Mythic State of Mind
Ch2: Strange Neighborhoods
Ecto-1 drvies across the Brooklyn Bridge on a busy night, Ray drives Ecto-1 while the others have all piled in. Peter Venkman sits shotgun while Winston and the others sit in the back, everyone is quiet until they get a call from Janine back at the Firehouse. Janine's voice on the radio comes on with an intense static buzzing around it due to how old the radio is.
Janine: Ecto- do- out-
Ray: Ron said he would fix the damn thing!
Ray picks up the PA and tries his best to communicate with Janine asking, "Janine, can you hear me? What's going on?". Janine now sounds more frantic as she says, "YOU- GET BACK- TRAP!" but it's too late as a winged woman crashes down on the hood of a car. The woman has grey leathery skin, fiery red hair, sharp fangs, an armored chest plate with a silver handprint, and a laser gun in her hand. This woman is none other than the Gargoyle, Demona.
Venkman: Well shit.
Demona aims the rifle at the windshield of Ecto-1 when she is tackled by a red-winged blur that is the American Dragon tackling her off of the hood of the Ghostbusters' car. People run out of their cars as Jake and Demona duke it out. The Ghostbusters pile out of Ecto-1 aiming the guns of their proton packs at Demona but struggle to get a clear shot.
Kylie: JAKE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STAHP MOVIN'!
However Kylie's complaints only fall on deaf ears as Jake and Demona continue to grapple. While Jake's dragon form is significantly larger and stronger than Demona, she is able to hold her own due to her centuries of combat experience. She uses her sharp claws slashing at Jake's snout, causing Jake to finch and wince in pain giving Demona the opportunity to slam his face into the concrete road. She leans down to the ground hissing at the Ghostbusters so that they don't light her up. Demona begins to whisper in Jake's ear.
Demona: You disappoint me little dragon! Surely, you're not the one who defeated the entire Huntsclan? The one who bested the Dark Dragon? That must've been your grandfather!
Jake's reptilian eyes light up with anger as he says, "Lady, I'm gonna make you eat your words!". Demona begins to laugh at this comment as if Jake had told her a hilarious joke. Demona looks down at the dragon as she begins to lambaste him.
Demona: Oh you're not going to do anything to me! You want to know how I know that? Because, you're a traitor to those you are sworn to protect! Our peoples have been in hiding for far too long.
Venkman: Hey Bat-bitch! Why don't you get off our friend Jake-the-Drake here and fly back to whatever crazy bitch belfry you come from!
Demona: WATCH YOUR TONGUE HUMAN OR I'LL-
The sound of a motorcycle engine roaring from behind the deserted cars can be heard, the Ghostbusters turn around as Luke Cage rides into the fray alongside Slimer who flies next to him. Slimer torpedoes directly into Demona's face causing her to loose her footing as she frantically tries to wipe the slime off of her face. Kylie, Venkman, and Roland are the first of the Ghostbusters to shoot their proton beams at Demona. While Demona is a physical being, they wouldn't be able to confine her in an ecto-trap they are certainly able to restrain her through proton-pack.
Luke: What I miss?
Venkman: Oh ya know, just "Batwoman" putting a dent in the hood of our car nothing too crazy.
Demona falls to her knees and the Ghostbusters stop pouring on the proton beams, allowing Slimer the chance to reform. Demona looks up at the heroes surrounding her, she catches her breath and cracks a smile.
Garret: Whatcha got to smile about?
Demona begins to fade away as she is teleported to an unknown location. The heroes look around for her as Eduardo curses that she has escaped them yet again.
Eduardo: Damnit! That's like the third time she's done that!
Luke: Third time?
Jake: We did say back at the Firehouse they've been at it for a good couple of months.
Ray: Let's head back to the Firehouse now. Jake, call Fu and tell him to meet us at there.
Jake nods before flying off and Luke looks up at the sky and sees this large red dragon fly off. Venkman asks Luke, "You coming Cage?", Luke silently nods back at the Ghostbuster getting on his bike and riding alongside the Ecto-1. Both Ecto-1 and Luke pull into the Firehouse, Luke is caught off guard when he sees Janine and Jake in his human form talking to a wrinkly bulldog standing on it's hind legs. This is none other than Fu
Luke: This night keeps getting better and better...
Fu Dog is talking animatedly at Janine and Jake, almost as if they did something wrong. Fu Dog says outloud, "Whaddya mean she just disappeared! This like the third time!". Jake looks down shrugging assuring Fu that they were so close. Slimer tries inch past Fu unnoticed but Fu yells at the slimy specter.
Fu Dog: Ah, ah, ah! Where do you think you're going you giant sentient snot rocket! You still owe me!
Luke now stands over Fu Dog, towering over the canine unsure of how to react to the animal guardian. Luke says, "You know when I met Rocket, I thought there's no way that things could possibly get weirder.", this comment causes Fu to turn around with a grin on his face.
