Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
July 10, 2017
Morning

The next day, the members are wearing their uniforms for the society, which are black with red and white designs. They are now having breakfast, yet it is not as lively as last night’s dinner. Everyone is silently eating their cereal, throwing awkward glances at the usual loud member.

Reid has wide eyes and a line as his mouth on his bowl. He then robotically grabs a box of Oh My’s and pours most of the box into his empty bowl.

The circular, small grains pour out from his bowl, clattering onto the smooth surface of his bowl and hopping onto the table.

Next to him, Kale is eyeing him with concern with a spoonful of cereal up to his mouth. "Uh, Duker, what’s up?"

"Yeah," Emily pipes in, appearing on his other side with a cordial smile. "I wanna hear another pun!"

Reid promptly slams the cereal box on the table with his attention on the table. "I had a bad dream."

Silence takes over the table for a moment with everyone’s eyes on Reid.

Emily rotates her wrist, signalling Reid to continue talking. "But…"

Reid flicks his eyes at her with fear. "It’s not a pun."

From the end of the table, Sidney stops stirring his cereal. "So if it’s not a pun, then it actually happened!" He hugs Bubby, who is now on his lap. "What’s your bad dream about? It must’ve been scarrryyy…"

Reid has a worried look at him. "It was." He turns to the others. "I had a dream that the AHL was gone."

John has knitted eyebrows at him. "That’s not exorbitantly grim." He takes a spoonful of granola cereal.

Reid whirls to him with mad eyes and slams his palms on the table. "It is! I’m gonna play in the AHL! And if there’s no AHL, then-then—"

"There’s the ECHL," Jonathan points out, pointing his spoon at him.

He spins to the goalie in a frenzy. "No, the ECHL was gone too! All the NHL affiliates you can think of!" He throws his hands in the air, looking up at them. "All of them! GONE!"

He then slowly lowers his hands and head with a dejected expression. "And I had nowhere to go…" His head is now dipped. "…so there went my career."

"Not even the NHL aspired for you?" Kailer asks with a concerned expression, holding onto his spoon in his bowl.

Reid shakes his head with closed eyes. "Not in my dream, no."

Kale pats his shoulder with a slight smile. "At least it was just a dream."

He turns to him with his eyes filled with worried. "But-but what if it’s more than just a dream? What if it turns out to be REAL?"

Brett eyes him with a cocked eyebrow from next to Kale. "How can it be real? Dreams don’t really turn out to be real…" His voice fades off as he takes in a spoonful of colourful cereal.

Still standing next to Reid, Emily gasps, clutching onto her hair with wide eyes. "McDavid!" She drops her hands, gazing at the others. "What if McDavid DOES take over the minor professional leagues?"

Sidney taps the side of his bowl with his spoon; he has a frown with inquiring eyes. "Why would he wanna do that?"

"Why would he want to take over the CHL?" Kale questions with a gawk at the temporal master.

"—AND NCAA?" Jake pipes in, throwing an index finger up.

"—And the NWHL and CWHL?" Katie finishes off with crossed arms.

Sidney drops his spoon and peers up in deep thought. "That is true…" He mindlessly grabs Bubby’s thick arm and rubs his chin with it. "It was just Connor when he first went nuts and now he has Matthews and Hart. And he just might add more men to his group!" He then peers at the others with shock. "You are right! We have to be prepared just in case that happens!"

Reid gazes at him with hope while fiddling with a loose grain of cereal from the table. "So you do care about the AHL?"

"And ECHL!" Sidney flashes him his signature grin.

Jonathan raises his wrist by his head. "I’ll ask Gorman about this."

Sidney nods his head at him. "Sounds good, Jonny!"

With that, the goalie presses a button on the side of his intercom.

Instantly, a hologram of Tommy, which does not alter the appearance of Tommy, except his size, pops into view over the hologram’s screen.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" Tommy greets warmly. "Ah-ha, I’m finally able to use that phrase!"

"We have a proposition," Jonathan tells the founder with a subtle grimace.

"And what’s that proposition?" Tommy clasps his hands behind his back.

Reid leans over toward the intercom, getting slightly in front of the goalie, with his arms tucked underneath his chest, crushing the spewed dry cereal. "We need to protect the NHL’s affiliated leagues as well."

Tommy’s eyebrows shoot up. "They were attacked as well?"

