The Ghostbusters stood on the street looking up at the high rise. The new condo's had just finished being built, luckily no tenants had moved in yet.
"27 floors huh." Peter said staring at the top of the building. Storm clouds started to move in. It was all very eerie, and yet very familiar. "I'm getting that sense of deja vu, anybody else." He said dryly.
Egon looked at his PKE meter and did some calculation. The meter was going off the scale.
"This is definatly the place. The entire building is swarming with spiritual activity. It's off the chart."
"Time to make more charts." Ray said giving him a wink. There was a sudden crack of lightening, but it wasn't a normal type. This lightning streaked through the sky in a wonderful blue and white crack and hit the top of the building, illuminating it fully.
"This soul collector is getting stronger with every soul it takes. Soon we might not be able to stop it. We need to hurry." Egon said. The guys looked at each other and shook there heads in agreement. This thing had already killed five people, if it was getting stronger it could take out the entire city and then the world. There would be nothing to stop it.
"Quick question Egon, the last time we battled this thing our Proton Packs barely hurt it. Will we have better luck now?" Winston asked. Always the skeptic but he did bring up a good point.
"The data I collected during our last encounter was valuable. I managed to re-tune the Proton Packs to a frequency more to this collector's level. If we can get to him before he takes another soul, we should be able to stop him...theoretically."
"I love it when you talk theory." Peter said. "Alright. If were gonna do this, lets get moving." The guys headed for the front door.
Locked.
"Don't worry, I brought the key." And with that Peter took out his thrower, powered up and blasted the glass right off the door.
They headed into the building. The lobby of the expensive high rise was lavish. Large stone pillars lined both walls, a large fountain was dominant in the middle of the room, beautiful chandeliers lined the ceiling.
But it was dark. A breeze was circling the room causing the chandlers to rustle.
Not even an emergency light was working.
The Ghostbusters all turned on there flashlights and started moving deeper into the building. The hum of the Proton Packs taking up the silence. The flashing lights of the cyclotron casting an eerie glow on the pale white walls.
"Man I hate this." Winston said, the nervousness showing in his voice. The moved towards the back wall, there lights shining on a sign that said stairs.
Behind them there was a crash. The Ghostbusters turned, startled and aimed at the darkness. Ray moved forward taking point, shining his light across the room.
In the middle of the hall, one of the chandeliers was lying, fallen from the ceiling, broken into a thousand pieces. From the right there was a shadow, and Ray immediately whipped around.
Nothing.
"Guys, there's something fishy in here. Watch my back." He turned back to the left and started to look up and down. He knew something was in here, just what it was he was unsure of.
Ray reached down to his belt and pulled off his ecto-goggles, placing them on his head he started to scan the room, but still he saw nothing. Whatever it was not even the goggles were picking it up.
"Spengs, a little help." He asked, but Egon was already on his PKE meter, searching for the elusive ghost, Peter and Winston remained at the ready, prepared to blast anything that came close.
Ray turned the dial on the side of the goggles, changing the settings, trying to find the proper frequency for the ghost that seemed to be stalking them. Four frequencies and nothing.
The fifth he tuned was more of a thermal mode then anything. Everything went to a white colour, but on the walls there was a red streak leading around the room. A heat source from the phantom. He followed it and saw the ghost lying up in the corner or the ceiling, just sitting there, watching the Ghostbusters. It wasn't moving, just looking.
"Guys," Ray whispered into his radio, "left side corner. It's just sitting there, watching." The other Ghostbusters looked up but didn't see it. Whatever this thing was it was invisible to the naked eye.
Ray slowly reached for his neutrona wand and powered up, the hum filling the air. "It still hasn't moved. I'm gonna take the first shot, ready a trap, when I get him, pour it on." Ray aimed into the corner, one shot. They didn't have time to chase this thing around the lobby, there were bigger fish to fry. He fired, a bolt of proton energy slicing through the room, the glow of the blue and orange beam casting shadows all across the dark room.
