Synopsis
Witchfire of Beta Flight often hears a voice in her head telling her she has a destiny, but she can't even remember her past. Now we see her in a virtual training session with her teammates, which she seems to be taking a bit too far. 1st she kills the newest 'recruit' Wyre the genetically enhanced assassin. Then when Goblyn leaps at her she puts her in a time-loop of that leap. But meanwhile Goblyn's sister Pathway (Laura Dean) creates a portal for Persuasion to get behind Witchfire to take control of her. However it doesn't work and the witch starts to utter a spell. But Wyre comes back from the 'dead' and chokes her throat while his wire tendrils grip her wrists. But energy bursts from her eyes and boils the skin of his face. He reflexively sprouts claws from his fingertips.
At that point Guardian (Heather Hudson) switches the program off and demands to know what's going on. Goblyn and Pathway are supposed to doing school lessons. Witchfire is supposed to be recovering from the attack by the Hardliners (#119). And Wyre is supposed to be in a detention cell until the higher-ups decide what to do with him. But he's broken out 4 times now so Guardian decides to give him the run of Department H, but he's not allowed to leave. Whitman Knapp (Manikin) takes responsibility for the session because he thought the team was getting rusty. Heather responds that they should only use scheduled training sessions with an Alpha Flight member present. And she'd rather they fought the programmed hazards than themselves - this isn't the X-Men.
The trainees disperse and Heather sees Aurora heading out. Jeanne-Marie Baubier says she's off to her apartment and social life, both of which she's neglected lately. She suggests Heather looks like she needs something similar. And Guardian mentally agrees.
Now we turn to Walter Langkowski in the wilds of Algonquin Park. He is also thinking of how Alpha Flight has become his whole life, neglecting friends & family. And science has supplanted his Jewish faith. He changes to Sasquatch and wishes for something to believe in. And he gets a sign as a glowing golden Star Of David appears in the sky. (Several superheroes see the relevant symbols of their faith like this in Infinity Crusade #1.)
Later back in Department H Talisman leaves her father Shaman ignoring her in a floating lotus position trance. She joins Sasquatch with Puck and Windshear as they receive a call from the Goddess (appearing as Nelvanna of the Northern Lights) to join her soldiers of light. Like all the others we see in IC#1 they enthusiastically answer "Yes". (She calls for Shaman too.)
Heather Hudson is having a meal and exchanging gossip with Lillian Crawley (formerly in Alpha Flight as Diamond Lil). Lil says her marriage to Madison Jeffries (formerly Box) is going through a rough patch (I believe because he misses the old life too much). Heather admits to being attracted to 1 of her teammates but won't say who. Then she gets called back to work ...
... where Northstar and Wildheart tell her about the vanished teammembers, and they get a call from Vision to join a large gathering at Avengers Mansion (in IC#1). Beta Flight are left behind.
Goblyn and Pathway are in a virtual reality school lesson which is supposed to be Advanced Geometry when a red hand appears in the scenario and zaps them. They scream. Wyre is contemplating leaving but he might as well stay because his life is meaningless now he doesn't have the Breed to hunt down. Then someone interrupts his musing with coruscating energy, which causes him to scream too. Kara Killgrave and Whit hear the screams. Persuasion gets zapped and then Manikin finds himself alone facing a demonic version of Witchfire who claims that her father has told her to oppose the Goddess with extreme prejudice.
Story 2: Brothers in arms, part 1 (starring Puck)
Barry Kitson pencils. John Stokes inks.
In a bar in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan a man violently objects to Robert Hagon's Super-Powers Registration Act which the news says Alpha Flight will enforce. And this starts a brawl. Puck sees a report of the fight and asks Guardian if she'll let him deal with this alone He admits to her that the man in the middle of it all is an old associate. By now we see that the man has moved on to holding off police with 1 of their own cars. A cop shoots at him and succeeds in exploding the gas tank, which sends the man, on fire, through a store window.
Puck arrives and tries to talk him down. Heather Hudson obviously *didn't* let him go alone because Northstar and Wildheart are with him. The man, who Puck refers to as Cleft, recognises him and the Alpha Flight uniform. He can't believe that Eugene Judd has joined the establishment. Puck says his life has changed since the old days, but Cleft relies on their old bond to still be strong. Puck knows his friend is a paranormal and they've got to bring him in, so he tells the other 2 to take him down. Northstar gets in 1 super-speed punch but then the ground rocks as 2 more men join the confrontation. 1 called Depth Charge has just punched his fists into the ground. They appear to be 2 more old comrades of Puck and Cleft.