They watched in horror. "Sir, Rogue Force is tearing the city apart. Shouldn't we do something about it?" Mindscan asked, urgently.

"I don't get it. Why not?" Mindscan persisted.

"Because they're doing this to get attention," Mark Carr said flatly.

"Well they got our attention," Caterwaul growled from the shadows.

"It's not our attention they want," Mark Carr said, turning once again towards the monitor.

"So what?" Caterwaul snapped. "They got our attention, let's show'em what that means. I don't care who they're gunning for."

Mark Carr turned around. "They're wanting Gene-Hunters."

Suddenly Mindscan understood. "Revenge."

"That's right. For the death of Derrick King, alias Compact," Mark Carr said sadly. "You all went to the funeral. We saw all the members of Rogue Force there."

"I can't believe you stopped me from canning them while we had the chance," Caterwaul growled.

"It was a funeral, Caterwaul," Mark Carr snapped. "Show some respect."

Caterwaul only growled in response.

"So why aren't we going after them now?" Thermal asked.

"Several reasons," Mark Carr replied. "One being, Rogue Force is out there, and they're wanting vengeance for the death of Compact. They'll be playing for keeps, and not care who gets hurt. Secondly, if the Gene-Hunters show, I don't want you all caught in the middle of the crossfire. And finally, if the Gene-Hunters do show, they'll gun for you as well… and as we know, they play for keeps. The last thing I need is the team caught up in the middle of two other teams, desiring blood."

"Makes sense," Coldfront muttered.

"So in the meantime, we sit on our hands while they terrorize innocent civilians?" Caterwaul growled again.

Mark Carr turned and faced them again - his eyes tearing up. He didn't like this choice. But he was doing it for their benefit. Because he cared for the team.

Moments later, they left the meeting room.

Mindscan turned to the others. "I can't sit by and do nothing."

"Now you're talking my style," Caterwaul smirked, as he released his talons from his fingertips. "I say we go there and give a trashing to whoever wants to step up to meet us."

"I could get us there in a second," Portal said.

"I'm in with Mindscan and Caterwaul," Thermal said.

"I have to agree. I don't like the idea of innocent people being threatened," Talonhawk finally said.

All eyes shifted to Coldfront.

Her eyes lowered.

"I'm in."

Seconds later, a disk appeared and there was a flash.

Mark Carr could see the flash of light from underneath the door's frame. He knew what it was. Knew what it meant. There was never any doubt.

He bowed his head in sadness, and with sad eyes turned to the monitor.

"They're scared of us as a whole!" Wipeout screamed.

Tremor caused the earth to dance in all directions. "They'll attack if we're not acting as a whole! I swear I am gonna kill'em all for what they did to Compact!"

"No," came a voice. "This is going to stop here."

The one known as Spectra turned. "It's Next Flight!" she screamed.

"We'll take them down!" Tremor screamed. "The psycho freak's mine!"

Caterwaul extended his claws. "Pleasure's mine."

"No!" Mindscan extended his arm in front of Caterwaul. "Look it doesn't have to always start like this. These Gene-Hunters play for keeps."

"And so do we now," Wipeout yelled.

"They're coming!" Her name is Magistrate. She has the ability to influence, and even control, the magnetic spectrum through her mutant ability. So in tune with the earth's magnetic force, she sensed six steel objects closing in rapidly.

Mindscan was frantic. "Look, there's no way either of us is going to survive if we're all fighting each other. Gene-Hunters are our common enemy. I say we join forces to eliminate them."

Marquee, leader of Rogue Force looked at the others. "So it shall be."

"And no killing," Mindscan added. "Dismantle their armor, but no killing."

Tremor looked at Mindscan. "Sorry, we don't play that way."

"Sounds like a plan," Caterwaul agreed.

Marquee kept a psi-scan over herself and Wipeout, who were helpless to attack the Gene-Hunters. They had no true offensive powers.

Wipeout's mutant ability would not cancel out mechanical powers, which Gene-Hunters operated on.

Magistrate found it easy to attack the Gene-Hunters. Her control over the magnetic spectrum made for manipulating the Gene-Hunter's armor all too easy.

