Dungeons & Deliveries - A Post Apocalypse Comedy Adventure [Book 1 Complete]

Over Toronto, three drones streaked through the night to save their Creator. Zippy led the charge, blue thrusters blazing as Aria clung to his back like a dragon rider. Beepy followed close behind with one fist extended and his [Volt Whip] charging to full power. The trio flew across the skyline at sixty kilometres an hour, wind whipping Aria's hair.

"Can you guys get ME thrusters?" she hollered over the wind.

Beepy didn't answer her call. The Paladrones were locked in silent communication, passing tactics and data across their link. The System's black sheet and Mary's cry for help couldn't be a mere coincidence. Something bad waited for them below.

They dodged cantankerous flocks of Pigeons swooping and screaming through the sky while the bright, sleepless city bustled below. A Monster bat flew too close for comfort, and Beepy arced in a tight loop to kick it straight back to its hovel. Enchanted cars tore through the streets while civilians zig-zagged in the sprawl.

Just as they zipped by a low-rise apartment, a little boy reading in bed spotted the Drones flying by his window. His jaw dropped at the sight of the tiny mechs and the waving doll. Always welcoming an audience, Beepy nudged Zippy through their link, and in perfect sync, the brother's struck the signature move they'd been secretly working on for weeks. Two perfectly timed mechanical-handed salutes were delivered before rocketing onward through the night.

Mary's location was close, and from the fear that pulsed through [Drone Connect], so was one of their System targets.

Alex huffed and sprinted toward the faint light at the end of the street. With Mary clinging tightly to his back, it was slow going. He was tempted to fire off a dozen [{Phantom Steps], but experience had taught him that only he and anything not alive would teleport with the Skill. Unfortunately, Mary wasn't a toasty pizza. There was also no way he was leaving his friend behind, even if the Monster was toying with them in a most horrifying manner.

"Faster!" Mary shouted with a cracking voice.

"When are the boys getting here!?" Alex huffed.

"I don't know! I got through right when I got on your back!"

"Why the rush?" The grotesque little girl giggled from behind them. "Don't you want to try my special medicine?"

A flickering streetlight clouded by grit buzzed to life ahead of them, not twenty feet away. Its weak glow cut against the darkness to reveal a small figure standing in the middle of the road. Even though the giggle still called from behind them, the [Daughter of Dymphna] waited, head tilted, her blood-soaked polka dot dress swaying in the stale air.

Alex skidded to a halt, boots scraping against the pavement.

The [Daughter of Dymphna] pouted like the child she mimicked. "You don't want it?" She asked with her voice coming from behind them, holding up the gigantic, bent needle filled with sloshing filth. "But you're sick! Let me help you!"

The light flickered, casting her in shadow. When it came back on, the Monster was revealed and running towards them.

Her jaw hung loose, dislodged and swinging by a strip of flesh as she grinned little nubs of grinded teeth. A rusted spike stuck out through the bridge of her nose from a crusted wound. One eyeball lolled against her cheek, swinging with the connected nerve. Grimy hair clung to her face. Her skin was pale and blue and covered in bandages from her incessant picking.

Yet she giggled brightly, darkly, as she came on fast feet, charging with the oversized needle.

"It's just a little something," she sang. "If you move it'll only make it hurt more!"

"You know," Alex panted. "I swear I used to like horror movies."

"Run!" Mary screeched.

He spun them around and bolted away for another nightmare burpee session. The Monster behind them giggled and skipped after them in the darkness.

As he ran down the street, both he and Mary heard the unmistakable sound of thrusters and the voice of a doll.

"...hurt them!"

"TARGET LOCATED." Beepy intoned quietly as the trio swept over the street illuminated by only a single, flickering streetlight.

With their camera eyes, the drones immediately spotted Alex running with Mary on his back. Right behind them was a Monster skipping in the shape of a child and wielding a needle.

"That Monster is trying to hurt them!" Aria screamed and pointed.

The brothers winced internally at Aria's volume. It was usually best to swoop in as quietly as possible, as most Monsters and meanie-bobeanies didn't often hear thrusters and were caught surprised.

But the Monster did hear them. It stopped mid-run and searched for the source of the yell. Quickly its dead eyes locked onto their flight path, and with a little wave of a needle and a drooling smile, it vanished into the oppressive darkness.

"Where did it go!?" Aria yelled again, craning atop Zippy and scanning the street.

Zippy shot Beepy a dead-pan glance with his glowing camera eye. Without any communication, Beepy knew what his brother was thinking. He searched through his database and pulled a quote about being quiet.

