AAOOOSC! Junior Powers!

On the desolated, rocky shores of Lake Michigan under the warm, evening Chicagoan skies, the six members of the newly-formed Good Junior Hockey Players’ Society are staring out at the placid, blue waters. They all have their street clothes on with their hockey bags and sticks by their feet.

In front of them is Kailer, who still has the tablet in both of his hands. “Perfect. Now to design the building.” He begins pressing on the screen.

Jake stares at the holographic lines beginning to materialize into view. “Oh, this is so much fun!” He peers down while rubbing his chin, thinking hard. “It should look like…”

“...a skate!” Brett finishes off emphatically.

“What?” Kale whirls his head to the forward with a disgusted expression. “No, make it look like a normal building!”

Jeremy gives him a frown. “That’s too boring! It’s should represent hockey, like a hockey blade!”

“And how is that gonna work inside?” the defenceman shoots back.

Jake throws an index finger in the air. “It should be a dog!”

Matteo proceeds to slip his face in his hands. “Aiyyy…”

Kailer peers behind his shoulder at the bickering group. “Men, men, settle down! I got it!” He holds his free hand out ahead of him.

The other five stop what they are doing and peer up at the scientist’s hand’s direction.

Hovering above the smooth water is a large, glass building in the shape of a goalie skate with a low-cut “ankle” and thick skate blade. The sides are giving off a glint from the setting orange sun.

“It’s a skate or a blade of a stick,” Kailer continues on. “Whichever way you wanna look at it.”

“That looks like a shopping cart,” Kale points out flatly.

Jake frowns at him with large eyes. “Not a dog?”

He shrugs. “Okay, it can appear to be a dog as well.”

“Yay!” Jake claps his hands happily. “It’s a dog’s face!”

Matteo then peers at his members. “Now what?”

Kailer faces the Master. “I added in the bare necessities for the interior and now the exterior is completed. “

Kale gazes around his surroundings before turning back to the scientist. “There’s barely any land to put the HQs on though.”

“Who says we’re putting it on land?” Kailer asks him in an arrogant tone. He then faces the others. “Does anyone here have water manipulation?”

Matteo raises his hand in the air. “I do. Ocean manipulation, actually.”

“Good enough.” A small smile appears on his face. “Pietroniro, part the waters!”

Matteo shoots him an odd look with knitted eyebrows and a frown. “Why?”

He lowers his tablet against his lap. “I would like to settle the headquarters underwater. It’d be a clever and effective barrier for none to see or attack. A place where it’s hidden and hard to access with only those who witness this can gain entry to it.”

Matteo nods his head in understanding. “Makes sense.” He then makes his way to the edge of the rocky shore, standing near the water in front of his group.

He stares hard at the calm waters, mentally gaining control of its every swift and wavy motion.

Suddenly, a gap begins to form below the floating building, pouring the waters down toward the exposed lakebed.

Once the rushing waters have been separated from each other to create a large enough gap, Kailer lowers the headquarters gradually with the aid of his tablet.

The building’s bottom gently hits the sandy bottom.

Kailer then drills it against the bottom to secure it from floating off in the water. “Alright, wash it over,” he orders the Master.

Matteo then softens his facial expression.

Immediately, the water falls over the headquarters, sloshing and splashing in all directions, submerging the building until it levels with the lake’s surface.

Kailer peers at the once again placid waters against the sunset. “No worries, I made it waterproof and resistant to pressure.” He turns to the others. “Clever, isn’t it?”

Jeremy raises his eyebrows. “Yep, that’s for sure.”

Kailer then nods toward his left. “Let’s go in.” He then picks up his hockey bag and stick and strolls away in the direction of his nod.

The others grab their equipment and follow him down the shore as twilight dawns. The sidewalk lamp posts are illuminating brightly, lighting their path.

Kailer turns right toward a dark, wooden dock. The others follow him, stepping on the dock’s creaking boards.

They step across the dock before halting behind Kailer and dropping their bags.

Kailer is standing at the open end, dangerously near the waters. With the tablet lighting up his face, he is pressing a series of buttons on the tablet.

Kale peers at his dusky surroundings with a frown. He faces the scientist. “How can we get in? There’s nothing.”

Immediately, to the left edge of the dock, a metallic door embedded in a short wall materializes into view.

