Chapter 6: “Welcome.”
Written by:  91001534@lambton.on.ca (Morgue)

  The man looked around, staring into the night sky, and with a thought flew into the air.  Seconds later, he was several kilometers away from his starting location.  He had told Heather that he was just going to get some air.  For a normal couple, this might have meant going out for a walk, but for Vindicator and Guardian, it usually meant literally getting some air.  His mind raced back to a time when he went by the name of Guardian, and he was the leader of Alpha Flight. That mantle had now fallen to his wife Heather. Alpha Flight was his dream.  He worked long and hard to make it a reality.  Even through the hardships he always believed in his dream.  So did Heather.  She even took his place when he supposedly died.
 “She's a better leader than I ever was.  I have one third of her field experience”, Mac thought as a smile came to his lips.  “I guess being dead will do that though.”
 He wasn't jealous, he loved his wife, and would stand by her no matter what hand life dealt them.  They had been through so much.  Mac's deaths and resurrections, the several disbanding of Alpha Flight.  All the turmoil and angst they had gone through, and they were still together.  Surprisingly though considering she almost remarried once.  
 “I should probably get back”, and with a thought Mac turned around and was heading in the direction he had originally came from.
 A few minutes later Mac flew in through the window of their home.  The lights were off, and it didn’t seem like Heather was home.
 “Hon? You home?”, Mac called.  There was no answer.
 “Hmm, wonder where she went?”  Mac walked over to the lamp and turned it on.  He looked around for a note, and couldn’t find one.  It wasn’t like Heather to leave without letting him know where she had gone.
 Mac sat down in his favorite chair and reached for the remote.  Before he could turn on the television set, the phone rang.
   “Hello?”
 “Mac, it's Puck.  We need to re-assemble Alpha Flight.”

Chapter 7: “Talisman Speaks, Aurora Gets a Shock.”
Written by: magik@glinx.com (Matthew Davidson)

 Jean-Paul Beaubier was famous. He had done many things in his life, including competing in world-class ski events and being a member of Canada's premiere super-hero team, Alpha Flight. However, his skiing career had ended, and Alpha Flight had disbanded. Now Jean-Paul Beaubier was just another man. Another mutant.
 “Un autre,” he said, forgetting that he wasn't in Quebec, but in
Ottawa, where Alpha Flight had been based before Department H had shut it down.
 “Pardon?” Asked the bartender, obviously part of the Canadian group which was not bilingual.

 Jean-Paul looked up, perhaps too quickly, and realized where he was. Unbelievable as it may seem, he had forgotten where he was, despite the noise of the disco music and dancing and flashing lights behind him. He had come here for a good time, and as usual, it wasn't working. “I am sorry... I meant I would like--” 
 “Another drink,” interjected the man next to Jean-Paul.
 Jean-Paul smiled. “Yes, thank you Alex.” Alex was one of the few things in Jean-Paul's life that made him happy. He was about the same height as Jean-Paul, but had deep, dark black hair and very pale blue eyes. He also smiled more, and was far less melancholy than his counterpart.
 “Seriously, 'Star, you have to lighten up. We came here for a good time, remember? Now, let's dance!” Alex grabbed Northstar's hand and dragged the pointy-eared man onto the glowing, pulsing dance floor.
 “You are right, Alex. I have to stop being so stuck in the past.”
Jean-Paul began, about to run his hands through his short, and almost white blond hair, but suddenly he stopped.
 “Northstar!” A voice in his head shouted. He had become unaccustomed to this sort of communication, and leaped away from his partner in surprise.
 “What?” Shouted Alex, over the blaring music. Jean-Paul didn't
respond, he simply raised his hand symbolizing to Alex that everything was.... fine?
 “You have to come meet me!” Said the feminine voice in his head. “It's Elizabeth Twoyoungmen!” She added.
 “I know that! What do you want?” Northstar snapped out loud, annoyed that Talisman would intrude upon his personal life, but also secretly glad to hear a teammate's voice.
 “Alpha Flight is reforming there is danger...... I haven't been able to contact Jeanne Marie, do you know where she is?”
 “Jeanne Marie?! No, why can't you reach her?” Jean-Paul glanced at Alex, who had a worried look on his face. Northstar forced a smile.
 “I don't know! Look, Jean-Paul we need you now! Meet me right away. I'm waiting in your apartment.”
 Jean-Paul grabbed Alex's hand and pulled him to the edge of the dance floor. Come with me, I don't need to see you hurt, I'd rather you were where I could protect you though.”
 Befuddled, Alex followed the former hero through the exit out onto the street.

