HYBRID

🏒 Crease ⛸️

"Hey!" Wei Ying skated towards him and sported a warm smile. He had a pair of skates in his hand that was customised for Jun and was quick to kneel.

"Lift."

At Wei Ying's command, Jun complied and his heart fluttered at the sight in front. A man who bore the weight of this world on his shoulders, a future NHL player, currently was kneeling and helping him; a retired player.

Jun intently observed Wei Ying tying his laces diligently and it just made his heart painfully aware of what could have been their future had they met under better circumstances.

Years ago it was he who was tying a juvenile's lace; and today it was the same soul who reciprocated the act.

But one thing was sure, Jun did not feel an ounce of embarrassment when Wei Ying saw his prosthetic leg. It felt so natural. Could be because Wei Ying hadn't flinched the first time he saw Jun's leg.

"You're quiet. What's the matter?" Wei Ying stood just a few feet apart but yet Jun could see the specks of his irises as clear as day.

"Just remembered someone."

"Oh! Who?" The curiosity got better and Jun smiled at Wei Ying's mischief.

"Just someone. Come one. Let's go. Don't slack off. You have a game to play tomorrow."

"Aye! Aye! Captain!"

Skating to the middle, Jun waited for Wei Ying to take his spot in front of the goal post. The puck was steady, ready to be used the way a player wanted. And just as years ago, the calmness serenaded him once again and Jun smiled inwardly. This was what he missed sorely. A chance to play on the home pitch. He was born to play. He was born for this.

As Jun's gaze met Wei Ying's over the helmet covered face, his heart knew, the man in front of him had to make it until the very end. Xian had to. His Wei Ying had to.

A voice was heard over the headpiece he wore; "What are you waiting for?"

That was all it took for Jun to skate forward. Steady breathing, the puck glided smoothly alongside and it was then he saw Wei Ying's stance change.

'He's too rigid. If I twist my body to the right, bend down and turn the other way; Ice will be too busy to attack agressively and would not be ready to defend.' With that thought in mind, Jun smirked and as predicted he scored his first goal in mere seconds.

Just as the sound of the buzzer resonated against the empty arena, it shook Wei Ying's core. His surprise gaze met Jun's as he commented, "I am not ready for tomorrow's game Azure. I thought we had ample time to learn the technique of Hybrid; but now-"

Gliding to a stop in front of Wei Ying; Jun took a step closer and said, "We might not be ready for Hybrid; but for now we can practice Passive."

"Passive?"

"Yes. I have seen a few videos of yours from before and can confidently say that your old technique, might not work tomorrow, the reason being that the opponents will be expecting the same. I'm not just talking about your aggressiveness; but your technique from even before."

"So what should I do?"

"As I said, let's try Passive Technique. This way the opponents would not be able to guess your moves since you've never been a passive player. You can defend without being agressive. You can move and block the deke/puck as you wish."

"But there is a big con in all this. My movements will be restrictive. I can't move beyond my limits. I need to purely rely on my defence tactics." Wei Ying bit his lower lips in contemplation.