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"SOUTHEASTERN HIGH SCHOOL is eliminated. There are nine contestants left on the battlefield," the female voice announces throughout the speakers around the building. It's only been about fifteen minutes since the bell rang and three contestants were already eliminated. It seems like Max's prediction isn't going to be a prediction any longer.
"Are you sure he's here?" Max whispers at Nicolás while both are hiding inside a janitor's closet.
"We're looking for the guy from Highlands High right?" Nicolás asks back, and Max nods his head as a response.
"Then I'm certain that he's on this floor. The other four who were killed off were on the third floor, so I'm assuming Kingston and his team decided to claim the highest floor as their territory. The dude from Highlands will have no choice but to go to the second floor," Nicolás explains.
After discussing the plan with the other White Uniforms, Max explained that the first thing that they need to do is find a map of the entire battleground. It wasn't in the rules that you can't steal materials from other contestants, so Max suggested that they steal the map from the contestant of Highlands High who won second place at the beauty portion earlier.
"It's funny how you talked about the advantages being completely useless earlier in your interview and now we're here stealing one," Nicolás points out, making Max glare at him.
"I was lying of course. Who doesn't want to win an advantage?" Max defends, and Nicolás just shrugs his shoulder.
After a couple more minutes of waiting, Nicolás suddenly spots someone. "There!" He excitedly shouts while pointing at the student from Highlands High who was hiding inside one of the classrooms at the end of the hallway near stairs #1. "Looks like he's flying solo."
Nicolás got ready to run and attack him, but Max immediately stops him and says, "I bet he's not alone. That's just what he wants us to think. There are nine contestants left. There's four of us, and then three from Kingston's group. Those two probably teamed up to help each other."
"So what do we do?"
Max looks around the janitor's closet and spots a mop and a rolling bucket filled with water.
"Can't believe my senses have shrunk down to Jokers' prank level," Max says with a smile before taking the mop and the bucket. He then spots powdered soap and some wax, which must have been added by the organizers for the contestants to use, considering how this is already an abandoned building, and materials like these shouldn't be here at all.
"Thankfully this is Mr. Brains and Brawn, so each room is filled up with different items," Max says before dumping the soap and wax inside the bucket and mixing it.
"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Nicolás asks him. But Max didn't even have to say anything as Nicolás starts looking for something sharp.
"Here," he says when he spots a pair of garden shears.
Max opens the door and positions the bucket in the middle of the hallway. Afterward, Nicolás grips on the garden shears and forcefully makes a hole on the bottom of the rolling bucket before kicking it, making it run down the hall while the soapy water streams out from the hole, wetting the floor.
"Let's go," Max says before going out of the cramped janitor's closet. He then looks at Nicolás and nods his head, signaling him to make noise.
Nicolás slams a door, and the contestant from Highlands immediately runs out of the classroom. When he spots them, he points his gun at the two and starts shooting.
"Careful, he has extra 12 bullets," Nicolás warns as he runs away from the Highlands student while Max hid behind the lockers.
As expected, the contestant from Highlands High slips due to the soapy floor that Max and Nicolás caused. And as soon as he drops on the floor, Max immediately starts shooting three of his targets except for the one on his back. But while Max continues shooting, someone suddenly shoots his chest, surprising him.
"Shit..." Max curses before looking at the red mark on his chest target. He then looks up and spots contestant number 4 from Rose Valley Academy literally hanging from the pipes at the ceiling.
"They're not a team!" Max shouts to warn Nicolás after.
"I can't believe you just made my life easier. I've been waiting for the right moment to shoot him since earlier!" The man hanging from the ceiling happily shouts before easily shooting Highland High's last target.
He then jumps down from the ceiling and immediately takes Highland High's gun.
Max immediately starts shooting, targeting the target on Rose Valley's back. Nicolás arrives shortly and shoots as well. But after successfully shooting two of contestant no. 4's targets, he, unfortunately, gets away.
Max curses underneath his breath before running to where the contestant from Highlands High is. He grabs the map that's tucked on the hem of his pants and checks it. Afterward, he looks down at the eliminated contestant and suddenly shows the contestant his hand. "You okay?" Max asks, surprising him.
The contestant rubs his elbow and grabs hold of Max's hand so he can stand. "Good luck," he says instead before heading to the fire exit where the other contestants aren't allowed to use.
"Highlands High is eliminated. There are eight contestants left on the battlefield," the female voice announces, and Max angrily grips on his fist before looking back at the mark on his chest.
"You got hit too?" Nicolás suddenly asks, immediately making Max look back at him. He then notices the red paint on both his leg and arm target. He must have gotten it when the contestant from Highlands High spotted them.
"He might look like a pretty boy on the outside, but he does know how to shoot," Nicolás explains before pointing at the map that Max is now holding. "But we got what we were looking for so I guess it's a win."
Max looks back at the map that he's holding too and nods his head.
"You're right. Let's go," Max says, and the two immediately head back to the first floor where they're originally based.
