Disclaimer: I do not own Legion of Super-Heroes. Edited.

Rainbow Girl: Dori Aandraison of Xolnar. Wields the mysterious power of the emotional spectrum, leading to unpredictable mood swings.


We open up in a supposedly abandoned greenhouse on the outskirts of Gotham. The snow is falling heavily outside. It is a veritable jungle , which is when the plants start to give way, and we see a woman with red hair, green eyes, and white skin, in a green suit with boots and gloves.

"Well, hello darlings. Welcome to Gotham in wintertime. About as dreary as every other day of the year. The name's Ivy. But that's Poison Ivy to you."

Ivy began to walk through the greenhouse.

"As most of you know, I feel a general distaste for this time of year, when innocent trees are so ruthlessly hacked and mutilated by hormone crazed lumberjacks, then sold in empty lots and displayed in living rooms decorated with lights and color paper, like some cheap and gaudy sideshow of the dead!"

In her anger, Ivy accidentally ripped a rose off a bush. Seconds later she realized her folly and tried to apologize to the bush.

"Sorry baby. Anyway, my kudos to those of you who think eco-friendly ahead of time and decide on plastic and metallic alternatives, or simply decorating the trees growing in your backyard, or adopting one. Personally I don't bother, since the only thing Santa ever gives me is a one-way ticket to the funny farm and enough electro-shock to last 'till Groundhog's Day. But with most of the gang out doing their thing, Harley out with that insane Kewpie doll, and me being watched by a certain Caped Clod, I've decided to stick around for a little bit before going out, and entertain you with one of my favorite stories about this time of year. It's about a group of costumed kid rejects who try to save the day, and a boy who gets pulled into the middle of a big confrontation. It gives me great pleasure to bring to you this tale of botanical justice, which I've so aptly named…

03. Revenge of the Christmas Trees

It was snowing that day in New Metropolis, as Christmas was drawing near. In a clubhouse nearby, a group of teens were getting ready for the holiday.

Pete Dursin was tying up a bundle of his quills together to form a wreath and garland strands, as Ulu Vakk waited patiently so he may color them. Outside, Stag Mavlen was using his fire-breathing abilities to create ice sculptors to decorate the front. Inside, Dag Wentim was being used as a ladder while Drura Sehpt and Dori Aandraison decorated the higher areas of the clubhouse. And Ral Benem dug up a little bit of Earth, and planted a seed inside it.

"Grow!" he ordered, and out shout a huge fir tree, loaded with plenty of colorful fruits. Drura infected some of the fruits with a virus that turned them hard as stone, and Ulu changed the colors of some of them to better match the scenery.

"Hmmm. Move it a little to the left." At that command, Lydda Jath hoisted the tree up and moved it over to another part of the room. Ral used his abilities to reattach the roots of the tree. They all looked around at a job well done, and finished by sitting at their meeting table as they usually did.

"I officially call this meeting of the Legion of Substitute Heroes to order!" Pete stated. "Here, here!"

Ral Benem, a.k.a. Chlorophyll Kid, the rotund child from Mardru, could quicken plant growth. Ulu Vakk, a.k.a. the flamboyant Color Kid of Lupra, could change the color of anything. Drura Sehpt, a.k.a. the reserved Infectious Lass of Somahtur, was a host to a colony of hundreds of micro-organisms and could infect anyone with any disease she chose. Dag Wentim, a.k.a. the stoic Stone Boy of Zwen, could turn his entire body to stone. Pete Dursin, a.k.a. the prickly Porcupine Pete, could fire off quills that came out of his body. Stag Mavlen, a.k.a. the hotheaded Fire Lad of Schwarr, could breath fire. Dori Aandraison, a.k.a. the emotional Rainbow Girl of Xolnar, could tap into the emotional spectrum of the universe. And finally, Lydda Jath, a.k.a. the powerhouse Night Girl of Kathoon, had super-strength. The problem? They either suffered from major setbacks with their powers, couldn't control them fully, or weren't practical enough for the field of super-heroics. Each of these children, rejected by the Legion of Super-Heroes, got together to form the Legion of Substitute-Heroes, a team dedicated to proving their worth and filling in for the Legion every now and then.

"Okay, first order of business, who's leader for the week?"

They all turned to a big wheel, with each of their faces posted on it. Pete spun the wheel, until it landed on Lydda. Everyone clapped, except Dori, who's aura had shifted to red, signifying anger.

"Why the hell does she get to be leader? I haven't been picked in five weeks!" she yelled. "Dori, we've been over this before," Pete stated, "we're not favoring anyone."