"SILENCE IS THE SECRET OF WAR, SISTER." He said as they swept in to catch up with Alex and Mary.

Aria blinked at him with an open mouth, then looked down in embarrassment. "Sooooorrry. I got excited."

"IT IS OK. YOU ARE LEARNING," Beepy said as the ground quickly approached. "EXCITEMENT IN WAR IS NATURAL. IT MEANS YOU CARE WHO WINS."

Aria's face lit up. "I do care! Let's get this thing!"

"JUST…CARE QUIETLY NEXT TIME."

The drones landed in front of their family, and Alex quickly picked out the familiar glowing cameras of Beepy and Zippy in the darkness. It was near pitch black on the street and they were hard to make out. Something leapt off Zippy's back and pattered over.

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"Beepy! Zippy!" Mary called out. "You came! Where's Ari—"

"TIME TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE DARKNESS." Beepy interrupted and cast [Volt Whip].

An arc of lightning ripped out of Beepy's raised hand and cracked against a streetlight above them. It shattered the glass, but the bulb drank the energy and flooded their position under clean, white light. All around them the wall of shadow remained.

A small figure just illuminated leapt from the outskirts of the light and landed right into Mary's chest. She stumbled back with an 'ouf,' as she looked down.

"Mary!" Aria clung to her tightly. "The Monster was chasing you!"

Mary stared down in disbelief, and at the boys. She looked like she was about to yell but instead let out a breath and hugged back the doll. Staring at the boys, she drove an angry glare at them but didn't let go of Aria in her Arms.

Zippy and Beepy stepped into the light and scanned the perimeter of darkness. Alex drew his Stone Sword from his pocket and activated it, the short blade shooting out. Zippy spun the Ancient Paring Knife like a butterfly knife and crouched into a ready stance. Beepy stood heroically with an arm raised and ready to shoot more lightning.

"You guys are in so much trouble once we get out of here." Mary said to the boys.

"Can we talk about this after not becoming patients? Please?" Alex said, eyes sweeping the street.

The Paladrones didn't look away from the darkness. It was their duty to look into the Abyss, and Beepy's answer was calm and absolute. "WE KEPT HER SAFE. WE WOULD NEVER HURT HER."

"Hurt her? Hurt her? What were you even—"

"More patients?" The [Daughter of Dymphna] giggled from everywhere. "So much worry. So much pain. I can make it all go away…,"

"SHOW YOURSELF, DOER OF EVIL." Beepy beckoned.

"Heh," The Monster called from their front. "Ok! Time for your first dose!"

Rather than coming from the front, the rusted glint of a needle flashed from behind. The Monster sailed through the air giggling, single eye wide with manic joy as the bent syringe came to dose the drone crafter with a vial of terror.

"Watch out!" Aria cried.

Alex reached for [Phantom Step], hand tightening around his Stone Sword, ready to blink and hack, but Beepy answered first.

"NO HARM SHALL COME TO FAMILY." He toned while thrusting out his arm.

Lightning tore from his palm and a physical rope of energy caught the [Daughter of Dymphna] round the neck mid leap. The rope of light wrapped around the Monster's torn jaw, and her giggle turned to a gurgle as Beepy leapt sideways with the full strength of his thrusters. The [Volt Whip] began to pull taut.

"Move!" Aria screamed and slammed her tiny fists into Mary's shoulder.

Mary spun just in time as the [Volt Whip] tightened. When he landed, Beepy threw his arms down hard and slung the Monster to the ground. She hit with a wet squelch that cracked the pavement.

Alex darted forward and caught a spinning Mary. Pulling them close, he made sure to shelter Aria. He could take a swing from a Monster, maybe, but Aria and Mary would be toast.

Then Zippy leapt towards the fallen Monster that Beepy had just crunched into the ground.

He twirled the Ancient Paring Knife that could cut through anything and leapt. Flying through the air, he turned the knife tip pointed down and gripped the slim wooden hilt with both hands. The Monster, however, pulled its floppy face off the ground and giggled right into Zippy's face.

And then stabbed the needle into the [Volt Whip].

Bubbling greet rot shot through the lightning rope and reached Beepy in an instant. The whip sizzled to smoke as the blast hurled the yellow mech backwards. Metal screeched against asphalt as sparks spit out behind him.

Zippy swung the Ancient Paring Knife and brought it down in a clean arc toward the Monster, but the [Daughter of Dymphna] only giggled as she somehow leapt back into the darkness. He landed hard, driving the blade straight into the road with a heavy thump. The impact sent tremors in a tight circle around the impact zone.

Yanking the knife out of the ground, he scanned and searched the shadows. Beepy scraped himself up and quickly leapt back next to his brother.

