CHAPTER 057: Midnight rendezvous, pt. 2
Meanwhile, the John and Cosmo were taking things less seriously. Then again, it couldn't be helped; having the world's strongest hero by your side tends to spoil any kind of frightening atmosphere.
"So buddy, you've been wanting to ask me something?"
"Oh! Um... Right! I wanted to tell you about this fun new game in America."
"Really? Tell me more, tell me more!"
"Okay, it's called 'push the big red button.'"
"That sounds silly. Aren't those buttons normally for self destructs?"
"No, no. You might not have heard, but there was legislation passed recently that says all those buttons have to now be marked with little explosion symbols."
"How have I not heard of it?"
"I don't know, there were union of villainy protests and everything! Oh, wait; maybe this was around the time you fought that thing in space."
"Which one? The big starfish, or the giant dust cloud?"
"Yes..."
Captain Cosmonaut thought something smelled fishy, but a sudden fanciful thought stole center stage in his mind.
"What does the big red button do, then? Like, if it doesn't blow everything up?"
The John coyly shrugged his shoulders and said,
"Nobody knows. Word on the street is that villains were so pissed about this law, they made all the red buttons trip crazy pranks!"
INSIDE COSMONAUT'S IMAGINATION...
"What does this button do?"
He pushes the button, and a tank full of goop is poured on him from the ceiling.
"HA HA! So sticky!"
…
"What does this button do?"
He pushes the button, and a bunch of tarantulas spring out to tickle him.
"HA HA! So itchy!"
…
"What does this button do?"
He pushes the button, and a disco ball descends from the ceiling.
"HA HA! So groovy!"
BACK IN THE REAL WORLD...
Checking to make sure nobody else was around, Cosmo quit dragging the oxygen tank. Instead, he tossed it over his shoulder like a deliveryman.
"This game sounds fun! Let's play!"
"Good, let's play," The John responded, eager to not be tonight's fool.
In the live-stream chat, hundreds of bots suddenly spammed in unison,
"В тебе живет рабочий дух!"
"These guys are some real money makers. We should bring in guests more often," the Mystery Drummer thought while checking the viewer metrics. Equally suddenly, a chilly presence entered within the range of his senses.
"Look's like there will be another guest. Maybe we should open up another feed?"
He attached an action camera to the lapel of his trench coat, and waited.
"That aura is unmistakable; are you the cause of this haunting, foul demon?"
A middle aged Native American man stepped into view. His tan skin had Vitiligo patches resembling the spots of a leopard, and his finger nails looked like retractable claws. He kept a raven's feather in his shoulder length hair, and wore a denim jacket containing a large IOAT patch on the back.
"I'm just a humble drummer, making sure no fans sneak into such a dangerous area while we are filming. There was an incident like that in our last video, perhaps you watched that?"
"Your words smell of honey and lies. Why are you here, bothering the occupants of this world?"
"I'm filming this, you know? I've warned you this is a dangerous location, and recommended you leave. Why are you still here?"
"I'm a hero. Ghost Leopard, at your service!"
Ghost Leopard pounced forward, his claws radiating a corrosive black mist. The Mystery Drummer floated backwards in retreat, marveling at the man in front of him.
"Necrotic energy! How are you still alive? You, who is touched by death!"
Ghost Leopard's pounce continued, himself floating forward in the pursuit.
"Watch what you say! My wife might be watching this! She won't appreciate me allowing someone to slander her!"
"Then watch what you say! Who knows what co-worker might be watching this! I can't have Janice in accounting gossiping about me gallivanting in my free time!"
They both ceased moving, their fists inches apart in mid-air.
"Truce?"
"Fine, but only if I can interview you! I'll be damned if I come in last in clue gathering; I'm not washing dishes again!"
"Oh, so you are that... never mind. If you are who I think, I will do it... But, I have a counter-condition."
"Tehehe, you are an experienced exorcist, aren't you?"
"I wrote a text book or two, nothing special. If you want my cooperation, you'll give me your card."
"You are getting a favor for way too cheap, you know?"
"Feel free to put me down as a miser, I'm sure my file down there can already fill a cabinet."
Reluctantly, the Mystery Drummer passed Ghost Leopard his business card. It was the same card he had given to the John once, but an experienced exorcist could see far more on it.
"Wow! Twelve syllables, you are quite the big shot."
"Good, then you know what will happen should you speak that name on camera."
"Relax, we called a truce, didn't we? Ask away."
"You know the cause of the haunting, surely?"
"I know the inciting incident, at least. This place was used to contain a special kind of plague, back when the world still had a secret half."
"Which plague? You humans suffer from so many."
RING! DING! RING-A-LING DING!
Ghost Leopard pointed to the shaking doors and said,
"You'll see here, soon..."
Finally, unable to contain themselves, the doors collectively broke off their hinges. From inside the many rooms dotting both sides of the corridor, deformed ghosts appeared.
One, performing a crab walk with fully arched back, possessed a cone-like deformity on his skull and jaundiced skin.
Another seemed to have drowned and froze at the same time. She was bloated to the point of being a sphere, and her skin was blue and black from frostbite.
"Oh! The fruit plague! How tasty..."
"I know, I've been coming here for midnight snacks the past month. Are you thinking what I am thinking?"
"See who can eat the most? What do you bet?"
"I'll bet an eye!"
"The window to the soul!?! What scam are you pulling?"
"Nothing, what will you give in exchange? Perhaps a key?"
"You cad! I accept!"
The ghosts in the corridor became confused, as a fear of the living suddenly entered their thoughts when viewing these two. They both pounced, and a ghost stampede formed in the opposite direction...