Last time Max, Jill, Laura and Steve raced up the stairs to the surface, only to discover that Olaf was already dead; Man-Thing had beaten them to the kill. The story isn't over yet, so on with the show!
Final Chapter: Moving On
Upon recovering from their wounds, in less than two days no less, Sally-Ann and Michael would deliver they cytogenetically preserved head of Olaf to The Bounty Hunters Guild of America to claim the reward. They would never find out who posted the bounty on Olaf.
After splitting the reward 50/50, Michael would return to Washington to stay on a Rambler, saying that he had enough of bounty hunting.
Sally-Ann would occasionally team up with the Ramblers, but would continue as a bounty hunter until the day she'd die.
After burying his rival Zack, Tyler would continue his work on perfecting his battle armor. He would continue to be discontented with The Bureau, always on the watch for whatever he was looking for.
Julie and Sally-Ann would eventually resolve their differences. She would also stay with the Bureau, providing an incredible asset to protecting the human race. She'd replace Max as leader of the Ramblers in 2024.
Fay would never completely adjust to her new body, but she'd carry on as always.
By early spring 2008, Virgil and Violet would receive the green light from the Department of Energy to build the new model of a fusion reactor; and by 2011, their design would provide power for 20 cities worldwide.
Shawn would remain true to his word, he would love Violet until the end of time, and so would she. They would marry in 2012; have 3 children of there own, and live to a ripe old age together.
Klaus would become the official archivist for the Bureau.
Sunny would eventually learn how to talk, but would still have a special connection to Klaus and Violet.
Laura would be one of the rare few that would retire from the Bureau. She'd go into politics in an independent party; she'd run for governor of Colorado in 2036 and lose; run again in 2040 and win; be re-elected in 2044; run for president in 2048 and lose; win the presidency in 2052; get re-elected in 2056; and retire from public view in 2061.
Steve would stay on with the Bureau until his death in mid 2012, loyal to the Bureau and America to the end.
Shortly after the death of Olaf, Max was contacted by Man-Thing via e-mail, which reads as follows:
'Dear Max Kildare,
I've learned so much about you and your fellow Meta-Humans, and I thought dare I? Of course I dare to speak to you. In the short time I've known about you and the Bureau I've come to admire the work you've done in the name of justice.
Yes Max Kildare, I know all about The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, and all about you Meta-Humans. But don't worry; I'm well practiced at keeping secrets. After all, if the majority of the population of this world were to know that demons and Meat-Humans were real, their would be mass panic, chaos, mass destruction, and an over all loss of justice. That I cannot allow.
We are creatures of the same brand you and I Max Kildare; we both share a need to uphold justice. However, you and your fellow Ramblers are not always prepared to go all the way in the name of justice; you need an order from the President to kill an old man who scoffs at justice. You all wanted to kill Olaf; I could sense it as you came bursting out of the Bureau. Yet I doubt you or any one of your friends would have killed Olaf in cold blood without that order from the President.
Should we cross paths, I hope we can work together to uphold justice. However If we do work together, should you or any one of your friends resolve fail, should it fall to me to uphold justice, then you and your friends are no better than anyone who scoffs at justice. Should we become enemies, something I hope to avoid, then I won't show any mercy.
Until we meet in the flesh, I remain your servant in justice,
Man-Thing
The message would have a profound effect on Max, but he would never tell anyone until the time was right. He would replace David Callahan as head of the Bureau in 2024.
Jill would continue to be both a loving foster mother to Violet, Klaus and Sunny; and a Rambler until her death in 2031, fulfilling her promise to protect the human race, 'Until they nail my coffin shut.'
The Ramblers would continue their work to keep humanity safe from paranormal threats for many years to come. Agents would come and go; some Ramblers would die in combat; others would kill themselves; a few would be driven insane. But as long as there are things that go bump in the night, as long as there are those who would cover the world in darkness, there will always be someone to bump back, someone to keep the light going.
The end.
I know I said that this story wouldn't have a happy ending, but this isn't exactly what you'd call happy. It's more of a profound ending. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Until the next story that pops into my head…
AndrewK9000