Episode 6: This Ugly and Beautiful Country / Bearers of the Sword

Lapit mga kaibigan at makinig kayo (Listen up, yo)
Ako'y may dala-dalang balita galing sa bayan ko (Listen closely, yo)
Nais kong ipamahagi ang mga kuwento at mga pangyayaring nagaganap sa lupang pinangako

The trio arrives in Davao an hour before noon the day after. Thankfully none of them got seasick along the way.

"Ready for our great adventure in Davao, Multi?" Hero and Sandara ask the maid robot.

And she responds with a smiling, resounding "Yes!"

First stop: The Rizal Park (no, not the Luneta). Hero acts like a tour guide there.

"This monument was built in honor of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal."

Multi then asks, "Ree-chal?"

"Ri-zal."

"Ri-zal."

"You finally got it right, Multi. Anyway, if you think that he's only a doctor, you're wrong. He's also a poet, a novelist, an agriculturist, a businessman, a linguist, a teacher, an inventor..."

"Wow! He had lots of jobs! Incredible!"

"He may be a jack of all trades, but his greatest accomplishment was his writing of two novels, 'Noli Me Tangere' and 'El Filibusterismo'. Those two novels exposed the anomalies of the Spanish authorities who once ruled the Philippines. Of course, those Spanish dudes labeled him as a criminal and arrested him and had him executed. Moments before his execution, he wrote his well-known poem, aptly called 'My Last Farewell'. Then, he was shot to death by those Spanish dudes, but his death sparked a massive revolution that eventually kicked the Spanish out of the Philippines for good."

"What an inspiring story! I love it!"

"Man. That story I told you has made us all hungry. C'mon, let's grab a bite!"

Second stop: A Jollibee branch which is not that far from Rizal Park.

The trio orders their food as usual. But once they arrive at a dining table, Hero and Sandara notice Multi's strange movements.

"Multi? What's wrong with you?" Sandara ponders.

"Y... you... see, guys... I can't eat."

"You can't eat!" Hero is awed. "Are you on a diet or something?"

"No. It's because I'm a robot."

"A ROBOT!" Hero and Sandara exclaim. That event makes the other people inside set their sights on the trio, especially Multi.

"Uhh... excuse us, everyone. We're sorry. We're just startled, that's all," Hero apologizes to the people. The latter just get back to their eating and chatting.

Sandara then says to Multi, "I didn't notice that until now. Even your ears. They're... weird. But, when we were fighting the Buga-Buga Tribe, I think you're using a gun. Am I right?"

"No. I was modified. The shots that I made were not from a gun. They're from my arm cannon."

"Wow," Hero is awed again. "I never thought that a real-life version of Astro Boy would come true. And you're even cute!"

"Thanks for the compliment," Multi responds with a smile.

And so, the trio continues on their eating and chatting until they're ready to hit another Davao hotspot.

Third stop: Pearl Farm Resort. This time Sandara becomes the tour guide.

"Multi, this is called the Pearl Farm Resort. It's one of the many beaches in the Philippines that are world-class and therefore are on the beach lovers' radar!"

The maid robot is amazed by the crystalline seawater and the fine sand. "Oh... so... beautiful..."

The trio then spends their time beachcombing. They pick up rare seashells, junk left behind by tourists, and many other unmentionables at the beach.

Fourth and final stop: Mount Apo. Hero once again becomes the tour guide.

"Multi, this is called Mount Apo. It is one of the famous mountains here in the Philippines. Actually, it's a volcano. But then, this mountain has the highest peak in the whole country-- but the height of this baby's roughly 10 of Mount Everest's height, hehe."

As per a tourist's SOP, the trio buys some souvenirs.

After their "great adventure", the trio decides to go back to the city proper in order to ride a boat bound for Basilan. They first ride a bus from Mt. Apo to the city proper, and then they ride another bus that will send them to the seaport.

In the second bus...

Hero explains, "Now our R&R's finished. Now, we can save your comrades with confidence, right?"

And Multi once again responds with a smiling, resounding "Yes!"

But their conversation is cut off by the shouts of a vendor who immediately hops on the bus. His call line?

