Alpha Flight (5th series) #5

Krakoa North, Northern Manitoba, Canada, which is currently ablaze under the night sky as the secret compound is under fire by several Box Sentinels. 'Do not attempt to run. Any resistance wil be met with force' Roger Bochs, Jr. warns the two-dozen mutants who make their way out of the compound and into a clearing, where they, and Kyle Beaubier-Jinadu find themselves surrounded by more of the Box Sentinels. Three of the young mutants, Spencer, Tasha and Bubs, look scared, as Spencer exclaims 'I didn't mean for this to happen! I swear!' Kyle crouches down and assures Spencer that this isn't his fault, and asks him to stay close to the adults. 'We'll figure a way out of this' Kyle adds, before Roger's voice can be heard through one of the Box Sentinels, informing Kyle that he is under arrest for harbouring mutant fugitives. 'Lie face down on the ground, with tour hands behind your back' Roger instructs him. Kyle does as he is commanded, and several mutants also comply. 'You've caught us. It's over. Just don't hurt anyone. They're innocent. They haven't done anything wrong' Kyle utters, while quietly adding Jean-Paul... please hurry' over his communicator.

'We're nearly there, Kyle' Jean-Paul Beaubier a.k.a. Northstar assures his husband while speeding through the air, carrying his teammate, Nemesis, who is really Heather Hudson. His sister, Jeanne-Marie a.k.a. Aurora flies behind him, carrying her partner, Akihiro a.k.a. Fang. Northstar tells Kyle that he is sorry, and that if this Oregon thing hadn't happened, they'd already be on their way to Chandilar, but Kyle tells Northstar that going to Oregon was the right thing, he knows that. Aurora communicates with Guardian, warning him that the Box Sentinels have discovered Krakoa North, who is now under attack, with no one there to protect them. 'We're still ten minutes out' Aurora reports.

'We're on our way' James MacDonald Hudson a.k.a. Guardian responds as he stands in the Omnijet and leans over to where Eugene Milton Judd a.k.a. Puck is piloting the jet. Snowbird a.k.a. Narya watches Guardian, concerned. Guardian instructs Judd to change course. 'We're headed to Krakoa North' he announces, and as instructed, the jet swerves and takes off in another direction.

At Department H, in Toronto, Ontario, in Roger Bochs, Jr's workshop, a Department H operative informs Director Erika Doiron that the Omnijet has changed course. 'That son of a...' Erika begins, before touching her earpiece and connecting with Guardian, telling him that he better have a damned good reason for changing course. 'Erika, I was just about to call -' Guardian begins. 'i'm sure that you were' Erika snarls.

In the Omnijet, Guardian turns to Albert Louis a.k.a. Feedback, while still communicating with Erika and informing her that they heard the Box Sentinels had found a group of mutants, and were on their way to lend a hand. 'Absolutely not' Erika responds quickly.

At Department H, Erika's assistant watches as Erika tells Guardian that his orders are to return to Department H with the prisoner, and that unless they all want to join Feedback in prison, then she suggests he does just that. 'Is that understood?' Erika asks.

'Guardian? Confirm that you have -' Erika's voice is heard over the communicator, as Guardian responds 'Confirmed. Over and out'. He then tells Puck to shut down comms, as they are going dark. 'You've got it. So much for the ruse, then, eh?' Puck asks. 'We knew they'd find us out eventually' Guardian responds, before Puck flips a switch, shifting the jet to stealth mode.

At Krakoa North, Kyle and the mutants have been shackled and Box Sentinels surround them – when suddenly, 'LEAVE THEM ALONE!' a voice shouts. One of the Box Sentinels turns to the direction of the voice, only to be sliced in half by Laurent Bavota, who has shifted his arm into a large blade of liquid metal.

'Dammit! We lost Box-38!' Roger Bochs, Jr exclaims wide-eyed as he continues to control the Box Sentinels remotely from Department H. 'Don't just yell about it, Roger! Do something!' Erika snaps angrily. 'I'm on it! I'm -' Roger begins, as he sees Laurent rushing towards another Box Sentinel – and responds by opening fire.

The blast strikes the young mutant with a deadly fury that sweeps the liquid metal protection from Laurent's body – and burns his body, which drops to the ground with a FWUNK. 'MURDERER!' Northstar screams as he swoops down from above, dropping Nemesis on the ground, he smashes his way through middle of the Box Sentinel, destroying it. Nemesis uses her Onyx Blade to slice through Kyle's shackles as Northstar instructs his husband to get everyone away from here, to get to the trees and find a place to hide. 'We'll deal with these abominations' Northstar exclaims as he, Aurora, Nemesis and Fang gather together, ready for the battle ahead.

