Department H Files

Heather Hudson, in a dark business suit with skirt, heads down a wide hall. She adjusts her dark and thick glasses as she reaches the door at the end of the hall and opens it. Inside the office on floor 66 of Department H she finds Eugene Judd at the main desk, in a white shirt, tie and dark pants, sitting with a computer in his hands. Lieutenant Oculus sits beside him in a dark brown suit that looks impeccable. As she approaches they both stand up, with Oculus looking down at the floor.

Heather: Good morning, gentlemen. Looks like you've been here all night.

Judd: Well, it was worth doing. We've cracked all the codes, entered all the hidden rooms, broken into all the files from the sub-basement to the attic. Taking some down time to read what we found, is all.

Heather: All of it?

Oculus: No, ma'am. Only 72.5% of what we found is within my security clearance and 88.933% is within Commander Judd's clearance. The rest is for Your Eyes Only, ma'am.

Heather: It would help if you'd look at me when you're talking to me, Lieutenant. Go home and get some rest, the Commander and I have to talk.

Oculus: Yes, ma'am, thank you ma'am.

Oculus takes his leave. Heather sits in the big chair behind the desk while Judd moves to the smaller armchair Oculus was using.

Judd: That guy is amazing, Heather. For once we got lucky, eh?

Heather: I'm surprised you called on his help.

Judd: I got bogged down trying to find everything pretty fast, so I called him up and ordered him to help. He's got a real knack for espionage and security, his guesswork quadrupled our accuracy as we worked together.

Heather: OK, then. Start filling me in. Hit everything.

Judd: I'll skip the lunch menus and maintenance schedules. By the way, I'm not too keen on security clearances, never have been.

Heather: Understood. I guess that will make it easier for me anyway. It's hard enough for me to see in this much light.

Judd: Still hard to believe, Director Hudson, that you've been in power less than 36 hours. Anyway, here goes. Department H was started by an Order in Council to study the paranormal situation, five years before you and Mac 'created' it. A man called Henry MacDougal was placed in charge. They basically rounded up anyone with mutant powers or mutant looks and took them to two warehouses in north Toronto. A staff of 27 worked on testing the mutants and running experiments. Three months later a series of bombs were set off in the warehouses, killing almost everyone involved. Authorities were confident Victor Creed did the deed, at the behest of the Hellfire Club. The only employees of Department H who survived were Captain Chasen, Colonel Clarke, and Dr. Krypt. 12 children survived the blasts and were placed in...

Heather: Hull House

Judd: Bingo. To cover up the fact that these orphans were mutants the Clarke had a Gamma Ray Collector placed near Hull House and had it blow up, to make it look like an accident gave the children their powers.

Heather: Clarke was always a bastidge.

Judd: Nine of the children are still alive today with only Flinch still having his powers after M Day. When Mac came home he was offered the chance to take over Department H in return for his cyberhelmet. He refused, wanting to keep control of his invention but he offered Department H his services anyway.

Heather: I remember how he talked of founding a superhero group and running it. I thought he should've taken their offer and run Department H, but he was convinced that he had to be down in the trenches, hands on, to make sure things went right. He had no intention of becoming a hero or letting anyone take over his helmet. So William Reisner became Director.

Judd: A lot of what happened next you know. You guys found Weapon X, Logan, helping him regain his sanity. Mac recruits a group of heroes to form his team but it doesn't go well so he goes back to the drawing board with his cyberhelmet. Wolverine goes solo for Department H, Mac creates the Guardian suit and tunes the helmet to his brain waves, Wolverine quits, Mac is forced to become Weapon Alpha while some of your recruits get training, and pretty much everything up until you wearing Mac's suit contains no real surprises. But the psyche profiles...

Heather: What?

Judd: Reisner and General Clarke decided that we all needed serious evaluation, and brainwashing to forget the invasion. They hired a telepath to get it done, hence our first brainwashing.

Heather: Anything worth knowing?

Judd: They had you pegged as smart but timid, aggressive when pushed around. Walter was the one with the highest grades, most trustworthy and evreything. I was least trustworthy, no surprise eh. Mac was seen as very intelligent but single-minded, he could get stuck on a track and not see the big picture. Madison was weak-willed and easy to manipulate, Snowbird was docile... the rest you could guess at pretty easily.

