Stifling a sneeze Ray held the book out as to allow both Egon and Winston to look on and observe the information that the old leather tome contained. The yellowed pages were dry and the ink was fading, but each word was still legible though unreadable in its current Latin iteration. Contained in a expertly detailed illustration on the neighboring page that accompanied the information was that of a demonic looking spirit; it had a twisted face, burning eyes and an impossibly broad smile.

"Look familiar?" Ray asked as he handed the book over to Egon. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall beside the bed. "It took a while but I managed to translate a majority of the chronicle."

"This is the possessor who has claimed Venkman as its vessel?" Egon inquired as he scanned over the words, his own ability to translate Latin into English was also fairy rusty. "It's called... 'Entriet'."

"'Sustain'." Ray translated the name coldly. "How darkly appropriate for a body stealing leech."

Winston leaned down to take a look at the image of the identified ghost in the book. "It addressed itself as Entriet before rushing in Peter's body. I wonder if it's trying to bait us."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Ray gave Winston an agreeable glance. "The level aggression of this possessor could be indicative of either intelligence or destructive tendencies. From what I've read about this menace I'd go with the latter."

"I concur." Egon handed the book back to Ray. Adjusting his glasses and pushing through the incredible headache that had set in he continued to offer his opinion on the subject. "I believe this possessor targeted us for a reason."

"Why's that Egon?" Winston asked as he carefully studied Egon's eyes and body language for any sign of concussion or other internal injury. "Why us?"

"As the only team of paranormal investigators and eliminators currently functioning in the world," Egon explained slowly and casually as did his best to ignore his headache. "the possessor would recognize us as its only threat. Perhaps that is why it sent weaker class possessors to challenge us before showing itself. It was gauging our strength and analyzing us as a potential threat to whatever it has planned."

Winston followed Egon's reasoning expertly which only raised one more interesting question. "And after confronting you two it decided to choose Peter as its vessel. Why did it take Peter?"

"As stated earlier, it would had gained access to Peter's knowledge on the equipment and our methods."

"Yeah, I get that. But I mean why did it pick him and not you? In fact, it seemed to have gone out its way to try and keep you out of the picture."

"Hmm..." Egon didn't have an answer though he did begin pondering the question with deep thought.

"Maybe it wasn't drawn to Peter's knowledge," Ray suggested with a bleak look in his eyes. Pointing to a line in the book he transcribed the sentence in a firm tone. "it says here: Usurper animarum, moriendum corporum, destructor hominis: Entreit trahitur, ut dominentur et superbia. Qui trahit forma eius erit vita ducatur ex eorum vas." Ray looked down at Egon who paled at the words read before translating. "Which roughly means: Usurper of souls, taker of bodies, destructor of man; Entreit is drawn to dominance and pride. Those who draws its form shall have their life drawn from their vessel."

Winston felt a child run down his spine. "Entreit is going to use Peter's body and then... kill him."

Peter was steadfast in his belief that his colleagues would come to his aid. Refusing to give Entriet the satisfaction of seeing him sweat or even flinch in the face of danger Peter crossed his arms defiantly, concealing the smoldering burn on his chest in the process, and stared into the burning abyss that was the possessors soulless eyes.

"Is this all we're going to do?" Peter sounded as bored as he was annoyed. "I hate waiting games."

Entriet lifted his hand and within his opened palm a small ovular shaped aura of purple appeared. Through this aura Peter was able to see the world through his own eyes, through his own body once again. The dark void in which Entriet had isolated him was the deepest fathoms of his own mind and consciousness.

"I know this place." Peter tried to turn his physical head but couldn't shift his vision. He could only look on as Entriet continued to pilot his stolen body. "We're back at the theater. Why's that? Matinee screening?"

"THIS IS WHERE I LIVED." Entriet hissed angrily. "THIS IS WHERE YOU SHALL DIE."

"Dying's not really my style." Peter brushed off the threat without so much as batting an eye.

"YOU ARE MORTAL. DEATH SHALL COME FOR YOU, I WILL ENSURE IT."

Winston helped guide Egon down the staircase and into the deep basement of the old firehouse. Taking step to ensure the concussed physicist didn't collapse from a dizzy spell or a sudden drop in blood pressure from the severe blow to his skull, the seasoned marine kept tight vigil on his injured friend.

"You sure you want to do this?" Winston kept his hand on Egon's shoulder while making sure Egon walked at a slow pace. "You were out for a long time and are still suffering from the effects of your head injury."

"I will be fine so long as I don't physically exert myself." Egon reassured Winston as he sat down at the workbench on the opposite wall of the containment unit. "If I can adjust the proper frequency of the ionization trap we should be able to draw the possessor from Peter's body without harming his body in the process."

