Night fell onto the Manhattan sky as a student wearing khakis and a green sweater exited the New York City College library. Roland Jackson quickly hopped down the steps towards the parking lot. He'd stayed there for four hours studying. The thought had crossed his mind to head over to the Firehouse, but things had been pretty quiet lately and he was awfully tired.
He got in his mustang and headed home for the night. He turned on the radio, but all he heard was loud static. "That's strange," he said and turned it off completely. He continued on his route home, his eyes slowly closing from exhaustion.
Only a few yards ahead of him, an eerie red mist rose from the streets. Inside the mist, ghostly faces howled and screamed. Above the mist, in the clouds, a red cloud roared and stirred, firing black lightning. Roland never noticed.
Always more conscientious of his driving, he failed to notice all of the street lights going out. He did notice an abrupt electric spark, which was almost blinding. Roland realized he was really out of it and needed to get back home in a hurry before he had an accident.
Still too tired, he was oblivious to the suddenly non-existent traffic of the usually busy New York roads. The Mustang pulled up to a stoplight. "What in the world?" Finally Roland realized that the lights weren't on, and the streets and sidewalks were suspiciously bare.
"Am I seeing things?" he asked himself. Carefully, he pulled over, parked his vehicle, and slowly got out. An uneasy feeling crawled up his spine.
"Where are all the people?" he asked, looking around at the deserted city block. He carefully walked down the streets. It looked the same as it should, just very empty. Gradually, he started to notice little things, like not a single window was intake. And the sky, he thought it was dark, but now it looked like the sun was just setting. There weren't any animals. No sounds either. It was deafeningly silent.
Something crunched under his foot, and he jumped at the noise. He reached down and picked up a Barbie doll. It looked like a toy that had been left in a back yard for years. Its body scratched and scuffed, the hair clumped together. The most disturbing part was the tear, drawn in red pen down its face and the tag around its arm.
Roland ripped the paper off and read what he could, "... we all fall down?" A cold wave hit his body. He shivered and dropped the doll. "I gotta call the guys." Roland ran over to a phone booth, picked up the phone and searched for 35 cents. While he rummaged in his pockets, he noticed the instructions didn't say 35 cents, only 25. Roland put his change in and brought the receiver to his ear. It laughed back at him.
He dropped the receiver, his face showed he was really beginning to scare. Roland did the next thing he could think of, he ran. He noticed the sky getting brighter and he could hear faint noises.
Roland turned the corner and froze in terror.
Extreme Ghostbusters
"Your Better Half"
A Fanfiction By
MINAKO
He couldn't say or do anything but stare at the city in front of him. The sky painted crimson, the buildings crumbled and rotting. Rusting cars abandoned on the uprooted asphalt streets. Slime soaking practically everything in sight and energy sparking inside a low floating, black cloud.
Most of all, an abundance of ghosts and other miscellaneous specters, demons, and evils. Creatures formed from pure black fire, blasting at themselves and buildings around. A collection of bricks came crashing towards the street, nearly crushing him.
Roland finally snapped out of his daze when the bricks crashed. He carefully walked down the road, also noticing the lack of human people.
One man in a business suit ran screaming across the street, closely pursued by a green lion, with a vulture's head. The creature took him down and rapidly tore him limb from limb.
That's when Roland ran, the demon didn't seem to mind him nor any of the other ghost circling the skyline. He didn't doubt, though, that if he didn't find help or shelter soon, they'd welcome a fresh kill.
Rounding another corner, he kept running. High above the skyline stood pre-war Gothic high-rise towers. The top of the buildings included an elaborate decorative temple, complete with altar, stairs, and Babylonian columns. Roland had seen it a dozen times before, but never this large or menacing.
So preoccupied with the structure, he didn't notice the other person in front of him and they crashed. Roland looked down at the middle aged woman, her jeans and blue blouse tattered and blood stained. Her red hair, messed and her make up smeared. He courteously helped her to her feet, her eyes were tired and fear filled. Roland studied the destroyed woman's face, he thought he recognized her, but...
"Janine!" he blurted as she continued to look back.
"I've gotta run, gotta get out of here. He's coming," she pleaded in short breaths.
He tried to shake some sense into her, "Janine calm down, it's me Roland!"
She screamed hysterically, "Let go of me or I'll die! Can't let him catch me."
"Who?" Roland snapped, then paused realizing he was screaming too. She stared at him, stunned, the desperation slowly faded. She shook her head, backed away, and thought. Finally she laughed softly.
"For the life of me, I can't remember."
"Janine, tell me. What happened to the city?" he demanded.
"Don't you know?" Janine sounded like his question was common knowledge, who didn't know? Evidently him.
"No! Where are the Ghostbusters?"
"Well, not here obviously. Ghostbusters, huh? What are they?" Roland just stared at her astonished... no Ghostbusters?!
"I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore," he inappropriately quoted.
"You got that right pal," Janine crossed her arms. "You wanna try clicking your heels together?" It didn't take a rocket scientist to make him realize that this wasn't the New York he thought it was.
"Ghostbusters. They're supposed to stop the ghosts, but..." Roland shook his head in anguish, "I've got find the guys." The streets were still vaguely recognizable. He started to run off towards the Firehouse. Janine stopped him with her hand out.
"Wait! Where do you think you're going?"
"To get help."
She started to laugh with him, but realized he wasn't. She gawked, "You're serious." Roland nodded and returned on his trek to the Firehouse. Janine smiled to herself, 'He's insane.' "Wait for me!" she called to him and quickly ran to catch up.
He didn't really want to admit it, but they were lost. Roland was sure they were near the Firehouse, but they had to take so many detours he wasn't sure where they were anymore. Dozens of demons and ghosts turned up every corner they turned, but like before, they'd simply dismissed them.
Janine finally stopped, "You have no clue where you are, do you Roland?"
He turned to her, then looked around at the strangely unfamiliar area.
"I thought I knew," he confessed, "But everything's so... different."
As they walked a voice called them. "Pretty ironic, isn't it?" Janine jumped at the raspy sound, and a man lingered in the shadows. His condition was horrible. His long hair grayed before it's time, his face unshaven, starving, rags for clothes. He'd be a boozer if there was anything for him to get intoxicated with. Janine tried to avoid looking at the bum, but Roland overjoyed, shouted out, "Egon!"
"You know this lunatic?" Janine ask.
"I told them! I told them!" Egon ranted, limping over towards them.
"Yes! He's Egon Spengler... a great scientific mind, or the Egon I know. He was one of the founding Ghostbusters... but now?" Roland explained in a quiet voice and Janine gasped knowingly.
Egon crept nearer to them and the pair couldn't help but back away, a little weary of his appearance and mannerism. Janine gasped again, recognizing.
"Egon Spengler! The guy who got thrown out of Columbia University. They didn't approve of his paranormal theories."
"But they were so wrong!" Egon triumphantly hollered, "And now..."
"And now the city is overrun with ghosts." Roland concluded. "No Ghostbusters."
