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FluffandCrunch

Katawa Paintball

May 3rd, 2013
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  1. The sun is low and behind us, giving a clear view of the hilltop. Shizune, Misha and myself duck down behind the bushes and keep a watch for any sign of the other team.
  2.  
  3. [Anything?] I ask, momentarily stowing my gun to free my hands.
  4. Misha does a quick look around, checking our flanks and shakes her head. Shizune doesn't even bother to scan our surroundings, her eyes locked on the hilltop, pupils shrunk to tiny black spots in her excitement and zeal. She's practically licking her lips as she stares at the flag just waiting for us to take it.
  5.  
  6. [Shizune, do you see anything?] I have to nudge her to get her to pay attention.
  7. She shakes her head. [No. I don't see a thing.]
  8. [Well, what are we waiting for? Let's grab the flag and win!]
  9. Misha starts to stand but Shizune grab her by the ammo belt around her shoulder and yanks her back into the bushes with us. She squawks a little and I have to shush her to keep quite; silence is one of our major advantages over the enemy and considering who we are up against, I think we're going to need every advantage we can get.
  10.  
  11. I'll admit, I was a little worried about going back to the Hakamichi's house after all the crap that happened last time I was there. Between Hideaki being a pain and Jigoro being a jackass, I wasn't looking forward to another round of dealing with Shizune's family issues. I was especially worried when we arrived and both of the male Hakamichis were decked out in what looked like some sort of military uniform. It took a while for Shizune to explain that both her brother and father were into paint ball after they played with a few of Jigoro's American business partners.
  12.  
  13. Once I learned that, it was only a matter of time before we got swept into things, especially with Lilly and Akira stopping by. From what Shizune tells me, Lilly and her sister will be leaving for Scotland again, this time permanently, so it seems this will be the last time the whole family can get together for the foreseeable future. Still, I was surprised that Akira had some interest in the game and I was downright shocked when even Lilly seemed curious. With Akira, Lilly and Hideaki on one team and Shizune, Misha and myself on the other, it seemed like an unfair match. I may not be in the best shape, but it's kind of cruel to have a blind girl on the other team even though Shizune didn't seem to think it would be that much of a disadvantage to them.
  14.  
  15. [Don't worry, with Hideaki on their side, we'll have our hands full.]
  16. I'm still not sure what she meant by that.
  17. I think she just wants to shoot Lilly with a paintball gun.
  18.  
  19. Anyway, I'm more concerned about Jigoro.
  20. When we all geared up and split into teams, Jigoro refused to join either side, heading off by himself with a gun in each hand. I don't know what he has planned, but it's left me with a very worried feeling.
  21.  
  22. Misha groans after settling back under the bush with us. [Shiichan, I'm bored! All we're doing is running around! I'm tired!]
  23. [We'll be done soon. Besides, victory is at hand! Once we get the flag, it's over.]
  24. [Where is everyone else? We didn't see the other team or your father the whole way here! Not too mention this is a stupid place to keep their flag; on top of a hill where we can all see it? They're asking for us to take it.]
  25.  
  26. Shizune shakes her head. [No, it's a perfect spot.]
  27. [But we can just walk up and take it from them.]
  28. [I never said it was a perfect spot for us. It's a perfect spot for an ambush.]
  29. I quickly scan the surroundings once more. [I don't see anyone.]
  30. Shizune's eyes glint. [Exactly. Their flag is totally undefended. Of course it's an ambush!]
  31. [How do you know?]
  32. [It's what I would do.]
  33.  
  34. Misha squirms, trying to find a comfortable spot on the dirt. [What do we do now?]
  35. Shizune looks back up the hill and grins. [Flush them out.]
  36.  
  37. We exchange hand signs, a furry of motions as we discuss our plan of attack. I disagree with Shizune on a few points, mostly on using me as bait to reveal where the others are hiding, but she wins in the end like she usually does.
  38.  
  39. Misha heads off towards the left, but before Shizune follows, she leans over and pecks me on the cheek under my face guard. [Get me that flag and I'll give you something even better when we get back to the house,] she tells me with a grin before vanishing under some brush.
  40.  
  41. That's all the motivation I need to pull this off.
  42.  
  43. Sliding on my belly under the bush, I make my way in the opposite direction, circling around the hill to head up it in a two prong attack. I stop behind a large rock, putting my back to it and checking once more to make sure the coast is clear. Spotting my flank, I see Shizune and Misha nearby hunkered down behind a tree. They flash a few hands signs which I respond to before we begin to make our way up the hill and towards the flag.
