I wrote this over a year ago in the midst of the NHL playoffs.
I was also hard into Sailor Moon at the time (luckily, that's worn off)
and felt like doing something silly.  This was that something.  Now I
know there are some errors, I've only sent this through a spell checker
and haven't fixed ANY punctuation or grammar (it should be passable).
There are also some larger errors, but bear with me since players get
traded and well, I didn't know as much then as I know now.

*Warning!*  This is a silly crossover type story, borrowing all cheese
and humor from the SM dub.  If you want to read something serious, mail
me and I'll give you something that made me cry when I wrote it.
Otherwise, Enjoy!




NHLSM


	SOMEWHERE IN THE PENALTYVERSE...

	He sat on a throne made of bones of dead hockey players.  In 
front of him was a giant puck that glowed with evil magic.  He was 
using it to monitor the midget and pee-wee hockey games going on.
	"Look at them.  All filled with the positive energy of 
sportsmanship and fair play," he said with a sadistic grin.  "I think 
we can change that."  He rose from his throne to look at the gathering 
of creatures before him.  "Who will corrupt the souls of these young 
hockey players?"
	"I will, Lord Claude," answered one person with a face uglier 
than Frankenstein's monster (more stitches too).  "I can make those 
little goodie goodie players act like real men!  Like Lord Claude!"  
There was a murmur of approval from the crowd.
	"Excellent!  Nothing brightens up my day like hitting from 
behind," Lord Claude said, delivering an evil laugh.  "Go and corrupt, 
Stitch!"  Stitch slowly dissipated into nothingness before Lord Claude 
returned to his view puck.
	
BACK AT THE MIDGET GAME...

	Two youngsters sat on the bench smiling.  As a gesture of good 
will and as a way to promote the game of ice hockey, NHL players were 
acting as assistant coaches on 16 and under teams.  This game, the 
boys had Cam Neely pacing behind them
	"Come on guys!  Don't forget defense," he yelled.  The boys were 
almost floating.  They each wanted a chance to show their stuff to Cam 
and the other honorary coach, Ulf Samuelsson.  Once in a while, they 
would give each other an elbow to make sure they weren't dreaming.
	The boys were watching the action skate back and forth when a 
figure formed on the ice in front of them.
	"Holy cow.  How'd he do that?"  It was a boy farther down the 
bench that had asked.  The game had stopped and every face was turned 
toward the mysterious stranger.  Cam suddenly acquired an extremely 
tense look on his face.
	"I am Penaltyverse warrior Stitch!"  He took a an aggressive 
stance.  "You boys are playing too nicely.  Let's get ugly," he said, 
his face darkening.  Black energy rays flew from his outstretched 
hands, striking several boys.  They immediately dropped their 
equipment and began to fight each other.
	Cam turned to Ulf, who also had a strained look on his face.  
They each nodded.  They back up slowly so no one would notice what 
they were about to do...
	Cam raised his hand and said "Bruins Puck Power!"  A hockey puck 
with the logo of the Boston Bruins appeared in his hand and began 
spinning wildly.  Ribbons of golden energy engulfed him, covering him 
in pads and his uniform, and a pair of snazzy white Nike skates.
	"Ranger Puck Power!"  Ulf was following suit.  A puck with the 
Rangers' logo appeared in his hand.  Beams of red and blue light flew 
around him until they dissipated and Ulf's place stood Sailor Ranger.  
He winked.
	Both Sailors launched themselves dramatically over the benches 
and landed on the ice behind Stitch.  They each held their sticks at 
the ready.
	Why don't you put a puck in it, Scarface," Sailor Ranger 
demanded.  Stitch who had been laughing and talking gibberish while he 
zapped the boys, stopped and turned.  "He looked slightly bemused when 
he observed the two men.  "Who are you two clowns?"
	"I am Sailor Bruin, champion of the Boston area!"
	"And I am Sailor Ranger!"
"Together, we will show you what the power of positive hockey can do.  
In the name of the NHL, we'll penalize you!"  They struck a pose you 
wouldn't expect to see hockey players take.
	"Think again, you pair of aging heroes!"  Stitch began hurling 
pucks directly at their faces with great force.  They both dove out of 
the way beautifully for large men wearing skates.
	Bruin raised his stick to try and bounce some of the pucks while 
Sailor Ranger snuck along the boards, behind Stitch.  Stitch hadn't 
noticed the disappearance of Sailor Ranger and was happily 
entertaining himself with Bruin.
	"Ranger... Hip Check... FLIP!"  Sailor Ranger slammed into Stitch 
with his full force.  Stitch cried out pitifully before landing on his 
face.
	"Arrgh!  Lord Claude...  I've failed.."  With his last words, 
Stitch blew apart into a thousand shards of ice.

	BACK IN THE PENALTYVERSE...

	"Damn!  That Stitch was an incompetent fool," he said looking at 
the aftermath of the incident in his view puck.  "Without any 
sustained evil energy, those little punks are reverting back to 
normal..."  His eyes narrowed.  "I'll get you Sailor Players.  No one 
can stop Lord Claude and the power of Emperor Cheapshot!"

	IN THE NORTHERN MIDWEST...

