Arrow Hawk: Gronk Smash! (Book 5)

Sidney Crosby's Dream (A Glimpse of Nathan Mackinnon's Future)

Sidney Crosby lays down in his bed. His head is hurting him and it isn't because he has a concussion or anything. His mind has been jumbled and he has been having strange feelings all day. It is almost like his mind's eye knows something, he doesn't. He hopes that a little sleep will cure the pain.

Before he can fall asleep, his phone goes off to his side. He reaches over and lifts it into his eyesight. "Geno?" He heaves a sigh and unlocks it with the slide of his thumb and then sticks the cell to his ear.

"Hey Sid!!?? Guess what?" an energetic Evgeni Malkin exclaims.

"What Geno?" Sidney groans, rolling over in his bed.

"I'm at this place in Pittsburgh and there's this little kid who prefers me over you!! Isn't that great Sid?"

"Geno..." Sidney groans.

"Russia best, Sid!"

"Is that all or is there something more important you had to tell me? I haven't slept in awhile and I need to sleep!"

"Uh...OH! Sid! Sid! Sid! Sid!" Geno excitedly shouts into the phone.

Sidney sighs and mutters, "What Geno?"

"I just want to say..."

"What?"

"HI! How are you? Are you going to be at practice later?"

"I don't know Geno and I'm really tired. Good night."

"SID WAIT!" Geno screams, causing Sidney to pull the phone back from his head.

"Yes, Geno?"

"No drop cup in dream!" Geno chuckles.

"I won't Geno! Now good night." Sidney hangs up and slams his phone back onto the top of his dresser, where it was before.

The captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins leans back and snuggles into his bed, getting under the covers. Within moments he is fast asleep.

As his vision clouds over, Sidney finds himself in the middle of Nathan Mackinnon's house in Colorado. Nathan is asleep, when suddenly the door to his room is flung open and it bangs loudly against the wall. Sidney watches as three men enter the room and hurry over to the bed. Nathan stirs and blinks awake.

Before he can react, one of the men slaps a hand over Nathan's mouth and whispers, "Nathan Mackinnon, on behalf of the Russian Federation and Mr. Vladimir Putin, we would like to talk to you."

"What the hell?" Nathan muffles. He shoves the hand away from his mouth and sits up. "What are you doing in my house?"

"If you fight us, we will have no choice but to restrain you," the man continues in his thick Russian accent.

"Get out of my house!" Nathan snaps.

"We MUST talk to you. It is about your future."

Nathan (and Sidney) cock their heads in curiosity.

"My future? How the hell do you know about my future?" Nathan demands.

The man yanks Nathan from his bed and forces him toward the door with a rough shove. "In a little while you shall see. Now come with us and we promise not to hurt you. If you don't, we have been ordered to do whatever is necessary." He grabs onto Nathan's arm once more and pulls him into the hallway.

"Kidnapping me?" Nathan questions, jerking his arm out of the grip of the lead man.

"Precisely."

"No thanks. Even in Russia, that's illegal! I'm pretty sure!" He turns to head back to his bed. "Don't you even dare to grab me, I'll fight and if I must, I will hurt you!"

"Nathan Patrick Mackinnon, don't be so ridiculous! Besides, wouldn't you wanna see your little friend Jonathan Drouin again?"

Nathan halts and spins around, narrowing his eyes at the man. "Where's Jo?"

"Why, Russia of course. Along with Sid too."

Sidney feels himself clenching a fist at his side as he watches. He half wants to shout out at Nathan and tell him that he is right there, but he knows that he isn't really in Nathan's room. He can only watch as the young Colorado forward is wickedly tricked into going with the Russian man.

Nathan frowns. "Fine. There's no need to be forceful, I'll go with you."

The man nods his head and then looks at his friends. "Excellent. Sergey, if you will..."

One of the men, a guy with piercing gray eyes, (Sergey) wraps his arms around his friends with Nathan stuck in the middle. He mutters something in Russian and within an instant the group vanishes in a poof of red smoke. Nathan gasps. Sidney panics but he finds himself transporting with them and eventually they reappear in the middle of Moscow.

"Teleportation?!" Sidney gasps to himself.

"Where are we?" Nathan asks. He is rather unfazed about the teleportation, though Sidney can see a touch of curiosity and wonder in the young forward's eyes.

"Russia. Well, more accurately Moscow. There is someone here who has been dying to see you...he will be the one to talk to you. Thank you for coming along willingly, it made things so much easier."

Sidney watches Nathan leave and enter a stereotypical government building. As soon as the Avalanche player vanishes, a piercing scream fills Sidney's ears and he literally drops down to his feet.

What is that? Who's is it? He knows whose it is!

"Nathan!" Sidney gasps. He staggers and claws at the ground, feeling agony. He can see a syringe and feel a sharp pinch in his arm. He screams out with Nathan. Then a terrifying noise enters his head. The noise sounds like a low cow moo...with an upset tummy. But who or what is making the noise?

Before he can find out an answer, he blinks awake and sits up in his bed, sweating profusely. He shakes his head to clear it and sits in place, wondering what he should do. What has happened to Nathan? Is it really happening at that moment? Or will it happen to him?

Sidney will have to find out. If Nathan is in trouble, Sidney is a hero and he is there to save Nathan and help him out. After all Nathan will do the same thing for him, had the roles been reversed.

The Penguin snatches his phone back up and dials Nathan's number. Naturally the call goes right to voicemail. He tries a second time but the same thing happens. "Nathan! Pick up! Kinny, please!" He finally realizes what time it is and gives up.

Of course Nathan's not going to answer his phone at 3:00 in the morning.

Sidney calms down and lies back. He closes his eyes and is able to finally nod off to sleep. There isn't anything he can do tonight. He will have to figure things out tomorrow. He will have to track down Nathan and warn him.