View source for 02 - Rejected by Heaven

{{Book|preseq=01|prev=Feared by Hell|nxtseq=03|next=Eye for an Eye|series=The Unbelievable Mr Brownstone|asin=B07DPX8H5Z|img=51VS+ZjlzEL|blurb=
Brownstone now has a young lady to support, what is he going to do? He requests a special Oriceran artifact the Professor is willing to trade, for a price. Shay is willing to help, so long as everyone understands her help is not free. Brownstone will do whatever it takes to help Allison, and while he is at it? The orphanage that helped him is insolvent. Time to get tricky when the church can’t accept funds from blood projects. Magical criminals, thugs and bounty hunters, it’s time Brownstone works on the simple life again.If you decide Brownstone is your ticket to godhood, you had best hope you don’t threaten his family. Because that is a career limiting move. Self proclaimed god or not. Brownstone likes his life simple, but when a bounty starts burning up cops, He decides that it’s time to take out the trash – if he can. Laugh at just how much Brownstone can infuriate Shay, especially with his fashion sense. And how thoroughly Shay mystifies Brownstone as she tries to uncover what makes him tick.
}}

{{ch|01}}
Rehash Shay and Brownstone in Shay’s Fiat, reviewing what had happened lately. James would miss Leeroy all of his life. Alison would miss her mother. He wasn’t satisfied with just killing Walt. The recent convergence of events had disrupted his perfectly ordered and simple world. Nothing was the same now, and he couldn’t pretend it was. you got revenge for both of the Anderson women. “I wasn’t supposed to get revenge. I was supposed to bring Nicole back to her daughter.” What if I fuck her up?”
Goes to Shay’s house, Alison there. All ready knows about her Mom. Calling it World War G (Gangster) Brownstone tells her of her Oriceran Heritage. (See Characters, Alison) Alison choses to live with Brownstone, with Shay as her “aunt”. Cries up a storm, worries about Brownstone.
Alison worries that her Dad will come back for her- Shay tells her he’ll never be back again. Alison feels better about that. 

{{ch|02}}
Sgt. Mack comes over, at Leanan Sídhe to talk. Chides Brownstone on leaving his DNA on Walt’s confession. Hard to not follow up on. Besides, sometimes people get killed when there is a bounty on their head (posted on him a week ago)
Walt Anderson got killed during a retrieval gone bad. Mack invites him over for BBQ Sunday, wants to be friends.

{{ch|03}}
The three discuss disposal of house and contents with Alison. Will be sold, money in trust until eighteen, some artifacts in house might be worth something, all else sentimental value only. Want’s to keep them – might have been her Mom’s. Safe deposit box. 
Will go to School of Necessary Magic, so that she’ll learn to control her talents. Will be home vacations, week-ends, and can come back if she doesn’t like it.
Jiro Ikeda goes to Harriken Executive meeting, a meeting for punishments, not promotions. “Grandfather” (honorary title) greeted him in English (an insult). Wants Jiro to explain his failures (dead men, destroyed buildings, crippled expansion plans). Jiro explained about Brownstone, was still held accountable, and lost his left hand as punishment. 
The Professor meets with Brownstone in their favorite bar, with leads on discovery of another artifact. 

{{ch|04}}
Alison moving to school. Needs a few clothes, her phone and her braille reader. Shop for some more stuff, pick up Shay, go to school. Stopped at Church on way, James transferred some BBQ stocks over to the Church. Wait a week or two, sell, have lots of money. Calls shady stock broker to set up deal for fast rise in stock so church will prosper, then can drop back down, OK.

{{ch|05}}
Shay and Brownstone take Alison to the Magic School. Lots of explanations and descriptions (See Locations, [[School of Necessary Magic]]) Shay cries when they leave, Brownstone will miss her. Brownstone approaches her on working with him on newest artifact thing for The Professor, she agrees.

