Aspiring

Rescuing Percy

After the big win, Jeremy was finally showing like he was returning to his old self, when he'd been lighting lamps back when Percy had been playing. The team was sitting in the locker room, sharing smiles and laughs, until a stressed out Coach Kucherov entered. He tried not to show his fear or whatever was bothering him, but Jeremy noticed. Something was wrong. He couldn't help but think it was Percy related.

Jeremy got to his feet and ran a hand through his short wavy brown hair. He walked over to the coach and cleared his throat. "Coach K, everything okay? What's the news on Percy's recovery?"

Everyone else heard him and the room fell silent. All eyes turned on the coach. The guy shook his head.

"I don't want to burden you, especially you, Segs. You're just coming back and showing flashes of the superstar rookie who wowed everyone in the beginning of the season. I can't tell you."

"Tell me. I want to know about Percy. Is he okay?!" Jeremy stated, flatly and curiously.

"No, he's not. In fact, he's been kidnapped by a group known as the JLBS!"

Jeremy gasped, throwing his hands to his mouth in surprise. "Kidnapped? But how?"

"I don't know...somehow these guys crept into the hospital and managed to kidnap our concussed rookie!"

"We have to go save him! You have to get him back!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"We're working on it! They are holding him hostage because they want him to play and they think the NHL is a joke and he isn't actually concussed!"

"WHAT?!" Jonathan roared, coming forward. "What sick-minded twerp would think that?!"

"Some chick named Angelica!" Coach Kucherov explained. "You all are lucky we have a few days of rest. I won't bring it up or stop you, but if you are considering going after them, be professional about it. But I don't blame you, hockey teams in the NHL bond together and you all care about Percy. All I can say is, go get our blond goal-scoring boy back!"

"Whoa, serious, you're gonna let us go get him?" Jeremy questioned.

Coach K nodded and winked at them. "I am. And Marchy, I'm sorry about this stimulating the past in your memory, but I trust you to push the past aside, help them out and be my alternate captain!"

Tyler shuffled his feet, looking away from everyone.

"What happened to him?" Jeremy and Brampton asked Jonathan, who led by example and walked up to Tyler, patting his shoulder in comfort.

"It's best not to talk about," Jonathan said, sorrowfully.

"No, it's okay," Tyler choked out. "I don't mind telling anyone. I've come to terms with it." He turned to look at the newcomers to the Hawks for the season. He told them about his experience with the messed of trio of fan girls who'd kidnapped him and held him hostage. How he'd been save by Patrick Cleary and Fiyero Milan, his old teammates and how he'd follow their example and find Percy and save him.

For the next hour, Nikita, Jonathan, Crow, Jeremy, Tyler, Brampton and Scooby got ready and then left the locker room. Tyler explained how his teammates had tracked him down and they wired Kucherov's phone, so the next call was traced and the location was found.

Then they all headed off and staked out the house. Crow, Scooby and Brampton stayed behind to keep a lookout and remain ready in case the kidnapper wanted to escape. Tyler, Jonathan, Nikita and Jeremy walked up to the house. Nikita was the one who would knock, given that he was the "clueless Russian". Crow joked that Jeremy should do the knocking because he might be able to "flirt his way in" and maybe seduce Angelica with a smoldering look of his that females seemed to like. But that idea was quickly canned by Jonathan, who didn't want to put Jeremy at risk of getting captured.