AAOOOSC! Exposed!

The next day is a day that bears the turning point in history.

And everyone is anticipating it.

The conference room is packed with numerous reporters with their camera crew and a handful of lucky fans. Large video cameras and smaller photography cameras speckle the mass of people, along with microphones being held by reporters and boom mics being held by the boom operators. Lights flash with clicks as the sound of chattering fills the room.

Facing the crowd is the panel table in front of a dropdown background bearing the pattern of the NHL logo. On the middle of the panel table is a handheld microphone on a small stand. The microphone is pointed to the reason why this event is being held: Kale Clague.

Kale is sitting behind the table in a white dress shirt and black blazer. He stares out at the sea of people from multiple different press companies with distress.

You have to do this, he tells himself mentally. They want to hear from you. Just tell them the truth. This is not your idea, so when all goes wrong, the blame won’t fully be on you. He grimaces at the slight lie. This is all of my fault. Kale, just do what you’re told to do for once. Go.

With that, Kale slowly leans toward the microphone and takes in a breath. “Good morning, everyone!”

The massive crowd suddenly falls silent and diverts their attention to the defenceman. They hold their cameras’ lens straight at him, along with their curious eyes.

Kale swallows in an attempt to lessen the pressure of having every present person’s attention weighing down on him. “I hope you had a great time watching the Kings’ final preseason game against the Ducks!” he throws at them with a lighthearted tone.

The crowd merely gives him blank stares.

Giving up on easing the tension, Kale leans back against his chair.

“Okay, I should just—” He waves his hands in front of his face. “I’m deeply sorry for what happened last night with me.” He drops his hands onto the table’s surface and gazes out at the mass. “I saw all the articles out there and the speculations of what on earth came out of me.” He pauses before disclaiming, “Well, I’ll explain: they’re powers. Like supernatural powers. Like powers you see in movies. Because yes, powers do exist, even in the sports world.”

Kale leans closer to the microphone, becoming more absorbed in the crowd. “I have ergokinetic abilities, which is a fancy way of saying I can generate and manipulate energy. So that purple flash out there on the ice…” He slightly bares his teeth in embarrassment. “...yeah, that was my energy. It was either that or I get injured really, really badly.

“I’m actually not the only one though, there are more players with powers in the league: thirty-one in total, including me, and then thirty-two soon with the Seattle expansion.” He lets out a weak chuckle. “Each team has one person with powers, who is called the power player. And the powers are based on how the team is like—” He holds a palm out from his side. “—Kings is purple, so I have purple energy—” He holds out his other palm in the same fashion. “—Flyers are orange, so…” His voice fades as he catches himself ready to reveal the power player. “...the-the power player has an orange glider, Penguins has ice powers, Blackhawks are with archery, and so on and so forth.”

He drops his hands, placing one arm on top of the other to lean against them. “This has been going on since the start of the NHL over a century ago and the tradition is still going on. I mean, I don’t see what the big deal is trying to get rid of us power players or the whole system if we’ve been playing like this in the beginning.

Kale then straightens up, gathering a serious and remorseful mien. “But what I did in that fight, I wasn’t supposed to do and I deeply regret it. Really regret it. We’re not supposed to use our powers on the ice, but I panicked. I’ll do everything I can to never use my powers like that ever again.”

He places a hand on his chest. “Our powers are made to defend the league and promote fairness, not to be used for unfair advantages. I am not a cheater and I’ll never intend to use my powers to give me or the Kings an unfair advantage of any kind over any opponent. I repeat: I’m sorry, I’ll take any form of consequences, and I hope you all will understand.” He then lowers his hand and takes in the crowd with a small smile. “Thank you for your time.”

The mass of people stays still, completely unresponsive.

Kale’s small smile morphs into a slight gape as doubt begins to cloud his mind.

His eyes are wide.

His heart his slamming against his chest.

Sweat is prickling his skin against his clothes.

I am so done.

Suddenly, the crowd erupts into pounding applauses and cheers.

Kale’s eyes light up at the sharp turn of response as he jerks back in surprise.

The audience continues cheering, including whistling.

Kale can’t help but let his large, open smile grow on his face from the unexpected admiration. He leans into the microphone and chuckles. “Haha, thank you, guys…!”

A reporter in the front row then shouts to Kale into his own microphone, grabbing his attention: “We are so happy that this has been explained and found out that superpowers do exist! Why has this never been disclosed before?” He holds his microphone out to him.

Kale darts his eyes all over the room as he mentally rummages for an answer. He lands them back on him. “Uh, because of the public reaction…”

“Mr. Clague, Mr. Clague!” another reporter cries out to him from the middle of left side of the room. “Is there any way we can see MORE of the league’s superpowers?” She juts her microphone out toward him.

Kale turns to her and shakes his head. “Not that I know of.”

“Let the league discuss it!” an additional reporter proclaims jollily. “We all want to see this, right?”

Every single person in the audience area lets out more cheers. They then pump their fists in the air to the beat of their building chant: “Su-per-pow-ers! Su-per-pow-ers! Su-per-pow-ers! Su-per-pow-ers!”

All Kale can do is gaze at the supportive audience members in complete awe.

Notes