A few weeks later, animated continuum, NYC, Hook and Ladder No. 8
A few weeks later, all was quiet around the Firehall. Venkman was continuing work on his book while the rest of the guys lounged around. The sense of boredom was permeable. There hadn't been any calls all week. Not good when you relied on the business to take care of crippling bills. He could hear the phone ring a couple of times, and hustled out.
“Casserole recipe from my sister,” He heard Janine explain to the others after she hung up. There were loud groans, and the guys slumped back down. Venkman started to leave when the phone rang again.
“Relax guys, it's probably the dessert recipe,” The other Peter remarked from the floor, and Venkman was tempted to concur. However it turned out to be a call, and the guys cheered loudly.
“Need a hand?” He asked as they hurried over to the Ecto-1.
But the other Peter waved him as he got behind the wheel, “Nah, it's a haunted house, but it's probably nothing. Remember the other ones?” He slammed the door shut before he could get an answer. The old modified ambulance then pulled out onto the street, and left.
Janine said, “It's ok, Dr. V. You got Slimer and me for company.”
Slimer grinned, and gurgled happily, “Yeah.”
Venkman just sighed, “Swell. I'll be upstairs if you need me.” Might as well get back to some training. He needed to calm down anyway.
A while later, he heard the Ecto-1 pull up again. Must have been a false alarm after all. He heard some voices downstairs but didn't think anything of it, and went back to meditating. He paused briefly when he heard the Ecto-1 leave again. That's odd. He got up, and stepped out into the hallway, looking downstairs. Ok, what's going on? He then heard a weird noise, and then a scream from Slimer. He then ran down the stairs to find out what was wrong.
Slimer saw him, and zoomed over, babbling excitedly. “Peter! Evil bird. Fire! Bad birdie!”
“Whoa, calm down. What bird?”
Slimer pointed over to the birdcage, where a yellow canary was chirping happily away.
Peter blinked, “Why does this remind me of that Warner Brothers cartoon with Tweety and Jekyll/Hyde?” He stared at the cage which seemed normal, no... wait, oh shit, there was something there. And it was ugly. The bird stared back balefully at him like it knew he was seeing through it.
Peter looked away, and gestured to Slimer. He quietly said, “It's ok. I believe you. I see it, too.” The ghost's eyes widened in shock. “Peter see?”
“Yes, Peter see. Slimer, where's Janine?” Slimer pointed toward the stairs that led to the basement.
He nodded his thanks, and headed downstairs, to where Janine and some old lady were in front of the containment unit. Slimer zoomed ahead of him to tell Janine about the evil bird, but she shook him away.
“Knock it off, Slimer. Go back upstairs to precious.”
“Should listen to the spud, Janine. He's telling the truth.” Venkman said, from halfway down the stairs, and blinked at the old lady. Something is wrong, something is very wrong here. She seemed innocent, but she was giving him the heebie-jeebies. There was this brief sense of intense evil. And was she smirking at him? But her facial expression was one of surprise.
“Oh, my goodness. I thought you were still with the others.” She exclaimed, in a dotty old woman voice.
Janine walked up, and whispered to him, “This is Mrs. Rogers. Her house is the haunted one.”
He whispered back, “You sure she's not the haunted one here?” He gestured they should get back up to talk privately.
The old lady asked, “Is it all right if I look around upstairs? I'd like to fix the place up if you don't mind.”
Venkman snarled, “Yes, we mind.”
“Peter!” Janine admonished him, and said loudly, “That's fine, Mrs. Rogers. Go right on ahead.” She then pushed Venkman upstairs ahead of her, and didn't stop until they on the main floor, and into the kitchen area.
Once out of earshot, Janine whaled into him, “What's the matter with you?”
“She's not human, that's what it is. She's not some dotty blue hair who can't see over the steering wheel of her car, she's evil.”
“Peter, knock it off! I'm know you're upset you couldn't go on the bust, but that's no reason to call some defenseless old woman evil.”
He scoffed her, and ticked off his reasons on his fingers, “Easy. She's not a woman. She's probably not defenseless. She might be old, but that's it.”
He sighed, and added, “I really can't explain how I know, but I do. We don't have time right now.” He went to go after Mrs. Rogers, but an iron grip stopped him. He turned back to see a bespectacled pair of blue eyes boring into his green eyes.
“Well, you better make time, because I'm not letting you leave without one, buster.” She seethed, “You've been tip-toeing around here since you showed up, and holing up somewhere, working, or doing god knows what. That's not like you at all.” Before he could comment, she cut him off, “And I know you're not like our Dr. V, but you're Peter Venkman too, so spill already.”
He sighed, remembering why they hired her in first place, and why she hasn't quit despite the sporadic paycheck.
