Angels and Monsters

Chapter Eighteen

I've got a plan for these two. A good plan. At least, I think it's a good plan. We'll see. Thanks for sticking with me on this one. Too many plot bunnies, not enough hours in the day...I tell ya!

Up next we've got some action and the return of a couple of characters...who do you think?

Chapter Eighteen

"Why are we traveling in the sewers?" Jasper moaned. "It smells foul down here."

"It's because we are walking in shit," Edward replied. "Your genius wife said that there was a slew of newborns down here in the sewers, dragging humans to their deaths."

"I hate walking in the mucky, disgusting water as much you do," Alice snapped. "My jeans are designer!"

"Now, they're designer garbage," I quipped.

Alice hissed at me, giving me a glower. "Besides, it's sunny out and I refuse to let today be wasted because we sparkle like a damn disco ball," Alice grumbled.

"Why didn't you see that it was going to be sunny, Ali?" Edward asked, innocently.

"I don't know. My visions are all sorts of wonky, lately. I really think that one of their new creations is some sort of jammer. He's jamming my vision frequency, or something. I can't see anything. It's frustrating and I hate not knowing what the hell is going on," Alice sighed, running her fingers through her spiky hair.

"Is this jam recent?" I asked.

"Within the last twenty-four hours," she said, hopping to the side of the sewer, walking on a slightly raised platform out of the water. "Seriously, how can vampires live like this? The stench is abhorrent. It's going to take days to get it out of my hair."

"Quit whining, Alice," Jasper said, sending her a wave of exuberance. She beamed, bouncing to where Jasper was standing. "Much better."

She's got a point. How can vampires live like this? With our heightened sense of smell, hearing and vision...this place kind of sucks, Edward thought to me.

When you're a creature of the night, this is where you dwell. Most vampires live like this, a nomadic existence. The Cullens, the Denalis and myself, we're the oddities in the vampire world. I would rather have a permanent residence where I could hole up on sunny days; where I could shower after a particularly brutal hunt; where I could be me, I replied.

We continued walking in the sewers, dodging rats, dead animals, garbage and human excrement. Despite the fact that my skin was impervious, I was still squicked out from walking in the sewers. It had been a week since my shield went haywire, manifesting itself physically. It hadn't since, but Eleazar thinks that it had something to do with my emotions. I agreed with him.

We were on another recon mission. Alice had been adamant that we needed to just use this as a recon mission. We couldn't engage in any of the vampires that were swarming Chicago. Well, we could, if they attacked first. Prior to losing her visions, Alice saw that if we tried to take down the near sixty newborn vampires, our family would be decimated. No survivors. I refused to have that happen. So, we were just gathering information.

In the sewers.

Of Chicago.

On a sunny day.

My condo sounded much more appealing right now. Wading in ankle deep, mucky, nasty water was not my idea of a good time.

"Edward, do you know, does Tanya own any real estate?" Jasper asked.

"She used to have an apartment prior to moving in with me," Edward replied. "However, her lease had lapsed after she made herself comfortable in my townhouse and I don't know where she was living after I kicked her out. Nor do I really care."