When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. The Leafs have undergone a major overhaul this year. Of all the changes, none has been more impactful than the addition of a squadron based tactical deployment that head coach Mike Babcock and GM Kyle Dubas designed to keep the peace on the mean Toronto streets. Today we follow Damasque squad: the defence.

Brad Marchand, famed hero of the Boston Bruins, is not a rat. Brad is a wererat, meaning he retains something of his human size and shape when he veers into rat form. His teammates Charles McAvoy and David Pastrnak can appreciate the distinction even if it has no discernible value. In fact Charles is of the opinion that if Brad turned into an actual rat, even a big one, it would be preferable to the weird little man/rat hybrid licking its tail and filling the air around him with a putrid musk.

The Bruins are high above Boston in a single engine aircraft waiting to be attacked.

“I still don’t understand why we have to be the bait.” Charles says.

“Because.” When Brad talks thick strands of drool slowly cascade from his snout. The awful sound he makes when he slurps the drool back into his mouth makes Charles shudder. “It’s our city and it’s our job.”

“Don’t worry.” David says, looking back at Charles from the pilots chair. “I don’t even think it’s going to attack.”

The plane lurches as an enormous pair of claws plucks it out of the air. The howling wind is drowned out by a terrible roar and the plane is thrown to the ground, at least that is what the ancient  blue dragon had intended. Charles uses his super powers to lock the dragon’s claws in place. Charles has never locked anything so big before and he wasn’t sure his powers would work, but they seem to be holding, much to the fury of the ancient beast they work upon.

“They better be here.” Charles yells.

“They will be.” Brad says confidently and in answer a cannon ball strikes the dragon square in the chest. Even though the shot bounces off the tough dragon hide the beast is clearly pained.

The shot came from the Toronto Maple Leaf mag-lift hover platform, to which Ron Hainsey welded an actual Napoleonic cannon immediately upon taking possession of it. Ron has no super power of his own, but his affinity for the hover platform borders on the supernatural as his teammate Morgan Rielly often points out. The Leafs circle the ancient dragon pouring an atrocious amount of gun fire into it. The creature is far from defenseless though.

With its front claws trapped by Charles the dragon seeks to bite the platform in half. Ron is able to keep just out of reach but the dragon has centuries of experience in aerial combat. The dragon’s jaws snap and Ron banks hard to avoid them, the dragon flips in the air and slaps the platform with its tail. Morgan and Ron cling to the platform desperately as it spins out of control.

“I guess I better go finish this.” Brad slurps. The wererat crawls out of the plane and scurries up the dragon’s leg toward its head. David is close behind him while Charles stays in the plane concentrating.

The climb to the dragon’s head is treacherous but Brad and David make it quickly. They can see the Toronto Maple Leaf mag-lift hover platform below them. Ron has the rig under control. The dragon opens its mouth, lightning cracks around its maw as it prepares to obliterate the Leafs with a breath attack. Brad takes a bite out of the dragons left eye. David unloads his Boston Bruins semi-automatic combat shotgun into its right. Blinded, the ancient blue dragon lashes out wildly, hitting several clouds with its lightning breath.

It takes another hour for the dragon to be brought down, but the fight was over the moment the Bruins struck.