DC2 Showcase Holiday Special

The sleigh that came swooping down from the gray afternoon sky was unlike any that had ever been seen before. To begin with, it was made entirely from the green energy that emanated from Green Lantern’s power ring. Hal Jordan wore his grin a mile long as he neared the University of Michigan’s Children Hospital in the college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. There were already a few inches of snow on the ground, and the weather report called for several more by early evening.

Sitting in the sleigh was a man dressed all in red, a white beard framing his face and falling from his chin. His bushy white eyebrows were furrowed as they made their descent. The man sitting next to him was clad in green, with a blond van dyke that made him instantly recognizable as the archer, Green Arrow. His leg was propped up and his foot was resting on the front of the sleigh.

“Can someone tell me again why I ended up in the Santa suit?”

“Because, Barry my friend, you were stupid enough to bet against an inside straight,” Oliver Queen chuckled. “Anyway, it’s for a good cause.”

Hal was chuckling to himself, “A pair of fours. You bet with a pair of fours.”

“I was sure you were bluffing,” Barry retorted with fake anger. He ended up laughing out loud. “Well it worked the last time.”

“I guess I just learn faster,” Hal replied as he brought the emerald sleigh down onto the roof of the building in time to see the blue and red figure of Superman as he flew by with a bundled up child under each arm. The children were giggling and squealing with joy.

“Never been here before,” Barry was saying as he hoisted the bag of toys over his shoulder. “But I love their football team.”

Ollie nodded in agreement, “The Wolverine’s. You know that would make a pretty cool code name.”

Hal rolled his eyes, “Yeah, Wolverine’s, whatever. Let’s get inside and give these kids a little happiness, guys.”

As they followed him in, Ollie leaned into Barry’s ear, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from a guy who lives in California.”

“Heard that,” Hal called from behind him as he opened the door for the two men who trekked down the steps and onto the children’s ward. At the end of the hall, they saw both Plastic Man and Wonder Woman enjoying the company of several children in wheel chairs. Eel had shaped himself into a basketball while the kids were playing catch between each other and the Amazon.

“Well, the kids seem more active then I expected,” Barry noted.

“This isn’t even a handful of them,” Ollie said grimly.

Moments later they realized what he meant as they began to pass rooms where the most ill still lay in their beds, machines ran quietly and tubes extended into them. The mood of the trio turned noticeably darker for a bit.

“Don’t worry,” Ollie said. “We’ll be visiting every room before we leave. However, the main lounge is where we need to go right now.”

For the kids who could walk or at least wheel themselves into the large gathering area, there was much excitement. Even before they got to the end of the hall, they heard certain children shouting with excitement, “Santa’s coming!”

“See, you’re a hit already,” Hal said.

Barry grinned in spite of himself. “Let’s put some cheer into these kids’ lives.”

The mood began to lighten quite a bit after that. Not too soon after Santa had finished giving out presents and taking requests, he bid them all a fond farewell, noting he had to get ready for work, and was gone. The kids didn’t have to long to be disappointed since less then ten seconds later, The Flash came zooming in, asking if he had missed big red.

After that the children were given small notebooks so that they could get their favorite hero’s autographs. Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern were swamped with enthusiastic kids, all begging for the signature.

Sitting at the next table over, Green Arrow and Plastic Man watched.

“Could this get anymore embarrassing?” Plastic Man sighed.

An eight-year-old boy walked up to the stretchable hero, shyly and held out his pen and paper. “Would you sign this for me, Mr. Elongated Man?”

“I stand corrected.” He looked over at the archer who was covering his laugh with his hand. “… And for the record, I’m getting real tired of that joke.”

They sat again in silence for several minutes until a young girl, her eyes wide with excitement, walked up to Ollie. “Mr. Green Arrow?”

He tilted his hat and gave her his most charming grin, “That’s me pretty little lady, what can I do for you?”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” she said as she handed him her paper and pen, already signed by the other hero’s. “Would you please take this for me…?”

“Of course, sweet-heart,” he interrupted as he took her paper and began to sign it.

“No, no!” She exclaimed. “I was hoping you’d take it to Black Canary for me. I read that you two knew each other, and I want to be just like her when I grow up.”

