Disclaimer: I do not own Legion of Super-Heroes, Green Lantern, or Batman.
Meant to take place during the Batman episode Christmas With The Joker.
A planet vibrant and filled with flora and fauna that dazzle the eyesight. Two small beings, blue skinned, one with white hair in a ponytail, the other bald. They radiated blue energy.
"Hello readers. I am Ganthet." The first, a male spoke.
"And I'm Sayd." The other, a female spoke.
"We were once members of the Guardians of the Universe, cosmic immortals responsible for the creation of the intergalactic police force called the Green Lantern Corps." Ganthet explained.
"But, do to recent events, we no longer belong to the Corps." Sayd told.
"We have gone against our fellow Guardians, we violated the Book of Oa…" Ganthet want on to tell.
"And we allowed ourselves to feel." Sayd finished.
"And now, we've started our own Corps, powered by the sentient energy in man's ability to hope. In the blue end of the emotional spectrum. Why?" Ganthet asked.
"We believe that life is sacred. Life must survive." Sayd and Ganthet held in hands. "We believe in hope, and compassion, and love."
"Which is why we believe in this story we are about tell you. About
10. Anno Domine
"Knock knock."
"It's open."
The doors slid open.
"Who is it?" Rokk Krinn, a.k.a. Cosmic Boy asked, not taking his eyes away from the screen and the dozens of holo-pads containing information on legislations and documentations of every planet and every nation. The visitor crept up, and put their hands around his eyes.
"Guess who?" She asked.
"Knock it off, Lydda." He playfully said. Lydda Jath, a.k.a. Night Girl, pulled her hands away from his eyes.
"Hey, no fair peeking!" She playfully moaned.
"What is it?" He wearily asked. Lydda looked offended.
"What is it? What is it? What day is it?" She asked.
"It's… uh…" Rokk tried to remember, Lydda looked annoyed.
"Christmas Eve, silly!" She threw her hands up in frustration.
"Oh, right! Duh." Rokk hit his forehead with the palm in his hand. Lydda then smiled and leaned closer.
"So, I thought I could pull you out of here for a little Christmas fun in the city." She told him. Suddenly, Rokk's smile disappeared and Lydda began to worry.
"Lydda. I'm sorry. I've gotta too-" He started to apologize, before she put a finger to his lips.
"Much work. Yeah, yeah. Well, I tried." She waved her hands in a c'est la vie manner.
"Sorry." He apologized again. He got up and kissed her on the lips. "We can do something tomorrow, I promise."
"Well, before I go…" Lydda said, putting down the tote bag she had over her shoulder and starting to dig into it.
"Yes?" Rokk asked.
"Can we at least take a Christmas photo?"
She pulled out a small, black camera.
"Now's not a good time. I-"
"Pretty bitty please with Christmas trees?" She gave her p
"Okay. One photo." Rokk caved in. In a bolt of lightning, Lydda grabbed him and dragged him into the lounge, in front of the big Christmas tree. She was so excited she forgot that she nearly crushed his wrist with her darkness-activated super strength. She huddled him closer to her as she aimed the camera in front of him. They smiled wide.
"Saaaay Christmas Tree!" Lydda told him.
"Christmas Tree." He happily applied
FLASH!
Cos started to rub his eyes.
"Okay, Lydda. Now that you have your picture I'll-"
He was suddenly cold. Cos moved his hands away from his eyes, slowly, and found himself at a loss of words.
"Merry Christmas!" Lydda shouted.
They weren't in HQ. They weren't in New Metropolis. They weren't in the 31st Century anymore. They were standing in a busy crowd, in the streets, of Gotham City, on Christmas Eve, in the 20th Century. Without thinking, acting on instinct, Rokk grabbed Lydda by the arm and dragged her into an empty alley. Of course in Gotham City where can you find an empty alley?
"Lydda what did you do?!" Rokk screamed.
"Well since you were so busy and so very stubborn, I got to thinking. Then it came to me. Why don't we spend Christmas in the past, that way we can get it out of our systems, and you can get all your work done. Get it?" Lydda explained. Rokk furrowed his brow and started to lecture her.
"You can't just drag me into the 21st-"
"20th." She corrected.
"Whatever! Have you ever heard of something called the Butterfly Effect? Ray Bradbury wrote a book about it, which was turned into a movie? Hell, the Simpsons even did an episode about it! When the baby axed the Scottish guy in the back and she sounded like James Earl Jones. You wanna go back and get chopped up by a five-year old who sounds like Sean Connery?" Rokk finished his rant.
"You done?:" Lydda innocently asked as she crept back up to him, before cowering behind a dumpster while listening to his inane rant.
"Pretty much." He said. But his face was still bright red.
"Well, no, I don't. But I already knew that."
