The Impossibles and Big D belong to Hanna-Barbera.
The Downfall of the Christmas Chancer.
It was Christmas Eve, and everyone at headquarters was eagerly looking forward to the Christmas party Big D had planned in the main meeting room. The Impossibles were no exception! However, something needed to be dealt with first …
A crook known as "The Christmas Chancer" due to his habit of holding up banks during the festive season, (and often taking advantage of staff goodwill at that joyful time), was up to his antics again. Big D had requested any files which might relate to the villain's tricks.
Fluid Man entered Filing and Archives, (after obliging a couple of girls who requested a Christmas kiss), and found Europa, a paper-clip with a piece of tinsel dangling from it in her hair, sitting on the floor surrounded by numerous files and folders, two large mugs of tea, and a plate containing a pile of used tea-bags.
"Have you found anything which might relate to this crook"? Fluey asked. "Well, I think I have all the stuff which could be relevant here", she replied, gathering the documents together. "Great; we need to sort this character out", Fluey stated, "and apart from that – are you looking forward to the party tonight"? he asked, sitting down beside her. "I certainly am", she answered, "My first Christmas working here – I'm getting all excited"! "Even more so than when you went to your school prom"? Fluey enquired. "Huh, no way did I go to that farce", she said, "at my school, it had degenerated from being a nice event to reward us for all our hard studying and give us a chance to have a fun time with our friends, to a ghastly show of one-upmanship! About who could have the most expensive dress, the hair-'do at the snobbiest salon, the most requests for a prom date – all that sort of thing! So", she continued, "a few of us who thought all that was just too crass stuck our fingers up to it, in a manner of speaking, and went to the cinema instead. We watched 'The Return of the Blob-Creature from Arcturus' and surely had a much better time"! She added; "If any of those over-blown prom enthusiasts had met the Blob-Creature, their first thought would have been to ask him if they could borrow his space-craft to make a grand entrance"! "And, of course", Fluey said softly, "unlike tonight's party, Multi wouldn't have been there ….. I know how much you like each other, and I think you'r so right for him". "Thanks so much – and please believe it isn't just because he's a super-hero and a famous music star, - I do admire him for those things, of course, but I'd like him just as much if he wasn't – he's kind and thoughtful, as well as being so good-looking – well, all you Impossibles are, but he's special to me" ….she sighed wistfully. "I know that", Fluey replied, smiling. "It's really nice that you noticed", she said "so sweet of you". "Wasn't hard to figure it out", he concluded, smiling warmly at her.. "I'll take those files to Big D's office, and I will see you later"!
The Impossibles were rehearsing for the performance they would be giving at the party; when Coil Man's guitar screen beeped with a message from the Chief regarding the Chancer. "This time he's up to no good at the big bank on Watson and Crick avenue", Big D informed the boys, "Get there as quickly as" ….. before he had time to finish, the Impossibles, with their rousing cry of "Rally-Ho"! had sped off in the Impossimobile to deal with the wrongdoer.
As the Impossimobile neared the bank and stopped there, the boys saw the villain and two henchmen emerging with bags of cash and safe deposit boxes. They were making their way to a nearby car. Immediately, Multi Man duplicated before the henchmen, stating; "I will deal with this pair; you two go after the main man"! to Coiley and Fluey. "We're outnumbered"! the wrongdoer's assistants said, (rather stating the obvious), and that was enough to make them drop their loot and flee, leaving their leader to his fate. As Multi gathered the abandoned spoils, the said leader had gained entrance to his car due to an adrenalin-fuelled dash, taking the rest of the loot with him along with his firearm, (actually a convincing replica he'd managed to steal from the Empire City Theatre Company after watching one of their performances), and throwing several smoke bombs, shaped like Christmas-tree baubles, on the ground in an attempt to cause confusion and thus make his getaway, However, Fluey had already transformed, and was using the full force of his liquid phase to hold back the vehicle, Coiley springing forward to help him; it was hard going!.
Suddenly, it became much easier; as though the car had lost some of it's power …. Or someone was helping to restrain it …
Seizing the opportunity, Fluey shouted; "Multi, can you get that crook out of the car"/ Multi obliged; (it was still possible to discern outlines through the smoke), and, duplicating, forced open the car door and evicted the villainous driver, holding him firmly.
Before the smoke had dispersed, and while he was still wondering what had held the villain's vehicle in place, Fluey saw a figure approaching him. Looked female – before he knew what was happening, he was in an embrace and being kissed on the lips by the mysterious individual. She had grasped his shoulders – her right hand felt really cold – and pulled him close to her. He caught a whiff of spicy perfume and felt the swish of long hair. Then, before he could do or say anything, she fled into the distance ….
The Impossibles alerted the Empire City Police, who took the Chancer into custody, assuring him that the Christmas dinner he would be served in his cell would be rather tasty ….
Finally, the party was underway.
Beside one of the two large Christmas trees, Multi and Europa were deep in conversation. "I'm so glad I came to work here", she enthused, "It's been a wonderful year for me and it's a brilliant Christmas"…. " I'm glad, too", he replied, "Means I got to meet you – and know you"…. "I'm really happy about that, too" … she said, softly but with conviction. "Time for a Christmas kiss, I think" …he smiled at her. "Ooh, yes", she agreed eagerly. He drew her closer to him; she clasped her hands behind his neck, enjoying the silky feel of his hair against them. They kissed….. When they eventually disengaged their lips, Europa moved her head slightly to the side, and very gently kissed his cheek on the spot where it had been injured not so long before during the Impossible's encounter with the Bothersome Bonder. "Awww ….. that's healed nicely", she said, stroking his cheek, "I told you I believe drinking tea like I had you doing was a great aid to recovery. But", she added, "I remember how sore it was …. I … I ….. came over all protective" ….. "You did", he replied, "and I loved it"! "We were all concerned, as you know", she continued, "if everyone who wanted to kiss it better for you had done so, your band-aid would have looked like a lipstick color chart"! They both smiled at this, then embraced again, enjoying a prolonged hug.