"Well, um—" Reid swishes his eyes from side-to-side before reverting them back at the hologram. "—no. But in my dream, yeah! And-and it made me realize that McDavid can take over them as well, just like what he’s doing to the NHL, CHL, NWHL, all those leagues."

"Hmmm…" Tommy scratches his chin in deep thought. "That is a great point you put out there, Reid." He drops his hand and turns back to him. "You can never be too prepared! I shall contact Mr. Podoloff and Mr. Brabham concerning this matter. It’s up to them to join us or not." He is referring to the Maurice Podoloff, the founder of the AHL, and Henry Brabham, the founder of the ECHL.

"Yes!" Reid pumps his fist in the air, bearing all of his weight on his single arm underneath him. "Thanks, Tommy!" He then slides back to his seat.

Jonathan turns back to the NHL founder. "So you’ll call us back?"

"If they refuse," he replies. "But if they decide to lend some of their power players to us, then I’ll come by in person with the power players, just like what I did with the ladies yesterday."

Emily claps her hands giddy. "More people! I love this!"

Sidney nods his head at the hologram. "Sounds good! Thanks, Tommy!"

Tommy gives them a bow. "My pleasure!" He then glitches out of sight.

Jonathan pulls his wrist back to his bowl. "And now we wait."

Reid picks a smushed piece of cereal from the table. "I hope they join us." He pops it in his mouth and chews it. "The last thing I want is to lose my career."

"Each and every career of ours is in jeopardy," Kailer points up with raised eyebrows at him. He takes a dainty spoonful of cereal.

"And we’re all together to save them!" Jake exclaims, pumping his fists into the air. He then grabs his bowl with his two hands and pours the cereal and milk into his mouth.

Brett eyes him with slight disgust before reverting his attention back on the others. "We need all the manpower to stand against the NHL ruler, eh?"

Sidney nods his head meaningfully, placing his empty bowl down after slurping from it. "Yup."

"This NHL ruler concept, though," Kailer starts off with suspicious eyes, "I don’t quite apprehend it. What’s the significance of it?"

Sidney turns to the small skater. "The NHL ruler is destined to be one from the start. His task is to protect the NHL if the GHP fails to, so he’s like the last line of defence, the last resort—the goalie!"

Jonathan nods his head with a proud smile. "Like a goalie." He then turns back to his bowl of cereal.

"So how come other power players can’t protect the league like him?" Brett asks, holding his spoon in his bowl. Next to him, Jake is pouring himself another heaping of cereal.

"By reason of his extramundane potentiality," John replies promptly before slipping a spoonful of granola and milk into his mouth.

Brett raises his eyebrows at him. "What?"

"His abilities," Katie translates easily, scooping her cereal into her spoon. "He obtains nigh-omnipotence." She lifts the spoon to her mouth.

Kailer’s eyes widen at the fact. He slowly turns from the goalie to the skater on each of his sides. "Nigh-omnipotence? There is in truth an individual in possession of that ability?"

Sidney nods his head with excessive movements. "Exclusively for the NHL ruler."

Brett has knitted eyebrows while pouring more milk into his bowl. "Is that like omnipotence?"

"Close," Jonathan answers, holding an index finger up. "It’s like a lower level of it, right?"

John nods his head with his attention on his bowl. "That is correct."

Kailer now has his hands holding his face as he is stupefied. "How can one bear such a great deal of power?" He lifts his eyes up at the others. "He should’ve eradicated us by now!"

"Maybe he DOESN’T have nigh-omnipotence," Dru suggests cockily with a raised eyebrow. She takes in a spoonful of dry cereal.

"Well, the supplementary extramundane potentiality one possesses, the supplementary periods it entails to utterly wax proficiently in it," John explains, stirring his bowl. "Ostensibly, McDavid hasn’t waxed proficiently in the unabridged capacity of his potentiality."

Brett is gawking at John as if he spoke Greek, halting his eating. "What?"

"McDavid hasn’t mastered his full supernatural capabilities, which is why we’re not eradicated yet," Kailer translates flatly for him.

"Oh." He nods his head in understanding. He then peers at the others. "Does anyone here have powers close to nigh-omnipotence?"

Sidney shakes his head. "No power player does. That’s why we need as many power players as possible to withstand him. We did have Jonathan Toews, the current NHL ruler, with us, buuut Connor took 'im away." He ends with a frown and narrowed eyes.

