[010. GROWN UPS ]

Trevor used a ratchet under the hood of Ecto-1, his hands moving with practiced precision. He exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow, and moved to the driver's seat.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, turning the key. The engine refused to start.

"Ugh, come on! Come on, you can do this. Come on, darling."

Unbeknownst to him, a loose wire jiggled into place. The motor roared to life, startling Trevor. He slapped the wheel in triumph.

"Yes!"

The hood dropped, and Trevor looked outward with satisfaction. Moments later, he was driving Ecto-1 around a barley field, the song "Boredom" playing.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, drifting around and patting the dash.

Suddenly, panic filled him. "Shit!"

Ecto-1 soared into the air and landed on the road, coincidentally just a few feet away from Phoebe, Jules, and Podcast. He drove up to them and leaned over to roll the passenger window down.

Trevor looked at his sister, then at Podcast, and finally at Jules. "Hey."

Jules smiled. "Hey, Trev."

Phoebe glanced at the two of them, then introduced Podcast. "Hey. This is Podcast."

Podcast waved.

Phoebe added, "He... He's my friend."

Trevor raised an eyebrow. "You have a friend?"

Phoebe smirked. "You can talk to Jules and have a car."

Trevor grinned. "One, Jules is my friend, and two, it's a Cadillac."

Podcast leaned into the car. "Hey, dude. We need a ride. Do you know how to drive?"

Phoebe interjected, "He doesn't. He failed his driver's test three times."

Jules laughed, and Trevor melted at her smile. "You what? Three times? Wow, Trev."

Blushing, Trevor retorted, "Shut up!"

Snapping out of his trance of staring at Jules, he said, "Get in the back. Jules, come sit next to me." He patted the seat next to him.

Podcast found a Trap on a remote-controlled car and flipped it on and off, examining it curiously.

"Okay. So, what the hell is going on?" Trevor asked, glancing around.

"In the 1980s, New York was attacked," Phoebe explained.

"Yeah, no. I know the Manhattan ghost stories," Trevor nodded.

"Yeah, well, the stories are real," Phoebe continued.

"Yeah, and so are the guys who climbed the building, saved the world, and fought back an invading army of the undead. Not to mention a 100-foot Marshmallow Man," Podcast added.

Phoebe discovered a Particle Thrower in an army chest and turned it over in her hands. "Our grandfather was Egon Spengler. He was a Ghostbuster."

Jules, who had been quietly listening, interjected with a playful smile, "We've seen it ourselves. The ghosts, the equipment... it's all real."

Trevor looked at her with a mix of amusement and affection.

"Yeah, Jules is right This is crazy, but it's happening." Podcast spoke up

Suddenly, the police CB radio chirped to life.

"All units, we're getting reports of, well, some kind of animal taking a bite out of Steve Fletcher's truck. Apparently, he almost took the whole tailgate off?" the dispatcher's voice crackled.

"Muncher," Jules said, eyes widening.

"Muncher," Phoebe and podcast echoed.

They drove past the grain elevator, Phoebe holding the thrower as they passed Wertheimer's Hardware store.

Podcast and Trevor looked around. Jules sat in the passenger seat, eyes scanning for any signs of ghostly activity.

"So, what should I be looking for?" Trevor asked.

"Evidence," Podcast replied.

Trevor took a left. They saw a stop sign with the "S" missing, bite marks visible.

Podcast and Phoebe leaned towards the front. They drove past an alley where some trash cans and a dumpster had been munched on, blue ectoplasm left behind.

"Can you stop breathing in my ear?" Trevor grimaced.

"No," Podcast smirked.

"You guys, this is kind of stupid. Are you sure you didn't see, like, a raccoon or a possum?" Trevor shook his head.

"There!" Phoebe pointed.

Trevor braked to a stop. Muncher was trying to eat a red fire hydrant.

"Is that a...?" Trevor's eyes widened.

"Free-floating metal muncher. Definitely Class Five," Podcast identified.

"Okay, uh, what do we do?" Trevor asked, still in shock.

"Let's get him," Podcast said, pulling down the goggles over his eyes.

"What?" Trevor was baffled.

"Let me get a photo first," Podcast said, moving around and stepping on a lever. The door next to Phoebe opened.

"Guys?" Phoebe shouted.

The seat extended outside.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Whoa. It has a gunner seat?" Podcast marveled.

Trevor was about to protest, "What this is -" when Jules leaned over and kissed him on the cheek with a grin.

"Trevor, let the grown-ups handle this," she teased, her tone playful.

Trevor, caught off guard and instantly smitten, blushed deeply. "Uh, yeah, right. Grown-ups."

Podcast, now ready with the camera, chuckled at their exchange. "Alright, let's get a picture and then let's get this ghost!"

The adventure continued, with Jules and Trevor sharing knowing glances amidst the chaos, their bond deepening with every ghostly encounter.

