Russia, six months ago...

Large, fluffy white snowflakes drifted lazily to the ground, dusting the cobblestones in front of the spired Kremlin building. General Ourumoff looked out into the night from the Kremlin, watching the snow fall. President Yeltsin himself had asked for this meeting, in hopes of cementing his rapidly decaying power base in the former Communist country. All around him, Yeltsin saw men who opposed his presidency, the rise of Democracy, and the rapid decline of the Russian economy.

Then came the rising tension betweens mutants and humans that spread throughout the entire world. Mother Russia was certainly not isolated from the hatred; Russia's premiere superhero group, the People's Protectorate, was disbanded due to rising pressure from human supremacy groups. The sudden appearance of the Mutant Liberation Front, originally headed by the mad mutant Stryfe, only added fuel to the fire.

Yeltsin needed insurance against the spread of mutant terrorism in Russia, and to do that he needed to gauge the power of the M.L.F.

"<You called for me, General?>"

(translated from Russian - Adam)

General Ourumoff spun around on his heels to see a large, brown-haired soldier standing in the doorway. The room's lights seemed to reflect in the soldier's eyes, making them sparkle and shine. Ourumoff motioned him in, pointing toward a leather chair. The soldier quickly crossed the room and rather unceremoniously sat down heavily in the chair.

"<President Yeltsin wishes for you to undertake a very special mission, Major Ursus.>" The hard-nosed Russian looked down at the soldier, who merely gazed back with strong brown eyes. "<This... Mutant Liberation Front... in America, demands our attention, lest they become too strong and threaten the motherland!>"

"<What are my orders, General?>" Ursus asked.

Ourumoff clenched his jaw, then opened it again to speak. "<You are to infiltrate this M.L.F. and report back to President Yeltsin directly. You leave for America tomorrow.>"

Ursus nodded and stood up, smoothing his somewhat rumpled uniform. He grinned at General Ourumoff and snapped a salute, then turned on his heels and exited the room. Ourumoff watched Ursus go, then went back to gazing at the white snow as it fell.

New York City, four months ago...

"Give me one good reason why I should let your sorry butt onto my team," the white-haired Wildside barked, looking down at the large Russian man sitting in front of him. They sat in a small, but comfortable, office in an old abandoned warehouse on New York's east side, surrounded by the other members of the M.L.F.: Forearm, Tempo, Dragoness, and Feral.

"I mean, how did you find us? We're a mutant terrorist organization, we shouldn't be that easy to find!"

"Comrade Wildside," Major Ursus replied in shaky English, his Russian accent thick and pronounced. "It took me two months to track you and your teammates down. It really wasn't that easy at all!"

Wildside snorted, glaring at Ursus. The M.L.F.'s leader seemed to sink into deep thought for a few moments, then snapped his fingers as inspiration struck him. "Okay, Russkie. If you can take down Forearm in a... fair... physical match, I'll let you join up."

The leader of the M.L.F. looked over at the well-muscled, four-armed mutant, who gave him a slight nod in return.

The two big men strode out into the center of the empty warehouse, followed by Wildside and the other mutants. Forearm looked down at Ursus, as he stood at least a foot taller than the Russian.

"What exactly do you do?" Forearm questioned, smirking down at Ursus. "I mean, you look just like a regular guy to me..."

Suppressing his fiery temper, Ursus grinned maliciously up at Forearm, then allowed his body to shift to it's massive bear form. "I am no mere man, comrade! I am Ursa Major, the bear-guardian of Russia!"

Ursa now stood at eye level with Forearm, and with his compelling words, Ursa leaped on Forearm and slammed his fists repeatedly into the other mutant's midsection.

Sensing a momentary opening, Forearm tossed Ursa off of himself and stood up, one hand clutching his stomach. "I think..." gasped Forearm, "I think he broke one of my ribs!"

Ursa reared up to his full height and growled at the MLFer, believing he had triumphed. Forearm scowled and screamed at the top of his lungs in rage, then slammed his entire body into Ursa's shaggy form. The two combatants tumbled into a cement support beam, causing it to groan loudly in protest.

Ursa and Forearm exchanged blows, knocking each other around the entire warehouse until Wildside gave a sharp whistle. With one last cheap shot to the back of Ursa's head, Forearm stopped and looked up at the team's leader. Ursa, groggily shaking his head, followed suit moments later.

"Well," Wildside said, nodding his head. "Pretty impressive, Russkie. You're in!"

"What?!?" Forearm exclaimed, gently gripping his fractured rib. "Just like that? He breaks one of my ribs, and you let him in?" The four-armed man wiped away a thin ribbon of blood that was running down his bottom lip.

