are you reading?" I asked curiously.

Reo handed me a cup of tea he had prepared and said, "Drink it while it's warm."

"Hey, you sure love to ignore other people's statements recently. What are you reading?" I asked, somewhat annoyed by his newfound habit.

"Hahaha, my bad," Reo laughed, handing me the papers he was reading. "Please don't get them wet."

I took the papers and began reading. They were documents, most likely the same documents from the file jacket Ace gave Uncle yesterday. The document spoke of Reo's target in great detail. He was last seen in Singapore, with a family of six. A picture of Reo's target was pasted; he looked the same age as Uncle. "How is this guy dangerous?" I asked myself. I immediately got the answer by reading further down. Reo's target, Xavier Foster, had murdered approximately 50 Secret Service Agents, exploded an entire military tank, and escaped from the most difficult of prisons within a year. His biggest feat was how he survived an entire electric chair execution. How is that even possible? Is this guy even human? "Uncle, please leave this guy alone," I begged once again, scared of what the outcome might hold. "Relax Maki, you haven't seen me in action yet," he said cheerfully. What is with his confidence? Is Uncle that good? To be able to kill a monster like Xavier, I must know. 

"While you were knocked out, I was taking some practice shots. So I think I lost a decent amount of rust," Reo smiled. "You look forward to killing this person, huh?" I asked. "More than you can imagine," Reo answered. "Why do you hate him so much? So much so that hearing his name changed your mind and caused you to take the mission from Gaia?" I had to know. "It's not a pretty answer," Reo replied, going into his bag. He took out the family photo that always hung on our wall at home. 

A photo of him, standing beside a woman I do not know, and children I have no recollection of seeing. "These are your family, right? Where are they?" I asked. Reo's expression changed instantly from a smile to tense anger, his mood now that of a monster. He glared at the picture with such intensity that I doubted he realized he was crushing it. Even when I tried to save it from him, he only pressed on it more. "Uncle!" I shouted, managing to snap him back to reality. "Whoops! Sorry about that, Maki. These people are no longer a part of the living, let's leave it at that." "I thought I was ready to talk about it, but apparently, I am still not mentally prepared to relive that moment. Let's just say that I have a revenge motive, That Xavier fellow, he needs to stop drawing breath" Reo added. I understood his pain better now; his family must have been murdered by this Xavier fellow, and despite his age, he saw this as a chance to assassinate him. Between us got awkward after that, and the room was filled with silence for a couple of minutes. 

"Oh right! I made us some dinner; make sure you eat before it gets cold. We don't have a microwave up here," Reo advised. "I'm off to practice more shooting; you're free to watch after eating," he suggested as he left. I left the room I was in, greeted by a living room with nothing but a table as furniture. "This place looks isolated; it hasn't been used in a while," I mumbled. On the table, there was freshly cooked pea soup, not exactly my favorite kind, but I took what I got. While in the middle of drinking, I heard some noise coming from outside. POP! POP! POW! Those were the sounds of gunshots being fired, but at what? "Is Uncle that close?" I wondered. I quickly finished my meal and headed outside. Behind the small wooden house, Uncle was there shooting at straw puppets, each with a bullseye on its head. Beside him were all kinds of weapons, some of which I had never even laid my eyes on. "Uncle?" I called out to him. "POW!" he shot again. After that, he noticed me and put his rifle down. "You're finished already? It's not good to rush your meals; you won't get the full amount of nutrients that way," he told me. "I didn't. Anyways, do you know how to use all of these weapons?" I asked him. 