	"I know its been a rough road out of the playoffs Steve, but you 
just have to focus on next year."
	"Yeah I know.  But every year we end up focusing on next year.  
When will it be my turn Doug?"
	"Hey, at least you guys can make it out of the first round now," 
Doug said smiling.  His Maple Leafs, of course, did not.
	"Yeah, but it was closer than it should have been.  Man, I can't 
believe how that kid Khabibulin [Hobby-Boolin] stoned us," he said 
with a bit of awe in his voice.
	"He WAS amazing.  And I know I don't need to tell you about Grant 
Fuhr... ouch."  Steve nodded his approval.  Fuhr could be one 
seriously tough nut to crack.  "Enough reminiscing, let's get this 
game going!"
	They both hopped over the boards and began to circle on the ice.  
It was a charity game with various Hollywood types attempting to play.  
Some were passable, others were less than.  It was a few minutes 
before they gave the player introductions.

	IN THE PENALTYVERSE...

	"There!  If we can corrupt al those famous actors and singers, 
people will think that it's good to play dirty!"  He stared at the 
view puck with intense interest.  "Who will go on this important 
mission?"
	A large figure stepped forward.  "I, KneeCrasher, will show all 
those so-called entertainers what breaking a leg is really about."
	"Yes yes.  Now go and let them have it.. don't spare the 
cheapness," Claude said, eager to see the carnage.
	"Yes, my Lord," said KneeCrasher bowing deeply.  He sank into the 
ground.

	BACK AT THE CHARITY GAME...

	"I'm surprised.  Some of these guys can really play," Steve said, 
taking a drink of Gatorade on the bench.
	"Yeah, but I'm not concerned about losing my job or anything," 
replied Doug laughing.
	They watched their celebrity teammates play, skating their 
hardest when a bank of lights went out.  Everyone on the bench looked 
up.  Shadows had been cast because of the missing lights and several 
players were annoyed by the distraction.
	"Hey!  What's with the lights," asked Barry Melrose, coach of one 
of the teams.  "Hold on!  Ref!  Stop the game!  Ref," he yelled out on 
the ice.  The referee had blown the whistle and was skating over to 
speak to the coaches.
	Another bank blew out, this time making popping noises and 
sending a shower of sparks over the ice.  Steve wasn't quite sure what 
to make of it.  "I'm getting a bad feeling about this.  I don't think 
this is just some burnt out bulbs.."  Doug nodded and looked up at the 
lights.
	Suddenly, all the lights went out.  The arena was plunged into 
darkness and many of the fans were plunged into panic.  Screams were 
heard, some fake others not.  The PA announcer came on, apparently the 
power wasn't out, just the lights.  "Ladies and gentlemen, please stay 
in your seats while we work to fix the problem."  A squeal of feedback 
cut off the announcement and many groans could be heard as people 
covered their ears.
	The announcer came back on, but it was a different voice.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, you know them, you love them, and now it's time 
to bury them!  Give a round of applause for your favorite stars about 
to retire..."  A spotlight came on, pointed at the middle of the ice.  
I lone figure stood in the lighted circle.  He grinned, showing a 
mouthful of hideous fangs.
	He raised his arms as if he was about to conduct an orchestra.  
Instead of beautiful music, black energy arced from his fingertips to 
the two nearest skaters.  They convulsed violently as their bodies 
pulsed with the power of cheapness.  They recovered and began whacking 
other people with their sticks.
	The demon man smiled widely.  "Hey, we almost had a hockey game 
break out."  More energy flew from his fingers striking more skaters.
	"Oh shit!  Let's go!"  Steve and Doug used the cover of the 
darkness to drop out of close contact with anyone else on the bench.
	"Maple Leaf Puck Power!"  The spinning puck appeared in Doug's 
hand.  Blue ribbons of light and energy swarmed over his body, 
encasing him in his uniform.  He pulled off his helmet, swept the hair 
from his eyes and gave a mischievous smile.
	"Red Wing Puck Power!"  Steve held his hand high.  The puck that 
appeared in it shone brightly.  Red light shot up from beneath him, 
bathing him in its essence.  The light brightened then dimmed, 
revealing Sailor Redwing.
	They hopped over the boards onto the ice.  "Hey you!  As mediocre 
as their acting talents may be, you have no right to corrupt their 
feeble skating abilities!"  My, wasn't Sailor Mapleleaf getting 
haughty?
	"You two feebs on ice just don't get it.  I'm working with a 
bigger picture here and you're not part of it!"  He slowly began 
skating towards the two men.  "Lord Claude will corrupt the souls of 
all hockey players and finally resurrect Emperor Cheapshot!"  The two 
men exchanged looks.  This all sounded real familiar.  KneeCrasher was 
picking up speed now.  "And I, KneeCrasher, will rid Lord Claude of 
the menace that is the Sailor Players!"  He was skating faster.  "And 
that means you!"  He was skating towards them as fast as he could now.
	The two men exchanged another glance.  What the hell was he 
talking about?  They dove apart at the last second, but Sailor Redwing 
wasn't quite fast enough.  "Arrrgh," Sailor Redwing rolled to the ice 
clutching his knee.  "My ACL!  ACL!"  He was in pure agony.
	Sailor Mapleleaf looked at his fallen companion then back at 
KneeCrasher, who was laughing mercilessly.  KneeCrasher glided up to 
the stricken Sailor Redwing and stood over him.
	"Now Sailor Redwing," he said with great contempt.  "You are 
about to become Sailor Deadwing!"  He raised his hands high over his 
head, ready to discharge a lethal blast of energy.
	"Maple Leaf... Back check... DIVE!"  Sailor Mapleleaf flew at 
KneeCrasher's ankles and gave them a vicious chop with his stick.  
KneeCrasher howled in pain and fell to the ice.
	"My ankles!  My ankles!  Grrrr....!"
	Sailor Redwing had struggled to his feet and was standing 
unsteadily to the left of the still sprawling Sailor Mapleleaf.  He 
tried his best to brace himself for his attack.
	"Red Wing.. Time.. Slow.. SUFFERING!"  A blast of red energy 
struck KneeCrasher square in the chest.  KneeCrasher's image began to 
waver under the impact of the beam.
	"Graaah!  Where's the referee when you need him?"  With that, 
KneeCrasher faded from existence.
	Sailor Redwing collapsed.  Mapleleaf had gotten back to his feet 
and walked over to check on Redwing.  "Are you all right?"
	"I don't know... my knee.."
	Sailor Mapleleaf was extremely concerned.  The team was missing 
one member, they couldn't afford to lose another one.  There was one 
option.  "Can you do it?"
	"Maybe.. help me up."  Sailor Redwing used Mapleleaf as a crutch 
and pulled himself to his feet.  He leaned heavily on Mapleleaf's 
shoulder, not putting any weight on his injured knee.  He lifted his 
stick high above his head.. "Red Wing REJUVENATION!"
	The air about them turned red.  A rain of sparkles covered them, 
shimmering in the air as they fell lazily to the ice.  As each sparkle 
touched each of the men, they felt refreshed and healed.  It was like 
taking a good swig of Gatorade after a long shift.
	Sailor Redwing had his head down and was making sighing sounds as 
the healing rain worked on his devastated knee.  He was still leaning 
on Mapleleaf, but his knee was definitely getting better.  The rain 
ended and Sailor Redwing was able to stand on his own.  "That was too 
close for comfort."
	"Yeah.  I think it's time to put the hurt on Lord Claude."
	"Agreed, but we need to find the final piece to our puzzle..."  
That would be the challenge, to find the final Sailor Player.

