Blue Light Productions presents

            Education has always influenced the Legion of Net.
    Heroes. Generally, this usually is because the Writers, wielding
    the power to shape and manipulate the very plotlines that,
    woven together, make up the Looniverse, were actually students.
    This meant that, not only did education shape the level of grammar,
    punctuation, spelling, and raw, elemental understanding of how
    to write a story, for the Writers (And thus, the LNH), but it also
    meant that often some form of education was given to the
    characters, to allow the Writers to apply some kind of level of
    understanding between the two.
            Thus, the Net.ropolis Academy is an important part of
    LNH lore. Besides the many Net.ropolis teenagers in attendance,
    the Academy was responsible for the creation -- and graduation --
    of one of the most amazing teams in LNH history -- Generation Y.
            And, it was Generate Y which Bibliography Boy thought
    of, as he quietly sat behind his desk in Net.Ropolis Academy.
    The small classroom he had been assigned was bare, with only
    a few desks waiting for students to fill them. "They've done me
    proud -- but what now? September's just around the corner."
    The thought hung in the air, permeating the silence. "Is there a
    next, next generation of net.heroes for me to teach?"
            "You had better believe it," a chillingly subtle voice said.
            Bibliography Boy nearly had a heart attack, and ended up
    hitting the ceiling in a bout of anxiety engendered by such a
    simple, yet very familiar voice.
    
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    o/~ A Blue Light Productions Presentation, of the LNH o/~
    GENERATION Z (A mini-series)
    no. 1 (Not sure how long this mini will last)
    "Never Argue With A Ninja,"
    or
    "The Most Recent Next Generation of Net.Heroes,"
    Written by Ben Rawluk
    In honour of Martin Phipps, may he return to the
    wonderful place called the Looniverse, some day.

    Special thanks to Jamas Enright, K. M. Wilcox, and
    Tom Russell, for consults on characterization, etc.

