"Alphanex base? This is Tyson! Do you read me? I'm seeing everything clearly now. It's like... it's like there hasn't been a battle at all! The whole place-- virtually untouched! I've got a visual on our heroes. Yup. Alpha and Omega Flights both appear none the worse for wear... Hang on... Sasquatch looks a bit funny. I'm punching up the digital zoom. (Oh my god.) ALPHANEX! Sasquatch is missing! I repeat, Sasquatch is missing! The ... creature I'm seeing isn't Sasquatch... it's TUNDRA, but he's ... he's HUMAN-SIZED!"

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"Oh, Nayra, why won't you tell me what is going on?" Michael Twoyoungmen, a.k.a. Shaman, stood upon the lonely plain within the Sarcee Indian Reservation. The main cabins stood far to the right, the only illumination in the late night air. Before Shaman stood a 6-foot tall replica of the Great Beast known as Tundra, seemingly growing directly from the earth, its arms outstretched and reaching for the sky.

Shaman turned, expecting to see his former teammate, Snowbird. But only Tundra and he remained, and Tundra had moved only once -- disappearing from the battle scene at the Magneto Territories and reforming here.

Shaman cried out, lifting his rune-carved spirit staff, "Must my faith be challenged at every step! How can I ever take a step forward with no direction given!"

"And must I," the figure of Snowbird descended from a swirl of astral energy in the air, "be expected to appear any time you threaten to forswear your faith? Are you such a child, that you would feign breathing in order to be given a cookie?"

"Nayra," Shaman admonished, "surely if you are a god, I must seem like a child. You have a perspective I could only hope to have. But you must share with me what you see. Once, I was your teacher. Now, I have become your student. How can I grow if you won't stretch me?"

Snowbird paused. "Every being on earth will soon face a great trial, the likes of which threaten to rend this universe asunder. Alliances must be formed if we are to have any hope of overcoming this crisis. Tundra, one of the most formindable of the Great Beast, is such an ally. Against his wishes, he was sent to this plane by his leader, Somon the Artificer. He began to battle in rage, until he was stopped by Kolomaq, Alpha and Omega Flight, and Magneto. Trapped on this plane, his rage is subsiding. Soon he will be a formidable ally."

"Thank you, Nayra," Shaman nodded. "But you know that is not enough. What is this crisis you continually speak of? How can we fight it if we cannot be forwarned?"

Silence across the plain.

"Nayra..?"

"I hesitate to answer, Michael," Snowbird whispered softly into the cold wind, "for I do not know!"

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The blue-haired Shelley Holmes paced the area the Alphans had dubbed "the Pond." Part of the reason Alpha reformed was to chase after the supposed appearance of their former member, Marrina. Instead, they found a similar Plodex alien, calling her Aquanea. Shelley often wondered if Aquanea was indeed a Plodex creature, or perhaps one of Marrina's long-lost children, believed to have been born to her and her wife, Namor the Sub-Mariner.

"Hello, Aquanea," Shelley talked soflty to the frightened creature at the other end of the Pond, "how was your day, today? "

Shelley was Walter "Sasquatch" Langkowski's lab assistant before using her own powers to vie for a place in Alpha Flight. But without Walter around, Shelley was beginning to have doubts about belonging to the group There were a few responsibilties that Walter, as the team's resident scientist, was expected to perform, and now that he was missing after the battle with Tundra. . .

"It's not like anyone asked me to do this," Shelley contined talking to fill the silence-- Aquanea never participated in much conversation, "But I guess I'm as qualified as anyone to assume Walter's responsibilites. Not that I *want* to be a part of Alpha Flight just so that they can keep their sci-fi doo-dads running."

Shelley checked the nutrino levels within Aquanea's Pond. "You know, if you ate something, we wouldn't have to supplement the water. You're aminos are pretty low. I'll give it a boost with the other vita-solutions."

"Thank you, Shelley," came a voice from the room.

"Aquanea?" Shelley began, but was disappointed. "Oh, it's you, Aurora. I didn't see you come in."

"NOT 'Aurora,'" the woman cringed at the word, "Please call me Jeanie-Marie."