  44.  
  45. Without warning I hear the pop of a paint pellet whipping past my head and I duck down to avoid any more fire. Shizune and Misha get pinned as well and I can see some rustling in the bushes farther up the hill on Shizune's side. A flash of yellow tells me it's either Lilly or Akira, but considering how accurately the fire is coming, I'm betting on Akira. Nearby I see Hideaki with a bandanna around his head and war paint on his face, a huge gun in his arms bigger than he is. He takes short bursts at my direction while Akira continues to shoot at the girls. Shizune and Misha try to return fire at them but between the angle and the cover they have, it doesn't seem to do any good. They end up getting pushed back towards the tree they just left while I scramble to find some shelter of my own.
  46.  
  47. Ducking behind a big tree, I continue to hear the sound of popping ammunition as Akira and Hideaki pin Shizune and Misha down. Feeling a bit on my own, I make my way through the brush towards the flag.
  48.  
  49. Without any warning, a spray of paint blasts through the air right in front of me before I throw myself to the ground a second time.
  50.  
  51. “Did I hit you?”
  52.  
  53. I feel a sinking feeling in my gut.
  54. They sent the blind girl after me? I think I should be offended.
  55.  
  56. I peek above the grass and see Lilly standing among the trees, fully covered in body armor with a long barrel paint ball gun in her hands. Attached to it are a pair of massive drums brimming with ammo. Lilly has her head sightly cocked to the side, listening intently. “If I hit you, I'll trust that you'll tell me so. You're not a cheater, are you, Hisao?“
  57.  
  58. I want to question how she knows it's me, but I don't speak aloud. That would only draw attention.
  59.  
  60. Come on, stop being a wimp, it's Lilly. She's blind, all you have to do is sneak around her and get to the flag.
  61.  
  62. Right, this should be easy.
  63. I peek over the grass, waiting for Lilly to turn from my direction, the barrel away from me.
  64.  
  65. I move barely an inch before the rustling alerts her. She twists back around and lets loose a wave of ammo above my head, forcing me to drop to my stomach. It's so close I can feel the tiny pellets pass right over my neck!
  66.  
  67. “Ara, ara. Are you trying to slip away?”
  68.  
  69. I have to end this soon.
  70.  
  71. Taking one of my ammo belts, I carefully take a pellet out and throw it off to Lilly's side. She immediately fires at the sound of it hitting a rock, which I use to my advantage, getting to my knees, leveling my sights right between her shoulder blades.
  72.  
  73. One shot is all I'll need.
  74.  
  75. I start to squeeze the trigger, but I hesitate. There's something inherently wrong feeling to shooting a blind girl in the back. I try to take aim, but I can't bring myself to do it and I sigh in resignation.
  76. With that little sound, Lilly turns and levels her big gun at me.
  77.  
  78. My life flashing before my eyes, I'm surprised to see a wash of green paint splatter all over her visor, planted right between her eyes. Lilly seems as surprised as I am. “What was that? Did I get hit? Hisao, how could you?“
  79. “It wasn't me!”
  80.  
  81. Green paint.
  82. I turn around and Shizune is standing right behind me, blowing non-existent smoke from her barrel.
  83. “Who hit me? Who shot me, Hisao?”
  84. “It was Shizune, Lilly.”
  85. Lily huffs. “Of course it was. What am I supposed to do now?”
  86. “Well, you're out of the game. I guess just wait until we're all shot or we capture the flag, I guess.“
  87. “Oh... darn!”
  88.  
  89. Lilly sighs and sits on the ground, setting her gun beside her in a fit.
  90. “Sorry, Lilly. We'll come back and get you when we're done.“
  91. “Well, all right. Good luck to you, Hisao. And tell Shizune it's impolite to aim for the face.“
  92.  
  93. Shizune and I walk off through the shrubs together. [Thanks for the save.]
  94. [Not a problem,] Shizune signs with a wide grin, [I'd have nailed her if she had been on my team anyway.]
  95. [She wanted you to know it's impolite to shoot people in the face.]
  96. [That's what she gets for trying to ventilate my boyfriend.]
  97.  
  98. I give Shizune a kiss, pulling her visor out of the way of her lips. [Thank you. Now what?]
  99. Blushing slightly from my sudden show of affection, she collects herself. [Misha is down, Akira got her, but I was able to take her out. Hideaki retreated, I don't know where he went to. We'd better get the flag, otherwise he'll dig in and we'll never get him out.]
  100. [He takes this pretty seriously, huh? I saw what he was wearing, he looked like he stepped right out of a movie.]