Kailer eyes the defenceman. “Don’t underestimate my intelligence, Clague.” He then grabs his bag and stick, saunters to the door, turns the knob, and pulls it open. He then walks into its duskiness.

The others pick up their own bags and follow him inside.

On the other side is a small, gray room with nothing but a closed big, circular opening of a portal fixed in the wall on the other side, including a silver button next to it.

Kailer slides up to the button and presses it.

Instantly, the portal opens up, revealing swirling sapphire energy with white streaks and sparks.

“This is a teleportation portal,” Kailer explains. “Be wary: once you step in here, you will be automatically teleported to the main room of the base.” He peers at his members. “Who’ll like to go first?”

Jake jumps as best as possible holding his gear multiple times, waving his stick excitedly in the air. “ME, ME, ME, ME, MEEE!” He instantly rushes toward the portal and jumps into it, disappearing into its thick energy.

Brett’s eyes fly open at the sight. “Whoa!” He turns to the scientist. “Will it mess up my hair?” He runs his free fingers through his thick, wavy, dirty blond hair.

Kailer nods toward the portal. “Just get in.”

With one last brush, Brett sashays into the portal, zapping from sight.

The scientist gazes at the remaining hockey players. “Alright, who’s next?”

“I can go…” Jeremy lumbers into the portal, holding his breath. He sinks into it as if he has intangibility.

Kailer then peers at Kale. “Clague?”

Kale steps into it and out of sight without saying a single word.

The small skater turns to the remaining member in the room. “And you, Master.”

“Thanks…” Matteo makes his way toward the portal. “I gotta get used to being called “Master,’” he mumbles before disappearing in it.

Kailer then takes one more good look around the empty room before hopping into the surging portal himself.

Bright, blue streaks accompanied by white sparks whirls around his sight for a split second before the atmosphere shifts as a new scenery is set before his eyes.

He halts in a massive, vacant gray room. Its walls are windows, displaying the life underneath Lake Michigan with its current dark waters and minimal movement.

The rest of the society is standing around the empty room, gazing at it with shock and surprise.

“What is this?” Jake asks in a trembling voice, his hands to his mouth. “Where are we? It looks scarrrryyy…”

Kailer drops off his equipment in the pile the others have made with theirs by the dark corner. He then steps up to him. “Calm down, Oettinger, this is the main room.” He then peers down at his tablet and presses some buttons.

Immediately, a sleek control booth with its own ceiling and panel filled with buttons, screens, and levers appears deep on the right side of the room.

A few feet away, between the control booth, two metallic staircases pop up, reaching up toward the ceiling and halting midway. Following is a walkway that circles the entire perimeter of the building, creating a second floor.

Directly to their right, another closed portal becomes visible with a button next to it. The same thing happens directly to their left.

Further down to their left, two doors materialize into view, including another one on the other side of the room. At the end of the room, an ice rink-shaped and designed table comes into view with leather and metallic chairs.

The lighting in the room is adjusted, creating a more amiable and cordial atmosphere with its bright, warm lights.

“Oooo!” Jake gazes around the newly remodelled room in awe. “Pretty!!!”

Kailer turns to him. “Great.” He then faces the room, extending his hand toward the right. “The booth to the left is the control booth, where we access the database for tracking and informational purposes, including operating the headquarters.”

He reverts his hand’s direction to the left. “Those doors lead to rooms, which will be used for lodging.” He points back to his right. “To the right is the ocean portal, a portal that leads to the ocean in case of an emergency.” He averts away, toward the left. “And to the left is the portal to teleport back into the dock.”

Kailer then marches to the nearest staircase. He climbs up the stairs to the second floor with the other members behind him.

With his fingers flying across the tablet’s screen, doors spring into view on the left side, since the right side is displaying the bird’s eye view of the main room below.

“Here is the hallway, where the rest of the lodging rooms are located, which I shall be designing with you men one-on-one…” He clamours back down the stairs to the first floor, then halts, forcing the others to stop on the stairs.

He taps a few times on the screen.

Instantly, the floor opens up and the staircase stretches downward, creating a way to go to the lower level of the building.

Kailer backs up and steps down the stairs, entering a large, dusky, empty room. He presses a button the tablet, creating a door on the other side of the wall and to his left.

“This is the training room, including storage for equipment necessary for training,” Kailer announces as the others approach him from behind.

