Anakdatu - Chapter 6：Jabba The Hutt, I mean, 'The Hut”. Daddy’s reminders.

We walked around the building, well, we call it “The Hut”, you know, for the honor of the very first base of operations of the Anakdatu (Still, not Jabba). And it is breathtakingly large. According to my Father’s tour, he said that the base is the size of the whole Quezon City Memorial Circle above it, 6 kilometers underground, made from omnimetal, a metal created by Sumakwel a long time ago, it was said to be the hardest metal to exist, it is the mixture of all metals in the world. And the entrance and exit point is the memorial monument shrine itself, but there are guards undercover roaming around the circle in case of intrusions and stuffs.

The Hut has its very massive mess hall, and it is an eat all you can buffet with all kinds of dishes not just Filipino dishes but dishes also all around the world! Oh how I would love to live here, it’s not that bad after all. Then there is the gym, complete with all kinds of equipment, they have their own track for running, an Olympic size swimming pool, a basketball court and a sepak takraw court. Awesome!

And there are these barracks, no, barracks seem very low to call the rooms one, they are hell of a 5 star hotel suite, king size beds with ultra comfortable memory foam pillows, pure cotton blankets and sheets, a 1 Tbps (Terabyte per second, which, is very rare in the Philippines, I tell you.) of internet, not tablespoon but ONE TERABYTE PER SECOND INTERNET, heck this is so awesome and also a TV that can scour all channels around the world. A gaming computer too is present in the rooms.

And there are the simulation rooms, where these rooms was said to simulate a mission scenario like war in high reality and it can also hurt you according to my dad. And there is the lounge too where Datus can chill after a mission, play card games, table soccer and those sorts of stuff. My father also told me that there are a lot more parts of The Hut, but it will be my mission to check them all.

“But the truth is, none of the Datus can ever enjoy all these gizmos, all Datus has their missions everyday and go home tired.” My father told me as we sat in the lounge.

“Oh, that sucks, but how come you come home everyday saying you are from your business man job?” I asked my dad.

“An Anakdatu has a choice to stay in The Hut or go home with precaution, it’s a choice to be protected at this place or stay with the family that you love but get killed in the process.” He said.

Father’s love, no matter how dangerous or risky, as long as it’s about his family, he will risk it all.

“May I ask dad, what is your history? What is your mission on the Anakdatu? You know, so that I can have an insight on stuffs too.” I asked my father.

“Oh, well, I started quite younger than your age, I was 13 or 14 years those times, I guess,” with a look of reminiscing on his face, “Your grandfather, well, he is quite old that time, and he just passed me the medallion of Datu Puti and told me that our family is important, one of the most important bloodlines of history and he made me promise that I should keep our bloodline intact and to tell our descendants the same thing till the end of time, he says our family is very close to God, or other beings who they call creator, but I don’t get it. So promise me my son, promise me you will protect our bloodline and to tell our predecessors too to protect and maintain our bloodline, okay? Promise?” he offered his pinky finger.

I locked my pinky with his, “I promise dad.” I said.

“Good,” he became more at ease, “So your other question, what is my mission? Well, my very first mission is to protect the daughter of the former president 10 years ago, I was assigned for there was an ad saying that the daughter needs a body guard so they signed me up in there, God, my son, if you can just see what I did, every minute, there are assassination threats to the girl, and I got to do my job always without her noticing so that she can live more at ease, it’s so fun because it’s like the game you played when you were young, the Ice Ice Water? Remember that? But here, your foes are sniper bearing guys so yeah, so fun.” He beamed like he wants to do it again.

“I protected the former president’s daughter for 17 years until I was recalled by the organization for the lady can stand by her own now, and the president said that I worked for too long too and they already upgraded to better guards. Oh, and in the president’s office is where I also met your Mom and the same year too we were married and You were born. I was re-assigned after a few months of my stepping down to the president’s household, now to a heavier responsibility, I got to protect the richest man of the Philippines, the creator of the SM Super Malls, Henry Sy.” He said.

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I was awestruck, “No way dad, the SM guy? How and why?” I asked.

“Well, I was assigned by the organization in there because there had been news reports and attempts to assassinate the multi-billionaire guy, but this time, I work only at his office as an undercover business man, so that is what you know of my occupation, a business man. I never told him that I was assigned to protect him, I am undercover and as time passes by, these guys whom I fought and threatened Henry, they are different, glowing eyes, high tech gadgets, can teleport and they can level a house within minutes. I didn’t last with them, they are just simply stronger, they are different and no one knows who they are, even Sumakwel cannot research about that. They seem otherworldly, they are not any simple organization, it’s like they just appeared from nowhere.