Ollie sat there, staring at the blank page as Eel began to laugh hysterically. Green Arrow took a deep breath and brought out that smile, albeit a little more forced. “Of course I will. And you have a Merry Christmas.”

As the girl walked away, Plastic Man howled even more, “That was worth every lame comparison to Dibney that I’ve ever had! You’re face was priceless.” He stated as he leaned back in his chair, tears rolling down his eyes.

Ollie gave him a blank stare, and then pushed the chair out from under him.

Barry watched two of the senior members of their exclusive club get a table towards the front of the stage. Dinah’s face lit up as she saw them sit down and winked at them both as the music continued.

He then scanned the club and saw the person he was hoping he would see. Wally West was sitting in a corner table with Donna Troy, both of them talking and laughing and having an apparently good time.

“And what are the two youngest members of our club up to?” He asked as he sat down with them.

Donna was still laughing, trying to catch her breath and Wally grinned sheepishly as he looked at his mentor.

“We were just considering what would happen if we played a practical joke on Mr. Queen, over there.”

“Well, I’ll let you two figure out the wisdom in that. Wally, I’d like to introduce you to a couple of people.”

“Sure, Barry, excuse me for a second, Donna?”

“No problem. I’m going to go say hi to Diana, anyway.”

Diana Prince opened her arms and embraced Donna. “Hello my little sister and Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Diana! It seems like ages since we’ve seen each other. I miss you.” Donna couldn’t help but tear up. Her life with the Titans and Diana’s with the Justice League had taken so much time out of their lives, that they barely had time for a fifteen-minute phone call, anymore.

“… And I, you,” Diana replied with a sad smile.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us, once more.

The band began to play Winter Wonderland, while Blue Beetle and Power Girl wandered to the end of the bar, where a young woman in purple and white, a gold cross hanging around her neck, was watching everyone.

“Huntress, right?” Beetle asked.

She nodded, giving them both a quick glance and then continued to watch the others in the ballroom.

“Names Blue Beetle and my teammate here is Power Girl. We’re with Powers Inc.”

Silence.

“Well, it’s been nice talking to you,” Ted Kord continued quickly. “Have a happy holiday.”

“Wait a minute,” Power Girl said as she grabbed Ted who was starting to hurry away. “It’s the holidays, lady. The least you could do is to be civil. Unless of course you’ve got a problem with us?”

Blue Beetle chuckled uncomfortably, “Please excuse my associate, she tends to…”

“Oh shut up,” both women said at the same time and then looked at each other… and broke out laughing.

“Men,” Power Girl said, rolling her eyes.

“Preaching to the choir, wonder bust. Drink?”

“Love too,” Kara said as she sat down next to the Huntress. “By the way, anyone else I would deck for a comment like that, but it’s the holidays.”

Ted began to sit down next to them when they both shot him a look. He missed the bar stool and nearly fell to the floor.

“You know, I’m going to go say hi to big blue over there. Check you ladies out later,” he shot them a small smile and left without turning around. “Women,” he mumbled under his breath.

“I heard that!” Power Girl shouted, and he cringed as he walked away a bit quicker.

Not too long after, people were beginning to leave, to head towards their family and friends, where they would gather for their own Christmas Eve traditions. Hugs and handshakes were a plenty. Soon only three were left.

Hal and Barry walked up to Ollie, who had just said his goodbyes to Huntress.

“You threw a great party,” Barry said, clapping his friend on the back.

“This wasn’t my doing,” the archer replied. “I told you, it was taken care of by a mutual friend of ours, a Mr. Bruce Wayne.”

Hal nodded, “That figures. Well, it’s been a great day, but I’ve got to be heading back to Coast City.”

“Usual time, next week?” Ollie asked the two of them.

They both nodded and Barry laughed, “But next time I’m not going to bluff with a pair of fours.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Hal chuckled. “Take care, guys, and Merry Christmas to you both.”

Oliver Queen watched as he took to the air and soon disappeared, followed quickly by Barry Allen. For a second he saw only the green and red streaks that lay in their wake, then that too was gone.