He then turns to the left, opens the door, and enters a well-lit foyer made out of glass. On the other side of the glass, in front of him, is a majestic ice rink.

He creates a staircase to his left and a door on the glass facing him. He walks up to the door, pushes it open, and steps into the massive, chilly room.

He walks up to the boards and peers through the glass, taking in the beauty of the NHL-sized rink with its glistening, smooth ice, and pristine boards and benches on the other side. He then whirls around on his heels, spotting the group gazing at the rink in awe.

“And this is the rink!” he finishes off with a smile.

“SWEET!!!” Jake bellows.

Jeremy can’t help but smile at the rink. “Cool!”

Kailer then leads the group out of the cool room, up the stairs in the foyer, and back into the main room of the headquarters.

Waiting for them patiently are the four founders in their holographic selfs. Behind them, the end of the room is unable to be seen due to darkness created by the lights not reaching the area.

“So, what do you think?” Tommy asks them with a smile.

Matteo turns to him. “I like it.” He then shrugs. “Any tasks we have?”

“Yes!” The NHL founder throws his translucent index finger in the air. “First, we need you guys in pairs, like a training partner to keep each other accountable, since your founder’s concern is to let villains come out from you.”

The young hockey players exchange expression of trepidation with each other.

Ed steps forward with his hands clasped behind his back. “Mr. Pietroniro and Mr. Yamamoto shall be one pair.”

Kailer immediately slides next to Matteo, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Very well!”

Matteo gives the scientist an unsure expression.

Harold then speaks: “Mr. Chynoweth and I decided for Mr. Clague and Mr. Swayman to be a pair.”

Jeremy steps up to Kale and gives him a warm smile.

Kale averts his head from him. “Hm.”

Last, but not least, President Roosevelt lines up the rest of the founders. “And Mr. Chynoweth and I have Mr. Oettinger and Mr. Howden together.”

Jake’s eyes instantly fly open with exhilaration. “Yay!” He pumps his fists in the air. “I’m with you!” He hops over to Brett and clobbers him into a huge hug. “You’re my new bestie! I’ll be by your side forever and I’ll never let you down!” He then lets go of him, standing straight with great posture and boldness.

Brett nods his head with wary eyes on the tall goalie. “Good to know.” He pats his back. “Same here.”

Jake whirls his head to him, bringing back his enthusiasm. “Aw, thanks! I’m just so glad to be paired with you!” He then pulls him back into a hug, rubbing his cheek against his forehead.

“Ah-ha, okay, okay, I think that’s enough…!” Brett panics, fidgeting in his grasp.

Jake then lets go, keeping a big smile toward him.

“Any other questions?” Tommy asks the GJHP members.

Matteo raises his eyebrows at him. “Our task?”

“Get to know each other well,” he tells them. “And be on a look out for villains.” He then lands his eyes on the control booth.

The others follow the direction of his eyes, gazing at the lone control booth as well.

Matteo turns back to the NHL founder. “Sounds good!”

A smile appears on Tommy’s face. “Alright, men, call if you need me! I’ll be in the NHL basement watching horse races!” He then turns around on his heels and steps back into the darkness.

The other major junior and collegiate founders follow him into the dark.

The six young hockey players are now standing alone in the massive main room.

Their Master slowly turns around on his heels to face them. “Sooo...um...well, let’s get to know each other!” He ambles down the room, toward the table. “Sit.” He settles himself on a nearby chair. “Feel at home.”

Everyone else shuffles to the ice rink table and sit down on the unoccupied chairs. They then turn to the Master.

“Um…” Matteo uneasily drums his fingers against the white tabletop. “Does anyone know how to go about this?”

Directly across from him, Jake straightens up in his chair with a gasp. “Name games!”

He knits his eyebrows at him. “And how do you do that?”

“Here, I’ll start.” Jake faces everyone else, clears his throat, and adjusts the collar of his sweatjacket. “I’m Jolly Jake and I’m the new goalie of the Boston University Boston Terriers!”

He spins to his left, where his partner is looking at him. “And now you say, ‘Hi, Jolly Jake, I’m an-adjective-that-starts-with-the-first-letter-of-your-name Brett!’ Also, say which league and team you play for.”

“Uhhh…” Brett warily waves his hand in the air. “Hi, Jolly Jake.” He pauses, rattling his mind for an adjective. Then a smile pops on his face as he selects the perfect one. “I’m Beautiful Brett. And I’m captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors, a WHL team and just got drafted into the NHL.”