"This is Gene-Hunter PM-1," one of them called out through the microphone. "Mutant witch, class MM has attacked me! Armor's shorting!

Retreating!"

"I'm on it, over," another Gene-Hunter replied. He aimed a gun at Magistrate and fired. When she turned, she tried to use her magnetic ability to curve the bullets away, but they did not turn. Two plastic pellets struck in front of her.

"You missed!" she laughed.

"I don't think so," the Gene-Hunter smirked. With a click of a button, the two plastic bullets exploded. Magistrate barely had time to scream. "CE-6 has neutralized mutant class MM."

Mindscan collapsed.

Immediately, Talonhawk flew to his aid and pulled him to safety.

"What happened to you? You suddenly buckled."

Mindscan reached out with a trembling hand. "I felt her… her screams… My God, I felt her terror and all her pain… Her mind, just suddenly reached out at her last moment…" Suddenly his eyes flashed open.

"My God! She's still alive! I can feel her dying…"

Talonhawk knew he was talking about Magistrate. Talonhawk looked down at Mindscan. Amazing. In one shot they took down one of Rogue Force's strongest members as well as Next Flight's leader.

This was not going good at all.

"Portal!" Talonhawk screamed. "Magistrate!" He pointed. "She's still alive. Get down there - get her to Department H. A regular hospital could never save her! Do it now!"

He held Mindscan. "Don't worry," he said, as he watched Portal teleport down, grab Magistrate and teleport away. "I won't stand by and watch anyone else die, ever again…"

Her name is Christine Pierce. She was never a bad kid. Not in the beginning. She discovered her mutant ability when she was using an Anytime Teller Machine, and it decided to eat her card. She grew furious and pounding on the machine. To her amazement, while she was pounding on it, her hands passed through the ATM machine, causing it to malfunction.

Not only did it spit her card out, but it also began spitting out large quantities of money, in large, small, and medium bills.

Realizing that somehow, by passing her hand through the ATM machine, she caused it to malfunction - she quickly reached through the mirror glass, where she knew a camera was hidden.

Naturally, the camera was also similarly malfunctioned. This is how her life of crime began, until she was brought, along with several others, to Department H. They were called 'The New Generation' then. They left Department H and tried to make it on their own as a team, and took on the name Rogue Force.

Composed mostly of people, who have committed various crimes, trust was hard to find with a fellow teammate. However, Magistrate, otherwise known, as Heather Corsi was always one you could trust.

Christine has just seen that friends struck down.

Possibly even killed.

She means to get revenge.

And she doesn't even care if it lands her in prison for murder.

She learned a lot during her time with Department H. For example, the ability to walk on air. She could make her entire body intangible, thus making it lighter than air itself. She used this talent now to come up behind the Gene-Hunter known as CE-6, the one that struck down Magistrate.

Her hand passed through his armor, and immediately the man inside began to scream. Every circuit was exploding… some of those were attached to him. He was in essence, being electrocuted by the armor he wore.

"Full systems failure in CE-6," he screamed. "Danger intimate!"

He turned and looked at who had done it. He could hardly see through the goggles. Smoke. Blood. So many things were in the way. "Die," were his last words. Something in mist like form shot out from his chest, and then the flight powers failed, and he came crashing down to the earth… with nothing or no one to save him from the hard and brutal welcome the concrete gave him.

He was dead on impact.

"That was for Magistrate," Spectra hissed. "A shame that your last command will never come true. I am intangible right now."

She walked down to the ceiling of a building and took solid form again. As soon as she did… she began screaming.

It felt as if her flesh was consumed with fire…

"It's a shame I hate you so much," Caterwaul grinned. "We work well together."

Tremor used his mutant ability to control the earth, or any stone matter. A wave of earth trapped one of the Gene-Hunters underneath its awesome weight. Seconds later, Caterwaul ran up the wave of stone, and pounced on the pinned Gene-Hunter. Smiling down at the Gene-Hunter, he saw the look of terror when Caterwaul extended his claws. "If you believe in a God, pray to him now."

Tremor was almost horrified at what followed. He had to turn his head as he felt his stomach twist and turn, nearly forcing him to wretch.

