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Leoben · 09-03-2020, 12:54 PM

Quote:6400 or so words, ready for grading

This is the second of a three part series. The first part, The Fellowship of the Puck, can be read here.

The Renegades were in a bad way. They had just lost their bus to a WannabeFinn @WannabeFinn trade. Piotr Horvat @Slowpoke had been tricked by opting for a bowl of vanilla ice cream in exchange for their transportation.

The Decision

“There is nothing to be done for it now,” said Luke @luketd. “There is no time to lose. Bjorn, is the puck safe?”

“Yes Luke. I made sure to protect it.” Bjorn Leppanen @puolivalmiste, one of the defensemen for the Renegades, had volunteered to carry the Puck of Power to the Suggestion Box. A group of Renegades on the main roster had volunteered to guide him. They had dubbed themselves the Fellowship of the Puck. Luke, the Keeper of Knowledge, was the one who brought the evil Puck to the attention of the group after convincing Gil @ThatDamnWalrus to surrender the item from
his possession.

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The Puck was taking its toll on Bjorn

The Puck of Power corrupted any individual who held it too long. It did a number on Gil and Bjorn was already starting to feel the weight of the Puck in his satchel. The Puck was calling to him to touch it now, to take it in his hands and claim the power for himself.

“Are you alright Mr. Bjorn? You’re looking a little pale.” Adam Scianna @RedCapeDiver had been watching Bjorn closely since they left Dallas.

“I’ll be alright Adam. We just need to keep moving. Luke, where to next?”

“We have two options and neither of them are particularly ideal. We can continue strolling along this road for another six weeks. It is safer, in theory, but it adds a lot of time to our journey. The longer the Puck is in the world, the more chances other teams will have to take advantage of its power and game the system in their favor. If they discover it, that is. It’s safe, relatively speaking, and we will probably encounter fewer hostile forces. Maybe a Whaler or two. Possibly a Falcon.”

“And what of the other option? Out with it old man.” White Goodman @Jearim was quiet for much of the journey so far but his frustration was growing.

“The other option,” Luke began, “The other option would be to go to a place that has been closed off for quite some time. Most of the entrances have been closed off but there are people who know of ways in. It is an old place filled with history and memories. Some of those memories are good, and some are better left forgotten. But it is the way I recommend, no matter how dangerous it may be.”

“The Thunderdome? That place is harmless. It’s been weakening for years now and it continues to get softer. There’s no way we would make it through before the whole thing collapses.” Kaarlo Kekkonen @dankoa stepped forward and pointed toward the road. “I suggest we stick to the road if that is our only other option.”

“Kaarlo my dear boy, I was not referring to the Tunderdome. I was referring to the STHS Archive.”

The Archive was a giant tomb where all of the old players were buried. It was constructed as a burial site for everything related to Simon T. The Archive also contained a historical log of all previous seasons prior to the league switching to FHM. But there was a large fire in the catacombs started by the North Star Cult from Toronto. A lot of the old logs were burned and most of the entrances were closed off.

There were still entrances to be found but no map existed that could advise the adventurers which entrance was actually open.

“The Archive? It will take us just as long to find an entrance as it would to take the long road. Why don’t we just stay the course?” Noah Brusky @BrewskyBoy had a fear of tombs and catacombs but he didn’t let the group know.

“I’m getting hungry,” Piotr Horvat chimed in.

“The ice cream wasn’t enough for you?”

“Leave me alone White, any poor soul would have fallen victim to Finn’s tricks.”

“But we didn’t,” Kekkonen jumped in. “It was you. Don’t think we will let you live this down anytime soon.”

“This arguing is not helping anyone,” Andreas Kvalheim @raymond3000, the team captain, finally chimed in. “Luke, if we successfully get into the Archive how much time should we expect to save?”

“Five weeks, at least. The Archive itself is directly underneath us, but the nearest entrance could be anywhere. If we can find an entrance, we will be in luck.”

“All I am hearing about is talk of an entrance,” Josef Kubinec said. “What about an exit on the other side? The whole point of this is to get us closer to the Suggestion Box. Not just to get into an Archive.”

