AUTHOR'S NOTE: We've actually been considering a holiday themed special centered around the IV for the past couple of years now. I don't know if we're gonna do stuff like this often, but we both came to the conclusion that, after this year and the last year put a good chunk of us, if not all of us, through the ringer, we needed a bit of holiday cheer to close us out.
Also, if you're wondering about the continuity for this, this is kinda nebulous in the IV's cannon, similar to the Star Wars Holiday Special...minus the stuff that even George Lucus is embarrassed of. lol. Again, we were more focused on trying to lift people's spirits a bit here, so we both agreed just this once to say 'Eh, screw continuity.' Not too much unlike whenever Marvel and DC would do their own types of holiday specials, though there are references to stuff that, of course, is cannon.
DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.
The Infinity Verse Holiday Special
Part 1
The holidays were always a special time. No matter how grim life seemed, the holiday seasons seemed to brighten even the darkest of times, if only for a short while. This season was no different. For even after all the trials the earth had encountered at the hands of villains and outside forces, the holidays once again seemed to bring just enough hope to keep the people going. It wasn't just the mere mortals of Earth who were celebrating this most wonderful time of the year, but the heroes of the Infinity League as well. The inside of the orbital base was decorated with various ornaments and trinkets of everyone's respective holidays that they celebrated.
Among the cheeriness that had taken hold of the members of the League, its seven leaders were currently going over a last-minute meeting before they went off on their holiday break. While the war for good and evil was unending, the holiday season seemed to be lacking in super-criminal activity. So, while there were heroes who were still on duty, a majority of the League took a forty-eight-hour break for both Christmas Eve and Day.
"So, that takes care of everything about the annual budget," Kim finished. "We're done here."
"Thank God!" the Ninja proclaimed with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "When I took this job, I didn't think I'd have to sit through boring ass meetings about the League's budget!"
"I figured you would care, Ninja, since you keep trying to claim that pinball machine you bought last month as a tax-deductible," Danny mentioned.
"Hey, that pinball machine is important to my job as a superhero," the hero of Norrisville defended. "It helps with my hand/eye coordination!"
"I can't believe we even have to pay taxes," Dragon mentioned. "I thought being superheroes was a way to get out of that."
"Not when you work for the United Nations," Kim reminded him. "Most of our taxes go into the League's funding anyway. And be thankful that the UN isn't asking for your secret identities when you file them. All they ask is that you pay your dues and keep the planet safe."
"I thought protecting the planet WAS paying our dues," SheZow commented.
"Yeah, and another thing, how come Optimus doesn't have to pay taxes like the rest of us?" the Ninja continued as he pointed up at the Prime.
"Because I do not come from your planet," Optimus answered simply. "Besides, I doubt the UN would accept Cybertronian Credits as currency."
"You clearly haven't heard of Crypto, my dude," Randy muttered.
"Can we stop talking about taxes, please?" Danny interjected. "Jesus, we're not in our forties, people, and I'd like to enjoy my holiday break without worrying about this stuff."
"Danny's right. It's the holidays. We should be celebrating!" Jenny agreed. "So, you guys got any plans?"
"I am going to be visiting an orphanage in Detroit to deliver toys to the children," Optimus answered. "The rest of the Autobots and I have been doing toy drives for underprivileged children since we revealed ourselves to the world."
"Are you sure you don't do taxes? Because that's a very tax write-off kinda thing to do," Ninja noted before getting elbowed by Danny.
"As for me, I'm spending Christmas with my family and Ron," Kim answered Jenny's question. "I seriously need a break from everything, even if it's only a little while."
"I'm going to spend some time with my family too, and a little lady that I haven't been able to see lately," Dragon said.
"I didn't know dragons celebrated Christmas," SheZow replied.
"Trust me, there's a LOT you don't know about us, dawg," the winged warrior informed her. "Speaking of which, what are you gonna be doing for the holidays, SheZow?"
"Oh, not much, just spend time with my family and check up on Santa before he makes his rounds tomorrow night," the Glamazon warrior answered.
"Ha-ha, that's a good one!" the Ninja laughed. "'Check on Santa', classic!"
"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Dragon said. "Dude, Santa Claus is real."
