2 days since the last chapter...

 

“Well, that’s Kurt …” Tray said as he pointed to the group who were displaying their skills.

 

“Hiya!” A man cried as he performed a kick that he used coming out of a handstand.

 

To David, it resembled using your whole body to uppercut someone using your legs, and the training dummy was picked up and thrown across the grown. The man performing the stunt was wearing bright white gloves and boots, and a tight red spandex suit. His motorcycle helmet had a shining black visor and he wore a long white scarf that sparkled in the sunlight. 

 

“Megan, Tanya, go!” He commanded as he pointed to a second dummy.

 

Two women wearing a pink and yellow outfit that matched, charged forward around the left and right of Kurt. The one in the pink outfit began performing a series of cartwheels that resembled something from a gymnastics display as she spun from her hands to her feet gaining momentum. The yellow-clad female ran with a lot more power and then performed a sliding kick similar to taking a plate in baseball that kicked the legs out from under the mannequin.

 

“Megan!” She called as she kicked up with one of her legs sending the mannequin up into the air.

 

The woman wearing the pink suit spun several more times as she continued to flip from her hands to her feet before she made her move and jumped up and began spinning in the air. Her leg raised before it was brought down like an ax and bent the steel bar in the mannequin's neck causing its head to be bent at a right angle. The more amazing fact was that the woman in yellow applied a kick from underneath that caused the mannequin to spin in place in the air.

 

““Lucas!”” The two females called out in annoyance, but they were greeted by the sound of loud coughing.

 

“That was… a big one!” A man said between his coughs, his voice heavily distorted by his mask.

 

David felt his jaw almost hit the ground when he saw someone wearing a green spandex suit with the shiny white gloves and boots, the only exception was the black gas mask on his head and the plastic bong he just pulled off the filter carrier. His face couldn’t be seen behind his mirrored lenses, and a large rifle was slung over his back that resembled a cannon with two massive barrels that shone in a bronze color. The part that made David want to scream was that the wooden furniture(AN:1) had been replaced with bright pink plastic grips and a stock and zebra print duct tape had been applied around the shiny metal. 

 

“God… what have you done to that gun?!” His uncle called in horror. “That is a vintage stopping rifle you have ruined!”

 

Drawing back one of the large hammers that revealed a shiny percussion cap, he used the rough sights to aim with the large 4 bore(AN:2)rifle.

 

“JUSTICE!” This loud word was punctuated with the roar of the massive gun as the 1 inch(25.4mm) lead round was fired through the rifled barrel and smashed into the spinning mannequin and ripped a large hole through the center of it. The plastic body flopped around several times revealing the metal mesh inner frame before splitting into several parts and hitting the ground.

 

It didn’t get much further than this when a large brown dog with shaggy fur and several rows of sharp teeth in its round stout muzzle bit down savagely and through the metal neck of the mannequin. With a few shakes of its large head, the plastic tore apart, freeing its prize, and since it lacked a tail it shook its entire backside as it walked over to the green-clad man. If it wasn’t the size of a horse, it would almost seem cute as it tried to get his attention.

 

“That’s a hell hound…” David muttered after looking it over closely.

 

“He tamed it, said he found it trying to break into a weed dispensary.” Tray told him. “He is the fifth member of their team, see the black scarf?” 

 

Seeing the large black cloth wrapped around its neck like a collar, a question sprang to mind, and that was what the man used to tame it. David didn’t have to wait long before he saw the man pull a sugar cookie out of a bag and hold it up to the large monster that just sat down patiently. The man’s next action’s caused David some shock when he witnessed them.

 

Fishing into the same pocket he pulled the cookies out of, he soon pulled out a small container filled with a green-colored butter that released a pungent aroma the moment it was opened. The dog opened its mouth and began releasing thick saliva and drool as the man carefully spooned this butter onto the cookie and only stopped when it was completely green. Pulling out a second container revealed rum-infused berries that had a sweet aroma.

 

“Arroooo!!!” The large hound called happily and got on its belly as its butt was digging furrows in the ground in its excitement. 

 

“Good doggo!” The yellow-clad woman called as she came over and began patting the large animal.

