Flight

Meanwhile, in the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena, Jonathan Toews was tied up to a chair, as was Patrick Kane and they were set back-to-back. They were placed at center ice and locked on the rink.

“Patrick, is this the end?” Jonathan questioned.

“I don’t know. They told me that they need one last ingredient and that they were disappointed with how the NHL has become an offensive heavy league.”

“But hockey is about skill and fun!”

“They don’t think so. They like the grit and the nastiness.”

Jonathan struggled, pulling at the ropes holding his wrists together. He gave a valiant effort for a straight minute, before he gave up and threw his head back, gazing up at the JumboTron.

“Where are you Black Hawk?” he muttered to himself. “I need your help!”

“Jonny, if this is the end, I want you to know that I’m sorry about pretending to hate you, I really love you. I think you are the greatest person in the world. You are the best Captain in the NHL and an extremely talented player. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to be sharing my career and NHL experience with.”

“Awe, same here, Kaner.”

“So who’s Black Hawk?” Patrick asked, trying to turn his head to see his friend, who he was sure was trying to do the same thing.

“Oh, um, she’s a friend.”

“C’mon Jonny, I know you too well. Who is she? I know she’s a she? Is she your girlfriend?”

“Actually she is!”

And with that, he launched into a story. He wasn’t afraid to tell Patrick about her and he hoped maybe his story would trigger the blond’s memory. If not, he’d try another one. He had to remember her, he had been there when he’d been saved and she had even saved him a few times too.

****

Operation #1: JumboTron Trouble (Canuck)

2010

One of the green men of the Vancouver Canucks (and a known adversary and supervillain named Canuck) had grabbed Jonathan Toews by the collar of his shirt and held him over the side of the JumboTron in the Vancouver arena, threatening to drop him over the side to his death. The poor centre was screaming and trying desperately not to panic and lose his cool, which was near impossible to do given the circumstance.

The Blackhawks had just bested the Canucks on their home ice and there had been a massive line brawl that had been instigated by the fourth liners. A lot of the fans in Vancouver were furious, and well, the Blackhawk Captain had scored a hat trick on them and the last one was the game winner. Apparently Canuck wasn’t exactly pleased with this.

“Black Hawk, somebody, help!!” Jonathan screamed.

Evelyn looked upward in horror as she saw her favorite hockey player and childhood friend dangling over the side. He was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans. He’d apparently just changed out of his hockey equipment and uniform and had thrown something on. His hair was shockingly not as messy as it could have been. It had the right amount of mess to it that Evelyn liked.

“Canuck, let him go!”

“Poor choice of words don’t you think, Black Hawk!”

Her wings flapped behind her, as Jonathan Toews screamed in distress again. “Don’t make me come up there. Put him down on the JumboTron! NOW!! His team won fair and square!”

“Now why would I ever do something like that? Do you think I am stupid Hawkette?”

“It’s Black Hawk, not Hawkette!” the redhead snarled. “Now let him go!”

“Suit yourself!” Canuck chuckled and backed away from the edge.

“Hey! What are you doing to him? Canuck!!” Evelyn tried to get him back in her visual, but suddenly heard the awful snapping noise and a flash of green. Something hit her in the side and sent her flying to the right, she skidded on the ice surface though, preventing herself from slamming into the boards.

“What I wouldn’t give to have ice powers right now!” she spat and began battling Canuck. Behind them, the JumboTron sparked, as the wires holding it up in place snapped one by one. And bound to the center wire, was a panicking and struggling Blackhawk player.

“BLACK HAWK!! HELP!!” Jonathan was pulling at the ropes holding him in place to no avail.

“Jonny, hang on!” Evelyn screeched, and literally let out a hawk screech, as she flapped her wings and amped up the physical battle on the ice. She ended up being able to slam Canuck’s head into the boards and then kneed him in the head. “Five for fighting, right?”

“BLACK HAWK!!” Jonathan’s freaked out voice came again.

Evelyn spun on her heels, as the JumboTron plummeted downward, with Jonathan on it. She flew toward it and quickly slashed the ropes restraining Jonathan and scooped him up into her arms. He clasped his arms around her neck to hold on and then they zoomed down the tunnel, into the locker room and down the tunnel. She burst from the exit, just as the place exploded behind her.

They ducked shards of debris in the process.

“Sorry, I don’t know if Vancouver can play hockey now for a while,” Evelyn growled.

“Eh, they weren’t anything to brag about!”

Evelyn zoomed up into the air, far out of the danger zone. She slowed down and halted, gripping Jonathan tightly in her arms. He clung onto her like his life depended on it. They watched as the Arena collapsed in on itself and created a massive cloud of smoke. When it cleared, they saw just the pile of rubble.

“Let me check to make sure that Canuck isn’t still alive.” Her eyes glowed red and she focused in on the rubble below. As she scanned, she saw the lifeless green creature buried beneath. “Hawk vision...great for double checking!”

She slowly descended, controlling the flapping of her wings and they landed on the ground softly a few blocks from the arena. Evelyn and Jonathan let go of one another.