Wildside shot a nasty look at his teammate. "The point is, Forearm, that he DID break one of your ribs. I don't even think Proudstar was able to do that!" The feral, white-haired mutant grinned when he saw Forearm's negative reaction. "C'mon, buddy! We all know Proudstar didn't beat you up THAT badly!"

"Shut up," Forearm growled, rising from his position on the dirty floor and taking a seat in the only chair in the warehouse. The leather of the black recliner clung to his sweaty skin.

Ursa looked at the two quarrelers curiously. "I am on the team, yes?"

Wildside rolled his eyes at the question and it's obvious answer. "Yes, Russkie," he said. "You're on the team."

Ursa returned to his human form, grinning mischeviously. "Very good, comrade Wildside. I am looking forward to serving with you."

Upstate New York, yesterday...

"<I wish to...thank you,>" the young, dark-haired woman said in her fluent, natural Russian. "<I was truly with the M.L.F. against my will, comrade. They had... they told me they knew who my parents were.>"

Ursa looked down at his fellow Russian and ex-MLFer Bora. She reminded him of his beloved little angel, his daughter Natalia. Ursa thought back to the days when she was but a baby, when he would feed her and sing to her. It had been so long since he held her soft body in his arms, even though she was... eight years old? Nine?

He couldn't even remember how old his daughter was.

"<...do now?>"

The massive Russian looked over at the seven foot tall woman. He smiled gently as he looked up at her. Ursa had never recalled a time when he had to look up to a woman, or many men for that matter. "<I'm sorry?>" he asked.

"<I said, what are we to do next?>" Bora looked over at her companion and brushed a few tangled hairs out of her eyes. She was pretty, for a seven-foot tall mutant.

"<We will return to Russia, child,>" Ursa said commandingly. Birds and other small creatures scurried about the forest as the two Russians walked along next to each other. "<For too long the Motherland has been without true protectors.>"

Bora glanced over at her companion. "<What about President Yeltsin? His army?>"

Ursa burst into laughter, scaring more birds into the air from their perches high in the trees. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he tried to compose himself. "<Yeltsin is a fool. He's more interested in appeasing the Capitalist dogs in America than he is in fixing the problems plaguing his own country!>"

"<You believe in the return of Communism to Russia?>"

"<It would be preferable to the life our brothers and sisters are living now, starving in the streets, waiting in lines for hours for a few measly pieces of bread.>" Ursa replied. He smoothed the loose-fitting clothes he was wearing as the two walked. "<But I will serve under the government that is in power... for now.>"

A small wind picked up in the woods, ruffling the leaves hanging from the trees. Bora and Ursa came upon a paved road and stopped, waiting for a car to come by that would pick them up.

The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia. Today...

The snow had stopped falling for the time being over Russia's capital city. Citizens milled about, conversing or carrying on their business, snapping pictures, smiling and laughing. Grey clouds loomed on the horizon, threatening more snow.

"<Assembled before me are the best and brightest heroes Russia has to offer,>" General Ourumoff said to the men and women gathered before him. They stood in a loose circle inside the Kremlin. "<Steel Guardian, Vanguard, Darkstar, Ursa Major, Bora, Sibercat, Vostok, Fantasma, and Powersurge. You are the future of Russia.>"

"<We thank you, General,>" Steel Guardian said, glancing about. As leader, he observed the assembled heroes. Bora was holding her own, reacting very well to the more experienced heroes gathered around her. She was still nervous, he could see that, but it was only natural.

"<The Winter Guard shall always be at your service.>"

Ourumoff nodded and turned toward his window, watching the clouds roll in from the west. "<We will keep an eye on this... M.L.F. in America. President Yeltsin is not satisfied with the results of your mission, Major Ursus.>"

Ursa scowled, once again trying to suppress his rage. With one cool glance, the young Bora calmed the fire burning inside of the bear-man. He smiled, nodded to his charge, and snapped a salute toward Ourumoff's back.

"<With your permission, General.>"

A wave of Ourumoff's hand was Ursa's only reply.

"<It is good to have you back, comrade.>" Darkstar said to Ursa Major, laying a small hand on one of his massive shoulders.

"<It is good to be back,>" was Ursa's reply, smiling down at his friend and long-time teammate. He and Darkstar had been teammates ever since the first incarnation of this team was known as the Soviet Super-Soldiers.

Darkstar and Ursa followed Steel Guardian and the rest of the Winter Guard into the building's lone training room to begin work on becoming a solid, cohesive team once more.

"<It is good to be among friends again.>"

Darkstar smiled up at him, as the door slid closed behind them.

In M.L.F. #1: We know the M.L.F. has one enemy in Ursa Major and the Winter Guard... well, be here next month when the three remaining MLFers (Wildside, Feral, and Phantazia) tussle with S.H.I.E.L.D.!