He began listing them out one by one. "The big guns you see lying on the floor are AI. X50, Barret .50 Caliber, AR 50, McMillan Tac 50," he pointed out. "There are others that don't possess a name; the agency built these, such as UZ Laser, E-dual Pistols, and a time-setting grenade," Reo proceeded to hand me one of the E-dual Pistols. "What am I doing with this?" I asked Uncle. The moment he dropped the gun into my hand, I could feel the weight pressing me down, not just physically, but mentally as well. I could hear the sound of my heart beating loudly inside my head. It wasn't pretty. I tried to put the gun down, but Reo stopped me. "It doesn't have any ammo, calm down," Reo assured. That detail did calm me down a bit, but only a little bit. "Why did you give me this? I only came to see your practice," I told him. "Just keep holding the gun; you don't have to do anything else. Believe me," Reo said, not giving a satisfying answer. Aside from the E-dual pistol I had, every other weapon was incredibly heavy. Most of them weighed approximately 15 kilograms. I tried to lift some of them, but they all strained my body, despite being a trained athlete myself. My uncle, on the other hand, lifted these guns with both hands rather easily. His movements were not halted in the slightest. "So you're going to keep shooting puppets?" I asked; it looked like I had arrived when Uncle had already hit bullseyes with every shot. "Hmm, look up," said Reo. Eagles were flying about. "You wouldn't dare!" I shouted. "Yes, I would; sorry, Maki, but I need you to see this side of me," he said as he aimed the AR 50 in his hand. POW!! POW! Though the eagles started to fly away at high speeds, Uncle still sniped them, by predicting where they would move next. "Jeez, they didn't have to die," I told him. "I need moving targets to practice on, Maki; don't let it get to you," he told me. "But," I stopped, remembering the determination he had to kill his target Xavier. "If you can kill a moving eagle, then I doubt a human can evade you," I admitted. Reo smiled and patted me on the head. "Oh! So you're starting to have a little faith, yeah?" I turned my face away from him in response. 

He resumed shooting more moving targets from the peak of the mountain.

POW! POW!

The more I saw Uncle pull the trigger, the more tempted my arms became. What if I could shoot like that too? I know I have good accuracy; maybe, just maybe, I can mimic him. With that sudden thought in mind, I held up the E-dual pistol in my hand and fired it at one of the straw puppets. I aimed carefully, keeping my arms steady, my right eye aligned with the target and the gun. "There's no ammo so there's no harm in trying," I told myself.

BOOM!

The sound echoed, causing Reo to stop what he was doing and look over at me with a smug expression. "Hmm, you fired it," he said in a teasing manner. "I-I don't," I stuttered, my mind in turmoil. "I lied; the gun had ammo. I was hoping that you would have fired it. Now tell me, how does it feel?" "How does it feel to pull the trigger?" I felt manipulated, it was only a matter of time before I would have tested the gun in my hand, a gun I thought had no bullets. This was so unfair. "Not cool, Uncle, so not cool," I sighed. Although pulling the trigger felt nice. It's like I let go of a piece of myself, feeling freer than I normally would have. My heart raced, accelerating by the second, and I could feel my hands shaking, but the thrill was worth it. "It wasn't bad; I feel like trying it again," I told him.

Later on that same evening, I had made at least fifty shots with the E-Pistols. They were incredibly easy to manage, all I did was brace myself for a small recoil while aiming. Pulling the trigger is such an easy thing to do, just one slight movement and a person's life can decrease. I knew a gun was powerful, but after holding one up close and evening firing it several times. The power I initially pictured was now five times greater. 

Uncle was still in the middle of practicing with his sniper rifles. He has been targeting animals moving animals such as foxes and bears for a while now. What even stings is the fact that he shot the family of bears we encountered earlier today. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger and each of the bear's skulls. Upon seeing that, I caught a glimpse of how Uncle operates during a mission. He focuses solely on the objective, forgetting all about personal attachments. 

"Uncle, about the creatures you're killing. What are we going to do about them?" I asked curiously.

"We'll bury most of them of course, don't worry. I'm not expecting you to help in such a tedious task" Reo reassured. 