"But I had thought.. you are in costume--- and added a cape, too!"

"Do not get me wrong," the Quebec mutant mustered as much dignity as she could, "I hate Aurora and all she has done. But for some reason, certain people think that the power we can possess must be used at all times. I was a fool to let my body be used solely by Aurora's amoral whims! But Jeanie-Marie will no longer idly stand by. Should I need to fly, it will be Jeanie-Marie who does it."

Shelley finished mixing the vita-solution to add to the Pond. "I . . . see."

Jeanie-Marie sat by the pool as Shelley added the solution to it. Jeanie-Marie called out to Aquanea, bringing some books from a shoulder bag obscured beneath her cape. "Now, Aquanea, let us continue your lessons from yesterday..."

And deeper into the woods, a pair of inhuman eyes watched the Pond from across the distance.

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MORE ALPHANS SIGHTED!
The Three have received word (ultimately coming from a shipping supply trucker) that a mysterious aircraft was seen landing in the vicinity of the Sarcee Reservation-- where we now suspect that Alpha Flight is based. The trucker described it as a small shuttle-like plane in purple and chrome-- "bumpy" as he put it, "with extra panels and stuff all over."

Sound familiar? Yup, it does to us, too! It must mean that Madison "Box" Jeffries and "Diamond Lil" Crawley have returned! But for how long? Why? and will this lead to Alpha Flight ultimately "coming out" as it were, to fight publicly alongside the government-sanctioned Omega Flight? Stay tuned... as always, further details as they come!

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"Madison! Lil!" called the diminutive Eugene Judd from the main cabin. "What a pleasant surprise!"

The two on-again-off-again Alphans exited from Jeffries' makeshift shuttle craft. Both were dressed very plainly, looking as "blue-collar mutant" as ever. Madison just grinned his lopsided smile. "Hey, Puck," he called back.

With a wave of his hand, Jeffries used his mutant powers to transmute the metal of his plane. In seconds, a conveyer belt-like contraption extended from the side, brining out box after box after crate.

Lil greeted Judd with a kiss on the top of his head. "Actually, we're just stopping on our way through. But Madison remembered you guys had a wish list, and couldn't resist tinkering with a few things and making up a care package."

"Aw, not deciding to stay, eh?" Judd couldn't resist the jab, but added encouragingly, "There's always room for you two in Alpha...."

"You mean, 'you *three?*" Lil said softly, patting her stomach.

Then Jeffries laughed as he approached with a plastic crate in his arms, "Puck! I've never seen you at a loss for words!"

Judd shut his mouth, which he just realized had been left open for a considerable time. "That is the most wonderful news I've heard in a long, long time! Congratulations to you both! I'm so happy for you! Come on inside! I'll whip up some breakfast!"

As they entered the cabin, Puck turned to Jeffries, "So, you, ah, took care of our *entire* wish list, eh?"

Jeffries just beamed, "Don't worry, Short Round, I got your Guiness!"

Judd sighed, "Sorry, Lil. But THAT is the most wonderful news I've ever heard!"

Soon, the three had set themselves up in the kitchen. Judd stood atop a footstool to help him fry the eggs, and Jeffries nibbled on some bacon as he and his wife stood nearby. The conversation had grown more serious as the morning progressed.

"So you are on to the Magneto Territories? Hmm," regarded Judd. "I don't know..."

"Hey," Lil remared, "you just don't refuse a personal invitation by," she changed her voice to give a mock-menancing "Magneto, Master of Magnetism!"

"Judd," Jeffries added, "he's really determined to make this thing work. A haven for mutants, built by mutants, maintained by mutants. My mutant powers to transmute metal and machines is just... invaluable."

Seeing Judd remain silent, Lil chimed again, "But that's not just why he sought us out. Magneto isn't letting just any mutant in. He wants to build a land for families, for mutants... just like Madison and me."

Judd considered his eggs intently. Jeffries never seemed so driven before, even when Gamma Flight, and later, Alpha, had given him purpose for his life. And Lil was downright rosey and bright-eyed as she looked into the future-- something Judd had rarely seen. If Magneto could inspire such good people to even better ideals, maybe this Magneto Territory thing wasn't a bad idea after all.