Back at Department H, a shocked Roger looks at his hands. 'No. I didn't mean to... oh god' he utters. 'Get your head in the game!' Erika shrieks at Roger. Roger doesn't respond, instead he continues to see Laurent's dead body through his video link to the Box Sentinels. 'Roger!' Erika calls out as she knocks on Roger's cybernetic helmet. 'That mutant... that criminal... attacked you. You were protecting the Box Sentinels' Erika tells him. Roger frowns while Erika warns him to get it together, otherwise they will have no hope of bringing the fugitives in. 'Yes... okay...' Roger utters.

'On the ground, hands behind your -' Roger announces through the Box Sentinels as they close in around the four heroes, when suddenly, 'No. These people are under Alpha Flight's protection!' Guardian calls out as he appears from above, blasting one of the Box Sentinels with an electromagnetic surge. Puck drops down onto one of the Box Sentinels, while Dr. Michael Twyoungmen a.k.a. Shaman casts some mystical dust from his medicine pouch towards another, and Snowbird transforms into a Wendigo.

Guardian flies over to Northstar. 'Argent?' Guardian asks as he looks down at the burned body. 'They killed him' Northstar responds. As Fang leaps at one of the Box Sentinels, Snowbird in her Wendigo form attacks another. Fire rages around them, and Guardian tells Northstar that he is sorry. 'I didn't think they would take it this far. Roger... he...' Guardian's voice trails off before remarking that they need to get the rest of the mutants out of here – right away. Northstar agrees, and tells Guardian that there is no more hiding that he and the others are helping the mutants now. 'Which, we appreciate, but if they know, then how will you get access to the ship to get the mutants to Chandilar?' Northstar asks. 'Department H isn't going to let you anywhere near them now' he notes. Guardian informs Northstar that the ship is confirmed, that his contacts have it and are waiting for them on the old Alpha Flight Space Station. 'We just need to figure out how to get everyone to it...' Guardian begins. 'A little help?' Puck calls out as one of the Box Sentinels pins him to the ground. '... before more people get killed' Guardian concludes.

At that moment, Snowbird, still in her Wendigo form, tears one of the Box Sentinels apart, but is shot at from behind by two other Box Sentinels. 'I could use some assistance over here!' Snowbird announces. 'I'm on my way!' Aurora responds as she flies towards Snowbird and aims beams of brilliant light at the Box Sentinels. 'Dammit, how many of these things are there?' Fang asks as he is shot in the back by one of the Box Sentinels. 'There's one less' Feedback exclaims as he joins the battle, his enhanced energy form slamming into the Box Sentinel. 'Keep pushing, we'll -' Feedback begins, before two of the Box Sentinels shoot him, causing him to scream. Northstar smashes his way through one of those Box Sentinels, while Guardian destroys the other with a blast of electromagnetic energy. Northstar asks Gaurdian if his contact can't bring the ship here, but Guardian points out that it is too dangerous.

'If the Box Sentinels take out the ship, we're done. We don't have a backup' Guardian declares. 'I can bring them to the ship' a voice offers. 'Heath – Nemesis...no. You can't' Guardian responds as he turns to the masked woman who approaches he and Northstar in a small clearing within the woods. 'What choice do we have?' Nemesis asks. Guardian reminds her that she couldn't teleport four of them back from Oregon without nearly killing herself. 'There's no way you'll be able to teleport more than twenty all the way into orbit' Guardian notes. But Nemesis tells him that these people need their help. Northstar turns away as Guardian grabs Nemesis by her shoulders: 'I can't lose you again, Heather' he declares. 'They need us more than you need me' Heather responds. Heather pulls her mask back, revealing her face. 'If I don't make it out of here -' she begins. 'Heather -' Mac starts, as Heather puts her hands on Mac's face. 'Just listen to me' Heather asks.

Nearby: 'Have you got everyone together?' Aurora asks her brother-in-law. 'Yeah, everyone's accounted for' Kyle replies as he stands with the young mutants and runs his eyes down a tablet that he is holding. Northstar is talking to one of the younger mutants.

'In case I don't make it... tell Claire I love her' Heather utters, her sullen eyes looking directly at Mac. 'I don't wanna break this up, but time ain't on our side here' Puck mutters as he is thrown against a tree near where Heather and Mac are standing. 'Heather, don't do this to us. She needs you, I need you' Mac exclaims. 'I'll always be with you both' Heather replies as she kisses Mac.