"Liar!" She yelled. Her aura suddenly shifted to yellow for fear. "Y-you're all afraid of me, aren't you? Y-you think I'm a f-freak." "CK2?" Chlorophyll Kid asked Color Kid. "No problem CK1. Hey, Dori, you know what'll cheer you up?" "Don't hit me!" "What you need is some lovely cornflower blue!" Color Kid changed Dori's aura with his abilities. "Sorry guys." Dori apologized, now in a blue aura, symbolizing hope. "I'll try better at controlling my powers."

Night Girl went up to the head of the table. "Okay, for the second order of business, let's draw for the Secret Santa. You've got the bowl Dori?" "Got it right here cutie." Dori's aura was now violet, which meant love. She handed the bowl to Lydda. Lydda passed around the bowl, which was filled with slips of paper, that had every Subs' name written on them. Finally, the bowl was done, and everyone started to look at who they had drawn.

"Hey, who'd you get?" Color Kid whispered to Infectious Lass. "Don't tell anyone, but I got Rainbow Girl." she said as she took a puff from her inhaler. "Hey, I got Rainbow Girl too!" Color Kid cried out.

Stone Boy looked at his slip. "Rainbow Girl" it read.

"You're not the only one." Fire Lad held up his slip.

"What gives?" Pete asked.

"Dori, did you go orange?" Night Girl asked. "Sorry guys." She apologized again. "You know how greedy I can act when I'm orange." And then her aura shifted to red. "You got a problem with that?!"

...

The next day, the group was spending the day at the Galactic Galleria Mall, shopping for one another.

"Ooh I just love Christmas shopping! Some many wonderful things to buy for so many wonderful friends!" Ulu practically skipped his way through the crowds.

"Yeah, yeah." Stag said. "Listen can we hurry? I got things to do."

"Things that are more important than shopping for your friends?" Drura asked, taking another puff from her inhaler. "Hey, where'd Dori go?" Lydda asked. Dag just shrugged. "I think I just found out." Pete pointed near the fountain.

"The material possession is not what matters most. What matters is the sentimental value of which we place into the possession."

Dori was sitting cross-legged in the center of a crowd, floating, thanks to her indigo aura unleashing compassion throughout her heart and body. She was sitting like a Buddha. "Let go of your material needs and embrace the love and goodwill behind them. Let go of your greed and embrace your fellow man."

"Only if you let go of your bong ya hippie!" someone in the crowd yelled. "Say that to my face meatloaf!" She went back to red.

Meanwhile, Ral was going through a gardening store looking for a special potted plant to give to Dag, whom he drew for the Secret Santa.

"Help!"

"Huh?" Ral looked around trying to figure out who said that.

"Help!"

He looked around, and then he realized where it was coming from. The plant he held in his hands.

"I must be hearing things." He said to himself.

"Help me!"

Ral freaked and nearly dropped the plant. The people around him gave him strange looks. He nervously laughed before hurrying into an uncrowded part of the gardening store. "Did you just talk to me?" he asked the plant. "Yes!" "Well, what do you want? I'm going crazy. I'm talking to an azalea!" "You're not crazy! Go outside!" "What? Why?" "Just outside! Outside the mall, to the tree lot!"

"...tree lot?"

"THE CHRISTMAS TREE LOT!" the plant yelled. Ral had to cover his ear with his free hands.

"The Christmas tree lot?"

"Hello? Can you hear us?"

"Uh, I guess I can."

"Oh thank Gaia! Finally!"

"The azalea said I should go out here. My name's Ral Benem, call me Chlorophyll Kid. You guys want to have a conversation or something?"

"We need your help Mr. Benem!"

"Yeah? What can I do?"

"We've had it! We have had it with the way we are treated this time of year!"

"This time of year? But it's Christmas!" Ral said. People were giving him funny looks.

"Christmas? Ha! The only thing about Christmas we have to look forward to is dying prematurely!"

"What?"

Back in the mall, the others had gotten back together.

"I'm sorry officer", Lydda apologized to a mall cop. "Make sure that friend of yours controls her temper!" The mall cop said. "Whatever you want gorgeous." Dori said, now purple. "Where's Ral?" Stag asked. "I think he went outside." Drura said.

"Do you have an idea what it is like to watch your friends and family get chopped down by some sicko with a laser axe?!"

"No, I don't. I'm sorry." Ral's smile started to falter.

"Well I do! I had a whole family of saplings, watched them grow into big strong trees. And then we were all cut down by this lumbering monster with a crazed look in his eyes chopped us down. Do you know what it's like to listen to your family scream and to see them get mutilated and you can't do a thing?!"