	IN THE PENALTYVERSE...

	"Blast!  I can't believe what a load of BS this is!  How can such 
simple plans be muffed ?"  He stopped ranting long enough to think 
about what had gone wrong.  He got a contemplative look on his face.  
"maybe I'm starting too big.  The journey of a thousand miles DID 
begin with one step..."  His gaze returned to the view puck.  "I'll 
try something smaller.  One can spread just as well as many..."  He 
laughed evilly.
	A hulking man stepped forward from the darkness.  "Lord Claude, 
whatever mission you have, I will succeed in completing."
	"Excellent.  You know the consequences if you fail."
	The man bowed and disappeared in a flash of orange light.  Lord 
Claude took another look at the lone figure in the view puck and 
smiled.

	AT AN EMPTY ICE RINK...

	The man appeared in the back of the empty rink among the seats.  
He wanted to make sure no one would be able to interfere with Lord 
Claude's plans.  He watched the boy on the ice skate around, handling 
the puck and shooting it into the open net.  He walked down the aisle 
towards the glass.  This would be as easy as stealing candy from a 
baby, and more rewarding.  He hopped the glass with supernatural ease, 
catching the boy's attention.
	"Hey.  What do you want?  Don't you know the rink is closed now?"
	"Don't worry.  I am Elbowsup," he said approaching the boy.  He 
had a strange smile which frightened the lad.  "I only want to borrow 
your soul!"  Elbowsup's eyes glared orange and the boy screamed.
	"Help!  Somebody!"  His cries were cut off by the blast of orange 
and black light that struck him.
	A door by the dressing rooms burst open and a man in street 
clothes ran towards the ice.  He stopped dead when he saw the 
horrifying sight.  "Uh oh," the man said and stepped back out of 
sight.
	"Panther Post Power!"  He held up a small charm with a picture of 
a panther on it.  Golden posts rose from the ground all around him and 
began to spin.  Red and gold energy shot from the posts in all 
directions.  The posts were spinning so fast that it was impossible to 
see the figure among them.  
	The posts stopped spinning and sank beneath the ground, revealing 
Sailor Panther in full regalia.  He walked quickly (as fast as he 
could) to the ice and through the doors made for the zamboni.
	"Why don't you just stop while you're ahead, you piece of child 
exploiting trash!"  Panther's stick, which was formidable even in the 
hands of an inexperienced user, was leveled at Elbowsup's chest.  
Sailor Panther's eyes glittered behind his mask.
	Elbowsup stopped his energy attack on the boy to look at Sailor 
Panther.  The boy crumpled to the ice, passed out.  "So there IS a 
Sailor Player here.  Oh well, I guess I put in a little overtime...  
It will be sudden death of course," he said casually then launched 
himself high into the air.
	He dove at Sailor Panther, elbows first.  Sailor Panther was able 
to deflect much of the attack, but was knocked back himself.  He 
struggled to stand in all his equipment.
	"What's the matter, Wheezer?  Am I too much for you?"  Elbowsup 
laughed at Sailor Panther's trouble.  He had floated back into the air 
and was preparing himself for another attack.  Panther continued to 
flounder even as Elbowsup dove towards his head.  It was the moment 
Panther had been waiting for.
	He sprung nimbly to his feet, he had been playing opossum all 
along.  He got himself square with the plummeting Elbowsup.  
"Panther.. Stoned Cold... WALL!"  A red and gold aura surrounded 
Sailor Panther and a look of unwavering determination settled on his 
face.  Elbowsup saw that Panther was not so helpless and tried to pull 
out of his attack but to no avail.
	"Noooo....."  He crashed into the wall that was Sailor Panther 
and exploded in a shower of orange light.  The aura around Panther 
disappeared and skated over to check on the fallen boy.  He was 
unconscious but physically all right.  It was time to contact the 
others.

