Chapter 33: Operation 1172

"Shizuka Hatano, I order you to bring me my military uniform by taking over it from Lieutenant Kaori Rigen!"

"Roger that...Commander...!" - Hatano made a nod to me then went outside to take my uniform

I didn't know what was wrong with this girl, I hoped she wouldn't try to kill me, at least! Hatano said to me last night that she would reconsider killing me.

"Yawn! Commander! Sis, I will go to eat first!" - Sarah said to me and Hatano then grabbed her meal to the table to eat

"Good morning...Sir...!" - I heard Hatano greet Kaori from outside

"Hey! Don't say that, Hatano! Just greet me normally, don't need to salute! How's my son inside there?" - Kaori seemed very cared about me but I didn't care about that woman

I looked at Sarah again, she seemed very hungry right now, she even drooled while sitting at the table though she had already brought out her meal but didn't eat them yet.

This girl, wanted to wait for Hatano or something?

I waited for Hatano for quite long, about 3 minutes, I wondered why giving the order for her to take my uniform was very long like that. 

Oh! Seemed like Hatano had come back while bringing my uniform for me and...Kaori and Amanda also coming with her.

Dammit! I didn't hate Amanda but hated Kaori, why did that woman keep following me, what was her purpose for coming into these girls' house.

"Oh, my son! Seemed like you have already made friends with these girls, remember don't annoy them too much!" - Amanda got inside the house and said to me

"My son! I heard Hatano say to me that you are a bit annoyed with her, don't be so naughty like that, my son! You have already grown up, don't be a kid!" - Kaori, tch! Don't say like you know everything

"You are very lucky, my son! You know? You two new girlfriends are very cute, you should friendly with them more!" - Also Kaori said that, damn it!

"Commander...here is...your...uniform..." - Hatano giving me my uniform with both of her hands

"Thank you, Hatano!"

I took my uniform, Hatano after giving me my uniform, she walked to the kitchen then took out the dishes to the table. About Sarah, uh! Her mouth, no I meant, her drools had now wet the table a bit, what a Ghenghis Sarah!

"Commander...please take...a seat...I also...want you to...eat too..." - Hatano had now turned back to her cold voice with emotionless face, somehow I felt relieved because of that

"Ah!...you two...superiors...I also...want to invite...you two...to...eat!" 

"No thank you, Private Shizuka! I will go now, back to my office! I have to prepare for you three the mission before this afternoon!" - Amanda said to Hatano and went outside

"I also go with her too, three of you just eat! Oh, Private Hatano and Private Sara, please take care of my son, I hope he won't do anything annoying you two!"

"And also my son! I hope you have a good day with these girls, the time you can still stay here is very short now, now just less than a day!"

"I will go help Amanda to prepare you three for the mission instead of staying home! My son, I know you very hate me but, can you please get here closer for me?" - Kaori said to me to go to her closer

What was this woman's purpose? Maybe she just wanted to give me some words, wasting a few minutes with her won't be a problem for me.

Then I went toward Kaori to see what she was about to do to me, when I got close to Kaori, that woman suddenly hugged me tightly.

"My son! When you gone, I and Amanda will miss you very much, please let me hug you this time! I don't want to forget you!" - Goddammit! So that was her purpose for calling me to come close to her

"Get off me!" - I managed to shove Kaori away but she managed to stand so I slapped her

"Commander! Stop, please stop!" - Sarah after seeing me slapped Kaori, she shouted loud and ran between us to stop me from hitting Kaori

"What happened in there?" - Amanda ran inside when she heard Sarah's scream, Amanda was very shocked when she saw the scene

I saw Amanda's eyes were now very angry, cannot blame her, she was very mad when she knew I slapped Kaori. I saw Amanda step close to me and gave me a punch to my face.

I was punched by Amanda for the first time, or I had to say, she never did that to me before, this was the first time I saw her teach me by punching me.

Her punch was hard but I didn't feel pain at all, seemed like Amanda had calmed down her rage in the last moments.

"You know how that feels? Kaori raised you this far and that is how you show your love to your mother by using violence on her?" - Amanda, she was very rage now

"But why does Kaori always teaches me by using her fists, her slaps on me? Why do I have to love a mother that always beats her son?"

"Just stop! Sir! Please stop!" - Sarah was now running between me and Amanda to protect me, why were you so dumb like that?

"Stop! Amanda, I'm still okay! Don't hit our child like that! He is our son, you know?" - Kaori was also protecting me, can't this woman shut up? 

"You two are not my moms, you two just adopted me! I don't have parents!"

