I am rocking and rolling into Day 2 of Holtzbert Week ladies and gents. Be back here tomorrow, I'll be here all week folks, so again enjoy!
"No woman should walk around unarmed."
Erin Gilbert clutched her Swiss Army Knife tightly as the explosions rocked the city skyline. This was even worse than what she thought would happen, ghosts from different eras and time were pouring out of the portal. The ground shook as she felt bombs go off and she looked out to the harbor, ghostly warships flying the British flag was firing on the shore, this was mayhem. She ran into an alcove digging in and counting down her fate, gripping her proton wand tight. She jumped out and saw a ghostly Marine standing in front of her.
The big, ghostly Marine set off with a grim determination as he heard the rockets land on the shore. He only knew that a vengeful ghost was waking the dead and trying to use them, he would not be a pawn. He ran further down W 69th Street and slowed as his felt a presence behind the little door, it was warm and pleasant.
"I'm armed!" Erin shrieked as the ghost walked closer. She noticed his big friendly eyes and she lowered her wand.
"Wait, don't worry, son, I'm here, if Charlie wants to tangle now he'll have two to dodge, name's Camouflage," the ghost said as he extended his hand and Erin gave him a skeptical look, "Nice pocketknife, can I see?"
"Erin." She said as she held the knife out and he picked it up. Erin gave him a look as he looked at the pocketknife Holtzmann had given her.
He examined the knife slowly as he opened the main blade, memorizing the knocks, and scratches this knife had lived through. A pocketknife showed a lot about the person who carried it, he paused when he saw the initials, 'JPH 65'-68' 1st Mns' engraved in the handle, he knew the promise had been kept. he slowly gave the pocketknife back; the woman never would know what this meant to an old Marine. He pushed those thoughts aside as he fixed his bayonet to his rifle and the woman gave him a knowing smile, they still had a long way to go.
Erin fought alongside this man and saw how strong he really was. He would knock five ghosts down and fire his rifle to thin out the pockets of ghosts encountered. She watched in awe as he slashed and parried against the ghosts. She heard the whoosh of bullets and she thought this was the moment she was had, he merely swatted the bullets with his hand and she felt relief. They continued up the street and walked through the devastation that the ghosts Rowan had released.
"How?" she asked as the started walking up one of the long avenues towards Times Square.
"We were forgotten, do you know what it's like when no one visits your grave?" he asked and she shook her head, "We shall not sleep, though poppies grow." He said with a growl and Erin finally understood, what Rowan had promised them, it was enticing offer to be sure.
"You were forgotten, all of them were forgotten and Rowan" Erin said before Camouflage cut her off.
"Promised us the world of the living and to kill all those who broke faith with us, something like that. I warned them not to listen to him, he made all these promises, like a dictator but did they fight back? This is not what we wanted. I fought against dictators to only to see another rise in my afterlife." Camo said as they continued up the avenue, Erin watching as she saw him light a ghostly cigarette into the dark night's sky.
"Where are, you buried?" Erin asked as the man gave a grim smile as they keep walking. She blew another ghost away as they kept walking, she cringed as the ghost slashed her abdomen.
"Yaphank, next to my dad. Lillian must be in her seventies now, that was my wife, Lillian. She had the blondest hair you ever saw. Enough about me, we need to keep moving, get you back to your squad." He said as they pushed ever forward, Erin looking back at the man who seemed to be focusing on the new problem at hand, two taxis lay on their sides blocking that one vital avenue on 32nd Street. .
The three ghostbusters remain crushed under the balloon as they struggle to get free. Holtz was trying to get her wand but she could not move an inch. She coughed a bit as she tried anything to break free but it was pointless, this was how she was going to meet her fate. Abby rubbed her hand on Holtz's back as she knew this must drive the engineer absorbedly insane, the rubber balloon rubbing on her back. She would never get to tell Erin about a new idea she had been kicking around, a proton rocket launcher and she could have used one right about now.
