Epilogue: Aftermath

We (the angels) congratulated ourselves on a job well done. Our boss was pleased, and the four of us were given a vacation on your plane, which He hardly ever allows. The other three assumed mortal forms and went to stereotypical vacation sites: Hawaii, Paris, and Moab. I claimed I wanted to do a little skiing and headed back to Salt Lake City, but I’m sure the others knew I wanted to check up on everyone.

Of the ‘villains’, two had been killed, a few had been badly injured, and only one had been arrested. Kashif and Jake had safely gotten Raphael out of the disaster, and to a hospital. Kashif never did make up a back story; he simply told the hospital staff that his younger brother had collapsed and hadn’t woken up. When they asked what had happened to his and Jake’s arms, he told them sarcastically that they had had a run in with an angry cat on the way to the hospital. One look at the dark expression on his face and they didn’t ask any more questions.

Kashif healed ok, with the help of almost a hundred stitches, though he did lose a little dexterity in his right hand and had to learn to write southpaw.

Jake’s cuts, the majority of which were superficial, didn’t even need stitches. However, he would be haunted for the rest of his life by the face and the screams of the teenager he blinded.

Raphael was in a coma; it wasn’t known if he would survive. Kashif spent hours by his hospital bed every day. I had to wonder what would become of Kashif; if his brother ended up dying, I had a terrible premonition that Kashif would want vengeance, and the cycle would start all over again.

Seth didn’t take Leslie or himself to the hospital like his friends. He was too paranoid that his burns wouldn’t be as easily explained away as a ‘feral cat’ story.

His feet would take a long time in healing, but he would be ok in the long run. Leslie, though…Seth had made it a few blocks away from the bank without being seen, and he’d stopped to remove his mask. He noticed she wasn’t breathing; her skin was getting cold. Seth gently closed her eyes, called the cops anonymously from a nearby pay phone, gave his location, and put his mask on her face. When the police arrived, he was gone.

Josh was in jail awaiting a hearing. There was already talk about a new prison being built that could safely contain him and others like him.

The heroes and the bank fight were on the news and in papers all over the world. They weren’t asked to remove their masks and reveal their identities, though a few were found out anyway, but they were all sure that it would happen eventually. They decided, one by one, to drop out of the “hero” business. None of them had a taste for more bloodshed.

Teeny woke up unmasked a few hours after being admitted into the University Hospital. Nathan, still wearing his mask, was asleep in the chair by her bed. She was touched by his presence, by his caring. The thoughts that began to tumble through her head made her smile, and she reached out and squeezed his hand.

Crystal had been able to keep her mask on, as her injury didn’t concern her head. Her arm was set and cast, and would heal normally. Her bright red hair was slowly getting darker, and would eventually turn as black as the fur on her other form.

Natalie hadn’t been wearing a mask when she’d arrived at the bank, but her transformation had distorted her features enough that she assumed she wouldn’t be found out. When she had turned back to her normal form, Nicole ran over to Josh, took his bandana, and gave it to her sister.

Nicole heard on the news that Leslie had been killed in the action, but never considered that it had been her fault. She was just relieved the whole situation was over. She and Natalie spent most of their time together, just like before any of this went down. Natalie seemed more and more herself with each passing day. They explored their abilities covertly, trying to learn the extent of what they could do.

Tyler willingly unmasked himself and began working with the police as a hostage negotiator.

Aaron didn’t reveal that he had an ability. When the cops talked to him, he explained how his cousin had been killed by one of the villains, and when he’d heard the news on the radio he had rushed over.

He stopped hanging out with Natalie as much, as their different opinions on the way the bank fight ended caused something of a wall to spring up between them. They still remained good friends, though, and went to visit Jak’s grave often, reminiscing only on pleasant times. Never on his death, or the death of Amanda.

I saw them all first hand on my “vacation”, and continued to watch them from Heaven afterwards. The other angels were detached, thinking not of the bloodshed and deaths but only of the entertainment value, watching the mortal plane as if it were a TV show, or a comic book. Not me.

I went down to the lower levels of Heaven looking for Jak, thinking he deserved an explanation and an apology. When I found him he was in the air, flying about on his new angel wings. He radiated a childlike exuberance, and I knew that he was at peace. Content. I left without saying a word.

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Jacob and Quinton are hard at work on the next installment in this series. Excited? You really should be.

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Tell us what you think: Did you like the story? Will the superheros come together again to fight against evil or have they had enough? Will the Angels get bored again and start WW3?

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Read the rest of the story: Part I introduces our heroes and villains. In Part II plans unfold, and in Part III the story erupts into battle. In the epic battle that unfolds, who will be victorious?