"You! If I don't beat you here then I don't worth to be your mom!" - Amanda was very rage, she stepped towards me closer, about to punch or to slap me

"Please, stop! Si-" - Sarah raised both of her hands around, trying to stop Amanda from coming closer to me

"Get out!" - Amanda shoved Sarah away

"Ahh!" - Sarah was about to fall because of that shove but Hatano managed to run toward and hold her back

"Slap!" - Kaori slapped Amanda

"Huh?" - Amanda was very shocked when she saw Kaori slap her

"I said, I told you to stop! Amanda! My son was right to beat me, I have treated him very bad when he was a kid so he has the right to do that to me!"

"Please stop, Amanda! Don't hit our son anymore!" - Kaori holding Amanda's hands, begging her to forgive me

Kaori and Amanda looked at each other for a long time, then they stared at me, seemed like to say something.

"I'm very sorry my son, I will go now, I won't disturb you anymore! But remember to gather at the sword mountain before 18:00 PM!" - Amanda apologized to me

"Me too, my son! I'm very sorry for what I have done for you when you were a child! I won't force you to follow my words anymore, you are free now!"

"But my son! Please let me hug you the last time when you are about to do your mission!" - Kaori apologized to me by bowing her head close to the floor

 I was very hated this woman but now I wanted to forgive her, I felt so regretful for beating her.

"Then, my son! We are going now! Sorry for disturbing you!" - Amanda and Kaori greeted then went away

Sarah now seemed a bit relieved when she saw the quarrel between Amanda, Kaori and I had gone, she slowly stood up and said to me.

"Let's eat, Commander! I don't want to be late! We just have less than a day to rest!" - Sarah said to me with a relieved face, this girl, dumb or something, how did her mood change suddenly?

"I'm...a bit...hungry now...Commander...let's eat..." - Hatano also invited me to eat with them

I felt so lucky because Hatano didn't seem to hate me anymore, or just for now!

So the meal had started with a good atmosphere, while Hatano was eating, Sarah, she also eating but at a very fast speed, she wanted to eat all the stuff on the table.

What a terrifying speed of eating, I didn't have the time to grab any pieces of food to eat so Hatano had to lend me some food, seemed like Hatano didn't want to let me starve either. 

The breakfast that was cooked by Hatano was great, I thought so!

But the problem was, most of the breakfast we were eating just had rice, rice, rice, rice, some meats, some vegetables.

Few canned foods, few pizza pieces that hadn't been eaten from yesterday's party.

"Sarah! Can you eat a bit slower?" - I said that to Sarah because I was scared that she would eat all the stuff before I can eat anything

"No! Commander! I must eat as much as I could before heading to do anything!" - Sarah said to me while swallowing some meats

"Hey!"

"What, Commander?" - Sarah asked me while...drinking a lot of water

"Can you listen to me a little bit?"

"Yes!" - Sarah was now lost her concentration, must take this chance

Then I managed to steal some canned foods and some pieces of pizza from her table, sorry Sarah! But if you don't end food, food will end you!

"Hey, Commander! Don't take my food! Please give me back!" - Sarah was now begging me while making some sounds as if she was about to cry

"Then sign a truce!"

"What truce?" - Sarah asked me

"Half of the food you found will be mine!"

"Uhh!" - Sarah seemed a bit frustrated when I said that to her

"Okay! Commander, let's sign the truce!"

"Okay!" - I and Sarah made a handshake to sign the truce

But seemed like this girl was not as dumb as I thought, at the time we have done handshaking, Sarah suddenly stole back her food. Our food conflict wouldn't be so complicated if Hatano didn't get behind me and pointed her Katana at me all the time behind.

So, I lost the conflict but I managed not to get starved because Hatano had shared most of her food with me, what a good girl! An angel...under the skin of "something" that wanted to harm me.

After we were done eating, we waited about 30 minutes to brush our teeth, Hatano had to share her toothbrush with me but she seemed not annoyed because of that. I noticed that I didn't go shower yet, maybe I would ask these girls permission to use their bathroom.

"Hey, Hatano! Did you go shower yet?"

"Yes, Commander...I have...showered...at the time...I woke...up!" - Okay, seemed like Hatano had taken shower

"I don't need to take shower today! I want to wear my favorite clothes all day!" - Sarah said to me

"You want to stay dirty, Sarah? At least if you don't shower then you must change your babysitting clothes into something else!"

"Eh! These are just normal clothes, Commander! Not kiddo at you think!" - Sarah seemed to want to stay with that clothes, forever!

"Hey, girls! May I use your bathroom, I want to take a bath."

"You...may free...to use it...Commander..." - Seemed like Hatano let me use the bathroom

"Okay, Commander!" - Sarah said to me

Okay! Let's go take a bath.

Wonderful! To have a cold bath this summer was very wonderful! I was now thinking about something, maybe I must apologize to Kaori and Amanda. 

Now I had considered Kaori as my mom a little bit, just a little bit!