Her name is Stephanie Golden. The one on the opposite side of her is Samantha Doe. They're both mutants. Members of Next Flight. One with the ability to create and control fires of any size. The other the ability to create and control ice, in any form. They are opposites in every way possible.

They are like Fire and Ice.

They even have strong resentments towards one another.

But when they put those resentments aside and work together, as a team.

There is very little more deadly.

"Gene-Hunter SE-4, targeting mutant known as Thermal."

"Come get me," Thermal smiled. "You think you can handle this hot stuff?" Summoning fire to explode from her hands and enfold the Gene-Hunter is searing flames. She laughed, "I don't think so."

However when the fire died, Gene-Hunter SE-4 was still flying.

"We learned from our last encounter with you, mutant witch! Our armor has built in coolants!"

"Oh does it," came a second voice. "Do you think you can handle this?" A thick block of ice encased the Gene-Hunter. Almost instantly it began to melt away.

"I do believe so," the Gene-Hunter mocked. "You see, we also have heating systems in this babies! You mutant witches are as good as dead!"

"I don't think so," Thermal and Coldfront laughed.

Now they fired their individual powers time and time again, consecutively. Hot. Then ice. Fire. Ice. Fire. Ice.

It didn't take long at all.

Gene-Hunter SE-4 quickly learned the armor could not compensate for the sudden changes as quickly as it was being dealt. The armor began to spark and hiss madly. "Gene-Hunter SE-4 retreating! Armor short circuiting!"

"Leave him to me," Talonhawk said, flying by.

His name is Phillip Leland. He is running for his dear life. He is a part of Rogue Force, better known as Imagery - with the mutant ability to "morph" into anyone he has seen before. However, no matter how well he mimics the person, he does not get any of their powers. Which right now, is very unfortunate.

The red optical lens over the right eye of the Gene-Hunters allows them to detect mutants, rendering his idea of taking from of another and blending into the crowd. He's desperate. He's already seen one person taken down, and possibly slain. Compact was slain by these Gene-Hunters. He hasn't seen Spectra since her attack on one of the Gene-Hunters, and he's vastly afraid that he is going to be the next to fall.

As a last ditch attempt, Imagery bursts through an old abandon building, hoping to use the garbage within to hide him until he's able to escape. He heard the crackling of the radio, right along with the blaster fire, right behind him. "Gene-Hunter DD-2, entering abandon building. In pursuit of mutant scum."

He hid behind a crate. His heart was racing. He could hardly catch his own breath.

The Gene-Hunter began blasting everything. Anything that moved.

Whether it be mouse or homeless man. He didn't care. He didn't want to take time to analyze to see if it was the mutant that he was pursuing.

That second to analyze might give the mutant enough time to do something.

A blaster shot shattered a window near Imagery. He looked back and forth, from where he was, to the window. The Gene-Hunter was insane.

This entire idea was now insane. He was going to die if he stayed here.

That was without a doubt. The Gene-Hunter was blasting anything in sight.

Whether it was man, mutant, or mouse. A stray blast struck one of the support beams. Old as the building was, it began to crumble. The Gene-Hunter realized his mistake too late. Imagery realized he had to act now or never, while the Gene-Hunter was preoccupied. He took a deep breath and made a leap for the window. It was a good effort.

He heard a blast.

Then felt it shatter his back.

His name is Phillip Leland.

Should he survive… he will never walk again…

She said her real name is Christi. No last name. No past.

In her mind, she has seen a lot of things in her days. She keeps them buried away. But when she sees the slaughter unfolding in front of her, memories come flashing back. A time, so dark… when her friends… and her brother… were all slaughtered.

It's more than she can bare.

She will not see that happen again.

Summoning up a disk, she appears behind the last of the Gene-Hunters. She grabs him, and whispers in his ear. "I can teleport anytime, anywhere. Imagine if I only teleport half of you."

There is a flash.

And a scream that no one ever sees or hears.

His name is Adam Peters. Or so it's believed.

He's better known as Caterwaul of Next Flight. He has the uncanny ability to heal any wounds inflicted on him, as well as his heightened senses. He's using his tracking sense of smell right now. He's on a scent and won't let it go.

He comes into an alley where he sees the Gene-Hunter known as PM-1 has crashed - apparently his armor finally malfunctioned after being attacked by Rogue Force's Magistrate.

