C H A P T E R S E V E N: THE FIGHT

Ivy's POV

Blinding lights.

Camera flashes.

Interviewers.

Audiences.

Shouting crowd.

...and a wild arena.

Ganyan ang hitsura ngayon ng paligid ko. Today is the night when we will fight with some mysterious people. Alam ko naman na sure win na kami. Sa ganda ko pa lang eh kabog na yung mga kalaban but I heard they were boys but I'm not alarmed. I will never be.

Naglagay ako ng konting dark make-up tapos lumabas na ng room. Kahit nasa backstage palang kami ng La Farelle, nagvavibrate na yung mga pader at dingding sa lakas ng mga sigawan ng mga tao.

"Ivy, you ready?" 

Tanong ni Joy sakin tapos tinapik pa ako sa balikat. Tumango naman ako sa kanya.

"I am born ready remember? We can win this fight."

"We already knew it, Ivy." Sagot ni Denise. "By the way, I like your outfit."

I looked at myself. I am wearing a black tube paired with black high waisted jeans with boots. I tied my hair in a ponytail and that's it. That's my outfit. For me it doesn't seem awesome. It's completely simple.

Tinignan ko naman si Joy. She's wearing her usual fighting outfit. A black dress with a cycling under then pair of black boots. Hinayaan nya lang nakalugay ang buhok nya tapos medyo light ang make-up but her lipstick is very red. Bloody. Then Denise's outfit is so showy. She's wearing a red sando with spaghetti strap then she's on a short...short. Maikling shorts to be exact. Then, she's on killer heels tapos nakabun lang yung buhok nya. If Denise's outfit is so showy, pwes balot na balot naman si Alice. A long sleeved blouse with long skinny jeans at stilletos ang suot nya. Ginaw noh. Nakalugay lang rin yung maikli nyang buhok.

Nawala ang atensyon ko sa mga suot namin nang magsalita na ang MC.

"Tonight, we will watch a very legendary fight between our two legendary groups."

"Legendary huh?" Komento ni Denise.

"Shut up, Den." Saway naman ni Alice.

"Let's welcome our first group. They are composed of five boys and they were known here in La Farelle arena. They are the current Top One finalist and let's call their name. They are none other than...Fire Blazers!"

Mas dumagundong ang lugar kaya napatakip ako sa mga tenga ko. All boys? Fire Blazers? I haven't heard their names before.

"Then now...let's welcome our mysterious challenger. They are composed of four girls and it's their first time to have their battle here in La Farelle. Let's all know them...Black Dragons!"

Biglang tumahimik ang stadium.

"Let's go?" Taas kilay kong tanong sa mga kasamahan ko at lahat naman sila ay um-oo.

Taas noo kaming umakyat ng stage at samin nakatutok ang spotlight. Alam ko ang nararamdaman ng mga tao ngayon.

Pagtataka.

Well hindi ko naman sila pinipilit na kilalanin kami dahil we're famous worldwide. Hindi nga lang dito sa La Farelle. Puro chismis lang ang maririnig mo sa paligid.

"Sino ba sila?"

"Ang lakas naman ng loob nila para kalabanin sila Master."

"Matatalo lang sila. Sa ganyang hitsura? Di yan makakapalag kela Jacob."

Okay so wala akong pakielam sa mga naririnig ko. Nginitian ko lang si Tito Alfonso nung makita ko sa Platinum seats. I take deep breath before I promised one thing in myself.

Swear to this very night, makikilala nila ng lubusan ang Black Dragons. Pinapangako ko. In every fight, walang top one. That's my belief. Walang magaling. Walang mahina. Walang nakatataas. Walang nakabababa. Pantay lahat at kung tapos na ang laban, dun mo lang malalaman kung sino talaga ang magaling. Ang malakas. Ang karapat-dapat.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. Don't judge us by our looks. Judge us in our attitudes. In our characteristics. In our personality hindi kung sa anong nakikita nyo lang ngayon.

I promise that to this night...mananalo kami.

Mark. My. Word.

=======

"Let the battle begins in three...two..."

I readied myself for any attack. I build my guard up.

"...one."