“Josef, getting in is the hard part,” Luke replied. “Getting out of STHS, that’s the easy part. You just leave that to me. But first, before we just go searching, does anyone have any clue or idea about where to start looking for an entrance?”

“I do,” said Adam Scianna. “It’s a longshot, but it just might work. I know of a person, but the last I heard he’s been locked up.”

“What did he do? Any lead is better than nothing,” said Luke with an encouraging tone.

“He used bad grammar and was taken off to a local jail by some vigilante. He’s been there for a few weeks, last I heard. It’s not far from here.”

“I’m not feeling very well,” interrupted Bjorn. “Would it be possible for me to stay behind?”

“Not by yourself Bjorn, I’ll stay with you,” said Noah Brusky.

“As will I,” said Piotr Horvat.

“So we split into two groups,” said Kvalheim. “White, Josef, you stay with the defense. Protect them at all costs. Kaarlo, Luke, and I will take Adam to town and see what this man knows.”

“Bjorn, you’re not looking so well,” Kubinec said. He was observing the sickly defender from afar and looked concerned. “Is that Puck too much for you to carry? How about letting one of us share the load? I can take it for a while if you would like.”

“Josef. What are you doing?” Andreas turned back and walked toward Josef, getting between him and Bjorn.

“Well why does he have to be the one who carries it? It’s clearly hurting him. We should take turns. It’s only fair.”

“Josef,” Luke interrupted. “Why don’t you come along with Kaarlo and me? Andreas, you stay behind on this one. Protect the defense.”

“Fair enough,” said Andreas. “Josef, you go on to town with Luke and Kaarlo. They could use your help if things get dicey.”

“Yea fair enough,” said Josef. “Sorry Bjorn, not sure what came over me.”

“It’s okay,” said Bjorn. “Just go. The sooner we get through the Archive, the sooner we get to the Suggestion Box.” Bjorn was exhausted. The Puck was calling out to him, asking to be held. He was seeing visions of unlimited power and the Renegades hoisting Challenge Cup after Challenge Cup. He collapsed on the ground. The last thing he saw were his four brave companions walking into town to ask about the Archive. Then, all he saw was darkness.

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Luke, Adam, Josef, and Kaarlo head toward town

The Corrector

Luke, Josef, Kaarlo, and Adam made their way through town toward the local jail. The town was quiet. No one was on the streets and none of the businesses appeared to be open.

“What is this place?” Kaarlo kept one hand on the hilt of his sword, being extra aware of his surroundings.

“I have only been here once before,” said Adam. “But I never got the name of the town. Something has definitely happened here though. The streets are usually full of people. Something is off. We should all be on guard.”

Luke looked for any sign of life and finally found an old man in a window beckoning the group over to his house. “Over there. He wants to speak with us.”

The four adventurers made their way over to the small house where the man had beckoned them. “Please, speak quietly. He’s probably listening right now.”

“Who is listening? Adam, let’s hurry this along,” said Josef. “Ask him what happened here and see if your friend is still in jail.”

“Greetings. My name is Adam Scianna of the Texas Renegades. I mean you no harm. Can you tell us what happened here? Who might be listening? And have you seen a man who calls himself Michael Fitted? @Fitted2106.”

“Aye, I have. The Corrector took him off to jail a few weeks ago. Something about butchering the language. But the only butchering going on around here is being done by The Corrector. He’s killing people if they misspell a word or just the wrong pronoun. We’re all afraid to go outside. You’ll want to be dealing with him before you try to get to Michael.”

“Thank you,” said Luke. “I suppose we shall have to draw this Corrector out.”

“Indeed,” said the old man. “But he’s armed to the teeth. He has a crossbow, two swords, a dictionary, and even a bloody Thesaurus. He even has about 6,000,000 karma points on Reddit just for correcting people. He’s prepared for any threat. He killed every member of his own team, the Wolfpack of New England, for saying nothing but ‘awooooo’ and ‘akakakak’ in the locker room.”

“I’ll draw him out,” said Josef. “You three can make your way to the jail and find Michael. Just hurry. I’ll hold out as long as I can.”

Adam, Kaarlo, and Luke made their way to the jailhouse. A crossbow bolt whizzed by Luke’s head and hit the jailhouse door.