“I held it for 15 years and heck, those things are stressful, until that night it followed me unto our home and attacked us, I hack and slashed with my cane, shot my gun in every direction but they never seem to stop until I surrendered, I know, how cowardly of your father but no, I devised my own plan while fighting, I planned to spy on where will they take me and who are they and stuffs. I was taken and escorted to their UFO like ship, I left the medallion for I feared that I might not come back anymore and that.” He said, his face looking steely.

“I turned on my live streaming mode on my glasses so that the agents on the organization can see, the ship I was in was not made by anyone I knew or from anywhere, this was just extra ordinary, I thought they are aliens of some sort but no, it seems very impossible. I waited and after a minute or two, we are in the middle of a dessert, landing on an airplane hangar wherein there are lots of warehouses. I was escorted by two of the super soldier guys, let’s call them skulls, like from the Metal Gear Phantom Pain game we used to play okay? I have been so weak, with my glasses, I requested an emergency rescue and backup and I did my best to eliminate the two guys escorting me in and everyone around me, still using my cane and two pistols, until help came, Datu Lapu lapu went down from their chopper and did his best to eliminate all of them, even he had a hard time too and until we escaped and went on our way. Lapu lapu told me they didn’t die, that is what he thought until he told me the info from the recon I did, they have no information yet but the place I was held was said to be located at the area of Ilocos Region, far northern. We have no idea yet, but my son, these men are the one you will surely encounter, and I want you to promise me you will always be careful okay?” He made me promised, where I did promise, and I hope I can fulfill that promise.

“Things are very hard my son, but always keep these reminders in mind, you are special Ramil, there is something you need to know, we have been keeping this for a very long time-” My dad was cut out by my mom.

“Ramil, how’s the tour?” Even he is staring at dad with so much intent, like daggers and knives are on my mother’s eyes, I don’t know why.

“Oh, it is cool mom! Do we get to be together in that suite? Like all three of us?” I asked.

“Sweetie, even though we wanted, it is prohibited, me and your dad, well, we sleep at the staffroom, but we are safe there.” She promised.

“Okay, uhm, one last question, when will I start?” I asked, of course I’m quite excited and stuffs.

“Tomorrow, and maybe we will see you very rarely starting tomorrow, you will stick to your schedule and be an independent boy.” My mother said.

“But why? Can’t I have some kind of break time to visit you guys?” I asked them sadly

“Unfortunately, no, we can’t, but we will promise that we will find a way okay?” My father promised me.

I hugged them so tight, both of them, “I’ll miss you guys.” I said with sadness.

“We’ll miss you too, be a good kid okay? Be an Anakdatu.” My father told me.

My mom kissed me in the forehead,”Go now Ramil, you got to rest, your first big day ahead okay? Don’t forget your water, your first aid kit, your extra clothes, oh, and also your-”

“I know mom.” I replied, quite annoyed.

My mother laughed, “See you soon, love.”.

As I watched them walk out the lounge, I knew I am on my own starting now, and that is kind of sad. I also noticed it is already dinner time so I went to the mess hall, ate like hell and wolfed everything up. Phew, I have never been this full. And finally, I went to my suite, made myself comfortable and also washed my body for it is quite a day. I imagined what it is like tomorrow, will it be another death trap? Who knows? I closed my eyes, and immediately, I fell asleep.

I had quite a dream that night. I was floating in the cosmos, in outer space. I feel so weightless, I feel nothing. I looked around and all I see are endless speckles of stars. What on earth am I doing here? So weird. And I saw another guy standing in the oblivion, just a few meters from me, he looks like Lapu-lapu except, all his body is battered by lots of line tattoos, in his arms, legs and chest. He weilds two swords, the normal Philippine sword but his is quite more intricate than the usual. It made me wonder who this guy is, why is my blood pumping like hell?

“You are special.” He told me as he turned brighter and brighter and brighter.

And I woke up, it is morning with the “Lupang Hinirang” blaring at the overhead speakers, a wake up call.

Macabulos, knocked and opened the door, “Good Morning soldier, you are late. You are already in the middle of the Lupang Hinirang already and one should stand at the first beat of our national anthem. That is all the agent’s wake up call.”

I am half dazed as I just woke up, “I’m new!” I told him.