Bayani Unmasked: A HENERAL LUNA & GOYO: Ang Batang Heneral One-shot collection

13. Drink It Up

Slight Jovente (if you squint)! Vicente's greatest flaw was leaving Joven under the care of the del Pilar brothers after a party one night. It served him a lesson that he would never allow such thing to happen again.

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Vicente should have never allowed the del Pilar brothers to be left unattended. Like small children, despite him being younger than those two, were a pain; especially when they were left on their own dwindling with bottles and bottles of liquor throughout the night.

Once, the elder del Pilar had been singing with a slurry voice that woke up the entire neighborhood that earned them deadly glares the following morning for the chaos they've caused at a time that was supposed to be lights out. And there was a moment that the younger del Pilar dared his brother and him that he could fly by climbing a nearby tree, almost slipping countless of times before reaching the highest branch, and jumped shouting that he was an eagle; it ended with a fractured leg and painful nights of curses out of the young general.

Due to this, Vicente promised that he would not be drinking too much that he would immediately lose sight of his senses and do something incredibly stupid as those two. Somehow, he had gotten used to the idea of being the arbiter between the brothers when they were handling drinks.

He just returned back to the barracks after rounding the guards if they were at their posts for the night. And when he returned, he was surprised to find out that the del Pilar brothers were not only drunk, but has another drinking companion.

"Magandang gabi, Koronel!" Joven laughed with an audible slur on his voice. He looked somber, glasses crooked and his hair had been disheveled. He raised a hand up, holding a half-empty bottle of one of the strongest liquors that the del Pilars usually showered themselves on after a celebration. "Inom po tayo, Koronel!"

Julian huffed his dismay. "'Wag mo na alukin iyang si Enteng, Joven. Di mo iyan mapapainom." He chuckled loudly. "'Yan nga pala ang nanay namin ni Goyong."

"'Di niyo ako nanay, mga ulol," Vicente scolded. He sighed heavily, knowing that being mad over the matter will not resolve this current case. He drew closer to the three, especially to Joven, as if to take away the bottle. "Amin na nga iyan!"

"Ayaw ko po!" Joven scolded, drawing the bottle closer to his chest. He hiccuped before he could even said, "Mahal ko po 'tong bote."

Goyo cracked a laugh at that, pouring himself another round of wine. "Enteng, ang hina mo naman pala. Mas mahal pa pala ni Joven ang alak."

Julian covered his mouth with a hand as if that will stop him from laughing. "Goyong, 'wag ganyan. Magseselos si Enteng. Tignan mo, iiyak 'yan!"

Vicente glared dangerously at the two del Pilars that didn't had any effect given that the two were laughing already without care all due to the implication that there was alcohol involved. "Tama na nga iyan. Mga tarantado talaga—" He immediately stopped when he felt someone pulling him away. Trailing his eyes where, he realized that it was Joven who've focused his attention on the sword that had been sheathed on the scabbard by his side, the latter currently holding it by the end to take it.

"Koronel," he trailed off, hiccuping as he remained embracing the bottle by an arm. "Pahiram po. Dali na."

Vicente chided Joven's hand away but it remained firmly closed around the scabbard. "Joven... 'wag ka naman sumabay."

Joven pouted with a heavy frown on his face and immediately closed his hand around the grip of Vicente's sword, swiftly unsheathing it, much to Vicente's surprised. He raised the gleaming sword above his head, shouting, "Humanda na kayong lahat!"

The del Pilars laughed with amusement, trying to suppress their laughters—Julian fell from his seat; while Goyo's shaking hands faltered, causing the last contents of his cup to fall from the corner of his lips then to his clothes.

Vicente's eyes were wide as he tried to calm Joven down and take the sword from him. Helpless at such a situation, he closed his arms around Joven. "Joven! Akin na iyan! Bago mo pa masaktan ang sarili mo!"

"Fuego!" Joven waved the sword over his head, laughing and shouting. He struggled against Vicente's grip, wanting to get away as he raised his hand with the bottle. "Sino ka?! Bitawan mo ako! Walang makakatalo sa akin!"

Vicente was surprised with Joven's strength. He cursed under his breathe upon hearing the sound of a gunfire and a bottle shattering closeby. He knew that it would be one of the del Pilar brothers. Then, Joven slipped from Vicente's grasp, causing him to fall face-first to the ground with a surprised shocked. He helplessly watched Joven tripped, sprawling to the ground.

"Tangina nga naman," he mumbled under his breathe.

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