{{ch|06}}
In the Leanan Sídhe, two spies wait for Brownstone. Father O’Banion warns them not to cause trouble, they tell “the old drunk” to go away. Father has done his duty. Father calls and cancels his meeting with Shay and James that night. 
The Professor wanted Shay and James to go after the Green Dragon Crescent Blade (See Weapons, [[Green Dragon Crescent Blade]]), perhaps in Mexico. 
James looks at his favorite show, Barbecue Wars: New Generation. T
There was a discussion of the competition results from using different meats, barks, and rubs, some from Oriceran. Good discussion on BBQing! Left James wondering if he had any Oriceran background, and about his necklace. Maybe he couldn’t control a lot of things in his life, but at least he’d always have barbecue.

===KING PYRO BOUNTY===
{{ch|07}}
Blackstone looked in Bounty Lists for a job – chose Jordan Adams, “King Pyro”, a Level Four classification. a run-of-the-mill bank robber until two years prior, when he’d gotten his grubby paws on the distilled essence of a fire spirit in a potion which gave the man the power to control and manipulate fire. Goes to grubby bar, the Black Sun, to talk to the bartender, Tyler, to get info on King Pyro. Tyler refuses to give him any info on any Level Fours or higher. Too dangerous, so Brownstone goes away. 

{{ch|08}}
King Pyro comes to bar, meets Tyler,, the bartender. Tyler tells him that Brownstone had been in earlier looking for him, and to get out of town. Pyro determines that he is King, and he will kill Brownstone first. 
Brownstone meets with The Professor and Shay. Professor told him, FYI, about two spies in the bar, looking for him the other night. Brownstone will take note.

{{ch|09}}
Brownstone goes out to Black Sun bar, puts on gloves so won’t burn his hands, goes in to take him. Sees him talking to three men at a table. They see Brownstone, and back away. 

{{ch|10}}
Brownstone in the bar, with Pyro. Tyler had called the cops, and they came, wishing they had popcorn, to watch the pyrotechnics. They closed on the bar just in time to see the front door explode in a shower of burning wooden fragments. A body flew through the burning hole.

{{ch|11}}
Brownstone takes Pyro by main strength and punches. Gets only slightly singed. New hole in leather jacket., shoulder singed. Police arrest Pyro, take him away. 

===GREEN DRAGON CRESCENT BLADE RECOVERY===
In prior chapters, Shay had been relaxing. Goes dancing (Chap. 9), talking about Brownstone to her girlfriends (Chap. 10), decks a guy who tried to make a move on her (Chap. 11). Gets down to business in Chap. 12.

{{ch|12}}
Shay and Brownstone pack, go to airport for flight to Baja. Shay worries about Brownstone carrying all of his weapons, and them being stopped before they even got started, but then sees him go through Security, with special privileges granted for all level weapons, and is jealous. Doesn’t want to learn to depend on him. Has been working by herself too long. Brownstone has not brought the necklace with him. Brownstone dreams about the necklace, putting it on, -burning his skin. Problem was, the dream was a reflection of his memories. When he wore the necklace, something whispered to him. He’d tried to ignore it, thinking he was just psyching himself out, but there was no denying that whatever was calling him to him was getting stronger. The whispers had been louder, especially this last year.His free ride with the necklace was coming to an end, and whatever dark magic powered it would want its due sooner rather than later. Does NOT take the necklace with him. 
When they get to Baja, and go into their rooms, Brownstone loads up, arming himself with guns, and knives , both throwing and stabbing. Be prepared!

{{ch|13}}
The Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Likely location of the artifact—some hidden caves in a small mountain range up north. The caves were discovered initially during a satellite thermal survey, but weren’t there when they tried to image the area again in later surveys. It was chalked up to bad data. Later information suggests the caves are being cloaked with magic, and the satellite just got lucky that one time. Magical cloaking? Doesn’t that mean someone’s still there?” Nope. Or probably not. Just means some Taoist priests were very thorough back in the fifteenth century. Need to pass the word to local gang (and cash), to leave them alone. No blowing up the cartel or gangs while we’re here. We’re here to get the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and maybe score a bounty for you on the side. If I hurry and we’re lucky, maybe I can find the Blade and we can get back to our rooms before sundown.”
Shay made him stay in the car, while she went into the caves. You’re great at killing bad guys, Brownstone, I’ll give you that, but I think it’d be pretty embarrassing if you died in some six-hundred-year-old trap. Just make sure no one sneaks up on us, Nazis or otherwise.”