“Up there,” Adam pointed. “On the roof of that Tim Horton’s.”

“Run, we’re almost there! Josef, cover us!” Luke, Kaarlo, and Adam made their way into the jailhouse while avoiding two more bolts.

Josef stood in the middle of the street and yelled at the Corrector. “Hey Corrector, you should of worked on your aim before messing with my team.”

“Should HAVE! You insolent swine. It’s should HAVE.” The Corrector @TheHockeyist jumped down off of the Tim Horton’s building and drew both of his swords. He charged Josef. “For your butchering of my sacred language, I shall butcher you. Prepare to die!”

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[Image: 68747470733a2f2f7261772e6769746875622e63...742e706e67]

The Corrector

The Corrector lunged at Kubinec who deflected three blows before losing his footing. “Damn, I knew I should of put more TPE into balance this season.”

“HAVE!” The Corrector swiped Josef’s sword out of his hand and knocked him to the ground. “Prepare to die.”

A Cased of the Fitteds

Luke, Adam, and Kaarlo made their way through the jailhouse. All but two of the cells were empty. Luke walked up to one of the occupied cells and saw a man dressed in blue robes. He had a star etched in his forehead. “Are you Michael Fitted?”

“The Archive must burn. Your quest is futile. No one must access the Archive. The Steelhawk stirs. Burn the Archive, save the league. Don’t let the Steelhawk stir. Burn the Steelhawk. An Inferno comes.

But something else from the West. Something unexpected. An eye. An eye on a vessel. But still, the Steelhawk stirs. The league expands.”

Kaarlo drew his sword. “Want me to put this poor soul out of his misery? What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s a North Star Cultist. Judging from his robes, he is some kind of prophet,” said Luke.

“Not a prophet. This one is called Squall. @CptSquall The North Star will rise again.”

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Squall

“I’ve heard enough.” Kaarlo took the hilt of his sword and struck Squall in the head, knocking him out.

Adam was at the other occupied cell. “Fitted! How’s it going?”

“Fuk bit to be far to see where I am n dis holla at me if u tink I man enuf to fite a bear with your hand.”

“Me too my friend, me too. Listen, I’ll let you out of here but we need your help first. You said you were in the Archive a few months ago right? Do you remember how to get there?”

“Bish I no where de archive is. But no goin dere n e more. Fitted no fuk with cult bishes. Fitted draw map. U gotz pant?”

“Kaarlo, there’s a hardware store across the street. Go get some paint and a brush. I’ll go check on Josef. Adam, you stay here. I don’t really know what the fuck he’s saying but it sounds important.”

Kaarlo and Luke ran outside. The Corrector had Kubinec pinned up against a car slapping him in the face with a dictionary. Kaarlo ran into the hardware store.

Luke slammed the end of his staff into the ground which shook the earth. The Corrector turned his attention to Luke. “Ah, the Keeper of Knowledge. I have been looking forward to this day. Have you come to butcher my language too?”

“No Corrector, just you.” Luke shot a lightning bolt out of his staff that shot through the Corrector, knocking him through a wall.

The Corrector stood up, dusting himself off. “Impressive, Record Keeper. But you’ll have to try harder than that to…” An arrow shot through the Corrector’s head and he collapsed in a heap on the ground. All of his knowledge and everything that he had ever known or ever been or ever would be seeped out through the cavities created by the arrow.

“Where did that arrow come from?” Kubinec was back on his feet now, wiping the blood from his face. Another arrow shot at him and barely missed. “Over there. It’s the North Star Cultists. They’re a long way from Toronto. They even have their prospects with them.”

“Indeed. I hear they’re pretty good,” said Luke.

The Cultists closed in on Josef and Luke. A group of twenty, all with the same star carved in their foreheads. Josef looked at Luke. “I hope Kaarlo has that paint.”

Kaarlo had located some red paint in the hardware store and had made his way back to the jailhouse. “I hope your friend works fast, Adam. They’re in trouble outside.”

“Is The Corrector still out there?”

“The Corrector is dead but a bunch of Squall’s buddies are outside and I don’t think they’re here for the Kool-Aid. They even have their prospects with them.”

“I hear they’re pretty good.”