* * * * * 

 It was dark. Jeanne Marie hated the dark. It brought back memories of when she had been a child and the nuns had punished her for committing sins. She wept silently. Suddenly, several lights shuddered on around her. Where was she? It was times like this she wished Aurora would protect her...
 Suddenly a door slid open, with a metallic groan. Two men walked. Although they both wore blue and gray suits, they each had different traits. The first of the two stood at about six feet, three inches tall and had a wiry build, although he wore an eye mask, she could see that his eyes had a green color to them, and his hair was blonde.
 The other man looked miniature next to the first, but stood about 5'7”. Jeanne Marie couldn't distinguish any features of this man other than his height, build, and race, due to the fact that his costume covered all but the area on his face from below his eyes down. But he seemed familiar....
 “Hello, Aurora. Or should I say Jeanne Marie, who's driving today?” She shorter man mocked, walking towards her. 
 That voice was familiar! Who-! Suddenly something snapped inside Jeanne Marie, and Aurora took control, to Jeanne Marie's relief. Jeanne Marie was too frightened to realize who this was, but Aurora was not. “Flashback!” She shouted, trying to get up, but discovering she was firmly constrained in some sort of device.
 “Aren't you happy to see I'm not dead?” He said, pulling his uniform off his face, revealing that he was in fact Jeremy Gardner, or as he preferred to be called, Flashback.

Chapter 8: “Together Again.”
Written by:  awells@cycor.ca (Wells)

  It was a strange mixture of people that gathered in the Toronto Apartment of Elizabeth Twoyoungmen.  It seemed unreal for her to see all these people assembled once more. Her father was deeply engrossed in conversation with an attractive couple over by the couch.  
  Sitting on the floor, cross-legged was a man Liz knew very little about; except for the fact that someday she would learn much form him.  Power crackled from the medallion around his neck, causing Steven Strange to open the barrier between planes of existence. Walter Langkowski was placed by the east window. Liz watched him pacing back and forth impatiently, while taking periodic glance out the window at the sidewalk below.  “It's funny,” she said to herself “he's still nervous about seeing her, even after all they'd been through over the last few years.”
 Just then Liz was startled by a tap on her shoulder.  She turned around to face a man she knew well, “Jean-Paul” she greeted him with a soft smile.
  “Yes Talisman, I have answered you summons.  Now If you please, where is my sister?”
  “I...I couldn't contact her Jean-Paul, I'm sorry, I don't know where she is.”
 “What!” Cried Northstar as he glared at the small woman.  “With as much power as you have you can not find Jeanne Marie, or Aurora?”
 “I'm sorry Northstar...It's as if...she, er they didn't exist, I have no
explanation. I'm sorry.”  Elizabeth lowered her head, and walked to the center of the room.  She cleared here throat, and began to speak.
 “Ahem.  I want to thank every one of you for responding so quickly to my summons.  We're still missing a few people, but most of them should arrive soon.  Puck is on his way, however he has a few loose ends to tie up first. Mr. Jeffries is due to arrive any time now with our means of transportation. And I'm sorry to say that Aurora...is missing.” 
 

