Lockwood & CO. abroad "Shadows Over London" (fan fiction)

The unfortunate Case of Marcus Kootz

The men's locker room was covered in spiderwebs a sure sign a source was nearby. after some psychic reading and locating locker 301 which had the number scratched off we managed to dislodge the locker from the wall. Laura kept watch while I ripped at the drywall, Laura had felt a sense of urgency through the wall as if something was behind it, waiting to be found. the visitor never came back it was like he knew that we were there to help. How strange it was to deal with a spirit that had not set off any alarms psychically I'd never experienced something like this before, it surely was menacing and violent but it hadn't reformed in over an hour if this spirit was hostile then why wasn't it protecting its source, usually a source is something its really connected to, envious of, maybe we were looking for human remains, sometimes a visitor simply wanted to be found, but if that was the case why was it amplifying the type 1 manifestations? and what I had heard it almost seemed like the visitor itself was a victim...a victim of something even more malevolent.

I was in the middle of removing the last remaining drywall at the base of the wall when I heard a bang in the hall the double doors leading out to the factory had slammed open. I swung around and pulled my rapier from my belt Laura and I watched the door waiting....we heard hurried footsteps in the hall, light but quick. we hopped the iron chain we fixed in front of the locker room door that would hold back any visitor who tried to sneak up on us. The door flung open and a small figure scurried into the room, his rapier swinging at his belt wildly. Marcus Kootz had a look of fear and panic on his face he struggled to catch his breath.

"Gabby....type 2.... help" he gasped


The 3 of us sprinted through the locker room door and down the dark corridor out into the main factory I was immediately hit with malaise and the taste of death and rot, no time for gum, and the temperature was also deathly cold. like a window had been opened in the dead of winter, the cold stung my face. I glanced across the factory floor and saw Gabby, rapier in hand, swinging it expertly at a red phantasm. I could hear the manic cackling of the thing. it was fast and unyielding. every swipe of its elongated hand was met with Gabbys sword. her face set in stone of concentration and determination. I watched as she sidestepped the phantasm twirling her rapier in a circular motion warding the spirit off. I knew better than to call out it would have distracted her and any distraction meant death. phantasms were deadly and they were full of anger and hatred, they were no easy feat to fend off one on one.

"Laura salt and Iron go!" without hesitation she sprang forward unclipping the pouches on her kit belt. Laura was fast, I had never seen an agent more agile except for Gabby that is, she lifted both hands and lobed a series of salt and iron shaving bombs at the wicked thing. they exploded on impact speckling the phantasm which sparked red and white as the ectoplasm was split. that had weakened it and set it hurling off course...... in our direction.

"Marcus!" I yelled pulling my sword, the young agent was fighting with the clasp of his rapier

"It's stuck! Jericho my rapier is stuck!" I stole a glance, his face was pale, full of utter terror. no time to react.

I swung upward, splitting the phantasm in two it only to have it reform.....directly in front of Marcus, then without halting directly through him.

Marcus went rigged, his hands frozen on the clasp and hilt of his rapier, his eyes bulging, the phantasm cackled and drifted through the double doors.

Steam was billowing from Marcus' body, ectoplasm dripped from his clothes his eyes had lost light and color, his brown eyes replaced with cold grey orbs.his head cocked towards me and we stared at each other, that's when the swelling started and I looked away, I heard his body hit the ground. my eyes were full of tears.

Gabby was here now her hands on my face, she was speaking but I couldn't make out the words, the room was spinning, and she was directing my face to hers, her cool blue eyes full of sadness anger, and concern. I could smell her lavender body wash, a sweet smell I never got tired of.
I could sense Laura's presence she was tending to The body of our fellow agent, she knew there was nothing she could do, this was a full-body ghost touch. there was no saving him. She gave him a booster anyway even though it was too late, she carried his body to the iron circle we initially placed, and covered his body with a silver netting. in my traumatized state I locked eyes with Laura. She said something but I couldn't hear. then marched out into the night no doubt heading to the work truck to call PND, every death had to be reported immediately, once an agent died all bets were off the table and the mission was over we were considered unable to complete the job. and were to wait for Backup support. that was the rule....Gabby and I always thought it stupid.

I don't know how much time had passed, I do not know how I got a cup of hot coffee or when Gabby had closed the Factory door locking it as she did so, crossing the factory floor she grabbed her duffle bag, and slung the iron chain around her shoulders. I could hear banging on the factory door, it was Laura. Gabby was directly in front of me now we both looked down at the deathglow of Marcus, how strong it was, although his body lay 100 ft near the door, where we stood was an exact copy of his tiny form made of blue silver/light unmoving.

"Jericho"

"Yes gabby"

"Lets go kill a ghost"