The blast met the target straight on and the ghost became visible, entangled in the proton stream. Winston and Peter fired. The strength of three proton stream bringing the creature down. Egon tossed out the trap and hit the pedal, the top opened and the other three moved the ghost into the path of it, as soon as it was ready Egon slammed the pedal with his boot and the ghost was sucked into the trap, sealing shut and beeping quietly.
"How many more of those do you think there are?" Winston asked.
"I don't know, but ever since we got in here the PKE meter has gone crazy. The spiritual energy is intense."
"Looks like he may have brought in the cavalry." Ray said.
"We need to hurry. If the focal point for this thing is the roof, then we need to get there and close whatever portal is up there." Egon said.
They headed for the stairs, Ray took point again keeping his goggles down, watching for anything and everything, Egon re-tuned his PKE meter and continued scanning the area, Peter and Winston held up the rear, keeping the throwers ready for action.
Peter looked up at the unending flight of stairs, "Remember whats happens when we get to twenty.
Add part on roof with Janine...
It was a hard climb but the Ghostbusters finally made it to the roof. They stood outside the door leading on and caught there breath. There legs ached, they were sweating, hearts pounding, but they had a job to do. People's lived counted on them stopping this collector, and with that perhaps releasing the souls of those it had already taken.
Ray lifted his goggles and looked at the other guys. "That was almost too easy. Only one guard in the lobby, nothing else."
"It's possible this collector not only feeds on human souls but ghosts as well. All the spiritual energy in the building is a hundred times more then that in our containment unit. We shouldn't seen or had contact with many more spirits." Egon checked his meter again.
"So if that's the case, and he's using ghost energy, our our packs gonna do the job?" Winston asked.
Egon looked into the distance, doing the math in is head. He looked back to the PKE meter and took more readings.
"I think so. Ghost energy is different then the human energy, it's less powerful, which could be the reason it needs so much. That ghost in the lobby, I don't think it was a guard, I think it was hiding."
"Hiding?" Ray asked.
"You said yourself it was just sitting in the corner watching us. I think it might've escaped the Collector."
"Well why all the energy?" Ray asked.
"Our last battle yesterday, perhaps it did more damage then we thought. That's why it only took Janine and didn't kill her right there, I think it brought her here, to feed on her after it's back to full strength. It doesn't pick it's targets at random, I think it chooses the people who have the strongest soul, and moves down from there. The ghost energy is helping regain its strength, but its weak energy and it's taken a while."
"Well then, why don't you say we kick in this door, blast this thing, get Janine back and call it a day." Peter said. "I tell ya, I really tired."
"Sounds like a plan." Ray replied. He turned to the door and with a mighty kicked broke it clear off its hinges.
The Ghostbusters rushed in. Particle throwers ready.
The Roof was amazing, the guys looked at it in awe. Wasn't a normal roof for a Manhattan high rise. Large pillars were protruding from the concrete, electrical wires hanging from pillar to pillar, craccrackles of electricity running through them. The all lead in the same direction to a central point in the far corner. What looked like a thrown made or rocks and bricks, covered in black slime stood there. The electricity all seemed to be focused towards the thrown.
Egon looked at the pillars, examining closely "This lines. It's feeding ghost energy into that point. It's focusing there. I believe that's the portal, under all that shit." The other guys looked at him. It wasn't often that Egon cursed but whine he did, it meant he was generally pissed off.
"This is really to easy, where is he." Ray said. There was nothing there, just an empty thrown. Ray feared the worst, that they were too late. The collector had regained full power and his next victim had been Janine.
"Boys, over there." Peter said pointing to the opposite cornet. There was Janine, chained to the side of the roof barriers. A sudden relief went through each of the Ghostbusters, extreme happiness and relief that Janine was alive and that the weren't too late to stop the collector.
"Winston come on, Egon, Ray, keep guard." Peter and Winston headed for Janine cautiously. The pillars made it hard to move freely and the ghost energy coursing through the cables they did not dare want to touch.
They came to a clearing and looked around. Left, Right, up, down. Everywhere. Peter had a sense that they were walking into a trap. It was too quiet, too easy. If the collector was gone then why did he leave Janine alive, if he's here, well then where the hell is he.
Winston went first, making a beeline for Janine. Still Nothing.