"N-no. No! I don't-"

"I haven't seen my husband in so long. It hurts so badly!"

"Make the pain stop! Please! Make it stop!"

"I can't feel anything. I'm just so numb."

"I want to die. But I can't, I'm just living in pain."

"Stop." Ral asked.

"It hurts! It hurts so bad!"

"Stop."

"Make them stop! We're afraid!

"Please stop." He begged him.

"Help me! Help me!"

"We want justice and we'll get it! TONIGHT!"

"TONIGHT!"

He tried to cover his ears, but he couldn't block them out. They all started screaming at once.

"Ral?"

"QUIET!"

The other Subs had backed up. Ral was kneeling in the snow, panting, and trying to block out the screaming. A family looked at him funny as they were buying a tree.

"STOP THAT!" He screamed, and pulled out some seeds which he tossed at them and grew into venus fly traps which started to attack them. They screamed as the Subs tried to stop him.

"Ral what's wrong with you?!" Lydda yelled. The others tried to subdue him. "Let me go! They won't stop screaming!" "Who won't stop screaming?" Pete asked while Dori and Stag dealt with fly traps.

"THE TREES! THEY WANT JUSTICE AND THEY'LL HAVE IT! THEY, they..."

Ral suddenly felt queasy, and then he passed out in the snow. The others looked at Drura, who was looking very scared. The others got around their friend with fear and concern masking their faces.

"Guys, we need help."

"Hey Lydda!"

The Subs had gone back to their clubhouse, and they tried to keep Ral pinned down in one of the rooms. Worried, Lydda decided to call in the Legion. She was looking up at Rokk Krinn, a.k.a. Cosmic Boy, her boyfriend.

"Rokk, can I please speak to Saturn Girl? It's an emergency."

Saturn Girl came on the screen.

"Lydda? What's up?"

"It's Ral. We think he had some kind of breakdown."

"Breakdown?"

"He keeps ranting that he can hear trees screaming for justice. He almost attacked some poor family for buying a Christmas tree!"

"Ral? Ral Benem? Chlorophyll Kid?" Saturn Girl asked skeptically.

"Lydda! Lydda!"

"Dru? What is it?"

"Ral's gone!"

In the room they were holding Ral in, Pete and Ulu were tied up with vines. At Legion HQ, Lightning Lad flew in the Monitor Room.

"Guys! There are reports of, get this, Christmas trees going on a rampage throughout the city!"

All over Metropolis, Christmas trees were coming to life, breaking out of homes, apartments, and buildings, and causing massive damage. Families huddled together in fear, people hid as best they could, because they were afraid they would be trampled by the revenge of the Christmas trees.

"Let's chop them down to size!" Pete fired his quills out at them, chopping some of them down.

"Yes!" he said.

"Uh, Pete?"

Fire Lad had a quill sticking out of his forehead.

"Sorry." Pete said as he pulled the quill out. Stag winced. They were almost attacked by a group of star-studded trees. The group had split up, and now Legionnaires and Subs were fighting off as best as they could. Lightning Lad flew above them and let out a discharge of electricity, which zapped the ones that had too many plugs hanging from it, and they blew up.

Color Kid changed Dori's aura to green, making her more willful and stronger, and she extended that aura to levitate Stone Boy.

"1...2...3!"

They charged at the trees and cleared out the path. The trees then surrounded Stag and Pete. "Get behind me Pete! Let's see how they like it hot!" Stag breathed fire at them.

"Careful Fire Lad or they might spread and cause a blaze!" Night Girl informed. She did a karate chop into one of them. Another with red and green garland lunged at her, until it was getting choked by its lights by Cosmic Boy.

Drura was almost ambushed by a large group of them, until her virus abilities and kicked in and they started to wither. Drura enjoyed it, until she slipped on her slime trail and fell on her butt. A fir with an angel was closing in on her until it was blasted away by a psychic pulse from Saturn Girl. They all got behind her psychic shield.

"Where's Polar Boy?" Saturn Girl asked.

"Went back to Tharr for the holidays. Said it's too cold." Pete informed her.

"You're kidding." Lightning Lad stated.

"Stop! I won't let you hurt them anymore!"

Everyone turned to see Chlorophyll Kid as he pointed to the ground and thorn brambles grew out trying to attack them. "Let's see how you like it!" It was a melee attack aimed at all of them, getting most of the Subs.

"CK1 stop it! You're hurting us!" Infectious Lass begged him. The thorns had just about surrounded Saturn Girl and Night Girl.

"Imra!" Lightning Lad cried.

