The Lost Haven

Chapter 25: Dangers of Being a Super-Enhanced Freak

"Um... sorry?" sabi ko sa kanila.

Red gave me his Lagot-Ka-Sa-Akin-Mamaya death stare.

20 feet ang pagitan namin sa 20+ clones (I think) sa right. Roughly 30 feet naman ang layo ng dalawang dosenang clones sa left namin. The entrance to the weaponry is about a hundred feet to the left.

"I'll distract them while you access the weaponry." sabi ni Red. "Jake, ikaw na ang bahala sa mga clones na magpu-pursue sa inyo."

"Red, se-seryoso ka?" medyo awkward, pero nag-alala ako sa kanya.

"Yeah. Now go ahead before I change my mind." sabi ni Red.

"Ok. Bianca, Claire, get behind me. Run as fast as you can. We're practically defenseless so speed and agility is important. They cannot aim at us if we're quick." sabi ni Jake.

Napatingin si Bianca sa makapal na layer ng clones sa harap namin. "We will pass through them? Pero paano--"

"Well, I am a superhuman." Jake reminded her.

Jake got ready and crossed his arms in front of him. Then sumugod na siya sa sa clones.

Nakapikit ang mga mata ko nung lumusong siya. I opened my eyes and realized that we passed through. May ilang scratch wounds si Jake, pero maliban doon, he's fine.

Nakita ko si Red sa kabilang side, he was already fighting with the clones single-handedly. Nag-reform ulit ung makapal na pader ng clones sa harap namin. Puro mga baril ang hawak nila.

Meron akong naalala.

"30 seconds, right?" sabi ko. "We take a clone down, get its weapon and use it for 30 seconds, we throw the weapon away to another group of clones so that they'll be blown up in the explosion."

Jake and Bianca agreed with a smile.

INSERT: [Claire, Jake, & Bianca vs. clones :: Kinukuha nila ang mga armas ng clones and use it for 30 seconds tapos ay itatapon ito sa ibang clones para madamay sa pag-self-destruct ng weapon (repeat the process 4x)]

Nakaabot na kami sa entrance ng weaponry. Sinusubukan nang buksan ni Jake ang weaponry. Pumasok na silang dalawa. Before entering, tinignan ko si Red.

"Red!" sigaw ko, pero patuloy pa rin ang pag sugod sa kanya ng clones. Nagtaka ako kung bakit siya natatagalan, pero na-realize ko na meron pa palang mga clones na paparating at sumusugod sa kanya.

Narinig namin ang alarm. "Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Identify yourselves before we make you pole dance to your death."

"The two of you get in, I'll save Red." sabi ni Jake.

Pero biglang nagsara ang weaponry. Ano ba talagang nangyayari pag na-activate na ang security system ng Lost Haven? Pole dance to your death?

Inalis ko muna iyon sa isipan ko. I rushed towards Red.

Good news: The blinking red alarm lights kept the clones distracted.

Bad news: Nakahilata si Red sa sahig, marami siyang cuts, wounds, gunshots... meron ring limang arrow na nakabaon sa left forearm at right thigh niya.

Yan na nga ang sinasabi ko e. Ang yabang ng lalaking yan, kahit na bulletproof ang damit na bigay sa kanya ni Tailor, may matatanggap pa rin siyang damage mula sa impact. And arrows. Ugh, nevermind

At least, walang vital organs ang natamaan sa kanya. Buti na lang at mga bida kami, hindi kami basta-basta mapapatay ng mga simple pawns ng kalaban.

Binuhat ko siya patungo sa weaponry.

"Claire?" Sinabi niya ng mahina. "Yung clones. Ang alarm."

"Bilisan mong maglakad bago pa nila tayo mapansin."

"T-teka, kaya kong maglakad ng maayos." I'm about to scold him pero kaya pala talaga niya. I'm not sure, pero I heard him murmur about medicines.

"Medicines?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"W-wala." napahawak siya sa gilid ng tiyan niya, "Ang sakit talaga pag nakatanggap ka ng point-blank gunshots. Anyway, this is bad. Anong sinabi ng alarm?"

"Umm... It said, 'Identify yourselves before we make you pole dance to your death'."

"Yup, that's definitely bad." sabi niya.

We hurried and entered the weaponry. Gulat na gulat si Bianca na buhay at maayos pang nakakagalaw si Red sa condition niya, but Jake looked at him like 'Yan lang? Ang babaw naman ng injuries mo.'

"Anyway, about the alarm," sabi ni Bianca, "Pole dance to your death?"

"Well," sabi ni Red habang tinatanggal ang arrows sa katawan niya na parang wala lang. "I'm super-enhanced, my regenerative abilities is 8 times faster than a regular human."

Diring-diri na si Bianca sa dami ng dugong lumalabas mula kay Red but the bleeding immediately stopped.

Super-enhanced aliens... they freak the crap out of me.

"With the security system activated, lahat ng electrical weapons and equipment ng kalaban ay magiging useless. That means we can say bye-bye to the bazookas, tasers and whatnot. Mawawala na rin ang self-destruct function ng mga armas ng clones."

"How is pole dancing related to that?" Jake asked.

"Look outside." sabi ni Red.

Tumingin kami sa labas. Nandoon pa rin ung clones. Unti-unti naming napansin na may mga row ng butas na lumabas sa magkabilang pader. Nagulat kami nang biglang may lumabas na steel pole at tinuhog ang mga clones na nakatapat dito.

"Ok. It kinda makes sense now." I said.

"Isang beses lang yan mangyayari sa buong Lost Haven. We have to take out the remaining clones. Ihatid niyo ung mga armas sa mess hall." sabi ni Red.

Jake and Bianca delivered the carts to the mess hall, kami na lang ni Red ang naiwan.

I was tending his wounds, masyado siya sigurong pagod kasi nakayuko siya all this time.

I heard footsteps after 10 minutes. Sina Ade, Jhun at Tailor pala.

"Hey." sabi ni Ade, "Woah, what happened to him?"

"He fought s several of clones." I answered. "Several dozens of clones, actually."

"Meron siyang five arrow-inflicted wounds, several impact wounds, at maraming malalalim na cuts and bruises! Buhay pa ba siya?" sabi ni Jhun.

"Red?" tinapik ni Tailor ang balikat ni Red. He wasn't responding. Then... he coughed blood.

Blood? It can't be.

We all rushed toward him. Hiniga siya ni Tailor, "Red? Red! Open your eyes."

I got a clear sight of his face, kahit pale and white and balat niya, he's paler and whiter than before, yung tipong piniga na sa kanya ung natitirang kulay sa katawan niya. And there's more...

His eyes... His neon blue eyes became as white as snow.

"T-Tailor, anong nagyayari kay Red?" I asked.

"We need to get him to Daniel, fast. He's sick... terribly sick."