"Cool, one more thing. Can I try out one of your snipers?" I asked. Reo stopped in his tracks, caught off guard by what I said. "What brought this on?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb, As a young mind, I love to experience new things. Seeing you shoot repeatedly, is starting to make me want to do the same thing. Please, I only need a few shots" I begged him. "Hmm, Maki, I hope you understand the meaning behind learning how to shoot with a sniper. It is not the same as shooting with a pistol you know" said Reo. "How? Isn't it the same process called shooting" I asked. Reo walked up to me with the sniper in hand. He stretched it forward, then dropped it in my hands. The moment it made contact, my knees almost gave up on me. The gun was incredibly heavy, heavier than meets the eye. "Wow, you're pretty weak Maki" Reo teased, as he helped me up. "You can use a pistol for a variety of things, such as bluffing, self- defense, murder and only inflicting severe injuries" he started. "However, a sniper's case is different. As you can see, the gun is quite heavy to handle. The best method to use a sniper effectively is by gaining distance while having prep time to adjust the equipment on the darn weapon, which is tedious at times. Having to do so much work before taking a shot, means only one thing, that the gun was prepared exclusively for murder. A sniper would never be used in a scenario to trick, self defence. It's only for murder or severe injuries. That's the true meaning behind wielding a sniper, hope you understand my perspective" Reo explained. 

 I understood, but the rush I felt when firing with the E Pistols was no joke. I might never have this chance again in my entire life, I need to know how it feels, to experience a sniper shot. "Please Uncle, only three shots" I begged yet again. Reo nodded after seeing that my answer still hadn't changed. "Fine, this three-day camp was supposed to be about me rubbing off my rust, but I'll teach you too" he amused himself. 

"Have you been watching me closely by any chance?" Reo asked me. 

"I guess, was not paying attention to any subtle detail though," I told him. "Fine, watch me, I'll explain the process step by step," he said. 

He used his binoculars and began to look around in the forest below us. After a minute of searching, he saw a lone fox all by himself, walking. "The first thing one must do is identify your target" 

As instructed, I watched my uncle's every move. "Alright kid," he said, steadying his voice. "Before even thinking about pulling the trigger, let's talk about safety. Always treat this weapon as if it is loaded. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. The worst possible outcome for a sniper is giving away their position before time" 

"Right!" I said, engraining his words in memory. He began to position himself as he spoke. "Get down behind the rile, then align your body with the target. Your body should form a straight line from your feet to your shoulder, with your non-dominant eye aligned with the scope. Make sure your breathing is slow and controlled."

He continued by saying "Hold the rifle's grip firmly but not too tight. Your other hand should be supporting the front of the rifle. As for your feet, set them shoulder-width apart and perpendicular to the target, providing some stability"

I began to feel overwhelmed as he rambled on and on. It felt like being a sniper assassin was more hassle than it was worth. From what I've seen in movies, the coolest assassins are those who wield poison and close-range weapons. A sniper is kind of boring, with a ton of prep time necessary. "Control your breathing," Uncle said as he began to inhale at a certain interval. "Be as still as possible, like you are a statue."

"The trigger is your best friend" I added to his demonstration. Reo smiled at me and applauded "Yes, Squeeze it gently, almost like you're surprised when the shot goes off. Absolutely no jerking or flinching. The real magic is about to happen."

Uncle squeezed the trigger, "Now keep your eye on the scope. Don't look away as the recoil kicks in. Follow through, you must see where the shot lands at all costs"

BOOOOMM!! Uncle took the shot at the fox without hesitation. I thought the shot would have echoed but no, it was as silent as the wind. I picked up the binoculars to confirm the fox's death, he was lying down bleeding. His head flew right off his body. 

"Eeeeekk!" I screamed in shock. 

"What did you expect? His body cannot handle a shot from my babies" Reo smirked. "That was a brilliant shot, even though it might give me nightmares I am still impressed," I told him.

"Hmm, how hard do you think my shot was?" reo asked curiously.

"I don't know, probably medium or something" I answered. 

"Correct, I want you to give it a try now. Just do exactly what I did" he said. He gave me the gun, and I immediately went in the same position as Uncle. When I laid my eyes through the scope, once again my heart began to beat outside of my chest. "Maki, remember you have to find a target first" he pointed out that I was rushing the steps a bit. "Oh right!" I said, surprised. There was a pact of foxes nearby, so I decided to aim for the one leading the pact. "Daring aren't we" Reo chuckled. 