And I was right. A boy with a blonde hair, cute looks and big body built attacked me right away. Agad nya akong binalahan ng suntok at nakaiwas naman ako dun but he's so damn fast. Agad nyang sinipa yung binti ko which causes me to fall on my knees but before he took another hit, gumulong kaagad ako sa sahig and I dodged from his back.

I caught him off guard in the neck and tried to choke him but he's so strong at kaya nya akong baliktarin.

He held my arms tightly as he slammed me hard on the floor causing my head to ache. The boy quickly punched me in the stomach causing me to throw up blood.

Swear. Nakakasakit na sila. Pasalamat nalang sila, I'm giving way for their bloody warm-up.

Good thing na lang at bago ako tadyakan ni Blonde Boy, Alice grabbed by his hair and banged his head on the edge of the ring.

I heard the audience said 'ooh...' before the boy taken aback. Halatang bumagal sya ng konti at nasaktan sa ginawa ni Alice so I grabbed the chance to readied myself again. I wiped the blood in the left side of my mouth at nag-thank you sandali kay Alice. Binalikan nya yung kanina nyang inaatake with a boy which I think in his mid 20s. Mukha pang bata at inosente.

One more that caught my attention is a boy lying on the floor.

Tulog na. Naghihilik na eh.

So 4 vs 4 na lang ang labanan.

I brought back my attention to my enemy at bago pa man ito makatake ulit sakin, I punched him in the stomach at tinuhuran sya. Hinatak ko rin yung buhok nya and now he's facing the floor. He tried getting up but I kicked his back kaya medyo nanghina sya.

He get up from his face-the-floor position at pinaulanan ako ng suntok. Good thing mabilis akong umiwas. I slid between his legs at hinawakan yung T-shirt nya at binaliktad sya pa-ere.

Yes. I'm strong, I know.

I slammed his back on the floor tulad ng ginawa nya sakin kanina.

"Putangina..."

I chuckled. "Yes Blonde Boy. Putangina talaga."

Tinayo ko sya at agad kong sinuntok yung jawline nya kaya napangiwi ito. I saw blood gushing from his right side of the mouth and his head is also bleeding. He got three more bruises in the arms dahil kay Alice kanina.

He staggered back at napasandal sa ring.

Syempre, hindi ko kaagad tatapusin ang gabing ito. Diba sabi ko, bloody warm-up pa lang toh?

I run for another attack when he  raised his right hand for surrendering. Nabigla ako dun kaya maski yung mga kagrupo nya, napatingin rin sa kanya.

"What the fuck, Cairo?! What are you doing?"

"Putangina ng kabayong letse na toh, bakit ka sumuko?"

"Oh shet! What's happening in this worldeu??"

"Cairo...you got no jams."

Isa-isa nilang sabi when the MC slide a gun from the ring to me. I get it at alam ko na lahat ng tao, naghihintay sa kung anong dapat gawin ko.

Humalakhak muna ako sandali at pinaglaruan ang baril bago itinutok sa grogeng si Cairo na kasalukuyang nakataas parin ang dalawang kamay.

"Should I kill you? Masyado pang maaga. You gave up already. I can't believe you."

Sabi ko at tumawa pa ng mapait. Nilapitan ako ng mga kagrupo ko at bumulong kaagad sakin si Joy.

"Are you going to kill him?"

"Just watch, Joy. This is going to be fun...and exciting."

"Putangina...suko na nga kami diba. Bakit di mo pa yan iputok? Ang dami mo pang sinasabi." Sigaw ni Cairo kahit nakayuko pa sya.

Naglakad ako papunta sa kanya at itinaas ang kanyang ulo para magkatitigan kami. Masyado kaming malapit sa isa't isa kaya ramdam ko yung paghinga nya.

"Kill me!" 

Halatang nagbabaga yung mga mata nya nung sinabi nya yun. So he's really determinate about dying.

Good thing mabait ako.

"I'll not going to kill you yet. Mabait ako Cairo. But I'm warning you, this isn't a fight yet pero kapag binalikan namin kayo...dun na kita papatayin so get ready."

Inihagis ko yung baril sa mga tao and no one is till making a move. Lahat sila, nakatunganga sakin.

I walked back to my friends.

"The warm-up's over. Let's go take a rest."

Tapos umalis na kami but before we go back to the backstage, tinignan ko ng mariin si Cairo.

Something's familiar with him...and I don't like my gut feel about it.