"No hope," Janine grimly stated.
"Ghostbusters, hmmmm? I remember when Venkman---"
Janine suddenly fell back and warned fearfully, "Never say that name you crazy bastard!"
Shocked Roland had to ask. "Why?"
"Venk... He was one of the keys in releasing the evil," smiled Egon insanely, "He helped one of the demon spawn of Zuul complete it's mission. Zuul slaughtered half the city. And then the demons..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. The demon's came forth and swallowed the world in darkness," another new voice entered their conversation. "The dead rose from the grave. The skies bled, seas boiled, and all of that. Like I haven't heard that one before. Don't you get tired of the same old story, chico?"
Quiet came again. The crippled shadow of Egon sunk back into the hole he had wandered out of, fear imprinted deeply on his face. Still naively hopeful, Roland greeted the newcomer, "Eduardo!"
Eduardo stalked out of the shadows. He didn't look dire and poor like the others. He fit the bill of a lowlife though, dark blue jeans, black shirt and a trench coat. Eduardo curiously looked at him, "Do I know you, amigo?"
"Yes!" he began before remembering they'd never met before, "No. Sorry."
Eduardo cracked his neck and aggressively moved towards Roland. Roland could see it in his eyes, a madness that shouldn't be a part of Eduardo Rivera, but was. Janine started to hide as Eduardo yanked on Roland's shirt collar and pulled him up to his face. "You tell me one thing and maybe I'll let you live. Comprende?"
The inhuman look in his eyes nearly petrified Roland and he nodded. The only thing keeping him from cowering like a puppy was the familiar face that he hoped he could get through to. Eduardo started to speak then glanced at Janine who trembled before him. He dropped Roland, ordering, "Stay right there, I'll be right back." He marched up to Janine and asked, "Got a question. Shouldn't you be running?"
"May...be," she stuttered.
"You see that's your eternal thing. I know. I've seen you run you're laps. Don't make me kill you a second time."
"She's dead?!" Roland gasped looking at Janine. She shrugged, "Am I?"
Eduardo sighed, his head dropped, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Ghost," He pointed to the left and ordered, "Get out of here, now!" Janine ran away quickly as Eduardo kicked dirt after her, "Ai caramba."
Roland's fear slowly past while watching Eduardo, it made him feel better to know he still had his humor. He stood up as Eduardo rejoined him. "Eduardo, man, listen. I don't know what's going on here, but--" His next words were choked off as Eduardo tightly gripped his neck. "Did I tell you could talk? NO!" He screamed in his face and threw him back down, "I should take you to Kylie. She could use you for spare parts... or a late night snack. Her pick."
Roland gulped at the way he was talking. What was Kylie in this world? Eduardo paced around Roland before kneeling to his level. "So tell me, how do you know my name? I know for a fact that only three people living, know anything about me. So tell me, chico, how do you know Eduardo Rivera?"
Roland seriously thought, 'How do I answer that?' He'd assembled so
far that somehow he'd entered a different world, a parallel dimension. It was the kind of thing his younger brother talked about from television shows and books. He'd say, "Wouldn't it be cool if Sliders was real and you could go into
a different world?" Honestly, he wasn't having much fun at all.
Well, the truth sounded bad, but the lies he was thinking of were worse, and his vocal explanation was bluntly dreadful, "I know you, but I don't know you. I know a different you."
"What?"
"... I come from a different world. One that isn't overrun by demons and ghosts and stuff."
"That must suck."
"But you hate ghosts er... the other you does."
"I must be a real shmuck then."
"No, you're a Ghostbuster. Like me, Kylie and Garrette..." He watched Eduardo rub his chin, deep in thought. He stopped and looked towards the sky. "You know a lot about stuff you shouldn't know. Ghostbusters, huh? Haven't heard about that in a long time. And you must be from..."
"A different dimension?"
"So Kylie was right. Damn it," he smirked frustrated, "Can't kill you. Where'd the old guy go." He looked in the direction Egon had vanished.
"I can't believe you! You just want to... to... murder people."
"It's not murder, it's survival," corrected Eduardo and hauled Roland with him. "You're like, a vegetarian aren't you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Roland asked, shoving Eduardo's hand away. "I can walk by myself."
"Good to know that. But can you survive without my help? I doubt that."
He gazed into the sky and squinted. "Dawn will be soon. Andala!" Eduardo snapped his fingers and started moving faster with Roland racing after him.
"What happens at dawn?"
"Sun comes up and I don't want to get caught outside."
"Oh," Roland simply replied, chasing after him, "I get it, I think, but why are you worried?" Eduardo stopped and tapped on Roland's forehead.
"You're really thick. Think about it."
Roland slowly followed Eduardo, he knew what Eduardo was getting at, but secretly refused to believe it.
Roland blindly followed his guide. This Eduardo moved swiftly through the streets and he had trouble keeping up. They reached a fallen overpass, went under it and towards the revolving door entrance to a Marriotte hotel. It looked decades old, even though Roland could clearly recall the day it was opened. Eduardo entered the hotel and Roland reluctantly followed. "Vampire Inn," he whispered softly.
************************************
On the top floor of the Marriotte, in one of the suites, Kylie Griffin or at least a woman who used to be Kylie, quietly rested on one of the beds. She wore a black velvet dress that had been altered to be rather exposing. The seams of the skirt were torn, the stomach ripped out. Everything above the chest was shredded to pieces, but the long sleeves were left intact.
The room, barely lit, the widows were sealed up tight to keep any natural light out. To replace the lost light, hundreds of candles glowed. The walls of the room were inscribed in detailed writings of sorcery and black magic.
When the door handle of the room started to click, Kylie immediately sat up. She carefully listened to the sound, anticipating the worst. The door was forced open with a loud thud. She waited silently for the appearance of her guests.
Casually, Eduardo walked into view with Roland at his heel. She relaxed at the sight of them.
"Eduardo!" she happily exclaimed then glanced over at Roland. "You brought me a treat." Roland backed away from Kylie, her look frightening him.
Eduardo shook his head, "No, he's our ticket out of here."
"But," Kylie pouts, "I'm very hungry and leftovers really don't appeal to me." Just as she finished her sentence, a side door opened and another being slid in through the slender opening. Roland gawked at him, still tightly pressed against the wall. The large man looked ready to fall apart. His skin several different shades crudely sewn together. His red shirt and khaki jeans were tattered, dirt covered and blood stained. He spoke shamefully, "Bad news ma'am."
Kylie sharply looked up, and Eduardo glared at him, "What is it Garrette?"
"Garrette?" Roland quietly gasped. He couldn't believe that this, "Frankenstein's Monster" was once his smart mouthed, wheeling friend.
Garrette mumbled as he continued, "He's dead, ma'am."
"What?!" both snapped.
A little louder, "The young man. He's dead. Deader than Michael Jackson." He frowned, shacking his head disappointed, like he'd let down his master.
'Michael Jackson's dead?' Roland questioned to himself.