He's about to go in and finish the job when he catches another scent.

Talonhawk's.

Slipping back into the shadows of the alley, he waited to see how this one would turn out. He had suspicions about Talonhawk. His recent "changes" of behavior. Now he wanted to see what would happen, without him knowing anyone was watching.

Talonhawk dove down at the Gene-Hunter striking his fist against the metal, and in the process ripping the Gene-Hunter's helmet off.

"You've killed," he hissed. He dove again, striking with incredible force, behind each dive. "You've maimed!" Teeth fell out with this punch.

"And all in the name of hate!" Again and again, Talonhawk dove at the helpless Gene-Hunter, striking harder and harder every time. "Learn now, to feel the other side of hate!" Talonhawk screamed.

Talonhawk was beating the armored man senseless. It was brutal.

And very unlike Talonhawk, Caterwaul noted.

Caterwaul almost felt compelled to step out of the shadows, just to end it quickly. It's one thing to think of killing someone slowly.

It's another to do it. Worse, to see it being done. But something made him hold back. Perhaps to see how far Talonhawk would take it.

On his next dive, Caterwaul's heightened senses heard a click. A click from the armor. Then he heard the dying man wheeze. "Die…"

Just as Talonhawk swooped down for another punch, the Gene-Hunter pressed a button. From his armored chest, a panel opened.

Caterwaul leaped out of the shadows… but he could have been the fastest mutant on the world… it wouldn't have been fast enough…

A spear, loaded and ready, fired from his armored chest.

Talonhawk never stood a chance…

Mindscan looked over the papers.

"Mutant: Magistrate. Real Name: Heather Corsi.

Nothing he could do now could stop the flow of tears that fell from his eyes…

Thermal turned on the television. The sound of the television coming alive was the only thing that broke the eerie silence. "Hello, this is Elise Chung," the television began. "Here now live at Canada's Department H for the official announcement of the relaunch of Alpha Flight, and the core members. Let's cut to live footage, Charles."

"Hello people of Canada," the man began. "We are honored to announce that Alpha Flight has been reinstated. The core team will consist of: Vindicator, Guardian, Shaman, Northstar, Snowbird, Saint Elmo, Box, Puck and Wyre. Vindicator will resume his position as team leader, with Guardian and Puck serving as field tacticians." He nodded at Heather and Judd's direction. "The rest of Alpha's members will belong to subsidiary teams as we, at Department H, have outlined. We have faith that this new team of Alpha Flight will be able to deal with any threat that dare raise against the people of Canada!"

The news cut back to Elise Chung. "On a sadder note. Today in the downtown area, a terrible tragedy befell several people. When the evil mutants, known better as Rogue Force appeared and began terrorizing the town, Canada's Next Flight appeared to put a stop to their madness.

However, they found themselves in the crossfire between Rogue Force and a band of mutant hating, armored individuals that call themselves, the Gene-Hunters. There were casualties everywhere. Six innocent people were slain by random gunfire, by the Gene-Hunters, who seemed obsessed with eradicating mutants, no matter the cost. The Gene-Hunters are the same ones who attacked several members of Rogue Force, while they were committing a bank robbery. It was during this time that the Gene-Hunters had killed Derrick King, better known as Compact of Rogue Force. Although in today's skirmish, despite that the Gene-Hunters were defeated, none were captured alive. One that was believed to be alive, used his armor to end his own life. Before being defeated, the Gene-Hunters managed to slay Heather Corsi, better known as Rogue Force's member, Magistrate, though her body was not found. Christine Pierce, better known as Spectra, was taken away by several members of Department H in containment suits.

Phillip Leland, better known as Imagery of Rogue Force was paralyzed, and taken away by Department H. And finally, perhaps one of the biggest tragedies of all, Next Flight's own Talonhawk was slain. More at 11…"

Her name is "Christi" as far as anyone knows. To her teammates she is known as Portal. Those that questioned her value on the team beginning quickly put such doubts aside as she proved herself time and time again.

She was the first to arrive.

She was the first to see Talonhawk's body after Caterwaul.

