Chapter 14: Symbiosis
After explaining what had happened upstairs along with informing them that they have an actual paranormal ghost portal, Catt pulled John and Phoebe in the targeting alleyway to have a nice chat. And it is not a pleasant one.
"I can not believe you let my boyfriend do this. I know he is our one and only research and development, but he is not Egon. Shoot, I never even met the brain of the Ghostbusters." Catt crossed her arms abd had an upset look.
"Well, I did and I bet he would do the same thing as Eddy. Except that Egon's handy work gives us positive results." said John, eyeing the ghost target practice dummy.
Phoebe crossed her arms. "And I met my grandfather for a short time."
Catt sighed. "Look, all that I am saying is don't give too much expectation and pressure to Eddy. He is doing his best here. It was not easy to convince him about ghosts and the Ghostbusters themselves. I love him and I don't want him to feel useless on this team."
"Understood, Catt." John put down a half fixed PKE. "Now, as for our unwanted portal, Eddy said he will handle it."
"Till then we will just continue our ghostbusting. We can not stop our operations because of this." said Phoebe.
Suddenly all three hear the bell ringing and know that they have got a call. Suiting up and getting into Ecto-1, the five rolled out of the firehouse in great haste with Trevor at the wheel. The location that the call came from is the loading docks. As usual they split into groups. Lucky with Trevor and Podcast, while John and Phoebe went together. The two lovers quietly walked down the aisle of loading crates with Phoebe having her particle thrower in her hands as John is having his PKE.
"I don't like it." Phoebe spoke while eyeing their surroundings.
"Yeah, it is creepy when things are just too darn quiet." said John, looking at the PKE screen.
Phoebe shook her head. "No, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about that portal back at the firehouse."
"Oh, that." John kept eyes looking around their surroundings. "I seriously have no idea that the ghost we call Nameless is capable of doing something like what he just did. Looks like I underestimate that class negative five."
Phoebe looked at her lover with a look of worry. "Are we going to be able to fix Winston without the use of the slime blower?."
"I'm crossing my fingers on this one, Phoebe." said John.
Back at the Firehouse*
Gary, Callie, Catt, and Kylie were in the room to help insist on Eddy's second issue, despite him telling them that he has it under control. So far, Eddy had figured out a way to not only contain the swirling portal, but he also managed to prevent a ghost or anything paranormal coming through on the other side and have another issue in the firehouse.
"You sure this is safe, Eddy?." Kylie asked when looking at the swirling vortex.
Eddy was currently wiring last minute adjusting to the device that is keeping the portal at bay. "I did the accurate calculations and I can tell you that it is safe for us to enter through it."
Callie nodded while taking a glance at a still tied up possessed Winston who growled at her. "I know the feeling of being possessed. I do not remember the details of what that dog did with my body."
"Same." Gary takes a good look at Winston with guilt. "Uh, man, the guilt is hurting me big time."
"Don't beat yourself about it, Gary." Catt patted the man on the shoulder.
"Right. As we speak, my grandfather is in his bookstore going over some old notes that Egon wrote. Now, we could have used the slime blower and ended all of this, but I have to side with John on this one. There has to be more to it about Nameless." said Kylie, before getting a response from the ghost itself.
"Ha!. Try and believe that if you must, mortal. Once your clueless scientist figures out a way to separate us, I will resume my plan to this weak primitive world!." said Nameless.
Catt rolled her eyes. "Reality check, smartass. Once we separate you from Winston, your ass is going right into the containment unit. Speaking of the containment unit, Eddy, did you adjust the unit so that we won't deal with this kind of issue?."
Eddy put down his screwdriver. "I'm going to let John handle that. My full focus is getting this device to contain the portal's energy and everything in it."
"Any leads into helping Winston by any chance, Eddy?." asked Callie.
Before Eddy can answer Callie they all heard a voice of a person that they hoped he did come to visit.
"It is a good thing we have come to an agreement in letting me have my own key to enter the firehouse. Otherwise, I have to…what the!?." Peck took his sights upon Winston. "What happened to Winston!?."
"Short answer. One of us has put an old original version ghost trap into the containment unit that holds a class negative five ghost, who ended up possessing Winston." said Kylie, looking at the man in honesty.
"Not to mention that the ghost summoned a ghost portal." pointed out Gary.
"I can not believe this." Peck threw his hands up. "This is not good for our partnership relationship. Without our key person our operations and reputation is at risk. If the state governor catches wind of this he will shut us down with no hesitation."
"He can't do that." argued Catt. "Does he know that there is an extremely high ghost infestation in the country?. And I am not including the world itself. We will fix Winston, Mr. Peck. Is everything ready for stepping into the beyond, Eddy?. And I do mean going through the portal."
