Author's Note: Today is a very important day - Hanukkah! Alas, I don't have any Hanukkah rhymes, so this is my take on "A Visit From St. Nicholas", as told from the perspective of Vision. Background: Everyone's spending Christmas Eve at Stark Tower (because Wanda put several holes in the Avengers compound that Tony hasn't managed to get fixed yet). Set after CA:CW, in a time when both 'sides' have made peace and nobody's trying to kill anybody else. Ensemble cast from Avengers/CA:CW/AoS. Hope you enjoy it, and Merry Christmas (and Happy Hanukkah) for tonight/tomorrow/whenever (if) you celebrate!
Twas the Night Before Christmas
.
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Stark Tower
The Avengers were active, despite the late hour.
Off-duty they partied, with barely a care,
Except for Nick Fury, who couldn't be there.
.
Thor and Steve Rogers drank eggnog from flagons,
While Hawkeye and Falcon played Dungeons & Dragons,
And Wanda in her jammies, and Hill in her cap,
Had just settled down for a quick game of snap.
.
When out from the science lab there arose such a clatter,
Tony sprang from his chair to see what was the matter.
With Nat on his heels, he flew like a flash,
Tore open his loafers in his crazy mad dash.
.
The light of the TV, and that new zombie show,
Gave the whole of Stark Tower an ominous glow.
When, what to my synthetic eyes should appear,
But Thaddeus Ross, with an eight-pack of beer.
.
When he sidled to Banner, with a friendly poke,
I knew in a moment this must be a joke.
More rapid than Piotre his minions they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
.
"Now Rumlow! now, Loki! now, Zemo and Ward!
Subdue Doctor Banner, and bring him on board!
To the top of the Tower! to the top of the wall!
Now run away! Run away! Run away all!"
.
As Thor peered down from the top of his flagon,
They bundled Bruce Banner up into a wagon.
And out of the front gates, they literally flew;
We saw from the Tower that he'd brought Ultron too.
.
"To arms!" cried the Captain, and we scrambled to dress,
Where Iron Man's suit was, was anyone's guess.
"Not to worry," said Stark, in his Armani jacket,
"That wagon's Stark tech; I think I can hack it."
.
So we scrambled in teams, as Stark waited behind,
And set off on our mission, Bruce Banner to find.
With Sam in his wings, and Hawkeye's keen bow,
The aptly named Winter Soldier set off through the snow.
.
Black Widow and Wanda joined forces with Hill,
Who called in some back-up; a dead guy named Phil.
Meanwhile the Captain, without any pause,
Called an Ant and a Spider, and a guy with sharp claws.
.
With Rhodey and Thor, I set off into the night,
Each of us blessed with the power of flight.
Frantic we searched for our friend who was missing,
While back at the Tower, Stark and Pepper were kissing.
.
We followed the truck to a clear bad-guy's lair,
We landed and scouted; Thor combed back his hair.
The others in their teams arrived one by one,
And we prepared to attack, before Banner was gone.
.
We spoke not a word but went straight to our work,
Tore down ceilings and walls, to find this 'Ross' jerk.
And Spidey he climbed, and Rhodey he flew,
And the man in the ant-suit, he just grew and grew.
.
But in vain was our panic, for out of the rubble,
Came a super-sized Hulk, giving nothing but trouble.
The bad guys unconscious, Hulk grinned in our sight, said:
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"