AAOOOSC! Wheatie Bits!

E. 8. "The Game of Juniors" (3/8)

"Oof!"

Carter is thrown into a dining chair just as ribbons of blue energy wraps around his chest, wrists, and ankles, keeping him against the chair.

He snaps his cold eyes up to see his captors. The four are standing in front of him, side-by-side, in Kale and Brett's hotel room. The only light is coming from the desk lamp, which his right next to Carter.

"Safety protocol," Kailer explains, disintegrating his bow and arrow in wisps of blue.

The goalie rolls his eyes. "Some safety."

Brett steps up to him with his hands behind his back. "Carter, listen to me."

He slowly reverts his sharp eyes to him.

"We are a team," he starts of solemnly. "Minus these two." He wags his index finger between Kailer and Jake before dropping it. "But for me, you, AND Kale—" He points to each of the Canadians in the room, including himself. "—we're a team. We are representing our home country. We are here to win the tournament for it. And to win, we must get along with each other." He pauses as the bitterness of the situation settles in.

"But as of right now, it doesn't seem like that's gonna happen..." Brett swishes his suspicious eyes from Carter to Kale then back to Carter.

"You're actually right," Carter remarks sardonically.

"I know, but at this moment, we're teammates." He throws his hands out toward him. "We HAVE to get along. Do it for the sake of this tournament! It's not for that long, we need you two to get along to win!"

"I am not gonna stop—"

"I'm not telling you to stop forever, I'm just asking you to please get along for this tournament!" He drops his hands in weariness. "Don't you want to win?"

Carter keeps his stern expression on him. "There're better things I'd rather have."

A gawk forms on the forward's face. "You're unbelievable."

With that, Kale takes a step up to the goalie, aligning himself with his teammate. "Focus on the win, Carter," he tells him warmly, yet firmly. "Don't focus on your bitterness toward us for some reason. Right here, right now, it's all about the showcase. Nothing else matters. We have to push everything aside to do our best here." He gazes at Brett. "We are all sacrificing something to be here."

Jake responds by whimpering at his bestie with big, longing eyes.

Brett peers behind his shoulder at him and returns to him a cordial, reassuring smile.

Kale turns back to Carter and continues: "If you continue hating on me, we'll lose. But if you put aside your negative feelings and put in your effort, just like everyone else is doing, we'll win. You don't want to go through another heartbreaking loss, don't you?"

Carter frowns with his bottom lip sticking out at the memory of the heartbreaking loss at the 2017 World Juniors gold final when Team Canada lost to Team USA in shootouts.

"Do you understand?" the defenceman presses on earnestly. "Please?"

The goalie slides his eyes up at him, maintaining his frown. "So if I don't win, then that means I get to decide on my actions?"

"No," Brett snaps, "we are going to win."

Carter turns to Kailer. "Can you let us win?"

The small skater gives him a perturbed expression. "Uh, no—" He swishes his eyes from side-to-side before landing them back on the goalie. "—I don't associate myself with cheating."

"We're a team," Brett proceeds with determination, "we fall and rise together." He jabs his pointer finger at him. "You need to put in your hundred-one percent effort as well. No bribing."

Carter gives him a begrudged look. "Fine."

With raised eyebrows, Kale peers next to him and behind him to glance at the standing power players. "So we're all good for now?" He reverts his attention to Carter. "Got it, Carter?"

The goalie dips his head, displaying his scruffy, light brown hair. "Sure."

"Lovely!" Kailer exclaims ebulliently. He rubs his hands together in delight. "Now, Oettinger and I must catch up on our slumber." He spins to Jake, who is to his right. "Come along now."

Jake slouches in his position with a dejected expression. "Awww..." He proceeds to turn around and shuffle away from him.

Carter raises his head at his two teammates. "Can you guys let me go too?" He glances at his brilliant restraints around his body.

"If you stay here with us for the rest of the night," Brett answers briskly with crossed arms.

"We need to gain your trust," Kale adds on friendlier. "To win."

Carter lets out a heavy huff. "Fine."

"Good call," Kailer tells the two Canadian skaters. He then whirls around. "Now, let's go, Oettinger before—" He halts in his command as his eyes land Jake's location in the room.

The tall goalie is curled in the centre on the closest bed. "I wanna stay here too," he murmurs innocently.

"Oettinger, no!" Kailer stalks up to him and leans closer to him. "You mustn't sleep here," he hisses quietly. "It's the enemy's room..." He slides his eyes behind his shoulder to peer at the "enemies."

Jake snaps his big eyes at him. "But Brett's here. I wanna sleep with Brett."

"Jake Dog," he hears Brett's casual voice address him; he raises his eyes higher, landing them on the delightful sight of his bestie, who is approaching him.

With a small, amused smile, Brett stands by the edge of his bed, next to the small American. "Go with Yamma Mamma. You gotta stick with your team."

Jake lowers his downcast eyes. "Okay..." He slowly uncurls himself and rolls off the bed and onto his feet. He straightens himself up, revealing his full, towering height, then peers ahead at his bestie with the same dispirited look. "Hug?"

Brett lets out a slight huff. "Fine."

With a happy gasp and an elated expression popping up on his face, Jake bounds up to him and pulls him into a tight goalie hug.

The forward becomes tense due to the firm grasp of the goalie. He manages to wrap his arms around his back. "Good night, Jake Dog."

Jake pulls away from him to look at him. "Good night, Brett!"

Kailer takes Jake's arm while looking at the Canadians in the room. "Good night, men!" He then strolls out of the room with the goalie trailing behind him.

Once the door closed behind the Americans, the two skaters turn to face their hostage.

Carter is rising to his feet due to the restraints being vanished since their owner left the area.

"So," Kale starts off, looking behind his shoulder before turning back to him, "the sofa's fine?" He holds his hand out behind him, directing his attention to the sofa on the other side of the room.

The goalie does not seem pleased at his only option of sleeping on for the night. "Sure..."

Brett throws an index finger in the air. "Sofa bed!" He rushes up to the sofa, throws out the cushions, then pulls the folded mattress into sight, creating a makeshift bed.

Carter lets out a huge sigh at the small progress his means of sleeping for the night made. "For the win."