Randy laughed again in response, thinking that this was all a part of some grand jest and his expense. But when he saw that his fellow League leaders weren't laughing along with him, he quickly realized that what the Dragon had said was the truth and stopped laughing.
"You're-You're serious?" he questioned.
"Oh yeah, he's totally real," Kim confirmed. "We've all met him at one point or another."
"S-Santa's real?" the hero of Norrisville said in disbelief as he buried his head in his hands. "Oh my god, Santa Claus is real!"
"Yeah, and FYI, Ninja: You're not on the nice list," SheZow informed him. "And neither is Rena Rouge, for that matter, especially after what you two did in Notre Dame."
"Hey, if Father Christmas saw THAT, then HE needs to be put on the naughty list," the Ninja stated. "And the FBI watch list too."
"So, aside from having a crisis about finding out that Saint Nick is real, what are your Christmas plans, Ninja?" Jenny questioned.
"Rena and I are gonna spend some time away from everyone for a few days," Randy answered. "We rented ourselves a little cabin out in the Irish countryside. It'll be nothing but warm fires, sleeping all day, and cuddling close at night. And sex. Lots of Christmas sex."
"Really wish I didn't hear that," Kim groaned.
"Oh, like you and Ron don't do the nasty when you're alone!" her teammate fired back.
"Yeah, but I don't talk about it in public!" the redhead shot back. "And another thing, why do you have to call it 'Christmas sex?'"
"'Cause, it's better than Easter Sex!"
"Moving on," Jenny cut in as she turned her attention to the last leader. "What about you, Danny? Got any plans for your break?"
"Eh, I'm not exactly a Christmas kinda guy. Neither is my family, for that matter," the half-ghost admitted. "I used to spend the holidays with Sam until..."
Danny's voice trailed off, but he didn't need to finish his sentence to convey what he meant. Ever since Sam had become the guardian of the Green, she and Danny had broken up due to their respective duties as heroes keeping them apart. [1] Though they remained in contact with one another, they decided to remain as friends from now on. However, despite this mutual choice to separate, it was still a touchy subject for Danny. It was then that Jenny had an idea spark in her robotic brain.
"Hey, why don't you come spend the holidays with me?" the android suggested. "My mom's not big on Christmas either, but she tolerates it enough to let me celebrate it with my friends, and she even lets me reactivate my sisters for a few days!"
"I don't know, Jenny..." her teammate pondered slowly. "I don't wanna be a bother to you guys..."
"Nonsense! We'll have a great time!" Jenny insisted. "So, what do you say?"
Danny was silent for a few moments. He really didn't know what to say to that. On one hand, he was both shocked and flattered that Jenny would invite him into her home. But on the other, he wasn't really in the festive mood this year and didn't want to bring down the Wakeman family. However, when he looked into the bright, beaming optics of his fellow League leader's eyes, he just couldn't say no to her.
"...What time do I need to be there?" he finally relented
"For real? You'll come?" Jenny gasped in excitement. "Yay! Uh, I-I mean, you can come over at six tonight. See you then!"
With that, the leaders of the League headed out for the night, each with a holiday tale to tell of their own.
On the lower decks of Skyward Tower, more specifically, in the mess hall, a conversation was going between Cat Noir and Dib. One that regarded an interesting introspective of the proper recycling of food.
"You find yourself in the mess hall. You see an éclair in the garbage can," Dib began to lecture as they sat at a table. "And you think to yourself: 'What the hell, I'll just eat some trash.'"
"No, no, no!" Cat Noir protested. "That's not what happened!"
"Was it in the trash can?" the conspiracy theorist persisted.
"Yeah, but-" the cat-themed hero attempted to say.
"Then it was trash," the fellow hero cut him off.
"But it wasn't down in the can. It was sort of on top," Cat Noir argued.
"But it was in the can!"
"Above the rim!"
"Adjacent to trash that is STILL trash!"
"It was on top of a magazine, and it still had the doily on it!"
"Was it eaten?" Dib addressed.
"...One little bite." Cat Noir muttered.
"Well," Dib began as he took a sip of his coffee. "That's garbage."
It was about that time that the Ninja approached the two heroes.