Heather: I expect you're paraphasing a lot.

Judd: Each of us had at least 28 pages of profiling. They didn't want Mac to lead and they really didn't want you involved, but with the deal I made to get out of prison I couldn't lead so they figured they were stuck. That lead to the first time they cut Alpha Flight loose, they didn't trust you and Mac and washed their hands of you.

Heather: Was their 'Gamma Flight' already in the works?

Judd: Yes. Nemesis was already in touch, she brought in Witchfire. Clarke got Walter to 'fix' Wild Child and he was brought in. Auric and Silver escaped from China and that was enough for Clarke.

Heather: Why did they call that team Gamma Flight, anyway? Our kindergarten name?

Judd: Honestly, Clarke liked it, I guess he was stuck on gamma since the Collector deal. When Gamma Flight blew up in his face he was angry and replaced Reisner. He really wanted to see us fail and he wanted replacements ready. As Director he contacted Weapon Plus about rebooting the Weapon X Program; he created Department K just to make sure he had total control of the Project. Most of the people who are at the top of Department H right now were brought in then, Proctor, Suu, Haddock. Huxley was there too. Clarke also created the synthoid Beta program, the genetics labs, the arms project, started stockpiling weapons and such, and let Huxley create the late Weapon P.R.I.M.E. group, to replace us of course. He also experimented on my former Outcast mates and Woodgood. After he booted us out for the last time he was at the pinnacle of his power.

Heather: Then everything went wrong. The megalomaniac left himself a long way to fall.

Judd: Department K was destroyed, Weapon P.R.I.M.E. was killed, his Weapon X participants were mostly dead and the rest were renegades. So the government demoted him and put or favorite Director X in charge. Director X not only kept Clarke's programs going, he expanded on them. The Hull House kids were coming into their own so Clarke was put in charge of 'harvesting' them appropriately. That is, until he pushed Cleric too hard and Cleric's power went overboard, his cellular respiration pathways were burnt out. Cleric couldn't absorb as much energy as they gave him and he couldn't dissipate it fast enough. Clarke was taken off day to day work and restricted in his orders. The kids didn't do so hot so they downloaded Mac's barinwaves onto a synthoid and brainwashed us into joining. It was Clarke who hired the Zodiac, hell almost everything that happened back then was caused by Department H. The Director ordered Clarke into the reactor to shut it down, too. Good thing Gentry came along and put a stop to a lot of that nonsense.

Heather: Why did he have so much power when the Director was such a dictator?

Judd: He was a government appointee, his sister married the P.M., and he knew the Director's secrets. What choice did the Director have?

Heather: Anything else I don't know about?

Judd: Just that the Director's 'safety' program, in place to keep his and the Department's secrets safe, lead to the death of 28 Department H employees, including Gentry. No wonder you had such an easy takeover. Then the spit hit the fan. We go to re-seed Plodexia, Walter has his time-travelling gaffe's, M Day hits and the Department is left with only one paranormal in Flinch, we come back and get sent out at SHIELD's behest to find out what the "Collective" is, and you know what a great 5 minutes that was...

Heather: If it wasn't for that I wouldn't need these special shades, a mechanical spine, and a swiss cheese G.I.T. And Marie would have a Father.

Judd: If help would've arrived sooner Mac still would've died, same with Michael. You survived by the skin of your teeth.

Heather Holding her head in her handsI know, I know. Go on.

Judd: Director H was not a happy camper. No Alpha Flight at the moment, one Betan, no Gammas, his synthoids being destroyed by SHIELD, the government asking pointed questions about all his other experiments. Even when I recovered with Walter and formed our little Alpha Flight group he wasn't happy. He had every intention of using the Epsilons to kill us and take over the government. He wasn't going to give up without a fight. His plan was to kill all of us, then force a coup on Ottawa. Before anyone could say anything he'd be dictactor of over 30 million people. But then you went to the P.M. to have him removed and they took your advice, the Epsilons were ordered to stand down, Director X was arrested, and in you walked, Director Hudson.