Mindscan had nearly doubled over when he got the urgent telepathic message from Caterwaul, through the psi-bond that he shared with all their members. Like Caterwaul, Portal's mind was completely immune to telepathic probes. It took great effort and practice to even create a psi-bond with herself and Caterwaul.

Nothing could have saved him.

No force on the world.

The spear had plunged directly through his heart.

Most of his insides weren't even in his body anymore.

It was a gruesome scene.

She'd seen worse.

She teleported his body to Department H, but as expected, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. She did remember however, when she arrived at the scene how Caterwaul was tightly pressing on Talonhawk's massive wound. As if keeping the blood, as well as the spirit, inside the body.

It was almost a touching scene, had it not been such a tragic one.

Her name is Portal. She has seen friends, family, loved ones all slain before her eyes. She had seen the closest of friends betray her, like none other ever could. Now she had seen another friend die. She knew the risks. Death was sure to follow those that chose this life style. But now, she vowed the Gene-Hunters had better realize the consequence of taking one's life. One that she swore to protect.

Nothing is going to stop her.

And she knows the one person that will help her.

Away from such dark thoughts, there lay a home… full of love, caring and understanding…

"Are you sure you don't want anything, son?"

"Yes mom," he called out through the hallway as he turned on the television and began unloading the groceries.

"…Spectra, was taken away by several members of Department H in containment suits. Phillip Leland, better known as Imagery of Rogue Force was paralyzed, and taken away by Department H. And finally, perhaps one of the biggest tragedies of all, Next Flight's own Talonhawk was slain.

More at 11…"

He stared at the television in disbelief.

The jar of Mikey's Mayo dropped the floor and shattered.

His mother rushed into the room. "Is everything all right, son?" she asked, touching his face. He was so pale. "What's the matter?"

He blinked. He shook his head, and gently smiled. "Um, nothing.

Nothing, mom. I'm fine. I just got a pinched nerve."

"Well it's probably from the -!"

"It's okay mom," he said, brushing her assistance away. "I will get a mop and get this cleaned up. Sorry about the mess."

She looked at her son, concerned.

He looked as if he had seen a ghost…

Or a premonition of his own death.

"It's not your fault," Mindscan screamed.

Caterwaul extended his talons from his fingertips. "No? You don't know the half of it!"

"Talonhawk took on a big risk taking on a Gene-Hunter alone," Mindscan snapped back. "Armor malfunctioning or not. He should have never done such a thing. Never. He made a choice. You had nothing to do with it."

With extended claws on each fingertip, Caterwaul seized Mindscan's throat. "Maybe if you didn't buckle! Maybe if we had a leader to keep us organized. Aren't you the one always pushing us to train?

Always pushing us to work and function as a team, as much as a family?

What happened to you? Where were you when we needed you?"

"I virtually lived through what Magistrate had gone through," Mindscan snapped back, slapping Caterwaul's arm, and freeing himself of his hold. Immediately he felt warmth on his neck, and knew the talons had cut him. "And if I hadn't … buckled as you claim. What good would that have done? I said no killing. You didn't listen. When Tremor trapped one of the Gene-Hunters under a wave of stone, you didn't even hesitate. You ripped the Gene-Hunter's throat open. If I was capable of leading, I seriously doubt you would have ever followed any instructions I would have given! You're too primal. Too driven by your animal instincts."

Their gazes locked.

Intensity burned.

Caterwaul turned away finally. "That's fine if that's what you believe."

"You've given me no reason to believe other wise," Mindscan snapped. Caterwaul looked back one more time and walked out.

Unnoticed a piece of paper fell to the floor.

It had been the song Caterwaul was working on…

"The Broken And The Lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

· The poem "The Broken And The Lost" used by persmission by me. © 1998, Me! :*)

Mindscan walked into the kitchen and saw Portal making herself a salad. "Have you seen Caterwaul?"

She looked up from her salad and smiled faintly. "No, I haven't.

But I found this." She held out a piece of paper. Mindscan took the paper from her and looked over it. It had been a song Caterwaul was apparently working on entitled "The Broken and The Lost." His eyes looked up at Portal. Her back was turned to him as she continued to work on the salad.

"I assume you read it?" Mindscan asked.

"I did," she answered, turning around, eating her salad, coolly.