Brett turns to the others. "And you guys don’t know where Connor is?"

John lets out a heavy sigh. "Not an inkling." He eats more of his cereal.

Brett then whirls to Jake. "Can you track him?"

Jake brings his bowl down from his mouth and peers down at him. "I don’t know how he smells like."

"Dang it." He turns away from him with a glare.

The goalie slumps with dejection. "Sorry."

"It’s okay." Brett now has crossed arms while drumming his fingers on the surface in deep thought.

Sidney interlaced his fingers behind his empty bowl with a large, closed smile. "No worries, everyone, we will get through this all together!"

Instantly, the sound of footsteps is heard approaching the table. "Yes, with two more power players!" they hear Tommy exclaiming to them.

They all face the entrance’s direction, spotting Tommy strolling up to them with a large grin. Behind them are two familiar men: The first one has is a bashful-appearing man with a poor haircut on his brown hair, soft, grey eyes, broad eyebrows, and facial hair lining his jaw. The one next to him has nicely combed dark brown hair, clear blue eyes, thick eyebrows, and stubble on the lower half of his face.

The NHL founder halts between Sidney and Jonathan with the two new power players beside him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you Matt Hackett and Ryan Faragher." Tommy holds his hands out toward the goalies.

"Hi, hi," Matt greets in a timid tone with a quick wave.

Ryan nods to the others. "’Sup."

Emily appears in between then with a thrilled expression. "You guys are BACK!" She zips to each other, giving each of them a hug. "Oh, I’m soooo excited!" She halts next to Tommy and Matt, peering at the goalies. "I can’t wait to fight with you guys and punch evil in the face!" She throws a punch in the air.

"Yeah…same here…," Matt squeaks out, appearing very uncertain.

Ryan has his eyes down at her. "Where’s Hilary?"

"Oh, she had to stay in the GWHP base." Emily carelessly waves her hand in front of her. "Must protect it from Connor McDavid."

Tommy then clasps his hands together, regaining everyone’s attention. "Alright, I will let you men and women with your breakfast. Contact me if you have any concerns." He points to the entrance. "I shall be practicing lacrosse!" With that, he saunters across the room and disappears into the tunnel.

Now the goalies are left standing with Emily.

Sidney peers up at the two. He throws his hands from his sides. "Please, sit anywhere!"

Matt gives him a sweet smile. "Oh, thank you." He follows Ryan around the other end of the table and settles next to Kailer.

Emily zooms back to her seat next to Dru.

Ryan sits next to him. He gazes at each member. "So, all of you are from different leagues, eh?"

"Yup," Sidney exclaims, nodding his head: "major professional, women’s, major junior, and collegiate!"

"Ruff!" Jake barks happily at the sound of his hockey level as he lifts his head from his bowl.

"We’re all together to battle against Connor and his mean crew," the temporal Master continues on. "He’s attacked all of our leagues, which is why we’re here."

Matt is fiddling with his thumbs. "Thank you for the warning. I wouldn’t want to be attacked unexpectedly THEN come here."

"Thanks for inviting us," Ryan tells them with a smirk. "It’s an honour."

John turns to him. "Our pleasure."

Reid wags his two index fingers at each of the new goalies. "Which of you are AHL and ECHL?"

Matt raises his hand in the air. "I’m AHL, the power player of the San Diego Gulls…although I’m a free agent." He gives a frown.

"And I’m ECHL, for the Utah Grizzlies," Ryan adds in with crossed arms and cool nod.

Reid claps his hand before pumping them up in the air. "Awesome!"

John then peers down the table with his spoon in his hand. "Any further promulgations apropos the proliferation this guild?"

Brett swallows with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"Does anyone else harbor a proposal for who should enlist in this society?" Katie translates, holding her hands out toward them.

The others turn to each other and exchange expressions.

"No?" Sidney asks them with anticipation.

The other power players revert their gazes to the temporal Master.

"I think we’re all good," Kale tells him, holding his spoon in his bowl.

"With that then…" Sidney pushes his empty bowl away from him. "…we can start assigning positions!" He pumps a fist in the air.

"I shall be the head scientist!" John calls out, throwing an index finger in the air.

Katie gasps in awe with hopeful eyes at him. "You’d be the scientist? I’d greatly take delight in collaborating with you!"

