In her apartment that she once shared with her husband, Walter Langkowski, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier admired herself in the full length mirror. She knew that she was attractive, even beautiful. But she was torn. Her brother had died months ago by the hands of a Canadian terrorist. Caliber had shot Northstar in the chest with his machine gun. He wasn't bulletproof so he died instantly.

She remembers the nights she cried. Her brother may not have been the most perfect man but he was all she had. He was a snob, sure, and he wanted nothing to do with her husband. Up until his death, he voiced his opinions about how he hated Walter. He said that she deserved better. But his last words were that he cared for Walter more than she. How could that be? A number of years ago he ousted himself as gay. Could it be that he was attracted to Walter? Or maybe Jean-Paul really accepted Walter as an equal.

That was water under the bridge.

The phone rang. She didn't answer it because she knew who was on the other  line. She didn't feel like talking to him at any length. The voice mail picked up at the fourth ring. She listened in like a voyeur.

"Hello, Aurora. It's me. I've really missed you. It's been weeks. I know you said that it was my fault that Caliber killed your brother. But you have to understand that I had nothing to do with it. You know I really hate these machines. Pick up, please. Alpha Flight is not the same without you. Click."

In a heartbeat, she changed into her costume. It was tight fitting but didn't show too much because it was mostly black.

She opened the window and darted out. She negated the earth's gravitational pull and soared on the airwaves. It was at times like these when she was alone, without her team-mates, that she could really appreciate the city's landscape and towering skyscrapers. She flew in between the buildings, spinning this way and that, and then, when she was in a clear space, she flew in a straight line, picking up speed.

She clocked in at MACH 3 and the world seemed to fade away. She could control her speed at any level, due to the training of Dr. Hudson. For a little while at least, it was time for Aurora to go solo.

Seconds later, she arrived in Toronto, from her home in Ontario. It was far but she was confident that she could make the jaunt in record time. 

Now, she knew what she had to do. Caliber was a dead man.

 

The Alpha Complex

"Go away! Just go away!"

Walter Langkowski sat naked with his knees propped up to his chest, his head buried in his lap. Behind him stood Snowbird, clad in her costume.  She had a distraught expression upon her face. She had never seen Walter like this, in such distress. She didn't know what to do, whether to comfort him or to do as he said; just leave him alone.

She took a step, then two, and when she saw him sweating and shivering at the same time, she backed off. "Walter, if there is anything that I can do, just let me know. I'm your friend. I can help you. Please, let me help you back to normal."

"Is that it? I'm not normal anymore. I'm a freak. Just because Aurora and I have had a little marital difficulties, I'm not normal. Do you know how many divorces there are in Canada yearly? Maybe we're next. Maybe I just can't deal."

"Come back to me, Walter. Come back."

Walter looked over his shoulder into Snowbird's face. But he saw someone else. Someone close to him. "Aurora? Is that you? Please say it's so. I've loved you from the moment I've set eyes on you. "

Walter stood up and faced the woman he thought was his wife.

"Look in my eyes, Walter," Narya said. "And know that I am not Aurora. I am Narya. I am Snowbird. See that it is I."

"Walter, you are unbalanced. You need to be on medication. You need a psychiatrist. There is one here at the Alpha Complex." She set her team-mate on the bed. She clicked on her micro-transceiver. "Judd, can you come to Walter's room? There is an emergency."

In moments, the diminutive Alphan arrived. In the meantime, Narya had helped Walter get dressed. She felt she was treating him like a child.

"Stay with him, Eugene. If he gets violent, you know what to do. I'm going to summon the psychiatrist."

Elsewhere

Aurora arrived at the headquarters for the Separatiste Terrorists minutes later. She thought it best to hide for a moment to gather her plan before she attacked. This would have to be quick and she would have to disarm Caliber and the rest of the terrorists before they had a chance to kill like they did her brother. Her revenge would be swift and sweet. She would not kill Caliber. That would be too good for him. Proper justice will be meted out.

She knew what she had to do.

She gathered up her speed and crashed through the front window. It seemed like the terrorists were gathering their next move, too. Caliber was in the back, oiling his machine gun arm.

"Get her," Caliber said. "We'll kill her like we did Northstar."

The members of the terrorist organization formed a line then a circle around their leader, Caliber, while he prepared for the coming battle. They shot their assault rifles at the blur that was Aurora. She evaded the bullets with ease.

She then with superhuman mutant speed knocked the rifles out of their hands' grip and emptied the chamber so that the remaining bullets fell to the ground.

Now for the fun part, she thought. Aurora punched each of their terrorists' in the jaw, knocking them all unconscious.

Next was Caliber. But the leader had reattached his machine gun onto his arm and began firing. A million images flew through her mind at that exact moment. Northstar's death and her own…

But she could change her destiny. She couldn't let this happen to her, what would happen to poor Walter.

Aurora took a two by four and smashed Caliber's machine gun arm. He was powerless. She ripped off his helmet. He was just an ordinary man. Nothing to look out.

Canadian police entered the little hovel in Quebec. "Thank you, Aurora. You done good."

"Merci beaucoup, mes amis. My brother would be proud."

The Alpha Complex

Aurora arrived at the HQ of Alpha Flight in no time at all with Caliber, disarmed of course. He was dispatched to the Canadian Paranormal Prison and she knew that she had to see Walter again. A reunion of sorts.

She knocked on his door. At first, she heard some mumblings and the knob turning. Then, she saw her lover in the doorway, a bright smile upon his face.

"I was wrong, Walter, to blame you for Jean-Paul's death. Now I know it was Caliber who did the dastardly deed and now I brought him to justice."

They hugged as long lost friends and only lovers could. "I've missed you so. I just don't know what I would do without you. I've seen you in my dreams. Everybody here thinks I'm crazy, like I'm possessed or something. But I know it was really you calling out to me."

"I've missed you, also." They kissed passionately. "Now we don't have to get divorced or separated because there is nothing to tear us apart."

"And your brother can rest in peace finally knowing that his killer is not going to kill more innocent French Canadians."

"Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"I fought the Wendigo, along with Snowbird, who helped me with my trying times. The rest of Alpha Flight fought the Brotherhood. They got hurt, but they're all better now."

"How about a lift to our apartment?" Aurora asked him.

"I would love one."

With that, Aurora carried Walter in her arms over the Canadian skyline all the way to Ontario where their one bedroom apartment was situated. They were just glad to be back together, back in each other's arms again. For the moment, though, everything was back the way it was.