brit_sorcerer:

The annual tradition of Rate the Babe was usually held at the Avengers mansion, but this year it would be held at Excalibur's headquarters in London. Quinn was more than happy to play host and set up refreshments. There was of course plenty of beer and it was accompanied by pub food.

Quinn was already on his fourth beer when the guys started arriving.

got_the_touch:

"Mason!"

"Mommy!" The little boy runs over to Lil, latching onto her, red-eyed and shaking. Jordan is in tow with Madison, coming up close behind. "I'm sorry! Please don't be mad! I just wanted to look at--"

"Shhhhh..." She puts her arms around him, fingers in his hair. "Yelling later. I'm just glad you're okay."

----

It was a holiday story that got trotted out now and then. Mason stopping to look at a chemistry kit when the family was hitting the mall for Boxing Day shopping. After that, he'd ended up split off from the family by the torrents of crowds. It had been two hours before security was able to reunite Mason with his mother.

So, even as he feels ashamed of it, he's more than a little panicked anxious, keeping his back to a wall while he tries to get his bearings. He'd been in New Orleans as part of his degree work, attending a lecture by a leading mettalurgist. Afterwards, he'd lost his cellphone, and his notion of where in the city he was. The crowds of holiday visitors, plus the lunch rush doesn't help matters either. He keeps his palms to the wall behind him, breathing heavily, and not noticing as the surface starts to turn to glass.

nextgen_baddie:

Well, that'd been a fun little jaunt uptown. Here was hoping it would put some ideas in the girl's head that his new buddy could make use of. Or not. Maybe it wasn't that kind of story. And of course, the Thinker hadn't been able to take down Alpha Flight. No harm, no harm. All just interlude. Just softening up.
But waltzing up to a base in the middle of nowhere, of course, isn't Zeb's style. Too vulnerable, not enough leverage. So he's in town, cozy in a restaurant he's properly taken over, having analyzed a few choice haunts, keeping an eye out for any of Kara's girl's little friends.

He dialed the phone.

nextgen_baddie:

The Baxter Building's security was on high alert. Just as it should be. All the more cameras to watch the people line up and start beating against the glass. Pressed close as a riot. Pounding on the doors until their hands bruised, blistered, and bled..

Zeb didn't stand with them, of course. He was out of sight... but near enough that the pheremones wouldn't wear off easy. Not for a long, long time. He'd had this crowd primed.

nextgen_baddie:

Zeb had to admit it: as absurd villain team-ups went, the writers could have done much worse. ( Read more... )
He turned it off, smiling. "What about you, Denk? Want to give your boy's little girl a preview, to listen to just as the view cuts back and forth from the news to her blank little face?"

got_the_touch:

"Pass the pretzels." Mason murmurs to Alex, his eyes transfixed on the hockey game on tv. By all rights, Jordie should be present, given the teams playing, but he'll have to settle for the DVR.

frosted_water:

Korra was nervous. She wasn't going to lie about that. She had butterflies in her stomach, and she was pretty sure her heart was beating faster than it should be. Not that she really had a reason to be nervous. Her sister's teammates were wonderful people, even if she'd only met them a handful of times. But still. It was nice of them to let her join, even if she had zero heroing experience. And she had to stop being so nervous. She was going to help people, like she wanted to. She was going to see new places and make new friends. Everything was going to be fine.

The car pulled up to Alpha Flight headquarters, and Korra got out, thanking the driver as he handed her her luggage. She only had a couple of suitcases, but her mother said she'd send her more of her things once she'd settled in some. Taking her luggage, Korra walked up to the door and rang the buzzer.

anyastark:

"Well it was a good game," Anya said to Buck as the clock wound down to zero. The Ravens won the game, though she had been rooting for San Francisco. Her team, the Giants, didn't make it and she wasn't a fan of either game, but she was a fan of a good game and it had been one. They had watched the game from a luxury box with a very large spread of food and a wide variety of foods.

