shield_maiden:

Svalin still didn't quite understand the reason why people on Migard celebrated the day of one's birth, but her wife's birthday would not go by without something from Svalin and Solver. Sydney had helped Svalin and Solver find a gift by taking them out shopping. When they didn't find anything they liked, Sydney showed them how to shop on the Internet. It took some time, but eventually Svalin found something she thought her wife would like. The vintage butterfly brooch was quite beautiful.

Svalin wrapped the gift in a silk scarf and Solver made the card.

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?"

frosted_water:

Korra's favorite part of Chinese food was the fortune cookies that came with the meal afterward. She always liked to open them first. Her and Jordan were the only ones around at Alpha Flight HQ, so she'd ordered them Chinese for lunch, her treat. She'd ordered dumplings and brown rice. Korra brought the food into the Temple, a smile on her face. "Lunch is served!" She said to Jordan, handing him his food before sitting down on the sofa next to him.

Korra rooted through the brown paper bag until she found the fortune cookie at the bottom. She grinned, tearing open the wrapper and cracked the cookie open.

"You will have unexpected great good luck," Korra said, reading her fortune aloud. "Well, that's always nice."

nextgen_holiday:

"A simple 'I love you' means more than money." – Frank Sinatra

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.

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_misc:

Once the Champions returned to their headquarters and destroyed the Quantum Mirror returning all the heroes to normal. Once that was done they called a meeting of the superhero teams. Irina transported the Champions to the Avengers Mansion and volunteered to provide transportation for the other teams.

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.

shield_maiden:

How was one supposed to feel knowing that tomorrow they would die? Svalin was fully aware that when she went into battle there was a good chance she wouldn't come back. This was different. She was going to die tomorrow. There were no doubts. It was unsettling to know death was certain, but Svalin had other things to focus on.

Her wife and son.

Today would be a day she was going to focus on them and not on tomorrow. She had the day planned out, but there was one thing she had to do before spending time with her son and wife.

She got the number from Sydney and called Jordan Bochs from Alpha Flight.

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.

strongbox:

In the past, Alpha Flight has had to deal with a number of mystical threats, and it always worked out due to having a fair amount of mystical influence and know-how on the team. Mostly in the form of an Inuit Goddess and the Twoyoungmen family. Now, they have no such luxury. Thankfully, Jordan hasn't been left entirely without resources, such as a phone number in Colorado.

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.

butterflybullet:

Solver was pappoosed to her back, and she carried two thermoses of cocoa as she knocked with her foot on Marlow's 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?"

butterflybullet:

After checking the decryption, and that things were quiet, Vernique fired up the videocall to Jordan on schedule.

French has some really great idioms for frustration with life, and she'd used several within instants of the "Hi."

tooth_n_claw:

Alex had been spending a lot of time with Sam, but he didn't forget about his number one priority. Mel. August 1st was her birthday and this year Alex had been planning it for a very long time. There was a lot of work and a lot of string pulling, but in the end he had arranged something Mel would love.

He had an envelope with a card inside. Inside the card was her gift.

Whistling happily, he went to find his girlfriend.

ng_weaponx:

Sam Bowmaster had seen the news reports and read articles on Alpha Flight, particularly his bother Alex. Who would have thought Alex would be a superhero on Canada's top superhero team. Sam had been following since the first article and today he was going to be reunited with his brother.

A cab dropped him off outside of Alpha Flight Headquarters. He took a moment and looked at the building. He smiled and then headed for the door.

purplegeist:

Most people don't know that the great composing team of Ulvaeus and Andersson wrote songs about religious anguish and almost-despair along with songs about dancing queens and something in the air.

But they did. And that's what's filing Mel's room right now. As she lies, in full uniform, on her bed with a blank look at the ceiling.


...And everything had been going so well.

