As Tiamat drew closer to the six felled Ghostbusters, her hand outstretched with an orb of dark green ethereal power that flowed outward from her palm, the group held their fearful breaths as they laid about on the glass littered floor unsure of their next move. Not quite cowering, but not readily back to their feet to confront the demigoddess, the Ghostbusters tried to think quickly but logically to find a proper way to deal with Tiamat before things truly spiraled into irreparable chaos.

"Hold it!" Erin commanded in a loud, steady as she aimed her thrower, the barrel shaking in her trembling but sure hands as she took a knee. "Don't make me do this!"

Tiamat paused and lowered her hand, not out of intimidation but out of twisted amusement. "A mortal dares to challenge me? How entertaining."

"She's not alone." Abby spoke up and stayed at Erin's side. "You may be a god but this is our world and we're the ones who call the shots!"

Tiamat took another step forward raised her hand again. "Shall we test this claim?"

Erin's eyes widened with fear as Tiamat's ethereal energy intensified in color and strength as the goddess of chaos aimed at the two bold women. Before Tiamat had the chance to unleash her power twin proton streams coming from opposite sides of Erin and Abby snaked around her arm and kept it held at bay.

"Don't you touch them!" Patty shouted over the sound of the commotion of the proton pack's impressive power. "Back off!"

Holtzmann discreetly stood in front of both Ray and Egon as she whispered to the men, one eye being kept on Tiamat with unobstructed focus. "If you guys have any ideas, now would be a great time to impress us."

As Patty and Holtzmann held Tiamat at bay Erin and Abby joined in with their own proton streams and the four beams of energy wrapped around Tiamat's arms and legs, swirling upward around her waist and chest. Thought uninjured and unfazed by the attack Tiamat was unable to break free of the four beams of concentrated energy and stayed grounded in place.

"Egon, what're we going to do?" Ray whispered to his friend as the two men remained where they sat on the floor. "We don't have proton packs and I don't think a trap can hold her."

"You're right. We have to send Tiamat back to her own world before she can do any permanent damage to this world."

Ray looked at the device still clutched tightly in Egon's hands. "The gateway."

"What better way to test it than on a goddess?"

"Always wanted the chance to experiment on a god." Ray's eyes brightened with renewed confidence.

"This could be our only chance." Egon flipped the power switch on the device and pulled the remote cable taut in his hands.

"And I'll take it!" Ray went to pull the device from Egon's hands when a sudden quake through the room made his pause.

Tiamat had been gauging the power of the proton streams and found that even when combined the energy wasn't enough to stop her. With a sudden pulse of unparalleled strength she broke the flow of the streams, sending the intense energy back toward the six Ghostbusters stunning them on contact. The four women were thrown backward, falling harshly to the ground and toward their unarmed colleagues who were unable to response in a timely manner.

Erin fell backward onto Abby, who was pinned down on the floor under Erin's unexpected weight. "That was dumb..." Erin admitted with a pained groan of self irritation. "It was dumb, right?"

"Yup." Abby agreed as she tried to lift a hand to push Erin aside, but her limb didn't respond. "And I can't move."

"Me neither." Erin tried to roll to her side but her body was temporarily paralyzed like Abby.

Patty tried to sit up but she too was unable to recover her strength after the shock. "I'm down too... Holtzy? Can you move?"

Holtzmann had fallen back onto Egon and was leaning against his legs. "Not as well as I used to." She looked up at Egon and then over to Ray who was laying back next to Patty. "I don't think the guys can move any better than us."

"No." Egon admitted as he eyed the device that he has lost is grip on after being stunned by Tiamat. "The effects of the proton stream should be temporary, but how long it'll linger is-"

"Too long." Patty interrupted bitterly. "NOW what do we do?"

Tiamat put her hand on her hip and stared triumphantly at the six mortals who were so easily bested. "Worship me. Become my loyal servants and I shall spare your lives."

Holtzmann scoffed arrogantly. "Doubt it! Pretty sure anyone with the title 'goddess of chaos' is also a goddess of lies."

Tiamat focused on Holtzmann and sneered. "Your suspicions prove true."

"Called it."

Tiamat waved a hand and bathed the interior of the white ballroom in green light. Outside lightning flashed and thunder roared angrily. The entire hotel was enveloped in the immeasurable power that Tiamat channeled. The ballroom became icy cold as Tiamat's power grew and further flowed from her being and into the environment around her.

"Humans are such fragile creatures." Tiamat taunted as she flicker her wrist and created a dagger of ice in the palm of her hand. "How such frail, pitiful, disposable, inferior specimens could stop my brother's return continues to elude me."

"Gozer was weak." Ray claimed with a hateful snap. "I'm willing to bet it runs in the family!"

Tiamat turned her attention to the mouthy Ghostbuster and stared him down with a spiteful glare. "You best hold your tongue when in the presence of a goddess."

"Correction," Ray quipped with a sly grin. "demigoddess."

"Ray?" Egon gave his friend a worried glance. "What're you doing?"

"Trust me Egon. If I can get her to focus on me-"

"Your words will cost you." Tiamat threatened as she proudly boasted the dagger in her hand. A sheath of ice spread from the hilt of the dagger and down her forearm in a snowy white cascade of power. "Consider this an honor. Make your peace."

"I made my peace a LONG time ago, sister. You're NOTHING compared to the atrocities that I've faced!" Ray's eyes were fiery with passion as he spoke. His words seemed to stem from long repressed anger, or perhaps regret. Every word he spat had a purpose.

"Ray?!" Egon nearly shouted but instead grumbled under his breath. "Don't do-"

"If you're such a powerful god," Ray continued to taunt and effectively bait Tiamat. "then give us a true display of your power, not these silly parlor tricks. Come on! Show me!"

With a twisted grin Tiamat flexed her hand with frightfully quick movements and sent the icy dagger flying from her grip and toward the chest of the defenseless Ghostbuster who dared to question her. There was a loud gasp of pain and all was suddenly still.

"Ray!" Egon's eyes went wide as he stared at the dagger now embedded in Ray's upper chest. A red stain began to form and pool around the dagger, saturating the ice in a sickly crimson hue. "Ray...?"

Erin, Abby, Patty and Holtzmann all turned their attention to their now wounded colleague as he helplessly fell prey to Tiamat's weapon.

"Trust me..." Ray repeated to Egon as his eyes closed slowly and he laid flat on his back. "Please... trust me."

...to be continued...