He moved through the night, invisible to mortal eyes, undetectable. On this night, so
important to so many of the mortal men and women, he took special pains to look in on most of
the world's champions. He neared his first checkpoint- a special building that somewhat
resembled a normal brownstone to the casual observer. He passed inside, through the armored
walls, not registering on their special alarms and scans. He paused, taking stock. A living
shadow and a being more of green flame than not were in the elaborately decorated sitting room,
exchanging memories, sharing drinks, and reflecting on the passing of a green skinned girl each
had loved. An alien from not only another world, but another time line, a separate reality, stood
on the roof, impervious to the cold, sweeping the city with his incredible senses, reflecting on a
lost world, dead wife, and resolutely pushing aside his pain, seeking for someone in need of his
help. A statuesque blond in a revealing white costume cautiously approached him, a wrapped
box in her blue gloved hand. The watcher smiled, leaving them.
A quick visit a lavish penthouse downtown revealed a black man who at times almost
crackled with energy, sitting at a table across from a younger black woman and a woman with red
hair but Asian features, who were holding hands. Elsewhere inside, a ruler checked in on his
country via video link, a young woman displayed amazing martial arts skill in a gym while a
woman looked on approvingly, shining a spotless and gleaming sword.
The watcher moved on, to another city. A much darker one, without such beacons of
hope as the Statue of Liberty. On the outskirts of town, a mansion stood nearly empty and mostly
dark. An older man brought a drink to a younger one, who stood in quiet contemplation of a
portrait of a man and woman. "They would have been proud of what you've done, Master
Bruce." the older man said.
In a rare moment of less than perfect certainty, the younger man took one of the two
drinks, still staring at the wall. "I hope so, Alfred." The older man also took a glass, and they
both silently toasted the picture. The watcher moved on, reluctant to intrude on a private
moment of such a normally relentless man. The watcher passed through the tree, festooned with
ornaments and lights.
To another city, and a modern building, with incredible example of high technology.
With all the resources at the command of the two there, it was, the watcher mused, almost
touching that they sat on the couch together, the black haired man with his arm around the red
head's shoulders, as an old black and white movie showed a banker guided through what would
have been had he not been born. "You know, Bruce had never seen this until I was seventeen or
so? I had to almost force him to watch it." the black haired man said.
The redhead was somehow not surprised. "Shush up, watch the movie, and pass the
popcorn, Man Wonder." she said, pulling the blanket tighter around both of them. Elsewhere in
the gleaming city of tomorrow, a woman out of her time toasted long fallen friends in a bar that
had been around slightly longer than she had, her trademark short blue skirt swirling around her
as she spun, raising glass to various black and white pictures, many of men in leather flight
jackets. After a stop at an empty apartment no Clinton Street, the residents with family further
west, the watcher moved on.
Twin cities in the heartland of America, linked by a large bridge, were his next stop. A
house belonging to an older couple who did not look their age, with several guests. A red haired
man was putting two children to bed. "And don't try vibrating through the walls to sneak a peek
at your presents, I know that trick. Good night. Happy Christmas Eve." he said, pulling the door
closed.
"Good night, Dad," the twins chorused. "I told you that wouldn't work," the girl said to
the boy as soon as the door closed. Downstairs and older woman washed dishes as a young
Asian woman dried them.
"I appreciate the help, Linda, but I'm fine doing this." the older of the two said.
"I know, Joan, but I don't want to be a burden, you and Jay are great having us all over
for the holiday," the other woman replied. The red haired man moved down the hall to where an
older man was polishing a metal helmet.
"Once quick spin around the city?" the older man asked.
"You're on." the red haired man was suddenly dressed in a scarlet and gold costume. The
watcher moved on. The cities were in good hands, and their home was safe.
Further west, and earlier as the time zones changed, the watcher passed through a
townhouse wall. A tall blond man stirred a pot, while a young girl looked on. "I mean come on,
who has chili for CHRISTMAS?" she asked.
"Hey, at least its turkey chili." he shot back, brandishing a ladle at her. There was a faint
hum that always made the man's stomach twinge, although he'd never admit it. A gorgeous
blond appeared in a haze of light, shedding a blue jacket.