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.

heroic_dynamo:

Anyone at the makeshift camp where the Winter Guard was convening with Shield were likely to see a red-armored figure stomping past them, muttering a string of Georgian curses. This was utter garbage! After the Guard had contacted home regarding what had happened, the government decided that it would be a good idea for someone to remain in the West to make it easier for the two countries to coordinate efforts. The idea was sound, Zviad didn't dispute that, but what angered him was apparently he was being voluntered for the job. Of course by voluntered he really meant ordered. Technically it made no sense, he was the newest member of the Guard and thus knew less than any of them. Then again maybe that was the point. Plus he imagined more than a few of the brass leapt at the opportunity to keep him out of the country for as long as possible. Personally he would have liked it if he at least had a say in the matter. Zviad found a sturdy looking rock and sat down. Deciding it was pointless to keep his helmet on, he took it off. For the most part, people kept their distance, as Zviad's anger was palpable.

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.

strongbox:

The date was a little awkward, what with both girls getting married soon, and him not being all that familiar with any of the people involved first hand before-hand, but it was still pleasant... and had some promise. Worst case scenario, if she's more truly married than she indicated, he can always call this a business meeting and take the write-off, since there is some business to discuss.

First things first, arranging the date. He makes reservations - in Canada, so getting some wine with dinner shouldn't be an issue, rents a limousine, makes arrangements for her flight, and sets up possible options for movies or dancing after dinner if she likes.

Its been way too long since he's been on a real date.

"Yes, hello. Is Vernique there?"

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 one to sweat the little things. He considered himself a pretty laid back guy, but lately he had been fretting over something. He didn't tell anyone of course. Alex had a hard time opening up to people in general and this was something really embarrassing. There was a solution of course, he just didn't know what do to or how to even get started.

Which meant he had to ask for help.

There was only one person he could go to. He went searching for Jordan.

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.

strongbox:

Jordan didn't at all mind the looks of the woman who bought him, though it looked like she was talking to a friend... who he also doesn't mind a bit. However, observing certain other details, something else grabs his attention.

He heads over to the girl in the wheelchair. Well, the one that isn't Mel.

"Miss McCoy?"

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.
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+

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."

ng_atlantis:

"This is humiliating!" Vishin shrieked at Draconia, although still outside of arm's reach from the bars of her cell. "We've lost nearly every candidate to this surface dweller's genetically-aberrant tricks, and Lord Kerouac would already have faced him if he weren't otherwise engaged at present. Our only saving grace is that they've all been too shamed to reveal you as their patron.

Still.... we have Kerouac. His house is the highest ranked of any of the candidates, but still..." He fixes his gaze on Draconia, stroking his beard to calm himself. "..He has an unfortunate habit of insisting on fair fights. I will not risk our pl-- I will not risk the future of the Atlantean ruling family on fair odds."

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.

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.

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."

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

ng_omega_flight:

The masks had arrived and Omega Flight was ready to enact their plan to bring down Alpha Flight. Madame Masque had out done herself and the masks were works of art. As soon as the members of Omega Flight each put on a mask, they took the identity of a member of Alpha Flight and they had their abilities. Maybe not at the same strength as the members of Alpha Flight, but enough to convince others that they were really Alpha Flight.

It was time to start.

They would start small. Start creating doubt about the famous superhero team and then work their way up to something really big.

They went in different directions in Toronto and each of them held up a convenience store or two before returning to their base.

It was just the beginning of things to come.

They could just imagine the questions Alpha Flight would now get.

ng_omega_flight:

The Canadian National Tower in Toronto stood an impressive 553.3 meters(1,815ft) and was still the largest free standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. It was a popular tourist attraction and many people have taken the elevator up to the top to look out over the city of Toronto.

Today Omega Flight was visiting the tower, but they weren't there as tourists. Today they were going to destroy the tower and turn it into a pile of rubble.

purplegeist:

White dress. White shoes. A way to the church arranged.

Going to Easter Mass without Dad's quiet enthusiasm, and Mom to give 'what're you looking at?' glares to anyone who seemed like they weren't focused on the point of the occasion, felt a bit odd.