Ollie sighed and looked up at the darkening sky and the snow that was gently coming down and landing on his face. “… And God bless us all… everyone.”

The End.

He turned back around, and then jumped as Bruce smiled in front of him. "Boo."

"Hey! Don't do that…" Robin shakes his head, and then looks up at the sky, as snow begins to fall from the clouds, lightly at first, and then quite heavily, leaving a layer forming on the rooftops. "Snow!"

"First snowfall of the winter." Batman nodded, and then leaned on the ledge overlooking the city. He gazed out over the buildings, and then turned back to Robin, who is somersaulting around the falling snowdrops. What has he done, bringing a child into his crusade for justice? An orphan like him, Dick Grayson, his parents dead, his life without meaning, until he gave it him. Now Grayson was his responsibility, his son to care for. Bruce grimaced for a moment, and then shook his head. Superman, he could take out in five steps, the Amazon Wonder Woman was another problem, but even with her God-gifted skills, seven at the most. But raising a child, in his line of work, he couldn’t measure the total number of steps that particular challenge would take.

"Uh oh…" Bruce turned at his protégé's voice and was hit in the face by a snowball. "Holy Night, Batman!" Bruce wiped the snow off his face and then rolled his eyes again. He seemed to be doing that a lot with this kid.

"Come on, let's head back to the manor. It's the night before Christmas, it's snowing, and besides, you'll catch your death of cold in that costume."

Dick crossed his arms at those words. "I like it."

Bruce laughed. "And Alfred has promised a Christmas Eve supper to rival anyone's…"

Dick immediately uncrossed his arms and then punched the air enthusiastically. "Sounds awesome!"

Bruce pressed another button on his belt and below them in the alley, the Batmobile (as named by Dick on the first night in it) roared to life beneath a layer of snow. Robin dove across the chasm between the two buildings, leapt off the fire escape and propelled himself down, until he rested on the hood of the car. He grinned as Batman watched from above. "Let's see what you've got, Batman!" Bruce smiled and pressed a button next to the last one he pressed, and as the signal was transmitted the door of the car slid back, causing Robin to fall backwards into the snow. "Hey! That's cheating!"

Bruce leapt from the roof and landed on a window ledge, and then jumped from that, using his cape to slow his descent, and he landed in the leather chair of the car. "What are you doing in the snow, Robin? Time to go." Robin brushed himself off and then stepped into the car with his head hung low. "What, so you can give it but not take it?"

"You so cheated…"

"I'm Batman..." Batman smiles and presses down on the accelerator.

End.

There weren’t many people on the street, right now. It was just about dinnertime. He looked up, directly into a front window. A bearded man wearing a yarmulke was watching as a boy of about ten or so held a lit candle. As he watched, the boy’s lips moved as he recited some words in Hebrew. Then, he extended the candle and touched its flame to the wicks of two more candles, standing in a menorah. That was right. Tonight was the second night—or ‘light’—of Hannukah.

The boy handed the candle to his father, who used it to light the candle that a slightly younger girl held carefully in one hand. He then placed it back in the menorah, in the centre holder, which stood slightly higher than the others. The scene repeated itself with two more children. Then all grouped before the window, lips opened in unison, and they sang as though they expected their voices to carry out to the street.

Batman permitted himself a brief smile. Then he froze. They were looking directly at him. He hadn’t meant to linger—these people were entitled to their privacy—what was he thinking, this was worse than any syrupy holiday special…

The door opened. “Batman?” The father called from the entryway. “Did you… did you want to come in for a moment?”

He hesitated. “I’m… needed elsewhere.” It wasn’t really a lie. Crime didn’t take holiday time off.

“But we’ve got latkas!” One of the smaller boys who couldn’t have been older than six joined the man at the door. Shyness warred with incredulity as he peeked out from behind his father’s leg. “And applesauce!”

The man looked down. “Yaakov, it’s cold. Go back inside.” He looked back at Batman. “We really do have more than enough. Are you sure you can’t?”

He shouldn’t. The city needed him. But he took an involuntary step forward.

“Yehuda!” A woman’s voice called. “Telephone. It’s Rabbi Keces.”

