LNH: Digital JUMP! Icosa-Annual: "@ONEMENT! Shoot for the Hubble Deep Field!"

PREHISTORIC PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH EOF, COSMIC INCARNATION OF ENDINGS

...from the files of the Molybdenum Age...

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Digital JUMP!

Written by Drew Nilium
Cover art by Michael Stipe
For the honor of Amalgama

Icosa-Annual - @ONEMENT!  Shoot for the Hubble Deep Field!

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The cover is an homage to the video for REM's "Imitation of Life", with a whole
bunch of characters at a cookout, arranged around a fancy-as-heck rock pool
with a waterfall.

Towards the top, in the background, Kid Enthusiastic and Force Prime are
bouncing around in a collection of big, colorful bouncy balls. To the left,
Copernicron and Rotengenwon of the NefariKingdom are embracing in a hot makeout
and knocking over a tree in the process. To the right, The Munich Stranger is
playing a ukelele with a monkey sitting on his lap; next to him, the Crimson
@venger is serving burgers off a grill.

Downwards from there, Casey von Aluminumfoil is pouring wine into a pyramid of
glasses that are collapsing and flying apart, and just below him, the future
version of the Zinc Oxide Tyrant is flailing around, one arm on fire, and
knocking his past self into the pool.

In the foreground, the Emperor of Chi-Gamma is throwing a drink in Queen
Transuranium Butterfly's face, as Mirari Master tries to pull Tragedy of the
Commons into a dance, while Malachite Wendigo sits on a rock and looks
wistfully into the distance.

Around all of this are a bunch of Baron MacNottherealvillains dancing and
having fun. In the lower-right corner, a blacked-out figure that looks
suspiciously like Casey is doing a weird, loose-limbed dance, and covering
their feet is an overly-stylized logo proclaiming "Warriors of Light: Part VIII
the Final!"

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Last time, on Digital JUMP!:

The Tyrant's arm whipped back, the shape of his silvery staff changing into a
spear, and he threw it with impossible speed--

The spear was completely thru the Faded Iron Master's body, completely thru his
shield, his eyes, mouth, open in shock, body frozen, then glowing, with a
searing light-- exploding from within-- gone!

Casey's mouth gently dropped open. "...fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu--"

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"--uuuuuuuuUUUUCK!"

Malachite Wendigo would have agreed with that invective, if she could hear
anything over the blood rushing in her ears. In an instant, the person who
meant the most to her in the world... was gone. He wasn't there. He'd been
there, and... now...

She stumbled, and Carmine caught her.

WikiMan stepped forward from the assemblage of LNHers. "Focus!" he shouted. "We
know what we have to do!"

The Zinc Oxide Tyrant laughed, straightening from his throw, and snapped his
fingers. The army of robotic Baron MacNottherealvillains who surrounded him
surged forward.

(Okay, so, imagine the next four paragraphs as one long tracking shot where the
camera is just moving in a big circle as all the action happens. Thanks!)

Lurking Lady held up the Atavist of Water. "Return your strength to the rivers
that flow thru us!" Just as a Baron leapt to knock her down mid-ritual, Sir
Gloriana stepped forward, magical rune circle flaring in midair, deflecting the
attack. Lurking Lady shouted, "GALVANIZE!"

Flamebroiled Lass held up the Atavist of Fire. "Return your strength to the
life that kindled us!" Devastator laid down a barrage of cover fire, forcing
the Barons back. Flamebroiled Lass shouted, "GALVANIZE!"

The Green Knight held up the Atavist of Earth. "Return your strength to the
soil that nurtured us!" Irony Mantis bounced thru the air, jumping from Baron
to Baron, kicking them out of the way. The Green Knight shouted, "GALVANIZE!"

WikiMan held up the Atavist of Air. "Return your strength to the breath that
lives within us!" Ultimate Mercenary Ninja spun like a viridian cyclone,
suddenly here, suddenly there, an ephemeral, impassible wall. WikiMan shouted,
"GALVANIZE!"

