ALPHA FLIGHT 138

THE ALPHA FLIGHT GATEFOLD

The Story Up Till Now ... Omega Flight made their debut against the fury of Blastaar and Annihilus as Alpha watched their government sanctioned replacements on television. Magneto, Blink and Baby Charles settle into their new home.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

GUARDIAN - a bio-organic Sentinel, and not the de-aged James MacDonald Hudson as had been suspected, created by General Clarke in order to foster mistrust inside of Alpha Flight

VINDICATOR - Heather Hudson; estranged wife of Mac and sometime leader of ALPHA who's seen her husband die and return to life; has doubts about Mac's authenticity

SHAMAN - Michael Twoyoungmen; Shaman of Sarcee Tribe and accomplished surgeon who has at different times abandoned science for magic and magic for science

PUCK - Eugene Milton Judd; a long time adventurer who is considered the soul of ALPHA; has loved Heather from afar for years; Puck is a dwarf

SASQUATCH - Dr. Walter Langkowski; accomplished scientist and athlete, Walt can transform himself into a sasquatch and back with just a thought

AURORA - Jeanne-Marie Beaubier; suffers from a split personality between the reserved Jeanne-Marie and the outgoing Aurora, twin sister of Northstar

DOCTOR H2O - Shelly Holmes was Langkowski's research assistant, has demonstrated "ice" powers but the full extent is not known - trainee

AQUANEA - possibly the daughter of Marrina who was being used to breed more Plodex by Apocalypse - trainee

JACQUES CLOUVERE - the new head of Department H and political outcast of the Canadian Premier; desperate to regain his political power

OMEGA FLIGHT - the government sanctioned replacement for Alpha Flight, it's membership includes: Major Maple Leaf II, Talisman, Persuasion, Radius and Flex

MAGNUS ACCORD - Treaty between the Canadian government and Magneto. In exchange for protecting Canada, Magneto has been given control of the newly named Magneto Territories, where he can create a haven for non-criminal mutants to live under his rule.

NORTHERN BEAR PRODUCTIONS

In a place that was awash with a rainbow of colorlessness stood a woman who was dead. Her long flowing light blue and white cloak fluttered in a breeze she could not feel and her icy blue eyes searched the massive buildings and rock formations around her.

Somon raised an eye-brow. "And why should he - or I - care what you wish? I am the Great Artificer, the controller of the Great Beasts! If you have need of Tundra you first need to convince me, bastard-daughter of the Gods."

Snowbird turned and looked at the Great Beast hard and Somon, for the first time in existence, felt a chill roll down his spine.

"Could Alpha Flight have defeated the two villains without causing $20,000 worth of damage to SkyDome?"

Elizabeth Twoyoungmen sighed. They forgot to mention the press when she agreed to sign up for the new Omega Flight. She looked down the line to her left, as Omega sat at a press conference table, fielding the questions of a curious Canadian press. Radius, Flex, Persuasion and their leader, the new Major Maple Leaf. She didn't know who it was under the Maple Leaf mask, and, truth be told, it bothered her that he sat there wearing the costume that James and Heather Hudson had made famous as Guardian and Vindicator.

Neither was the bizarre robot, Manbot, that Department H, notably Jacques Clouvere, had thrust onto them.

She noticed, with no surprise, that the bot wasn't here for the press conference.

Guardian, Vindicator, Puck, Walter Langkowski, Aurora, Dr. H20 and Shaman sat and watched.

They had said little since the press conference officially unveiling Omega Flight to the world had begun. It wasn't that they didn't have comments to make, but they were silent out of respect for whatever feeling Shaman was having seeing his daughter as part of Omega Flight.

"This is a new day for Canada," Jacques Clouvere spoke from the television set. "A day when Canada can feel safe that their protectors are doing everything they can to make this a safer country."

Clouvere continued, "Now, I know many of you are wondering what happened to Alpha Flight. The truth is that we have decided - that being Alpha Flight and the Canadian government - that it would be mutually agreeable to part ways for now. We certainly bear them no ill will and there's an open invitation for any of them to join Omega Flight should they choose to, but we are not, I repeat, are not recruiting them."

Aquanea floated in the small pond that had become her home on the Sarcee Reservation. It was small, but larger than the cramped "home" that her Master had given her.*

It felt good to be away from the … the breeding that she was forced to do for her Master, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the comfort of the Pond. Not even to go inside with the others who had saved her.

She saw the cabin door open and reflexively slipped lower into the water to hide herself. The scientist who could turn into Sasquatch, Walter something, exit into the early evening night. He placed his hands in the pockets of his coat. Perhaps he was cold. Aquanea couldn't tell - she was never cold.