"Oh, hey, Ninja," Dib greeted. "We were just talking about-"
"Yeah, that's fascinating," Randy brushed off. "Listen, I hate to break this up, but I gotta talk to Cat Noir for a moment. So, can we have some privacy?"
Dib, though annoyed by the Ninja's demeanor toward him, departed from the table, thus letting Randy take his seat.
"Alright, so here's the deal," the League leader began. "I need your help in getting the perfect Christmas gift for Rena Rouge. And I do stress perfect because what she got me is hard to top."
"Well, what did she get you?" the cat-themed hero inquired.
"A guitar that was owned by Mike Thomson from Slipknot AND a vinyl of Welcome to Horrorwood signed by all of Ice Nine Kills," the hero of Norrisville answered.
"Oh shit, that really IS hard to top," Cat Noir said. "How did she even get them?"
"I have no clue, but I imagine it cost most of what she makes from the League," the Ninja theorized. "Which is why I want to get her a gift that will not only match that but show that I love her with all my heart."
"Well, I'm not sure if I can help," Cat Noir admitted. "Rena's a friend, but the Miraculous have a rule not to get too deep in our personal lives...unless your Chloe, of course."
"I heard that, Garfield!" Queen Bee's voice shouted from across the mess hall.
"Sorry, Chloe," her teammate apologized before getting back on topic. "Maybe Carapace can help you out?"
Of all the bad ideas that Randy had heard in his life that weren't his, this topped them. It was no secret that the breakup between Rena and Carapace was messy, but the two remained professional as members of the Infinity League. However, that professional courtesy didn't extend to Randy, who got the bad end of the turtle-themed hero's feelings about his ex now dating him. Rena told Randy that when they knew one another's identities, Carapace, rather than be safe, wanted to go further in their relationship, even wanting them to reveal their superhero egos to their families so that things would be easier. Carapace's desire to move fast and not think about the possible fallout of their lives of heroes was the driving force behind their breakup. It was part of the reason she kept the hero of Norrisville at arm's length for so long.
"Oh yeah, let me just go ask my girlfriend's ex for help on what to buy for her for Christmas," Randy sarcastically pointed out. "Are you fucking stupid?"
"I mean, I did just eat trash."
"You what?"
"Never mind," Adrien quickly changed the subject. "Look, if you don't want to talk to Carapace, how about Ladybug? She's close with Rena enough to at least know maybe a bit more about her than the rest of us."
"Everything but her secret identity, I bet," Randy mentally mused, knowing who Rena was under the mask, before speaking again. "Yeah, that might be my best bet. Where's Ladybug now?"
"She's off-duty today, so she's back in Paris," Cat Noir answered. "I traded shifts with her so she could enjoy Christmas with her family. My little gift to m'lady."
"Fuck's sake, your such a simp," Randy noted. "But thanks for the help, though. I'll try to help you out with Ladybug if I can."
"Wow, thanks, man!" Cat Noir answered. "Good luck with your gift hunt!"
Randy nodded in response before making his way to the teleporters, all the while still racking his brain over the perfect gift for the perfect woman.
Jake may have been away from home for two weeks, but it felt like he had been away from his family for two years. The American Dragon had a very understanding family and friends who knew that the world needed him now more than ever, now that he was a leader of the League. However, that didn't mean that he ignored them. After the team's battle with Brandon Breyer, he returned home to find some peace for several days with his loved ones, [2] something he was hoping to do this holiday season. He had already told his parents in advance that he was coming home, and, knowing his mom, she was going to go all out this Christmas to celebrate his return home for the festive season.
After being teleported down to New York, or more specifically, twenty blocks from where he lived, Jake took flight over the buildings in his neighborhood as he headed home. He could've asked Wheeljack to send him closer, but he wanted to keep anyone from trying to guess his secret identity as half-human. Besides, he enjoyed taking in the decorations around his neck of the woods this time of year. As far as everyone knew in the League, the American Dragon was just that. A dragon hiding in the shadows of New York like the Gargoyles and Ninja Turtles. While his family was easy to reunite with, the same could not be said for seeing Rose, who had now become the second-in-command of the entire Huntsclan. The two star-crossed lovers had been unable to see each other often, and the times between them were sort. Still, they refused to give up on one another no matter what and stayed together through every obstacle that came between them.