"Oh, buy now, buy now... hopia, peanuts, popcorn, corn snacks, corn on a cob, biscuit, juice, orange sweets, mineral water, siomai, siopao, toilet paper, quail egg, balot, penoy, chicharon, lottery ticket, Sweepstakes ticket. Buy now, buy now... cellphone, charger, backlight, casing, ringtone, logo, e-load, pass-a-load. Buy now, buy now... watermelon seeds, ice cream, squid, ice candy, durian, peanut brittle, cashew nuts, green peas, mixed nuts, candy, bubble gum, lollipop. Buy now, buy now..."

Multi exclaims, "I can't believe it! He beats even Ragnarok Online's Merchants in terms of the items that he sells!"

Sandara responds, "It's OK, Multi. At least that guy's making a decent living."

Hero interrupts, "Wait! I've heard durian!" He approaches the vendor and buys a slice of durian from him.

Once Hero goes back to where Sandara and Multi are seated, the maid robot smells the stink from that fruit.

"M-Mr. Hero, what's this stinky thingy? Get it away from me!"

"Relax, Multi. This is durian, one of Davao's famous products. The stinkier it gets the tastier."

"Well, I get jealous of you humans. When I was in school with Mr. Hiroyuki and Ms. Akari, I've wondered about many things that humans do besides work. Like, for example, what it's like to be hungry."

Sandara retorts, "You're an inquisitive one, alright."

"It's because I was once sent by Kurusugawa Electronics to school for a two-week test period so that I can collect data! I was sent back afterwards, but they finally decide to reinstate me!"

"Kurusugawa, huh?" Hero replies. "I've heard the name before. We Filipinos always buy electronics made by that company. But a maid robot? I thought that there was no such thing! But, why were you sent back, anyway?"

"I'll admit something to you guys, and please don't be angry with me. In whatever I do, I always screw up. Compared to my younger sister, Serio, I'm inferior in performing even the basic household chores. I thought that I would be dumped in the lab forever; but thanks to Mr. Hiroyuki and Ms. Akari and their friends, I was saved, knowing that I made friends with them! All because of my motto: Making others happy makes me happy, too!"

"We know your situation, Multi," Sandara replies. "You're a klutz, alright. A klutz with a golden heart."

Suddenly, the bus stops. Seconds later, a mysterious gas fills the interior of the bus, making everyone inside it (except for Hero, Sandara, Multi, and the bus conductor; for some strange reason) faint.

Hero exclaims, "Wh-What was that?"

The conductor says, "It might be engine trouble! Please remain in your seats while I check," and then checks out the outside of the bus.

He screams, "Ahhhhhh!" and goes back to the inside. "It's a demon-looking machine that possibly spewed out that strange gas!"

Sandara exclaims, "Oh, great spirits!"

The trio gets out of the bus. There they face a creature that has the descriptions that the conductor said. Beside it is a person who is unconscious.

The creature says, "MISSION. DISSOLVE. MINDANAO. REPUBLIC."

"Dang. Out of all places, we're at the Davao City Hall!" Hero exclaims.

Multi adds, "And who is that unconscious person? And are you a goon of Mr. Victorialuna?"

"FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, HE IS MAYOR RODRIGO DUTERTE. AND AS FOR THE SECOND QUESTION, I INDEED SERVE MELFICIO VICTORIALUNA. I AM MENINGOCOCCEMIA MAN. I WAS CREATED BY SOME SCIENTISTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WHO WERE 'RE-EDUCATED' BY HIM. I FULFILL ONLY ONE PURPOSE: TO ENSLAVE THE WHOLE OF MINDANAO UNDER HIS RULE."

Sandara interrupts, "I knew that you're a servant of Mr. Victorialuna! But why are you targeting Mayor Duterte?"

"THAT PARASITE PLANS TO BUILD A SEPARATE REPUBLIC AWAY FROM MANILA BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT HE HAD ENOUGH OF POLITICS IN MANILA! MR. VICTORIALUNA DID NOT LIKE THE IDEA, SO HE SENT ME. THAT DREAM OF A MINDANAO REPUBLIC WILL DISAPPEAR IF THAT PESKY MAYOR IS GONE FOR GOOD!"

