ALL GOD'S CHILDREN

Giant-Size Collection #2

"A Christmas Collection"

written and created by Mark Bousquet

Reprinted within are the following stories:

"The Riddle of Christmas Eve, 2191" from the 2000 MV1 Holiday Issue

"The First Christmas of the Rest of His Life: A Christmas Tale of 2023" from the 2001 MV1 Holiday Issue

a selection of Champions # 50, written by Russ Anderson

AGC Christmas Special for 2000

"The Riddle of Christmas Eve, 2191"

featuring the Orphans of War

written by Mark Bousquet

Originally presented in 2000 MV1 Holiday Issue

CHRISTMAS EVE, 2191

It was the day before Christmas in 2191, and a light snow fell upon the Golden Realm, a gift from the Frost Giants.

There was mischief in the air this festive day, as three of the Orphans of War were about the city of Asgard, looking for trouble. Ben-Vell Parker, descendant of both the House of Spider-Man and the House of Mar-Vell, Attumidunn, the offspring of an Inhuman and Atlantean, and Angelica, the descendant of one of the Marvels of the First Age, but whose she wouldn’t say. It had been five years since Angelica had come to Asgard. Earth was nothing but a distant memory to her.

On this day before Christmas, the pre-teens crept into an abandoned house on the west end of the city that they hadn’t dared decorate. There used to not be abandoned houses in Asgard, but with the ongoing Eternal War against Thanos, sometimes families lost fathers and sons, and wives remarried, leaving houses open to the effects of time.

The Orphans used this place as a clubhouse of sorts, where they could escape the teachings of Frigga and Sif and Hermod or the neverending tales of battles come and gone, and just relax amongst friends their own age. They had even had a video game system smuggled in to them by the Warriors Three, but they weren’t to let anyone know of it, lest Odin find out. There were more Orphans of War than just Ben, Toomi and Angel, but these were the three that found themselves here on this day and at this time.

"Man, did you hear Odin this morn?" Ben asked as he slumped into a large chair, reaching into a bowl of candy they kept.

"How couldn’t you?" Angelica asked, hopping up onto a couch. "Volstagg said that Thor finally came home and-"

"Finally!" Toomi yelled,kicking at an ornament for a tree they handn’t dared bring inside. "He’s always off running around with them Avengers or flirting with some Earth girl. He should be here getting ready to face his destiny."

"That’s Moonstar talking," Angel shot at her, crumpling her nose at the aqua-skinned girl. "You’re always hanging out with them Valkyries, Toomi, and acting like you come up with all this stuff yourself. You’re not a grown up, you know. You’re not even older than me."

"Oh yeah," Toomi answered indignantly, her hands going to her hips, "at least I may be a Valkyrie someday. What are you gonna be when you grow up? Thor’s wife?"

"Enough, you two," Ben groaned. "You guys are always fighting with each other these days. Just stop it. We’ve got other things to worry about."

"Like what?" Angelica and Attumidunn asked together. "Why’d you even want us to come here, Ben?" Angelica continued. "Volstagg wants me to help wrap presents this afternoon."

"Well," Ben smiled, "you know how every year someone dresses up as Santa Claus and delivers presents to all the kids who still believe in him?" The girls nodded. "But we’re not old enough yet to be let in on the secret, I guess, ‘cause all the grown-ups say that there’s no one but Volstagg who does it and that’s only at the Christmas party that Odin throws every year. But we saw someone else last year, didn’t we?" Again, the girls nodded. "It’s like a big secret that they won’t tell us ‘cause they think we’re gonna ruin it for the kids or somethin’. Well, too bad for them, ‘cause we’re gonna solve the Christmas Eve riddle!"

JOTUNHEIM

One of the other Orphans, Eshir Maximoff, walked across the cold, icy crust of Jotunheim, completely alone. He hated Christmas. All those dumb songs and dumb gifts and … and …

His knees gave way and he sank into the snow. The cold wind attacked his face, seemingly picking up in intensity now that Eshir wasn’t fighting against the harsh environment.

