Note: I'm back on track with this story, even if it takes a little long to update it every now and then. Before we move on, I want to say something to two reviewers.
The White Wolf named Alex: I hope to keep on going with the story, with nothing slowing me down. The same goes for the other stories that I have on here. Thanks for the review, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.
Ron: Yeah, the pandemic might be clearing up, but we still have to worry about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. I seriously hope that Ukraine is able to drive Russia off, even if their allies have to join them in defeating the invading forces.
Now that I've done that, it's time for chapter thirteen.
Chapter 13: Getting Ready for a New Mission
At the Evergreen Forest Hospital, Bairei was taking a walker down the hallway. It was eleven in the afternoon, which meant that it was lunchtime for him. While he was still in pain, the raccoon was feeling a little better, to the point where he was able to get up and walk. Aside from a brief mishap where he nearly fell on his face when the doctors went to help him out of bed, the ring-tailed mammal was capable of walking. Upon entering the elevator, Bairei pressed a button that led to the cafeteria. From there, he waited for it to take him to said room.
Once the elevator reached the cafeteria, Bairei got out, eager to fill his belly. Much to his disappointment, the cafeteria was rather small, with little options for food. Despite that, he grabbed a tray and went up to the area where sandwiches were being made. There were several options laid out in front of him, from egg salad to club sandwiches. Before he could look for longer, the raccoon was greeted by a duck, who was the chef making the sandwiches.
"What can I get for you?" The mallard asked.
"Do you have any peanut butter sandwiches?" Bairei asked.
"There are some in the fridge, but more are being made." The chef stated.
"How long will it be before they're finished?" The raccoon asked.
"Another minute or so." The avian stated. "Please, be patient."
Two minutes later, and Bairei had gotten two peanut butter sandwiches. After that, the raccoon moved on to an area where fries were being made, getting some when a batch was finished. He then got a soda from a fridge, choosing as his beverage for lunch. In order to complete his meal, Bairei got a few brownies, having a sweet tooth. Once everything was together, he went to pay for his food. Due to his money being changed from yen to Canadian dollars, he had no difficulty paying for lunch.
Once everything was gathered and paid for, Bairei sat down at a table and began to eat his lunch. Eating a bite of his sandwich and a few fries, the raccoon failed to notice two people approaching him.
"Bairei!"
Looking up, Bairei saw Junichi and Nicole walking towards his table. This surprised him, as he was expecting the voice to come from either Ryuta or Chikaga. Chu-Ya had called them for a special occasion, one that the raccoon was disappointed to not attend. In fact, he was quite frustrated with the fact that he was still in the hospital. While he was injured, the raccoon didn't want his injuries to keep him from helping out his teammates. After all, they couldn't save the world alone.
"Junichi, Nicole, what are you doing here?" Bairei asked.
"We came to vizit you, Bairei." Nicole said. "Mayumi told uz about what happened, zo we figured zat we would come to the hozpital."
"That's nice of you, guys." The raccoon said. "Don't worry, Bentley is in safe hands!"
"Speaking of Bentley, he's gone to the cabin where Chu-Ya is staying for the time the team will be spending in the Evergreen Forest." Junichi said.
"Mr. Sunea has a cabin?" Bairei was surprised. "Gee, I didn't know!"
"Az glad az I am for Bentley to be zhowing zat he'z capable of zucceeding Junichi, I'm ztill worried zat he might not come home alive zome dayz." Nicole said.
"Well, as long as he keeps improving his skills, he might be able to take down anyone who is with the Serpent Gang." The smaller raccoon said.
"That's the problem, Bairei, Bentley is still a kid." Junichi said. "Kids shouldn't be doing the line of work that the Seven Heroes have been doing. Even if the kid in question is a relative, he still shouldn't be forced to take a life or embark on a dangerous mission."
"Ryuta and Mayumi are looking after him, and the others are acting like mentors to him." The younger male said. "They won't let anything happen to Bentley, trust me!"
Not knowing whether they could trust Bairei or not, Junichi and Nicole reluctantly sat down. They conversed with the injured raccoon, speaking about different subjects. The former Hero and his wife even ate lunch with him, wanting to eat before they left. Once everyone was done eating, Bairei went back to his hospital room. As for Junichi, he went back home with Nicole, choosing to relax for the afternoon. However, they still thought about Bentley, hoping that he would keep himself out of trouble.
In the middle of the Evergreen Forest was a small log cabin with a corrugated metal roof. On the inside was Chu-Ya Sunea, who was overlooking a map with the Pigs. Sitting around the table were Chikaga, Shizuka, Ryuta, Mayumi, Schaefer, Bentley, and Perry. The map in-question was the map of the Serpent Gang's HQ. As the Seven Heroes and their allies looked over it, Chu-Ya spoke. In addition to that, the audio that Ryuta and Chikaga had collected played during the meeting.
"I have to thank my son and his friend for gathering the data that gives us intel on what the Serpent Gang is planning next." Chu-Ya stated. "However, knowing that they are planning to build a bomb that could kill not only us, but deal collateral damage, we need to get down to their base and steal the damned thing before they can send it out!"
