[Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CaCcRyv.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/2cVYNXa.png[/img][/center] [color=gainsboro][h3][b]Some Years Ago...[/b][/h3] The house is chaotic. Helen and Brian Connolly had brought their sons Dennis and Sean to her father's for Christmas and for once the big, empty house was abuzz with life. "Dennis, get off your behind and help out!" Or the Connolly family's approximation of it. Dennis was laying back on the lounge listening to MP3s with headphones on. He rocked forward and pulled out his left plug.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"Where's Sean at? Why doesn't he have to help out?"[/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]"I didn't ask Sean, I asked you. Now get up and set the table." Dennis got to his feet and trudged into the kitchen to get the plates and cutlery, whilst his mother wrestled with the turkey.[/color] [color=gainsboro]Meanwhile, downstairs in the basement a grandfather and his grandson were in the midst of an historic transition. Fitting, with Christmas being a day for tradition in so many households. Few like this family, though. Sean stood silently and respectfully in a long, skin-tight blue, yellow and red outfit with a large gold eagle emblem emblazoned upon his chest whilst his grandfather approached holding an oak box, a little over a foot in length, horizontally in front of himself. This was a day he'd waited quite some time for. He'd put so much work in, proving himself with years of hard work and an exemplary record of long standing good ethics. Today was the payoff. The perfect 40 yard spiral in the Championship game after months of throwing it through tyres. The beachtime bod after the thousands of situps. The graduation with honours after years of cramming and long nights spents putting in the work. Goal, hard work, payoff. His grandfather opened up the long box and removed the Golden Rod with the small eagle emblem which he'd long ago metalworked onto the base of the handle as a younger man. Once more feeling the weight of the powerful item in his wrinkled hands. He smiled, both out of memory for what the pair of them had been able to accomplish over the years, but also out of pride for his grandson. He held the Golden Rod out and Sean took it in his grasp. He held it aloft and a bright golden light glowed from the end, growing brighter and seemingly sending all shadow in the basement scurrying away, helpless from the seemingly omnipresent source of light in their midst. The pair's smiles grew wider as they watched as Sean gaped in wonder at the amazing light show the grandson was able to put on. Alan began to wonder if this display was even brighter than he was able to get the Rod to shine, even at his greatest peak...[/color] [color=yellow][b][h3][sub]"HA HA HA HA HA HAAA!"[/sub][/h3][/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]Laughter echoed from the top of the stairs.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"Man, you look like a tapeworm in that getup. Spandex is [u]NOT[/u] flattering, and you can see [u]EVERYTHING[/u]..."[/b][/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Get out of here, Dennis!"[/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]Barked Sean.[/color] [color=darkgoldenrod]"It's not Spandex. It's A-Q-Fiber. An engineered aramid fibre type which combines the external heat resistence of Nomex and the ballistic capabilities of kevlar."[/color] [color=gainsboro]Alan corrected, scowling at the black sheep.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"...and the spandex properties which allows you to see the full outline of his meat and potatoes. Ha-Ha! You look skinnier than me in that! What was the point of all those pushups and weights in football just to get around looking scrawnier then I do?! HA HA HA!"[/b][/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"I [u]DO[/u] [u]NOT[/u] look skinnier than you!"[/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]Sean barked back, pointing at Dennis with the Golden Rod in one hand and cupping his genitalia selfconsciously with the other.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"Sorry 'little bro'."[/b][/color] Standing up from his hunched over position at the top of the staircase and spinning around showing off his own snow jacket. [color=yellow][b]"It's why I wear this kind of stuff. Can't tell where the coat stops and the me starts. I could be anywhere in this. You'd never catch me wearing anything like that..."[/b][/color] [color=darkgoldenrod]"Well, Dennis... Nobody's asking you to."[/color] [color=gainsboro]Alan spat back venomously. The words stopped the older grandson in his tracks and he turned and went back up the stairs and left the pair alone. Alan adjusted the suit from where it had bunched up around Sean's shoulders. Sean opened his mouth to say something to his grandfather, only gor the older man to cut him off.[/color] [color=darkgoldenrod]"I know. I know. It's just a big moment for you and I won't have him--."[/color] [color=gainsboro]The older man stopped and composed himself.[/color] [color=darkgoldenrod]"He'll get over it."[/color] [hr] [color=gainsboro]Later on the assembled family were all gathered around by the Christmas tree. Sean back in his LHU letterman jacket and Brian Connolly dressed in red, with a hat and fake beard years beyond the time everybody in attendance had ceased believing in Santa Claus, periodically firing off "Ho Ho Ho"s (perhaps more similar in delivery to Long John Silver than any traditional portrayal of Father Christmas, as Dennis had noted, to considerably more good humour and mirth than his appraisal of his brother's outfit) and distributing the presents from under the tree. "Aaaaaand here's one for yooooou, Dennis! HO! HO! HOOOOOO!" His father said.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"Thanks, but now you're sounding more ghost than pirate or Santa... Ahhh you'll hit the right note eventually, Pops."[/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]He said, taking the large rectangular box covered in green and red Christmas wrapping. He tore the paper clear and removed the lid, revealing an old surplus, fleece-lined aviator's flight jacket. It had a set of wings on the pocket, was two sizes two big, just like most of the clothes Dennis chose to wear.