Yehuda nodded. “Please come in,” he repeated. “I’ll never teach the children about hospitality if they never have the chance to see it.”

That settled it. He followed the man into the house.

“Um… have a seat,” Yehuda said, uncertainty stealing into his voice now. “I’ll be right with you. Just make yourself at home.”

The door shut behind them.

As he read on, he began to realize exactly what sort of odds this band of zealots, these Macabees had faced. They must have seemed insurmountable. Judea at that time had no standing army, no military training, and their weapons… knives, bows and arrows, had they seriously believed that they could pit those against the most powerful armed forces in the world at that time? A series of successful guerilla attacks had gotten them better arms and equipment, but the Greeks only sent more troops, this time mounted on elephants. The Macabees had to know that the longer they fought the greater the likelihood of failure… this was all starting to strike some very resonant chords…

They had fought on… and they had won. They had managed to recapture the Holy Temple, cleanse it of all traces of pagan idol worship, and rededicate it. But when the time came to light the golden menorah, they had only been able to find one small flask of olive oil that had not been opened and defiled. It would take eight days to procure a new source of oil. The flask had barely enough to last one day. But they had used it, and, miraculously, that small amount of oil had lasted eight days.

“And that’s why we light the menorah for eight nights of Hannukah up ‘til today!” Yaakov said, bringing them all back to the present.

Batman nodded soberly. “Thank-you.”

The small boy blushed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Batman, thank-you for reading us the story.”

He shook his head. “No. I meant, really. Thank-you. I think,” he hesitated. “I think I needed to read that to you tonight almost as much as you needed to hear it.

The aroma of potato pancakes permeated the room, and he realized his mouth was watering. “Food’s on the table,” Devorah called. “And when it’s gone, that’s IT until tomorrow, because I’m not going to peel any more potatoes!”

A chorus of laughter greeted her remark as Batman followed the Leider children to the table. Soon, too soon, he would have to face the cold and the darkness again. But there was no darkness so impenetrable that it could not be banished… by the light of a candle.


We light these lights
for the miracles and the wonders,
for the redemption and the battles
that you made for our forefathers
in those days at this season,
through your holy priests.

During all eight days of Chanukah
These lights are sacred
And we are not permitted to make
Ordinary use of them,
But only to look at them;
In order to express thanks
And praise to Your great Name
For your miracles, Your wonders
And your salvations.

“Hanerot Hallalu” (Traditional prayer recited after the kindling of the Hannukah lights)

The End.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note: Latkas are pancakes. Although potato pancakes are most often prepared for the holiday, other vegetables often used include carrot, zucchini, and sweet potato.

A few small steps and a thought later and I was in another small college town and home to Ray Palmer and his fiancé, Jean Loring. They were having their traditional discussion on science versus faith. They did this as they walked with their good friends, the Dibnys, to the church that stood at the end of the street.

“… But you can’t prove everything, Ray. There are too many miracles in this world, to many unexplained events that have to be taken on faith.”

“Like?” Ray asked. He turned and gave a small wink to his friend Ralph who only shook his head in mild amusement.

“Like… us, for instance. How do you explain us? What brought us together? Why did we fall in love with each other? You can’t explain that with science. There’s a higher power, a higher force that moves us in the directions we need to go.”

“Well, actually, I could explain that one, dear, but it would make it so much less romantic for you.”

“I don’t think I want to hear it,” Sue Dibny replied as she wrapped her arm around her husband. She looked up into the night sky. “Look at that, the stars are so bright.”

“As well they should be,” Ralph replied, squeezing her arm as they entered into the church, which was filling to capacity.

I watched from the balcony as the choir stood and the organist began the first few bars of “O Come All Ye Faithful”. The voices of the choir began with a rich and full vibrato that could be heard outside and down the quiet and snowy street. I observed Ray Palmer and I witnessed him clench his teeth together as the choir called forth for believers and non-believers alike to come and adore him, he who is born the king of angels. I knew that there is a small lump in his throat that he swallowed hard. He was a man of science, but he was also a man with a soul, and the desire to want to accept that which the woman he loved accepted without question lies in his heart. This night, this song, brings it to the surface, and by the time the congregation began the second song, declaring there to be joy to the world- for the Lord has come, he found himself lifting his voice with the crowd of believers around him.

