Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
July 12, 2017
Late Morning

The next day, Toews's house is built up once again, like as if it had never been exploded by a destructive force of energy. Kale is sitting on the sofa in the living room next to Jake and Brett.

"You're okay, right?" Jake asks him with worried eyes on him.

Kale lifts his eyes up at him, leaning against the armrest with his legs to his chest. "Yeah, I'm fine. Tazer took away the energy, if you remembered."

"No, no, no, no, no." The goalie shakes his head vehemently. "About Duker. Are you fine with what happened to him?"

Kale casts his heavy eyes aside, letting out a loud huff.

Brett frowns at his bestie. "I don't think he wants to talk about that."

Jake whirls to face him. "But I wanna make him be okay!" He turns back to Kale. "If you need a buddy, I'm here for you." He gives him a warm smile.

Kale flicks his eyes back up at him. "Thanks."

Jake then scoots over to him and pulls him into a big side hug. Kale purses his lips at the unfamiliar affection.

Brett chuckles at the sight. "Now you get some of Jake Dog's lovin'."

Jake pulls away from Kale and peers at him with big, concerned eyes. "I just want you to be alright."

"Thanks for your effort." Kale pats his shoulder. "But I'll deal with it on my own."

Jake lies down next to Kale, propping his long legs on Brett's lap.

Brett peers down at his legs with disapproval. "Oh, thanks, Jake Dog."

Jake gives him a warm smile. "I'll cuddle with you next."

Kale couldn't help but crack a toothy grin.

Jake gasps at the happy expression. "You're smiling!"

Kale's smile fades away as reality settles back in.

Jake's frown comes back as well. "Aw."

Brett cranes his head back against the cushions of the sofa. "I cannot wait to get back to the real reality. Then I can continue practicing for the summer showcase and actually have a chance to win rather than M'David winning all the time." He takes a quick glance at his watch. "Ugh, it's eleven forty-nine." He drops his hand with an anxious expression. "Eleven more minutes until boom or bust."

Kale picks at the edge of the cushion he is sitting on. "You think he can turn back reality on time?"

Brett knits his eyebrows at him. "Of course." He holds his hand out toward him. "He healed you—" He reverts his hand up to the ceiling. "—he got the house back up—" He drops his hand. "—he can totally fix reality. He's been practicing for hours already."

Kale dips his head, staring at his bent knees. "Duker and I were supposed to fix reality."

Brett purses his lips at him. "Maybe something would've gone wrong. Maybe you guys didn't even have that ability."

Kale rolls his eyes. "We sure did have it. It's just that he thought that saving the NHL in this reality was a better idea." He yanks hard at the loose pieces of thread connected to the cushion.

Jake peers at him with massive eyes. "I'd merge with you if I could."

Kale gives him a slight frown. "Thanks."

"But I must say..." Brett taps the tips of his fingers together. "...it's pretty cool fighting alongside NHLers." He peers at the other two teenagers. "Even though we didn't really fight much."

"We went to a totally different reality!" Jake blurts out in excitement.

Kale shakes his head slowly. "That's not something to be proud of."

He dips his head with a whimper. "Aw."

Suddenly, the rest of the GHP members appear in the living room, including Toews.

"Whoa!" Brett presses his back against the cushions with wide eyes at them as Kale and Jake give them shocked expressions. "Were you guys here the whole time?"

Toews is standing heroically, wearing his royal NHL ruler robe. The robe is bearing a brilliant red with its tail laid on the ground majestically. It is being behind held as one by an opal charm clipped in front of his chest.

Toews shakes his head. "Nope, I just teleported everyone else here."

Jake pushes himself up to a sitting position next to Kale. "How did your training go?"

John steps up to Toews and proudly places a hand on his shoulder. "He bears preeminent tidings."

Toews rubs his hands together with building excitement. "It's time to go back home, guys."

John raises his eyebrows at him. "Furthermore...?"

He drops his hands with a surprised expression. "Right!" He clasps his hands together in front of him. "Including reverting this reality, I am going to take away Connor and his followers and the idea of taking over any league. With that, the GHP has no worries about people taking over the NHL or any league, really."

"So that means M'David'll be gone?" Brett asks with awe in his eyes.

"And Hart?" Jake adds in with glee.

Toews nods his head with closed eyes and a closed smile. "Mm-hm." He opens up his eyes. "Anyone who's with McDavid."

Sorrow fills Kale's face. "Wait, even Reid?"

Silence takes over the room.

Toews hesitantly flicks his eyes to John and the members behind him, as if he is searching for an answer within them. He turns back to Kale. "Yeah...since he's against us and for Connor."

With an exasperated sigh, Kale buries his face into his hands.

"Awww..." Jake pulls him into a hug once again, this time placing his own head on his head.

"Hugs!" Emily disappears by Dru's side and immediately appears next to Kale, hugging him as well.

Sidney peers up at Toews. "Wait, you can manipulate the ideas of other people, which is how you plan to not let the idea of taking over leagues cross anyone's minds again, right?"

Toews nods his head. "Yeah, that's right."

"So that means you can keep Connor and his peoples in existence, but take away the idea of taking over the leagues from their minds!"

Toews freezes for a moment as he processes the idea.

"I'll be darned..." John turns to Toews with awe. "...Crosby is correct. You can effectuate that."

"That foreshadows Hart will still be prowling the streets?" Kailer asks bitterly, mindlessly fiddling with his Wrist-Moto.

Sidney turns to him with a hopeful expression. "As a good guy! He won't have the idea of taking over any league, which is why he would be good!"

"So it's selfsame to coexisting," Katie summarizes with her hands out from her sides.

Sidney tilts his head from side to side. "Yeah, if you think about it like that. But they would have no idea that they once wanted the leagues, right, Tazer?" He lifts his eyes up at him.

Toews nods his head. "Yeah." He peers at everyone else. "Connor and his people will still be around, but they'll be more rational."

Kale perks up at him from his hands. "So Duker will be okay?"

Toews gives him a small smile. "Yup. Just like this never happened."

His signature toothy grin appears on his face.

Dru looks up at the ceiling with relief. "I cannot wait to go back and play hockey again."

"Yeah, I still need to figure out things with my free agency..." Matt anxiously twiddles with his fingers.

Ryan slides his arm over his shoulder. "Wherever you go, you're still my goalie buddy." He holds his fist up at him.

Matt beams up back at him. "Goalie buddies!" He fist-pumps him.

"And with reality changing like this," Jonathan starts off to Sidney, "we can quickly get the others back from Connor." He lets out a chortle. "He would wonder why he has them in hostage."

Toews whirls to the goalie. "Well, reality is going to change. It's gonna be like as if Connor didn't even want to take over the NHL."

Jonathan's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh wow. Even better!"

Sidney throws his arms in the air. "Yes! This is gonna be awesome!" He whirls to Toews. "Are you ready, Tazer?"

Toews smirks as he cracks his knuckles. "Yup, I've been ready." He peers at the others. "Are you guys ready?"

Everyone shouts at him in agreement:

"Yeah!"

"Yes!"

"Please do!"

"It's almost twelve o'clock!"

"Okay..." Toews takes in a deep breath. "And it begins." He straightens himself and breathes steadily, feeling the flow of his power surge throughout his body.

Everyone else stares at him in anticipation, holding their breaths and having their eyes wide.

After a still, slow moment, Toews relaxes and opens his eyes up. A small smile creeps on his face. "We're back. And Gorman IS the founder of the NHL."