The Atavists rose up above their heads, connected by rivers of light.
Coruscating columns of energy stretched up into the sky, a wave of shimmering
blue pushing out from them, driving the Tyranny Zone away.

And the Tyrant smirked. The Barons halted in their charge, forming a quasi-
living wall. Four of them raised the weapons they'd been holding, long brass
staffs with silvery spheres on the end, in a ring around the Tyrant.

He thrust his hand out, and the spheres exploded with coruscating energies!
Four golden artifacts rose into the air around him - the Four Atavists, the
ones from this dark future!

A burst of cold surprise broke thru Mala's daze, and the LNHers gasped in shock!

The Tyrant threw his head back and laughed. "Just as planned!" The wall of
Barons parted, as he landed on the ground. His Atavists began to glow, as he
stared up with a maniacal grin at the ones the LNHers held. "Return your
strength to the power that I wield!" He thrust out his hands. "MEGA-GALVANIZE!"

The Atavists he had summoned connected to each other, rivers of light shining
ominously, and in a flash, reached out to their counterparts, the rivers
meeting and merging. Slowly, the Atavists of another time were pulled forward,
towards the Baron...

"We can't let him take them!" As one, Lurking Lady, Flamebroiled Lass, the
Green Knight, and WikiMan thrust out their hands. Energy crackled between them
and their Atavists, and concentrating fiercely, they managed to stop them from
being pulled away - but they were stuck in place, unable to pull them back!

And rivers of power were still flowing between the Atavists, and to the Tyrant;
and the @-shaped pendant he wore rose into the air, and began to glow. "Yes,
yessssss!" he crowed, as glowing sigils began to rise around his body,
percentages, asterisks, circumflexes, angle brackets, and @ signs. The mingled
light of the Atavists flared pure crimson, and when it faded, he was dressed in
ornate red armor. "YESSSSS!"

No... Malachite's head felt light, she felt dizzy. The Tyrant was using the
power of all eight Atavists to recharge the power he'd once had, this must have
been his plan all along, when he couldn't get them from his past self he'd
gotten them from us... No, no, everything was falling apart...

Carmine straightened, and pulled Mala to her feet. She reached for her pendant
and squeezed it. "The power of the Crimson @venger rejected him, for his
corruption and cowardice, but he is trying to take it anyway." She looked at
Mala and squeezed her hands. "Take care, and find the spirit to fight."

Carmine stepped forward. The glowing sigils rose on her skin, ampersands,
octothorpes, pilcrows, sections, and @ signs. Light flared, the armor formed,
and she sprang towards the Tyrant, fist outstreched.

He let out a great laugh as he saw her charge. "Fool, you *dare* challenge me?"
He leapt forward, fist outstretched. "I'll show you what this power is *for*!"

You know the thing where two powerful figures are racing at each other and
their fists touch and there's an enormous shockwave that blows everyone back?
Yeah! That happened!

As she fell backwards, memories flashed thru Mala's mind. Early, idyllic days
with the Master; traveling to another world for the first time; realizing she
was a girl; her first battle, her first blood taken; finding the magical
strength within herself, and letting it burst out, spreading it to others,
becoming a conduit for the strength of the world.

Carmine must already have been tired from her last battle, but she was giving
it all she had. Malachite Wendigo could do no less. She forced herself to her
feet, opening that conduit, mixing the strength of tungsten into her bones,
impossible to burn or melt or boil away.

"Mala!" She turned, and there was Casey, running across the battlefield,
jumping over a knocked-over Baron. He ran up to her. "The..." He panted. "The
Master, guy, me, gave me this..."

He held out a little sphere of iron with a littler gem, glowing yellow-orange,
embedded in it. "He said there's..." Deep breath this time. "A big diamond full
of red and blue and black smoke in the Tyrant's castle or whatever, and if I
touched this gem to that one, we'd get an advantage."

"That's..." Familiar, important, a concept pushed its way to the front of
Mala's mind. "That's a Rebirthstone... oh my *god*." Images flashed thru her
head quicker than she could have described, along with desperate hopes and
shattering fears. "The stolen years... the Master..."