She had invited Buck of course, but also anyone from the Avengers, Big Hero 6, Champions, Thunderbolts, Alpha Flight, Nightstalkers, Defenders, Future Foundation, X-Men, anyone else who wanted to go and she even extended an invitation to the Genoshan embassy. After saving the world on almost daily basis, they could all use some fun and a chance to kick back and relax.

nextgen_baddie:

A blizzard covered northern Canada in white, but it wasn't the only thing causing problems. Alpha Flight was correct when they mentioned that the Great Beasts were in fact more than one and usually showed up at the same time.

Tanaraq left a path of destruction in his wake as he made his way toward the more populous areas.

Not too far from Taranaq, Kolomaq left a similar path of destruction in his wake.

nextgen_holiday:


You are cordially invited to attend the 28th annual Maria Stark Foundation's Winter Charity event.

Four Seasons Hotel
57 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022

Friday 21st of September
Seven O'clock pm - Midnight

Formal dress required.

Please bring a donation for Toys for Tots.


The grand ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel on 57 East 57th street was festively decorated for the holidays. A series of lit candles on every table gave off warm light and the dulcet tones of a jazz ensemble filled the room.

People, the upper elite of New York society, Hollywood celebrities, musicians, politicians and even superheroes moved around the room. People sat at tables and talked, while some moved gracefully around the large dance floor.

Tables loaded with unwrapped and unopened toys lined one wall and at one end stood a very large decorated Christmas tree. Wrapped presents sat under the tree, but they were just empty boxes wrapped for decoration. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling near the tree and people stopped to kiss.

The air was light and the mood happy and festive.

treadlightly:

So, Anya talked him into hosting this year... so Avengers Mansion is all set up for a proper party in the main lounge. Extra couches set around the giant screen, plenty of food - ranging from the chips and soda to the pretzels and beer.

The front doors are left watched, but open, and invitations have been sent out to the guys on all the teams the Avengers are in contact with... so... potentially a lot of people.

nextgen_baddie:

The barrier between dimensions was usually strong, but there were times when that barrier could be weakened. Either by time or by direct intervention. The barriers to the dimension where the Great Beasts of the North had been banished were weakened.

The first of the Great Beasts to escape the dimensional prison was Tundra.

In central Canada Tundra started ripping up the Earth and destroying everything in its path.

got_the_touch:

Okay, there no sense putting this off anymore. He was going to be getting in on late admission anyway, if he went for it. Jordan had already convinced him it was the right thing to do, and he wanted to do it.

It was just going to be really hard.

"Hey, princess? You in there?" Mason knocked at her door.

got_the_touch:

(Immediately following this.)

Mason Jeffries, just like anyone else in the world, has things he stresses about. Right now however, he's more stressed than most people would have seen him. He knows his parents worry enough, and some of the subject matter made him hesitant to try to discuss it with Nim first, so... big brother.

He arrives at Jordan's room only to find him apparently packing.

"...hey Jordie... you going somewhere... right  now?"

sea_shelly:

Alpha Flight had, eventually, returned to their headquarters and home after doing all they could for the town disaster.  No explanation or answers had been forthcoming, and it was possible they never would.  That such tragedy could strike without warning or meaning was disheartening, to say the least.

Tired, Alpha has spent much of the next few days recovering and mourning in their own ways.  The survivors had been taken to local medical services and were expected to recover fully.  But there were children who had been made orphans, husbands and wives who had been made widowers and widows, and parents left to bury children. 

All the survivors save one.  The man they'd found who had been unharmed.  Department H had been concerned with just how he'd managed to escape unharmed and thought he might be a possible super-human, possibly even the cause.  So they had taken custody of him, just in case.  Studying him had so far not shown any signs of anything.

