Secret Injury

Sunday, 24 November
Prompt:	Secret Injury	1720	WordCount:	1778

"The worst part about playing the St James Archangels whese the absolutly holy-er-than-though attitude that can with them, win or lose. Anthony James (please call me AJ) ""the Snake"" Crowley had been playing for the Damions Demons since tehy started six years ago, and playing St James was the low point of every single season. It was by the grace fo the hockey gods they'd yet to have to play them post season yet, but Anthony wasn't holding his breatht hat that their luck would wold much longer. The league had expanded this year, and the new shufflle put them in opposite conferances. AND both had been playing well this season, leading many to speculate them both in the running for their conferance's champions this year. If that held, St James and Damions would be playing off for the finals.

Anthny almost wondered in winnign the Harp cup was worth having to play a full series against St James.

At least, that was a full half season in front of them, and tonight, they jsut needed to get though this one game. On the surface, Damions looks like the more aggressive team - they did throw the most punches, and they held the leagure record in combined pentality minutes becuase of it. But, no one would ever clain Damions faught dirty. Mean, sure. but every hit was a clean as they could get, and most fans - the whole leagure minus st james' supportes anyway - would also agree that most of the tossing ahnds was deserved.

St james fans, however, didn't see it that way. neighter did the st james' players. the problem, in anthony's option- as he took his place in the face off across from Archangel's Gabek ""Gabby"" Riel, was that St james was a team of ass-hats who either paid off the refs, or just had miracualous timing in dirty hits, and rarely got called out on them. Which ment enforcers like Damions own Liger ""Decking"" Duke or Hastur ""Hasta"" LaVista had their work cut out for them keeping the game in check sincec the refs clearly didn't. problem was Decking Duke and Hasta LaVista didnt' like Anthony all that much, and only tended to step in if they started falling behind in the score board.

Gabby only had an inch and 5 pounds on Anthony, but he played like this was rugby or american football, throwing himself over the line a puck drop to tackle Anthoney to the ice. He knew it was coming, but still manged to get knocked on his back each time. The swarm of players where usuallydown the ice by the time he got to his ckates - luckly, Captain Lucifer ""DIABOLOS"" Morningstar had won the faceoff with Captain MIKAYLA ""the Prince"" AELLA nad he and DANICA Dagon are already antagonising St Jame's defence, Tron and Phon. Anthoney works his way to his sport, planiting skates right infron of St James' Alisar Zayden (please call me AZ) ""the Priciplity"" Fell.

Fell is the only likable player ont eh entire St James' roster, in Anthoney's option. Maybe it's becuase Fell has never personally attempted to give Anthoney a concusion on the ice, or tried to break his nose off the ice. He does get a sharp shove to the back of his knees for hovering too close to Fell's box; but it lacks the underhandeness you'd expect from the rest of St Jam'es players.

For a very short moments, it's like playing aginst any of the sane teams. And then Sanford Phon shoves the handle of his stick up onser Crowley's apds when LaVista checks Matthew Tron into one of the linesman. Anthony's working on getting his breath back, and he can hear a harsh 'Sanford!"" being hissed by the goalie bahind him.

""Oh shut up Fell.""

The second period plays out more liek the first, and Anthony groans around a brused rib as they skate off to the locker room to try and find a way to fight back onto the baord.

-

Anthoney's passing back up to Duke as he gets swarmed by Riel, Aella, and Yuri EL. Morningstar and Dagon work to keep the St Jame's trio from getting back into place and LaVista takes the pass up to try a shot of his own. Tehre' too many bodies for a clean shot, and he's coming in fast. Phon trips him up, and Fell clears the puck, but can't clear the net in time to avoid behind slammed into by LaVista.

THe net's pulled off the stakes, LaVista goign fast enought the back bar hits the boards. LasVista ends up going under fell whent he net stops abubptly, and both players end up in a pile of pads and limbs. Duke takes offence tot he fact the refs dont' think a call of some kind should be made, and is right up in Phon's face. The linesmen are busy trying to keep that from becomeing a fist fight, when Aella shoves Morningstar. Anthoney ends up witha fistfull of Riel's sweater, and with just about five minutes left in this god awful game, it's looking like it might be a bench claring brawl. Bela ""Bees"" BEAVIS, Damions own goalie, has skated up tot he center line, but with fell still down, she's jsut eyeing St Jam'es Backup goalie, daring him to skate out.

