Arrow Hawk: Battle for the Ice - The Great NHL War (Book 4)

Battle #18: Val Nichushkin & Nikita Zadorov vs Dion Phaneuf & David Clarkson

In Union Park, to the northeast of the United Center,

Nikita Zadorov and Valeri Nichushkin were both hiding behind trees, which lined the small park in Chicago's Olympic Village. Val peered out from around his tree's trunk and he blinked. An arrow shot in their direction and exploded right in-between them both in mid-air. They shared a look with one another.

"Никита, покрыть меня! Я собираюсь атаковать Дион! (Nikita, cover me! I'm going to attack Dion!)" Val shouted to his best friend and 'hockey brother.'

Zady bit his lip and nodded. "Будьте осторожны, Вал. (Be careful, Val.)"

Val nodded back, reaching for an arrow of his own. He inserted it into his bow and darted out from the safety of the tree. David Clarkson, Dion's partner-in-crime shot another arrow at him. Dion Phaneuf, himself, stood to the side of him.

Dion's face was deformed, he had an audio sensor, which was far more sensitive than the human ear, where his left ear should have been. In his left eye, an infrared imaging device was, which afforded him a semblance of sight even in total darkness. He wore a Kevlar-made blue and white costume, which had special hidden compartments for containing various weaponry and devices, such as coils of rope, his guns, among other helpful items.

Clarkson had more of an armored outfit on, but it was blue and white like Dion's outfit. A sword stuck out from his back, sheathed at the moment.

Val pulled a matrix-like move, dodging it. It zoomed past him and hit the tree he'd been hiding behind. The tree exploded into a fiery death trap, sending bark and limbs shooting in every direction. The powerful blast sent Zady flying from the shelter of his hiding spot. He landed on the ground, exposed. Val spotted him scramble to his feet, flick his long coat out of the way and draw an arrow, prepared for an attack. Val whipped back around and shot an arrow of his own at the villain.

"Вы не сойдет с рук больно мой друг! (You won't get away with hurting my friend!)" the young Russian archer snapped as he flipped over another assault arrow, aimed at him.

"Speak English, Russian!!" Clarkson growled.

"Yes, we're in America, we speak English, not Russian!" Dion sneered, launching himself at Zady, who blocked a blow with his recurved bow, which was strong enough to resist breaking apart at the villain's hard blow.

"You no get away with hurt Zady!" Val repeated, this time in choppy English.

"I got this, Nichy, you fight mean Maple Leaf partner!" Zady shouted, as he swung his leg around, clipping Dion's legs and then bashed the big idiot over the head with his bow.

Val was busy sending off arrow after arrow at his enemy in Clarkson, who took time to spit on the ground. The Star flipped up over the Leaf defenseman and looped the bow and string around his head. He landed on the ground with impressive accuracy and skill and then bashed the hard part of the bow against Clarkson's head.

Clarkson was momentarily stunned by the blow and he stumbled forward, but whipped out a sword from his belt and swung it around at Val, who barely dodged it. It narrowly breezed over his head, just slicing off a microscopic piece of his short spiky blond hair. Val blinked in shock and whacked Clarkson across the head with his bow.

"No, bad Clarky, no uh...what word?"

Clarkson kicked Val's legs out in a slewfoot move and sent him crashing to the grass. He reached back for an arrow but Clarkson was on top of him. He grabbed Val's hand and pinned it to his side. With his other, he stuck the sword to Val's neck. The Dallas Star looked at him in shock.