Challengers

37 : Helping Hand

"Yena of green team, out. Elix of pink team, out."

Everything happened so fast that I was only able to process what had transpired after the announcement.

Sinubukan akong hatakin ni Zion kanina para maiwasan ang paintball mula kay Les pero hinarang ko pa rin ang sarili ko sa kanya in case matamaan siya no'n. The green paint ended up staining the side of my vest. At the same time, Roi and Arin concentrated their attacks on Brian, but Yena had the same idea as mine.

"Tsk," Zion uttered in annoyance as he whizzed past me to find a better hiding spot.

"Good luck," I murmured.

A deep and long sigh of relief escaped my lips while my teammates disappeared from my sight. Nagkatinginan kami ni Yena dahil siya lang din ang naiwan at sabay kaming napangiti.

"Nauna ang mga lampa," biro ko noong magkaharap na kami.

She chucked while removing the pink paint on her left hand. "I guess it's a good choice. Pero hindi ako makapaniwala na sinacrifice ko ang sarili para sa isang lalaki."

"For the greater good, ika nga," I replied. "Pero ang pangit nga lang sa feeling."

"True."

One staff member appeared and guided us outside of the forest. Pareho kaming tahimik na lang habang naglalakad dahil nawala na ang adrenaline sa katawan namin. Medyo kinabahan lang din ako para kay Yena dahil naririnig ko ang paghinga niya kaya nakaalalay na ako sa kanya.

Once we were out of the forest, I immediately escorted her to the medical room located near the crew's cabin. Better na ma-check kung okay lang siya kaysa ma-aggravate pa ang kalagayan niya.

"Linisin at i-bandage na rin natin 'yung mga sugat mo," the medical staff suggested after seeing my arms, but I declined.

"Mamaya na lang po. Balik po ako after the challenge."

Dumiretso ako sa pavilion kung nasaan ang iba pang eliminated writers dahil gusto kong makita at malaman kung ano na ang nangyayari. Seven people were seated right in front of a huge screen displaying several live feed cameras throughout the forest.

"Hoy, grabe kayo sa amin!" nakangiting sigaw ni Wynn sa akin. Seated beside her were Charity and Tasha, and they were the only team that had multiple eliminated members.

"Sorry. Kayo unang team na dumaan, eh," pabiro ko namang sagot.

Napailing na lang si Tasha. "Sana lang maka-survive si Jacques," sabay tingin niya sa screen. "Medyo shunga pa naman siya 'pag mag-isa."

I sat on the second row of seats and looked at the surveillance monitors. Hindi masyadong kita ang iba dahil nasa blind spots ng cameras pero marami sa teams ang nasa isang place lang para mang-ambush. But a few were actively moving to hunt and pursue their target groups.

"Huy, shet magtatagpo pa ata 'yung dalawa," Lareza commented as she pointed at the leftmost feed on the screen.

Halos mapasigaw kaming lahat nang mag-cross ang paths ng red at purple teams dahil wala silang lookouts. They started gunning each other down, resulting in simultaneous eliminations.

"Andy and Ren of red team, out. Anikka and France of purple team, out."

"Wait, so sino na lang ang kumpleto pa rin ang members?" asked Becca.

"Yellow, blue, white, black, gray, and silver," mabilis na sagot ni Jean.

Then that meant yellow team—the fifth place overall—might lead the ranking if all of their members survive. It would be for the best if their target team was teal since we already had eliminated three of their members, but if that were the case, they would have been pursuing Jacques to secure twenty-five points. Pero parang walang hint ng movements sa kanila kaya mataas ang probability na hindi teal ang target team nila.