In the temple, Nim settled herself onto the couch, her hair still slightly damp from her soak.

sea_shelly:

At approximately 6:37 am, est, something had happened in Clearwater, British Columbia.  A small town of less than 1500 people, no one had paid it much mind before.  But early that morning a wave of energy had ripped through the town, killing virtually the entire town and causing massive property damage on top of that.  The flare had been seen from miles away.  By the time the news had reached the government, it had been far too late to stop whoever, or whatever, had done it.  But it was not too late to help those who remained, what few there were.  Most surprising, however, was the utterl lack of any radioactivity.

And that was where Alpha Fight came in.  In point of fact, Alpha Flight was uniquely suited for search and rescue operations.  Mel and Alex were ideal for seeking out small spaces and searching under rubble.  Mason's powers made clearing away debris easy.  And Nim and Jordan's strength was more that sufficient for any tasks that remained.  Additionally, they had even called in Beta Flight, the training squadron.  Other than the occasional practice session, Alpha had little to do with them, perhaps owing to some resentment on behalf of both from the time Alpha had been framed and they had clashed.  But today, every hand was welcome.

Nim grunted slightly, lifting up a section of fallen wall.  How long had it been since she'd last been in water?  She'd lost count.  They'd been working for hours now and had only found little more than a handful of survivors.  Who could have done such a thing?  And why?  This wasn't a seat of government, nor home to any real industry, or, well, anything, really, other than people living their lives.

She tapped her communicator.  "This is Nim.  Two more dead at my position."

tooth_n_claw:

"Come on," Alex said. "You can use the restroom in here." Alex opened the door to the pub and held it open for Mason. Mason was underage to drink, but not to use the restroom. Besides, Alex was thirsty and could grab a soda while Mason took care of business.

nextgen_holiday:

All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as it has been come to be called, is a popular holiday with children and adults alike. It is a holiday that had its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain or Summer's End. Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half".

On this evening the barriers between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be thin and the spirits, good and bad, of the dead could pass through. The spirits of the family's ancestors were welcomed in while evil and bad spirits were warded off by the wearing of masks and costumes. The costumes and masks disguised one as a harmful spirit and avoided harm from others.

It was also a harvest celebration and time to take stock of food stores for the winter. Livestock were slaughtered and the meat prepared for storage. It was the final harvest of the year and the crops were then stored for the winter. Celebrations included bonfires and tales of the family's ancestors.

It was a celebration of the dead and of the harvest.

Today we dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and masks and go door to door for candy or attend costume parties. It is a night for revelry, pranks and fun.

purplegeist:

Mel had researched, and called Dad and really worked on this. She'd gotten the recipe for a traditional Georgian style of baklava. When it was ready, she haunted the air filtration system and let the scent get everywhere in the base.

nextgen_baddie:

A bright light appeared over the Defenders compound and two figures emerged in the sky. A multitude of explosives rained down on the buildings below. A moment later numerous explosions broke the quiet of the day. The Earth trembled and fire and smoke filled the air. A crater now took the place of the Defenders Compound and the two figures in the sky disappeared.

Far below the Pacific Ocean the brides were clad in white and lined up in front of the altar. A semi-circle of priests stood behind the brides and were chanting. The magic in the air became more powerful as the priests chanted. A small circle appeared in the air before the brides and started to get bigger.

All around the chamber deviants fought heroes while the portal grew so the god Set could make his entrance into the world. Another portal formed on the far side of the chamber and the two beings that had appeared over the Defenders Compound were now in Lemuria.

got_the_touch:

It wasn't easy keeping secrets from your big brother when he's the team leader and practically in charge of your whole HQ, but Mason had done his best. He'd hired a DJ that was practically elated to get to work with the Temple's pre-existing sound systems, gotten stadium-style catering of hot dogs, burgers, and other heavy foods, and even sent out invites to a handful of other super-teams that Alpha Flight had fought alongside, just to beef up the bodycount for the festivities a bit.