Kylie stood up and began pacing, biting her thumbnail. She looked to Eduardo for an answer. "What do we do now?"
"Don't worry baby," he confidently smiled, "we are going somewhere with more people than you could count. Happy meals on legs."
"Cleveland?" asked Garrette from the corner he'd wandered over to. Eduardo ignored his comment and pulled Roland out of his hiding place. "This here is Roland. He's a Ghostbuster from a parallel dimension. One that isn't ruled by demons."
Kylie's eyes widened in childish excitement, "You explain the strange disturbances." She ran back to the bed and she motioned for Roland to come sit next to her. Reluctantly he excepted her offer. He slowly sat and she extended her hand and he shook it. It was strange, he really did feel like he was meeting Kylie for the first time again.
"Roland, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm called Kylie."
"He already knows that," sighed Eduardo.
"I'm working on my people skills," she continued her conversation with Roland. "A world without demons, how wonderful. And a real Ghostbuster. I'd heard fairy tales... about them."
Confused, he looked at Eduardo, suddenly the paradise that he was told about sounded more like they're worst nightmare too. "I thought you said you were living the good life here." Eduardo rubbed the back of his neck and admitted.
"I lied. I was just talking big."
"It's terrible," cried Kylie forcing him to look at her, "The demons took over in a matter of weeks. A group of men, Ghostbusters, were supposed to stop them. But one of them quit and ended up helping Gozer and soon the rest fell.
The evil rained on the city. It was good, for a while. But they didn't leave enough, not even for themselves."
"Too many ghost, too many demons, not enough people. Ghost can't haunt, demons like us need people to survive," picked up Eduardo. Kylie then summed up the story, "All evil will eventually destroy itself... in the end."
Roland swore she was about to cry, then she leapt up gleefully, "But now you're here."
'Oh great,' Roland thought to himself, "I'm their demon messiah."
"Si, and now we gotta get you home, amigo." clapped Eduardo, "We got about a half hour before sunrise. Haul ass."
Kylie jumped up, "Garrette, my things." Like the perfect little stooge, he snatched up a black backpack and handed it to her.
"Already gotten Ma'am."
"This is so messed up," Roland moaned as Eduardo jerked him along by his shirt collar. The group converged on the roof. Kylie ran to the center, a piece of chalk in hand. She drew a circle around a pentigram and another circle around that.
"We must move quickly," she demanded as Roland was shoved towards the drawing.
"What is all this?" he couldn't help but ask and Kylie explained.
"You are a homing beacon to your own dimension, without you I'd never be able to find or open a path to your world." Suddenly she gasped and looked in the sky, "They're coming... they know!"
In the distance, hundreds of ghosts were flocking towards them. A huge glowing line of ghouls.
With Roland in the center the others stood around him as Kylie chanted in an ancient tongue, not heard for centuries. The words were hastened as an oncoming swarm of ghost screamed towards them. One swooped towards them only to crash into a mystical barrier.
Every demon in sight charged the circle, slowly bending and warping it, it's strength diminishing. Roland looked around, escape was no longer an option. He began to fear that they'd break through before Kylie finished the spell.
The force field blazed red and shot up through the sky. A black glow washed over the four of them, engulfing them totally. The energy exploded, all four were gone, just a bewildered party of apparitions and a scorched circle on the roof was left.
************************************
It truly felt like someone was hammering on his head. He tried to open his eyes only to have the blinding sunlight burn his eyes. Roland sat up, clutching his head. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly. After blinking a few times, his sight eventually adjusted to the bright glow.
Roland found himself in Central Park, aching all over. No one seemed to pay attention to him, just like the demons that... He gasped, remembering the New York he'd just been dragged through for a full hour or two. Roland looked around frantically for Eduardo, Kylie, or that zombie they called Garrette. Nothing but people talking in the park and a few people on there morning jogs.
"Was it all a dream?" He asked himself, carefully standing. His head still spun like he'd just gotten off the worlds longest, coiling, and fastest roller coaster combined. "Doesn't feel like it, but everything looks normal." The park was still green, the cities stood tall and there was no Babylonian temple looming over the other monster buildings.
Still not totally confident he headed towards the Firehouse, as fast as his legs would carry him.
************************************
Things weren't exactly silent or peaceful at the Ghostbusters Headquarters. Three of the young members, Kylie, Garrette and Eduardo had crashed there for the night. Kylie hopelessly attempted to sleep on the sofa, the floor below the bedroom. She squinted at the digital clock across from her. "5:42. Garrette please shut-up!" she pleaded groggily, her teeth tightly clenched.
She referred to the occupants on the floor above her. Garrette, Egon, and Slimer sounded like a chainsaw convention to her, and she had run out of ways to block the sound out. She was especially angry at Eduardo, he wasn't making a sound, but he wasn't suffering either. She guessed the Firehouse could blow up and he'd never know.
Kylie considered getting a proton gun and going up there, but they weren't worth the effort. Instead she rubbed her eyes, hauled herself up, and in a zombie like state and mood, made her way to the kitchen.
After grabbing a Coke, she dragged herself downstairs and met a pleasant surprise. Eduardo was asleep at Janine's desk.
"Okay, so you can't sleep through anything." Kylie swung a chair from the workbench, found a magazine, and pulled up next to the desk. She propped her elbows on the desk to keep her head up and sleepily paged through it. It didn't take her long to bore herself back to sleep.
Nevertheless, as soon as her eyes closed, a crash snapped her back up.
At the loud crash of someone loudly forcing the front door open, she nearly screamed in surprise, however, Eduardo did scream, bolting upright from the abrupt collision of the door and wall.
Kylie looked over to see Roland running up to her, exhausted. Slimer awoke also and quickly flew towards the commotion.
"Roland?" Slimer and Kylie ask at the same time. "Are you okay..." Kylie begins, but he motioned for her to stop while he caught his breath.
He slowly stammered out, "Kylie? Eduardo? You're not vampires?"
They gawked at him, his question the strangest thing to wake up to. Eduardo thought for a few seconds before replying, "Well sometimes I... you know."
"Yes, yes I am," Kylie smiles in her best psychotic look. Roland, however, looks frightened by her sarcastic joke. "Kidding. We're both kidding," she glanced at Eduardo then back at Roland, "What has gotten into you?"
He fell into a chair, shaking his head in confusion, "I thought... I just had to be sure."
"Sure of what? What the hell are you talking about man?" demanded Eduardo. Kylie shushed him, giving Roland a chance to explain.
"I thought I had been taken into another world. A world without Ghostbusters and the ghosts had taken over. There was nothing left, but a destroyed world, and ghosts that destroyed themselves. You and Eddie, you were.... ah, just creepy."
"You mean she's not already creepy?" Eduardo jeered. Kylie elbowed him and walked over to Roland, "Well don't worry. You're back in Manhattan, in the real world."