   At that there was an almost inaudible gasp that the whole room heard come from Walter Lankowski.  Then without warning he collapsed like an oversized rag-doll to the floor. Everyone but Dr. Strange ran to his aid.  Moments before losing conciseness, a few silent words escaped his lips that none could have heard, save the walls.
  “They found me.......”
* * * * * 

  In an other place, far away from the hero's gathering there was an unearthly laughter.  The dust of the earth began pulling together, and slowly took shape.  After an immeasurable amount of time a figure stood in place.  Larger than any human, covered in a thick mat of orange fur, the being began to move.  Then the laughter began, all seven voices in one.  It\they spoke aloud. 
  “Now to release the other bodies from this curse.  THEN THE FUN BEGINS! HA HA HA HA HA!”
 

Chapter 9: “Snowbird.”
Written by: Wngtom@compuserve.com (Sue Wong)

  Narya knelt before her mother in supplication. She was growing
desperate to make Nelvanna understand.
 “Mother, please. I beg you. The first of the Great Beasts rises even now, and he will bring the others with him. My friends --the mortal human team, Alpha Flight-- are assembling to fight them. Eugene Milton Judd brings mystical knowledge. The Talisman, the Shaman, and the Sorcerer Supreme will be their most powerful allies in this--”
 “Then, there is no need for you to go, Daughter.” The elderly goddess spoke severely. “They should have enough strength to defeat the Beasts without you.”
 “Mother, you do not understand. For all their mystical strength, _they will not have power enough! That is why I must return, I and your grandson.... We will bring with us the knowledge of the gods and the extra power needed to defeat the Great Beasts. That was why I was put on earth, do you remember?” Narya was aware that there were other issues at stake here, other villains to fight, such as the villain Devolution she had seen attack the RCMP property in Winnipeg. From her otherworldly standpoint, she was able to see such things. But why confuse the issue by mentioning other
enemies? For now the Great Beasts ought to be enough to convince her mother. Narya kept her own counsel. She could help Alpha Flight take care of Devolution. If she were allowed to come back....
 “Indeed, I could not forget the reason you were placed on earth.” The ancient goddess actually allowed herself to smile. 
 “If the Great Beasts are to rise again, then, we must be allowed to return! How much good can we do if we are allowed to remain here? The Beasts will fight endlessly and destroy the earth....”
 

 “Say no more, Daughter. You have convinced me. But have you forgotten something? Your mortal forms are dead....”
 Narya smiled. “While on earth, I was aware of the scientific knowledge of Walter Langkowski and Michael Twoyoungmen. There may be a way to resurrect our mortal bodies....”

* * * * * 

 Tamarind Island, the next day. It had taken the newly assembled team most of the day to fly there. Now a few of them knelt around the gravesites. 
 “Okay, dig.” Mac Hudson ordered Northstar and Walter Langkowski. “We should be able to get enough cell samples from the bodies.... And don't be tempted to hit each other with the shovels....”
 Not far away, the rest of the team waited. Most of them did not care to watch.
 “This is...gross,” Elizabeth confided to Heather. “I mean, ever since Walt collapsed in my apartment last night, croaked out, 'They found me', and then, came out with _this_ plan....well....” Her voice trailed off. “ I mean, I once dug up a skull at an archaeological site --Zebediah Chase, remember him?-- but this is somehow.... disgusting....”
 “Your father is in favor of it,” Heather reminded her. “Walt will
handle the scientific process, and your father will take care of the
mystical end. And if this works, won't it be great to have Snowbird back with us again? And her husband and son?”
  “Alpha Flight the Next Generation!” Walter Langkowski called out. Even under trying conditions he could be jovial. He even believed, with a knowledge beyond this world, that they would find Aurora again. Safe and sound? Langkowski was always optimistic.
 By nightfall, Walter and Michael had gleaned the cell samples they wanted from the bodies of Douglas and Baby Thompson, and Walter believed that he could separate Snowbird's DNA from that of his own body's. 
 “Then, we will bring the DNA samples to the Eye of the World. By
combining science and sorcery, we will bring Narya, Douglas, and their son back to us,” Michael explained. 
 “Sort of like how you delivered Narya yourself, eh, Doc?” Judd
grinned. “Yeah, I know, she used to spook the hell of me, but that's all water over the dam.”
 They were in the AF skycraft, flying toward their destination, when Talisman leaned forward and gripped the seat in front of her. “Dad, you'd better tell Judd and Mac to hurry. I just heard Narya's voice in my mind. She says one of the Beasts is up already....and he's summoning the others....”
 