Eshir cried, and hated himself for it. He looked at the stumps on his arms where his hands should have been, and hated himself. He closed his eyes and imagined his clean, whole face turning into Jonas’ melted face as the hot breath from the Fenris Wolf enveloped him, and hated himself. He remembered the terror in his eyes as Jonas’ body was devoured by the Fenris Wolf, and hated himself. He felt his body lurch forward to try and save his friend and the sharpness that forever gilded his body in pain as the jaws of the Fenris Wolf came down upon him, severing both hands in one bite.

And hated himself.

Asgard was a long way back, though with his powers, developing every day, Eshir could make it back in minutes.

As his body fell face first into the snow, left side to the ice and right side to the sky, Eshir discovered that he no longer wanted to go back to Asgard. Or life.

Ever.

His body shook from the cold and the tears that he could not stop, and he cried himself to unconsciousness.

LATER THAT EVENING …

"Ah, season’s greetings, young Ben!" Thor boomed, clasping a hand onto Ben’s young shoulders. "How goes the battle this Christmas Eve?"

"Fine, Thor," Ben grimaced as the Thunder God’s hand crushed Ben’s shoulder. "Just enjoying this big party that Odin throws every year."

"Aye, ‘tis a grand festival of colors and song!" Thor beamed. "It does my heart good to see Odin make this concession to the people of Midgard who live amongst us by incorporating this custom into our culture!"

"You’re awfully cheery this evening, Thor," Ben remarked, eyeing the Thunder God cautiously.

"I shall let you in on a secret, lad," Thor whispered, leaning in close. "Not more than a year from this day, I shall be married to a woman of Olympus."

Ben blinked and spit up his fruit punch, "What? Does Odin know?"

"Nay!" Thor laughed, watching the punch roll down Ben-Vell’s shirt. "’Twould not be wise of me to impart that knowledge upon my father. Despite his growing acceptance of the citizens of Midgard - and that only because they have helped us time and time again in our Eternal War with Thanos - he hath no love for the Olympians! King Odin would not be happy to see his son marry a ‘lesser god’."

"But-"

"No buts, Ben-Vell. Time is too short. Yes, even for us, time is much too short. Ah, mine eyes have spotted Balder the Brave. Fare thee well, Ben-Vell! And remember, what I have told you is a secret!"

Ben watched Thor move through the crowd, a slap on the back or a squeeze of the shoulder for all who crossed his path. He had never seen Thor so happy. It must be that woman the Orphans had caught him with during their last secret trip to Olympus.

"What’s with him?" Toomi asked, sliding over to Ben, holding a cup of juice with two hands.

"Oh, nuthin. Just grown up stuff, you know?" Ben tried to wipe the punch off his shirt with no success.

"Yeah, I know." A pause. "So … when we gonna go catch Santa Claus?"

"Soon," Ben smiled, forgetting about the stained shirt. "I’m trying to see if there’s anyone missing who could be Santa. But everyone looks like they’re here, and most of ‘em don’t look like they’re in any kinda shape to walk, much less deliver presents. I guess we should wait until Volstagg comes in all dressed up playing Santa. That’s when we saw the other Santa guy walking around last year. Remember?"

"What did he look like?" Angelica asked, coming over to them with a big chocolate chip cookie in her hand.

"Maybe like Santa Claus?" Toomi sighed, "Oh, Angelica, you’re such a kid!"

"Am not, Toomi," Angelica’s face blushed. "You’re not older-"

"I am too older than you! You don’t even-"

"Just stop!" Ben-Vell groaned, placing his hands over his ears. "What’s gotten into you two? You’re driving me nuts!"

"Ho ho ho! Nuts did you say?" a voice boomed from behind them and they turned to see "Santa Claus" talking to them, holding out a handful of chestnuts.

"Volstagg!" Angelica cheered, leaping into the large man’s arms.

"Ho ho!" Volstagg yelled, picking her up. He pulled her in close, then whispered to her, "Shh, Angel, you mustn’t spoil it for the young ones."

"Sorry," she apologized, feeling bad, involuntarily flinching. Volstagg could feel the muscle spasm through his thick, red coat and his mind flashed with anger. Stories told to him by the Avengers about the treatment this young girl had received at the hands of her mother while on Midgard. Someday, Volstagg swore, that woman would pay for ever touching this precious angel.