She knew she was out too late, she even convinced herself that she was being watched. Ashley Lorance had spent most of the night at the New York Public Library, now rushed to get home. She usually wasn't paranoid but tonight felt very different to her. Her dark eyes constantly darted around the scene, anticipating anything.
Her breathing sped up and she found herself starting to run. She rushed around a corner, right into another late night pedestrian. She resisted screaming and snatched up her book. Ready to run off without a word, his deep voice paused her, "Are you all right, senorita?"
Ashley looked up at the young man, a very familiar one. "I know you don't I?"
"I don't know, do you?" he smiled helping her to her feet. She laughed off her nervous feeling, "You go to college with me. I've seen you with Garrette Miller."
"Oh sure, Garrette and I go way back," he lied knowing she'd fall for it, "The name's Eduardo."
"I'm so glad to meet you. I'm Ashley. Well, I've got to head home now." She informed him, praying in the back of her mind that he'd offer to walk with her.
"It's awfully late, Ashley. I'll walk with you." Ashley secretly cheered.
"Would you? I hope it's not too much trouble?"
"Not at all, chica, not at all," he casually lead the naive girl down the street. Ashley never did make it home.
The Ghostbuster's Mustang rolled on into the fire house at 8:46pm. Eduardo exited the vehicle, his uniform drenched in blue slime. He looked rather irritated. Roland walked over asking, "Did you catch it?"
"Eventually," groaned Eduardo while retrieving a rag from the work bench. Roland helped Garrette, who was triumphantly holding the trap.
"I pretty much handled the thing. Piece of cake." He handed Roland the trap and headed down towards the basement to contain it.
As Eduardo pulled his suit off, the phone rang. Janine reached over from her typing to answer, "Ghostbuster, how can we assist you?" Kylie slid down the fire pole as soon as she heard the phone ring. In her hand was the paper, the lager headline read, "Second Day of Cutthroat Murders. A fourth victim
found dead in alley with unusual neck injuries."
"Mmm hmmm. Wait a minute, calm down sweetie. Do you know where you are? Okay, stay where you are. We'll be there in as soon as we can." Janine hung up the phone.
"What's the call?" Kylie inquired.
"Whatever it is, you can handle it this time," Eduardo informed everyone.
Roland exited the basement as Janine explained, "It's a little girl, it sounds like she's a block south of here. Said she was walking home with her older brother and a monster pulled him into an alley. Described it as a ghost woman with red eyes."
"Jeez, she's all alone?" Eduardo inquired, pausing, about to put away his proton blaster. Janine nodded and Kylie ran to get her things.
"Lets go." She glanced at Eduardo, "Are you staying or coming?"
"Ah, one more job won't kill me."
"It might," Garrette sneered wheeling past towards the Ecto-1. Within minutes they were out the door again.
The Ecto-1 drove slowly down the dimly lit road, being careful not to miss the little girl. Garrette suddenly called out, "There she is." They parked next to the alley and got out. Eduardo got to the African-American girl first, she'd been crying for a long time and looked ready to start again. He knelt down, "Hey, don't worry, it's okay now. No more monsters."
Garrette wheeled over to the girl as Eduardo attempted to cheer her up. Only three feet away he saw the lifeless body of a her teenage brother. Roland got there next and softly spoke, "Jesus Christ."
His body was twisted unnaturally, his skin tone paled and his eyes rolled back into his head. Roland checked for a pulse as everyone looked on. He replied by sadly shaking his head. She started to cry a new stream of tears again, Roland picked her up and attempted to calm her.
Garrette looked from the girl to her brother then noticed something. Kylie had been standing off to the side the whole time, finally stepped forward.
"Oh shit. Um, Kylie?" Garrette called to her and she slowly approached the body. He cringed as he covered the front of his neck, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Teeth marks? He's had all of the blood drained from his body," she gasped.
"You mean like a vampire, roaming around New York? Snacking on people?" Eduardo asked clenching his neck nervously like Garrette.
"Um, yes or we've got a real psycho on--" Kylie was suddenly interrupted by the high pitched scream of the little girl. They all turned to her and she tightly gripped Roland's shirt with one hand and pointed at Kylie with the other.
"What? What is it?" Roland asked her, trying to stop her screams. Through sobs she sniffed, "No... she came back... don't... don't let her... get me... she's the monster..." She continued to cry uncontrollably as everyone started at Kylie.
"You don't seriously think..." Kylie screamed, thinking that they believed the little girl.
"No," Garrette said looking back at the girl, he noticed Roland looked a bit terrified.
"Well, you do look a little, nah," Eduardo joked, Kylie narrowed her eyes, "She just thinks that you look like a vampire." Roland had walked over towards the Ecto-1 sitting the little girl in the front. When he came back, his face was written in confusion and terror.
"Roland?" Garrette asked, "You okay, bro?"
"It wasn't a dream." He cryptically said.
"What?" everyone asked almost in unison.
"I really did go to a parallel world and brought back a zombie and two vampires."
"That looks like Kylie." Eduardo confirmed.
"And you and a zombie... that doesn't look like, but it's Garrette... I think."
"Well let's go kick their pointy teethed, blood sucking, un-dead asses!" routed Garrette, spinning his wheelchair in excitement, "Always wanted to off a vampire."
"Yeah, no problem..." Eduardo said. Kylie switched on her PKE and followed the rhythmic beeps. Thrilled she points, "Great! I'm picking up activity. Roland, Garrette, you take care of things here. Eduardo..." she pulled him by his gotee, "and I will head them off. They haven't gotten that far."
No one got a chance to protest as Kylie hauled Eduardo with her, in the direction of the readings. Garrette angrily looked in the direction they ran and announced, "I am not' staying here!" He quickly sped after the duo, shouted back to Roland, "Call the cops about the kids brother. Then get Egon. I'm going to do a little vampire slayage!"
Roland was left alone, speechless and confused. He sighed, located a phone, and called for assistance.
The wheelchair swiftly sped down the sidewalk, Garrette in close pursuit of his fellow Ghostbusters. He nearly caught up with Kylie, but couldn't see Eduardo anywhere in site. He figured they split up. Three Ghostbusters
for three Ghoulies, just how Garrette like it.
Garrette cleared his throat to let Kylie know he was behind.
"Ky---" Just as he vocalized the first syllable a hand clasped over his mouth. Garrette then was forced into the shadow of an alley, where no one would think to look for him.
She'd ran about a block before realizing Eduardo wasn't ahead of or behind her. Kylie slowed to a walk and waited for a few moments. She looked at her PKE readings, still pointing in the direction she was originally headed. But the meter hadn't increased or decreased in intensity. If she was headed in the right direction then the demons were always one step ahead.
After wandering in a small circle, Kylie decided he wasn't coming.
"Eduardo, you jerk," she grumbled, "Only you could get yourself lost." Kylie backtracked loudly a few steps, then heard a soft noise behind her. She whirled around to see a dark figure in a trench coat round the corner. He walks under a street light and she quietly sighed in relief, "Eduardo. Eduardo you jack ass!" she screams at him then hurries up towards him yelling, "Why didn't you wait for me?!" He stares at her awkwardly and she barks, "Don't look at me like that!"
