Infinity Crisis: Christmas Remembrance

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners. This is just for fun.

The TARDIS

A pair of hands nimbly danced on the controls of the powerful multiversal and time-traveling machine. The hands belonged to what appeared to be a Black woman in her forties, wearing black pants, boots, a blue coat, and a shirt made of Kente cloth. Stylishly perched on her nose was a pair of glasses with yellow-tinted round lenses.

The Fugitive Doctor was piloting her TARDIS towards their latest destination. And she had a special treat in mind. After all, a holiday was coming up. She heard the hiss of a door opening. The Time Lord looked up and saw her three traveling companions. The first was a tall muscular teenage boy of around 16 years old. His fiery red hair reached down to his shoulders, the hair at the temples a bright yellow. He wore a red t-shirt, black gym shorts, and white socks with black loafers.

Red Dragon. Real Name: Jake Robert Wildfire. Birthplace: Boston, MA, Earth-472006. Physiology: Mutant Human. Affiliation: (Formerly) West Coast Misfits. Powers and abilities: Flight, Fire Breath. Can transform into an anthropomorphic dragon for short periods of time. In this "Dragon Mode", Wildfire has superhuman strength, invulnerability, healing factor, and his flight and fire breath powers are greatly enhanced. Skilled hand-to-hand combatant, grappler, and wrestler.

The second was a young woman of Chinese-American descent, around 19-21 years old. She wore a yellow tank top and black-and-pink sweatpants. On her feet were a pair of fuzzy black slippers, with little bat heads on them. Her short black hair was in a wild bob, and her red eyes had a slight glow. Her skin was a very pale white.

Jubilee. Real Name: Jubilation Lee. Birthplace: Beverly Hills, CA, Earth-51989. Physiology: Mutant Human/Vampire hybrid. Affiliation: (Formerly) X-Men. Powers and abilities: X-Gene grants the power to generate pyrotechnic energy plasmoids from her hands. Vampiric heritage grants superhuman strength, superhuman speed, healing factor. Her half-human physiology means she is immune to traditional vampire weaknesses (garlic, sunlight, etc), and she also lacks certain powers associated with vampires (Flight, shapeshifting). Skilled hand-to-hand combatant.

The third was an adult man, with dark blond hair in a short cut. He had a wiry frame like that of an acrobat. He was wearing a purple t-shirt with black shorts, covered by a dark purple robe. On his other-wise bare feet was a pair of purple loafers.

Hawkeye. Real Name: Clinton "Clint" Barton. Birthplace: Waverly, IA, Earth-86315. Physiology: Baseline Human. Affiliation: (Formerly) SHIELD. Powers and abilities: No innate superpowers. Skilled archer, marksman, spy, and martial artist.

"Ah, good morning, everyone." The Fugitive Doctor greeted her crew.

"Morning, Doc." Jubilee yawned slightly.

"What's up, Doc?" Clint asked. Jake just nodded and gave the Doctor a wave.

"I thought you three would like a treat." The Doctor smiled at the three. "I know you've had some adventures lately, and you three have shown yourselves to be exemplary in them."

"Uh, thanks Doc." Clint said.

"Yeah, we appreciate that." Jake nodded.

"Mmm. For one thing, I don't want to end up trapped in another B-Movie." Jubilee agreed, glaring at Jake. The redheaded mutant rolled his blue eyes.

"It could've been worse, Jubes." Clint chuckled. "We could have ended up trapped in an X-Movie, heh heh."

"At least in that situation, I could get laid." Jubilee retorted.

"For God's sake, Jubilee! It wasn't my fault!" Jake groaned. "How was I supposed to know that that movie theater was magical or whatever?" (Author's Note: See Movie-Brat's Infinity Crisis: Legacy of the Doctor for more on that incident)

"He's got a point, Jubes." Clint agreed. "It really isn't fair to stay angry at him about that."

"Indeed, Miss Lee." The Doctor concurred with a nod. "Mr. Wildfire meant no harm. And we did go to that nice multiplex later on."

Jubilee sighed. "Yeah, fair enough. Sorry, Jake."

"I have also noticed that a certain holiday that Earth is fond of is coming up." The Doctor smiled. "Christmas." Her three companions looked at each other.

"Christmas?" Jake blinked.