Once he was close enough to his home, Jake ducked down behind a nearby ally and transformed into his human before rounding the corner to approach his home. Once he was at the front door, he took a deep, calming breath and knocked on the front door. In no less than a second, the door flew open to allow his mother to shoot out and embrace him in a tight hug.
"Welcome home, Jake!" she warmly greeted.
"Uh, hey, Mom," Jake wheezed out. "Could you maybe-"
"Welcome home, son!" his dad said as he joined in on the hug.
"Oh, okay, more hugging. That's cool too," the Dragon said, now being held even tighter by both parents.
After what felt like forever, his parents relented and allowed Jake to enter his home. All around him, he was greeted by the sights and smells of the holidays the moment he stepped inside. No sooner had he entered the house was he greeted by another familiar face.
"Well, look what the troll dragged in," a voice noted.
Jake smirked, for he knew exactly who that was.
"What up, Fu Dog?" the League leader greeted as he hugged the magical creature.
"Oh, you know, the usual stuff," Fu replied. "Chase my tail, drink toilet water, the same ol', same ol.'"
"But you know the old saying," another voice added on. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Jake looked over to see the one person he had long since missed during his time in the Infinity League: His grandfather. Jake, not wasting another second went up to his mentor and grandparent and embrace him, to which a hug was in turn given to him. It had been too long since Jake had seen the man who trained him, and this holiday season, he was going to make up for lost time with not just his grandfather but the rest of his loved ones as well.
"I missed you, gramps," he said.
"And I, you, young dragon," his grandfather replied.
Just as everyone had gathered in the living room, the final member of the Long family came downstairs, though she didn't exactly have a visage of a person that was happy to see her sibling again.
"Lo and behold, the prodigal son returns," she greeted sardonically with an added eye roll.
No longer was the youngest member of the Long family the adorable ankle-biter. She was now grown to the age of seventeen. Since Jake had taken on a leadership role in the Infinity League, Haley had begun her training under their grandfather as the new American Dragon to keep the balance between the world of human and mystical creatures in her brother's absence. The younger dragon had cut her hair down and put a pink streak on the right side of it. She wore a white tank-top with black overalls on and pink tennis shoes. In her hand was her cell phone with her headphones in.
"Hey, Haley!" Jake said as he went up to his sister. "You're getting big!"
"Yeah, well, you'd noticed if you actually came by the house more often," she sniped back as she walked past him and toward the dining room. "At least with you here, we can finally eat."
Jake was confused by his sister's aggression toward him, but before he could say anything in response, he felt his Infinity League communicator go off.
"I gotta take this," he said to the rest of the family.
"Of course you do," his sibling muttered.
Jake glowered at his sister before heading into the kitchen and transforming back into his dragon form. Once he had done so, he answered his COMM.
"This is Dragon, go ahead," he began.
"Dragon, thank Primus you're Comm's still on!" Wheeljack said. "We need you to get in contact with Kim ASAP. The GJN just called, and they said they gotta talk to her at once."
"What did they want?" the Dragon inquired.
"They didn't give a lot of details. They wanted to talk to Kim, but after I told 'em that she was off duty for the holidays, they told me to ask if you could try to contact her instead," Wheeljack answered. "They said something about a tape. Got any ideas what that's all about?"
Jake's stomach felt like it had just done a flip inside of him. The worst-case scenario had just happened, and only he, Kim, and four others within the League knew the truth. If they were to save the Infinity League and the governments of the world, then they had to act fast. However, rather than panic, Jake kept his cool.
"Nah, you know how spies are. They're always paranoid," he brushed off. "I'll tell Kim that they're looking for her, though."
With that, the call ended, to which Jake instantly called Dr. Director.
"I just got the message," he began. "How bad is it?"
"It's bad," the head of Global Justice stated. "There was a mole in our organization that of got ahold of the video. It turns out that he was a double-agent for V.I.L.E."
Though not as big or as powerful as Cobra or Shadaloo, V.I.L.E. was a dangerous organization in its own right. Rather than try to take over the world, they focused on instead stealing its most treasured objects and selling them to the highest bidder. And now that they had the videotape, they had the ultimate treasure. One that could destroy the very nations of the world if it got out.
