Vol. 4 Ch. 1 Ep. 8: Operation Carrot 2

This is RABBIT 1. Time is 2100 hours. I've arrived at Point Delta.

Area clear, confirmed. Moving to retrieve the carrot at Point Echo.

Helloooo! Camp Rabbit, back in her element! Squad member GPS signals locked and loaded, baby!

The loading dock's security is changing shifts, just like we planned.

So dance your pretty little self down straight to Point Echo.

I didn't ask, Sensei.

If your intention in coming was to lecture us, you're not needed here.

A special ops site is no place for you to be anyways, Sensei.

Are you worried we might steal something? Do you think so little of us?

Students of SRT Academy are dedicated to our mission: to protect the safety of the citizens. We would not steal civilian property.

Based on our intel, the empty drum barrels here are already scheduled for disposal. We won't cost them any money.

In fact, we negate their disposal costs and labor.

S-Sensei...

Sensei does think that little of us! Do you think we're beggars on the side of the street? We won't get down on our knees and ask for someone else's trash.

Get it through your head! We are elite members of SRT Academy and we will not accept your charity, Valkyrie's charity, or some stupid industrial company's charity!

W-Well, with the bentos...

I don't have to defend myself!

We secured discarded bentos through our own effort! That was not charity!

You'll never break our pride!

RABBIT 2. You need to lower your voice. We're on enemy turf.

Let's move out. RABBIT 2, lead reconnaissance ahead but if you see the enemy do NOT engage.

Oh, who died and made you boss again, Miyako?

RABBIT 2, please refer to my codename during missions. This is basic protocol.

Oh NOW you're a stickler for protocol?

Stop trying to distract from my question. What gives you the right to order me around?

Th-That's... I am the squad leader of RABBIT...

Oh? And who made you the squad leader, huh?

Wasn't it those little snotheads from the General Student Council? The ones who shut down SRT Academy?

...

So, tell me. Considering we're rebelling against the General Student Council, what makes you think you still get to boss us around?

...I don't think this is a matter the two of us can decide.

Both options suck. Bleh.

I-I don't wanna pick sides...

...Understood.

For this mission, Saki will take the lead of RABBIT Squad.

RABBIT 2, your orders.

That's what I thought. We're just dealing with a bunch of security guards, not trained enemies.

I received top marks on all my simulated extraction trainings. Just watch me.

Uh, Saki...

I mean, RABBIT 2. Where should I stand by?

Oh? As our sniper?

W-Well... Um... I wrote down notes on effective sniper placement... Not that one, in an urban environment...

Geez. Boss made me drink too much at dinner again... I need to go to the bathroom.

Enemy approaching!

There's not supposed to be a patrol route this way!

He's looking for the bathroom! This wasn't in the plans.

S-Saki! He's coming towards me! Wh-Wh-What do I do?

I suck at hand-to-hand stuff. Can I run away...

S-So... Um...

Up! Take the high ground! Get as high as you can!

According to the textbooks, the basics of sniping involve securing a higher line of sight.

Wait, Saki, no! High points might be good for sniping, but she won't be able to esca...

Shut up, Miyako! I got this under control.

Did I just hear something?

INTRUDERS!

You thieves! Are you after the latest shipment?

Who're you calling a thief?!

Everyone, engage! Make your way to Point Epsilon and be sure to cover each other's backs. We're outnumbered.

Tsk, where did those thieves go?

They're here somewhere! Search every nook and cranny.

Stop calling us thieves!

Saki, please be quiet! Hostiles are still nearby.

RABBIT 1, reporting in to Camp RABBIT. We've arrived at Point Echo and the carrot has been secured. No injuries to report.

But our original evacuation route is blocked now.

And more enemy reinforcements are on the way.

Oh, wow. Saki messed up again? I'm sooo surprised. Not.

Little Miss Top-of-Her-Class, but absolutely trash at actual field work.