Heather: That can't be all of it?

Judd. No, eh, there has to be more. Here's the rest of my summary, Huxley, Weapon X, dossiers on our enemies, contacts, whatever other minor shenanigans Department H ever got to. But I gave you the highlights. I need to leave anyway.

Heather: Sleep?

Judd: Nope. Alpha Flight is away on a mission and I need to check on their success, Guardian should be checking back about now anyway. When they get back I have a training session for them. I left evrtything else on the desktop. Read at your discretion.

Heather: That would be now. I need to know what was intended with our brain chips, plans for Bedlam, what dealings we had with SHIELD, AIM, the Zodiac, I need to be up to speed on everything. And thank you, Commander.

Judd: Huh?

Heather: For all the work, for getting Oculus on side, for putting the house in order at the same time. For pulling in favours to get me in this chair.

Judd: All in a day's work. Besides, a Hudson had to be Director sooner rather than later. And although Alpha Flight may need Commander Judd, they'll get Puck on occasion, too. I may be slowing down but I'm not dead, yet, and Guardian still needs lessons on tactics during battle. Winks.

Heather: As you were, Commander, and shall be. She smiles broadly and adjusts the computer screen. Judd strides out, head high, and closes the door. He goes past Oculus' center and lets him know that the Director thinks he's the bee's knees. Oculus smiles sheepishly. Judd soon finds that Alpha Flight has returned from their successful mission and is eager for Judd's next assignment.... but that story is for another day ;)

Before Heather Hudson takes over Department H.

Eugene M. Judd walks into Department H's medical bay and sees Walter Langkowski, in his lab coat, checking over several notes and x-rays. Judd, in a grey sweatshirt and pants, makes sure no one else is in the room.

Judd: How does it look, Walter?

Walter: Not great. Heather's sight is never going to be close to what it used to be and her light sensitivity is going to stay. The replacement parts I grafted for her will work fine as long as she stays out of the superhero business. Her body can't take the punsihment and her nervous system can't handle anything like the Vindicator suit. But she can handle it, I'm sure.

Judd: No doubt, this won't stop her from living her life. Got time for a walk outside? I need to stretch my legs and my mind.

Walter: No problem.

They head outside and walk in the woods. Neither is saying much.

Walter: Something bothering you?

Judd: A lot, actually. I've been going over a lot of things since our little setback up north. I think it's safe to tell you that change is in the air.

Walter: What do you mean?

Judd: Heather has been talking about taking over... Department H. And I can't help but help, eh?

Walter: When was all this decided?? What makes you think this is a good plan?

Judd: Once Heather got 'adjusted' to her new abilities and spent a couple of days with Marie, well, she called me up and told me bluntly that Department H needed a 'regime change'. She had already contacted some friends and we've talked to the Prime Minister. I've even called in a couple of old favours to smooth the ride.

Walter: When is this supposed to happen?

Judd: In three days. No more Director X, no more idiocy. But that's not the big thing I wanted to talk to you about.

Walter: What now? You're running for head of the U.N.? Going into show business? Mac and the rest are still alive??

Judd: No, no. Heather as offered me the job of Head of Security and Training with Department H...

Walter: Getting a little ahead of yourselves, aren't you?

Judd: Trust me, it's in the bag. She wanted to make you Science Head, too, but...

Walter: You didn't tell her I'm against it!?!

Judd: No, no. I figure you'd jump at it. But that's not what I really want to talk to you about, eh? It's bigger than all that.

Walter: What could possibly top that?

Judd: Just listen a bit. Remember way back, when we defeated the Master and got Mac back, again? After Feedback joined up and we lost our charter?

Walter: Yes.