 

The dog’s attention was completely on the man in green who had just finished giving the now soggy cookie a thorough coating in the fermented fruit. It opened its mouth happily as the man carefully placed it on its long tongue and the hound waited patiently until he removed his hand and started petting its large furry head. The dog savored this treat slowly and David watched the dog's mouth change colors from a bright red from the rum and berries to dark green from the concentrated cannabis. 

 

“The five of them all fit in that ice cream truck?!” David called looking at the size of the large hound.

 

“Kannabis gets pretty wasted after he has had his treat for the day, as long as you don’t step on his head you can just walk over the top of him, he is a pretty chill dog.” The man wearing red said as he walked up after admiring his team’s work.

 

“It’s named Kannabis?” David said in stunned disbelief.

 

“Haha… yeah... when Lucas found him... they were both breaking into the same dispensary... to get more weed…” Kurt said between his laughter.

 

“With your strength and my thumbs, there is nothing we can’t accomplish!” Lucas called out to the large dog he was petting.

 

The dog was laying on its back with its legs in the air as if its belly was being rubbed, and its tongue was hanging out the side of its mouth. As a monster, Kannibis got to enjoy an incredible digestion speed that allowed the sweet chemicals contained in the fermented fruit and the infused butter to immediately take effect. Its leg began kicking in the air as if the sweet spot on its belly had been found while Lucas continued to stare off into space after having licked the spoon clean of butter.

 

“Kannabis… you might be flying high now... But I will be joining you soon!” He called to the large dog.

 

“Hey, did you cash that bowl already? We were only halfway through that episode, the fight was just about to start!” The pink-clad woman called as she stretched her arms.

 

“Alright! We showed what we are capable of, now we are gonna get back to our research!” Kurt called as he joined the group who were climbing into the back of the painted ice cream truck.

 

It looked more like a small RV now that he was looking at it up close, the dissonance he felt when he thought of the sentai groups he had seen was being overlaid by a group of supernatural investigators. 

 

“Billy! Get rid of them! Tell them, Billy! We cannot have that monster here!” Pandora was screaming at the boy next to her. 

 

“Pandora, stop! Please!” Billy called as the cat was climbing up his thick sweater up his back.

 

“No! It is a demon! We can’t let that creature start a legion here! This is my territory! Billy, you are useless!” The cat screamed at the boy, suddenly an idea appeared in her mind when she thought of the limitless supply of fish that would soon enter her paws.

 

“Where do they get their weed from?” David asked as he watched the people all climb into the large box van following their ‘dog’.

 

“Lucas grows it in the van using some tents, he was working at a dispensary before the apocalypse, the gunpowder is made from Kannabis’ litter box.” Tray explained.

 

“They taught the dog to use a litter box?!” David exclaimed.

 

“Yeah, Lucas uses it to get the nitrates he uses for fertilizer and gunpowder, impressive is what it is.” Tray commented.

 

“Okay, so what about the school bus then, I saw that it had been heavily modified,” David commented.

 

“Mavis and VIolet both got memories from spell casters, while they were also able to pass around a fair amount of information about martial force, Mr. Rawlins mostly handles that,” Tray said as he pointed to it.

 

The windows had been replaced with metal slats that ran along the side and provided excellent vision and good defense. The seats had then been moved to the middle of the vehicle where they were placed against their backs facing the windows with space in between to walk. Near the back, several large cauldrons hung over makeshift burners and spice racks had been attached to the ceiling in place of the baggage racks.

 

A thought occurred to David when he thought of the spell casting towers of old, and that was their inability to move anywhere. The school bus can bypass this problem by turning it on its side and attaching wheels to it. A flat expression slowly passed over Davids's face as he imagined spells flying out the windows and cauldrons of poison being dumped out the back.

 

“The welding is incredible, I think Ol’ Jorge might be even better than me,” David commented after looking over the bus.

 

“We call it the ‘The Magic School Bus’ since Mrs. Franken is the driver.” Tray remarked.

 

“Put your backs into it! Your spear must be straight and true!” Mr. Rawlins called down loudly to a group of boys wearing green shorts and tan uniforms with sashes across their chests.