Shut up, Moe! I'm still better than you!

I-I don't understand. I thought it was the perfect plan...

I thought I could show off SRT's strength to Sensei... Instead I just embarrassed myself and the academy.

Wait, where's Miyu?

She's not with you? Her GPS indicator is right next to yours.

That doesn't make sense...

Miyu, that dummy!

She left her radio in the bag!

She must've panicked and left it when the enemies started approaching her.

Let me think. Miyu has a tendency to follow orders to a T. You said to go as high as she can...

I would assume tower crane at Building B.

There's no way. That area's crawling with security guards.

There's no means of escape from there either. She's got to be stuck up there.

What should we do, Saki?

Is that even a question? Operation Carrot is now a rescue mission.

We'll have to leave the drum barrels. There's no way we can fight and carry them at once.

Unfortunately, yes. Getting Miyu back safe and sound is our top priority as of now.

But we're severely outnumbered. We need to prepare for some damage on our end.

...Sensei?

You have a plan?

I'm sorry? You want to hide under the barrels all the way to Miyu's location?

We need realistic solutions, Sensei.

...I have read about something like this before.

In one of our textbooks, they talk about some legendary agent who would hide under boxes and barrels to pull off impossible infiltration missions.

How do you intend to move around? A rogue drum barrel moving by itself will only draw more attention.

Look, it's not the best, but what else are we gonna do?

I would rather use my precious textbook as a coaster than listen to Evil Incarnate over there...

But...Miyu is in this situation because of me. I can't let her down.

Understood. I'll put my faith in you for this mission.

Find and equip yourselves with a drum barrel.

Let's move out! Operation Carrot: Save Miyu!

I might sound crazy but, has that drum barrel always been there?

Well, duh. Of course there are drum barrels. It's a loading dock. What's gotten into you?

That's why I said I might sound crazy, but...

I swear the drum barrel was moving a second ago.

Did you drink too much at dinner again?

Well, sober up. The boss is going to have our heads if we let the thieves get away.

...I don't understand it. How is this working?

I gotta admit, I was pretty skeptical.

But this is the easiest infiltration we've ever done.

If I had known they would be this effective, I would've brought more for future missions.

Haha, it would've been a little difficult for just us to carry any more barrels back.

When we get back to SRT Academy one day, we can request some budget be allocated so you can purchase as many as you'd like.

RABBIT 2. We're reaching the rendezvous point. Prepare for contact.

Wh-Where did everyone go?

Saki? Miyako? Anyone at all? S-Sensei?

If I talk too loud, the guards'll come get me... And... And I think I forgot my radio...

It's really happened this time. They forgot I exist and went back home.

I'll fade away like a bad dream... Th-They'll laugh and make memories while I turn into dust on this crane...

Gyah! What's that?

It... It moved?! It's a moving drum barrel!

Miyu! Miyu!

It knows my name? Wait... It's talking?!

Wh-What the heck is that? A new UMA? Or the creepy-crawly doom of impending chaos?

Hurry up and get in here!

It's a monster! It wants to eat me alive!

P-Please spare me, barrel monster! I'm tiny so I'm not yummy, I promise!

What are you saying? C'mon, get in already!

I've been abandoned and forgotten in this cold lonely world... A-And now... I'm gonna be gobbled up by the evil barrel monster?

I WANNA GO HOME!

Are you serious right now?

Miyu, pay attention! It's me, Saki.

Saki?

I disguised myself as a drum barrel so we could come rescue you. Look, no scary barrel monsters.

Waaah... Saki... I thought you forgot about me for good! *sniffles*

Y-You really think we would do that?

C'mon, now. No more crying. You're an elite agent of SRT!

Okay... *sniffle*

C'mon, into the drum barrel before guards come around.

INTRUDERS!

Oops. A little late for that.

Hate to break up your reunion, but you've got reinforcements coming from left, right, and center!

RABBIT 2, it's your call! Do we engage?