"Huh. I...didn't even realize it." Clint noted.

"Yeah. I didn't think about that." Jubilee realized. "I mean, for us, it'll be the first Christmas without..." She trailed off. She found herself thinking about the family she lost when the anti-matter wave consumed her Earth. Her parents. Her fellow X-Men. Everett and Laura...

"Yeah." Jake nodded. His own mind flashed to his own parents and little brother Kyle. He also found himself surprisingly thinking about his fellow West Coast Misfits. Paul, Craig, Jennifer and Ace Starr. Lila Cheney. Jinx. He wasn't the most sociable with them, mainly because he hated being on the West Coast Misfits. A part of him, to Jake's own shame, hated them a little bit. After all, unlike he and Kyle, the others all got to join the team of their own free will.

Clint thought about his own family, his wife Laura and his children: his son Cooper and daughter Lila. He shook it off.

"At least we have each other." Clint said, trying to cast some light on the mood.

"As strange as that is, yeah." Jake agreed.

"Hopefully where you plan to take us won't result in fighting a monster or something like that." Clint chuckled.

"I wouldn't mind seeing Earth-D again..." Jake unknowingly let a little smile form on his face. Jubilee picked that up and giggled.

"Oh, I know why you want to visit that Earth again." Jubilee grinned wickedly at the teenager. "She was a cutie, I can see why you wanted to hoard her, dragon boy..."

"Jubilee, don't say it like that." Jake scowled. "God, I think you havin' a boyfriend and a girlfriend screwed you up."

The Doctor chuckled. "Love can take many forms, Mr. Wildfire."

"True." Jake agreed with a shrug.

"Not a fan of romance, huh?" Clint chuckled. Jake gave a "sort-of" gesture.

"Back in this old world, there was this gal I had a bit of a crush on." Jake said. "But it wouldn't have worked out."

"Well, I plan to take us to a quiet little town. Hopefully, the only adventure we'll have there is just seeing some sights." The Doctor said.

Planet Ventura, Sector 2018, Universe-51

The TARDIS materialized in a park. The Doctor and her companions emerged from the time-and-dimension-traversing machine. The Doctor was clad in her usual blue uniform. The archer, mutant, and mutant/vampire hybrid looked around and gawked at the city they found themselves in. The three had changed into more presentable civilian clothes.

Jubilee was wearing a pink blouse and jeans with a yellow blazer. Her red eyes were covered by a pair of stylish rose-tinted sunglasses. Her outfit was completed by a pair of high-heeled boots. Clint wore a purple polo shirt and matching slacks, with black work boots. Jake wore a red t-shirt with blue jeans and black sneakers.

"Is this...some kind of future Las Vegas?" Clint gaped. His assumption was an understandable one. The city was awash in neon, showing various casino, shops, restaurants, and arcades.

The Doctor chuckled. "In a way. This world's name translates to English as 'Ventura'."

"A planet called Ventura...that looks like Las Vegas." Jake rolled his eyes. "That's...not bizarre. I swear, this looks like it came out of a 1960s comic book..."

"Just roll with it, Red Dragon." Jubilee smiled.

"We are also in the year 3023." The Doctor announced. "By this time, Ventura has become one of the Milky Way's premier locations for fun, frolic, and frivolity."

"Let me guess, this place has all the things a vacation world could ask for." Clint deduced.

"You assume correctly, Mr. Barton."

"I'm hoping this place has some good entertainment." Jubilee grinned.

"We don't know the terrain." Jake noted. "I doubt we even know the local lingua franca."

"Kid's got a point, Doctor." Clint agreed. "I'm all for a day of fun, but how can we do that on an alien world? Even one like this?"

The Doctor pulled some small gadgets out of her pocket that looked like sport earphones. "These translators will help with that." The three took the devices. Clint and Jubilee put theirs in their ears, but Jake frowned.

"I hate these earphones." Jake muttered. "Makes my ears uncomfortable."

"Do not worry, Mr. Wildfire. These won't irritate your ears." The Doctor assured. Jake shrugged and put it on. True to the Doctor's word, the earphone actually felt very comfortable.

"Huh." He said. "We should stay together. We're on a strange world, and it would be safer than just wandering off."

