Moving on, here is the next part. And in here we meet not one, but two more main characters. Feel free to make guesses before you read ahead.

Business it seemed had never been better. The Ghostbusters were getting calls constantly and catching dozens and dozens of ghosts. But they were independent and had no definite hours so whenever they got a call, they answered it. So they placed an ad inquiring if anyone was interested in becoming an unofficial fourth ghostbuster. Thus, Rex Powers entered the picture.

He took a seat in the chair beside Cat's desk as Cat was on the phone with a potential client. "Well did it have arms or legs sir…ooh creepy...KK, I'll do that now," Cat started looking through day planners in addition to scrolling on the computer, "…well the guys take specific jobs and they pick 'em by importance or something, I don't know they usually talk to me when I'm playing Grumpy Gerbils…I'll tell them no later than the ninth of next month…KK, bye!" Cat hung up the phone. "Ooh, hi person."

Rex eyed the redhead. "Are you the secretary?"

"Uh-huh! Oh, I'm supposed to ask what I can do for you."

"My name's Rex Powers, I wanna talk about the opening for a fourth ghostbuster."

"Ooh, fun."

There was a pause. "You supposed to interview me or something?"

"Oh yeah, Robbie wrote down questions for me to ask in case anyone did come in about the job. You'll like Robbie he's really smart." Cat searched the messy desk until she came across a pink Post-It note. "KK, do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trans-mediums, the Loch Ness monster, and/or the theory of Atlantis?"

"Heh?"

"I don't know what any of those big words mean either, Robbie helped me pronounce them. He's really smart you know."

"So I've heard."

"Do you believe in any of the big words?"

"I'll believe in anything if there's a steady paycheck involved."

The Ecto-1 pulled into the driveway and Beck and Andre stepped out of the car mid conversation. "So she was like a ghost?" Beck asked Andre.

"Kinda; she started out as an actual girl- gorgeous too- who happened to be floating above my head. Then she disappeared and next thing I know my pants are down and I'm bein' pleasured by some dream ghost girl."

"Gross."

"She was pretty hot though, had some real nice cheekbones too."

"This was a dream right?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Beck went over to Cat. "Cat, darling, how's our schedule looking tonight?"

"Let me print it out for you," Cat clicked the print icon and the schedule printed from the machine behind her.

Beck took the schedule. "Cat, this is the schedule we couldn't find last week."

"Oops, I'll fix it."

"Good girl."

"Oh, this is Rex Powers. Rex is interested in the job."

"He's hired. Rex that's Andre Harris, I'm Beck Oliver, you've met Cat Valentine, and our third associate Robbie Shapiro's downstairs."

"Robbie Shapiro?" Rex asked.

"You know him?" Andre questioned.

"Yeah, used to go to school with the freak."

"That's all cool and all, but I need some help. If you follow me I'll show you how to work some stuff we gots in the basement." Rex followed Andre into the basement where Robbie was hard at work at another invention. "Robbie, this is our new ghostbuster guy, Rex Powers."

Robbie suddenly dropped what he was doing and froze in terror. "I uh…I think Robbie remembers me."

"Rex Powers?" Robbie muttered in fear. "Andre, please tell me you didn't hire Rex Powers."

"I didn't," Andre's statement made Robbie take a sigh of relief, "but Beck did." Robbie moaned in agony. "Uh Rex, why is Robbie moaning in agony about you being hired?"

"I'll tell you why I'm moaning in agony!" this was one of the rare instances where Robbie was angry or upset, "because from middle school to high school Rex Powers made my life a living hell. He would constantly insult me, humiliate me, give me uncomfortable wedgies and incredibly unsanitary swirlies, purposely ruin my projects or assignments, and in the rare instance that a female talked to me Rex told the girl I was a hermaphrodite!"

"I didn't say that!" Rex defended. "I said you had lady parts."

"IT'S THE SAME THING YOU IGNORAMUS!"

"See, I never understand him when he yells big words."

"You made my life a living hell!"

"And I apologize now that you and your team have employed me- and may I say time has been slightly kind to you."

Andre clapped his hands together. "Water under the bridge now, right fellas?"

Robbie glared at Rex. "I still don't trust him, Andre."

"Well if he goes back to his old immature ways you have every right to fire him."

"Gladly." Robbie turned his back and decided to work on some electronic gadget on the wall.

"Could you at least show tell him about the containment unit?"

Robbie groaned and gestured for Rex to follow him to a red square machine against another side of the wall. Hanging over the machine were red and green sirens, which were both off. "This is where we put all the vapors, entities, and apparitions that we trap. Using the containment unit is so simple that even the weakest of links can figure out how to use it."

Rex shot Andre a confused look. "Was I just insulted?"