Judd: Well, what happened? We all split up, nobody got settled anywhere, and Department H tries to form a team with a bunch of kids! It's a flop, sure, and so they drag me, Madison and Heather back, not you or Michael or even Elizabeth. And right away what happens? Madison is taken away by the Zodiac. We fumble around until you guys rejoin. But Windshear won't talk to us, heck most of our old allies give us the cold shoulder, even Elizabeth. Then what happens? Box, Wild Child, Aurora, they're all captured by Weapon X!! Northstar tries to take some mutant kid he just discovered to Xavier's but the kid dies on the way, in pity the X-Men take in Jean-Paul. Diamond Lil and Persuasion get captured by Weapon X. WE surprisingly find the Master's old Plodex ship, chock full of Plodex eggs! You escape, the rest of us wind up going to Plodex world to re-seed it while you found a new Alpha Flight team. After some time travelling escapades or some such thing you create temporal copies of us that vanish as we arrive back on Earth. Bang, right away we meet up with your three remaining partners and are 'asked' by SHIELD, SHIELD, to check out some monstronsity that is destroying towns in Alaska, even killing a few SHIELD agents along the way. Bam, up we go and bam, down we go, with only three of us still alive. And Snowbird? Long gone.

Walter: Yes, things have sucked for quite a while. Your point?

Judd: Look around you. Where are Centennial and Yukon Jack? Seen Yukon Jack's people? Heard from them? How about Mar? No? What happened to Earthmover, he seems to have virtually no mystic powers, Michael was wrong. Old Chuck is back at hockey camp. How about that horse, Thunder? Seems nobody knows anything about it. Windshear still stews in Britain, powerless since M-Day. Talisman, Diamond Lil, Pathway, Goblyn, Persuasion, Manikin, none will talk to us. What happened to Witchfire, Feedback? Aurora and Northstar are public enemy number 1. Box missing, so is Wild Child.

Walter: And your old Beta mates are all depowered too, except that Flinch kid.

Judd: Of all things THAT may just be a coincidence. But the rest? No, eh. Someone, or someones, have been trying to clear Canada of Alpha Flight.

Walter: You think this is all part of some big conspiracy to empty Canada of... us?

Judd: As sure as I'm standing here.

Walter: Who? I mean, the Master, if he were alive, would certainly have loved to split us all up, but he's dead. I doubt Omega Flight could pull this off.

Judd: No, even Brain Drain doesn't have the ability. No, most telepaths could pull this off. Remember, Northstar went to Xavier, they didn't beg him to join. And after he joins what happens? He's not put on a team, no missions, he babysits a bunch of kids until his untimely zombification.

Walter: So you think this is, like, Xavier's doing, or Emma Frost's? The Gamesmaster?

Judd: No. What would their motivation be to only hit at Alpha Flight? Frost maybe, but that's if she still has Hellfire Club blood. And even then the Hellfire Club has never bothered us. No, if any major telepath was going to clean out some place they'd start at home or with their biggest threat, and for every telepath we're not at the top of the list.

Walter: So who, then?

Judd: Walter, think about it. Don't think Mauvais, or the Great Beasts, this is out of their league. Same with Omega Flight and The Master, death stops him at least.

Walter: The Plodex ship?

Judd: Nothing of what we know about the Plodex even suggests it. Really, we know of only one character, one, who fears us and won't even try to make a move with us in the way? Who doesn't think much of the Avengers, Big Hero Six, the X-Men, just fears US, Alpha Flight? Remember, most of our big guns are dead or hate us. We've been losing members for inane reasons. And it's always us that suffers.

Judd: There is no super-powered horse named Thunder. Lou Sadler had no superpowers. Rutherford Princeton died years ago. There is no Mar. Snowbird is back with Nelvanna. There were no Plodex eggs. Chuck Moss never had much mystic ability, certainly not in the ballpark of someone who could be a superhero. Zuzha Yu was not my daughter, I know that for a fact.

Walter: DNA test?

Judd: Simple blood test. I'm an O-, she was B+. Her mother was O-. I never knew her mother. No, Walter, we've been maniuplated so that we'd be weak and offer no resistance. Ony one thing could pull it off, only one thing could want to.

Walter: If I believe you, then you're saying that since we last beat the Master, the Dreamqueen has been slowly but surely plotting our demise?

Judd: Bingo. Look at the evidence, all that's happened. The Dreamqueen couldn't go around killing us, that would've gotten Shaman and Talisman's attention quickly. But little by little she poisoned Talisman, convinced Michael that Chuck was a comer, pushed away our entire community. Snowbird's leaving was my first clue, it was too odd to see her disappear like that with no explanation. Then the Collective debacle. Since when has SHIELD ever called on us? EVER? No, the Dreamqueen is planning a comeback and she knows that nobody can stop her except us. We know how to fight her. Honestly, you think Dr. Strange, the Avengers, the X-Men would stand a chance?

