Post by sasquatch on May 10, 2006 17:56:06 GMT -5
Name: Walter Langkowski
Alias: Sasquatch
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Side: Against the SHR Treaty
Appearance: Tall and broad-shouldered, Walter's powerful muscular build testifies to his earlier career as a footballer and in general he's in excellent shape for a man of his age. He has quite a rugged face with a strong jawline and cheekbones and a slightly crooked nose, the result of an old football injury. His blonde hair is normally close-cropped, though more recently he has let it start to grow out a little. Though he tries to keep cleanshaven it is common for Walter to sport a day or two's worth of stubble. Framed by spectacles, his bright blue eyes give notice of the keen mind within.
As Sasquatch, he presents an imposing sight, standing at ten feet and weighing in at an even ton, most of it muscle.. His thick leathery hide is covered by a luxuriant coat of thick orange fur save for his hands and feet. His powerful limbs and wideset frame add to the distinctly simian appearance, though this expression is slightly marred by the razorsharp talons tipping the digits of each extremity. His glowing red eyes only add to the overall expression of raw power this form possesses.
Walter is normally a fairly casual dresser, normally wearing a T-shirt or shirt with decent slacks and boots, with or without a lab coat thrown over the top. As Sasquatch of course he has little need for clothing.
Height: 6' 4" as Walter/ 10' as Sasquatch
Weight : 240 lbs as Walter/ 2000 lbs as Sasquatch
Eye Colour: Blue as Walter/ Red as Sasquatch
Hair Colour : Blonde as Walter/ Reddish-Orange as Sasquatch
Mutation/Powers: By an act of mental concentration, Walter can assume the physical form of Sasquatch. Previously he achieved this by melding his essence of that of the Great Beast Tanaraq, though he no longer possesses the connection. He can affect the change with little concentration and shift back at will. He also mantains his normal personality and intelligence, although at times he can still manifest some feral urges.
As Sasquatch he possesses vast superhuman strength enabling him to lift around 70 tons in weight. In addition to his strength he possesses a degree of invulnerability, at least enough to withstand armour-piercing machine gun fire. He also does seem to possess a healing factor, though the limits of this haven't been established. Despite his size and bulk he possesses great agility and an ability to leap over long distances. Though near-sighted, as Sasquatch his vision is sharpened to the extent that he has normal human vision and he possesses heightened senses of smell and hearing. His thick coat of orange fur also renders him immune to the effects of low temperatures. Finally he possesses razorsharp claws and fangs.
History/Background: :Taken from Marvel Directory and AlphaFlight.net)
Dr. Walter Langkowski was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. He attended Pennsylvania State University on a football scholarship. During his freshman year Langkowski met Bruce Banner, who was then himself there, but who would later become noted for his work in gamma ray research and infamous for becoming the monstrous Hulk as a result of overexposure to gamma radiation. Although Langkowski only knew Banner for one semester, Banner had a tremendous influence on him, and Langkowski decided to enter the field of gamma radiation research himself. Langkowski pursued independent studies in the area even during his three years as a professional linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Langkowski's football career made him a millionaire.
When the fact that Bruce Banner was the Hulk became public knowledge, Langkowski conceived a new goal for his life. He entered a graduate program in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and rapidly earned his Ph.D. He was then appointed to the faculty of McGill University in Montreal. Since leaving his football career, Langkowski had accumulated all the information he could find on the Hulk and on other human beings who had been transformed through exposure to gamma radiation. Langkowski intended to recreate, under controlled circumstances, the conditions which produced the Hulk. Langkowski spent over a million dollars of his own money on his research into this area, and finally applied to the Canadian government for additional funding. James MacDonald Hudson, who organized a group of superhuman agents for the Canadian government's Department H, both arranged for the funding and procured an isolated laboratory near the Arctic Circle for Langkowski. During a leave of absence from McGill University, Langkowski designed and constructed a means to generate gamma radiation bombardments similar to those which had created the Hulk, but under laboratory conditions.