"V.I.L.E. is holding a special auction on Christmas Eve in Roanapur with Hotel Moscow hosting the auction at one of their private estates," the head of GJN continued. "We've received information that not only are the likes of Cobra, Millennium, H.C.L.I., and Shadaloo are attending the auction, but also Black Hat and several members of the Society of Super-Villains as well."
"I'll contact Kim, and we'll-" Jake attempted to say.
"No," Betty denied. "You have to remain out of this in order to be able to have full deniability in case everything goes south. This is Kim's cross to bear alone."
"But you know what's on that tape," Jake reasoned. "If it gets out, then it could mean the end of everything!"
"Kim knew what she was getting into when she filmed that tape, just as you and the others did," Dr. Director reminded him. "All you can do is pass the information along to her."
"...Fine," Jake relented. "But I don't like this."
Rather than say anything further, Dr. Director instead cut the line, making Jake curse her name under his breath.
"Everything okay?" came his mother's voice, nearly making Jake jump out of his skin in doing so.
"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, everything's cool, Mom," he falsely assured as he switched back to his human self. "Just work stuff."
"Well, dinner's ready if your hungry," his mother stated.
"I'm starving!" her son said. "Just let me make a quick call, and I'll be right out."
Jake's mother nodded in response and left the kitchen, letting Jake make his call, all the while hoping that this would not be the Infinity League's last Christmas.
"So, the tape got leaked? Shit!" Kim swore as she stood in her bedroom. "Yes, I know what this means if this goes public...No, I can handle it on my own. The less who know about this, the better...Okay, I'll have Wade charter me a flight to Roanapur at once. You might want to keep Kelly's number on speed-dial, though, because if this gets out, then we'll need her to do some serious damage control...Okay, I'll stay in touch. Bye."
Kim let out an aggravated groan as switched off her COMM. She had only been home for no less than an hour when she received the call from the Dragon, who informed her that her video had fallen into the hands of V.I.L.E. She had hoped for a nice, quiet Christmas with her family and boyfriend, but it would seem that, once more, the universe had other plans for her this holiday season. She hadn't even unpacked her bags, and now she had to depart yet again. When she got back to Skyward Tower, the first thing she was going to do was schedule a session with Jazz.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," a voice groaned.
Kim turned to see Ron, who had just come up to her room, a look of disappointment written on his face. This was not what Kim wanted to happen, especially during this time. Despite being in the League together, Ron and Kim had a difficult time spending time together as a couple, and though they understood the responsibility they had, it was starting to grate on them. They had hoped to spend some time away from their superhero lives if only for a few short days, but now those dreams had been dashed.
"How much of that did you hear?" Kim asked in a fearful voice.
"Enough to know that this Christmas vacation is ruined," Ron answered sternly.
"Ron, I'm sorry, but this is urgent," his lover apologized. "I swear I'll be back by Christmas Day."
"Correction, KP: WE'LL be back for Christmas Day," Ron countered.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but you can't come with me on this one," Kim refuted. "This is-"
"Like every other dangerous mission we've been on since we were kids," her partner cut in. "Seriously, we've fought giant robots, evil clones, and have time traveled. How could this be any different"
"You wouldn't understand, Ron," Kim replied. "This time, it's...complicated."
"Then explain to me why it's complicated!" Ron snapped. "Or else, I'm not letting you leave this room until you do!"
Kim paused as she looked into Ron's eyes and saw not anger and betrayal but worry and concern. She should've known better than to try to hide something like this from her lover, especially after everything they had been through. So, with that in mind, she decided to tell him the truth, hoping that she would not judge him too harshly.
"Do you remember a few months ago about the assassination of Kareem Al Quhad?" she began.
Ron nodded. Al Quhad was once a powerful Saradian warlord who had been a weapons dealer and had ties to human trafficking, as well. He was a dangerous terrorist trying to further destabilize the already unstable country of Saradia now that their would-be elected leader was killed by an agent of Cobra. [3] A month ago, it had been reported that Al Quhad had been killed in a SEAL Team operation in Iraq. However, Ron started to dread what his girlfriend and partner was going to say next.
