Usual: Characters? Not Mine. Money? Heh. None Being Made. All things belong to those who own them. As usual. This is a (quasi) new genre for me, I'm new to Anita and her cronies. If you want someone to blame, blame Lovecraft, it's all her fault. Takes place after the brutal decimation and disbanding of Generation X in the Marvel timeline, and just after Killing Dance in Vampire Hunter. We know that vampires exist in the MU, but what if we shifted reality just a *bit* into Anita's world.....
Otherside
"Dude. Ange. What the hell did you do?" The two teenagers stood looking at the vacant-eyed zombie. "Since when did raising the dead become part of your mutant abilities?" Jubilation Lee was doing her best to remain calm, but it was fairly obvious that the shuffling dead-thing was creeping her out as she edged behind her partner. "Scratch that. Dude, I don't care how ya did it, just put it back!"
"Jubicita, I'm not sure if I can." Angelo eyed the zombie suspiciously, worry clouding his face. "And I don't think it's a mutant thing. This happened once when I was real little, but abuelita was the one who made it go back. Don't flip out, but, um, this is kinda a family talent?" He winced at her shriek as the zombie shuffled a few steps toward them. "Ah....shit. Mamma Espinoza moved her kids away from abuelita because of this shit. She didn't want us being around the side of the family that was blessed by Satan, or something like that. You, dead guy. STOP." The zombie halted, confusion showing in it's slightly decayed features. "Jubicita, ya want to do me a favor?"
"Stop cutting off the circulation to your left arm?"
"That would be nice, si, but I want you to get the cell phone out of my back pocket and hit the speedial button, then 666. I need to have someone get me a phone number."
"Sure." She slipped the cell into her hand, flipping open the case. "Who am I going to be talking to, and why is that their speedial number?"
"Ah.....Torres?"
"You want your new girlfriend and partner-in-crimefighting to call your ex-girlfriend, who's job happens to be gangleader and who's operations we've been undermining for the past month?"
"Yeah."
"Ange, you are one sick bastard." Jubilee hit the speedial. "I'm doin' this on one condition."
"Name it."
"You never ever agree to mediate a gang truce in a graveyard and get between two knife wielding morons and bleed all over a grave again. Got it?"
"Yup. It's a deal."
"And I better get some damn good 'I'm-Really-Sorry' sex out of this." She saw the tips of his ears redden, and smirked. "Hi, is this Torres? Don't hang up! How would you like to pull Angelo Espinoza's ass out of a mess and have him owe you a favor?"
"Anita! Phone!" Mary waved me over, eyes wide as she covered the receiver. "I think it's Judith...."
I take the phone from her, silently cursing. I really did not want to talk to my step-mother this morning, especially since Bert kept looking at me like he thought I might shoot something, which probably meant he signed me up for a case he knew I wouldn't take of my own will. "Anita Blake here."
"We were right to move." The hostility in Judith's voice is apparent. "We wanted away from those in your family who traffic with the devil."
"Judith, what are you talking about?"
"One of your cousins called earlier. At least, that's how he described himself. Your "abuela's" sisters' daughter's son." I frown, mentally tracing the family line in my head. "He says he needs to get ahold of your other grandmother." The disapproval in her voice slices through the phone. "He said the only phone number he could find was ours, Anita. I don't want those people calling here."
"Can I have his phone number? I'll talk to him, and make sure that my relatives know not to call you." I took down the name and number, a feeling of dread falling in my stomach as I hung up the phone. I looked at the name, rolling my pencil thoughtfully between my fingers. This was going to be interesting. Especially since Angelo Espinoza was supposed to be dead.
End Chapter One.......