We're getting closer to the battle with Gozer- should be the next chapter if this goes right. But what can we expect in this chapter? You can expect the Ghostbusters in jail, Zuul and Vinz Clortho getting together, a meeting with the mayor (which includes one of my personal favorite insults toward our stuffy antagonist), and the deleted scene where the gang and mayor leaves City Hall.

"Uh 'scuse me Officer," Rex asked for a cop to approach him, "can I state for the record that I am not affiliated with them guys?"

"Sure you're not," the cop didn't believe him.

"Okay, I may be technically employed by them, but I was not at the supposed scene of the crime. But when it's time to make the one phone call, I'd like to use it to call this North Ridge girl and tell her our date is cancelled."

"Go join your pals over there," the cop pointed to where Beck, Andre, and a bunch of other cops and prisoners were gathered around a small table as Robbie was overlooking Andre's blueprints.

Robbie whistled as he looked over the blueprints and design sketches. "The structure of this roof cap is exactly like the kind of telemetry tracker that NASA used to identify dead pulsars in deep space; cold riveted girders with cores of pure selenium."

"Everybody got that?" Beck sarcastically asked everybody. "If so, could someone explain it to me in English? What does the roof structure have to do with anything?"

"Beck," Andre began, "I was forced to take a course in architecture and from what I remember, no building was ever made like how Robbie described."

"So the architect was either a genius, or certifiably insane?"

"Basically."

"And is there anything else I need to know?"

"See Beck, this is why you should study," Robbie suggested to his comrade. "The whole building is a huge super-conductive antenna that was designed and built expressly for the purpose of pulling in and concentrating spiritual turbulence."

Andre pointed to another design sketch of the building. "So your girlfriend lives in Spook Central."

"She's not my girlfriend," Beck retorted back. "I find her interesting as a client, and because she apparently sleeps four feet over her bed. She barks, she drools, she claws- and those are her good qualities."

"Beck, it's not the girl it's the building," Robbie explained.

"So something terrible is about to enter our world and this building is like a gateway door?"

"Precisely, and I believe I've found the link between this apartment building and Gozer, something I should've deduced sooner. This apartment building is named after the architect Ivo Shandor and after doing some extensive research on Gozer I realized that Shandor's name has creeped into the text a few times, most notably Tobin's Spirit Guide."

"Who's this Ivo Shandor guy?" Andre was legitimately curious.

"Shandor wasn't originally an architect, but a doctor; a doctor who performed quite a lot of unnecessary surgeries. Around the time span where he was fired as a doctor and started taking up architecture, he formed a secret society in 1920."

"Let me guess," Beck knew where this was heading, "Gozer worshippers?"

"Right."

"See and I figured that out without having to study."

"Keeping focus on the issue at hand; Shandor died sometime during World War II, but his society had close to a thousand followers at the time of his death. Once Shandor died his followers, as tribute, decided to conduct their rituals on the roof of the apartment building he designed."

"What kinda rituals?" Rex's curiosity was piqued as well.

"Bizarre rituals."

"Like human sacrifices or what?"

"Rituals that would bring about the end of the world…guys, it may look like the end of the world might actually happen."

"Yeah, but we believed that in 2012."

"Aw man!" Andre was panicking. "We gots to get outta here! We gotta get like a judge or a lawyer or something!"

"Hold up; we're gonna actually go in front of a federal judge and say that some moldy old Babylonian god's gonna drop in on L.A. for the end of the world?"

"Sumerian, not Babylonian," Robbie corrected.

"Does it really matter Rob? No offense, but if this does go to court, I'm gettin' my own lawyer."

"Hey Ghostbusters," the cop blocking the cell door was unlocking it, "the mayor wants to see you guys."

"Do we still get that one phone call?" Beck asked.

"Who you gonna call?"

"Why the Ghostbusters, of course," Beck mocked, "Look, chances are there's something strange going on in the city and we're gonna need to be prepared."

"I don't trust you." The cop snapped his fingers at Andre. "You, make the phone call."

Andre looked at Beck. "Who'm I callin'?"

"I need you to get a hold of Cat. Tell her to load our proton packs and uniforms into the Ecto-1 and drive up to City Hall where we'll be waiting for her. Repeat this as many times as necessary so that she doesn't forget or screw anything up and tell her it's real important. If necessary tell her Robbie told her to do this for us."