“Yea, they are. Anyway, Michael, here’s your paint. Show us how to get inside the Archive and we’ll let you out of here.”

Michael Fitted took the can of red paint and opened it. He emptied the contents on the ground, canvasing the cell floor in red. He then started flailing about in the paint, slinging it everywhere. The paint was splashing and sloshing as Fitted entered a trance. His words were incomprehensible. The paint flung on every wall of the cell.

“What the fuck is he doing Adam?”

“Let him work, let him work. This is what he does.” Adam did not seem concerned.

The fighting continued outside as Luke and Josef fought with the cultists. Josef was surprised by their strength. “It shouldn’t be this difficult. Their TPE isn’t that high.”

“Sim fuckery,” said Luke. “It’s just sim fuckery.”

The Cultists had Luke and Josef cornered in and were about to go in for the kill when a large axe broke through cult’s ranks. It was the axe of White Goodman. Behind him were Andreas Kvalheim and the
other defensemen, Noah, Bjorn, and Piotr. Andreas and White carved through the cultists like butter while the defensemen picked off any who tried to escape.

“Bjorn. Is the Puck safe?”

“It’s safe Luke.”

“Thanks for coming. I didn’t think we were going to make it there for a second.”

“No problem,” said Kvalheim. “We heard the earth shake and figured something had gone wrong. So we rushed over here. Bjorn just needed some rest before he continued.”

White Goodman wiped some blood off his axe. “These North Star Cultists even brought their prospects.”

“They did,” said Noah. “I hear they are pretty good.”

“They were,” chuckled White.

Adam and Kaarlo emerged from the jailhouse followed by a red Michael Fitted. Fitted ran off through town yelling at walls. “We have it,” yelled Adam. “It’s not far from here at all. Half a day’s journey and we shall be there.”

“Great job Adam,” said Luke. “Let’s not waste any more time here.”

The townsfolk began coming out of their houses and thanked the Fellowship for saving them. They provided the Fellowship with food and fresh clothes. The Fellowship set out toward the Archive, bidding farewell to the friendly townsfolk.

The Archive

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The Archive

They had found their way to the Archive by somehow following Michael Fitted’s incoherent directions. The entrance was covered by a boulder that White and Andreas moved with ease. They all lit torches and entered the catacomb.

They traversed inward for about an hour before they came to a large opening. Luke thumped his staff on the ground again and the entire room lit up.

“Oh wow, it’s an entire hockey arena,” observed Bjorn. “Did someone used to play here?”

“Indeed they did,” said Luke. “A team played here for many years. But after the team left the city, fans and alumni kept clamoring for a team to return. So Head Office did the only responsible thing. They moved the entire arena and buried it in the Archive.”

“What city did this used to be in?”

“Montreal.”

They moved out of the buried arena and traversed farther into the Archive. They came to another large room. Luke lit it up with his staff again. This room contained sarcophagi that contained the remains of old players. Each sarcophagus had an image of the player and their stats engraved on the side.

“Each of these men played during the era of STHS.”

“I’m confused about these engravings, Luke,” said Andreas.

“How so?”

“Well, they’re all virtually the same. There is no real creativity at all here. Most of them all have the same strengths and weaknesses. It’s all so meta.”

“Careful there Andreas, don’t go breaking the fourth wall.”

“Alright then,” said Andreas. “So, you said getting in was the hard part. So now that we’re in, how do we go about getting through? How are we going to get to the other side and closer to the Suggestion Box?”

“How?” Luke smiled.

“Yes, how do we get out of STHS?”

“Well that’s simple,” said Luke. “We just need to find the Steelhawk.”

“I see, and where is the Steelhawk?”

“We should be close. It is just a short walk from the burial site here. Let’s keep going.”

Piotr was in the back beside Bjorn. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright, said Bjorn. I just want to get out of the Archive. I’m feeling a little claustrophobic.” Piotr stopped by an unlit candle. There was an engraving above the candle. “If you are not happy with FHM, then light this candle, so we can begin.” Piotr lit the candle.

Suddenly the room started rumbling. “What did you do Piotr?” Luke ran to the back where Piotr and Bjorn were. “You fool, did you light this candle?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know anything would happen.”