"Then... this is useful?"

"Casey--" She grabbed his hands. "We might get him *back*."

"...then we gotta do it!"

Mala looked at the furious battle, Carmine and the Tyrant grappling briefly
before breaking away, neither able to gain the advantage - yet. Then she looked
past the battle, toward the walled city the Tyrant ruled, and between them...
"The Barons haven't taken the chance to attack us. They don't want anyone to
interfere with their boss's big battle..."

"Then interfere we will!"

Mala turned, and behind her stood the Legion of Net.Heroes (minus the four that
were still battling over the Atavists), with Kid Enthusiastic and the Lady
Aurum at their head. Oh-- she hadn't even considered how the Lady must feel
about her husband--

As if she had read her mind, the Lady stepped forward, pressing her hand into
her shoulder. "Go. Do what you can-- what you must-- and we'll back you up."

Mala felt a surge of hope lifting into her heart. She gave a firm nod, and spun
around, pointing towards the open gate. "Let's get thru!"

With a great battle cry, the Legion charged the mass of robotic henchmen! They
met the sameness of the Barons with a rainbow of colorful heroism, firing off a
gaudy panoply of weird-ass special effects! Net.heroes were here! Net.heroes
were there!

And Kid Enthusiastic was absolutely *everywhere*! He zipped around on his
rocket skates, pulling party poppers and confetti balls and disco balls out of
his pockets and tossing them willy-nilium. "Hey! Look at this!" he shouted,
juggling orbs of unidentified glowy material, pulling aggro before tossing them
down and launching himself over the battle in a burst of fairy dust.

And the distraction was working. Mala and Casey dodged and darted and leapt
past Baron after Baron and suddenly they were on the other side and running
thru the arched gate of the fortress.

Into the fortress! Thru its corridors! Deeper and deeper! Mala ran her fingers
thru the leylines, tracking the flows of magic and lifeforce, Casey
telepathically linked and following, it was hard but they must be getting
close--

"As ever, my Tyrant was right!"

It was him - the original Baron MacNottherealvillain. To her, one of the
realest villains of all, who had killed her parents before her eyes, who had
fought the Master to a standstill time and time again, who she'd gotten a few
lucky hits on but had never won a one-on-one fight against, who had once
wounded her so terribly it had been a month before she could walk again. And
who stood in front of a huge, solid door of oak and steel, holding a key in one
hand.

"You seek the Rebirthstone! It lies behind this door! But you will never reach
it, for this is--"

*swishfwip!* A long, flexible ribbon, woven with threads of tungsten steel,
reached out, grabbed the key, and brought it right to Mala's hand!

*And then she charged!!*

The Baron flinched back, just like she'd seen him do a hundred times, and so
her low kick was able to knock his legs out from under him! He caught himself
with magic, but she had a fist aimed at his gut and he was barely able to block!

She pressed her advantage, going for his vulnerables, hardening her fists and
her feet, enhancing her strength and durability. She managed to get a boot-tip
near his kidneys, and he jerked back, and the side of her hand grazed his neck--
but in the moment she was extended, his knuckles impacted her ribs, and a burst
of pain shot thru her!

Mala staggered back, as the Baron rose off his feet, flight power boosting his
maneuverability and speed. She took a step back, then another, shifting left
and right, blocking his blows, trying to make a new opening, maybe here, maybe
there, no...

Suddenly, a flare of heat just barely missed her! She dodged and spun out of
the way of his magical projectiles, but she was being fenced in, herded back,
couldn't go this way, couldn't go that way, and her back touched the wall, and
a blast hit her square in the chest!!

Her arms and legs lost all their strength and she slid down the wall, slumping
against it, barely able to look up as the Baron approached with a menacing grin.
"You've been training, and grown stronger - but not strong enough. You have the
key, but did you really think you could get thru that door?"

Mala coughed, wincing in pain. "I... I..."

And then she *laughed*. "*I* don't have the key!"