"Sorry, chica."
"Fine! Listen, I thought about it and maybe we should wait for the others.
We've never dealt with real Vampires before and I was thinking that a ghost trap might not work. Since they're not 100% ecto. Though, Garrette probably wouldn't mind just grabbing a wooden stack and going at the old fashioned way."
The perplexed expression slowly faded to a sly grin, "Why wait?"
"All right, we'll head over to the Firehouse."
"Right. Um gotta stupid question?" he points his finger at her. Kylie smacked his hand away.
"Not now goat-boy!"
"Never mind, I got my answer."
Not quite sure what he was talking about, she decides ignore it. Kylie grips his jacket and drags him with her back down the street. She's so busy brooding she doesn't notice her PKE meter stopped buzzing. Or that the lights flashed wildly before they burned out.
Several blocks away, an old cemetery rested in the darkness of the night. A bent and rusted picket fence encircled it. Most of the headstones had been vandalized in one form or another.
Eduardo stopped, and viewed the graveyard just ahead of him. He shivers at the thought of dead people. He turned to talk to Kylie and realizes she's not there. He thinks that she might have gotten ahead of him so he calls out for her several times. He curses under his breath, "Mierda... where'd the hell she go?"
Looking back at the graveyard he finally notices the woman standing alone. It's hard to tell, but he's sure she's looking at him. Cautiously, Eduardo approached the site. Finally, he could clearly see the darkly dressed woman.
"Kylie!" he called to her and she gently waved in reply. Eduardo hopped over the broken fence and ran up to her inquiring, "Ah stupid question. How'd you get ahead of me?"
"I walked," Kylie smiles back at him, "I was beginning to think you'd never get here." She gives him a very un-Kylie look, best described as, affection. She looks to the sky, "I never imagined how wonderful it could be." She softly giggles, twisting the fabric of her black dress. Her odd behavior began to confuse and unnerve Eduardo.
"Uh.. Kylie what's up with you?" she smiles innocently and he thought for a few moments. "You are Kylie aren't you?"
"Oh course silly, who'd you think I was." He returns the smile, not totally confident.
Kylie practically stomped down the sidewalk. She couldn't see the Firehouse yet, but guessed it was only a few more blocks. Eduardo had stayed mysteriously quiet. He hadn't bugged her once and that was bugging her. Actually she really wanted him to tease her. It would break the silence and make her feel a little better too. She'd had this eerie feeling ever since she'd met up with him... something she couldn't place her finger on.
Kylie whirled around, ready to strike up a spat, "Eduardo!" She choked on her gasp. Kylie found out why it had been so quiet, she was walking alone. "Eduardo?!" Kylie stammered, backing away from spot he should have been, "Where'd he go? This is so weird. He vanished like a ghost... or a vampire!"
Directly behind her, the sirens of the Ecto-1 blare in the distance. She turned to the approaching vehicle as it screeched to a halt next to her. Sitting on the passenger side was Egon and driving was Roland. Egon peeked out of the window, he didn't look very happy, "Kylie? Where's Eduardo and Garrette?"
She jumped in the back door and quickly climbed in, "I don't know!" She slammed the door shut behind her, getting awkward looks from the two gentlemen in the front.
"Are you okay?" Roland asked concerned.
"No! I've been walking around with a vampire for the last two blocks!" She pressed herself against the seat, arms crossed and nervous eyes.
"You saw one of them?" Egon inquired.
"I thought it was Eduardo... oh my god! I still don't know what happened to him," she notified them.
Egon picked up the radio, "Eduardo, this is Ecto-1. Come in." They waited as static crackled in reply. A clicking noise came up and Eduardo's voice answered.
"Egon? What's up?"
Kylie sighed with relief, about to grab the communicator from Egon, but he continued, "Where's your location?" Static obscured most of his response.
"--- at ---ce--etery with Kyl---"
"What?!" Kylie screamed back, "Did he say he was with me?"
"Is the reception supposed to be this bad?" Roland inquired.
"I don't think he's far away enough for bad reception. I think something's up," Egon said.
"No kidding!" Kylie exclaimed, "He's alone with that vampire look alike and he's probably going to get himself killed."
"Sounded like he said the cemetery."
"Roland, drive!" Kylie ordered, leaning forward and pointing at the road. Immediately, Roland stepped on the excelorator, throwing his passengers back. Kylie sat on the edge of her seat as they sped off.
The walkie-talkie showed no response. Eduardo shook it a few times trying to make it work.
"The batteries went dead?" he asked, not noticing the radiating energy in Kylie's eyes. He put the radio back on his belt and the glow in her eyes rhythmically faded to normal.
"Eduardo?" Kylie asked in a seductive voice. He turned to her, and started to get scared. "Do you love me?" He nearly jumped out of his boots at her question.
"Where did that come from? Have you gone loco on me?"
Her eyes narrowed, "Kiss me you fool." Kylie pulled him down to her level by the gotee and kissed him. She backed off and he was literally stunned frozen. She smiled devilishly, her sharp vampire teeth bearing, her eyes burning red.
The hum of a proton gun and a perturbed voice interrupted her.
"Back off Vampira!"
She turned around to see the real Kylie, a proton gun aimed right at her. Eduardo's mind drifted back into the real world, "Kylie? And Kylie!?!" He screamed and quickly backed away from Vampire Kylie.
"You... you're the vampire?!" he gasped. Kylie's doppel ganger turned back to him, a put on sad, hurt face.
"Vampire?" she faced down, "You think I'm a vampire?" Her acting was convincing and confusing to him, until she laughed, "Good guess."
Her head snapped back, her eyes glowing again, her face less human and more demon. Vampire Kylie hissed at Eduardo, he cowered.
"Get away from him you freak!" Kylie cranked up the proton gun to maximum and blasted her Vampire double. The pure force of the beam knocked her back and over the fence. Eduardo stood there like a confused idiot, his eyes looking from Kylie to Vampire Kylie. Then he cries out to Kylie. "She tried to bite me!"
Vampire Kylie got back to her feet, her appearance twice as demonic then before. Her ears pointed, her forehead crested, and her hands transformed into claws. She snarled, charged Kylie, and leapt straight at her throat. Her razor sharp claws dug into Kylie's neck as she strangled her.
Eduardo conveniently saw a shard of wood lying on the ground. He snatched it up and hovered right over her and threatens, "Back off or you're going to be dust, chica!"
She loosens her grip a little on Kylie and grins at Eduardo, "You don't want to hurt me."
"That doesn't mean I won't."
Vampire Kylie gradually stood, still holding Kylie by the neck, she casually flung Kylie at Eduardo. Even more casually she walked away from them. Eduardo then called to her, "Hey Vampira." She turned to see what he had to say. "Got something for you."