 
 
 

Chapter 10: “Resurrections.”
Written by:  Adam-X@juno.com

 “This is not right.”
 “It's hard to argue if it is or isn't,” Heather said softly. “But right now, we, nor the rest of the planet Earth have much choice in the matter.”
 “So we throw our own morals to the side?”
 “Yes, Northstar, when it means, saving the world.”
 He was silent. His face dark and brooding. But this is how Northstar always was. He turned back, as they laid a partially naked body of a woman and a child down on a medical table. This isn't right, he told himself. His thoughts could not even begin to understand... “I will have no part of this,” Northstar finally added. “I can not be a part of this. I will leave now, to find my sister.”
 “This may be the only way to find your sister, Jean-Paul,” Puck added, stepping up next to the former Olympic-skier. “I don't much like the idea either, but Talisman says it's a go, eh?”
 “Do you trust everything you hear, Judd?” Northstar cut in bitter.
 “No,” Puck replied. “But I rely on instinct, allot. And it's screaming that this is wrong, but it's the only choice we have, considering the situations before us, eh?”
 Northstar was once again silent. The debate had managed to go in full circle. It always ended the same. This was their only choice. “Well,” Northstar sneered. “If this indeed our only choice, then let us get on with it... but I can not be here to bare witness to this madness.”
 Northstar stormed out the front door. Something he was so good at. His speed. Running. Running away. He was always so good at that. Running from himself faster than his feet could carry him, afraid of what he might see, should he ever catch up with himself...

 The room was electric. Sparks and flares shot off in every direction, piercing their bodies, sending shivers through their spine. Two bodies, that of an older female, and a younger child, lay deathly still on a medical table, as an Indian drifted just above them, chanting in an ancient language. From the levitating Indians, surges of energies coursed down into a younger woman, who also appeared to be Indian. The energy crackled around her... her face contorting with a mixture of emotions. Fear. Laughter. Enlightenment. Pain. All these emotions stirred within her, and weighed heavy in the room. “Father,” she muttered, barely able to even speak. “I can't take much more of this...” 
 Her name is Talisman. She acts as a “magnet” for mystical energy. She takes it within her body, stores it and unleashes it a hundred fold. Right now, all she's doing is storing... and she's storing allot... The one levitating, is her father. More commonly known as Shaman. He is the one controlling the portal that crackles in the room; opening it up, and directing the mystical energies into his daughter, Elizabeth - more commonly known as Talisman. 

 To those who witness the sight... it was both eerie... fascinating... and fantastic. Mystical energy crackled in the room, like static electricity. Wind, coming from somewhere, yet nowhere, whipped around them, but did not tamper with anything. It was, to all - even the experienced in such things - an awesome sight to behold.
 “A little more, daughter,” Shaman muttered. “A little more...”
 She began to scream. So much for pleasure and laughter. Now it was all pain and suffering. She could feel nails raking through her flesh. Demons, it felt like, angry at her - screaming at her - trying to break her spirits. She could hear voices in her head, defying her. But she was Talisman. She would not be denied. Not now.
 Not ever.
 There was an explosion of magnificent magnitude... everyone saw one white flash... then blackness...

 Only two would remain conscious to bare witness to the event. A ghostly white spirit, stepping through the portal that Shaman held open... carrying something in it's arms... the spirit seemed lost... it looked around the room for a moment... then to those gathered... the two conscious... the many unconscious... then with an unholy scream... it found itself yanked into the female body lying on the medical table... and the eerie, mystical silence was broken...
 ... by a child's crying.