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Cover - The old logo for the Generation Y series is
    portrayed on the cover, with the 'Y' crossed out in red and
    a 'Z' written in beside it. The cover portrays Faq Boy and
    Fuzzboy trying to pull Escher Boy  off the ceiling. Manga
    Girl and another girl, in yellow, look on.
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    
            One of the most frightening members of the Legion
    of Net.Heroes, for those you of just discovering the joys
    of that wonderful organisation, would have to Ultimate
    Ninja. Ask any LNHer; Ultimate Ninja was feared by many
    of them. Which was understandable; generally, any man
    who can kill someone in under ten seconds using only a
    handful of straws and a glob of paper mache, in a manner
    described by some ancient martial art, deserves respect.
            Escher Boy considered this as he stood in the large,
    ornately furnished office of Ultimate Ninja. While he hadn't
    met Ultimate Ninja at his first crack at Legion membership,
    [* See _Escher Boy_ #1 - Footnote Girl] he had heard the
    stories. And somehow, Escher Boy wasn't quite sure how,
    Ultimate Ninja had tracked him down and contacted him.
    Maybe it was about those footprints on the ceiling, Escher
    Boy thought, wincing as he recalled his encounter with
    Cheesecake-Eater Lad and aLLiterative Lass that had resulted
    in the marks on the ceiling. He glanced around the office.
    Amidst the Asian furnishings and a few knick-knacks here
    and there, stood four other young people. Escher Boy wondered
    if they had caused footprints on the ceiling as well.
            And, at the centre of it all, behind a squat, mahogany
    table, sat Ultimate Ninja, the seeming personification of
    calmness. Escher Boy noted some straws on the desk, and
    shivered. Though, he tried to do so unnoticed.
            Ultimate Ninja, as always, was dressed achromatically
    in his black, full bodysuit. The cowl effectively covered his
    head, allowing no trace of emotion to show through. His custom
    designed belt.thingee was also black, allowing him a modicum
    of stealth that the normally bright belt.thingee designs would
    have prevented. His hand was perpetually on the hilt of his
    famous Ginsu Katana, which Escher Boy recalled reading about
    in a News.group Magazine. Attached to the belt.thingee was a
    small pouch, which is where Escher Boy assumed the Ninja kept
    his NINJA BUSH rations.
            Escher Boy took a moment to size up the others, a bit
    afraid to actually say anything. There were two girls. One was
    strangely like a cartoon, with large, anime eyes. She wore sweat-
    pants, a tube top, and  had on a backpack. She seemed strangely
    intent upon watching the Ninja, almost sizing him up.
            The other girl, who stood right beside Escher Boy, shuffled
    silently yet nervously, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She
    wore, he thought, a more traditional superhero costume. It was a
    simple, yellow, spandex suit which fit her form perfectly, reaching
    from her ankles to her neck. Like himself, she wore no belt.thingee,
    and had a leaf-like, yellow mask over her eyes. A short
    cape extended from her shoulders, and she had silver
    gloves and boots.
            Escher Boy glanced over at the other two males
    in the room. The first was unusually small, a little person
    with a bizarre, black afro which seemed to have its own,
    personal aura. He seemed to be rather frustrated, watching
    the anime-eyed girl beside him check out the Ultimate
    Ninja.
            The other young man, who looked a bit older than
    the rest of the teenagers, probably in his early twenties,
    wore the expression of someone fully aware of Ultimate
    Ninja's prowess. He wore a black,  spandex costume, with
    'F' and 'B' written on either side of a slightly bizarre
    'No Questions' logo, with a green belt. 
            Escher Boy made a brief mental note about his own
    mode of attire, realising the simple, black and white sensibility
    of it was outweighed by the slightly insane colour schemes used
    by the others in the room.
            "I am sure you are wondering why I called you all here --
    even  going so far as to track some of you down," Ultimate Ninja
    said, after minutes of silence. He let the statement hang in the air
    for a moment, to induce unease from the small group. "And, you
    no doubt wonder what you all have in common."
            "Um, sir?" The 'no questions' hero spoke. "Can we get on with
    this? I really have to get going and see if Payton's made it back
    into continuity."
            "Faq Boy, I believe you will find this to be far more
    important than attempting to romance someone over cheesecake."
            Faq Boy snapped his mouth shut, taken aback.
            "Now then, as I was saying. I trust you have all heard of
    Generation Y?"
            Escher Boy felt a bit like Bandwagon Boy, shaking his head
    with several of the others. Only Faq Boy seemed to know who
    Generation Y were.
            "Okay then," Ultimate Ninja stepped forward, slowly.
    "Generation Y were a group of young net.heroes attending Net.ropolis
    Academy. Mainly made up of sidekicks -- and a few others --
    Bibliography Boy taught them how to be better heroes. So, we've
    decided we need to try again, and see if we can have such advantageous
    results with a new group."
            Faq Boy frowned. "What does this have to do with -us-?"
            "Well, after reviewing your records with the
    LNH -- and how well you did on your tryouts," he
    glanced at the young woman in yellow, and then to
    Escher Boy, "We feel you, as youthful and teenaged
    net.ahumans, could use the practice being Bibliography
    Boy's class would give you."
            "What?" Faq Boy stepped closer. "You want me
    to go back to -high school-?!"
            "Mmm," was all the Ninja responded with. "Yes.
    We feel that because you hail from another reality, you
    could benefit from training on how to fight crime within
    this reality -- without the benefit of the fear engendered
    by your version of the LNH."
            "You're kidding, right?" Faq Boy frowned.
    Apparently, Escher Boy thought, indignation allowed
    him to briefly escape any lurking Ninjaphobia. "I've been 
    operating here for months -- and haven't had any problems!"
            "Be that as it may, you were a sidekick of sorts,
    then -- to your counterpart, Net.Elementalist, in his
    incarnation as Fan.Boy."
            "I don't believe this. I've had my powers for a lot longer
    then Barry [* Net.Elementalist - Footnote Girl] had his original
    ones,  but -now- I'm getting sent back to high school?!"
            "There is no room for argument."
            "Ah," Escher Boy said, hoping to change the subject,
    "I assume you think I need training in my powers?"
            "Yes," The ninja nodded, "Based on what occurred at
    your try-out. While we appreciate the work you've done on
    gaining control over your powers, you still need a degree of fine-
    tuning. The same applies," He motioned towards the yellow-garbed
    young woman, "For Inset Queen."
            "And us?" The anime-eyed girl looked at Ultimate Ninja.
            "Ah, Manga Girl and Fuzzboy [* See The _Manga Girl_
    series - Footnote Girl]. You both come from an anime-based
    reality. We feel that you would do well to learn crime fighting
    techniques based on this world's physical laws and styles."
            "Oh, good," Manga Girl smiled at the Ninja, Fuzzboy
    frowning beside her.
            "I still don't like this," Faq Boy pouted, "What would
    Payton think?"
            "Regardless," the Ultimate Ninja stared at Faq Boy, "I
    want you all to report to Net.ropolis Academy by 8:30 tomorrow
    morning, so that Bibliography Boy can begin the lesson. Dismissed."
            The five youths began to disperse from the room, Faq Boy
    frowning. Manga Girl grinned widely at Fuzzboy"Better make sure my 
    backpack's all stocked up, eh, Fuzzy?"
            "Mmm," Fuzzboy frowned, as Manga Girl hazarded a
    glance back at Ultimate Ninja.
    
