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 Ether squad: Goalies.

Michael Hutchison rubs his neck where his new Toronto Maple Leaf body armour has been chafing. Other then that he is feeling as comfortable as he can given his circumstance. It has been almost a week now since he got the news that he would be joining his boyhood heroes. The shock has worn off but the elation hasn’t even begun to dim. None of that matters at the moment though. Michael has a job to do and he needs to focus if he wants to do it. He desperately wants to do it, desperately wants to represent the blue and white well.  To that end he stands and waits in the lobby of the hotel where the Vancouver Canucks are staying for their trip to Toronto. Finally the Canucks head coach, and former Leaf, Travis Green steps out of the elevator.

“Glad you could come.” Travis says, shaking Michaels hand. “Come with me.” The coach leads the new Leaf wizard back to the elevators.

“Can you tell me a little bit about why I’m here?” Michael asks. “It’s not everyday that a team openly asks for an opposing wizards help. What’s going on?”

“I thought you would be able to explain that.” Travis answers mysteriously, they finish the ride in silence.

Getting off the elevator at the top floor, Travis leads Michael down the hall to a set of double doors that stand open. The room behind the doors is bustling with activity, and despite the lavish hotel finery it seems more like an emergency room than a penthouse suite. White lab coats, machines that whirr, screens that ping, and a cornucopia of multi-coloured fluids in hanging sacs. The space is filled with more tools for mundane science than Michael has ever seen gathered at once. As a practitioner of the mystic arts he finds the noise and the lights very distracting.

“Why am I here.” Michael asks Travis again.

Travis points to a cluster of doctors, or scientists, or technicians, or whatever they are, and Michael approaches. Pushing his way through he sees the center of their attention. Brock Boeser, Canucks hero, lays on a sofa with several tubes sticking out of his arms, connected to various . He looks up at Michael and his eyes go wide.

“Hutchinson.” Brock says loudly. “Hutchy, Hutch, Hutchinson. Hutchinson, Michael, Michael Hutcher, Hutchy, Hutchinson.” With every word the young Canuck gets more and more agitated. “Hutchy, Hutchy, Hutchy, Michael Hutchinson!”

“When did this start?” Michael asks the gathering.

“A few hours ago.” Travis answers. “He’s not the only one. Almost the whole team has come down with the same symptoms.”

“And they don’t say anything else?” Michael asks

“Just your name, over and over.” Travis says

Across the room another Canuck, Brandon Suter, begins to yell. “Hutchinson! Hutchinson! Hutchinson! Hutchinson! Hutchinson! Hutchinson!”

Michael walks over and places his hands on either side of Brandons head. The Canuck doesn’t struggle and soon appears to fall asleep.

“I’m going to look inside his mind.” Michael says.

“And who the hell might you be?” One of the older and more closed looking lab coat wearers says.

“Doctor Mastreinam, this is Michael Hutchinson.” Travis steps between the Leaf and the doctor.

The flurry of murmurs that follows washes over Michael and he closes his eyes. The sound is so much like the rush of wind through the trees that Michael is momentarily transported to the wilderness of his heart. Shaking off the distraction Michael again concentrates on Brandon. In his bewildered state it is easy for the Leaf to read the Canuck. What he sees there comes as a total shock. Michael pulls away from Brandon as if burnt by the contact and the wizard backs away.

“What?” Travis asks. “What did you see? What is happening here?”

“I saw me?” Michael says.

“What does that mean?” Travis asks.

“I don’t know.” Michael says honestly. “What I saw in there wasn’t a reflection or a projection. It was as if some part of me is making a nest in there. Like I am in his head.”

“Well get out!” Doctor Mastreinam yells.

“Yeah, okay.” Michael says. “I can do that. Maybe.”

“Just do your best.” Travis says.

Michael closes his eyes again and this time seeks inward looking for any part of him that might be missing. Coming up empty the wizard decides that whos and hows can wait. He extends his awareness to take in the minds of as many of the afflicted Canucks as he can see, nearly a dozen. All of them have Michael in their heads. Each of the little Michaels notices the wizard and starts to smile, dancing a cute little dance. It doesn’t take long for Michael to decide that he is not going to disrupt these little dopplegangers, they are just too cute. He opens his eyes, the room is in chaos.

“Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson!” The Canucks heroes are screaming at the top of their lungs. “Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson!”

Michael slowly backs out of the room. “I think it will get better once I’m gone.” No one pays any attention to him. The noise is terrible and anyone not trying to hide from the sound was too busy trying to calm the Canucks to care about Michael.

“Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson! Michael Hutchinson!”

They are still screaming when Michael steps through a magical portal returning to the peace and luxury of his new rooms in Toronto Maple Leaf tower, rooms he hopes to keep for as long as he can.