Holidays 2017: Zat you, Santa Claus?

[Sasha Sadovsky]

                Sasha remembered Alison mentioning Harley every now and then. His eyes widened behind his mask the minute he viewed Harley appearing with a certain headpiece. He glanced at James. *At least Captain Hook isn't trembling near the alligators right now.* Sasha turned to Miss Itch and Mr. Scratch. He gasped.

           ''Alison, I recognize the new spouses. Miss Itch and Mr. Scratch! They are most likely planning on causing trouble with Harley and Omega Red plus the Sewer King.'' His body tensed after the Sewer King wished to know if he was going to find Batman and end his life. ''You are not ending anyone's life, Sewer King.'' He noticed El and nodded at her. He faced Alison again.

          ''Sorry about Harley being here and distressing you, Alison. At least I assume you're distressed near her. I'm just guessing.'' 

              Sasha began to glance at the Dragotti spouses. He viewed Craig continuing to drink eggnog. Isabella seemed neutral. He wondered if she was going to cause additional mischief. Sasha turned to Alison another time. ''I won't be shocked if Isabella Dragotti MARRIES James Hook!'' he said.

         

[Harley]

"Oh, what a bunch of party poopers!" Harley yelled as she looked past her immediate group and toward the other X-Men. "Guys, we will go have fun, even if these sticks-in-the-mud want to stop us. I say road trip! Including your pets, Sewer King! Hey, Loki, do you have some magic flying sled we can borrow or something? Wanna come along?"

Harley giggled as she looked at Loki. She knew her requests were going to fall on deaf ears.

"He's too busy impressing the big shots,"  Harley said to Omega Red. "And Sewer King, is this the mug you're talking about?" she asked as she showed him a picture on her phone. "Is that your Batman?" The photo showed a man in a cowl with pointed ears and a long cape.

[Loki]

"Elda, dear sister," Loki said as he leaned in and hugged her. "I am sure your dress is fine, but if you are cold, perhaps we can find something for you to wear. Or create it," he said as he motioned with his fingers. "And no, Harley, was it? I am not Saint Nicholas, so I do not have a flying sleigh. I am perfectly content to remain here with family and new friends as well."

Loki rolled his eyes as he looked at what could only be called the odd assortment of X-Men in the room. He then turned back to Elda. "How are you getting along here, El? Are you finding this place to your liking?" 

[Sewer King]

                     The Sewer King heard what Sasha said about him not ending anyone's life and scowled. His finger shook as he pointed. ''Y,Y,Y,YOU ARE DISTRESSING ME! Yes! Yes! Yes!'' he said.

                The Sewer King smiled after Harley mentioned his pets. ''I'm certain my pretties will enjoy the road trip,'' he said. He saw the photo of Batman. His eyes widened. The Sewer King glanced from Harley to the photo. ''How did you get a picture of Batman?''

              After glancing at Harley with the photo again, the Sewer King frowned. ''Y,y,y,yes. That is Batman. He caused me quite a bit of distress. Batman still causes me distress! He harmed my pretties.''

                The Sewer King nodded near his alligators. ''Yes. Yes. Yes. Batman saved my brats. He defeated me with my pretties.''

                Another smile formed on the Sewer King's face. ''Are we able to get rid of Batman while we have this road trip?'' He glanced at everyone. 

                 ''Are we able to have our road trip that's not during the day? Sunlight harms me. I'm not a vampire. It's from being in the sewer for so long.''

[Craig Dragotti]

                        Craig's eyes became wide after he saw Harley with her own headpiece. He never forgot about the alligators. At least they were going with the Sewer King and Harley. At least that was what Craig thought he heard. He sipped eggnog for a few more seconds. He scowled after he remembered what Sasha said about Isabella possibly marrying Captain James Hook. 

                     *I should remember Selene controlling Isabella. She most likely planted ideas in her head. Selene most likely mentioned me battering my wife. Although Isabella kissed James Hook, part of me still wishes to aid her* Craig thought. 

                  That was when Miss Itch and Mr. Scratch were viewed. *At least those two are happy spouses. That I know of.*

                Craig also remembered Sasha mentioning the Sewer King not ending anyone's life. ''If Sasha addressed ME like that...'' 


 

[Captain James Hook]

                     Captain James Hook's body tensed the minute he saw Miss Itch with Mr. Scratch. Something about the way they appeared bothered him. Their pale faces and long hair caused him to imagine they were mere vampires.  He almost forgot about his older sibling. That was when James heard what the Sewer King said to him. How he caused the Sewer King distress.

                  ''Sir, your pets caused ME distress!'' James scowled at the Sewer King. He heard what Sasha said about Isabella marrying him. James Hook's eyes widened. He blinked twice. He turned to Sasha.

                ''The wife of the long-haired man won't marry me,'' James said. He also heard what the Sewer King said to Sasha. He rolled his eyes. James scowled at the Sewer King. He began to roll his eyes again. ''What doesn't distress you, Sewer King?'' 

                That was when James Hook heard how Batman distressed the Sewer King. ''What DOESN'T distress you, Sewer King?'' 

[Beast]

Hank wanted nothing more than a quiet holiday, but that idea seemed to have run right off the rails at Grand Central Terminal and never was fixed! He gritted his teeth as he watched Harley showing Sewer King a photo on her phone. He then remembered the man in the cowl who had gotten into a bit of a fight with Scott ages ago over Baby Hope.