"I figured it was a goodbye note. Figured he left the team. You'll never understand what he saw." She bit into a tomato. "He basically picked up Talonhawk's heart and put it back in his chest, in an attempt to keep him alive." She said it so coolly. So callously, as if there were no emotion behind her words.

Mindscan's eyes were full of horror. He turned away and crumpled the song in his hand. "Well, reading this, it might as well have been a goodbye note. If you read between the lines, that's pretty much what it says. I better do a mindscan, and see if I could feel his psi-bond…"

"That's not what it says if you read between the lines," Portal cut back.

Mindscan opened his eyes. Nothing, he told himself. Caterwaul's snipped the psi-bond, and there's nothing I can do about it. He turned back toward Portal. "What do you get from this song?"

"A lot of pain," Portal crunched on her salad. "But the last thing that song is, is a goodbye note. Look again. How he talks about reaching out and getting his hand slapped by friends. He's trying to reach out. But those of you who don't trust him, keep turning your backs on him."

Mindscan thought back to the night before…

They had a confrontation… Mindscan was trying to reach out, explain that it was no fault of Caterwaul's that Talonhawk died…

"I virtually lived through what Magistrate had gone through," Mindscan had snapped back, slapping Caterwaul's arm, and freeing himself of his hold. Immediately he had felt warmth on his neck, and knew the talons had cut him. "And if I hadn't … buckled as you claim. What good would that have done? I said no killing. You didn't listen. When Tremor trapped one of the Gene-Hunters under a wave of stone, you didn't even hesitate. You ripped the Gene-Hunter's throat open. If I was capable of leading, I seriously doubt you would have ever followed any instructions I would have given! You're too primal. Too driven by your animal instincts."

Their gazes had locked.

Intensity burned deeper than anything known, burned for that moment.

Caterwaul had finally been the one that turned away. "That's fine if that's what you believe."

"You've given me no reason to believe other wise," Mindscan had retorted. Caterwaul looked back one more time and walked out…

Mindscan shook his head. "He's so hard to deal with sometimes…"

Portal frowned. "That's because you had all prejudged him from the moment you all met him. You never gave him a chance."

"He's not made it easy," Mindscan grimaced. "To earn our trust."

"That's the difference, and that's the attitude that caused it all," Portal scoffed. "Everyone else was trusted right off the bat. But because Caterwaul was different, that trust had to be earned." She put down the plate, as if the hunger left her. "And should trust be earned from your fellow teammates, or already given?"

She looked once back at Mindscan, who was looking at the crumpled paper in his hands again. He looked up and reached out with his mindscan to faintly touch her mind like a moth, and found that her psi-bond was gone as well.

He heaved a heavy sigh, and placed the paper on the table. For someone who was but sixteen years old, she spoke of wisdom beyond her age. Her mannerisms were also something else. Much different than a typical sixteen year old.

Then again. She's a mutant.

But Mindscan couldn't help but feel there was more to all this…

He shook his head, and heard her words again…

"… should trust be earned from your fellow teammates or already given…?"

Coldfront stormed through the hallway. Thermal saw her coming and debating running and hiding. She didn't want to help. But at the same time she did. She was never good with helping others. Never been a good shoulder to cry on. Before she knew it, Coldfront was almost in front of her. Thermal reached out, "Sam'…"

Coldfront smacked Thermal's hand away. "Spare me your pity."

"Look, I know you and Alex shared something special. I can only imagine the pain you are feeling -!"

Coldfront snapped. "That's right! That's all you can do! Imagine how I feel! Because what would a whore like you know about caring?" Without even waiting for a reaction, she turned and walked on, heading for her room.

Thermal's hands flared. "You ungrateful…"

She bit her lip. The flames faded.

She realized it was the anger speaking.

She had seen it before.

Not too long ago. When she recently confronted her mother.

She didn't mean what she said…

… did she?

Coldfront slammed the door.

"I want to apologize," came a soft voice, almost child like.

Coldfront spun around. "Who the -?"

Caterwaul was perched on her bed.

Her brows came together angrily. "Get out of here! Get out!"

"No," Caterwaul whispered. "Not until I have said my peace."

"I said get out! I mean it!" Tears were coming down from Coldfront's eyes. Falling upon the ground, frozen… like diamonds.

