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There were enough combatants participating to fill in an actual battlefield. Even got a few child soldiers ready for deployment here too... man, I’m telling you, paintball’s really something else.

Once again, the loud raring bravado of gallant soldiers instantly died away the exact moment Irene entered their peripheral vision... I swear, for a supposedly sneaky, subtle detective lady, Irene sure does stand out a lot.

We were divided equally into three platoons with six total in a unit, picked and filed by the listless whims of a weary-eyed referee. You’d think friends and acquaintances would be enlisted into the same platoon together, but I suppose camaraderie just proves too advantageous when up against a group of total randoms.

And so Alpha Platoon was founded – taking with it all three of the primary colors of light, blue, green, and red, saluting the rest of us good luck, and pretty much rendering my entire sentence prior as complete bullshit apparently.

Bravo Platoon turned the entire vicinity into a rave the moment it was declared that the great Irene herself would be falling in line among them... a prospect she wasn’t too eager about for some reason, clicking her tongue, spinning in a huff the moment no other members were being called out, before marching herself into the circle of her newfound comrade in arms.

It was almost like she was silently anticipating, hoping... for another person, another member after her... could just be my imagination. I mean, after all, it only almost looked that way.

.....

Who’s to say that’s certainly the case?

Anyway, last but certainly not least, hopefully... Charlie platoon had the great fortune to have me among their star-studded ranks of average joes, newcomers, and those child soldiers I mentioned earlier.

Well, it’s certainly no navy seals... but hey it’s something, right? We’re going to do great. I just know it. Totally not sarcasm. Totally not in denial right now – shut up, you’re in denial.

After all the warring factions of the battlefield were established, we each were led to vastly different directions inverted from one another. Our own bases, our own piece of the map, and our own flag to defend fluttering patriotically to the steadfast breeze of the ventilation unit.

There was much to learn about the terrain and environment, a war-torn landscape of plastic trees and makeshift mounds. The surroundings were as much of an opponent as the opposing teams were, with slopes that lead into deep trenches, narrow cluttered pathways hiding an ambush around any corner, and elevation seemingly all over the place.

But aside from that, our objective was fairly simple – get the flag from the other teams’ base, do that five times before anyone else could and victory was ours. Of course, that was easier said than done, though.

With only one life each round, and our team composition looking greener than grass... if there was truly a God of war somewhere out there in this wide, expansive universe, he sure as shit has long abandoned me, then.

Thanks, God.

Suddenly, before any of us could even have the chance to get our bearings, the shrill noise of a buzzer filled our ears, and just like that – the battle of the three platoons had officially begun.

Round one was a complete slaughterhouse of bright inky colors. Not even five minutes in – and two of my fellow privates had already declared themselves deceased, shambling themselves out of the battlefield, their uniforms rainbowfied.

I stayed low, creeping through dirt trenches and ignoring the alarming crackles of my leg joints.

Did I know where I was going? No.

Was I still alive and surviving? Yes.

And really, that’s all that truly matters in the end, right? Flag? Forget the flag. What flag? Sorry, my loyalty is to my life, my pledge is to my existence, thank you.

Eventually, the trench led to a small incline to clamber out of, and it was there that I had my first encounter with resistance, and as luck would have it, it was the worst kind of resistance possible...

Beautiful and deadly.

Impulse taking hold, I pointed my gun forward and Irene froze like a deer in beaming headlights, a depleted gun firmly in one hand, and my team’s flag waving lifelessly in the other.

I had my finger ready on the trigger, iron sights directly squarely at her, every muscle in my body braced for the next second, all but one, not my heart... my heart wasn’t ready.

“Bang...” I muttered limply, lowering my gun back down.

Something as trivial as a game of paintball, as harmless, I knew that... but I still couldn’t bring it in me to open fire. How stupid a feeling was that?

Pretty stupid, apparently... as Irene’s bewildered gaze met mine, and for sure she knew much about that feeling. After all, she must have felt it too way back when our positions were switched.

“Should have just taken the shot,” She said, shaking her head disapprovingly, but there in her eyes, I could faintly see the ghost of a tender smile. “It’s more fun that way.”

“You didn’t,” I said. “Why not?”

“Not going to explain myself,” slowly walking away, she quietly said, tossing the flag back at my feet. “After all, you already know.”

Like I said, for sure she felt it too.

In the end, it was Alpha Platoon that emerged victorious in the first round... with MVP blue waltzing into Bravo’s base and swiping the flag while their star player was busy elsewhere at that time for some inexplicable reason... ahem...

Now tensions were high between the folks at Alpha and Bravo, but none more so passionate than the enmity shared between an officer and her mischievous rookies.

Midway through round two, I somehow found myself in a ditch again, caught in the heated crossfire of a detective out for revenge, and the three slightly tense juniors defending in any way they can.

“Hey, detective!” Blue shouted between barrages, holed up behind a bundle of rusted barrels. “How does double or nothing sound? The team that gets the most flags, wins! What do you think?”

“I think it sounds like the bargaining of a sore loser,” Irene replied, keeping her bursts short and accurate. “Learn to accept your losses, Jill... and that goes for all three of you.”

Green and red managed to swerve away in time from the incoming pellets, and rather than tempt fate, they wisely held their tongue and concentrated fire at their assailant’s last known location.

“Now who’s the sore loser here?” Blue goaded out loud once more. “Sounds to me like you’re just afraid you might actually lose this one instead! After all, I’m already leading by one, aren’t I?!”

“Nice try,” The ‘sore loser’ fired again, between slits, through the gap, grazing blue a warning streak across the cheek. “Try again.”

Irene was already plenty satisfied with the outcome of the previous bet, and I’m more than sure blue would do anything she can to squirm out of it... meanwhile, there’s me in a ditch, knowing and having nothing in particular to lose.

“I’m still holding out for that encore, y’know?” I spoke up for the first time, exposing myself deliberately. “If it’s double or nothing, that means I pretty much get a full concert performance, right?”

“Don’t...” Irene began.

“Yes!” blue shouted over her. “Make her an idol, make her a rockstar, a punk! You’ll get to see all of it if you win!”

Emanating from somewhere unknown, I heard a very distinct and familiar groan, “I’m not going to be a part of this. I got what I wanted. I’m done.”

“Did you, though?” I asked, shouting at nothing. “Really, you got nothing for me? Nothing you want from me? Nothing you want me to do? Remember – it’s double or nothing. I don’t mind if you add something just for me! I know you want to! I know you’re shy to! But I don’t mind if you do! I don’t mind if you take that shot!”

There was quiet on the battlefield for a brief while, and at first, I assumed I literally was talking to nothing, with Irene already miles away combating another fight.

Then – splat.

A patch of dirt just mere inches beside my eye dribbling and running from a bright splotch of brown.

Quickly, I scrambled, relocating, finding myself diving behind a flimsy sheet of metal.

“Okay...” another splatter nearly hitting me again, and with it, that same distinct, familiar voice. “Double or nothing it is.”

“Alright!” blue cheered, nearly springing herself out of cover. “Now we’re talking! We got this in the bag – right girls?!”

But as she turned to look at her comrades, the joy and delight instantly froze on her expression.

Green and red were already long gone, already far in the distance, taking the slow, long walk of defeat to the sidelines, ironically doused in one another’s color.

Y’know, Irene was right...

It was more fun this way.