{{ch|14}}
Coming to the caves, Shay donned her augmented-reality interface goggles, which translated ancient writings, (yes, this was the place), found writings from I Ching, probably indicating spells and incantations. (See Miscellaneous- Green Dragon Crescent Blade for full details of retrieval.)
Whille Shay is in the caves, doing her retrieval thing, Brownstone is waiting in the car, covering their external exposure. James calls Bounty Hunter line, narrows down target to one person, living on mountains near where they were going, Jose Padilla, who went by the name Sombra, was a necromancer who kidnapped innocent people. Apparently the Mexican government had become so disturbed by his activities at one point, including raising a rather sizeable force of reanimated corpses, they’d sent fighters to bomb the mountains in an attempt to kill him.
When Shay finishes, Brownstone will stop by Sombra's location, and take him as bounty prize.

{{ch|15}}
While Shay was investigating the caves, Brownstone notices a narrow plume of dust approaching in the distance. Two vehicles barreled toward his location, old open-bed trucks filled with men. The angry-looking bandana-wearing men with their AKs and pistols obviously weren’t there for sightseeing. One bastard even held a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

{{ch|16}}
He looked around, chewing on his thoughts a moment. He needed to get the men in a position where he could question them without any of them throwing too much lead at him or blowing him up. 
Otherwise, he risked fucking up things in this area for himself or Shay in the future. He climbed a nearby canyon wall, 
setting up an ambush from on top of the road on which they would pass. He’d shoot out their engine block. The men took cover, both sides yelling at the other. Brownstone asked who they were, in English. They did not reply, and shot again. Half of being successful in a dangerous situation was talking trash and intimidation, and he couldn’t speak Spanish worth a shit. 
Shay started to rush out of the cave, the Blade in her hands, when the sight of skeletons reminded her that there might still be traps around, so she re-activated her goggles, and took careful step after careful step. Upon exiting, she found Brownstone talking with the leader of the group, about going after the  Granite Devil-Ghost. The leader was the head of the local police, who had thought that they were drug runners, and had come out to investigate. Now, he and Brownstone will go and hunt the necromancer, Sombra.

===SOMBRA BOUNTY===
{{ch|17}}
Brownstone feels that he should detour immediately, to get Sombra, before it leaks out (from the police), that he would be after him. Shay doesn’t want to leave the Blade unprotected while he was gone – just wants to get back home with it. But Brownstone has made up his mind. “Sombra goes down before I go back to town.” He got out of the truck, and started to walk the trail into the desert. He should be easy to find. A man like Sombra, who was living practically as a god and had the military too afraid to take him on, wasn’t going to hide. The bastard probably fed off people’s fear just as he fed off their lifeforce.
Shay stayed in the truck guarding the artifact, while Brownstone went to get Sombra.

