Ghostbusters: Resurrection

9. Something Wicked This Way Comes

"Shandor's son, is he leading the Gozarians out there? Is this the head guy?" Venkman asks.

"He's dead. But his son isn't. He's an actor like his Grandma. A-list. Major social media brand deals. Oscar and Emmy nominations. Has dated every hot actress in town," Winston flips to another photo. "Recognize this guy?"

"Patrick Bronsdown?! Not Captain Universe?!" Gary is star struck but trying to play it cool.

"And guess what? He was born in 1993, the year Egon saw the huge shift in the Gozer data begin," Winston finishes. "And he lives in Grandma's big old Hollywood mansion built by Granddaddy Shandor himself. Out of what, you ask? I'll give you three guesses and they all better be selenium."

"Woah," Ray says. "That's gotta be our guy. Either the mansion or the movie studio have to be the temple."

"Get this- the movie studio burnt down in 1984," Winston tells him. "Same night as our first Gozer battle. Probably caught fire right about the time we crossed the streams and toasted that giant marshmallow."

"Well, that's probably not a coincidence," Venkman says. "Pass me the sugar, would ya Gare?"

"So all signs point to the mansion," Ray says.

"We aren't going to have to fight Captain
Universe are we? I don't think I can do it," Gary is thrown by this. He's a big fan.

"Hopefully not," Ray says, "but just in case, can you tell us everything you know about him?"

"Bronsdown does his own stunts. He's so productive, he makes Tom Cruise look lazy. Has a line of supplements. He's a black belt. He does a lot of charity work, has his own charity, even. He owns a lot of stock in InterFlicks, the streaming service..."

Gary infodumps about his man crush and the others take notes.
.
.
.
.
That scorching summer afternoon, Callie drives Phoebe to town for a milkshake at Spinners. Phoebe doesn't want to stop her work in the lab but her mom insists. She agrees to leave for exactly 37 minutes, only while a glue cures.

"It's summer vacation, Phoebs," Callie insists. She's wearing her red plastic heart shaped sunglasses, how embarrassing. "Let's play a little bit."

"It's only the fate of our universe at stake, Mother," Phoebe pushes her glasses up her sweaty nose. Their ancient station wagon hasn't had working air conditioning in years.

"I know, honey," Callie drives and talks. The windows are down but only stirring the hot air up, not really cooling it. "How are you feeling? The entire universe? That's a lot on 15 year old shoulders."

"I can handle it. I'm a Spengler," Phoebe is resolute.

"Love that. Love you. But, I want you to have a little fun," Callie tucks a dark curl behind her youngest's ear and the wind buffets it loose immediately. "You're growing up so fast."

"I've always felt like a grown up," Phoebe says, watching cornfields go by.

"I know," Callie answers. "You came to earth ready to be taken seriously."

"I'm always serious," her child says, looking and sounding exactly like Egon, though neither of them know it. "But, Mom, I am having fun in the lab. Making the gear with Grandfather and Ray is fun. Testing it. Podcast staying over. Everyone visiting us. It's good, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is good," Callie smiles. Her blonde hair whips around her face.

"This may be the best summer break I've ever had, actually," Phoebe smiles back.

Callie's mama heart squeezes in her chest. Her youngest kid has found her purpose. If Callie had a choice, she might have preferred something less dangerous, say soccer, music or chess tournaments but okay. Ghostbusting it was. Better than boys or drugs.

They pull up to Spinners and Enid the carhop rollerskates up to the car and does a fancy spin stop. She's 65 if she's a day, but the woman has moves. She'll do the splits if you tip big enough. Callie wonders if Venkman has introduced himself to her yet.

They order shakes. Strawberry for both.

While they're being made, Callie turns to Phoebe and says, "Remember you're not alone, Phoebe. We've all got your back. And if this Gozer thing goes sideways, that's not just on you. It's on all of us. Whatever happens, we can handle it."

"Thanks, Mom," Phoebe says.

"I believe in you," Callie finishes her pep talk. "Your Gozer Grinder and Frisbee traps are awesome. You're a bad ass, Phoebe. We're gonna win."

"Hell yeah, we are," agrees Phoebe. They fist bump and then here come the milkshakes.
.
.
.
As June wanes, tensions mount. Venkman considers it his job to tease, argue or flirt with anyone who gets a little too scared or serious. He's testing troupe morale.

"Talked to your Dad lately?" Venkman asks Callie in the faux casual tone of someone who is definitely secretly psychoanalyzing everyone. It's his turn to cook and he's stirring his 'famous' chili.

"He's mostly resting until go time," Callie says, grating the cheese to help him out.

"Until a psychopathic alien deity bursts out of your lawn in a couple days?" Peter asks, adding a pinch of salt. "And we get to see if a 15 year old kid and a ghost invented a machine that can stop a god or if we're all chopped liver?"

"Pretty much," Callie answers, reaching for a stack of bowls.

"How're you doing with that, Spengler?" Peter asks, in one of his rare, disarmingly sensitive moments. Callie likes him.

"Well, it's nice of you guys not to wait until the very last freaking minute to show up, for once," she teases him. "I'm just hoping I don't get possessed this time."

"I think Ray's got that department covered," Peter says. He offers a Dad-ish hug and she takes it.
.
.
.
In the last days until Gozer 3.0, Ray, Winston and Trevor make some Ecto1 adaptions together. Weaponize the old girl.

Janine and Podcast practice with unarmed mock ups of disc traps. First on the ground, and then tossing them from the back windows of Ecto1 at a moving target, namely Trevor on an electric scooter.

Ray, Winston, and Venkman teach everyone proper proton thrower technique so that nobody gets their face burnt off.

Ray and Phoebe scan the super trap system with PKE meters, looking for surges that might indicate weak points in the system.
.
.
.
And then Trevor has an idea.

Trevor is helping his sister and Podcast in the lab. He's starting college soon and it's on his mind. He tells Phoebe, "You should write about this for your college entrance essay. This tech is amazing. You could get a scholarship anywhere."

"No one would believe me," Phoebe answers, frowning into the device she's working on. It's mechanism needs to open and shut faster.

"They would if we showed them what you can do. What if we live streamed it on YouView when Gozer starts to escape?" Trevor says. He turns. "Oh, Podcast..."

Podcast looks up from his soldering iron, eyes huge behind magnifying lenses. Takes out his ear buds. "Hmm?"

"I got a job for you, buddy," Trevor tells him. "When Gozer goes live, so do you."

The teenagers make a plan.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, blue sparks crackle through the dirt in the yard and wires hum. The traps strain. But they hold.