	IN THE PENALTYVERSE...

	"Well..."  Claude sounded defeated.  "So much for Elbowsup.  I 
can't find any competent help around here!"  He looked at the gathered 
crowd, who all managed to look busy suddenly.  "So I can see that none 
of you are ready to help..."  Lord Claude waved his arm and a blue 
wave struck everyone in front of him.  They fell in lifeless heaps.
	"How can I corrupt anyone and ruin the game of hockey when these 
Sailor Players are prancing around?"  He closed his eyes and winked 
out of existence.  He reappeared in front of a huge cup-shaped 
container.  The sides of the container were transparent to reveal a 
thick green liquid.  In this liquid was a billowous black mass.
	Claude kneeled before the container, his head bowed in respect.  
The black mass undulated and formed a skeletal face.  "Claude, what is 
it that you want?"  I know you have failed all your efforts.  I am 
greatly disappointed."
	"Emperor Cheapshot, there have been setbacks.  A group of 
meddling hockey players have been thwarting us at every turn.  The 
best warriors have been unable to defeat them."
	"Your energy levels are insufficient to defeat them.  Yet they 
have a weak link that you may be able to exploit."  The mass shifted 
in the liquid.  "There is one that does not know his potential.  This 
is the one you must focus on.  He will be their downfall."
	"Yes, Emperor..."  Claude wore a dark grin on his face.
	"There are others willing to replace you if you fail too many 
times.  Others just as ruthless and backstabbing as you.  Possibly 
more so."
	The grin left Claude's face.  "I understand Emperor."

	OTTAWA, CANADA

	"The goaltending is improving, the overall player base is getting 
better...  You just have to play through it kid."  Daniel, who had 
been depressed since the end of the season, nodded.  He was 
disappointed in his performance during the season and took the losses 
on himself.  Even though he was a rookie and on a developing team, he 
thought they could have been better.
	"Maybe if I had trained harder...  Done better in practice..."
	"You played fine.  You just have to believe in yourself and your 
ability.  Everybody else does, or you wouldn't be a candidate for the 
Calder Trophy...  You just have to play through the tough times."
	"You're right, of course, but it's still tough.  I'm always 
hardest on myself."
	"Yeah, but you're doing fine.  Just keep up your defensive work 
and you'll play in the league for a long time to come."  He clapped 
Daniel on the back and walked away.
	Daniel walked slowly to his car.  This had been the hardest he 
had ever played in a season and his team had nothing to show for it.  
Getting over the disappointment of another year of futility would be 
the hardest thing.  He noticed a man leaning on his car.
	"Hey!  Get off there!  Don't you have respect for other people's 
property?"  (ha, yeah right)  Daniel was quite irritated at this idiot 
using his car as a sofa.
	"Uh, I'm sorry.  I was just waiting for Daniel Alfredsson."  He 
put on his car salesman's smile.  He had shifty blue eyes that Daniel 
didn't like at all.
	"I'm him.  What do you want?"  The man's smile grew wider and 
more shark-like as he extended his hand.  Daniel took the hand with 
apprehension.
	"I've seen your potential.  I know you're a good defenseman, but 
I can make you better."  That was quite a bold statement for someone 
Daniel didn't recognize at all.
	Daniel pulled his hand away.  "That's kind of you to say, but 
what makes you think you can make me better?  And who exactly are 
you?"
	The man laughed at the question.  "Well pardon my manners.  My 
name is Claude, Claude Lemieux."
	"Just like..."
	"No relation."
	"Oh.  So what makes you think you can help me?  Coach already 
says I'm doing fine.  And I'll only get better with experience."
	"I know, but I can help you take advantage of your natural 
talents.  Let's go someplace where we can talk, and I can show you 
what I mean.  I'm sure you'll be very interested."
	
	IN A FEATURELESS HOUSE IN ONTARIO CANADA...

	"We have to end this threat, once and for all."  Cam was very 
angry to see a hockey game ruined and young players endangered.
	"At least we know what we're dealing with.  Though it doesn't 
make me feel any better that it's Lord Claude.  He's a total snake," 
Steve said.  He had felt Claude's work before.  They all had.
	"We have to find the last member and wipe the floor with Lord 
Claude," Ulf said, pounding his fist into his open palm.
	"Yeah but how?  I don't even know where to begin and now it's the 
off-season."
	"Doug?  You think you could cook something up or sniff something 
out?  Consult your tea leaves, call the psychic hot-line?  Check the 
tarot cards..." John asked
	"I get the point already!  But I'll do better than just look.  
I'll find him within the next 24 hours."  His face was a mask of 
determination.  "If we take too long to locate Claude, we'll all be in 
deep."

	A FEW HOURS LATER...

	"Is he done yet?"
	"I don't even know what he's doing, let alone if he's done or not 
yet," Ulf said.
	They had all been sitting around playing cards and watching TV 
while they waited for Doug to finish his project.  He had given them 
no word as to his progress so they had to play the waiting game.

	AT A DESERTED RINK IN OTTAWA...

