Goldie leaned over the gate, a bottle of beer hanging in her right hand. 'Now this'll be amusing.'
Jessica stood beside her friend, arms crossed over her ample chest. 'I'm glad you find it so hilarious Goldie. Personally being stuck in the middle of the desert while my ex bromances himself, isn't my idea of fun.'
Goldie took a swig from the bottle. 'Chill the hell out Jess. You know we're stuck here until the sand storm passes, besides this whole hidden compound is like a small city, lots ta do. Take this work out area, even the cats are having fun climbing things.' She motioned ahead to where SC and Griffin were going over what looked like an army assault course.
'Yes but that's a piddly looking thing compared to ...' she waved a hand.
*
Up ahead, The Hare cricked his neck back to look up at the ... well it looked like a mesa with tree poles, rope courses and other climbing exercises in front of it. 'I don't know self, that looks awful high.'
Future Hare good naturedly cracked his past self on the shoulder. 'C'mon kid, you've gotta keep sharp. When was the last time you had a real work out?'
'Well it's been a ...'
'While yeah? Look at this ...' Future Hare shucked off his leather jacket and lifted the front of his black t-shirt. '8 pack,' he said proudly. 'Look at the definition.'
'Um yeah,' the Hare subconsciously patted his own flat but not as defined belly.
Future Hare leaned forward and flexed his right arm. 'Go on, have a feel. Rock solid guns my young padawan! Feel.'
Reluctantly the Hare felt his older self's bicep.
'Now, no more excuses. If Icarus and his lot come after us or if LB ... sorry, Judge Bear, decides to pursue us, you'll be glad of the training. Way I figure it, we're here for about 72 more hours before the storm outside the valley clears up and I guarantee you won't regret this practice when you get to the Magic Forrest.'
Hare was about to question that remark, but Future Hare was already pulling off his boots and tying his long hair back into a ponytail.
The Hare shrugged and followed his own lead.
*
Goldie and Jessica were joined by the Goose, who had somehow laid his hands on a bottle of bushmills whiskey. 'King Tut,' he answered their unspoken question. 'He's a real gent and a great host. George is talking to him now - says he's going to write a book on ...'
The Goose trailed off at the sight of the two Hares sprinting towards the first hurdle - the rope maze. In two single bounds they had leaped on top of the ropes, some ten feet off the ground and were swinging onto overhead bars. Faster and faster the two Hares, swung, climbed, ran, jumped - now onto the tree poles and shimmying up.
'Well I'll be damned!' exclaimed the Goose. 'I haven't seen him ... them do anything like that for a long time.'
Both figures were now a few hundred feet up and springing forward to grab for hand and foot holds on the side of the mountainous mesa. Faster and faster, the two climbed, accelerating up the red-orange brown bronze chalky wall until they were just dots.
Cottontail, now wearing a pale yellow summer dress and flip flops came to join them by the gate. 'Looks like your Hare still has it. You'll need that in the Magic Forrest!'
Jessica was just about to ask her what she meant when the Gingerbread Man came running over, yelling something.