February 10, 2017

Brayden Point - Pointer's officially back with the team and powered up! Also, the boy band idea was a success! Though I was humiliated at first to be singing Justin Bieber and Backstreet Boys type songs, it was nice to hear applause and fangirl squeals. My voice was apparently like a crisp fall breeze in November. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I'll take it as a compliment.

Even though it was a private event to practice for the Boston Bruins game (when Pointer returned from his injury!!), we nailed it in the Ottawa pregame live! And if I didn't think the females were swooning around me before, they certainly were active that night!

But alas, we are on the road in Minnesota. Some say this is the state of the birth of hockey in the United States or the 'State of Hockey' and I say bullshit! But nevertheless we are here to tame the Wild and of course find out who their Yzerchuk is!

As we are getting ready to touch down at the private airport, my mind races through all the various kinds of Yzerchuk their magical gift could be. I mean with a team name like the Wild, it could be anything from a bear to a rock.

"Pally!!" I hear Kuch's voice suddenly shout out, right near my ear.

I jump in shock and spin to him. "Indoor. Voice. Nikita. Igorevich. Kucherov. You know better."

He smiles bashfully. "Just like scaring shit out of Vladdy."

"Language young man," Pally's voice scolds from the seat in front of them. "Also, I'm right here, there's no need to yell."

"What's wrong Kuch?" Pally and I then ask in unison.

Kuch points across the plane to the far window. "Minnesota!"

"Very good, Kuch. Leave me alone," I remark, scruffing his hair and turning back to my own window.

Kuch shakes his head. "No done yet. I seed lion."

I roll my eyes and heave a sigh, glancing out my window. Sure enough, a giant lion...mountain lion at that darts across the runway and out of sight. I blink and turn back to see Kuch grinning at me.

"Tolded you, Vladdy!" Kuch says.

I glance to Pally, who is nodding. "So..."

"Stammer!" Killer's voice cries out from behind where I am sitting with Kuch. "Kuch and Vladdy are hallucinating about seeing lions!"

"OHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO!!" TJ's voice rings out. "Lions are scary!"

"Unless they're the Disney kind like Simba," I hear Pointer say.

"Let's just get off the plane," Stammer sighs, getting to his feet and rubbing his head. "Roll call. Pointer?"

"Brayden is here!" Pointer sing-songs.

"Jo?" Stammer questions.

"Present and handsome," Jo responses.

"Pally, TJ, Kuch - Triplets?"

"HERE!!!!" Kuch shouts out, followed by a groaned reply from Pally and a nervous reply from TJ.

"Killer? Cally?"

Killer spins around from where he is sitting with Cally with a mischievous grin on his face. Cally suddenly then flings his arm out and launches a pie right at Stammer. It hits him square in the face and then falls to the ground of the plane. Stammer sighs and faces Cally, who gives him a smug look.

"Present, Stammykins!" Cally says.

"It's not worth it. He's not worth it, Steven," Stammer mutters to himself. "Moving on...Vladdy the Damsel?"

"Funny, present oh dearest captain!" I remark back, folding my arms across my chest and then glancing out the window again. I'm not crazy, there was a lion. Kuch was right. But who was it and why was here...?

"Heddy?"

"Go screw yourself Stammer," Heddy grumbles.

"Stralsy? Dotch? Coby?" Stammer questions, continuing with the list.

Finally, I feel someone shaking me from behind. I guess I've spaced out, cause Stammer is done and now he's leaning over shaking me with a concerned group of guys around him. I blink and turn to him.

"Vladdy, you okay?" Stammer asks me.

I nod at him. "Let's get to the Xcel Energy Center!" I wink to him and spring up, banging my head against the air vents under the compartments of the plane where my luggage is with Kuch's. "Ow!"

"Careful, Vladdy, we don't need another injury, let alone a concussion!" Stammer scolds.

"I won't get a concussion, Stammer. I'm fine. Just forgot those were there," I grumble, rubbing my head. "I also need a haircut...my hair's getting so long again."

With that we all grab our things and exit the plane. Kuch skips out, humming 'I Want It That Way', one of the boy band songs we did the cover for. Guys, that's Backstreet Boys, a group from my era - my childhood.

Pointer and Jo join me and Pointer smiles as he asks, "So when's the next performance for us - The Lightning Bolts?"

I look at him with shock. "Wait!? That wasn't it?"

"No, Vladdy, we should really take it around the NHL!" Pointer exclaims as we board the bus that will take us to the hotel first.

A few hours pass by, before I tell Stammer that I'm going out to get some 'fresh air', taking along my companions, Pointer, Jo and Killer. We end up walking down the block to a small park, where there is shockingly a water fountain that isn't frozen over.

Just as I sit down on the edge, a fierce snarl comes and I jump back up and spin around. Killer instantly steps before me, while Jo - who is doing his hair with his comb - and a smiling Pointer stand ready at either side. I don't know why, but the fact that Pointer smiles, like a lot, (Pointer smiles Palat... #LightningPuns) is a little unnerving.

I peer over Killer's shoulder and spot a man with a black hood on over a Minnesota Wild jersey. In front of him is a snarling lion. The mountain lion Kuch and I saw on the plane. It scrapes at the ground.