All of the lids came off the sarcophagi and the undead corpses of legends long gone came back to life. “Oh my God! Is that Ron Mexico? Hey Ron, huge fan.” The corpse of Ron Mexico grabbed Kaarlo and threw him across the room.

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Ron Mexico leading the undead SHL

“They’re fast and strong but most of them can’t take a hit and can’t hit either,” said Luke. Just push through them, we don’t want to waste time fighting these corpses.”

The Fellowship fought through the undead and into the next room. They closed the door behind them.

“And there it is,” said Luke. “It’s the Steelhawk.”

A giant Steelhawk, frozen in time, was facing an opening in the wall, as if to point the Fellowship toward the exit. “See? He’s telling us which way to go.”

“Didn’t that Squall character say something about the Steelhawk stirring? What did he mean?”

“I wouldn’t worry,” said Kaarlo. “I would put much weight in anything those cultists say, even if they did attract good prospects.”

“Still,” continued Adam. “Let’s get through here as quickly as possible.”

The Fellowship walked toward the opposite end of the room where the opening was. They started to make their way through, with Luke going last. “This was easier than I expected, for once.”

Suddenly, the ground began to shake again. “Was that you Luke,” asked Noah.

“Not that time,” said Luke.

The vibration was heaviest around the Steekhawk. Suddenly, the Steelhawk’s eyes began go glow and signs of life appeared everywhere. The creature screeched at the Fellowship, knocking them to the ground. It started chasing them through the opening in the wall. The Fellowship sprinted through the opening. Finally, Josef, who was in front, saw signs of light up ahead.

“Just a little more,” said Josef. “We are almost there.”

“Keep going,” said Luke. “I’ll slow him down.”

The rest of them kept running, except for Bjorn and Andreas. “Luke,” yelled Andreas. “You can’t defeat that thing.”

Luke ignored Andreas and set his focus on the giant Steelhawk. “I call upon all the records of the realm and all the data in league history. I call upon the souls of those who have come before and those who will come after. I call upon the ghost of Leshaun King! I call upon all of these things for you, you vile pile of filth. You will not get through me, not today, and not any day. I call upon the Rage of Manhattan, the Pride of San Francisco, and everything in between! And it’s all for you!”

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Luke faces the Steelhawk

The Steelhawk was roaring at Luke and came within inches of his face. Luke did not budge. “Foul Steelhawk! YOU…SHALL NOT…PAAAAAASSSS!”

The Steelhawk didn’t budge but gave a slight smile to Luke before driving a claw through his chest. “I never pass you idiot, I’m a Steelhawk.” With Luke’s last ounce of life, he threw his staff against the wall and brought down the entire Archive. As the entire thing collapsed, crushing the old arena, all of the undead, and everything in between, the rest of the Fellowship made their way out.

Loss of a Friend

The four defensemen were in tears as they exited the Archive. They had just lost their guide and friend.

“We have to keep moving.” Andreas had stepped in to take control of the situation.

“Give them a chance to catch their breath, they just lost a friend!” Kubinec was also frustrated and tired.

“There is no time Josef. I wish there was but there isn’t. We can’t stay here. We are too exposed and I’m sure word of the Puck has traveled far and wide by now. The closer we get to the Suggestion Box, the more people become aware of it.”

The Fellowship had come out on the side of a mountain and had to descend to the land below to continue their journey. Kaarlo scouted ahead until he could get a better view in all directions. To the
north, where they were heading, lay the Suggestion Box. To the south lay Texas. To the West, he felt a strong breeze and smelled the ocean. To the east, he felt a warm breeze and could see a red haze on the horizon. He ran back to the party. “We can’t stay here,” he said. “I have a feeling that multiple forces are closing in on this place.”

“I wish we could give Luke a proper burial,” said Noah. “It doesn’t seem right to leave like this, but we have no choice. Andreas is right.”

The Expansion Draft

By the time the Fellowship had descended the mountain, the heat from the east and the cold from the west were colliding.

“Hold on,” said Adam. “Kaarlo, when we were in the jailhouse. Wasn’t Squall saying something about
an Inferno?”

“He was babbling about a lot of things. But yes, I remember he said something about an Inferno, and something else.”