"Then why would you-"
"A Certificate and licensed documentation from Mister Rond Vidar of the Time Institute allowing me to commandeer a time cube and allow us to travel back to the 20th Century, after carefully plotting out our course of travel and figuring out every interval and possible outcome of our arrival, and carefully proving that there is no chance for anything to screw up our present by traveling to the past."
Lydda pulled out of her tote bag, which she'd taken with her, documents and holo-pads signed and approved by the Time Institute of New Metropolis and one honorary Legionnaire and Green Lantern, Rond Vidar.
"And this is all legit?" Rokk asked, still unsure.
"Yep." Lydda plainly put out. Rokk processed this for a minute.
"Well, if there really is no chance of anything bad happening because of us…"
"Yeah…?" Lydda leaned in excitedly. Rokk sighed.
"Well I guess I can spare a few hours."
Lydda woo-hooed, before recomposing herself.
"Like you had a choice." She coolly said. But, Rokk realized there was a problem. He looked down at his outfit, and at hers.
"But, uh, what are we going to do about-"
"Taken care of." She said. Lydda opened the tote bag again, but before she did, she took out her hair pins and let her black hair flow down. Rokk felt his heartbeat rage. She looked lovelier then she did before. But she would always be beautiful. Always. Lydda pulled out two sets of clothes, one for her and one for him, and then pulled out a small leather wallet filled with money proper to this time.
"I asked Kal if he could lend me a few dollars." Lydda explained.
"I didn't know you were such good friends with Superman." Rokk thought out loud.
"Oh please when I told him it was to get you out of the HQ he practically gave me his entire wallet." She laughed.
"Nice." Rokk said sarcastically.
The two walked into the back of a clothing store, went into their respective dressing rooms, and changed into the clothes Lydda brought. She had on a black skirt, black leggings, black boots, a white long-sleeved shirt with a yellow crescent moon, white gloves, and a black beret on her head, along with a white jacket. Rokk had on blue jeans, a jersey for the Metropolis Meteors, a denim jacket, and gloves. Both their respective looks did well for their frames, Lydda's curves and Rokk's build as a former Magnoball athlete. And both kept on their flight rings, Lydda's being an honorary one what with her status as a Sub. The two left the store, unnoticed by just about everyone, hand in hand,, as Lydda dragged Rokk out into the Winter Wonderland Gotham could become in winter…
When you aren't worrying about the psychos, that is.
"Now let's go! There's a whole city waiting for us!" Lydda said as she dragged her boyfriend.
"It's true what they say. Girls really do just wanna have fun."
…
For the rest of the night, Lydda dragged Rokk around the city, even though Rokk knew most about it, being a history buff and all. They walked through the zoo, a museum, window-shopped in a primitive Earth mall, and ate in a fancy café. Lydda had her picture taken with Santa, and they ice-skated in front of Bergduff's. The two were having a wonderful time. It felt good to laugh and to be out of his room, thought Rokk. Lydda was just happy to see him smile. They capped the night in Gotham Park. They stood in front of a vendor and bought cider and hot chocolate. Rokk even said to keep the change, after handing the woman a twenty. They sat on a snowy bench in the cold December night.
"Well?" Lydda asked as she took in the aroma of her cider.
"Okay, I'll admit this was fun." Rokk smiled.
"See?"
"And, this night with you has been one of the most relaxing nights I've had in a while." Rokk told her.
"And you still have plenty of time to finish those nasty reports." Lydda told.
"Yeah, about that, Lydda." Rokk started, but stopped when he saw the sparkling look in her eyes. He was lost for a moment, leaned in, and-
BOOM!
The two fell out of the bench as the ground shook. Their drinks spilled onto the ground. People started screaming and running.
"What the sprock was that?!" Lydda yelled.
"Up there!" Someone yelled and pointed upwards.
"What's going on?" Rokk asked. Up, in the sky, they saw fiery projectiles hurling towards various points of Gotham. They were being fired from a faraway observatory. Lydda pulled someone aside and asked what was happening.
"The Joker is trying to blow up Gotham!" The man said.
"Fo' sho'?" Lydda asked in the native tongue.
"Fo' sho!" He replied, and ran off.
"He's jury rigged Gotham Observatory into a cannon!" Someone screamed. The two looked up, and there was the Bat Signal in the sky, not knowing that the protectors of Gotham were already doing something about it. Lydda was just about to fly up when Rokk stopped her.
"Lydda we can't interrupt!"
"We have to! Batman and Robin can't stop the gunfire hurling towards the city."
"But-" He started.
"Rokk! I told this was taken care of!"
"I…" He started again, but, there was a nagging voice in his head. It was saying one thing…
Stop sprockin' complaining and DO SOMETHING!!
"No, you're right Lydda. You're absolutely right." Rokk told her.
"Thank you." She said.
"We need to save the city. But, we can't do it like this." He motioned to their clothes.
"Taken care of." She said. And opened the tote bag once again, and pulled out two new costumes. She handed Rokk his.
"Here."
He looked at her.
"In case of emergencies."