As for his gift for Jordie, he'd spent weeks getting in touch with former Alpha Flight members with his parents' help. They'd ultimately put together a scrapbook about Jordan's biological parents for him. Mason had also put season tickets to Jordan's favorite teams in the same packaging.

sea_shelly:

(backdated to the end of the "Relative Problem" plot.)

So.  Their encounter with the Master had left her changed, in body and in spirit.  The rages she had felt, the instability that had come with them, were gone.  She still retained her ability to borrow the powers of oceanic animals, but her nature abilities had been boosted as well.  Not to mention that, though her facial features were still basically her own, her entire body had all changed. 

And there were still her brothers and sisters to find.  They were out there in the ocean, somewhere, alone and frightened.

But for now...

For now, she had other issues to deal with.   She kept the lights off in her room

tooth_n_claw:

To Alex one of the hardest things in the world was selecting gifts for people. He didn't have much practice with it and it showed. When he was young he had his mom and brother to get gifts for, but in those cases it was usually a homemade gift for his mom and a small store bought toy for his brother. His family never had much money so gifts were small. Now he had money, he didn't spend much of his Alpha Flight pay on himself, and it was Mel's birthday.

He wandered the local mall aimlessly wondering what he could get his girlfriend. There was only so much ABBA things he could get her and something non-ABBA would be a nice change. Though he had no clue what that non-ABBA thing would be. So he walked up and down the mall looking for something to catch his eye or make him think of Mel.

Alex was just about to give up when he spotted Williams-Sonoma. A store dedicated to cooking and kitchen stuff. It was /perfect/ and totally Mel. As soon as he entered the store he was even more hopelessly lost. There was just so much in the store and he had no clue on Earth what exactly to get her. A saleslady took pity on him when she saw his confused face and asked him if she could help. Even with her input he still didn't know what to get Mel. He opted for a gift card with an extravagant amount of money on it.

He thought gift cards were a little impersonal, but he would make up for that fact by taking Mel here and the two of them could make a day shopping and grabbing some dinner afterward.

The gift card was put into a card and he went to deliver it to his girlfriend.

nextgen_holiday:

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." -- Unknown

nextgen_russia:

It was a risky move, but it had to be done. Shostakov was no friend to the royal family and if he was taken into government custody decades of work would be lost. If his comatose body could be grabbed by those who had the same interests, he could possibly be revived and work on the projects could resume. That 'son' of his knew what his father had been doing, but the kid didn't know half as much as his 'father'. No, they needed Shostakov and they had to get him before others did.

The warning was sent from a small internet cafe computer and bounced through two dozen different nodes around the world before it reached its destination in Canada. They had to be warned that the Russians were coming. Hopefully they would respond appropriately to the incursion into their land and during the conflict and chaos Shostakov could be taken out of there.

There were a lot of variables, but it would go as planned. It had to.

got_the_touch:

"And this," Mason declared, as he flipped to the next channel, addressing his companion next to the sofa. "--is MTV. It used to play music. Then America just started getting really weird, and people wanted to follow the train-wreck. Sometimes it's spin-offs play music videos, but it's really rare. Like spotting a tiger in the wild." A pause. "Or a blue whale. Or Namor smiling."

The crab, in the newly installed tank, was apparently too polite to reply.

"Yeah, I don't really like it either. Now this--" Mason changed the channel again. "--is Animal Planet. Awesome stuff. Maybe you'll see someone you know. I'll change it if I think it gets too scary for you."

Frank, as Mason had named him, was good company. The poor little guy had wandered up to the front gate a week or two after the whole challenge thing had been resolved, about to drop of exhaustion. Apparently Atlanteans had crabs that could recite stuff like parrots. Mason had felt sorry for him and set up a tank in his room, along with an extended plexiglass tunnel that ran to another tank in the Temple.