Andreas looked to the east and could see the hills on fire. As he looked closer, he could see fiery figures emerging from the blaze. He looked to the west again and saw a wave of water coming over the hills. There were ships on the waves. The two fronts continued to get closer and closer.

Before completely colliding, the flames stopped advancing, as did the water. A fiery figure on a fiery horse rode toward the Fellowship, and another man from the water side rode toward them too.

“Let me do the talking,” said Andreas. “But, be ready.”

“Bjorn, stay with me,” said White. “I’m not sure how this will go.”

Bjorn was starting to get tired again as the Puck called out to him now more than ever. He was feeling a strong urge to grab the Puck now. Maybe the Puck could help them get out of this predicament.

The fiery figure arrived first. Smiling, he introduced himself. “Hello, my name is Hotdog. I’m with the Atlanta Inferno.” @hotdog

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[Image: 19e2c24340adae843577aeb27f79efa9.jpg]

Hotdog

The man from the water had now arrived. “Hello Hotdog. I see we had the same idea here. Greetings stranger. My name is Tig. I’m with the Seattle Argonauts.” @notorioustig

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Tig

“I am Andreas Kvalheim of the Texas Renegades. These are my friends Josef, Kaarlo, White, Piotr, Bjorn, Noah, and Adam.”

“Texas,” Hotdog remarked. “You’re a long way from Texas. What brings you this far from home?”

“We are going to the Sug…” Kvalheim waved Noah to be silent.

“Training camp. We are training up here because it’s colder. May I ask what your business is?”

“Tig, you can take this one.”

“Thanks Hotdog. Well, Andreas. As new teams, we get to take part in an expansion draft. Basically, we get to pick players from whatever team with a handful of exceptions. So, one of you has to come with me, and the other has to go with Hotdog.”

“That’s quite alright,” said Andreas. “We are quite happy in Texas. You just go along. I hear Buffalo has some good players. I’d also recommend Toronto.”

“Ah Toronto,” said Hotdog. “I hear they show a lot of promise, even their prospects. I hear they’re pretty good.”

“Well,” said Andreas. “They were, but we killed all but one of them. There’s one locked up in a jailhouse in a town over that mountain. Good luck getting there though.”

“You killed the North Stars? That leaves us fewer players to choose from.” Tig mused on this for a minute. “Okay, so we will each take two of you.”

“We said we are not going.” Kubinec stepped forward. “Tig. I’m not sure who you are, riding in here on your boat with an eye, but I don’t really care. We are Renegades, and none of us are going anywhere. And you, fire-man. Hotdog, if that is even your real name, we are not going with you either.”

“That’s cool,” said Hotdog. “Do you have a protection list?”

“What the fuck is a protection list?”

“Your manager just submits it before we get here and you can’t be drafted. Your manager did submit one right?”

“Well, no. Look,” said Andreas. “We have been on the road for a long time and this is the first we are hearing about this protection list. Just leave us alone. We have a places to be.”

Hotdog and Tig stared at each other and shrugged. Hotdog looked and Andreas. “Very well.” They both turned around and rode back to their respective sides.

“That was easy enough,” said Kaarlo. “Let’s get moving. We still have a lot of ground to cover and a few hours before nightfall.”

They walked across a plain which stretched out for miles. “You see those hills in the distance.” White pointed to some rolling hills that were several miles away. “We need to head in that direction. From there, we should be able to plot a course for the Suggestion Box.”

As they kept walking, they felt the ground rumbling beneath them. Kubinec turned around. The Inferno and Argonauts were charging them, approximately forty in total. “Draw your weapons, protect the defensemen! Bjorn, Adam, run!”

“We’re not running,” said Bjorn. “I’m too tired anyway. We all fight or we all die.”

The Fellowship drew their weapons and all charged at the two expansion teams. Bjorn was immediately knocked down by an Inferno player on horseback and his satchel flew off of his shoulder. He got up to retrieve it but an Argonaut knocked him in the head from behind. He was dazed and disoriented. The satchel was getting trampled on.

Andreas had sliced through five Argonauts with ease but was now facing Tig, who was much stronger than the rest of his minions. Andreas got the upper hand, knocking Tig to the ground and was going in for the killing blow before several more Argonauts attacked him.