"Alright, I can do that."

The cop showed Andre where the phone was before turning to Beck. "So that nerdy friend of yours is saying that there's paranormal activity at Shandor Apartments?"

"Basically," Beck answered back. "Why, you got a boyfriend back there?"

"Ha, ha smart ass. The chief's youngest daughter lives there, she's been missing for a while now and none of us can find her anywhere. If you guys find her, can you let us take credit?"

"Making an earth-shattering discovery and giving credit to the cops? That's the LAPD for you."

…

While en route to visit the mayor, Jade was lying on the couch in her destroyed apartment ready to mate when the main door flew open.

Standing in her doorway was an even more disheveled looking Sinjin, his eyes glowing a dark red color. "I am the Keymaster."

Jade stood up to greet him. "I am the Gatekeeper."

He entered her apartment and the two of them met halfway. Standing there, Jade made the first move and she and Sinjin- though technically under the influence of Zuul and Vinz Clortho respectively- were engaged in a passionate makeout session.

After pulling away, a door opened to reveal a staircase- a light beckoning them to climb the staircase to what was waiting for them.

…

Mayor Lane Alexander was going out of his mind in his office. "I got a city practically blowing up and you guys aren't helping me?"

"Mayor Lane," his aide popped her head in, "the Ghostbusters are here."

"Fine, good, bring them in." The four ghostbusters entered the office with law enforcement escorting them. "Alright, where's this Dickers guy?"

"Aww crap," Beck moaned.

"I am Walter Dickers," Dickers was sitting a few feet away. He rose to meet the mayor while pushing through the Ghostbusters. "I am willing to make a full report. These 'Ghostbusters' are nothing more than second-rate conmen! They use sensitive nerve gases to induce hallucinations to make people think they're seeing ghosts. Then the unsuspecting public calls these clowns, who conveniently show up to deal with the problem with a fake electronic light show."

"Um-hm!" Andre made his typical disapproving noise. "Naw, everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here," Andre emphasized the insulting term, which caused his comrades to snicker.

"DICKERS, MY NAME IS DICKERS! The point is your Mayorship these men caused an explosion!"

The mayor turned to Beck. "Is this true?"

"Yes, it's true…" Beck gestured to Dickers, "…this man has no dick." Dickers lunged for Beck, but the police and Andre held him back. "Well that's what I heard!"

The chaos subsided as someone cleared their throat for silence. "I believe these Ghostbusters," in the office was the Fire Commissioner. "Lane, I can guarantee there was no 'light show' this morning. In my job, I've seen every kind of combustion known to man, but whatever happened after the explosion beats the hell out of me."

"I agree," the Police Commissioner was also there. "The walls in the 53rd precinct were bleeding. How do you explain that, Dickers?"

"Mayor Lane," the assistant was on the mayor's intercom, "the Archbishop is here."

"Send him in," Lane instructed. When the Archbishop entered, Lane went over to greet him. "Your Eminence," Lane kissed the Archbishop's ring.

"How ya doin' Lane?" the Archbishop inquired.

"I'm in a real tough spot, Mike. What should I do?"

"Lane, officially the Church won't take any position on the religious implications of these phenomena. Personally, I think it's a sign from God; but don't quote me on that."

"It sounds like a smart move, but I'm not gonna call a press conference and tell everyone to start praying."

"May I speak?" Andre asked. The Archbishop nodded and gestured for Andre to continue. "Look, I never really believed in this kinda stuff at first until I came across the paranormal channel; but even then I still didn't wanna believe it was real. But let me assure you Your Mayor-ness, these things are real. Ever since we started up the Ghostbusters, I have seen shit that will turn you white."

Beck stood up to begin a speech. "Listen Mayor Lane, you can believe Mr. Dickless…"

"DICKERS!" Dickers protested.

"…or you could accept the fact that this city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions."

Lane skeptically raised an eye at Beck. "Biblical?"

"Old Testament biblical, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God-type stuff."

"Like what?"