Vampire Kylie couldn't figure out what he could possibly have. She was suspicious and curious. He reached into his pocket and tossed her an item. She clasped it with both hands, then suddenly screamed and dropped the object. She glanced at her hands to see a cross burned onto them. "Sorry chica, didn't want to mistake my Kylie's again."
"You bastard," she hissed, "When I find my Eduardo, he's going to kill you." With that promise she ran off, coddling her burned hands.
"That was a close one," Eduardo sighed staring forward.
"Was... that me?" Kylie softly asked. Eduardo kept staring until he heard the clunk of Kylie's proton gun smacking the ground. He caught her as her knees gave out.
"Kylie!" he exclaimed shaking her awake, he saw the blood on her neck from where Vampire Kylie had tried to strangled her. He reached for a handkerchief to stop the bleeding. Behind him came Egon and Roland a little late. "Where the hell were you guys?" Eduardo hollered.
"Sorry," Roland apologized, "She got out of the car and started running after you before we even got here."
"Is she all right?" Egon asked kneeling down. Kylie opened one eye and said.
"I nearly died. I guess I'm okay."
"Yeah right," Eduardo said as she pulled off the kerchief, saw the blood and pressed it back to her neck.
Egon and Eduardo helped Kylie stand back up, she was still visibly shaken, but did a good job of hiding it. "What happened here?"
"Roland's 'Vampire Kylie' tried to kill us," Eduardo illustrated with his hands. Egon thought for a moment then asked the other question of the hour. "Do you know where Garrette is?"
He shrugged, "Maybe he's dead."
"Cut it out, that's not funny," Kylie scolded.
"What about the vampire? Which way did she go?" Egon questioned and Kylie and Eduardo pointed in the direction she ran off too. The team piled back into the Ecto-1 and drove off after her.
A clock across from the Firehouse read 10:12. Leaning against the garage door of the building was Eduardo. His eyes drifted to the alley besides the Firehouse, "What took you so long?"
Kylie sleeks out of the shadows, a pouty expression on her face, "I was delayed by myself. She interrupted my dessert."
He shrugs, then looks back into the alley, "So where's the muscle man?"
"Right here," She snaps and Zombie Garrette slouches towards them. Kylie clenched her fist, hissing, "I've only know my worst half for ten minutes and I want her dead." Eduardo frowns, putting his arm around her, "You don't really want that, do you baby?"
"No," she sulks, "I want to put her through hell." Eduardo sneered and Kylie continued, "Our little friend Roland got us this far and we let him live. Now he and his Ghostbusters want to get rid of us. I won't have it."
"You can do you what ever you want." Kylie turns to Garrette. "Garrette,
I don't like those doors. Do something about them."
Garrette cracks his knuckles, approaches the double doors of the Ghostbusters Headquarters and literally wrenches them off the hinges.
The ear piercing sound alerted the only two occupants of the Firehouse. Janine shot up out from her desk, "What the hell was that?" Slimer flew through the ceiling freaking out at the noise. Janine walked out from behind her desk to see who or what was going on. At first all she could make out were three silhouettes. Slimer growled at the figures, and floated in front of Janine. Janine stepped around Slimer to confront the intruders, "Who are you?"
The first of them stepped into the light and Janine gasped, "Kylie!" Next Eduardo stood next to her and Janine gasped again, "Eduardo?"
Lastly Garrette came into view and Janine stumbled, "And a zombie." Slimer made a confused gurgling sound, his finger on his chin.
"What's going on here you two? Eduardo?" Janine questioned. He smiled as he approached her.
"Not exactly?" Janine could tell there was something wrong with him, she slowly backed away, Slimer right by her side.
"What are you talking about?"
A shadow covered Eduardo's face for a moment and when it past his eyes were glowing red and he was in his true demon form, "I'm not the Eduardo you wish I was." Janine screamed in terror.
"No. No. No. And no," Vampire Kylie pointed out to random things in the room, "No sir, I don't like it. It's all got to go." She eyed Janine, "Aren't you supposed to be running laps?"
"I don't have a clue what you're talking about, but when the Ghostbusters get here, you're all going to get it," Janine threatened, backing herself into the wall.
"Eduardo, it's not right. She's supposed to be dead," Kylie mused.
"Well that's an easy enough mistake to fix," Janine lost her balance and toppled backwards. He was almost on top of her when Slimer charged him, knocking him to the floor. Janine got her chance to escape, ran towards the back exit closely followed by Slimer. Eduardo sat up drenched in slime, "Stupid little ghost!"
Kylie strides over to him, gently kisses him on the cheek.
"Garrette! Slave! Destroy it all! Leave these fools with nothing." She stopped and took in the air for a moment, "Downstairs. That's where they're hidden."
She gaits towards the entrance to the storage system. Eduardo stopped brooding long enough to notice Garrette's rampage. Kylie plunged her claws around the door frame and ripped the door out. She crept down the stairs singing, "Any ghosts down here?"
Eduardo chased after her, "Kylie, wait. What the hell are you doing?"
She sleeked around the containment unit, her eyes filled with evil. "Now, how does this thing work?" she grasped the handle on the ghosts' trap door and began to force it out. It scrapped against the side of the cylinder entrance, the metal surrounding it warping too.
Before she fully broke open the containment unit, she was knocked roughly to the grated floor. She bolted back up ready to attack but hesitated as she saw her assailant. "What the hell were you thinking?" Eduardo snapped at her.
"What does it look like? We're destroying this place! Leave them nothing--" she snarled back.
"Does that include putting us right back were we came from. Yeah, we can give them hell, maybe even kill our doubles. But the Ghostbuster in general we still need. You wanna release these ghosts back into the world, start the cycle of destruction all over again? Be my guest."
She growled at him for a moment, her eyes blazing. He stood his ground and crossed his arms. Kylie stepped back and viewed the containment unit and sighed, "You're right. We came here to get away from the evil that destroyed our world. So, we'll leave the ghosts where they need to be." She used her inhuman strength to mend the containment opening back into place.
"But that doesn't mean, I'm going to let this generation of Ghostbusters live, let's waste the place." Kylie marched back up the stairs and towards the second floor to demolish the place. Garrette was doing well enough devastating the first floor. Eduardo watched his companion and servant destroy the place.
"De ja vue all over again," he whispered to himself and left the Firehouse.
Garrette wasn't too sure how long he'd been out, all he knew was that everything hurt. He'd figured he would've stayed out too if it wasn't for the blaring sound of the Ecto-1. He pulled himself off the cold concrete, and back into his wheelchair, and rubbed his aching neck. Slowly, he wheeled out of the alley he'd been dragged into and thumbed for the Ecto-1.
It slowly pulled over next to him, the passenger window rolled down and Egon looked out. "Going my way?" Garrette asked, shacking off the pain and confusion with a joke.
"Where have you been?" Egon asked, obviously a little tired, "We tried to reach you, but you didn't answer."
Garrette thought for a few moments, realized he didn't even have his transmitter with him, "I, um... I really don't know where it is. I got jumped." Eduardo rolled his window down and blurted.