"Janine, wake up." He said lightly tapping her face. She moved slightly, her eyes trying to open but not finding the power too.
"Winston." She whispered. Barely audible to him.
"Yeah, were here."
"He's been doing something to me, tasking my energy...i don't know..." She passed out again.
"Venkman, were gonna have to carry her down. This things been sucking the energy out of her." Peter came over and leaned down, unshackling here. There was no lock, just a simple bolt keeping the clasps closed.
Just as they were about to pick up Janine there was a massive roar. The ground under them started to shake, cracks in the concrete formed. The pillars themselves started breaking apart and the cables atop broke free and hung loosely beside.
Egon and Ray ran over to join them, power in numbers, they were going to need it.
"It's gotten stronger, but we should still be able to take it down." He looked at Janine, passed out on the floor.
"Is she OK?" He asked
"Yeah, but i think she gonna need a long nap when we get home." Peter said.
"That's good, it means its still not at full power or she'd be dead.." He bent down and lightly shook her. "Janine you need to get up. Come on now." She turned more, hearing Egon's voice was soothing, and helped. She opened her eyes again, wider this time and saw the blurred image of him.
"Egon," She said and with what little power she had she wrapped her arms around him.
"Alright come on, you need to stand." There was another roar. It seemed to come from everywhere at the same time. More lightning streaked from the sky hitting the Rock thrown straight on.
"We got company." Ray said. From behind the thrown the Soul Collector appeared, bigger then in there first encounter. Horns had sprouted for the top of his head, and a row a spikes ran down the middle of his back.
"I will have your souls." It growled at them. Another lightening strike came, but instead of hitting the thrown it slammed directly into the Collector, he grew bigger as the electricity surged through his body.
"He absorbing it, what I can only describe as more ghost energy, we need to hurry." Egon yelled.
"Light um up." Peter yelled and the four Ghostbusters fired at the collector. He was fast and agile this time. He flew up avoiding all the streams. Winston immediately changed position and fired into the air just in front of him. The collector dodged the other proton stream and made a path straight for Peter.
"Venkman, look out!" But Peter was already on top of it and fired a proton stream that hit the collector square in the head. He cried out in pain as he went tumbling to the roof, slamming into the pillars and seperating the cables. The ghost energy running through the cables exploded outwards into the night sky and dissipating into the air
The collector cried out in pain as energy left his body.
Egon looked at him, then back at the thrown. It's not a portal. It's a battery. How could he have not seen it. The energy running to the thrown wasn't to keep a portal hidden, it was to keep the collector charged so that he can take souls. He must need constant recharging before he gets enough souls to be self sufficient. The ghost energy of New York was his battery pack. Without them, he loses power.
Egon looked around at the roof, there were nearly two dozen of the pillars up there, they were going to have to destroy each one in order to beat him.
"Change of plans, concentrate fire on the pillars, take them out." The collector was up again flying around the roof top, trying to get a vantage point on the Ghostbusters. Ray fired a shot that went wide, the collector changed direction quick but Winston was ready and fired. The particle beam hit the collector in the middle of his chest and he spun backwards, out of control and out of sight.
"Fire on the pillars, quickly before he comes back." Egon fired at the closest one, the beam hit . The pillar glowed hot red and started to crack apart, after a few more seconds it crumpled to the ground severing the cables from the thrown and releasing the ghost energy into the sky.
Ray, Peter and Winston continued firing at all the pillars They were going down one at a time. The ghost energy illuminating the night sky, and in the distance the collectors roars of pain were heard as he continues to lose power.
There were two pillars left now. Winston and Ray fired, Egon and Peter looked around the rooftop, the collector was no where to be seen. They checked over the sides of the building, around the thrown but nothing.
"Where almost done here, any sign of our friend." Ray called out.
"Nothing." Peter replied.
Janine was more awake now, slowly getting to her feet. Her mind was still foggy about what had happened, but she did feel a little better. She stumbled up and leaned against the railing of the roof.
From the other side of the building the collector popped his head out from his thrown. He had hidden inside his thrown. Even with the pillars destroyed the thrown itself had kept enough ghost energy to give him just enough power for one more move.
