Days have passed by and it is now the day of the preseason game against the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. This is no regular preseason game though: this game is in Anaheim at the Honda Center, the home of the Ducks.

Yet before our teammates could load up the bus to head up to Orange County, the Monarossabergie House has problems of its own…

“OWWWWWW!!!”

Brandon is staggering down living room with his hands on his back. “Ow,” he says with each step, “ow, ow, ow, ow…”

This of course grabs the attention of Max, Joseph, and Nick. They are gathered around the dining table, enjoying Max’s Swedish breakfast consisting of open-faced sandwiches. Well, now they are staring at their teammate hobbling over to them.

“Where did you sleep this time: on a mountain?” Joseph asks incredulously.

“In the rec room.” With a groan, Monty settles himself in between Nick and Max. He then twists his back with the help of his chair. “Ah. Better.”

“Now you can eat up!” Max gives him a plate of open-faced sandwiches. He then turns to the others. “We must leave very soon to the Nest because we are going on a field trip!”

Nick’s eyes light up with a open-faced sandwich halfway through his mouth. “A field trip?” he manages to say.

“Yes! To Anaheim!” Max exclaims happily. He then collects some empty plates, gets up, and skips over to the sink that is to the far left.

“It's like a tease,” Joseph starts of monotonously: “they make us see how great the Pond is, yet it's not our home.”

Max is now washing dishes. “At least we get to play at the Pond once!” he sing-songs from the kitchen.

Joseph grumbles something indecipherable as he rips off a piece of bread with his teeth.

Max turns off the faucet from the sink and rushes over to the others. “Now go go go, we must not be late!” He makes the arm movement with both hands for them to get moving.

“But I just started eating!” Brandon extends his hands out at his filled plate.

“Shove it down your throat,” Joseph snaps at him.

Max places his hand on Brandon’s shoulder. “You can take it to go.”

Brandon has his body facing Max, yet his eyes on Joseph. “Thank you for giving me a more humane answer,” he exclaims sarcastically to Joseph.

Joseph rolls his eyes, then gets up and stalks away from him.

Nick turns to Brandon. “Take your time eating,” he informs him in a peaceful tone. “Eating is a pleasurable experience. Like scoring a goal. And it's satisfying.” He ends his statement with a smile, warm smile.

Brandon eyes his roommate with concern. “Thanks… I’ll keep that in mind.” He slowly takes a bite of his open-faced sandwich.

---

Later on, the three finally arrive at the Nest on time. They congregate with their teammates by a tour bus in the players’ lot. Next to the opened door of the bus is Coach Dallas with the other coaching staff of the team. He has a clipboard in his hand.

“Alright,” Coach starts facing them, “when I call your name, hop onto the bus.” He peers down at the clipboard. “Matt Bailey… Stu Bickel--”

“Nooo!!!” Bryan cries out as Stu ambles away from him. Now without his helmet, his short, spiky brown hair and widow’s peak is shown.

Stu spots him from behind his shoulder; his dark blond hair is combed up to an angle perfectly. “No worries, I'll save you a seat!”

He claps happily. “Yay!”

Coach Dallas clears his throat and continues reading off the names: “Joseph Cramarossa…”

“It’s about time,” Joseph mutters as he storms into the bus.

“...Max Friberg…”

“Oh goodie!” Max gallops into the bus right after his best friend with a cloth bag in his hand.

“...John Gibson...Matt Hackett…”

John spots Matt sadly sauntering toward the bus with his head down. John has his dark hair slicked back while Matt has his hair showing off its horrible cut.

John nudges him. “What’s up? We’re going to Anaheim; why isn't that frown upside-down?”

“Ryan's not here,” Matt mumbles sorrowfully.

“Aw, no worries, he's in Utah as starting goalie for the Grizzlies.” He punches him softly. “You'll see him again, won't be that long. And hey, we're one step close to the NHL. Literally.”

“That is true...” They both enter the bus.

Coach Dallas continues on: “Ondřej Kaše...Nicolas Kerdiles…”

Nic, with his slicked, brown hair and thick eyebrows, strolls up toward the bus. “Got my first aid kit just in case!” He raises his small, plastic white first-aid kit.

“...Antoine Laganiere…”

Antoine Laganiere, a brunette French-Canadian forward, steps over to Nic with a bewildered look. “Just in case what?” he asks in his accent.

“Heh, I get hurt on the bus ride.” Nic makes an uncertain look.

Antoine eyes him with concern as they both file into the bus.

“…Jaycob Megna.”

No one moves. There is silence as the players and the staff gaze around their surroundings for the missing defenceman.

Shea, with his brown hair perfectly combed upward, groans and buries his face in his hands. He then reveals his face and starts walking up to his coach. “Um, Coach, this happens all the time with Jaycob, he always gets lost-- Can I go look for--?”

“Nope, you stay right there, Theodore.” Coach Dallas marks something on his clipboard. He then continues on going down the list: “Brian McGratten...Brandon Montour…”

Brandon begins to make his way toward the bus.