Andre shrugged in response and decided to finish demonstrating how to use the containment unit. "Load a trap here, open, unlock the system, insert the trap, release, close, lock the system, set your entry grid, neutralize your field and if the light is green, the trap is clean. Never use this thing for anything else. The containment unit is a custom-made storage facility where ghosts are held indefinitely."

"Could you say all that again in English? Is there like a diagram or something I can look at?"

…

Meanwhile a few blocks away, Jade and another man were stepping out of the community theatre. "That assistant director has no idea what the hell he's doing," Jade was lamenting. "The man is an incompetent bastard who should be castrated."

"I wouldn't go that far," the man seemed a bit freaked out, "but this guy has directed this play before and he has a clear vision of what we should do while our original director is out for the next few days."

But Jade wasn't listening because a few feet in front of her, Beck Oliver was impersonating the Monty Python Silly Walk and whistling a tune trying to get her attention. "Hey Eli, could you chill for a sec?" Jade headed over to talk to Beck. "So your business is booming?"

"That it is," Beck arrogantly informed. "I betcha you still thought about me."

"I thought about throwing you out of my window and watching you fall to your death."

"Ouch, and to think I stopped by to compliment you on your rehearsal in this production of Uptown, Downtown."

"I'm just a flippin' extra."

"Yeah, but you're the best extra."

"Thank you you lying son of a bitch."

"Now I don't have to take your abuse Jade West. I'm a celebrity now; I just let hundreds of better celebrities abuse me." Jade couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Oh my God did Jade West actually smile at a comment that I made?"

And the smile instantly disappeared. "Cut the crap, how's my case coming along?"

The sound of a few puffs of an asthma inhaler caused Beck to turn and notice Eli, who was watching Jade interact with Beck. "Who's the stiff?"

"What's it to you?"

"We'll swap info. You tell me some stuff about the stiff and I'll tell you some stuff about your case."

"His name's Eli, he's in my acting troupe, he's asthmatic, and he's playing an extra."

"Fair enough."

"And my case?"

"I think it's best that I tell you in private."

"Tell me now."

"Alright; the guys and I found the name Zuul for ya." Beck pulled a crumpled up piece of paper out of his pocket. "The name Zuul refers to a demi-god worshipped around 6000 BC by the Hittites, the Mesopotamians and the Sumerians. It says here that Zuul was the minion of Gozer."

Beck handed her the paper and watched as Jade read over it. "Gozer? What's a Gozer?"

"Gozer was a pretty big deal in Sumeria."

"Well why did this Gozer appear in my fridge as a dog?"

"Technically, Zuul was in your fridge as a dog. And as for that, we still don't know; but I've decided to handle this case on my own for you."

"Seriously?"

"And I'm going to do some more research."

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?"

"If we could get together, oh…next Thursday night I could give you some more info."

"Fat chance."

"Miss West, you seem to think there is something wrong up here in your mind that says: he enjoys taking his evenings off and spending them with his clients. No. I'm making a special exception in your case. Because... I respect you. It's corny but I respect you as actress- and as a dresser too, I love what you've done with the mixture of black and red against the gray."

Jade couldn't help but smile. "I'm busy next Thursday."

"Ah."

"But I'm free the Friday after."

"You actually said yes? And you're not trying to get out of it? Admit it, you missed me."

"No."

"Fine, I'll take that as a yes."

"It's not."

"And I will see you next Friday."

"Whatever sinks your boat."

"I'll come by your place around seven-ish."

"Whatever. But before I go…" Jade gave his right foot a massive stomp, "…have a nice day Dr. Oliver." She walked back over to Eli.

Eli did a double take. "What just happened?"

"Got a date next Friday."

"With that guy?"

"Yeah, with that guy."

"What's he do?"

"He's a…a scientist."

…

When Beck arrived back at the firehouse, he was surprised to find a black towncar parked outside. "Cat," he called to the secretary as he entered the firehouse, "what's up?"

"The ceiling," Cat giggled at her 'joke'. "Get it, the ceiling?" She continued to giggle. "I'm a comedian."

"Who owns the car parked outside?"

"Oh, someone from EPA."

"EPA?"

"He handed me a business card," she passed the card to Beck.

"Walter Dickers: Head of the Environmental Protection Agency- Los Angeles division."

"The 'E', the 'P', and the 'A' were all in big letters."

"Well what does he want?"

"I dunno," Cat shrugged. "He's in your new office."

"Cool, thanks."

"Hey Beck," Beck turned around to face her, "I've been working here for a while without a break. Could you like hire another secretary person or answer the phones yourself?"

"Why should we when we've got you?"

"But-"

"Keep up the good work and maybe you'll get a raise."