He jumped out of the thrown and with all his might threw himself at Janine.
Like a bullet from a gun, he moved quick and straight, right on target.
Egon saw as the collector came up from the thrown and flew at Janine, he was the only one close enough to do anything, he didn't have time to pull his neutona wand, there was only time for one play.
Egon ran as fast as he could and as if he was moving in slow motion jumped right in front of Janine, right in the path of the Soul Collector.
The collided hard, sparks of blue and red electricity flying everywhere.
The other Ghostbusters ran over but it was too late, they watched in horror as Egon and the collector battled.
They floated into the air, the collector twisting and turning around Egon, his hand reaching into his chest, a blue light forming around the opening. Egon yelled in pain, he tried to let go, to fall back to the roof but the collector was getting stronger, Egon could feel his life force being drained from him, he started to feel weak, his eyes dimming.
"We gotta shoot." Winston yelled.
"We could kill Egon" Ray said.
Peter stood there watching the horror, he watched as Egon's body started to shrink down. The collector opened his mouth and started to suck the life force from Egon. His hands started to shrivel up like dried grapes, his body continued to deteriorate.
The Collector finally released it's hold on Egon.
Janine finally screamed in terror, she had been paralysed with fear and shock at what she was seeing. Her eyes followed downward as Egon's proton pack fell to the roof, his uniform, lightly covering the pack and his glasses landing quietly on top.
Egon was gone.
Tears swelled up in her eyes as she tried to grasp the situation. It cant be happening. It just cant be.
The other three Ghostbusters were in shock as well. The collector, took his soul and dissolved his body. There was nothing left of him.
They looked back up at the collector who was hovering above them.
"I should have take him first, i had no idea how powerful his soul was." He growled, licking his lips has if he just had a nice dinner.
Peter, Ray and Winston didn't even have to say anything, the opened fire at once. Full stream,
Three powerful proton streams hit the collector in the chest. High amounts of particle energy dancing into the newly powered demon. He looked down at the Ghostbusters and laughed.
They poured on more power, disengage the safeties and firing every bit of energy that the Proton Packs could do. The particles changed colour from blue and orange to a bright red and purple, but still the collector seemed to be too powerful even with the modifications
They powered down the packs as the heat buffers kicked in venting the packs themselves. They didn't know what to do. The max power of the Proton Pack did nothing but tickle this guy now. They started moving backwards, towards the stairs, Janine already behind them.
"You are next." He smiled, "And I hope your as powerful as." The collector stopped. His face went from bright red, to a faded purple. He cried out in agony as he clenched his chest. From his chest a opening appeared, a bright blue light shining outward. A hand reached though the opening grabbing hold of the collector and pulling its way out. A face appeared next.
It was Egon.
He forced himself out further, but the collector refused to let him go. He grabbed Egons shoulder and tried to force him back in.
This had never happened before, the collector never once had a soul that could force it's way out of him, it was not possible.
But then again, The Soul Collector had never dealt with the ghostbusters.
Egon summoned up all his strength and forced his was further out, he grabbed the collectors hands and used them as a free weight to give him leverage. The light from the collectors chest was blinding, as other souls started to escape from the opening.
The collector could feel himself getting weaker as the souls kept pouring out. Two centuries worth of souls finally free to pass on to the next realm.
Egon finally got his feet out, as soon as he was clear the hole in the collectors chest closed up, but by then Egon had kept it open long enough for the prisoners to be released. The collector started to shrink, he deflated, like a balloon losing air, his head caved in on itself, and he floated there.
Beaten.
"Throw It!" Egon yelled to the other Ghostbusters. They stood there in shock as Egon floated in the air. No longer human, now a spirit of his former self bathed in a blue aura.
"Guys, he's not gonna wait all day!" Egon yelled again. That woke up the others and they aimed and fired.
The proton beams flew through the air and hit the collector, he cried out in pain but the streams weren't containing him.
"Why isn't he being wrangled." Ray yelled.
"He still got some power but not much. With is energy we need for particle beams to bring him down." Egon called back. There wasn't anything Egon could do. He was a ghost now, he couldn't pick up anything, then he saw Janine, and his pack.