"Greetings Lightning Bolts. Oh Namestnikov, where is your hockey stick? Did Vesey take it again?" the man sneers.

"You wish," I snap behind Killer. "It's back at the hotel with the Triplets. Looks like I'm gonna have to be carrying it from now on though! Guess I can't go anywhere with someone threatening me in some way?"

"Brayden would like to Point out something," Pointer pipes up from the left side of me.

"Not now, Pointer," Killer growls to him.

"I don't need protection, Killer!" I remark, attempting to get out from behind him.

"Silence Damsel Boy!" the man snaps, before Killer can say anything. "Fleise, attack!"

The lion bounds forward, right for Killer.

"Expose Namestnikov to me!" he then adds on, before snapping his head up and throwing out a maroon and green glowing hockey stick.

Fleise flies at Killer as the person slashes the air with the stick as though in a controlling motion. It is the Bruin incident all over again. Killer prepares himself though and takes the tackle from the lion, which scares the electricity right out of Jo.

Jo screams at the top of his lungs as the lion pins Killer down on the ground.

I glance at the figure, who has removed the hood concealing his identity now and I frown. "Parise!" I snarl. "You two-faced--!" I actually am not scared of bad guys anymore, even though I don't have my hockey stick with me, I don't care. This Wild player - the captain of the team at that - just ordered his pet to attack my friend.

No matter how annoying Killer can be, he is family to me. He's a hockey brother. A teammate. A friend. And I have his back! So I charge at Parise, intending to get the stick from his hands but before I can, Parise slashes the stick right at me, before I can contact him.

The motion causes a wind to kick up and send me flying backward, right into a tree. Before I can react, Parise then...okay this is what I didn't expect...he causes the tree's branches to come to life and wrap around me, holding me prisoner to the tree.

Oh look, the hostage moment. Shocker.

Luckily though, through the wise Hockey Gods and Wayne Gretzky, I've been strengthening my electrokinesis powers and healing powers. I actually honestly don't need Yzerchuk with me anymore! Gretzky tells me that the electrokinesis and healing - get ready for this - comes from my passion and my heart.

So I focus on the lion that is pinning Killer to the ground and I narrow my eyes, causing them to flash the brilliant blue before I can feel the energy surging through me. Yeah, you can say that all I needed is mental practice and focus to strengthen them. So, hostage situations don't take long for me to get out of anymore!

As I am about to blast free and save Killer, Jo and Pointer from Zach Parise, I spot a familiar person dash up and join Parise.

Jimmy Vesey.

"Namestnikov!" Vesey calls out with a smug wave to me as the energy dies off me in an instant.

No! No! No! He can't be--here! I was gonna finally save myself!

"Thank you Parise, your work is done. I'll release you as soon as you are a good distance away," Vesey sneers. "Hand me your hockey stick though, so I can finish these...Lightning Bolts! FINALLY!"

"No! Zach!" I shout from the tree, trying to slip free. "Don't listen to him! You can't do this! I'm too young and beautiful to die!!"

"Is that what you are Namestnikov, young and beautiful? That's what you call it?" Parise snarls, before shoving his hockey stick at Vesey. "Don't hurt Fleise and I better get this back after you're done with them!"

"You have my word. Now go!" Vesey orders.

Parise bounds off and vanishes from sight as Vesey points the stick right at the lion. "Fleise, heel."

Fleise backs off Killer, who I can see is only sweating from his fear and effort to hold the beast back from eating him. Pointer and Jo are hugging one another, too scared to move or do anything. Vesey commands him to turn from Killer to face me, helplessly trapped to the tree. Oh Yzerchuk, please help me!

I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping for the worst.

Remind me I need to give Jo a big hug, because his scream earlier had alerted Stammer and Heddy, who bolt into the scene.

"VESEY, STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Stammer shouts out.

"Come to see Namestnikov die at my hands, Stammy?" Vesey sneers. "Attack him, Fleise!"

Fleise bounds for the tree and me, but not before I steal a peek and see the flash of maroon and green flash by my vision. The lion skids to a halt and I find myself looking at Parise with his arm outstretched to the lion, standing directly before me.

Vesey drops the stick and takes off, assuming the worse and not bothering to push things. He's lost again!

As soon as Vesey's out of sight, Parise spins to me and flashes me a smile and wink. I know that smile and wink anywhere! It's not Parise who'd saved me and my team again, but the creator of all the magical gifts, including my own Yzerchuk.

Wayne Gretzky.

He then nods to Fleise the lion, who pads over and picks up the hockey stick into his mouth and returns to the Wild player. I am then released from the branches before Gretzky restores Parise back to himself.

Fleise snarls, but guides his owner, Parise, who is shaking his head, onto his back and then bounds off away from the scene and the park, just like Vesey, who is nowhere in sight. Thank God.

I join the shocked group and we trudge back to the hotel. And as we do, I hear Gretzky's voice, Stay safe, Vladdy, for your team needs you. But yes, that is the Wild's owner and their Yzerchuk, Fleise the lion. Commanded by Zach Parise's hockey stick, which can also control nature and the wild.