"Now, all these channels marked in red on the channel guide are Jordie's favorites, but I don't know if you're old enough for them. But here's what you really need to learn about." He changes the channel again, to a rebroadcast of the last winter olympics. "Humanity at its best. When we finally shut up about all the stupid stuff and just have a good time competing together."

got_the_touch:

Mason knocked at Jordan's door. The trip with Marrina had been great, aside from the one little speed-bump (which he hadn't even needed stitches for). Jordan had been with girls before. A lot of girls. A lot of a lot of girls. Mason figured he was the best person to talk to about Marrina's condition.

tooth_n_claw:

Alex wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box, but he knew enough to remember birthdays. Marrina's was the next one to come up and Alex was at quite a loss of what to get her. He thought about it for quite awhile, but still couldn't come up with anything to get her.

He went with a gift card and a note for a promise for a swim or a flight anywhere she wanted. He left the items on her bed along with a birthday card.

nextgen_holiday:


I arise from dreams of thee
In the first sweet sleep of night,
When the winds are breathing low,
And the stars are shining bright.
I arise from dreams of thee,
And a spirit in my feet
Hath led me -- who knows how?
To thy chamber window, Sweet!

The wandering airs they faint
On the dark, the silent stream--
And the Champak's odours
Like sweet thoughts in a dream;
The nightingale's complaint,
It dies upon her heart,
As I must on thine,
O belovèd as thou art!

O lift me from the grass!
I die! I faint! I fail!
Let thy love in kisses rain
On my lips and eyelids pale.
My cheek is cold and white, alas!
My heart beats loud and fast:
O press it to thine own again,
Where it will break at last!

Percy Bysshe Shelley

nextgen_parent:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first annual Maria Stark Foundation Charity Auction. I'm Alison Blaire and your host for tonight's festivities. Prepare yourselves for a night of fun to help a worthy cause. In just a few minutes many very handsome men will be brought out one by one for your chance to win a date with one of them.

Before we begin I would like to bring out Her Imperial Highness Anya Stark. Miss Stark helped arranged tonight's event and will give you a little more information on the charity organization tonight's proceeds will help."

Anya walked out on stage and smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Blaire. All of the proceeds from tonight's event will go directly to Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières. This organization was created in 1971 in France to benefit the citizens of the world. The organization is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation all across the globe. MSF operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas.

I'm happy to announce on behalf of the Maria Stark Foundation, that all money collected here tonight will be matched dollar for dollar by the Maria Stark Foundation."

"Thank you Miss Stark and that is a very generous offer by the Maria Stark Foundation. Now it's time to begin. So open those wallets and let's bring out our first man." Anya left the stage and went to take her seat.

"First we have the son of Captain America Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff. James Romanov-Rogers is currently an Avenger and has recently moved to Seattle to lead the West Coast Avengers."

"Let's start the bidding at a hundred dollars."

not_adorable:

Angelo had done some preparation for this. He knew that he and his sister had divergent views on the group occupying his thoughts, but he was confident they could approach the situation like rational adults. Of course, he wasn't above cheating, just a little bit. The jug of homemade cider he'd buried in the neighborhood garden had finally been dug up after fermenting long enough, and some was currently on the stove with butter and cooking brandy milling in it. He'd also just finished dusting some krapfen with powdered sugar as he approached his sister, who was going over his latest home-school exam.

"Gio?" He set down a plate of Italian pastry and cider in front of her. "There was something I wanted to confer with you about."

nextgen_holiday:

There's a piece of paper and a pen attached to a bulletin board. Across the top is written:

New Year's Resolutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
+

Anonymous entries accepted.

nextgen_holiday:

Christmas. Yule. Saturnalia. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Many cultures have celebrated and still celebrate a winter festival. There have been many names for it over the millennia. No matter the name it is a time to come together and celebrate with feasts and gifts with friends and loved ones.

Each culture has a legendary figure who would deliver gifts to children during this time. In Russia and some Slavic cultures he is known as Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, and comes not on Christmas but on New Year’s along with his granddaughter Snegurochka, or ‘”Snow Maiden”. In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe he is known as Father Christmas. In the Netherlands and Belgium he is known as Saint Nicholas or “Sinterklaas” and in France he is known as Père Noël. In the United States we know him as Santa Claus.