"Indeed, Mr. Wildfire." The Doctor nodded. "Well, let us look around." The four walked around the city, and it turned into a day of fun. They took in some wondrous sights, and saw a few shows. The four all found something to enjoy. Jubilee and Clint enjoyed seeing the circus performers. Jake enjoyed watching some live combat sport. After that day, the quartet of adventurers found themselves in need of food. Luckily, there was a buffet restaurant that served various foods from all over the galaxy, including Earth. The four decided to go their to enjoy a meal.

"I have to admit, this space spaghetti is good." Clint grinned as he twirled his fork in the pasta.

"I'm liking the ham myself." Jake said. He ate some of the said food. "Mm. Juicy, and not too salty."

"You guys have got to try this mac and cheese." Jubilee licked her lips and hummed in delight. "Soooo creamy..."

"God, what a way to spend a Christmas." Clint noted. "In another universe, on another planet, eating in a buffet."

"It could be worse." Jake said. "We could be...well..."

"Yeah..." Clint nodded. A sad pall seemed to fall over the table the four were eating at.

"I remember the last Christmas dinner I had with the X-Men." Jubilee said. "Remy and Jean worked in the kitchen of the Xavier Institute for it."

"Remy. He's the guy who threw explosive playing cards, right?" Clint asked.

"Yes, like in my universe." Jake nodded.

Jubilee nodded. "Now, here's the thing about Remy. Remy was a surprisingly good cook. My mouth still waters when I think about his gumbo. And he didn't think highly of Jean's abilities as a chef."

"Let me guess." Clint piped up. "She was not great in the kitchen."

"Naw, she wasn't bad, her cooking was...bland." Jubilee clarified. "It was edible, but it was about it. Well, she was trying to cook some stew for Christmas. And Remy thought it was bland. So, he tried to sneak some spices into it. Jean telekinetically tossed him out of the kitchen." She burst out laughing. "it was so hilarious! He ended up tumbling over a couch, and under it!"

Clint laughed. "Oh my God! I wish I could have seen that!" Jake chuckled.

"If your world's Jean was anything like my world's Jean, yeah. That sounds right."

"I do hope Mr. LeBeau wasn't too badly hurt." The Doctor noted. Jubilee waved it off.

"Aw, he was fine. Just some bruises. If Jean really wanted to hurt him, he'd be in traction for a very long time. There's a reason why the Sabertooth of my world is terrified of her."

"In my universe, one of the X-Men, Kitty Pryde, was not allowed to cook." Jake recalled. "She...well, let's just say that Cobra would study her cooking to make bio-weapons." He cleared his throat. "I heard about this one incident secondhand. This wasn't too long after this whole mess involving some big red demon called Trigon..." (Author's Note: In RogueFanKC's story "For Truth, Justice, and the Last Cup of BA's Coffee")

"Trigon?" Clint blinked. "Sounds like a detergent brand."

"A demon who rules another dimension." The Doctor explained. "Normally, he faces a group of superheroes called the Teen Titans."

"That must have been scary." Jubilee blinked.

Jake shook his head. "I wouldn't know. The X-Men, Misfits, and Teen Titans of my world fought him."

"How come the West Coast Misfits weren't involved?" Clint asked.

"Because we, like the rest of the world at that time, were turned into rocks." Jake explained. "Don't ask now, I'll tell you about that another time. Anyway, Kitty once tried to make some lasagna. Long story short, it somehow turned int a lasagna blob monster."

"I would say that you're making that up, but I doubt it." Clint said.

"I wish I was." Jake rolled his eyes.

"Well, I got a Christmas story." Clint offered. "Last year, before...everything, some of Laura's relatives came by. Now, Laura's aunt Wendy, well...she didn't like me. She thought I was a hoodlum."

"You are a hoodlum." Jubilee teased.

"Cause a stampede one time..." Clint jokingly muttered. "Anyway, Wendy also thought that she was a great cook. Thing is, she sucked as a cook. I mean, she burned water. We have no idea how."

"Did anyone tell her that?" Jake asked.

"All the time. It didn't register." Clint answered. "Well, she wanted to help make Christmas dinner."

The Doctor winced. "Oh, dear..."

"Yeah. Let's just say, that ended with Wendy causing a fist-fight with one of the neighbors." Clint chuckled. "Wendy got a decent left jab, but she's got not much else. Got suplexed through a fence. Blamed me for it for some reason." Jake and Jubilee laughed.