KTHAMM!! The Baron was outlined in harsh mystic glare for a moment, mouth and
eyes wide open in shock. He fell off Mala, revealing two Caseys - one of whom
was floating, glowing with mystic power, and also, naked!!

"That's right!" said the clothed Casey. "She gave me the key before she even
attacked - distracting you long enough for me to sneak by, open the door, touch
the Rebirthstone to the diamond - and resurrect the Faded Iron Master!" He
gestured grandly to the naked one.

"what..." said the Baron, grimacing in pain. "...no... why... why is he naked!?"

"My body was resurrected from the pure magic and lifeforce your boss took from
me! I think that's already pretty impressive, and you expected me to come back
with clothes on!?" The Faded Iron Master ripped the Baron's cape off his body
and wrapped it around himself.

"...oh my god... it worked..." Mala realized her face was wet, and an
incredible bright joy had bloomed in her chest. Unsteadily, she rose from the
ground; the FIM came over to help her up, but instead, she grabbed him and
hugged him as tightly as she could.

"Hey, it's okay..." He rubbed her back gently.

She sobbed against his shoulder. "No, it isn't, I mean, it is, it is now, but I
thought you were-- I thought I'd have to-- to just go on without you..."

"Someday, but not today." He squeezed her back.

Casey tried not to hover, instead tying the Baron up and putting him in the
corner. "Fools, you'll never--" Oh yeah, and gagging him too.

Mala let go, wiping off her tears with her sleeve. "Okay, um, I want to babble
about how happy I am you're alive more, but we should really get back to the
battle."

"Right," said the Faded Iron Master. "You can tell me what happened after I
died on the way."

"You know, it's even weirder hearing you talk like this now that you look
exactly like me," said Casey.

"I'm okay with that! Let's go!"

They made their way doubletime back to the gates of the fortress. The battle
was still raging, LNHers against Barons, Crimson @venger against the Zinc Oxide
Tyrant; but the heroes were flagging, as the magical might the Tyrant was
tapping was paired with tireless mechanical legions!

"Damn," said the FIM, watching from behind the arched doors. "If I had been
there when we activated the Atavists, I could've tipped the balance and taken
the other set back, but at this point..."

"...hey, so like..." said Casey. "Can you use their power without taking
control of all them, like the Tyrant is?"

"...for a bit, at least. What are you thinking?"

"I think... I know how to get us some help." Casey stepped out of the gates and
shouted, "Kid E! Over here!"

Kid Enthusiastic looked up from where he was bouncing around and waved! He
sailed over the heads of the battling Barons on a wave of sparkles and landed
next to them. "Sup!"

"Okay, so here's my plan..."

Casey, Mala, Kid E and the FIM got in a huddle. One of the Barons flew thru the
air and CRASH!'d against the wall, and Mala rolled her eyes. "No listening in!"
she shouted, enhancing her strength enough to pick him up bodily and toss him
back into the battle.

When they were done whispering, Kid Enthusiastic gave them a big thumbs-up and
zoomed over to his future counterpart, explaining excitedly. Casey, Mala and
the Faded Iron Master joined hands in a triangle, closing their eyes.

Casey reached out and connected them telepathically. The FIM reached out and
awoke the latent magical energies all humans have, bringing Casey's to the
surface. Mala reached out and enhanced his ability to tap into it. Magic flowed
in a circle between them, getting stronger with each revolution. Their memories
of touching the Atavists filled with the mystic energies, stronger and
stronger...

On the battlefield, the Zinc Oxide Tyrant roared in triumphant glee. Carmine
was holding herself together, but she was covered in bruises, muscles aching,
head fuzzy; her opponent had these same powers, but stronger, and was more
experienced. Nevertheless, as long as there was a drop of strength in her body,
she would keep on, buying moment after moment until her allies could succeed!

A thought from Kid E echoed thru Casey's mind - the messages had been sent. It
was time. The three of them reached out thru those memories and grasped the
twin sets of Atavists! They poured their own magical power into the artifacts,
and one by one they responded, flaring with light!