"Wouldn't that require a lot of power to separate incorporeal energy from corporeal cells?"

"Indeed it would." Egon flashed Winston a smile for his in depth knowledge on the situation at hand. Unlike Peter it seemed Winston was more inclined to actually take time out of his day to study and to do some research. "Which means the power levels will be very limited. We'll only have one chance to use the modified trap to capture the possessor and free Peter."

"If we don't succeed on the first try?"

"Then the possessor will have gained more insight into our methods and will be able to compensate accordingly."

"Then let's make it count." Winston shook his head and looked at the opened stairwell of the basement. "I'll go let Ray know you're working on the trap. If you need anything..."

"I know." Egon subtly nodded then flinched as the slight motion was enough to upset his headache. "I'll call for you. Thanks Winston."

Egon watched as Winston disappeared up the stairs and out of the basement. Placing his hands to the sides of his head Egon leaned down against the surface of the workbench, shut his eyes tightly and breathed through the intense pain that he had been denying as it burned through his entire skull. Peter was in danger and he is Egon's best friend. There was no way the determined physicist was going to sit idle despite his own injury.

Joining Janine by her desk Winston decided to check in on their receptionist. She was fiery and brave but even she could be shaken when things got dangerous for the Ghostbusters.

"How're you holding up Janine?"

"I'm okay. Just a little... shaky. How's Egon?"

"He's hanging in there. I'm certain he has a concussion but if he is suffering he won't admit it. And Ray's still fighting off a small cold, so... yeah, we're going to need to be careful with every move we make."

"Are you okay Winston?" Janine's blue eyes were full of empathy and kindness. "You don't need to carry the full weight of the team on your shoulders, you know?"

"I know." Winston gave her a confident grin. "But with Egon and Ray down and Peter M.I.A., I don't have much of a choice. I don't mind, it kind of reminds me of basic training. Except I'm not getting yelled at or doing push-ups in the mud."

"Sounds fun!"

"Better than a weekend in Hawaii." He teased playfully.

"I wouldn't know."

A loud sneeze from the rec room on the second floor made both Winston and Janine look up the landing above. Ray was studying the leather tome and trying to properly translate each word as accurately as possible.

"I should make him some more tea." Janine decided. "I'll make some for Egon, too."

"I'm going to see what I can do to help Ray out, hopefully we can find a way to free Peter without having to do anything crazy."

Ray was sitting at the small round table with the old book opened with the detail surrounding Entriet and three other books, each containing differing Latin dialects, resting nearby. Ray's nose was red from blowing his nose, his eyes all watery from sneezing and his face looked a few shades paler than normal.

"Find anything out, Ray?" Winston asked as he pulled out the chair opposite Ray and sat down.

"Not yet." He sounded congested and tired. "Egon working on the trap?"

"Yeah. He said whatever he comes up with will have a very limited power supply. We have to make it count."

"That's a confidence builder." Ray sniffled in an attempt clear his stuffy nose. "We really have our work cut out for us."

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

Janine walked into the small room with the tea for Ray. "Thanks Janine." She stood by the table and listened in on the conversation curiously until the rest of the tea was finishing brewing.

Winston watched Janine set down a steaming mug of tea for Ray without losing his train of thought. "If you're sick, I mean really getting sick, then maybe you should hang back."

"What? And leave you and Egon to take on a Class-7 possessor without me?" Ray gingerly sipped the tea and grimaced as realized he couldn't taste it. "Not a chance!"

"And if you collapse from fever then I'll have to deal with Peter's possession, Egon's concussion and you being unconscious. That's a little too much."

"Aw, come on! I thought you marines were tough!" Ray quipped with a sly grin.

"And I thought you doctors were smart enough to get out of the rain."

"Touche."

Janine placed her hand over Ray's forehead and felt for a fever. "You're a little warm but I don't think it's serious." The kettle began to whistle which meant the water had finished boiling. "After I take Egon his tea I'll bring you some ibuprofen as a preventative measure."

This time Winston thanked Janine. "Thanks Janine! You're a peach!"

Pouring the hot water from the kettle into a mug with a teabag already at the bottom, Janine dipped the tea by its attached strong until the water was saturated in the herbal mix and smelled of fresh chamomile. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything else."

Winston continued. "Seriously Ray, we can't drag you out for this if you're not strong enough to handle it."

"I'll be-" Ray sneezed midsentence, burying his face into the crook of his arm in the process. "I'll be fine." He finished. "Once we get Peter back then I'll move dealing with this cold to the top of my priority list." He set aside the mug of tea. "Until then we need to focus on Peter and finding that damned ghost!"

...to be continued...