After Sidney and "Matt-in-Ryan" dropped off "Galchenyuk-in-Zadorov" to Tommy Gorman in Ottawa, they returned back to the music room in San Diego to grab Nathan and Jonathan with Brandon, Joseph, and Nick. The three Gulls’ skaters seem more creeped out than shaken up by the supernatural experience they just saw. And the two other faculty workers are long gone.

“Where to now?” Brandon asks, gazing around his teammates and friends, except for Sidney.

They are standing on a concrete-made terrace next to the music room, that is aligned with another building’s roof level. The night has already mostly swept through the Californian city, closing in a strip of light in the west.

“Well, we can go back to GHP headquarters and celebrate the great news!” Sidney exclaims, jumping up with his arms out to his sides.

Brandon scoffs and rolls his eyes away from his rival.

“GHP headquarters?” Matt, who already disengaged from Ryan, has a happy face. “Isn’t that like the GWHP headquarters?” He turns to Ryan for support.

“GWHP headquarters?” Jonathan makes a confused look.

Ryan chuckles. “Yeah, but that’s a whole other story.” He waves his hand in the air aimlessly.

“A whole other story with Maxi almost dying…,” Joseph mutters to himself, looking down with his hands in his pockets.

“Wait,” Nick pipes in lazily, “can we go first eat? I can go for a bacon hamburger at Cali Comfort…” He smiles dreamingly at the sound of that.

Joseph glares at him. “We just went there.”

“We can eat the GHP headquarters!” Sidney tells them. “Come on, let’s go!”

---

“Whoa… This is so cool…!” Matt exclaims with his eyes scanning the dim hallway that connects the entrance to the main room.

“The ladies’ headquarters seem more vibrant than this,” Ryan points out, looking at the different shades of gray the walls show.

“‘The ladies’?” Jonathan asks in bewilderment.

Ryan turns to him. “Yeah, the GW--”

This voice is cut off by the faroff yells that are coming from the other side of the tunnel.

The group stops strolling and stares at the light at the other end where the shouts are coming from with puzzlement.

“What’s going on over there?” Nathan questions with worry.

“I don’t know…!” Sidney walks ahead toward the shouting and goes into the light; the others follow him.

The main room looks exactly the same. But next to the dining table is the source of the bickering: Pekka and Carter are in the middle of a heated argument with wild hand gestures and facial expression.

“If only you would’ve--!”

“It’s not my fault that I--!”

“How could you not--?”

“It’s harder than it seems--!”

“Do you even know how to--?”

“Can you please just--?”

“Ahem!”

The two goalies stop going at each other’s throats and turn to face Sidney.

“Sidney!” Pekka’s eyes widen. “You’re back!”

“Yes, I am!” He smiles largely. “So is Nathan and Jonny! And we made new friends!” He turns around and raises his arms out at the five Gulls players, who are being led into the room by Jonathan and Nathan.

Carter raises up a weak hand at the newcomers. “Oh, hey.”

“Hi,” Ryan greets back with a smirk while Matt says a soft “hi.” Brandon says “hi” as well, but not Joseph or Nick.

Pekka gazes down at Sidney with knitted eyebrows. “Um, who are they? Why did you bring them here?”

“These are some of the San Diego Gulls!” Sidney skips back over to the AHLers. He begins to walk by them, introducing them: “This is Ryan, Matt, Brandon, Nick, and Joseph!” He turns back to face the two NHLers. “They time-travelled back from 2016 and helped defeat ‘Galchenyuk-in-Zadorov!’”

Pekka’s and Carter’s jaws dropped. “‘Galchenyuk-in-Zadorov’ is gone?” Pekka repeats in awe.
“Mm-hm!” Sidney nods his head with a huge, closed smile.

“Great!” Carter exclaims with his smile returning to his face. “That just leaves Jimmy!”

Pekka turns to Carter with a flat look. “‘Just Jimmy’? There’s more to this than just Jimmy--”

“I was talking about the EHP! We don’t need to worry about those--”

“But we also have to worry about what you did to Antti!” Pekka snaps at him, jabbing a finger at his chest.

The room suddenly falls into a deep silence.

“Antti?” Sidney repeats quietly. “What happened to Antti?”

Silence meets his question.

Carter is standing with his eyes casted to his left, trying to suppress the guilt rising inside of him.

Pekka is eyeing him with crossed arms, looking like he wants him to speak up.

Sidney turns around to Jonathan, Nathan, and the five Gulls. “You guys can go take the Gulls on a headquarters tour while I deal with this.” He nods toward the two goalies’ direction.

“Alright.” Jonathan turns to the five Gulls. “Follow me!” He then begins to lead them into a hallway that is past Sidney, Pekka, and Carter. Nathan follows behind them.