The Zinc Oxide Tyrant rushed forward - but halfway across the battlefield, he
tripped and fell. Carmine blinked in astonishment as his armor seemed to
flicker, the power that sustained it interrupted!

And where was it going? To portals that were opening in the air, squares of
brightness ripping open the fabric of the Tyranny Zone!

And who was coming thru? Vigilant Valkyrie, Miss Morpho and Kid Sliver! The
Solar Sails, plus Solar Phoenix and Tuxedo Break! A seven-member unit of Chi-
Gamman hero-soldiers! From across the cosmos, heroes had come to help!

"WHAT!?" shouted the Zinc Oxide Tyrant. "NO!" He stood, reaching out his hands,
and his armor vanished, as he grabbed at the power of the Four Atavists!

But the giant robots were knocking apart his forces! The Net.Legends were
countering his spells! The eudaimon were wreaking havoc! They had been gathered
by messages sent back in time, inviting them to this moment - sent by Kid
Enthusiastic and Doc Enthusiastic!

And Mala, Casey, and the Faded Iron Master had a grip the power of the Atavists!
Along with the LNH, they were pulling back control of all eight!

Across the land, the Tyranny Zone vanished in an instant! An ocean of
controlling force, thick as syrup, rolled into the Zinc Oxide Tyrant's body! He
had pulled all the power that maintained the Zone back into himself, in a
desperate attempt to keep control!

But in clutching so hard to the power of the Atavists, he had connected himself
to the three! Malachite Wendigo reached thru the rivers of power flowing from
Atavist to Atavist, flowing from the Tyrant to her! The telepathic connection
sparking along the lines of magic, she reached deep into his mind, into his
soul!

"No!" shouted the Tyrant, as he felt some impossible bright joy touching him.
"What is this power!?"

"The power of truth!" shouted Mala, her voice echoing across the battlefield.
"The truth... about yourself!"

And she reached down, down, down, into the deep recesses of the Tyrant's mind,
where the abandoned things lay, and found him - the boy who had wanted to be a
hero, who had taken on the power of the Crimson @venger! And she empowered him!!

The Tyrant screamed! His superiority and rage had withstood every assault - but
now he was being assaulted by love, his own love for these people, the people
he'd trod on and ground into the dirt for decades! His will snapped in two!!

And he fell to the ground, overtaken by love and guilt and joy and confusion.
And the Atavists fell to the ground, no longer held in place. And the Barons
slowed, and stopped, as they saw him fall, as the touch at the back of their
minds ebbed, and they were without direction.

And Mala and Casey and the Faded Iron Master let the magic they'd held, and the
power of the Atavists, and the intense feelings of that moment, disperse into
the air; and they collapsed against each other, laughing. And that feeling of
love and joy spread across the battlefield, and for a few minutes, everyone had
to take a minute to laugh in giddy delight, their wounds healing, their bodies
relaxing, as the battle that had taken so very, very long finally ended.

After Casey sighed, chest aching only from laughter, he noticed that the Faded
Iron Master no longer looked like a mirror. The years were quickly returning to
his body; hair was greying, wrinkles were appearing, and a hundred little signs
of age were settling on his frame. "I guess getting a permanent de-aging along
with a resurrection was too much to expect."

The FIM laughed. "Well, if I'd managed to get the Rebirthstone in there
*without* dying stupidly, I would've gotten those two missing decades back. But
I think it's an all right trade."

"Agreed," said Mala, hugging him. Carmine and Kid Enthusiastic walked up, and
it turned into one big team group hug.

"So what happens now?"

The Faded Iron Master looked around. "Rebuilding. Recovering. A lot of politics,
and a lot of healing." He put his hand on Mala's shoulder. "Can I ask you...
*not* to be a part of it?"

"...eh?" She didn't know if she wanted to, she'd never really been able to
imagine past this moment, but...

"Listen. It's been a tremendous joy, training you. But in that last moment, you
went past anything I knew how to do. You've got to learn from greater mages
than me. And I think the LNH might be the place." He sighed, looking off into
the distance. "And, honestly, I want to spare you all the political squabbling
Lady Aurum and I are gonna have to be part of."