"Lydda!" Cosmic Boy yelled.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" The two yelled together as they did a double attack of electrically charged sewer plates and hovercars tossed at the thorns, saving the two.

"Please! Help us! Stop them! Stop everyone!" The words shrieked in Chlorophyll Kid's head.

"Garth check the girls. I've got this one!"

Lightning Lad flew over to Lydda and Imra.

"Okay you-" Cos started.

"Rokk don't!" Lydda cried. "Ral! Listen to me! The trees are not talking to you!" Saturn Girl tried to knock some sense in him. "Yes, they are! I can't block them out!" "That's not them! It's a trick!"

"Don't listen to her! Kill her! Kill them all!" the voices inside his head screamed.

"K-kill? But, I can't-" he stuttered.

"DO IT! KILL THEM! KILL THEM NOW!" They yelled. Then Saturn Girl interjects. "GET OUT OF HIS HEAD NOW! RAL, LISTEN, LISTEN TO WHAT THEY ARE REALLY SAYING."

Saturn Girl's eyes glowed pink, and Chlorophyll Kid started to hear what the trees were really thinking.

"Help us!"

"What's going on?"

"Why am I doing this? Why can't I stop?"

"Why am I spending my last weeks on the planet like this?"

"Someone, please, make me stop!"

"But, but why?"

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING YOU BRAT! DIE!"

"OH, NO, YOU DON'T!"

"CK1! You okay?"

"The trees. They stopped!"

Indeed. All the trees had suddenly stopped attacking and slunked to the ground.

"What happened?" Fire Lad asked.

"Listen to me. Everyone. The trees were not the enemy. The one's responsible, it's-"

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart."

SMASH.

"So I'll take this instead." Tyr said, holding up a fine diamond necklace. The LSV, Legion of Super-Villains, were raiding a jewelry store as the Legion and the Science Police were busy with the rampaging trees.

"Killer Christmas trees? What'll we think of next?" Hunter asked.

"It's all thanks to Esper and our newest member. Ain't that right babe? Babe?"

Tyr looked over the counter, and Esper was slunked over, drooling and mumbling to herself.

"Uh-oh. Guys, we gotta get outta here! It's-"

"The LSV. We should've known. Only you maniacs would try to ruin Christmas for everyone else." Cosmic Boy said. They were floating in front of the store windows. He then noticed the new guy. "But you, you're new."

"The name's Terrus." The new member said. He wore a black body suit and a beige mask and gloves that made him look like an old scarecrow.

"What? Scarecrow King too stupid?" Lightning Lad smirked.

"Hello Terrus. My name is Rainbow Girl. These are my compatriots Night Girl, Color Kid, Stone Boy, Lightning Lad, and Cosmic Boy. I hope that we can end this conflict without having to harm one another." Blue Dori went to Red Dori. "I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"Send 'em back to their mommas in a body bag, boys!" The red-haired Titania ordered.

"Hey!"

"And girls." Titania corrected herself.

"Better." Silver Slasher and Wave said.

And with that they attacked. Rainbow Girl went after Titania. "You freaks trying to mess up my Christmas! I was lookin' forward to getting a hovercar, a new vid-screen for my room…"

Red Dori became Orange Dori.

"And they're mine! All mine!"

"Uh Ulu, you're girlfriend just started shoplifting!" Lightning Lad said, having finished up quickly with Echo. Orange Rainbow Girl started looting just like the villains. "Whoops." Color Kid says. "But she's not my girlfriend." Color Kid turned Orange Dori into Green Dori. "Sorry 'bout that. Where were we? Oh yeah. Face, meet fist!" WHACK! She punches out Titania.

"I haven't read up on you. Night Girl is it?" Radiation Roy asked.

"That's me. Have you met my friend Stone Boy?!"

WHACK! She sent him flying across the room and through the building, using Stone Boy as a bat. "And he's out of here!"

"And so are you!"

Magno Lad ripped the metal paneling off the walls with his magnetic abilities and fired it at Lydda, only to have it reversed back at him, courtesy of Cosmic Boy. "No one messes with my girl!" Night Girl beams, before picking up a dazed Magno Lad and trying to shake answers out of him.

"So, you guys were behind the whole thing! Making Chlorophyll Kid think that the trees were talking to him! Bringing them to life and providing the distraction so you could loot these homes and stores." She noticed they had many full sacks, probably from wherever they started before coming here.

"Wow. You Subs aren't as stupid as you look." Tyr quiped.

"Why? Why would you try to destroy the city during the season of goodwill?" Indigo Dori turned to Red Dori. "And how the hell did you freaks bring them trees to life?!"