When the two got back, they realize that the classroom is completely empty. But as Max and Nicolás walk their way to the blackboard, the door instantly opens, revealing Asahi, who's assisting an injured Nox.
"What happened?" Max asks, and then he instantly notices that three of Nox's targets were already shot except for the one on his leg, while Asahi, on the other hand, got shot at his back.
"W-We...did what you asked us...to do. We found...K-Kingston's location...but they were able to...o-out shoot us," Asahi tries to explain while panting heavily.
Nicolás and Max quickly assist Nox who apparently sprained his ankle. "One of those bastards pushed me off the stairs. I thought that I was a gonna be a goner, but Asahi helped me," he explains as the two help him sit on one of the chairs.
Afterward, Max then looks at Asahi who's still trying to catch his breath. Max didn't even have to say anything as Asahi tells him, "They're on the fourth floor, in the faculty room. But I'm sure that they're changing locations now since we already saw them."
Max nods his head and holds onto Asahi's shoulder. "Thank you," he tells him. "The contestant from Rose Valley Academy will keep them busy, so we still have time to finalize our plan. Besides, I know Kingston; he's egotistic, yet he's stupid. Even if the other two can think of an amazing plan, he wouldn't agree to it."
"But what if they're already heading here now to finish us off?" Nox then asks, worried since he wouldn't have the endurance to fight them face-to-face.
Max thinks about it for a second before shaking his head to disagree with such claims. "To tell you the truth I'm not really confident, but I know how to act that I am. Earlier I was acting like I can take Kingston down, and that act made him cautious. Because if his intention was really to ambush us, he would have done it from the very beginning," Max explains to them.
"Besides, Kingston and Gengxin won advantages. They wouldn't act irrationally with those advantages on their side. They're definitely planning something too," Asahi then adds, supporting Max's explanation.
"Well then, I'm just hoping you guys are right about that," Nox says while massaging his injured ankle.
Max looks at Nox and approaches him with an apologetic expression. To their surprise, Max suddenly rips off the target on his arm and hands it over to Nox. "Give me yours. It's my fault that you only have one target left."
Everyone practically became frozen in place. Nox couldn't even say anything as he stares at the target on Max's hand with disbelief.
"You're willing to give me your target?" Nox asks, and Max nods his head with a serious expression.
Nox couldn't believe it since they're still enemies at the end of the day. He couldn't believe that Max was dead serious, and he knew that Max wouldn't say no for an answer. So Nox forcefully stands from his seat despite his injury and tells him, "I don't need your pity. Like what you said earlier, we're from brotherhood houses. It will take more than this to put us down."
Max doesn't take it as an insult, so he smiles and nods his head in understanding before putting his target back.
"Alright, we know where Kingston is, and we have the map. So now..." Max pauses and places the map flat on the teacher's table for everyone to see.
"Alright, they don't have a generator room so our best bet is the electrical room that's near the cafeteria, while the science lab is on the third floor," Max says while pointing at those locations on the map.
"At the entrance, I saw that this school was closed down last 2004 so they're probably using an old model generator that still relies on gas. We need to bring that generator to the hallway that leads to stairs #3. We'll then make some fire at the laboratory, use that to burn the generator to act as a bomb, and—"
"Boom! Generator explodes, blocking the hallway and probably destroying the other side of the building," Nicolás finishes, making Max grin.
"Exactly..."
"So what's the purpose of all this again?" Asahi asks.
Max goes back to the drawing that he made on the blackboard and starts marking some parts on his floorplan.
"Once we block this hallway that was caused due to the explosion from the generator, stairs #3 will be inaccessible. And do you remember what I said about something that I call fool's surprise? We're going to make another explosion, but it's all going to be fake. That's why we need to go to the laboratory. I need the chemicals and materials that we need that would make an explosive sound, but wouldn't be as powerful," Max explains before pointing at stairs #1 again.
"What happens next?" Nicolás then asks.
"You're tasked to bring the generator to the hallway beside the cafeteria. You'll wait there while we finish everything that we need at the lab," Max tells Nicolás. Afterward, Max scratches the back of his head before looking back at Asahi and telling him, "And we need you to join Kingston's group and pretend that you're betraying us. You'll tell them our plan, except for the part about the fake bomb."
As soon as Max said those words, everyone looks at him like he just said a joke, especially Asahi. What Max is asking Asahi to do is one of the riskiest things that they could ever do for him. Asahi can instantly get eliminated if he simply shows himself to them.
Max takes a deep breath and explains his absurd request, "As much as I want to do it myself, Kingston would definitely shoot me if I show myself. Nox is completely injured, and Nicolás is the only one who is strong enough to handle the generator."
"So technically I'm the only one who looks untrustworthy? If I betray you guys, they wouldn't question it, is that right?" Asahi asks with his right eyebrow raised.
"No," Max answers in an instant. "You're smart enough to manipulate them. By how you act, I can tell that you're someone who can control a situation. Someone with your character is the best person who can keep Kingston busy."
"So I'll just risk and sacrifice myself to make your chances of winning higher?" Asahi continues to ask.
