Sword of The Lanterns

Chapter Thirty-Two- Snow

Happy Hal Jordan day (though regrettably, there's no Hal in this chapter :( )

THIS FREAKING CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE AND I HATE IT BUT AUGH Here you go Merry Early Christmas :)

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Not to get you all too excited, but I do hope to have this book finished by New Year's :) And then it's on to book two :D

Jaina felt extremely trapped inside the rattling van Mal and Marvin claimed to be "fixing up". She would much prefer to fly, whether with her ring or in the bioship. Connor agreed with her, but Megan and Zatanna wanted the "full experience", and John insisted on driving up with the others, since they could all fit.

Maybe they could fit in the van, but maybe the van would fall apart on the mountainside highway.

John was in the driver's seat, of course, with Mal by his side as his navigator. Megan, Zatanna, Wendy, Karen, Lisa, and Marvin were happily crowded in the first two rows of seats, and Jaina was trapped in the backseat between Connor and the luggage that they absolutely could not fit on top of the van with the snowboards and snowskis.

"JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE ALL THE WAY! OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A ONE-HORSE OPEN SEIGH, HEY!"

Connor grumbled, staring straight ahead. "I hate Christmas carols."

Jaina snorted, leaning against the cool glass window. She liked the cold, it reminded her of being in space. "I hate 'em too."

Surprise of surprises, Connor grinned at her. "Nice to see we finally agree on something."

Jaina met his fist-bump with her own fist.

"Oh oh oh!" Marvin interrupted. "I heard this hilarious version from the kid who just moved from Gotham! Here goes." He cleared his throat for his solo, everyone's ears trained on him. "Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg. Batmobile lost it's wheel and Joker got away- hey!" 

When he mentioned Robin, Zatanna lost it, bending over with laughter. Jaina was tempted to do the same. The idea of Robin, her friend and teammate, laying an egg like some avian creature was quite amusing. Everyone else seemed to think so too, because by the time Marvin had finished his parody, everyone was in hysterical laughter, and even John and Connor were smiling a bit more than they had just a second ago.

"Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg! Batmobile lost it's wheel and Joker does ballet. Hey!"

"Okay, I'll admit, that was really funny," Jaina said.

"You're smiling! Finally! I thought we lost you there!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Oh hush," Jaina shook her head and shoved her earbuds back in her ears.

John was having none of that. "Jaina, take those out: we're here!"

"Finally!" Connor shoved past Jaina and clamber out of the car and dive headfisrt into the snow.

"Ah, claustrophobic, are we?" Mal asked.

John stepped between the two huge boys. "No fighting, or we can go right back home."

Wendy nearly fell out of the car, forgetting her coat, and ran for the door of the lodge as fast as she could. "Mal where's the freakin' key!?" She demanded, yanking on the handle.

"Right here," Mal tossed it to Marvin, who quickly opened the lock.

"Speaking of which, I need to go to the bathroom too," Jaina said, talking her duffle out of the back.

"Go ahead, I can keep these two busy with the luggage while I polish up the 'boards and skis," John patted Connor and Mal on the back, pushing them over to the open trunk.