LATER, OUTSIDE

Asgard gathered around a large evergreen tree, and cheered as King Odin waved his hand, turning on thousands of multi-colored lights that danced across the green back-drop. "Christmas!" Odin yelled, thinking that the holiday didn’t start until he made this pronouncement. Thor had tried, during the past several years, to explain to his father that Christmas didn’t start when the tree was lit and end when the tree was taken down, but Odin was not any less stubborn now than he ever had been.

"Now, Ben?" Toomi asked.

"Not yet," Ben whispered back. "’Member last year? We saw the other Santa Claus after everyone went in."

"Yeah, Toomi," Angelica wrinkled her nose, "don’t you remember? We came outside to make a snowball to throw at Fandrall and-"

"Of course I remember," Toomi folded her arms across her chest. "But I also remember how we sent you back inside because you were such a baby!"

"That’s just ‘cause … cause … cause … you’re so stupid, Toomi!"

Ben-Vell said nothing, rolling his eyes to the Heavens.

"Now, gather round everyone!" Volstagg, still in costume as Santa Claus, called out. "It is time for the Poem of Christmas 2191 to be read!" The murmuring of the crowd ceased as the children rushed to the front to sit in front of the tree and be the closest to "Santa."

"Why don’t you go join the kiddies?" Toomi asked, pinching Angelica’s arm.

"Why don’t you go kiss Toothgrinder?" Angelica shot back, kicking Toomi’s shin. Ben-Vell wished he wasn’t standing in between them.

Volstagg began:

‘Twas the night before Christmas,

all through the Nine Realms,

no beast was out stirring,

not even Malekith, the Elf.

Yon stockings were hung,

on the mantle with care,

in hopes that Santa Claus,

would bring yuletide fare.

Milk and cookies were left out,

as was the custom of the night,

for Santa to feast upon,

not for Volstagg’s apetite!

Mine wife wore a kerchief,

and I wore a cap,

we’d just settled down,

for a Niffleheim nap.

Without Heimdallian warning,

there arose such a clamoring,

that I rose from my bed,

to see a sight that left me stammering!

For what should my wandering eyes come to see,

but Santa, nine reindeer and presents for me!

"Doesn’t he realize he’s supposed to be Santa?" Toomi whispered to Angelica. "Why would Santa see Santa on the roof?"

"Shh!" Angelica snapped back.

"Come on," Ben tugged at Toomi and Angel’s coats, "let’s go. He won’t finish until next Christmas at this rate."

Silently the Orphans backed away from the gathering and headed down a side-street. "We need to get to the Rainbow Bridge," Ben-Vell instructed them. "Whoever this Santa is, he’s got to come across the Bridge."

"Unless he’s already here," Toomi answered. "What then?"

"Then next year we don’t wait by the Bridge!"

Angelica stopped, "That’s not a very good plan, Ben-Vell. I don’t wanna wait a whole year-"

"Yeah," Toomi stopped walking as well. "Why don’t we go into the castle so we can look out over the whole town and-"

"Shh!" Ben snapped.

"Ben, I think me and my best friend Angel are a little tired of all your comments about-"

"Would you two just shut your mouth for once!" Ben whispered harshly back at them from his position near a small hill that looked down onto a river. He didn’t know how these two could fight all night and then be instantly friends - he chalked it up to the craziness of girls - but he heard something coming from over the hill and he didn’t want them giving away their presence.

Attumidunn and Angelica crept up to him and together they walked the few steps up the grassy incline to look down toward the river. Coming over the rise they were hit with a foul smell and instantly recoiled. Shaking their heads, they looked back and saw, to their absolute surprise, Santa Claus sitting there, crying.

"Waaaaaaaaah!" he cried, big tears dropping down his face to his red and white beard. "Stupid Santa! Stupid stupid Santa!"

"I think he’s drunk," Toomi whispered, too loudly.

"Who’s there?" Santa asked suddenly, his eyes wide and wild. "Kids! Bah! Leave me alone!"

"You’re Santa Claus?!?" Ben heard himself say.

"So what?" Santa replied. "You think because you got a blue face you’re something special? Friggin’ Kree bastards."

"Shouldn’t you be delivering presents?" Angel, who happened to like Ben-Vell’s blue face, asked.