"Yeah..." Ron answered, though now unsure.
"That was a lie," Kim continued. "The truth is that a member of the Infinity League carried out the assassination."
Ron gasped in shock. As a member of the Infinity League, he knew that if one of their own carried out a mission such as this, it would do unspeakable damage to both the Infinity League and the governments of the world if this got out. The people of the world would live in fear and anger at the thought of their own governments using superheroes as weapons of war. But the question remained: Which member of the League killed Al Quhad? Snake Eyes was the first suspect that came to mind, considering that the Joes did carry out black ops mission for the US when they were connected to Cobra. But the problem was that Snake-Eyes was on a mission with Ron and SheZow in the Amazon tracking down a bioweapon created by Dr. Servarius. It also didn't help that literally everyone in the League could kill someone with zero effort if they wanted to. There was, however, one person Ron knew of who could kill someone and easily slip away, but he refused to believe it.
"If that tape gets put out to the public, then the entire Infinity League is doomed," Kim furthered. "We have to get into that auction and get it back before that happens."
"Then let's get going, KP!" Ron stated. "Sooner we get that tape back, the sooner we can enjoy our Christmas vacation."
Despite the dire situation they were in, Kim could help but crack a small smile at Ron's words. It was what she loved most about him. This ability to look at a dangerous situation and help feel easy about it. So, with that, she called Wade.
"Wade, I know it's the holidays, but you think you can get us a last-minute flight to Roanapur?" she asked.
Saint Thomas' School for Wayward Children may not be one of the largest or most pristine orphanages in the city of Detroit, but what it lacked in wealth, it made up for in the joy that the staff tried their best to give to the children they looked after. Though the budget wasn't high enough to get the children both toys and food for Christmas, there was, however, someone who was more than willing to help with the latter.
"Okay, kids, he'll be here any minute now," one of the Nuns said to the group of children as they stood outside of the building. "That jolly man in red is bringing all the good boys and girls all toys they ever wanted!"
Just then, the sound of a semi-truck horn blared out as a sort of greeting to the children, who all cheered in response as the vehicle approached. Once it was close enough, the truck transformed into Optimus Prime before the children, who only cheered louder at the sight of the Autobot leader.
"Merry Christmas, children!" the Prime happily greeted.
Optimus then went over to his trailer and opened it up, revealing the mountains of toys he had collected from various toy drives from around the city so that he may deliver them to the orphans of Saint Thomas. With the staff's help, Optimus passed out the toys to the children, who began to play with them the moment they got them in their hands. The sight of the kids enjoying their gifts was more than enough to make Optimus feel a sense of joy well up in his spark. Optimus may not have been from Earth, but he loved his adoptive world and its people just as much as he did Cybertron. Perhaps even more. It was then that the Autobot leader noticed that a small boy was looking into his now empty trailer with intent in his eyes.
"Did you not get a toy?" he inquired.
"I did, but I gave it to Sally since she didn't have one," the boy replied. "I was kinda hoping for something else."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Prime asked, crouching down as he did.
In response to that, the boy pulled up a toy magazine and held it up to the Autobot for him to see. On the page was the image of a superhero doll dressed in a red suit with a gold 'T' on his chest. Optimus identified the action figure as Turbo Man. A superhero TV show from the late '90s that recently had a darker reboot that Odd and several other members of the League would stream in the Tower's rec room when they weren't on missions. Unfortunately, during his initial toy drive, Optimus was unable to get ahold of one of the figures, but he refused to let down a single child on Christmas.
"I will see what I can do," he assured as he stood back up.
"Really? Thank you, Mr. Prime!" the boy cheered, hugging the Cybertronian's leg as he did.
"I wouldn't get the boy's hopes up, sir," one of the nuns advised. "The stores have been sold out of the Turbo Man Action figures for weeks."
"With all due respect, ma'am, I once fought Tidal Wave alone with a broken arm," the leader of the Autobot leader mentioned. "I hardly think securing a single toy could be harder than that."
With that, Optimus transformed back into his vehicle mode and drove off into the city, unaware that his task was far easier said than done.
"What the hell am I doing?" Danny thought to himself as he flew over Tremorton.
