Guardian's dreams are troubled. For the past few nights, he has been having the same nightmare. The scene is years ago, at the end of his big battle with Omega Flight.  His wife, Heather, have been captured by the infamous Jerry Jaxon.  

After defeating Omega, Box flew in the air and brought Guardian down an elevator shaft. Then, the robot armor ripped Mac’s helmet off, causing the self-destruction initiative. Mac defeated Box by attaching some live wires to his helmet. Heather walked into the room, moments before he died.

Every night, at that last scene is when Guardian has always awoken. Sweat pouring down his handsome face, fear, dread and doubt swirling through his nervous body.  He is scared and doesn't know why.  But this morning, Jim Hudson dons his uniform and exits his quarters. He knows that the horror of the nightmare will soon disperse and thinks that a cup of fresh coffee will subside his tense nerves. He is right on  both accounts.

 A voice seems to call from the exercise room of the Alpha Complex. Mac, with all due haste, rushes to where the sound originated from.  On his way, he hears an explosion. The adrenalin pumping within his super-human veins, he slams open the exercise room door and laughs over his concern. 

"Well, well, well. Now, look what we have here?!" He tries to sound diplomatic under his ridiculous laughter. He sees Kamikaze on the floor with his numerous weapons tangled around his body and Sasquatch and his wife, Aurora, cracking up over Kam's silliness. 

"You will learn not to mock me."  

"Sorry, Kamikaze," he responds. "But it's so hard not to."  Silently, the born-ninja takes out a single arrow, notches it, takes aim, and fires. The shaft soars through the air and at first notice, Guardian erects up his forceshield. The amazing arrow ricochets off the forceshield and drops to the floor below.  

"What's your problem, man?" questions Guardian. "Well, if it's a fight you want, then you won't find me backing off!!”

"Ah, your forceshield cannot harm me!"  Kamikaze fires two arrows. The one exudes an acid-like material that starts to spread over the forceshield, while the other attaches itself to the venerable battlesuit and explodes.  The force of the blast rocks the room. After several seconds of constant silence, the smoke clears and the two combatants rise to their feet. Sasquatch and Aurora just watched in abject terror as the arrow exploded and Aurora protected her and her husband from the blast with her mutant flight abilities.

"Now, mister," Guardian yells. "I don't want you ever to disregard our property with your reckless acts to obtain  leadership of Alpha Flight!!"  

"And, how will you stop me?” 

"Stop it, kids!!" Aurora stands between the two fighters. Just by peering into her crystal blue eyes, one can see the pure anger within her. She's mad, and she doesn't bother to hide it.

"I concur."  The one thing that the ninja cannot stand is for a girl to tell him what to do or not to do. 

Guardian nods his head in approval. "Now, people, we should get on with business." 

Sasquatch has a troubled look on his face. He knows that this constant bickering among them cannot continue. It must stop.    

Brief minutes later, the Arabian Knight Brigade reach another chamber. This one is constructed of an alloy of solid steel and iron. There are a myraid number of locks on the door and a hand imprint box to the left. This allows people to enter only if their fingerprints match the ones in the records.   

Razan removes two knives from his belt, throwing one of them at the box. It strikes with unerring speed and efficiency. Sparks and smoke jettison out in brilliant gusts. An inhuman voice rings out loudly that there is a red  alert and the Brigade curses to themselves, foiled again.

"Halt! In the name of the law!"   

They all face the epsilon guard. He is pointing a .45 magnum at them, obviously loaded to fire at any second. His hands, face, his entire body is shaking, quivering in abject terror. Who are these people, he asks himself in thought. He knew something like this would happen on his last day on the job. Why couldn't he at least call in sick?  

Razan growls an inhuman sound, at the same time that he hurls the second knife. The weapon thrusts into the man's chest with a definite 'shtunk!'. His scream is nothing they have ever heard before. More klaxon alarms sound in  response.   

"Great," Makan yells, "you are so smart, you know? Now, not only have we alerted the night shift but now the whole town knows we're here. Nice going."   

"I trully appreciate your sympathy. What do you suggest?" Razan bows, in mock honor.   

"First we must get our prize."        

Almost as if it had a mind of its own, the doors open slowly, the noise of metal scraping upon metal nearly  unbearable.

Batan walks in slowly to the nearly empty room. They all see a single transparent case on a dark tri-pod. Within the case, there is a weapon. It is circular at the top and straight at the bottom. It is yellow and almost pulses with  limitless power.   Batan stretches his arms forward to touch this great object but an orange hand grabs ahold of his costume. The hand pulls and tears backwards, hurling the mighty knight behind him, ever behind him. The black-colored knight hurtles in the opposite direction, slam dancing against the silver wall. There is a loud crack, as definite sounds of bones breaking are heard.   

Makan's eyes nearly pop out of his face. "Oh no.  The--"

"Haiii!!!" Batan hurls himself in the air, ignoring the pain at every corner of his body, both legs completely stretched out.

The Sasquatch throws one of her fists in the air. The next thing the knight realizes is that he's falling back to the place where he first hit the wall. 

Growling, Makan spies a man dressed in red and white popping in through one of the walls.  His hands gesture slightly and twin spiralling stars streak out with unerring speed. They whizz in the air, the sound almost deafening. 

Shunk. Shunk. They lodge themselves within the wall.   

Guardian stares at the knife-thrower with surprise and confusion. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused were a human life in the way?"    

"No, an' I don't care!"   

"Well, I do and that is why I am here." Concentrating to his utmost, Guardian thrusts his hand into Makan's chest.    

Makan screams.    

Guardian looks on with satisfaction.    

Makan falls.    

Guardian doesn't.   

