Blue Light Productions presents

Kid Mysticism & The Net.Titans
#36
"Guilt and Death"
The Finale to THE MAGICIAN'S WOES
By Ben Rawluk
A Milestone in the existence of the Net.Titans!
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[Cover - A completely black cover, except for the white-outline of the logo.]
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--The Shadow Realms--
    
The Gatherer spoke. "Mysticism Kid, you are charged with using your magic
for illegal time-travel, disrupting the life of your past incarnation, and
using the Retcotheric power against your own nature. How do you plead?"
    
"Oh, Guilty of course. Oh-so guilty!" Mysticism Kid cooed through a toothy
grin. "But then..being guilty is better'n being dead."
    
"In the Eldritch Alliance...they are the same thing." The Gatherer replied.
    
"Oh yeah!" MK screeched, and eldritch energies sprang from his form,
striking down every Alliance member except Kid Mysticism. The laughter of
the Shadow Realms, for the first time ever, was silenced.
    
--The LNHQ Computer Lab--
    
Research Lass was hunched over an aging computer monitor, staring at the
screen, in the midst of some research project or other. Suddenly, she looked
up from her work. A terrible cold feeling came over her. The room was filled
with foreboding. She wasn't sure what, but something was happening.
Something dark.
    
--The Shadow Realms--
    
Kid Mysticism watched in horror as everyone was disintegrating in an instant
by the retcotheric force blast. Mysticism Kid laughed like a fiend, as the
smoke cleared. There was utter silence. "You...bastard." Kid Mysticism
breathed, his balled-up fist glowing with eldritch energies. 
    
"Now, now...no name calling..." Mysticism Kid giggled Kid Mysticism couldn't
stand it any longer, and lunged forward, grabbing the ersatz future version
of himself gone bust. He concentrated, and they vanished, in a blast of
sapphire light.
    
--Elsewhere--
    
Reality quivered, and two mirror reflections teleported in, struggling and
blasting each other. Mysticism Kid screeched, and pushed Kid Mysticism away.
He grinned evilly, and conjured up a  simulacrum of Research Lass. "Watch
it, boyo, or the real Resa buys it first!"
    
Kid Mysticism repeated his earlier comment. "You bastard!" Waves of sapphire
magic erupted from his fingertips, dissipating the false Research Lass, and
burning Mysticism Kid's forehead.
    
"Naughty, Naughty..."
    
--The Med-Lab--
    
Plot-Device King muttered "Thank you." to Organic Lass, as she finished
bandaging him up from his little battle-scenario in the Peril Room. He
glanced at his watch, and felt the grumble of his stomach. Time for lunch,
he thought.
    
Plot-Device King quickly stepped out into the corridor, and headed towards
the turbo-lift elevator.thingee. He made a mental note to find out exactly
what it was called, and pressed the button. It was then that he felt the
first tingle. Quickly, the sensation ballooned into outright pain.
Plot-Device King toppled over. Plotdevicion particles filled the air, in a
vaguely Kirby-esque design. The energies reached an ebb and flowed...His
body armour and under-costumed shattered, ripping to shreds. He was suddenly
overtaken by incredible embarrassment, when he looked down at himself: He
was wearing a new blue and white costume, with a neat starfield pattern on
it. "Whoa..."
    
--The Computer Rooms--
    
Linguist Lass tapped on the keys, and carefully viewed the screen. She
figured this was Research Lass's kind of a good time, but continued skimming
through the LNH's roster files, scanning for any information that could be
useful later. There was a sudden *beep*, and a smaller, secondary window
appeared on the screen, with Browsing Boy looking in from the terminal in
his quarters. "Anne? You coming to bed any time soon?"
    
"A bit later, Alex. I've got some stuff to finish up, then I'll be in." 
    
"_OK_..." Browsing Boy answered, and then added, "...but I'd rather you let
Research Lass deal with that."
    
--Elsewhen--
    
"Damn *huff* it, KM! I'm trying to keep your destiny on track!" Mysticism
Kid growled, as he pushed his counterpart away. Kid Mysticsim replied with
deadly force, retcotheric energies pulled from the Cry.Sig itself surging
from his fingertips, seeming to disintergrate the doppleganger. "Uh-Uh...not
nice." Mysticism Kid grinned, as his quite-alive form materialised.
    
"If It means destroying you...then...eat THIS!" Kid Mysticism smashed his
hand right into MK's face, and, with every minuscule thought, unleashed his
full eldritch might.
    
KA-BOOM!
    
The energies rained from the two forms, caught in an ever-present struggle.
In a moment of weakness, the two forms merged, and Kid Mysticism flowed out
of perceivable existence, feeling his last breaths awakening in him.
    
--The Dormitory Section of LNHQ--
    
Plot-Device King staggered down the hall, keycard in hand, his trembling
form headed for his private quarters. The strange new costume's starfield
pattern glistened in a cosmic light. His eyes bugged out, and looked up. A
horrendous darkness was happening. His plot-device power had given him a
moment of precognition...and Plot-Device King screamed.
    
--Elsewhen--
    
Blackness...Kid Mysticism's form flowed through the absolute blackness of
oblivion. He was falling...
....And falling...
     ...And falling...
...And falling...
    
--The LNH TV Room--
    
Research Lass quietly sat, watching an old episode of Baywatch, nestled
under an old blanket. The room's 100-inch TV took up the entire opposite
walls, a constant display of colour and information. She shivered.
"Computer, increased the room temperature by..." RL began, "5 degrees."
    
<Complying with request> chimed the LNH's computer system, and the air
became a bit warmer.
    
--The Infirmary--
    
Plot-Device King slowly returned to unconsciousness. His eyes search the
surroundings. The infirmary. He was in a medbed. He reached out with his
hand, trying to regain his awareness. Accidentally, his plot-device power
disrupting the equipment monitoring him, and there was a loud *BREEP!*. Doc
Stomper came running in. "Ah...Plot-Device King! You're up...nice costume,
by the way." He fixed the equipment, and turned back to the Net.Titan.
"Look, what the hell happened out there?!"
    
"I don't know. My power kicked in, and I had this feeling of utter...dread."
Plot-Device King answered, and pulled himself up from the medbed. "I
probably just need some sleep. I'm going back to my quarters."
    
Plot-Device King left the infirmary, and Stomper watched, worrying. What the
hell was going on?!
    
--The LNH Grounds--
    
LNHQ is surrounded by a lush area of gardens and pools, maintained by LNHers
and staff alike. Other than the odd horrendous super-battle, it was a
usually pretty quiet portion of the area; even the grass regenerated when
burnt by flame-heroes, thanks to the improbable nexus-aura which extended
from the building itself to the property line. 
    
Unexpectedly, there was an explosion of retcotheric energy. Nothing seemed
affected, except that the body of Kid Mysticism lay on the ground.
    
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Next Issue: The Net.Titans experience the beginning of a new era as Kid
Mysticism's funeral brings about change amongst them...
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-Credits-
    
The Net.Titans, Kid Mysticism, Mysticism Kid, Plot-Device King, and Research
Lass are owned by me. 
Browsing Boy is reserved by me.
Linguist Lass is reserved to me, but was created by Martin Phipps.
Doc Stomper is public domain.
     
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Add. Notes: Yeah, the issue was shorter than I had intended, but I wanted to
get it out, and felt that the issue was just meant to be short. Not my best
work, I have to say. :(