Anthony wasn't looking, he's punching Reil's hadnsome fucking perfect chieled jaw (he hopes that's the jaw breaking, not his hand), but now crowd is loosing what shit is left in reserve, and sure enough, the benchs are empty and their coaches are screaming at each other, only held apart by assisant and equipemtn coaches.

He's skaing off to the locker room with enough penties minutes that he'd taher sit out the next game than look at what that fine is gonna cost him, and a tooth he's pretty sure belongs to Reil. If it does end up belonging to any of the St Jame;s team, he's gettign that basrd but on a chain and giving it to morningstart for christmas. Coach has already been esroted out of the building after he charged out otot he cie and decked St Jame's coach, so the assistant coach has him and rest of his line shower and change while they try and finish the end of the game. Anthoney listened to the radio play the last five minutes - it streaches out for another 10, and Damions actually gets it tied back up under hte last minute.

Shame nne of them will be skating for OT. The annocer's schirping on Fell for not making that last save, and Morningstar, who activly watching the game, makes a noise of agreement. ""I think you rung his bell after all Hastur.""

Ligur and Hastur crowd their captain, watchign the replay, ""Still playen' better than that back up they got,"" Liger grumbles.

Three on three turns to shootout; what ever luck they had in getting that fair fails them, as they can only get one past Fell to ST James' two.

""Still"" preens their captain, ""Got the point for OT. Shootout lose isn't anything to cry about.""

-

St James has crashed their pub by the time teh demions are finished being yelled at; Coach was still in the parking lot, and persoally chewed them out one at a time as they left. Francis and Ashtoreth, the pub owners, have literally drawn a line down the middle of the esablishment, and Ashtoreth promises to kick the ass of any player crossing it persoanlly.

Both teams agree to her conditions, but that doesn't stop them from throwing wrods as the drinks flow.

-

Anthony's ducking out for a smoke, giving Francis a greatful look as the weord old man lets him duck out the service entrace to avoid havign to smoke in sight of St James, the hypocritical wankers. He's caught Trona dn Fell both smoking over the years. thpohg for all the fuss Reil throws at him, he'd LOVE to catch that wanker speciaifally taking a drag.

He would of liek the heads up that Fell is already n the alley, but Francis thinks the stubby man is ahrmless. mostly seems that way, so anthoney guesses he can't blame him.snot like Anthony's gonna start shit, at least not with Fell.

Who is notibly NOT smoking, even if he's leaning against the brick wall, and beathing like the game didn't end almsot an hour ago at this point. ""sup AZ"" he says around his ciggerate, it comeing out more liek 'hazy'

Which is kinda the look he gets back, hazy and blinking way harder than normal, ""SHit, fell, you okay?""

Fell gives a pained little whine, almsot not a noise at all, and then to Anthony's horror, he's watchign the other man puke on himself. It's only Anthony darting forward to steady him that keeps the guy from collapsinging into his own sick.

""fuck, Fell? hey! hey, AZ!!""

It takes some maneting, but anthoney get fell sitting agaisnt he alley walls, out of the puddle, and is tryign to get he man to look at him. Fell doens't seem to be abole to even understand anthoney's questions, looking around dazed; his puplis are blown, and Anthney's pretty sure it's not jsut becuase of the dim alley lighting.

""Fuck fuck fuck...""

-

""He's NOT fine,"" anyhtng yells, suprising himself. Fell's not ven on his team, and Riel is, yet he's trying to get he drunk to listen long enough to cann their coach or something. FUck, Anthney's ready to call an ambulance and be done with it. Only reason he hasn't is becuase he is drunk, and that part of him isn't sure that Riel is wrong. Maybe he's blowing this out of propostion.

Becuase if Fell didnt' get knocked around after they got to the pub, then St James either failled to give him aconcusion check after that hit with ligur, or they did, and let him play anyway.

Fuck - an extended thrid period, plus OT, and a shoot out. concussed.

Fucking good goalie, and anthongy hates that line of thinking the most.

Concsueed. The leage's starting tot ake that more seriosly, and the Demains might not be enybody's favoute, but the probably stick to it harder than any other team. the idea of letting someone play conciseeed even has Hastur and Ligur pissed, much less taking the pooor bastard out to drinks afterwards.

Fuck.. /had/ fell been drinking? maybe it wasn't concussion. maybe the asshole was drunk?

-
""league says concussion."" is all the leeway he gets from Dagon the next morning. He's not sure why he's passed out on her kitchen floor, but that's where he's at today, ""St James' is under review for keeping Fell in for end of last night game. They're trying to pin it all on him for not speaking up."""