It was because of the potential danger of radiation leakage that Langkowski performed his experiment in self-transformation in the isolated laboratory north of the Arctic Circle. There he used the equipment he had designed to bombard himself with gamma radiation, and was transformed into the ten-foot-tall, superhumanly powerful creature which went on a savage rampage for hours before finally reverting to human form. One of Hudson's agent, Snowbird, found Langkowski in human form lying in the snow after his rampage, brought him to a hospital, and summoned Hudson. Another of Hudson's agents, Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen, asked Snowbird, who was herself able to change shape, to teach Langkowski how to maintain his normal personality and intelligence in his bestial form. This teaching proved to be entirely successful for some time.
Langkowski called himself "Sasquatch" when he was in his bestial form, "sasquatch" being the Canadian word for Canada's legendary "Bigfoot" creature, which he resembled. Once he had learned how to maintain his normal human personality and intelligence as Sasquatch, and had undergone a period of training in Department H's team of apprentice superhuman agents, Beta and Gamma Flight, Langkowski became a member of James Hudson's fully trained team of superhuman agents, Alpha Flight. Langkowski remained with the team even after Alpha Flight ceased for a time to be affiliated with Canadian government and after the death of its founder, James Hudson. Langkowski divided his time between adventuring with Alpha Flight and Teaching at Simon Fraser University in Canada. He became the lover of another Alpha Flight member, Aurora, and is responsible for the alteration in her superhuman powers.
Langkowski attributed the fact that as Sasquatch he was not green like most other superhuman beings transformed by gamma radiation to the presence of heavy sunspot radiation interference at the time of his initial transformation, manifesting itself as an Aurora Borealis.
However, Langkowski was wrong in believing that he had gained his Sasquatch form due to gamma radiation. His equipment that he used in the experiment in the Arctic laboratory had actually unleashed for a fraction of a second enough physical energy to sunder the mystical barrier separating Earth from the other dimensional Realm of the Great Beasts, enemies of the gods of native Canadian mythology. A mystic link was formed between Langkowski and the Great beast called Tanaraq, enabling Langkowski, without knowing what he was really doing, to take on Tanaraq's form and control it. But with each "transformation" of Langkowski into Sasquatch, Tanaraq's personality grew stronger. Eventually, Tanaraq's mind was able to supplant Langkowski's personality whenever Langkowski, in Sasquatch's form, felt intense anger or pain. Finally, Tanaraq took full control of Sasquatch. Snowbird, realizing what had happened, transformed herself into a being like Sasquatch, and tore out Tanarq'a heart, killing Langkowski's physical form, which reverted to normal in dying. Six members of Alpha Flight journeyed into the other dimensional realm of the Great Beasts and recovered Langkowski's soul, intending to return it to his body. Langkowski's body had mystically been crystallized to preserve it, but the body entirely crumbled away at the mystic site it was left at while the Alpha Flight members were recovering Langkowski's soul. So, instead, Michael Twoyoungmen, then known as Shaman, projected Langkowski's soul into the robotic body that its inventor, Roger Bochs, called Box.
Langkowski thus remained alive in Box while he and Bochs sought for a new body for Langkowski's soul to inhabit. They finally located a nearly mindless humanoid form existing at an interdimensional nexus. Langkowski abandoned Box and his spirit was projected to that nexus, where he discovered that the body was that of the Hulk. Unwilling to take over the body belonging to his old friend Bruce Banner, Langkowski seemingly allowed his spirit to vanish from the mortal plane. But the present location of Langkowski's spirit is unknown, and it may be that the people of Earth have not seen the last of Walter Langkowski.