Walter: Huuuu, honestly? They didn't think Pestilence, Llan, or the Master were worth raising a finger over, or the Dreamqueen. Without us around she could enter our universe and get established long before any of them react, and once they did she'd wipe them out. But if she's been manipulating us so much then why would she allow you to realize all this, now?

Judd: Maybe she thinks she's accomplished her goal and is ignoring us. Maybe our injuries made her think we were done for. After all, she does has some kind of precognition.

Walter: So as you figured this out YOU told Heather to get out her power suit and try a coup d'etat?

Judd: Good to see your mind is still sharp. The Dreamqueen may still be trying to manipulate us but we're aware of her now. In three days we'll have the Prometheus Pit and we can cut her off from affecting us. I want Alpha Flight back!

Walter: One thing at a time....

Judd: No, we have t be ready quickly. As soon as Heather's in power you have to get the Prometheus Pit up and stop her. I can count on Flinch. I wish we could find Witchfire and Nemesis, get Box on side but honestly she did an excellent job of turning so many people against us. I'm going to have to work awfully hard to get anyone on side but I know i can do it.

Walter: OK, I'll give you the benefit of he doubt. But if the Prometheus Pit shows that she's made no incursions, that Snowbird left of her own free will....

Judd: It won't, trust me. In three days, be ready. We won't need Sasquatch, but I'll want you to cut off the Dreamqueen right away. I hope we're not too late, that she's already on her way, already found her path in. If not, we can use the Pit to cut her off and put up interference, maybe we'll get the time to get a team together. I expect you in it.

Walter: No problem. Three days. If only my parents could see me now...

Next up: My promised Alpha Flight story. But it's too late for now.... :shock:

Now, Alpha Flight

In the rolling hills of Southern Saskatchewan, just south of a tiny place called Wood Mountain, in a sharp valley sits an old abandoned barn. Two kilometres above it, and slowly moving down past it, is Guardian. S=ilently he surveys the scene and thinks back to what Commander Judd had said: "Scout out everything, note the lay of the land, be quick but avoid detection. Flinch, go in low, Guardian high. The rest of you stay out of sight over by the mountain itself.

Funny, Guardian thinks, it looks so peaceful down there and there's no sign of life in the twilight. But looks can be deceiving. Aurora and Northstar zipped in 10 minutes ago. Infrared shows seven bodies there, in a circle, facing out. The twins, Diamond Lil, Persuasion, Snowbird, Manikin, and Box, all perfectly in the Dreamqueen's thrall. No Pathway, Goblyn, Witchfire, Nemesis, or Feedback, thank Heavens.

Guardian glides gently down far out of sight. He meets his comrades.

Guardian: No surprises, all seven have shown up and are in defensive positions. No sign of the Dreamqueen breaking in yet?

Talisman: No, not yet. But the air is stiffening, her portal may be created in a flash.

Vindicator: After the last few months, fighting people escaping into Canada from that blasted superhero Civil War, making sure Omega Flight or the Hardliners, whatever they are now, are out of the way, knocking heads with SHIELD, I would've thought we'd get help dealing with her, since we've helped so many of them.

Guardian: No surprise. SHIELD thinks we should work for them, so Fury's not going to send agents to work for us. The X-Men mean well but like to follow their noses too much. The Avengers never think real threats would invade Canada first. We're lucky one group sent one person to help.

Gogo Tomago: Thank you, Guardian. Hiro felt we owe you much, and I was chosen to go. I am fast, which helps the decision.

Sasquatch: Have no doubts, Gogo, we're glad you could make it. I wish we could've tracked down Witchfire and Feedback, Nemesis even.

Guardian: Flinch, what are they doing?

Flinch: Not much boss. They act like they're about to get attacked, though. Persuasion is closest to the main door, Box the back, the twins are closest to the middle. Manikin, Snowbird and Diamond Lil are circling the middle ground. Snowbird is staying close to the twins.