"But Beck-"

"Oh, and the upstairs toilet is clogged again, can you fix that?" Beck went to his (newly built) office as the phone rang.

Cat huffed and angrily answered the phone in a bitter tone. "Ghostbusters, what do you want?"

Beck entered his office where a man in a beige suit was wearing. When Beck entered, the man stood up. "Hello, I'm Walter Dickers from the Environmental Protection Agency."

"Nice to meet you, Dude."

"Am I to assume that you're Dr. Beckett Oliver?"

"I prefer to be called Beck- or Dr. Beck, whatever tickles your fancy."

"Just what are you a doctor of exactly?"

"I've been working on getting a psychology degree, but I'm a doctor in paranormal capture."

"Is that real?"

"Listen Dickers, I've got some jobs I gotta tend to can you get to the point?"

"I'm curious; how many ghosts have you caught Mr. Oliver?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that."

"Well where do you put the ghosts after to catch them?"

"In a storage facility."

"Is this storage facility here on the premise?"

"Well yeah; where else would it be?"

"May I see this storage facility?"

"No, you may not."

"Why not?"

"Because you didn't say the magic word."

"What?"

"You didn't say 'please'."

Dickers was visibly getting irked. "Very well; may I please see the storage facility?"

"Why?"

"I want to know more about what you 'Ghostbusters' do here. Frankly, there have been a lot of wild stories in the media and we at the EPA want to assess for any possible environmental impact from your operation; for instance, the presence of noxious, possibly hazardous waste chemicals in your basement. Now either you show me the storage facility or I come back with a court order."

Beck leaned forward and calmly informed the nearly enraged Dickers, "You come back with a court order and me and my associates will sue your ass for wrongful prosecution."

Dickers tried his best to hold back his anger, and even somehow managed to after a long deep breath. "Fine! But you haven't heard the last of me Mr. Oliver." Dickers did one of those 'I'll be watching you signals' to Beck as he left the firehouse.

"Forget you!" Beck yelled to him.

…

As the scene with Beck and Dickers was going on upstairs, the rest of the ghostbusters were in the basement. Robbie was doing some research while Andre and Rex played cards. "How's the research, Rob?" Andre inquired.

"I'm worried Andre," Robbie replied.

"About?"

"I'm worried about the containment unit. All my recent research and data is pointing to something big on the horizon."

"Yo, Robbie," Rex began, "what exactly do you mean by big?"

"Well…" Robbie searched the desk for something before finding a wrapped snack food. Robbie quickly opened the food and discarded the wrapper on the ground. "Do you see this Twinkie?"

While Rex nodded, Andre seemed apprehensive. "Uhm-hm!" Andre mumbled, "Robbie, you know you're not supposed to be sneakin' the sweets!"

Rex looked at Andre. "He still doing those weird things and gettin' all wonky after he eats junk food?"

"Basically."

"Relax," Robbie continued on, "I wasn't gonna eat the Twinkie." Andre gave him a suspicious look. "Okay, I was gonna eat it, but only to aid in me staying awake to do research."

"Bull crap."

"Now Rob, you were sayin' somethin' 'bout somethin' big on the horizon involvin' a Twinkie," Rex reminded.

"Okay," Robbie held up the snack food, "let's say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the Los Angeles area. In accordance with the research I recently discovered the psychokinetic energy would be more than double in size. So this metaphorical Twinkie filled with psychokinetic energy would be thirty-five feet long and weigh approximately six hundred pounds."

Rex whistled in amazement. "That's a big Twinkie."

"Yepperooni," Robbie stuffed the Twinkie in his mouth.

"So is this good or bad news?"

"Well we could be on the verge of a fourfold crossrip," Robbie explained after swallowing his snack. "It's a PKE surge of incredible, even dangerous proportions."

"So, bad?"

Beck came down the stairs. "Whatever's bad I hope it's better than the visit I had with the head of the Environmental Protection Agency."

"It's bad," Andre stated.

"Yo Rob," Rex began, "tell Beck about the Twinkie."

Beck looked at Robbie in confusion. "Twinkie? Like the snack food? Robbie did you sneak a Twinkie to eat?"

"Yes, but I was using the Twinkie as a metaphor for psychokinetic energy in the L.A. area to help guide me in explaining my research," Robbie explained. "If the energy keeps building up and building up the metaphorical Twinkie filled with psychokinetic energy would be about thirty-five feet long and weigh approximately six hundred pounds."

"Wow."

"Yup."

"Good thing you weren't eating a Ding-Dong."

I find the last line hilarious. If you're wondering, I added that last piece of dialogue for some PG-13-ish humor and because it sounded funny in my head. Here's hoping you guys found it funny too. I thought it would be wise to stop here because of what happens in the next scene.