Camouflage helped Erin climb the overturned taxis as they continued to slowly work their way up to Times Square. Bodies lay in the street and he looked at his companion looked queasy, she never had experienced death like this. She had never seen a body ripped to shreds and Rowan had cannibalized most of them to attack on sight.
"Wait, listen do you hear that?" he asked as she stopped and listened with him.
"That-that sounds like my friends. What do we do?" Erin said as she looked down W. 41st Street and looked back at the ethereal Marine.
"You go save the world and you get the girl." He responded as Erin stared back at him.
"What girl? Are-you can't even know-how do you know about my stupid crush on Jill- hey!" Erin yelled as she swats at the man's arm.
"I may be dead but I was always good at love. Plus, you have that glow." He said with a smirk as they continued walking down the street.
"Glow? You're the ghost here!" Erin yells as the ghost chuckles and he points down the street.
"I helped you and now for some truth time, Erin. I- you know I am glad you have my pocketknife, treat it well and take care of her. If not-well- you will see what happens when I lift a palm tree out of the ground." The ghost said with a knowing smirk and he walked off, shouldering his rifle as he went.
"You'd bludgeon me with a palm tree if I don't admit my feelings for Holtz?" Erin asked as she tried to make out the retreating figure of Camouflage against the glittering lights.
He knew his granddaughter was in safe hands, mostly safe hands and if Erin did not kiss her, well possession was always an option: not really needed, those idiots would find each other soon enough and if the apocalypse could not bring them together then nothing would.
Erin rushed down the street and popped the balloon as her friends got up and hugged her. They were shocked at how confident she seemed and the swagger that she had, it was like she had been inspired.
"Proton guns are all fine and good but sometimes you need the Swiss Army." Erin said confidently as she held her knife up and Holtzmann hugged her tightly.
Erin felt that warm butterfly feeling in her stomach and pushed it down as they had work to do. She still loved Holtz and extended the hug for a few more seconds before they had to go and defeat Rowan, for the last time.
The four ghostbusters stood together as they blasted Rowan as he falls into the portal, he takes a swipe at Erin and carries her in the portal with him. The three just stand there in shock as Holtz falls on her knees. Patty rushes to their friend's aid as she sobs and Abby runs up to the portal but she feels an arm push her back, she looks in surprise as a big ghost in camouflage glares at her.
"Idiot, I told her not to do anything stupid and this how she repays me? Excuse me, a Marine's work is never done." The ghost said as he jumped into the portal as Abby looked on.
Erin tried to wiggle out Rowan's palm but it was no use, she knew a crushed rib by was plausible and she was going to die. There was no sound in the portal as she fell with Rowan and she prepared to meet her fate. The other ghosts swirled around as she took in what her death was going to entail, death by a cartoon character and it was not My Pet Monster either, that would have been a better fate if she was honest with herself.
He scowled as he navigated his way through the portal and tried to hone in on Erin Gilbert, he looked to his left and saw another Marine giving chase. They gave a quick nod and dove down quicker as time was of the essence, the portal would be closing in a matter of minutes and Erin will be trapped.
Camouflage flew down and threw three of his ghostly grenades at Rowan and the creature screeched, releasing Erin and she fell faster as Camo somersaults and catches her in his arms. She's bleeding and he tightens his grip on her, the portal will close and they cannot be here when it happens. He flies up as the portal gets smaller and smaller, they may just make it back. He needs to time just right and they can make it back to her home, bring her home. Home, home, home.
"Where is Dr. Gilbert? Isn't she supposed to be here with you?" Jennifer Lynch said with annoyance as the three Ghostbusters sat on the ambulance bumper and are tended to after the big battle.
"She fell into a portal man, and a ghost went in after her, she prolly dead Lynch and you think we made that up?" Patty said as she held Holtzmann close. The small woman was not taking the news well that Erin was not back yet, she had refused to talk, causing Lynch to be irritated.
"She is alive, just you wait and see." Abby said as she sat nursing her black eye from Rowan's possession earlier and glared at the mayor's assistant.