“...Bryan Moore…”

“Yes! Stu, I'm coming for ya!” Bryan zips past Brandon so fast he causes him to spin around exactly like a cartoon.

Fortunately, Brandon manages to cling onto the edge of the bus’ door, halting his crazy spinning. Yet he is now in a daze with his vision blurred and whirled with stars.

Coach Dallas continues on: “Chris Mueller...Stefan Noesen…”

Stefan, a man with wild, blond hair and facial hair, swaggers to the bus door, but halts by Brandon’s dazed self.

“Hey, hanging in there, fella?” He flashes a smile at him, then walks into the bus.

“Andrew O’Brien...Shane O’Brien...Joe Piskula…”

Joe, with his blond hair brushed back to curl at his neck, bounces up to the bus door and stops for Brandon. “Hiya, Monty! Pumped up for the field trip?”

With a stunned expression, Monty manages to say, “Um, uh...owww…”

“I'll help ya!” Joe takes Monty by the hand and yanks him up into the bus.

Coach Dallas still has his eyes on his clipboard. “Nick Ritchie…”

Nick begins to lumber toward the bus at his own leisure.

“...Kenny Ryan…Michael Sgarbossa...”

The two brunette Gulls follow the bear closely behind, obviously wanting him to go faster through their facial expressions.

In the back of the line, Harry Zolnierczyk, a short, brown-haired man with facial hair, is staring at the sight with crossed arms and an unamused look. “Well, I'll be retiring by the time I get up on that bus,” he mumbles.

Inside the bus, Joe leads a dazed Brandon through the narrow, black aisle and all the way to the back of the bus, where Max and Joseph are sitting.

“Here's Monty Muffins!” He plops Brandon next to Max. “It seemed like he was so excited for the field trip, he completely forgot how to walk or talk!”

Brandon scratches his head with squinted eyes. “Owww…”

Bryan, from the edge seat that is in front of the back row and to Joe’s left, exclaims skittishly: “Oh, I spun him around like a tornado and it was epic! You should've seen him, I” --Bryan turns to Stu-- “was so excited to sit by you, Stu, and Monty was in the way--” He quickly turns to Brandon. “Wait, Monty, is your name Monty Muffins, OMG, I have a cute nickname like that too, it's 'Mooresy,' you can call me that but if you do, I'd--”

“Okay, team!” Coach Dallas’s voice booms through the bus.

Everyone settles down into their chosen seats; Nick finally trudges over and takes a seat between Brandon and the window. The whole team has their eyes on their coach, who is now standing in the middle of the aisle.

“You know the rundown on being on a bus: Stay seated throughout the whole bus ride, there are the emergency exits, respect the driver. Now let's get a move on.” He takes the front seat.

The bus roars to life and rolls off of the arena’s parking lot and onto the road and into annoyingness.

“We're going on a trip in our favourite tour bus--” Bryan sings in a familiar, infantile tune. “--flying through the roads, Little Duckies!” He pumps his fist in the air.

Joseph eyes the small forward that is in front of him. “You’ve gotta me kidding me.”

Bryan pops his head from the side of the seat to make eye contact with him. “You know where that song's from?”

Joseph slides his eyes away from him. “I'd rather not know.”

“I brought road trip games for us to play during the ride!” Max exclaims, pulling out cardboard squares from his bag.

Bryan’s head now pops out from the top of his seat, peering at the squares with interest. “Oooo, which ones?”

Nick reaches over Brandon to take a square from Max.

Bryan’s eyes widen. “Is that like where you find all the cars--?” He snatches a square and excitedly stares at it. His smile drops. “Oh, the signs.” He shows the front of the square, which turns out to be a Road Trip Bingo card; the flips the card back over. “And cows.” He looks back up. “Cows are cool, I like how they sound like!” He peers down at Stu and imitates a cow at him: “Mooooo!”

Max passes the cards to Brandon, Joseph, and Stu. “Here, boys, take some.”

They each take a card and fill in the free space.

As the bus rolls through the roads and freeways, passing by various sceneries, the game begins and goes on:

"I found a bridge!"

"One billboard! Two billboard! Three!"

"Tree!"

"Where?"

Seagulls pass by. "Look, it's us!"

"There's an ambulance."

"What runner in their right mind would be in the freeway?"

"Look: tall buildings..."

"Are those cones? Yeah, those are cones."

"Bingo! Bingo, bingo, bingooo!!!"

"That’s not a bingo, Bryan— You’re missing an airplane."

"Dang it… Can I just pull up a picture of Tyler Seguin and call it a bingo?"

"If you’re okay with me pulling up a picture of a runner."

"A fire engine! En brandbil!"

"Ohhhh, a green Huracán Lamborghini! Sweet!"

"Bike? Bike? Any bike? Ugh, I have all the hard ones."

"I don't think there'd be any yield signs on the freeway..."

"Power lines!"

"Sick, those are my people."

"Can we play car bingo?"