"You got jumped?"
"Yeah, well, whoever it was twice my size. He didn't say anything, just kinda groaned. Like Frankenstein," he rapidly explained. He peeked inside the car then asked, "Where's Kylie?"
"Recuperating," he heard her call from inside the vehicle, then she climbed over the back seat from the back storage area. She slumped down into the seat, still holding the cloth to her neck.
"That's not still bleeding is it?" Egon inquired.
"No, my hand just fell asleep," she retorted, removing the cloth from her neck. Roland got out and helped Garrette into the back.
The car started back up and they headed towards the Firehouse.
"So what happened to you?" Garrette asked Kylie, "Did'ja find your vampire?"
"No, she found Eduardo and then I found her, then she nailed me."
"She's really ugly too," Eduardo commented and Kylie screamed.
"Hey!"
Eduardo started talking fast, "No, I mean, when she got all monster, ghoulie like! Snarling and biting and claws and teeth and you know."
"Smooth, man," Garrette rolled his eyes. Kylie pretended to ignore Eduardo and he slouched down in his seat, pouting. The vehicle continued down the road quietly until Egon gasped, "Is that Janine?"
"And Slimer!" Roland noted pulling to a stop. She hurried to the car, motioning for Roland to roll the window down.
"Janine? What happened?"
"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you, Egon," she panted, short of breath. Eduardo stuck his head in front.
"Try us." Immediately Slimer and Janine yelped in fear.
"What?!" Eduardo hollered, a little tired of people freaking out. Slimer then cautiously floated into the car, examined both Kylie and Eduardo. After careful consideration Slimer smiled, squealed happily and slimmed both of them. Eduardo flicked slim off his face, "Gross!"
Kylie smiled and patted Slimer on the head, "Thanks." Then she used Eduardo's shirt as a hand towel. He screamed back at her for doing it too.
Once again the Ecto-1 thundered down the Manhattan roads. Janine rapidly explained what had happened before she ran.
"... his face changed, to what I think he really looked like. He tried to kill me but we got away. Oh Egon, I was just so scared."
"I hope we can catch them before they leave," Garrette eagerly watched the buildings fly by. Within seconds they were at the Firehouse and drove into the garage. The interior was pitch black, except for a few beams of moonlight shining through. Slimer was the first out, followed by Egon with a PKE meter. He scanned the room.
"They were here."
Eduardo flipped the light switch, but nothing happened, "D'you forget to pay a bill?" Kylie pulled out a flashlight, examined the room.
"This is not good."
"What?" Roland asked pulling out a flashlight too. "Oh."
From what little the dim lights showed them, the interdimensional trio left little of the Firehouse intact. Janine ran to her desk, the door to the basement embedded in it. Roland spotted the workbench, thrown to the other end of the room. All of the tools jammed into the walls, outlining the shape of a body.
Slimer bolted through the ceiling towards the kitchen. He found a whole in the wall, where the refrigerator used to sit. He started to cry.
Eduardo wandered around, running his hand along a long gouge in the wall. He tripped over something. Eduardo tried to look cool about his fall, then saw what he'd stumbled on. The concrete floor had been ripped up in several places. "Oh man!"
Egon stood next to Eduardo and examined the damage. "Fascinating."
"What did find Mr. Spock?" Garrette wheeled around various potholes.
"It's just that they're incredibly strong." He tried to pry free a wrench from the wall, with no luck.
Standing next to Janine's desk, Kylie realized, "This is the door to the basement. The containment unit!" Everyone but Garrette ran down the stairs to check on the condition of the Ecto Containment Unit. A large disfigured figure outside of the Firehouse caught his eye. Garrette went outside to see the large form lurch down the sidewalk.
"Now if that's not one of those freaks, then I'm the Queen of England." He followed it closely.
Downstairs, the group gathered around the damaged, yet unopened, machinery. Egon nodded, satisfied that nothing had escaped.
"I don't get it. Why would they leave this?" Eduardo asked the obvious question, not really expecting an answer.
Kylie shrugged. Roland shared his theory, "Maybe they don't like ghosts."
Everyone gave him a suspicious glance. "No seriously. That's why they followed me back. To get away from all the ghosts. Why would they release them?"
"Cause it'd be a real pain in the ass to capture them again," Kylie stated.
After following the zombie for a block, Garrette decided it would be ideal to make his move. Whatever it was. He didn't really have a plan of action, just action. "Hey gruesome... think fast!" He rammed Zombie Garrette with his wheelchair, forcing them both through a vacant storage garage. The wheelchair skidded across the floor before tipping. Garrette sat up and examined his situation: Wheelchair a good 20 feet away, very irritated zombie about 2 feet away, and proton gun still with the wheelchair.
"Shit!" he cursed as the zombie menacingly loomed over him. Garrette studied the peeved monster for a moment before realizing, "That's me."
Zombie Garrette glares at the crippled man on the floor before him, the way he used to be. He criticizes in disgust, "Look at me."
"Wouldn't want to lard butt," Garrette quipped, sliding back towards his chair. The zombie scratched his head for a moment.
"No. Not me, me. You, me," He politely adjusted, with a self satisfied simper.
"Yeah." Garrette thought, 'This is a no brainer,' referring to his dimwitted alter ego, "Okay. What about me?"
Zombie Garrette's smile turned sour. "So pitiful and weak. I could crush you like a bug." He lifted Garrette up by his uniform's collar.
"Please don't. That's nasty. And I doubt you want to get stuck with the cleaning bill." The zombie growled in Garrette's face. He reflexively turned away, his nose turned up at the rotting smell. "They don't have Mentos in your dimension?" Roughly, Garrette got chucked against the ground.
"It would be so easy to kill you, you pitiful worm."
"Excuse me? But from down here you're the pathetic one. You... over sized doormat."
"Huh?" Zombie Garrette questioned, his fist raised at Garrette.
"It's so obvious. They couldn't have trashed the whole Firehouse by themselves. What other reason would they want you. You're Eduardo's and Kylie's lap dog."
"No! Kylie saved me, I owe her my life," he protested loudly. Garrette was afraid he'd get swung at but needed to stall. He needed to get to his gun.
"She turned you into a freak. She... destroyed... your..."
"The ghosts destroyed me. She spared me!" he argued back, "She made me invincible!"
Garrette was amazed by his luck. So far, everything he'd said was true about his Zombie version. That or this guy was an even bigger idiot than he originally thought. Zombie Garrette was also getting increasingly angrier and aggressive. Garrette had to keep the ball rolling.
"She threw you a bone, Fiddo!"
Garrette finally got the effect he was digging for, but not the reaction. Zombie Garrette howled and slammed his fists into the cement floor. The power of the punches created a shock wave. Forceful enough to knock crates over and a few overhead lights to fall.
The zombie stood back up, only his left arm stayed impaled in the floor.
He didn't seem to mind or notice.
"She calls. I must go," Zombie Garrette droned, looking out the garage.