Langkowski's spirit, however, found the shrunken physical body of Smart Alec who had been placed in the otherdimensional void accessible by Shaman's medicine bag. Langkowski thus returned to reality, in time to save his fellow Alpha Flight members from the villain Pestilence, who had possessed Snowbird's deceased body (in its Sasquatch/Great Beast form), by Langkowski himself briefly reentering the Box robot. Langkowski then took over Snowbird's form, transforming back to human form, albeit a female one. Langkowski, nicknamed "Wanda," remained with Alpha Flight for several adventures, unable to rekindle his relationship with Aurora or access his personal fortune since he was believed dead.
Some time later during a battle with the Dream Queen, Wanda had fallen under the evil demon's power, and had stolen the Talisman. At that point Snowbird's spirit descended and restored Langkowski's body to that of a man, thereby breaking the control of the Dream Queen. From that point on Walter continued to serve with Alpha Flight now again able to take the orange form of Sasquatch, that seemed to now have no connection to the Great Beast Tanaraq.
After Alpha Flight had been disbanded by the Canadian government, Langkowski was doing research at the north Pole, when he came upon the Frozen form of James MacDonald Hudson. With Hudson, Shaman, Northstar, and Aurora they deposed the then corrupt Department H, rejoining Alpha Flight. That version of Alpha Flight was unfortunately not to last long.
More recently Sasquatch organised a new version of Alpha Flight to rescue the original members after they were captured aboard a downed Plodex ship. The mission was successful but the original members chose to accompany the ship back to it's homeworld along with the thousands of eggs still on board. Walter continued to lead his version of Alpha Flight for a short time afterwards, undertaking several missions before this team in turn disbanded. Walter unfortunately was recently hit hard by the apparent death of his former comrade Northstar, seemingly murder at the hands of another old comrade. Travelling to Salem Centre for the funeral, he joined the X-Men in remembering the fallen man.
Returning to Canada, Walter was to join up with a reformed Alpha Flight and one of their first missions was to investigate the destruction of an entire town. Confronting the energy being dubbed the Collective, Walter ordered the creature to stop. In the battle that followed Alpha Flight was completely crushed, all members seemingly either killed or badly injured, Sasquatch amongst them. In fact Walter was barely alive, lying in the snow in a pool of his own blood, hovering at death's door. A spark of anger remained within the dying Langkowski, something which strengthened an old connection, Walter's dying mind making contact through the mental connection he once shared with Tanaraq. A brief surge of agony and then.....blackness.
Hours or days later, Walter awoke, finding himself still in the form of Sasquatch. Bloodied and battered he was nevertheless alive and so he wandered in a daze through the wilderness until he finally reached a small town. Finally collapsing, Walter shifted to his human form, where his naked battered body was found. A couple of weeks in a hospital and Walter seemed recovered at least in body if not in spirit. Believing himself the last man alive out of Alpha Flight, Walter travelled to New York.
Walter has arrived to find out about the formation of the Superhuman Registration Act with Tony Stark as one of it's strongest proponents. This is something Walter finds he cannot agree with. He knows from experience the experiments that have been performed on individuals like himself, Department H's less than enlightened tactics. At the core he feels this could end in a disaster. So he's joined the side against the Treaty, hoping that he's taking the right course of action. Deep inside though Walter still isn't sure how he managed to survive the Collective and he can feel the first stirrings of something, a name whispered in the back of his mind.....Tanaraq
Sample Post: There it was, simply a sharp sting in his cheek and a faint sensation of moisture. For a second Walter wasn't quite sure what had happened. Blinking he abruptly returned to full consciousness, his vision slightly blurred without his glasses. He was shaving and he'd just given himself a razor cut, nothing to be worried about really. Just a momentary lapse of concentration and was that really surprising considering his present mental state. Walter sighed, adding the gash to the long list of minor irritations that presently plagued his existence.
"Hmm, nothing a bandaid won't sort out. Now, let's have a look at you."
Reaching down to retrieve his glasses, he squinted slightly at his reflection. Apart from the gash now adorning his right cheek, he had at least managed to get a reasonably clean shave. One minor irritation could thus be taken away from the list, the itch of the stubble having finally threatened to drive him to distraction. Running a finger along his chin he nodded, satisfied with the smoothness. With the bandaid applied, Walter retreated from the bathroom and trudged barefoot back towards his bedroom.