"Shouldn’t you be sleeping in your bed," Santa accused. "How’m I supposed to deliver any presents when you little shi- little brats won’t go to bed? Bastards," he mumbled. "I’m surrounded by bastards!"

Toomi, Ben and Angel looked at each other. "Well, we found him," Toomi commented. "Now what are we supposed to do with him? And why’s he crying?"

"Ben wanted us to pull off his beard," Angelica said skeptically. "But that beard looks pretty real to me."

Santa turned on them, "Of course it’s real." He leapt suddenly to his feet and stomped up and down madly. "Bah! Bah! Bah! Bah! Bah! Asgardians! Bastards, all of you are stupid bastar-"

Moonlight was suddenly interrupted, causing a shadow to fall over the four of them. "Surely, thy should watch thy tongue amongst children. Especially during Christmas time." They looked up to see Thor descending to the ground. "You have gifts to deliver, don’t you, old friend?"

Santa looked at Thor and began to cry again, "No! I forgot them! Can you believe it? I’m worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless, worth-"

"Now, now, Santa," Thor spoke gently, coming to rest near Santa and placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "You did not forget your gift bag at all. Look, the bag rests just over the edge of this rim."

They all turned to look and, just as Thor said, a bag of presents rested several feet behind the three Orphans.

"But-" Ben began, but Thor cut him off, shaking his head kindly, and Ben ceased his observation. Thor must have brought the bag because it wasn’t there two minutes ago.

"Why, I’ll be damned," Santa said, wiping away tears as he stood up. "I mean," he corrected, looking at the kids, "I’ll be durned. My bag!"

"Go, old friend," Thor nodded to Santa, "go and fulfill your trial. Deliver the presents to all the children in Asgard!"

"Sure thing, Goldilocks!" Santa grinned broadly, his tear-stained face making him look comical. "Sure thing! Merrry Christmas!" he shouted to the Orphans, then muttered happily as he walked over to pick up his bag, "you little bastards!"

Ben-Vell, Toomi and Angelica watched Santa Claus depart, their eyes wide and disbelieving. "Thor," Ben-Vell said quietly, "what just happened?"

Thor’s eyes stayed on Santa Claus, "That man is a hero, young children, to all." Then, as if he was correcting himself, "All owe Santa Claus a debt of thanks for delivering gifts to all on Christmas Eve. Now come," he motioned to the Orphans, "I believe Volstagg should be just about finished with his poem!"

"No way," Angelica smiled. "He’s been writing this poem for months!"

"I bet he makes fun of Odin, again," Toomi giggled, walking side-by-side with Angelica. "That was funny." She then leaned in to whisper in Angelica’s ear, "Isn’t Thor cute? He’s so much cuter than Ben-Vell!"

"Definitely," Angelica whispered back, "but if you think he’s so cute, why don’t you marry him?"

Toomi’s face blushed, "Why don’t you marry him?"

"No," Angelica blushed back, "why don’t you marry him?"

Ben-Vell stood his ground, watching them walk away from him and sighed into the cold night air, "Girls!"

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE

Heimdall, ever vigilant, who had seen both the wonders and sorrows of the world, who had stood here the night Santa Claus first came to town, looked towards Jotunheim and saw a sight that he would never forget - not because of the legendary beast that was long rumored, but never seen before now, but because it broke Heimdall’s heart.

The left side of a boy’s face was frostbitten and scarred for life, but that, too, was not what Heimdall saw, though he looked right at it. He was blinded by the enormity of the moment, both in what was visible to the mind and in what was made clear to the soul.

Eshir Maximoff, the boy who he was charged with raising, carried gently into Asgard, to the house Heimdall shared with his wife, Amora, in the jaws of a great, grey Jotunheim Bear.

END THE RIDDLE OF CHRISTMAS EVE, 2191?

Happy Holidays everyone!

-- Mark Bousquet

Northern Bear Productions

4 December 2000

AGC Christmas Special for 2001

"The First Christmas of the Rest of His Life: A Christmas Tale of 2023"

featuring Hawkeye and Gravity Chick

Originally presented in 2001 MV1 Holiday Issue

24 December 2023 / Sinnott, North Dakota

A motel …

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"No, go."