Jake then cranes his head to spot Jeremy, who is on the other side of Brett. “And now you say ‘Hi, Beautiful Brett and Jolly Jake, I’m…’”

“...Joyful Jeremy, goalie of the Sioux Falls Stampede, a USHL team,” Jeremy finishes off with a nod.

“But-but say our names, too.”

The goalie swishes his eyes at the partners. “Jake and Brett.”

Brett shrugs. “Good enough.”

Jake slinks back into his chair with a depressed frown and wide eyes.

Jeremy then faces Kailer, who is sitting across from him.

Kailer promptly gazes at Jake with a sophisticated mien. “Hello, Jolly Jake—” He looks at Brett. “—Beautiful Brett—” He reverts to Jeremy. “—and Joyful Jeremy.” He places a hand on his chest. “I’m Kswizzy Kailer, number seventeen, center and left winger currently playing for the Spokane Chiefs.”

Jake scrunches his eyebrows at him in pure confusion. “What does ‘Kswizzy’ mean?”

“It means that I’m super cool.” Kailer pulls a United States flag-themed bandana into view, flicks it out to straighten it, then wraps it around his forehead, underneath his mass of brown hair.

To his left, Kale has a glare at him. “That’s not a real word.”

Kailer finishes tying his patriotic bandana behind his head. “It is now.”

“Aren’t you the whiz here with the big vocabulary?” Matteo asks him with inquired eyes.

“FINE.” The scientist slams his hands flat against the table. “Knowledgeable Kailer.” He then turns to Kale. “Your turn.”

“I’m just Kale.” He shrugs. “I play for the Wheat Kings and just got drafted to the Kings.”

“But-but your adjective!” Jake exclaims from across the table.

Brett points to him. “You can be kind Kale!”

Kale slowly turns to him with a glower.

The forward drops his hand. “Or not.”

Jake slams his hands on the table. “You HAVE to have an adjective!”

“You guys don’t need to know my adjective.” Kale leans back against the back of the chair with crossed arms.

“How about ‘Kingly Kale’ since you’re in the Wheat Kings and Kings?” Kailer suggests.

“Sure.” He shrugs. “That works.”

Jake’s eyes light up. “Cool!”

Next to Kale, Matteo straightens up and uses his index finger to point to each member. “Okay, Jolly Jake, Beautiful Brett, Joyful Jeremy, K-Knowledgable Kailer, Kingly Kale, I’m…” He drops his finger. “...Master Matteo. I play for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Q.”

“Great one, Master Matteo!” Jake flashes him a big grin.

Matteo holds his palms out at him. “Just call me Matteo, please.”

“Hoh, hoh, hoh, hoh, hoh…!” Brett waves his arms in the air, grabbing everyone’s attention. He then leans closer and states lowly with anticipation: “If we’re like superheroes since we all have powers, does that mean we get to have codenames?”

Matteo shrugs. “I guess.”

The forward throws himself away from the table, raising his hands in the air. “Awesome!”

Jake whirls to him excitedly with a hand on his chest. “What would MY codename be?”

Brett calms down and points to him. “Ummm, which powers do you have?”

“Canine physiology!”

Brett raises an eyebrow. “Dog powers?”

“I like dogs!” Jeremy exclaims from behind him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Jake claps his hands in excitement.

“Hmmm…” He rubs his facial hair-covered chin with his eyes upward. “I say—” He immediately flicks his eyes back on his partner. “Hah! ‘Jake Dog’!”

Jake gasps delightedly with eyes as wide as pucks. “I LOVE IT!!!” He pulls him into a tight hug before pulling away. “And what’s yours, bestie?”

Brett has an arrogant smirk. “I’ve named myself ‘Flame Wave’!”

From behind him, Jeremy snorts.

Brett turns around, spotting the other goalie with his hands over his mouth and squinted eyes. “What?”

Jeremy shakes his head and squeaks, “Sorry, sorry.”

“What’s your codename?” He raises a thick eyebrow at him.

The goalie removes his hands from his mouth, finally calmed down. “I’m gonna go with the ‘Brick Wall.’ It goes well with my powers.”

“How so?”

Jeremy peers around his surroundings. “Is there anything I can break here?”