Makan's head impacts with the ground with a solid squish.

"The next time you wish to attempt to eviscerate Alpha Flight, you best contemplate more on the matter. I would strongly advise it." Guardian wanders off, a little proud of his triumph.

Across the hall, Batan begins to stand up, holding onto the wall for dear life. His head pounds and aches and feels terrible at the moment. But he must fight on, he will...   

"Ready for round two?" Sasquatch smiles brightly as he sees Batan fall flat on his face mere inches from him. 

"Well, that was easy."    

Holding numerous knives in hand, Razan charges forward.    Whump. A bright red and white  object slams right up side his head.   

Guardian frowns at the knight.   

Gathering his knives in hands again, Razan hurls himself at Guardian. "Prepare yourself, Guardian, because I'm going to kill you.”     

What Razan forgot is that Guardian's forceshield has the ability to return to expand around his own body, seconds after it was first erected. Razan quickly falls into deep unconsciousness.    

The Arabian Knights are down and out.    

Sasquatch reaches his hand to Guardian. "That was great."

Guardian refuses, turning his back to him. "That depends on your point of view."  

To say the least, Aurora is startled.    

"But-- but--" she stammers out. "It can't--"   

"It is for the best, I assure you," Manikin explains, in a civil and sweet tongue. "I must stay with Kara in Manitoba. She is not well and I would like to be with her in her time of need.”

"You can't leave," she tries to say. "I'll miss those big shoulders of yours to lean on."     

Aurora begins to blush a little, shaking Manikin's hands. "I'll miss you." She kisses him on the cheek.   

"I will miss you also.” Manikin changes into Highbrow and then, creates a portal to disappear to Manitoba.

Smiling as much as she can, Aurora turns to Windshear. "At  least, I still have you, Windshear."    

"No, you won't. I'm leaving, too."

"What?!"   

Windshear places both hands on her shoulder, reassuringly. "I'm sorry but I must go, also. My social life is in the pits and there are plenty of corporate assassins that I have to deal with." He bows his head, embarrassed. "I'll miss you, too." Windshear pecks her on the cheek and flies into the air above Canada.

All alone, Aurora starts to thinking. With Manikin and Windshear not around, she's left with not a lot of people to have fun with. She wonders if Gentry is free...?     

Heather Hudson sighs to herself as she opens the door to her apartment. She has just spent a great day with Narya and Elizabeth. They planned to just go from club to club, having fun, but as usual, they fell into trouble. They fought the Mandroids-- who tried to rob a bank but forgot that it was closed on Sunday. He terrorized some citizens and they just had to save the day.    

The hallway is draped in total darkness.    

She flicks on the lights and sees someone sitting on her  couch.   

Shadows dancing all over his body, Guardian sits, his head bent towards his feet. He is staring at his boots, maybe even studying them.     

"Mac?!"   

He slowly lifts his head. "Heath, why is the flag important? Why do I wear it?"   

"Have you been out drinking?" She tries to giggle while  saying it. Maybe this will relieve him.   

"No. You know I don't do that." He stands up, walking towards her. "I'm serious. Is there a point?"   

"Of course there is." She'll humor him. "It's what you believe in. If you don't believe in the flag and you wear it, then you'll turn back on all your ideals. Someone like that will be a fake."

"Exactly. What's the point of fighting for something if no one appreciates you, as you're doing it?"    

"I don't understand."   

He laughs, a hard one. "I do my best to help people but what have we done for the little guy?"   

She giggles again. "Yeh, you did great trying to solve  the drug problem."   

"That is not funny. I still can't believe how easily I was overcome." He pauses, almost anticipating a response from her.

"So, what are you saying? That you want to stop being Guardian?"

"No. That'll be stupid. I want to be with you for a while." He removes his cowl from his head and holds it in his lap. "I want to spend more time with you."               

"Oh."    

"I love you, Heather. God, I've missed you."   

"What about that Aurora slut?"    

"Oh, her. She's just a flirt. She's harmless, trust me."

"If I can't trust you, then who can I trust?"   

"Right." He holds her firmly, kissing her continously.      

A month later...   

The television buzzes to life in the little hovel. Two men listen intently as a reporter flashes on  the screen.   

"This is an Alpha Flight update. Over the past few weeks, the number of the primary Alphans has diminished considerately. Now, at a live press conference, we join Mr. Gentry."   

She winks, an obvious signal to change broadcasts and the screen switches to a room at the Alpha Complex. Gentry is presently at the mike.   

"Ladies and gentleman," he says, not the least bit nervous. "Now, we will have Guardian speak to you about the recent update. Afterwards, he will be available for questions. Guardian?"

He walks onto the stage and takes the podium, while shaking Gentry's hand. The audience of reporters clap in a frenzy. "Thank you, ladies and gentleman. Over the past several weeks, you may have noticed that some of the Alphans' members have departed. Those include Manikin, Persuasion, and Windshear. They will be sorely missed. They departed because of personal reasons. Another Alphan to leave is Northstar because he was killed in action. I will replace him with another new member.”  

The crowd gasps in unison.   

"The new member will be Solarman. Afterwards, he will be available for questions. Solarman?"

The two men glaze strangely at the television set for long seconds, as the new member steps onto the stage and takes the podium. The bigger of the two's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.    

"What th' hell is this?"   

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," Solarman says to the hungry audience. "Rest assured Alpha Flight will get back on their feet and become a powerful fighting force for the protection of Canada and the ideals that come along  with it. Questions?"   

The big man jumps out of his chair, clenching his fists wildly. "That man is dead. I promise you that, Masquey, he's dead!"

Madame Masque relaxes in her seat, preparing for the moment. It's only a matter of time.