"Clint, it's Christmas Eve …" Hawkeye said nothing; Gravity Chick sighed loudly as she zipped up her tight black uniform, then continued, "You spend two weeks chasing me halfway across the country, catch me, we end up here," she waved her hands around the motel room, "spend the better part of an hour making a mess of that bed and that's it? You want me to leave?"

Clint Barton rubbed his eyes, feeling tired, old, alone. He sat with his back against the headboard, covered up to the waist by the bed's sheets and blankets. It'd been nearly a year since the so-called Abandonment, when twelve of Earth's finest heroes had left for the stars to try and save Earth from the intergalactic war brewing between Thanos and Asgard. As sick as Clint had been with President Tony Stark before then, he was almost numb from the continued assault on the character of their former teammates and friends. Stark had all had their private identities made public, and officially charged with acts of treason against the United States. As for himself … Clint had spent much of Stark's Presidency being a general nuisance, acting out against Stark's plans-

"Yo, old man, don't turn into a vegetable on me now," Gravity Chick called to him from the foot of the bed. "Last thing this college girl needs is her aged sometime-lover to keel over after-"

"Why do you do this?" Clint asked, knocking the extra pillow off the bed.

"Sleep with you?" Gravity Chick shrugged. "You're more exciting than some dumb, drunk frat guy. Or do you mean commit crimes? Or dress up in a silly costume and give myself some feminist-empowering name? What, exactly, do you mean?"

"All of it, I guess," Clint shrugged, staring at the door. He shifted uncomfortably on the bed, then continued, "I could've caught you in five different places between the City and here, GC, but I didn't. Granted, you weren't doing anything terribly illegal-"

"I was robbing from Stark's fat-cat allies," Gravity Chick added with a seductive grin. "Something you approve of."

"Still, you're wanted for other crimes. I could've- no, should've-"

"Hey, old man, relax," Gravity Chick said softly, jumping lightly across the room, controlling the gravity around her to allow her body to float down next to him on the bed. She ran her gloved hands across his face, then leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips. "One of the courses I took this past semester was all about this psycho-stuff you're going through." Clint looked at her blankly. "See, Clint, it's very Jungian. You didn't capture me until tonight because your subconscious is trying to tell you that you're not dealing with the Abandonment in a healthy manner. You're trying to justify what the heroes did, why they were right to leave, why you were right to refuse the offer to go and remain behind, all in an attempt to convince yourself of everything but the truth."

"Oh, really," Clint raised an eyebrow, his throat feeling suddenly dry. "And what, exactly, is the truth?"

Gravity Chick kissed his forehead, "That you're alone. And you don't like it." She crawled over him, straddling his body over the sheets. Her voice was soft, comforting, "It's Christmas Eve, Clint. No one likes being alone tonight. That's why you waited until tonight to catch me, why you drove me to this god forsaken state in the middle of nowhere, far away from the bustle of a big city, where prying eyes would recognize you or me."

"Got it all figured out, don't you?" he asked, looking up at her, his emotions draining out of him. "Twenty-one year old kid has-"

"Be quiet," she said softly, leaning down to kiss him on the lips, letting the moment linger. "I don't want to be alone tonight, either," her voice was almost a whisper. "That's why I let you catch me. For God's sake, Clint, it's the night before Christmas. I may not be a depressed old fart like you, but …" Her voice trailed off as their eyes locked, "Tell me you want me to stay and lay with you all night in this bed, watching bad Christmas specials on this cheap motel TV. Tell me you don't want to wake-up alone on Christmas morning. Even if it's a lie, say it. Give me that as a present."

Clint closed his eyes, as seconds turned to a minute, then two. Gravity Chick let him think, in no hurry to leave, knowing he wouldn’t lie to her. For better or worse, she'd get the truth. Finally, he opened his eyes, and said, "I don't want to be alone, GC."

A fading hero and an upstart villain kissed gently, and as the snow outside began to fall harder, two lonely people found, for a night, peace in each other's arms, whispering "Merry Christmas" until thoughts drifted to dream ...

END

From CHAMPIONS #50

"AEON FLUX, Part 3: Resolution"

written by Russ Anderson

originally presented in CHAMPIONS 50, this story takes place during the EMBERS OF HALA storyline in AGC 35-42

2201 / March

Thor Odinson Hall of Peace.