From the other side of the table, Kale juts his chin toward Jake. “Him.”

Jeremy turns to him with raised eyebrows. “What?”

Kale casts his eyes down. “Nothing.”

Brett now has inquired eyes on the scientist, who is now absorbed in his tablet. “I think I got it…” He points to him. “I know your codename: ‘Yamma-Mamma’!”

Kailer perks up from the electronic device. “Hm?”

“Orrr…” Brett continues on, swirling his finger in the air. “The Doctor! Or Doc!”

Kailer shrugs. “I don’t mind any of those.” He goes back to his tablet.

The captain then turns to the Master. “And you shall be…‘Maestro’!”

“How about ‘Maîtriser’?” Matteo suggests. “It’s French for ‘master.’”

Brett slowly nods his head. “That works too—”

“WE NEED TO GIVE YOU A CODENAME!!!” Jake bellows, slamming his hands on the table with his attention on Kale.

Kale gives him an unamused expression. “No.”

Jeremy peers at the buddies. “If he doesn’t want one, don’t let him have one.”

Brett points to Kale. “I’ll think of one for you!”

“I don’t need you to think of one for me,” Kale spits back.

“Why?” He shrugs with scrunched eyebrows. “I love making up codenames!”

“Yeah!” Jake pipes in excitedly. “He gave me the codename ‘Jake dog’!”

“Exactly my point,” Kale states.

Brett eyes him with a slightly haughty look. “Come on, I made ‘Flame Wave’ for myself as well.” He places a hand on his chest. “I’m great at making codenames.”

“Convinces me to not even consult you more!” Kale averts his eyes from him.

Jeremy peers at the two. “I named myself ‘Brick Wall.’”

“Hopefully, you don’t name me ‘Second-To-Last Brick Wall,’” Kale mutters back, referring to his position on the ice.

Brett’s eyes then fly open and his hands slam flat on the table as an idea pops into his mind. “I GOT IT.”

Kale gives him a sharp look with lowered eyebrows. “Don’t.”

Jake whirls to his bestie feverishly. “Ooo, ooo, what is it, what is it?!”

Brett holds his palms out as he leans back into his chair. “Wait for it, wait for it…” He pauses, letting the intensity rise. Then: “‘Wheat Eater.’”

Awkward silence immediately takes over the conversation.

Jake gasps as he crazily flails his hands in front of him. “OMG, I LOVE IT, THAT IS AMAZING!” He claps in an electrified manner with a massive smile at Brett.

“I didn’t even ask for this.” Kale pushes himself away from the table, stands up, and begins storming across the room, toward the staircase.

“We could call him ‘Kings,’” Jeremy suggests to the Brett and Kale.

“NOT HELPING!” Kale bellows from behind them.

Matteo then turns the runaway teenager, who is now climbing up the staircase. “Kale, come back, we need you here!”

With a reluctant sigh, Kale climbs backward, returning to the main room. He strolls back to the table and takes his seat between Kailer and the Master once again.

Now in front of the scientist is a black box. He opens the lid and holds the box out toward the others.

They all peer inside to see its contents.

On a white satin fabric are five black, sleek smartwatches glinting in the light.

“Everyone, take one and put it on your wrist,” Kailer announces from behind the lid.

Each hockey player takes one and snaps it around their preferred wrist.

“These are called ‘Wrist-Motos,’ my own creation,” Kailer begins to explain, closing the box and pulling it back to him. “You are able to communicate, scan information, and track each other through these. You can also teleport to any place with these.” He holds his own, which is on his wrist, for everyone to see. “Wear them at all times.”

Jake smiles at his. “I like mine!” He lifts his wrist to his nose and sniffs it. He pulls it away and frowns at it. “Smells weird.”

Brett eyes him. “They’re not to be sniffed at, Jake Dog.”

“I am in the process of creating your super suits, which shall be completed the following day,” the scientist informs them.

Kale glares at him. “And what are they called: ‘Suit-Motos’?”

Kailer turns to him with a shocked expression. “How do you know?”

With a huff, he shakes his head and turns away from him.

Matteo nods at Kailer. “Alright, thank you, Doc.” He then faces the others. “I believe we should assign your rooms and once the suits are made and given out, we can train with our powers.”

With what he heard, Kale takes in a deep breath of trepidation with pursed lips.

Notes