As the final leaves of autumn dropped to the ground in December 1963, a joyous transformation began to unfold across the bustling cityscape of New York.
The charm of Christmas was settling in, infusing the city's veins with its festive spirit.
The citizens were buzzing with infectious enthusiasm as if all had caught the bug of Christmas joy.
One by one, Christmas trees were finding their homes in every corner of the city.
Whether they were tall or small, slim or full, each was welcomed with loving hands, eager to adorn them with tinsel, baubles, and twinkling fairy lights.
Every home glowed warm, its beacon of cheer on the crisp winter nights.
The Christmas spirit wasn't confined to the homes alone.
Each storefront, no matter its size, had been decorated.
Garlands of colored lights draped over their entrances, their blinking radiance casting a glow onto the sidewalk.
In their windows, big signs broadcasted the news of holiday discounts.
But, it seemed as though the joyous blanket of Christmas had forgotten to cover one corner of the city - Val's grand mansion.
The vibe inside held a stark contrast to the rest of New York as if the spirit of Christmas had taken a wrong turn on its way to his doorstep.
There sat Val, alone in his expansive living room.
His usual lively demeanor had dulled and he looked as if the world outside his window didn't exist.
His fingers delicately picked up one grape after another that was on a plate beside him.
In front of him, the television showed images of the city's lively Christmas celebrations, casting a sharp reflection onto his unblinking eyes.
But Val seemed distant, only half-engaged with the vibrant scenes flickering on the screen.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He flipped through news channels aimlessly, each channel a colorful mosaic of happiness that contrasted with the dull greys of his mansion.
* BEEP *
His fingers idly pressed the remote, flipping to another channel, and suddenly, the jubilant carols and the city's holiday scenes disappeared.
In their place were harsh images of a distant war between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
As the screen shifted, the news anchor came into view who was dressed in a classic suit, "Hello to everyone out there," he said, "I'm John Anderson, here to give you the most recent news on the escalating conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia."
He continued, "Tonight, things are getting worse in the Middle East.
Yemen and Saudi Arabia, two countries that are right next to each other, have been firing lots of missiles.
Now, let's take a closer look at this conflict that's catching everyone's attention around the world."
Suddenly, the screen faded to a large world map.
Yemen and Saudi Arabia stood out, each colored differently since they were the countries involved in the conflict.
The screen switched back to the news anchor, who went on, "The land of the Arabian Peninsula is like a battlefield now.
Yemen and Saudi Arabia are in a tough fight, and this is making things shaky in the region.
This fight comes from differences in politics and religion.
It's really bad news for these two countries and everyone else around the world."
Then, the screen cut to footage of military tanks rolling through the desert, airplanes taking off from airstrips, and soldiers marching in formation.
Newspaper headlines flashed on the screen, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Val made a serious face at the TV while the news anchor went on, "Yemen is a country at the bottom part of the Arabian Peninsula.
It's in the middle of a big fight within itself right now.
The people in charge are not agreeing with the government and the country is split up.
There are even groups that want to fight against the leaders. These groups are called the–"
* BEEP *
Val changed the channel, wondering in his mind, 'Could this war be set up by the Skrulls?'
He saw that the next channel was talking about what was happening later in Vietnam.
But he didn't want to watch that either, so he quickly switched again.
This time, the news was about a fight between some countries in South America.
Val popped another grape into his mouth and rubbed his chin, thinking, 'Why are there so many fights going on in the world right now?
The Vietnam War is the only one that should be happening.
The rest don't seem as important and usually end in a few days or weeks. But...', he looked seriously at the TV and kept thinking, 'It's like someone is starting these small fights on purpose, to turn them into big wars.
Hmm...Peggy did say something about the Skrulls.
But, I thought the Skrulls were supposed to come to Earth later, not now?'
He let out a sigh and thought, 'This is something else I need to keep an eye on.
If the Skrulls are starting wars and getting into the CIA and Navy, then things don't look good for the future.
I need to stop this from happening.
It doesn't matter if the Skrulls came here looking for a new home or whatever.
They know they're causing the deaths of lots of people who did nothing wrong.
And that's something I can't ever forgive.
They need to pay for what they've done, and the only way is by dying.'