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Category: Horror/Suspense/Thriller
Description: The war between Good and Evil has raged since before Time began.

Now the battle continues with the Ultimate Good versus the Ultimate Evil.

Metahumans vs the Undead

Metahuman: one of the human species endowed with one or more powers beyond that of mortal men; a person who uses those abilities to serve either themselves or society. Typically branded by a codename and colorful costume. AKA Superhero.

Undead: one of the human species endowed with life even after death; a walking corpse. Typically branded by their decayed form and appetite for human flesh. AKA Zombie. In a world where superheroes and zombies collide, only one can prove the victor.

Featuring indie heroic favorites like Axiom-man, The Wraith and Shadowflame, while also introducing newcomers like Nightcat, Spectrolite, Midnight Angel and more, Metahumans vs the Undead is a terror-filled action adventure where Light and Darkness collide and only one can prevail.

Contains stories by: Rebecca Besser, Eric S. Brown, Frank Dirscherl, Lorne Dixon, A.P. Fuchs, Anthony Giangregorio, Keith Gouveia, J.L. MacDonald, Joe Martino, Rhiannon Paille, Gina Ranalli and J.B. Robb.
eBook Publisher: Coscom Entertainment, 2011 2011
eBookwise Release Date: December 2011

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [333 KB]
Words: 61777
Reading time: 176-247 min.

Halo of Blood

Spectrolite watched in horror as the teenage girl sitting on the floor put the muzzle of the .45 beneath her chin.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion--the weapon being raised, the tightening of the pale finger on the trigger, even Spectrolite's own hoarse shout as she reached one fingerless green glove toward the kid as she ran. The word NO! was obliterated by the sound of the shot; then came the fine red mist, the halo of blood that appeared to be suspended in the air over the girl's head for many long seconds, before blasting out in all directions and being chased by white bone fragments and bits of gray matter.

With the top of her head completely gone, the girl slumped sideways, the remaining contents of her skull spilling out onto the cracked blue linoleum of the kitchen floor with wet, splattering plops.

Skidding to a stop a couple feet away from the corpse, Spectrolite succeeded in suppressing a gag, but still coughed into her free hand. In the other she held her beloved Remington 11-87 shotgun, now pointed at the floor. Her other favorite weapon, a Colt Anaconda, rode in a low-slung holster at her left hip.

"Come on!" a voice shouted from behind her. "It's too late!"

Spectrolite quickly lowered her two-way goggles and spun around to see her twin sister, Ametrine, in the doorway, the top half of her face obscured by a violet mask.

"She killed herself," Spectrolite said, gesturing at the body of the dead girl. "I tried to stop her, but--"

"There's no time," Ametrine shouted. "She'd been bit. She was a goner anyway. Let's go!"

Ametrine turned away, violet cape flapping behind her like a banner as she raced back out of the house.

Spectrolite gave one last grim glance at the suicide before following her sister out into the blood-soaked night.

The sound of screaming came at them from all directions. The small town had been overrun with what appeared to be--for lack of a better term--the undead. Ravaged bodies lay everywhere--on lawns, in the streets. Body parts, clearly gnawed on and tossed aside, were a common sight and neither woman bothered to study them too closely. They were here to rescue the living, not mourn the dead, but it was beginning to look like this would be one battle they might not win.

One of the undead rounded the corner of the house they had just exited, a fat man in a stained wife-beater and nothing else, blood smearing his entire face and dripping from his chin. His moon-white eyes settled on the women. He snarled, grinning savagely and dropping the slimy piece of intestine he'd been half-heartedly chewing. He charged toward them with a garbled roar, fat, bloody hands outstretched.

Spectrolite leveled the shotgun at his head, but Ametrine beat her to it with just a thought.

The zombie froze in place, as if suddenly cast in stone. With a minor lift of her chin, Ametrine shattered the undead man into a million shards, imploding his body like a bomb-blasted building.

"Nice going, Sis," Spectrolite said dryly, lowering her weapon once more. "Saves me ammo."

From behind the wild tangle of dark hair that fell over her face, Ametrine somehow managed a slight smile.

The two sisters, while not identical, looked enough alike that people sometimes confused them with one another, but that only happened when they were out of costume.

In costume, the world knew each of them for their own identities. Ametrine, in her violet and gold. Spectrolite, preferring more earthy tones, wore dark green and gray, the eye insignia on her chest impossible to miss.