  101. [If you think that's bad, wait till you see my father in action.]
  102. [Is he even on their side? I didn't think he was interested in teams.]
  103. [That just makes him more dangerous; he's on his own team.]
  104.  
  105. Shizune and I cautiously approach the top of the hill towards our goal. The flag is stuck into the ground on the end of a three foot pole stuck at the base of a tree, a short red pennant at the top.
  106.  
  107. [How do you want to do this?]
  108. [Head up and I'll cover you. I'll circle around. Keep an eye out for my brother or my dad.]
  109.  
  110. I follow her orders, watching carefully for anything that might show an oncoming attack. All I have to do is get the flag and we'll have won, easy as pie.
  111.  
  112. A big shadow emerges from the tree branches and plummets down in front of me, the massive form of Jigoro landing on a pair of combat boots. He hasn't even bothered with any of the protective armor like we have on, just wearing his normal clothes with a couple belts of ammo and sunglasses added to cover his eyes. In both hands he has a nasty looking markers with flame decals and custom grips perfectly formed to his hands, a shining red light on each barrel, which turn out to be laser sights when I see two red points cross my chest.
  113.  
  114. I throw myself back and the paired shots pass over my cheeks, tumbling me down the hill a few meters, landing me on my butt. Jigoro turns the grass red with paint, forcing me to clamber back as the tiny puffs erupt at my feet. My shoes remain clean, though and I'm still in the game. Finding shelter behind a dip in the hill, I return fire to try and push him back, but he just keeps firing, standing between me and the flag.
  115.  
  116. Without warning, he grabs what looks like a half full water balloon from his belt and hurls it towards me. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't take any chances, rolling out from my cover just as a huge splash of red paint spills all over where I had been kneeling seconds before.
  117.  
  118. “Grenades?! That's not fair! We didn't get grenades!”
  119. “Hah! Do you like them? While you were planning your silly strategies, I was preparing for you!“
  120. “Whose team are you on?”
  121. “Neither!”
  122. “They why are you defending their flag?”
  123. “It does not matter whose flag it is. No one wins this match but me.“ He opens fire, making me scramble and dance away from the shots. “You can't beat me kid!”
  124.  
  125. I try to get away but I catch my foot on a rock and sip, landing on my face and filling my goggles with dirt and grass. I clear them out just in time to look up and see Jigoro with both barrels leveled at me.
  126.  
  127. He pops me in the chest.
  128.  
  129. I'm glad I'm wearing the vest, I don't think a paint ball pellet would do anything to my heart, but it still stings to get shot.
  130. I put my marker down. “Fine. You win.”
  131.  
  132. He fires into me several times.
  133.  
  134. “Ow! Knock it off, I said you won!”
  135. “Just making sure. When the enemy can still speak, he is not dead yet. Once I finish off my son and daughter, I want you to say I won. I want to hear you admit defeat. “
  136.  
  137. I sneak a look behind him. “You might want to pay more attention to the rules.”
  138. “Rules? There are no rules. I have defeated you. It is over.“
  139.  
  140. I point over his shoulder.
  141. He turns and finally notices Shizune holding the flag in one hand, her gun leveled at her father in the other.
  142. He gruffly snorts. “Are you going to do something about it or just stand there all day?“
  143.  
  144. Three in the chest is his answer.
  145.  
  146. He looks at the green spots on his shirt and laughs, tossing his guns aside. “Stupid kids game anyway.”
  147.  
  148. Jigoro walks down the hill, swaggering as he goes, while in the opposite direction, Akira and Misha arrive, each with a spot of paint on their body, red on Misha's arm and green from Shizune on Akira's knee. “That was fun! Can we do this again?” Akira takes a look around the hilltop. “Hey, has anyone seen Lilly?”
  149. “We left her in the woods.”
  150. Akira sighs. “I better go find her.”
  151.  
  152. Akira heads off to locate her sister before Lilly wanders off. Misha sighs despondently. “What's wrong, Misha?”
  153. She looks hurt. “Shiichan used me as cover.”
  154.  
  155. I turn to Shizune. [You used her as cover?]
  156. Shizune looks sheepish for a second, though still blushing with victory, flag gripped tightly in her teeth so she can sign. [It was either that or Hideaki would have taken both of us out.]
  157.  
  158. Speaking of which, walking up the hill, shirtless and covered in green camouflage paint, is Hideaki, looking rather put out when he sees Shizune holding his team's flag in her mouth. “Aw, is it over already? I was just getting started.“
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