She stopped by Jordan's room.

sea_shelly:

They could have swam it, but Canada (and Alberta in particular), was quite the distance away from Atlantis.  And frankly, what was the point of being a Princess if you couldn't ride in style every now and then?  So the daughters of Namor were being taken home (or to the shore, at least), in an Atlantean Royal transport.

It was luxurious, if slightly military, but comfortable to say the least.  Marrina sat on one of the couches, idly munching on candied sea urchins.  Her father had introduced them to her on one of her last visits.

Her sister.  She was bringing a sister home.  There were probably going to be all kinds of diplomatic issues involved (especially once Emma Frost found out), but she would do everything she could to keep her sister safe.

"So..." she ventured.  "You told me a little about you.  Only fair if I talk too.  Anything in particular you want to know?"

sea_shelly:

The Olympics, as everyone knew, were being held in Canada this year.  Canada took this very seriously.  Canada took everything that put it on the international stage seriously, which meant that they were taking security for the Olympics very seriously.  Which meant using their very own super-hero team.  Which meant, of course, Alpha Flight.

Fortunately, it had been quiet so far and with nothing that could not be handled by regular security had happened.

Marrina was just glad there was no Atlantean team.  It left her free to root for Canada.  They'd done well, but but nearly as well as she'd like.

She tapped her communicator.  "This is Marrina, checking in at the hockey rink.  No problems here."

strongbox:

Jordan has helped provide the means for everyone else's Valentine's Day - dinner for Mason and Marrina, private picnic for Mel and Alex, and exclusive dinner reservations for their new leadership couple.

Emily, when she next goes into her room, will find a note taped to her computer instructing her to be ready for a night out, and to dress nice. If she doesn't have anything nice, she's to let him know and arrangements will be made.

tooth_n_claw:

Alex and Mel weren't quite a couple, so Alex had been really unsure of what to do for Valentine's Day. He wanted to get her something because he did appreciate her (not to mention the really big crush he had on her) and had spent quite a bit of time searching for something that she would like, but wasn't too big. Eventually he found the perfect thing for her. He thought about taking her out, but he had to be honest with himself, they were both sort of uncomfortable out in public.

It came in a small box and when it arrived, he added a small bow to it. That along with a box of chocolates were left on her pillow.

After delivering the gift, he passed out on the couch in the rec room. He had been practicing with his human form and it took its toll on him.

sea_shelly:

Namor had been surprisingly grateful for the assistance of the Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight, and once his own transportation had been sent for, had even thrown a feast for his victorious allies.  They would be all be going home soon.

But before that could happen, Namorhad asked to see Marrina.  Privately, away from the others.

Her birth-father.  Who didn't know.

She knocked, was bidden to enter, and entered the private chamber quietly.  "You...  wanted to see me, your highness?"

strongbox:

Jordan has been working feverishly at his hacking and making some arrangements. The team has had its hands full lately, and in the midst of it all, an idea struck him. After a bit of research, he got to work on a project. When almost done, he called into the coms.

"Hey Mel, Alex, could you come to my quarters please? I need some input on something."

ng_atlantis:

When last we left our heroes, the hordes of Atlantis were heading straight for Canada, ready to enact great vengeance upon the surface world.  The Fantastic Four had intervened, but were shot down over the open ocean  (fortunately, the could all fly).  But now they face an army of Atlanteans, including their mysterious leader....

Alpha Flight, alerted to the thread to Canada, has set off in its Alpha Flier in order to fight for truth, justice, and the Canadian Way!  Fortunately for all concerned in this aquatic battle royal, Alpha Flight possesses not just one, but two aquatic heroes--the shapeshifter, Alex, and Marrina, daughter of the legendary Sub-Mariner himself!

Who will win?  Will the hordes of Atlantis overtake Canada and then the world?  And what has happened to the Atlantean Royal Family, Namor, Namora, and Namorita?

Find out...