No matter the name or who is delivering gifts, it is the season of peace, joy and togetherness. It is the season for thinking about loved ones, friends and those less fortunate. It is a time to witness the goodness and generosity the human race is capable of. It is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill toward man.

got_the_touch:

Mason was wearing two parkas as he and Marrina waited at the set coordinates on the Nova Scotia shoreline. An official envoy from Atlantis was supposed to pick them up here. He was holding her hand, and what of his face could be seen between his scarf and his hat looked worried. He nodded to her.

"Just in case I get killed..." He squeezed her hand. "I love you. And you were worth it."

got_the_touch:

In a very pleasant departure from the previous competitions, this second to last one had actually sent Mason an e-mail to let him know when he'd be arriving. Surprisingly polite, actually.

For that matter, Atlantis had e-mail? He wondered who their provider was.

He was sitting down to lunch with Marrina, having about half an hour before the challenger was supposed to show up. "Man... this is just dragging on." He poked at his soup before finishing some more. He'd recovered from the previous fights just fine, but mentally, things were starting to get to him.

got_the_touch:

Mason trudges towards the front door after receiving a message over the intercom. He hits a panel to call Marrina as well.

"Latest round's up. Two of them this time."

He'd been surprised to hear the blowhard announcing himself, and his brother practically as an afterthought. He shook his head as he adjusted his jacket and hip-pack.

got_the_touch:

It had been about a week since the altercation with the female Atlantean, and Mason, for the most part, was recovered. Stitches hadn't come out yet, but he didn't need to worry about popping them in the course of his day. Marrina and Jordie had threatened to lock him in his room if he didn't rest for at least the first few days afterwards, so he'd been forced to comply.

Right now though, he was feeling okay, and he had nachos with three kinds of cheese, bacon, and gravy. There was good in the world.

nextgen_holiday:

In Canada today is a day for being thankful for the things in people's lives. Today was a day to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and health with food, family and friends. It is a time to reflect on what is important us and to recognize the gratitude we hold for having those things in our lives.

got_the_touch:

It had been a few days since Marrina got back, and outside of practicing his transmutations and studying some chemical formulas more intently, Mason had been determined not to let this shadow take over his life. He was taking a break and trying to beat his time-attack record in Capcom vs SNK 2 when there was a perimeter alert.

got_the_touch:

For any fool for love, being separated from your significant other feels like a long time.

When said significant other is off talking to her dad who rules two thirds or more of the world's surface, and is discussing a bunch of crazy people out to kill you, it feels even longer.

To keep himself busy, Mason had built an aluminum tree house just outside the base, fastidiously checking the road leading towards it for any sign of her.

sea_shelly:

Marrina and Mason were just leaving the movie, having just seen Scott Pilgrim vs the World, staring Canada's favorite son, Michael Cera.   It had been a pretty good movie, overall, though the fight scenes were a bit over the top.  Giving the super-villain battles they'd been in, it was hard to find them realistic, even with the over the top attitude of everything else.

"You know," Marrina told him, as she took his hand, "Michael Cera kinda reminds me of you."

tooth_n_claw:

There had been a conspiracy within Alpha Flight. It wasn't to topple the government, get revenge for being framed or anything like that, but Mel and Alex had been planning. Those plans involved the birthday of one Jordan Bochs. Their team leader was turning a year older and the passing of such an even would not go unnoticed or uncelebrated.

Alex had done the running and fetching for needed items and then had helped Mel wherever she needed help with the baked goods and decorations. He could provide a pair of human hands for two hours and was always eager to taste test anything Mel made. The arrangement worked out rather well.

In the end the 'Temple' had been festively decorated and there was plenty to eat.

They left it up to Mason to distract Jordan until they were ready.