On the other side of the tree, Fluey, who had been eavesdropping, nodded to himself in satisfaction. Things were going very well there, he decided. And he'd heard something from outside Big D's office before he entered with the files which should please Coiley…..
As Multi and Europa walked back towards the hub of the celebrations, a girl with silver-blond hair and a pair of fairy wings, (actually Joy from Reception), asked Europa; "Can I borrow him for a Christmas kiss"? indicating Multi. Europa smiled and nodded her assent, so Multi was subjected to a rather wet but pleasant-tasting kiss – Joy had just finished a glass of lemonade.
They joined Coiley, Fluey and the rest of the revellers before the stage at the back of the room; Big D was about to address them all.
"I want to wish you all a very happy Christmas and any other holiday you might be celebrating at this joyous time", he began, "and I would like to thank you all for playing your parts in this organization so well throughout the year". The Empire City Police Department would also like to thank you – and they have passed on a message from someone who was brought to justice by the Impossibles with the help of a responsible member of the public" …. He read from a sheet of paper he was holding; "From Jordanna – in her own words "…. ' I am aware that I have been shamelessly using my power to exhort money, goods, and privileges from who and where I wanted, until my arrest … I have had time to think things over, and I am beginning to come to the conclusion that the Impoissibles have the right idea about how to live life in a responsible and caring manner. I so wish I had met them under different circumstances, and Coiley in particular has made me see that there are even more important things than being an all-powerful global dictator with a bank-balance which reads like the distance between Earth and the hub of the Andromeda galaxy given in centimetres. I therefore am reconsidering my plans for the future – and perhaps I will be seen in a new light?'"
Also, Big D announced: "We have a new agent working for us – she should be here soon" -
The doors to the large room opened, and a girl entered. She was quite tall, and very attractive, with waist-length, shiny brown hair and an equally dazzling smile. She was wearing a chocolate-brown dress, a check sports jacket, and knee length boots. There was a metallic glint at her side; she had a high-tech prosthetic right hand. It looked very state-of-the-art, as indeed it was. After a few seconds, it dawned on Fluey that she wasn't entirely unfamiliar …..
"This is Janine X", Big D introduced her, as she joined him on the stage, "And she has already helped us out today – anonymously on that occasion – but she will soon be known and feared by wrong-doers throughout Empire City"! Janine greeted everyone, and stated how proud she was to be working alongside them. As she stepped down ,to join the party, Fluey approached her; and detected a spicy perfume he recognised.
"I think we already met", he said, with a grin, "earlier today – like the chief said, but not – totally – anonymously, in our case", he declared. Janine lowered her eyes rather demurely. "Yes – I kissed you - couldn't resist and it is Christmas, after all – sorry if I alarmed you and I really hope you didn't mind too much ….. you could hardly see me" … "Well, I can see you now", Fluey replied, "and it was certainly worth waiting for! And in answer to your question, no, I certainly had no objection to your early Christmas kiss! But", he continued, "how did you help to stop the Christmas Chancer's vehicle"? "This has a pretty powerful electro-magnet I can switch on at will, among it's many functions", she replied, holding up her prosthesis, "I can vary the power – and believe me, I needed a lot on that occasion! Sorry if it felt cold when I held onto your shoulders – I've only just remembered to adjust the temperature"….. she turned a dial on the wrist, and assured him; "That's it set to normal body heat now".
"A shame Jordanna – fully committed to reforming, of course – isn't here", Coiley sighed to Multi. "But we are"! declared a trio of girls who showered them both with some enthusiastic Christmas kisses.
The Impossibles took to the stage to begin their concert. As everyone attending the event knew of their secret identities, they had decided, as a novel twist to their act, to perform in their super-hero costumes. It would certainly be something different that there was rarely an opportunity for, they reasoned!
As the Impossibles sang "Put your hand in mine; wish that you could be my girl 'til the end of time"….. Europa looked wistfully towards the stage; Janine moved over to her and put an arm 'round her shoulders. "I think I can provide a light show …", Janine announced; with that, she pressed a few buttons and levers on her prosthetic hand; the joints moved apart a little, and colored beams of light emanated from the gaps. By moving her hand around, she provided some spectacular effects. . The concert ended to loud cheers, everyone having thoroughly enjoyed the performance. "That was brilliant, eh, Euro"? Janine enthused, "And I hope you don't mind me calling you that"? "Agreed without reservation about the show", Europa replied eagerly, "and of course I don't mind you calling me Euro, it sounds like some futuristic currency system"! Their performance over, the Impossibles descended the stage to join the others, chat, and dance to the records which were now being played.
Later, Coiley opened the door; returned and announced, gleefully; "It's snowing – quite a covering already - Empire City will have a white Christmas"! He went back outside, Multi and Fluey joining him for an enthusiastic snowball fight.
The Impossibles, damp and glowing, made to return inside. Janine, who had been watching from the doorway, walked up to Fluey and said; "Shall we have another Christmas kiss – in Empire City's version of a Winter Wonderland"? He nodded happily, and, standing under a tree sparkling with snow and frost, they embraced and enjoyed a rather more leisurely kiss than the previous one. "Merry Christmas, Fluey", she said afterwards; "Merry Christmas and many more of them"! he replied.