Note: Sorry if I labeled the story as "complete", I might have done that while giving the story its cover. However, I'll be more careful from now on. I hope that all of you are enjoying the story so far. Now, let's get on with chapter five.
Chapter 5: New Recruit
Ryuta and Junichi looked at each other while Bentley looked at the other members of the Seven Heroes. The brothers had no idea what to say, having had nineteen years apart from each other. Before the younger raccoon could speak, a familiar voice rang out.
"I zee zat our vizitorz have come juzt in time for zupper."
Bairei, Ryuta, Mayumi, Chikaga, Shizuka, Schaefer, and Officer Perry turned around and saw that Nicole had stepped out of her car. They all had nothing to say to her, still surprised by Bentley and Lisa.
"Bon soir, Offizer Perry." Nicole greeted.
"Good evening, Mrs. Tanuki." Officer Perry said.
"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Junichi asked.
"Sure." The Doberman said.
"Sore wa subarashī kotodarou!" Shizuka smiled.
"Yeah, let's go in!" Bairei said.
The Heroes entered the house, with Nicole and Officer Perry following them. After that, they decided to sit at the table, being joined by Lisa and Bentley. As soon as they sat down, Junichi brought several dishes into the dining room, setting them on the table. He, Nicole, and Officer Perry then sat at the table.
"Let's eat, everyone." Junichi said.
As they ate dinner with the others, the six members of the Seven Heroes felt like celebrities. This was mainly because Bentley was looking at them in astonishment and excitement. The boy knew about his father's time with the team, but he didn't expect the team themselves to pay a visit. Lisa, on the other hand, didn't look surprised, as she wasn't as interested in learning about the team as her brother was. Bairei and Ryuta looked at each other, where they began talking.
"Watashitachi wa kare ni tazunerubekidesu ka?" Ryuta asked.
"Kekkyoku, kare wa chichioya no shigoto ni kyōmi o motte imasu." Bairei said.
"Kare ni kikou." The shorter raccoon said.
"So, what's your job like?" Lisa asked.
"It's pretty interesting, given how we save people and fight evil on a daily basis." Chikaga answered.
"Junichi waz a member of your team back then, zo we know what you deal with." Nicole said.
"Yeah, but it's been pretty dull without him." Mayumi stated.
"Why don't you join the team again, Junichi?" Shizuka asked.
"I'm retired," Junichi stated, "and I'm going to stay retired for my family."
"Can I join?" Officer Perry asked.
"Sorry Officer Perry, but cops aren't allowed in the team." Chikaga apologized.
"That's a shame," the cop said, "I've always wanted to live in Tokyo."
"What about Bentley?" Bairei asked.
Everyone looked at Bairei, having shocked expressions on their faces.
"Bentley?" Lisa asked.
"Mr and Mrs. Tanuki's boy?" Officer Perry couldn't believe his ears.
"Have you lost your mind?" Mayumi crossed her arms.
"He's interested in his father's work, Mayumi." Bairei defended.
"But he'z juzt a child!" Nicole cried.
"We'll keep him out of as many fights as we can, Nicole." Shizuka said.
"He's a little too young to fight with us, so I don't think that he should join the team." Schaefer stated.
"Agreed." Junichi said.
"Wait." Bentley said.
Everyone looked at him.
"What is it, son?" Junichi asked.
"Everyone," Bentley spoke, "I know that I'm a kid. A number of you might think of me as weak and useless. However, I am interested in becoming a warrior like my father once was. As I fight, I might learn from my mistakes and improve my skills. With the knife that my Dad used, I will prove myself to be a worthy successor. I'm going to join the Seven Heroes!"
"Are you sure you want to do this, Bentley?" Lisa asked.
"You might get killed out zere!" Nicole protested.
"If I do, I might die a hero!" Bentley claimed.
"Bentley Tanuki," Junichi crossed his arms, "you can't join a group of warriors without the right training! Added to the fact that you're still a kid, you might get killed out there, like your mother said! Not to mention the fact that school will start in two months! You can't possibly attend school with the knowledge that you have taken lives! You're a child, you shouldn't have to be forced to do what I did when I was younger!"
"ENOUGH!" Bairei shouted.
Junichi was nearly knocked out of his chair by Bairei's screaming. The other Heroes looked at him, shocked by their friend's outburst.
"If Bentley wants to join, let him join!" Bairei stated. "He won't get hurt if he fights with us! We were sent here to protect this country from the Serpent Gang and, now that we're here, we have someone who is willing to join the team! If Bentley trains with us, he might become a powerful ally!"
"Oh, my father will not be amused when he hears about this." Chikaga looked down.
"We can talk to Chu-ya and tell him about Bentley." Mayumi offered.
"I'm sure that your father will approve of the boy, Chikaga." Shizuka added.
"I guess that you're right." Chikaga said.
"So Bentley, do you want to become a warrior?" Bairei asked.
"You bet I am!" Bentley happily said.
"Well then, welcome to the team!" The older raccoon smiled.
Meanwhile, a black panther was looking at a map of Canada, with a red dot marking a specific location. Without warning, the phone rang, causing the jungle cat to pick up the phone.
"Hello?" He spoke into the phone.
"Mr. Hirose," a voice came out of the phone, "the Seven Heroes have arrived in Canada!"
"I had a feeling that they would be here." Hirose, the panther, said.
"What are we going to do?" The voice asked.
"We need to get the Ruby of Saturn before they take us down." The jungle cat answered.
"But how are we going to get it?" The voice on the other end asked. "Most of our ninjas can't pull of a heist without being caught, so who do we send?"
"Yamashiro o okurimasu." Hirose said.
"Yamashiro?" The voice asked.
"He'll pull off the heist with no problem at all." The panther said. "Send him out and have reinforcements keep the Seven Heroes preoccupied. If all else fails, let the Seven Heroes deal with some of our wizards. Once they're gone, we can move on with our plans."
"I'll see what I can do." The voice said before hanging up.
When the call was done, Hirose put the phone down. After that, he looked at the map again, smiling as he looked at it.
"The Seven Heroes won't know what hit them when we get the Ruby of Saturn." He said to himself. "The moment we unleash the dark powers their ancestors fought, it will all be over."
Note: Oh boy, let's just hope that the team is able to prevent the Ruby of Saturn from being stolen. Also, the name of the leader of the Serpent Gang has been revealed: Tatsuya Hirose. Interesting stuff, huh? Alright, here's the translation for the Japanese dialogue.
Sore wa subarashī kotodarou! = That would be wonderful!
Watashitachi wa kare ni tazunerubekidesu ka? = Should we ask him?
Kekkyoku, kare wa chichioya no shigoto ni kyōmi o motte imasu. = He is interested in his father's work, after all.
Kare ni kikou. = Let's ask him.
What did you guys think about this chapter? Let me know when you leave a review or give a constructive criticism stating what you like and what you don't like. Until next time guys, peace!