King Balder -- once known simply as Balder the Brave, once the mightiest soldier of Asgard save for Thor himself -- sighed and rubbed his palms briefly over his face. At moments like this, when matters of state and diplomacy insisted he couldn't just smash his bickering allies' heads in with a cudgel, he felt more useless than ever he had before accepting this crown and this throne.

It was Ash'lin and Kovar of course. It was always Ash'lin and Kovar. At times, Balder thought it may have been foolish to bring representatives of the Shi'ar and the Kree together at one table and expect them to not spend the bulk of their time trying to politically (and sometimes literally) disembowel each other. But the two races were vital in the alliance's war against Thanos and his army of Eternals. And so Balder left his cudgel at home, out of reach should his normally mild temper get the better of him.

This time the subject for debate was the Kree share of the Alliance's funding. Ash'lin insisted that the rest of the allied races, who were each in dire straits themselves, should not have to dip farther into their own coffers to cover the expenses of the Kree. What Ash'lin was not taking into consideration was that Hala, the Kree homeworld, had recently been decimated by Thanos' armies, and that half of their people had subsequently defected to the Mad Titan's cause.* Everyone understood this, even Ash'lin, but the Shi'ar couldn't resist embarrassing and making trouble for her Kree counterpart.

(* See Mark Bousquet's All God's Children #35-42: EMBERS OF HALA -- Russ)

"The Shi'ar have troubles of our own. We cannot be expected to pick up the Kree share of the funding as well as--"

Kovar the Accuser gritted his teeth, fingering his Universal Weapon and perhaps sharing King Balder's desire to brain his fellow councilman with it. "No one is asking the Shi'ar to do so, Ash'lin. Each member of the Alliance will cover only a part of the expenses until the Kree are able to restore commerce on Hala. Suppose Chandilar was laid--"

"Thanos and his thugs would never come within twenty parsecs of Chandilar!"

Beside Kovar, the Skrull ambassador -- the deceptively thin and soft-spoken Skrull 4 -- sighed and sank more deeply into his chair and his tattered brown robes. Across the table Captain America, the Universal Protector, shared a look with Danielle Moonstar. A silent communication seemed to pass between the two lovers, and the Captain rose to his feet, placed his palms on the table, and opened his mouth to speak.

And then a blinding flash of light stunned all at the council table into silence. Balder reached for his sword -- he kept at least that nearby at these meetings -- but what he saw when his eyes cleared stunned even him into immobility.

Standing atop the council table were two muscular, utterly naked Earthmen. One of these had jet-black hair, and a mustache that would have done Fandral the Dashing proud. The other was trying to wrench his heel out of the jaws of a three-headed dog. As Balder was still taking this in, this second man lost his balance and fell over practically in Ash'lin's lap. The Shi'ar ambassador squawked indignantly and leapt to her feet.

The first man, the one with the mustache, looked around blankly for a moment, before his eyes fell on Captain America. For a moment, the two men froze like that, gazes locked, and then the naked man cried, "Le Capitan!"

"Batroc?" America breathed. "So young... but how...?"

"Curse these mongrels!" the second naked man cried, now beset upon by two of the cavorting wolf cubs.

"Ze bracelets do not zuit you, Capitan. Ze color zcheme is all wrong."

America looked at the quantum bands he wore on his wrists, then turned his eyes back up to Batroc. "Batroc, how are you here? Is this Doom's time machine?"

"What is this madness?" Kovar demanded. "Why are these Earthmen disrobed?"

"Non, Capitan. We have simply missed our mark again." The Earthman snapped off a jaunty salute and thumbed a tiny white wafer in his hand. "Adieu."

Another flash of light, and this time when Balder's eyes cleared, the two men and the cubs had disappeared. Captain America was rubbing the back of his neck, wearing a bemused, weightless look Balder hadn't seen on his face in decades, like he'd just been reminded of a particularly good joke that he hadn't thought of in ages.

"Bon voyage, old friend," he murmured.

END AGC GIANT-SIZE# 2

Comments to bousquet22@earthlink.net

-- Mark Bousquet ...

Northern Bear Productions

27 November 2002