Sidney faces the two goalies again. “What happened to Antti?” He hugs himself with trepidation.

“Um--” Carter shifts himself with his eyes cast downward. “--he um…”

“Carter took away his powers,” Pekka flat-out tells Sidney.

Sidney’s eyes fly open. “What--?”

“I did not take away his powers,” Carter strongly, yet quietly snaps at Pekka.

Pekka raised an eyebrow. “Okay, so who did?”

“John.”

“And who was there at the perfect time to prevent John from doing so--?”

“I said I’m sorry!” Carter blurts out, fully facing Pekka.

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t give Antti back his powers, Carter!” Pekka snaps at him, also facing him. “You could’ve easily taken the gun from John and Antti could’ve still had his powers! But no, you had to go on about how you’re not a power player and that you’re immune to his gun and as long as you can’t get hurt, everything is fine, because everything’s about you and all the cool things you can do--”

“No, I don’t--!”

“So how come you do all your flips and twirls and talk about all your little adventurous that no one cares about--?”

“That’s just who I am--!”

“Hah, well, you’re one a heck of a person if you’re that way, Carter,” Pekka thrusts at him.

Carter steps back with wide eyes and pursed lips. He then silently breezes by Pekka, across the room, and disappears into the hallway.

Sidney follows Carter with his eyes until he’s gone, then reverts them at Pekka. “Wait-what--?”
He turns back to face the hallway. “Carter!” He bounces down Carter’s trail and into the hallway.

There, he spots Carter storming down the walkway toward the exit. “Carter! Carter!”

“Go away, Sid,” Carter commands him with a rising voice. He then exits the building.

“Wait!” Sidney catches the door and swings outside as well.

Outside, the deep night has settled in with the chilled spring air breezing by the area. Dust layers the dirt ground and nothing can be seen afar in the dark. The only source of light are the lights from the headquarter building, which are circular white lights lining the roof, door, windows, and base.

Sidney follows Carter to the left. “Wait!”

Carter halts and glares at Sidney from behind his shoulder. “What are you gonna do? Tell me how annoying I am, too?”

“No!” Sidney gapes at him. “Why would I do that?”

“Because that’s all people think of me as: annoying and selfish.” Carter slides his back down against the smooth metallic surface of the building until he is sitting on the ground. He hugs himself while staring ahead. “Pekka’s right: I costed the GHP their most valuable thing and it’s all my fault.”

Sidney silent sits down to him as he continues on:

“All this time, I’ve done nothing but used up their resources and goofed off. They didn’t benefit anything from me. I’ve just been a burden, a nuisance, useless. I should’ve never joined the GHP. I should’ve just gone back home as the second string goalie where I can’t disturb anyone. This was a terrible mistake. They’re going through the worse, thanks to me. I’ve done nothing good.”

“Yes, you’ve done something good!” Sidney cuts him with a comforting voice.

Carter casts his eyes down at him. “Like what?”

He throws his hands in the air. “You saved Patrick!”

Carter knits his eyebrows as realization settles in him. He then slowly begins to turn away as Sidney keep talking:

“And also, you did help us a lot! You were the one who uncovered the EHP and its new members for us! We would’ve had a major surprise attack by ‘Galchenyuk-in-Zadorov’ if it weren’t for you! And you also revealed about John’s plans and his machines in Jimmy’s possession.” He pauses to see if Carter has anything to say yet; he keeps silent as he stares at the midnight sky.

“Carter, you are useful. We’ve benefited from you. And sure, everyone has their flaws, including me! But when we push those aside and look at all the good we’ve, it’s worth continuing on working together for the greater good, in this case, saving the NHL.” He places Carter’s hand on his upper arm, since he can’t reach his shoulder.

“This is not the first time Antti lost his powers, though. He lost them another time, but got them back. Maybe he can get them back again again. If not, well, it’s time to get a new Master.”
Sidney smiles at him. “So, are you ready to continue saving the NHL?”

Carter sighs. “I don’t think Pekka would be too thrilled,” he mutters.

“Ah, don’t worry! We’ll talk with him.” Sidney then lowers his tone, “But Carter, we do appreciate all that you done for us: you had accomplished the most critical parts of our mission. We appreciate you. Thank you.”

Carter turns back to Sidney with soft eyes and small smile. “Really?”

Sidney, on the other hand, vehemently nods his head with a huge grin. “Yeah!”

“Aw, you’re welcome.” He turns away from him.

“So…,” Sidney starts off, “...are you ready to continue saving the NHL?”

Carter faces him again, this time with a growing smile. “You bet so.”

Notes