After packing his things for his short vacation with Jenny and her family, Danny was teleported from his home in Amity Park to Jenny's hometown. However, rather than go straight there, the half-ghost hero had been flying over the skies above the town as he contemplated on what exactly he was going to do next. As he had previously mentioned, Danny, nor his family, were ever big on celebrating the holidays. True, they gave presents to one another and such, but their background was more focused on family than the religious part of the holiday. The same could be said for the Wakemans as well, who believed in science rather than a God, or in Jenny's case, was programmed as such.
But it wasn't that part that was what Danny thinking about. It was more regarding what the holidays really meant to him now that Sam was no longer with him. Unlike the others who had their own strains on their respective relationships, he and his former lover couldn't keep it together. And if Danny was being honest with himself, he knew that at some point that their relationship was going to end even if Sam never became the avatar of the Green. Sam may have been with him from the beginning, but she couldn't bear the sight of Danny being beaten to near-death almost every night. Not only that, but Sam hated being away from the half-ghost hero for long periods of time and would be in the grip of anxiety and anger whenever Danny was gone for too long.
It wasn't like they both stood back and watched their relationship go up in flames. Many people within the superhero community had lovers who were mere humans or co-workers and maintained healthy relationships. They went to couples therapy several times, went on dates and private vacations, but toward the end of it all, it was becoming clear that there was no saving the love they once shared. In a roundabout sort of way, Sam's new role as guardian of the Green made it easier for them to part as friends in the end. Still, Christmas time brought up all the good memories they shared for the League leader.
Maybe this was what he needed. Rather than wallow in self-pity, he could enjoy the holidays with a close friend and colleague. It could take his mind off of the pain he was feeling and focus on the here and now. Among the other six leaders, Jenny was one he felt closest to in terms of friends. They had fought beside one another through the toughest of battles and had laughed together in their off time. So, if there was anyone he was going to spend Christmas with, Jenny made the most sense.
So, after finally building up the courage, Danny landed in front of the Wakeman home. After taking in a deep breath, the half-ghost knocked on the door. No sooner had he done so did the door fly open to reveal a massive figure with its weapons drawn.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS. YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO COMPLY!" XJ-8 commanded.
"Holy shit!" Danny shouted in surprise as he stumbled back.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jenny said as she rushed over. "Easy, sis, Danny's a friend."
"APOLOGIES. YOU ARE GRANTED ACCESS INTO THE BUILDING." the larger robot stated before going back inside. "HAVE A NICE DAY."
"Sorry about XJ-8. She can be a little...overprotective," the android apologized. "Can I get you anything?"
"Yeah, a new pair of pants," Danny said, trying to catch his breath as he did.
"I'll see what I can do," the robot giggled.
She then hugged her teammate, who in turn returned the hug.
"I'm so glad you could make it, Danny," she told him.
"Well, I can't say no to you, Jenny," her fellow leader mentioned.
"Come on! The party's just getting started," Jenny beckoned.
With a smile, Danny followed his friend into her home.
The Arctic winds whipped across the skies as the She-C-10 flew through the snow flurry that surrounded Santa's workshop. While it was true that Santa lived in the North Pole, it was more like a different dimensional plane of existence within the North Pole that he and his elves existed in. The pink-powered heroine made it her priority to at least stop in and say hello to the guardian of Christmas before he made his rounds to give gifts to the children of the world. Despite knowing Saint Nicholas for a while now, Guy knew little about his origin, which the jolly old man in red kept a secret even from him. Guy didn't even know what Santa looked like since the man in red had the ability to telepathically alter others' perceptions of him, hence why he appeared so different from the other heroes whom he had come across over the years. The being known as Santa was a man of many origins, and they all varied among the people of the world. What was known, however, was that Santa was an ancient being with near godlike power, but there was a catch. His power was connected to the positive energy from the children of the world.
To say the past few decades had diminished Santa's power was an understatement. Though the children of the world hadn't fully given up on Saint Nick, the harsh reality of the world was taking its toll on the youth of Earth. Parental abuse, online bullying, and violence both in and out of the home had weakened the purity of the children around the world. And because of that, Santa's powers had been weakened. He was still a force to be reckoned with, but Guy feared that if someone like Black Hat or Megatron found their way into the workshop that Santa would be unable to drive them off. It was part of the reason as to why she made it her job just to check in on his friend now more than ever. Although these days, Guy had another reason to spend her time away from the rest of the world.