Priceless.

"I want to say sorry for how I had been acting…"

Coldfront's body encased itself in hard ice. Her hands became large blocks of ice. "Maybe you didn't hear me when I said get out?"

"… I was way out of league," Caterwaul went on. "I was jealous."

Coldfront raised her fists, two giant blocks of ice. "Get out before I make it so someone has to carry you out!"

"I care for you. I couldn't bare the thought of another being around you."

The fist came dangerously close, smashing the bed to pieces. "You can't just waltz in here!" Coldfront was crying, but no tears fell anymore from her ice hard body. "My heart is wretched out as much as Alex's was! You walk in here and expect to take his place! Be my little savior and capture my heart when it's weak!"

Another swing smashed the dresser. Her anger was making all her swings wild. Caterwaul hadn't even flinched yet. "It's not like that…"

"I … said… get… out!"

The entire temperature dropped throughout Next Flight's wing of Department H. It was not a small drop in temperature. Mindscan screamed as his coffee that he just made was nothing more than frozen, coffee ice cubes.

"Oh no…" he muttered. "This can't be happening…"

"… Every road seems a dead end

I feel so trapped.

I feel confined.

I'm reachin' out to my friends

And my hand's being slapped

Dear Lord, I'm losing my mind..."

"How is he?" Mindscan asked as soon as the doctor came out of the room.

The doctor looked grim. "His condition is already stabilizing itself. If it had not been for his healing factor…" Mindscan breathed a heavy sigh of relief and nodded his head. "He's very lucky indeed. When they got him down here, his entire body was completely frozen, to the point that no blood flowed through his veins…"

"I understand," Mindscan said in a low tone.

Mark Carr stepped into the room and gently laid his hand on Mindscan's shoulder. "How is he?" he asked.

"He's stabilized," Mindscan said flatly. "But only because of his healing factor."

"Maybe it's time we give everyone another break," Mark Carr said.

"A casualty is a very difficult thing to live with. There's too much tension here. A leave of absence would do everyone some good..."

Mindscan bowed his head. "Maybe you're right. I will get the others into the Conference Room so we can make the announcement."

"No need to make it official," Mark Carr smiled weakly. "Just tell them they have a leave of absence. I will take care of the paperwork. If Department H has anything to say about it, they can come straight to me. I will be more than glad to deal with it."

The room was dark. Five figures sat around a circular desk. One puffed at a cigar. "The casualty of Talonhawk was most unexpected," he said, speaking through darkness. "And three of the others still managed to escape."

"The three who escaped are hardly a threat," the second man hissed. "And I just received a report that one of them has been spotted by one of our men."

"I agree," the third stepped up. "The death of Talonhawk was most unexpected, however, our agent acted out of self preservation. Did you see the condition our agent was in? Before the psychotic Caterwaul cut off his head? Talonhawk apparently beat him senseless. His entire skull was crushed in. Pieces of his skull poking into his brain. Amazing he lived as long as he did. His jaw was completely dislocated on the right side and barely clinging on by muscle alone. It was gruesome. Caterwaul did the lad a favor by ending his life."

"But," the fourth one said, defiant. "Upon reading and reviewing Talonhawk's records, such behavior was not in character of him."

"Do you suppose the secret we hold over him finally got to him?" the fifth one finally said. "That he finally snapped? I heard he often mentioned leaving the team. Only the secret we kept on him, forced him to stay."

"Perhaps," the fourth man said. "Perhaps not."

"Do you have another theory?" the first man asked, puffing at his cigar.

"I do," the fourth man replied. "I do…"

"Ben!" he heard a voice call out.

He turned and found himself embraced tightly in the arms of a lovely woman. "Calm down," he flushed. "We're in the airport!"

She looked around and laughed. "Oh, and people don't call out people's names, run up to them, and hug them, when they haven't seen them in so long?"

He smiled. Quickly grabbing her and kissing her.

"I've missed you, Steph," he said with a smile. "So, why the call out of the blue?"

She looked sad for a moment, all the joy draining from her face.

"I am sure you saw the news… about Talonhawk…"

Ben frowned. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No. It's … fine." She took a moment to set her thoughts straight. "Things got really intense. Don't know what the future of Next Flight is anymore. Don't even know if I want to be a part of that future, should it continue. When I saw Talonhawk… his heart -!" She began to sob.