"Awwww... I get what you mean..." She leaned in and hugged him. "But are *you*
going to be okay without *me*? Let's be honest, I'm the sensible one."

He laughed! "I promise, I promise. Scout's honor."

"I was *never* a scout," said Casey. The Faded Iron Master stuck out his tongue
at him, and they both laughed. "...but like. Well, you've got friends there
already."

"Heck yeah!" shouted Kid Enthusiastic, jumping around!

"Hehehehe... thanks, guys."

"And one more," said Carmine, brushing her hair back. "I too need training, and
also, to get away from my parents for a while. After all this chaos, they will
be ever more eager for me to marry and assume the duties of an aristocrat, and,
no thank you."

"O-oh, neat," said Casey. He looked down, tried to figure out what he was doing
with his hands, and put them behind his back. "Neat."

"Excuse me?" They looked over to see one of the robot Barons, kind of, standing
there and twiddling his thumbs. "I feel like I should keep attacking you, but,
it just kind of doesn't seem worth it anymore?"

"Oh, yes, you were all kind of linked to the Tyrant," said the FIM. "Go talk to
one of those LNHers and they'll find you someone for counseling." The Baron
nodded and headed off, and the FIM said, "And in the meantime, you guys should
go talk to your allies from the other worlds."

"Oh, dang, I forgot about that!" said Kid Enthusiastic, and he, Mala, and
Carmine headed off for debriefing - but the FIM held Casey back for a moment.

"Thanks for sticking with us," he said. "I know it's been a weird, weird week."

Casey laughed. "That's what being a net.hero is about, right?"

The FIM laughed. "I guess it is. I just wanted to ask you, when you get back..."

"Take care of Mala?"

"Well, yeah, please do. But also, take care of yourself." The FIM paused for a
second. "I've got... some regrets. I should've taken better care of myself. I
should've... taken the time to explore, and find out who I really was..."

Casey craned his head quizzically. "Well... you did a good job with your life,
it seems like."

"Yeah, fair." The FIM smiled. "Thanks. But... I guess I'm saying, I'm not the
best of all possible futures, and it's okay if you do a different job with
yours."

Casey nodded slowly. "Fair. ...you're still being weirdly cryptic, but I like
the humility."

"Yeah, it's a new thing I'm trying. Wanna join the gang?"

"Let's do it!"

The debriefing took a while, especially once the local rebellion arrived, ready
to battle but finding the battle already over. They took custody of the Barons
and the Tyrant, and it was after dark by the time everything was done.

There was an agreement all around that it would be better to sleep here and
send everybody back home in the morning, and a metric buttload of sleeping bags
were produced, including a set that were giant-robot-sized.

Kid Enthusiastic snuggled in. "Mmmmm... good night, Casey!"

"Good night."

"Good night, Mala!"

"Good night, James."

"Good night, Carmine!"

"Sleep well."

"Good night, older Casey!"

"G'night, younger James."

"Good night, Lady Aurum!"

"And a better night to you."

"Good night, Vigilant Valkyrie!"

"Good night, Kid Enthusiastic."

"Good night, Kid Sliver!"

"G'night, Kid E."

"Good night, Miss Morpho!"

"Night-night!"

"Good night, Solar Ice!"

"Good night, Kid Enthusiastic."

"Good night, Solar Tide!"

"G'night, superkid!"

"Good night, Solar Bay!"

"Good night already, oy..."

"Good night, Solar Storm!"

"Good night, James."

"Good night, Solar Stream!"

"Gesundheit!"

"Good night, Solar Phoenix!"

"Sleep good!"

"Good night, Tuxedo Break!"

"Slumber peacefully, in the arms of Morpheustron!"

"Good night, Alexander Praetorius!"

"Good night, James Takato Preponderation."

"Good night, Mimesia Lacerius!"

"Have a great night!"

"Good night, Zenith Agape!"