            Bibliography Boy, wearing the gaudy costume he used
    while with the LNH in order to make the class more comfortable,
    gently tapped a pile of papers he held in his hands, against the
    desk, to keep the pile even. He looked out over the small
    classroom; all the desks were taken up, with each member of
    the class in various states of being while they waited for the
    final bell to ring.
            The teacher sized them up. The yellow-costumed Inset
    Queen had found herself sitting next to Escher Boy, and the two
    of them had seemed quite happy to chat with each other. He
    recalled from Ultimate Ninja's dossier that they were the two
    needing the work on controlling their powers.
            Manga Girl and Fuzzboy had managed to move their desks
    a bit away from the others. This, BB decided, was a bad sign; he
    needed to get the group to be able to work together. They seemed
    to be in a rather quiet conversation of their own, a bit oblivious to
    what was going on around them.
            The final member of the class, Faq Boy, had positioned
    himself near the back of the classroom. He had a slightly sullen
    look on his face. He was, BB noted, in his early twenties.
    Bibliography Boy wondered why Ultimate Ninja thought placing
    him with teenagers would help him function. The bell rang.
            "Class -- settle down," Bibliography Boy dropped the
    papers down onto his desk, and then raised his arms to get the
    attention of the young heroes. "We're now in session, for the
    first official period of Generation Z."
            "Generation Z?" Manga Girl stuck out her tongue.
            "Well, because your predecessors were referred to as
    Generation Y, we logically decided you would be 'Generation Z.'"
            "But its kinda -- I don't know -- Ick."
            "Mmm," Escher Boy chuckled. "Sounds fine to me."
            "It's okay for now," Inset Queen smiled, "After all, its not
    set in stone, is it? We can always change it to something different
    later."
            "I know I don't care," Faq Boy crossed his arms.
            "Holy Carry Fisher," Fuzzboy looked around, "You think
    I wanna comment? I'm just Mango's boyfriend. I'll vote how she does.
    I'm too tired to think."
            "Sidekick," Manga Girl corrected.
            "Boyfriend," Fuzzboy stuck his tongue out.
            "Boytoy?" Manga Girl winked. "And you wouldn't be so tired if
    you  hadn't stayed up so late to watch Dragonballs."
            "Oy," Inset Queen raised both eyebrows. Escher Boy
    made wretching noises beside her.
            "ANYWAY," Bibliography Boy desperately attempted
    to get the class back on topic. "Perhaps you all would like to
    know what areas will be covered in this course."
            "Why not?" Faq Boy mustered his concentration.
    "What exactly are we gonna be *doing* in this 'class,' anyway?"
            "Well," BB smiled, slightly, "We'll be looking at several
    areas. First off, we'll be looking at your basic stop-the-villain-
    using-teamwork-and-capture-him. Then, we'll be looking at how
    to deal with hostage situations, and general application of powers
    inside and outside of the area of crime-busting. After that, I'll review
    how you've done, and see if we need to go over stuff or move on."
            "How -- cliche," mumbled Escher Boy, "Is that kind of
    standard stuff for 'Super-Hero Academy' type stories? Not that I'm
    into reading that kind of stuff."
            "Of course not," Manga Girl smirked.
            "Well, we'll see how things go," Bibliography Boy raised
    his voice slightly, to pull the attention of the students back to him,
    "But first I think we need a quizzes and assignments before any
    looniverse-saving --"
            "Oh joy," mumbled Faq Boy.
    
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    NEXT ISSUE: As Generation Z gets used to life in school, forces
    begin ebb and flow, as a Field Trip looms on the horizon ...
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    
    THE DRAMATIS PERSONAE
    
      CHARACTER                               OWNER
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=                           =-=-=-=-=
    Bibliography Boy                        Martin Phipps (Public Domain?)
    Escher Boy                              K. M. Wilcox
    Faq Boy                                 Jamas Enright
    Fuzzboy                                 Tom Russell
    Inset Queen                             Ben Rawluk
    Manga Girl                              Tom Russell
    Ultimate Ninja                          wReam
    
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    
    AUTHOR'S NOTES AND OTHER STUFF
    
            Some people have mentioned they like to hear the
    "behind the scenes" stuff. Perhaps a bit of explanation
    about Generation Z. The idea was spawned a long while
    ago. If I remember correctly, the issue of a sequel of some
    kind for Generation Y, called Gen Z, was brought up by me
    in an email to Martin Phipps, shortly after Kid Mysticism's
    death and just after Generation Y ended. We talked a bit
    about the idea, including the fact that I suggested a youth
    from an alternate timeline named Kid Mysticism II, who was
    supposed to be a mild parody of the whole Phoenix II
    confusion from Marvel Comics (I was a big fan of Excalibur
    at the time), but in the end, Martin said he wouldn't be able to
    do anything with the idea because of time constraints, which
    later gave birth to his loss of net access. The idea for Gen Z
    was filed away in my brain, and I didn't even think about it
    until recently.
            Anyway, for some reason (I was probably re-reading
    an old issue of Legion of Super-Heroes, with the Legion Academy),
    the memory was triggered, and I ended up hauling it out. Now, since
    I'd like to focus on Off-Kilter Adventures, this is just going to
    be a mini-series. I expect in the end, it'll be no more than four
    or so issues, maximum.
            Well, that's just about it. I'd appreciate some feedback
    and/or reviews if anyone feels like giving any, especially since
    I'd like to make sure the mini-series is a strong one. Also, keep
    on the look out for my main series, Off-Kilter Adventures/Lurker
    Lad.