	"You're not following through with your hits.  You have to really 
stick it to them."
	"I finish my checks."
	"Yeah but you're not PUNISHING them.  You have to make them think 
twice about holding the puck."  He gave Daniel a demonstration by 
hitting his arm and following through with his stick, extending his 
arms fully.
	"That's a penalty.  I'll be called for high sticking."
	"not if they don't see you do it."  Claude had a devilish smile.  
"You're on defense, you can do it behind the play when everyone else 
is already down ice."  Daniel had a confused look on his face.  Could 
he really improve his game by being more physical?  Even if it was 
high sticking?
	"Every now and then, a little slash across the knee will get 
their attention.  A little poke in the groin, a hook on the hand...  A 
little shove in the back, some innocent stick holding...  All of that 
will intimidate the other team and free up your teammates.  If you 
work on this stuff, it will help the team improve."
	Daniel was thinking carefully.  "That's not really my style.  
Sure I play physical, but that stuff just isn't right.  I could end up 
in the penalty..."
	"Don't you want to help your team?  They need whatever you can 
give them, and more!"
	Maybe this was the way to go.  Lots of players did stuff like 
this and they were successful.  But no, it wasn't him, it didn't feel 
right.  He was confused about what he should tell Claude.
	You've seen Ciccone in Chicago, Beukeboom in New York.  You know 
what I'm saying is the truth."  Daniel felt himself accepting Claude's 
words.

	BACK AT THE HOUSE...	

	"I've got something!"  Doug burst from behind a closed door.  
Everyone jumped.  "Energy flare up in Ottawa!"
	"That's got to be it," John said.  "Let's go!"  Everyone stood 
and rushed out the door.

	THE RINK IN OTTAWA...

	Daniel shook his head.  No.  It just wasn't right.  What kind of 
example would he be setting?  "I can't.  It's just not right."
	Claude's composure broke down.  "No!  This is how it will be.  No 
more fair play, no more sportsmanship, no more HANDSHAKING!"  Daniel 
was taken aback at Claude's sudden turnaround.  Claude continued to 
rant.  "I won't let you stop me!  The Sailor Players can't stop me!"
	Daniel was shaken when he heard Claude mention the Sailor 
Players.  He wasn't sure why, but he felt like destroying Claude right 
then.  He was obviously not what he passed himself off as and a bad 
influence on kids.
	Claude spun around, and with the swish of a cape that wasn't 
there two seconds ago, transformed into Lord Claude in his purple and 
blue armor.  He would remove this future member of the Sailor Players 
and weaken them enough to destroy them.  He pointed his stick at 
Daniel.  On Claude's stick, it was called a blade for a very good 
reason...  The long purple cape he was wearing billowed out behind him 
in an imaginary breeze.
	"Now Daniel, it's time to take care of some unfinished business.  
If you won't play my way, you won't play at all!"  He made an inhuman 
leap and dropped down on Daniel, his stick poised to strike.
	Daniel raised his loaner stick in an attempt to block the 
Claude's slash.  Just as the stick was about to crash over Daniel, a 
puck flying at amazing speeds struck Lord Claude's stick, snapping it 
in two just above his hands.  Claude landed ineffectually at Daniel's 
feet and looked to where the puck came from.  Sailor Redwing was 
admiring the laser shot he made to stop Lord Claude.  The rest of the 
Sailor Players were standing behind him.
	"You...Sailor Players..." Claude hissed.  "I will not be stopped 
again!"  A second stick magically appeared in his hands.  He raised 
it, ready to cross check Daniel across the throat with a fatal blow.
	"Bruin... Net Havok... ELIMINATION!"  With beyond human speed 
(beyond inhuman even), Sailor Bruin raced to where Daniel was standing 
and knocked him to the other end of the rink out of the way of the 
deadly check.
	Lord Claude missed with the check and threw himself off-balance.  
He landed face-first on the ice with an *ooph*.  He stood up, trying 
to keep the Players at bay.  "This isn't finished you finesse 
players!"  He disappeared in a puff of purple and blue smoke.
	"Hey, I don't like it when people insult me like that!"  Sailor 
Ranger was irritated.  The others laughed, they had accomplished 
something they hadn't been able to for a long time:  they had located 
the sixth Sailor Player.
	
	IN THE PENALTYVERSE...

	Lord Claude appeared, more furious than ever.  "What does it 
take?  Now that they've found the sixth member, they'll be stronger 
than ever."  He shook his head, everything was falling apart around 
him.  He had to take his chances and consult Emperor Cheapshot again.  
"Emperor, what can I do now that all six of them have united?"
	The mass shifted.  "Your energy is not sufficient when you leave 
the Penaltyverse.  You must bring them here.  This is the only way to 
defeat all six of them."
	"Yes Emperor, I will not fail again."  He shifted back to the 
room where the view puck was.  He sat down, trying to prepare a new 
plan.  The power possessed by the Sailor Players was phenomenal, but 
he would find a way to beat them.  What was that old cliched plan?  
Divide and conquer...

	BACK ON EARTH...

	"Look Daniel, I know you haven't had much experience with him, 
but he's evil!  He has no respect for the health and safety of 
innocent hockey players."
	"Yeah.  Did you get a good look at Kris Draper's face?  That 
could be you or a teammate."
	Daniel was stunned.  How could he have been fooled by that scum?   
Daniel was mad that he had been almost taken in by Claude's dirty 
tricks.  He shook his head.  "How could I have been so stupid?"
	"No, it's not your fault.  There was no way you could have known.  
Besides, you did resists and that's all that matters," Cam said, 
trying to reassure him.
	Doug interjected.  "I've been doing my thing...  You know..."  
The others nodded.  "And I think I've found something funny in 
Colorado.  Denver to be specific."
	"That's him.  That's Lord Claude," said Steve.  The others looked 
on, dead silent.  "We have to move, and soon."
	"All right.  Then I say we go now," said Cam, not wanting to 
tiptoe around the subject.
	Ulf looked Cam in the eyes.  "That's what I love about you man."