But wait! I saw that something was missing here, what was that, actually? I tried to make my brain load a little bit, oh! I forgot to bring my extra clothes when staying here.

"Hey! Sarah, or Hatano!"

"What...Commander...?" - Hatano answered my voice, thank god!

"Where's Sarah?"

"Sarah...is now...playing...Red Alert...upstairs..." - Oh, Sarah must have overdone this game

"Can you please take me my military uniform? It's the only clothes for me to wear after showering!"

"Right away...Commander..." - Hatano then walked away from the bathroom

Then few minutes later, I heard Hatano knock on the bathroom door.

"Knock! Knock! Commander...your clothes...are outside...now...John Rigen! Don't just take down your guard so easily like that! I still not consider to kill you yet!" - Hatano suddenly threaten me after bringing me back my uniform

I must take more guard after this, cannot let my guard down!

After taking bath, I wore my military uniform and went outside the bathroom, Hatano was now wearing a yellow hoodie, Sarah wore babysitting clothes. 

They were now standing at the front door, they wanted to go out or something?

"Commander! Want to go with us to the park? I want to see the scenery there!" - Sarah said to me

"I also...want you...to join...Commander..." - Hatano said to me with her previous behavior again, I had a good and also a bad feeling about this

"Yeah! I will go with you two!"

Then I went with Sarah and Hatano to the park nearby Virginia beach, Sarah seemed to have a very good mood when she got there. 

She was now looking around the park, also petting some dogs that looked like didn't have owners.

"Hehe! You love to be pet like that? Good boy! Good boy!" - Sarah seemed very lively, she seemed very sociable, very opposite to her older sister, Hatano

Hatano was quite cold, her face always emotionless but somehow I had used to it, her emotionless face and her strange way when talking gave me relief.

I was only scared of Hatano when her face and her talking way turned normal, it always creeped me out.

"Ah!" - One of two dogs Sarah was petting suddenly licked her face

"Ah! You bad boy, I won't pet you anymore! Come here you good girl, let me pet you more!" - Sarah changed petting to another dog

"Woof! Woof!" - The dog that didn't pet by Sarah was now barking at her, even rolling around as if to beg her to pet it

"Ah! Okay! Okay! I will pet two of you so don't worry! Just be good next time!" - Sarah said to the dogs and started petting both of them

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!" - Both of the dogs were now barking happily

"Ahh! I still have few hours left to play with you two, you know? So please behave well then I will let you two lick me!" - Sarah said to the dogs

"Woof! Woof!" - Two dogs barked at Sarah

"Good boy! Good girl! You may lick me now!" - Sarah permitted the dogs to lick her face

"Lick! Lick! Lick! Lick!" - Both of the dogs were now licking Sarah's face, they seemed very happy

"Haah! Keep licking! You two are very good, you know?" - Sarah gave the dogs a compliment

Then Sarah looked at me while I was standing with Hatano.

"You want to pet these dogs, sis? Why don't you join petting them?" - Sarah asked Hatano

"Okay..." - Hatano then walked toward one of the dogs and raised her right hand close to the dog

"Lick! Lick! Lick!" - That dog was now licking Hatano's hand

"Thanks..you two...for giving my little sister...mood..." - Hatano said to the dogs, I couldn't imagine a girl with emotionless like her would be loved by these puppies 

"Hey! Let me pet them too, girls!" - I was about to touch my hand to one of the two dogs 

"Aggressive barking sounds!" - Both of the dogs barked at me, they seemed didn't want me to pet them

"Ah! Commander, if a dog doesn't want to be petted by you, that means your mind is dirty! You are a bad man, Commander!" - Sarah said to me while petting the dogs

"So so!" (Yes yes) - Hatano said to me while speaking Japanese

Then I had to stand away from the dogs to see Sarah pet them, Hatano suddenly walked toward me and whispered to my ears.

"John Rigen! I have decided to spare your life because your mom, Kaori is Japanese! Otherwise, I would have killed you this morning when I woke up from my sleep!"

"Don't thank me because of that, thank Lieutenant Kaori instead! You disloyalty son!" - After whispering to me, Hatano turned around to see Sarah

Then few hours passed, finally, we only have an hour left until our mission operated, Sarah was now saying goodbye to the dogs she had petted while going to the park.

"Goodbye, you two! I will miss you two very much!" - Sarah was now saying goodbye to the dogs

"Woof! Woof!" - The dogs had gone away when they barked to goodbye Sarah, Hatano and me

"Let's head home, Commander! Sis!" - Sarah said to me then we ran back home

So finally, the girls had showered together at the time they got home, after wearing uniforms, they went with me to Virginia beach. The one who I saw the most oddly in our Fireteam was Hatano, she was now wearing her Katana on her left belt, only her the oddest in the team.

Then we went outside to go to Virginia Beach, we had about 30 minutes left before our mission operated. 