A few minutes later and having put on a clean shirt he felt...almost human. Perhaps not such a bad start to the day after all, despite once again having a bad night. Sleep was a rare and precious commodity indeed these days, since the funeral he couldn't close his eyes without replaying that scene over and over in his mind. He would play and replay it, imagining what it must have been like to have actually been there. If he had, could he have done something, saved one old friend from being murdered by another old friend? Or would he have been able to do nothing?
Jean-Paul dead, Logan.....who knew whether he was even considered a friend by hom, the others off-world somewhere out amongst the stars. Then Aurora, sweet Jean-Marie, was she still alive out there? No, for all intents and purposes he was the alone, his briefly assembled incarnation of Alpha Flight now officially disbanded. Walter Langkowski was the last man standing. Moisture on his cheek again, the gash still bleeding? No, a single tear-drop. Gone as quickly as it had come.
"So Walter where do we go from here?"
Walter gazed into the mirror once again, seeking an answer from his reflection. As he continued to stare, the face in the mirror seemed to shimmer, shifting somehow. Burning red eyes set in a hirsute feral face, one intimately familiar as his alter ego Sasquatch. Heart literally skipping a beat, Walter took an involuntarily step backwards, colliding painfully with the wall. No mistaking the malevolence, the face of the Great Beast, Tanaraq. Burying his head in his hands, his breath exhaled in a low moan, he felt the panic beginning to rise. Slow deep breaths, let his heart rate slow a little. Cautiously lift away hands and take another look. Nothing, just his own face now slick with sweat.
"Must be stress, that's all. Not surprising really considering what's been going through my mind. There's not a single part of me that belongs to him, not any more. Heh, I'm talking to myself again and that's the first sign of madness."
His chuckle, a little too forced for his own liking. The truth remained that he had no answer to his own question. Or maybe he really did have the answer. Where do you go from here? Down the downward spiral into hell.
Alias: Sasquatch
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Side: Against the SHR Treaty
Appearance: Tall and broad-shouldered, Walter's powerful muscular build testifies to his earlier career as a footballer and in general he's in excellent shape for a man of his age. He has quite a rugged face with a strong jawline and cheekbones and a slightly crooked nose, the result of an old football injury. His blonde hair is normally close-cropped, though more recently he has let it start to grow out a little. Though he tries to keep cleanshaven it is common for Walter to sport a day or two's worth of stubble. Framed by spectacles, his bright blue eyes give notice of the keen mind within.
As Sasquatch, he presents an imposing sight, standing at ten feet and weighing in at an even ton, most of it muscle.. His thick leathery hide is covered by a luxuriant coat of thick orange fur save for his hands and feet. His powerful limbs and wideset frame add to the distinctly simian appearance, though this expression is slightly marred by the razorsharp talons tipping the digits of each extremity. His glowing red eyes only add to the overall expression of raw power this form possesses.
Walter is normally a fairly casual dresser, normally wearing a T-shirt or shirt with decent slacks and boots, with or without a lab coat thrown over the top. As Sasquatch of course he has little need for clothing.
Height: 6' 4" as Walter/ 10' as Sasquatch
Weight : 240 lbs as Walter/ 2000 lbs as Sasquatch
Eye Colour: Blue as Walter/ Red as Sasquatch
Hair Colour : Blonde as Walter/ Reddish-Orange as Sasquatch
Mutation/Powers: By an act of mental concentration, Walter can assume the physical form of Sasquatch. Previously he achieved this by melding his essence of that of the Great Beast Tanaraq, though he no longer possesses the connection. He can affect the change with little concentration and shift back at will. He also mantains his normal personality and intelligence, although at times he can still manifest some feral urges.