"Sorry, had to attend to something at the Hall," she said, crossing to the man and kissing
him before hugging the girl.
"That's ok, they're late," the man groused, just as the doorbell rang.
"I got it," the girl said, scooting out of the kitchen and opening the door to a young man
with reddish hair, who held the hand of girl of 6 or so with raven black hair, and had his other
arm around a woman with short black hair.
"We got presents." he said, forestalling a scolding on their tardiness. "Even a girl with
wings can't do too much about holiday crowds," he added, looking at his date, who seemed
somewhat ill at ease in the setting. The couple in the kitchen stood for a moment, enjoying their
embrace, before going to meet the others. The being moved- they were all safe enough, and
enjoying the bonds of a very non traditional, but loving, family.
A small farm in a small town was the next stop. A powerfully built man in glasses was
being teased mercilessly by his wife and his mother. "Honestly, when he was growing up, we
had to wrap his presents in lead," his mother was saying. The bespectacled man rolled his eyes,
having heard this story so many times, his wife laughing, his father trying not to. His blonde
cousin turned, confused, to look at the presents under the tree, and was surprised to not be able to
see into several boxes. "And now we do it for her," the older woman said, moving over and
impulsively hugging the blonde girl.
Westward, to a small town in New Mexico, where a woman shooed her husband out of
the kitchen, moving him as fast as his cane would allow. "You can wait till after church," she
said. In the living room, a teenaged boy sat on one end of a couch, a young woman with reddish
hair on the other end, as a still younger girl teased the boy.
"Hermano, Santa might leave me and Brenda something, but he doesn't give gifts to bug
boys." The boy stuck his tongue out at her, then suddenly paused. The watcher could almost
hear something distant... alien... emanating from the boy, who seemed to look directly at him.
Sending a thought that all was well, the watcher continued on, not wishing to cause a problem
while standing watch over this, one of his newest charges.
In California, in a city once destroyed, now rebuilt, a man with ring relaxed in the
apartment belonging to his brother and family. His niece was curled in his lap as he read a story
about a man in a magic sleigh sliding down a chimney. His ring pulsed once, and the man, his
flight jacket beside him, looked around once, slowly, before easing back again, knowing there
was no threat.
In a different city in California, in a very distinctive T shaped building, a group of very
unusual young people were gathered. "I'm just saying I don't see what the big deal is about
Christmas," said a girl with white hair and an eyepatch.
"That makes me feel sorry for you, not like you're tough," answered a young man with
red skin and fiery eyes. A quiet girl with black hair stood in one corner, watching the byplay and
sensing the various emotions, but not interfering. A green monkey leapt up at a man with
gleaming metal parts in a control chair.
"Merry Christmas, rustbucket," the monkey said, dropping a present on his lap.
"Back at ya, salad head," the man replied with a grin. In another room, a boy in a red and
black costume stood with his arm around a blonde in jeans and a red and gold top as they stood
in a hallway of statues. They regarded two in particular, a young man with a stylized "S" on his
chest and boy with lighting bolts on his boots.
"I miss them too, Cassie," he said. She just nodded, finally literally picking the boy up
with surprising ease and bringing him back to the others. The being shook his head, impressed at
the resiliency of youth, so many of these had lost so much, and still labored on to protect others.
The being left, rocketing eastward now, to a special building in Washington DC. He entered, and
gradually allowed himself to become both visible and solid. He approached a regal woman
seated at a console surrounded by monitors.
"Merry Christmas, Diana," he said in his deep resonant voice.
"And to you, J'Onn. Everyone doing all right?" She answered, standing.
"All is well. Orin says the seas are quiet, and Guy says the immediate sector is fairly
peaceful." The manhunter replied.
"Good. I'm going to check on a few things, and then go to bed. Good night J'Onn." She
paused. "And... I think it's a good thing you're doing every year, letting them all relax while the
rest of us who don't celebrate this holiday watch over them."
Having heard more than enough of the traditional tales, he turned to Diana, and said in a
voice more becoming a small boy than a large powerful alien "God bless us, everyone."