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"Awww thanks Ma, this is perfect!"[/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]He got up and gave his mother a hug. "How'd you--? Alright... AND your father. It's a gift from the both of us."[/color] [color=yellow][b]"Sure, Ma."[/b][/color] [color=gainsboro]He said, in acquiescence. The gift giving continued, Alan getting some jazz records from Dennis and some kind of modern newfangled coffee machine which wouldn't see out the year. Sean received a football jersey that had been taken around the lockerroom and signed by 50-odd players of some pro team or another, and socks from his grampa (because his 'real' present came before). Cufflinks which he'd seldom use for Brian, along with a flask which would see only a little more use. And Helen received a vast number of smaller gifts, which somewhat showed who tended to be responsible for collaborating and finding the 'big' gifts. Christmas would go on a little longer before most of the family would pile into the Range Rover, and head on home. Leaving Alan Coghlan's home as painfully quiet as it had been since Margie's passing some years ago. Alan made a token effort to tidy up, and then truly feeling the emptiness of the house, decided to go to bed and clean the house proper in the morning, when the absence of family would be less felt.[/color] [hr] [color=gainsboro][h3][b]This Year...[/b][/h3] Dennis pulled his fleece-lined aviator flight jacket tightly around him as he looked over Lost Haven from his chilly perch atop the Chambers Building. He'd spent much of the night ensuring that many of the city's homeless safely found their ways to the shelters which were more heavily funded and resourced this time of year. It was plenty cold and nobody should go without a good meal in them at this time of year. Violent crime seemed to dry up somewhat immediately around Christmas, but that didn't leave him without people to help. Along with the homeless, self harm situations and suicides were generally high around this time of year. A time for family is often a bitter reminder for those who have lost theirs, or feel they have. As he pulled his jacket tight around himself, Dennis felt his own losses again. He sighed and saw his own breath in the cold air. So much of this, being the Aquilifer, extends beyond just punching villains and stopping muggers. Grampa started this believing he could be an inspirational figure. A beacon of hope for people, to strive for more. To believe in betterness, both in themselves and the world around them. A sense of renewed hope. And sometimes it was difficult to figure out just how to be that. It took a sort of lateral thinking beyond the normal, the sense to find new ways to use almost inconceivable power and project it with that sense of purpose. It seldom came naturally. He looked out over the city. He'd filled the shelters and soup kitchens. No muggers out and about. No world destroying villains. No bankrobbers. Maybe he could call it an early night... or maybe even go down and give some local tourists a thrill. He looked straight down the building at the people directly below and saw the lights. The Chambers Building had a series of green and red lights all up the side of it, on all four sides. Shaped in the form of great big Christmas trees on every point of the compass, overlooking all the burroughs of Lost Haven. It was another nice little thing the city would do this time of year. He looked up at the telecommunications antenna and smiled.[/color] [hr] [color=gainsboro]On the city's streets below, Maria Rodriguez tried to assemble her three kids for a photo in front of the Christmas tree in Sherman Square with the iconic Chambers building in the background. She'd repeatedly try setting her phone's camera down on a solid surface and scurry over to try and wrangle the children with varying degrees of futility. "You kids! We're never going to get this shot for your Abuela! Now this time, come in and behave!" She went back to the phone and was disappointed with the results again. A fair-faced young woman was walking past and saw the woman struggling. She reached out for the phone and offered to help. "Salud! Gracias, oh thank you, Senorita! Thank you so much. Can you get the tree and the Chay-mbers in the background too, please, Miss?" Maria got back in line with her kids. The young lady had a look at the phone in her hands. It was a good modern smartphone. Unlocked. Possibly even had internet banking attached... Almost certainly had personal details that would have been valuable for-- "Thank you again, Senorita! Now, you kids, don't you waste too much of this nice young lady's time!" The young woman stopped and smiled, she framed the family up in the photo with the building and tree in the background just as she'd asked, watching the family closely to make sure none of the kids squirmed or pulled untimely faces. She took three shots, just to be safe so that the hurried mother could pick her favourite to send, and then held the phone out for Maria to come and take it. Maria rushed over and took her phone back to look at the photos and thanked her again, checking the kids were all behaving. The younger woman said "That's more than fine." and turned to leave, before she heard Mrs Rodriguez' exclaimation. "¡Mis cielos! ¡Un ángel!" She turned curiously, to see what the older woman was talking about. Then realized it wasn't just in the photo. There was murmuring all around, and she turned to see what was receiving all of this talk of the divine and saw it almost instantly. There was a star atop the Chambers Building Christmas tree. She squinted to penetrate the bright light and recognized it immediately. The same angel who saved her life the day the Hounds came for her. They had killed one sister and the other had selfishly fled without any regard. He'd saved her and set her down safely without a scratch, whilst he soared over the city luring the killers away. The whole city was seeing the same angel she'd seen on that day. A tear fell on her cheek. Far atop the city, Dennis balanced atop the telecommunications antenna, setting the Golden Rod to shine just as bright as he could get it to go and laughing joyfully, his flight jacket flapping wildly in the winter night. But Dennis didn't feel cold at all. Not this night.[/color]