The textbook response in a situation like this is...

RUN!

*huff* *puff* Those persistent security guards... Did we actually lose them?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who let this thing in? Is it a cryptid? Or the crawling chaos of Kivotos?

I just can't figure it out... Maybe I should make it go ka-boom...

Stop joking around. It's us!

And how did you and Miyu have the same exact reaction? What's this crawling chaos nonsense?

I'm relieved everyone made it back.

And not only that, but all in one piece.

You weren't hurt, were you, Sensei?

I'm glad. If Sensei had been injured accompanying us on a mission...

I'm glad. If Sensei had been injured accompanying us on a mission...

The General Student Council would've had our hides.

Heehee, Sakiiii~ Do you need some medicine for your poor little ego? Miss Perfect didn't last five minutes as squad leader before everything went ka-boom.

Admit it. You're just about as good as me at field work.

I-If it weren't for that small mishap, I could've sleepwalked through that mission!

Why do things never work out the way they do on paper?

B-Because reality is different from our textbooks...

Regardless, the operation was a success. We retrieved the carrot and no one was hurt.

And that really is thanks to you, Saki.

...Thanks.

More importantly, I'm sweaty and smell like gunpowder.

I'm dying to scrub off all this grime, but bathing while camping isn't as easy as turning a knob.

Heeheehee. I had a feeling you'd say that.

Ta-da! I got firewood and towels already so everyone can take a nice, toasty bath.

You procured all of these before we even finished the operation?

That's technically against procedures and would normally require discipline. But...the whole point of this operation was to take a bath, right?

RABBIT Squad, bath time!

Yay! Hear, hear!

Ahh... Now that's the stuff.

I've missed this! Hot baths after a mission are the best!

This drum barrel serves as a surprisingly comfortable bathtub too.

And the temperature is just right...

I-It's perfect now, b-but what if it gets hotter and hotter and all of a sudden we're boiling?

Haven't you heard about frogs slowly b-boiling alive?

Don't worry your crybaby little head too much. Look, that thermal imaging equipment is keeping track of the temperature.

I'd even say it's getting a little cool in here...

How about I sprinkle some thermite powder on the firewood? Heehee.

For once in your life, will you stop thinking about incendiaries? Is your brain just wired wrong?!

And it's perfect right now anyways. I'd rather us not turn into rabbit stew.

I must say, it's sort of charming. All of us bathing in a park together like this.

Let's come camping again one day. After we've achieved our mission and reopened SRT Academy.

Of course. There's no one watching.

Long missions often require us to bathe and change together like this, so it's nothing new for us.

And this park rarely has visitors. Any that do come in this far will be met with our landmines and automatic turrets.

...But, someone IS watching us.

...

Standing guard?! You're spying on bathing students right now!

Leave! Leave right now and never come back!

I-I knew the creepy teacher was gonna do b-bad things to us while we're vulnerable!

Moe. I hereby authorize you to use every single incendiary you own.

BLOW UP, PERVERT!

Hey, Boss. We've got some newcomers at the park nearby.

People are transient in nature. Much like the wind, they will come and they will leave.

You must not allow your inner peace to be disquieted over such an insignificant event.

If they do not leave, however, they must learn to coexist with us. They must embrace our ideals of non-possession and find release from the worldly desires of society.

Tell me. Do you believe they will be able to be enlightened, to commit to our noble cause?

There's no way! They're the greediest people we've ever seen.

They've been ravaging the stores for the discarded bentos we used to be able to find everywhere. Now, we can't even find a mung bean sprout bento to spare.

And, their sticky fingers seem to think everything belongs to them! They've been collecting blocks of wood to tarpaulins and more! We probably won't even be able to repair the sanctuary anymore.

Oh dear. It appears our new-found visitors are a group of gluttonous goblins.

Very well, comrades. Take up your arms.

Let us teach these immoral, greedy gluttons...

A lesson on the joys of non-possession!