"Janine, get the pack and fire." He yelled at her. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and tears streamed down her face. She didn't know what to do, the shock setting in.
"For me Janine." Egon yelled again. She looked up to him, he smiled at her and shook his head. She smiled back and wiped the tears from her eyes. She ran over to the pack, pulling Egon's uniform off it, she grabbed the particle thrower.
She powered up, the distinct hum and whine of the pack easy noted in her ears even with the sounds of the other three Ghostbusters firing. She took aim at the collector and fired. The stream hit and with the power of the other three streams it locked onto the collector. The four of them had to use all there strength to wrangle him over to the roof.
Winston released the trap from his belt and kicked it across. The Ghostbusters moved him to right underneath and Winston opened the trap.
The collector got caught in the reverse pyramid of light from the trap, and the Ghostbusters started to reel him down.
"We collect shit too!" Peter yelled as Winston slammed down the pedal and closed the trap. The collector was sucked in, and the top closed, the roof was quiet again.
The Ghostbusters walked over to the trap. Everything seemed OK, the collector was caught and would never hurt anybody again.
They looked up. Egon started to float downwards and landed easily on the roof.
"How?" Ray asked, his eyes starting to fill with tears
"I was aware of everything that was happening in there. It was a surreal experience. I heard the collector saying that my soul was very powerful. More powerful then I think any of us thought. The other souls that were caught in there were waiting for someone like me to come in. We were able to combine forces and i was able to force my way out. The other ones in there were drained to extreme measures. They need someone very strong." Egon look to the other guys, each one of them had tears running down there faces.
"It's going to be OK Egon. We can find a way to get you back." Ray said. Winston lowered his head, wiping his face. He loved his friend and wished it was possible but he knew the truth, there was no coming back.
"Raymond, my body was disintegrated. I don't think we can fix that." Egon looked around again. Janine was in tears, her head down, sobbing.
"Don't worry about me, this will be scientific." He said with a smile on his face. Egon had spent most of his life studying the ghost world and now he was going to be able to do it first hand. He was a Ghostbuster. He was a scientist, and even though he wouldn't admit it he was an adventurer and this was going to be a big adventure.
He moved over to Janine, "Janine." he said, but she couldn't bring her head up. "Janine he said again. She finally raised her head and looked at him. She couldn't talk. She couldn't say a word. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. Her arms past through him but she still held on, not ever wanting to let go.
He then went to Ray. "Raymond if I can I'll try and let you know whats waiting on the other side."
Ray sniffed, his eyes red and puffy. "I hope you find the answers you were looking for."
Winston was next. "I never understood all this stuff, but you really made it a little easier for me. Don't forget to use laymens terms when you can. Not everybody up there is a brainiac."
"That was a big twinkee wasn't it."
"The Biggest so far."
Last was Venkman, he was never the easiest to show his emotions, always coming back with a quick joke or sarcastic comment. But Peter had known Egon the longest, he knew that Peter was taking it hard, but he wouldn't let it show.
Egon looked at him and saw that his friend was trying to hold back his tears, his thought swallowing hard, trying to keep from bursting out crying. Egon didn't know what to say, he and Ray were close but Peter was his best friend.
He simply moved his hand across Peter's shoulder, as he did a small trail of slime formed on his uniform. Peter looked down and saw the slime and looked back to Egon, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.
"You slimed me." He said his voice cracking as he got the last word out.
Egon looked at his friends then turned to move away when a bright light formed in the sky. The Ghostbusters covered there eyes at the blinding light but Egon just looked on as it encompassed the entire sky. A staircase formed in front of them. There eyes adjusted as they saw the staircase form. It seemed to be white brick which went into the sky.
Egon turned back to the guys one final time, "Hey, where do these stairs go?"
Ray Peter and Winston all looked on and together said, "They go up."
With one final smile Egon turned and walked up the stairs, the light fading the higher he went, then was just gone.
Janine finally collapsed to the ground and let it all out, Ray and Winston ran to her side and comforted her, holding here. Peter looked into the night sky and just stood there, finally allowing the tears he had been holding back to run down his face.