"Aria no!" Mary yelled as the doll pushed and tried to scramble out of Mary's grasp.

"You don't want medicine?" the Monster giggled from the dark. "But you're sick. I promise I'll make you all better."

"I want to help kill the Monster!" Aria kicked and squirmed. For such a small doll, she was pure stubborn determination. Mary struggled to hold on, but Aria twisted like a cat escaping a shower until she slipped free to the ground.

"Stop it!" Mary gasped as the doll hit the ground and bolted toward the boys.

"STATUS?" Beepy asked Zippy while turning just enough to track his sister. Zippy's response came in back quickly as a boop.

Beepy nodded. "WE MUST PROVIDE MORE LIGHT, YES."

He raised his arm, ready to unleash another [Volt Whip] towards a dark streetlight.

"LET ME HELP!" Aria shouted as she slapped her small hand against his plating just as he cast his Skill.

[Thrice This] connected with [Volt Whip], and three ropes of light instead of one spiraled from Beepy's hand. They lashed out in different directions, each one striking a dead streetlight. Glass burst as Essence surged into the bulbs, flooding the street with harsh light that clawed back at the dark.

Clinging upside down to a lamppost, the [Daughter of Dymphna] giggled through her broken grin, filthy needle gripped between her teeth.

"Found you." Aria said.

"MEET YOUR END, ACTOR OF EVIL." Beepy announced as he raised his hand for another [Volt Whip].

Zippy shot off towards the Monster, already anticipating the Skill. The Monster seemed to think for a second before realizing it was outmatched. Rather than charge back and Zippy, it leapt to the ground, landing on glass shards with bare feet, and tried to sprint away.

"Oooooh! Again, Beepy!" Aria squealed and placed her hand on her brother. "Let's do it again!"

"WITH PLEASURE, YOUNG WARRIOR."

Just before the Monster reached the safety of darkness, three [Volt Whips] caught her. One wrapped around her neck, another round her waist, and the last looped into her ankles. Beepy planted his feet and yanked, stopping the Monster in its tracks.

Zippy soared with the knife extended. The panicking Monster flopped to the ground, trying to get away.

Then Zippy struck with the Ancient Paring Knife that was thousands of years old.

From every direction came the giggles of the Monster. They overlapped until the voices became a mess of hysteria. The pinned Monster began to melt, collapsing inwards as its skin fizzed the sludge. The bent needle liquefied beside her while the giggling went on and on, until the dangling eyeball burst into to smoke. Finally, silence claimed the street.

Every single light on the street blazed to life, banishing the oppressive night once and for all.

"Woohoo!" Aria cheer and started clapping. "We're the best! Wooo! The BEST! WOOOOOOOOOO!"

Mary rushed over and scooped up the doll. Aria just kept pumping her fists in triumph. Beepy and Zippy collected an inky black Core left behind where the creature had fallen. The [Daughter of Dymphna] was no more, and her medicine would not be delivered that night.

The brothers communicated between their connection as Mary tried to scold and cheering Aria. Alex attempted to remind Mary about how she had practically saved them. After a quick discussion, they both agreed. Aria could join them as a Paladrone, and as an Arbiter of Good.

After everyone calmed down, and the squad began to walk home, Aria tried her luck now that the dust had settled.

"Is anyone hungry?" She asked, looking hopeful towards Alex from the ground. "I'm hungry. Fighting Monsters is hard work."

"You know what?" Alex answered, maintaining a cheerful tone despite Mary's glare. "Aria, you have Chinese food yet? Like, real Chinese food? Got to be a couple places open late."

"Real Chinese food!?" Aria asked. "No. But it sounds good! Just had that crappy takeout stuff!"

Alex just shrugged at Mary and led the way out of the street of darkness. The boys followed, scanning for Monsters, and Mary gave a long speech about safety towards the doll. And on Alex's wrist, the evil-eye on Snu's gift continued to blink in warning. Someone scried on him, but he'd been distracted by the gnawing skull.

Mr. Mystical had watched the whole thing and was whining to Harold. The ghost that occupied the book had had enough of his prattling.

"Your way isn't working," Harold said. "Alerting the [Daughter of Dymphna] did nothing. And to think that being close to Halloween would make her more powerful. Now we try my way."

Mr. Mystical gulped inside the mouse body. Harold was a psychotic bastard, and as badly as he wanted to get his ring and Gary back from The Collector, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stoop that low. But nothing he did was working.

"Ok," Mr. Mystical answered, glancing at the clone who was in cage, far enough to not hear. "If we have to kill him, let's make sure we get the cat too."