Andre stepped forward to help aid in Beck's defense. "Like fire and brimstone coming from the sky, rivers and seas boiling…"

Robbie followed suit. "…forty years of darkness, earthquakes, volcanoes…"

Rex joined in as well. "…the dead rising from the grave, human sacrifices…"

And that left Beck to finish off. "…dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!"

"Alright, I get the point!" Lane understood. "But what if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong, you can send me and my associates to jail. We'll go quietly, hell we'll even enjoy it. But if I'm right and we can stop this thing, you Mayor Lane will have saved the lives of millions of registered voters."

Lane was seriously considering this when Dickers interfered. "Mr. Mayor, you're not really going to listen to these men?"

Lane was quite for a few seconds as he made a decision. He pointed to Dickers and tilted his head toward the Police Commissioner. "Get him outta here."

Beck smiled a smug smile. "See you later, Dickless."

"This isn't over, Oliver!" Dickers warned as he was being hauled out of the office. "I'm going to fix you, if it's the last thing I do."

"Yes, and I'll be sure to send you a lovely fruit basket."

"Alright boys," Lane looked at the four heroes. "Now what do you need from me?"

Beck put his arm around the Mayor's shoulder and led him to the window where the Ecto-1 was pulling up outside of City Hall. "We're going to need an all access pass to the Shandor Apartment building. Oh, and could you kindly send someone to pick us up our uniforms?"

"Yeah, and some individual dressing rooms wouldn't hurt either," Andre added as he eyed the police.

A crowd was forming outside City Hall as the Ghostbusters stepped out (in uniform) with the mayor. "I still don't understand," Lane was still confused, "why here, why now?"

Beck shrugged. "I guess what goes around comes around your Mayorship. Now if you don't mind, if we do succeed with this job, I'd like to discuss our fee."

Andre rolled his eyes. "I'll go start the car."

"I call shotgun!"

Rex stomped his foot. "Dang, I was gonna call shotgun!"

"I'm gonna make sure our equipment's ready for use," Robbie and Andre headed over to the car where Cat was waiting. "Andre, could you wait in the car?"

"Where else was I gonna go?" Andre headed to the driver's side as Robbie went over to Cat.

Cat opened the back door. "I got everything ready for you," she proudly displayed her work. "And I loaded your pack thingies just like you showed us that one day."

Robbie raised an eyebrow to her. "You actually paid attention when I was teaching you guys how to use the equipment?"

"You're a good teacher." They smiled at each other before Cat reached for something in her pocket. "Here, I want you to take this."

Robbie took what she was holding and inspected it. "What is it?"

"It's my lucky coin. I found it on the ground at a carnival I went to with my Nana when I was eight years old. I've kept it ever since."

"I shouldn't take this. This is your lucky coin and…and we might not be coming back."

Cat tried to fight back tears. "Take it anyway, I've got another lucky coin just like it."

"Cat…I…I don't know what to say."

"Just promise me that you'll come back okay."

"I…I can't make that kind of promise. But I'd like to make it clear that in the event of my demise, I've come to the conclusion that there's a 92.4 percent chance that I'm in love with you. If I survive this, I'll take you out on a nice dinner, okay."

"KK," a teary-eyed Cat fell into his arms and Robbie stroked her hair.

"Yo Cat," Rex (and Beck were back), "didn't your mama ever tell you not to get involved with a Ghostbuster?"

"Hey Cat," Beck began, "we need to borrow Robbie for a while, afterwards you can have him back. Rob," Beck gestured for Robbie to get into the car. Once everyone was situated in the car and after Cat had given them a wave goodbye, it was time to get a move on.

"This is it," Andre said to his pals as the police cars in front slowly started to move.

"Yep," Robbie and Rex simultaneously agreed.

Beck stuck his head out the passenger side window. "Hey come on, let's run some red lights!"

And once that was said, the Ghostbusters were off to the Shandor Apartments to challenge Gozer.

Perfect place to stop, wouldn't you agree?

If I plan this right, next up is a long chapter as the boys battle Gozer (chapter 9), then the chapter after that will essentially be the aftermath of the battle and the ending (chapter 10), which leaves the epilogue (which I'm not gonna consider chapter 11 because I prefer even numbered chapters). The epilogue will be original and it will segue into…

A SEQUEL!

Yes, I clearly have nothing better to do with my life that I'm creating a sequel based off…well, the sequel.