Carson was wishing he had brought his rifle after all. He could have opened a window, lined up with the brute's head, and ended the encounter from a comfortable distance. As it was his pistol simply did not have the range to do the job from there. He'd have to get closer--uncomfortably closer. He stepped close to the door with her and looked her in the eye. "I have. There were dozens of men just like him at Safeco." He looked her over, then glanced back into the castle. "Get a weapon, something you know how to use, or just something sharp and heavy. That man--that thing--is a mutant of some kind. I didn't see what they could do up close, but they were capable of lobbing rocks and stones a few hundred feet through the air."<br/><br/>He took a deep breath, then held her face in both hands and kissed her as hard as he could, burning the memory into his mind. When it broke, he looked her in the eye, memorizing that, too. "I love you," he said quietly, then gave her a gentle nudge. "Go get a weapon. Remember, whatever you can actually use, or something heavy and sharp." He let go of her then, and his mind turned toward the fight.<br/><br/>A headshot with his sidearm would end it, but anywhere else might not be enough to stop the thing. His hatchet would be almost useless--if it came to melee combat he would be in serious trouble anyway. By the time she returned, he had worked out an entire battle plan, and with a brief nod to her he pushed through the door and out into the cold. Never once had he even considered trying to leave without her. If he were to die she would not be denied an opportunity to prevent it.<br/><br/>He paused before they stepped into the open and took her hand. "I want you to listen carefully. Stay hidden. Without a gun, you won't be able to be as effective as you could be, and up close he can overpower you like that." he snapped his fingers for emphasis. "If you get a chance to get above him while his back's to you, do so, and aim right for the base of his skull. Hitting him anywhere else will just piss him off. And if he ends up killing me somehow..." He paused there, and just smiled crookedly. "Try to do the right thing."<br/><br/>He kissed her again, more softly, then turned and stepped out into view. He faced the gigantic mutant and cautiously closed the gap between them, to within about thirty feet, and put one hand on his pistol. "How did you find this place?" he called, but the giant didn't respond. His head turned ponderously, from the castle to the Strider, and the manic grin he wore widened. The giant started forward, lumbering unsteadily toward him, and Carson backed up, wary of its reach. "I won't ask again--how did you find this mountain?"<br/><br/>"Run... ner." The giant chuckled, its voice like an avalanche. "Run-ner talk. Run-ner scream. Run-ner bleed." He laughed again, and with a peal of hysterics launched forward, almost faster than Carson could register. The Strider's instincts alone saved him, dropping and rolling down the path as the giant's fist crashed into the ground where he'd been standing. He came up behind the giant, pistol drawn, and fired two rounds into its back. They punched through skin and muscle, but the heavy slugs only served to make the giant roar and turn, the grin twisted into a scowl as it swiped at Carson.<br/><br/>"Bad! Bad! BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD!" It lunged again, fists swinging erratically, forcing Carson to duck and roll and dodge repeatedly. He fired four more times, but each shot either missed or grazed his shoulders, the monster much faster and more aggressive than Carson had realized. He tried to turn and run, but the giant seized his hand in one huge fist, covering half his forearm too. He lifted the Strider up off the ground and brought him in close, sniffing at him curiously. "Taste good?" the giant wondered. Through its matted hair, Carson could see its eyes were red, blood red, and its breath stank of rotten meat.<br/><br/>He drew his hatchet and chopped as hard as he could into the giant's wrist. Whatever he hit worked, and the mutant roared again as it let him go. He landed hard, his arm aching in half a dozen different places. The blood on his hatchet steamed in the frigid air as the giant staggered backward, clutching its arm, fingers on the damaged hand twitching and flexing only slightly. "HURT!" bellowed the beast, and Carson lifted his pistol with both hands, forcing himself to breath and aim carefully as the giant bore down toward him. "HURT ME! HURT ME!" He fired once, and the round bored right into one red eye, the giant stumbling and staggering.<br/><br/>Carson got up slowly as the mutant felt at its face. Carefully, the Strider ejected the spent magazine, then slid a fresh one into place, wincing as he moved his right hand. At least two fingers were broken thanks to the giant's grip, and he could imagine the kind of bruising that would form. The giant looked at him as he switched the gun to his left hand, its one eye blinking, its face a mess of bloody hair. "Pain?" whispered the giant, and Carson nodded.<br/><br/>"Yes. But not for long. You're in shock." He lifted his weapon and fired again, and the giant's head lurched backward before the entire hulking monstrosity slumped slowly sideways and into the snow. Carson stood panting, his right hand throbbing, before he awkwardly holstered the gun. He picked up his hatchet and stepped carefully around the hulk, wiping the blade on its pants before he waved toward the castle with it. All clear. Threat eliminated. Then he sat down on a nearby rock and holstered the hatchet, too, in order to properly inspect and assess his hand and arm.