Things had not been well for Guy on a personal level. Outside of being a leader of the Infinity League, Guy's life had taken a dramatic shift. At home, Guy had taken Jazz's advice and had been more in tune with his feminine side. He had asked his parents to use the 'she/her' pronouns when talking to or about her. And while his mother was fully supportive of it, his father, however, refused to do so, thus starting a rift between the two. On top of that, Heidi was still being distant with him, still resenting the kidnapping she went through at the hands of SheZap not too long ago. [4] Guy still loved the redhead reporter and wouldn't stop trying to win back with her truth, but for now, it was best if she kept her distance.
Suddenly, Guy's brain was rocked by her SheSP, warning her of danger that was coming from behind her. Acting quickly, Guy switched on the ship's auto-pilot and drew her laser lipstick to block an oncoming energy blade. Guy didn't need to be told who had snuck aboard her plane to know who her uninvited guest was.
"SheZap!" she stated.
"Hiya, sis," her evil clone greeted with a wicked chuckle. "It's been a while."
Guy pushed her evil clone back as she got out of her seat to face her dark twin. No doubt SheZap used her shadow travel ability to teleport herself onto the craft, but what took Guy aback was her clone's appearance. SheZap looked pale and emaciated, with some of her hair falling out. Heidi did tell Guy that SheZap was dying due to her genetic make-up breaking down, but seeing her clone in this state almost made Guy pity her. Ever since rescuing her lover from SheZap, Guy had been carefully monitoring his fellow League members for any change in their behavior after Heidi told her that SheZap had poisoned several members with her mind-altering blood. This could've been a ruse, but with SheZap, it was best to expect the unexpected.
"What are you doing here?" Guy demanded.
"Oh, just doing what any Make-A-Wish kid would do during the holidays: Going to see Santa Claus," her clone replied. "I figured, since you had access to fat boy's home, I'd hitch a ride so I could tell Santa what I want for Christmas this year!"
"Looks like you need to see a doctor more than Santa," Guy noted. "I don't need to be Ratchet to know that your dying."
"Well, you know what they say: Slaughter is the best medicine!" SheZap answered with a mad cackle.
"Forget it, Shezap, I'm not letting you anywhere near Santa," SheZow declared. "Surrender, and I can help you."
"Hmmm, nah," the evil twin brushed off. "I've got something big planned for ol' Kris Kringle, and you ain't stopping me, sister!"
"Think you can back that up?' Guy taunted. "You look like you can hardly stand, let alone fight!"
"True, which is why I brought a little helper," SheZap mentioned before looking over SheZow's shoulder. "Ain't that right, honey?"
Once again, SheZow's SheSP went off, making Guy spin around to face the danger coming from behind her. The trans-heroine was greeted by a baseball bat that struck her across the face, knocking her to the ground upon impact. As Guy struggled to get back up, SheZap kicked her twin in the side to keep her down. Guy looked up to see who had come to SheZap's aide and gasped at the sight looking down at her. The stranger had long green hair that was shaved off on the left side and had a black streak on the unshaved side. She wore a black and green corset with a leather jacket over it and a black and green mini skirt. She also wore black fishnets and had black high-heels on. But it was the face that truly shook Guy to her soul.
Looking down at him was the face of his own lover.
"Guy, lemme introduce you to my special lady friend," SheZap began "This here's Harley. I created her from my DNA and the little bit of blood I 'borrowed' from your girlfriend when I had her in my care. Ain't she a doll?"
"Did I do good, puddin'?" the Heidi clone asked.
"Y'a did great, hun," her lover stated. "Now, let's get this puppy in gear. We got a date with Father Christmas!"
As SheZap cackled with delight, SheZow blacked out, all the while her clone's laughter echoed in her mind.
[1] - As seen in the Spotlight centered around Sam.
[2] - As seen in the Spotlight centered around Brandon.
[3] - As seen in the Spotlight centered around Knightowl.
[4] - As seen in the Spotlight centered around SheZow.