Back at Department H, 'Dammit. They're going to do a runner. Take Nemesis down. Now!' Erika snaps at Roger Bochs Jr., while looking at the monitors before her. Roger stares at monitors depicting the remains of Argent and remains silent. 'Roger, do I need to remove you and assign someone else?' Erika snaps. Roger closes his eyes and scrunches his face up, causing an enraged Erika to shout 'Roger! If you can't -' before Roger tells her 'No. I've got her' and narrows his eyes.

At that moment, at Krakoa North, 'Stand down, or I will open fire' Roger states through one of the Box Sentinels. Fang, Northstar and Nemesis stand ready to protect the children, while, nearby, Feedback utters 'No...you moron...there's a reason they call me Feedback!' The Box Sentinels open fire, and Feedback absorbs all of that energy, and directs  is right back at several of the Box Sentinels, destroying them. 'All right, they're all down... for now at least... so if you're going to do this...' Northstar begins, turning to Nemesis. Nemesis raises her sword and turns to all of the mutants gathered nearby, and as a glow washes over the mutants, they then disappear. Nemesis stands alone, then drops to her knees and collapses. 'Heather!' Mac calls out.

The Alpha Flight Space Station, in low orbit above the Earth, suddenly, there is a light, as all of the mutants from Krakoa North re-appear within the space station. Aurora and Fang are embraced, and look over as a voice calls out 'Glad you guys could make it'. It's Marrina, who stands with Heather and Mac's daughter, Claire, who looks on nervously. 'Marrina! Walt!' someone exclaims as they also see Walter Samson. 'Just because I'm know three meters tall and fuzzy anymore, you didn't think I'd miss out on a good old-fashioned Alpha Flight adventure, did you?' Walt smiles, before he directs the rescued mutants towards another part of the space station. 'Claire! You've gotten so big!' Aurora remarks as she embraces the child. 'Is my mommy with you?' the girl asks. Walt tells everyone that there is no time to waste, and that they need to get them ready for the big trip. 'No. But I promise... you'll see her soon' Aurora responds.

Back at Krakoa North, 'No!' Guardian exclaims as he reaches out to Heather, who is not moving. He pulls her into his arms, 'Please...no...' he gasps, when suddenly, 'Did they...?' Heather utters. 'You did it. You saved them' Guardian tells Heather. 'Good...' Heather replies. One of the Box Sentinels raises a hand towards Shaman, Snowbird and Puck, who drop to their knees and put their hands behind their heads. 'It's over. We will not fight you anymore' Shaman states. One of the Box Sentinels forces Shaman's face to the ground, while another informs Guardian, Snowbird, Puck and Shaman that they are all under arrest for treason. 'You have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay. Anything you say...' a Box Sentinel states, while Guardian holds Heather tightly in his arms. Another Box Sentinel states that they will need a medical evac for Nemesis as they pull her from Guardian. 'Get your hands off of her!' Guardian shouts, while another Box Sentinel grabs him and shoves him to the ground. 'Stay down, traitor!' Roger states through the Box Sentinel. 'We're not the traitors here, Roger. We didn't kill our own kind' Guardian retorts. 'You're the one who's going to jail' Roger points out. 'Maybe. But because of us, there are more than twenty mutants who won't be' Guardian snaps.

Later, Erika Doiron stands at a podium and addresses a gathering before her. She tells them that they will already be aware that Shaman, Guardian, Snowbird and Puck, acting without Department H authorisation, or regard for public safety, assisted their former teammates and known fugitives Northstar, Aurora, Nemesis and Fang, in a plot to help more than twenty illegal mutants escape custody. Erika reports that they will stand trial for treason and answer for their heinous acts they perpetrated against this great country. Erika continues, reporting that Nemesis was discovered to be Heather Hudson, and claims that she sustained severe, self-inflicted injuries, and is currently receiving care for them in that same facility. 'When and if she recovers, she too will stand trial for her crimes against this country'.

While Roger Bochs Jr. looks nervously at his cybernetic helmet, Erika announces that Department H is reviewing their own internal processes and actions during this time to ensure that they can offer Canadians the high-level of protection that they demand and deserve. She adds that while these fugitives may have escaped custody for the time being, the search for their whereabouts continues. She asks that citizens remain vigilant and report sightings of these and other mutants to their local authorities. 'I'm afraid that we will not be taking any questions at this time' Erika frowns.

Finally, on Chandilar, Tasha, Spencer and Bubs can be seen with the other rescued mutants, looking at their new surroundings with awe.