"I brought them to life, using these!" Terrus spoke up up. He raised his hand to reveal a mini micro-chip. "Organic micro-chips designed to spread like spores in pine and fir trees that have been selling through the many Christmas tree lots in this country. We activated them to keep the rest of the Legion busy."

"Genius. It's based on the work of the late Alec Holland and Pamela Isley." Stone Boy said.

"And Chlorophyll Kid?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"All Esper. She made the sap think the trees were talking to him, pleading for their lives. Heh, chlorophyll, tree, sap." Hunter says. "That witch doesn't know when to quit, does she?" Lightning Lad remarked, mostly to himself.

"But why?" Color Kid asked.

"It's a well-known fact that you Subs probably suffer from either poor power control or some mental condition. So we decided to go for both with Plant Boy's ability to make stuff grow. We figured the rest of you losers wouldn't be smart enough to go to the Legion for help." Titania states.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but-" Indigo Dori went back to Red Dori. "Shut the sprock up She-Man!"

"Say that to my face, bitch!" Titania charged at her. And Dori didn't move. "Bring it!" Red Dori turned to Yellow Dori. "I can't do this I can't do this I can't-"

"Dori watch out!"

Titania pushes her out the window. Her yellow aura prevented her from flying, until finally...

"You're safe, Dori." Lightning Lad caught her. "My hero." She said as they landing on the ground. Yellow Dori turned to Violet Dori as she kissed him on the cheek. She then started stroking his beard. "So sexy, you doing anything later?"

"Well, actually..." Lightning Lad said, blushing and contemplating it, when he was interrupted.

"Yes he is!"

The others turned to Saturn Girl, Infectious Lass, Fire Lad, Porcupine Pete, and Chlorophyll Kid, and behind them were all the Christmas trees. They were followed by Cosmic Boy, the Subs, and the villains, the ones still conscious, who came down from the store.

"You made me hurt my friends." He said to the villains, very calmly. "Go bitch to someone who cares." Hunter said.

"First, say hello to my new friends. They don't like being used." Chlorophyll Kid stated.

"Uh-oh." Is all Silver Slasher said.

"ATTACK!"

"Not the face!" Wave begged.

The Legionnaires and the Subs got up in the air, and they looked down and watched in horror as the villains got pummeled by the trees.

"Ooh!" Lightning Lad said, "That's gotta hurt!" Saturn Girl winced. Night Girl covered her eyes. Color Kid tsk-tsked. Cosmic Boy had his arm around Night Girl and turned her around. "Don't worry it about it Lydda." "Who's worried? I was straightening out my cape."

"They're everywhere!" Titania cried.

"Terrus you moron! Shut them down!" Tyr orderd.

"I'll try, but something's overriding it!"

"Me." Saturn Girl said.

"I need my-"

"Looking for this?" Orange Dori held up the remote. "It's mine now, sucker."

"They're like cockroaches!" Silver Slasher screamed. "Cockroaches!"

"So you took Esper down, babe?" Lightning Lad asked Saturn Girl. "Yep. She won't be acting out for a while now." "What's 'a while'?" "I'd say until next Christmas." "That's my girl."

"Well, looks like the holiday was saved." Fire Lad said. "Sorry about wigging out, guys." Chlorophyll Kid apologized. "Ah don't worry about CKI." Pete tells him. "The important thing is that you're all better." Infectious Lass said as she took a puff from her inhaler. "Can't say the same for those losers!" Night Girl said. "Poor souls. I shall pray for them." Everyone turned to Dori. "Not!" She said, STILL Indigo. Then they all started laughing together.

"OH GOD MY SPINE!"

Ivy looked down from atop a snowy rooftop.

"You're probably wondering why the kiddies won, aren't you? I guess it's my maternal instincts kicking in, even at this time of year."

She turned her head so we see that she is looking down on St. Fiacre Orphanage. A plant tendril knocked on the door loud enough for someone to answer. When someone did, they were amazed to see that in the yard there were dozens of fruit trees and vegetable patches withstanding the winter cold.

"Well, I guess it's not all bad."

That's when Ivy reached down and pulled out her shopping bags of stolen goods, and the same plant tendril brought her down to her car in the alley. As she finished putting them in her trunk, she closed the door, and she found that she had a visitor standing in the alley.

"Oh come now, lover. It is Christmas after all."

He just stared at her.

"Do I at least get a head start?"

Within five seconds Ivy was speeding out of the alley through the streets, being followed close enough.

"So, looks like I'm not spending Christmas alone, am I? Well, catch you around. And may your Christmas be a green one!"

Next Track:

04. Mistletoe Mugshots