The wind of Hudson Bay was blowing through the surf and the bodies of the archeologists as soon as they arrived early this morning. But it was no ordinary fact-finders that littered the beach this day but Bedlam (in his guise as Jacques Bedlam), Christina Priss, the Pirate, and the Pirate Brigade.

Jacques Bedlam put his hands through the sand where his team had been digging and lifted up more ancient jewels and pottery from the surf.

“This is what we want. This is what we seek.” Bedlam said.

“Not anymore,” a new voice said. Bedlam and his crew looked to the top of a sand dune and saw Marrina of Beta Flight. She was accompanied by the rest of her team.

Without another word spoken, Marrina launched herself into the air, headed straight for Bedlam. But she should have known better. Defending himself, Bedlam used his mental powers to hurl Marrina into the bay. That was a big mistake on his part. The water just replenished her strength.

“Marrina!” Kane yelled, baring his claws and like her, launching himself into action.

“You can’t help her,” Bedlam said, as he erected an invisible force bubble around his person, flicking off Kane like an unwanted bug. “Pirate Brigade, deal with Beta Flight.”

And that was just what the Brigade did. They brandished their guns and swords and attacked Kane and the rest of Beta Flight. Their weapons must have been forged of adamantium because neither Kane’s claws nor Wyre’s guns could break them.

Dei Guan transformed painfully into the Jade Dragon and used his fiery dragon breath to separate the Betans from the Pirates. The Pirate Brigade had been so frightened by the dragon that they fled to the trucks and made good their escape.

So it was just Bedlam, Priss, and the Pirate that was left to fight them.

But before they could make another move, Marrina jumped out of the water, furiously, and slashed her claws at Bedlam’s back.

“You bitch!” Bedlam snarled, as he mentally hurled the mer-woman onto the beach.

“No, she’s not, you bastard!” Dei Guan yelled, as he used his fiery breath to mow down Bedlam. But Bedlam erected another shield to deflect it.

Kane looked up from his present surroundings and saw Guardian and the rest of Alpha Flight arriving on foot.

“Don’t worry, Betans, we’ll take it from here,” Guardian said, as he shot an EM pulse at Bedlam. It deflected off his armor.

Bedlam shot a mental blast at Guardian’s midriff, downing the Alphan. The rest of both teams went to his and Marrina’s aid.

Bedlam, Priss, and the Pirate escaped.

The rundown district of Toronto…

It had been weeks since Stephan Gregg escaped from the Orphanage. He used his light powers to distract the guards and the torturers there and run into the night, post haste. Now, like his friends Scott Sherman and Stacy Holland before him, he was on the run. He had several bucks to take a train to Toronto, where he was now, roaming the streets day and night, keeping on the move.

It was night now. The streets were barely lit, but he could see out of his peripheral vision that someone or a group of people were following him.

“Mr. Gregg,” one voice sounded throughout the alleyway. “Wait up.”

Stephan turned around. “What do you guys want?” he barked out.

“I am Guardian of Alpha Flight. We heard about your trouble at the Orphanage. And we know of your mutant light powers. You may not be on a par with the Dazzler, but you do have potential. We may have need of your services. And we know that you may want to be reunited with your friends.”

“What friends? I left the Orphanage, and all those people there that put me through hell.”

“Not the ones that beat you up, but the ones that befriended you and escaped just like you. They are waiting for you at the Nursery.”

“I think I’m a little too young to be in a nursery.”

“That is where we train people like you to be healthy members of society. You have friends there. Like Scott and Stacy.”

“I would like to see them again. Lead the way, Guardian.”

The warehouse district in Quebec…

Guardian flew over the skies, searching for Bedlam and the Pirate Brigade. There was a report on the police band that strange activities were happening here. And he knew that he would find his nemesis here and he came alone because only he could defeat him.

Guardian crashed through the window, seeing Bedlam planning his next move with the Pirates. “Your reign of tyranny ends here and now, Bedlam. I’ve come to take you in.”

Bedlam snarled. “No. It doesn’t, James. With these mystical jewels, I can take over this world.”

“I don’t think so.”

Bedlam used his mental powers to probe inside Mac’s mind but it backfired. Mac had erected failsafe defenses against mental attacks in his cyber helmet. The probe went back into Bedlam’s mind and he collapsed, near death.

Mac slugged Bedlam over his shoulder, and took to the air. Then, he wrapped the Pirate and the Pirate Brigade in a EM force bubble and carried the lot back to the Alpha Complex.

The Nursery…

At a round table sat Jason Nemeroff, Scott Sherman, Stacy Holland, Stephan Gregg, Murmur, and Ghost Girl. The latter two were part of the Alpha “B” team when Gentry first came aboard. The rest were the new recruits that Guardian and the Granny, headmistress of the Nursery, had taken under their wing.

Granny sat at the head of the table. “I would like to welcome you all to the Nursery. I am Granny. I will be in charge of your progress and your training. You will be a new Delta Flight, under Alpha and Beta Flights. Right now you will have some downtime to get to know each other. But then your true training will begin. Don’t worry, I’m sure you will do fine.”

And a legend was borne.