Tyler Bozak doesn’t feel the chill in the air. He only wears his Toronto Maple Leaf parka because of the camouflage it provides. The Toronto Maple Leaf standing with Tyler, hidden in the bushes beside a deserted playground, can’t feel anything except the cold in the air.

Mitch Marner is not enjoying his first patrol. It’s cold and wet and nothing has happened. Seven people have walked through the snow tonight. The only one who stopped did so to let their dog take a dump, which they did not pick up. Mitch cannot keep his teeth from chattering, but he has not complained.

“Check the scanner again.” Tyler says.

Mitch presses the large red button on the frost covered screen built into his glove. The screen blinks green light three times.

“Still nothing.” Mitch says.

“This sucks.” Tyler says surprising the young Leaf.

“Um, yeah.” Mitch agrees. “How much longer do we need to stay out here?”

“We get to stay out all night.” Tyler chuckles. “Or until a tentacle demon attacks something nearby.”

Mitch is silenced by the off hand mention of the demons. Mitch is eager to prove himself, but the tentacle demons are the stuff of nightmares. 

“Do you think there will be an attack?” Mitch fails to suppress a shiver.

“Hard to say.” Tyler knows he should say more, try to ease the rookies nerves. “We can handle them.”

“You can, what about me.” Mitch says. “I don’t even know if my powers will work against them.”

“Of course they will.” Tyler answers. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“I don’t know.” Mitch is quiet for a moment. “I guess I’m just scared.”

Tyler waits for more but Mitch offers nothing. The cold thickens and seeps into the deep places of the Leafs.

“You want to talk about scared?” Tyler asks to cut the tension of the moment. “I have a kid. I don’t know what I was thinking about bringing a new life into this crazy world. I mean things are really getting nuts. We actually live in a world where Civil War 2 by Trump could be a real thing. My child will never have to wait until Saturday to watch cartoons or learn a video game cheat code off by heart. It’s terrifying to think that I have to teach a person about being responsible and good. I don’t know how to teach. I don’t feel super great and super strong and all what other people see, but I have to be that everyday. I can’t go hide or just stay in bed or pack up a bag and bounce. I’m Dad, it’s totally fucked.

“I would rather fight terrifying monsters all day than face being a real adult.”

Mitch has nothing to say. He has never heard Tyler speak this way, be this vulnerable. He feels the honour of his mentors confidence.

With an awful sound and penetrating stench a tentacle demon materializes in the playground right by the Leafs.

Tyler turns into a stream of liquid mercury moving quickly toward the demon.

Mitch doesn’t think he just acts. His body splits into another Mitch, both a fraction smaller than the original. Both copies split again and the four Mitches attack the demon with a great bellow.