"Okay, if she gets back in time let her know that the mayor thanks her." Lynch said as she walked off to deal with those useless Homeland Security agents. She highly doubted that Erin Gilbert was alive but she was a hero, that was for damned sure.
Erin groans and she looks around as she takes her surroundings in, graves. Is she dead?
"Shit, Erin, this is Yaphank Cemetery and I am so sorry. I messed up Manhattan with Yaphank." The big Marine says as he gingerly helps her up and slings her across his shoulder.
"Thanks, I need to get back. They probably think I am dead since I didn't land back in Times Square." Erin said as she clutched her side, her ribs burned like fire and she saw some shrapnel lodged in her side.
"Let's get you to Lillian's and I will return my soul to paradise thereafter." He said as they walked past the graves and he struggles to keep her upright.
Erin paused as she looks at one headstone and groans as she pulls out her Swiss Army Knife and traces the initials, 'JPH' and glances to the grave, Johann P. Holtzmann, father and Marine, "His deeds nobly done" the tombstone reads.
She shifts and looks at the death date, July 16th, 1968, today, the day of the death was one of the weaker times a ghost could cross back. She looked as the ghost paused and saw what she was staring at. They both pause before either of them speak.
"It was obscene, stepped on a mine and next thing I knew my best friend was there. His name is Bill Tolan and well, he took my Swiss knife back to Lillian. I came back here in 98' when Jill graduated. Full ride to MIT, makes it worth it, ya dig? She never got to have a grandpa but if she did, I would have spoiled her too much, Lill did a lot of that, enough." he paused, "I knew she was gay before she told Lillian or my daughter, Vivian.. Come on, lets get you over to Lill's." he finished as they strolled up the main street of Yaphank.
Erin admired the trees that lined the avenue and took a deep breath of the fresh air that was evasive in the city. Her ribs were on fire and she wondered how much longer she could go on, the house had to be nearby. She groaned as Camo-no Johann led her to his wife's houses, Holtz's grandmother, oh this was going to be interesting, Erin thought bitterly. They neared an old house that had the white picket fence and three gold starred flag in the window.
"What's the flag for?" Erin asked as she grit her teeth as the big Marine carried her up the steps.
"Grandfather, me, sister. Two of us died in Vietnam and one in the Argonne. Lets get you up and in, I need to rest soon." He said wearily as he pushed the injured Erin up the steps and banged on the door four times, he disappeared after that.
Erin groaned as the elderly woman opened the door and gasped, picking the woman up and taking her into the house. The woman helped Erin take the pack off and put her on the sofa, going fetch the tea in the kitchen that she had left in the kitchen.
"Dearie, I am sorry but you look like shit, why did someone drop you off to me and not a hospital?" Lillian asked as the woman weakly tried to sit up.
"Camouflage, Swiss Army, Jill, ghosts." Erin mumbled as she finally dozed after such a long day of ghosts and preventing a near apocalypse.
Lillian sighed as she spoke to her husband's portrait, "I am always cleaning up your messes love, still being my hero and never getting people to hospitals when they actually need them."
Lillian gently unzipped the jumpsuit and went back into the kitchen as she pulled the gauze tape and bandages from when Jillian was running around, painting Yaphank red with "small poofs". She gently walked back into the living room and began taping the woman's ribs, she needed to stabilize it so she could get her back to New York City. She would make a call to Abigail after she loaded the woman into her 64' Pontiac GTO and make her way back into the City.
"Holtzy, come on cheer up they looking for Erin everywhere in the portal radius, they gonna find her." Patty said as Holtzmann continued to weld and just ignore her.
"Nothing?" Abby queried as Patty looked at her and then Holtz, nothing had made the engineer speak in days, even when Doctor Gorin came in from MIT.
They went back to the breakroom and Dr. Gorin looked at them with curiosity, understanding the difficult situation they were in. Jillian often went into these states whenever she dealt with a bad breakup, bad date, and the last time she acted this weird was after CERN but she had never been mute.