“Thanks for saving me, Evelyn,” Jonathan stated, flashing a cute look and a sweet smile. “You’re my hero...er, I’m sorry, my heroine!”

“Hey don’t mention it, Jonny. You’re worth it to save. I’ll always be here for you.”

“Right.”

Evelyn grabbed the man’s wrist and pulled him in for a kiss. As they kissed, her wings began to flap and she slowly rose up into the air, though their lips were still locked together.

****

As Jonathan finished his tale, he got silence from Patrick. Then finally his friend spoke, “You’re dating a--a--superhero?”

“Yeah, but she’s real.”

“I don’t know her, Jonny.”

“I told you this tale a million times and the boys, in the locker room.”

“I’m sorry Jonny, I don’t remember.”

“Then let me try another one, with you in it this time.”

And he launched into a second tale about Evelyn saving him.

****

Operation #2: The Zamboni Accident (Red Wing)

2011

At the Joe Louis Arena, in Detroit, Michigan, the Blackhawks were preparing for their game against the Detroit Red Wings, an old enemy and rival of theirs. Like the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks, the Red Wings hated Chicago. But the Wings hated Chicago the most and Chicago couldn’t stand the Red Wings. Jonathan was passing a puck back and forth with Patrick Kane, while the others slowly began to head off the ice to get ready.

“C’mon Kaner, don’t be so cute with the puck. We can’t have that showiness. It works every so often, but not all the time.”

“Don’t tell me how to play my game, Jonny. This is exactly why I couldn’t stand being on a line with you before! Showtime, baby!”

“Coach Q put us back together to spark some offense and we need to do that. We’re the leaders of the offense, Kaner. And if you’re going to continue to pull cute little moves and give the puck away, forget about me having your back at all!”

“Screw you Jonny!” Patrick snapped and sent a sickly accurate saucer pass across to his friend, who didn’t realize it was coming until too late. It skipped over his stick, as it made contact and slid into the corner.

“Real mature, Kanerboo!”

“Again, screw you!”

Jonathan huffed angrily and skated over to the boards across from the bench to get the puck, while Patrick laughed. It was only them and a third player, Kris Versteeg, who were the only ones left on the ice now. Kris was leaning against the wall watching the two with keen interest.

Suddenly the doors for the zamboni entrance opened rather quickly and the ice machine zoomed onto the rink at maximum speed at ten miles per hour, heading straight for Jonathan, who was at left center ice. It was way over the normal speed and Patrick and Kris knew that it was wrong and something wasn’t right.

“JONNY!” Patrick and Kris screamed.

“DIE BLACKHAWK SCUM!!” someone shouted from the zamboni.

Jonathan dished the puck across and snapped his head up, just in time to see the zamboni barreling toward him. He froze in place, unable to move. He saw someone stand up from the driver’s side of the car.

The man was wearing a red “Bat” mask and a red armored suit. He had red falcon wings extending from his back - which seemed to be more for show and not for flying. He jumped out of the car and grabbed Patrick in a big bear hug, pinning his arms to his sides, to halt him from rushing to his teammate and friend’s safety.

Kris had taken off down the tunnel to get help from the other guys. He had vanished from the bench, where he’d been standing. (Steeger ≠ Team Player)

“JONNY!! NO!”

Jonathan gulped nervously, as he couldn’t move. He realized that the truth about why he couldn’t move was because his skate blade was caught in a crevice of the ice rink, keeping him in place. He wouldn't have enough time to get his skate off or out. The only thing he could do was hope. He raised his stick up bravely and tried to think that maybe he could stop the oncoming machine with it or end up jamming the engine or something.

“Who are you?” Patrick yelled. “Let me go!”

“Why? So you can save your beloved Captain?” the villainous man questioned, snickering.

“Jonathan!” Patrick turned to his friend, wearing a worried and helpless expression in his face. His eyes shimmered with tears, but he continued to fight against the hold.

All of the sudden, something crashed through the roof of the Joe Louis Arena and flashes of black and red zipped about. Just as the zamboni was about to connect with its target (Jonathan) to the shock and horror of Patrick Kane and the pleasures of the man holding him, the spot where Jonathan had been stuck was suddenly now empty and vacant. The machine simply glided over a bare spot.

It finally hit the far end of the rink and slammed into the boards. The glass panels came apart and crashed down on the machine, breaking into a million pieces on top of it.

“Hey Red Wing, maybe don’t make things so easy for me!” a female’s voice snapped. It was Evelyn O’Reilly AKA: Black Hawk, who stood on the top of the JumboTron, with Jonathan Toews hanging onto her. Her head was proudly raised up.

“You really have the nasty tendency to show up at the wrong time, Black Hawk!” Red Wing, the villain retorted.

“Awe, did I foil your little plans to destroy the Blackhawks?”

Red Wing glowered, as he tightened his hold on the blond man. He wrapped one of his arms around Patrick’s neck, putting him in a headlock. Then with his other hand, he gripped tightly onto Patrick’s right arm and wrenched it up, behind his back.

“Ow!” Patrick yelped.