"Well," Judd smiled and half-joked, "you could have just said you were in it for the adventure, and that'd be something I could understand, at least! Good luck you two!"

In his head, he added, "and good luck to us all!"

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 I saw Heather Hudson today. Couldn't believe it. As the super hero Vindicator, Mrs. Hudson's about the closest thing to an actual celebrity these old eyes will ever see!

But what might interest you guys was her, I'd guess you'd say, attitude. I was in the department store, stopping in on my way through from Edmonton. That's when I saw her-- that little store was probably the closest thing that those guys have for civilzation as we know it. Looks like you guys are right, the Alpha Flight has created their base in the Sarcee Indian Reservation nearby.

Anyway, she seemed intense, preoccupied, and downright unhappy. Not like that take-charge woman we saw so long ago, eh, Brigadier? Poor thing, to be so frustrated at such a young age. Well, young, comparatively.

I'm no great judge of human behavior, but I can sure tell when someone got a lot on their mind, you know. She kept going back to the same dress about umpteen different times! One time, when a certain blouse wouldn't stay on the hanger as she tried to hang it back up, she just about blew her top with an outburst of the language that would put a sailor to shame. I can't imagine what she must have been thinking about. But you guys have said she's been acting downright snappish for several months.

She finally got to the check out, and tried to pay with a credit card. It was handed back, and the poor thing looked like she was going to cry! She searched her purse for some cash, but couldn't find any. I don't know why she's surprised. Alpha Flight isn't funded by the government anymore-- and when it was, their relationship was so off-and-on again that... well let's just say that being a super hero isn't the path to choose for financial stability. (I wonder, who's paying the bills for the team while they're hold up in the Sarcee Reservation?)

So you know what I did? I paid for her few dresses. Oh, she put up a protest, of course, like any good person would refuse charity. But I just looked her in the eye and said, "Honey, sometimes we all just gotta take care of each other." What a look of relief passed her face. Like a big weight was lifted. She virtually floated away, with a better resolve than I've seen her have in a long, long time.

But you now what, Alphanex? I got the best present in return-- a kiss from Heather Hudson, Vindicator, right on my cheek!

Old Timer
oldtimer@alphanex.net

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She wondered how the others would take the news

Heather drove slower than usual on her way back to the Sarcee Reservation. She had thought a trip into "civilization" would clear her head, and in some ways, it had. She had no idea that her bank accounts had become so overdrawn, that her credit had all but been denied, and that whatever small income she was getting from the government and her late husband's grants had sofly but suddenly disappeared.

For Heather, it was a rude awakening. For being the leader of Alpha Flight for so long, she had no idea she was so truly dependant upon them. But what happens when, for all intents and purposes, the government decides that your team, that your husband, does not exist? Well, you have to accept handouts from strange old men, for starters...

Heather got out of the car and the cold northern wind hit her hard.

"Guardian?" she asked, as a figure approached her in the evening.

"Heather!" Guardian virutally bubbled over in excitement. "I've got great news!"

"I have news too," Heather said, smiling in spite of herself. "But.. what are you wearing?"

Guardian modeled his new costume, "Like it? Madison Jeffries helped me with it when he stopped by. But I designed it."

"It certainly is... bulky."

"Hey, all the popular mutants are wearing stuff like this. But listen, I've decided to change my name."

"You've decided?"

Guardian shrugged, "Well, I'm not a reincarnated James Hudson. But in some ways, I *am* his brainchild-- his imprint, his offspring. If it's okay with you, I'd like to be his son. I'm Jimmy."

Heather, taken back, didn't know quite what to say, "Uhm, well, I'll think about it." Selfishly, she thought for a quick second, "At least I don't have to think of him as my husband anymore."

"Great!" Guardian laughed, "and to begin, I'm going to delete James Hudson's memories. It's not right that I was given them when the government activated me. I'll be left with his brain pattern imprint, but starting tomorrow, I will be my own person! New costume, new name, new person!

So... what's your news, Heather?"

Heather just smiled, "Well. I'm quitting Alpha Flight."

THE END