As Sasquatch he possesses vast superhuman strength enabling him to lift around 70 tons in weight. In addition to his strength he possesses a degree of invulnerability, at least enough to withstand armour-piercing machine gun fire. He also does seem to possess a healing factor, though the limits of this haven't been established. Despite his size and bulk he possesses great agility and an ability to leap over long distances. Though near-sighted, as Sasquatch his vision is sharpened to the extent that he has normal human vision and he possesses heightened senses of smell and hearing. His thick coat of orange fur also renders him immune to the effects of low temperatures. Finally he possesses razorsharp claws and fangs.
History/Background: :Taken from Marvel Directory and AlphaFlight.net)
Dr. Walter Langkowski was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. He attended Pennsylvania State University on a football scholarship. During his freshman year Langkowski met Bruce Banner, who was then himself there, but who would later become noted for his work in gamma ray research and infamous for becoming the monstrous Hulk as a result of overexposure to gamma radiation. Although Langkowski only knew Banner for one semester, Banner had a tremendous influence on him, and Langkowski decided to enter the field of gamma radiation research himself. Langkowski pursued independent studies in the area even during his three years as a professional linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Langkowski's football career made him a millionaire.
When the fact that Bruce Banner was the Hulk became public knowledge, Langkowski conceived a new goal for his life. He entered a graduate program in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and rapidly earned his Ph.D. He was then appointed to the faculty of McGill University in Montreal. Since leaving his football career, Langkowski had accumulated all the information he could find on the Hulk and on other human beings who had been transformed through exposure to gamma radiation. Langkowski intended to recreate, under controlled circumstances, the conditions which produced the Hulk. Langkowski spent over a million dollars of his own money on his research into this area, and finally applied to the Canadian government for additional funding. James MacDonald Hudson, who organized a group of superhuman agents for the Canadian government's Department H, both arranged for the funding and procured an isolated laboratory near the Arctic Circle for Langkowski. During a leave of absence from McGill University, Langkowski designed and constructed a means to generate gamma radiation bombardments similar to those which had created the Hulk, but under laboratory conditions.
It was because of the potential danger of radiation leakage that Langkowski performed his experiment in self-transformation in the isolated laboratory north of the Arctic Circle. There he used the equipment he had designed to bombard himself with gamma radiation, and was transformed into the ten-foot-tall, superhumanly powerful creature which went on a savage rampage for hours before finally reverting to human form. One of Hudson's agent, Snowbird, found Langkowski in human form lying in the snow after his rampage, brought him to a hospital, and summoned Hudson. Another of Hudson's agents, Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen, asked Snowbird, who was herself able to change shape, to teach Langkowski how to maintain his normal personality and intelligence in his bestial form. This teaching proved to be entirely successful for some time.
Langkowski called himself "Sasquatch" when he was in his bestial form, "sasquatch" being the Canadian word for Canada's legendary "Bigfoot" creature, which he resembled. Once he had learned how to maintain his normal human personality and intelligence as Sasquatch, and had undergone a period of training in Department H's team of apprentice superhuman agents, Beta and Gamma Flight, Langkowski became a member of James Hudson's fully trained team of superhuman agents, Alpha Flight. Langkowski remained with the team even after Alpha Flight ceased for a time to be affiliated with Canadian government and after the death of its founder, James Hudson. Langkowski divided his time between adventuring with Alpha Flight and Teaching at Simon Fraser University in Canada. He became the lover of another Alpha Flight member, Aurora, and is responsible for the alteration in her superhuman powers.
Langkowski attributed the fact that as Sasquatch he was not green like most other superhuman beings transformed by gamma radiation to the presence of heavy sunspot radiation interference at the time of his initial transformation, manifesting itself as an Aurora Borealis.