{{ch|18}}
Sombra calls to him, tells him to come out like a man, so that he doesn’t have to kill a worm. Brownstone stands up, and looks at him. The necromancer wasn’t exactly dressed like some terrible master of dark magic with his worn blue jeans and a shirt with some Mexican cartoon fox character James didn’t recognize. 
Brownstone replies, explaining he was a bounty hunter, etc., and to surrender would make it easier for everyone. Sombra replies, “I’m not a criminal. I am Death.” Brownstone shot him three times, then went to inspect his kill. The bullets had torn into Sombra’s fox shirt and chest, splattering blood everywhere. A red-black glow surrounded the man, and his eyes turned solid black. The wounds started sealing themselves. Now that James was only about ten yards out, instead of fifty, it was easy enough to snap a round into the other man’s head. Again, Sombra jerked back, but this time he didn’t fall to the ground. The glow around him intensified, and the flesh grew back almost instantly.
The necromancer shook his head, which was still glowing. “Your death comes, mercenary. The army advances.”
Scratching and crunching echoed through the canyon. James jerked his head around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. A rotted hand burst from the ground, followed by another, and then a head. Half the skin was missing, leaving a permanent skeletal half-grin. Zombies! James snarled through gritted teeth, “So that’s what you buried. I think I would have preferred mines.” Bodies erupted from the ground all over the canyon. Men and women, some fresh, some just scraps of flesh barely holding together. More corpses emerged from the ground, these from areas that hadn’t looked freshly disturbed before. The only advantage James could see was that all the corpses had at least some actual skin and muscles move on them, and couldn’t make their bones move by themselves. None of the zombies moaned. The scratching of their hands in the dirt and the shuffling of their feet in the dust and gravel provided the only noise.
The zombies kept attacking and kept coming. Nothing stopped them but cutting off their heads, and James didn’t have his machete with him. Sombra came at him, for the final act, taking his heart, and when the necromancer’s palm was over the bounty hunter’s heart a scream filled the air. A few heartbeats passed before James realized it realized it wasn’t him screaming, but Sombra the Deathbringer, dying. Brownstone didn’t know why.

{{ch|19}}
As Shay waited, she had to go pee, and as she was finishing, Brownstone stood alongside her, asking what she was doing outside of the car. He was bloodied and scratched, but very much in the land of the living from what she could see. He held something wrapped in a bloody T-shirt decorated with a cartoon fox. He had taken the head, wrapped In the bloody fox cartoon T-shirt, for identification and proof of death. Worth twice as much dead as when alive, so it was good. That night, she called the Professor, and told him she had the sword. The Professor hinted that he had more work for her, and she wanted to wait until she got back to discuss it. 
Brownstone showed up at the Taco place the next day, minus the head, and properly identified Brownstone as the taker. Discusses Sombra’s history in great detail, and the Mexican Government’s attitude towards lawbreakers. Leave them alone unless they cause too much trouble.
The tacos were fantastic !

{{ch|20}}
Brownstone leaves that day to get back to LA, spend the night in his own bed. Gets to his house. Only been gone a couple of days, but it felt like it had been weeks. Decides to just rest for a couple of days.
Hears a knock on the door. Was Trey, his gang friend, wanting to share some shit with him. Not drugs, other shit.
Trey wants Brownstone to help take care of the neighborhood. Trey and his gang can control the little stuff, but Trey wants it known that if anything deserves it, Brownstone will be on their backs. 
Brownstone agrees, somewhat. “I’m willing to do something for the community,” James offered. “As long as they’re willing to do shit for me. This doesn’t mean I’m running around the neighborhood solving everyone’s problems. I’m a bounty hunter. I’m just saying that I know how to repay debts.” James’ gaze flicked to the empty area where Leeroy’s bowls used to sit. “And too much trouble in the neighborhood makes my life complicated.”

{{ch|21}}
Brownstone checks on the stock deal he had done for Father McCartney. It apparently worked well. Doubled plus, then someone sold 10,000 shares, so plummeted again, but never to below original start price. Brownstone pleased. Talks with Father about having Sombra die when he touched James. Was James some kind of a monster? That people died when they touched him? No, it was a miracle! Don’t question it. James went away somewhat comforted. 

{{ch|22}}
BBQ Time! All about Jessie Rae’s in Las Vegas. The whole chapter. A real place. Just go and try it out ! ! 
Brownstone and Michael, the owner, also discuss how BBQ tastes are changing, with the introduction of Oriceran flavors, and an elf girl winning the contest on TV. As Michael (owner) says, “Whole world’s changed in a lot bigger ways than just barbecue. Just got to go with the flow.”

{{ch|23}}
One of Trey’s boys stopped James as he was driving back into the neighborhood, told him about a weird car watching his place. “Nothin’ until earlier today. That’s when this black SUV with tinted windows rolled into the hood. I ain’t ever seen that piece of shit around here before.” He gestured up the street. “They been three blocks up from your crib since fucking lunch, man.” “You tell Trey the community just did me a favor, and I don’t forget people who do me favors.”
DelRoy and Greg, in the car talking, find Brownstone outside their car, gun in hand, motioning for the window to be opened. They are cops, hoping to be better aware or Brownstone’s doings, and to make sure he was not involved in anything illegal. As they talk, they get an APB that king Pyro has escaped. Brownstone wants a bounty on him, tells the cops that, and takes off, to hunt him again. 