---

After an hour and a half later, the Angels’ stadium pops from the left side of the freeway.

“Oooooo!!!” All the Gulls, except for Joseph, press their faces against the left window as they take in the magnificent view of the massive, green and white stadium with the towering Angels’ “A” logo.

Following the baseball stadium is their destination: the Honda Center. The arena arises on the right side of the freeway.

“Whoooaaa!!!” The Gulls then transfer to the right windows and press their faces against it as they absorb the majestic view of the orange and green NHL arena.

---

After what seems like an eternity for the AHL team, the bus arrives in the players’ lot of the Honda Center. The team and their staff file out and are led into the back of the building, where they are met with an array of hallways.

Beyond the hallways is it: the ice itself.

So grand, magnificent, so magical is the NHL-sized ice rink nestled in the middle of an immense audience. The air is crisp and cool and the ice extends its smooth surface far out. The palatial Jumbotron is hovering over the playing surface. It is clearly a step up from the Nest, where over here, the dome with its three sections of audience seats seems to reach up into the heavens.

All the Gulls could do is stare up at the void arena from the zamboni tunnel in pure awe: "Whoa…"

Yet someone is not caught up with the scenery.

"They're taunting us," Joseph points out in a blasé manner. His eyebrows are lowered, giving him a more ominous expression; his arms are crossed as usual.

Max turns to his friend with the exact opposite expression. "But we're gonna be playing here tonight!"

His eyes slide to him. "Not as Ducks."

"Alright," Coach Dallas booms from behind his team, "gear up, practice starts in twenty minutes."

In excitement to skate on NHL ice, the Gulls spin around and rush down the tunnel.

They suit up, practice on the ice, then off the ice, then back on. Afterward, they take a tour around Anaheim to eat and rest for the last preseason game.

And before they knew it, the night rolls around…and so has the game.

"Save by Gibson!" the reporters bellows.

"Montour to Cramarossa— FIRES!"

"What a fight against Moore and Raine!"

"Mueller with the puck, passes to Friberg, Friberg to Ritchie— Ritchie SCORES!"

"And your San Diego Gulls defeat the Ontario Reign five to three, final score!"

---

"Weeeeee are the chaaaaaampiooooons, my frieeeeends!" Bryan sings at the top of his lungs. "Naaaa na na na I don’t know the lyrics!!!"

The Gulls are back on the tour bus, heading back home from an exhausting victory. Things do not get any better with Bryan singing his heart out.

"Weee arrre the champions, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Noooo time for losers 'cause WE AAAARE THE CHAMPIOOONS—!!!"

"It's only preseason," Joseph cuts in flatly.

Bryan instantly pokes his head from behind his seat; he glares at his teammate. "Wow, who gave this party pooper the permission to talk?"

"Who gave this little squirt the permission to sing?" he shoots back at him.

"Excuse me, but I can sing way—"

"We won both preseason games!" Max squeezes in happily, attempting to suppress the rising argument.

Max does succeed: silence takes the bickering’s place.

"I think we'll have a great season!" he continues on with a sweet grin.

Joe peers at the back from his seat. "I definitely agree by a thousand!" He gets up, walks over to be in between Joseph and Bryan and squats there to be in their eye-level. "This is going to be a great season filled with many wins and budding friendships!" He wraps his arms around the two and pulls them close to him.

Joseph does not look a bit amused as Bryan eyes him with uncertainty. With a happy chuckle, Joe pats them in the back, straightens up, and gallops off.

From behind them in the back, Nick and Brandon are sitting together. More like dozing off together.

Nick turns to Brandon. "I’m excited for preseason," he says with a hopeful smile. He turns to his friend. "Are you, Monty?"

Brandon jolts up at the mention of his nickname; he faces his new teammate and musters out, "Yeah! I mean, we're gonna be in San Diego...a new city! It'd be cool!"

"If only we could play at the Pond with the Ducks, as Ducks," Joseph slides in a brusquely tone.

Matt pokes his head out from the back of his seat, which is on the other side of the bus. "You could've been in the ECHL with Ryan," he points out in an undertone, yet with sharpness.

Joseph gives the two goalies a sharp glare before he turns his head away from them, grumbling under his breath.

"Alright, guys," Coach Dallas hollers from the front of the bus, catching the attention of his team, "so we have a game in five days. We will have practices everyday leading up to our first regular season game as a team. Get a good sleep, eat right, and play hard."

Brandon turns to Nick, who is now snacking on chips with his eyes closed. He slowly reverts his head away from the sight with a wide eyes and pursed lips.

"Hopefully this will be a good season," Coach Dallas states further.

Joe stands up and pumps his fist in the air. "This will be a good season! I can feel it!" He gazes around the dark room with a massive grin, anticipating for anyone else to back him up. His team returns to him silence.

"So vibrant, all you guys!" Joe finishes off with a hook of his arm across his chest.

Notes

E.1 "Welcome To America's Finest City!"
Part 4/6
Episode 1/20