When we got there, surprisingly that Kaori and Amanda had waited for us while standing with 2 soldiers, they were now standing on a patrol boat with two ammo crates placed on it.

When I got there, Kaori and Amanda were very happy to see us, they walked toward us and did the military salute to us, we also did the same.

"Soldiers! I will now announce your mission!" - Amanda said to us

Then Kaori dropped us three military bags, those things looked like the Alrotz military green bag from what we saw from the guidebooks they gave us, it had a simulation drawing on its page.

Then Hatano and Sarah checked the things inside the bags, I also opened them to see. I saw an M4A1 Assault Rifle, an M1911 pistol, a Smart Advisor watch, some CNW grenades, some M67 grenades, some Flashbangs, a turret gun, an Alrotz gas mask and...lots of stuff.

About Private Shizuka Hatano, she was the most different, she had an M21 Sniper Rifle as her main weapon.

"Wear the bags on your backs, soldiers!" - Amanda ordered us

Then three of us wore the bags on our backs, strangely that the equipment we were wearing must be about 40, 50 kgs or more than that ( 88, 110 pounds or more ). 

But they didn't seem too heavy at all, we could walk easily, even running while bringing these bags on our backs.

"Soldiers! I will now announce your mission!" - Amanda told us to pay attention for her to give us the mission

"Soldiers, you will now about to do a patrol mission around the sword mountain, this mission is a revolutionary! Your fireteam's codename will be 1172, this operation will be named Operation 1172!"

"You soldiers, you may now wondering what is the meaning of the number 1172, but you will know when you get to the sword mountain."

"You may also ask me why I chose the sword mountain as a place to operate this operation though it is a very dangerous place!"

"This is our military secret intel, soldiers! There is something that we cannot say to you! The operation will be operated at 18:00 PM and will be ended at 00:00 AM tomorrow morning!"

"Though the operation will end fast for us, but it will end long for you soldiers, good luck! God bless you! The United States bless you!" - Amanda seemed like had done her speech

"Get inside the patrol boat, soldiers! We will head to the sword mountain!"

Then we got inside the patrol boat, we got carried to the sword mountain, the sword mountain was just away from the coastline of Virginia beach about 150 meters ( 492 feet ). 

The sword mountain could be seen far away, it seemed very huge.

When we got up the sword mountain, the soldiers following with Kaori and Amanda began to move two ammo crates and placed them near the twin slates of the sword mountain. 

The sword mountain's entrance led to the sword cave also next to the twin slates, its door was opened before the military and the scientists discovered the sword mountain in the earthquake.

That was why many people asked if the sword mountain was a proof of an ancient civilization before the human appeared.

"Hey, my son! I-" - Kaori wanted to say to me something

"Hey, Kaori! I'm very sorry for what I did to you! I hate you but, now I'm so regretted. I forgive you for everything you have done for me though I didn't know why you had to be strict on me when I was a child!" 

"Don't say that my son! I was the one who have fault here! But I'm so happy that you forgive me!" - Kaori said to me with a happy smile

Then Kaori removed her military helmet and gave it to me.

"My son! This is not much but I hope it will protect you!"

"Thank you, Kaori!"

I immediately put the helmet on my head at the time I received it from Kaori.

"You don't want to call me mom, son? Are you still hate me?" - Kaori seemed a bit disappointed

"Amanda, Kaori, no! I mean! Moms, you two are both my moms! I love you two, moms!"

Then Amanda and Kaori gave me two big hugs, I also hugged them tightly.

"My son! When you gone, we will miss you much! Please stay safe!" - Kaori and Amanda always said to me this, though I didn't understand much

Then Kaori and Amanda began to talk with Sarah and Hatano, seemed to want to remind them of something very important.

"Hey, Private Sarah! Please take care of my son when I'm gone, okay?" - Amanda said to Sarah

"Eh! What do you mean by "gone", Sir? The operation will end in 6 hours, right? But I will do my best for my Commander, Sir!" - Sarah confidently tapped her shoulder

"Hey, Private Hatano! Please take care of my son when I'm gone, when he was a kid, he didn't have much love from this mom so. Please can you take care of him for me when I'm gone?" - Kaori also said to Hatano with the same reason

"I don't understand...much..but I...will do...my best...Sir!" - Hatano said to Kaori

"Sir! The time is 18:00 PM! The operation started, Sir! Please get inside the boat to return, Sir!" - A boat soldier called for Amanda and Kaori

"Three of you stay safe, especially you, my son! We will go now. This may be the farewell but we hope we will be able to meet you again, my son!"

Then we looked Amanda and Kaori got on the patrol boat, their figures slowly blur away, away from our eyes. 

At the time they returned to the coastline, there were only three of us left, at the sword mountain.