White Goodman and Kaarlo were fighting off the Inferno but got separated. Kaarlo was now facingHotdog alone. Hotdog wielded two flaming blades and swung them wildly. Kaarlo fended Hotdog’s attacks before dropping his sword. Hotdog stood over him. “Last chance. You’re pretty good, I could use you on my side.”

“Not a chance,” replied Kaarlo. Kaarlo kicked Hotdog in the groin. Hotdog keeled over in pain allowing Kaarlo to grab his sword. He pushed Hotdog over with another weak kick and now stood over the leader of the Inferno.

“I’m sorry it came to this, Kaarlo. I truly am. But rules are rules and we must take two of you.” Kaarlo noticed that Hotdog was showing genuine remorse and lowered his weapon. As he did, Tig drove a spear into his back, coming out through his abdomen. “And now you, Kaarlo, will not be one of them.” Hotdog got back to his feet and drove one of his blades into Kaarlo’s chest.

Both men removed their weapons from Kaarlo as he collapsed to the ground. His battered teammates tried to run and help him but faced too much resistance. White was occupied with the Inferno who were shooting flaming pucks at him. He was able to deflect the majority of them but was still getting hit. Andreas was trying to keep the enemies off of Bjorn while the Noah, Adam, and Piotr tried to wake him. Tig and Hotdog turned their attention to Kubinec.

“Andeas,” Kubinec yelled. “Get them out of here. Get the Puck of Power and continue on. I’ll hold them off. White, you too.”

Bjorn was awake and managed to grab his satchel before being knocked down again by an Argonaut. The Argonaut was about to go in for the killing blow but Noah and Piotr tackled him to the ground while Adam stabbed him repeatedly.

White and Andreas were back with Bjorn now, helping him to his feet. They watched as Josef was surrounded by Inferno and Argonauts. They started stabbing him from all angles but he kept fighting them off as long as he could. Their attention was drawn away from the rest of the group.

Bjorn was out of options. He was about to fail his mission and all he had to show for it were fresh bruises and a few dead friends. He knew what he had to do. As Josef’s lifeless corpse fell to the ground, Bjorn reached into the satchel and put his hands on the Puck. He had no idea what would happen, but he was out of options. He removed the Puck from his satchel and raised it. The Puck began to glow a bright blue and a shield of energy surrounded the party. Hotdog and Tig turned their attention to the energy field. They ordered their troops to attack but before they could reach the shield, it had disappeared, as had the remaining Renegades.

Back in Dallas

Alexander Watcher @MP7 and Ivan Maximus @thiefofcheese were running a practice with the rest of the Renegades who were left behind.

“When do you think they will be back, Ivan?”

“I’m not sure Alexander. But we have our instructions. We need to get ready for the season. We have some big shoes to fill.”

Eric Hudson @EricNCSU came running out of the locker room. “Did you hear about the Expansion Draft? Apparently Texas got caught in the middle and they are in grave danger. It turned violent. Unknown body count on any side but it’s not pretty.”

“I feared as much,” said Ivan. “But still, we have our orders.”

“Ivan, they could be in trouble. You know what Luke said. If the Puck isn’t destroyed, the league will never be safe. We have to go.”

“Alexander, if we leave, there might not be a Renegade team left when the season starts.”

“If we don’t go, there might not even be a bloody season, Ivan!”

Ivan thought over this idea. “You’re right. Round up the prospects. Eric, get the gryphons ready for travel. We leave at sunrise. Everyone goes. Even the prospects. Guy @JSS331, Edward @Aephino, SLATT @Rindiee, Burkok @levidian, Mikkel @Rabidsponge21, Joseph @Fantobens, Konrad @JHS, Taisto @Murtsi, Theo @Ohtaay, James @CampinKiller, and Sammy @hockeyfan. Everyone goes.”

“What about Nikolai @ztevans, Piotr @majesiu, and Manuel @Mavfatha?”

“Nikolai is retiring. Let him stay retired. No sense putting him in danger. Piotr and Manuel, I’m not sure if they have signed extensions yet or not but if they want to come, we have a gryphon for each of them.”

“Wait. We have gryphons? Since when?”