Puck: The Dreamqueen has them keeping an eye on each other. She knows Snowbird could break her hold once she's in our universe.

Guardian: We have to attack and take them all out now! Once the portal is open the Dreamqueen will send hordes of her creatures in support and we'll be overwhelmed.

Puck: True enough. Here's the plan: Guardian, Gogo, and Vindicator, I want you to fly to positions about one kilometer up from the building, stay about 70 meters apart. Sasquatch, go in first and take out Box, I'll handle Persuasion. Flinch, you've got Manikin. Give us thirty seconds then you three fly in gunning for bear. Gogo, your aim is Aurora, Guardian takes Northstar, and Vindicator has Snowbird. We have to take them out fast. I don't know how much use I'll be because Diamond Lil will have no dance partner and I'm not sure I can do much with her anymore. Once you've accomplished your objective get your head up and take out anyone who needs it. Talisman, stay out of sight until you know the Dreamqueen is coming. We can't risk you getting injured or even distracted before all hell breaks loose, you're our ace, eh?

Everyone: Understood, Commander.

Puck: Don't hold back. If she gets established in our world nothing will stop her. Some of these people are a lot better than they used to be but they traded power for stamina. Back off if you have to, we need everyone in the end.

Guardian: Then let's go. Keep your heads on a swivel, that barn will not stand up to any punishment. Flinch, you're not good at taking a hit so don't.

Flinch: Fine with me, sir.

Puck: OK, Kyle, get your people in position. Time and Tide wait for no one.

Off they go, the three non-flyers moving quickly towards the barn, the three flyers going up. Flinch powers up before they reach the target. Then Talisman slowly floats forward, sensing that the roof may be caving in faster than they want....

Sasquatch and Puck invade simultaneously, with Flinch nowhere to be seen (of course!). Sasquatch launches a tremendous blow at Box and sends him flying through the barn and out the front. Puck leaps at Persuasion and kicks her hard in the head, snapping her head back viciously. Box gets up, Persuasion doesn't. As Manikin changes into Caveman Flinch attacks, confusing Caveman; although the attack isn't that hard it comes out of thin air. Caveman tries to fight back but to no avail. Norstar and Aurora go right after Puck and Sasquatch. Puck is having a hard time defending himself at all but Sasquatch can take their blows. Sudden;y the roof explodes and Guardian sends a blast at Northstar, just missing, while Vindicator uses her tunneling force beam to knock Snowbird into the ground. Gogo crashes into Aurora and carries her through the wall, then trees, a hill....

Box and Diamond Lil go after Sasquatch. Vindicator keeps the pressure on Snowbird, trying to keep her down but it's not working. Slowly Snowbird pushes back and tries to attack Vindicator, but Vindicator is too fast. Box tries to shoot down Guardian but can't beat his force field. Neither can Northstar, who winds up taking a plasma burst. Snowbird tries to fly and crush Vindicator but finds she can't, her powers seem to be weakening. Talsiman appears!

Guardian: Heads up people, the DReamqueen is on the way!

Sasquatch: Puck is down. Flinch! You've got to take out Manikin NOW!!

Flinch uses a large board and cracks Caveman from behind. Manikin shifts into Highbrow so he can 'find' his attacker but it's a bad move, Flinch pushes the lighter Highbrow into Northstar's path! Highbrow is pulverized in the collision but Northstar shakes it off.

Guardian shakes his head. Only two down and we're about to be overrun!

Gogo is having a tough time with Aurora but she has taken their battle several kilometers away from the main battle, and they're only going further away. Suddenly she remembers what Sasquatch told her.

Gogo: Jeanne-Marie! Can't you here the schoolbell? Mother Superior is waiting! How many times are you going to disppoint her!

Aurora keeps attacking and Gogo keeps dodging, mostly. And she keeps up the chatter.

Gogo: If you're late what will Mother Superior do this time? Be a good girl and obey her!

Aurora starts to fade back, looking confused. Then scared. And down she falls, out of the sky. Gogo hesitates: Should I catch her? What is she changes back? But she risks it and saves Aurora. Then she knocks her out!