However, Langkowski was wrong in believing that he had gained his Sasquatch form due to gamma radiation. His equipment that he used in the experiment in the Arctic laboratory had actually unleashed for a fraction of a second enough physical energy to sunder the mystical barrier separating Earth from the other dimensional Realm of the Great Beasts, enemies of the gods of native Canadian mythology. A mystic link was formed between Langkowski and the Great beast called Tanaraq, enabling Langkowski, without knowing what he was really doing, to take on Tanaraq's form and control it. But with each "transformation" of Langkowski into Sasquatch, Tanaraq's personality grew stronger. Eventually, Tanaraq's mind was able to supplant Langkowski's personality whenever Langkowski, in Sasquatch's form, felt intense anger or pain. Finally, Tanaraq took full control of Sasquatch. Snowbird, realizing what had happened, transformed herself into a being like Sasquatch, and tore out Tanarq'a heart, killing Langkowski's physical form, which reverted to normal in dying. Six members of Alpha Flight journeyed into the other dimensional realm of the Great Beasts and recovered Langkowski's soul, intending to return it to his body. Langkowski's body had mystically been crystallized to preserve it, but the body entirely crumbled away at the mystic site it was left at while the Alpha Flight members were recovering Langkowski's soul. So, instead, Michael Twoyoungmen, then known as Shaman, projected Langkowski's soul into the robotic body that its inventor, Roger Bochs, called Box.
Langkowski thus remained alive in Box while he and Bochs sought for a new body for Langkowski's soul to inhabit. They finally located a nearly mindless humanoid form existing at an interdimensional nexus. Langkowski abandoned Box and his spirit was projected to that nexus, where he discovered that the body was that of the Hulk. Unwilling to take over the body belonging to his old friend Bruce Banner, Langkowski seemingly allowed his spirit to vanish from the mortal plane. But the present location of Langkowski's spirit is unknown, and it may be that the people of Earth have not seen the last of Walter Langkowski.
Langkowski's spirit, however, found the shrunken physical body of Smart Alec who had been placed in the otherdimensional void accessible by Shaman's medicine bag. Langkowski thus returned to reality, in time to save his fellow Alpha Flight members from the villain Pestilence, who had possessed Snowbird's deceased body (in its Sasquatch/Great Beast form), by Langkowski himself briefly reentering the Box robot. Langkowski then took over Snowbird's form, transforming back to human form, albeit a female one. Langkowski, nicknamed "Wanda," remained with Alpha Flight for several adventures, unable to rekindle his relationship with Aurora or access his personal fortune since he was believed dead.
Some time later during a battle with the Dream Queen, Wanda had fallen under the evil demon's power, and had stolen the Talisman. At that point Snowbird's spirit descended and restored Langkowski's body to that of a man, thereby breaking the control of the Dream Queen. From that point on Walter continued to serve with Alpha Flight now again able to take the orange form of Sasquatch, that seemed to now have no connection to the Great Beast Tanaraq.
After Alpha Flight had been disbanded by the Canadian government, Langkowski was doing research at the north Pole, when he came upon the Frozen form of James MacDonald Hudson. With Hudson, Shaman, Northstar, and Aurora they deposed the then corrupt Department H, rejoining Alpha Flight. That version of Alpha Flight was unfortunately not to last long.
More recently Sasquatch organised a new version of Alpha Flight to rescue the original members after they were captured aboard a downed Plodex ship. The mission was successful but the original members chose to accompany the ship back to it's homeworld along with the thousands of eggs still on board. Walter continued to lead his version of Alpha Flight for a short time afterwards, undertaking several missions before this team in turn disbanded. Walter unfortunately was recently hit hard by the apparent death of his former comrade Northstar, seemingly murder at the hands of another old comrade. Travelling to Salem Centre for the funeral, he joined the X-Men in remembering the fallen man.
Returning to Canada, Walter was to join up with a reformed Alpha Flight and one of their first missions was to investigate the destruction of an entire town. Confronting the energy being dubbed the Collective, Walter ordered the creature to stop. In the battle that followed Alpha Flight was completely crushed, all members seemingly either killed or badly injured, Sasquatch amongst them. In fact Walter was barely alive, lying in the snow in a pool of his own blood, hovering at death's door. A spark of anger remained within the dying Langkowski, something which strengthened an old connection, Walter's dying mind making contact through the mental connection he once shared with Tanaraq. A brief surge of agony and then.....blackness.