	DENVER, COLORADO...

	They were investigating Denver in full Player uniforms.  "Over 
there, by that arena.  Strange readings...  That must be it."  They 
all walked to where Sailor Mapleleaf had indicated.  Near a stand of 
trees, they could see a gaping vortex.  The entrance to the 
Penaltyverse and a confrontation with Lord Claude.
	
	THE PENALTYVERSE...

	Lord Claude had been watching the movements of the Sailor Players 
as soon as they entered Denver.  He watched them approach the vortex 
and knew it was time to set his plan in motion.  "Red Army!  Come 
before me!"
	Five men appeared, all dressed in red uniforms with gold trim.  
They were bound under Lord Claude's will and could not resist his 
orders.  "Now you will destroy the Sailor Players once and for all."  
He stood to emphasize his point and to stroke his ego.  "Go now and 
return with their heads!"
	They all bowed and in unison said "Yes Lord Claude."  They 
disappeared in flashes of red light.
	"I hate it when they do that," Claude said rubbing his eyes.

	BACK IN DENVER...

	"Wait, something's changing.  Fluctuating readings, energy 
increases, evil auras and all that..." Sailor Mapleleaf said with 
apprehension.  A rumbling beneath their feet confirmed this.  They 
stopped, trying to retain their footing on the quaking ground.
	A massive hole appeared before them, almost throwing Sailor Bruin 
and Panther in.  Sailor Senator saw the things in the hold first.  
"Look there!"  He pointed beyond the two Players struggling to exit 
the hole.
	A blast of energy knocked Sailor Senator back on his rump.  A 
figure followed the blast and landed nimbly on the ground before them 
all.  He looked at the players with hate in his eyes and a frown on 
his face.  "This is the end of the line!  You will be put into 
retirement early by the Red Army!"  Black bands of energy shot from 
his hands.
	The Players all jumped away from the blast.  "This one is 
stronger than all the others," Sailor Ranger exclaimed.
	"We can't waste time fighting an underling!  Claude is our first 
objective," yelled Sailor Mapleleaf.  "Go get Claude guys, I'll take 
care of this trash!"  He stood and mustered all the inner strength he 
could.  "Hey you!"  The man turned, ready to launch off more 
corruption.
	"The Red Army wears combat boots!"  Whether the man understood 
the insult or not, he understood the challenge.  He charged at Sailor 
Mapleleaf, his eyes glowing red.  Mapleleaf stood his ground, his eyes 
narrowing as the man closed.  A small energized puck appeared on the 
ground in front of Sailor Mapleleaf.
	"Maple Leaf...  Backhand... Gatorade... QUAKE!"  The man had 
reached him as Mapleleaf launched the puck upwards into the demon-
man's face.  It struck the man and released a sound that was like 
being in the middle of a thundercloud.  The force of the quake 
engulfed them both, causing the ground beneath to collapse.  When the 
dust had settled, neither could be seen.
	The others had moved towards the vortex, trying to get to it 
before anything else attacked them.  The felt, rather than heard, the 
result of Mapleleaf's power.
	"Come on!  No time to waste now!"  Sailor Redwing was pulling 
them along in a chain.  The ground rippled and flung Redwing forward 
into the dirt.  The others were tossed backwards, away from Redwing.
	Red lightning shot up from a mound that had formed.  All the 
players except Redwing, who had his back to the light, were blinded.  
"Now it is time for the Players to take their farewell tour."  They 
couldn't see who had said it, they all had spots in their vision.
	Redwing was standing facing the speaker.  "Go on, get to Claude.  
I'll take care of this!"  He stood before a thin man with a haunted 
face.  "You'll have to face me and I'm not blinded.  Scared of a fair 
fight?"
	The others had stumbled around the two and made their way towards 
the vortex.  They were still partially blinded and would only hinder 
Sailor Redwing if they tried to help.
	"We will see just how powerful you are," the man said with great 
disdain.  His eyes flared red and a beam of black energy, sparking 
with red electricity, shot from his chest.  Sailor Redwing looked him 
in the eyes until the moment the beam hit him.
	Redwing was engulfed by the power of the man's corrupted energy.  
He had barely maintained his stance behind the force of the blast and 
now had his eyes squeezed shut, forcing the pain away.  "Red..acckk," 
he choked out before the pain overpowered him.  He clutched his 
stomach and gasped for air.  "Red Wing... Overtime... gut.. CHECK!"  
His entire body glowed with red energy as the words flowed from his 
mouth.  The man looked on amazed, even as his own evil energy 
continued to pour out.
	The black sphere that had engulfed Sailor Redwing was slowly 
turning from black to red, inch by inch.  The beam that flowed from 
the man's chest was also turning red, coming back towards him from the 
sphere.  "Noooooo!" he screamed as the beam turned a bright red and 
traveled through his body.  His skin turned gray and he exploded with 
the power of a hate-filled bomb.  The black shadow that came forth 
from his body covered them both.
	Sailor Senator stumbled as the blast of hate struck him in the 
back.  He looked back, "Redwing..."  he said as someone helped him up.
	"Come on kid.  This is no time to be looking back on fond 
memories," Sailor Bruin said pulling on his arm.