"Oh my Gawd, I wish I could have witnessed that!" The dhampiric mutant cackled.

"I admit, that sounds amusing." Jake said. He looked at the Doctor. "You know, as long as we're here..." He raised his drink. "I just want to say, and I think I can speak for all of us...thanks. Thanks for saving our lives, Doc."

"I just wish I could have saved your worlds." The Doctor sighed sadly. "But what is done is done."

"She's right." Jubilee agreed. "It's been hard for the three of us. But there is an upside." She smiled. "We got to travel other worlds, see all sorts of awesome things, and do some good."

"Indeed." Jake agreed, sipping his chocolate milk. "It felt good to do something that actually mattered. Back in my old world, I was stuck on a team that just...played glorified researcher. They didn't really do anything important. At least, in my opinion." A small smile appeared on the face of the young mutant codenamed Red Dragon. "But with you guys, I...I got to feel like we did something that actually has an effect on anything. It's nice."

"I have to admit." Clint added. "I am happy I met you all. I do feel like I sort of have a family again with you."

"Heh. Us. A family." Jake chuckled.

"Why not?" Jubilee shrugged. "The X-Men always saw themselves as a bit of a found family. I'm sure the West Coast Misfits of your world thought the same thing." Jake nodded.

"Sort of."

"To family." Clint raised his soda.

"To family lost, and family gained." Jubilee added, raising her water.

"To family." Jake raised his chocolate milk.

"To family." The Doctor raised her wine. The four clinked their glasses. They would spend the rest of their time at the buffet enjoying some delicious food, and telling some stories about their old friends and family in their old worlds. It proved to be a joyful way for them to remember their lost loved ones...and bond with new loved ones. The next day, they would get gifts for each other. But ultimately, their company was present enough.

New York City, Earth-199914

The TARDIS materialized on the roof of the United Nations' headquarters. Two figures emerged first from the vehicle that resembled a blue police box. They were both young women. One was dark-haired with a tanned complexion, wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue jacket, with pale green jeans and brown boots. She had a gunslinger's belt with a futuristic laser pistol and a dagger holstered in it. The second was Native American, wearing a white and blue outfit with blue native-styled designs on it, her braided hair having a pair of blue feathers in it. She also had blue-and-white lines painted on her face, particularly her forehead and cheeks.

"Raven? What...is..." The Native American woman asked the dark-haired woman, looking around at the large city. "Is...this a village? It's so..."

"I haven't really seen a city like this before myself, Kahhori." The dark-haired woman noted. She looked out at the city and smiled. "Incredible, ain't it?"

The Mohawk woman gaped at it. "I didn't think it was possible for a village to be this...sprawling."

"The view is indeed incredible, ladies." A third voice said. This belonged to a tall, thin man who emerged from the TARDIS. His white hair was styled in a mullet, topped by a wide-brimmed hat. His face was playful, and his eyes were covered by a pair of spectacles with round lenses. He wore a brown over-coat with beige stripes going down each side of the front, pale yellow lapels and cuffs. The stripes ended with large beige question marks. He wore a pair of purple gloves, and under his coat could be seen a pair of purple wing-tip boots. He also wore a yellow scarf. "We are in New York City. On many Earths, this is a very significant location for commerce and culture." He smiled at the dark-haired woman. "I bet you never imagined you'd see a place like this, huh Raven?"

Raven shrugged. "I admit, I never imagined that I would, Doc. Especially after the Daleks conquered my world." She jerked a thumb at Kahhori. "And I saw this woman smash conquistadors." She grinned at the Mohawk woman. "If my world had you when the Daleks showed up, they wouldn't have been a problem."

"The Daleks. They are...robots, right?" Kahhori blinked, tilting her head.

"More like angry little squid that operate fancy vehicles." The Doctor explained. "They are also like cockroaches. When you think you got rid of them, they always find a way to return."

"Like that one Earth we found them fighting those Cybermen." Raven recalled.

"Another breed of intergalactic cockroach." The Doctor sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"I'm confused." Kahhori scratched her head. "These...'Cybermen'. They are different from the 'Daleks', right?"

"Very." Raven nodded. "The Cybermen are men that turned themselves into machines."