He turns around to face her. "You’re a scientist to boot?"

She nods her head with a growing smile. "Yes, for the GWHP. I devise the technology necessitated."

"The selfsame pertains to me!" Kailer exclaims with eyes filled with surprise. "I conjecture all three of us should be scientists!"

"That gives every indication of being sterling!" John gives them a content smile. "I’ll be the head and we’ll all forge wondrous craftworks!"

Katie peers up in awe. "Oh, I’m so enlivened!"

Kailer places his hand on his chest in reverence. "It’s an honour co-operating with you, Tavares."

John holds his hands out at him. "Please, address me as ‘John.’"

Kailer gawks at him happily with raised eyebrows. "Wow… Okay, John."

Katie turns back to the two men. "Our foremost endeavor will be to make each and every of our intercoms compatible." She raises her wrist, revealing her intercom.

Kailer holds his wrist up, showing his Wrist-Moto. "That’d be elementary."

John has his intercom in view. "I have an inkling of how to effectuate that."

Sidney is eyeing the scientists’ corner as they began discussing technical science. "Okay, I think we got the science department all cleared up." He turns to the others. "Who’ll be the spy?"

Emily instantly zooms off from her seat, causing it to spin around. She reappears next to Sidney and Jonathan with exhilarated eyes on the temporal Master. "Me! Me! Me!"

She hops up and down excitedly. "I’m the spy for the GWHP! I’m great at it too— I can turn invisible when I run super fast, just like a ninja!" She pulls off a fighting stance with extended hands at him.

Sidney nods his head, using Bubby’s arm to scratch his chin. "That makes sense! You’re the spy!"

Emily throws her hands in the air. "Yes!" She immediately vanishes then appears back in her seat.

"And just in case," Sidney continues on in a now solemn tone, "if for any reason I cannot function to guide you men and women, Jonny will be next-in-line for Master!" He holds his hand out at the goalie.

Jonathan smiles at him. "Aw, sweet!" He nudges his shoulder. "Thanks, Sid."

"You’re veeerrryyy welcome!" He shoots him an innocent smile. "And if Jonny can’t be Master, then the third-in-line would be John." He spins to his other side to face the head scientist.

John raises his eyebrows at him with shock. "Really?" He appears completely stumped with wide eyes. "Thank you, Crosby. That matters plentifully."

Sidney nods his head at him with closed eyes and a smile. "You’re veeerrryyy welcome!"

"And-and the fourth-in-line Master would be me, right?" Reid asks loudly, shaking his hand in the air.

Sidney whirls to him. "Yeah…," he answers with uncertainty. "But I hope it won’t go that far."

Kale places a hand on Reid’s shoulder with a slight grimace. "Hopefully not."

Reid darts his narrowed eyes from the forward to the defenceman and back. "Wow, thanks for the encouragement, guys."

As a response, Kale lets go of him as he bursts into a fit of chuckles.

Sidney then faces the rest of the table. "And the rest of all you guys are sidekicks!" He throws his hands toward them.

Jake pumps his fists in the air. "Ya-hoo!" He begins high-fiving each power player nearby him from Brett to Dru to Emily to Ryan to Matt to even Kale.

He then proceeds to give his bestie a bestie-exclusive bear hug. "We’re sidekicks together, bestie!" He rubs his cheek against his.

Brett lets out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, we are, Jake Dog." He pats his shoulder. "Continue eating your cereal."

"Okay!" Jake pulls away and grabs a box of cereal. He dumps the dried grains in his mouth and begins chewing them loudly.

Dru throws Brett a glare as she attempts to eat her cereal in peace.

Brett gives her a tentative smile. "Sorry."

"So, who are we fighting against?" Matt asks sweetly with gentle eyes on the temporal Master.

Sidney faces him with a solemn expression. "We’re battling against Connor McDavid, the next ruler of the NHL. He has the power of nigh-omnipotence and the desire to take over the NHL. Auston Matthews and Carter Hart are by his side. Auston wants to get rid of the women’s leagues while Carter wants to take over the major junior and collegiate leagues.

"They just might also take over the minor professional leagues, which is why we call you over. And they have some of our men in hostage, yet we don’t know where they are. With that, our task, for now, is to work together to fend them off and protect our leagues. And it’s going to be challenging."

Notes