Stan and I were sitting together on my old beat-up couch with Karen while all three of us were watching an old Christmas classic, Frosty the Snowman. Stan insisted on treating us to a little Chinese take-out food from City Wok. Now I sat enjoying my Chicken Chow Mein while helping myself to an egg roll. This was pure heaven. While sitting there on that couch and watching my sister eating her food, I looked sideways at Stan beside me and it really made me wonder. Is this how it'll always be like with Stan and me? I suddenly imagine a future where Stan and I could live together. I could get a job, make enough money, and finally live the good life. I could finally give my sister Karen all the things she deserves. And as for Stanley… I want us to stay together like always.

I already had it figured out. What I planned to do after graduating high-school. I would still have my friends. And I knew I had Stan's support 100%. I wonder why I've been thinking so much about the future lately. But while sitting there, not for the first time, I felt it again. The eldritch-power that resided within my very soul. It's getting stronger. This otherworldly eldritch aura that seemed to have found a way to communicate with me. In a lot of ways, this eldritch-power seemed to be a separate entity of its own. Which was why I finally made my decision…?

I put my food aside and stood up from the couch. Stan looked up from eating his Pepper Steak when I held out my hand to him. "Come with me for a minute, Stan. I need to tell you something," I said.

Hearing the seriousness in my voice, Stan also put his food aside, stood up and took my hand. Now I led him away to my bedroom. My sister knew me well enough to respect my privacy. Once in my bedroom, I closed the door and turned to Stan. "I uh… I wanted to thank you again for the Chinese-food. You didn't have to pay for all that," I began.

"I've already told you before," Stan said smiling wryly. "It's Christmas, dude. Well, at least not until next Friday." But Stan knew that wasn't all that I wanted to say. "So what's on your mind, Kenny?"

I hesitated about showing it to him. Would it freak him out? But seeing Stan's warm expression, I decided to go ahead with it. "I want to show you something," I told him. Somehow without even needing to concentrate, I held up my hand. Stan stared at my hand and looked confused for the moment. Then that's when purplish aura as plain as day emanated from my hand like mist.

Stan's eyes widened in amazement but at least he didn't look disturbed by it. "Whoa… That's kinda cool. How'd you do that? Is this actually what your power looks like?" Stan reached out to touch my hand but I pulled it back. I realized I was afraid of potentially harming Stan in any way.

"Sorry…It's just… I don't want to take any chances," I gave an apologetic explanation.

But Stan wasn't having it and still took my hand and held it. "Can't scare me that easily. And besides, I don't think having eldritch-powers is the same as having a sexually transmitted disease. I don't think it'll hurt me in any way," Stan said reassuringly.

I gazed into Stan's eyes and realized I loved him more than ever. Stan never once treated me differently. He'd accept me no matter what. With a heartfelt smile, I leaned over to plant a loving kiss on Stan's lips. Suddenly there was pounding at my front door that startled Stan and me. Karen must have answered the door because I heard her calling my name. Now we exited my bedroom and hurried back to the living-room. It's there where we saw it was Officer Barbrady and he was looking absolutely frantic about something.

"I…I don't know where else to turn," Officer Barbrady said in a trembling voice. The poor man looked frightened. "I really need to see Mysterion. I was told that you know him Kenny and that you can call him whenever you have need of him. I came here as fast as I could!"

"Why? What's going on?" I asked urgently.

"It's the Starry Wisdom cult! They're at it again!" Officer Barbrady said fretfully. "I just saw them kidnapping Butters Stotch and his friend. I couldn't reach them in time. They're gone! Normally I'd call in reinforcements but the Park Country Police won't be much help in these trying times."

Stan and I exchanged worried glances. Now the Starry Wisdom cult was starting to kidnap people? Not good. No wonder Officer Barbrady was shaken-up. I had to do something. I leaned over to whisper to Stan. "This sounds serious. Keep Officer Barbrady distracted for me."

Stan nodded understandingly. "It's okay. You did the right thing coming here, Officer Barbrady. Kenny is going to go summon Mysterion right now. Let's step outside. We'll be able to meet Mysterion out there." Stan then guided Officer Barbrady outside my door and onto my front lawn.

This was my cue. Now I turned to Karen who was looking worried and afraid. I went over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Karen, I have to go. It's going to be dangerous. I don't want you here by yourself," I said seriously.

"It'll be alright. I can just head over to my friend Tiffany's house," Karen suggested. "We've had sleepovers before. But I have to go pack a few things first." With that, my sister hurried off to her bedroom to collect some of her stuff.

Now that I knew Karen would be going to a safer and secure place, I went into my own bedroom and opened the top drawer of my bureau where I kept my vigilante outfit hidden. In no time at all, I switched over to my crime-fighting alter-ego, Mysterion. I didn't know what Nyarlathotep was planning or why he was having the citizens of South Park kidnapped. I couldn't ignore this. I had to protect my friends and loved ones… I opened my bedroom window and stepped out into the freezing cold and walked around to the front of my house. Here I was able to approach Officer Barbrady from the shadows while wearing my usual stoic scowl.

