Chapter Text
There was little Etho hates more than planes. He just doesn’t trust a can of metal to safely fly in the air. Unfortunately, however, it is the only way he can travel between continents and get to where his new team is located. As he sits in the cramped window seat, he debates whether taking the team offer was worth it. He could play hockey in Canada, stay in the small league that he was stuck in here. Gem would kill him if he backed out now, though, wouldn’t she? She was so excited when she heard he would not only be in the same country but in the same city as him. He doesn’t want to disappoint her. Or get murdered by her. And so that’s why Etho’s currently sitting on a flight to the UK, regretting all of his decisions.
While he waits for the death machine to begin moving, he wonders what his new team will be like. Gem said that she knows a lot of them personally and that they’ll like him but Etho can’t help but be nervous anyway. What if he messes up and gets kicked out after the first match? What if everyone in the team hates him? He’s lucky to have gotten this opportunity in the first place, seeing as his career hadn’t been going all too well before.
Gem has also said that she’ll be introducing him to someone who she thinks he’ll get along with. The tone of her face when she said it was less trustworthy than those damn planes, he thinks. Speaking of which, he feels the plane begin moving and so he puts his headphones in and tries to sleep.
Etho is more nervous than he was on the damn plane. It is his first time meeting the team and he didn’t even get enough sleep. However, there’s nothing that could prepare him for what he arrives to the arena. The first thing he sees is the team mascot running across the lobby with someone thrown over their shoulder and three players following behind chanting the team's name.
He adjusts his mask—a nervous habit of his for as long as he’s had it—and takes a deep breath before continuing to walk to the reception desk.
“Uh, hi, I’m supposed to meet Scott Major?” he says awkwardly, shifting in place.
“Name?”
“Etho Slab.”
The woman nods, gesturing to a door to his right. “Head through that door and then Mr. Major’s office is the third door on the right.”
Etho nods, readjusting the duffle bag over his shoulder as he heads to the office. He knocks on the door and enters when he hears a voice inviting him in. His first thought is that Scott looks exactly like the pictures of the internet. The second is oh shit, this is real now.
Scott ends up being the same as when they had spoken on the phone, meaning just really kind. He reassures Etho about everything and they go over his contract one last time before he’s introduced to his new coach, Cleo. After just a few moments with her, Etho decides she is terrifying, and he never wants to get on her bad side. At the same time, however, she seems really nice and meeting her calms a lot of his nerves.
Unfortunately, the nervousness comes back almost immediately the moment Cleo mentions it being time for him to meet his new teammates. She leads him down some hallway to a big doorway that was clearly to the locker room. Etho knows he’ll have to ask for the way the next time again because his mind is too fuzzy to remember the path at the moment.
Cleo says something that he doesn’t really comprehend and then he turns, entering the locker room. All the ruckus and chatter suddenly stop as everyone looks at him. He awkwardly clears his throat, shifting in place.
Before he gets to speak, a man rushes up to him.
“Oh, hi! You must be Etho! My name is Bdubs, I’m sure you know. I’ve heard many great things about you, I must say. Very excited to have you on our team, very indeed. Welcome to the Shadows,” he says cheerfully.
All at once, Etho’s apprehension disappears. He chuckles. “Yeah, that’s me. Uh, nice to meet you, Bdubs.”
Bdubs’ grin widens and without any hesitation, he grabs Etho’s arm, dragging him around the room and introducing him to everyone. Etho smiles under his mask. Yeah, he’ll be okay.
This is stupid, all of this is blummin’ stupid, Joel thinks as he skates his fifth lap. Their coach decided that since he has a bad mood, everyone else will. Definitely. It’s certainly not him trying to help and train them, he’s just trying to torture them. And it’s working. Joel continues internally cursing his dear coach out for the remaining five laps. When he finally crosses the line of his tenth lap, he sits down on the ice, leaning back against the barrier.
“Beans, get up and do squat balancing until the others finish their laps. Same for the others!” his coach calls.
“Fuckin’ hell!” His shout echoes through the arena as he gets up and goes into a squat position. It is quickly followed by laughter from his teammates. He sees Scar skid to a stop next to him and copy his position, Grian soon following. The two exchange a look between them that Joel decides not to question for his own sanity. Nope, not his problem.
They get through the cruel torture his coach calls ‘training’ without any other outbursts. The locker room is full of loud chatter as soon as the door closes. It is quickly thrown open again, however, by their two mighty mascots. The two burst in wearing their full costumes, chanting, “Big dogs! Big dogs! Big dogs!”
Scattered groans are heard at their arrival. They take off their giant dog heads and approach Joel, Scar and Grian.
“Hey, losers!” Martyn cackles. “How are you doing this fine day?”
“Oh, do not get me started, Martyn. Coach is an absolute—“ Joel gets cut off by Grian, who looks up from where he was scrolling on his phone.
“Did you guys know Shadows have a new player?”
“Oh?” Scar questions, “I did not know that, Grian! Tell me more.”
“Canadian, named Etho Slab.”
They theorise for a while and even try looking the guy up a bit before dropping the topic.
“Anyway, we’ll be heading to the pub in a bit. You two joining us?” Joel asks Jimmy and Martyn.
Jimmy lights up. “Oh, can I invite Tango?”
“No, you can’t invite Tango, he’s from the Shadows. They are our rivals, Jimmy!” Martyn scolds.
Jimmy splutters for a moment. “Well, what about you and Ren? He’s literally their mascot and you two have—whatever that is!”
“It’s a mascot thing.”
“I’m a mascot too! It definitely isn’t a mascot thing—“
Joel decides to tune out the rest of their little argument. Bloody idiots, they are.
After finishing their training, Bdubs and his friends tell Etho that they’ll be going to the pub. They didn’t leave him any room for choice. Oookay then.
Once they finish changing, they grab their bags and head out. Impulse, another one of Etho’s new teammates, assures him that the pub they frequent wasn’t very far. They enter a small building and sit down at one of the tables. After they order some drinks and chat for a while, the doors open and a group walks in that Etho instantly recognises as the players of the rival team, Big Dogs. He internally laughs at the ridiculous name.
His eyes fall onto a man with a green stripe in his hair and the two meet eyes. Oh damn.