I also watched as Jean noticed this lifting of his spirit and proudly put her arm around him. This was the moment that she will always remember, for this will be the moment that she will tell her closest friends, that she knew she was making the right decision; Ray was the man she was meant to love for the rest of her life. She would never question it.

The one city that never seems to glow on this holiday, no matter how many lights are strung, is Gotham. It is a city that seemed to always stay on the verge of continual darkness. Even its self-proclaimed protector appeared to revel in the shadows that kept the city together.

Many believed him to be a loner by choice, but that was more fallacy then truth. Bruce Wayne was, in many ways, forced into that role by two pieces of metal that tore through his heart as surely as it did his parents. In that instant, the child died and the man was born; his body took longer to catch up with him, is all.

It can also appear to some that his drive for justice has made him incapable of even the simplest of relationships. This was also a misleading fact, although, this could have easily been a truth if not for the one consistent role model in his life: Alfred Pennyworth.

He was Bruce Wayne’s major domo, for all outward appearances, but he was much more to the dark knight. He was, and always had been, the surrogate father, the best friend, and in many ways, his most cherished mentor.

As I stand invisible to the naked eye, underneath the mansion that he grew up in, but barley knows, I waited for the tradition that will inevitably take place.

Bruce was partially in costume, only his cowl hung behind him like a young child’s hooded sweatshirt. He was focused on his computer screen. His mind ran several different scenarios for the next great disaster that could befall the city that he believed is his, and his alone.

Then, like clockwork, Alfred entered the cave with a tray full of assorted holiday sweets, and a glass full of eggnog. He stood next to his friend who will purposely try to ignore him, until the butler cleared his throat, loudly.

“Yes, Alfred?” He asked, with a big sigh.

“Master Dick has been waiting for you upstairs, for the last three hours, Sir. It appears that he has a package that seems to be wrapped in some kind of bright colored paper and green and red ribbon. I have no idea what it could possibly mean.”

“Just give me another half hour, Alfred. I’m almost finished with these simulations. If last years Crisis taught me anything, it’s that I’m not completely prepared for every possible disaster that could fall on this city.”

“… And if the last ten years taught me anything, it’s that you will do everything in your power to avoid the next twenty four hours,” came the young voice of his one time partner.

Bruce turned to see Richard Grayson carrying a four-foot tree, already decorated, in one hand, and balancing several packages in the other.

“So we’ll just bring it to you, like we do every year.”

It was very rare when Bruce Wayne was genuinely amused, and to the untrained eye, you would never know when he was, but the brief sparkle in his eyes did not go unnoticed by his two closest companions.

“I said I’d be up in a…”

“Yeah, yeah, we hear it ever year. Now I think you’d better shut that down before Alf goes all Tai Kwon Do on your butt.”

“I see your association with Roy Harper is proving to be a great learning experience for you,” Bruce said, trying to scowl, but not quite able to do it.

Dick threw him a package that he caught easily. “For you, Bruce, Merry Christmas.”

“Thank you. I believe that watch box sized gift is yours.”

“It is,” Alfred said.

“… And this one has your name on it, Alfred,” Dick said as he handed the older man a green envelop.

“What is that?” Bruce asked.

“Your Christmas present to me, Sir. You were very generous this year, if I do say so myself; a two week Alaskan cruise. It really out does last year’s gift, and I am eternally grateful.”

“What did I get you last year?”

“Exactly…”

Bruce looked at them both and broke into a chuckle. “Alright gentlemen, let’s do change this, this year. What do you say we head upstairs and unwrap these, then maybe a midnight snack and maybe even a little late night television? I hear that they occasionally play ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, this time of year.”

Alfred and Dick gave each other a shocked look before they shrugged and turned, heading back to the mansion’s main floor; Bruce followed right behind.

He was known by many names, and one of the world’s greatest detectives is one of them. On this night, it didn’t take him much to realize that he was not a total loner. He had family, and it was a family that he was very proud of.