" wait im older then all of you ! " Trevor said hitting his wheel

As Muncher paused and slowly turned to face them, his hand unscrewing the lid of the hydrant, water erupting around him, Phoebe urged them into action.

"Go, go, go!" Phoebe shouted.

The iconic score , filled the air as Trevor slammed on the gas. Behind them, Podcast exclaimed as he was jostled in the chaos.

"Whoa!"

Jules, seated beside Trevor, couldn't help but feel the tension rise. "Guys, please be careful!" she urged, eyes darting between the pursuing Muncher and the road ahead.

They raced past the rushing water, the filth near the No Ghost Logo being splashed off in their wake.

Phoebe aimed and fired, hitting the Empress Theatre sign as Muncher launched metal projectiles towards Ecto-1. Trevor swerved frantically, Phoebe struggling to regain her grip on the proton pack.

Amidst the chaos, Muncher darted between patrons at a diner, causing a commotion. Jules called out, "What the...?"

Trevor, still focused on the chase, muttered, "Uh..."

Jules, attempting to lighten the tension, interjected with a casual greeting, "Wassup, my dudes and dudette!"

Ecto-1 rounded a corner, and Trevor hit the accelerator hard. The speedometer shot past 60 mph, and Podcast adjusted his goggles, preparing for the next move. Phoebe wrestled with the controls, managing to temporarily corral Muncher.

"Yes!" Trevor shouted in triumph.

Jules encouraged Phoebe, "Come on, Pheobs!"

"Trap him!" Phoebe called out, determination in her voice.

Podcast swiftly maneuvered the Trap on wheels to the back of Ecto-1, deploying it with practiced precision. He activated the remote control, guiding the Remote Trap Vehicle (RTV) into position.

"Okay, here we go," Podcast muttered, focused.

The RTV sped ahead of Ecto-1, narrowly avoiding collisions with other vehicles. Trevor struggled to keep the car steady.

"Come on, keep it straight!" Podcast urged.

Trevor shot a glance at Jules, who offered to take over, "Gladly. Hand it over."

Trevor hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Nah, I'm good."

Podcast sighed as the RTV closed in on Muncher.

"Left, left, left!" he directed urgently.

They made a sharp turn past the Summerville Post Office, narrowly avoiding parked cars. Trevor adjusted course, trying to keep up.

"Ready!" Podcast announced.

Jules chimed in, eager to see Muncher trapped, "Trap him already!"

Together they counted down, "Three, two..."

"One!" Trevor and Podcast exclaimed in unison.

They narrowly avoided colliding head-on with a truck, swerving away at the last moment. The RTV darted under the truck, and Phoebe's proton stream struck the truck's rear, causing damage. Muncher, momentarily free, darted through a roller hop, the song "On the Road Again" playing in the background.

Ecto-1 slid past Spinners, coming to a stop at the corner.

Trevor caught his breath, panting, "Oh my God, what just happened?"

The gunner seat retracted into Ecto-1, and Podcast lifted his goggles, observing the situation.

"He's heading for the mountain," Podcast noted.

They spotted a sign warning of a closed bridge ahead. Muncher flew past, and the RTV and Ecto-1 followed in pursuit down the dirt road.

"Get closer," Phoebe instructed.

"Okay," Trevor replied, focusing intently.

"I'm in range," Podcast confirmed, his concentration palpable.

Phoebe aimed the proton pack from the gunner seat, grappling with Muncher.

"She got him!" Trevor cheered.

The RTV sped up, closing in as they approached the bridge.

"Whatever we're doing, we have to do it now," Trevor urged.

"Come on!" Phoebe added.

Podcast lifted a red covering over a button and pressed it. The Trap opened, pulling Muncher inside.

"Whoo!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Yes!" Podcast celebrated.

Jules joined in, cheering, "Yes!"

"Yeah!!!" Trevor pumped his fist.

As they caught their breaths, Phoebe pointed out, "Bridge!"

Trevor screamed, and Phoebe barely managed to retract the gunner seat in time to avoid a collision with the bridge. Ecto-1 scraped along the side, the exposed door scraping against the structure before they cleared it with a collective sigh of relief.

They all screamed in exhilaration as Ecto-1 skidded to a stop, gravel flying. Trevor was the first to step out.

"What was that?" he asked, still processing the adrenaline rush.

He high-fived Phoebe, who grinned back at him.

"I think we just caught a ghost," Phoebe said, a mixture of pride and excitement in her voice.

The Trap blinked red with purple electricity, signaling their success. Podcast removed his goggles and embraced Phoebe.

" proud of you Phoebs " Jules smiled giving her a fist bump

" really ! Thanks Jules " phoebe smiled

"I was here last night," Trevor recalled, his mind reeling from the events." Lucky and -"

Jules rolled her eyes, trying to mask her jealousy, but Podcast and Phoebe noticed her reaction.

All three turned their attention to the looming Shandor Mining Company mountain , providing a haunting backdrop to the quiet evening, punctuated by the sound of crickets.