	Thick smoke billowed from the ground covering all the Players.  
"Watch out!  Here comes another one," Sailor Ranger called from the 
smoke.  They all grabbed on to each others' arms so they wouldn't get 
separated.
	"Panther, where are you," called out Sailor Bruin.  He hadn't 
been able to find the bulky man.
	"Get out.  Keep going without me!  Don't waste the time trying to 
find me," they heard his voice order.  They all emerged from the smoke 
coughing, without Sailor Panther.
	Senator looked at the cloud of smoke, trying to see within it.  
"What about Panther?"
	"You heard what he said.  Claude is our first objective.  That's 
what we have to do," said Sailor Bruin grimly.  They turned back to 
face the vortex.
	"So your friends escaped but you, Sailor Panther, will not."  
Panther could hear him, but the smoke prevented him from seeing 
anything.
	"Come out and fight like the real man you aren't!  If you think 
you can defeat me..."  Something slipped around his ankles and dragged 
him to the ground.  He struggled but the grip was too tight; he was 
being dragged below the surface.  Space was too limited to use his 
stick and he was quickly running out of other options.  He had only 
one choice at this close range.
	He tossed his stick aside.  "Panther...Catching Glove... ENGULF!"  
The smothering properties of Sailor Panther's catching glove enveloped 
both him and whoever was dragging him down.
	"You'll have to do better than thaaaAAAAA...."  Sailor Panther 
and what was pulling him down were crushed under the gloves power with 
a great *FOMP* as a depression in the Earth formed where they had once 
been.  The smoke slowly sank into the ground.
	No matter how fast the Players walked, it seemed that they 
couldn't reach the vortex.  "They're toying with us.  We have to break 
them so we can get to the vortex."  It was Sailor Ranger speaking with 
unusual insight.
	"You're right.  If we can keep them off just long enough to make 
it to the vortex...  Then we'll be face to face with Lord Claude."  
Sailor Bruin had stopped walking to talk, since he wasn't getting 
anywhere.  "We've got to make it stick."
	This time, it was from above.  A man with a thin face and large 
cruel-looking eyes hovered above them.  He threw several glowing pucks 
down on them, which exploded when they hit the ground.
	Sailor Ranger, who was not the most nimble, was partially hit by 
one of the blasts.  His leg had been badly injured and he was now on 
the ground.  He looked at the man hover towards Bruin and Senator 
through a haze of pain.  This was his chance to cover for them.
	He took a puck, seemingly from mid-air, and held it tightly.  
This would be a difficult shot, but it was the only thing he could do.  
He tossed the puck lightly into the air and hit it sharply with the 
blade of the stick.  There was a smacking sound as the puck flew off 
the blade.  It whistled through the air and struck the floating man in 
the back of the head.
	He whipped his head around to see who had the audacity to strike 
him.  He eyes immediately focused on the prone Sailor Ranger.  "What's 
wrong little man?  If you can't take the heat maybe you should haul 
your ass out of the kitchen."  Ranger's plan worked, the man 
approached him.
	"It may be brave for you to hit from behind, but what will you do 
now that I can look you in the eye?"
	"Look who's talking...  Remember who you're working for?"
	The man scowled.  "Enough talk!  It's time for your permanent 
trip to the penalty box.  Game misconduct for you!"  He raised his now 
present stick, ready to crash it down over Sailor Ranger's head.
	In almost a whisper that the others could hear, he said calmly 
"Go."
	The stick flew towards his head.  "Ranger... High stick... 
Self... DEFENSE!"  He raised his stick up to block the attack.  There 
was a wet snapping noise as the stick of Sailor Ranger blocked the 
man's arms.  They flopped uselessly across the stick, but the force of 
his own attack was not lessened enough.
	The stick crashed over the helmet of Sailor Ranger, splintering 
the stick into a hundred pieces and flinging them into the demon-man's 
body.  He howled in pain as the splinters penetrated his chest, 
imbedding themselves until they disappeared.  He seemed to self-
destruct as pinpoints of light shone where the splinters had struck 
him.
	Senator and Bruin had moved away and were able to avoid the 
ensuing explosion, leaving them with only sinking feelings in their 
hearts.  They had little time to mourn the loss of their friend as 
they were assaulted again.  This was Lord Claude's gauntlet that they 
would have to conquer.
	A young, almost child-like man rose from the ground in front of 
them.  Bruin and Senator slid to a halt on the loose gravel.  Bruin 
forced a small gold charm into Senator's hand.  "You go through while 
I take care of this."  He shoved Senator aside.
	"All right Dennis the menace, you're going to deal with me now 
and things aren't in your favor!"  He waited for the child-man to 
advance.  This was his chance and he couldn't afford to fail.

	The vortex closed silently behind him.  He found himself wonder 
'What now?'  He was shaking all over.  He almost wanted to cry when he 
realized that he had left Sailor Bruin's charm back in the 
Penaltyverse.  He sobbed once but was able to regain his composure.
	
	THE PENALTYVERSE...