Hero argues, "Well, at least the people of Davao still love him, because he echoes their sentiments."

"FOOLS! THEY ARE ALL FOOLS! AND SO ARE YOU! I WILL INFECT YOU ALL WITH MENINGOCOCCEMIA! ELIMINATE... ALL!"

Battle 7, commence!
Allies: Hero, Sandara, Multi
Enemy: Meningococcemia Man (HP: 29,016)
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1077 damage to him.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 10.
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Meningococcemia Man. He deals 1525 damage to him. Meningococcemia Man is now paralyzed.
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Switch Weapon on herself. Multi's default weapon is changed from mop to arm cannon.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1799 damage to him.
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. He deals 3705 damage to him. A critical hit!
Meningococcemia Man's paralysis effect is now nullified.
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to attack Hero. Hero takes 520 damage.
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Disabling Slash on Meningococcemia Man. He deals 1130 damage to him. But Meningococcemia Man is not paralyzed!
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1320 damage to him.
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 148 damage.
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Buga-Buga Spears on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 4820 damage to him.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Multi. Multi's status points are up by 9.
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast First Aid on himself. He recovers 600 HP.
Meningococcemia Man: INITIALIZING MENINGOCOCCEMIA OUTBREAK.
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to cast Meningococcemia Outbreak on all allies. Hero and Sandara are now afflicted with Poison and Slow.
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to use Blood of Andy Gibb on Sandara. All of Sandara's bad status effects are now nullified.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to use Blood of Andy Gibb on Hero. All of Hero's bad status effects are now nullified.
Meningococcemia Man gets a turn. He chooses to attack Multi. Multi takes 350 damage.
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Backdraft on Meningococcemia Man. He deals 1002 damage to him, but suffers 176 recoil damage.
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to attack Meningococcemia Man. She deals 1612 damage to him.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on Hero. Hero's status points are up by 5.
Hero gets a turn. He chooses to cast Take Cover! on Multi. Any attack directed to Multi will be redirected to him only once.
Multi gets a turn. She chooses to cast Buga-Buga Spears on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 4280 damage to him.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast Aja! on herself. Sandara's status points are up by 12.
Sandara gets a turn. She chooses to cast No Dong on Meningococcemia Man. She deals 7130 damage to him, KOing him.
Meningococcemia Man: AGH! CRITICAL DAMAGE! CRITICAL DAMAGE! YOU... TRAITORS... WILL... BE... INFECTED... SOON...
Battle 7 won!

With Meningococcemia Man defeated, the strange gas disappears, and all of the people who are fainted, including Mayor Duterte, are now recovered.

The other passengers in the bus witness the triumphant act done by the trio, though they did not witness the battle themselves. Because deep inside, they know that the three have saved the mayor from a clear and present danger.

"What happened here? (pause) Hey! Who are you three? And what's with the scraps of metal near me?" the mayor interrogates.

The trio then introduce themselves.

"We came here for a vacation, until a robot attacked you and your constituents with his simulated meningococcemia gas," Hero explains. "We did the natural thing: defeating him and saving you all."

"What the heck? Who could have done this infection thing?" the mayor asks.

"It's none other than the head of the Commission on Higher Education, Melficio Victorialuna," Sandara finishes.

"I knew it," the mayor replies. "Over the past few weeks, I've been browsing the national news. One news article said that Mr. Victorialuna will lead an ultra-nationalist campaign that strictly abhors all foreign ideas, especially Japanese ones. And according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, he took advantage of the political crisis stemming from the electoral doubts that President Arroyo is facing in order for his plan to come to fruition. This whole national mess all started when he himself stormed Ninoy Aquino International Airport and killed two teen stars and captured thirteen Japanese tourists. When he learned that the administration and the opposition had united to condemn that incident, he set off a civil war so that those two sides will destroy each other."

"And I was one of the thirteen," Multi interrupts. "Until someone saved me and outfitted me with an arm cannon to save them all."

"Oh! Miss Multi, I saw your name in the news, so it's all obvious to me. And to make the long story short, I soon grew tired of the events that transpired in Manila, so I decided to spearhead the concept of a Mindanao Republic."

"Mindanao Republic? So that's what that robot is talking about!" the trio says in unison.

