Sterling's Mansion IV

	The trio made their way back out into the hallway, a handful of the lamps lit up now while the whole of the home was still dark. Cassy swung her flashlight around, trailing behind Amy as she forged ahead and back into the foyer.
	“Where next, Amy,” she asked, handing her the flashlight.
	“Okay,” she started, flipping through another of the handouts. “There’s… two more ghosts, and that’s the family. Anne-Elizabeth Sinclair will probably be outside, and Zachariah Sinclair, the master of the house and father of the three.”
	“And the mother?” Amy paused, unsure if even she wanted to share.
	“Well - not here, Cassy. Let’s focus on Anne-Elizabeth for now.” Cassy nodded curtly.
	“So what’s her gimmick then, Amy?”
	“I’m sorry?” They were back in the foyer, standing before a large double door leading deep into the interior of the home and, by Amy’s calculations, to the courtyard beyond.
	“Well you know, the first two, uh, ghosts were a music thing. So what’s Anne’s deal.”
	“Anne-*Elizabeth*, Avery! We have to be kind to them, okay?” Amy marched forward with a purpose and authority none expected from her, Cassy shrugging as she tagged behind. As the three maidbots moved down the grand hallway more sounds played into the hallway. Not music this time but, amid the din of the continuing rain outside, the powerful and momentous blows of leather on leather, smacking loudly as they paced single file down. Coming to a small wooden door, Amy peaked into the dark again before shutting the door, shaking her head. Trying the opposite door and shining a corner of the flashlight in she waved the other two onwards and inside. The pounding ceased as a punching bag swung vacantly in the air and was exchanged for a barbell rising rhythmically and invisibly, clashing to the ground after each successive rep.
	“Anne-Elizabeth,” Amy whispered.
	“I prefer A-Beth, thank you,” shouted the response. Still invisible, the specter swirled around the robots as the weights fell silent. Amy flipped through a small packet of paper and a handful of news clippings as Cassy held the flashlight for her. The book flew from her hands into the air as it was examined roughly by the spirit. “Gee, I really don’t need to introduce myself, do I?”
	“It would be helpful, uh, A-Beth,” Cassy said. Cassy extinguished the light with a click as the third and youngest Sinclair child showed herself. Towering over the nandroids her broad form was toned to perfection, rippling with power as she crossed her arms.
	“So what’s your business here, shrimps?”
	“We’re here to capture you!”
	“Wow. Good one, Amy,” Avery groaned. The lady before them guffawed loudly, almost doubling over with mirth as she wiped little tears from her eyes in front of the little robots.
	“That is *rich*,” she said. “Quite comedic, good work you three. Now please be on your way, I’ve got better things to do.” She snorted triumphantly as she threw the little booklet straight into Amy’s face with a slap, chuckling as she returned to her weights. Amy scrunched up and wobbled a little as Cassy patted her shoulder. Avery clenched her fists as she stormed forward.
	“Hey asshole! What would it take to get you to go?” Avery stood, vacuum removed and sleeves rolled up again, in front of the woman, pressing a finger into her ethereal, blue chest repeatedly before she was shoved back, Amy and Cass watching nervously.
	“You, pipsqueak? You want to take the regional women’s boxing champion 1938 and running?”
	“That was a generation ago, you blue-skinned decades-dead has-been *harpy*. I think you’re too *old* to be in the ring, anyways!” Anne-Elizabeth’s nostrils flared in anger as she swung at Avery, a right hook just narrowly evaded as Avery ducked beneath her hulking arm, the two jumping and shimmying in circles around the room’s central mat. Avery rolled and weaved around the towering ghost as she chased her, her nimble frame carrying her with great speed as she maneuvered around each successive swing. Finally in just the right position, she sidestepped a furious charge by the woman to kick the punching bag directly into her reddening face with a resounding slap.
	She jumped back up in a flurry of kicks and punches, swinging blindly as she made her way for Avery, who was getting behind the punching bag yet again, ready to swing it forward to win another blow. As she did, however, the boxer disappeared almost immediately before reappearing at her flank, a thunderous blow rocking into the side of Avery’s abdomen as her polymer casing buckled and cracked under the punch. Avery yelped in response as shards of plastic fell away into her jumpsuit, clutching her side as another fist connected with her face, a chip flying away as her synthetic teeth were rocked from the hit. Recovering, she kicked low and struck the ghost in the back of the knee, collapsing her to the floor where Avery finally managed to swing the bag into her again.
	The ghost was knocked backwards and halfway into the next room, phasing through the brick wall as Avery paraded in front of her cheering companions. Her celebration was premature, however, as she was lifted up by the collar in front of the heaving boxer, pupils narrowing with rage as her entire face contorted. She reeled up to punch Avery square across the gymnasium but not before Avery popped her twice in the nose, dropping to the floor with a thud as the boxer clutched her face and groaned. Avery brushed herself off as the woman stayed clutching her nose, pinching it roughly as a stream of blood oozed downward.
	“How the hell am I bleeding,” she said between nasally inhales. “I’m a fucking ghost! This is ridiculous.”
	“Upset you got beat by a robot,” Avery taunted. “I think it’s your time to go, grandma!” Avery continued her jeers as Anne-Elizabeth knelt on the floor, her hand having left her nose for her eyes, rubbing them dry in vain as she sniffled through a nose crooked from a life of boxing. She ran her arms alternating along her eyes as she gave up little sobs, sitting motionless on the floor as she whispered out her mother's name. Amy muttered quietly in the distance, not daring to approach the ghost while Cassy locked eyes with Avery, waving her hand to shoo her forward. Avery rolled her eyes again before approaching the ghost and sticking a hand out to the defeated spirit.
	“Aw jeez, now you’re making me feel bad,” she said. “Come on, act like a champion’s supposed to when they’re beat.” Puffy, red eyes stared back at Avery before a giant hand pulled her forward, Avery leaning back near parallel to the floor as she hefted the specter back up, tumbling backwards as the ghost rose again. Avery righted herself again, pieces of her casing poking her in the delicate machinery beneath as her hand was crushed in the boxer's grip. A furious shaking up and down later and then she turned to the two spectators.
	“Alright, I think it’s time to head out,” she said, smiling in spite of the blood now dripping from her chin. She stared at Amy readying the vacuum and Cassy with her thumb on the flashlight and laughed. “See you on the other side, nerds!” Cassy shone the beam of light through the specter revealing the same blue core as the ghost giggled. Another rush of air inwards and a stiff-armed goodbye later the trio of robots was only one ghost away from completing their mission - the father of the other three, Zachariah.