“Fine. Wanted to let him make that decision to 'fess up to all of you, but I had to tell Egon since he tested me, and I know Ray's probably figured most of it out during the testing. I'll give you the Cliff's Notes version because the longer old, ugly, and evil is around, the worse we're gonna be.”
“Casserole recipe from my sister,” He heard Janine explain to the others after she hung up. There were loud groans, and the guys slumped back down. Venkman started to leave when the phone rang again.
“Relax guys, it's probably the dessert recipe,” The other Peter remarked from the floor, and Venkman was tempted to concur. However it turned out to be a call, and the guys cheered loudly.
“Need a hand?” He asked as they hurried over to the Ecto-1.
But the other Peter waved him as he got behind the wheel, “Nah, it's a haunted house, but it's probably nothing. Remember the other ones?” He slammed the door shut before he could get an answer. The old modified ambulance then pulled out onto the street, and left.
Janine said, “It's ok, Dr. V. You got Slimer and me for company.”
Slimer grinned, and gurgled happily, “Yeah.”
Venkman just sighed, “Swell. I'll be upstairs if you need me.” Might as well get back to some training. He needed to calm down anyway.
A while later, he heard the Ecto-1 pull up again. Must have been a false alarm after all. He heard some voices downstairs but didn't think anything of it, and went back to meditating. He paused briefly when he heard the Ecto-1 leave again. That's odd. He got up, and stepped out into the hallway, looking downstairs. Ok, what's going on? He then heard a weird noise, and then a scream from Slimer. He then ran down the stairs to find out what was wrong.
Slimer saw him, and zoomed over, babbling excitedly. “Peter! Evil bird. Fire! Bad birdie!”
“Whoa, calm down. What bird?”
Slimer pointed over to the birdcage, where a yellow canary was chirping happily away.
Peter blinked, “Why does this remind me of that Warner Brothers cartoon with Tweety and Jekyll/Hyde?” He stared at the cage which seemed normal, no... wait, oh shit, there was something there. And it was ugly. The bird stared back balefully at him like it knew he was seeing through it.
Peter looked away, and gestured to Slimer. He quietly said, “It's ok. I believe you. I see it, too.” The ghost's eyes widened in shock. “Peter see?”
“Yes, Peter see. Slimer, where's Janine?” Slimer pointed toward the stairs that led to the basement.
He nodded his thanks, and headed downstairs, to where Janine and some old lady were in front of the containment unit. Slimer zoomed ahead of him to tell Janine about the evil bird, but she shook him away.
“Knock it off, Slimer. Go back upstairs to precious.”
“Should listen to the spud, Janine. He's telling the truth.” Venkman said, from halfway down the stairs, and blinked at the old lady. Something is wrong, something is very wrong here. She seemed innocent, but she was giving him the heebie-jeebies. There was this brief sense of intense evil. And was she smirking at him? But her facial expression was one of surprise.
“Oh, my goodness. I thought you were still with the others.” She exclaimed, in a dotty old woman voice.
Janine walked up, and whispered to him, “This is Mrs. Rogers. Her house is the haunted one.”
He whispered back, “You sure she's not the haunted one here?” He gestured they should get back up to talk privately.
The old lady asked, “Is it all right if I look around upstairs? I'd like to fix the place up if you don't mind.”
Venkman snarled, “Yes, we mind.”
“Peter!” Janine admonished him, and said loudly, “That's fine, Mrs. Rogers. Go right on ahead.” She then pushed Venkman upstairs ahead of her, and didn't stop until they on the main floor, and into the kitchen area.
Once out of earshot, Janine whaled into him, “What's the matter with you?”
“She's not human, that's what it is. She's not some dotty blue hair who can't see over the steering wheel of her car, she's evil.”
“Peter, knock it off! I'm know you're upset you couldn't go on the bust, but that's no reason to call some defenseless old woman evil.”
He scoffed her, and ticked off his reasons on his fingers, “Easy. She's not a woman. She's probably not defenseless. She might be old, but that's it.”
He sighed, and added, “I really can't explain how I know, but I do. We don't have time right now.” He went to go after Mrs. Rogers, but an iron grip stopped him. He turned back to see a bespectacled pair of blue eyes boring into his green eyes.
“Well, you better make time, because I'm not letting you leave without one, buster.” She seethed, “You've been tip-toeing around here since you showed up, and holing up somewhere, working, or doing god knows what. That's not like you at all.” Before he could comment, she cut him off, “And I know you're not like our Dr. V, but you're Peter Venkman too, so spill already.”
He sighed, remembering why they hired her in first place, and why she hasn't quit despite the sporadic paycheck.
“Fine. Wanted to let him make that decision to 'fess up to all of you, but I had to tell Egon since he tested me, and I know Ray's probably figured most of it out during the testing. I'll give you the Cliff's Notes version because the longer old, ugly, and evil is around, the worse we're gonna be.”