Cryptotrappers!

Cryptotrappers- The Forest Guardians

Tuesday 20. I've spent the last two weeks in the hospital, a good portion of that dulled by strong painkillers and the rest dulled with the agony that my right arm was in. It took quite a lot for me to negotiate with the hospital that I had absolutely no need to speak with a councillor of any sort. But I guess that's to be expected when you show up with your entire arm covered with a third-degree burn and zero explanation of how it got there. The hospital called my recovery from the injury with no grafts necessary miraculous; my explanation would be the Phoenix Tears-laced aloe vera gel that Lucy smuggled in for me. She'd been visiting almost daily to update me on what was happening in the Lab, from the Wyvern's acclimatisation to its new home to Sid and Randy's stern reprimand for letting me get into that much danger to begin with. But with my arm mostly recovered and dressed with bandages and a sling, the hospital finally signed my slip and allowed me to leave. I'd been away for far too long, and it was time to get back to work. All I could hope for was an easy mission.

My arrival in the Lab was met with mild fanfare as Sid, Randy and Eva stood waiting for me to arrive. I gave them a wave with my one good hand as I stepped into the hall and towards the group.
"Welcome back, Exo." Randy smiled. "How's the arm?"
"Oh, you know, could be better!" I replied, sarcastically chipper. My eyes scanned the room, drawn to a newly installed pull-up bar on the far wall. "New gym equipment since I've been away?"
"That'd be for me." Sid replied, flexing his arms. "You got hurt because I wasn't strong enough, after all. I'm not letting that happen again."
"It was either we install that, or we allow him to wrestle the Kappa, and Eva didn't want to have two core team members dealing with cryptid-related injuries." Randy smirked, as Sid glared at him. With that discussion concluded, the focus turned to Eva who stood in her usual spot, ready to give us our mission.
"We're running on a four person team today, since Lucy has a graded assessment today that she cannot miss. Whilst unfortunate, we can't dwell on that fact. And besides, despite today's target being large, it shouldn't be too difficult for a three person task force to deal with. Follow me, everyone."
With no further explanation for now, Eva began to make her way down the corridor, and with no other guidance, we followed.

"So what do you think it is?" Randy asked, in a hushed whisper. "An Ahuitzotl? Hidebehind? Zaratan?"
"Not completely sure about that last one." Sid replied, scrutinisingly. "Any ideas from you, Exo?"
I sighed as we continued following.
"I just- I'd like something that isn't too difficult to capture."
"I can assure you, Exo," Eva replied, apparently listening in as she stopped at one of the doors, "that you won't have too much trouble with today's mission. Out here, please."
Following the others, I squinted as I stepped into the light of what seemed to be a large garden at the centre of the facility. The breeze flowed through the air and the sound of birds chirping in the daylight should have been comforting but instead, it disturbed me in a way that I couldn't explain.
"This shouldn't be here..." I muttered, a deep pit forming in my stomach. Eva's expression was entirely calm, but it showed an understanding to my plight.
"You're quite right, Exo. In truth, this garden is completely false. The breeze is artificial, the birdsong is pre-recorded and the sky above us is a screen. This facility is far too secretive to have a real open-air garden after all, but for today's particular mission, a garden is required."
"Go on?" I pushed.
"Well, you see..." Eva continued, gesturing to an empty plot at the centre of the unnatural garden. "The reason that we need a garden for this mission is because the cryptid I'd like you to investigate and capture is a tree."

I waited for Eva's expression to change. It did not.
"When you say a tree," I asked, "you mean like..."
"A tree, yes." Eva clarified. I turned to Sid and Randy, neither of who seemed to have any other imput.
"Does it... eat people? Run away on its roots? I dunno... scare away dragons?"
"Nothing of the sort." Eva confirmed. "The cryptid that I'd like you to bring in is known as the Jinmenju. Also named the Nimnenju, it's a spiritual form of tree with fruit that both resembles a human head and bears semi-sentience. When eaten, legend says that the fruit can add hundreds of years to the human lifespan. And as much as I doubt those claims have any scientific backing, prior cryptobotanical research on the plant has suggested incredible healing effects. With a specimen to research and harvest, alongside our supply of Phoenix Tears, we'd be able to further our understanding of cryptozoology in the medicinal field in new, unforeseen ways."
"So, how are we getting it back with a member down?" Randy asked, perplexed. "I mean, do buttons even work on trees?"
Eva's professional expression slipped into a smile at this question, almost seeming as if she had been awaiting it. With a confident gait, she approached the corner of the garden and lifted a conspicuous cylinder from a patch of wildflowers. As we watched in confusion, she pressed the ends of the cylinder in and pulled the corners apart, resting it down on the ground as now a sturdy pad that was certainly large enough to hold three people and a tree.