AAOOOSC! United

The whole room falls into a sudden silence as everyone became motionless, including John. The GHP members then gradually turn to the direction of the voice, which led their eyes to the mouth of the entrance tunnel.

Standing under the arch is Auston, Carter, and Michael, who is recognizable to just Matt, Ryan, and Emily. And standing heroically in front of the three is Connor himself with his royal NHL ruler robe.

Sidney gasps with wide eyes. “Jonny—” He jabs his finger at the goalie. “—call Gorman to shut down the powers!"

“Got it!” Jonathan instantly turns to his intercom.

“That won’t be necessary.” Connor approaches them with the tail of the robe swaying behind him. “Tommy forgot how to shut down the powers.” He halts next to Sidney at the end of the table. “And you guys will now bend to my wants and my dreams and live through it.”

Brett rises from his seat, slamming his hands on the table’s surface with furious eyes at the intruder. “Never!”

Connor scoffs and rolls eyes. “Please, if only you had reality manipulation.”

A gawk grows on Sidney’s face as he holds his stare at him. “Wait...you have reality manipulation?”

Connor nods his head with closed eyes and crossed arms. “Yup.” He halts his movements and reopens his eyes.

His eyes are now glowing a significant pale yellow with energy drifting from its sides.

“What a shame Toews couldn’t mastered it before me. Only shows who the true NHL ruler is.” He then uncrosses his arms smoothly. “Say goodbye to all you knew.”

Instantly, Connor disappears without a shift, as if he was never in their presence.

“Where did he go?!” Brett snaps, eyeing the place Connor was once standing.

Kale is peering behind his shoulder, spotting the empty mouth of the tunnel. “Where did his other guys go?”

“What befell me?” John mumbles from on top the table, shaking his head with a weary expression.

Katie lets out a huge sigh of relief, her hand over her chest. “Oh, thank goodness you’re all right.”

John peers around his surroundings in bewilderment. “For what purpose am I upright on the stand?”

Reid gives him a kooky grin, holding his head with his fist. “Because you were giving us a fine performance.”

“You were caroling an uncanny tune with ‘gold’ and ‘salad days,’” Kailer points out, unamused.

“Ugh.” John shakes his head as he steps off from the table. “Pardon me for my debasing comportment.” He stands next to Katie.

Emily flicks her hand at him. “No, we enjoyed it! It was so much fun!”

“Guys!” Sidney blurts out, grabbing everyone’s attention. “John sang, that’s done with!” He throws his hand out from his sides. “Now we have to figure out where Connor and his people are!”

“Didn’t he said he manipulated reality?” Reid asks with knitted eyebrows.

“Hopefully not,” Matt squeaks, his eyes filled with fear as he holds his hands to his mouth.

Brett peers around the room. “It sure doesn’t look like it.”

Jonathan holds his hand out in front of him, conjuring a small purple force field above his palm. “Ugh, Gorman didn’t shut down our powers.”

Sidney whirls to him with a perplexed expression. “You did press the emergency button, right?”

The goalie drops his hand, disintegrating the force field. “Yeah. I guess I’ll call him.” He lifts his intercom into view.

“Maybe the reality change outside?” Kale suggests to Brett with a shrug.

“Hopefully it didn’t change at all,” Dru points out, leaning over her folded arms to have eye contact with them. “The last thing I want is to live in McDavid’s dream world.”

Jake shudders at the thought of Dru’s statement. “Yikes. That sounds like no fun at all.” He turns to Brett. “But you’re still here, bestie.” He pulls him into a tight hug with a big, closed smile.

“Yes…” Brett pats his shoulder. “I do not want to get sucked into nothing in his reality.”

“Gorman’s not calling,” Jonathan grumbles, poking at his intercom’s button multiple times. “He always picks up!”

Sidney eyes him with suspiciousness. “That’s odd. I’ll try mine.” He holds up his wrist and presses a button on the side of his intercom. A few moments later, he turns back to the goalie. “Nothing.”

“Let me try on my Wrist-Moto,” Kailer volunteers smoothly. He then turns to his smartwatch and taps on its screen. After a moment of inactivity, he taps again. And again.

Jonathan shakes his head with pursed lips at the Wrist-Moto. “It’s Gorman. He’s not picking up.”

Kailer lets out a huff as he frowns at his creation. “It never falls through.”

Sidney darts his narrowed eyes around as an idea comes to his mind. “Is this because of Connor’s reality manipulation?”

Reid slams his hands flat against the table’s surface in excitement. “Well, let’s go see outside if it is really his own reality!”

“Alright, boys and girls!” Sidney points toward the tunnel on the other side of the room. “To the outside!”

With that, some the members rise from their seats as others proceed to amble toward the tunnel. Yet everyone groups together inside the tunnel, making their way to the door located on the other side.

Sidney pushes the door open and holds it open, letting everyone pass by him and exit the building. Once everyone is out, he slips outside.

Surrounding the metallic building is flat, barren land coated with dust. The skies are gray, covered with a blanket of clouds, making the air cold and bitter.

“There’s nothing,” Brett calls out into the open as the others peer around behind him, “as usual.”

Jake sniffs the air, darting his eyes around the scenery. “Something is off.”

Suddenly, the land expands bigger as the GHP headquarters’ building vanishes behind them.

With a gasp, Sidney whirls around to notice the empty spot the headquarters once stood on. “The headquarters!” he screeches, throwing his hands into the air. “They’re gone!” He then pats his pockets, his eyes growing wider. “Bubby Jr. is gone!!!”

Reid rushes up to the location. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.” He spins around in the spot, as if the building grew small and landed by his feet. “It can’t disappear like that!”

“Connor just disappeared like that,” Kale points out, gazing at his twirling friend.

Jonathan has crossed arms at the empty location, standing next to Sidney. “I have a feeling we are in McDavid’s reality.”

Sidney nods his head with a depressed expression. “We are in Connor’s reality,” he croaks. “Bubby Jr. doesn’t disappear like that.” He then peers up at him. “At least we’re aware of that.”

“For torture purposes.” Then with a huff, the goalie begins to walk away from him. “Come on, let’s go see what else he messed up.”

Notes