===KING PYRO AGAIN===
{{ch|24}}
Brownstone goes to Warehouse, gets necklace. Still worried about using it, but best to fight ones like Pyro and Sombra with powers like they used. Trying something new- covering the back of the amulet/pendant with sticky paper, so that it didn’t touch his skin. Put the necklace on, didn’t feel usual sensations, or the voice whispering to him. He could always pull off the paper if he needed the extra strength. 
Goes to Zoe’s front door, for more potions. Zoe tells him of gossip from the magical community. The kemana down south has been reporting sightings of new elves; dark ones. “If that doesn’t concern you, don’t worry about it. But you do have a bad habit of pissing people off, and your name comes up more often than you might think. Just...don’t get killed, James.” Traded her a one carat diamond ring for the potions.

{{ch|25}}
Goes to Dark Sun bar to warn Tyler. Sees TV newscast, showing motorcyclist setting fire to cars, buildings as he goes by. Brownstone surmises that Adams will really want to rob a bank, having led the police to another area. They wouldn’t bother him if he wasn’t there. So Brownstone goes to a bank he knows exists just a few miles from his last-known location. As Brownstone is searching the bank, Pyro bursts the front door open with flame and shattering glass. Brownstone pivoted behind a pillar, pulling the paper off the back of his amulet as he watched King Pyro, cloaked in flame, stroll into the lobby, sneering at the cowering people against the walls. “Tell me where the vault is in the next thirty seconds or you’ll all burn.”
The security Guard tried to shoot hi down, was burned to death for his trouble. Brownstone came from behind pillar, shot at him, bullets melted before they got to him, so was now effectively bulletproof. Also knife proof and grenade proof. The two will go hand-to-hand.

{{ch|26}}
As fireballs kept coming his way, Brownstone dodged to the side. His entire body ached, and he had wounds and burns all over. The amulet necklace had saved his life and protected him from the worst of his enemy’s attacks, but it hadn’t completely saved him from harm. James charged and slammed his fist at full strength into King Pyro’s chest. The other man flew backward, smashing through a front window and crashing into the street. King Pyro laughed as he hopped to his feet with blood running down his face. “A god can’t be killed by a man, bitches!” A fireball blasted toward a nearby police cruiser, but the cops behind it fled just in time. The car exploded, raining down parts. Other officers rushed backward, even the AET members. Brownstone and Pyro fight, Pyro’s skull eventually getting pounded into the pavement. Brownstone went back to truck, changed into clean clothes, and talked to Mack, the friendly cop. A changing world, and not all approve of it. Scared to have people around as powerful as Brownstone. But it would be Ok.

{{ch|27}}
James meets with the Professor, Shay gets paid, Brownstone receives Alison’s present, a magical necklace. 
Parent’s week-end coming up, they’ll both go. Brownstone gives Alison her Aegis Pendant, to protect her from harm. You activate it by wanting to be protected and saying ‘Aegis aeon.’ Once you do that, it’ll form a magic shell right around your body. It can take a decent punishment, magical or physical, but I wouldn’t stare down an angry dragon.” James tapped his head. “It’s important to have both the words and the intent when you use it. It won’t work without both. Use it if needed, and will need to be recharged if used.”

===Epilogue===
A day in the park. Brownstone paid back the favor he owed Trey by guaranteeing safety at a family/community day in the park. No guns, all peace, or will answer to Brownstone. 

They all asked, “Trey’s your family?”
“When you are inside these fences with no weapons, you’re my family. At least for today.”
“Today we family,” Trey agreed. “Tomorrow shit is real again, motherfuckers.”
“For one fucking day, we all know life will be safe.”
James looked around. “That it will, Trey. That it will.”