How You Doing Insane Gang!

Finally time for some action!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Startled by his exclamation, his hands slipped off the bench and his chin just grazed it face planting to the floor.

"Holy shit, a little warning next time?"

Aang rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry."

Grasping his jaw, he moved it side to side; checking out the damage. "I always had to be the first one on game day, it was expected of me."

"It'll be cool, you can just chill with us until we have to get ready for warm-up."

Zuko shook his head, "I have to finish my routine and then do some laps on the ice."

He left Sokka and Aang to their own devices. He pulled on his shoulder and chest pads loosely and slipped his practice jersey over his head. He left his helmet hanging on the peg in his locker.

It was ingrained in him from a young age to have the same routine day in and day out for games. He would get to the game two hours early, starting with free form stretches until moving on with a band. After, he only puts on his hockey pants and socks, followed by 50 sit-ups and push-ups. He would put on his upper pads but left them undone under his practice jersey. It made it easier to do his 13 laps around the rink. As a cool-down session, he would meditate for 20 minutes on the bench. When it was closer to game time he would listen to his hockey playlist and finish tightening and taping up his pads starting with his left side.

Zuko took his time skating his laps, usually, he would blast right through them under his father's watchful eye but this time he allowed his mind to wonder. Rarely would he ever skate for fun, it was always about getting from point A to point B. He spun around gracefully to skate a lap backward. He chuckled lightly as he sprayed snow onto the plexiglass.

"You look like you're having fun."

A new voice startled Zuko, losing an edge and tumbling onto the ice.

The rich voice laughed. The younger player rolled onto his forearms to see Hakoda leaning over the players' bench.

"I didn't think anyone would be using the rink at this time."

"I'm sure you found my son and Aang in the locker room."

Zuko grunted, rising to stand back on his skates to make his way over.

"I did, normally when I was back in the city I would be the only one who showed up earlier."

"That's dedication for you."

Zuko shook his head. "No, it was always punishment."

He flipped over the boards to make his way into the tunnel.

The rest of the team should be filtering in by now. Zuko finished his meditation and was fully strapping down his equipment.

"Those all the pads you wear Zuko?" Aang asked.

He was in the middle of taping his socks. His shoulder and chest protector was already strapped and he taped up his elbow pads. He eyed the younger boy's equipment. Aang wore a long-sleeved white compression shirt with built-in pads to protect the ribs. The shoulder pads were also much bigger than Zuko wore.

"Aang has a point, you don't even wear a shirt under your pads." Sokka butted in the conversation."

Unlike Aang, Sokka wore a grey compression t-shirt without the pads. Zuko shrugged, "I've never worn anything more than necessary, my father found no point in it and felt it would toughen me up to take a puck in the ribs or two."

Sighing, Sokka took a seat on his own bench which happened to be beside Zuko. "I'm glad you're not with your dad anymore."

Zuko slapped his shoulder. "Come on, let's get warm-ups started."

The whole team skated out from the tunnel. Zuko kept his helmet unbuckled and titled his visor up out of his field of vision for the time being. Zuko was sporting number 13, Sokka was number 77, and Aang wore 21.

He practiced some passing and shooting before heading over to the bench. Hakoda was drawing on his little whiteboard some play scenarios. Some of the guys looked on with confusion as Coach explained their power play. Zuko's eyebrows scrunched together. How were they not getting this? He was learning these types of plays when he was on middle school teams back home.

He spotted Aang waving into the crowd, he zeroed in on the girls in the stands. They were in the student section near the top, decked out in school colors. Suki even had Sokka's number in blue paint on her cheek. He tried not to think about what it would look like if Katara sported his number proudly.

Not long, the referee blew the whistle signaling puck drop. Zuko sucked in his mouth guard snuggly to his teeth. Sokka was quick in the draw and sent the puck back to Zuko who passed it up the line to Aang. He was fast and caught the defense flat-footed in their own third. Zuko set himself up at the point. Aang did some fancy footwork long enough to pass the puck over the slot onto Sokka's stick for a deflection on the back post. The defense was so enamored with Aang's stickhandling they forgot about Sokka who cruised his way to the net unguarded. The deflection went in and the horn sounded for the home team.

Sokka skated on one foot, twirling his stick in his hand before pretending to holster it. Aang came up to hug him, while Jet and Longshot gave him pats on the back and a fist bump. As Sokka made his way towards the bench to go down the line, Zuko knocked their helmets together.

They reset in the center though this time they lost the draw. Zuko kept an eye on the winger in front of him. Predictably, he received the puck next to the boards. Just in time for Zuko to hit him with a hip check. The hit sent the other guy sprawling on the ice as the crowd went wild. Zuko calmly collected the puck and sent it across to his partner Jet. The second line was up in front of him. Jet passed up back across the blue paint. The goalie was able to block several shots coming his way by the time Zuko's first shift was over. He hoped the boards to take a seat next to Sokka. He flicked his guard out of his mouth with his tongue to chew on the end of it.

Sokka passed him a bottle. "Great hip check."

"No big deal, just how I like to play." He shrugged.

"Kind is man, no one else on the team can execute a hip check without getting called for interference."

Turning his face, he shot him a perplexed gaze. "Seriously?"

Sokka was unable to answer as his shift was up. Aang scored a wrap-around goal to make them ahead by two. At that point, the first period was over.

Their first game will continue in the next chapter.

Stay Crazy.