	Lord Claude struggled to appear in front of the mass.  He was 
wheezing and clutching his chest.  He was on his knees, bent over 
deeply.  "They've defeated me... I don't know how, but they did..."  
There was a gurgling sound from his chest.  "I.. can't go.. on..."  He 
had failed and was paying for it with his life.
	"I give you one final chance," the mass said.  "My power is 
yours."  There was a rumbling sound and the container exploded, 
sending green ooze all over the ground.  The mass, now free, floated 
through the air and hovered over the dying Lord Claude.  "My power is 
yours in victory," it said then dropped onto Claude.
	The body shuddered and convulsed as it was invaded by Cheapshot.  
There was a sound like a thousand firecrackers going off and rays of 
tainted energy shot forth from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth of Lord 
Claude.
	The new and improved Lord Claude stood with vengeance in his 
eyes.  His head was swelled more than ever and he carried a huge 
goalie-like stick.  It was time to show the Sailor Players the true 
power of the Penaltyverse.  He teleported in a blast of blue light.

	BACK ON EARTH...
	
	Sailor Senator was wandering about the scarred ground, looking 
for signs of the others.  He could see no movement, no sign of life.  
His hope, that had been so high, was now almost completely gone.
	He sat heavily on a rock and put his face in his hands.  This 
time he did cry, the tears sinking into the wrecked dirt.  From 
behind, Claude/Cheapshot materialized silently.  He smiled cruelly, 
watching the young man cry.  "And now you can join your friends, 
child!"
	Senator practically flew off the rock and spun around to face the 
speaker.  His eyes widened and his mouth turned down.  "No...  I 
destroyed you!  You can't be here!"  He screamed at the resurrected 
monster.
	"You though you had destroyed me, and now with the power of 
Emperor Cheapshot, I SHALL destroy you!"  He smiled and pointed his 
stick at Sailor Senator.  It was then that Daniel realized his friends 
hadn't left him alone.  They were with him and he had just one more 
trick up his sleeve.
	He stood tall, defying Claude's words.  "The power of the Sailor 
Players is more than you can defeat.  And we will defeat you once and 
for all!"  There was defiance and strength in his voice.
	"Your friends are gone, you are alone and soon you shall be 
dead!"  Claude was gathering his power now, channeling it into his 
stick.
	Senator reached inside his jersey and pulled out the necklace 
that he wore at all times.  He had it ever since he could remember and 
nobody could tell him where he got it.  It was a silver chain with a 
near-perfect miniature re-creation of the Stanley Cup.  He enclosed it 
in his hand.  "I have the power of my friends and that of Lord 
Stanley.  We will defeat you."
	A haze surrounded his body, while Claude looked on stunned.  
"Lord Stanley?  No, he's gone.  His spirit is long gone from this 
world..."  Claude howled like a demon and released the energy in his 
stick.
	Sailor Senator had been waiting for him to attack and was now 
fully prepared.  He turned his fist towards the oncoming blast and 
opened his hand.  The little cup was glowing with the same light as 
the trophy, but it was ten times brighter.
	The light left his hand and intercepted Claude's blast.  The 
light was slowly, but surely being pushed back to Senator.  The haze 
began to take shape around Sailor Senator.  It formed into five 
figures, all with their sticks pointed at Claude.  Senator closed his 
eyes and felt the power the figures endowed him: power, desire, heart, 
determination and hope.  The light brightened, ribbons of silver and 
gold pulsed through it now.  It slowly overcame the energy blast and 
advanced towards Claude/Cheapshot.
	Claude intensified his power, trying to hold back the encroaching 
light, but to no avail.  The light struck him in the chest and began 
to eat through his body.  "Yaaaaaarrgh!"  It was the only sound he 
could make as he was incinerated by the pure white light.  There was 
the sound of roaring water as the figure of Claude/Cheapshot broke up 
and disappeared.
	The light receded and now Sailor Senator truly was alone.  He 
looked in his hand at the miniature cup.  It still retained a slight 
glow; not all its power had been expended.  He held it to his heart, 
instinctively knowing the power it held.  "I wish this had never 
happened.  I wish we were all just regular hockey players... No Lord 
Claude, no Penaltyverse, no Emperor Cheapshot.  I wish things were 
like before..."	
	.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
	
	"Hustle!  I don't want to see the defense backchecking!  You have 
to be in position at all times!"  The man blew his whistle.  
"Alfredsson!  Get back at the line!  That's why we have forwards!"
	"Yes coach."  The young man skated back to the blue line to watch 
the point.  He didn't want to lose his starting position for next 
season.

THE END

The cast:

Lord Claude - Claude Lemieux
Sailor Bruin - Cam Neely
Sailor Ranger - Ulf Samulessom
Sailor Redwing - Steve Yzerman
Sailor Mapleleaf - Doug Gilmour
Sailor Panther - John VanBiesbrouck
Sailor Senator - Daniel Alfredsson
The Red Army - the 'Russian Five'
Kneecrasher - Scott Stevens
Elbowsup - Eric Lindros
Washed-up coach - Barry Melrose  =)

-- 
Lara
 - who needs a good psychiatrist after this
 - and is fairly embarassed for this story
 - but got a laugh out of it anyway
o------------------------------------------------------------------o
| Danger!  Thrills!  Guns!  What more could a gamer want than Tomb |
| Raider?  In it, you play hacker dream date Lara Croft (packs     |
| heat, back flips, has improbable breasts), as she leaps, swims,  |
| and shoots her way through various lushly depicted exotic        |
| labyrinths.  There's not much brain-work required here -- just   |
| keyboarding -- but it's hard not to be entertained by Lara's     |
| derring-do.  You go, girl!                                       | 
|       --- Newsweek                                               |
o------------------------------------------------------------------o
    lara@emunix.emich.edu | http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/