Fu Dog: Oh believe me friend, things are gonna get way stranger than a space raccoon named after a Beatles song. I'm Fu!
Fu Dog sticks his paw out to shake but Luke is so caught off guard he doesn't. Fu Dog laughs it off knowing that his presence confuses most people.
Fu Dog: Alright we'll worry about formal greetings from Avengers later. Janine! You do what I asked you to do?
Janine pulls up a projector with a map of New York City, that map has red dots throughout each burrow. But many of the dots are congregated around apart of the map labeled "Mutant Town" and "District X".
Luke: What are those dots supposed to mean?
Kylie: They're sightings and Demona and her Silverhand lackeys.
Luke: And "Demona" I'm assuming is the Gargoyle lady we just fought on the Brooklyn Bridge?
Winston: Correct, you see Demona is the leader of the Silverhand. She first attacked a few months ago, which is how we met Jake and Fu.
Fu Dog: Story goes she was part of the Wyvern Clan of Gargoyles in Scotland. Her clan got brutally massacred by raiders in the daytime, yadda-yadda-yadda, "Magneto was right and humans suck"!
Jake: Gramps and I were fighting her and well she... she uh...
The American Dragon shuts down, his eyes become watery. Luke looks around at the group, knowing full well what Jake is trying to say. Luke puts his hand on shoulder, nodding at him and letting him know silently that he doesn't have to recount the story if he doesn't want to.
Jake: When I'm not here protecting the vault, me and Fu are tearing the city apart looking for her.
Luke: You said the Wyvern Clan, isn't that-
Roland: The castle David Xanatos rebuilt on the top of his already enormous skyscraper? Yes, it is.
Luke: So, why are we not knocking on that assholes door?
Venkman: A bunch of old farts and a slime-ball storming a literal castle, what could possibly go wrong?
Eduardo: Speak for self jefe! I've been waiting to storm that castle and find her!
Fu Dog: Well, I got some bad news for you Eddie, based off of Janine's map Demona's not there. In fact it looks she's intentionally staying away from there.
Janine grabs a pen circling Mutant Town and District X. The heroes all looking at where the most Silverhand sightings are.
Luke: Of course she'd be in those places. They probably all blend in with that crowd.
Kylie: This is just the human areas we're aware. According to Jake and Fu's contacts they make regular appearances in the magical creature neighborhoods.
Luke: "Magical creature neighborhoods"?
Fu Dog: It's an umbrella term, we're not all monsters, cryptids, or wessen.
Luke: Not all what?
Fu Dog: We'll be here all night if we have to catch you up on centuries of magic world history. So they definitely got a hub in Mutant Town and District X right?
Jake: No doubt. District X it's gonna be a simple walk-in, Mutant Town on the other hand that's gonna be tricky. National guard still patrols the walls and other than me and you, most of us would stick out like sore thumbs behind those walls.
Venkman: Can we reach our contact in Mutant Town?
Kylie: I can hit Donnie up. He's usually active around this time of night anyway.
Luke: I'm sorry but who's Donnie?
Fu Dog: Remember when I said it's only gonna get weirder? Just keep that in your back pocket. Janine and I will stay here and hold the fort down. The rest o'ya are gonna do these mutant neighborhoods and find Demona.
Jake nods as he transforms back into a dragon flying out of the skylight before anyone else can assign groups. Fu Dog looks disappointed as he was about to suggest they split up into groups.
Fu Dog: Well... I think it goes without sayin' that Jake is flyin' into Mutant Town. Who wants to go after him?
Kylie, Roland, and Eduardo all step up but Fu shoots Eduardo down saying, "Yeah, nice try Eddie the lover boy! I don't need you distracting our paranormal expert in Kylie because you're lonely and get scared easily!". Eduardo's jaw drops at this comment but he replies saying, "I will Mike Vick you so fast!" but Luke Cage gets between the two of them before they can really go at it.
Luke: Enough! I'll go with Kylie and Roland to Mutant Town while another team goes to District X. Besides, you're more likely to get across the armed checkpoints with an Avenger.
Slimer then interjects frantically waving his arms and speaking in gibberish. Fu Dog turns around annoyed at the green ghost dismissing his frantic pleas.
Fu Dug: Nice try pal! But until I see what you owe me, you're not leavin' this-
Slimer than coughs up a wad of cash and pile of golden drachma, this catches Luke off guard because of how often Slimer appears to be translucent. Fu Dog looks down at the money and then looks back at Slimer, he does this a few times before finally nodding.
Fu Dog: Alright fine! You can go, but I'm gonna let this dry and if you shorted me even a little bit!
Slimer tries to tell Fu Dog that every last cent is there but there is a clear language barrier between the babbling ghost and the canine mentor.
Venkman: I'll take Ray, Winston, Garret, and Eddie to District X.
Fu Dog: Looks like we're adjourned. Now get outta here!