 

The boys were all in their teens ranging from their early teens to their late teens and carried a variety of different weapons. A bow, a spear, a short ax or mace, and a shield made from bent sheet metal, and some carried machetes that were used for hiking. They were moving between various formations at the call of the old teacher as if he was reliving his military days.

 

“Tortoiseshell!” He yelled loudly.

 

The boys moved quickly as the older boys moved in the front and the younger boys laid their shield across the top. Arrows and spears appeared in the round gap created from placing the shield over the tops of them like a mobile fortress. Spears thrust forward as training arrows with blunt tips fired out into targets made from bundled weeds the boys had pulled from around the walls.

 

Paracord had been bundled together to make skeins and was being used to propel wooden arms to fire short crossbow bolts that tore holes through the targets and required tools to wind up. Digging through his memory, he recalled that the Romans used a weapon called a scorpion, but this one was much more modern with aluminum arms. The efficiency of their movements made the small group of twenty seem like a small army.

 

“Phalanx!” The old man called out loudly. 

 

The shields on top were taken down and a wall of spears was formed in front making a porcupine shape that focused all the offense towards the front. David watched as the boys began executing sharp spear thrusts that tore through the air as they all moved with a single purpose. The scorpions were revealed to look like large crossbows with arms that were trapped in spun paracord.

 

“Now give them the shield wall!” The old man called from outside the formation.

 

The boys inside quickly rearranged themselves into a circular formation that was open in the center revealing the scorpion operators. They were both in their mid-teens with sharp eyes under their green beret-style caps. Their arms were large and well built from operating the bicycle crank-powered bows that were able to fire under incredible tension.

 

Only a few other boys accompanied them with their bows at the ready and the various shield bearers drew short weapons and stowed their spears on their backs. The speed that they moved around to focus on any direction that the teacher pointed out was shocking in its efficiency. David was starting to understand why every bore a badge that resembled a Roman phalanx formation.

 

The sound of loud coughing coming from the modified ice cream truck caught David’s attention and he turned to see three helmeted heads force their way out of the nearest windows. The sound of coughing was dominant, followed by the sounds of cursing and complaining.

 

“Dammit, Kannabis! Can’t you teach it to fart outside!?” Kurt yelled loudly.

 

“I told you not to give them anything with cheese in it! Why do you like those crackers so much!?!” Lucas called from inside, protected by the filter of his gas mask.

 

“I think my eyes are burning!” The pink-clad female called.

 

“Megan! Fight through it!” The yellow-clad woman called.

 

“You should be thankin’ your lucky stars that we are upwind from that!” Tray commented. “The treats make the dog  gassy.” 

 

“It’s not the snacks! They are rich in fiber and natural oils that are hard to find in meats! I balance Kannabis’ diet very carefully!” Lucas called from inside of the large truck angrily. “The cheese powder gets everywhere! You gummed up one of my controllers!”

 

“Oh god, that smell!” A female voice called out from downwind.

 

She had red hair in pigtails and bright red freckles across her face. She wore a green shirt and denim overalls that were filled with vials of different fluids, she also had tools like a mortar and pestle. Fiddling with the various vials in her pockets, she looked like she was digging for something important.

 

“Terrible. It is like rotten eggs and death.” Another female replied coldly.

 

Her hair was long and platinum blonde and she had inquisitive hazel eyes but she spoke with a heavy accent that made her sound French. Her clothes were robes similar to what Mrs. Franken wore but hers were plain in a purple color that just has stars on the robes. They were cut short and she had leggings on underneath and a thick tome that was held by a strap like a purse.

 

“The one in coveralls is Violet, and Mavis is the one with the large spellbook. They are an interesting couple.” Tray commented. 

 

“Wait… couple?” David asked with some shock.

 

“Yeah, I guess they were close before the apocalypse but Mavis is an exchange student so they never got serious before. Then when things went crazy they both decided to take it to the next level.” Tray told David proudly.

 

“Tray, I am going to ask you a serious question… now that I have seen how you guys operate.” David paused to take a deep breath. “Were the people who went to Denver the normal ones?”