Hours or days later, Walter awoke, finding himself still in the form of Sasquatch. Bloodied and battered he was nevertheless alive and so he wandered in a daze through the wilderness until he finally reached a small town. Finally collapsing, Walter shifted to his human form, where his naked battered body was found. A couple of weeks in a hospital and Walter seemed recovered at least in body if not in spirit. Believing himself the last man alive out of Alpha Flight, Walter travelled to New York.
Walter has arrived to find out about the formation of the Superhuman Registration Act with Tony Stark as one of it's strongest proponents. This is something Walter finds he cannot agree with. He knows from experience the experiments that have been performed on individuals like himself, Department H's less than enlightened tactics. At the core he feels this could end in a disaster. So he's joined the side against the Treaty, hoping that he's taking the right course of action. Deep inside though Walter still isn't sure how he managed to survive the Collective and he can feel the first stirrings of something, a name whispered in the back of his mind.....Tanaraq
Sample Post: There it was, simply a sharp sting in his cheek and a faint sensation of moisture. For a second Walter wasn't quite sure what had happened. Blinking he abruptly returned to full consciousness, his vision slightly blurred without his glasses. He was shaving and he'd just given himself a razor cut, nothing to be worried about really. Just a momentary lapse of concentration and was that really surprising considering his present mental state. Walter sighed, adding the gash to the long list of minor irritations that presently plagued his existence.
"Hmm, nothing a bandaid won't sort out. Now, let's have a look at you."
Reaching down to retrieve his glasses, he squinted slightly at his reflection. Apart from the gash now adorning his right cheek, he had at least managed to get a reasonably clean shave. One minor irritation could thus be taken away from the list, the itch of the stubble having finally threatened to drive him to distraction. Running a finger along his chin he nodded, satisfied with the smoothness. With the bandaid applied, Walter retreated from the bathroom and trudged barefoot back towards his bedroom.
A few minutes later and having put on a clean shirt he felt...almost human. Perhaps not such a bad start to the day after all, despite once again having a bad night. Sleep was a rare and precious commodity indeed these days, since the funeral he couldn't close his eyes without replaying that scene over and over in his mind. He would play and replay it, imagining what it must have been like to have actually been there. If he had, could he have done something, saved one old friend from being murdered by another old friend? Or would he have been able to do nothing?
Jean-Paul dead, Logan.....who knew whether he was even considered a friend by hom, the others off-world somewhere out amongst the stars. Then Aurora, sweet Jean-Marie, was she still alive out there? No, for all intents and purposes he was the alone, his briefly assembled incarnation of Alpha Flight now officially disbanded. Walter Langkowski was the last man standing. Moisture on his cheek again, the gash still bleeding? No, a single tear-drop. Gone as quickly as it had come.
"So Walter where do we go from here?"
Walter gazed into the mirror once again, seeking an answer from his reflection. As he continued to stare, the face in the mirror seemed to shimmer, shifting somehow. Burning red eyes set in a hirsute feral face, one intimately familiar as his alter ego Sasquatch. Heart literally skipping a beat, Walter took an involuntarily step backwards, colliding painfully with the wall. No mistaking the malevolence, the face of the Great Beast, Tanaraq. Burying his head in his hands, his breath exhaled in a low moan, he felt the panic beginning to rise. Slow deep breaths, let his heart rate slow a little. Cautiously lift away hands and take another look. Nothing, just his own face now slick with sweat.
"Must be stress, that's all. Not surprising really considering what's been going through my mind. There's not a single part of me that belongs to him, not any more. Heh, I'm talking to myself again and that's the first sign of madness."
His chuckle, a little too forced for his own liking. The truth remained that he had no answer to his own question. Or maybe he really did have the answer. Where do you go from here? Down the downward spiral into hell.