“Shut up!” Red Wing snarled. With the hand that was wrapped around Patrick’s neck, he shifted it upward and clamped it over the panicked forward’s mouth, muting him.

“Red Wing, let him go!” Evelyn ordered, her wings flapping sharply with her emotional fury.

“Plot twist sweetheart. Maybe I can just break one of Chicago’s leading goal scorers’ arms instead.”

“You’ll never hurt Chicago!” She tightened her hold on Jonathan and dropped him off on the ice. As she landed on the ice, he instantly zoomed for the bench, where the others were. Kris Versteeg, who had apparently ran to get help, was now back with the whole Chicago team, clustered in the bench area. They grabbed their Captain and helped him in.

Andrew Shaw burst from the cluster and barked, “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size!”

“Shawzy, that’s enough. That isn’t a goon or even a human. Don’t egg him on,” Duncan Keith snapped.

Evelyn turned to Red Wing and Patrick Kane. The Detroit villain was pushing Patrick’s arm farther up his back and making him scream in pain behind the amor-gloved hand. The blond was kicking backward like a startled horse, but wasn’t connecting. Red Wing just cackled and then jammed Patrick’s arm up at a sickening angle. Somehow Patrick shifted himself in his struggle, so that it didn’t snap or break.

“Red Wing, I’m giving you one more chance. Let Kaner go, or else.”

“Threats, darling?”

Evelyn shrugged. “Guess we’re going the hard way then, eh?”

She sped forward and lifted off into the air. She timed it right and plucked Red Wing up, causing him to let go of Patrick, who dropped to the ice, gasping for air. She flung the villain forward and sent him straight into the back of the uppermost stands section. He slammed into the wall with a loud bang. But he recovered, roaring a falcon cry. She responded with a hawk screech.

They communicated in animal cries, before Red Wing finally shot off toward her. And apparently the wings weren’t just for show. They flew around the arena, Red Wing giving the chase. But Black Hawk wasn’t amused. She skidded to an abrupt halt in the air and spun around. As Red Wing flew right for her, she wound up her fist and punched the Detroit villain, while she flapped her wings powerfully and he shot backward, slamming into the railing of one of the booths. The force was enough to knock him unconscious and sent him plummeting down onto the ice surface.

Evelyn zoomed downward and softly landed on the cold ice. Patrick scrambled over finally. He checked the body and then looked up at the superhero. His blue eyes were glittering in the arena lighting.

“He’s dead!” the blond reported.

“Good. I can’t have Red Wing continually terrorizing you Blackhawks.”

“Thanks for saving me,” Patrick stated, breathlessly, as Evelyn helped him up to his feet.

“Its a pleasure Patrick. That goes for all of you. Just know me as the Chicago Blackhawks’ personal guardian. But please, Jonathan Toews, stay out of trouble, you danger-prone centerman!”

“I’m trying...it’s not easy though, when you’re so important and talented like me!”

“Not to mention, a complete stud!” Andrew joked with a roll of his eyes and a snort.

“Hey, you wanna sit in the penalty box, Shawzy?” Evelyn growled.

“Ooh, Shawzer, don’t piss off the guardian now,” Brandon Saad warned.

“Get the “W” tonight boys! Beat those octopi-Detroit idiots! Chicago is Hockeytown, not the dumpster fire city of Detroit!” Evelyn stated, relaxing and lifted into the air.

“Wait,” Patrick called. “You’re not staying for the game?”

There was a murmur of agreement and questioning from the others. Evelyn simply smiled though and reached out to the blond. She put her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes.

“I’ll be there, trust me. Now, will you get a hatty finally, Kanerboo? You’re due for one, big time.”

“I will.”

With that, she lifted off, waving farewell and vanished into the coming evening.

****

“Does that trigger anything? It actually happened Kaner.”

“I don’t remember that Jonny, but I trust you. But enough storytelling, let’s try to figure out a way to escape these ropes.”

“In case Black Hawk doesn’t come.”

“Yeah, Jonny. Whatever you tell yourself, you silly centre!”

They both began to struggle again, pulling and jerking at the ropes, but then the Zamboni door swung open and Kaleta entered.

“How are my precious goal scorers fairing?”

“You’re a madman, Kaleta!” Jonathan snapped. “You won’t get away with this! Black Hawk will come and save us!”

“That’s cute, Jonny Boy.”

And then he began to cackle evilly.

Notes

Here are the first two flashback events that I had previously in one chapter, but it seemed kind of random, so I moved them to be stories Jonny tells as flashback tales. Also stick tap to my friend A Shruinger for helping me out in fixing and perfecting this. First "superhero-y" tale that I've attempted.
I'm gonna stick to mystery/thriller, but this is refreshing and I don't mind doing it. (Beats cheesy romance stuff any day!)


Next up: Not sure...I might do a backstory with the LOD and discuss how they came to be and all of that. Speaking of the LOD, Vanek pulled a nasty dick move in real life! ;) Told you he's evil and I don't like him! Also Kaleta too. And John Scott and Ovi and all of them. Nasty. Goons. :(