"Wait!" Garrette requested, "Don't go. You don't have to..." He stopped and waited for Garrette's appeal.
Kylie dashed out of the firehouse, "Garrette?"
Closely behind her came Roland calling, "Gar! Where is he?"
Suddenly the zombie came crashing out of the storage garage, walking heavily down the street like an ox. Kylie screamed, "Garrette!" and ran towards the garage. Casually, he wheeled out, smirking, "That went well."
"Gar? What the hell happened?" Kylie demanded.
"We saw the zombie crash past here in a hurry," Roland explains.
"Oh nothing much. Dog boy over there got in touch with his better half." He smiled cryptically and the two stared at him.
Egon, Janine, and Eduardo finally joined them outside with a scratch piece of paper. Written in blood was a message. "This message is for the four of you," Janine holds the note out. Kylie took the note and read:
Dear. Kylie, Eduardo, Garrette, and Roland:
My party and I challenge you to face us. We've
come to the conclusion that this world is not big
enough for all of us. Keep in mind that you
were the ones who provoked this. Hunting us
because of you're own inferiority.
It's understandable.
Tonight, we ask you to meet us outside the
graveyard from earlier this night.
You know the place.
Sincerely,
Kylie
(THIS IS NOT AN OFFER)
"She's got some ego," Kylie spat, crumpling the letter up.
Janine took the note back and asked nervously, "Are you going?"
"They haven't left much room for choice," Garrette reminded her, already ready to go and kick butt.
"You know I'm starting to wonder how much 'we' there actually is," Roland pointed, everyone waited to hear his theory. "I knew right from the start Garrette was her pawn."
"And you're poi...," Kylie slowly saw what Roland was getting at.
"I see what your saying Roland," Egon said, "You think that we need to take out Kylie..."
"I think we should take them all out," Garrette interrupted slamming his fist into his palm.
"Yeah, let's just nuke 'em all, end of story." Eduardo agreed.
Kylie gasped remembering something she'd thought about earlier, "Egon! I was going to ask before, but will the ghost traps even work? I blasted me... the vampire me before and it just stunned her. I don't know if 'zapping and trapping' is an option."
************************************
Midnight rolled around as the Ghostbuster's vehicle pulled next to the cemetery. Everyone, including Egon, Slimer, and Janine, piled out of the car. All had a pack with them, ready to blast the doupel gangers into oblivion.
Waiting in an open space in the cemetery, were their opponents. The three Ghostbusters approached their doubles, Roland not far behind. Perched on a tall headstone Vampire Kylie fretted, "I didn't think you were coming."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Kylie spoke for her colleagues. A feeling
inside pestered Kylie. Facing herself, was actually disconcerting.
"What's the matter Ky? Does seeing me bother you? Isn't it ironic?" Vampire Kylie snickered, hoping down from the stone.
Eduardo took to Kylie's side, Garrette next to him.
Vampire Kylie gestured at her party and they matched up with their twins.
The three Ghostbusters charged their weapons. Vampire Kylie leered in anticipation, Vampire Eduardo crossed his arms, and Zombie Garrette eyed Garrette. "It was nice while it lasted," Kylie snarled, ready to leap at her Ghostbuster.
Those words spoken, Zombie Garrette un-expectantly made the first move. In one swift strike he knocked away Vampire Eduardo, who never saw it coming. Vampire Kylie tried to scream, but her faithful slave lunged at her. Zombie Garrette firmly pinned her to the ground.
All of the Ghostbusters but Garrette were taken back by this turn of events. "You get 'em tiger," Garrette softly cheered to his twin.
"You knew about this?" Kylie was astonished.
"Told you he got in touch with his better half. Me."
Still trapped Kylie screeched, "Let go of me! Damnit! I made you! I can destroy you just as easily!" Garrette released one of her arms then clasped her neck. She choked, using her freed hand to slash at his arm. He let go of her other arm and she immediately clawed at him with it. Her efforts did nothing, since he was already dead. With his free arm he retrieved a wooden stake he'd been carrying. Kylie struggled violently at the sight.
Vampire Eduardo pushed himself up, shacking his head clear. Kylie screamed his name. He sprung up to see Zombie Garrette strangling her, with a stake ready to finish her off. The second he advanced to her aid, Garrette raised his proton gun and warned. "Don't even think about it, hombre."
The demon stopped, then tried to bargain with the zombie. "Garrette! Let her go. She saved you're life, you can't..."
"No!" he roared back, "I owe her nothing. She's pure evil. Everything she touches, she destroys." Vampire Eduardo tried to reach him, keeping an eye on the Ghostbuster.
"You'd rather she left you in that ditch," he tried to remind Garrette of what had happened to him, "All torn to pieces. Dying..."
"It would have been better then enslavement. She made me into a monster."
"I made you powerful!" Kylie defended herself against her accuser, "I gave you things you never had. A chance for greatness. In return you simply owed me..." She was muted by Garrette almost crushing her neck. Kylie knew he could have easily finished her, but he hadn't... she had hope that her hold on him was strong enough.
Garrette looked down at Kylie, thought then added to his argument, "She made you a monster too."
"No....!" Eduardo objected but Garrette ignored him, raising the stake.
Kylie thrashed around wailing, "Eduardo! Help me! Damnit do something!"
As her last resort she challenged both herself and her slave, "You wouldn't dare!" She misjudged him.
Zombie Garrette slammed the wooden spike into her chest.
"NO!" His mind raced, Vampire Eduardo rushed to Kylie side, only to be intercepted by the full stinging rays of Eduardo and Kylie's proton guns. He tumbled back, knocked into a daze.
The female Vampire screamed, her eyes burned in rage. The spike that pierced her burst into black fire. The blaze spread over her, blinding the spectators. Kylie looked away, ignoring that Eduardo had protectively put his arm around her. The others shielded their eyes, only hearing the inhuman cries.
The fire faded, all that remained of Kylie's demon look-a-like was ashes. The remaining demon's stood their ground. Garrette approached the ashes, scooping up some and scattered them into the wind.
Zombie Garrette looked at his counterpart, Garrette nodded in unspoken agreement. He cranked up the power of his proton gun and aimed at the zombie. He fired.
The powerful energy blast tore through his body. Another black fire ignited, blinding and final. "Rest in peace buddy."
All that remained was Eduardo. He looked over the Ghostbusters in front of him. They all readied their blasters, waiting for his attack. He smiled slightly, put his hands in his coat pockets, and turned away.
Eduardo and Garrette aimed their proton guns, but Kylie darted in front of them. She turned to watch him walk away from them, with no intent of fighting. "No! Let him go. He's leaving. We won. He's not going to hurt anyone else, he doesn't have any reason."
They lowered their weapons, by that time, the vampire was out of site.
"Are you sure?" Garrette checked, not positive that it would be the last time they'd see him.
"It's a gut feeling."
Egon called them to the car, ready to leave for home. Roland joined his friends as they headed towards the vehicle.
"In the end, all evil will destroy itself," Roland softly quoted.