"I feel like I have fallen into madness." Kahhori sighed, rubbing her temples.

The Doctor smiled at her in understanding. "It is a lot, I will admit. But we'll help you through it, my dear."

"Yeah." Raven agreed. "I admit, Doc. I want to explore the city myself."

"We will have to stay together to do so." The Doctor agreed. "After all, a big city like this has plenty of wonders, as well as dangers."

"You are strangers here. Explain yourselves." A new voice demanded. The three looked up and saw a muscular man flying in the air. His arms were crossed. He wore a white costume with a red collar and large red shoulder pads. A red cape was attached to the pads. He had a red cowl that allowed his strawberry blond hair free and hid his eyes behind white lenses. Around his waist was a golden belt. It provided a border between the white upper half of the costume and the black lower half, making him look like he was wearing a white shirt and black pants. He wore black gloves and boots. His chest had a black emblem of what looked like the middle section of the number eight.

"Bloody hell!" Raven snapped, whipping out her gun. Kahhori's eyes and fists started to glow a brilliant blue..

"Take it easy, you two!" The Doctor thrust out his hand at the two women. "I know who this is."

"You do?" Kahhori asked.

"Yes." The Doctor nodded. "Allow me to explain. On this Earth, there is humanity, but there is also something else. The Shadow Dwellers."

"Shadow Dwellers?" Raven blinked.

"Yes." The Doctor nodded. He pulled out what looked like an ordinary pocketwatch from his coat. He opened it and it started to project images of people. Various people of diverse ages, races, and creeds. "On this Earth, the Shadow Dwellers evolved outside humanity. They are powerful immortal beings, only losing their immortality if they have children. They are mighty, but few. Humanity has the great numerical advantage over them. Most humans are unaware of their existence." He waved to the figure. "This being here is one of them. He has claimed to be the oldest and most powerful of them all. This is just his latest identity." He turned and smiled at the figure. "Doctor Zero, I presume?"

"You know of me." Doctor Zero noted.

"Indeed, I do." The Doctor noted. "In fact, it's fortunate that you are here."

"Why is that?"

"We believe that the Daleks are going to invade your world." The Doctor said.

"Daleks?" Doctor Zero snorted. "Never heard of them."

"Understandable." The Doctor nodded. "They're not native to your universe."

"They conquered my world." Raven explained. "I was a freedom fighter. The Doctor helped free my world from them. I started traveling with him afterwards because, well...with that war over, I felt there was no place for me there anymore." Doctor Zero floated down to the roof the Time Lord and his companions stood on. He narrowed his eyes at them.

"I can sense your words are truthful." The ancient Shadow Dweller nodded. "I have to admit, I am fascinated by the idea the multiverse is real. Come. I have a place where we can discuss this further in comfort." Not to mention, I will need as much information as I can get about these "Daleks". Doctor Zero thought. I have plans for this world, and I do not need these monsters messing those up...

Part of the inspiration for this story came from Movie-Brat's story Legacy of the Doctor. In the author's notes, he said that to him, the Doctor is a hero, a teacher, and a friend. I thought it would be nice to show that for some, the Doctor is also someone else: part of their family.

The planet Ventura first appeared in World's Finest #150 (June 1965), created by Edmund Hamilton and Curt Swan. It's basically Las Vegas if it was a planet.

Doctor Zero first appeared in Doctor Zero #1 (April 1988), created by Archie Goodwin. And Earth-199914 is the home of an MCU version of the Shadowline universe. Shadowline was a short-lived superhero shared universe published by Marvel Comics' Epic imprint, an imprint for creator-owned works and work for more mature audiences in the 1980s and 1990s. I had been wanting to do something with the characters from that line for a long time. And I included Kahhori from the What If series because I think she's neat.

The Doctor introduced here is a semi-original incarnation. I was inspired to create him thanks to a YouTube video I saw once taking about Nelvana and the BBC attempting to make a Doctor Who animated series in the 1990s. As such, I dub this Doctor "The Animated Doctor". The Animated Doctor's appearance is based on concept art for the cartoon, and Raven is also from that concept. She would have been a freedom fighter who became the Animated Doctor's companion after he helped her liberate her world from the Daleks.

Hope you all liked this little holiday one-shot. Have a belated merry Christmas and Happy New Year!