 

“No, we have people like Ol’ Jorge.” Tray said defensively as he pointed at the scene of a large construction project.

 

A man in his 50’s could be seen driving the tank that had the turret removed and the plow attached to the front as it was being used to move the dirt to create a large waist-deep pool. It would be lined with plastic and concrete and then filled with thick clay pebbles to act like sediment for the oysters and crayfish. He used the tracked vehicle deftly and every maneuver seemed well practiced and was done with careful intentions.

 

The man himself was wearing a dark blue jumpsuit with the logo of the college on the breast pocket. His skin was tanned from his time in the sun, and he had a neat well-kept mustache and a billed hat with the logo of the college hockey team. Glasses were used to correct his fading vision and he had hearing aids that were removed while he operated the heavy machinery.

 

“Didn’t he help build the college? Why did he decide to work there as the janitor?” David asked after seeing the scene.

 

“He got married while building the college and his wife taught there until she lost her battle to breast cancer. Everyone loved Mrs. Hernandez’s churros and tamales!” Tray defended.

 

“So that place had so many memories for him that he picked up a chainsaw and began tearing into the plant monsters…” David muttered as he looked at the old man who seemed placid in comparison to the tales.

 

“You don’t want to piss him off, he keeps an old hockey mask from when he was a goley. The scary thing with a tight metal weave so you can’t see his face… He won a championship for log carving, so he is quite agile with that chainsaw now that he has leveled up.” Tray commented.

 

Leveled up? Is that what they call completing a layer? The more David saw from their training, the more he was starting to see how they had survived this long. The composition for low-leveled monsters was fine and the stopping rifle was an effective weapon for deterring monsters. 

 

“The beginning was rough, we had over a thousand at the start between the people on the campus and the people who fled into the building after the city changed. Then people kept leaving in groups, some joined the military, some went to Denver, some just up and disappeared out into the wilderness, we were what was left.” Tray began to explain but David could already see the conclusion.

 

“And without those outside elements bringing discord, you found a group of people who had incredible teamwork. The boy scouts and the magic school bus are what you used to deal with monsters safely then if you had something too big, you Kurt, Mavis, and Violet could deal with it as a group.” David concluded.

 

“That was the plan, but we have a step that falls between it.” Tray said with some hesitation. “Usually Ol’ Jorge will find a way to kill it before we have time to assemble. A bone is just a tree that is capable of moving…” 

 

This caused him to turn towards the old man who was still carefully digging out the pool to hold fish and look him over carefully. The checkered flannel shirt that he wore was similar to many of the same types of shirts that his father wore. The two men were so similar from the outside that he wondered if his dad was more serious if he could have been like the old man.

 

Except that my dad listens to 80’s pop and sings it loudly in the shower… The construction on the aquaponics system was moving along at an incredible pace now that the two old men had met each other, with Ol’ Jorge working on the pool it freed his father up to focus on the greenhouses that would surround it. 

 

The plan was for four initially that would be expanded into six of them to make use of the large pool that Ol’ Jorge was able to build since he had a lot of experience installing swimming pools. A series of machines would float on top of the water that would look like vacuums with hoses that would float around and clean the sediment using small filters to keep out the fish and oysters. Then the water from this pool would be circulated to the greenhouses before going to a separate pond to be cleaned by algae and duckweed. 

 

Adding in Mrs. Franken’s knowledge of biology and agriculture and they were going to increase the number of greenhouses in the future and set up more aquaponics systems around the compound. Each one would feature different fish and different crops, Mrs. Franken had proposed the idea of trying to raise monsters in the pools so that magical herbs could be produced using their waste. As a naturalist(AN:3), she was deeply in tune with nature and was very interested in gardening and garden management. 

 

The old woman had taken off her robes and was wearing a pair of overalls just like her daughter and she used a shovel to mark the ground for the group of young women following her. Concrete was a natural substance and could be manipulated with magic. Why use a mold when you can just have a team of spell casters work to form the concrete and then harden it by heating it to evaporate the water.