Quickly Ben embraced her tightly and let her cry in her arms.

"Look, I understand. You don't need to say anymore…"

He never let her go, but he got her bags and loaded them into his car. He heaved a heavy sigh as they drove back to his apartment…

The love of his life had just walked back into his life…

… and yet he told himself not to get his hopes up again. He was, as he always seemed to laugh at himself bitterly, liable to get himself burned again.

Graveyards.

He never really cared for them. All these dead people. He sighed.

How many of them could have been saved at one time? How many of them died as heroes? How many died in their sleep? How many died, and found death a release of all their pain? But his question had always been the same… the one that always came back to him. How many of them died heroes?

It shouldn't have happened like this, he was telling himself. I wasn't supposed to happen like this. He held a single white rose in his hand, and began walking up the hill toward the grave. Just then his eyes caught someone at the same gravesite he himself had been walking towards.

Quickly, he stopped and walked behind a tree. Without so much as straining his eyes, he looked up the hill. His eyes opened. I know her.

Oh no, he began to think. Oh no. I hadn't thought of this… no…

Her name is Samantha Doe. She is visiting the gravesite of Alex Saiz. A former member of Next Flight, who died in a battle against an organization who called themselves The Gene-Hunters. Sam and Alex had an intimate relationship. One they had kept hidden from the others. Now, her own heart, like that of Talonhawk's had been wretched from her chest, and lie there broken. He watched her cry over the grave, kneeling before it - her hands gently tracing the writings upon the tombstone. She was talking to the grave. She stood up, wrapped her arms around herself, and left the grave. He watched her leave, saddened to know her heart was breaking so.

With a deep breath, he continued up the hill and stopped at the same grave. He kneeled down and laid the white rose upon the moist grave.

He stared at the grave, and slowly traced the name etched upon the tombstone: Alex Saiz.

He took another deep breath and said to himself, and perhaps to the spirit lying below. "You don't belong here do you? But how do I do this now?"

He never expected an answer.

But he waited by the grave… staring at the name upon the grave…

Mindscan threw his bag over his shoulder and looked around his room one more time. He wasn't forgetting anything, so why did it feel like he was leaving himself. He took in a deep breath and headed down the stairs. He cut through the kitchen to find Portal drinking a glass of water. "Hey, they called for a leave of absence for us, remember?" he tried to smile.

"Yeah. Great. Where would I go? Family? Friends?" her tone was sharp. "Some of us don't have those benefits remember?" She shook her head. "By the White Wolf, I am so sorry. I have just been on edge. I mean, Talonhawk's…" She struggled for the right words. "… gone. And now Caterwaul is in intensive care. Not to mention witnessing what we did when the Gene-Hunters took out most of Rogue Force single handedly, and with lethal force. I just feel like I am on edge."

Mindscan smiled weakly. "Understandable. That's why they called a leave of absence for us. Give us some time to ourselves." He looked down, then back up again. "Look, I am going to visit some family. You're more than welcome to come with me. I am sure they wouldn't mind."

She smiled. "Thank you," she sighed. "I think I will just stick around here for a bit. Make sure our ..." She smiled. "Resident psycho gets better."

Mindscan nodded. "I think he would like that. Last I checked, he was getting better, thanks to his healing factor. He should be all right soon."

"I know," she smiled.

"Good," he replied, and began heading out. He stopped and turned around. "I know he probably won't believe you, but tell him I am glad he's getting better. I… missed him."

"I think he knows that," Portal smiled. "I think he knows…"

Mindscan nodded, smiled, and walked out the door…

His name is Shawn Kane. He's also known as Tremor, a member of Rogue Force. His life is about to drastically change.

"Shawn Kane?" came a voice from inside a dumpster.

"Who's there?" Tremor called out.

The trash lid opened suddenly.

In two seconds, he had enough time to see the red, circular infrared lens on the man's right eye. On the third second he heard a soft sound.

Then the bullet went through his heart.

Today, Shawn Kane's life has drastically changed.

For, today it ended abruptly.

No one will find the body in the alleyway for another three days…