Zvezda, Protector of the Dallas Star...And Also of Valeri Nichushkin

                                    

                                          
Meanwhile, in Dallas, Texas, in the Dallas Stars Locker Room at the American Airlines Center (or AAC)...

                          
"What you doing in here?" Val asks as he spots Anze Kopitar up to no good. The Los Angeles King forward is messing around with Tyler Seguin's equipment in the Dallas locker room. But he is smirking and cackling to himself... 
                          
At the sound of the young Russian forward's voice, his head snaps up. He glares at him and stops fiddling with the equipment. "Hello, Valeri." 
                          
Val halts in place. The tone is dry and there is something eerily wrong about it. His conscious screams at him to turn around and run for it and his heart begins to pound in his chest. But hockey players didn't flee, they confronted danger head on. Val stands his ground, wearing his Dallas uniform, complete with his padding on. But he doesn't have his gloves on. And he doesn't have his stick or helmet. He is completely helpless and he realizes this as Anze faces him, wearing a clever smirk on his face. The Los Angeles forward raises his hand up and grayish-white cosmic dust arises from the palm of his hand. 
                          
Without so much as a thought or hesitation, he throws his hand out and shoots the energy at Val, who dodges it just barely. Anze steps toward him, chuckling. "What's the matter Russian? Scared of a little white light?" 
                          
As the King and Star both circle each other, Val watches Kopitar closely. Luckily superpowers aren't new to Val, so he isn't at all shocked by the sight of them, but the fact that one of the Los Angeles Kings' players has superpowers...that is shocking...and a little nerve-wracking. What had he done to Tyler's equipment? "What you do to Tyler's stuff?" 
                          
"What's it gonna matter to you? I'm just doing what's necessary for my team to get a win here in Dallas."
                          
"So you cheat and hurt Tyler?" 
                          
"I wish you'd learn to SPEAK better English, Russian. You're much more choppier than Geno." Kopitar builds up a ball of energy in his hand and then throws it at Val, who jumps up and dives at the King. He is able to take him unaware and they crash to the ground. 
                          
"Why you try hurt me?" Val asks, pinning the rival player to the floor.  
                          
"Because you saw what I did! I can't have you warn your little Starry Stars now! Especially Tyler," Kopitar sneers as he shoves Val off of him and blasts him with the lunar energy, sending Val flying backward into the wall of the locker room. 
                          
Val slams into the whiteboard on the wall and falls to the ground. He shakes his head and scrambles to his feet. "You really should no hurt me." 
                          
Kopitar laughs as he steps forward and then grabs Val by the collar of his jersey. "Really? Why's that?" 
                          
Val bites his lip and shakes his head. Don't scream yet! Try to handle this yourself! You can't always have Zvezda come and save you! You can do this Val! "I no tell you. Let me go and get out! I tell Tyler and then Jamie make you pay on ice." 
                          
"Oh really? You think I'll let that happen?" 
                          
Suddenly Val shoves Kopitar back, mustering all of his strength and he tears himself free from his hold. He scampers out of the locker room and down the tunnel, heading for the ice. Kopitar roars with anger and charges after him. Kopitar lunges for Val and tackles him, sending them both flying onto the ice rink. 
                          
"I'm not gonna let you tell your friends, Valeri Nichushkin! Nosy Russian scum!" Kopitar snarls as he pins Val to the ice. 
                          
"You no hurt Tyler or the Stars!" Val kicks up and knees him off of him. The Dallas winger rolls to the side and gets to his feet, raising his fists up. 
                          
Kopitar joins him, cackling wickedly. "You're gonna pick a fight? Oh Russian...you really gotta "pick on someone your own size"!" 
                          
"I am. You basically my size." Val swings a fist at Kopitar, but he isn't a fighter and instead Kopitar spots his move and reacts quickly. He grabs Val's arm and spins him around, wrenching his arm behind his back, slamming him hard into the boards. They are to the side of the bench area and tunnel, where they'd come onto the ice from.