"I'm fine with doing a stealth mission, Mr. Sunea." Ryuta said.
"I didn't ask your opinion, Tanuki!" The aardvark responded. "Bear in mind that the bomb is not the only part of your mission you should be concerned about!"
"Yes, Father, as we need to prevent them from getting the Ruby of Saturn." Chikaga spoke.
"Oh, and they're planning on breaking out that awful Yusuke Shiobana!" Shizuka spoke.
"He's no where near as bad as Araki, though." Bentley said. "Araki is just a monster!"
"If you are done giving additional commentary, I'll tell you what your new objective is!" Chu-Ya spoke. "I want each of you to split into separate groups of three. One group will sneak into the Serpent Gang's HQ and steal the blueprints for the bomb, disarming any that were already made, while the other group will take down Shiobana before he has an opportunity to join his allies. Is that clear?
The remaining Seven Heroes nodded, understanding their objectives. With that out of the way, Chu-Ya opened up a closet that was near the back door. Inside the closet were multiple outfits that the team would need for stealth missions. These outfits ranged from ninja outfits to formal wear.
"Now," Chu-Ya spoke, "who is going on the stealth mission, and who is going on the mission to take down Shiobana?"
"Mayumi, Ryuta and I will go on the stealth mission, Father." Chikaga raised his hand.
"I'll accompany Shizuka and Bentley on the second mission." Schaefer spoke. "Trust me, we'll make sure that Shiobana is dead when we take him down."
"Good," Chu-Ya said, "now take a costume and move out! If at all necessary, kill anyone who attacks you and use a firearm if your weapon doesn't quite do it!"
Once he said that, the remaining Heroes went to the closet and selected the outfits they would wear on their respective missions. Ryuta, Mayumi and Chikaga put on the ninja outfits, making sure that they fit on their bodies. As for Shizuka, Schaefer and Bentley, they decided to wait until they got to the prison to put on their outfits. The moment everyone gathered their disguises, they grabbed their weapons and sat back down. However, Chu-Ya spoke up again.
"Well, don't just sit there, move out!" The aardvark said.
"Hai!" The Heroes said.
The team then raced out of the door, with both groups going in separate directions. Once they were out of sight, Chu-Ya sat down. The Pigs came over to him, eager to attend their boss' service.
"Is there anything we can do for you, sir?" Izumi asked.
"Get me a drink," Chu-Ya said, "and put ice in it."
As the Pigs went to get their boss a drink, Perry found himself speaking to Chu-Ya.
"Mr. Sunea, if I could ask you something, I'll make it quick." He spoke.
"If this is about you wanting to be a member of the Seven Heroes in Bairei's absence, the answer is still no!" Chu-Ya stated.
"No, not that, I was going to ask something else." The Doberman said.
"Well, ask away!" The aardvark said.
"How do you know if they'll succeed in their respective assignments?" The canine asked.
"Let me put this in a way that you'll understand: I put the team together initially for profit, but then I discovered how historically important the Seven Heroes were." The afrothere said. "When I put together my version, I discovered that my ancestor was one of the members of the original team. Knowing that the evil they fought keeps coming back every so often, I wound up being roped into forming my own after the previous one retired. For each century, a new team of seven is formed to combat the evil and keep it down."
"So, why did you form the current team with your son?" The younger male asked.
"Well, I initially didn't want Chikaga to get involved, but that ring-tailed scoundrel of a friend of his convinced him to take fighting lessons." The older male said. "Little did we know, my son would prove to be a skilled fighter, as well as a skilled strategist."
"What about the others?"
"Well, Ryuta just so happened to be another one of my son's friends, so he wound up joining. Mayumi joined because one member of the first team was her ancestor. Shizuka joined because she wanted to add some spice to her life, but then she learned the gravity of the situation. Schaefer, he joined because he wanted to protect the innocent in a way like each proceeding team did. As for Bentley, he's pretty much a late addition to the team."
"Do you think that he can prove his worth as a warrior?"
Before Chu-Ya could answer, the Pigs came back with two shot glasses filled with ice and alcohol. Upon being handed them, Chu-Ya sat them on the table.
"So, about Bentley -" Perry began to speak.
"The boy probably won't be able to beat everyone and everything that comes his way." Chu-Ya interrupted him. "He might be Junichi's son, but that doesn't mean he's inherited everything his old man had. If Bentley keeps on improving, he might play an important role in our agenda. If not, then either the others will defeat the evil, or the evil will win."
"Let's hope that the Seven Heroes win in the end." The Doberman said.
"They will, or they won't!" The aardvark said, offering him a glass. "We won't find out until later!"
Taking the other shot glass from Chu-Ya, Perry drank what was in it. From that moment on, the two, joined by the Pigs, sat at the table. They waited for the remaining members of the Seven Heroes to finish their missions. If they came back, it was a sign that they either succeeded or had a minor failure. If they didn't, then it would be a sign that they were killed in action.
Note: Welp, two separate tasks and two teams of three. Will they be able to prevent the bombs from being released into the Evergreen Forest and stop Shiobana from being released? Also, will Bairei eventually leave the hospital? Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!