"Hello Officer Barbrady. I heard you have need of my help?" I said, disguising my voice with its usual surly gruffness.

"Mysterion! Thank god…," Officer Barbrady breathed a big sigh of relief at the sight of me. "I really need your help with this. An evil cult is going around kidnapping people! I suppose I could try to convince the Park County police to do something about this but they say this is one crazy South Park story they'd rather steer clear of! Whatever that means…"

"You have nothing to worry about," I said reassuringly. "The Starry Wisdom cult needs to be stopped. It won't be easy but we've fought Lovecraftian gods before. Nyarlathotep is no different. And I know how to banish him for good." I looked over at Stan and gave him a nod. Stan nodded back knowingly. Nyarlathotep had made his move… This would be the ideal opportunity to put my own plan into action.

Officer Barbrady seemed to finally get his courage back upon seeing he had allies on his side. Despite his bumbling ways, Barbrady was still a competent police-officer at heart. And now he was pulling out his handgun from his belt and was determined to help out in any way he can. "I believe the hostages were taken to that creepy church on the outskirts of town. I'll lead the way!" he offered.

As Officer Barbrady hurried away, before heading out myself, I turned back to Stan and saw his determined expression. I didn't even need to ask him. I knew Stan was coming too. "Go on Mysterion. I'll catch up. I'll see to it that Karen leaves safely," Stan promised with a smile. I returned the smile and then I went down the street to follow Officer Barbrady.

Once Mysterion was out of sight, just as he promised, Stan went back into Kenny's house to make sure Karen was ready to leave. Karen was waiting for him with a smile while holding her pink book-bag. "Ready to go?" Stan asked her. "I'll escort you to your friend's house."

"Thanks Stan," Karen said appreciatively. And then she added. "Please watch over my brother."

Before they could leave, Stan's cell-phone rang. He pulled it out of his coat-pocket and saw that Kyle was calling him. Stan accepted the call. "Stan! I've got bad news. We just found out that Butters was kidnapped by the Starry Wisdom Cult. They even took Craig Tucker. Tweek told us what happened."

"Yeah, I know," Stan said back. "I'm over at Kenny's house. Officer Barbrady was just here. He said he saw the Starry Wisdom cult kidnapping Butters and Bradley. Kenny went off with Barbrady. I'm about to go join them."

"Alright then. Meet us around the Church of Starry Wisdom," Kyle said. "I have a feeling that's where they're holding our friends prisoner. If we can break into the church, we may be able to rescue them."

After talking to Kyle, Stan hung up and motioned for Karen to come along. They were just starting to head out the door when suddenly a black van pulled up in front. Stan stopped and stared. The side-door swung open and hooded men wearing black robes jumped out. Stan realized who they were and let out a loud curse. Stan pushed Karen back into the house where he slammed the front-door shut and locked it.

"What? What is it? What's going on?" Karen cried in alarm.

"The Starry Wisdom is here," Stan said, trying to remain calm. "Is there a backdoor to this place?" Without waiting for an answer, Stan was already grabbing Karen by the hand and pulling her to the back of the house. By the time they reached the back-door, Stan stopped when he realized Starry Wisdom cultists were out there as well. The cultists were trying to break their way into the house.

"Goddamn them!" Stan growled under his breath. Now he dragged Karen into the bedroom she shared with Kevin. There was only one thing he could do at this point. "Karen, get in the closet and don't come out until I've lured them away from the house," Stan said determinedly.

"No! You can't do that!" Karen protested with tears in her eyes.

"Listen to me. I've been through worse fucked-up situations than this," Stan tried to reassure her. He was already shoving her into the closet. "They can take me. I'm a survivor. Once the cultists are gone, you go straight to your friend's house, you hear? You stay there until Kenny or Kevin comes to get you."

The front-door was being forced open and Stan could already hear their footsteps coming. "Stay in the closet! I'll distract them! Don't worry about me! Just stay hidden!" Stan swung the closet closed and spun around in time when the bedroom door banged open and the Starry Wisdom cultists began to enter.

The Starry Wisdom cultists started to grab him but Stan wasn't about to make it easy for them. Stan managed to angrily throw a punch at one cultist before three more grabbed both his arms. Struggling furiously against them, Stan was able to kick one of them in the head before they started grabbing his legs too. Now they were dragging Stan out of Kenny's house and over to the waiting black van. As Stan hoped, the cultists were too busy dealing with him that they didn't bother to search the rest of the house. Hopefully Karen would be able to sneak away undetected.

But Stan wasn't worried. As the cultists forced him into their vain, he knew where he was being taken. The Church of Starry Wisdom. Who knows what kind of horrible fate they had planned for him. Maybe this would enable him to save any other innocent people who'd been kidnapped as well. At least until Mysterion and his friends came to rescue him. But until then, Stan willingly allowed himself to be captured…