Back at the battle black creatures start appearing out of thin air. Guardian moves to get the stricken Puck out of harm's way. Vindicator uses her tunnel force to blast every creature she can see. Talisman is dealing with Snowbird as best she can. Sasquatch is locked up with Box while Flinch is trying to keep Diamond Lil occupied and himself out of danger. Gogo flies into the fray and takes out several creatures. She then grabs Lil and tries to fly her up as fast as she can. Gogo takes Lil's blows for a while but can't hold on. She races away as Lil falls back to earth from five kilometers up... and twenty kilometers away. Gogo is hurt but she turns to go back and help.

Guardian: Sasquatch! You've got to end it now! Don't hold back!!

Sasquatch, wounded, draws up all his strength and smashes Box. Box wobbles, starts to transmutate, then collapses. Guardian flies up to get Northstar to do likewise; he hopes this will give him target to hit. He picks up Northstar racing right for him and, arms at his waste, he flicks his wrists and hits Northstar with a full-force concussive blast, then a graviton beam to slam Northstar into the ground. Northstar tries to get up, but Guardian gives him another E-M blast and he stays down. Guardian returns to the battle to deal with Snowbird and the monsters.

Talisman: Kyle, she's coming! I need to be able to deal with just her!

Guardian: You've got it. I'll deal with Snowbird, the rest of you take out the beasts! Vindicator! What's your power status?

Vindicator: 38%. You?

Guardian: 41%. Make your shots count!

The remaining members of Alpha Flight, Sasquatch, Vindicator, and Flinch, try to handle the ever-growing horde. Guardian tangles with Snowbird. Talisman steps into a portal to deal with the Dreamqueen.

Dreamqueen: So, Talisman, I see you've come to welcome your new god!

Talisman: In your dreams, maybe. This portal is as far as you'll get!

Dreamqueen: We'll see.

More monsters come but Talisman blows them away easily. Annoyed, the Dreamqueen attacks Elizabeth.

As the battle rages Sasquatch finds he is getting his second wind. Gogo can't keep up and collapses. Flinch is flayling away but in such close quarters he can't defend himself very well, even if his enemy can't find him. Vindicator uses her weapons to sweep back and forth, taking out most of the beasts. Guardian forces Snowbird into a tree bluff where her maneuverability is limited. Then she gets a huge E-M blast too, and collapses.

Sasquatch: The horde is thinning! Talisman must have the Dreamqueen tied up.

Vindicator: Good, I'm almost tapped out. Flinch! Pull back, we may need you yet again.

The last of the horde of beasts is defeated. Guardian looks to Vindicator and Sasquatch.

Guardian: Ready to hop into a portal?

Vindicator: I'm down to 12%. No force field really. Still can use my two weapons, tunnel and plasma.

Flinch: Oh, great. Act two.

They all turn to see Aurora, Northstar, and Box coming back to fight.

Sasquatch: No Diamond Lil, Persuasion, or Manikin? Snowbird?

Guardian: Lil may be too far away to help. Snowbird too risky to awaken. The rest too injured. Back to work!

Sasquatch once again attacks Box, getting in close again so that Box can't make any cannons. Guardian and Vindicator wait for Aurora and Northstar. As Northstar darts in Guardian tries another E-M blast but it gets dodged. However, Northstar then screams in pain and crashes to the ground just as he reaches Guardian.

Guardian: Quick hands, Kevin.

Flinch: A guy needs a trick or two up his sleeve.

Vindicator is quuckly running out of power. Aurora knocks her flying and moves in for another attack when Gogo Tomago blasts into her, then goes down herself. Aurora gets up angrily and yells at Gogo, but that gives Vindicator the time to use her last plasma beam to pound Aurora into neverland. She looks at Guardian and they head in to help Talisman.

Sasquatch: Flinch, I need a hand!

Flinch tries another shocker on Box. It does some good but not enough. Northstar gets to his feet and looks around. Seeing smoke arising from Aurora enrages him more and he flies straight at Sasquatch. Sasquatch guesses right the Northstar gets a concussion.

Sasquatch: Enough of this! No holding back!!

Sasquatch hits Box with all he has. Box is crushed. Amazingly, he still has enough faculties left to reform his head, but that's all he can do. Suddenly, a loud snap sounds and the portal closes!