Walter walked away from the Cabin, his thoughts to himself. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew he needed to get away for a bit, clear his mind.

Aurora was getting to him. He could feel it inside, deep down, that urge to go to her. When she bolted from the group up in Nova Scotia* something clicked inside of him. He didn't know what it was that did it, maybe it was just being around her again. Maybe it was seeing that she was hurting and wanting to help. Damnit, he scolded himself, you're too old for this crap.

He nearly jumped out of his skin. "Jesus, Aurora, don't sneak up on a guy like that!"

"I should go?" she asked, but her look gave away the fact that she knew Walter wouldn't ask her to leave.

"I needed to go," she said simply, taking a step forward to stand almost an arm's length away. "And then I wanted to come back."

Another step. Physical contact was less than an inch away. Walter stared into her beautiful, wicked eyes and the inviting smile that called him forward on her thin lips. "Has anyone, anywhere, thrilled you like Aurora did, Waltair?"

Aurora leaned in closer to him and he had the feeling of being a deer trapped in the headlights. "Then wait until you see what Jeanne-Marie has in store for you."

With a flash of light she was gone into the night, leaving Walter to look around to see if anyone had seen him. He thought none had, but Aquanea, hidden by the waters of the Pond, had seen it all.

"Stuff it, Ego Boy," Kara shot back. "And it's Persuasion now. And you know that. Don't mess it up again."

"Or what?" Radius challenged. "You'll order me around with your persuasive powers? I bet you'd like that. Well, lady, I don't-"

Radius turned to shout Talisman down, but something about her stance stopped him. She wasn't the kind of person to trifle with. "That's better," Elizabeth nodded, then turned to look at the assemblage of Omega Flight gathered in the room: Radius, his half-brother Flex, Persuasion,

the reappeared Manbot and their leader, the mysterious Major Maple Leaf. Jacques Clouvere, their Department H liaison, was still outside schmoozing the press.

"I wish Murmur were here," Flex whined, as he had done since he was informed that Murmur wouldn't be joining them.

"That tramp?" Radius spat. "Be glad she's not. I don't trust people who get off controlling others."

"Is that why you have such distaste for me?" Persuasion asked. "Or is it that you really wish Murmur were here as much as your brother does and my presence - and my similar powers - simply remind you of that?"

"Keep dreaming, Purple Girl," Radius turned his back to her. "You don't know nothing about Radius."

"Alright, Kara," Talisman intervened again, "that's enough." She looked to the corner at the sitting form of Major Maple Leaf. "We wouldn't want our fearless leader to scold us, would we?"

Manbot >whhrrr<d and >clkkkk<d and Elizabeth grew even more leery about whoever it was behind that mask of Major Maple Leaf.

"What are you feeling, Michael?" Heather Hudson asked her long-time friend. She stood with Puck in Shaman's medical cabin, everyone else since departed. 'I'll say one thing about … Guardian,' Heather thought. 'Now that he knows he isn't Mac he's not giving us any trouble about leading the team.'

"Elizabeth is a grown woman who is capable of making her own decisions, Heather," Michael answered. "If she chooses to ally herself with Department H that is her own business."

"When past members of Alpha Flight were called together by Snowbird," Michael explained patiently, "Elizabeth was not one that Snowbird deemed necessary to our plans."

"I do not know," Michael shrugged. "When I asked Snowbird she simple replied that, 'Her place is elsewhere.' Perhaps being in Omega Flight is where she is needed for the greater good."

Michael looked at her - she had come so far in this lifetime and knew more tragedy and pain that anyone ought to. "One does not talk to Snowbird, Heather," he said softly. "She talks to you."

Shelly Holmes sighed. Of all the things she needed right now, the last thing she needed was to get involved with someone. Especially Guardian. He had enough problems of his own to deal with. But he looked so helpless last night …*

It's not that she didn't want a relationship - lord knows she did, but she didn't really even know him - not anymore than he knew himself and that was a recipe for disaster. She was content to leave it at one kiss if he was. And she really hoped he was.

Outside of Shelly's cabin, Guardian stood and watched her move from one window to another. The cabins, despite looking old and rundown, were actually very modern, thanks to Madison Jeffries and his ability to transmute metal, plastic and glass.

He had a million million million things running through his mind and he was happy to know that at least a million million of them had to do with the beautiful blue-haired, blue-eyed angel standing inside the cabin in front of him.