"Yes. If the politicians in Manila cannot do anything to enrich this region once called 'the Promised Land', I and my sympathizers can and will by completely breaking off with them and making this an independent yet prosperous republic. Mr. Victorialuna thought of that concept as dangerous and unpatriotic, so he had plans to liquidate me."

"And we came here to help you by chance," Hero retorts. "And that was just part of our ultimate goal: to free Multi's comrades and convince them to fight against Mr. Victorialuna."

"How noble is your intention! If you guys can really save our nation from total ruin, then I will happily scrap my plans of that Mindanao Republic. And by the way, I'll mention something about the opposition's purported flag-bearer, Susan Roces. I once met her, and though I may be an ally of Pres. Arroyo, I really had a good time with her."

"Really?" the trio asks in awe.

Meanwhile, back in Manila (specifically the Malacanang Palace)...

The smoke clears, and the surface of the palace is now a smoldering ruin. Beneath the ruins, Pres. Arroyo and Susan Roces are down on their knees, breathing heavily.

"You... are no... pushover... pompous... widow..." Pres. Arroyo says faintly.

"You... can't... just... give... up... the... throne..." Mrs. Roces also says faintly.

"Not... yet... I'm... still... the... legitimate... president... Even... though... I... skipped... the... State... of... the... Nation... Address... and... the... impeachment... trial... that... I... expected... was dead..."

"All... because... of... your... minions... trying... to... appease... an... already... enraging... nation... Doing... everyting... just... to... stay... in... power..."

"Persistent... emotion-driven... barbarians..."

"Barbarians... we... are... NOT!" Mrs. Roces stands up while holding a large wound. "We... fight... for the truth! And the... expose... of... your sins... against... the Filipino people... is the... only... path... to genuine... progress..."

The widow of the Action King raises her sword to the still-dark sky, then chants the following.

"I have an ally... inside me... who has realized her wrongs... in choosing you as the... leader of the nation. Now... all she wants... is your elimination... from the presidency. Soul Fusion with Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, materialize!"

Yellow specks of light form around Mrs. Roces, and in a few seconds, a combined form of Mrs. Roces and Mrs. Aquino appears before the embattled president's eyes.

"Why... Cory... why?"

"I have made not only a physical pact with her as an ally of my United Opposition, but also a soul pact with her in order to use her powers against a former ally. And that former ally is you!" Mrs. Roces says with Mrs. Aquino's voice.

"You... have... used... HER! I won't forgive you for this!"

And with that, their seemingly endless PVP duel starts all over again.

Back to Davao.

With the situation back to normal, Hero, Sandara, and Multi show up at Mayor Duterte's office.

"So, you all decide to leave immediately for Basilan?" the mayor asks the three.

"A big yes!" responds the three.

"A word of advice here. We just received intelligence reports that Indonesian suicide bombers have made their way through our country. And I'm very confident that they are key allies to the Abu Sayyaf. Be cautious at all times."

Hero asks, "So what will we gonna do? Swim all the way from here to Basilan? Multi would rust if we did that!"

"And though I have propeller wings, it'll be too heavy for me to carry Mr. Hero and Ms. Sandara to Basilan," Multi adds.

"Alright, already. I've made arrangements with the administration of our seaport to provide you with a high-speed boat for you three to ride," the mayor reacts.

"Oh, thank you!" Sandara says with joy.

"And one final message before I send you all off."

The three question, "What?"

"Our country today is filled with people who think of nothing but themselves. Where have all the efforts of heroes like Rizal and Bonifacio gone? Sadly, with this ugly political cancer that we're suffering, our supply of modern heroes has dwindled to a few. We sometimes forget the deeds of modern heroes like the honest taxi driver, the industrious overseas worker, and the caring social worker. But there is still a glimmer of hope left! You three are the real personifications of that glimmer of hope. You do not necessarily sacrifice your lives to save this once-beautiful Philippines once again. You will live as legends in the annals of our long-winded history... forever."

"Thank you, Mayor. Wish us luck!"

And the trio leaves the Davao City Hall with confidence. They then hop on to the seaport, ride on the boat, and presto! Their adventure still continues.

(to be continued)