Max doesn't answer, but like what happened earlier, everyone was left speechless when Max suddenly bowed right in front of Asahi. It was an amazing sight to see, and not because Max is a Sinclaire, but because he's a student of the House of Kings. In the past Mr. Brains and Brawns, the representatives from J.S High were always the most manipulative and prideful, but Max was different. And his difference almost made them submit to him.
"I know this is too much to ask for, but I hope you continue to trust me on this. I will make sure we'll survive till the end, mark my word. But if my plan doesn't work and they kill you off, I will forfeit Mr. Brains & Brawn. That is a brotherhood promise," Max then declares, almost making the three white uniforms, and probably the people watching them, gasp from shock.
The room falls silent after Max's brave declaration. Asahi was honestly still unsure of it. For him to be able to do such a task, he has to trust Max with everything he's got, but at the same time, Max has to trust him too. Because Max's not sure if Asahi would actually betray them and tell Kingston everything that they're planning. It all falls down to trust.
But as Asahi stares at Max who was still bowing to him, Asahi takes a deep breath and finally says, "Shoot the target on my arm."
Max immediately stands up straight and asks, "What?"
"I'm not sure if they'll be dumb enough to believe me, but we need to at least make it realistic. I'll take the map and act as if I stole it from you guys. It will be more believable if I got shot," Asahi explains, and it was Max's turn to be left speechless.
"What? You're acting scared now?" Asahi asks, so Max grips on his gun and says, "Thank you, Tsukumo Asahi."
Without any hesitation, Max pulls the trigger, marking Asahi's target with red paint, making Asahi wince in pain. Thankfully Nicalás was beside him to make sure he doesn't fall.
"S-sorry..." Max says as he puts his gun down.
Asahi composes himself and shows him an okay sign. "A-Alright...what's next with your...plan?" Asahi struggles to say.
Max clears his throat and walks back to their blackboard like nothing happened.
"Like what I said, we have two bombs, a real bomb, and a fake bomb. The real bomb will block stairs #3, while the fake bomb will make it look like stairs #2 is also blocked. While Asahi stalls Kingston's group on the third floor, the real and fake bombs will explode, so the other contestants will be forced to use stairs #1 as an escape route, while Asahi secretly uses stairs #2. We'll then welcome them to the second floor and chase them down to the first floor," Max explains to them.
"So we'll surround them in the hallway and block stairs #1, making them think that they don't have any other way to escape. And as we're facing each other off, Asahi will appear from the back and we'll finish them off there," Nox then explains further, making Max smile.
"Well...hopefully," Max honestly says and the other three couldn't help but be impressed.
How did Max even plan all this with everything that's going on?
"Any more questions before Asahi leaves?"
"Do you have a plan B in case it all fails?" Asahi asks.
Max thinks about it for a while, but then he smirks and tells him, "If it fails, then let's do what we do best. Act like savages, go full out, and hope for the best."
Asahi almost laughed, but he nods his head anyway, acknowledging Max's answer. "Make sure you forfeit the pageant if I get killed off Max or I will definitely haunt you down as soon as this is over," Asahi manages to say before finally leaving the room to head to where Kingston is.
As the door closes, Nicolás looks back at Max and Nox and asks, "Alright, who's going to the lab while Asahi distracts Kingston's group?"
"I'll go. You and Nox can handle the generator," Max answers, but Nox immediately shakes his head and says back, "You're going there alone? Even if Asahi distracts them, you'll be killed off. You at least need someone to come with you."
Max wanted to explain that it's best for Nox to stay with Nicolás on the first floor since he's injured, but he knows that Nox wouldn't back down that easily.
"Fine, sit down and give me your injured feet," Max tells him.
Nox was confused for a second, but he eventually sits down. Max then takes an old textbook and hands it to Nox. "Bite down on that while I adjust your ankle," Max explains, surprising not only Nox but Nicolás as well.
"Excuse me?" Nox asks with wide eyes.
Max takes a deep breath and kneels in front of Nox before pulling out his shoes. "One of the dukes taught me this because they said it might happen to me. I haven't tried it with another person before, but I think it's the same concept. Of course, it's only temporary, but you'll feel better and walk properly for at least thirty minutes or so."
Nox isn't quite sure about Max's skill regarding this matter, but he bites on the textbook like what Max instructed him to do and closes his eyes.
Max takes a deep breath and slowly massages his feet. And then without any warning, he tugs on Nox's feet, almost making Nox bite off the entire textbook with his teeth.
"That's gotta hurt," Nicolás comments.
"Alright, I think you're good," Max says before backing away from Nox who slowly removes the textbook from his mouth.
"Y-You're insane..." Nox says as he stands from the seat, his ankle feeling a lot better than earlier. "But I guess all geniuses are insane."
Nox thanks Max and wears his shoe back. And as he was doing so, Max readies himself and tells them, "You guys ready?"
Nicolás and Nox look at each other before looking back at Max and nodding their heads in unison. "We're ready."
- END -