"Yes, Catt, everything is good and ready to go. Now, all we need is to call the kids to return to the firehouse." Eddy went over to his walkie-talkie to adjust to the right frequency to where the right one is being used from the five. "Can anyone hear me?."
John and Phoebe stopped their lead of a warm PKE spike that a ghost is leaving, once the two have heard Eddy on their walkie talkie. John put his hand on his talkie while eyeing the PKE.
"We hear you loud and clear, Eddy. What is up?. We are on a trail to that ghost that me and Phoebe have spotted. The ghost looked like he originally died from prison, based upon the ghost having broken shackles." John infomed.
Eddy radioed back. "I have news. I managed to contain the portal along with managing to keep all that is ecto inside."
"Sounds good, Eddy. Great job." said Phoebe, leading the way.
"Also, Peck is here and he knows about our little situation." Eddy radio back.
Both John and Phoebe sighed in unhappiness.
"Seriously?." Phoebe had that upset facial expression. "We can never catch a break from this guy."
"That is what Ray and Winston have told me when they told me about him when they made their comeback." John told his wife when eyeing their surroundings.
Peck went over to grab the walkie talkie from Eddy. "Listen, the both of you. Our operations are in major jeopardy. The Ghostbusters can not function much longer without Winston representing the business. Not only that but PCOC can not function also if I don't get signed reports by Winston's signatures. Overall, if the state governor catches wind of this when he comes for a meeting with myself and Winston, he will see that we were unable to live up to the hype that we claim ourselves to be when we can not handle our profession in our own building. This is all I have. I am not going back to doing what I did after our operations went downhill decades ago."
"You really did change. I was wrong about you." said Phoebe.
"Been telling you that since the day we met, kid. You all better get back to the firehouse as soon as that car can move." Peck radioed out.
John put his radio back to the left strap of his pack. "Let's bust and head on home."
Phoebe nodded. "Right."
Later on the five returned to the firehouse after they caught not one but three ghosts that had similar appearances. Once done dumping them into the unit, the five went up to where everyone is currently in.
"Like I say this safe. And I assure you I did the calculations with ease. See." Eddy grabbed his Ghostbusters mug.
Eddy then put his mug inside the contained portal and ended up destroying the cup to the others dismay. "Well, uh, that is a bad example. But it is still safe to enter. Now, I theorized that whatever that is inside the portal, there is our answer in saving Winston. Now, we just need just one person to go in. But who?."
Phoebe looked at Ray who was reading a handwritten notebook that belonged to his grandfather. "Ray is a big no. He is too old for this type of situation. Let alone he is way too important in our operations of busting."
"True." Podcast looked over at Catt who is having a none friendly conversation with Nameless. "Catt is a best bet, but she is too important in running and maintaining the firehouse. And Kylie is not fully trained as a Ghostbuster yet."
Lucky sipped onto her cup of warm hot chocolate. She looked at both Mr. Gooberson and Peck who are looking at the portal with interest. "Mr. Gooberson has no experience in ghostbusting or training in what to do situations. As for Peck, he isn't even a Ghostbuster or even member of the staff."
"And Mom is out of the question. She is not even a Ghostbuster or a scientist." said Trevor.
"Why don't you announce it in Podcast's while you are at it?." Callie sipped her coffee while having that sarcastic facial expression.
"Sorry, Mom." Phoebe looked at Eddy. "The only logical choice is…"
Eddy smirked. "Is one of you five."
"I'll go." John got their attention.
"Shouldn't it be just the two of us?." Phoebe spoke in protest.
"Oh, come on, baby, you heard Eddy. Only one of us can make the trip and back. You and the other had the opportunity to see all five original Ghostbusters take on Gozer, while my ass got knock the fuck out." John argued.
"Ah, dude, are you still hung up about that?." Podcast looked at his best friend in surprise. "I thought you would be the bigger person about all this."
John crossed his arms. "Hey, I have been fanboying about the OG's since the day I discovered them online. I had that one time chance to see my heroes save the world and my ass missed it big time."
"John, I love you. You know that. I can't let you go in there and who knows what is on the other side." Phoebe argued while putting her hands on his face.
John put his hands on her hands. "I love you too, Phoebe. I know you will always have my back. Just please let me do this."
Phoebe sighed while letting her hands go from lover's face. Then she put her fist up. "Rock, Paper, and Scissors. You win, will let you go in. If I win, we will close this portal off and just hit Winston with the slime blower and both trap and store Nameless into the unit. Deal?."
"Deal." John put his fist up.
Lucky watched the two throw their hands out and repeat the same process. "Are they seriously doing this silly shit?."
