Chapter 38

There should have been celebration. The should have been church bells and cheers and streamers falling from balconies amongst a rainfall of confetti. Instead there was silence.

The Superhero League stood back to back motioning their intent to relent to The Brotherhood who stood confused and wary. Even Crunch hovered uncertainly after picking himself up from the floor.

Jackhammer stood frozen to the spot just staring in disbelief at O'Shay as he crouched over Seduction's still body. He was torn emotionally. On the one hand O'Shay had done what none of them could do - put a permanent end to Seduction's reign. But on the other, after all they'd been through; after all the suffering and loss and humiliation, how could it possibly end at the hands of an incompetent fool who had just hitched a ride. The victory felt empty; the relief reeked of disappointment.

For a moment, Jackhammer's vision blurred and then he took a deep breath and stepped towards O'Shay, who was now rising off the body. Jackhammer eyed the Irish Wonder in a new light. All the pent up sexual energy of his recent incarceration overtook him. He snatched O'Shay away from the body and pinned him to the wall, smothering him in hungry kisses as the sensation of O'Shay 's body squirming fruitlessly against made him hornier by the moment. How could he have never seen O'Shay for the hero he was?!

Behind Jackhammer, the stunned room forgot about each other and watched the unexpected act of desperate passion happening in front of them. Eyebrows frowned and thoughts flickered between what had gone before them and now this unrequited display of lust occurring out of the blue.

Someone cleared their throat but if Jackhammer heard it, he didn't respond. Instead he clasp O'Shay's butt with a firm grip and lifted him off the floor, sucking the sweat noisily off O'Shay's stomach.

O'Shay gasped with pleasure and half opened his eyes, noticing their audience for the first time. A smile flickered across his lips at the sight of their disbelief.

Fever took the lead, stepping forward to assure The Brotherhood one more time that that they were back in control; and to ask Jackhammer what the hell had suddenly gotten into him; when suddenly his vision blurred. It was just for a moment but suddenly, as he looked at his fellow heroes, he knew what they had to do next. One by one, each of them rocked subtly on the spot and then stepped into a group. With a glance to each other, all sides came to an understanding.

Seduction has been right, despite the insanity of his methods. Their past battles had shown them that there could never be peace on Earth while there were warring factions. Only a united power could stop the endless, senseless deaths caused by war, famine and crime. Only a united power could bring about the good they spent their lives protecting. It was time they stopped thinking on such a small scale. Fighting one crime at a time would never bring everlasting peace.

Jackhammer released O'Shay and joined the throng, sliding into the crowd beside Crunch. All of them together for the first time - The League, The Brotherhood; and their former enemies, Crunch and Bounce. Side by side they were the strongest they'd ever be. And they knew what they had to do. Only 30 clicks away, a massive army base waited for the taking. Bring down the base, their weapons and all who were in it, and nothing would stand between them and the government. And once this government fell, others would follow, one by one.

With the collective knowledge of a swarm, the super powered army poured out of the room. O'Shay pushed himself off the wall where he leant panting and stepped over to Seduction's still corpse. The room was empty except the two of them now. He didn't know what felt eerier - the suddenly silence or the way his swarm moved so perfectly in sync.

He looked down at Seduction and spat. Right to the end, the beautiful black freak had had no idea that he was bringing together such powerful forces for a much higher purpose than his own egomania. Seduction knew nothing of mind control. He forced his victims to do his whim by controlling them like a puppet master. Now they would experience entire worlds. They would believe in whatever universe he gave them and they'd act on their own free will to fight the battle he created for them. They wouldn't even know they were living a lie.

O'Shay clapped his hands with glee and started to laugh. The sound of it echoed loudly in the emptiness of the room...