With everything done and in place and Alpha Flight assembled, they let Mason know that they were ready for the birthday boy to see it all.

nextgen_misc:

After being on the run for crimes they didn't commit, Alpha Flight finally had a lead on the people responsible for their current situation. It had taken all the know how of the team to track down a group calling themselves Omega Flight.

tooth_n_claw:

Alex had been planning for Mel's birthday for quite some time, but events had sabotaged his plans. He had been planning on dinner out somewhere and possibly a movie, but with them being wanted fugitives it made his plans impossible. Alex would make up for the sabotaged plans by buying her a special gift.

He left the cabin when the sun rose and flew a few hundred miles away from the cabin. He needed to use his ATM card and he didn't want anyone tracking down the team. Alex would never forgive himself if he were the reason for Alpha Flight's recapture. So he went a good distance away and looked for a gift for Mel.

It didn't take him long to spot what he thought was the perfect gift. He withdrew all the money from his account. The gift was expensive, but Alex had quite a bit of money in his account and what he didn't spend on the gift, he'd use later for stuff for Alpha Flight. Cash was always better and harder to track.

He purchased the gift as quickly as possible and left on the wing to head back to the cabin. Along the way he stopped and got a cake and some candles. No birthday should ever pass without cake.

The sun was low in the sky when he returned.

The cake and candles were placed on the small table in the kitchen area and the wrapped gift next to it. He went to find Mel.

ng_independent:

The Empress was NOT happy. So far all of her plans have failed. The plan to grab female champions from Earth failed. The plan to grab guys and turn them into girls to use as her champions failed. The Empress had to come up with another plan. She had thought long and hard on it and eventually came up with something.

"Set A corSE to EARth!" she commanded. She would not be stopped this time. The plan was fail proof.

The Empress selected candidates as the ship made its way toward Earth. By the time they arrived, she had a list. One by one the names on the list were collected and put in the proper chambers.

When they wake up they will see a recording of the Empress addressing them.

"Greetings! Welcome to the service of...ME. Each of you will be expected to do your duty and proCREATE with the feMALE in the ROOM with you."

purplegeist:

The quiet, isolated little spot was a rather sickly lavender color, and a slight feeling of light-headed fear hung in the air.

'Just in case they said anything to all of you," Mel whispered. "My dad's not a terrorist. Anything they said about my grandfather is true, but not my dad." For some reason, it was very important to her to say this.

nextgen_media:

"We are standing here at 207 Bank Street outside the US Embassy in Ottawa where it appears that Alpha Flight, Canada's premier superhero team is attacking. Large sections of the building are being destroyed and even nature itself appears to be attacking as the winds have picked up and large chunks of hail are breaking windows. A member of Alpha Flight zoomed into the building and appeared on the roof with the ambassador. A moment later the member dropped the ambassador and he fell to the pavement below.

Police are on the scene, but are unable to stop Alpha Flight. Police cars and officers have been thrown around and it doesn't appear anything or anyone is going to be able to stop this apparent rampage by Alpha Flight. What has caused Alpha Flight to do this? Why are they doing this? There are too many questions to be answered at this moment.

Wait a minute. What's this? It now appears that the damage is done and lives have been lost, Alpha Flight is leaving the scene. The police aren't giving chase at the moment, but this reporter is sure that the military will apprehend Alpha Flight at some point."

got_the_touch:

A card gets slid under the door to Marrina's room, with a neatly printed note.
There's an additional note scribbled on with marker as well.

nextgen_holiday:

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it ... Dad

tooth_n_claw:

Alex was tired. He hadn't been on a long distance flight in some time and by the time he reached Alpha Flight's headquarters he was exhausted. He wanted to collapse on his bed and pass out, but there was someone he had to see first.

He smiled at the thought of seeing Mel. Alex had missed her a lot and had been looking forward to seeing her again. Emails and phone calls didn't take the place of actually seeing someone and talking to them face to face. Now he could do that for two hours before he had to change back into an animal form.

Alex went through the building looking for Mel.