What was it that he was feeling inside of him. Emotions had been few and far between for him - a fact that made sense once he learned his true origin.* But now that he knew what he was he clung to any emotions he had, trying to explore them to see how far he could take them. Knowing that he could had made it easier to do. When he was in charge of Alpha Flight he had tried to keep all his emotions down, to be the cool leader that Department H wanted, but now …

Looking into the window and feeling guilty about it, but not stopping, Guardian saw Shelly start singing and dancing to an invisible tune.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in a world that had just recently opened up to him.

"We haven't got time for this," Heather snapped. "There's a problem brewing up in northern Quebec."

They found, much to their regret, but not surprise, that they didn't need coordinates.

"And by the look of things," Shelly, Doctor H2O, quipped, "he's kicking the crud out of Omega Flight."

Tundra stood, over a hundred feet tall, created from the land, dominating the plain. Persuasion was unconscious, her body twisted and mangled. Flex was taking care of her and nearly crying. That left Radius, Talisman and Major Maple Leaf battling the Great Beast.

Radius wasn't very effective. He battled at the feet of the Beast, trying to use his powers to trip him up, but Tundra just lumbered through and over his traps as if they weren't there. Talisman called upon the spirits to battle but they were of no help.

Major Maple Leaf soared back and forth across the sky, blasting Tundra here and there, but doing little more than annoying the Great Beast.

"Let's spread out," Vindicator ordered. "Puck, go to Radius and help him, if he'll take it. Shel- er, Dr. H2O, go to Flex and help him take care of Persuasion. You've never battled Tundra before, so watch and learn first, then join in! We don't need you killed! Guardian, Aurora, Sasquatch, come with me! Fan out around the Beast and help Maple Leaf and Talisman! Shaman!" she turned to see the medicine man staring out at his daughter. "Shaman!" He turned. "Do what you think is best."

They hit Tundra hard, Aurora flashing light in his eyes as Vindicator blasted him in the back of his head. Sasquatch grabbed hold in the dirt, ice and trees that made up Tundra's form and began climbing. Guardian flew to Talisman.

Guardian hovered in mid-air near her, "Well, yeah, obviously. But do you have any specific requests?" He had to admit that he enjoyed not being in charge.

Guardian shook his head, "Great strategy." He flew up and began blasting away at the Great Beast.

"Huh?" he asked, not seeing her at first. "Oh, she's not the Purple Girl anymore."

Shelly looked down at Persuasion and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about. She's purple. I can see her. Purple."

"Looks like it," Dr. H2O admitted, then looked to the battle with Tundra. "Take good care of her." She was off.

She hadn't made it 100 yards when Puck caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "Wait."

"I know," Puck shot up at her. "I need you to freeze all the moisture you can, then release it and drown Tundra. The water can knock him down to size. We've done it before."

"Over on the hill over there," Puck pointed to the east, "so when you let it go it flows right at him."

She ran to the hill, concentrating the whole time. She let her power flow and build, taking all the moisture, all the snow, all the water and forming it into a large ice block on the side of the hill. She lost all sight and sound of the battle behind her, concentrating on completing the task. This felt amazing to her, being here in the plains, battling a Great Beast. A Great Beast! If she wasn't fighting for her life she might have smiled. It almost made her want to forget about her research.

The ice formed quickly. She wasn't sure how much Puck wanted but looking at the size of Tundra she figured she'd just keep building and building the ice block until Puck told her to let it go.

Higher and higher, wider and wider the ice block formed. She wondered if she could release it all at once - this was all new territory to her. She'd melted and reformed ice cubes with but a thought, but this was a bit larger than the average ice cube.

Puck watched her with equal parts awe and concern, hoping he hadn't given her a task she couldn't complete. They needed her to come through - the effects they were having on Tundra were minimal, merely more than a minor annoyance.

Finally, it looked ready. They'd have to try it. He gave the signal to Heather, who saw what Dr. H2O was doing and motioned to everyone to be ready. "Now, H2O!" Puck shouted to Shelly.

She heard him - barely - and now pulled her powers back, watching the ice melt. It started slowly at first, like an popcicle melting on a warm day and then, to her shock, it stopped. "Huh?"

"I don't know, but it's not working!" Shelly yelled. "It's not doing anything." They looked up at the large block of ice on the hillside, now wondering what to do. Puck figured she was just freezing up (no pun intended, he told himself) in the heat (argh, the puns, he scolded) of battle. "Just relax kid, let your powers- oh, damn."

"What?" Shelly asked, turning to look to the dwarf and seeing the awed look on his face. "What is it?"

They looked to the ice block and watched, in shock, as is started to crack. The noise was like thunder and even Tundra turned it's attention to the ice block. "No, no, no," Puck mumbled, seeing the shape forming under the ice. "Not him, anyone but him."