"Good night, Kid Enthusiastic."

"Good night, Sophis Coccinella!"

"Night-night, sweet dreams..."

"Good night, Iosephus Fulcinia!"

"Good night."

"Good night, Matthaios Hekatontarch!"

"I *truly* hope you sleep soundly."

"Good night, Seraphis Hekatontarch!"

"Night, Kid E!"

"Good night, Flamebroiled Lass!"

"Mmmmmyeahyoutoo~"

"Good night, Green Knight!"

"Good night, Kid Enthusiastic."

"Good night, Lurking Lady!"

good night~

"Good night, Irony Mantis!"

"Rest well, young human."

"Good night, Sir Gloriana!"

"Sleep well, son of day and dream."

"Good night, Ultimate Mercenary Ninja!"

"..."

"Good night, Devastator!"

"Yeah, yeah, stuff it!"

"Good night, King Daikaiju!"

"Oyasumi, Takato."

"Good night, older me!"

"Good night, younger me!"

"Good night, WikiMan!"

"Heh heh. Good night, James."

"Good night, people I forgot to name!"

"G'night!" "Night!" "...hey..."

And then it was finally quiet.

Casey gazed up at the moon and stars. They were so clear in this world. He took
a deep breath. He hadn't noticed before how the air smelled different, or how
the insects here had their own songs.

He thought about crossing worlds, and traveling in time, and meeting alternate
versions of himself. He thought about all the things he would do now that he
was a net.hero, and he smiled, and closed his eyes.

Carmine stretched her legs and ran her hands thru her hair, shifting and
getting comfortable, looking up at the moon and stars. The adrenaline-fueled
tension and victory-fueled energy had carried her thru the day, but now the
weariness was taking over.

But she had won. She was free, and she had her own agency, and there were so
many choices for her to make. She thought about her new allies, and the new
strength she had gained, and she smiled, and closed her eyes.

James already had his eyes closed, but his toes were wiggling nonetheless. Holy
*crap* things had gone so well! So many new friends! So many adventures! And a
bright shiny future ahead!

He took a deep breath, let it out, and let fantasies of what might be coming
next dance in his head, with a smile on his face.

Mala laid on her sleeping bag and stared up at the stars. Finally, it was over.
The conflict that had ruled her entire life was over. She felt the relief
spread thru her a little at a time, slowed by the fading feeling that there was
no way it could be true.

What was her life going to be like now? She didn't know. A vast, unknown vista
stretched before her. It was kinda scary, but way less scary than everything
that had just ended, so it seemed like a fair trade. And when she set out to
cross that unknown space, she would have friends beside her.

Malachite Wendigo smiled, and closed her eyes. And she fell asleep. And they
all fell asleep, to the sound of strange insects and the gentle whirring of
giant robot engines.

And, for tonight, they were all happy.

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Next Issue:

SD-Mala: *snoring gently*

SD-Kid Enthusiastic [whispering]: "g'night, readers! kiss the vampire ladybug!"

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Author's Notes:

Because "eikosi" is ancient Greek for "twenty", as seen in "icosahedron".

Ahahaha I finally finished it. FINALLY! @-@ I've had the basic outline of this
ending planned for so long, and now, NOW...!

*ahem* If you're reading thru the series for the first time, there *are* more
issues that take place after this (several of which I wrote years ago), and you
can find everything at https://lnh.diamond-age.net/wiki/Digital_JUMP! (assuming
the wiki's still at the same place whenever you're reading this).

What's next? I've had the "Kid E's Birthday Party" arc planned out for years;
that'd pick up in #13, so we'll see when I manage to get there. Beyond that,
the future is wide open for these characters...

Oh, and now that this story is done, everyone in it is Not Reserved! \o/ And
all of them were created by me, except... lessee... WikiMan, who's an alt-
future version of WikiBoy, created by Amabel Holland, and Devastator, who's an
alt-future version of Merissa, created by Saxon Brenton and Rob Rogers.

Drew "has been having a really fun time, these last couple decades" Nilium