"You think of everything, don't you?" Rokk joked.
"Someone has to." She joked back.
…
Up in the sky, more flaming balls of death where being fired at the city. One, in particular, was aimed right at GCPD. It went straight at it, burning and lighting up the sky, before it stopped in mid air and flew into the harbor, as if it was compelled.
"Got one."
Up in the sky, their flew a man in a purple-and-blue outfit, mostly purple. On his side was a blue patch with designs resembling magnetic waves. He wore a mask which covered his face save for his mouth and eyes. Two gauntlets, one on each arm. Rokk Krinn, a.k.a. Polestar.
"You good?" Rokk asked into his ring.
Over by the bay, two more projectiles were hurled into the water, away from any boats, by a black haired girl with super-strength.
"I'm good, hon."
She wore a suit similar to her Night Girl uniform, except this had no sleeves except for gloves, and a translucent silk cape. On her chest was a yellow crescent moon and a red sun. She wore a domino mask.
"Oh hold on."
One projectile was aimed straight at her.
BAM!
She sent it flying straight into another one and they blew up on impact.
"I'm good."
Over at Rokk, he had his hands full with plenty of the projectiles, when, suddenly, one flew by him and headed straight for a nearby bridge!
"No!"
Too late.
BOOM!
It blew right through the bridge, and it was too late for the driver of the bus that went off the edge. They screamed as they plummeted down into the icy river, when, suddenly, it stopped, just floating there. And Rokk carefully levitated it back onto the bridge.
"No problem. I've got you." He said.
He placed it on the bridge, and the doors opened. Rokk's jaw dropped. It was a bus full of nuns.
"You have GOT to be kidding me." Rokk said in disbelief.
"Bless you." The Mother Superior said.
"No problem, ma'am." Rokk waved to her.
"Please, young man!" One of the sisters called. "What's your name?"
"Uh…" Rokk had to think. Quick.
"Polestar."
The rest of the sisters conveyed their thanks as Rokk flew off.
"Lydda, I've managed to divert all the projectiles. Actually it stopped." Rokk noticed. Up in the sky, the observatory had stopped firing.
"We've got another problem." Lydda said through her ring.
"What?"
"There's trouble at the church!"
Rokk rolled his eyes. "Tis the season for cliches."
…
People were screaming and cowering in fear. Thugs in straw masks were looting the place
"Amazing, how even the most joyous of holidays can bring out such fear in mankind." Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, stood over the altar as the parishioners screamed, twitched, and convulsed in fear.
"So much for the deliverance of the Messiah." He laughed, a plate of fear-toxin laced communion wafers on the altar.
The doors burst open.
"Enough games you Washington Irving rip-off!" Lydda screamed.
"And your name would be…?" Scarecrow asked.
"Dusk."
"Ah, well then, Miss Dusk, I'm sorry to have to say you're in the way. Actually, I'm not sorry. Boys!" The Scarecrow snapped his fingers and his thugs charged at her. She stood her ground.
"Like you could beat-"
WHACK!
She got sent flying near the confessionals.
"Me."
"Seems I won't be getting much of a treat this year. Any last words?" Scarecrow asked.
"I'm sorry! But please don't turn out the lights! I'm scared of the dark!" She shook in fear.
"Is that so?"
He snapped his fingers again The shot the lights out.
KZZT.
"Thanks."
POW! BLAM! SUCKER PUNCH! HEMORRHAGE! INTERNAL BLEEDING!
…
The police had Scarecrow and his goons locked up.
"Thank you for help, uh…" A police officer asked.
"Polestar." Rokk said.
"And Dusk." Lydda said.
FLASH! FLASH!
The two had to shield their eyes from the paparazzi, with their endless stream of questions. Rokk grabbed Lydda and the flew back into the park. She pulled out the Time Cube.
"Say cheese."
FLASH!
"You were right, Lydda. That was nice." Rokk said, taking off his mask.
"And you still have time to finish your reports." Lydda told him.
"Well, actually…" Rokk started. He pulled out a brochure.
"What is…?"
"A week at Ventura. I'd already requested time off. I was just handling the final pay. We can spend the week until New Year's. How's-"
She embraced him. He dropped the brochure. They stood there for about five minutes.
"Thanks for one wonderful Christmas." Rokk told her. "And here's hoping to another wonderful one."
"Don't thank me." She said. Inside the tote bag was an old newspaper clipping, one thousand years old.
MYSTERIOUS SUPERHERO COUPLE DUSK & POLESTAR HELP SAVE GOTHAM DURING CHRISTMAS RAMPAGE
And Rokk and Lydda eagerly awaited the New Year together, in hope for what the future would bring.
…
"Wherever you are, on whatever planet you celebrate…" Sayd said.
"We hope you spend it looking forward to the future, and what it might bring for you and your loved ones." Ganthet finished.
"Happy Holidays." They said, hand-in-hand.
Next Track:
11. What Is Christmas?
