Behind Those Glasses

Chapter 3

"Let's give The Faceless Queen a warm welcome, shall we." Anunsyo nung may hawak ng mic.

Napangiti ako ng isa-isang nagpalakpakan ang mga tao.

I know that anytime that I'm in front of all these gangsters, they would bow down. I'm known here as the fearless and the untouchable queen. I don't talk too much, that is why they don't know my real identity. This is my way of hiding myself.

Nasa gitna na ako ng fight dome. Napatingin ako sa kalaban ko. He looks familiar. I just shrug my shoulders and didn't bother to think about it.

Pumasok na ako sa bilog at humarap sa kaaway ko.

"We have the Faceless Queen versus the underdog." sabi nung may hawak ng mic.

"You got 1 minute for this. Pick the killing weapon of your choice" sabi niya at hinarap ko ang armas na pwede naming gamitin.

Kinuha ko ang butterfly knife. This may be small, but strangely dangerous. This can put you to sleep over 24 hours and when you wake up, you can feel pain all over your body that you wished you would just die than suffering from the pain. You're lucky if it only makes you sleep for 12 hours.

Bakit ito pinili ko? I don't want to kill. This is like a game. Laro lang ito at hindi kailangang may mamatay.

Hinarap ko ang makakalaban ko, and he got the same thing.

"Ooohh, it looks like someone chooses the Queen's favorite. This is tough." Tumawa yung may hawak ng mic at nakitawa din ang iba.

"The timer is ready, so are you ready to fight?!" Sigaw niya kaya naghiyawan ang lahat.

"Woooohhhh!!"

"Go kill her!"

"Kill or be killed! And your 60 seconds starts..." I felt the tension but it never bothered me. "Now!"

Sumugod ako sakanya at in-aim ko ang knife ko pero ang bilis niyang kumilos. Nagulat ako.

How come? Limang segundo lang mapapatumba ko na yung kalaban ko pero iba siya.

"Woah!"

"That was awesome!"

Hinarap ko siya at nakita kong nakatayo siya na parang walang nangyari.

"You got be faster than that if you wanna beat me." Mayabang niyang sabi. Napasmirk nalang ako sakanya. Parang pamilyar yung boses niya.

"Believe me if I say this but that was not my best." Ngisi ko. "This is." Sumugod naman ako sakanya at full speed. I grab his neck and nailed him on the floor. Tinutok ko sakanya ang butterfly knife sa mata niya.

"Impressive." He managed to say. "My turn."

Naramdaman ko nalang yung dala niyang knife sa nakabaon sa braso ko. Nabitawan ko siya at dali-daling tumayo. Napahawak ako sa braso ko na dumudugo. Sobra na akong kinakabahan. He cut me. I can't believe this.

"Ooohhh.. The Mighty Queen got cut! Is this it? Is this the time that someone will steal the throne from her? Is this the end of our Faceless Queen?" Napasinghap ako sa sakit.

"Giving up yet?" He said. I gave him a death glare.

"Oh please. Giving up is not on my vocabulary." Diin kong pagkasabi. My vision got blurry and I'm a little tipsy as if I'm drunk.

Nakakairita naman 'o!

Muli siyang lumapit sa akin and cut me again on my neck. Hindi ko iyon nailagan because he was fast and I'm feeling weak. Napaluhod ako sa sahig.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Sabi nung taga-anunsyo. "Is this the downfall of our Queen?"

"Boooo!!!"

"Patayin mo na!"

"Cut her head off!"

The pressure is devouring me. I can't let him take my throne. It's mine and it will never be his. Dahan- dahan akong tumayo at inayos yung sarili ko.

"Woahh!!"

"She's not giving up people! I tell you, she's not giving up!"

"You're strong." He said.

"I'm stronger than you expected" I fired back. Kahit nanlalambot na ang mga tuhod ko and I also feel sleepy, I gather up all my strength to fight back!

I must win this!

"20 seconds!"

"Yaaahhh!!" He run towards me but I got his foot and that made him trip down. I stood up to get to me but I kick his hand that makes his knife fly away from him.

"Now you're weaponless." Ngisi ko.

"No I'm not." He ran towards me and got my knife but I fight back. Biglang tumilapon ang knife ko kaya we're both weaponless.

"It's a fist to fist combat then." I said.

"10 seconds. 10."

I kick him hard on his stomach that made him lay on the floor. I run to get the knife but he was fast to punch me on my back so I got on the ground.

"Now you're powerless and you look hopeless."

"9"

Inabot ko ang knife pero ang layo nito. Ginapang ko ito. Ito lang ang tanging pag-asa ko. As I've said, I need to win this.

"8"

As soon as I got the knife I hid it on my back while I'm still on the floor.

"7"

"Say your goodbyes, Sandoval"

Nanalaki yung mga mata ko. Kilala niya ako? Pangalawa na ito ngayong gabi.

Bumalik ako sa katinuan when he pinned me down and got his small knife. Urghh! Dirty tricks!

"6"

I struck my butterfly knife on his left wrist that made him stop.

"5"

Ngumisi ako sakanya. "You're dirty tricks won't work on me."

Napatayo siya at pagewang-gewang, papalayo sa akin.

"4"

Napatayo ako sa pagkahiga at pinagmasdan siya.

"Fvck!"he groaned.

"3"

I looked at him as he slowly fell on the floor.

"2"

He then closed his eyes.

"1"

"Wooohhhh!!!!"

"The crowd's gone wild and still the unbeatable! The Faceless Queen!!"

Napangiti ako saglit then I turn my back. I got cut twice and I need a treatment for this.

"Are you okay?"bati agad ni Ace.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said calmly. "I got high tolerance on wounds. But still, I need the treatment."

I got on my car going home while the twin are on their motorcycle following me home.

As soon as we got home Ace gave me the treatment.

"This may hurt." Sabi niya. Dinampi niya ang bimpo na may gamot sa sugat ko sa braso at leeg. I don't know what she put into it but she's good in these stuffs. She's like a mad scientist inventing cures. And guess who's her test monkey. Yup! Her brother Sky.

"O-ow!"

"Sshh... Sandali lang to." She said. May kinuha siyang dahon sa mesa at binigay sa akin.

"Here, put this in your mouth"

"Seriously?! I'm not putting that in my mouth." Irap ko.

"Arte." Umirap din siya "Look, do you want to wake up in the morning feeling so much pain?"

I pouted and got the disgusting-looking leaves.

"Fine!"

"Good"she said.

She gently press some invented ointments or whatever she called that on my wounds.

"You know I was so worried earlier. I thought you're going to lose. But I told myself that I shouldn't be worried. Besides, you're the unbeatable." She said. "But I must admit this, he is hot"

I rolled my eyes.

"You never get tired of looking at hot guys, wouldn't you?"I said full of sarcasm.

She puts down the ointments and daydream like a princess. Tsk.

"He is like a prince charming"

"Prince Charming? By any chance, will a prince charming become a killer?"

"Haven't you seen his gorgeous face?" She asked.

"Nope." I snapped. "Not interested."

"Well, he is so handsome. And he's like a perfect man that every girl wishes to be with forever"

"Forever doesn't exist Ace. It's just a word that everyone believes in."

"Ay, bitter? Akala mo naman nagka-lovelife na."

"Not my priority."

"Oo na." She gave up. "So anong plano mo ngayon?"

"Going after that gorgeous looking man of yours." I paused. "How dare he mess with me."