Oblivion

War

Xena

I traced my hand up the indented line the graphite had imprinted on the paper.
"So if we go in here, the elevator is the best descent." I drew my finger down the hallways and to the small box meant to be the elevator on our paper blueprints. The basement was alive with gunfire as Slade trained Ghost and Beast to shoot. Arrow and Eagle sparred in the corner. Eagle being fairly aggressive despite Arrow's injury.
"But if the guard is either off duty or reports his card missing, then a silent alarm will alert security." We had scratched the idea of just stealing a key card, we're going to have to steal a whole person. We needed to learn the schedule and job of course whoever we took. If we're lucky, Ghost won't even have to enter the club.
"Well chances are they'll see us through the cameras anyway. No doubt they've beefed up security sense you guys escaped."
"That's what concerns me. They know where we are, but they haven't come after us yet."
"Shhh, I know that, but we should be grateful. Look you and I both know how hydratech works. Maybe we should tell Slade." Hydratech knew exactly where we were. The question is why haven't they attacked? What are they waiting for?
"No way, Slade's taking a big risk by helping us, and he has enough to worry about," Bug brushed a stray hair behind her ear and sighed. I grabbed her small warm hand in an attempt to calm her from her
"Bug, we can't do this by ourselves. It's okay to trust other people. Especially ones on the same side as us," I ran my thumb over her hand.
"But what if they don't want to help us anymore, what if the leave, what if they think it's too big a risk and decide not to help us? Or, what if they're actually loyal to Hydratech and are only helping us to get information?" Her voice squeaked up like it always did when she was on edge.
"You're way overthinking this!"
"I know, I know, you're right. I'm just... what if something goes wrong?"
"We all know the risks. It's not your job to take care of all of us. Just worry about you, tell them the truth, and let them make the choice, okay?"
"I can't tell them the truth!" Bug erupted. "If they find out, everything will be ruined."
"If who finds out what?" Eagle grabbed his water bottle off our table and took a drink. I could here Bug's mouth searching for words.
"Slade, we may or may not have broke the bed." I answered in hopes of covering up what he had walked in on. Bug turned her gaze to me.
"You, broke, the bed?" Eagle asked quizzically.
"Well not like that!" Bug blurted. She's so adorable.
"Uh huh," he responded.
"Go away," she motioned with her hands. He hustled back over to Arrow.

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Slade had us all huddled in the basement, he had hauled down boxes of weird shapes guns, CO2 tanks and thousands of small heavy balls which were apparently very brightly colored. The obstacle course made up of plastic barrels, cardboard boxes, foam pads, and metal sheets, had been moved and rearranged to take up the central space in the basement. The new course was less obstacle and more maze with plenty of twists, turns, and dead ends.
Slade began attaching CO2 tanks to the guns, and filling hoppers with the colored balls. Everyone began helping and soon we were all prepped for the most epic paintball battle ever.
"Ummmm, what are we doing?" Arrow asked as he investigated a paintball.
"Initially, we are having a small war against each other in uncharted territory with the potential for injury," I stated.
"In other words, paintball," Slade replied sarcastically.
"Sweet, I've heard about paintball, sounds awesome!" Ghost commented.
"Yeah, until you get shot!" Arrow blurted.
"Pussy," Beast grabbed a paintball gun.
"So how does this work?" Eagle asked as he also grabbed a not-firearm.
"You pull the trigger, and it shoots paintballs at your friends." Slade bluntly answered. I felt Ghost smile at his comment.
"No I mean like, are we doing teams or..."
"Everyone for themselves," Bug pushed her sleeves down in an attempt to armor herself. "Now let's go over the rules."
"Right, no shooting people in the dick, or face," Beast shot the closest barricade, a thump sounded against the cardboard as paint exploded over the surface. "Did I forget anything?" He turned back to us and questioned.
"No leaving the course unless you're shot!" I added.
"Okay, we'll all start in different positions, one person can observe and countdown the time to start and who is remaining," Bug explained the game. "If you're shot you're out and you leave the arena, hands up so everyone knows you have been shot, sound good?"
"Sounds good to me," Ghost observed our maze. Several other people agreed and Bug set up a ladder to overlook our obstacle course. Arrow volunteered to watch first, complaining about his injury, and the rest of us got in position to enter the battlefield.
"Okay, thirty seconds starts now!"