"No, he does not work here, whose Aaron? No, you sound like a turkey." Kevin said loudly as the gang ran towards the desk and swiped the phone from him.
"HI, this is Dr. Abigail Yat- oh, you know who I am, ok. Ok, yes. Ok, yes. Yes, will be there soon, thank you Grammy Holtz. What is a Yaphank? Ok, yes, sorry, again see you soon." Abby said as he put the receiver and she looked at her friends who waited for the news.
"Okay, good news is Grammy Holtz found Erin and has her stabilized enough to come home. Bad news, Grammy Holtz is already driving here and shes driving her GTO to Columbia University Medical Center" Abby said as her friends and Gorin rushed to Gorin's small sedan as they all crammed in. Holtz's leg shook as she sat shotgun and waited to finally see Erin.
Grammy Holtz waited for them in the lobby as the five friends and dysfunctional family of Erin Gilbert waited for the results, good or bad.
"Thank you, Grammy, thank you, thank you." Jillian said as she flung herself at the old lady and elder Holtzmann chuckled.
"Be thankful for Gramps too, idiot decided to show up and save her life, mind you he's our idiot. Who else would bang on the door four times besides you?" The old woman retorted and gave her granddaughter a playful slap on the cheek.
"Thanks Grandma, I'm so glad you got her back to us." Holtz said as she clung tightly to the old woman.
"He was always attached to that Swiss Army knife and she had with her, Jillian, that probably saved her life." Lillian Holtzmann said as her granddaughter sobbed into her shoulder.
"Your right, I should have finished the weapons sooner and maybe she would not be in the ER." Jillian choked out as she struggled with a huge snot bubble hanging from her nose. The elderly woman guided her granddaughter and waited as Dr. Gorin sat down on her other side, the two women rubbing the younger's back as she let out a sob from the last couple of days, it had been a lot for her.
"No, you are not blaming yourself for that and if you do Grandpa Johann would have smacked with a palm tree, no would know if a friendly ghost would come through the portal." Lillian said with a nod from Dr. Gorin who agreed with the little grandma.
Erin groaned as she heard the beeping of the heart monitor, plus she felt that warm IV circulate through her body. She was in one of those thin hospital sheets and she shivered, it was colder than Camouflage's hands and she ran her hand through her hair. The continued beat of the heart monitor droned on as she looked down at her chest, there was nothing but white bandages from her ribs on down, Rowan had really done a number on her, plus fighting all those little battle stands with Camouflage. She looked to her left and saw Holtzmann is curled up on a small chair and sleeping like a little hamster, it was such an adorable sight.
"Your awake, I should get-," Holtzmann said groggily as she rose and Erin grabbed her arm as she pulled her closer. Erin pushed herself up and grabbed Holtzmann's jacket as she kissed the engineer with reckless abandon, not caring who saw, living or dead.
All that mattered in that moment was the two of them. Erin finally came up for air and saw how dazed Jillian looked from getting such a kiss.
"Jill, please, just lay right here and stay with me, please. I need you to hold me." Erin said quietly as Holtzmann crawled on the bed and covered Erin with her jacket. The two remained quiet as they thought of the importance of a small Swiss Army Knife.
"He threatened me to bludgeon me with a palm tree if I didn't kiss you, not that I didn't want to NOT kiss you., you know I wanted to do that anyway." Erin said as Holtzman cackled and pats Erin's head.
"What can I say? The Holtzmanns are weird stock." She retorted and Erin playfully slapped her on the arm.
"I know, now kiss me Jill." Erin said as Holtzman happily obliged and as they embraced each other, Jill kissed Erin with a feathery touch.
Erin smiled at her as she hooked her good hand on Jillian's neck and broke the kiss, Jill smiling as Erin placed one on her head. They would be okay, they were safe and it was all due to a big Marine in camouflage and the value of a Swiss Army Knife.