Wings, Fangs, and the City of Sun

Phoenix, Arizona, in July is the kind of hot that makes the sidewalk shimmer like it's melting. And somewhere high above the scorched palm trees, four tiny figures buzzed through the hazy sky.

Dr. Pinkie flew in front, her bubblegum-pink wings catching the sun. She wore a ruffled coat and smiled at everything — clouds, pigeons, passing jets.

"I love this city!" she announced.

Dr. Hearts glided beside her, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking perfectly relaxed. "Same," he said simply.

Dr. Mikey did a lazy barrel roll. "Hot though. Very, very hot."

Behind them all, half-hidden in shadow, flew Dr. Skull. His long black hair streamed behind him like a dark ribbon, skull pins glinting. His one visible green eye scanned the city below without blinking. He clutched a battered silver thermos against his chest.

"We have a job," he said flatly. "Four kids. Overbites. Won't see a dentist."

Mikey groaned. "Already?!"

Teeth, Wings, and a Very Bad Address

Mikey pulled up the kids' address on his phone — a shiny new one with a cracked screen he'd dropped twice already — and squinted at the map.

"Okay, so they're on Cactus Wren Lane," he said. "Easy."

They landed on a sun-baked sidewalk in front of a pale yellow house. A hand-painted sign hung on the gate.

DR. LOTTIE'S SALON OF WONDERS. OPEN. WALK-INS WELCOME.

Dr. Skull stared at it. "This is a hair salon."

"The map says this is the address." Mikey shrugged.

Before anyone could argue, the door swung open. A very small, very old woman appeared. She had bright white hair pinned up with pencils and a tape measure looped around her neck like a necklace. She looked them all over slowly.

Then she pointed directly at Dr. Skull.

"You," she said. "That hair. In. Now."

"Absolutely not," said Dr. Skull.

"I wasn't asking," said the woman.

Dr. Pinkie covered her mouth. Dr. Hearts blinked. Mikey was already laughing.

The woman grabbed Dr. Skull's sleeve and pulled.