Sasqutach: We're on our own, and so are they. How are you feeling, Flinch?

Flinch: Well, I stopped all the bleeding, and I don't feel like I'm going to faint just now.

Sasquatch: Good man. If any of these guys move, we've got to return them to inertness. They still are on the Dreamqueen's side and even if they can't help her, they'll try. And go out to kill more people.

Dreamqueen: You can't win! I still have all my powers and more!

The area around them keeps shifting, proving that the Dreamqueen still has access to her universe-shaping powers. Talisman tries to fight back but is having trouble concentrating.

Guardian: Fine, be that way.

Guardian and Vindicator both blast the Dreamqueen. Talisman closes the Earth end of the portal with a spell

Dreamqueen: You think that can stop me!?! Once I kill you all I'll break out easily into your world! You've accomplished nothing!

Guardian: Talisman is holding her own. You?

Vindicator Falling: Nothi..... [i]she passes out[/]

Guardian: Same here, Lilli, if you can here me. I can barely keep my self awake now. At least we can give the Dreamqueen another target or two.

Puck re-awakens but has trouble standing. He looks at the carnage and smiles when he sees who still stands. He figures out the battle is still on and Talisman hasn't lost.

Puck: What did I miss?

Sasquatch: The kids on Sesame Street turned medieval. How are you feeling?

Puck: Too old for this kind of battle. Where do we stand?

Sasquatch: Gogo is down for the count, so are the Dreamqueen's allies, for the moment. The rest are in there. Wherever there is, now. Time I made a call. Oh, don't be so surprised, of course I had a surprise ready.

Back in the portal a second portal opens! The entire battlefield goes white and the Dreamqueen no longer seem to be able to change the landscape.

Dreamqueen: What's going on!

Talisman: No idea, but this I like!

[i]Talisman builds up a very bright ball of energy and sends it at the Dreamqueen. It envelops her, and she is in obvious pain. Talisman keeps adding energy to the ball. The Dreamqueen starts to shudder, grimaces at her attacker, then falls back into LiveWorld. Her portal closes. Then the other portal closes...

Talisman: Department H? But how!

Haddock: A little trap Commander Judd set. We had to wait for his signal and then use the Pit to trap you all. It reduced the Dreamqueen's power because it cut her off from LiveWorld. Did you win?

Talisman: I'm standing here, aren't I?

Haddock: How are Guardian and Vindicator?

Talisman: Breathing. They're out of juice and energy. get them some food and quarters to sleep in. What about the rest?

The 'rest' all come out of the Prometheus Pit. Sasquatch is carrying Gogo and Puck.

Talisman: Where's Aurora and the rest?

Puck: Vanished. Northstar and Aurora woke up, looked around, and went about scopping up all of their partners. We were left alone when the Pit opened up for us. Good thing, I guess, but only for the moment.

Director Hudson: Well done, all. When Gogo Tomago is ready we'll send her back to Big Hero Six with a cake or something. Dr. Strange, the Avengers both called to say they would help in time, one hour for Strange, two for the Avengers. Their mystic powers must've told them how bad things were.

Commander Judd: I guess being on our own, for the most part, isn't such bad thing. Flinch did us proud under fire, they all did. We've got a better team than we thought, Director.

Directot Hudson: Good to hear. All of you, go get fixed up, eat, and sleep. I'll find medals for you, over your objections.



And we're done. What a fun ride.

Alpha Flight:
Guardian: Kyle Gibney, depowered but with his the e-m suit and his neural patterns coordinated. :shock:

Vindicator: Lilli Anders, she just couldn't stay away even if depowered. Her Vindicator suit has tunnel force and plasma weapons only, besides flight and shields and such. ;)

Flinch: Kevin Lavec, a mutant with the power to avoid virtually any kind of detection. He also has enhanced speed but not that fast. 8)

Sasquatch: Same old Walter Langkowski. :wink:

Talisman: Same old Elizabeth Twoyoungmen. :wink:

But you know my favorites are Box, Feedback, Windshear, Witchfire....

All characters basically copyright Marvel Comics.