 It was a sight that Shaman and Talisman would not soon forget. They watched as the spirit of Snowbird, child in hand, had entered the realm of mortals... her deep eyes searching for something... then, suddenly being pulled into the female body, as the child's spirit was pulled into the baby's flesh.
 Talisman could feel tears burn in her eyes... and as she looked to her father, he saw he did nothing to hide his tears as well.
 They had succeeded.
 Snowbird and her child were alive... but at a price.

     * * * * * * * * * * *

 “My husband?” were her first words.
 “I'm sorry,” Shaman replied, bowing his head. “Being mortal, we were unable to pull him through... the Goddess blood within you and your child was the only factor strong enough to allow us to even allow the both of you to come through... there was nothing more we could do...”
 Snowbird held her child close to her bosom. “I... understand.”
 “We saw you... searching...” Shaman said, his head still bowed. “We knew that is who you were looking for... believe me when I say there was nothing we could do. Nothing at all... not I... not Walter... none of us.”

 He felt her touch on her shoulder. It felt strange. Cold, yet familiar. His eyes met hers, and he saw that she held no blame for him; or any of them. That they had indeed tried the best they could. 
 He would later explain, that by using cells attained from their “deceased” bodies, they were able to spawn a clone, and by using Walter's creation of Excellerated Growth, they were able to duplicate the approximate ages of their deaths, and create vessels for their spirits to enter...

* * * * * 

 “Why do zee torture me, so?” she asked, weeping.
 “Because my dear Aurora,” the man in the shadows sneered. “I need your brother and the rest of your Alpha Flight friends to help me.”
 “We would never help you!” she said, her French accent thick.
 “I know, and this is why I must torture you! I know you and your little Olympic brother have some kind of link! You're twins! I have heard of such things!” the man laughed.
 “We are no longer togezzer,” Aurora explained. “My beloved Walter separated us from one another long ago!”
 “You can't separate a twin's connection! Why you might as well say something as ridiculous as you can resurrect a dead person!” Flashback laughed.
 “Why do you seek Alpha Flight's help? Surly you heard they are no longer a team?” Aurora persisted.
 “Because... an old ... friend has... recently resurfaced... his name is Devolution... and he and I have some scores to settle... and if your 'beloved' Walter is as smart as you say he is, he may just be able to save me!”
 “Walter would never help you! None of us would! You're our enemy!” Aurora spat.
 “That's where you come into play, dear little psycho,” he laughed, emphasizing the last word. “I know Northstar will come for you... I know he will. You see, if you remember correctly, I apparently ... 'died.'“
 “Yes,” Aurora muttered. “I remember.”
 “Well, you know us good villains don't stay dead for long.”
 “Too bad, no?” she whispered.
 “Well, you see... a ... counter part of myself existed in the future... for you know, I pull various parts of myself from various futures... well, even various futures must meet on one time line... and on that timeline, I met Devolution... He and I were... partners at one time... and I ratted on him... so he came for me when the police captured me... You see,” he said, almost psychotically. “My other self is in this time line, under the name Samuel Kohr. And that part of me, is in jail, in this timeline... well, our buddy in question, Devolution, came for me... and ... used his powers on me... since this is the main time line, my future selves became... shall we say - unstable?”
 “It shows,” she sneered under her breath.

 “Funny you should talk dear one,” Flashback cut in. “Anyway, he's here ... now. And I know he's coming after my main time line self... and I traveled back from the future to stop him this time... with the help of Alpha Flight...”

 “You have already lost.”
 “How do you figure?”
 “Because there is no Alpha Flight. Aren't you listening to me?”
 “That's where you're wrong. There is an Alpha Flight. They're gathering even now as we speak, dear one... And they will do as I say... or you will die...”