Water guns, pool floaties, disguises, and… backstabbing? Sounds like a blast!

And it sounds like Assassins.

Assassins has begun, and duos of seniors, juniors, and sophomores are teaming up to soak the competition.

The rules of Assassins are (not so) simple. On Sunday morning, you and your teammate are assigned your target. Your goal is to drench your target before the next Sunday.

Easy enough, right?

Not exactly. While you hunt your target, another group is hunting you. And if they find out who your target is, then you’re in trouble. Every piece of information is crucial, and trusting the wrong person could cause you and your teammate to be eliminated.

This year, 44 teams of two signed up, making 88 assassins total. Every person in the competition wants a shot at the winner’s prize—$800.

Senior Austin Sharpless is in charge of the game. This is his first year running the game, as it is passed down to a different senior each year.

This year’s Assassins, like most prior years, is not without drama.

March 27 marked the first day of Assassins competition. The day was a purge day, which means that floaties, used to grant the wearer immunity from being squirted, cannot be worn.

The district canceled school that day due to high levels of wind that caused fallen trees, power outages, and downed power lines blocking streets. This freak weather event prevented many people from leaving their homes.

Despite this challenge, the game continued, and multiple people went on the hunt for their targets. Senior Jackson Vuckovich and sophomore Brayden Brooks caused controversy when they shot seniors Sawyer Butler and Liam Gibson in the senior parking lot. All school property is strictly off limits, and anybody who attempts to get their targets on school grounds is eliminated.

Gibson recorded a video of Vuckovich spraying both himself and Butler, but it was unclear if Brooks had used his water gun. Sharpness created a poll to decide if Brooks would be allowed back in the game, and although over 70 percent of respondents voted to keep Brooks in the game, Sharpless decided to keep him out “because of complaining and moaning by other terms,” and even going as far as to call it “one of the worst Assassins plays of all time.”

Since then, numerous “assassinations” have been uploaded to the Instagram profile, and the first round has finished. Seventeen teams are advancing, and the smack-talking continues.

Underneath a photo of his own elimination, junior Louie Rabatin commented, “I’m fleeing the state.”

Only time will tell how many more rounds Assassins will last or what team will come out victorious (and dry). Follow @beaverassassins on Instagram for live updates!