Trevor crossed his arms. "Yes they are going to do it. They have been doing this since they met in kindergarten. These two were actually made for eachother. Crazy."
"John is one lucky bastard to have a girl like Phoebe. I'm jealous." confessed Podcast.
John and Phoebe throw their hands one more time to break the tie. As a result, John won with paper while Phoebe had the rock to her upsetness.
"Shit." Phoebe frowned a bit before crossing her arms. "Well, what are you waiting for?. Wanting for me to get on my knees with my boots and socks off, and start putting my mouth on your cock and begin sucking you off?. Get going."
John nodded. "Right."
Callie walked up to John. "Come home safe, John. I mean it. Plus,..." She leaned in to whisper. "Between you and me, I believe my daughter who happens to be your wife wants to give you head."
"No fooling. Looking forward to it." said John.
Once done checking his proton pack is activated and PKE ready, John slowly approached the portal and carefully reached his hand out to go through the portal first. Except that the portal had pulled him right on in. When entering he fell and rolled over before finding his footing. Stopping himself from falling over to the edge of a bottomless ground.
"Damn no way." John looked at his surroundings. "I'm in GhostWorld."
"Well, actually you are in a private place that resembles Ray's bookstore, John." came a voice.
John carefully turned himself around to the same floating book that he had seen from the moment he opened that book.
"It is you." John slowly approached the book. "You are Tobin. How do you know my name?."
"Is it not obvious, my dear boy?." The opened book spoke. "You and I are connected. We have become a symbiosis. When you opened my book, I possessed you in a good way. I both see and hear through your eyes and ears. You were deemed worthy of being my living host."
"No way." John looked at the book. "I had a funny feeling that something was looking and hearing through my eyes and ears. If we have become a symbiosis, then we must have a symbiosis relationship."
"Bright boy you are, John. Yes, we do have a symbiosis relationship. I am the one who keeps sending out ghosts into the living. My afterlife purpose is to haunt the living shit out of the living as a way to punish the living for trying hard to get my ghostly know how to cause evil and such. Haunting the living is my operation while you and your team hunt and bust them. I keep your operation in business while personally aiding and teaching everything I know that I did not write in my book, and you keep the balance and affairs among the living. Such as preventing the danger that threatens our coexistion. Let us keep our symbiosis relationship a secret. Don't want anyone getting the wrong idea of us being two faced. Especially your wife who did not believe in the paranormal until later on." said Tobin.
"Oooo, you have got me there." John agreed to the promise. "I don't suppose you have something to help Winston do you?."
"Indeed I do. You have it all along. My strap that holds my book. It is a binding relic." said Tobin.
John pulled the same strap out of his pocket. "No way. Thanks. It was great to officially meet you, sir."
"Likewise, my dear boy. Now, I do not want to sound rude or evil. When you come to see me, I rather prefer you return to a better appropriate and proper state. Dead." Tobin chuckled as if he told a good joke.
John returned back to the room with the portal dissolved and gone. He told them that he has found the solution to saving Winston, while leaving out the part about meeting Tobin. Eddy attached the strap to the small jar and activated back his tested machine. This time around it worked as Nameless is in the jar and Winston is free. Later on they all came downstairs with Winston officially announcing that John and the four have become true Ghostbusters.
"Now, then after all that situation is behind us. Why don't we order some chinese?." said Winston.
Suddenly the bell went off as Catt went over to the computer and saw the map location of an active haunt.
"That will have to wait. We got a job to do." said Catt.
John holded Phoebe's hands and grinned. "Let's do this."
Phoebe grinned back. "Let's bust it to the afterlife, Ghosthead."
"And off we go!." Podcast spoke excitedly as he and the others rushed into Ecto-1.
"Well, what can you do?." Ray smiled proudly. "The job never rests."
"Indeed." Peck smiled as well.
As the others waved them goodbye as Trevor turned the double doors to open before turning the sirens on. He pressed the pedal and off they went to bust a ghost or ghosts in the middle of the night. Little did anyone know, including Tobin himself, a reptilian woman who on her throne was watching them through her rounded portal mirror with a mischievous smile.
"I am going to enjoy this little game of chaos with these mortals." She looked over and motioned the locked trunk that contained an ancient ghost. "And I will start it off with you. Not yet though. Once I see the perfect timing, I will unleash you from your imprisonment, Samhian. The Ghostbusters thought that battling my brother Gozer was hard. Then just wait until they get a load of me. Tiamat. The Goddess of Chaos."
(A/N): And that is the final chapter to end this story. Let me know in the review box you guys, if you want me to continue with a part two of this story. With the combine of the DLC 4 from Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleased, along with IDW Ghostbusters comics, and the upcoming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Thanks for reading!. Yowie Wowie!.