“We’ve always had them. They’ve been out back.”

“So why did Luke take them on a bus?”

“I don’t know, Alexander. You’d have to ask Luke. We leave at sunrise. Prep the team and get some rest.”

Buffalo

WannabeFinn @WannabeFinn had arrived back in Buffalo in his brand new bus. But he had no time to rest. He had called a meeting with several other managers who were now waiting, rather impatiently, for him to arrive.

As he entered his office he took a head count. Sitting to the right of him was Tomen @Tomen, his business partner. In attendance were the leaders of the New Orleans Specters, Joe K. @JKortesi81 and TDZ @TheDangaZone, the leaders of the Edmonton Blizzard, Keygan @Keygan, and Tommy @TommySalami, and the leader of the Manhattan Rage, JayWhy @JayWhy.

“I’m not sure where Luke is, WannabeFinn. I was hoping he would join us but it’s just me,” said JayWhy.

“All will be explained in time JayWhy. Not to worry.” WannabeFinn snapped his fingers and his assistant closed the office door on the way out. “Gentleman, I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called you here today. But look at each other, look around the room. What do you see?”

“Consistent playoff appearances,” said Keygan.

“Exactly! And I am here to make a proposal.”

“Nope, I’m out. I know better.” JayWhy went to stand up but was forced down by a Stampede guard.

“Relax. You don’t have to give up anything for this. Just a little time. This league is changing. Some would say for the better, and some would disagree with that. The tides are changing. The Barracuda will not be down for long. The Jets and Chiefs will be entirely new teams soon. Texas is on the rise. Well, were on the rise. Chicago and New England always pose a threat. The North Stars, well, they’re not much of a threat anymore. But the expansion teams grow stronger. They leech off of the rest of us, poaching our talent as their own. It’s offensive. But, it doesn’t have to be. We can stop the expansion teams. And I don’t even have to make a deal. That’s the best part.”

“What are you getting at Finn?” Joe K. was listening intently but growing impatient.

“Have you ever heard of the Puck of Power?”

“But that’s just a story…” said Tommy Salami.

“But it’s not just a story Tommy. The Puck is real. And this man’s partner,” said Finn while pointing at JayWhy, “Discovered it.”

“Luke?”

[Image: 1000?cb=20140320162515]

Finn calls a meetng

“Yes. Luke discovered that the Puck of Power was real. It was discovered somewhere by Gil @ThatDamnWalrus. Gil brought it to Luke’s attention, saying it was giving off some strange energy. So of course, Luke did research and collected all the data he needed when he realized what it actually was. Gil was hanging out in Texas at the time and Luke took some of the Renegades to destroy the Puck. In the wrong hands it can do horrible damage and all that. But Luke came to an untimely death as did a handful of the Renegades. My spies tell me they are licking their wounds somewhere looking for the Suggestion Box.”

“Who are your spies?”

“Not to worry TDZ. You don’t need to know. But I have a spy entrenched deep within Texas who has fed me everything. So, why have they decided to destroy the Puck and not use it for themselves? Do they think it will turn the league into some strange utopia where parity exists and everything is fair? We all know that’s not how it works. So, I aim to stop them. I aim to wipe out the Renegades and claim the Puck for us. But I need help. What say the four of us go after them together? I mean one on one, they would probably lose anyway. But one of them has the Puck of Power in his possession. If he figures out how to use it before destroying it, we will all be doomed.”

“What’s in it for us?” Keygan was skeptical and his partner Tommy seemed disinterested.

“We take turns. We hold a lottery to see who gets it first and then we rotate every season. Our cabinet will be full in a matter of seasons. And if anyone else wants a piece of the pie, they have to buy in. But you guys, you get in now.”

“This is wrong,” said Tommy. “I’ll have no part of it. This is sick. You’re sick. Keygan, let’s go.” Tommy stood up but before he took two steps WannabeFinn snapped his fingers again. Tomen stood up and stabbed Tommy in the neck, killing him.

“I left out the part where if you opt out of this deal, you opt out of this life.”

The room was silent.

“We didn’t work this hard and get this good just to lose it all to expansions and rebuilds did we? That Puck will be ours. No matter the cost.”