 

The old woman with black and gray hair was walking around and observing things from under a reed hat wearing a pair of sunglasses. The main pool where the fish would be raised was going to be the size of a public swimming pool, and she was calculating the amount of grow beds and space necessary to filter the water. That was how he realized that he needed even more greenhouses to deal with all of the nitrogen that would be produced.

 

“I guess it would work best if you joined our team when we go hunting next. We will need to send out Kurt’s team as well, I feel like they are the most complete. How have you guys been handling injuries without an invoker?” David asked.

 

“Violet has the memories of an alchemist and the forest in Boulder was filled with rare herbs and magical plants. She was able to render these plant cells from the plants that can replace damaged cells, kind of like stem cells.” Tray explained after using the jargon that Mrs. Franken used to sound more impressive.

 

“Right, these are how they naturally heal themselves but if you use too much of them then they will replace too much of your body and you will become a plant monster yourself,” David explained. 

 

The plant cells would start to infect your human cells and start the transformation in reverse, this was both painful and fatal. It is why invokers as a whole were still necessary even with alchemy being as powerful as it was. Healing potions also couldn’t fix congenital birth defects like a club foot, they also had the chance of making conditions worse like cancer. 

 

“We will need more invokers…” David muttered sadly. 

 

“They are like priests aren’t they?” Tray asked.

 

“They are, but it isn’t a god they are reaching out to. To put it simply, the beings themselves are living amalgamations of mana. They need someone in the material realm to call them and give them a connection to be able to exert their influence over the world. When an invoker is healing they are providing the fuel and the image and the being is doing the directing of the spell.” David explained. “It’s not the beings they invoke that worry me, it is the people who do the invoking.”

 

“You mean like those religious goons who went on the radio?” Tray asked. 

 

“Exactly, religious zealots are the scariest because the invoked beings don’t care about the material world, they just complete the tasks they are asked to do,” David explained. “That means that they will take on the traits of their wielders and that is a horrifying thing.”

 

“One day at a time, man.” Tray told him.

 

“I need to trust Jasmin, maybe the support group she is building will be something beneficial in the long run.” David muttered “But with you, we have five people who can fight and Jasmin can move between the groups as necessary. I think leaving Mavis and Violet on defense with Ol’ Jorge will be best now that I have had a few days to see how your group operates.”

 

The boy scouts who finished their training took up wheel barrels and began carting the dirt that Ol’ Jorge hollowed out and began moving it to a large pile. Since monsters avoided the compound they planned to use it to make simple fortifications until proper walls could be built. Tents had formed a small city around the walls where many of the newcomers stayed the last few days.

 

Everything had gone much smoother than he expected and all of the young energy was speeding along with the development. David had been worried about taking time to visit the dungeon but it was starting to look like things were moving in a positive direction. There was only one thing he wished he could change about the current situation.

 

“David! I found you!” A female voice called out happily.

 

“Oh… Hello, Stephanie.” He said with a fake smile.

 

“What are you doing out here?” She asked with an inviting smile.

 

“I was just about to leave, Tray was showing me the training now that we aren’t busy finding places for everyone to settle,” David said calmly. “We were just discussing the food situation.”

 

“Everyone is contributing so we should be able to finish it in a few weeks. You shouldn’t have to worry about that now that the plans are complete and it is being constructed.” She said with that same smile of hers. “You are always working, why don’t you take a break?”

 

David could feel chills running down his spine and knew that Lena was close, she always appeared any time that Stephanie did and Lena would drop whatever she was doing. One of the main reasons David never stopped working was because if he didn’t Lena would be like a puppy demanding his attention. He just didn’t know what to do and he was trying to take things slow because of her past!

 

“You just reminded me of something!” David called out excitedly. 

 

The tents would serve as housing and hunting would be easier with another person, they also weren’t lacking in trailers since his father had several. What he needed to do before they went hunting was create more weapons and that meant locking himself alone in the garage! They planned to get to the third layer and take over the junkyard to supply everything they would ever need to build a proper settlement.

 

“What’s up? Why ya lookin at my pipe that way?” Tray asked defensively.

 

“You need a real weapon, follow me!” David said happily grabbing his friend by the shoulder.