HHS #50 is still slowly but surely moving along, so here's a short scene
to tide people over:

Another LNH Title? Really? #12:
"Bush Whacked"
by Jeanne Morningstar

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DECEMBER 2016:

Nina turned over the weapon in her hand, examining its leaves and
branches. "What is this? A... bush?"

"Yeah!" said Cheesecake Eater Lad. "A ninja bush! One of Ultimate
Ninja--the original one's most powerful secret techniques. I was one of
the only students he ever taught it to."

"I see..." said Nina. "I'd heard about the Ninja Bush, but I'd always
thought it was a joke..."

"It is a joke," said Cheesecake-Eater Lad, "and it's also one of the
Ninja's deadliest weapons. That's how the LNH works."

"Is this a Monty Python thing?"

"It's a The Tick thing! You know, when there was that Frank Miller
parody and there were ninjas hiding in the bushes."

"The Tick?" said Nina. "I *think* I remember watching that as a kid, but
I don't remember that bit..."

"It was the comic."

"There was a comic? Never mind." She ran her fingers across the branches
of the bush and frowned. "Why are we still doing this bit? Will the
readers get where that's from?"

"I mean, ah, let's be honest" said Cheesecake-Eater Lad. "It's not like
there's reading the LNH right now who's been reading it for less than
twenty years."

"I guess," said Nina.

She steadied the bush in her hands and stepped into the Peril Room.
There was the holographic replica of her adoptive uncle and mentor, the
original Ultimate Ninja.

"Hi there, Uncle Grumpy," she whispered. Ultimate Ninja, being a
hologram, didn't say anything.

They drew their bushes and lunged at each other. Within a few seconds,
Nina lay on the floor, dead. The program switched off.

"Ow. Ow. Ow," she said as Cheesecake Eater Lad helped her up. "Well now
I get it..."