Once again, my eyes laid through the scope, and unlike before I was not eager to make a shot. Now that, a target was actually in front of me, a living target, my hands were trembling. Am I really about to take a life? Since when was I this heartless? Maybe Uncle has been a bad influence ever since he decided to take on Xavier's mission. "This isn't right" I sighed, putting the gun down. "What's wrong?" Reo asked. "This isn't like you Uncle, this isn't the man I cherished. Just now, I finally saw the perspective of those who take lives. It was an awful sight, knowing that I have a person's life in my hands just by scoping" I said, tears welling up. 

"I had a feeling this might happen," Reo said scratching his head. "Maki, I admit that I have been acting differently from the person you are used to. The current me wants to care for life, nurture it, and prosper it. All of these animals, I have watched them grow up from cubs and babies. Every single creature that I have shot today, I loved deeply. That's why I kept my land and estate the way it was because I didn't want them to have to find a new home"

That sounded more like the man I love. "So then why? Why are we killing animals?" I cried.

"Maki, you didn't seem to have a real issue with it until you were about to fire a rifle. I'm glad you saw the difference between watching a sin and committing one yourself. The feeling is drastically different" Reo smiled. 

"Why Uncle? This feels awful" I said, regaining my composure. 

"You see, by killing these beloved creatures that I have an attachment to, I was hoping that I could revert to my old self if it's even a little. I want to tap into my killer instinct that feels no emotions, that was the true aim of my training. It was never to get better at sniping, that skill has never rusted in the first place. I know I'm the best and still the best. The real problem lies in my mental state, can I get my revenge against a human such as Xavier, without remembering how it felt being the old me? I am not that confident in that" Finally, the pieces felt like they were coming together. Reo's actions felt more understandable now that he explained it. Why must this man always hide things until the last minute? "Your old self kills without feeling anything. Are you stupid?" I asked him. 

"Huh?" Reo wondered.

"If you revert to your past then, where does that leave me?" I jumped in his arms. "Please Uncle, I'll ask you again, forget about the mission. You're just a geezer, you only need to sit back and watch my growth, please, I'm afraid of losing you"

"So, you're saying I should leave the man who caused me grief?" Reo asked tilting his head to the left. "Hina would be around your age if she was alive today."

"I wonder what kind of man Takeo would have become if he didn't meet his end"

"My wife never got to see my beautiful flower garden, because she's no longer part of the living," Reo said, depressed. "But, Uncle, vengeance will only make you blind to what you have left" I yelled in frustration. "What I have left huh? I could have gotten more if it weren't for that monster" Reo said, slowly pushing me away from him. "Listen, Maki, this is the last time I want to hear you trying to stop me. You are reading things wrong, I am doing Gaia Agency no favors, they are the ones giving the favor, of supporting me and allowing me to get some closure"

"Uncle Reo…..Dad please!" I begged again. 

"SILENCE! Don't dare call me that word. DAD! DAD! The heck is wrong with you!?" he shouted maliciously. My heart sank as he pressed his finger onto me, enraged by what I said. "Calling me dad the same way Hina used to…is a big no. Please don't" I could see the pent-up rage in his eyes. He was crying too, but more than that, extremely angry. 

"I'm sorry," I said, walking away. 

What an idiot I am. I acted like Uncle was being selfish but in reality, I was the selfish one. I am not the one who is feeling the pain of losing his loved ones, I cannot imagine the heartache it must have been. As someone who never understand his pain, it's wrong for me to try and stop him from pursuing vengeance, how did I just realize this? Such an idiot. I wanted him to be by myself, to do what I wanted, to be happy together forever, but that's not what he wants apparently. 

"That's enough! From here on, I'll support Uncle with his decision. With his skills and competence, I believe everything will turn out okay" I shouted at myself. Still, I felt so bad for what just happened. That argument came out of nowhere, and I admit I was a bit strong there. I'll be sure to apologize before the day is over.

An hour had passed since Uncle and I engaged in that intense argument, and the silence between us had grown palpable. Neither of us spoke, and we avoided each other's gaze. It was clear that we both bore the weight of our disagreement and that neither of us was willing to break the silence.