"As far as I know, that man in the cowl is long gone," Hank said to Sewer King and Harley. "But he called himself Darkwing. Maybe they are two different heroes with similar tastes in clothing? Perish the thought."

"Wait, I remember that bat guy," Alison said as she looked at Hank. "He was very odd. He was up in that mess in Cooperstown, Alaska when the Avengers showed up. Maybe Tony Stark chased him out of town?"

"Perhaps," Hank replied before he walked toward Harley and the Sewer King. "May I look at that photo?" he asked Sewer King. 

 

[Sewer King]

                   The Sewer King heard what Beast said. His visible eye widened behind his glasses. ''Batman is gone? Someone else ended his life?'' he wished to know. That was when he heard about Darkwing. He shrugged.

             ''You'll have to ask Harley to see the photo. It's her phone,'' the Sewer King said. He heard what James Hook mentioned. He turned to him and scowled. 

                 ''My pretties don't distress me at all. YOU!'' The Sewer King pointed at Captain Hook and jabbed the air. ''Y,y,y,you are really distressing me!'' He nodded repeatedly. ''Ohhh. Yes. Yes.''

                The Sewer King faced Harley and Omega Red. ''You don't distress me.'' He glanced at Miss Itch and Mr. Scratch. ''I'm not one hundred percent familiar with you, but you don't cause me distress.''

            

[Captain James Hook]

                     James heard what Alison said about a bat guy. He had no idea who the bat guy was. His scowl returned after the Sewer King jabbed the air with his finger near him. ''You jabbing the air with your finger is distressing me, Sewer King.'' He had no idea why the Sewer King always stuttered. Perhaps he didn't wish to know.

                    

[Harley]

"Two bat men? Great. One ain't enough. Now we got two?" Harley said as she handed Beast her phone. "Sure thing, Beasty. But when you said gone, did you mean in a pine box or off in Aruba?"

"I mean he left this area. As far as I know, he is very much alive," Beast replied as he noticed Aerfen DalCais looking his way. "Yes, Aerfen? Might you know this batty individual?"

"If I may?" she asked as she walked over with Dane Whitman at her side as she looked at the photo while Beast held the phone. "I don't know him, but I might have known his grandfather or great grandfather back in the day. There was a gent like that running around London back when Jack the Ripper was afoot. Knew my cousin Kari's husband Thom O'Malley, may his memory be eternal," she added as she bowed her head. "I think they both worked with Scotland Yard."

"A bat family? Oh geez," Harley muttered  as she took back her phone. "Well, at least he doesn't seem to be dead yet, Sewer King. That has to be a plus, right? Maybe Santa will wrap him up and put him under the tree for you?"

[Sewer King]

                   The Sewer King began to glance at James Hook. He scowled again after the latter mentioned him jabbing the air with his finger. He pointed again. ''Y,y,y,you are my enemy next to Batman! Ohhh. Yes! Yes! Yes!''

           The Sewer King turned to Harley. He smiled near her. ''Batman being wrapped under a tree is a wonderful gift. He should suffer for removing my children from the sewer. Also for hurting my pretties. Also for causing me distress,'' he said. 

[Cecilia Reyes MD]

Cece had been dispatched, along with a few students, to get more decorations for the tree. See saw the alligators and did a quick weave and bob around them as she put the boxes she was holding down on a table near the tree. She grimaced as she looked at Dr. Bradley and wondered to herself how his little wetworks squad and band of reforming criminals really fit into the grand scheme of things. She was not about to ask right now. That chat could surely wait for another day. 

"If anyone is looking for more ornaments, the students will be here in a minute," she said as she looked at the slightly empty cookie trays and frowned. "Who ate all the cookies? Guess I should see if the kitchen staff has any more ready to be put out."

"Sorry about that," Hank replied as he waved at Cece. "I love oatmeal raisin, so I am the likely culprit."

[Sasha Sadovsky]

            ''Batman removed your children from a sewer?'' Sasha wished to know after he faced the Sewer King. Did he wish to know what the Sewer King did to them? Sasha scowled as he remembered his father disfiguring him for reminding him of his deceased mother years ago. ''No parent should mistreat children!'' he said. His hands formed fists by either side of his body. He trembled.

[Blackwell]

"See, Josie? I told you this party was the place to be!" Alastair Blackwell said as he walked in with the very reptilian looking Professor Josian Ledwidge Briscoe on his arm. "James! A very Merry Christmas to you!" he said as he walked over to Captain Hook. "Please, do not be afraid of my companion. Her appearance is the result of experimentation by a mad scientist. She is not a true bi-pedal reptile. She is actually a professor and a member of the Mystic Council. Professor Josian Ledwidge Briscoe, it is my great pleasure to introduce Captain James Hook."

"It is a pleasure," Josian said as she extended her hand to Hook.

 

[Captain James Hook]

                   James continued to scowl at the Sewer King. His eyes widened after he saw Blackwell with a reptilian looking woman. He smiled at them. ''Happy Holidays to you as well.'' Josian's appearance didn't bother James at all. He saw plenty of creatures during his Neverland days. 

                 James approached Josian and bowed near her. He continued to smile. He took her hand gently. After releasing it, James glanced at Jasper.

                   ''This is my older brother. Captain Jasper Hook.'' His scowl returned after he glanced at the Sewer King and the latter's alligators. ''The types of wildlife over there are the Sewer King and his pretties!'' he said. James smiled the minute he saw the Sewer King's scowl. ''As a British gentleman, I will protect you from the types of wildlife, Josian.''